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  • BJP must help PM Modi in showing democracy in action

    BJP must help PM Modi in showing democracy in action

    J.P. Nadda needs to ensure that members of his party do not proceed to the police station but reach out for a conversation with individuals with whose views they disagree, writes Prof. Madhav Nalapat

    Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao initiated the “Look East” policy in 1991, which anticipated the quantum increases in trade that occurred afterwards. Not just for India but for the world, the Indo-Pacific became the focal point of global growth, overtaking the Atlantic. Despite, or perhaps because of his skill in navigating India away from the Brezhnevite economic policies of the past, those who most destructively targeted Rao were from his own party, who functioned in the cool shade of approval of Sonia Gandhi, who soon grew to dislike the Prime Minister for reasons that must await an accurate biography of the lady who occupied the centre-stage of Indian politics for nearly two decades without holding any position within the Government of India.

    The civil war within the Congress Party between those who favoured Rao and the others who thought Sonia should replace him ensured the defeat of the party in the 1996 Lok Sabha polls and the rise to the front rank of the BJP. It must be said about Atal Bihari Vajpayee that he never forgot the debt owed to Sonia for helping to ensure the end of the years of Congress Party Lok Sabha majorities, and was unfailingly kind to her. The “Look East” policy gained some traction, but sniping from an unsympathetic President Clinton and the reality of the size of the Indian economy being puny at the time stood in the way of any diplomatic or commercial breakthrough with Southeast Asia. Soon after he came to power as the head of the first government to have a BJP majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014, Narendra Modi conceptualised and carried into effect the “Act East” policy. At the same time, relations with the Middle East and the US were also made a priority.

    “Act East” is an idea that was overdue. India and Indonesia, for example, are natural partners, and the MEA needs to take the initiative in getting the Quad to expand to Quad Plus, with the addition of Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. This will not be possible at first, but security agreements similar to those entered into between Washington and Delhi could be worked out individually with the three as a prelude to their coming on board in a Quad Plus. While the Quad will remain limited to four, the “Plus” would in time include France, Germany and the UK as well, thereby putting in place an alliance designed not to provoke a war but to prevent adventurous and expansionist powers from launching a conflict against any smaller country in the neighbourhood.

    While the US will remain by far the bigger economy for a long period, India is unlikely to be replaced from its perch as the world’s most populous democracy. Universal suffrage was followed from the start, including the essentiality of equal rights to women. There have been significant transitions from a government to the other, and all have taken place peacefully, including in 1977, when a 2-year hiatus in democracy ended with the declaration of Lok Sabha polls. The result was less a reflection of the economic performance of the government headed by Indira Gandhi than it was a reaction to the denial of freedoms.

    ALSO READ: All eyes on UP as BJP sets the ball rolling for 2022 polls

    The people of India are proud of democracy and loyal to its concepts. Hence such judgments of the Supreme Court as the striking down of Victorian-era laws on lifestyles or diluting the draconian nature of the Information Technology Act that from its inception during the Vajpayee period began the period of reversal of the spectacular global growth of the industry in the period when everyday laws (which themselves are more than sufficient in numbers) and not special legislation was applied to the IT sector. To take another example, if the draconian legislation passed by the UPA after the Nirbhaya horror (where a perpetrator escaped a severe sentence on a technicality in a manner that would not have been possible in the US or many other countries) has worked in curbing such barbarism against women, the same is not evident. Such crimes remain, as does alcoholism in states that have enforced Prohibition in the belief that liquor or even dietary preferences can be altered through legislation speedily passed rather than through the slower but organic process of conscientisation.

    The time will soon come when there will be more vegetarians in the US than in India, and not because of laws regulating diet either. Prime Minister Modi acted not a moment too soon in decriminalising some of what is legally criminal in India that is regarded as a civil dispute in other mature democracies. The late Ram Jethmalani as Law Minister sought to carry such a process forward, but soon afterwards, lost his portfolio in a reshuffle. It is time to complete the work that Ram initiated.

    There has been enormous unflattering coverage of India in global media. It is understandable that media in the PRC trash the situation in the country, as the Chinese Communist Party seeks to show that democracy does not work, especially in a country of 1.4 billion people. What is unfortunate is that the mainstream press in democratic countries that are potential and existing allies of India are sometimes even more harsh in their assessments than even Chinese media. At their most charitable, the subtext of what they say in their columns is that India may look like a democracy, but does not act as a democracy.

    That a friend for decades, Vinod Dua, had to go to the Supreme Court to get relief from the incomprehensible charge that he is guilty of “sedition” is what drives misperceptions causing the demonization of a democracy that is an essential partner in the battle against the global alliance between Extremism and Authoritarianism. The BJP has a capable and affable President in J.P. Nadda, and he needs to ensure that members of his party do not proceed to the police station but reach out for a conversation with individuals with whose views they disagree. A battle of opinions, of ideas, is normal and indeed central in a democracy. The rise of Narendra Modi from CM to PM was not stopped or even slowed down but was made certain by the barrage of ugly personal attacks made on him during each of his 13 years in the job. There is a lesson in this for the BJP.

    ALSO READ: Surendran faces heat in BJP core committee meet

  • Surendran faces heat in BJP core committee meet

    Surendran faces heat in BJP core committee meet

    On Sunday before the core committee meeting, senior BJP leader and former state President Kummanam Rajashekhran told the media that the BJP will not allow targeting of Surendran…reports Asian Lite News.

    BJP’s Kerala President K. Surendran faced a barrage of criticism at the core committee meet on Sunday – the first after the party’s washout in the April 6 Assembly elections and as it faces heat over the Thrissur “money heist”.

    The core committee has all the four state General Secretaries as members, along with all former state chiefs. With the state party is divided into factions headed by Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, and former state chief P.K. Krishnadas, the meeting was stormy.

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan

    BJP sources said that in the meeting, Krishnadas, state General Secretaries A.N. Radhakrishnan and M.T. Ramesh came out heavily against Muraleedharan and Surendran, saying the state leadership failed in arriving at a consensus with all and this was the main reason for the drubbing the party had faced in the elections.

    Another charge was that the candidate selection process was opaque and the state leadership failed to field proper candidates, leading to the wipeout. The BJP had drawn a blank in the 2021 Assembly elections, even losing the Nemom seat it had won in 2016.

    The rival faction raised the allegations levelled by BSP candidate K. Sundara, who had withdrawn his nominations from Manjeswar Assembly constituency from where Surendran contested, telling the media that he was given Rs 2.5 lakh and a smartphone to pull back. He said that he was also offered Rs 15 lakh, a home, and a wine parlour in Karnataka if Surendran wins.

    Surendran and Muraleedharan, however, contended that the party candidates were finalised in the best interests of the party.

    They also said Surendran was in no way involved in the money heist.

    The state BJP is under pressure after RSS worker Dharmarajan registered a complaint at Kodakara police station that a group of people had attacked him after blocking his car on April 3 — days before polling — and looted an amount of Rs 25 lakh from him.

    Police arrested several known criminals, and during the course of the investigation, BJP youth wing’s former state treasurer Sunil D. Naik’s name also surfaced. Naik was a close associate of Surendran and the case turned into a major topic of discussion after interrogation of the arrested people led to unearthing of more than Rs 1 crore.

    Police questioned BJP state General Secretary, Organisation and senior RSS leader M. Ganeshan, and party state Office Secretary, G. Gireeshan. Sources also said that Surendran’s son Harikrishnan would also be questioned in the days to come.

    On Sunday before the core committee meeting, senior BJP leader and former state President Kummanam Rajashekhran told the media that the BJP will not allow targeting of Surendran.

    Bihar BJP workers .

    “The CPI-M and the Kerala media is targeting BJP and K. Surendran, and this vilification is the victimisation of the BJP and its President,” he said.

    Muraleedharan also told media that the CPI-M is trying to tarnish the image of the party.

    The core committee decided to come out against the CPI-M-led state government for the “false charges” being made against the BJP.

    ALSO READ-Vijayan urges non-BJP CMs to take up vax issue with Modi

    READ MORE-All eyes on UP as BJP sets the ball rolling for 2022 polls

  • All eyes on UP as BJP sets the ball rolling for 2022 polls

    All eyes on UP as BJP sets the ball rolling for 2022 polls

    The party has made it clear that it will bank on Hindutva, national pride, development for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, reports Asian Lite News

    The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election machinery has kick-started poll preparations for 2022, when state Assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat will go to polls.

    Party Chief JP Nadda and BJP’s general secretaries met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to apprise him of the preparations. While elections are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur during February – March next year. Gujarat Assembly polls is slated for 2022-end.

    Sources said that Modi was apprised of the outcome of the discussion held on the upcoming Assembly polls preparations and the ongoing organisational works including ‘Sewa Hi Sangathan 2.0’.

    “Main focus of the discussion with the Prime Minister was the Assembly polls, especially Uttar Pradesh,” they said.

    BJP General Secretary Bhupender Yadav said, “We had a meeting with the national president. Poll-bound states were discussed in the meeting. Future programmes of the party are also discussed in the two-day meeting.”

    It is also learnt that the results of the recently-held Assembly polls were also discussed in Nadda’s two-day meeting with the General Secretaries.

    Sources added that the works done by the state units under ‘Sewa Hi Sangathan 2.0’ campaign, which was launched to provide help and relief to the people during the second wave of Covid pandemic, were also reviewed.

    All eyes on UP

    India’s largest state Uttar Pradesh will be the key focus for the party where Yogi Adityanath has been at the helm for the last five years. The party has made it clear that it will bank on Hindutva, national pride, development for the 2022 polls.

    With the elections still more than six months away, the party will wait for the second Covid wave to subside and then gradually, but firmly, shift the focus back to the emotive issues such as the Ram Temple.

    The Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be projected as one of the biggest achievements of the BJP and Yogi Adityanath’s proposed development plan for the city will also be showcased. BJP national General Secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and party Vice President Radha Mohan Singh, who were in Lucknow earlier this week, have stressed on cadre mobilisation and redressal of their complaints during meetings.

    The two-day huddle of BJP’s top leaders began on Saturday when similar three-day confabulations of RSS top brass concluded in the national capital amid a buzz of plans for key organisational changes in Adityanath-ruled Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats including Varanasi from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an MP. The BJP has officially ruled out rumours of a change of guard in Uttar Pradesh, which arose amid criticism of the state government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and the talks of elevation of Gujarat cadre IAS officer-turned-UP-MLC Arvind Sharma as Deputy Chief Minister.

    The party also plans a major programme to assuage the feelings of the cadre level workers who have been feeling alienated of late.

    The BJP, according to sources, has no plans to give up the Hindutva card.

    The party functionary said, “Yogi Adityanath has vibrantly put up the Hindutva factor during his regime. He has promoted development keeping in mind the religious factors, and has undoubtedly emerged as the torch-bearer of Hindutva. The party will capitalise on it.”

    The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will further look to blunt the opposition by evoking ‘national pride’, which has been the hallmark of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

    “There is development, Hindutva and national pride — a perfect mixture for resounding success in the next Assembly elections,” the BJP functionary said.

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  • Rajender joining saffron camp sparks debate in TRS

    Rajender joining saffron camp sparks debate in TRS

    Political analysts say by raising the issue of self-respect and KCR promoting his family, Rajender may be encouraging other TRS leaders unhappy with the leadership to speak out, reports Mohammed Shafeeq

    The exit of former minister Eatala Rajender from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) marked the end of a cold war between him and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and sparked a debate on the impact the former would have on the ruling party with his joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

    A month after being dropped from the state Cabinet following allegations of land encroachment, Rajender on Friday announced his decision to quit the party and also resign as a member of the Legislative Assembly.

    Though Rajender’s announcement to end his nearly two-decade-long association with the TRS and decision to join the saffron camp may not have any immediate impact on the ruling party, the development may encourage others unhappy with the leadership of Chandrasekhar Rao aka KCR to raise their voice.

    The development came at a time when Telangana entered the eighth year of its formation under KCR, whose leadership so far remains unchallenged.

    “Exit of Eatala Rajender reiterated the fact that TRS is synonymous to KCR, and he is the sole proprietor of the party. The claims of multiple owners to the pink brigade can be put to rest. This development will re-establish supremacy of KCR, and this is an answer to all future dissidents in the party,” said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.

    Etela_Rajender(wikipedia)

    While KCR and his party will defend the action against Rajender by citing his alleged acts of omission and commission, the bitter allegations by the former minister are likely to embarrass the TRS leadership and provide ammunition to the otherwise weakened opposition.

    KCR, who revived the Telangana movement in 2001 by floating the TRS, continues to have a vice-like grip over both the party and the government.

    In fact, the action against Rajender, who has been his confidante since the formation of the party, is believed to be a well calculated move to nip in the bud any possible rebellion or challenge to his authority.

    ALSO READ: Ayodhya mosque to be named after Indian freedom fighter

    While there had been reports of a fissure between KCR and Rajender for more than three years, the TRS chief took everyone by surprise by ordering a probe against him after a group of farmers from Medak district complained that Rajender grabbed their lands for a poultry unit owned by his family.

    The action came when the state was in the grip of a Covid surge and Rajender as the health minister was busy holding meetings with officials to review the pandemic situation. The chief minister himself was recovering from Covid at his farmhouse.

    As the officials went on record that 66 acres of land was encroached, KCR stripped Rajender of his health portfolio on May 1 and the next day dropped him from the cabinet.

    Rajender, a member of the Assembly from Huzurabad constituency in Karimnagar district, hit back at KCR and alleged that there is a conspiracy to defame him.

    The former minister faced another probe as KCR formed a committee comprising four IAS officers to investigate encroachments and illegal transactions of Sri Sita Rama Swamy temple land at Devarayamjal village in Shamirpet near Hyderabad. Rajender and his supporters had allegedly encroached 1,521 acres in the village.

    Eatala, one of the founding members of the TRS and a six-time MLA, had entered KCR’s bad books a couple of years ago when he took potshots at him on a few occasions.

    “The minister’s post is not anybody’s pittance. We are the owners of TRS who have carried the party flag,” Rajender had said at one party meeting.

    On another occasion, he remarked that he reached his position not because of his caste but by his sheer hard work.

    “I am not here because I am somebody’s son,” Eatala had remarked in what was believed to be an attack on KCR’s son and minister K.T. Rama Rao.

    Rajender said he quit the TRS because he did not want to continue as a slave. Alleging there is no freedom for ministers and MLAs to function, he said they are treated like slaves.

    “In the past I resigned several times from the Assembly for the sake of self-respect of Telangana. I am resigning again but this time for my self-respect as I can’t continue as a slave,” he said.

    Interestingly, Rajender also claimed that Finance Minister T. Harish Rao too faced humiliation.

    Harish Rao is KCR’s nephew and there have been reports of a chasm between the two ever since the TRS started projecting his son Rama Rao as his political successor.

    “The TRS was born from the movement and is not run like a family party like Lalu Prasad’s or Mayawati’s parties. Telangana state was achieved with sacrifices of thousands of people and not with a handful of people,” Rajender said while targeting KCR for promoting his son and daughter.

    Political analysts say by raising the issue of self-respect and KCR promoting his family, Rajender may be encouraging other TRS leaders unhappy with the leadership to speak out.

    The counterattack by TRS on Rajender has been on expected lines.

    “He is talking of self-respect after being dropped from the cabinet following allegations of land encroachment. How can he acquire assigned land of the poor which is illegal. He has more respect for his properties than the law of the land,” said TRS legislator P. Rajeshwar Reddy.

    Now that Rajender has decided to quit his Assembly seat and sail with the BJP, all eyes will be on Rajender’s stronghold Huzurabad.

    “By joining BJP, Eatala indicated that he needs a safe haven and support of the party in power in New Delhi. He did not show the might to start a party of his own or fight as an Independent to win the seat he currently represents,” said political analyst Raghavendra Reddy.

    The by-election in Huzurabad will be the fourth in the state in three years and will provide the BJP another chance to prove itself as an alternative to the TRS.

    After wresting the Dubbak Assembly seat from the TRS and posting an impressive performance in the elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) late last year, the BJP suffered humiliation in recent elections to two graduates’ constituencies of the Legislative Council and by-election to Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat.

    Analysts say the BJP may gain in the narrative by projecting itself as the real alternative to the TRS. With Eatala joining its ranks, the BJP will be hoping to garner more votes.

    The TRS, which appears to have bounced back after the shock defeat in Dubbak, is likely to go the whole hog in Huzurabad to check both the BJP and Rajender.

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  • Saffron party failed to retain Hindu support in Bengal

    Saffron party failed to retain Hindu support in Bengal

    According to some major post-poll surveys conducted in the state, the BJP’s share of Hindu vote rose from 12 per cent in 2016 to 57 per cent in 2019, but surprisingly enough when the BJP was fiercely campaigning now to garner Hindu support, this came down to 50 per cent, reports Saibal Gupta

    Though the BJP has increased its tally in the West Bengal Assembly from three in 2016 to 77 in 2021 – a substantial increase of 74 seats, but down from 121, as indicated by the 2019 Lok Sabha election results. The BJP’s success in the last Lok Sabha elections was a result of extreme polarisation of Hindu votes under Narendra Modi-Amit Shah banner but in the 2021 Assembly polls, the saffron camp failed to retain the level of Hindu support it had secured then, thus ending up faring way below its own expectations and its performance in the last general election.

    According to some major post-poll surveys conducted in the state, the BJP’s share of Hindu vote rose from 12 per cent in 2016 to 57 per cent, or nearly three-fifth of the total, in the last Lok Sabha elections, but surprisingly enough when the BJP was fiercely campaigning now to garner Hindu support, this came down to 50 per cent – a substantial erosion of 7 per cent which prevented it from reaching its desired target.

    BJP national chief JP Nadda

    Interestingly enough, the Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, which had secured 43 per cent of the Hindu votes in 2016 Assembly polls, suffered a loss of nearly 11 per cent and came down to 32 per cent in 2019 Lok Sabha polls but surprisingly enough, it managed to gain the support of 39 per cent of the Hindu votes, including the chunk that the BJP lost.

    This 7 per cent had a significant contribution behind the poll mathematics in the Assembly election. Besides the support of the Hindu vote, the Trinamool was successful in garnering the support of nearly 75 per cent of the Muslim and that gave them this convincing victory in the election.

    West Bengal polls (Twitter)

    The BJP camp might try to find out the possible reasons behind the shift of loyalty of a portion of Hindu vote but one thing is certain that the NRC and the CAA didn’t go down well with the lower Hindu castes of the state.

    Also read:Disquiet in BJP big concern for party in Bengal

    Though BJP was successful in retaining the allegiance of the upper castes but the lower castes like the Matuas, and the Mahishyas and the tribals have defected from the saffron camp. A little example will be easy enough to drive home the point.

    When in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 69 of the 84 SC/ST seats of the state, in 2021, this number came down to 40 – a loss of 29 Assembly constituencies. Though the BJP maintained its dominance in the Junglamahal and north Bengal but they failed to retain their presence in districts like North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia.

    The Mahishyas and the Matuas are mainly refugees who came to Bengal from Bangladesh long back, and the Trinamool was successful in convincing these people that if the BJP comes to power, then they will implement the NRC and the CAA and this will put their life in jeopardy. The fear of going to the detention camp or to another country compelled these people to concentrate under the Trinamool banner and so the BJP’s performance in these three districts was pathetic.

    According to some senior BJP state leaders, the party’s aggressive campaign to polarise the votes on religious lines also didn’t pay well. A senior BJP leader who was also part of the election strategy team had also warned the top BJP leadership not to go for an all-out campaign but he was not heeded.

    “The Left rule in the state for 34 years has some residual effects on the voters and we cannot deny that. The Left Front in their 34 years rule and before has strictly followed a secular and non-religious stance. The Left leaders maintained an equal distance from both Hindu and Muslim religious festivals. We cannot deny the fact a large portion of the educated middle-class Bengalis and large portion of the senior citizens who are above 60 years are product of this Left movement and they certainly chose the Trinamool above BJP,” a senior BJP leader said.

    Also read:Mamata accuses EC of directly helping BJP

  • Assam CM likely to be decided on Sunday

    Assam CM likely to be decided on Sunday

    BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma…reports Asian Lite News

    A week after the assembly poll result, the Assam BJP MLAs are likely to meet on Sunday in Guwahati to choose the new Chief Minister of the state.

    BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at his resident in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.

    After the meeting, Sarma said, “Assam BJP Legislature Party will probably meet tomorrow in Guwahati. You will get all the answers after the Legislature Party meeting.”

    Earlier, Sonowal and Sarma along with some other leaders from Assam reached Delhi to discuss the formation of the new government in the state.

    The BJP won the Assam Assembly polls for a second consecutive term of which results were announced on May 2.

    Both Sonowal and Sarma are seen as probable candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.

    Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

    Nadda first held a discussion with Sarma and Sonowal separately and then with both of them together.

    The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the assembly polls in Assam. The BJP had won 60 seats and its alliance partners AGP nine and UPPL six seats in 126-member Assam Assembly.

    Himanta Biswa Sarma (Twitter)

    Earlier, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reached the national capital to discuss the leadership issue with the party chief.

    The saffron party this time did not call its parliamentary board meeting after declaration of Assembly poll results, which normally takes a call on who will be the Chief Minister of a state.

    Sarma, a former Congress leader who joined BJP in 2015, had played an important and crucial role in BJP’s victory in 2016 and 2021.

    Sarma has become one of the most prominent face of the party in the state and whole of the North East region. He is also the convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and is considered to be the party’s main political brain in the area.

    On the other hand, Sonowal had successfully run the first BJP government for five years in Assam.

    Also read:Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls


  • Mamata accuses EC of directly helping BJP

    Mamata accuses EC of directly helping BJP

    She also alleged that unable to accept the mandate of the people, the saffron brigade was inciting violence in the state….reports Asian Lite News

    Speaking on the first day of the Assembly after returning to power for the third time in a row, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stroked a major controversy by accusing the Election Commission of India of directly helping the BJP during the recently-concluded Assembly polls in the state, in which the Trinamool Congress cruised to a landslide victory.

    She also alleged that unable to accept the mandate of the people, the saffron brigade was inciting violence in the state.

    “I can challenge that had the Election Commission not helped them (BJP) directly, they would not have won even 30 seats. In this election, rigging took place in some places under the watch of the poll panel. There should be electoral reforms made immediately, else the democratic fabric of the country will be jeopardised,” Banerjee said during her speech on the floor of the Assembly, where Biman Banerjee was elected the Speaker for the third straight terms.

    West Bengal polls (Twitter)

    Warning stern action against the BJP for ‘inciting’ violence in the state, the Chief Minister said, “For the last six months, they have not done anything but pushing the country to the brink of destruction. They had only one target and that was to capture Bengal and now they (BJP) cannot accept the mandate of the common man. So they are trying to incite violence in the state and are posting fake videos.”

    The Chief Minister also directed the administration to take stern action against anyone trying to fan communal tension in the state.

    Also read:Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

    “Do not compromise, take stern action against people talking on communal lines as per the law, be it me or anyone else,” she said.

    Banerjee also attacked the Centre and said that in the last six months, it did no work and only tried to capture Bengal and travelled to the state every day, thus pushing the country to the threshold of a health crisis.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah

    “To set up a double-engine, they pushed India to the threshold of Covid-19 destruction. In the last six months, the Central government did no work, but came to Bengal everyday to capture it,” she said, adding that the central forces are roaming around in the state without undergoing any RT-PCR tests, thus spreading the infection.

    A host of Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, besides the party’s top leadership, were seen canvassing in West Bengal in the run-up to the high-octane Assembly elections.

    Banerjee also reiterated the demand for universal vaccination, stating that it should have been the priority of the Centre, but instead the government is spending Rs 50,000 crore on the new Parliament building, PM’s residence and statues, among other things.

    The opposition BJP legislators boycotted the House proceedings protesting against the killing of their party workers in the post-poll violence in the state.

    Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

  • Disquiet in BJP big concern for party in Bengal

    Disquiet in BJP big concern for party in Bengal

    Hitting out at the two leaders, Roy said their poor decisions, especially in selection of candidates, were responsible for BJP’s poll debacle in Bengal….reports Asian Lite News

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCFfoHqZvi0

    Rumours doing the rounds inside BJP circles that many of its 77 MLAs and 18 MPs in West Bengal are reportedly in touch with the Trinamool Congress leadership, looking for ways to defect, are creating a strong sense of disquiet within the party, which many feel may be hard to negotiate.

    Moreover, a sense of discontent among some party hardliners in accepting the newcomers in the saffron camp, especially after the BJP’s way below par show in the recently concluded Assembly elections, is only adding fuel to such speculation.

    The buzz grew stronger when BJP’s Krishnanagar North MLA and national vice-president Mukul Roy decided to stay away from the first meeting of the BJP’s legislative body in the Assembly on Friday, where it was decided that the party would boycott the Assembly proceedings until post-poll violence stops completely in the state.

    Tathagata Roy

    Though state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh maintained that “Mukul-da had to rush back to Krishnanagar, as cases of violence against our workers were reported from there”, some party insiders believe that it was an effort on Roy’s part to distance himself from the party proceedings following his decreasing importance in the BJP with regard to forming poll strategy during the just-concluded Assembly polls in the state.

    Roy, who won his first election this time after switching over to the BJP from the Trinamool in 2017 when he was unofficially the No 2 in the party after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was instrumental in BJP’s success in the 2018 panchayat polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

    Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

    “Mukul-da isn’t happy with the party. He had been issuing vital warnings, identifying crucial inflection points, but his advice has been overlooked,” a senior party leader said.

    However, former Meghalaya and Tripura Governor and senior Bengal BJP leader Tathagata Roy, who is always considered to be a hardliner in the party, didn’t sound quite surprised and rather blamed state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and the party’s state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya for the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections.

    Hitting out at the two leaders, Roy said their poor decisions, especially in selection of candidates, were responsible for BJP’s poll debacle in Bengal.

    “The Kailash-Dilip-Shiv-Arvind foursome has dragged names of our respected Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Amit Shah) through mud and have sullied the name of the biggest political party in the world. Sitting atop Agarwal Bhavan of Hastings (Bengal BJP’s election headquarters) and 7-star hotels, they have distributed tickets to incoming garbage from Trinamool Congress,” Roy tweeted.

    He added that now that these leaders are “faced with abuse from party workers”, they are hoping that the storm will blow over.

    West Bengal polls (Twitter)

    Though the party leadership denied commenting on Roy’s tweet, BJP spokesperson and state vice-president Joy Prakash Majumdar said, “We need a proper introspection to find out the reasons behind our defeat. It is perhaps because we couldn’t reach out to the people and make them understand the benefits of our schemes.”

    The top party leadership is also concerned about the brewing disquiet in the party and so, perhaps, party insiders admitted that Dilip Ghosh has asked the national leaders to let the local leaders handle the problems.

    Though Ghosh seemed to be ready to make a comment, he avoided by terming it as an ‘internal matter’, but his close aides confirmed that he is trying to strike a balance between the old hardliners and the newcomers in the party, but how far he will be successful only time will tell.

    Also read:Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

  • Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

    Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

    The seven saffron party nominees who suffered humiliating defeats were from Bhaganbangola, Lalgola, Raghunathganj, Canning East, Bhangar, Hariharpara and Sujapur….reports Asian Lite News

    Of the 292 candidates who contested in the recently concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal, the deposits of seven BJP candidates have been forfeited.

    The seven saffron party nominees who suffered humiliating defeats were from Bhaganbangola, Lalgola, Raghunathganj, Canning East, Bhangar, Hariharpara and Sujapur.

    Election deposit is an amount deposited by the candidate while submitting his or her nomination. According to Election Commission rules, for state Assembly polls, the amount is Rs 10,000 while it is Rs 5,000 for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates.

    As it is a caution money, the EC returns the amount to the candidates, but as per Section 34, 1 (a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, if a candidate fails to get 1/6th (16.5 per cent) of the total valid votes franchised in that constituency, then the amount deposited by him/her is seized by the poll panel.

    he BJP candidate from the Bhagawangola Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district, Mehebub Alam, suffered a huge defeat as he went down to his nearest rival of Trinamool Congress by a margin of 137,088 votes. Trinamool’s Idris Ali got 153,795 votes against Alam’s 16,707, which is 7.2 per cent of the total votes cast.

    West Bengal polls (Twitter)

    The BJP candidate from Sujapur Assembly constituency in Malda district, S.K. Ziauddin, also suffered a huge defeat against Trinamool’s Md Abdul Ghani. Ghani got 152,445 votes against Ziauddin’s 14,789, which is just 7.1 per cent of the total votes polled.

    The Trinamool candidate from Canning East in South 24 Parganas district, Soakat Molla, defeated his nearest rival Kalipada Naskar of the BJP by a margin of 87,059 votes. While Molla got 121,562 votes, Naskar could manage 34,503 votes, which is 14.5 per cent of the total votes cast.

    Similarly, the BJP candidate from the Raghunathganj Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district managed to get only 14.9 per cent of the total votes polled. While BJP’s Golam Mudassuer got 28,251 votes, Trinamool candidate Akruzzaman was far ahead of him with 126,834 votes.

    Abdul Kahelque Mollah, the Trinamool candidate from the Metiabruz Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, defeated his nearest rival Ramjit Prasad of the BJP by a margin of 84,282 votes. Mollah got 102,660 votes against Prasad’s tally of 31,357, which is 16 per cent of the total votes cast.

    Similarly, the BJP candidate from Lalgola in Murshidabad district lost to his Trinamool rival by a margin of 78,363 votes, managing only 15.4 per cent of the vote share. While Trinamool’s Ali Mohammad got 107,703 votes, BJP’s Kalpana Ghosh’s tally stopped at 46,891.

    In the Bhangar Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, BJP candidate Soumi Hati went down to the third position, getting only 38,726 votes against the winning ISF candidate Naushad Siddiqui’s tally of 109,063 votes.

    Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

  • MoS Muraleedharan’s convoy attacked in WB

    MoS Muraleedharan’s convoy attacked in WB

    The incident took place when Muraleedharan accompanied by BJP state leader Rahul Sinha was going to Ghatal in East Midnapore to meet some of the BJP supporters…reports Asian Lite News

    In a shocking incident, the convoy of Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan was attacked by a group of unidentified miscreants at Panchkhuri area in West Midnapore district on Thursday afternoon.

    The BJP alleged that the attack was a handiwork of the TMC goons but it was strongly refuted by the TMC leadership alleging that the BJP leadership is provoking people to resort to violence.

    The incident took place when Muraleedharan accompanied by BJP state leader Rahul Sinha was going to Ghatal in East Midnapore to meet some of the BJP supporters who were injured in the attack allegedly by the TMC goons. When his convoy was at Panchkhuri that falls under West Midnapore, suddenly there was brick batting on his vehicle and people came with sticks and other things and stopped his vehicle.

    He posted a video on Twitter and wrote, “TMC goons attacked my convoy in West Midnapore, broke windows, attacked personal staff. Cutting short my trip.”

    https://twitter.com/VMBJP/status/1390209778798923778

    Later speaking to the reporters, the union minister said, “The attack was orchestrated by TMC workers. He said that the incident took place in the presence of police, adding that the Mamata Banerjee government has turned a blind eye. I shall give my report to the central government”.

    Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

    The Ministry of Home Affairs asked West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to send a report on the law-and-order situation in the state, sources in the government said.

    Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the ruling Trinamool Congress is responsible for this. “The Trinamool violence has crossed all limits. So far 14 BJP workers have been killed and lakhs of people have left their homes. This cannot be democracy”.

    New Delhi: MoS External Affairs V. Muraleedharan participated in the 27th Regional Forum Ministerial via video conferencing in New Delhi on Sep 12, 2020. (Photo: IANS/MEA)

    The Trinamool Congress leadership has strongly refuted the allegation. TMC district secretary of West Midnapore Ajit Maity claimed that nothing had happened and BJP was trying to create sensation.

    Speaking to the media, veteran Trinamool leader Sougata Roy said, “Muraleedharan is a person from Kerala. What was he doing in West Bengal? They are now defeated and so they are trying to create disturbance in different areas. The BJP has won in most of the places where there are disturbances. I ask them to go back. We will take care of the law-and-order situation”.

    Also read:Cong leaders praise Mamata, ignoring defeat