News Analysis India

Tag: Elections

  • Two BJP leaders quit party, file papers as independents from Dharamshala

    By PTI

    DHARAMSHALA: Two senior BJP leaders here resigned from the party and filed nomination papers as independent candidates for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls.

    Vipin Naihariya, the party’s ST Morcha vice president, and BJP district chief Anil Choudhry were ticket aspirants but the party chose OBC leader Rakesh Chaudhary over them and sitting MLA Vishal Naihariya.

    Meanwhile, the sitting MLA said he is with the party and expressed confidence in Rakesh Chaudhary.

    Vipin Naihariya, a Gaddi community leader, claimed that all office-bearers of the BJP’s Dharamshala Mandal have put in their papers in protest against the party ticket to Chaudhary.

    Tuesday was the last day for the filing of nominations, which can be withdrawn till October 29.

    The voting will take place on November 12 and the results will be declared on December 8.

    DHARAMSHALA: Two senior BJP leaders here resigned from the party and filed nomination papers as independent candidates for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls.

    Vipin Naihariya, the party’s ST Morcha vice president, and BJP district chief Anil Choudhry were ticket aspirants but the party chose OBC leader Rakesh Chaudhary over them and sitting MLA Vishal Naihariya.

    Meanwhile, the sitting MLA said he is with the party and expressed confidence in Rakesh Chaudhary.

    Vipin Naihariya, a Gaddi community leader, claimed that all office-bearers of the BJP’s Dharamshala Mandal have put in their papers in protest against the party ticket to Chaudhary.

    Tuesday was the last day for the filing of nominations, which can be withdrawn till October 29.

    The voting will take place on November 12 and the results will be declared on December 8.

  • Mallikarjun Kharge to formally take over as Congress president on October 26

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Hectic preparations were underway at the Congress headquarters for Wednesday’s ceremony where party president Sonia Gandhi will hand over the baton to her successor, Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the outfit in 24 years.

    Kharge defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the top post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race. Security personnel and workers made last-minute arrangements on the AICC headquarters lawns where a tent was being put up and in the Congress president’s office room.

    Chairman of the central election authority of the Congress Madhusudan Mistry will formally hand over the election certificate to Kharge at the function, which will also see the presence of outgoing chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

    Kharge, 80, takes charge of the party at a time when it faces a tough challenge from a formidable BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has ousted the Congress from many states.

    For Kharge, who has served as a leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and later leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, the current assignment comes at a time when the party is at a historic low, electorally.

    With the Congress now remaining in power in only two states – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – on its own and in partnership as a junior partner in Jharkhand, Kharge’s first challenge is to bring the party to power in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, which go to polls in the next few weeks.

    Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh are on November 12 but the dates for Gujarat are yet to be announced.

    Later in 2023, Kharge will face the onerous task of leading the Congress in nine assembly elections that are due including in his home state of Karnataka where he was an MLA for nine terms.

    Kharge’s election also comes at a time the party is reeling under internal rumblings and high-profile exits after a series of electoral debacles and has been reduced to a shadow of its former formidable self.

    Beginning his career as chief of the Gulbarga city council, Kharge has also served as a state minister and a Lok Sabha MP from Gulbarga (2009 and 2014).

    The old warhorse is well known for not losing an election barring the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from Gulbarga.

    It was after that loss that Sonia Gandhi brought Kharge to the Rajya Sabha and in February 2021 made him the leader of the opposition.

    Kharge also faces the challenge of restoring the Congress’ primacy in the opposition space, implementing radical reforms the party pledged at the mid-May Chintan Shivir in Udaipur and maintaining his independence in the face of insinuations that he is a candidate of the Gandhi and would seek their approval in all decisions.

    The last non-Gandhi Congress president was Sitaram Kesri, who was unceremoniously removed in 1998 just after two years into his five-year term.

    A leader with more than 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge is also the second All India Congress Committee (AICC) president from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also the second Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the post.

    NEW DELHI: Hectic preparations were underway at the Congress headquarters for Wednesday’s ceremony where party president Sonia Gandhi will hand over the baton to her successor, Mallikarjun Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the outfit in 24 years.

    Kharge defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the top post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the race. Security personnel and workers made last-minute arrangements on the AICC headquarters lawns where a tent was being put up and in the Congress president’s office room.

    Chairman of the central election authority of the Congress Madhusudan Mistry will formally hand over the election certificate to Kharge at the function, which will also see the presence of outgoing chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

    Kharge, 80, takes charge of the party at a time when it faces a tough challenge from a formidable BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has ousted the Congress from many states.

    For Kharge, who has served as a leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and later leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, the current assignment comes at a time when the party is at a historic low, electorally.

    With the Congress now remaining in power in only two states – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – on its own and in partnership as a junior partner in Jharkhand, Kharge’s first challenge is to bring the party to power in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, which go to polls in the next few weeks.

    Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh are on November 12 but the dates for Gujarat are yet to be announced.

    Later in 2023, Kharge will face the onerous task of leading the Congress in nine assembly elections that are due including in his home state of Karnataka where he was an MLA for nine terms.

    Kharge’s election also comes at a time the party is reeling under internal rumblings and high-profile exits after a series of electoral debacles and has been reduced to a shadow of its former formidable self.

    Beginning his career as chief of the Gulbarga city council, Kharge has also served as a state minister and a Lok Sabha MP from Gulbarga (2009 and 2014).

    The old warhorse is well known for not losing an election barring the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from Gulbarga.

    It was after that loss that Sonia Gandhi brought Kharge to the Rajya Sabha and in February 2021 made him the leader of the opposition.

    Kharge also faces the challenge of restoring the Congress’ primacy in the opposition space, implementing radical reforms the party pledged at the mid-May Chintan Shivir in Udaipur and maintaining his independence in the face of insinuations that he is a candidate of the Gandhi and would seek their approval in all decisions.

    The last non-Gandhi Congress president was Sitaram Kesri, who was unceremoniously removed in 1998 just after two years into his five-year term.

    A leader with more than 50 years of experience in politics, Kharge is also the second All India Congress Committee (AICC) president from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also the second Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the post.

  • SC notice to Centre on plea against supply of electoral roll to candidates

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre and others on a plea challenging certain provisions of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 by which the Election Commission is bound to supply two copies of the electoral roll to every contesting candidate.

    The PIL filed by two advocates has sought an alternative to save the enormous expenditure as well as the usage of large quantities of paper.

    It alleged that the country had to bear a cost of about Rs 47.84 crore for printing electoral rolls and supplying them free of cost to the candidates of the recognised parties contesting.

    A bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Bela M Trivedi issued notices to the Centre and the Chief Election Commissioner on a plea challenging Rules 11(c) and 22(c) of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.

    It is submitted that in terms of these Rules, the Election Commission is bound to supply two copies of the electoral roll to every contesting candidate who is assigned a symbol in terms of the Rules.

    It is further submitted that on this count alone, an expenditure of Rs. 47,84,38,000 was incurred by the Election Commission in the last elections.

    “Challenge is therefore raised as to the validity of these Rules and it is submitted inter alia that an alternative be devised so as to save the enormous expenditure as well as the usage of large quantities of paper. Issue notice returnable on November 28, 2022,” the bench said.

    The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocates Hargyan Singh Gahlot and Sanjana Gahlot challenging Rules 11(c) and 22(c) of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.

    They claimed that about 31 trees are chopped every day for printing voter lists.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre and others on a plea challenging certain provisions of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 by which the Election Commission is bound to supply two copies of the electoral roll to every contesting candidate.

    The PIL filed by two advocates has sought an alternative to save the enormous expenditure as well as the usage of large quantities of paper.

    It alleged that the country had to bear a cost of about Rs 47.84 crore for printing electoral rolls and supplying them free of cost to the candidates of the recognised parties contesting.

    A bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Bela M Trivedi issued notices to the Centre and the Chief Election Commissioner on a plea challenging Rules 11(c) and 22(c) of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.

    It is submitted that in terms of these Rules, the Election Commission is bound to supply two copies of the electoral roll to every contesting candidate who is assigned a symbol in terms of the Rules.

    It is further submitted that on this count alone, an expenditure of Rs. 47,84,38,000 was incurred by the Election Commission in the last elections.

    “Challenge is therefore raised as to the validity of these Rules and it is submitted inter alia that an alternative be devised so as to save the enormous expenditure as well as the usage of large quantities of paper. Issue notice returnable on November 28, 2022,” the bench said.

    The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocates Hargyan Singh Gahlot and Sanjana Gahlot challenging Rules 11(c) and 22(c) of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.

    They claimed that about 31 trees are chopped every day for printing voter lists.

  • With Kharge at helm, Congress looks to consolidate its Dalit vote base in poll-bound Karnataka

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The political impact of Mallikarjun Kharge’s election to the post of Congress President is being keenly watched in his poll-bound home state of Karnataka with the party hoping to reap dividends to consolidate its Dalit vote base.

    The veteran leader is also expected to use his good offices in unifying the faction-ridden party in the state, ahead of Assembly elections just six months away.

    Kharge is only the second leader, after Jagjivan Ram, to be the Congress President from the Dalit community, which constitutes about 24 per cent of the population across more than 100 caste groups in the state.

    According to some party insiders and political observers, Congress’ strong support base among Dalits has shrunk over the years, due to various factors including a section of it shifting towards BJP in recent years, attracted by the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his push for a development agenda.

    Also, the grand old party’s inability to resolve the differences between left and right sects among the Dalits, concerning internal reservation, has also led to it losing the support of the Left, who have considerable presence in the state.

    Kharge belongs to the Dalit right, and his ability to win over the left, who have by and large moved towards the BJP, is crucial, and will determine whether things will turn in favour of the Congress or not, political analysts say.

    There is anger among a large section of the community, over the fact that Congress, which enjoyed their support for long, did not make a Dalit as the state’s Chief Minister.

    Kharge himself had lost out from the chance of becoming the Chief Minister, after having come very close to it, a couple of times.

    Political analyst A Narayana from Azim Premji University said, “Overall, it (Kharge’s elevation) is an advantage for the Congress (in Karnataka), but to what extent it will turn into an electoral or political capital, we do not know and have to see.”

    Noting that Dalits harbour “a little bit” of anger against the Congress which sort of affected its prospects last time (in 2018 polls), he said there is still a feeling in the community that they were not given their due.

    “Ultimately, that dissatisfaction will be addressed only when a Dalit becomes the CM, but it is a distant possibility, given the political realities of the state today. In the meantime, to address this discontent to an extent, it seems to be a good argument for the Congress to say that the top post of the party has been given to a Dalit, and we respect the Dalit sentiments,” he added.

    Further, pointing out that in Karnataka, Congress’ problem with Dalits is a more specific one, where the left sect of the community is angry with the party more than the right, Narayana said it remains to be seen if the elevation of Kharge, a Dalit on the right will help the party to placate the other side.

    “It depends on how much they (Congress) try to leverage, whether Kharge will make any impact in that direction, and how they address the discontent that the left wing has particularly regarding the implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report among other things,” he added.

    The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

    Senior Congress leader and former Chairman of Legislative Council V R Sudarshan said Kharge becoming the Congress President is a matter of pride for Karnataka and it will certainly strengthen the party affairs in the state, both politically and socially.

    He said, “It is an opportunity to consolidate (Dalits) in favour of the party. However, Kharge personally has never played his Dalit identity card, even when there was a circumstance for him to become the CM. He has always been a committed Congressman and gone by his performance and loyalty.”

    With Kharge’s elevation, there are also talks in political circles as to whether it would create one more ‘power centre’ within the Karnataka Congress which is deeply divided, and amid growing political one-upmanship between state President DK Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who are nursing chief ministerial ambitions.

    Amid this situation, there are talks whether the new AICC chief will be able to rein in all the factions and unite the party for the elections.

    There are also discussions in the party, whether it will be ‘disadvantage’ for Siddaramaiah (who had joined the Congress from JDS) with Kharge at the helm as his preference may be towards old-time party loyalists on matters relating to ticket distribution and leaders among others.

    However, Narayana responding to this said, “Yes, there will be another power centre in Karnataka, but will it affect the possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming or not becoming CM, I don’t think so, because Kharge is appointed keeping in mind the 2024 (Lok Sabha) election.”

    BENGALURU: The political impact of Mallikarjun Kharge’s election to the post of Congress President is being keenly watched in his poll-bound home state of Karnataka with the party hoping to reap dividends to consolidate its Dalit vote base.

    The veteran leader is also expected to use his good offices in unifying the faction-ridden party in the state, ahead of Assembly elections just six months away.

    Kharge is only the second leader, after Jagjivan Ram, to be the Congress President from the Dalit community, which constitutes about 24 per cent of the population across more than 100 caste groups in the state.

    According to some party insiders and political observers, Congress’ strong support base among Dalits has shrunk over the years, due to various factors including a section of it shifting towards BJP in recent years, attracted by the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his push for a development agenda.

    Also, the grand old party’s inability to resolve the differences between left and right sects among the Dalits, concerning internal reservation, has also led to it losing the support of the Left, who have considerable presence in the state.

    Kharge belongs to the Dalit right, and his ability to win over the left, who have by and large moved towards the BJP, is crucial, and will determine whether things will turn in favour of the Congress or not, political analysts say.

    There is anger among a large section of the community, over the fact that Congress, which enjoyed their support for long, did not make a Dalit as the state’s Chief Minister.

    Kharge himself had lost out from the chance of becoming the Chief Minister, after having come very close to it, a couple of times.

    Political analyst A Narayana from Azim Premji University said, “Overall, it (Kharge’s elevation) is an advantage for the Congress (in Karnataka), but to what extent it will turn into an electoral or political capital, we do not know and have to see.”

    Noting that Dalits harbour “a little bit” of anger against the Congress which sort of affected its prospects last time (in 2018 polls), he said there is still a feeling in the community that they were not given their due.

    “Ultimately, that dissatisfaction will be addressed only when a Dalit becomes the CM, but it is a distant possibility, given the political realities of the state today. In the meantime, to address this discontent to an extent, it seems to be a good argument for the Congress to say that the top post of the party has been given to a Dalit, and we respect the Dalit sentiments,” he added.

    Further, pointing out that in Karnataka, Congress’ problem with Dalits is a more specific one, where the left sect of the community is angry with the party more than the right, Narayana said it remains to be seen if the elevation of Kharge, a Dalit on the right will help the party to placate the other side.

    “It depends on how much they (Congress) try to leverage, whether Kharge will make any impact in that direction, and how they address the discontent that the left wing has particularly regarding the implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report among other things,” he added.

    The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

    Senior Congress leader and former Chairman of Legislative Council V R Sudarshan said Kharge becoming the Congress President is a matter of pride for Karnataka and it will certainly strengthen the party affairs in the state, both politically and socially.

    He said, “It is an opportunity to consolidate (Dalits) in favour of the party. However, Kharge personally has never played his Dalit identity card, even when there was a circumstance for him to become the CM. He has always been a committed Congressman and gone by his performance and loyalty.”

    With Kharge’s elevation, there are also talks in political circles as to whether it would create one more ‘power centre’ within the Karnataka Congress which is deeply divided, and amid growing political one-upmanship between state President DK Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who are nursing chief ministerial ambitions.

    Amid this situation, there are talks whether the new AICC chief will be able to rein in all the factions and unite the party for the elections.

    There are also discussions in the party, whether it will be ‘disadvantage’ for Siddaramaiah (who had joined the Congress from JDS) with Kharge at the helm as his preference may be towards old-time party loyalists on matters relating to ticket distribution and leaders among others.

    However, Narayana responding to this said, “Yes, there will be another power centre in Karnataka, but will it affect the possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming or not becoming CM, I don’t think so, because Kharge is appointed keeping in mind the 2024 (Lok Sabha) election.”

  • Boost for Bihar BJP ahead of two bypolls in Bihar

    Express News Service

    PATNA: The opposition BJP is elated over the joining of two influential leaders of the ruling grand alliance ahead of the by-election to be held in two assembly seats Gopalganj and Mokama in Bihar on November 3. A senior JD(U) functionary Sadanand Singh, who was associated with chief minister Nitish Kumar since the formation of the Samata Party, resigned from the primary membership of JD(U) and joined BJP in the presence of state chief Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal and other senior leaders here. 

    Singh, who had earlier served as JD(U) district chief of Gopalganj, exuded confidence that BJP would retain the Gopalganj seat in a by-election scheduled to be held on November 3. The saffron party has fielded Kusum Devi, wife of Subhash Singh, from Gopalganj.

    The Gopalganj seat fell vacant after the death of Subhash Singh. BJP leaders are elated over joining of Sadanand Singh ahead of the by-poll in Gopalganj. “Singh’s joining has given a jolt to RJD, which has fielded Mohan Gupta from the seat,” said an RJD source.

    RJD has been trying to win this seat for a long time but even during the slide victory for the grand alliance in 2015 assembly polls, the seat had gone to BJP’s Subhash Singh. A major chunk of voters is likely to shift from JD(U) to BJP following Sadanand Singh’s resignation.

    On Sunday, former RJD MLA Amarnath Gami joined BJP in the presence of BJPfunctionaries in Patna. Gami, a two-term MLA from Hayaghat in Darbhanga, had left JD(U) and joined RJD after being denied ticket from JD(U) in 2020 assembly election.

    Jolt to RJD, JD(U)Sadanand Singh, who was associated with chief minister Nitish Kumar since the formation of Samata Party, resigned and joined BJP.  Former RJD MLA Amarnath Gami joined the BJP on Sunday

    PATNA: The opposition BJP is elated over the joining of two influential leaders of the ruling grand alliance ahead of the by-election to be held in two assembly seats Gopalganj and Mokama in Bihar on November 3. A senior JD(U) functionary Sadanand Singh, who was associated with chief minister Nitish Kumar since the formation of the Samata Party, resigned from the primary membership of JD(U) and joined BJP in the presence of state chief Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal and other senior leaders here. 

    Singh, who had earlier served as JD(U) district chief of Gopalganj, exuded confidence that BJP would retain the Gopalganj seat in a by-election scheduled to be held on November 3. The saffron party 
    has fielded Kusum Devi, wife of Subhash Singh, from Gopalganj.

    The Gopalganj seat fell vacant after the death of Subhash Singh. BJP leaders are elated over joining of Sadanand Singh ahead of the by-poll in Gopalganj. “Singh’s joining has given a jolt to RJD, which has fielded Mohan Gupta from the seat,” said an RJD source.

    RJD has been trying to win this seat for a long time but even during the slide victory for the grand alliance in 2015 assembly polls, the seat had gone to BJP’s Subhash Singh. A major chunk of voters is likely to shift from JD(U) to BJP following Sadanand Singh’s resignation.

    On Sunday, former RJD MLA Amarnath Gami joined BJP in the presence of BJPfunctionaries in Patna. Gami, a two-term MLA from Hayaghat in Darbhanga, had left JD(U) and joined RJD after being denied ticket from JD(U) in 2020 assembly election.

    Jolt to RJD, JD(U)
    Sadanand Singh, who was associated with chief minister Nitish Kumar since the formation of Samata Party, resigned and joined BJP.  Former RJD MLA Amarnath Gami joined the BJP on Sunday

  • 2017 convention followed in not announcing Himachal, Gujarat polls together: CEC

    Technically, it is still possible to hold Gujarat elections in the November-December period so that the votes could be counted on the same day as was the case in 2017.

  • BJP wins 417 out of 814 seats in MP local body elections

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The ruling BJP on Friday won 417 out of 814 seats in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh and claimed to have secured majority in 38 out of 46 local bodies. The elections had been held on Tuesday.

    The main opposition Congress won 250 seats, Independents 131, Aam Aadi Party seven, Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) six and Bahujan Samaj Party three seats in the polls to 46 local bodies, an official said.

    As many as 3,397 candidates were in the fray in the elections to 17 nagar palikas and 29 nagar parishads.

    Voter turnout of 72.60 per cent was recorded in the polls held across 18 districts. At least 25 corporators were elected unopposed.

    Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath congratulated Congress candidates on their performance and alleged that the BJP misused the official machinery to contest the elections.

    Congress candidates were harassed by the administration at the BJP’s behest, he alleged, adding that the results showed that “the truth can be harassed, but it can’t be defeated.”

    Claiming that a large number of Congress-supported candidates won the polls, Nath said the party will return to power in the state in the next 12 months (after Assembly polls) as people have supported it.

    State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said that out of 46 local bodies, the party secured majority in 38.

    The BJP emerged victorious in all seats in Khurai and Garhakota local bodies in Sagar district, while the party’s performance was also good in Chhindwara, Nath’s bastion, he said.

    “He (Nath) should tell why the Congress lost in his stronghold,” Chaturvedi said. The BJP spokesperson also claimed that the party had won many seats in the tribal areas too.

    BHOPAL: The ruling BJP on Friday won 417 out of 814 seats in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh and claimed to have secured majority in 38 out of 46 local bodies. The elections had been held on Tuesday.

    The main opposition Congress won 250 seats, Independents 131, Aam Aadi Party seven, Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) six and Bahujan Samaj Party three seats in the polls to 46 local bodies, an official said.

    As many as 3,397 candidates were in the fray in the elections to 17 nagar palikas and 29 nagar parishads.

    Voter turnout of 72.60 per cent was recorded in the polls held across 18 districts. At least 25 corporators were elected unopposed.

    Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath congratulated Congress candidates on their performance and alleged that the BJP misused the official machinery to contest the elections.

    Congress candidates were harassed by the administration at the BJP’s behest, he alleged, adding that the results showed that “the truth can be harassed, but it can’t be defeated.”

    Claiming that a large number of Congress-supported candidates won the polls, Nath said the party will return to power in the state in the next 12 months (after Assembly polls) as people have supported it.

    State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said that out of 46 local bodies, the party secured majority in 38.

    The BJP emerged victorious in all seats in Khurai and Garhakota local bodies in Sagar district, while the party’s performance was also good in Chhindwara, Nath’s bastion, he said.

    “He (Nath) should tell why the Congress lost in his stronghold,” Chaturvedi said. The BJP spokesperson also claimed that the party had won many seats in the tribal areas too.

  • Madhya Pradesh: BJP wins 417 out of 814 seats in MP local body elections

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The ruling BJP on Friday won 417 out of 814 seats in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh and claimed to have secured majority in 38 out of 46 local bodies. The elections had been held on Tuesday.

    The main opposition Congress won 250 seats, Independents 131, Aam Aadi Party seven, Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) six and Bahujan Samaj Party three seats in the polls to 46 local bodies, an official said.

    As many as 3,397 candidates were in the fray in the elections to 17 nagar palikas and 29 nagar parishads.

    Voter turnout of 72.60 per cent was recorded in the polls held across 18 districts. At least 25 corporators were elected unopposed.

    Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath congratulated Congress candidates on their performance and alleged that the BJP misused the official machinery to contest the elections.

    Congress candidates were harassed by the administration at the BJP’s behest, he alleged, adding that the results showed that “the truth can be harassed, but it can’t be defeated.”

    Claiming that a large number of Congress-supported candidates won the polls, Nath said the party will return to power in the state in the next 12 months (after Assembly polls) as people have supported it.

    State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said that out of 46 local bodies, the party secured majority in 38.

    The BJP emerged victorious in all seats in Khurai and Garhakota local bodies in Sagar district, while the party’s performance was also good in Chhindwara, Nath’s bastion, he said.

    “He (Nath) should tell why the Congress lost in his stronghold,” Chaturvedi said. The BJP spokesperson also claimed that the party had won many seats in the tribal areas too.

    BHOPAL: The ruling BJP on Friday won 417 out of 814 seats in local body elections in Madhya Pradesh and claimed to have secured majority in 38 out of 46 local bodies. The elections had been held on Tuesday.

    The main opposition Congress won 250 seats, Independents 131, Aam Aadi Party seven, Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) six and Bahujan Samaj Party three seats in the polls to 46 local bodies, an official said.

    As many as 3,397 candidates were in the fray in the elections to 17 nagar palikas and 29 nagar parishads.

    Voter turnout of 72.60 per cent was recorded in the polls held across 18 districts. At least 25 corporators were elected unopposed.

    Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath congratulated Congress candidates on their performance and alleged that the BJP misused the official machinery to contest the elections.

    Congress candidates were harassed by the administration at the BJP’s behest, he alleged, adding that the results showed that “the truth can be harassed, but it can’t be defeated.”

    Claiming that a large number of Congress-supported candidates won the polls, Nath said the party will return to power in the state in the next 12 months (after Assembly polls) as people have supported it.

    State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said that out of 46 local bodies, the party secured majority in 38.

    The BJP emerged victorious in all seats in Khurai and Garhakota local bodies in Sagar district, while the party’s performance was also good in Chhindwara, Nath’s bastion, he said.

    “He (Nath) should tell why the Congress lost in his stronghold,” Chaturvedi said. The BJP spokesperson also claimed that the party had won many seats in the tribal areas too.

  • BJP makes gain in Maharashtra local body elections

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  In the local body elections of gram panchayat, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party. While the NCP bagged second most seats, the Maha Vikas Aghadi as an alliance together, got the highest numbers of gram panchayats in Maharashtra.

    After the change of power in the state, for the first time there were local elections. The local body elections shows that the BJP still has a stronghold in Maharashtra with its bagging the highest numbers of gram panchayats that is 125, while the NCP continues to dominate its influence in the rural part of  the state with winning the second largest gram panchayats that is 118. 

    The performance of Congress, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde-led factions and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s performance in local elections turned out to be poor. Interestingly, if all three parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi won gram panchayats, that is 181, while the BJP and Shinde camp has won 153-gram panchayats in the state. It shows that the Maha Vikas Aghadi together can still outperform the new political alignment in the state.

    In Pune district, the NCP continued its dominance in local body elections. Out of 61 gram panchayats, the NCP won the highest 30 while BJP won three, Shinde camp won the three and Shiv Sena won the two while the remaining gram panchayat were won by the local alliances. Interestingly, in Yavatmal district, Congress party bagged the highest 33 gram panchayats out of 71 while NCP won the nine, BJP won the two, Shiv Sena won the three gram panchayat and remained by local alliances.

    In Jalgaon district, the NCP won four while BJP, Shinde camp and Shiv Sena won the three seats in local body elections. On the other hand, in Dhule district, BJP out of 32 gram panchayats out of total 33 gram panchayats. It shows the BJP’s dominance in Dhule district in local body elections. 

    MUMBAI:  In the local body elections of gram panchayat, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party. While the NCP bagged second most seats, the Maha Vikas Aghadi as an alliance together, got the highest numbers of gram panchayats in Maharashtra.

    After the change of power in the state, for the first time there were local elections. The local body elections shows that the BJP still has a stronghold in Maharashtra with its bagging the highest numbers of gram panchayats that is 125, while the NCP continues to dominate its influence in the rural part of  the state with winning the second largest gram panchayats that is 118. 

    The performance of Congress, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde-led factions and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s performance in local elections turned out to be poor. Interestingly, if all three parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi won gram panchayats, that is 181, while the BJP and Shinde camp has won 153-gram panchayats in the state. It shows that the Maha Vikas Aghadi together can still outperform the new political alignment in the state.

    In Pune district, the NCP continued its dominance in local body elections. Out of 61 gram panchayats, the NCP won the highest 30 while BJP won three, Shinde camp won the three and Shiv Sena won the two while the remaining gram panchayat were won by the local alliances. Interestingly, in Yavatmal district, Congress party bagged the highest 33 gram panchayats out of 71 while NCP won the nine, BJP won the two, Shiv Sena won the three gram panchayat and remained by local alliances.

    In Jalgaon district, the NCP won four while BJP, Shinde camp and Shiv Sena won the three seats in local body elections. On the other hand, in Dhule district, BJP out of 32 gram panchayats out of total 33 gram panchayats. It shows the BJP’s dominance in Dhule district in local body elections.
     

  • Five Cong MPs write to Mistry, express concern over transparency, fairness of party chief polls

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Five Congress MPs have written to AICC central election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry expressing concern about the “transparency and fairness” of the party chief’s election and sought that the list of PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, Congress’s Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi and Abdul Khaleque said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates,” the letter said.

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs said in their communication to Mistry.

    They said that as Congress MPs, they are concerned about the transparency and fairness of the election process for the president of the party.

    “It is unfortunate that an erroneous interpretation is being given to our demand of releasing electoral rolls. We are not suggesting that any internal document of the party should be released in a manner that may give an opportunity to those who wish us ill to misuse the information contained therein,” the MPs said.

    They said that they are of the firm opinion that before the commencement of the nomination process, the party’s CEA must provide a list of PCC delegates that make up the electoral college.

    The MPs said that providing the list will remove any unwarranted arbitrariness from the election process.

    “As long as this demand is met, our concern about transparency – a sine qua non in any free and fair election – will be met,” the letter said.

    The letter came a day after the party launched its ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on Wednesday.

    Speaking on the party’s polls, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said at a press conference in Kanyakumari that he has made his decision on whether he will take up the party presidency but did not divulge his plans. He said he will give his reasons if he does not contest the upcoming elections for the post.

    Asked if he would become the Congress president, he said, “Whether I become president or not, this will become very clear when the presidential elections of the Congress party take place.”

    “Wait till that time. When that time happens (comes), you will see. And if I don’t stand, you can ask me ‘why didn’t you stand’ and I will answer the question for you,” Gandhi told reporters.

    Sources said Tharoor and Bordoloi had written separate letters to Mistry earlier as well seeking the publication of the electoral rolls.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul. Tharoor is contemplating running for the post of party president.

    Last month, Tewari and Chidambaram, along with Tharoor, had demanded that the electoral rolls be made public to ensure transparency.

    Tewari had raised objections to the Congress not making public the names of the electors for the polls to elect the next party president and said the list must be published on the All India Congress Committee (AICC) website for a “free and fair” process.

    Mistry, however, has maintained that the election is being held transparently and the entire poll process is free and fair. He had said that according to the party’s constitution, the electoral rolls cannot be made public but they can be provided to anyone contesting the election.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19.

    NEW DELHI: Five Congress MPs have written to AICC central election authority chief Madhusudan Mistry expressing concern about the “transparency and fairness” of the party chief’s election and sought that the list of PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, Congress’s Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi and Abdul Khaleque said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates,” the letter said.

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs said in their communication to Mistry.

    They said that as Congress MPs, they are concerned about the transparency and fairness of the election process for the president of the party.

    “It is unfortunate that an erroneous interpretation is being given to our demand of releasing electoral rolls. We are not suggesting that any internal document of the party should be released in a manner that may give an opportunity to those who wish us ill to misuse the information contained therein,” the MPs said.

    They said that they are of the firm opinion that before the commencement of the nomination process, the party’s CEA must provide a list of PCC delegates that make up the electoral college.

    The MPs said that providing the list will remove any unwarranted arbitrariness from the election process.

    “As long as this demand is met, our concern about transparency – a sine qua non in any free and fair election – will be met,” the letter said.

    The letter came a day after the party launched its ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on Wednesday.

    Speaking on the party’s polls, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said at a press conference in Kanyakumari that he has made his decision on whether he will take up the party presidency but did not divulge his plans. He said he will give his reasons if he does not contest the upcoming elections for the post.

    Asked if he would become the Congress president, he said, “Whether I become president or not, this will become very clear when the presidential elections of the Congress party take place.”

    “Wait till that time. When that time happens (comes), you will see. And if I don’t stand, you can ask me ‘why didn’t you stand’ and I will answer the question for you,” Gandhi told reporters.

    Sources said Tharoor and Bordoloi had written separate letters to Mistry earlier as well seeking the publication of the electoral rolls.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul. Tharoor is contemplating running for the post of party president.

    Last month, Tewari and Chidambaram, along with Tharoor, had demanded that the electoral rolls be made public to ensure transparency.

    Tewari had raised objections to the Congress not making public the names of the electors for the polls to elect the next party president and said the list must be published on the All India Congress Committee (AICC) website for a “free and fair” process.

    Mistry, however, has maintained that the election is being held transparently and the entire poll process is free and fair. He had said that according to the party’s constitution, the electoral rolls cannot be made public but they can be provided to anyone contesting the election.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17. The results will be out on October 19.