With organisational elections which have been completed in over a dozen states, there is a assured possibility that the BJP will announce the name of a consensus candidate as its next national president after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his foreign tour. As per the BJP’s constitution, the party national president can be elected once the elections of half the state chiefs have been conducted. These elections usually take place with consensus, with only one candidate filing the nomination and getting elected unopposed. On the other hand, the “think tank” of BJP is keen on OBC national president as due to this, they aspire to improve their strength in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The new national president will be chosen with the full and final approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. The name which has been doing rounds for party chief post is Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development is of Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been one of the Sangh’s favourites for BJP presidentship.
INDIA BLOC PARNERS IN BIHAR AGREE ON COMMON MANIFESTO FOR ASSEMBLY POLLS BY YEAR END
As the high-stakes state assembly poll battle for Bihar inches closer, leaders of INDIA bloc partners had conducted a marathon meeting at the state Congress headquarters Sadaqat Ashram in Patna of the manifesto committee and all parties widely arrived at a consensus on the common manifesto. The meeting was attended by representatives from the RJD, Congress, the three Left parties and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The leaders together agreed to demand for introducing reservation in private sector as well as increasing the overall reservation in the state to 65%, In a bid to woo young voters, the manifesto will focus on expanding educational and job opportunities. The opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar is likely to include the key promises in its common manifesto such as cash for women under the proposed Mai Bahan Samman Yojana, financial assistance to promote self-employment to curb migration, and better healthcare facilities. Once the finalisation of the manifesto is undertaken, the coordination committee is likely to work jointly on the campaign strategies.
RJD IN BIHAR IS GIVING SPECIAL FOCUS ON PROBLEMS OF DISABLED IN POLL CAMPAIGN
With Bihar increasingly bustling with political activities ahead of the state Assembly polls later this year, the RJD is emphasizing to woo the people with disabilities in the state. The disabled population in Bihar comprises 10.98 per cent in rural areas and 3.48 per cent in urban areas. However, Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav promised to form a divyang mantralaya and divyang ayog for people with disabilities if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the assembly elections. Addressing a conference on disability, Tejashwi also promised 5% reservation for the disabled people in government jobs and a separate quota for them in panchayati raj and local bodies’ elections. In his list of promises he also extended that schools would be established in every district and reserved beds in government hospitals for disabled.
SIDDARAMAIAH WILL REMAIN KARNATAKA CHIEF MINISTER FOR FULL FIVE YEARS
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed speculation of any leadership change and asserted that he will continue to be in office for a full five-year term. Deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was seen as a contender for the top post, responded to the comments, and said he did not have an option but to support CM Siddaramaiah. Soon after Congress came to power in Karnataka in 2023 polls, there were some news that a ‘power-sharing’ agreement had been reached between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. The agreement purportedly assured the CM berth for the two for a period of two and a half years each. However, these reports, were dismissed by the congress leadership asserting that the discretion to appoint or change the CM remained with it.
SPECIAL REVISION OF ELECTORAL ROLLS WILL DISENFRANCHISE TWO CRORE OF VOTERS IN BIHAR
Representatives of the opposition INDIA bloc interacted with the Election Commission of India on July 2 to raise concerns over the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. They raised the issue that the massive exercise could disenfranchise over two crore voters in the poll-bound state. After meeting with the Election Commission, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media that around two crore people in Bihar might lose their right to vote. He said many voters, especially those from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), migrant workers, and poor families, may not be able to furnish their own or their parents’ birth certificates in the short time given. While Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X and shared, “After the PM’s ‘notebandi’ of November 2016 destroyed our economy, ECI’s ‘VOTE-Bandi’ in Bihar and other states, as reflected in the SIR, will destroy our democracy.” (IPA Service)
