By Rahil Nora Chopra
Opposition parties on Thursday staged a protest in the Parliament complex over the issue of air pollution in the national capital, with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi asking the government to take immediate remedial action. The Congress national president and the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was also present at the protest, where the Members of Parliament were seen wearing masks to emphasize the problem of air pollution and holding a banner aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Enjoy the weather!”, made at the start of the Winter Session.
HECTIC PARLEYS WITHIN BJP: ELECTION OF NEW PARTY PRESIDENT SOON?
A series of meetings in Parliament on Wednesday, involving BJP president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda, Union home minister Amit Shah, and BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has triggered the speculation that the election of the next BJP president may take place soon. With elections scheduled to be held in early next year in key states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Assam, many within the party feel that the new BJP president should be in place well before these polls. On the other hand, the “think tank” of BJP is keen on OBC national president. The new national president will be decided with the approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. The names doing the rounds for party chief post is Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, BL Santhosh and Vinod Tawde.
2026 TAMIL NADU POLLS: CONGRESS WANTS MORE FROM DMK ALLIANCE
With the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections approaching closer, the Congress has launched seat-sharing negotiations with DMK comprising a five-member committee meeting with Chief Minister M K Stalin. The committee – comprising Girish Raya Chodankar, AICC in-charge for TN and Puducherry, and state unit chief K Selvaperunthagai, Congress floor leader in Assembly Rajesh Kumar, Nivedith Alva, and Suraj Hegde – met CM Stalin and senior leaders of the DMK and conveyed the Congress high command’s demand on the number of seats. Congress, according to sources, will demand about 35 seats, in an increase from the 25 seats that the party was allotted in the 2021 Assembly elections during negotiations besides asking for winnable constituencies. Not just the Congress, almost all allies, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Left parties, are gearing up to seek an increased share from the DMK in the 2026 polls. However, DMK is likely to propose continuance of the 2021 seat-sharing formula for the 2026 elections.
CM NITISH, BIHAR OPPOSITION TAKE POTSHOTS AT EACH OTHER
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said, the state government, committed to all round development of Bihar in past 20 years, would lead to the industrial growth, farm sector, employment for women, youth as well as development of cities and rural areas in the next five years. Responding to the Governor’s speech in the Assembly, CM Nitish expressed his gratitude to the PM and took potshots at the opposition benches for showing reluctance in raising their hands. “Why don’t you all raise your hands? The PM and Centre’s help to Bihar is bringing benefits to all,” Kumar said. In the absence of LOP Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Kumar Sarvjeet in a veiled attack, said when the Chief Minister was with the RJD, he used to allege that the BJP wanted to destroy the Constitution and now that he had joined hands with the BJP, he was asking MLAs to support the Prime Minister.“I am really confused about what to follow,” Sarvjeet said.
TMC SUSPENDS BHARATPUT MLA OVER ‘RECONSTRUCTING BABRI’ REMARK
The Trinamool Congress has suspended Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir who had given a call for constructing ‘Babri masjid’ on December 6 in the State’s Murshidabad district. Responding to his suspension, Kabir said that he would resign as an MLA and announce his own party in Murshidabad on December 22. “I will contest against the BJP and the Trinamool both,” he said. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the Trinamool Congress does not practice communal politics. Addressing a rally in minority-dominated Murshidabad, Mamata said, “TMC does not practice communal politics. People of Murshidabad will not accept politics of riots.” CM Banerjee also assured the minority communities that she will not allow the National Register for Citizens (NRC) or detention camps in the state. (IPA Service)
