Seat-sharing row: Shiv Sena rakes up issues to put BJP in dock

Agencies
September 18, 2019

Mumbai, Sept 18: Amid talks of the BJP seeking more seats than the Shiv Sena for the upcoming Maharashtra polls, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is trying to corner the senior ally over the Aarey land, induction of several political leaders and the Ram temple issues.

The BJP, however, said the Sena needs to look at things practically in view of the Amit Shah-led party's vote share going up in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Sena is ready for a 135 seats each formula with the BJP, while leaving 18 seats for their allies.

But, the BJP no longer seems willing to accept it.

"The BJP is not willing to give more than 120 seats to the Sena and we don't approve of it. Before the announcement of alliance in February this year, Uddhavji and BJP president Amit Shah agreed to contest equal number of seats in the Assembly polls," a senior Sena leader said.

However, a BJP leader pointed out that as compared to the 2014 polls, the party's vote share increased in the Lok Sabha elections this year.

It is a fact that our leader (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's image has helped some of the 18 Sena Lok Sabha members to retain their seats. Hence, we expect to contest more seats than the Sena, and it is based on the (latest) trends," he said.

With the BJP seemingly firm on contesting more seats, the Sena has been trying to put it in the dock by opposing the proposed tree felling in Aarey Colony here to make way for a Metro car shed.

It also took a jibe at the BJP over its move to induct a number of political leaders, and also reiterated its demand for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Another BJP leader said this was a "trick" the Sena was playing "to put us on the back foot and negotiate for more seats with us".

"What the Sena needs to understand is that going by the mandate we got in the Lok Sabha polls, it needs to think practically. The BJP has increased its strength in rural areas as well," he said.

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News Network
February 17,2020

New Delhi, Feb 17: Two alleged criminals were killed in an exchange of fire with the Special Cell of Delhi Police at Pul Pehlad Pur area in New Delhi on Monday morning, officials said.

The encounter took place around 5 am, they said.

Raja Qureshi and Ramesh Bahadur, who were injured during the encounter, were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were declared brought dead by doctors, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P S Kushwah said.

According to police, the two men were involved in multiple cases of murder and robbery.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus infection and has been admitted to a hospital. 

Shah took to social media today to inform about his infection. “I have tested positive but my health is fine," he said, adding that he has been hospitalised on the assistance of doctors. 

The Union Home Minister also appealed to those who came into close contact with him in the last few days to get themselves tested for COVID-19.

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News Network
June 11,2020

The Indian National Congress is considering to move court seeking action against operation lotus,  after an audio clip in which Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan can be heard saying that the Central leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party wanted the Kamal Nath government to fall went viral.

Mr Chouhan is also heard saying in the purported 9.28-minute long audio clip that it was not possible to pull down the Kamal Nath government without the help of Jyotiraditya Scindia and his loyalist, former Congress MLA Tulsi Silawat.

The Congress, which has all along maintained that the BJP had hatched a conspiracy to pull down the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to “capture” power in MP, threatened legal action.

“I have been maintaining from the very beginning that there was a conspiracy to pull down my duly elected government… The audio has established that the BJP’s Central leadership had conspired to pull down my government even though it enjoyed majority,” former chief minister and Congress veteran Kamal Nath said.

Working president of MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Jitu Patwari said his party may move court against the BJP for having plotted to dislodge an elected government following the expose in the purported audio.

Mr Chouhan was reportedly addressing BJP workers of Sanware Assembly constituency in Indore on Monday when he allegedly said in Hindi, “The Central leadership (of BJP) decided that the (Kamal Nath) government should fall. They (the Kamal Nath government) will ruin and destroy … Tell me, was it possible to dislodge the government without Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tulsi Bhai? There was no other way.”  

The “Tulsi Bhai” referred to in the clip is former health minister who joined the BJP along with Mr Scindia.

“In the coming bypoll if Tulsi Silawat doesn’t become MLA again, will I be able to remain CM, will the BJP government survive?” he allegedly said, exhorting BJP workers to overcome their differences and work for Mr Silawat’s victory in the upcoming by-elections in the Sanwer Assembly seat.

Twenty-two Congress MLAs, loyal to Mr Scindia, had resigned from the Assembly leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath government on March 20, paving the way for Mr Chouhan to return as chief minister for the fourth time.

All the 22 ex-Congress MLAs later joined the BJP with Mr Scindia. Two of them, Mr Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput, have been inducted into the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet.

The BJP has vehemently denied any role in the collapse of the Kamal Nath government. Neither the saffron party’s Central leadership nor Mr Chouhan have reacted to the audio clip yet

But the party’s state spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal dismissed the charge that it had a hand in the fall of the Kamal Nath government.

“Infighting in Congress had led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government,” he said.

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