Central News Hub

Category: Politics

  • Owaisi denies receiving letter from AIMPLB about UP polls

    Owaisi denies receiving letter from AIMPLB about UP polls

    The eminent cleric urged the AIMIM leader to field candidates only in those constituencies where winning is certain…reports Asian Lite News

    AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday denied receiving a letter from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) about Uttar Pradesh elections and said that the Board has nothing to do with politics.

    The Hyderabad MP told reporters that AIMPLB has not written a letter to him. He said the Board’s Constitution is clear that it does not involve itself in politics.

    “The Board has nothing to do with politics and it is not their position,” said Owaisi, who is also a member of the apex body of Indian Muslims.

    AIMPLB working committee member Moulana Sajjad Naomani had last week written a letter to Owaisi, urging him to minimise the division of votes against communal forces in the Uttar Pradesh elections.

    The eminent cleric urged the AIMIM leader to field candidates only in those constituencies where winning is certain.

    Owaisi, however, did not react to the letter by Sajjad Naomani.

    To another query, Owaisi said he will have to face throughout his life the allegation of dividing the so-called secular votes. “I want to ask those who are making this allegation. Why BJP won in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, 2017 and 2019. The truth is the so-called secular parties failed to defeat the BJP. In 2019, MIM contested only three Lok Sabha seats, how BJP won 306 seats,” he said.

    “They are frustrated. They have no ideological and intellectual strength to defeat BJP and that is why they are blaming MIM,” he added.

    Owaisi said that his party is geared up to contest the UP elections as per the plans of its state unit to contest 100 seats. The party on Sunday released its first list of nine candidates. He said there would be more lists for the second phase and subsequent phases.

    “Only time will tell. As of now we are completely geared up and prepared to contest the polls,” Owaisi said when asked about the possibility of alliance with other parties.

    The Lok Sabha member said AIMIM was preparing to contest the polls following Covid guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India. “Since meetings are not allowed, we will organise virtual meetings. We will use modern technology tools as per the Election Commission guidelines. We will increase social and digital media presence,” he said.

    The AIMIM chief hoped that the 60 meetings he addressed in UP during the last 4-5 months will have an impact and help the party.

    To a query about the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asking the Uttar Pradesh government to probe Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband’s website for allegedly publishing “unlawful and misleading” fatwas, Owaisi said NCPCR should know that fatwa is mere legal opinion and it does not have any legal significance.

    “Fatwa is an opinion given by the Ulema or religious scholars. Despite knowing this, if they (NCPCR) are indulging in this behaviour, they may have vested interests in this,” he added.

    ALSO READ-SPECIAL: UP Polls To Test Owaisi Factor in Indian Politics

  • BJP to discuss probable names for Goa, Uttarakhand polls

    BJP to discuss probable names for Goa, Uttarakhand polls

    BJP central leadership will hold separate meetings with Goa and Uttarakhand units….reports Asian Lite News

    The top BJP leadership on Sunday will discuss the names of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections with the leaders from Goa and Uttarakhand.

    Sources said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Pushkar Singh Dhami along with senior leaders of their respective states — Goa and Uttarakhand — will meet BJP central leadership.

    BJP central leadership will hold separate meetings with Goa and Uttarakhand units.

    Assembly polls in 40-member Goa and 70-member Uttarakhand Assemblies will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.

    Sources aware of the development said that Chief Ministers Sawant and Dhami are meeting with their state leaders to discuss the names shortlisted with the BJP national leadership.

    “Both the state leaders, including the chief ministers are likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders. After discussion, the names of shortlisted candidates will be placed before the CEC for final approval,” sources said.

    It is learned that the first meeting will be held with the leaders of Goa, and then later on with the Uttarakhand unit. It is also learned that before finalising the names of the party candidates in Goa by Central Election Committee (CEC), the central leadership will discuss the names shortlisted by the state unit. The Goa BJP unit has shortlisted names for 37 out of the 40 Assembly seats.

    “In several rounds of meetings of the top state leadership, names have been shortlisted. While shortlisting the names, Goa BJP has taken the opinion of cadre at the Assembly or block level. This was for the first time in Goa, the opinion of workers was taken into consideration while shortlisting candidates. Final approval will be given by the central leadership,” said a senior Goa BJP functionary.

    On Saturday, Uttarakhand BJP election committee shortlisted two or three names for each Assembly segment which will be discussed in the meeting before placing for approval of party CEC. Chief Minister Dhami said that he will contest from Khatima constituency. Dhami is currently MLA from the same Assembly seat.

    ALSO READ: MEDIA SCAN: India-China trade escalates as border row with Nepal deepens

  • UTTAR PRADESH: Yogi to contest from Gorakhpur

    UTTAR PRADESH: Yogi to contest from Gorakhpur

    BJP’s state election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan announced the candidates’ names for 57 of the 58 seats going to polls in the first phase and 48 of the 55 seats in the second phase, reports Asian Lite News

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya will contest the state Assembly polls from Gorakhpur and Sirathu constituency, respectively.

    Cabinet Minister and BJP’s state election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan and party national general secretary announced the first list of candidates for the polls at the party headquraters in the national capital on Saturday.

    Pradhan announced the candidates’ names for 57 of the 58 seats going to polls in the first phase and 48 of the 55 seats in the second phase.

    He said the in the party’s Parliamentary board meeting held under the chairmanship of party national President J.P. Nadda and presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decision to field Adityanath from Gorakhpur and Maurya from Sirathu was taken.

    Both the leaders are members of the state Legislative Council.

    The saffron party announced the candidature of Adityanath and Maurya as per their strategy to field veteran party leaders in the polls.

  • UP resignation spree: Is undercurrent in favour of the SP?

    UP resignation spree: Is undercurrent in favour of the SP?

    The experts believe that the real issues are inflation, Covid deaths, stray animals, unemployment and the BJP has not been able to gauge the minds of its own MLAs and ministers….reports Asian Lite News

    The resignation of three ministers in three days and the subsequent photos being uploaded with Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has changed the dynamics of UP politics. Till a few days back the BJP was confident of winning back the state but the resignations have sent jitters down the spines in the BJP camp. The question is, whether there is an undercurrent in favour of the Samajwadi Party which is perceived to be the biggest gainer from these exits from the saffron party.

    The SP is having the last laugh in terms of defections as all roads lead to the party office on Vikramaditya Marg in Lucknow. The rebels from the BJP BSP and the Congress are lining up at Akhilesh Yadav’s door, which analysts believe is in favour of the SP, as leaders like Maurya have a strong ground presence and feedback.

    Delhi based independent analyst Shakil Akhtar says, “there is a feeling in the defectors that they can’t return to their constituency on a BJP symbol so they went to the party which has social justice in it roots while the BJP was dependent on social engineering.”

    Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister Swami Prasad Maurya

    The experts believe that the real issues are inflation, Covid deaths, stray animals, unemployment and the BJP has not been able to gauge the minds of its own MLAs and ministers.

    Dharam Singh Saini on Thursday became the third minister after Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan to quit the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government. Saini was Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ayush, Food Security and Drug Administration.

    After sending his resignation to the Governor, he went to meet Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. Interestingly, in his resignation letter, Saini levelled the same allegation that other legislators had levelled against the Yogi government.

    Saini, who represents the Nakud Assembly seat which is in western UP, has returned the security cover and residence allotted to him by the state government. He said he was resigning due to “gross neglect” of Dalits, backwards, farmers, unemployed youth and small traders.

    After legislators belonging to the OBC category left the BJP, it is now a Brahmin MLA Bala Prasad Awasthi who has also walked into the Samajwadi Party fold.

    Awasthi is a four-term MLA from Lakhimpur Kheri and a known Brahmin face in the Terai region. He also met Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday afternoon.

    Earlier, Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan (both ministers) Roshan Lal Varma, Brijendra Prajapati, Bhagwati Sharan Sagar, Vinay Shakya and Avatar Singh Bhadana left the party in the past two days.

    On Thursday, Mukesh Varma from Firozabad sent in his resignation. Then Dharam Singh Saini followed suit.

    ALSO READ: Congress gives 50 tickets to women in UP

  • ‘Those who can’t run party, can’t run state’

    ‘Those who can’t run party, can’t run state’

    “Those who are unable to handle the affairs of the party, can’t run the affairs of the state,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami interacts with Arvind Malguri

    Are you coming back to power in Uttarakhand?

    Absolutely, there is no problem anywhere. This time we have given the slogan ’60 paar’.

    Do you think you have a tough fight with Harish Rawat of the Congress?

    There is no fight at all. We are not competing with anyone this time. Those who are unable to handle the affairs of their party, i.e, Congress, how will they handle Uttarakhand? The people will not allow them to do that.

    So who are you considering as the biggest challenge?

    There is no challenge from any quarter. The Congress is divided into different factions – so many groups vying for supremacy. Rawat ji has won only one election since 1999. He was defeated twice. Now, where is the fight with the man who lost two elections while being the Chief Minister? And the Aam Aadmi Party has no mass base here. That’s why we said, we will cross 60 seats this time.

    So there is no anti-incumbency factor?

    Our party works in the interest of the people. Our aim is the welfare of the last person of the state. Work more, talk less is our mantra. So when everyone is happy with the government then where is the anti-incumbency factor. You can check the latest survey, we are ahead.

    Are you under pressure so far as ticket distribution is concerned?

    Well there is a process. Whatever fits right with the circumstances, will happen. Everyone plays his part with full faith in the organizational structure of our party. So there is no pressure of any kind.

    On which issues are you contesting the election?

    The issues are of development, and they have only misled people. With the help from the Centre, public welfare schemes worth Rs 1 lakh crore are going on in the state — from the Char Dham project to the development of rail network in the mountains. I have visited all parts of the state, and I have seen, people are giving us lot of support and the work Modi ji has done — these are our issues.

    Are you ready for the digital campaign that has been asked by the Election Commission?

    Yes, we are ready. Our campaign is going on. We had two Vijay Sankalp Yatras. Modi ji has had four programs here, Home Minister ji has had two programs, Nadda ji has had four, Rajnath ji has had four, all the leaders have visited Uttarakhand. I myself have visited all assembly constituencies. All festivals have been communicated. As for digital campaigning is concerned, we have always been ready for that.

    Will Dhami become the next Chief Minister?

    How can I tell about myself, our party works in a democratic way, here there is no family rule.

    Is it Dhami vs Rawat or BJP vs Congress?

    At this point in time, there is only BJP, we have no competition with anyone.

    In between, the rebels keep troubling the party, what about them?

    That is not a problem, all are united. The BJP family is big, small things keep happening. You must have seen, a few days ago, many Congress leaders were resigning. We don’t have that situation in our party.

    Do you really BJP think will cross sixty this time?

    Yes, absolutely.

    Your tenure has been short, what have been your achievements during this period?

    There have been many achievements. We have taken more than 500 decisions — we started Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana, launched Chief Minister Mahalaxmi Yojana, Chief Minister Self Employment Scheme, relief packages to all the people, laid foundation stones for various projects, in tourism, in cultural sector. Apart from that, the honorarium of the Mangal Dal, the village head, anganwadi workers has been increased.

    Do you think the people of Uttarakhand are satisfied with your work?

    Absolutely, you should find out yourself. About 90 per cent people want BJP back.

    The goverment keeps changing here — BJP, Congress every five years…

    After Modi ji became the Prime Minister, the history of the whole country has been changing. This time history will change here also.

    ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh: JD-U sees no progress in attempts for alliance with BJP

  • Uttar Pradesh: JD-U sees no progress in attempts for alliance with BJP

    Uttar Pradesh: JD-U sees no progress in attempts for alliance with BJP

    JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha has said that the party has authorised Union Minister R.C.P. Singh to hold alliance talks with BJP and bag some seats, but so far nothing has happened, reports Asian Lite News

    Janata Dal-United (JD-U) is making all efforts for poll tie-up with the BJP in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, but so far, it is yet to achieve any success, say party leaders.

    JD-U Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha has said that the party has authorised Union Minister R.C.P. Singh to hold alliance talks with BJP and bag some seats, but so far nothing has happened.

    “The election schedule has been announced in Uttar Pradesh and the party has authorised R.C.P. Singh to do the job for the party. He is interacting with leaders of the BJP but positive results in favour of our party are not coming out,” Kushwaha said.

    ALSO READ: Do or die battle for these leaders in Uttar Pradesh

    “K.C. Tyagi, the national General Secretary of the party and incharge of Uttar Pradesh, rightly pointed out that BJP should address the issue in two days. He has to look after the organisation in Uttar Pradesh and accordingly make plans for the elections. The time is running out. So, the BJP should make a decision as early as possible. We are still waiting for the decision of the BJP,” Kushwaha said.

    The JD-U demand sees tied to its wish for a sizeable number of the 24 MLC seats in Bihar where elections are scheduled soon. The JD-U, in spite of having less seats in the Assembly, wants to contest on 12 MLC seats.

    ALSO READ: BJP begins door-to-door campaign in Uttar Pradesh

  • ‘Alliance with Akali Dal in Punjab cost BJP heavily’

    ‘Alliance with Akali Dal in Punjab cost BJP heavily’

    He claimed that a new political situation is developing in Punjab and in this, with new alliance partners and people joining the party, the BJP will go up and up…reports Asian Lite News

    Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he “personally” feels that alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had cost the BJP heavily.

    Puri, the BJP election co-incharge for Punjab, said: “It is my personal view that our alliance in the past had cost us heavily in many ways. Today with the people who are joining us, we will take Punjab on a fast path of development.”

    He said that earlier in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the BJP used to contest 22-23 seats and won three seats in last Assembly polls but now the party has left with just two MLA and five per cent vote share.

    He claimed that a new political situation is developing in Punjab and in this, with new alliance partners and people joining the party, the BJP will go up and up.

    “When we were in alliance, the BJP never contested more than 22-23 seats and Alkalis were in dominant position. The BJP was not able to rise in the state. This time we formed an alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and people are joining us. Now we are equal partners and it is a good opportunity for us to rise in Punjab. In the five corner contest, BJP will have a good show in Punjab,” he said as a few leaders from Punjab joined the BJP at the party headquarters here.

    The BJP is jointly contesting the Punjab assembly election with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). The three parties have formed a six-member committee, comprising two each from three parties to decide the seat sharing formula. Three parties will also make a common manifesto. Polling in Punjab will be held on February 14 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.

    Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Puri said: “The time he (Yadav) took to conduct the trial run of Kanpur Metro, our government has run the metro. Uttar Pradesh is number one in implementing all the Central government schemes. There is a saying ‘success has many father’, and Akhilesh is trying to take credit for our work.”

    ALSO READ-BJP sets up 24-member election committee for UP

  • BJP gears up to fight on 80 seats in Punjab

    BJP gears up to fight on 80 seats in Punjab

    A senior BJP leader involved in the election campaign in the state told that seat-sharing will be decided between the saffron party and its allies in the next two days…reports Asian Lite News

    The BJP, which will be fighting in the capacity of ‘Big Brother’ in Punjab for the first time, is preparing to fight on 80 of the total 117 seats in the state.

    The BJP’s allies — Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt)– will contest on the remaining 37 seats.

    A senior BJP leader involved in the election campaign in the state told that seat-sharing will be decided between the saffron party and its allies in the next two days.

    As per the information accessed, the BJP will discuss the names of candidates in the core group meeting in Chandigarh next week. After that, the party’s high command in the national capital will deliberate on the probable candidates’ list sent by the state unit.

    On December 28, the alliance partners BJP, PLC and SAD (Sanyukt) had constituted a six-member committee to discuss the seat-sharing formula and the joint manifesto. It is being said that seat-sharing will be decided on the recommendations of this committee.

    Another leader associated with the party’s poll campaign said that the seat-sharing formula has been prepared to keep in mind the victory prospects.

    ALSO READ-Elections in 5 Indian states from February 10 to March 7

  • Manish Tewari attacks Channi, Sidhu

    Manish Tewari attacks Channi, Sidhu

    But state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said it is the people who will choose the next Chief Minister of the state and not the high command…reports Asian Lite News.

    Congress MP from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib has once again attacked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu on reports that both are pushing to be named as the Chief Ministerial candidates.

    Tewari on Wednesday said, “Punjab needs serious people”, and took potshots on both Channi and Sidhu and dubbed them as non-serious persons who are entertaining people.

    Tewari tweeted, “Punjab requires a CM who has solutions to Punjab’s challenges, capacity to take tough decisions. Punjab Needs serious people whose politics is Not Social Engineering, Entertainment, Freebies and NOT regime favourites rejected by people in successive elections.”

    The Congress, so far, has not named any one as the Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming Assembly elections as the party considers that this leads to infighting and internal rift.

    But state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said it is the people who will choose the next Chief Minister of the state and not the high command.

    Unveiling the first set of plans in his Punjab Model with focus on resurrection of Punjab, Sidhu, in the absence of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Cabinet colleagues, told the media here: “Punjab Model is people’s model, an effort to give a roadmap to return power to people.”

    To counter the powerful ‘mafia model’, which has power to even stop the notification of Cabinet passed resolution, he said a model is needed to redistribute state resources and give power back to the rightful beneficiaries.

    ALSO READ-BJP to showcase law and order, Hindutva to woo voters

  • NCP to ally with SP for UP polls

    NCP to ally with SP for UP polls

    Elaborating on Uttar Pradesh, the 81-year-old leader said that “the stage is set for a change” from the current rule by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)…reports Quaid Najmi

    In a significant political development, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar announced on Tuesday that his party would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur.

    Stating that the party will join hands with the Samajwadi Party-led front coming up in Uttar Pradesh, Pawar said that he would attend a meeting convened next week to discuss and finalise alliances and poll strategies for the northern state, which will go to the polls in seven phases between February 10 and March 7.

    “Of the five states going to the polls, we shall be contesting in three states. We plan to work out alliances with like-minded parties,” Pawar told mediapersons here.

    While the NCP would be joining the SP-led alliance in Uttar Pradesh, in Manipur, the party is cobbling up an understanding with the Congress, with which it shares power in Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    “We are in talks with the Congress and the Trinamool Congress in Goa,” Pawar added while disclosing NCP’s programme to contest in three of the five states going to the polls in February-March, barring in Punjab and Uttarakhand.

    Elaborating on Uttar Pradesh, the 81-year-old leader said that “the stage is set for a change” from the current rule by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

    “The masses want ‘parivartan’, and UP is all set for a change (of power). People there are not happy with the BJP’s communal style of politics. Polarisation on communal lines is being done in UP ahead of the elections, and the voters will give a befitting reply to this,” Pawar said.

    Referring to the abrupt exit of Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who resigned from his office on Tuesday with sources claiming that he is likely to join the Samajwadi Party soon, Pawar said that “this is just the beginning” and the BJP will get many more such jolts in the run-up to the elections.

    Hoping that the Samajwadi Party-led alliance will sweep to power in the ensuing elections, Pawar hinted that at least a dozen more MLAs from various other political parties in Uttar Pradesh are likely to walk over to Samajwadi Party soon.

    In Manipur, where the NCP has four legislators, it will be a tie-up with the Congress to contest five seats, while negotiations are underway with Shiv Sena-Congress to repeat Maharashtra’s MVA experiment in Goa and ensure BJP’s defeat.

    For Goa, NCP MP Praful Patel, Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Goa Congress leaders are negotiating to hammer out an alliance on the lines of MVA.

    Pawar declared that he would attend a meeting convened by SP President Akhilesh Yadav to discuss the election strategy, saying that the voters will not support BJP’s plans to contest elections on communal lines.

    The NCP supremo also slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent ’80:20′ statement (80 per cent people are with BJP, 20 per cent are against), saying that it was not befitting of him (Adityanath) to seek to divide the people on religious lines and hurting the sentiments of the minority community there.

    Speaking of Punjab, Pawar surmised that the incumbent Congress will return to power, but with the recent turn of events, even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has become a contender.

    On the much-talked about grand opposition alliance at the national level, Pawar reiterated that the Congress must be an integral part of any such opposition front against the BJP.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NONrP09g2gY

    Nevertheless, he said it is up to the Congress to decide whether to go alone or join hands with like-minded parties in the coming Assembly elections.

    MVA ally in Maharashtra, the Congress is yet to react to Pawar’s assertions on the proposed NCP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, alliance with Congress in Manipur, and talks with both Congress and Trinamool in Goa.

    ALSO READ-Do or die battle for these leaders in Uttar Pradesh