Latest news with #Anti-DefectionLaw
Hans India
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BC Samaj pays tributes to jurist Shiv Shankar on birth anniversary
Mahabubnagar: The BC Samaj paid rich tributes to former Union Minister and eminent jurist P Shiv Shankar on his birth anniversary here on Sunday. Recalling his pivotal role in securing reservations for Backward Classes and championing social justice, BC Samaj State secretary M Srinivas Sagar described Shiv Shankar as the 'pillar of social justice' and credited him as the driving force behind the nationwide implementation of BC reservations. 'It was due to his legal acumen that the Mandal Commission report was safeguarded from being struck down in the Supreme Court,' he said. The commemorative event was held at the BC Samaj erstwhile district office, where leaders from various caste associations and BC student unions garlanded Shiv Shankar's portrait. Srinivas Sagar highlighted his key contributions, including the introduction of the Anti-Defection Law, and lauded his rise from a difficult childhood to serving as the Law Minister of India, becoming a role model for BC communities. He also noted Shiv Shankar's humility in declining the post of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and praised his legal support to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency, which helped secure her acquittal in various cases.
Hans India
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP Telangana chief welcomes Malegaon verdict
Hyderabad: Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao welcomed the verdict delivered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai, acquitting seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast conspiracy case. Addressing the media on Thursday, he stated that the judgment exposed what he termed as the 'Congress Party's conspiracy to disrupt national security and communal harmony.' In the wake of the NIA court's verdict, he demanded an apology from the Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the then Union Home Minister Chidambaram for allegedly peddling the 'Hindu Terror' narrative. 'The Malegaon verdict is a testament to truth prevailing over political plots. The Congress tried to malign the integrity of certain individuals and institutions back then,' Rao said, adding that the acquittals reflected a judicial rebuttal of politically motivated allegations. The BJP leader also welcomed the Supreme Court's directive to the Telangana Assembly Speaker, asking for a decision within three months on the disqualification petitions filed against MLAs who had defected from the BRS to the Congress. He noted that the ruling reaffirmed the democratic principle of accountability and condemned the 'rampant abuse' of the Anti-Defection Law. 'In the past, BRS indulged in defections. Today, the Congress is replicating that misuse. Grabbing MLAs after elections not only breaches the people's mandate, it undermines democratic ethics,' Rao asserted. Turning his focus to the Congress's Janahita Padayatra, Rao questioned the party's claim of serving public interest. He alleged that the Congress had failed to deliver on key electoral promises and declarations made to youth, BCs, SCs, STs, women, farmers, and students. 'Congress came to power, making promises to every section of society. Yet, they have neither implemented the six guarantees nor fulfilled the commitments made in their manifesto,' he said. Rao demanded that the party release a white paper detailing its progress and fulfilment of poll assurances. 'Only then will they earn the moral right to step among the people with slogans of public welfare,' he added. Accusing the Congress of deception and political opportunism, Rao reiterated the BJP's commitment to transparent governance and safeguarding democratic institutions. His remarks come amid heightened political discourse in Telangana surrounding party defections, fulfilment of poll guarantees, and inter-party clashes over governance integrity. Earlier, he, along with several BJP leaders, garlanded the statue and paid tributes to Captain Veera Raja Reddy on the occasion of his death anniversary at Habsiguda.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
NCP warns two Kerala MLAs to quit or face disqualification over anti-party activities
1 2 T'puram/Kottayam: NCP national working president Praful Patel has sent a letter to its two MLAs in Kerala who "contested on the party symbol but had been engaging in anti-party activities" to quit the posts or face disqualification under the provisions of the Peoples Representation Act and Anti-Defection Law. In a letter sent to the party's state president and Kuttanad MLA Thomas K Thomas, Patel, who is the working president of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction, said both Thomas and forest minister A K Saseendran representing Elathur constituency, were suspended from the party for six years for breaching party discipline. Patel stated that Thomas had not been attending party meetings either. "It has also come to the notice of the national leadership that Thomas has taken over as the state president of another party," Patel said. NCP's Kerala faction is supporting the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. However, the party symbol, clock, has been allotted to the Ajit faction. Hence, Patel issued the warning to the party MLAs now. But both MLAs made it clear that they would stick with Sharad Pawar and could not be disqualified. Thomas said the majority of workers in the state also are aligned with the NCP Sharad Pawar faction. Therefore, it is not clear what the basis of the letter is, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pernas e tornozelos inchados? Descubra o que pode ajudar a drenar agora aartedoherbalismo Undo Regarding the election symbol, Thomas said 'clock' was allotted based on a court verdict. Sharad Pawar and Supriya contested on the 'clock' symbol. "A disciplinary action now against us, which was not initiated against them, is baseless," Thomas said. He also said that according to the party rules, there was no place for the working president. He also said that the letter had no basis as the case was under the consideration of the Supreme Court. Saseendran said Patel's letter would not be considered by the state unit, which has always been working as per the party's constitution. The ruling LDF has already been facing trouble with another front partner JD(S), which has two members including state electricity minister K Krishnankutty in the assembly. JD(S), led by H D Deve Gowda, is currently an ally of the ruling NDA at Centre, something opposition leader V D Satheesan has questioned.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NCP unit in Kerala faces turmoil as Ajit Pawar group demands resignation of LDF legislators for alleged anti-party activities
The internal strife in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra appeared to reverberate in its Kerala unit, a ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) ally, on Tuesday (July 15, 2025). The NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Maharashtra, has demanded the resignation of two NCP-Sharad Chandra Pawar group legislators aligned with the LDF in Kerala for alleged anti-party activities. Praful Patel, NCP-Ajit Pawar faction's national working president and chairman of the party's central disciplinary committee, has also put Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran and Kuttanad MLA Thomas K. Thomas on notice for allegedly pursuing an anti-party line in Kerala. He has disqualified them from the NCP's primary membership for six years. Mr. Patel noted that both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Saseendran had won under the unified NCP's clock symbol in the 2021 Assembly elections in Kerala. Subsequently, in 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised the NDA-aligned Ajit Pawar faction as the 'original' NCP. He accused the legislators of skipping party meetings and working as a parallel political entity far outside the 'authentic' NCP's ambit. Mr. Patel warned both the Kerala leaders that the NCP-Ajit Pawar would draw them to court for allegedly violating the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law and the People's Representation Act. Thomas, Saseendran hit back Mr. Thomas told The Hindu that the NCP's constitution did not envisage a national working president post as claimed by Mr. Patel. Moreover, the two NCP legislators in Kerala were aligned with Mr. Sharad Pawar. 'So where is the question of an NCP split in Kerala?' he added. Mr. Saseendran stated that the Supreme Court order awarding the NCP name to Mr. Ajit Pawar was an interim order. He said he awaited the apex court's final decision in the dispute over the NCP symbol and original name. The NCP legislators in Kerala had aligned with the Sharad Pawar faction after the party's split over Mr. Ajit Pawar's decision to align with the NDA in Maharashtra in 2023. Subsequently, Mr. Saseendran and Mr. Thomas filed affidavits in the Supreme Court declaring their allegiance to Mr. Sharad Pawar. They accused Mr. Ajit Pawar of 'abandoning NCP's founding Gandhian and Ambedkarite values' and swore their commitment to the LDF. No ethical compunction: Satheesan Meanwhile, Kerala's Leader of the Opposition V.D. Sastheesan said the LDF had 'no ethical compunction in embracing two BJP allies' in Kerala, despite the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s [CPI(M)] 'grandstanding against the Sangh Parivar.' He said the national leadership of the Janata Dal (Secular), which has two legislators, including Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty, was aligned with the BJP and an NDA ally. 'The LDF has lost its moral compass', he added.
India Gazette
30-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurates two-day annual conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Zone-2 at Tapovan
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, on Monday, inaugurated the annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Zone-2, in Tapovan, Dharamshala. According to a release, the conference witnessed the participation of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Chief Whips, and Deputy Chief Whips from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, all part of Zone 2. In addition, the Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana were present as special guests. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while welcoming all the dignitaries and congratulating Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Kuldeep Singh Pathania for organising the event, said that this conference was a significant initiative towards strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing legislative processes, fostering democratic dialogue, and promoting regional co-operation. The Chief Minister stated that for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, an attempt was made to overthrow a democratically elected government. However, the Speaker of Vidhan Sabha took a lawful stance and disqualified the concerned MLAs. As per the release, CM Sukhu stressed the importance of the Anti-Defection Law in safeguarding democracy and said, 'The State Vidhan Sabha has passed a Bill to stop the pensions of disqualified legislators, which was currently awaiting the Governor's approval.' He further emphasised that Himachal Pradesh has become a model for other States, especially in terms of digital democracy. 'In 2014, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha became the first completely paperless Assembly in the country, with all proceedings conducted digitally,' the CM said, according to the release. He also raised the issue of conducting by-elections only once a year under the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' framework and requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to take up the matter at an appropriate forum. He also advocated for a separate policy for the hill States, keeping in view the tough topography, and said, 'The Nation cannot prosper if the States do not progress. Himachal has suffered due to the implementation of GST, and therefore, a separate policy should be formulated for Hill States.' Sukhu further said that the State Government was committed to 'Vyavastha Parivartan' for ensuring good governance. Under the 'Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar' initiative, Ministers have visited over 1,000 Panchayats to engage directly with citizens and address local issues at the earliest. He said that remarkable progress has been made in the fields of health and education. 'Himachal Pradesh secured the 5th position in the NAS Survey 2025, a significant jump from the 21st position in 2021, reflecting the State's commitment to quality education,' he added, as per the release. The Himachal CM also highlighted the introduction of robotic surgery in the State as a landmark step towards modernising healthcare facilities. He also said that the government is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and has passed the Himachal Pradesh Organised Crime (Prevention & Control) Bill, 2025, which includes provisions for the death penalty, life imprisonment, heavy fines, and confiscation of the property of the offenders. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu reiterated the State's commitment to welfare schemes and agricultural reforms. Over 1.36 lakh government employees have been brought under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and nearly three lakh women were receiving Rs. 1,500 monthly under the 'Indira Gandhi Pyari Bahna Samman Nidhi Yojana'. The state has introduced Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for wheat, maize, and raw turmeric, he added. Speaker of the State Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, extended a warm welcome to all the delegates and expressed pride in hosting the CPA Zone-2 conference for the first time in Dharamsala. He noted that for the past two decades, the Winter session of the Himachal Assembly has been conducted in Dharamshala and that this conference marks a new beginning for many such future events in the region. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan also called for concerted efforts to strengthen democracy and expressed concern over the threat posed by legislators defecting. He congratulated the Speaker for successfully organising the conference. Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Harivansh Narayan Singh, also spoke on the occasion. AYUSH Minister Yadvinder Goma, Deputy Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Assembly Vinay Kumar were also present on the occasion, along with several representatives from participating states. (ANI)
