News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Phase 1 of Gujarat Assembly polls: BJP, Congress & AAP vie for 48 seats in Saurashtra zone

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants towave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.

    The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.

    Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party  in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.

    In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1. 

    Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.

    The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each. 

    According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.

    In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.

    It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election. 

    There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.

    In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    AHMEDABAD: The battle for Saurashtra is getting tougher. The Morbi Bridge collapse on October 30 has disturbed the equations in BJP’s Saurashtra Mission. But the party wants to
    wave the saffron flag on 48 seats of Saurashtra at any cost. Perhaps that is why after the Morbi tragedy, the BJP dropped the sitting MLA from Morbi, Brijesh Merja.

    The party fielded Talala MLA Bhagwan Barad in Gir Somnath shortly after he resigned from the Congress. Gir Somnath is a constituency where the Congress party has a strong presence.

    Bhagwan Barad is not the only Congress MLA from Saurashtra who deserted the party  in the past five years. The Congress has lost 10 MLAs including Visavadar MLA Harshad Ribadia.

    In the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections, 48 seats in Saurashtra zone will go to the polls on December 1. 

    Saurashtra is considered pivotal in Gujarat politics. The political parties had campaigned vigorously for the past two months. Due to the pro-BJP tilt of Patidar voters in Saurashtra, the BJP’s seats have steadily increased over the last two and a half decades. Still, amid the Patidar reservation movement, BJP suffered a loss in 2017 assembly. That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to Saurashtra in his Gujarat tour to regain the seats. The Congress undertook a tacit campaign in Saurashtra assembly segments during the last three months. The Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has held the most rallys in Saurashtra.

    The results from Saurashtra between 2002 and 2012 shows BJP gaining strength , with Patidars showing a pro-BJP stance. But in 2017, BJP managed to retain power but suffered a massive loss in Saurashtra due to the Patidar reservation movement as well as farmers discontent in rural Saurashtra, where the Congress gained more ground. In three districts of Saurashtra, namely Amreli, Morbi, and Girsomanath, BJP lost all the seats, while in Junagadh, and Porbandar districts, BJP got one seat each. 

    According to 2017 results, out of a total of 48 seats in Saurashtra, 28 seats were won by Congress while BJP has to be content with 19 seats.

    In a bid to regain lost ground, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallied in Saurashtra. He also launched several developments works in Jamnagar before the model code of conduct came into force.

    It is apparently going to be tough for the Congress this time around particularly in the absence of several leaders who had deserted the party. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would also make its presence felt in this election. 

    There’s a saying that the to power in Gujarat passes through Saurashtra. The political parties, particularly the BJP has left no stone unturned to wrest as many seats as possible in the region.

    In the 2017 election, out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

    The results: BJP won 1 seat while Congress 4 in Surendranagar. In Morbi, BJP won 3, while in Rajkot, BJP won 6 and the Congress 2. In Rajkot, BJP pocketed 6 seats while the Congress 2. In Jamnagar, BJP won in 2 and the Congress in 3 seats. In Dwarka, BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. In Porbandar, BJP won 1 while others won 1. In Junagadh, BJP could win only 1 seat while the Congress won 4. In Gir Somnath, Congress won all 4 seats. In Amreli, Congress won all 5 seats. In Bhavnagar BJP won 6 while the Congress had to be content with 1 seat. In Botad BJP and Congress won 1 seat each. Out of a total of 74 seats, Congress won 28 while the BJP won 19 seats.

  • Guj polls: Punjab CM steps up AAP’s free power pitch, brings bunch of 25,000 ‘zero’ electricity bills

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD:  Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday brought a bunch of 25,000 “zero” electricity bills from his state and added the people of Gujarat will get similar bills if Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in the Assembly polls.

    Providing free electricity up to 300 units per month is one of the main election “guarantees” of AAP in Gujarat.

    Voting for 182 Assembly seats will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. The campaigning for the first phase ended on Tuesday evening.

    Addressing a press conference here, Mann said the zero electricity bills were received by 61 lakh out of the 75 lakh households in Punjab, which is a testimony of AAP’s commitment that it walks the talk.

    “I have brought 25,000 zero electricity bills with the names and addresses which you can check. To date, there are around 75 lakh electric metres in Punjab. As many as 61 lakh households have received zero electricity bills.”

    “The number of such bills for December will be 67 lakh because of low consumption in winter. The same will increase to 71 lakh in January. We do what we say, and we say what we can do. The same can happen in Gujarat. We have made a promise and will deliver,” he said.

    Mann said the Punjab government has set up 100 mohalla clinics till August 15 and plans to establish more than 500 more such clinics by January 26.

    The AAP government in Punjab had also guaranteed to revert to the old pension scheme (OPS) and the notification for the same has been issued, Mann said.

    “Not just that, our government also stopped the pension to legislatures that saved crores of rupees of public exchequer,” he added.

    Mann was referring to the amendment bill passed in June this year by the Legislative Assembly putting an end to multiple pensions to ex-MLAs for every term served.

    “The government’s work is to collect tax and give it back to the people in the form of free electricity, infrastructure, roads, colleges, and mohalla clinics. We are setting up 16 medical colleges,” he said.

    Mann took potshots at the “so-called Gujarat model”, saying when one goes off the highways in the state, “roads exist in potholes rather than potholes in roads”.

    With all the promises announced by the AAP, the people of Gujarat will be able to save Rs 30,000 from the very first month after the party forms a government.

    “6.5 crore people of Gujarat are ready for a change. The situation is the same as what I saw in Punjab (before the elections which AAP had won hands down),” he said.

    Downplaying surveys predicting a certain number of seats AAP might win in Gujarat, Mann said the party “does not figure in surveys but ends up forming a government”. “Surveys are being written by people sitting at home,” he added.

    Mann said AAP’s agenda does not match with the ruling BJP and it will be wrong to call the Kejriwal-led party a “B-team” of BJP. “The AAP is the A team of the 130 crore people of the country,” he added.

    AHMEDABAD:  Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday brought a bunch of 25,000 “zero” electricity bills from his state and added the people of Gujarat will get similar bills if Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in the Assembly polls.

    Providing free electricity up to 300 units per month is one of the main election “guarantees” of AAP in Gujarat.

    Voting for 182 Assembly seats will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. The campaigning for the first phase ended on Tuesday evening.

    Addressing a press conference here, Mann said the zero electricity bills were received by 61 lakh out of the 75 lakh households in Punjab, which is a testimony of AAP’s commitment that it walks the talk.

    “I have brought 25,000 zero electricity bills with the names and addresses which you can check. To date, there are around 75 lakh electric metres in Punjab. As many as 61 lakh households have received zero electricity bills.”

    “The number of such bills for December will be 67 lakh because of low consumption in winter. The same will increase to 71 lakh in January. We do what we say, and we say what we can do. The same can happen in Gujarat. We have made a promise and will deliver,” he said.

    Mann said the Punjab government has set up 100 mohalla clinics till August 15 and plans to establish more than 500 more such clinics by January 26.

    The AAP government in Punjab had also guaranteed to revert to the old pension scheme (OPS) and the notification for the same has been issued, Mann said.

    “Not just that, our government also stopped the pension to legislatures that saved crores of rupees of public exchequer,” he added.

    Mann was referring to the amendment bill passed in June this year by the Legislative Assembly putting an end to multiple pensions to ex-MLAs for every term served.

    “The government’s work is to collect tax and give it back to the people in the form of free electricity, infrastructure, roads, colleges, and mohalla clinics. We are setting up 16 medical colleges,” he said.

    Mann took potshots at the “so-called Gujarat model”, saying when one goes off the highways in the state, “roads exist in potholes rather than potholes in roads”.

    With all the promises announced by the AAP, the people of Gujarat will be able to save Rs 30,000 from the very first month after the party forms a government.

    “6.5 crore people of Gujarat are ready for a change. The situation is the same as what I saw in Punjab (before the elections which AAP had won hands down),” he said.

    Downplaying surveys predicting a certain number of seats AAP might win in Gujarat, Mann said the party “does not figure in surveys but ends up forming a government”. “Surveys are being written by people sitting at home,” he added.

    Mann said AAP’s agenda does not match with the ruling BJP and it will be wrong to call the Kejriwal-led party a “B-team” of BJP. “The AAP is the A team of the 130 crore people of the country,” he added.

  • AAP might not open account in Gujarat, BJP will register unprecedented victory: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP’s challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal’s party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit’s announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre.

    In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years.

    “The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

    On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, “Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not.”

    “AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP’s name would not figure in the list of successful candidates,” he said.

    While the Congress has been the BJP’s principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi’s home state.

    On Congress, Shah said, “It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well.”

    ALSO READ| Assembly polls: Will BJP maintain upper hand in central Gujarat this time like in 2017?

    Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics.

    “I have always been of the view that politicians need to be hard working and it is good when someone works hard. But in politics only sustained efforts show results. So let’s wait and see,” he said.

    Shah, who has been talking about issues of national security in the campaign for the state election, said they are important in every assembly poll.

    The Opposition has accused the BJP of raising national issues like terrorism in state elections to divert the people’s attention from governance-related concerns.

    “Is the security of Gujarat associated with national security or not?”Security of Gujarat and national security are not different issues. And if the country is not secure, how can Gujarat be secure? Therefore, national security is a major issue in all state assembly polls.”

    “Being a border state, the people of Gujarat are sensitive about national security. we cannot afford to have national security impacted at any one location in the country,” he said while replying to a question.

    With the Opposition often accusing the government of misusing investigative agencies against its political rivals, Shah said there is an independent and neutral judiciary in the country, and “if there is any misuse of investigative agencies, then they can approach the judiciary”.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat Assembly elections: War of words intensify as Kharge jabs at Modi, BJP calls it insult to PM

    Shah, who has been raising law and order issues in his campaign speeches, described ending lawlessness as one of the achievements of the BJP government in Gujarat.

    The former BJP president described the party’s poll promise to set up an anti-radicalisation cell as a good initiative and said any organisation like PFI that pushes youths towards terrorism will not be tolerated.

    He said the Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned after due diligence and several states had demanded it.

    “The Modi government decided to ban PFI after gathering a lot of information and proof related to their anti-national activities, especially their activities to push youth towards terrorism by radicalising them. And several states have demanded to ban PFI. Such activities of any organisation will not be tolerated in the Modi government,” Shah told PTI.

    On whether BJP’s announcement in manifesto for setting up an anti-radicalisation cell in Gujarat will be implemented in other states also, Shah said, “It is a good initiative. Let it be implemented (here) first. It will be given a legal shape and its working mechanism will be decided.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat polls: Only nine percent women candidates in fray

    He said radicalisation should be checked not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. “And it (anti-radicalisation cell) can be considered at the national level and other states. Radicalisation has nothing to do with any sect, but we all know which forces are promoting radicalisation. And the entire world is concerned about it,” Shah said.

    Asked about issues such as inflation impacting the election, the Union Home Minister said countries across the world are facing this problem, and India is the least affected among them.

    “Slowdown was a global challenge after Covid but still the Indian economy witnessed a V-shaped recovery. Similarly, I also believe India will very effectively tackle inflation, which is a challenge for countries across the globe. And today, the country’s social life is least impacted by inflation,” Shah said.

    On whether Bhupendra Patel will continue as chief minister if the BJP wins again, Shah said he has been doing “good work and taking forward all the initiatives started by Prime Minister Modi as Gujarat chief minister”.

    To a question on all regional parties coming together along with national parties to counter the BJP, Shah suggested that they stand nowhere in front of Prime Minister Modi’s popularity.

    “If you look at the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government he gave in the last eight years, I do not think such alliances will have any impact. And these regional parties do not have anything outside their respective states.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more on Yatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    “One regional party has nothing in another state. Eventually, it will be a one-on-one fight. And such alliances exist only on paper and are good for headlines.”

    Discussing the BJP’s expansion in southern and eastern states, Shah said the party’s vote share jumped to 40 percent in West Bengal and it won 18 Lok Sabha seats.

    He claimed the BJP will further improve its tally in West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha polls. In Telangana, the BJP has ”become the main opposition party”.

    The party is doing well in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Shah said, adding that the expansion of cadre-based parties is not possible overnight. “It takes time, but we are doing well in these states,” he said.

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP’s challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal’s party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit’s announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre.

    In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years.

    “The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

    On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, “Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not.”

    “AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP’s name would not figure in the list of successful candidates,” he said.

    While the Congress has been the BJP’s principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi’s home state.

    On Congress, Shah said, “It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well.”

    ALSO READ| Assembly polls: Will BJP maintain upper hand in central Gujarat this time like in 2017?

    Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics.

    “I have always been of the view that politicians need to be hard working and it is good when someone works hard. But in politics only sustained efforts show results. So let’s wait and see,” he said.

    Shah, who has been talking about issues of national security in the campaign for the state election, said they are important in every assembly poll.

    The Opposition has accused the BJP of raising national issues like terrorism in state elections to divert the people’s attention from governance-related concerns.

    “Is the security of Gujarat associated with national security or not?”Security of Gujarat and national security are not different issues. And if the country is not secure, how can Gujarat be secure? Therefore, national security is a major issue in all state assembly polls.”

    “Being a border state, the people of Gujarat are sensitive about national security. we cannot afford to have national security impacted at any one location in the country,” he said while replying to a question.

    With the Opposition often accusing the government of misusing investigative agencies against its political rivals, Shah said there is an independent and neutral judiciary in the country, and “if there is any misuse of investigative agencies, then they can approach the judiciary”.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat Assembly elections: War of words intensify as Kharge jabs at Modi, BJP calls it insult to PM

    Shah, who has been raising law and order issues in his campaign speeches, described ending lawlessness as one of the achievements of the BJP government in Gujarat.

    The former BJP president described the party’s poll promise to set up an anti-radicalisation cell as a good initiative and said any organisation like PFI that pushes youths towards terrorism will not be tolerated.

    He said the Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned after due diligence and several states had demanded it.

    “The Modi government decided to ban PFI after gathering a lot of information and proof related to their anti-national activities, especially their activities to push youth towards terrorism by radicalising them. And several states have demanded to ban PFI. Such activities of any organisation will not be tolerated in the Modi government,” Shah told PTI.

    On whether BJP’s announcement in manifesto for setting up an anti-radicalisation cell in Gujarat will be implemented in other states also, Shah said, “It is a good initiative. Let it be implemented (here) first. It will be given a legal shape and its working mechanism will be decided.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat polls: Only nine percent women candidates in fray

    He said radicalisation should be checked not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. “And it (anti-radicalisation cell) can be considered at the national level and other states. Radicalisation has nothing to do with any sect, but we all know which forces are promoting radicalisation. And the entire world is concerned about it,” Shah said.

    Asked about issues such as inflation impacting the election, the Union Home Minister said countries across the world are facing this problem, and India is the least affected among them.

    “Slowdown was a global challenge after Covid but still the Indian economy witnessed a V-shaped recovery. Similarly, I also believe India will very effectively tackle inflation, which is a challenge for countries across the globe. And today, the country’s social life is least impacted by inflation,” Shah said.

    On whether Bhupendra Patel will continue as chief minister if the BJP wins again, Shah said he has been doing “good work and taking forward all the initiatives started by Prime Minister Modi as Gujarat chief minister”.

    To a question on all regional parties coming together along with national parties to counter the BJP, Shah suggested that they stand nowhere in front of Prime Minister Modi’s popularity.

    “If you look at the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government he gave in the last eight years, I do not think such alliances will have any impact. And these regional parties do not have anything outside their respective states.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more on Yatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    “One regional party has nothing in another state. Eventually, it will be a one-on-one fight. And such alliances exist only on paper and are good for headlines.”

    Discussing the BJP’s expansion in southern and eastern states, Shah said the party’s vote share jumped to 40 percent in West Bengal and it won 18 Lok Sabha seats.

    He claimed the BJP will further improve its tally in West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha polls. In Telangana, the BJP has ”become the main opposition party”.

    The party is doing well in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Shah said, adding that the expansion of cadre-based parties is not possible overnight. “It takes time, but we are doing well in these states,” he said.

  • BJP received Rs 614.53 cr & Congress Rs 95.46 cr as contributions in 2021-22

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP received Rs 614.53 crore as contributions, more than six times the funds garnered by the opposition Congress during fiscal year 2021-22.

    The Congress received funds to the tune of Rs 95.46 crore, according to Election Commission data.

    The Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, received Rs 43 lakh as contributions during the period while the CPI-M, which rules Kerala, received funds of Rs 10. 05 crore.

    The West Bengal assembly polls were held in March-April, 2021. In Kerala too, assembly election were conducted in April, 2021.

    The four national parties had recently filed their latest contributions reports to the Election Commission which made the documents public on Tuesday.

    The Representation of the People Act stipulates that parties submit an annual report of contributions of over Rs 20,000 received from individual donors and entities. Besides individuals and entities, electoral trusts also contribute to parties’ kitty.

    Electoral trusts, including Prudent Electoral Trust, have been major contributors to the BJP’s kitty.

    The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab and is a recognised state party in three states, has reported to the poll panel that it received Rs 44.54 crore during the financial year 2021-22. It has shown an expenditure of Rs 30. 30 crore in its latest audit report submitted to the commission in October this year.

    Besides Delhi and Punjab, it is a recognised state party in Goa.

    NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP received Rs 614.53 crore as contributions, more than six times the funds garnered by the opposition Congress during fiscal year 2021-22.

    The Congress received funds to the tune of Rs 95.46 crore, according to Election Commission data.

    The Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, received Rs 43 lakh as contributions during the period while the CPI-M, which rules Kerala, received funds of Rs 10. 05 crore.

    The West Bengal assembly polls were held in March-April, 2021. In Kerala too, assembly election were conducted in April, 2021.

    The four national parties had recently filed their latest contributions reports to the Election Commission which made the documents public on Tuesday.

    The Representation of the People Act stipulates that parties submit an annual report of contributions of over Rs 20,000 received from individual donors and entities. Besides individuals and entities, electoral trusts also contribute to parties’ kitty.

    Electoral trusts, including Prudent Electoral Trust, have been major contributors to the BJP’s kitty.

    The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab and is a recognised state party in three states, has reported to the poll panel that it received Rs 44.54 crore during the financial year 2021-22. It has shown an expenditure of Rs 30. 30 crore in its latest audit report submitted to the commission in October this year.

    Besides Delhi and Punjab, it is a recognised state party in Goa.

  • Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more onYatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With less than one week left for the high octane poll battle in Gujarat to end, the ruling BJP and new player AAP have intensified their online campaigning to reach out to the voters active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

    At the same time, the Congress’ main social media handles have focused more on promoting Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ than the party’s campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections on December 1 and 5.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    An analysis of Facebook accounts and Twitter handles last week (Nov 21-27) of the three parties showed that Congress’ handles were more attentive to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, as 75 per cent of the total posts were on the yatra.

    Less than 20 per cent of the posts on its Facebook page and the Twitter handle were on the party’s campaigning in Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, about 40 per cent of the posts from the Bhartiya Janata Party’s main Facebook page and Twitter handle were related to Gujarat polls during the same duration.

    ALSO READ | Last-minute push: Parties slog it out, trade charges ahead of Phase 1 Gujarat Assembly elections

    The flow of assembly election-related posts was almost the same during the last week, except on Friday when the count of the social posts on the Gujarat polls was the lowest for the BJP and the other two parties.

    However, the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media posts from its main handles were ahead of both the BJP and Congress, as every second post from its main handles was related to the Gujarat elections.

    On Sunday, more than 95 per cent of content shared from the AAP’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts was on the party’s activities in Gujarat.

    Only 15 per cent of the tweets posted by Congress’ official Twitter handle during Nov 21-27 were on the Gujarat polls. Out of 280 tweets posted during these seven days, only 42 were related to the party’s campaigns and party leaders’ rallies in Gujarat.

    Congress’s main Twitter handle posted 14 out of 35 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday (Nov 21).

    Similarly, the count was 5 out of 23 tweets on Tuesday, 3 out of 42 tweets on Wednesday, 4 out of 47 tweets on Thursday, 1 out of 41 tweets on Friday, three on Saturday, and 12 out of 45 tweets on Sunday (Nov 27).

    Similarly, 22 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    Of 242 Facebook posts during the same period, 53 were on Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, 75 per cent of posts from the main handles (198 tweets and 194 Facebook posts) were on the events related to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Monday (Nov 21) to Sunday (Nov 27) last week.

    The tweet count was the highest (14) on Monday and the lowest on Friday.

    Congress party’s Twitter handle has 9 million followers, and its Facebook page has 6.3 million followers.

    BJP The BJP maintained the flow of tweets and Facebook posts from its main handles on the party’s public rallies in Gujarat.

    More than 40 per cent of its tweets and above 35 per cent of its Facebook posts shared between November 21 and November 27 were related to the party’s campaigning in Gujarat.

    BJP’s main Twitter handle posted 23 out of 32 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday, 38 out of 63 tweets on Tuesday, 20 out of 35 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 46 tweets on Thursday, 4 out of 43 tweets on Friday, 15 out of 40 tweets on Saturday, and 14 out of 51 tweets on Sunday.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat hunt for Opposition: AAP fills Congress vacuum in BJP citadel

    Similarly, 37 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were on Gujarat polls.

    Out of 169 Facebook posts during the same period, 63 were on the Gujarat elections.

    BJP’s Twitter handle has 19.5 million followers, and its Facebook page has 16 million followers.

    AAP The AAP, which has made an aggressive entry in Gujarat, promoted the party’s campaigning and its chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s rallies from its main Twitter handle and Facebook page.

    AAP’s main social media handles shared 50 per cent of its tweets and 52 per cent of its Facebook posts on the Gujarat elections in the same duration.

    The party’s main Twitter handle posted 131 out of 260 tweets and 81 out of 156 Facebook posts on its leaders’ public rallies in Gujarat.

    The main Twitter handle posted 25 out of 33 tweets on Monday on Gujarat polls, 31 out of 40 tweets on Tuesday, 11 out of 30 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 38 tweets on Thursday, 6 out of 50 tweets on Friday, 13 out of 36 tweets on Saturday, and 32 out of 33 tweets on Sunday.

    Similarly, 81 out of 156 Facebook posts, with 93 per cent of its posts on Sunday, were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    On the same day, its Twitter handle posted 32 out of 33 tweets on Gujarat only.

    The AAP’s Twitter handle has 6.4 million followers, and its Facebook page has 5.5 million followers.

    NEW DELHI: With less than one week left for the high octane poll battle in Gujarat to end, the ruling BJP and new player AAP have intensified their online campaigning to reach out to the voters active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

    At the same time, the Congress’ main social media handles have focused more on promoting Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ than the party’s campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections on December 1 and 5.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    An analysis of Facebook accounts and Twitter handles last week (Nov 21-27) of the three parties showed that Congress’ handles were more attentive to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, as 75 per cent of the total posts were on the yatra.

    Less than 20 per cent of the posts on its Facebook page and the Twitter handle were on the party’s campaigning in Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, about 40 per cent of the posts from the Bhartiya Janata Party’s main Facebook page and Twitter handle were related to Gujarat polls during the same duration.

    ALSO READ | Last-minute push: Parties slog it out, trade charges ahead of Phase 1 Gujarat Assembly elections

    The flow of assembly election-related posts was almost the same during the last week, except on Friday when the count of the social posts on the Gujarat polls was the lowest for the BJP and the other two parties.

    However, the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media posts from its main handles were ahead of both the BJP and Congress, as every second post from its main handles was related to the Gujarat elections.

    On Sunday, more than 95 per cent of content shared from the AAP’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts was on the party’s activities in Gujarat.

    Only 15 per cent of the tweets posted by Congress’ official Twitter handle during Nov 21-27 were on the Gujarat polls. Out of 280 tweets posted during these seven days, only 42 were related to the party’s campaigns and party leaders’ rallies in Gujarat.

    Congress’s main Twitter handle posted 14 out of 35 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday (Nov 21).

    Similarly, the count was 5 out of 23 tweets on Tuesday, 3 out of 42 tweets on Wednesday, 4 out of 47 tweets on Thursday, 1 out of 41 tweets on Friday, three on Saturday, and 12 out of 45 tweets on Sunday (Nov 27).

    Similarly, 22 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    Of 242 Facebook posts during the same period, 53 were on Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, 75 per cent of posts from the main handles (198 tweets and 194 Facebook posts) were on the events related to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Monday (Nov 21) to Sunday (Nov 27) last week.

    The tweet count was the highest (14) on Monday and the lowest on Friday.

    Congress party’s Twitter handle has 9 million followers, and its Facebook page has 6.3 million followers.

    BJP The BJP maintained the flow of tweets and Facebook posts from its main handles on the party’s public rallies in Gujarat.

    More than 40 per cent of its tweets and above 35 per cent of its Facebook posts shared between November 21 and November 27 were related to the party’s campaigning in Gujarat.

    BJP’s main Twitter handle posted 23 out of 32 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday, 38 out of 63 tweets on Tuesday, 20 out of 35 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 46 tweets on Thursday, 4 out of 43 tweets on Friday, 15 out of 40 tweets on Saturday, and 14 out of 51 tweets on Sunday.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat hunt for Opposition: AAP fills Congress vacuum in BJP citadel

    Similarly, 37 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were on Gujarat polls.

    Out of 169 Facebook posts during the same period, 63 were on the Gujarat elections.

    BJP’s Twitter handle has 19.5 million followers, and its Facebook page has 16 million followers.

    AAP The AAP, which has made an aggressive entry in Gujarat, promoted the party’s campaigning and its chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s rallies from its main Twitter handle and Facebook page.

    AAP’s main social media handles shared 50 per cent of its tweets and 52 per cent of its Facebook posts on the Gujarat elections in the same duration.

    The party’s main Twitter handle posted 131 out of 260 tweets and 81 out of 156 Facebook posts on its leaders’ public rallies in Gujarat.

    The main Twitter handle posted 25 out of 33 tweets on Monday on Gujarat polls, 31 out of 40 tweets on Tuesday, 11 out of 30 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 38 tweets on Thursday, 6 out of 50 tweets on Friday, 13 out of 36 tweets on Saturday, and 32 out of 33 tweets on Sunday.

    Similarly, 81 out of 156 Facebook posts, with 93 per cent of its posts on Sunday, were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    On the same day, its Twitter handle posted 32 out of 33 tweets on Gujarat only.

    The AAP’s Twitter handle has 6.4 million followers, and its Facebook page has 5.5 million followers.

  • Jharkhand Police summon BJP’s Chhattisgarh bypoll candidate, three others in rape case 

    By PTI

    KANKER: The Jharkhand Police have summoned Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the December 5 Bhanupratappur bypoll in Chhattisgarh and three others who have been named as accused in a rape case in the neighbouring state.

    According to the police notices dated November 28, all four persons, natives of Kanker district in Chhattisgarh, have been asked to appear at Kanker police station at 10 am on Tuesday and cooperate in the investigation into the case.

    On November 20, the ruling Congress had claimed former BJP MLA Brahmanand Netam, the saffron party’s nominee for the Bhanupratappur bypoll, was accused in a rape case lodged at Telco police station in Jamshedpur on May 15, 2019, and that he allegedly concealed the offence registered against him in his election affidavit.

    A police team from Telco police station in Jharkhand reached Kanker on Monday and contacted local police to trace the whereabouts of Netam and three other accused Keshav Sinha, Naresh Soni and Deepankar Sinha, a senior Chhattisgarh Police official said.

    The case was lodged under sections 366 A (procuration of minor girl), 376 (rape), 376 AB (rape on a woman under twelve years of age) and other relevant section of the Indian Penal Code, provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, he said.

    The Jharkhand Police team carried out searches at various places in the district on Monday, the official said.

    On Tuesday morning, the Jharkhand cops accompanied by local police were seen outside the houses of all the four accused and serving the notices.

    The Jharkhand Police team’s arrival has triggered a political storm with the opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh on Monday accusing Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of hatching a conspiracy by colluding with the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand to malign Netam’s image, fearing defeat in the byelection.

    BJP leaders also questioned why the Jharkhand Police did not act for so long when the case was lodged in 2019.

    The bypoll to the Bhanupratappur seat in Kanker district, reserved for the Scheduled Tribes candidates, was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA and Chhattisgarh Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Manoj Singh Mandavi last month.

    KANKER: The Jharkhand Police have summoned Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the December 5 Bhanupratappur bypoll in Chhattisgarh and three others who have been named as accused in a rape case in the neighbouring state.

    According to the police notices dated November 28, all four persons, natives of Kanker district in Chhattisgarh, have been asked to appear at Kanker police station at 10 am on Tuesday and cooperate in the investigation into the case.

    On November 20, the ruling Congress had claimed former BJP MLA Brahmanand Netam, the saffron party’s nominee for the Bhanupratappur bypoll, was accused in a rape case lodged at Telco police station in Jamshedpur on May 15, 2019, and that he allegedly concealed the offence registered against him in his election affidavit.

    A police team from Telco police station in Jharkhand reached Kanker on Monday and contacted local police to trace the whereabouts of Netam and three other accused Keshav Sinha, Naresh Soni and Deepankar Sinha, a senior Chhattisgarh Police official said.

    The case was lodged under sections 366 A (procuration of minor girl), 376 (rape), 376 AB (rape on a woman under twelve years of age) and other relevant section of the Indian Penal Code, provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, he said.

    The Jharkhand Police team carried out searches at various places in the district on Monday, the official said.

    On Tuesday morning, the Jharkhand cops accompanied by local police were seen outside the houses of all the four accused and serving the notices.

    The Jharkhand Police team’s arrival has triggered a political storm with the opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh on Monday accusing Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of hatching a conspiracy by colluding with the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand to malign Netam’s image, fearing defeat in the byelection.

    BJP leaders also questioned why the Jharkhand Police did not act for so long when the case was lodged in 2019.

    The bypoll to the Bhanupratappur seat in Kanker district, reserved for the Scheduled Tribes candidates, was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA and Chhattisgarh Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Manoj Singh Mandavi last month.

  • Not so simple: Mulayam card may not be enough for Dimple in Mainpuri

    By PTI

    MANIPURI: Winning the Mainpuri bypoll will not be a simple affair for SP’s Dimple Yadav unlike the past elections when her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav used to register effortless victories, some local residents feel.

    But many are of the view that she will make it, particularly because of the public sympathy for the veteran Samajwadi Party leader who died recently.

    The SP had announced the name of Dimple Yadav, wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate for the Mainpuri parliamentary seat on November 10.

    “The bypoll will certainly not be simple for Dimple Yadav as the BJP is making all efforts to snatch the seat from the SP. A large number of BJP leaders are already camping in the city,” businessman Dhirendra Kumar Gupta told PTI.

    At the same time, Gupta said, the going will not be easy for the saffron party as its candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya is meeting and greeting the voters as a formality.

    Unless the BJP workers don’t undertake door-to-door campaigning, it will be tough for Shakya to win, he said.

    “There cannot be any comparison between ‘neta ji’ (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and his son Akhilesh Yadav, as the former knew each of his voters. But the Yadavs are more or less visiting each and every house in the constituency to ensure that they emerge victorious in the bypoll,” he said.

    Gupta asserted that the bypoll is the battle of ‘asmita’ (identity) for the Yadav family.

    The businessman further said that if the local BJP workers fail to make a connection with the voters, then bringing senior leaders, including ministers from Lucknow, for campaigning will have very less impact.

    For hotelier Hemant Pachauri, the upcoming bypoll is the best possible opportunity for the BJP to breach the SP fortress of Mainpuri due to the absence of Mulayam Singh Yadav or ‘neta ji’ to his legions of supporters.

    “If the SP loses the seat this time, it will prove to be the last nail in their political coffin. When in power, the SP had unleashed hooliganism in the city and people were feeling harassed. Now, the scene has changed.”

    “This bypoll is a fiercely contested one. At this point in time, it is difficult to say who will win or who has the edge. Things are different this time, especially in the absence of neta ji,” he said.

    “In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, neta ji had made an emotional appeal to the voters of the constituency urging them to vote for him and he won by a margin of around 94,000 votes with even the BSP supporting him. In the elections prior to 2019, neta ji’s victory margin was in lakhs,” Pachauri said.

    Local trader K K Gupta, however, said there is “no sympathy” for Dimple Yadav as people were fed up with the misrule of the SP when it was in power.

    “They heaved a sigh of relief after the BJP government came to power in the state, and the criminals were arrested. Since then, there has been a dip in crimes,” he claimed.

    Resident Bhupendra Singh too ruled out a sympathy wave for the SP and said the BJP will “create history” in the bypoll and win the seat.

    “The sympathy for Akhilesh Yadav vanished the day he took over the reins of the party from his father following a feud in the family. There is absolutely no sympathy for him, Dimple or for the SP,” he claimed.

    However, Shyam Bahadur Yadav, a self-proclaimed ‘Samajwadi tapasvi’ rejected the observations, saying people of Mainpuri are extending wholehearted support to the SP in general, and the “Saifai family” (Yadavs) in particular.

    “It is the people of Mainpuri, who are fighting the elections (against the BJP). The elections are important as they are being held after the demise of ‘neta ji’ the people of Mainpuri will elect Dimple and send her to Lok Sabha,” Yadav told PTI.

    Asked whether SP’s door-to-door campaigning will be any match for the BJP’s high-tech canvassing, the 50-year-old said, “The BJP indulges in high-decibel campaigning, and it is their only work. They are liars and are always flaunting. They play (songs on) the DJ, while we silently go from one house to another.”

    A resident of Kishni assembly constituency, Pushpendra Singh said Mulayam Singh Yadav had done a lot of work like constructing roads, schools, and hospitals and ensuring water and electricity supply for the people of the constituency.

    “What has the BJP done for the people of this place?” he said.

    Reacting to the BJP accusing the SP of indulging in dynastic politics, he said there is no ‘parivaarvaad’ in the party.

    Rishi Yadav (17), a student of BSc first year from Karhal assembly segment, who aspired to join the Indian Air Force, said, “Though I will be voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, I am closely watching the election campaign and the SP is going to win the bypoll.”

    “From roads to expressways, whatever we have got, it is only due to neta ji. The young voters have shown their inclination towards the SP, and Dimple Yadav will win the bypoll with a greater margin,” he said.

    When asked to comment on BJP’s allegations of crime reigning supreme during the SP regime, Rishi Yadav said crimes are being committed even now.

    “In fact, they have only increased (under the BJP),” he claimed.

    Akhilesh Yadav represents the Karhal assembly seat, which is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. Polling in Mainpuri will be held on December 5 while the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

    MANIPURI: Winning the Mainpuri bypoll will not be a simple affair for SP’s Dimple Yadav unlike the past elections when her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav used to register effortless victories, some local residents feel.

    But many are of the view that she will make it, particularly because of the public sympathy for the veteran Samajwadi Party leader who died recently.

    The SP had announced the name of Dimple Yadav, wife of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate for the Mainpuri parliamentary seat on November 10.

    “The bypoll will certainly not be simple for Dimple Yadav as the BJP is making all efforts to snatch the seat from the SP. A large number of BJP leaders are already camping in the city,” businessman Dhirendra Kumar Gupta told PTI.

    At the same time, Gupta said, the going will not be easy for the saffron party as its candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya is meeting and greeting the voters as a formality.

    Unless the BJP workers don’t undertake door-to-door campaigning, it will be tough for Shakya to win, he said.

    “There cannot be any comparison between ‘neta ji’ (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and his son Akhilesh Yadav, as the former knew each of his voters. But the Yadavs are more or less visiting each and every house in the constituency to ensure that they emerge victorious in the bypoll,” he said.

    Gupta asserted that the bypoll is the battle of ‘asmita’ (identity) for the Yadav family.

    The businessman further said that if the local BJP workers fail to make a connection with the voters, then bringing senior leaders, including ministers from Lucknow, for campaigning will have very less impact.

    For hotelier Hemant Pachauri, the upcoming bypoll is the best possible opportunity for the BJP to breach the SP fortress of Mainpuri due to the absence of Mulayam Singh Yadav or ‘neta ji’ to his legions of supporters.

    “If the SP loses the seat this time, it will prove to be the last nail in their political coffin. When in power, the SP had unleashed hooliganism in the city and people were feeling harassed. Now, the scene has changed.”

    “This bypoll is a fiercely contested one. At this point in time, it is difficult to say who will win or who has the edge. Things are different this time, especially in the absence of neta ji,” he said.

    “In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, neta ji had made an emotional appeal to the voters of the constituency urging them to vote for him and he won by a margin of around 94,000 votes with even the BSP supporting him. In the elections prior to 2019, neta ji’s victory margin was in lakhs,” Pachauri said.

    Local trader K K Gupta, however, said there is “no sympathy” for Dimple Yadav as people were fed up with the misrule of the SP when it was in power.

    “They heaved a sigh of relief after the BJP government came to power in the state, and the criminals were arrested. Since then, there has been a dip in crimes,” he claimed.

    Resident Bhupendra Singh too ruled out a sympathy wave for the SP and said the BJP will “create history” in the bypoll and win the seat.

    “The sympathy for Akhilesh Yadav vanished the day he took over the reins of the party from his father following a feud in the family. There is absolutely no sympathy for him, Dimple or for the SP,” he claimed.

    However, Shyam Bahadur Yadav, a self-proclaimed ‘Samajwadi tapasvi’ rejected the observations, saying people of Mainpuri are extending wholehearted support to the SP in general, and the “Saifai family” (Yadavs) in particular.

    “It is the people of Mainpuri, who are fighting the elections (against the BJP). The elections are important as they are being held after the demise of ‘neta ji’ the people of Mainpuri will elect Dimple and send her to Lok Sabha,” Yadav told PTI.

    Asked whether SP’s door-to-door campaigning will be any match for the BJP’s high-tech canvassing, the 50-year-old said, “The BJP indulges in high-decibel campaigning, and it is their only work. They are liars and are always flaunting. They play (songs on) the DJ, while we silently go from one house to another.”

    A resident of Kishni assembly constituency, Pushpendra Singh said Mulayam Singh Yadav had done a lot of work like constructing roads, schools, and hospitals and ensuring water and electricity supply for the people of the constituency.

    “What has the BJP done for the people of this place?” he said.

    Reacting to the BJP accusing the SP of indulging in dynastic politics, he said there is no ‘parivaarvaad’ in the party.

    Rishi Yadav (17), a student of BSc first year from Karhal assembly segment, who aspired to join the Indian Air Force, said, “Though I will be voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, I am closely watching the election campaign and the SP is going to win the bypoll.”

    “From roads to expressways, whatever we have got, it is only due to neta ji. The young voters have shown their inclination towards the SP, and Dimple Yadav will win the bypoll with a greater margin,” he said.

    When asked to comment on BJP’s allegations of crime reigning supreme during the SP regime, Rishi Yadav said crimes are being committed even now.

    “In fact, they have only increased (under the BJP),” he claimed.

    Akhilesh Yadav represents the Karhal assembly seat, which is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. Polling in Mainpuri will be held on December 5 while the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

  • BJP chief Nadda to launch ‘Jan Aakrosh Yatra’ against Rajasthan govt on Dec 1

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: BJP chief J P Nadda will on December 1 launch the party’s ‘Jan Aakrosh Yatra’ in Congress-ruled Rajasthan to corner the state government on issues related to farmers and governance.

    Nadda will flag off 51 ‘Jan Aakrosh Raths’ at Jaipur that will travel to different assembly constituencies across the state, BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters at a press conference here.

    The rath yatras in all 200 assembly constituencies will start from December 3 and 4. The objective of the movement is to corner the state government on its fourth anniversary, he said.

    The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is completing four years on December 17.

    Attacking the government, Poonia alleged that the people of the state are fed up with the Congress rule due to its misgovernance and wanted a change in which the Jan Aakrosh movement will play a crucial role.

    Congress had promised loan waiver for farmers but in the last four years of its rule, they have been in distress and committed suicide, Poonia said, adding that lands of 9,000 farmers were attached by the Gehlot government.

    “Law and order have deteriorated under Congress rule and women are not safe. Even priests are being burnt alive,” he said.

    He said the BJP aims to reach out to two crore people across all assembly constituencies through the yatra.

    Each rath will have a box in which people can drop their complaints. Based on the complaints and feedback, the party will prepare its manifesto for the 2023 assembly elections, he said.

    In addition, nearly 20,000 nukkad nataks will be performed, and public meetings in each constituency will be held by party leaders.

    JAIPUR: BJP chief J P Nadda will on December 1 launch the party’s ‘Jan Aakrosh Yatra’ in Congress-ruled Rajasthan to corner the state government on issues related to farmers and governance.

    Nadda will flag off 51 ‘Jan Aakrosh Raths’ at Jaipur that will travel to different assembly constituencies across the state, BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters at a press conference here.

    The rath yatras in all 200 assembly constituencies will start from December 3 and 4. The objective of the movement is to corner the state government on its fourth anniversary, he said.

    The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government is completing four years on December 17.

    Attacking the government, Poonia alleged that the people of the state are fed up with the Congress rule due to its misgovernance and wanted a change in which the Jan Aakrosh movement will play a crucial role.

    Congress had promised loan waiver for farmers but in the last four years of its rule, they have been in distress and committed suicide, Poonia said, adding that lands of 9,000 farmers were attached by the Gehlot government.

    “Law and order have deteriorated under Congress rule and women are not safe. Even priests are being burnt alive,” he said.

    He said the BJP aims to reach out to two crore people across all assembly constituencies through the yatra.

    Each rath will have a box in which people can drop their complaints. Based on the complaints and feedback, the party will prepare its manifesto for the 2023 assembly elections, he said.

    In addition, nearly 20,000 nukkad nataks will be performed, and public meetings in each constituency will be held by party leaders.

  • Bengal: Four injured in bomb blast; war of words erupt between BJP, TMC

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Four persons were injured, one of them seriously, when several bombs exploded at the Jagaddal area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district early Sunday triggering panic in the area.

    An official of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said as per information, an altercation took place between some wedding party members and a local resident over playing music at the marriage hall on Saturday night.

    Several crude bombs exploded before the marriage hall injuring four wedding party members early Sunday, the official said.

    Five persons were detained in connection with the incident as police conducted raids in the area. Two more unexploded bombs were seized from the area during raids.

    The incident triggered a political blame game as the BJP accused TMC of “stockpiling” bombs across the state ahead of the panchayat polls in 2023. However, the TMC countered the charges saying BJP is levelling “false” charges.

    BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar told reporters that local TMC leaders have “stockpiled” bombs in the area and whenever there is a dispute, bombs are hurled by the ruling party miscreants.

    “Several bomb blasts and recovery of explosives had taken place in the Bhatpara-Jagaddal belt under Barrackpore sub-division in North 24 Parganas district and the involvement of TMC has been proved in every incident,” Majumdar said.

    TMC state spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said “BJP is levelling false charges against the TMC.

    “Our men are not involved in such incidents. There have been stray incidents. Our party has no association with any of them. Police are taking action…,” he added.

    KOLKATA: Four persons were injured, one of them seriously, when several bombs exploded at the Jagaddal area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district early Sunday triggering panic in the area.

    An official of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said as per information, an altercation took place between some wedding party members and a local resident over playing music at the marriage hall on Saturday night.

    Several crude bombs exploded before the marriage hall injuring four wedding party members early Sunday, the official said.

    Five persons were detained in connection with the incident as police conducted raids in the area. Two more unexploded bombs were seized from the area during raids.

    The incident triggered a political blame game as the BJP accused TMC of “stockpiling” bombs across the state ahead of the panchayat polls in 2023. However, the TMC countered the charges saying BJP is levelling “false” charges.

    BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar told reporters that local TMC leaders have “stockpiled” bombs in the area and whenever there is a dispute, bombs are hurled by the ruling party miscreants.

    “Several bomb blasts and recovery of explosives had taken place in the Bhatpara-Jagaddal belt under Barrackpore sub-division in North 24 Parganas district and the involvement of TMC has been proved in every incident,” Majumdar said.

    TMC state spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said “BJP is levelling false charges against the TMC.

    “Our men are not involved in such incidents. There have been stray incidents. Our party has no association with any of them. Police are taking action…,” he added.

  • Congress seeks to bolster hold on key MP region with Rahul’s yatra; BJP launches counter campaign 

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The politically crucial Malwa-Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh played a key role in propelling the Congress to power in 2018 after a gap of 15 years and the party is utilising the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra to strengthen its position in the belt a year ahead of the Assembly polls.

    The yatra’s focus on Malwa-Nimar during its Madhya Pradesh leg will help the party revive its organisation at the grassroots level and also allow it to reap electoral benefits, according to a section of Congress leaders and political observers.

    Mindful of the political significance of the region, which accounts for 66 of the total 230 Assembly seats, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), too, has stepped up its efforts to consolidate its position in Malwa-Nimar and retain its hold on power in the state.

    Gandhi’s cross-country march reached Baroda Ahir village, the birthplace of tribal icon and revolutionary Tantya Bheel in Pandhana tehsil in Khandwa district on November 24, a day after the yatra entered Madhya Pradesh in Burhanpur district.

    ALSO READ | Bharat Jodo Yatra proceeds further in MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes part in it for second day

    The Congress MP addressed a rally at Baroda Ahir where he batted for the restoration of the rights of tribals and paid rich tributes to Tantya Bheel.

    However, a day before that, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived at the village in tribal-dominated Nimar and flagged off Janjatiya Gaurav Yatra, an outreach programme of the BJP which is aggressively wooing adivasis.

    Chouhan also offered floral tributes to Tantya Bheel and met his family members during his visit.

    Known as the Indian ‘Robin Hood’, Tantya Bheel is hailed as a revolutionary who waged an armed struggle against British rule for 12 years.

    It is said the tribal leader used to loot the treasuries of the British government and distribute the plundered wealth among the poor.

    A BJP leader said the party is focusing not just on Malwa-Nimar, but the entire state, where the Assembly polls are due by 2023-end, and reaching out to different segments of the society.

    State BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI, “Our party is not only working in the Malwa-Nimar region for long but also in other parts of the state to consolidate its position among people. Six Janjatiya Gaurav Yatras are being taken out in MP and a separate march to spread awareness about the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act), too, is underway,” he said.

    Agrawal said these events were planned by the BJP in advance as part of a strategy and they have nothing to do with Gandhi’s unity march, which started in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

    The central government had last year declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda and remember the contribution of tribal freedom fighters.

    The PESA Act was formulated to prevent the exploitation of the tribal population.

    It gives special powers to gram sabhas in scheduled areas, especially in the management of natural resources.

    “The yatra is not gaining much support from the people and it will not benefit the Congress party,” Agrawal claimed.

    In the 2018 Assembly elections, out of the 66 seats in the Malwa-Nimar region, the Congress had bagged 35 (the total count was 114), a tally which helped the party form its government in Madhya Pradesh in December that year under the leadership of Kamal Nath.

    The BJP had got 28 seats, while three were won by Independents.

    In 2013, the BJP had won a whopping 56 seats in Malwa-Nimar, the Congress 9, and Independent 1.

    However, after the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March 2020 due to the resignation of 22 party MLAs and subsequent bypolls in 2020-2021, the BJP’s strength in the region rose to 33.

    On the other hand, the Congress tally was reduced to 30.

    Out of these 66 seats, 22 are reserved for scheduled tribes (STs) and nine for scheduled castes (SCs).

    The total number of reserved seats in the region is 31 and among them, the Congress has 20 in its kitty and the BJP 10, while one Assembly segment is represented by an Independent.

    Out of the total 22 ST seats, the Congress has 14 with it, while the BJP has seven and Independent one. The nine SC seats are distributed between the Congress (6) and the BJP (3).

    Though Congress leaders have maintained that the purpose of the yatra was not to seek electoral gains, the route planned by its managers in Madhya Pradesh clearly indicates the foot-march is focused on the Malwa-Nimar region.

    During its stay in MP, the yatra will be passing through through Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Indore, Ujjain, and Agar Malwa districts of the region before entering Rajasthan in the first week of December.

    However, the unity march’s impact will also be felt in other districts of Malwa, including Shajapur, Dewas, Barwani, Jhabua, Dhar, Alirajpur, Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch, and beyond them to the entire state, Madhya Pradesh Congress general secretary JP Dhanopia said.

    It will benefit the party not only in the next Assembly polls in the state (2023), but also in the parliamentary elections (2024), Dhanopia said.

    However, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the 3,570km long Kanniyakumari to Kashmir yatra is above electoral politics and its objective is to save the Constitution and democracy in the country.

    “We are not seeking votes through this yatra. There are few things that cannot be related to elections,” the Rajya Sabha MP, the main organizer of the march, said in Burhanpur after the yatra entered for its 380km long Madhya Pradesh leg.

    Senior journalist Prakash Hindustani said though Congress leaders are saying the yatra is not related to elections, Gandhi, during his interactions, is touching upon subjects that will certainly benefit the party in future polls.

    The Congress’s mass outreach programme will benefit the party in the Malwa-Nimar region and also revive its organisation at the ground level, he said.

    BHOPAL: The politically crucial Malwa-Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh played a key role in propelling the Congress to power in 2018 after a gap of 15 years and the party is utilising the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra to strengthen its position in the belt a year ahead of the Assembly polls.

    The yatra’s focus on Malwa-Nimar during its Madhya Pradesh leg will help the party revive its organisation at the grassroots level and also allow it to reap electoral benefits, according to a section of Congress leaders and political observers.

    Mindful of the political significance of the region, which accounts for 66 of the total 230 Assembly seats, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), too, has stepped up its efforts to consolidate its position in Malwa-Nimar and retain its hold on power in the state.

    Gandhi’s cross-country march reached Baroda Ahir village, the birthplace of tribal icon and revolutionary Tantya Bheel in Pandhana tehsil in Khandwa district on November 24, a day after the yatra entered Madhya Pradesh in Burhanpur district.

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    The Congress MP addressed a rally at Baroda Ahir where he batted for the restoration of the rights of tribals and paid rich tributes to Tantya Bheel.

    However, a day before that, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived at the village in tribal-dominated Nimar and flagged off Janjatiya Gaurav Yatra, an outreach programme of the BJP which is aggressively wooing adivasis.

    Chouhan also offered floral tributes to Tantya Bheel and met his family members during his visit.

    Known as the Indian ‘Robin Hood’, Tantya Bheel is hailed as a revolutionary who waged an armed struggle against British rule for 12 years.

    It is said the tribal leader used to loot the treasuries of the British government and distribute the plundered wealth among the poor.

    A BJP leader said the party is focusing not just on Malwa-Nimar, but the entire state, where the Assembly polls are due by 2023-end, and reaching out to different segments of the society.

    State BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI, “Our party is not only working in the Malwa-Nimar region for long but also in other parts of the state to consolidate its position among people. Six Janjatiya Gaurav Yatras are being taken out in MP and a separate march to spread awareness about the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act), too, is underway,” he said.

    Agrawal said these events were planned by the BJP in advance as part of a strategy and they have nothing to do with Gandhi’s unity march, which started in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

    The central government had last year declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda and remember the contribution of tribal freedom fighters.

    The PESA Act was formulated to prevent the exploitation of the tribal population.

    It gives special powers to gram sabhas in scheduled areas, especially in the management of natural resources.

    “The yatra is not gaining much support from the people and it will not benefit the Congress party,” Agrawal claimed.

    In the 2018 Assembly elections, out of the 66 seats in the Malwa-Nimar region, the Congress had bagged 35 (the total count was 114), a tally which helped the party form its government in Madhya Pradesh in December that year under the leadership of Kamal Nath.

    The BJP had got 28 seats, while three were won by Independents.

    In 2013, the BJP had won a whopping 56 seats in Malwa-Nimar, the Congress 9, and Independent 1.

    However, after the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March 2020 due to the resignation of 22 party MLAs and subsequent bypolls in 2020-2021, the BJP’s strength in the region rose to 33.

    On the other hand, the Congress tally was reduced to 30.

    Out of these 66 seats, 22 are reserved for scheduled tribes (STs) and nine for scheduled castes (SCs).

    The total number of reserved seats in the region is 31 and among them, the Congress has 20 in its kitty and the BJP 10, while one Assembly segment is represented by an Independent.

    Out of the total 22 ST seats, the Congress has 14 with it, while the BJP has seven and Independent one. The nine SC seats are distributed between the Congress (6) and the BJP (3).

    Though Congress leaders have maintained that the purpose of the yatra was not to seek electoral gains, the route planned by its managers in Madhya Pradesh clearly indicates the foot-march is focused on the Malwa-Nimar region.

    During its stay in MP, the yatra will be passing through through Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Indore, Ujjain, and Agar Malwa districts of the region before entering Rajasthan in the first week of December.

    However, the unity march’s impact will also be felt in other districts of Malwa, including Shajapur, Dewas, Barwani, Jhabua, Dhar, Alirajpur, Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch, and beyond them to the entire state, Madhya Pradesh Congress general secretary JP Dhanopia said.

    It will benefit the party not only in the next Assembly polls in the state (2023), but also in the parliamentary elections (2024), Dhanopia said.

    However, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the 3,570km long Kanniyakumari to Kashmir yatra is above electoral politics and its objective is to save the Constitution and democracy in the country.

    “We are not seeking votes through this yatra. There are few things that cannot be related to elections,” the Rajya Sabha MP, the main organizer of the march, said in Burhanpur after the yatra entered for its 380km long Madhya Pradesh leg.

    Senior journalist Prakash Hindustani said though Congress leaders are saying the yatra is not related to elections, Gandhi, during his interactions, is touching upon subjects that will certainly benefit the party in future polls.

    The Congress’s mass outreach programme will benefit the party in the Malwa-Nimar region and also revive its organisation at the ground level, he said.