POLITICS

A year before the Assembly polls, putting an end to infighting in the Rajasthan unit is turning out to be a major challenge for the BJP. The party is trying hard to end the infighting between former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and others. Fighting over the party faces for next year's election has already started and all the camps are asserting their claim to lead the BJP in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly polls.

In what can be termed as the first after-shock of Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll results, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) state president Masood Ahmed has resigned from the party, accusing the top leadership of selling tickets to candidates for the recently-concluded elections.

"Hunger Rank: 101, Freedom Rank: 119, Happiness Rank: 136. But, we may soon top the Hate and Anger charts!," Rahul Gandhi tweeted, sharing a picture of the World Happiness Report (2022) issued by the United Nations Sustainable Development SOlutions Network. The World Happiness Report is a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, powered by the Gallup World Poll data.

But State Congress president K. Sudhakaran has informed the two party veterans that they should not attend the seminar. "No way, they cannot attend the seminar because our cadres will not like it and it has been told to them," said a peeved Sudhakaran, who is known for his long running feud with the CPI-M at his home turf -- Kannur, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

"Our leader, Syama Prasad Mukherjee gave the supreme sacrifice to ensure that the country has only 'Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan' (One Prime Minister, one flag and one Constitution). Under Article 370, J&K's elected head of government was called 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister), state had its own flag and a separate constitution.

In a tweet, Malviya said, "Which part of #KashmirFiles does Omar find untrue? The fact that Farooq Abdullah, his father, resigned as CM on 18Jan1990, and as if on cue the genocide was unleashed on hapless Kashmiri Hindus starting 19Jan1990? That he ordered the release of 70 ISI trained dreaded terrorists?"

The BJP has fielded Agnimitra Paul for the Lok Sabha by-polls from Asansol in West Bengal against TMC candidate and former union minister Shatrughan Sinha. Paul is the MLA from Asansol South assembly constituency and general secretary of the West Bengal BJP. In a statement BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said, "The BJP Central Election Committee has approved the following names for biennial polls of Rajya Sabha."

Thet are Harpal Cheema (Dirba), Baljit Kaur (Malout), Harbhajan Singh (Jandiala), Vijay Singla (Mansa), Lal Chand Kataruchak (Bhoa), Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Barnala), Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala), Laljit Singh Bhullar (Patti), Brahm Shankar (Hoshiarpur), and Harjot Singh Bains (Anandpur Sahib). Against 17 vacancies in the Cabinet, the party is inducting 10 ministers.

Malik, 62, who held the Minority Affairs and Skill Development, besides being Guardian Minister of Gondiya and Parbhani districts, was arrested on February 23, and is currently in judicial custody till March 21. At a meeting presided over by the NCP President Sharad Pawar, it was decided to relieve Malik of his portfolios and other official charges to ensure work does not suffer and files don't pile up in his absence.

"Nobody said Mrs Gandhi should quit. "She is Congress President, we are leaders of the party, the feedback which is given to restructure organisation is not meant for public... there is no question on the leadership, when Mrs Gandhi offered (to step back), we all rejected it. "There is no vacancy of the Congress President."