Lucknow: A month after its resounding victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP on Tuesday swept the biennial polls to the state’s legislative council by winning 22 out of 27 constituencies where polling took place last week.In addition, it was elected unopposed in nine of the 36 constituencies in these biennial elections to the state’s Upper House. The results take the BJP past the midpoint in the 100-member House.But it suffered a setback in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, where it stood distant third. The Samajwadi Party, the main opposition in the state, drew a blank.Two independents and a candidate from the Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) emerged victorious in the elections to the local authority constituencies.In Varanasi, BJP’s Sudama Patel stood third with just 170 votes as Independent candidate Annapurna Singh secured a resounding victory with 4,234 votes. Samajwadi Party’s Umesh Yadav got 345 votes, Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said.Before the polls, the BJP had 34 members in House. “In the last elections held in 2016, the BJP had not won any of the seats, which went to polls this time,” UP minister JPS Rathore told PTI.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the winners and said the BJP’s resounding victory in the council polls has again established that people of the state have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The ruling BJP won in Moradabad-Bijnor, Rampur-Bareilly, Pilibhit-Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Lucknow-Unnao, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Bahraich, Gonda, Faizabad, Basti-Siddar-thanagar, Gorakhpur-Maharajganj, Deoria, Ballia, Jaunpur, Allahabad, Jhansi-Jalaun-Lalitpur, Etawah-Farrukhabad, Meerut-Ghaziabad, Agra-Firozabad and Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur. Akshay Pratap Singh of Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) defeated BJP’s Hari Pratap Singh in Pratapgarh by a margin of 1,107 votes.The BJP lost Azamgarh-Mau seat to independent candidate Vikrant Singh ‘Rishu’ by 2,813 votes.The highest victory margin was of 5,939 votes in the Moradabad-Bijnor constituency, where BJP’s Satyapal Saini defeated Ajay Malik of the SP.The victory margin was the lowest in the Jhansi-Jalaun-Lalitpur seat, where Rama Niranjan of the BJP defeated SP’s Shyam Sundar Singh by 579 votes.BJP’s Ravishankar Singh Pappu, grandson of former Prime Minister Chandrasekhar, won from Ballia seat, defeating SP’s Arvind Giri by 1,981 votes.In Lucknow-Unnao constituency, BJP’s Ramchandra Pradhan defeated Sunil Singh ‘Sajan’ by 3,088 votes.CP Chand of the BJP defeated Rajnish Yadav of the SP in Gorakhpur-Maharajganj seat by a margin of 4,432 votes. Similarly in Allahabad, KP Srivastava of the BJP defeated SP’s Vasudev Yadav by 1,658 votes.In Barabanki, BJP’s Angad Singh trounced Rajesh Kumar Yadav of the SP by 1,745 votes.In Sitapur, BJP’s Pawan Kumar Singh defeated Arunesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP) by 3,692 votes while in Basti, BJP leader Subhas Yaduvansh defeated SP’s Santosh Yadav by 4,294 votes.BJP’s Hari Om Pandey defeated Heeralal Yadav of the SP by 1,680 votes in the Faizabad seat.There were 95 candidates in the fray and the polling was held at 739 centres, according to the Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer.As many as 1,20,657 people were eligible to vote in the polls held on Saturday.Nine MLCs from eight local authority constituencies—Budaun, Hardoi, Kheri, Mirzapur-Sonbhadra, Banda-Hamirpur, Aligarh, Bulandshahr and Mathura-Etah-Mainpuri—have been elected unopposed.Two MLCs were elected unopposed from the Mathura-Etah-Mainpuri constituency, while one MLC each was elected unopposed from the remaining constituencies.In the 100-member Legislative Council, the BJP currently has 34 MLCs, the Samajwadi Party (SP) 17 and the Bahujan Samaj Party four.The Congress, Apna Dal (Sonelal) and the Nishad party have one member each in the House.The teachers’ group has two MLCs while the Independent group (Nirdal Samooh) and Independents have one MLC each.Currently, 38 seats are vacant.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had vacated his council seat recently while former leader of opposition Ahmad Hassan of the SP died in February this year. The voters in this biennial election are village pradhans, members and chairmen of block development councils and zila panchayats, and corporators in urban areas. MLAs and MPs also vote.The Congress and the BSP did not field any candidate in the Legislative Council elections, making it a direct fight between the BJP and the SP.—PTI

 A month after its resounding victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP on Tuesday swept the biennial polls to the state’s legislative council by winning 22 out of 27 constituencies where polling took place last week.

BJP Sweeps UP Council Polls, Loses Varanasi; SP Draws A Blank

Guwahati: The ruling BJP-led alliance on Sunday secured a clean sweep by winning 58 seats in the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened its account in the civic body.According to the results announced by the Assam State Election Commission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 52 wards including the three which were earlier elected unopposed by the saffron party candidates while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) secured six wards out of seven wards it contested.In a significant development in the civic polls, the AAP and the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a local party, secured one seat each.AAP candidate Masuma Begum won ward number 42, while AJP nominee Hukum Chand Ali secured victory in ward number one, defeating the BJP and AGP candidates, respectively.The main opposition Congress, which fielded candidates in 54 wards, this time, could not open its account in the GMC elections, which were held after a gap of nine years.The Congress' ally CPI-M, which contested in four wards, also failed to win any ward. In all, 197 candidates had contested the elections in 57 wards.The GMC election was last held in 2013, when Congress won the prestigious civic body but due to internal wranglings several elected councillors in 2014 and 2015 had shifted to BJP facilitating the saffron party to form the municipal board.Besides the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress, the AAP had fielded 38 candidates.After its win in the recent Punjab Assembly elections, and buoyed by its first taste of success in two municipal wards in Lakhimpur and Tinsukia districts in last month's civic polls, the AAP is seeking to expand its base in Assam and in the northeastern region.Around 52.80 per cent of the 7,96,829 voters exercised their franchise in the GMC polls on Friday.Electronic Voting Machines were used in the politically important elections.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among others congratulated the people of Guwahati for voting the BJP-led alliance.Modi tweeted: "Thank you Guwahati! The people of this lovely city have given a resounding mandate to BJP to build on the agenda of development. They have also blessed the hardwork of the state government under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. My gratitude to every BJP Karyakarta for the hardwork.""I bow my head to the people of Guwahati for giving BJP and its allies a historic win in GMC Elections. With this massive mandate, people have reaffirmed their faith on our development journey under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi," the Assam Chief Minister tweeted.

 The ruling BJP-led alliance on Sunday secured a clean sweep by winning 58 seats in the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened its account in the civic body.

BJP secures clean sweep in Guwahati civic polls

The ruling BJP-led alliance on Sunday secured a clean sweep by winning 58 seats in the 60-seat Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened its account in the civic body.

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday announced the schedule for the by-polls in three assembly constituencies in Odisha, Kerala and Uttarakhand.These constituencies are Brajarajnagar in Odisha, Thrikkakara in Kerala and Champawat in Uttarakhand. According to the Election Commission, the polling in these seats will be held on May 31 while the counting of votes will take place on June 3. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who is not a member of the state Legislative Assembly, is likely to contest the Champawat bye-election. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kailash Gehtori had resigned from the Champawat Assembly seat paving the way for Dhami to contest assembly by-polls.Dhami lost from Khatima constituency in the polls held in February.Assembly elections were held in Uttarakhand on February 14 to elect 70 members of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. The results were declared on March 10.&nbsp;—ANI

 The Election Commission on Monday announced the schedule for the by-polls in three assembly constituencies in Odisha, Kerala and Uttarakhand.

Champawat In Uttarakhand To Go To Polls On May 31, CM Dhami Likely To Contest

Khatima: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday will visit Champawat to seek support from the people, from where he will contest the upcoming by-election scheduled to take place on May 31.Dhami is not a member of the state legislative assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kailash Gehtori had resigned from the Champawat assembly seat to pave the way for Dhami to contest by-polls after he lost from the Khatima constituency during the polls held in February.While talking to ANI at his residence in Khatima, Dhami said, "Though Champawat is my new constituency but I have grown up here. I will visit it tomorrow, May 9 to seek support from people. There is a temple of mother Purnagiri, there is a ghat of mother Sharda ji, there is a pilgrimage site and in the coming time we will take Champawat forward."Dhami said that some of the Congress workers had joined BJP as they expressed their intention to work under the leadership of the successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi."All the workers want to work under the leadership of the successful PM Modi and they want the development of Champawat. So they joined BJP and I welcome them," he said.Despite the BJP winning the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttarakhand with a majority, Dhami lost the Khatima seat to Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri.According to the Election Commission, the polling will be held on May 31 while the counting of votes will take place on June 3.Talking about the annual Chardham Yatra, which began on May 3, the Chief Minister said that the government is making all possible arrangements but devotees or tourists visiting the state are in huge numbers."Devotees' footfall in Chardham Yatra which is resuming after two years is more than expected. We are making all possible arrangements but people are more than capacity at all four dhams. We request devotees to make lodging, and other arrangements prior to their arrival," he said."Due to low temperature in the night, tourists are facing trouble. Though we have made sufficient arrangements and will continue making more, I urge tourists to make a planned tour so that they can stay for a long period and have darshan," he added.The annual Chardham Yatra began on May 3 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Temples in the Uttarkashi district.This year, it is not mandatory for pilgrims to carry a negative COVID-19 test report or vaccination certificate.Char Dham Yatra draws lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.&nbsp;—ANI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday will visit Champawat to seek support from the people, from where he will contest the upcoming by-election scheduled to take place on May 31.

Dhami To Visit Champawat Constituency Ahead Of By-Polls

Delhi: The value of the vote of a Member of Parliament is likely to go down to 700 from 708 in the presidential polls scheduled in July due to the absence of a legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.The value of the vote of an MP in a presidential election is based on the number of elected members in legislative assemblies of states and Union Territories, including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.The Electoral College for the presidential election comprises the members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and those of the legislative assemblies of states and union territories including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.Before it was bifurcated into two union territories of Ladakh, and Jammu &amp; Kashmir in August 2019, the erstwhile state of J&amp;K had 83 assembly seats.According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, the Union Territory of J&amp;K will have a legislative assembly, while Ladakh will be governed directly by the Centre.The government had announced that elections to the legislative assembly would be held after the completion of the delimitation of assembly constituencies.Last week, the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir notified its final order in which it has recommended a 90-member House for the newly carved out Union Territory. But it may take some time to have an elected House in place in the UT.It is not for the first time that legislators of a state assembly will not be able to participate in the presidential elections.In 1974, the 182-member Gujarat assembly was dissolved in March following the Navnirman Andolan and could not be constituted before the presidential election in which Fakruddin Ali Ahmed was elected.However, Jammu and Kashmir will not go unrepresented in the presidential elections as members of Lok Sabha will be eligible to exercise their franchise to elect the First Citizen of the country.The value of the vote of a Member of Parliament has been fixed at 708 since the 1997 presidential election.The value of vote of a Member of Parliament for the first Presidential election in 1952 was 494. It increased marginally to 496 in the 1957 presidential election, followed by 493 (1962), 576 (1967 and 1969).The presidential elections were held in 1969 due to the death of President Zakir Hussain on May 3, 1969.In the 1974 presidential election, the value of vote of an MP was 723. It has been fixed at 702 for the presidential elections from 1977 to 1992.President Ram Nath Kovind completes his term on July 24, and his successor has to be elected before that.By holding bypolls to the Rajya Sabha and state legislative assemblies, the Election Commission is trying to fill up vacancies to complete the Electoral College which elects the president.—PTI

The value of the vote of a Member of Parliament is likely to go down to 700 from 708 in the presidential polls scheduled in July due to the absence of a legislative assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.

Value of MPs' vote likely to go down to 700 in July presidential polls

Lucknow: The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) national president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday said the Opposition parties will form a huge alliance to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.SBSP, the former BJP ally in Uttar Pradesh, walked out of the alliance over the reservation issue and joined the opposition led by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and contested the recently concluded assembly election in alliance with SP.Rajbhar said he recently met Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the two-day training program of his party workers in Lucknow on Sunday, Rajbhar said, "A huge alliance is to be formed (in 2024). I met Mamata Ji, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Lalu Ji. Our duty is to make efforts and bring everyone on one platform. Let's see if it (Opposition alliance for 2024 polls) happens.""The Samajwadi Party-led alliance that contested the 2022 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh will remain the same. The alliance with Akhilesh Yadav, Sanjay Chauhan and Jayant Chaudhary will continue," he added.The SBSP chief said that during the two-day training program the party workers were directed to create awareness among the masses about the anti-people policies of the BJP government.&nbsp;—ANI

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) national president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday said the Opposition parties will form a huge alliance to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Opposition To Form Alliance Against BJP For 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: O P Rajbhar

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Monday decided to hold elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous body to administer Darjeeling hills, next month, an official said.The polls to the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) will also be organised in June."The state government in consultation with the State Election Commission has decided to hold elections to the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in June," the administration said in a statement.The elections to the GTA, formed in 2011, were last held in 2012.There are 45 elected members in the GTA Sabha and five others are nominated by the governor.The SMP was formed in 1989 for Siliguri subdivision, the plain areas of Darjeeling district.Elections to the SMP, where there are nine seats, along with four panchayat samitis and 22 panchayats spread across four blocks of the Siliguri subdivision, were last held in October 2015.—PTI

The West Bengal government on Monday decided to hold elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous body to administer Darjeeling hills, next month, an official said.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration polls in June

Dehradun/New Delhi: Colonel Ajay Kothiyal (retd), who was the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate in Uttarakhand assembly polls held in February this year, resigned from the party on Wednesday.The former army officer announced his decision to quit the party on Twitter, posting a soft copy of his resignation letter on the microblogging site.The AAP had suffered a rout at the hustings with Kothiyal losing his deposit from the Gangotri assembly seat.“I have been a member of the Aam Aadmi Party from April 19, 2021 to May 18, 2022. Keeping the feelings of ex-soldiers, ex para-military personnel, the elders, women, youths and the intellectuals, I am sending you my resignation on May 18,” Col Kothiyal said in his letter addressed to AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.Kothiyal is said to have been unhappy with the way he was being treated by the party post his electoral defeat. He had not been invited to a party meeting held in New Delhi recently to analyse its performance in Uttarakhand.AAP leader Jost Singh Bisht, who broke off his long ties with the Congress recently to join the Kejriwal-led party, said Col Kothiyal’s decision to quit the party was personal. “He (Kothiyal) was among the senior leaders of the party. His decision to resign is personal as he has mentioned no reasons for it. Our good wishes for him for a bright future,” said Bisht, who is coordinator of the state unit of AAP.Announcing the name of Kothiyal for his party’s chief ministerial candidate in August last year, Kejriwal had then said the decision to pick the former army officer as the party’s CM face was based on the feedback received from people of the state. The AAP had big plans for Uttarakhand as it fielded candidates on all the 70 assembly seats in the state and promised a slew of freebies to woo voters. However, the party could not open its account in the state. —PTI

Colonel Ajay Kothiyal (retd), who was the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate in Uttarakhand assembly polls held in February this year, resigned from the party on Wednesday.

Ajay Kothiyal, AAP’s CM Face In Uttarakhand Assembly Polls, Quits Party

Chennai: &nbsp;The AIADMK is still undecided on the selection of its candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats that it will get from the six which are falling vacant in June. The ruling DMK has announced the names of three out of the four candidates that it can select, its ally Congress, which will get one seat to name its candidate, is also undecided. As there are two power centres in AIADMK, with former Chief Ministers O. Panneerselvam (OPS) and K. Palaniswami (EPS) calling the shots, the selection of the two candidates will be based on their preferences. However, the party leadership conducted two brainstorming sessions for the selection of Rajya Sabha candidates unlike the period of late M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa who used to decide candidates on their own.According to sources in the AIADMK, Palaniswami is to choose between either D. Jayakumar or CVe Shanmugham, both his close associates and former cabinet colleagues, Panneerselvam, wants to nominate his close associate and party Theni district president Syed Ahmad Khan.Even as the two leaders have their own choices, the party's brainstorming session has brought out some suggestions, including considering one candidate with a legal background. Senior party leaders like D. Valarmathi, who participated in the session, told both OPS and EPS that sending a person with a legal background to the Rajya Sabha would give the party a good standing and pointed out that the DMK has senior lawyers in the Rajya Sabha. Another aspect, that was discussed, was on preferring a candidate from South Tamil Nadu as the party's traditional base is in the South. In the 2021 Assembly elections and the recent Urban local body elections, the party had to bite the dust in Southern Tamil Nadu. The powerful Thevar community that has a significant support base in South Tamil Nadu, which was traditionally supporting the AIADMK, had cold-shouldered the party due to the Sasikala issue and Panneerselvam is not getting prominence. It is to be noted that both Sasikala and Panneerselvam are from the Thevar community.The AIADMK leadership has got a shot in the arm as both the BJP and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) have announced their support to the AIADMK in the Rajya Sabha elections. In the 2021 Assembly elections and the Urban local body elections of January 2022, the PMK had contested on their own. The BJP while contesting in an alliance with the AIADMK in 2021 Assembly elections had decided to contest on its own in the Urban local body polls. While the PMK has 5 MLAs in the state Assembly, the BJP has four MLAs.—IANS

The AIADMK is still undecided on the selection of its candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats that it will get from the six which are falling vacant in June.

AIADMK undecided on candidates for RS poll

Kathmandu: &nbsp;The ruling alliance has stood victorious in two-thirds seats in local bodies elections which were conducted on May 13 as the final results of 684 of 753 local-level elections have been made public. As of Saturday morning, 237 people's representatives have won the major posts of metropolis, sub-metropolis, and municipalities while 446 people's representatives have won the posts of rural municipality chairpersons.The Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal had made electoral alliances in six metropolises, 11 sub-metropolises as well as some local levels for the polls. Amongst the members of the ruling alliance, the Nepali Congress has won the highest- 303 seats out of 753, reported the data of the Nepal Election Commission till 8 am (NST). Likewise, it is running ahead in the vote count of 24 other local bodies.CPN (UML) which stood atop in the last local election is in the second position. CPN (UML) candidates have secured wins in a total of 186 local levels. In the earlier election in 2017, UML had emerged victorious in 294 municipalities. The opposition party is leading in 21 local bodies as the vote counts are underway. The CPN-Maoist Center has improved its presence in comparison to an earlier election held 5 years before when it had won 106 local bodies. In the incumbent count, the party has won 117 seats and leading in 4 seats.The Janata Samajbadi Party, another member of the alliance has won 28 seats and has been leading on 9 fronts. The CPN-Unified Socialist, formed after a split with CPN-UML has won 17 seats and leading on 2 fronts. In the latest round of the May 13 local level election, 6 independent candidates have stood victorious in the post of chief. The Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, one of the madhes-based parties has won 10 local bodies and continued to lead in 6 local bodies as the vote counts are still underway.—PTI

The ruling alliance has stood victorious in two-thirds seats in local bodies elections which were conducted on May 13 as the final results of 684 of 753 local-level elections have been made public. As of Saturday morning, 237 people's representatives have won the major posts of metropolis, sub-metropolis, and municipalities while 446 people's representatives have won the posts of rural municipality chairpersons.

Nepal: Ruling alliance wins two-thirds seats in local bodies

Lucknow: When you have more, you want even more. That is exactly what is happening to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the recent Assembly elections, but the party is apparently not satisfied.The upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himanchal Pradesh at the end of this year, as well as the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan in 2023, and, of course, the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, have forced the party to make every possible effort to cement its position among the voters.The Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to be ready by the end of 2023, but for the BJP this is apparently not enough."Our slogan was 'Ayodhya ki taiyyari hai, Kashi Mathura baki hai', and we are going by this. Ayodhya will be ready and we will keep our promise of liberating Kashi and Mathura from invaders. Our trinity of gods -- Ram, Shiv and Krishna -- will have grand temples dedicated to them," said a veteran BJP leader. Party strategists feel that while mere governance can bring them back to power, it is the Hindu card that will give them overwhelming majority in the elections.The BJP is aware of the fact that the expected reactions from the Muslim community on Kashi and Mathura will only help consolidate Hindu votes in the party's favour."We have not spoken a word on Kashi or Mathura yet, and none of our responsible leaders have made any statement on them so far. But look at the Muslim leaders -- they are already reacting sharply. This will naturally consolidate Hindus on the issue," the BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. He further said that in the UP Assembly elections, the party got about '200 seats' on good governance but the remaining seats came because of the 'bulldozer' campaign which was apparently targeted against the Muslim mafia. "The bulldozer factor brought Hindus to our side and we went far ahead of the halfway mark," the BJP leader said. Besides, he added, who does not want extra icing on the cake and said, "Kashi and Mathura have the strength of demolishing caste barriers and reinforcing the 'Hindu First' card. Ayodhya was a trump card in 2014 and 2019 and now in 2024, Kashi and Mathura will lead us back to power."The BJP leaders also feel that religion is a glue that keeps the party together."When you have a winning card in your hand, petty differences get swept away. For the party workers, what matters is success in elections and no one talks if that is assured," said a senior BJP MLA. —IANS

The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the recent Assembly elections, but the party is apparently not satisfied.

Why BJP Needs Kashi And Mathura To Stay In Power

Chandigarh: Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh on Monday announced to conduct polls to 46 municipal bodies in the state on June 19. Counting of votes will take place on June 22, Singh said here. Singh said the nomination process will commence from May 30 and the last date for filling of nominations will be June 4. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on June 6 while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature will be June 7. The polling will be held on June 19 from 7 am till 6 pm, he said. The state election commissioner said the polls to 46 municipal bodies--28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils--will be held, according to an official release. Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal assured the state election commissioner that the administration will extend full support in conducting the elections in a transparent, fair, free and peaceful manner.—PTI

Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh on Monday announced to conduct polls to 46 municipal bodies in the state on June 19.

Polls to Haryana municipal bodies on June 19

Bengaluru: Congress on Monday announced M Nagaraju Yadav and K Abdul Jabbar as its candidates for the biennial election to seven seats of Karnataka legislative council, to be elected by the members of legislative assembly, scheduled for June 3. Tuesday is the last date to file nominations for the polls.Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the proposal for the candidature of Yadav and Jabbar, the All India Congress Committee said in a release. While, Yadav is the former chairman of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Jabbar is currently the president of the minority cell of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and a former MLC.The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal-Secular have not announced their candidates yet. The election is necessitated as the term of office of seven members expires on June 14.The seats will be falling vacant due to the retirement of MLCs -- Laxman Sangappa Savadi and Lahar Singh Siroya of BJP; Ramappa Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Veena Achaiah S of Congress; and H M Ramesha Gowda and Narayana Swamy K V of JD-S. According to official sources, in this election, each MLC candidate will require a minimum of 29 votes to win, and on the basis of minimum votes required and tallying it with the strength of each party in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP is expected to win four seats, Congress two, and JD-S one. There were too many MLC ticket aspirants in the Congress party. State Congress president D K Shivakumar had earlier today said there were more than 200 aspirants for the two seats. There were also talks about differences between Shivakumar and Congress Legislature party leader Siddaramaiah regarding candidates the State unit had recommended to the high command. However, both leaders had rejected such speculation. Senior party leader and former Minister S R Patil was among the key aspirants for the ticket. The polling will be held between 9 am - 4 pm on June 3 and counting of votes at 5 pm that day.—PTI

Congress on Monday announced M Nagaraju Yadav and K Abdul Jabbar as its candidates for the biennial election to seven seats of Karnataka legislative council, to be elected by the members of legislative assembly, scheduled for June 3.

Congress names Nagaraju Yadav, Abdul Jabbar for Karnataka MLC polls

Mumbai: Shiv Sena's Kolhapur district president Sanjay Pawar will be its second candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, party chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday, in what is a clear snub to Chhatrapati Sambhaji who was seeking support for his candidature. The Shiv Sena will contest two Rajya Sabha seats and ensure victory in both, asserted Raut, whom the party has given a fourth consecutive term in the Upper House of Parliament. Sanjay Pawar is Shiv Sena's&nbsp;mavala&nbsp;(soldier) and (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray has decided to give him candidature. But the official announcement will be done soon,” Raut said. Six Rajya Sabha seats from the state will go to polls next month, with the Bharatiya Janata Party having the numbers to get two of its candidates elected. The Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress have enough votes to secure one win each, while together they can win the sixth seat as well, for which the Sena has thrown its hat in the ring. The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP comprise the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state.However, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, a descendant of the legendary warrior king, and who has a strong follower base among the Maratha community, has announced he would contest the polls as an Independent candidate. He had approached the Sena last week and sought its support. The Sena assured him support provided he join the party, a proposal declined by Chhatrapati Sambhaji.Taking a dig at Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Raut said, "Kings are kings because of soldiers." Asserting that the chapter for the sixth RS seat is now over, Raut said, "We respect him (Chhatrapati Sambhaji), his family and the throne which is why we asked him to join the Shiv Sena so that he can contest as the sixth candidate for the polls.""He has to go to Rajya Sabha and wants to contest as an Independent. He needs 42 votes. If anyone has 42 votes, he can win the Rajya Sabha polls," Raut added.—PTI

Shiv Sena's Kolhapur district president Sanjay Pawar will be its second candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, party chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday, in what is a clear snub to Chhatrapati Sambhaji who was seeking support for his candidature.

Shiv Sena drops Sambhaji, names Kolhapur unit chief for 6th RS seat

Jaipur: The Congress has said that it will take the decision within next 60 days on whether the 2023 assembly polls in Rajasthan will be held under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. According to the party leadership, it does not want to create a Punjab-like situation where it had been postponed till the last moment.Will Congress go to the elections under the leadership of Gehlot or Sachin or will adopt the formula of collective leadership, will be finalised soon. The situation will become clear after the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on June 10. Overall, the situation of confusion will end soon and it will be announced whether to go to the elections under the leadership of Ashok Gehlot or to change the leadership.The party believes that it is necessary to take a clear decision so that preparations for the elections are done with full gusto.There should be no confusion between the organisation and the workers.If the election is to be contested under the leadership of Ashok Gehlot, then that should also be clear and if the leadership is to be changed, then that too has to be announced well within time.Congress president Sonia Gandhi, after discussing with the state in-charge Ajay Maken and other leaders, has decided that after the Rajya Sabha elections, the final decision will be taken so that no change is made like Punjab. That is, till July, there is an uproar in the Rajasthan Congress.After holding the Chintan Shivir, Gehlot has strengthened his grip, but whether the party will move forward with the youth leadership or remain with the experience, will be decided by the end of June or the first week of July.—ANI

The Congress has said that it will take the decision within next 60 days on whether the 2023 assembly polls in Rajasthan will be held under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Fearing Punjab-like situation, Cong to decide on Raj leadership soon

Lucknow: Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary will be the joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party and RLD for the Rajya Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh, the SP announced on Thursday. Congress veteran Kapil Sibal had on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/report/sibal-quit-cong-on-may-16-files-rs-nomination-as-sp-backed-independent/20220525.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(71, 123, 196);">filed his nomination</a>&nbsp;as an SP-backed Independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls. Javed Ali Khan had filed his nomination for the election as an SP candidate. 'Jayant Chaudhary will be joint candidate of the SP and RLD,' the Samajwadi Party said in a tweet from its official Twitter handle.With 273 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance will easily be able to get eight members elected to the Upper House of Parliament, while the SP and its allies (RLD and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party), with a strength of 125 legislators, will be able to ensure the victory of three candidates.Uttar Pradesh sends 31 members to the Rajya Sabha.Among the 11 retiring MPs from the state, five are from the BJP, three from the SP, two from the Bahujan Samaj Party and one from the Congress.Among those whose tenures are ending include Sibal, Satish Chandra Mishra of the BSP and Reoti Raman Singh of the SP.With 403 elected members in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, a candidate will require at least 34 votes for victory.The outcome of the state Assembly election held in February-March has changed the equation this time.The Congress has two MLAs in the Assembly, while Mayawati's BSP has one legislator.Two senior BSP leaders -- Mishra and Ashok Siddharth -- will retire in July, after which the party will have only one member, Ramji Gautam, in the Upper House of Parliament.The five retiring Rajya Sabha MPs of the BJP are Zafar Islam, Shiv Pratap Shukla, Sanjay Seth, Surendra Nagar and Jai Prakash Nishad.The SP leaders completing their terms include former Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council chairman Sukhram Singh Yadav, whose son Mohit has joined the BJP.Besides Yadav, the tenure of Reoti Raman Singh and Vishambhar Prasad Nishad will also end in July.The Election Commission had announced May 24 as the date of notification for the Rajya Sabha polls, while voting will be held on June 10 and the results will be declared the same day.—PTI

Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary will be the joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party and RLD for the Rajya Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh, the SP announced on Thursday.

Jayant Chaudhary to be joint candidate of SP-RLD for Rajya Sabha polls

New Delhi: The Congress is likely to get 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming election cycle with some of its top leaders, including P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh, eyeing another term. This will also help the Congress strengthen its position in the Upper House of Parliament from the current 29 to 33 members.Other top Congress leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken and Rajeev Shukla, are also waiting in the wings to get a Rajya Sabha nomination. Of the 55 vacancies arising in the Rajya Sabha in the next two months, seven Congress members -- Chidambaram (Maharashtra), Ramesh (Karnataka), Ambika Soni (Punjab), Vivek Tankha (Madhya Pradesh), Pradeep Tamta (Uttarakhand), Kapil Sibal (Uttar Pradesh) and Chhaya Verma (Chhattisgarh) -- will be completing their terms. The Congress will be gaining three to four seats in the Upper House if it manages to get all the three seats that are falling vacant in Rajasthan.While the party will get two seats in Chhattisgarh, where it is in power, it will get one seat each in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, where it shares power with other like-minded parties.The Congress is also likely to get one seat each in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka on the strength of its MLAs in these states.Sources said while Chidambaram and Ramesh are hopeful that the party leadership would give a nod to them for another term, there are a host of other leaders who are waiting for a Rajya Sabha berth for some time now.Chidambaram is eyeing the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu. He has already met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M K Stalin. However, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's team is pushing for a young face in Praveen Chakravarty, the head of the party's data analytics department, for the seat.Three-time Rajya Sabha member Ramesh will get a fourth term if his name is cleared for the lone seat in Karnataka, from where Surjewala is also a contender.In Haryana, Surjewala, Kumari Selja and Kuldeep Bishnoi are vying for the lone seat, but former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is pushing for the nomination of Anand Sharma. The former Union minister is a prominent member of the "Group of 23" and is considered close to Hooda, who is also a member of the grouping.Sources said Kapil Sibal was offered a Rajya Sabha berth by ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, but the Congress leadership was not ready. Sibal quit the Congress on Wednesday and got a Rajya Sabha nomination from Uttar Pradesh as an Independent with the support of the Samajwadi Party.In Chhattisgarh, the Congress has two seats and Shukla is vying for another term from the state.The Congress will surely get two seats from Rajasthan and may also get another seat with the support of some MLAs. Maken and Azad are said to be strong contenders for the seats.In Maharashtra, where the party shares power in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, it may get one Rajya Sabha seat, and Wasnik and Avinash Pande are in the race for it.The race is also between the old guard in the Congress and young leaders, who are keen to get a Rajya Sabha nomination, keeping in view the party's push for youth. However, this may not happen immediately as the "50 below 50" formula will not be applicable in the current Rajya Sabha nominations, the sources said.—PTI

The Congress is likely to get 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming election cycle with some of its top leaders, including P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh, eyeing another term.

Rajya Sabha polls may see Congress increase its tally to 33

Hyderabad: Well ahead of the high stakes assembly polls in Telangana next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday took apparent potshots at each other, even as the Telangana Chief Minister gave a miss to the former for the second time in a year during an official visit to his state. While Modi lashed out at family politics saying 'parivaarvadi' is democracy's "greatest enemy," Rao, who flew to Bengaluru to meet former PM HD Deve Gowda, said despite 'bhaashanbaazi' (rhetoric), industries were closing down, the nation's GDP was crashing and the rupee was falling drastically compared to the US dollar and said all sections of the society were suffering.Modi slammed "family-parties" in the country, including the ruling TRS in Telangana, without naming it, even as he expressed confidence the Bharatiya Janata Party would storm to power in the state in the next assembly elections, elated over its wins in two recent assembly bypolls in the state, besides putting up a very good show in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election in 2020.In another apparent jibe at KCR, as Rao is known, he said the "superstitious people can never do justice to Telangana's potential" and said that despite being a religious person, UP CM Yogi Adityanath believed in science. "The air of Telangana that I am experiencing after coming out of the airport here, and the scene that I am witnessing, when I see your enthusiasm in this heat, I can say that our struggle is paying off," Modi said while addressing party workers at the Begumpet airport, after arriving to attend an official engagement in Hyderabad.KCR, who is on a national tour with an apparent eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for a bigger role and also keen to retain power in Telangana next year, travelled to neighbouring Bengaluru to meet Gowda and also said some "sensational news" was expected later on a possible grand alliance.Rao had avoided meeting Modi earlier this year, citing ill-health, when the PM was in Hyderabad to inaugurate the 'Statue of Equality,' of saint Ramanujacharya. BJP's win in different elections in the recent past is a clear indication that people have made up their mind to bring about a change in Telangana, Modi said, adding, the saffron party "is certain in Telangana now," he said.Modi hit out at family-run political parties, saying they were not just a political problem of India but "the biggest enemy of the country's democracy and its youth.""Parivaarvadi (family-run) parties are not only a political problem of India. 'Parivaarvad' and 'Parivarvaadi' parties are the biggest enemies of both the country's democracy and the youth," Modi said, in an apparent reference to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.Telangana people are watching how family-run parties are interested in their own welfare. These parties never care about poor people's problems, he further charged.The country has seen how corruption becomes the face of political parties dedicated to one family, Modi said, adding, the youth don't get the opportunity to enter politics due to family rule, which he alleged crushes every dream of youth.Therefore, "liberation" from 'parivarvaad' and family parties is a resolve and also a "naitik andolan" (moral agitation) for the 21st century India, he said.BJP's fight is for the future of Telangana and also for its self-respect and identity.Recalling that thousands of people had sacrificed their lives for the sake of a bright future for Telangana during the decades-long separate statehood agitation, Modi said the agitation was not for one family to crush the dreams of Telangana's development.The Telangana agitation was not for one family to make new conspiracies to destroy the state by adopting various means, he said. Telangana was carved out of the erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh in 2014.Modi lauded BJP workers in Telangana, noting that the entire country is watching their ability as they fight against highhandedness and exploitation."Those people are involved in making Telangana a hub of appeasement. We want to make Telangana a technology hub," he said.Observing that Telangana needs an honest and progressive government, he said BJP alone can provide such a government. Modi, who spoke about the importance of technology, said some people have become slaves of superstition even in the 21st century.They can cause loss to anybody in their superstition, he said.In an apparent attack on Rao, he said "superstitious people can never do justice to Telangana's potential".Modi said he believes in the power of technology. Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath, despite being a religious person, has stated he believes in science, Modi said."We have to save our Telangana from such superstitious people," he said.Recalling that a ticket was introduced for his public meeting in Hyderabad in 2013, he said the incident had turned out to be a turning point and that he got an opportunity to serve the country.Modi's veiled but sharp attack on the ruling TRS came as the ruling party and BJP gear up for next year's assembly elections. TRS has been ruling the state since 2014Apparently hitting back at Modi, Rao said despite rhetoric, the country was suffering on the industrial and economic fronts."Today no one is happy, be it farmers, Dalits, tribals. Who is happy today. Situation is worsening day by day. What is the reality other than rhetoric (bhaashanbazi) and promises. Industries are getting closed, the GDP is crashing, inflation is spiralling, the rupee has fallen completely. Never in history has the rupee fell to such a low level compared to the US dollar," Rao pointed out, while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after meeting Gowda.On the prevailing situation, he said the country has enough resources, yet it was suffering due to shortage of water, electricity and irrigation even after 75 years of independence while many nations that secured freedom along with India are way ahead.—PTI

Well ahead of the high stakes assembly polls in Telangana next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday took apparent potshots at each other, even as the Telangana Chief Minister gave a miss to the former for the second time in a year during an official visit to his state.

Modi attacks KCR with 'Parivaarvadi' jibe; TRS chief slams 'bhaashanbazi'

Mumbai: Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and prominent Maratha leader, on Friday pulled out of the race for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, days after he announced that he would contest the election as an independent candidate. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, he claimed that his decision to not contest the election was aimed at preventing 'horse-trading', and accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of breaking his promise on providing Shiv Sena's support for his second term in the Upper House of Parliament. Sambhaji Chhatrapati had announced that he would contest the Rajya Sabha polls as an independent candidate and sought the Sena's help, but the party insisted that he contest as its official candidate, which he did not agree to. His announcement of not contesting the Rajya Sabha election comes a day after Sena candidates Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar filed their nomination papers.The former MP said, "Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had given his word of support to me, but he later went back on it. I am extremely sad about it. I am no longer in the race for the Rajya Sabha seat now."Six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra will go to polls on June 10, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party having the numbers to get two of its candidates elected.Sambhaji Chhatrapati was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 from the President's quota and his term ended recently.This time, as the BJP had less number of MLAs, he had approached the Nationalist Congress Party and later the Sena for their support.The Sena and NCP share power in the state with Congress as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government."The Shiv Sena gave me an offer that if I join the party, I will get a ticket for the Rajya Sabha. But I have already announced that I will not be a part of any party. Hence, I did not accept the offer," he said."My decision to not contest the election is not a retreat. This is my pride," he claimed.Sambhaji Chhatrapati had joined the NCP in 2009 and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kolhapur, but lost the seat to an NCP rebel. "I was expecting the support of MLAs across the parties for my clean image and my work. However, I realised one thing later that there could be horse-trading if I contested as an independent candidate. To avoid it, I have decided not to contest the elections," he said.The last date for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls is May 31 and the scrutiny of papers will take place on June 1.Nominations can be withdrawn till June 3. Results will be announced on the day of the polling on June 10.—PTI

Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and prominent Maratha leader, on Friday pulled out of the race for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, days after he announced that he would contest the election as an independent candidate.

No support from Sena, Sambhaji Chhatrapati pulls out of RS race

Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and prominent Maratha leader, on Friday pulled out of the race for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, days after he announced that he would contest the election as an independent candidate.



Chandigarh: Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Saturday nominated two Padma Shree awardees as candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls. The AAP has fielded environmental activist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal and businessman-turned-philanthropist Vikramjit Singh Sahney for the Rajya Sabha polls from Punjab. Taking to Twitter, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "I am very happy to inform you that the Aam Aadmi Party is nominating two Padma Shri awardees as members of the Rajya Sabha... one environment lover Padma Shri Sant Balbir Singh Sinchewal, the other Padma Vikramjit Singh Sahni related to Punjabi culture. ... my best wishes to both."The term of two Rajya Sabha members from Punjab, Ambika Soni (Congress) and Balwinder Singh Bhunder (Shiromani Akali Dal) is coming to an end on July 4.—ANI

Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Saturday nominated two Padma Shree awardees as candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls.

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