She asked her party leaders and workers to reach out to the people and effectively convey the party’s points, besides strongly countering any vicious propaganda…reports Asian Lite News.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged party cadres to campaign aggressively and counter the BJP-RSS propaganda fearlessly on social media platforms.
Priyanka, who is taking back-to-back meetings during her five-day stay in Lucknow, said it was essential to counter the anti-Congress propaganda being carried out on the social media by non-Congress parties.
She asked her party leaders and workers to reach out to the people and effectively convey the party’s points, besides strongly countering any vicious propaganda.
Without naming any party, she said that the non-Congress rule in the past 32 years in Uttar Pradesh, had taken the state on the path of decline.
Though she did not name any political party directly, her reference to the BJP, SP and BSP was obvious as she referred to 32-year rule of non-Congress parties that had taken the state on the path of decline.
“We need to bring out the truth,” she said referring to campaigns based on spreading hatred and lies.
Priyanka, who has been taking meetings mostly at Kaul House, where she is staying, is expected to spend five days a week -Mondays to Fridays – in Lucknow.
She will launch the Congress campaign with a rally in Varanasi in the second week of October, after ‘Pitra Paksh’ ends.
The Congress is also preparing to launch ‘Pratigya Yatras’ on four different routes on October 17. Through these yatras, party leaders had been asked to convey the promises the party proposed to make to the people in the 2022 Assembly elections.
The party proposes to hold a rally at Meerut on October 20 and a mega public rally is likely to be held in Lucknow on November 19, the birth anniversary of late Indira Gandhi.
आज उप्र कांग्रेस के सोशल मीडिया विभाग के योद्धाओं से संवाद किया।
सोशल मीडिया के योद्धा पूरी ताकत से भाजपा सरकार के झूठ का पर्दाफाश कर रहे हैं और उनकी दमदार व ऊर्जावान उपस्थिति से उप्र में कांग्रेस पार्टी बदलाव की एक महत्वपूर्ण आवाज बनकर उभर रही है। pic.twitter.com/8VJmVZipO9
An aggressive campaign to reach out to the people by going door to door is likely to be launched after the Lucknow rally.
As the Congress has launched micro plans for every assembly constituency.
The party has given indications that the first list of candidates will be out by the second week of October. A preliminary meeting of the screening committee was also held on Thursday.
A number of delegations have also met Priyanka and these include delegations of weavers, banjara, Rajbhar and Nishad communities.
Sources said that both the leaders discussed several issues, including national security, farmers’ agitation and the current political situation in Punjab…reports Asian Lite News.
Amid speculation of him joining the BJP, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday evening. The meeting lasted for around an hour at Shah’s official residence here.
However, Singh’s media advisor Raveen Thukral had then denied the former meeting Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda, saying he’s on a personal visit to Delhi to meet ‘some friends’.
On Wednesday, Singh tweeted after the meeting with Shah: “Met Union Home Minister @AmitShah in Delhi. Discussed the prolonged farmers’ agitation against #FarmLaws & urged him to resolve the crisis urgently with repeal of the laws & guarantee MSP, besides supporting Punjab in crop diversification.”
Sources said that both the leaders discussed several issues, including national security, farmers’ agitation and the current political situation in Punjab.
There is also speculation that Singh, who was recently asked to resign as Punjab Chief Minister by the Congress leadership, may join the saffron party or float his own outfit. The BJP is ready to welcome him, saying Singh is a nationalist and all nationalists are welcomed in the party.
“Amarinder Singh is nationalist to the core and he always stood for nationalist issues. Apart from his political agenda, he always stood for nationalist issues. All nationalists are welcome to meet the Home Minister. On one hand, the Congress has insulted a nationalist solider and on the other, it inducted a member of ‘tukde tukde gang’. Our doors are open for all the nationalists,” BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh said.
The BJP leaders, however, are tightlipped about Singh joining the party. A party leader said that the decision, if any, will be taken by the central leadership and it will be communicated to everyone at an appropriate time.
When asked whether Singh will join the BJP, the party’s national general secretary and Punjab in-charge Dusyant Gautam said, “Let’s see. All those who talk in the national interest are welcome to join the party.”
Sources said that the main agenda of discussion during Wednesday’s meeting was the ongoing farmers’ protest in the Punjab.
“Singh can play an important role in pacifying the farmers, who are protesting for almost a year against the three farm laws. He can also convince them to end the ongoing protest,” the sources said.
“Today Congress family is fragmented. There is YSR Congress, Sharad Congress and Indira Congress. My dream is to bring the Congress family together,” he added…reports Asian Lite News.
As expected the two-time Chief Minister of Goa and former Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro joined Trinamool Congress on Wednesday in Kolkata. Ten other Congress leaders also joined Trinamool along with Faleiro.
Flanked by Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, State Minister of Panchayat Subrata Mukherjee and the party MP Sougata Roy, Faleiro took the flag of the party from Banerjee and said that his primary job is to fight the divisive policies, vengeance and the culture of intolerance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing a press conference, Faleiro said, “I would like to quote the last testament of Mahatma Gandhi — the Father of the Nation. Just three days before his heinous assassination he had said — ‘Congress which is the oldest national political organisation and which have fought many battles in a non-violent way cannot be allowed to die. It can only die with the nation. A living organism ever grows or dies’.”
Expressing his profound happiness to join Congress, the seven-time MLA of Goa said, “My resignation is the beginning of the unification of the congress family. I have started my journey from the west coast and have reached the east. I am a Congressman and I have lived with that for the last 40 years. I have the same ideology, principles and programs that Congress has. When I am joining Trinamool Congress it is to fulfill my dream to bring the congress family together”.
“Today Congress family is fragmented. There is YSR Congress, Sharad Congress and Indira Congress. My dream is to bring the Congress family together,” he added.
“I will strive to consolidate Congress but before that my main mission is to fight the divisive policies, vengeance and the culture of intolerance of the BJP,” he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdNoQhdaId8
“Like the country Goa is also suffering because of the BJP. There is economic meltdown, administrative collapse and sharp unemployment. In Goa, 65 per cent of the population is living below the poverty line. The BJP has taken our country 45 years back,” the former veteran Congress leader said.
Before addressing the chief minister, Faleiro met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat in Nabanna. After meeting with Banerjee, Faleiro tweeted, “Meeting the Hon Chief Minister of Bengal, Smt @MamataOfficial with my compatriots. We pledge to protect the people of Goa against divisive and fascist forces. The fight for a new dawn in Goa begins today”.
Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala, Organisation General Secretary KC Venugopal and Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das welcomed the two leaders into the party fold…reports Asian Lite News.
CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar who has joined the Congress said that he has joined the party to save the country’s democracy.
After joining Congress, Kanhaiya said, “I bow down to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. Some people want to destroy the culture and character of this country. When a fire breaks out in the settlement, only the bedroom cannot be saved. I want to join the most democratic party of this country. The Congress party holds the history of this country in itself.”
“Congress party is a big ship, if Congress party survives, Bhagat Singh’s dreams will survive,” he added.
On joining the Congress on Tuesday, he said, “I have joined the Congress Parivar… I have not come to save the party… whatever the party will do to save the democracy, I will work with it.”
“I fought against Congress in JNU elections. Individuals come and go is not bigger than the organization. But the way the Left party is fighting, it should increase the speed,” he added.
Dalit leader from Gujarat, MLA Jignesh Mevani also joined the Congress on Tuesday.
Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala, Organisation General Secretary KC Venugopal and Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das welcomed the two leaders into the party fold.
Before joining the party, the two leaders met Rahul Gandhi at the Congress headquarters for about 30 minutes. During this, Kanhaiya Kumar filled up the primary membership form of the Congress party and Kanhaiya presented a photo of Gandhi-Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh to Rahul Gandhi.
Randeep Surjewala said: “Today is a special day for the Congress party. Kanhaiya and Mevani continuously raised their voice against the policies of the Modi government. They will work as one and one eleven against the Modi government.”
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “These two youths worked in a very revolutionary manner in the country. Congress party wholeheartedly welcomes Jignesh and Kanhaiya.”
At the same time, Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das said, “On the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, both the leaders along with Rahul Gandhi garlanded him. Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani met Rahul Gandhi several times. It is hoped that both the leaders will unite with the Congress. Will act as a strong link. The land of Bihar is waiting for Kanhaiya.”
Jignesh Mevani has been the face of the Dalit movement in Gujarat. Before joining politics, he worked as a journalist, lawyer and Dalit activist. He has often been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies.
At the same time, Kanhaiya, who emerged from the students’ movement, also contested from Begusarai in the Bihar Lok Sabha elections but lost to BJP’s stalwart Giriraj Singh. However, Kanhaiya had caught the attention of the entire nation during his election campaign.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will set out his principles and urge his party to show more discipline to beat the ruling Conservatives, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will promise to get Labour “back in business” when he delivers his first speech as leader to the party’s full conference, media reported.
Urging activists to unite to win the next election, he will launch an attack on Boris Johnson over his handling of the pandemic and the fuel crisis, the BBC reported.
Sir Keir will also pledge to train thousands of teachers and cut waiting times for mental health services.
Meanwhile, the issues between the leadership and left-wingers have overshadowed the conference. They have clashed over the nationalisation of energy industries, leadership election rules and the level of the minimum wage, it was reported.
The Labour leader is under pressure to unite his party and set out a vision that appeals to voters that have turned away from Labour, it was reported.
It will be the first time he has addressed a full conference since becoming leader last April, because last year’s event was held online due to Covid.
Motion against AUKUS
Labour Party has also passed an emergency motion that described the new security pact among the US, the UK and Australia, known as AUKUS, as a “dangerous move that will undermine world peace”.
During the party’s annual conference held on Monday, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 per cent to 29.65 per cent.
“AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it,” said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter on Monday.
The AUKUS pact, announced earlier this month, has triggered widespread concerns and criticism.
The three countries announced that the first initiative under AUKUS is to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet to Australia.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog, has voiced concern amid international worries about the proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies in response to the trilateral deal.
“The IAEA will engage with them (Australia, the US and Britain) on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency,” it said in a recent statement.
Minimum wage row
Sir Keir Starmer faced a further row with party’s left wing after the party conference voted on proposals to raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour.
The Labour leadership had earlier said it will not encourage party members to back or reject the motion.
But, shadow cabinet member Andy McDonald on Monday quit Labour’s front bench with a massive attack against Sir Keir Starmer. McDonald said Sir Keir had ordered him to oppose the rise and calling his position “untenable”.
Meanwhile, leading left-wingers have accused Sir Keir of abandoning party principles. However, the Labour leader has said his focus was on winning the next general election.
Arguments between the left, including supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour members loyal to the present leader have dominated the conference in Brighton.
Now, the Unite union is putting the motion calling for the minimum wage to increase to £15 to a vote on Tuesday. The package of measures also include demands for an end to zero-hour contracts and calls for a “better work-life balance”.
Labour’s existing policy is that the minimum wage should be “at least” £10 per hour.
According to BBC, raising the minimum wage was not one of the 10 pledges Sir Keir made when running for the Labour leadership last year, but he supported a campaign in 2019 – before he was leader – for McDonald’s to improve their workers’ pay and conditions.
But, in a scathing resignation letter, Mr McDonald claimed the leader’s office had instructed him go to a meeting at the party conference and “argue against a national minimum wage of £15 an hour and against statutory sick pay at the living wage”, the BBC reported.
In his resignation letter – published in the middle of Labour’s party conference in Brighton – the MP said his party leader had made Labour “more divided than ever”.
Strict Covid-19 related protocols prescribed by the ECI in line with the central government’s guidelines will be in place during the poll process, including the campaign period…reports Asian Lite News.
The Election Commission of India has announced bye-elections to fill vacancies in three Parliamentary Constituencies and 30 Assembly Constituencies in different states on October 30.
Bye-elections will be held in one Parliamentary (Lok Sabha) constituency
each in the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (Dadra & Nagar Haveli seat), Madhya Pradesh (Khandwa seat) and Himachal Pradesh (Mandi seat).
The 30 Assembly Constituencies where bye-elections will be held are spread across 14 states:
* Five seats in Assam
* Four seats in West Bengal
* Three seats each in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya
* Two seats each in Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka
* One seat each in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland
Counting of votes for all the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies will be taken up on November 2.
The Model code of conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Assembly constituency going for election is included, the ECI said.
Strict Covid-19 related protocols prescribed by the ECI in line with the central government’s guidelines will be in place during the poll process, including the campaign period.
The Commission said it had reviewed the situation related to pandemic, flood, festivals, cold conditions in certain regions, feedback from concerned States/UT and taken into consideration all facts and circumstances before finalizing the schedule.
The Election Commission also said it had decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in the bye-election in all the polling stations.
Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines, it added.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was preparing to go to Rome at the invitation of Community of Sant’ Egidio but this sudden letter from the central government has changed everything…reports Asian Lite News
Hours after the union ministry of external affairs disallowed Mamata Banerjee to go to Rome to attend a programme organised by a non-governmental organisation, the chief minister came down heavily on the central government saying that she was stopped only out of ‘jealousy’.
The controversy cropped up after the state government received a letter from the ministry of external affairs mentioning that the chief minister has been invited to an event in Rome which, the letter said was, “not conducive of participation for a state chief minister”. The event is scheduled to take place in Rome on October 6 and 7.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was invited to Rome by the Community of Sant’ Egidio – a Catholic association dedicated to social service – to participate in the international event in Rome, the World Meeting for Peace “Peoples as Brothers, Future Earth”, on 6 and 7 October this year where Pope Francis, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are likely to be present.
Mamata accepted the invitation. It was decided that she would visit Rome after the by-election in Bhabanipur. Mamata was also preparing to go to Rome but this sudden letter from the central government has changed everything.
Speaking at a public rally in Bhabanipur, the chief minister didn’t conceal her anger. “The Prime Minister can go abroad. Why I shall be disallowed to attend a function abroad? I was stopped only out of jealousy,” a furious Banerjee said.
Previously the chief minster was also disallowed to go to Chicago where she was supposed to address a gathering at Belur Math, the global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, to mark 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s historic speech at the Parliament of Religion, Chicago. At that time also the chief minister had termed it as an ‘unholy conspiracy’.
“No one can go to America or Britain with covaxin. The World Health Organization has not given it recognition yet but the Prime Minister went with special permission. There are many people who cannot go abroad because they have taken covaxin. The Prime Minister went and I don’t have any problem with that but why was I not allowed to represent? I used to go there and represent Hinduism. He speaks much about Hindutva but disallows me. This is nothing but jealousy,” she added.
The BJP leaders in some poll-bound states believe that these people will help the party at the ground level, besides weakening the opposition camps…reports Asian Lite News.
In the run up to next year’s Assembly polls in five states, the BJP has planned to induct local influential leaders of other political parties to boost its campaign.
As per the plan, the BJP will try to induct influential leaders from the opposition camps, both at the Assembly and block levels.
Five states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — are scheduled to go to the polls next year.
A senior BJP leader aware of the development pointed out that there are many influential leaders in the opposition camps at the Assembly and block levels who are unhappy with their current organisation due to different reasons.
“We are approaching these disgruntled leaders with a request to join us to serve the people. Those who are ready to serve the people and agree to follow the ideology of the BJP are welcome. There will not be any pre-condition like ticket or other promises for joining the party,” he said.
The BJP is also approaching influential individuals with an offer to join the party.
“We can find many influential individuals at the local level. Many of them are not interested in electoral politics, but are willing to work for the society. We will ask them to join us to serve the people and the society in a better way,” a party leader said.
The BJP leaders in some poll-bound states believe that these people will help the party at the ground level, besides weakening the opposition camps.
A party insider said that feedback will be taken from the local BJP leadership before allowing anyone to join the saffron camp.
AIADMK, BJP wooing PMK to remain in NDA fold
The opposition AIADMK and the BJP are reaching out to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) to remain in the NDA fold after the latter announced to go solo in the rural local body polls.
The PMK on Tuesday announced that it would contest the ensuing rural local body elections, to be held on October 6 and October 9, alone.
The PMK is the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community and the previous AIADMK government had ordered 10.5 per cent reservation for the community from within the Most Backward Caste (MBC) fold, a long pending demand of the PMK and its founder leader, Dr S. Ramadoss.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (left) & O. Panneerselvam (right), Former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu (Wikipedia)
However, after the DMK government came to power, it announced a Government Order for the 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community as well as a memorial for the 21 Vanniyars who were shot dead by the police during the regime of AIADMK leader M.G. Ramachandran on September 17, 1987.
Political observers are of the opinion that the DMK was trying to woo the Vanniyar community to get a stronghold in North Tamil Nadu where the community is strong. The announcement by the state president of the party and also an MLA G.K. Mani that the PMK would contest the rural local body polls alone was a shocker for the AIADMK-BJP combine. and hence the firefighting operation began quickly.
Sources in the BJP said that senior leaders of the party in New Delhi have already communicated to the PMK youth wing leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, who was a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government, to stay back in the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu.
The BJP claimed that the Trinamool, its office-bearers, ministers and other senior functionaries are now preparing to abuse the state’s resources in support of Banerjee…reports Asian Lite News.
The BJP on Wednesday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to deploy a minimum of 90 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the bypolls to three Assembly constituencies in West Bengal scheduled on September 30.
A BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to the poll panel demanding the deployment of at least 40 companies of CAPF in Bhabanipur from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting, and at least 25 companies in each of the other two Assembly constituencies in Samserganj and Jangipur.
BJP
BJP national General Secretary Arun Singh, MPs Swapan Dasgupta and Locket Chatterjee, and party leaders Sanjay Mayukh, Om Pathak, Shishir Bajoria and Neeraj signed the memorandum.
“A CAPF deployment of only 15 companies per Assembly constituency has been sent, which is grossly inadequate, especially in Bhabanipur where unelected Chief Minister Banerjee is contesting for survival. The Trinamool Congress has deployed its entire strength of hooligans,” the BJP memorandum said.
The BJP claimed that the Trinamool, its office-bearers, ministers and other senior functionaries are now preparing to abuse the state’s resources in support of Banerjee.
The BJP also alleged that the officials who were shifted out by the Commission, either for completing three years in a post or for being found unfit for conducting free and fair polls, have been brought back in the three Constituencies by the Trinamool, demanding that they should be immediately transferred out of the Kolkata district.
“Hoardings, posters and banners with photos of Chief Minister Banerjee should immediately be removed from all government and municipal sites from the KMC area,” the BJP demanded.
Citing Covid, the BJP urged the ECI that the presence of the agents of the candidates inside the polling booths should be restricted only to the national parties, while all other polling agents should be seated outside the booths.
“Firhad Hakim, a state minister and administrator of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), who is a close confidante and an undeclared election agent of Banerjee, should be debarred from participating in the poll process in any form and be relieved from his charge of KMC until the conclusion of the elections in Bhabanipur, an area falling within the limits of KMC,” the BJP further demanded.
EC sends notice to BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal
The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the BJP candidate for Bhabanipur bypolls, Priyanka Tibrewal, for alleged violation of Covid protocols by gathering a large number of supporters while filing her nomination paper.
On Tuesday, the BJP had objected to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nomination for the same bypolls, on the ground that she suppressed information in her affidavit.
The Trinamool Congress in its complaint alleged that Tibrewal violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Covid-related guidelines by gathering “an unruly mob” of not less than 500 without any prior permission.
She even performed a ‘Dhunuchi Nach’ (traditional Bengali dance, generally performed during Durga Puja) at places on the way to file her nomination, the Trinamool claimed.
The notice issued by the returning officer also referred to a report submitted by the officer-in-charge of the Bhabanipur police station where he mentioned traffic congestion following a big assembly of BJP supporters on Sambhunath Pandit Street and other places.
Tibrewal, however, denied the allegation and said, “The Election Commission has sent me a letter after the Trinamool filed a complaint alleging that I had taken a huge number of people when I had gone to file my nomination and thus violated the Model Code of Conduct as well as the Covid-19 protocols. I will reply with whatever will be my answer,” she said.
“I would also like to say that Suvendu Adhikari was alone in my vehicle. There was no one else. Arjun Singh and Dinesh Trivedi came in their own vehicle. So how did I violate the poll code? There was no flag in my vehicle either,” Tibrewal added.
On the allegation of carrying supporters along with her, the BJP leader said, “I had not led any crowd. It’s not my duty to see who was on the roads on bikes and four-wheelers. It’s the job of the police and the local administration,” she added.
Tibrewal is up against Banerjee and CPI(M)’s Srijib Biswas in the bypoll scheduled to be held on September 30. The votes will be counted on October 3.
