Kejriwal Gathering Opposition’s Support Against Centre’s Ordinance

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been in touch with various leaders of non-BJP parties to gain support in the fight against the Centre’s latest ordinance to clip the wings of Delhi’s elected government, despite a Supreme Court order in its favour. Kejriwal’s hectic meets with fellow opposition leaders are to ensure that the Centre’s bid to replace the draconian ordinance with a bill is defeated when it is brought into Parliament. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, which the AAP government had called “deception”, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict on control of services.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have so far extended their support to the AAP. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar as well as his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and RJD leader have also supported Kejriwal in the matter. Meanwhile, the AAP national convener has requested for time to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to seek their support against the ordinance. Congress had discussed the issue with the party leaders, and although the Punjab and Delhi regional leaders were against the idea of supporting AAP, but they authorised the Congress high command to take the final decision in this matter. In any case, it is nearly impossible for the Congress to support the ordinance in the Parliament.

12 JUNE PATNA CONCLAVE LED BY NITISH KEY TO CEMENTING OPPOSITION UNITY

In an amicable step to unite the opposition parties on board against the incumbent BJP in the next year general elections, a conclave of like-minded political parties will be held on June 12 in Patna. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to preside over the meeting. The participants comprise of some 18 political parties of the secular opposition camp. According to sources, both Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi might not attend the meeting citing scheduling problems. But the Congress has assured that it will definitely depute one of its top leaders to mark presence for the upcoming meeting. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury have already assured and confirmed their presence. While this is just a preliminary meeting, Nitish is strategically framing a platform wherein the BJP could be engaged in a one-on-one contest with the opposition. He has already recognised nearly 475 seats where the united opposition can enter into a direct fight with the BJP in the 2024 polls. However, the strategy of the opposition will come to light only after the June 12 conclave of the political parties.

POST KARNATAKA WIN, CONGRESS RETAINS KANUGOLU FOR MADHYA PRADESH

BJP and Congress both have started preparations to return to power in Madhya Pradesh. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will kickstart the Assembly poll campaign for her party in the crucial central Indian state by going ahead on June 12 with a road show and rally in Jabalpur, which will start after offering prayers to the Narmada river. Jabalpur is the largest city of the state’s Mahakoshal region, where the Congress had won 11 out of the 13 Scheduled Tribe-reserved seats in the 2018 Assembly polls, leaving the BJP with paltry victories in just two constituencies. However, Congress is emphasizing more on Bundelkhand, Malwa and Vindhya region. The party is eyeing women voters and former CM Kamal Nath has announced that if his party forms the government again in Madhya Pradesh in the state assembly election scheduled later this year, a financial help of Rs. 18,000 per year would be given to women and it would be largest ‘women empowerment scheme of the world’. Moreover, Congress has roped in poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, a former associate of Prashant Kishor, to aid and shape its campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.

GEHLOT, PILOT MEET WITH KHARGE, RAHUL DEEMED PARTLY SUCCESSFUL

Although the Congress party showcased unity after a meeting with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his rival Sachin Pilot, the meet concluded with more questions unanswered, indicating that the party is yet to resolve the rift between the two, a situation that poses problems for its prospects in the upcoming state election. In a four-hour meeting between Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi, there was no agreement on power sharing. Senior Congress leaders claim, that there is no firm proposal on board but directions to both the warring leaders have been given to follow the Karnataka model, where bitter rivals Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar fought as a united front. Sources said the party’s central leadership has made it clear that it would decide on the role of Pilot at a later stage. He would be given a prominent role ahead of the elections, but he should promise that he would not precipitate a crisis in the party, as he did with his earlier comments. Rahul himself has assured Pilot that his concerns would be addressed. On the other hand, Pilot would not back down on his demands, including a probe against former CM Vasundhara Raje. However, Rajasthan CM Gehlot expressed the hope that he and his bête noire Pilot would work together and win the assembly polls in the state later this year, and called upon Congress workers and leaders to exercise “patience” and wait for their opportunity to serve in some capacity.

MAURYA ASKS WHY ONLY SOUTHERN BRAHMINS INAUGURATED NEW PARLIAMENT?

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and MLC Swami Prasad Maurya has posed questions over why only south Indian Brahmin seers were given invitation for the programme on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building on 28 May. Swami had bluntly opposed the government’s decision in the matter as according to his views when India gives equal importance to all religions, then why were religious leaders from one varna (sect) from south only were invited. Meanwhile Chief of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and also the head of the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Former MP and member of Ram Janmabhoomi trust Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti and Hindu spiritual leader and founder of Handicapped University Tulsi Peeth Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and many other seers were not invited in the inauguration ceremony of India’s new Parliament building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has installed the historic ‘Sengol’ near the Lok Sabha’s speaker’s chair. Amid Vedic chants by priests from Karnataka’s Shringeri Math, the prime minister performed “Ganapati Homam” to invoke Gods to bless the inauguration of the new Parliament building. Modi prostrated before the Sengol and sought blessings from high priests of various adheenams in Tamil Nadu with the holy sceptre in hand. The Golden Sengol has a Nandi on top, which signifies power and justice. Historically, Tamil Nadu has been the bastion of Shiva worship, on the other hand Uttar Pradesh has been the bastion of Lord Ram and Krishna worship. While differences between Vaishnavites and Shaiva has been cropped up and the Sadhus and Sant have not been paced and are to an extent annoyed that they were not invited in the inauguration ceremony of India’s new Parliament building and political parties are trying to exploit the situation. (IPA Service)