News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • U’khand: 20 seats of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts hold defy norms in 2022 elections

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Indian National Congress performed better than the Bhartiya Janta Party in two districts of Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar which have a total of 20 state assembly seats in the 70-member state assembly. 

    US Nagar has nine seats while Haridwar has 11 seats.

    The BJP which won 16 out of 20 seats in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts in the 2017 elections managed to win just seven seats in 2022 elections, while three went to ‘Others’ including independent and the Bahujan Samaj Party. 

    Anoop Nautiyal, Dehradun based think tank and an analyst said, “These two districts which earlier said to hold key to the power failed to make much difference with the BJP performing better in other regions. These elections have sprung up many surprises like the Chief Minister lost his seat from Khatima in IS Nagar district.”

    Analysis of three regions – Regions A, B, C reveals voter behaviour which gives insight into what went down in the 2022 assembly elections in the state.

    In Region A of the Garhwal division which has five hill districts and one plain district Dehradun with a total of 30 seats, the BJP won 26 while the Congress got only three seats. 

    In Region B which has five hill districts of the Kumaon division with a total of 20 seats, the BJP got 14 seats while the Congress had six. 

    The Congress this time had popped up its ‘Trump Card’ with Yashpal Arya rejoining the party with his son Sanjiv Arya last year. Arya, who has a strong vote base in the district, especially among SC and Muslim voters contested 2022 elections from the Bajpur constituency of the US Nagar district. 

    Both Haridwar and US Nagar districts have around 50 per cent population of Scheduled Caste and Muslims of total voters. 

    Factors that influenced voters in Udham Singh Nagar which has a sizable population of Sikhs, this time in 2022 were farmer’s protests regarding controversial farm laws in which farmers of the district played a significant role, anti-incumbency and the effect of what happens in the neighbouring districts Western UP – Bareilly, Rampur, Bijnor, Pilibhit, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Farrukhabad and few others. 

    In totality, the BJP had a strike rate of 67 per cent bagging 47 of the 70 seats in Uttarakhand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading from the front. The Congress barely managed a 27 per cent strike-rate with its 19 seats across the state. 

  • EC announces RS poll schedule for five seats in Punjab

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: As the term of five Rajya Sabha members elected from Punjab is going to expire in April, the Election Commission (EC) has announced the schedule for the biennial election to the Upper House of Parliament from the state.

    The term of office of Rajya Sabha members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (Shiromani Akali Dal), Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress), Shwait Malik (BJP), Naresh Gujral (SAD) and Shamsher Singh Dullo (Congress) is due to expire on April 9.

    Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju on Sunday said according to the schedule, the notification for the biennial election will be issued on Monday (March 14).

    The last date for filing nominations is March 21, while a scrutiny of the nominations will be carried out on March 22, according to an official release. The last date for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on March 24.

    Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on March 31 and the counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm on the same day. The poll process shall be completed before April 2, Raju said.

    He further informed that the nomination papers are to be filed with the secretary of the Assembly, who is the returning officer for the Rajya Sabha election.

    Nomination papers cannot be presented on March 18 because of the festival of Holi and on March 20 (Sunday).

    However, nomination papers can be filed on March 19.

    In order to become a member of the council of states, a candidate should be registered as a voter in any parliamentary constituency in the country.

    To satisfy the returning officer on this count, the candidates should produce a certified copy of the relevant entry of the electoral roll in force, the release said.

  • Manipur: Former allies keen to realign with BJP

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: All non-Congress political parties in Manipur are virtually queuing up to be either in the coalition or associate with the BJP that won a thumping majority.

    Among the notable is National People’s Party (NPP) which is led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

    Before and during campaigning, the NPP’s relationship with the BJP had turned sour. While Sangma had postured against the BJP even during campaigning, his Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh was categorical after the results were declared that the NPP would not be a part of the government. Yet, Sangma is apparently trying to mend fences.

    “We are in touch with the BJP’s central leadership. How can they suddenly ignore us when we are a part of NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance) and NDA?” an NPP leader said.

    BJP heads NEDA which is a conglomerate of non-Congress parties of the Northeast.

    By winning 32 of the 60 seats, the BJP is comfortably placed to form the government on its own. However, Singh had stated the BJP would align with “like-minded parties”.

    The names of the like-minded parties have not been spelled out yet. NPP and Naga People’s Front (NPF) are the two key constituents of Singh’s outgoing government.

    Immediately after the election results were declared, the NPF, which was born in Nagaland, had committed its support to the BJP.

    “We have decided to extend our support to the BJP-led government. This decision was made keeping in mind our earlier association with the BJP-led government in Manipur,” NPF leader Achumbemo Kikon had stated.

    The NPF had also come up with a letter of support with a copy addressed to Governor La Ganesan. Similarly, the Janata Dal (United) has committed its support to the BJP “in the formation of the government”.

    “The JD-U would like to appeal to the BJP to honour the mandate reposed on the party and fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people of Manipur,” the party said against the backdrop of the CM’s statement that it is not a BJP ally in Manipur.

    In 2017, the BJP had won 21 seats against Congress’ 28, but still, it managed to form a coalition government with support from NPP, NPF, Lok Janshakti Party, All India Trinamool Congress and an Independent MLA.

  • New faces likely in Yogi Cabinet 2.0; caste balance, performance to decide new team

    By ANI

    LUCKNOW: Days after the BJP retained power for the second consecutive term in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to visit Delhi on Sunday to discuss the new cabinet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    National President JP Nadda, Amit Shah and BL Santosh in Delhi will be present at the meeting. The swearing-in ceremony date will also be discussed during the meeting.

    As per sources, the BJP is also considering several new faces in the Cabinet along with the new Deputy Chief Minister.

    State President Swatantrata Dev Singh, BJP leader Sunil Bansal, state in-charge Radha Mohan Singh will also accompany Adityanath to Delhi on Sunday.

    It is being speculated that the BJP leadership has prepared a basic list of probable Deputy Chief Ministers and Ministers on the basis of qualification, caste and regional equations because BJP gives place to every caste in its cabinet. The Central leadership will have the final say on the list.

    For the post of Deputy Chief Minister, the names of Swatantra Dev Singh, Baby Rani Maurya, Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are in talks. Swatantra Dev Singh was the Transport Minister, apart from this he was the BJP state president.

    Keshav Prasad Maurya has definitely lost from Sirathu seat in the elections this time but he is the face of OBC. As Deputy Chief Minister, he has governed the state well, so once again he can be made the Deputy Chief Minister.

    Baby Rani Maurya has been the Governor of Uttarakhand and is a well-known face of Jatav society in Uttar Pradesh. Brijesh Pathak, of the Brahmin community, has been a law minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also a Kurmi leader, was one of the prominent faces behind BJP’s big win in Uttar Pradesh.

    Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, who won from Lucknow Cantonment seat, may get the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the Yogi government to maintain the Brahmin equation.In Yogi Sarkar 2, the leadership is also considering the inclusion of two former police officers in the new cabinet- Rajeshwar Singh and Asim Arun.

    The newly-elected MLA from Sarojini Nagar seat of Lucknow, Dr Rajeshwar Singh was an officer of Uttar Pradesh Police. BJP MLA Aseem Arun has won from Kannauj (Sadar) seat. Asim Arun was an officer of the rank of ADG. Before being the first police commissioner of Kanpur, Asim Arun’s father late Ram Arun was twice the DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

    Many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have won by a huge margin of votes. In this, the candidate from the Noida Assembly seat and Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh has won by a margin of 1,81,513 votes.

    The BJP senior leaders are also discussing Pankaj Singh getting a place in the Yogi cabinet. Till now, no one from Noida had got a place in the Yogi cabinet, so it is expected that this time Pankaj Singh, who has performed brilliantly in 2017 and now in 2022 too, can be made a minister in the Yogi government.

    Shalabh Mani Tripathi, a Brahmin young face close to Yogi and an experienced journalist, can be made a minister in the Yogi cabinet. Shalabh has also been in ABVP earlier.Allies Apna Dal and Nishad Party would also get a place in the Cabinet-MLC Ashish Patel and Sanjay Nishad can get important roles to play.

    Besides the new faces, old leaders like Suresh Khanna, who won with a landslide victory from the Shahjahanpur seat for the ninth consecutive time, can also be made a minister.Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya can also be part of the cabinet again.

    The swearing-in of the Yogi government is likely to be held on March 15 or 21.

    Adityanath on Friday tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow.

    Following the massive victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Adityanath on Friday held a meeting with his ministerial colleagues at the party office in Lucknow. Adityanath, a monk-turned-politician, won his first-ever Assembly election by a margin of 1,03,390 from Gorakhpur Urban constituency, defeating the Samajwadi Party candidate Subhawati Upendra Dutt Shukla, who secured 62,109 votes in the recently-concluded UP Assembly elections. Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state.

  • BJP won assembly polls by polarising votes: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP of winning the assembly elections in four states by polarising votes and making clever statements.

    Addressing a gathering at Gandhi Circle here after participating in a peace march on the 92nd anniversary of the Dandi March, Gehlot also said the people need to maintain harmony in today’s atmosphere of tension in the country.

    Hitting out at the BJP after the peace march on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, Gehlot said, “They won elections by giving statements cleverly in the name of Hindutva and polarisation.”

    “The situation is serious in the whole country, in states. Everyone knows how was the management of the corona pandemic in UP. Such questions are left behind because they speak cleverly,” he said.

    “In the atmosphere of tension in our country today, we need to maintain harmony by following the path of truth, non-violence and peace as shown by Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

    Gehlot hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the way he delivers “tactful” speeches, people believe his words as they feel that stated by the country’s PM, they must be true.

    Reacting to allegations that Congress was defaming central agencies, Gehlot said the whole country is watching what is happening in the judiciary, Income Tax department besides ED and CBI.

    “The Prime Minister accuses the opposition of defaming the agencies. The whole country is watching what is happening in the country. What is happening in the judiciary, Income Tax department, ED and CBI? The world is watching how raids are being conducted inside the country, everyone knows on one side that they are defaming the opposition about that too,” he said.

    The chief minister asserted that the truth will win ultimately.

    “We will have to reach out to the people to tell them the truth, only then BJP people will be exposed and the truth will come out. We will bring the truth by following the path of Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

    “His message of non-violence becomes more relevant in the current situation of unrest in Ukraine today,” he said.

    Earlier, Gehlot also offered flowers to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

    Along with the Chief Minister, several ministers, MLAs and other public representatives attended the programme.

    Gehlot also said the media is under pressure and supports them (BJP).

  • Mamata undermining people’s choice; failed to build consensus as Opposition’s PM nominee: BJP

    Banerjee said the victory in assembly elections in four states is not a true reflection of the people's mandate and accused the saffron camp of looting votes by using the election machinery.

  • Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma rushes to Manipur to negotiate government formation with BJP

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his brother Power Minister James PK Sangma on Friday skipped the Assembly session here to rush to Manipur to negotiate with BJP in a bid to include the National People’s Party in the next government in that state.

    However, BJP which has won a simple majority in the Manipur assembly in elections, counting for which concluded Thursday and its state leaders including care-taker chief minister N Biren Singh have indicated they are not too keen to continue the alliance with NPP which is part of the NDA, in the state.

    The NPP has won 7 seats and is the second largest party in Manipur while the BJP has won 32 seats.

    The saffron party’s leaders have however indicated they favoured taking support from the Naga People’s Front which has 5 seats.

    “The Meghalaya Chief Minister is camping in Imphal along with NPP national spokesperson James PK Sangma. They are camping at the state capital with other party leaders,” a NPP leader told PTI, requesting anonymity.

    The NPP president is using his age-old connections with BJP top leadership both in the North East and in Delhi to try and mend the broken relationship his party shared with the BJP in Manipur, according to the NPP leader.

    The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by the NPP in also includes 2 BJP MLAs, one of whom is in the cabinet.

    However, the BJP has been unhappy with the MDA taking in Congress legislators into the Government and with NPP engaging the BJP in `friendly’ fights in the Manipur assembly elections.

  • ‘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.

  • Saffron reigns in Uttar Pradesh as BJP scores thumping win, Samajwadi Party at distant second

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The BJP stormed back to power in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, trouncing its main rival Samajwadi Party, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserting that people have buried the politics of caste and religion.

    The saffron party with its allies was winning or leading in 274 seats out of 403, becoming the first party in over three decades to form a government for a second consecutive time in the state.

    The Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav and its allies lost after a spirited bid to dislodge the BJP, winning or leading in 124 seats, while national parties like the Congress (two two seats) and the BSP (one seat) were reduced to insignificance in the race.

    ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh polls – NOTA garners more votes than those polled in favour of popular parties

    As counting of votes continued late into the night, Adityanath had established a lead of 1.3 lakh votes over his nearest rival Subhawati Shukla of the SP in the Gorakhpur Urban constituency.

    However, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya lost in Sirathu by 7,337 votes to SP’s Pallavi Patel.

    Influential OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who quit the BJP and the Adityanath cabinet to join the SP ahead of the assembly elections, lost in Fazilnagar by more than 45,000 votes.

    The BJP was winning or leading in 256 seats, Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the NISHAD party, the two allies of the BJP, are winning or leading in 12 seats and six seats respectively, according to the Election Commission (EC) website.

    ALSO READ: Mayawati – Dalit leader, four-time CM fails Uttar Pradesh test

    In the opposition camp, the SP was winning or leading in 110 seats and its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has eight seats and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party had won or was ahead in six seats.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Adityanath’s feat and suggested that the victory in Uttar Pradesh will pave the wave for the BJP’s win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Lauding BJP workers for ensuring an early Holi by making the party victorious in four states, Modi said its vote share has increased in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Goa even though it was in power in the states.

    The party has also retained power in Uttarkhand.

    ALSO READ: SP president Akhilesh Yadav keeps eye on results from party office, no comment from him yet

    In Lucknow, addressing joyous BJP workers at the party’s state headquarters, Adityanath said the “misleading” campaign run by the Opposition over the past 2-3 days has been set aside by the people who reposed faith in the good governance of the BJP.

    He was apparently targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over EVM tampering allegations.

    “The false propaganda regarding EVMs and election material over the last few days have been rejected,” Adityanath said.

    “The People of UP have buried the dynastic politics and also politics of caste and religion by ensuring victory to the BJP and its allies,” Adityanath, who was the BJP’s face in Uttar Pradesh polls, said.

    ALSO READ: Congress relegated to margins in UP: Its seat tally down to 2 from 7, vote share to 2.35% from 6.25%

    According to the EC website at 10.30 PM, results had been declared on 369 seats, while counting was going on 34 seats.

    Dara Singh Chauhan, another minister who had quit the cabinet along with Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini to join the SP, has won the Ghosi seat by 22,216.

    Saini lost the elections to BJP’s Mukesh Choudhary by 315 votes.

    State Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was languishing at the third spot in the Tamukhi Raj assembly constituency, according to the EC website.

    ALSO READ: ‘Bulldozer baba’ – Mighty Yogi Adityanath’s new sobriquet

    Amid the rout of the party, Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra won from her family’s traditional Rampur Khas constituency in Pratapgarh district.

    According to the EC, the BJP’s vote share stands at 41.3 percent, while that of the SP stood at 32 percent.

    The vote share of the BSP is 12.9 percent and that of the RLD is 2.93 percent.

    The vote share of the Congress is 2.37 percent while that of AAP and AIMIM was less than .5 percent each.

    Though it registered a landslide victory in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party filed to open its account in Uttar Pradesh where it contested on all 403 seats.

    Similar was the fate of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi headed AIMIM which had fielded candidates in 100 seats.

    Excited BJP supporters smeared colour (gulal) on each other and rolled out bulldozers in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi among other places to celebrate the victory.

    Adityanath, who is generally referred to as “Maharaj ji”, earned this new sobriquet of “bulldozer baba” during the current elections due to his frequent reference of the heavy machine that authorities deployed to raze the ill-gotten property of criminals and mafias in the state under his rule.

  • Time to reform Cong’s organisational leadership in manner that inspires people: Tharoor

    “One thing is clear — Change is unavoidable if we need to succeed,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.