News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Assembly poll results put BJP on firm wicket for Presidential elections

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP’s victory in the assembly polls on Thursday has put the party on a stronger wicket for the election for the post of President expected later this year.

    The big victory for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi a free hand to decide on the successor to President Ram Nath Kovind, who will complete his tenure on July 24, 2022, political analysts said.

    Had the Uttar Pradesh election results gone in favour of the Samajwadi Party, the BJP would have had to rely on the support of fence-sitters such as Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) who together control a sizeable chunk of votes.

    The electoral college for the presidential election comprises elected members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and elected members of state legislative assemblies and that of NCT Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry.

    Members of Legislative Councils and nominated members do not form part of the electoral college.

    “It is advantage NDA now,” former Lok Sabha secretary general P Sreedharan told PTI.

    In terms of numbers, the electoral college is made up of 233 members of Rajya Sabha, 543 members of Lok Sabha and 4,120 members of legislative assemblies – a total of 4,896 electors.

    The value of the vote of every MP has been fixed at 708, while among states the value of the vote of an MLA is the highest at 208.

    The total value of votes of the Uttar Pradesh assembly is 83,824, Punjab (13,572), Uttarakhand (4480), Goa (800) and Manipur (1080).

    The string of victories in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur have turned the presidential elections a cakewalk for the BJP, a political observer said.

    A section of the opposition had projected NCP supremo Sharad Pawar as a possible candidate for the presidential election.

    TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had met a section of opposition leaders, apparently with an eye on playing a key role in the presidential election.

    In a bid to create a divide in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the NCP has even proposed the name of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a joint opposition candidate in the presidential election, should he part ways with the BJP.

    The presidential elections follow the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.

    The value of each vote is pre-determined in proportion to the population of the respective state based on the 1971 census.

    The total value of the electoral college, comprising 4,896 electors is 10,98,903 and the winning candidate has to get at least 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared as elected.

  • BJP to stake claim today evening to form government in Goa

    By PTI

    PANAJI: The BJP, which is emerging as the single largest party in the 40-member Goa Assembly, will meet Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and stake claim to form government on Thursday evening, a senior party leader said.

    As per data of the Election Commission of India, the BJP has so far won five seats and is leading in 15 others in the coastal state, where counting of votes is currently underway.

    The BJP’s legislature wing will meet around 4 pm in the state capital Panaji during which the group leader would be decided, a senior party leader said. “After that, the party will stake claim to form the next government,” he said.

    The BJP has said that three independents, who are currently leading in their respective constituencies, are in touch with the party.

    Dr Chandrakant Shetye, the independent candidate who won from Bicholim Assembly constituency, met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after the announcement of his victory, the party leader said.

  • Maharashtra Assembly adjourned briefly over suspension of 12 BJP MLAs

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Assembly was on Thursday adjourned till the end of the Question Hour over the issue of the presence of a BJP MLA, who was among the 12 party legislators suspended for a year during the monsoon session in July 2021.

    Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav initially claimed in the House that the judiciary cannot interfere in the proceedings of the legislature, but later said he was not against the legislators being taken back and wanted to know the status of the resolution which was passed for the suspension.

    Notably, the Supreme Court earlier this year quashed the one-year suspension of the 12 BJP MLAs, saying it was “worse” than expulsion or disqualification, and that such an action beyond the remaining period of an ongoing session would impact the democratic setup.

    The SC had held that the resolution suspending these MLAs beyond the period of the remainder of the session held in July 2021 was “unconstitutional” and “irrational”.

    BJP legislators Yogesh Sagar, Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkalkar, Parag Alavani, Harish Pimpale, Jaykumar Raval, Narayan Kuche, Ram Satpute and Kirtikumar Bhangdia were suspended last year for alleged misbehaviour with the then presiding officer Jadhav in the Speaker’s chamber.

    On Thursday, Jadhav objected to MLA Sagar participating in proceedings during the Question Hour.

    Raising a point of procedure, Jadhav asked how the MLAs were allowed to enter the House ahead of the completion of their one-year suspension.

    The Legislative Assembly suspended the MLAs and the judiciary cannot interfere in the proceedings of the legislature, he said.

    Jadhav also said the legislature should assert itself on this issue.

    Members of the opposition and treasury benches rushed to the well of House, resulting in noisy scenes.

    Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal then adjourned the House till the end of the Question Hour.

    When the House re-assembled, Jadhav said he was not against the BJP MLAs being taken back, but wanted to know the status of the resolution which was passed regarding the suspension.

    He said the court judgement would be a precedent in the entire country.

    The Maharashtra government and the legislature should have reacted to protect the rights of the legislature.

    The House should have been informed about the status of the resolution, he said.

    Ashish Shelar, who was among those suspended, said the 89-page court judgement does not interfere with the rights of the legislature.

    The court has held the duration of the suspension as illegal and unconstitutional, he said, adding that the stand of the 12 MLAs was not heard by the legislature.

    The court has declared the resolution as illegal and unconstitutional, Shelar said.

    It is because of the state Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s “ego” that the legislature had to face embarrassment in the apex court, the BJP MLA said.

    To this, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab claimed the resolution has not been termed as illegal and unconstitutional, but only the duration of the suspension has been questioned.

  • Assembly polls 2022: BJP ahead in Manipur, early trends show

    By PTI

    IMPHAL: The BJP was leading in 23 seats and the Congress in 12 constituencies in the initial rounds of counting of votes in Manipur.

    Counting of votes for 60 assembly seats in Manipur began at 8 am on Thursday under tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, officials said.

    According to early trends available from all the 60 constituencies, the BJP was ahead in 23 seats, the Congress in 12 and the NPP in 11.

    As per the official figure of the Election Commission, the BJP was ahead in 16 seats, the National People’s Party in six, the Congress in five and the JD(U) in three constituencies.

    The newly formed Kuki People’s Alliance and an Independent candidate led in one constituency each.

    Chief Minister N Biren Singh led with a huge margin of 8,574 votes against his nearest Congress rival in the Heingang constituency, while former CM and CLP leader O Ibobi Singh was ahead by a margin of 472 votes against BJP’s L Basanta.

    Congress president N Loken Singh trailed by 4,426 votes against BJP candidate Th Basanta, the EC data showed.

  • BJP, Congress leaders rush to Goa, hold talks with smaller parties

    Express News Service

    BELAGAVI: As the countdown begins for the assembly results on Thursday, political parties in Goa are fiercely guarding their potential winning candidates from covetous poachers. With a hung assembly looking imminent, the Congress moved its candidates to a resort in Madgaon on Wednesday, while AAP herded its flock to an unknown “safe location”.

    To avoid a repeat of 2017 — when a large group of Congress legislators defected to the BJP despite the party emerging as the single largest — the Congress has rushed a team headed by P Chidambaram, D K Shivakumar, Satish Jarkiholi, Dinesh Gundurao and Sunil Kedar to Goa to keep its flock together.

    According to sources, the Congress is likely to herd its winning legislators to Rajasthan if there is a hung assembly, and the BJP falls short of a majority. However, KPCC Working President Satish Jarkiholi said the Congress will get a majority and form the government on its own.

    On his arrival in Goa, Jarkiholi said the party sent a team of top leaders to Goa to work out strategies to help the Congress form the government in case of a hung assembly. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar said his party was in talks with AAP and MGP, and that AAP had made it clear it would not support the BJP under any circumstances.

    “The BJP may resort to poaching of Congress MLAs only if it falls way short of a majority. It is confident of getting the support of five to six MLAs, mainly Independents and MGP. Although BJP calls MGP a natural ally, the MGP is yet to clarify its stand on a possible post-poll alliance,’’ said senior journalist Kishor Naik Gaonkar.

    BJP’s election in-charge of Goa Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP would get a majority on its own but would include MLAs of other parties in the government any way. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant went a step further, claiming his party would get the numbers on its own and a meeting had been fixed at 4pm on Thursday at the party office in Panaji.

    Despite the BJP leadership’s repeated claims that MGP would ally with it, MGP chief Sudhin Dhavalikar told a section of media on Wednesday that he would not support a Pramod Sawant-led BJP in Goa, as it had not only “bought” the MGP MLAs but also sacked him (Dhavalikar) from the cabinet in 2019 without reason.

    Regional parties and potential Independent MLAs have kept both the BJP and Congress on tenterhooks in Goa and are waiting for the results before calling the shots. 

  • JD(U) MPs to keep ‘vigil’ on counting of votes in Manipur

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BJP ally Janata Dal (United) said on Wednesday that its five MPs will camp in Imphal to keep “vigil” on the counting of votes for the Manipur assembly polls.

    “If the party gets any complaints from the JD(U) candidates about any foul play during counting, the Members of Parliament shall sit in dharna in front of respective counting centres,” party general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan, its in-charge for the North East region, said in a statement.

    Though the JD(U) is a BJP ally, it has fought the assembly polls in states like Manipur and Uttar Pradesh on its own after its senior partner turned down its offer of an alliance.

    A number of former BJP leaders, several of whom quit the party after not getting tickets for the polls, have fought on the JD(U) symbol.

    The party has accused the BJP of poaching its MLAs in some North East states in the past.

    The JD(U) has also written to the Election Commission to direct electoral officers to strictly ensure that complete videography is done in counting centres, counting of postal ballots are done before the counting of EVM votes and new round of counting be taken up only after the announcement of each round of counting.

    It has also sought that adequate security be provided to counting agents.

    Counting of votes for five state polls will take place on Thursday.

  • Polls: Congress shifts flock to luxury resort in Goa amid prediction of Mar 10 results ending in dead heat

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Desperate to avoid the repeat of the 2017 fiasco when it had failed to form a government in Goa despite scoring the maximum number of seats, the Congress has shifted all the candidates who had contested the Assembly polls to a luxury resort in Bambolim village near Panaji ahead of the counting of votes on March 10.

    Given that the political stakes are very high and considering the quicksand of Goa politics, the party may not allow some candidates even to visit the counting centre on Thursday, a senior Congress leader said on Wednesday.

    However, Michael Lobo, who quit the BJP-led Goa government ahead of the polls and contested on a Congress ticket, said all the candidates will go to the counting centre.

    With the prediction of a hung Assembly setting off power games in Goa, Congress on Tuesday evening shifted all its candidates in a luxury resort at Bambolim village, around 5 km away from Panaji.

    All the candidates checked in the resort on Tuesday evening with their luggage, indicating that the government formation may be a long haul.

    However, Congress leaders refused to admit that the party was corralling its candidates as it is not willing to take any chances given the delicate number game.

    “We are here to celebrate the birthday of Opposition leader Digambar Kamat. It’s a celebration time,” Lobo, who contested the election from home turf Calangute, told reporters.

    Kamat celebrated his birthday on March 8. Lobo said Congress had nothing to fear as all the candidates are together. “There is no worry about poaching,” he added.

    However, a senior Congress leader spoke about the anxiety in the party over retaining the flock against the backdrop of the 2017 experience wherein intense infighting and the delay in staking claim to form a government cost the party dear.

    “There are worries. That is why the candidates are kept under one roof. Some of the candidates will not be allowed even to visit the counting centre tomorrow. Their counting agents will represent them,” a senior Congress leader said.

    Lobo, however, said that all the candidates will go to the counting centre. “Let them celebrate their victory and return to stake a claim to form the government,” he said.

    With its strength whittled down to just two MLAs in the 40-member House from the 17 seats it had won in the 2017 polls and the Goa political space getting crowded with the entry of TMC and AAP, the Grand Old Party did some course correction ahead of polls this time.

    Before the polls, held on February 14, Congress made all its 37 candidates sign affidavits to ensure that they will not defect to other parties after getting elected.

    The Congress had taken all its candidates in a special bus to a temple, a church as well as a dargah in Goa and made them take the ‘anti-defection’ pledge.

    Senior leaders, including AICC Goa election in-charge P Chidambaram and Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, have been closely monitoring the developments.

    In the 2017 polls, despite winning 17 seats, Congress could not come to power as the BJP, which had bagged 13 seats, allied with some independents and regional parties to form the government under Manohar Parrikar.

  • Assembly polls: Stage set for counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Counting of votes polled in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections will take place on Thursday, the outcome of which will decide whether the BJP returns to power for the second consecutive term.

    “Counting in all the 75 districts of the state will begin at 8 am. The postal ballots will be counted first, and then the votes polled in the EVMs will be counted,” a senior election official told PTI.

    Almost all the exit polls have predicted that the BJP will return to power. They have forecast an increase in Samajwadi Party’s tally but not enough to form the government.

    The exit polls have forecast double-digit numbers for the BSP and single-digit count for the Congress.

    Both the SP and BSP have dismissed the exit polls, claiming that they would win the poll comfortably and form their government in the state, which has a 403-member assembly.

    If the BJP comes to power, it would be a record for a party getting re-elected in UP for a second term in over three decades.

    In 2017, BJP had won 312 seats on its own while NDA’s figure was 325. The SP had won 47, BSP 19 and the Congress had won seven seats, two less than Apna Dal (S) at nine.

    The BJP went in the polls this time with Apna Dal (Sonelal) and NISHAD party while Akhilesh Yadav had formed a rainbow coalition with RLD and a string of regional parties, including Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

    Considering its bearing on the 2024 Parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath aggressively campaigned across the state to drum up support for the saffron party.

    On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of trying to “steal” votes and claimed a truck carrying EVMs was “intercepted” in Varanasi, but the Election Commission clarified that the machines were for training officials on counting duty and had not been used in elections.

    In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of UP said, “Rumours were spread by people of some political party by stopping the vehicle and alleging that these EVMs were used in elections.”

    According to the report sent by the District Election Officer (of Varanasi), it was found during the investigation that these EVMs were marked for training. “Training has been organised for March 9 (Wednesday),” it had said.

    The voting for the politically-important state was done in seven rounds starting February 10.

    For the opposition, Akhilesh addressed 131 rallies and roadshows to take on the pantheon of leaders from the ruling camp.

    Mayawati, whose absence on the ground had initially triggered speculations that BSP was out of the power race, also hit the streets in favour of her party nominees.

    Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who led the party from the front in UP, attended 209 rallies and roadshows, maximum among top leaders of various parties, in a bid to regain lost ground for her party in the Hindi heartland.

    Sonia Gandhi virtually addressed voters in her Rae Bereli constituency while Rahul Gandhi addressed two rallies – one in Amethi and another in Varanasi.

    Elaborating about arrangements on March 10, the election official said, “Covid protocols, including the use of hand gloves, sanitisers, masks, thermal scanners and adhering to social distancing norms, will be followed at the counting centres throughout the state.”

    “The votes cast through postal ballots, including those by people with disabilities and senior citizens above 80 years, will be counted manually, while the votes of the service voters — ETPBS (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System) will be done online,” he said.

    Apart from this, VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) slips of five machines will be counted in every assembly constituency.

    The Supreme Court had on April 8, 2019 directed the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per assembly segment, from one, during the then Lok Sabha polls, saying it will provide greater satisfaction not just to political parties but to the entire electorate.

    Video and static cameras have been installed at all the counting centres, the official said, adding media centres have also been set up there.

    “Adequate AROs (Assistant Returning Officers) have been deployed in every assembly constituency for interruption-free counting,” the senior official said.

    Elaborating on the security arrangements, the official said a three-layer security set-up has been made comprising of central police forces, PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and the state police.

    A total of 250 companies of CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) have been provided to all the districts and commissionerates on March 10, the police said.

    According to officials, a CAPF company usually has around 70-80 personnel. Of the 250, 36 companies have been earmarked for EVM security and 214 for maintaining law and order. Besides the CAPFs, 61 companies of PAC have also been provided to all districts, they said.

    Officials said 625 gazetted officers of UP Police; 1,807 inspectors; 9,598 sub-inspectors, 11,627 head constables and 48,649 constables have also been put on duty.

    The Model Code of Conduct came into force on January 8 after the announcement of polls in Uttar Pradesh by the Election Commission.

  • Maharashtra Assembly adjourned after Opposition asks government on Nawab Malik’s resignation

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Assembly was adjourned for 30 minutes on Wednesday after Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis demanded that the state government make a statement over the BJP’s demand that state minister Nawab Malik should either resign or be removed from the cabinet.

    Senior NCP leader Malik was arrested on February 23 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. He was on Monday sent to judicial custody.

    On Wednesday, soon after the Question Hour in the state Assembly ended, BJP leader Fadnavis said the state government should ask the minister to resign or Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should remove him from the cabinet.

    Fadnavis said the government should make an announcement about it on the floor of the House immediately. Members of the BJP rushed to the well of the House and shouted slogans against the government.

    Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal then adjourned the House for 30 minutes. The BJP will stage a demonstration in Mumbai later in the day to demand Malik’s resignation.

  • Maharashtra Legislative Council adjourned twice amid din over BJP MLC’s remarks

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Legislative Council was adjourned twice on Wednesday after BJP legislator Gopichand Padalkar allegedly made some insulting remarks against Minister of State for Home Shambhuraj Desai and Council’s Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe.

    The House was discussing a proposal by the opposition members over the law and order situation in the state. Padalkar allegedly made some remarks while referring to Desai. As Desai objected to the remarks, senior NCP legislator Satish Chavan joined him and asked Padalkar to tender an apology, but the latter refused to budge.

    Despite Gorhe’s intervention, the ruckus continued, following which the House was adjourned twice for 10 minutes and seven minutes.