Tag: BJP

BJP issues showcause notice to Jayant Sinha, says ‘party’s image maligned by your conduct’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a showcause notice to former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha and asked him to reply within two days. The development came after Sinha did not campaign for the party candidate in the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

The BJP told Sinha that the “party’s image has been maligned because of your conduct”.

The notice read, “You are not taking any interest in organisational work and election campaigning ever since the party declared Manish Jaiswal as the candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat. You did not even feel the need to exercise your vote. The party’s image has been maligned because of your conduct,” the notice read.

Recently, Sinha’s son Aashir joined Congress in another setback for the BJP.

Sinha, a two-time sitting MP from Hazaribagh, had expressed his desire not to contest the 2024 General Elections to focus on “combating climate change” in India and around the world. Before Jayant, the seat was held by his father and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha.

The BJP has given the ticket to Hazaribagh Sadar MLA Manish Jaiswal. He is pitted against Jai Prakash Bhai Patel, a sitting MLA from Mandu, who left the saffron party and joined the Congress in March earlier this year.

For the first time since 1998, no member of Yashwant Sinha’s family is contesting polls from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 5: Over 57% voter turnout recorded, highest in West Bengal at 73%

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Voting was held in 49 constituencies in six states and two UTs in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday. Voter turnout was recorded at 57.47% in the fifth phase of voting.

Today’s poll will decide the fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Voter turnout till 6 pm

Over 8.95 crore people, including 4.26 crore females and 5,409 third-gender electors, were eligible to vote in this round and 9.47 lakh polling officials were deployed across 94,732 polling stations.

Among the seats going to polls, 13 are in Maharashtra, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, five in Odisha, one in Jaamu and Kashmir and the lone seat in Ladakh. This round covered the least number of seats (49) in the seven-phase polls.

Voting was also held in 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha, where Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is among the candidates.

Polling for 23 states and Union territories and 379 seats has been completed so far. The sixth and seventh phases are on May 25 and June 1 respectively. The counting of votes is on June 4.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Ladakh Lok Sabha election: Voter turnout reaches 67.15% by 5.30 pm

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Ladakh parliamentary constituency, the largest in the country in terms of area (173.266 square kilometres), is voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

By 5.30 pm, the voter turnout stood at 67.15%.

While the Union Territory was earlier witnessing a direct contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, a twist came after an alliance of local groups fielded an Independent to challenge the national parties, thereby making it a three-cornered fight.

This time, it is the first major electoral battle in Ladakh after it was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and granted Union Territory status in 2019.

In the 2024 general elections, the saffron party has dropped its sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and replaced him with Tashi Gyalson, who is the chief executive councilor-cum-chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Leh), while the Congress has nominated Tsering Namgyal as its candidate.

In a surprise move, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has fielded Haji Haneefa Jan, the Kargil district president of the National Conference (NC), which is a member of the Congress-led INDIA bloc.

In recent times, Ladakh has witnessed multiple protests over various demands of the local people, including statehood and the sixth schedule of the Constitution.

The agitation intensified on March 6 earlier this year when Leh City observed a complete shutdown, which was later followed by a 66-day hunger strike which was suspended some days ago. Social reformer Sonam Wangchuk, who was a part of it, had ended his 21-day hunger strike back on March 26.

This Lok Sabha seat has over 1.84 lakh voters, of which a majority (95,926) reside in the Muslim-dominated Kargil district and 88,877 are there in the Leh district.

During the 2019 elections, Ladakh saw a total voter turnout of 71.05%.

List of candidates

Three candidates are in the fray for the Ladakh seat in the 2024 general elections.

2019 result

BJP’s Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won from the Ladakh constituency in the 2019 polls and defeated the rival Independent candidate Sajjad Hussain by more than 10,000 votes.

Catch LIVE updates on Lok Sabha fifth phase here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Mumbai North Lok Sabha Election: Over 46.91% voter turnout recorded; Union Minister Piyush Goyal casts his vote

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Mumbai North constituency, with around 16 lakh voters, is a crucial seat in Maharashtra. The constituency covers six assembly segments – Borivali, Dahisar, Magathane, Kandivali East, Charkop and Malad West.

The seat recorded a 46.91% voter turnout at 7.34 pm, according to news18.com.

In the post-independence era, Congress dominated the constituency until the Bharatiya Janatra Party rose to prominence in the late 1980s. They dominated this Lok Sabha seat from 1989–1999, with Ram Naik winning five times.

In 2004, Congress wrested the seat from the BJP after Bollywood actor Govinda was fielded from here. In 2009, Sanjay Nirupam, who is now back with Shiv Sena (Shinde), was elected to the Lok Sabha on a Congress ticket from here. In 2014, at the peak of the Modi wave, he lost the seat to the BJP’s Gopal Shetty.

List of candidates

In Mumbai North, Union Minister Piyush Goyal from the BJP will lock horns with actor-politician Bhushan Patil of the Congress.

2019 results

In the 2019 elections, BJP’s Gopal C Shetty defeated former actor-politician Urmila Matondkar by over 4.65 lakh votes.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

AAP protest walk: Arvind Kejriwal challenges BJP to arrest entire party, Delhi Police imposes Section 144

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Leading a protest walk to BJP headquarters on Sunday afternoon, Aam Aaadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal made an open challenge to the Narendra Modi-led party to arrest anyone they wished.

In a post on X, the Delhi Chief Minister said: “Prime Minister ji, stop playing this game of jail every day. We have reached your office, arrest the entire Aam Aadmi Party together.”

Meanwhile, the walk by AAP leaders and workers was disrupted when Delhi Police made announcements outside the AAP party office saying Section 144 had been imposed in the area and there was no permission for the protest.

#WATCH | On AAP protest, DCP Delhi Central, Harsha Vardhan Mandava says, “We stopped them as 144 CrPC has been implemented and we asked them to disperse, adequate police arrangements are in place.” pic.twitter.com/DXFKBsmrwi

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2024

Ahead of the protest, the Delhi traffic police issued an advisory and announced that significant disruptions were expected around the BJP office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.

AAP headquarters are also located on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.

Before starting the protest against the arrest of AAP party leaders, Kejriwal said the BJP made fake cases and arrested party people.

“BJP has started ‘Operation Jhaadu’ so that we don’t grow big and become a challenge to them. Through ‘Operation Jhaadu’, AAP’s big leaders will be arrested, they are being arrested and in the coming days, AAP’s bank accounts will be frozen. ED’s lawyer has already given this statement in court that soon after the election AAP’s bank accounts will be frozen, he said that if they freeze our account now we will get sympathy…after election, they will freeze our accounts, our office will be cleared out and we will be brought to streets. These are the 3 plans made by BJP,” he said.

Kejriwal said though Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wanted to join today’s protest he was asked not to. May other key leaders of the AAP were present at the protest, including MP Raghav Chadha who recently underwent eye surgery.

Meanwhile, at a rally in Bengal’s Purulia on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “I will not allow corrupt people to stay outside jail.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

AAP protest today: Delhi traffic police issues traffic advisory, security at BJP headquarters beefed up

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory in anticipation of a protest led by AAP’s national convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal around noon outside the BJP headquarters on Sunday.

The traffic police announced that significant disruptions are expected around the BJP office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. AAP headquarters are also located on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.

In a post on X, the traffic police said, “In view of the proposed protest by a political party at DDU Marg Delhi, traffic will remain heavy at DDU Marg, IP Marg, Minto Road, and Vikas Marg. DDU Marg may be closed for traffic movement between 11 am to 2 pm. Kindly avoid these roads and plan your journey accordingly.”

As a precautionary measure, security has been heightened at the BJP headquarters.

The AAP party has thrown an open challenge to the BJP to arrest any leader it wants from the party.

मोदी को खुली चुनौती 🔥

आज दोपहर 12 बजे CM केजरीवाल के नेतृत्व में BJP मुख्यालय की ओर कूच करेंगे AAP नेता।

जिसे चाहे उसे गिरफ्तार कर लेना मोदी जी… pic.twitter.com/LQPmqlV6mH

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) May 19, 2024

The protest follows statements made by Kejriwal, who has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of targeting AAP leaders through legal actions.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Kejriwal said, “They are after our party and sending our leaders to jail one after another… I along with my MLAs and MPs would go to the BJP office at noon tomorrow so that the prime minister can send anyone he wants to jail.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

INDIA bloc to win Lok Sabha polls, BJP will not even cross 200 seats: Mamata

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the INDIA bloc will come to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and BJP will “not cross the 200 mark” in the polls.

She accused Congress and CPI(M) of having entered into a nexus with BJP in the state to discredit the state government and asked the electorate not to vote for any non-TMC parties which will benefit the saffron camp.

Addressing an election rally at Goghat under the Arambagh Lok Sabha constituency, Banerjee said, “I had coined the name INDIA and at the national level we the coalition partners are all working together to resist the autocratic, demonic Narendra Modi government. TMC will play its role in installing the INDIA bloc to power.”

“See what Modi is telling now he is no more making tall ‘400 paar’ seats by BJP. He can read the writing on the wall already. BJP will not cross even 200 tally. BJP will bite the dust,” she said.

Banerjee alleged that CPI(M), Congress and other Left partners in West Bengal have entered into a ‘mahaghot’ (unprincipled nexus) with BJP just to discredit the ruling TMC which is the only party against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in the state.

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The TMC supremo also slammed CPI(M) for allegedly committing mass murders at places like Goghat and Sihar during its rule and claimed only she as then opposition leader had dared to face the “Marxist terror at that time braving her life.”

“I know the true face of CPI(M) in Bengal,” she added. Describing Modi and Shah as “anti-Bengal”, she said, “His issuing advertisements in media to profess his love for the state won’t cut much ice with the residents of the state who knows these BJP heavyweight leaders will never understand our ethos and sentiments.”

Banerjee accused Modi and Shah of using doctored, false images of Matuas in one such ad gloating over CAA benefits. Reiterating her allegations about BJP concocting the charges of atrocities against TMC leaders on women of Sandeshkhali, she said, “They made some of the poor, unsuspecting women sign on blank papers and incorporated charges of sexual misconduct in the complaint later.”

She cautioned the voters and the security personnel by alleging that the BJP had planned to remove idols from temples in Sandeshkhali and elsewhere and engineer riots to get votes by dividing people.

In a conciliatory tone, she added: If there had been stray incidents of mistake, those have been rectified and corrective actions taken on our part. Today’s generation might not be aware of the magnitude of atrocities committed on people and political opponents by the CPIM in its reign which had never been addressed by their administration.

The goons of the CPI(M) have changed colours and now working for the BJP, the TMC supremo claimed. At the second rally in Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat, Banerjee mentioned Modi’s comments on alleged consumption of fish by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during Navratri.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2024 — how regional parties are challenging national giants in Phase-4

She said, Who are you (Modi) to lecture us whether to eat meat, fish or egg? Let everyone eat what he/she likes. Banerjee said every state has its own culinary and dietary tradition and the PM and his party have no right to impose diktat on the people of a region in a country like India.

Claiming that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been asking people to invest in shares to boost the stock market, she accused the BJP heavyweight of violating the model code of conduct (MCC). Terming Modi as a jumla PM who only spreads misinformation and gives false promises, she said he had promised two crore jobs every year in the last polls.

So the total number would go up to 10 crore. How many actually get the jobs promised by Modi? Why is he not repeating the same promise this time?… I have not seen such a jumla government in my entire political life, Banerjee said. She accused the prime minister of plotting to divide the nation along religious lines and plundering assets of the country.

Banerjee charged Modi with trying to change the pluralistic values and secular ideals enshrined in the constitution and change the name of India to Bharat. “This has become more pronounced since we named the opposition bloc INDIA,” she said. Banerjee also promised once the INDIA bloc comes to power after the polls, measures will be initiated to scrap the CAA and NRC and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Accusing the BJP of using central agencies to frame TMC leaders in coal and cattle smuggling cases, she said, Who is in charge of border security? Why will Union Home Minister Amit Shah not be arrested if there are such cases of smuggling? Banerjee alleged that BJP is trying to influence monks but that plan will not succeed.

Also Read: In Ayodhya, voters talk of a promise fulfilled and yearning for development

Stating that her government had helped Rama Krishna Mission to renovate the ancestral home of Swami Vivekananda in north Kolkata, she said, I have regular contacts with monastic organizations and that will remain forever. I have great respect for them.

In a dig at sitting BJP MP from Bisnupur and party’s candidate Saumitra Khan, Banerjee accused him of amassing huge properties during his five-year tenure but not doing anything to secure the money under 100 days’ central project for the job card holders in three years. Modi, like an emperor, comes to campaign in a luxury aircraft and leaves while she uses a small hired helicopter, she claimed.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

BJP is planning to ban RSS, says Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was planning to ban its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), after winning a third term in power.

Speaking at his last rally before the campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections ended in Maharashtra, Thackeray also said that the Election Commissioner who was “acting like Modi’s servant” will be removed after the INDIA alliance government comes to power.

“The way they tried to use and throw the Shiv Sena, a similar game will be played by Narendra Modi in future (with the RSS), and that has been stated by (BJP president J P) Nadda,” he said.

Also Read: INDIA bloc will win majority seats in Bihar, says Tejashwi Yadav

Thackeray was referring to Nadda’s comments to a newspaper that when the BJP was a small party and less capable, it needed the RSS, but now the saffron party has grown, become more capable, and “runs itself”.

“Nadda said there was a need of the RSS until now, (but) we are capable now and we don’t need the RSS. If they (BJP) came to power, it is a bigger danger for RSS workers because they will ban the RSS,” Thackeray claimed. In the past, (then Union home minister) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had banned the RSS, he noted.

“Those who call our party ‘nakli’ (fake) Shiv Sena will call the Sangh ‘nakli’,” Thackeray further said, referring to Prime Minister Modi’s jibe at the Sena (UBT).

“The entire RSS cadre toils to make you prime minister. Why are you planning to ban the RSS which gave you birth and gave you political power,” Thackeray asked.

Also Read: ‘Modi won’t be Prime Minister’ | Rahul Gandhi Exclusive

He also took a swipe at the Election Commission, stating that “after the INDIA alliance government comes to power, we have to send home the election commissioner who is acting like Modi’s servant.” Whoever is working like the BJP regime’s “servant” will be sacked, the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Complete list of Congress candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Two years after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defeated Congress in Punjab Assembly elections, the grand old party is attempting to regain its lost glory in the border state. The stage is set and it’s the Lok Sabha elections where AAP and Congress — part of the INDIA bloc — are going solo.

Punjab, which comprises 13 parliamentary constituencies, is all set to vote for the 2024 general elections in a single phase on June 1, followed by the counting of votes on June 4.

During the 2019 polls, the grand old party emerged victorious in Punjab, bagging eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats, leaving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with just two seats each, while the remaining constituency went to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

However, the Congress has witnessed the departure of several veteran leaders, including former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, his wife and sitting Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, the party’s former state unit president Sunil Jakhar and two-time Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, to the BJP.

During the 2022 Assembly polls, AAP registered a landslide victory, getting 92 of the 117 seats in the state. Congress could only manage 18 seats, while three went to the SAD, two to BJP and one each to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and an Independent candidate.

BJP and SAD, the two former allies, earlier failed to reach a common ground and they too are going solo in these polls.

As a result, the state this time is witnessing a multi-cornered contest between the Congress, AAP, the BJP and SAD.

Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Voting dates

In Punjab, polling for the 2024 general elections will be held during the last phase on June 1. All the seats in the state will vote in a single phase.

During the 2019 elections, the state witnessed a total voter turnout of 65.94%.

Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Total seats

In total, Punjab has 13 parliamentary constituencies, of which four seats are reserved for the SC candidates, while the remaining nine are unreserved.

Punjab Lok Sabha elections: Congress candidates

After a strong performance in the last elections, the Congress is hopeful of yet another dominating show in Punjab in the 2024 polls. Here’s a complete list of candidates announced by the grand old party in Punjab:

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Celebrity Kangana vs ‘royal’ Vikramaditya on Himachal’s Mandi seat: Clash of richest titans

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Clash of the two richest titans, a celebrity and a ‘royal’, is on the cards in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, known for electing erstwhile “royals” maximum number of times. The BJP has for the first time fielded a woman and a Bollywood celebrity in Kangana Ranaut who will take on Vikramaditya Singh, scion of the erstwhile Rampur “royal family” and son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh.

Both the rivals have launched a high-pitched campaign, even with offensive outbursts. Vikramaditya fired a salvo at Kangana asking about her vision about the development of the constituency. Taking a dig at his rival, he said she is on a month-long political tourism and would pack up and return to Bollywood after June 4.

Returning the salvo, Kangana dubbed Vikramaditya as “Chhota Pappu”. It was a mocking reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is often dubbed as “Pappu” or a novice by his political opponents. Kangana called Vikramaditya a “junior Pappu”. She asked him why he stood mum when Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took “anti-Mandi decisions” like stalling the Rs 250-?crore Shiv Dhan project, curtailing the jurisdiction of Mandi University and pushing the Sundernagar airfield project under the carpet.

Kangana’s main agendas include restarting all the stalled projects besides improving connectivity to remote tribal areas, and popularising local cuisines and traditional attires, and promoting women-centric rural tourism in Seraj and Karsog. “Mandi will be made a smart city,” this is my promise, said Vikramaditya, adding that Jalori Jot tunnel will be constructed on the line of Rohtang tunnel and remote Pangi area of Chamba will be connected with Tissa, besides the construction of Beas river front.

The alleged insulting remarks by Kangana on farmers during the farmer agitation are recoiling and the Samyukt Kisan Manch has rendered their support to Vikramaditya. On the other hand, Kangana got support from unexpected quarters. The scion of Kullu Maheshwar Singh, who was an aspirant of a BJP ticket from Mandi; former Union minister Sukh Ram’s grandson Ashray Sharma, who was defeated by BJP candidate Ram Swaroop Sharma in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls; and Kargil hero Brig Khushal Singh, who was defeated by Pratibha Singh in the 2021 parliamentary byelection with a narrow margin have extended their support to the Bollywood actor.

Kangana dubbed Vikramaditya also as a “bigda hua shezada” (spolit prince) and a ‘paltu’ (one who makes U-turns) and said he used to criticise his own government but now is praising it. Singh retaliated by saying she will return “purified” from the ‘Dev bhoomi’.

Both Bollywood reel ‘Queen’ Kangana and ‘Raja’ Vikramaditya Singh have declared their assets over of Rs 90 crore. Kangana is banking on her celebrity image, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ram temple factors.

Vikramaditya is hoping to sail through riding on the legacy of his father Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from Mandi. Vikramaditya, who was active during the monsoon disaster in 2023, has been asking where Kangana was when it had hit the state and caused havoc in the Mandi-Kullu region.

The BJP candidate is accused of being unfamiliar with her constituency while the Congress candidate has extensively campaigned for his mother in the last byelections. Out of 19 parliamentary elections, including two byelections held in Mandi since 1952, the Congress has won 13 times, with both Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh winning thrice. Further, the scions of erstwhile princely states won from Mandi 13 times while the “non-royals” were elected six times.

Raj Kumai Amrit Kaur of the Kapurthala dynasty and Raja Joginder Sen Bahadur of the princely state of Mandi were elected once, Raja Lalit Sen of Suket represented Mandi twice, Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh three times each and Raja Maheshwar Singh of Kullu won thrice. Sukh Ram who won from Mandi three times, Ram Swaroop who won two times and Ganga Singh who won once, when he defeated Virbhadra Singh in 1977, were the exceptions who hailed from non-royal families.

The sprawling constituency spreads over six districts and comprises 17 assembly segments. In the 2022 assembly polls, the BJP had won 12 assembly seats falling under Mandi parliamentary constituency. The seat has become prestigious for former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, who has to establish that the BJP still holds sway in Mandi.

Vikramaditya Singh has to prove that the impact of the Rampur ‘ruling’ family is deep-rooted in this constituency. There are 13,77,173 voters in the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, including 6,98,666 males, 6,78,504 females and three third gender.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow