Stalin touring TN fearing '26 defeat: Nainar
Speaking to reporters after a booth committee meeting, Nagenthran said the DMK government is expanding the Rs 1,000 honorarium for women as poll tactic, adding it failed to identify the 'eligible women' even after four years of governance.
Referring to the 'Ungaludan Stalin' initiative, Nagenthran said it was another political drama aimed at misleading voters. 'The Chief Minister is again collecting petitions from the public without resolving those received earlier. This is nothing but an election stunt,' he said.
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Indian Express
19 minutes 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.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
AGP grassroots push for more seats ahead of Assam polls, declare candidates in some constituencies
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) workers are pushing for more seats in the upcoming Assam assembly polls, with some even naming potential candidates. Despite internal pressure and seat demands, AGP President Atul Bora denies any rebellion within the party. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Guwahati: Grassroot workers of BJP's ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have started flexing their muscles for they want more seats for the regional party in the next year's assembly polls. In some seats the workers have even declared probable 2021 assembly polls the regional party AGP contested 29 while in contested 26 seats directly and in three seats in a friendly fight. It won nine seats. The party has been in alliance with BJP since 2014. Assembly polls in Assam are likely to take place early next year.A section of AGP workers is seeking Majuli seats besides Lakhimpur, Bihpuria, Ranganadi, Gohpur and Nalbari. The workers are also seeking to contest six assembly seats in Kamrup districts Recently AGP President Atul Bora was visiting different places and talking to the workers and pacifying recently claimed that there is no rebellion in the party. Such discussions are going on only in the media. 'Our grassroots workers are good; some leaders are aspiring for these seats. In alliance there is give and take.'Recently Satyabrata Kalita former MLA announced that he will contest in 2026 from Kamalpur. In 2011 this seat was given to BJP and the party wrested Thursday AGP president and State Cabinet Minister Atul Bora led a party delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. They also met BJP national JP AGP delegation included working president and State Minister Keshab Mahanta , AGP general secretary and newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Birendra Prasad Baishya, and senior AGP leader and Lok Sabha MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury. 'We expressed our heartfelt gratitude to Amit Shah for his unwavering support and visionary leadership, which continue to guide Assam toward lasting peace and accelerated progress,' Bora added that under the NDA Government, Assam has witnessed transformative growth, and the AGP, a proud ally of the BJP-led NDA, remains fully committed to this path of stability and development. Bora further stated that the BJP-AGP alliance will continue working in close coordination to ensure inclusive development and a brighter future for every citizen of the workers are pressing that this time Koliabor seat must have a BJP candidate. AGP's Keshav Mahanta has been winning the seat since Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that alliance with AGP is a settled fact and both parties will jointly contest the next year's assembly polls.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Only Centre competent enough to conduct caste census, says Mysuru MP Yaduveer
The BJP's OBC Morcha on Saturday organised an awareness programme here on the caste census, where MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar strongly backed the Centre's initiative and criticised the Karnataka government's past efforts in this connection. Speaking at the event, Mr. Yaduveer emphasised the need for increased awareness about the caste census, and reiterated that the Central government has the constitutional power to conduct such an exercise. 'Many states, including Karnataka, have said they will conduct a caste census, but what they're really doing is a socio-economic and educational survey, and even there, the Congress has failed to do it scientifically,' he added. He said that the caste census was crucial for framing policies aimed at targeted development of various communities, and the Centre had already initiated the process of conducting the caste census. 'We all welcome this initiative. Whenever the Prime Minister announces a programme, he ensures the benefits reach the people. I have full confidence that the Centre, under Mr. Modi, will deliver on the caste census as well,' said Mr. Yaduveer. He referred to the socio-economic and educational survey conducted by the Congress in the State and said that its handling indicated that the State lacks competence and expertise to carry out such an exercise. The Congress' effort in the State spread over a decade, and was a drama, Mr. Yaduveer said, and questioned the competence and political will of the Congress in completing the exercise. 'More than ₹165 crore was wasted, and Congress leaders at the Centre told their Karnataka counterparts to drop the exercise. All India Congress Committee leaders, who are not even elected representatives, rejected it outright and instructed the State leadership that it should follow the Telangana model,' said Mr. Yaduveer. Describing the caste census as a long-pending 'legacy issue', Mr. Yaduveer said that only the current Central leadership has the political will to resolve and implement it. He also urged the State government to drop its exercise, and said that there was no need to duplicate the efforts of the Centre. BJP National OBC Morcha president K. Lakshman, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his commitment to the OBC community. He cited historical events to claim that the Congress had let down the OBCs. ''Though three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family became the Prime Minister of this country, none of them supported the OBC cause,' said Mr. Lakshman. He said the first ever National Commission on OBCs led by Kaka Kalekar submitted a comprehensive report, but it was rejected by the Congress. ''It was V.P. Singh who implemented the Mandal Commission report with the support of the BJP, while the then leader of the Opposition Rajiv Gandhi spoke in the Parliament for more tan 90 minutes and opposed it,' Mr. Lakshman said. BJP OBC Morcha leader Rahgu Kautilya, MLC MLA T.S. Srivatsa, and others were present.
