#BYPOLLS 2018

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After pushing entire family into crime, UP gangster Atiq Ahmed suffers blow with son's death

Atiq’s first interface with the police goes back to 1984 when he was booked for attempting a murder in Prayagraj

LUCKNOW: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, awarded a life term in the Umesh Pal abduction case on March 28, got the biggest blow of his life when his third son, Asad, was killed in a police encounter on Thursday. It is the first personal loss he has suffered in his criminal history spanning four decades.

Police authorities said the murder of Umesh Pal hardly gave any tangible gain to Atiq and his gang. It was only a bid by his henchmen to re-establish fear among the people of Prayagraj. However, the move backfired big time. While Asad, 19, has now been killed, Atiq’s wife Shaista Parveen is still absconding. The third of the couple’s five sons, Asad was a first-year student at a law college.

The couple’s two elder sons -- Ali and Umar -- are jailed in other cases, while two minor ones are housed by the authorities in a shelter home.

Atiq’s first interface with the police goes back to 1984 when he was booked for attempting a murder in Prayagraj.

Five years later, he took the electoral plunge winning his first election as an MLA from Allahabad West, as an Independent in 1989. He retained his seat in the next two Assembly elections as well, also as an Independent.

In 1995, Atiq joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) and came to notice when the guesthouse where the then BSP general secretary Mayawati was staying with her party MLAs was attacked. MLAs and workers of the SP allegedly surrounded the guest-house and went on a rampage, angry over the BSP having broken ties with them.

In 1996, Atiq won from Allahabad West for the fourth time, as an SP candidate. Three years later, he joined Apna Dal, and in 2002, again won the seat. In 2004, he contested from Phulpur Lok Sabha seat on an SP ticket and got elected.

In 2004, in the bypoll held for the Allahabad West seat, after Atiq had moved to the Lok Sabha, BSP candidate Raju Pal defeated his brother Ashraf, fighting on an SP ticket. In January 2005, Raju Pal was gunned down, along with two of his associates, and Atiq was named as an accused along with Ashraf and others. While Atiq now has over 100 cases lodged against him, his brother Ashraf has 52 cases against him and is currently lodged in a Bareilly jail.

With the SP in power in the state at the time, on the Supreme Court’s orders, the case was transferred to the CBI. It filed a chargesheet in 2019 against 10 people.

Subsequently, Atiq got booked for a 2018 incident involving the alleged abduction of a businessman Mohit Jaiswal, who was taken to Deoria district jail, where Atiq was lodged at the time. Jaiswal claimed he was forced to sign documents for property worth Rs 48 crore in favour of his associates.

In the course of his journey into the world of crime and establishing himself as the head of a crime syndicate registered in police records as IS 227, Atiq pushed his entire family into it. His eldest son Mohammad Umar, who is currently lodged in a Lucknow district jail, is a co-accused in the Jaiswal case. His second son, Mohammad Ali Ahmad, is currently in Naini jail for alleged involvement in a case of assault on a property dealer in December 2021.

Apart from the Umesh Pal killing, his wife Shaista Parveen has had at least three other cases registered against her since 2019 under forgery and illegal arms at the Colonelganj police station in Prayagraj. The cases are pending in court, said a police officer.

While on the run, Shaista Parveen moved a local court in Prayagraj saying that the police had “illegally” taken away two of her minor sons – apart from the three named in police cases or in jail – on the evening of February 24 and that she had no information about them. The police later told a local court that the boys had been found in Prayagraj and were admitted to a child protection home.

[762175]

Kamal Haasan to campaign for DMK front candidate Elangovan in Erode

Chennai: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan will join the Erode East bypoll campaign on Sunday, canvassing for ruling DMK-headed Secular Progressive Alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan. This will be the first time Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is backing another party in an electoral contest since it has faced all polls, including the 2021 Assembly elections by itself since its founding in 2018.…

[poonamparekh]

Bypoll results 2018: Kairana has a loud message for Modi-Shah before 2019

The Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll result has yet again underlined the challenge that Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine is set to face in 2019 against a united Opposition. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) loss here is seen as yet another dent in the invincibility cloak of Prime Minister Modi and party chief Shah.

With the BJP likely to struggle a repeat of its 2014 performance in much of northern India, the Kairana loss puts into sharper focus Shah’s efforts at expanding the party in areas beyond the Vindhyas and Chota Nagpur plateau, and make inroads in the Coromandel coast states.

In 2019, the BJP needs to win in the northeastern states, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to offset its foreseeable losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, etc.

The BJP’s Kairana loss comes on the heels of its losses in recent Lok Sabha by-polls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Ajmer and Alwar in Rajasthan.

While the BJP emerged the single largest party in Karnataka, its failure to form the government jolted the confidence that its supporters had in Shah’s abilities as a ‘master strategist’. These are not good signs as Modi and Shah prepare for 2019, and the government has its work cut out for the remainder of its term.

[sharmaheena850]

Bypoll results 2018 LIVE: BJP trails united Opposition in UP's Kairana

Kairana by-election results will serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP. Catch all the live updates here

 Politics News: Bypoll results 2018 will be out in a few hours as counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday.  

The Lok Sabha seats that went to polls are Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra, the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and the Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

Further, by-elections were held in the Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra). 

The Kairana results, in particular, will also serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Kairana bypoll is also significant as it will test the ruling BJP's popularity in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh a year ahead of the 2019 general elections.   

In Kairana, BJP's Mriganka Singh is fighting against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD's) Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). 

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[awesomedimple-blog1]

Lok Sabha by-election results 2018 for 4 Lok Sabha seats in Kairana, Bhandra Gondia, Palghar, Nagaland and 10 Assembly Constituencies to be announced today. Catch live updates on Lok Sabha Bypoll results 2018.

[todaynewsguru]

Comeback Cong leader: Sudip Roy Barman, the 6-time Agartala MLA eyeing ‘bandhu’ profile

Comeback Cong leader: Sudip Roy Barman, the 6-time Agartala MLA eyeing ‘bandhu’ profile

Against various odds the Congress party’s heavyweight candidate from the prestigious Agartala Assembly constituency, Sudip Roy Barman, managed to sail through and retain his seat, which he had won in the 2018 Assembly elections on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. This was the only setback that the ruling BJP got in the current Tripura bypolls in four Assembly constituencies. The…

[net4news]

Tough fight likely between BJP and Congress in Maski bypolls

The Maski Legislative Assembly Constituency where bypolls are scheduled to be held on April 17 is likely to see a tough fight between the BJP and the Congress. Apart from nominees from the BJP and the Congress , a dozen local leaders are sweating it out in reaching the rural voters as the constituency includes a few villages carved out from Lingsugur taluk and more than 50 villages from Sindhanur taluk. The candidates and party workers need to traverse three taluks, Lingsugur, Maski and Sindhanur, to cover the villages. Going by previous election results, Mr. Pratapgouda Patil, who won for the third time from the constitutency in 2008 on BJP ticket, and earlier in 2013 and 2018 on Congress ticket, has proved his individual strength by winning three elections in a row though on different party ticket. After a year of the 2018 results, Mr. Pratapgouda Patil resigned from the Congress and also as MLA to join hands with the BJP and support the formation of the new government. At present, he is contesting on BJP ticket taking on Mr, Turvihal who is contesting on Congress ticket. When he contested on BJP ticket in the 2018 election, Mr. Pratapgouda Patil defeated Mr. Turvihal by a thin margin of 213 votes. After unanticipated political developments, Mr. Patapgouda Patil and Mr. Tuvihal are forced to fight each other again. The Janata Dal(S), which could not put up a fight against the BJP and the Congress in 2008, 2013 and 2018 elections, secured 11,392 votes when Somanath Nayak was its candidate in the 2018 election. Earlier, it secured 3,488 votes when Amaresh was its candidate in the 2013 election and 8,756 votes when Ayyanagouda was the party candidate in the 2008 election. This time, the party did not opt to field any candidate in the byelection after its State president H.D. Kumaraswamy declared that his party would not fight in the Maski Assembly and Belagavi Lok Sabha bypolls. As the Janata Dal(S) is not ready to face elections, it will now be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress in the byelections. Mr. Pratapgouda Patil, who has filed his nomination papers, will file a second set of nomination papers on March 29 accompanied by his party leaders in a grand procession. Mr. Turvihal, who is yet to file his nomination papers, has already started his campaigning in the rural areas braving the summer heat. Both candidates have been welcomed warmly by villagers in Sindhanur taluk. Last week, people donated money to Mr. Turvihal to be used for election expenditure, when he was campaigning in Sindhanur taluk. Source link Read the full article

[bbcbreakingnews]

Hyderabad civic polls: Stage set for high-stake battle of ballots

NEW DELHI: It’s not often that a municipal election makes national headlines. But such has been the buzz around the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election that it has grabbed the attention of the entire nation. And why not? When you have the Union home minister, who is also the second most important leader of the party ruling at the Centre, several top Union ministers, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh all campaigning in a city for a municipal poll, it is but natural that the country will sit and take note. “I want to assure the people of Hyderabad that we want to free the city from Nizam culture … ” said Amit Shah on the last day of campaigning after holding a road show in the city. The 10-day electioneering saw BJP top guns – from Amit Shah and JP Nadda to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath – campaign in the city and raise the pitch on issues like appeasement and dynasty politics. In fact, the big BJP push for these polls has even taken its political opponents by surprise. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, whose Telangana Rashtra Samiti had managed a handsome victory in the 2018 assembly elections – winning 88 seats with a vote share of 46.87 percent, has been forced to campaign aggressively to counter the BJP onslaught. “Some divisive forces are trying to enter Hyderabad and create havoc in the city. Are we going to allow it? Are we going to lose our peace …, KCR said at a rally urging people to vote for his TRS. Another key player in these elections, the All India Majils-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen or the AIMIM of the Owaisi brothers, engaged in a bitter war of words with the BJP leaders as they dared the party in its stronghold of Hyderabad. With a sizeable Muslim popultaion, the AIMIM has done traditionally well in the city in the past elections. In the 2018 assembly elections, the party won 7 seats with 2.71 percent of the votes. However, AIMIM’s strong divisive pitch, makes it a fertile ground for the BJP to push through its Hindutva agenda and polarise the voters. Little wonder, the emotive issue of renaming Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar and words like “surgical strikes, Rohingyas, razakars, terrorists, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Bin Laden, Babar and biryani” were used by the leaders to attack each other. In this rabble rousing battle for ballots, the real civic issues and the slew of promises made by parties on these issues, took a backseat. So, why did the BJP go full throttle in a civic election? The BJP’s high-profile Hyderabad campaign seems to be a well thought out and planned strategy to make inroads into the state ahead of the next assembly elections in 2023 and also the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024. With the Congress gradually losing its ground, the BJP is keen to occupy the space and spread its reach in Telangana to become an alternative to the ruling TRS, just as it has done in several other states. The immediate trigger for Hyderabad could possibly be the BJP’s bypoll victory in the Dubbak assembly constituency. In a close-contest, BJP candidate M Raghunandan Rao pipped his nearest TRS rival Solipeta Sujatha by a margin of 1,079 votes in the November 3 bypoll. The byelection was necessitated due to the death of Sujatha’s husband Solipeta Ramalinga Reddy of TRS due to health issues in August. BJP’s electoral gains in Telangana In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 4 seats polling 3626173 votes which was 19.65 percent of the total polled votes. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP could manage to win only one seat polling 1443799 votes which was 6.98% of the total votes polled. And while it may not be prudent to compare the performance of the party in two elections with different dynamics, for the BJP it was clearly a hint of increased support in the state. For the BJP, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, with over 74 lakh voters covering 24 assembly segments and five Lok Sabha constituencies, the municipal poll is a good ground to not just experiment but also spread its base in the state. In the last civic polls, the BJP could manage to win only 4 seats. The TRS with 99 seats was the clear winner and AIMIM with 44 seats was the second. Here’s a look at the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the four principal contenders in the December 1 election: TRS WEAKNESS/THREATS Both unemployed youth and students are unhappy with the ruling party due to lack of opportunities. The party is facing criticism for the way it handled the recent flood situation in the city. Opposition parties are using LRS and Dharani website issues as weapons in their campaign STRENGTHS The pink party’s biggest strength is the developmental work taken up in the city. The party claims works running into 67,140 crore were taken up in six years. TRS has about 6 lakh members and 100 sitting corporators. It has about 40 ex-officio members in GHMC who will help retain the mayor’s post. A large number of Muslim voters are likely to support the ruling party. Though TRS officially denies having any pact with AIMIM, the party is supporting TRS in the seats where it has not fielded candidates OPPORTUNITIES Lack of cadre strength in the Congress and the BJP may help TRS in this election. The party recently waived off 50 per cent property tax for residential properties which is likely to benefit the party. Apart from this, many middle and lower middle class families benefited from welfare schemes and will support the TRS CONGRESS STRENGTHS Despite losing a majority of seats in the assembly elections, the Congress cadre strength is intact in several divisions. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party won Malkajgiri seat apart from winning Assembly seats from Mahesharam and L B Nagar in 2018 elections. It also has the support of several Christian voters in some assembly segments. It has some spirited lead- ers such as party working president Revanth Reddy. WEAKNESSES/THREATS Many senior leaders like former union minister Sarve Satyanaranayana, former MLA Bik- shapathi Yadav and former mayor Karthika Reddy have left the party and joined the BJP. Losing a series of elections has been a major blow to the party cadre OPPORTUNITIES Though the party has many weak-nesses, its leaders hope to regain strength and secure more seats. According to party leaders, about 20 lakh workers still support the party AIMIM STRENGTHS AIMIM has a good hold in about 50 of the 150 divisions in GHMC. It has got seven MLAs from the assembly constituencies in Old City. The party winning assembly seats in Bihar and other states will augur well for it at home WEAKNESS/THREATS The party has received flak for its poor handling of the flood situation in Old City. Many colonies were inundated for several days. AIMIM has been blamed by several parties for the backwardness of the Old City OPPORTUNITIES Other major parties such as TRS, Congress and BJP have little scope to make inroads in Old City and with no other alternative, people are likely to vote for AIMIM in all Old City divisions. The party has good relations with the ruling TRS BJP STRENGTHS After securing four Lok Sabha seats and Dubbak by-election win, the BJP has seen an influx of workers from Congress and other parties. Now in the civic elections, BJP has emerged as the main opposition party. BJP hopes to gain ground in the civic body elections and topple the TRS and AIMIM WEAKNESS/THREATS The BJP is seen as a party for Hindus. Of the 150 seats, about 50 seats are in the Old City and Mulsim-majority divisions which are likely to go in favour of AIMIM. Some senior leaders are unhappy including MLA T Raja Singh over ticket allocation in his constituency OPPORTUNITIES Going by the Dubbak by-election results, analysts believe people who did not want to vote for TRS are looking at BJP as an alternative to the ruling party. Most anti- incumbency votes are likely to go to BJP Competitive populism: Free power, water and Metro ride for women From free power to free water to free Metro rides for women and students, all major parties have made enticing promises in their manifestos. Here is a look at some poll promises made by key political parties Power TRS: No power charges for hair saloons, dhobhi ghats and laundries. Minimum power tariff waiver for commercial establishments, industries and cinema halls from April to September 2020 in view of Covid19 lockdown. BJP: Free power to all houses using less than 100 units a month. Free power and loan facilities to all traditional professionals Congress: Free power up to 100 units per month and 100% electricity waiver for Covid-19 lockdown period (paid amount will be adjusted) Water TRS: Free water up to 20,000 litres a month BJP: Free drinking water supply to all houses and provision of tap connections Congress: Free water up to 30,000 litres a month and free drinking water connections° Public transport TRS: Hyderabad Airport Express Metro rail Limited will be set up, Metro connectivity to airport, Metro rail Phase II from Raidurg to Shamshabad airport,BHEL to Mehdipatnam, MMTS Phase II and elevated BRTS will be taken up. BJP: Free travel for women commuters in metro rail and city buses. Expansion of Metro rail and linking with metro and MMTS stations will be done. Congress: Free public transport RTC, metro rail and MMTS trains for women, students and differentlyabled persons. Extension of metro rail to Old City and airport Property tax TRS: Waiver of 50% property tax for those who pay up to Rs 15,000 a year for the current financial year (2020-2021) BJP: Waiver of property tax in all SC colonies, and slums. Free permission for construction of houses in less than 125 sq yards Congress: 100% property tax and MV Tax waiver during Covid-19 lockdown. No property tax for 2BHK houses, houses in slums and houses built in 80 sq yards. The same applies to barbers, gold smiths, carpenters, and washermen. Waiver of 75% tax to ex-servicemen.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/11/30/hyderabad-civic-polls-stage-set-for-high-stake-battle-of-ballots/

[diaspora9ja]

Explained: The politics of creating community-based corporations in Karnataka

Written by Johnson T A | Bengaluru | Up to date: November 28, 2020 8:20:28 am

The transfer to create an organization for the event of the Lingayat group has been assailed by the opposition Congress as a political tactic by Yediyurappa to consolidate the votes of the group, who make up 17% of the inhabitants of Karnataka and are identified to be ardent supporters of Yediyurappa and the BJP. (File Picture)

The BJP authorities in Karnataka has in current weeks introduced the creation of three new boards and firms to supervise the event of sure castes and linguistic teams — together with an organization for the event of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva group (a dominant caste to which Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa himself belongs).

The transfer to create an organization for the event of the Lingayat group has been assailed by the opposition Congress as a political tactic by Yediyurappa to consolidate the votes of the group, who make up 17% of the inhabitants of Karnataka and are identified to be ardent supporters of Yediyurappa and the BJP. An effort to hunt inclusion of Lingayats within the OBC class for reservations in central authorities jobs can be being extensively seen as a part of Yediyurappa’s try to extend his maintain on his group.

What’s the level of making community-based improvement firms?

The creation of firms and boards that oversee the event of caste and non secular teams are part of methods to win the political help of the members of those teams. The help of the Lingayat group, who predominantly reside in northern Karnataka, is essential to profitable practically 90 of Karnataka’s 224 Meeting seats.

The Lingayat Veerashaiva Growth Company, being arrange with Rs 500 crore funding, will goal to supply scholarships, loans and so on. The fast set off for its creation is the forthcoming by-elections to 2 Meeting seats (Basavakalyan and Maski)) and one in Lok Sabha (Belagavi) within the Lingayat belt in North Karnataka. The transfer got here on the again of Yediyurappa asserting the creation of a Maratha Growth Board — ostensibly to woo Marathi-speaking voters who’re a key section of voters in Belagavi and Basavakalyan areas.

Whereas the BJP has made an effort to unify all castes below the Hindutva umbrella, the technique has not been profitable past the coastal Karnataka area — the place the Hindutva issue and non secular polarisation has been a key influencer of polls for the reason that Nineteen Nineties, within the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. The BJP is but to win a transparent majority in Karnataka by itself and has needed to depend on defections of MLAs from different events to ascertain its majorities in 2008 and 2019.

Does the creation of such boards and firms assist events win elections?

Forward of a current bypoll in Sira Meeting constituency in southern Karnataka – a territory the BJP had by no means gained – the BJP authorities introduced the creation of a improvement board for the Kadu Golla Scheduled Caste group with a fund outlay of Rs 10 crore. The micro-level caste technique helped the BJP win the seat for the primary time. Whereas all main events fielded candidates from the Vokkaliga caste (the dominant group in southern Karnataka who make up practically 15% of the state inhabitants) the BJP has been specializing in key sub-groups of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.

Is there a bigger political significance to the creation of the Lingayat Veershaiva company?

The help of the Lingayat Veerashaiva group is taken into account the important thing that decides which get together will govern Karnataka. The group has been firmly within the nook of Yediyurappa and the BJP within the final decade. Within the 2013 polls, the BJP’s tally fell to 40 seats (from 110 in 2008) after Yediyurappa left the BJP and fashioned his personal Karnataka Janata Social gathering, which gained solely six seats within the polls however broken the BJP in as many as 36 seats within the Lingayat belt.

In 2018, when Yediyurappa returned to the BJP, the get together gained 104 seats. Forward of the 2018 polls, the Congress made a powerful bid to win the Lingayat Veerashaiva vote base by recommending to the Centre that Lingayats be accorded a minority faith standing.

The creation of the Lingayat Veerashaiva Growth Company is seen as an try not solely to consolidate Yediyurappa’s affect, but in addition to counter a requirement in some quarters for 16% reservation for Lingayats in authorities jobs and schooling.

How produce other events used this technique prior to now?

All events have created boards and firms for sub-sects in castes and non secular teams with political aims. Though a caste- and community-based socioeconomic survey was carried out throughout the 2013-2018 regime to establish the weakest sections of society and their numbers, the findings haven’t been made public as but they usually haven’t been used for implementing authorities programmes.

Whereas the D Devaraj Urs Backward Class Growth Company, the Dr B R Ambedkar Growth Company and the Minority Growth Company created a long time in the past are the principle entities for implementing welfare schemes, there are additionally dozens of boards and firms created for area of interest communities, a lot of which are sometimes disadvantaged of funds after they’ve been created. JDS chief H D Kumaraswamy introduced the creation of the Brahmin Growth Board at a price of Rs 25 crore and the Arya Vaishya Growth Board with an outlay of Rs 10 crore when he was the CM of the JDS-Congress coalition authorities between 2018-19. The previous Congress authorities headed by Siddaramaiah created a Bhovi Growth Company, a Babu Jagajivan Ram Madiga, the Karnataka Thanda Growth Company for the tribal Banjaras, and Vishwakarma, Uppara and Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdaiah Growth Firms.

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[poonamparekh]

Bypoll result LIVE: Kairana, Noorpur show united Opposition's threat to BJP

Bypoll results 2018 will be out in a few hours as counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday.  

The Lok Sabha seats that went to polls are Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra, the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and the Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

Further, by-elections were held in the Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

The Kairana results, in particular, will also serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Kairana bypoll is also significant as it will test the ruling BJP's popularity in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh a year ahead of the 2019 general elections.  

[gocurrentcom]

70.27% Polling In Madhya Pradesh Assembly Bypolls The average voting percentage in these constituencies in the 2018 polls was 72.93.(Representational) Bhopal: Despite the coronavirus scare, a 70.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Tuesday's byelections to 28 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

[net4news]

Political activities gain momentum in Basavakalyan

Political activities have gained momentum for the byelections to the Basavakalyan Legislative Assembly constituency where polling is scheduled on April 17 while counting of votes will take place on May 2. The last date for filing nomination papers is March 30. Scrutiny will be taken up on March 31 and the last date for withdrawal of nomination paper is April 3. The Assembly seat fell vacant due to the COVID-19 death of legislator B. Narayan Rao on September 24, 2020. Political activities in Basavakalyan gathered momentum following the announcement of candidates by the major political parties. The Congress has fielded Mallamma Narayan Rao, apparently in an effort to get sympathy votes following the death of Narayan Rao who represented the constituency since 2018 as party legislator. The Congress leaders are working hard to capture the seat in the byelection. Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, who has been picked by the Janata Dal (Secular) for the seat, recently left the Congress to join it. Springing a surprise and ending days of speculation on the choice of candidate for the bypolls, the ruling BJP on Thursday announced the selection of its candidate, Sharanabasappa Salgar, a political greenhorn and outsider , for the seat. The choice of Sharanbasappa Salgar even surprised BJP local leaders as well as political observers as the party was expected to field a bigwig. The names of two-time former legislator Mallikarjun Khuba and BJP State vice-president and son of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa B.Y. Vijayendra were names doing the rounds in BJP circles. However, now all the three contestants are first-timers. In the last 11 Assembly elections in Basavakalyan, the Janata Dal (Secular) won thrice in 1999, 2004, and 2013 elections. Basavaraj Patil Atoor emerged victorious on Janata Dal ticket in 1994 and 1989 and once on BJP ticket in the 2008 elections. The Congress won it twice in 1972 and 2018.

BJP aspirants protest

Meanwhile, BJP aspirants, who were trying to get ticket for the byelections from the segment, were furious after they learnt that all of them were sidelined in favour of an outsider, Sharanabasappa Salgar. As many as 16 aspirants who were denied ticket and their supporters and local BJP workers staged a protest in the city and Bidar MP Bhagwant Khuba’s effigy was hit with footwear before it was set on fire on Friday. The BJP workers along with disappointed aspirants held a meeting and took a pledge to not vote for the BJP in the upcoming bypolls. Source link Read the full article

[bbcbreakingnews]

After double engine power in Bihar, will it be a double Modi govt at Centre?

NEW DELHI: As exhorted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during campaigning for the recently-held Bihar assembly elections, the state has got a “double engine government” – with the NDA in power both at the centre and in the state. Now, with the BJP nominating former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi as its Rajya Sabha candidate for the upcoming by-election, a possibility of a ‘double Modi government’ in New Delhi. Sushil Modi is contesting for the Rajya Sabha berth which fell vacant due to the death of Union minister and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan. In fact, election for this particular Rajya Sabha seat is taking place for the third time in the last two-and-a-half years. Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was the first one to be elected from the seat for the fourth consecutive term in April 2018. The seat fell vacant after he won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Patna Saheb. Ram Vilas Paswan, who had decided not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, won the by-election held in June 2019. The seat came to him as part of a seat-sharing arrangement between the BJP and the LJP. The LJP got to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on six seats beside a Rajya Sabha seat from the BJP’s quota. Paswan chose to enter the Rajya Sabha and left his traditional Hajipur Lok Sabha seat for his younger brother and state LJP president Pashupati Kumar Paras. The LJP won all the six seats. It was Paswan’s second stint as a member of the upper house. And on both the occasions, he became a Rajya Sabha MP on the quota of other parties and not on the strength of his LJP. Since 1977, he had won all the general elections to the Lok Sabha. However, he lost the 2009 election. In 2010, he was nominated by Lalu Prasad-led RJD. However, he quit the Rajya Sabha seat two years before the expiry of the term and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with the LJP as an NDA ally and won it. Now, the BJP has nominated Sushil Modi to succeed Paswan in the Rajya Sabha berth, election to which will be held on December 14. The notification was issued on November 26 and the last date for filing of nominations is December 3. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan is yet to declare its candidate. Sushil Modi is certain to win the bypoll as a candidate needs 122 votes to win. The NDA has 125 votes in the 243-member assembly. Sushil Modi is also likely to be included in the Narendra Modi council of ministers. There are speculations of Sushil Modi’s services being utilised for the BJP. However, its chances are bleak because he is considered to be an efficient minister. With a long stint as Bihar’s finance minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, he headed the empowered committee of state finance ministers on GST and played a key role in settling contentious issues in the GST. If Sushil Modi becomes a part of the Narendra Modi government, the NDA government at the centre will have two Modis. With the NDA ruling at the centre and in Bihar, it has a double engine government. With Sushil Modi shifting to the centre, the NDA dispensation will have a double Modi government.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/11/28/after-double-engine-power-in-bihar-will-it-be-a-double-modi-govt-at-centre/

[bbbnews]

70.27% Polling In Madhya Pradesh Assembly Bypolls

70.27% Polling In Madhya Pradesh Assembly Bypolls

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The average voting percentage in these constituencies in the 2018 polls was 72.93.(Representational)

Bhopal:

Despite the coronavirus scare, a 70.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Tuesday’s byelections to 28 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

The average voting percentage in these constituencies in the 2018 Assembly polls was 72.93.

A total of 355…