The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is advocating for a nationwide caste census to address the exclusion of approximately 90 per cent of the population from the system. He argues that this census is essential for effective policymaking, as it will help identify the socio-economic conditions of various communities, including Dalits, OBCs, and tribals. He has been putting pressure on the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste survey. Now, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a key BJP ally, has also shown complete support for the caste census, saying it has to be done to honour the sentiment of people. BJP allies AjitPawar, Chirag Paswan and Anupriya Patel have also pitched for a nationwide caste census. The issue of caste census was first raised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who got it done in Bihar. The caste census became one of the prominent issues during the Lok Sabha elections.
JITAN MANJHI TO GO SOLO IN JHARKHAND; MAYAWATI BLAMES CASTEIST ‘JATS’
After Chirag Paswan, another NDA ally Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, chief of the Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular), shared that his party aspires to go solo in Jharkhand poll and contest 10 seats on its own. He further said that the party has been in communication with the BJP over seat allocations as well. On the other hand, BSP supremo Mayawati announced that the party will contest assembly elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Delhi after its much disappointing performance in Haryana. She attributed the lackluster results to the casteist mentality of the Jat community, affecting their alliance with INLD. BSP secured only a dismal 1.82 per cent vote share.
CONGRESS BLAMES EVMs FOR HARYANA DEBACLE, ASSESSES LOSS FACTORS
The Congress is refusing to accept the Haryana assembly election results, billing it a “victory for manipulation, a victory for subverting the will of the people and a defeat for transparent democratic processes”. The Congress has raised massive concerns and also questioned the delay on the part of the Election Commission (EC) in announcing round-wise details and flagged issues with EVMs. The Congress alleged that some of the EVMs in these districts had 99 per cent battery charge and all such machines were providing leads to the BJP while those with 60-70 per cent charge were going in favour of the Congress. On the other hand, Congress’s central leadership on Thursday held its review meeting analyzing the reasons behind the party’s dismal performance in the state. Groupism among senior Haryana leaders, priority to self-interest over party and the presence of sponsored rebels in over a dozen seats were some of the main causes behind the Congress debacle in the Assembly polls during a high-level review meeting chaired by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The fact-finding team will be announced soon and the committee will speak to each of the 89 Congress candidates one-on-one to assess the factors that led to the debacle of the party and action will follow after the probe panel submits its report to Kharge. However, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan and CLP leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, or any other senior leaders from the state were not called for the meeting. While K.C. Venugopal and senior observers for the polls, Ajay Maken and Ashok Gehlot, among others, and the Congress in-charge of the state, Deepak Babaria, joined the meeting online. On October 17, the party is expected to convene a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for a more detailed review and analysis of the party’s unexpected results in Haryana.
MVA ALLIES BANTER OVER SEATS SHARE IN MUMBAI, VIDARBHA
The battle for Maharashtra assembly elections has commenced with ruling alliance Mahayuti, comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, aiming to retain the power, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, eyeing to secure a majority and overthrowing the present government. On one hand, MVA has so far agreed on the distribution of 208 seats among its constituents. These allocations have been primarily based on factors such as existing legislators, the party’s strength in the constituency, and the perceived ability of the candidate to win. But the remaining 80 seats are all bones of contention. The primary flashpoints are in Mumbai and Vidarbha. The Congress is demanding 45 seats in Vidarbha, which the party sees as a vital battleground for securing power in the state. In Mumbai, Congress could fight around 14 seats. While 2 seats could be given to the NCP (SP) and 1 seat to the Samajwadi party. The Sena (UBT) fighting around 19 seats out of the total 36 seats. On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray reiterated that he would support any chief ministerial face declared by his allies to save Maharashtra. Stating that MVA should declare its chief ministerial face much before the assembly polls in the state, he urged Congress and NCP(SP) to declare the CM face.
“DILLI WALON, AAO, DILLI CHALAO”: CONGRESS’ CATCHY SLOGAN TO WOO DELHI
Hoping to replicate the electoral success of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress is set to embark on a ‘NyayYatra’ across the Capital in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls likely early next year. The Dilli Nyay Yatra will be held in around four phases commencing from October 23 and concluding on November 28. While Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will participate in the Yatra, an empty chair, symbolic of the Delhi Chief Minister’s seat reserved for the common man, and the slogan ‘Dilli Walon Aao Dilli Chalao (Delhiites come, run Delhi)’ will be at the centre of the yatra, as the Congress attempts to leave behind criticisms of political complacency and lack of connect with the average Delhi citizen. The Congress wants emphasize and focus specifically on issues related to the SC, ST, minority and lower-middle-class communities and raise issues such as liquor policy scandal, corruption and anti-development policies claiming that the AAP government is hindering progress in the national capital. The Congress also plans to go for a comparative analysis of the present situation in the national capital with the time of late Sheila Dikshit, under whose leadership as Delhi Chief Minister the city saw significant development. (IPA Service)
Akhilesh Yadav Reminds Nitish Kumar Of Ideals Of Five Decades Old JP Movement 