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  • ‘Rahul Gandhi Wants Civil War In Country’: BJP Leader On Waqf Board Row |

    Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, accusing him of trying to incite civil war in the country over the Waqf board issue.

    “Rahul Gandhi wants to create civil war in the country in the name of the Waqf Board, for which he is bringing in new toolkits. The wrongdoings of Congress and this dream of Rahul Gandhi will not be realized,” Singh said, ANI reported.

    He also criticized Congress leader Salman Khurshid for his comments regarding religious atrocities faced by Hindus in Bangladesh.

    “When Hindus in Bangladesh faced religious atrocities, Congress leaders including Salman Khurshid and others said that scenes like Bangladesh would be recreated in India,” Singh added.

    Singh’s reaction comes in the wake of the Waqf board controversy, following a walkout by opposition members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) during a meeting to discuss the Waqf amendment bill last week.

    The issue has gained attention in Karnataka, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the Congress government for allegedly sending notices to farmers to seize their land.

    Meanwhile, Karnataka Ministers including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have clarified that no farmers would be evicted from their land. Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development, earlier slammed the BJP over the Waqf row and said that the allegations dubbed by the opposition party in the state were “politically motivated.”

    “This is nothing but politically motivated. I want to ask the BJP, during their tenure, did the Waqf Board shut its doors? Was it shut? There was nothing happening during the BJP tenure. They say one thing and do another,” said Kharge.

    (With ANI Inputs)

  • After Mallikarjun Kharge’s caution, BJP says Congress misled people

    The BJP on Friday demanded Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s apology following the Congress president’s suggestion that his party’s state units should make only those promises that are fiscally doable, a statement seen by many as an acknowledgment of financial constraints that some of its guarantees face in states. .

    BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad mockingly asked if Kharge has given his first “gyan” to Gandhi, noting the former Congress president often boasts of “khata khat” (immediate) transfer of money to different population segments during state and national elections in the case of his party coming to power.

    Kharge has realized that the Congress should not make reckless announcements, the former Law Minister told reporters, claiming that the partyrun governments in states like Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh are faced with financial difficulties in fulfilling the guarantees offered to the people.

  • Goa Speaker Rejects Disqualification Plea Against Eight Congress MLAs Who Joined BJP |

    Goa assembly speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday dismissed the disqualification petition filed by the Congress against eight of its MLAs who defected to the ruling BJP in 2022.

    The disqualification petition was filed by former Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar against MLAs Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rudolf Fernandes and Rajesh Faldesai. The eight MLAs joined the BJP on September 14, 2022, taking the ruling party’s strength in the 40-member assembly to 28.

    Chodankar, in his petition, had sought that the speaker disqualify these eight MLAs under Para 2 of the 10th Schedule read with Article 191 of the Constitution on the ground that they had voluntarily given up the membership of the original party (Congress) on the tickets. of which they had contested for the 8th Goa legislative assembly and had won.

    “It is undisputed fact that respondents were dully elected as the members of Indian National Congress for the present assembly and are now affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party,” Chodankar said in the petition filed through advocate Abhijit Gosavi.

    The petition contended there was no valid merger in this case as the twin requirement of merger of political party to be agreed by two-thirds of members of the legislature party was not satisfied.

    “Para 4 of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution does not contemplate merger of the political party to the legislature party. Such a merger is contrary to the object of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. In the present case, there is no dispute that the The original political party (Congress) has not merged,” he said in the plea.

    Advocate Parag Rao, representing the eight MLAs, however, said the speaker, through a communication on September 14, 2022, has recorded that the eight MLAs passed a resolution to merge the Congress legislature party with the BJP.

    Rao further said the BJP, by conduct, has accepted this merger since it has made some of these MLAs ministers in the state government.

    Dismissing the disqualification petition, speaker Tawadkar ruled a member of the assembly shall not be disqualified where his original political party merges with another political party.

    “In simple words, upon the merger of the original political party of the elected member with another political party, the elected member will not face disqualification in either contingency i.e. whether he chooses to go with the merger or disagrees with the same,” the speaker ruled.

    The speaker said disqualification on ground of defection does not apply in case of merger.

  • ‘Galat niyat se kiya jaa raha hai…,’ Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore on On One Nation One Election

    Gaya (Bihar): Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore spoke on ‘On One Nation One Election’ and said it’s good but it’s being implemented with wrong intentions. He said, “We have said earlier that if One Nation One Election is done with the right intention, then there is no mistake in it. After independence, the One Nation One Election was in place till 1965, but if it is being done with the intention that when the situation is in our favor then quickly conduct all the elections together…On one hand, you are talking of One Nation One Election and on the other hand, you are dividing a small state Jharkhand into 4 parts and conducting elections so that there is time for campaigning. These two things cannot go together.”

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  • Only BJP can stop ‘infiltration’ in West Bengal: Amit Shah

    Kolkata: Giving a clarion call to bring a change of power in West Bengal, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that infiltration in the state will stop completely if the BJP comes to power in 2026. “Bengal is a bordering state and there is Statesponsored infiltration here. Only solution to bring Bengal out of this situation is to bring the BJP government to power in 2026. Cow smuggling, bomb explosions, corruption in PDS, cut money and syndicate raj, the only solution to these problems is formation. of BJP government here. Incidents like Sandeshkhali and RG Kar and disrespect to women should stop,” Shah emphasized.

    Lashing out at the Trinamool government over corruption, Shah said the funds sent by the Modi government are routed by the ruling party to corrupt Trinamool leaders. “Mamata Didi talks about injustice in MGNREGA. You (Mamata) were part of UPA. But now in the NDA regime, Modi, in the last ten years, has sent Rs 56,000 crore for NREGA. When Modi sends money, it goes to corrupt. TMC leaders. Did the money go to people or Trinamool Congress,” Shah said while hitting out at INDIA bloc as well during his speech.

    “Mamataji claims Modiji is not allowing development in Bengal. You are misleading the people of the state. Bengali was recognized as a ‘Classical language’ by Modi. You did not show spirit to show respect to the PM,” Shah said.

  • Jharkhand assembly polls: ExBJP MLAs Louis Marandi, Kunal Sarangi join JMM ahead of Jharkhand assembly polls

    Two more former BJP legislators Louis Marandi and Kunal Sarangi on Monday joined the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), weeks ahead of the assembly polls in the state. The development also comes barely two days after threeterm BJP legislator Kedar Hazra and AJSU Party’s Umakant Rajak joined the JMM.

    “We joined the JMM today,” Sarangi, the BJP’s former spokesperson and exBahragora MLA, told PTI.

    Marandi, a former BJP legislator, had in 2014 defeated Chief Minister Hemant Soren by a margin of 5,262 votes from Dumka. In 2019, Soren won from the seat by a margin of 13,188 votes. He, however, vacated the seat and retained the Barhait constituency.

    His brother Basant Soren had defeated Marandi by over 6,842 votes in party stronghold Dumka in the bypoll.

    Sarangi had in July resigned from the party’s primary membership, around a monthandahalf after stepping down from the post of Jharkhand unit spokesperson. He sent his resignation to BJP Jharkhand unit president Babulal Marandi, citing various organizational and peopleoriented issues in East Singhbhum district.

    Sarangi had also expressed disappointment with the party leadership’s “indifferent approach” despite his efforts to highlight crucial issues.

  • RJD puts a speed breaker in INDIA bloc talks

    While the BJP has sorted out its alliance riddle in Jharkhand and even announced its first list of candidates, the INDIA bloc is struggling to reach an agreement on seat sharing. On Sunday, RJD leader Manoj Jha held a press conference in Ranchi and said that his party will not agree to the offer of seats by the JMM and Congress. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was in Ranchi on Saturday and he met CM Hemant Soren regarding the seat sharing. Later in the day, Soren also met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and announced that the JMM and Congress would contest on 70 seats while 11 seats would be kept for RJD and Left parties. “We had a very positive meeting with Hemant Soren. But later the seat formula was announced without discussing it with us,” Jha told ET. “We again spoke to Soren in the evening, but that conversation was not positive, and we felt hurt. The number of seats being offered to us is neither acceptable to our workers nor to the voters.” Jha added that RJD will help the alliance on 60 to 62 seats.

    Sources tell ET that during the conversation, Soren offered seven seats to the RJD, the number it contested in 2019 in alliance. RJD won one seat in 2019. Jha added that there are around 22 seats where the party has a strong presence and it had agreed on seven seats in 2019 only to defeat the BJP. “We are known for strongly fighting against the BJP. RJD is the natural option for people of Bihar residing in Jharkhand,” Jha added.

    As per sources, another round of talks is likely to be held between the alliance partners to ease out the differences.

  • 24/7 work, top netas, ground intelligence: How BJP’s ground game helped it win close fights in the state elections

    Before the recent Haryana election, BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh were deployed throughout the state. One MP rode a motorbike across Karnal, drinking tea at roadside shops and listening to the local buzz. The MP noticed that chief minister Nayab Saini was more popular than his predecessor, Manohar Lal. Accordingly, the election staff was informed and CM Saini was encouraged to talk for only five minutes at public meetings and spend the rest of the time meeting people. The security staff was instructed not to push anyone near the CM, and Saini would willingly take selfies.

    This is just one example of how the BJP works during assembly election. Over the past decade, BJP has retained power in 10 states including Goa, Madhya Pradesh, UP and Manipur, where the general perception was against the party.

    By contrast, during the 10 years of UPA rule, from 200414, the Congress retained power in 6 states, the last being Assam in 2011.Here’s a closer look at what makes the BJP such an effective election machine:Roundthe year Worker ConnectBJP keeps its enormous network of groundlevel workers electionready by hosting events throughout the year.”We have a wide network of ideologically motivated party workers. We engage with them yearround, not only during elections,” BJP national general secretary Arun Singh to ET.Early Start, Special TeamThe party works 24/7, therefore election preparation has no set start time. Seven to eight months before an election is typical. Early input helps the party address public dissatisfaction. The Madhya Pradesh state government implemented the Ladli Behna Scheme, which the Congress had promised before the election, after this early ground intelligence, party leaders stated. A similar declaration was made in Congressruled Chhattisgarh. Before the Karnataka elections, the BJP government increased Scheduled Caste reservation to 17% from 15% and Scheduled Tribe reservation to 7% from 3%.The BJP has nurtured several election specialists over the years. They include Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mansukh Mandaviya, and G Kishan Reddy, as well as newcomers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma. Early deployment of these leaders allows them to assess the ground situation and develop party strategy for the state. In October 2022, the BJP named Karnataka incharges for May 2023 election. In July 2023, the party named incharges for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, and elections were held in November. For the recent Haryana election, incharges were appointed June 17.Change the FaceOver the last 5 years, BJP has replaced chief ministers in five states before electionsGujarat, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Karnataka, and Haryanaand all but Karnataka have worked for the party. BJP leaders told ET that choosing a new face is complicated. In August 2016, Gujarat’s casteneutral CM Vijay Rupani replaced Anandiben Patel, whose fellow castemen were campaigning for reservation. When the Patels supported the BJP in 2021, the party replaced Rupani with Bhupendra Patel as CM. In 2023, the party promoted Nayab Singh Saini as state unit president in Haryana to consolidate OBC votes. Saini replaced Manohar Lal as CM in January.From Feedback to ExecutionThe BJP’s election organization relies on ground intelligence and planning. The BJP and BJD discussed an alliance during the Odisha assembly election. However, party contact centers across Odisha began recording party workers’ and citizens’ opposition to the agreement. Union home minister Amit Shah, state incharge Sunil Bansal, and others attended an urgent meeting in Delhi. The call center personnel had 24 hours to gather multilevel comments and submit a report. The report prompted the BJP to drop its BJD alliance plan.Field SeniorsThe party fielded seven MPs in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election last year, including three Union ministers and one national general secretary. The experiment worked in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh for the party.

    “Senior leaders contesting the election sends a message to workers and citizens that the party is serious. It also shows the party’s united leadership,” Singh told ET.

    Rebel ManagementThe BJP manages its rebels much better than other parties. In the recently held Haryana assembly election, there were around 33 rebels from the BJP and 36 from Congress. While both parties tried to manage their rebels, the BJP’s management was better. To persuade senior party leader Ram Vilas Sharma, CM Saini personally visited him. Similarly, party election coincharge Biplav Dev met and persuaded several rebels to withdraw their nominations.

  • Ahead of polls, BJP promises NRC in Jharkhand

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday promised to implement NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Jharkhand if the party comes to power. The party has made infiltration from Bangladesh an election issue with their leaders right from PM Modi to Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighting the demographic change which would be a big challenge to tribals.

    BJP Jharkhand election incharge and Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday announced that the party would implement NRC if it comes to power in the state.

    “This election is to save the state. The demography of the state is changing due to infiltration from Bangladesh,” Chouhan said. “Post the elections, the citizenship register will be prepared, and all illegal immigrants would be thrown out of the state.” Chouhan said the party will soon launch a detailed manifesto called Sankalp Patra for the upcoming state elections. BJP leaders from Jharkhand arrived in Delhi on Monday for a meeting with Amit Shah regarding the candidate selection before the party’s CEC meeting.

  • BJP reviving MADHAV formula targeting OBCs

    New Delhi: From reducing duty on the export of onions, mostly produced in Maharashtra, to opening up the Banjara Virasat Museum, the BJP has been taking several measures to correct its caste arithmetic in the pollbound state and is also trying to strengthen its. MADHAV formula a combination of three OBC castes.

    In the Marathwada region, where BJP drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls and in Western Maharashtra where it won only two seats, the BJP is again focussing on its tested and tried MADHAV formula an acronym representing the Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari communities. All the three castes come under the OBC category.

    Party leaders feel that the BJP lost its hold among these castes due lack of clarity from the government over Maratha reservation issue resulting in OBCs moving away from the party. To improve its performance in the assembly polls, the party needs to nominate several candidates from these. castes and regain the lost ground, a senior BJP leader said.

    There are 46 assembly seats in Marathwada region and 70 in Western Maharashtra, the highest number of seats in any region in Maharashtra.

    BJP had won 20 seats in Western Maharashtra and 16 in Marathwada out of 39 and 26 that it contested in these two regions, respectively during last assembly elections.The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, of which BJP is also part, recently renamed Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar, after Ahilyadevi Holkar, who is highly revered by the Dhangar community, almost equivalent to a deity. Similarly to consolidate its presence among upper castes, the state government recently decided to set up two corporations for the economic development of the Brahmin and Rajput communities.The Vidarbha region, having 62 assembly seats, second highest in Maharashtra, and RSS is also located in the region at Nagpur, has been the BJP’s stronghold but the party performed poorly in the Lok Sabha polls here.

    The party leaders here feel Congress grouping of DMK Dalit, Muslims and Kunbis impacted the BJP electorally.

    In the last assembly polls, the Telis another prominent OBC community which moved away from it in Vidarbha impacted it and the BJP could win only 29 seats out of the 50 seats it contested here.

    This time the BJP’s main focus would be on regaining Teli vote back as the party’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule is from the caste and hails from this region and to break Congress DMK formula, the party is working on making inroads in Kunbi vote bank and Hindu. Dalits. Many Dalits in this region have converted to Buddhism.

    Marathas, the dominant caste, accounting for nearly 30% of the population and politically powerful in the state, have been demanding the Kunbi, or OBC caste certificates. And this led to counter consolidation among other OBCs and with lack of clarity from the government that worked against BJP and its allies.