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Lalu Samuel to Lead IBPC Sharjah

The newly established IBPC aims to enhance business ties between Sharjah and the Indian business community…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) Sharjah has been reconstituted under the chairmanship of Lalu Samuel, as directed by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This decision was approved by the Consulate of India.

The meeting was attended by HE Abdalla Sultan Al Owais, the Honorary Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; HE Satish Kumar Sivan, the Consul General of India; HE Mohammed Amin, Director General of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Abdel Aziz Shattaf, Director of Export Promotion; and Taher Shams, Managing Director of Zulekha Healthcare. Also present were Dr. Jamil Ahmed, Managing Director of Prime Hospitals; Sibin Sebastian, Managing Director of Bosco Group; Mathukkutty Kadone, Chairman of NTV; Hussain Adamali, Chairman of Swiss Arabian Perfumeries; Ahmed Ali, Chairman of Anchor Allieds; and Angela Susan Samuel, Chief Legal Officer.

The newly formed IBPC is expected to significantly improve business relationships and interactions between the emirate of Sharjah and the Indian business community located in the Emirate.

ALSO READ: UAE Parliament Condemns Terror Attack in Moscow

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Countering Long-Range Threat From A Prime Adversary

It is a matter of great satisfaction that India is putting a comprehensive strategy in place for countering the threat from China and in a multi-prong response concentrating on measures to deal with the adversary on land and sea as well as in the air- through the development of missile and drone technology, writes D.C. Pathak

 It is now well established that China has — with the Sino-Pak axis bolstering its threat potential — emerged as the source of a lasting danger for India’s defence and security and for that reason alone that country needed to be studied in depth on a continual basis from the angles of ideology that governs it, the philosophy that guides its military growth and the advance it is striving to achieve in the sphere of technology of combat.

From what appears in the public domain by way of its proclaimed objectives, President Xi Jinping’s China has been following the strategy of gaining ‘civil-military fusion’, total supremacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a steady push towards becoming the second superpower through the economic and technological route — apart from pursuing the path of a defence build-up.

Xi’s rise to power in China now matches that of Mao Zedong and his definition of Chinese ideology as ‘Marxism with Chinese characteristics’ is part of “Xi’s Thought” put in the party’s constitution.

Significantly, it calls for embracing the ‘Civilisational strength’ of China to build the nation- there is a learning from this for India. While making rapid strides in the area of using technology including artificial intelligence (AI) for the purposes of offence and defence, China wants to buy time for its economic consolidation and is apparently inclined to avoid a military confrontation with its main rival — the US, at present. This came out during the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi at the APEC summit in San Francisco in November last year.

It must have come as a relief to Xi when Biden observed that the US was “not seeking a conflict with China” — the US President obviously had Russia weighing on his mind far more in the context of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia military confrontation.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that India is putting a comprehensive strategy in place for countering the threat from China and in a multi-prong response concentrating on measures to deal with the adversary on land and sea as well as in the air- through the development of missile and drone technology.

Indo-US relations are being constantly upgraded in the context of a new Cold War appearing on the horizon between the US and China and India is also successfully opposing the Chinese designs at international forums while assuming an active profile on a multilateral platform like Quad, in association with the US.

In a Marxist state, the released party documents tell a lot about which way the country was proceeding and these have to be closely studied and analysed.

Cyber warfare and the use of social media as an instrument of combat come naturally to China as they fit in with the Marxist maxim of ‘winning a war without a battle’ and so does the thesis of ‘two steps forward one step backwards’ that was designed to get away with ‘salami slicing’ which was likely to be practised by the adversary on our borders.

Since May 2020, the Chinese troops have engaged in aggressive activities and precipitated skirmishes along the Sino-Indian border.

India has done well in the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out the necessary military build-up along the India-China border, particularly in Eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh and also push forward the civilian settlements there to match the Chinese activities along LAC.

A lot is being done also to enhance the Naval power of India in the Indian Ocean where China was using Male as a springboard for deploying its Naval ‘spy’ ship possibly for hydrographic studies in the Indian Ocean.

China has managed to have an ingress in Afghanistan because of Pakistan’s initiative in arranging a ‘give and take’ between the Taliban Emirate and the Marxist state and has also stepped up its political and economic bonding with India’s neighbours including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Maldives.

India has to safeguard its neighbourhood against China’s attempts to use these countries to create bases for anti-India activities.

Against a Marxist China that has called for rallying behind the ‘civilisational strength’ of the country, India has to respond with the ‘whole of the nation’ strategy and project the mandate that democratic India was ‘one nation’.

The substratum of ‘one man one vote’ on which India’s democracy has been tested over decades, leaves little scope for politics of religion, caste and region particularly when the governance of the country did not carry any denominational stamp and the state policies did not make any distinctions amongst citizens.

Moreover, nationalism strengthens democracy and the political opposition would do well to own it with full vigour. India is a land of socio-cultural diversities and different modes of worship but with one secular political umbrella created by the multi-party system submitting to a common electoral process.

Indian parties have to learn to keep national security above politics and not inject any element of ‘separatism’ in their campaigns.

Narratives of ‘majoritarianism’, ‘authoritarianism’ and ‘minority concerns’ can not become the tools of running politics from behind and care has to be taken to ensure that ‘influence warfare’ of anti-India lobbies often working in conjunction with civil society groups opposed to the government of the day, did not damage our national interests by running a ‘proxy’ offensive for vested reasons.

Indian voters always prove to be shrewd judge of the merit and performance of the rulers and opt for good governance. Also, the average Indian showed great sensitivity to matters of security of the nation and even pushed personal economic concerns into the background whenever called upon to contribute to such a higher cause. In the present context, the promise of a stable government would be a major concern of the voter.

There is another emerging area of concern for India attributable to Sino-Pak collaboration.

The Biden administration in the US has for some time been engaged in defending Islam as a faith that ought not to be discredited and defamed and seems to have felt particularly concerned over Islamophobic trends noticed in the US in the wake of the Israel-Hamas confrontation that began with the terrorist attack of Hamas on Israel on October 7 last year.

In a statement issued by the White House on March 15, it was announced that the US will develop the first-ever “national strategy to counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms” in the US and elsewhere.

The unusually large civilian casualties of over 30,000 resulting in Gaza from the Israeli attacks and domestic developments like forced resignations of the Presidents of Harvard and Pennsylvania universities for permitting pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the campus, seemed to have compelled the White House to try to be politically correct by speaking up against Islamophobia.

Not unexpectedly, Pakistan and China co-sponsored on March 15 a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly on ‘measures to combat Islamophobia’, which was passed with 115 nations including both the US and Russia supporting it, no member expressing its opposition and 44 countries including India, Brazil, Ukraine and a number of European countries like UK, France, Germany and Italy, abstaining from voting.

Pakistan was representing the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) — the 57-member block of Muslim countries chaired by Saudi Arabia.

India Pakistan border

India rightly took the stand that all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia should be condemned and faiths other than Abrahamic religions should also be brought under the purview of the resolution.

India pointed out that anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh sentiments had also surfaced internationally.

Indian representative strongly advised the UN to maintain itself above such faith-related matters as this otherwise would have the effect of dividing the world body into “religious camps”.

The move of Pakistan and China at the UN confirms the strategic strength of the Sino-Pak axis and reminds India of its adverse potential for this country.

India houses the second-largest Muslim population in the world and believes in treating all religions with equal respect.

There has been considerable criticism in Pakistan of the announcement of the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by India which was meant for accommodating the non-Muslim minorities persecuted in the three Islamic countries in India’s neighbourhood — Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The Pak-sponsored resolution in UNGA was aimed, on one hand, at defending Islam against the implicit criticism of Sharia-ruled states for the unequal status accorded to non-Muslims by them and running down India, on the other, for the alleged suppression of Muslim minority in this country.

Introducing the resolution in the UN General Assembly, Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan at the UN, referred without naming India, to the lynching of Muslims by cow vigilantes as well as the attacks on women wearing the ‘hijab’ and particularly denounced the act of “gleefully consecrating a Hindu temple on the ruins of a historical 500 years old mosque”.

It appeared that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the US were on the same side of the fence — in believing that there is a rising trend of anti-Muslim hate reflected in unequal immigration policies, profiling and restrictions placed on Muslims in according citizenship to them, in many parts of the world.

The democratic world however, should be aware that it is Islam that claimed supremacism of faith on the ground that it was declared as the only ‘perfect’ religion — which also happened to be the last — and did not place other religions on an equal footing.

The US wants to keep its hold in the Middle East and for that reason consistently stands by its old friends Saudi Arabia and UAE. It should however, be fully cognisant of the fact that in the wake of the ‘war on terror’, the hold of Islamic radicals had become stronger in the Muslim world creating a divide between the ‘radicalised’ countries hostile to the US-led West and those in deep friendship with the US. The former carries the historical legacy of the Nineteenth century Wahhabi Jehad that was directed against the European colonial powers in Algeria, Arabia and India — this could be one reason why countries like the UK and France unlike the US, abstained from voting on the Pak-sponsored resolution against Islamophobia moved in UNGA.

India has to watch out for hostile lobbies pushing ahead with their propaganda on Muslim issues on the lines of the UN verdict.

Indo-US relations draw strength from a shared concern over the rise of Islamic radical forces in the Muslim world and this is reflected in the deep friendship enjoyed by the two countries with Saudi Arabia and UAE which were targeted by radical forces.

The US policymakers would do well not to let any manoeuvrings of Pakistan or the influence of anti-India lobbies alleging unequal treatment of Muslim minorities in India, affect their better judgement. In the final analysis, there is no change in the security assessment that the Sino-Pak strategic alliance remains on top of the threats to India and requires a comprehensive handling in the spheres of defence, internal security and diplomacy.

Both Pakistan and China, it may be recalled, had joined hands in campaigning against India on the issue of Kashmir, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution by the Indian Parliament in August 2019. India has to be extra vigilant against the ‘information warfare’ being run by the two hostile neighbours of India on the domestic matters of this country.

(The writer is former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal)

ALSO READ: Philippines President Thanks Indian Navy for Rescue Efforts

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Didi to Resume Campaigning on March 31

The CM has almost recovered and is expected to restart campaigning on March 31 by addressing a rally at Dhubulia Mahua Moitra…reports Asian Lite News

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who had stopped campaigning after she fell at her residence on March 14 evening and sustained an injury on her forehead which necessitated stitches, is likely to return to the poll trail soon.

Party insiders said that she has almost recovered and is expected to restart her campaigning on March 31 by addressing a rally at Dhubulia in Nadia district for Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency candidate, Mahua Moitra.

Though Krishnanagar is slated to go to polls in the fourth phase of the elections on May 13, Trinamool leaders say it was chosen to mark Mamata Banerjee’s return to campaigning as a substantial portion of its voters hail from the backward-class Matua community, who are refugees from Bangladesh settled in different pockets of West Bengal.

Since the Central government notified the implementation of the CAA, Matuas have been leaning towards the BJP, and Mamata Banerjee, in all probability, is re-beginning her campaign schedule there to reach out to the community.

Another reason why the Chief Minister is focussing on Krishnanagar is that ensuring the victory of Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in connection with the cash-for-query case, has been taken as a prestige fight by her.

BJP has fielded Amrita Roy, a member of the erstwhile Krishnanagar royal family, thus making the contest tougher for Moitra considering the sentiment of the local population towards the royal family.

Party insiders said that during the rally on March 31, the Chief Minister is expected to devote a major part of her address to describing Moitra’s expulsion from the Parliament as a “reflection of vindictive politics pursued by BJP against Trinamool Congress”.

Star campaigners

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress released a list of 40 star campaigners on Tuesday.

The list included West Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee, MP and party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and former cricketer and candidate from Behrampore, Yusuf Pathan, among others.

TMC announced its list of 42 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections earlier on March 10.

Giving a message of TMC going solo in the Lok Sabha polls, party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced the list, which included certain surprises from former cricketers Yusuf Pathan from Berhampore and Kirti Azad from the Bardhaman Durgapur Lok Sabha seat.

Abhishek Banerjee will contest from Diamond Harbour. Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Lok Sabha in the winter session last year has been given a ticket from Krishnanagar constituency.

Meanwhile, Mukut Mani Adhikari, who recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party, has also been given a ticket from the Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat.

Shatrughan Sinha is set to again contest from Asansol, a seat he had won earlier in the 2022 bypoll.

TMC has fielded Jagadish C Basuniya from Cooch Behar, Prakash Chik Baraik from Alipurduar, Nirmal Ch Roy from Jalpaiguri, and Gopal Lama from Darjeeling.

On the announcement of the candidates, Trinamool Congress said that the ruling party in Bengal will stand with the common people as part of its committment.

“Under the leadership of Chairperson @MamataOfficial, we’re pleased to announce the names of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We are steadfast in our commitment to stand by the common people against the deprivation of the Central Govt. When it comes to confronting the @BJP4India jomidars head-on and responding in the language they understand best, the Twin Flower is people’s only choice!,” TMC posted on X.

Bengal will vote to elect 42 Lok Sabha members across all seven phases of the general elections that are scheduled to begin on April 19 and will end on June 1. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.

In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP sprung a major surprise, winning 18 seats. (IANS/ANI)

TMC Moves ECI Against Dilip Ghosh

Trinamool Congress on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal against BJP’s Bardhaman-Durgapur candidate, Dilip Ghosh, accusing him of using derogatory comments about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a briefing of media persons.

In the complaint forwarded to the office of CEO, West Bengal, the ruling party has accused Ghosh, also the former state president of BJP West Bengal, of casting aspersions about the Chief Minister’s family lineage.

According to Trinamool Congress, such comments on the part of Ghosh were a clear violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) which disallows any political party or candidate from indulging in any activities or making any statements that would amount to an attack on the personal life of any person or statements that may be malicious or offending decency and morality.

In the letter to the CEO, West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress leadership has also requested the former to issue directions refraining Ghosh and other BJP candidates or leaders from making such personal comments against the Chief Minister or any other leader or candidate of Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress has also requested the CEO, West Bengal to initiate immediate action against Dilip Ghosh for blatant violation of the MCC.

Meanwhile, Dilip Ghosh opened up about his controversial remarks on Mamata earlier and said that he had no personal dispute or grudges against the Bengal Chief Minister.

Speaking to the media about his remarks on Mamata Banerjee, Dilip Ghosh said, “This is not the first time that I have faced controversy over my statement, because I speak in front of those who commit injustice. Regarding the statement, I gave with regard to the Honourable Bengal Chief Minister, I would like to say that I do not have any personal dispute, grudges or ill will towards her.”

“I had merely countered and questioned the political statements she has given to mislead people. The question is that many people have objections to my use of language and words. Our (BJP) party as well as other parties have called it unparliamentary. If so, I am sad about it,” he said.

Adding further, the BJP leader questioned why objections were not raised when a party leader from TMC had used foul language against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

“I also want to question why no objections were raised when a TMC leader used abusive language against our senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari in Kanthi. Does our party leader have no honour? His father is a senior leader who is still alive. Kya unka maan sammaan nahi hai (is he not respected?). No one raised any objections on that note. Why was no statement given from TMC at that time? said Ghosh.”

“I have given a political statement. The issue of honour is raised only if it is a woman. The women’s card is brought out again and again. I had just responded to that. I have nothing more to say than this,” stated Ghosh.

Adding further he said, “I will give an official reply to any official letter sent to the party or anyone else.”

This comes after earlier, while addressing reporters in Durgapur, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said that wherever Mamata Banerjee goes, she calls herself the daughter of that state, and “she must identify her own father.”

“When Didi (CM Mamata Banerjee) goes to Goa, she calls herself the daughter of Goa. When she goes to Tripura, she says that she is the daughter of Tripura. She should first identify her own father.” Dilip Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, BJP President JP Nadda issued a notice seeking clarification from the party leader Dilip Ghosh regarding his remarks on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

ALSO READ-Didi buries Cong alliance hopes

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Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu Joins BJP

Ravneet Singh Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and the son of former Punjab minister Tej Parkash Singh….reports Asian Lite News

In a major setback to Congress, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Ravneet Singh Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and the son of former Punjab minister Tej Parkash Singh.

Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah always ‘responded positively’ when he raised Punjab’s issues.

“I am thankful to PM Narendra Modi. I can say with confidence that PM Modi and Union Home Minister share a lot of love for Punjab and they wish to do a lot for the state,” he said.

“The Prime Minister and the Home Minister always took it positively whenever I raised the issues of Punjab. We want to take Punjab forward. When the country is benefiting, why should Punjab be left behind?,” Ravneet Singh Bittu said.

Bittu called on BJP chief JP Nadda after joining the party earlier in the day.

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.

‘Congress will not weaken’

After Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in Delhi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Pargat Singh said that such actions will not weaken the Congress instead new faces will get a chance.

“I think Ravneet Bittu is against the politics of Rahul Gandhi. I am happy that he has gone to the side whose line he took. Congress will not weaken, instead, new faces will get a chance. Such people only love themselves, not Punjab,” Singh told ANI on Tuesday. (ANI)

ALSO READ: BJP Urges Uniform Action Against Poll Code Violations

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Philippines President Thanks Indian Navy for Rescue Efforts


The comments were conveyed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who visited the country this week to bolster bilateral ties and discuss shared regional concerns….reports Asian Lite News

Bongbong Marcos, President of the Philippines, lauded and thanked the Indian Navy and the government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers after they were attacked by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden this month.

The remarks were expressed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who arrived in the country this week to strengthen bilateral relations and engage on regional issues of mutual concern.

“I express my profound gratitude to the Indian government for their swift and decisive action in rescuing Filipino seafarers involved in the MV True Confidence incident,” Marcos said in a Facebook Post.

“I look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of our nations,” Marcos added.

The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence was attacked by Houthi rebels, approximately 55 nautical miles southwest of Aden on March 6, leading to a fire onboard in which the crew members sustained critical injuries.

Responding to the incident, INS Kolkata arrived at the scene and rescued 21 Filipino crew members from the life raft using its integral helicopter and boats, and provided critical medical aid to those injured.

The Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enrique Manalo, also spoke about the rescue of MV True Confidence by INS Kolkata during an interaction with EAM Jaishankar.

Manalo was also briefed about the Indian Navy’s deployments in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to counter ongoing threats.

EAM Jaishankar has embarked on a three-nation tour to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia, from March 23-27, to strengthen bilateral relations.

In June 2023, India and the Philippines co-chaired the fifth meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation in New Delhi during which both sides acknowledged that they have a shared interest in a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

ALSO READ: Indian Crew on Singapore Ship Safe After Baltimore Crash

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

‘2024 Polls ‘Life and Death’ Issue For Congress’

Antony, a three-time Kerala Chief Minister and the longest-serving Defence Minister, said the aim of the Congress is to ensure that the BJP doesn’t return…reports Asian Lite News

 Veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony on Tuesday termed the upcoming Lok Sabha polls “a life and death issue” for the party.

“The aim of the Congress is to ensure that the BJP doesn’t return… if it doesn’t happen, then our country is gone. Hence, our aim is to recover India, and so this election is a life and death issue for us,” said Antony, who is now leading a retired life in the state capital.

Antony, a three-time Kerala Chief Minister and the longest-serving Defence Minister, has largely withdrawn from public life ever since his son Anil Antony joined the BJP last year.

With Anil Antony fielded by the BJP from the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, Antony, asked if he would campaign for the Congress candidate there, said: “It all depends on my health condition”.

Tussle in Bihar seat-sharing

The INDIA bloc in Bihar has not been able to resolve its seat-sharing problems delaying the announcement of candidates.

The RJD has announced six candidates so far, and sources have said that it is finalising many more names without consulting others in the bloc.

Sources have also said that the Congress was demanding 10 seats in the state which has led to a disagreement with the RJD. However, Lalu Prasad, on the other hand does not want to repeat his “mistake” of giving 70 seats to the Congress in the 2020 Assembly election. The Congress performed miserably and won only 19 seats.

“There is no dispute between the RJD and Congress party, but the latter is demanding more seats in Bihar and not even explaining the details of the candidates. Without discussing the profiles of candidates, how can seat-sharing be possible? RJD national president Lalu Prasad Yadav is in Delhi and negotiation will take place with the top leadership of Congress,” said Shivanand Tiwari, the national vice president of RJD.

Sources have said that the Congress is eyeing Kishanganj, Supaul, Katihar, Darbhanga, Purnea, Aurangabad, Buxar, Patna Sahib, Begusarai and Sasaram.

The RJD has already announced its candidate, Abhay Kushwaha, from Aurangabad. The party is also likely to give the ticket to Bima Bharti from the Purnea Lok Sabha seat.

Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, the Bahubali leader and four-time MP, has claimed that he will contest Purnea seat at any cost. Pappu Yadav merged his party named Jan Adhikar Party in Congress on March 20 with the aim to contest from Purnea on the ticket of the grand old party. This is an alarm bell for the RJD.

While uploading a post on social media account X, Pappu Yadav said: “I would rather die but not leave Purnea and Congress party.”

Similarly Nikhil Kumar, the former Governor of Kerala and Congress leader has opened a front against RJD as well. He wants to contest the Aurangabad seat.

“It is not a good thing to make a one-sided decision. It is demoralising for the party workers. They should respect the coalition pact,” said Ashitnath Tiwari, spokesperson of Congress in Bihar.

1 MP, 2 MLAs: Congress Faces Do-or-Die Battle in UP

Uttar Pradesh was once considered to be the stronghold of the Congress party as the Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies have always sent Gandhi-family scions to the parliament.

However, Congress has been reduced to just one MP in the outgoing Lok Sabha and two MLAs in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly.

In the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the Congress faces a do-or-die battle in Uttar Pradesh as the party is low on confidence, lacks leadership and also faces a dearth of candidates.

The Congress currently has no representation in the legislative council of Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress secured 6.36 per cent of the votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The biggest setback in these elections was that senior party leader Rahul Gandhi had suffered a defeat in Amethi where union minister Smriti Irani emerged victorious in the last election.

The cadres sunk into the realms of despair and the party’s vote share plummeted to a mere 2.33 per cent in the 2022 UP legislative assembly polls.

Any further decline in the party’s performance in the upcoming elections will result in no representation for the Congress from Uttar Pradesh, a state that has sent nine prime ministers to the Lok Sabha.

The Congress faces the challenge of working out political equations and evaluating winnability as it selects its candidates for 17 out of 80 seats it is contesting in alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The foremost challenge for the Congress is not only to defend Rae Bareli but also to increase its tally in Uttar Pradesh.

The party is yet to announce candidates for two key parliamentary (Amethi and Rae Bareli) constituencies. It is not yet known if a member of the Gandhi family will contest these seats.

Sonia Gandhi was the only Congress candidate who won in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. She got 55.78 per cent votes in Rae Bareli. Rahul Gandhi with 43.84 per cent votes lost to Smriti Irani in Amethi five years ago. Irani won with 49.69 per cent votes.

Sonia Gandhi has since taken the Rajya Sabha route to parliament through Rajasthan.

Congress fortunes have been going downhill since 2009 when the party won 21 seats.

It won only two seats in 2014 and one in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Of the 17 seats given to the Congress for the 2024 election, the party had won only six in 2009 — Rae Bareli, Amethi, Kanpur, Maharajganj, Jhansi and Barabanki.

The Congress, so far, has named candidates for three of the six seats – Alok Mishra in Kanpur, Tanuj Punia in Barabanki and Pradeep Jain Aditya in Jhansi.

Initial reports say that Congress candidates in Saharanpur (Imran Masood) and Amroha (Danish Ali) have taken an early lead and with the caste arithmetic favouring them, they could help the Congress increase its tally.

A former UPCC president, who spoke to IANS on condition of anonymity, said that the problem is that no one in UP is there to guide the candidates or address their problems.

“The UPCC President Ajay Rai is a candidate himself. Besides, there is no direction to the campaign. All other parties have their campaigns ready but our candidates are groping in the dark,” he said.

With every electoral arithmetic pitted against the grand old party, can Congress do the impossible and revive its tally in an all-important state of the country?

ALSO READ: BJP Urges Uniform Action Against Poll Code Violations 

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‘SAD Guided by Principles Not Numbers’

Highlighting the party’s core values, Sukhbir Singh Badal emphasised the priority of principles and issues over political numbers….reports Asian Lite News

President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Sukhbir Singh Badal, reiterated the party’s steadfast commitment to principles over mere political calculations, stating that unlike some national parties, the Shiromani Akali Dal is more than a political entity as “it is a 103-year-old movement with a clear vision and unwavering principles”.

While talking to the media, Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Tuesday, “Shiromani Akali Dal is not just a political party driven by number games, unlike some national parties. We are a 103-year-old movement with a clear vision and we have always stood by and for principles. That will continue to be our goal. The Shiromani Akali Dal core committee has already made our position and priorities clear.”

Highlighting the party’s core values, Badal emphasised the priority of principles and issues over political numbers. He stated, “For us, it is principles above politics and issues above any political numbers.”

Furthermore, Badal underscored the Shiromani Akali Dal’s historical role in championing the rights of farmers and its commitment to their welfare.

“We are the largest democratic representative organisation of farmers and have always led the fight for their rights from the front and introduced historic measures in government for their welfare. Our party stands by high principles and is committed to safeguarding Panth and Panjab,” Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party leader Daljit Singh Cheema announced the date of the party’s core committee meeting, stating that the party will primarily focus on the strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

“The core committee meeting is going to happen on March 22 at the party head office in Chandigarh. The election strategy of the Parliamentary elections will be finalised. Furthermore, the political situation of the state where everything happening at the national level will also be thoroughly discussed in the core committee,” said Daljit Singh Cheema.

Earlier, on a day the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) named s candidates for 8 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal denied reaching any alliance with the BJP but did not entirely rule out the possibility of a tie-up in future.

The Akalis were partners of the BJP earlier in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and the two even contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state together but failed to come up with the goods.

However, seeking to dispel rumours that the two parties could be costing up again ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and might even announce a seat-sharing deal in Punjab, the SAD chief said neither his party nor the BJP has any knowledge of an alliance in the state.

Claiming that such speculations were only confined to social media platforms, he said his party was keen to continue its tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state.

The SAD snapped ties with the BJP and exited the NDA in September 2020 over the contentious farm laws of the Centre. The laws, however, were repealed later in the face of farmer protests. (ANI)

Surat, Dec 01 (ANI): A polling official applies inedible ink on a voter’s finger after casting vote for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, at a school, in Surat on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

100% Webcasting of Polling Stations in Punjab

Aiming to make electoral process more efficient and transparent in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said that they are closely monitoring the election process through 100 per cent webcasting of poll stations.

“For the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, CCTV surveillance will be ensured inside all 24,433 polling booths, apart from it cameras will be installed outside 1884 polling stations in all 13 constituencies where there are three or more polling stations,” he said.

Sibin C said that they have introduced a revamped NextGen District Information System for Elections (DISE) this time.

“It will be used to manage all aspects of elections, from collecting data of polling staff to scheduling rehearsals, randomizing polling staff and counting staff. This modernization aims to make elections more efficient, transparent, and secure,” he said.

The CEO said that this web-based application is utilized to integrate available employee data from other applications using APIs/CSV/Excel files.

“It will also assist in managing staff shortages after the initial stage by deploying additional staff,” he said.

CEO Sibin C also said that live streaming from flying squad vehicles (FSV), and static surveillance teams are monitoring violations of the model code of conduct during election process.

“The poll activity management system (PAMS) used for deploying polling parties and updating voting information, such as the commencement of polling and the status of voter queues at closing hours, has also been revamped to enhance the efficiency of election-related activities. The mobile app will provide real-time data,” he said.

The CEO further said that other innovative initiatives by the Election Commission of India, including the Voter Helpline APP, providing citizens with convenience in finding their names in the electoral roll, submitting online forms, downloading their digital photo voter slip, filing complaints, and receiving replies on their mobile app.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election.The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 303 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 52 seats.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 282 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 44 seats. (ANI)

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

AIADMK’s Erode Candidate Emerges TN’s Richest Contender

Aatral Ashok Kumar’s net assets amount to Rs 583.48 crore, making him a prominent figure in the electoral race..reports Asian Lite News

Aatral Ashok Kumar, the AIADMK candidate for the Erode Lok Sabha constituency, emerges as the wealthiest contender in Tamil Nadu’s upcoming general elections slated for April 19, based on the affidavit he submitted to the Election Commission. Kumar’s net assets amount to Rs 583.48 crore, making him a prominent figure in the electoral race.

His wife, Karunambika, who is the daughter of BJP MLA Dr. C Saraswathi from Modakkurichi in Erode district, possesses assets valued at Rs 69.98 crore, as stated by Kumar in his affidavit. The couple collectively holds Rs 10 lakh in cash, along with 10.1 kg and 10.6 kg of gold respectively.

Kumar’s movable assets are valued at Rs 526.53 crore, while his immovable assets, acquired and inherited, amount to Rs 56.95 crore. Meanwhile, Karunambika’s movable assets are worth Rs 47.38 crore, accompanied by immovable property valued at Rs 22.60 crore. Notably, neither of them carries any liabilities.

A resident of Erode aged 53, Kumar is a founding member and director of The Indian Public School (TIPS) and Amex Alloys Private Limited. Additionally, he established educational institutions such as TIPS School of Architecture, TIPS School of Management, TIPS College of Arts and Science, and TIPS Global Institute.

Educationally, Kumar holds a degree in electrical engineering from Coimbatore and pursued further studies in the United States, obtaining a Master’s from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, and an MBA from the University of Indianapolis, Indiana. His professional journey includes stints at multinational corporations like Microsoft and Intel before returning to India to contribute to the education sector.

MDMK Erode MP on ventilator

Erode MP A. Ganeshamurthy, who attempted suicide after allegedly consuming insecticide, at his residence continued to be on ventilator support on Monday, said his relatives here.

The hospital has not released any medical update on him so far. The sitting Lok Sabha MP from the constituency was rushed to a hospital on Sunday.

The 76-year-old MDMK leader was, according to his close relatives, in acute mental stress after the DMK front denied him the seat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections he won the seat with a margin of 2,10,618 votes by defeating his nearest AIADMK rival, G.Manimaran.

However, in the upcoming elections MDMK founder leader, Vaiko, pushed for the candidature of his son, Durai Vaiko, and ensured that MDMK got the Tiruchi seat instead of Erode.

The DMK front has fielded a youth leader, K.E. Prakash from Erode instead of Ganeshamurthy.

Prakash is considered to be close to Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

MDMK leader and son of Vaiko, Durai Vaiko, who is the party candidate from Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat, paid a visit to the private hospital in Coimbatore and met Ganeshamoorthy. However Durai Vaiko did not speak to the media after the visit.

A close relative of Ganeshamurthy told IANS that Vaiko had not informed him about changes, including the denial of ticket.

Udhayanidhi Reacts to PM’s ‘Sleepless’ Remarks

Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “sleepless” remarks and asserted that the DMK party is not going to sleep till the party sends PM Modi and the BJP back home in the Lok Sabha elections.

“PM Modi says DMK is unable to sleep. Yes, our sleep is lost until we send you home. We are not going to sleep till we make the BJP go home. The gas cylinder in 2014 was Rs 450 and now it’s Rs 1200. Since the election came, PM Modi has done drama and decreased Rs 100. After the elections, he will again increase the price of cylinders by Rs 500,” Udhayanidhi said addressing a campaign rally in Thiruvanamalai district.

The DMK leader said that last year, in December, during the time of Cyclone Michaung, PM Modi did not visit Tamil Nadu but since the elections are nearby, the Prime Minister is visiting the state.

“Our CM has sought funds for Tami Nadu post cyclone from the centre, but not even a single rupee has been given to us till now. In the next 22 days, our cadres will go to each and every house, take responsibility and make sure you all make DMK win,” he added.

He further said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister would give petrol for Rs 75 and diesel for Rs 65.

“June 3 marks the 100th birth anniversary of (late politician and former chief minister) M Karunanidhi and June 4 is Lok Sabha election counting. We will give a gift by winning all the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” said the DMK leader.

Earlier on March 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress and said that the ‘ghamandia’ alliance is afraid of the pace at which development is being undertaken by the present government in the country.

“The Congress and its ‘ghamandia’ alliance have problems with the inauguration of these development projects. They are sleepless because of these development projects. The Congress doesn’t have the strength to talk about development. When I inaugurate developmental projects, they call it the ‘Chunavi strategy’. Negativity, and only negativity, is the true characteristic of Congress,” PM Modi said.

On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged the people to utilise their votes to elect a ‘humane Prime Minister’.

While addressing the voters in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli, CM Stalin said that the people’s vote will decide if someone who respects the state and not hate the Tamilians becomes the PM.

Voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase of the general elections on April 19.

In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.

In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

BJP Urges Uniform Action Against Poll Code Violations 

A BJP delegation, including Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and its general secretary Vinod Tawde, met the poll watchdog to highlight this “discrepancy”….reports Asian Lite News

The BJP has brought to light the issue of objectionable comments made by opposition leaders, such as Tamil Nadu minister Anitha Radhakrishnan, directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and has expressed concern over the lack of consequential action against such behaviour. The party has urged the Election Commission to take stringent measures independently to address violations of the poll code.

A delegation from the BJP, comprising Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and General Secretary Vinod Tawde, emphasised the inconsistent approaches of election officials across different states towards similar infractions by politicians. They noted that little action is taken against errant leaders in states like Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, all of which are governed by parties in opposition to the BJP.

Tawde highlighted the continuous “abuse” directed at PM Modi and the disparagement of women power and Indian culture by opposition leaders. He stressed the need for the Election Commission to take proactive measures, such as “suo moto action,” against any violations of the poll code, especially considering that the electoral process has just commenced.

The BJP delegation underscored instances where action was recommended against Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje for her contentious remarks against Tamils, while objectionable comments made by a Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader went unpunished. Additionally, they drew attention to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s comparison of PM Modi with Mughal king Aurangzeb, noting disparities in the responses of poll officials in different states.

The BJP urged the Election Commission to take decisive action in a timely manner, and they were assured that the matter would be addressed. The delegation, including leaders Om Pathak and Sanjay Mayukh, submitted a written complaint to the EC, specifically referencing Radhakrishnan’s alleged use of profanities against the prime minister during an election rally.

In their complaint, the BJP demanded that the Election Commission bar Radhakrishnan from further campaigning, instruct the DMK leader to issue an apology, and initiate legal action by registering an FIR. They also highlighted instances of insults to Indian culture and personal attacks by DMK leaders, including former Union minister A Raja, who stated that Tamil Nadu would not accept phrases like “Bharat Mata” and “Jai Shri Ram.”

Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh visits Jakarta, Indonesia.

BJP Drops Union Minister Ranjan in 6th List

A day before the last day for filing nominations, Manipur’s ruling BJP on Tuesday named state Education and Law Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh as its candidate for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls in the first phase of the parliamentary elections.

The BJP’s Central Election Committee announced the name of the state minister, who replaces sitting MP and Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

Basanta Kumar Singh, 59, would contest against Congress candidate Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a Professor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, and the consensus nominee of the 10-party alliance in Manipur.

The son of former Union Minister Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, Basanta Kumar Singh was elected to the Assembly in the 2022 elections from Nambol constituency in Bishnupur district.

Chaoba Singh, a former state President of the BJP, is one of the architects of setting up the organisational base of the party in Manipur.

Party sources said that the BJP’s central leadership had asked Chief Minister N. Biren Singh to contest in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat but he reportedly declined.

“Biren Singh is a most popular leader among the Meitei and other communities. His presence in the state and to continue as Chief Minister is vital given the ethnic strife in Manipur,” a senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named, told IANS.

Manipur has two Lok Sabha seats — Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur (reserved for tribals). Polling would be held in the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency in the first phase of polling on April 19, and Outer Manipur would go to polls in two phases – April 19 and April 26.

ALSO READ: Rahul accuses BJP of misleading people on jobs 

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Mumbai Surpasses Beijing in Billionaire Count

India’s economic prowess was further underscored by the remarkable surge in its billionaire population….reports Asian Lite News

Mumbai has surpassed Beijing to emerge as Asia’s new billionaire capital while India has overtaken Germany to become the third-ranked country globally with 271 billionaires, according to the latest Hurun Research Institute report.

“Mumbai was the fastest-growing billionaire capital in the world, adding 26 in the year and taking it to third in the world and Asia’s billionaire capital. New Delhi broke into the Top 10 for the first time,” the report states.

India’s economic prowess was further underscored by the remarkable surge in its billionaire population. The country added a staggering 94 new billionaires, the highest of any nation except the United States, bringing the total to 271 ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This surge, the highest since 2013, is a testament to the soaring confidence in the Indian economy, as noted by Rupert Hoogewerf, the institute’s chairman and chief researcher.

Indian billionaires’ cumulative wealth reached US$1 trillion, surpassing China’s average wealth per billionaire (US$3.2 billion vs US$3.8 billion), the 2024 Hurun Global Rich List report states.

The report highlights that industry-wise the pharmaceutical sector leads the pack with 39 billionaires, followed by the automobile and auto components industry (27), and the chemicals sector (24).

Collectively, the wealth of Indian billionaires amounts to a phenomenal $1 trillion, accounting for 7 per cent of the global billionaire wealth, reflecting the country’s substantial economic influence.

The rise of startups, particularly in the booming Artificial Intelligence (AI) space, is a significant contributor as well. This trend aligns with the global focus on AI, which emerged as the biggest driver of wealth creation, generating over half of all new wealth this year.

With a young, tech-savvy population and a growing focus on innovation, India is well-positioned to capitalise on this AI revolution, potentially fuelling the creation of even more billionaires in the coming years, the report added.

Leading the Indian billionaire list is Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, with a staggering net worth of $115 billion. Closely following is Gautam Adani, the founder of the Adani Group energy conglomerate, with assets valued at $86 billion, marking a $33 billion surge in wealth attributed to a rally in his companies’ shares.

While India’s billionaire population soared, China witnessed a decline, with the report stating, “China had a bad year. HK was down 20 per cent, Shenzhen down 19 per cent, and Shanghai down 7 per cent.”

This downturn can be attributed to the crisis in the country’s real estate and volatile stock market problems in the renewable energy sectors.

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