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  • Ex-Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Joins BJP |

    Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, a long-time leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move comes just days after his resignation as an MLA and a minister in the Jharkhand state government.

    Emotional Transition To BJP

    Mr Soren, accompanied by a large group of his supporters, was welcomed into the BJP in Ranchi by senior party figures including Babulal Marandi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Himanta Biswa Sarma. The 67-year-old veteran politician appeared visibly emotional during the event, marking a significant shift in his political journey.

     Resignation From JMM

    Two days prior to joining the BJP, Mr Soren resigned from both his MLA position and his ministerial role in the Jharkhand Cabinet. He addressed a letter to JMM Chief Shibu Soren, expressing his disappointment with the current direction and policies of the JMM. “My decision to join the BJP is in the best interest of Jharkhand,” he stated, citing his dissatisfaction with the party’s deviation from its original principles.

     A Painful Departure

    In his resignation letter, Mr. Soren expressed deep sorrow over leaving the JMM, a party he considered his family. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would leave the JMM,” he wrote, adding that the events of the past few months left him with no choice but to make this difficult decision.

    Political Background And Recent Developments

    Champai Soren briefly served as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, taking office on February 2, but resigned from the position on July 3, a day before Hemant Soren, the JMM executive president, was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister. Recently, Mr Soren expressed frustration over his treatment following Hemant Soren’s return from jail, further fueling his decision to leave the JMM.

  • ‘Name Selja As CM Candidate’: Haryana BJP Dares Rahul, Cong To Prove SC Support |

    The Haryana unit of ruling BJP on Wednesday dared Congress to declare Kumari Selja as its chief ministerial candidate for the state assembly polls, to prove how committed it is to the well-being of the SC community. The state BJP also said they nominate Nayab Singh Saini, who belongs to the OBC category, a chief minister. Saini is also the BJP’s chief ministerial face for the upcoming assembly elections, scheculed for October 1.

    “The BJP has already nominated a chief minister from the backward class. Rahul Gandhi claims to strongly support the SC community. Let them (Congress) declare Selja ji as the chief ministerial candidate from Haryana so that one can know how much of a well-wisher of the (SC) community they are,” Haryana BJP posted on X in Hindi.

    Notably, Selja, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Sirsa, is a prominent Dalit face of the Congress.Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is considered as Selja’s bete noire, had recently asserted that he is “neither tired, nor retired” but said the Congress high command will take a call on who would be the chief minister after getting a majority in the assembly elections.

    Months after winning the Lok Sabha polls from Sirsa, the former Union minister Selja had also indicated her desire to contest the upcoming assembly elections and said she wishes to work in the state but the high command will take a final call on the matter.

    Meanwhile, reacting to BJP’s post on X, Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan told PTI over phone that the ruling party should worry about itself as its government in the state was on its way out.

    Speaking about selection of the chief ministerial candidate, Bhan said Congress MLAs and the party high command will take a call on who would serve as the chief minister only after the poll results are out.

    He also said that the party had earlier nominated leaders from the Dalit community as chief ministers in four states, including Punjab and Maharashtra.

    “The BJP should tell whom they have made a CM from the SC community. Moreover, they should tell if they declared Bhajan Lal Sharma as CM candidate when they fought the last assembly elections in Rajasthan. Did they fight the polls (in MP) on Mohan Yadav’s face. In Haryana, did they fight polls in 2014 with Manohar Lal Khattar as their face?,” Bhan asked.

    He further said that Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Tika Ram Jully come from the Dalit community.

    Bhan said, “One thing is clear: the BJP has accepted that Congress is coming to power in Haryana…”

    “That is why they are coming up with excuse of string of holidays falling around the polling date of October 1 and writing to Election Commission to defer the polls by some days… We are saying even if polling is held even before October 1, we have no objection and we are ready,” he added.

    The Haryana BJP had last week written to the Election Commission requesting a brief postponement of the Assembly polls slated for October 1, citing holidays before and after the election date that could lead to lower voter turnout.

  • 12 Candidates Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha, Strengthening NDA Majority |

    New Delhi: Twelve candidates have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in elections for vacant seats in the Upper House of Parliament. This includes nine from the BJP, two from its NDA allies, and one from Congress.

    With the BJP increasing its numbers in the upper House of Parliament and its allies also gaining strength, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) now holds a majority. This boost will help the ruling alliance get bills passed smoothly.

    The individuals elected unopposed are Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan and George Kurien from Madhya Pradesh. Additionally,  Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been elected to Rajya Sabha from Telangana.

    Other BJP’s unopposed candidates named Ranjan Dass and Rameshwar Teli from Assam, Manan Kumar Mishra from Bihar, Kiran Chaudhary from Haryana, Dhiryasheel Patil from Maharashtra, Mamata Mohanta from Odisha and Rajeeb Bhattacharjee from Tripura.

    NCP leader Nitin Patil also got elected from Maharashtra and Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha has been elected from Bihar. NCP and RLM both come under NDA. 

     

  • BJP Releases Second Candidate List for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Polls |

    Jammu and Kashmir Election 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, which will be conducted in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 4. The second list has names of 29 candidates for the second and the third phase. The first list had 15 names. With this, the party has announced a total of 44 candidates out of the total 90 seats.

    In the second phase, the party has nominated candidates for various constituencies:

    Habba Kadal – Ashok Bhat
    Gulabgarh (ST) – Mohammad Akram Chaudhary
    Reasi – Kuldeep Raj Dubey
    Shri Mata Vaishno Devi – Baldev Raj Sharma
    Kalakote-Sunderbani – Thakur Randhir Singh
    Budhal (ST) – Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali
    Thannamandi (ST) – Mohd. Iqbal Malik
    Surankote (ST) – Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari
    Poonch Haveli – Chowdhary Abdul Ghani
    Mendhar (ST) – Murtaza Khan

    In the third phase, the following candidates have been fielded:

    Udhampur West – Pawan Gupta
    Chenani – Balwant Singh Mankotia
    Ramnagar (SC) – Sunil Bhardwaj
    Bani – Jeevan Lal
    Billawar –  Satish Sharma
    Basohli – Darshan Singh
    Jasrota – Rajiv Jasrotia
    Hiranagar – Adv. Vijay Kumar Sharma
    Ramgarh (SC) – Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal
    Samba –  Surjit Singh Slathia
    Vijaypur – Chandra Prakash Ganga
    Suchetgarh (SC) – Gharu Ram Bhagat
    R.S. Pura-Jammu South – Dr. Narinder Singh Raina
    Jammu East – Yudhvir Sethi
    Nagrota – Dr. Devinder Singh Rana
    Jammu West – Arvind Gupta
    Jammu North – Sham Lal Sharma
    Akhnoor (SC) – Mohan Lal Bhagat
    Chhamb – Rajeev Sharma

    The BJP is contesting these elections with a focus on strengthening its foothold in the region. The upcoming elections are seen as crucial for the party to establish its influence and address local issues in Jammu and Kashmir.

  • J&K Assembly Polls: BJP Retracts Its First List Of 44 Candidates, Hours After Release |

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its initial list of 44 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections just hours after its announcement on Monday. The party is set to amend the list and released it once again.

    Earlier today, the saffron party has announced candidates for several key regions, including Anantnag, Doda, Poonch Haveli. It had pitched Adv. Syed Wazahat will contest from Anantnag, Sushri Shagun Parihar from Kishtwar, and Gajay Singh Rana from Doda. Kuldeep Raj Dubey is the party’s choice for Reasi, Rohit Dubey for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, and Chowdhary Abdul Ghani for Poonch Haveli.

    BJP withdraws first list of 44 candidates released for upcoming J&K Assembly Elections; BJP to amend and release the list of candidates again pic.twitter.com/X9tqVoZ9Zv
    — ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2024

    In the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the BJP has declared it will not form alliances with any political parties. Instead, the party plans to support prominent independent candidates in the Kashmir valley constituencies where it has decided not to field its own nominees.

    The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that polling in Jammu and Kashmir will take place in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting set for October 4. These elections mark the first in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.

  • Kiren Rijiju Counters Rahul Gandhi’s Remark On Reservation In Miss India |

    New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday for his comments about the absence of representation from Dalit, Tribal and Other Backward Classes communities in the “Miss India pageant list.”

    Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s remark, the BJP leader shared a post on the microblogging site X and said, “Now, He wants reservations in Miss India competitions, Films, sports! It is not only issue of “Bal Budhi”,  but people who cheer him are – equally responsible too!”

     

    Now, He wants reservations in Miss India competitions, Films, sports! It is not only issue of “Bal Budhi”, but people who cheer him are – equally responsible too!
    बाल बुद्धि मनोरंजन के लिए अच्छी हो सकती है पर अपनी विभाजनकारी चालों में, हमारे पिछड़े समुदायों का मजाक न उड़ाएं। pic.twitter.com/9Vm7ITwMJX
    — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 25, 2024

     

    The Union Minister also accused Gandhi of inciting divisions in the country with his renewed remarks on the nationwide case census.

    “Rahul Gandhi Ji can’t divide our country. PM Narendra Modi ji made it clear that Supreme Court won’t be allowed to alter reservations in IAS, IPS, IFS, all top services recruitment. But he can’t see 1st Tribal President, OBC PM, Record Numbers of SC/ST Cabinet Ministers!” he added.

    Rahul Gandhi Remark

    On Saturday, LoP Rahul Gandhi reiterated his call for a nationwide caste census and highlighted the lack of representation of women from Dalit, Tribal or Backward Classes communities in the “Miss India pageant list.”

    While addressing a gathering at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, he said, “I checked the list of Miss India to see if there would be any Dalit or tribal woman in it, but there was no women from Dalit, tribal or OBC.”

    He further added that they will conduct a caste census.

    “We will conduct a caste census and the 50 per cent cap on the reservation which I don’t accept will be removed…First, we should have the data before us regarding the participation of different castes in various institutions…Talks of reservation are always held but they never get a chance,” he said.

  • Assembly Election: Congress MP Criticises BJP, Says ‘They Brought Haryana To The Top In Unemployment, Corruption’ |

    New Delhi: As political tensions with the announcement of the Assembly polls date in Haryana, Congress MP Deepemder Singh Hooda has sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the party is undermining the state’s development and positioning Haryana as the leading state in the country for unemployment, drug addiction, crime, and corruption.

    While addressing Congress’ “Haryana Mange Hisaab” rally at Ambala Cantonment on Sunday, the Rohtak MP targeted the current Haryana government and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and asserted that the BJP had made numerous announcements but failed to implement any of them.

    Hooda said, “These announcements are either false and cannot be implemented, or the party never intended to implement these schemes.”

    Regarding preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, Hooda added, “In the last few days, I have visited about 50 assembly constituencies, and the overwhelming sentiment is clear: the BJP government is on its way out, and the Congress government is coming in,” ANI reported.

    Commenting on Haryana’s law and order situation, Hooda highlighted that a report released by the Government of India indicates Haryana now has the highest crime rate in the country.

    Earlier, Congress MP Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP-led Haryana government of misleading the state’s residents in the lead-up to the October assembly elections.

    “The 10-year tenure of atrocities under the Bharatiya Janata Party has come to an end. In the last 10 years, no class has been spared from being cheated by the BJP,” Surjewala said.

  • Who Is Govind Singh Rajput, BJP Madhya Pradesh Minister, In Trouble After SC Order? |

    New Delhi: The Supreme Court has recently ordered the formation of a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations against the state minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Govind Singh Rajput regarding the alleged illegal detention of an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader. The court’s decision came after the OBC Mahasabha filed a writ petition requesting a ‘Habeas Corpus’ order to bring Man Singh Patel before the court due to his alleged illegal detention.

    The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Director General of Police (DGP) in Madhya Pradesh to form a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case and complete it within four months.

    The SIT will include the Inspector General, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Superintendent or Additional Superintendent of Police from the MP cadre who are not originally from the state. The team can also appoint junior officers to assist with the investigation.

    “Since we have not issued any notice to respondent No 6 (MLA Rajput) or other private respondents, we wish to clarify that the observations made in this order are not meant to cause any prejudice to them,” the court stated.

    Who Is Govind Singh Rajput

    Govind Singh Rajput is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janta Party and a cabinet minister in a government from Madhya Pradesh. He began his political journey during his student life and also not belongs from a political background family. Reportedly, he played an active role during his time in student politics and learned basic politics basics of politics during his student life.

  • Waqf Board’s Unlimited Powers To Be Trimmed; Asaduddin Owaisi Smells Conspiracy |

    The opposition might be in for a shock with the NDA government’s next move. It was anticipated that the BJP would play safe on the back foot. However, the Modi government is now bringing a bill that might be another bone of contention between the ruling alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc. The Centre is likely to table in Parliament a Bill to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf boards. The move is aimed at trimming the unlimited powers assigned to the waqf boards and ensuring more accountability and transparency in their functioning. The bill will also propose mandatory inclusion of women in these bodies. 

    ‘Hindutva Agenda’: Opposition

    While the government has claimed that the demand for reform came from within the Muslim community, the opposition has smelled a conspiracy behind the move. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that it shows that the Modi government wants to snatch away the autonomy of the board and intends to interfere in its functioning. “I can say that whatever has been written in the media about this proposed amendment shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and it wants to interfere. This itself is against the freedom of religion.”

    The Hyderabad MP also alleged that the BJP has been against these boards and Waqf properties from the very beginning and they have been working on a ‘Hindutva agenda’. “Now if you make amendments to the establishment and composition of the Waqf board, then there will be administrative chaos, loss of autonomy of the Waqf board and if the control of the government increases over the Waqf Board, then the independence of Waqf will be affected. In the media report, it is written that if there is any disputed property, then these people will say that the property is disputed, and we will get it surveyed. The survey will be conducted by the BJP, CMs and you know what will be its result. There are many such dargahs in our India where BJP-RSS claims that they are not dargahs and mosques, so the executive is trying to snatch the power of the judiciary,” he added.

    Congress leader Naseem Khan also reacted sharply to the development saying the move won’t be tolerated. “The rules of the Waqf Board are very clear. Once a Waqf, always Waqf. The current Waqf Act protects the properties of the Waqf. The Waqf properties can be used for the welfare of the Muslim community. If the central government is planning on intervening in the Waqf board by bringing amendments to the Waqf Act to exercise their right to Waqf properties, it will not be tolerated,” Naseem Khan said.

    The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) also urged allies of the NDA and opposition parties to “completely reject any such move” and not allow such amendments to be passed in Parliament.

    What Is The New Waqf Act Bill?

    The Bill to amend the Wakf Act, 1995, will mandate that Waqf boards register their properties with district collectors to ensure accurate valuation. India has 30 Waqf boards, and reports estimate that the annual revenue from all Waqf properties is around Rs 200 crore, which seems disproportionate to the number of properties they hold.

    Initially, Waqf boards managed about 52,000 properties across India. By 2009, this number had grown to 300,000 registered properties covering four lakh acres. Currently, there are 872,292 Waqf properties spanning over eight lakh acres. Sources emphasize that revenue generated from these properties can only be used for the welfare of the Muslim community.

    The amendment Bill, featuring 40 changes to the current law, might be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session. The government intends to pass the Bill promptly. Key changes include verifying land before it is designated as Waqf property. Fresh verification of disputed lands claimed by various state boards will also be sought, according to the proposed bill. The changes with regard to the composition of the Waqf boards will ensure the inclusion of women in these bodies.

    BJP, Government’s Defence

    As per reports, the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Commission and the joint committee of Parliament headed by K Rahman Khan had suggested a few of the reasons for amending the law. In the past, some Muslim high court judges had flagged that the decision taken by Waqf boards cannot be challenged in court. Now, the amendment bill seeks to set that right.

    Senior BJP leader Dinesh Sharma said Bohra and other members of the Muslim community have raised the issue of anomalies by Waqf boards. The main reason behind this is that there have been complaints against Waqf boards, made for benefitting the minorities, being involved in other works, he claimed.

    “Demand for improvement in Waqf board is not new, it has been going on for the past 30-40 years. Those who are raising this demand and affected by it are Muslims themselves. There is a need for betterment in the Waqf board and I hope Samajwadi Party, Congress and TMC will support it (the Bill), whenever it is introduced,” said BJP leader Ajay Alok. (With agency inputs)

  • Congress MLA, Son Booked For Abetting Suicide Of Sub Inspector In Karnataka |

    YADGIR: A case was registered by the police against Congress MLA Channareddy Tannur and his son Pampanagouda Tannur on Saturday after a Dalit sub-inspector allegedly died by suicide, following his transfer within seven months of posting. The MLA and his son were booked on charges of intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace, abetment of suicide and joint criminal liability on a complaint by Parusharam’s wife Shwetha N V. She alleged that the father-son duo had allegedly demanded Rs 30 lakh from her husband if he wished to continue in the same place. 

    Shwetha said Parashuram was in tears ever since he was transferred and told her that he felt suicidal. When Shwetha, who is pregnant, went to Raichur to her parents’ house for the delivery of her child, she got to know that Parashuram was hospitalised with bleeding from his nose and mouth. Following the incident, members of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) staged a demonstration blocking the road demanding justice for Parashuram. Shwetha too joined the agitators. Addressing media, she said the police department was supporting the MLA and not her husband. 

    “The department itself is not with him today. Instead it is supporting the MLA. It supports the one who squanders money. It pays money to him and supports him. How much money you want to feed him? Will you rear an MLA? Do you toil day and night ignoring your parents and family for an MLA? This MLA is responsible for it but he has not come here yet. I want an FIR. We want justice,” Shwetha said Traffic was badly affected due to the agitation. Reacting to the incident, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that he has ordered a thorough investigation into the case. He, however, ruled out that it was a suicide. 

    “He (Parashuram) did not commit suicide. He had not written any death note. His wife has complained that she was suffering from the transfer issue. I will consider his allegation. Investigation will be done in that dimension,” the Minister told reporters in Bengaluru. He said that the police were collecting preliminary information and conduct an investigation. The incident took a political turn with opposition BJP and the JD(S) slamming the government for pushing sincere officers towards suicide. 

    “A police sub-inspector from your community has died by suicide. Why did he do that? His wife alleges that he took the extreme step because he failed to pay Rs 25 lakh as bribe to the MLA,” Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy said at the launch of ‘Mysuru Chalo’ march jointly organised by the BJP and JD(S) in Bengaluru. He wondered if this is how Parameshwara would pay tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar.

    In his reaction, Parameshwara said he goes by the law and not his community. The BJP leaders said earlier Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation Accounts Superintendent, Chandrasekharan P died by suicide. Chandrasekharan in his suicide note explained the illegal transfer of Rs 187 crore, which led to the arrest of the former Minister B Nagendra, and 12 other government and Union Bank of India officers.