News Analysis India

Tag: Assembly elections 2022

  • After Punjab victory, AAP now shifts focus to South; to launch massive membership drive

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to launch a massive membership drive in the southern states to build on the momentum of its stupendous victory in the Punjab Assembly polls.

    The party will start its membership drive in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep, senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti said on Friday.

    “After the thunderous victory of the AAP in Punjab, people from the southern regions have started showing interest in the politics of our party. We are receiving an unprecedented response from southern India,” he told reporters here.

    “Seeing the mood of the people and taking into account the response that our teams in the southern states have been receiving, we have decided to launch membership campaigns throughout the region,” he added.

    Bharti said the membership drive will be carried out by the party’s local teams.

    “These campaigns will actively penetrate deep into Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep,” he said.

    “I call upon all those who feel the need to bring a change in India’s politics to join the AAP and be a part of the revolution,” he said.

    Bharti said the party has also decided to take out foot marches across the southern states in phases.

    “This sequence will begin on April 14 on B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary with our first foot march in Telangana. We will cover each and every Assembly constituency of the region. Through these foot marches, we will take the politics of (Arvind) Kejriwalji and the ideals of Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh to every resident of the region,” he added.

    Bharti said the party will highlight the difference it has made in the lives of the people of Delhi.

    The AAP has its units in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

    The party had contested the Karnataka and Telangana Assembly polls in 2018 as part of its efforts to make inroads into south India but could not open its account.

  • ‘Battle for India will be decided in 2024, not in any state poll’: Prashant Kishor’s jibe at Modi

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A day after the BJP’s emphatic win in assembly elections in four states, poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Friday said the results will not have any bearing on the next Lok Sabha elections as the “battle for India would be fought and decided in 2024 and not in any state elections”.

    Bulldozing a resurgent rainbow coalition led by the Samajwadi Party, the BJP on Thursday stormed back to power in Uttar Pradesh and also retained Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, while Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP scripted a stellar victory in Punjab, winning a three-fourth majority pulverising its rivals.

    Kishor’s comment came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the next Lok Sabha polls, scheduled for 2024, saying he hopes that political pundits will note that his party’s win in the four states has also made clear the verdict for the next general elections as they had linked its win in 2019 to its sweep of the Uttar Pradesh polls in 2017.

    “Battle for India will be fought and decided in 2024 & not in any state #elections Saheb knows this! Hence this clever attempt to create frenzy around state results to establish a decisive psychological advantage over opposition. Don’t fall or be part of this false narrative.” Kishor said on Twitter.

  • ‘People’s decision paramount, hope governments work for farmers’: Rakesh Tikait on assembly polls results

    By PTI

    NOIDA: Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said the decision of people is paramount as he hoped the new governments in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand will work for farmers and labourers.

    The remark of the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) came late on Thursday after the BJP won majority seats in four states, including Uttar Pradesh, while the Aam Aadmi Party stormed to power in Punjab.

    “In the great festival of democracy, the decision of the people is paramount. The farmers’ movement showed its effect. We hope that all the governments that have been formed will work for to uplift farmers and labourers in their respective states. Congratulations to all on the victory,” Tikait tweeted in Hindi.

    Tikait’s BKU was part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers unions which had spearheaded the 13-month-long protest in Delhi in 2020-21 against three contentious farm laws, which now stand repealed.

    In the aftermath of the iconic protests, the SKM had launched a “punish BJP” campaign in Uttar Pradesh, where farmer leaders toured several places and highlighted the anti-agriculture policies of the saffron party and issues like inflation, alleged corruption and the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which a Union minister’s son is among the accused.

  • Congress to launch booklet highlighting rising prices under BJP govt

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday will highlight the issue of rising prices and will launch a ‘BJP brought inflation’ booklet in poll-bound states.

    The Congress will organise a series of press conferences underlining the problems faced by the people due to inflation and hold the central government responsible for it.

    Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala will hold a press conference in Lucknow, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chandigarh, and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in Goa.

    Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh will address a press conference in Jalandhar, Sachin Pilot in Dehradun, Hardik Patel in Meerut, and Ranjit Ranjan and Supriya Srinate in Varanasi.

    “The people of the country are suffering from inflation and BJP is enjoying. The double whammy of rising prices and falling income has made life difficult for people,” AICC Secretary Pranav Jha said.

    ALSO READ: Congress to launch booklet highlighting how BJP ‘compromised’ with interests of armed forces

    “The back-breaking prices have spoiled the budget of families. Modi ji, BJP took votes by serving lies of ‘acche din’ and served the poison of inflation in people’s lives,” he said.

    The party will highlight that the wholesale price index has reached a 12-year high under BJP rule and the high excise duty on petrol and diesel, a statement said.

    It will also highlight that the BJP increased rail passenger fare by 205 per cent since January 1, 2022 and how it has made clothes, shoes, children’s books, withdrawing money from ATM, auto booking from app and ordering food, among other things, more expensive, the statement said.

    ALSO READ: Congress releases booklet titled ‘Kisne Bigada Uttar Pradesh’ to sensitise workers in UP

    This will be the third booklet that Congress releases in poll-bound states. Last week, Congress had launched a booklet to highlight how the BJP government “compromised” with the interests of armed forces and held press conferences on it.

    Before that, the party had launched a booklet to highlight the farmers’ plight under the Modi government and held press conferences in various cities.

  • Assembly elections: EC holds meeting with CEOs of states, UTs on poll issues

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra on Monday asked chief electoral officers (CEOs) of all states and union territories to “expeditiously” redress pending applications related to voter registration, even as he asked them to ensure better facilities at all booths in the country.

    The CEC said this to the CEOs during a day-long conference held here to review a host of issues related to the poll process in the country.

    An Election Commission (EC) spokesperson said in a statement that the conference discussed and reviewed “various thematic issues related to electoral rolls, polling stations, ongoing special summary revision, IT (information technology) applications, timely resolution of grievances, electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), training and capacity building of polling staff, media and communication and extensive voter outreach program amongst others”.

    CEC Chandra, the statement said, stressed on the significance of effectiveness and visibility of the CEOs as they represent the commission in the states.

    “He (CEC) asked the CEOs to ensure purity of the electoral roll, availability of assured minimum facilities and to ensure better facilities at all polling booths for all voters,” it said.

    The CEC also asked the CEOs for “expeditious redressal of all pending applications especially with regard to voter registration,” the statement said.

    Chandra told the CEOs that all efforts should be made to ensure better voter experience.

    “CEOs should have regular interaction with political parties to redress their grievances, if any,” Chandra said.

    The CEC “emphasised” that new initiatives and best practices by the CEOs for election-related activities should be regularly disseminated through the media for enhanced outreach.

    He said that the objective of the conference was to identify the gaps and challenges to ensure instructions of the commission are implemented uniformly in all states and union territories across the country.

    Election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey also attended the conference and spoke to the officers.

    Kumar said the legal and regulatory framework of the elections is quite robust, but the implementation of various instructions of the commission on the field was very critical.

    “He (Kumar) stressed that CEOs need to be innovative, be more active and should learn from each other’s best practices and challenges,” the statement said.

    Pandey asked the CEOs to ensure good training and capacity building of BLOs (booth level officers) as the effectiveness of EC activities depends upon the effective implementation by field-level election officials.

    “He (Pandey) emphasised that CEOs need to ensure that correct information and facts are regularly shared with the local media for enhanced outreach,” the statement said.

    The conference also saw the commission release a number of publications including a ‘Compendium of Cases on Election Law’ and an ‘Information Booklet For Voters’.

    The booklet contains end-to-end information starting from voter registration, postal ballot, casting of vote through EVM-VVPAT and various facilities provided for the voters at polling stations, the statement said.

  • Caste politics takes centre stage ahead of 2022 assembly elections

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, caste politics has taken the centre stage with Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi taking oath as the Punjab chief minister, a move considered significant not just for this state but for others as well.

    The Congress with its nomination of the first chief minister from the Scheduled Caste community in any north Indian state is seeking to dictate the political narrative with leaders across parties coming out to welcome the appointment.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann congratulated Channi on his appointment, even as the BJP and the BSP warned the Congress against making it a mere political gimmick to get Dalit votes.

    ALSO READ: Charanjit Singh Channi’s journey from being elected to municipal council to becoming first Dalit CM of Punjab

    The Congress got the first taste of the challenge of projecting a Dalit CM early this morning from within when its former Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar questioned AICC general Secretary Harish Rawat’s remarks that 2022 Punjab polls would be fought under state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

    “On the swearing-in day of Charanjit Channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawat’s statement that ‘elections will be fought under Sidhu’, is baffling. It’s likely to undermine CM’s authority but also negate the very ‘raison d’être’ of his selection for this position,” Jakhar said triggering a wave of reactions from the BJP and other rival parties who began questioning the intentions of the Congress behind Channi’s appointment.

    The BJP was quick to attack the Congress and IT cell head Amit Malviya said “a Dalit CM has been posted as a night watchman in Punjab till Gandhi family loyalist Navjot Sidhu takes over.”

    ALSO READ: Congress leaders fear ripple effect from Punjab turmoil

    While it appears Congress has stolen the march over its rivals, political analysts feel it will be difficult to remove a Dalit from the top post, considering how the country’s politics is driven by caste equations.

    The Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal, contesting the Punjab polls in alliance with BSP, have both declared that they will have a Dalit as deputy chief minister if voted to power.

    BSP supremo Mayawati, who was the first Dalit chief minister to complete her term, targeted both the Congress and the BJP, alleging whatever the “casteist parties” are giving to Dalits and OBCs, whether it is in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh or other states, it is for their votes and to serve selfish motives and not for ameliorating their lot.

    ALSO READ: Charanjit Singh Channi to be next CM of Punjab, Capt Amarinder offers ‘best wishes’

    “Making a person belonging to Dalit caste as the chief minister of Punjab is nothing but an election stunt. I have come to know through the media today that assembly elections in Punjab will be fought under a non-Dalit leader and not under Channi,” Mayawati said.

    BJP’s Malviya alleged that Dalits “are now mere political pawns in Congress’ devious politics. In Punjab, they claim to have made a Dalit CM, only to be posted as a night watchman, till Gandhi family loyalist Sidhu takes over. But maintains deafening silence over lynching of a Dalit youth in Rajasthan.”

    The Congress retorted strongly asking if the BJP had named any Dalit as chief minister in the states it runs.

    ALSO READ: Will Congress take cognizance of Amarinder Singh’s ‘extremely serious’ charge against Sidhu and act – BJP

    “Charanjit Singh Channi is the only Dalit CM in India today. The BJP is happy to attack a Dalit CM, but can it answer why the BJP has a stomach ache if a Dalit has occupied a top post,” asked Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

    The Congress leader described the decision to name Channi “historic”, noting that the person who rose from the ranks and proudly did manual work with his father has today become the CM of Punjab.

    “This shows our doors are always open for the poor and the disadvantaged,” he said.

    The Congress has instead accused the BJP of playing the religion card in Uttar Pradesh and indulging in polarisation there and elsewhere.

    ALSO READ: Amarinder Singh – The man who put Congress back on saddle in Punjab

    The selection of Charanjit Singh Channi as chief minister is an unmistakable signal by the party leadership of its commitment for the empowerment of Dalits, said former Law minister Ashwani Kumar, adding the PPCC Chief along with the CM would be two wheels of the Congress chariot that would ride to a decisive electoral victory.

    A former union minister felt that caste politics does play a major role and merit becomes a casualty.

    Surjewala hailed Channi for the first pro-poor decision taken by the Punjab cabinet today to waive sewage charges of poor and underprivileged people and said water bills of the poor have also been waived.

    “Many historic decisions will be taken. This is a mirror. This reflects our priorities. The Congress stands with the poor and the disadvantaged,” Surjewala added.

  • Bill restoring power of states, UTs to make OBC list set to be tabled soon

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: In line with the BJP’s poll bid for the next year’s Assembly elections, the Union Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday is learnt to have given nod to a Constitution Amendment Bill to give the powers to the states and the Union Territories to draw their own lists of the other backward castes (OBCs).

    The Constitution Amendment Bill was necessitated to get around the Supreme Court verdict, which had previously ruled that the power to draw the OBC list vested only with the Centre, according to a law enacted in 2018 by Parliament. The Constitution (102) Amendment Bill had granted the Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward castes.   

    The Constitution (127) Amendment Bill, which will be brought before Parliament in the ongoing monsoon session, will allow the states to add castes in the OBC lists. The lists of the states and the UTs of the socially and educationally backward castes will be separate from the OBC list prepared by the Centre. 

    The Cabinet decision has come close on the heels of another decision which allowed OBC reservation in the national entrance tests for the medical education.The Centre had previously argued before the Supreme Court that the Central law on drawing the OBC list was only for the purposes of the Central government and had not intended to take away the rights of the states and the UTs.     

    While briefing reporters about the Cabinet decision, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur had declined to confirm or decline the Cabinet taking up the Constitution (127) Amendment Bill, saying that Parliament is in session, not elaborating further.

    Last month, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar had told Rajya Sabha that the government is in consultation with legal experts and the Ministry of Law and examining ways to protect the power of the states in determining the list of OBCs.

  • EC reviews poll preparation in five states, tells CEOs to adopt voter-centric approach 

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Election Commission on Wednesday held a meeting to review preparations for next year’s Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur. 

    The Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from the five states gave a detailed presentation to the EC on various aspects of the conduct of elections, including the health of electoral roll, the availability of budget, human resources, Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation programme, arrangements being made at polling stations and IT applications, etc. 

    In the preliminary meeting, issues such as secuirty requirements and the steps to be taken to comply with the Covid-19 guidelines were discussed. The meeting also focused on various thematic issues including Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at the polling stations, ease of registration arrangements for voter facilitation, electoral roll, timely resolution of grievances, arrangements of EVMs/VVPATs, postal ballot facility for senior citizens (80+) and PwDs, Covid mitigation plan, training of polling staff and extensive voter outreach amongst others. 

    Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said transparency and impartiality are the hallmark of the election process. He added that issues and challenges may be different in each state, but the election planning needs to have a voter-centric approach and participative decision making involving all stakeholders.

    CEC Sushil Chandra stressed on the significance of the purity of the electoral roll and asked the CEOs for quick redressal of all pending applications with regard to voter registration. He also emphasised the need for rationalisation of polling stations keeping in view the Covid-19 pandemic. He reiterated the need to have basic infrastructure in all polling stations.

    Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, while interacting with the CEOs, emphasised that periodic and comprehensive monitoring of each aspect of the election should be done by the CEOs of all the poll-going states. He highlighted the need to activate ground level election machinery in the five states to start the preparations.

    Focus on Covid-19Covid mitigation plan, training of poll staff and extensive voter outreach were amongst the major  issues discussed, according to an official statement