
Delhi Confidential: Missing on stage
As BJP chief J P Nadda briefed reporters on Monday about the government's efforts to bring women into the mainstream of national development, there was no woman leader by his side. Nadda was flanked by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal, national media head Anil Baluni and co-head Sanjay Mayukh. Some senior leaders admitted that the party should have ensured the presence of at least one woman leader. Some said the initial plan was to have Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on the dais but that this did not work out due to unavoidable reasons.
Set In Stone
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his deputy Bhagirath Chaudhary Monday laid the foundation stone for the Centre of Excellence on Millets Research and the Advanced Phenomics Complex. Both facilities will be located within the campus of the ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad. While the ceremony was held only now, construction began several months ago and the buildings are nearly halfway complete. Following the ceremony, ICAR director general Mangi Lal Jat joked that politicians are often criticised for laying foundations for projects that never materialise, but the ministers won't have to worry in this case as construction is already well underway.
A Wider Net
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is looking to tackle social media accounts falsely claiming association with the party and its chief national coordinator Akash Anand. Anand is learnt to have cautioned party workers about such accounts and at least one WhatsApp group — called 'BSP IT cell' — which was allegedly gathering phone numbers and other information about individuals. Sources said the party's concern is that such WhatsApp groups and accounts may damage it during the election period by spreading incorrect information. Anand has told party workers that the BSP has no 'IT cell' and that they should instead focus on cadre camps to connect with the people.

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Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
BSP plans to increase its tally to 30, chalks out poll strategy
Nagpur: After BJP and Congress, it is the Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP ) that is a major player in the Nagpur civic body polls, even emerging the third-largest party in the 2017 polls. With 10 seats under its belt, BSP is now gearing up to increase the tally to 30 and has chalked out a strategy for the same. BSP leader Prakash Gajbhiye said, "A huge population resides in slums and lower-income areas within Nagpur city, and those in power have neglected this completely. I can show you so many places in Nagpur where there is no proper sewage system, no proper roads, and the water supply is also not regular. People have realised that BJP or Congress will never solve these problems; hence they will turn to BSP for that." The party has also worked out their targeted seats in the NMC assembly constituencies, highlighting their preparedness. Gajbhiye said, "Our maximum seats will come from North Nagpur, for which our target is 15. The next highest will be from South-West, where we hope to bag around seven seats. Then in the West and South, our target is three each. And for Central, it is two seats. Now, this is the minimum target, but we are confident of getting much more. " He added that BJP's strategy of regularisation of land and building pucca homes, which can help connect with voters, won't work in the polls. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "This scheme, to provide housing for the poor, was started by Behenji (Mayawati), so BJP is simply doing a copy and paste of that formula," said Gajbhiye. Regarding Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Gajbhiye said, "People now realise that VBA won't be able to have any impact on their lives. We have been representing Nagpurians' voices in the civic body for a long time, so we have a proven track record." Their ace up the sleeve is party chief Mayawati herself. "We are planning for two major rallies in Maharashtra. One will be in Mumbai and the other in Nagpur. If Behenji holds a rally, then the entire voting dynamic changes at one stroke," said Gajbhiye.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Authoritarian' BJP wants to unleash anarchy in UP elections: Akhilesh
1 2 Lucknow: Cautioning the party cadre of BJP's plans to "unleash anarchy" during the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the saffron party is "riddled with authoritarian mindset and conduct". "BJP has become a challenge for the Indian Constitution because its very character is undemocratic. The BJP functionaries and cadre have unleashed anarchy by their actions like grabbing land from the possession of the poor. The BJP now stands for 'Bhu-mafia Party'. The entire BJP govt is indulging in grabbing whatever it can lay its hands upon," Akhilesh said, addressing party functionaries and workers at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia auditorium at party headquarters in Lucknow. "Robberies, murders and rape of minor girls have become the order of the day as the govt has failed to control crime, particularly against women and girl child," he said. Acknowledging the efforts of the party cadre and foot soldiers on ground, Akhilesh said the SP functionaries were braving the scorching summer sun to reach out to the people and inform them about the failures of the BJP. "Despite mercury soaring beyond 42 degrees Celsius during the day, our partymen are going from door to door to share the sentiments of almost every section of the society which is unhappy with the BJP govt," Akhilesh said, adding that such dedicated efforts would ensure the party's reach in every corner of the state and beyond. "SP is fighting the BJP at every front, be it failure of the govt in the state as well as the Centre, and at the ideological level as well. We will continue to do so to keep up with the commitment we have with the people and work hard to play a constructive role in taking UP on the path of development once again, like we did during the erstwhile SP govt," he said. 'Beware the ides of June' Lucknow: A cryptic social media post from Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has triggered a buzz in the corridors of power about some political developments in the BJP around June 15. A couplet posted by Akhilesh on X in Hindi, read: "15 June ko shrey lene ki Bhajpai yukti, kisi ki niyukti to kisi ki vimukti (June 15 will see BJP's mechanism of taking credit for appointing some, liberating some others)." In political circles, the post is being seen in the light of the three-day national level training camp of the BJP being organised for its lawmakers in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh.


India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP government of
ANI 12 Jun 2025, 01:27 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh government of 'suppressing truth' about deaths in Maha Kumbh earlier this year and alleged that 'like in COVID, the bodies of the poor were erased from the statistics'.'BBC report reveals that figures of deaths in Kumbh Mela stampede were hidden. Like in COVID, the bodies of the poor were erased from the statistics. Like after every major railway accident the truth is suppressed. This is the BJP model - if there is no counting of the poor, then there is no responsibility either!' Gandhi stated in his X post. Thirty people were killed during stampede in Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya. The Uttar Pradesh government had announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased in the stampede and a judicial inquiry was also set up. Earlier in March, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha that asked about the number of persons killed and injured during the recent Maha Kumbh Stampede, said that 'No such data is maintained centrally.' Rai said that 'Public Order' and 'Police' are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Organization of religious congregations, crowd management, provision of amenities to devotees, prevention of any type of disaster during the congregation, etc., are closely linked to 'public order', which is a state subject. (ANI)