Tag: INDIA Bloc

With Tejashwi As Spearhead, INDIA Bloc Is Battle Ready

By Sidharth MIshra

The Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) has finally declared Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The decision came after prolonged deliberations and internal tussles, mainly over seat-sharing between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The last leg of discussion was between senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav. Announcement of the name of Tejashwi Yadav by Gehlot has provided ammunition to the campaign which was looking to be running out of fuel for some time.

The consensus on Tejashwi Yadav’s name has for sure sent out a message of unity among the INDIAlliance partner parties, which form the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. The focus for the past few days had remained on the Congress and the RJD, as the real contention lay between them over seat distribution and the chief ministerial post.

The delay in the announcement had increased uncertainty within the alliance. A few days earlier, Mukesh Sahani had remarked that the alliance was “a little unwell,” indicating internal disagreements.

Although the Congress never directly opposed Tejashwi’s candidature, it also refrained from openly endorsing him. In fact, people in Bihar had already assumed that Tejashwi would be the face of the alliance — the official announcement was seen as a mere formality.

One major reason for the delay was Congress’s demand for a larger and more winnable share of seats. In the previous Assembly election, Congress contested 70 seats but managed to win only 19. This time, the party wanted both a better seat share and stronger constituencies, which prolonged the negotiations. Eventually, the partners agreed that projecting unity under Tejashwi’s leadership was crucial to avoid losing political momentum.

Still, there may be some instances of “friendly fights,” where allies may contest against each other in a few constituencies with mutual understanding. Nevertheless by finalizing its CM face, the Grand Alliance has attempted to catch up with the NDA, which had gained an early edge by announcing its seat-sharing arrangement.

Incidentally, this is the first election in two decades where Nitish Kumar, although leading the NDA campaign, is not projected as its chief ministerial face. The Grand Alliance hopes that declaring a clear leader will help them put pressure on the NDA.

This election is unique in several ways. While Nitish Kumar’s government has been making a series of promises and policy announcements, Tejashwi Yadav has also rolled out an array of assurances to the electorate. The Grand Alliance’s manifesto, scheduled for release on October 28, after the Chhath festivities, is expected to feature several major promises.

Although, as mentioned earlier, some friction still persists between the Congress and the RJD over seat-sharing, the alliance has managed to present a united front. Mukesh Sahani’s earlier remarks had hinted at tensions, but the final consensus on Tejashwi’s name marks a major forward move for the Grand Alliance both symbolically and strategically, as it conveys an image of cohesion to the electorate.

On the other hand, while the NDA has already announced its seat allocations, it has refrained from naming any single CM candidate. This is a significant shift since Nitish Kumar has been the face of the alliance for nearly twenty years. By naming Tejashwi as their chief ministerial face, the Grand Alliance has tried to mount psychological and political pressure on the NDA.

The Bihar election this time holds exceptional significance. Both sides are competing through promises and programs — with Nitish Kumar banking on governance and continuity, and Tejashwi Yadav appealing to aspirations and change. The upcoming manifesto on October 28 is likely to outline Tejashwi’s vision for Bihar.

The key question now is: which set of promises will the people of Bihar trust — and who will emerge as the next Chief Minister?

(The writer is an established Author, Academic and President of the Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice)

caste census modi rahul

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

By Amit Sengupta

If the caste census is an unstoppable idea now, Rahul Gandhi too is an unstoppable idea. Indeed, he is flying on the wings of a certain special kind of passion which can only arrive once in a lifetime. And the time has come now.

Contrast this with the dark irony of the fake messiah. Not only was he decisively defeated in the last parliamentary polls, he seems to have totally vanished from the scene, including from within the stooge media, who would start crawling at the mere mention of his name.

Rahul Gandhi is once again right. The constant fear and overwhelming terror of the last 10 years seems to have disappeared faster than one could imagine.

And it is not coming back!

In his recent, highly successful visit to America, there were signals which were as clear as sparkling, winter sunshine. That the PM was not biological, but, was a prophet sent by God, proclaimed in Varanasi, was the first transparent sign, said Rahul Gandhi. That revealed his “psychological collapse”. It punctured the “carefully constructed 56-inch persona”.

Talking to students and teachers in Washington DC, he said: “The idea of Mr Modi, 56-inch chest, direct connection with God, that’s all gone; its history now. He realizes it, India realizes it, his partners in the government realize it, three or four senior ministers in his government realize it.”

 “I think early on he had realized this thing is going wrong. We were getting inputs from regular sources, some of the agencies… it was pretty clear that they were in trouble… And we knew when he said, I speak directly to God, that we have actually blown him apart… People think, well, this was the prime minister saying that I am special, I am unique and I talk to God. But, that’s not how we saw it. Internally, we saw it as a psychological collapse,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit to America is a pointer. Surely, there are powerful forces in the West which want a paradigm shift in India.

For a big democracy, there has been just too much of hate politics, mob-lynching, minority-bashing, bad-mouthing, war-mongering, and infinite injustice. Umar Khalid, Gulfisha, Sharjeel and other brilliant, young scholars are still languishing in prison. Clearly, the Supreme Court, all other courts in the land, and, especially, the current chief justice, who arrived riding on ‘Great Expectations’, have failed to give them justice. This is, indeed, tragic and beyond belief.

The rise and rise of Kamala Harris marks a contrast with the fall and fall of the fake god-send in India. Certainly, there is no love lost among the Democrats for the fascists in India. And, with Bernie Sanders, and his socialist ‘squad’, including Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib backing Kamala Harris, there is little hope left for the Neo-Nazis in India, to get good vibes from most of America.

The clarion call of the PM, ‘Abki baar Trump Sarkar’, breaking all norms and protocol, and sending a clear message to the Democrats, has not been forgotten. Donald Trump, friend and ally of the PM, sharing most of his retrograde views, is on a sticky wicket. The first debate between him and Kamala Harris has proved that all his cards seem to have already collapsed.

The mass murderer of Israel, one of the best buddies of the Indian PM, isolated and discredited in the entire world, and hated by a majority of his own people, is counting his last days in power. Undoubtedly, it is Benjamin Netanyahu, who is blocking all the efforts for the release of the hostages in custody of the Hamas. He simply does not seem to care one bit about them, or, their grieving families. With the genocide still continuing in Gaza, and, now, spilling over in the West Bank, the tragic fate of the condemned Israeli hostages, and their every day suffering, seems to find no end.

Meanwhile, the INDIA alliance too is becoming an unstoppable idea. Only a miracle can save the BJP in Haryana. With world champion, now, a national icon, Vinesh Phogat, contesting from her own homeland on a Congress ticket, the wave has already swept the ‘ground beneath the feet’ of the Hindutva forces. Defeat stares point-blank at them, and not even their non-biological, fake prophet can save them anymore.

The cycle of defeat should inevitably follow in Maharashtra and Bihar. With a discredited Nitish Kumar totally out of focus, and the graph of Tejeshwi Yadav rising, Bihar, once again, as in the past, will show the way. Like that of the PM, Nitish Kumar’s days too are over.

ALSO READ: Youth, Jobs and Disenchantment in India

The defeat in Maharashtra will mark the final political rupture in the fate of the BJP. Not only is it the financial capital of India, the defeat of the BJP in the state will be a clear pointer that all the crony capitalists, who, till now, were eating from the hands of the Gujarati duo calling the shots in Delhi, will now start looking for greener pastures.

With the sold-out, faction-ridden regime led by a discredited Eknath Shinde, and with all the factions fighting with each other routinely, Mumbai will now witness a new power equation. And it will be the rainbow coalition of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP which is bound to win the next elections.            

Meanwhile, more pointers are coming from within the Hindutva camp, which are clearly bad signals for the PM. Of all the people, Smriti Irani, an obsessive Rahul-baiter, seems to have turned into an ardent fan of Rahul Gandhi! Look at what she has said recently: “A change has come in the politics of Rahul Gandhi… When he talks about caste, when he wears a white T-shirt in Parliament, he is aware of what kind of message it sends to the youth…We shouldn’t be under any misconception about his actions — whether they seem good, bad, or childish, they represent a different style of politics.”

There is no doubt that the working class and ordinary folks are close to the heart of Rahul Gandhi. From coal miners in Jharkhand, to coolies and mechanics in Delhi, to Swiggy and Zomato workers who stake their lives on motorbikes to deliver quick food to customers, and are threatened by their employers that their meager salaries will be cut if they don’t deliver on time, he has touched their hands and brought their everyday life into media limelight. Hardworking railway drivers, who are driving long distances without adequate sleep, and not even with clean toilets, he has travelled the journey with all of them, sharing their sorrows and smiles.

Not only that. Rahul Gandhi chooses to drop in, here and there, in this town and that city, in this restaurant and that, sharing their food and delicacies. He meets the cooks and the staff, shakes their hands, hugs them, pays his bill, and they are too glad to get a group picture clicked with such an amiable and friendly fellow. A Pune-based school teacher told this reporter that this is an endearing quality in the man, and she too would like to share a meal with him one day.

History teaches us that one day, beyond doubt, all fascists must accept defeat. Adolf Hitler committed suicide in Berlin. Benito Mussolini was shot dead. And so was the inevitable fate Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu.

TheRomanian state television had then announced that Ceaușescu was directly responsible for the mass murder of 60,000 people. After 24 years of brutal dictatorship, he was executed on December 25, 1989. This also marked the end of the totalitarian regimes led by Soviet Union, and its collapse, with Mikhail Gorbachev at the helm in Moscow.

Rahul Gandhi is an unstoppable idea now. In a certain manner, he has touched the soul of India. Undoubtedly, after the 10 years of this nasty and cruel regime, India needs healing. And, as the first nip of early winter arrives with the festive season, this is the time to dream, and dream big.

Small is truly beautiful, but the ‘new India’, which belongs to the young, is full of dreams. Surely, the days of insomnia are, now, finally over.

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Why Modi 3.0 Won’t Implode

Why Modi 3.0 Won’t Implode, But I.N.D.I.A. Might

By Sanjoy Narayan

It’s been nearly a fortnight since India’s election results came out but the feeling of happiness still remains in the air. That feeling, akin to euphoria, surprisingly is not as pronounced among the supporters of those who won in the elections as it is among those who actually lost. 

Narendra Modi created history by becoming the Prime Minister again for the third successive term, a feat that we are repeatedly reminded matches India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s three consecutive terms till he died in 1964. Yet on June 4 when the results came out, the Opposition seemed more upbeat than the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which, with 293 of the 543 Lok sabha seats, got to form the government. Modi and his party had proclaimed during campaigning that the BJP would win 370 seats and the alliance would cross 400. As it happened, the BJP got only 240 and its alliance brought in another 53. The Opposition and its supporters celebrated a moral victory, pointing out that voters had lost faith in Modi and his party. 

Those celebrations and the euphoria may be misplaced. Yes, the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a motley electoral front comprising more than 30 mostly regional parties and led by the Congress, won 232 seats; and yes, the BJP did not manage a majority on its own as it had in 2014 (when it won 282) and 2019 (303), but the fact is that in 2024, the BJP and its allies have a more than comfortable majority of 293 seats. 

The fact also is that the Congress, which leads the INDIA front and whose leader Rahul Gandhi was perceived as Modi’s challenger in the recent elections, managed a tally of only 99 seats in the polls. It is a big improvement over 2019 when it won a paltry 52 seats and 2014 (44) but 99 is still a small fraction of 543–and certainly not a big reason to celebrate.

Much of the hope, optimism, and euphoria that has spread among Opposition parties and their supporters is because Modi 3.0, as the Prime Minister’s third term has been labeled, is one where the BJP’s allies play a key role in providing the NDA with a majority. Modi’s political detractors point out that some of his key allies, such as Nitish Kumar, who heads Bihar’s Janata Dal (United), N. Chandrababu Naidu, who heads Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Chirag Paswan, who heads Bihar’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), without whose wins in the elections the NDA wouldn’t have had a majority, can be a check on Modi’s government and his style of governance.

Some in the Opposition probably also hope that players such as the JD(U)’s Kumar and the TDP’s Naidu, who have had a chequered past in coalitions, could even pull the plug on Modi and lead to a collapse of the NDA’s numbers in Lok Sabha, causing the government to fall. After all, Kumar has changed his political allegiances several times and, confoundingly, it was he who convened the Opposition’s INDIA alliance last year before ditching it to join the NDA. 

ALSO READ: Modi 3.0 Must Focus on Jobs, Rising Inequity

So, will Kumar and/or Naidu pull the plug on the NDA? Many believe both the leaders and their parties could have fundamental differences with the BJP on issues such as the latter’s Hindu nationalist stance, and could, therefore, oppose any Modi 3.0 actions, which could, for instance, be perceived to be anti-Muslim or affect affirmative action for certain underprivileged castes. 

Will they really? Probably not. Both Naidu, 74, and Kumar, 73, are in the twilight of their political careers. Like Modi, they share a common hope: of building a legacy. The difference is that while Modi is building a national legacy, Naidu and Kumar are focused on their respective states. At this stage in their careers, the national stage doesn’t beckon anymore.

Instead, both the regional leaders want special category status for their states. A special category would mean that the states get proportionally more central funds for projects as well as other development incentives. Whether they will get that or not remains to be seen but it would not be a surprise if Modi offers them sops so that they remain NDA loyalists and not come in the way of his governance.

Many had thought that in a more precarious coalition government, Modi would have to offer some key ministerial berths to BJP’s allies but that has not happened. The key ministries in his Cabinet are still with heavyweights from his party. So ministries such as home, finance, defence, foreign affairs, and so on have been largely allotted to his trusted party colleagues who ran them in the previous terms.

What the Opposition Must Do

The election results have been analysed to death by now. The thing to remember is that even though the INDIA alliance did well, the major victories for it (and, therefore, the setbacks for the NDA) came because of the performance of the regional parties and not because of how the Congress fared. In Uttar Pradesh, for example, where the BJP suffered a defeat that directly affected its total tally, the Congress had an alliance with the Samajwadi Party but it was the latter that won the most seats by strategically widening it traditional base of Muslims and Yadavs to garner the support of voters from other castes. In Maharashtra, another state where the BJP fared badly, it was the factionalised regional parties and their internecine rivalries that caused the setbacks. In West Bengal, it was to the regional Trinamool Congress that the BJP lost and not to the Congress.

The Congress-led INDIA’s strategy in the elections was mostly reactive. The INDIA parties, including the Congress, did have manifestos, but does anyone recall what they promised? What did they say about ensuring jobs, checking inflation, or tackling inequality? Much of the Opposition’s campaign rhetoric focused either on local issues–not surprising, given that most of the constituents of INDIA were regional–or targeted against Modi and what he was saying during his campaigning. 

The BJP’s public campaign, which was single-handedly led by Modi, was focused on his promises about making India the third largest economy in the world; about making India a developed country by 2047; and of playing an even more important role in the emerging global order. Plus, because of his incumbency, Modi could list all of his government’s achievements: infrastructure, social welfare, digitalisation, and so on. Issues such as youth unemployment, inflation, and growing inequality were skirted and even though he gave scores of interviews to the media, “friendly” interviewers glossed over them. 

Unemployment and inequality are the two biggest issues that Indians, especially the young, worry about the most. Most of India is young (65% or 910 million are below the age of 35) and youth unemployment is a burning issue, which if not tackled can have serious consequences. So is the issue of growing inequality. A study by the World Inequality Lab in March this year declared that “The Billionaire Raj headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces.” The study found that during the inter-war colonial period from the 1930s until India’s independence in 1947, the top 1% held around 20 to 21% of the country’s national income. Today, the 1% holds 22.6% of the country’s income.

For the Opposition, restricting the BJP and NDA’s tally in the elections is actually a small beginning of what it could really do: mobilise India’s youth.

INDIA, as mentioned earlier, is an electoral alliance of mainly regional parties. In order to continue to be relevant, these parties should start grassroot movements to organise the youth in each of the regions that they politically dominate. That could, conceivably, become a powerful aggregation of a mass of young Indian voters whose support could be the fundamental base on which INDIA could forge a strategy of being a relevant Opposition in Parliament for now and to fight elections in the future: both at the state level as well as nationally.

Unfortunately, INDIA has shown little signs of such resolve. It is exulting in the wake of its recent electoral gains as if that has been a massive achievement. It has, no doubt, been an achievement: dozens of Opposition parties coming together is a demonstration of how even in a loud, noisy and crowded arena such as India’s, democracy can work. By no means, though, is it a massive achievement. Modi 3.0 will not implode on its own. The BJP’s reduced tally should actually be read by the Opposition as a rallying call to organise itself. Unless it does so, it is INDIA that could face the risk of implosion; not the NDA.

Will Kejriwal’s Arrest Make AAP More Powerful

Will Kejriwal’s Arrest Make AAP More Powerful?

By Sanjoy Narayan

Approximately one year from now, when the state of Delhi holds its next assembly elections, how many of the 70 seats do you think the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will get? Here are some facts to help you with your estimate: Last time the Delhi elections took place, in 2020, AAP won 62 of them, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 8; and in the previous elections, in 2015, AAP won 67, while the BJP won 3. So how many seats do you think AAP will win in 2025?

It might seem a bit silly that I’m talking about an election that will probably not happen till February 2025, at a time when everything should really be focused on the big fat Indian elections that begin next month when nearly a billion of us will vote to elect 543 Members of Parliament. Then again, there will likely be few surprises when that long 44-day polling is over and the votes are counted. Unless something totally unforeseen happens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are expected to sweep those elections and the only question is about whether they can get more than the 353 seats they won in 2019 and, if so, how many more.

Delhi’s next assembly election, though, is a more interesting subject to speculate about. As I write this, AAP’s national convenor and Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, is in a Delhi prison after he was arrested on 21 March by the government’s Enforcement Department, which investigates economic crimes such as money laundering offences. The charges against Kejriwal, 55, and some of his senior party colleagues who are also incarcerated pending trial, involve alleged aberrations in the granting of liquor licences to private vendors in the state of Delhi. Even as AAP refutes those allegations and the ED continues its investigations, his arrest coming just before the parliamentary elections start has raised many questions.

Kejriwal’s AAP, a young party formed in 2012 out of a larger mass civil movement against corruption, has already blazed a remarkable political path. In Delhi, it has decisively won elections to the state assembly and Kejriwal has been chief minister since 2015 (also earlier for a year in 2013-14). In Punjab, in 2022, as a newcomer, the party won the state election with 92 of the 117 seats and has been running the state’s government there. It has just one seat in Lok Sabha and has not really fared too well in other states where it has contested elections but Kejriwal’s popularity as a politician and leader has been on the rise and AAP does have ambitions of emerging as a national party.

In recent months, arrests and investigations against opposition leaders by agencies of the government of India have caught the attention of those who follow Indian politics because of their timing and also because of the people that have been targeted. In an interview to Al-Jazeera news channel, the opposition leader and Trinamool Congress MP from West Bengal, Derek O’Brien alleged that 96% of the anti-corruption cases against politicians are against those from non-BJP opposition parties. He also alleged that most of these are “trumped-up charges” that miraculously go away when some of those charged defect to the BJP.

It is for the investigators and the judiciary to decide whether the charges against various politicians stick or not but the timing of some arrests may be more than mere coincidence. Kejriwal’s rise and the growing prominence of his party has clearly been a challenge for the BJP as well as the Congress. A first-generation politician from a middle-class family, Kejriwal, who has an engineering degree from one of India’s top technology institutes, quit a government job to join politics. Like Modi he doesn’t come from a political dynasty as many Indian political leaders, notably Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party, do.

His Aam Aadmi Party has the avowed mission of being dedicated to the cause of the common man and despite several constraints that his government faces because of Delhi’s special status as a state, its achievements are notable. Here are some of them: In education, the AAP government has focused on improving the quality of education in Delhi. Initiatives like mohalla schools and happiness classes have been implemented to enhance learning outcomes. In healthcare, the Delhi Arogya Kosh scheme provides free treatment to over five lakh citizens. In public transport, the addition of 1,650 electric buses to the public transport fleet aims to reduce pollution and improve mobility.

It’s not easy for the Delhi government to operate within constraints imposed by the special status of the National Capital Territory (NCT), where certain subjects such as policing, law and order, and land matters, fall under the jurisdiction of the central government. In addition, the NCT’s 33.8 million population (with a staggering 22,800 people per sq km) poses challenges related to infrastructure, traffic, and pollution management that are not easy to tackle.

Although AAP is part of an alliance of around 26 opposition parties, the badly-named Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), it is one of the few parties within that fold that can be expected to challenge the BJP’s formidable force in coming years. AAP may still be a small and young party but its leader, Kejriwal, has the charisma and voter-pulling power that few others among India’s opposition parties do. Many such as Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal have a sway over their own states but have been able to make no headway outside their fiefdoms. Kejriwal, who has led AAP to victory in Punjab, stands out among the others.

In Delhi, because of the state’s special status, Kejriwal and his AAP government have constantly sparred with the Lieutenant Governor of the state, who is, in effect, appointed by the Centre, and has discretionary powers over the subjects outside the state government’s jurisdiction. As a consequence, AAP and Kejriwal have become, from the point of view of the BJP, a thorn in its side.

One of the professed objectives of the Modi regime since it came to power in 2014 was to create an India or Bharat that is “free of the Congress party”. It is an objective that electorally it has achieved. In Parliament, the once powerful Congress party has just 50 of the 543 seats; and of the 28 Indian states, it is in power in only three.

With the Congress out of the way, could the BJP now be training its sights on other rising opposition parties such as AAP? Or could its recent crackdown on Kejriwal and other AAP leaders actually backfire and boost support for them? That brings us back to my earlier question: How many seats in the next Delhi elections do you think AAP will win? Any guesses?

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INDIA bloc

INDIA Bloc Leaders Huddle At Ramlila Maidan Against Kejriwal’s Arrest

By LokMarg

Opposition leaders kept pouring in at the INDIA bloc rally held at the capital’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Speaking at the Maha Rally, Aam Aadmi Party Minister Gopal Rai said that it is difficult to understand the need to arrest a sitting Chief Minister.

“Protests have erupted in the whole country after March 21. No one is able to understand why a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested. But it is not just Arvind Kejriwal. Before arresting the Delhi Chief Minister, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested as well. With the misuse of the ED and CBI, democracy is under attack…,” Gopal Rai said at the rally on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters about the INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said, “Democracy is being attacked. The whole country is standing in the favour of democracy. And we have come here to give the same message.”

DMK MP Tiruchi N Siva said that Chief Minister MK Stalin could not make it to the rally owing to the elections in the state which is going to polls in the first phase on April 19.

“…The INDIA bloc is holding a big rally today. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned it is facing the parliament elections in the first phase, which is on April 19. So our leader and Chief Minister MK Stalin who was about to participate in this rally is not in a position to attend it. So he has delegated me to attend the rally…,” he said.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda who was also at the Maha Rally said, “This battle is to safeguard the nation, democracy, constitution, future of the nation, youth, farmers and women. This battle is for justice and truth. We believe the whole country will support the INDIA bloc in this battle. Everyone will unite to fight this battle.”

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other INDIA bloc leaders were present at the rally in Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

The grand rally was also graced by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren.

“…We are doing this to save the democracy of our country. The INDIA Alliance parties are gathering here and through this, we want to tell the people of the nation and those who have gathered here today that you have to come forward to fight for your democracy…,” Kalpana Soren said speaking to reporters.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren arrived in Delhi to attend the Maha Rally.

“This Maha Rally of the grand alliance is for saving the democracy and letting people know how the central government is promoting dictatorship,” he said.

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Akhilesh Yadav said, “The BJP is being criticised all over the world after Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest… The Opposition and the ones who speak the truth are being attacked, the BJP is being criticised…”

Congress General Secretary KC Vengopal accused the central government of refusing to provide a level playing field to opposition political parties ahead of the elections.

“Now the Government of India under the leadership of PM Modi is completely refusing to provide a level playing field to political parties, especially the opposition parties. How can you ensure free and fair elections in this environment? They want to hijack the entire election process, which is why they are targeting only opposition parties and leaders. This is the biggest rally that we are organising against BJP…,” Venugopal said.

In reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s, “Can’t trust Congress” remark, the senior Congress leader said, “The issue now is that there is no level playing field for political parties in India, especially opposition parties. The government is misusing the agencies. ED is now working like BJP goons, we are opposing it…”

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the opposition and the people have come together at the Ramlila Maidan.

“The Opposition and the people have come together here. Now, it is BJP versus India. There should be a change and the dictator government should go now…,” Tiwari said.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21. He is in custody till April 1. (ANI)

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INDIA bloc

INDIA Bloc To Meet ECI Today: Mamata

By LokMarg

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today the INDIA bloc alliance will be meeting the Election Commission to express their “strong objection to the deliberate targeting” and “arrest” of opposing leaders at a time when the Model Code of Conduct has been enforced after the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Expressing solidarity with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise case on Thursday night, CM Mamata said that she personally reached out to Sunita Kejriwal to extend her “unwavering support”.

In a post on X, the ruling Trinamool Congress Chief said, “I vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the sitting elected Chief Minister of Delhi elected by the people. I have personally reached out to Smt Sunita Kejriwal to extend my unwavering support and solidarity.”

“It’s outrageous that while elected opposition CMs are being deliberately targeted and arrested while individuals accused under CBI/ED investigations are allowed to continue their malpractices with impunity, especially after aligning with the BJP. This is a blatant assault on democracy,” CM Mamata added in her post.

CM Mamata said that Rajya Sabha MP’s Derek O’Brien and Mohd Nadimul Haque will represent the TMC in the meeting with the poll panel.

“Today, our INDIA alliance will meet the EC to express our strong objection to the deliberate targeting and arrests of opposition leaders, particularly during the MCC period. To this end, I have designated @derekobrienmp and @MdNadimulHaque6 to represent @AITCofficial in this crucial meeting with the Election Commission,” she said.

The opposition bloc has come out in support of Arvind Kejriwal after his arrest.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in a post on X in Hindi, wrote, “You will arrest Arvind Kejriwal but how will you arrest his thinking. Arvind Kejriwal is not a person but an idea and we stand with our leader like a rock. Inquilab Zindabad!”

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister, saying, “I call upon the Supreme Court to take Suo Motu cognizance on what has happened… What has happened is violative of the spirit of democracy.”

Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest came days after the ED arrested Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS), the leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

Kejriwal’s arrest also comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be held from April 19 to June 1, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission earlier in the month. (ANI)

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SP-Cong Alliance Will Cost BJP Dear

SP-Cong Alliance Will Cost BJP Over 30 Lok Sabha Seats In UP

By LokMarg

Rajeev Rai, national secretary and spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party, says their party’s alliance with the Congress will shake BJP to its roots in Uttar Pradesh. His views:

The recent and recurring failure of the Yogi Adityanath government to even conduct fair examinations for police recruitments in Uttar Pradesh has exposed the hollowness of their claims of good governance. If we go with the statistics, over three crore families have been affected with this paper leak forcing them to rethink about the competence of the BJP government. The ongoing wide-scale protests are an indication that Yogi government has lost its appeal among the state electorate. This will ultimately reflect in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections undoubtedly.

And then comes a final nail in their taboot (coffin) as the sealing of seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The coming together of SP and Congress has consolidated the minority community that will vote for us strengthening our prospects and increasing our numbers substantially.

In addition, the inconsistent switch of loyalties by leaders like Om Prakash Rajbhar (SBSP) has angered the OBC community and they, along with a majority of voters of other communities, will be opting for candidates with higher moralities, self-respect and dignity. In my opinion, the BJP tally will be reduced by a minimum of 30 seats in the ensuing electoral battle in the state

The biggest election issue today is unemployment among the state youth. And the Uttar Pradesh janata is asking the BJP leaders that if they cannot properly conduct the competitive exams for police recruitment how are they going to solve the larger issue of creating jobs?

ALSO READ: Narendra Modi’s Southern Discomfort

This was not the first exam (ever since the BJP formed the government in UP in 2017) in which question papers were leaked. About nine competitive exams conducted in the past six years have been cancelled or suspended due to paper leak or corruption charges, forcing the youths to wait endlessly for gainful employment. They constantly live in the fear of getting over-age by the time the examinations are rescheduled/held cleanly.

Not only in UP, the BJP should wait for a shocker in neighboring states like Bihar too where the untiring efforts and the commitment of Tejashwi Yadav (RLD) will demolish the tally of the BJP. In addition, the constant inflation, pan-India unemployment are constantly adding to the discomfort of the people and the saffron party is heading to a substantial loss of over 20 seats in MP and over 70 seats in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka.

In addition, the results of the stronghold states of BJP that include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh will also be a shocker and shattering the tall claims of 370 seats for the party and 400-plus seats for the NDA. You cannot win elections by simply painting rosy pictures and selling fake dreams continuously – the voter is now aware and is now fed up with the false promises and claims being made and sold continuously for the past ten years and the country stands united for a positive change.

As told to Rajat Rai 

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INDIA bloc

Modi Takes On INDI Alliance, Says They Work For Parivar

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi targetted the opposition coalition, INDIA bloc while addressing a gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Friday.

He said that the INDI alliance works for their ‘parivar’ (family) not the welfare of the poor.

“Today every Dalit and every backward person of the country has to keep one more thing in mind. In our country, the people of the INDI alliance, who believe in instigating and fighting in the name of caste, oppose the schemes for the benefit of Dalits and the deprived. In the name of the welfare of the poor, these people do politics for their family,” the Prime Minister said.

While addressing the 647th birth anniversary event of Sant Ravidas, PM Modi said, “Today our government is taking forward the ideas of Sant Ravidas ji. BJP government is for everyone, BJP government’s schemes are for everyone.”

“Today, this mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Effort’ has also become the mantra to connect with 140 crore countrymen,” he said.

The Prime Minister state that equality comes only by giving priority to the deprived society and that his government has been committed to serving every section of society and their development.

“In the last 10 years, work has been done keeping in mind those people who remained away from the stream of class development. Earlier, the poor were considered last, today the biggest schemes have been made for them,” he said.

“Being the MP here and being the public representative of Kashi, it is my special responsibility to take special care of your facilities. I am happy that I have got the opportunity to fulfil these responsibilities on the birth anniversary of Saint Ravidas Ji,” the Prime Minister added.

PM Modi said that Sant Ravidas presented society with the importance of freedom and also worked to bridge the social divide.

“High caste, untouchability, discrimination. He raised his voice against all this. India has a history that whenever the country is in need, some saint, sage or great personality is born in India. Saint Ravidas ji was a great saint of the Bhakti movement, who gave new energy to the weak and divided India,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi offered a floral tribute to Sant Guru Ravidas during the event.

During the occasion, the Prime Minister unveiled a statue of Sant Ravidas at Varanasi today. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath was also present.

“Today I also have the privilege of inaugurating the new statue of Saint Ravidas ji. The foundation stone of Sant Ravidas Museum was also laid today,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi also offered prayers at Sant Ravidas Janamsthal in Varanasi.

Guru Sant Ravidas was a great Saint, philosopher, poet, social reformer, and follower of God in India during the 15th century.

He was one of the most famous and leading stars of the nirguna sampradaya (sant parampara) and was one of the prominent leaders of the North Indian Bhakti movement.

He also worked against the system of untouchability in society by the higher caste people for lower caste people.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi distributed prizes to winners of Sansad Sanskrit Pratiyogita at BHU in Varanasi.

The Prime Minister also launched two books on Kashi during the occasion.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit Banas Kashi Sankul, a milk processing unit of Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd built at UPSIDA Agro Park, Karkhiyaon, Varanasi later in the day.

After this, he will address a public function where the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore in Varanasi.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate several projects related to tourism and spiritual tourism in Varanasi. These projects include ten spiritual journeys along the Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg and the redevelopment of public facilities at five stops on the Pavan Path.

23 schemes worth Rs 10,972 crore are to be launched and the foundation stone for 12 schemes worth Rs 2195.07 crore will be laid by the Prime Minister. (ANI)

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Lok Sabha 2024 elections AAP Assam

AAP Declares Candidates For 3 LS Seats In Assam

By LokMarg

With only a few months remaining for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party announced three seats in Assam on Thursday, stressing that the party is now tired of talking with INDIA bloc partners.

Addressing a press conference, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak announced that AAP candidate Manoj Dhanohar will contest from Dibrugarh, Bhaven Chaudhary from Guwahati and Rishi Raj from Sonitpur.

During his address, the AAP MP said discussions with the INDIA bloc have been going on for months and stressed a sense of urgency, stating that the party is weary of continuous talks and needs to participate and succeed in the elections.

“Talks with the INDIA alliance have been going on for months. We are growing tired of merely talking now. We have to contest the elections and win them too. We don’t have time. We stand with the INDIA alliance and hope that the alliance allots these three seats announced today to the AAP,” he said.

“When you come into an alliance and your target is to win the election, time and strategy are paramount. We have become tired of talking. How much more time will be wasted in talking,” he added.

Reacting to the AAP’s move, Assam BJP leader Hemanga Thakuria said that the INDI alliance won’t last long.

He said that the BJP had already predicted the short-lived nature of the INDI alliance when it was established in Delhi, and recent events have proven the stance.

“When the INDI alliance was formed in Delhi, then only we said that it wouldn’t last long, and now it has been proved. Already Nitish Kumar has joined our NDA, in West Bengal TMC is distancing itself from Congress, and now the AAP has declared three seats. The INDI alliance is now dissolved.”

Emphasizing BJP’s ‘Mission 400’, BJP leader Hemanga Thakuria said that the opposition should now realize that PM Modi is ‘unstoppable’.

He further asserted that the BJP alliance is going to win more than 12 seats in Assam and the party is working for it. (ANI)

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Chandigarh Mayor Election: BJP's Manoj Sonkar Wins

Chandigarh Mayor Election: BJP’s Manoj Sonkar Wins

By LokMarg

The Bharatiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Manoj Sonkar won the Chandigarh mayoral elections on Tuesday, the first election battle against the INDIA bloc by defeating the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Kuldeep Kumar.

Meanwhile, BJP secured 16 votes for its mayor candidate Manoj Sonkar and Kuldeep Singh, the joint candidate of Congress and AAP was able to manage 12 votes. 8 votes were declared invalid.

After BJP’s Manoj won the Chandigarh mayor election, a ruckus broke out in the House. Congress and AAP councillors accused the BJP of cheating and not following the due electoral process

Reacted to the allegations of AAP, newly-elected Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar said that levelling allegations is the AAP-Congress job.

“Wherever they don’t have their way, they level allegations…Everything is on camera. But when they couldn’t digest their defeat, they created this atmosphere and started blaming us,” Sonkar said.

He further alleged that AAP-Congress leaders started tearing ballot papers and jostling people around after the name of the Mayor was announced.

“They started tearing ballot papers and jostling people around after the name of the Mayor was announced…When they can’t run a small city, how can they run a state?…Let them do press conference, we are not wrong. We have won the election,” he added.

The polls were conducted today after the presiding officer fell ill on the initial date, January 8 of holding the polls.

The fresh scheduling of the elections, which AAP MP Raghav Chadha described as the first direct electoral contest between the BJP and the Opposition bloc–INDIA–happened on the order of the Punjab-Haryana High Court.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 24, 2024, announced the decision to hold the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections on January 30 and also vested the responsibility for security in the Chandigarh Police. (ANI)

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