Tag: Assembly

Gujarat Assembly passes resolution against BBC for docu on 2002 riots

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Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Assembly on Friday passed a resolution requesting the Centre to take strict action against BBC for tarnishing the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its documentary on the 2002 riots in the state.
The controversial two-part series by the British Broadcasting Corporation titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ misrepresents the events of 2002 in a malicious and low-level attempt to tarnish India’s image globally, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vipul Patel said in the House while moving the resolution.
The documentary claims to have probed certain aspects of the riots, which took place after the Godhra train burning incident when Modi was Gujarat’s chief minister.
The documentary was banned in India soon after its release.
Patel’s resolution was supported by BJP MLAs Manisha Vakil, Amit Thaker, Dhavalsinh Zala and minister Harsh Sanghavi.
It was passed by voice vote in the absence of Congress MLAs who were expelled from the House earlier in the day.
After passing the resolution unanimously, Speaker Shanker Chaudhary said the attempt by BBC is “reprehensible” and is “condemned vehemently,” adding the House passed the resolution to send its message to the Centre.
“India is a democratic country and freedom of expression is at the core of its Constitution, but that does not mean a news media can act by abusing such freedom,” said Patel while moving the private-member resolution in the second sitting of the House.

“If someone behaves or acts like this (BBC), then it cannot be taken lightly. BBC is losing its credibility and seems to be working with some hidden agenda against India and the Indian government. Hence, this House requests the Central government to take strict action against the mind-boggling findings shown in the BBC documentary,” Patel said in the Assembly.
Through the documentary, there is a deliberate attempt to “tarnish the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” with an agenda to affect the country’s intention to find top place globally, Patel said.
He claimed opposition parties in other countries support the government during such times, but this is not the case in India, which allowed international organisations like the BBC to get the strength to carry out activities against the country.
The Nanavati-Shah Commission concluded after a thorough investigation the burning of coaches S6 and 7 of Sabarmati Express at Godhra on February 27, 2002, was a premeditated conspiracy, and that the state-wide riots that followed were spontaneous, Patel said.
The Nanavati-Shah Commission found no evidence the state government, religious organization, or political party played any role in the riots, and attempts to make the then chief minister (Modi) and officials responsible have also failed in the courts, Patel asserted.
Supporting the resolution, BJP MLA Vakil said the intention of the documentary was to tarnish India’s global image, adding Modi’s life has been a journey of courage and compassion.
As the chief minister and prime minister, he has become the most popular world leader, she said.
On the 2002 riots, she said certain NGOs and activists conspired to defame the Gujarat government and wanted to damage Modi’s reputation, adding there was a larger political conspiracy of destabilising the state government by hook or crook.
Vakil referred to the Supreme Court verdict on the Zakia Jafri case giving clean chit to Modi and claimed the BBC documentary was “mere international propaganda which is totally biased and showcases the colonial mindset”.
Supporting the resolution, Thaker said Modi is not a question but a solution for various issues plaguing the world today, such as climate change and COVID-19 pandemic, etc.
The BBC is in the habit of making controversial documentaries on subjects in India, Thaker alleged.
He also questioned the timing of the documentary by connecting it with the conclusion of Congress ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the documentary was not just against Modi but against 135 crore citizens of the country.
“The resolution brought by Vipul Patel for strict action is historic. ..Is it Modi’s fault to realise the dream of making Gujarat a riot-free state? Many forces worked to ensure Gujarat does not get a stable government,” Sangahvi said in his speech in the House.
He said “so-called intellectuals” started hurling one allegation after another on Modi after he took over as the prime minister.
“As 2024 (Lok Sabha polls) approaches, they (opponents) have no other issue against Modi. They used BBC to make a documentary,” Sanghavi said.
He also criticised social activist Teesta Setalvad and said “truths regarding her have not been shown in any documentary”.
Sanghavi also quoted “important people” who have commented and criticised the BBC documentary such as the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, British parliamentarian Bob Blackman, and former BBC head Mark Tully.
The Gujarat minister compared the BBC documentary to the “toolkit” conspiring against India, adding certain sections of the media suffered from “Modi phobia”.
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#Gujarat #Assembly #passes #resolution #BBC #docu #riots
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Gujarat Assembly passes resolution against BBC for documentary on 2002 riots

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Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Assembly on Friday passed a resolution requesting the Centre to take strict action against BBC for tarnishing the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its documentary on the 2002 riots in the state.
The controversial two-part series by the British Broadcasting Corporation titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ misrepresents the events of 2002 in a malicious and low-level attempt to tarnish India’s image globally, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vipul Patel said in the House while moving the resolution.
The documentary claims to have probed certain aspects of the riots, which took place after the Godhra train burning incident, when Modi was Gujarat chief minister.
The documentary was banned in India soon after its release.
Patel’s resolution was supported by BJP MLAs Manisha Vakil, Amit Thaker, Dhavalsinh Zala and minister Harsh Sanghavi.
It was passed by voice vote in the absence of Congress MLAs who were expelled from the House earlier in the day.
After passing the resolution unanimously, Speaker Shanker Chaudhary said the attempt by BBC is “reprehensible” and is “condemned vehemently,” adding the House passed the resolution to send its message to the Centre.
“India is a democratic country and freedom of expression is at the core of its Constitution, but that does not mean a news media can act by abusing such freedom,” said Patel while moving the private-member resolution in the second sitting of the House.

“If someone behaves or acts like this (BBC), then it cannot be taken lightly. BBC is losing its credibility and seems to be working with some hidden agenda against India and the Indian government. Hence, this House requests the Central government to take strict action against the mind-boggling findings shown in the BBC documentary,” Patel said in the Assembly.
Through the documentary, there is a deliberate attempt to “tarnish the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” with an agenda to affect the country’s intention to find top place globally, Patel said.
He claimed opposition parties in other countries support the government during such times, but this is not the case in India, which allowed international organisations like the BBC to get the strength to carry out activities against the country.
The Nanavati-Shah Commission concluded after thorough investigation the burning of coaches S6 and 7 of Sabarmati Express at Godhra on February 27, 2002 was a premeditated conspiracy, and that the state-wide riots that followed were spontaneous, Patel said.
The Nanavati-Shah Commission found no evidence the state government, religious organization, or political party played any role in the riots, and attempts to make the then chief minister (Modi) and officials responsible have also failed in the courts, Patel asserted.
Supporting the resolution, BJP MLA Vakil said the intention of the documentary was to tarnish India’s global image, adding Modi’s life has been a journey of courage and compassion.
As the chief minister and prime minister, he has become the most popular world leader, she said.
On the 2002 riots, she said certain NGOs and activists conspired to defame the Gujarat government and wanted to damage Modi’s reputation, adding there was a larger political conspiracy of destabilising the state government by hook or crook.
Vakil referred to the Supreme Court verdict on the Zakia Jafri case giving clean chit to Modi and claimed the BBC documentary was “mere international propaganda which is totally biased and showcases the colonial mindset”.
Supporting the resolution, Thaker said Modi is not a question but a solution for various issues plaguing the world today, such as climate change and COVID-19 pandemic, etc.
The BBC is in the habit of making controversial documentaries on subjects in India, Thaker alleged.
He also questioned the timing of the documentary by connecting it with the conclusion of Congress ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the documentary was not just against Modi but against 135 crore citizens of the country.
“The resolution brought by Vipul Patel for strict action is historic. ..Is it Modi’s fault to realise the dream of making Gujarat a riot-free state? Many forces worked to ensure Gujarat does not get a stable government,” Sangahvi said in his speech in the House.
He said “so-called intellectuals” started hurling one allegation after another on Modi after he took over as the prime minister.
“As 2024 (Lok Sabha polls) approaches, they (opponents) have no other issue against Modi. They used BBC to make a documentary,” Sanghavi said.
He also criticised social activist Teesta Setalvad and said “truths regarding her have not been shown in any documentary”.
Sanghavi also quoted “important people” who have commented and criticised the BBC documentary such as the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, British parliamentarian Bob Blackman, and former BBC head Mark Tully.
The Gujarat minister compared the BBC documentary to the “toolkit” conspiring against India, adding certain sections of the media suffered from “Modi phobia”.
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#Gujarat #Assembly #passes #resolution #BBC #documentary #riots
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Puducherry Assembly pays respects to victims of deadly Turkey-Syria quake

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Puducherry: The Puducherry Assembly paid homage on Friday to the people killed in the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6 that left over 50,000 people dead and countless others homeless.
As soon as the House resumed its sitting today in the Budget session, Speaker R Selvam made an obituary reference to the destruction caused by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 6 resulting in the death of thousands of people and huge loss of properties as several buildings were reduced to rubble following the tremors.
The Speaker also referred to the death of former AIADMK legislator K Natarajan on February 21 and recalled the dedicated services of the MLA during his two consecutive terms as legislator of Puducherry from 1991 to 2001.
All the members stood in silence in memory of the victims in the earthquake and also to the former legislator for a couple of minutes.
The Speaker pointed out that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had accepted the plea of the Puducherry government for extending the Circar Express railway service, which runs from Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) to Chengalpet, to Puducherry.
The extension would help people of Yanam region (an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh) and the officials of the territorial government to commute between Puducherry and Yanam, the Speaker added.
The House had a debate on the motion of thanks to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararjan for her customary address delivered on Thursday.
Members belonging to the ruling AINRC and BJP, nominated members and also legislators belonging to the opposition DMK participated in the debate.

The Speaker adjourned the proceedings to March 13.
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#Puducherry #Assembly #pays #respects #victims #deadly #TurkeySyria #quake
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Gujarat BJP MLA to move resolution in Assembly seeking action against BBC documentary

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Ahmedabad: Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vipul Patel will on Friday move a resolution in the Assembly seeking “strong action” against the “concocted” findings shown in a BBC documentary, which he alleged “once again attempts to blame the then state government” for the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The proposed resolution will likely say the BBC documentary was a “low-level attempt” to tarnish India’s global image.
“India is a democratic country and freedom of expression is at the core of its Constitution, but that does not mean that a news media can abuse such freedom,” according to the summary of the proposed resolution shared by the Assembly secretariat on Tuesday.
The two-part BBC documentary, titled “India: The Modi Question”, claimed it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.
“If someone behaves or acts like this (BBC), then he cannot be taken lightly. BBC is losing its credibility and seems to be working with some hidden agenda against India and the Indian government. Hence, this House requests the Central Government to take strict action against the mind-boggling findings shown in the BBC documentary,” said a note on the resolution to be moved by Patel.
“The controversial documentary again “attempts to blame the then-state government for the 2002 Godhra riots and subsequent communal riots in Gujarat,” said the note.
The BBC documentary misrepresents the events of 2002 and is a malicious and low-level attempt to tarnish India’s global image, it said.
Through the documentary, deliberate attempts have been made to tarnish the image and popularity of Prime Minister Modi with an agenda to affect India’s goal to be in a top place in the world, said the note.

This, despite the fact that the Nanavati-Shah inquiry commission concluded after a thorough investigation that the burning of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002, was a premeditated conspiracy, and the riots that followed were spontaneous, it said.
The commission found no evidence that the state government or any religious organization or political party played any role in the riots, stated the note.
The Assembly, which is having its Budget session, will meet on Friday after a two-day break.
The BJP has 156 MLAs in the 182-member House.
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#Gujarat #BJP #MLA #move #resolution #Assembly #seeking #action #BBC #documentary
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 8, 2023
Assembly poll results in three northeastern states encouraging for BJP

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The just released Assembly poll results in three northeastern states – Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura are seen as semi-finals before next year’s parliamentary elections when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a third consecutive term at the Centre. There are 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the region. As they play the see-saw game; for some, like the BJP, they are encouraging, while for the Congress and the Left parties, it is a wake-up call.
The victory in the region is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term strategy, which has paid good dividends. When he became the PM in 2014, BJP was not in power in Northeastern states. Today, it has a firm foothold, as in Tripura or with its allies in the other two states.
The ruling BJP-Tripura (IPFT) coalition has retained power in Tripura for a second consecutive term but with reduced numbers. Its strength in Meghalaya and Nagaland remained strong.
On the contrary, the once-dominant force of the Northeast, Congress, is now almost extinct. In 2014, the party was in power in five of the eight states in the region;
In Tripura, which had once been the citadel of the Left parties, the CPI(M) ‘s strength came down from 16 seats to only 11 seats. The Grand Old Party bagged five seats in Meghalaya and three in Tripura while drawing a blank in Nagaland for another term.
One cannot fault the parties for trying all permutations and combinations to stay in power and consolidate their position. The Left parties and Congress experimented with an unnatural pre-poll alliance in Tripura, but it did not work. Sadly, the two national parties dominating the region have steeply declined. Electoral politics is a game of numbers. While the saffron party chose the correct alliance, the two national parties miscalculated. Even the combined strength of Congress- CPI(M) did not get them electoral dividends.
Secondly, the results show the consolidation of the BJP and regional forces. Of the 119 seats in the three states, the regional powers won 83 percent (70 percent). The National People’s Party (NPP) emerged significantly in Meghalaya and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland. The Tipra Motha, the second-largest party in Tripura, clearly indicates the growing clout of regional powers.
Thirdly, Modi’s Congress Mukth Bharat is becoming a reality. The two national parties – Congress and the CPI-M, which held sway in the region, have lost their grip. The Grand Old Party was decimated, and the Communists could not recover.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an interesting explanation for the BJP’s victory. He said the reason is Triveni. “The first power is the work of the BJP govt, the second one is the work style of the BJP, and the last one is the karyakartas of the BJP,” he explained.

Moreover, the BJP communicated to the electorate well and talked about free ration, housing scheme, pay commission benefits and safety for women. Above all, the rise of the BJP in the region is also its drive and will to win.
BJP’s advantage is that the regional parties recognise the new churnings and are keen to align with the party in power at the Centre. As Modi had pointed out, Christians in Meghalaya and Nagaland have supported the party, belying the belief that minorities are against the BJP.
The BJP used its advantages and was ahead in its war chest, cadre strength and leadership. The Prime minister
and the other top leaders frequently visited the region that paid the dividend. In the perception war, the BJP won by communicating to the people that the Congress CPI-M was unholy as the two had remained opponents.
Above all, the party wanted to be known as a pan-national party and winning the Northeast was a significant achievement. But it cannot be complacent as the Lok Sabha polls are just months away, and the tempo has to be sustained. The BJP also had to deal with its factionalism.
As for Congress, the party should have concentrated on the region and allied with the regional parties just as the BJP did. During the recent elections, the top leadership was complacent and campaigned less than the BJP. The party should stop living in the past glory. The Congress had strong regional leaders like Saikia who protected the party’s interests. Somewhere along the way, the party lost its connecti with the region;
Secondly, this round of polls was held under the leadership of Congress President Mallikharjun Kharge, whose
comment that northeastern states are small states and regional parties align with the party in power at the Centre reflects the party’s need for a transparent electoral strategy.
The best bet for the Congress is to strengthen regional units that are still active by nurturing strong state leaders and for the Left parties to make a course correction and woo youth voters
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#Assembly #poll #results #northeastern #states #encouraging #BJP
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 7, 2023
AIMIM announces first list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls

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The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has released the first list of candidates for upcoming assembly polls in Karnataka.
As per the announcement, Lateef Khan Amir Khan Pathan is going to contest from Belagavi North-11 whereas, Durgappa Kashappa Bijawad and Allabaksh Mehboob Sab Bijapur are candidates from Hubli-Dhadwad-East-72 and Basavana Bhagewadi-28 respectively.
AIMIM to contest in Rajasthan too
Earlier, AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi announced that his party will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Addressing the 65th formation day celebrations of AIMIM at its headquarters in Darussalam, he also exuded confidence that the party will increase its strength in Telangana in the elections scheduled later this year.
Owaisi asked his party cadres to gear up for the Telangana Assembly elections. “The poll bugle for the Telangana Assembly elections has been sounded,” he said.
Karnataka, Rajasthan and Telangana Assembly polls
While Karnataka is scheduled to go for assembly elections before May 2023, the polls in Rajasthan and Telangana will be held before the end of the current year.
The elections in Karnataka will elect 224 MLAs whereas, polls in Telangana and Rajasthan will elect 119 and 200 MLAs respectively.
In Karnataka, BJP is struggling to retain power and making all efforts to reform the government after the polls.

On the other hand, the party is leaving no stone unturned to win a majority of seats in the Karnataka and Telangana Assembly elections.
In Telangana, TRS-friendly party AIMIM may also consider an option to increase their seat share in the upcoming polls in the state. Currently, it has seven MLAs in the state assembly.
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#AIMIM #announces #list #candidates #Karnataka #Assembly #polls
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 6, 2023
BJP falls back on Yediyurappa, makes him ‘mascot’ for Assembly polls

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Bengaluru: The BJP seems to be falling back on its seasoned oarsman B S Yediyurappa making him a key poll mascot, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it shores up campaign in poll-bound Karnataka.
The octogenarian, who has already announced his retirement from electoral politics, is sought to be put on the pedestal by the governing party’s central leaders.
The reasons are not far to seek as to why Yediyurappa has been pushed to the top of the campaign plank, the four-time Chief Minister, who built the party from grassroots level, has a mass appeal and connect — particularly the political influential Lingayat community — that no other party leader in the State commands.
It’s now quite evident from the BJP’s campaign narrative that the party is banking on the “Yediyurappa factor” and putting him up as the “poster boy” by leveraging his clout to the hilt.
The BJP central leadership — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party President J P Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh — have been lavish in their praise of Yediyurappa, during their public meetings in the State in recent days.
It’s not often that in PM’s programme, someone else hogs the limelight, but on one such occasion on February 27, at a public meeting in Shivamogga, it appeared that Modi himself was giving the Karnataka BJP strongman a “pride of place” in his “Karma Bhoomi”.
The recent public meeting marking the inauguration of the Shivamogga airport, coinciding with Yediyurappa’s 80th birthday, saw Modi terming his contributions to public life ‘inspirational.’
The PM felicitated him on stage as he made an appeal to the people attending the public meeting to flash their mobile phone lights in a gesture of honour to Yediyurappa and there was an enthusiastic response from the large gathering.

Then, as the Lingayat strongman concluded his speech, Modi stood up and applauded him. The PM has also made it a point repeatedly to highlight the last speech delivered by Yediyurappa in the Karnataka assembly recently, and said it was an inspiration to every person in public life.
Amit Shah too at a public meeting recently had urged the people to repose faith in Modi and Yediyurappa and vote the BJP back to power in the State.
Similar comments have been made by Nadda and Rajnath Singh, who were recently in the state for campaigning.
According to some political observers and BJP insiders, the party’s move to project Yediyurappa seems to be aimed at blunting anti-incumbency, keeping the Lingayat vote-base intact and countering the opposition Congress, which has levelled allegations of corruption against the government.
Political analyst A Narayana from the Azim Premji University, said the BJP was initially preparing to face elections without Yediyurappa in an active role but “as there was not much for the party to count on locally, it was inevitable for them to repackage and present him”.
That’s the reason they are going out of their way to prove that they have not offended him by asking to resign as Chief Minister in 2021, he said.
“They (BJP) tried their best to secure Lingayat support without Yediyurappa, but they are not very confident about it, that’s the reason they are doing it. They could have afforded to lose some Lingayat support, provided they were confident about cultivating support from some other communities, which also they don’t seem to be very confident about ,” Narayana said.
Yediyurappa resigned as CM on July 26, 2021. Age was seen as a primary factor for his exit from the top job, with an unwritten rule in the BJP of keeping out those above 75 years from elected offices. Also, the BJP central leadership wanted to make way for new leadership ahead of the Assembly polls.
Unlike the 2018 poll campaign, when Yediyurappa was the CM candidate and face of the party, the BJP this time has opted for a collective approach, though it initially tried to project Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s leadership.
Narayana said: “BJP tried to win over Lingayats through Bommai, but they don’t seem to be confident about having achieved that, with all the discontent brewing on issues such as reservation. “
“Also as long as Yediyurappa is there and as long as he is an unhappy man, it is not possible for another Lingayat leader to cultivate Lingayat support”, he said, adding that this is quite obviously one of the reasons why BJP wants to keep Yediyrappa in good spirits.
With the party now putting Yediyurappa in the forefront of campaign, Bommai’s stake seems to have weakened, according to poll observers and some within the BJP, even as a section within the party credits him for pro-people schemes, reservation hike for SC/ST and for presenting an all inclusive budget.
According to another party functionary, retaining Lingayat vote base, despite Yediyurappa not being its CM face, is crucial for the BJP to win the election with absolute majority, and that’s the reason why the party wants to assure the dominant community, that he is still relevant to it.
He also pointed to disgruntlement among a section of Lingayat community, especially the ‘Panchamasali Lingayats’ on the issue of reservation, and said it may pose a threat, and it needs to be mitigated immediately.
“It has to be communicated effectively that along with being the BJP’s top Parliamentary Board member, Yediyurappa is still the party’s face or mascot in Karnataka,” he said.
BJP state General Secretary N Ravi Kumar said Yediyurappa is a big mass leader in Karnataka and he is someone who built and nurtured the party in the state.
“He is a four time CM and two time Leader of Opposition, he knows nook and corner of the state, he is leader of all communities including Lingayats, and people from all sections respect him. He is naturally projected as one of the faces, what is wrong?” Ravi Kumar asked.
“There may be some amount of anti-incumbency, I’m not totally rejecting it, all governments will have it, but Bommai has given a good budget and has given good programmes….it is the creation of Congress, why didn’t they speak positively about Yediyurappa so far and are doing it now? it is because Congress’ strategy is to attract positive public opinion about Yediyurappa in their favour,” he said.
Yediyurappa too on his part had recently appealed to the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, to which he belongs, to continue their support to the ruling BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls, and ensure its victory in the State.
This statement has come amid attempts by opposition Congress and JD(S) to project that Yediyurappa is being sidelined by the BJP, as they sought to woo the numerically and politically dominant community.
Veerashaiva-Lingayats are estimated to form about 17 per cent of the State’s population, and they form the BJP’s strong vote base. Yediyurappa is considered to be the “tallest” Veerashaiva-Lingayat leader and continues to hold sway over the community.
It appears that the former CM, in return, is seeking to secure the political future of his sons.
While announcing that he will not contest assembly polls, Yediyurappa in the same breath had said that he will be vacating his Shikaripura Assembly seat, from where his younger son and the party’s state Vice-President B Y Vijayendra will be contesting, if the high command agrees.
Yediyurappa, soon after stepping down as CM in 2021, wanted to make Vijayendra Minister, through the MLC route, but was not successful in his attempts. His elder son, B Y Raghavendra is Member of Parliament from Shivamogga.
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#BJP #falls #Yediyurappa #mascot #Assembly #polls
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023
Karnataka polls: ‘Winning an Assembly seat bigger challenge for Siddaramaiah’

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Bengaluru: Even as Opposition leader Siddaramaiah is vying for the Chief Minister’s post if the Congress comes to power in Karnataka after the upcoming Assembly elections, ensuring his own victory in the polls has become a challenge for him, sources said.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah, who hails from the Kuruba community, was finding it difficult to pick a ‘suitable’ assembly seat from where he could be confident of winning.
Siddaramaiah represented Varuna constituency in Mysuru district and chose Chamundeshwari constituency to accommodate his son. After his term as the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah chose to contest from Chamundeshwari and Badami constituencies.
He took that decision following an intelligence report that he would suffer a humiliating defeat in Chamundeshwari constituency following backlash from the Vokkaliga community. The report turned out to be true and Siddaramaiah suffered a humiliating defeat in Chamundeshwari constituency. He managed to win narrowly in Badami constituency.
Siddaramaiah, however, has emerged as a mass leader and the champion of the backward classes in the state.
He enjoys the support of a good number of MLAs. Many have already started batting for him for the post of Chief Minister, all while embarrassing and challenging Karnataka unit Congress president D.K. Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah is the only leader to launch poignant attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS and Hindutva forces. His supporters proudly claim that, unlike others, “Siddaramaiah could not be targeted by the ED, CBI and other central government agencies”.
However, Siddaramaiah also has the image of being anti-Lingayat and anti-Vokkaliga in Karnataka, which, according to sources, is costing him dearly.

The Congress leader is reportedly forced to find a constituency where OBCs and minority voters are more in numbers when compared to those of the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.
Karnataka BJP legislator and former minister K.S. Eshwarappa has said that “Siddaramaiah’s defeat will be ensured by his own party leaders in the upcoming assembly elections”.
“Has the high command asked Siddaramaiah to contest elections from the Kolar assembly segment? He (Siddaramaiah) has gone there fearing defeat,” Eshwarappa stated.
“You (Siddaramaiah) ensured the defeat of Dalit leader Dr. G. Parameshwar to rule him out from the CM’s race. The defeat of K.H. Muniyappa, was ensured through former speaker Ramesh Kumar,” he added.
“The Vokkaliga community and Dalits are waiting to defeat Siddaramaiah… since both these communities have dumped him, he is in full appeasement of Muslims,” Eshwarappa said.
Former CM B.S. Yediyurappa had in the assembly suggested to Siddaramaiah that he should contest from Badami constituency, where he won, to prove his credentials as a leader.
As assembly polls are nearing, the challenge of winning an assembly seat for Siddaramaiah is more challenging than ensuring numbers of MLAs to become Chief Minister if the Congress is voted to power, sources said.
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#Karnataka #polls #Winning #Assembly #seat #bigger #challenge #Siddaramaiah
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 2, 2023
BJP’s ‘use and throw’ policy behind its defeat in Kasba Assembly bypoll, says Uddhav

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Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the bypoll to the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Maharashtra’s Pune city because of its “use and throw” policy.
The ruling BJP on Thursday failed to retain the Kasba seat, its stronghold, as Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated the saffron party nominee Hemant Rasane in the bypoll. The BJP held this Assembly segment for 28 years. Girish Bapat, the current BJP MP from Pune, represented the seat five times till 2019.
Dhangekar polled 73,194 votes while Rasane received 62,244 votes, as per figures provided by the Election Commission.
Speaking to reporters on the election results, Thackeray said, “I am happy that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate has won the Kasba Peth assembly segment. It is the outcome of the BJP’s policy of use and throw. They treated us this way and now even ticket was not given to a family member of late MLA Mukta Tilak.”
In 2019, BJP’s Tilak had won the seat. She died after battling cancer in December 2022, which necessitated the by-election in the constituency.
“They made MP Girish Bapat take part in the campaign although he was extremely sick. They want sympathy but very selectively. The voters do not accept this kind of behaviour,” he said.
When asked about Chief Minister Eknath Shinde calling opposition leaders anti-nationals, he said, “Opposition leaders were invited (to the tea party hosted on the eve of the legislature session on Sunday) by the chief minister himself. Had the opposition parties attended the tea party, would he have still called them anti-nationals?”
On Sunday, on the eve of the Budget session of the state legislature, the opposition had boycotted the customary tea party hosted by CM Shinde. Later, referring to the opposition’s boycott, Shinde said it saved him from having tea with “anti-nationals”. He had said it was good that the opposition members did not turn up for the tea party as some of them have ties with terrorist Dawood Ibrahim.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 2, 2023
MP: Congress opposes move to go digital in Assembly; returns iPads

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Bhopal: The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday opposed the introduction of a digitalised system in the Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session with all legislators being provided iPads, citing various reasons.
Senior Congress leaders including the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief Kamal Nath and Leader of Opposition Govind Singh have returned their iPads to the Speaker Girish Gautam.
This led to an exchange of barbs between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress during the session.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said the decision to distribute iPads to MLAs was against the tradition of Madhya Pradesh Assembly, adding he would not require an iPad, while stating that “these iPads are assembled in China”.
Govind Singh has accused the ruling BJP of using a ‘China-made’ iPad.
“Several Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives in Galwan Valley. These iPads given to MLAs are China-made… and therefore, we are opposing it,” Singh said, accusing the BJP of being double-standard in the name of nationalism.
The Congress leader also said the use of a China-assembled iPad may pave the way for ‘data stealing’.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, defended the government’s decision.

“These iPads are not China-made, and assembling means that products are assembled in many places,” he said.
In response, LoP Govind Singh demanded open voting in the Assembly, claiming that many BJP leaders would also return these iPads.
On March 1, the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government tabled its first paperless annual budget for 2023-2024, and each MLA was also provided an iPad.
The process of introducing digital systems in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly started nearly one and a half years ago, and for this purpose, a team led by Speaker Girish Gautam visited nearly six states where digital systems were already introduced.
After taking cues from different states, the Speaker had sent a recommendation to the Madhya Pradesh government for allocation of the budget to purchase iPads.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 2, 2023