With the Lok Sabha polls approaching at a rapid pace, there have been numerous political developments across the nation. Here’s a brief glimpse.
Up north, AAP’s lone MP and Punjab leader Sushil Kumar Rinku joined the BJP, but the saffron party has failed to reach an agreement with SAD, to contest the polls as allies.
Ahead of the general elections, the central government has said it will consider revoking AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir as the Union territory will see its first major elections following the Article 370 abrogation.
In Himachal, BJP has fielded Kangana Ranaut from Mandi and has also decided to field all six Congress turncoats in the assembly by-polls.
To the east, BJP has also struck out with BJD, which will be contesting from Odisha alone. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan has finally seen some progress in Bihar, with RJD to contest 26 seats, Congress 9, and Left 5.
In Bengal, where Mamata plans to wage war alone against the BJP, there have been negative posters against the saffron party’s Basirhat candidate, and Sandeshkhali survivor and activist Rekha Patra. Modi, however, got on a call with her, hailing Patra as ‘Shakti Swaroopa’.
While the posters against Patra were in poor taste, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh’s comments on the CM were in the same vein. His remark over Mamata’s parentage drew ire, and the leader has been hit with an EC notice.
In the west, most of the political action has been centred in Maharashtra where the Pawar family bastion Baramati is likely to see a triangular fight among BJP candidate Shivatre, NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, and Sunetra, the wife of Ajit Pawar, who has headed to the NDA fold.
The opposition alliance in Maharashtra was meanwhile dealt a blow when Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray decided to unilaterally announce the list of candidates from his party who would be contesting while seat-sharing talks were still on.
Interestingly, an hour after Sena (UBT) member Amol Kirtikar’s name was announced, he received an ED summons to appear over the alleged ‘khichdi’ scam. If candidature is here, can central agency probes be far behind?
Congress’s Supriya Shrinate found herself in trouble over a derogatory post from her social media account targeted at Kangana Ranaut. While she apologised and took down the post, the furore was nowhere close to being quelled. BJP promised legal action and she too received an EC notice, prompting Congress to drop her as a Lok Sabha candidate amid the controversy.
Down south, in Tamil Nadu M K Stalin’s fight against the Governor continues. In his party – AIADMK’s – manifesto, the fact that governor appointment must require state consultation finds a mention. Some days back, the state had even moved the Supreme Court over Governor R N Ravi’s refusal to induct K Ponmudy into the cabinet. After a rap from the top court, the oath was administered.
On the other hand, the DMK manifesto promising to stop the Mekedatu project has raised eyebrows in Karnataka, with the BJP urging the Siddaramaiah government to make its stance clear about its I.N.D.I.A. ally’s promise.
The saffron party is, however, facing dissidence in the state, with K S Eshwarappa clearly miffed and not willing to back down from his rebellious path. Though state president and B S Yeddiyurappa’s son, Vijayendra, has assured that all is well, KSE has recently alleged that his supporters are getting death threat calls.
There might be trouble brewing in the Mandya seat too, where BJP’s partner JD(S) will have party leader H D Kumaraswamy contesting, which is bound to ruffle Sumalatha’s feathers, but she’s surprisingly gone silent.
In Dharwad, Lingayat seers have demanded that Pralhad Joshi be replaced as the Lok Sabha candidate, setting a March 31 deadline.
Quashing all speculation of contesting from Karnataka, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman – who has assets worth over Rs 2 crore – has said she does not have the money to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
