Congress president Sonia Gandhi was among the three candidates who were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday. The other two were BJP’s Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore.
Tag: bjp
-
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Modi Led BJP To Finalise UP Roadmap In Delhi Today; Adityanath, Amit Shah, JP Nadda To Attend |
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to finalize its comprehensive strategy for Uttar Pradesh today. The decision comes at a crucial time as the party gears up for the electoral battle in one of India’s most politically significant states. Uttar Pradesh has a total of 80 Lok Sabha seats and is considered key to power in Delhi. The state has played a key role in keeping Narendra Modi at the helm in Delhi.
Electoral Strategy and Rally Plans
As the electoral code of conduct is about to be enforced, the BJP’s plan will outline the number of rallies to be held across Uttar Pradesh. The strategy aims to cover every Lok Sabha constituency in the state, ensuring a widespread campaign led by the party’s top leadership.
Key Leaders to Convene
The meeting, expected to be the largest before the announcement of candidates, will feature prominent figures such as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda. Their discussions will focus on organizing rallies that encompass every constituency, setting the stage for a comprehensive electoral campaign.
Pre-Parliamentary Board Meeting
Ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary Board meeting, today’s gathering in Delhi marks a pivotal moment for the UP BJP unit. The session aims to align state-level strategies with the central leadership’s directives, ensuring a unified approach to the elections. Attendees include Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Baijayant Panda, Dharmapal Singh, Bhupender Chaudhary, both Deputy Chief Ministers, and various regional and state officials.
Responsibilities and Agenda
The Delhi meeting’s outcomes will guide the BJP’s efforts in Uttar Pradesh, with officials tasked with implementing the agreed-upon agenda. This strategic planning session is essential for the BJP as it seeks to consolidate its presence and campaign effectively in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
2019 And 2014 Poll Results
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 71 seats riding on the Modi wave while in the 2019 elections, the party managed to won 62 seats, nine down from the 2014. Thus, the BJP is planning to win all the 80 seats this time to keep its mission 400 on. The BJP is aiming to win 370 seats itself and at least 30 seats for its allies thus hoping to achieve its objective of ‘Abki Bar 400 Par’.
-
‘This Time They Will Be Wiped Out Of Parliament’: Mallikarjun Kharge On BJP’s ‘400 Seats’ Claim |
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed that the Narendra Modi-powered BJP won’t be able to cross 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and it will be wiped out of Parliament. Speaking to reporters in Amethi, Kharge said, “I said – they (BJP) keep saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” The Congress president hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his guarantee is not for the farmers, labourers, Dalits, tribal and backward people of the country.
Denying any rift with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, Kharge said, ‘”Everything will be alright. He has agreed and our people have agreed too. There is no problem.” Kharge on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and described it as a ‘curse’ for the country’s farmers.
#WATCH | In UP’s Amethi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “I said – they (BJP) are saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” https://t.co/mr3cU5wfmC
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024
Interestingly, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today made his participation in the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra conditional to a decision on seat sharing, saying that he will be joining it the moment the seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are distributed between the two parties. “Right now talks are going on, lists have come from their side and from ours as well, the moment the seats are distributed and decided, the Samajwadi Party will join Congress’s Nyaya Yatra,” Yadav said speaking to reporters on Monday.
The Congress president accused the Modi government of treating farmers like enemies. Kharge asserted that only the Congress party can provide farmers with the legal right to a Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“The Modi government is a curse for the country’s food-providing farmers. Due to the continuous false ‘Modi’s Guarantee’, first 750 farmers lost their lives, and now, yesterday, one farmer lost his life and 3 have lost their eyesight due to rubber bullets. The Modi government has treated farmers like enemies, Only Congress will give them the legal right of MSP!” he said in a post on ‘X’.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his poll promises, Kharge said the former is the chief of all liars as he failed to even fulfil what he had promised during his 2014 poll campaign.
“I want to ask him what happened to the promises he made during 2014–he never fulfilled those. Modiji jhuton ka sardar hai (PM Modi is the chief of liars),” Kharge said addressing party workers at an event hosted by Maharashtra Congress in Pune.
The Congress national president said people keep praising PM Modi despite the latter not doing much work in the last 10 years.
Kharge cautioned that if such a scenario continues, the Constitution will “vanish”.
“PM Modi keeps lying…you all know what he did in the last ten years. Still, people praise him…if this continues, then there will soon come a day when the Constitution will vanish. We are waging a fight to protect the Constitution and have to keep fighting,” he said.
Describing Prime Minister Modi as “individualistic,” Kharge alleged that the former does not even take his party’s name while announcing his “guarantees.” “PM Modi keeps on saying that this is Modi ki Guarantee…he never uses his party name. He is very individualistic and full of himself,” the Congress president said.
Claiming further that the BJP had no role in the country’s freedom struggle, Kharge added, “We are fighting for the country and its founding ideals all over again. The BJP had no role or contribution to our freedom struggle. We fought for the country.”
Taking a dig at the Congress, PM Modi earlier this month said that even Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge has predicted the return of the NDA government with over 400 seats.
PM Modi made this remark during his response to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.
During a session in the Rajya Sabha on February 2, Kharge inadvertently coined what would become a rallying cry for the BJP, stating “Abki Baar, 400 Paar,” which translates to “This time, over 400 seats.”
“Our third tenure is not far away, a maximum of 100-125 days are left. The entire nation is saying ‘abki baar, 400 paar’. Even Kharge ji said that,” PM Modi said while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.
He expressed confidence that the BJP would not only secure a third term but also achieve an impressive victory by winning over 370 seats individually and crossing the 400 mark with the support of the NDA bloc. Modi’s remarks were met with laughter, including his own, as he acknowledged Kharge’s statement, suggesting that even the opposition leader seemed to predict the ruling party’s electoral success.
Modi further criticised the Congress party, implying that they had become comfortable in their role as the opposition and were preparing to occupy the spectators’ gallery in Parliament. He also took a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s alleged nepotism, criticizing the repeated promotion of the same leadership without success.
PM Modi indirectly referenced Rahul Gandhi by stating that the Congress is on the brink of shutting down its shop, emphasizing that they keep trying to relaunch the same product repeatedly.
-
BREAKING: Chandigarh Mayoral Election: Returning Officer Anil Masih Should Be Prosecuted, Says SC |
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed Returning Officer Anil Masih for his role in the alleged defacement of ballot papers during the Chandigarh mayoral election and said that he should be prosecuted. The top court also proposed that results for the Chandigarh mayoral polls be declared by counting the present ballot papers, disregarding the marks made by Returning Officer Anil Masih instead of holding fresh elections.
Chandigarh Mayor poll | Supreme Court remarks that Anil Masih, returning officer in Chandigarh Mayor election, has to be prosecuted as he was interfering with the election process.
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024
The top court, while hearing a petition on the alleged irregularities in the Chandigarh mayoral election, also expressed concerns over alleged horse-trading after the mayoral polls. “We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place…” the SC bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud said.
The apex court also directed the administration to provide security to the judicial officer and safeguard the records. It also asked the HC registrar general to depute a judicial officer to bring ballot papers, and videos for its perusal on Tuesday.
Earlier during the hearing, the Supreme Court grilled Masih over his conduct regarding his conduct during the controversial Mayoral elections in Chandigarh. Responding to the Supreme Court, Masih admitted that he put an ‘X’ mark on 8 ballot papers. Masih said that he was separately marking ballot papers which were defaced by the voters, so that they wouldn’t get mixed up.
On February 5, the bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra heard a petition filed by the AAP candidate and slammed Masih for his conduct and directed him to explain his conduct as presiding officer in the Chandigarh Mayor elections to the top court in person in next hearing. The CJI had called what transpired in mayoral elections a “murder of democracy”.
“It is obvious that he defaced the ballot papers. Is this the way he conducts the elections? This is a mockery of democracy. This is a murder of democracy. This man should be prosecuted! Tell him the Supreme Court is watching him,” CJI Chandrachud said while passing orders. The court had expressed dismay over the videos that surfaced from the elections and asked why Masih was looking at the CCTV camera while counting ballot papers.
The AAP and Congress have accused Masih of tampering with ballots to favour BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar. It is alleged by the INDIA bloc candidate Kuldeep Kumar that Masih rejected 8 votes as invalid while counting by forgery and BJP won elections by fraud.
On January 30, Manoj Sonkar, the Mayor candidate from BJP was declared the Mayor after winning 16 votes against the 12 votes received by the Congress-AAP candidate Kumar.
On February 18, just one day before the next hearing in the Supreme Court, the BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar resigned from the Mayor’s office. In another key development before the hearing, three Chandigarh AAP Councillors Gurcharan Kala, Punam Devi and Neha Musawat joined the BJP.
-
Smriti Irani Vs Rahul Gandhi Face-Off In Amethi Today But Will RaGa Contest From UP Seat Again? |
Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi is on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi today and the current MP from the seat Smriti Irani will also reach her constituency on a four-day tour today. Irani had defeated Gandhi from the seat in the 2019 parliamentary elections. While Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi, he won the Wayanad seat thus retaining his Lok Sabha membership. Now, with the two leaders again touring the hot seat, the question is – whether Rahul Gandhi will again challenge Smriti Irani from the seat.
Rahul To Contest From Amethi?
For quite some time, there have been rumours within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi might contest elections from Amethi once again. Not contesting from here may send a wrong message in the Hindi-speaking region. Reacting to the question, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “CEC will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party.”
With Sonia Gandhi moving to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, the Congress party has shunned its lone Lok Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh. Now, it will be important to see who will be Congress candidates from the Amethi and Raebareli.
Smriti’s Challenge From Kerala
A few days ago, Smriti Irani had said during her visit to Kerala that she sent the current Wayanad MP to the seat from Uttar Pradesh. She urged the voters to ensure that he did not get another opportunity for the seat again. On the other hand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to hold a rally at 4 PM in Babuganj, Amethi.
Amethi Remains A Hot Seat
While Rahul may stay in Amethi for around 12 hours, Irani will stay put in the constituency for four days. This is perhaps the second time when both will be present in Amethi at the same time. However, the possibility of a face-to-face encounter between Rahul and Smriti is low as their schedules are different.
Smriti usually visits Amethi frequently. This time, she is planning to stay for four days. Smriti will listen to people’s issues through a Jan Samvad program. She will be present at her homecoming program on February 22. Smriti Irani is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi again. She has been consistently criticizing Rahul Gandhi.
-
‘Ram-Vaam-Shyam Have Joined Hands’: Mamata Accuses BJP, Congress And Left of Secret Alliance |
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday targeted Bharatiya Janata Party over the Sandeshkhali violence and alleged that BJP is trying to disrupt peace in the area and has not taken any action against its leaders.Banerjee’s scathing comments came while she was addressing a public gathering in Birbhum on Sunday.
Targeting the saffron party over the Sandeshkhali violence Bengal CM said that BJP along with ED and media is trying to disrupt peace in Sandeshkhali. “We always take action in case of any wrong. First the ED, then the BJP, and then the media. They are trying to disrupt peace there [Sandeshkhali]. If there are any allegations, we will take action, and whatever was taken forcibly will be returned,” sad Mamata Banerjee.
“I have asked the police to take suo motu cognizance. Our block president has been arrested. In Bhangar, Arabul Islam has also been arrested. But what action has the BJP taken against their leaders? Remember, the BJP is anti-Bengali, anti-women, anti-farmer, and anti-dalit,” she added.
West bengal CM further alleged that the BJP is using central agencies like ED, CBI and the Election Commission for its own advantage. “They are using ED and CBI to threaten us. If the Election Commission is working on BJP’s orders, keep this in mind that we have the right to fight and voice our opinion,” said Banerjee.
“Earlier, I had to face the torture of Left and now I have to face the torture of BJP. Ram-Vaam-Shyam [BJP, Left, Congress] have joined hands. They had joined hands a long time back. This is the same CPI(M) that used to play with deaths,” she added.
Citing the ongoing farmers protest, Mamata Banerjee said, “We call the farmers ‘Annadatas’. They are the providers of food for us but look at the way they [BJP] are treating them.”
“BJP is creating chaos everywhere and provoking one community against the other. We call the farmers Annadatas. They are the provider of food for us but look at the way they [BJP] are treating them. Look at how Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana are burning. They are drilling nails so that the farmers can’t reach there. I sympathise with all our farmers,” she said.
Further, mentioning the Prevention of Money Laundering Acts, the West Bengal CM said that there is a proper way of work in these kind of cases which the investigative agencies are not following.
“There is another thing – PMLA. If you have any allegation against anyone, you conduct an investigation properly and give a charge sheet. Let law take its own course. But you cannot keep someone behind the bars. If you think by this you can win elections, you are wrong. Even Indira Gandhi did the same during the Emergency period but lost despite that,” CM Mamata said.
-
‘Even Foreign Countries Know Aayega To Modi Hi’: 10 Key Points From PM Modi’s BJP National Convention Speech |
New Delhi: Addressig the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) Convention on Thursday at the Bharat Madapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his confidence in the party’s return to the poewer in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. PM Modi also heavily critisied the opposition party and said that the Congress has no vision for the development of the country.
“Today every country in the world is emphasizing on building deeper relations with India. Despite pending elections, I’ve received invitations from various countries extending into July, August, and September. This suggests widespread confidence in the potential return of a BJP government,” said PM Modi. “
Discussing the Indian economy’s growth during the BJP’s tenure over the past decade, the Prime Minister highlighted, “It took India 60 years to reach a 1 trillion dollar economy milestone. In our 10 years, we have accelerated this progress to achieve a 3 trillion dollar economy.”“The previous government failed to elevate India from the 11th to the 10th largest global economy. In contrast, the BJP has elevated India to the top 5,” he added.
In a strong rebuke to opposition parties, the Prime Minister said that the parties may not know how to fulfill their promises but they don’t hesitate to make false commitments.
Congress Lacks Agenda For Development: PM Modi
PM Modi also targeted the Congress, stating that the grand old party has resorted to desperate measures, with hurling abuses and false allegations against him becoming their sole agenda. “Congress has become so desperate that it does not even have the courage for principled and ideological opposition. Therefore, abuses and false allegations against Modi have become their only agenda,” said PM.
Commending the unwavering dedication of BJP workers to the party, PM Modi underscored the significance of the upcoming 100 days leading to the Lok Sabha Elections. He urged them to approach this period with renewed energy, zeal, enthusiasm, and faith.
-
BJP National Convention: Amit Shah Takes `9 Months Repeat Speech` Dig At Rahul Gandhi Over OBC Remarks
Amit Shah alleged that the Congress and Indi Alliance used Dalit, tribal and backward communities as a vote bank.
-
Nitish Kumar Govt To Review Functioning Of Departments Held By Former Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav |
PATNA: In a significant political development, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Friday ordered a probe to review the functioning of the departments under the state’s former Deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his close ministers in the previous JDU-RJD government. According to news agency ANI, orders have been given by the Bihar government to review the functioning of the departments under Tejashwi and his close ministers in the previous government.
Patna | Orders have been given by the Bihar government to review the functioning of the departments under former state Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav and his close ministers in the previous government. The work of the Health Department, Road Construction Department, Urban Development and… pic.twitter.com/MYbaldPaWz
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2024
The work of the Health Department, Road Construction Department, Urban Development and Housing Department and the decisions taken by him will be reviewed, the order said. Apart from this, the work of the RJD regime in the Rural Affairs Department, PHED and Mines and Geology Department will also be reviewed. Instructions have also been issued by the state government to the secretaries of all concerned departments in this connection, said news agency ANI.
The order came shortly after Tejashwi Yadav launched a fresh attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and said that the CM does not want to listen to anyone. “You all very well know how our CM is, he does not want to listen to anyone. He used to say ‘I will die, but won’t join BJP’…We decided to stay with Nitish ji, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, only to defeat BJP in 2024…’ Hum logo ne ek thake hue mukhyamantri ko Niyukt kiya hai’…” said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
“He does not want to listen to anyone, but still, ours was a grand alliance government, and we wanted to be united with a big goal, We have to stop the powers that be, those who work to sow poison in the country, so this time at any cost, no matter how much we have to bear, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, we joined Nitish ji, so that BJP will be defeated in 2024. We will do the work of ousting BJP from power and we appointed a tired Chief Minister, ” added Tejashwi Yadav.
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav joined Rahul Gandhi in his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ on Friday in Bihar’s Sasaram. The Yatra reaches it’s final stage in Bihar and is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh later today.
Yadav was seen driving Rahul Gandhi and other leaders in the lead jeep as the yatra made its way through Sasaram with the RJD leader acknowledging his ally in his post on x. This was the first time the RJD leader was seen sharing the stage with Gandhi in Bihar since state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar severed his ties with the INDIA bloc.
-
Karnataka Budget: Siddaramaiah-Led Congress Govt Allocates Rs 300 Cr For Waqf Properties, Rs 200 Cr For Christian Community |
The Karnataka Congress government has allocated around Rs 330 crore in the budget for waqf property, construction of Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru, and development of the Christian community. The state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah allocated Rs 100 crore for Waqf properties and Rs 200 crore for Christian communities. However, the move did not go well with the BJP and the saffron party termed it an appeasement budget.
“The Congress-led Karnataka state government has allocated Rs 330 crores in its budget for the development of waqf property, the construction of Haj Bhavan in Mangaluru, and the development of the Christian community. Meanwhile, despite receiving around Rs 450 crores annually from donations by Hindu devotees to temples under its control, Congress opposes any legislation aimed at freeing Hindu temples from state control,” said Amit Rakksshit, BJP leader.
Speaking about the Waqf properties, CM Siddaramaiah said that there will be a special emphasis on the protection and conservation of protected monuments, maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Congress government has allocated Rs 10 crore for the construction of Mangaluru Haj Bhavan, and it has been announced that 100 Maulana Azad schools will be established in the state. Siddaramaiah also disclosed that Rs 50 crore will be designated for the development of major pilgrimage destinations for Jains.
The Chief Minister further stated that the sacred texts of the Buddhist community, the Tripitakas, will be translated into Kannada, with necessary grants allocated for the translation. A budget of Rs 393 crore will be allocated for programs formulated and implemented during 2024-25 through Minorities Development Corporations, as per Siddaramaiah’s announcement.
Despite presenting a revenue deficit budget, the Chief Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to welfare programs, with a significant increase in budgetary allocation to Rs 1,20,373 crore. Moreover, he underscored the importance of fiscal discipline by ensuring that the fiscal deficit remains within 3 per cent of GDSP.