[Nasheman news] Panaji Goa Deputy Chief Minister and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Sudin Dhavalikar, who held the Public Works Department Ministry, was dropped from the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after Sawant dropped his senior-most minister amid rising acrimony between leaders of the BJP and the MGP, Dhavalikar said: “At night, the chowkidars who have committed dacoity on MGP have shocked the people of Goa. People of Goa are watching this. People will decide on the course of action.”

The development comes hours after two of the three MGP MLAs split from the regional party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the early hours of Wednesday.

Deepak Pauskar, one of the two MLAs who joined the BJP, is expected to be sworn in as a cabinet minister later in the day, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has confirmed.

The political development and rift between the ruling BJP and the MGP is expected to spill over into the upcoming campaign for the two Lok Sabha seats and three Assembly by-polls, in which the MGP, once an ally, is expected to field candidates against the BJP.

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[Nasheman news] Musafirkhana (Amethi) Thirty-seven years after it was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, a children’s park here in Amethi lies virtually abandoned.

At a stone’s throw distance from National Highway 56, the Kadunala Mrig Vihar Park is in a poor shape, with broken windows and filth littered in and around the area. 

Also known as Forest Park, it is situated only three kilometres from Musafirkhana, a small hamlet, was inaugurated by Rajiv Gandhi in July 1982.

The park was built keeping in mind the children of the area. 

But a one-room building, swings and the seesaw which were major attractions are either broken or in disuse. 

Musafirkhana resident Ram Mishra told IANS: “Earlier this park used to be major attraction for kids. But now no one is there to look after it.” 

Mishra’s father Ram Dalan Mishra recalled that whenever Rajiv Gandhi used to even cross the area, he would spend some time at the park. 

“But after his death, it seems its charm also died,” he said. 

Syed Iqbal Haider, a social activist, said that the park is the biggest example of the (Uttar Pradesh government’s) Forest Department’s neglect.”

He said: “With the Congress not in power in UP, the state government has not cared for its maintenance.” 

Local BJP leader Krishna Tiwari said that even the land at the park had been acquired by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). 

“But none of the officials of the Forest Department raised the claim of compensation,” he said. 

The BJP leader said Congress President Rahul Gandhi should take up the matter to restore the work done by his late father. 

[Nasheman news] Lucknow With less than 15 days to go for the Lok Sabha elections to begin, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday arrived in Uttar Pradesh to start her three-day campaign.

Priyanka Gandhi, who wore a blue saree, interacted with party workers who welcomed her at the airport before she left for Amethi, her brother and Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency.

During the day, the Congress leader will hold meetings with party workers at Musafirkhana, 22 km from Amethi’s district headquarters Gauriganj.

Meanwhile, a bitter poster war broke out in Amethi. Posters branded her as a “visitor” and accused her of neglecting the Amethi constituency.

The posters, put up by Samajwadi Party leader Jai Pratap Singh Yadav, read: “Dekha chunav, pahan liya saree, nahi chalegi ye hosiyari.’ 

Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent MP, is pitted against Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani this time too in Amethi.

From Amethi, Priyanka Gandhi will go to her mother Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli.

On Thursday, she will meet party workers in Rae Bareli and then, on the last leg of her campaign, visit Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, in which Ayodhya falls.

On March 18, the Congress leader kicked off her three-day river ride campaign from Prayagraj to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

The Congress, which won only two seats in the 2014 elections, is going it alone in Uttar Pradesh this time.

The seven-phased Lok Sabha polls are scheduled from April 11 to May 19. Vote count will take place on May 23.

[Nasheman news] Thiruvananthapuram  Whether Congress President Rahul Gandhi will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala will become clear on Wednesday, a senior Congress leader here said.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the decision was expected later in the day. “We all want him to contest from Wayanad,” he added.

Ever since Congress General Secretary and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy broached the subject last week, the CPI-M led Left and the BJP-led NDA have been taking pot shots at the Congress, for spreading “fake news” as no announcement has come from Delhi.

[Nasheman news]New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he will address the nation “around 11.45 a.m.” with an “important message” and urged people to watch him “on TV, radio or social media”.

“I would be addressing the nation at around 11.45 a.m. – 12 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media,” he tweeted. A YouTube link has also been shared with a few media houses.

It is not yet clear though what the Prime Minister would speak about. 

A cabinet meeting has taken place following a Cabinet Committee on Security. It is expected that Modi will speak as soon as the cabinet meet gets over, television reports said.

The last time Modi addressed the nation was on November 8, 2016, when he announced demonetisation or the overnight ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

[Nasheman news] Panaji  There is nothing ethically wrong in facilitating a political split at 1:45 am, deputy speaker of the Goa legislative assembly Michael Lobo said on Wednesday.

Speaking reporters after accepting a letter, which sought merger of two out of three MGP legislators into the ruling BJP early on Wednesday morning, Lobo also said that being a Speaker of the state legislative assembly is a 24-hour job.

“See, the job of a Speaker is 24 hours. When an MLA wants to meet the Speaker, he has to be available. Both MLAs called me and wanted to meet me, in order to merge with the BJP. I had to meet them,” Lobo said, when asked if it was unethical to open the Speaker’s office during late hours to facilitate the merger.

As Deputy Speaker, who is the officiating Speaker of the state assembly, Lobo oversaw the merger. Pramod Sawant, who served as Speaker from 2017 till last week, quit the post to be sworn in as Chief Minister on March 19.

In late night drama, two MGP MLAs Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar split the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and joined the BJP at 1:45 am in presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar. 

The merger takes the BJP’s legislative strength to 14 MLAs, on par with the main Opposition party, the Congress.

[Nasheman news] Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday hit out at the ruling BJP and the Congress for their ‘garibi hatao’ promise calling it a bluff.

She accused both of the parties of being “birds of the same feather” who betray people, despite such eradicate poverty slogans which comes to nothing after the votes are over.

Mayawati said: “Ruling BJP calling Congress slogan of Garibi Hatao 2.0 a bluff, is true. 

“But is poll bluff and reneging of poll promises the sole domain of the BJP?”

“In fact BJP and Congress party are both birds of the same feather. They betraying the interests of the poor, labourers, farmers and others,” Mayawati tweeted.

The Dalit leader’s remarks came after the ruling BJP described Congress’ minimum income scheme ‘NYAY’ announced by party chief Rahul Gandhi for elimination of poverty a “bluff”.

Gandhi had on Monday announced to give Rs 72,000 per annum to 25 crore poor families of the country.

The BSP, which had earlier announced no alliance with the Congress across the country is fighting the 2019 elections along with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

The BSP, which scored a nil in the 2014 elections is contesting on 38 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP which won five seats is contesting on 37 and it’s other alliance partner, the RLD is contesting on three seats. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance has left two seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli for the Congress in the state.

The BJP-led NDA had won 73 seats from Uttar Pradesh in 2014. The seven phased Lok Sabha polls are scheduled from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.