Ahead of Monsoon session, I.N.D.I.A. to meet for first time since Lok Sabha polls
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
20 minutes ago
- The Wire
Telangana BJP's Internal Rivalry Subsides but Larger Issue of One-Upmanship Remains
Politics Talking to The Wire, new Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao dismissed the conflict between Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Eatala Rajender as minor. Hyderabad: After a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on July 24, the newly elected BJP president of Telangana N. Ramchander Rao announced here on July 25 that the controversy surrounding a tussle between two of the party MPs from the state – Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Eatala Rajender – had ended. The former is also the Union minister of state for home. The issue had threatened to snowball into another major embarrassment for the party on the heels of Ramchander Rao's election as the state president a fortnight ago. Rao stole a march in the election ahead of all other aspirants at a juncture when the backward classes card is ruling the roost in state politics, especially with the decision of the Congress government to extend 42% reservation for the backward classes in the upcoming local body elections. Rao's election was marred by one more controversy. MLA T. Raja Singh quit primary membership of the party after he failed to get approval to enter the contest for presidentship. His resignation was readily accepted by the central committee of the party. He too belonged to a community which is listed among OBCs in parts of the country. Talking to The Wire, Rao dismissed the conflict between Sanjay and Rajender as minor and something which could be erased. But, he admitted that this was the first time a rupture in party has been visible to the public. He was evasive to a question on whether the party would seek the disqualification of Raja Singh as a member of the assembly upon his resignation from party. A rivalry unlike any seen in BJP before Bandi Sanjay and Rajender were among a handful of backward class leaders of the party who nursed ambitions for the party president's post but the national leadership gunned for Ramchander Rao, a Brahmin. Sanjay had already served one term as BJP state president a few years ago. Telangana BJP leaders Bandi Sanjay Kumar (L) and Etela Raja (R). Photo: X/@bandisanjay_bjp; Facebook/EatalaRajenderOfficial Sanjay and Rajender had common roots in Huzurabad assembly constituency which was part of Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat represented by the former. Rajender was MLA of the assembly segment for 20 years until his defeat in the last elections. He, however, won the parliament elections within six months last year from far off Malkajgiri, abutting the state capital. On a routine visit to Huzurabad for a bicycle distribution programme, Sanjay made light of the resignation of one of Rajender's supporters as the party in-charge of the assembly constituency. Hinting at Rajender, he said that no one was above the party and that every BJP leader has won their seat thanks to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajender shot back at Sanjay, asking him to identify who backed him for him to be able to speak this way. Between the two is the race for domination in Huzurabad. While Sanjay was a two-time MP of Karimnagar parliamentary constituency, including Huzurabad, Rajender considers himself invincible in the segment, with a large following, although he no longer enjoys political ground there. The sense seems to be that Sanjay has scuttled Rajender's reach in the segment. Rajender was already simmering with discontent at being sidelined in the party after a hype was created that he could be the backward class chief ministerial candidate. When he joined the BJP after quitting the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in 2021, his followers claimed that he was even being considered for a junior Union minister's post. But he was not even considered as minister after his election to the Lok Sabha. The elevation of Ramchander Rao as state president must have been heartburn for Rajender in these circumstances. At the same time, Sanjay has been projecting himself as a frontrunner for the post when Rao's term expires in 2028, months before the next assembly elections. Sanjay was relieved as the state BJP president ahead of the last assembly elections and hopes to make a comeback now. Several believe that the BJP is likely to go with a backward class leader closer to election time. Eatala Rajender. Photo: X (Twitter)/@Eatala_Rajender Rajender's party presidentship ambitions have baffled leaders in the party as its constitution does not permit anyone to assume office without a minimum of 10 years as ordinary members. They should hold active membership at least three times, translating to six years of service in that capacity. Active membership is given to those who enrol a minimum of 50 ordinary members. Rajender does not fulfil either conditions as he joined the party only four years ago. The BJP leadership in Telangana has had a tough time in convincing its MPs, MLAs and MLCs on various issues since a majority of them joined from other parties. Barring Sanjay and Union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy, the remaining six MPs are newcomers. All of them have a sound track record in electoral politics. In fact, Rajender and another MP, D.K. Aruna, have also served as ministers. Similarly, all but one of the eight MLAs and all three MLCs are also from other parties. Ramchander Rao who was MLC five years ago, is someone who fits the BJP's criteria. Rao had a four-decade association with BJP, rising from the ranks of the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. There were other home grown leaders like former MLAs M. Dharma Rao and Chintala Ramachandra Reddy, but they were sidestepped. The aspiration for the BJP's state president had soared among backward class leaders with the government's reservation move. The state unit of the BJP has also supported the quota but stopped short of taking up the 42% demand with the national leadership. Two Bills – one on education and employment and the other on local bodies – passed by the assembly seeking relaxation of the 50% ceiling on reservations are pending with the Union government. If the demand is met, the reservations for backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will go up to 63%. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday likened the Election Commission (EC) to a 'cheating cricket umpire' that cost his party the 2017 and 2022 Assembly polls in the state, senior leaders of the party said. The remarks were made by Gandhi in Anand district, at the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee's (GPCC) inaugural session of a three-day training summit for newly-appointed district and city unit presidents of the party. Calling Gujarat the Gangotri (origin) of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi told the leaders present that the Congress has to work hard in the state and bring out the 'truth' about the ruling party's 'bad governance'. According to senior Congress leaders, Gandhi said that for years, the Congress in Gujarat had been 'like a cricketer, who wondered why he was adjudged out during his batting'. According to the leaders, Gandhi said that 'getting out constantly makes (a cricketer) feel they were not good enough,' but the losses suffered by the Congress in Gujarat in 2017 and 2022 were 'the doing of a cheating umpire (EC), which manipulated voter lists.' Gandhi said that the Congress workers were 'babbar shers (lions)' who needed to 'get back their roar', senior leaders said. Gandhi urged the party workers to regroup and 'go in the midst' of people to 'clean the Ganges of politics from Gangotri — Gujarat'. In his hour-long address at the closed-door session held in Nijanand resort, Gandhi likened the BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) combine to a temple, where devotees can pay obeisance but don't have a say in 'what or how much prasad' they will have. Most Congress leaders that The Indian Express spoke to stated that Gandhi's mention of the EC in the context of 'unfair results' in 2017 and 2022 struck a chord with party leaders. Congress's Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Gujarat Assembly, Tushar Chaudhary told this newspaper that Gandhi emphasised that the party leaders must begin verification of voter rolls in advance. Chaudhary said, 'Rahulji mentioned the fact that in 2017 and 2022, manipulated voter lists had a lot to do with the results… He enquired with us as to when we actually receive the electoral rolls. When he learnt that we receive it either on the last day or five days in advance, he said you can't do anything or verify the list in such a short time…' Quoting Gandhi, Chaudhary said, 'The issue of fake voters being added to electoral rolls is changing the results… incidents of 1.5 lakh fake voters found in Karnataka or Maharashtra were mentioned. So, it is a fact that when the updated electoral rolls are received, they have new voters who are of much older age whereas it should be young, first-time voters added to the list.' In his address, Gandhi said the BJP's working model is like a temple. 'You have the right to come to a temple, pay obeisance and bow your head; but how much prasad will be given to you is in the control of the BJP-RSS. They will see which caste one belongs to and decide how much prasad should be given… Adani or Ambani will be given different quantities of prasad (than the rest)… There is no right over the prasad. Whatever is mercifully given to you, you have to accept it. The BJP is being unjust to the people of Gujarat who are being told to visit the temple but no prasad is being given out…' Gandhi is said to have told the leaders. 'The district presidents have been told to create awareness among people about the misadministration under the current BJP-led state government as well as the cheating that the Congress has suffered (at the hands of the EC),' a district president from Central Gujarat said. Gandhi told Gujarat Congress leaders that the BJP's roots in the state should be the party's goal in the upcoming Assembly polls. 'Rahulji said that it has always been a presumption that if the BJP has to be defeated, one has to work hard in UP, Rajasthan and Karnataka. But the fact is that the BJP's gangotri (origin) is in Gujarat and one has to work hard in the state and bring out the truth about their bad governance. The cleaning of the Ganga of politics can be done from Gujarat…,' GPCC Spokesperson Manish Doshi said. GPCC President Amit Chavda said Gandhi has urged the leaders to 'go in the midst' of the people and 'raise voice' in the support of those fighting injustice. 'The three-day camp (in Anand) is part of Sangathan Srujan Abhiyan and Rahulji has urged that the party must be strengthened from root to top in Gujarat and that it should be oriented towards service to people. New leaders should be given the opportunity to work… The party wants to go in the midst of the people to fight the battle against injustice as in the last 30 years of the BJP's rule in the state, there has been a government of fear, coercion and corruption with officer-raj and commission-raj going on in Gujarat,' Chavda said. 'The presence of Rahulji on the first day of the three-day training camp shows how important Gujarat is for him. He has made it clear that in any district, any complaint of the people or any injustice must be taken up by the Congress. Wherever it is necessary, the state leaders, or Rahulji himself, will be by the side of the people… He told the leaders to go to the people. Take up issues related to misadministration and injustice and raise voice against it. On the last day of the Shibir (camp), the party will also put forth the entire roadmap for the state before the high command as well as the people,' Chavda added. Gandhi, Congress leaders said, also met the members of the milk cooperative unions and urged them to 'inform him whatever is needed to be done and if they need him to raise pressing issues related to cooperatives in the Lok Sabha.' Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha. The families of some of the 21 victims of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge collapse also arrived at the venue in Anand, where the Congress leader was meeting the milk cooperatives, to make representations to him. According to Congress leaders, the kin of the victims were 'stopped by the police' from meeting Gandhi but later, they were allowed to proceed and make petitions regarding the incident. Doshi said, 'The police said that the victims could not be allowed to meet Gandhi as they did not have a security pass… At first, they were turned away but eventually, we managed to get them to meet Rahul ji, who expressed his solidarity with the families and assured them of assistance in their fight for justice in the incident.'
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
EC's refusal to accept Aadhaar as voter ID in Bihar is 'absurd': ADR
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has told the Supreme Court that the Election Commission's (EC) claim of having constitutional powers to verify voters' citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls contradicts earlier court rulings. According to a report by The Indian Express, ADR also criticised the EC for excluding Aadhaar and ration cards as acceptable proof of identity, calling the move 'patently absurd,' especially as Aadhaar is widely used for passports, caste certificates, and permanent residency documents. 'Grave fraud' in rush to revise rolls The ADR, the petitioner in the matter, argued that the EC has not provided valid reasons for hurrying through the revision ahead of Bihar's Assembly polls. The group described the process as a 'grave fraud' on the state's electorate. The revision exercise, announced on June 24, has been controversial due to its timing and new requirement that voters registered after 2003 must provide several documents to stay on the electoral rolls. This has raised fears that many legitimate voters could be disenfranchised. ADR has submitted its response to the EC's affidavit, filed on July 21. In that affidavit, the EC claimed that Article 326 of the Constitution permits it to verify the citizenship of voters and clarified that being removed from the electoral roll does not mean loss of citizenship. The matter will be heard next on 28 July. Citizenship verification against court judgments? ADR argued that the EC's claim of authority to verify citizenship goes against earlier Supreme Court decisions. It cited Lal Babu Hussain vs Union of India (1995), which stated that the burden of proving citizenship lies with new applicants, not existing voters. It also referenced Inderjit Barua vs ECI (1985), where the court held that being on the electoral roll is strong proof of citizenship, and the onus to disprove it lies with those who object. ADR criticised the EC's directive requiring voters added after 2003 to produce one of 11 specified documents, saying this wrongly shifts the burden of proof to voters. 'It is submitted that the SIR process shifts the onus of citizenship proof on all existing electors in a state, whose names were registered by the ECI through a due process,' ADR said. The group questioned why the existing legal procedures under the Representation of the People Act and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 had to be replaced with a fresh set of documentation and a new form. ADR also said the EC had not provided any data showing foreign nationals or illegal migrants had been included in the electoral rolls. EC's Aadhaar rejection 'absurd' In its July 21 affidavit, the EC refused to accept the Supreme Court's suggestion to include Aadhaar, ration cards, and Voter ID as valid documents, arguing that Aadhaar and ration cards can be obtained using false papers. ADR countered that the EC's list of 11 acceptable documents is also open to fraud. It added, 'The fact that Aadhaar card is one of the documents accepted for obtaining Permanent Residence Certificate, OBC/SC/ST Certificate and for passport – makes ECI's rejection of Aadhar (which is most widely held document) under the instant SIR order patently absurd.' 'Violations' by officials ADR alleged that EC officials on the ground are not following the Commission's own rules. The June 24 guidelines required Block Level Officers (BLOs) to visit each home and provide two forms per voter. But ADR said many voters had not met any BLOs and had not signed any forms, yet their submissions were recorded online. 'Forms of even dead individuals have been reported to have been submitted,' it added. ADR also criticised the lack of a clear process for verifying these forms and documents, saying this gave Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) excessive powers that could lead to widespread disenfranchisement. Why target post-2003 voters? The EC's order says that the 2003 electoral roll is proof of citizenship for voters already registered. For those born after July 1, 1987, the EC asks for proof of citizenship from at least one parent. If the parent appears on the 2003 roll, the child may rely on that. ADR said this distinction was unfair and placed those registered after 2003 at 'a larger risk of disenfranchisement.' It also questioned why the EC had not submitted the 2003 revision order to the Court and asked for it to be produced. In contrast, during the 2004 revision exercise in the North East, only new voters had to submit documents, and that process took over six months (July 1, 2004 to January 3, 2005). In Bihar, the entire process is being compressed into three months -- from June 25 to September 30. 2025 roll already revised ADR also asked why a fresh revision is needed when the 2025 electoral roll was already updated and published in January this year. The group said the roll is regularly updated to account for deaths, migration, and other changes. ADR also highlighted an August 11, 2023 EC circular to state CEOs, directing them to delete names of electors who had died, moved, or were duplicates. The EC claimed the current SIR was being held in response to concerns raised by political parties. But ADR said, 'not a single political party had asked ECI for a de novo exercise such as the one prescribed in the instant SIR order'. Instead, parties had raised concerns about fake votes being added, genuine opposition voters being deleted, and irregular voting after polls had closed. Supreme Court's interim observations The case was first heard on July 10 by a vacation bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi. While the Court did not halt the process, it suggested the EC consider allowing Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents, in addition to the 11 listed. The EC was told to submit its affidavit by July 21, and the matter will be heard again on July 28. As of Friday, the EC said it had received forms from 72.3 million voters for inclusion in the draft roll. Around 6.5 million names are to be deleted due to death, permanent migration, duplicate entries, or because the voter was untraceable. Further deletions may occur after the draft roll is published. Between August 1 and September 1, those whose names are missing from the draft will be able to file claims and objections.
