Tag: BJP

Decoding Jharkhand verdict: Why JMM-Congress poll win is a game changer.

Source – indiatoday.in

Jharkhand has voted the BJP out in a big-impact mandate, six months after the party handed a massive Lok Sabha election victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The verdict favoured the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance which rode a Chhattisgarh-like tribal backlash as the BJP faltered on many political fronts.

The debacle has been made tougher to swallow for the BJP by the loss of sitting Chief Minister Raghubar Das. He lost Jamshedpur East with a margin of 15,833 votes. He had won the seat with a margin of 70,000 votes in 2014. It proved conclusively that the BJP government in the state suffered crippling anti-incumbency.

The Jharkhand loss is yet another derailment the once unbeatable Modi-Shah electoral juggernaut has suffered and this will impact the BJP, the NDA and the overall politics.

A look at India’s political map shows the BJP’s rise and slide in the last three years. In 2017, the Modi-Shah duo had the BJP/NDA flag fluttering over almost 70 per cent of the country. By the time the Shiv Sena took charge of Maharashtra with the NCP and the Congress, the saffron footprint was down to a little over 40 per cent. Jharkhand will bring it down to 35 per cent.

The Jharkhand verdict underlines a new pattern that should worry the BJP. The party’s failure to keep allies is being attributed to the heavier muscle the majority 2019 verdict has given to the BJP. The party has been trumped by regional player JMM like Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra. And again PM Modi’s bête noire, the Congress, has a hand in the BJP’s loss, like in Maharashtra.

WHAT WENT WRONG

The BJP over estimated its strength to begin with. Its ally AJSU wanted 20-odd seats. The BJP didn’t want to give more than 15. Tight fisted and big brotherly, the BJP made a Plan B and decided to go alone.

Some party leaders said that it felt an out-of-alliance AJSU will make the contest multi-party and split the votes against it. The mandate shows this was a blunder. The BJP plus AJSU as allies in 2014 had polled 35 per cent (BJP 31 per cent and AJSU 4 per cent). This time, the BJP polled 34 per cent and AJSU 9 per cent but their seats plummeted.

Speaking to India Today TV, BJP spokesperson Aman Sinha denied that the party has been handed a drubbing. He said, “The party’s vote share has gone up.”

But a close look at the results shows the share is up as it contested 81 seats compared to 70 last time.

The sitting CM’s loss showcases the huge anti-incumbency against the BJP government in the state despite the PM and the central government still enjoying immense popularity.

The BJP’s defeat has multilayered reasons. In 2014, the party chose Raghubar Das, a nontribal leader, as chief minister for a tribal-dominated state. It created a disruptive political template to transcend the caste divide and reduce the whip of the dominant voting group.

But after the five-year rule, the BJP has won just two of the tribal-dominated seats. The decimation is a sign that the BJP’s disruptive template flopped as its actions antagonised the dominant tribals.

The changes it proposed to the Shanthal Parganas Tenancy Act and Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act threatened tribals’ right over land. The tribals didn’t get a share in jobs in the state. Para teachers’ and Anganwadi workers’ protests faced hostile police crackdown. The state government brought the anti-conversion bill which was ferociously opposed by the tribals.

The government’s delivery of welfare schemes was terrible in a state which has 46 per cent people below the poverty line (the national average is 28 per cent). The government could not create jobs and economic achchhe din as 44 per cent investment projects remained stalled between 2016-19.

The Opposition could paint the BJP anti-tribal led by an “outsider CM” as Das was born in Chhattisgarh.

The JMM whose founder Shibu Soren had led a huge uprising of the tribals first against “mahajani pratha” or money lenders’ oppression and then the battle for a separate state of Jharkhand became the immediate beneficiary. Allies Congress and RJD brought the anxiety driven minority vote as the BJP raised issues like Article 370, Ram Mandir, CAA and NRC.

The PM and the BJP tried in vain to make up for local dissatisfaction by bringing in national issues and a polarising push. The party has paid a price for poor brand management yet again.

Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, speaking to India Today TV, said, “The state unit can’t be held solely responsible for the loss. Everyone has to share the blame. The BJP has to realise that it needs a local profile which is distinct and in sync with the national party. When it comes to alliance, the party needs to realise regional aspirations can play within the national fold in the presence of a dominant party”

JHARKHAND POLL RESULT IMPLICATION

The political map of India presents a worrying picture for the BJP. From Rajasthan in the west to Bengal in the east, one can travel without driving through a BJP-ruled state.

Due to this, the perception about the Modi-Shah duo’s capability to create successful political strategies has taken a serious hit ahead of crucial elections in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.

The biggest impact will be on the BJP’s relations with existing and future allies. The party is no more the same heavy-duty coalition magnet. Since 2017, it has lost PDP, TDP, Shiv Sena and AJSU.

Allies like Nitish Kumar, for example, may feel emboldened and seek more or equal share in seats in Bihar. Already Nitish has spoken against NRC and it may force the BJP to put the controversial move that is close to its heart on the back burner. Future partners may also ask for greater space.

Another state loss means the BJP’s position in Rajya Sabha may not improve anytime in near future and keep the party dependent on non-NDA players like the AIADMK and the BJD.

The Modi government’s legislative capability will take a hit as Constitutional amendments need ratification by 50 per cent state assemblies.

The Jharkhand loss is ill-timed too. The central government is facing a negative perception over the economic slowdown and nationwide protests. This may impact the BJP cadre’s morale.

Jailed Lalu Prasad Beats BJP In Jharkhand From Hospital Bed.

Source – news.abplive.com

Ranchi: His political career has been written off by many but RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, currently jailed in a fodder scam case in the Birsa Munda jail here, again proved his prowess by accomplishing the BJP’s defeat in Jharkhand by preserving the opposition alliance comprising his party, the JMM and the Congress.

According to a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, Lalu Prasad, currently admitted to the Ranchi Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), proved a boon for the Grand Alliance in the state, where it is currently leading in over 45 out of the 81 seats.

Ahead of the assembly polls, when the Congress, the RJD and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) were in talks to finalise seat-sharing in the mineral-rich eastern state, the RJD chief, who on a number of occasions has been kingmaker in Bihar and at the Centre, convinced his son and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav to accept the formula.

A RJD leader, who did not wish to be named, said Tejashwi Yadav wanted to contest in more seats of his choice.

“Following his demands, Tejashwi also did not participate in a joint press conference in Ranchi despite being present in the state capital,” the party leader said, adding that after the RJD leader’s absence, questions were being raised on the future of Grand Alliance in the state.

“However, Laluji, who was then admitted in RIMS, then convinced Tajaswi to hold talks with (JMM chief) Hemant Soren and the Congress leaders.

“Laluji knew that if Tejashwi remained adamant on his demands, then the opposition will break ahead of the assembly polls and will pave the way for the BJP to win easily,” the RJD leader said.

Speaking to IANS over phone, senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said: “It was the experience of Laluji that saved the alliance in the state ahead of the polls. And Laluji’s experience in Jharkhand also helped the Grand Alliance to defeat the arrogant BJP in Jharkhand.”

He said that Lalu Prasad’s intervention at “perfect time” helped to bring the anti-BJP parties together in the state as he convinced Tejashwi Yadav to agree to the seven seats allotted to the RJD.

The JMM and Congress contested on 43 and 31 seats, respectively.

Jharkhand voted in five phases from November 30 to December 20 and the results are being counted on Monday.

In Jharkhand, Congress borrows a strategy from Maharashtra’s Sharad Pawar.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s campaign strategy in Maharashtra shaped the Congress’s line of campaigning in Jharkhand as it kept the focus on local issues, economy and jobs, and avoided getting into a debate on nationalism, as pushed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The state, where tribals play a key role in politics, witnessed a bitter battle of narratives. While the BJP made Article 370, Ayodhya and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), now an Act (CAA), its poll plank, the Congress and its alliance partner Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) stuck to their tactic of keeping the rivals engaged on local matters, and limited their discourse on national issues to economic slowdown, price rise and unemployment.

The Congress had undoubtedly taken a leaf out of Pawar’s book as the Maratha leader during the Maharashtra elections successfully dodged the BJP’s nationalism narrative and extensively campaigned on local issues.

“It was deliberate on our part to keep the elections focussed on local issues and not fall into the BJP’s trap of making it nationalism-centered. We had also received feedback that there is strong anti-incumbency against BJP chief minister Raghubar Das and as such they will raise the pitch on Article 370, Ayodhya and the CAB,” said senior Congress leader Ajay Sharma. “We didn’t let that happen and kept the campaign entirely Jharkhand-centric.”

Sharma handled the Congress’s campaign in Ranchi and assisted the party’s Jharkhand in-charge, RPN Singh, in campaign strategy and planning.

He said the Congress also thwarted all attempts by the BJP to make it Prime Minister Narendra Modi-centric elections, as the ruling party decided to increase his number of rallies after assessing that the local leaders are not getting the required traction on the ground.

The Congress had crafted different campaign plan for each of the five phases of elections. The party had also planned to end the campaigning on December 18 with a rally by either Congress president Sonia Gandhi or party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The latter, eventually, addressed a public meeting along with JMM chief Hemant Soren at Pakur in the Santhal-Pargana region.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi addressed four rallies across the state.

“For the first time in 18 years, the Congress was in a fighting-fit form and we gave our best. Besides, the in-charge [RPN Singh] camped in the state for 40 consecutive days which never happened in the past,” said the party’s state working president, Rajesh Thakur.

But Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo dismissed the contention that the ruling party was on the back-foot on local issues and instead blamed the opposition alliance for polarising the elections.

“We started with ‘Ghar Ghar Raghubar’ campaign and talked about stability and development in the last five years of the BJP government. But the Congress and JMM leaders started polarising the elections by talking negatively about Article 370 and we responded by exposing their double standards,” Shahdeo said.

He claimed that the alliance also hit the panic button after getting the feedback that the minority voters were supporting the BJP in large numbers. “At the same time, national issues are always paramount for us. As far as increasing the Prime Minister’s number of rallies, the figures available suggest a clear 80.9% strike rate for him as compared to 18.1% that of Rahul Gandhi,” added Shahdeo.

But political analysts said the local issues dominated the poll discourse among a large section of voters during the elections. “Roti [bread], kapda [cloth] aur makaan [house] are important for all and they take precedence over national issues. Voters across the country have shown that they vote differently for national and state elections,” said LK Kundan, associate professor of the political science department at the Ranchi University.

The elections for the 81-member Jharkhand assembly were held in five phases between November 30 and December 20. The results will be declared on December 23.

As per their pre-poll agreement, the Congress is contesting 31 seats while the JMM 43 seats and the RJD seven.

On the other hand, the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union or AJSU Party could not come to an understanding and are fighting the elections separately.

“It is a ploy. They [BJP and AJSU] have been together for five years and will join hands after the elections. The people are seeing through their drama and will hand over a crushing defeat to them,” Sharma said.

Special CBI court convicts Ranchi’s Nirbhaya rape-murder accused after trial.

Source – indiatoday.in

Aspecial Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday convicted the main accused in the rape and murder case of an engineering student in Ranchi, Jharkhand, after a swift trial that lasted for a month, officials said.

In a big success in the most brutal crime which took place three years ago on the fourth anniversary of Delhi’s Nirbhaya rape and murder, the probe agency cracked the case using profiles of people in an area to narrow down suspects.

The CBI nailed Rahul Raj, who had absconded after committing the crime on the night of December 15-16, 2016, and used a number of aliases, using DNA lineage of his parents which matched with the sample found on the victim’s body and nails, the officials further said.

Officials said Raj is a habitual offender and is accused in a separate sexual assault case in Bihar and a number of theft cases Uttar Pradesh.

The CBI took over the investigation on March 28, 2018, and managed to crack it open in June this year, arresting Raj from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where he was in Jail for a separate crime, they said.

The court framed charges against him in the last week of October and in a swift trial, in which 30 witnesses were scrutinised over 16 working days.

The verdict came on a day expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court for raping a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district.

The quantum of sentence for Rahul Raj, a resident of Nalanda in Bihar, by the Ranchi Special court will be pronounced tomorrow.

The gruesome raped and murder case had triggered public outrage with innumerable protests outrage across the country in 2016.

Highlights|‘BJP took hard decisions’: PM Modi talks of Art 370, Ayodhya in Jharkhand.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two election rallies in poll-bound Jharkhand on Tuesday – one in Khunti and the other in Jamshedpur.

The five-phase elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly began on November 30 and will end on December 20. Counting of votes will take place on December 23.

Here are the highlights from his rally:

– Says the next five years are very important for the state and asks people to vote for the BJP.

– Talks about his government enacting law for reservation to economically weaker sections.

– PM Modi talks about the law on triple talaq, says BJP has worked to safeguard the rights of Muslim women.

– On the Ayodhya issue, PM Modi says there was conspiracy to delay the issue and the Congress used it for its vote bank. Adds, that such a big issue has been resolved peacefully and everyone has welcomed it.

– Talking about abrogating Article 370, PM Modi said, people of the country elected Modi to take hard decisions. Says, he only thinks about the country and that is why article 370, which had been in existence for decades, was revoked and the whole nation supported it.

– When it comes to taking hard decisions, only the BJP government could do it, says PM Modi. Says only the BJP can solve the problems of Jharkhand.

— PM Modi says BJP government is the first to think about people in the unorganised sector.

— PM blames previous governments for not making efforts to promote the production of tussar silk in the state. BJP government is moving forward with a vision to make Jharkhand a hub of tussar silk production.

– When there is BJP government in both Centre and state, the pace of development becomes faster: PM Modi.

– PM Modi talks about various government schemes launched by the BJP for the benefit of people.

– PM Modi says Jharkhand CM’s chair was up for sale during Congress-JMM rule.

– BJP gave stability to the state, says the PM. Adds, BJP’s double engine has worked for the benefit of Jharkhand.

– Says till five years ago, Jharkhand used to be in news for political instability. In just 15 years, the state saw 10 chief ministers. He blames Congress and JMM’s ‘selfishness’ for the instability.

– PM Modi asks people to remember the situation that existed five years ago, says there were only stories of corruption when the Congress-JMM alliance was in power. Adds, sveral of their leaders are still under trial.

– Ayushman Bharat scheme, world’s biggest health scheme, was launched in Jharkhand, says the PM.

– Jamshedpur is land of labour, land of enterprise; this land has fulfilled dreams of millions, enhanced India’s reputation in world: PM Modi at poll rally.

– I salute the spirit of the city and the founder of the city Jamshedji Nusarwan Tata: PM Modi.

– PM Modi says he is grateful for the presence of people in such large numbers. Says the numbers show that the BJP will get majority in the polls.

– PM Modi begins his address.

– PM Modi will shortly address an election rally in Jamshedpur. State chief minister Raghubar Das is the BJP candidate from Jamshedpur East assembly constituency.

– PM Modi appeals to the people to vote in large numbers to ‘reveal the lies of Congress and JMM’. Says, the election is for the development of Jharkhand. Asks people to remember the Lotus symbol.

– PM Modi warn people to be beware of Congress, says Congress has eyes on Jharkhand’s mineral wealth and want to loot it.

– BJP has made many efforts to promote tourism in the state and people from India and abroad come here to visit.

– Our government created the district mineral fund which stipulates that a certain percentage of revenue has to be spent in the district itself.

– Now that Jharkhand has turned 19, the next five years are very important for the state. Don’t miss the opportunity. I am always ready for you, just need your cooperation.

– The BJP government is giving special attention to tribal areas.  It was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government which created a separate Jharkhand state and created a separate ministry of tribal affairs.

– PM Modi says JMM-Congress alliance’s politics is that of deception, while BJP’s is of service.

– Lord Ram left Ayodhya as prince but returned as ‘Maryada Purushottam’ as he spent time with Adivasis: PM Modi at poll rally.

– The issue of Ayodhya which the Congress and others kept on dragging for long has been peacefully resolved.

— Says in states ruled by the Congress, the governments have not been able to fulfil any of its promises and thus, people have been forced to take to roads.

– The double engine of BJP in Centre and state is working to make lives of farmers and tribals easier. There is direct transfer in the bank accounts of farmers.

– The BJP government in Jharkhand has broken the back of naxalism: PM Narendra Modi tells poll rally.

– People of Jharkhand have faith in BJP that it alone can ensure state’s development:

– Today in Jharkhand, there is solar power being generated; says Khunti has been joined with Paradip with an oil pipeline.

Hundreds detained as anti-CAA protests hit multiple cities; Violence in UP, Bihar.

Source – indiatoday.in


Defying unprecedented prohibitory orders across regions, simultaneous protests broke out on Thursday in multiple cities against the newly amended citizenship law, prompting authorities to detain a large number of activists and students and clamp down on mobile services in parts of the national capital and other states.

While the protests remained largely peaceful at most places with the agitators depending on slogans and placards to express their opposition to the new law and what they called ‘barbaric police action’ against students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University, there were reports of violent clashes and arson in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Rail and road traffic was hit across several states.

Barricades by police in and around the national capital, closing of Delhi Metro gates at several stations and an unprecedented suspension of mobile voice, messaging and internet services in parts of Delhi added to the woes.

Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Nilotpal Basu and Brinda Karat, activist Yogendra Yadav and historian Ramchandra Guha were among those who were detained for taking part in the anti-citizenship law stir for defying prohibitory orders.

The law has been amended to enable grant of speedier citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they had to leave their respective countries due to religious persecution.

Despite raging protests, the ruling BJP and the government maintained there won’t be any rethink on implementation of the new law.

Slamming the opposition for protesting against the new law, BJP working president J P Nadda asserted on Thursday that the CAA will be implemented, and that the National Register of Citizens will also be brought in.

CrPC section 144 was imposed by Delhi Police in Red Fort area, but that did not deter scores of students and activists from converging there to raise their voice against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the police crackdown in JMI and AMU.

The agitators were put into buses in a bid to clear the Red Fort area. Holding placards and shouting slogans, the protesters allowed themselves to be escorted to the buses.

“We are requesting the protestors to please apply for the designated place for the protest. In the non-designated places, public face problems and many emergency services get affected,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said, while urging people to cooperate.

A large number of protesters converged near Sunehri Masjid in Old Delhi, after being pushed back by police from the historic Red Fort. They were heard raising slogans of ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ filled the air.

Slogans of ‘CAA Se Azaadi and NRC Se Azaadi’ were also raised by the crowd, which included locals from Old Delhi and East Delhi and a large number of students.

A large number of protestors gathered at the Jantar Mantar as well.

Several companies in the NCR region also asked their employees to work from home and cautioned them against joining demonstrations.

Guha, who was detained in Bengaluru for defying prohibitory orders, said it was “absolutely undemocratic” that police were not allowing even a peaceful protest, which is the democratic right of citizens.

The Communist Party of India too staged demonstrations in Bengaluru against the citizenship law and the proposed nation-wide NRC.

Protests were also held at several other places in the state, including in Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Hassan, Mysuru and Ballary where police detained demonstrators who violated prohibitory orders.

In UP, while a state transport bus was set on fire in Sambhal area of the state, while violent protests broke out in capital Lucknow too when a mob pelted stones and torched vehicles parked outside a police post.

DGP O P Singh said police had to fire tear-gas shells to control the situation in Madeyganj area, while nearly 20 people have been taken into custody.

The opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress legislators held their protest at the legislative assembly complex in Lucknow.

AMU teachers held a silent march opposing the new law in Aligarh.

“We feel that we are fighting for the idea of India as envisaged by the founding fathers of the nation. This is not a struggle for the rights of any particular community,” AMU Teachers Association secretary, Professor Najmul Islam told PTI.

Hundreds of AMU students protesting against the amended Citizenship Act clashed with police on Sunday at a campus gate, leaving 60 injured. After the protest, the adminstration had announced closure of the university till January 5.

In Bihar, members of Left-wing student organisations squatted on railway tracks at Rajendra Nagar Terminus early in the morning, while hundreds of activists of Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), floated by controversial ex-MP Pappu Yadav, burnt tyres on an adjacent road.

They also vandalized an ambulance which tried to make its way through the road and head towards a residential locality nearby.

In Jehanabad, which had been a stronghold of the ultra-Left movement in Bihar, CPI(ML) activists disrupted traffic on national highways.

In Maharashtra, the Congress, NCP and various other parties have formed a front called ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’ for a protest rally at the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, but Shiv Sena has kept itself out of this.

“The Constitution, drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar, is being violated and is under attack. This is the reason that the entire country has chosen this day to condemn the unconstitutional and divisive laws of the BJP government,” the front said.

Protests in West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya, which were at the centre of the stir initially, were largely peaceful.

Dozens of CPI(M) activists staged a protest in Jammu shouting slogans for immediate revocation of what they called a “discriminatory and undemocratic law”.

NRC to affect Jharkhand tribals, say activists.

Source – telegraphindia.com

The protests that erupted across the country on Thursday against the amended citizenship law and the proposed all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) echoed in Jharkhand as well, albeit in a low-key manner because of the model code of conduct.

Common citizens, representatives of civil society organisations and members of Left parties organised two protest marches in Ranchi and one in Jamshedpur. At the first march in Ranchi, the organisers pointed out that the NRC would affect tribals of the state. Adivasis enjoy land rights by tradition and most of their land is vested with village heads hence it will be difficult for them to show individual ownership of land, the activists pointed out. If the tribals can’t prove they own land how can they register in the NRC, the activists wondered.

Representatives of organisations such as Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Christian Yuva Manch, the Ranchi branch of the National Alliance for People’s Movement, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (which is itself an umbrella organisation of various such outfits), All India Students’ Front, Adivasi Mahila Manch and Nagrik Adhikar Manch participated in the protest.

“The CAA is a divisive pronouncement of the BJP government,” Bharat Bhushan Chaudhary of the Mahasabha told the gathering.

“The government is using police machinery to quell the voice of protest,” said Praful Linda of the CPM, who also addressed the gathering at the Zilla School ground in Ranchi, citing the police firing in Assam and attack on students of Jamia Milia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University.

“The BJP has turned Jharkhand into a laboratory for carrying out anti-minority, anti-poor and anti-tribal experiments,” alleged Vivek Kumar, a Right to Food activist associated with the Mahasabha. “They cancelled scores of ration cards that resulted in starvation deaths in the state.”

Vivek pointed to the many mob lynching cases and the BJP government’s attempt to tweak the tenancy laws meant for protecting tribal land “just to favour chosen corporate houses”.

The gathering marched to Albert Ekka Chowk where they formed a human chain. Members of CPI, CPIM, CPI-ML and MCC marched from Sainik Bazar to Albert Ekka Chowk in the second protest.

In Jamshedpur, around 100 activists of CPI-ML, AISF and other outfits marched from Sakchi roundabout to the district collectorate.

“It was part of the national call of various organisation to protest against the CAA,” said Deepak Ranjeet of the Jharkhand Jantantrik Sabha. “We had asked activists not to shout provocative slogans or indulge in any kind of violence. We submitted a memorandum to the East Singhbhum DC.”

Polling peaceful in Jharkhand 4th phase, voting in 65 of 81 seats over.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Voting in the high-stakes fourth phase of Jharkhand assembly polls concluded on Monday. Voters came out in large number across 15 assembly constituencies, registering a 62.46% turnout, a marginal decline of 2.12% over 2014 assembly polls.

This phase will decide the fate of 221 candidates, including two ministers and 12 sitting legislators. Chief electoral officer (CEO) Vinay Kumar Choubey said, “Polling was peaceful with no untoward incident recorded from any constituency.”

He said the final voter turnout might change once the data is compiled in a couple of days. With this phase, polls have been completed in 65 of the 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand. Voters defied Maoists’ poll boycott call in a few pockets of Dhanbad and Giridih districts. Shankar Mahto, a voter in Sindri assembly constituency, said, “Polling started at 7am but the EVM was defunct by 9am. It was restored around 10.30am.”

Poll boycott was reported from a few booths in Jamua constituency under Giridih district. “We received reports of poll boycott from a few booths but it is being verified,” Choubey said.

The fate of several prominent candidates, including revenue and land reform minister Amar Kumar Bauri, labour, employment and training minister Raj Paliwar and former ministers Mannan Mallick, Haji Hussain Ansari and Mathura Mahto was sealed in the EVMs.

The phase is crucial for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it had won 11 seats of the 15 in the 2014 assembly polls. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), AJSU Party, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) and Marxist Co-ordination Committee (MCC) bagged a seat each in the last assembly polls.

However, the BJP is confident of making clean sweep in the penultimate phase of Jharkhand polls. “We will win all 15 seats in the phase,” said BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.

Likewise, Kishor Nath Shahdeo, spokesperson of the Congress, which allied with JMM and RJD, said, “We are giving good fight on 12 seats and hoping to win them all.” He said, “Voters’ aspirations remained unfulfilled in the past five years, there is resentment against the BJP. So, people have turned up to show their support for alliance candidates.”

‘Can’t Differentiate Miscreants Through Their Attire’: Mamata Banerjee Responds to Modi’s Charge.

Source – news18.com

Kolkata: Terming the ongoing violence and arson in the state over the citizenship law as a “few minor incidents”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said just because the BJP has requisite numbers in Parliament, it cannot bully the states into enforcing the law.

Addressing a gathering against the Citizenship Act and the National Register for Citizenship (NRC), Mamata said, “They (BJP) are distinguishing people with their caps. They are identifying you with the clothes you wear. The country is passing through its worst phase and they talks about clothes.”

“Can they tell me who I am with the dress I am wearing? Can they tell me who is he (pointing at film director Gautam Ghose) with the dress he is wearing? What is going on?” she fumed.

Mamata’s comments came after Modi in a rally in Jharkhand had blamed the recent violence over the Citizenship Act blamed the Congress and “their allies” saying that those who are responsible can be identified by their clothes.

” Whatever the BJP is doing is for their own vested interest. They are indulging in divisive and hate politics, the result of which is in front of everyone. Look what is happening in Assam. Look what is happening in Tripura. In the coming days, even the citizens of BJP ruled states will also oppose this. According to them, we are not Indians. According to them, those who have fought for the freedom struggle are not Indians and they (BJP leaders/workers/supporters) are the only Indians,” Mamata said.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also spoke about the situation in Assam saying that nearly 100 people have committed suicide while others were shot dead.

“In Bengal 30, people have committed suicide due to NRC. Who will take the responsibility of their deaths?” she said and urged people to protest but not to take law and order in their own hands.

Mamata also claimed that the Centre has stopped railway services in the state over “one or two minor incidents” of violence. “Owing to one or two small incidents, the Centre has stopped railways services in Bengal. It is the duty of the Railway Protection Force personnel to protect railway property, yet we provided them support.

Condemning the violence at Jamia Millia University in Delhi, the CM said the “torture meted out to the students at the varsity was unprecedented”.

Alleging that the BJP was instigating violence in the country, she said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in a hurry in Parliament. “The BJP didn’t give opposition parties time to think and discuss the bill. It sought its passage in a hurry,” she added.

A day before Mamata had spoken staunchly against the Citizenship Act and asked the protestors to write a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, in which they should etch their names in blood.

“I would like to tell the ‘majority section’ that this battle is not for the ‘minorities’ alone. This is a battle for all. This is a battle for our existence. Go for signature campaigns holding black flags,” she added.

In opposition to the Centre’s order, she also stayed orders on work related to the National Population Register (NPR) across the state.

An official order issued by the additional secretary of Home and Hill Affairs Department read, “I am directed to inform you that all activities regarding the preparation and updation of the National Population Register (NPR) are hereby stayed in West Bengal. No activity regarding NPR may be taken up without prior clearance from the state government. The order has been issued in the interest of public order”.

Jharkhand Assmebly election 2019, Gandey profile: JMM’s Irfan Ahmed to contest against BJP’s Jai Prakash Verma.

Source – firstpost.com

Gandey election 2019 | Gandey Assembly constituency of the Giridih district will go to polls in the fourth phase of the Assembly elections in Jharkhand. The seat which lies in the Koderma parliamentary constituency, is currently held by BJP’s Jai Prakash Verma.

Demography: According to Census 2011, Giridih district has a population of  24,45, 474. With a sex ratio of 944, the district ranks seventh in the state. The district comprises of thirteen blocks Gawan, Tisri, Deori, Dhanwar, Jamua, Bengabad, Gandey, Giridih, Birni, Bagdar, Sariya, Dumri and Pirtand. As per Census 2011, the district has 2558 villages and 5 towns distributed in four Assembly constituencies. Census 2011 figures indicated that the percentage share of scheduled caste population to total population was 13.31 percent while that of Scheduled tribes was 9.74 percent. Based on the number of total rural households in Census 2011 and BPL Revision Survey of 2010-11 the percentage of Below Poverty Line (BPL)  households in the rural areas is 3.77 percent.

The district is well know for the availability of ruby mica and has several large coal fields which contain one of the best qualities of metallurgical coal in India. The extensive deposited of mica in this district are of importance not only to Jharkhand but to India and other countries also. It is mostly found near the Tisri and Gawan blocks.

Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency:

Constituency number: 31

Total electors: 2,69084

Males: 1,40,764

Females: 1,28,314

Transgender: 3

Polling stations: 350

Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 70 percent

Major parties in the fray: BJP, Congress, JVMP,, AJSU, BSP, IUML

The constituency is currently represented by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jai Prakash Verma who defeated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Salakhan Soren in the 2014 elections. In 2009, Soren, then the incumbent MLA, was defeated by Congress’ Sarfraz Ahmad by a margin of over 8,000 votes. In 2005, Soren had registered a victory over Ahmad.

Ahmad is contesting the 2019 election on a JMM ticket while Arjun Baitha is the AJSU candidate. Verma is also in the fray on a BJP ticket . The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has fielded Dilip Kumar Verma whereas the other candidates are BSP’s Avadhesh Kumar Singh, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Intekhab Ansari, IUML’s Md. Sayeed Alam and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation)’s Rajesh Kumar.

Fifteen Assembly constituencies will go to polls in the fourth phase of Assembly election on 16 December. The counting of votes for the five-phase Assembly elections will take place on 23 December.

The state is currently ruled by the BJP (37 Assembly seats) in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU) (5 Assembly seats). However, the BJP is seeking to come to power on its own after NDA allies, including Janata Dal-United (JDU) and AJSU decided to part ways with the saffron party.

The saffron party faces tough contest from the Opposition alliance consisting of the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and JMM. The alliance has rallied behind Hemant Soren as its chief ministerial candidate. JMM is contesting on 43 seats, the Congress on 31 and the RJD on seven seats in the 81-seat Assembly.

Out of the 81 Assembly constituencies in the state, nine are reserved for Scheduled Castes, 28 for Scheduled Tribes and 44 are of the general category. The term of the current Assembly will end on 5 January 2020.