Category: News

BJP’s Rawat Opts Out Of LS After Obscene Video Goes Viral

By LokMarg

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate Upendra Singh Rawat on Monday announced that he will not contest any elections until proven innocent in a case where an alleged ‘obscene’ video involving him went viral on social media platforms.

Upendra Singh Rawat, who is currently representing Barabanki in the Lok Sabha, was again fielded by the BJP to contest from the same constituency in the upcoming General elections.

In a post on X, Upendra Singh Rawat said, “An edited video of mine is being made viral, which is generated by DeepFake AI technology, for which I have lodged an FIR. In this regard, I have requested the party’s national president to get it investigated. I will not contest any election in public life until I am proven innocent.”

The police have registered a case on behalf of the complaint given by Upendra Singh Rawat in this regard.

Earlier, a popular Bhojpuri singer, Pawan Singh, withdrew from the race for the Lok Sabha. BJP had fielded him from Asansol seat.

Taking to his official handle on X, the singer confirmed that he was pulling out of the contest however he did not specifically mentioned any reason.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me as the candidate from West Bengal’s Asansol but due to some reason, I will not be able to contest the elections from Asansol,” Singh posted from his X handle on Sunday.

Setting the pace ahead of its rivals, the BJP, on March 2, released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.The list included 47 youth candidates, 28 women candidates, 27 Scheduled Caste (SC) faces, 18 Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and 57 OBC/Backward Class nominees.

Of the 195 candidates, 34 are ministers from the Center and States, while two are former chief ministers who are on the list.

The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)

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Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant

Way Nita, Mukesh Conducted Pre-Wedding Functions Is Mesmerizing: Rajinikanth

By LokMarg

After attending the three-day-long pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, it’s time for Superstar o head back home.

In the videos captured by paps, he was seen leaving Jamnagar in his white outfit.

During media interaction, Rajnikanth shared his experience and said, “The way Nita and Mukesh Ambani conducted the pre-wedding functions is mesmerizing. They brought down the Kailasha and ‘Baikuntha’ to this world. I wish a very very happy married life to Anant and Radhika.”

Rajinikanth arrived for the festivities with his family on Sunday.

On day 3 bash, he opted for a white shirt which he paired with a beige veshti.

The three-day pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant began on Friday.

Guests from all around the world are in Jamnagar, Gujarat to attend the pre-wedding festivities of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant.

Founder and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani spoke about the pre-wedding function of her son, Anant Ambani, with Radhika Merchant.

She shared the relevance of art and culture and how she is “passionate” about it, saying, “Throughout my life I have been inspired by arts and culture. It has deeply moved me and I am very passionate about it.”

While talking about her son’s wedding she mentioned, “When it came to my youngest son Anant’s wedding with Radhika, I had two important wishes – first, I wanted to celebrate our roots…Jamnagar holds special place in our hearts and has a profound significance. Gujarat is where we come from, it’s where Mukesh and his father built the refinery and I started my career by converting this arid and desert like area into a lush green township and a vibrant community.”

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth is busy shooting for Vettaiyan directed by TJ Gnanavel. The film also features Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Dushara Vijayan, and Ritika Singh. The film will be released in the latter part of 2024.

Rajinikanth has joined hands with ace producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

Recently, Grandson dropped a picture of Rajinikanth with Sajid Nadiadwala.

“It’s a true honour to collaborate with the legendary Rajinikanth Sir! Anticipation mounts as we prepare to embark on this unforgettable journey together,” Nadiawala said in a post on X.

More details regarding the duo’s collaboration are awaited. (ANI)

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Check Out Katrina’s Mushy Moments With Vicky

By LokMarg

The grand pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are going on in full swing in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The Bollywood celebrities gathered together at the event and several pictures and videos went viral on social media. Recently, actor Katrina Kaif dropped a picture with her husband and actor Vicky Kaushal from the event.

The ‘Tiger 3’ actor shared an adorable moment with Vicky on Instagram.

Katrina looked beautiful in a floral maxi dress while Vicky wore a beige and brown casual.

Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant Ambani, is set to tie the knot with industrialist Viren Merchant’s daughter, Radhika Merchant, later this year.

The three-day pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant began on Friday in Jamnagar.

Jamnagar is currently buzzing with guests from around the world who have gathered to partake in the pre-wedding celebrations of Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant.

From Bollywood celebs like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor to famous sports personalities like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, who’s who from different fields arrived to attend the three-day lavish celebrations. (ANI)

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Mr and Mrs Mahi Janhvi

Janhvi Poses With OG Mrs & Mr. Mahi

By LokMarg

Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who is all set to come with the sports drama ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’, met the former Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Dhoni.

After attending the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujarat, Janhvi on Monday treated fans with photos from the event and shared some special memories.

“With the OG Mr & Mrs Mahi. Plus some special mems,” Janhvi wrote.

The first photo featured Janhvi posing with MS Dhoni and Sakshi.

Interestingly, Janhvi will be seen in the role of a cricket player along with Rajkummar Rao in the film which is expected to highlight the role of former India skipper Dhoni.

In the pictures, Janhvi can be seen wearing a pink coloured saree and has kept her hair half-tied.

Dhoni opted for a stylish white kurta-pyjama, while his wife Sakshi, dolled up in a simple yellow and red-hued printed salwar suit.

In another image, she can be seen posing with her father Boney Kapoor and her sister Khushi.

Another photo captured Janhvi and her rumoured boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya posing for a picture.

One of the pictures that caught fans’ attention is Janhvi and Sara performing on stage. Sara can be seen dancing with Shikhar’s brother Veer Pahariya, whom she is rumoured to have dated in the past.

As soon as the photos were uploaded, fans and industry members chimed in the comment section.

Akansha Ranjan Kapoor wrote, “Aww cuteeeeeee! Also sharry gonna kill you.”

One of the users wrote, “Jk and Mahi together.”

The three-day pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant began on Friday in Jamnagar. Guests from all around the world were in the city to attend the pre-wedding festivities of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son.

Talking about ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’, the film is a sports drama. It marks Janhvi and RajKummar’s second collaboration after ‘Roohi’.

The film is directed by Sharan Sharma, who made his directorial debut with ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’.

Apart from this, Janhvi will also be seen in the Pan-India film ‘Devara’ along with Jr NTR and Saif Ali Khan. (ANI)

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Salim Malik

Farmers Protest: SC Asks Petitioner Not To File Plea For Publicity

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed a petitioner to withdraw his plea seeking direction to the government of India to consider the reasonable demands of the farmers who are staging continuous peaceful protest and demonstration.

A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant observed that these are complex issues and told the lawyer not to file such petitions for publicity based on newspaper reports.

“Do not file such petitions for publicity only, based on newspaper reports. The High Court is also seized and has given directions. Be careful. We are not taking a stand on anything. Do your own research also, these are complex issues,” said the bench to the petitioner’s lawyer.

It allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea with liberty to seek remedies as per law.

Agnostos Theos, Managing Director of The Sikh Chamber of Commerce approached the Supreme Court seeking direction over farmers protests.

The plea sought direction to the State and Central government to stop all violence against the protestors and remove all barricading and fortification etc. at once.

The farmers are peacefully protesting for their demand for the implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan committee as per their call for the protest for ‘Dilli Chalo’ on February 13, 2024, it said.

“The Respondent, Union and State governments, in anticipation of the protest by the farmer, issued threats against the people in participating in the protest, fortified the borders of the state around the city of Delhi, with iron spikes, concrete walls, etc. ensuring that farmers are not able to enter territory of the national capital,” the petition added.

The plea sought direction to the government to instruct relevant authorities to not cause hindrance in farmers’ peaceful march and gathering in the national capital.

Social media accounts should be unblocked and the right to free speech should not be curbed, the plea stated, adding that FIRs should be registered against this act of the government.

“Instruct relevant authorities to take immediate action against those who are defaming farmers and Sikhs, and hurling abuses, using derogatory terms and issuing threats,” the petition urged.

Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu borders with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver. (ANI)

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Supreme Court

Corruption, Bribery By Legislators Erode Probity In Public Life: SC

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Monday held that “corruption and bribery by members of the legislatures erode probity in public life” while overturning a previous ruling that offered immunity to lawmakers from charges of accepting bribes for casting votes or making speeches in Parliament or state legislatures.

The Supreme Court’s seven-judge Constitution Bench overruled the 1998 PV Narasimha Rao judgment case, which granted immunity to members of Parliament and members of the legislative assembly from prosecution for taking bribes for voting in Parliament or state assemblies.

“Corruption and bribery by members of the legislatures erode probity in public life,” the bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said. The other judges on the bench included Justices AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, Sanjay Kumar, and Manoj Misra.

The bench strongly opined that “the offence of bribery is agnostic to the performance of the agreed action and crystallises on the exchange of illegal gratification.”

“It does not matter whether the vote is cast in the agreed direction or if the vote is cast at all. The offence of bribery is complete at the point in time when the legislator accepts the bribe,” the court viewed.

Overruling the judgement given in the PV Narasimha Rao case, the court said that the interpretation given in that judgement is contrary to the text and purpose of Articles 105 and 194.

The interpretation placed in the judgment of the majority in the PV Narasimha Rao case (supra) results in a paradoxical outcome where a legislator is conferred with immunity when they accept a bribe and follow through by voting in the agreed direction, the court said, adding further that on the other hand, a legislator who agrees to accept a bribe, but eventually decides to vote independently will be prosecuted. “Such an interpretation is contrary to the text and purpose of Articles 105 and 194,” the court ruled.

“In the course of this judgment, while analysing the reasoning of the majority and minority in PV Narasimha Rao (supra) we have independently adjudicated on all the aspects of the controversy, namely, whether, by virtue of Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution, a Member of Parliament or the Legislative Assembly, as the case may be, can claim immunity from prosecution on a charge of bribery in a criminal court. We disagree with and overrule the judgment of the majority on this aspect,” the top court ordered.

“The judgment of the majority in PV Narasimha Rao (supra), which grants immunity from prosecution to a member of the legislature who has allegedly engaged in bribery for casting a vote or speaking has wide ramifications on public interest, probity in public life and parliamentary democracy. There is a grave danger of this Court allowing an error to be perpetuated if the decision is not reconsidered,” the court observed.

“Unlike the House of Commons in the UK, India does not have ‘ancient and undoubted’ privileges which were vested after a struggle between Parliament and the King. Privileges in pre-independence India were governed by statute in the face of a reluctant colonial government. The statutory privilege transitioned to a constitutional privilege after the commencement of the Constitution,” the court said.

“An individual member of the legislature cannot assert a claim of privilege to seek immunity under Articles 105 and 194 from prosecution on a charge of bribery in connection with a vote or speech in the legislature. Such a claim to immunity fails to fulfil the two-fold test that the claim is tethered to the collective functioning of the House and that it is necessary to the

discharge of the essential duties of a legislator,” it added.

Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution seek to sustain an environment in which debate and deliberation can take place within the legislature. This purpose is destroyed when a member is induced to vote or speak in a certain manner because of an act of bribery, the top court said.

The jurisdiction which is exercised by a competent court to prosecute a criminal offence and the authority of the House to take action for a breach of discipline in relation to the acceptance of a bribe by a member of the legislature exist in distinct spheres. The scope, purpose and consequences of the court exercising jurisdiction in relation to a criminal offence and the authority of the House to discipline its members are different, the top court said

“The potential of misuse against individual members of the legislature is neither enhanced nor diminished by recognizing the jurisdiction of the court to prosecute a member of the legislature who is alleged to have indulged in an act of bribery,” the court said. (ANI)

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INDIA bloc Modi

140 Cr People My Family: Modi

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the opposition coalition, INDIA bloc over nepotism and corruption during his address at Adilabad in Telangana on Monday.

PM Modi said that the 140 crore people in the country are his family adding that his life is an open book.

“The leaders of the INDI alliance, deeply engrossed in corruption, nepotism and appeasement, are becoming nervous. When I question their ‘Parivarvad’, they have started saying that Modi has no family,” the Prime Minister said.

“My life is an open book, 140 crore people of the country are my family. Today, crores of daughters, mothers and sisters of the country are Modi’s family. Every poor person in the country is my family. Those who have no one, they also belong to Modi and Modi belongs to them. They say ‘Nene Modi Kutumbam’ (I’m Modi family),” he said.

“The countrymen know and understand me very well, keeping track of my every moment. Sometimes when I work till late night and the news is out, lakhs of people from across the country write to me asking me not to work so much, take some rest,” he said.

The Prime Minister affirmed to continue his ‘fight’ to fulfil the dreams of the people.

“I live with feelings Mera Bharat, Mera Parivaar. I am living for you, fighting for you and will continue to fight for you, to fulfill your dreams with determination,” he said.

He further highlighted the development intiaitives taken up by the central government in the last 10 years of its governance.

“To date, over 15 lakh people have sent their suggestions for the Viksit Bharat Action Plan. Over 3,75,000 stakeholders have become active participants in this plan. Also, 3,000+ meetings have been held on the Viksit Bharat vision till now,” he said.

“Around 11 lakh youth from across 1,200 universities have also become part of this journey. And this way, we are moving ahead to build a Viksit Bharat, together!,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi listed the development projects completed in short span of time while criticising those questioning the projects labelling it as ‘election baits’.

“Those labelling the development projects as a ‘Chunavi’ tactic must be given an account of the last 15 days. In the last 15 days, we have inaugurated 2 IITs, 1 IIIT, 3 IIMs, 1 IIS and 5 AIIMS,” he said.

“In the last 15 days, we inaugurated the world’s largest storage scheme for farmers. 18,000 cooperatives were computerised. Over 2000 railway projects have been inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for. Moreover, it was also during the last 15 days only that projects worth over 1.5 lakh crore for the oil and gas sector have been dedicated to the country. The list doesn’t end here. These 15 days have built the Atmanirbhar Bharat!,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid the foundation stone of and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 56,000 crore in Telangana’s Adilabad on Monday.

The multiple projects related to power, rail and road sector have been launched by the Prime Minister today.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, State BJP chief and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundarajan were also present at the event.

“Today the land of Adilabad is witnessing many development trends not only for Telangana but for the entire country. Today I got the opportunity to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of more than 30 development works here. These projects worth more than Rs 56 thousand crore will write a new chapter of development in many states of the country including Telangana,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the gathering.

PM Modi dedicated NTPC’s 800 MW (Unit-2) of Telangana Super Thermal Power Project in Telangana’s Peddapalli and dedicated 660 MW (Unit-2) of North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project in Jharkhand’s Chatra.

The Prime Minister emphasised the development works taken up for Telangana by the Centre.

“Today, everyone is talking about India’s pace of development. Over the past 10 years, how work gets done has changed in India. Our government has taken special care of Telangana. For us, development means the progress of the marginalised,” he said.

“Telangana is going to complete 10 years of its formation. The Central government is trying its best to fulfil the aspirations that people had back then. We have inaugurated the second unit of NTPC which has a capacity of 800 MW energy generation. This will enhance Telangana’s energy production capabilities and provide solutions for other related issues,” the Prime Minister said.

He also dedicated the Fly Ash Based Light Weight Aggregate Plant at Sipat, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh; STP Water to Green Hydrogen Plant at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

Further, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Singrauli Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-III (2×800 MW) in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh; Flue Gas CO2 to 4G Ethanol Plant at Lara, Raigarh in Chhattisgarh; Sea Water to Green Hydrogen plant at Simhadri, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; and Fly Ash Based FALG Aggregate Plant at Korba in Chhattisgarh.

“National highways have also been inaugurated today. Enhanced connectivity through railways and highways will further enhance Telangana’s pace of development. It will not only reduce the time taken for travel but also boost the tourism and hospitality sector, thereby increasing employment opportunities in the region,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation of Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited’s (BSUL’s) 1200 MW Jalaun Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh.

He inaugurated three solar power projects of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) in Jalaun and Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh and also Naitwar Mori Hydro Power station along with associated transmission line in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi.

PM Modi inaugurated ReNew’s Koppal-Narendra Transmission Scheme for evacuation of 2500 MW power from Renewable Energy.

Prime Minister dedicated the newly electrified Ambari – Adilabad – Pimpalkhuti rail line to the nation. He also laid the foundation for two major National Highway projects connecting Telangana with Maharashtra and Telangana with Chhattisgarh through NH-353B and NH-163. (ANI)

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Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal Agrees To Appear Before ED Virtually

By LokMarg

In response to the eighth summons of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) which asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to appear before ED on March 4, the Aam Aadmi Party leader has written a reply to the Directorate of Enforcement stating the ED’s summon as “illegal”, however he has agreed to appear before the agency virtually on any date after March 12.

Earlier on February 27, The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) issued an eighth summons to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case, asking him to join the investigation on March 4.

The fresh summons to the Delhi Chief Minister followed the seventh summons which he had skipped on February 26.

Kejriwal has so far skipped seven previous summons issued by the ED on February 26, February 19, February 2, January 18, January 3, November 2 and December 22, calling them “illegal and politically motivated”.

The ED wants to record Kejriwal’s statement in the case on issues like the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery.

While skipping the seventh summons issued by the ED, AAP, in a statement, termed it “illegal”, saying that the ED should stop sending summonses and wait for the court’s decision as the probe agency has already approached the court on the matter.

A day after Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate, the agency on February 3 approached a Delhi court against him for “non-compliance with the summons”.

The case is based on a First Information Report (FIR) alleging multiple irregularities in the formation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy (2021-22) by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The policy was withdrawn after allegations of corruption.

In its sixth charge sheet filed in the case on December 2, 2023, naming AAP leader Sanjay Singh and his aide Sarvesh Mishra, the ED has claimed that the AAP used kickbacks worth Rs 45 crore generated via the policy for part of its assembly elections campaign in Goa in 2022.

The excise policy was aimed to revitalise the city’s flagging liquor business and replace a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee for traders. It promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. The policy introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s move to order a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime prompted the scrapping of the policy. The AAP has accused Saxena’s predecessor, Anil Baijal, of sabotaging the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues.

Two senior AAP leaders — Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh — are already under judicial custody in the case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning and on October 5, the ED arrested Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member. (ANI)

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Bharatiya Janata Party

Pvt Organization Report Cannot Be Taken Into Consideration: K’taka HM

By LokMarg

After the Bharatiya Janata Party citing a private lab report claimed that it is highly probable ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised outside the Vidhan Souda, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said that the private organisations report cannot be taken into consideration.

Parameshwara also mentioned that the government will take action on the forensic report of the Home Department.

“BJP claiming private organization report cannot be taken into consideration. The FSL report of the government will come out and we will take action on the forensic report of the Home Department. There is nothing to hide, we’ll take action according to the report,” he said.

“They (BJP) are repeatedly accusing us of covering up the issue, they’re saying every day. We don’t need to hide anything,” the Karnataka Home Minister added.

Responding to Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge’s statement that he received the FSL reports on alleged Pro Pakistan slogans in Vidhan Soudha a day later, G Parameshwara said “I do not know on what basis he said this. I will tell you after receiving the FSL report of our department.

The Home Minister added that the credentials of the private labe Clue4 evidence needs to be verified.

“Who are the private firms, that gave them NOC? Are they allowed to give such a report? We’ll check everything” the Home Minister said.

BJP has been protesting the use of alleged ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans by Congress workers outside the Assembly while celebrating party leader Naseer Hussain’s win in the Rajya Sabha polls.

In a post on X, BJP Karnataka said that the scientific report has revealed that Congress is the creator of false news by spreading lies about the truth.

“The man who started shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” in Vidhana Soudha has now been published in the FSL report. Karnataka Congress and the head of the fake news factory, Priyanka Kharge, should now accept his treasonous act and prostrate before the Legislative Assembly and seek forgiveness from the people,” the BJP said.

The BJP has cited a report of a private laboratory called Clue4 Evidence Forensic Investigations Private Limited. As per the website, the organisation describes itself as a dedicated corporate entity that has been recognized as a competent Forensic Laboratory in the field of testing and investigations. Incorporated in the year 2009.

The report cited by the BJP, states “To the limited extent of the question in this case, being whether if it was ‘Nasir Saab Zindabad’ or ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, the above analysis indicates that it is highly probable to be ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. (ANI)

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Nepal (Maoist Centre)

New Govt Alliance In Nepal After Maoist Centre-Nepali Congress Coalition Collapses

By LokMarg

The ruling coalition between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the Sheh Bahadur Deuba-headed Nepali Congress has collapsed in the Himalayan country, and a new coalition government under Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal will on Monday swear in a fresh council of ministers, according to former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey.

In a post on Facebook, Pandey, the Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN- UML), said, “Government to change today. New cabinet to be formed. Swearing in of small number of ministers to take place today.”

The Left Alliance coalition will be amalgamation of four political parties- the Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal-led Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN- UML), the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Janata Samajbadi Party.

Officials from the PM’s Secretariat confirmed to ANI that Dahal will continue to hold the Prime Minister’s post and is set to induct ministers recommended by the parties in the new coalition.

The latest cabinet reshuffle comes a year after formation of the government after the last general elections.

Dahal, known for his flip-flops in politics, became Prime Minister last year with the support of CPN-UML and other parties whom he ditched within three months forging alliance with Nepali Congress.

The widening distance between the Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress, two big parties in Nepal, over the claim for chairmanship of the National Assembly threatened an already fragile ruling coalition.

The Maoist Centre upon concluding its Standing Committee meeting on February 28 decided to contest for the chairmanship of National Assembly. Chairman of Maoist Centre and Nepal’s incumbent PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal had previously assured Nepali Congress (NC) that it would support Congress during the election for Chairman of Upper House or the National Assembly.

“Our comrades suggested that the party should field own candidate for the post (Chairman of National Assembly) in the Standing Committee meeting, and has been decided accordingly,” Agni Prasad Sapkota, the spokesperson of the Maoist Centre had said.

A day later, on February 29, Pushpa Kamal Dahal upon landing at Chitwan district’s Bharatpur reiterated the claim stating developments has taken a new turn.

“Majority of our standing committee has voted to field candidate from the party for the post of Chairman of National Assembly. Though no written decision has been made over the demands made within the party but the developments has taken a new turn from the time when we (Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress) had made the agreement. I indeed had said that we were positive if Krishna Situala will be field for the post (NA Chairman),” Dahal told media after landing in Bharatpur.

At a party meeting of the Nepali Congress on February 19, voices against coalition at the time of election soared high and it decided to contest the next election slated for 2026 without forging any alliance.

Meanwhile, Dahal also alleged the loss of a National Assembly seat in Koshi Province to the Nepali Congress and said that his party cadres and leaders were upset about it.

The election for National Assembly Chairman is scheduled for March 12 and filing candidatures for the post was slated for March 7.

The Maoist Centre emerged as largest party in the National Assembly after the election held in February. The chair of the National Assembly is also a member of the Constitutional Council that recommends office bearers for constitutional bodies.

Currently, the Maoist Centre has 17 seats, the Nepali Congress has 16 seats, the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) has 19 seats, the CPN (Unified Socialist) has 8 seats, the Janata Samajbadi Party has 3 seats and the Rastriya Janamorcha and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party have one seat each in the National Assembly.

A total of 58 seats were contested in the 59-member National Assembly, the upper house of Parliament in Nepal, held on January while one seat still remains vacant which will be appointed by Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel on the recommendation of the Cabinet. (ANI)

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