Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh got a breather today when the assembly was adjourned till March 26th without the trust vote after a one-minute address by Governor Lalji Tandon. The Opposition party BJP, which is confident of overthrowing the ruling Congress, has approached the Supreme Court.&nbsp;

In his address, Governor Lalji Tandon appealed to Members: "All must follow the rules under the Constitution so that dignity of Madhya Pradesh remains protected".

After completing his address, Tandon left the Assembly shortly after the proceedings began.

Following this, the House was adjourned till March 26.

BJP leaders raised slogans against the incumbent government in the Assembly.

In the Assembly former chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the current Congress government lacks majority while Finance Minister in the state government, Tarun Bhanot demanded that all missing Congress MLAs should be brought back to the Assembly.

BJP had demanded a floor test, to decide the fate of the Kamal Nath led Congress government to be held today, the Congress leaders have stated that all their MLAs need to be present in the house for the test.

Prior to the proceedings, the Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Gopal Bhargav had said that Chief Minister Kamal Nath should tender his resignation on moral grounds as his government lacks the majority.

"The state government is running away from facing the floor test but it cannot be saved from collapsing as a good number of MLAs are against it. Government has been defeated morally and the Chief Minister should resign on moral ground," Bhargav told.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh got a breather today when the assembly was adjourned till March 26th without the trust vote after a one-minute address by Governor Lalji Tandon.

Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh got a breather today when the assembly was adjourned till March 26th without the trust vote after a one-minute address by Governor Lalji Tandon. The Opposition party BJP, which is confident of overthrowing the ruling Congress, has approached the Supreme Court. In his address, Governor Lalji Tandon appealed to Members: "All must follow the rules under the Constitution so that dignity of Madhya Pradesh remains protected". After completing his address, Tandon left the Assembly shortly after the proceedings began. Following this, the House was adjourned till March 26. BJP leaders raised slogans against the incumbent government in the Assembly. In the Assembly former chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the current Congress government lacks majority while Finance Minister in the state government, Tarun Bhanot demanded that all missing Congress MLAs should be brought back to the Assembly. BJP had demanded a floor test, to decide the fate of the Kamal Nath led Congress government to be held today, the Congress leaders have stated that all their MLAs need to be present in the house for the test. Prior to the proceedings, the Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Gopal Bhargav had said that Chief Minister Kamal Nath should tender his resignation on moral grounds as his government lacks the majority. "The state government is running away from facing the floor test but it cannot be saved from collapsing as a good number of MLAs are against it. Government has been defeated morally and the Chief Minister should resign on moral ground," Bhargav told. (With inputs from ANI)

Madhya Pradesh Assembly adjourned till March 26th in view of coronavirus

A new controversy has erupted as the singing of 'Vande Mataram', started by the previous Shivaraj Singh Chouhan led Madhya Pradesh government on the first working day of every month at the State Secretariat in Bhopal, has been put on hold by the new Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.

The first two verses of 'Vande Mataram', written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in praise of the “Mother” (Goddess), symbolising the motherland and composed into a song by Rabindranath Tagore, were adopted as the National Song of India during British rule by the Congress party.

Due to the Kamal Nath government’s stand on the singing of Vande Mataram at the State Secretariat, those in the BJP have put the Congress in the dock. BJP leaders claim that the Kamal Nath government is trying to appease a particular community. According to them, stopping the 13-year-old practice of singing 'Vande Mataram' at the State Secretariat is an insult of those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation.

BJP President Amit Shah used the social media to assert that the banning of the song 'Vande Mataram' by the Congress government of Madhya Pradesh is like treason and an insult to the nation. 'Vande Mataram' is not just a song, it is the symbol of India's freedom movement and the inspiration for every Indian, Shah emphasised. &nbsp;

Dragging Congress president Rahul Gandhi into this controversy, the BJP president has asked whether it was on his instructions that the singing of 'Vande Mataram' was stopped by the state Congress government?&nbsp;

Trying to put a lid on this matter, Kamal Nath has said that 'Vande Mataram' is deeply rooted in every citizen’s heart and his government is going to take initiative to start it again in a different format. But the BJP is in an unrelenting mood. Meanwhile, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that this coming Monday, January 7, all the BJP MLAs will assemble and sing Vande Mataram at the Secretariat.

The present controversy is the perfect recipe for a battle of wits between the BJP and the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this year. Right now, it is advantage BJP, which has already scored an early point by going on the offensive from the word go. The BJP President has been quick in putting the Congress in the dock, roping in Rahul Gandhi and accusing the state Congress government of turning Madhya Pradesh –the heart of India – into a centre of appeasement (to please a particular community). Congress steps to counter the BJP onslaught in the coming days will be viewed only as a face-saving strategy and the BJP will leave no stone unturned to take political mileage from this.

Besides Ayodhya, Rafale, triple talaq, farmers’ distress, more and more contentious issues that polarise the voters on narrow lines have started sprouting up ahead of the elections. In the process, the vital agenda of development that should be at the centre of general public discourse remains on the back burner.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A new controversy has erupted as the singing of 'Vande Mataram', started by the previous Shivaraj Singh Chouhan led Madhya Pradesh government on the first working day of every month at the State Secretariat in Bhopal, has been put on hold by the new Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.

A new controversy has erupted as the singing of 'Vande Mataram', started by the previous Shivaraj Singh Chouhan led Madhya Pradesh government on the first working day of every month at the State Secretariat in Bhopal, has been put on hold by the new Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath. The first two verses of 'Vande Mataram', written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in praise of the “Mother” (Goddess), symbolising the motherland and composed into a song by Rabindranath Tagore, were adopted as the National Song of India during British rule by the Congress party. Due to the Kamal Nath government’s stand on the singing of Vande Mataram at the State Secretariat, those in the BJP have put the Congress in the dock. BJP leaders claim that the Kamal Nath government is trying to appease a particular community. According to them, stopping the 13-year-old practice of singing 'Vande Mataram' at the State Secretariat is an insult of those who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation. BJP President Amit Shah used the social media to assert that the banning of the song 'Vande Mataram' by the Congress government of Madhya Pradesh is like treason and an insult to the nation. 'Vande Mataram' is not just a song, it is the symbol of India's freedom movement and the inspiration for every Indian, Shah emphasised. Dragging Congress president Rahul Gandhi into this controversy, the BJP president has asked whether it was on his instructions that the singing of 'Vande Mataram' was stopped by the state Congress government? Trying to put a lid on this matter, Kamal Nath has said that 'Vande Mataram' is deeply rooted in every citizen’s heart and his government is going to take initiative to start it again in a different format. But the BJP is in an unrelenting mood. Meanwhile, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that this coming Monday, January 7, all the BJP MLAs will assemble and sing Vande Mataram at the Secretariat. The present controversy is the perfect recipe for a battle of wits between the BJP and the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this year. Right now, it is advantage BJP, which has already scored an early point by going on the offensive from the word go. The BJP President has been quick in putting the Congress in the dock, roping in Rahul Gandhi and accusing the state Congress government of turning Madhya Pradesh –the heart of India – into a centre of appeasement (to please a particular community). Congress steps to counter the BJP onslaught in the coming days will be viewed only as a face-saving strategy and the BJP will leave no stone unturned to take political mileage from this. Besides Ayodhya, Rafale, triple talaq, farmers’ distress, more and more contentious issues that polarise the voters on narrow lines have started sprouting up ahead of the elections. In the process, the vital agenda of development that should be at the centre of general public discourse remains on the back burner. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP and Congress battle it out over 'Vande Mataram'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/abki-baar-200-paar-madhya-pradesh-cm-shivraj-singh-chouhan-confident-of-victory-in-assembly-polls-179927"> Shivraj Singh Chouhan </a>on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would get a comfortable majority in the just-concluded Assembly elections in the state.

"We will get a good majority. It's not correct to say a number. I don't lie. You will see on (December) 11th (counting day). The BJP will get a comfortable majority," Chouhan, who is here to campaign for his party in the Telangana Assembly polls, said.

Some individuals might have faced anti-incumbency at some places, but not against the government, the chief minister said, asserting that there was no anti-incumbency.

On the concerns raised by the Congress over<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mp-congress-bsp-protestors-claim-evm-tampering-in-satna-180603"> electronic voting machines </a>in MP, Chouhan said, "The speciality of the Congress is that it starts searching for reasons for loss even before the defeat and prepares a prelude to it. The Election Commission is a constitutional body and we all have faith in it."

"Can it happen in today's age that EVMs changed and the power went off?" he asked.

When it was pointed out that the EC had itself said the electricity went off for two hours in a strongroom in Bhopal, Chouhan said the commission was responsible and it would look into it.

On the mob violence in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district in which a police officer was one of the two persons killed in the incident, Chouhan said the BJP was against violence and action would be taken as per the investigation.

Alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana had disappointed people on various fronts, Chouhan said BJP was the alternative. 
Describing the alliance among the Congress, the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti for the Telangana polls as "opportunistic", he claimed that it was a failure".&nbsp;

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would get a comfortable majority in the just-concluded Assembly elections in the state.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would get a comfortable majority in the just-concluded Assembly elections in the state. "We will get a good majority. It's not correct to say a number. I don't lie. You will see on (December) 11th (counting day). The BJP will get a comfortable majority," Chouhan, who is here to campaign for his party in the Telangana Assembly polls, said. Some individuals might have faced anti-incumbency at some places, but not against the government, the chief minister said, asserting that there was no anti-incumbency. On the concerns raised by the Congress over electronic voting machines in MP, Chouhan said, "The speciality of the Congress is that it starts searching for reasons for loss even before the defeat and prepares a prelude to it. The Election Commission is a constitutional body and we all have faith in it." "Can it happen in today's age that EVMs changed and the power went off?" he asked. When it was pointed out that the EC had itself said the electricity went off for two hours in a strongroom in Bhopal, Chouhan said the commission was responsible and it would look into it. On the mob violence in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district in which a police officer was one of the two persons killed in the incident, Chouhan said the BJP was against violence and action would be taken as per the investigation. Alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana had disappointed people on various fronts, Chouhan said BJP was the alternative. Describing the alliance among the Congress, the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti for the Telangana polls as "opportunistic", he claimed that it was a failure".

BJP will get comfortable majority in Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

In crucial battleground of Madhya Pradesh, groups based on caste and tribe are joining the electoral fray even as the Congress tries to find its real voice and plank amidst its attempts to recast its image in ‘soft Hindutva’. &nbsp;

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, meanwhile, is on a spree of announcing one sop after another, desperate to ensure that he can return to power a record fourth time.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 230 seats, and presently BJP holds a lion’s share of them (165).&nbsp;

Samanya Pichhra Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj (Sapaks) claims to speak for all castes but is, in essence, an upper-caste dominated group that opposes reservation on caste-lines. It has said that the group will support candidates in as many seats as possible. Similarly, Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), a tribal outfit, has been campaigning for months across tribal-dominated areas in the state and is going to contest at least 80 seats. It has also roped in Bollywood actor Govinda to campaign during elections. &nbsp;

Besides these two groups, AAP is also in the electoral fray and is likely to get some traction in urban areas. Another player will be Swaraj Abhiyan which has been active in Madhya Pradesh for the last couple of years and will support candidates who wish to contest on its farmer-driven agenda.&nbsp;

Traditionally, Madhya Pradesh has been a bi-polar state with power changing hands between the BJP and the Congress. However, the Congress has been out of power in the state since 2003 and post-2014 the Modi phenomenon has worsened its condition at the ground with the party struggling to find booth-level workers.&nbsp;

The Congress was planning an alliance with the BSP. However, BSP has already announced its first list of 22 candidates and is maintaining that it will fight 230 Assembly seats on its own. It’s a failure of the Congres&nbsp;because interestingly the combined vote share of Congress-BSP almost matches that of the BJP, and therefore if the two parties were able to work out an alliance, the BJP might have found it difficult to counter it. &nbsp;

Over the last 15 years, the BJP has grown from strength to strength. RSS, its ideological mentor, too has come to dominate the party and government policy of the state.

While this has created a very stable supporter base for the party, it has also generated resentment among cadres who have come to harbour a feeling of being ignored and sidelined. The most recent example of this was the resignation of BJP Minister Padma Shukla from the state cabinet a day before Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Bhopal.&nbsp;

While it is impossible to estimate the size of the disgruntled section within BJP, it can be safely said that it is big enough to give the party sleepless nights. To address some of this resentment it has appointed Lok Sabha MP from Jabalpur, Rakesh Singh as its state president.&nbsp;

The party has also reached out directly to the electorate with schemes and sops that it should have ideally implemented years ago. The MP government has recently announced a pay hike for ‘guest teachers’, loan waivers for farmers, increase in stipends for MDM cooks, and government doctors as well the creation of 38 new administrative blocks in 29 districts.&nbsp;

However, the general perception is that the Congress is not strong enough to take on the BJP and this perhaps explains the rise of smaller outfits seeking to make the most of BJP’s 15 year-long anti-incumbency.&nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In crucial battleground of Madhya Pradesh, groups based on caste and tribe are joining the electoral fray even as the Congress tries to find its real voice and plank amidst its attempts to recast its image in ‘soft Hindutva’.

In crucial battleground of Madhya Pradesh, groups based on caste and tribe are joining the electoral fray even as the Congress tries to find its real voice and plank amidst its attempts to recast its image in ‘soft Hindutva’. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, meanwhile, is on a spree of announcing one sop after another, desperate to ensure that he can return to power a record fourth time. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 230 seats, and presently BJP holds a lion’s share of them (165). Samanya Pichhra Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj (Sapaks) claims to speak for all castes but is, in essence, an upper-caste dominated group that opposes reservation on caste-lines. It has said that the group will support candidates in as many seats as possible. Similarly, Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), a tribal outfit, has been campaigning for months across tribal-dominated areas in the state and is going to contest at least 80 seats. It has also roped in Bollywood actor Govinda to campaign during elections. Besides these two groups, AAP is also in the electoral fray and is likely to get some traction in urban areas. Another player will be Swaraj Abhiyan which has been active in Madhya Pradesh for the last couple of years and will support candidates who wish to contest on its farmer-driven agenda. Traditionally, Madhya Pradesh has been a bi-polar state with power changing hands between the BJP and the Congress. However, the Congress has been out of power in the state since 2003 and post-2014 the Modi phenomenon has worsened its condition at the ground with the party struggling to find booth-level workers. The Congress was planning an alliance with the BSP. However, BSP has already announced its first list of 22 candidates and is maintaining that it will fight 230 Assembly seats on its own. It’s a failure of the Congres because interestingly the combined vote share of Congress-BSP almost matches that of the BJP, and therefore if the two parties were able to work out an alliance, the BJP might have found it difficult to counter it. Over the last 15 years, the BJP has grown from strength to strength. RSS, its ideological mentor, too has come to dominate the party and government policy of the state. While this has created a very stable supporter base for the party, it has also generated resentment among cadres who have come to harbour a feeling of being ignored and sidelined. The most recent example of this was the resignation of BJP Minister Padma Shukla from the state cabinet a day before Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Bhopal. While it is impossible to estimate the size of the disgruntled section within BJP, it can be safely said that it is big enough to give the party sleepless nights. To address some of this resentment it has appointed Lok Sabha MP from Jabalpur, Rakesh Singh as its state president. The party has also reached out directly to the electorate with schemes and sops that it should have ideally implemented years ago. The MP government has recently announced a pay hike for ‘guest teachers’, loan waivers for farmers, increase in stipends for MDM cooks, and government doctors as well the creation of 38 new administrative blocks in 29 districts. However, the general perception is that the Congress is not strong enough to take on the BJP and this perhaps explains the rise of smaller outfits seeking to make the most of BJP’s 15 year-long anti-incumbency. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Madhya Pradesh turns into a political battleground

Former Madhya Pradesh minister and veteran Congress leader Sriniwas Tiwari died at a Delhi hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 93.

Tiwari was on Wednesday brought to Delhi from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh after his condition deteriorated due to illness.

He had complained of difficulty in breathing. He was admitted to Intensive Care Unit in the district hospital on Rewa.

He was Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly from 1993 to 2003.

Tiwari was on Wednesday brought to Delhi from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh after his condition deteriorated due to illness.

Former Madhya Pradesh minister and veteran Congress leader Sriniwas Tiwari died at a Delhi hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 93. Tiwari was on Wednesday brought to Delhi from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh after his condition deteriorated due to illness. He had complained of difficulty in breathing. He was admitted to Intensive Care Unit in the district hospital on Rewa. He was Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly from 1993 to 2003.

Former Madhya Pradesh minister Sriniwas Tiwari dies