News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha Polls 2024

  • Lok Sabha polls 2024: Delhi: BJP targets third consecutive sweep, AAP hopes to capitalise on sympathy wave for Kejriwal

    With the BJP looking to increase its vote share and sweeping Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats for the third consecutive time, the AAP — contesting the polls in an alliance with the Congress — hopes to use the “sympathy wave” for arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to break the saffron party’s streak. Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) constituents Congress and AAP are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Delhi, paving the way for a direct contest with the BJP. The AAP has fielded candidates from four seats while the Congress is contesting from three constituencies.

    Both the BJP and the AAP-Congress combine have fielded high-profile candidates, setting the stage for a keen contest to gain electoral supremacy.

    Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP’s Delhi unit chief, has said the challenge for the party this time is to increase the margin of victory. The Northeast Delhi seat, dominated by Purvanchalis and Muslims, will witness a key battle between two candidates who hail from Bihar. The BJP has fielded Manoj Tiwari, who is eyeing a third term in the Lok Sabha while the Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar will make his electoral debut for the grand old party.

    Kumar had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a CPI ticket from the Begusarai seat in Bihar.

    A BJP leader in Delhi, requesting anonymity, said Tiwari has a high chance of retaining the seat and asserted that Kumar’s past as a student leader and his association with the Left is likely to have a polarising effect. The Congress is looking to capitalise on Kumar’s popularity and his oratory skills to make a mark in the crucial battle ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections in 2025. In East Delhi, AAP has fielded Kuldeep Kumar — its Dalit MLA — from the general seat in a move that may also impact voters of the community in the 12 reserved Assembly segments spread over different Lok Sabha seats.

    Besides capitalising on a direct contest with the BJP, AAP claims there is an anti-Modi sentiment among Dalit and Muslim voters in East Delhi that will benefit it electorally in the seat.

    In 2019, Gautam Gambhir won the seat after defeating the Congress’ Arvinder Singh Lovely by 3.93 lakh votes. AAP’s Atishi was third in the contest.

    This time, the coming together of AAP and the Congress is likely to consolidate the anti-BJP vote, AAP leaders said.

    BJP leaders in Delhi, however, are confident of retaining all the seven seats the party has held since 2014.

    They pointed out that the votes polled by party candidates on each of the seven seats in 2019 were higher than the total votes secured by the AAP and the Congress candidates.

    In the 2019 elections, the BJP had secured 56.5 per cent of the polled votes in the national capital, the Congress 22 per cent, and the AAP 18.1 per cent.

    The saffron party has also sought to balance the caste factor in announcing its candidates — fielding Harsh Malhotra, a Punjabi from East Delhi, Baniya leader Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk, MLA and Gujjar leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, Jat leader Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi, and Dalit leader Yogendra Chandolia from the reserved North West Delhi seat.

    It has fielded two women candidates — Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi — and that will help bring more women votes, the BJP leaders said.

    AAP is looking to make electoral gains through sympathy in the aftermath of Kejriwal’s arrest in a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy.

    The party’s campaign also revolves around Kejriwal’s arrest. Its ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ campaign urges people to reply to Kejriwal’s arrest with their votes.

    Earlier this month, in an interaction with PTI editors at the news agency’s headquarters, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said, “At this point, I do not know about the status outside Delhi but I can say with confidence about Delhi that there is massive sympathy among the people for AAP, Arvind Kejriwal. Even the people who support the BJP are feeling that this is too much and should not have been done.”

    The AAP has also fielded three-time MLA Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi constituency, Sahiram Pehelwan from South Delhi and Congress ex-MP Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi.

    The Congress, which announced its candidates on April 14, has fielded veteran leader JP Agarwal from Chandni Chowk and former BJP MP Udit Raj fron the reserved Northwest Delhi constituency.

  • Lok Sabha Polls 2024: BJP’s Anil Baluni Headed For Landslide Win In Pauri Garhwal, Says Survey |

    New Delhi: With the country poised for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are on the electoral battlegrounds, including the vibrant discussions surrounding Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. Here, the BJP has put forth its seasoned leader, Anil Baluni, into the political fray. Baluni’s candidacy has stirred considerable public interest, evident from pre-election surveys. Pauri, historically significant for Uttarakhand, has been a cradle of leadership, contributing five Chief Ministers to the state.

    In this political fervour gripping Uttarakhand, the Pauri Lok Sabha seat remains a focal point. Since the election announcement, BJP’s candidate, Anil Baluni, has been actively engaging with constituents, addressing their concerns and aspirations. Remarkably, prevailing political dynamics overwhelmingly favour Baluni in Pauri Garhwal, solidifying his standing as a beloved leader among the populace.

    Electoral Dynamics Favour BJP In Pauri Garhwal

    The pulse of the electorate, as reflected in the survey conducted by Matrize News Communication, underscores Baluni’s ascendancy. BJP’s vote share is on an upward trajectory, while Congress faces a decline. Pauri Lok Sabha encompasses 14 assembly constituencies, each pivotal in shaping the electoral landscape. Examining the projected voter turnout across these constituencies provides insights into the shifting political tides leading up to the elections.

    According to Matrize News Communication’s survey data, the BJP is projected to receive 65.02% of the vote in the Badrinath assembly constituency, with Congress expected to secure 30.09%. Other parties are estimated to receive 3.09% of the vote. Similarly, in Tharali, the BJP’s projected vote share stands at 66.08%, compared to Congress’s 28.07%. In Karnaprayag, the BJP is expected to lead with 71.07% of the vote, while Congress trails with 25.04%. Notably, across all three constituencies, the BJP’s vote share appears to be on the rise, while Congress faces a decline.

  • Smriti Irani decodes Congress’s masterplan for Lok Sabha polls: ‘Hugging, Begging and …’ – The Economic Times Video

    Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Union Minister Smriti Irani held a special interaction with businessmen in Bengaluru, Karnataka on April 05. In this special meeting, she urged the audience to vote for BJP in order to make India a developed country and the third-largest economy in the world. She also took a dig at the opposition, the Gandhi family and their politics over the years. She went ahead and also criticized them for rejecting the invitation to the inauguration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. During her address, the Union Minister took a jibe at the opposition and said “Gandhi family looted and cheated the citizens of India by smiling and clicking pictures.”

  • Opposition meet in Patna on June 23; Rahul, Mamata, Kejriwal, Stalin agree to attend

    By PTI

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

  • Road to 2024: Meeting of opposition parties to be held in Patna on June 12

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

    PATNA: A much-awaited meeting of Opposition parties to chalk out strategy to counter the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is set to be held in Patna on June 12. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will chair the meeting.

    Nitish hinted at the proposed meeting of Opposition parties to be held in the state capital on June 12 while speaking on the concluding day of the two-day conclave of the JD(U) office bearers in Patna on Sunday.

    Kumar, the JD(U)’s supremo, has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Leaders from several parties have thanked him on the occasion and appreciated his step.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “We have been working for Opposition unity ever since the grand alliance government was formed in Bihar. The positive result of our efforts for uniting Opposition parties against BJP will be visible soon,” he asserted.

    He said the date of the meeting has been finalised after consultation with leaders from Opposition parties across the country. On May 22, Nitish had called on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

    At the joint press conference, both Rahul and Nitish had said that the date of the meeting of Opposition parties would be finalised in two-three days. The leaders of over two dozen non-BJP parties will attend the meeting.

    Earlier, Nitish had met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    A meeting with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, ostensibly to seek land for a Bihar government guest house in that state, is being used by BJP to mock Kumar as the Biju Janata Dal supremo has virtually ruled out joining any broader formation.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    All eyes would now be on which parties agree to be represented in the meeting, given faultlines like Congress’ mistrust of Kejriwal and KCR and Banerjee’s famed rivalry with the Left.

    (With additional inputs from PTI)

  • Congress to chalk out strategy for upcoming polls at plenary session

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: Laying out a clear roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and forging poll tie-ups with like-minded parties to take on the BJP will be the centre of discussion at the three-day Congress plenary session starting here Friday.

    The Congress top brass will be in attendance at the 85th plenary session that will primarily endorse the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge and will pave the way for the new working committee led by him.

    The session, which comes in the backdrop of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that has been touted as a success by the party, will be attended by around 15,000 delegates.

    On the first day of the three-day session, the Steering Committee, which is playing the role of the Working Committee (the previous one was dissolved until a new CWC is formed), will also decide on whether there will be elections to the top decision-making body or not.

    Sources said while a section within the party, especially the younger lot, wants elections to the CWC, elders in the grand old party want nomination instead to avoid dissidence within and enable cohesion in the top body as the party heads into a tough election cycle ahead.

    Assembly polls will be held in nine states this year, including Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the Congress rules, and Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka where the party is the principal opposition.

    Winning a few of the major states this year would be the key to Congress revival at the Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

    The party currently rules three states on its own – Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

    The party seeks to keep bitterness at bay, with most seniors of the belief that consensus is the best form of election.

    The CWC has 25 members, including 12 elected members and 11 nominated ones, besides the Congress president and the leader of the party in Parliament, as per the party’s constitution.

    The last time elections were held for the CWC was in Kolkata in 1997 under Sitaram Kesri, also attended by Sonia Gandhi.

    At the plenary, the party will also give direction to the rank and file to prepare for the state poll cycle ahead in Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram.

    Nagaland and Meghalaya will witness polls on February 27. Tripura elections have already concluded.

    As part of poll preparations, the party would also have to work out solutions to end factionalism in the state units, including those in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

    Seeking to carry on the momentum gained by the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the party may also formulate a plan to launch another yatra from East to West covering the northeastern states starting from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat.

    The Congress has formed several committees to work out on issues to be deliberated during the session and to organise the conclave.

    The plenary comes at a time when the Congress faces an unprecedented challenge to its electoral might and even to its primacy in the opposition block.

    While the Congress hopes to stitch an anti-BJP front for 2024 polls having said that it alone has the moral and the organisational power to lead it, clouds of disunity hover all around.

    The TMC, BRS and AAP appear reluctant to accept the Congress stewardship and BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has been holding his own parleys to rein in the BJP.

    The TMC had on Wednesday attacked former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for saying that the ruling party of Bengal was working to help the BJP.

    “Rahul Gandhi’s remarks are pretty rich, especially coming from a party that has lost 40 out of the last 45 Assembly elections in India,” the TMC taunted the Congress just ahead of the AICC plenary.

    In Bihar too Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of Grand alliance allies on February 25 to coincide with the plenary in signs that have disturbed the Congress, which wants to unseat the BJP.

    The plenary, leaders hope, will offer some clarity for the future.

    RAIPUR: Laying out a clear roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and forging poll tie-ups with like-minded parties to take on the BJP will be the centre of discussion at the three-day Congress plenary session starting here Friday.

    The Congress top brass will be in attendance at the 85th plenary session that will primarily endorse the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge and will pave the way for the new working committee led by him.

    The session, which comes in the backdrop of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that has been touted as a success by the party, will be attended by around 15,000 delegates.

    On the first day of the three-day session, the Steering Committee, which is playing the role of the Working Committee (the previous one was dissolved until a new CWC is formed), will also decide on whether there will be elections to the top decision-making body or not.

    Sources said while a section within the party, especially the younger lot, wants elections to the CWC, elders in the grand old party want nomination instead to avoid dissidence within and enable cohesion in the top body as the party heads into a tough election cycle ahead.

    Assembly polls will be held in nine states this year, including Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the Congress rules, and Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka where the party is the principal opposition.

    Winning a few of the major states this year would be the key to Congress revival at the Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

    The party currently rules three states on its own – Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

    The party seeks to keep bitterness at bay, with most seniors of the belief that consensus is the best form of election.

    The CWC has 25 members, including 12 elected members and 11 nominated ones, besides the Congress president and the leader of the party in Parliament, as per the party’s constitution.

    The last time elections were held for the CWC was in Kolkata in 1997 under Sitaram Kesri, also attended by Sonia Gandhi.

    At the plenary, the party will also give direction to the rank and file to prepare for the state poll cycle ahead in Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram.

    Nagaland and Meghalaya will witness polls on February 27. Tripura elections have already concluded.

    As part of poll preparations, the party would also have to work out solutions to end factionalism in the state units, including those in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

    Seeking to carry on the momentum gained by the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the party may also formulate a plan to launch another yatra from East to West covering the northeastern states starting from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat.

    The Congress has formed several committees to work out on issues to be deliberated during the session and to organise the conclave.

    The plenary comes at a time when the Congress faces an unprecedented challenge to its electoral might and even to its primacy in the opposition block.

    While the Congress hopes to stitch an anti-BJP front for 2024 polls having said that it alone has the moral and the organisational power to lead it, clouds of disunity hover all around.

    The TMC, BRS and AAP appear reluctant to accept the Congress stewardship and BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has been holding his own parleys to rein in the BJP.

    The TMC had on Wednesday attacked former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for saying that the ruling party of Bengal was working to help the BJP.

    “Rahul Gandhi’s remarks are pretty rich, especially coming from a party that has lost 40 out of the last 45 Assembly elections in India,” the TMC taunted the Congress just ahead of the AICC plenary.

    In Bihar too Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of Grand alliance allies on February 25 to coincide with the plenary in signs that have disturbed the Congress, which wants to unseat the BJP.

    The plenary, leaders hope, will offer some clarity for the future.

  • ‘Pressing wrong button will bring back mafia raj in UP’: JP Nadda begins BJP’s 2024 push

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Launching the saffron party’s campaign for 2024, BJP President JP Nadda on Friday claimed pressing the “wrong button” would result in the return of “mafia raj” while pressing the right button would bring development and prosperity to the state. 

    Nadda, who was addressing a meeting in Ghazipur, said,  the people of Uttar Pradesh rejected “mafia rah” by voting BJP to power at the centre and state and added that the Modi government provided proactive and responsible governance by ensuring money was sent for development.

    “Pushing the right button brings highways, expressways, medical colleges and other developments,” said the BJP chief.

    Nadda said, there had been “goonda raj” and “mafia raj” in UP, where land grabbing, kidnapping, extortion, hooliganism and unlawful activities had become common practices. With the formation of a double-engine government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ensured the end of ‘mafia raj’ by acting tough on gangsters and criminals to set up rule of law in the state, he added.

    The BJP chief chose Ghazipur to blow the poll bugle as part of the party’s strategy to focus on 14 of the 80 seats which the saffron party lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Targeting the previous Akhilesh Yadav government over alleged corruption, the BJP chief said, “During the government of Akhilesh Yadav when we used to send money, it used to go somewhere else as there was a hole in the bowl of the state government. No work was done on the ground using that money.”

    “Now under the present regime, so far Rs 22 lakh crores have reached the bank accounts of beneficiaries from different government schemes through direct benefit transfer scheme without involving middlemen,” he said adding that, “85 paise of every single rupee sent by the Centre, during the Congress regime, were grabbed by unknown ‘Panja’.”

    Nadda claimed that Uttar Pradesh had emerged as HIRA  under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Yogi Adityanath government. “Today, I say that development means HIRA — H for Highway, I for Internet, R for Railways and A for Airways,” he elaborated.

    “Yogi government is ensuring implementation of all central schemes on priority and each assembly segment of state are being benefitted by development projects,” he said.

    Nadda did not spare Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari saying: “The local MP is not concerned about the development of Ghazipur. Instead, he is working only for the release of his brother (mafia don Mukhtar Ansari) from jail. These people symbolize mafia raj. They looted and intimidated people to the hill. Action initiated against them brought peace in the state.”

    Speaking about the economy, the BJP chief said India emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world. “As per IMF’s prediction, it will reach fourth place soon in a span of just 8 years of Modi rule.”

    After reaching Ghazipur Nadda along with CM Yogi, BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary, state general secretary (organization) Dharampal Saini and other party leaders visited Pawahari Baba Ashram and later felicitated the ex-servicemen during a meeting with them at Bansi Bazar. Before leaving for Delhi, Nadda also held meetings with the BJP poll management committee.

    LUCKNOW: Launching the saffron party’s campaign for 2024, BJP President JP Nadda on Friday claimed pressing the “wrong button” would result in the return of “mafia raj” while pressing the right button would bring development and prosperity to the state. 

    Nadda, who was addressing a meeting in Ghazipur, said,  the people of Uttar Pradesh rejected “mafia rah” by voting BJP to power at the centre and state and added that the Modi government provided proactive and responsible governance by ensuring money was sent for development.

    “Pushing the right button brings highways, expressways, medical colleges and other developments,” said the BJP chief.

    Nadda said, there had been “goonda raj” and “mafia raj” in UP, where land grabbing, kidnapping, extortion, hooliganism and unlawful activities had become common practices. With the formation of a double-engine government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ensured the end of ‘mafia raj’ by acting tough on gangsters and criminals to set up rule of law in the state, he added.

    The BJP chief chose Ghazipur to blow the poll bugle as part of the party’s strategy to focus on 14 of the 80 seats which the saffron party lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Targeting the previous Akhilesh Yadav government over alleged corruption, the BJP chief said, “During the government of Akhilesh Yadav when we used to send money, it used to go somewhere else as there was a hole in the bowl of the state government. No work was done on the ground using that money.”

    “Now under the present regime, so far Rs 22 lakh crores have reached the bank accounts of beneficiaries from different government schemes through direct benefit transfer scheme without involving middlemen,” he said adding that, “85 paise of every single rupee sent by the Centre, during the Congress regime, were grabbed by unknown ‘Panja’.”

    Nadda claimed that Uttar Pradesh had emerged as HIRA  under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Yogi Adityanath government. “Today, I say that development means HIRA — H for Highway, I for Internet, R for Railways and A for Airways,” he elaborated.

    “Yogi government is ensuring implementation of all central schemes on priority and each assembly segment of state are being benefitted by development projects,” he said.

    Nadda did not spare Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari saying: “The local MP is not concerned about the development of Ghazipur. Instead, he is working only for the release of his brother (mafia don Mukhtar Ansari) from jail. These people symbolize mafia raj. They looted and intimidated people to the hill. Action initiated against them brought peace in the state.”

    Speaking about the economy, the BJP chief said India emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world. “As per IMF’s prediction, it will reach fourth place soon in a span of just 8 years of Modi rule.”

    After reaching Ghazipur Nadda along with CM Yogi, BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary, state general secretary (organization) Dharampal Saini and other party leaders visited Pawahari Baba Ashram and later felicitated the ex-servicemen during a meeting with them at Bansi Bazar. Before leaving for Delhi, Nadda also held meetings with the BJP poll management committee.

  • ‘Uddhav not a face for 2024 Lok Sabha polls’: Shiv Sena rebel MP Rahul Shewale

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale on Thursday said Uddhav Thackeray was not a “winnable” face for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and it was imperative for them to tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

    The issue of leadership for the next Lok Sabha polls came up during several meetings the now-rebel leaders had with Thackeray in the run-up to a split in the Shiv Sena, Shewale, who was named as the leader of the party in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, told PTI.

    “I raised the issue of leadership for the Lok Sabha election during a meeting with Thackeray. Sanjay Raut, who was also present, gestured towards Thackeray as the face for the election. I told him that we respect Thackeray but we have to be realistic. He cannot be the face for the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

    Shewale said the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress had further complicated matters as the parties were rivals in several constituencies.

    “Furthermore, the UPA would contest elections under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, which will not be acceptable for our cadre,” Shewale said.

    Shewale and 11 other Lok Sabha members have shifted their allegiance to Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, who was appointed the Maharashtra chief minister on June 30, after Thackeray quit the post due to a large-scale rebellion in the Shiv Sena ranks.

    Shewale insisted that a large number of Sena leaders were in favour of an alliance with the BJP and keen to contest the next Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    He said Shiv Sena leaders began to feel insecure within the party when the leadership offered key Lok Sabha constituencies to the NCP during discussions for the general election.

    “Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who lost to the NCP’s Amol Kolhe from Shirur, was asked to shift to the Pune Lok Sabha seat, while the Maval seat, won by the Sena’s Shrirang Appa Barne, was offered to Parth Pawar, the son of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar,” Shewale said.

    He reiterated the claims that Thackeray was keen on reviving the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition and had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Delhi in June last year.

    Shewale did not rule out a patch up between the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena should some incident, such as the Balakot airstrikes, takes place in the future, which could lead to an upsurge of nationalism.

    “There was also a proposal of Thackeray leading the party and Shinde as the leader of the government. But it did not work out,” he said.

    NEW DELHI: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale on Thursday said Uddhav Thackeray was not a “winnable” face for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and it was imperative for them to tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

    The issue of leadership for the next Lok Sabha polls came up during several meetings the now-rebel leaders had with Thackeray in the run-up to a split in the Shiv Sena, Shewale, who was named as the leader of the party in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, told PTI.

    “I raised the issue of leadership for the Lok Sabha election during a meeting with Thackeray. Sanjay Raut, who was also present, gestured towards Thackeray as the face for the election. I told him that we respect Thackeray but we have to be realistic. He cannot be the face for the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

    Shewale said the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress had further complicated matters as the parties were rivals in several constituencies.

    “Furthermore, the UPA would contest elections under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, which will not be acceptable for our cadre,” Shewale said.

    Shewale and 11 other Lok Sabha members have shifted their allegiance to Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, who was appointed the Maharashtra chief minister on June 30, after Thackeray quit the post due to a large-scale rebellion in the Shiv Sena ranks.

    Shewale insisted that a large number of Sena leaders were in favour of an alliance with the BJP and keen to contest the next Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    He said Shiv Sena leaders began to feel insecure within the party when the leadership offered key Lok Sabha constituencies to the NCP during discussions for the general election.

    “Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who lost to the NCP’s Amol Kolhe from Shirur, was asked to shift to the Pune Lok Sabha seat, while the Maval seat, won by the Sena’s Shrirang Appa Barne, was offered to Parth Pawar, the son of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar,” Shewale said.

    He reiterated the claims that Thackeray was keen on reviving the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition and had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Delhi in June last year.

    Shewale did not rule out a patch up between the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena should some incident, such as the Balakot airstrikes, takes place in the future, which could lead to an upsurge of nationalism.

    “There was also a proposal of Thackeray leading the party and Shinde as the leader of the government. But it did not work out,” he said.

  • Big battle in BJP Maharashtra, incumbent state president Chandrakant Patil may go soon

    Express News Service

    Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil has been the eyes and nose of Amit Shah in Maharashtra, but his days seem to be numbered as state president.

    According to the highly placed sources in BJP, Maharashtra state president Chandrakant Patil is no more in the good books of Union minister Amit Shah. As a replacement, senior BJP leaders Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ashish Shelar, a close confidant of Amit Shah, are going round. Devendra Fadnavis is pitching Bawankule’s name as president as an OBC face.

    “Patil’s extra adventurous decisions of cozying up with MNS chief Raj Thackeray has not gone down well with the Delhi leadership of the BJP in view of Uttar Pradesh state elections. Raj Thackeray is known for his anti north Indian stand. If the BJP allies with Thackeray for the upcoming municipal polls that will have larger repercussions damaging the north Indian vote bank and sending the wrong message ahead of crucial Uttar Pradesh state polls,” said sources requested anonymity.

    Chandrakant Patil was in Delhi and he returned back without meeting Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the other hand, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis met Amit Shah and discussed state issues as well.

    Patil tried to clarify that he had no schedule to meet Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. “But had I met both the leaders, it would have been a great visit to Delhi. I was told that they were busy in the ongoing monsoon session of parliament. People should not read much in my not meeting Amit Shah and Narendra Modi in Delhi visit,” Patil said.

    Sources said that the Patil-Fadnavis duo is not able to topple and counter the Maha Vikas Aghadi led by Uddhav Thackeray, successfully.

    “Delhi leadership of BJP are very much concerned about the Uttar Pradesh and Lok Sabha 2024. Maharashtra is the state that sends 48 members of parliaments that is big therefore they could not afford to lose Maharashtra for a long time. The RSS has also asked to get their act together as BJP organisation is in disarray,” said source requested anonymity.

  • Ram Temple to open for devotees by end of 2023, before Lok Sabha polls

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya will be opened to devotees by the end of December 2023, sources in the Ram Temple Trust said on Wednesday.The opening of the sanctum sanctorum will take place once the idols of Ram Lalla and brothers are shifted to their final abode.

    However, the construction of the entire temple complex is expected to complete only by the end of 2025, said the highly-placed sources.At present, the idols are resting inside a makeshift temple made of bullet-proof optical fiber inside the Ram Janmabhoomi premises. 

    As per sources in the temple trust, the ongoing work at the foundation of the temple is likely to be completed by October, this year. After that, the second phase of the work is set to start in November around the time of Diwali.The opening of the temple in December 2023 is significant as it comes months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    “It is expected that the work on the foundation of the proposed temple will finish by October. All engineers and labourers involved in this work are safe & healthy,” the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had said in a tweet last month.

    The general secretary of the Temple Trust Champat Rai said the work is progressing round-the-clock in two shifts to ensure that the temple is constructed at the earliest and the pandemic does not impact the work. The temple is being built by the trust with the money collected through donations. Volunteers have collected more than `2,100 crore from 11 crore people.