Tag: India bloc

‘Emergency Mindset, Attack on Democracy’: BJP, Media Bodies Slam INDIA Bloc’s Boycott of 14 TV Anchors

The decision was made by INDIA bloc’s media committee in a virtual meeting on September 14. (Image: PTI/File)

Calling it a “bullying” tactic and an “emergency”, the BJP on Thursday hit back at the INDIA bloc’s decision to boycott the shows of 14 television anchors from different channels. Certain media bodies like the National Broadcasters & Digital Association, also slammed the move and called it an “attack on democracy”.

Earlier in the day, the newly formed opposition front listed the names of 14 journalists saying they will not be sending their representatives to their shows.

BJP national president JP Nadda said this was the opposition “emergency mindset era”, which is alive among these parties and this was an exercise of “making ‘lists’ in true Nazi style”.

Talking to news agency ANI, union minister Anurag Thakur said the step taken against the media by the INDIA bloc is “emergency 2.0″. “The steps that the INDI alliance have taken against the media is emergency 2.0… This shows that they do not believe in democracy…” he said.

Thakur said one emergency was declared by Indira, and the other has been declared by the ‘Ghamandiya’ alliance. “They do not trust democracy, you can see the state of affairs in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Those who used to talk about media autonomy have now taken such a drastic step to repress it,” he added.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, however, said the 14 journalists should wear this as a “badge of honour” as they had “refused to bend when the opposition expected them to crawl”.

The BJP later issued a formal statement condemning the INDIA’s boycott decision, saying it reflected their “oppressive and dictatorial thinking”. “The decision taken by the INDI Alliance parties involved in the arrogant alliance to boycott and threaten journalists is highly condemnable. This reflects their oppressive and dictatorial thinking. BJP strongly condemns this poor mentality of the alliance”, posted Anil Baluni, BJP national media incharge.

Source: https://www.news18.com/politics/emergency-mindset-alive-bjp-slams-india-bloc-media-boycott-14-tv-anchors-8577834.html

INDIA Bloc’s 1st Coordination Committee Meet Today In Delhi | What’s On Agenda, Who’s Attending, Who’s Not

The CPIM has not yet nominated any member to the committee and will be absent at the meeting. (File Image: PTI)

The INDIA bloc’s coordination committee is set to have its first meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to set the alliance’s plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in motion. In the meeting, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is expected to deliberate on the seat-sharing formula among members along with evolving a broad outlay of campaign strategy ahead of the upcoming polls.

During the meeting of the 14-member all-important panel of the opposition at the NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s Delhi residence this evening, the bloc could also discuss the government’s ‘witch hunt’ of Opposition leaders by ‘using probe agencies’, according to sources.

The CPIM has not yet nominated any member to the committee and will be absent at the meeting. Party sources said a decision on who will represent CPIM will be taken at its politburo meeting scheduled on September 16-17.

DISCUSSION ON ‘WITCH HUNT’
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will skip the bloc’s meeting today as he has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before its officers today in connection with the alleged school jobs scam.

In solidarity with Banerjee and to make a point about the ‘which hunt’, TMC has decided not to send anyone to the meeting in Banerjee’s place, sources said.

“In fact, the Abhishek Bannerjee issue and arrest of Chandrababu Naidu could figure in the talks,” they said.

NEGOTIATIONS OF SEAT SHARING
Sources also said that leaders of several opposition parties have sought an early seat-sharing formula to be worked out to ensure that a joint candidate is put up from the opposition side against the BJP candidates in Lok Sabha seats.

The resolution issued on September 1, after the third meeting of the bloc, said the parties would contest polls together “as far as possible”, and that seat sharing in arrangements in different states would be “initiated immediately” and concluded “at the earliest”.

Speaking on the issue, JDU’s KC Tyagi on Tuesday said that today’s meeting is very crucial in terms of campaigns and for articulating issues. “From October 2, Jan Sabha’s will be conducted, for which tomorrow’s meeting has been called,” he said.

According to opposition leaders, while states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar are sorted, others like Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal are likely to be challenging.

Several leaders said that the parties have to “shed their egos” and “vested interests” in arriving at such a formula.

While no decision has been taken on the criteria, it is likely to be based on the performance of parties on a particular seat in recent polls.

A source aware of the details said the issue of seat sharing will be addressed, even if it may not be finalised in the meeting today.

The leaders will also focus on a broad outlay of the election campaign for taking on the BJP, the sources said.

CAMPAIGN PLANNING
The meeting will also focus on finalising campaigns and rallies to be held in the coming days.

Leaders will also look at the decisions taken in meetings of the different sub-groups like the campaign committee, working group on media, research, and social media sub-groups.

Source: https://www.news18.com/politics/opposition-india-bloc-coordination-panel-meet-today-seat-sharing-ed-action-agenda-lok-sabha-elections-2024-8575295.html

Bypolls 2023: First big test for INDIA bloc in key election results today

The counting of votes for seven assembly seats in six states, contested on September 5, will be held on Friday, marking a significant test for the INDIA bloc against the BJP-led NDA ahead of upcoming state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Results for 7 assembly bypolls today (Credits: PTI)

The counting of votes for seven assembly seats across six states that went to bypolls on Tuesday (September 5), will be taken up at centres set up in the respective states on Friday.

The bypoll results are seen as a test for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA ahead of the five state assembly elections scheduled later this year and the crucial Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

The seven seats include Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura.

THE VOTER TURNOUT
While the Bageshwar, Dhupguri and Dhanpur seats were held by the BJP, the Ghosi seat was held by the Samajwadi Party, Boxanagar by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dumri by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Puthuppally by the Congress.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Ghosi Assembly constituency, only 49.42 per cent of electorates cast their votes for the by-election on Tuesday.

Jharkhand’s Dumri recorded a 64.84 per cent turnout while Bageshwar in Uttarakhand registered 55.35 per cent voting.

On the other hand, Tripura’s Boxanagar and Dhanpur recorded 86.34 per cent and 81.88 per cent voter turnout respectively, while Bengal’s Dhupguri recorded 74.35 per cent.

CANDIDATES FIELDED

The bypoll in Ghosi was necessitated after Dara Singh Chauhan, who had won the seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, came back to the BJP after resigning from the Samajwadi Party.

Chauhan was selected by the BJP to contest the bypoll.

On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party had fielded Sudhakar Singh to contest against Chauhan.

In Tripura’s Dhanpur, the bye-election was necessitated after the BJP’s Pratima Bhoumik resigned to retain her Lok Sabha seat, leaving the assembly vacant.

Bhoumik’s brother Bindu Debnath fought for the BJP against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur for the bypolls.

In Tripura’s Boxanagar, the BJP and CPI (M) contested against each other as the seat fell vacant after the death of CPI (MK) MLA Samsul Haque.

In Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar seat, the battle was between the Samajwadi Party, Congress, and the BJP. A bye-election in Bageshwar was prompted by the death of BJP MLA Chandan Ram Dass.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/bypoll-results-2023-seven-assembly-seats-byelection-results-2023-uttarakhand-up-jharkhand-kerala-bengal-tripura-2432748-2023-09-08

Voting underway for bypolls to 7 seats in 6 states, first test for INDIA bloc

The bypolls are being seen as the first electoral contest between the recently formed Opposition bloc INDIA and the BJP-led NDA.

Polling for the bypolls in Ghosi, Dumri, Dhanpur, Boxanagar, Bageshwar, Dhupguri and Puthuppally began at 7am.

Polling for bypolls to seven Assembly constituencies across six states began today at 7 am (September 5) amid tight security arrangements in order to fill seats that have fallen vacant. The seven Assembly constituencies are Dumri in Jharkhand, Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Puthuppally in Kerala and Dhupguri in West Bengal.

The bypolls are being seen as the first electoral contest between the recently formed Opposition bloc INDIA and the BJP-led NDA. The counting of votes will be held on September 8.

Here’s why the seats are important:

Dhupguri, West Bengal

In 2021, the BJP won the Dhupguri Assembly seat with a narrow margin of 4300 votes. The party made its first momentous entry into the West Bengal Assembly in 2021 after winning 77 seats compared with just 3 in the previous election.

In Dhupguri, the BJP’s Bishnu Pada Ray defeated the Trinamool Congress’s Mitali Roy in 2021. The Dhupguri Assembly bypoll is being held in order to fill the seat following the death of BJP MLA Bishu Pada Ray.

The 2023 Dhupguri bypoll will see a three-way fight between the BJP, Trinamool Congress, and Congress-Left alliance.

The BJP has fielded Tapasi Roy, the widow of CRPF jawan Jagannath Roy, who laid down his life in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021. BJP has an edge as former TMC MLA Mitali Roy recently joined the party.

Against the BJP’s candidate, the TMC fielded a professor, Nirmal Chandra Roy, from the seat. The Congress has decided to extend support to the candidate of the CPI (M), Ishwar Chandra Roy, a teacher by profession.

With the Congress supporting the CPI(M) against the TMC, the bypoll will see a contest between INDIA bloc members.

Dhanpur and Boxanagar, Tripura

Unlike West Bengal, the Dhanpur and Boxanagar bypolls in Tripura will be one-on-one contests between CPI (M) and the ruling BJP. The Congress and the Tipra Motha have not fielded candidates in either of the seats, giving an edge to CPI (M).

Dhanpur is holding a bypoll since Union minister Pratima Bhoumik resigned as an MLA to retain her Lok Sabha seat. Dhanpur, once a strong bastion of the Left, will witness a contest between BJP’s Bindu Debnath and CPI (M)’s Koushik Chandra.

The Dhanpur assembly constituency, once considered a stronghold of the Left, will witness a fight between BJP’s Bindu Debnath and Kaushik Debnath of CPI(M). There are 50,346 eligible voters.

The BJP won the seat for the first time in the assembly poll held seven months ago.

In Boxanagar, the BJP has nominated Taffajal Hussain, who earlier lost to CPI (M) in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/election-bypolls-assembly-constituencies-voting-today-dumri-boxanagar-dhanpur-ghosi-bageshwar-puthuppally-dhupguri-2430993-2023-09-05

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