Rajasthan Polls 2018: Conflicting ECI & IT norms may land candidates in legal trouble

Candidates appearing for Rajasthan assembly election may face legal troubles in future as election expenditure norms set by the Election Commission of India (ECI) contradicts the latest updatation of Income Tax department. A delegation of Congress leaders has spotted the change and submitted memorandum to the state election department which has decided to look into the matter.

The commission in its ‘Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring’ has detailed the dos and don’ts pertaining to election expenditures that the candidates appearing for the polls can incur. In 247 pages of the compendium, the commission has stated that candidate shall have to make payments exceeding Rs 20,000 through account payee cheque/draft only. The commission has referred section 40A (3) of Income Tax Act, 1961 in order to regulate this for the candidates. It further adds, “If a party is incurring any expenditure, it shall ensure that no payment in excess of Rs 20,000 is made in a day to any person or company or entity in cash, except where (a) the payment is made in a village or town, which is not served by a bank; or (b) the payment is made to any employee or party functionary towards salary, pension or for reimbursement of his expenses.”

Strangely, the cash payment limit of Rs 20,000 is not in sync with the cash limit imposed by the Income Tax department. The department has reduced the limit of cash through a notification dated April 4, 2017 and kept it between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. With the latest notification, the candidates are in the state of confusion whether they should file the expenditure details accordingly to the election body or the income tax department. Their major worry is that they may be in legal trouble for flouting both rules, which are contradictory to each other.

Vijay Garg, who heads the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee Chartered Cell (CA), has detected the contradictory provision and intimated to the chief electoral office (CEO) Anand Kumar about the same. When contacted the CEO Kumar assured that the department has taken cognizance of the issue and it is being examined by the ECI to which it has been already forwarded.

ECI Should Come With A Corrigendum

“After the candidates file the expenditure details, the ECI forward it to the income tax department. Now as the income tax has set Rs 10,000 ceiling for cash payment, it would disallow payment exceeding the limit and add in the income of assesee. The ECI should come with a corrigendum and ratify income tax fresh cash limit,” said Vijay Garg.

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Rajasthan Polls: Candidates flocking to astrologers for advice

If polls are round the corner, Nathulal Vyas must be extremely busy. A well-known astrologer in Karoi village of Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district who shot to fame when Union minister Smriti Irani paid a visit to his home after joining the cabinet in 2014, he is seldom short of visitors. But ahead of elections, he has to contend with a string of ticket-seekers and candidates who want to know what lies in fate for them.

A large number of politicians from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are coming to seek his advice, Vyas told ET. “It’s election time. People are coming. I advise them only when I see ‘raj yog (ruler’s destiny)’ in the kundali (horoscope). If stars are not favourable I straightaway ask them to switch to another profession,” he said.

Several ministers in the existing cabinet benefited from his advice in the past, he said. “I won’t name them. But people know that (former president) Pratibha Patil, Smriti Irani, (politician) Amar Singh and Yashodhara Raje, minister in Madhya Pradesh government and sister of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, have come for celestial pointers,” said Vyas.

In the run-up to the December 7 election, both BJP and Congress are grappling with an unprecedented number of ticket-seekers. The uncertainty over tickets has led to a surge in nervousness among politicians and prompted many of them to turn to Vyas and other astrologers for advice and ‘upaye’ (remedy).

“Every day politicians are coming for puja at my place. In every election, they come to seek blessings of Shakambari Mata before the polls,” said high-profile astrologer Kedar Sharma, whose list of patrons includes the Ambanis, Kumar Mangalam Birla, LN Mittal, Gautam Adani, Kapil Sibbal and Pratibha Patil.

Sharma is best known for having given astrological advice to then US President Bill Clinton, who had invited him to visit White House at the time. “I offer puja only for those who have it in their horoscope to win elections. It’s not good to give anyone false hopes,” he said.

Pandit Suresh Siddha, another astrologer who has poll aspirants queuing up for advice, said aspirants mostly want to know what puja they should perform and what colour they should wear to get a ticket for sure. A first-time candidate from the Congress offered another perspective. “There are a couple of astrologers who have great influence over those who decide the ticket. We seek their favour in pushing our names for candidature,” he said on condition of anonymity.

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Defections galore ahead of Rajasthan Assembly Polls

Last week, BJP leader and former Union minister Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra joined the Congress at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi

Ahead of the Rajasthan assembly polls scheduled on December 7, leaders are switching parties.

The Congress district president of Dholpur joined the BJP on October 26 while the BJP’s Jaipur district president switched to the Opposition party.

Ashok Sharma, son of Congress leader Banwarilal Sharma, joined the saffron party in the presence of MPs Dushyant Singh and Arjum Ram Meghwal, and ministers Rajendra Rathore and Gulab Chand Kataria at BJP office in Jaipur.

Sharma told mediapersons that he joined the BJP as he was impressed with the work that Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje had done to solve the problem of drinking water in Dholpur.

Sharma also said even though his father has worked with the Grand Old Party for more than two decades, he was never given a place in the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC). Adding that the Congress has double standards due to which party workers are unhappy, Sharma announced that he will now work as “ordinary worker with the BJP” for the development of the Dholpur area.

Rathore told the media that Ashok’s entry to the BJP will further strengthen the party’s foothold in eastern Rajasthan. “This is just the trailer. The film is yet to be screened. Wait and watch who else will join the BJP. The Congress is a divided house and there is a long line of those who want to join the BJP,” Rathore told the publication.

Meanwhile, in Sikar, four BJP leaders joined the Congress in the presence of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The four leaders are Mool Chand Meena, BJP zila pramukh of Jaipur; Bindu Choudhary, ex-zila pramukh of Nagaur district and sister of minister Ajay Singh Kilak; Narayan Ram Beda, former MLA; and Jat leader Vijay Poonia, whose wife Usha Poonia was tourism minister in previous Raje government.

Besides, Zamindara Party leader Shimla Nayak, who contested the 2013 polls from Anoopgarh, also joined the party.

Last week, BJP leader and former Union minister Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh had joined the Congress at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi.

Manvendra claimed that the saffron party disregarded his father at the national level, while the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government targeted him after his father was denied a Lok Sabha ticket from Rajasthan.

While both the national parties are accusing each other of infighting, it seems that both have been infected with the same disease, with party leaders abandoning their own and joining the opposite bloc.

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Rajasthan: Now, Brahmins want their share in electoral cake

The Brahmin community has decided to go aggressive with its demand for political space in Rajasthan. All India body of Brahmins Vipra Foundation has declared a charter of demands which prominently includes 40 seats to the community by each party, reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) and abolition of reservation in promotion. This charter of demands will be handed to both BJP and Congress.

National convenor of Vipra Foundation Sushil Ojha declared that they will take out a rath yatra from November 15 in three zones of Rajasthan to urge the community to aggressively come out and vote for those who support their demands. “We will take out a rath yatra in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur zones, each having 11 districts. Our community has given four chief ministers and at one time represented over 62 seats; today we are limited to just 16 seats.

Even those seats that are Brahmin dominated get candidates from other communities. Political parties have been appeasing other communities at the cost of Brahmins because we are a peaceful community. We will seek to bring awareness for our rightful political space,” said Ojha.

Brahmins can decide the electoral fate of over 50 seats. While the community has traditionally supported BJP, it has been the cause of concern for BJP since it aggressively voted against the ruling party in bypolls. Congress by giving a ticket to Raghu Sharma for the Ajmer Parliamentary seat had gained their support.

The Vipra Foundation has also submitted a data sheet that is based on a survey. It says that 55 seats have 25000 to 55000 Brahmins, while in 10 assembly seats they are above 60000. The average voter strength of a seat is around 2 lakh.

“We will not suggest candidates to the parties, it is for them to decide. All we want is that Brahmins should be given tickets. We are facing existential crisis in politics and its a fight for survival,” added Ojha.

BJP’s efforts to appease Rajputs, Jats and Dalits while ignoring the Brahmins has further caused their alienation.

In these circumstances, the demands of Brahmin community assume importance.

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For Specially-Abled Voters In Rajasthan, A New Service Ahead Of Polls

For the convenience of specially-abled voters, the Election Commission of India has decided to deploy pick-and-drop vans, during the December 7 Rajasthan assembly polls.

Jodhpur district Election Officer Ravi Kumar said the voters would also be taken inside the polling booth in wheelchairs by volunteers.

To implement this measure, the district administration is appointing transport nodal officers in every district, while the booth level officers (BLO) have been asked to identify specially-abled voters, enlisted to cast votes at their booths.

The BLOs will provide lists of the voters to the transport nodal officers, who can be contacted directly by voters to avail the pick-and-drop facilities.

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BJP wants UP CM Yogi to help garner Hindu votes in MP, Rajasthan

“The BJP high command will decide on Yogiji’s itinerary but yes, we do hope that he will campaign in Madhya Pradesh for there is no denying that he has influence here,” says BJP leader Rajneesh Agarwal.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) units in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan want Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for them in the upcoming assembly polls in a bid to consolidate the Hindu vote, according to people familiar with the developments.

Adityanath, who took over as UP CM last March, is also the chief of the influential Gorakhnath mutt. He has been involved in election campaigns in states such as Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in 2017 and Karnataka in 2018. “The party high command will decide on Yogiji’s itinerary. We hope that he will campaign here because he has influence here,” said Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Rajneesh Agarwal.

Rajasthan BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said there was a demand for Adityanath to campaign in the state because of his personality.

“He is a good speaker and also a religious leader. His personality attracts people,” he said. Senior party leader Onkar Singh LakhaSingh wat said the Nath sampradaya (tradition), of which Adityanath is the head, wields significant influence in Rajasthan. “Since the ninth century, the Marwar area and Alwar have been centres of the Nath faith so Yogi Adityanath is bound to have a resonance in these areas.” Party functionaries indicated Adityanath might visit the state in the first week of November.

Adityanath is already campaigning in Chhattisgarh, where the BJP is in power, and delivered a speech on Tuesday after chief minister Raman Singh filed his nomination papers. Using references from the Ramayana , Adityanath urged the electorate to vote to a fourth straight term in office. Singh touched Adityanath’s feet and sought his blessings. “His programme is still being finalised but yes, it’s certain that he is going to be among party’s star campaigners in pollbound states. He has a great following and will be touring extensively in these states,” says Mrityunjay Kumar, Adityanath’s adviser. Chhattisgarh goes to the polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, Madhya Pradesh on November 28 and Rajasthan on December 7.

The Congress, which is the opposition in all three states, said Adityanath’s campaign style relies on communal polarisation.

“The BJP is trying to communalise the atmosphere by using Adityanath, especially in bordering areas of Madhya Pradesh, but he won’t succeed for the people also know that he couldn’t save children from dying in his own backyard and the less said the better about law and order in UP,” says Bhupendra Gupta, a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh, referring to the controversial deaths of scores of babies in a Gorakhpur hospital last year.

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Sitting BJP Lawmakers In Rajasthan Fear Party May Drop Them

No list is out yet in Rajasthan, where assembly elections will be held after the polling in Chhattisgarh, but party leaders say there is apprehension among its MLAs over failing to secure a renomination.

After the BJP denied tickets to several sitting MLAs in the first list of candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, party legislators in Rajasthan are keeping their fingers crossed.

No list is out yet in Rajasthan, where assembly elections will be held after the polling in Chhattisgarh, but party leaders say there is apprehension among its MLAs over failing to secure a renomination.

This comes amid speculation that about 80 BJP MLAs in Rajasthan will be denied the ticket this time as the party fights anti-incumbency and faces a stiffer challenge from the Congress in the December 7 elections, as indicated by some opinion polls.

The current 200-member Assembly has 163 BJP MLAs.

Party leaders said some sitting MLAs are trying to seek tickets for their family members after their poor performance in the bypolls for the parliamentary seats of Ajmer and Alwar and the Mandalgarh assembly seat.

Several party MLAs have indicated to the state leadership that want to change their constituency this time.

But the party may not allow this.

“Let the list of candidates be announced,” BJP’s Rajasthan election in-charge Prakash Javadekar recently told reporters. “We might replace candidates but the candidates will not be allowed to change seats.”

In the run-up to the elections, party leaders including Mr Javadekar, BJP state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna and state BJP president Madan Lal Saini have also made clear that winnability would be the key criterion for picking candidates.

Party leaders said they are working on how to deal with possible protests by MLAs who are denied tickets and their supporters.

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‘Congress Confident of Winning at Least 150 Seats in Rajasthan’

Congress manifesto committee member Dharmendra Rathore and former Minister and Rajasthan MLA Ramkesh Meena – in an interview with Newsclick –spoke about a range of issues with which the party is approaching people, seeking their votes and support, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Both the leaders said that the party is united, and there is no infighting over the leadership issue. They claimed that Congress will win not less than 150 seats in the upcoming elections. Rajasthan is going to polls on December 7. The results will be announced on December 11.

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Arvind Kejriwal’s Jaipur rally to kickstart AAP campaign in Rajasthan

Arvind Kejriwal will hold an election rally in Jaipur on October 28
AAP has already announced that it will contest on all 200 assembly seats
Jaipur rally will kickstart AAP’s Rajasthan campaign

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will be holding his first election rally in Rajasthan on October 28. The AAP has already announced that it will contest on all 200 assembly seats during the upcoming polls in Rajasthan.

As per Gopal Sharma, Media In-charge for AAP, “Arvind Kejriwal will hold his election rally at the Ramleela Maidan in Jaipur on October 28. He will hold 7 – 8 rallies in Rajasthan in the run-up to the polls.”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, apart from other known faces of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will be campaigning for the party for the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan.

“They are going to campaign very intensively in Rajasthan.”, Deepak Vajpai, AAP in-charge for Rajasthan.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan, in the past, have mainly been two – sided contests with the BJP and the Congress garnering most of the seats. But the AAP, which plans to contest on all the seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, sounded confident of its chances.

So far, the AAP has released six lists. Names of candidates for 62 seats have already been announced.

“We will be contesting on all 200 seats.” senior AAP leader from Rajasthan, Devendra Shastri mentioned, while speaking with India Today.

As per AAP, party supporters from across the state will participate in Arvind Kejriwal’s rally to be held in Jaipur on October 28. Party leaders visited Bharatpur to take stock of preparations vis-a-vis the upcoming Assembly polls and to ask party workers for maximum participation on October 28.

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Rajasthan polls: Manvendra Singh’s entry gives Congress the edge over BJP among Rajputs

The MLA has considerable influence in Marwar, which sends 30 legislators to the Assembly.

Banking on anti-incumbency sentiment against the Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan to help it put up a winning performance in the December 7 state election, the Congress received a shot in the arm with former BJP leader Manvendra Singhjoining its ranks on October 17. Congress leaders and political pundits say the Rajput leader’s entry gives the Congress a clear edge over the BJP in the Marwar region, which sends 30 legislators to the state’s 200-strong Assembly.

Manvendra Singh, the MLA from Sheo, is the son of former Union minister and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh. He quit the BJP in September, saying that his decision to join the party had been a mistake. With his departure, the BJP no longer has a Rajput leader with a high evel of popularity in the state. Rajputs account for around 7% of the state’s population.

In previous elections, influential Rajput leaders such as Jaswant Singh and the late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had boosted the BJP’s electoral prospects in Marwar, which comprises the districts of Jodhpur, Barmer, Nagaur, Sirohi, Pali, and Jalore. On average, 15 to 17 Rajput legislators have been voted in to the 200-member state assembly during each election, most of them coming from the BJP. Of the 27 Rajputs elected to the House in 2013, for instance, 24 were from the BJP.

However, that support began to crumble after the BJP denied Jaswant Singh a Lok Sabha ticket in the 2014 general elections and decided instead to field Colonel Sonaram Choudhary, a former Congress leader and a Jat. Jaswant Singh chose to contest as an independent candidate. He lost the election by a margin of 80,000 votes. The Rajputs were miffed with the BJP’s treatment of Jaswant Singh. After Jaswant Singh slipped into a coma in August 2014, Manvendra Singh started mobilising votersagainst the BJP.

Why Rajputs are angry with Raje, BJP

Evidence of Manvendra Singh’s popularity was apparent on September 22, when his Swabhiman Rally in Barmer drew lakhs of supporters. In fact, resentment among Rajputs with the ruling BJP is so intense that members of the community threw stones at Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s bus during her Gaurav Yatra in August, forcing her to complete the Marwar leg of her campaign tour in a helicopter.

Other factors have also contributed to Rajput anger against Raje and the BJP. In July 2017, they violently protested against the killing of Rajput gangster Anandpal Singh by the state police. Singh was facing murder charges. His family claimed he had wanted to surrender and that the encounter was fake. Eventually, the Central government gave in to the community’s demand and ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry. The fact that no Rajput BJP legislator came out in support of Anandpal Singh’s family angered the community.

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