After its new-found bonhomie with the BSP won it two Lok sabha seats in recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is set to celebrate Dr Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 in a big way.

The party which had stayed content with celebrating anniversaries of socialist idealogues like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Janeshwar Misra so far has asked all its district units to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti at the district party headquarters or any public place to mark the day.

Though the Samajwadi Party's move has not gone down well with the BJP, which has termed it a big drama, political analyst Ramesh Dixit said it is aimed at further consolidating the relations.

"All the forces of social justice are coming together on one platform... This move is aimed at consolidating the friendship for the cause of defeating rivals," Dixit said, who retired as head of the political science department of Lucknow University.

It is also a move to claim the legacy of social justice espoused by these parties which was being grabbed by the BJP which has had no connection with them," he said.

Samajwadi Party which had been holding customary functions on Ambedkar Jayanti has this time asked its partymen to recall the services of Babasaheb as also his resolve taken while framing the Constitution.

SP's state unit president Party Naresh Uttam said that on 127th anniversary of Babasaheb this April 14, all district and city unit heads have been asked to pay homage and recall his immense contribution to the country and emancipation of the downtrodden.

This will be perhaps the first time that a conscious effort is being made by the SP to ensure celebrations on Dr Ambedkar Jayanti on a big scale.

The BSP had been organising Ambedkar Jayanti annually on a big scale with its president Mayawati leading partymen in paying homage to the Dalit icon.

There are, however, no plans yet to hold any joint SP-BSP programmes on the day.

It is wrong to say that we will be celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti for the first time. The party has always paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar on his birth and death anniversary and we hold him in high esteem," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.

A senior SP leader on condition of anonymity said that party will try to remove doubts in the minds, if any, that its ideology was at variance with that of BSP and reach out to all sections of society.

Before the coming Lok Sabha elections early next year, the Ambedkar Jayanti will give a chance to increase the interaction and coordination between the cadres of both the parties in order to develop better understanding, he said.

It is a fact that the success of any alliance of these two major players in the state depend on how Dalits and OBCs, especially Yadavs, come to terms with each other, he said.

BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi however said, "It is a big drama? ever since the SP has made 'elephant' (BSP's election symbol) its friend, it is worried for the Dalits but the people of Uttar Pradesh have not forgotten how Dalits were at the receiving end on the very day when Akhilesh Yadav had become the chief minister in 2012 and how their houses and hamlets were set ablaze."

The understanding between the SP and the BSP in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-elections stopped the victory march of the BJP, which along with its allies had bagged 73 of the 80 parliamentary seats in the state.

While Gorakhpur is the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Phulpur was represented by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and defeats in both the places at the hands of the SP caused considerable embarrassment to the saffron party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, though the BJP took a sweet revenge soon afterwards by defeating the BSP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha biennial elections in the state.

Samajwadi Party which had been holding customary functions on Ambedkar Jayanti has this time asked its partymen to recall the services of Babasaheb as also his resolve taken while framing the Constitution.

After its new-found bonhomie with the BSP won it two Lok sabha seats in recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is set to celebrate Dr Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 in a big way. The party which had stayed content with celebrating anniversaries of socialist idealogues like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Janeshwar Misra so far has asked all its district units to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti at the district party headquarters or any public place to mark the day. Though the Samajwadi Party's move has not gone down well with the BJP, which has termed it a big drama, political analyst Ramesh Dixit said it is aimed at further consolidating the relations. "All the forces of social justice are coming together on one platform... This move is aimed at consolidating the friendship for the cause of defeating rivals," Dixit said, who retired as head of the political science department of Lucknow University. It is also a move to claim the legacy of social justice espoused by these parties which was being grabbed by the BJP which has had no connection with them," he said. Samajwadi Party which had been holding customary functions on Ambedkar Jayanti has this time asked its partymen to recall the services of Babasaheb as also his resolve taken while framing the Constitution. SP's state unit president Party Naresh Uttam said that on 127th anniversary of Babasaheb this April 14, all district and city unit heads have been asked to pay homage and recall his immense contribution to the country and emancipation of the downtrodden. This will be perhaps the first time that a conscious effort is being made by the SP to ensure celebrations on Dr Ambedkar Jayanti on a big scale. The BSP had been organising Ambedkar Jayanti annually on a big scale with its president Mayawati leading partymen in paying homage to the Dalit icon. There are, however, no plans yet to hold any joint SP-BSP programmes on the day. It is wrong to say that we will be celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti for the first time. The party has always paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar on his birth and death anniversary and we hold him in high esteem," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said. A senior SP leader on condition of anonymity said that party will try to remove doubts in the minds, if any, that its ideology was at variance with that of BSP and reach out to all sections of society. Before the coming Lok Sabha elections early next year, the Ambedkar Jayanti will give a chance to increase the interaction and coordination between the cadres of both the parties in order to develop better understanding, he said. It is a fact that the success of any alliance of these two major players in the state depend on how Dalits and OBCs, especially Yadavs, come to terms with each other, he said. BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi however said, "It is a big drama? ever since the SP has made 'elephant' (BSP's election symbol) its friend, it is worried for the Dalits but the people of Uttar Pradesh have not forgotten how Dalits were at the receiving end on the very day when Akhilesh Yadav had become the chief minister in 2012 and how their houses and hamlets were set ablaze." The understanding between the SP and the BSP in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-elections stopped the victory march of the BJP, which along with its allies had bagged 73 of the 80 parliamentary seats in the state. While Gorakhpur is the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Phulpur was represented by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and defeats in both the places at the hands of the SP caused considerable embarrassment to the saffron party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, though the BJP took a sweet revenge soon afterwards by defeating the BSP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha biennial elections in the state.

SP to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti after friendship with Mayawati

Speaking on the "Bharat bandh" protest organised by the Dalit&nbspoutfits, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said that though she supports the protest against the Supreme Court's order on SC/ST Act, she is against the violence spread by the people.

She said, "I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests".

She also added that strict action should be taken against those who were spreading violence during the protests.

&nbsp

I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests: BSP Chief Mayawati <a href="https://t.co/SZ4xrvG13k">pic.twitter.com/SZ4xrvG13k</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/980755628535762946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

Protest was staged across the northern part of the country by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court's order on SC/ST Act.

About four people have died and several others were injured in the protest in Madhya Pradesh.

The protests were the outcome of the Supreme Court's March 20 order that had diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.

The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition, who claim that dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community.&nbsp

&nbsp

She said, 'I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests'

Speaking on the "Bharat bandh" protest organised by the Dalit&nbspoutfits, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has said that though she supports the protest against the Supreme Court's order on SC/ST Act, she is against the violence spread by the people. She said, "I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests". She also added that strict action should be taken against those who were spreading violence during the protests. I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests: BSP Chief Mayawati pic.twitter.com/SZ4xrvG13k — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018 × Protest was staged across the northern part of the country by Dalit outfits against the Supreme Court's order on SC/ST Act. About four people have died and several others were injured in the protest in Madhya Pradesh. The protests were the outcome of the Supreme Court's March 20 order that had diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition, who claim that dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community.

Support protests against court order on SC/ST Act, but not violence: Mayawati

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh.

Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack.

The police have detained five people for questioning. 

In the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP.

Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">BSP MLA Anil Singh&#39s brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot&mdash ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977964083562647552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh`s Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh. Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack. The police have detained five people for questioning. In the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP. Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting. BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot &mdash ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2018

Suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother attacked, 5 detained

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-polls-in-major-setback-to-mayawati-bsp-mla-votes-for-bjp-36829" target="_blank">BSP MLA Anil Singh'</a>s brother Dilip Singh.

Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's&nbspUnnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack.

The police have detained five people for questioning.&nbsp

In the recent Rajya Sabha&nbsppolls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP.

Following which&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mayawati-suspends-anil-singh-over-rajya-sabha-cross-voting-36939" target="_blank">Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him&nbsp</a>after allegations of cross-voting.

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BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977964083562647552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained five people in connection with an attack on suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh. Dilip Singh and his family members were allegedly thrashed by unknown miscreants at gunpoint in Uttar Pradesh's&nbspUnnao on Sunday.The miscreants involved had fled the spot after the attack. The police have detained five people for questioning. In the recent Rajya Sabha&nbsppolls in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP. Following which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended him after allegations of cross-voting. BSP MLA Anil Singh's brother Dilip Singh & his family allegedly thrashed by car-borne miscreants at gunpoint in Unnao. Accused fled the spot — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2018 ×

The BJP may have wrested an extra seat in the recent Rajya Sabha polls but the victory will backfire on the saffron party as its &quot;anti-Dalit face stood exposed&quot; while the SP-BSP unity got strengthened, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed today.

In an interview to PTI, Akhilesh Yadav also said his wife Dimple Yadav may not contest the next Lok Sabha elections to blunt the nepotism charge that political opponents hurl at Samajwadi Party (SP), which he leads. Dimple Yadav is currently the Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj.

The SP chief also alleged that law and order had collapsed during the present dispensation in UP while &quot;political encounters&quot; were being staged. Those involved will have to face a probe sooner or later, he warned.

The SP will exploit to the hilt &quot;the BJP&#39;s conspiracy against a Dalit&quot; during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said today.

He was referring to BJP nominee Anil Agrawal edging out BSP&#39;s Bhimrao Ambedkar in a nail-biting contest earlier this week.

&quot;The victory of the BJP on the ninth seat, contested by the saffron party with the help of money power, has given the SP an opportunity to expose the communal outfit&#39;s anti-Dalit face. Because of the conspiracy hatched by the BJP against a Dalit getting elected, SP-BSP unity has got strengthened all the more for the (2019) Lok Sabha polls,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav alleged.

The real character of the BJP, which &quot;misused money and power against the poor&quot;, stood exposed in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, he claimed.

The SP chief, who cancelled a function to felicitate party leader Jaya Bachchan on getting re-elected to the Rajya Sabha, felt the defeat of the Dalit candidate would cement his party&#39;s relations with Mayawati-led BSP.

Terming the victory of SP candidates in Lok Sabha by-polls in seats earlier held by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya as a &quot;big&quot; achievement, Akhilesh Yadav claimed a message had gone across the country that the BJP can be defeated in 2019.

&quot;I term the victories in by-polls as big ones because it was not just our victory but also the defeat of the CM and the deputy CM. Yogi ji, who was campaigning all over the country for the BJP could not save his own turf. It has sent a message all over the country and instilled confidence among people and workers that if the BJP can be defeated in their (leaders&#39;) constituencies, the result can be replicated all over,&quot; he said.

I thank Mayawati ji for her support, he added.

The BJP lost the by-polls in Gorakhpur, the bastion of the chief minister, and Phulpur, earlier held by the deputy chief minister.

Asked about his party&#39;s strategy for the 2019 polls, Akhilesh Yadav said besides booth management, party workers have been asked to reach all villages and interact with people.

&quot;I, our leaders and our cadre will go everywhere. We will apprise the people of the works initiated during my regime and ask them to compare them with what is going on in the BJP regime. The BJP had made a number of promises but fulfilled none. The anger of people are palpable and they have shown it in the by-polls,&quot; he said.

On the BJP&#39;s argument that voting percentage in the Lok Sabha by-polls was less, Akhilesh Yadav said, &quot;Had more voters come out, our victory margin would have been bigger. They (BJP) misled people and won elections and then they could not follow what they promised.&quot;

The SP chief also announced his wife Dimple Yadav will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 
 
&quot;We have decided, she will not contest this time as we are charged with &#39;pariwarwad&#39; (nepotism). BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Kalyan Singh, Raman Singh, Shivraj Chauhan are indulging in nepotism. Members of their family are in politics. My wife is not contesting...They (BJP) too should also set an example. If they don&#39;t do so and only make allegations against us, I can also change my mind,&quot; he said.

Asked about a future alliance with the Congress, he said the picture will become clear when polls come near.

&quot;My relations with the Congress are good and will remain so. It is a national party while we are strong here in the state. The preparations for stitching together an alliance are on. The leader will be decided later at an opportune time,&quot; the SP chief said.

On how his father Mulayam Singh Yadav felt after Lok Sabha bypoll victories, Akhilesh Yadav said, &quot;He was very happy that youths were elected. He blessed us all.&quot;

Akhilesh Yadav attacked Yogi Adityanath&#39;s statement that &quot;he did not celebrate Eid&quot; and said, &quot;I myself celebrate all festivals and observe nine-day fast during Navratra. My wife (Dimple) remains on fast on Thursdays,&quot; he said.

The former UP chief minister alleged law and order had collapsed under the BJP regime. 
 
&quot;They are doing encounters. But these are political encounters. And I want to tell all those involved that they will have to face probe now or later. They cannot get away with it. The BJP is damaging fabric of the society by spreading communalism and casteism,&quot; he remarked.

On RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Akhilesh Yadav said, &quot;He is not only my relative but a big leader, who had kept communal forces at bay in Bihar. I had sent Kironmay Nanda to meet him recently.&quot;&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The BJP may have wrested an extra seat in the recent Rajya Sabha polls but the victory will backfire on the saffron party as its 'anti-Dalit face stood exposed' while the SP-BSP unity got strengthened, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed today

The BJP may have wrested an extra seat in the recent Rajya Sabha polls but the victory will backfire on the saffron party as its "anti-Dalit face stood exposed" while the SP-BSP unity got strengthened, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed today. In an interview to PTI, Akhilesh Yadav also said his wife Dimple Yadav may not contest the next Lok Sabha elections to blunt the nepotism charge that political opponents hurl at Samajwadi Party (SP), which he leads. Dimple Yadav is currently the Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj. The SP chief also alleged that law and order had collapsed during the present dispensation in UP while "political encounters" were being staged. Those involved will have to face a probe sooner or later, he warned. The SP will exploit to the hilt "the BJP's conspiracy against a Dalit" during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said today. He was referring to BJP nominee Anil Agrawal edging out BSP's Bhimrao Ambedkar in a nail-biting contest earlier this week. "The victory of the BJP on the ninth seat, contested by the saffron party with the help of money power, has given the SP an opportunity to expose the communal outfit's anti-Dalit face. Because of the conspiracy hatched by the BJP against a Dalit getting elected, SP-BSP unity has got strengthened all the more for the (2019) Lok Sabha polls," Akhilesh Yadav alleged. The real character of the BJP, which "misused money and power against the poor", stood exposed in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, he claimed. The SP chief, who cancelled a function to felicitate party leader Jaya Bachchan on getting re-elected to the Rajya Sabha, felt the defeat of the Dalit candidate would cement his party's relations with Mayawati-led BSP. Terming the victory of SP candidates in Lok Sabha by-polls in seats earlier held by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya as a "big" achievement, Akhilesh Yadav claimed a message had gone across the country that the BJP can be defeated in 2019. "I term the victories in by-polls as big ones because it was not just our victory but also the defeat of the CM and the deputy CM. Yogi ji, who was campaigning all over the country for the BJP could not save his own turf. It has sent a message all over the country and instilled confidence among people and workers that if the BJP can be defeated in their (leaders') constituencies, the result can be replicated all over," he said. I thank Mayawati ji for her support, he added. The BJP lost the by-polls in Gorakhpur, the bastion of the chief minister, and Phulpur, earlier held by the deputy chief minister. Asked about his party's strategy for the 2019 polls, Akhilesh Yadav said besides booth management, party workers have been asked to reach all villages and interact with people. "I, our leaders and our cadre will go everywhere. We will apprise the people of the works initiated during my regime and ask them to compare them with what is going on in the BJP regime. The BJP had made a number of promises but fulfilled none. The anger of people are palpable and they have shown it in the by-polls," he said. On the BJP's argument that voting percentage in the Lok Sabha by-polls was less, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Had more voters come out, our victory margin would have been bigger. They (BJP) misled people and won elections and then they could not follow what they promised." The SP chief also announced his wife Dimple Yadav will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "We have decided, she will not contest this time as we are charged with 'pariwarwad' (nepotism). BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Kalyan Singh, Raman Singh, Shivraj Chauhan are indulging in nepotism. Members of their family are in politics. My wife is not contesting...They (BJP) too should also set an example. If they don't do so and only make allegations against us, I can also change my mind," he said. Asked about a future alliance with the Congress, he said the picture will become clear when polls come near. "My relations with the Congress are good and will remain so. It is a national party while we are strong here in the state. The preparations for stitching together an alliance are on. The leader will be decided later at an opportune time," the SP chief said. On how his father Mulayam Singh Yadav felt after Lok Sabha bypoll victories, Akhilesh Yadav said, "He was very happy that youths were elected. He blessed us all." Akhilesh Yadav attacked Yogi Adityanath's statement that "he did not celebrate Eid" and said, "I myself celebrate all festivals and observe nine-day fast during Navratra. My wife (Dimple) remains on fast on Thursdays," he said. The former UP chief minister alleged law and order had collapsed under the BJP regime. "They are doing encounters. But these are political encounters. And I want to tell all those involved that they will have to face probe now or later. They cannot get away with it. The BJP is damaging fabric of the society by spreading communalism and casteism," he remarked. On RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Akhilesh Yadav said, "He is not only my relative but a big leader, who had kept communal forces at bay in Bihar. I had sent Kironmay Nanda to meet him recently."

BJP's win in UP Rajya Sabha polls has bolstered SP-BSP unity: Akhilesh Yadav

Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday said that the BJP would not succeed in breaking the newly-minted alliance between her party and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Referring to the recently-concluded Rajya Sabha elections, Mayawati accused the BJP of indulging in &quot;malpractices&quot; and said the party exerted all its force to ensure that the BSP candidate&nbsp; did not win at any cost.

&quot;BJP did not deter from indulging in malpractices. They exerted all their force to ensure that the BSP candidate does not win at any cost. The entire system was deployed to ensure that the newly formed ties between BSP and SP loosen,&quot; the BSP chief said.

&quot;I would like to tell BJP and company that their malpractices will not succeed in breaking the ties between SP and BSP. Yesterday&#39;s results have not affected the SP-BSP tie up in any way, not even by an inch.&quot;

Mayawati said that the SP and the BSP had made a &quot;plan&quot; to come together so that the BJP candidate&nbsp; did not win.

&quot;A plan had been made that we come together so that the BJP candidate couldn&#39;t win the election. It was also tried to make an effort to ensure that this election does not become a blot on the face of democracy,&quot; the BSP Chief said about the Rajya Sabha result.

&quot;We share the same views on yesterday&#39;s result just like any one else. We believe Narendra Modi and Amit Shah used the system to make their candidates win. An environment of fear was created due to which there was also some cross-voting done,&quot; she added.

Referring to the by-election in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BSP chief said the &quot;immoral&quot; victory of the BJP could not make up for the party&#39;s defeat in these two constituencies.

&quot;This immoral victory cannot make up for their defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. Even BJP is aware of this,&quot; Mayawati, who backed the SP candidates in the by-elections said. 
&nbsp;

Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Saturday said that the BJP would not succeed in breaking the newly-minted alliance between her party and the Samajwadi Party

Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday said that the BJP would not succeed in breaking the newly-minted alliance between her party and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Referring to the recently-concluded Rajya Sabha elections, Mayawati accused the BJP of indulging in "malpractices" and said the party exerted all its force to ensure that the BSP candidate did not win at any cost. "BJP did not deter from indulging in malpractices. They exerted all their force to ensure that the BSP candidate does not win at any cost. The entire system was deployed to ensure that the newly formed ties between BSP and SP loosen," the BSP chief said. "I would like to tell BJP and company that their malpractices will not succeed in breaking the ties between SP and BSP. Yesterday's results have not affected the SP-BSP tie up in any way, not even by an inch." Mayawati said that the SP and the BSP had made a "plan" to come together so that the BJP candidate did not win. "A plan had been made that we come together so that the BJP candidate couldn't win the election. It was also tried to make an effort to ensure that this election does not become a blot on the face of democracy," the BSP Chief said about the Rajya Sabha result. "We share the same views on yesterday's result just like any one else. We believe Narendra Modi and Amit Shah used the system to make their candidates win. An environment of fear was created due to which there was also some cross-voting done," she added. Referring to the by-election in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BSP chief said the "immoral" victory of the BJP could not make up for the party's defeat in these two constituencies. "This immoral victory cannot make up for their defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. Even BJP is aware of this," Mayawati, who backed the SP candidates in the by-elections said.

BJP won't succeed in breaking ties between SP, BSP: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh following allegations of cross-voting, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

BSP MLA Anil Singh indicated that he had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cross-voting-reported-in-rajya-sabha-elections-36867">cross-voted </a>in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls.

After casting his vote on Friday, Uttar Pradesh lawmaker Anil Kumar Singh, 37, said that he had cross-voted. &quot;I am with Maharaj-ji (Yogi Adityanath),&quot; he said.

&ldquo;I have voted for BJP, I don&#39;t know about the rest,&rdquo; proclaimed Singh.&nbsp;

Reports of cross-voting also emerged from Karnataka Rajya Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/congress-expels-8-gujarat-legislators-for-cross-voting-in-rajya-sabha-polls-18784">expelled eight legislators</a> for violating the party&#39;s whip and voting for BJP candidates in the elections to the Rajya Sabha. The party said it would expel six more MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) in the days to come.

A day after cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls, four JD(S) MLAs resign from Karnataka Assembly. BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, R Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, N Chaluvaraya Swamy and Bheema Naik submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad at his residence.

The MLAs are likely to join Congress in a day or two, said sources close to them.

BSP MLA Anil Singh indicated that he had cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati suspended BSP MLA Anil Singh following allegations of cross-voting, reports said on Saturday. BSP MLA Anil Singh indicated that he had cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls. After casting his vote on Friday, Uttar Pradesh lawmaker Anil Kumar Singh, 37, said that he had cross-voted. "I am with Maharaj-ji (Yogi Adityanath)," he said. “I have voted for BJP, I don't know about the rest,” proclaimed Singh. Reports of cross-voting also emerged from Karnataka Rajya Sabha polls. Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday expelled eight legislators for violating the party's whip and voting for BJP candidates in the elections to the Rajya Sabha. The party said it would expel six more MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) in the days to come. A day after cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls, four JD(S) MLAs resign from Karnataka Assembly. BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, R Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, N Chaluvaraya Swamy and Bheema Naik submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad at his residence. The MLAs are likely to join Congress in a day or two, said sources close to them.

Mayawati suspends Anil Singh over Rajya Sabha cross-voting

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wont-succeed-in-breaking-ties-between-sp-bsp-mayawati-36942">BJP won&#39;t succeed in breaking ties between SP, BSP: Mayawati</a>

Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday said that the BJP would not succeed in breaking the newly-minted alliance between her party and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shahs-letter-full-of-false-information-chandrababu-naidu-36935">Amit Shah&#39;s letter full of &#39;false information&#39;: Chandrababu Naidu</a>

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged on Saturday that BJP President Amit Shah&#39;s letter to him was &quot;full of false information&quot;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fodder-scam-lalu-prasad-yadav-sentenced-to-7-years-imprisonment-in-dumka-treasury-case-36910">Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav sentenced to 7 years jail in Dumka treasury case</a>

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in Dumka treasury case.

The verdict of seven years imprisonment has been delivered under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. The seven years of jail under the two verdict will run simultaneously.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jnu-protest-row-journalists-agitate-outside-delhi-police-headquarters-36938">JNU protest row: Journalists agitate outside Delhi police headquarters</a>

Journalists have gathered outside Delhi Police headquarters to protest against the two separate incidents of molestation and manhandling alleged by woman journalists during the JNU protest.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonam-kapoor-and-anand-ahuja-to-have-a-may-wedding-in-geneva-36940">Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja to have a May wedding in Geneva?</a>

It has been three months since the news of Sonam Kapoor&rsquo;s tying the knot with her businessman- boyfriend of over two years, Anand Ahuja first floated on social media and the rumours refuse to die down. The&nbsp;latest news suggests that the two have zeroed in on Geneva as their preferred destination for the D Day.

BJP won't succeed in breaking ties between SP, BSP: Mayawati Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday said that the BJP would not succeed in breaking the newly-minted alliance between her party and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Amit Shah's letter full of 'false information': Chandrababu Naidu Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged on Saturday that BJP President Amit Shah's letter to him was "full of false information". Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav sentenced to 7 years jail in Dumka treasury case RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in Dumka treasury case. The verdict of seven years imprisonment has been delivered under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. The seven years of jail under the two verdict will run simultaneously. JNU protest row: Journalists agitate outside Delhi police headquarters Journalists have gathered outside Delhi Police headquarters to protest against the two separate incidents of molestation and manhandling alleged by woman journalists during the JNU protest. Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja to have a May wedding in Geneva? It has been three months since the news of Sonam Kapoor’s tying the knot with her businessman- boyfriend of over two years, Anand Ahuja first floated on social media and the rumours refuse to die down. The latest news suggests that the two have zeroed in on Geneva as their preferred destination for the D Day.

WION evening news brief, March 24

An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

A day before the election, Singh&nbsp;met with the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Singh said that he voted to the BJP on &quot; antaratma ki awaaz&quot;. He said, &quot;My inside asked me to vote for the BJP&quot;.

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I have voted for BJP, I don&#39;t know about the rest: Anil Singh, BSP MLA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RajyaSabhaElections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RajyaSabhaElections</a> <a href="https://t.co/28R7njmfnP">pic.twitter.com/28R7njmfnP</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/977047651286908928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Anil Singh is the BSP MLA from Purwa in Unnao, UP.

Reports also said that another MLA, Nitin Agarwal, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Hardoi, also voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.&nbsp;

His father Naresh Agarwal had already joined the BJP earlier this month.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sp-leader-naresh-agrawal-joins-bjp-mocks-jaya-bachchan-35532" target="_blank">SP leader Naresh Agrawal joins BJP, mocks Jaya Bachchan</a>

An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday

An MLA from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Anil Singh went against his party to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. A day before the election, Singh met with the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Singh said that he voted to the BJP on " antaratma ki awaaz". He said, "My inside asked me to vote for the BJP". I have voted for BJP, I don't know about the rest: Anil Singh, BSP MLA #RajyaSabhaElections pic.twitter.com/28R7njmfnP — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 23, 2018 × Anil Singh is the BSP MLA from Purwa in Unnao, UP. Reports also said that another MLA, Nitin Agarwal, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Hardoi, also voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. His father Naresh Agarwal had already joined the BJP earlier this month. Also read: SP leader Naresh Agrawal joins BJP, mocks Jaya Bachchan

Rajya Sabha polls: Setback to Mayawati, BSP MLA votes for BJP

Enthused by his party&#39;s strong showing in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/akhilesh-yadav-thanks-voters-and-mayawati-after-the-win-lashes-out-at-bjp-35830" target="_blank">Gorakhpur and Phulpur </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/akhilesh-yadav-thanks-voters-and-mayawati-after-the-win-lashes-out-at-bjp-35830" target="_blank">bypolls</a>, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav indicated today that his party was keen on burying its bitter rivalry with Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party saying sometimes &quot;past incidents have to be forgotten&quot;.

Yadav, whose party wrested both the high-profile seats from the ruling BJP with BSP&#39;s backing, claimed the victory margin of his candidates would have been larger, had paper ballots been used.

Speaking to reporters here, Yadav also said that his party&#39;s relations with Congress too continued to be good.

Yesterday, in a scene which seemed unimaginable only till the recent past, Yadav had rushed to the residence of the BSP supremo shortly after his candidates emerged victorious and thanked her.

&quot;Samajwadis always give due respect to all and that is why today we have good relations with all. People were recalling old incidents but sometimes they have to be forgotten,&quot; Yadav told mediapersons here.

The SP and the BSP, bitter foes of UP politics, have been at daggers drawn ever since the infamous state guest house case of 1995. In June 1995, Samajwadi Party workers, who were angry with Mayawati for withdrawing support to Mulayam Singh Yadav, had targeted the BSP chief who was present at the state guest house on Meera Bai Marg here.

Following SP&#39;s win in the bypolls, there has been much speculation about UP&#39;s two biggest regional parties joining hands to take on a formidable BJP in the 2019 general elections.

On ties with the Congress, with which SP had an electoral truck in the last Assembly elections, Yadav said the good relations would continue.

&quot;We both are young and together will have to find a way out to the problems facing the country. Rahul Gandhi has congratulated me as well as other senior leaders and I have thanked them all,&quot; Yadav said referring to the Congress chief.

To a volley of questions on the future course of action, the SP chief remarked, &quot;No one can say anything about the future.&quot;

When his attention was drawn to the Congress campaigning against his party in the by polls, the former chief minister stressed &quot;only those who forget old things are successful.&quot;

He said the previous SP government in Uttar Pradesh presented an example of development before the country.

Despite the victory of his candidates, Yadav raised questions about EVMs.

&quot;Had the EVMs worked smoothly and no time was wasted, the victory margin of Samajwadis would have been much bigger. In several of them (EVM machines), votes had already been cast (even before the process of polling began). We have complained about it and Election Commission should take note of it,&quot; he alleged.

The ballot system is the best way of voting as it helps people vent their anger, he said.

&quot;The entire anger of the voters could not come out through the EVMs, had the ballot been used the impact of the anger would have been clear,&quot; he stressed.&nbsp;

'Samajwadis always give due respect to all and that is why today we have good relations with all. People were recalling old incidents but sometimes they have to be forgotten,' Yadav told reporters

Enthused by his party's strong showing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav indicated today that his party was keen on burying its bitter rivalry with Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party saying sometimes "past incidents have to be forgotten". Yadav, whose party wrested both the high-profile seats from the ruling BJP with BSP's backing, claimed the victory margin of his candidates would have been larger, had paper ballots been used. Speaking to reporters here, Yadav also said that his party's relations with Congress too continued to be good. Yesterday, in a scene which seemed unimaginable only till the recent past, Yadav had rushed to the residence of the BSP supremo shortly after his candidates emerged victorious and thanked her. "Samajwadis always give due respect to all and that is why today we have good relations with all. People were recalling old incidents but sometimes they have to be forgotten," Yadav told mediapersons here. The SP and the BSP, bitter foes of UP politics, have been at daggers drawn ever since the infamous state guest house case of 1995. In June 1995, Samajwadi Party workers, who were angry with Mayawati for withdrawing support to Mulayam Singh Yadav, had targeted the BSP chief who was present at the state guest house on Meera Bai Marg here. Following SP's win in the bypolls, there has been much speculation about UP's two biggest regional parties joining hands to take on a formidable BJP in the 2019 general elections. On ties with the Congress, with which SP had an electoral truck in the last Assembly elections, Yadav said the good relations would continue. "We both are young and together will have to find a way out to the problems facing the country. Rahul Gandhi has congratulated me as well as other senior leaders and I have thanked them all," Yadav said referring to the Congress chief. To a volley of questions on the future course of action, the SP chief remarked, "No one can say anything about the future." When his attention was drawn to the Congress campaigning against his party in the by polls, the former chief minister stressed "only those who forget old things are successful." He said the previous SP government in Uttar Pradesh presented an example of development before the country. Despite the victory of his candidates, Yadav raised questions about EVMs. "Had the EVMs worked smoothly and no time was wasted, the victory margin of Samajwadis would have been much bigger. In several of them (EVM machines), votes had already been cast (even before the process of polling began). We have complained about it and Election Commission should take note of it," he alleged. The ballot system is the best way of voting as it helps people vent their anger, he said. "The entire anger of the voters could not come out through the EVMs, had the ballot been used the impact of the anger would have been clear," he stressed.

Let bygones be bygones, says SP's Akhilesh on past rivalry with BSP. Speculation grows if they will join forces for 2019

The Samajwadi Party&#39;s Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second.&nbsp;

In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP&#39;s Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes

The BSP did not put up any candidates, so as to not split the anti-BJP vote.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accepted the defeats, saying after the loss:&nbsp;&quot;We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidates.&quot; &nbsp;

Remember, UP CM Yogi Adityanath was elected MP from Gorakhpur five times before this. He had to vacate the Lok Sabha seat after becoming chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, the Phulpur seat was vacated by Keshav Prasad Maurya after he became deputy chief minister.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&quot;Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> UP CM Yogi Adityanath says &#39;Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge&#39; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPByPoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPByPoll</a> <a href="https://t.co/DtyHvLeJqH">pic.twitter.com/DtyHvLeJqH</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/973899298382450689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Patel meanwhile thanked BSP chief Mayawati after his win:&nbsp;

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Behenji ka bhi bahot aashirwad tha. Ek hi vichaardhara ke sabhi parties ek huyin aur humaari jeet huyi. Jeet ka shrey Akhilesh ji, Behenji Mayawati ji aur Phulpur ki janta ko deta hoon: Nagendra Singh Patel, Samajwadi Party&#39;s winning candidate. <a href="https://t.co/kqjqGSvmen">pic.twitter.com/kqjqGSvmen</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/973886924632051713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Congress meanwhile fared poorly in the polls, with its candidates from both Phulpur and Gorakhpur losing their deposits.&nbsp;

That however did not stop Congress President Rahul Gandhi from proclaiming that the BJP losses showed that voters are angry with the BJP.&nbsp;

&quot;It is clear from the bypoll results that voters are angry with BJP and they will vote for the non-BJP candidate who has strongest chance of winning. As far as Congress is concerned, we are committed towards rebuilding the party in UP, and it does not happen overnight,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

'We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings,' UP CM Yogi Adityanath said after the defeat

The Samajwadi Party's Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel won the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll by 59,613 votes Wednesday evening. The BJP came in second. In the Gorakhpur bypoll meanwhile, the SP's Praveen Kumar Nishad won by 21,881 votes The BSP did not put up any candidates, so as to not split the anti-BJP vote. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accepted the defeats, saying after the loss: "We accept the verdict of the people, this result is unexpected, we will review the shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidates." Remember, UP CM Yogi Adityanath was elected MP from Gorakhpur five times before this. He had to vacate the Lok Sabha seat after becoming chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, the Phulpur seat was vacated by Keshav Prasad Maurya after he became deputy chief minister. "Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge," he added. #WATCH UP CM Yogi Adityanath says 'Yeh BSP-SP ka jo rajnitik saudebaazi, desh ke vikas ko baadhit karne ke liye bani hai, iske baare mein hum apni rann neeti tayaar karenge' #UPByPoll pic.twitter.com/DtyHvLeJqH — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 14, 2018 × Patel meanwhile thanked BSP chief Mayawati after his win: Behenji ka bhi bahot aashirwad tha. Ek hi vichaardhara ke sabhi parties ek huyin aur humaari jeet huyi. Jeet ka shrey Akhilesh ji, Behenji Mayawati ji aur Phulpur ki janta ko deta hoon: Nagendra Singh Patel, Samajwadi Party's winning candidate. pic.twitter.com/kqjqGSvmen — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 14, 2018 × The Congress meanwhile fared poorly in the polls, with its candidates from both Phulpur and Gorakhpur losing their deposits. That however did not stop Congress President Rahul Gandhi from proclaiming that the BJP losses showed that voters are angry with the BJP. "It is clear from the bypoll results that voters are angry with BJP and they will vote for the non-BJP candidate who has strongest chance of winning. As far as Congress is concerned, we are committed towards rebuilding the party in UP, and it does not happen overnight," he said.

Uttar Pradesh bypolls: UP shocker; SP wins both Yogi bastion of Gorakhpur and Phulpur seat

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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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
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876758866523848704">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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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

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