BJP may drop over half of its MLAs in Rajasthan to counter anti-incumbency

In an unprecedented move, BJP is contemplating dropping more than half its sitting MLAs in Rajasthan to cushion its prospects in the assembly polls from the discontent against incumbent legislators. Well-placed party sources said 80-100 of the 160 sitting MLAs might be replaced in what could arguably be the biggest-ever political culling of incumbent MLAs belonging to any party.

The party move is also to send a message to lawmakers in other states as well as members of Lok Sabha about the risk of being dropped on the basis of feedback about their performance which is being gathered, apart from traditional channels, through PM Modi’s Namo app. The app is being increasingly used by people to give feedback on the performance of their representatives directly to the PM. “Voters could be revengeful as a large number of MLAs continued passing the buck and didn’t serve the electorate as per expectations,” said a source privy to the decision to replace a majority of sitting MLA .

Sources said the party will field young first-time candidates to stem anti-incumbency as new faces, who have been involved in serving the people for years, can water down the anger among people and assure them of a better performance. Performance is a major issue in BJP deciding new candidates but changing caste equations in the state are an equally important factor to replace existing MLAs.

The Rajput community, traditional BJP supporters, seems to be drifting towards Congress whereas the Meenas in eastern Rajasthan are veering towards BJP after community leader Kirori Lal joined the party recently and was made Rajya Sabha MP. Among the three-poll bound states ruled by BJP, the party is said to be struggling the most in Rajasthan thanks to the state’s over three-decade trend of changing the government every five years.

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BSP Announces Decision To Contest All 200 Assembly Seats In Rajasthan

The Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP is planning to contest all 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan, which is going to polls on December 7.

The party won three seats in the 2013 assembly elections by securing a 3.37 per cent vote share, which was 7.60 per cent in the 2008 elections, when the party had won six seats.

“Our preparations are in full swing and we will contest on all 200 seats in the forthcoming elections,” state party vice president Dungarram Gedar said.

In the last assembly elections, the party had contested in 195 constituencies.

He informed that the tickets will be finalised soon and BSP chief Mayawati will hold rallies in the state.

“We are expecting to increase our tally in the 2018-elections because people are unhappy with both the BJP and the Congress. There is a resentment against the ruling BJP and people are not seeing any hope in the Congress,” another BSP leader Bhagwan Singh said.

He informed that the party chief will hold rallies in different parts of the state during elections.

Districts in eastern Rajasthan like Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Sawaimadhopur, Alwar and in northern parts like Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Bikaner has significant number of Scheduled Castes (SC) population, which is the vote bank of the party.

In the state, there are 34 Scheduled Castes and 25 Scheduled Tribe seats out of the total 200 seats.

“The BSP is contesting solo and the Congress is going to suffer a loss,” he said on Mayawati’s recent announcement of not having alliance with the Congress for contesting assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The party is contesting assembly elections in the state since 1990, but it registered its first victory in 1998 by winning two seats.

In 1998, the party had fielded 108 candidates and secured 2.17 per cent vote share.

In 2003 elections, the BSP fought in 124 constituencies and won two seats and increased its vote share to 3.98 per cent.

The biggest victory of the party in the state was in the 2008 elections when six of the party’s candidates won elections and the vote share increased to 7.60 per cent.

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Fight Over Party Tickets Could Be A Problem For Rajasthan Congress

In Rajasthan, where assembly elections are scheduled for December 7, Congress has managed to put up a united face by bringing former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Sachin Pilot together. But it is still trying to deal with the squabble over tickets.

At a rally in Jaipur in August, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said no outsider would get a ticket to the assembly election. “I can guarantee you this time that not a single parachute candidate will be able to get the ticket. If any such candidate comes, I will cut the rope,” Mr Gandhi told party workers.

The party’s state election committee has put the ball in Rahul Gandhi’s court for a final decision on distribution of tickets.

Congress leaders claimed a decision on candidates at the local level could backfire at a time when the party has managed to create some political buzz in the state, which usually votes the BJP and the Congress alternately to power.

Mr Gehlot, in his ‘Sankalp Rally’ speeches, had urged Congress workers and leaders to support the candidates who are picked. He said only one person could get a Congress ticket from a seat and all party men should help that candidate win.

Kumari Selja, who was appointed chairperson of the party’s screening committee for the election in Rajasthan in June, has said only “winnable” candidates will get the tickets.

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ITI to set up 40,000 outdoor WiFi access points in Rajasthan

State-run telecom equipment manufacturer ITI has won a Letter of Intent (LoI) from RajCOMP Info Services, a Rajasthan Government undertaking, to execute the RajNet project valued at ₹334 crore. Under the project, ITI will set up 40,000 outdoor WiFi access points in Rajasthan.

It will supply, install and maintain outdoor WiFi access points along with associated RF radio equipment for six months. This will be followed by operation and maintenance of the network for five years, the company said in a statement.

In August 2018, ITI – a public sector unit under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) – had emerged as the lowest bidder for the RajNet project.

“ITI has been involved in the implementation of the Digital India programme in various Indian states. This order from the Rajasthan Government to establish outdoor WiFi access points in the State is expected to enhance the broadband accessibility in remote villages and complement the efforts of Bharatnet Phase I and II to provide last-mile connectivity in far-flung areas of the country,’’ K Alagesan, Chairman and Managing Director, ITI, said.

The RajNet project is expected to provide connectivity till the Gram Panchayat level through broadband, SATCOM, Over-the-Air (OTA), Local Area Network (LAN) and Structured Wireless-Aware Network (SWAN), among others.

Earlier in October, ITI had filed draft papers for a follow on public offering (FPO) with SEBI, a move that will help it meet the minimum 25 per cent public shareholding rules. The company plans to issue fresh shares worth up to 18 crore, while an additional 5 per cent of the net issue will be reserved for employees.

It intends to use the net proceeds worth ₹642.60 crore of the issue for working capital requirements and ₹638.40 crore for repayment of loan. Funds for the general corporate purpose were to be finalised after deciding on the issue price.

BOB Capital Markets, Karvy Investor Services and PNB Investment Services are the Book Running Lead Managers to the issue.

18 fresh cases of Zika in Rajasthan, total reaches 50

At least 18 more people have tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan’s Jaipur as of Friday.

A total of ten new cases of the virus came up in Shastri Nagar locality and 276 teams have been deployed in the affected wards.

The total number of people tested positive for Zika virus has reached 50 in Jaipur. Almost 11,313 houses were surveyed out of which 2,282 were positive for mosquito breeding. With over 39,000

containers have been checked out of which 3,567 are positive for larvae. For preventive measures, 133 blood and urine samples have been collected and sent to SMS Hospital.

Earlier, a department official had said that 30 of the total cases were doing fine after treatment.

At the review meeting, measures taken to contain the situation were discussed.

The first case came to light on September 22. The area has been fogged to prevent the spreading of virus.

The department has also issued an advisory for pregnant women staying outside Shastri Nagar not to visit the area.

A control room has been activated at the National Centre for Disease Control to monitor the situation.

The number of monitoring teams in Jaipur has been increased from 50 to 170 and a special isolation ward has been created at the Hira Bagh Training Centre to treat the Zika virus-affected patients.

A team from the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) recently found Zika virus in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Shastri Nagar, leading to suspicion they are behind the infection.
Dr Neena Valecha, the NIMR director, had earlier said the virus appears to be locally transmitted.

The state government has been provided information, education and communication (IEC) material prepared to create awareness about Zika virus and prevention strategies.

The Zika virus, transmitted through Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. It is harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby’s head is significantly smaller than expected, in newborn children.

In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second was reported in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district in July that year. Both these outbreaks were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management, the ministry had said earlier.

The disease continues to be on surveillance radars of the Union Health Ministry although it is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under WHO notification since November 18, 2016.

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Amit Shah fields trusted central ministers to gather full info from poll-bound Rajasthan

BJP chief Amit Shah has assigned at least four Union ministers of state to gather “genuine” inputs from assembly segments in Rajasthan where the ruling BJP is battling anti-incumbency and a resurgent Congress in the upcoming state elections.

Rajasthan is due to go to polls on December 7. Elections in four other states—Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh (both ruled by BJP), Telangana and Mizoram—are also scheduled to be held over November and December.

BJP sources said Shah has asked Mansukh L Mandaviya (chemical & fertilizers), Satya Pal Singh (human resource development), Shiv Pratap Shukla (finance) and Krishna Gopal (social justice) to monitor party activities in Rajasthan and give immediate feedback to him. They will also handle “damage control” should the need arise.

“Mansukh bhai has been given the charge of Udaipur, Satya Pal Singh would take care of Sikar while services of SP Shukla and Krishna Gopal would be put in use as and when needed,” said a senior BJP leader.

Shah has also summoned party leaders from other states to take charge of organisational activities in the state. “Minister in UP Mahendra Singh has been given responsibility of Bharatpur, former home minister of Gujarat Shankar bhai would take care of Jalore, Sirohi and Pali while MP from UP Sanjeev Balyan has been given the charge of Kota,” said the BJP leader quoted above.

There are several other trusted lieutenants of Shah, including Jeevan Garg of Punjab, KC Patel of Gujarat, Pawan Rana of Himachal Pradesh, Ashish Sood of Delhi and Parliamentarian from UP Satyapal Saini who have been summoned for ‘election duty’ in Rajasthan.

“Shah is giving more attention to Rajasthan than Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are also going to polls,” said another BJP leader, who works closely with BJP state chief Madan Lal Saini. “He knows that the party needs maximum fillip in Rajasthan. So, without taking any chance, he is fielding his best men for the poll job in the state.”

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“Make In Dholpur”: In Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi Tweaks PM’s Initiative

Dholpur, a small town in eastern Rajasthan, hit the trending lists on social media today as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on election trail in Rajasthan, promised to put in on the Make in India map. Mr Gandhi is on a two-day tour of BJP-ruled Rajasthan, where assembly elections will be held in a single phase on December 7.

The Congress chief, who has repeatedly accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to create jobs through his Make in India initiative, said, “Your phones are all made in China. I want them to be made in made in Rajsthan, Dholpur… I want people to realise where Dholpur is”.

Recently, PM Modi inaugurated what is billed as the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturing facility by Samsung — but in the outskirts of national capital Delhi.

This was Rahul Gandhi’s third visit in the state, where Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is seeking a second term. In nearly three decades, Rajasthan has not allowed any party two terms in power. It gives a natural advantage to the Congress, whose state chief Sachin Pilot is leading the campaign.

Mr Gandhi’s 163-km roadshow in six constituencies of Dholpur and Bharatpur is aimed at taking on Ms Raje on her home ground. The Chief Minister is a former royal from Dholpur, but the area also happens to be one where the Congress has a toehold. In the 2013 election, when the Congress was all but wiped out in the state, winning only 21 of 200 seats, it managed to retain four seats in the Dholpur-Bharatpur belt.

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The Congress chief – who is planning to cover six constituencies by Wednesday – said despite a four-year-rule, neither PM Modi nor Vasundhara Raje has done much for the people in Rajasthan.

“When the UPA government was in power, we gave you MNREGA, farm loan waivers to the tune of Rs. 70,000 crore, rice and food for the children… what has Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje done for the poor, the farmers?”

Dholpur is the constituency of Shobah Rani Kushwaha, who won it in 2017 after the incumbent – her husband Banwari Lal Kushwaha – was convicted in a murder case. Though Banwari Lal Kushwaha belonged to Mayawati’s party, the BJP offered a ticket to his wife. The election was a prestige issue for the BJP, and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje campaigned for days at Dholpur palace to craft a victory.

The Congress had suffered its worst humiliation in Rajasthan in 2013, winning only 21 of the 200 assembly seats. Vasundhara Raje had swept to power with 163 seats.

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Health ministry confirms 22 Zika cases in Rajasthan

After Jaipur in Rajasthan recorded 22 confirmed cases of Zika virus till Monday, the government has put neighbouring states on high alert.

Given that the pink city is part of India’s golden triangle tourist circuit, connecting the national capital and Agra, authorities said strict surveillance was required in the region.

“A few cases of Zika virus have been reported in Jaipur. We have alerted neighbouring states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, to keep strict vigil on Zika virus. Given that the festive season is round the corner, many people travel to popular tourist destinations for year-end holidays. Since there is seamless travel between these states, the health authorities will have to be careful,” said Sunil Gupta, additional director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The outbreak in Jaipur was detected through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) surveillance system. The ministry of health and family welfare deputed a seven-member high level central team to Jaipur immediately following the detection of the first case to assist the state government in taking containment measures.

A control room has been set up at the NCDC to undertake regular monitoring of the situation. “All suspect cases in the defined area and mosquito samples from this area are being tested. Additional testing kits are provided to the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories. All pregnant mothers in the area are being monitored through the National Health Mission (NHM). Extensive surveillance and vector control measures are being taken up in the areas as per protocol by the state government,” an official statement from Union health ministry said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The disease is currently being reported by 86 countries worldwide. Symptoms of Zika virus disease are similar to other viral infections such as dengue, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain and headache. In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January-February 2017. The second outbreak was reported after five months in the Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. Both were successfully contained through intensive surveillance and vector management.

The disease continues to be on surveillance radars of the Union health ministry although it is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, according to World Health Organization notification of 18 November, 2016.

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Rahul’s Mega Rajasthan Road Show From Vasundhara Raje’s Home Turf

The Congress was wiped out in most of Rajasthan in the last state elections in 2013 but managed to retain a toehold in the Dholpur-Bharatpur belt, winning four seats.

Rahul Gandhi’s mega road show in six constituencies in Rajasthan’s Dholpur and Bharatpur today is aimed at taking on Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on her home ground.

Ms Raje belongs to the former royal family of Dholpur and is popular as “Maharani Sahib” to voters there.

In the by-election to the assembly seat in April 2017, it was her focused campaign run from inside Dholpur Palace that managed to dislodge the Bahujan Samaj Party and win the Dholpur seat for the BJP.

But Dholpur in eastern Rajasthan, that borders Uttar Pradesh, is a fertile ground for the Congress.

The Congress was wiped out in most of Rajasthan in the last state elections in 2013 but managed to retain a toehold in the Dholpur-Bharatpur belt, winning four seats. The Congress had a higher vote share, of 34.5 per cent, than that of the BJP in Dholpur.

This is why, the party believes, Rahul Gandhi’s public outreach programme with the 163-km road show, can boost the Congress’ prospects in the upcoming elections. “We have a good chance in east Rajasthan. That is why Rahul Gandhi is here and we are taking on the Chief Minister not just in Dholpur but in all 200 seats,” said Rajsthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot.

There’s another reason why the Congress is starting its election campaign from this part of Rajasthan, and that is the Mayawati factor. The Dalit powerhouse announced last week that her party will fight the elections on its own. She gave a shock to the Congress last week, ruling out any alliance with the party in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In the last elections, her party did better in Dholpur than it did in the rest of Rajasthan.

But the BJP is not entirely worried about the BSP.

“It is true that Mayawati impacts a certain vote bank. But the maximum she has ever got in Rajasthan has been 4 per cent of the vote share,” said Rajendra Rathore, a minister in the Vasundhara Raje cabinet.

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Modi in Rajasthan: PM accuses Congress of playing ‘vote bank politics’, lists Vasundhara Raje govt’s triumphs

Accusing the Congress of working for only one family and practising vote-bank politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the people to keep it away from power, breaking the state’s tradition of alternating power between the Congress and the BJP every five years.

Addressing a meeting marking the completion of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s month-long “journey for pride”, he said “while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not have the habit of lying as it works on the mantra of ‘sarva jana hitay‘ and ‘sarva jana sukhay’ (interest of all), the opposition is fond of doing vote-bank politics”.

“Those who do vote bank politics, they enjoy the issue of Hindu-Muslim, old-youth, forward-backward, this caste that caste and man and woman,” he said in his address to party activists in this religious town, where the BJP lost a prestigious Lok Sabha bye-election earlier this year.

“And this vote bank politics is not limited to elections, but it keeps on going for long.””Wherever they get the opportunity they try to divide the society,” Modi said about Congress adding that it was easy to divide but very hard to unite. “And the BJP believes in uniting the society,” he said.

He said that the result of the vote-bank politics was that the poor who voted for them keep on cursing them for five years.

Modi also said that Rajasthan has a tradition of alternating between Congress and BJP every five years and expressed confidence that this time that tradition would be broken.

“This time it should be changed. This time, let us keep Congress away from power in the state and elect the BJP,” he said.

“The BJP government in the state believes in accountability and thus we believe in presenting the report card of the works our governments has done, whether it’s Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh.

“The BJP never hides its face while giving the report card to the people. But the Congress keeps on spreading lies,” Modi said.

“For 60 years the Congress followed the tradition of vote-bank politics,” he said.

Accusing Congress leaders and workers of worshipping one family, Modi said: “When I came here, (Chief Minister) Vasundhara Raje told me that the Congress leaders are not present in the Assembly, they do not raise any questions, they do not participate in debates.

“They do not do anything like this because they are busy serving one family, they are busy in worshipping one family.

“For them their high command is one family, but for the BJP our high command is seven and half crore people of the state. Should such forces be allowed again to come to power?” asked Modi and answered himself, “We don’t have to allow them to come to power again.”

Modi said that the Congress which failed in the government in the last 60 years also failed as the opposition.

“Earlier I had said that there should be a clever opposition, dedicated to people, they should have sensibility of people’s problem, keep a tab on the government’s works, participate in debate and give ideas to the government.

“But it was unfortunate that they have not only failed in the government but they have also failed as an opposition.

“They don’t do hard work, thus they have taken the help of lies and false propaganda. And when we dare them for a debate they flee,” he added.

Modi said that after 60 years, the country is in the right direction. “And they should not be given another chance,” he said.

Attacking Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his hug in Lok Sabha, Modi said, “There are people who think that they can change the course of their politics with a hug.”

Modi also asked the Congress what had stopped them from increasing the minimum support price (MSP) for the farmers.

“Why didn’t you increase the MSP for farmers? Who stopped you from doing so?

“We (BJP) did that. We increased the MSP of the farmers and now you (Congress) people have a problem with the Modi government that how I did this. And now as nothing is left for the Congress they are, every morning, manufacturing a new lie,” he said.

Modi also said that about Rs 62,000 crore will go to farmers every year after every farming season. “Congress never thought for farmers. Farmers have now insurance for crops like never before. So they never dare to debate over development. Why is the Congress not fighting election on facts?” he asked.

Highlighting the works of his government, Modi said that it brought relief for women against triple talaq. “We do not discriminate on the basis of religion. I thank Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments for death sentence against rapists. Now the justice has been fast-tracked. And the demons with such mentality should be scared,” he said.

He also said that now 30 percent women are working in government departments, which is not seen in many of the developed nation yet. “Our government also gave maternity leave for 26 weeks,” he said.

Hailing the Rajasthan chief minister for implementing the Central Government’s task of electrifying all villages in the state, he said, “When Vasundhara Raje came to power, about 13 lakh people were living in the 18th century (darkness). We had promised electrification for all. We provided electricity to 13 lakh people. Those who are yet to get electricity, the Rajasthan government and the Centre are working for them,” he said.

Modi also said that about two lakh hectare will have irrigation facilities through water from Chambal. The work on the technical survey in 13 districts are on and after that we shall start the work so that 40 percent people of the state will get sweet water to drink,” he said.

The 200-member Rajasthan assembly will go to polls on December 7, where the BJP is in power. The term of the Rajasthan Assembly expires on 20 January, 2019.

Slamming the Congress for questioning the second anniversary of the surgical strike as Parakram Parv, Modi said: “When last week I came to Rajasthan to pay tribute to the brave soldiers, they spread lies that I was going to sound the poll bugle.

“But I was here to celebrate the valour of our armed forces, I was here to celebrate the second anniversary of the surgical strike. “

He said that the surgical strike which was carried out in September 2016 showed the valour of our soldiers.

“But what has happened to Congress? Has politics pushed them to such a low that they belittle the surgical strike? They should feel ashamed for questioning the surgical strike,” he said.

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