News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • lok sabha elections: Tamil Nadu demographic could hurt the BJP’s ambitious plans for the state

    Coimbatore: As the BJP looks to get the lotus to bloom in Tamil Nadu, the stumbling block for the national party would be its anti-minority image in a state where minorities are among the highest in any state in the country, said experts and analysts ahead of the upcoming polls on April 19.

    As per the Census in 2011, Hindus are a majority in the state constituting 87.58% of Tamil Nadu’s 7.21 crore. The Muslim population comprise 5.86% of the total population while the Christians make up 6.12%.

    The BJP has laid constant electioneering siege with the prime minister making multiple visits to Tamil Nadu. While the party’s popularity has been growing owing to leaders like the BJP state chief Annamalai, who is being touted as a dark horse who could spring a surprise in Coimbatore this election. However, the demographics of the state might come in the way of the BJP’s ambitious plans.This time, the party has also taken the decision to ditch its alliance with the AIADMK and go solo in as many as 19 of the 39 constituencies and contest four others with the help of its allies. However, analysts said the BJP’s performance in these constituencies may suffer owing to their perception of being against minorities, despite their best efforts to shed this image through vigorous outreach.

    During his 168-day ‘yatra’ by foot and on wheels from Rameswaram, Annamalai met several leaders from Muslim and christian communities, the dialogue with these leaders was to convey to minority community leaders that the BJP was not against them in any way and was only keen on fighting terrorism, perpetrated by militant organisations.

    On Saturday too Annamalai met Bishop Paul Alappat and the members of the Coimbatore Diocese pastoral council in Ramanthapuram and Coimbatore and later wrote on ‘X’ “Bishop Paul Alappat’s wisdom & community service has inspired countless lives,” Annamalai said on X (formerly Twitter). While the BJP is reaching out to the communities, there is scepticism on whether this approach would work. “The anti-minority tag of the BJP will cost them dearly,” political analyst Tharasu Shyam told ET. “The minority percentage in Tamil Nadu varies from 10-20% and constituencies like Vellore and Ramanathapuram have got a heavy concentration of Muslims. The BJP may come second in about four constituencies. Theni, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli are witnessing tough competition by the BJP alliance, but ultimately the numerical strength of the DMK alliance and anti-minority tag of BJP is likely to prevail.”

    A report by the Pew Research Center said the largest numbers of Christians in India were still concentrated in the Southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It went on to add that the Christian population grew the most in Tamil Nadu of all the states in India, increasing by 6 lakh to touch 40 lakhs.

    “The demographic of Tamil Nadu with its larger minority populations has always made it harder for parties that are perceived as being anti-minority to make a mark,” political analyst N Sathiya Moorthy said. “Both the minorities combined should make up around 15-20% of the total population in Tamil Nadu and so parties they perceive to support them start with that advantage.”

    For example, he said, if the combined percentage stood at 15%, then most of it will likely go to the DMK-Congress combine – giving them an edge over rivals.

    “The question is how many of the minority votes may shift to the AIADMK because they are not aligning with the BJP. I don’t see that happening because suddenly the BJP and Modi have become election issues this time,” Moorthy said.

    As per the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), Christians in Tamil Nadu are spread across nearly all the districts, but their presence is relatively higher in a few pockets spread across different parts of the state. Their highest presence is in the south, particularly in Kanyakumari, home to one-fifth of all the Christians in the state.

    The CPS said that besides Kanyakumari, the growth of Christians was ‘remarkable’ in Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts that surround Chennai city. It also observed that the number and share of Muslims in Tamil Nadu was almost like that of the Christians but that they were spread more uniformly across the state. It said their highest concentration is in Ramanathapuram, where they formed 15.4% of the population.

    “Religious polarisation will not work in Tamil Nadu because this is the land of social reformer EVR (Periyar),” senior journalist S Murari said. “The BJP knows minorities won’t vote for it, so it is banking on majority Hindus by saying the DMK is anti-God and anti-Hindu and like the Congress, it is a party of corrupt dynasts.”

  • Lok Sabha polls 2024: Delhi: BJP targets third consecutive sweep, AAP hopes to capitalise on sympathy wave for Kejriwal

    With the BJP looking to increase its vote share and sweeping Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats for the third consecutive time, the AAP — contesting the polls in an alliance with the Congress — hopes to use the “sympathy wave” for arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to break the saffron party’s streak. Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) constituents Congress and AAP are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Delhi, paving the way for a direct contest with the BJP. The AAP has fielded candidates from four seats while the Congress is contesting from three constituencies.

    Both the BJP and the AAP-Congress combine have fielded high-profile candidates, setting the stage for a keen contest to gain electoral supremacy.

    Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP’s Delhi unit chief, has said the challenge for the party this time is to increase the margin of victory. The Northeast Delhi seat, dominated by Purvanchalis and Muslims, will witness a key battle between two candidates who hail from Bihar. The BJP has fielded Manoj Tiwari, who is eyeing a third term in the Lok Sabha while the Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar will make his electoral debut for the grand old party.

    Kumar had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a CPI ticket from the Begusarai seat in Bihar.

    A BJP leader in Delhi, requesting anonymity, said Tiwari has a high chance of retaining the seat and asserted that Kumar’s past as a student leader and his association with the Left is likely to have a polarising effect. The Congress is looking to capitalise on Kumar’s popularity and his oratory skills to make a mark in the crucial battle ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections in 2025. In East Delhi, AAP has fielded Kuldeep Kumar — its Dalit MLA — from the general seat in a move that may also impact voters of the community in the 12 reserved Assembly segments spread over different Lok Sabha seats.

    Besides capitalising on a direct contest with the BJP, AAP claims there is an anti-Modi sentiment among Dalit and Muslim voters in East Delhi that will benefit it electorally in the seat.

    In 2019, Gautam Gambhir won the seat after defeating the Congress’ Arvinder Singh Lovely by 3.93 lakh votes. AAP’s Atishi was third in the contest.

    This time, the coming together of AAP and the Congress is likely to consolidate the anti-BJP vote, AAP leaders said.

    BJP leaders in Delhi, however, are confident of retaining all the seven seats the party has held since 2014.

    They pointed out that the votes polled by party candidates on each of the seven seats in 2019 were higher than the total votes secured by the AAP and the Congress candidates.

    In the 2019 elections, the BJP had secured 56.5 per cent of the polled votes in the national capital, the Congress 22 per cent, and the AAP 18.1 per cent.

    The saffron party has also sought to balance the caste factor in announcing its candidates — fielding Harsh Malhotra, a Punjabi from East Delhi, Baniya leader Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, MLA and Gujjar leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, Jat leader Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi, and Dalit leader Yogendra Chandolia from the reserved North West Delhi seat.

    It has fielded two women candidates — Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi — and that will help bring more women votes, the BJP leaders said.

    AAP is looking to make electoral gains through sympathy in the aftermath of Kejriwal’s arrest in a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy.

    The party’s campaign also revolves around Kejriwal’s arrest. Its ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ campaign urges people to reply to Kejriwal’s arrest with their votes.

    Earlier this month, in an interaction with PTI editors at the news agency’s headquarters, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said, “At this point, I do not know about the status outside Delhi but I can say with confidence about Delhi that there is massive sympathy among the people for AAP, Arvind Kejriwal. Even the people who support the BJP are feeling that this is too much and should not have been done.”

    The AAP has also fielded three-time MLA Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi constituency, Sahiram Pehelwan from South Delhi and Congress ex-MP Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi.

    The Congress, which announced its candidates on April 14, has fielded veteran leader JP Agarwal from Chandni Chowk and former BJP MP Udit Raj fron the reserved Northwest Delhi constituency.

  • ‘This Would Be The Last Election In The Country If…’: PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti Attacks BJP |

    SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has said that if BJP wins the upcoming parliamentary elections, it might be the last election that the country would witness. The PDP leader said that neither she is interested in becoming the Chief Minister or a Member of Parliament. Mehbooba Mufti kickstarted her election campaign from South Kashmir’s Shopian district earlier today.

    “I am compelled to stand with you all who want me to become their voice. I want to raise the voice of the oppressed,  the voice of all the youth locked in jails. Because I do not know whether there will be any elections after this or not. These elections are necessary today to raise the voice of the oppressed,” Mufti said.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) launched its election campaign from South Kashmir for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir with a vibrant road show stretching from Tahab Crossing, Circular Road in Pulwama to Sangam in Anantnag on Tuesday. 

    Mehbooba Mufti and party’s youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, who is the party’s candidate from the seat, led the rally, which drew hundreds of enthusiastic participants, predominantly of youth and PDP supporters.

    Addressing the media after the event, Mehbooba Mufti extended condolences to the families affected by the recent Batwara Srinagar boat capsizing incident. Criticizing the current administration, she lamented the alleged transformation of the Union Territory into an “open jail” under the BJP-led Lt Governor’s regime.

    The PDP’s election strategy was outlined, with Mufti contesting from the remodelled Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, Para entering the fray from Srinagar-Pulwama, and Fayaz Ahmad Mir standing as the candidate from the north Kashmir constituency.

    The PDP’s decision to contest independently follows a public fallout with the National Conference despite their previous alliance in the INDIA coalition. The upcoming polls, commencing on April 19, will witness prominent contenders including former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and veteran National Conference leader Mian Altaf. Jammu and Kashmir’s electoral landscape has undergone significant changes with the state’s transition to a Union territory.

  • Lok Sabha Election 2024: What BJP And Congress Manifestos Promise For Women And Farmers |

    New Delhi: As voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is getting nearer, both the leading political parties – Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – have introduced their manifestos outlining their visions and commitments for the next five years. While Congress has termed its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, the BJP titles it ‘Sankalp Patra’ riding in the ‘Modi Ki Guaranteee’ slogan.

    Both the BJP and the Congress have delineated their primary commitments and priorities for Women and Farmer – two sections that constitute more than half of India’s population. Now let’s analyse and compare the pledges outlined by each party in their respective manifestos.

    Promises For Farmers

    We always heard the term ‘India is an agrarian nation’ and still most of the population emerged from the agriculture sector and plays a crucial role in vote banking. Similar to previous manifestos, both political parties have made commitments to farmers, a crucial vote bank.

    Congress- The party pledges to give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced annually by the government. They also promise to appoint a Permanent Commission on Agricultural Finance to regularly assess agriculture credit and recommend measures for loan relief when needed.

    On the other hand, the BJP promised to continue to increase MSP from time to time and pledged to strengthen the PM Fasal Bima Yojana by integrating advanced technologies, ensuring swift and precise assessment, expedited payouts, and prompt resolution of grievances 

    Promises For Women

    Women play a key role in shaping the vote bank of any political party. 

    The Grand Old Party, Congress promised to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme which provides one lakh per year to every poor Indian family, The manifesto also said that the party has decided to reserve one-half (50 per cent) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025 if they come in power. Congress also promised to double the number of working women hostels in the country.

    While, BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’ aims to expand the current healthcare services with a focus on preventing and reducing anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and osteoporosis, thereby ensuring women lead healthier lives. Manifesto also mentioned launching a targeted campaign to eradicate cervical cancer. The party also promised to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill, guaranteeing representation for women in both the Parliament and State Legislatures.

  • bjp manifesto: New and old promises in BJP manifesto

    New Delhi: The BJP has made a host of new promises in its Lok Sabha poll manifesto including for farmers’ empowerment like the launch of a Krishi Infrastructure Mission for coordinated implementation of agri-infrastructure projects, while steering clear of some others mentioned in the past. In its 2024 manifesto, the BJP has repeated its promise on implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and reiterated its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code but has skipped the contentious issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC).

    “There has been a huge change in the cultural and linguistic identity of some areas due to illegal immigration, resulting in an adverse impact on local people’s livelihood and employment.

    “We will expeditiously complete the National Register of Citizens process in these areas on priority. In future we will implement the NRC in a phased manner in other parts of the country,” the party had stated in its 2019 manifesto. In its last Lok Sabha poll manifesto, the BJP had promised to double the farmers’ income by 2022, but the opposition has accused it of failing to deliver on its assurance and has also been cornering it on the demand for legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).

    The party’s 2024 poll manifesto stated that the BJP government empowered farmers through a variety of measures including soil health card, micro-irrigation, crop insurance, seed supply, and direct financial assistance under PM Kisan Samman Yojana.

    “We have ensured (an) unprecedented increase in the MSP (minimum support price) for major crops and we will continue to increase it from time to time. We are providing annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. We are committed to sustained financial support for our farmers,” it said. The BJP promised to further strengthen the crop insurance scheme PM Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution. “We have incentivised crop diversification with appropriate price support strategy. Building on this, we are committed to further expand crop diversification to make agriculture sustainable and remunerative,” it said.

    “We will support Annadatas to make Bharat Atma Nirbhar (self-reliant) in the production of pulses (like tur, urad, masoor, moong and chana) and edible oil production like mustard, soybean, til and groundnut,” it added.

    The BJP promised to expand the irrigation facility and launch a Krishi Infrastructure Mission for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of agri-infrastructure projects like storage facilities, irrigation, grading and sorting units, cold storage facilities, and food processing among others if voted to power.

    “We will launch a National Mission on Natural Farming to promote nature-friendly, climate-resilient, remunerative agriculture for food and nutrition secure Bharat,” it said and added, “We are committed to supporting our Kisan families and empower them to lead better lives.”

    The BJP’s 2024 Lok Sabha poll manifesto has paid greater attention to the issues of the fishermen as compared to that of its 2019 manifesto, with the party making a host of promises to advance their prosperity and welfare.

    “We are committed to advancing the prosperity and welfare of our fishermen by enhancing fisheries through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, modernising infrastructure, and providing financial support and skill development. Our efforts are aimed at empowering fishermen families to thrive and contribute to the nation’s Blue Revolution,” the manifesto said.

    “We will further extend the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana to increase fish production and increase our annual seafood exports,” it added.

    The BJP also promised to further strengthen and expand the insurance coverage available under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution.

    “We will develop production and processing clusters with special attention to women of coastal communities. We will boost seaweed cultivation under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to increase the income of fishermen.

    “We will create sustainable livelihood opportunities for fishermen through the promotion of pearl farming,” the party manifesto said.

    As its 2019 poll promise of construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya stands fulfilled, the BJP in its 2024 manifesto expressed its commitment to a “holistic” development of Ayodhya and promised to launch a global outreach programme for promoting the legacy of Lord Ram.

    The party also promised that it would celebrate ‘Ramayan Utsav’ across the globe to commemorate the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla at the recently built temple in Ayodhya if it retains power.

  • lok sabha: Lok Sabha battle: BJP’s Sarbananda Sonowal eyes victory in Dibrugarh as Assam heads to polls in first phase

    As the vibrant Bihu festival lights up the spirit of Assam, the buzz of electoral politics resonates just as strongly through the streets of Dibrugarh.

    This key parliamentary seat is grabbing headlines as it prepares for the polls on April 19, part of the first phase of elections in the state.

    Dibrugarh is especially under the spotlight with Sarbananda Sonowal, the BJP’s high-profile candidate and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, throwing his hat into the ring. Speaking to during his hectic campaign trail, the senior BJP leader said, “I am blessed to be given the opportunity by the party to contest as the BJP candidate for the prestigious Dibrugarh constituency. I convey my sincere thanks to the party leadership–Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party President JP Nadda, and Home Minister Amit Shah–for their faith in me.”

    “Given the good work done by the Narendra Modi government for the people of Assam, especially for those in the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency since 2014, I am very confident that people will repose their faith in the leadership of Modi ji as we move ahead towards becoming a Viksit Bharat,” the BJP candidate and Rajya Sabha MP said.

    The BJP, which first came to power in the state in 2016 with Sonowal as the Chief Minister, has been exuding confidence as its main rival, Congress, leads an alliance of opposition parties, including Asom Jatiyo Parishad (AJP). Although Congress is the main opposition in the state, the party decided not to contest its once stronghold, handing it over to its alliance partner, AJP. “Wherever I go campaigning for the BJP, I am accorded immense love and adulation from the people, who have deep faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. It is this pure admiration of the people for Modi ji’s leadership that gives me confidence that the BJP-led NDA will win 12 plus seats in Assam, 22 plus seats in the Northeast, and 400 plus seats in the country. To most voters, it is a foregone conclusion that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term,” Sonowal said.

    The Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency is all set to witness a triangular fight, between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Manoj Dhanowar. However, the main contest is seen between the BJP’s Sarbanda Sonowal and Lurinjyoti Gogoi of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

    Both Gogoi and Sonowal are former leaders of the All Assam Students Union (AASU). Gogoi’s name came into prominence during the anti-CAA protests in Assam in 2019.

    With more than 1.6 million voters, the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat covers two administrative districts, including Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. It comprises ten Legislative Assembly constituencies: Margherita, Digboi, Makum, Tinsukia, Chabua, Lahowal, Dibrugarh, Khowang, Duliajan, Tingkhong, and Naharkatia.

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s Rameswar Teli won with 659,583 votes, defeating the Congress’ Paban Singh Ghatowar by a margin of 364,566 votes.

    Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats where the BJP is contesting 11 seats, while its ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), is contesting in two seats, Barpeta and Dhubri, and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) is contesting on the Kokrajhar seat.

    The Congress, as the main opposition party in the state, is contesting from 12 seats but is supporting their ally AJP in Dibrugarh. AAP, which is a relatively new party in the state, is contesting the Sonitpur and Dibrugarh seats.

    The election for the 14 seats in Assam is scheduled to be held over three phases.

    The first phase includes five constituencies from Upper Assam: Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, and Sonitpur. Except for Dibrugarh, the BJP is in direct contest with the Congress.

    The second phase on April 26 will cover the Lok Sabha constituencies of Karimganj, Silchar, Diphu, Darrang-Udalguri, and Nagaon, while the third phase will include Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri seats.

  • pm modi: ‘Modi govt is Adani govt’: Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi at a rally in Tamil Nadu

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the current government actually is Adani govt.

    At a rally in Tamil Nadu, the Congress leader said, “Modi govt actually is Adani government, it should be called Adani government and not Modi government.”

    “Be it airport, highway, any infra project; somehow Govt of India just gives it to Adani,” he added.More to come.

  • Lok Sabha Elections: Why Katchatheevu Is Not Poll Issue In Tamil Nadu Seat Facing Sri Lanka

    The DMK gave the seat to the Indian Union Muslim League in 2019. IUML candidate K Navas Kani is sitting MP from the seat and has been fielded again by the DMK-IUML.

  • TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha is all praises for Kangana Ranaut; calls her a self-made woman – The Economic Times Video

    Patna, Bihar: On actor and BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat Kangana Ranaut, TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha says, “…I respect Kangana Ranaut because she is self-made; whatever she has achieved as of now she has done it on her own…She is new to politics…”

  • BJP Invites 25 Nations To Observe Campaigning And Polls In India: 10 Points |

    NEW DELHI: In a bold move amidst ongoing political scrutiny, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has extended invitations to 25 foreign nations to observe the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India. This unprecedented step aims to provide international leaders firsthand insight into India’s democratic process and the BJP’s campaign strategies. As allegations swirl from opposition parties, the BJP’s initiative underscores a commitment to transparency and global engagement. Here are the key highlights of this significant development:

    1. Unprecedented Move By BJP: Amid ongoing allegations from opposition parties, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken an unprecedented step by inviting 25 foreign nations to witness the campaigning and electoral process in India.

    2. Global Interest in India’s Elections: Reports indicate that leaders from various political parties across the globe will be visiting India during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, invited by the BJP to observe the scale of the polls and understand the party’s campaign strategies.

    3. Invitation Details: The BJP has extended invitations to over 25 parties from foreign countries to send their representatives to observe India’s Lok Sabha polls, which are recognized as the world’s largest democratic exercise. Thirteen parties have confirmed their visits so far, with further details to be disclosed later.

    4. Exclusion Of US Parties: Notably, neither of the two major US parties, the Democrats nor the Republicans, have been invited. A BJP leader explained that the US parties’ own presidential elections preoccupy them, and their organizational structure differs significantly from that of Indian or European parties.

    5. Invitations To UK and Germany: The Conservative and Labour parties of the UK, as well as the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats of Germany, have been invited by the BJP.

    6. Omission Of Pakistan and China: Due to strained relations with Pakistan and the absence of invitations to the Communist Party of China (CPC), these political entities have not been included in the foreign observers’ list.

    7. Focus On Neighbouring Nations: Only the ruling Awami League from Bangladesh has been invited, while the opposition BNP has not, following its association with an ‘India Out’ campaign on social media.

    8, Inclusion Of Nepal & Sri Lanka: All prominent political parties from Nepal and Sri Lanka have received invitations from the BJP, indicating a comprehensive approach to neighbouring countries.

    9. Schedule and Itinerary: The BJP anticipates that invited leaders will visit India during the third or fourth phase of the elections, scheduled for the second week of May. Foreign observers will be briefed in Delhi before visiting multiple constituencies and engaging with party leaders and candidates.

    10. BJP’s Outreach Initiatives: This initiative aligns with the BJP’s broader efforts for external outreach, including the KNOW BJP initiative under party president J P Nadda. The party aims to provide foreign delegates with insights into Indian democracy and the BJP’s electoral strategies.

    By inviting international observers, the BJP seeks to showcase the scale and depth of its electoral campaigns while fostering a deeper understanding of Indian democracy among global political players.