Ironically, the Electoral Bonds scheme envisaged donations to political parties through the buying of Electoral Bonds by individuals or corporate houses anonymously, without any limits, actually legalizing kickbacks for favours to corporate entities.

A constitution bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna , B.R.Ghavai , J.B.Pardiwala and Manoj Misra unanimously struck down the scheme as unconstitutional on the ground that it violated freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.

The Chief Justice in his judgment written for himself and Justices Gavai, Pardiwala, and Misra held that the Electoral Bonds scheme violated Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution and pointed out : “Information about funding of political parties is essential for the effective exercise of the choice of voting.”

The Supreme Court also struck down amendments made to the Income Tax Act and Representation of People Act which made the donations anonymous. It also said the amendments the Companies Act, allowing blanket corporate funding was ” unconstitutional” . Before the amendment the Companies Act in 2017, loss making companies were not allowed to make donations to political parties. Also, there was a cap on the amount on donations by companies.

The judgement further said ” At a primary level, political contributions give a seat at the table to contributors, ie., it enhances access to legislators. Those access also translates in to influence over policymaking. There is also a legitimate possibility that financial contributions to a political party would lead to quid pro quo arrangement because of the close nexus between money and politics. The electoral Bonds scheme and the impugned provisions, to the extent that they infringe upon upon the right to information of the voter by anonymising contributions through electoral bonds are violative of Article 19 (1) (a).
The Supreme Court also directed the State Bank of India , the issuing bank, to stop the issuance of the bonds forthwith. The SBI shall submit the details of electoral bonds purchasedpurchased since the interim order of the court dated April 12, 2019 till date to the Election Commission of India. The details shall include the date of purchase of each electoral bond , the name of the purchaser of the bond and the denomination of the bond purchased.

The SBI shall also submit details of the political parties that have received contributions through electoral bonds since the interim order dated April 12, 2019 till date to the ECI. SBI must disclose details of each electoral bonds encashed by political parties, which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of electoral bonds.

The SBI shall submit all the information to the ECI by March 6. Further, ECI shall publish the information received from the SBI on its website by March 13, 2024.

Electoral Bonds that are within the validity period of 15 days, but which have not been encashed by the political parties yet shall be returned to by the political party to the purchaser. The bank shall then refund the amount to the purchaser.

The court held that the restrictive means test of the doctrine of proportionality is not satisfied and that there are other means other than electoral bonds to achieve the purpose of curbing black money, even assuming it to be a legitimate objective. The infringement to the right to information is not justified.
Admitting that the right to informational privacy extends to financial contributions, the CJI Chandrachud ruled that a double proportionality standard was applied to balance the conflicting right to information and to informational privacy.

The court rejected the Union Government’s argument that Clause 7(4)(c)of the scheme balances the two rights and held that the provision tilts the balance in favour of the right to informational privacy because the proportionality prong of the proportionality standard is only partly fulfilled. Accordingly, Chief Justice Chandrachud held that the Union Government has failed to establish that the measure adopted in clause 7(4) (c) is the least restrictive measure.

Significantly, the Supreme Court found that the amendment to the Section 182 of the Companies Act permitting unlimited political contributions by companies , to be manifestly arbitrary for several reasons, mainly the disproportionate influence wielded by companies , in the electoral process compared to individuals, emphasising the potential for transactions made with the intent of securing benefits in return.

In this context, The CJI said that contributions made by individuals have a degree of support for or affiliation with a political association. However, contributions made by companies are purely business transactions made with the intent of securing benefits in return. Therefore, “the amendment to Section 182 is manifestly arbitrary for treating political contributions by companies and individuals alike,” the order held.

The SC judgment very pertinently also stressed that the amendment to Section 183 of the Companies Act by permitting unlimited corporate contributions authorizes unrestrained influence of companies in the electoral process , which is violative of the principles of free and fair elections and political equality captured in the value of ‘one person, one vote’.

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Political leaders in both parties in the US view India as a vital ally in containing the rise of China and a partner on defence, technology and energy.

WASHINGTON:

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome as he delivered a speech to US Congress on Thursday, celebrating the growing ties and shared ambitions of the world’s two largest democracies. Mr. Modi made the rare address to a joint meeting of Congress.

“Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century,” Mr. Modi told lawmakers, drawing applause in the House chamber. “I can relate to the battles of passion, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between world’s two great democracies: India and the United States. “I agree with President Biden that this is a defining partnership of this century,” he said. “Because it serves a larger purpose. Democracy, demography and destiny give us that purpose.”

Leaders of both major parties are unified in their belief that India is a vital ally for Washington’s top foreign policy goal — containing the rise of China — and a partner on defense, technology and energy. Mr. Modi — who has dealt with violent clashes with China on the border it shares with India — visited at a time of rising U.S.-China tensions.

“The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific,” he told Congress. “The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. “Now, the United States has become one of our most important defence partners,” he said to a standing ovation from lawmakers.

Mr. Modi alluded to the “millions” of Americans of Indian origin, including Vice-President Kamala Harris, who sat on the dais with him alongside House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Others in attendance were Indian American members of Congress such as the Progressive Caucus chair, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a Biden surrogate; and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the ranking member of the House’s select committee on China.

Mr. Modi brushed aside criticisms about his record on human rights, treatment of minorities and free speech when he took rare questions from the media at a joint news conference with Biden at the White House.  “India and America — both countries — democracy is in our DNA. The democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy,” Modi told reporters. “In India’s democratic values, there is absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed or age or any kind of geographic location.”

Before the speech, Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, the co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, introduced a bill to add India to the list of favoured nations for US arm sales under the Arms Export Control Act, alongside NATO members and Australia, Japan, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea. Part of their goal is to cultivate closer US-India ties that would help New Delhi break its dependence on Moscow for military equipment. The senators hope to add it to the annual defense authorization bill.

“We need to continue to encourage India to align itself with the democracies in the world and not the autocracies,” Mr. Cornyn said. “And obviously, history is a big influence here, because since — what, 1947? — the United States has been more aligned with Pakistan, and India was then forced in the arms of Russia. And obviously, they’re very dependent, still, on Russian weapons.”

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and ranking member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, called on Biden to “prioritize the elimination of India’s significant barriers to U.S. trade and investment on the Indian subcontinent.”

The invitation for Mr. Modi to speak on Capitol Hill was signed by the top Democrat and the top Republican in both the House and the Senate, who mounted a show of bipartisanship to praise “the enduring friendship between the United States and India.”

“Today,” Mr. Modi told Congress on Thursday, “we stand at a new dawn in our relationship that will not only shape the destiny of our two nations, but also that of the world.”

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Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader V Senthil Balaji broke down in tears when he was being taken to a hospital for a medical checkup by the Enforcement Directorate (ED on Wednesday morning. The minister has been arrested in an alleged money laundering case. The ED on Tuesday raided Mr Balaji’s home before taking him away for questioning. The minister was arrested on Wednesday  morning after hours of questioning.

As the probe agency took Mr Balaji for a medical examination after the arrest, there were dramatic scenes at a government hospital in Chennai. The DMK leader was seen weeping copiously in an ambulance as his supporters outside shouted slogans against the Enforcement Directorate.

“He is in the ICU. He was in an unconscious state and did not respond when he called him by his name. He is under observation… there is a swelling near his ear, doctors say there is variation in his ECG (electrocardiogram)… these are symptoms of torture,” DMK leader PK Sekar Babu said.

“Senthil Balaji is undergoing treatment,” said Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin. “We would face it legally. The DMK will not be cowed down by the BJP’s intimidation.”

Mr Balaji’s wife has moved the Madras High Court against his arrest. The High Court has agreed to an urgent hearing of the case. The DMK leader’s wife has alleged that the arrest was made without any notice or summons.  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited Mr Balaji at the hospital.

Recently, Income Tax (IT) authorities searched the properties of Mr Balaji’s associates across the state. This came after the Supreme Court allowed the Enforcement Directorate to continue its investigation into cash-for-jobs allegations against Mr Balaji dating back to when he was a minister during the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK regime. The Supreme Court had also allowed the agency to proceed with its investigation into the alleged money laundering case. Mr. Balaji is the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, and the Karur District Secretary of the DMK.

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NEW DELHI:

The Congress is yet to announce its pick for Karnataka Chief Minister after an emphatic victory in the recently-held assembly polls. The party’s national leadership and a team of observers will meet in Delhi today to deliberate on the issue. State party chief DK Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah have both expressed their ambition for the top post.

In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress scored a massive victory with 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19, respectively.

A team of observers appointed by Congress met the newly-elected Karnataka MLAs on Sunday to get their vote on who should get the top spot. The team will head to Delhi and hold discussions with the national leadership, which includes Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Rahul Gandhi.

With the lobbying for the Chief Minister set to shift to Delhi, both Mr Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are also expected in the national capital later to meet the party’s leadership. According to sources, both the leaders though have been asked to wait and only come to Delhi if called by the party.

“Still haven’t decided whether to go or not,” Mr Shivakumar told reporters when asked if he would visit Delhi today.

The decision will finally be taken by Mr Kharge, the party announced after the meeting of its Karnataka MLAs yesterday evening. Congress General Secretaries Sushil Kumar Shinde, Deepak Babaria, and Jitendra Singh Alwar were the observers at the meeting.

The supporters of both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah shouted slogans outside the Bengaluru hotel where the meeting took place.

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Winning the electoral contest in the southern state of Karnataka is key to the revival of its image as the main opposition player against the saffron party for the Indian National Congress.  A win in Karnataka will give the Congress a boost of sorts to take on the BJP later this year in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

During the election campaign in Karnataka run by its state leaders, the grand old party focussed on local issues.. This poll is also a prestige battle in a way for the party with a Kannadiga Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from Kalaburagi district.

Though the campaign initially centered around its state leaders like Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Kharge gave it momentum and thereby prepared the pitch for the party’s top leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to join in. Their mother and former AICC president Sonia Gandhi addressed a party rally in Hubballi on Saturday.

The party held 99 public meetings and 33 roadshows by its top state and central leaders. The Congress has set a target of winning 150 seats, and has been urging voters to ensure that it gets an absolute majority, so that BJP doesn’t “steal” the mandate by managing defections of other party legislators and “manufacture” a majority in its favour. The Congress’s main issues to attack the BJP government in this election were over corruption/ scams and the charge of 40 per cent commission, coupled with the Adani issue.

The Congress’ has promised to implement ‘guarantees’ – 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs.2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs.3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs.1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day, on coming to power in the state.

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                Those among us who have studied elections in India since independence are quite familiar with Booth Capturing.Till the mid 1970s it was very difficult for the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe and backward or marginalised sections of the voters to caste their votes.

Those among us who have studied elections in India since independence are quite familiar with Booth Capturing.Till the mid 1970s it was very difficult for the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe and backward or marginalised sections of the voters to caste their votes. Their votes particularly in some areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were cast by musclemen of powerful candidates mostly belonging to the ruling party.

In the 5 December 2022 by-election to the Muslim majority Rampur in Uttar Pradesh in which the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) candidate Akash Saxena won with 62 percent of the votes polled against 36 percent of the votes polled by Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Mohamed Asim Raja we witnessed the birth of a new but very disturbing and dangerous phenomenon of CONSTITUANCY CAPTURING. The by election was held in Rampur because of the disqualification of Azam Khan , the sitting MLA , in a case of hate speech. Except in 1957 ,when an independent candidate Aslam Khan won , from 1952 to 1977 Indian National Congress candidates were elected from Rampur assembly constituency. The Congress candidates were either Nawabs or their relatives and used to win with huge margins with little effort.

The scene changed in the 1980s with the entry of Azam Khan in the politics of Rampur.With a law degree from the Aligarh Muslim University Azam Khan organised the bidi and textile workers and the rickshaw pullers and took to the streets fighting for their rights. Azam Khan gradually ended the domination of the Nawab and his family in the politics of Rampur. Azam Khan contested the Rampur assembly election for the first time in 1980 on a Janata Party ( Secular ) ticket and won

. In 1985 he won as a Lok Dal candidate and again in 1989 as a Janata Dal candidate. In 1991 he won as a candidate of Samajwadi Janataa Party of Chandra Shekhar.In 1993 Azam Khan joined Samajwadi Party founded by Mulayam Singh Yadav and from then till 2022 he won six elections consecutively from Rampur. He always won with huge margins. Therefore, as one can make out it was important for the BJP to somehow show both Azam Khan and also the Muslim majority their place by defeating them in their stronghold.And when you can disenfranchise the majority voters belonging to targetted sections of the population , in this case the Muslims with ingenious use of state machinery and capture an entire constituency why go about the cumbersome process of capturing invidual polling booths which involves huge efforts and money.

The capturing of the constitituency was done by adopting very well designed plan of action. As a first step Muslim officials were as far as possible kept away from poll duties. For three days continuously before the polling day flag marches were held in the Muslim dominated areas of Rampur creating a fear psychosis among the Muslim voters. On all major intersections of the constituency large contingents of police , 100 to 150 policemen were posted on poliing day , creating a curfew like atmosphere. Thousands of police were deployed in Rampur on polling day and Rampur literally looked like a police contonment.

From early morning on polling day the police had surrounded all major Muslim settlements in the Rampur Constituency preventing Muslims from going to the polling booths. Barricades were set up outside polling stations and policemen checked voter and other identity cards of voters. Only those with voters cards were allowed to cross barricades, though the election commission allows ten other documents including the Adhar card to enable one to vote. That only the election commission officials are authorised to check the voters identity was overlooked in Rampur and the police took over the function at the barricades and the Muslim voters who were stopped at the barricades could not even complain to the presiding officers at the polling booths. Even agents and representatives of the candidates were not allowed to go near the polling stations to assist voters .

Burqa clad women voters were not allowed to cross the barricades on the plea that there were no women constables to check their identity. Those who argued with the police , including some women voters were beaten up. An analysis of the voting figures of Muslim and Hindu dominated polling booths of Rampur is quite shocking. In the Muslim dominated urban areas the voting percentage was a mere 28 percent while in the Hindu dominated rural areas it was 46 percent. This when nearly 65 percent of voters in Rampur are Muslims. Rampur urban has 325 polling booths. In the 77 Hindu dominated polling booths with 68000 voters the turn out was 46 percent while in the 248 Muslim dominated polling booths the turn out was only 23 percent.

The lowest polling registered in a Muslim dominated Booth was 4 percent while lowest in Hindu dominated booth was 27 percent. Similarly, the highest polling recorded in a Muslim dominated booth was 39 percent while the highest for a Hindu dominated booth was 74 percent. According to the SP candidate Aasim Raza the police did not allow voters in 252 booths. In four polling booths the number of polled were 25, 28, 34 and 40. The polling stopped in Muslim dominated areas by 1 pm because the Muslims to avoid a confrontation with police stayed home. The total polling percentage in the by election was only 33 percent in the constituency which traditionally recorded 67 to 70 percent polling.

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Instead of providing timely relief and help them rehabilitate the state and police have been persecuting the victims , mainly Muslims , of the February 2020 communal violence in North East Delhi, a report by a Citizens Committee comprising eminent jurists and a former Home Secretary of the Union government has found.

The Committee was chaired by Madan B.Lokur, former judge of the Supreme Court  and comprised Justices A.P.Shah , R.S. Sodhi, Anjana Parikh and G.K.Pillai, former Home Secretary, Government of India.

Polarisation between communities ,particularly anti-Muslim hate was deliberately fueled in the months preceding the violence. The Muslim community was grappling with deep fears of loss of citizenship due to the Citizenship ( Amendment ) Act, 2019 passed by the Parliament in December 2019, and by mid December 2019 nationwide protests erupted against the law and Delhi emerged as the epicenter of the of the anti-CAA protests with North East Delhi as the site of several sit in protests.

Against this background , campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections gathered momentum in January 2020.The Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) focused its election  campaign on anti-CAA protests framing it as anti-national and protesters were labelled traitors by BJP leaders.

While the violence  in North East Delhi first broke out as a clash between pro-CAA ad anti-CAA camps , it soon became a full blown communal violence between Hindus and Muslims because of the anti-Muslim hate build up during the election campaign. While mobs clashed and caused serious disruption of normal life in North East Delhi , Muslim homes, businesses and places of worship were specifically targeted from February 23rd to 26 , resulting in the death of 40 Muslims and 13 Hindus.

The response of the state and the police to the targetted violence against the Muslims in North East Delhi has undermined all democratic values,  the Committe found. The Delhi police failed to take any punitive action against hate speeches made by political leaders in the run up to the outbreak of violence on 23 February 2020 . In fact , the police assisting violent mobs and participating in attacks on Muslims, anti-CAA protest sites, and mosques have been documented in eyewitness and media accounts according to the report of the committee.

It is the Delhi polices case that the Delhi violence was the product of a grand conspiracy by certain groups and organisations of Muslims protesting against CAA in order to compel the Union Government to repeal the law. However, manufactured evidence deviously produced in various charge sheets contradict this narrative the citizens report has pointed out quoting various court orders.

In an incident on 24 February 2020 at about 4 p.m.five Muslim youths were brutally assaulted and publicly humiliated by police officers who taunted the young men saying  ye to azadi ( here is your freedom ) and forced them to sing the national anthem. One of these young men , 23 year old Faizan , was wrongfully confined in Jyoti Nagar police station till11p.m on 25 February 2020.He died at Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narain hospital on 26 February 2020 after his release.

According to the post mortem report Faizan died due to cerebral injury along with multiple injuries all over his body caused by blunt force impact.The medical board of the JP hospital also opined that the injuries on Faizans head could have been caused by a hard and blunt object such as a lathi. The post mortem report makes it very clear that Faizan died on account of the injuries suffered during the assault or while he was illegally detained at the Jyotinagar police station for more than 24 hours.

Though an FIR charging murder was registered the Delhi Police have not yet arrested the assailants, in this case policemen. In response to a writ petition filed by Faizans mother seeking a time bound , court monitored investigation , the Delhi police filed a status report admitting that the vedio footage available in the media showed Faizan others being beaten by policemen. However, the police claimed that the videos were blurred and the assailants were wearing helmets and safety gears and therefore unable to identify their own men accused of murder!

Commenting on the shody investigation into the 2020 Delhi communal violence a magistrate  in the State v. Shah Alam said : I am not able to restrain myself from observing that when history will look back at the worst communal riots since partition in Delhi , it is the failure of the investigating agency to conduct proper investigation by using latest scientific methods , will surely torment the sentinels of democracy.The sort of investigation conducted in the instant case and the lack of supervision thereof by the superior officers clearly depicts that the investigating agency has merely tried to pull the wool over the Courts eyes and nothing else.

It is the Delhi polices case that the Delhi violence was the product of a grand conspiracy by certain groups and organisations of Muslims protesting against the CAA in order to compel the Union Government to repeal the law. However, manufactured evidence deviously produced in various chargesheets contradicts this false narrative.

A fact finding report published by the Delhi Minorities Commission ( DMC ) has stated that the Delhi police failed to prevent vandalism of Muslim places of worship . In the case of burning of Madina Masjid , the complainant Haji Hashmi Ali , the caretaker of the mosque , had to, approach the Metropolitan Magistrate as the police refused register an FIR regarding damage to the mosque.

In fact going through various cases against Muslims , the Delhi police would have us believe that the Muslims organised riots in Muslim dominated areas , killing mostly Muslims and destroyed mosques in protest against CAA which is discriminatory towards Muslims!

A review of the disclosure statements by people accused of committing various offences both under Indian Penal Code ( IPC ) as well as Unlawful Activities Prevention Act ( UAPA ) has revealed some degree of similarity. While some disclosure statements are identical from the beginning to the end , others have quite a few identical paragraphs . Obviously , the statements have been fabricated or the accused have been tutored.

For instance , Meeran Haiders disclosure statement recorded on 8 April 2020 and Safoora Zargars disclosure statement recorded on 14 April 2020 are word for word similar except for their names. Disclosure statements of Shadab Ahmed , Salim Malik, Athar Khan, recorded on 27 May, 28 June, 3 July respectively and Mohammad Salim Khan’s undated statement are also identical. Also Shadab Ahmed’s and Athar Khan’s statements recorded on 28 August 2020 are identical to Natasha Narwals and Devangana Kalitas statements recorded on 7 June 2020. Further , the same grammatical errors are made in a number of statements made by different people at different dates. These statements though cannot be relied on to convict a person they are gravely prejudicial and are enough to deny bail to the accused under UAPA and keep him or her incarcerated for long periods.

In fact,  investigations in recent conspiracy cases under UAPA has been plagued by the phenomenon of staggered arrests resulting in inordinate delay of the trial. It is only when the 180 days for filing the charge sheet for the initially arrested accused is ending that a second set of accused are arrested. A further 180 days time is then sought for filing the charge sheet. This is then followed by a third set of arrests further delaying trial and keeping the arrested in jail without bail for years. It looks as if the investigating agencies are using the stringent provisions of of the UAPA not to convict the arrested but keep inconvenient people in jail.

Ends

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The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Politics in Kerala has traditionally been dominated by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

The two parties are facing each other once again for the 2021 Assembly election with the LDF being a clear favourite to return to power. On the other hand, the BJP is hoping to increase its tally in the polls.

In the 2016 assembly elections, the LDF had won 91 seats, defeating the UDF, which could only secure 47 seats in the election. The BJP won from Nemom seat.

Dharmadam: Pinarayi Vijayan vs C K Padmanabhan vs C Raghunath

Located in the politically volatile northern Kannur district, Dharmadam is the home turf of Pinarayi Vijayan and is witnessing a triangular contest between the Chief Minister, BJP’s C K Padmanabhan, and C Raghunath from Congress.

The grand old party wanted to field Kannur MP K Sudhakaran, an arch critic of Vijayan, from the high-profile seat but the plan did not materialise as the former was not ready to take up the challenge.

Now, the Congress is facing flak for fielding general secretary of Kannur District Congress Committee C Raghunath who is considered a weakling compared to Vijayan.

A bastion of the Marxist Communist Party, Vijayan garnered 87,329 votes in the 2016 Assembly polls while his rival Mambaram Divakaran of Congress could only secure 50,424 votes. BJP candidate Mohanan Mananthery could only manage over 12,000 votes.

The BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UDF are all trying to make things hard for Vijayan in 2021 polls but given the CM’s clout in this constituency, it is highly unlikely that they will breach the Left fortress.

Manjeshwaram: AKM Ashraf vs K Surendran vs VV Rameshan

A stronghold of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Manjeshwaram assembly constituency is an important constituency for the BJP to make inroads into the state.

The saffron party has fielded Kerala state president K Surendran from Manjeshwaram, while the IUML has given a ticket to AKM Ashraf. The CPI(M) is banking on Manjeswaram district committee member VV Ramesan.

In the 2016 election, BJP’s K Surendran lost to IUML’s Abdul Razak by a mere 89 votes.

Surendran is one of the strongest candidates from the BJP and is also contesting from Konni, the epicenter of the Sabarimala agitation.

The IUML has huge support in this constituency with Muslims backing the party in all the polls. On the other hand, Hindu votes get divided as many vote for the BJP and the CPI(M). This division of votes is a serious cause of concern for the saffron party.

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political offshoot of Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), will support the Congress-led UDF in the Manjeswaram Assembly seat.

Kazhakuttam: Kadakampally Surendran vs Sobha Surendran vs Dr. SS Lal

The BJP has fielded Sobha Surendran from the Kazhakuttom assembly constituency in Thiruvananthapuram while Congress has fielded Dr. SS Lal from the constituency.

CPI(M)’s Kadakampally Surendran is seeking re-election from this seat.

Sabarimala issue will take center-stage in this important constituency as the saffron party came second in this seat in the 2016 assembly election.

Mattanur: KK Shailaja vs Illikkal Agasthy vs Biju Elakkuzhi

Located in the Kannur district of Kerala, Mattannur will go to poll on April 6, 2021.

CPI(M) leader and Minister of Health KK Shailaja is contesting from this seat.

Revolutionary Socialist Party of Kerala (Bolshevik) has fielded Illikkal Agasthy from the segment while the BJP has given the ticket to Biju Elakkuzhi.

In 2016, CPI(M) leader EP Jayarajan won the seat by defeating KP Prasanth from Janata Dal (United) with a margin of 43,381 votes.

Puthuppally: Oommen Chandy vs Jaick C. Thomas vs N Hari

Key candidates contesting in the 2021 Assembly elections from the Puthuppally constituency are Oommen Chandy of Congress, Jaick C. Thomas of CPI(M), and N Hari of BJP.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, Chandy won from this seat beating Jaick C Thomas of CPI(M) by a margin of 27,092 votes.

The 77-year-old veteran Congress leader is among the top contenders to be the chief minister if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) gets a majority in the Kerala polls.

Chittur: K Krishnankutty vs Sumesh Achuthan vs V. Natesan

Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Kerala state president K. Krishnankutty is seeking re-election from this constituency while Congress has fielded Sumesh Achuthan from the seat. The saffron party is banking on V. Natesan.

In the 2016 Assembly elections, Krishnankutty had won from this seat beating K Achuthan of Congress by a margin of 7,285 votes.

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He was undergoing treatment at the hospital where was admitted by the Maharashtra government following the high court’s intervention. His lawyer Indira Jaisingh posted a photo of the poet-activist on Twitter.

Mr Rao has been asked by the court to remain in Mumbai and be available for investigation whenever needed. He will also have to submit his passport before the NIA (National Investigation Agency) court, and he has been forbidden to establish any contact with his co-accused in the case. He has to submit a personal bond of ₹ 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount.

He had been in custody since August 28, 2018, awaiting trial in the case.

The high court on February 22 said if it did not grant Mr Rao medical bail, it would be abdicating its duty to protect the principles of human rights and a citizen’s fundamental rights to life and health.

“We are relieved. It is a big relief for us. Because for the last 2.5 years, no one was getting even a small relief in this case. This is the first relief in the BK (Bhima-Koregaon) case. We are very happy but the condition is there that we have to be in Mumbai. We have to think about that and plan. We will talk to the lawyers,” Mr Rao’s daughter Pavani said.

Last month, Indira Jaising highlighted his poor health condition before the Bombay High Court, saying that of the 365 days since last February, he spent 149 days in hospital. She urged the court to let Mr Rao out of Maharashtra’s Taloja prison where he is lodged as an undertrial and to permit him to go home and stay with his family in Hyderabad.

The case, being probed by the National Investigation Agency, involves allegations of provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed led to violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial.

Varavara Rao and nine other activists were accused of plotting the violence with Maoists. Mr Rao, who headed “Veerasam”, an association of revolutionary writers, has strongly denied the charge.

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Earlier, Sreedharan had said that Thursday would be his last day in DMRC uniform. He said that he would file his nomination for the elections only after resigning from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Speaking to the media after completing the final round of inspections at the reconstructed Palarivattom flyover, Sreedharan said that he would continue to oversee the projects as an MLA or in any other post.

“Even if I come, I won’t be in this uniform. Certainly, I will have to oversee projects,” he said, adding, “Be it an MLA or any other post, when a work is underway, I will certainly have to oversee. I will give nomination only after resigning from DMRC.”

The government had appointed Sreedharan as the chief advisor for Palarivattom flyover project which had been a political flashpoint.

“This will be the last day I will be wearing this dress. This is DMRC’s typical outdoor uniform,” he said on Thursday, adding that he first wore the uniform in November 1997 in Delhi, and continued the same practice for 24 years.

On being questioned whether he would continue to oversee the government’s major development projects, Sreedharan said that he will certainly be there, only not in the uniform.

Sreedharan, the architect of the Delhi Metro, had formally joined the BJP on February 25 in the presence of Union Minister R K Singh at a function at Changaramkulam in Malappuram district.

He had earlier said that he will work as a technocrat rather than as a politician.

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Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee member KK Vishwanathan, KPCC secretary MS Vishwanathan, DCC general secretary PK Anil Kumar and Mahila Congress leader Sujaya Venugopal resigned from the party in a week.

MS Vishwanathan said he was resigning from the party due to the failure of the Congress leadership in the district and neglect by the KPCC leadership.

“Due to neglect by the KPCC leadership and the failure of District Congress Committee, I’m resigning as the KPCC secretary post and primary membership from the party,” MS Vishwanathan said.

KK Vishwanathan alleged that the party was being run by a three-member team in Wayanad. PK Anil Kumar formally joined Lok Tantrik Janata Dal (LJD) in the presence of MP MV Sreyamskumar.

The Congress has deployed a battery of senior leaders, including K Sudhakaran, to resolve the crisis. Sudhakaran reached the DCC office in Wayanad on Thursday to take stock of the situation.

Polling in Kerala will take place in a single phase on April 6 and results will be declared on May 2.

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As per the figures, district panchayats witnessed average voting of 66.67 per cent, taluka panchayats recorded voting of 66.86 per cent and municipalities witnessed average voting of 59.05 per cent.

Voting for around 7,998 seats of the local bodies was held on February 28. Prior to that, 237 seats were declared elected uncontested by various candidates. The elections witnessed a three-way contest between BJP, Congress and AAP.

The ruling BJP headed for a big win once again in Gujarat local polls, winning 2,085 of 8,474 seats across various municipalities that voted on Sunday and establishing a wide gap with closest rival Congress. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took up from where it left last week, scoring again on its debut with 15 seats.

Continuing its good run in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, where elections are due next year, the BJP surged ahead in 75 of 81 municipalities, with the Congress’s seats dropping to four and AAP ahead in two.

The BJP is leading in all 31 district panchayats and it is ahead in 196 of 231 taluka panchayats, with the Congress ahead in 33.

AIMIM scores big in Modasa Nagarpalika polls wins 8 seats out of 12. Pushes Congress to number 3 in Modasa with just four seats and places itself at second after BJP which is at 19.

Last week, the BJP swept polls across six key municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, winning 483 of 576 seats. AAP registered its presence in Surat by winning 27 seats at the cost of the Congress, which failed to win any in that town.

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Addressing members of the Gujjar comminity at an event in Jammu, Azad said, “People must learn from Narendra Modi, who despite becoming the Prime Minister, hasn’t forgotten his roots. He proudly calls himself a ‘chai-wala’. Though I have serious political differences with Narendra Modi, the PM is a very grounded person.”

The remarks come days after PM Narendra Modi bid a tearful farewell to Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose term as leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha ended earlier this month.

Modi broke down several times during his 13-minute speech, as he recalled Azad’s help and efforts to bring back people from Gujarat stuck in Kashmir during a terror attack in 2007.

At the event, Azad also said there was a need to fix the economic situation of J&K following the Covid-19 lockdown and abrogation of Article 370.

“Development work has to be increased three times over. J&K should be given 3-4 times more funds from Delhi. Today, work is not visible and industries are closed,” Azad said.

On Saturday, the G-23 leaders, including Azad, who have been pressing for a leadership change and organisational overhaul in the Congress, said the party was weakening and they had come together to strengthen it. The event was attended by senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha and Raj Babbar among others.

“It is an occasion to speak the truth and I will speak the truth. Why have we gathered here? The truth is we can see that the Congress is weakening. We had gathered earlier also and together we have to strengthen the Congress,” Sibal had said.

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Speaking in favour of the Bill, Amit Shah said the Opposition should not politicise J&K and Ladakh. “If you want a political fight, come in the ring and let’s compete. Nobody is scared. It J&K and Ladakh) is a sensitive part of our country. They have been hurt and have doubts. This House’s responsibility is to comfort them, not scrape their wounds.”

Citing results of the recently held DDC polls in J&K, the home minister said political parties who contested the election promising to bring back Article 370, have been wiped off by the people.

In August 2019, the central government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution under which J&K enjoyed certain special privileges. The government also brought in a bill that bifurcated the erstwhile state of J&K into two Union territories: J&K and Ladakh.

“I have said in this House and I say it again that this Bill has got nothing to do with the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. Statehood would be given to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time,” Amit Shah said on Saturday, adding that the Bill nowhere says J&K will not get statehood.

What’s the bill about?

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in Parliament on Saturday to replace an ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of civil services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.

Introducing ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021’, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said the government was working to take Jammu and Kashmir on the path to development.

He said around 170 central laws are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to the erstwhile state.

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“Who are our cronies? Our cronies are the common ‘janta’ (people) of this country,” Ms Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha, ahead of her reply to budget-related questions.

“Where are the cronies? They’re hiding probably in the shadow of that party which has been rejected by the people (a reference to the Congress). The shadows who were invited to even develop a port… they were invited. No open tenders, no global tenders,” she continued.

“… these two tendencies of the Congress… makes it clear their belief in a democratic system is finished… he (Rahul Gandhi) is probably becoming a doomsday man for India,” she added.

The Finance Minister also attacked Mr Gandhi and his party for “U-turns” in their support of farmers.

“I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came,” she said, adding that Mr Gandhi had failed to explain why Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans, as promised in their manifestos.

She also criticised Mr Gandhi’s understanding of the new agriculture laws, which the centre says will help farmers by allowing them to sell at markets and prices of their choice.

“Have APMCs (mandis) been closed after the introduction of the Farmers Act? He (Mr Gandhi) was speaking like they had been… They (the new laws) are also helping improve the condition of APMCs. He (Mr Gandhi) is insulting everyone… whether President, Prime Minister or Speaker… constantly lying and insulting the country,” Ms Sitharaman raged.

The farmers fear the new laws mean the closure of mandis, or traditional wholesale markets. The opposition, has flagged this issue, among others, saying it will lead to large-scale job losses.

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Sancations had only recently been eased after the country began emerging from a decade-long military dictatorship.
On Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected officials were detained, with Ms Suu Kyi’s party accused of fraud over its landslide election win.

The UN, the UK and the EU have also condemned the military takeover amid fears of potential protests and unrest.

Ms Suu Kyi – who spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010 – has urged her supporters to “protest against the coup” in a letter written before she was detained. It warned the military’s actions would put the country back under a dictatorship.

The military has refused to accept November’s election results, declaring a year-long state of emergency. It has already replaced 11 ministers and deputies, including in finance, health, the interior and foreign affairs.

But in a statement, Mr Biden said, “force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election”.

The US had removed sanctions over the past decade as Myanmar progressed to democracy. Mr Biden said this would be urgently reviewed, adding: “The United States will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack.”

However it is unclear how much affect his words will have on Myanmar’s military. Experts believe that the military don’t care about Western sanctions and are more concerned about how China, Japan, South Korea respond.

China, which has previously opposed international intervention in Myanmar, urged all sides in the country to “resolve differences”. other countries in the region, including Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, have said it is an “internal matter”.

Meanwhile the whereabouts of Myanmar’s defacto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her allied were not known intitally, after they were detained. However the news agency AFP reported that Aung San and President Win Myint were both under house arrest.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) has meanwhile called up on the military to accept the results of the November election where Ms Suu Kyi’s party won around 80% of the votes.

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Sasikala was on Wednesday released after the formalities for her release were completed at the state-run Victoria Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment for Covid-19 infection, which she had contracted a week ago, along with her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi.

“Yes, she has been formally released,” Parappana Agrahara Jail Superintendent V Sheshamurthy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Independent legislator T T V Dhinakaran, Sasikala”s nephew and founder of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) visited the hospital after she was released by jail officials..

Sasikala would remain at the Victoria hospital for another three days as mandated under the Covid-19 protocol, though she is now asymptomatic and her symptoms have reduced.

“As per protocol, she will be discharged on 10th day (January 30) if she is asymptomatic and free for oxygen support for at least three days,” the hospital said in an official bulletin. A large number of supporters of the 66-year-old close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa lined up outside the Victoria Hospital, raised slogans in her favour and distributed sweets in celebration.

Sasikala was in prison since February 2017 along with Ilavarasi and late Jayalalithaa’s foster son VN Sudhakaran in connection with the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

Sasikala was charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy with Jayalalithaa, with whom she was closely associated, and amassing wealth disproportionate to the known source of her income.

The September 27, 2014, order of the Special Court awarding imprisonment and fine of Rs 10 crore each, was upheld by the Supreme Court on February 14, 2017. Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran had held huge properties in their names to the tune of crores of rupees from July 1991 to April 1996, though they did not have such a source of income. While Sudhakaran was freed a month ago, Ilavarasi will be released in the first week of February.

Sasikala’s release from prison comes close to Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, due in April-May this year.

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“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has left for abroad for a short personal visit and will be away for a few days,” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Sunday.

A week ago, when the top party leaders met, including those who have called for major organizational changes over the poor electoral performance, Mr. Gandhi told the leaders at the meet he is “ready to work for the party as all desire”, yet it is said that he is firm on his decision on not returning as the party president.

This morning, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra avoided answering questions on brother Rahul while talking to the reporters amid celebrations at the Delhi headquarters. On this day and occasion, senior party leaders gather at the Akbar Road to hoist the party flag. This year they have launched a nation-wide campaign as well as the “selfie with tiranga” on social media.

Taking to Twitter Rahul Gandhi marked the occasion by highlighting his party’s pledge “truth and equality”and said that “Congress has been committed from the beginning to raise the voice of the nation”.

Rahul Gandhi’s absence on the occasion comes under attack from the BJP. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan questioned Gandhi’s disappearance on an important occasion for the party.

देश हित की आवाज़ उठाने के लिए कांग्रेस शुरू से प्रतिबद्ध रही है।

आज कांग्रेस के स्थापना दिवस पर, हम सच्चाई और समानता के अपने इस संकल्प को दोहराते हैं।

जय हिंद!#CongressFoundationDay pic.twitter.com/LCJvcABYh1

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 28, 2020

Senior leader A K Antony unfurled the flag at the AICC headquarters in the presence of senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the 136th Foundation Day of Congress.

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He was welcomed by several BJP supporters. However his arrival also sparked row. Saffron coloured posters placed Shah’s picture was placed above that of legendary poet, Rabindranath Tagore prompted controversy.

During the course of the day, Mr Shah is expected to welcome Suvendu Adhikari, the high profile former Trinamool leader, to the BJP. Mr Adhikari first resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet on November 27 and then from the party on December 16. His associates have promised a “political storm more fierce than Cyclone Amphan” to sweep across Bengal today from Darjeeling to Digha”.

The former Trinamool leader may also bring along several other party leaders.Two MLAs had already resigned from Trinamool, though Jitendra Tiwari, who had quit a day earlier, returned to his mother party.

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Addressing the media, he said that his plans were disrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic and he did not want to be careless. He said that the time has come to transform Tamil Nadu, the superstar said, “Will work as much as possible for the people. If we don’t do it now change will never happen.”

Saying that the victory in politics will be the victory of the people , he said, “it depends on the people of Tamil Nadu. If I win when I enter politics, it will be people’ s victory.”

He thanked everyone for their support, said, “I would like to thank everyone for their support.”

Rajinikanth said, “We will surely win assembly polls and give an honest, transparent, corruption-free, and spiritual politics. A wonder and miracle will definitely happen.”

He had made the announcement about him entering politics on Dec 31 in 2017.

The actor’s political entry is expected to give tremors to DMK and AIADMK. Many suspected that the superstar who is close to many RSS and BJP Leaders Mohan Bhagwat, Amit Shah, and PM Modi was compelled by the BJP to make his political entry.

After meeting district secretaries of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on November 30, Rajinikanth said he will make an announcement soon.

For the superstar, his line of politics is spiritual and beyond religion, corruption and focus of the welfare the people . Rajini had asked his supporters to go every street in the state and pass the message about his intentions and he had told them then, “when the time is right I will give the war cry and at the time all of you be ready to support me.”

In 1996 Rajini had openly supported the DMK and had called for “Saving Tamil Nadu from Jayalalithaa” , That year when Jayalalitha’s AIADMK was defeated, Rajini was seen as a major game-changer, which opened the possibility of his entry in Tamil Nadu politics.

The wait of his political announcement came to an end, a year after Jayalalitha’s death on December 2016. After the announcement, superstar had clarified that he will not join any existing political parties. Yet, he had personally gone and met DMK patriarch Karunanidhi for blessings.

Just like many in the cine field close to many in the DMK, Rajini maintains close connection with prominent DMK leaders even though he is against their ideologies. Rajini is said to have a good relationship with Alagiri, Stalin’s elder brother.

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Choudhary has been in the eye of the storm ever since he was inducted into Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet for facing various corruption charges.

On November 18, Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) sharing an old video of Choudhary singing the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ incorrectly, on the microblogging site Twitter and attacked the new government.

The undated video shared by the RJD shows Choudhary botching up the lines of the national anthem and singing incorrect lines at a flag-hoisting ceremony. He was surrounded by children and a few adults as he saluted the national flag.

Mewalal Choudhary not only mispronounces many words but is heard also adding random words before abruptly ending the national anthem in the 38-second clip.

Mewalal Choudhary, 67, was suspended from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) in 2017 after a case was registered against him over alleged irregularities in appointments during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the Bihar Agriculture University in Bhagalpur district. He was later re-inducted to the party.

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