Politics
INDIA Bloc’s Unity Will Dislodge BJP; Stalin Says Saffron Party Dangerous Than ‘Coronavirus’
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc including its member party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have stressed on putting on an united front to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) organised a conference “Democracy Will Win” on Friday in Tamil Nadu. Among the attendees were leaders from the INDIA bloc parties — Congress, DMK, the Left parties — namely TN Chief Minister MK Stalin, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s D Raja among others.
Headed by Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan, VCK is a key ally of DMK in the southern state.
The conference came amidst the heated situation in Bihar with the strong probability of JD(U) President and state CM Nitish Kumar making yet another shift and returning to the saffron party-led NDA.
In the past week, two other members of the INDIA bloc — Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — had announced that they would not contest the Lok Sabha polls with Congress in West Bengal and Punjab respectively.
Stalin’s Dig At The Saffron Party
Addressing the conference, Stalin pointed at the need for the INDIA bloc leaders to realise that BJP was rattled at the thought of opposition alliance winning even at a Mayor poll level. He said unity among the INDIA parties will ‘dislodge’ the saffron party from the Centre.
He slammed the BJP-led Centre for ‘cancelling’ the mayor-level election because victory for the AAP-Congress tie up was more probable.
“When they cancel even a mayor level poll, the INDIA alliance leaders must realise the fear of the BJP. We have to use this. We have to clasp the opportunity that we have now got. If we remain united, the BJP will be defeated. Democracy will win and time will say that. Thirumavalavan will also win and time will say that too,” the Tamil Nadu CM said.
Stalin in fact termed the saffron party to be “more dangerous than Coronavirus”, saying that tears were shed for those who walked hundreds of kilometres during the pandemic and even got crushed by trains. “Now the government is trying to divert people’s attention by consecrating the Ram temple,” Stalin said while taking a dig at BJP.
Kharge’s Reference to Ambedkar
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge who couldn’t take part in the conference sent his address to be read out by his party’s Lok Sabha MP Su Thirunavukkarasar.
Kharge underlined Dr BR Ambedkar’s warning against the ‘cult of personality’ and appealed for a political culture based on ‘reason and dialogue’.
“Today, as we navigate a nation, where personality often overshades principles, let us follow Ambedkar’s words and strive for a political culture based on reason, dialogue and inclusivity,” Kharge was quoted as saying in his address.
Further slamming the saffron party, Kharge said even funds for any disaster is released on the basis of a state’s ruling party. He cited the funds ‘held up’ for ration shops in Bengal as they did not have ‘supreme leader’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pictures.
CPI(M) & CPI’s Slam on BJP
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said that INDIA bloc was committed to protecting the character of ‘our republic’ and that Tamil Nadu was leading the country in putting up a united fight against the BJP.
“The only slogan we have to give today is to save India in order to change India for the better,” Yechury said.
He said that the Opposition bloc should prepare itself for the “big political battle” against the forces dominating the “secular democratic republic”.
Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary D Raja referred to Ambedkar’s draft of the Constitution and said that he would not have wanted India to become a ‘Hindutva rashtra’.
Earlier, VCK Chief Thirumavalavan — in a resolution — had said that all EVMs in the general elections should be ‘100 per cent’ linked to Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system and electors should deposit the VVPAT slips in separate boxes.
Only on the basis of VVPAT slips, should the results be declared by the election authorities, his resolution said.
In total, 33 resolutions proposed by Thirumavalavan were adopted in the meet.
(With PTI inputs)
Politics
‘Chanakya Of North East’: How Himanta Biswa Sarma Quelled BJP Rebellions in Jharkhand
Last Updated:
News18 has learnt Sarma is responsible for quelling a million rebellions in Jharkhand even before they could happen, often suggesting pre-emptive moves to central leadership.
Assam Chief Minister and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma is often dubbed as the Chanakya of the North East. But ever since he has been tasked as the co-in-charge of Jharkhand for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he has quietly been firefighting for the party in the poll-bound eastern state.
News18 has learnt Sarma is responsible for quelling a million rebellions in the state even before they could happen, often suggesting pre-emptive moves to central leadership like making Ravindra Rai the working President of the Jharkhand BJP all of a sudden.
Even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the party manifesto on Sunday at Ranchi focusing on women, tribals and evoking an anti-infiltrator sentiment, it’s Sarma who has doused many in-house fires so far that resulted in a high octane aggressive Sunday.
RAVINDRA RAI
Sources say Rai wasn’t happy after the BJP fielded its state president Babulal Marandi from Dhankar seat. Rai, sources said, wanted to fight from the same seat. Rai was the BJP Chief of Jharkhand during the 2014 Jharkhand Assembly polls. Marandi’s candidature only rubbed salt on his wound.
Sarma, who had his ears to the ground, sensed the displeasure and sent an SOS to Delhi to “restore a sense of dignity” for Rai. Immediately, in spite of having a full-time state president, BJP appointed a Jharkhand working president in the shape of Ravindra Rai. The organisational change came amid speculation that Rai would join the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) as he was denied a ticket in the election. It worked. When asked about his displeasure, Rai said, “No, this is not the truth. I was never upset with the BJP, which has given me an identity.”
MENKA SARDAR
One of the biggest successes of Sarma was minimising the public embarrassment caused by three-term former MLA Menka Sardar. She resigned after failing to obtain a BJP ticket from the Potka area. Sarma was behind the endeavour to make her understand and rejoin the BJP in a short span of time.
KAMLESH RAM
Kamlesh Ram, too, rebelled against the BJP in Jharkhand when he filed candidature as independent from the Kanke assembly seat. The Assam Chief Minister reached his house as well and urged him to withdraw his nomination much like he did to Misir Kujur. Ram was overlooked in favour of former MLA Jitu Charan Ram. Along with Sarma, BJP’s state vice-president and SC Morcha president reached out to him as well after which he has decided not to fight as an independent.
MISIR KUJUR
If Rai’s disenchantment was palpable, Misir Kujur’s angst was more clearly articulated. The BJP leader filed his nomination as an independent from Gumla seat. But Himanta Biswa Sarma did not let ego come in the way and visited the leader on a weekend to convince him to withdraw nomination. However, he has refrained from withdrawing his nomination.
Polling for the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand will take place in two phases on November 13 and 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.
Politics
Maharashtra Polls: BJP’s Gopal Shetty Withdraws Candidature As Independent From Borivali
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Maharashtra BJP leader Gopal Shetty on Monday withdrew his candidature days after he announced to contest as an independent. The two-time MP from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat filed his nomination as as independent after the BJP denied him ticket.
The party has fielded Mumbai unit general secretary Sanjay Upadhyay from the Borivali seat replacing sitting MLA Sunil Rane. This decision sparked protests by local BJP workers demanding a representative from the area.
Politics
Manoj Jarange Won’t Contest Maharashtra Polls, Asks Candidates To Withdraw Nomination
Manoj Jarange Won’t Contest Maharashtra Polls, Asks Candidates To Withdraw Nomination
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