Modi plays OBC trump card .... stumps RJD mascot Tejashwi ..... Akhilesh also faces heat in Mainpuri-Firozabad belt

This is called the Master Card for at least 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at Munger in Bihar:  

“Today the fight in Bihar is between the ‘Santushtikaran model’ of the NDA versus the 'Tushtikaran model' of the INDI alliance". (while BJP fights for satisfactory for all, INDI alliance is back with appeasement card).

Modi urged the media to raise awareness about this issue and criticized the INDI alliance government (earlier UPA) for its divisive policies. 

“Today, another old video of Manmohan Singh has surfaced where he is again saying that Muslims have the first right to the country's resources. I urge the media to make people aware of this video and discuss it. 

The country should also know what mentality the Indian coalition government has been running the country for 10 years.” 

By pointing out the manner Muslim sub quota was created out of the OBC quota, the Prime Minister has able to do the 'impossible'. He has divided RJD mascot's MY card.

M and Y now stand divided. 

This has predictably upset Tejashwi and therefore, the RJD leadership has gone silent. 

Bihar has done away with nine seats in first two phases and it is presumed, Modi's OBC card with the explanation that 'Muslims' would be favoured by the I.N.D.I alliance if voted to power will certainly scare away the Yadav and other OBC voters.

In Uttar Pradesh, the third phase of polling on May 7 will be in key hubs dominated by Yadav voters for long and hence Modi has multiple birds by his Munger speech. The Akhilesh Yadav camp is also taken aback. In UP, which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha, already the Ram temple issue had given the BJP a head-start and now this new 'OBC card' by the Prime Minister linking it to Muslims will make further dent.

The upper caste Hindus voted generally voted against those who swear to help Muslims. The Dalits and Yadavs might be thinking otherwise; and did not mind parties such as RJD and the Samajwadi; but now -- the divisions in 'MY' forte would leave both the RJD and Samajwadi Party devastated.

As it is RJD drew a blank in 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP-JD(U) combo made for 39 seats and only one seat Kishanganj had gone to the Congress. Interestingly in the first phase of polls in Bihar, it was given to understand that the RJD and its associates might do well.

Tejashwai also attracted huge crowds but PM's OBC card will now make things much more tougher for the leadership in both the Samajwadi and the RJD. 

Polls in 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh ... to decide many things ... 'march to Delhi is always possible via UP and the erstwhile Yadav land'

In Uttar Pradesh, 10 constituencies will go to polls for phase 3. 

Agra, Aonla, Badaun, Bareilly, Etah, Fatehpur Sikri, 

Firozabad, Hathras, Mainpuri, Sambhal  

In Hathras, a gangrape made news in 2020. But in 2024, even the Samajwadi Party which is campaigning on women’s safety, among other issues against Yogi Adityanath and the BJP  is not talking about the rape and death for fear of 'antagonising' the substantial upper caste vote in this reserved SC seat.

Change of heart.....change of candidates ...belated wisdom ??

 The Samajwadi Party (SP) that is contesting 62 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh has changed candidates in 10 of the constituencies to date, including twice in as many days.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav himself replaced his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav as the candidate from the party stronghold of Kannauj on Thursday, three days after Tej Pratap’s candidature was announced. On Friday, during scrutiny of nomination papers, the party’s Shahjahanpur candidate Rajesh Kashyap, who filed his documents on April 22 said he came to know that the SP had cancelled his name and instead fielded a candidate whose maternal uncle is an MLC.

Akhilesh Yadav had 'picked' a few leaders to contest the elections based on caste equations etc, but, they were not necessarily backed by the SP leadership in the district units. 

For instance, there are at least 15 people who have come from BSP in the last couple of years. They have also been given tickets by the SP. Now, when these outsiders are declared candidates, the party’s local leadership opposes them and the president is forced to change the nominees. 

In Kannauj, the local leadership started opposing Tej Pratap’s candidature.”

Mainpuri - welcome to the Yadav heartland.Mulayam Singh Yadav won from the constituency in 1996 to become India'sDefence Minister under H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral. Since then, this is afamily bastion. In 2022 by-poll after Mulayam's death the seat was won by his daughter-in-law Ms Dimple. 

The lawmaker wife of Samajwadi Party chiefis not a Yadav by birth; but that's not the issue and hence she has been fieldedagain. This is one seat -- the BJP may not struggle to wrest amid a hyped Ram Mandircampaign. 

No candidate in Hathras is openly speaking about the gory incident. While the BJP has fielded state Revenue Minister Anoop Pradhan Valmiki, the other candidates include the Samajwadi Party’s (SP’s) Jasveer Valmiki and the Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP’s) Hembaboo Dhangar.

 

The Dalits and Thakurs number an even 3 lakh each in the Hathras Lok Sabha seat, followed by 2 lakh Brahmins, 2 lakh Vaishyas and 80,000 Muslims. The upper caste votes, apart from the support for it by non-Jatav Dalits, mean the seat has long been a BJP bastion.   

The party has won Hathras consecutively since 1991 – in 2009, the RLD won here as a BJP ally. The BSP finished runner-up in each poll between 1996 and 2014. In 2019, when the SP and BSP were allies, the SP’s candidate here was placed second. (Indian Express) 

A few Dalit families in the village are all relatives of the victim. The rest of the village comprises upper-caste Thakurs and Brahmins, and Other Backward Class (OBC) Prajapatis.

Thakurs, who are the dominant community in the village, continue to stand by the accused. Guddu Singh, the father of the main accused Sandeep, says he is a BJP voter and that the allegations against his son are “fake”. “Upper castes here were upset with (then) BJP MP Rajveer Diler because he met the victim’s family. He was a gentleman but got the names of three others included in the case under pressure from his own (Dalit) community. I believe that this is the reason the BJP denied him a ticket,” Guddu says.

Voting in 190 seats over :::: If BJP gains a few in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Congress wins a few in Rajasthan, game is exciting :::: Hindutva matters ....... Moditva is about the direction India is moving .... Hindus should not be discriminated !!

Narendra Modi is a dynamic leader who is giving Bharat, that is India, a new image and earning respect around the world for every Indian. 

International recognition of India as a great emerging world power and being courted by world leaders is crucial. 

The voting turnout is being debated and pundits are rather in hurry to say that the less turnout does not mean good for the BJP. Such theories may not work at all. 

In the second phase of voting on April 26, the Congress sweat it out to retain 19 seats it won last time and mostly from Kerala. In contrast, the BJP had 55 in its kitty in 2019.  In Kerala, the Congress is bound to lose a few and the seats may go to the CPI-M and possibly a few for the BJP. 

There were 88 seats for the grabs on April 26 and the BJP is set to retain the hold and if lucky may pick up a couple of seats in Kerala. Of course, there are talks of Congress gaining a few in Rajasthan. For the time being, such a scenario should not be dismissed. 

Why BJP wins and why Narendra Modi matters? It's essentially because polls are also being held on three critical premises -- Hindus should not be discriminated and so Hindutva matters even if it need be crude and typically revolving around Muslim-bashin .......  and thirdly Moditva is about the direction India is moving in the comity of nations.

Now making scrutiny and analysis of finer points one can say Ram temple is an important issue. Is it a match winner alone -- it maybe and it may not be as well. With Ram temple, the BJP needs other items in the package - the development and also the national prestige. 

This is an area, the Modi government's detractors will also give in. 

The hyped discussion that the Congress is still a fighting outfit is actually a gambit more pushed by the eco system. It is a battle fought and won mostly in social media and on TV channels. On ground, the Congress workers have done  vanishing act long back. 

The BJP government under the leadership of Modi is important because they have bigger goals for the country. Tt is about the 'direction' in which the country is going.  It means enhanced national prestige as most blocs and countries today cannot do their business (strategic and market) without India. 

"Hindus have been discriminated against ...  and so the only hope is Modi," said  a voter in Meerut. 

Blogger 

Of course, the BJP’s campaign has also pushed a narrative of economic growth.

"No prime minister before Narendra Modi made economics not only about good governance but equally about establishing a connect with India’s deep-rooted spiritual and cultural legacy. After waiting for centuries, Ram Lalla has now been enshrined in his grand temple...," says BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma.  She further says:

"India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy, consistently maintaining a growth rate of over 7 per cent for 3 years in a row and in fact, growing at 9.1 per cent in FY22. India became the first country to hoist its flag on the southern pole of the Moon and successfully launched the Aditya Mission". 

Of course Modi’s own personal popularity as a strongman populist leader has also played a central role. 

("The BJP’s central campaign message is “Modi ki guarantee” [Modi’s guarantee] – a nod to the cult of personality that has built up around him over the past decade,"-  The Guardian)

64 per cent turnout in second phase ::: Focus shifts to third phase of voting - May 7 ::: UP has key 10 seats, Maharashtra 11, Gujarat 25, West Bengal - 4

Nearly half of Bengaluru's voters stayed away....  

Tripura recorded highest voter turnout in phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls. 

"Hindus have been discriminated against for a long time, and the only hope for us is Modi. Therefore Arun Govil should win in Meerut," says a retired bank official Roop Bhashin. 

"Rahul Gandhi, a former leader in the Congress party who lost the past two elections to Modi, recently called the upcoming election a “rigged match”, describing the fight against the BJP as a fight for “India’s democracy and constitution”. -- The Guardian

Accounting for two phases of polling, the total voter turnout for all the 25 seats of Rajasthan was tentatively recorded at 61.60%. 

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections elections, the voter turnout stood at 63.02% in the state.

Voters queue in Darrang district of Assam  

"Whether the BJP will be able to win the same strong majority as in 2019 remains uncertain. But in Meerut, the reverential status many in India have attached to their prime minister was vividly on display. 

Some called for him (Modi) to rule India for the next 50 years, others spoke of him as an almost holy figure. Many wore masks of his face," - 

The Guardian (London) 

A voter turnout of 73.05% was recorded in Chhattisgarh , while West Bengal saw 71.84% polling.

East Tripura seat up for grabs in this phase recorded the highest turnout of 79.46%. 

Outer Manipur saw 77.32% voter turnout. 

 Phase 2:  Voting took place in 88 constituencies

89 constituencies were expected to vote in this phase. Polling in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, was rescheduled after the death of a candidate from Mayawati's BSP

63% Turnout 

Polling for the second phase was held for 20 seats in Kerala, 14 seats in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight each in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three each in Bengal and Chhattisgarh and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Tripura. 63% voting was recorded in this phase.

Rahul and Grand-mom 

Blogger ::: On the move 

Karnataka's 14 constituencies that went to the polls on Friday saw a 69.23 % voter turnout, according to the Election Commission. But in the three urban constituencies of Bengaluru, nearly half the voters kept away.

The approximate voter turnout in Bangalore Central was 52.81%, 

Bangalore North - 54.42% and Bangalore South - 53.15%. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the turnout in Bengaluru Central was 54.32% , Bengaluru North - 54.76% and Bengaluru South - 53.70%.

The Jammu parliamentary constituency saw peaceful polling and recorded nearly 72% voter turnout on Friday. In the the last general election, 74% voters exercised their franchise.

Focus shifts to third phase of voting - May 7   

In Uttar Pradesh, 10 constituencies will go to polls for phase 3. 

Agra, Aonla, Badaun, Bareilly, Etah, Fatehpur Sikri, 

Firozabad, Hathras, Mainpuri, Sambhal  

Jangipur, Maldaha Dakshin, Maldaha Uttar, and Murshidabad will go to the polls on My 7

While surveys show Modi to be India’s most popular political leader by a wide margin, political opponents have also accused the government of “skewing the pitch” of the election and eroding the integrity of India’s democracy and its electoral processes.

Critics allege that the BJP government has systematically used tools of the state to go after and jail political opponents and undermined the independence of key state institutions such as the election commission – which oversees and enforces election rules – and the judiciary, charges the government denies, says 'The Guardian'.

The BJP government is also accused of eroding the freedom of the press and attempting to suppress critical media. India’s press freedom ranking has fallen by more than 20 places since Modi came to power in 2014.

Why Congress has blown away the chance 'to fight' ::::: Congress and Opposition to 'lose seats' in Phase-2 due to Sam Pitroda's statement on Inheritance Tax Act

(Rahul Gandhi has committed a blunder. His new French revolution and Robinhood style approach.... has antagnoised the Haves including a growing army of Middle Class. At the same - have-not are not much excited either.) 

 Congress has embraced Urban Naxal ideas and in the process undermined the economic journey vis-a-vis Liberalisation policy of P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. 

Rahul Gandhi is talking the language of  1960s -- when Indians were generally poor and generally lower middleclass. Today except those below the poverty line and marginalised, most Indians are on upper trajectory -- especially last three decades -- that is Economic Liberalisation of 1991. 

A large number of people have benefited by economic policies being pursued since 1991 -- irrespective of the fact who ever has been the Prime Minister. Congress once benefited by 'Garibi Hatao' slogan in the 1970s. Sonia Gandhi also benefited and 'saved' Congress in 2004  its campaign line 'Aam aadmi ke Haath, Congress ke Saath'. Pitted against Congress slogan was 'India Shining' and it boomeranged on the Vaipayee government. 

But it is important to note that Sonia's election pledge of 2004 -- guided by the likes of Pranab Mukherjee - were different. There were some alternative progammes suggested and after coming to power -- we saw NREGA.  One may call it a scheme to dig holes -- but nevertheless it made a sense for a section of poor people especially in rural India. NREGA was a scheme piloted by the Rural Development Ministry.  But Rahul Gandhi is guided by a NGO-club with Jairam Ramesh as the nucleus. 

This man was Union Rural Development ministry during UPA-2 and he made a mess of things. Today, Rahul is promising something foolish and dangerous. This will discourage people from hard work and innovation. In the name of helping poor, Rahul is bent upon keeping India 'backward'. 

Is this a Beijing inspiration -- that angle should have come out by now. But the BJP and its star campaigner are too busy with Muslim angle.  To top it came Sam Pitroda's remarks and hence in the second phase of polling -- Congress has perhaps lost out some seats -- it should have won. 

If  Danish Ali loses out Amroha seat in Uttar Pradesh (that went for voting on April 26), the Congress may regret Sam's comment. Danish Ali had won the seat in 2019 on BSP ticket and this time he had shifted to Congress and he could have sprang a surprise. But this is probably not happening. 

Blogger: Playing an analyst's cards 

These will be reflected in Kerala and Karnataka polls also. Out of 14 seats BJP contested on April 26 in Karnataka, ideally the Congress could have fought 10 seats effectively. But probably yet again, this has not happened. At best the BJP seats in Karnataka may drop by 3-4 seats.  

One may hate Narendra Modi, but he has created an aspirational India. In the sixties and seventies -- it was a different story. The rivalry was to be 'envious' in negative sense and not competition. 

Today even housemaid's children in Delhi or Mumbai aspire to study science or even medical courses. Even they will not be interested in a party that is trying to play Robinhood - rob the rich or (Hindu rich) and give it away to poor -- or only the 'poor Muslims'. 

"Meri bhi ijjat hae (I also have self-respect)," is the refrain of a housemaid in Delhi -- whose monthly income is around Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 monthly.  

But Rahul is a man in a hurry. He want short cuts and the likes of Jairam Ramesh did not advise anything different. 

Congress is 'serial offender' about Inheritance Tax .... while Rajiv "inherited" Indira's properties ..... even in 2023 Chidambaram favoured it, UPA sent a proposal to Planning Commission

The idea of reimposing such a tax was first mentioned by Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2011 during a Planning Commission (now Niti Aayog) meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Chidambaram was the finance minister during the first four years of the UPA-I government.

Chidambaram had mooted the idea in a bid to raise tax resources and shore up the declining tax to GDP ratio. A year later, he raised the matter again at a National Institute of Public Finance and Policy event. Chidambaram said it was high time for an inheritance tax while flagging the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few.

"Have we paid little attention to accumulation of wealth in a few hands? I am still hesitant to talk about inter-generational equity and therefore inheritance tax," he said.

The idea made a comeback in 2013, when Chidambaram presented the last full Budget of the UPA-2 government. In fact, Chidambaram was convinced that an inheritance tax could raise revenue while serving the UPA's political purpose.

However, not everyone in the Cabinet as well as stakeholders were convinced of the logic of an inheritance tax, and it never made its way to the Budget.

The matter went into cold storage as the Narendra Modi-led NDA government won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, Jayant Sinha, then Minister of State for Finance, had publicly vouched for the introduction of inheritance tax. Sinha had said such a tax would take away some of the advantages that dynastic business people had and help in levelling the playing field. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya endorsed Sinha's views. 

Inheritance tax is prevalent in countries like the UK, Japan, France, and Finland. In the United States, only six states have inheritance tax.

The story of an inheritance tax in India goes back seven decades. In 1953, Parliament, then led by prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, passed a legislation, bringing into force the Estate Duty Act, which was conceived with the aim of reducing glaring economic disparity in a nascent country just six years into Independence. 

Estate duty was imposed on the total value of property held by an individual at the time of their demise, with 40% the maximum marginal rate levied on property exceeding the value of ₹50 lakh. 

Under the act, the tax had to be paid by heirs when they inherited property or assets — both movable and immovable — that were passed on to them.

Delhi High Court blasts Arvind Kejriwal for not resigning as Chief Minister after his arrest

 The Delhi High Court on Friday came down heavily on Arvind Kejriwal for not resigning as the Chief Minister. The court said that Arvind Kejriwal put personal interest over national interest by not resigning as Chief Minister after his arrest.

The court hit out at the AAP-led Delhi government in Delhi, saying that it was “only interested in power”. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last month in connection with Delhi liquor policy case.

The court pulled up the Delhi government over non-availability of textbooks and uniforms for students enroled in government schools.

The court said that the Delhi government was least bothered about students not having books. "Your client is just interested in power. I don’t know how much power do you want," the court said.

On last occasion, the High Court had said that there cannot be a vacuum and if the Standing Committee is not available for any reason, the financial power needs to be delegated forthwith to an appropriate authority by the GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi).

This was after the MCD Commissioner had pointed out that one of the major reasons for non- distribution of notebooks, stationery items, uniforms and school bags is ‘non-formation of Standing Committees’. He’d further stated that only the Standing Committee has the power and jurisdiction to award contracts worth more than five crores.

Second phase polling .... brisk voting .... Did Modi shake up the 'Hindu middle class' ? -- usually the lazy lot !!

Voting started in the Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha constituency on Friday with enthusiastic voters reaching the booths in their traditional Dogra dresses to exercise the franchise.

(Among those in the fray include Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje (Bengaluru North), former CM and state JD-S President H.D. Kumaraswamy (Mandya), Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh (Bengaluru Rural), Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South), 

former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s son-in-law C.N. Manjunath (Bengaluru Rural), royal scion Yaduveer Wadiyar (Mysuru-Kodagu), and senior BJP leader V. Somanna (Tumakuru) among others.) 

 In Karnataka, voting is for 14 Lok Sabha seats :::::: Rahul Dravid, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among early voters

Former cricketer Rahul Dravid and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cast their votes in Bengaluru polling stations after voting for Karnataka’s 14 Lok Sabha seats began on Friday.

Rahul Dravid arrived at the Sriraksha School in Malleshwaram locality of Bengaluru, stood in the queue and exercised his franchise. After voting, Dravid appealed to the people to come out of their houses and create a new record in terms of voting. He also praised the facilities and arrangements made for voters at the polling booths.

Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman arrived at the polling booth in Jayanagar and cast her vote. Religious seers of Astha Maths in Udupi, Siddaganga Seer of Tumakuru Siddaganga Mutt have also exercised their franchise.

BJP candidate from Tumakuru Lok Sabha seat V. Somanna, senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, Bengaluru North Congress candidate M.V. Rajeev Gowda exercised their franchise in their respective polling stations.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has casted his vote at the Jakkur Primary school in Bengaluru along with his wife Manika Girinath.

Voting across 30,602 polling booths is underway in 14 Lok Sabha seats in state, primarily located in south Karnataka. There are more than 2.88 crore eligible voters in these constituencies

The special arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling in the high-profile Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha Constituency. The constituency is witnessing a close contest between Congress candidate D.K. Suresh and BJP’s Dr. C.N. Manjunath.

Karnataka has 28 parliamentary seats and polling in the remaining 14 constituencies is slated for May 7.

Air Warrior ::: A Retired Air Force officer : 'Ayega toh ..... " :: After casting vote in Bengaluru 

All 14 seats in Karnataka in today's polls came to BJP's kitty in 2019.   

In Wayanad, Kerala, all eyes will be on the voting that will decide the fate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed that Rahul will also try to contest another constituency. Speculation is rife about Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. 

In Wayanad, Ms Annie Raja, wife of D Raja, is contesting on the ticket of Communist Party of India (CPI) and BJP has fielded its state President K Surendran. 

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor faces competition from Union Minister of State and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram seat.

In Uttar Pradesh, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini is aiming for her third win from Mathura as a BJP candidate, while in Meerut, the BJP has nominated Ramayan actor Arun Govil as its candidate.  

Voting is underway for five Lok Sabha seats in Assam in the second phase of polls. Elections are taking place in Nagaon, Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu, Silchar and Karimganj parliamentary constituencies.

UP's second phase polling: Arun Govil, 'Mirabai' Hema and Danish Ali of Congress to sweat it out

 

Its election time and hence the cow-belt state of Uttar Pradesh is amid all sorts of political debates and controversies. There are heated exchanges on the quality of democracy in India and in many quarters, the long shadow of despotism or tyranny is also hanging over. 

Eight parliamentary segments in the Yogi Adityanath-ruled Uttar Pradesh is set for second round of polling on Friday, April 26th. These constituencies are Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Aligarh and Mathura. 

These constituencies form parts of western Uttar Pradesh and people from various caste and religious groups including a neo-middle class will decide the fate of the candidates and also PM Narendra Modi's in more ways than one.

While Muslims may fall isolated and the Jat-Muslim combine is not happening after RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary decided to join the BJP-led NDA.

Other formidable caste groups Gujjars, Kashyaps and Brahmins may also tilt the balance in a number of segments in this phase of polling. 

Although Renuka Chaudhry of RLD says BJP-RLD combine will sweep polls; some local residents in Barot dismiss such preparedness by the BJP and say, "This time, people have made up their mind to defeat the BJP".

Voters in Gautam Buddh Nagar area -- not far from national capital Delhi - say people feel that the country facing what is perhaps the most testing time in its history. The Hindu assertion is a key factor and this automatically could mean marginalisation of Muslims. "Do we really deserve this ?," asks a 30-year-old property dealer Sunil Bhardwaj.

His issue is really basic and that is why it raises eyebrows. 

"In today’s electoral politics we have only big talks and big allegations. Hindu ...Muslim etc.... but there is otherwise a basic absence of social leadership and in such a situation politics cannot be really a matter of confidence building".

Among others one spoke to in the Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency; some agree to Sunil's assessment and others do not.

A 22-year-old student and a female says, "In our area, general law and order is the public issue. Under Yogi it is comparably safe now but eve teasing is a north Indian disease we do not have such a thing in Maharashtra". 

Of course, originally a Mumbai girl she says the society is divided and can appear communal but this is also mainly because some hooligans keep instilling fear and despair and this deepens divisions". 

Her response to the challenge is: "I will definitely vote... but will not discuss politics or even Ram temple matters with a journalist". 

However, she says there will be a triangular contest in Gautam Buddh Nagar between BJP, Opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati.

The BJP has fielded sitting MP Dr Mahesh Sharma, a former Union Minister while

Mahendra Singh Nagar is the Samajwadi Party candidate and Rajendra Singh Solanki is the BSP nominee.

In 2009, BSP's Surendra Singh Nagar had won the seat defeating Mahesh Sharma of BJP. But in last two elections, that is - 2014 and 2019 - Sharma has able to retain it. Polls this year will be exciting yet again.

And it must be kept in mind that in 2019 BSP nominee Satveer Nagar was far behind Dr Mahesh Sharma who had polled over 8 lakh votes and the victory margin was over 3,30,000 votes.

Strong and straight contests are expected in two segments between the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and the BJP in Aligarh and Bulandshahar.

In 2019, Aligarh saw three-cornered contest between BJP's Satish Kumar Gautam and BSP and the Congress candidate. BJP won it. He had won in 2014 also.

This year Satish Kumar Gautam will take on Samajwadi Party's Bijendra Singh. 

Unemployment is among the most critical issues for citizens of Aligarh, who will vote in the second phase of the ongoing elections on April 26. Locals would also want the issue of price rise addressed by the elected government once polls are over.

Modi addressed a public meeting in Aligarh on Monday April 22. 

Aligarh is famous for lock-making industry and political activists have crafted jokes based on 'locks' saying the rival parties will be forced to shut their shops and put an 'Aligarh ka tala' at the door after the poll results come in.

Even Modi used the ‘lock’ rhetoric and said: “Last time when I visited Aligarh to campaign, I had requested you all to be careful about family based parties and their minority appeasement politics. You all have locked their shops so well and both the princes (Shehzades – in reference to Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav) till today could not find the lost key”.

The famous Aligarh Muslim University makes it a critical hub of education especially for minorities and there is a general complaint that the civic amenities are neglected and water-logging is normal during rains. 

This is also the place where BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh was born and importantly

yet again, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik had won the seat

on Janata Dal ticket in 1989.

BJP's sitting MP Bhola Singh is pitted against Congress party's Shivram Valmiki from Bulandshahr. In 2009 Kamlesh Balmiki of Samajwadi Party had won the seat but in last two polls, it preferred Bhola Singh of BJP. In 2004, Kalyan SIngh had won the seat as the BJP nominee. The caste factors matter but this seat has often embraced Hindutva.

Congress though is quite weak in its onetime bastion this year is expected to put up a spirited fight in Mathura and Ghaziabad. The ruling saffron party is dependent on stardom of actress-turned-lawmaker Hema Malini. She won the seat in 2014 and also five years back in 2019. Her rival this time is Mukesh Dhangar of the Congress. The BSP also has nominated Suresh Singh -- who is seen more as a vote-cutter candidate.

Hema Malini had defeated RLD's Jayant Chaudhary in 2014. Though a Tamil lady,

Hema Malini strikes good rapport with Jat voters due to her marriage with film star

Dharmendra. Hema's screen role as 'Mirabai' also comes in handy as voters often

greet her with salutation 'Jai Radhe, Radhe'. 

In 2019, Hema Malini had polled 6,71,293 votes making it a staggeringly high 

60.87 percent. This was also an improvement of 7.58 vote share she had polled in

2014 against Jayant. The RLD is now a NDA constituent and Jayant's grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh was awarded Bharat Ratna this year at the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Another Jat stronghold Baghpat is also going for voting on April 26. 

The Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal has fielded senior leader Rajkumar 

Sangwan. BJP's Satya Pal Singh, a former Mumbai police commissioner, had won the seat in 2014 and 2019. 

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary lost the seat five years ago by a margin of 20,000 votes.

In Baghpat, a well know Jat heartland, social worker, I. Mofidul says the RLD nominee will make it easily as nearly two lakh Jats would back him but added that minority votes will go the other side.

Amroha and Meerut are two other Lok Sabha seats going to the polls on April 26.

BSP's vocal MP Danish Ali had won the seat in 2019. Ali made news last year when BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri flayed him targeting his religion on the floor of Lok Sabha. Danish Ali quit BSP later and joined the Congress party.

In this year's contest, Kunwar Danish Ali of Congress is pitted against

BJP's Kanwar Singh Tanwar while Mayawati-led BSP has nominated a Muslim

Mujahid Hussain. This has created some political ripples and the Congress workers

say the BSP supremo is only trying to harm the electoral prospects of Danish Ali.

In Meerut, the BJP is banking on Ram factor in more ways than one.

 

The Lotus party has fielded Arun Govil, the noted actor who played the role of

Ram in the Doordarshan blockbuster serial of the 1980s. 

In 2019, Haji Yaqoob Qureshi of BSP had given a stiff fight and the victory margin

in favour of Agarwal was a modest 4729 votes. This is one reason the saffron party has replaced its nominee. The BJP thinks fielding Arun Govil this year makes a lot of sense because only a few months back the grand Ram temple was inaugurated at Ayodhya. Govil had attended the Jan 22, 2024 mega global event which was also addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Arun Govil is locked in a three-cornered contest with BSP fielding Devvrat Kumar Tyagi while Samajwadi Party's nominee is Ms Sunita Verma.

Elected Meerut mayor on a BSP ticket in 2017, Sunita Verma was expelled from the party in November 2019. She joined the SP in 2021. Ms Sunita Verma hails from the SC Jatav community.

BSP's candidate Tyagi is from upper caste and this move could harm BJP prospects.

In 2014, actress Nagma was the Congress nominee. The BSP had polled second.

While Rajendra Agarwal had won for the second term by a big margin of 2,32,326 votes, Shahid Akhlaq of the BSP had finished second. Shahid Manzoor of the Samajwadi Party finished third. Notably, Ms Nagma of Congress had polled a modest 42,911 making it only 3.85 percent of vote share.

Ghaziabad also falling under the national capital region is expected to throw up an exciting battle. The BJP has rested former army chief and two-time lawmaker Gen V K Singh (Retd) and replaced him by Atul Garg.

The Congress nominee is Dolly Sharma while BSP had nominated Nand Kishor Pundir.

There are also other contestants from signboard parties Rashtra Nirman Party (Anand Kumar) and Rashtriya Jan Karmath Party (Ansul Gupta). 

“The reservation for Jats was scrapped in 2014. We are also not in favour of the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for recruitment to the armed forces," said Virender Singh Dhaka, president of ‘Jaat Samaj, Ghaziabad. 

Locals in Ghaziabad also raise controversial issues like Electoral Bonds and alleged "inhuman treatment" meted out to women wrestlers during a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Jats and other farming communities will decide the fate of candidates in segments

such as Mathura, Ghaziabad and Baghpat.   

 

In terms of the 'most discussed issue' for the second round of polling on Friday in Uttar Pradesh and also elsewhere is the high-voltage debate on "redistribution of wealth" as allegedly planned by the Congress.  

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked controversy on Sunday (April 21) 

after he said that if the Congress party were to come to power, it would redistribute wealth among those ‘with more children’. This may be like the ‘Maut Ka Saudagar’ and ‘Chaewalla’ comments which Modi had used successfully in the past

The PM also cited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's disputed remarks of 2006 that Muslims had the first claim on the country's resources.  

"This urban-Naxal mindset, my mothers and sisters, they will not even leave your 'Mangalsutra'. Modi said at a poll a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara. 

$$$

Box

** Locals say Jat reservation is an issue. They also raise controversial issues like Electoral Bonds and alleged "inhuman treatment" meted out to women wrestlers during a protest in Delhi.

*** If one looks at the list of elected MPs since 1998 from Amroha, one striking part is no one has been repeated. 

In 1998 it was BJP's Chetan Chauhan and BSP nominee Rashid Alvi wrested the seat in 1999 despite Kargil. Harish Nagpal, an Independent, won the seat in 2004 but in 2009 the seat went to Devendra Nagpal of RLD. In 2014 Kanwar Singh Tanwar of BJP could pick it and Danish Ali (BSP) won the seat in 2019.

ends 

Now, Diplomacy with a 'difference' ........ India's veiled but crucial message to the US ... "public order' counts ...it applies to India and it applies to America as well

A terse message for Washington: "After all, we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad". 

 "In every democracy, there has to be the right balance between freedom of expression, sense of responsibility and public safety and order.

 Democracies in particular should display this understanding in regard to other fellow democracies," MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters here on Thursday, during regular weekly briefing. The subtle message is an important missive to the United States from New Delhi as Washington from time to time applies double standards on protest vis-a-vis public order. 

The External Affairs Ministry also said that the Human Rights Report released by the US State Department on Manipur is "deeply biased" and added that the Union government attaches "no value to it".

The report highlighted "significant" abuses in Manipur following the outbreak of ethnic conflict in May 2023, the raids by tax authorities on the BBC and cases of transnational repression like the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.  

When asked about the report, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal replied, "This report is deeply biased and reflects a poor understanding of India. We attach no value to it and urge you to do the same."

The report pointed out that at least 175 people were killed in Manipur and more than 60,000 were displaced due to the ongoing conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. 

The violence erupted in May 2023 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to protest against the inclusion of Meiteis in the ST category.

The report also mentioned the searches conducted by the Income Tax department at the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the UK-based broadcaster, BBC, on allegations of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing irregularities.   

The searches were conducted weeks after the British broadcaster released a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots titled "India: The Modi Question".

The Human Rights Report also mentioned the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, saying it indicated a "pattern of extrajudicial actions by state agents".

Following the release of the report, Robert Gilchrist, senior bureau official at the US State Department, had urged India to uphold its human rights commitments.  

There have been several arrests as Columbia University in New York witnessed major protests over Israel's military offensive in Gaza. This had triggered a series of protests at other educational institutions including Yale and New York University (NYU) in recent days.  

"After all, we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad," the spokesman said. 

 

Phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls, April 26 ::::  .... 89 seats, of which BJP had won 55, Congress 18

In second phase, 98% of booths in Bengal ‘critical’, to be manned by 272 companies of central forces. Polling is to be held for Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat.

All three seats were won by BJP.

 

In Rajasthan: All 13 seats going to Friday polls had gone to BJP. 

Tonk-Sawai Madhopur (gen): BJP

Ajmer (gen): BJP

Pali (gen): BJP

Jodhpur (gen): BJP

Barmer (gen): BJP

Jalore (gen): BJP

Udaipur (ST): BJP  

Banswara (ST): BJP

Chittorgarh (gen): BJP

Rajsamand (gen): BJP

Bhilwara (gen): BJP

Kota (gen): BJP

Jhalawar-Baran (gen): BJP

Key segments:

Wayanad - Kerala: Rahul Gandhi (Congress)

Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala: Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP) vs Shashi Tharoor (Congress)

Alappuzha - Kerala: K.C Venugopal (Congress)

Balurghat - West Bengal: Sukanta Majumdar (BJP)

Udaipur - Rajasthan: Tarachand Meena (Congress)

Bhilwara - Rajasthan: C.P. Joshi (Congress)

Jalore - Rajasthan: Vaibhav Gehlot (Congress)

Kota - Rajasthan: Om Birla (BJP) vs Prahlad Gunjal (Congress)

Jodhpur - Rajasthan: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (BJP)

Purnia - Bihar: Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav (Independent)

In Uttar Pradesh also for 8 seats going to the polls --- in 2019, BJP had won seven except Amroha by BSP. 

Amroha (gen): BSP

Meerut (gen): BJP

Baghpat (gen): BJP

Ghaziabad (gen): BJP

Bulandshahr (SC): BJP

Gautam Buddha Nagar (gen): BJP

Aligarh (gen): BJP

Mathura (gen): BJP