The ruling Congress has alleged that its MLAs are being blackmailed to vote for Kupendra Reddy. A Congress delegation filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner.
Tag: BJP
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Rajya Sabha Election: Several SP MLAs In Touch With BJP, Cross-voting Expected, Say Sources |
New Delhi: A cross-voting is expected in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh as a number of Samajwadi Party MLAs are in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party, sources have told Zee News TV.
This development follows the reports of absence from a recent important Samajwadi Party meeting focused on Rajya Sabha voting strategies. Six Samajwadi Party legislators, including Amethi’s Maharaji Devi, Pallavi Patel, Vinod Chaturvedi from Kalpi, and Pooja Pal from Kaushambi, failed to attend the meeting. Their absence has sparked concerns within the SP camp about the potential impact on the party’s performance in the upcoming elections.
The absence of these key members, and the rumors of cross-voting, suggest a possible significant setback for the Samajwadi Party.
The voting for the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections will be held tomorrow with the BJP making efforts to secure an additional seat. The competition primarily involves the BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party (SP). While ten seats are up for grabs, there are a total of eleven candidates – eight from the BJP and three from the Samajwadi Party. While victory seems assured for seven BJP candidates and two from the Samajwadi Party, the main contest revolves around the tenth candidate, given that the BJP has nominated one additional candidate. Both parties are striving to gather the necessary votes for victory, as a candidate requires 37 votes to emerge as the winner.
The Number Game
In the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, there is a total of 403 seats out of which 4 seats are vacant. Thus, the current strength of the assembly is 399 legislators. For the BJP to secure a victory for their eighth candidate, they require the votes of 9 legislators. The NDA has a total of 288 legislators from BJP+ RLD+ Apna Dal(S)+ Nishad Party+ SBSP+ Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik). However, one legislator from the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is in jail, reducing the BJP’s count to 287 legislators. It is being speculated that BSP MP Ritesh Pandey, who recently joined the BJP, may bring his father Rakesh Pandey’s vote to the BJP. Rakesh Pandey is a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator. Therefore, the BJP needs the votes of 8 more MLAs.
On the other hand, for the Samajwadi Party to secure a win for their third candidate, they need just three votes. The SP and Congress together have a total of 110 legislators. Among them, two SP legislators, Ramakant Yadav and Irfan Solanki, are in jail. Thus, the SP requires the votes of 3 more legislators. If SP legislator Rakesh Pandey votes for the BJP candidate, then they will need an additional 4 votes. Cross-voting by the MLAs will play a crucial role in deciding the 10th winner as a victory for both parties without cross-voting will be challenging.
NDA:
1. BJP- 252
2. Apna Dal (S)- 13
3. Nishad Party- 6
4. SBSP- 6
5. Jansatta Dal- 2
6. RLD- 9INDIA:
1. Samajwadi Party- 108
2. Congress- 2
Others-
1. BSP- 1
2. Vacant- 4 -
UP to witness keen contest in Feb 27 Rajya Sabha polls
Lucknow: The February 27 Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh will witness a high-pitched electoral battle ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the BJP fielding eight candidates and the opposition Samajwadi Party three for the 10 seats up for grabs. The outcome of the polls to the Rajya Sabha is likely to have an impact in the politically crucial state just ahead of the general elections in the country.
The ruling BJP and the principal opposition SP have the numbers to send seven and three members respectively unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, but with the BJP fielding Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate, a keen contest is on the cards in one of the seats.
Seth, a local industrialist and former SP leader, joined the BJP in 2019. He filed his nomination in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and other senior party leaders. Voting for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on Tuesday and the results will also be announced the same day.
The BJP and the SP are the two largest parties in the 403-member state assembly with 252 MLAs and 108 MLAs respectively. The Congress, an alliance partner of the SP, has two seats. BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) 13, NISHAD Party six, RLD nine, SBSP six, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik two and the BSP one. Four seats are currently vacant.
The seven other candidates fielded by the BJP are former Union minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind) party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain. The SP has fielded actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. To get elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, a candidate needs nearly 37 first preference votes, an official said.
Elaborating further about the Rajya Sabha elections, Returning Officer Brijbhushan Dubey said, “A candidate will need 36.37 first preference votes to register a win. At present, there are 399 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.”
Asked whether the three jailed MLAs will also be able to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections, Dubey told PTI that it would be decided by the court and the political party concerned.
SP MLAs Irfan Solanki and Ramakant Yadav and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) legislator Abbas Ansari are in prison.
Dubey further said that MLAs will enter from gate 7, take ballot papers from room 80 and head to Tilak Hall to cast their votes.
“Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm. Counting will commence from 5 pm and results are likely to be announced on Tuesday night,” he added.
Exuding confidence in the BJP’s performance in the Rajya Sabha elections, Maurya told PTI, “All BJP candidates will register a win in the Rajya Sabha elections.”
Chief whip of the Samajwadi Party in the legislative assembly Manoj Pandey said all SP MLAs will be voting for the party’s candidates in the Rajya Sabha election.
Asked if one of the SP candidates may eventually fall short by one vote, Pandey said, “How will we fall short? Our people had contested (the 2022 UP Assembly elections) from the SBSP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. And, basically, they are from the SP.”
Although Pandey exuded confidence that MLAs of the SBSP and the RLD will vote for the SP candidates, both parties have joined the BJP-led NDA.
Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, an ally of the Samajwadi Party, had earlier said that she would not vote in the Rajya Sabha polls as she did not agree with the SP decision to field Bachchan and Ranjan.
Speaking to PTI on Sunday, she said, “I will be voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. That is my right and my duty. But I have not decided yet who will be the candidate.”
On whether the two jailed SP MLAs would be casting their votes, Pandey said, “The party is making efforts to bring them to Lucknow so that they can cast their votes.”
“All the three candidates fielded by the party will emerge victorious in the Rajya Sabha elections,” former chief secretary of the state and SP candidate Ranjan told PTI.
He added that unlike the Lok Sabha elections or the legislative assembly elections, Rajya Sabha polls are a different ball game altogether.
Congress MLA from Pharenda in Maharajganj district told PTI, “Now, with the Congress and Samajwadi Party forging an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the picture here is also very clear. We will vote for the candidates fielded by the SP. The candidate of the SP will be our candidate. We will vote for the SP candidate, about whom we will be told by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.”
Ramashish Rai UP unit chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal, which recently switched over to the NDA fold said that all the RLD MLAs will vote for the BJP candidates in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections.
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Karnataka’s temple tax bill falls through in state assembly amid BJP uproar
Two days after the Karnataka assembly passed the Hindu Religious Institutions & Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which rejigged existing matrix to collect more taxes from earnings of state-owned temples, the contentious bill fell through in legislative council Friday, with BJP and JD(S) joining forces to defeat it in a potential display of solidarity ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
Political Maneuvering in Karnataka Legislative Council
The Congress had ensured the smooth passage of the bill in the assembly as it has a majority in the Lower House. However, the BJP-JD(S) combine, taking advantage of their majority in the Upper House, threw a spanner in the works of the government and thwarted the proposal. The bill was rejected by a voice vote conducted by deputy chairperson M K Parnesh.In the 75-member legislative council, BJP has 35 members, including the chairperson, while JD(S) has eight. Congress has 29 members, besides an independent. Two seats are currently vacant.
Though existing rules allow the government to reintroduce a bill in the assembly, Congress sources suggested the legislation could be pushed to the backburner until after LS polls and taken up again during the monsoon session in June.
Contentious Provisions of the BillWhile the government reasoned that the bill, once enacted into law, would enable it to take a portion of revenues from temples with higher earnings and reallocate the funds to those with lower earnings, the BJP-JD(S) combine termed the move “anti-Hindu” and a ploy to seize a significant portion of temple revenues.Under the existing law, temples are divided into three categories based on revenues they generate. Temples earning more than Rs 25 lakh are classified as Grade A, those earning between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh fall in Grade B while the ones with earnings below Rs 5 lakh are designated as Grade C. The state has approximately 34,000 Grade C temples, besides 250 Grade B, and 67 Grade A temples.
Currently, the government is allowed to allocate 5% of Grade B revenues and 10% of Grade A revenues to Grade C temples for their upkeep. The new legislation mandates muzrai temples with annual revenues of over Rs 1 crore to contribute 10% of their income to the common pool (Dharmik Parishad) and 5% to be paid by shrines with revenues of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, & redistribute it among Grade C temples.
Political Reactions
Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy, alleged that BJP is ‘anti-Hindu’ adding that the party which was in power in 2011 had made the amendments to the Bill.
Minister for Health, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that the BJP should realize the Bill is for the benefit of the temples.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the allegations regarding the amendments to the Bill “appear to be misrepresented”, “aiming only at misleading the public” and “polarizing people along communal lines for political leverage.”
Karnataka government passed ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ that mandates the state to collect 10 per cent tax from temples that have revenues exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5 per cent from those with revenues ranging between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.
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Farmers, Youth In Distress Under BJP Rule: Akhilesh Yadav`s Big Attack On Modi Govt
Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP of BJP of orchestrating corruption and electoral malpractices and said part’s agenda revolves around vote bank politics.
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Karnataka Congress Government Imposes Tax On Hindu Temples; BJP Terms It ‘Jizya Tax’ |
New Delhi: The Congress government in Karnataka faced a fierce backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday after it passed the ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ in the state assembly. The bill, which imposes a tax on donations received by Hindu temples, was likened to the Jizya Tax (a historical tax imposed on non-Muslims under Islamic rule) by several BJP leaders. The passage of the bill sparked a heated exchange of words between the BJP and Congress leaders. According to the bill, the government will collect 10 per cent from temples that have revenue exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5 per cent from those that have revenue between Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 1 crore.
The BJP accused the state government of implementing ‘Anti-Hindu’ policies and exploiting the temple revenues to fill its own coffers. “Corrupt, inept #LootSarkaar with its penchant for anti Hindu ideology in the guise of secularism, has cast its evil eyes on the Temple revenues. Through the Hindu Religious Endowments amendment act, it is trying to siphon off donations as well as offerings from Hindu temples and religious institutions in order to fill its empty coffers,” said State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa on X.
Corrupt, inept #LootSarkaar with its penchant for anti Hindu ideology in the guise of secularism, has cast its evil eyes on the Temple revenues. Through the Hindu Religious Endowments amendment act, it is trying to siphon off donations as well as offerings from Hindu temples… pic.twitter.com/Vzf9RQTaP4
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) February 22, 2024“Under this, the government will collect 10% of the income from temples earning over Rs 1 crore, this is nothing but robbery. The offering made by the devotees for the worship of God and the development of the temple should be used for the renovation of the temple and the convenience of the devotees. If it is diverted for any other purpose, it is an assault on the faith of the people. There will be violence and fraud,” he added.
Yediyurappa also questioned why only Hindu temples are being targeted and not the incomes of other religions.
BJP’s Amit Malviya Calls Cong ‘New Muslim League
BJP leader and IT Cell Head Amit Malviya also lambasted the Siddaramaiah government’s move and compared the taxation of Hindu temples to Jizya tax.
Taking to X, Malviya said, “In a shocking move, Congress Govt in Karnataka has amended the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment bill, allowing, among other things: to appoint non Hindus to Temple trust. What kind of nonsense is this? Are Hindus incapable of managing the affairs of the community? it also mandates that Hindu Temples pay tax up to 10% of the donation received. It is like Jizya .
In a shocking move, Congress Govt in Karnataka has amended the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment bill, allowing, among other things:
– to appoint non Hindus to Temple trust. What kind of nonsense is this? Are Hindus incapable of managing the affairs of the… pic.twitter.com/JQDNjGibp2
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 22, 2024“The above two amendments imply that Temple income can also be used for anything. For instance, Temple fund could potentially be used for building walls of a kabristan. If this doesn’t wake up the Hindus to the reality that Congress is the new Muslim League, nothing else will. Stop voting for the Congress!,” Malviya added.
Congress Defends Bill, Questions BJP’s Track Record
In response to the BJP’s allegations, Congress leader and Karnataka government minister Ramalinga Reddy defended the bill and questioned the BJP’s track record of protecting Hindu interests. He accused the BJP of playing religious politics and branding the Congress as anti-Hindu. Reddy claimed that the Congress has always been the true champion of Hinduism and has safeguarded temples and Hindu interests over the years.
“Sri Vijayendra Yediyurappa, It is clear that BJP always pursues political gains by alleging that Congress is anti-Hindu. However, we, the Congress, consider ourselves the true advocates of Hinduism because, over the years, Congress governments have consistently protected temples and Hindu interests,” he said.
“Did your BJP government neglect its duties between 2008 and 2013, as well as from 2019 to 2023? It seems they ignored the revenues of Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments, despite the existence of acts or bills in place since 2001,” he added.
“So, weren’t you also careless regarding Hindu temple revenues?” Ramalinga Reddy asked.
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BJP trying to woo BSP’s dalit vote bank in Uttar Pradesh
BJP, which has been constantly working to expand its base among the SC voters, finds itself in an advantageous position with the waning hold of BSP, which once enjoyed considerable support among Dalits in the state. As of now, BSP has not aligned with any party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and has decided to go solo on all 80 seats in the state.
BJP, which won 62 seats in the 2019 LS elections in UP, is eyeing to maximise its tally in the state by crossing 70. To achieve that goal, BSP vote bank becomes crucial for the party. SCs account for 20% of the state’s population and BSP has more or less managed to hold on to this vote bank. However, in the 2022 assembly elections, BSP lost its vote share from around 19.43% in 2019 Lok Sabha to 13%.
BJP’s internal calculation is that in the absence of any alliance, most BSP voters are looking for options and the saffron party considers itself the most suitable party.”SC community has got maximum benefits from Modi government’s schemes. The government policies are formulated keeping in mind the welfare of the SC community,” Lal Singh Arya, BJP SC Morcha president told ET. “If you look at the recent assembly elections, SCs have voted for BJP in large numbers. Now, our job is to convince SC voters that BJP should be their natural and preferred choice.”
Starting from Ravidas Jayanti on February 23, BJP SC Morcha will kickstart ‘Basti Sampark Abhiyan’ in different parts of the state. As part of the campaign, BJP leaders will visit nearby SC areas to discuss Modi government’s welfare schemes and present a future roadmap for the development of their localities. The PM will visit Varanasi to take part in Sant Ravidas Jayanti programme on February 23.
A national convention of BJP SC Morcha will take place in Agra in March which will be attended by BJP SC leaders, Union ministers and leaders from other states. BJP president JP Nadda will make a special address during the meeting. Agra has been chosen considering the high concentration of SC voters in West UP, where BSP performed well in last LS polls.
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Rajya Sabha polls: Congress may sequester its MLAs in resort
The ruling Congress is said to be planning to sequester its 135 MLAs in a private resort ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for February 27 as the party leaders are worried over reports of its MLAs and independent members being approached by the NDA leaders.
The presence of Kupendra Reddy, a wealthy businessman, as JDS candidate in the electoral fray has disturbed the peace of top Congress leaders, especially, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar.
He had, on Monday, accused JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy of making “offers” to Congress MLAs to influence them to vote for his party candidate in the February 27 polls. The Congress has even filed a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police accusing the Opposition parties of trying to lure its MLAs with offers of bribes for voting for the JDS candidate in the RS polls.
Reddy has emerged as NDA’s surprise fifth candidate. If not for him, the four candidates would have won unopposed.
The Congress is confident of securing the full support of its 135 MLAs, and three independents to get its three candidates through. There are only four RS vacancies in Karnataka, and the BJP and Congress have fielded one and three candidates, respectively. The JDS has maintained that it has fielded Reddy not to let the NDA’s surplus votes go waste. AICC leader Ajay Maken and sitting Rajya Sabha members GC Chandrashekar and Syed Naseer Hussain are contesting from the Congress while the BJP has fielded former MLC Narayansa Bhandage. A candidate needs 45 votes to win.
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Chandigarh Mayor election: Congress leaders accuse BJP of conspiracy to “murder democracy”, hail SC verdict on Chandigarh Mayor election
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “dirty election manipulation and “institutional sabotage”, Congress leaders on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court has saved democracy with its verdict in the Chandigarh Mayor election case.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi made a scathing attack on BJP after the Supreme Court verdict which quashed the election result and said that AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar is the winner in the election for Chandigarh Mayor.
Rahul Gandhi said that Returning Officer Anil Masih, who was the Returning Officer for the election, was just a pawn in the conspiracy. “In the BJP’s conspiracy to murder democracy Masih is just a pawn, behind it is ‘face’ of Modi,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra quashed the decision by Anil Masih by which be declared BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar as Chandigarh Mayor on January 30.
The order of the apex court came as it found that the Returning Officer had deliberately defaced eight ballots that were cast in favour of Kuldeep Kumar to make them invalid.The apex court today physically examined the ballot papers and found that they are not defaced. It directed that Kuldeep Kumar be declared as mayor with 20 votes (12 votes which he received and 8 which were for him and were defaced by Masih).Kharge said all Indians must fight the “onslaught on the Constitution” collectively.
“The Supreme Court has saved Democracy from the fangs of an autocratic BJP, which resorted to dirty election manipulation. The institutional sabotage in the Chandigarh Mayor Polls is only the tip of the iceberg in Modi-Shah’s devious conspiracy to trample Democracy. All Indians must fight this onslaught on our Constitution, collectively. Never forget. Our Democracy shall be at a crossroads in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections!” Kharge posted on X.
Supreme Court further directed the Registrar Judicial to issue notice to Anil Masih for perjury proceedings under Section 340 CrPC for making a false statement before the court that the mark was made on eight ballots as they were defaced.
The bench slammed Masih saying he had “unlawfully altered the course of the mayoral election”.
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BJP Chief JP Nadda, Congress` Sonia Gandhi Among Others Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha
Congress president Sonia Gandhi was among the three candidates who were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday. The other two were BJP’s Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore.