There has never been a single Third Front. There have been many avatars of Third Fronts. The genesis of National Front, United Front or Third Front lies in anti-Congress Grand Alliance which was conceived by Ram Manohar Lohia after Jawaharlal Nehru passed away. In 1967, all non-Congress parties came together, and they were able to form the governments in a number of states for the first time. It is from this success, emanated the confidence of a non-Congress government at the Centre.&nbsp;

Since then, time to time, regional parties came together to make government against Congress. In the 1990s, regional parties got realigned on the basis of ideology and personal relationship. The first born was NDA, it was succeeded by the UPA when the Congress realised that it alone cannot be a match against well aligned NDA.

Off late, many politicians have started to moot the idea of floating a Grand Alliance to contain BJP electorally as it has replaced the Congress from the pole position in the Indian politics.

The strategists are excited about the idea of SP-BSP joining hands for two by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. But the pact, sugar-coated by the ideal of secular politics, cannot undermine the barter which has taken place between two parties. For instance, Mayawati will be able to go to Rajya Sabha on SP&rsquo;s support. Some people are also excited about the fact that Mayawati has taken a leaf out of Kanshiram&rsquo;s playbook, but they should pause and think as to what could have happened to Mayawati when SP goons attacked her in the guest house.

Apart from Mayawati, West Bengal&rsquo;s Chief Minister Mamata Banerji and Telangana&rsquo;s Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao are openly mooting the idea to form a Grand Front. Mamata even blamed Congress for not creating an umbrella alliance for the North East elections. The fact of the matter is that can the Third Front be an alternative. Will it have a different ideology? Will it be supported by the Congress? Who will be the prime ministerial candidate? I suppose these questions are irrelevant.

Today&rsquo;s idea of the Third Front is rooted in the preservation of power and nothing else. Unlike 1967 and 1977, it is not rooted in the idea against total hegemony and emergency. It does not have a noble purpose. It is, for this reason, the experiment of 1996-98 (United Front) was a total failure. It was rooted in the idea of keeping one party out.

Today, Congress is in position to be a pole around which small parties can come together. It is so small both organisationally and electorally that regional parties have started to treat Congress as its equal.

On the other hand, the desire of regional parties for a Front also stems from BJP&rsquo;s expansion in newer areas where they themselves have remained sole challenger to the erstwhile Congress.&nbsp; Over the last four years, Indian politics has become BJP vs rest. Non-Congress front in past has seen six prime ministers. All put together, such Fronts remained in power for more than 6 years but it gave 6 prime ministers. It is an unappetizing scenario. With Modi in the saddle, the Third Front will remain a pot of contradictions.

Will the Left side with the Trinamool Congress in 2019 and will Mayawati continue the arrangement when the nation goes to the polls? The answer is that there are too many ifs and buts about it and none of them will be able to stand as credible alternatives. Last in the question is, Chandrashekhar Rao who wants to emulate NT Rama Rao under whom the National Front came to power, and VP Singh became the Prime Minister. He was supported by both Left and BJP. Similar experiments between 1977-80 and 1996-98 were supported by the Congress. This time both Congress and Left have very small national footprints.

The crass anti-BJP-ism is a recipe for disaster. This will make people vote with greater margin for the BJP. Nitish-Laloo experiment was localised to Bihar and could not be replicated in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Even in the case of UP, one will have to see as to how antagonistic vote banks of SP and BSP will cooperate on ground level. For Congress to lend support to such a venture would be suicidal. It will further cannibalise its own organisation.&nbsp;

BJP&rsquo;s electoral success is also a reflection of nation&rsquo;s changing mood on the relationship between religion and the state and assertion of the majority community in cultural sphere as a political actor uncut by caste. It requires a robust ideological opposition and not knee-jerk ganging up.

Opposition needs to understand the ideological and organisational preparedness of BJP. Its power rests on the theory that organisations stem from the power of an idea and from which party can attain power. Opposition and Congress want to reverse the process by grabbing power first, thinking that organisation will stem from it which will ultimately coalesce into a robust idea. It has never happened past and will not happen in future.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Fight BJP will need a robust ideological opposition and not knee-jerk ganging up.

There has never been a single Third Front. There have been many avatars of Third Fronts. The genesis of National Front, United Front or Third Front lies in anti-Congress Grand Alliance which was conceived by Ram Manohar Lohia after Jawaharlal Nehru passed away. In 1967, all non-Congress parties came together, and they were able to form the governments in a number of states for the first time. It is from this success, emanated the confidence of a non-Congress government at the Centre. Since then, time to time, regional parties came together to make government against Congress. In the 1990s, regional parties got realigned on the basis of ideology and personal relationship. The first born was NDA, it was succeeded by the UPA when the Congress realised that it alone cannot be a match against well aligned NDA. Off late, many politicians have started to moot the idea of floating a Grand Alliance to contain BJP electorally as it has replaced the Congress from the pole position in the Indian politics. The strategists are excited about the idea of SP-BSP joining hands for two by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. But the pact, sugar-coated by the ideal of secular politics, cannot undermine the barter which has taken place between two parties. For instance, Mayawati will be able to go to Rajya Sabha on SP’s support. Some people are also excited about the fact that Mayawati has taken a leaf out of Kanshiram’s playbook, but they should pause and think as to what could have happened to Mayawati when SP goons attacked her in the guest house. Apart from Mayawati, West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerji and Telangana’s Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao are openly mooting the idea to form a Grand Front. Mamata even blamed Congress for not creating an umbrella alliance for the North East elections. The fact of the matter is that can the Third Front be an alternative. Will it have a different ideology? Will it be supported by the Congress? Who will be the prime ministerial candidate? I suppose these questions are irrelevant. Today’s idea of the Third Front is rooted in the preservation of power and nothing else. Unlike 1967 and 1977, it is not rooted in the idea against total hegemony and emergency. It does not have a noble purpose. It is, for this reason, the experiment of 1996-98 (United Front) was a total failure. It was rooted in the idea of keeping one party out. Today, Congress is in position to be a pole around which small parties can come together. It is so small both organisationally and electorally that regional parties have started to treat Congress as its equal. On the other hand, the desire of regional parties for a Front also stems from BJP’s expansion in newer areas where they themselves have remained sole challenger to the erstwhile Congress. Over the last four years, Indian politics has become BJP vs rest. Non-Congress front in past has seen six prime ministers. All put together, such Fronts remained in power for more than 6 years but it gave 6 prime ministers. It is an unappetizing scenario. With Modi in the saddle, the Third Front will remain a pot of contradictions. Will the Left side with the Trinamool Congress in 2019 and will Mayawati continue the arrangement when the nation goes to the polls? The answer is that there are too many ifs and buts about it and none of them will be able to stand as credible alternatives. Last in the question is, Chandrashekhar Rao who wants to emulate NT Rama Rao under whom the National Front came to power, and VP Singh became the Prime Minister. He was supported by both Left and BJP. Similar experiments between 1977-80 and 1996-98 were supported by the Congress. This time both Congress and Left have very small national footprints. The crass anti-BJP-ism is a recipe for disaster. This will make people vote with greater margin for the BJP. Nitish-Laloo experiment was localised to Bihar and could not be replicated in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Even in the case of UP, one will have to see as to how antagonistic vote banks of SP and BSP will cooperate on ground level. For Congress to lend support to such a venture would be suicidal. It will further cannibalise its own organisation. BJP’s electoral success is also a reflection of nation’s changing mood on the relationship between religion and the state and assertion of the majority community in cultural sphere as a political actor uncut by caste. It requires a robust ideological opposition and not knee-jerk ganging up. Opposition needs to understand the ideological and organisational preparedness of BJP. Its power rests on the theory that organisations stem from the power of an idea and from which party can attain power. Opposition and Congress want to reverse the process by grabbing power first, thinking that organisation will stem from it which will ultimately coalesce into a robust idea. It has never happened past and will not happen in future. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why the Third Front against BJP is doomed to fail

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Clearing the air over the alliance, Mayawati said BSP has not allied with any political party.

&quot;I want to clarify that BSP has not allied with any political party. All rumours about BSP &amp; SP alliance in UP for 2019 Lok Sabha elctions are false and baseless,&quot; Mayawati said.&nbsp;

On being asked about the crucial bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, Mayawati said her party has not floated any candidate for it.

She, however, said that her party members will exercise their vote to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.

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UP mein haal hi mein Rajya Sabha aur Vidhan Parishad mein hone wale chunaav mein BJP ko harane ke liye SP aur BSP ke dwara ek dusre ko vote transfer kar diya jata hai toh yeh koi chunavi gathbandhan nahi: BSP Chief Mayawati <a href="https://t.co/JLVHfmgBfs">pic.twitter.com/JLVHfmgBfs</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/970252826424291333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Gorakhpur bypolls were announced after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vacated the seat after resigning as Lok Sabha member in September last year after being elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Whereas, Phulpur seat was vacated by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minster Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Both the seats will go to polls on March 11.&nbsp;

Mayawati said BSP has not allied with any political party

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Clearing the air over the alliance, Mayawati said BSP has not allied with any political party. "I want to clarify that BSP has not allied with any political party. All rumours about BSP & SP alliance in UP for 2019 Lok Sabha elctions are false and baseless," Mayawati said. On being asked about the crucial bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, Mayawati said her party has not floated any candidate for it. She, however, said that her party members will exercise their vote to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. UP mein haal hi mein Rajya Sabha aur Vidhan Parishad mein hone wale chunaav mein BJP ko harane ke liye SP aur BSP ke dwara ek dusre ko vote transfer kar diya jata hai toh yeh koi chunavi gathbandhan nahi: BSP Chief Mayawati pic.twitter.com/JLVHfmgBfs — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018 × Gorakhpur bypolls were announced after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vacated the seat after resigning as Lok Sabha member in September last year after being elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. Whereas, Phulpur seat was vacated by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minster Keshav Prasad Maurya. Both the seats will go to polls on March 11.

BSP-SP alliance rumours for 2019 Lok Sabha elections false: Mayawati

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635">NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma to be next chief minister of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635">Meghalaya,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635"> says BJP</a>

National People&#39;s Party&#39;s (NPP) Conrad Sangma Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bsp-sp-alliance-rumours-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections-false-mayawati-34623">BSP-SP alliance rumours for 2019 Lok Sabha elections false: Mayawati</a>

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631">Fiorentina captain Astori dies suddenly, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631">club</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631"> says</a>

Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning, the Serie A club said on Twitter.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624">Removal of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624">two-term</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/removal-of-two-term-limit-for-xi-jinping-important-to-uphold-cpc-unity-china-34624"> limit for Xi Jinping important to uphold CPC unity: China&nbsp;</a>

China today defended its move to remove the two-term limit for President Xi Jinping, saying it is important to uphold the authority of the ruling Communist Party and unity of the state leadership.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/once-a-bonded-labourer-krishna-kumari-kolhi-is-now-pakistans-first-dalit-hindu-woman-senator-34616">Once a bonded labourer, Krishna Kumari Kolhi is now Pakistan&#39;s first Dalit Hindu woman senator</a>

Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan&#39;s Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan People&#39;s Party has said.

 
&nbsp;

NPP's Conrad Sangma to be next chief minister of Meghalaya, says BJP National People's Party's (NPP) Conrad Sangma Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. BSP-SP alliance rumours for 2019 Lok Sabha elections false: Mayawati Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Sunday denied all the rumours floating around that the party will join hands with rival Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Fiorentina captain Astori dies suddenly, club says Fiorentina captain and defender Davide Astori died of a sudden illness on Sunday morning, the Serie A club said on Twitter. Removal of two-term limit for Xi Jinping important to uphold CPC unity: China China today defended its move to remove the two-term limit for President Xi Jinping, saying it is important to uphold the authority of the ruling Communist Party and unity of the state leadership. Once a bonded labourer, Krishna Kumari Kolhi is now Pakistan's first Dalit Hindu woman senator Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan People's Party has said.

WION Evening News Brief, March 4, 2018

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said on Sunday threatened that she would quit Hinduism and convert to Buddhism, along with her thousands of followers, if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party did not stop their &lsquo;atrocities&rsquo; on Dalits and backward castes and end the exploitation of these communities.

Addressing a BSP conclave, the BSP chief said, &ldquo;Dr. Ambedkar had made an announcement in 1935 that he was born a Hindu but he won&rsquo;t die a Hindu. He gave 21 years to Hindu religious leaders to reform. But when there was no change in their attitude, he converted to Buddhism in 1956 in Nagpur. We thought the contractors and custodians of the Hindu religion would change after his conversion and give respect to the Dalit and backward caste communities. But they continue to exploit the backward communities and the Dalits. Today, I want to warn the BJP and the RSS that if they don&rsquo;t change their disrespectful, casteist and communal behaviour towards the Dalits and backward caste people and their leaders, I will also convert to Buddhism with my crores of followers.&rdquo;

Ms. Mayawati said she wanted to give a chance to RSS-BJP to change their casteist and communal mindset towards Dalits, Adivasis, Backwards and also those who have changed their religion and then take a call on conversion to Buddhism &ldquo;at an appropriate time like Ambedkar.&rdquo;

She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it.

&ldquo;There is a possibility that the BJP can start the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya just before Lok Sabha elections.

&ldquo;They can even sponsor some dramatic events in the name of patriotism to save their government and hide their failures. Be aware of such conspiracies.

&ldquo;The Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with in every election since 2014 to defeat the BSP,&rdquo; she alleged and dared the BJP to contest all upcoming elections on ballot paper.

The BSP supremo also claimed that the Mandal Commission report was implemented because of her party&rsquo;s efforts.

&ldquo;The backward communities got the reservation&nbsp;and other benefits only because of Ambedkar&rsquo;s efforts and not because of the Congress, Nehru or BJP and company.

She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said on Sunday threatened that she would quit Hinduism and convert to Buddhism, along with her thousands of followers, if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party did not stop their ‘atrocities’ on Dalits and backward castes and end the exploitation of these communities. Addressing a BSP conclave, the BSP chief said, “Dr. Ambedkar had made an announcement in 1935 that he was born a Hindu but he won’t die a Hindu. He gave 21 years to Hindu religious leaders to reform. But when there was no change in their attitude, he converted to Buddhism in 1956 in Nagpur. We thought the contractors and custodians of the Hindu religion would change after his conversion and give respect to the Dalit and backward caste communities. But they continue to exploit the backward communities and the Dalits. Today, I want to warn the BJP and the RSS that if they don’t change their disrespectful, casteist and communal behaviour towards the Dalits and backward caste people and their leaders, I will also convert to Buddhism with my crores of followers.” Ms. Mayawati said she wanted to give a chance to RSS-BJP to change their casteist and communal mindset towards Dalits, Adivasis, Backwards and also those who have changed their religion and then take a call on conversion to Buddhism “at an appropriate time like Ambedkar.” She also told the BSP workers to be alert on the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it. “There is a possibility that the BJP can start the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya just before Lok Sabha elections. “They can even sponsor some dramatic events in the name of patriotism to save their government and hide their failures. Be aware of such conspiracies. “The Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with in every election since 2014 to defeat the BSP,” she alleged and dared the BJP to contest all upcoming elections on ballot paper. The BSP supremo also claimed that the Mandal Commission report was implemented because of her party’s efforts. “The backward communities got the reservation and other benefits only because of Ambedkar’s efforts and not because of the Congress, Nehru or BJP and company.

I'll convert to Buddhism along with followers, Mayawati warns BJP, RSS

The opposition parties have blamed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/credit-for-up-civic-poll-victory-goes-to-all-bjp-workers-up-cm-25616" target="_blank">victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh civic polls</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said that if ballot papers are used, BJP won&#39;t come to power.&nbsp;

She further asked the BJP to discard EVM&#39;s and conduct&nbsp;voting on Ballot papers. She called for such voting in the upcoming 2019 elections.&nbsp;

She said, &quot;if BJP is honest and believes in democracy then discard EVMs and conduct voting on Ballot papers.&quot;

She also guaranteed that BJP will not come to power if Ballot papers are used.&nbsp;

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-gains-early-lead-in-up-civic-polls-25565" target="_blank">BJP winning percentage</a> is 46 per cent in areas wherever&nbsp;polls were conducted via EVMs and 15 per cent when it was done by ballot papers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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BJP says a total of 16 elections have been held in UP, out of which 14 were won by BJP, 2 by BSP &amp; Congress-SP disappeared. We say that BJP&#39;s wining percentage is 46% wherever polls were conducted via EVMs and 15% when it was done via ballot papers.: Akhilesh Yadav, SP in Kolkata <a href="https://t.co/n4l1OOaU5U">pic.twitter.com/n4l1OOaU5U</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/936875172623089664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Another Samajwadi party leader, Azam Khan has claimed that there was &quot;setting&quot;&nbsp;in the elections. He said that BJP won in areas where EVMs were used and SP won wherever&nbsp;ballot papers were used.&nbsp;

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There was no tampering but setting. BJP won wherever EVMs were used and SP won wherever ballot papers were used.: Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party <a href="https://t.co/xQja0uAjQI">pic.twitter.com/xQja0uAjQI</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/936881347078995968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In the recent&nbsp;civic polls, the results of which were announced on December 1 BJP registered a massive victory by winning over 14 out of the 16 mayoral seats.

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If BJP is honest &amp; believes in democracy then discard EVMs &amp; conduct voting on Ballot papers. General Elections are due in 2019. If BJP believes people are with them, they must implement it. I can guarantee if Ballot papers are used, BJP won&#39;t come to power.: Mayawati, BSP Pres <a href="https://t.co/NYveJeuSDb">pic.twitter.com/NYveJeuSDb</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/936835472508182529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amethi-rahul-gandhis-family-bastion-falls-to-bjp-in-up-civic-falls-25611" target="_blank">party even swept Gandhi&#39;s out of Amethi</a>- which has been the Gandhi&#39;s bastion since ages.&nbsp;

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has said that the BJP winning percentage is 46 per cent in areas wherever?polls were conducted via EVMs and 15 per cent when it was done by ballot papers

The opposition parties have blamed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh civic polls. Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said that if ballot papers are used, BJP won't come to power. She further asked the BJP to discard EVM's and conduct voting on Ballot papers. She called for such voting in the upcoming 2019 elections. She said, "if BJP is honest and believes in democracy then discard EVMs and conduct voting on Ballot papers." She also guaranteed that BJP will not come to power if Ballot papers are used. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP winning percentage is 46 per cent in areas wherever polls were conducted via EVMs and 15 per cent when it was done by ballot papers. BJP says a total of 16 elections have been held in UP, out of which 14 were won by BJP, 2 by BSP & Congress-SP disappeared. We say that BJP's wining percentage is 46% wherever polls were conducted via EVMs and 15% when it was done via ballot papers.: Akhilesh Yadav, SP in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/n4l1OOaU5U — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × Another Samajwadi party leader, Azam Khan has claimed that there was "setting" in the elections. He said that BJP won in areas where EVMs were used and SP won wherever ballot papers were used. There was no tampering but setting. BJP won wherever EVMs were used and SP won wherever ballot papers were used.: Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party pic.twitter.com/xQja0uAjQI — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 2, 2017 × In the recent civic polls, the results of which were announced on December 1 BJP registered a massive victory by winning over 14 out of the 16 mayoral seats. If BJP is honest & believes in democracy then discard EVMs & conduct voting on Ballot papers. General Elections are due in 2019. If BJP believes people are with them, they must implement it. I can guarantee if Ballot papers are used, BJP won't come to power.: Mayawati, BSP Pres pic.twitter.com/NYveJeuSDb — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 2, 2017 × The party even swept Gandhi's out of Amethi- which has been the Gandhi's bastion since ages.

If ballot papers are used, BJP won't come to power: Mayawati

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/infosys-hires-salil-s-parekh-as-ceo-and-md-25681">Salil S Parekh to take charge as Infosys CEO and MD from January 2</a>

Infosys has announced the appointment of Salil S Parekh as the company&#39;s new chief executive effective from January 2, 2018. He has been given a term of five years.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-1st-captain-to-score-hat-trick-of-tons-in-3-match-series-25690">Kohli first captain to score hat-trick of tons in 3-match series</a>

Indian cricket&#39;s current &#39;Milestone Man&#39; Virat Kohli today became the first international captain to hit three successive hundreds in a three-Test series.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-claims-evms-worked-for-bjps-victory-in-up-civic-polls-25677">If ballot papers are used, BJP won&#39;t come to power: Mayawati</a>

The opposition parties have blamed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh civic polls. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-to-arrive-in-mumbai-tomorrow-25685">London mayor Sadiq Khan to visit Mumbai tomorrow</a>

London mayor Sadiq Khan will be arriving in Mumbai tomorrow as part of his first official tour to three Indian cities to promote the British capital&#39;s resilience and strengths post-Brexit.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entire-party-wants-rahul-gandhi-to-become-president-congress-karnataka-chief-25680">&#39;Entire party wants Rahul Gandhi to become President&#39;: Karnataka Congress chief</a>

Countering Shehzad Poonawalla&#39;s allegations that election for the post of Congress party president is &quot;rigged&quot;, Dinesh Gundu Rao said Congress is the only party which conducted an election for the post of president.&nbsp;

Chairman Infosys' board, Nandan Nilekani in a filing on the Bombay Stock Exchange said "We are delighted to have Salil joining as the CEO and MD of Infosys. He has nearly three decades of global experience in the IT services industry.''

Salil S Parekh to take charge as Infosys CEO and MD from January 2 Infosys has announced the appointment of Salil S Parekh as the company's new chief executive effective from January 2, 2018. He has been given a term of five years. Kohli first captain to score hat-trick of tons in 3-match series Indian cricket's current 'Milestone Man' Virat Kohli today became the first international captain to hit three successive hundreds in a three-Test series. If ballot papers are used, BJP won't come to power: Mayawati The opposition parties have blamed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh civic polls. London mayor Sadiq Khan to visit Mumbai tomorrow London mayor Sadiq Khan will be arriving in Mumbai tomorrow as part of his first official tour to three Indian cities to promote the British capital's resilience and strengths post-Brexit. 'Entire party wants Rahul Gandhi to become President': Karnataka Congress chief Countering Shehzad Poonawalla's allegations that election for the post of Congress party president is "rigged", Dinesh Gundu Rao said Congress is the only party which conducted an election for the post of president.

WION Evening News Brief, December 2, 2017

The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state.

Earlier this year, the party had secured a three-fourths majority in the state assembly paving way for 45-year-old saffron-clad Adityanath to become the chief minister.

The civic polls, to be held in November-December, is being seen as a major challenge for Adityanath as the outcome would reveal the mood of the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political observers say.

The notification for the local body polls is likely to be issued by the end of this month.

&quot;Voting for local bodies is based on local issues. In the civic polls people cast ballots. The masses will get a chance to register their disapproval of the anti-people BJP government,&quot; Samajwadi Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, adding the urban local polls would be the first direct elections with Adityanath at the helm.

The BJP&#39;s victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government.

&quot;The results will also present an opportunity to the party for course correction in their policies and governance,&quot; political observer and academic Manjula Upadhyay said.

The urban polls were earlier scheduled for June-July, but were postponed as the electoral rolls and some other processes could not be completed within the stipulated time.

The Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest these polls.

&quot;We will contest from wherever we feel we have a strong organisational base,&quot; AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had not contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and instead diverted all its resources to focus on Punjab.

The SP and the Congress, which forged an alliance in run up to the 2017 UP state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said his party will have no alliance in the elections to urban local bodies and would contest them on its &#39;bicycle&#39; symbol.

SP spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, &quot;The pre-poll electoral tie-up was for 2017 Assembly elections. This does not mean that it will continue for the urban local bodies&#39; elections or 2019 Lok Sabha polls.&quot;

As for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said his party would go alone in the urban local polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also fighting the polls sans an alliance.

In the event of a split in non-BJP votes, the saffron party will have an edge.

Expecting that a split in opposition votes would help the BJP&#39;s prospects, its spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi exuded confidence that the party would register an impressive win.

&quot;The BJP has started Vikas Parv, which will disseminate information pertaining to various developmental schemes and projects of the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years,&quot; he said.

&quot;It will also spread information about the developmental works undertaken and achieved in the six-months of the Adityanath government in the state,&quot; Tripathi said.

The AAP has already released its first list of 19 candidates for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation election. According to a release issued by the party, Priyanka Maheshwari is its nominee for the post of Lucknow mayor.

Although, the BJP has traditionally been strong in the urban constituencies, the acid test for Adityanath would be to match the performance exhibited during the Assembly elections.

Around 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these polls to be held for over 650 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 corporations, also comprising two newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam.

In 2012, the BJP had swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts. Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma is now a deputy chief minister of the state.

In the coming months, the spotlight will also be on the Gorakhpur and the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls with the recent Amethi visits of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah and the SP national convention in Agra setting the stage for a high-octane contest.

Though no date has been announced by the Election Commission, the two Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in the near future as Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated them after becoming MLCs.

&quot;Undoubtedly, the BJP will not only emerge victorious in both the by-polls, it will also improve its victory margin,&quot; UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said.

The Samajwadi Party has also claimed that it is ready to contest the bypolls.

Akhilesh Yadav told the party&#39;s Agra convention earlier this month that the two key by-elections would give his party a chance to gauge which way the wind was blowing, months after it was routed in the Assembly polls.

Akhilesh&nbsp;had said if results of the elections were in &quot;our favour, it will give a message not only for the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), but also for the 2022 (assembly polls)&quot;.

There has been no word from the BSP yet on whether the party will throw its hat in the ring.

Usually, the Mayawati-led party stays away from by-polls, but with the scenario different this time, nothing could be said right now, party insiders said.

The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state.

The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state. Earlier this year, the party had secured a three-fourths majority in the state assembly paving way for 45-year-old saffron-clad Adityanath to become the chief minister. The civic polls, to be held in November-December, is being seen as a major challenge for Adityanath as the outcome would reveal the mood of the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political observers say. The notification for the local body polls is likely to be issued by the end of this month. "Voting for local bodies is based on local issues. In the civic polls people cast ballots. The masses will get a chance to register their disapproval of the anti-people BJP government," Samajwadi Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, adding the urban local polls would be the first direct elections with Adityanath at the helm. The BJP's victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government. "The results will also present an opportunity to the party for course correction in their policies and governance," political observer and academic Manjula Upadhyay said. The urban polls were earlier scheduled for June-July, but were postponed as the electoral rolls and some other processes could not be completed within the stipulated time. The Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest these polls. "We will contest from wherever we feel we have a strong organisational base," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had not contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and instead diverted all its resources to focus on Punjab. The SP and the Congress, which forged an alliance in run up to the 2017 UP state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said his party will have no alliance in the elections to urban local bodies and would contest them on its 'bicycle' symbol. SP spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, "The pre-poll electoral tie-up was for 2017 Assembly elections. This does not mean that it will continue for the urban local bodies' elections or 2019 Lok Sabha polls." As for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said his party would go alone in the urban local polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also fighting the polls sans an alliance. In the event of a split in non-BJP votes, the saffron party will have an edge. Expecting that a split in opposition votes would help the BJP's prospects, its spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi exuded confidence that the party would register an impressive win. "The BJP has started Vikas Parv, which will disseminate information pertaining to various developmental schemes and projects of the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years," he said. "It will also spread information about the developmental works undertaken and achieved in the six-months of the Adityanath government in the state," Tripathi said. The AAP has already released its first list of 19 candidates for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation election. According to a release issued by the party, Priyanka Maheshwari is its nominee for the post of Lucknow mayor. Although, the BJP has traditionally been strong in the urban constituencies, the acid test for Adityanath would be to match the performance exhibited during the Assembly elections. Around 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these polls to be held for over 650 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 corporations, also comprising two newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam. In 2012, the BJP had swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts. Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma is now a deputy chief minister of the state. In the coming months, the spotlight will also be on the Gorakhpur and the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls with the recent Amethi visits of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah and the SP national convention in Agra setting the stage for a high-octane contest. Though no date has been announced by the Election Commission, the two Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in the near future as Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated them after becoming MLCs. "Undoubtedly, the BJP will not only emerge victorious in both the by-polls, it will also improve its victory margin," UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said. The Samajwadi Party has also claimed that it is ready to contest the bypolls. Akhilesh Yadav told the party's Agra convention earlier this month that the two key by-elections would give his party a chance to gauge which way the wind was blowing, months after it was routed in the Assembly polls. Akhilesh had said if results of the elections were in "our favour, it will give a message not only for the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), but also for the 2022 (assembly polls)". There has been no word from the BSP yet on whether the party will throw its hat in the ring. Usually, the Mayawati-led party stays away from by-polls, but with the scenario different this time, nothing could be said right now, party insiders said.

Yogi Adityanath faces tough civic polls test in UP

BSP supremo Mayawati, today, resigned from the&nbsp;Rajya Sabha saying that she was not allowed to speak on the atrocities committed against the Dalits.&nbsp;

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BSP Chief Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/40DVYK17Vw">pic.twitter.com/40DVYK17Vw</a>
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Mayawati walked out of the Upper House before formally announcinh her resignation, ANI reported.&nbsp;

&quot;Let me speak or I will resign,&quot; Mayawati had said.

RJD president Lalu Prasad came out in support of the BSP leader, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar.&nbsp;Mayawati&#39;s current term would have ended in April next year and her party, with just 18 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;Assembly, is not in a position to send her to Rajya Sabha.

&quot;Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha,&quot; Lalu said reacting to Mayawati&#39;s resignation.

&quot;If Mayawati wishes, we will send her to Rajya Sabha from Bihar,&quot; the RJD president whose party has 80 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly said. &quot;We are with her.&quot;

In her speech, Mayawati lashed out at the NDA government for not doing enough to stop the atrocities on Dalits.&nbsp;

&quot;Since the time the BJP has come to power, there has been exploitation of the Dalits, poor, minority, and backward castes,&quot; she said.

She was speaking on the issue of Saharanpur violence.&nbsp;

&quot;The Dalits were suppressed in Saharanpur but the government did not do anything about it,&quot; she said.

&quot;No community is safe in UP, but the condition of the Dalits is worse,&quot; she added.

After she stormed out of the House, the opposition disrupted the proceedings which led to adjournment.

Mayawati, in her speech, hit out at the government for not doing enough to stop atrocities against the Dalits

BSP supremo Mayawati, today, resigned from the Rajya Sabha saying that she was not allowed to speak on the atrocities committed against the Dalits. BSP Chief Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha (file pic) pic.twitter.com/40DVYK17Vw — ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017 × Mayawati walked out of the Upper House before formally announcinh her resignation, ANI reported. "Let me speak or I will resign," Mayawati had said. RJD president Lalu Prasad came out in support of the BSP leader, and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar. Mayawati's current term would have ended in April next year and her party, with just 18 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, is not in a position to send her to Rajya Sabha. "Today would be remembered as a black day in the history when a highly respected Dalit leader was not allowed to raise the voice of poor in the Rajya Sabha," Lalu said reacting to Mayawati's resignation. "If Mayawati wishes, we will send her to Rajya Sabha from Bihar," the RJD president whose party has 80 MLAs in 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly said. "We are with her." In her speech, Mayawati lashed out at the NDA government for not doing enough to stop the atrocities on Dalits. "Since the time the BJP has come to power, there has been exploitation of the Dalits, poor, minority, and backward castes," she said. She was speaking on the issue of Saharanpur violence. "The Dalits were suppressed in Saharanpur but the government did not do anything about it," she said. "No community is safe in UP, but the condition of the Dalits is worse," she added. After she stormed out of the House, the opposition disrupted the proceedings which led to adjournment.

Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha for not being allowed to speak on Dalits

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati&#39;s slight opposition to Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind&#39;s nomination as presidential candidate is due to his affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Reacting to Mayawati&#39;s &quot;Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have selected a name from a non-political background which will be better&quot; remark, NCP leader Majeed Memon said the former cannot openly oppose a Dalit candidate, so she chose a different angle.

&quot;Since Mayawati has to take care of her Dalit vote bank, she cannot openly oppose a Dalit candidate. So, she has just gone the other way by saying that a Dalit is welcomed, but not a Dalit from a particular political ideology which of course is now being hinted at the RSS. So, she is opposing because this candidate happens to be a RSS man,&quot; Memon told ANI.

While on the other hand, refraining from commenting on Mayawati&#39;s remark, JD (U) leader Neeraj Kumar said they only hope that the election of the first citizen of India (President) should take place without&nbsp;controversy.

&quot;We hope and want that the election of the first citizen of India (President) should take place without any controversy erupting,&quot; Kumar told ANI.

Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Kovind, Mayawati yesterday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in &quot;good faith&quot;&nbsp;before announcing the name.

Further giving her opinion over Presidential Elections, Mayawati stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have selected a name from a non-political background which would have been better.

&quot;My small advice towards this is- it could have been better if the BJP would have selected a name from a non-political background,&quot; Mayawati added.

&nbsp;

NCP leader Memon said Mayawati cannot openly oppose a Dalit candidate, so she attacked him for being in the RSS

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati's slight opposition to Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind's nomination as presidential candidate is due to his affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Reacting to Mayawati's "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have selected a name from a non-political background which will be better" remark, NCP leader Majeed Memon said the former cannot openly oppose a Dalit candidate, so she chose a different angle. "Since Mayawati has to take care of her Dalit vote bank, she cannot openly oppose a Dalit candidate. So, she has just gone the other way by saying that a Dalit is welcomed, but not a Dalit from a particular political ideology which of course is now being hinted at the RSS. So, she is opposing because this candidate happens to be a RSS man," Memon told ANI. While on the other hand, refraining from commenting on Mayawati's remark, JD (U) leader Neeraj Kumar said they only hope that the election of the first citizen of India (President) should take place without controversy. "We hope and want that the election of the first citizen of India (President) should take place without any controversy erupting," Kumar told ANI. Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Kovind, Mayawati yesterday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in "good faith" before announcing the name. Further giving her opinion over Presidential Elections, Mayawati stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should have selected a name from a non-political background which would have been better. "My small advice towards this is- it could have been better if the BJP would have selected a name from a non-political background," Mayawati added.

Mayawati's slight opposition due to Kovind association with RSS: NCP

Stumped by Modi-Shah&#39;s presidential choice as&nbsp;BJP announced the name of UP-born Ram Nath Kovind, the opposition led by BSP chief&nbsp;Mayawati was quick to react, insisting she does not agree with the politics from which&nbsp;Kovind comes referring to his &#39;RSS credentials&#39;.&nbsp;

BSP chief Mayawati said that it would have been better if the BJP had announced a Dalit face from a non-political background while taking on the ruling party at the Centre.

On extending support to Kovind, she said that it would depend upon the opposition&#39;s choice of candidate.

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We are also of the opinion that it would have been better if NDA had named some non political Dalit person as President nominee:Mayawati
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&nbsp;

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Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Monday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in &#39;good faith&#39; (WION)
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Sitaram Yechury, CPM&nbsp;general secretary&nbsp;said that Ram Nath Kovind headed the Dalit wing of the RSS and by announcing his name, the BJP has made the presidential election a political fight.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamNathKovind?src=hash">#RamNathKovind</a> ji RSS ke Dalit sakha ke pramukh thay, wo ek rajneeti hua na. Ye seedhi seedhi rajneetik takrao hai: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) <a href="https://t.co/UNccsWOUrV">pic.twitter.com/UNccsWOUrV</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876750394457587712">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP members had told them&nbsp;that they&nbsp;would inform the name&nbsp;of the candidate before announcing the name&nbsp;but they failed to do it.

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BJP leaders when they met us said will inform you before any announcement for a consensus,but they informed after decision:GN Azad,Cong
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee focused on the political background of Ram Nath Kovind tweeting: &quot;There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was the leader of the Dalit morcha of the BJP, so they have made him a&nbsp;candidate.&quot;

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There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamNathKovind?src=hash">#RamNathKovind</a>) was leader of Dalit Morcha of BJP, so they have made him candidate: WB CM
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Bihar&nbsp;chief minister Nitish Kumar, who met the Bihar governor after his name was announced by the BJP parliamentary board meeting, said that it was a &quot;matter of happiness&quot; for him. On supporting Kovind, the Bihar chief minister was clearly evasive saying &quot;it is too early to comment&quot;.

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Matter of happiness for me personally. As far as support is concerned, can&#39;t say anything right now. it is too early to say: Nitish Kumar. <a href="https://t.co/EmccQ2krPl">pic.twitter.com/EmccQ2krPl</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876754665102229504">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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BJP&#39;s ally and NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP in Maharashtra, said that the party will decide on the issue in a few days. Uddhav Thackeray said that if someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then the party will not support such a decision.&nbsp;

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If someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then we are not with them: Uddhav Thackeray <a href="https://t.co/rFk8M7o0gy">pic.twitter.com/rFk8M7o0gy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876805590185525249">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The opposition was stumped by the choice of BJP's Presidential candidate

Stumped by Modi-Shah's presidential choice as BJP announced the name of UP-born Ram Nath Kovind, the opposition led by BSP chief Mayawati was quick to react, insisting she does not agree with the politics from which Kovind comes referring to his 'RSS credentials'. BSP chief Mayawati said that it would have been better if the BJP had announced a Dalit face from a non-political background while taking on the ruling party at the Centre. On extending support to Kovind, she said that it would depend upon the opposition's choice of candidate. We are also of the opinion that it would have been better if NDA had named some non political Dalit person as President nominee:Mayawati — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Monday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in 'good faith' (WION) × Sitaram Yechury, CPM general secretary said that Ram Nath Kovind headed the Dalit wing of the RSS and by announcing his name, the BJP has made the presidential election a political fight. #RamNathKovind ji RSS ke Dalit sakha ke pramukh thay, wo ek rajneeti hua na. Ye seedhi seedhi rajneetik takrao hai: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) pic.twitter.com/UNccsWOUrV — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP members had told them that they would inform the name of the candidate before announcing the name but they failed to do it. BJP leaders when they met us said will inform you before any announcement for a consensus,but they informed after decision:GN Azad,Cong — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee focused on the political background of Ram Nath Kovind tweeting: "There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was the leader of the Dalit morcha of the BJP, so they have made him a candidate." There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was leader of Dalit Morcha of BJP, so they have made him candidate: WB CM — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who met the Bihar governor after his name was announced by the BJP parliamentary board meeting, said that it was a "matter of happiness" for him. On supporting Kovind, the Bihar chief minister was clearly evasive saying "it is too early to comment". Matter of happiness for me personally. As far as support is concerned, can't say anything right now. it is too early to say: Nitish Kumar. pic.twitter.com/EmccQ2krPl — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × BJP's ally and NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP in Maharashtra, said that the party will decide on the issue in a few days. Uddhav Thackeray said that if someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then the party will not support such a decision. If someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then we are not with them: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/rFk8M7o0gy — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 ×

BJP's Presidential pick: Mayawati, opposition target Kovind's 'RSS background'

One person was killed and four others were injured as fresh violence erupted today in Saharanpur which has been witnessing inter-caste clashes since April.

Some unidentified persons set fire to at least 12 houses of Thakurs in Shabbirpur village ahead of the arrival of BSP chief Mayawati there, SP (City) Prabal Pratap said.

District Magistrate N P Singh and SSP Subhash Chandra Dubey rushed to the scene and pacified members of the Thakur community.

After Mayawati wrapped up her visit to the village, a sword-wielding mob attacked a Bolero of some BSP supporters, who had come from Sarsawa to attend her event.

Police sources said the attackers allegedly fired their guns and wielded batons, killing Ashish (24), who hailed fom Sarsawa town, on the spot and injuring four others.

The injured have been admitted to the district hospital.

As word of the incident spread, Dalits in the city allegedly indulged in rioting and stone pelting at some places, forcing closure of markets.

Mayawati during her visit to the village held the BJP-led UP government responsible for the violence and alleged that the ruling party had failed to stop its own brigade from attacking weaker sections.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the incident as sad and unfortunate and offered his condolences to the family of the deceased.

He said the culprits would be identified and strict action taken against them. He also appealed for peace and restraint and asked the opposition parties to cooperate in restoration of peace.

He also ordered a four member team to visit the spot for inquiry. The team comprises ADG, Law and Order, Aditya Mishra, IG STF Amitabh Yash, DG Security Vijay Bhushan and is led by Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra.

Saharanpur has been in the grip of caste violence since April.

On May 5, a Dalit group had objected to a procession of Thakurs in Shabbirpur to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, triggering violence, in which one person was killed and over 15 were injured.

Dalits say upper caste Thakurs had earlier prevented them from installing a statue of BR Ambedkar on the premises of the Ravidas temple in the village.

Members of the Bheem Army, a Dalit group, had on May 9 torched a bus and set a number of two-wheelers afire after the administration had turned down their request to hold a mahapanchayat in Gandhi Park to demand compensation for those affected in the May 5 inter-caste clashes.

The village is home to around 600 Dalits and over 900 Thakurs.

(PTI)

A sword-wielding mob attacked a Bolero of BSP supporters after Mayawati wrapped up her visit to Shabbirpur village

One person was killed and four others were injured as fresh violence erupted today in Saharanpur which has been witnessing inter-caste clashes since April. Some unidentified persons set fire to at least 12 houses of Thakurs in Shabbirpur village ahead of the arrival of BSP chief Mayawati there, SP (City) Prabal Pratap said. District Magistrate N P Singh and SSP Subhash Chandra Dubey rushed to the scene and pacified members of the Thakur community. After Mayawati wrapped up her visit to the village, a sword-wielding mob attacked a Bolero of some BSP supporters, who had come from Sarsawa to attend her event. Police sources said the attackers allegedly fired their guns and wielded batons, killing Ashish (24), who hailed fom Sarsawa town, on the spot and injuring four others. The injured have been admitted to the district hospital. As word of the incident spread, Dalits in the city allegedly indulged in rioting and stone pelting at some places, forcing closure of markets. Mayawati during her visit to the village held the BJP-led UP government responsible for the violence and alleged that the ruling party had failed to stop its own brigade from attacking weaker sections. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the incident as sad and unfortunate and offered his condolences to the family of the deceased. He said the culprits would be identified and strict action taken against them. He also appealed for peace and restraint and asked the opposition parties to cooperate in restoration of peace. He also ordered a four member team to visit the spot for inquiry. The team comprises ADG, Law and Order, Aditya Mishra, IG STF Amitabh Yash, DG Security Vijay Bhushan and is led by Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra. Saharanpur has been in the grip of caste violence since April. On May 5, a Dalit group had objected to a procession of Thakurs in Shabbirpur to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, triggering violence, in which one person was killed and over 15 were injured. Dalits say upper caste Thakurs had earlier prevented them from installing a statue of BR Ambedkar on the premises of the Ravidas temple in the village. Members of the Bheem Army, a Dalit group, had on May 9 torched a bus and set a number of two-wheelers afire after the administration had turned down their request to hold a mahapanchayat in Gandhi Park to demand compensation for those affected in the May 5 inter-caste clashes. The village is home to around 600 Dalits and over 900 Thakurs. (PTI)

1 killed, 4 injured as violence breaks out again in Saharanpur

&nbsp;

Last week, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Ms. Mayawati announced that BSP would be contesting the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since 1995 on the party&rsquo;s symbol. This was one of the many decisions taken by Mayawati after getting trounced in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections. The week before this, signaling a major change in strategy, she had announced on the birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambekdar that BSP was willing to form an alliance with any other party to fight BJP. &ldquo;Jehar ko Jahar se marenge&rdquo;&nbsp; &mdash; we could stop the poison with poison &mdash; she had retorted.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

These are not the only two changes Mayawati has formulated, trying to regain lost ground. Mayawati has inducted her brother Anand Kumar as the new vice president of the party, in place of Nasimuddin Siddique, as the person in-charge of the party in UP. The party leadership is devising a new strategy to deal with new challenges before the BSP movement while asking the party workers to perform with renewed vigour and almost missionary zeal. But as the four-time chief minister sets on a path to do a course correction, she may do very well to remember how Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of India, regained her momentum after losing the election.

&nbsp;

Exactly around forty years ago in May 1977, at Bihar&rsquo;s Belchi village in the Patna District, Dalits had been massacred by upper castes in one of the most gruesome atrocities. The first non-Congress government had just been sworn in at the Center and former prime minister Indira Gandhi was still reeling under public wrath after subjecting the nation to 18 months of coercive Emergency. But Ms. Gandhi had used the Belchi incident to stage her remarkable comeback into politics.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This was the time when Indira Gandhi reached the nadir in politics. She had lost a general election in a humiliating manner, her own party men had turned against her and, if this was not enough, a Shah commission was initiated to enquire corruption charges against her with an imminent arrest looming large. But a visit to the victims&rsquo; families in the Belchi Village&mdash;probably a thoughtfully pre-planned move&mdash;changed Indira Gandhi&rsquo;s fortunes and gave her immense self-confidence and much-needed belief that she could still stage a comeback.

&nbsp;

Belchi atrocity that changed the narrative

It was March of 1977 and the Janata party ((JP) had just come to power with immense mandate and expectations. While the Janata party celebrated, Belchi saw 11 Dalits being shot and then burned alive one by one. Yes, in Bihar, from where the JP movement had emanated and spread across the nation that had eventually elevated the Janata Party and it&rsquo;s allies to power. Apart from winning the Assembly elections in Bihar, the party swept all fifty-four Loksabha seats, and Indira&rsquo;s Congress had been decimated in its bastion drawing a blank.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Although the instance of Belchi atrocity had sent shockwaves across the nation, no minister of the newly sworn-in Morarji Desai government at the Center or the Bihar government had shown any sympathy by visiting the victims. Sensing a great opportunity, Indira Gandhi decided to go straight to this remote village to meet the grieving families.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This move was risky on two counts. First, since Ms. Gandhi was still not forgotten for imposing the Emergency and, thus, would have faced protest from the ruling party workers or people. Secondly, the village being so remote, there was a question mark on the transportation and safety of the former prime minister. But Ms. Gandhi was determined to visit Bihar. Moreover, in July 1977, two months after the Belchi atrocity, a communal flare had resulted in the death of four Muslims in neighboring Bihar sharif village.

&nbsp;

Indira Gandhi decided to grab this opportunity with both hands. But reaching Biharsharif was a challenge: monsoon coupled with a lack of road complicated the situation. Undaunted, Ms. Gandhi decided to ride an elephant &mdash;probably the only means of transportation available in the flooded areas of Belchi &mdash;as she had to abandon the car, Jeep and, certainly, could not walk.

&nbsp;

An indefatigable Indira Gandhi, riding an elephant to meet victims&rsquo; families proved to be a defining moment. It was a classic resurrection of the messiah of the poor image. Curious villagers and bystanders gathered on the road to garland her and welcome her. After all, she was the only politician who had come a long way to visit the place. Public support, sympathy, and appreciation were the boost that a sulking Indira needed, and her Belchi visit gave her just that. She returned from Belchi a more confident politician. Indira&rsquo;s biographers have often credited this historic visit as one of the defining moments that triggered her comeback.

&nbsp;

Recently, BSP&#39;s Mayawati finds herself in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back: election defeat, corruption charges, questions raised on her style of functioning, among other things.

&nbsp;

The recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh was the third straight defeat for the party. While the BJP did emerge as the clear winner with a two-third majority, the BSP did not get decimated. The party won over 22 per cent of the votes (3 per cent higher than what it received during 2014 general elections) and emerged as the party with the second largest vote share. Political obituaries of BSP have been written. However, contrary to the perception that only Jatavs were with them, the party was able to hold onto its entire Dalit vote. Without the Dalits, the party would not have crossed the 22 per cent mark, suggesting that all was not lost with the party.

&nbsp;

Mayawati is probably mindful of this and trying genuinely to pull all strings to get back into a political relevance. Her diatribe against EVM and persistence in taking the legal route to pressurise both the Election commission (ECI) and the Modi government bore some success. Not only did most opposition parties tow her line, but the party also scored a moral victory when both the ECI and the Modi government had to go on backfoot on the allegation on EVM tampering.&nbsp; Finance minister Arun Jaitely had to announce that government has approved funds for 16,15,000 VVPAT machines which would be used for 2019 general elections.

&nbsp;

One thing is certain that Mayawati was more willing than ever to listen to suggestions. Party leader Ambeth Rajan posted on Facebook immediately after the results asking for suggestions and assuring that they will be intimated to the party supremo. Within a month, Ms. Mayawati gave an indication that she was willing to join rival Samajwadi Party in what she called a fight against EVM rigging and BJP.

&nbsp;

SP and BSP may or may not come together as political compulsions leave both parties with little option but Mayawati&rsquo;s&nbsp; problem seems to be her refusal to go back to the basics as envisioned by the founder Kanshi Ram.

&nbsp;

Sarvjan Party of UP or Bahujan Party of the Country

Social activist Mangesh Dahiwale says, &ldquo;The&nbsp; BSP seems to be only focused on UP and this is not healthy for the BSP itself and the people&rsquo;s movement.

&nbsp;

Modi would not visit Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on 14th April 2017 for fun and inspiration. The opponents know that the era of Ambedkarite movement has arrived and they would like to co-opt it. Without this co-option, they will not survive. The obvious political beneficiary of this awakening will be BSP if, and this is a big if, it really widens its attention and attempt to capture national power. If we have some hindrances in one area, it is wise to widen the catchment area. The catchment area of the BSP is much bigger than the UP&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Mr. Dahiwale is right. The party has been on a constant decline in states like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra too the party has been on the decline despite having a strong presence in Vidharbha and Marathwada region.

&nbsp;

Former India Today (Hindi) Editor and social media activist Dilip Mandal writes &mdash; &ldquo;Nitish and Laluprasad could understand the importance of Bahujan unity of Dalit-OBC-Muslim and, hence, they could defeat BJP in Bihar. But both SP and BSP advocated covert and overt Sarvjan policy with Brahmins at key positions. BJP too did the same and people liked BJP&rsquo;s Sarvjan ideology&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Mr. Mandal is hinting at SP&rsquo;s refusal to discuss any kind of social justice issues in the campaign and BSP&rsquo;s refusal to include OBCs/MBCs in the Dalit Muslim coalition.

&nbsp;

Going back to people

Kanshiram started his movement using a bicycle as the symbol and touring village after village carrying Babasaheb&rsquo;s message. But since gaining power, Mayawati has avoided going to the Dalit colonies. Very rarely, she has made a cameo of visiting Dalit families, facing atrocities. Her visit to the Una Dalit victims in a Gujarat hospital on August 2016 was one of the key moments as she took on the Modi government&#39;s inept handling of Dalit issues.

&nbsp;

Prior to that in 2014 Mayawati had visited Badaun in Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of two Dalit girls who were raped and murdered.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Mayawati has been vocal in castigating the government in the Rajyasabha. After Rohit Vemula and Una Dalit issues, she had led opposition attack on the government, making it extremely uncomfortable for Modi government. But connecting with the people directly would give her the real shot in the arm. For years, especially after becoming the chief minister in 2007, Mayawati had shown reluctance to change her style or substance. But consecutive defeats have made her flexible to accept suggestions and make amends. Her hint to ally with SP may be one of those outcomes.

&nbsp;

Her alliance with SP will definitely ensure a grand Dalit-Muslim-OBC-MBC coalition; BJP could be anxiously watching it from the sideline, having tasted defeat at the hands of similar &quot;mahagathbandan&quot; of Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar-Congress combine in Bihar.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Riots caused by the BJP lawmaker Raghav Lakhanpal who deliberately took Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti procession through sensitive areas, attempting to incite Dalit versus Muslim riots could very well be BJP&rsquo;s plan to prevent a social coalition of BSP-SP in Uttar Pradesh. Alliance or no alliance, Mayawati&rsquo;s fortunes would depend on whether she goes back to the roots to get the grand Bahujan coalition as envisioned by the party founder Kanshi Ram and his message.

&nbsp;

Probably, Mayawati needs a Belchi movement very similar to Indira Gandhi to resurrect her political career. The tremendous support Indira Gandhi received at Belchi gave her enough confidence and ammunition to take on the opponent when she was down. It may be recalled that both Kansai Ram and Mayawati had visited Bulandshahar village where four Dalits had been lynched in 1995

&nbsp;

Mayawati needs to reinvent herself with not just one but many Belchi moments across the country for the survival of Bahujan Samaj Party&mdash;both as a political force in the form of the third largest party of India and as a party of the have-nots. The sooner the better.

With election defeats, corruption charges and disconnect from people, Mayawati is in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back

Last week, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Ms. Mayawati announced that BSP would be contesting the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since 1995 on the party’s symbol. This was one of the many decisions taken by Mayawati after getting trounced in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections. The week before this, signaling a major change in strategy, she had announced on the birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambekdar that BSP was willing to form an alliance with any other party to fight BJP. “Jehar ko Jahar se marenge” — we could stop the poison with poison — she had retorted. These are not the only two changes Mayawati has formulated, trying to regain lost ground. Mayawati has inducted her brother Anand Kumar as the new vice president of the party, in place of Nasimuddin Siddique, as the person in-charge of the party in UP. The party leadership is devising a new strategy to deal with new challenges before the BSP movement while asking the party workers to perform with renewed vigour and almost missionary zeal. But as the four-time chief minister sets on a path to do a course correction, she may do very well to remember how Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of India, regained her momentum after losing the election. Exactly around forty years ago in May 1977, at Bihar’s Belchi village in the Patna District, Dalits had been massacred by upper castes in one of the most gruesome atrocities. The first non-Congress government had just been sworn in at the Center and former prime minister Indira Gandhi was still reeling under public wrath after subjecting the nation to 18 months of coercive Emergency. But Ms. Gandhi had used the Belchi incident to stage her remarkable comeback into politics. This was the time when Indira Gandhi reached the nadir in politics. She had lost a general election in a humiliating manner, her own party men had turned against her and, if this was not enough, a Shah commission was initiated to enquire corruption charges against her with an imminent arrest looming large. But a visit to the victims’ families in the Belchi Village—probably a thoughtfully pre-planned move—changed Indira Gandhi’s fortunes and gave her immense self-confidence and much-needed belief that she could still stage a comeback. Belchi atrocity that changed the narrative It was March of 1977 and the Janata party ((JP) had just come to power with immense mandate and expectations. While the Janata party celebrated, Belchi saw 11 Dalits being shot and then burned alive one by one. Yes, in Bihar, from where the JP movement had emanated and spread across the nation that had eventually elevated the Janata Party and it’s allies to power. Apart from winning the Assembly elections in Bihar, the party swept all fifty-four Loksabha seats, and Indira’s Congress had been decimated in its bastion drawing a blank. Although the instance of Belchi atrocity had sent shockwaves across the nation, no minister of the newly sworn-in Morarji Desai government at the Center or the Bihar government had shown any sympathy by visiting the victims. Sensing a great opportunity, Indira Gandhi decided to go straight to this remote village to meet the grieving families. This move was risky on two counts. First, since Ms. Gandhi was still not forgotten for imposing the Emergency and, thus, would have faced protest from the ruling party workers or people. Secondly, the village being so remote, there was a question mark on the transportation and safety of the former prime minister. But Ms. Gandhi was determined to visit Bihar. Moreover, in July 1977, two months after the Belchi atrocity, a communal flare had resulted in the death of four Muslims in neighboring Bihar sharif village. Indira Gandhi decided to grab this opportunity with both hands. But reaching Biharsharif was a challenge: monsoon coupled with a lack of road complicated the situation. Undaunted, Ms. Gandhi decided to ride an elephant —probably the only means of transportation available in the flooded areas of Belchi —as she had to abandon the car, Jeep and, certainly, could not walk. An indefatigable Indira Gandhi, riding an elephant to meet victims’ families proved to be a defining moment. It was a classic resurrection of the messiah of the poor image. Curious villagers and bystanders gathered on the road to garland her and welcome her. After all, she was the only politician who had come a long way to visit the place. Public support, sympathy, and appreciation were the boost that a sulking Indira needed, and her Belchi visit gave her just that. She returned from Belchi a more confident politician. Indira’s biographers have often credited this historic visit as one of the defining moments that triggered her comeback. Recently, BSP's Mayawati finds herself in a similar position as Ms. Gandhi was decades back: election defeat, corruption charges, questions raised on her style of functioning, among other things. The recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh was the third straight defeat for the party. While the BJP did emerge as the clear winner with a two-third majority, the BSP did not get decimated. The party won over 22 per cent of the votes (3 per cent higher than what it received during 2014 general elections) and emerged as the party with the second largest vote share. Political obituaries of BSP have been written. However, contrary to the perception that only Jatavs were with them, the party was able to hold onto its entire Dalit vote. Without the Dalits, the party would not have crossed the 22 per cent mark, suggesting that all was not lost with the party. Mayawati is probably mindful of this and trying genuinely to pull all strings to get back into a political relevance. Her diatribe against EVM and persistence in taking the legal route to pressurise both the Election commission (ECI) and the Modi government bore some success. Not only did most opposition parties tow her line, but the party also scored a moral victory when both the ECI and the Modi government had to go on backfoot on the allegation on EVM tampering. Finance minister Arun Jaitely had to announce that government has approved funds for 16,15,000 VVPAT machines which would be used for 2019 general elections. One thing is certain that Mayawati was more willing than ever to listen to suggestions. Party leader Ambeth Rajan posted on Facebook immediately after the results asking for suggestions and assuring that they will be intimated to the party supremo. Within a month, Ms. Mayawati gave an indication that she was willing to join rival Samajwadi Party in what she called a fight against EVM rigging and BJP. SP and BSP may or may not come together as political compulsions leave both parties with little option but Mayawati’s problem seems to be her refusal to go back to the basics as envisioned by the founder Kanshi Ram. Sarvjan Party of UP or Bahujan Party of the Country Social activist Mangesh Dahiwale says, “The BSP seems to be only focused on UP and this is not healthy for the BSP itself and the people’s movement. Modi would not visit Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on 14th April 2017 for fun and inspiration. The opponents know that the era of Ambedkarite movement has arrived and they would like to co-opt it. Without this co-option, they will not survive. The obvious political beneficiary of this awakening will be BSP if, and this is a big if, it really widens its attention and attempt to capture national power. If we have some hindrances in one area, it is wise to widen the catchment area. The catchment area of the BSP is much bigger than the UP” Mr. Dahiwale is right. The party has been on a constant decline in states like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra too the party has been on the decline despite having a strong presence in Vidharbha and Marathwada region. Former India Today (Hindi) Editor and social media activist Dilip Mandal writes — “Nitish and Laluprasad could understand the importance of Bahujan unity of Dalit-OBC-Muslim and, hence, they could defeat BJP in Bihar. But both SP and BSP advocated covert and overt Sarvjan policy with Brahmins at key positions. BJP too did the same and people liked BJP’s Sarvjan ideology” Mr. Mandal is hinting at SP’s refusal to discuss any kind of social justice issues in the campaign and BSP’s refusal to include OBCs/MBCs in the Dalit Muslim coalition. Going back to people Kanshiram started his movement using a bicycle as the symbol and touring village after village carrying Babasaheb’s message. But since gaining power, Mayawati has avoided going to the Dalit colonies. Very rarely, she has made a cameo of visiting Dalit families, facing atrocities. Her visit to the Una Dalit victims in a Gujarat hospital on August 2016 was one of the key moments as she took on the Modi government's inept handling of Dalit issues. Prior to that in 2014 Mayawati had visited Badaun in Uttar Pradesh to meet the families of two Dalit girls who were raped and murdered. Mayawati has been vocal in castigating the government in the Rajyasabha. After Rohit Vemula and Una Dalit issues, she had led opposition attack on the government, making it extremely uncomfortable for Modi government. But connecting with the people directly would give her the real shot in the arm. For years, especially after becoming the chief minister in 2007, Mayawati had shown reluctance to change her style or substance. But consecutive defeats have made her flexible to accept suggestions and make amends. Her hint to ally with SP may be one of those outcomes. Her alliance with SP will definitely ensure a grand Dalit-Muslim-OBC-MBC coalition; BJP could be anxiously watching it from the sideline, having tasted defeat at the hands of similar "mahagathbandan" of Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar-Congress combine in Bihar. Riots caused by the BJP lawmaker Raghav Lakhanpal who deliberately took Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti procession through sensitive areas, attempting to incite Dalit versus Muslim riots could very well be BJP’s plan to prevent a social coalition of BSP-SP in Uttar Pradesh. Alliance or no alliance, Mayawati’s fortunes would depend on whether she goes back to the roots to get the grand Bahujan coalition as envisioned by the party founder Kanshi Ram and his message. Probably, Mayawati needs a Belchi movement very similar to Indira Gandhi to resurrect her political career. The tremendous support Indira Gandhi received at Belchi gave her enough confidence and ammunition to take on the opponent when she was down. It may be recalled that both Kansai Ram and Mayawati had visited Bulandshahar village where four Dalits had been lynched in 1995 Mayawati needs to reinvent herself with not just one but many Belchi moments across the country for the survival of Bahujan Samaj Party—both as a political force in the form of the third largest party of India and as a party of the have-nots. The sooner the better.

What BSP's Mayawati can learn from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

A Times of India report said Sunday that the Uttar Pradesh government has downgraded the security cover of several opposition leaders including former chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav, and Mayawati.&nbsp;

On the other hand, the security cover of senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar has been upgraded. Katiyar, who is the founder president of the Bajrang Dal, he is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, will now get Z cover security.&nbsp;

The TOI report said the decision was taken late Saturday night, following a meeting of the state&#39;s security committee made up of the principal secretary (home), ADG Intelligence and ADG Security, along with the state&#39;s newly appointed DGP Sulkhan Singh.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Former UP chief ministers Mulayam, Akhilesh, and Mayawati have all had their cover downgraded

A Times of India report said Sunday that the Uttar Pradesh government has downgraded the security cover of several opposition leaders including former chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav, and Mayawati. On the other hand, the security cover of senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar has been upgraded. Katiyar, who is the founder president of the Bajrang Dal, he is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, will now get Z cover security. The TOI report said the decision was taken late Saturday night, following a meeting of the state's security committee made up of the principal secretary (home), ADG Intelligence and ADG Security, along with the state's newly appointed DGP Sulkhan Singh. (WION)

Yogi downgrades security cover of opposition leaders, Bajrang Dal founder-prez gets upgrade

The electronic voting machines are &quot;fully tamper-proof, as ever&quot;, the Election Commission said today dismissing claims of BSP supremo Mayawati and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had questioned their reliability.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Commission said &quot;baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserve to be rejected&quot;.&nbsp;The poll panel said it did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties and candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process.

It said the BSP&#39;s representation on EVM tampering was without any specific allegation and it had rejected the claim of the party.&nbsp;&quot;Such concerns about alleged tamperability of ECI-EVM have been raised earlier also since their introduction including before high court and the Supreme Court.

&quot;These allegations have been dismissed. ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not tamperable and integrity of electoral process is preserved,&quot; it said.

The EC&#39;s rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs. Kejriwal too had alleged that EVMs may have been tampered with in Punjab, adding &quot;it is about the credibility of the Election Commission and the faith of people in the electoral system. We have strong prima facie evidence of foul play.&quot;

The Commission today said that so far, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated.&nbsp;It said &quot;what has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled look-alike of ECI-EVMs and not the actual ECI-EVMs.&quot;

Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd are the two PSUs which manufacture the EVMs for EC.&nbsp;The poll watchdog assured that its EVMs are tamper-proof and it is &quot;fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM&quot;.

Since the year 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 assembly polls and three Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

It recalled that the &quot;controversy&quot; over the reliability of the machines was raised by political parties after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. &quot;However, no specific allegation was raised nor could they prove before any court,&quot; the statement said. 
It said in an &quot;extraordinary&quot; move in August, 2009, it had invited those who had expressed reservations about the EVMs to come and demonstrate the flaws in the machines.

Those invited included political parties, petitioners before various courts and some individuals who had been writing to the Commission on this issue.

One hundred EVMs were brought from ten states -- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh -- and were kept at the Commission&#39;s office here for scrutiny and for any application to establish its alleged fallibility.

&quot;The outcome of this exercise was that none of the persons, who were given the opportunity, could actually demonstrate any tamperability of the ECI-EVMs. They either failed or chose not to demonstrate,&quot; it elaborated.

Some activists had then showed on TV a machine which they claimed can be manipulated. The Commission had countered the allegation stating that the machine was stolen from EVM warehouse in Mumbai and modified by the activists. &quot;Thus it was no longer the machine used by EC,&quot; it said.

Based on consultations with political parties in 2010, the Commission explored the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with a view to enhance transparency.

In VVPAT, a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in Control Unit, so that in case of any dispute, paper slip could be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM.

A printer is attached to the balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip remains visible on VVPAT for 07 seconds through a transparent window.

In June 2014, the Commission proposed to implement VVPAT at every polling station in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and sought Rs 3,174 crore for the same from the Law Ministry.

The Commission had earlier this month informed the Supreme Court that it will get the 15.5 lakh VVPATs manufactured in 30 months from the time of release of fund by the government.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Election Commission's rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs during the UP polls

The electronic voting machines are "fully tamper-proof, as ever", the Election Commission said today dismissing claims of BSP supremo Mayawati and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had questioned their reliability. In a strongly-worded statement, the Commission said "baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserve to be rejected". The poll panel said it did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties and candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process. It said the BSP's representation on EVM tampering was without any specific allegation and it had rejected the claim of the party. "Such concerns about alleged tamperability of ECI-EVM have been raised earlier also since their introduction including before high court and the Supreme Court. "These allegations have been dismissed. ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not tamperable and integrity of electoral process is preserved," it said. The EC's rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs. Kejriwal too had alleged that EVMs may have been tampered with in Punjab, adding "it is about the credibility of the Election Commission and the faith of people in the electoral system. We have strong prima facie evidence of foul play." The Commission today said that so far, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated. It said "what has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled look-alike of ECI-EVMs and not the actual ECI-EVMs." Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd are the two PSUs which manufacture the EVMs for EC. The poll watchdog assured that its EVMs are tamper-proof and it is "fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM". Since the year 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 assembly polls and three Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014. It recalled that the "controversy" over the reliability of the machines was raised by political parties after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. "However, no specific allegation was raised nor could they prove before any court," the statement said. It said in an "extraordinary" move in August, 2009, it had invited those who had expressed reservations about the EVMs to come and demonstrate the flaws in the machines. Those invited included political parties, petitioners before various courts and some individuals who had been writing to the Commission on this issue. One hundred EVMs were brought from ten states -- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh -- and were kept at the Commission's office here for scrutiny and for any application to establish its alleged fallibility. "The outcome of this exercise was that none of the persons, who were given the opportunity, could actually demonstrate any tamperability of the ECI-EVMs. They either failed or chose not to demonstrate," it elaborated. Some activists had then showed on TV a machine which they claimed can be manipulated. The Commission had countered the allegation stating that the machine was stolen from EVM warehouse in Mumbai and modified by the activists. "Thus it was no longer the machine used by EC," it said. Based on consultations with political parties in 2010, the Commission explored the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with a view to enhance transparency. In VVPAT, a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in Control Unit, so that in case of any dispute, paper slip could be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. A printer is attached to the balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip remains visible on VVPAT for 07 seconds through a transparent window. In June 2014, the Commission proposed to implement VVPAT at every polling station in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and sought Rs 3,174 crore for the same from the Law Ministry. The Commission had earlier this month informed the Supreme Court that it will get the 15.5 lakh VVPATs manufactured in 30 months from the time of release of fund by the government. (PTI)

Electronic voting machines are 'fully tamper-proof': Election Commission

Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

&quot;The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority,&quot; he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town.

&quot;I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past,&quot; Modi said in his over hour-long speech.

&quot;You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin,&quot; Modi said.

The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP.

&quot;When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people,&quot; Modi said.

However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said.

On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that &quot;certain people&quot; will come out for campaigning.

&quot;But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes,&quot; Modi said.

Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own.

&quot;The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...,&quot; he said.

Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see &quot;125 crore Hindustanis&quot; in him.

He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country.

Speaking about the &quot;backwardness&quot; of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the &#39;aan, baan and shaan&#39; (pride of place) of the country.

&quot;It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don&#39;t have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished,&quot; Modi said.

&quot;During Pandit Nehru&#39;s time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach,&quot; Modi said.

Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru&#39;s) time itself. &quot;50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box,&quot; he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. &quot;After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory,&quot; Modi said.

Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about &#39;kaam bolta hai&#39; managed &quot;only 14 per cent success&quot; in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? &quot;What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?...

who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP,&quot; Modi said.

Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, &quot;Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?&quot; &quot;He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies,&quot; he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region.

He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate &quot;but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day&quot;.

Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, &quot;Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun.&quot; Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he &quot;goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails&quot;.

&quot;Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun,&quot; Modi asserted.

Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing &#39;Bahubali&#39; film, Modi referred to a character in it &#39;Katappa&#39; and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: &quot;&ldquo;Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali&rdquo;. &ldquo;In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police&rsquo;s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did.&quot;

(PTI)

Says the SP and BSP's new gameplan is to ensure no one gets a majority

Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. "The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority," he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town. "I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past," Modi said in his over hour-long speech. "You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin," Modi said. The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP. "When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people," Modi said. However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said. On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that "certain people" will come out for campaigning. "But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes," Modi said. Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own. "The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...," he said. Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see "125 crore Hindustanis" in him. He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country. Speaking about the "backwardness" of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the 'aan, baan and shaan' (pride of place) of the country. "It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don't have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished," Modi said. "During Pandit Nehru's time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach," Modi said. Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru's) time itself. "50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box," he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. "After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory," Modi said. Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about 'kaam bolta hai' managed "only 14 per cent success" in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? "What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?... who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP," Modi said. Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, "Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?" "He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies," he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region. He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate "but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day". Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, "Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun." Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he "goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails". "Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun," Modi asserted. Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing 'Bahubali' film, Modi referred to a character in it 'Katappa' and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: "“Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali”. “In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police’s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did." (PTI)

A sign of nervousness? PM Modi speaks of fractured mandate in UP

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was &quot;no question&quot; of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;as it is a part of its poll strategy.

Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, &quot;Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party).&quot;

A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow.&nbsp;

In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati&#39;s BSP quite easily.

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They will ask your religion &amp; caste first, if that doesn&#39;t seem favourable to them, they won&#39;t give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura <a href="https://t.co/zSOVBahTNV">pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834367588041945088">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with &quot;full majority&quot;.

He said it was &quot;difficult to guess&quot; who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a &quot;triangular contest&quot; in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP.

Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation.

Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring &quot;acche din&quot; (good days) back.

&nbsp;

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Due to some reasons, I couldn&#39;t be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/DzTqwvfuwG">pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834354553692753921">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, &amp; I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter <a href="https://t.co/B3XIIQP3RB">pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834355050600361984">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation.

&quot;You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said.

On the SP&#39;s seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, &quot;If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last.&quot;

After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district.

&nbsp;

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Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav <a href="https://t.co/1TM4d1o2Xv">pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834347017937760256">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati

On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by &quot;sources&quot; that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources,&quot; Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district.

&quot;You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state,&quot; the BSP chief declared.

She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat&#39;s Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow.

&quot;Now the people will refer to the BJP as &#39;party of frauds&#39; instead of the &#39;party of people&#39; not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country,&quot; Mayawati said in Faizabad.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah is confident of his party's win in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa but he is unclear about the outcome in Punjab

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was "no question" of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh as it is a part of its poll strategy. Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, "Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)." A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP quite easily. They will ask your religion & caste first, if that doesn't seem favourable to them, they won't give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority". He said it was "difficult to guess" who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a "triangular contest" in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP. Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation. Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring "acche din" (good days) back. Due to some reasons, I couldn't be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, & I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation. "You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?," Akhilesh Yadav said. On the SP's seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, "If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last." After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now," Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district. Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by "sources" that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh. "If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources," Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district. "You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state," the BSP chief declared. She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat's Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow. "Now the people will refer to the BJP as 'party of frauds' instead of the 'party of people' not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country," Mayawati said in Faizabad. (WION with inputs from agencies)

No question of post-poll alliance with BSP or any party: BJP president Amit Shah

BSP leader Mayawati today hit back at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/now-pm-modi-compares-himself-to-lord-krishna-12485">PM Modi&#39;s</a> &#39;Behenji Sampatti (wealth)&nbsp;Party&#39; barb, calling the Indian prime minister &quot;Mr Negative Dalit Man&quot;.

Mayawati&#39;s latest dig at Modi comes after the Indian prime minister said &quot;those who deposit wealth for themselves can never solve the problems of people&quot;.

&quot;Arrey Behenji discussion not because elections are being held but because you have deposited Rs 100 crore after note ban...BSP is no longer Bahujan Samaj Party...Bahujan toh Mayawati me simat gaya hai...It is Behenji Sampatti Party now. Those who deposit wealth for themselves, can they solve your problem?&quot; the prime minister said at an election rally in Orai region in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati was quick to hit back declaring the PM Modi would get a tit-for-tat reply in the Uttar Pradesh polls.

&quot;Money started being deposited in banks all of a sudden (after demonetisation) and Mayawati started shouting as why is it only at election time that the account of her brother has been made public...why is it being discussed that Rs 100 crore have been deposited,&quot; the India prime minister said.

&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: BSP President Mayawati says PM Modi&#39;s full name means that he is an anti-Dalit man. <a href="https://t.co/Nhl0lDbNH3">pic.twitter.com/Nhl0lDbNH3</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/833604759508578304">February 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Modi has been attacking the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) and Samajwadi Party(SP) repeatedly in an effort to get his party the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) back in power after fourteen long years. He recently attacked the Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party singling out chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for aligning with the Congress.

Uttar Pradesh, India&#39;s largest state, is the middle of a hard-fought election campaign spread across seven phases. The results&nbsp;are set to be declared on March 11. Most pollsters and political pandits have given the opposition BJP the edge but with the recent coalition of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rahul-invokes-dilwale-dulhania-dacoit-gabbar-singh-to-hit-pm-modi-12501">Congress </a>and Samajwadi Party, the political equations in Uttar Pradesh have changed with every party trying its best to win over the electorate, often at any cost.

(WION with agency inputs)

BSP leader Mayawati's latest dig comes after PM Modi's 'Behenji Sampatti Party' remark at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh

BSP leader Mayawati today hit back at PM Modi's 'Behenji Sampatti (wealth) Party' barb, calling the Indian prime minister "Mr Negative Dalit Man". Mayawati's latest dig at Modi comes after the Indian prime minister said "those who deposit wealth for themselves can never solve the problems of people". "Arrey Behenji discussion not because elections are being held but because you have deposited Rs 100 crore after note ban...BSP is no longer Bahujan Samaj Party...Bahujan toh Mayawati me simat gaya hai...It is Behenji Sampatti Party now. Those who deposit wealth for themselves, can they solve your problem?" the prime minister said at an election rally in Orai region in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati was quick to hit back declaring the PM Modi would get a tit-for-tat reply in the Uttar Pradesh polls. "Money started being deposited in banks all of a sudden (after demonetisation) and Mayawati started shouting as why is it only at election time that the account of her brother has been made public...why is it being discussed that Rs 100 crore have been deposited," the India prime minister said. #WATCH: BSP President Mayawati says PM Modi's full name means that he is an anti-Dalit man. pic.twitter.com/Nhl0lDbNH3 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2017 × Prime Minister Modi has been attacking the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) and Samajwadi Party(SP) repeatedly in an effort to get his party the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) back in power after fourteen long years. He recently attacked the Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party singling out chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for aligning with the Congress. Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state, is the middle of a hard-fought election campaign spread across seven phases. The results are set to be declared on March 11. Most pollsters and political pandits have given the opposition BJP the edge but with the recent coalition of the Congress and Samajwadi Party, the political equations in Uttar Pradesh have changed with every party trying its best to win over the electorate, often at any cost. (WION with agency inputs)

PM Modi is Mr 'Negative Dalit Man', says BSP leader Mayawati

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state.

The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of &quot;rape and murder&quot;.

&quot;It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them,&quot; BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He was referring&nbsp;to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India&#39;s top court.

&quot;Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati&#39;s shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women&#39;s safety from him. It&#39;s shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh,&quot; BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI.

Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation

BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the &quot;bad shape of law-and-order&quot; in the state at a poll rally in the state.

She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav&#39;s brother Shivpal Yadav was &quot;working internally&quot; to &quot;cut the votes&quot; of that party.

Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for &quot;overburdening&quot; the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy.

&quot;The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election,&quot; Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi.

Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi&#39;s &quot;adopted son&quot; remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their &quot;own daughter&quot; rather than the &quot;adopted son&quot;.aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were &quot;fed up&quot; with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre.

Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav

Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the&nbsp;Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was&nbsp;their only talking point during their poll campaigns.

&quot;Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else,&quot; the Uttar Pradesh chief minister&nbsp;told an election meeting in the state&#39;s Banda city.

He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state.

Citing&nbsp;the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh&nbsp;appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past.

He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues.&nbsp;He was&nbsp;reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister.

&quot;Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated &#39;raksha bandhan&#39; earlier too with BJP...May be my &#39;buaji&#39; (aunt) can side with them once again,&quot; he said while referring to Mayawati.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The party was referring to Samajwadi Party and Congress' support for Gayatri Prajapati, a minister accused of rape

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state. The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of "rape and murder". "It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. He was referring to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India's top court. "Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati's shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women's safety from him. It's shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI. Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the "bad shape of law-and-order" in the state at a poll rally in the state. She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav was "working internally" to "cut the votes" of that party. Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "overburdening" the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy. "The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election," Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi. Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's "adopted son" remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their "own daughter" rather than the "adopted son".aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were "fed up" with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre. Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was their only talking point during their poll campaigns. "Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister told an election meeting in the state's Banda city. He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state. Citing the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past. He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues. He was reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister. "Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated 'raksha bandhan' earlier too with BJP...May be my 'buaji' (aunt) can side with them once again," he said while referring to Mayawati. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UP election round-up: BJP slams Priyanka, Akhilesh for backing 'criminals'

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party.

Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party&#39;s name.&nbsp;

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<h5>It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name</h5>
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&quot;We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP,&quot; she said.

She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP&#39;s image ahead of the UP assembly elections.

The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India.

Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes.

The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made.

It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws.

(This article first appeared in DNA)

'We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited,' she said

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party. Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party's name. It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati's brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name × "We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP," she said. She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP's image ahead of the UP assembly elections. The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati's brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India. Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes. The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made. It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws. (This article first appeared in DNA)

Mayawati: Central govt misusing state machinery to malign BSP before UP elections

By Dipu Rai

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati came under Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner on Friday, as the agency detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the party and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Anand Kumar, Mayawati&#39;s brother, on Friday.

ED sources said that the accounts had been detected in a branch of the United Bank of India (UBI) in the capital.

Officials said they visited the Karol Bagh branch of the bank as part of their routine survey and enquiry operations to check huge cash deposits, and found that large deposits were made in these two accounts after demonetisation.

The agency found that while Rs 102 crore had been deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore had been deposited in old Rs 500 notes. Officials said that about Rs 15-17 crore were being deposited into these accounts every other day. In Anand&#39;s account, ED officials found old notes worth Rs 18.98 lakh.

The ED has sought details about the accounts from the bank. It has been understood that the agency will write to the Income-Tax (I-T) department. The ED has also asked the bank to provide it some CCTV footage and the KYC documents used to open the accounts.

This is not the first time that the BSP&#39;s supremo&#39;s brother has come under the radar of probe agencies. In April 2015, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) started investigating Kumar for alleged dubious transactions, running into crores. The FIU had coordinated with the CBDT and I-T department for a further probe.

Currently, the agency has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money- laundering after the demonetisation drive.

BSP spokespersons and senior leaders refused to comment. Interestingly, the party&#39;s arch rivals, the Samajwadi Party (SP), came to their defence on this issue. A senior SP leader said: &quot;This was not an amount which was found stashed away in homes or lockers. This was an amount deposited in the bank after demonetization. It should not be made a political issue.&quot;

(This article first appeared in DNA)

Another Rs 1.43 crore was found in BSP supremo Mayawati's brother's account in a Delhi bank

By Dipu Rai Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati came under Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner on Friday, as the agency detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the party and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Anand Kumar, Mayawati's brother, on Friday. ED sources said that the accounts had been detected in a branch of the United Bank of India (UBI) in the capital. Officials said they visited the Karol Bagh branch of the bank as part of their routine survey and enquiry operations to check huge cash deposits, and found that large deposits were made in these two accounts after demonetisation. The agency found that while Rs 102 crore had been deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore had been deposited in old Rs 500 notes. Officials said that about Rs 15-17 crore were being deposited into these accounts every other day. In Anand's account, ED officials found old notes worth Rs 18.98 lakh. The ED has sought details about the accounts from the bank. It has been understood that the agency will write to the Income-Tax (I-T) department. The ED has also asked the bank to provide it some CCTV footage and the KYC documents used to open the accounts. This is not the first time that the BSP's supremo's brother has come under the radar of probe agencies. In April 2015, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) started investigating Kumar for alleged dubious transactions, running into crores. The FIU had coordinated with the CBDT and I-T department for a further probe. Currently, the agency has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money- laundering after the demonetisation drive. BSP spokespersons and senior leaders refused to comment. Interestingly, the party's arch rivals, the Samajwadi Party (SP), came to their defence on this issue. A senior SP leader said: "This was not an amount which was found stashed away in homes or lockers. This was an amount deposited in the bank after demonetization. It should not be made a political issue." (This article first appeared in DNA)

Rs 104 crore found deposited in BSP account after demonetisation

Launching a counter-attack against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked her if the huge amount of money deposited in her party&#39;s bank account was a money conversion exercise as it accused her of using her Dalit identity to hide &quot;corruption&quot;.

The BJP fielded Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to attack Mayawati, and hurled other charges at them.

&quot;Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve. If the Enforcement Directorate (ED) does a routine exercise, why is she so rattled? Will your corruption be hidden in the name of Dalits. Does Mayawati want to say that her corruption should be seen as a fight against Dalits? It is an insult of Dalits,&quot; he told a press conference.

Noting that she did not deny the deposits in the BSP&#39;s account, he asked, &quot;It raises a bigger question. Is it a donation or money conversion exercise?&quot;

The development of Dalits cannot be &quot;mortgaged&quot; to corruption, he said.

Prasad also made light of her claim that Rs 104 crore found in BSP&#39;s bank account in Delhi had come by way of political donations and that those were converted into high denomination notes before being deposited after the note ban kicked in on November 8.

&quot;Small currencies were converted into bigger bills and the money was not deposited in August, September and October but soon after demonetisation. It also raised a lot of suspicion. Now we are getting signals of why she has been opposing the note ban so strongly from the first day,&quot; Prasad said.

He also rejected her claim that the ED&#39;s action was linked to her assertion that the BJP was pushing Samajwadi Party (SP)&nbsp;and Congress for an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh (UP)&nbsp;assembly polls.

&quot;This is nothing but her frustration. She made these comments only yesterday while deposits were made much earlier...As far as BJP is concerned, even if SP, BSP and Congress come together, it will emerge victorious,&quot; he said.

When asked about her demand that BJP too make public the donations it has received, he said all parties submit these details to the Election Commission which puts it on its website.

On the government&#39;s stand on electoral reforms, he said those were primarily the Election Commission&#39;s job but it was open to supporting &quot;positive reforms&quot;.

&quot;As far as improvement is concerned we are certainly open to that. There has to be proper initiative and consensus,&quot; he said.

When asked about Mayawati&#39;s assertion that the ED action would help her in the Uttar Pradesh state elections the same way as the alleged Taj corridor corruption case started under the NDA I in 2007, Prasad said, She had forgotten that there were Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and what happened to her party then.

(PTI)&nbsp;

'Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve', said Prasad, the lawyer the BJP fielded to attack Mayawati

Launching a counter-attack against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked her if the huge amount of money deposited in her party's bank account was a money conversion exercise as it accused her of using her Dalit identity to hide "corruption". The BJP fielded Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to attack Mayawati, and hurled other charges at them. "Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve. If the Enforcement Directorate (ED) does a routine exercise, why is she so rattled? Will your corruption be hidden in the name of Dalits. Does Mayawati want to say that her corruption should be seen as a fight against Dalits? It is an insult of Dalits," he told a press conference. Noting that she did not deny the deposits in the BSP's account, he asked, "It raises a bigger question. Is it a donation or money conversion exercise?" The development of Dalits cannot be "mortgaged" to corruption, he said. Prasad also made light of her claim that Rs 104 crore found in BSP's bank account in Delhi had come by way of political donations and that those were converted into high denomination notes before being deposited after the note ban kicked in on November 8. "Small currencies were converted into bigger bills and the money was not deposited in August, September and October but soon after demonetisation. It also raised a lot of suspicion. Now we are getting signals of why she has been opposing the note ban so strongly from the first day," Prasad said. He also rejected her claim that the ED's action was linked to her assertion that the BJP was pushing Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress for an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly polls. "This is nothing but her frustration. She made these comments only yesterday while deposits were made much earlier...As far as BJP is concerned, even if SP, BSP and Congress come together, it will emerge victorious," he said. When asked about her demand that BJP too make public the donations it has received, he said all parties submit these details to the Election Commission which puts it on its website. On the government's stand on electoral reforms, he said those were primarily the Election Commission's job but it was open to supporting "positive reforms". "As far as improvement is concerned we are certainly open to that. There has to be proper initiative and consensus," he said. When asked about Mayawati's assertion that the ED action would help her in the Uttar Pradesh state elections the same way as the alleged Taj corridor corruption case started under the NDA I in 2007, Prasad said, She had forgotten that there were Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and what happened to her party then. (PTI)

BJP attacks Mayawati over Rs 104 cr in bank account

Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. 
 
Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...,&quot; BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. 
 
&quot;Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him,&quot; Singh alleged. 
 
&quot;She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram&#39;s days are deserting the party,&quot; said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. 
 
Singh&#39;s remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his &quot;unforgivable&quot; comments. 
 
There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam&#39;s Kanimozhi, Congress&#39; Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. 
 
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. 
 
&quot;It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity,&quot; Jaitley said. 
 
A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh&#39;s remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. 
 
She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, &quot;His (Singh&#39;s) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets.&quot; 
 
Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the &quot;capitalistic mindset&quot; and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. 
 
The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. 
 
&quot;On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party,&quot; she said. 
 
Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh.&nbsp;As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. 
 
BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the 
SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. &quot;We will drag him to court,&quot; he said outside Parliament. 
 
Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone,&quot; he said. 
 
(PTI)

Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties

Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. "Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...," BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. "Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him," Singh alleged. "She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram's days are deserting the party," said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. Singh's remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his "unforgivable" comments. There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi, Congress' Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. "It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity," Jaitley said. A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh's remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, "His (Singh's) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets." Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the "capitalistic mindset" and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. "On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party," she said. Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh. As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. "We will drag him to court," he said outside Parliament. Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. "Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone," he said. (PTI)

Dayashankar Singh removed as Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president

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