New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party has made a major allegation that Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit is turning a blind eye to the illegal smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh to Punjab. AAP leader Malwinder Singh Kang said that Purohit is the Governor of Punjab as well as the administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Every day thousands of liters of liquor are illegally smuggled into Punjab from Chandigarh but priests do nothing. Purohit constantly questions the Bhagwant Maan government on the issue of drugs in Punjab but remains silent on the illegal liquor trade. Governor is causing loss of crores to Chandigarh by promoting liquor mafia.
Purohit has announced a three-day visit to the bordering districts of Punjab from Wednesday. The Punjab government has objected to this visit. Because of that, there is already tension, now your accusation will increase the conflict.
Maken treasurer, rubber stamp of Kharge Rahul
There is talk in the Congress that by appointing Ajay Maken as the treasurer of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge has once again proved himself to be Rahul Gandhi's rubber stamp. Maken is counted among the leaders very close to Rahul Gandhi. Congress sources say that Randeep Surjewala. K.C. Rahul's special men like Venugopal and Jitendrasinh hold influence in the organization. Now with the entry of Maken, the Rahul camp has become stronger. Maken's Pawan Kumar Bansal has retired as treasurer.
Congress sources say that Maken's appointment is also an indication that the Congress will depend heavily on Rajasthan for funds in the Lok Sabha Elections. Makan is close to Ashok Gehlot, so he has also been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting funds for the Lok Sabha during the assembly elections from Rajasthan, so that there is no problem if the Congress loses.
Split in BSP, favors alliance with SP
BSP's Mayawati has again refused to join the BJP or Congress-led India Front in the Lok Sabha elections. Mayawati held a meeting with senior BSP leaders to discuss the BSP's strategy in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Sources claim that most of the top leaders in this meeting favored an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha elections.
BSP leaders say that in UP, the BSP has lost its base and there is no need to implement the strategy adopted by Kanshi Ram in the 1990s and join forces with the SP. By fighting alone, BSP will be completely washed away. The BSP did not get a single seat in the UP assembly elections. The same can happen in the Lok Sabha elections.
Ghulamani is the new Lt. Governor of Kashmir
There are speculations that Ghulam Nabi Azad, who broke away from the Congress and formed his own party, will be made the new Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by the government. The government is eager to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest but the situation in Kashmir is not pro-BJP so it is avoiding the elections. The BJP reckons that by making Azad the Lt. Governor, it will create a good feeling for the BJP in the minds of the people.
Azad has publicly said that he has no interest in becoming the lieutenant governor, but inside, BJP sources claim that he is ready. Azad is leaning towards the BJP as the government placed him on the high profile committee for One Nation, One Election.
If Azad also gets the post of lieutenant governor, it will be as if he got a bagasse. Presently Navara will return to Azad's power.
Veteran Congressman Shamanuru alleges neglect of Lingayats
Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru in Karnataka has alleged that the Congress government is neglecting the Lingayat community. Shamanuru alleges that the Lingayat community is not adequately represented in the formation of the government in Karnataka. The Lingayat community voted for the Congress in the Karnataka elections, but the Congress has marginalized them after coming to power.
Shamanuru Shivshankarappa is the oldest Congress leader in Karnataka. The 92-year-old Shamanuru has been the treasurer of the Karnataka Congress for three decades. Shamanuru, the president of Akhil Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha, has great influence over the Lingayat community.
Sources in the Congress say that Shamanuru has said this because he wants to benefit his family by putting pressure on the high command before the Lok Sabha elections. His son S.S. Mallikarjun is a minister in the Karnataka government but Shamanuru wants to get one of his grandsons a Lok Sabha ticket.
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There is no CM face of BJP in Rajasthan
Earlier the party was known as Bhaurosingh Shekhawat and later as Vasundhararaje. Hence, for the first time in the last more than three decades, BJP has decided to contest the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections without a specific CM (Chief Minister) face. Meanwhile, Jodhpuri MP Gajendrasingh Shekhawat, who is a Union Minister, is expected to contest against Congress Chief Minister Ashok Egehlot in Sardarpura. Gehlot has been elected for five terms from Sardarpura assembly constituency included in Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency. In the last election of 2018, he defeated BJP candidate Shambhu Singh by 45,387 votes.
What didn't happen in three decades will happen now: Pilot
Congress leader Sachin Pilot while addressing a Kisan Sammelan in Ajitgarh town in Srimadhopur assembly constituency said that since 1993, BJP and Congress have been ruling simultaneously in Rajasthan. However, the Congress will retain power in this matter and break the record of 30 years. Of course we have to take everyone along for that. If we do not have a government in Rajasthan, we will not be able to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, added Pilot.
Will BJP field more women candidates?
Assembly elections to be held in five states this year, while the 33 percent women's reservation law will be a major electoral issue for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP will campaign to focus on women's issues and policies, but it is not clear whether the party will field more women candidates. The implementation of the new law, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, is linked to the delimitation of constituencies from November and the census that takes place every 10 years, so its implementation is unlikely to happen immediately. Also, it should be approved by 50% of the states of the country.
Anna's rift with DMK hurts BJP
AIADMK minister Munuswami announced his party's decision to sever all ties with the BJP and the NDA, a move observers say will give the BJP a boost in winning Tamil Nadu. In fact, BJP's position in this state was like a cub sitting on AnnaDMK's back. The party could not make its presence felt, significantly. Despite BJP's efforts, since 1967, DMK and Anna DDMK have been holding the reins of power in the state. AnnaDMK has ruled the state for 30 years out of 50 years. The BJP, which has been defeated in every election since 2016, has been a burden for the AnnaDMK party. Finally, in the state assembly elections held in 2021, the All India Anna DMK got only 35 seats instead of the previous 136 seats, as a result of which the DMK-Congress party front came to power.
Once again KCR absent in PM's program
Election-State Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao once again hit Gutli. Not only this, Rao's party BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) also slammed the Center for its negligence towards the state's Palamuru irrigation project. The people of Telangana want a regime change in their state. Reacting strongly to Modi's criticism of this, the BRS said that Indians wanted a change in the central government.
- Inder Sahni
