Congress set to name additional candidates; Charanjit Channi, Jignesh Mevani not on list

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: After the Congress Central Election Committee meeting, senior leader on Wednesday said that former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani will not be on the party's list of candidates. After the meeting, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that the candidate list will be announced soon. "There is no name of Charanjit Singh Channi and Jignesh Mevani (in the list of Rajasthan candidates)," he added. Congress has decided its candidates for Lok Sabha polls 2024, and the number of seats the party will be contesting from, said Sachin Pilot.   “The discussion happened on all the seats and decisions have been taken on many seats. The final announcement (of candidates) will be made by CEC," he said. Pilot also added that “good candidates" with “good image" have been selected. "Candidates working at the grassroots level have been selected.....This time our effort will be to improve our performance in Rajasthan..." he added. The Congress is likely to release its list of candidates today. So far, the party has announced candidates for 82 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats. In its first two list, the party announced the candidature of Rahul Gandhi, DK Suresh, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, Nakul Nath and Vaibhav Gehlot among others. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will start on April 19. It will be held in seven phases. The counting for the Lok Sabha polls will be held on June 4. Today, Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav, suspended BSP leader and Amroha MP Danish Ali and Jharkhand BJP leader Jai Prakash Bhai Patel joined the Congress.Pappu Yadav also merged his party Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress. On electoral bonds, Congress party leader Salman Khurshid said taht there is a big difference between what the opposition gets and what the government gets.  

BJP trying to steal another Thackeray: Uddhav fumes as MNS chiefs meeting with Amit Shah sparks alliance buzz

Following the meeting of MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to "steal" another "Thackeray" to win the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.He also accused the party of trying to appropriate the legacy of Bal Thackeray. Although, while addressing a rally in Nanded, Uddhav claimed that he is not bothered if the BJP took away his estranged cousin. Earlier today, Raj Thackeray met Amit Shah in Delhi amid speculations of BJP's interest in an alliance with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for a boost in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Sena (UBT) chief charged at the BJP saying that it knows well that they don't get votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. "People vote here in the name of (Bal) Thackeray. This realisation prompted the BJP to try to steal leaders from outside (BJP fold)," he said during his two-day tour of Nanded and Hingoli districts in the Marathwada region. "First, they stole the photo of Bal Thackeray, but it doesn't matter. Today, they are trying to steal another Thackeray....take it, I and my people are enough," he added. Claiming that even Christians and Muslims have no issue with his style of Hindutva, Uddhav Thackeray said that the image of Shiv Sena (undivided) was getting sullied when they were with the BJP. Shiv Sena (UBT) is a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and INDIA bloc. Uddhav's estranged cousin Raj Thackeray had parted ways with the Shiv Sena due to his differences with Uddhav. He then founded the MNS in 2006.  

Lovely Mohan, wife of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, joins JDU

Hours after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) shared the seat allotment deal between parties in Bihar on Monday, March 18, reports arrived that Lovely Mohan, wife of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, joined the Janata Dal (United).On joining the JDU, Lovely Mohan said, "...We have come to strengthen the party. Our goal is to win all 40 seats," according to an ANI report. As per the seat-sharing deal announced by the NDA earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 17 of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while Nitish Kumar's JDU will contest 16 seats. Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates in five Lok Sabha constituencies, and Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest one seat each. The NDA's seat-sharing pact in Bihar arrived days after the Election Commission of India announced the full schedule of the Lok Sabha polls. The general elections will happen in seven phases, starting on April 19 and concluding on June 2. According to the schedule, the voting in Bihar will take place in seven phases. The results will be declared on June 4.The JDU snapped ties with the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) in 2023 to join hands with the BJP and NDA. Nitish Kumar took oath as the Bihar Chief Minister for the record ninth time on January 28, along with three BJP leaders as ministers. West Champaran, East Champaran, Aurangabad, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzzafarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Ujiarpur, Begusarai, Nawada, Patna Sahib, Patiliputra, Ara, Buxara and Sasaram.Valmikinagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katiyar, Purnia, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Jehanabad and Sheohar.  

Congress Kharge attacks Modi as BJP gets 50% funding

The details of the electoral bonds data published by the Election Commission (ECI) on Thursday has caused quite a stir in political circles, with the Opposition accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a huge "scam" in the name of funding. The country's main Opposition Congress party's President, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Friday directly charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with corruption as the data showed that the BJP encashed nearly 50 per cent of all the bonds purchased. The BJP encashed electoral bonds worth Rs 6060.5 crore, which is 47.5 per cent of the total bonds issued by the State Bank of India (SBI) between April 12, 2019 and January 24, 2024. "PM Modi says "na khaunga, na khane dunga, but it seems that he only meant —"sirf BJP ko khilaunga," Kharge charged. His remarks referred to Modi's popular slogan about eliminating corruption, often used in his election campaigns. "There are many dubious donors. Who are these people? Which companies are these? Why have so many companies donated only after ED, IT and CBI raids? Who exerted the pressure on such companies? We demand the highest level of enquiry by the Hon'ble Supreme Court to investigate this saga of corruption by the BJP," Kharge said. He also highlighted the huge disparity in the amount received by the BJP and the Congress – 47.5 per cent against 11 per cent. Raking up the recent issue of Congress' bank accounts being frozen, he questioned why no action has been taken against the BJP, which has "illegally acquired crores and crores of money." The Congress further demanded that an enquiry should be made on the issue and the BJP's accounts should be frozen immediately. The Congress and other Opposition are crying foul over the scheme, alleging it has disproportionately benefited the ruling party. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Kabil Sibal among other Opposition leaders have alleged the BJP of having carried out "extortion" by "harassing" corporates with financial probe agencies.  

BJP received more funds than the next 6 parties combined

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the frontrunner in the encashment of electoral bonds, securing a staggering Rs 6,060.5 crore between April 12, 2019, and January 24, 2024. This figure represents over 47.5 per cent of the total bonds encashed during the period.Following closely behind, the All India Trinamool Congress received Rs 1,609.50 crore (12.6 per cent) via electoral bonds, while the Congress secured Rs 1,421.9 crore (11.1 per cent), solidifying their positions as the second and third biggest beneficiaries of this funding scheme, that was struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. Notably, Future Gaming and Hotel Services PR, owned by lottery tycoon Santiago Martin, emerged as the single largest donor to political parties during the aforementioned period. The firm donated Rs 1,368 crore through electoral bonds, according to data released by the State Bank of India (SBI) and published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 14. Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited, headquartered in Hyderabad, secured the second spot on the list of top donors, having contributed Rs 1,200 crore in combination with three associated companies. Other prominent donors included Qwik Supply Chain Private Limited (Rs 410 crore), Haldia Energy Limited (Rs 377 crore), Vedanta Limited (Rs 375.65 crore), and Essel Mining and Industries Limited (Rs 224.45 crore), among others.In total, more than 22 entities donated over Rs 100 crore each during this period, with electoral bonds worth over Rs 12,155 crore being purchased and over Rs 12,769 crore being encashed by political parties. This significant data has been made public by the ECI following the disclosure of information by SBI on March 12. The Supreme Court's directive mandated the ECI to host this information on its website by March 15. On Friday, the Supreme Court further directed the SBI to share the unique electoral bond numbers that would allow the linking of donors to their respective political contributions. The SBI is required to hand in this information to the ECI by 5 pm on Saturday.    

Former Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty takes oath as RS member

Engineer-turned-philanthropist Sudha Murty on Thursday took oath as Rajya Sabha MP in the presence of her husband N R Narayana Murthy.Murty took the oath in Kannada. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath in his chamber in Parliament House. He also congratulated Murty and her husband after the oath-taking function.Leader of the House Piyush Goyal was also present on the occasion. "Hon'ble Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar administered oath to the newly nominated member of Rajya Sabha, Smt. Sudha Murty, in Parliament House today," his office said in a post on X, while sharing a video of the function.Murty, 73, the former chairperson of Infosys Foundation and the author of several books, mostly for children, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on International Women's Day last Friday. She is also renowned for her contribution to Kannada and English literature and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Padma Shri (2006) and the Padma Bhushan (2023). Murty, who was the first woman engineer to have worked with TELCO, is famously known to have provided the seed capital of Rs 10,000 from her emergency funds to her husband to start Infosys, which now has a market cap of over USD 80 billion. Dhankhar had on Tuesday administered oath to newly elected member of Rajya Sabha from Sikkim Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, in Parliament House.  

Says Chinas Xi, Putins Re-Election Fully Reflects Russian Peoples Support

Chinese President Xi Jinping informed his Russian counterpart that his reelection "fully reflects the support of the Russian people" in a congrats letter sent on Monday, according to Beijing's official media. As of Monday, official election data indicated that Putin had received 87.33 percent of all votes cast, with 99 percent of polling places having submitted results, as reported by state news agency RIA. In a presidential election where he had no real competition, Putin achieved a record-breaking win, despite the polls' criticism.Xi addressed Putin, saying, "Your re-election fully reflects the support of the Russian people for you," as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. "In recent years, the Russian people have united as one to overcome challenges and move forward steadily on the road to national development and revitalisation," according to Xi. "I believe that under your leadership, Russia will be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and construction," he stated. "China attaches great importance to the development of China-Russia relations and is willing to maintain close communication with Russia to promote the sustained, healthy, stable and in-depth development of (bilateral ties)," said Xi.bolster relationships According to Russian state news agency TASS, Putin praised Beijing, his important ally, saying he was "sure that in the coming years we will only strengthen and build up our relations and achieve common successes for the benefit of the Chinese and Russian peoples." "The alignment of state interests is the most crucial factor. According to reports, Putin said, "This sets a very good tone for solving common problems in the field of international relations."

Dates of Lok Sabha Polls Are Forwarded To President Murmu for Awareness

The sources claim that the central government sent President Droupadi Murmu the Election Commission's recommendation on Sunday, starting the process of announcing the dates of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Sources claim that the President should send out the notifications for the various phases based on a recommendation from the Cabinet meeting that took place this morning. "The Cabinet approved to recommend to the President for issuing statutory notifications under sub-section (2) of Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 from the Parliamentary constituencies for the election of members of the Lok Sabha," according to sources.For the first round of elections in 102 seats, scheduled for April 19, the first notification will be sent out on March 20. With the notification's release, a specific phase of the nomination process gets underway. Notifications would be sent out to kick off the election process to form the Eighteenth House of the People. The Law Ministry drafts a proposal based on the recommendation for the Union Cabinet, which suggests to the President that the notifications for the various phases be approved.The Election Commission released the schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. It states that the elections will take place in phases starting on April 19 and ending on June 1. According to the sources, the PM has also instructed the ministers to work with the officers and secretaries of their respective ministries to draft a plan for the first 100 days and the following five years of the new government.  

PM Modi On Srinagars First-Ever Formula-4 Car Show

The first-ever Formula-4 car show was held on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that it was encouraging to see and that it will further help showcase the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir. "Seeing this is incredibly encouraging. It will contribute to showcasing Jammu and Kashmir's beauty even more. Srinagar is in the prime location for motorsports to flourish in India, which presents numerous opportunities for the industry to flourish." PM Modi stated on X in a post.PM Modi shared a post on X from someone saying, "PM Modi has changed Kashmir—Mera Kashmir badal raha hai! Today was the inaugural Formula 4 car show, held on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar! #Page 370.The Prime Minister also reshared the eye-catching pictures from the auto show. Under the auspices of the Tourism Department, Formula 4 and the Indian Racing League collaborated to host the race on Sunday.

What's Trending Globally

Asia

News 2291

Australia/New-Zealand

News 38

Canada

News 13

China

News 39

Europe

News 28

Gulf

News 11

India

News 2907

Pakistan

News 16

Russia

News 16

United Kingdom

News 38

United States

News 111

World

News 75

PM Modi congratulates new Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini

"Congratulations to Shri@NayabSainiBJP Ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana. Wishing him and his team of Ministers the very best for their efforts in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Haryana," he said.Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! A hour after Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as Haryana Chief Minister, former CM Manohar Lal Khattar on 12 March said that senior Bharatiya Janata Party Anil Vij was very unhappy with the political development and being dropped from cabinet. Speaking to reporters, Khattar said, as quoted by news agency ANI, "Anil Vij is our senior leader...It is in his nature that he gets upset quickly but becomes okay soon. There have been such instances before. He is upset but we are talking to him...Our new chief minister will also talk to him."  

Electoral Bonds: 5 key highlights of SC verdict rejecting SBIs time-extension plea to disclose details

The Supreme Court of India, on Monday, turned down the State Bank of India’s (SBI) request seeking an extension of time to disclose details of the Electoral Bonds Scheme.The top court has asked the SBI to share the details with the Election Commission of India (ECI) by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12. The poll panel has been asked to publish the details on its website by 5 pm on Friday, March 15. After scrapping the Electoral Bonds Scheme, the Supreme Court had on February 15 directed India’s largest public bank, SBI, to submit all details regarding the bonds to the Election Commission of India by March 6. Further, the Election Commission was directed to publish the received data on its website by March 13. However, on March 4, the SBI approached the top court with a plea seeking an extension until June 30 to disclose the details. Today, a five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, rejected the SBI’s time-extension plea. The top court has ordered that the details be disclosed by SBI to the Election Commission by March 12."Submissions of SBI in the application indicates that info sought is readily available. Thus, the application by SBI seeking extension of time until June 30 is dismissed. SBI is directed to disclose the details by the close of business hours of March 12, 2024," the top Court said in the order, Bar & Bench reported. Bar & Bench reported that the bench, while passing the order, noted that the now-scrapped Electoral Bonds Scheme stipulated that the information furnished by the buyer of such bonds shall be treated as confidential by the authorised bank and shall be disclosed when called upon to do so or on registration of an offence by law enforcement agencies. Once the SBI furnishes the details, the Election Commission of India is supposed to post them on its website. The poll panel has been asked to publish the details on its website by 5 pm on Friday, March 15. The dates assume significance since the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the April-May Lok Sabha polls 2024 in a few days from now.  

Questioning the poll list after the leader, Kerala Congress Chief

Chief of the state party K Sudhakaran labeled a female Congress leader who expressed concerns about the lack of women in the party's Kerala Lok Sabha candidate lineup as "a nobody" on Sunday, brusquely brushing off the discussion of representation.Congress National Spokesperson Shama Mohamed expressed disappointment on Saturday that despite the Women's Reservation Bill having recently passed Parliament (though it hasn't yet been put into effect), the party—which was the first to introduce it—has only fielded one female candidate from Kerala for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections.When the media sought Mr Sudhakaran's reaction to Mohamed's statement, the state unit chief brushed off the issue, saying, "Go and ask her. She is not a party member at all.According to Ms. Mohamed, Congressman and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has been urging party leaders in Kerala to give attention to his calls for increased representation of women in politics.

Uddhav Thackeray: We Will Destroy BJPs Chor Bazar In Polls

Uddhav Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), stated today that the BJP only knows how to steal from others; it has never participated in any movement or struggle or produced anything of its own. He was speaking to Mumbai suburbia's party workers. "Neither the Marathwada Mukti Sangram nor the Sanyukta Maharashtra struggle nor the freedom movement were affiliated with the BJP. It is limited to snatching. In the polls, we will demolish the BJP's "chor bazar". It has witnessed our camaraderie. It will now witness the heat of our "mashaal," the party's poll symbol, which is a lit torch," he declared.Amol Kirtikar will be the party's candidate for the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha seat, Uddhav Thackeray reiterated, and he urged Mumbai's civic officials to abstain from the BJP's "corrupt activities". Mr. Kirtikar is the son of Shiv Sena member Gajanan Kirtikar, a current MP who is led by Eknath Shinde.Congressman Sanjay Nirupam, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2019, responded angrily to his announcement the day before.  

A Seat in the Bengal Lok Sabha To Be contested by a former couple

Bengal's Lok Sabha election features a divorced couple competing against each other; this development has generated significant discussion in the state since the ruling Trinamool Congress released its list of nominees today. Sujata Mondal will run against Soumitra Khan, a BJP candidate running from Bandal's Bankura district's Bishnupur seat. Earlier this month, the leader from Bishnupur was fielded by the BJP. From the same seat, Trinamool revealed Ms. Mondal's name today.In the lead-up to the state's 2021 assembly election, which the Trinamool party won handily, the couple fell out. When his wife entered politics as a Triamool Congress member, Mr. Khan made the announcement of their divorce live on camera. Senior Bishnupuri leader Mr. Khan defected from Trinamool to join the BJP in advance of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. At the time, his wife had run a campaign in his favor. The Trinamool Congress made its candidacies for 42 seats in Bengal known today, indicating that it intends to take a solo role in the state.The Congress, which was expecting a retreat despite Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that she would only reevaluate relations with the Opposition bloc India after learning the election results, has been greatly offended by it. "The Indian National Congress has made it clear time and time again that it wants to share seats in West Bengal with the TMC in a decent manner. Jairam Ramesh, the leader of the Indian National Congress, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Indian National Congress has always maintained that such an agreement has to be finalized through negotiations and not by unilateral announcements."  

People Are Constantly Thinking About PM Modi And Chandrayaan": S Jaishankar

The Viksit Bharat Ambassador Artist Workshop was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday. He expressed his appreciation for the event for highlighting the aspirations of people for a "Viksit Bharat." In association with the Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Gallery of Modern Art organized the event at the Purana Qila. "Today, I visited the Purana Qila #ViksitBharatAmbassador Artist Workshop. Thank you for organizing, @ngma_delhiand @LalitKalaLKA. I'm happy to see how Viksit Bharat is portrayed in different artistic mediums.Mr. Jaishankar told the reporters, "Everyone should have the opportunity to experience India's diversity. During the G20, our goal was to ensure that foreign events were held throughout the nation, not just in the capital. Talking about Viksit Bharat indicates that India is becoming more influential globally, and for that reason, it is critical that everyone is aware of Bharat."This was a really smart move. Here, I witnessed people's goals. I can also perceive Chandrayaan's powerful influence. People are constantly thinking about Chandrayaan and Modi ji, he continued. He went on to discuss the different facets of "Viksit Bharat." There exist various facets of Viksit Bharat. We see ourselves as a state that has advanced civilization. Our goal is to rise to prominence and gain a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. Our nation has the largest population. We are currently in fifth place economically, but we will soon move up to third," he stated.

BJP, Congress, other national parties declare 2022-23 income. Who earned the most?

Six national parties, including the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Congress, have declared a total income of nearly ₹3,077 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Wednesday. According to the ADR report, the BJP has the maximum share in the declared total income of the parties.With around ₹2,361 crore, the report said that the ruling BJP’s income constitutes 76.73 per cent of the total income of the six national parties during FY 2022-23.Congress declared the second-highest income of ₹452.375 crore, forming 14.70 per cent of the total income of the six national parties. Other than the BJP and Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and National People’s Party (NPP) have declared their income.The BJP, Congress and AAP collected 49.09 per cent or ₹1,510.61 crore of the national parties’ total income from donations through electoral bonds for FY 2022-23.Through electoral bonds, BJP received ₹1,294.15 crore, Congress ₹171.02 crore, and AAP ₹45.45 crore. The ADR report, citing data shared by the SBI in response to its RTI, said electoral bonds worth ₹2,797.356 crore were redeemed by parties in FY 2022-23. 54 per cent or ₹1,510.62 crore of this has been redeemed by national parties. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, the BJP’s income increased by 23.15 per cent or ₹443.724 crore from ₹1,917.12 crore to ₹2,360.84. During the same time, AAP’s income increased by 91.23 per cent ( ₹40.631 crore) from ₹44.539 crore to ₹85.17 crore.The only party from the northeast to have the national party status, the income of the National People’s Party (NPP) increased from ₹47.20 lakh during FY 2021-22 to ₹7.562 crore during FY 2022-23, a rise of 1,502.12 per cent or ₹7.09 crore. Citing the national parties’ records submitted to the Election Commission, the ADR report said that between 2021-22 fiscal and 2022-23 fiscal, the income of the Congress, CPI(M) and BSP decreased by 16.42 per cent ( ₹88.90 crore), 12.68 per cent ( ₹20.57 crore) and 33.14 per cent ( ₹14.50 crore), respectively. BJP, the report said, declared a total income of ₹2,360.844 crore during FY 2022-23, but spent only 57.68 per cent, which comes to ₹1,361.684 crore of the total income. While Congress’ total income was ₹452.375 crore, it spent ₹467.135 crore, with its expenditure for that year exceeding its total income by 3.26 per cent.The CPI(M)’s total income was ₹141.661 crore while it spent ₹106.067 crore (74.87 per cent of its income), and AAP’s total income was ₹85.17 crore while it spent ₹102.051 crore, its expenditure for that year exceeding its total income by 19.82 per cent.  

Himachal Pradesh Political Crisis: Six rebel Congress MLAs disqualified. What lies ahead for the hill state?

Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on February 29 disqualified the six rebel Congress MLAs who cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections. With this, the six MLAs cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.After the disqualification, the Congress government has, for now, survived in Himachal Pradesh after a two-day scare over its future due to cross-voting by six of its MLAs in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Rajya Sabha election on February 27. The strength of the house after the disqualification, pending judicial scrutiny, comes down to 62. The Congress now has 34 MLAs in the house, with 32 being the majority mark. Three independent MLAs who supported the Congress also cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election. The BJP had demanded a trust vote soon after the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha polls due to defections. Former Chief Minister, Jairam Thakur, and other leaders claimed that the Congress party had lost the majority in the house. However, the Congress government passed the budget on Wednesday, February 28, while 25 BJP MLAs were not present in the house after 15 of them were suspended. Also, the disqualification of six rebel MLAs has changed the dynamics. "Our experts will analyse the situation, and after looking at their judgments, we will take a decision. It is too early to say anything. Congress was totally exposed in the Rajya Sabha elections. Congress has lost its opportunity. Morally, they have no right to stay in power and the emotions of the people of Himachal Pradesh are clear from this," Rajeev Bindal, Himachal Pradesh BJP president, told news agency ANI. This disqualification order is subject to judicial scrutiny and will attain finality after judicial scrutiny, Pathania said. Also, it remains to be seen if these six MLAs approach the court against the disqualification.The six legislators had cross-voted, along with three independents, during Rajya Sabha polls. However, they have not been disqualified for cross-voting, but for violating the whip and skipping the budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly. Pathania said he wanted to prevent 'the aya Ram gaya Ram' politics. This phrase is used to refer to politicians switching party allegiances frequently.The Congress government's survival will also depend on whether the party can ensure that there are no more defections among the 34 MLAs.The Congress government's survival will also depend on whether the party can ensure that there are no more defections among the 34 MLAs.  

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 : BRS MP BB Patil joins BJP in Delhi

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and Telangana parliamentarian BB Patil joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 1, ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.Patil, member of parliament from Zaheerabad, Telangana, joined the saffron party in the presence of Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Delhi. In a four line resignation letter to party president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, Patil thanked Rao for allowing him to serve the people of Zaheerabad constituency and the party. Patil was elected from Zaheerabad twice in 2014 and 2019 on a BRS ticket. "On behalf of all my colleagues and workers in the BJP, I welcome BB Patil into our fold as a fellow worker, as a fellow leader, and wish him the very best," Chandrasekhar said on the occasion welcoing Patil in the party fold. The switch comes a day after senior BRS leader and Telangana parliamentarian Pothuganti Ramulu resigned from the party and joined the BJP. Ramulu, along with his son Bharat and three other BRS leaders, were inducted into the party in the BJP office in New Delhi by party in-charge of Telangana affairs Tarun Chugh and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The back-to-back exits from BRS comes weeks ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The dates of elections are expected to be announced in less than two weeks. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to release the first list of candidates for the elections soon. Reports claim that the party has finalised the names of candidates for nearly 155 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats. The first list may feature the names of some high-profile leaders. Led by K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, the BRS lost the Telangana assembly elections to Congress party last year.