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Congress MLA Switches Sides, Joins Ajit Pawar’s NCP Ahead Of Maharashtra Polls

October 15, 2024, 5:47 am

Congress MLA Hiraman Bhika Khoskar from the Igatpuri assembly constituency joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare officially welcomed Khoskar into the party.

The NCP emphasized that Khoskar is the “second biggest” member to join the party recently, following the induction of veteran actor Sayaji Shinde in Mumbai. According to an NCP statement, Khoskar joined the party with a large group of supporters.

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“Hiraman Bhika Khoskar joined the NCP with dozens of his supporters, including former Zila Parishad member Sampatnana Sakale, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra NCP President Sunil Tatkare in Pune,” the statement read.

The party further highlighted that Khoskar’s entry will strengthen the NCP’s influence in Nashik and surrounding areas, particularly ahead of the Assembly elections. “Khoskar enjoys much support in Nashik region, particularly in the tribal community,” the statement added.

In a post on X, the party announced the induction of Khoskar, along with several other members, including zilla parishad members and former district officials. Among those who joined were Sandeep Gopal Gulve, Sampatanana Sakale, former Zilla Parishad member Jarnadan Mama Mali, former Zilla Parishad member Uday Jadhav, Vinayak Malekar, Jairam Dhande, Prashant Kadu, Pandumama Shinde, Dnyaneshwar Kadu, Sarpanch Jagan Kadam, Feroze Shaikh, Dilip Chaudhary, Tukaram Sahane, Ramesh Jadhav, Dashrath Bhagde, Sudam Bhor, Arun Gaikar, and Shivaji Sirsat.

“With the entry of Khoskar, the strength of the NCP party has increased,” the post added.

The Maharashtra legislative Assembly elections, to be contested across 288 constituencies, are expected to feature a battle between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition (comprising the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction, and Congress) and the Mahayuti Alliance (including the BJP, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction, and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar). The Election Commission of India is yet to announce the election dates.

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Who Is Sofia Firdous? Meet Odisha’s First-Ever Woman Muslim MLA

June 8, 2024, 3:51 pm

Sofia Firdous, a Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack, Odisha, has etched her name in history by becoming the first Muslim woman legislator elected to the Odisha Assembly. Firdous defeated BJP’s Purna Chandra Mahapatra by a margin of 8,001 votes.

More About Sofia Firdous

32-year-old Sofia Firdous hails from a political family and is the daughter of senior Congress leader Mohammed Moquim. She succeeded her father in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections and emerged victorious.

Firdous holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and completed an Executive General Management Program from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) in 2022.

In 2023, Firdous was elected as the president of the Bhubaneswar chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) and serves as the East Zone Coordinator for the CREDAI women’s wing. She is also the Co-Chair of the Bhubaneswar Chapter of the CII – Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and a core member of INWEC India.

Sofia Firdous follows in the footsteps of Nandini Satpathy, Odisha’s first woman chief minister, who represented the same constituency in 1972.

BJP Secures Majority in 2024 Odisha Assembly Elections

In a significant political shift, the BJP secured a majority in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, winning 78 of the 147 seats and ending Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) 24-year rule in the state.

BJP Dominates Lok Sabha Elections in Odisha

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP claimed victory in 20 of the 21 seats in Odisha, marking a significant increase from their tally of 12 seats in the 2019 polls. The remaining seat went to Congress, while the BJD failed to win a single seat.

Karnataka LoP R Ashoka dismisses CM Siddaramaiah’s ‘Operation Kamala’ claim

March 23, 2024, 3:45 pm

Dismissing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s assertion that the BJP was offering Rs 50 crore each to ruling Congress MLAs to switch sides ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka stated on Saturday that his party has not made any such offers to the rival camp.

Speaking to ANI, the LoP said, “The Congress is facing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, which is why he (Siddaramaiah) is trying to divert public attention by making such baseless claims. He has concocted this ‘Operation Kamala’ to deceive the people. We have no intention to destabilize this government. In fact, they are driving their own government towards ruin. We have not made any offer to any Congress MLA. There are no such operations from our side.”

Meanwhile, the BJP’s state chief BY Vijayendra inaugurated and opened a dedicated media center of the party as part of the Lok Sabha election preparation.

“‘Once again Modi’ are not only the words of BJP workers. People of India want Modi as PM. His popularity is rising by the day. People across the length and breadth of the country believe in Modi. His vision is the development of India. Karnataka is South India’s gateway to the BJP,” Vijayendra said.

The BJP chief also remarked that Congress does not have candidates in Karnataka for the Lok Sabha election as JDS is also with his party.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JDS fought together but were still defeated by the BJP. The BJP had won a record 25 seats while the Congress and JD-S had won just one seat each.

Yesterday, BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, stated that the party aims to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again.

Addressing party members in Hubballi, Bommai said, “We are on the battlefield and we must see only the target and not who is on the left or right side. We aim to make Modi PM again, and to achieve that, we must vote for Pralhad Joshi, who is the BJP candidate from Dharwad constituency.”

Bommai was campaigning for Joshi, who is contesting from the Dharwad constituency for BJP in Hubballi.

“I have said this many times; that’s why I am contesting. Modi must become the PM to provide shelter for all. Joshi has worked efficiently as the minister and brought a good name for all. He has done what no other MP has done in the past,” Bommai said.

Bommai also hinted that there would be two MPs for the Shiggaon constituency.

He urged the party members to work towards achieving at least one hundred more votes from each village than in the previous Assembly election.

“There was a lot of difference between the Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls. You must work for the candidate. My prestige will increase if Joshi gets the lead here. He should win the election by a margin of five lakh votes,” he said.

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi has been selected by the party to contest from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency for a fifth straight term.

The Dharwad Constituency has been a BJP stronghold since 1996. The four-time MP contested his first Lok Sabha election in 2004, winning the Dharwad constituency by defeating BS Patil of the Congress by 83,078 votes.

In 2009, he won his second term by defeating Kannur Manjunath Channappa of Congress with 1,37,663 votes. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he also retained the seat.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases starting on April 19. Karnataka will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. Counting of votes is on June 4.

Karnataka Rajya Sabha Elections Intensify as Congress Faces Unexpected Setback

February 26, 2024, 1:21 pm

Bengaluru: Tuesday (27th Feb) marks a crucial day for Karnataka as elections unfold for four Rajya Sabha seats. However, the unexpected demise of Congress sitting MLA Raja Venkatappa Nayaka has altered the political landscape, leaving Congress with one less vote.

With five candidates in the fray, including Ajay Maken, GC Chandrasekhar, and Dr Naseer Hussain from Congress, Narayanasa Bhandage of BJP, and Kupendra Reddy of JDS, the dynamics of the election have taken an interesting turn. The current focus is on Kupendra Reddy, needing 8 additional votes despite BJP’s 21 and JDS’s 16 votes. The question arises – where will these crucial votes come from?

The loss of Raja Venkatappa Nayaka has reduced Congress’s total votes from 135 to 134, making the third Congress candidate one vote short of the required 45 votes for victory. This unexpected development has heightened tension within the Congress camp.

While there is speculation regarding accepting the vote cast by the late Raja Venkatappa Nayaka due to an earlier signing by KPCC President DK Shivakumar, the final decision lies with the Election Commission.

To secure victory, Congress now strategizes to get one of its three candidates elected, needing 135 votes. Exploring options, Congress may rely on non-party MLAs, such as Lata Mallikarjun and Darshan Puttanaiah from Harpanahalli and pandavapura Constituency.

In this complex political scenario, alliances are shifting, with leaders from Congress, BJP, and JDS engaging in strategic maneuvers to secure votes. The fate of the Rajya Sabha election hangs in the balance, awaiting the Election Commission’s decision on the contested vote and the unfolding alliances. The previously straightforward calculation has turned into a political chessboard, adding layers of suspense to today’s elections.

Rafiqul Islam claims Assam Congress To Be In Disarray

February 25, 2024, 2:54 pm

Assam’s few Congress MLAs have spoken with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), according to its leader Rafiqul Islam, who also claims that the Assam Congress is presently in disarray.

Rafiqul Islam, AIUDF MLA and party General Secretary, said that several Congress leaders had joined the BJP, that many more may do so, and that a few more are in contact with the AIUDF as well, ANI reprted.

He urged the Congress MLAs not to join the BJP if they wished to work for the people of the state.

“6-7 of its (Congress) MLAs have already gone to the BJP. Many other Congress MLAs are now thinking of quitting the party. Even the Assam Chief Minister said that, when needed, we will take them. We appeal to the Congress MLAs to not go to the BJP. If you go to BJP, then you will be washed in the washing machine, and you will have no work. If you want to fight for the people, to work for the people of Assam, then come to our party, the AIUDF,” Rafiqul Islam said.

He further said that a few Congress MLAs are currently in contact with the AIUDF.
In contrast, when it comes to INDIA parties, the AIUDF MLA stated that the people of the country want the BJP out.

“Our future is not safe in the hands of the BJP. Indian democracy and economy are also not safe in the hands of the BJP. For this reason, people are now searching for an alternative. Congress has now become weak everywhere. If the regional parties come out with strength, then the BJP will face defeat. The Congress should give their support to the regional parties, and they should give honour to the regional parties. Where the Congress is weak, it should give away the maximum number of seats to the regional forces. Where the Congress is strong, they can fight there with a strong position. If the strong candidate of the INDI alliance wins, then we will be happy,” Rafiqul Islam said.

He went on to say that his party will run in three seats in Assam, and that in the remaining 11 seats, AIUDF members will vote against the BJP.

“Our supporters can’t go with the BJP. Our party will contest in three out of 14 seats in Assam in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, and we are doing hard work to win all three seats. If there is a strong candidate who will fight against the BJP in other 11 seats and win, then we will be happy. Our supporters are against the BJP, and our supporters votes can’t go to the BJP,” Rafiqul Islam said.

ED Raids 20 Locations of Mining Businessmen in Haryana

January 4, 2024, 2:37 pm

In Haryana, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 20 locations of mining businessmen. These businessmen include Congress MLA Surendra Panwar from Sonipat, his partner Suresh Tyagi, Manoj Wadhwa who joined BJP from INLD in Karnal and INLD leader Dilbag Singh from Yamunanagar.

ED teams reached Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh and Karnal on Thursday morning to investigate money laundering in the mining business. During this period, central security forces have also been deployed along with the local police. Congress MLA Panwar has mining business in Haryana as well as Rajasthan.

As soon as the ED team reached these 20 locations, no one was allowed to go out or enter the house or office. ED officials are busy sifting through the documents there.

ED teams reached the house of Congress MLA Surendra Panwar in Sector 15 of Sonipat early in the morning. At that time MLA Panwar was present at home. Documents related to mining business are being scrutinized in his presence in his home and office. A team also reached the house of his mining business partner Suresh Tyagi. Investigation is being done there also.

Apart from this, ED has also raided the house of BJP leader Manoj Wadhwa in Karnal. He has a mining business in Yamunanagar. In 2014, he contested the assembly elections from Karnal against CM Manohar Lal on INLD ticket. In which he lost. After this he joined BJP.

At the same time, ED raided the house and office of former Yamunanagar MLA INLD leader Dilbag Singh. Dilbagh Singh has been the MLA of Yamunanagar from the Indian National Lok Dal party. He had contested elections from INLD in 2014 in which he lost to BJP candidate Ghanshyam Das Arora.

ED Raids Premises of Haryana Congress MLA, Ex-INLD Legislator

January 4, 2024, 11:12 am

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple locations associated with certain political figures in Haryana on August 11, 2022.

Premises linked to Surinder Panwar, a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Indian National Congress in Haryana, and Dilbag Singh, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Indian National Lok Dal, were part of the search operation.

Twenty locations across six districts in Haryana and one in Chandigarh were covered in the searches. The districts searched included Yamuna Nagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh and Karnal.

According to sources, the searches were part of an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal mining activities. Further details regarding the Enforcement Directorate’s operation are awaited.

Arvind Kejriwal after Congress MLA arrest in Punjab:”Fully committed to INDIA bloc”

September 29, 2023, 1:06 pm

Following the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drugs case, Aam Aadmi Party president Arvind Kejriwal stated that his party is totally committed to the INDIA coalition, but that anyone involved with drugs will not be spared.

Addressing a news conference, Kejriwal said “We are fully committed to the India alliance. We will not separate from the alliance under any circumstances. I have come to know that the Punjab Police arrested some Congress leader yesterday. I do not have its details; Punjab Police will tell it. But we have waged a war against drugs. I would not like to comment on any individual case or person, but we are committed to end drug addiction. In this war against drugs, no matter how big or small a person is, he will not be spared.”

Khaira was arrested this morning at his Chandigarh residence in connection with an old case filed in 2015 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The Punjab Congress has been harshly critical of the Bhagwant Mann government over Khaira’s arrest, claiming political revenge on the part of the state government.

“I want to condemn Bhawant Mann’s action. Mann thinks he will be in the government forever but he is wrong everyone has to go and his government will also go,” he said while speaking to reporters outside Sardar police station” said Punjab Congress senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa.

“As I am the Leader of the Opposition it is our constitutional right to meet Khaira. We were supposed to meet him in the custody of the police officials but they didn’t allow us. It was a courtesy call and wanted to tell him that the Congress party and each and every leader of the party is with him, nothing more than this” said Bajwa.

Punjab Police detain Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira

September 28, 2023, 10:36 am

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, a Congress MLA, was taken into custody by Punjab police on Thursday in relation to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. A team from the Punjab Police raided Khaira’s home on Thursday early in the morning in connection with an old case that had been filed in 2015 in Jalalabad, Fazilka, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In a Facebook Live video that he was hosting, Khaira was seen arguing with police officers as they searched his home this morning. In the video, a police officer can be heard informing Khaira that a SIT has been established in an old drug smuggling case.

As the police detain Khaira, he can also be seen shouting “Punjab Sarkar Murdabad” in the video. Sukhpal Khaira is the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress and an MLA from Bholath in the Punjabi city of Kapurthala. Partap Singh Bajwa, a senior leader and leader of the Congress party in the Punjab assembly, questioned the detention of Khaira and claimed that the AAP government in Punjab had resorted to low level vendetta politics.

“The arrest of Senior Congress Leader and Bolath MLA @SukhpalKhaira is extremely deplorable. The @AAPPunjab
govt has stooped to an all-time low and resorted to vendetta politics. Sukhpal Singh Khaira has been outspoken and raised his voice against the wrongdoings and irregularities committed by the CM @BhagwantMann’s govt. The Punjab Congress under the ambit of law will leave no stone unturned to get him released” Partap Singh Bajwa said in a post on X.

Karnataka elections: FIR registers against Congress MLAs

March 30, 2023, 2:50 pm

Karnataka police on Thursday lodged an FIR against Congress MLA Shamanur Shivshankarappa and his son Shamanur Mallikarjun after people in that area complained that they were influencing voters by distributing gifts for the upcoming state assembly polls to be held on 10 May.

Women of the Davangere Dakshina Assembly Constituency expressed their anger against Shivshankarappa for giving gifts.

The women of the area have plenty of complaints, like the lack of proper roads and drainage arrangements. People are spending their lives like animals. They are not paying attention to such issues. “Election is nearing, so they are distributing sarees and other gifts,” a woman told a leading news agency.

Villagers in Davangere gathered and set all gifted items on fire, which were given by the father-son duo.

Uttarakhand budget session begins, Congress protests outside the assembly

March 13, 2023, 4:25 pm

The budget session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly has begun in Bhararisain, Uttarakhand. Before the assembly proceedings, the Congress MLAs staged a sit-in protest outside the Vidhan Sabha. Congress MLAs demanded that a CBI inquiry be initiated into alleged irregularities in several recruitment examinations in the state.

Congress MLAs were seen sitting on the steps of the assembly premises, holding placards, and demanding that CM Dhami solve the issue of unemployment in the state. After persuasion by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, all the Congress MLAs went to the house. Uttarakhand CM Dhami on Monday said the state budget will help contribute to the state’s development.

“The budget session will start today. Our government’s vision for the state of Uttarakhand is reflected in this budget. We hope all the leaders will contribute to the development of the state,” he said.

The Chamoli district administration on Monday banned procession activities from Diwalikhal to Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha in view of the budget session. Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in the area from Diwalikhal to the Assembly premises.

Congress leader RV Deshpande receives best MLA award in Karnataka

December 28, 2022, 5:19 pm

Raghunath Vishwanath Deshpande, a seasoned Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister, took home the Best MLA Legislator Award on Wednesday.

The honour was given to the eight-time Congress MLA from Haliyal in Uttara Kannada by Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.

The previous state president of the Congress has held the position of minister in a number of governments. He was praised by former chief minister Siddaramaiah for constantly working to increase investment in the state and improve the lives of Karnataka’s citizens.

“Deterioration in politics is so much that the politicians are scared of introducing themselves. People don’t have a good opinion about the politicians,” the veteran leader said.

Madhya Pradesh: Congress MLA Umang Singhar booked for rape

November 21, 2022, 12:43 pm

Umang Singar, Congress MLA and former Madhya Pradesh minister Umang Singar has been booked for allegedly mentally harassing and raping a woman, the woman claims to be his wife, in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district.

The woman claims that Singhar has in the past sexually assaulted her without her will and under the guise of marriage. She also claims that the MLA has mentally tortured her. When the woman informed Singhar that she would file a case against him, according to the police FIR, he married her on April 16 in Bhopal.

Singhar’s behaviour changed after the wedding, and he began abusing her physically and mentally. After two months of marriage, the woman allegedly complained that Singhar had started to mistreat her, rape her, assault her, record an explicit video of her, and blackmail her.

The woman claimed in her lawsuit that he had unnatural sex in the past.

According to Aditya Pratap Singh, the superintendent of police in Dhar, a case against Singhar has been filed under Indian Penal Code Sections 498-A (domestic abuse), 377 (unnatural offences), 376 (2) (n) (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing harm), 294 (obscene conduct), and 506 (criminal conspiracy) (criminal intimidation).

The police officer stated that more investigation was being done on the situation.

The Gandhwani constituency is represented by Singhar, 48, in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. During the administration of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, he served as the state’s former forest minister.

Congress MLA Rathwa quits party, joins BJP ahead of Gujarat polls

November 9, 2022, 12:51 pm

In advance of the state Assembly elections in Gujarat, Congress MLA Mohan Rathwa on Tuesday defected from the grand old party and joined the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Except for the 2002 election, when the BJP won 127 seats under the direction of then-chief minister Narendra Modi, Rathwa, 78, has served as a legislator for around 55 years and has never lost an election.

Rathwa informed Jagdish Thakor, the leader of the Gujarat Congress, of his decision to quit in a letter.

Speaking to the reporters at the BJP office in Ahmedabad, Rathwa claimed he had no issue with any Congress members and had joined the party because of the work it has done for the state’s tribal community.

Rathwa has eleven times run for a tribally reserved seat in the Chhota Udaipur (Scheduled Tribes, or ST) district.

Of the 27 seats set up for ST candidates, Congress took 15 of them in 2017. Nine seats were won by the BJP, two by the Bharatiya Tribal Party, and one by an independent candidate.

Making his stand clear, Rathwa said he is not interested in contesting elections from any party.

“I have no issues with anyone. The talks that I have been denied a ticket by Congress and hence I quit the party are not true. I have joined BJP with my two sons and supporters as I want my next generation to work for people’s development,” he said.

He said that he was impressed by the work done by the Modi-led Central government in tribal areas of the state and the country. “…That is the reason why I have decided to join BJP,” he said in a statement to the media.

On whether the BJP would give his son a ticket to contest the election, the MLA said he is “100%” sure, according to news agency PTI.

Elections in Gujarat are set for December 1 and December 5, with counting taking place on December 8.

Gujarat: Protest against attack on Congress MLA Anant Patel

October 10, 2022, 4:20 pm

Following his attack on Saturday night by a gang of men at Khergam in the Navasari district, thousands of tribals gathered in Congress MLA Anant Patel’s hometown of Unai on Sunday. In order to avoid roadblocks in the 14 districts of the tribal belt, the protestors asked that the police arrest the suspect within 72 hours.

According to the police’s initial information report, the Congress MLA was allegedly attacked at Khergam by a group of 40 to 45 persons, including Vaad village headman Chetan Patel.

The attack, according to tribal leader Patel, happened when Zila Panchayat chief Bhikhu Ahir was travelling to Khergam, Navsari for a meeting. In response for the incident, the district panchayat leader’s store was targeted.

Patel, 42, was a key figure in the tribal rebellion earlier this year. As a result, the Center decided to postpone the Par-Tapi-Narmada (PTN) river-linking project in May to prevent tribal people from being uprooted from their ancestral lands in the project’s affected region.

In his district of Vansda, a Navaratri dance event called “Ekaj chale Anant Patel chale,” which roughly translates to “Patel sticks to his stand,” was held the day before the attack.

As part of his election campaign for the state elections anticipated later this year, posters and banners with the slogan “Maaru ghar e Anant Patel nu ghar” (my house in Anant Patel’s house) have been placed in numerous locations throughout his and other tribal constituencies.

Rahul Gandhi shared a photo of Patel that showed a head injury in a tweet where he wrote: “The cowardly attack by the BJP on our MLA in Gujarat, Anant Patel, who has been fighting for the tribals against the Par-Tapi river link project, is condemnable. This shows the panic of the BJP government. Every worker of the Congress will fight till the last breath for the rights of tribals”.