The World Opinion

Tag: Akhilesh Yadav

  • UP Bypolls 2024: On CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Batenge To Katenge’, Samajwadi Party’s New Counter Slogan |

    Uttar Pradesh Bypolls: With the campaigning gaining momentum for the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls for nine seats, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. However, the biggest challenge for the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party was to get a counter to Yogi’s ‘Batenge to katenge’ slogan which gained immense popularity in the recent polls. Yogi gave the slogan to counter Congress-SP’s caste-based political plank where the parties demanded caste census calling for ‘Jitani aabadi, utna haq’.

    Now, the Samajwadi Party has put up posters in Uttar Pradesh saying ‘Judenge to jeetenge’. Speaking to reporters recently, reacting to Yogi’s slogan of ‘batenge to katenge’, Akhilesh Yadav said, “This slogan has been given out of fear of the increasing power of the PDA (Picchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak). We know in which lab this slogan was prepared. Then they looked for a suitable face and pushed CM Yogi in front. This time, PDA will connect people and win the election. BJP is scared of the increasing power of PDA.”

    “PDA परिवार वो है जो सामाजिक न्याय की लड़ाई को आगे बढ़ाना चाहता है, जो सामाजिक सद्भाव को आगे बढ़ाना चाहता है। “

    – माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री अखिलेश यादव जी pic.twitter.com/G7NmGaXvI9
    — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) October 30, 2024

    The nine assembly seats will be voted on November 13, and the votes will be counted on November 23. The nine seats are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).

    On the opposition’s caste and region politics, Yogi Adityanath said that those who want to divide have DNA of ‘Ravan’ in them. “Today when the attacks are happening, someone is dividing in the name of caste, some in the name of region and some in the name of language. The DNA of Raavan and Duryodhan is at work in these divisive elements,” said Yogi during a rally. 

    आज कोई जाति, कोई क्षेत्र और कोई भाषा के नाम पर बांट रहा है…

    इन बांटने वाले तत्वों में रावण और दुर्योधन का ही DNA काम कर रहा है… pic.twitter.com/M9gy63bCT8
    — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 31, 2024

    The BJP leader further warned the public against giving any opportunity to the divisive element. CM Yogi said that if these elements would get another chance, they would start goondaism, anarchy, and riots.

  • Is Congress Losing Credibility Among INDIA Bloc? Allies Take Charge Across Poll-Bound States – Analysis |

    Assembly Elections 2024: Two states are going to elect their next governments – Jharkhand and Maharashtra in the coming weeks. Both of these assembly polls are crucial given the results of the recent assembly elections of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. While Congress lost Haryana to the BJP, it’s sitting outside the government in Jammu and Kashmir. The election results of these two states had put a serious dent in the Congress party’s winnability chances. 

    In Jammu and Kashmir, Congress contested 32 seats but could win only six seats. In Haryana, it contested 89 seats and won just 37 in a direct contest with the BJP. Soon after the election result, the INDIA Bloc was quick to raise questions on the Congress party’s strike rate in a direct contest with the BJP. The seat-sharing agreement between Congress and INDIA bloc allies reflected the fallout of the Haryana and J&K results. 

    Uttar Pradesh Bypolls

    Nine assembly seats are going to the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party were locked in an intense seat-sharing deal. But the Samajwadi Party refused to buzz to the Congress party’s demand and finally, it was decided that the Samajwadi Party would contest all the seats on its own. However, Akhilesh Yadav gave a face-saver to Congress by saying that it’s INDIA Bloc’s united fight.

    Bihar Bye-elections

    In Bihar, where the RJD, Congress and Left parties are part of the Mahagathbandhan, the Congress has again scored a duck. Of the four seats up for bypolls, the RJD is contesting 3 and the CPI-ML has got one. Notably, this comes as the Congress party’s strike rate has been very low in Bihar. In the Bihar assembly elections in 2020, Congress contested 70 seats and managed to win just 19.  

    Jharkhand Assembly Elections

    In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has given 29 seats to the Congress out of the 80. It’s the only state where Congress has been given a respectable seat share by the allies. However, it again leaves the Congress dependent on the allies for government formation. 

    Maharashtra Assembly Polls

    In Maharashtra, the Congress was trying to contest around 110 seats citing its improved performance in the Lok Sabha polls. However, regional parties like Shiv Sena-UBT and the NCP-Sharad Pawar did not buzz and after marathon meetings, the parties agreed to Shiv Sena-UBT’s proposal of contesting below 100 seats. Now, all three big parties will contest 85 seats each, leaving the rest of the seats for Samajwadi Party, PWP, CPI(M), CPI, and AAP.

    Congress Being Pushed To The Wall

    Once the largest party in the country, Congress is increasingly being pushed to the back seats across big states. INDIA bloc allies are forcing the grand old party either to sit out or sit back when it comes to seat sharing. Be it in West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, the allies took control of the polls by bagging the majority shares of the seats. The same is happening across other states where the Congress has failed to perform in a direct contest against the BJP. While Congress has displayed a maturity by playing second fiddle in these polls, the party will suffer in the long-run as the allies will bcome stronger, leaving less space for Congress.

  • ‘Symbol Of Negativity’: Row In Uttar Pradesh After Akhilesh Yadav ‘Stopped’ From Paying Tribute To Jayaprakash Narayan |

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of erecting tin sheets before the main gate of Lucknow’s Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) to stop his entry. He criticised the BJP, stating that “every action of the BJP and its government is a symbol of negativity.” Yadav alleged that the BJP government is trying to stop him from paying tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan.

    Huge number of protestors gathered at Akhilesh Yadav’s residence as police barricades and heavy security were put in place. Yadav alleged that the BJP government is trying to hide something by erecting tin shades. He alleged that the JPNIC is not under construction as being claimed by the state government.

    In a letter dated October 10, the LDA mentioned that JPNIC is a construction site with haphazardly spread materials and potential insect infestations due to rain. “JPNIC is a construction site where construction material is spread haphazardly, and there is a possibility of many insects due to rain,” the LDA said.

    Yadav expressed concern that barricades were set up around JPNIC to prevent Samajwadi Party members from garlanding the statue of Jai Prakash Narayan on his birth anniversary.

    भाजपाई लोग हों या इनकी सरकार, इनका हर काम नकारात्मक का प्रतीक है। पिछली बार की तरह समाजवादी लोग कहीं ‘जय प्रकाश नारायण जी’ की जयंती पर उनकी मूर्ति पर माल्यार्पण करने न चले जाएं, इसीलिए उन्हें रोकने के लिए हमारे निजी आवास के आसपास बैरिकेडिंग कर दी गयी है।

    – भाजपा ने श्रद्धांजलि… pic.twitter.com/oqAO6g8Qu8


    — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 11, 2024

     

    Yadav shared a video on X and said, “Preventing someone from bowing or paying homage is not a sign of civilized people.”

    किसी को नमन करने या श्रद्धांजलि देने से रोकना सुसभ्य लोगों की निशानी नहीं। pic.twitter.com/4Co28qyahN
    — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 10, 2024

    Yadav visited the JPNIC with party workers on Thursday night to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, which is celebrated on October 11.

    “BJP holds ill-will and animosity towards every freedom fighter like Jai Prakash Narayan ji who took part in the freedom struggle of the country. It is the guilt within the BJP colleagues who did not take part in the freedom struggle of the country that does not allow them to pay tribute to the revolutionaries even on their birth anniversaries,” the post read.

    ये है भाजपा राज में आज़ादी का दिखावटी अमृतकाल
    श्रद्धांजलि न दे पाए जनता इसलिए उठा दी गयी दीवार

    भाजपा ने जो रास्ता बंद किया है, वो उनकी बंद सोच का प्रतीक है।

    भाजपा जय प्रकाश नारायण जी जैसे हर उस स्वतंत्रता सेनानी के लिए अपने मन में दुर्भावना और दुराव रखती है, जिसने भी देश की… pic.twitter.com/kYaHiX1B1n
    — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 10, 2024

    Narayan formed the first non-Congress government in the country by uniting the entire Opposition against the Congress party during the Emergency. He is remembered for leading a rainbow coalition of Opposition parties in the mid-1970s against then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, calling for ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ (total revolution).

  • UP Bypolls: Why Is Congress Defying ‘Big Brother’ SP’s 1-2 Seat Proposal? |

    UP Bypolls: The INDIA-bloc is facing some anticipatory hurdles in establishing the seat sharing arrangement for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Bypolls. As per sources the Samajwadi Party (SP) is reluctant to give up more than two seats to the Congress party, whereas the grand old party has appointed in-charges and observers for 10 seats. These in-charges have already started holding conventions at the respective constituencies to prepare the party’s organization down to the booth level. Congress is reportedly eyeing the Mirzapur’s Majhwa seat, Prayagraj’s Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Khair, and Meerapur. 

    Congress’ 50-50 Formula 

    Of the 10 bypoll seats, 5 were previously held by the BJP-led NDA and 5 by SP. Congress argues SP is weaker in the NDA-held seats and wants those allocated to them, leaving SP to focus on its previous wins. 

    Political analysts view this as a strategic move by Congress. Success in securing 5 seats could set a precedent for the 2027 Assembly elections, where Congress may aim for 200 out of 403 seats. 

    Recently, Congress state president Ajay Rai stated that Congress only wants to negotiate with SP for the seats where the BJP and its allies had won last time. Congress is willing to support SP on the seats it has a stronghold. However, this stance is causing friction, as SP fears losing ground by conceding too many seats.  

    Repeating The 2017 Arrangement

    In the 2017 Assembly elections, SP and Congress teamed up, calling themselves the ‘do ladko ki jodi’ (two boys’ alliance). SP ran for 298 seats, while Congress contested on 105. 

    In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the INDIA alliance, SP contested 63 seats and Congress 17, successfully outperforming the BJP. SP won 37 seats, while Congress secured 6.  

    Now, Akhilesh Yadav aims to replicate this strategy in the upcoming bypolls, offering Congress only 1-2 seats. However, emboldened by its Lok Sabha performance, Congress is pushing for a larger share, pursuing a stronger position for future elections. 

  • Mata Prasad Pandey: Akhilesh Yadav Plays ‘BAP’ Card To Challenge Yogi’s Might After Success Of PDA Formula |

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is leaving no stone unturned to keep the BJP on the tenterhook ahead of the upcoming Assembly bypolls.  While Congress was leading the INDIA bloc, Yadav stuck to his PDA ideology – Pichhda, Dalits and Alpsankhyak (Backwards, Dalits, and Minorities) and led his party to a stunning victory against the BJP in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. After the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP scrambled to put together the missing pieces aiming to stage a comeback in the upcoming assembly bypolls for 10 seats. 

    After acing the PDA formula, Akhilesh Yadav has played another social engineering masterstroke aiming to lure the Brahmin voters who have been voting for the BJP and have played a crucial role in making Yogi Adityanath the Chief Minister for the second time. Uttar Pradesh has 12% Brahmins who mostly vote for the BJP. However, Akhilesh Yadav is well aware that the majority mark in the 2027 assembly polls cannot be acquired without the support from the upper castes including the Brahmins. Thus, Yadav played the ‘BAP’ – ‘Brahmin, Alpsankhyak and Pichhda’ – card which will echo in the Uttar Pradesh assembly challenging Yogi Adityanath’s might for the next three years until the 2027 assembly elections.

    Akhilesh Yadav appointed seasoned politician Mata Prasad Pandey as the Leader of the Opposition, thus indicating that his party is not averse to Brahmins. This shows that the Samajwadi Party is now focusing on caste equations to win the polls rather than focusing on the Yadavs and Muslims alone. This was evident in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls where the Samajwadi Party fielded only four Muslims and five Yadavs of the 62 Lok Sabha seats it contested. 

    The SP also appointed Kamaal Akhtar as the chief whip and Rakesh Kumar alias R K Verma as the deputy whip in the assembly. By making these appointments, Akhilesh Yadav played the ‘Brahmin, Alpsankhyak and Pichhda’ (BAP) card. In this way, Yadav sent a signal to the 12% Brahmin vote bank that they are being keenly watched by the Samajwadi Party. 

    Who Is Mata Prasad Pandey?

    Mata Prasad Pandey is a seven-time MLA of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Pandey, 82, replaces SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who resigned as MLA from Karhal seat in Mainpuri district after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj. Pandey, a Brahmin leader, has held the post of Uttar Pradesh Assembly speaker twice — 2004-2007 and 2012-2017. He was first elected as MLA in 1980 and then in 1985 and 1989. He served as state health minister between 1990 and 1991 in the then-chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government. He was the labour and employment minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government between 2002 and 2004.

  • BSP Should Join INDIA Bloc: Akhilesh Yadav’s Request To Mayawati’s Party In 2024 Polls |

    New Delhi: Samajwadi Party leader and candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Akhilesh Yadav urged the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join the INDIA alliance to save the constitution. As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls wrapped up on Monday, Yadav exaggerated that this time INDIA bloc is going to secure the victory and will surely form the government.

    “I would request the Bahujan Samaj (Party) to help the INDIA alliance to save the Constitution…The (INDIA) alliance will surely form the government,” he said.

    Yadav also hits out at the Modi-led government for discriminating against farmers, youth and businessmen for the last 10 years. He further claimed that the BJP will yearn for even 140 seats.

    “This government has discriminated against farmers, youth and businessmen for ten years. This election is to protect the Constitution… The public will make them yearn for even 140 seats,” Yadav said.

    Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav were forced to cut short the public meeting in Prayagraj’s Phulpur constituency on Sunday after the crowd broke the barricades. This incident created a stampede-like situation.

    After the incident, both the leaders of the INDIA Bloc left the rally without addressing the people of the Phulpur constituency. The campaign in Prayagraj was organised in support of SP candidate Amarnath Maurya contesting from the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat.

    The workers from both parties went out of control and attempted to reach the stage to get near the prominent leaders Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav. 

  • Lok Sabha Elections LIVE Updates | ‘Faces Of BJP Leaders Turn Pale On Hearing Name Of Pilibhit’: Akhilesh Yadav |

    Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday  is scheduled to kick off an election rally in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a public gathering in Barmer and a roadshow in Dausa, Rajasthan, as part of the Lok Sabha elections. The Prime Minister will commence a public gathering at 11 a.m. at Modi Ground in Udhampur, followed by a roadshow. The BJP has nominated Jitendra Singh from the Udhampur Parliamentary seat for the third consecutive time.

    Following his engagements in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to address a public gathering at the Adarsh Stadium in Barmer at 2:45 p.m., campaigning for the BJP candidate from the Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency, Kailash Choudhary. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will conduct a roadshow in Dausa at 4.45 pm, commencing from Gandhi Tirahe and concluding at Gupteshwar Darwaza, where a significant number of constituents from this Lok Sabha constituency will be present.

    *Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public meetings in Tamil Nadu on Friday. His first election rally will be at 3:15 p.m. at the Bell Ground in Tirunelveli district. Later, he will join Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK National President M.K. Stalin for a joint election rally in Coimbatore at 6:15 p.m.

    *Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will address two public meetings in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi and Bidar Lok Sabha constituencies.

    *Akhilesh Yadav will initiate the Samajwadi Party’s election campaign from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. He will start campaigning for Samajwadi Party candidate Bhagwant Sharan Gangwar from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency, who is contesting against Uttar Pradesh Minister and BJP candidate Jitin Prasada. Akhilesh will reach Bareilly at 12 noon to campaign for Gangwar and will address a public meeting at Assam Road Puranpur in Pilibhit at 12.30 p.m.

    Follow Live Updates Here:

    1: 45 PM: Here’s what Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing an election rally in UP’s Pilibhit. “Someone new has come (BJP candidate Jitin Prasada) who is saying if he would have known earlier that he would be nominated from Pilibhit then he would have turned it into Mumbai. Mumbai is known as the financial capital of the country. BJP has spent more than 40 crore rupees to make UP roads potholes-free but did that happen?”

    1: 30 PM: Three farm laws were scrapped by BJP govt as they were afraid of strength of farmers: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:15 PM: Faces of BJP leaders turn pale on hearing name of Pilibhit: Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:00 PM: Congress to become extinct like dinosaur in a few years: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at poll rally in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal

    12: 30 PM: During a public gathering in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “The primary factor for PM Modi’s ascension to the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 and 2019 was the support from Uttar Pradesh. With 73 seats in 2014 and 65 seats in 2019, Uttar Pradesh enabled PM Modi to secure a full majority. Our goal is to ensure his third term as PM, this time not with 73 or 65, but all 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh will go to Modi.”

    12:00 PM: Shivamogga, Karnataka: Former Dy CM and rebel BJP leader K S Eshwarappa holds a road show ahead of filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections polls from Shivamogga. BJP has fielded former CM and party leader BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat.

    11:55 AM: Speaking at a public gathering in Udhampur, PM Modi stated, “Modi thinks far ahead. So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir. The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers…”

    11:45 AM: Kalaburagi: Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says, “A big trend is going on here. There is no wave of BJP in the state. It is only a Congress wave and five guarantee wave which has been there. Congress party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka… There will be a change in Karnataka. His party (JDS) is going to merge with BJP or BJP will throw them out of their NDA…”
     

    11: 30 AM: At a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Modi said, “J&K: Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi says, “For the sake of power, they had built a wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir…Due to your blessings, Modi demolished the wall of Article 370. I have also buried the debris of that wall in the ground. I challenge any political party in India, especially Congress, to announce that they will bring back Article 370. This country won’t even look at them.”

    11:15 AM: During a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The purpose of this election extends beyond merely electing Members of Parliament. It is about establishing a robust government in the nation. A strong government is capable of overcoming obstacles and accomplishing its tasks.”

    10:15 AM: People start to arrive at Modi Maidan in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir to attend PM Modi’s rally scheduled to be held later today.

     

  • After Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav To Visit Mukhtar Ansari’s Family; Know Arithmetic Behind Power-Tussle |

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be visiting the family of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari today. Ansari was cremated last month in his hometown Ghazipur. Since then, there has been political bickering over his death with the opposition parties demanding a probe and the government ordering it.  While AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited him this week, Akhilesh Yadav’s visit holds a significant space in the state’s political dynamics. Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Ghazipur. He is the sitting MP from the seat. However, Mukhtar Ansari’s influence is not limited to just one seat. 

    आज मुख्तार अंसारी के घर जाएंगे अखिलेश यादव#AkhileshYadav #SamajwadiParty #muktaransari #LokSabhaElections2024 | @priyasi90 @mayurshukla29 pic.twitter.com/jflGBosMba
    — Zee News (@ZeeNews) April 7, 2024

    Mukhtar Ansari And UP Politics

    According to reports, the political parties are trying to cash in on the resentment among Muslims after the death of Ansari. There are 28 districts in Purvanchal. It has a population of 83% Hindus and 17% Muslims. Of these, five districts have a greater Muslim population. These districts are- Balrampur with 37% Muslim Population, Bahraich 34%, Shrawasti 31%, Siddharthnagar 29% and 23%. Mukhtar Ansari’s popularity and fear were such in Purvanchal that he won elections from prison. Mukhtar Ansari has been a key factor in eight Lok Sabha seats in six districts. These are – two seats each in Ghazipur and Jaunpur, Mau, Azamgarh, Varanasi, and Mirzapur. 

    Samajwadi Party’s Purvanchal Bid

    By visiting Ansari, Akhilesh is looking to win over Muslim votes in an attempt to bag these seats. The BJP is looking to clean sweep Uttar Pradesh but the SP in alliance with Congress is not looking to sit back and just watch the game. It has planned to once again tap the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination to defeat the BJP. 

    Vote Equation In Uttar Pradesh

    On these crucial seats, the M-Y combination has often emerged as a winning combination. On the eight seats of Purvanchal, there are 17% Muslims, and 13-14% Yadav and together they form around 31% of the votes. The BJP claims to have the support of 9-10% Brahmins, 6-7% Rajputs, 3-4% Rajbhars, 5-6% Kurmis and 4% Mauryas and these account for around 29-30% of voters. Then there are 20-21% SC voters. The swing in SC votes thus becomes crucial for winning.

  • Rajya Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Cross-Voting Takes Place In Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka |

    Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh – are underway with 15 seats up for grabs. The polls are likely to be highly competitive for three seats in two states governed by the Congress and one seat in Uttar Pradesh. Due to the fear of cross-voting in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and Samajwadi Party are keeping a close eye on their MLAs. In a setback for the Samajwadi Party, while an MLA (Manoj Kumar Pandey) resigned from the party, two other indicated that they will vote for the ruling party candidate. According to Zee News TV, at least 7 SP MLAs held a meeting with the BJP minister.

    On Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey’s resignation, UP Minister Dayashankar Singh said, “Manoj Pandey has always been a supporter of Sanatana Dharma. He has always been giving statements regarding the same. He wanted everyone to visit Ayodhya and have a darshan. This is the reason he is showing faith in PM Modi’s leadership and is taking such a decision…”

    01.45 PM: On speculation of cross-voting, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Sukhu said, “We have 40 MLAs. If no one is sold, then we will receive 40 out of 40 votes. (Agar koi bika nahi hoga toh humein 40/40 votes aayenge).”

    01.36 PM: In response to speculations about cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections by Karnataka BJP leader ST Somashekar, Congress MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao asserts our unity remains unshaken. He added, “For the BJP, it has become a practice to use any method to win.”

    01.22 PM: ST Somashekar, BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) said that sometimes such things happen. He added, “The party had given clear direction to vote for BJP-JD(S) candidates.”

    01.15 PM: UP’s Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) leader Raja Bhaiya affirmed that 8candidates from BJP will win. “We had made it clear that Jansatta Dal will support BJP candidates,” he added.

    01.03 PM: Voting concluded for the Rajya Sabha polls of Himachal Pradesh, a total of 68 MLAs voted.

    12.40 PM: Responding to the rumours of cross-voting Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh accused the BJP of using money power. “We will see when the results come out and face the situation. We will sail through, we have the majority,” she added. While, Himachal Pradesh minister & Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh said my conscience is clear.

    12.33 PM: On rumors of cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections, BJP Chief in Karnataka Assembly, Doddanagouda G. Patil says, “It is confirmed that ST Somashekar has cross-voted. We are discussing what can be done and what action to be taken.”

    12.24 PM: On Himachal Rajya Sabha elections, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said”…All our MLAs have voted for the elections. I hope they have all voted on the ideology of the party. We can only say anything once the results are declarred. ‘BJP mein antar-aatma naam ki chiz nahi hai, waha toh paisa antar-aatma chalta hai’…”

    12.14 PM: A number of cross votings were witnesses in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing Rajya Sabha polls. While SBSP MLA Jagdish Narayan, part of the BJP-led NDA alliance, voted for the Samajwadi Party, several SP MLAs voted for the BJP candidate. These MLAs include Manoj Pandey, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Pallavi Patel. In Karnataka, BJP MLA S. T. Somashekhar cross-voted in favour of the Congress. 

    12.05 PM: Reacting to the cross-voting, Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP manipulated and lured MLAs by hook and crook method. Yadav alleged that some MLAs were offered various incentives while some were threatened. “Not everybody has the guts to stand against the Government…pressure is put on everybody, is there anyone who doesn’t know that BJP would go to any extent to win. BJP was dishonest during Chandigarh elections also… When it comes to UP, BJP did everything to get votes and those who left, might not have had the guts to stand against the govt. Action will be taken because our party leaders want such people to be kept away from the party,” said Yadav.

    12.00 Noon: On Karnataka Rajya Sabha elections, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said, “There will be no cross-voting. Congress candidates will get more votes than required. If people from some other party want to vote for us, then we won’t say no to it.”

    11.40 AM: Reacting to the BJP-JDS fielding additional candidate, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “They (BJP) have also fielded candidate to win the elections, but for the 5th candidate they required 45 votes, do they have 45 votes? How will they win without numbers? Though they know that they don’t have numbers they fielded Kupendra Reddy and they tried to poach our MLAs, that’s why an FIR has been lodged against him. I’m sure all our 3 candidates are going to win.”

    Resort Politics In Karnataka

    Ruling Congress in Karnataka has relocated its MLAs to a hotel to safeguard them from external pressures. On Monday, the Congress shifted all its MLAs to a hotel, marking the beginning of the state’s trademark resort politics. All parties have issued whips to their MLAs ahead of today’s election. On Monday, Janardhan Reddy, Karnataka MLA and chief of Kalyana Karnataka Pragati Paksha, met CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar after he announced his support for Congress in the Rajya Sabha election. This further solidifies Congress’s winning chances. 

    While the Congress had a smooth path in securing four of Karnataka’s three seats due to its numerical strength, the BJP-Janata Dal Secular alliance complicated matters by nominating a second candidate. If there were four candidates, each would need 45 votes to win; however, in the case of additional candidates, preference votes would come into play. The Congress with 135 MLAs has the exact number to elect its three candidates, Ajay Maken, Nasir Hussain and G C Chandrashekhar.

    The entry of multi-millionaire real estate baron, D Kupendra Reddy, a Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP candidate has turned the elections to the fourth seat into a keen contest. Reddy, who declared Rs 1,200 crore assets in his election affidavit, has been fielded by the JD(S)-BJP combine. Reddy is confident that he will get the votes to win the election. Earlier, the Congress has complained that MLAs are being blackmailed to vote for Kupendra Reddy. A Congress delegation filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner. The BJP has 66 MLAs, which means it can easily get its main candidate, party worker Narayansa Bhandage, elected. Combined with the 19 JD(S) MLAs, the BJP-JDs second candidate Kupendra Reddy will need to get support of three Independents and get at least three Congress MLAs to cross-vote if he wants to win.

    Khela In Uttar Pradesh

    In Uttar Pradesh, the cross-voting fear has gripped the Samajwadi Party but the leading opposition party has maintained that all is well. According to Zee News TV sources, 8 to 10 of the Samajwadi Party MLAs may vote for the BJP alliance. The ruling BJP and SP had sufficient support to secure the unopposed election of seven and three members to the Rajya Sabha, respectively. However, the BJP escalated the competition by nominating Sanjay Seth, a former SP member and industrialist, as its eighth candidate. To secure an election, a candidate from the state requires approximately 37 first-preference votes.

    Ahead of voting, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hoped that all three candidates of his party will win despite the BJP’s tactics. “BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP,” said Yadav expressing apprehension of the cross-voting.

    The SP has put forward Jaya Bachchan, an actor-MP, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. This decision has reportedly caused a rift with ally Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, who expressed disagreement with the choice of Bachchan and Ranjan and stated she would abstain from voting.

    Congress’s Whip To MLAs In Himachal 

    In Himachal Pradesh, the actions taken were not as extreme as in Karnataka. The party has warned its MLAs about the election of its lone Rajya Sabha seat.  The focal point of the Congress’ contest in the state is its senior leader, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, pitted against the BJP’s core committee member, Harsh Mahajan. The Congress enjoys a clear majority with 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 members. Three MLAs, including two BJP rebels, identify as independents. Sources indicate that the BJP is currently seeking to woo dissatisfied Congress MLAs. 

    41 MPs Elected Unopposed

    Elections were due for 56 Rajya Sabha seats but since 41 leaders were elected unopposed including former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Ashok Chavan, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan, the elections are being held for 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.

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