The World Opinion

Tag: Congress

  • ‘Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala’: Tejashwi Yadav Takes Dig At Nitish Kumar In Jan Vishwas Rally |

    Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and described his recent ally shift phenomenon with the Hrithik Roshan starred song, ‘idhar chala main udhar chala, jane khan mai kidhar chala.’ Addressing the crowd in Jan Vishwas Rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Tejashwi said that the Bihar government should get its insurance done as it runs the risk of JDU supremo taking repeated U-turns. 

    Yadav exclaimed that the BJP says ‘Modi ki Guarantee’, but who will take the guarantee of Nitish Kumar? Reacting to the accusations of PM Modi over familial politics in RJD, former deputy CM of Bihar said, “They call us out on nepotism, but they have Samrat Choudhary, brother of Ram Vilas Paswan, Manjhi ji’s son has been made minister, it doesn’t look like any nepotism to them.” 


    He further expressed gratitude to the Congress for their support in challenging times, Yadav highlighted Nitish Kumar’s initial skepticism about job promises during their tenure. “When we pledged jobs, he questioned their source. Under our administration, we conducted a caste census, raised the reservation limit to 75%, and increased reservation for extremely backward people by 24%. We achieved what the country hadn’t since independence,” Tejashwi Yadav remarked. 

    He hailed RJD’s ethos, stating, “In RJD, ‘R’ signifies rise, ‘J’ stands for job, and ‘D’ represents development.” Tejashwi critiqued the BJP for destabilising elected state governments, asserting that the public will respond. Tejashwi pledged to continue the fight, framing it as an ideological battle. “Even if summonses are sent to Rahul Gandhi or the CBI targets Akhilesh Bhai in the Uttar Pradesh alliance, we will persist. BJP has become a dustbin where every party’s waste is accumulating,” he stated in Patna. 

    Taking a swipe at PM Modi, Tejashwi criticized his recent visit to Bihar, accusing him of repeating falsehoods. “Modi ji is a factory of lies. In the last election, BJP won 39 out of 40 seats. Ask their MPs about the work done in their districts,” he concluded. 

    PM Modi visited Bihar on Saturday where is was present in a public meeting in Aurangabad alongwith Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. PM also unveiled development projects valued at over Rs 21,400 crore in the state.

  • BJP Lok Sabha Candidates List: 57 OBCs, 28 Women, 27 SCs, 18 STs; Fom First List, BJP Moves To Balance Caste Equations |

    BJP First Candidate List For 2024 Polls: The BJP has released its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 having 195 names including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The BJP’s candidate list comprises 57 OBCs, 28 women, 27 from Scheduled Castes, and 18 from Scheduled Tribes. With this, the BJP has indicated that it will not only go hard against low performers but will also keep its focus on balancing caste equations. The party has fielded candidates keeping in mind the opposition alliance and their candidates, especially in Uttar Pradesh.

    BJP’s Move To Capture SC Votes

    Among the Scheduled Caste candidates, names like Kripa Nath Mallah, Kamalesh Jangde, Vinodbhai Lakhmashi Chavda, Dineshbhai Kodarbhai Makwana, Ajay Tamta, Bhola Singh, Om Kumar, Satyapal Singh Baghel, Soumitra, and Priya Saha are included, representing various sections of the marginalized society. This comes at a time when the opposition parties especially Congress are trying to make caste census a poll issue to counter BJP’s Hindutva politics.

    29 फरवरी, 2024 को प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi की गरिमामयी उपस्थिति और श्री @JPNadda की अध्यक्षता में आयोजित केंद्रीय चुनाव समिति की बैठक में आगामी लोकसभा चुनाव हेतु 195 लोकसभा सीटों के लिए बीजेपी उम्मीदवार के नामों पर मंजूरी दी गई। (1/4) pic.twitter.com/Wv8yVYnegK
    — BJP (@BJP4India) March 2, 2024

    Focus on Tribal Votes

    In addition, the BJP has given tickets to candidates from Scheduled Tribes to secure their votes. Mahesh Kashyap, Amar Singh Tisso, Radheshyam Rathia, Chintamani Maharaj, Bholaraaj Naag, Jaswant Singh Bhambhor, Prabhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, Manoj Tigga, Tala Marandi, Sunil Soren, Geeta Koda, Samir Uranv, Himadri Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Anita Nagar Singh Chauhan, Mahendra Malviya, and Mannalal Rawat are among those who have received tickets. 

    OBCs In Spotlight

    Since Rahul Gandhi keeps raising the OBC issues every now and then, the BJP’s list also has the highest representation from the community. It also aligns with the saffron party’s considerable OBC voter base. Notably, Prime Minister Modi himself belongs to the OBC category. The BJP has given tickets to OBC candidates like Rajesh Varma, Ghanshyam Lodhi, Parmeshwar Lal Saini, Rajveer Singh, Rekha Varma, Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, and Rahul Lodhi. In this way, the BJP has made a concerted effort to address the interests of OBCs by allocating 57 tickets to them.

    Women Candidates Get Greater Representation

    In the BJP’s first list of candidates, there are 28 women candidates. The party has given tickets to Bansuri Swaraj, Shobha Surendran, Sandhya Ray, Lata Wankhede, Jyoti Mirdha, Kamaljeet Sahrawat, Annapurna Devi, Hema Malini, Rekha Varma, and Priya Saha, among others. 

    Opposition Slams BJP

    Reacting to the BJP’s first list, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP has accepted defeat in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP’s first list has 51 candidates from Uttar Pradesh. Taking to X, Yadav said, “The first list of BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates shows that ‘prima facie’ this list has come only on those 195 seats where there is even a slight possibility of BJP winning. Its meaning is clear but BJP is wiped out on the rest. In the first list itself, BJP has accepted its defeat because due to fear of rebellion, it is re-nominating those people who are not getting any work done in their respective parliamentary constituencies or because of their involvement in corruption. There were no expectations for tickets. Those who wanted to pack their bags and leave are being asked to fight again under pressure. What opposition will these inflexible people face?”

    Yadav further claimed that there is deep disappointment among BJP workers due to the list because they are aware of the wind blowing against most of their MPs among the public. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the current BJP MPs were useless and thus the party was forced to remove them.

  • `1-Hour Timer Fixed For…`: DK Shivakumar Says 10 Injured In `Low-Intesnity` Bengaluru Cafe Blast

    Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar said that a timer was fixed for blast to happen after 1 hour. He also urged all the Bangloreans to not panic and assured thorough investigation of the incident.

  • BREAKING: Himachal Assembly Speaker Terminates Membership Of 6 Congress Rebels |

    New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania terminated the membership of 6 rebel MLAs who defied the party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill in the House.The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma.

    Addressing reporters here, Pathania, who had reserved his verdict on the disqualification of the MLAs on Wednesday, said the legislators attracted the anti-defection law by defying the Congress whip as they were elected on the party’s tickets. “These six MLAs are disqualified and cease to be members of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with immediate effect,” the Speaker said.

    These MLAs had cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. Later, they abstained from voting on the budget in the assembly.

    The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan under the anti-defection law for disqualification of the six MLAs.

    Earlier on Wednesday, the Speaker said that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had filed a petition against the six MLAs of the Congress party because the anti-defection law attracts proceedings against them.

    The Congress government in the state faces a crisis after six MLAs crossed sides and are learnt to be in touch with the BJP. The Congress has 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

    The Congress had managed to pass the state budget after the speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs for allegedly creating a ruckus in his chamber, a move that came under severe criticism from the BJP.

    “The BJP has 25 MLAs. The number increased to 34 after the Rajya Sabha voting. This created a danger for the government… They had to pass the budget somehow otherwise the government would fall. For this, they had to decrease the no. of BJP MLAs. 15 MLAs including me have been suspended… We were suspended to save the Congress government. After our suspension, they passed the budget” BJP leader Jairam Thakur said.

    The BJP has claimed the Congress had lost the moral standing to be in power after losing majority in the Assembly.

  • Zee News-MATRIZE Opinion Poll: NDA Projected To Win Big In 2024 LS Polls, Vote Share Likely To Increase By Over 5% |

    New Delhi: As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near, the whole country is on the edge of their seats to see the political drama that will ensue. The leading parties are ready to battle it out, and the guessing game has started, with the election dates expected to be announced soon. In this context, Zee News and MATRIZE have conducted an opinion poll, which is the first of its kind after the formation of alliances, including the new partners of the NDA and the rise of the opposition’s INDIA bloc.

    The Zee News-MATRIZE Lok Sabha Opinion Poll took place from February 5th to February 27th. It collected opinions from 1,67,843 people across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, comprising 87,000 men and 54,000 women. Moreover, the poll included the opinions of 27,000 first-time voters. The poll results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 per cent. It’s crucial to note that these are not election outcomes but only an opinion poll, and no one should try to sway the elections based on these findings.

    How Many Seats Will NDA-INDIA Get In 2024?

    The Zee News-MATRIZE poll shows that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to win a substantial majority if elections were held today. The NDA is poised to win 377 seats against INDIA bloc’s 93 seats. In 2019 General Elections, the BJP won 351 seats while the UPA secured just 90 Lok Sabha seats.

    What Will Be NDA-INDIA’s Vote Share In 2024 LS Polls?

    NDA’s vote share is likely to hike by over 5 per cent to reach 43.6 per cent in comparison to 2019. In 2019, the alliance got 38.4% of votes. Meanwhile, INDIA bloc may get 27.7 per cent of votes in 2024. The UPA got 26.6% of votes in 2019. A steep decline can be seen in vote percentage of other parties, resulting to their vote share dropping from 35.2 per cent in 2019 to 24.9 per cent in 2024.

    The survey suggests a resounding victory for the NDA in major regions of North, East, and West India. However, the southern states appear to favour the Opposition INDIA bloc, according to the survey results. This difference highlights the regional factors that influence Indian politics.

  • Himachal Political Crisis Live Updates: Six Rebel Congress MLAs Extend Support To BJP |

    In Himachal Pradesh, the political turmoil is being claimed by the BJP. This morning, a delegation of BJP MLAs including Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to make him aware of the developments that took place in the last few days. It includes denial of cut motions and division voting on the finance bill and cross-voting by the Congress MLAs in the Rajya Sabha election. Despite claiming the support of around 45 MLAs including independents, the Congress got just 34 votes. A cross-voting by the Congress and independent MLAs saw the BJP tally going up to 34 despite having just 25 seats. In another setback for the ruling party, Himachal Pradesh minister & Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh resigned from the post citing desrespect. Singh is son of former CM Virbhadra Singh. Vikramaditya Singh was also invited to the Ram Temple event by the VHP. However, it’s not clear whether he will resign from the Congress as well or not. 

    12.50 PM: Six rebel Congress MLAs have extended support to the BJP. On the other hand, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has also resigned from the post. 

    12.15 PM: Rebel Congress MLAs were not being allowed to enter the assembly to attend the budget session.

    – हिमाचल विधानसभा के गेट पर जबरदस्त हंगामा
    – विधानसभा पहुंचे सभी बागी विधायक
    – विधानसभा के गेट से विधायकों को अंदर नहीं आने दिया जा रहा@DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/fFzYnAPIEQ
    — DD News Himachal (@DDNewsHimachal) February 28, 2024

    12.00: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said that Congress Government is toppling. “So such attempts are being made – to suspend them. These are delay tactics and are followed in every Vidhan Sabha…Congress has dismantled from here. All the attempts they make now will fail. BJP will form the Government here…Nine MLAs (who cross-voted) are in my support,” said Mahajan.

    11.32 AM: 15 BJP MLAs including LoP Jairam Thakur, Vipin Singh Parmar, Randheer Sharma, Lokender Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal, Surender Shori, Deep Raj, Puran Thakur, Inder Singh Gandhi, Dileep Thakur and Inder Singh Gandhi, have been expelled by the Assembly Speaker for allegedly shouting slogans and misconduct in the Chamber of Speaker today.

    11.15 AM: Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker today suspended 15 BJP MLAs as they kept on demanding division of votes on the finance bill. Now, by expelling 14 BJP MLAs, the Congress govt has made its path clear for the passage of the budget bill.

    11.05 AM: All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister. In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action, said Vikramaditya Singh.

    10.50 AM: Himachal Pradesh minister and Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh said, “The chain of events that took place in the last 2-3 days is a matter of concern in a democracy, in Himachal Pradesh. This is concerning because the 70 lakh people of the state elected a government and after that gave the mandate to the Congress party. But such chain of events (cross-voting) occurring after that is a matter of concern.”

    #WATCH | Shimla | Himachal Pradesh minister & Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh holds a press conference following Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha election result.

    He says, “…There is no doubt that former CM Virbhadra Singh’s name was used in the (Assembly) election…This is a… pic.twitter.com/kWDicjg7hW
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    10.30 AM: Himachal Pradesh Budget Session today. BJP demands division of votes.

    10.10 AM: Six Congress Himachal Pradesh’s legislators who cross voted in Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday and were staying at a hotel in Haryana left for Shimla in a helicopter for the Budget Session of the state assembly on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.”

    #WATCH | Haryana: Chopper boarded by Himachal Pradesh MLAs, takes off from Panchkula. https://t.co/2R5baFaAbZ pic.twitter.com/IqXBrvhweT
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    9.40 AM: Himachal Pradesh BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said that the BJP will form a government in the state. “BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the next few hours and you will see BJP will form its govt soon…For the next 10-20 years, Congress is not going to come to power here…” he said.

    #WATCH | HP BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan – who won the Rajya Sabha Elections says, “BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the… pic.twitter.com/2aPmfIhOrU
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    9.25 AM: Himachal Pradesh BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said that BJP is the game-changer in the politics. “People are upset with the Sukhu government. All good leaders are joining BJP. It is a future party…There has been cross-voting. On today’s date, Congress has lost its majority in the state. This Govt is not going to last for long…” he said.

    08.50 AM: Watch: BJP Delegation led by LoP Jairam Thakur Meets Himachal Governor

    #WATCH | Shimla: Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP’s legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhawan. pic.twitter.com/ZmnpXI2mxm
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    BJP Meets Governor

    BJP has claimed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in the state has lost its majority. Before meeting the governor today, former CM ahd LoP Jairam Thakur said, “We will apprise the Governor about what happened in the Assembly. We demanded division during the vote on the financial bill, it wasn’t allowed. The House was adjourned twice. This is not right, it has never happened in Himachal Pradesh. The government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”

    Number Game

    In the 2022 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious with 40 seats out of the 68-member house. Additionally, the party secured the backing of three independent MLAs.  The majority mark is 35. The BJP, on the other hand, attained 25 seats. There is speculation that if Congress loses the support of nine MLAs, its count would decrease to 31 MLAs.

    Options With Congress

    If the BJP demands a trust vote, the Assembly speaker may disqualify the rebel Congress MLAs as they not only violated party’s whip but also indulged in anti-party activity by cross voting. In that case, the majority mark will come down benefitting the Congress. 

    Congress MLAs In Panchkula

    After yesterday’s cross-voting, many Congress MLAs are in Panchkula along with some BJP MLAs. Zee News TV also reported that many Congress MLAs are upset with CM Sukhu and have urged the party’s high command to change the Chief Minister. However, they left for Shimla in a helicoptre to attend the budget session.

    Congress Rushes Observers

    After the cross-voting led to the defeat of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha, the grand old party rushed two observers – Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar – to Shimla. They will meet the MLAs and the Chief Minister to bring the situation under control and prevent the collapse of the Sukhu government.

  • 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.

  • Chinese Visa Scam Case: Delhi Court To Pronounce Verdict On ED’s Chargesheet Against Karti Chidambaram, Others On March 16 |

    New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court, after considering the submissions from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, reserved its order on the cognizance point of the Prosecution Complaint (Chargesheet) related to the money laundering case involving Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and others in connection with the Chinese Visa case. The Special Judge MK Nagpal noted the agency’s counsel’s arguments and has scheduled the pronouncement of the order for March 16, 2024.

    Karti Chidambaram, Others Named In ED Chargesheet

    The Enforcement Directorate recently filed a prosecution complaint, naming Karti Chidambaram, S Bhaskararaman, and several others, along with various firms, as accused, according to sources.

    Karti Seeks Anticipatory Bail In High Court

    In response to the case, Karti Chidambaram had previously sought anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court, where ASG SV Raju assured orally that no coercive action would be taken during the pending matter. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Chidambaram, argued that there is no material against the accused, emphasizing that no money laundering case can be established without allegations of funds being transferred to Karti Chidambaram. Sibal pointed out that the alleged transaction dates back to 2011, and the case was registered in 2022.

    Expressing concern about possible arrest, Sibal highlighted that the ED registered the ECIR within ten days of the FIR by CBI. He stressed that, unlike the CBI case, where a 72-hour notice was provided before arrest, the apprehension of immediate arrest without notice exists in the ED case. Sibal urged the court to grant bail, considering the transaction’s value is below one crore.

    ED’s Counters Premature Bail Application

    ASG S V Raju countered, stating that the bail application is premature as there is no substantial material available at this stage. Raju questioned the genuineness of the apprehension of arrest, emphasizing that no summon has been issued yet, and only an ECIR has been registered. The argument is made that the application is premature, and apprehension of arrest is not justified without a case being established.

    Previous Dismissal Of Applications

    It’s noteworthy that CBI Judge M K Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court had earlier dismissed all three applications moved by Karti Chidambaram, S. Bhaskararaman, and Vikas Makharia on June 3, 2022.

  • BJP Chief JP Nadda, Congress` Sonia Gandhi Among Others Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha

    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.

  • ‘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.