Jammu and Kashmir former chief ministers Farooq and Omar Abdullah as well as just released former CM Mehbooba Mufti have come together to form the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, in the wake of the tumultuous political events that unfolded in J&K over the past year. It is easy to forget that the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been archrivals for over two decades. The Abdullahs always said that the PDP is propped up by the Centre to undercut the NC, while the Muftis blamed the NC for compromising with New Delhi and being responsible for Kashmir’s fate. However, now NC and PDP recognise that their political survival is itself at stake. Politically, this unity between Kashmir’s rival democrats actually is a long due positive development. It allows the Centre to reach a comprehensive political dialogue with all of them. Otherwise, it would be easy for one Kashmiri faction to accuse the other of selling out.
CONGRESS FIELDS A VARIETY OF CANDIDATES FOR BIHAR POLLS
Amid rising discontentment in the party over the distribution of tickets for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has had to step in to cool the growing rumble within the party. Gandhi has shown leadership by forming six panels to oversee the party preparation. Bihar Congress President Madan Mohan Jha and Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, against whom state leaders raised a banner of revolt, have been kept out of these panels. The Congress party leaders had individually called up the candidates selected for the second phase of polls and directed them to file their nomination papers and not wait for the list. It is a rare occurrence that state party chief Madan Mohan Jha distributed the symbol among the selected candidates to enable them to file their nomination. The Congress released its final list of 49 candidates for the remaining two phases of elections on Thursday, fielding former Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha from Bankipur seat in Patna, and Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini from the Bihariganj seat in Madhepura. The party has also fielded former Bihar chief minister Abdul Gafoor’s grandson Asif Gafoor from Gopalganj and AICC secretary Chandan Yadav from Beldur seat in Khagaria. State Youth Congress Chief Gunjan Patel will contest from the Nalanda seat. The Congress party has renominated all its sitting MLAs barring one, Bhorey MLA Anil Kumar. Former LJP general secretary Kali Prasad Pandey will also be given ticket from Kuchaikote. Congress also fielded Pravesh Kumar Mishra for the Lok Sabha by-election from Valmikinagar.
AGRI MINISTRY TRIES TO QUELL FARMERS UNREST BY WOOING WOMEN
After the passage of the three new farm laws and the consequential protests by farmers all over the country, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has now organised Mahila Kisan Diwas through video conferencing. As Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was out of town, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Parshottam Rupala, attended it and was joined in by women farmers. During the event, an e-book was launched, full of inspiring stories of progressive women farmers. Two short video films on the Mahila Krishak were also launched. The ministry is now watching and waiting the effect of this event on farmers protest rallies.
AHEAD OF BY-POLL IN MARWAHI, LATE AJIT JOGI’S SON WRITES TO EC
Coming up soon is the crucial by-poll to the Marwahi assembly seat in Chhattisgarh, left vacant by the death of former chief minister Ajit Jogi. Amit Jogi, son of the late leader, and his wife Richa, have written to the Election Commission seeking protection against a possible rejection of their nomination papers which the couple suspect may be cancelled on the bases of changes to the Chhattisgarh Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe and Other Backward Class Rules 2013, which the duo has challenged in the Supreme Court. It is to be noted a high-level committee had cancelled the certificate of Ajit Yogi in 2019 saying that he was not a member of ST community.
ARRESTED KERALA JOURNALIST GETS SUPPORT FROM STATE MPs
Cutting across party lines, parliamentarians from Kerala continued to mount pressure on the Centre to ensure the release of Siddique Kappan, a journalist from the state who was arrested by UP police and booked under UAPA. Several MPs have already written to the Prime Minister in this connection. CPM Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem on Monday met Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Minister Prakash Javadekar over a PSU related issue. Since Javadekar also handles the Information and Broadcasting portfolio, Kareem drew his attention to Kappan. (IPA)