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HP Min Vikramaditya Singh Steps Down

By LokMarg 28th February 2024

In fresh trouble for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh, a state minister and the son of the former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position.

Vikramaditya Singh announced his decision at a press conference held following the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha election result declared on Tuesday.

“All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister,” Singh said.

While addressing the press conference he also said that the results of the Rajya Sabha elections which saw the Congress candidate losing the polls following cross-vote, is a result of the system prevailing in the government in the last year since it was formed.

“…There is no doubt that former CM Virbhadra Singh’s name was used in the (Assembly) election…This is a matter of fact, a matter of record. This government was formed with everyone’s contribution. It has completed one year of governance. I have never said anything about the functioning of the government, but it is my responsibility to say it clearly today…I have always said that position and cabinet berth is not important for me. For me, the most important thing is the relationship with the people of Himachal Pradesh…But the kind of system prevailing in the government in last one year, how MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices – this is a result of that,” Singh said.

He further said that he will decide the future course of action after a consultation with his supporters.

“In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action…” he added.

Vikramaditya Singh, born in 1989, is an MLA from Shimla Rural constituency. He is the son of ex-CM late Virbhadra Singh. His mother, Pratibha Singh is the MP from Mandi. She is also the state Congress chief.

Vikramaditya Singh is a two-time MLA. He won his first election in 2017. He repeated the performance in 2023.

On Tuesday, a high drama unfolded in Himachal Pradesh after BJP pulled off an upset by defeating Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections because of cross-voting by six of the party’s MLAs.

The BJP has said that the government has “lost the mandate and trust”.

The trouble for the government comes at a time when the Assembly’s annual Budget session is going on and ahead of voting on the state Finance Bill in the Assembly.

The BJP is pressing for division voting on the passing of the Budget after it is introduced in the assembly. If Congress is unable to see the Budget through the government in the state will fall.

The Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

Harsh Mahajan, the BJP leader who won the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday claimed that his party is going to form government in the state by ousting the ruling Congress on the ground of ‘lacking majority’ in the house.

Mahajan, while speaking to ANI on Wednesday said that several Congress legislators are in touch with the BJP and the state is going to witness a change in the government.

“BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the next few hours and you will see BJP will form its government soon…For the next 10-20 years, Congress is not going to come to power here…” Mahajan said. (ANI)

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Pak: Sunni Council Boycotts Punjab Assembly Session As Voting To Elect CM Begins

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

The Punjab Assembly session convened on Monday to elect the Chief Minister took an unexpected turn as members of the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (comprising of PTI backed independents) opted to boycott the proceedings, creating a tumultuous atmosphere, ARY News reported.

The session, presided over by newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, commenced at 11:30 am with a strict focus on the chief ministerial elections, forbidding lawmakers from addressing the session.

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly also said Monday’s session will resume despite members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) walking out in protest.

In response to the SIC members walking out, Speaker Khan swiftly formed a committee, consisting of Khawaja Salman Rafique, Salman Nazeer, Samiullah, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu, tasked with persuading the legislators to return to the assembly, as reported by ARY News.

The Chief Ministerial contest unfolded between PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Rana Aftab Ahmed of the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Notably, SIC, at the eleventh hour, nominated Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan as its candidate due to the provincial police’s attempt to arrest its initial nominee, Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The PML-N, with a significant number of candidates, added intensity to the election, considering its clear majority in the Punjab Assembly.

Friday’s oath-taking ceremony saw 321 out of 371 members taking their oaths. The competitive nature of the election reflected in the victory of PML-N in the Punjab Assembly speaker and deputy speaker elections the previous day, solidifying the party’s dominance in the house.

Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan secured the position of PA Speaker with an overwhelming 224 votes out of the total 327 cast, while Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer, the PML-N candidate for deputy speaker, triumphed against Mohammad Moinuddin from the Sunni Ittehad Council, garnering 220 votes, ARY News reported. (ANI)

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Working Style Of Modi, Shah Matches With Mine: Ajit

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar issued a statement on Monday, ‘clarifying’ his decision to align with the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

Hailing the ‘strong leadership and correct decision-making’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Pawar said that he found the development work done under their leadership ‘important’.

Drawing parallels, the NCP leader said that he identified with the working style of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

“The decision taken by the Nationalist Congress Party to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena is still being discussed in different media. This letter is to make my role in this matter more clear,” Ajit Pawar mentioned in his statement.

“I find it important that the development work that is being done in this country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Strong leadership and correct decision-making process, these are their qualities that I like very much. My and their working methods are very similar,” the statement said.

“I felt that it would be possible to carry out some of my future plans for development with them in a more effective manner, so I decided to go with them with the aim of taking this state towards development. Since I have taken this role, it has been my experience that since joining the government, development work has gained momentum,” it added.

Pawar asserted that his intention was not to hurt or insult anyone but undertake and complete development works without compromise.

“I have taken my own role with the aim of completing the development works without any compromise with the ideology and objective etc. In this, I do not dare to insult anyone in any way, hurt anyone’s feelings or cheat anyone or harm anyone. It was never my intention to have a dagger in my back or anything like that, nor will I ever have one,” he stated.

He said that to undertake any service for the people it is important to be in power.

“I have seen it done both by being in power and by being in opposition. While in power, we have seen development slowing down rapidly and while in opposition, we have also seen development works getting stuck. So one truth which cannot be denied is that for development work it is necessary for you to be in power,” the Deputy CM said.

He further stated that he has no intention of ‘disrespecting elderly people’.

“I have no intention of disrespecting fatherly or elder people. How can the standard of living of the people be raised, how can the facilities of their basic infrastructure be made more efficient? So this is for the work of the people,” he said.

Pawar further appealed to the people to join him on his ‘path of development’ and sought blessings from the ‘seniors’.

“In the times to come, the Nationalist Congress Party will not comment on anyone personally and will go before the people of the state with a blueprint for development and I also assure the people of the state about this. I humbly appeal to all the citizens to join me as I walk on the path of development and to all the seniors to bless me,” he added.

Ajit Pawar, along with eight MLAs, joined Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on July 2 last year. (ANI)

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Working To Make Robust Law For Polygamy, UCC: Assam CM

By LokMarg 12th February 2024

The Assam government is working to make robust legislation for polygamy and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday.

“We are working to make robust legislation for polygamy, aligning it with Uttrakhand UCC. Earlier, it was coming under civil offence, but we know we are thinking of making it a criminal offence, and after having a discussion with central leadership, a decision will be taken,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Recently, the Uttarakhand State Legislative Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill 2024.

A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) means that all sections of society, irrespective of their religion, shall be treated equally according to a national civil code, which shall apply to all uniformly. They cover areas such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption, and succession of the property. (ANI)

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Maharashtra Ex-CM Ashok Chavan Resigns From Congress

By LokMarg 12th February 2024

Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan resigned from the Congress party’s primary membership on Monday.

Chavan has submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole.

Also, in the letter, Chavan mentioned his designation as a former MLA.

The former MPCC president also served as MP of Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989 and was re-elected to the lower house in May 2014.

He was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee during the period 1986 to 1995.

He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms starting in 1999 till May 2014.

He has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state from December 8 2008 to November 9 2010. On November 9 2010, the Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to Adarsh Housing Society scam.

In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP

Chavan comes from an influential political family. He is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Union Home Minister.

Chavan is the third big name to desert the Congress ship in Maharashtra. First to go was former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora followed by former MLA Baba Siddique.

When questioned if Chavan was going to join the BJP, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis gave a cryptic reply.

“Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party…Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon. Aage aage dekhiye hota hain kya”

Chavan who represents Bhokar, Nanded as an MLA was reported to have severe differences with state party chief Nana Patole. (ANI)

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Naveen Patnaik Inspired Me To Join Politics: VK Pandian

By LokMarg 8th February 2024

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian said that he was inspired by the Chief Minister to join politics.

“I decided because I was inspired by the Chief Minister, the way he was into public service. And it was not a grand plan or something for me to enter,” Pandian said in a free-wheeling conversation with ANI.

The former civil servant shared that his decision to join politics was completely unplanned and his batch-mates might have laughed when they found out that he had resigned from service and joined a political party.

“I would say that one year back if you had asked me, “Are you going to join politics?” I would have firmly said a ‘no’. My batch-mates will laugh if they know that I have resigned and I have joined a party because it was not in my plan at all,” Pandian said.

The ex-bureaucrat said that he noticed the love and affection of people while on a tour of the districts in Odisha, a year ago and that is when he thought he needs to go beyond the limits of “bureaucratic rules” while reaching out to the people.

“Eight, nine months back, I started touring the districts. And I saw the love and affection of people. It was very humbling. I thought that I should not be bound by bureaucratic rules in reaching out to the people. And that is the only reason why I resigned and joined, inspired by the Chief Minister. But I had no plans whatsoever to join politics. No plans,” Pandian said.

Sharing more about his career-altering tour, the former bureaucrat said that he travelled to all 30 districts of the State as part of reaching out to the people when the footfall at the chief minister’s grievance cell fell post-pandemic.

“I have always travelled with the Chief Minister. This time I travelled on my own to all 30 districts, 146-147 constituencies. We took this exercise because, after COVID, the footfall in the chief minister’s grievance cell had reduced. We had closed the Chief Minister’s grievance cell for two years because of Covid. After that it never picked up. People had stopped coming. There was very less footfall in the grievance cell. So the chief minister decided, why don’t we reach out? This is the first time in a state, in any state, the Chief Minister’s office went and did grievance in a decentralized manner, in constituencies, in blocks,” he shared.

Pandian said that on that tour he committed to people to solve their problems in a stipulated time and all the timelines were met “magically”.

“I committed to people that your problem, this problem will be solved in 10 days, this problem will be solved in 15 days, this problem will be solved in one month, the system rose to that occasion and with the Honourable Chief Minister’s guidance, whatever timelines we had set, it was all being met. It was completely magical. We had thousands of petitions, all transparent way, it has been disposed of,” the former civil servant said.

Pandian said his “inner call” to join politics came when he met those people that he realised the “strong connect” with them. He said he came to understand that he would not be able to reach out to them if he remains as continues to stay in the bureaucracy.

“So when I went to the people, when I met them, I realized that there is a strong connect with people. And I thought being a bureaucrat, I won’t be able to reach out to them. I have to get out of bureaucracy. It was an inner call,” he shared.

Speaking about being inspired by the Chief Minister he said that he has noticed the way Patnaik handles various situations and how he reacts to criticism throughout the decades which has moved him.

“I think one gets inspired being with him for more than a decade. You are working so closely with him. You get to see how he reacts to situations, how he reacts to criticism. So you get inspired by him. Perhaps something of him has rubbed in me. But you know he has a number of years of experience,” he said.

Pandian said that when he joined the bureaucracy, he was allotted Punjab cadre initially in the year 2000 but after the Super Cyclone he decided to go to Odisha instead because Naveen Patnaik had taken over as the Chief Minister.

“I got Punjab cadre initially in 2000. And in 1999, Super Cyclone had hit Odisha very badly. Odisha was in a very bad shape. So there was a dilemma of which cadre I should move. So I decided to go to Odisha because Mr Naveen Patnaik had taken over as Chief Minister of Odisha. And the director of our academy said that go to Odisha, you will get great chance to work. And there is an honest person who has become Chief Minister. So you will get great scope to work. So, that’s how I came to Odisha,” he said.

Speaking about his first impression of Naveen Patnaik, Pandian said that he did not fit the stereotype of a political person.

“Whatever stereotype one has about a political leader, he was completely unlike. Very warm, very down to earth, very humble and had an eye for good work. He had come and he immediately appreciated me for 2-3 things. Which I thought was very nice of him to tell to such a junior officer,” Pandian said. (ANI)

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I Have Returned With Substantial Invests: Stalin On Spain Visit

By LokMarg 7th February 2024

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has returned to Chennai after a visit to Spain on Wednesday. Senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, Durai Murugan and Member of Parliament (MP), TR Baalu, welcomed the Chief Minister at the airport.

In a tweet on Tuesday night, Stalin expressed gratitude, saying, “Heading back to Tamil Nadu, I extend my heartfelt thanks to @IndiaInSpain for their coordination, Spain, its wonderful people, and our Tamil community for a treasure trove of memories!”

Speaking to the media upon his return, MK Stalin highlighted the success of his trip, stating, “I have returned with substantial investments for Tamil Nadu. During my visit to Spain on January 27th, I participated in an investor meeting and engaged with Invest Spain delegates. I conveyed the favorable investment climate in Tamil Nadu and urged them to invest in the state.”

Stalin emphasized the significance of Spain’s role in Tamil Nadu’s growth.

“Spain voyage was important for Tamil Nadu’s growth. The Parliament election is nearing so after that, only I’ll go on the next tour for investment,” MK Stalin said.

When asked about watching parliamentary proceedings, Stalin replied, “Yes, I watched and laughed. It seems as though the BJP is in opposition and the Congress is ruling.”

On the Prime Minister’s claim of winning 400 seats, Stalin remarked, “Will they only win that much? There are 534 constituencies, and I’m not surprised the PM aims for a clean sweep.”

Regarding actor Vijay starting a new political party, Stalin expressed support, saying, “I’ll be happy for anyone who comes forward to serve the people.”

Earlier in the week, Stalin concluded successful talks with top executives from Spain’s industrial giants, including Gestamp, Talgo, and Edibon.

“Wrapped up exhilarating talks with top executives from Spain’s industrial giants – #Gestamp, #Talgo, and #Edibon. Convinced them of the boundless opportunities in Tamil Nadu, India’s manufacturing powerhouse. Thrilled to seal the deal with Edibon, securing a massive investment of Rs. 540 crores! Also had a fruitful discussion with #Mabtree, a company engaged in R&D in immunotherapies. A fitting finale to the successful visit to Spain, “MK Stalin in a tweet.

“With such fruitful results, I will be departing from Spain and longing to see you all after quite a few days, which feel like eternity to me. Similarly, I am grateful to the Tamil community in Spain for the warm welcome and hospitality they have shown me,” he added. (ANI)

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UCC Bill Uttarakhand: Registration Of Live-In Relationships Mandatory For Couples Within 1 Month

By LokMarg 6th February 2024

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly after which the House was adjourned.

The Bill contains the laws relating to marriage, divorce, succession, live-in relationships, and related matters.

Among the many proposals, the Uniform Civil Code Bill makes it compulsory for live-in relationships to be registered under the law.

Once the proposed UCC Bill is in place, “live-in relationships” will have to get registered under the law within 1 month from the “date of entering into the relationship”. To live in a live-in relationship, adults will have to obtain consent from their parents.

The Bill also imposes a complete ban on child marriage and introduces a uniform process for divorce. The Code provides equal rights to women of all religions in their ancestral property.

As per the UCC Bill, the age for marriage will be 18 for women and 21 for men in all communities. Marriage registration is mandatory in all religions and marriages without registration will be invalid.

No divorce petition will be allowed to be filed for one year of marriage.

Highlighting the ceremonies for marriage, the proposed UCC Bill noted that marriage may be solemnized or contracted between a man and a woman in accordance with the religious beliefs, practices, customary rites and ceremonies including but not limited to “Saptapadt”, “Ashirvad”, “Nikah”, “Holy Union”, “Anand Karaj” under the Anand Marriage Act 1909 as well as under, but not limited to, The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and Arya Marriage Validation Act, 1937.

However, nothing contained in the proposed UCC Bill will be applied to the members of any Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 read with Article 342 of the Constitution of India and the persons and group of persons whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution of India.

Meanwhile, CM Dhami said that after the UCC Bill is passed, Uttarakhand will become a strong pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “One India, Best India”.

“With full responsibility, our government, taking all sections of the society along, has presented the Uniform Civil Code Bill in the Assembly. That historic moment is near for Devbhoomi when Uttarakhand will become a strong pillar of PM Modi ji’s vision of One India, Best India,” Dhami posted on X.

The passage of the UCC Bill will mark the fulfilment of a major promise made by the BJP to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls.

In March 2022, the Dhami government decided to constitute a committee to prepare a draft for the UCC. (ANI)

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Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Bill: Know Key Features