Dr Kadiyam Kavya, daughter of senior BRS leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari…reports Asian Lite News
In a huge blow to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), its candidate for Telangana’s Warangal Lok Sabha constituency, Dr Kadiyam Kavya, has decided to pull out from the contest.
In a letter to BRS President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday, she said she decided to withdraw from the contest.
Kavya, daughter of senior BRS leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, wrote that recent media reports about party leaders regarding allegations of corruption, encroachments, and phone tapping and liquor scams have damaged the party’s image.
She also mentioned that the lack of coordination and cooperation among BRS leaders in the district caused more damage to the party.
While thanking KCR for giving her an opportunity by naming her as the party candidate, she explained the reasons for her decision to withdraw from the contest.
The BRS had decided to field Kavya after denying the ticket to sitting MP Pasunuri Dayakar. Peeved over this, Dayakar has joined the Congress.
Dayakar was elected in 2015 and 2019 from Warangal, a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes.
The latest blow for the BRS came after a series of defections by party leaders including five sitting MPs and a sitting MLA to either the Congress or the BJP since it lost power about four months ago.
TRS leader K. Keshav Rao. (Credit: Twitter)
Hyderabad Mayor to join Congress
In a big shock to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi on Thursday decided to join the ruling Congress.
Vijayalaxmi said that she will join the ruling party on March 30.
Her father and BRS General Secretary K. Keshav Rao is also likely to rejoin the Congress.
Her decision came a week after the Congress in charge of Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi met her and Keshav Rao at their residence and invited them to join the party.
Keshav Rao, a Rajya Sabha member, conveyed his decision to BRS President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
The senior leader told him that he wanted to return to Congress as he had been associated with the party for a long time.
The BRS chief was reportedly upset as Keshav Rao, who held different positions during the last decade, was leaving the party in difficult times when it needed senior leaders like him.
Meanwhile, Keshav Rao’s son K. Viplav Kumar has clarified that he has nothing to do with the decision of his father and sister.
Viplav Kumar, the former Chairman of TS Urban Finance Infrastructure Development Corporation, said he would remain with the BRS.
Vijayalaxmi’s move comes as the latest blow to the BRS, which lost power to Congress in the November 30, 2023 elections.
The party has lost several leaders, including five sitting MPs and a MLA, to the Congress or the BJP.
The Hyderabad Mayor’s shifting of loyalty is expected to be a shot in the arm for Congress, which drew a blank in the Assembly elections in the Greater Hyderabad region. Several BRS corporators are also likely to switch loyalties to Congress along with the Mayor.
In the previous elections held for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in 2020, the BRS had emerged as the largest party, winning 55 out of 150 wards. The BJP had emerged as the main opposition with 48 seats while the AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, had secured 44. The Congress could win only two wards.
Chidambaram cited high interest rates, stagnant real wages, rising unemployment, and falling household consumption as clear indicators of economic distress….reports Asian Lite News
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram voiced concerns on Thursday, asserting that the Indian economy is facing “severe distress” while criticising the BJP’s lack of response. Highlighting a significant 31% drop in net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, Chidambaram emphasised FDI as a measure of confidence in the country’s policies.
He pointed out a decline in investor confidence in both foreign and Indian investors over the past three years, prompting the finance minister to urge for increased investments. Chidambaram attributed the exodus of foreign investment to perceived wrong policies and incompetent management by the BJP.
Chidambaram cited high interest rates, stagnant real wages, rising unemployment, and falling household consumption as clear indicators of economic distress.
Despite this, Chidambaram lamented the apparent indifference of BJP leaders towards the economy’s plight, while the Congress continues to critique the government’s handling of issues such as unemployment and inflation.
Earlier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur criticised Chidambaram, saying contrary to the latter’s viewpoint that no one would use digital payments in India, the system has touched an all-time high and the country is a world leader in that.
Anurag Thakur said that the former Union Minister had mocked the digital economy when it was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Ambassador (VBA) meet-up programme here, he said that Chidambaram was “totally pessimistic” as the Congress leader had then said that no one would use digital payments, there wouldn’t be bank accounts and no Internet connection.
However, Anurag Thakur said, numerous Indians are using digital UPI payments, and the digital economy has become a common-place in the country.
The Union Minister said that Congress and Chidambaram could never dream of such a positive transformation and hence, they were skeptical on the subject.
Anurag Thakur also said that all public sector banks in the country were having robust growth and added that the NPAs of all these banks have come down significantly.
The Union Minister said that good banking was a clear example of good governance, adding that the people of the country, especially ordinary citizens, were benefitting from the positive growth story of the banking system in the country.
Anurag Thakur also said that the government had helped street vendors and had given them loans.
He said that there are instances of such vendors doing business worth Rs 1,00,000 in a year with a loan amount of Rs 10,000.
The Union Minister said that more than 8 crore people benefitted under this scheme.
The Union Minister said that several startups have come up in the country in the sectors of space, agriculture and many other areas, adding that there are currently 160 unicorns in the country.
He said that one unicorn is worth more than Rs 8,500 crore.
The Union Minister also said that certain startups in the area of drones like ‘Garuda’ in Chennai were doing “extremely well”, adding he had visited the start-up twice.
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had used technology at its best and this has led to the increase in UPI, OTT and even digital certification.
Anurag Thakur also spoke on the Covid digital certification, saying that it was a huge success.
Congress alleges EC sits on its complaints
The Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived inaction of the Election Commission (EC) regarding its complaints and urged for a fair and unbiased electoral process during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This dissatisfaction stems from the party’s grievances regarding the BJP’s allegedly “misleading” advertisements and posters endorsing various government schemes, which the Congress claims violate election norms.
The opposition party lodged complaints with the EC, highlighting concerns over what they deem as violations of the poll code by senior BJP leaders. Congress’ Media and Publicity Department head, Pawan Khera, emphasized the need for the EC to maintain impartiality and ensure a level playing field. A delegation comprising prominent Congress leaders, including Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid, Supriya Shrinate, and Gurdeep Sappal, met with the EC to address nine specific issues concerning campaign practices and content.
Salman Khurshid, a senior Congress leader, highlighted the party’s objections to the BJP’s campaign tactics during the Lok Sabha polls, particularly criticizing the manner in which government schemes are promoted, often featuring the Prime Minister’s photograph. Khurshid expressed disappointment over the EC’s perceived inaction, despite assurances to address the party’s complaints.
Supriya Shrinate echoed Khurshid’s concerns, emphasizing the need for action against fake news and misleading advertisements to ensure fairness in the electoral process. She raised objections to the BJP’s campaign on the 2G issue, arguing that the courts have acquitted the accused, making such campaigns misleading and objectionable. Shrinate also criticized the circulation of videos suggesting Prime Minister Modi’s role in stopping the Russia-Ukraine war, urging the EC to intervene.
Furthermore, Shrinate claimed that the BJP circulated a letter advocating support for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ written by the Prime Minister on social media platforms, which the Congress deemed as inappropriate campaigning tactics. The party filed a complaint against this alleged misuse of social media platforms.
In summary, the Congress has voiced concerns over the Election Commission’s perceived failure to address their complaints regarding alleged violations by the BJP during the election campaign. They continue to advocate for a fair and transparent electoral process, urging the EC to take decisive action to uphold democratic principles.
Special General Observer, Special Police Observer, and a Special Expenditure Observer have been appointed by the Election Commission of India….reports Asian Lite News
The Election Commission of India appointed three special observers for Andhra Pradesh, ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.
Retired IAS officer Ram Mohan Mishra has been appointed as the Special General Observer, Retired IPS officer Deepak Mishra has been appointed as the Special Police Observer, and Retired IRS officer Neena Nigam has been appointed as the Special Expenditure Observer.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a notification for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 to be conducted on April 26.
In the notification issued on Wednesday, the ECI informed that the filing of nominations for the second phase of the 2024 general elections will commence on Thursday.
A total of 88 parliamentary constituencies (PCs) spread across 12 States/Union Territories, along with one part of Manipur (Outer Manipur), are slated to go to the polls in the second phase on April 26, 2024.
The notification for elections in the Outer Manipur PC was included in the gazette notification issued for phase 1.15 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in Outer Manipur PC will go to polls on April 19, 2024 (Phase 1) and 13 ACs in this PC will go to polls on April 26, 2024 (Phase 2).
The States/UTs included in Phase 2 are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, apart from one part PC in Manipur (Outer Manipur).
Andhra Pradesh will vote on May 13 and the counting of votes is scheduled on June 4.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scathing attack on the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance and said that the three parties have directly formed an alliance to fight against Jagan Mohan Reddy.
This remark by Andhra CM was made while he was addressing a public gathering at the Government Degree College grounds, Bommala Satram, Nandyal.
“Three parties have allied directly to fight against Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSRCP. Indirectly, the Congress Party is part of this alliance to fight against me. I am alone fighting for the welfare of weaker sections empowerment.” CM Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
“Are you ready to establish a double-century government? This election is not merely to elect MLAs and MPs, but rather for the empowerment and development of weaker sections,” he said.
Speaking about the development work of his government, Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “Everybody, discuss with your family members about Jagan governance and decide to cast your vote. This election should be the last one for Chandra Babu Naidu. Everybody knows about Jagan’s governance. In 58 months, I have transformed villages and wards and set up secretariats for their welfare. Volunteers are distributing pensions to the beneficiaries at home ahead of sunrise.”
“Government hospitals have been transformed and are serving the public. Medicines are supplied according to WHO standards. A government college is under construction in Nandhyala district. The Arogya Sri limit has been extended up to 25 lakhs. 1700 ambulances and 104 vehicles were purchased to serve the needy. The concept of family doctors and village clinics has been set up in the span of 58 months. This achievement is only possible with our government,” he added.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy held the 21-day ‘Memantha Siddham’ (We are all ready) campaign in Kadapa district ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Following a heartfelt tribute to his father and former CM YS Rajasekhar at Idupulapaya, CM Jagan commenced his ‘Memantha Siddham’ yatra through the lively streets of Vempalli in Kadapa district.
CM Jagan Reddy, alleged TDP Chief and former CM Chandrababu Naidu and Andhra Pradesh BJP Chief Purandeshwari were involved in the recent mega drug haul at Vizag port.
“Recently, the CBI caught a drug container in Visakhapatnam, that arrived from Brazil. All opposition parties are falsely accusing the YSRCP. However, the company belongs to the father-in-law of the state BJP President, Purandeshwari’s sons. They were previously associated with the company. If any crime occurs, they falsely accuse the YSRCP. Even NTR was betrayed,” said CM Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He alleged that Chandrababu and his associates have received direct support from one national party and indirect support from another. “They have even managed to gain support from my sister. I am alone. All these parties have allied to fight against me. I only have the support of the public and God,” he said.
He said that the YSRCP government has strived for good governance for the last fifty-eight months. Grama Sachivalayam and Ward Sachivalayam have been established across the state.
“On the first of every month, beneficiaries receive pensions, even if it is a holiday. Our volunteers distribute pensions to 66 lakh beneficiaries, which reflects YSRCP’s commitment. We provide a pension of three thousand rupees, unmatched by any other state. It costs 24 thousand crores annually on pensions. Without corruption, beneficiaries directly receive pensions through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT),” said CM Jagan.
21 districts and 148 assembly constituencies are expected to be traversed by the bus tour. In the Srikakulam district of the north Andhra region, in Icchapuram, it will come to an end. (ANI)
Jhunjhunu has highest centenarian women voters
Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan tops the charts in terms of women centenarians who will be voting in the Lok Sabha polls on April 19, confirmed election officials on Thursday.
Around 1,451 women voters in this parliamentary constituency are in the age bracket of 100 to 109 against 288 male voters in the same age group.
Also, the seat has the highest number of women voters in the age group of 109-119. Around 57 women voters fall under this age bracket against five males.
Sikar follows Jhunjhunu in having the second-largest number of female voters in the age group of 100-109. It has 813 women voters against 120 male voters.
At 704, Churu has the third-largest number of centenarian women voters who come under the age group of 100 to 109 and 18 women who fall in the 109-119 bracket.
Surprisingly, only two male voters come under this age group in Churu, while 117 male voters in Churu are in the 100-109 age group. Meanwhile, there are a total of 13 voters in the state who are over 120 years of age and will vote under the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. This includes seven male voters and six female voters.
Overall, 6,899 women voters in Rajasthan are in the age group of 100-109 who will go for voting in the first phase on April 19.
Meanwhile, there are around 1,779 males who fall under this category in Rajasthan.
Similarly, 187 women in the age group of 109-119 shall vote on April 19 while 52 males falling under this age group will participate in the biggest festival of democracy, said election officers.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha constituency with the highest number of electors in Phase 1 is Jaipur with 22,87,350 voters while at 18,99,304 Dausa has the lowest voters in Phase 1.
Jhunjhunu meanwhile has the maximum centenarian voters numbering 1,802, said Praveen Gupta, Chief Electoral Officer.
Chandigarh, Mar 28 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar and state in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh, Vijay Rupani hold the party's core committee, in Chandigarh on Thursday. (ANI Photo)
BJP Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar said party’s decision to contest alone on all 13 seats in Punjab and one seat in Chandigarh is being received well….reports Asian Lite News
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar and state in-charge of Punjab and Chandigarh, Vijay Rupani held the party’s core committee meeting in Chandigarh ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
“BJP’s decision to contest alone on all 13 seats in Punjab and one seat in Chandigarh is being received well. In the meeting today, the names of candidates will also be discussed and finalised,” Vijay Rupani said speaking to reporters on Friday.
Speaking about new entrants to the BJP, Rupani said, “There are positive reports from Punjab. PM Modi is needed for Punjab and the country. Many are joining the BJP, even sitting MPs. This is a good sign.”
Rupani said that while the BJP used to contest in only two-three seats in Punjab, this time it has chosen to contest in all 13 seats in the state.
“Earlier, we used to fight on only 2-3 seats, but this time we are fighting on all 13 seats. The BJP’s performance will improve,” he said.
BJP’s decision to fight alone in Punjab was triggered after its long-standing ally in the state, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), broke ties with its partner following the farmers’ protest.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sunil Jakhar said that his party has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone in the state. “BJP to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone in Punjab,” he posted on ‘X’ along with the video message.
The BJP also got a major boost when Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the party at the party headquarters in Delhi. Ravneet Singh Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and the son of former Punjab minister Tej Parkash Singh. The party was further bolstered when two Aam Aadmi Party leaders Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP.
The BJP won two seats in Punjab during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, its ally SAD got two seats. The Congress won eight seats and the Aam Aadmi Party won one. Punjab has 13 parliamentary constituencies.
BJP’s Odisha plans
The BJP held Odisha core committee meetings at the party headquarters to discuss potential candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP National President JP Nadda chaired the meeting, while party National General Secretary BL Santosh, Odisha incharge Vijay Pal Tomar, Odisha state President Manmohan Samal, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha MP Jual Oram and BJP National spokesperson Sambit Patra are also present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has already announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Odisha.
Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the list of the nine Lok Sabha candidates, namely for Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Bhubaneswar, Kendrapara, Nabarangpur, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Aska and Koraput seats.
Naveen Patnaik will re-contest from the Hinjili Assembly constituency for a sixth term.
Back in 2000, Patnaik became the chief minister of Odisha for the first time.BJD General Secretary Pranab Prakash Das has been pitted against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP in Sambalpur.
Hours after joining BJD, the Biju Janata Dal announced Manmath Routray, son of Congress veteran leader Suresh Routraya, as the Lok Sabha candidate from Bhubaneswar.
Former Odisha Congress MLA Anshuman Mohanty, who joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on February 16, will contest the election from the Kendrapara Lok Saha seat.
Pradeep Kumar Majhi, who left Congress on October 22, 2021 and joined BJD later on, is a nominee from Nabarangpur.BJD filed former Indian Hockey Captain and Padma Shri awardee, Dilip Tirkey as the party nominee from the Sundargarh seat.
Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management (Government of Odisha), a five-time MLA, has been named a BJD candidate from Mayurbhanj.
The party fielded Lambodhar Nial from Kalahandi, Ranjita Sahu from Aska and Kaushalya Hikaka from Koraput.
The Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, which comprise 21 constituencies, are set to take place in four phases. The voting dates have been scheduled for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) emerged as the dominant party, securing 20 out of the 21 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a single seat.
However, the 2019 elections saw a shift in the political landscape. The BJD’s seat count was reduced to 12, while the BJP made significant gains, winning 8 seats. This change marked a notable increase in the BJP’s presence in the state. The Indian National Congress (INC) also managed to secure a seat in the 2019 elections. (ANI)
The constituency has a history of changing its voting pattern in consecutive elections since 1977….reports Asian Lite News
Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas District, which has a history of changing its voting pattern in consecutive elections since 1977, will be an interesting watch this time, with three veteran politicians clashing with each other.
For Trinamool Congress’ three-time MP since 2009 from Dum Dum, Saugata Roy, the concern is his winning margin in 2019 which came down sharply to 52,999 from 1,54,934 in 2014.
The second factor that might be cause of concern for Saugata Roy is that the CPI(M) this time has fielded party veteran and central committee member, Dr Sujan Chakraborty, from Dum Dum, where his party still has a dedicated voter base.
In case Dr Sujan Chakraborty, with his vast experience in party organisation activities as well as electoral politics, is able to grab a substantial share of the anti-BJP votes from Dum Dum, it could be rough going for Saugata Roy.
At the same time, the BJP has fielded Shilbhadra Dutta, who as an erstwhile Trinamool Congress leader from North 24 Parganas District has substantial experience in handling the ruling party’s organisational affairs there.
Shilbhadra Dutta joined the BJP before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls and also contested unsuccessfully as the party’s candidate from Barrackpore Assembly constituency that year.
However, he was one of the few who did not rejoin the Trinamool Congress even after being defeated, which substantially enhanced his political credibility.
The factor that might make Dum Dum anybody’s game is the change in the voting pattern since 1977.
In 1977 it was the Janata Party’s Ashok Krishna Dutta who won from that constituency, but only for a single term.
In 1980, the CPI(M)’s Niren Ghosh emerged as the victor from Dum Dum. However the equation changed again in 1984, when the Congress’ Asutosh Laha got elected from the constituency.
Thereafter, the CPI(M)’s Nirmal Kanti Chatterjee got elected from Dum Dum for three consecutive terms in 1989, 1991 and 1996.
In 1998 BJP’s Tapan Sikdar emerged as the surprise winner from Dum Dum and he got re-elected from the same constituency again in 1999. Again in 2004, Sikdar got defeated by CPI(M)’s Amitava Nandy.
However, since 2009 Dum Dum has become a Trinamool Congress bastion with Saugata Roy winning three consecutive terms, though with fluctuating margins.
So since 1977, none of the parties have managed to retain the seat for more than three consecutive terms and going by that logic Saugata Roy, too, has reached the optimum level of Dum Dum’s victory records.
Considering the twin-factors of Saugata Roy’s fluctuating victory margins and the strong anti-incumbency wave against the Trinamool Congress this time, it can be said that the battle for the ruling party candidate and the retired professor of Physics will be an easy one this time.
Dum Dum with a strength of over 15 lakh voters, is basically a middle class-dominated constituency with a substantial population of refugee voters who had come to India from Bangladesh post-Partition.
TMC to attend ‘maha rally’ against Kejriwal’s arrest
Trinamool Congress intends to participate in the March 31 rally organised by the INDIA bloc in protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate, according to sources. The rally, termed as a ‘maha rally’, is scheduled to take place at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan following Kejriwal’s arrest in connection with a money-laundering case related to excise policy on March 21. Although the TMC has distanced itself from the opposition’s alliance following failed seat-sharing discussions with the Congress in West Bengal, it affirms its membership in the INDIA bloc as a coalition opposing the ideology of the ruling BJP.
TMC sources have confirmed that the party will dispatch two representatives to the rally without disclosing their names. Last week, the ruling party of West Bengal dispatched senior leader Derek O’Brien to join opposition leaders in meeting the Chief Election Commissioner, presenting a memorandum alleging the ruling BJP’s “unrelenting, blatant, and illegal deployment of central agencies” to target and intimidate opposition parties.
During the meeting, INDIA bloc leaders, including TMC’s Nadimul Haque, Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, AAP leaders Sandeep Pathak and Pankaj Gupta, NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad, DMK’s P Wilson, and Javed Ali of the SP, submitted a list of recent incidents wherein central agencies targeted opposition parties, highlighting the absence of a level playing field for the opposition.
Among the incidents cited were the CBI’s filing of an FIR against TMC’s Mahua Moitra, raids and arrests of leaders from parties not affiliated with the INDIA bloc like the BRS, raids and arrests related to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav’s aide, the arrest of Hemant Soren, and the freezing of Congress’ accounts, among others.
However, the VBA has not yet formally announced its intention to sever its ties with the MVA in Maharashtra…reports Asian Lite News
Prakash Ambdekar of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi announced on Wednesday the names of eight candidates for the upcoming elections, thus indicating that it would sever its ties with Maha Vikas Aghadi, or MVA, in Maharashtra.
The VBA has not yet formally announced its intention to sever its ties with the MVA in Maharashtra.
VBA said the name of one more candidate for Ramtek would be announced later in the afternoon. The VBA has named candidates for seats like Gadhciroli, Gondiua and Chandrapur where the Congress has already named candidates. The UBT Sena had announced a candidate for Sangli seat on Wednesday.
The names of the candidates were announced following a meeting of the Maharashtra State Committee of the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi on Tuesday.
“The VBA State Committee has decided not to field a candidate from Nagpur Parliamentary Constituency. VBA will support the candidate of the Indian National Congress from the Nagpur Parliamentary Constituency,” the party said in a press release.
The VBA’s candidates are: Prakash Y. Ambedkar (Akola), Sanjay G. Kewat (Bhandara-Gondiya LS seat), Hitesh P. Madavi (Gadchiroli-Chimur), Rajesh W. Belle (Chandrapur), Vasant R. Magar (Buldhana), Prajakta T. Pillewan (Amravati), Prof. Rajendra Salunke (Wardha), Khemsing P. Pawar (Yavatmal-Washim), and the nominee for Ramtek shall be announced on late Wednesday.
With this announcement it is curtains for the expanded Maha Vikas Aghadi with Ambedkar’s party contesting outside the alliance that comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
The VBA had been pushing hard to forge an alliance with the MVA to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.
Uddhav faction leader and spokesperson Anand Dubey said, “We had decided to work with the VBA. Everything was okay. Today, by announcing the candidates, has he indicated that he will help the BJP through a backdoor channel. Has he not decided to work as the B Team of the BJP?”
“We are not saying this. The public is asking this question. If our message is to defeat the BJP, then why should we go solo in the elections, ” he asked the VBA leadership.
The state will vote in five phases for 48 constituencies in the upcoming general elections.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 would be held in seven phases, starting on April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
Flanked by top VBA leaders like state President Rekha Thakur, Vice-President Siddharth Mokale, D. Pundkar, Farooq Ahmed, Arundhati Sirsat, Ashok Sonone and others, Prakash Ambedkar said that a new front with Jarange-Patil will be formed “to initiate the politics of transformation”, with maximum candidates from the poor and backward communities, having a clean image.
The new front will declare its full ‘inclusive’ list of Lok Sabha candidates on April 2, from the poor, marginalised, underprivileged Marathas and Muslims, who will be supported by the masses.
The VBA’s announcement came amid appeals by the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and an offer of around 4-6 seats to stand with the MVA.
Congress objects to UBT Sena announcing candidates
After Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Congress’ senior state leader and member of the MVA negotiating committee Balasaheb Thorat said that the Sena should not have announced the candidates for Mumbai South Central, Bhiwandi and Sangli as those seats were still under discussion.
“Sena should not have announced the candidates for Mumbai South Central and Sangli. These were still under discussion,” Thorat said speaking to ANI on Friday.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) named senior leader Anil Desai from the Mumbai South Central parliamentary constituency and Chandrahar Patil in Sangli.
“The Congress leaders are angy at the list released by the Uddhav Shiv Sena today. I would request the Sena to reconsider its candidates list that it has announced. Discussions were on in some of the seats and everyone was expected to follow the spirit of the Aghadi,” Thorat said speaking in a video statement on Wednesday.
Thorat, who was leading the seat-sharing talks with the Shiv Sena on behalf of the Maharashtra Congress, questioned the announcement of seats while discussions on some seats were still ongoing.
“Discussion was ongoing, on the seats of Sangli, Bhiwandi and South Central Mumbai. In such a situation, how can candidates’ names be announced in a one-sided manner. This issue will be discussed in the next meeting of Mahavikas Aghadi,” Thorat said.
Thorat also shared that Congress leaders from Sangli are going to Delhi to meet the party high command.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad said that they have conveyed their displeasure about the Shiv Sena seats announced in Mumbai to the pary high command.
“Shiv Sena UBT should not have unilaterally declared candidates on the Sangli seat and the seats where discussions were still on among allies. We have conveyed our displeasure to the party leadership about Mumbai and we will take steps as suggested by our leadership,” Gaikwad said.
On Wednesday morning, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the list of the 17 candidates, namely for Raigad, Ratnagiri, Thane, Parbhani, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirdi, South Mumbai, North West Mumbai, North East Mumbai, Sangli, Hingoli, Dharshiv, Nasik and Maval seats.
The UBT Sena is fighting the Maharashtra polls in alliance with the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and the Congress.Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.
The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.
The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP. (ANI)
Prominent among these political stalwarts are Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scinida and two former chief ministers, Congress veterans Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the electoral battle between the ruling BJP and the Congress, some seasoned politicians in Madhya Pradesh will also be fighting to save their own bastions and pocket boroughs.
Prominent among these political stalwarts are Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scinida and two former chief ministers, Congress veterans Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath.
A member of the erstwhile royal Scindia family of Gwalior, Jyotiraditya Scindia contested and won the first Lok Sabha (bypoll) election after his father and Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, a Lok Sabha MP from Guna, died in a plane crash in 2001.
Jyotiraditya Scindia (53) was re-elected as MP from his family’s pocket borough Guna for the next three consecutive terms – 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In fact, Guna was one of the two Lok Sabha seats that the Congress managed to win despite a massive wave in favour of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in 2014.
However, Jyotiraditya Scindia lost the election from Guna against the BJP’s KP Yadav in 2019. One year later, Jyotiraditya Scindia along with 22 Congress MLAs had shifted into the BJP, resulting in the end of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March 2020.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, is contesting his sixth Lok Sabha election, but the first on the BJP’s symbol.
Spanning eight Assembly seats of the three districts of Guna, Shivpuri and part of Ashok Nagar, most of the time, this particular seat was represented by the members of the Scindia family.
Local people said the seasoned politician is taking this election as a matter of prestige and is determined to get his pocket borough back.
Congress veteran and former Chief Minister, Digvijaya Singh is contesting the Lok Sabha election from his home turf Rajgarh.
Interestingly, the Rajgarh parliamentary constituency covers two Assembly segments – Raghogarh and Chachoura of Guna District and one Assembly seat of Agar-Malwa (Susner) along with five Assembly segments of Rajgarh District.
Veteran Rajya Sabha MP, Digvijaya Singh was elected as a Lok Sabha MP twice from Rajgarh, in 1984 and then again in 1991. In 1993, he became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and remained on the post until 2003.
Digvijaya Singh’s younger brother Laxman Singh represented this particular Lok Sabha constituency five times, including one term on the BJP’s symbol.
As the Congress could win just one Lok Sabha seat in the previous election, and Digvijaya Singh had also lost against BJP’s Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal in 2019, the grand old party, which is striving hard to find its lost ground in Madhya Pradesh, has fielded the former CM from his home district Rajgarh this time.
The Congress had won the last Lok Sabha election from Rajgarh in 2009, while the BJP’s Rodmal Nagar won two previous elections in 2014 and 2019.
Another Congress veteran Kamal Nath is making all efforts to retain his bastion Chhindwara, the only parliamentary constituency the BJP lost in the previous general election.
Though, ex-CM Kamal Nath is not the candidate from Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, he is leading the campaign for his son and sitting MP, Nakul Nath.
Senior leader Kamal Nath had won nine Lok Sabha elections from Chhindwara, and he would be fighting to save his stronghold.
BJP’s 40 star campaigners for Maharashtra
The BJP on Wednesday announced the list of 40 star campaigners for Maharashtra where the party, along with MahaYuti allies, has set an ambitious target of 45 plus of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Interestingly, the BJP has included names of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and union minister of state Ramdas Athavale indicating that the party treats allies on par to achieve its ambitious target in Maharashtra and at the national level of 400 plus seats.
Similarly, former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who is now Rajya Sabha member after joining the BJP, figured in the list.
BJP insiders said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address about 25 rallies during five phases of election.
The list of star campaigners was announced a day before the MahaYuti plans to announce seat sharing agreement (on Thursday).
The list of star campaigners include PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Chhattisgarh CM) Vishnu Deo Sai, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav , Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma, Maharashtra CM Shinde and Deputy CM Pawar.
Union Ministers Narayan Rane, Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Smriti Irani, MoS Raosaheb Danve-Patil, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis are also included in the list.
Other star campaigners include Sampat Choudhari, Vinod Tawde, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Ashish Shelar, Pankaja Munde Palve, Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Piyush Goyal, Girish Mahajan, Ravindra Chavan, K Annamalai, Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kisan, Amar Sable, Vijaykumar Gavit, Atul Save and Dhananjay Mahadik.
AAP’s Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP…reports Asian Lite news
In a setback to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, its Member of Parliament from Jalandhar, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural joined the BJP on Wednesday.
Welcoming the two legislators to the BJP, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the BJP is the largest political party in the world and people from different walks of life are joining it.
“BJP is the largest political party in the world. People from different walks of life are joining our family. I welcome Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural to the party. The situation is changing in Punjab and we all will work together to make India developed by 2047, “Puri told reporters.
Rinku said that he had taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar.
“I have taken this decision for the development of Jalandhar. We will take Jalandhar forward. We will bring all the projects of the Central Government to Jalandhar,” he said.
Rinku also alleged that no development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government.
“No development work has been done in Punjab by the AAP government. On the other hand, I am impressed by the developmental work initiated by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also helped me a lot in the developmental work I have done in the Jalandhar constituency,” Rinku said.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “Congress and AAP are two sides of the same coin. Sushil Rinku joined the party today. He is the only Lok Sabha MP of the AAP and they should be ashamed.”
Sheetal Angural put out a statement saying that he has resigned from all the responsibilities he had in the AAP.
Rinku is joining the BJP despite being announced as the AAP candidate from Jalandhar. He won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 58,691 votes in a by-poll in 2023.
On Tuesday, the Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Bittu, joined the BJP. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995 in Chandigarh in a suicide bombing.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Bittu defeated Simarjeet Singh Bains from the Lok Insaaf Party by 76,372 votes. In 2014, he defeated the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Harvinder Singh Phoolka with a margin of 19,709 votes.
The BJP earlier this week announced its decision to contest the election in Punjab on its own after it severed ties with its long-time ally, Shiromani Akali Dal. (ANI)
SAD the only regional party in fray: Badal
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday appealed to people to support its own regional party which was taking on all Delhi-based parties by contesting the parliamentary elections on principles to safeguard the interests of Punjab.
The SAD President, who toured the Mansa and Budhlada assembly constituencies, was accompanied by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Hundreds of women came up to both the SAD chief and Harsimrat to complain how their names had been deleted from various social welfare schemes besides blessing them for the manner in which they had conducted development in the Bathinda parliamentary constituency during the 10-year tenure of the SAD-led government in the state.
Asserting that SAD was the only regional party in the fray, Badal said: “We are arraigned against the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that have no agenda for Punjab. Only SAD can protect your rights.
He also highlighted how both the Congress and the AAP governments had taken Punjab back by decades, besides asserting that both Punjab and the Bathinda parliamentary constituency had suffered during the last seven years.
“Look around you, all development including the AIIMS institute, thermal plant, refinery central university, airport or road infrastructure — all of it came about during the SAD government tenure. Both the Congress and AAP have nothing to show by way of any achievement.”
He also highlighted the spirited manner in which Harsimrat Badal had protected the interests of her constituents and brought in major projects into the constituency.
BJD General Secretary Pranab Prakash Das has been pitted against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP in Sambalpur….reports Asian Lite News
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday announced the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Odisha.
Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the list of the nine Lok Sabha candidates, namely for Sambalpur, Kalahandi, Bhubaneswar, Kendrapara, Nabarangpur, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Aska and Koraput seats.
Naveen Patnaik will re-contest from the Hinjili Assembly constituency for a sixth term.
Back in 2000, Patnaik became the chief minister of Odisha for the first time.
BJD General Secretary Pranab Prakash Das has been pitted against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP in Sambalpur.
Hours after joining BJD, the Biju Janata Dal announced Manmath Routray, son of Congress veteran leader Suresh Routraya, as the Lok Sabha candidate from Bhubaneswar.
Former Odisha Congress MLA Anshuman Mohanty, who joined Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on February 16, will contest the election from the Kendrapara Lok Saha seat.
Pradeep Kumar Majhi, who left Congress on October 22, 2021 and joined BJD later on, is a nominee from Nabarangpur.
BJD filed former Indian Hockey Captain and Padma Shri awardee, Dilip Tirkey as the party nominee from the Sundargarh seat.
Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management (Government of Odisha), a five-time MLA, has been named a BJD candidate from Mayurbhanj.
The party fielded Lambodhar Nial from Kalahandi, Ranjita Sahu from Aska and Kaushalya Hikaka from Koraput.
Further, the BJP declared 72 names out of 147 assembly seats.
BJD filed Jagannath Saraka as the party nominee from Bissamkatak, Raghunath Gamango from Gunpur, Anusaya Majhi from Rayagada, Debesh Acharya from Bargarh, Rita Sahoo from Bijepur, Snehangini Churia from Atabira, Susanta Singh from Bhatli, Ashiwni Patra from Jales war, Subhasini Jena- from Basta, Sanjib Mallick, from Bhandaripokari, Prafulla Samal from Bhadrak, Bishnubrata Routray from Basudevpur, Sanjay Das from Dhamnagar, Byomkesh Ray from Chandbali, Pramila Malik from Bijharpur, Pranab Balbantra from Dharmasala, Sujata Sahoo from Jajpur, Pritiranjan Ghadei from Sukinda, Sudhir Samal from Dhenkanal, Prafulla Mallick from Kamakshyanagar, Nursingha Sahoo from Parjang, Mukesh Pal from Pallahara, Sushant Kumar Behera from Chendipada, Niranjan Pujari from Sonepur, Nihar Behera from Loisingha, Saroj Meher from Patnagarh, Kalikesh Nayarayan Singh Deo from Bolangir, Tukuni Sahu from Titilagarh, Rajendra Dholakia from Nuapada, Nabina Nayak from Umerkote, Ramesh Majhi from Jharigaon, Kaushalya Pradhani from Nabarangpur, Manohar Randhari from Dabugaon, Pradip Dishari from Lanjigarh, Dibyashankar Mishra from Junagarh, Puspendra SinghDeo from Dharmagarh, Latika Nayak from Bhawanipatna, Saluga Pradhan from G Udaygiri, Mahidhar Rana from Kantamal, Pradip Amat from Boudh, Debi Prasad Mishra from Badamba, Debi Tripathy from Banki, Sauvik Biswal from Cuttack-Choudwar, Ranendra Pratap Swain from Athagarh, Pramod Mallick from Niali, Chandra Sarathi Behera from Cuttack-Sadar, Arvind Mohapatra from Patkura, Pratap Deb from Aul, Dhruba Sahu- from Rajnagar, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak from Mahakalpada, Sunil Mohanty from Puri, Uma Samantaray from Brahmagiri, Sanjay Dasburma from Satyabadi, Rudrapratap Maharathy from Pipili, Bibhuti Balbantray from Jatni, Satyanarayan Pradhan from Ranpur, Ramesh Behera from Daspalla, Arun Sahoo from Nayagarh, Bikram Keshari Arukh from Bhanjanagar, Srikant Sahoo from Polsara, Latika Pradhan from Kabisuryanagar, Subhash Behera from Chhatrapur, Sanghamitra Swain from Sorada, Naveen Patnaik from Hinjili, Bikram Panda from Gopalpur, Biplab Patra from Digapahandi, Chanmanya Nanda from Chikiti, Chandrasekhar Majhi from Kotpad, Raghuram from Koraput, Manas Madkami from Malkangiri and Badrinarayan Patra from Ghasipura.
The Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, which comprise 21 constituencies, are set to take place in four phases. The voting dates have been scheduled for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) emerged as the dominant party, securing 20 out of the 21 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a single seat.
However, the 2019 elections saw a shift in the political landscape. The BJD’s seat count was reduced to 12, while the BJP made significant gains, winning 8 seats. This change marked a notable increase in the BJP’s presence in the state. The Indian National Congress (INC) also managed to secure a seat in the 2019 elections. (ANI)
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.(IANS/Video Grab/Sansad TV)
When questioned about her insufficient funds for contesting elections, Sitharaman replied, “The money I earn and save belongs to me personally, not to the Consolidated Fund of India.”..,reports Asian Lite News
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that she would not contest the Lok Sabha election, adding that Bharatiya Janata Party asked her to contest the polls from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh.
“Party did ask me, after thinking over a week or days, I just went back to say …may be not. Because my party president asked me, would you want to contest somewhere in the south-option is somewhere in South, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh”, said Nirmala Sitharaman while speaking at the Times Now summit.
“But I don’t have that kind of money to contest, I also have a problem because whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu, there is also going to be a question of various winnability criteria that they use, are you from this community or from that religion. I said no I don’t think I am going to be able to do it. The party was graceful enough and I am very grateful to accept my argument, and I am not contesting”, the Union Finance Minister said.
When asked why she does not have enough funds to contest elections, Sitharaman said, “My salary, my earnings, and my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India.”
Nirmala Sitharaman has served as the Union Defence Minister. In 2014, she was elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh. She has also served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry with Independent Charge.
As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman is credited with expediting the decision-making process relating to procurement in defence sector. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an “action plan” to effectively overcome with various security challenges facing the nation.
Sitharaman joined the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2008 and has served as a national spokesperson for the party since 2010.
Sitharaman was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on August 18, 1959. She completed her graduation from Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College, Tiruchirappalli and obtained her M.A. (Economics) from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
On March 2, Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi again.
Of 195 candidates, 34 are Ministers from Centre and States, while two are former Chief Ministers who are on the list.
Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, while Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar will contest from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will contest from Dibrugarh, Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj has been fielded from New Delhi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will contest from Lucknow, Smriti Irani will again contest from Amethi. Ajay Mishra Teni,MOS Home will again contest from Khiri. BJP leader Alok Sharma to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh while former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to contest from Vidisha. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined BJP from Congress in 2020, to contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)
