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Friction ensued among factions of J&K Congress due to G-23- J&K INC leaders met Rahul Gandhi

Mir-Azad

Ghulam Ahmed Mir, the chief of J&K Pradesh Congress committee met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, in the presence of AICC-in-charge for J&K affairs, Rajni Patil, in the late hours of Tuesday. This meeting comes in the wake of the political meandering on the former Rajya Sabha member & Senior INC leader, Ghulam nabi Azad.

An official statement issued, in this regard, stated that, Rahul Gandhi was apprised of the situation and the current state of affairs on the political front in J&K. The leaders informed and updated him about the protests and agitations against the humungous price hikes of petrol, diesel, gas, and the decision to impose property tax & other taxes in the erstwhile state. These developments have overburdened the already distressed residents of J&K.

Also Read: Land laws and associated acts of J&K changed by the Central government, Gupkar alliance calls this a “huge betrayal”

In order to strengthen the party (INC) & augment and enhance the organizational structure at various levels in J&K, the PCC president sought guidelines from the high command.

The PCC leader was asked by Rahul Gandhi to continue works on highlighting the wrongdoings of the (central) government. The official statement also reflected that a special focus was asked to be put on the anti-people decisions of Modi government towards J&K.

Impacts of G-23 meeting 

GN Azad had recently held the G-23 summit, formed of the dissenters in the congress, in Jammu on Saturday & on Sunday. Subsequently, on Tuesday, a faction of the JKPCC under the leadership of secretary Shahnawaz Choudhary burnt Azad’s effigy for praising the PM in the Jammu meeting of the G-23. The faction of the JKPCC also blamed Azad for weakening the party. This led to friction with another group within J&K Congress unit. Another faction led by district Congress Committee Jammu urban general secretary Anil Kohli and PCC executive member Gourav Chopra registered their protests against Choudhary and asked for his removal from the PCC.

GA Mir, the JKPCC president tried to play down the symptoms of factionalism brewing inside the congress, specifically triggered through the comments of the leaders at the G-23 meeting. Mir also played down the event of Tuesday, stating that the INC is a very big party and everyone analyzes the developments from his/her understandings, & that everybody has the right to express oneself.

Though the JKPCC president is trying to save the INC from the impacts of the G-23 meetings, it cannot be avoided that the dissenters are seeking to spread out to states like Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Prior to the party’s presidential election, which is expected to take place in May-end, a prominent G-23 face, Anand Sharma will probably meet up with leaders in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab which can be problematic for the INC-high command.

While the political environment in the J&KPCC is witnessing the INC dealing with the friction between the Shahnawaz Choudhary & the likes of Azad, the high command cannot avoid the developments with respect to the meetings and the decisions being taken at the G-23 meetings of the dissenters.

Also Read: Anand Sharma said on Congress pact with Abbas Siddiqui’s party that it is against core ideology

After the praise of Modi by Azad and the criticism of the Left-Congress joining hands with the ISF in West Bengal, the dissenters or rather the G-23 members can prove to be problematic for INC, especially when it is set to face five major elections in India (West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, TN, Puducherry).

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Kapil Sibal criticizes central government and BJP over the poriborton call in West Bengal election

Kapil-sibal

On Tuesday, Kapil Sibal, a prominent Congress leader took a jibe at the Central Government, saying that will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) introduce a similar change that it brought after 2014 including demonetization.

Taking to Twitter, Kapil Sibal said: “Modiji In a public meeting in West Bengal allegedly said: ”…will bring ‘ashol poriborton’ (real change) in Bengal”.”

The Congress leader, in his tweet, then listed out some of the changes brought under his prime ministership from 2014, such as “notebandi (demonetization), ‘note’ bank politics, topple governments, persecute those who oppose, sell dreams, data manipulation among others.

This comes amid an intense tussle between the TMC and the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal this year. The BJP is trying to gain an appreciable hold in Bengal politics by carrying out exercises like rath yatras, which are blamed to be having a polarization effect on the populace. It has also gained new turncoat leaders who defected from the TMC-camp. On the other hand, the Congress and the Left front have formed an alliance, with possible room for adjustment for the newbie party-Indian Secular front launched by the Pirzada, Abbas Siddique of Furfurasharif in Hooghly.

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Puducherry situation: On failing to prove majority, CM Narayanasamy submits resignation- heavily criticized the BJP & central government-VCK party termed the collapse a dress rehearsal for what is to happen in Tamil Nadu

Puducherry news

After chief minister V Narayanasamy submitted his and his cabinet colleagues’ resignation letters in the wake of the ruling Congress losing its majority in the assembly, the BJP Puducherry unit said on Monday that the party would not stake a claim to form a government in the Union territory at this stage(but after the elections).

Politicians have taken to Twitter to react to Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy’s resignation on Monday, February 22 over losing his party’s trust vote in the Puducherry Assembly. The Congress in Puducherry had been hit by a spate of resignations in the last one month. Accusing Kiran Bedi, who was removed as the union territory’s lieutenant governor last week, of colluding with the opposition and trying to topple the government, the Congress leader said, “Because of the support of my MLAs, we were able to complete almost five years of our government.”

On the other hand, in a statement, BJP-Puducherry president V Saminathan said that the NDA formed of the BJP, All India NR Congress & AIADMK would form the government with the blessings of the people after the upcoming elections.  Saminathan said that Puducherry needs a new era, new government, new culture of public service and a new vision and leadership.

Thol Thirumavalavan, MP and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi party called the collapse of the Puduchery government a “dress rehearsal for what is to happen in Tamil Nadu”.

VCK, in the press release further alleged that, “BJP, which is incapable of winning a single seat by winning the people’s mandate, is trying to gain a foothold in Puducherry by such backdoor entry. The people of Puducherry will never accept such manoeuvring. We wish to warn these selfish people and anti-democratic forces that the people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will teach them a lesson.”

Also Read: Political crisis in Puducherry: Congress government loses majority-Kiran Bedi removed as LG

Narayanasamy on Monday charged central government with “murdering democracy” by removing a democratically-formed government at the fag-end of its tenure. He also accused the Union government of destabilizing and toppling an elected government through “engineering defections using investigative agencies” and by “inducements”.

Moving the Motion of Confidence in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the Centre had been trying to destabilize his government for a long time like “they did” in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Goa but the Congress-DMK combine was able to thwart the attempts as recently as last week.

Squarely blaming the BJP-led NDA government for toppling his government, he said “Just because they have power they think they can do anything in the country. Atrocities against Dalits and minorities continue in the country. Don’t the minorities have the right to live in the country? The Opposition parties here will be also judged by the people for supporting the Centre’s move.”

He also said, “What was the necessity to remove a democratically-elected government just around ten days before the announcement for the Assembly elections? The Centre uses Income Tax [Department], Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate to threaten Opposition leaders [in order] to form their government. In our camp, we had some timid legislators (referring to those resigned) the BJP was successful in weaning away. The people of the Union Territory are watching the developments.”

“We will face the electorate and explain to the people how best we served despite so much interference and obstruction,” he further added. Mr. Narayansamy reminded the Opposition about the Congress-DMK candidates’ victories in bypolls and Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Mr. Narayansamy castigated the centre stating that the PM often spoke about the need for cooperative federalism, but his government functioned contrary to the concept. No consultation was done with the elected government before appointing nominated legislators, the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Congress leader further said.

“The schemes and decisions proposed by the Cabinet were blocked or referred to the Centre by the former Lt Governor Kiran Bedi”, he said adding, “Using Ms Bedi, the Centre took away our powers and did not allow us to function.”

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Congress may contest on 93 seats in West Bengal election-ISF’s demand deemed unrealistic

West Bengal election

In what would be the first major state election in India this year, discussions on seat sharing between Left & the Congress continue with various speculations making rounds of the political circles in West Bengal.

Indian National Congress will contest around 93 seats in the West Bengal Assembly election in alliance with the Left and Indian Secular Front, sources said, as seat-sharing talks among the alliance partners continued on Thursday.

The Congress last time had contested 92 seats and won 44 in which about 20 MLAs crossed to the ruling TMC. The Congress is the second-largest party in the outgoing Assembly holding the Leader of Opposition’s post.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

The Congress and Left had missed the earlier seat-sharing deadline which was January 31. The party is now pressing its state unit to finalize the seat-sharing agreement so that the preparations for the election could be started immediately.

Also See: What are the problem areas of TMC and the chances of BJP in this election season in West Bengal

The main focus of the party will be on quality of seats and not quantity, unlike in Bihar where the party contested 70 seats but won only 19.

The Congress has set up a committee to chalk out a seat-sharing agreement with the Left parties, which includes Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Abdul Mannan, Pradeep Bhattacharya, and Nepal Mahato.

The seat-sharing deal between the Left-Congress alliance and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) appeared to be in deep water as Bengal’s new political entrant, launched by Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui, demanded 45 seats and the alliance agreed to leave 25.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

A Left Front leader described the ISF’s demand as “unrealistic”, and said that dialogues are on to settle the deal as they are trying to stitch an alliance to defeat the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

The Congress, however, made it clear that it would not accommodate the AIMIM in the alliance. The AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, during his Bengal visit and meeting with Abbas last month, had announced that his party would contest in the upcoming Assembly elections under the leadership of the influential cleric of the Furfura Sharif.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

Left Front chairman Biman Bose had earlier said that the seat adjustment deal with the Congress would be finalized smoothly. With Abbas Siddiqui’s demand of 45 seats, the final seat adjustment cannot be announced even though only two months are left for the parties to go for electioneering, said a CPI(M) leader.

Sources in the CPI(M) said that the party is more amenable to take ISF on board as it needs to access to Muslim votes in rural Bengal considered as TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s strong vote-bank.

The Congress-Left alliance want to make the Assembly polls a triangular contest not only between TMC and BJP but also with the alliance in the play.

The TMC is eyeing a third term in West Bengal; however many leaders including close aides of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have switched sides to the BJP, even as the saffron party is upbeat about the polls and central leaders of the party are visiting the state frequently.

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Update on Punjab Municipal election: Farmers’ movement scorches BJP in the municipal elections in Punjab- landslide victory for Congress

Municipal election Punjab

The ruling party in Punjab, Congress, recorded a  landslide victory in the urban local body election, on Wednesday, amidst widespread support in Punjab for farmers protesting against the new farm laws passed by GOI. The party won 1,399 of the 2,165 municipal wards, and six of the eight municipal corporations, with the result of the Mohali Corporation postponed for Thursday.

Hopes of BJP that a good performance in the urban areas would ease some pressure off it on the laws were completely squashed. Having split from long-time ally Akali Dal, it lost even strongholds like Pathankot, Sujanpur, Batala, and Abohar, winning only 49 wards. The Independents, who won from 329 wards, finished second behind the Congress.

The Congress won 1,128 of the 1,815 wards in municipal councils, and 271 of the 350 municipal corporation seats, with the Akali Dal trailing at 252 and 33 respectively, the BJP at 29 and 20, and the AAP at 53 and nine. The remaining went largely to Independents, with the BSP (K) and CPI picking up 13 and 12 wards, respectively.

The polls held on February 14, to eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils and nagar-panchayats, were the first elections in the state since the farm-laws were passed.

The results came as a big morale booster for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, with the elections seen as “semi-finals” for the Assembly polls due early next year. Singh has walked a tightrope over the laws, supporting the farmers while trying to resolve the deadlock over their demands. The CM hailed the results as a validation of his government’s “development-oriented policies and programmes” and a rejection of the Opposition’s “anti-people actions”. “All these parties shamelessly trampled the rights of farmers, with the clear aim of destroying Punjab,” he said, adding that the Akalis’ and AAP’s “crocodile tears” for farmers had failed to fool voters. “With these results, all these parties have got a foretaste of the things to come in the Assembly elections.”

Soon after the results, PPCC president Sunil Kumar Jakhar gave the slogan ‘Captain for 2022’. “He (Amarinder) has proved that he is the only Captain who can steer the ship of the state in turbulent waters,” Jakhar said.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal tweeted, “History has been made. Bathinda will get a Congress Mayor for the first time in 53 years.” The Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Badal is the sitting MP from Bathinda.

The results showed that the anger against the farm-laws continues to singe the Akali Dal despite it severing its ties with the BJP and giving up a Union Cabinet berth. In a written statement, party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema claimed that the Congress win was due to “State sponsored repression”. The statement added, “It seems the civil machinery and the Punjab Police have won the day for the Congress along with equal help from the State Election Commission(SEC). Nomination papers of more than 500 SAD candidates alone were rejected along with a couple of hundred of other parties.”

AAP MLA and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said that the party welcomes the “fatwa” issued by the voters of Punjab, while adding that the results showed the party had significantly increased its base in urban areas, despite contesting its first local body elections in the state.

The Congress holds a majority in 87 of the 109 municipal councils after the results. A congress spokesperson said that it would have control eventually over 102 municipal councils as the Independents in 15 civic bodies were with the Congress.

The Akali Dal retained citadels like Majithia, the backyard of senior party leader Bikram Singh Majithia, but neither the party, nor the AAP or the BJP were able to win a majority in any municipal corporation.

With the Mohali result awaited, the only municipal corporation where the Congress did not get a majority Wednesday was Moga.

The AAP did not win a single ward of the 15 in Bhawanigarh, a part of the constituency of the party’s only MP from Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, and of the 23 in AAP MLA Aman Arora’s Sunam seat. The AAP had sent its Delhi face and Punjab co-incharge Raghav Chadha to campaign. Among the losers was former BJP minister Tikshan Sood’s wife.

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Update on urban local body election in Punjab: Congress won 1199 out of the 1815 municipal councils with SAD trailing at 289 and 33, BJP at 38 and 20, and AAP at 57 and nine

election in Punjab

The ruling party Congress has won six of Punjab’s eight municipal corporations so far, including Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar, Batala, and Pathankot.  The final results of the elections to Batala are still awaited.

In the final count, the Congress had won 1,199 of the 1,815 wards (municipal councils) and 281 of the 350 municipal corporation seats, with SAD trailing at 289 and 33, BJP at 38 and 20, and AAP at 57 and nine, while the remaining went largely to independents and BSP (K) and CPI winning in 13 and 12 wards respectively.

The outcome of these elections is significant as it comes amid farmers’ protests in the state and during the last year of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s government. This is the first time the MC elections, which were postponed from last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have been held during the Assembly election year, putting additional pressure on political parties to perform well. Over 70 percent of the electorate turned up to vote on February 14.

For the ruling party Congress, the elections are being seen as a battle of prestige. Meanwhile, the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) face the challenge of contesting independently after two decades of an alliance. The AAP, which is contesting the municipal polls in the state for the first time, is looking for a resurrection.

The State Election Commission on Tuesday ordered re-polling in two booths of the SAS Nagar municipal corporation after reports of irregularities during voting; the results will be declared on Thursday. The order came a day after repolling was conducted in three booths of the Patran and Samana municipal councils in Patiala after miscreants damaged electronic voting machines.

The BJP has lost all 29 seats in Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency of BJP MP Sunny Deol in the Punjab municipal elections. The Congress has won all the seats.

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Punjab Municipal polls results: Congress sweeps the polls while BJP suffers humiliating defeat

Punjab Municipal polls
Congress emerged victorious in the municipal corporation elections in Punjab.
It won six municipal corporations and emerged as the largest party in the seventh, sweeping the urban body polls on Wednesday.
In the backdrop of the farmers’ movement, Congress won in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar, Batala & Pathankot.
In the Gurdaspur constituency which is represented by BJP MP Sunny Deol, the saffron party faced defeat in all the 29 seats.
In Moga, Congress needed victories in six more wards to control the municipal corporation.
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Seat sharing worked out for 230 seats between Left and Congress- ISF also coming onboard with Left-INC

The Left Front and Congress on Tuesday claimed that they had worked out a seat-sharing mechanism in 230 of Bengal’s 294 assembly seats in the upcoming polls.  Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury formally announced the Congress-Left alliance for the upcoming 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections on Tuesday. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said that both parties have finalised seat-sharing along with formulating how different ideologies can team up for ‘nation-building’.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the seat-sharing formula will be declared once other secular parties, including the RJD, formally join the Congress-Left alliance ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The Congress leader was referring to Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s newly-formed Indian Secular Front (ISF).

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

The parties, however, kept their plans in the remaining 64 seats close to their chest, mainly because they needed more time to fine-tune arrangements with Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s newly launched Indian Secular Front which has sought 50 seats, and with RJD and NCP with whom the Left has had similar arrangements in the past. “A lot of secular parties including Abbas Siddique’s Indian Secular Front have shown interest in joining the Left-Congress alliance. We have decided not to make our seat-sharing public as we wait for all of the secular parties to join in,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

According to sources close to the development, both parties needed some more time to work out the details with ISF, whose president, Nausad Siddiqui, had written to them asking for seats in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Nadia and and East Midnapore. At nearly all of these places, Left parties have had a greater vote share than Congress. Sources indicated that the Left would have to sacrifice some seats to ISF if the deal has to materialize.

At a press conference held in Kolkata, ISF leader, Abbas Siddique stated that AIMIM leader Owaisi would understand the political necessity of ISF to align with the Left- Congress alliance and that all parties except for BJP and TMC are allowed to form alliance with ISF.

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TMC MLA Tapas Roy asked Left-Congress to join with TMC to fight BJP-reactions arrive from BJP and Congress leaders

Tapas Roy

At the latest public meeting held at Onda in Bankura, a somewhat expected yet head-turning development took place in the run-up to the first major state election in India this year.

The Left and Congress, who have formed an alliance to fight the election in West Bengal, have been asked by a Trinamool Congress leader to join the TMC to fight the onslaught of the BJP. West Bengal Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Tapas Roy, asked the Left- Congress to join into the TMC fold to give a combined fight to the BJP. Roy stated that since the energy of the Congress and Left are on a decline, they have formed an alliance and that they can make their fight viable against the BJP by joining the TMC. The offer is politically novel given the enmity between the TMC and the Left front.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

TMC MLA Tapas Roy said, “They (BJP) are saying that they will rule Bengal. I want to tell Congressmen and Left party leaders that Arup Khan (Onda TMC MLA) will join your procession. Congress and the Left can’t do it alone. You also know that this is not possible with your declining energy. That is why you two have come together.”

He further added a caution, “Do not stop Mamata Banerjee. Do not cut the canal and bring crocodiles. You also know that you do not have the strength to resist the Kapalik power (BJP). The name of the one who can is Mamata Banerjee. All BJP leaders are afraid of her.”

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

This offer of TMC drew reactions from both Congress and BJP leaders in West Bengal.

Dilip Ghosh, the President of the West Bengal unit of BJP commented, “Mamata cannot fight the BJP alone.” In the context of the violence between BJP and TMC workers (like in Khejuri in East Midnapore), he also stated that the TMC workers should mend their ways or face retribution.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated that Tapas Roy should leave TMC and join Congress, as Roy’s statement, Adhir said, reflected that TMC would not be able to fight BJP alone.

While TMC is dealing with the fallout of the defections, BJP is currently looking to gather & woo the dalit vote bank in the run-up to the Bengal election 2021.

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Senior leaders appointed as observers by Congress for 2021 Assembly polls campaign in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu

The Congress has appointed its senior leaders including chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel as observers to oversee the party’s election campaign management for the upcoming assembly polls in several states and a Union territory.

Assembly elections are due to be held in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the UT of Puducherry by the middle of this year.

An official communication from the party said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed the leaders as senior observers for overseeing the election campaign management and coordination in states where assembly elections are going to be held in 2021. Their appointment is with immediate effect.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

The party said that they will discharge their duties in close coordination with AICC general secretaries and in-charges in the respective states.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro and Karnataka’s former deputy chief minister G Parameswara have been appointed as senior observers for the Kerala assembly polls.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, the party’s general secretary Mukul Wasnik and senior leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan have been appointed as senior observers for the Assam assembly polls.

For the elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, senior party leaders and former union ministers M Veerappa Moily and M M Pallam Raju, besides sitting cabinet minister in Maharashtra Nitin Raut have been appointed as senior observers. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress and DMK are in an alliance and are expecting an easy victory over the AIADMK, which has ideological issues with BJP.

For the West Bengal assembly elections, senior party leader B K Hariprasad and Alamgir Alam, besides Punjab minister Vijay Inder Singla have been appointed as observers.

Also see: Battleground of Bengal election 2021

The party is keen to retain power in Puducherry and is seeking to wrest power back in Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The Congress is in the process of finalizing seat-sharing with its allies in these states, the statement said.

The statement further added that Congress is also contesting the West Bengal assembly polls in alliance with the left parties and final seat-sharing arrangements are being worked out in the state.

The party’s electoral fortunes were on the decline last year when it lost power in Madhya Pradesh after its leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and his supporting MLAs switched over to the BJP. The Congress also lost the assembly elections in Delhi and Bihar last year and hence is tightening up its electoral game.