Congress, AAP step up demand for resignation of four BJP women Ministers

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are embroiled in a row over extending help to tainted former IPL boss Lalit Modi while HRD Minister Smriti Irani faced trouble with a Delhi court taking cognizance of a complaint against her for allegedly misrepresenting educational qualifications in her election affidavits. Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde is the fourth Minister caught in a row.
   
Sharpening its attack on BJP after the emergence of a document backing Lalit Modi's immigration application in the UK which purportedly bears Raje's signature, the Congress said the party should ask the Chief Minister to step down as it can no longer "continue to defend the indefensible".
   
"I am of the opinion that after what has now been made public, there is absolutely no scope left, no face left for BJP to manoeuvre and defend its leadership," it said.
  
"There cannot be two laws in this country. One for common citizens and one for high-ranking BJP officials. Therefore... I think it is in the best interest of the state and also of BJP to ask the chief minister to put in her papers as soon as possible," Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said.
   
Congress staged twin protests at Jantar Mantar and outside its headquarters and demanded the immediate resignation of Swaraj, Irani and Raje.
   
The protesters also tore an effigy of Irani and placards inscribed with messages that mocked the "farce" of her academic qualifications and warned the government against "toying with education".
   
Scores of AAP workers staged a protest outside Irani's residence demanding her resignation.
   
Congress's Delhi unit chief Lalit Maken accused the prime minister of "inaction" in the wake of the raging controversies involving his party leaders.

Source: Latest News

People want governance not controversies: Jaitley to Kejriwal

"The people of Delhi experimented with a new party in the elections, but it is a very costly experiment because governance is not their political agenda," Jaitley cited. He was speaking at Delhi BJP's Executive Committee meeting.

In an apparent reference to various controversies surrounding the AAP government, particularly the tussle between Kejriwal and Jung, Jaitley asserted people of Delhi want governance and the ruling dispensation must understand it.

"Whatever is happening in Delhi in last few months, it seems coming days may be be painful. The AAP government came following a huge mandate. They should understand their responsibilities. People want governance and not controversy. So they should understand their responsibilities and fulfil people's expectations," he added.

Source: Latest News

Congress, AAP protest in Lok Sabha over Moga molestation incident

Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Ravneet Singh Bittu (Congress) demanded that the transport company running the bus should be suspended like Uber was in Delhi and took a swipe at Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was present and whose family runs the service in Punjab.

Bhagwant Mann (AAP) also spoke on the matter but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed him after he too mentioned Kaur's name.

"Don't do politics over such a incident. This is very wrong. Where are you taking this issue?" the Speaker told Bittu when he attacked the ruling clan in the state.

"You want to do politics or you are with the girl," Mahajan said, pulling up Mann, who came into the Well in protest.

Bittu said Kaur had jumped to the state government's defence on Wednesday when Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of farmers and she should speak on this "shameful" issue as well.   

The Lower House had earlier in the day seen protests from Congress and AAP over the incident in Moga area.

Members of both the parties from Punjab stormed the Well of the House denouncing the Akali Dal-BJP government in the state over the law and order situation.

Source: Latest News

PM Modi urges Arvind Kejriwal to join BJP

According to sources, after the poll debacle in Delhi in which Kejriwal-led AAP has reduced BJP to a mere three seats and wiped out Congress from the national capital, Modi and Amit Shah decided to rope in the activist-turned politician in the saffron alliance to fulfill their dream of making 'India Congress Free'.

The sources further said, Modi has deployed Anna Hazare's former aide and BJP CM candidate in Delhi Kiran Bedi to convince Kejriwal for which the latter agreed.

Kejriwal along with 50 MLAs of his party will join BJP in the first week of April, sources said.

However, deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has parted ways from Kejriwal and with the help of remaining 17 MLAs he will float a new party in Delhi.

Find Latest News from Latest India News

BJP, Cong and JD(U) attack AAP on expulsions

"Evicting Yadav and Bhushan from PAC will further create controversy. What will happen to promises they made to people who blindly trusted such new party which called themselves different from the BJP and Congress," senior BJP leader Vijay Goel said here.

Goel also said that Aam Aadmi Party has duped the people of national capital. "When members of PAC can be evicted, you can imagine what happens to workers in the AAP. They should fulfil all their promises, putting such controversy on end," the BJP leader also said.

Congress also came down heavily on AAP, saying there is no internal democracy within the party. "Like BJP, dictatorship also prevails in Aam Aadmi Party. BJP has formed Margdarshak Mandal, but its leaders don't listen to members of this Mandal the same situation is with AAP where only some persons are listened," Congress leader Jai Parkash Aggarwal said.

Find Latest News from Latest India News 

Remo's decision to quit politics will affect AAP

"Yes it will be a setback but Remo's heart is with Aam Aadmi Party and its principles," party spokesperson Oscar Rebello told a press conference on Saturday.

Remo, who was initially being talked about as the party's candidate for the South Goa constituency, opted to take backseat after a mere two month stint with the party. The musician claimed that his participation in active politics was squelching his music.

"Even as a normal party worker, however I gave 100 percent of my time and mind-space when I did get involved (with AAP) because that is my nature... But the mind space required in politics is full of... well, politics. External, and most unfortunately internal. Enough to kill music in me forever," Remo said in his Facebook post announcing his resignation.

Rebello said while Remo may not be available for active politicking duties, he did not rule out the musician attending some of the key public meetings organized by the party.

(Agencies)

Source: Breaking News

AAP magic waning? Shazia, Vishwas discontent over tickets distribution

Things are yet to be decided within AAP camp regarding Lok Sabha polls and several leaders have already started showing signs of discord. Poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas, who has been fielded against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, is now questioning the modus operandi of the party.

Expressing chagrin over functioning of the AAP and old party workers getting marginalized, another key AAP leader and well known former journalist Shazia Ilmi also joined the Vishwas bandwagon. Shazia is said to be upset with Kejriwal for not awarding her ticket for fighting Lok Sabha polls from Delhi.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal, maintaining a tough stand, has drawn a parallel between the rebels and his latest pot-shots taken at Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

More skeletons emerged out of closet on Tuesday after Kumar Vishwas expressed his annoyance over distribution tickets for Lok Sabha polls. Pouring out his ‘displeasure, Kumar wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter – “If dirty waters make its way into a river, even those holding reverence towards it will have apprehensions before taking holy dip.”

According to sources, Kumar Vishwas tried to speak to party leader Sanjay Singh and Kejriwal regarding distribution of party tickets several times but his views were not given any importance. 

The AAP could face fire over selection of candidates and Kejriwal may find it difficult to come up with any convincing explanation this time.

Shazia Ilmi, who wishes to contest Lok Sabha polls from the national capital, is disappointed for not getting ticket. Such has been the extent of her discontentment that she even refused to contest against Congress president Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareilly. However, Shazia in a tweet said that she never wished to contest from Delhi.

Amid all these developments, Kejriwal has been quite hard-nosed over his stand and he is determined not to give in before Shazia or Kumar Vishwas. In this very context, Kejriwal wrote on Twitter, “Ever since I trained my guns on Narendra Modi, things started unfolding in a very interesting manner. Several relationships are donning new meanings but truth will triumph.”

Sources close to Kejriwal believes that the ex-Delhi chief minister will not compromise a bit on his stand.

JPN/Bureau

Source: Latest News

LS polls: AAP to field candidates against A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran

"Definitely, we will field candidates against leaders who are dipped in scams. We will field candidates against A Raja in Nilgiris and Dayanidhi Maran in Central Chennai," AAP's Tamil Nadu convenor David Barunkumar told reporters in Chennai.

   

He said that the first list of candidates and constituencies would be released later this week. "We hope the first list of candidates will be announced by this Sunday or Monday", he said.

    

On whether anti-nuclear activist SP Udhayakumar, who has joined the AAP, would contest the polls in the wake of several cases filed against him, David said, "We will support Udhayakumar. Even if he is arrested, he will file his nominations from jail and contest the elections.”

    

On being asked whether AAP would try to forge a partnership with the Left parties in Tamil Nadu in the wake of their snapping ties with ruling AIADMK, he alleged that they were ‘not living upto the principles of communist parties’.

   

The meet also saw journalist Vaseegaran joining AAP in the presence of state office bearers of the party.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

Kejriwal keeps AAP’s big guns away from Delhi

One of Kejriwal’s close aides, Kumar Vishwas is working at length in Amethi after he was given ticket to take on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Similarly, other senior leaders like Gopal Rai, Shazia Ilmi and Sanjay Singh have also been kept away from Delhi.

In Delhi, most of the AAP candidates for the LS elections were common party workers till few days back, who worked really hard in their areas to create a name for themselves.

AAP had already made it clear that they won’t give LS tickets to their sitting MLAs from Delhi and that is why senior leader Manish Sisodia had been kept away from the Delhi Lok Sabha elections.

There were speculations that contrary to their party principles, Kejriwal and Ilmi might contest elections from South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies but once AAP released its fourth list on Monday, the matter was settled.

The top leaders from AAP, who are close to Kejriwal, would be working to strengthen the organization at the grass root level.  Their responsibility would also include creating a wave in favour of their LS candidates in Delhi.

(JPN/Bureau)

Source: Breaking News

Sidhu, VK Singh in line to contest polls from Ghaziabad on BJP ticket

Apart from Sidhu, General VK Singh and Baleshwar Tyagi are also in the race to contest elections from Ghaziabad with an eye on neutralizing any effect of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the NCR region.

BJP has of late drawn flak over its mismanagement in distributing tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Alternatively, AAP has yet not named its candidate from the Ghaziabad constituency, which has kept rival political honchos guessing over this matter.

By giving ticket to Dr Himanshu Singh from Meerut, AAP has already signaled its intent of cornering its rivals on this particular seat.

As per other reports coming, BJP president Rajnath Singh can contest elections from either Gautam Budh Nagar or Meerut seat.

BJP’s Parliamentary Board would release the list of candidates till March 13 and before that party’s senior leaders would start mulling over the caste equation in the Western UP from a scratch.

The Ghaziabad seat has around 22 lakh voters, out of which more than 1.6 lakh are regional voters.  Considering all these factors, VK Singh and Sangeet Som’s names are also being discussed.

Under pressure from its NDA ally Akali Dal, BJP can also gamble on Sidhu from the Ghaziabad constituency.

BJP high command is also brainstorming over General VK Singh’s name from Ghaziabad, which can counterbalance AAP’s effect there. Singh has expressed desire to contest LS elections from the Bhiwani seat, however, the party leaders have not paid much heed to it.

AAP also tried to rope in former Union home minister Baleshwar Tyagi, who has a clean image, for the Ghaziabad seat but he has expressed desire to contest election on BJP seat only. Tyagi’s name for the Ghaziabad seat has also been recommended by former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh.

Accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots, BJP leader Sangeet Som has also proposed his candidature from the Ghaziabad and Muzaffarnagar constituencies. Good number of regional voters, presence of 12 to five regional MLAs in Western UP and his youth image are some of the arguments that Som put forward to the party high command in support of his candidacy.

According to the latest indications, Rajnath Singh’s camp has shown keen interest in the Gautam Budh Nagar and Meerut-Hapur seat, which has spiced up the political equations in the state.  On the other hand, Vaishya candidate Rajendra Agrawal’s name is leading the pack from the Meerut constituency.

(JPN/Bureau)

Source: Latest News

AAP likely to contest six-seven seats in Bengal

The party is currently running membership drives in the districts as well as parts of Kolkata, which, it claims, has generated a "positive and exciting" response.

   

AAP's national spokesperson Deepak Vajpayee said, "Going by the excitement and positive response that we have received during the membership drive, it will be proper to contest some seats in the Lok Sabha polls."

   

It had not yet been decided how many seats the party would fight, though, Vajpayee said. But, Rakesh Jha, AAP leader in Bengal, said, "We will contest six to seven Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, out of which three are Kolkata North, Kolkata South and Jadavpur.

Other seats are yet to be decided."

   

Jha said that the main plank of their campaign would be drive against corruption, under which comes the chit fund scam in the state, but they would also highlight state-specific issues like growing crimes against women.

The Aam Aadmi Party would also try to capitalize on the "resentment" against the Trinamool Congress which is in power since May, 2011, he said.

   

The AAP's Bengal chapter rolled out a cadre-training programme last week at the Indian Association Building and also started a "Jhadu Chalo Yatra" from February 15 to February 23 to familiarize the people in Bengal with the party and its agenda.

   

AAP leaders in Bengal claimed that the membership of the party at present stood around 1.5 lakhs, some of whom, they said, would be drafted as active volunteers.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

LS polls: AAP to spice up triangular contest on Nagpur seat

Damania will contest against former BJP president Nitin Gadkari from this prestigious seat.

The political picture on this seat is likely to be clear once Congress announces its list of candidates in the coming week. Sources say that incumbent Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar in all probability will be given another term.

According to sources, AAP dropped the idea of fielding a local candidate against Gadkari and selected 44-year-old Damania, as it failed to find a suitable candidate to take on the BJP heavyweight in his stronghold.

   

AAP's chances in their maiden run of securing sizeable votes have considerably brightened with Damania's nomination from the Nagpur seat, despite she being described as an 'outsider' by the BJP and Congress, sources said.

"Even if she doesn't win, she will ensure Gadkari's defeat, which is the objective of the party," they said.

As per AAP sources, most of the politicians on their target belong to the UPA, particularly top ministers besides Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi but Gadkari is the only NDA politician from Maharashtra on their radar.

The activist had accused the former BJP president of being hand-in-glove with Sharad Pawar to suppress the alleged irregularities related to irrigation projects in the state.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

AAP may emerge as ‘third force’ in MP: Alok Agarwal

"Be it the BJP or Congress, both the parties indulge in politics of loot. People of this region are fed up with them. There is a strong possibility of Aam Aadmi Party emerging as the third force, as the voters are now looking for a better alternative," the 46-year-old leader said on Sunday.

Agarwal, who is a 1989-batch graduate in chemical engineering from IIT Kanpur, claimed the Aam Aadmi Party can provide a strong alternative to the voters of the state. He said the entire organizational network of Narmada Bachao Aandolan is supporting AAP.

Announcing the launch of his campaign for the elections, he said, “During the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, while raising the national issues like unemployment and inflation, we would also take up the local issues.”

Apart from corruption and poverty, we would also raise burning issues like rise in crimes against women and the problems of farmers and tribals, he said.

   

Agarwal will be contesting from Khandwa seat, which is presently represented by state Congress president and former union minister Arun Yadav.

   

He alleged that Yadav had forgotten the Khandwa constituency ever since his victory in 2009 and failed to raise issues of the region.

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

AAP trying to emerge as third alternative in Gujarat

The AAP is confident that breaking the jinx, it would emerge as an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress in the coming elections, party state convener Sukhdev Patel said.    

The state has witnessed formation of many small and big political parties since its inception in 1960, but those parties have fizzled out due to lack of electoral success, a trend which is in contrast to many other Indian states, where regional parties are becoming stronger day-by-day.
   
Former chief minister Chimanbhai Patel had formed his Kisan Mazdoor Lok Paksh (KIMLOP) but it did not take off as expected. Later, he along with Chabbildas Mehta formed Janta Dal (Gujarat) also, but later merged it with the Congress party.
   
Another ex-chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, dividing the BJP formed his own party called Rashtriya Janta Party (RJP), which he later amalgamated into the Congress due to lack of electoral success.
   
Former CM Keshubhai Patel formed the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) just before the 2012 elections but now is on the verge of merging with BJP after his announcement to retire and other members mulling to rejoin the saffron outfit.
   
Several other small parties were formed but did not survive in Gujarat. Also, neither Left or other regional parties like Shiv Sena which tried to spread its wings met any success.    

"Its true that no third party has survived in the state except BJP and Congress..we accept it but AAP is different than political parties which were created earlier," Patel said.
   
"In the past, dissidents of BJP or Congress had revolted to form political parties as they felt that injustice have been meted out to them. They could not succeed in elections and all the parties formed by them had to wind up," he said.
       
"AAP is different, as it is not a regional party but a national party, formed with a view to give corruption-free governance," Patel said.

"If membership drive before the Lok Sabha elections is any indication, we have so far been able to register four lakh people from Gujarat, which shows that general public is not happy with either the ruling BJP or Congress," Patel said.    

"There is a match fixing between Congress and BJP and that is the reason people are coming in large number to join us," he said.
   
The Congress and BJP have however, dismissed the possibility of AAP emerging as a thrid party in the state 'defying history'.
   
"In the history of this state, it has not accepted any third party, unlike in many other states. They might get some benefit of their stance against corruption but the party has not yet made any mark in Gujarat," Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.
   
A BJP leader said, "Any number of parties are welcome to fight elections here, but the historical trend has been that the state has accepted a two-party system and rejected the third party outrightly."

(Agencies)

Source: Latest News

Swaraj Bill gets Delhi Cabinet nod

However, no transaction of business took place during the first day of the Assembly session due to disruption caused by Congress and BJP MLAs demanding Law Minister Somnath
Bharti's resignation.
   
A detailed discussion on Swaraj Bill was also held in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. Touted as a measure for achieving true 'self-rule', the Bill provides for decentralisation of power by setting up mohalla sabhas at ward level.

   
Senior government officials had held a meeting on Sunday and finalized the modalities of Swaraj Bill which intends to put in place mohalla sabhas where power would be given to the common people to solve problems at the local level.
   
Former chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh SC Behar, drafted Swaraj Bill along with some experts.
   
Seeking to dispel the fear that AAP members would take over Mohalla sabhas, Behar had said "under the Bill, mohalla sabhas are being made strong. However, it is not that party members will take their control.

 (Agencies)

Source: Latest News