Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose UP leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra commenced on February 16 had been emphasizing on OBCs, SCs and STs and caste census in his speeches in a bid to dent the BJP’s support base in the Lok Sabha polls. Addressing consecutive public meetings in Raebareli, considered to be a bastion of the Gandhis, Rahul called one Vijay Maurya onto the dais at the Super Market Crossing and introduced him as an unemployed youth. Rahul asked Vijay to narrate his story to the crowd, but the youth started sobbing and told of him feeling nervous. Calling him “Babbar Sher (lion)”, Rahul said: “Don’t fear anybody and tell the people why you are not able to get a job.” Vijay replied: “I am competent but this government is giving employment to incompetent people because it works for only those who are their people and not those who are talented and deserving.” Rahul said this problem would be resolved only when a nationwide caste census will take place
TEJASHWI YADAV’S TRAILBLAZING CAMPAIGN TARGETS NITISH KUMAR
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has initiated his 11-day Jan Vishwas Yatra on February 20 from Muzaffarpur and criticized Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar stating that the latter completely lacked vision for the state. Tejashwi asserted during the tour that his party was not only of ‘MY’ Muslim-Yadav], but also of ‘BAAP’. Explaining the acronym BAAP, the RJD leader said B stood for Bahujan (the masses including the backwards and the Dalits), A for agda (general or forward castes), A for aadhi aabadi (half population or women and girls), and P for poor, peechre. The public meetings and rallies in the tour, which marked the beginning of the RJD’s Lok Sabha poll campaign, turned out to be INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) events as the Congress and Left leaders also shared the dais and their party flags fluttered all around. During his yatra, Yadav will be covering all 38 districts of Bihar and also will address 32 public meetings in which he is likely expected to highlight achievements of the previous mahagathbandhan (grand coalition) government. The Yatra is scheduled to conclude on March 1. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be sharing dais with the RJD national president Lalu Prasad Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI Leader D Raja and CPI(ML) Dipankar Bhattacharya during a maharally to be duly held on 3rd March.
KAMAL HAASAN’S MNM MAY TEAM UP WITH DMK IN TAMIL NADU, JOIN INDIA BLOC
The MNM is most likely to join hands with Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and contest the general elections together. While actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan said that negotiations with the INDIA bloc were progressing in Tamil Nadu, there has been no conclusive decision on joining the opposition coalition yet. The actor, who has so far stayed away from any party, has recently been cosying up to Tamil Nadu’ ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is a part of the INDIA grouping. During the Erode East bypolls in 2023, MNM supported the DMK-Congress candidate EVKS Elavogan, who won.
KARNATAKA CONGRESS AIMS FOR MAXIMUM GAINS IN LOK SABHA 2024 POLLS
In a bid to attain the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, the Congress think-tank is focussing on a plan to field some party stalwarts and Cabinet ministers as candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections. According to sources, the party is taking into consideration the candidatures of Minister for Cooperation K.N. Rajanna or Minister for Home G. Parameshwara for the Tumakuru MP seat. Along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra, Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa is being considered for the Mysuru-Kodagu parliamentary constituency. The Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi is being considered for the Belagavi Constituency. The AICC and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) will carry separate surveys and finalise the candidates. There are 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. BJP had won 25 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while Congress managed to win only one seat. JD (S) had won one, and an independent candidate had won the other.
CONGRESS-SP TIE-UP STRENGTHENS AFTER SECURING SEAT-SHARING DEAL
INDIA bloc partners Samajwadi Party and Congress have announced a tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the SP left 17 out of the 80 seats in the State for the Congress. The Congress will contest Raebareli and Amethi, once considered pocket boroughs of the party, and Varanasi which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency. The SP will contest on Khajuraho seat in Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, and support the Congress on the rest of the seats. While Congress general secretary played a significant role in resolving the standoff between the two INDIA parties by speaking with SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav over the phone to clinch the deal. Meanwhile the speculation is rife that SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav will not fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and he will focus more on campaign and strategy for the elections. The buzz is that SP will field Dharmendra Yadav from Kannauj and Ramakant Yadav from Azamgarh. Dharmendra Yadav have been made the in-charge of Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat as well as the Kannauj parliamentary constituency.
LOK SABHA POLLS DELHI: AAP LOOKS AT 4 SEATS, CONGRESS TO CONTEST IN 3
Talks between the AAP and the Congress over seat sharing in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls have come to final stages and the two sides are likely to announce their tie-up soon. The AAP is likely to fight on 4 seats whereas the Congress may get 3 seats in Delhi. Both sides have amicably agreed on the seats to be contested by each party. The AAP will field candidates from the South Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and New Delhi seats, while the Congress will contest from the Chandni Chowk, East Delhi and North East Delhi constituencies. According to sources, the AAP will contest on one seat in Haryana, and whereas two seats in Gujarat and will give support to the Congress on the rest of the seats in these states. AAP will also support the Congress in Chandigarh and Goa in the parliamentary elections. (IPA Service)