Archives for March 2019

[Nasheman news]New Delhi Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that she will not contest Lok Sabha elections so as to be able to campaign effectively across the country but also indicated that her decision did not mean she was ruling herself out of the post-poll Prime Ministerial sweepstakes.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, asking her party workers not to be disheartened, said that she had decided not to contest the Lok Sabha election as it will better serve the interests of the party, the movement, the people and the country.

Her BSP, Samjwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal are fighting the Lok Sabha polls together in Uttar Pradesh.

During a joint press conference with Mayawati earlier this year, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav had indicated his support to her for a role at the Centre, saying he will be “happy if another Prime Minister comes from the state.”

Analysts said that Mayawati’s decision could be guided by an assessment that the Bharatiya Janata Party will put a strong candidate against her in the seat she contests from so that she is forced to campaign hard there.

Though Mayawati explained reasons for her not contesting in a detailed press release Wednesday afternoon, there was an apprehension that the party rank and file, who want to see her as Prime Minister and play a role in the formation of next government, may get demoralised.

The BSP issued another release in the evening which asked party workers “not to feel even slight demoralisation” because of her decision not to fight the polls as “she was more concerned about the party, movement and the samaj”.

“Don’t get disheartened at all from my decision not to contest Lok Sabha elections for now,” she said.

Mayawati, who is a four-time Lok Sabha MP and four-time Chief Minister, said it is “well-known that she can fight from any seat in the state and the workers of BSP will ensure her victory”.

“But if the workers leave their constituencies out of affections despite my telling them not to, it can impact prospects of the candidates on other seats. The candidates of the alliance should not face any problem.

“It is more important to win every Lok Sabha seat in the state which will empower our mission of social change and economic liberty,” she said.

The party’s first letter hoped that that workers of the party will understand her “missonary decision” and work with full force for the victory of alliance candidates.

“I have full faith that they will as earlier respect the far-sightedness and sacrifice of their behneji (sister),” she said.

The second press release reminded workers that when she became Chief Minister in 1995 for the first time, she was not a member of legislative assembly or council.

“Similarly, there is provision at the Centre where a person has to a member of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha within six months of holding office of a minister/prime minister,” the release emphasised.

BSP spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria told IANS that Mayawati was party’s main campaigner and has to campaign not only in Uttar Pradesh but outside the state also where BSP has put up candidates and where party has alliances.

“If she contests, time will go into that. Time is very limited,” he said.

He also said that party workers were “not at all” demoralised by Mayawati’s decision.

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday asked political parties and religious leaders to refrain from using places of worship for propaganda during the Lok Sabha polls and also not indulge in activities that may cause tensions between different castes and communities.

The poll body’s directions come days after the BJP requested it to appoint special observers at mosques to prevent attempts to “polarise voters on religious lines” during the elections. “As per the Model Code of Conduct, the use of caste and religion during the election campaign is strictly prohibited,” a statement issued by Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer said.

It said no political and religious leader or any other person is “allowed to indulge in any activity that aggravates existing differences or cause tension between different caste or communities, religious or linguistic”. The Election Commission had on March 11 warned parties in Kerala against using the Sabarimala temple matter in their campaigns, saying “citing or invoking” religious propaganda on the issue is a clear violation of the model code of conduct.

In January 2017, the Supreme Court had outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion, caste, race, community or language. The Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue till May 19 across seven phases. The Model Code of Conduct is in place since March 10 when the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha poll schedule.

PTI

MARCH 20 : Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to put up candidate in all the 28 in Karnataka.
Disclosing this at a media conference here today former Deputy CM and State BJP core committee member, Sri K. S. Eshwarappa said the party would put up candidates in all constituencies including Mandya.

To a query he said the question of supporting independent candidate Sumalatha Ambarish would not arise as the party itself would put up candidate in the segment. Party leaders from Karnataka had detailed discussion with the Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and BJP President Sri Amit Shah in Delhi yesterday. He was also part of the deliberations and the impression he had got was that the party would field candidates in all seats.

Asked why the announcement of party candidates was being delayed he said it was for the strategic reason and the party’s central election committee would announce the list in a day or two.

Referring the pro Modi slogans in Rahul Gandhi’s meeting at Manyatha Tech Park on Monday, senior BJP leader said, they were not party workers but IT professionals sympathising with the party. The Congress-JDS government in Karnataka tried to silence them using police force, which is condemnable he said and asked “is it wrong to raise pro-Modi slogans?”

There has been groundswell all over the country in favour of Sri Narendra Modi and people especially youths themselves are fighting the elections on behalf of him. The party would win minimum 25 seats in Karnataka, he asserted.

BJP has inducted former Minister Sri. A. Manju into party and is fielding him in Hassan constituency. There may be dissatisfaction here and there but disciplined party workers would abide by the collective decision of the party.

On the Congress president Sri Rahul Gandhi’s possible contesting in one of the segments from the State Sri Eshwarappa quipped “forget him, let his grandma Indiraji come from the heaven, the people of Karnataka wouldn’t be swayed away.

The existential question brought JDS and Congress come together but BJP would trounce this opportunistic alliance. When the people of the country is with Sri Narendra Modi, no one can stop him from becoming Prime Minister again.

MLC Sri Lehar Singh, State party co-spokespersons, Sri. A H Anand, Sri Anwar Manappadi, former Deputy Mayor S. Harish were present.

Panaji, March 20 (Nasheman News) Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday won the trust vote in the Goa Assembly and pledged to carry forward his late predecessor Manohar Parrikar’s vision of “positive thinking”.

Twenty of the 36 members in the House voted for the coalition government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while 15 opposed the motion.

After the vote, opposition MLAs accused Governor Mridula Sinha of being partisan and facilitating “trading of MLAs” even as Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said that the Congress would not try to topple the Sawant-led government but instead wait for the ruling coalition to “topple under their collective greed”.

The 20 legislators who voted for the motion included 11 from the BJP, 3 each of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Goa Forward Party and 3 Independents while 15 MLAs (14 Congress and 1 NCP) opposed the motion.

The ‘magic number’ for a simple majority in the 36-member House was 19. The trust vote was overseen by Acting Speaker and BJP MLA Michael Lobo.

Addressing the Assembly after winning the trust vote, an emotional Sawant said: “Manohar Parrikar had given a message before passing away about being positive. If we go ahead with this message, we can build a bright future for Goa.”

The 45-year-old Chief Minister also said that the philosophy of his government would be the Antodaya principle, which involves reaching out to the most marginalised sections of society.

“And for that to work, it is not just up to a CM or MLA, but every member of society. For this I would the need help of every Goan,” Sawant said.

Sawant, named the Chief Minister on Tuesday, said that portfolios would be allotted later in the day and he would head to Delhi to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

Speaking about the Lok Sabha elections and by-elections, Sawant said: “I believe this is a challenge for me and definitely we will win this challenge. We will win both Lok Sabha seats and the Assembly seats.”

A highlight of the brief session was the presence of ailing BJP MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who suffered a brain stroke in June 2018 and had not made a public appearance since then.

Just before the floor test was ordered by Acting Speaker Michael Lobo, the latter allowed Madkaikar to raise his hand, while sitting in his chair and not stand in agreement or against the motion like the rest of the MLAs, because of his physical disability.

When Madkaikar did raise his hand in support of Sawant-led coalition government, it was with the help of an Assembly marshal who had to hold the BJP’s MLA hand upright.

The other significant development was the switchover of NCP MLA Churchill Alemao from the treasury to the Opposition.

His decision comes at a time when his daughter Valanka is angling for a Congress ticket for the South Goa seat for the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters after the trust vote, opposition leader Kavlekar said that it was the first time in recent history in Goa that the treasury benches won a trust vote with a count of 20.

“Never in the past has the majority winning number slipped below 21. This is the reality of how ‘popular’ this government is,” Kavlekar said.

He also slammed the Governor for refusing to invite the Congress to form a government despite being the single largest legislative party.

“She called those in the minority to form a government. The BJP had to perform a midnight circus and crack deals with MLAs to get to the number of 20,” Kavlekar said.