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Tag: YOGI

  • Cracks in UP BJP?

    Cracks in UP BJP?

    Party seeks to set the house in order before 10 assembly bypolls in the state. While the state BJP chief met Modi, talks held between UP Deputy CM and party president JP Nadda…reports Asian Lite News

    Amid a review of the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Wednesday.

    The meeting pointing to various factors for the party performing far below its expectations in the crucial Hindi heartland state. Chaudhary is learnt to have briefed the Prime Minister on the party’s organisational matters. The sources said the meeting lasted for about an hour.

    While the BJP is looking to address various factors to put up a strong show in the 2027 assembly polls, the immediate challenge for the party is 10 assembly bypolls in the state for which Election Commission has not yet announced a date. There is speculation that the Samajawadi Party (SP) and Congress will have an alliance for these bypolls also.

    Samajwadi Party won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls and BJP won 33 seats. Congress won six seats in the state in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

    Chaudhary and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP president JP Nadda separately on Tuesday. Chaudhary is learnt to have apprised him about the reasons for the party’s poor performance.

    Sources said BJP central leadership is taking feedback from various leaders on the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.

    Opposition leaders have talked of dissonance in the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh following the results of Lok Sabha polls.

    They commented on a post by the Office of Keshav Prasad Maurya that “organisation is bigger than the government”.

    However, Maurya retorted to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s jibe at the party and said that the BJP is strong at the state level and national level and will win the 2027 assembly polls.

    “Sapa Bahadur Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, BJP has a strong organization and government, both at the national level and state level, SP’s PDA is a fraud. The return of SP’s hooliganism in UP is impossible, BJP will repeat 2017 in the 2027 assembly elections,” Maurya said in a post on X on Wednesday.

    Earlier, the post by Maurya’s office had caused a flutter in political circles. Maurya, who is seen as a leader who has risen from the ranks, talked of the pain of party workers.

    “The organization is bigger than the government, the pain of the workers is my pain. No one is bigger than the organization, the workers are the pride,” the office of Keshav Prasad Maurya said in a post on X.

    Maurya is in his second term as the Deputy CM of the state. In 2017, he was the state BJP chief when the party registered a spectacular victory in assembly polls and won 312 seats. Following the victory, Yogi Adityanth was chosen as the Chief Minister.

    In 2022, Maurya lost the assembly polls but continued in his position as Deputy CM. He was later elected to the Legislative Council.

    BJP leader and Union Minister BL Verma played down Maurya’s earlier remarks and said organisation and the government complement each other.

    “I am also a party worker. We all respect the party workers. Organisational work is done by organisations and the government does the governmental work… Organisations and governments are working together for the development of the state (UP). Both the organisation and the government have their place. The organisation and government complement each other,” he said.

    Regarding meetings of Maurya and Chowdhary with JP Nadda, Verma said that these formal and informal discussions and meetings keep happening.

    “‘We will move forward. Contemplation and brainstorming are essential, regardless of the outcome. Our goal for 2027 is to emerge victorious,” he said.

    In his remarks, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that there was a “fight for power” in the BJP and the party was not thinking about the people.

    “In the heat of the BJP’s fight for power, governance and administration in UP have been put on the backburner. The work of sabotage politics that the BJP used to do in other parties is now being done inside its party. That is why the BJP is sinking into a quagmire of internal conflicts. No one in the BJP thinks about the public,” Yadav posted on X.

    Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that the same thing had happened when Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of UP and only time will tell if there is another Kalyan Singh in the making or not.

    “I have an experience of 44 years in UP… The same thing is happening now when Kalyan Singh was removed by the BJP and only time will tell if there is another Kalyan Singh or if Kalyan Singh can overpower. We will have to wait and see why all this is happening. But one thing is sure: the honest BJP workers are really sad from within,” he said. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-Over-confidence caused harm in polls, says Yogi

  • Over-confidence caused harm in polls, says Yogi

    Over-confidence caused harm in polls, says Yogi

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister urges party workers to use social media platforms as much as possible to refute rumours…reports Asian Lite News

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that everyone will have to be active from now on for the Assembly by-elections to be held on 10 seats in the state and the 2027 Assembly elections.

    Addressing the state working committee meeting held at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Auditorium of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, CM Yogi emphasised that they have to hoist the BJP flag once again in the state.

    “Everyone will have to be active from now on for the assembly by-elections to be held on 10 seats in the state and the 2027 assembly elections,” adding that along with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, MLAs, MLCs, District Panchayat Presidents, Mayors, Block Pramukhs, Chairman and Councilors, everyone should start preparing for the 2027 assembly elections from today itself.

    “We have to hoist the BJP flag in the state once again. BJP leaders and workers will have to be super active on social media and immediately refute any kind of rumours,” he said.

    Yogi said that under the leadership of Modi, the state had maintained constant pressure on the opposition in UP, achieving great success in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2022.

    “The percentage of votes that was in favor of BJP in 2014 and subsequent elections, BJP has been successful in getting the same number of votes in 2024 as well, but the shifting of votes and overconfidence have hurt our expectations. The opposition, which had earlier accepted defeat and sat down, is again jumping and dancing today,” he added.

    The Chief Minister said that in 2022, the opposition had resorted to violence after the elections. Then all our workers felt that, in reality, our government’s Mafia-free UP’s dawn is for these goons.

    “Today, with your support, we have succeeded in making UP Mafia-free. Apart from this, when Shri Ramlala was seated in his temple in Ayodhya, the wait of 500 years has also ended,” the UP CM said.

    The Chief Minister said that we have to use social media platforms as much as possible.

    “Using this social media, opposition forces and foreigners were engaged in conspiracy, in which they became successful. We are people with a nationalist mission. BJP workers have to see what is going on social media. We have to immediately refute the rumours,” Yogi asserted.

    XXXX

    Chhattisgarh CM seeks review of bypoll results

    XXX

    BJP leader and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday said that the recent Assembly bypoll results, in which the BJP suffered a setback, need to be reviewed.

    The opposition INDIA bloc won 10 out of 13 seats in the by-polls in seven states and the BJP won only two seats.

    Sai said that there are different political situations prevalent in the country and in a democracy, the decision lies with the people.

    “There are different situations. In a democracy, the decision lies with the people. The results need to be reviewed,” he said.

    Meanwhile, reacting to the bypoll results, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said that if the Lok Sabha election schedule had been advanced 6-8 months, the BJP would not have won more than 120 seats.

    “Right after the look Sabha elections, we have won 12-13 seats in 4-5 states, which clearly indicates that the BJP’s graph has been falling. Had the Lok Sabha elections been organised after 6-8 months, BJP would not have won more than 120 seats,” he said.

    “For the first time, NDA parties are performing better than the BJP in their respective states and the BJP is absolutely relying on them… The BJP has multiple organ failures and is failing in multiple states. It is soon headed to an ICU,” he further stated.

    The results of the assembly by-polls came as a setback for the BJP, where the party won only two of the 13 seats, with the INDIA bloc winning 10 seats and an independent candidate winning a seat in Bihar.

    Polling took place on July 10 for the assembly seats in seven states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

    The by-elections were held in one seat of Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh, two seats of Uttarakhand, three seats of Himachal Pradesh, and four seats of West Bengal.

    Uttarakhand witnessed the BJP losing both the two seats and saw the victory of Congress. In Badrinath, Lakhapat Singh Butola defeated Rajendra Singh Bhandari by a margin of 5224 votes, whereas in Manglaur, Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin secured victory against the BJP’s Kartar Singh Bhadana by a margin of 422 votes.

    In Himachal Pradesh, Congress secured a win on two out of three seats, where Kamlesh Thakur from Dehra and Hardeep Singh Bawa from Nalagarh secured victory. Ashish Sharma from the BJP secured victory in Hamirpur.

    In Punjab, the INDIA alliance’s partner, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), secured victory in Jalandhar West. In Tamil Nadu also, INDIA alliance partner DMK secured a win from Vikravandi.

    In all four seats of West Bengal, the All India Trinamool Congress, which is the partner in the INDIA alliance, secured victory and defeated the BJP. In Bihar, neither the JDU of the BJP-led NDA nor the RJD of the INDIA alliance managed to secure a victory. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-For SP, mafia was a vote bank, Yogi cleaned them up: Modi

  • For SP, mafia was a vote bank, Yogi cleaned them up: Modi

    For SP, mafia was a vote bank, Yogi cleaned them up: Modi

    The Prime Minister said that the INDIA bloc plans to have five Prime Ministers in five years if they come to power…reports Asian Lite News

     Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that for the Samajwadi Party (SP), the mafia had become a vote bank.

    “Yogi Adityanath has cleaned up Uttar Pradesh by doing away with mafia. He has followed my Swachhta Abhiyan. The mafia has vanished,” he said while addressing a rally in Mirzapur on Sunday.

    The Prime Minister said that the Hindu month of Jyeshtha was special because the Tuesdays in this month are a celebration of Lord Hanuman.

    “This is the first time when Lord Ram will be in his temple and Lord Hanuman will be happiest. This has been possible only because of your vote. June 4 is also a Tuesday when I will be back — phir ek baar. The six phases of elections have confirmed that Modi will be back for a third term,” he said.

    The Prime Minister said that the INDIA bloc plans to have five Prime Ministers in five years if they come to power.

    “When you build a house, do you change the mason every month? Can you build a strong house in this manner? No one should waste his vote on the INDIA bloc because no one buys shares of a sinking company. You should vote for those who are ready to form a strong government,” he said.

    The Prime Minister further pointed out that communalism, casteism and nepotism were the mainstay of the INDIA bloc.

    “In UP, SP fielded Yadav candidates only from the family. Samajwadi Party has never followed the rule of law. Mafia was a vote bank for them. These people can go to any limits to appease the vote bank. They want to encroach on the quota of SC/ST and OBC and give their share to Muslims,” he said.

    He further said, “In its 2012 assembly manifesto, SP had promised to give quota to Muslims. I belong to most backward castes and I know the pain. The court prevented them from doing so because the constitution does not allow quota on the basis of religion,” he said.

    Reiterating his commitment to the people, the Prime minister listed the schemes he had launched for the welfare of all and ended his speech with, “I have washed cups and plates in my childhood. When the sun rises, the lotus blooms and people yearn for a cup of tea.”

    The cup-plate is the election symbol of Apna Dal (S) whose Anupriya Patel is contesting the Mirzapur seat.

    Yogi’s influence makes Gorakhpur safe for Ravi Kishan

    Although the BJP has fielded the Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan from the prestigious Gorakhpur seat in Uttar Pradesh, however, it is Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who wields power and authority when it comes to his bastion.

    Yogi Adityanath first contested from Gorakhpur in 1998 which he won for five consecutive terms.

    After taking over as Chief Minister in 2017, Yogi Adityanath has done to Gorakhpur what Mulayam Singh Yadav did to Saifai, his native village in Etawah.

    Gorakhpur has witnessed an unprecedented drive for a makeover since Yogi Adityanath took over and most of the development projects have already been completed.

    Besides, Gorakhpur holds in high esteem Goraksh Peeth, which is headed by Yogi Adityanath.

    “The temple and Yogi Adityanath are now synonymous with each other and the work he has done is a bonus. Ravi Kishan is only a face but the real identity lies with the Chief Minister,” says Ravindra Shahi, a local businessman.

    Under the leadership of Yogi Aditynath, the UP government has worked on the revival of a fertiliser factory which was shut down for several years, besides a new LPG bottling plant has also been built.

    The revival of closed sugar mills in the area has also been put on priority by the Yogi government.

    Gorakhpur also has a branch of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to its name.

    The Ramgarh Taal has been developed into a water sports complex and auditorium.

    Land has also been allocated to the Education Department to set up a library and research centre.

    “Besides these projects, beautification of parks, broadening of roads, redevelopment of Ramgarh Taal and availability of potable water to check water-borne Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) are also being undertaken,” said a senior official in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

    “When I first became MP, Gorakhpur was known as the “crime capital” of northern India and I took the support of social organisations, traders and youth to counter the mafia. Now, I want Gorakhpur should be known as a developed zone,” the Chief Minister recently said.

    Most importantly, Yogi Adityanath has ensured the eradication of Japanese Encephalitis from the region, thus saving the lives of hundreds of children every year.

    Yogi Adityanath said that he was determined to change the identity of Gorakhpur.

    The city’s airport, the civil terminal of which was inaugurated in 2017, has since gone on to become a bustling entry point to the city. It already has direct flights connecting to and from Delhi, Lucknow and some other major cities.

    The state government is also working overtime to improve the power situation and ensure 24-hour power supply. Efforts are also being made to improve the quality of water supply in Gorakhpur city.

    A special focus is on the 4,000-odd families from the Vantangiya community which lives in forest areas in Gorakhpur and adjoining Maharajganj districts as it has been deprived of basic facilities like schools, hospitals and power supply since independence.

    The Vantangiya community, brought from Burma now Myanmar for afforestation during colonial rule, got voting rights in September last year.

    People across the political spectrum believe that Gorakhpur got a new identity under the regime of Yogi Adityanath.

    What is more important is that Yogi Adityanath makes it a point to spend the weekend in Gorakhpur and meet local people.

    “Yogi Adityanath spends more time in Gorakhpur than the sitting MP Ravi Kishan, who is seeking his second term as MP and meets more people than the actor-turned-politician. He is a true representative of the city and we vote for any candidate he supports,” says Bhola Tiwari, a local party worker.

    Ravi Kishan fully understands the influence that Yogi Adityanath holds over Gorakhpur and takes care to mention the Chief Minister’s name in every conversation.

    The INDIA alliance has fielded TV and Bhojpuri film actress, Kajal Nishad of Congress, while Javed Simnanai will lead BSP in the upcoming mega elections from Gorakhpur.

    Gorakhpur goes to polls on May 13.

    ALSO READ-Now, Yogi makes a pitch for Mathura, Kashi

  • Yogi opens first VFS global joint visa application centre in Lucknow

    Yogi opens first VFS global joint visa application centre in Lucknow

    VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions…reports Asian Lite News

    Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh launched a new global gateway for the state with the inauguration of the first VFS Global Joint Visa Application Centre (JVAC) and the VFS Global Academy in Lucknow on 04, February 2023.

    VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions.

    This spacious and comfortable facility equipped with modern amenities and services will have the capacity of processing approximately 1.2 lakh applications a year and will be of immense benefit to the citizens of Uttar Pradesh, who till now had to travel to other cities like New Delhi to submit their visa applications.

    Spread across 24,000 sq.ft, the JVAC would cater to travellers bound to Austria, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Switzerland, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Italy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Located strategically on the 1st floor of the Interstate Bus Terminal, Alambagh (Shalimar Gateway Mall), the centre provides unparalleled accessibility to travellers using the inter-state bus service from the remote parts of Uttar Pradesh. It is also a short drive away from the Lucknow railway station, airport and a walk away from the Alambaug metro station.

    With 11 submission counters and three biometric enrollment stations, the JVAC is equipped to manage the travel demand seamlessly. For discerning set of applicants seeking enhanced submission experience services, the facility has premium optional services such as Premium Lounges that enables application submission without having to wait in a queue. Form-filling assistance, Courier Passback, Courier Insurance, Travel Medical Insurance and SMS Notification are some of the other optional services to be available at the centre.

    In addition to easing visa accessibility, VFS Global will open an academy in partnership Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), to train local youth in world-class hospitality skills and enable employability in line with the UP-government’s skilling programme.

    “It is our great honour and pride to have the Honourable Chief Minister of UP, Shri Yogi Adityanath, inaugurate the Lucknow joint visa application centre. This centre is a testament of our commitment to the people of UP. Given the visionary governance demonstrated by Yogiji’s government, the state of UP has great potential to become a global investment hub. We have worked with the Ministry of External Affairs Government of India, for nearly 15 years supporting inbound tourism to India as well as aiding overseas travel for millions from the country. The new Lucknow VAC would augment our commitment by significantly easing visa accessibility, empowering local youth through skilling and job creation and contribute towards making UP shine on the global map,” said Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global.

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  • Advantage Shah As Gadkari, Yogi & Shivraj Out

    Advantage Shah As Gadkari, Yogi & Shivraj Out

    Gadkari’s exclusion from the Parliamentary Board is particularly significant as he is a former president of the party, and the other two former presidents —Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh continue to be members. The exclusion of Gadkari follows after another former president, LK Advani was dropped from the Board

    In a move that is likely to give Union Home Minister Amit Shah greater role in the BJP and in governance, the party’s president JP Nadda on August 17 effected a major organisational rejig of the Parliamentary Board, the highest decision making authority in the party, and the Central Election Committee (CEC) that goes into candidate selections, a rejig that is significant more for the exclusions than inclusions.

    The Parliamentary Board, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is also a member, former BJP president and Roads and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has been dropped as has Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

    Gadkari’s exclusion is particularly significant as he is a former president of the party, and the other two former presidents — Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh continue to be members. The exclusion of Gadkari follows after another former president, L.K. Advani was dropped from the Board.

    The Board in its previous form had five vacancies due to the passing away of senior leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, and Ananth Kumar and the election of Venkaiah Naidu as Vice-President of India and Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot being appointed to that post.

    In the 11-member Board, not constituted since 2014, when Home Minister Amit Shah was party president, Nadda, Prime Minister Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh and general seceretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh continue as before.

    In the vacancies thus filled, interestingly, the inclusions are former Chief Minister of Karnataka B.S. Yediyurappa, whose inclusion acknowledges the fact that he is unlikely to fade into the political sunset anytime soon and is still a force to reckon with in State politics. Mr. Yeddyurappa has also been made member of the CEC.

    Former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also been appointed to the Parliamentary Board, party sources saying in a bid to diversify the membership, as he belongs to a tribal community from Assam. The chief of the party’s OBC Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman who belongs to Telangana is another significant inclusion.

    For the first ever in the party’s recent history, a Sikh member, Iqbal Singh Lalpura has been appointed to the Board, a nod to the protest movement against the farm laws (which the Union Government repealed) and the political exigencies in Punjab. Other inclusions are former MP from Mahendragarh in Haryana, Sudha Yadav. Her husband, Deputy Commandant Sukhbir Singh Yadav, of the Border Security Force (BSF), had died fighting Pakistani intruders during the Kargil war. Satynarayana Jatiya, former MP and former Union Minister in the Vajpayee Government.

    In the 15 member CEC, the surprise inclusion has been that of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, an acknowledgement that he needed validation at the national level, in order to offset the disappointment felt by some quarters in Maharashtra BJP over him being overlooked as Chief Minister. BJP’s mahila morcha president, Tamil Nadu MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has also been made a member of the CEC. Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav and senior party leader Om Mathur are the other two members. Former Union Ministers Jual Oram and Shahnawaz Hussain have been dropped.

    Rejig emphasises diversity, says BJP

    “The new reconstituted Parliamentary Board shows how the party rewards old workers and values their experience. People like B.S. Yediyurappa, Satyanarayan Jatia, K. Laxman have given their lives to the party, building it brick by brick from the start. Their coming to the highest decision-making body shows how the party values its esteemed Karyakartas (workers),” BJP sources said.

    Pointing towards the diversity of the newly constituted Parliamentary Board, BJP sources said: “There is an emphasis on diversity. Sarbananda Sonowal is from the Northeast, L. Laxman and B.S. Yeddyurappa hail from South. In Iqbal Singh Lalpura there is a Sikh.”

    “Sudha Yadav is a self-made political leader whose husband was martyred in Kargil. Her inclusion shows utmost respect to women and families of armed forces personnel. Representation from the South and Northeast is at an all-time high in the Parliamentary Board,” sources added.

    Eleven members of the reconstituted Parliamentary Board includes BJP chief J. P. Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Sarbananda Sonowal, former Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa, OBC Morcha national president K. Laxman, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Sudha Yadav, Satyanarayan Jatia and national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santhosh.

    The 15-member Central Election Committee includes the 11 members of the Parliamentary Board and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Om Mathur and national president of party women wing Vanathi Srinivasan. Senior leaders Shahnawaz Hussain and Jual Oram were dropped from the CEC.

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  • Yogi sworn in as UP Chief Minister

    Yogi sworn in as UP Chief Minister

    The new ministry sworn in on Friday includes 52 ministers, including 18 in cabinet rank, and the government now has a new complexion….reports Asian Lite News

     Yogi Adityanath was sworn in as the 33rd chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and a galaxy of chief ministers.

    Adityanath was administered the oath of office by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel at the Ekana stadium here, with over 75,000 people from different walks of life, cheering him on.

    Two deputy chief ministers were also sworn in along with the chief minister. They include Keshav Maurya — who recently lost the election, and Brajesh Pathak.

    Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma in the previous government, has been dropped this time. Sources said that he would now be given an organisational post.

    The new ministry sworn in on Friday includes 52 ministers, including 18 in cabinet rank, and the government now has a new complexion.

    Five women ministers have been included. They are — Baby Rani Maurya, Gulab Devi, Pratibha Shukla, Rajni Tiwari and Vijay Laxmi Gautam.

    Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Swatantra Dev Singh has been inducted into the ministry while some senior leaders including Shrikant Sharma, Siddhartha Nath Singh, Ashutosh Tandon, Mahendra Singh, Jai Pratap Singh, Satish Mahana and Mohsin Raza have been dropped.

    A much-awaited inclusion was that of former IAS officer Arvind Sharma who had quit his job in the PMO last year and was made MLC in Uttar Pradesh.

    Asheesh Patel of Apna Dal and Sanjay Nishad of Nishad Party have also found a berth in the council of ministers as cabinet ministers.

    Daya Shankar Singh, husband of former minister Swati Singh, has also been made minister of state.

    Former IPS officer Aseem Arun, who quit his job in January to join politics, has also been made minister.

    However, former ED official Rajeshwar Singh, who won the election after quitting his job, has not been made minister.

    Among the surprise omissions in the government formation are rebel Congress MLA Aditi Singh who had contested the elections on a BJP ticket from Rae Bareli.

    Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was also tipped to become a minister, was not on the list.

    ALSO READ: Yogi busts ‘Noida jinx’

  • BJP holds 4 states, AAP sweeps Punjab

    BJP holds 4 states, AAP sweeps Punjab

    The AAP’s broom swept away the ruling Congress in Punjab, which was saddled by incumbency and infighting. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led alliance and BJP failed to dent the prospects of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, reports Asian Lite News

    The BJP’s lotus bloomed again in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while AAP’s broom swept away opponents in Punjab as results for five states were declared on Thursday. The BJP also won in Manipur and emerged as the single-largest party in Goa.

    In Uttar Pradesh, the saffron party-led alliance is close to winning 270 seats in the 403-member assembly. In Uttarakhand, it is leading in over 40 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 36.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YkQXVi6Dv0

    While the results are the same as in 2017, the “verdict” is slightly different. The BJP is winning UP but the margin is not as handsome as it was in 2017. It had won 312 seats alone in the state in the previous elections.

    In Goa and Manipur, the BJP had won fewer seats in 2017 but managed to form the governments. This time, it is the single largest party but hasn’t been able to cross the majority mark yet.

    AAP’s big win

    The AAP’s broom swept away the ruling Congress in Punjab, which was saddled by incumbency and infighting. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led alliance and BJP failed to dent the prospects of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party

    Whether it’s a bigger victory for AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal or its Punjab CM candidate Bhagwant Mann, the jury will be out on that. But the clear mandate in Punjab is sure to stoke the party’s national ambitions, which it had been harbouring since getting its first taste of victory nearly 7 years ago. And while buoyant AAP supporters are busy celebrating Punjab’s victory, there is a somber silence in the Congress ranks.

    Congress in a spot

    The grand old party, which continues to lose its footprint in India, has lost another state. In Uttarakhand, it failed to take the fight to the BJP despite the saffron party changing its CM not once but twice.

    In Manipur and Goa too, the Congress failed to topple the BJP.

    And in UP, the party’s spirited women-centric campaign led by Priyanka Gandhi failed to impress the voters with its seat share depleting from 7 in 2017 to 1 in 2022, as per available trends.

    Churn in opposition

    The electoral landscape of India is more or less the same as it was before the results, save Punjab which has flipped from Congress to Aam Aadmi Party.

    But the flip could have a far-reaching impact on national level politics as the vacuum to emerge as the national alternative to the BJP is yet to be filled by any opposition party.

    With Punjab now in its kitty, the AAP is in power in two states. Interestingly, the Congress too has only two states to its name where it is in power on its own.

    While AAP has firmed up its position as a potential national force in the future, it still has a long way to go. The AAP is in power in states which together make up 20 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress is in power in states that together send 36 members to the lower house.

    The party understands this and is working to expand itself beyond Punjab and Delhi.

    Setback for Mayawati

    The party, which was once a major player in UP elections, has been reduced to just 5-odd seats this year with a vote share of over 12%. This is a direct depletion of over 10 percentage points compared to 2017.

    In essence, Mayawati’s BSP has been reduced to a party that cuts into the votes of SP candidates. SP scores big but fails to trouble BJP Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav could take heart from today’s result as he managed to pull his party from a dismal show in 2017 to a fighting performance in 2022.

    The SP won 126 seats while its allies are leading in 14. This is nearly thrice the number of seats Akhilesh had won in 2017 when he contested in alliance with Congress. The party also managed to boost its vote share by nearly 10 percentage points to 31% – its highest ever in the state.

    Unfortunately for Akhilesh, the performance wasn’t good enough to topple the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. The result, however, could set the stage for SP to emerge as a solid alternative force in the state.

    In the previous elections, SP’s decision to contest with Congress (2017 assembly) and BSP (2019 Lok Sabha) had failed to impress the voters.

    Yogi breaks 37-year jinx

    Besides AAP, UP chief minister is another big winner of the 2022 elections. In 2017, the BJP had contested the elections without declaring a chief ministerial candidate. In 2022, Yogi was the

    clear-cut choice and the face of BJP’s campaign.

    Leading the BJP to a historic victory in UP will come as a shot in the arm for Yogi, who is considered as one of the most popular faces in the BJP’s ranks.

    BJP creates history in Uttarakhand

    The saffron party has also managed to create history by winning a consecutive term in a state which alternates between Congress and BJP. Power has changed hands every five years since the formation of the hill state in 2001.

    The results are a big thumbs up to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who had assumed power just seven months before the elections. Moreover, the constant infighting in BJP’s Uttarakhand unit and two changes did not have a big impact on the poll results either.

    Advantage BJP in 2024?

    Coming just two years ahead of Lok Sabha elections, today’s results augur well for the BJP. Uttar Pradesh is the top bellwether state in India vis-à-vis national polls and another big victory in the state bodes well for the BJP, which is eyeing a third straight term in Lok Sabha.

    The state sends the maximum number of MPs to Parliament at 80.

    “Forget 2019 and start planning (and) hoping for 2024,” National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had tweeted this in 2017 when the BJP stormed to power.

    Now, with another victory under its belt in the numerically crucial state, the BJP will find itself on a strong footing as it gears up for the national poll,

    Brand Modi bankable

    As always, the BJP reaped rich dividends in UP and Uttarakhand by banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and national appeal.

    Besides Yogi, the Prime Minister led BJP’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh and addressed as many as 28 rallies in the seven-phase elections. This was more than the number of rallies he had addressed in 2017.

    ALSO READ-FUTURE TENSE FOR CONGRESS

  • Beyond comprehension that Chitra could be led by a Yogi: Ex-Colleague

    Beyond comprehension that Chitra could be led by a Yogi: Ex-Colleague

    According to that official, Ramakrishna who was then in her early 20s was always career or business focussed and would not talk about anything else…reports Venkatachari Jagannathan

    It is beyond comprehension that Chitra Ramakrishna, was led by a ‘Marma’ Yogi or mysterious sage, said a former IDBI Bank employee who had worked with her in the mid 1980s.

    Ramakrishna was the former Managing Director and CEO of National Stock Exchange (NSE) who is now under the scanner of various investigating agencies for her official commissions and omissions.

    According to him, IDBI had the policy of hiring top rankers — Chartered Accountants/ Management Graduates — then and Ramakrishna was one of the toppers and was recruited in 1985.

    “Even at the stage she showed leadership qualities. She was intelligent, outspoken and also pushy. She was always at the front,” her former colleague recalled.

    According to that official, Ramakrishna who was then in her early 20s was always career or business focussed and would not talk about anything else.

    “She was a lone ranger then. She used to have her lunch alone,” the former IDBI employee mused.

    Another former banker told that Ramakrishna was the granddaughter of a school Head Master and daughter of a professional accountant. Her mother hailed from Chennai and after marriage went to Mumbai.

    Queried about bachelor bankers going behind the young, intelligent and good looking Ramakrishna, the former banker replied: “It was not so. Perhaps young colleagues were sort of intimidated by her attributes and didn’t nurture any romantic ideas.”

    “She too did not show any such romantic inclinations towards any of the most eligible bachelors in IDBI,” the former IDBI official added. But cupid seems to have struck her as she married a visually challenged colleague — Ramakrishna. However, the two got separated, two former bankers told.

    When the late IDBI Chairman S.S. Nadkarni asked for volunteers to set up the NSE, Ramakrishna was one of the persons who came forward to take the challenge.

    “As far as I recall, Chitra was not a greedy person. It is still a wonder why she got involved in all the murky happenings at NSE that are coming out in the open. She could have simply said no to the powers that be and quit,” her former colleague said.

    The former bankers were of the view that she did the bidding of a powerful person on the assurance that nothing would happen to her and if at all anything adverse crops up against her, she would be protected.

    “It is beyond our comprehension that Chitra would be led by a mysterious yogi. She was not like that. And who is this ‘Marma’ Yogi is the major question that needs to be answered,” her former colleague said.

    ALSO READ-War of words between Yogi, Kejriwal ahead of polls

  • War of words between Yogi, Kejriwal ahead of polls

    War of words between Yogi, Kejriwal ahead of polls

    He then went on to accuse the Delhi Chief Minister of “cutting electricity and water” for migrant labourers and forcing them to leave the city…reports Asian Lite News

    The war of words between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal has intensified with the two leaders sharpening their claws on Twitter.

    While Kejriwal said that his Uttar Pradesh counterpart was a “harsh and cruel ruler”, Yogi called the Delhi Chief Minister a “liar”.

    The Twitter war on Monday night started after Kejriwal’s rebuttal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Parliament that Delhi and Maharashtra contributed to the spread of Covid by enabling the migrant labourers to go home after the lockdown was declared in 2020.

    “This statement of Prime Minister is a blatant lie. The country hopes that the Prime Minister will be sensitive to those who have suffered the pain in the Corona period, those who have lost their loved ones. It does not suit the Prime Minister to do politics on the sufferings of the people,” the Delhi Chief Minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

    His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also tweeted to say the Prime Minister’s statement was “false”.

    Responding to the claim, Yogi said: “Today’s statement of Arvind Kejriwal about respected Prime Minister is highly condemnable. Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to the entire nation.”

    He quoted a couplet from Goswami Tulsidas, the author of “Ram Charitmanas”, to elucidate his point.

    “Kejriwal has a knack of telling lies. When the whole country was battling a global pandemic like Corona under the leadership of the respected Prime Minister, Kejriwal showed the migrant labourers the way out of Delhi.”

    He then went on to accuse the Delhi Chief Minister of “cutting electricity and water” for migrant labourers and forcing them to leave the city.

    “The electricity-water connection was cut and the sleeping people were picked up and sent to the UP border by buses. Announcement was made that in Anand Vihar, buses will be available for UP-Bihar. The UP government arranged buses for the migrant labourers and brought them back safely,” Yogi further tweeted.

    In a direct post, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said: “Listen Kejriwal, You forced the workers of UP to leave Delhi when the entire humanity was groaning due to the pain of Corona. Your government did an undemocratic and inhuman act like leaving even small children and women helpless on the UP border in the middle of the night. Call you a traitor or…”

    Kejriwal reacted with: “You should not say anything. When bodies were floating in the rivers, you were spending crores on appreciating yourself through advertisements in Time magazine. Have not seen a harsh and cruel ruler like you.”

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  • Mayawati slams Yogi on CM bungalow remark

    Mayawati slams Yogi on CM bungalow remark

    No sooner did Yogi Adityanath said this, pat came the reply from former Chief Minister Mayawati. In a series of tweets, the BSP supremo targeted Yogi Adityanath and the BJP fiercely…reports Asian Lite News

    Targeting opposition parties ahead of the first phase of polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused his predecessors of building bungalows for themselves first after coming to power. Hitting back, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati who said that the mutt of Gorakhpur, where Adityanath resides, is also no less than a big bungalow.

    Campaigning in Ghaziabad, Adityanath, in a voter dialogue programme, targeted the SP and Akhilesh Yadav, saying that when the SP government was formed, the Chief Minister and ministers built their own bungalows first, but under the BJP government, he and his ministers did not build their own residences, but provided house to 43 lakh poor people of the state. He claimed that the BJP government also provided toilets to 2 crore 61 lakh people in the state.

    No sooner did Yogi Adityanath said this, pat came the reply from former Chief Minister Mayawati. In a series of tweets, the BSP supremo targeted Yogi Adityanath and the BJP fiercely.

    Mayawati tweeted: “Perhaps the people of western UP do not know that the mutt built by Yogi ji in Gorakhpur, where he resides for most of the time, is no less than a big bungalow. It would have been better if he had told this to voters as well.”

    Describing the achievements of the BSP government, Mayawati said in her next tweet: “Also, it would have been better if the UP CM, along with the praise of his government, also mentioned the works related to the public interest by the BSP government. They should know that the BSP government’s track record in giving houses to the poor and land to the landless has been excellent.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtnkFPfOVo

    In her third tweet, Mayawati, claiming to have provided houses to the poor during her tenure, said, “Under Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji Shahari Garib Awas Yojana, more than one and a half lakh pucca houses were given in just two phases. Many families were benefited under the Garib Awas Ownership Scheme. Lakhs of landless families were also given land.”

    The BJP is constantly targeting the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav as the campaigning for the first phase intensifies. In the battle between BJP and the SP, the BSP and Mayawati are still lagging behind. But in the last few days, Mayawati has been continuously targeting her opponents and claiming to remain in the race.

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