By Rahil Nora Chopra
Power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka refuses to die down. The latest salvo is Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah saying the Congress high command has clearly indicated that currently there’d be no change in leadership. Reacting to Yathindra Siddaramaiah’s comments, Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan said the MLC had merely expressed his personal opinion. He added that there was no question about the Chief Minister’s chair, stressing that Siddaramaiah continues as the CM and the Congress high command reserves the sole right to decide on any change of leadership in the southern state. While CM Siddaramaiah is pushing for a reshuffle of his Cabinet, DK Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on a leadership. According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it would signify that CM Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.
WEST BENGAL’S WOMEN WILL FIGHT BACK WITH KITCHEN TOOLS: MAMATA
In an evident bid to woo women voters ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called upon women to fight back with kitchen tools if their name is struck off the voter list. Addressing a massive rally in Krishnanagar, Mamata Banerjee said: “They will bring police from Delhi during the election and intimidate mothers and sisters. Mothers and sisters, if your names are struck off, you have the tools, right? The tools you use during cooking. You have strength, right? You won’t let it pass if your names are cut, right? The women will fight in the front, and the men will be behind them.” CM Banerjee further alleged that the Election Commission was deploying officers aligned with the BJP to effect the process.
IS HEMANT SOREN LOOKING TO DITCH INDIA BLOC FOR BJP?
Rumours of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and Chief Minister Hemant Soren possibly breaking ties with the Congress and moving towards the BJP are doing the rounds, especially after his reported meeting with a senior BJP leader in Delhi. However, political observers believe that the JMM may find it difficult to walk away from its natural allies and stitch up an alliance with the BJP, primarily because of its core vote base. The party draws big support from Muslims and Christians, who form a crucial part of Jharkhand’s electorate. Out of the total 81-member state assembly in Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, led by Soren, has 34 seats. Among the allies, Congress has 16, the Rashtriya Janata Dal has four, and the Left has two MLAs. The ruling INDIA bloc has the support of a total 56 legislators in the state assembly. The buzz in the political circles of Jharkhand is that Hemant Soren may be worried about pending Enforcement Directorate cases linked to corruption against him, and he could also be hoping for a better and cohesive relationship with the central government and so, he might be searching for some new political coalition in the state prioritizing his own survival.
OPPOSITION DEMANDS RETURN TO BALLOT PAPER, CENTRE SCOFFS IT OFF
Accusing EC of being compromised, the national Opposition, led by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK, demanded a return to ballot papers and expansion of collegium that selects election commissioners to a five-member body, comprising two LoPs, the PM, the home minister and CJI, as against the present composition of PM, home minister and LoP in Lok Sabha. During a discussion on Election Reforms in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manish Tewari said: “It is my suggestion that two members should be added to this panel — the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. If such a committee is formed then ‘theek se khela hobe’ and it will play a significant role in drawing away the doubts over the Election Commission (EC).”Moreover, MPs of Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Trinamool Congress (TMC), also sought an end to Direct Cash Benefits ahead of elections. Meanwhile, in a rebuttal to opposition parties’ vociferous demand on reverting to paper ballot elections, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said it would mean going back to the days of booth capturing. Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha on ‘election reforms’, Prasad said:“There are at least two dozen Supreme Court and high court judgments validating the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).”
PUNJAB CONGRESS LEADERS MEET AFTER NAVJOT KAUR SIDHU’S SUSPENSION
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring interacted with the party’s Punjab in-charge, Bhupesh Baghel at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and briefed him on the situation arising out of suspended functionary Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s remarks against the party’s state leadership. According to sources, Baghel is learnt to have asked Warring to mandate that all party leaders maintain discipline, warning that internal disputes or controversies could damage the party ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. However, Navjot Kaur had, on Sunday, said that “one who gives a suitcase of Rs 500 crore becomes the chief minister”, a comment she later said was twisted. Meanwhile senior leader Rahul Gandhi had called a meeting with the AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs and other senior leaders to discuss the issues and the leadership did not want the crisis to deepen. (IPA Service)
