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\nINDIA Bloc Unity<\/strong><\/p>\n By Insaf<\/strong><\/p>\n Is it \u2018one step forward, two steps back\u2019 for Maharashtra\u2019s MVA? After months of negotiations, the three partners finally made progress and sealed a seat-sharing pact on Tuesday. The INDIA bloc should be relieved with at least this united step forward, in the crucial state. But will it help achieve the cause \u2014 of defeating the common enemy, BJP, or will it put the partnership further behind in the numbers game they thought they had made progress? Notably, Congress \u2018strategically stepped back\u2019 and dropped its claims on few \u2018winning\u2019 seats and went along with Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray reasoning of the need to be \u2018magnanimous.\u2019 Of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, SS-UBT managed the biggest slice with 21 seats, Congress 17 seats, and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar 10 seats. While Congress has assured supporting MVA candidates, it must be keeping fingers crossed no rebellion takes shape in Mumbai, Sangli and Bhiwandi as discontent is said to be brewing among local leaders. Besides, five years back, Congress had got 26 seats in its seat-sharing with NCP, but today has had to give up bigger space to the allies. Delhi\u2019s \u2018Agnipariksha\u2019 Qualms On Christian Prayer Meet! \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" INDIA Bloc Unity By Insaf Is it \u2018one step forward, two steps back\u2019 for Maharashtra\u2019s MVA? After months of negotiations, the three partners finally made progress and sealed a seat-sharing pact on Tuesday. The INDIA bloc should be relieved with at least this united step forward, in the crucial state. But will it help achieve […]<\/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-238857","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\/238857","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=238857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238857\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arunachaltimes.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe grand old party decided it was time to stop the back and forth and get down to campaigning as elections, in five phases, begin next week, April 19 till May 20. How it pans out is worth a watch as \u2018entertainment\u2019 is assured, not between breakaway SS and NCP groups (such as Ajit Pawar seeking support for his wife, against senior Pawar\u2019s MP daughter in Baramati), but with MNS chief Raj Thackeray announcing his unconditional support for BJP-led \u2018Mahayuti\u2019 alliance, will address rallies in Modi\u2019s support! While the alliance is happy as it lessens \u2018possibility\u2019 of vote cutting, MNS cadres are seeing red. Many have resigned in protest questioning Raj saheb\u2019s U-turn after 2019 (a bitter critic of Modi since). Though the party hasn\u2019t made a mark, Uddhav group takes an interesting dig saying an outfit \u2018formed to safeguard Maharashtra pride backs its enemies.\u2019 Applicable to it too, perhaps, but in the end it\u2019s the voter who shall give the verdict whose their enemy.<\/p>\n
\nThe Delhi high political drama continues to hit front pages. Other than High Court upholding AAP Chief Minister Kejriwal\u2019s arrest in liquor excise scam saying ED was left with \u201clittle option\u201d after he skipped repeated summons, 24 hours later, his minister Raaj Kumar Anand resigned from both Cabinet and party. He alleged: \u2018party is mired in graft and has no moral right to continue in government, and Dalits have no place in party and feel cheated.\u2019 Instead of rubbishing it, AAP reacted: his action has \u2018vindicated\u2019 our stand that Kejriwal\u2019s arrest was aimed at \u2018finishing the party\u2019 and BJP was using ED and CBI to \u201cbreak our ministers and MLAs\u201d (though Anand denies any ED pressure). Indeed, it\u2019s \u2018agnipariksha\u2019 for AAP flock. Kejriwal has approached Supreme Court pleading for urgent hearing for his release by declaring the case against him \u2018illegal,\u2019 claiming his arrest is \u201can unprecedented assault on tenets of democracy, free and fair elections and federalism, both of which form significant constituents of basic structure of Constitution.\u201d Convincing or not?
\nManipur Mood In Camps
\nA big question mark hangs over elections in conflict-ridden Manipur, particularly among the 50,000 internally displaced people in relief camps, of which 24,500 are voters. The N-E state which has boasted of 82% plus polling in 2019 elections, has several civil society groups asking the relevance of these elections and some even advocating a boycott. A common refrain being if the government can conduct polls during such times, surely it can find ways to bring peace and address people\u2019s concerns, as the state continues to simmer after 11 months of the ethnic crisis. Reports originating say there\u2019s \u2018conspicuous absence of posters of political parties, mega rallies, and visible movement of leaders\u2019 with elections next week (April 19) and 26. So far, only hoardings put up by local election authorities, urging citizens to exercise their franchise are visible. Will the State election office\u2019s security arrangements with 200 companies of paramilitary forces, setting up of 94 special polling stations in relief camps and engaging in confidence building measures, change the mood and help heal wounds.
\nTDP No To Telangana
\nThe Telugu Desam Party has decided to give Telangana a miss and concentrate on wresting back its turf in Andhra Pradesh. As a member of NDA, while TDP chief and former AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu finalised seat-sharing formula for both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in AP, not only is it not going to put up candidates in Telangana but is yet to decide whom to support there. Apparently, the going has not been easy for TDP after Naidu was arrested by AP police last September in a skill development corporation corruption case and though he got regular bail in November to carry out political activities, there wasn\u2019t time to prepare for Telangana Assembly polls. However, he promptly sounded the poll bugle for AP with slogan \u201cQuit Jagan, Save AP\u201d and with his alliance now with BJP and JSP, urged the people to shower their blessings. His rival, YSR Congress Party President and Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been equally aggressive in his campaign and claimed \u20182024 would be last elections that TDP chief will fight\u2019! Time will tell.<\/p>\n
\nBJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh failed to play spoilsport for a prayer meeting of Christian community, thanks to the Supreme Court. The event in Indore under \u2018National Prayer and Ministry Alliance\u2019, had got initial permission but the administration revoked it after some Hindu outfits sought its cancellation. They complained it was being organised with \u2018intent to mislead people of Hindu community and encourage them for conversion\u2019 and there was \u2018strong possibility it might disturb peace.\u2019 The concerned police station submitted a report on law and order situation and the High Court when petitioned against the cancellation, rejected it saying the concern raised by respondents can\u2019t be said to be \u201cunfounded, looking to various objections they have received from other religious organisations.\u201d But, on Wednesday the top court stayed the cancellation saying it was \u201cunjustified\u201d, the petitioner \u2018will be entitled to hold the prayer meeting at 5:00 p.m. today\u2019 (April 10) and directed its registry to convey the order \u201cforthwith to registrar (Judl.), HC of MP, Bench at Indore, who shall communicate the same to collector, Indore\u201d. It\u2019s about time the state government limits itself. \u2014\u2014 INFA<\/p>\n