Bihar polls: BJP focusses on women, youth, backward castes in first list of 43 candidates

September 16, 2015

New Delhi, Sep 16: BJP on Tuesday night released the first list of 43 candidates for the high-stakes Bihar polls, giving about 60 per cent representation to those from SC and backward castes in an apparent attempt to target the base of rival JD(U)-RJD combine.

Five nominees in the list are Yadavs, the most numerous OBC group which has traditionally backed RJD's Lalu Prasad but is being vigorously wooed by BJP.

Bihar pollsOver 50 per cent of the candidates are women and youth while close to 60 per cent belong to SC and backward castes, said senior BJP leader and Union Minister JP Nadda while releasing the list after the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee.

The list carries the names of 26 sitting party MLAs while three sitting legislators have been denied party ticket.

BJP became the first main party to announce its candidates for elections to the 243-member Bihar Assembly that will take place between 12 October to 5 November.

"We have tried to give representation to all communities," Nadda told a press conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all other CEC members attended the meeting chaired by party President Amit Shah.

The party has also tried to keep its core support base of upper castes happy with several Brahmins, Bhumihars, Rajputs and Kayashthas given tickets.

The list underscored party's attempts to wean Yadavs away from Lalu Prasad and ensuring that sections of backward castes, upper castes and Dalits give solid backing to the NDA in what is being seen a prestige battle for Modi, who has pulled out all stops to wrest the state from ally-turned-foe Nitish Kumar's JD(U).

BJP's leader in the outgoing Assembly, Nand Kishore Yadav, is among those whose names were announced today. He will contest from Patna Sahib.

No Muslim figured in the list which contained names for mostly those seats over which there is unanimity in the party.

The subsequent lists will have Muslim names, said Nadda, flanked by Bihar BJP chief Mangal Pandey, Bihar in-charge Bhupender Yadav and another state leader Shahnawaz Hussain.

The list included names of 19 candidates for the first phase and 15 for the second while nine others are for the seats going to polls later.

The first two phases have 49 and 32 constituencies going to polls and many of them will be contested by the party's allies, LJP, RLSP and HAM (secular).

The CEC deliberated for over two hours and was attended among others by Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari.

Party's chief whip in the outgoing assembly Arun Kumar, Renu Devi, Pramod Kumar, Prem Kumar and Nitin Naviun among others have been given tickets. BJP will contest 160 seats while LJP, RLSP and HAM

(secular) will contest in 40, 23 and 20 constituencies.

BJP ally RLSP expressed its displeasure over the BJP list saying the talks were still on about distribution of seats among the NDA constituents.

A spokesperson for Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha-led party said this announcement was against "coalition dharma".

Party sources said they were keen on contesting a few seats among the 43, for which BJP today announced its candidates.

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News Network
February 5,2020

New Delhi, Feb 5: Taking on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Baisala was identified as an AAP worker by police, BJP chief J P Nadda on Tuesday said it exposed the party and Kejriwal who were playing with the country's security.

The Aam Aadmi Party hit back, questioning the police investigation.

In a series of tweets, Nadda said people of the country and Delhi today have seen the "dirty face" of AAP.

"For political longing, Kejriwal and his people even sold the security of the country. Earlier, Kejriwal used to insult the Army and advocate terrorists, but today relations with those who carry out their terrorist activities came to light," he said.

Nadda said he wanted to make it clear to Kejriwal that this country is bigger than any election, any government, and "this nation will not forgive those who play with its security. Kejriwal and his entire team have been exposed. The people of Delhi will give a befitting reply".

He claimed the entire country has seen "photos of Imam Hussain, the MLA and former minister of the Delhi government, with a radical terrorist organisation, PFI".

Days before Delhi goes to polls, police claimed that Baisala is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party. They said Baisala joined the party in early 2019 along with his father.

Police said it had photos of Baisala purportedly joining AAP along with his father Gaje Singh last year.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that photos which were part of investigation were leaked to the BJP. He also said the party will approach the Election Commission to raise this issue, which has cropped up four days before the polling date.

"On whose instance, the police is giving statement? How did the photos which were part of the investigation reach the BJP? Before the news came out, Manoj Tiwari in the morning stated that the accused was from AAP. How did Manoj Tiwari get this news," Singh questioned in a press conference.

Union minister and BJP's in-charge for the Delhi polls, Prakash Javadekar, in a press conference alleged that "their (AAP's) designs are very clear from the beginning and they are trying every trick".

The whole conspiracy of AAP is to "divide society, cause fear in a community and create a vote bank," he charged.

Javadekar also claimed that photos of Baisala were recovered by police from his mobile phone although they were erased.

He also claimed that Baisala and his father were welcomed by Sanjay Singh at their joining of AAP.

"This proves AAP misleads youth and pushes them on the wrong path. AAP's strategy is to divide two communities, they want to instigate riots in Delhi," Javadekar alleged.

He further alleged that AAP leader Sanjay Singh had said violence would take place in Delhi. Their "conspiracy has been exposed by Delhi Police," he claimed.

"We condemn this politics of AAP," he said.

Javadekar also claimed this was "not an isolated incident" as AAP member Amanatullah Khan made a "very provocative speech" and the party supported Shaheen Bagh and did not give permission for the prosecution of members of the "tukde-tukde gang".

He hinted the BJP could approach the Election Commission against AAP over the issue.

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News Network
February 24,2020

Ahmedabad, Feb 24: US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Monday tried their hands at spinning the 'charkha' (spinning wheel) at the Sabarmati Ashram here.

Accompanied by PM Narendra Modi, the US president and his wife went around the Ashram, before resuming the roadshow from the airport to the Motera stadium. "To my great friend Prime Minister Naredra Modi, thank you for this wonderful visit," Trump wrote in the Ashram visitors' book.

The US President was briefed about Gandhiji and the importance of charkha as a symbol of self reliance. Trump reached Ahmedabad at 11.37 am for the first leg of his India visit.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for the first leg of his India trip. The Air Force One plane carrying Trump and his wife Melania landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport here at 11.37 am, officials said. It was scheduled to land at 11.40 am.

Trump, who is also accompanied by daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration, will get a taste of India's cultural melange during his high- optics Gujarat itinerary, after the bonhomie between the two leaders at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston last year.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Bikaner, Jan 5: A government-run hospital in Bikaner saw the death of at least 162 children, higher than the number of deaths in Kota's JK Lon Hospital in December.

"In December, we received 2,219 children from different hospitals out of which 162 children died in the Intensive Care Unit here. None of them was born at the hospital," said Dr HS Kumar, Principal, Sardar Patel Medical College, PBM Hospital.

He, however, denied any negligence on the part of the hospital and said that all efforts were made to save every single life.

The official said that all the deceased children had taken birth at the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) and the Community Health Centres (CHC) and were referred to the PBM Hospital in a critical condition.

"Their condition was critical and they breathed their last during treatment," he said.

At least 110 children have lost their lives at JK Lon government hospital in Kota, Rajasthan.

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