Tag: Kejriwal

  • Kejriwal: Be it Arvind Kejriwal or Hemant Soren, every corrupt leader will be punished: BJP

    New Delhi, The BJP on Wednesday assailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren for repeatedly skipping the ED summons and asserted that every “corrupt leader” will be “punished” for their misdeeds under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule. The party also questioned why Kejriwal did not approach the courts if he felt the action against him was politically motivated.

    “Gone are the days when corrupt leaders used to rule over the honest citizenry of the country. The only place for the corrupt leaders is behind bars and it is our firm resolve that every corrupt leader will be punished as per law,” BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has zero tolerance for corruption and the probe agencies have been given a “free hand” to work independently and take action against graft without any bias, the BJP leader stressed. Bhatia said that leaders will have to face the “consequences of their misdeeds and corruption” they have indulged in, “be it Kejriwal, Soren or anyone else”.

    “Such dramas will not help because Kejriwal knows that handcuffs are coming closer to him,” he alleged at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

    The “power of law” and the people’s faith are with the central probe agencies, he said. The BJP’s reaction came after AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal skipped the third summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case and sent a written reply calling the notice illegal. Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Soren has also skipped as many as seven summons issued by the ED in a money laundering case.

    “Outright dishonest and sinister Arvind Kejriwal is shaking in fear and making one after another lame excuse to skip ED summons,” Bhatia claimed

    “It won’t be wrong to say that Kejriwal is afraid today because he knows that his arrest is imminent, he is aware that he is the kingpin and has no answers (to ED’s questions). That’s why he is trying to evade the process of law,” the BJP spokesperson told reporters at a press conference at the party headquarters.

    The BJP leader said it would have never happened in the history of independent India that someone “ordered” a probe agency to withdraw its summons.

    “But a corrupt and sinister Arvind Kejriwal tells ED to withdraw its summons. Mr Arvind Kejriwal, you are not above the law,” he charged, saying it is the right of the probe agencies to take action against corruption “as per evidence”.

    Bhatia contended that if Kejriwal felt that the ED had issued summons to him out of any alleged “political vendetta”, he should have approached the court seeking relief.

    “Why didn’t he approach court so far if the ED’s summonses are politically motivated? He is not able to muster the courage (to approach court) because he knows the truth that he is the kingpin of the liquor scam,” Bhatia further said.

    Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in connection with the case earlier, were just his “puppets”, he said.

    Kejriwal, who once used to talk about eradicating corruption in India, has himself become a “corrupt termite” in politics, and he has a misconception that he is above the law, Bhatia alleged.

    “Arvind Kejriwal, you have mastered the art of deceit, corruption and propaganda and this has become synonymous with you,” he charged.

    On AAP’s allegation that the BJP-led Centre is hatching a conspiracy to arrest Kejriwal to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, Bhatia said probe agencies are “honestly biting corrupts like eagles, seeking from them details of people’s hard-earned money”.

    “If you have not done any dishonesty, what is there to be scared of… Kejriwal should have appeared before the ED and answered its questions,” the BJP leader said, asking the AAP national convenor to “let the truth come out”.

    Bhatia also targeted the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, questioning their “silence” on the issue of corruption, and slammed Soren, whose party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is one of the constituents of the opposition alliance, for skipping the ED’s summons.

    “Hemant Soren evading the summons clearly reveals the same mindset that I have just discussed in the case of Arvind Kejriwal that first you loot, indulge in corruption and then when questions are asked and you are made accountable for your misdeeds and corruption, you evade the summons,” the BJP leader said.

    Referring to media reports claiming that Soren plans to step down as Jharkhand chief minister and install his wife Kalpana Soren as his successor in view of his “imminent arrest”, Bhatia said, “They (JMM) are preparing for the consequences of an arrest that could be made by the investigative agency as it comes under its domain.

    “But who have they selected (to replace Soren)? It’s again someone from his own family. All this is media speculation but it reveals the dynastic mindset (of the JMM leadership),” the BJP spokesperson said.

    “The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always said that INDI alliance is synonymous with corruption. Their leaders are either in jail or on bail. And it is so because an honest government has given a free hand to the probe agencies so that they are not scared of anyone,” Bhatia said.

    “I would only say with full confidence that no corrupt (person) is above the law and no corrupt (person) will survive,” he said.

    Those who have committed corruption will be in jail no matter how many excuses they make. Their right place is behind bars, the BJP spokesperson said.

  • Opposition forms G-8, calls Congress for LS poll talks

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Seven non-Congress opposition chief ministers and a deputy CM have together formed a group and had three video conferences over the last few weeks to discuss a united fight against the BJP in 2024.

    The eight leaders of this group include seven chief ministers – Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) – and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in TN, Jharkhand and Bihar.

    Sources said the group, called G-8, has invited the Congress to start seat-sharing talks on the condition that the leadership of the united opposition group is left open until after the Lok Sabha elections.  Congress is yet to respond to the proposal. But sources said Rahul Gandhi is keen to engage with G-8 leaders. They said a united challenge to the BJP with all opposition parties coming on one platform was the plan Rahul  Gandhi had referred to in London recently. 

    Some of the group’s leaders like KCR, Kejriwal and Mamata oppose breaking bread with the Congress. It is on their insistence that the condition to freeze the leadership issue until after the elections were conveyed to Congress. Two other chief ministers – Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) – have refused to have any pre-poll understanding with the Congress.

    Sources said if the Congress does not agree to their condition on leadership, they would go ahead and expand the group by including the remaining opposition CMs and other opposition parties. According to sources, Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday was an attempt by the non-Congress opposition leaders to send a message to the grand old party not to insist on a leadership position in the opposition. 

    The opposition leaders had not taken kindly to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark at an election rally that his party would lead the opposition and form the next government by ousting the BJP.An opposition leader who is privy to the discussions among the G-8 said that the Congress had failed to take on the BJP in the last two Lok Sabha elections. “It was routed in states where it was in a direct fight with the BJP.” It is time the Congress allowed the regional parties that have successfully halted the BJP’s march in their respective states to take the leadership position, he said. 

    NEW DELHI: Seven non-Congress opposition chief ministers and a deputy CM have together formed a group and had three video conferences over the last few weeks to discuss a united fight against the BJP in 2024.

    The eight leaders of this group include seven chief ministers – Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) – and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in TN, Jharkhand and Bihar.

    Sources said the group, called G-8, has invited the Congress to start seat-sharing talks on the condition that the leadership of the united opposition group is left open until after the Lok Sabha elections.  Congress is yet to respond to the proposal. But sources said Rahul Gandhi is keen to engage with G-8 leaders. They said a united challenge to the BJP with all opposition parties coming on one platform was the plan Rahul  Gandhi had referred to in London recently. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Some of the group’s leaders like KCR, Kejriwal and Mamata oppose breaking bread with the Congress. It is on their insistence that the condition to freeze the leadership issue until after the elections were conveyed to Congress. Two other chief ministers – Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) and Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) – have refused to have any pre-poll understanding with the Congress.

    Sources said if the Congress does not agree to their condition on leadership, they would go ahead and expand the group by including the remaining opposition CMs and other opposition parties. According to sources, Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday was an attempt by the non-Congress opposition leaders to send a message to the grand old party not to insist on a leadership position in the opposition. 

    The opposition leaders had not taken kindly to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remark at an election rally that his party would lead the opposition and form the next government by ousting the BJP.
    An opposition leader who is privy to the discussions among the G-8 said that the Congress had failed to take on the BJP in the last two Lok Sabha elections. “It was routed in states where it was in a direct fight with the BJP.” It is time the Congress allowed the regional parties that have successfully halted the BJP’s march in their respective states to take the leadership position, he said. 

  • Vote for making Delhi clean, beautiful city: CM Kejriwal

    In another tweet, he asked people to vote for an honest party and decent people and not those who indulge in corruption, hooliganism and abuse.

  • Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan to address rallies in poll-bound Gujarat

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot will address different rallies in poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday.

    Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Kejriwal and Mann will jointly address two rallies in Palitana town of Bhavnagar and Dhoraji in Rajkot district.

    The two AAP leaders are on a three-day visit to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat from Friday.

    AAP national convener Kejriwal has visited Gujarat multiple times in the recent past and offered a number of ‘guarantees’ to the people of the state if his party is voted to power.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress veteran Gehlot will also address three rallies in Gujarat on Sunday, the third day of his visit to the state where polls to the 182-member Assembly are due this year-end.

    He will first address a public gathering at Virampur in Banaskantha, followed by rallies at Khedbrahma in Sabarkantha district and Bhiloda in Aravalli district.

    On Saturday, Gehlot claimed the BJP was getting 95 per cent of the total donations made through electoral bonds as donors were not providing funds to other parties out of fear.

    He accused the BJP of even “threatening” corporates, who wish to donate to the Congress and other political parties.

    He also targeted the AAP and its chief Kejriwal, saying they spend money for suppressing any negative news against them.

    The schedule for th Gujarat Assembly polls is yet to be announced.

    AHMEDABAD: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot will address different rallies in poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday.

    Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Kejriwal and Mann will jointly address two rallies in Palitana town of Bhavnagar and Dhoraji in Rajkot district.

    The two AAP leaders are on a three-day visit to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat from Friday.

    AAP national convener Kejriwal has visited Gujarat multiple times in the recent past and offered a number of ‘guarantees’ to the people of the state if his party is voted to power.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress veteran Gehlot will also address three rallies in Gujarat on Sunday, the third day of his visit to the state where polls to the 182-member Assembly are due this year-end.

    He will first address a public gathering at Virampur in Banaskantha, followed by rallies at Khedbrahma in Sabarkantha district and Bhiloda in Aravalli district.

    On Saturday, Gehlot claimed the BJP was getting 95 per cent of the total donations made through electoral bonds as donors were not providing funds to other parties out of fear.

    He accused the BJP of even “threatening” corporates, who wish to donate to the Congress and other political parties.

    He also targeted the AAP and its chief Kejriwal, saying they spend money for suppressing any negative news against them.

    The schedule for th Gujarat Assembly polls is yet to be announced.

  • Include photos of Lakshmi and Ganesha on currency notes: Kejriwal’s appeal to PM

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes.

    During a media briefing, he said the photos of Ganesha and Lakshmi could be printed on fresh currency notes.

    He added that the new notes could have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of the two deities on the other.

    “Despite making efforts, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on our currency (notes).

    “If there is a photo of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this,” he said.

    WATCH |

    He cited the example of Indonesia, a Muslim nation, that has a picture of Ganesha on its currency note.

    “When Indonesia can, why can’t we? The photos can be printed on fresh (currency) notes,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Which is the only country that had Lord Ganesha on its currency note? Hint: not India!

    Lamenting the fact that the India economy was not in a good shape, he said the country was passing through a delicate situation with the rupee depreciating against the US dollar.

    “We all want India to be rich and every family here to be prosperous. We have to open schools and hospitals on a large scale,” he added.

    Kejriwal also said the Aam Aadmi Party was fully prepared for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls and stressed that the people of the national capital would reject the BJP.

    He also challenged the BJP to cite one good work it had done in Gujarat, where it has run a government for the last 27 years.

    “All demonic powers aligned against us,” Kejriwal said on the upcoming polls in Gujarat. The Delhi chief minister also lauded the efforts of Delhi residents for the decline in the city’s pollution levels.

    “We are still not satisfied. We want to make Delhi the city with the cleanest air,” he said.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes.

    During a media briefing, he said the photos of Ganesha and Lakshmi could be printed on fresh currency notes.

    He added that the new notes could have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on one side and of the two deities on the other.

    “Despite making efforts, sometimes our efforts do not fructify if gods and goddesses are not blessing us. I appeal to PM (Modi) to have photos of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on our currency (notes).

    “If there is a photo of Lakshmi-Ganesha on our currency (notes), our country will prosper. I will write to (the) prime minister in a day or two on this,” he said.

    WATCH |

    He cited the example of Indonesia, a Muslim nation, that has a picture of Ganesha on its currency note.

    “When Indonesia can, why can’t we? The photos can be printed on fresh (currency) notes,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Which is the only country that had Lord Ganesha on its currency note? Hint: not India!

    Lamenting the fact that the India economy was not in a good shape, he said the country was passing through a delicate situation with the rupee depreciating against the US dollar.

    “We all want India to be rich and every family here to be prosperous. We have to open schools and hospitals on a large scale,” he added.

    Kejriwal also said the Aam Aadmi Party was fully prepared for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls and stressed that the people of the national capital would reject the BJP.

    He also challenged the BJP to cite one good work it had done in Gujarat, where it has run a government for the last 27 years.

    “All demonic powers aligned against us,” Kejriwal said on the upcoming polls in Gujarat. The Delhi chief minister also lauded the efforts of Delhi residents for the decline in the city’s pollution levels.

    “We are still not satisfied. We want to make Delhi the city with the cleanest air,” he said.

  • Confidence motion passed in Delhi Assembly

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The confidence motion tabled in the Delhi Assembly by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a few days ago was passed in the House on Thursday, unopposed.

    During the Assembly proceedings, Kejriwal said that his party is “hardcore honest” and none of its MLAs is ready to be poached even as, he alleged, that the BJP-ruled Centre tried to buy 40 AAP MLAs to topple the Delhi government. 

    “All 59 MLAs except for Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who is currently in Canada, Satyender Jain, who is in jail and Naresh Balyan, who is in Australia at the moment, are present in the House and are in favour of the confidence motion,” the CM said. 

    He added that this has now proved that BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ has failed in Delhi.  In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, AAP has 62 MLAs while BJP has eight. 

    The confidence motion was brought in the House after the AAP alleged that the BJP is trying to buy its MLAs. The special session of the Assembly was called to discuss two issues of ongoing CBI probe into the excise policy and the BJP trying to poach MLAs under ‘Operation Lotus’. 

    Deputy speaker Rakhi Birla announced that since the motion is approved by all 59 MLAs and is not opposed by anyone, it is passed by the House. After, this the Assembly proceedings were adjourned indefinitely. 

    NEW DELHI: The confidence motion tabled in the Delhi Assembly by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a few days ago was passed in the House on Thursday, unopposed.

    During the Assembly proceedings, Kejriwal said that his party is “hardcore honest” and none of its MLAs is ready to be poached even as, he alleged, that the BJP-ruled Centre tried to buy 40 AAP MLAs to topple the Delhi government. 

    “All 59 MLAs except for Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who is currently in Canada, Satyender Jain, who is in jail and Naresh Balyan, who is in Australia at the moment, are present in the House and are in favour of the confidence motion,” the CM said. 

    He added that this has now proved that BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ has failed in Delhi.  In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, AAP has 62 MLAs while BJP has eight. 

    The confidence motion was brought in the House after the AAP alleged that the BJP is trying to buy its MLAs. The special session of the Assembly was called to discuss two issues of ongoing CBI probe into the excise policy and the BJP trying to poach MLAs under ‘Operation Lotus’. 

    Deputy speaker Rakhi Birla announced that since the motion is approved by all 59 MLAs and is not opposed by anyone, it is passed by the House. After, this the Assembly proceedings were adjourned indefinitely. 

  • Power games: EPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    Express News Service

    Southern comfortEPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    The current round of AIADMK infighting has reached the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The warring EPS and OPS factions are vying to win Mr Modi’s support. Both leaders are trying hard to get an appointment with the Prime Minister during his Chennai visit on July 28. The PM is visiting the Tamil Nadu capital to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad scheduled to begin at Mamallapuram near Chennai. Mr Modi’s moves on the political chessboard set by the AIADMK factions will be carefully watched. Political circles are buzzing with speculation about which way the BJP will lean. Both Edapadi Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam have sacked each other, claiming ownership of the AIADMK throne. Both have visited Delhi and tried in vain to meet the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah. EPS flew into the national capital to attend outgoing President Ramnath Kovind’s farewell. He visited President-elect Droupadi Murmu’s house to congratulate her. But he could not meet the Prime Minister or the Home Minister in spite of best efforts. OPS could not be in Delhi during the past few days as he has reportedly contracted Covid. Though ESP has by all indications taken control of the AIADMK, the BJP had earlier supported OPS and had helped him become deputy chief minister. OPS has not given up hope of the BJP backing him once again to help him occupy a respectable place in the AIADMK. Busy as they were with the Presidential election, Maharashtra upheaval and the monsoon session of Parliament, the PM and home minister have so far kept away from the EPS-OPS tussle. The PM’s Chennai visit is now being keenly watched.

    Road to RaisinaKejriwal to be the face of AAP in Haryana polls

    Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko will be the Aam Aadmi Party slogan in the Haryana state elections next year. AAP sources say that party chief Kejriwal will project himself as the chief ministerial candidate in Haryana election. The AAP chief hails from the Bhiwani district of Haryana. He is therefore a son of the soil, and his electoral debut in the state will be dubbed as a return of the native. “He will be projected as a person who wants to serve his home state after earning laurels in India and abroad for his campaign against corruption, which also won his party an overwhelming support of people in Delhi and Punjab elections,” said a reliable source. Rumours of Kejriwal planning to replace Bhagwant Mann as the chief minister of Punjab have also been brushed aside by the party. To achieve its national ambition, AAP is looking for a financially thriving state from where it can raise funds to feed its nationwide campaign. The party has identified Haryana as that state. Winning Punjab was a big achievement for AAP. It was the first full-fledged state that fell into the party’s kitty. After its victory in Punjab, funds are expected to flow into party coffers much more easily. But today’s Punjab is not the rich state it once used to be. It has struggled with its finances of late. Haryana, in comparison, has strong economic fundamentals with a wide industrial base. A victory in Haryana could see an exponential rise in AAP’s corporate donors. Haryana is, therefore, all set to witness a three-cornered fight between Kejriwal, chief minister M L Khattar and Congress party’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Rebellion in the ranksInfighting intensifies in Haryana Congress

    After losing the Rajya Sabha election because of cross-voting by one Congress MLA and disqualification of the vote of another, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Maken has been working on a mission mode to find out the party MLA who marked the vote wrongly causing his defeat. Though the name of former leader of the opposition in Haryana assembly Kiran Choudhary has been doing rounds in political circles, Kiran herself has stoutly denied making the mistake in marking her preference. Maken has now formally charged Kiran with marking the vote wrongly. He has released a video record of the voting day to show that Kiran Choudhary was the 26th MLA to have voted, and it was the 26th vote that was cancelled. Maken has said that Kiran marked the vote wrongly and then showed it to the Congress party’s election agent Vivek Bansal, who did not bring the mistake to the notice of party’s senior leaders present at the polling centre. “It is statistically improbable that both Kiran Choudhary and the party’s polling agent made a mistake,” Maken said, and added that the two will now have to explain whether they actually made a mistake or there was a deliberate foul play. He is reportedly pressing for action against the guilty.

    Southern comfort
    EPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    The current round of AIADMK infighting has reached the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The warring EPS and OPS factions are vying to win Mr Modi’s support. Both leaders are trying hard to get an appointment with the Prime Minister during his Chennai visit on July 28. The PM is visiting the Tamil Nadu capital to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad scheduled to begin at Mamallapuram near Chennai. Mr Modi’s moves on the political chessboard set by the AIADMK factions will be carefully watched. Political circles are buzzing with speculation about which way the BJP will lean. Both Edapadi Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam have sacked each other, claiming ownership of the AIADMK throne. Both have visited Delhi and tried in vain to meet the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah. EPS flew into the national capital to attend outgoing President Ramnath Kovind’s farewell. He visited President-elect Droupadi Murmu’s house to congratulate her. But he could not meet the Prime Minister or the Home Minister in spite of best efforts. OPS could not be in Delhi during the past few days as he has reportedly contracted Covid. Though ESP has by all indications taken control of the AIADMK, the BJP had earlier supported OPS and had helped him become deputy chief minister. OPS has not given up hope of the BJP backing him once again to help him occupy a respectable place in the AIADMK. Busy as they were with the Presidential election, Maharashtra upheaval and the monsoon session of Parliament, the PM and home minister have so far kept away from the EPS-OPS tussle. The PM’s Chennai visit is now being keenly watched.

    Road to Raisina
    Kejriwal to be the face of AAP in Haryana polls

    Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko will be the Aam Aadmi Party slogan in the Haryana state elections next year. AAP sources say that party chief Kejriwal will project himself as the chief ministerial candidate in Haryana election. The AAP chief hails from the Bhiwani district of Haryana. He is therefore a son of the soil, and his electoral debut in the state will be dubbed as a return of the native. “He will be projected as a person who wants to serve his home state after earning laurels in India and abroad for his campaign against corruption, which also won his party an overwhelming support of people in Delhi and Punjab elections,” said a reliable source. Rumours of Kejriwal planning to replace Bhagwant Mann as the chief minister of Punjab have also been brushed aside by the party. To achieve its national ambition, AAP is looking for a financially thriving state from where it can raise funds to feed its nationwide campaign. The party has identified Haryana as that state. Winning Punjab was a big achievement for AAP. It was the first full-fledged state that fell into the party’s kitty. After its victory in Punjab, funds are expected to flow into party coffers much more easily. But today’s Punjab is not the rich state it once used to be. It has struggled with its finances of late. Haryana, in comparison, has strong economic fundamentals with a wide industrial base. A victory in Haryana could see an exponential rise in AAP’s corporate donors. Haryana is, therefore, all set to witness a three-cornered fight between Kejriwal, chief minister M L Khattar and Congress party’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Rebellion in the ranks
    Infighting intensifies in Haryana Congress

    After losing the Rajya Sabha election because of cross-voting by one Congress MLA and disqualification of the vote of another, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Maken has been working on a mission mode to find out the party MLA who marked the vote wrongly causing his defeat. Though the name of former leader of the opposition in Haryana assembly Kiran Choudhary has been doing rounds in political circles, Kiran herself has stoutly denied making the mistake in marking her preference. Maken has now formally charged Kiran with marking the vote wrongly. He has released a video record of the voting day to show that Kiran Choudhary was the 26th MLA to have voted, and it was the 26th vote that was cancelled. Maken has said that Kiran marked the vote wrongly and then showed it to the Congress party’s election agent Vivek Bansal, who did not bring the mistake to the notice of party’s senior leaders present at the polling centre. “It is statistically improbable that both Kiran Choudhary and the party’s polling agent made a mistake,” Maken said, and added that the two will now have to explain whether they actually made a mistake or there was a deliberate foul play. He is reportedly pressing for action against the guilty.

  • LG recommends CBI probe into Delhi government’s excise policy: Officials

    Apart from this there were also “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” to provide post tender “undue benefits to liquor licensees”, said the officials.

  • Quick, concrete steps needed to tackle power problem facing India: Kejriwal

    Amid a deepening coal shortage crisis, the Delhi government on Thursday warned that there may be problem in providing uninterrupted electricity supply to important establishments in the capital.

  • Punjab polls: Cong fields CM Channi from two seats, replaces three MLAs

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Congress fielded Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from a second seat, Bhadaur (SC), in the Punjab Assembly polls and replaced three MLAs as it released its final list of eight candidates on Sunday.

    The final list of candidates of Congress came two days ahead of the last date for filing nominations for the February 20 election.

    The ruling party in the state has now announced candidates on all 117 seats.

    The announcement to field Channi from a second seat comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the party would go to the Punjab polls with a chief ministerial face and the decision in this regard would be taken soon after consulting the workers.

    AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at Channi, saying he had pointed out that according to his party’s survey, the chief minister would lose the electoral battle from the Chamkaur Sahib (SC) seat, which he currently represents in the Assembly.

    “I had said that according to our survey, Channi is losing from Chamkaur Sahib. Today, Congress announced that he will contest the polls from two seats. Does it mean that the survey is right?” Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.

    ALSO READ: Bhagwant Mann has assets worth 1.97 crore; Sidhu declares properties worth near 45 crore

    The Congress has fielded former Union minister and former Chandigarh MP Pawan Bansal’s son Manish Bansal from the Barnala Assembly seat. The party has fielded former Patiala mayor Vishnu Sharma from the Patiala Urban seat.

    Former chief minister Amarinder Singh will also contest the polls from Patiala Urban. Sharma rejoined the Congress this month. He was the Patiala mayor from 2002 to 2007, when Congress was in power in the state.

    From Jalalabad, where the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Congress has nominated two-time former MP Mohan Singh Phalianwala. The seat is currently represented in the Assembly by Congress MLA Raminder Awla.

    Awla was learnt to have been seeking the party ticket from Guruharsahai. However, in its previous list of candidates, Congress fielded Vijay Kalra from the seat. The party has fielded Channi from the Bhadaur (SC) seat in Barnala district.

    The chief minister was earlier nominated from the Chamkaur Sahib (SC) seat, which he has been representing in the Assembly since 2007.

    By fielding Channi from Bhadaur, the Congress is eying electoral gains in the politically-significant Malwa region, which has a good presence of Dalits, in addition to their concentration in the Doaba area.

    The party would also hope to check the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) influence in the Sangrur-Barnala belt by fielding Channi from Bhadaur.

    Notably, Punjab has a 31.94 per cent Scheduled Caste (SC) population. Channi, who replaced Amarinder Singh last year, is the first SC chief minister of Punjab.

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    Earlier, his name was doing the rounds for being fielded from the Mehal Kalan (SC) seat in Barnala. Rebel AAP leader Pirmal Singh is the current Bhadaur MLA. The AAP has fielded Labh Singh Ugoke from the seat.

    Barnala district has three Assembly segments — Barnala, Mehal Kalan, and Bhadaur — which fall under the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency, State AAP president, and the party’s chief ministerial face in the upcoming polls Bhagwant Mann is the MP from Sangrur.

    The Congress has denied a ticket to its MLA Tarsem Singh DC from Attari. It has fielded Tarsem Singh Sialka from the seat. The party has also denied tickets to Nawanshahr MLA Angad Saini and has fielded Satbir Singh Saini in his place.

    Angad Saini had recently said his allegiance to Congress cannot be doubted and his wife’s defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is inconsequential to his loyalty to his constituents. His wife Aditi Singh is an MLA from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. She joined the BJP after quitting Congress last year.

    From Khemkaran, the party has retained the current MLA, Sukhpal Singh Bhullar. It has fielded Ishwarjot Singh Cheema from Ludhiana South.