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New Punjab govt will have its task cut out: Former bureaucrat

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BENGALURU: A Bengaluru-based former career bureaucrat and AAP leader, who had also served as secretary at Rastrapathi Bhavan, has outlined a roadmap for the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, where the party put up a phenomenal performance. Delhi, where the party is already in power, and Punjab are vastly different and so are the needs of both states, Renuka Vishwanathan. 

“Punjab’s economy is full of paradoxes. The state has the highest per capita income, but it also has the highest budget deficit, and is forever seeking special Central funds to keep the government afloat,’’ she explained. 

“The best bet is to unleash the forces of good governance, collect every penny that is legally due and spend it thriftily. The removal of corrupt intermediaries has released a budgetary bonanza in Delhi, where the government has launched pro-poor initiatives without raising taxes. The same approach can work wonders in Punjab and give taxpayers the full benefit of current levies,’’ she added.

As for the agriculture sector, Renuka said, “Farms are doubly drought-proofed — there is perennial canal irrigation and this is supplemented with borewell water. Environmentally sound policies are essential to prevent soil degradation and to conserve water. Availability of cheap power for irrigation pumpsets and diesel generators has always been a key concern for the farming community.

My dream project for Punjab is the proliferation of decentralised village-level solar generation units backed up by the grid. It will transfer administrative responsibility from the state power utility to local panchayats which can meet the needs of households, local industries and irrigation pumpsets with cheap power.’’  

“Political fireworks can be expected when Mann’s Cabinet fights battles for Minimum Support Price in the coming seasons. The AAP’s move into Punjab will also ensure that the air pollution battle of Delhi will now be fought jointly by its two CMs.’’

Karnataka govt wants local body polls with reservation for OBCs

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BENGALURU: The State Government on Friday informed the Legislative Council that it wants to hold elections to local bodies soon with reservation for Other Backward Communities (OBCs) and it has asked the Panchayat Raj Delimitation Committee, which is tasked with redrawing zilla and taluk panchayat boundaries, to submit its report at the earliest.

Replying to a question by JDS MLC Marithibbegowda, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa said the government intends to hold the elections soon, but wants the reservation for OBCs to stay. 

“The Chief Minister has discussed the matter with legal experts. Also, the Panchayat Raj Delimitation Committee is yet to submit its report. Once the report is submitted, we will initiate further process to hold the elections,” the minister said. He noted that the government had written to the Election Commission earlier to hold the ZP-TP polls, but had received 888 objections against the delimitation. 

Opposition leader B K Hariprasad asked him to consider the Kantharaj committee report and submit it to the Supreme Court, which had ruled holding elections without reservations for OBCs, but only for SCs and STs. 

In response, Eshwarappa targeted former CM Siddaramaiah. “When I was the opposition leader, I repeatedly requested then CM Siddaramaiah to submit the report, but he didn’t. He cheated the OBCs,” Eshwarappa said, adding that the government was also considering the Kantharaj committee report and whether its data was useful now.

AAP to launch massive membership drive in southern states, take out foot marches

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NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to launch a massive membership drive in the southern states to build on the momentum of its stupendous victory in the Punjab Assembly polls.

The party will start its membership drive in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep, senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti said on Friday.

“After the thunderous victory of the party in Punjab, people from the southern regions have started showing interest in the politics of our party. We are receiving an unprecedented response from southern India,” he told reporters.

“Seeing the mood of the people and taking into account the response that our teams in the southern states have been receiving, we have decided to kick off membership campaigns throughout the region,” he added.

Bharti said the membership drive will be carried out by the party’s local teams.

“These campaigns will actively penetrate deep into Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep,” he said.

“I call upon all those who feel the need to bring a change in Indian politics to join the AAP and be a part of the revolution,” he said.

The AAP leader said his party has also decided to take out foot marches across the southern states in phases.

“This sequence will begin on April 14 on Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary with our first foot march in Telangana. We will cover each and every assembly constituency of the region. Through these foot marches, we will take the politics of Kejriwal ji and the ideals of Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh to every resident of the region,” said Bharti.

“We will highlight the difference that the AAP has made in the lives of all those who live in Delhi,” he said.

The AAP has its units in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar.

The party had contested the assembly polls in Karnataka and Telengana in 2018 as part of its efforts to make inroads into south India but could not open its account.

BJP announces candidates for Karnataka Legislative Council seats

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BENGALURU: A day after the BJP victory in four of the five state Assembly elections, the party announced the list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls, expected to be held in June or July.

Out of four MLC seats going to the polls, the BJP announced the candidates for three — two sitting MLCs, Arun Shahpur (North West Teachers’ constituency) and Hanumant Rudrappa Nirani (North West Graduates’ constituency), and former MLC M V Ravishankar (South Graduates’ Constituency).

The party is yet to announce the candidate for the West Teachers’ constituency, which is presently represented by Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti (JDS).

A senior BJP leader said there are attempts to lure Horatti into the BJP fold, but he has not made his intentions clear. Even the party top brass is keen on this. However, there is also opposition to giving a ticket to Horatti from the West Teachers’ constituency. “While BJP leaders are keen on inducting him, local party workers are against it. This has not been resolved. Once it is done, the name will be announced,” sources said.

Rumours of Horatti jumping ship to the BJP have been doing rounds for several months now. “There is also a demand from Horatti to allow him to continue as Council Chairman. This is also under consideration. But it all depends on Horatti and the Central leaders,” sources said.

Friday namaz issue rocks Bihar Assembly; BJP and opposition cross swords

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PATNA: Pre-lunch proceedings of Bihar assembly, held for a shorter duration on Fridays for the special weekly ‘namaz’, continued for a little longer during the day evoking strong protests from a section of opposition MLAs.

Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha informed the House during Zero Hour that the proceedings, which got adjourned at 12.30 hours, will continue till 1 P.M.

Congress MLA Vijay Shankar Dubey rose to plead, “There may not be any rule stating that proceedings should be shortened in deference to namaz.”

“But it is a parampara (tradition). I request that we continue respecting that”.

The speaker said that traditions must be respected but can be modified as per exigencies.

“We are running short on time. Those MLAs who wanted to offer namaz were given time slots earlier and their consent has been obtained for extending the proceedings.”

He thereafter asked CPI(ML) MLA Mehboob Alam whether he would like to raise the matter with regard to which he had moved a calling attention motion.

Alam replied in the affirmative and concluded his statement with a plea for adjourning the proceedings in view of namaz.

The Speaker looked annoyed and told the MLA, “You cannot have it both ways. You are taking part in the proceedings and also have an issue with extended working hours. Please keep your politics and legislative business separate.”

Alam was joined by AIMIM legislator Akhtarul Iman in raising the issue.

RJD chief whip Lalit Yadav also rose to lend weight to the demand.

The speaker went ahead with the proceedings.

After a while, it was the turn of BJP MLA Sanjay Saraogi whose calling attention motion related to ‘gaushalas’ in the state.

By that time Alam, Iman and some other legislators rushed into the well.

Saraogi took an umbrage and said that the opposition MLAs are deliberately trying to prevent him from raising the issue of gaushalas.

“They are acting with a sectarian mindset,” he said.

As tempers ran high, the speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 P.M. Later, Saraogi said that this was not the first time when the proceedings continued for a little longer on a Friday.

“The precedent was set some time back when leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav had to raise a matter”.

He claimed that the aim of the protesting MLAs was apparently to prevent him from raising an issue related to gaushalas, which is reflective of their “sectarian mindset”.

AIMIM MLA Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi told PTI, “We have an apprehension that today’s episode might be an attempt to give up the old tradition of early adjournment of proceedings in view of Jumme Ki Namaaz (Friday afternoon prayer). Lots of things have started taking place inside the House of late, like recitation of Vande Mataram. We wonder where the things are heading for.”

Pramod Sawant resigns as Goa Chief Minister asked to continue as caretaker CM

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Goa CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday resigned from the post to pave the way for the formation of a new government in the state, two days after his party – BJP – emerged as the single largest force by winning 20 seats in the 40-member assembly.

Talking to reporters later, Sawant said he has been asked to continue as a caretaker chief minister till the new government is formed.

“The governor has given me an appointment letter to be the caretaker chief minister of the state,” he said.

Sawant said the date of staking claim to form the new government is yet to be decided by the party.

“The party’s central observers will visit Goa and other three states (where the BJP has retained power), after which the dates of swearing-in in the respective states would be announced,” he said.

He refused to divulge when the observers will arrive.

He said the procedure to stake claim to form the new government has already begun with the state cabinet on Friday deciding to recommend the dissolution of the House on Monday.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma rushes to Manipur to negotiate government formation with BJP

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Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his brother Power Minister James PK Sangma on Friday skipped the Assembly session here to rush to Manipur to negotiate with BJP in a bid to include the National People’s Party in the next government in that state.

However, BJP which has won a simple majority in the Manipur assembly in elections, counting for which concluded Thursday and its state leaders including care-taker chief minister N Biren Singh have indicated they are not too keen to continue the alliance with NPP which is part of the NDA, in the state.

The NPP has won 7 seats and is the second largest party in Manipur while the BJP has won 32 seats.

The saffron party’s leaders have however indicated they favoured taking support from the Naga People’s Front which has 5 seats.

“The Meghalaya Chief Minister is camping in Imphal along with NPP national spokesperson James PK Sangma. They are camping at the state capital with other party leaders.

The NPP president is using his age-old connections with BJP top leadership both in the North East and in Delhi to try and mend the broken relationship his party shared with the BJP in Manipur, according to the NPP leader.

The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance led by the NPP in also includes 2 BJP MLAs, one of whom is in the cabinet.

However, the BJP has been unhappy with the MDA taking in Congress legislators into the Government and with NPP engaging the BJP in `friendly’ fights in the Manipur assembly elections.

AAP’s Bhagwant Mann meets Punjab Governor to stake claim to form government

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AAP's Chief Ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann during celebration of the party's victory in Punjab Assembly elections, in Sangrur.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister-designate Bhagwant Mann on Saturday staked a claim to form government in the state after meeting Governor Banwarilal Purohit here.

“We staked claim to form the government and the governor sahib approved it,” said Mann.

The 48-year-old Mann was elected the AAP Legislature Party leader at a meeting of the party MLAs in Mohali on Friday.

Mann said the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 12:30 pm on March 16 at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, in Nawanshahr district.

Mann has invited AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his swearing-in ceremony.

The AAP romped home by winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.

It decimated the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine and its candidates defeated several stalwarts, including the outgoing chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

AAP new hurdle in Gujarat; Himachal Congress hit by turf war

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NEW DELHI: The electoral drubbing has left Congress leaders worried in poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh with a looming fear that the results will have a bearing especially in the western state where the AAP is planning big.

The recent change of guard in the Gujarat unit seems to have further increased trouble. The two states will go to polls by the end of this year.

Several state leaders said that the results in the five states would impact the party’s electoral fortune in Gujarat as several leaders, including sitting MLAs who were upset with organizational change, might join the AAP or the BJP.  The AAP is preparing to contest the polls with the launch of a Tiranga Yatra from April.

‘‘If the top leadership cannot ensure even one win in Gandhi bastions of Raebareli and Amethi, what do we expect from them? Apna ghar to bacha nahi paye! (They failed to save their own house),” said a senior Gujarat leader.

A former Gujarat MLA said the party should allow the state unit to manage the election rather than parachuting central leaders.

“In 2017, Krishna Allavaru was in charge of Gujarat elections and we lost due to poor management. He was sent to Punjab and look at the results.” 

In Himachal Pradesh last year, the Congress scored a major upset by winning all three assembly seats of Arki, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Fatehpur in bypoll.

The party had touted it as the sentiment of the people, but the faction-riddled state unit could impact the party’s performance.  

Karnataka will be next Congress-mukt state: Bommai

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BENGALURU: With the BJP making a clean sweep in four of the five state Assembly elections, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai took a jibe at the Congress, saying that the party’s debacle in the polls shows that it is losing its existence in the country.  

The results in Uttar Pradesh and other states will have a “positive impact” on the BJP in Karnataka as this will boost the morale of party workers and the BJP will emerge stronger, he said and expressed confidence that they will come back to power in 2023. 

The CM noted that the BJP’s performance in the polls to these states has increased the responsibility of the party’s Karnataka unit. “We have tabled a pro-people budget in Karnataka and have directed our officials to start working on implementing the budget announcements. Files will be ready by April-end,’’ he said. 
This has to reach out to every person and that’s where party workers have to work, even more effectively from now on, Bommai said adding, “We will take our works to the people and win elections in 2023. We will build a stronger Karnataka.”  

Pointing out that the results shows that direction where the country is heading, he said this is a victory of the common man. “The people trusted the Prime Minister and his policies. Modi’s programmes in the last seven years, like Kissan Samman, Atma Nirbar, Ujwala, has reached people. People who benefited from these initiatives will not vote for any other party but the BJP,” he added.

“Modi also carries weight. Neither the US nor China could talk to both the Russian and Ukraine presidents, but Modi did.”  Referring to goodies being offered by Congress to its workers to enroll more members into the part in Badami Assembly constituency, Bommai said this is nothing new to the grand old party. 

Bommai, BSY to tour state after session
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, along with former CM B S Yediyurappa and Union ministers, will tour the state after the ongoing session ends on March 28, to strength the party from the grassroots.   Disclosing this on Thursday, the CM said, “We will build a stronger party. Wherever we have a base, we will make it stronger, and wherever the party has no presence, we will build a base.”  Earlier in the day, Bommai told media persons that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visit Karnataka in April. 

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