Mumbai: In a setback for Congress in Mumbai ahead of Lok Sabha polls, former Union minister Milind Deora on Sunday quit the party “to walk the path of development” and joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ending a “55 years old association” of the Deora family with the Grand Old Party.

With Deora resigning just before the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the Congress alleged that the timing of the announcement of his departure from the party was determined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for headline management to counter the yatra, and asserted that it would have no impact.

The former Mumbai South MP announced his decision to resign from the primary membership of the party on social media platform X in the morning hours on Sunday.

“Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years,” Deora stated.

He later went to Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi to offer prayers.

In the afternoon, Deora joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Eknath Shinde in a function at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, when Deora stepped out of his residence ‘Ramalayam’ in south Mumbai, he told reporters that he was “going to walk on the path of development”.

Deora, who was recently appointed the joint treasurer of the All India Congress Committee, had expressed disapproval at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency which he had represented in the past.

The undivided Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant, now with the Thackeray faction, had defeated Deora in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.
Deora was also the head of the Mumbai Congress at one time. He is the son of party stalwart late Murli Deora.

After Deora announced his resignation on X, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad said it was unfortunate that he had quit the party on the day when the Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ commences from Manipur.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole called it a ploy by the Bharatiya Janata Party to divert the attention from the Yatra and mocked Deora as a “twice defeated candidate”.

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan said Deora wanted to contest from the Mumbai South constituency but the (Maha Vikas Aghadi) alliance’s understanding is that the sitting MP must not be disturbed.

“The BJP was spreading rumours that the Congress will split. Now the BJP and its allies are taking along with them a twice-defeated candidate to divert attention from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. This attempt will not be successful,” Patole said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, however, said there would be no compromise on the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat.

“Arvind Sawant is a two-time MP (of Shiv Sena-UBT). What is wrong with him contesting again? There will be no compromise on this,” Raut asserted.

In a swipe at BJP, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule asked if the saffron party had no talent of its own.

Asked about Deora’s resignation, Sule said the BJP and its allies were becoming the Congress, an apparent reference to leaders from the grand old party switching allegiance to the ruling side.

NEW DELHI: The committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ led by former president Ram Nath Kovind has received over 5,000 suggestions from the public on conducting simultaneous polls. The Centre has set up the panel on September 2 to examine and make recommendations to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies.

On January 5, the high-level committee issued a notice in mainstream newspapers, inviting suggestions from the public on conducting simultaneous elections by January 15 — via email, on its website, or through post. It said that suggestions are sought for “making appropriate changes in the existing legal administrative framework to enable simultaneous elections in the country.”

Last week, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote to the panel, saying that the proposal of ‘One Nation One Poll’ itself runs against the letter and spirit of the Constitution, which defines the “centrality of the will of the people”.

Terming the plan as “inherently anti-democratic,”  Yechury said that the proposal “negated” the fundamental principles of federalism. The agenda and purpose of the committee was “pre-decided and predestined,” he said. The panel had recently written to political parties seeking their views and an interaction on a “mutually agreed date.” 

HYDERABAD:  The BJP is on the edge with reports pouring in that desertions might soon take place, given the fast-approaching Lok Sabha elections.

A sitting MP and a former MP are likely to shift loyalty to the grand old party. Both of them want to contest from their home constituencies as Congress nominees. The former MP had met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy a few days ago.

Both leaders are expecting the Congress to win a majority of Lok Sabha seats under the leadership of Revanth. They want to develop their constituencies with state funds.

If the speculation proves right, it would be a major setback for the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections as it is keen on winning as many seats as possible from Telangana after it improved its performance in the recent Assembly elections.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led opposition UDF on Wednesday won 17 out of the 33 seats in the local body by-elections held in several districts of Kerala a day ago.

According to the state Election Commission’s website, of the 33, UDF won 17 seats, LDF won 10, BJP-led NDA 4 and others two in the by-polls held on December 12.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan welcomed the development saying that the by-polls showed a UDF wave.

Satheesan, in a statement, said the UDF increased its seats from 11 to 17 in the by-polls and in the process captured 5 from the ruling LDF in the state.

He said that since the present LDF government came to power, the UDF has dominated all the local body by-elections.

Satheesan further said that the UDF has had better results in the by-elections since the 2020 local body polls and thanked all the voters for their support.

Nasheman news

Congress legislature party leader A Revanth Reddy was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Minister of Telangana.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Revanth Reddy.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah attended the ceremony held at the L B Stadium here.

New Delhi: Ahead of the impending general elections, Islamic scholar Syed Shabbir Ahmed Nadvi has released an open letter stressing on the constitutional right and civic duty of voting. Endorsed by notable personalities such as Hazrat Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Naumani and Hazrat Maulana Syed Arshad Madani, the letter discusses the need for active participation in the electoral process and the importance of verifying one’s inclusion in the Voters’ List.

The open letter addresses key aspects of the electoral process, highlighting that failure to vote for the right candidate is equivalent to concealing testimony and may result in adverse consequences, including potential challenges to citizenship documentation and legal status.

It advocates for the election of leaders who prioritize national development, safeguard human life and property, and prevent the rise of oppressive regimes.

Syed Shabbir Ahmed Nadvi’s letter also points out the potential repercussions of neglecting the voting process, such as the weakening of evidence for Indian citizenship, termination of legal status, and the possibility of unsuitable leaders ascending to power. Specific instructions are provided for voter registration, including repeated encouragement for registration, training of volunteers, and enrollment of eligible youth.

Additionally, the open letter calls on community leaders, village officials, and intellectuals to actively support and promote voter registration initiatives. It underlines the importance of ensuring consistency in the spelling of names across various identification documents and encourages households to verify and correct entries in the Voters’ List.

The support and validation from prominent figures within the Muslim community, including Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani Saheb and Hazrat Maulana Syed Mohammed Ashraf Sahib Kachochvi, further strengthen the call for civic engagement.

The names of the supporting and validating Ulama and intellectuals

1. Hazrat Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Naumani Saheb
   (Mohtamim Darul Uloom Deoband and Rukn Aamila Jamiat Ulema Hind)
2. Hazrat Maulana Syed Arshad Madani Saheb
   (Sadrul Mudarriseen Darul Uloom Deoband and President Jamiat Ulema Hind)
3.  Hazrat Maulana Syed Mohammed Ashraf Sahib Kachochvi
   (President of All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board)
4. Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani Saheb
   (President All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Mohtamim Al Mahad Al Aali Islami Hyderabad)
5. Maulana Syed Mahmood Asad Madani Sahib
   (President of Jamiat Ulema Hind, Rukn Shura Darul Uloom Deoband)
6. Hazrat Maulana Sagheer Ahmad Khan Sahib
   (Ameer-e-Shariat Karnataka, Mohtamim Darul Uloom Sabeelur Rashad, Bangalore)
7. Hazrat Maulana Mufti Ahmed Khanpuri Saheb
   (Shaikhul Hadees Jamia Islamia Talimuddeen, Dhabel)
8. Hazrat Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mahdi Sahib
   (President of All India Jamiat Ahle-Hadith)
9. Hazrat Maulana Syed Bilal Abdul Hai Hasani Saheb
   (Nazim Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Lucknow & Secretary AIMPLB)
10. Janab Saadatullah Husaini Sahib
    (Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind)
11. Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Sufyaan Sahib Qasmi
    (Mohtamim Dar Uloom Waqf Deoband)
12. Hazrath Moulana Syed Tanveer Ahmed Hashmi Saheb
    (President, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Karnataka

New Delhi, Dec 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed BJP’s big win in the assembly polls as a victory for his government’s agenda of self-reliant India, asserting that its hat-trick in the states is a guarantee of its hat-trick of Lok Sabha poll wins in 2024.

“The results show popular support for our battle against corruption,” he told a crowd of cheering supporters at the BJP headquarters here, adding that they have served a lesson to the Congress and the opposition’s INDIA bloc that mere collecting some dynasts on dais may make for a good photograph but cannot win people’s confidence.

Voters have delivered a warning to these parties involved in corruption to mend their ways or people will finish them off, he said.

No one should come in between the Centre’s development and people, or the masses will remove them, Modi said in a stinging attack on opposition parties.

Some people are already saying our hat-trick in the states is a guarantee of hat-trick in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, he said.

He told opposition parties to not support those working against the country’s interests at a time when development is taking place at a fast pace.

Addressing a big gathering of BJP members, including many Union ministers, Modi said these results will ensure the world’s belief in India and infuse more confidence into global investors for the country.

It shows that people are increasingly supporting our agenda for a developed India, he said.

The world is watching that people are voting for a stable government which enjoys a strong majority, he said.

People can distinguish between selfish politics and the politics of national interest, Modi said, asserting that they have realised that a strong BJP leads to the development of the country and every family.

He reiterated that women, youth, the poor and farmers are the four biggest castes and their empowerment will lead to the country’s empowerment.

Noting that most members of Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes belong to these categories, he said they have endorsed policies and roadmap presented by the BJP.

Every farmer, young voter and the poor and deprived are saying that they have won, Modi said, adding that the youth looking for a better future and every citizen wanting a developed India by 2047 is feeling successful following the poll results.

“I want to tell you with full honesty that your dream is my resolve,” he said, noting how the country’s infrastructure is undergong a transformation while its economy remains the fastest growing in the world.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed BJP’s big win in the assembly polls as a victory for his government’s agenda of self-reliant India, asserting that its hat-trick in the states is a guarantee of its hat-trick of Lok Sabha poll wins in 2024.

“The results show popular support for our battle against corruption,” he told a crowd of cheering supporters at the BJP headquarters here, adding that they have served a lesson to the Congress and the opposition’s INDIA bloc that mere collecting some dynasts on dais may make for a good photograph but cannot win people’s confidence.

Voters have delivered a warning to these parties involved in corruption to mend their ways or people will finish them off, he said.

No one should come in between the Centre’s development and people, or the masses will remove them, Modi said in a stinging attack on opposition parties.

Some people are already saying our hat-trick in the states is a guarantee of hat-trick in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, he said.

He told opposition parties to not support those working against the country’s interests at a time when development is taking place at a fast pace.

Addressing a big gathering of BJP members, including many Union ministers, Modi said these results will ensure the world’s belief in India and infuse more confidence into global investors for the country.

It shows that people are increasingly supporting our agenda for a developed India, he said.

The world is watching that people are voting for a stable government which enjoys a strong majority, he said.

People can distinguish between selfish politics and the politics of national interest, Modi said, asserting that they have realised that a strong BJP leads to the development of the country and every family.

He reiterated that women, youth, the poor and farmers are the four biggest castes and their empowerment will lead to the country’s empowerment.

Noting that most members of Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes belong to these categories, he said they have endorsed policies and roadmap presented by the BJP.

Every farmer, young voter and the poor and deprived are saying that they have won, Modi said, adding that the youth looking for a better future and every citizen wanting a developed India by 2047 is feeling successful following the poll results.

“I want to tell you with full honesty that your dream is my resolve,” he said, noting how the country’s infrastructure is undergong a transformation while its economy remains the fastest growing in the world.

Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin

Hyderabad: After a close rectangular contest, Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi’s sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath triumphed the Jubilee Hills seat, defeating Mohammad Azharuddin.

In the meantime, BJP’s Lankala Deepak Reddy secured the third spot in the contest.

While the BRS reaffirmed its support to Maganti Gopinath, who has been an MLA twice before, as their candidate. Gopinath previously won as a TDP candidate in 2014. On the other hand, the Congress party selected former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, to run for the same seat. The competition became even more intriguing when the AIMIM decided to rope in Mohammed Rashed Farazuddin as their candidate from the constituency.

Anumula Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad: Anumula Revanth Reddy, whose political trajectory has surged from student activism with the ABVP to a brief period of incarceration amid allegations of bribery, now finds himself on the brink of a potential chief ministership.

The 56-year-old Congress leader is known among fellow politicians, partymen and people for his never-say-die attitude.

A fierce critic of BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, Reddy, the Telangana Congress chief, is often the target of virulent political attacks by the BRS and the AIMIM.

The BRS leaders attack him for changing parties, with regard to the 2015 ‘cash for vote’ case in which he was arrested and for allegedly being the “agent of” TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi targets him over his ABVP background.

Reddy, who was briefly in BRS (then TRS) was first elected to a political office in 2006 when he was successful in a Zilla Parishad election. He was elected as a Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) member then as an independent.

He was elected to the legislative council in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2007 as an independent.

Reddy had joined the TDP and became a confidante of party chief and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Reddy, a graduate in arts, was elected to the Legislative Assembly on a TDP ticket in 2009 and later in 2014 when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

He faced the biggest challenge of his political life in 2015 when he was allegedly caught on camera trying to bribe a nominated MLA to vote in favour of the TDP in a legislative council election.

He was sent to a jail in Hyderabad but was released after he secured bail.

Revanth Reddy lost the 2018 Assembly poll to the BRS candidate and remained in political wilderness for a while.

He quit the TDP and joined the Congress in 2017-18 in the presence of party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Reddy was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2019 elections from Malkajgiri here, described as a ‘mini-India’ in view of the presence of people from all over the country in the constituency.

Reddy was appointed the PCC president in 2021 in spite of being a junior in the Congress. This has led to a heartburn among many seniors in the state Congress unit.

He had the unenviable task of reviving the fortunes of the Congress amid challenging circumstances and succeeded in bringing together the party leaders.

The ruling BRS was at the pinnacle of its power and glory after a resounding victory in the 2018 Assembly polls and 12 Congress MLAs joining the ruling party in 2019.

The Congress continued to face setbacks as the BJP scored major wins in the bypolls to two Assembly constituencies and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election during 2020 and 2021 after Bandi Sanjay Kumar took over the reins of the BJP in Telangana.

Undaunted, Reddy continued to lead the party in the face of stiff challenges and the Congress in Telangana saw a change in its fortunes after the Karnataka elections in May this year.

After the momentum generated following the Karnataka win, the graph of Congress rose further in Telangana in view of a perception among people and political circles about an alleged tacit understanding between the BRS and the BJP, especially with regard to allegations against MLC and CM KCR’s daughter Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case.

Reddy, a football lover, who is considered to be close to Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, could well become the chief minister in view of the Congress coming out on top in the Assembly polls.