News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha Elections 2024

  • Smriti Irani Vs Rahul Gandhi Face-Off In Amethi Today But Will RaGa Contest From UP Seat Again? |

    Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi is on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi today and the current MP from the seat Smriti Irani will also reach her constituency on a four-day tour today. Irani had defeated Gandhi from the seat in the 2019 parliamentary elections. While Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi, he won the Wayanad seat thus retaining his Lok Sabha membership. Now, with the two leaders again touring the hot seat, the question is – whether Rahul Gandhi will again challenge Smriti Irani from the seat.

    Rahul To Contest From Amethi?

    For quite some time, there have been rumours within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi might contest elections from Amethi once again. Not contesting from here may send a wrong message in the Hindi-speaking region. Reacting to the question, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “CEC will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party.”

    With Sonia Gandhi moving to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, the Congress party has shunned its lone Lok Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh. Now, it will be important to see who will be Congress candidates from the Amethi and Raebareli.  

    Smriti’s Challenge From Kerala

    A few days ago, Smriti Irani had said during her visit to Kerala that she sent the current Wayanad MP to the seat from Uttar Pradesh. She urged the voters to ensure that he did not get another opportunity for the seat again. On the other hand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to hold a rally at 4 PM in Babuganj, Amethi. 

    Amethi Remains A Hot Seat

    While Rahul may stay in Amethi for around 12 hours, Irani will stay put in the constituency for four days. This is perhaps the second time when both will be present in Amethi at the same time. However, the possibility of a face-to-face encounter between Rahul and Smriti is low as their schedules are different.

    Smriti usually visits Amethi frequently. This time, she is planning to stay for four days. Smriti will listen to people’s issues through a Jan Samvad program. She will be present at her homecoming program on February 22. Smriti Irani is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi again. She has been consistently criticizing Rahul Gandhi. 

  • More Trouble For INDIA Bloc; AAP Offers Just 1 Seat To Congress In Delhi |

    New Delhi: The INDIA bloc has been virtually confined to the history books, after the RLD walked out of the alliance in UP it was turn of the AAP to snub the Congress in Delhi. On Tuesday the Aam Aadmi Party offered the Congress Party a single Lok Sabha seat in Delhi. This is contrary to earlier reports that had suggested a 3-4 formula between Congress and AAP in Delhi.

    Further, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said that even though the Congress party does not merit even a single seat in Delhi, in the spirit of alliance, the AAP party is willing to offer one seat.

    The AAP plans to field candidates in the remaining six seats in Delhi, Pathak added. “You must have seen in the Delhi elections that the Congress party has zero seats in the Lok Sabha, zero seats in the Vidhan Sabha, and in the MCD elections, out of 250, only 9 seats have come to the Congress party. If you look at this data on a merit basis, the Congress party does not get a single seat, according to this data. But data is not important; keeping in mind the dharma of the alliance and the respect of the Congress party, we offer them one seat. So we propose that the Congress party fights on one seat and the Aam Aadmi Party fights on six seats,” he said.

    The AAP MP added that the candidate’s announcement is not being made today. He expressed hope that a meeting will soon commence in Delhi, and the conclusion of this meeting will determine the next steps.

    “Today, we are not announcing the candidate. I hope that the meeting will start in the context of Delhi soon, the conclusion of the meeting will come out, we will all get on with our work and if the conclusion does not come out, then in the next few days we will announce the candidate on the six seats we are saying and we will start our preparation and our work, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said,” he said.

    AAP also threw the gauntlet at the Congress by announcing Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas’ name as the candidate to contest LS poll from South Goa seat. This is a seat that is currently held by Congress MP Francisco Sardinha. AAP has also named Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Umesh Bhai Makwana from Bhavnagar as candidates from Gujarat. It was reported that Congress was considering late Ahmed Patel’s daughte Mumtaz Patel for Bahruch.

    Pathak also expressed his disappointment over the lack of progress in seat-sharing discussions with the Congress party; he added that despite two official meetings, no concrete outcomes have been achieved.

    “We had two official meetings with the Congress party regarding seat sharing but there was no result of these meetings. Other than these two official meetings, no other meeting has taken place in the last month. We have been waiting for the next meeting; even the leaders of Congress are not aware of the next meeting. Today, I am sitting here with a heavy heart. We announced three candidates from Assam and I hope the INDIA alliance will accept them,” he said.

    As the Lok Sabha elections approach, political parties across the spectrum are ramping up their efforts to connect with voters. With the BJP bringing on new partners like the RLD on its platform the INDIA bloc is sinking in its efforts to put up a united front. 

  • Eye On Mission 80 In Uttar Pradesh, BJP Seals Seat Deal With Jayant Chaudhary`s RLD; Check Power-Sharing Formula

    Jayant Chaudhary’s party will get two ministerial positions, one as a cabinet minister and the other as a minister of state with independent charge. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Bihar: Nitish Kumar Praises PM Modi, Makes Veiled Attack On RJD, Congress; Is Another U-Turn On Cards?

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar praised the Modi government for honouring Karpoori Thakur and launched a scathing attack on the dynastic politics of Lalu Yadav’s family without explicitly naming them.

  • INDI Alliance Faces Trouble: Mamata Signals Contesting All Seats In Bengal For Lok Sabha Polls |

    New Delhi: Troubles for the INDI alliance continue to mount as the Lok Sabha Elections draw near. The alliance has yet to reach a consensus on seat-sharing for the parties in several states, with less than three months remaining until the polls.

    Earlier, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra showed reluctance in sharing seats with the Congress. Now, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has indicated that her party, Trinamool Congress, will contest the election on all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state independently.

    On Friday, Mamata Banerjee said that if “due importance” is not given, her party is prepared to contest the election on all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state independently. Banerjee expressed her stance during a closed-door organizational meeting of the party’s Murshidabad district unit.

    During the meeting, she emphasized the imperative for TMC’s triumph on all three Lok Sabha seats in the district and urged party leaders to be prepared for the electoral battle. In the 2019 elections, the Congress only managed to retain the Baharampur seat, where its five-time MP and state party president Adhir Ranjan Choudhary stood.

    Meanwhile, TMC sources revealed that Mamata Banerjee clearly stated that TMC is a crucial partner in the alliance. However, in Bengal, if RSP, CPI, CPI(M) are given more importance, excluding us, then the party will carve its own path. Preparations should be made to contest and win all 42 seats. The CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress, and TMC collectively constitute the opposition alliance ‘India.’ However, in West Bengal, CPI(M) and Congress have formed an alliance against TMC and BJP.

    Conversely, tensions within the ‘India’ alliance have surfaced over seat allocation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, particularly between pivotal allies Congress and TMC. The Congress deemed TMC’s proposal of two seats, determined by the 2019 Lok Sabha election outcomes, insufficient, intensifying the discord between the two parties. Banerjee’s remarks followed closely after Chaudhary, a vocal critic of TMC, asserted that Congress would not “beg” for seats from the Trinamool Congress.

  • 132 Lok Sabha Seats, Four States: PM Modi’s Spiritual Outreach -Unveiling Strategy Behind BJP’s Southern Quest |

    Lord Ram is worshipped across the country and in many foreign countries as well. Ram Lalla’s consecration ceremony on January 22 will mark his return to Ayodhya after a gap of around 450 years. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the consecration ceremony, he is visiting several temples in the south which has strong connections with Lord Ram. Starting from Maharashtra, PM Modi has so far visited Andhra Pradesh and Kerala as well. 

    Now, he will be visiting various significant temples in Tamil Nadu on 20-21 January. On 20th January, he will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in this temple. Thereafter, he will reach Rameswaram and perform Darshan and Pooja in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple. On 21st January, the Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. Near Dhanushkodi, Prime Minister Modi will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.

    Maharashtra – 48 Lok Sabha Seats

    Nashik holds significant connections to the Aranya Kand of the Ramayana, the epic where Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman resided along the banks of the Godavari River. Notably, it is the locale where Lakshman cut off Surpanakha’s nose. The revered Shree Kala Ram Mandir which PM Modi visited, stands in the Panchavati Area of Nashik, a place deeply intertwined with the events of the Ramayana. Panchavati holds a special significance as it witnessed key episodes of the epic. Lord Ram, accompanied by Sita and Lakshman, spent a considerable time in the Dandakaranya forest, which encompasses the Panchavati region. The legend has it that Lord Ram chose this region for his abode due to the auspicious presence of these five significant trees – Panchvati – five banyan trees. Now, by visiting the temple, PM Modi sent a message to the people of Maharashtra that the Ram Temple is ready for devotees. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats and BJP is facing tough competition there due to the NCP-Sena UBT-Congress alliance. 

    Andhra Pradesh – 25 Seats

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed darshan and puja at Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi, Puttaparthi, in Andhra Pradesh on January 16. PM Modi heard verses from the Ranganatha Ramayan in Telugu and witnessed the tale of Jatayu visually presented through the traditional shadow puppetry art form from Andhra Pradesh known as Tholu Bommalata. Lepakshi’s historical significance is rooted in the Ramayana, as it is believed that the injured bird Jatayu, wounded by Ravana during the abduction of Goddess Sita, descended at this location after an intense battle and attended Mokhsa. Even if the BJP manages to win three to five seats out of 25 in the state, it will be a boost for the saffron party.

    Kerala – 20 Lok Sabha Seats

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed darshan and puja at Guruvayur Temple in Guruvayur, Kerala on January 17. PM Modi appealed to people to light Ram Jyoti on January 22 to mark the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. The BJP has significantly increased its vote share in some of the seats including Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Attingal seats. Of the 20 seats, the BJP is trying to win at least 3-5 seats with the help of Hindu and Christian voters.

    Tamil Nadu – 39 Lok Sabha Seats

    The BJP has gained significant popularity in the state under state unit chief K Annamalai. Now, with PM Modi’s regular visits and temple darshans, the BJP is trying to carve a niche among the Hindu voters. PM Modi’s popularity clubbed with the dynamism of Annamalai is likely to increase BJP’s vote share. And if this translates into victory, it would mark the saffron party’s south expansion. There are 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. 

    With the Lok Sabha elections just three months away, the BJP is working round the clock to increase its vote share in the southern states.

  • With Development Work And ‘Ram Jyoti’ Appeal, PM Modi Tries To Strike A Chord With ‘Unfavourable’ Kerala Voters |

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed a gathering in Kerala’s Kochi where he lauded the people of the state for celebrating ‘Ramayan Masam’ and urged people to light ‘Ram Jyoti’ on January 22. “Shri Rama Jyoti should be lit in all houses and temples during the Dhanya Muhurta of Prana Pratishtha in Ayodhya. This message should be conveyed to all,” urged PM Modi to the people. He also asked party workers to focus on their booth saying that every booth is important. PM Modi urged the party workers to conduct contact activities with people and made them aware of the BJP government’s scheme. He also asked all Shaktikendra workers to use the Namo application to get accurate awareness of central schemes. 

    Kerala, once a Congress stronghold, has shifted towards the Left for the last 10 years. The BJP is focussing on ‘development, welfare, and security’ issues to woo the voters. The BJP is already making ground among voters with PM Modi’s roadshows and events. PM Modi recently led a roadshow and a women’s rally in Thrissur on January 3. He also addressed the Nari Shakthi (Women’s Power) conference which was attended by thousands of women.

    Focus On Key Lok Sabha Seats

    The Kerala BJP is focussing on key Lok Sabah seats where its vote share has increased over time. Over the past three Lok Sabha elections of Thiruvananthapuram, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demonstrated its growing strength as a formidable contender. In the 2009 election, the BJP’s candidate PK Krishna Das secured a notable vote share of 11.40 per cent. Subsequently, in 2014, O Rajagopal significantly increased the party’s influence, garnering 32.32 per cent of the votes. Although there was a slight dip in electoral support in 2019, with Kummanam Rajasekharan achieving a vote share of 31.30 per cent, the BJP continued to establish itself as a robust opponent in the region.

    The Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, which saw agitations related to the Sabarimala temple, is again the focus of the BJP. The party’s vote share in this seat had increased from 7.06 per cent in 2009 to 15.95 per cent in 2014 and to 28.97 per cent in 2019. The BJP is also focussing on the Thrissur and Attingal seats.

    BJP Customising Its Kerala Strategy

    The BJP is customising itself in the state which has a significant number of Christian voters. Shifting away from the traditional strategy of catering primarily to the Hindu community, the BJP is now focusing on the electoral potential within the Christian population in Kerala. The state presents a complex religious demographic scenario, posing a unique challenge for the BJP in its electoral endeavours. Among the 33.4 million inhabitants in Kerala, Christians constitute approximately 18 per cent of the population, while Muslims make up 26 per cent.

    Since the Muslim community in the state largely votes for either Congress or the Left, the BJP is looking to woo Christian voters who are not adverse to the party. Modi’s decision to visit Sacred Heart’s College went beyond merely trying to shape the perspectives of young individuals. It also aimed to portray the BJP as an inclusive party that embraces Christians and genuinely seeks the welfare of the community.

    The BJP’s endeavours to establish a foothold in Kerala politics are showing tangible outcomes, as reflected in the increasing votes and endorsement from influential church figures. Another noteworthy development is the resignation of Johnny Nellore, the vice-chairman of the Kerala Congress, who has declared the formation of a new political party with backing from the Church, purportedly supported by the BJP. Also, by visiting the popular temples, PM Modi has maintained his devotion towards the religion. This will also help woo the Hindu voters. Thus, if the BJP manages to carve out a space for itself among the Hindu and Christian voters, its path will become easier. 

    Development Plank

    PM Modi is presenting the BJP as a party known for carrying out development work. The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express and India’s first Water Metro Service in Kochi is part of a strategic plan. Even today, when the Prime Minister visited Kerala, he inaugurated projects worth over Rs 4000 crore in Kerala’s Kochi. The three major infrastructure projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister included the New Dry Dock (NDD) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL); the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) of CSL; and the LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited at Puthuvypeen, Kochi.

    Highlighting the new infrastructure initiatives inaugurated today, the Prime Minister said the Central Government is working to increase the capacity of coastal cities like Kochi. He further asserted that Kochi is set to be the next ship-building hub of the nation. This will send a signal to the youth of the state that they will get better opportunities within the state instead of migrating to other places.