Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
Callers to Mamata’s ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ Helpline Complain of Cut Money and Extortion
The ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ campaign launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is letting the Trinamool Congress reach people in distress, but it is also forcing party leaders in Kolkata and across the state to field awkward questions about cut money, syndicates and the arrogance of local leaders. How the campaign works On the advice of poll strategist Prashant Kishor and his organisation, whom the TMC brought in after a poor Lok Sabha result, Banerjee launched a dedicated helpline number and website on July 29 so that people couldRead More
BJP Accuses Prashant Kishor’s Team of Meddling in Bengal Govt; TMC Denies Charge
The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused poll strategist Prashant Kishor and his team of interfering with the work of state government officers and examining confidential files of various departments. The ruling Trinamool Congress and Kishor’s organisation, the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), denied the allegations in Kolkata. The BJP’s allegations After its setbacks in the Lok Sabha election, the TMC engaged I-PAC to rebuild its popularity before the 2021 assembly election. BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu alleged that Kishor and his colleagues wereRead More
‘Hindu Politics’, No Attacks on Modi: Kejriwal’s Shift Ahead of Delhi Elections
An analysis of the Aam Aadmi Party’s position after the 2019 Lok Sabha election argues that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has changed his political approach, toning down attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaning towards what it calls ‘Hindu politics’, with a crucial Delhi assembly election about six months away. It notes that the general election shook several opposition parties, but says the effects were most visible in AAP. A heavy defeat All seven AAP candidates in Delhi lost, several of them forfeiting their deposits. In the NewRead More
Murmurs of Protest in Karnataka BJP Minutes After Yediyurappa’s Cabinet Is Sworn In
Nearly a month after taking power, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa inducted 17 ministers into his cabinet in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The list bore the clear imprint of the BJP high command and left out many of Yediyurappa’s loyalists, prompting signs of discontent within the party. Dissent in the ranks At least a dozen hopefuls, some of them prominent, skipped the swearing-in at the Raj Bhavan, and several openly voiced their unhappiness. The first to speak out was GH Thippareddy, a senior MLA from Chitradurga, who said his seniority hadRead More
‘Robin Hood of Rae Bareli’, Five-Time MLA Akhilesh Singh Dies
Akhilesh Singh, a five-time MLA known as the “Robin Hood of Rae Bareli”, died early on Tuesday at the SGPGI hospital in Lucknow after a long illness. His last rites were to be held at his ancestral home in Lalupur village in Rae Bareli. A local strongman Singh was a powerful local figure known for outspoken remarks. He represented Rae Bareli (Sadar), winning once on a Congress ticket, once for the Peace Party and several times as an independent. Although he had been associated with the Congress, he was neverRead More