News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Who Benefits From Shinde-Sena Vs Sena-UBT And NCP-Ajit Vs NCP-Sharad Battle In Maharashtra? |

    The Election Commission of India yesterday ruled in favour of the Ajit Pawar faction terming it the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The order came as a setback for Sharad Pawar as his party is set to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. However, it’s the BJP which may emerge as a winner in the battle of Shiv Sena and NCP. The BJP has allied with both the rebel factions – Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar. This will boost the party’s prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats and it will be crucial in BJP’s mission ‘Abki Bar 400 Paar’.

    With the recent political developments in Bihar, the BJP has already got an upper hand there and now it’s trying to better its poll prospects in Maharashtra. In the 2019 Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of the 48 seats. At that time, Shiv Sena was its ally, and it secured 18 seats. Thus the NDA had bagged 40 of the 48 seats. But since Uddhav Thackeray left the NDA and joined the Congress-NCP alliance, the BJP has recalibrated its strategy this time, sidelining Shiv Sena-UBT and Sharad Pawar-led NCP. With the NCP and Shiv Sena already splitting into two factions, the BJP stands to gain the seats where it has been traditionally weak earlier against NCP and Shiv Sena.

    Sharad Pawar, who separated from Congress to form the NCP in 1999, is now at the centre of a political storm. The recent political developments, including Ajit Pawar’s rebellion and NCP’s affiliation with Congress, have created uncertainty about how Sharad Pawar will lead the new party forward. While it is certain that Ajit Pawar’s entry and his leadership may attract the youth, the future remains uncertain.

    Sharad Pawar is still active in politics, but his influence is limited to certain regions. With the departure of prominent leaders like Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal, even his nephews joining politics has left a gap in his leadership. The split in the massive vote bank of the NCP is likely to benefit the BJP-led coalition. Sharad Pawar has mentioned bringing in new faces to the party, but for now, his nephew seems to be dominating the political scene.

    The split between Shiv Sena and NCP has significantly benefited the BJP. Not only did they come to power in the state, but they also weakened the opposition considerably. BJP’s leaders have gained a strong foothold. The impact of this realignment will be evident in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, it’s likely that Ajit Pawar’s NCP, if pitched against Sharad Pawar in the latter’s stronghold may not do well in some of those seats. Opposite to that, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena is likely to do better against Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena because traditionally the Shiv Sena supporters have been against the Congress.

    The alliance with NCP in Maharashtra is expected to benefit the BJP in various regions, especially in western Maharashtra, where NCP has had a stronghold. The BJP’s strategy, if successful, could lead to achieving its goal of 45 seats and further consolidating its position in the state. The alliances with Shiv Sena and NCP may pave the way for an easier accomplishment of the “Mission 400+” in the upcoming elections.

  • BJP MLAs stage protest in Bengal Assembly on CAG report, allege “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds

    Kolkata: The BJP MLAs on Tuesday tried to move an adjournment and demanded discussion on CAG report in the West Bengal assembly, which was turned downed by the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on Tuesday. Following the refusal, BJP MLAs staged a protest on the CAG report and alleged “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds.

    “We were not even allowed to read our adjournment motion. We were not allowed to even discuss the CAG report in the assembly. The CAG report is not about advance adjustment as said by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but also finds mention of multiple fraud accounts which have been discovered,” Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari told mediapersons.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal unit of BJP has decided to meet Governor CV Ananda Bose on CAG report issue on March 9 and urge him to send recommendations to CAG for filing FIR against state government on the issue.Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently on the CAG report issue and non-submission of utilization letter, which was raised by BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar. The BJP on January 31 cited a CAG report to allege that “mother of all scams” to the tune of about Rs 2 lakh crore had taken place in the Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.

    The Speaker turned down the demand stating that the issue has no justification to discuss in the House, following which BJP MLAs protested inside the House.

    Anti-government slogans were shouted by the BJP MLAs- Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Whip Manoj Tigga and Siligurj legislator Shankar Ghosh among others. They were carrying placards and protested outside the South gate of the assembly.“CAG reports has brought out details of many fake accounts, fund diversion issues, central government guidelines violation, misappropriation of funds. It shows corruption and theft of Trinamool Congress government,” Adhikari said.State Finance Minister (MoS) Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “There is no scope of discussion on CAG in the assembly. The report is from 2003 to 2021. The central government did not receive Utilization Certificates (UC) but have released funds. How were the funds released? How come the Centre announced that Bengal was the topmost performer in MGNREGA? And now the funds have been blocked.”

    After hearing that Mamata Banerjee will pay 21lakh workers under MGNREGA, BJP has lost their minds and made all these allegations,” Bhattacharya said.

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  • Uniform Civil Code Bill In Uttarakhand Assembly Today: Check Key Features |

    In a major development, the Uttarakhand Assembly bill will take up the Uniform Civil Code Bill for discussion and passing today. The UCC draft was approved by the Uttarakhand Cabinet led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday. The common civil code bill proposes uniform civil laws for all communities in the state. The assembly proceeding will begin at 11 am today. The UCC will provide a legal framework for uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

    A committee appointed by the Uttarakhand government, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, has compiled a comprehensive four-volume report spanning 749 pages, offering a multitude of recommendations. The committee actively sought public input through 2.33 lakh written submissions online and conducted over 70 public forums. Through these forums, the panel members actively interacted with approximately 60,000 individuals, incorporating their perspectives and insights into the drafting process.

    Key Features Of The UCC

    Equal Property Rights

    The Uniform Civil Code proposes to provide equal rights in property for both sons and daughters. The property right will stand even if the girl marries in any other religion. A 2005 amendment in the Hindu Succession Act 1956 already provides for married daughters to have an equal share as a son in their father’s property. 

    Legitimate And Illegitimate Children

    The Uttarakhand UCC bill also aims to abolish the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children concerning property rights. The bill specifies that all children would be recognised as the biological offspring of the parents and would have equal rights. Also, the bill gives equal footing and rights to children who are adopted, born through surrogacy, or born through assisted reproductive technology. The adoption process will be the same for all religions under the law.

    Property Rights After Death

    In the aftermath of an individual’s passing, the legislation ensures equitable property rights for both the spouse and children. Notably, this inclusive provision also extends such rights to the deceased person’s parents. This represents a significant departure from prior legal frameworks, where exclusive property rights were granted solely to the mother in the event of the individual’s demise.

    Equal Divorce Rights, Maintenance

    The UCC bill also provides for an equal divorce process and rights to men and women of every religion in the state. The Muslim Women Act, 2019 brought by the Narendra Modi government has already made instant triple talaq illegal. The maintenance law after divorce will be the same for all religions. 

    Ban On Polygamy, Child Marriage

    The bill also makes marriage registration mandatory for all religions. It also bans polygamy and child marriage, a common marriageable age for girls across all faiths. The bill also makes it mandatory to declare live-in relationships.

    Ban On Halala And Iddat

    The UCC bill seeks to ban Islamic practices such as halala and iddat which are considered unfair for women. Halala and iddat are Islamic practices a woman must go through after a divorce or the death of her husband.

  • Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter on Rahul Gandhi: 'Congress should think about their party’s face'

    Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter on Rahul Gandhi: 'Congress should think about their party’s face'

  • With ‘GYAN’, BJP Clears Its 2024 Poll Strategy To Counter Congress’ Caste Census Plank |

    Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s pitch for caste-based census across the country in a bid to counter BJP’s Hindutva poll plank, the saffron party has played two major cards – one was ‘poor’ caste and now the ‘GYAN’. Reacting to the opposition’s demand for a caste census, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during assembly polls in November that there is only one caste for the government and that is ‘poor people’. He said that the NDA government has been working for the welfare of this caste.

    Now, two months later, ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that ‘GYAN’ encompasses the Modi government’s four main focus points. Explaining ‘GYAN’, FM Sitharaman said that G stands for ‘Garib’ (Poor), Y for ‘Yuva’ (Youth), A for ‘Annadata’ (Farmer) and N for ‘Nari’ (Women). She said that PM Modi believes in focusing on these four ‘castes’ and the government is committed to the progress of these four sections. While some may have taken it lightly, this is a broader narrative on which the Modi government is working and is wooing the voters of this section.

    The government has already been running various programs for these four sections and some of them are the SAUBHAGYA electricity scheme, Ujjwala LPG cylinder scheme, Skill India or Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), promotion of sports through TOPS and Khelo India, and Kisan Samman Nidhi. These are just some of the schemes of the Modi government that cater to these four sections and if taken a holistic view, any poor family. 

    Women and youth form a majority of the Indian voters and the NDA government has been able to keep this section happy in the 2019 polls and the continuation of such schemes is likely to help the ruling party in the upcoming polls as well. Congress, which has been talking about caste-based census each day ahead of the assembly polls in November, has not only toned down on the issue but now talks about it very rarely. Most probably, the grand old party may have realised that the narrative did not work in its favour and rather gave the BJP a chance to further highlight the schemes run by its government. Now, the question here is, can Congress find a fix to BJP’s ‘GYAN’ and ‘poor’ caste narrative? In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress is not only facing an issue on the alliance front but it will have to find poll planks that resonate with the common people.

  • Delhi Liquor Policy Case: ED moves court after Arvind Kejriwal skips 5th summons, hearing on Feb 7 – The Economic Times Video

    Enforcement Directorate has moved to Rouse Avenue Court and filed a complaint against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for not complying with the summons issued by the agency in the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case. Court heard some submissions today and put up for February 7, for the remaining submissions and consideration.

  • 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: Mamata Banerjee’s Googly, Mallikarjun Kharge’s Modi Remark Show Congress Party’s Acceptance Of Defeat |

    Seven months into INDIA Bloc’s formation and the grouping has started to disintegrate despite their common resolve to fight the BJP together. Be it Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or Samajwadi Party, they have given a serious reason to Congress to think for its future strategy. While Mamata Banerjee gave a fresh scare to Congress saying that the grand old party would not even win 40 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Kharge while taking a jibe at the BJP inside the Rajya Sabha, said that it was because of Modi that BJP leaders were seating inside Parliament. 

    While Kharge was taking a jibe at the BJP saying that ‘Abki Baar 400 Paar’ ho raha hai, he added that it was because of Narendra Modi that the saffron party got victory. This was one of the rare acceptances by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge indicating that the grand old party has conceded defeat much before the polls and is now only trying to hold the ground that it managed to retain in the 2019 polls.

    Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and Bhagwant Mann in Punjab have already refused to share seats with Congress. Samajwadi Party has already sent a veiled warning to the Congress by announcing names of 16 candidates including one from the Lucknow seat, that the Congress was demanding. Apart from Maharashtra, the Congress is yet to finalize its seat sharing with other allies and the party’s key leader Rahul Gandhi is busy carrying out solo Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. 

    On the other hand, the BJP has already managed its Hindi belt votes by breaking away Nitish Kumar in Bihar from the INDIA bloc, winning Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. With multiple visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the saffron party is also looking to improve its performance in South India, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The party is likely to do well in Karnataka and Telangana despite the opposition governments there. 

    With each passing day, the Congress is losing the opportunity to present a better counter to the BJP and the consequent delay in seat sharing and candidate announcement may hurt the INDIA bloc badly. 

  • L K Advani To Receive Bharat Ratna Award; Check All About Mastermind Behind BJP’s Meteoric Rise |

    New Delhi: Lal Krishna Advani, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former deputy prime minister, is set to be honored with the prestigious ‘Bharat Ratna’ award, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

    Lal Krishna Advani: Early Life

    Born on November 8, 1927, in Pre-Partition Sindh, Advani migrated to Delhi in 1947 after the partition.

    Lal Krishna Advani: Political Journey

    He joined the Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP, in 1951 when it was founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Advani became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1970, holding his seat until 1989. In December 1972, he was elected as the president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

    Lal Krishna Advani: Political Milestones

    Advani served as the information and broadcasting minister in the Janata Party in 1975 during the prime ministership of Morarji Desai. A key figure alongside Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he played a pivotal role in establishing the BJP in 1980.

    Notably, Advani gained prominence for leading the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1990s, advocating for the construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

    During the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, Advani held significant positions as the deputy prime minister and home minister, contributing significantly to the government. In recent years, he has taken a step back from active political engagements due to health issues.

    Lal Krishna Advani: Bharat Ratna Honor

    The decision to confer the Bharat Ratna upon L K Advani acknowledges his long and impactful political career, marked by leadership, contributions to the BJP’s foundation, and influential roles in various government positions.

  • MLA poaching claims: Delhi Police serves notice to Arvind Kejriwal over MLA poaching claims: Sources

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has recently found himself entangled in a political storm, as the Delhi Police Crime Branch delivered a notice to his residence following his claims of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to sway seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. This development comes in the wake of Kejriwal’s accusation that the BJP had offered a substantial ₹25 crore each to lure the AAP legislators, a claim that prompted the BJP to file a police complaint in response.Arvind Kejriwal made headlines when he publicly stated that the BJP was engaged in a dubious endeavor to “buy” seven AAP MLAs with an offer of ₹25 crore each. The BJP promptly responded by filing an official police complaint, setting the stage for a legal face-off. The accusations have created a political stir, putting the focus on the alleged attempts to destabilize the Kejriwal-led government.In a post on X, Kejriwal claimed that seven of his party MLAs had been contacted by “them”, or the BJP, and warned that he could be arrested soon. The MLAs were allegedly promised Rs 25 crore and a BJP ticket each to contest the elections after the toppling of the Delhi government, the AAP leader charged. Kejriwal added that all the seven AAP MLAs refused to quit the party.

    In a significant development, according to sources, a team from the Delhi Police Crime Branch visited the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to deliver a notice related to the AAP’s claims against the BJP. The police officials have explicitly requested the Chief Minister to provide evidence substantiating the serious allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party.

    The situation intensifies as the Delhi Police, responsible for maintaining law and order in the capital, operates under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry.

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  • “World’s biggest party caught stealing votes”, Kejriwal led AAP protests against BJP

    Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other party leaders, protested in Delhi against the BJP over the Chandigarh mayoral elections.”BJP messes up in elections; there were often allegations that BJP wins elections by messing up; BJP steals election votes, tampers with EVMs, gets names removed from the voter list, and adds fake names, we heard. We used to hear that fake votes were cast, but never found any proof. There is a verse written in the Gita, Yada Yada hi Dharmasya Glanirbhavati Bharata: whenever too much sin is committed on this earth, then the God above will come to the earth. This election in Chandigarh shows that they are the pot of sin. How did it get filled? When the pot of sin gets filled too much, then nature moves its broom, God moves its broom, and corrects things. The Chandigarh election was a small one. The world’s biggest party was caught stealing votes in the Chandigarh elections; it was caught red-handed.” said CM Kejriwal at Delhi while addressing the protest.”We have not come here to seek power. Elections keep coming. Parties keep on coming and going. Leaders keep on coming. Leaders keep on coming. Today the BJP is ruling; tomorrow someone else will be. There should not be any playing with our democracy; those who have started playing with the elections, those who are playing with the democracy, were caught on camera,” the CM added.Speaking about the potential misuse of election machinery on a large scale in the Lok Sabha election, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “If they can create such a big mess in a small election like Chandigarh, then it is obvious that they can create such a big mess in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, whether it is so or not, no matter how they come in front of the country. This is a wrong thing, so friends, we strongly condemn it and today, from this platform, I want to warn the people of the country that when you come after casting your vote, you think that you voted for a particular party, but after that, your vote gets counted. What happens is nothing; you press someone’s button inside the machine, the vote goes to someone’s account, and someone’s name is removed from the voter list, If democracy is in danger, election are meaningless.”

    “We all have to come together and raise our voice against it, under any circumstances, we should not let democracy die; do not let the country be tampered with. Now we will not make any mess in a peaceful manner; we will peacefully go towards the headquarters of BJP. We will stop wherever the police stop us, we should not not have to quarrel with the police,” said CM Kejriwal.

    Earlier the Delhi Chief Minister skipped the fifth summons from the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged Delhi Liquor scam. Kejriwal and his party have called the summons illegal.The BJP however accused the Delhi CM of running away from the investigative agency.”Arvind Kejriwal, if there is nothing to hide…then why are you not presenting yourself before the ED and other agencies? You are the same Kejriwal who, under Anna Hazare’s tutelage, said that first there should be resignation and then investigation. Today you refuse to cooperate with investigation. You say that these are all politically motivated, as if doing ‘bhrashtachar’ is your ‘shishtachar’…How long will you play this victimhood card?…This is the ‘charitra’ of INDI alliance, that the only thing that binds them is commission and corruption, not a mission or vision” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said.

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