AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal has been asked to resign by the party following her remarks on Atishi, who has been named the new Chief Minister of Delhi. Atishi was named as the new CM of Delhi in a legislative party meeting chaired by Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the day.

Reacting to Atishi holding the CM post, Swati Maliwal called it an “unfortunate day” for Delhi. She alleged that Atishi’s family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from the death penalty. Maliwal further claimed that Atishi will only be a “dummy CM”.

“This is an extremely unfortunate day for Delhi. A woman like Atishi is going to become the CM of Delhi, whose own family fought a long battle to save terrorist Afzal Guru from death penalty. Her parents wrote mercy petitions to the President several times, that he is innocent, that he should not be hanged, that he is a victim of political conspiracy. How wrong is this? Today, Atishi will become the CM but we all know that she will be only a “dummy CM”. Still, this is a major issue because she will be the CM and this matter is directly linked to the security of the country as well as Delhi. God save the people of Delhi from such a CM,” Maliwal said.

AAP Reacts To Swati Maliwal’s Comments On Atishi

Senior AAP leader and MLA Dilip Pandey accused Swati Maliwal of “reading out the BJP’s script despite being sent to the Parliament by the AAP”.

“Swati Maliwal takes the Rajya Sabha ticket from AAP but takes the script to react from BJP. If she has even a little shame, she should resign as a Rajya Sabha MP and choose the path to Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket. If she wants to be in Rajya Sabha, she should get a ticket from BJP,” the AAP leader said.

It was October 7, 2001. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked Narendra Modi to take the oath as Gujarat’s Chief Minister (CM). Till that point, oath-taking used to be mostly attended by a select few, following which the CM would take over his role in the Chief Minister’s Office. After taking oath as the CM of Gujarat for the first time, Modi concluded his speech with a rousing chant of ‘Bharat Mata Ni Jai’. Dressed in a grey kurta, Modi stepped down from the podium and drove an open jeep into the crowd amid drums, bugles and chants of ‘Apanu Gujarat, Agavu Gujarat’ — setting a new political culture which took decades for others to understand and emulate.

ALSO READ | PM Modi Turns 74: BJP Leaders Call Him ‘Visionary’, Opposition Prays for His ‘Long Life’

Modi, as Narendra Modi is commonly referred to by people at large, did not wake up one day and become the Prime Minister. Before September 13, 2013, when he was announced to be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (albeit upsetting many like his present ally Nitish Kumar), he carried a body of work as a Sangh Pracharak, Chief Minister.

As he turns 74 on Tuesday (September 17, 2024), his political legacy is that of a unique mix of administration of 50 years, as Prashant Kishore — his political strategist for the 2014 Lok Sabha election — recently pointed out.

Modi’s political journey, from a modest tea seller in Vadnagar, Gujarat, to becoming one of India’s most influential political figures, has been both transformative and enduring.

A look at the key milestones:

• EARLY POLITICAL LIFE: Modi’s political journey began with his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his teenage years, which laid the ideological foundation. His early political activities were deeply rooted in the RSS’s philosophy of cultural nationalism.
• RISE IN BJP: Modi joined the BJP in the late 1980s, quickly rising through the ranks due to his organisational and impressive oratory skills. During the time he was the General Secretary of the BJP, the party saw him instrumental in its expansion across India. He played a pivotal role in BJP’s Ekta Yatra, whose final stop was Srinagar where on January 26, 1992, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi unfurled the national flag along with him — a rare sight in the militancy-dominated Kashmir.
• CHIEF MINISTER OF GUJARAT: Modi’s political stature significantly grew after becoming the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001, following the earthquake that devastated the state. A new CM, but his administration was credited with rapid reconstruction and economic development. Increasing the Sardar Sarovar Dam despite stiff protests, introducing the Gujarat model of development by starting business summits, topping India’s ease of doing business ranking among states by the World Bank, and making inaccessible Kutch the centre point of global tourism are some of his many feats that reflect his political journey and administrative experience that slowly pushed him to the national scene.
• PREPPING TO BE PM OF INDIA: Modi may have become the PM in 2014, but the efforts started a couple of years ago when he started addressing Gujarati crowds in Hindi — a language many Indians understand. On the 2013 Independence Day, he held a counter-I-Day speech with a facade of Red Fort to push his Prime Ministerial candidature which he would get very soon. His campaign was built on the promise of development, anti-corruption, and nationalistic pride, amid scams — 2G, Adarsh, CWG during the Congress-led UPA 2.
  
• MODI, THE PRIME MINISTER: It’s been 11 years that he is the Prime Minister of India. For the first two terms, Modi’s enigma brought the BJP enough seats to form the government without the need for any ally. What marks his tenure as the PM? Completing the long-awaited electoral promises of the BJP — Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A that unites Kashmir with mainland India, constructing and inaugurating a grand Ram Temple in the once disputed site of Ayodhya, criminalising triple talaq. Some of the major red letter days of Modi’s tenure are when GST was passed after years of deliberation, legislation giving women 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and assemblies was passed in a special session and the Waqf Bill which was already brought is being sent to a JPC. Now, sources suggest in its third term, the BJP-led NDA will bring One Nation, One Poll.

Narendra Modi’s political legacy is that of flirting with fire and coming out unhurt, mostly so. When he brought demonetisation, many thought he would lose state elections due to the problems people suffered. But Uttar Pradesh brought the BJP to power. One of his biggest political achievements is to blur foreign policy and domestic politics. He reaches out to the Indian diaspora, often in big events like Howdy Modi in the United States, which brings a sense of pride among many domestic voters. “Videsh me desh ka naam badhaya” is the common refrain. It only got further activated when India’s Chandrayaan 3 landed on the moon or India hosted the G20 in Delhi with big pomp and Modi being the centre of global attraction.

As he turns 74, Modi is setting his eyes on 2047, already.

Maharashtra’s political landscape looks set for a new entry ahead of assembly elections, with buzz about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray’s possible entry into the electoral arena. The move could add a fresh dynamic to the already heated contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Amit Thackeray, who currently leads the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, has expressed his interest in contesting the upcoming elections. His entry could also mark a new chapter for the MNS, which has struggled to regain its political foothold in recent years. Amit Thackeray’s decision to join the electoral battle signals a strong intent by the Thackeray family to inject fresh leadership into the party and rejuvenate its political base.

The younger Thackeray, who has been actively involved in the party’s organisational work over the last few years, has built a strong connection with the youth, particularly through his leadership of the student wing. He has emphasised the need for leaders to be closely connected to the issues faced by the common people. His possible candidacy is expected to attract attention, especially among younger voters who are seeking a fresh face in Maharashtra politics.

While the exact constituency from which Amit Thackeray will contest is yet to be finalised, speculation suggests that he may run from one of three constituencies in Mumbai — Mahim, Bhandup, or Magathane. All three are strategic areas where the MNS has previously had a presence, and Amit Thackeray’s candidacy could help the party regain traction in the financial capital of the state. The entry of a new Thackeray into parliamentary politics may also invite comparisons with his cousin Aaditya Thackeray, who is a sitting MLA and a prominent leader in the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena.

The timing of Amit Thackeray’s potential entry is crucial for the MNS as it seeks to rebuild its electoral fortunes. Raj Thackeray has already announced the candidacies of three party leaders — Bala Nandgaonkar from Sewri in Mumbai, Dilip Dhotre from Pandharpur, and Raju Umbarkar from Latur Rural. These announcements signal the party’s intention to focus on select constituencies where it believes it has the potential to make an impact.

Amit Thackeray’s entry into the race would not only strengthen the MNS’ electoral strategy but also elevate his profile within Maharashtra’s political circles. He could emerge as a strong contender, particularly as a representative of the new generation of leaders in the state. His youth, combined with the political legacy of the Thackeray family, could help galvanise support for the party among voters who are looking for change and a new approach to governance.

As the Maharashtra assembly elections approach, all eyes will be on Amit Thackeray and his role in shaping the future of MNS. Whether he can translate his potential into electoral success remains to be seen, but his entry into the political contest has already added a significant layer of excitement and anticipation to the upcoming polls.