{"id":226355,"date":"2023-10-16T00:57:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T19:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/?p=226355"},"modified":"2023-10-16T00:57:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T19:27:09","slug":"eyeballs-on-bjp-cong-batting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/2023\/10\/16\/eyeballs-on-bjp-cong-batting\/","title":{"rendered":"Eyeballs on bjp, Cong batting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Election Test Match<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Insaf<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Election Commission has blown the whistle for the semi-final match between INDIA bloc which may have a bearing on the final in 2024. While it\u2019s known that voters tend to view State elections as different from Lok Sabha, political activity is picking up steam in the five States of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram. The stakes are high for Congress and BJP particularly, as the former is in power in two of the four big states, and the latter needs to ensure it retains Madhya Pradesh. This apart, the two will need to up the ante in Telangana to try to upstage the inimitable TRS Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which is confident for a third straight term. In Mizoram, the Congress is going to push its luck and challenge incumbent Mizo National Front led by Zoramthanga, which is looking for a second straight term. While the BJP claims it \u2018will form government in all States with a big majority\u2019 under Modi to fulfil people\u2019s aspirations, the Congress is guaranteeing\u2019 social justice, public welfare, and progressive development.\u2019 It\u2019s tom-tomming its recent victory in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Be that as it may, what needs to be seen is whether the Congress is able to have an understanding with its alliance partners in the bloc, such as AAP, \u2014 a test for unity as claimed. Additionally, all parties are in fierce competition to offer freebies and guarantees, and reaching out to women, tribal and OBC votes, etc. The festive season is indeed going to be bigger this year than expected. A lot of fireworks are promised.<\/p>\n

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Anger In Rajasthan BJP<\/p>\n

BJP has more on its plate than it can handle in Rajasthan. Discipline be damned, is a message it\u2019s getting from ticket aspirants, peeved over being upstaged by Members of Parliament. The anti-incumbency factor weighing against the ruling Congress and the Gehlot-Pilot rift apparently doesn\u2019t give it the confidence it exuberates of forming the government. Thus, seven MPs including Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari and Baba Balak Nath were announced in its first list of 41 candidates, triggering protests outside party headquarter in Jaipur and in constituencies by ousted leaders and their supporters on Tuesday last. Demand for removal of \u2018parachute\u2019 candidates or \u2018outsiders\u2019 is being voiced; party flags being burnt by some with angry videos going viral on social media. The brewing dissatisfaction and fear of some turning dissidents, has forced the BJP to form an 11-member panel to find ways of keeping its rank and file united. While acknowledging resentment will be there as not everyone can get a ticket, the big bosses say consultation is on and \u2018everything will be fine soon.\u2019 Doubts linger as it has fielded eight MPs, including three Union ministers in Madhya Pradesh. An uneasy trend?<\/p>\n

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Ladakh Rejects BJP<\/p>\n

Ladakh has given a big jolt to BJP. In the first-ever Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil elections, the National Conference-Congress alliance won a resounding victory bagging 22 of 26 seats (12 NC, 10 Congress), leaving a battered BJP with just two and Independents two. The victory has been hailed as a \u201creferendum\u201d against the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K into two UTs.\u00a0An elated NC leader Omar Abdullah said the results should serve as a \u201cwake-up call for the saffron party\u2026It\u2019s time to cease hiding behind the Raj Bhawan and unelected representatives and, instead, acknowledge the people\u2019s rightful desire for a democratically elected government in J&K. Democracy demands people\u2019s voices be heard and respected.\u201d Indeed, the election recorded 77.61% polling, with Muslims a majority in Kargil and Buddhists in Leh, reflecting the initial bonhomie of getting UT status changing to anger against Centre for not giving statehood. Predictably, these polls should up the ante for elections in the two UTs, given the claim of normalcy returning. Sooner the better!<\/p>\n

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EVMs Reliability?<\/p>\n

Opposition\u2019s nagging doubts about the reliability of EVMs and credibility of Nirvachan Sadan, may turn out to be unfounded! On Monday last, Supreme Court refused to entertain a SLP by Congress\u2019 Delhi unit chief questioning the State Election Commission\u2019s procedure while conducting \u2018first-level checking\u2019 (FLC) of the machines and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATS). The plea alleged ECI\u2019s entire attempt \u201cis highly surreptitious\u201d and the FLC procedure followed for commencement \u201cwasn\u2019t transparent,\u201d as political parties were merely given a two-day prior notice, preventing them from engaging booth level agents to effectively participate. Instead, it sought ECI notice should have been at least a week before for \u2018proper opportunity for parties to prepare themselves.\u201d The top court upheld Delhi HC\u2019s August order declining to direct re-initiation of FLC saying Delhi Congress \u2018voluntarily chose to stay away from the process\u2019. Observing political parties\u2019 participation here is merely \u201cone step\u201d, the SC refused to grant any liberty to the petitioner to make representation to ECI for supply of serial numbers before FLC initiation. The process, it said \u201cis very detailed. Parties have faith in it. It has been replicated across India. We will leave it at that.\u201d Will the Opposition let go?<\/p>\n

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Manipur Internet Ban<\/p>\n

Internet ban in Manipur makes hollow claims of Biren Singh government that the strife-torn State is returning to normalcy. Worse, unrest is further brewing among its youth. On Wednesday last, suspension of mobile data internet services was extended again for five days till October 16 evening. Reasoning: \u2018necessary to take steps to maintain law and order in public interest, by stopping spread of disinformation and rumours through various social media platforms.\u201d Besides, \u201cthwart activities and designs of anti-national and anti-social elements.\u201d Singh is missing the woods for the trees, as he has miserably failed to offer any lasting solution and gain confidence of the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi\u00a0communities or the civil society groups since violence broke out on May 5. The Senapati District Students Association has imposed highway blockade over internet ban, saying its \u2018not just a privilege but a fundamental right.\u2019 Clearly, students are affected as broadband is available mostly among affluent section of capital Imphal and district headquarters raising the question \u201cwhat about thousands who aren\u2019t from the capital and from far off villages and hill areas and can\u2019t afford Wi-Fi?\u201d Studies apart, government must realise the turmoil is sowing seeds of bitterness in GenNext, dangerous for State\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

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No Indecent Dresses<\/p>\n

Indecent dresses are a no go in the 12th-century Shree Jagannath temple in Odisha\u2019s Puri.\u00a0 It shall enforce a dress code for devotees from January 1, said its \u2018Niti\u2019 sub-committee after a meeting Monday last, upset over the devotees\u2019 dress sense. The Temple\u2019 chief administrator said \u201cIt is our responsibility to maintain the dignity and sanctity of the temple. Unfortunately, some people have been found visiting the temple without caring about the religious sentiments of others.\u201d\u00a0 People are found \u2018wearing torn jeans, sleeveless dresses and half-pants, as if they were strolling on the sea beach or a park\u2019, he said adding that the temple is the \u2018abode of God, not a place for entertainment.\u2019 Well said, but it would need to be seen whether it can enforce a dress code. More importantly, the devotees must abide by these. \u2014 INFA<\/p>\n

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Election Test Match By Insaf The Election Commission has blown the whistle for the semi-final match between INDIA bloc which may have a bearing on the final in 2024. While it\u2019s known that voters tend to view State elections as different from Lok Sabha, political activity is picking up steam in the five States of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-226355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-features"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226355\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}