I.N.D.I.A. allies are flexing their muscles in the bloc against the Congress with Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party announcing their support to Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the Delhi Assembly elections. While Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) too announced to support the AAP and moving ahead to campaign in support of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP in the next few days. Kejriwal is in constant touch with Uddhav Thackeray. Both Trinamool and SP have no big presence in the national capital but the optics are bad for Congress at the national level, as more and more parties in the I.N.D.I.A bloc are targeting the grand old party following its defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls.. While the Delhi Congress leaders are vehemently opposed to the AAP, party’s central leadership advocates a middle-path keeping the national political scene in mind. Meanwhile Mamata Banerjee has significantly expressed her desire to lead the coalition, a move that has reportedly put pressure on the Congress party, who are seen by many as facing a leadership crisis. The support from both the SP and TMC appears to be a direct challenge to Congress’s position. Sharad Pawar of the NCP and Lalu Prasad Yadav of the RJD have also publicly backed Banerjee’s leadership ambitions, further intensifying pressure on Congress. On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a clarity on the opposition alliance. Abdullah said that if the alliance was only for the Lok Sabha elections, then it must be wound up and opposition parties should start working separately. Once again the leadership debate continues, and the growing support from non-Congress parties for a revamped leadership highlights the need for unity within the opposition to present a strong challenge to the BJP.
G PARAMESHWARA EMERGING AS FAVOURITE OF CONGRESS HIGH COMMAND FOR KARNATAKA CM POSITION
The postponement of the Congress’ SC/ST leaders’ dinner is indicating as another silent win for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has succeeded in putting the brakes on manoeuvres that could potentially hamper his political prospects. While the discussions are appearing to be underway on who will replace Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in case he has to step down, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s aspiration to become the CM is well known. The dinner meeting of SC/ST leaders and their plan to organise a big convention could have revived the demand for a Dalit to become the next CM, scuttling Shivakumar’s chances. The Congress high command asked Home Minister G Parameshwara to put off his dinner meet-up, which came close on the heels of Shivakumar’s meeting with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. According to Congress sources, Siddaramaiah is likely to throw his weight behind either HC Mahadevappa or Satish Jarkiholi. While Mahadevappa is a Dalit, Jarkiholi is from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. But it is said that Satish Jarkiholi and HC Mahadevappa are not being considered seriously, because of their history with JDS. On the other hand Congress high command favours Karnataka Home Minister and prominent leader from the Dalit community G Parameshwara. Parameshwara, who spent eight years as KPCC president, narrowly missed becoming chief minister in 2013 after he faced an unexpected defeat. The buzz within the ruling Congress is about a possible change of guard in the state after March, under a rotational chief minister or power-sharing formula.
AJIT PAWAR WOOS SHARAD FACTION NCP MP’S FOR JOINING HIS CAMP
Relations between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have strained once again, with reports suggesting that the Ajit Pawar-led faction attempted to poach Members of Parliament from the Sharad Pawar-led camp. According to sources, seven of its eight sitting MPs were approached by leaders of the Ajit Pawar-led faction with an offer to break away and join their camp. But the NCP denied that there was any such offer. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had earlier claimed that the BJP had tasked Ajit Pawar and his faction to poach Sharad Pawar’s eight Lok Sabha MPs in exchange for a cabinet position in the central government. On the other hand, Sharad Pawar conducted a meeting with his party leaders, where he informed them that there were no discussions between the two factions of the NCP regarding the merger.
CONGRESS CAMPAIGN STARTS FOR DELHI ELECTIONS FOCUSING ON WOMEN
In the wake of big electoral defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, the Congress is now turning its focus on the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, hoping to bring its numbers in the new assembly. After consecutive defeats in 2015 and 2020, when it failed to win a single seat in the Delhi assembly, Congress is positioning itself for a potential comeback, with the hope that disagreement and unhappiness with AAP’s governance might offer a chance for revival. The party is accepting for a marginal bounce in support, particularly in light of what it perceives as AAP’s failures. Though the party’s manifesto is still in the works, Congress has already introduced its first major promise—the Pyaari Didi Yojana, which guarantees Rs 2,500 per month for eligible women in Delhi and will introduce a scheme to provide universal health insurance of up to ₹25 lakh to the Capital’s residents. Congress hopes its campaign on guarantees will impact the citizens and reinvigorate its support base. By addressing women, youth, labourers, and the urban poor, the party aims to re-strengthen and rebuild its image as a pro-people alternative.
AAP SUPREMO ARVIND KEJRIWAL DEMANDS DELHI JATS INCLUSION IN CENTRAL OBC LIST
Ahead of the Delhi assembly polls, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has penned a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the inclusion of Delhi’s Jat community in the central OBC list. The AAP chief questioned why Jat students from Rajasthan benefit from reservations at Delhi University (DU), while Jat students from Delhi are denied the same. Kejriwal also alleged that despite Delhi’s Jats being recognised under the OBC category in the state, the Central government has refused to extend the benefits to them. The Jats hold prominent influence in Delhi, as the community is estimated to make up about 8-10 per cent of the electorate. Voting will take place in a single phase in Delhi on February 5 and the counting of votes will be conducted on February 8. (IPA Service)
‘GDP-Nationalism’ Is A Neoliberal Project That Doesn’t Serve The People 