News Analysis India

Tag: UP poll

  • First vote in Ayodhya after end of Ram temple dispute

    Express News Service

    PRAYAGRAJ: The UP assembly election cavalcade will enter the fifth phase on Sunday, taking the battle of the ballot from the banks of the river Saryu in Ayodhya to the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarswati in Prayagraj, covering the fertile Gangetic plains of northern India.

    Ayodhya will witness the first election after the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi -Babri Masjid dispute was settled by Supreme Court in 2019. Ayodhya has seen many firsts in the last five years under Yogi Adityanath. Besides its geographical expansion, name of the district was changed to Ayodhya from Faizabad.

    This will test the political laboratories of contemporary politics woven around Hindutva by the saffron brigade. It will decide the fate of a number of bigwigs, including six ministers: Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, civil aviation minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, MSME minister Sidhharth Nath Singh, social welfare minister Rampati Shastri, rural development minister Rajendra Pratap Singh and minister of state Chandrika Prasad Upadhyay.

    The fate of Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya in his bastion Kunda and Congress candidate Aradhna Mishra in Rampur Khas, the traditional pocket borough of grand old party, will also be decided.

  • 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.