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Rahul Gandhi Echoes Mahatma’s Teachings on Gandhi Jayanti, Priyanka Highlights Legacy

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On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Rahul Gandhi paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and urged everyone to lead a life without fear, echoing the teachings of the Father of the Nation.

Rahul Gandhi also shared a video on his social media handle, emphasizing the importance of walking on the path of truth, love, compassion, and harmony. He wrote: “Gandhi ji was not just an individual, he was a way of thinking and living. He never feared anything. He taught me that the power of love always overrules the love of power. India was the first country which got Independence through love and compassion.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, recalling his famous teachings, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win.” He expressed his admiration for Gandhi’s ideals of truth, non-violence, and satyagraha, which continue to inspire us today.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary, also paid her respects to Mahatma Gandhi. She highlighted the importance of travel in understanding the pain and suffering of people. She recounted how Gandhi ji travelled all over India, walking an average of 18 kilometers every day, equivalent to circling the Earth twice.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Connection with Haryana

She also shared an anecdote about Gandhi’s deep connection with Haryana. On April 10, 1919, he was first arrested at Palwal railway station in Haryana while protesting against the Rowlatt Act. He visited Rohtak in 1921, where he laid the foundation of a school to promote education.

On the morning of December 19, 1947, during a prayer meeting, Mewat leader Chaudhary Yasin Khan informed Gandhi that thousands of Muslims of Mewat were ready to migrate to Pakistan. However, after Gandhi’s assurance, they decided to stay. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra emphasized that Gandhi’s life journey was a message of love, peace, harmony, freedom, equality, self-reliance, and self-respect.

Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings continue to inspire people across the globe. His principles of truth and non-violence have been a beacon of hope for many. His belief in the power of love and compassion led India to its independence, making it the first country to achieve freedom through these virtues.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra Congress leaders and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, paid tribute to Bapu at his residence, Mani Bhawan, on the occasion of his 155th birth anniversary.

Gandhi’s teachings have been immortalized in numerous quotes that continue to inspire people worldwide. His belief in the power of forgiveness, the importance of living in the present, and the enduring nature of truth are just a few examples of his wisdom.

Gandhi’s commitment to the welfare of all beings and his vision of a society based on higher ethical and spiritual values continue to guide us. His teachings emphasize the unity of all beings and the importance of universal love, friendliness, and shared responsibility.

Maharashtra: MVA Leaders Criticize EC’s Decision on 5-Phased Schedule, BJP Welcomes

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The ruling coalition front led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the five-phased poll schedule of the Election Commission (EC) in the state, saying it was ready for the poll-battle starting from April 19 till May 20.

However, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders of Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena have voiced criticism against the Election Commission (EC) for scheduling the Maharashtra polls in five phases over a month, arguing that a shorter election duration could have sufficed.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, president of the Maharashtra unit of the BJP, assured that his party is fully prepared for the elections and emphasized the importance of fair play in the electoral process. Bawankule asserted the BJP’s commitment to adhering to EC regulations and the Model Code of Conduct while aiming for significant victories both in the state and nationally.

However, Congress President Nana Patole expressed strong reservations about the five-phased election schedule, alleging that it favors the BJP. Patole criticized the EC for granting what he sees as undue advantage to the BJP, particularly after the party’s fracturing of key alliances in the state.

Similarly, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State President Jayant Patil questioned the necessity of such a prolonged election process, particularly with significant gaps between phases.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut raised concerns about the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and questioned the motive behind the extensive five-phase schedule.

Adding to the chorus of dissent, NCP National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto questioned the BJP’s intentions behind the lengthy poll schedule, hinting at apprehensions surrounding the use of EVMs.

In contrast, BJP leader Bawankule exuded confidence in his party’s prospects, dismissing the opposition’s concerns as reflective of a defeatist mindset. He expressed optimism about the NDA and BJP’s chances of securing another term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

Andhra Pradesh Set for Single-Phase Lok Sabha, Assembly Elections on May 13

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The Election Commission of India announced on Saturday that Andhra Pradesh will hold simultaneous elections for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha in a single phase on May 13, involving over four crore eligible voters across 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.

According to the election schedule, notification for the polls will be issued on April 18, with the deadline for nominations set for April 25. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 26, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 29. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.

Of the 175 Assembly constituencies, 29 are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 7 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Additionally, four Lok Sabha constituencies are reserved for SCs and one for STs.

Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena stated that the poll schedule was crafted considering various factors such as climatic conditions, academic calendar, board examinations, major festivals, law and order situation, availability of security forces, and ground realities.

The state requires 1,14,950 civil police personnel, 58 companies of Special Armed Police (SAP), and 465 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) for the election process.

Chief Electoral Officer M.K. Meena of Andhra Pradesh

As of March 16, 2024, Andhra Pradesh has 4,09,37,352 voters, including 2,00,84,276 males, 2,08,49,730 females, and 3,346 third gender individuals. The state boasts 46,165 polling stations, with 34,120 in rural areas and 12,045 in urban areas, averaging 887 electors per polling station.

The Election Commission plans to set up 179 polling stations managed entirely by women, 63 stations run by persons with disabilities, and 50 stations operated by youth. Additionally, 555 model polling stations will be established.

To assist voters, Voter Information Slips containing details like polling station, date, and time will be issued without photographs but with a QR code. These slips will be distributed to all enrolled electors at least five days before polling day.

Regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a total of 1,43,037 Ballot Units, 1,15,410 Control Units, and 1,37,190 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be used, with 3,82,219 personnel deployed for polling duties.

The Commission plans to deploy 50 general observers, 115 expenditure observers, and 13 police observers to oversee the electoral process.

CEO Meena disclosed that authorities had seized cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and other items worth over Rs 164 crore until March 11, with inter-state check posts established along borders to curb malpractices.

Elections 2024: Tamil Nadu remains strong bastion for INDIA bloc

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Lok Sabha elections will be held in Tamil Nadu in a single phase on April 19.  All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry will vote in a single phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK appears to be confident after implementing several welfare measures including the Rs 1,000 per month assistance to women.

Led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the DMK and its other key constituent of the INDIA alliance, the Congress are approaching the polls in good humour with full confidence to win at least 35 out of 39 seats of the Lok Sabha in Tamil Nadu, and Congress retain its lead in Puducherry’s single seat.

Since the major regional rival AIADMK, shadowed by infighting, walked out of the BJP alliance, it’s likely to split the NDA-vote seen in the 2019 elections. The BJP is, however, hopeful of reversing the fortune under an aggressive K Annamalai who is the state BJP head.

Since the Congress’ alliance with DMK and other Left parties under INDIA bloc is going strong in the state, the results may upset all other rival candidates in the state.

 

Electoral Bonds Data Published on Election Commission Website, Initial Revelations

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The electoral bonds data published by the Election Commission of India on its official website reveals the donor side and the political parties but not connect who received from whom. However, initial data interpretation showed that political parties received more than Rs 12,769 crore as donations from corporates and individuals since 2019.

A total of 20,421 electoral bonds were encashed since 2019 and of these, 12,207 bonds were of Rs 1 crore each; 5,366 bonds (Rs 10 lakh each); 2,526 (Rs 1 lakh each); 219 bonds (Rs 10,000 each); and 103 were of Rs 1,000 each.

The BJP received a maximum Rs 6,060 crore as donations and encashed 5,854 bonds of Rs 1 crore each and 1,994 bonds of Rs 10 lakh each. Apart from bonds of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10,000, it also encashed 31 bonds worth Rs 1000 each.

The next recipient was Trinamool Congress which redeemed 3,275 electoral bonds of about Rs 1,609 crore of which 1,467 were of Rs 1 crore each and 1,384 bonds were of Rs 10 lakh each.

The Congress came third with 3,141 encashed electoral bonds of about Rs 1,421 crore, which included 1,318 bonds of Rs 1 crore each and 958 bonds of Rs 10 lakh each.

In all, there were 1,260 companies and individuals who purchased electoral bonds worth ₹12,769 crore. Ms SN Mohanty is the biggest individual donor on the list with total donations of ₹45 crore, followed by Lakshmi Niwas Mittal who donated ₹35 crore.

BJP may lose 50 seats in 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Shashi Tharoor

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Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that it will be “impossible” for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to replicate its electoral success in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 in 2024, while speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode, Kerala.

Tharoor, who is the MP for Thiruvananthapuram, stated that it is “conceivable” that the ruling party could lose up to 50 seats in the Lok Sabha. He acknowledged the BJP’s dominance, but also pointed out that the party has lost many states and that it is not impossible for them to lose the central government as well.

Tharoor argued that the BJP’s results in states like Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal in 2019 are impossible to replicate and therefore, the BJP dropping below the majority in 2024 is entirely possible.

“If you look at how well they did in 2019, they have essentially had every seat in Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan; or all but one seat in Bihar, MP, Maharashtra; and 18 seats in Bengal. Now, all of those results are impossible to replicate and the BJP dropping below the majority in 2024 is entirely possible,” noted Tharoor during a session titled “India@75: A walk through the Democratic Institutions”, held on Saturday, January 14, 2022.

He also said that the “tremendous wave” created by the Pulwama attacks and the Balakot strike in 2019 was a “freak” event that will not be repeated in 2024.

However, Tharoor also acknowledged that predicting whether the opposition parties, which he believes will be able to unseat the BJP from its majority position, will stay together is “impossible to answer.”

“If the BJP is at 250 and the others are at 290… will those 290 agree or would the BJP be able to pick 20 here and 10 there from parties that want favours from the central government of the day and then form the government. We don’t know,” he stated.

Pranab Da is no more, country mourns; ‘End of an Era’

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Former President Pranab Mukherjee died on Monday evening, his son Abhijit Mukherjee said in a tweet. He was admitted at the Army Research and Referral Hospital 21 days ago after his condition deteriorated following a brain surgery.

Abhijit Mukherjee tweeted: “With a Heavy Heart, this is to inform you that my father Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of Doctors of RR Hospital and prayers, duas and prarthanas from people throughout India! I thank all of You.”

Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to the hospital at 12.07 p.m. on August 10 in a critical condition. The veteran Congress leader was on life support for nearly three weeks. His former party colleagues along with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi paid rich tributes to the 84-year-old leader.

The Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi greeting the President, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, on the occasion of New Year, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on January 01, 2017 (PIB Photo)

Known as Pranab Da for many, he was President of India from 2012 to 2017. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, in 2019 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

“With great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former President Pranab Mukherjee. I join the country in paying homage to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

‘End of an Era’

The Congress on its official Twitter handle, said: “We are deeply pained by the passing of Pranab Mukherjee. Former President of India and one of the tallest leaders of the Congress Party, Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for his integrity and compassion. Our prayers are with his family, followers and the nation.”

Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, said the death of the veteran Congress leader, said, “An era has come to an end. Your thoughts, memories and sense of commitment to the party, the people and the nation lives on… Rest in Peace Pranab Da,” Surjewala tweeted.

“Deeply saddened at the demise of former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The nation has lost a great leader, thinker and statesman. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the nation. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and supporters. May his soul rest in peace,” another veteran Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted.

 

Uttarakhand wakes up from inertia, Khanduri’s son joins Congress

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Uttarakhand has just five Lok Sabha seats which no national party could count on and the hills remained mute spectators to decades of negligence.

Ever since it was formed into a full State, Uttarakhand in 2000, the state often referred as the Devabhumi (Land of the Gods) due to a large number of Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres such as Haridwar, Rishikesh and Badrinath.

As per the 2011 Census, Uttarakhand has a population of 10 million people. More than one lakh people from the state work in military or para-military forces, as everytime there is a massacre on armed forces, several families in the state end up mourning the attack as is seen in the latest Pulwama one.

Fromer chief minister of the state twice, Major General BC Khanduri (Retd) raised the concern as chairman of the Parliamentary Defence Committee last year highlighting the fact that 68 percent of the arms and ammunition given to Army is of vintage in nature. Instead of acting on it, the BJP has sacked him as head of the panel just six months to go for the tenure of the House to end, sending the signal of shooting the messenger come what may.

At the turn of the elections now, BJP has seen the repercussions of its own deeds in a state where it was able to sweep the 2014 general elections and 2017 Assembly elections. Khanduri’s son Manish Khanduri has decided to take the plunge into politics and contest the elections from Pauri Garhwal that was vacated by his father owing to his old age. He could have chosen BJP but stayed away from the party, indicating the local distrust of the ruling party.

Media reports said Manish Khanduri will be contesting against National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s son Shaurya Doval, who has announced his desire to enter the political arena a year ago and has been campaigning in the Pauri Garhwal region.

Though BJP has been trying to brush aside Khanduri Junior’s entry into the Congress fold, the clean image of senior Khanduri has remained the BJP’s key strength in the state thay may be lost forever but not for Congress which has emerged as the custodian of some highly educated and clean politicians in its fold, with Khanduri on its side now.

Some of the local concerns need more focus. The state is still agrarian and depends heavily on tourism as any other hill state. The plans for ropeways to connect summer hill stations, which had been planned when BC Khanduri was chief minister, failed to take off despite BJP’s return to power at the Centre five years ago. In the last two years since forming the state government saw only one ropeway from Doon to Mussorie out of blueprint.

Uttarakhand growth was visibly evident when BC Khanduri was its chief minister twice between 2007 and 2012. Its gross state domestic product (GSDP) more than doubled from Rs.24,786 crore in FY2005 to Rs.60,898 crore by FY2012. The contribution from the service sector being just over 50% during FY 2012, the state could have focused on employment generation ever since but foreign investments to the state remained lukewarm though the state stood on a high ground in education.

Essentially, the state is moving out of inertia and looking for more jobs and foreign investments into manufacturing sector. As home to massive forests at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, Uttarakhand has every reason to attract foreign investors but the state leadership failed to live up to the occasion or competition from more developed states elsewhere. It required a man with vision for the state’s future and not one who could thwart political opponents.

Manish Khanduri’s entry into politics and the party behind him, the Congress, may now work in unison to make the state home to many future investments in business and infrastructure projects.

Karnataka Elections 2018: EC extends polling time till 6 PM on May 12

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The Election Commission has extended the hours of poll in the Karnataka elections citing the sub-section (2) of section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The polling time earlier mentioned under Section 56 of the said Act notified hours of poll to begin from 7.00 am and to complete by 5.00 pm as the hours of poll during which the poll shall be taken in all the assembly constituencies of the state.

Keeping in view the changed prospects for BJP and Congress owing to the emergence of a third player JD(S), the political parties with cadre strength will benefit from the extension of one hour in the evening.

Under the new notification, elections to Karnataka Legislative assembly will be held on May 12 from 7.00 A.M. in the morning to 6.00 P.M. in the evening.

"The Commission considers that in view of the extreme heat in the State of Karnataka at present and also due to the introduction of VVPAT, it is necessary to extend the hours of poll to facilitate all the voters to cast their votes even in the late hours," said a statement issued by EC.

Going beyond administrative reasons, the extension of one hour of polling time usually benefits the major parties which have huge number of cadre members who engage in electioneering and facilitating the polling for their party till 5 PM. After the poll, most of them have either no time or forget to vote.

Since the poll is on Saturday, usually a weekend holiday, it should not make much difference for the ordinary voter. It remains to be seen whether this step helps BJP or Congress.