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Bypolls on 10 UP assembly seats big test for INDIA bloc

Samajwadi Party and Congressm have not been able to firm-up a seat-sharing pact for the bypolls yet…reports Asian Lite News

Bypolls to 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will be a litmus test for the INDIA bloc’s unity after the group’s success in the recent Lok Sabha polls when they won more than 40 seats, significantly contributing to the BJP’s failure to win a simple majority in parliament.

However, the two INDIA bloc allies in Uttar Pradesh — Samajwadi Party and Congress — have not been able to firm-up a seat-sharing pact for the bypolls even though the Congress has staked claims to contest five of the 10 seats, a proposition the SP may not agree with.

Leaders from both the parties say their aim is to defeat the BJP, and they are confident they would contest the bypolls together.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI, “The party is holding ‘Samvidhan Bachao Sammelan’ (save Constitution conferences) on all 10 assembly seats that are going to polls. Two such conferences have already been held. We have appointed incharges and observers on all the 10 seats and ground work is on.”

The assembly seats where bypolls are due are: Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).

Nine of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha polls, while bypolls are being held on the Sishamau seat due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.

Asked if he hopes the alliance will continue in these bypolls, Rai said, “Yes. We will contest in alliance. The aim of both the Congress and the SP is to defeat the BJP.”

“We have given a proposal to contest five assembly seats — Majhwa (Mirzapur), Phulpur (Allahabad), Ghaziabad, Khair (Aligarh) and Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar) to our leadership. These seats are those, where BJP candidates had won,” Rai said.

In the 2022 assembly polls, Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, Milkipur and Kundarki seats were won by the SP; while Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan and Kahir elected BJP MLAs. The Meerapur seat was held by the RLD.

When asked whether his party had any talks with the SP in this regard, Rai said, “A meeting was held in which it was discussed. We have told the leadership and our UP incharge Avinash Pande about it.”

Asked specifically whether he sees the alliance continuing in the bypolls, Rai said, “Yes, 100 per cent. Ummid nahi, pucca hai (it’s just a hope, but a certainty).”

In the Lok Sabha polls held in April-May, INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party won 37 seats the while Congress got six. The BJP had won 33 seats (down from 62 in 2019) while its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Apna Dal (Sonelal) got two and one seat respectively.

The Azad Samaj Party had won one seat.

When asked about the bypolls, SP chief spokesperson and National Secretary Rajendra Chowdhury said, “We are fully prepared for the polls. The INDIA bloc will win all the 10 seats.”

On seat-sharing and the Congress’ demand of five seats, Chowdhury said, “Baith ke tay hoga’ (We will sit together and decide). He did not elaborate further, just saying that the party leadership will decide.

This time BJP will not be able to do anything unwanted at polling booths, he said. “We are doing our preparations upto the booth level and emphasising on making our party strong at booth level,” Chowdhury said.

The dates of by-elections have not been announced yet.

While Karhal seat fell vacant due to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav getting elected from Kannauj as MP, Katehari has been vacated by the party’s Lalji Verma after he was elected as MP from the Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seat.

SP leader Awadhesh Prasad’s election to Lok Sabha from Ayodhya led to his resignation from Milkipur seat, while SP leader Zia-ur Rahman Barq’s Kundarki assembly seat in Moradabad has fallen vacant following his election to the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat.

Chandan Chauhan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal resigned from his Meerapur assembly seat of Muzaffarnagar following his election to Lok Sabha from Bijnor. The Ghaziabad seat fell vacant after the BJP’s Atul Garg was elected to the Ghaziabad LS seat.

The BJP’s Vinod Kumar Bind resigned from his Majhawan assembly seat of Mirzapur following his election to Lok Sabha from Bhadohi, while party leader Anoop Singh alias Anoop Pradhan Balmiki resigned from his Khair assembly seat of Aligarh following his election from Hathras Lok Sabha seat.

The BJP’s Praveen Patel resigned from Phulpur assembly seat of Prayagraj following his election to Lok Sabha from the Lok Sabha seat with the same name.

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India Bloc Turns The Heat On Govt

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Modi government is steeped in corruption and is trying to save “their friend Adani”…reports Asian Lite News

The allegations of the US Short seller Hindenburg against SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband have drawn sharp political reactions from the opposition parties.

Reacting to the Hindenburg report, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari on Sunday lashed out at the Modi government and said that the tenure of Modi will be known for ‘Adani-waad’.

“The whole world witnessed a different session with different ideologies but the term of PM Modi will be known as ‘Adani-waad’. In this Adani-waad, they captured the whole economic system of India in such a way that Gautam Adani (Adani Group) could benefit, it looks like this is the only motive of Modi,” he said.

Referring to the Hindenburg Report alleging SEBI chief Madhabi Buch and her husband’s stakes in “both the obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal”, Tiwari stated, “Hindenburg’s report regarding the SEBI chief has triggered the integrity of the market regulator. Hindenburg alleged that SEBI is not investigating properly. Questions are being raised on the Adani Group continuously by the opposition. Anybody with a basic investigation can simply question how the Adani Group with different allegations of corruption, whether it is a coal scam or power, through the medium of offshoring, invested in the share markets. SEBI whose duty was to investigate and find out the criminals was deviating from the core issues.”

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Modi government is steeped in corruption and is trying to save “their friend Adani”.

Taking it to a social media post on X, Sanjay Singh wrote, “The Hindenburg revelations were hinted at 3 days before Modi ended the Parliament session. Modi Government is steeped in corruption from head to toe. To save his friend Adani, Modi Ji got the investigation done by the same SEBI Chairman who had committed the scam in connivance with Adani. SC should reconsider its decision.”

Congress MP Manish Tewari said that a JPC must be constituted to go into the entire Hindenburg saga.

“There are certain revelations by the Hindenburg Research which have been put out in the public space. They require closer scrutiny…There seems to be some semblance of an alleged conflict of interest and so therefore under those circumstances there has been a demand in the public space for a while that the entire Hindenburg saga needs to be investigated properly by a joint parliamentary committee. It would be in the fitness of things if a joint parliamentary committee is constituted to go into all these issues at length,” he said.

Earlier in the day, shortly after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research on August 10 alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband had stakes in “both the obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal,” the SEBI Chairperson and her husband issued a joint statement rejecting the allegations.

Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband accused Hindenburg Research, against whom SEBI has taken enforcement action, of character assassination.

In the joint statement released to the media they said, “Our life and finances are an open book. All disclosures as required have already been furnished to SEBI over the years. We have no hesitation in disclosing any and all financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an Enforcement action and issued a show cause notice has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same.”

Earlier on Saturday, US short seller Hindenburg had alleged, “We had previously noted Adani’s total confidence in continuing to operate without the risk of serious regulatory intervention, suggesting that this may be explained through Adani’s relationship with SEBI Chairperson, Madhabi Buch.”

“What we hadn’t realized: the current SEBI Chairperson and her husband, Dhaval Buch, had hidden stakes in the exact same obscure offshore Bermuda and Mauritius funds, found in the same complex nested structure, used by Vinod Adani,” the report by the US hedge firm said.

Hindenburg Research said it has made the new allegations based on documents provided by a whistleblower and investigations carried out by other entities.

In January 2023, Hindenburg published a report accusing the Adani Group of financial irregularities, leading to a significant drop in the company’s stock price. The group at the time had rubbished these claims.

The Hindenburg report alleged stock manipulation and fraud by the conglomerate. The case is related to the allegations (part of a report by Hindenburg Research) that Adani had inflated its share prices. After these allegations were published, there was a sharp fall in the shares of various Adani group companies’ stocks.

In January 2024, the Supreme Court refused to transfer the probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group to an SIT and had directed market regulator SEBI to complete its probe into two pending cases within three months.

Earlier this year, the SC also dismissed a plea seeking to review the verdict that had sought investigation by the market watchdog SEBI in the Adani-Hindenburg case. (ANI)

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Priyanka thanks SP for INDIA bloc’s historic performance in UP

INDIA bloc, led by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, did a remarkable performance giving a significant blow to the BJP-led NDA’s target of securing ‘400 seats’…reports Asian Lite News

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday expressed “heartfelt thanks” to Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav over the INDIA bloc’s historic performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP, under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership, secured a record-breaking 37 seats in Parliament, marking a significant moment in UP politics.

In a post on X Priyanka congratulated SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple Yadav and SP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav.

“@yadavakhilesh ji, @dimpleyadav ji, @proframgopalya1 ji, my heartiest congratulations to you and the hardworking workers of Samajwadi Party for the results of UP. We all together fought a historic battle under difficult circumstances. On the ground, the workers of Congress and SP courageously raised their voice for the issues of the people, social justice and the Constitution. Despite all the threats and repression, they united and became the sentinels of democracy and stood at every booth, said Priyanka Gandhi.

The party alone won 37 seats this time, becoming the single largest party in the state, while its ally Congress managed to gain six seats, including regaining its bastion seat of Amethi from BJP’s Smriti Irani. Further, another politically important seat of Rae Bareli has been won by Congress with an unprecedented margin.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which won 62 seats during the 2019 elections, managed to hold their positions on 33 seats only, while its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won two seats and Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (S) got one seat.

“Due to the hard work of all of you, the public has shown confidence in our unity and our commitment towards the issues. My heartfelt thanks to all of you. Hail the people. Hail the constitution,” added Priyanka.

Notably, INDIA bloc, led by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, did a remarkable performance giving a significant blow to the BJP-led NDA’s target of securing ‘400 seats’.

The BJP victory tally was much lower than its 2019 tally of 303 and the 282 seats it had won in 2014. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats compared to 52 that it had won in 2019 and 44 seats in 2014.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, in a press conference, expressed his gratitude towards the public of Ayodhya for making them victorious in the seat and expressed his views on the formation of the BJP-led NDA government in the centre.

Samajwadi Party chief said, “Lok Sabha Elections in Uttar Pradesh were issues-based and the public of the state has voted on their issues and problems, which led to the massive defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party.”

After an unexpected defeat of BJP at Ayodhya, Yadav stated, “BJP could have lost more seats in Uttar Pradesh. They have done atrocities on the public of Ayodhya. The process of land acquisition was manipulated, they made false allegations about people, to grab their lands and didn’t provide proper compensation for it. They have done injustice to businessmen as well. They demolished poor families for building a holy site and I believe this is the main reason for the BJP’s defeat in Ayodhya. Also, I want to express my gratefulness towards the public of Ayodhya who voted in favour of the Samajwadi Party.”

Yadav mentioned, “If someone is trying to gratify other parties, we can also do the same. Expectations in democracy should always thrive.”

He also responded to the speculations of BJP-led NDA forming a government at the centre and said, “It’s good if they are forming the government. Oath ceremonies are always carried on. They have numbers that’s why the President has called them for an oath ceremony. After some time, if another party will have numbers, they can also make government.”

Taking a jibe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said, “If he is heading towards Delhi, stop him right there and don’t send him back to Uttar Pradesh.”

This victory marks a significant moment for Akhilesh Yadav and the party leaders as they successfully broke the record for the most seats won in Parliament. In addition to winning the highest number of seats, the party’s vote share also saw a significant jump, reaching 33.59 per cent in UP. (ANI)

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BJP loses Faizabad as INDIA Bloc blunts temple campaign

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BJP candidate Lallu Singh, the sitting MP, has conceded the race to Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad….reports Asian Lite News

In a result that will leave many shocked, the BJP has lost its seat in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad – the constituency in which the Ram Mandir has been built.

BJP candidate Lallu Singh, the sitting MP, has conceded the race to Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad.

Singh was quoted as saying, “Hum aapka samman nahi bacha paaye (we could not save your respect. There could have been some fault in me. You worked very hard and showed full dedication towards the party. My only request is that it may happen that if you go out in the area, opposition leaders and workers may comment on us. But will have to show tolerance and avoid any unwarranted things. You win some, you lose some in a battlefield,” Singh added.

“I will introspect about myself. There could have been a reason that we lost this election. Despite Modi-Yogi leadership, this has happened, so there must be some major flaw in me. Go to your home now. Do not lose your heart.”

Singh was previously elected to Parliament in 2019 and 2014 when the BJP-led NDA netted 71 and 62 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Prasad, meanwhile, told the media, “I will get those people rehabilitated, whose houses or shops were demolished by the BJP government. I will work to keep Lord Ram’s dignity intact.”

The BJP looks set for heavy losses in the bellwether northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Opposition Samajwadi Party has won 23 seats and is leading in 14 seats, while the Congress has won four seats and is leading in two.

The BJP, meanwhile, has won 22 seats and is leading in 11 seats.

The Ram temple, inaugurated in January by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was seen as an event that would cement his legacy and the party’s poll victory.

The opening temple, on a site previously contested by Muslims, fulfilled a three-decades old BJP promise which it mentioned in almost every campaign rally during the massive two-months long vote.

Dheeraj Mishra, writing for Indian Express, noted that chants like “500 varshon baad Ram Lalla apne ghar me aaye hain” and “Jo Raam ko laaye hain hum unko laayenge” were frequently used at the BJP’s rallies.

The Ram temple in Ayodhya has been the fulcrum of BJP’s politics in the 1990s – which catapulted it to the national level.

Several reasons can be offered for the BJP’s underwhelming performance in Uttar Pradesh.

These include the performance of “UP ke ladke” Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, the Opposition claiming that Modi would remove Yogi Adityanath as chief minister and a spike in prices of food, petrol LPG, is to be factored in too.

Ayodhya, Jan 22 (ANI): A view of the decorated Ram Janmabhoomi Temple on the occasion of its Pran Pratishtha ceremony, in Ayodhya on Monday. (ANI Photo)

“The SP-Congress coalition has also gained it votes from the Dalits and minorities, and this went against the BJP,” the piece noted.

Prasad, the Samajwadi candidate, is a Dalit.

“The way BSP’s core voters got scattered, it is very clear that Dalits this time voted for the INDI alliance,” political analyst Preetam Srivastava told Moneycontrol.

An analysis believes that the public in UP may have voted along the lines of caste. It argued that the ‘400 paar’ slogan also may have hurt the BJP as it raised concerns about possible constitutional amendments.

“The 2024 elections in UP have underscored the enduring importance of caste dynamics over religious sentiment in electoral politics. The BJP’s loss, despite the Ram Temple consecration, suggests that voters prioritised local issues and caste affiliations over broader religious narratives,” the piece concluded.

The Samajwadi Party’s move to field a Dalit candidate in a non-reserved seat proved successful, Prashant Trivedi, associate professor at the Giri Institute of Development Studies, told Hindustan Times.

Modi during campaigning in Barabanki and Hamirpur on 17 May had claimed that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party would run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if elected to power.

He asked them to take lessons from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on where bulldozers should be used instead.

‘Mandir alone cannot work’

The outcome has drawn the focus of analysts to the issues of unemployment and high inflation – two key concerns of voters that surveys showed trumped religion.

“The result has also inherent message that the ‘Mandir alone’ cannot work when there is a joblessness, paper leaks, rising inflation and local issues are not being addressed properly,” Mishra wrote in Indian Express.

“The decline in the seats of the BJP is linked to three states, which are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In UP particularly the construction and inauguration of the Ram temple did not become a big issue. The social coalition made by Samajwadi Party and Congress seems to have made the difference as it was formidable,” Lokniti national coordinator Sandeep Shastri told Reuters.

Political analyst Surendra Kumar Diwedi told Reuters, “Developmental issues especially, which are related to youths like rampant leaks of the competitive examination (services) and unemployment, had made an impact on the youths who were the largest chunk of voters.”

“We are very happy with the temple but people were fed up with the BJP,” said Rakesh Yadav.

Yadav is the chairperson of the Ayodhya Vyapar Mandal, a traders body.

He said there was anger among small business owners for getting lower than expected compensation when their shops were demolished during Ayodhya’s redevelopment ahead of the temple inauguration.

“People will not always fall for the caste or temple-mosque politics. They also want to see development which is why the results may surprise us all,” he added.

On 22 January, an idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple, in a landmark event led by the prime minister who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir’s construction to build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1,000 years.

The Ram temple was constructed on orders of the Supreme Court after a bloody, decades-long dispute that in 1992 saw a Hindu crowd demolish a 16th Century mosque that existed on the site, claiming it was built on the birthplace of Lord Ram.

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INDIA Bloc Challenges NDA, Leads on 226 Seats

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has established a comfortable lead in Tamil Nadu. Of the total 39 seats in the state, it is leading on 34 seats while other parties on five…reports Asian Lite News

The BJP-led NDA was leading in 297 constituencies, while the opposition INDIA bloc was ahead in 226 and other parties in 20, as per the latest trends of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday. 

Even as the NDA is far from its ‘Ab ki baar, 400 paar’ target, it is leading in 297 seats and has crossed the magic number of 226.

However, the INDIA bloc is also putting up a fight by establishing a lead on 226 seats.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is leading in Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar.

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has established a comfortable lead in Tamil Nadu. Of the total 39 seats in the state, it is leading on 34 seats while other parties on five.

INDIA bloc is leading in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Nagaland. Of the 20 seats in Kerala, the INDIA bloc is leading on 15, NDA on two and other parties on three seats.

In Punjab, of the total 13 seats, the INDIA bloc is leading on nine while other parties are on four seats.

There is neck and neck fight between the INDIA bloc and NDA in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Manipur

Of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the NDA is leading in 38 seats, INDIA bloc in 41 seats and others on one.

Of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, NDA is ahead on 27 seats while the opposition bloc INDIA on 19 and others on two.

In West Bengal, of the total 42 seats, the INDIA bloc is leading on 24 seats while the NDA is on 18.

In Bihar having 40 LS seats, the NDA is leading on 27 seats while the INDIA bloc on 10 and others on three seats.

Voting was held for 543 Lok Sabha seats over seven phases, which ended on June 1.

The exit polls have predicted more than 350 seats for the NDA.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, NDA had bagged 353 seats while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance secured just 91 seats.

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Modi rubbishes opposition’s unemployment narrative

PM Modi said that the opposition is still spreading propaganda about unemployment while the Indian economy has moved on in the last decade….reports Asian Lite News

Slamming the opposition on running a false unemployment narrative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said crores of new jobs have been created across sectors in the last 10 years, riding on a young talented workforce amid the growth of creators’ economy and boom in the domestic startup ecosystem.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Sanjay Pugalia, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, AMG Media Network, PM Modi said that the opposition is still spreading propaganda about unemployment while the Indian economy has moved on in the last decade.

“The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data shows that unemployment has halved. More than 6 crore new jobs have been created in the six years. According to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), 6-7 lakh new jobs have been registered in the last 6 years,” he said.

The data from SKOCH Group, India’s leading think tank dealing with socio-economic issues, shows that five crore jobs were generated in the last 10 years.

“More than 1.25 lakh startups have been created which have given jobs to thousands of youth. There are more than 100 unicorns worth over Rs 8 lakh crore in the country,” PM Modi told NDTV.

Touching upon the emerging sectors like gaming and the creator’s economy, PM Modi said these new sectors have given several jobs to young Indians, especially from small towns and cities.

“Green jobs are being generated in the renewable energy sector. Aviation sector is booming, creating thousands of new jobs,” PM Modi said.

‘INDIA bloc a photo op’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched an all-out attack on the INDIA bloc, while enunciating his government’s roadmap for Bharat in the third term, which he said is evident.

PM Modi slammed the INDIA bloc for their incoherent agenda and also fake claims of threat to the Constitution if NDA returns to power for the third term.

“INDI alliance is nothing more than a photo-op. There is no common agenda, there is no campaign strategy,” PM Modi said.

“Most INDI alliance leaders are on bail, they are making allegations to mislead the people, the nation can’t trust them,” PM Modi further said.

PM Modi said that the Opposition was blowing its own trumpet but the citizens won’t have any faith in them because of their ‘opportunism’.

“If you make the INDI alliance sit together, it will appear as if they are trying to settle their children. I can’t see the future of the country’s children there,” he said taking a caustic jibe at the Opposition.

PM Modi also said that the scales are heavily tilted in BJP’s favour and there are no double thoughts about it.

Prime Minister, taking objection to the Opposition’s charge that BJP will change the Constitution if NDA crosses the 400 mark in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, said, “Those who have repeatedly insulted the Constitution are now dancing with the Constitution on their heads.”

PM Modi also tore into the Opposition’s narrative of soaring unemployment and said that the country’s robust growth in multiple sectors including aviation, semi-conductors, and digital technology in the past ten years belies their claim.

“Before 2014, there were hundreds of start-ups, today they are in lakhs. Unicorns are re-writing the India growth story and those at the helm are young Indians,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

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INDIA bloc will assume power on June 4: Tejashwi 

Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the RJD supremo and the INDIA bloc…reports Asian Lite News

Rashtriya Janata Dal’s leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that the people of the country will remove the dictatorial government and the INDIA alliance will form the government on June 4.

Speaking with the reporters, Tejashwi Yadav said, “The PM knows that it’s certain that he will have to leave (as the PM) this time. Not only in Bihar but across the country, people are going to remove this dictatorial govt. And in the third phase of elections, we are in a very good position. We are fully confident that on June 4, the government of INDIA will come to power.”

Responding to a question of the PM attacking Lalu Yadav and RJD, Tejashwi Yadav said, “The PM is rattled and scared, I have already said that he is ‘Pirzada’, he can say anything. He keeps lying… I want to say to him, along with ‘Dharma’, Dharmshastra teaches us about ‘Karma’ as well, he should talk about what he has done in the last 10 years, for Bihar.”

Yadav added, “Karpoori Thakur (former Bihar CM) has already given reservations to all backwards castes from all religions, but those who want to do away with the Constitution and hence the democracy, ask them why didn’t they put the things in schedule 9 when we increased the reservation.”

On the Prime Minister’s upcoming roadshow in Patna on May 7, Tejashwi Yadav said, “When he (Narendra Modi) comes for the roadshow, ask him why Patna University has still not got the recognition as a Central University.”

Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the RJD supremo and the INDIA bloc, alleging that it wants to give the whole reservation to the Muslim community, while addressing a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh on May 7.

“Today, a senior leader of the INDI alliance …a leader who is in jail for eating cattle fodder…he was convicted by the court, was in prison, is out on bail only on health grounds…Today, he was proudly saying that Muslims should get reservation, and not just that, he wants the whole reservation to be given to them,” PM Modi had said in a public meeting in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

“This means, they want to snatch the whole reservation of SC, ST and OBC and give it to Muslims…I had only alleged that the Opposition is planning to snatch a part of the reservation, but their conspiracy is even bigger, they want to take away the whole reservation,” Modi had added.

Notably, polling in Bihar, which sends 40 members to the Lok Sabha, is being held across all seven phases. The counting of votes for all phases is scheduled for June 4.

The voting on five seats in Bihar–Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, and Khagaria was conducted in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 7.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP-led NDA nearly mopped up the poll sweepstakes in the state, winning 39 of the 40 seats. (ANI)

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Sanjay, Kharge discuss common manifesto for INDIA bloc

Sanjay Singh outlined the key points discussed during the interaction…reports Asian Lite News

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh held a significant meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, lasting more than 20 minutes. The discussions primarily focused on the formulation of a common minimum programme within the INDIA bloc, which both parties aim to implement upon coming to power.

Addressing reporters after the meeting at Kharge’s residence in Delhi, Sanjay Singh outlined the key points discussed during the interaction. “We deliberated on how all parties within the INDIA bloc could collaborate to formulate a common minimum programme. Additionally, we addressed concerns regarding the misuse of agencies against the opposition and emphasised the importance of safeguarding the constitution,” he said.

The meeting also touched upon the development of a common manifesto, with Singh expressing optimism about reaching decisions soon.

“We are fully committed to supporting leaders within the INDIA bloc wherever necessary to ensure the effective implementation of our shared vision,” he said.

Commenting on the BJP manifesto released on Sunday, Singh said: “You have a 10-year report card. What did you accomplish in 10 years? A manifesto shouldn’t just be about promises… How much can people trust the manifesto? Did people receive 20 crore jobs? Did farmers get MSP? Was there a decline in inflation?”

Singh was released from Tihar Jail on April 2.

The Supreme Court granted bail to the AAP leader in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam after noting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has no objection with Singh being released on bail.

The top court said that he will be released on such terms and conditions as may be fixed by the trial court, making it clear that the political leader will not make any public comment or speech in relation to his role in the pending case.

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Tripura CM not taking INDIA bloc lightly

Saha, a former Tripura state BJP president, said that the party fought an election with all seriousness and never considered the opponent parties as weak….reports Sujit Chakraborty

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that it is more than 100 per cent confirmed that Narendra Modi would become Prime Minister for a third term. Also, the BJP would easily win the two Lok Sabha seats in the state but we are not taking the INDIA bloc lightly, he added.

Saha, a former Tripura state BJP president, said that the party fought an election with all seriousness and never considered the opponent parties as weak.

“We are not complacent about the poll outcome in Tripura and other parts of the country. Our challenge is to increase our victory margin compared to the previous elections,” the Chief Minister said in an interview.

Admitting that there are still certain bases of the Left parties in Tripura, he said that the BJP has been trying to get better results in those assembly segments where the party comparatively does not perform satisfactorily or lost the seats to the opposition parties in last year’s February 16 assembly polls.

Tripura has two Lok Sabha seats and 60 assembly constituencies with 30 assembly segments falling in each parliamentary constituency.

In last year’s assembly polls, the ruling BJP won 32 seats while its ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura secured one.

The tribal-based Tipra Motha Party (TMP) secured 13 seats while the CPI-M managed 11 seats and the Congress three. The CPI-M and the Congress contested the assembly polls in a seat-sharing arrangement.

The Chief Minister said that for the all round development of the northeast and the welfare of the people and to establish peace in the region, the Narendra Modi government has signed 12 agreements with various organisations and communities in the region including one with the TMP on March 2.

“The tripartite accord with the TMP would further develop the 12 lakh Janajati (tribals) and would boost their socio economic condition and make them happy besides facilitating smooth development in the tribal areas.”

After the March 2 agreement, the erstwhile opposition party TMP joined the BJP government on March 7 and two of the party’s MLAs became ministers in the BJP led government.

“Despite agreement with the TMP, our Janjati Moracha (tribal wing of the BJP) would further step up its activities in the tribal areas. There would be no problem. We would go with our own policies, strategies and mission,” the septuagenarian dental surgeon-turned-politician said.

Saha, who was also a Rajya Sabha member for a brief period before becoming the Chief Minister in May 2022 after former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb resigned from the top post, said that as the people have gladly accepted the BJP government’s policies and governance, our responsibilities have increased further.

Noting that the Lok Sabha elections are being held on national issues, the Chief Minister said that due to PM Modi, the credibility of the BJP has increased not only in the country but all over the world.

“Whenever the Modi government and our party promised anything, these were always fulfilled. Be it the issue of Article 370, Ram Mandir, CAA or Triple Talaq, we fulfilled all the promises,” he said adding that with the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, PM Modi has realised the 500 year old hopes and aspirations of Indians and crores of people living abroad.

Slamming the CPI-M and the Congress for their slogan to protect democracy and the Constitution, Saha said that the two parties have no moral right to speak about democracy.

“We have all records that during the regimes of both the Congress and the Left parties many innocent people and leaders belonging to the opposition parties were killed.

“The CPI-M government could not protect its own former Health Minister Bmal Sinha (who was killed by militants in March 1998). Several MLAs were also murdered during the Left governance,” he pointed out.

Saha said that people have experienced the CPI-M’s governance in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura and their experience has been very horrific.

“Who is the face of the INDIA bloc? The alliance is in disarray. With no credibility, they are fooling the people,” remarked Saha, who in last year’s assembly polls was re-elected from the Town Bordowali seat for the second time after defeating state Congress president Asish Kumar Saha.

Polling for the Tripura West Parliamentary seat will be held on April 19 in the first of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, while the Tripura East (ST) constituency will go to the polls in the second phase on April 26.

The by-election to the Ramnagar Assembly seat will also be held on April 19. The seat fell vacant after the demise of sitting BJP MLA Surajit Datta on December 28 last year.

In all 18 candidates, including two women, are contesting the two Lok Sabha seats while two candidates, one each from the BJP and the CPI-M, are trying their electoral fortunes in the Ramnagar Assembly by-poll.

In the Lok Sabha poll for the two seats, the main contest is expected to be between the BJP and the INDIA bloc, comprising the Congress, CPI-M and six other parties.

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INDIA Bloc to Decide PM Face After Polls

The INDIA bloc is an alliance of 28 political parties formed to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024…reports Asian Lite News

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asserted that members of the INDIA bloc will sit together and decide the Prime Ministerial face if voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

“After being elected, all of us will sit together and decide the Prime Ministerial face,” Kharge told reporters in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma.

The INDIA bloc is an alliance of 28 political parties formed to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

However, the mega alliance is yet to brainstorm on its Prime Ministerial face.

Speaking on the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, the Congress president said, “We will cross 75 (seats), not less than that. We will provide free education to children from primary to post-graduation, will give cylinders to women… The elected MLAs will decide who will hold the Chief Ministerial post”.

Earlier today, Mallikarjun Kharge also held a public gathering in the Sukma district where he threw brickbats at the BJP stating that the latter “fooled” people in the name of caste and religion.

“They fooled people in the name of religion and caste. They trick people by saying that they made a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) President. They should know that the Congress party gave the first woman Prime Minister to the country. The Congress empowered the backward classes”, Kharge said.

Praising the previous Congress governments, he said, “The BJP keeps asking what Congress has done for the country. There were no schools, no banks and no jobs. It all was done by the Congress. Modi Sahab (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) asks what we have done in the past 70 years. We have built the country. We constructed schools, public sectors, banks, industries, etc. Did Modiji construct schools in Chhattisgarh?”

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to hold polls in two phases on November 7 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all five poll-bound states.

Earlier in the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress came to power with a landslide victory, winning 68 seats out of 90. (ANI)

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