BJP paradrops big guns ahead of Chhattisgarh face-off

Shah released the party’s manifesto in Raipur, lauding the three-term government of chief minister Raman Singh for the developmental work it had done for the state once referred to as ‘BIMARU’.

On the final day of campaign for the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) para-dropped big guns to ensure that the opposition Congress party felt the heat. BJP chief Amit Shah and Hindutva mascot Yogi Adityanath, led the attack from the front.

Shah released the party’s manifesto in Raipur, lauding the three-term government of chief minister Raman Singh for the developmental work it had done for the state once referred to as ‘BIMARU’ (original acronym coined in the 1980s for the four states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh that were economically backward).

“The Congress ruled the country for 55 years, but it is the BJP which is working hard to ensure that the fruits of development reach the last person in the society. The manifesto for the fourth term in office has been prepared by consulting all sections of the society. I assure you that all promises made will be honoured,” Shah said.

Raman Singh, who is seeking re-election for a fourth term, told reporters: “The Congress used farmers like vote banks. They did nothing for farmers in the past 60 years. This year, we will buy 80 lakh quintals of wheat from farmers.” Singh was congratulated by his party president for making the state of Chhattisgarh “almost Naxalism-free”.

“The BJP government under chief minister Raman Singh has contained naxalism and made the state almost free of it. A party that feels naxalism is a medium for revolution cannot do any good for Chhattisgarh,” Shah accused the Congress.

Shah’s statement was in reference to Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar’s comments in Raipur last Saturday, when he said, “Naxals had launched a ‘revolution’ which cannot be stopped through guns but resolved through talks.” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was also unsparing in his attack against the Congress.

Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Lormi, Adityanath said: “The Congress encouraged naxalism for its gains, but when it became dangerous for the security of people, it was the BJP which had to deal with the issue sternly. The Congress has been encouraging Naxalism actively and covertly.”

Adityanath accused the grand old party of jeopardising the nation’s security. “The Congress, for its own gains, played with the security of the country, be Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand, where the issue was of giving asylum to naxalites, or using states like Kashmir for political benefits. But for the BJP, national security is of prime importance, hence we never accepted toying with it,” Yogi said.

The BJP’s Hindutva posterboy, who has been championing the cause of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, raised the issue in battleground Chhattisgarh, too.

Adityanath said: “While it is a known fact that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya, the matter is pending before the Supreme Court. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had petitioned before the court that a decision should not have been taken over the issue before 2019.”

He further alleged, “The Congress should be asked if they are related to Lord Ram or with foreign invader Babur. Congress has no idea about the country’s respect and prestige. The Congress has always played with national security and is now coming to you for votes.”

The first phase of polling to 18 out of the 90 Assembly segments in Chhattisgarh takes place on November 12.

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“Mayawati For PM, I Will Be Chief Minister Of Chhattisgarh”: Ajit Jogi

“I have always believed that a non-Congress, non-BJP coalition will have a majority in 2019,” Ajit Jogi said

King in Chhattisgarh, kingmaker in 2019. Congress rebel Ajit Jogi has no doubt about his role in the coming election in Chhattisgarh and the national polls early next year. “We have made an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Left. It has decided that I will be chief minister,” said Ajit Jogi, who served as the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh after it was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000.

As for prime minister, Mr Jogi was equally emphatic that BSP leader Mayawati is most suitable for the top job.

“I have always believed that a non-Congress, non-BJP coalition will have a majority in 2019. It will be decided then (who will be PM) but I personally believe Mayawati deserves it as the first Dalit, a woman, as a politician from Uttar Pradesh and as a four-time chief minister,” Mr Jogi, 72, said.

Mr Jogi has been an Indian Police service (IPS) and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. He became a Rajya Sabha member in 1986. After around three decades in the Congress, he quit in 2016 after being sidelined by the party. Weeks later, he formed his own party.

The Congress, which failed to seal a pact with Mayawati in months of alliance talks, fears that its rebel leader and his son will dent the party’s chances in the state polls. The party had eyed an easy victory over the BJP, which is seen to face anti-incumbency after three straight terms.

Mr Jogi has boasted that his alliance took shape in just a few hours of discussion with Mayawati.

Elections for the 90-seat Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases on November 12 and 20.

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Rahul Gandhi just ‘an entertainment’ for people in Chhattisgarh, knows nothing about state: Raman Singh

Launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, poll-bound Chhattishgarh’s Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday alleged the Congress chief was “sort of an entertainment” for people in the state and his campaign could be detrimental to his own party.

Ahead of the crucial first phase of voting in the state on Monday, Singh said Gandhi does not know anything about Chhattisgarh and his rallies would not help the Congress draw any significant votes.

Singh’s counter-attack came a day after the Congress president, during his election campaign on Friday, accused Singh of indulging in graft and of doing any work only after taking “permission from his 10-15 industrialist friends”.

“Rahul does not know anything about Chhattisgarh. People of Chhattisgarh do not take him seriously. He is sort of an entertainment for them,” Singh told PTI in an interview.

Singh, who has been chief minister of the tribal-dominated state for a record 15 years out of its 18-year history, said Gandhi’s presence in the state would not dent poll prospects of the BJP but might prove detrimental to his own Congress party.

While there was no immediate comment from the Congress on the latest jibe at its party chief, the allegations levelled by various political parties have often become personal amid a rising election fever in the country’s political landscape.

While the Congress has been accusing the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in various states of indulging in crony capitalism, Gandhi has launched an aggressive campaign centred around these charges for the five poll-bound states, including Chhattisgarh, which is being seen as semi-finals before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The saffron party has denied these charges and have levelled counter-allegations of corruption and crony-capitalism being things of past when the Congress was in power.

Gandhi has been actively campaigning in Chhattisgarh where voting will be done in two phases — on November 12 for 18 seats (including 12 in naxal-affected areas) and on November 20 for the remaining 72 seats.

Voting in Singh’s own constituency Rajnandgaon, where the Congress has given the ticket to late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s niece and former BJP leader Karuna Shukla, will also take place on Monday.

During his campaign rallies on Friday, Gandhi had hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Singh over various issues, including lack of development in Chhattisgarh.

Singh, who is eying a fourth term as chief minister, said Chhattisgarh has developed on all fronts contrary to what the Congress party claims.

“Chhattisgarh used to be a backward stage. In 15 years of the BJP rule, it has become one of the developed states. We are growing at a great pace and will soon be along top five developed states of the country,” he said.

To a question on whether the BJP will lose votes due to an alliance between former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi-led Janta Congress Chhattisgarh and Dalit leader Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, Singh said the BJP’s vote share will remain intact despite the formation of this “selfish coalition”.

“It is a selfish coalition and both the parties will not have any effect on the BJP votes,” he said.

On the menace of Naxalism, Singh said Maoists in the state were living on life support.

“We have neutralised Naxalites and their agenda with our development work. Maoists in the state are living on life support. It will soon be over,” the chief minister said.

The 66-year-old BJP veteran, who was a practising ayurvedic doctor before taking the plunge into politics in 1980s, became Chhattisgarh’s chief minister in December 2003, after the saffron party snatched power from the Congress just about three years after the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh.

In the 2013 election, the BJP got 49 seats while the Congress secured 39. The BSP got one, while one seat was won by an Independent candidate.

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Amit Shah Releases BJP’s Chhattisgarh Manifesto

Up to Rs 2 Lakh Interest-Free Loans for Women

A day after the Congress came up with its Chhattisgarh election manifesto, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) president Amit Shah released his party’s list of promises in Raipur on Saturday.

While releasing poll manifesto, CM Raman Singh announced interest-free loans of up to Rs 2 lakh for women to establish their business. Named ‘Sankalp Patra’, the manifesto promises to set up a film city in Chhattisgarh. Besides, distributing free books and uniforms to students up to class 12.

“Under the BJP rule, Chhattisgarh has become a welfare state. Various schemes, including MGNREGA, have been made corruption-free,” said Amit Shah. “Chhattisgarh was the first state to have a legislation on skill development,” he added.

Shah, during the event, also exuded confidence that BJP under Singh’s leadership will retain power in this central state.

All political parties have pushed their top leaders in the campaign to garner support with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi addressing public meetings at different areas of the state. The ruling BJP has deployed top leaders to retain the power in the state, while Congress is trying hard to wrest power from the ruling party.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday released the party’s manifesto for Chhattisgarh which promises farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and ban on liquor sales. Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath are scheduled to address rallies in the state to maximise the support ahead of the first phase polls.

With only two days left for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah will campaign in the state on Saturday.

Election campaign for the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls will end on Saturday night, 48 hours before the voting on November 12. Chhattisgarh polls will be held in two phases, November 12 and November 20.

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We Will Never Tie-up With BJP, Our Views are Very Different, Says TRS’ KTR

KCR’s son and IT minister KT Rama Rao talks to CNN-News18’s Marya Shakil about the grand alliance of opposition parties in Telangana, a tie-up with BJP and a larger role at the Centre.

The state of Telangana will go to polls in Decemeber this year, for the first time since its formation. The ruling TRS is the party in focus and its charismatic chief K Chandrashekar Rao is leaving no stone unturned to win this time. KCR’s son and IT minister KT Rama Rao talks to CNN-News18’s Marya Shakil about the grand alliance of opposition parties in Telangana, a tie-up with BJP and a larger role at the Centre

Interviwer : Joining me right now is TRS leader and IT minister KT Rama Rao. Thank you so much for your time here. So, this is the first Assembly election in Telangana ever since the state was carved out. Most of the surveys are showing it is the advantage to your father (KCR). The move of advancing elections has worked or is working on ground.

KTR: Well, if we look at what has happened in Telangana in last four years, every single election that has taken place in the state, the TRS has won extremely convincingly. Starting from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls, which is considered a mini-general elections of sort, we have won that very convincingly and this election in 2018 doesn’t appear different with TRS clearly ahead. Seven surveys have come out in last two months and each and every one has shown that the TRS will win with at least two- thirds majority. We are very confident.

There is grand alliance called ‘Mahakutami’ which is taking you on. It has Congress, TDP, CPI, Telangana Jan Samiti while you are going it alone, are you confident that your strategy of going alone will help you?

KTR: Let me point out that in 2014 we had won the election with majority . This time around it is no different. Even in the last election, the Congress had an alliance with CPI and other parties but this time even the Telugu Desam has joined its alliance. That is why we call it ‘Maha Ghatiya Bandhan’ there is no fundamental basis, no base on which this alliance can base itself. It is only power mongering and opportunistic alliance. I or people of Telangana don’t see any logic any convincing rationale for this alliance. We are very confident by (going for) this alliance, the Congress has shot itself in the foot and in fact this alliance bundled with contradictions will cost them dear.

We are also seeing that the alliance in Telangana is playing out at the national level. In fact, Chandrababu Naidu is today meeting MK Stalin. When we look at opposition unity and anti-Modi front, let’s not forget that in March your father had made that call for all non-Congress, non-BJP parties to come together. At that time, Naidu had shown inclination towards that, Mamata Banerjee had also approved , what exactly is the status of that third front or federal front?

KTR: The stand is very clear, the so called national parties both the BJP and the Congress have failed our nation. Even after 71 years of Independence there are still many issues plaguing this nation, there are many issues that haven’t been resolved by any of these coalitions. What we want is more powers to the state, more federal approach not just lip sympathy just calling it cooperative federalism or competitive federalism. If really India has to progress and grow and emerge as a very strong nation, the state has to be empowered and that is exactly why the idea of federal front was rooted by our leader KCR. Now what Chandrababu Naidu and other parties are up to is none of our concern. We hope to win this election in December convincingly and then we will start focusing on national politics and we will start making our moves after December 11.

So are saying there will be another attempt at federal front post December?

KTR: Absolutely. In fact, our CM and our leader is extremely clear that both the national parties have failed this nation and this country needs more stronger regional forces which can come together and can assure the true federal spirit which will lead to a strong nation from such combination

Who will stand with you as far as an anti-Modi bloc is concerned that is formalising and taking shape. We are seeing Sharad Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, who really would be a part of the federal front?

KTR: Trust me, the world is not as simple as it seems and there isn’t only a bipolar kind of situation that it is only UPA or NDA. There will be a third front, there will be a coalition of likeminded parties which will emerge because we still have a long way to go for national elections. We are right now focusing on just state elections but after this you will see a lot of things happening in January and February

But it doesn’t look like that Chandrababu Naidu is concentrating on state elections that is due in a month’s time , why do you think he has gone in for such coalition in state and taking you on with help of the Congress.

KTR: Desperate times call for desperate measures and Chandrababu Naidu ‘s party faces extinction threat in Telangana so therefore he is merely trying to assert himself and retain a seat or two in Telangana by way of this alliance. His party will be decimated in Telangana. His party is set for an extinction so it’s a desperate time for Mr Naidu. It’s a desperate gamble to try and cook up a coalition which has no fundamental basis whatsoever.

There is speculation that your father had kept the central leadership of the BJP in the loop when he went for dissolution of the Assembly. So, is Mr KCR going to be part of the NDA before or after 2019?

KTR: Let me put it this way, speculate as you may, speculate as anybody wants to, the fact is clear that we are an independent party we are not part of the UPA or the NDA. We have no friendship or liking for any of the national parties which we have consistently maintained. So to accuse us or speculate that we are going to sail with the BJP is nothing but humbug and you will see our efforts. You will see our efforts to actually bring viable alternative to the NDA and the UPA after December11, and you will see it yourself.

Last question, can you assure the people of Telangana that you are not going to support the BJP before 2019 and these are only rumours and speculations?

KTR: Like I said, absolutely without a question because there is no way our ideology can compel us to come together. We have a very different view from the BJP on this country, on our state. So there is no way we can work together and I can tell you for sure that Telangana Rashtra Samiti which is going to sweep the upcoming Assembly elections, we will also win at least 15 parliamentary seats in Telangana in 2019. We will have a very important role to play in Delhi. Any political party in India which thinks like us and agree with us and have a common fundamental basis in the core belief that the true federalism means empowering states. So we believe very strongly that a few regional parties coming together can certainly dictate who will be in driver’s seat in Delhi after April 2019 and you will see TRS playing a very important role there but i can assure you that it is neither going to be the BJP nor the Congress which will be in driver’s seat in Delhi.

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CriC Live : Windies Women vs Bangladesh Women, 3rd Match Live

Open Link Below and click on Live Link

Live Stream @

Match Info

Match: WIW vs BANW, 3rd Match, Group A, ICC Womens World T20 2018

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018

Time:12:00 AM GMT

Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana

Windies Women Squad:

Hayley Matthews, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle, Natasha McLean, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Kycia Knight, Merissa Aguilleira, Chinelle Henry, Anisa Mohammed, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Sheneta Grimmond, Shakera Selman

Bangladesh Women Squad:

Shamima Sultana, Ayasha Rahman, Jahanara Alam, Fargana Hoque, Rumana Ahmed, Sanjida Islam, Fahima Khatun, Lata Mondal, Salma Khatun, Khadija Tul Kubra, Nahida Akter, Panna Ghosh, Ritu Moni, Nigar Sultana, Sharmin Akhter

CriC Live : Australia Women vs Pakistan Women, 2nd Match Live

Open Link Below and click on Live Link

Live Stream @

Match Info

Match: AUSW vs PAKW, 2nd Match, Group B, ICC Womens World T20 2018

Date: Friday, November 09, 2018

Time: 08:00 PM GMT

Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana

Australia Women Squad:

Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Elyse Villani, Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes, Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Delissa Kimmince, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux

Pakistan Women Squad:
Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar, Omaima Sohail, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Sana Mir, Aiman Anwer, Sidra Nawaz, Anam Amin, Sidra Ameen, Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sandhu

In poll-bound Rajasthan leaders hiring pahalwans for protection and prestige

There is a huge demand for bouncers in Rajasthan and MLAs are hiring them for security and to enhance their reputation. The hiring price starts from Rs 11000 per day and they also get boarding and lodging.

Demand for bouncers and Pahalwan in poll-bound Rajasthan is peaking as political leaders are hiring them to keep them away from bodily harm from enthusiastic supporters and also to enhance their reputation in masses. According to Times Now report, female candidates from the urban as well as rural areas are also hiring these bouncers. Candidates from all the parties are looking for pahalwans to accompany them on campaign trails.

According to Chunni Kaptan the owner of Bhuri Singh Akhara in Bharatpur, pahalwans are being hired starting from Rs 11000 per day plus boarding and lodging by various politicians in the state. Bharatpur MLA Vijay Bansal is one of the people who has hired such pahalwan but refused to comment on camera.

Police officials off the record say that any candidate may accompany anyone as a worker or relative but if they indulge in any illegal acts than action will be taken against them.

The legislative assembly elections in the state are scheduled to be held on 7 December and will be held in a single phase.

The BJP Central Election Committee is likely to meet by November 9 or 10 to decide the name of the candidates for approval for the December 7 Assembly elections. CM Vasundhara Raje met BJP chief Amit Shah last week over the issue of finalising the candidates, but no decision was taken during the meet due to the rift between Shah and Raje.

The BJP had won the last elections in 2013 defeating the Congress led by Ashok Gehlot.

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Vasundhara Raje reaches out to Sangh ahead of Rajasthan elections

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje reached out to RSS functionaries at the Sangh state headquarters in Jaipur on Diwali eve exactly one month before polling starts in the state on December 7. Her meeting with Sangh’s key functionaries including prant pracharak Nimbaram and co-pracharak Shailendra is likely to garner political gains for BJP in the upcoming elections.

The ruling party, grappling with massive anti-incumbency, would need RSS support to be voted back to power for a second term — a feat no incumbent government has been able to achieve in last 25 years.

This informal meeting is also significant in view of the proposed meeting of BJP’s parliamentary board on November 11, where the party is likely to finalise its first list of candidates for Rajasthan.
“The organisation of RSS is very strong in Rajasthan. BJP has been gaining from its cadre in all elections. Since anti-incumbency factor is very strong, Sangh support becomes even more vital,” said a BJP leader.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited Rajasthan several times in past few months to mobilise RSS leaders and cadre at ground level. BJP chief Amit Shah has also held meetings with RSS functionaries including Bhagwat, to draw strategies for victory in Rajasthan.

“Raje doesn’t enjoy a warm relationship with the Sangh. In the bypolls early this year, Raje fielded candidates in Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats without any consultation with RSS. The Sangh, then, distanced itself from the elections and BJP had to suffer severe defeat,” said a Sangh functionary.

In the upcoming elections, BJP is said to have consulted RSS over candidates in a large number of seats. Sangh is also said to have started canvassing in BJP’s favour.

“The canvassing will intensify once tickets are announced. BJP is likely to give more than 50% tickets to leaders with RSS background. This will help BJP synchronise its campaign with Sangh,” said a senior BJP leader.

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Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan victories needed to cement alliance with NCP : Congress

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have made substantial progress in their discussions about seat-sharing in Maharashtra for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, reaching an agreement on 40 out of 48 seats in the state, but Congress leaders said the prospective alliance would depend to a great extent on the outcome of the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

“At least Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan should go our way. Only then we can be sure that the NCP will shed its ambiguous position towards the BJP. If the results don’t go in our favour, then the NCP can be unpredictable,” said a Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified.

Congress leaders said that they had reason to be apprehensive about the NCP’s stance given NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s recent comments in an interview seemingly absolving prime minister Narendra Modi in the controversy over the Rafale aircraft deal by claiming that “people did not doubt Modi’s intentions”. BJP chief Amit Shah, they said, had seized on the remark and asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take a lesson from it.
“The NCP being unpredictable is public knowledge. They unanimously called off an alliance with us for the Maharashtra assembly polls after coming to know that Modi had come to power,” said the Congress leader. “Then they announced support for a BJP government in Maharashtra even when the latter had not asked for support. They claimed that they were doing so because they didn’t want the government to fall quickly as the state could not afford elections.” The president of the NCP’s Maharashtra unit, Jayant Patil, remained unavailable for comments despite several calls and a message sent to his phone.

Congress leaders said that the NCP had a pattern of switching sides on flimsy grounds or for reasons that made little political sense. For instance, in the 2007 Mumbai civic polls, the NCP had helped the Shiv Sena-BJP combine by deciding to break the alliance with the Congress over one seat, said a Congress leader.

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