Latest news with #UpendraKushwaha
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kushwaha holds rally in Muz, disregards‘4-5 seats' media buzz as distraction
Patna: Rajya Sabha member and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president, Upendra Kushwaha , while addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur on Sunday expressed annoyance over media speculations about offer of "four-five seats" to his party under the seat-sharing formula, stating that "his politics is for change, not for posts". He said he would continue raising issues concerning the common people, no matter how many troubles come his way. His rally is being billed as a "show of strength" to bargain for more seats as the NDA gets busy with finalising the seat-sharing. Addressing the "Samvaidhanik Adhikar-Parisiman Sudhar" rally, Kushwaha said he never cared about seats since he enjoys the "people's power". "Four-five seats…Upendra Kushwaha kabhi iski chinta nahin karta hai (I never worry about it)," Kushwaha said, adding, for him issues are more important and that he would continue raising them come what may. He said if compromising with people's issues leads to a post, it is better to remain without such a post. Citing examples, Kushwaha, who served as a Union minister of state during the first term of PM Narendra Modi, said Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Jayaprakash Narayan could have got any post, but they gave first priority to the people's issues. "Main pad nahin, parivartan ke liye rajniti karta hun (My politics is for change, not for any posts)," he said, alleging that the "seat issue" was being deliberately raised to divert the people's attention from the core issues. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 관절염 발생률 99% 감소 "이것" 마시기만 했더니 '손목/허리/무릎 통증 사라져" hoguanwon Undo Strongly advocating for delimitation, he said the lack of this exercise was causing a great loss to the state. "If the delimitation process was carried out on time, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar would have gone up to 60, leading to increased representation of scheduled castes and women, but this has been hanging fire," Kushwaha said, warning of launching an agitation against "gross injustice" to the state. He also raised concern over the collegium system in the judiciary, describing it as an "unjust process". He demanded that the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts be made through a written test, quite like the recruitment process available for the bureaucrats in the country. Patna: Rajya Sabha member and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president, Upendra Kushwaha, while addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur on Sunday expressed annoyance over media speculations about offer of "four-five seats" to his party under the seat-sharing formula, stating that "his politics is for change, not for posts". He said he would continue raising issues concerning the common people, no matter how many troubles come his way. His rally is being billed as a "show of strength" to bargain for more seats as the NDA gets busy with finalising the seat-sharing. Addressing the "Samvaidhanik Adhikar-Parisiman Sudhar" rally, Kushwaha said he never cared about seats since he enjoys the "people's power". "Four-five seats…Upendra Kushwaha kabhi iski chinta nahin karta hai (I never worry about it)," Kushwaha said, adding, for him issues are more important and that he would continue raising them come what may. He said if compromising with people's issues leads to a post, it is better to remain without such a post. Citing examples, Kushwaha, who served as a Union minister of state during the first term of PM Narendra Modi, said Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and Jayaprakash Narayan could have got any post, but they gave first priority to the people's issues. "Main pad nahin, parivartan ke liye rajniti karta hun (My politics is for change, not for any posts)," he said, alleging that the "seat issue" was being deliberately raised to divert the people's attention from the core issues. Strongly advocating for delimitation, he said the lack of this exercise was causing a great loss to the state. "If the delimitation process was carried out on time, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Bihar would have gone up to 60, leading to increased representation of scheduled castes and women, but this has been hanging fire," Kushwaha said, warning of launching an agitation against "gross injustice" to the state. He also raised concern over the collegium system in the judiciary, describing it as an "unjust process". He demanded that the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts be made through a written test, quite like the recruitment process available for the bureaucrats in the country.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
AIMPLB, BJP on their marks, Bihar heats up as Waqf battleground ahead of Assembly race
HOPING to make a difference in the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for end of this year, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is planning a series of programmes in the state against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which is facing several petitions in the Supreme Court. The Board has organised public gatherings under its 'Save Waqf Campaign' across the country, but its efforts have been more concentrated on Bihar, particularly the districts of Patna, Araria, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Saharsa, Madhubani, Siwan and Darbhanga. In a statement earlier this week, the AIMPLB underlined the importance of the state for the party because of the coming elections. 'It is likely that these (Save Waqf Campaign) programmes can influence the election results as well,' it said. The nine Bihar districts where the AIMPLB is focusing consist of 72 Assembly constituencies, or 30% of the 243-seat House. Muslims, who make up around 17.7% of the Bihar population, play a decisive role in at least 30 of these 72 Assembly seats. In the 2020 Assembly polls, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had won a majority (38) of these 72 seats, with the BJP securing 25 seats, followed by the JD(U) 11 and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VSIP) 2. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan had won 28 of the 72 seats, with the RJD winning 11, the Congress 5, CPI (ML) (L) 4 and CPI 2. The BJP's performance was significant given that Muslims are seen as staunch RJD supporters in Bihar. These 72 seats also comprised the five constituencies won by the AIMIM in 2020 (four of its five MLAs who won crossed over to the RJD). The AIMIM had formed a third front at the time, with the BSP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP). Upendra Kushwaha had later merged his RLSP with the JD(U), but had again split and now heads the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, which is part of the NDA. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) led by Chirag Paswan which was outside the NDA umbrella then and contested separately, won its lone seat from here too. In its Save Waqf Campaign, the AIMPLB, along with other Muslim bodies, is targeting BJP allies in particular, including the JD(U), accusing them of 'betraying Muslims' on the Waqf Act. During one such event in Delhi last month, Muslim clerics and the AIMPLB accused NDA parties of 'stabbing Muslims in the back' by supporting the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, and asked them to push the government to withdraw the contentious law or be ready to face the community's opposition everywhere. They are specifically naming NDA leaders such as JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, and HAM (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, apart from other BJP allies outside Bihar like NCP president Ajit Pawar and TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. 'We are hopeful that the JD(U), LJP and HAM which got Muslim votes in the past will not get their support now because of the new Waqf law. The AIMPLB will not make any direct political appeal against any particular party. Other Muslim organisations participating in the programmes will make such appeal. The AIMPLB will only tell people which parties helped the government make the Waqf law. Bihar's ruling party (JD-U) was involved in making of the law,' says S Q R Ilyas, AIMPLB spokesperson and Convenor of the All India Save Waqf Campaign. Last month, the BJP leadership constituted a four-member coordination committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, to tour the country to create awareness among people, including Muslims, on the 'benefits' of the contentious Waqf Act. The party also has its sights on Bihar and has held meetings in Bhagalpur, Motihari, Patna, Muzaffarpur etc. 'These programmes were planned in other areas too but were postponed after the Pahalgam terror attack. Then the party organisation got busy with the Tiranga Yatra. Waqf-law related programmes are yet to resume,' says Kamruzzama Ansari, the Bihar BJP minority wing president. BJP allies are not a part of these programmes, says Ansari. He expresses confidence that the campaign of the AIMPLB and opposition parties on the Waqf Act will not damage the BJP or its allies in the Bihar polls. 'Out of the total Muslim population, the majority are Pasmanda, who are poor and have been deprived of benefits of Waqf properties. Now they will get benefits due to the new law, and the Pasmandas will support the BJP and its allies,' Ansari says. He expects the Centre's announcement to hold a caste census along with the next Census exercise to also help the BJP among the Pasmanda Muslims. K Laxman, the national president of the BJP's OBC Morcha, told The Indian Express earlier that Pasmanda Muslims would be counted as OBCs in the caste census. At the same time, Ansari hopes that the BJP will give tickets to Muslims and accommodate Muslim leaders in government to strengthen trust in the community. Former MP Ali Anwar Ansari, currently in the Congress and the head of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, contests the BJP's hopes of getting Pasmanda votes. 'Muslims, particularly Pasmanda, have voted for the JD(U), LJP and HAM in the past, but they will not vote for these parties now because they are upset with the Waqf law. Some greedy Muslims and some others in their individual capacity may vote for these BJP's allies, but the community will largely vote against them,' Ansari says, adding that the Congress too will make the Waqf law one of its campaign issues in Bihar. JD(U) leaders say the party is conscious that there may be a Waqf backlash. However, they point out, several Muslim leaders had earlier this year turned up for the Bihar government's iftar event despite a boycott call. They included leaders of the Imarat-e-Shariah, which is associated with the AIMPLB campaign in Bihar. In March, the Imarat-e-Shariah had boycotted the iftar hosted by CM Nitish Kumar in protest against his party's support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had stayed away from the iftar as well as the Eid Milan and other such functions organised by both Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Population-based delimitation is fair, says BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ally and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday (May 6, 2025) said Lok Sabha seats should be increased in proportion to the population of various States. 'The southern States' view that doing so would discriminate against the States that had followed population control policies was wrong,' Mr. Kushwaha said. It was aimed at 'denying the rights' of other States, including Bihar, the former Union Minister and head of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, said at a press conference in New Delhi. Stating that India's Constitution assigned the same electoral value to every vote, Mr. Kushwaha said it was the right of citizens in the Hindi-speaking States to be allocated Lok Sabha seats according to their numbers. 'I will urge the Central Government not to come under pressure from the southern States, and carry out a delimitation exercise on the basis of population,' he said. He said that from 1881 to 1951, the population in southern India had almost doubled, and its share in the country's population had grown from 22% to 26% in this period. The overall population share of the southern States was 25% in 1971, the last time delimitation was carried out, Mr. Kushwaha said, adding that his figures were based on official data. He said a State such as Bihar had suffered the worst form of colonial oppression, and its share in the national population declined from 10.8% in 1881 to 8% in 1951. However, Bihar was not a separate region in 1881. Mr. Kushwaha said that southern India had benefited in terms of its share of Lok Sabha seats due to its rising population at a time when population growth had been limited in Hindi-speaking States, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He claimed the southern States now wanted to deny the same benefits to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. 'It is like someone having eaten at a banquet first demanding that those in the queue should not be served the meal,' Mr. Kushwaha said. He questioned the claim of Governments in southern States that their policies were behind the decline in population growth, saying it had more to do with the improvement in socio-economic indicators. Bihar, the State he hailed from, was also 'improving in these indicators now,' Mr. Kushwaha said, and the 'consequences would be reflected in declining population growth in the State,' he added. Five southern States, especially the four ruled by the Opposition Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, have dialled up pressure on the BJP-led NDA Government against a population-based delimitation exercise, due after 2026 and the enumeration of the pending Census. Some parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is in power in Tamil Nadu, had protested on the issue during the Budget Session of the Parliament as well. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured the southern States that his Government would ensure no injustice was meted out to them when the delimitation exercise began.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
RLM demands delimitation based on population
Patna: Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), led by Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha , on Monday demanded the delimitation of constituencies based on population, amid opposition from southern states to such a move. The demand was among 15 resolutions passed at the party's three-day brainstorming session held at Valmiki Nagar, which concluded on Monday. A political resolution passed at the session noted that states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were losing parliamentary seats compared to Tamil Nadu and Kerala because of population factors. "According to Article 330(2) of the Constitution, the determination of SC and ST seats should be based on the population present in each state, but this determination is still based on the 1971 population," the resolution said. It further proposed that, without reducing the number of seats in southern states, the number of seats in Bihar and other states should be increased. Speaking at the concluding session, Kushwaha said, "A delimitation exercise based on population would directly benefit the most vulnerable sections of society, as it would increase the number of reserved constituencies for scheduled castes and tribes. This will boost their representation in the House and in the decision-making process." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads View Deals Undo Another resolution demanded the abolition of the existing collegium system, describing it as a "blot on the Indian judicial system". The RLM also called for a caste census to be conducted, saying that several caste groups had been left behind in terms of development. The resolution pointed out that the practice of caste-based census was discontinued after Independence. A political resolution urged NDA allies to remain alert and avoid internal disputes to prevent the opposition from gaining an advantage in the upcoming assembly polls. Finally, the RLM demanded the implementation of a domicile policy for appointments in Bihar. "The states that prevent our youth from securing jobs, yet whose children come here and take away opportunities from our youth – this is something RLM workers will not accept," the resolution warned.
