Enough time for Mamata Banerjee to alter thoughts, says vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Opposition’s vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva Saturday described the prevailing state of affairs within the non-BJP camp as a “family quarrel”, however asserted they’re clear they do not desire a one-party rule and had been working to “sink the differences” and unite for the 2024 problem.
The 80-year-old Alva, who faces an uphill process within the August 6 vice presidential ballot, additionally stated the Opposition was clear in its intention that the Constitution needs to be defended and democratic establishments protected.
In an interview to PTI, the previous governor stated, “The tragedy of today’s democratic system is that the mandate of people does not prevail and muscle and money power, and threats change the composition of the elected framework.”
On frequent disruptions seen in Parliament, the multi-term parliamentarian stated these interruptions had been taking place as a result of the Chair was “unable to work out compromises” and contemplate the Opposition’s viewpoint.
“How can a democracy function with the government slogan seemingly being ‘my way or no way’.”
Alva has been fielded by the Opposition for the vice presidential ballot contest in opposition to the ruling NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankhar, however the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has introduced it would abstain from the election.
READ HERE | From cross-voting to abstaining from voting, chinks in Opposition unity uncovered
Alva admitted she was “aghast at the announcement” the TMC would abstain.
“Mamata has been leading the entire movement to unite the opposition,” Alva stated.
“She has been my friend for many years and I believe that there is enough time for her to change her mind”, Alva stated.
On Saturday, Alva met Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal to hunt his assist for her vice presidential bid.
On dynastic politics, which has been ceaselessly been deprecated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a menace to democracy, Alva stated there’s nothing improper in youngsters of politicians coming in.
“But they have to win elections and the confidence of people and be accepted.”
Alva, a former Congress normal secretary, had questioned the denial of a celebration ticket to her son within the 2008 Karnataka elections when wards of leaders in different states had been accommodated.
On her rival Dhankhar’s tenure as West Bengal governor, she stated there’s a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ a Raj Bhawan occupant must respect. “It is unethical and unconstitutional to function as a party representative when holding the constitutional office,” Alva stated.
Downplaying the obvious cracks within the Opposition betrayed by the cross-voting within the presidential ballot on July 18, Alva stated, “Opposition parties are making efforts to sink their differences and work together before the general elections. I think they feel the need and the urgency of finding a common platform to face the challenge of 2024. There might be ups and downs, differences but the intention is clear, they are concerned and they want to make a point. The Constitution has to be defended and democratic institutions have to be protected. We do not want a one-party rule.”
The veteran Congress chief, who has spent practically 50 years in politics, stated the variations within the Opposition bloc had been “like a family quarrel” which might be resolved.
“We will sit and sort it out,” she stated, including “She (Mamata) is very much part of us and her basic ideology is that of the Congress. I always consider her one of us. I believe we can sit and sort out any differences that have arisen. She has been fighting the BJP all along. There is no way she can help the BJP win.”
The Congress veteran, who has served as governor of Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, additionally favoured consensus on the posts of president and vice chairman, saying the federal government ought to take the initiative and have interaction numerous events and forge a typical floor.
On the standing of democracy within the nation, she stated “it is not the mandate of the people that prevails” today.
“In various states, the mandate of the people is ignored and muscle power, money power and threats change the composition of the elected framework,” Alva stated, citing the examples of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
She added, “Today, it is frightening when I look around. It’s a different world altogether. You cannot eat what you want, you cannot wear what you want, you cannot say what you want, you cannot even meet people what you want. What is this time?” She stated parliamentary disruptions are unlucky.
“The point is why are there disruptions?” she requested.
“It is because the Chair is unable to work out compromises and work out a way by which the point of view of the opposition and their demands for discussion and debate can be worked into the agenda of the house. You can’t just pass 22 bills in 12 minutes, without debate, without discussion,” the opposition candidate stated.
“How can a democracy function like this? The government’s slogan seems to be either my way or no way. You don’t allow a discussion and you don’t want to hear a point of view which is different from yours. It is the people suffering outside — common people, the voter, the taxpayer”, Alva famous.
Noting that she has been a governor and a lawyer — her vice presidential ballot rival Dhankhar has additionally served as governor and lawyer — she stated, “He (Dhankhar) has been fighting a woman in the state (West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee) and now he is fighting another woman in the election. Something in his stars.”
Alva stated Dhankhar is “being rewarded” for the laborious political stance he took as West Bengal governor.
“I have also been a governor and you are supposed to be non-partisan. You are supposed to help your government function. There is a Lakshman Rekha, which you have to keep in mind once you are in the Raj Bhawan. You can’t sit there and function as the representative of your party. I think it is unethical and unconstitutional.”
READ HERE | VP polls: TMC’s choice to abstain from voting disappointing, says Alva; not in opposition to her: Trinamool
Speaking about her personal journey, Alva stated Indira Gandhi was her political mentor.
“Indira ji handpicked me for Parliament, but my in-laws helped me grow. The numbers in the electoral college are heavily against Alva, but she said in democracy it was important to accept the challenge, notwithstanding the considerations of victory or loss. Because the numbers are stacked against us, should we not fight the election? I think in a democratic system, win or loss, you have to accept the challenge and place your point of view before your MPs who are now the electoral college. We have a different point of view from the government and the need is for those who are on a common platform to accept the challenge,” Alva stated.
The veteran chief additionally pointed to her struggles saying she has come up the ladder of politics — from block degree to being MP, minister and governor — all by the advantage of “hard work, commitment and clean politics”.
“This is another chapter,” stated Alva, who had returned to Bengaluru to settle, however returned when known as upon by the Opposition to combat the August 6 election.
NEW DELHI: The Opposition’s vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva Saturday described the prevailing state of affairs within the non-BJP camp as a “family quarrel”, however asserted they’re clear they do not desire a one-party rule and had been working to “sink the differences” and unite for the 2024 problem.
The 80-year-old Alva, who faces an uphill process within the August 6 vice presidential ballot, additionally stated the Opposition was clear in its intention that the Constitution needs to be defended and democratic establishments protected.
In an interview to PTI, the previous governor stated, “The tragedy of today’s democratic system is that the mandate of people does not prevail and muscle and money power, and threats change the composition of the elected framework.”
On frequent disruptions seen in Parliament, the multi-term parliamentarian stated these interruptions had been taking place as a result of the Chair was “unable to work out compromises” and contemplate the Opposition’s viewpoint.
“How can a democracy function with the government slogan seemingly being ‘my way or no way’.”
Alva has been fielded by the Opposition for the vice presidential ballot contest in opposition to the ruling NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankhar, however the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has introduced it would abstain from the election.
READ HERE | From cross-voting to abstaining from voting, chinks in Opposition unity uncovered
Alva admitted she was “aghast at the announcement” the TMC would abstain.
“Mamata has been leading the entire movement to unite the opposition,” Alva stated.
“She has been my friend for many years and I believe that there is enough time for her to change her mind”, Alva stated.
On Saturday, Alva met Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal to hunt his assist for her vice presidential bid.
On dynastic politics, which has been ceaselessly been deprecated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a menace to democracy, Alva stated there’s nothing improper in youngsters of politicians coming in.
“But they have to win elections and the confidence of people and be accepted.”
Alva, a former Congress normal secretary, had questioned the denial of a celebration ticket to her son within the 2008 Karnataka elections when wards of leaders in different states had been accommodated.
On her rival Dhankhar’s tenure as West Bengal governor, she stated there’s a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ a Raj Bhawan occupant must respect. “It is unethical and unconstitutional to function as a party representative when holding the constitutional office,” Alva stated.
Downplaying the obvious cracks within the Opposition betrayed by the cross-voting within the presidential ballot on July 18, Alva stated, “Opposition parties are making efforts to sink their differences and work together before the general elections. I think they feel the need and the urgency of finding a common platform to face the challenge of 2024. There might be ups and downs, differences but the intention is clear, they are concerned and they want to make a point. The Constitution has to be defended and democratic institutions have to be protected. We do not want a one-party rule.”
The veteran Congress chief, who has spent practically 50 years in politics, stated the variations within the Opposition bloc had been “like a family quarrel” which might be resolved.
“We will sit and sort it out,” she stated, including “She (Mamata) is very much part of us and her basic ideology is that of the Congress. I always consider her one of us. I believe we can sit and sort out any differences that have arisen. She has been fighting the BJP all along. There is no way she can help the BJP win.”
The Congress veteran, who has served as governor of Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, additionally favoured consensus on the posts of president and vice chairman, saying the federal government ought to take the initiative and have interaction numerous events and forge a typical floor.
On the standing of democracy within the nation, she stated “it is not the mandate of the people that prevails” today.
“In various states, the mandate of the people is ignored and muscle power, money power and threats change the composition of the elected framework,” Alva stated, citing the examples of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
She added, “Today, it is frightening when I look around. It’s a different world altogether. You cannot eat what you want, you cannot wear what you want, you cannot say what you want, you cannot even meet people what you want. What is this time?” She stated parliamentary disruptions are unlucky.
“The point is why are there disruptions?” she requested.
“It is because the Chair is unable to work out compromises and work out a way by which the point of view of the opposition and their demands for discussion and debate can be worked into the agenda of the house. You can’t just pass 22 bills in 12 minutes, without debate, without discussion,” the opposition candidate stated.
“How can a democracy function like this? The government’s slogan seems to be either my way or no way. You don’t allow a discussion and you don’t want to hear a point of view which is different from yours. It is the people suffering outside — common people, the voter, the taxpayer”, Alva famous.
Noting that she has been a governor and a lawyer — her vice presidential ballot rival Dhankhar has additionally served as governor and lawyer — she stated, “He (Dhankhar) has been fighting a woman in the state (West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee) and now he is fighting another woman in the election. Something in his stars.”
Alva stated Dhankhar is “being rewarded” for the laborious political stance he took as West Bengal governor.
“I have also been a governor and you are supposed to be non-partisan. You are supposed to help your government function. There is a Lakshman Rekha, which you have to keep in mind once you are in the Raj Bhawan. You can’t sit there and function as the representative of your party. I think it is unethical and unconstitutional.”
READ HERE | VP polls: TMC’s choice to abstain from voting disappointing, says Alva; not in opposition to her: Trinamool
Speaking about her personal journey, Alva stated Indira Gandhi was her political mentor.
“Indira ji handpicked me for Parliament, but my in-laws helped me grow. The numbers in the electoral college are heavily against Alva, but she said in democracy it was important to accept the challenge, notwithstanding the considerations of victory or loss. Because the numbers are stacked against us, should we not fight the election? I think in a democratic system, win or loss, you have to accept the challenge and place your point of view before your MPs who are now the electoral college. We have a different point of view from the government and the need is for those who are on a common platform to accept the challenge,” Alva stated.
The veteran chief additionally pointed to her struggles saying she has come up the ladder of politics — from block degree to being MP, minister and governor — all by the advantage of “hard work, commitment and clean politics”.
“This is another chapter,” stated Alva, who had returned to Bengaluru to settle, however returned when known as upon by the Opposition to combat the August 6 election.
