The Mizo National Front (MNF), a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Friday reiterated it would not form an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly scheduled to be held on November 28.

MNF secretary for information and publicity Lalthanzuala Hnamte cited a Tripurainfo online news report to say that there were claims in the local media that the BJP and the MNF have reached an agreement to forge an alliance.

The news report said Tripura BJP general secretary Pratima Bhowmik has indicated that in a fractured post-poll scenario the opposition MNF may form a coalition with the BJP to form a government.

Bhowmik was also quoted as saying that the MNF could not have a pre-poll alliance because of a genuine fear of backlash from the majority Mizo voters but when the question of government formation will come up there will be no difficulty in forming a post-poll alliance or coalition.

"Distorting the statement of the Tripura BJP leader, people are spreading rumours to tarnish the image of the MNF, saying that the Mizo party and the BJP have reached an understanding in case of a hung assembly," Hnamte said.

He said the MNF president Zoramthanga had made it clear that the MNF would go alone and would not form any alliance with other political parties.

BJP leaders Amit Shah and Ram Madhav, in Mizoram recently, had also clearly said that their party would not have any alliance with the MNF, he said.

"The MNF and the BJP leadership had never met to deliberate on pre- or post-poll alliance for coming assembly polls," he said, adding, it was the ruling Congress which formed a coalition government with the BJP in Chakma Autonomous District Council.&nbsp;

The Mizo National Front (MNF), a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Friday reiterated it would not form an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly scheduled to be held on November 28.

The Mizo National Front (MNF), a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Friday reiterated it would not form an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly scheduled to be held on November 28. MNF secretary for information and publicity Lalthanzuala Hnamte cited a Tripurainfo online news report to say that there were claims in the local media that the BJP and the MNF have reached an agreement to forge an alliance. The news report said Tripura BJP general secretary Pratima Bhowmik has indicated that in a fractured post-poll scenario the opposition MNF may form a coalition with the BJP to form a government. Bhowmik was also quoted as saying that the MNF could not have a pre-poll alliance because of a genuine fear of backlash from the majority Mizo voters but when the question of government formation will come up there will be no difficulty in forming a post-poll alliance or coalition. "Distorting the statement of the Tripura BJP leader, people are spreading rumours to tarnish the image of the MNF, saying that the Mizo party and the BJP have reached an understanding in case of a hung assembly," Hnamte said. He said the MNF president Zoramthanga had made it clear that the MNF would go alone and would not form any alliance with other political parties. BJP leaders Amit Shah and Ram Madhav, in Mizoram recently, had also clearly said that their party would not have any alliance with the MNF, he said. "The MNF and the BJP leadership had never met to deliberate on pre- or post-poll alliance for coming assembly polls," he said, adding, it was the ruling Congress which formed a coalition government with the BJP in Chakma Autonomous District Council.

No electoral alliance with BJP in upcoming Mizoram polls: MNF

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth young, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) will be organising a three-day national convention in Hyderabad from October 26 to 28.The convention will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

BJP president Amit Shah is also expected to attend the convention along with several other national leaders from the party.

Around two lakh people are expected to take part in a three-day long programme.

Speaking to ANI about the convention, BJYM national president Poonam Mahajan said, "This is a one-of-its-kind convention. The most important part of the convention is that we will be having 70,000 office bearers participating in it. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be inaugurating the event and we have Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers who will come here and tell us on what can be done more to reach out to the people of this country. The concluding session will be attended by Amit Shah and after we have large Yuva rally and a public meeting at the Parade ground."

The opposition Congress, however, raised objection over the convention and said that the Election Commission (EC) should not permit such political meetings in the poll-bound state.

"I believe it is organised totally against the model of conduct. The Election Commission should not permit such political meetings. It`s a gross misuse of power by the central government. We condemn this act by the central government," Congress leader G Narayan Reddy told ANI.

The Telangana Legislative Assembly Elections is scheduled to be held on December 7, 2018, to elect members from 119 constituencies.&nbsp;

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth young, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) will be organising a three-day national convention in Hyderabad from October 26 to 28.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth young, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) will be organising a three-day national convention in Hyderabad from October 26 to 28.The convention will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. BJP president Amit Shah is also expected to attend the convention along with several other national leaders from the party. Around two lakh people are expected to take part in a three-day long programme. Speaking to ANI about the convention, BJYM national president Poonam Mahajan said, "This is a one-of-its-kind convention. The most important part of the convention is that we will be having 70,000 office bearers participating in it. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be inaugurating the event and we have Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers who will come here and tell us on what can be done more to reach out to the people of this country. The concluding session will be attended by Amit Shah and after we have large Yuva rally and a public meeting at the Parade ground." The opposition Congress, however, raised objection over the convention and said that the Election Commission (EC) should not permit such political meetings in the poll-bound state. "I believe it is organised totally against the model of conduct. The Election Commission should not permit such political meetings. It`s a gross misuse of power by the central government. We condemn this act by the central government," Congress leader G Narayan Reddy told ANI. The Telangana Legislative Assembly Elections is scheduled to be held on December 7, 2018, to elect members from 119 constituencies.

BJP youth wing to organise national convention in poll-bound Telangana

A complaint was lodged at a Sitamarhi court on Thursday against Union minister Smriti Irani for her alleged remarks on allowing women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

A controversy had erupted after Irani said at an event in Mumbai Tuesday that women had a right to pray but "not desecrate" places of worship.

Hours later, she tweeted that she made "2 factual statements" and "rest of the propaganda/agenda" was launched using her as a "bait".

The complaint was lodged before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sitamarhi, Saroj Kumari by advocate Thakur Chandan Singh.

Thakur Chandan Singh has made protesters against entry of women into the shrine as party in the case.<iframe data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>

On September 28, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple. However, women were stopped by protesters from climbing up the hill top shrine.

The complaint has been lodged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence punishable with death), 124A (sedition), 353 (deterring public servant from discharge of duty) and 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on October 29.&nbsp;

A complaint was lodged at a Sitamarhi court on Thursday against Union minister Smriti Irani for her alleged remarks on allowing women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

A complaint was lodged at a Sitamarhi court on Thursday against Union minister Smriti Irani for her alleged remarks on allowing women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. A controversy had erupted after Irani said at an event in Mumbai Tuesday that women had a right to pray but "not desecrate" places of worship. Hours later, she tweeted that she made "2 factual statements" and "rest of the propaganda/agenda" was launched using her as a "bait". The complaint was lodged before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sitamarhi, Saroj Kumari by advocate Thakur Chandan Singh. Thakur Chandan Singh has made protesters against entry of women into the shrine as party in the case. On September 28, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala temple. However, women were stopped by protesters from climbing up the hill top shrine. The complaint has been lodged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy to commit offence punishable with death), 124A (sedition), 353 (deterring public servant from discharge of duty) and 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on October 29.

Complaint against Smriti Irani in Bihar court over sanitary napkin remark

The Thoothukudi Magistrate Court on Thursday ordered police officials to register a case against Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, for allegedly abusing a co-passenger, Lois Sophia, who recently raised anti-party slogans on an aircraft.

The court ordered the police to register a case under Sections 341, 294(b) and 506(1) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), after Sophia's father had approached the court, alleging that Soundararajan and her party workers had reportedly used abusive language against his daughter and misbehaved with her.

On September 3, Sophia allegedly raised 'Fascist BJP Government down down' slogan on a Chennai-Tuticorin flight. Enraged by the same, Soundararajan, also on the same aircraft, got into a verbal spat with the co-passenger and later allegedly with the police, who were stationed at the Tuticorin airport.

Soundararajan also lodged a complaint and Sophia was later detained for interrogation. However, the police released the girl on unconditional bail.

The Tamil Nadu BJP president claimed that the girl belonged to some organisation and was tutored to misbehave with the BJP leaders.

"It is the duty of the media to find out the name of the organisation that she belongs to. No normal passenger sitting in the flight have the audacity to misbehave with the leaders like that. I am sure this move was tutored," she had said last month.

The Thoothukudi Magistrate Court on Thursday ordered police officials to register a case against Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, for allegedly abusing a co-passenger, Lois Sophia, who recently raised anti-party slogans on an aircraft.

The Thoothukudi Magistrate Court on Thursday ordered police officials to register a case against Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, for allegedly abusing a co-passenger, Lois Sophia, who recently raised anti-party slogans on an aircraft. The court ordered the police to register a case under Sections 341, 294(b) and 506(1) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), after Sophia's father had approached the court, alleging that Soundararajan and her party workers had reportedly used abusive language against his daughter and misbehaved with her. On September 3, Sophia allegedly raised 'Fascist BJP Government down down' slogan on a Chennai-Tuticorin flight. Enraged by the same, Soundararajan, also on the same aircraft, got into a verbal spat with the co-passenger and later allegedly with the police, who were stationed at the Tuticorin airport. Soundararajan also lodged a complaint and Sophia was later detained for interrogation. However, the police released the girl on unconditional bail. The Tamil Nadu BJP president claimed that the girl belonged to some organisation and was tutored to misbehave with the BJP leaders. "It is the duty of the media to find out the name of the organisation that she belongs to. No normal passenger sitting in the flight have the audacity to misbehave with the leaders like that. I am sure this move was tutored," she had said last month.

Court orders FIR against Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan

Long back, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar popularised the celebration of six Indian festivals as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s calendar. Of these, Vijayadashami, which marks the triumph of good over evil is possibly the most important. On this day, not only did the Mother Goddess Durga slay the asura Mahishasura but, it is believed, Sri Rama also killed Ravana. In the Mahabharata, this is also the day when Arjuna single-handedly defeated the Kaurava army. No wonder, the Vijayadashami address of the RSS chief is keenly awaited.

This year’s speech was delivered on Thursday, October 18, by RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Rao Bhagwat at the Reshimbagh Maidan, Nagpur. Bhagwat began by recalling how we would soon celebrate the 550th Prakash Parv or anniversary of Guru Nanak. Bhagwat stressed how Guru Nanak opened a “new path of self-enlightenment” by a “spiritual practice commensurate with the times.” He created a new sense of oneness in a society beaten and brutalised by “cruel, intolerant, savage foreign invaders.” We need not forget that the invader in question was Babar, who also destroyed the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. When Babar conquered Punjab, it is recorded that Guru Nanak was himself taken captive. Bhagwat also acknowledged the Sikh Guru parampara: “It is his [Guru Nanak’s] legacy that gave the country a magnificent and majestic tradition of 10 gurus who removed our state of penury and inferiority.”

Next Bhagwat remembered Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th anniversary we are celebrating. Gandhi, according to Bhagwat, provided “the political foundation of truth and nonviolence to the independence movement of the country.” He was one in a long line of “several great personalities of this country” who inspired “continuous enlightenment” and strengthened our “inclusive culture, based on love and truth.” Gandhi “inspired the common man of the country to come out of his home and stand firmly with a moral force against the British oppression.” Bhagwat immediately switched to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place on Vaisakhi 1919, when soldiers of the British Indian army killed nearly a 1000 unarmed men and women.

Nearly 71 years after our independence, our struggle to regain our self, our “sva,” is still far from over. Indian social and cultural life is yet to be fully decolonised. To preserve our svaraj or independence, Bhagwat noted, both defence and economic security are absolutely essential. He emphasised security at the border, improvement of infrastructure, employment benefits to our Armed Forces, and self-sufficiency in defence production. But there are in our midst elements “who challenge the law, Constitution and sovereignty of the country.” They must be sternly dealt with. “Incessant vigil” by state police and paramilitary forces is required, he added.

Bhagwat was also unsparing in his self-criticism of Indian society, identifying “ignorance, the dearth of development and amenities, unemployment, injustice, exploitation, discrimination and absence of sensitivity and sanity” as root causes of our sorry state. To end inequality and social disharmony, inclusive development was the answer. This meant implementing various policies to ameliorate the weaker sections, including SCs and STs. On the other hand, “urban Maoists” are taking advantage of social tensions and divisions. Their “cohorts” are “already established in social and other media, intellectual circles and other institutions”. Such anti-national elements are “experts in freely using deceit and poisonous provocative language to make their vicious campaign even more potent.” Bhagwat called this sort of ideological warfare “Mantrayuddh”.

Why is it that in independent Bharat, our rulers are yet “to make the administration people-centric”? Obviously, “political freedom” without all dimensions of our national life “reorganised on the basis of ‘sva’ (self)” is not complete. That is why the rebuilding of the Ram temple was so important. Its main aim was to restore the self-esteem of the people. But all elements of society needed to come together to accomplish this task.

&nbsp;While the judicial process would take its course, “it is in nobody’s interest to test the patience of the society without any reason”. Therefore, if needed, the Government could consider legislation as a way to solve the dispute. Similarly, on Sabarimala, the sentiments of the people had to be considered; just judicial intervention would not be sufficient. To adapt and adopt our “sva” to the times was how to make Bharat great once again, he said.

Listening to the Sarsanghchalak, I was suddenly struck by how the RSS, pilloried and castigated for decades for being hard line and fanatical, today represents the moderate face of Hinduism. There are many groups, even among middle-class Hindus who, impatient and dissatisfied with the BJP government, blame the Government for doing little for Hindus. Whether Bhagwat was addressing such groups or not is unclear, but he did appeal for 100 per cent voting “keeping in mind national interest as supreme”. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-moderate-hinduism-bhagwat-s-vijayadashami-exposition-2677093">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Long back, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar popularised the celebration of six Indian festivals as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s calendar. Of these, Vijayadashami, which marks the triumph of good over evil is possibly the most important.

Long back, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar popularised the celebration of six Indian festivals as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s calendar. Of these, Vijayadashami, which marks the triumph of good over evil is possibly the most important. On this day, not only did the Mother Goddess Durga slay the asura Mahishasura but, it is believed, Sri Rama also killed Ravana. In the Mahabharata, this is also the day when Arjuna single-handedly defeated the Kaurava army. No wonder, the Vijayadashami address of the RSS chief is keenly awaited. This year’s speech was delivered on Thursday, October 18, by RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Rao Bhagwat at the Reshimbagh Maidan, Nagpur. Bhagwat began by recalling how we would soon celebrate the 550th Prakash Parv or anniversary of Guru Nanak. Bhagwat stressed how Guru Nanak opened a “new path of self-enlightenment” by a “spiritual practice commensurate with the times.” He created a new sense of oneness in a society beaten and brutalised by “cruel, intolerant, savage foreign invaders.” We need not forget that the invader in question was Babar, who also destroyed the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. When Babar conquered Punjab, it is recorded that Guru Nanak was himself taken captive. Bhagwat also acknowledged the Sikh Guru parampara: “It is his [Guru Nanak’s] legacy that gave the country a magnificent and majestic tradition of 10 gurus who removed our state of penury and inferiority.” Next Bhagwat remembered Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th anniversary we are celebrating. Gandhi, according to Bhagwat, provided “the political foundation of truth and nonviolence to the independence movement of the country.” He was one in a long line of “several great personalities of this country” who inspired “continuous enlightenment” and strengthened our “inclusive culture, based on love and truth.” Gandhi “inspired the common man of the country to come out of his home and stand firmly with a moral force against the British oppression.” Bhagwat immediately switched to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place on Vaisakhi 1919, when soldiers of the British Indian army killed nearly a 1000 unarmed men and women. Nearly 71 years after our independence, our struggle to regain our self, our “sva,” is still far from over. Indian social and cultural life is yet to be fully decolonised. To preserve our svaraj or independence, Bhagwat noted, both defence and economic security are absolutely essential. He emphasised security at the border, improvement of infrastructure, employment benefits to our Armed Forces, and self-sufficiency in defence production. But there are in our midst elements “who challenge the law, Constitution and sovereignty of the country.” They must be sternly dealt with. “Incessant vigil” by state police and paramilitary forces is required, he added. Bhagwat was also unsparing in his self-criticism of Indian society, identifying “ignorance, the dearth of development and amenities, unemployment, injustice, exploitation, discrimination and absence of sensitivity and sanity” as root causes of our sorry state. To end inequality and social disharmony, inclusive development was the answer. This meant implementing various policies to ameliorate the weaker sections, including SCs and STs. On the other hand, “urban Maoists” are taking advantage of social tensions and divisions. Their “cohorts” are “already established in social and other media, intellectual circles and other institutions”. Such anti-national elements are “experts in freely using deceit and poisonous provocative language to make their vicious campaign even more potent.” Bhagwat called this sort of ideological warfare “Mantrayuddh”. Why is it that in independent Bharat, our rulers are yet “to make the administration people-centric”? Obviously, “political freedom” without all dimensions of our national life “reorganised on the basis of ‘sva’ (self)” is not complete. That is why the rebuilding of the Ram temple was so important. Its main aim was to restore the self-esteem of the people. But all elements of society needed to come together to accomplish this task. While the judicial process would take its course, “it is in nobody’s interest to test the patience of the society without any reason”. Therefore, if needed, the Government could consider legislation as a way to solve the dispute. Similarly, on Sabarimala, the sentiments of the people had to be considered; just judicial intervention would not be sufficient. To adapt and adopt our “sva” to the times was how to make Bharat great once again, he said. Listening to the Sarsanghchalak, I was suddenly struck by how the RSS, pilloried and castigated for decades for being hard line and fanatical, today represents the moderate face of Hinduism. There are many groups, even among middle-class Hindus who, impatient and dissatisfied with the BJP government, blame the Government for doing little for Hindus. Whether Bhagwat was addressing such groups or not is unclear, but he did appeal for 100 per cent voting “keeping in mind national interest as supreme”. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Moderate Hinduism: Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami exposition

India's main opposition Congress party said on Monday it would not name its leader Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of an alliance seeking to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next year's general election.

Congress is working to build an opposition front with other parties in preparation for the vote, and spokesman Sanjay Jha said it would respect the "aspirations" of potential alliance partners though no alternative candidates will be nominated.

Jha said the party would be following the same strategy as it did in 2004 when its alliance defeated a coalition led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without formally naming a prime ministerial nominee.

"Defeating the BJP is our primary goal, and therefore the Congress party is going to be very politically accommodating because we believe that regional parties' aspirations and their ambitions will have to be respected depending upon relative strengths in different areas," he told Reuters on Monday.

Many of Congress's potential alliance parties are run by ambitious regional leaders with years of governance experience.

Echoing Jha's comments, senior Congress leader and former finance and home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said the party's main focus was on forging an alliance to win the election, due by May 2019.

"We want to form a coalition, make it win and then the parties involved will decide who becomes prime minister," he told TV channel News18 Tamil Nadu in an interview broadcast at the weekend.

Scion of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty

Gandhi, 48, is a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for nearly four decades since its independence from Britain in 1947.

Unlike Modi, a powerful orator who ran the state of Gujarat before becoming prime minister, Gandhi has never held a ministerial position despite being a lawmaker since 2004 and critics question whether he has the charisma or experience to defeat Modi.

The decision by Congress not to impose Gandhi's candidacy could also be exploited by Modi to suggest the opposition alliance is indecisive and not fit for government, political analysts say.

It comes as the party struggles to hold together a so-called "grand alliance" ahead of not only next year's national vote but a series of state elections this year. Modi, meanwhile, is being buffeted by a jobs crisis and farm distress.

An opinion poll by TV channel Times Now predicted in August that nationally Congress would raise its seat count in the lower house of parliament next year to 78 from 44 in 2014.

The BJP is projected to continue its lead over other parties, though its seat strength could fall to 227 from 282 at the last election. A party needs to win 272 seats for a simple-majority out of the 543 seats in fray.

India's main opposition Congress party said on Monday it would not name its leader Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of an alliance seeking to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next year's general election.

India's main opposition Congress party said on Monday it would not name its leader Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of an alliance seeking to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next year's general election. Congress is working to build an opposition front with other parties in preparation for the vote, and spokesman Sanjay Jha said it would respect the "aspirations" of potential alliance partners though no alternative candidates will be nominated. Jha said the party would be following the same strategy as it did in 2004 when its alliance defeated a coalition led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without formally naming a prime ministerial nominee. "Defeating the BJP is our primary goal, and therefore the Congress party is going to be very politically accommodating because we believe that regional parties' aspirations and their ambitions will have to be respected depending upon relative strengths in different areas," he told Reuters on Monday. Many of Congress's potential alliance parties are run by ambitious regional leaders with years of governance experience. Echoing Jha's comments, senior Congress leader and former finance and home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said the party's main focus was on forging an alliance to win the election, due by May 2019. "We want to form a coalition, make it win and then the parties involved will decide who becomes prime minister," he told TV channel News18 Tamil Nadu in an interview broadcast at the weekend. Scion of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty Gandhi, 48, is a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for nearly four decades since its independence from Britain in 1947. Unlike Modi, a powerful orator who ran the state of Gujarat before becoming prime minister, Gandhi has never held a ministerial position despite being a lawmaker since 2004 and critics question whether he has the charisma or experience to defeat Modi. The decision by Congress not to impose Gandhi's candidacy could also be exploited by Modi to suggest the opposition alliance is indecisive and not fit for government, political analysts say. It comes as the party struggles to hold together a so-called "grand alliance" ahead of not only next year's national vote but a series of state elections this year. Modi, meanwhile, is being buffeted by a jobs crisis and farm distress. An opinion poll by TV channel Times Now predicted in August that nationally Congress would raise its seat count in the lower house of parliament next year to 78 from 44 in 2014. The BJP is projected to continue its lead over other parties, though its seat strength could fall to 227 from 282 at the last election. A party needs to win 272 seats for a simple-majority out of the 543 seats in fray.

Congress will not name Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate in election battle

The killing of a BJP and a TMC worker in two separate incidents in Birbhum district of West Bengal has triggered a fresh round of battle between the two parties with both blaming each other for the killings.

The body of BJP worker Tapas Bagdi was found hanging from a tree in Dwaraka village of Birbhum district, while TMC block president Dipak Ghosh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Khayrasole area of the same district Sunday night, police said.

Bagdi's family members said he had left the house after lunch. As he did not return home by night, his family started searching for him and found the body hanging from a tree.

The BJP Birbhum district leadership claimed Bagdi was a party worker.

Ananda Bagdi, father of the deceased, lodged a complaint at the Labhpur police station against five local TMC workers alleging that they killed his son, police said.

The district TMC leaders denied the allegations and said, "Our workers were not at all involved in this case."

Superintendent of Police (SP), Birbhum, Kunal Agarwal said the cause of Bagdi's death would be known only after a postmortem.

"We are now treating it as a case of unnatural death. We don't know whether the person was affiliated to any political party," the SP said.

On the Dipak Ghosh murder case, the SP said seven people have been detained for interrogation.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the TMC had let loose a "reign of terror" across the state and was trying to annihilate BJP workers.

"The TMC is trying to kill our party workers. Our party workers are either harassed, threatened or killed just because they are associated with the BJP. This is really shameful," he said.

The incident brought back memories of two BJP workers found hanging in West Bengal's Purulia district on June 2 and May 31, respectively, just after the panchayat polls concluded in the state.

The central BJP unit had hold nation-wide agitations to protest against the killing of two Dalit workers. BJP national president Amit Shah had also held a rally in Purulia to protest against the killing and had called for defeating the TMC in the state.

TMC Khayrasole block president Dipak Ghosh who was shot at Sunday night by unidentified persons passed away at a private hospital Monday, police said.

Ghosh was riding a motorcycle with a party worker when unidentified persons fired at him near Khayrasole village. Ghosh received bullet injuries to his shoulder and the lower parts of the body.

Birbhum district TMC president Anubrata Mondal alleged that goons hired by the BJP attacked Ghosh.

BJP district president Ramkrishna Roy denied the allegations and claimed that the killing was a result of the TMC's infighting.

Roy's views were endorsed by BJP state president Ghosh who claimed that Birbhum district had over the years turned into a battlefield due to the TMC's infighting.

"The allegations against our party are completely baseless. The TMC leadership should first answer why so many incidents are being reported regularly about infighting within the party," he said.

Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim termed the allegations of infighting as baseless and accused the BJP of killing TMC workers in the state.

"Just for the sake of power, the BJP is trying spread violence in various parts of the state. They are trying to terrorise us by killing our party workers. But we are soldiers of Mamata Banerjee and we won't let the divisive politics of the BJP succeed in the state," Hakim said.

The killing of a BJP and a TMC worker in two separate incidents in Birbhum district of West Bengal has triggered a fresh round of battle between the two parties with both blaming each other for the killings.

The killing of a BJP and a TMC worker in two separate incidents in Birbhum district of West Bengal has triggered a fresh round of battle between the two parties with both blaming each other for the killings. The body of BJP worker Tapas Bagdi was found hanging from a tree in Dwaraka village of Birbhum district, while TMC block president Dipak Ghosh was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Khayrasole area of the same district Sunday night, police said. Bagdi's family members said he had left the house after lunch. As he did not return home by night, his family started searching for him and found the body hanging from a tree. The BJP Birbhum district leadership claimed Bagdi was a party worker. Ananda Bagdi, father of the deceased, lodged a complaint at the Labhpur police station against five local TMC workers alleging that they killed his son, police said. The district TMC leaders denied the allegations and said, "Our workers were not at all involved in this case." Superintendent of Police (SP), Birbhum, Kunal Agarwal said the cause of Bagdi's death would be known only after a postmortem. "We are now treating it as a case of unnatural death. We don't know whether the person was affiliated to any political party," the SP said. On the Dipak Ghosh murder case, the SP said seven people have been detained for interrogation. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the TMC had let loose a "reign of terror" across the state and was trying to annihilate BJP workers. "The TMC is trying to kill our party workers. Our party workers are either harassed, threatened or killed just because they are associated with the BJP. This is really shameful," he said. The incident brought back memories of two BJP workers found hanging in West Bengal's Purulia district on June 2 and May 31, respectively, just after the panchayat polls concluded in the state. The central BJP unit had hold nation-wide agitations to protest against the killing of two Dalit workers. BJP national president Amit Shah had also held a rally in Purulia to protest against the killing and had called for defeating the TMC in the state. TMC Khayrasole block president Dipak Ghosh who was shot at Sunday night by unidentified persons passed away at a private hospital Monday, police said. Ghosh was riding a motorcycle with a party worker when unidentified persons fired at him near Khayrasole village. Ghosh received bullet injuries to his shoulder and the lower parts of the body. Birbhum district TMC president Anubrata Mondal alleged that goons hired by the BJP attacked Ghosh. BJP district president Ramkrishna Roy denied the allegations and claimed that the killing was a result of the TMC's infighting. Roy's views were endorsed by BJP state president Ghosh who claimed that Birbhum district had over the years turned into a battlefield due to the TMC's infighting. "The allegations against our party are completely baseless. The TMC leadership should first answer why so many incidents are being reported regularly about infighting within the party," he said. Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim termed the allegations of infighting as baseless and accused the BJP of killing TMC workers in the state. "Just for the sake of power, the BJP is trying spread violence in various parts of the state. They are trying to terrorise us by killing our party workers. But we are soldiers of Mamata Banerjee and we won't let the divisive politics of the BJP succeed in the state," Hakim said.

BJP, TMC workers' killing in West Bengal triggers fresh face-off between parties

Indian cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir may contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on BJP tickets, news reports said Monday.&nbsp;

The reports said Dhoni may fight from Jharkhand and Gambhir from Delhi. Jharkhand and Delhi are cricketers' home states respectively.&nbsp;

The reports added that they have been approached by BJP leaders and that talks are ongoing.&nbsp;There has however been no confirmation whether the players have accepted the proposal or not. &nbsp;

The reports said Gambhir will contest from the New Delhi seat. The reports added that he has wide acceptability and is known for his social work.&nbsp;

As for Dhoni, the reports said the BJP is keen on him as their star campaigner for Jharkhand.&nbsp;

While Dhoni is playing the current West Indies ODI and T20 series, Gambhir has been absent from the Indian squad for some time.&nbsp;

Indian cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir may contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on BJP tickets, news reports said Monday. The reports said Dhoni may fight from Jharkhand and Gambhir from Delhi.

Indian cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir may contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on BJP tickets, news reports said Monday. The reports said Dhoni may fight from Jharkhand and Gambhir from Delhi. Jharkhand and Delhi are cricketers' home states respectively. The reports added that they have been approached by BJP leaders and that talks are ongoing. There has however been no confirmation whether the players have accepted the proposal or not. The reports said Gambhir will contest from the New Delhi seat. The reports added that he has wide acceptability and is known for his social work. As for Dhoni, the reports said the BJP is keen on him as their star campaigner for Jharkhand. While Dhoni is playing the current West Indies ODI and T20 series, Gambhir has been absent from the Indian squad for some time.

MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir may fight 2019 election on BJP tickets: Reports

In a bid to reach out to masses in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the BJP Sunday launched 'Samriddh (Prosperous) Madhya Pradesh' campaign from here by flagging off 50 hi-tech vehicles designed as chariots.

The mass outreach programme is aimed at preparing 'Drishti Patra' or a vision document for the next month's polls on the basis of suggestions received from the common people, a party leader said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off the chariots, fitted with LED screens, sound systems and other equipment, from the state BJP headquarters in the state capital.

The chariots will comb all the 230 assembly constituencies in the next 15 days during which they would travel to at least 20 places in every segment.

The BJP has also released a phone number on which the suggestions can be forwarded either through WhatsApp, SMSes or by making a phone call.

Speaking at the launch function, Chouhan said his government had modelled various welfare schemes on the basis of feedback received from the common people.

"Because of this, we have decided to prepare a roadmap of a prosperous Madhya Pradesh on the basis of suggestions of the 7.5-crore people of the state," he said.

The chief minister attacked the Congress for its "misrule" of the past.

"During the rule of the Congress (before 2013), people were forced to take temporary roads in their farmland for travelling instead of the main roads which were almost non-existent then. People had to spend nights on roads during summer season due to power cuts," he said.

The CM also accused the Congress of pushing Madhya Pradesh into poverty through its policies.

"Every sector, including the education and irrigation, was in a bad shape at that time because of the Congress which had pushed this state into BIMARU category.

"We (the BJP government) lifted Madhya Pradesh from that category and turned it into a 'Sucharu' (smoothly run) and viksit (developed) state," he said.

BIMARU is an acronym for states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh grouped into the category in the past for their poor economic condition.

Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh will become a prosperous state in the next five years, if the BJP gets the popular mandate for another term.

Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28. Counting of votes will take place on December 11.

Meanwhile, the state Congress unit has sought the Election Commission's intervention to stop the "Samriddha Madhya Pradesh Abhiyan", which the party said is a violation of model code of conduct.

"This is time for the BJP to give an account of its work. Instead of doing that, they are luring the people with false promises and are misleading them by seeking suggestions and ideas, which is prohibited under the poll code. We have filed a complaint with the EC," said state Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja.

Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly Ajay Singh also dismissed the campaign as a gimmick.

"The chief minister is trying to sell false dreams to the people fearing defeat in polls, which is imminent. This campaign is aimed at deceiving the common people," Singh alleged.

Meanwhile, in an embarrassment to the BJP, a portrait of former prime minister and BJP patriarch (late) Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not put up at the launch function held at its headquarters.

When asked about this, BJP senior leader Prabhat Jha tried to play down the incident and said, "Vajpayee ji is in the heart of every person of the state. So, this incident should not be misinterpreted"

In a bid to reach out to masses in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the BJP Sunday launched 'Samriddh (Prosperous) Madhya Pradesh' campaign from here by flagging off 50 hi-tech vehicles designed as chariots.

In a bid to reach out to masses in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the BJP Sunday launched 'Samriddh (Prosperous) Madhya Pradesh' campaign from here by flagging off 50 hi-tech vehicles designed as chariots. The mass outreach programme is aimed at preparing 'Drishti Patra' or a vision document for the next month's polls on the basis of suggestions received from the common people, a party leader said. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off the chariots, fitted with LED screens, sound systems and other equipment, from the state BJP headquarters in the state capital. The chariots will comb all the 230 assembly constituencies in the next 15 days during which they would travel to at least 20 places in every segment. The BJP has also released a phone number on which the suggestions can be forwarded either through WhatsApp, SMSes or by making a phone call. Speaking at the launch function, Chouhan said his government had modelled various welfare schemes on the basis of feedback received from the common people. "Because of this, we have decided to prepare a roadmap of a prosperous Madhya Pradesh on the basis of suggestions of the 7.5-crore people of the state," he said. The chief minister attacked the Congress for its "misrule" of the past. "During the rule of the Congress (before 2013), people were forced to take temporary roads in their farmland for travelling instead of the main roads which were almost non-existent then. People had to spend nights on roads during summer season due to power cuts," he said. The CM also accused the Congress of pushing Madhya Pradesh into poverty through its policies. "Every sector, including the education and irrigation, was in a bad shape at that time because of the Congress which had pushed this state into BIMARU category. "We (the BJP government) lifted Madhya Pradesh from that category and turned it into a 'Sucharu' (smoothly run) and viksit (developed) state," he said. BIMARU is an acronym for states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh grouped into the category in the past for their poor economic condition. Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh will become a prosperous state in the next five years, if the BJP gets the popular mandate for another term. Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 28. Counting of votes will take place on December 11. Meanwhile, the state Congress unit has sought the Election Commission's intervention to stop the "Samriddha Madhya Pradesh Abhiyan", which the party said is a violation of model code of conduct. "This is time for the BJP to give an account of its work. Instead of doing that, they are luring the people with false promises and are misleading them by seeking suggestions and ideas, which is prohibited under the poll code. We have filed a complaint with the EC," said state Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja. Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly Ajay Singh also dismissed the campaign as a gimmick. "The chief minister is trying to sell false dreams to the people fearing defeat in polls, which is imminent. This campaign is aimed at deceiving the common people," Singh alleged. Meanwhile, in an embarrassment to the BJP, a portrait of former prime minister and BJP patriarch (late) Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not put up at the launch function held at its headquarters. When asked about this, BJP senior leader Prabhat Jha tried to play down the incident and said, "Vajpayee ji is in the heart of every person of the state. So, this incident should not be misinterpreted"

Madhya Pradesh polls: BJP launches 'Prosperous MP' campaign

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country.

According to a report by PTI, some right-wing Hindu groups have launched a campaign demanding the name to be changed to Shyamla to which the state health minister has reportedly responded saying, "If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered."

"Many cities in different parts of the country used to have historic names but they were changed. So, there would not be any harm in reverting to those names. If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered," state health minister Vipin Singh Parmar was quoted as saying by PTI.

Notably, social media has been abuzz with discussions on the topic for the last few days.

The debate has left people divided with some favouring the name change and others opposing it saying that Shimla is a historical city and if one changes its name then it will lose its character.&nbsp;

Senior&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Harbhajan Singh Bhajji while opposing the proposal&nbsp;said, "What's wrong with the name Shimla? Will the renaming ensure development? The state government should focus on ensuring that the state progresses instead of indulging in such frivolous antics," PTI reported.

According to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary Aman Puri, the popular holiday retreat was originally called Shyamala but as the Britishers found it tough to pronounce, they renamed it Simla which later became Shimla.

Also known as the queen of hills, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India in 1864. It remained that way till India got independence in 1947.

British officer Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy played a pivotal role in transforming Shimla as he built the first house here in 1822 aptly calling it-- Kennedy House.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country.

Days after Uttar Pradesh government changed Allahabad's name to Pryagraj, the ruling BJP government in Himachal Pradesh is now reportedly considering a proposal to rename Shimla as Shymala, a move that can stir another controversy in the country. According to a report by PTI, some right-wing Hindu groups have launched a campaign demanding the name to be changed to Shyamla to which the state health minister has reportedly responded saying, "If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered." "Many cities in different parts of the country used to have historic names but they were changed. So, there would not be any harm in reverting to those names. If the people want Shimla to be rechristened as Shyamala, the proposal can be considered," state health minister Vipin Singh Parmar was quoted as saying by PTI. Notably, social media has been abuzz with discussions on the topic for the last few days. The debate has left people divided with some favouring the name change and others opposing it saying that Shimla is a historical city and if one changes its name then it will lose its character. Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Harbhajan Singh Bhajji while opposing the proposal said, "What's wrong with the name Shimla? Will the renaming ensure development? The state government should focus on ensuring that the state progresses instead of indulging in such frivolous antics," PTI reported. According to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary Aman Puri, the popular holiday retreat was originally called Shyamala but as the Britishers found it tough to pronounce, they renamed it Simla which later became Shimla. Also known as the queen of hills, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India in 1864. It remained that way till India got independence in 1947. British officer Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy played a pivotal role in transforming Shimla as he built the first house here in 1822 aptly calling it-- Kennedy House. (With inputs from PTI)

BJP government considering proposal to rename Shimla: Report

Seeking a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to cast a ‘magic spell’ on voters during the upcoming state Assembly polls.&nbsp;

The party would be roping in magicians to highlight the work done by it in the last 15 years and compare it with that of the previous Congress government, MP BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said.&nbsp;

“We have plans to hire magicians for campaigning and publicity,” he said, adding that magic shows would be organised at marketplaces to reach out to voters, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.

The number of magicians to be utilised for this is yet to be decided. But, the BJP hopes to start the magic shows soon and budget allocation for these activities is also being worked out, Agrawal said. “With this art, we are going to tell people about what the BJP government has done for people, especially the weaker sections of society in Madhya Pradesh in the last 15 years,” the spokesman said.

The magic shows would also highlight the “poor condition” of roads, electricity supply and basic amenities during the 10-year Congress government headed by Digvijay Singh between 1993 and 2003 in the state, he said. The MP Assembly polls will be held on November 28 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.

Seeking a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to cast a ‘magic spell’ on voters during the upcoming state Assembly polls.

Seeking a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to cast a ‘magic spell’ on voters during the upcoming state Assembly polls. The party would be roping in magicians to highlight the work done by it in the last 15 years and compare it with that of the previous Congress government, MP BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said. “We have plans to hire magicians for campaigning and publicity,” he said, adding that magic shows would be organised at marketplaces to reach out to voters, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. The number of magicians to be utilised for this is yet to be decided. But, the BJP hopes to start the magic shows soon and budget allocation for these activities is also being worked out, Agrawal said. “With this art, we are going to tell people about what the BJP government has done for people, especially the weaker sections of society in Madhya Pradesh in the last 15 years,” the spokesman said. The magic shows would also highlight the “poor condition” of roads, electricity supply and basic amenities during the 10-year Congress government headed by Digvijay Singh between 1993 and 2003 in the state, he said. The MP Assembly polls will be held on November 28 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.

BJP to rope in magicians for campaigning in Madhya Pradesh polls

Releasing its first list of 77 candidates for assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the BJP Saturday fielded Chief Minister Raman Singh from his traditional Rajnandgaon seat and dropped 14 incumbent MLAs in its bid to capture power in the state for a fourth straight term.

After a meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amit Shah, the party also announced the names of 38 candidates for the election to the 119-member Telangana Assembly.

Names of 13 candidates, all Christians, have been also been declared for the polls to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, Union minister J P Nadda said.

Chhattisgarh, along with Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, is ruled by the BJP out of the five poll-bound states. Chhattisgarh has 90 assembly seats and will be the first to go to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Ramdayal Uike, the working president of the Chhattisgarh Congress who joined the saffron party recently, from Pali-Tanakhar seat, and former IAS officer O P Chaudhary, who quit the service to join the party, from Kharsia, a Congress stronghold.

Among the candidates announced so far, 14 are women, 25 are less than 40 years of age, 10 candidates belong to the Scheduled Castes and 29 STs.

The first phase of polling covers 18 seats spread across eight Naxal-affected districts of Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. Out of these 18 seats, the BJP Saturday named candidates for 17 assembly segments.

The BJP had won 49 seats in the previous assembly polls in 2013 in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly.

A two minute-silence was held for the victims of the Amritsar train accident during the Central Election Committee meeting, Nadda said.

He said party leaders also expressed satisfaction at the performance of the party in local body polls in Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Releasing its first list of 77 candidates for assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the BJP Saturday fielded Chief Minister Raman Singh from his traditional Rajnandgaon seat and dropped 14 incumbent MLAs in its bid to capture power in the state for a fourth straight term.

Releasing its first list of 77 candidates for assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the BJP Saturday fielded Chief Minister Raman Singh from his traditional Rajnandgaon seat and dropped 14 incumbent MLAs in its bid to capture power in the state for a fourth straight term. After a meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amit Shah, the party also announced the names of 38 candidates for the election to the 119-member Telangana Assembly. Names of 13 candidates, all Christians, have been also been declared for the polls to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, Union minister J P Nadda said. Chhattisgarh, along with Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, is ruled by the BJP out of the five poll-bound states. Chhattisgarh has 90 assembly seats and will be the first to go to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Ramdayal Uike, the working president of the Chhattisgarh Congress who joined the saffron party recently, from Pali-Tanakhar seat, and former IAS officer O P Chaudhary, who quit the service to join the party, from Kharsia, a Congress stronghold. Among the candidates announced so far, 14 are women, 25 are less than 40 years of age, 10 candidates belong to the Scheduled Castes and 29 STs. The first phase of polling covers 18 seats spread across eight Naxal-affected districts of Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. Out of these 18 seats, the BJP Saturday named candidates for 17 assembly segments. The BJP had won 49 seats in the previous assembly polls in 2013 in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly. A two minute-silence was held for the victims of the Amritsar train accident during the Central Election Committee meeting, Nadda said. He said party leaders also expressed satisfaction at the performance of the party in local body polls in Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP announces first list of 77 candidates for Chhattisgarh polls

The BJP Saturday released its first list of 77 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Raman Singh from the Rajnandgaon seat.

Among the 77 candidates announced out of a total of 90 Assembly segments, 14 are women candidates and 14 sitting MLAs have been replaced with new names, Union minister J P Nadda said.

The list was finalised at the BJP's central election committee meeting that was chaired by party president Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others.

Among those fielded by the BJP include former IAS officer O P Chaudhary and tribal leader Ramdayal Uike, who recently left the Congress and joined the BJP.

Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases on November 12 and November 20. The votes will be counted on December 11.

The BJP also released a list of 38 candidates for the Telangana Assembly polls. There are a total of 119 Assembly candidates in the state.

The party also released a list of 13 candidates for the Assembly polls in Mizoram.

The BJP Saturday released its first list of 77 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Raman Singh from the Rajnandgaon seat. Among the 77 candidates announced out of a total of 90 Assembly segments, 14 are women candidates and 14 sitting MLAs have been replaced with new names, Union minister J P Nadda said.

The BJP Saturday released its first list of 77 candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Raman Singh from the Rajnandgaon seat. Among the 77 candidates announced out of a total of 90 Assembly segments, 14 are women candidates and 14 sitting MLAs have been replaced with new names, Union minister J P Nadda said. The list was finalised at the BJP's central election committee meeting that was chaired by party president Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others. Among those fielded by the BJP include former IAS officer O P Chaudhary and tribal leader Ramdayal Uike, who recently left the Congress and joined the BJP. Chhattisgarh will go to polls in two phases on November 12 and November 20. The votes will be counted on December 11. The BJP also released a list of 38 candidates for the Telangana Assembly polls. There are a total of 119 Assembly candidates in the state. The party also released a list of 13 candidates for the Assembly polls in Mizoram.

Following one of the state ministers accusing a coalition partner of having "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/goa-minister-rules-out-possible-change-of-leadership-in-state-172377">personal interest</a>" in leadership change in Goa, the BJP on Saturday said it was committed to "coalition dharma".

BJP leader and minister Nilesh Cabral said Friday that Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai had "personal interest" in pressing for leadership change.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been ailing since February this year and recently underwent month-long treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

Cabral's statement evoked a strong reaction from Sardesai, also a minister, who said if he had any personal interest, he would have been somewhere else.

Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar issued a statement Saturday, saying "BJP is fully committed to coalition dharma and mutual trust and respect for constituent parties."

He dismissed as misleading the reports on Cabral's statement.

Tendulkar pointed out that BJP national president Amit Shah recently met leader of both the allies, Sudin Dhavalikar of MGP and Vijai Sardesai of GFP, and discussed the political situation in Goa with them.

Following one of the state ministers accusing a coalition partner of having "personal interest" in leadership change in Goa, the BJP on Saturday said it was committed to "coalition dharma".

Following one of the state ministers accusing a coalition partner of having "personal interest" in leadership change in Goa, the BJP on Saturday said it was committed to "coalition dharma". BJP leader and minister Nilesh Cabral said Friday that Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai had "personal interest" in pressing for leadership change. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has been ailing since February this year and recently underwent month-long treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Cabral's statement evoked a strong reaction from Sardesai, also a minister, who said if he had any personal interest, he would have been somewhere else. Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar issued a statement Saturday, saying "BJP is fully committed to coalition dharma and mutual trust and respect for constituent parties." He dismissed as misleading the reports on Cabral's statement. Tendulkar pointed out that BJP national president Amit Shah recently met leader of both the allies, Sudin Dhavalikar of MGP and Vijai Sardesai of GFP, and discussed the political situation in Goa with them.

After Nilesh Cabral's swipe at Sardesai, BJP does damage control in Goa

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies&nbsp;across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month.&nbsp;

The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu.

Although there are 79 civic bodies in the state, the counting to be done today will only be for 52 local bodies since elections were not held in 27 civic bodies as there was no candidate or only one candidate. &nbsp;

A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards. The fate of over 3,000 candidates will be decided by the end of the day.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today; Visuals from a counting centre in Doda. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/RjVoBTlWbT">pic.twitter.com/RjVoBTlWbT</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1053493179209711616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The elections are a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. A large number of independents are also in the running. The National Conference and the PDP did not participate in the polls.

The urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place after a gap of 13 years, with the last elections being conducted in 2005.

The polling was held amid tight security arrangements in four phases starting October 8 and ending on October 16. While moderate to heavy polling was witnessed in Jammu and Ladakh regions, the Kashmir valley saw an abysmally low voter turnout.

Nearly 17 lakh voters were eligible to vote for 79 urban local bodies of the state but polling was held only for 52. No voting was held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.

Of the 598 wards in Kashmir, 231 candidates were elected unopposed, while there were no candidates on 181 wards.

The overall voting percentage for these polls in the state stood at 35.1 per cent.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month. The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu.

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month. The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu. Although there are 79 civic bodies in the state, the counting to be done today will only be for 52 local bodies since elections were not held in 27 civic bodies as there was no candidate or only one candidate. A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards. The fate of over 3,000 candidates will be decided by the end of the day. Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today; Visuals from a counting centre in Doda. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/RjVoBTlWbT — ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2018 × The elections are a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. A large number of independents are also in the running. The National Conference and the PDP did not participate in the polls. The urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place after a gap of 13 years, with the last elections being conducted in 2005. The polling was held amid tight security arrangements in four phases starting October 8 and ending on October 16. While moderate to heavy polling was witnessed in Jammu and Ladakh regions, the Kashmir valley saw an abysmally low voter turnout. Nearly 17 lakh voters were eligible to vote for 79 urban local bodies of the state but polling was held only for 52. No voting was held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward. Of the 598 wards in Kashmir, 231 candidates were elected unopposed, while there were no candidates on 181 wards. The overall voting percentage for these polls in the state stood at 35.1 per cent. (With inputs from PTI)

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today

The BJP Saturday failed to open its account in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region in the urban local body elections held earlier this month.

Out of the total 26 wards in this region, the Congress bagged all the 13 seats in Leh municipal committee. It also won five wards in neighbouring Kargil district, election officials said.

Six seats in the region have gone to independent candidates, while the result of only two seats is awaited, they said.&nbsp;

The Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency is represented by BJP's Thupstan Chhewang, but the Congress had won three of the four assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency in the state polls held in 2014. The other assembly segment is represented by an independent MLA.

In the 208 wards that went to polls in Kashmir division in the four-phased elections earlier this month, the Congress has won 70 wards so far followed by 53 wards by independents. The BJP has managed to win only 21 seats, while the Janata Dal (United) bagged one seat, the officials added. 
&nbsp;

The BJP Saturday failed to open its account in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region in the urban local body elections held earlier this month. Out of the total 26 wards in this region, the Congress bagged all the 13 seats in Leh municipal committee.

The BJP Saturday failed to open its account in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region in the urban local body elections held earlier this month. Out of the total 26 wards in this region, the Congress bagged all the 13 seats in Leh municipal committee. It also won five wards in neighbouring Kargil district, election officials said. Six seats in the region have gone to independent candidates, while the result of only two seats is awaited, they said. The Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency is represented by BJP's Thupstan Chhewang, but the Congress had won three of the four assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency in the state polls held in 2014. The other assembly segment is represented by an independent MLA. In the 208 wards that went to polls in Kashmir division in the four-phased elections earlier this month, the Congress has won 70 wards so far followed by 53 wards by independents. The BJP has managed to win only 21 seats, while the Janata Dal (United) bagged one seat, the officials added.

J&K polls: BJP fails to open account in Ladakh region

As the counting of votes concluded in the Jammu and Kashmir civic polls on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as a clear winner in the municipal polls by winning 43 seats, raising its previous strength of 25 in the 75-member body.

The Congress suffered a big loss in the election, winning only 14 seats against its 26 in the 2005 civic polls, election officials said. Then it was ruling Jammu and Kashmir in coalition with the PDP.

In rest of the 446 wards spread across Jammu region covering a total of 36 municipal committees and councils, the BJP had an edge over its rivals in 15 bodies followed by Independents in 12 and the Congress in five, they said.

The BJP won a total of 169 seats in these bodies followed by independents at 167 and the Congress at 96, the officials said.

They attributed the emergence of independents as a strong force in view of the absence of the NC and the PDP, the key regional parties.

The election in a ward in Ramban was countermanded due to the death of a BJP candidate who suffered a heart attack on the day of polling in the second phase on October 10.

The election in the 521 municipal wards in the 10 districts of Jammu was held in the first three phases of the elections in the state, which concluded on October 16, recording a high voter turnout of 68.4 per cent among the over 6.44 lakh electorate.

Thirteen candidates were elected to different municipal wards unopposed, leaving a total of 2,137 candidates in the fray.

The JMC along with seven municipal committees of Jammu went to polls in the first phase on October 8, registering a turnout of 63.8 per cent.

The counting of votes in the winter capital started at a government polytechnic institute at 9 am. As the results started pouring in, BJP leaders and activists came out to celebrate party's victory.

"This is the victory of the people and they have reposed their faith in us. We will continue to serve the people to the best of our ability," BJP state chief Ravinder Raina said while leading the celebrations at party headquarters here.

He said it was the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and efforts to take the country to new heights and the hard work and dedication of party leaders and workers.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) failed to open its account in the majority of the wards, including the JMC.

Party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh alleged rigging and claimed, "It is not the BJP but electronic voting machine (EVM) which won the election for the party."

"EVMs should be replaced with ballot boxes to enure free and fair polls," he said.

Deepak Gupta, the brother of senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, was among the prominent candidates who lost the elections.

However, Rajinder Singh alias Bubby, the brother of senior BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh, and his wife Vandina Andotra won as independents from Kathua municipal council.

Bubby was in the centre of a controversy in May when a video of him went viral on social media in which he was purportedly abusing former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti during a 'Dogra Swabhiman rally.

The rally was led by the former minister in support of a demand for a CBI probe into the Kathua rape and murder case.

An FIR was registered against Bubby who was later arrested from Rajasthan's Udaipur in June after evading arrest for nearly a month.

In the seven municipal committees of Jammu, the BJP won Akhnoor with 11 seats, while two seats went to Congress. In Bishnah, the BJP won six seats against seven by Independents.

In Arnia, the BJP won seven seats, independents five and Congress one, in R S Pura BJP won nine, Independents three and Congress one, in Ghmanhansan won BJP two, Congress-two, in Khour won BJP nine and Congress four and in Jourian BJP won two, Congress four and independent one, the officials said.

The Congress and the BJP are the two national political parties battling for municipal authority in the state as the two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP), have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre`s stance on Articles 35A.

The Urban Local Body elections were held after a gap of 13 years.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As the counting of votes concluded in the Jammu and Kashmir civic polls on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as a clear winner in the municipal polls by winning 43 seats, raising its previous strength of 25 in the 75-member body.

As the counting of votes concluded in the Jammu and Kashmir civic polls on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as a clear winner in the municipal polls by winning 43 seats, raising its previous strength of 25 in the 75-member body. The Congress suffered a big loss in the election, winning only 14 seats against its 26 in the 2005 civic polls, election officials said. Then it was ruling Jammu and Kashmir in coalition with the PDP. In rest of the 446 wards spread across Jammu region covering a total of 36 municipal committees and councils, the BJP had an edge over its rivals in 15 bodies followed by Independents in 12 and the Congress in five, they said. The BJP won a total of 169 seats in these bodies followed by independents at 167 and the Congress at 96, the officials said. They attributed the emergence of independents as a strong force in view of the absence of the NC and the PDP, the key regional parties. The election in a ward in Ramban was countermanded due to the death of a BJP candidate who suffered a heart attack on the day of polling in the second phase on October 10. The election in the 521 municipal wards in the 10 districts of Jammu was held in the first three phases of the elections in the state, which concluded on October 16, recording a high voter turnout of 68.4 per cent among the over 6.44 lakh electorate. Thirteen candidates were elected to different municipal wards unopposed, leaving a total of 2,137 candidates in the fray. The JMC along with seven municipal committees of Jammu went to polls in the first phase on October 8, registering a turnout of 63.8 per cent. The counting of votes in the winter capital started at a government polytechnic institute at 9 am. As the results started pouring in, BJP leaders and activists came out to celebrate party's victory. "This is the victory of the people and they have reposed their faith in us. We will continue to serve the people to the best of our ability," BJP state chief Ravinder Raina said while leading the celebrations at party headquarters here. He said it was the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and efforts to take the country to new heights and the hard work and dedication of party leaders and workers. The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) failed to open its account in the majority of the wards, including the JMC. Party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh alleged rigging and claimed, "It is not the BJP but electronic voting machine (EVM) which won the election for the party." "EVMs should be replaced with ballot boxes to enure free and fair polls," he said. Deepak Gupta, the brother of senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta, was among the prominent candidates who lost the elections. However, Rajinder Singh alias Bubby, the brother of senior BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh, and his wife Vandina Andotra won as independents from Kathua municipal council. Bubby was in the centre of a controversy in May when a video of him went viral on social media in which he was purportedly abusing former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti during a 'Dogra Swabhiman rally. The rally was led by the former minister in support of a demand for a CBI probe into the Kathua rape and murder case. An FIR was registered against Bubby who was later arrested from Rajasthan's Udaipur in June after evading arrest for nearly a month. In the seven municipal committees of Jammu, the BJP won Akhnoor with 11 seats, while two seats went to Congress. In Bishnah, the BJP won six seats against seven by Independents. In Arnia, the BJP won seven seats, independents five and Congress one, in R S Pura BJP won nine, Independents three and Congress one, in Ghmanhansan won BJP two, Congress-two, in Khour won BJP nine and Congress four and in Jourian BJP won two, Congress four and independent one, the officials said. The Congress and the BJP are the two national political parties battling for municipal authority in the state as the two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP), have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre`s stance on Articles 35A. The Urban Local Body elections were held after a gap of 13 years.

BJP sweeps Jammu Municipal Corporation elections, wins 43 seats in 75-member body

The Congress on Saturday won as many as 12 seats out of 21 in Baramulla and six in Uri out of 13 in the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to bag any seat in Uri municipal committee and could only manage six seats in Baramulla.

In total, 52 civic bodies went to polls in four phases amid tight security arrangements in the state.

A total of 3372 nominations were filed for 1145 wards.

Covering 79 municipal bodies, 27 in the Valley did not go to polls owing either to the fact that there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.

The Congress and the BJP are the two national political parties battling for municipal authority in the state as the two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP), have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre`s stance on Articles 35A.

The Congress on Saturday won as many as 12 seats out of 21 in Baramulla and six in Uri out of 13 in the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to bag any seat in Uri municipal committee and could only manage six seats in Baramulla.

The Congress on Saturday won as many as 12 seats out of 21 in Baramulla and six in Uri out of 13 in the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to bag any seat in Uri municipal committee and could only manage six seats in Baramulla. In total, 52 civic bodies went to polls in four phases amid tight security arrangements in the state. A total of 3372 nominations were filed for 1145 wards. Covering 79 municipal bodies, 27 in the Valley did not go to polls owing either to the fact that there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward. The Congress and the BJP are the two national political parties battling for municipal authority in the state as the two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP), have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre`s stance on Articles 35A.

J&K municipal polls: Congress wins maximum seats in Baramulla, Uri

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) polls, as the counting of votes for the Urban Local Bodies elections was going on in all the 10 districts of Jammu region on Saturday.

The counting of votes in the state's winter capital began at Government Polytechnic Institute in Bikram Chowk at 9 am. The results for JMC so far indicate an edge to the BJP over its rivals.

There are 521 wards in the 10 districts of Jammu, which went to polls in the first three phases of the four-phased ULB elections in the state, which concluded on October 16, recording a high voter turnout of 68.4 per cent in the electorate of nearly 6.44 lakh people.

Thirteen candidates were elected to different municipal wards unopposed, leaving a total of 2,137 candidates in the fray.

Of the 32 results declared for the 75-member JMC so far, the largest municipality in the state, the BJP has won 19 followed by independents (nine) and the Congress (four), officials said.

BJP had won 25 seats in the last municipal elections for the JMC in 2005, while the then ruling Congress had emerged victorious with 26 seats.

In 13 wards of Kishtwar Municipal Committee, officials said independents won 10 seats, while the Congress and the BJP won two and one seat, respectively.

Of the three municipal committees in Ramban, officials said results were declared for seven-member Batote Municipal Committee with BJP winning four, Congress one and independents two seats.

In Kathua district's Basohli, BJP won five seats while Congress and independents were successful in four wards each.

The results of six other municipal committees in the district are awaited, the officials said.

In Rajouri district's Sunderbani Municipal Committee, the BJP won with 10 of its candidates winning, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In Kalakote Municipal Committee, six independents and one Congress candidate registered wins, officials said.

Six BJP candidates won from Reasi Municipal Committee, which saw five independents and two Congress candidates registering their wins in the 13-member body, they said.&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) polls, as the counting of votes for the Urban Local Bodies elections was going on in all the 10 districts of Jammu region on Saturday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) polls, as the counting of votes for the Urban Local Bodies elections was going on in all the 10 districts of Jammu region on Saturday. The counting of votes in the state's winter capital began at Government Polytechnic Institute in Bikram Chowk at 9 am. The results for JMC so far indicate an edge to the BJP over its rivals. There are 521 wards in the 10 districts of Jammu, which went to polls in the first three phases of the four-phased ULB elections in the state, which concluded on October 16, recording a high voter turnout of 68.4 per cent in the electorate of nearly 6.44 lakh people. Thirteen candidates were elected to different municipal wards unopposed, leaving a total of 2,137 candidates in the fray. Of the 32 results declared for the 75-member JMC so far, the largest municipality in the state, the BJP has won 19 followed by independents (nine) and the Congress (four), officials said. BJP had won 25 seats in the last municipal elections for the JMC in 2005, while the then ruling Congress had emerged victorious with 26 seats. In 13 wards of Kishtwar Municipal Committee, officials said independents won 10 seats, while the Congress and the BJP won two and one seat, respectively. Of the three municipal committees in Ramban, officials said results were declared for seven-member Batote Municipal Committee with BJP winning four, Congress one and independents two seats. In Kathua district's Basohli, BJP won five seats while Congress and independents were successful in four wards each. The results of six other municipal committees in the district are awaited, the officials said. In Rajouri district's Sunderbani Municipal Committee, the BJP won with 10 of its candidates winning, while three seats went to independent candidates. In Kalakote Municipal Committee, six independents and one Congress candidate registered wins, officials said. Six BJP candidates won from Reasi Municipal Committee, which saw five independents and two Congress candidates registering their wins in the 13-member body, they said.

BJP leading in Jammu Municipal Corporation elections, independents fare well in Kishtwar

The BJP won the urban local body elections in four districts of militancy-infested south Kashmir Saturday, winning 53 of the 132 wards, where polls were held over four phases earlier this month, election officials said.

The unprecedented victory for the saffron party has given it control of at least four of the 20 civic bodies in the four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian.

The results of 94 wards of south Kashmir have been declared so far in which the Congress has managed to win 28 seats. The party, thus, will have control of at least three municipal bodies.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did well in Shopian where its candidates won in 12 wards unopposed. Five wards in the district did not have any nominations.&nbsp;

In Devsar municipal committee, the party won all the eight seats. The area is represented by Congress leader Mohammad Amin Bhat in the legislative assembly.

The BJP got a simple majority in Qazigund Municipal Committee, winning four of the seven wards. The other three wards had no candidates.

In Pahalgam municipal committee, the party won seven of the 13 seats uncontested, while there were no candidates for the remaining six seats.

The Congress, on the other hand, won a thumping majority in Dooru municipal committee, the stronghold of JKPCC chief G A Mir. The party bagged 14 of the 17 seats, while the BJP managed to win two seats. One seat remained vacant.

Congress also won in Kokernag municipal committee, bagging six of the eight seats. In Yaripora, the party bagged three seats, while the remaining three seats were vacant due to the absence of candidates.

Independents bagged 13 seats in the polls.

The counting of votes of Anantnag and Mattan -- the other two civic bodies in south Kashmir -- is going on and the results are expected later Saturday.&nbsp;

Elsewhere, Congress won the Budgam municipal committee bagging six seats, while the BJP won four seats. Three seats were vacant.

In Chrar-e-Sharief, Congress won 11 of the 13 seats, while the remaining two seats were vacant. In Chadoora too, the party won six of the eight seats, while there was no candidate for the other five seats.&nbsp;

The BJP won the urban local body elections in four districts of militancy-infested south Kashmir Saturday, winning 53 of the 132 wards, where polls were held over four phases earlier this month, election officials said.

The BJP won the urban local body elections in four districts of militancy-infested south Kashmir Saturday, winning 53 of the 132 wards, where polls were held over four phases earlier this month, election officials said. The unprecedented victory for the saffron party has given it control of at least four of the 20 civic bodies in the four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian. The results of 94 wards of south Kashmir have been declared so far in which the Congress has managed to win 28 seats. The party, thus, will have control of at least three municipal bodies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did well in Shopian where its candidates won in 12 wards unopposed. Five wards in the district did not have any nominations. In Devsar municipal committee, the party won all the eight seats. The area is represented by Congress leader Mohammad Amin Bhat in the legislative assembly. The BJP got a simple majority in Qazigund Municipal Committee, winning four of the seven wards. The other three wards had no candidates. In Pahalgam municipal committee, the party won seven of the 13 seats uncontested, while there were no candidates for the remaining six seats. The Congress, on the other hand, won a thumping majority in Dooru municipal committee, the stronghold of JKPCC chief G A Mir. The party bagged 14 of the 17 seats, while the BJP managed to win two seats. One seat remained vacant. Congress also won in Kokernag municipal committee, bagging six of the eight seats. In Yaripora, the party bagged three seats, while the remaining three seats were vacant due to the absence of candidates. Independents bagged 13 seats in the polls. The counting of votes of Anantnag and Mattan -- the other two civic bodies in south Kashmir -- is going on and the results are expected later Saturday. Elsewhere, Congress won the Budgam municipal committee bagging six seats, while the BJP won four seats. Three seats were vacant. In Chrar-e-Sharief, Congress won 11 of the 13 seats, while the remaining two seats were vacant. In Chadoora too, the party won six of the eight seats, while there was no candidate for the other five seats.

BJP sweeps urban local body polls in 4 districts of south Kashmir

Two images on the Internet must have jolted the BJP out of reverie. Manvendra Singh – BJP MLA from Sheo – is common in both the frames. In one of the photos, he is seen clasping the hand of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, barely concealing the smile after having formally joined the party on Wednesday. In the next photo, Manvendra’s smile opens up into a warm laughter as he shares the dais with Rajasthan state Congress President Sachin Pilot who appear to be basking in the reflected warmth of the new entrant in the frame, confident the Rajput leader shall deliver the goods in a state gearing up for December 7 polls.

Former BJP MP from Barmer, Colonel Manvendra Singh’s calling card is as much about him as his father and veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh. The former Union Minister, who distinguished himself in the role of External Affairs, Defence and Finance Minister under the Prime Ministership of AB Vajpayee, is now in a coma after having suffered head injuries following a fall in his house four years ago.

A founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980, Jaswant Singh has been five times Rajya Sabha MP and was elected to the Lok Sabha four times over. But his distance with the BJP grew after the party’s defeat in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. He was given party ticket from Darjeeling and left to fend for himself. His book on India’s Partition in which he praised Muhammad Ali Jinnah didn’t go down well with the party either.

Matters came to a head in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when he was denied party ticket. But Jaswant dug in his heels and decided to contest the 2014 elections from Barmer as an independent. The party lost no time in expelling him after he refused to budge. Manvendra campaigned for his father and even he was suspended from the party.

The seed of antagonism had already been sown then. Questions can be raised as to what took Manvendra so long in deciding BJP was not the party that can assure his longevity in politics. But can there be a better opportunity to join a rival party whose ascendancy and win in the forthcoming assembly polls is finding articulation in various opinion polls conducted by media houses so far.

A leader is worth his salt only if he can smell the change in the wind. A winnable candidate holds a stronger chance of being welcomed into the new party. BJP president Amit Shah has mastered this craft better than the rest in importing leaders from other parties, particularly the Congress.

Manvendra’s entry into the Congress comes at a time when the forthcoming assembly polls in states like Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh are being touted as the semi-finals before the finals to be played out across the country early 2019 when the next Lok Sabha elections will be held. The Congress feels his induction will help the party consolidate Rajput votes.

But more than the timing, it’s the sure-fire optimism with which Manvendra has sought to pitch himself that will set the Rajasthan battlefield on the course of a dramatic outcome. “The voters shall seek revenge for the humiliation of their leader and my father,” thundered Manvendra from Congress HQ at Akbar Road. Revenge is in the air. The statement might faintly echo the pain and agony of the protagonist, from Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur.

The political setting is far removed from the 2012 Bollywoodian drama, yet it carries the ingredients for a blockbuster.

Caste politics hold sway in the electoral arithmetic of Rajasthan. Though Rajputs constitutes about 8 per cent of the total votes in Rajasthan, they influence votes in about one-fourth of the total seats in Rajasthan, particularly, in the Marwar region of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Jalore and Sikar. The current Rajasthan assembly has 26 elected Rajput members out of 200 seats. Together with Jats, who constitute about 17 per cent of total votes, Rajput votes matter in over 50 assembly seats across Rajasthan.

The Vasundhara government has had a fallout with the Rajput voters following the death of gangster Anand Pal Singh who was killed in an alleged police encounter. Rajputs have been BJP supporters in the past three decades after former Rajasthan CM, BJP veteran and former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat carefully nurtured this influential vote bank. Rajputs were angry that the Vasundhara Raje government did precious little to withdraw criminal cases against community leaders.

The shift in Rajput votes has already cost BJP two parliamentary seats in by-elections held last February. Recently, Raje shot down Amit Shah’s proposal to make Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat – the Rajasthan unit chief. She foisted her own candidate Madan Lal Saini, an OBC leader.

By inducting Manvendra into the fold, the Congress has been quick to cash in on the Rajput anger. The Congress seemed to have already taken Jats into confidence by addressing their insecurities. Gujjars also remain an influential vote bank. Of late, even Gujjars seem to have moved away from the BJP. The community sees a promise in young Gujjar leader and Congress state president Sachin Pilot to lead the state in future.

If opinion polls are anything to go by, Raje’s popularity as CM has been at an all-time low. Given Rajasthan’s history in the past three decades of not repeating the incumbent government, Raje, in the throes of anti-incumbency, has an uphill task.

Will the Rajasthan verdict prove Manvendra’s presence prophetic? Will he be able to bask in the glory of his statement he gave last month, the day he cut his umbilical cord with BJP – Kamal ka phool, hamari bhool. The bigger question still is – Will Rahul’s gamble pay off? Will be able to do an Amit Shah?

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rajasthan-s-caste-cauldron-2676800">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Two images on the Internet must have jolted the BJP out of reverie. Manvendra Singh – BJP MLA from Sheo – is common in both the frames. In one of the photos, he is seen clasping the hand of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, barely concealing the smile after having formally joined the party on Wednesday.

Two images on the Internet must have jolted the BJP out of reverie. Manvendra Singh – BJP MLA from Sheo – is common in both the frames. In one of the photos, he is seen clasping the hand of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, barely concealing the smile after having formally joined the party on Wednesday. In the next photo, Manvendra’s smile opens up into a warm laughter as he shares the dais with Rajasthan state Congress President Sachin Pilot who appear to be basking in the reflected warmth of the new entrant in the frame, confident the Rajput leader shall deliver the goods in a state gearing up for December 7 polls. Former BJP MP from Barmer, Colonel Manvendra Singh’s calling card is as much about him as his father and veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh. The former Union Minister, who distinguished himself in the role of External Affairs, Defence and Finance Minister under the Prime Ministership of AB Vajpayee, is now in a coma after having suffered head injuries following a fall in his house four years ago. A founding member of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980, Jaswant Singh has been five times Rajya Sabha MP and was elected to the Lok Sabha four times over. But his distance with the BJP grew after the party’s defeat in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. He was given party ticket from Darjeeling and left to fend for himself. His book on India’s Partition in which he praised Muhammad Ali Jinnah didn’t go down well with the party either. Matters came to a head in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when he was denied party ticket. But Jaswant dug in his heels and decided to contest the 2014 elections from Barmer as an independent. The party lost no time in expelling him after he refused to budge. Manvendra campaigned for his father and even he was suspended from the party. The seed of antagonism had already been sown then. Questions can be raised as to what took Manvendra so long in deciding BJP was not the party that can assure his longevity in politics. But can there be a better opportunity to join a rival party whose ascendancy and win in the forthcoming assembly polls is finding articulation in various opinion polls conducted by media houses so far. A leader is worth his salt only if he can smell the change in the wind. A winnable candidate holds a stronger chance of being welcomed into the new party. BJP president Amit Shah has mastered this craft better than the rest in importing leaders from other parties, particularly the Congress. Manvendra’s entry into the Congress comes at a time when the forthcoming assembly polls in states like Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh are being touted as the semi-finals before the finals to be played out across the country early 2019 when the next Lok Sabha elections will be held. The Congress feels his induction will help the party consolidate Rajput votes. But more than the timing, it’s the sure-fire optimism with which Manvendra has sought to pitch himself that will set the Rajasthan battlefield on the course of a dramatic outcome. “The voters shall seek revenge for the humiliation of their leader and my father,” thundered Manvendra from Congress HQ at Akbar Road. Revenge is in the air. The statement might faintly echo the pain and agony of the protagonist, from Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. The political setting is far removed from the 2012 Bollywoodian drama, yet it carries the ingredients for a blockbuster. Caste politics hold sway in the electoral arithmetic of Rajasthan. Though Rajputs constitutes about 8 per cent of the total votes in Rajasthan, they influence votes in about one-fourth of the total seats in Rajasthan, particularly, in the Marwar region of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Jalore and Sikar. The current Rajasthan assembly has 26 elected Rajput members out of 200 seats. Together with Jats, who constitute about 17 per cent of total votes, Rajput votes matter in over 50 assembly seats across Rajasthan. The Vasundhara government has had a fallout with the Rajput voters following the death of gangster Anand Pal Singh who was killed in an alleged police encounter. Rajputs have been BJP supporters in the past three decades after former Rajasthan CM, BJP veteran and former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat carefully nurtured this influential vote bank. Rajputs were angry that the Vasundhara Raje government did precious little to withdraw criminal cases against community leaders. The shift in Rajput votes has already cost BJP two parliamentary seats in by-elections held last February. Recently, Raje shot down Amit Shah’s proposal to make Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat – the Rajasthan unit chief. She foisted her own candidate Madan Lal Saini, an OBC leader. By inducting Manvendra into the fold, the Congress has been quick to cash in on the Rajput anger. The Congress seemed to have already taken Jats into confidence by addressing their insecurities. Gujjars also remain an influential vote bank. Of late, even Gujjars seem to have moved away from the BJP. The community sees a promise in young Gujjar leader and Congress state president Sachin Pilot to lead the state in future. If opinion polls are anything to go by, Raje’s popularity as CM has been at an all-time low. Given Rajasthan’s history in the past three decades of not repeating the incumbent government, Raje, in the throes of anti-incumbency, has an uphill task. Will the Rajasthan verdict prove Manvendra’s presence prophetic? Will he be able to bask in the glory of his statement he gave last month, the day he cut his umbilical cord with BJP – Kamal ka phool, hamari bhool. The bigger question still is – Will Rahul’s gamble pay off? Will be able to do an Amit Shah? (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Caste politics hold sway in the electoral arithmetic of Rajasthan

The opposition Congress and BJP Friday hit out at the Left government in Kerala for allegedly extending support to bring<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/woman-journalist-begins-climbing-sabarimala-hill-to-fulfill-her-professional-duty-172221"> women activists to Sabarimala temple</a>, hurting the sentiments of devotees.

They also alleged the police gave one of the women, who climbed to the hill shrine amid heavy security, their official uniform and helmet.

The two women, identified as a journalist from Hyderabad and a Kochi-based activist, trekked Sabarimala and reached a few metres away from the holy 18 steps with police escort but had to return due to massive protest by devotees.

Attacking the CPI(M)-led LDF government on the issue, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala asked whether the police gave security to the real devotees.

"Has the government taken to the shrine the real devotees? Is the entry of women into the shrine a commando operation? Is this the supreme court order?" he asked.

"The government has extended support to bring activists to Sabarimala, hurting the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees," Chennithala said.

Earlier in the day, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran admitted that one of the women who trekked to the shrine was an activist and made it clear that holy Sabarimala was not a place to show their strength and activism.

Referring to the massive protest at the temple complex by the devotees and the 'parikarmies', the assistants of the priests, Chennithala said the "illogical" steps taken by the government on the Sabarimala women entry issue had led to this situation.

He also reiterated the UDF stand that the Pinarayi Vijayan government showed "over-enthusiasm" and "hurry" to implement the apex court order permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sabarimala-row-centre-asks-kerala-tamil-nadu-karnataka-govts-to-tighten-security-monitor-adverse-online-messages-172332">government</a> unilaterally moved forward on the matter without trying for a consensus among stakeholders, he said.

Chennithala also alleged that the BJP-RSS combine was trying to inflame communal passion over the matter.

Hitting out at the LDF government, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the state authorities were trying to make Sabarimala a "clash zone".

The police escorted two women to the shrine by making one of them wear police uniform and a helmet, without considering the sentiments of the devotees, he alleged.

A large number of devotees blocked the young women and police team escorting them at Valiya Nadappandhal, the queue complex located a few metres away from the holy 'pathinettam padi' (the 18 sacred steps), leading to the sanctum sanctorum.

Tension was defused after the women agreed to return as the state government made it clear it did not want to take them to the Sannidhanam, the temple complex, by using force against the protesting devotees.&nbsp;

The opposition Congress and BJP Friday hit out at the Left government in Kerala for allegedly extending support to bring women activists to Sabarimala temple, hurting the sentiments of devotees.

The opposition Congress and BJP Friday hit out at the Left government in Kerala for allegedly extending support to bring women activists to Sabarimala temple, hurting the sentiments of devotees. They also alleged the police gave one of the women, who climbed to the hill shrine amid heavy security, their official uniform and helmet. The two women, identified as a journalist from Hyderabad and a Kochi-based activist, trekked Sabarimala and reached a few metres away from the holy 18 steps with police escort but had to return due to massive protest by devotees. Attacking the CPI(M)-led LDF government on the issue, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala asked whether the police gave security to the real devotees. "Has the government taken to the shrine the real devotees? Is the entry of women into the shrine a commando operation? Is this the supreme court order?" he asked. "The government has extended support to bring activists to Sabarimala, hurting the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees," Chennithala said. Earlier in the day, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran admitted that one of the women who trekked to the shrine was an activist and made it clear that holy Sabarimala was not a place to show their strength and activism. Referring to the massive protest at the temple complex by the devotees and the 'parikarmies', the assistants of the priests, Chennithala said the "illogical" steps taken by the government on the Sabarimala women entry issue had led to this situation. He also reiterated the UDF stand that the Pinarayi Vijayan government showed "over-enthusiasm" and "hurry" to implement the apex court order permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple. The government unilaterally moved forward on the matter without trying for a consensus among stakeholders, he said. Chennithala also alleged that the BJP-RSS combine was trying to inflame communal passion over the matter. Hitting out at the LDF government, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the state authorities were trying to make Sabarimala a "clash zone". The police escorted two women to the shrine by making one of them wear police uniform and a helmet, without considering the sentiments of the devotees, he alleged. A large number of devotees blocked the young women and police team escorting them at Valiya Nadappandhal, the queue complex located a few metres away from the holy 'pathinettam padi' (the 18 sacred steps), leading to the sanctum sanctorum. Tension was defused after the women agreed to return as the state government made it clear it did not want to take them to the Sannidhanam, the temple complex, by using force against the protesting devotees.

Congress, BJP flay Kerala government for bringing activists to Sabarimala

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the delay in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Addressing party workers' in Mumbai Thackeray said, "We are saddened that Ram Mandir has not been constructed yet".

He also assured the people that Hindutva can never die until they were alive.

"We warn everyone who thinks that Hindutva has died. We are still alive", he added.&nbsp;

Thackeray also said that he would visit Ayodhya on November 25 and question Modi over the delay in the construction of the temple.

"I will go to Ayodhya on November 25. I will ask questions to the prime minister (over alleged delay in constructing the temple)...We are not enemies of the prime minister, but we don't want to play with the emotions of the people," he said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Our party stands with all the women who spoke out against sexual harassment and abuse: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addressing party workers' in Mumbai <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Metoo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Metoo</a> <a href="https://t.co/G43OjwUdoF">pic.twitter.com/G43OjwUdoF</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1052939634802663425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He also sought answers from&nbsp;PM Modi over his failure to visit Ayodhya in the past four and half years, after becoming the prime minister.

Thackeray asked the ruling BJP to declare its promise to construct the Ram temple as a "jumla" (gimmick) if it is not going to implement the same.

He also hit out at the BJP-led government over several issues, including price rise, alleged delay in implementing the promise of abrogating Article 370 and for not acting tough against Pakistan.

Speaking on the recent #MeToo movement in the country, Thackeray said, "Our party stands with all the women who spoke out against sexual harassment and abuse".

In the party convention held earlier this year, the Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra and the oldest member of the NDA, had declared to go solo in future polls.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the delay in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing party workers' in Mumbai Thackeray said, "We are saddened that Ram Mandir has not been constructed yet".

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday expressed his disappointment over the delay in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing party workers' in Mumbai Thackeray said, "We are saddened that Ram Mandir has not been constructed yet". He also assured the people that Hindutva can never die until they were alive. "We warn everyone who thinks that Hindutva has died. We are still alive", he added. Thackeray also said that he would visit Ayodhya on November 25 and question Modi over the delay in the construction of the temple. "I will go to Ayodhya on November 25. I will ask questions to the prime minister (over alleged delay in constructing the temple)...We are not enemies of the prime minister, but we don't want to play with the emotions of the people," he said. Our party stands with all the women who spoke out against sexual harassment and abuse: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addressing party workers' in Mumbai #Metoo pic.twitter.com/G43OjwUdoF — ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018 × He also sought answers from PM Modi over his failure to visit Ayodhya in the past four and half years, after becoming the prime minister. Thackeray asked the ruling BJP to declare its promise to construct the Ram temple as a "jumla" (gimmick) if it is not going to implement the same. He also hit out at the BJP-led government over several issues, including price rise, alleged delay in implementing the promise of abrogating Article 370 and for not acting tough against Pakistan. Speaking on the recent #MeToo movement in the country, Thackeray said, "Our party stands with all the women who spoke out against sexual harassment and abuse". In the party convention held earlier this year, the Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra and the oldest member of the NDA, had declared to go solo in future polls. (With inputs from agencies)

Will visit Ayodhya on November 25, question prime minister over delay in temple construction: Uddhav Thackeray

The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of "demeaning and demoralising" Hindus and termed as an "abuse" a reported remark by the opposition party's leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him for campaigning has reduced drastically.

Azad reportedly made the comments at an event of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Lucknow on Wednesday, apparently to criticise the political climate in Uttar Pradesh under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the simple reason behind fewer people calling Azad for campaigning is the falling stock of the Congress.&nbsp;

For this Azad has invented the Hindu-Muslim angle, he added.

"These are not ordinary words. It is an abuse for the country's secular fabric and Hindus. It is yet another attempt by the Congress to demean and demoralise Hindus," Patra told reporters.

He also rejected Azad's allegation that the BJP is defaming the AMU and targeting Kashmiri students, saying if prayer meetings are held for terrorists then it will be condemned.

Three Kashmiri students of the AMU were suspended and booked for sedition last week for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans and trying to hold a prayer meeting for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan Bashir Wani, who was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir.

The varsity revoked the suspension of two students on Tuesday.

Patra said Azad had earlier claimed that the Army kills more civilians in Kashmir than terrorists.

It seems he wants to campaign in Pakistan, the BJP spokesperson said.

He accused the opposition party of conspiring against Hindus and said its leaders have used terms like "Hindu Taliban", "Hindu Pakistan" and "Hindu terrorists" in the past.

Patra also demanded a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress will never use such remarks to refer to any other community, he said.&nbsp;

The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of "demeaning and demoralising" Hindus and termed as an "abuse" a reported remark by the opposition party's leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him for campaigning has reduced drastically.

The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of "demeaning and demoralising" Hindus and termed as an "abuse" a reported remark by the opposition party's leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him for campaigning has reduced drastically. Azad reportedly made the comments at an event of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Lucknow on Wednesday, apparently to criticise the political climate in Uttar Pradesh under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the simple reason behind fewer people calling Azad for campaigning is the falling stock of the Congress. For this Azad has invented the Hindu-Muslim angle, he added. "These are not ordinary words. It is an abuse for the country's secular fabric and Hindus. It is yet another attempt by the Congress to demean and demoralise Hindus," Patra told reporters. He also rejected Azad's allegation that the BJP is defaming the AMU and targeting Kashmiri students, saying if prayer meetings are held for terrorists then it will be condemned. Three Kashmiri students of the AMU were suspended and booked for sedition last week for allegedly raising "anti-India" slogans and trying to hold a prayer meeting for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan Bashir Wani, who was killed in an encounter in north Kashmir. The varsity revoked the suspension of two students on Tuesday. Patra said Azad had earlier claimed that the Army kills more civilians in Kashmir than terrorists. It seems he wants to campaign in Pakistan, the BJP spokesperson said. He accused the opposition party of conspiring against Hindus and said its leaders have used terms like "Hindu Taliban", "Hindu Pakistan" and "Hindu terrorists" in the past. Patra also demanded a response from Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The Congress will never use such remarks to refer to any other community, he said.

Azad's remarks at AMU event an 'abuse' for Hindus: BJP

Ashok Tanwar is the PCC chief of Haryana, a&nbsp;state where the ruling BJP faces anti-incumbency.

The state&nbsp;however has seen the emergence of a BSP-INLD coalition to take on both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma speaks with Tanwar about the BSP-INLD coalition and taking on the BJP in the assembly and general elections. Here are excerpts from the interview:&nbsp;

&nbsp; 
Kartikeya Sharma: Your state has neither had&nbsp;an AICC-in-charge nor have district and local-level committees been formed...

Ashok Tanwar: The committees will be formed in due time. There are many reasons for it and I do not want to go into them. Beyond the committees, the organisation has done well for itself. 
&nbsp; 
KS: Congress was talking about a&nbsp;mahagathbandhan&nbsp;against the BJP, and now there is a gathbandhan against the Congress in Haryana...

AT: It is an ineffective coalition. Chautala’s party refused to wear the headgear given by the BSP. Two non-compatible constituencies have come together. It will not succeed. On the other hand, BJP also does not want to face the electorate and it is for this reason by-elections have not taken place in Haryana. BJP has lost goodwill in the state. 
&nbsp; 
KS: There is no unity in your state. You have more leaders than workers...

AT: &nbsp;We have more workers than leaders. We have run a very good anti-government campaign. Our campaign has been door-to-door. Congress in Haryana has regained very quickly, which is unlike many other states. 
&nbsp; 
KS: Are you friends with Randeep Surjewala&nbsp;and Bhupinder Singh Hooda?

AT: I have a great equation with both of them. I do not have any personal fight with any of the leaders in the state. I expect good support from them. Our rallies have also done well. 
&nbsp; 
KS: What is the challenge before the Congress in the state?

AT:&nbsp;Most of the challenges have been met. We are preparing for elections as we feel that Haryana assembly elections can be held simultaneously with Lol Sabha elections in 2019. The organisational challenge&nbsp;has been met through intense campaigning against the incumbent government. 
&nbsp;

Ashok Tanwar is the PCC chief of Haryana, a state where the ruling BJP faces anti-incumbency. The state however has seen the emergence of a BSP-INLD coalition to take on both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

Ashok Tanwar is the PCC chief of Haryana, a state where the ruling BJP faces anti-incumbency. The state however has seen the emergence of a BSP-INLD coalition to take on both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma speaks with Tanwar about the BSP-INLD coalition and taking on the BJP in the assembly and general elections. Here are excerpts from the interview: Kartikeya Sharma: Your state has neither had an AICC-in-charge nor have district and local-level committees been formed... Ashok Tanwar: The committees will be formed in due time. There are many reasons for it and I do not want to go into them. Beyond the committees, the organisation has done well for itself. KS: Congress was talking about a mahagathbandhan against the BJP, and now there is a gathbandhan against the Congress in Haryana... AT: It is an ineffective coalition. Chautala’s party refused to wear the headgear given by the BSP. Two non-compatible constituencies have come together. It will not succeed. On the other hand, BJP also does not want to face the electorate and it is for this reason by-elections have not taken place in Haryana. BJP has lost goodwill in the state. KS: There is no unity in your state. You have more leaders than workers... AT: We have more workers than leaders. We have run a very good anti-government campaign. Our campaign has been door-to-door. Congress in Haryana has regained very quickly, which is unlike many other states. KS: Are you friends with Randeep Surjewala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda? AT: I have a great equation with both of them. I do not have any personal fight with any of the leaders in the state. I expect good support from them. Our rallies have also done well. KS: What is the challenge before the Congress in the state? AT: Most of the challenges have been met. We are preparing for elections as we feel that Haryana assembly elections can be held simultaneously with Lol Sabha elections in 2019. The organisational challenge has been met through intense campaigning against the incumbent government.

INLD-BSP coalition will not work in Haryana: State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar to WION

Rajasthan BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, who is the son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday ahead of assembly elections in the state.

Singh met Congress president Rahul Gandhi before joining the party in the presence of leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Avinash Pande and Randeep Surjewala.

The party announced the move at a press conference.

Congress leaders believe his joining the party will help bring in Rajput votes in the assembly polls.&nbsp;

Rajasthan BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, who is the son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday ahead of assembly elections in the state.

Rajasthan BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, who is the son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday ahead of assembly elections in the state. Singh met Congress president Rahul Gandhi before joining the party in the presence of leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Avinash Pande and Randeep Surjewala. The party announced the move at a press conference. Congress leaders believe his joining the party will help bring in Rajput votes in the assembly polls.

Ahead of Rajasthan election, BJP MLA Manvendra Singh joins Congress

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his rally in Madhya Pradesh and attacked him on various policies and alleged scams.&nbsp;

While addressing the people at Morena, he said: "When Modiji became the Prime Minister, he said, Mitron....don't make me PM, make me chowkidar. The chowkidar calls people 'Mitron' and to Anil Ambani, he calls Anil bhai."

Gandhi, who is currently in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh for a two-day rally has been attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the Rafale deal and scams involving Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Congress President Rahul Gandhi mimics PM Modi at a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Morena. <a href="https://t.co/kTI8Trqpwm">pic.twitter.com/kTI8Trqpwm</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1052170341412417536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He had made similar statements against Modi earlier, saying that he would address Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi as "bhai".&nbsp;

Gandhi visited a gurudwara in Gwalior on Tuesday on the second day of campaigning in Madhya Pradesh. He also met Congress cadres in the morning and later paid obeisance at the Data Bandi Chhor Gurudwara, located in the Gwalior Fort.

Gandhi had visited <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/adivasis-dalits-minorities-are-exploited-under-bjp-rahul-gandhi-in-morena-169836">Madhya Pradesh</a> earlier this month as well where he said that Modi government made false promises of turning black money into white and that farmers, Adivasis, Dalits, and minorities are exploited under BJP.&nbsp;

Elections to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be held on 28 November 2018 to elect members of the 230 constituencies.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his rally in Madhya Pradesh and attacked him on various policies and alleged scams.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his rally in Madhya Pradesh and attacked him on various policies and alleged scams. While addressing the people at Morena, he said: "When Modiji became the Prime Minister, he said, Mitron....don't make me PM, make me chowkidar. The chowkidar calls people 'Mitron' and to Anil Ambani, he calls Anil bhai." Gandhi, who is currently in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh for a two-day rally has been attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the Rafale deal and scams involving Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. #WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi mimics PM Modi at a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Morena. pic.twitter.com/kTI8Trqpwm — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2018 × He had made similar statements against Modi earlier, saying that he would address Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi as "bhai". Gandhi visited a gurudwara in Gwalior on Tuesday on the second day of campaigning in Madhya Pradesh. He also met Congress cadres in the morning and later paid obeisance at the Data Bandi Chhor Gurudwara, located in the Gwalior Fort. Gandhi had visited Madhya Pradesh earlier this month as well where he said that Modi government made false promises of turning black money into white and that farmers, Adivasis, Dalits, and minorities are exploited under BJP. Elections to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will be held on 28 November 2018 to elect members of the 230 constituencies.

Mitron: Rahul mimics Modi at MP rally; watch video

In a major setback to the Congress in Goa, two of its legislators resigned Tuesday as members of the state Assembly, reducing the party's strength from 16 to 14 in the 40-member House.

Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who went to Delhi late last night, faxed their resignation letters to Speaker Pramod Sawant and are set to join the BJP.

With their resignation, the Congress ceases to be the single largest party in the Assembly whose effective strength now stands reduced to 38.

The development assumes further significance as it comes at a time when Goa is witnessing hectic political activity against the backdrop of the ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte faxed their resignations as members of the Assembly to my office. We have received their resignations," Sawant told PTI.

The Speaker said the resignations have been accepted.

"I and Shirodkar have resigned as MLAs and also from the primary membership of the Congress. We have sent our resignations to the Congress party," Sopte told PTI over phone from Delhi.

Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar expressed shock over the development.

"We came to know through media reports that two of our legislators are in touch with the BJP and might resign. We are shocked," he told reporters here.

Sopte and Shirodkar were part of the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting held in the state earlier to discuss the political situation arising out of the ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Kavlekar said.

Sopte, 54, represented the Mandrem Assembly constituency in North Goa district, while Shirodkar, 66, was elected from the Shiroda in South Goa district.

In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Parrikar government has the support of 23 MLAs. These comprise 14 BJP MLAs, three each from the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party as well as three Independents.

The Congress, with 16 seats, had emerged as the single largest party in the fructured verdict thrown up in the Assembly elections held in March last year.

However, it had failed to form the government as it could not muster the majority. Since, then it has been repeatedly laying claim to form the government, arguing that it was the single largest party.

Shirodkar won five times from the Shiroda constituency and was the Cabinet minister from 1985 to 2000.

Sopte had defeated BJP's Laxmikant Parsekar, who was the chief minister before the state polls last year.

He had won from the Pernem Assembly seat on the BJP ticket in 2007 but resigned from the party to join the Congress in 2012, when he was denied a ticket.

When the Pernem seat was reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate, Sopte aspired to contest on BJP's ticket from Mandrem constituency in 2012 but the party fielded the then BJP Goa unit chief Laxmikant Parsekar from there.

Sopte had then fought the 2012 Assembly poll from Mandrem Congress ticket but lost to Parsekar.&nbsp;

In a major setback to the Congress in Goa, two of its legislators resigned Tuesday as members of the state Assembly, reducing the party's strength from 16 to 14 in the 40-member House.

In a major setback to the Congress in Goa, two of its legislators resigned Tuesday as members of the state Assembly, reducing the party's strength from 16 to 14 in the 40-member House. Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who went to Delhi late last night, faxed their resignation letters to Speaker Pramod Sawant and are set to join the BJP. With their resignation, the Congress ceases to be the single largest party in the Assembly whose effective strength now stands reduced to 38. The development assumes further significance as it comes at a time when Goa is witnessing hectic political activity against the backdrop of the ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. "Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte faxed their resignations as members of the Assembly to my office. We have received their resignations," Sawant told PTI. The Speaker said the resignations have been accepted. "I and Shirodkar have resigned as MLAs and also from the primary membership of the Congress. We have sent our resignations to the Congress party," Sopte told PTI over phone from Delhi. Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar expressed shock over the development. "We came to know through media reports that two of our legislators are in touch with the BJP and might resign. We are shocked," he told reporters here. Sopte and Shirodkar were part of the crucial Congress Legislature Party meeting held in the state earlier to discuss the political situation arising out of the ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Kavlekar said. Sopte, 54, represented the Mandrem Assembly constituency in North Goa district, while Shirodkar, 66, was elected from the Shiroda in South Goa district. In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the Parrikar government has the support of 23 MLAs. These comprise 14 BJP MLAs, three each from the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party as well as three Independents. The Congress, with 16 seats, had emerged as the single largest party in the fructured verdict thrown up in the Assembly elections held in March last year. However, it had failed to form the government as it could not muster the majority. Since, then it has been repeatedly laying claim to form the government, arguing that it was the single largest party. Shirodkar won five times from the Shiroda constituency and was the Cabinet minister from 1985 to 2000. Sopte had defeated BJP's Laxmikant Parsekar, who was the chief minister before the state polls last year. He had won from the Pernem Assembly seat on the BJP ticket in 2007 but resigned from the party to join the Congress in 2012, when he was denied a ticket. When the Pernem seat was reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate, Sopte aspired to contest on BJP's ticket from Mandrem constituency in 2012 but the party fielded the then BJP Goa unit chief Laxmikant Parsekar from there. Sopte had then fought the 2012 Assembly poll from Mandrem Congress ticket but lost to Parsekar.

Two Congress MLAs resign in Goa; party strength down to 14

Former Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma quit the Congress today and is all set to join the BJP.

After tendering his resignation as a legislator from the state Assembly,&nbsp;Chakma submitted his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to party functionaries Aizawl.

The resignation letter from the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee was addressed to the committee president, Lal Thanhawla, who is also the chief minister.

Speaker Hiphei has accepted Chakma's resignation from the House, Assembly secretary SR Zokhuma said.

Election to the 40-member House is scheduled to be held in the state on November 28.

Mizoram BJP unit president Prof John V Hluna told news agency PTI that Chakma would be joining the BJP today.

The Bharatiya Janata Party would field Chakma from Tuichawng seat in the assembly polls, Hluna said.

With Chakma's resignation, three Congress MLAs have resigned from the Assembly recently.<iframe data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>

The present strength of the state legislature is 37 after resignation of the three Congress legislators. The ruling Congress has 31 legislators and the Mizo National Front six.

The Assembly Speaker on Monday had accepted the resignation of former home minister R Lalzirliana.

Lalzirliana, who resigned as the state home minister on September 14 was expelled as vice president of the state Pradesh Congress Committee and primary member of the Congress party indefinitely by the ruling Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee disciplinary action committee on September 17.

He formally joined the Mizo National Front yesterday.

Earlier, another Congress legislator Lalrinliana Sailo, former minister and member of the AICC and general secretary of the state PCC had also left the ruling party and joined the Mizo National Front.

Chakma had resigned from the council of ministers on August 21, 2017 in protest against discrimination of some students belonging to Chakma community for admission to medical colleges across the country, though they had qualified for MBBS seat under the state quota.

Former Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma quit the Congress today and is all set to join the BJP. After tendering his resignation as a legislator from the state Assembly, Chakma submitted his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to party functionaries Aizawl.

Former Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma quit the Congress today and is all set to join the BJP. After tendering his resignation as a legislator from the state Assembly, Chakma submitted his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to party functionaries Aizawl. The resignation letter from the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee was addressed to the committee president, Lal Thanhawla, who is also the chief minister. Speaker Hiphei has accepted Chakma's resignation from the House, Assembly secretary SR Zokhuma said. Election to the 40-member House is scheduled to be held in the state on November 28. Mizoram BJP unit president Prof John V Hluna told news agency PTI that Chakma would be joining the BJP today. The Bharatiya Janata Party would field Chakma from Tuichawng seat in the assembly polls, Hluna said. With Chakma's resignation, three Congress MLAs have resigned from the Assembly recently. The present strength of the state legislature is 37 after resignation of the three Congress legislators. The ruling Congress has 31 legislators and the Mizo National Front six. The Assembly Speaker on Monday had accepted the resignation of former home minister R Lalzirliana. Lalzirliana, who resigned as the state home minister on September 14 was expelled as vice president of the state Pradesh Congress Committee and primary member of the Congress party indefinitely by the ruling Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee disciplinary action committee on September 17. He formally joined the Mizo National Front yesterday. Earlier, another Congress legislator Lalrinliana Sailo, former minister and member of the AICC and general secretary of the state PCC had also left the ruling party and joined the Mizo National Front. Chakma had resigned from the council of ministers on August 21, 2017 in protest against discrimination of some students belonging to Chakma community for admission to medical colleges across the country, though they had qualified for MBBS seat under the state quota.

Ex-Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma resigns from Congress, to join BJP

Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha criticised the BJP government at the Centre over the Rafale deal.

He said a French publication had quoted former French president Francois Hollande as saying that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence as a partner for the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation for the deal.

Speaking at a farmers' panchayat in Tawli village Sunday evening, he said questions were being asked why an experienced company like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was set aside and a new company got the contract for the Rafale deal.

He appealed to all opposition leaders to unite to defeat the BJP in the 2019 general election.

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also addressed the farmers.&nbsp;

The Congress and the BJP have been involved in a war of words over the Rs 58-000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France, with claims and counter-claims flowing thick and fast.&nbsp;

Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha criticised the BJP government at the Centre over the Rafale deal. He said a French publication had quoted former French president Francois Hollande as saying that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence as a partner for the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation for the deal.

Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha criticised the BJP government at the Centre over the Rafale deal. He said a French publication had quoted former French president Francois Hollande as saying that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence as a partner for the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation for the deal. Speaking at a farmers' panchayat in Tawli village Sunday evening, he said questions were being asked why an experienced company like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was set aside and a new company got the contract for the Rafale deal. He appealed to all opposition leaders to unite to defeat the BJP in the 2019 general election. Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also addressed the farmers. The Congress and the BJP have been involved in a war of words over the Rs 58-000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France, with claims and counter-claims flowing thick and fast.

Shatrughan Sinha criticises BJP government over Rafale deal

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region. The politics of the northeastern States is critical from the perspective of the country’s security, sovereignty and integrity — more than any other region with the exception of Jammu &amp; Kashmir — and Mizoram is an important element in that overall scheme of things.&nbsp;

Mizoram is the last standing citadel of the Congress in the North-East, but that bastion is under attack. Party affairs are in a mess in the State; only recently, R Lalzirliana, one of its senior leaders and home minister in the Government of Lal Thanhawla, quit following differences with the chief minister. So did former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo. The party’s local leadership has tried to play down the development, claiming that the two Ministers had to leave because of serious allegations of corruption against them. But that does not explain the widely-held apprehension in party ranks that more desertions can happen in the run-up to the Assembly election, to be held on November 28. &nbsp;

It’s not just the problems that many Congress leaders have with the local leadership led by Lal Thanhawla. There is the fear of anti-incumbency too. The Congress regime has been in power since 2008, and the fatigue factor has begun to show. Many influential leaders have been rubbed the wrong way in the last decade that corresponded with the emergence of Lal Thanhawla’s iron hand. In the earlier years, dissident leaders had no option but to swallow the insult; they had nowhere to go. The main opposition party, the Mizo National Front (MNF), had been sidelined and over the years become quite ineffective. It had won just five seats in the 40-member House in the 2013 election, while the Congress had bagged 34 seats. Things have changed since then.&nbsp;

First, the MNF led by Zoramthanga has been strengthened by its partnership with the BJP, via the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA); the MNF chief is a founder-member of the alliance. Second, the MNF is upbeat over the departure of key leaders from the Congress and would be quite happy to accommodate the rebels. Third, it is banking on the strong anti-incumbency factor. And fourth, it believes that the BJP’s recent successes in the North-East, both in an individual capacity and through alliances, will impact the mood of the electorate in Mizoram too. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The BJP is content to let events play out in its favour. It will repeat the strategy it has deployed in the other northeastern States — that of cementing partnerships with local players and taking a subordinate position whenever the situation demands. In Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the party tied up with regional outfits and outwitted the Congress in the electoral battle. In Assam and Tripura, although it swept the polls on its own, it still proceeded to form coalition regimes with regional parties. The BJP wants its NEDA experiment to keep delivering results, even if in the process it has to take a back seat in some cases. The BJP does not have a strong cadre in Mizoram, and will, like in the case of Meghalaya and Manipur, hope to ride piggyback on local allies to victory.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Incidentally, of the seven States in the Northeast, it’s the Meghalaya reminder that will trouble the Congress the most and elate the opposition equally as much. Prior to Assembly election in Meghalaya earlier this year, several leaders had quit the Congress (five among them were sitting Legislators). The party was defeated. Does a similar scenario await the Congress in Mizoram? Or is the opposition overly optimistic, given that the Congress is hardly a pushover in the state? We will know on December 11. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region.

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region. The politics of the northeastern States is critical from the perspective of the country’s security, sovereignty and integrity — more than any other region with the exception of Jammu & Kashmir — and Mizoram is an important element in that overall scheme of things. Mizoram is the last standing citadel of the Congress in the North-East, but that bastion is under attack. Party affairs are in a mess in the State; only recently, R Lalzirliana, one of its senior leaders and home minister in the Government of Lal Thanhawla, quit following differences with the chief minister. So did former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo. The party’s local leadership has tried to play down the development, claiming that the two Ministers had to leave because of serious allegations of corruption against them. But that does not explain the widely-held apprehension in party ranks that more desertions can happen in the run-up to the Assembly election, to be held on November 28. It’s not just the problems that many Congress leaders have with the local leadership led by Lal Thanhawla. There is the fear of anti-incumbency too. The Congress regime has been in power since 2008, and the fatigue factor has begun to show. Many influential leaders have been rubbed the wrong way in the last decade that corresponded with the emergence of Lal Thanhawla’s iron hand. In the earlier years, dissident leaders had no option but to swallow the insult; they had nowhere to go. The main opposition party, the Mizo National Front (MNF), had been sidelined and over the years become quite ineffective. It had won just five seats in the 40-member House in the 2013 election, while the Congress had bagged 34 seats. Things have changed since then. First, the MNF led by Zoramthanga has been strengthened by its partnership with the BJP, via the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA); the MNF chief is a founder-member of the alliance. Second, the MNF is upbeat over the departure of key leaders from the Congress and would be quite happy to accommodate the rebels. Third, it is banking on the strong anti-incumbency factor. And fourth, it believes that the BJP’s recent successes in the North-East, both in an individual capacity and through alliances, will impact the mood of the electorate in Mizoram too. The BJP is content to let events play out in its favour. It will repeat the strategy it has deployed in the other northeastern States — that of cementing partnerships with local players and taking a subordinate position whenever the situation demands. In Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the party tied up with regional outfits and outwitted the Congress in the electoral battle. In Assam and Tripura, although it swept the polls on its own, it still proceeded to form coalition regimes with regional parties. The BJP wants its NEDA experiment to keep delivering results, even if in the process it has to take a back seat in some cases. The BJP does not have a strong cadre in Mizoram, and will, like in the case of Meghalaya and Manipur, hope to ride piggyback on local allies to victory. Incidentally, of the seven States in the Northeast, it’s the Meghalaya reminder that will trouble the Congress the most and elate the opposition equally as much. Prior to Assembly election in Meghalaya earlier this year, several leaders had quit the Congress (five among them were sitting Legislators). The party was defeated. Does a similar scenario await the Congress in Mizoram? Or is the opposition overly optimistic, given that the Congress is hardly a pushover in the state? We will know on December 11. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Mizoram polls more crucial for Congress than BJP

Bjp, News on Bjp, stories on Bjp, articles on Bjp, Bjp stories at Wion, Bjp news, Bjp latest news