The Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Bhubaneswar voiced his opinion that the forthcoming general election is going to be the last election in India if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is re-elected. Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders and workers are of the view that Kharge should contest from the Varanasi seat against PM Modi. Kharge who belongs to the SC community and heads the INDIA bloc, understandably aspires to cash in on this to reach out to SC, ST communities in UP. It will undoubtedly help Kharge pit caste identities to counter the BJP’s polarizing election planks of religious fundamentalism and ultra-nationalism. Kharge is the prominent leader in the alliance and even constituents recognize his qualities to take on Modi. Meanwhile, Congress think-tank is focused on working out a plan to field party stalwarts from the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to sources, Congress president Kharge might contest from Varanasi, Nagina or Saharanpur to revive its hold on Dalit votes. There is a growing belief in the party that Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati’s charisma and hold over Dalits (primarily Jatavs) is waning. However, Kharge would contest both from his traditional seat in Karnataka and a seat in Uttar Pradesh. However, the majority of regional leaders may agree to the proposal of Mamata, Kejriwal and Uddhav Thackeray as Kharge is the most acceptable, cool headed, mature and experienced leader who can take everyone along and has the potential to defeat the Hindutva politics of BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
ACTOR VIJAY: RISE OF A NEW POLITICAL STAR IN TAMIL NADU
In Tamil Nadu, the political plunge seemed to be lined up next to be attained by superstar, Vijay. The actor plans to register his yet unnamed political party in New Delhi in February and is eager to contest the Lok Sabha polls as well as the electoral battles in the southern states, where his films run to packed houses. According to sources, the actor’s registered fan group Vijay Makkal lyakkam, which is duly involved in many social welfare activities, is being converted into a full-fledged political party. Vijay’s strong Tamil identity distinguishes him from Rajnikanth’s Marathi roots and links with BJP-RSS, which happened to have been the points of contention in Tamil Nadu.
RAHUL GANDHI TO RAISE VOICE FOR CANDIDATES DUMPED BY ARMED FORCES
Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had launched the ‘Jai Jawan Abhiyan’ to provide justice to 1.5 lakh candidates who were dumped after selection for the armed forces. Gandhi’s campaign had been launched on the eighteenth day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in West Bengal. He promised these youth that he would raise the issue of “injustice” with them at every forum. Due to the implementation of the Agnipath Scheme, around 1.5 lakh candidates selected for the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy between 2019 and 2022 were allegedly denied joining. While announcing the nationwide agitation along with party spokesperson Pawan Khera and Youth Congress chief B.V. Srinivas, Rohit Chaudhary said: “We don’t want soldiers on contract. Only regular soldiers can save the country. The armed forces already have three lakh soldiers less. After 10 years, there will be only 10 lakh soldiers in India, out of which only three lakh will be regular soldiers. This will weaken our country. We will slip into slavery again.” As part of the Congress campaign, party workers will go door-to-door between February 1 and 28 to get Nyay Patras (forms) filled up against the Agnipath scheme. From March 5 to March 10, there will be countrywide demonstrations at all shaheedsmaraks. The third phase of the agitation will see padyatras in every state between March 17 and 20.
NITISH KUMAR APPEARS ‘RELAXED’ AFTER U-TURN, REJOINING NDA
The talk of the town in Patna after Nitish Kumar took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the ninth time, noticeably Nitish’s body language has changed with the change of alliance partners. The Bihar CM is “cool and relaxed” after joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and was tremendously “tensed” in the Mahagathbandhan. However, BJP state leaders were reluctant to welcome back Nitish to the NDA fold after the JD(U) leader, who has earned the moniker of “Paltu Ram”, deserted the NDA in 2022 and came back to RJD. In fact, Nitish had left his ties with the RJD and went back to the NDA in 2017. Tactics as shaped by BJP noticing Nitish Kumar’s flip-flops, the BJP decided to make Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both sharpest critics of Nitish Kumar, as deputy CMs. This has been done strategically just to keep Nitish Kumar on a tight leash. On the other hand, the lined up issues will be inclusive of discussion on seat distribution for the Lok Sabha election soon. In 2019, the BJP and JD(U) had fought on 17 seats each and six were allotted to the LJP. However, this time, with Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) and two factions of the LJP in the mix, the allies could feel the squeeze. JD(U)’s demand of 17 seats under the 2019 formula but according to sources the BJP was not ready to leave more than 12 to 14 seat to JD(U).
CONGRESS UNHAPPY WITH NUMBER OF SEATS IN UP, BUT MUM SO FAR
The frayed ties between SP and Congress amidst seat negotiations in Uttar Pradesh evidently has become more prominent with the announcement by Samajwadi Party that its INDIA bloc partner Congress would contest 11 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Congress leadership in UP has kept mum on the unilateral decision of the SP and maintained that the central leadership of the party would take the final call. The Congress had been demanding at least 21 seats in UP as part of the alliance. Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey has stated that the Samajwadi Party is adopting a ‘one-sided’ policy in Uttar Pradesh. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav asserted that there will be an alliance in the state and that the seats will be allocated properly. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to join the party’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh from Chandauli district on February 14. The party had appointed former MP PL Punia as convenor of the Yatra in Uttar Pradesh and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra as co-convenor. (IPA Service)