News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Haven’t discussed cabinet expansion with BJP leaders: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

    By PTI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday asserted that the issue of his Cabinet’s expansion did not figure during the talks he had with top BJP leaders at his official residence here the previous evening, amid reports that efforts were being made to thrash out the matter.

    The JD(U) leader said his conversation with BJP national general secretary in-charge of the state Bhupendra Yadav, state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal and deputy CMs Tarkishor Prasad and Renu Devi was “sahaj aur samanya” (normal and cordial), but it did not centre around political issues.

    “As of now, we have a 14-member-strong state cabinet. The issue (of expansion) was not taken up for discussion at yesterday’s meeting,” Kumar told reporters emerging from the secretariat where he had reviewed, among other things, implementation of prohibition in the state which went dry close to five years ago.

    BJP leaders had met Kumar at 1, Anney Marg shortly after calling on the newly elected national president of the JD(U), RCP Singh, at the party’s Birchand Patel Marg office.

    Speculation is rife that leaders were trying to arrive at a decision on the issue of cabinet expansion, which has been hanging fire on account of contesting claims, reportedly, by the BJP and the JD(U), with regard to the parties’ respective representation in the council of ministers.

    The BJP is said to be insistent on having a bigger share of the pie since it has emerged as the larger NDA constituent in the recently held assembly elections, winning 74 seats as against the JD(U)’s tally of 43.

    The chief minister’s party, however, is said to be keen on a 50-50 formula for the JD(U)-BJP, the contention being that its tally fell not because of a dip in its leader’s popularity but due to the rebellion of Chirag Paswan’s LJP which caught the NDA unawares.

    As per rules, the state cabinet can have up to 36 members.

    The 13 cabinet members, other than the CM, include seven from the BJP, four from the JD(U) and one each from smaller allies — the HAM and the VIP.

    Replying to a query on Sushil Kumar Modi, his former deputy who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said, “We share a very close relationship. Our rapport has been excellent. But it is for the BJP to take a call on what responsibility to assign to which of its leaders.”

    Earlier in the day, chairing the meetings attended by ministers and top officials, the chief minister issued instructions for speeding up irrigation with focus on methods like sprinkle or drip which do not involve heavy consumption of water.

    He also called for a comprehensive survey of farm holdings so that pieces of land which are not sufficiently irrigated could be identified for remedial action.

    He also ordered a firm crackdown on “big fish” involved in illicit liquor trade, which, in turn, would break the “distribution and supply chain”.

    He said there should be tight patrolling of roads and highways, which are usually preferred by liquor smugglers, with a special focus on areas bordering adjoining states and Nepal.

    Also, keep a close watch on those who were previously known to be involved in liquor trade but now appear to have taken up other business, he said.

  • After Mamata Banerjee hints at implementing PM Kisan scheme, BJP promises to pay farmers arrears

    By PTI
    NANDIGRAM: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday said that the saffron party, after voted to power in West Bengal, will ensure that each farmer of the state will get Rs 18,000 in arrears under the PM Kisan scheme.

    The assertion of Vijayvargiya, the BJP’s West Bengal in-charge, came days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee indicated that she was agreeable to implement the central scheme in the state, under which farmers get Rs 6,000 a year in three equal installments.

    The move of the Trinamool Congress supremo, made months before the assembly election, is being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP’s accusation that her party is preventing farmers of the state from getting benefits of the scheme.

    “Farmers of Bengal will get their due after the Mamata Banerjee government goes and the BJP government comes to power,” Vijayvargiya said, while addressing a party rally at Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district.

    They will be paid Rs 18,000 each in arrears, the amount which has already been transferred to the bank accounts of farmers in the rest of the country, he said.

    The mafia controls coal and sand mining in the state and indulges in cattle smuggling, he alleged, asserting that those involved in such rackets will be driven out of the state by the BJP.

    Describing the TMC as a virus, the BJP’s West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh who also addressed the rally, said that his own party is its vaccine which will make the ruling party leave the state after May.

    The assembly election in the state is due in April- May.

    Claiming that the BJP already has 1.5 crore members in West Bengal, Ghosh said that nearly 29,000 cases have been filed against BJP workers in the state to intimidate them.

    “The previous Left Front and the current TMC dispensation failed to deliver. The BJP will ensure that the state marches ahead in the path of development,” he said.

    Ghosh alleged that the money meant for relief after cyclone Amphan has been looted and misappropriated by TMC workers and leaders.

    “The parivartan (change) people had hoped for after the TMC came to power proved a mirage and now there’s the need for another parivartan,” he said.

    Ministers and leaders of the TMC are leaving the party as they are not getting due respect and position, the BJP state president claimed.

    “Mamata Banerjee is now accusing us of breaking her party. What had she done to other parties earlier in the state?” he asked, claiming that the TMC had made several MLAs of the Congress and Left parties join the party.

    Holding that the anti-land acquisition movement of the TMC at Singur, which led to the shifting of Tata Motors’ Nano car plant to Gujarat, was “wrong”, BJP national vice president Mukul Roy said that West Bengal did not get any industry since the company was forced to leave.

    “If we win the elections, we will urge the prime minister to get the Tatas back in Singur for the sake of rejuvenation of industry in the state,” said Roy who was in the TMC during the movement at Singur.

    He, however, said that Nandigram agitation was a different issue since the Left Front government had forcibly taken away land from poor farmers, and Suvendu Adhikari led that movement of the people.

    Adhikari, who recently resigned as the TMC MLA of Nandigram and joined the BJP, alleged that stones were thrown during the meeting to create chaos and disturbance.

    “Even the CPI(M) during its rule had not done any such thing when the TMC held meetings,” Adhikari said.

    He thanked BJP leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and the late Sushma Swaraj for their support to the Nandigram movement in 2007 against the Left Front governments move to acquire farmlands for setting up a special economic zone (SEZ).

  • JDU MLA claims Nitish will leave CM post after six months, Tejashwi will form government

    By ANI
    BHAGALPUR: JDU MLA Gopal Mandal has claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will step down from his post after six months and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav will form the government in the state.

    On Wednesday there was a phone conversation between Gopal Mandal and Bihpur MLA E Shailendra in which it was alleged that Gopal Mandal was abusing and using casteist slur. About this, the Navagachiya JDU held a press conference at the local hotel in Bhagalpur on Thursday.

    During the press conference, JDU MLA Gopal Mandal from Gopalpur denied the allegations in the viral audio and said that the viral audio was not correct.

    During this, he said that it was made viral by E Shailendra. “What kind of coalition is this,” he said.

    He even said, “After 6 months, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will step down from his post and the government of Tejashwi Yadav will be formed.”

  • Farmers should have waited for next round of talks with Centre before tractor march: BJP

    Hussain said that people in Punjab and the Central government, both know the role of the state government in farmers protest.

  • On January 13 and 22, BJP will organize a big agitation on the issue of paddy procurement, today a meeting will be held in all district headquarters

    The BJP has become an attacker against the government over the issue of paddy procurement in the state. At the same time, BJP has announced a big movement against the government. The BJP is going on a big agitation on January 13 and 22 on the issue of paddy procurement.

    Today BJP will hold a meeting in all the state headquarters. There will be discussion about the movement in the meeting. It is noteworthy that the Congress has opened a front against the Center on the problem of frequent gunny and paddy procurement. On the other hand, BJP has also announced to take the road against the state government.

    Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey has quipped on the BJP’s preparation for this demonstration. He said that this is good for democracy, opposition should remain active. Chief Minister Baghel has attacked former CM Raman Singh over the paddy and farmer issue.

  • After Uttarakhand CM, BJP chief apologizes to Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh on Twitter

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: After Uttarakhand Chief Minister apologized to Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Indira Hridayesh, BJP state president also took to Twitter to ‘respectfully take his statement back’.

    Bhartiya Janta Party state president Bansidhar Bhagat wrote on Twitter, “Indira Hridayesh ji is a respected leader of the state and verbal exchanges are natural due to electoral territory being the same. I did not intend to hurt her personally, if she is hurt I take my statement respectfully.”

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also went public in apologizing to Hridayesh after Bhagat’s statement in which he called her ‘Budhiya’ (old lady) and ‘Doobta Jahaz’ (Sinking Ship) recieved backlash.

    Rawat tweeted at around 1 am in the morning on Wednesday saying that he is ‘very sad’ to hear about the remarks made against the 80-year-old Leader of Opposition and will personally call her too to seek further apology personally. 

    “Respected Indira Hridayesh ji, I am sad beyond anything today. Women are highly respectable to us. I personally apologise to you and all others who are saddened by this like me. I will speak to you personally and offer my humble apologies again,” tweeted the CM. 

    “Humari neta-pratipaksha keh rahi bahut se vidhayak humare sampark me hain. Are budhiya! tujhse kyun sampark karenge? Doobte jahaz se koi sampark karega? (Our Leader of Opposition says that several MLAs are in touch with us. Why would they contact you old woman? What would one want to do with a sinking ship?),” the BJP president had remarked. 

    Retorting to this, Hridayesh said that she was hurt with the kind of language used by the BJP state president and demanded that the ruling party’s national leadership takes cognizance of the incident.

    “Such language, then it is an insult to the motherhood which the women of our hills will never forgive. I don’t use such unparliamentary language so can’t stoop to his level. I urge the BJP  national leadership to take notice of this and seek explanation from him. Raising the slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, these people should at least be mindful of their language,” said Hridayesh. 

    Following the incident Congress party workers launched protests across the state burning effigies and demanding removal of Bhagat. 

  • Uttarakhand CM publicly apologises to Congress leader for cheap remarks made by State BJP chief 

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: After backlash over Uttarakhand BJP president Bansidhar Bhagat’s remarks on Indira Hridayesh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat went public to apologize.

    Rawat tweeted at around 1 am in the morning on Wednesday saying that he is ‘very sad’ to hear about the remarks made against Hridayesh and will personally call her too to seek further apology personally.    

    “Respected Indira Hridayesh ji, I am sad beyond anything today. Women are highly respectable to us. I personally apologise to you and all others who are saddened by this like me. I will speak to you personally and offer my humble apologies again,” Tweeted the CM.

    Rawat tweeted an apology addressed to the 80-year-old Leader of Opposition who was called ‘Budhiya’ (Old lady) and ‘Doobta Jahaz’ (Sinking ship) by Bhagat on Tuesday.

    “Humari neta-pratipaksha keh rahi bahut se vidhayak humare sampark me hain. Are budhiya! tujhse kyun sampark karenge? Doobte jahaz se koi sampark karega? (Our Leader of Opposition says that several MLAs are in touch with them. Why would they contact you old woman? What would one want to do with a sinking ship?),” the BJP president had remarked.

    Retorting to this, Hridayesh said that she was hurt with the kind of language used by the BJP state president and demanded that the ruling party’s national leadership take cognizance of the incident.    

    “Such language, then it is an insult to the motherhood which the women of our hills will never forgive. I don’t use such unparliamentary language so can’t stoop to his level. I urge the BJP  national leadership to take notice of this and seek explanation from him. Raising the slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, these people should at least be mindful of their language,” said Hridayesh.

    Following the incident, Congress party workers launched protests across the state burning effigies and demanding removal of Bhagat.

  • Legislative Council polls: Amit Shah’s tough poser to Maharashtra BJP over poor outing

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The central BJP leadership has sought a detailed report from the Maharashtra unit for its dismal show in recent the Graduate and Teacher State Legislative Council elections. Out of the six state legislative council seats, BJP bagged only one; Maha Vikas Aghadi secured four and one went to an independent candidate.

    According to sources, senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar was asked to submit the report on party’s poor outing in Nagpur and Amarawati, while former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule was asked to submit report on Marathawada. BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan has been tasked with submitting a report on Pune region.

    Highly-placed source in BJP said, “The central BJP leadership, particularly Amit Shah, expressed displeasure over the performance of the Maharashtra BJP in Graduate and Teacher Legislative Council election and sought a detailed feedback report.” A miffed Shah is learnt to have asked the Maharashtra unit that at a time the party was faring well across India, why has it started lagging in Maharashtra.

    “Shah was not happy with the Maharashtra unit’s performance. He hinted that if there is no improvement, then major restructuring may happen,” said a source. The BJP lost the Nagpur seat to Congress after a long gap of 58 years, while its Pune seat fell into the kitty of NCP. Nagpur seat was once represented by central minister Nitin Gadkari, and Gangadhar Fadnavis, father of former CM Devendra Fadnavis. Pune seat was represented by BJP state president Chandrakant Patil and central minister Prakash Javdekar.

  • JDU MLA Gopal Mandal claims he ensured BJP candidate’s defeat in adjoining Bihar seat

    By PTI
    PATNA: In an embarrassment to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a party MLA has claimed to have ensured the defeat of an “arrogant” BJP candidate in an adjoining constituency by refusing to campaign in favour of the latter.

    A video clip of Narendra Kumar Niraj alias Gopal Mandal, the third-term MLA from Gopalpur in Bhagalpur district, went viral on social media on Tuesday.

    Mandal can be heard, in the clip, making many uncharitable remarks against district BJP chief Rohit Pandey who was fielded from Bhagalpur seat but lost to Ajeet Sharma of the Congress.

    Mandal says in the video “whoever I campaigned for, in adjoining seats, won. But, I did not canvas for Rohit Pandey who has a lot of arrogance (ghamand)” and he lost.

    Mandal also expressed resentment over Pandeys failure to greet him while they were sharing the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an election rally.

    “The result BJP lost one of its pocket boroughs”, the MLA said.

    Named after the eponymous town, Bhagalpur was held by the BJP from 1990 till 2014 when Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the sitting MLA, got elected to the Lok Sabha from Buxar and ended up in the union council of ministers.

    Sharma wrested the seat for the Congress in the ensuing by-poll and retained it, defeating Choubeys son Arijit Shashwat, in the assembly polls of 2015.

    He made a hat-trick in the assembly polls last year, defeating Pandey by a slender margin of just over 1,000 votes.

    JD(U) leaders requested on condition of anonymity that Mandals averment must not be seen as the partys official line but a “personal opinion” of the MLA.

    This is the second instance, in recent past, of the party facing an embarrassment over the maverick MLAs behaviour.

    A few weeks ago, another video had gone viral in which the MLA was seen gyrating alongside dancing girls.

    BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand trained his guns at the JD(U) MLA over his remark that Pandey “did not look like a Brahmin”.

    “The remark betrays a caste-based complex (jaatiwadi kuntha)…such utterances lead to social chasms. Parties swearing by social justice must conduct workshops for educating their cadre”, he said.

    RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand, whose party is eyeing a return to the NDA fold, voiced disapproval of the “anargal bayaan” (nonsensical statement) and said leaders of parties must rein in their loose cannons.

    The Congress, meanwhile, chose to take a dig at the NDA over the episode.

    “This is kharmaas (an inauspicious month as per Hindu calendar, which ends on Makar Sankranti). Let the period end and there will be a kharmandal (turmoil) in the NDA which would be hard to control, “, said BPCC spokesman Rajesh Rathore.

    Rathores remark was an indirect reference to claims made by the RJD, its senior alliance partner in the state, about the possibility of NDA MLAs, mostly from the JD(U), crossing over to the Grand Alliance.

    The RJD has been insisting that JD(U) MLAs were feeling stifled on account of its diminished clout in the NDA and an aggressive stance adopted by the BJP which has returned with a tally, in assembly polls, far greater than that of the Chief Ministers party.

  • Congress MLA asks PM Modi to take COVID vaccine shots first, stirs row in Bihar

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Congress Bhagalpur MLA Ajit Sharma stirred a fresh controversy on Tuesday morning after he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be the first to take the dose of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved ‘Covishield’ and ‘Covaxin’ vaccine to bring confidence in people.

    Sharma said that PM Modi should follow what the heads of Russia, US and other states have done by taking the vaccine shots first in the country to instill confidence in people. He also added that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders should volunteer to take the vaccine doses as well.

    While congratulating the scientists for their medical achievement, Sharma said “though this is a matter of pride for Indians, there are doubts among people over efficacy of the vaccines.”

    ALSO READ | Bharat Biotech setting up four COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing facilities

    “Therefore, it would be better if our PM and his BJP leaders are the first to take the vaccine doses in a move to end the doubt existing among people,” he said while speaking to the media.

    Sharma said “instead of giving credit to BJP for the vaccines, the Congress party must be thanked because it was during their governance that the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Bharat Biotech were established.”

    ALSO READ | Targeting Opposition, BJP says political row over indigenous vaccine helping ‘foreign forces’

    Leaders including state chief Dr Sanjay Jaiswal and Nikhil Anand lashed out at the Congress Party MLA calling his statement ‘unfortunate.’

    Dr Nikhil Anand said that Congress MLA’s statement asking PM Narendra Modi to take the first doze of vaccine shows how much the Congress doubts the country’s talent.

    “Sharma would have not doubted the vaccine, had it been made by Pakistan. This is how Congress leader Ajit Sharma has become Doubting Thomas,” said Nikhil Anand.

    JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasa also said that no one should mislead people on vaccine or push it into controversy as it has been developed by Indian scientists who deserve Kudos from the entire country.