The assets of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which recently rechristened itself as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), have grown by over 66 percent during 2021-22.
The annual audited accounts and annual report of contributions submitted by the party to the Election Commission of India (ECI) show that its current assets have gone up to Rs 480 crore from Rs 288 crore in 2020-21.
The party’s income during the same period jumped by a whopping 480 percent from Rs 37.65 crore to Rs 218.11 crore.
During 2021-22, the party led by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao earned Rs 153 crore through electoral bonds and another Rs 40 crore through electoral trusts. The party had no income under these two heads during the previous year.
Annual fees/subscriptions from members came down to Rs 7.54 crore from Rs 16.70 crore. There were no donations or contributions from companies during the year while the party received Rs 3.15 crore from companies in 2020-21.
The party incurred election expenditure of Rs 7.68 crore in 2021-22 against Rs 4.79 crore in 2020-21. The opening balance for the year ending March 31, 2022, was Rs 307 crore against Rs 292 crore the previous year.
The statement also shows that the party’s balance with scheduled banks for more than 12 months maturity period was Rs 451 crore in 2021-22 against Rs 256 crore in 2020-21.
At TRS plenary in April, the party president and Chief Minister KCR had said that the party was Rs 1,000 crore entity which is sufficient enough for him to jump into national politics.
Telangana: BRS assets up by 66% during 2021-22
Bommai meets Shah in Delhi to discuss K’taka Cabinet expansion
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in the national capital to discuss some key issues including the Karnataka Cabinet expansion.
According to a source, issues related to the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, Lok Sabha polls, and Karnataka Cabinet expansion would be discussed during the meeting between the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.
The meeting between Bommai and Shah lasted over four hours.
“With pressure mounting from former ministers K.S. Eshwarappa and Ramesh Jarkiholi, who have demanded their re-induction into the Karnataka Cabinet, the issue is likely to come up for discussion when Bommai meets senior BJP leaders in the national capital,” a source had earlier said.
The Karnataka assembly elections are likely to be held in April-May next year. With less than six months left for the assembly elections, the BJP has been holding a series of meetings in Karnataka as well as in Delhi.
It’ll be SP’s M-Y versus BJP’s M-Y in UP
In the New Year, the Samajwadi Party is seeking to consolidate its M-Y (Muslim- Yadav) base and pose a challenge to BJP’s M-Y (Modi-Yogi) — the latter having proved its power in the recent elections across the country.
The past year has been a roller-coaster ride for the Samajwadis in Uttar Pradesh and the party is now reworking its strategies for 2023.
The party — following the demise of its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and the rapprochement with Shivpal Singh Yadav — is working overtime to improve its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav is also trying to counter allegations of being a drawing-room politician.
He visited jailed party MLA Irfan Solanki in the Kanpur jail, a day before the latter was shifted to Maharajganj district jail.
He will also be paying a visit to Jhansi jail where another SP MLA Deepchand Yadav is lodged.
Akhilesh’s decision to meet his beleaguered party leaders is apparently designed to send a positive message to the party cadres.
The Samajwadi Party has lost three allies in UP after the 2022 Assembly polls — the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Mahaan Dal, and Janwadi Party — but the SP has, more or less, made up for the loss by bringing in Shivpal Yadav into the party fold.
Shivpal Yadav is known for his organizational skills and ability to mobilize party workers. Given an opportunity, he will play an important role in gearing up the party for the 2024 polls.
His return to the SP fold will also prevent a division in the Yadav vote base of the party.
A senior SP MLA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “Shivpal’s return to the party fold will prove to be an elixir for the party and also galvanize the veterans who had receded into their shells when the Akhilesh – Shivpal rift widened.”
According to party sources, Akhilesh will be looking towards new allies for the general elections, besides further cementing his friendship with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
He will focus on smaller parties like the Azad Samaj Party (Bhim Army) instead of looking toward the BSP and Congress.
“He knows that SP is the only party that can challenge the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The results of the recent Assembly elections where the SP appreciably increased its vote percentage and also doubled its seats, is proof that it is SP alone that can challenge the BJP alliance,” said the MLA.
Another major change in the SP strategy for 2024 polls is its decision to openly support Muslims.
Akhilesh, since he took charge of the party in 2017, has been peddling soft Hindutva and trying to shed a pro-Muslim image.
“But Akhilesh is now speaking up against atrocities on Muslims. He has realized that the SP should follow his late father’s caste formula of Muslim Yadav. The fact that he visited Irfan Solanki in jail, is a part of this strategy,” said a party leader.
The main challenge that Akhilesh will face in the coming days is the ‘respectable amalgamation’ of Shivpal Singh Yadav’s supporters. He is also expected to give a respectable position to Shivpal in the party.
According to sources, Akhilesh will ensure that winnability is the main factor in ticket distribution for the general elections.
“It is a case of every seat counts and the party will make sure that candidates are selected with care,” said a former MLC, known for his proximity to Akhilesh.
However, the biggest challenge that Akhilesh faces is that the BJP has an extremely well-oiled organizational machinery and SP is no match for it yet.
Besides, Akhilesh is leading a one-man army while the BJP has multiple leaders who carpet bomb the entire state during elections.
Banking on Telangana growth model, KCR looks to influence national politics
The year 2022 saw the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) opening a new chapter in its 20-year-old history as it rechristened itself as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) with the party supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao eyeing a key role in national politics.
With the formal launch of BRS and the recent opening of its central office in New Delhi, the party is gearing up to expand its activities to different parts of the country.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, will be projecting the Telangana development model to the rest of the country and presenting his vision to replicate the same in other states.
The coming year will determine to what extent it will influence national politics but a lot will depend on the outcome of the Assembly elections in Telangana scheduled towards the end of 2023.
If KCR leads the party to a third consecutive term in power and becomes the first leader in South India to score a hat-trick, it is likely to bolster the chances of the BRS establishing itself as a force in some other states ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
From a leader who led the movement and achieved statehood for Telangana to becoming the first chief minister of India’s youngest state and winning a second term in power, the 68-year-old is now looking to set a new record and don the mantle of a national leader.
While launching the BRS, KCR gave the slogan of “ab ki baar kisan sarkar”, thus hinting that farmers and agriculture will be at the core of his party’s strategy as it looks to make inroads in other states.
As part of his efforts to emerge as a national leader, the BRS chief distributed compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of the farmers killed during the movement against the three farm laws of the Centre. The Telangana cabinet approved Rs 22.50 crore for distribution among the families of the 750 farmers killed during a 13-month-long stir.
On every occasion, the BRS chief highlights the innovative schemes under implementation in Telangana for development of agriculture and the welfare of farmers. He has predicted that a non-BJP government will come to power at the Centre and that it will provide free electricity to farmers across the country.
Claiming that Telangana is the only state in the country supplying 24 hours free electricity to farmers, KCR has already announced that when a non-BJP government comes to power at the Centre, this will be extended to the entire country.
KCR has also been highlighting two other major schemes – Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Beema. Under Rythu Bandhu, the government is providing investment support of Rs 10,000 per acre every year irrespective of the extent of land owned by a farmer while under Rythu Beema it is providing compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of a farmer after his death whatever may be the cause of death.
The BR’s leader has also been highlighting how Telangana achieved tremendous progress in eight years.
Telangana’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) more than doubled to Rs 11.55 lakh crore while the per capita income increased to Rs 2.75 lakh in 2022 from Rs 1.24 lakh in 2014.
Overcoming electricity shortage to ensure round-the-clock electricity to all sectors, a massive increase in food production by completing several irrigation projects including Kaleshwaram, considered the world’s largest lift irrigation project, and the increase in annual IT exports to Rs 1.83 lakh crore from Rs 57,000 crore in 2014 are projected as the other achievements.
“When a new state can achieve this in such a short span of time, why can’t the rest of the country achieve this,” KCR often poses the question at public meetings.
KCR also claims that no other state can compete with Telangana in terms of welfare schemes for various sections of people. Last year, it launched another innovative scheme, Dalit Bandhu, for the socio-economic empowerment of Dalits. Under this scheme, every Dalit family will be provided Rs 10 lakh assistance to start any business of its choice.
These schemes are not only attracting national attention but a few villages in neighboring Karnataka and Maharashtra bordering Telangana have even demanded that they be merged with Telangana so that farmers and other sections of people can reap the benefits of its schemes.
The BRS is primarily looking to expand from these states and also looking at Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In tune with the priority of the agriculture sector and farmers, BRS launched a Kisan cell on the day of the launch. KCR appointed the leader of the National Farmers’ Union, Gurnam Singh Charudi of Haryana, as president of the BRS Kisan Cell.
The party has drawn up plans to go aggressive to expand after Christmas. As part of this, the BRS Kisan Cell will be launched next week in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
BRS leaders say that many former MLAs and senior political leaders with their teams and followers from various states of North, East and Central India are having discussions with KCR. The BRS chief is explaining to them what kind of policies should be adopted according to the aspirations of the people there following the geographical, social, and cultural conditions of their states.
While KCR has long been aspiring for a role in national politics by bringing together like-minded parties for a third alternative, his plans failed to take off apparently due to differences with other regional leaders over the composition of the proposed front.
Aware of the fact that with the limited Lok Sabha seats (17) that Telangana has, he will not be able to influence national politics, KCR came out with the idea of BRS. Working with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as its target, the party will be focusing on 100 Lok Sabha seats.
The BRS hopes to influence the nation with its socio-economic and political agenda by winning at least 50-80 seats. But, it remains to be seen what strategy the party will adopt to achieve this target.
“BRS will remain a fallacy unless the party wins seats outside Telangana. Currently, every state has a different dynamic and there are regional forces to cater to the expectations of the people there,” observes political analyst Palvai Raghvendra Reddy.
“KCR is wishing to go national with farmers as a key agenda. But in the past elections held across India, we have not seen farmers alone deciding the fate of an election, except in western Uttar Pradesh during the time of Chaudhary Charan Singh and once in Punjab in 2012. We have noticed how the farmers’ agenda has faltered in UP in this year’s Assembly polls,” he said.
The BRS will face challenges in every state as it seeks allies to achieve its target.
“The first major challenge before KCR would be to get prominent allies across states/regions who would be willing to contest on BRS party tickets. We are a country of divergent groups and differing sentiments, and we will have to wait and see who will align with the BRS in the immediate future,” said Reddy.
“Though the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership was seen standing with KCR during the launch of the BRS, it is unlikely they would contest as BRS in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections; and Gowdas are not that big a factor from Karnataka in the parliamentary elections,” the analyst said.
Delhi Congress gears up to welcome Bharat Jodo Yatra
The Delhi unit of Congress is all set to receive the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra as it enters the national capital through the Badarpur Border on Saturday.
The party has put all its might to make it a grand ceremony with the central leaders taking charge. Flags and hoardings have been put up along the route.
According to party sources, the Yatra will enter Delhi via Badarpur Border in the morning and reach Ashram at 10.30 a.m. After taking a morning break, the foot march will resume at 1.30 p.m. and proceed to Red Fort via Hazrat Nizamuddin India Gate.
At the Red Fort, the yatra will take a break with Rahul Gandhi paying tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at the Rajghat.
The Yatra will break for a few days and resume on January 3. Earlier, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh had said that there will be a break of nine days, to repair the containers and ready them for the harsh winter in the north.
“Also, many of the yatra participants will be able to spend time with their families after almost four months. The journey will resume on January 3, 2023.”
The yatra will resume from Ghaziabad on January 3 and proceed towards Haryana and reach Sanoli Khurd at the Panipat border on January 6. On the occasion, a massive rally will be organized the following day.
‘One-man’-ruled Akali Dal faces lowest ebb in Punjab politics
With the mass exodus of leaders, even veterans with grey flowing beards, and the sudden rise of its once two-decade-old coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab, the fractured Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which marked its centennial commemoration in 2021, is facing its worst crisis “structurally, organisationally, and even in terms of ideological leadership”.
People have rejected the SAD in the recent state Assembly polls for the second consecutive term. Its legislators in the present Legislative Assembly of 117 were reduced to a mere three, down from 15 seats in 2017-22, the lowest-ever number.
The BJP, which had won three seats in 2017 when it had contested in alliance with the Akali Dal, secured two seats this time.
The saffron party is strengthening its roots in the Sikh-dominated state under the leadership of two-time Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who is seen as a nationalist and widely respected Sikh leader in politics, and prominent Hindu face Sunil Jakhar.
Both Amarinder Singh and Jakhar, former Congress leaders, are prominent rebels.
In this year’s Assembly polls, the Akali Dal, which becomes a “one-man-ruled” party now, five-time Chief Minister and party patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, and his only son Sukhbir Singh Badal faced humiliating defeat from their respective seats.
This was the party’s worst-ever performance in the state Assembly elections, results for which were declared on March 10.
All the Badals as well as their kin lost to Aam Aadmi Party’s greenhorns.
Despite the drubbing, the elderly Badal, who firmly believes the farmers’ issue relates to the overall national interest, expresses “immense satisfaction and pride” over the strong and principled stand taken by the party “to save the beleaguered peasantry”.
He’s often quoted as saying, “Sometimes parties face ups and downs. It happens in politics. The Akalis have a long history of rejecting the lure of office and standing up for principles.”
Snapping over two-decade-long ties, the Akali Dal pulled out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020 after sharp differences emerged over the three controversial farm laws.
The Congress, which was out of power in Punjab for a decade (2007-17), got 77 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections after drubbing the Akali Dal-BJP combine.
At that time, the elderly Badal had won the Assembly elections from Lambi by defeating Congress candidate Captain Amarinder Singh by 22,770 votes.
In one of the recent interviews, senior Badal, a founder member of NDA who wants the guilty of both Gujarat and anti-Sikh riots should be punished, told media that he’s confident that the outstanding and proud legacy of the Akali Dal will be carried forward with aplomb.
The Akali Dal was one of the oldest allies of the BJP. It was among the first to support the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the shortest Prime Minister’s stint in India’s history, in 1996.
To rebuild the beleaguered party Akali Dal and prevent a further exodus of leaders, the younger Badal, who was known as the “Super Chief Minister” when the party was at the helm and has business and agricultural interests, is on toes.
Known as ‘Kaka-ji’, a term used in political circles to refer to the sons, mostly spoilt, of Punjab’s political elite, Sukhbir, 60, was Minister of State for Industries in the Vajpayee government in 1998-99. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2001.
His wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who held the portfolio of the Food Processing Industry in both Modi-led Central governments, is raking up state-specific issues in the Parliament.
The husband-wife duo won the parliamentary polls in 2019.
Despite facing successive electoral defeats under his leadership, in the 2019 parliamentary elections and the 2022 Assembly polls, both with huge margins, and the most recent exodus of veterans like Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) first woman President Bibi Jagir Kaur, party President Sukhbir Badal reconstituted a nine-member advisory board this month to assist him.
Earlier in 2020, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and his legislator son Parminder Singh Dhindsa were expelled for publicly questioning SAD’s top leadership.
“Most of the senior leaders want a change in party leadership. They want to revamp the party. The rebel voices are getting louder. It is high time for the party to introspect,” said a senior party functionary.
Interestingly, Akali Dal legislator Manpreet Singh Ayali questioned the party for acting against Bibi Jagir Kaur over her alleged links with the BJP while it supported Droupadi Murmu’s candidature for the post of President even though she was the nominee of the NDA government, that is not concerned about the issues of Sikhs.
In his recent statements, Sukhbir Badal said the Akali Dal would never swerve from its core ‘pro-Punjab’, ‘pro-minority’, ‘pro-farmers’, and ‘pro-poor’ agenda.
He says several issues related to the Sikh community and Punjab remain unresolved and the party is committed to doing its utmost to ensure they reach their logical conclusion.
The issue included securing the release of all Sikh detenues whose sentences have been commuted by the Central government on the occasion of the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev, handing over Chandigarh to Punjab as well as other issues like ensuring the status of Panjab University.
Sounding an alarm in the Lok Sabha, Harsimrat Kaur Badal this week said the drug mafia-politician nexus coupled with the rise of narco-terrorism in the AAP government in Punjab has the capacity to destroy not only the state but even the country.
Asserting that Punjab is akin to a burning volcano and on the brink of civil war due to a combination of drug trafficking coupled with the breakdown of law and order and destruction of peace and communal harmony, she added, “Never has such a situation arisen in the state earlier.”
She was making a statement under Rule 193 on the increasing menace of illicit drugs in Parliament.
She said AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal had promised to wipe out drugs in 10 days before the 2022 Assembly election, but in the last nine months, the drug menace was destabilizing Punjab and posing a threat to national security.
She added that drugs were being smuggled into Punjab along with weapons and this has witnessed the rise of narco-terrorism with the state now witnessing RPG attacks for the first time.
The Akali Dal-BJP (earlier Jana Sangh) alliance has been described as the oldest and strongest alliance in contemporary politics.
No other coalition has weathered so many political battles since March 27, 1970, when Parkash Singh Badal became the country’s youngest Chief Minister for the first time.
To date, Congress enjoyed seven full-term governments — 1952, 1957, 1962, 1972, 1992, 2002, and 2017 — in the state.
The Akali Dal made history in 1997 by becoming the first non-Congress party to complete its first full term in office since independence and has repeated this feat in 2007 and 2012.
PM Modi to chair high-level meeting on Covid situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday will chair a high-level meeting to review the situation related to Covid-19 in the country.
On Wednesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the situation in the wake of the Covid surge in China and other countries. He chaired a meeting of top officials and later asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behavior, including wearing masks in crowded places, and getting vaccinated.
As per reports, the national capital on Wednesday reported five Covid cases in the last 24 hours, while one new Covid-related death was also reported, per the government health bulletin. The Covid positivity rate in Delhi has recorded 0.19 percent and the total number of active cases stood at 27.
With eight Covid patients recovering in the last 24 hours on Wednesday, the total number of recoveries has gone to 19,80,555. The number of patients being treated in home isolation stands at 19.
With the new Covid cases, the total caseload of Delhi has jumped to 20,07,102 while the death toll is now 26,520.
2,642 new tests — 1501 RT-PCR and 1,141 Rapid Antigen – were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 4,05,70,041 while 470 vaccines were administered – 42 first doses, 131-second doses, and 307 precaution doses.
The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,73,46,397, according to the health bulletin in the national capital.
Northeast youth now have computer in hand in place of guns: Centre
The Centre on Monday informed Parliament that since 2014 it has provided ample employment opportunities to the youth of the northeastern region, with Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy saying that they now have computers in their hands in place of guns, which was the case before 2014 when the erstwhile UPA regime was in power.
Replying to a series of questions by Congress MPs from the northeast Vincent Pala and Pradyut Bordoloi on employment opportunities for the youth of the region and development works undertaken there during Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Reddy said that contrary to the situation which prevailed in the region before the BJP-led NDA government came to power at the Centre on 2014, when insurgency and curfews were the norms, now crores of rupees have been spent for the region’s development and even need-based employment has been generated.
Congress MP Pala while asking the question, sought to know why the government was giving “lip service” in the name of claiming the development of the Northeast.
To this, Reddy listed various schemes related to infrastructure development undertaken for the region and the amount of money spent in the past eight years for the purpose.
He even compared the quantum of funds spent on the region’s development by the NDA government since 2014 and those spent by the erstwhile regimes prior to 2014.
“Now the youth of the region has computers in their hands, unlike earlier when they had guns in their hands,” Reddy said while pointing to Opposition benches.
At this, Opposition Congress leaders raised objections to his comments. Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was also present in the House.
When Pala sought to know about the region-based employment generation schemes initiated by the Centre and Bordoloi raised the issue of ill-treatment of the region’s youths in various parts of the country despite their expertise in various vocations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman intervened and informed that prior to the previous budget, she had met all the Finance Ministers of the northeast and sought details about the kind of initiatives needed for the region.
She listed a few schemes started by the Centre, which are aimed at providing region-based employment opportunities to the people of the area.
Telangana building IT hubs in five more tier II towns
As part of its efforts to decentralize the growth of Information Technology (IT), the Telangana government is building IT hubs in five more districts.
State Information and Technology Minister K. T. Rama Rao said on Saturday that the IT hubs are coming up in Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Siddipet, and Adilabad.
The IT hubs in Warangal, Khammam, and Karimnagar have already been set up and are running successfully, he said.
‘As part of the 3 D Mantra – Digitise, Decarbonise and Decentralise; the state government is taking IT to District Headquarters,” the minister tweeted.
KTR, as the minister is popularly known, revealed that Nizamabad IT Hub is almost ready to be inaugurated.
He complimented MLA Ganesh Bigala for his persistent efforts along with bringing in NRI-led enterprises to invest in providing employment opportunities to locals.
The minister shared that Mahbubnagar IT Hub is also almost a month away from being inaugurated. He praised the efforts of Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud.
KTR noted that Siddipet IT hub with focused efforts of Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao is also shaping up well. He said the Siddipet hub will be unveiled in a few months.
“Nalgonda IT hub is under construction and efforts are being made to complete it expeditiously in four-six months,” he said.
The state government has already formulated a policy to take IT to tier-II towns. On many occasions, KTR said that till a couple of years ago, IT was confined to Hyderabad.
Mumbai: BJP starts ‘maafi maango’ agitation, targets MVA leaders
Accusing the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders of making controversial remarks on the birthplace of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party started its ‘maafi maang’ (Beg Forgiveness) demonstrations in Mumbai, here on Saturday.
The agitation is happening simultaneously as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and around 50 parties and groups also launched their mega-procession in south Mumbai on various issues.
State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar, senior leader Pravin Darekar, and others are spearheading the protests along with thousands of party workers waving black flags and placards, raising slogans and condemning the Sena (UBT) at different places in the city.
They have condemned the Sena (UBT)’s attempts to raise doubts about the birthplace of Dr. Ambedkar, the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution and champion of the depressed classes.
“We have sent Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut a couple of official publications authored by BJP MLC Bhai Girkar on the life of Dr. Ambedkar and urge him to read it to understand history… There are attempts to rewrite history and it is not acceptable to us. They must ask for forgiveness from the people,” said Shelar.
The BJP leaders also slammed the comments of Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader and firebrand orator Sushma Andhare for ridiculing Hindu Gods, saints, the Varkaris, etc, and demanded to know “why is Uddhav Thackeray keeping mum on all this”.
The MVA leaders like Raut and Congress state President Nana Patole have dismissed the BJP’s ‘maafi maango’ agitation as “laughable” and intended to throw a spanner in the Opposition parties’ mega-procession today.
Be prepared against tariff walls on exports by nations undergoing green transition: FM to industry
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked the Indian industry to be prepared against “tariff walls” which are likely to be imposed by nations undertaking green transitions, on Indian exports, especially steel products.
“Many nations want to fund their green transition and are imposing tariff walls on products from other nations. If we export steel to such places, it is likely to face this tariff wall or tax for the green transition. Indian industry needs to reset itself accordingly,” she said while addressing the industry body FICCI’s annual general meeting (AGM).
Sitharaman further noted that with many European nations looking to relocate to other countries for setting up manufacturing facilities, out of China, India should look to make use of this opportunity and present itself as a viable manufacturing hub for Europe. She urged the industry to prepare strategies for bringing manufacturers to India.
The minister said that during the tenure of India’s G20 presidency, Government would showcase the country as a destination to go for, investors from G20 nations, especially for manufacturing.
Stating that India continues to remain a resilient economy amid a fluid geopolitical situation, Sitharaman quoted World Economic Forum’s data, saying that by 2030, there would be 140 million middle-income households and 14 million high-net-worth households in the country.
This, she highlighted, shows the scale of India’s growth in the future. In this context, the focus of the industry should be on widening technological growth, making use of the robust framework provided by the Government, the finance minister suggested.
Jagan will decide on BRS request for support, says YSRCP leader
With Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) planning to open an office in Andhra Pradesh, a top leader of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Monday made some interesting comments.
YSRCP General Secretary and political advisor to the Andhra Pradesh government, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said if the BRS makes a request for support from his party, party President and Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will take a decision after discussing the proposal in the party.
He made it clear that the interests of Andhra Pradesh are of paramount importance to the YSRCP. He also ruled out an alliance with any party.
“We have clarity. Our leader has been saying that the interests of Andhra Pradesh are the number one priority for us. We work for this independently,” he said while interacting with media persons.
Replying to another query, Ramakrishna Reddy said the YSRCP has no plans to contest elections in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.
“Our party is dedicated to the people of Andhra Pradesh and their welfare and development. This is our only agenda. After fulfilling this, we may think of any other issue,” he said.
Ramakrishna Reddy’s comments came amid reports that BRS (earlier known as TRS) is looking to expand its footprint in Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana’s ruling party was rechristened as the BRS and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao formally launched it in Hyderabad on December 9.
BRS leaders are scouting for a suitable site in Vijayawada to establish the BRS office for Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav is likely to visit Vijayawada later this week to select one of the three land sites proposed by sympathizers of the BRS.
KCR is expected to visit Vijayawada to lay the foundation stone for the BRS office.
After the formal launch of the BRS, a huge billboard proclaiming “Jai Ho KCR” came up in Vijayawada. Hoardings to welcome the new national party have also come up in the city.
Proceeds of crime of over Rs 1000 cr of cyber and crypto assets frauds attached: Govt in LS
Proceeds of the crime of more than Rs 1000 crore related to cyber and crypto assets frauds have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the Government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Besides, estimated GST evasion by such companies was nearly Rs 22,936 crore between April 2019 and November 2022, it added.
Ministry of Finance, in a written reply, said that the Enforcement Directorate is investigating several cases related to cyber and crypto assets frauds wherein online gaming, etc. have been used for committing fraud and siphoning the proceeds generated thereof.
“In these cases, as on December 6, 2022, proceeds of crime of more than Rs.1000 crore have been attached/seized / freezed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Also, 10 Prosecution Complaints (PCs) including 02 supplementary PCs have been filed before the Special Court, PMLA,” it said.
Furthermore, it said that in so far as evasion of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is concerned, CBIC formations have initiated investigations against some gaming companies (including Online gaming companies) located in India as well as abroad. The estimated evasion of GST by these companies works out to Rs 22,936 crore, relating to the period April 2019 to November 2022.
Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary said, “Assets amounting to Rs 289.28 crore have been seized under section 37A of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.”
On a question of whether the Government proposes to ban such gaming companies, the reply said, “Necessary action as per provisions of law is taken against such companies, as mentioned above.”
On a question of whether online gaming companies are not paying income tax and whether the Income Tax Department has issued notices to many gaming companies, the reply said, “The information regarding online Gaming companies, which are not paying income tax and where the Income-tax Department has issued notices to such gaming companies, is not available, since no specific identification code for online gaming entities is available in Income Tax Return. The disclosure of information about specific taxpayers is prohibited except as provided under section 138 of the Income Tax Act, 1961.”
PM inaugurates satellite centre of All India Institute of Ayurveda in Goa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the satellite center of All India Institute of Ayurveda at the World Ayurveda Congress, thereby unveiling opportunities for ayurvedic education and the establishment of Goa as a medical tourism hub.
Speaking on the occasion at the World Ayurveda Congress, Modi said that the All India Institute of Ayurveda can play an important part in promoting medical tourism in India.
The Prime Minister said, “The spirit of Sarve Bhawantu Sukhina, Sarve Santu Niramaya meaning wellness for all can help India get ahead in the field of providing medical facilities, especially in the Ayush sector, which is full of opportunities for everyone. Goa being a hub of international tourism has the potential to become a medical tourism hub with the help of the All India Institute of Ayurveda satellite center in Goa.
“For the world, Ayurveda is a strong medium to communicating India’s deep roots in the field of traditional medicine, wellness, and holistic treatment therapies. We now need to work on the data-backed evidence to prove the effectiveness of Ayurveda to the world.”
Counting begins for Gujarat Assembly polls
The counting of ballots cast in the Gujarat Assembly elections started on Thursday across 37 centers amid tight security. For the first half an hour, ballot paper votes will be counted. The counting of EVM votes will begin at 8.30 a.m. Candidates with their supporters and counting agents have reached the stations.
Chief Electoral Officer P. Bharathi said a total of 3,16,06,968 votes will be counted. There are 3 centers, Surat (2), and Anand (2), and in the rest of the districts, counting will take place in one center each.
She added that there are 182 counting observers, 182 election officers, 494 assistant elections officers, 78 additional elections officers, and 71 additional election officers Electronically Transmitted Postal ballot system. All counting centers are equipped with CCTV cameras.
Out of a total 4,91,35,400 eligible voters, 64.33 percent cast their ballots, of which 1,69,26,152 were men and 1,46,80,371 were women.
In the 2017 general elections, 2,94,64,326 votes were polled, with a voter turnout of 68.39 percent, of which BJP polled 1,47,24,031, 49.05 percent votes, and 99 seats, whereas Congress polled 1,24,37,661 votes, 41.44 percent, and 77 seats.
Why UP bypolls are crucial for these leaders
The results of the by-elections to two Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat will not change the complexion of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly or the Lok Sabha but they will definitely decide the fate of some leaders.
The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which was declared vacant following the demise of Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, is extremely crucial for the party and the Yadav clan.
Dimple Yadav is contesting the Manipuri by-elections to claim Mulayam’s legacy.
The entire Yadav family joined hands to ensure that the seat remains in the family, estranged leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav also patched up, much to the relief of family members.
For Akhilesh, this election is extremely crucial because ever since he took over the reins of the party, he has been facing a series of defeats. From the 2017 Assembly polls to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, then the 2022 Assembly polls, and the following bypolls in Azamgarh and Rampur, the party has faced losses.
A victory in Mainpuri will not only strengthen his position as the party leader but will also boost the morale of the cadres.
These by-elections are even more crucial for senior SP leader Mohd. Azam Khan has not only been disqualified from the state assembly — which necessitated the bypoll — but has also lost his right to vote.
Azam Khan has fielded his protege Asim Raza as the SP candidate and has been making highly emotional speeches in the campaign. He knows that the victory in Rampur may ensure his survival in politics while a defeat will mark the end of his reign in Rampur.
Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Chief Jayant Chaudhury, and Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar have campaigned in Rampur.
The by-election in Khatauli is crucial for RLD, which is contesting the seat in alliance with the SP. Its candidate Madan Bhaiyya is a well-known face in the region and RLD’s victory would serve as elixir for the party and reinforce its position in western Uttar Pradesh.
BJP’s victory in these by-elections, on the other hand, will further enhance Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s position as an invincible leader and give a befitting answer to his detractors within the BJP.
Meanwhile, three-tier security arrangements are in place for the counting of votes on Thursday for the bypoll in the high-profile Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, where the SP is locked in a battle of prestige against the BJP.
The Central Para Military Force (CPMF) will guard the isolation cordon while the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) will take care of security in the inner ring and the police are managing the outer cordon at the counting venue in Mainpuri.
Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and Khatauli are the Assembly seats where results will also be declared on Thursday.
“Security at the venue is divided into three cordons — the isolation cordon, where entry will be totally restricted, and will be taken care of by the CPMF. PAC men will be stationed in the inner ring and the outer area will be manned by civil policemen,” said Superintendent of Police (Mainpuri), Kamlesh Dixit.
Ruling BJP all set to invite PM, other bigwigs for poll campaign in K’taka
The Karnataka BJP, in an upbeat mood, after post-poll surveys indicated victory in the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, is all set to invite party bigwigs to the state for campaigning.
Assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled tentatively before May 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will discuss the development and national security, whereas Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would focus on Hindutva during the campaigning, said sources.
The party has planned a series of public meetings of the central leaders as the Shri Rama Sena has announced that it would ensure the defeat of the BJP in the assembly elections.
Party insiders confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being invited to the inauguration of the Metro Phase II project in Bengaluru soon. PM Modi, who was in Bengaluru to inaugurate the Kempe Gowda International Airport Terminal 2 recently, has agreed to come again, sources said.
The 15-kilometre-long Metro route between Byappanahalli and Whitefield, which connects tech hub ITPL to the central business district, is much sought after by commuters.
This development and Modi’s appeal would boost the prospects of the BJP in the state, say, insiders. Party sources say that Yogi Adityanath would tour three coastal districts and the southern part of Karnataka.
The central leaders would tour with former CM Yediyurappa while others would focus on the north Karnataka region.
UP is a model for the whole world: Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates, Co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), said on Wednesday that Uttar Pradesh is not just a model for India, but for the entire world.
Melinda Gates met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s official residence on Wednesday and discussed enhancing technical cooperation in the fields of health, nutrition, and agriculture.
After the meeting, Adityanath tweeted, “Had a wonderful meeting with co-chair and trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at my official residence in Lucknow today. We had a fruitful discussion regarding better technical cooperation in the fields of health, nutrition, social security, and agriculture in UP.”
During the meeting, Gates lauded the work done by the Uttar Pradesh government in recent years, underlining the Covid management and encephalitis control despite a dense population.
“Amid the challenges of Covid, the way the state leadership tackled the issue of dense population and various social challenges is highly commendable,” she said. “Uttar Pradesh is a model not only for India but for the whole world,” she said.
Gates also congratulated women’s self-help groups (SHGs) for the success of the nutrition mission and praised the efforts being made to increase the income of farmers by promoting the formation of FPOs in the largest agricultural state of the country.
The Chief Minister said that he has closely seen the works of the BMGF, which has made a commendable contribution to the field of health and nutrition. Uttar Pradesh received logistics and technical support from the Foundation amid the challenges of Covid.
The Chief Minister said, “Uttar Pradesh has achieved satisfactory success in health and nutrition in recent years. About 95 percent of the deaths of innocent children caused by a disease like encephalitis have been controlled. Besides, the Foundation has cooperated with us for effective control of communicable diseases like Chikungunya and Kala-azar. We have received good cooperation from global organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, BMGF, and PATH in the field of public health, including in controlling various waterborne diseases such as encephalitis, as well as Covid management.”
Jagan calls BCs ‘backbone classes’ at massive outreach conclave
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Wednesday that BCs are not backward classes but they are the ‘backbone classes’ of the society.
In a massive outreach to the BCs, the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) organized a massive conclave ‘Jayaho BC Mahasabha’.
In what is claimed to be the first of its kind gathering, over one lakh BC leaders of YSRCP from all 175 Assembly constituencies and public representatives of the party from ministers to village heads participated in the conclave.
Leaders and representatives of 139 BCs participated in the Mahasabha, where the chief minister highlighted his government’s various welfare measures for the BC community.
He revealed that the government has disbursed Rs 1,63,000 crore to the BC community through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Non-DBT methods in the last three years.
Through DBT alone, Rs 86,000 crore was distributed to the people.
“We have taken steps to empower every sector. Of the total expenditure of Rs 3,19,227 crore spent by the government in the last 3 years under DBT & Non-DBT (for all the schemes), Rs 2,50,357 crore or 80 percent of the total amount has been spent for the SCs/STs/BCs and minorities,” he said.
Coming down heavily on Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister said TDP went to court to stall the housing scheme and English medium in schools.
“To ensure self-respect in all areas, we brought in three capitals but they went to court against that as well. Ours’ is a social justice party, TDP is social injustice party,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
The chief minister recalled that in 2014, Chandrababu Naidu had made 114 promises to BCs but he did not fulfill 10 of them.
Jagan said while Chandrababu Naidu did not send even one BC member to Rajya Sabha between 2014-2018, YSRCP sent four BCs to Rajya Sabha, and in the state legislative council out of the 32 MLCs, 18 are from the BC community.
“The Assembly speaker is from the BC community, the Council Chairman is from the SC community and the council deputy chairman is from the minority.
“Our government has empowered BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities even in the cabinet. 11 BC MLAs have been made ministers in this government and if you combine BCs, SC, STs, and minorities, the government has given 70 percent of the ministries to them,” he said.
Jagan claimed that the YSRCP government fulfilled the promises made in 2019. He announced that the BC Corporation will be constituted. The government has already formed 56 corporations.
“Permanent BC commission has been established as promised. This is the first in the country. In nominated posts, temple boards, and Agri marketing committees, our government has given 50 percent reservation for BC, SC, ST, and minorities. In the nominated contract works, we have promised 50 percent of the work to BC, SC, ST, and Minorities. We announced this by bringing an Act in the first assembly session,” he said.
For those not into traditional business, YSRCP promised welfare schemes for them. The government brought Jagananna Thodu and Cheythodu.
He pointed out that under the TDP rule, the government was spending only Rs 35,000 as fee reimbursement and the rest was borne by the parents. But now, the government is paying 100 of the fees.
YSRCP government also paid the fee reimbursement arrears of the previous govt. As of now, the government has spent Rs 9,052 crore on Jagananna Vidya Deevana.
Hostel and Mess charges have been taken care of by Jagananna Vasathi de event. The government has so far spent Rs 3,349 crore on this scheme.
MCD polls: AAP takes lead over BJP in 126 wards
The AAP is leading in 126 wards, while the BJP is ahead in 96 seats as the counting is underway in 42 centers for the December 4 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, as per the initial official trends at 10.30 am.
Meanwhile, the Congress is leading in 11 wards, Independent on 3 while Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are ahead in one each.
As the trends showed AAP leading, scores of party workers started gathering in the party’s headquarters here.
BJP has won in six wards, while AAP has emerged victorious in four. The second round of counting of EVM votes is on.
Counting for the 250 wards of the civic agency began at 8 a.m. on Wednesday amid tight security arrangements at 42 centers.
There are a total of 1,349 candidates in the fray.
The exit polls have predicted a big win for the AAP. The BJP has been at the helm for the past 15 years in the MCD and it ran a high-pitched campaign as senior leaders of the BJP campaigned in the elections.
As per exit polls released on Monday, in Chandni Chowk, which has 30 wards, 20 may go to AAP while BJP is projected to win 10 wards.
In East Delhi, where there are 36 wards, AAP may win 22, followed by BJP at 14. Out of the 25 wards in New Delhi, AAP may win 21 followed by BJP at 4.
The exit poll further predicted that of the 41 wards in the North-East district, 21 will go to BJP, followed by AAP at 17, Congress at 2, and 1 ward will go to others.