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Tag: BJP

  • Rahul: Will not let Assam be run from Nagpur, Delhi

    Rahul: Will not let Assam be run from Nagpur, Delhi

    Gandhi, in previous election rallies in Assam, had alleged that the “Nagpur Army” was controlling the nation, drawing criticism from several BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari….reports Asian Lite News

    Keeping up his attack on the RSS and the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reiterated that Assam would not be governed from Nagpur and Delhi as only Assam’s people are entitled to run the state.

    Gandhi, in previous election rallies in Assam, had alleged that the “Nagpur Army” was controlling the nation, drawing criticism from several BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

    “The BJP-led Central government has already ruined the Indian economy and distressed the people across the country by introducing GST (Goods and Services Tax) and demonetisation, and now it is trying to further dent the rural economy by trying to introduce the three farm laws,” Gandhi said while addressing election rallies in Kamrup and Nalbari districts.

    He claimed that there was maximum unemployment in Assam and the “Notebandi” (demonetisation) and the GST led to further deterioration in the scope for employment while the government is giving huge economic relief to the billionaires.

    He alleged that the BJP government has been giving the country’s valuable assets like airports, tea gardens and the oil fields to their friends.

    “In each state, the BJP ‘aag lagati hai’ (spreads hatred)…. Their only aim to take away your assets to give them to their own men,” he said, asserting that Assam’s resources and wealth must be utilised for the benefit of the Assamese.

    MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari

    For the Assam Assembly elections, the Congress, which was in power in the state for 15 years (2001-2016), has given “five guarantees” to be fulfilled if the party came to power.

    These include five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, upto 200 units of free electricity per household, Rs 365 daily wage to tea garden workers and Rs 2,000 per month to housewives besides a guarantee not to implement the CAA in the state.

    Also read:PICS: Rahul’s Tamilnadu Visit

    Gandhi said that these guarantees were finalised after taking the opinions from various sections of people including tea garden workers, youths and women.

    “I haven’t come here to lie or to give you the false promises. My name is not Narendra Modi. If you wish Modi’s lies about farmers, about unemployment or any other issue, watch the television. Modi lies for the Indians for 24 hours. If you want to listen to the truth, please hear me,” he claimed.

    Saying that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act would not be implemented at any cost, the Congress leader said that when the youths in Assam protested against the act, police of the BJP government fired and killed them.

    Gandhi was supposed to campaign in Assam on Tuesday but could not reach the state due to bad weather and instead released a video appealing the voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the 10-party ‘Mahajot’ (Grand Alliance), led by the Congress.

    Also read:PICS: Rahul’s Assam Visit

  • Assam Polls: 26% turnout till noon

    Assam Polls: 26% turnout till noon

    The number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of a thousand to avoid crowding, reports Asian Lite News

    Around 26 per cent voters have cast their ballots so far on Saturday in the first phase of the Assam Assembly polls which is underway amid heavy security in 47 constituencies, according to election officials.

    Saturday’s voting is being held in the Assamese heartland comprising the south and north banks of the Brahmaputra river.

    After casting his vote at a school in Dibrugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Majuli, told the media that that Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) would get more than 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

    The first phase of polling will decide the fate of 264 candidates.

    Besides Sonowal, the other prominent faces in the fray are state Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), state Congress chief Ripun Bora (Gohpur), Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), jailed Raijor Dal President Akhil Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).

    At least 23 female aspirants are also contesting these elections.

    Voting began across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam’s 12 districts at 7 a.m.

    It will continue till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.

    A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their ballots.

    Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.

    Election officials said that to avoid crowding, the number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of a thousand.

    As a result, the number of polling booths has been augmented by 34.71 per cent to 33,530 from 24,890 in 2016.

    To avoid direct contact with the Electronic Voting Machine, every elector is being given a hand glove.

    In the 2016 elections, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.

    According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.

    No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where balloting is underway.

    In a unique gesture, the election officials donated saplings to the voters in the model polling stations, which were decorated with colourful balloons.

    The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases.

    The other two phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats).

    Results will be declared on May 2.

  • BJP promises Rs 6,000 for TN fishermen

    BJP promises Rs 6,000 for TN fishermen

    He said the government has decided towards diversification of agriculture towards energy and increasing the production of ethanol…reports Asian Lite News.

    Ahead of the upcoming elections, parties and leaders are on full mode campaign with a number of promises to the people. An annual financial assistance of Rs.6,000 for fishermen; crop loan at zero per cent; enactment of anti-conversion law and implementation of anti-cow slaughter law; free tablets for students, revival of legislative council were some of the promises made by Tamil Nadu BJP in its manisfesto.

    Releasing the manifesto, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises here on Monday Nitin Gadkari said the manifesto gives highest priority for farmers.

    He said the government has decided towards diversification of agriculture towards energy and increasing the production of ethanol.

    Gadkari said 10 per cent ethanol is now being added in petrol. The ethanol economy is about Rs 20,000 crore.

    Instead of importing crude oil, the government has decided that the farmers should benefit by going in favour of bio-ethanol.

    In an attempt to attract the fishermen, the BJP has promised Rs 6,000 per year as is being given to farmers now. The party has also promised setting up of fish drying centres and others.

    For the agricultural sector, the BJP has promised crop loans at zero per cent; export of treated toddy from coconut and palm trees; solar pump sets at subsidised rates.

    The party has also promised Nilgiris to be declared as Organic Farming District; dedicated policy for organic farming; setting up of traditional paddy/millet seed banks and others.

    The party also promised setting up of separate boards for development of Turmeric, indigenous cattle breeds and management of Hindu temples and a separate department for welfare of non-resident Tamils.

    Priests and cooks in village temples will be provided a minimum income of Rs 5,000 per month.

    While the AIADMK government has not implemented the 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker section, its ally the BJP has promised implementation of the same in Tamil Nadu.

    Also Read-Priyanka To The Rescue

    Read More-BJP’s Assam manifesto focuses flood

  • Priyanka : BJP sells strategic assets

    Priyanka : BJP sells strategic assets

    Elaborating on the party manifesto, Priyanka alleged that the BJP government has cheated lakhs of poor tea garden workers despite promising to increase the daily wages of 10 lakh tea estate workers to Rs 350 a day…reports Asian Lite News.

    Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed on Monday that the BJP governments in Assam and at the Centre have been selling endangered animals and strategic assets to their close friends for which the saffron party must be voted out of power in the coming Assembly elections in the northeastern state.

    Addressing three election rallies at Sarupathar, Kaliabor and Nagaon in central Assam, Priyanka said the BJP has been selling a range of things, from black panthers to ONGC, airports and other public assets, to the friends of party leaders for their benefit, forgetting the interests of the people and the nation.

    Last month, the opposition Congress in Assam had strongly condemned the transfer of two black panthers from the state zoo to a private zoo in Gujarat.

    The Congress General Secretary said that her party has been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) across the country as it would split the society and create unrest in the country.

    “The BJP leaders, while campaigning in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, are making contradictory statements about the implementation of CAA,” she claimed.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had released the party’s manifesto for poll-bound Assam on Saturday, in which the mnain promises include restarting the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC), repealing the CAA, Rs 365 daily wage to tea garden workers, 5 lakh jobs in five years, Rs 2,000 per month to housewives and 200 units free electricity per household.

    Elaborating on the party manifesto, Priyanka alleged that the BJP government has cheated lakhs of poor tea garden workers despite promising to increase the daily wages of 10 lakh tea estate workers to Rs 350 a day.

    Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav Paliwal)

    “The BJP had forged an electoral alliance with the Bodo People’s Front and the Asom Gana Parishad. It came to power in Assam with their help, but then it weakened both the parties by adopting various strategies.”

    She also said that no party is concerned about the women, especially those in the rural areas.

    “That’s why the Congress promised to give an allowance of Rs 2,000 per month to the housewives of every household. The Congress’ ‘five guarantees’ will be fulfilled after the party forms the government in Assam following the elections.”

    Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav [Paliwal)

    Addressing an election rally along with Priyanka in Nagaon, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is also one of the star campaigners for the Congress, said that his government had waived loans of 18 lakh farmers besides purchasing rice from the farmers at the rate of Rs 2,500 per quintal against Rs 1,000 per quintal in Assam.

    “My government is also purchasing cow dung at the rate of Rs 2 per kg, benefiting lakhs of farmers, shepherds and cowherd,” he added.

    Priyanka, who arrived in poll-bound Assam for a two-day visit on Sunday, addressed six election rallies during her stay besides visiting the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva in Bordowa Satra.

    Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav Paliwal)

    Sankardeva was a 15th-16th century Assamese saint, scholar, poet, playwright, social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in Assam’s cultural and religious history.

    The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phase on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The results will be declared on May 2.

    Also Read-PICS: Priyanka at ‘Kisan Panchayat’

    Read More-Priyanka: Will fight for farmers till last breath

  • BJP’s Assam manifesto focuses flood

    BJP’s Assam manifesto focuses flood

    The manifesto also promised to make Assam self sufficient in production of essential produce, “Assam Aahar Atmanirbharta Yojana” would be launched which would drive the state towards self sufficiency in essential food items within the next five years…reports Asian Lite News.

    Only few more days are left for Assam Assembly elections. Ahead of polls, BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday released the party’s manifesto focusing chronic flood management, protection and development of the Assamese culture, empowerment of youths and women, correction of the NRC and check infiltrations.

    Announcing the ruling the BJP’s “Sankalp Patra”, Nadda said that there are 10 main focal issues in the manifesto to be implemented with letter and spirit after the party coming to power for the second time in Assam.

    Accompanied by other central and state leaders including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Nadda lauding the efforts of NDA government, said that the party has been working tirelessly for the past five years for the inclusive development of Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, supported by Home Minister Amit Shah and the vision implemented at the grassroots level by Chief Minister, other ministers and leaders.

    Explaining the 10 commitments in the manifesto, the BJP President said that under the “Mission Brahmaputra”, new scientific approaches would be undertaken to stop floods in Assam and save the livelihood of people.

    “Dredging would be done from Dhubri to Sadiya and build reservoirs to store excess water from Brahmaputra and its tributaries.”

    He said that to empower the women under the state’s biggest flagship scheme “Orunodoi”, the monthly payments of Rs 830 would be increased to Rs 3,000 covering 30 lakh deserving families.

    The BJP also promised to strengthen and protect ‘Namghars’ and ‘Satras’ (traditional Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam) and grants upto Rs 2.5 lakh to be provided to these traditional institutes.

    “Namghars”, literally meaning prayer house, introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva, are places for congregational worship associated with the entire Assamese community and the Ekasarana sect of Hinduism, in particular, which is native to Assam.

    While addressing the media, the BJP President said that to boost the future of Assam’s Children, free and quality education with trained teachers eould be provided every child under the ‘Mission Bala Unnayan’ in state government-run institutions.

    Free bicycles would be given to all school students from Class VIII standard onwards.

    Nadda said that under the 10 main commitments of the BJP, a process of correction and reconciliation of entries into the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the Supreme Court mandate, would be initiated in a structured manner to protect genuine Indian citizens and exclude all illegal immigrants.

    The apex court monitored the NRC published lists on August 31, 2019, excluding the 19.06 lakh people.

    A total of 3,11,21,004 names were included in the NRC lists out of 3,30,27,661 applicants.

    A majority of those left out from the list are believed to be Bengali Muslims and Hindus besides Gorkhas.

    He announced that to safeguard Assam’s political rights, delimitation exercises would be undertaken to protect the political rights of the people.

    The manifesto also promised to make Assam self sufficient in production of essential produce, “Assam Aahar Atmanirbharta Yojana” would be launched which would drive the state towards self sufficiency in essential food items within the next five years.

    BJP workers .

    “To make Assam ;India’s Fastest Job Creator’, two lakh government jobs would be provided to the youth of Assam every year and would also facilitate and enable the provision of eight lakh livelihoods in the private sector,” Nadda said.

    He said that to promote the entrepreneurship, the BJP has promised to enable youths to shine and now the new pledge is to further empower them to dream big, scale newer heights and give them the push to become stakeholders in building an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

    “To empower Assam’s citizens with land rights, ‘Pattas’ would be given to all landless Indian citizens of the state in a phased manner,” he added.

    In the last five years, the BJP government has claimed that it has given ‘Pattas’ to more than three lakh people.

    Union Agriculture and Food Processing Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is the BJP’s Assam central observer, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among other leaders were present in the manifesto release ceremony held at a hotel in Guwahati.

    Elections for the 126-seat Assam Assembly would take place in three phases — March 27, April 1 and April 6.

    The results will be announced on May 2.

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