News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha polls

  • Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana: Monthly Rs 1,000 honorarium scheme for Delhi women expected to roll out in Sep-Oct, says Atishi

    The Delhi government’s new scheme under which Rs 1,000 will be given to adult women is likely to be rolled out in September-October, Finance Minister Atishi said on Tuesday, adding she expects it to translate into more women votes for the AAP in the Lok Sabha polls. Atishi presented her maiden budget with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore in the Delhi Assembly on Monday.

    In an interview to PTI, Atishi said the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana will be notified after the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls is lifted and expressed hope that the scheme will roll out from September-October.

    Another key scheme that will be rolled out in the 2024-25 fiscal is the Business Blasters scheme in Delhi government-run universities. Under the scheme, Rs 2,000 seed money is given to Class 11 and Class 12 students.

    “The government will be giving a seed money of Rs 25,000 to each selected team of student at its universities for start-ups. We expect 1,000 teams will be part of the scheme,” she told PTI.

    The AAP is contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance with the Congress, as part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Talking about the party’s prospects in the elections, she said the AAP is in a “strong position” and is in a “direct fight” with the BJP in the elections.

  • Rajasthan BJP chief CP Joshi announces new state leaders ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha polls

    Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Rajasthan unit president CP Joshi has announced the formation of a new state team, bringing about significant changes.

    Late on Friday night, the list of new state officials of the party was released. It includes 10 state vice-presidents, 5 state secretaries, 13 state ministers, one treasurer, and one assistant treasurer.

    MLA Baba Balak Nath and recently elected Rajya Sabha MP Chunnilal Garasia have been appointed as state vice-presidents of Alwar and Udaipur respectively.Jitendra Gothwal, another legislator, has been assigned the responsibility of state secretary of Sawai Madhopur.

    Former MP Jyoti Mirdha has been appointed as the party’s state Vice president of Nagaur.

    Some current state officials have been given promotions based on their performance, while others have been retained in their current positions.The party’s ex-state President Omprakash Bhadana has been appointed as the State Secretary of Ajmer. Minister Minister Motilal Meena has been made Vice President in place of the General Secretary.The exclusion of some prominent leaders and the elevation of others by the BJP in Rajasthan suggest a calculated effort to bring in fresh perspectives and dynamics within the party ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections.

    Meanwhile, Rajasthan BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha State President also announced a fresh list of candidates. Seven state vice presidents were inducted in the new team, including Ramkrishna Verma, Omprakash Jediya, Shailendra Chauhan, BL Naval, Lalit Lakhwal, Bhajanlal Rolan and Anju Jatav were added.

    Three general ministers including Mukesh Garg, Lalaram Berwa and Mukesh Kirad, while seven State Ministers include Sitaram Lugaria, Mukesh Sindal, Sube Singh Marodia, Dinesh Verma, Motandas Nayak, Madan Gopal Jhanjhot and Prakash Meghwal. (ANI)

  • Tamil Nadu BJP: Won’t respond to speculations but will do whatever party says: Annamalai on contesting Lok Sabha polls

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Friday termed as ‘speculations’, him contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls but said he will abide by any decision the party takes. The former IPS officer said he had no “personal prejudice or any likes and dislikes in BJP.”

    “Whatever the party tells me I have to obey, that is the nature of the party. Today the party has asked me to complete the state level yatra (En Manna En Makkal) and we have just finished that,” he told reporters here.

    He said the BJP has “given me some responsibility” about the growth of the party in the state and he was doing that. Apparently referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha contest, he said, “tomorrow morning if the party tells me do that, I will do that.”

    “I am not going to respond to speculations. Whatever our senior national leadership decides my duty is to obey and make sure it is implemented on the ground,” the state BJP chief added.

  • UP to witness keen contest in Feb 27 Rajya Sabha polls

    Lucknow: The February 27 Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh will witness a high-pitched electoral battle ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the BJP fielding eight candidates and the opposition Samajwadi Party three for the 10 seats up for grabs. The outcome of the polls to the Rajya Sabha is likely to have an impact in the politically crucial state just ahead of the general elections in the country.

    The ruling BJP and the principal opposition SP have the numbers to send seven and three members respectively unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, but with the BJP fielding Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate, a keen contest is on the cards in one of the seats.

    Seth, a local industrialist and former SP leader, joined the BJP in 2019. He filed his nomination in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and other senior party leaders. Voting for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on Tuesday and the results will also be announced the same day.

    The BJP and the SP are the two largest parties in the 403-member state assembly with 252 MLAs and 108 MLAs respectively. The Congress, an alliance partner of the SP, has two seats. BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) 13, NISHAD Party six, RLD nine, SBSP six, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik two and the BSP one. Four seats are currently vacant.

    The seven other candidates fielded by the BJP are former Union minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind) party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain. The SP has fielded actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. To get elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, a candidate needs nearly 37 first preference votes, an official said.

    Elaborating further about the Rajya Sabha elections, Returning Officer Brijbhushan Dubey said, “A candidate will need 36.37 first preference votes to register a win. At present, there are 399 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.”

    Asked whether the three jailed MLAs will also be able to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections, Dubey told PTI that it would be decided by the court and the political party concerned.

    SP MLAs Irfan Solanki and Ramakant Yadav and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) legislator Abbas Ansari are in prison.

    Dubey further said that MLAs will enter from gate 7, take ballot papers from room 80 and head to Tilak Hall to cast their votes.

    “Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm. Counting will commence from 5 pm and results are likely to be announced on Tuesday night,” he added.

    Exuding confidence in the BJP’s performance in the Rajya Sabha elections, Maurya told PTI, “All BJP candidates will register a win in the Rajya Sabha elections.”

    Chief whip of the Samajwadi Party in the legislative assembly Manoj Pandey said all SP MLAs will be voting for the party’s candidates in the Rajya Sabha election.

    Asked if one of the SP candidates may eventually fall short by one vote, Pandey said, “How will we fall short? Our people had contested (the 2022 UP Assembly elections) from the SBSP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. And, basically, they are from the SP.”

    Although Pandey exuded confidence that MLAs of the SBSP and the RLD will vote for the SP candidates, both parties have joined the BJP-led NDA.

    Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, an ally of the Samajwadi Party, had earlier said that she would not vote in the Rajya Sabha polls as she did not agree with the SP decision to field Bachchan and Ranjan.

    Speaking to PTI on Sunday, she said, “I will be voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. That is my right and my duty. But I have not decided yet who will be the candidate.”

    On whether the two jailed SP MLAs would be casting their votes, Pandey said, “The party is making efforts to bring them to Lucknow so that they can cast their votes.”

    “All the three candidates fielded by the party will emerge victorious in the Rajya Sabha elections,” former chief secretary of the state and SP candidate Ranjan told PTI.

    He added that unlike the Lok Sabha elections or the legislative assembly elections, Rajya Sabha polls are a different ball game altogether.

    Congress MLA from Pharenda in Maharajganj district told PTI, “Now, with the Congress and Samajwadi Party forging an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the picture here is also very clear. We will vote for the candidates fielded by the SP. The candidate of the SP will be our candidate. We will vote for the SP candidate, about whom we will be told by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.”

    Ramashish Rai UP unit chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal, which recently switched over to the NDA fold said that all the RLD MLAs will vote for the BJP candidates in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections.

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  • 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.

  • INDIA Bloc: “Votes against BJP must not get split”: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urges INDIA bloc leaders

    Chennai: Amid the differences within the opposition alliance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged the INDIA bloc to stay united and make sure that the votes against BJP should not split.

    Speaking at an event in Tiruchirappalli on Friday, MK Stalin said that everyone should have one aim not to allow BJP to come back to power.

    “Everyone should only have one aim- not to allow BJP to come back to power. Votes against BJP must not get split,” he said.Meanwhile, the problems for the opposition’s INDIA bloc to find a common ground for the Lok Sabha elections seem unsolved.

    Earlier after announcing to go solo in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party announced that they would contest all 90 Assembly seats in Haryana alone.

    “We will contest alone in all 90 assembly seats in Haryana. Regarding the Lok Sabha, we have communicated our stance to the national leadership of our party that we are strong and we can contest the elections in alliance and independently as well. The final decision will be taken by the party leadership,” AAP leader Sushil Gupta said.The reports of CM Nitish Kumar severing his ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and reuniting with the BJP have triggered concerns about the stability of the 17-month-old, six-party Grand Alliance government.Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday said that the door can be opened if needed, indicating a possible revival of ties between Nitish Kumar -led JDU.

    “We are keeping an eye on all the developments and if needed an appropriate decision will be taken. No door is permanently closed in politics and the door can be opened if needed…” Sushil Modi said.

    The INDIA bloc is struggling to resolve key challenges including finalising seat-sharing arrangements most importantly deciding on a PM face while the BJP has started executing strategies it laid off in 2023 to secure victory in General elections.

  • Lok Sabha Polls: Congress demands 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh; Samajwadi Party finds it ‘unreasonable’

    Congress has sought 20 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh from Samajwadi Party, a demand which the regional party found ‘unreasonable’. The two parties are likely to meet again on Thursday to take talks forward, according to some leaders.

    According to people present at the second formal round of seat-sharing talks on Wednesday, Congress and SP discussed a seat-sharing formula and agreed ‘winnability’ should be the main criterion for deciding which party gets which seat. Congress won only Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

    A senior leader, who did not wish to be identified, told ET: “The exact number of seats were discussed. Congress has sought 20 seats. The list of seats was also discussed. Both parties have decided to meet again, and hold talks seat by seat.” There was no discussion on an alliance with BSP or RLD. A senior leader said, “RLD is Samajwadi Party’s ally. It is clear that any alliance talk of RLD will be with Samajwadi Party and not Congress.” RLD has already held talks with SP. Though Mayawati has announced that BSP would contest elections alone, Congress is keen on a grand alliance in UP because it feels that it is the only way the Opposition could give BJP a tough contest.In 2019, BJP secured 49.56% vote share, BSP 19.26%, SP 17.96% and Congress 6.31%. Though the influence of SP and BSP have declined considerably, a united Opposition could change the equation. Emerging from the meeting, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid told journalists, “we held a good round of talks… We put forward our wish list before each other and compared the details of each seat with each other and we hope that from their side we will receive more feedback before we can reach a final discussion.” On questions regarding BSP’s inclusion, Khurshid said the leadership would handle it. He said Congress hoped that the alliance would be finalised before the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra reaches UP.

    SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, “we have come halfway and will complete the entire journey soon.” UP Congress chief Ajay Rai and MLA Aradhana Mishra too joined the discussions. SP MP Javed Ali Khan, former SP MLC and a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, Udaiveer Singh, and Ram Gopal Yadav represented SP. After the meeting with Congress, SP went into a huddle.

  • AAP-Congress To Decide Seat Share Soon; BJP Alleges Confusion In Alliance |

    New Delhi: After the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held their first formal meeting on Monday to discuss seat-sharing arrangements under the INDIA bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, AAP leaders said that a final decision on seat-sharing will be taken soon, whereas the BJP alleged that there’s confusion in the alliance.

    The meeting comes amid rumours of discontent between the state units of the Congress and the AAP in Delhi and Punjab. AAP leader Atishi and other party leaders were present at the meeting held at Congress leader and convener of the Congress National Alliance Committee, Mukul Wasnik’s residence in the national capital to discuss the seat-sharing formula.

    After the meeting, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj told ANI that they are positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. “We are absolutely positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. Even when a party decides its ticket, there are many contenders for every seat. Even in a party, there is a problem in candidate selection as to whom to give tickets and whom not to. In such a situation, when there are two or three parties, there will definitely be problems. But this can be solved. Soon, all the parties will be seen coming together on a common platform,” the Delhi Minister told ANI.

    Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a dig at the meeting of AAP and Congress on seat sharing and said that there is some confusion in the INDIA bloc, adding that soon both parties will say, ‘Ek tha INDI gathbandhan’.

    “There is some kind of confusion in the INDIA bloc. Today they are talking about seat sharing. There is confusion because they hold hands during the photo but they are not connected by heart. Bhagwant Mann once said ‘Ek thi Congress’, to which Pawan Khera said ‘Ek tha joker’. Very soon, both of them will say, ‘Ek tha INDI gathbandhan’,” the BJP leader told ANI.
    Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, Poonawalla said that the alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why they haven’t finalised their agenda and logo till now.

    “The INDI alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why, till now, they haven’t finalised their agenda. They even have not decided on their logo. AAP has been formed by finishing Congress from Punjab and Delhi. Will it be possible for the AAP to give the tickets to those whom they have finished?” the BJP leader added. As the countdown to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls has begun, the INDIA bloc has begun its seat-sharing talks in earnest.

    The allocation of seats becomes pivotal for Congress, especially after recent electoral setbacks. Meanwhile, India’s political landscape is undergoing a significant transition as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near. The INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) consortium is gearing up to challenge the established National Democratic Alliance.

    The bloc is struggling to resolve key challenges, including finalising seat-sharing arrangements and, most importantly, deciding on a PM face, while the BJP has started executing strategies it laid out in 2023 to secure victory in general elections.

  • Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi plans pre-Lok Sabha poll visit to states before February 5

    In the runup to the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit all the major states at least once before February 5. Sources said Modi will make two visits to large states while he would visit a few of the smaller states once.

    The PM’s tour has already started with visit to southern states. Modi visited Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Kerala last week. He also visited Rajasthan last Friday. Apart from attending the DGP and IGP conference in Jaipur, he also attended a meeting of the newly elected BJP MLAs and senior leaders at the Jaipur’s party office. A roadshow or a public meeting of the PM is also on the cards during his upcoming visits.

    On January 10, he will visit Gujarat for two days, starting with the programme to inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat Summit.On January 12, he will head to Maharashtra to inaugurate the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link in Navi Mumbai. The same day he is expected to inaugurate the National Youth Festival in Nashik. A roadshow is likely to take place in Nashik, sources said. On January 13, he was expected to visit Dhanbad, Jharkhand and Bettiah, Bihar. However, this programme is likely to be delayed.

    On January 22, he is already scheduled to visit Ayodhya for the Ram Temple ceremony.

    Union home minister Amit Shah is also on tour to hold organisational meetings. In January, Shah will travel to six states starting from Jammu in the north to Meghalaya in the northeast. On January 9, he will be in Jammu to take stock of the election preparation. He will visit Tripura on January 11 and on January 12 he will be on a three-day trip to Gujarat. On January 18, he will travel to Punjab and on January 19 and 20, he will visit Assam and Meghalaya.

  • INDIA bloc: TMC will lead charge in Bengal, India Bloc nationally: Mamata Banerjee

    Setting the tone for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said INDIA bloc will taken on the BJP-led NDA in the country while Trinamool Congress will fight on its own in Bengal. Banerjee kicked off the campaign for Lok Sabha polls through a worker’s meet and a public rally at Chakla in North 24 Parganas district.

    Banerjee’s statement on Thursday made clear that there are remote chances of any alliance or seat-sharing with Congress or Left Front in the state.

    Banerjee also hit out at the BJP on CAA, saying, “the citizenship card is a ploy ahead of every Lok Sabha polls in a bid to woo the votes of the Matua community.”AITC took to its X handle and said, “@BJP4India’s yearly revival of the CAA issue is merely a ploy to manipulate people and garner votes. They’ve repeatedly misled the Matua community with false promises of citizenship. Had the Matuas not been legitimate citizens, how would they possess Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, ration cards, and receive the benefits of government schemes and services?”

    Wooing the Matua community in Chakla, Banerjee spoke about the developmental works done for the community in the Matua-dominated North 24 Parganas district.

    “Who did the developmental work for the Matua Thakurbari? We did it and have built colleges and universities… But ahead of elections, they (BJP) visit the Matua Thakurbari and ask for votes, making tall claims,” the West Bengal CM questioned.While talking about the CAA, Banerjee reminded people that all are the citizens of this country. “If you are not a citizen of this country, how are you receiving free ration, Swasthya Sathi, Pan Card, Aadhaar Card? Previously, the citizenship card was the responsibility of the District Magistrates, but the same has been taken away…They want to divide people,” Banerjee asserted.”The Matuas, who came to Bengal from Bangladesh till 1971, live in colonies and we are giving pattas to all those colonies under the name “Chirosthaayi Thikana” to ensure that they don’t have to live like refugees,” Banerjee said.