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NDTV
03-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Voter Rolls Glue Opposition Together, Raise Hopes In Vice-President Polls
New Delhi: The Opposition is hoping for better luck in the coming vice-presidential election after the Election Commission's voter roll revision acted as a unifying factor for parties like Trinamool Congress - which is expecting the exercise to be repeated in their states ahead of next year's election. Congress's Rahul Gandhi has invited the leaders of India Alliance for a dinner meeting on August 7 - a day before its protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission. The agenda of the meeting includes the Vice Presidential election and the alliance is expected to decide on a candidate. A senior leader of bloc told NDTV that the Opposition is looking for a candidate who will make the election interesting. The leaders feel the mathematics of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is such that if a strong candidate is fielded for the post, the the contest will not be one-sided like last time, sources said. Last time, the Trinamool Congress - which had 35 MPs --had abstained from voting, contending that they were not consulted during the selection of Margaret Alva. This time, the Trinamool Congress has maintained unity with the opposition, including the Congress on the issue of SIR, anticipating that the exercise will be carried out in Bengal ahead of next year's assembly election. The leaders feel the open question now is if the Opposition forwards a candidate from Bihar or Andhra Pradesh, what will NDA allies Nitish Kumar and Chandra Babu Naidu do, sources said. Since the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, the NDA has also been looking for a suitable candidate for the post. It is believed that this time BJP will pick one of its key leaders who can run the Rajya Sabha properly. The date of the Vice Presidential election has already been announced. The voting will be held on September 9, in which 543 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 233 from the Rajya Sabha will participate. The 12 nominated MPs of Rajya Sabha will also take part in the election. In 2022, Jagdeep Dhankhar had got 528 votes - way ahead of Opposition candidate Margaret Alva, who polled 182. Mr Dhankhar had the support of several non-NDA parties - Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (which is now part of NDA), and the Akali Dal. Fifty-five MPs did not cast their vote. Asked who would be the next Vice President, Congress's Shashi Tharoor said he had "no idea". "All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate. It's the two houses of Parliament. Unlike the Presidential election, where the state assemblies also vote. For the Vice President, it's only the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we already know the majority. I think it's fairly clear that the next vice president will be the nominee of the ruling party," he said.
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
The disturbing return of 'scientific rigging' charges
The Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is turning into a political confrontation that's threatening to spread like wildfire to the four states and one Union territory due for assembly polls in 2026. The documentary proofs required to verify citizenship under the new SIR rules are highly unusual. It seems not all citizens are presumed equal in the eyes of the Election Commission. Voters who have been enrolled after 2003, when the previous SIR was conducted, need a new set of documents that effectively delegitimises Aadhaar, voter IDs, ration cards, MGNREGA job cards and even passports. In 2025, voters need to produce birth certificates for themselves and their parents, land deeds and revenue receipts. By adding this new list of documents, the EC has inserted itself into the vicious political clash that routinely descends into accusations of being 'anti-national', converting the accuser into a self-appointed vigilante. The disruptive format and the obvious rush to get it done have transformed the Bihar election into a confrontation between the EC and non-NDA political parties. The face-off will likely spread to West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where the next round of elections are scheduled in 2026. The list of additional documents demanded is problematic for more reasons than one. Neither the Union home ministry nor the police in states that have recently embarked on a mission to identify and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh accept land deeds, school certificates, revenue receipts, pension records, caste or other certificates as proof of citizenship. As it happens, some deportees submitted land deeds, school certificates and revenue receipts going back beyond a generation. The West Bengal government has been dealing with thousands of such cases of wrongful deportation from the BJP-ruled states Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh— where, to be Bengali-speaking, lungi-wearing and Muslim seem to be enough evidence of illegality.
Canada News.Net
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
"Boundary of Kolkata airport should be sealed immediately": Suvendu Adhikari
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 26 (ANI): The leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called for the immediate sealing of the boundary at Kolkata airport. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said that the current situation at the airport poses a major security risk. 'What is happening at Kolkata Airport is a matter of great concern from a security perspective. Prayers are being performed on the ground. The boundary of Kolkata Airport is not being sealed,' he said. He expressed worry over the movement of outsiders in and around the airport premises. 'People from outside are coming and going, and there is also connectivity to China and Bangladesh from here. We have demanded that the boundary (of Kolkata Airport) be sealed,' Adhikari said. Adhikari also highlighted that two newly developed runways have still not been made operational despite being completed with central government funding. 'The two new runways for which the central government allocated a budget, and whose work has also been completed, have not been made operational. Only a single runway is functional,' he said. He attributed the delay in operating the new runway to an issue involving a religious structure. 'The reason given is the relocation of the Mosque to the secondary runway. This cannot go on,' Adhikari remarked. Calling for urgent action, he said, 'The boundary wall should be closed immediately. The boundary of such a sensitive international airport should be sealed immediately.' Meanwhile, on the occasion of International Yoga Day, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari criticised the state government for not participating in the nationwide celebration. He alleged that while both NDA and non-NDA ruled states observed the day, West Bengal deliberately skipped it. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, 'NDA and non-NDA state governments are celebrating Yoga Day today, except West Bengal, because West Bengal follows Bangladesh. It does not follow Delhi. More than 180 countries are celebrating International Yoga Day today. As Indians, we are proud of this.' The sharp remarks came as International Yoga Day was celebrated across the country, promoting the physical and mental health benefits of yoga. (ANI)
India Gazette
26-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Boundary of Kolkata airport should be sealed immediately": Suvendu Adhikari
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 26 (ANI): The leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called for the immediate sealing of the boundary at Kolkata airport. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said that the current situation at the airport poses a major security risk. 'What is happening at Kolkata Airport is a matter of great concern from a security perspective. Prayers are being performed on the ground. The boundary of Kolkata Airport is not being sealed,' he said. He expressed worry over the movement of outsiders in and around the airport premises. 'People from outside are coming and going, and there is also connectivity to China and Bangladesh from here. We have demanded that the boundary (of Kolkata Airport) be sealed,' Adhikari said. Adhikari also highlighted that two newly developed runways have still not been made operational despite being completed with central government funding. 'The two new runways for which the central government allocated a budget, and whose work has also been completed, have not been made operational. Only a single runway is functional,' he said. He attributed the delay in operating the new runway to an issue involving a religious structure. 'The reason given is the relocation of the Mosque to the secondary runway. This cannot go on,' Adhikari remarked. Calling for urgent action, he said, 'The boundary wall should be closed immediately. The boundary of such a sensitive international airport should be sealed immediately.' Meanwhile, on the occasion of International Yoga Day, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari criticised the state government for not participating in the nationwide celebration. He alleged that while both NDA and non-NDA ruled states observed the day, West Bengal deliberately skipped it. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, 'NDA and non-NDA state governments are celebrating Yoga Day today, except West Bengal, because West Bengal follows Bangladesh. It does not follow Delhi. More than 180 countries are celebrating International Yoga Day today. As Indians, we are proud of this.' The sharp remarks came as International Yoga Day was celebrated across the country, promoting the physical and mental health benefits of yoga. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Kolkata airport's boundary should be sealed immediately': Suvendu Adhikari flags ‘security risk'
The leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called for the immediate sealing of the boundary at Kolkata airport. West Bengal BJP leader and LOP Suvendu Adhikari expressed concerns over Kolkata airport's security and called for sealing off the boundaries.(HT Photo) Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said that the current situation at the airport poses a major security risk. 'What is happening at Kolkata Airport is a matter of great concern from a security perspective. Prayers are being performed on the ground. The boundary of Kolkata Airport is not being sealed,' he said. He expressed worry over the movement of outsiders in and around the airport premises. "People from outside are coming and going, and there is also connectivity to China and Bangladesh from here. We have demanded that the boundary (of Kolkata Airport) be sealed," Adhikari said. Adhikari also highlighted that two newly developed runways have still not been made operational despite being completed with central government funding. "The two new runways for which the central government allocated a budget, and whose work has also been completed, have not been made operational. Only a single runway is functional," he said. He attributed the delay in operating the new runway to an issue involving a religious structure. "The reason given is the relocation of the Mosque to the secondary runway. This cannot go on," Adhikari remarked. Calling for urgent action, he said, "The boundary wall should be closed immediately. The boundary of such a sensitive international airport should be sealed immediately." Meanwhile, on the occasion of International Yoga Day, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari criticised the state government for not participating in the nationwide celebration. He alleged that while both NDA and non-NDA ruled states observed the day, West Bengal deliberately skipped it. Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said, "NDA and non-NDA state governments are celebrating Yoga Day today, except West Bengal, because West Bengal follows Bangladesh. It does not follow Delhi. More than 180 countries are celebrating International Yoga Day today. As Indians, we are proud of this." The sharp remarks came as International Yoga Day was celebrated across the country, promoting the physical and mental health benefits of yoga. (ANI)
