Category Archives: Politics

Politics, West Bengal

Mamata to hold meeting with newly elected Trinamool MPs on Saturday

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PTI, Kolkata, Jun 5, 2024 :  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called a meeting of newly elected Lok Sabha MPs of TMC on Saturday, party sources said.

    
The TMC maintained its dominance in the state as Banerjee led her party to a resounding victory by bagging 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, whereas the principal opposition BJP was down to 12 and the Congress to one seat.

“The party supremo has convened a meeting of our newly elected MPs on Saturday. During the meeting, the political situation will be discussed,” a TMC leader said.

Banerjee had walked out of the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January but asserted that the TMC would continue to be part of the opposition alliance at the national level.
National, Politics

Modi all set for 3rd term as PM: NDA leaders meet at his residence

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 The resolution said the NDA government will continue working to lift people’s living standards for the country’s all-round development while conserving its heritage


PTI, New Delhi, Jun 05 2024 : Preparing to take oath for a third straight term as the head of a coalition government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s members who unanimously elected him as its leader.
 
NDA MPs will meet on June 7 to formally elect Modi as their leader and the alliance leaders will then go to the President to submit their letters of support, HAM (Secular) leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said after attending the meeting.
 
The new government may be sworn in over the weekend, some sources said, adding that there is a view to wrap up the formalities quickly to not allow any mood of uncertainty to build up, something a buoyant opposition may push.
How soon the BJP and its allies reach an agreement on matters like the share of ministries each party may get and other terms of negotiations could also be a factor in deciding the timing of the swearing-in or they could put off the tricky issues for resolution at a later stage.

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan, JD(S) leader H D Kumarawamy, Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan, AGP’s Atul Bora and NCP’s Praful Patel were among the 21 leaders from 16 parties who attended the meeting besides Modi and BJP’s Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda.
 
Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha, who was present in the meeting, said the formalities related to the formation of the government at the Centre under Modi are expected to be over soon.
 
All parties expressed confidence in Modi’s leadership, he added.
 
A resolution passed at the meeting said the NDA government will continue working to lift people’s living standards for the country’s all-round development while conserving its heritage.
 
“We are all proud that the NDA fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls unitedly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and won. We all NDA leaders unanimously elect Narendra Modi as our leader,” it added.

The resolution also said that people have seen the country being developed in every sector in the last 10 years due to the pro-people policies of the NDA government under Modi.
 
The NDA has won 293 seats in the Lok Sabha election, comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House, paving the way for Modi to take the oath for a third consecutive term, a first for any ruling alliance since 1962.
 
However, it will be a different act for him this time as the BJP has fallen well short of the majority and depends on allies for the government-formation after enjoying a comfortable majority on its own in the previous two terms of his government.
 
Hosting the meeting, the BJP presented a picture of collective partnership with its allies with Naidu, Kumar and Shinde seated to the left of Modi while Nadda, Singh and Shah flanked the prime minster on his right.

In terms of their parties’ strength, Naidu, Kumar and Shinde are the three biggest NDA constituents in that order after the BJP.
The parties of Naidu and Kumar, who together command the support of 28 MPs, have rubbished speculation on their future moves. Naidu has reiterated his support to the BJP, a view echoed by JD(U)’s Jha as well.
 
Asked by a reporter if he is in the NDA, Naidu shot back,”We contested the elections together. Why do you doubt.” All leaders congratulated the PM for his leadership and the strides our nation has made under him. They appreciated the PM’s hard work and efforts in nation-building, he said.

Modi said at the meeting that it was a historic mandate for the NDA’s third consecutive government which, he noted, was last received in the country over 60 years back.
 
His allies lauded Modi for his clear vision for “Viksit Bharat” and asserted that they are partners in this goal.
 
They also praised him for enhancing India’s pride in the world, besides his efforts towards poverty eradication and pledged to continue the good work, the sources said. 
Politics, West Bengal

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Sweeps Bengal: Claims 29 Seats Out of 42, Deals Blow to BJP

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Despite its tall claims about ‘uprooting’ the Trinamool Congress from Bengal and getting ’30-plus seats’, the BJP ended a poor second with 12 seats and 39 per cent votes

Devadeep Purohit, TT, 5.06.24 : Trinamool has vanquished the BJP in Bengal cornering around 46 per cent votes and bagging 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, cementing Mamata Banerjee’s position as the country’s most formidable Opposition leader for the second time in three years after the 2021 Assembly polls.

Despite its tall claims about “uprooting” the Trinamool Congress from Bengal and getting “30-plus seats”, the BJP ended a poor second with 12 seats and 39 per cent votes.
As in 2021, Mamata has beaten heavy odds at a time when most pundits and pollsters had written her off following the corruption scandals engulfing her party and the Sandeshkhali charges of atrocities on women.

The chief minister braved age and injury to crisscross the whole of Bengal, addressing 107 rallies and 20-odd road shows, to eventually have the last laugh.

“Bengal was tortured the most…. They inflicted the CBI, ED, income-tax department and even the media,” Mamata said at a news conference at her 30B Harish Chatterjee Street home on Tuesday evening, while listing the challenges she had been up against.

“They used the courts to take away the jobs of 26,000 people. Then the OBC certificates of about 15 lakh people were cancelled.”

She also cited other constraints, from the central agencies’ role to the money power the BJP brought into play against her party.

“They threatened my ministers, my MLAs, my councillors…. They sent money to buy us, but still couldn’t do anything,” she said, with nephew and political heir apparent Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s all-India general secretary, by her side.

This election has witnessed Abhishek’s rise as Trinamool’s principal poll strategist, a task performed by Prashant Kishor in 2021. Abhishek played a key role in picking the candidates and working out the campaign planks.

The Bengal verdict holds significance for both the state and beyond. It means the BJP, which won just 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections, will have to make a fresh start for the 2026 battle.

The BJP had fielded its topmost leaders in the Bengal campaign, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself addressing 22 rallies since the polls were announced.

While Modi’s personal appeal didn’t work, the results also flagged the BJP’s organisational weakness in Bengal.

Multiple sources in the BJP said the murmurs of discontent against senior state leaders, heard in the party office on Tuesday afternoon, would only grow louder now with demands for some heads to roll.

“Our organisational weakness, caused by factionalism, is well-known. This drubbing will surely make things more difficult for us as factionalism will intensify in the coming months,” a BJP insider said.

The Bengal outcome is likely to have ripples in Delhi, too. Although Mamata made it clear she “didn’t want anything” — pre-empting questions on whether she wanted to lead the INDIA bloc if the NDA failed to form the government — her growing stature in national politics is beyond doubt. “I will certainly help the INDIA team. I have already spoken to so many people. I invite others to the INDIA team. I will try to see Modi is out. I want to keep the country safe,” she said.

Mamata is unlikely to go to Delhi in a hurry to meet the INDIA partners: she is sending Abhishek to Wednesday’s huddle in the capital. But there is little doubt that the next steps taken by the fledgling alliance would bear a strong Kalighat imprint.

Reason for win

After analysing the state and national poll outcomes through the day with Abhishek, Mamata emerged for the news conference immediately after Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge wrapped up their media interaction in Delhi.

In her trademark style, she was at her humble best, quoting from Tagore in her opening remarks. “I thank the people of Bengal and will forever be indebted to all of you,” she said with bowed head.

She also thanked the voters for not giving any credence to the BJP’s narrative of sexual abuse of women in Sandeshkhali. “They tried to defame Bengal in front of the country on the Sandeshkhali issue…. I thank the people for foiling their plan,” she said.

She cited no specific reasons for the Trinamool sweep. Several analysts said that Lakshmir Bhandar — the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme for general-caste women and Rs 1,200 for SC/ST women — was a big reason for her victory.

That Mamata had the women voters’ support was apparent from the turnout data released by the Election Commission, which showed 81.22 per cent women, against 77.96 per cent men, had voted in the first six phases.

When this correspondent asked Mamata whether she owed the victory to this specific scheme, her reply implied she owed it to all sections of society. “Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rehana, Maria, they all are my friends,” she said, underscoring the inclusive character of her politics.

Mamata’s tireless attempt at projecting a secular and inclusive model of governance has been an important reason behind her party’s success in a state with around 30 per cent Muslim voters.

“The fishermen, the workers, the youths, they all are my friends. I have earmarked 10 lakh jobs for the people of the state,” she said, stressing her commitment to job creation.

Another reason could be the state government’s decision to use its own money to pay the over 59 lakh MGNREGA workers denied wages because the Centre had frozen funds over alleged irregularities.

Trinamool’s narrative was that the Centre had stopped sending funds under various schemes out of anger at failing to win the 2021 Assembly polls.
National, Politics

Elected in numbers: An inspired Opposition

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Modi is still leader of the treasury benches in the Lok Sabha but the electorate has sent him back leashed by the limitation of his numbers and at the mercy of his allies
Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi flash the victory sign after Rahul won from Rae Bareli and Wayanad on Tuesday.: PTI picture

Sankarshan Thakur, TT, 05.06.24 : PEOPLE’S POWER: Hubris has a habit of returning to haunt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who proclaimed himself “not biological” but “sent by God” mid-May, has been found to be a mortal among us, shrinkable at no more than a jab of the finger. Modi’s “400-paar” vanity has been shredded, the NDA lost wind short of 300, the BJP has lost its majority in the Lok Sabha.

Modi is still leader of the treasury benches in the Lok Sabha but the electorate has sent him back leashed by the limitation of his numbers and at the mercy of his allies.

The Indian voter has heaved out a breath; that breath has punctured the pretence of Modi’s invincibility and scattered the ambitions of cultist absolutism. The 2024 verdict has effected corrections on the democracy scale, bringing in a spirited and inspired Opposition which may yet not count itself out of the power stakes in New Delhi.

The Congress, spearhead of the INDIA bloc, has not overruled the possibility of adventurist intervention in the rattled NDA ranks, trying to wean away Modi allies like Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar of Bihar, and leaving him even more emaciated.

But Modi, diminished beyond expectation, emerged from daylong silence betraying not a shaken nerve, wearing a brave demeanour instead and brazenly claiming a historic win.

“People have placed their faith in the NDA for a third consecutive time!” he exclaimed on X. “This is a historical (sic) feat in India’s history. I bow to the Janata Janardan for this affection and assure them that we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling the aspirations of the people.”

The Prime Minister arrived at the BJP headquarters in Delhi mid-evening to a surreal, almost farcical, tableau of celebration that must have been curated in the expectation of a huge mandate. Modi, his face frown-ridden, his margin of victory in Varanasi drastically slashed, walked up to the stage, waving to gathered party workers in a hail of rose petals and golden confetti. The tone of the evening beggared the tone of the verdict.

Modi must be acutely aware, though, that his forthcoming stint in power will be unlike any other terms he has held, either as chief minister of Gujarat or as Prime Minister since 2014. Few would dispute that his persona and political mien — unlike the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s — are not tailored to the demands of coalitions and consensus-building. Neither is going to be easy with an Opposition that has rediscovered spirit and heft.

The Opposition waged its campaign pushed to the wall and braving unprecedented odds.

Two chief ministers were arrested as electioneering gathered momentum, the threat of raids or arrest by agencies like the ED and CBI hung over many others in the INDIA ranks.

The Congress’s bank accounts were briefly frozen and IT indemnities slapped on the party, formations like the Shiv Sena and the NCP were splintered and verdicts twisted in smash and grab adventures.

But they stayed the course, determined not to be trapped into the BJP’s discourse, intent on voicing their own concerns — the peril to the Constitution if the BJP was granted its “400-paar” demand, the hollowing out of key institutions and agencies, the fraud pulled off by the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme, the many concerns over national security including the reverses in eastern Ladakh and the rollout of the Agnipath scheme.

The Prime Minister and his senior colleagues — Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda in the main — lavished disdain upon the Opposition and made arrogant claims of a sweeping victory way ahead of the the pronouncement of the people.

The night the laughably off-the-mark exit polls were broadcast, Modi claimed from his off-shore retreat in Kanyakumari: “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to elect the NDA government…. They have seen our track record and the manner in which our work has brought about a qualitative change in the lives of the poor, marginalised and downtrodden.”

People in large parts of the nation have rebuffed that claim and posted their rejection. Nowhere as emphatically as in the key heartland state of Uttar Pradesh, land of the Ayodhya temple and chief minister Adityanath’s unabashed majoritarian bulldozer politics.

Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) scored a spectacular rally in UP and, in league with the Congress, left the BJP licking sore wounds. Akhilesh and wife Dimple won their seats handsomely; the Congress’s Kishori Lal Sharma, a relatively unknown manager of the Gandhi family interests in their pocketborough, drubbed the fancied Smriti Irani, and Rahul Gandhi took Rae Bareli.

But there was a larger message ringing out of UP — that divisive politics predicated on minority bashing doesn’t always pay dividends, especially not in the absence of essential delivery to the people.

As reporters of The Telegraph reported consistently from multiple datelines during the campaign, there was extreme distress and unease on the ground — over unemployment, over prices, over the widening gulf between the rich and the poor, which has become easily visible thanks to communication technology.

In several pockets, such as eastern UP, where Modi himself contests from, the anger was palpable. “Modi ki guarantee” had become a slogan that not only evoked ire on the ground, it became a thing to mock.

As an entrepreneur in Varanasi told me: “How long can one live off lies and promises? How much more of this mandir-masjid must be fed? Okay, forget the Rs 15 lakh in each account, accepted it was a jumla; but what happened to achchhe din? Don’t know what will happen in this election, but things are no longer the same.”

Likewise, a youngster in Gh­azipur close to Varanasi said: “Lagega jhatka, time aagaya vote ka tamacha lagane ka, bhaashan, bhaashan, bhaashan.”

Now we know.
Politics, West Bengal

Krishnanagar Seat Landslide Victory for Mahua; Reclaims Honor Post Parliament Suspension

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MP, 5 June 2024, Kolkata: The electoral battle in Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday ended with the people of the constituency rejecting ‘regality’ as the BJP’s candidate ‘Rajbarir Rajmata’ Amrita Roy was trumped by Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Mahua Moitra who had vowed to avenge her “wrongful suspension” from the “saffron brigade-dominated Parliament”. 

For Amrita Roy, who belongs to the Krishnanagar royal family, the proverb ‘morning shows the day’ apparently eluded her. Roy, though was leading from the constituency in the morning, quickly fell behind as Mahua Moitra’s vote began to climb. 
By afternoon, Moitra was leading with 57,083 votes and she eventually emerged victorious with 56705 votes compared to Roy who gained 5,67,628 votes. A
With her party workers raising slogans, Moitra told the media that she is happy that the BJP received a “deserving blow” in Bengal. She said only the people of Bengal can teach the (PM) Modi-led BJP a lesson. 
“The country does not deserve such a Prime Minister who is a liar,” Moitra said. Criticising the BJP’s “regal invocation” by choosing to field a candidate from a royal family, Moitra, during her campaign earlier, had said: “We are living in an independent democratic country where people of Bengal only recognise one “raja” (king) which is Raja Ram Mohan Roy and one “rani” (queen) Rani Rashmoni. 
Apart from them, who is a king or queen in this independent democratic country I do not know.” Political analysts pointed out that BJP’s trump card of getting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call his party’s candidate Amrita Roy did little to propel her in her first quest to win an electoral battle. 
In the telephonic conversation that was made viral, PM Modi was purportedly heard promising that he would return all the money that was looted from the poor and attached by the Enforcement Directorate. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mahua-sweeps-the-krishnanagar-seat-avenges-wrongful-suspension-from-parl-566614
Politics, Regional

BJP Secures Fourth Consecutive Win in Darjeeling Seat

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Amitava Banerjee, MP, 5 June 2024, Darjeeling: BJP candidate Raju Bista, supported by the Hill regional parties, retained the Darjeeling seat winning by a margin of over one lakh votes. 

However, his vote share has reduced by more than a half. In 2019, Bista had won by a margin of 302228 votes. 
TMC on the other hand has increased its vote share considerably. At the time of filing of the report, as per the ECI website, Raju Bista of the BJP had secured 679331 votes; Gopal Lama of TMC 500806 and Munish Tamang of Congress 83374 votes. 
Bista was leading by 178525 votes. Incidentally, Darjeeling is the constituency which had provided a toehold to the BJP in Bengal politics in 2009.
“This is a historic victory going against the trend in the state. My main aim is the liberation of my community. This is a victory against the widespread corruption in the Hills. As soon as the Model Code of Conduct is lifted, steps will be taken to finish off the corruption. I will work tirelessly to fulfill the aspirations of the people,” stated Bista, after his victory. 
Bista and the BJP had fought elections assuring a permanent political solution of the Gorkha impasse along with the inclusion of 11 left our Gorkha sub communities in the Scheduled Tribe list. In 2019 also, the BJP poll plank comprised these two issues which however failed to see the light of day despite Bista’s landslide victory then. 
The BJP was backed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) and other Hill regional parties. 
Interestingly, Bimal Gurung and the GJM that had lost considerable relevance in Hill politics are trying to make a comeback riding piggyback on the BJP. “I have full faith in BJP and Raju Bista, that is why we rallied behind them. We are sure that the BJP will fulfill our aspirations. We will all work together,” stated Bimal Gurung. 
The BGPM had supported the TMC. “We are happy with the performance of TMC statewide. While TMC did well in the state, the INDIA alliance did very well in the country. Though we lost Darjeeling we have considerably narrowed the margin,” stated Papiya Ghosh, President, president, Darjeeling district Trinamool Committee (Plains). 
Anit Thapa, president, BGPM stated: “There is a clear indication of a political change in the country. 
The constituency should have carefully weighed their options before casting their votes. If we could have ensured the victory of the TMC, it would have been good for the Hills. We will constitute working in close coordination with the Bengal government. Though the BJP has done nothing for the Hills till date, we hope they will live up to their commitments in the next five years.” 
The BJP had bagged the Darjeeling Parliamentary seat in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Riding piggyback on the Gorkhaland demand, the BJP had managed to turn the hill votes to its advantage. In 2019, Bista won from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency, defeating the TMC candidate Amar Singh Rai by 302228 votes. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bjps-raju-bista-retains-darj-seat-566620
Politics, Regional

Union Home Min Nisith Pramanik faces defeat

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Udayan Guha

Shashikesh Roy, MP, 5 June 2024, Cooch Behar: “The so-called Union Home minister’s backbone has been smashed,” stated Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, commenting on the defeat of Nisith Pramanik of the BJP from the Cooch Behar Constituency. In this seat, Trinamool’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia defeated Nisith Pramanik. 

The Trinamool candidate won by a margin of about 39,250 votes. After this victory, Udayan Guha, TMC leader and North Bengal Development minister, commented: “We have taken our revenge in Cooch Behar. Even the BJP is not getting numbers at the Centre.” 
A large crowd consisting of BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters was visible in the area adjacent to Cooch Behar Polytechnic College since morning. It was a neck-to-neck contest between the Trinamool Congress and BJP candidate from the start. 
Finally Trinamool Congress candidate Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia emerged victorious, securing 788375 votes and Nisith Pramanik getting 749125 votes. 
Political experts believe that Rajbanshi vote and alleged high handedness of BJP candidate Nisith Pramanik are the main reasons behind his defeat. 
Political analysts opine that Greater Cooch Behar leader and BJP MP Anant Maharaj was offended with the BJP for having gone back on the assurance of a separate administrative arrangement (read Union territory) for North Bengal before the Lok Sabha elections. 
As a result, Rajbanshi votes may not have been cast in favour of the BJP. Moreover, the fact that Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik’s “highhandeness” within his party had not gone down well with BJP old timers. 
A section of the BJP party leadership feels that a rift has been created between him and the public. BJP’s South Legislative Assembly MLA Michhil Ranjan Dey said that the cause of the defeat will be analysed. 
He said: “North Bengal has always been the stronghold of BJP. We fail to understand why this debacle occurred in this seat.” 
Trinamool Congress district president Abhijit De Bhowmik said: “My message to party workers and supporters is not to hold any victory march anywhere. Abhishek Banerjee had promised that he would come to Cooch Behar. When he comes to Cooch Behar, we will hold a victory march. Refrain from political vendettas. I would like to thank Ananta Maharaj who appealed to the masses to fight the evil forces. The people of Cooch Behar gave a verdict in favor of Mamata Banerjee.” 
Trinamool winning candidate Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia said: “This victory is the victory of Cooch Behar. People voted against evil forces.” In 2019, Nisith Pramanik had won by 54231 votes defeating Paresh Chandra Adhikari of the TMC. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cooch-behar-union-home-min-nisith-pramanik-faces-defeat-566625
Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Bengal chooses Mamata’s ‘guarantee’, rejects BJP’s ‘divisive politics’

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 5 June 2024, Kolkata: Pro-people schemes of the Mamata Banerjee government particularly ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ ensured a decisive mandate against the BJP in Bengal with Trinamool Congress surging much ahead, winning 29 Lok Sabha seats out of 42 constituencies. 

The BJP won 11 seats and was leading in 1 seat at the time of filing this report, while the Congress party managed to bag Malda South, as per the data provided by the Election Commission website. 
State’s ruling party registered a vote share of about 46 per cent, whereas the BJP recorded a vote share of 38 per cent. 
Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee is set to leave for Delhi on Wednesday to represent Trinamool Congress in the INDIA block meeting. 
Trinamool’s performance in these LS polls marked its second-best showing in the state since the 2014 elections, where it secured 34 seats. 
TMC’s relentless campaign against the Centre for its deprivation to the state government by stopping funds might have also contributed to the party’s result in the state. 
Trinamool candidate from Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency Abhishek Banerjee registered the second-highest victory margin in Lok Sabha polls in the country. 
Banerjee, who is the national general secretary of the party won by a margin of over 7.1 lakh votes breaking the previous record held by Anil Basu of CPI(M) who had won the Arambagh seat by a margin of 592,502 votes during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. 
This is the third consecutive Lok Sabha win for Banerjee who had won in 2014 in 2019. Banerjee bagged over 68.5 per cent of the total votes. 
With the TMC on the verge of sealing a spectacular victory, the party supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded the resignation of PM Modi on ‘moral grounds. 
She also sent out a strong signal that the opposition parties, more specifically the INDIA bloc will never allow the Modi government free hands to pass bills arbitrarily if it forms the government at the Centre. 
The BJP’s top leadership had relied heavily on Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari but the results may now change the equation with the saffron brigade expected to make certain reshuffles within its state unit. 
Further, political analysts believe this result is also likely to affect Adhikari’s political ambitions in the upcoming state elections in 2026. 
Trinamool Congress also retained its seats in the two Kolkata constituencies with both Mala Roy and Sudip Bandyopadhyay winning by a comfortable margin from the Kolkata South and Kolkata North Parliamentary constituencies respectively. 
Sudip won by a margin of 92560 votes while Roy won by 187231 votes. 
The electoral battle in Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat ended with the people of the constituency rejecting ‘regality’ as the BJP’s candidate ‘Rajbarir Rajmata’ Amrita Roy was trumped by Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra. 
TMC candidate Basirhat Haji Nurul Islam won by a margin of 3,33,547 votes as he secured 8,03,762 votes. Sandeshkhali which was the epicenter of the electoral faceoff between the ruling TMC and the BJP, dashed hopes for the BJP candidate in Basirhat Rekha Patra. 
TMC candidate from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency Partha Bhowmick scripted a historic victory over his nearest rival BJP’s Arjun Singh by demolishing the latter’s ‘Bahubali’ myth. 
Ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan and TMC candidate from Berhampore won by a margin of 85,022 votes as he secured 5,24,516 votes while Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury came second. 
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP in reference to the exit polls forecast. She once again stated that the BJP had prepared the fake exit polls three months ago. 
She once again warned that her party may file a defamation suit as the BJP had published fake advertisements to malign Trinamool Congress by pumping huge money. In the by-elections, TMC’s Sayantika Banerjee won from the Baranagar Assembly seat and Reyat Hossian Sarkar won from the Bhagabangola seat. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bengal-chooses-mamatas-guarantee-rejects-bjps-divisive-politics-566661
National, Politics

BJP wins 240 seats, Congress 99, all Seats Declared,

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Results and trends indicate that the National Democratic Alliance is set to secure 291 Lok Sabha seats, while the INDIA alliance is expected to have a tally of 234.

PTI  |  June 05, 2024, New Delhi  :

 The Election Commission of India has declared results for 542 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, with the BJP winning 240 seats and the Congress 99.
The result for the Beed constituency in Maharashtra — where the NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate Bajrang Manohar Sonwane is leading the BJP’s Pankaja Munde — is still awaited.

While the Lok Sabha has 543 members, counting was held for 542 seats after the BJP’s Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed.

According to the results declared early on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to form the government for a third consecutive term with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) getting a majority in the Lok Sabha, notwithstanding crushing losses in three Hindi heartland states after a bitterly fought election that was projected as a referendum on his popularity.

The BJP, whose candidates contested in the name of Modi, won in 240 seats, falling short of the 272 majority mark and needing the support of allies in the party-led NDA for government formation, a far cry from the 303 and 282 seats it had won in 2019 and 2014, respectively, to have a majority on its own.
With support from key allies N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA crossed the halfway mark.

The Congress, which is part of the opposition INDIA bloc, won 99 seats compared to 52 it won in 2019, eating into the BJP’s share in Rajasthan and Haryana.

As the Samajwadi Party kept the INDIA bloc’s morale high in Uttar Pradesh with 37 seats, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), another key member of the opposition alliance, won 29 seats in West Bengal, higher than its 2019 tally of 22. The BJP, which had won 18 seats in the last Lok Sabha elections, won 12 seats.

The results did not throw up a landslide victory the BJP-led NDA had hoped for and what was projected by the exit polls.
More than 640 million votes were to be counted in the world’s largest democratic exercise, conducted from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases.
National, Politics

Priyanka: Cong talisman who countered Modi

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 : She scoffed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s barbs by delivering her own piercing jibes. She revived painful memories of her father’s assassination to emphasise her family’s sacrifices and patriotism. Drawing immense crowds in rally after rally, she emerged as the mobiliser-in-chief for her party.


With the Congress putting up a surprisingly good show in the Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has cemented her position as her party’s talisman.

“The Congress for a long time was in search of an effective campaigner and in the 2024 elections Priyanka Gandhi has been a revelation in the way she has responded to Modi. Priyanka Gandhi showed Modi can be countered and played a key role pan-India,” said Rasheed Kidwai, who has authored several books, including “24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The Congress”.

The INDIA bloc may end up falling short of the magic mark to form government but gave the country an opposition to contend with. At 3 pm, trends showed it ahead in 230 seats and the Congress leading in 98 seats, almost double of what it got last time. Priyanka Gandhi in large part was at the centre of the Congress’ action, giving a number of enduring images from this election campaign.

Who can forget her emotional outburst in Bengaluru when she lashed out at Prime Minister Modi over his “gold and mangalsutra” remarks, saying her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her “mangalsutra” for the country.

The speculation was intense as was the spotlight on everything she said. But the Congress general secretary did not take the electoral plunge this time, opting instead to be the party’s go-to star campaigner and anchor for the elections in Rae Bareli, from where her brother contested, and Amethi, where the family’s aide Kishori Lal Sharma took on Union minister Smriti Irani.

Irani was trailing behind Sharma by more than 95,000 votes, giving the relatively unknown Sharma an easy win. Rahul Gandhi was poised to win with trends showing him ahead by 2.86 lakh votes.

Much of this is attributed to Priyanka Gandhi, who stayed camped in the two family bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi for two weeks. If there was ever a non-playing captain in the rough and tumble that is the electoral arena it has to be the leader who was here, there and everywhere in the two constituencies.
     
Discussing her childhood, the pain of her father Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and her mother’s grief, she steered the Congress campaign, adroitly walking the tightrope between striking a familial chord and discussing national level issues.

The spotlight firmly on her, Priyanka Gandhi was strategist, orator and mass mobiliser.

As the curtains came down on Election 2024, analysts totted up the numbers. She took part in 108 public meetings and roadshows. She also gave more than 100 media bites, one TV interview and five print interviews during her marathon election campaign.

She campaigned in 16 states and one union territory. Priyanka Gandhi also addressed two conferences of workers in Amethi and Rae Bareli.

At a packed party workers’ meeting in Amethi, the Congress leader narrated the story of a woman sitting in the audience who wanted to educate her daughter but her father-in-law was against it. Undeterred, she stitched sari falls to fund her daughter’s education and managed to make her a graduate.

Priyanka Gandhi told the woman that she was inspired by her and then called her over to sit on stage. There were plenty of smiles all around and a few cheers too as the audience responded to a meeting that appeared to go beyond being just politics.

It was just one of the many instances in the campaign during which Priyanka Gandhi went on a charm offensive with speeches centred around anecdotes from past elections — when she campaigned for her mother Sonia Gandhi or brother Rahul, or from her childhood when she accompanied her father Rajiv Gandhi who fought multiple elections from Amethi.

In one meeting, she said she would fast for her father’s safety after he lost power and was in the opposition.

“I started keeping ‘maun vrats’ and my father asked why I was doing it on Sundays and told me, ‘it is the only day when I get some time to speak with you’,” Priyanka Gandhi narrated.

In her well-attended corner meetings, she sometimes talked about her mother’s pain when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. “I have never seen my mother smile like she used to when my father was around.”

Most of her speeches were akin to a conversation with the crowd, establishing a connect and giving people the impression that this is someone they know, someone sharing her feelings and thoughts with them.

Accountability was a constant refrain in her campaign speeches across the country. In her campaign speeches, Priyanka Gandhi also made it a point to appeal to people to not vote on emotive issues based on religion and caste and vote for bread and butter issues to improve their daily lives.

Political observers say Priyanka Gandhi took on Modi and countered his attacks on the Congress during her whirlwind campaign.

Going forward, her role in the party would be in focus as the wait continues for her electoral debut. If the Congress has to build on its pluses this election, she will have to be more hands-on in future with a bigger organisational role perhaps. 
National, Politics

INDIA gains 11% in Hindi heartland, NDA loses 13% votes in West,

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INDIA gains 11% in Hindi heartland, NDA loses 13% votes in West,

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 :  The INDIA alliance made a major comeback in several politically crucial Hindi heartland states on Tuesday with its constituent Samajwadi Party registering a significant resurgence in Uttar Pradesh and the bloc making steady headway in Rajasthan, Bihar, Haryana and Jharkhand.


However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led alliance is set to retain power for a third consecutive term but not with an overwhelming majority as predicted by various exit polls.

According to results and trends, the National Democratic Alliance is set to get 291 Lok Sabha seats while the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) is expected to have a tally of 234.

The most unexpected performance put up by the INDIA was in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh where Samajwadi Party has won in 30 seats and was marching ahead in seven more while Congress came out victorious in six constituencies.

The BJP won in 29 seats and is leading in four while its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won in two constituencies and Apna Dal (Soneylal) and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) came out victorious in one each.

The opposition bloc’s performance in Uttar Pradesh is being seen as a big surprise for the BJP that had almost swept the polls in 2014 with a stunning performance of coming out victorious in 71 seats and held its ground in 2019 by winning 62.
    
In 2019, the Samajwadi Party won in five seats, Congress in one and Bahujan Samaj Party in 10.

The Indian alliance also made significant gains in Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand but could not spring a surprise in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh.

In Rajasthan, BJP won in 14 seats, while Congress came out victorious in eight while CPI(M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Bharat Adivasi Party scored one seat each.

The BJP had won all the 25 seats in the 2019 polls.

The INDIA alliance also made inroads into Bihar with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning in two seats and marching ahead in two more while Congress emerged victorious in three seats and CPI(ML) in two seats.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won in 26 seats with BJP scoring 10 and ahead in two, JD(U) winning in 11 and ahead in 1 and Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas) winning four and ahead in one seat.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA won 39 out of 40 seats in Bihar with BJP coming out victorious in 17 seats, JD(U) in 16 and Lok Janshakti Party in six.

In Haryana, both Congress and BJP won three seats each and ahead in two each. The BJP had won all 10 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In Jharkhand too, INDIA alliance’s Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won one and three seats respectively. The Congress is ahead in one seat. BJP’s ally AJSU Party won one seat.

The BJP won six seat and ahead in two more.

The BJP won 11 seats in 2019 polls while its ally All Jharkhand Students Union came out victorious in one seat. The JMM and Congress won one seat each.

The NDA continued its dominance in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Chhattisgarh.

The BJP won all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh and all four seats in Himachal Pradesh.

In Delhi, it won five seats and is ahead in two.

The BJP is all set to sweep Uttarakhand as it won three seats in the state while marching ahead in the remaining two seats.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP won eight seats and is leading in two more while Congress won in one.

In 2019, BJP won 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh while Congress won one. In that year, the BJP had won all four seats in Himachal Pradesh, all five in Uttarakhand, all seven in Delhi and nine out of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh.

Congress won two seats in Chhattisgarh in 2019.

In total, the Hindi heartland states comprise 225 Lok Sabha seats.
Politics, West Bengal

Results in Bengal on expected lines, people have voted

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PTI, Kolkata, Jun 4, 2024 : The TMC on Tuesday hailed the trends that reflected that the party was racing ahead of its rivals in 30 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.


The TMC said the results are a reflection of people’s faith in the “pro-people policies” of the Mamata Banerjee government and a decisive mandate against the BJP in the state.
    
The TMC was leading in 31 seats after several rounds of counting, while the BJP was ahead in 10, and Congress in one, according to the Election Commission website at 12:30 PM.
    
“The results are a reflection of people’s faith in the pro-people policies of the TMC government led by our supremo Mamata Banerjee. The people through this decisive mandate against the BJP have defeated the anti-Bengal forces. The results have also proved that the exit polls were a farce by the pro-BJP media,” TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen told PTI.
    
In 2019, the TMC had won 22 seats, whereas the BJP had won 18, and the Congress had bagged two seats.
    
Ecstatic TMC activists started celebrating by dancing to drum beats and smeared each other with ‘green’ gulal as the trends across West Bengal poured in.
    
“Joy Bangla (Hail Bengal)”, “TMC Zindabad,” BJP Hai Hai” slogans rented the air as thousands of TMC supporters hit the streets in Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, Diamond Harbour, Barrackpore, seats in the city and its neighbourhood.
    
Jubilant party supporters also gathered in large numbers in Asansol, Durgapur-Bardhaman and many other parts and exchanged sweets.
    
Many of them held pictures of the TMC supremo and cutouts of the party symbol.
    
“The celebrations have just started. The consistent campaign by the outsider BJP against Bengal, and the comments by the Prime Minister against the eating habits of people have been rebuffed by the voters. People have voted for Didi and Abhishek Banerjee,” said a TMC activist in Jadavpur.
    
Trends from the counting of votes on Tuesday threw up disappointing results for the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, which appears to be losing heavily in its strongholds of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
    
Speaking about BJP’s performance at the national level, Sen said the people have voted against the arrogance and misrule of the saffron camp..
    
“The results reflect that the BJP has been defeated morally and also politically,” he said.
National, Politics

Poll results mandate against PM Modi Kharge

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections was a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a political and moral defeat for him.

    
Addressing a press conference here, he termed the results as victory of the people and of democracy.

The BJP-led NDA was ahead in over 290 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc was leading in 232 parliamentary seats.

“This is the victory of the people and that of democracy. We had been saying that this was a fight between the people and Modi. We humbly accept the people’s mandate,” Kharge told reporters at the AICC headquarters flanked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge said the voters had not given a complete majority to any single party, particularly the BJP that sought votes on the basis of ‘one person, one face’.

“The voters have not given a clear mandate to any single party. This mandate is against Modi. This is his political and moral defeat. It is a big defeat for a person who sought votes in his own name. He has suffered a moral setback,” he said.

Kharge said Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached out to lakhs of people and supported the election campaign.

He said the Congress and INDIA bloc contested the elections in adverse circumstances and accused the BJP-led government of capturing constitutional institutions to create hurdles in the path of the opposition.

“Our bank accounts were seized and a campaign was launched against our leaders. Yet, the Congress carried out a positive election campaign raising issues such as inflation, unemployment, farmers’ and workers’ distress, misuse of Constitutional institutions,” Kharge said.

He said people connected with the Congress on these issues and clearly understood the campaign launched by the prime minister.

“People very well understood the lies spread by Modi about the Congress manifesto,” Kharge said.

He said the arrogance of the BJP led to the capture of constitutional institutions, which were used to target political opponents.

“Those who felt the pressure joined them, while those who resisted found their parties in disarray and leaders in jail,” he said.

“People were confident that if Modi was given another term, the next assault would be on the Constitution and democracy,” Kharge said, adding that the evidence of this will be seen in the upcoming Parliament session.

He thanked the INDIA bloc partners for standing together, campaigning jointly and helping each other.

“In the coming days, we have to fight to protect the rights of the people, to protect the Constitution and democracy, the progress of the country and to secure the borders. We have to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly and issues raised by the opposition get priority, they are discussed in parliament,” Kharge said. 
Politics, West Bengal

Mamata ‘magic’ continues in West Bengal, BJP misses target

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 Despite facing a barrage of challenges including corruption allegations and internal conflicts, the TMC stood strong, even after opting to go solo post its withdrawal from the INDIA bloc in the state

PTI, Kolkata,  Jun 04 2024 : Defying all exit-poll predictions, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has surged ahead in 29 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, dealing a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) target of securing 35 seats as they just managed to reach just double digits.
The BJP was leading in 12 seats according to the EC website.
Three years after putting a halt to the BJP’s advances in Bengal, the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, again proved its mettle by thwarting the BJP’s formidable campaign, spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi himself.
Despite facing a barrage of challenges including corruption allegations and internal conflicts, the TMC stood strong, even after opting to go solo post its withdrawal from the INDIA bloc in the state.
Political observers note that the BJP in West Bengal had set an ambitious goal of securing 35 Lok Sabha seats, banking on the implementation of the CAA as a potential game-changer and leveraging Hindu polarisation, which fell flat on their face.
Despite their fervent efforts, they failed to gain substantial ground, primarily due to internal divisions, organisational frailties, and the formidable impact of the Left-Congress alliance, analysts said.
“Internal divisions, organisational weaknesses, and the impact of the Left-Congress alliance all contributed to the BJP’s difficulties in garnering anti-TMC votes,” political analyst Maidul Islam said.
The BJP’s tally is likely to decline by six seats, with its vote share dropping by three percentage points to 37.
In contrast, the TMC’s vote share increased to 47 per cent, up from 43 per cent in 2019.
In the last Lok Sabha polls, the TMC had won 22 seats, the BJP 18, and the Congress two.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front failed to win any seats in 2019 and appears to be repeating that performance, not leading in any of the 42 constituencies. The Congress is leading in one seat.
The breakdown of seat-sharing talks between the TMC and the Congress in January appeared to benefit Mamata Banerjee’s party, setting the stage for a three-cornered electoral contest and providing a strategic advantage to the TMC.
According to TMC sources, this breakdown allowed the party to consolidate nearly 30 per cent of the minority and anti-BJP votes in the absence of another credible “secular and stronger force.”
“The breakdown of the alliance worked well for us,” said TMC leader Santanu Sen, adding, “The Left and the Congress were decimated. But as we emerged as the strongest alternative to the BJP in the state, we won even in seats which were considered BJP strongholds.”
The consolidation of anti-TMC votes had previously led to a significant rise in the BJP’s vote share from 17 per cent in 2014 to 40 per cent in 2019, increasing its seat count from two to 18.
Left-Congress alliance also led to TMC’s defeat in three seats in North Bengal where the vote share of the alliance was more than the victory margin of the BJP.
However, political analysts suggest that local issues, such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of SSC jobs, and the implementation of the CAA, reshaped the election dynamics this time around.
The implementation of the CAA, along with Banerjee’s comments against certain sections of the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, and the OBC reservation issue where the Calcutta High Court recently struck down the OBC status of several classes including 77 Muslim communities, helped solidify the TMC’s minority support base.
Although these issues intensified communal polarisation, they also helped the TMC reach out to liberal and elite Bengalis who had been drifting towards the Left and Congress.
Welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree, aimed at women, also helped solidify the TMC’s base among women voters, who comprise 50 per cent of the electorate.
Despite corruption charges, the SSC scam, and the Sandeshkhali issue where TMC leaders were accused of sexual abuse and land grab, the TMC’s performance remained strong.
The BJP, hoping to make a strong statement in the Basirhat constituency which includes Sandeshkhali, saw its candidate Rekha Patra defeated by TMC veteran Haji Nurul Islam by nearly two lakh votes.
For the BJP, many factors did not work in their favour, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the charge with around 19 rallies.
Political analysts noted that the CAA did not resonate with voters as expected, instead prompting minorities, who were previously undecided between the TMC and the Left-Congress alliance, to consolidate behind the TMC.
“We emphasized the ideological significance of the CAA, likening it to the Ram Mandir issue at the national level and asserting that the CAA would help the party sweep elections in the state,” said a BJP leader who requested anonymity.
“However, our poor organisational strength and failure to counter the TMC’s campaign against the CAA on the ground were significant drawbacks.”
Internal challenges also plagued the BJP, including dissatisfaction among cadres over ticket distribution, leading to possible losses in Junglemahal and North Bengal, where the party is set to lose four seats. Both regions had rewarded the BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls.
Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said the lack of a “Modi wave” and the BJP’s organisational weaknesses were critical factors in its poor performance.
The TMC’s victory in the West Bengal Lok Sabha elections showcases its adept strategic maneuvering and capacity to unify support amidst obstacles, while the BJP’s losses emphasise the imperative for bolstered organisational prowess and a compelling campaign approach to rekindle momentum in the region.
National, Politics

Modi gets majority; with partners as props :Oppn INDIA bloc gets 232 as Cong bounces back

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 :  The BJP was poised to be the single largest party on Tuesday but could be well short of an absolute majority, leaving it dependent on its NDA partners to form government, while the opposition INDIA bloc appeared set to be a formidable force.

As votes were counted for the Lok Sabha elections and the hours passed by, the trends did not show up the clear-cut picture the ruling alliance had hoped for and what was projected by the exit polls.

Signifying a shift in the dominance of single-party rule and back to coalition politics, the BJP was ahead or had won in 246 seats, well below the magic number of 272 in the house of 543. The NDA number was 300. At the other end of the spectrum, the INDIA bloc was ahead in 227 seats with the Congress leading or winning in 96 seats, almost double its 2019 score.

In the last elections, the BJP had 303 seats on its own, while NDA had over 350.

Narendra Modi was on track to equal Jawaharlal Nehru’s record as prime minister for a third consecutive term but this time with far reduced numbers as his BJP took a knocking in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party could trump it, Rajasthan and Haryana and did not make the gains it expected in the south.

With plenty of greys in a scenario that was expected to be black and white, few leaders spoke up immediately.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said, “It is not a close contest. The BJP-led NDA is going to form its government with a massive majority. Let the counting finish, it will be clear. People of the country are with Modi.”

Congress’ Jairam Ramesh took the opportunity to hit out at Modi saying, “He used to pretend that he was extraordinary.”

“Now it has been proved that the outgoing prime minister is going to become former. Take moral responsibility and resign. This is the message of this election,” he said in a post on X.

Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most politically significant state with 80 seats, threw up a stunning verdict.

The alliance of SP and Congress turned the tables on the BJP in its strongest bastion by ensuring a consolidation of anti-BJP votes, limiting the party to leads in only 36 seats as against 62 it had won last time. The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP was close behind with leads in 34 seats, a massive jump from the five in 2019. The Congress could win six seats.

Modi was ahead by 1.52 lakh votes in Varanasi. However, his party colleague Smriti Irani was trailing behind Congress candidate and the relatively unknown Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma in Amethi by more than 1.31 lakh votes.

Among those leading from the state, where Yogi Adityanath had steered the Hindutva ship for his party, were Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli, Rajnath Singh from Lucknow and Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj.

As SP chief Akhilesh Yadav kept the INDIA bloc morale high in Uttar Pradesh, the Trinamool Congress, another key ally of the opposition alliance, was leading in 29 seats in West Bengal, a tad higher than its 22 in 2019. The BJP, which had 18 seats in the last Lok Sabha election, was ahead in 12 seats.

Madhya Pradesh went fully saffron with the BJP winning or leading in all 29 seats. In Gujarat, too, BJP was winning or leading in 25 of 26 seats.

The situation was not as decisive in other states.

In Bihar, the BJP was ahead in 12 and its partner JD-U in 13, a vote of confidence for its leader Nitish Kumar who swung from INDIA back to the NDA ahead of the elections. The RJD was poised to win four seats.

In Rajasthan, BJP was ahead only in 14 seats, against all 25 its alliance won last time. The Congress was ahead in eight.

Haryana also threw up a shock result for the BJP, where the party was leading only in five and the Congress in five. In 2019, the saffron party had bagged all 10.

It appeared that the election marked a return to regular politics, where voters were more concerned about bread and butter issues, especially in some Hindi heartland states where the opposition INDIA alliance managed to rally supporters around the issues of unemployment and price rise.

Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, saw the Shiv Sena split down the middle since the last election. The BJP, which won 23 seats five years ago, was down with leads in 11 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena could get seven.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Congress was ahead in 12 seats, up from one, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) in 19. The NCP Sharad Pawar faction could get seven seats, giving the INDIA alliance, forged together by the common dislike of the BJP, a possible 38 seats.

However, a silver lining was provided by Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal who appeared on course to easy victories in Nagpur and Mumbai North respectively.

In Odisha, the BJP was doing spectacularly well, with leads in 19 out of 21 seats, while the ruling Biju Janata Dal was down to just one. It was also ahead in the Odisha assembly elections, leading in 76 out of 146 seats, a success show in the state it had never succeeded in capturing.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP was ahead in 16 seats of 25, the BJP in three and the YSRCP in four.

Trends for Karnataka showed potential gains for the Congress, with leads in nine seats, up from one last time. The BJP, which got 25 seats in 2019, was ahead in 17.

Deeper south in Kerala, the BJP could make its much debated electoral entry with trends showing actor Suresh Gopi way ahead in Thrissur. The Congress, which got 15 seats last time, was ahead in 14, including in Wayanad from where Rahul Gandhi was contesting. The CPI-M had gains in one.

Tamil Nadu seemed to be scripting another story, not ceding any space to the saffron party. The ruling DMK was ahead in 22 and ally Congress in nine, a notch higher than their 2019 positions.

Assembly elections also wrote their own narrative.

In Odisha, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD was headed for an unexpected defeat, stymieing Patnaik’s bid for a record sixth term as chief minister. The BJP established early leads in at least 79 assembly seats in Odisha. The BJD nominees, on the other hand, were leading in 48 constituencies 147 assembly seats in the state.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party raced towards power with leads in 135 seats in the house of 175, poised to dislodge Y S Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP, which was ahead only in 11 seats. The BJP had leads in eight seats.

Politics, Regional

Raju Bista wins by 178525 votes in Darjeeling, promises justice for Gorkha people

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Bista -178525 (51.18%), Lama- 500806 (37.73%): In comparison to result of Parliamentary election of 2019 its 7.9 % decrease to BJP and 11.22% increase to AITC.

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 4, 2024 : The sitting BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista retained his seat for the second term defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Gopal Lama by a margin of over 100,000 votes, at the end of counting, on Tuesday. 

The trend was set after the first round of counting, with Bista leading Lama by over 10,000 votes in the plains segments and by over 5000 votes in the hills constituencies. 
The Darjeeling constituency comprises the hill segments of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, while Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari, Phansidewa and Chopra make up the plains segments. 
In the Darjeeling assembly segment, the BJP got 87,062 votes and the Trinamool 55,736 votes, in Kalimpong the BJP got 77,524 votes and the Trinamool got 53,743 and in Kurseong the BJP got 93,419 votes while the Trinamool got 55,068 votes. 
The BJP is in alliance with the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkha Rastriya Nirman Morcha and the SUMETI Morcha. 
Before heading for the counting centre at the Darjeeling Government College in the morning, Bista visited the revered Mahakal temple at Chowrasta to offer prayers. 
After the announcement of his victory, Bista said it was a victory of the people of the Hills, Terai and Dooars and their aspirations. 
“This victory is for the people and to bring to end the atrocities of Bengal and development of the hills. I thank the people for showing their trust on me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said. 
Bista first visited GNLF president Mann Ghising at his residence where supporters burst crackers. Bista then went to meet GJM president, Bimal Gurung in the latter’s party office with supporters rejoicing the victory with song and dance on the street. 
“I thank Bimal daju and Ghising ji and all our alliance partners for their support. Now my vision and goal is clear. I gained experience in the past five years. And now will go to parliament with renewed vigour and energy. The Gorkha community will get justice within the next five years,” he said. 
According to the data available in the portal of the Election Commission of India at the time of writing this report, 6,46,519 votes were polled in favour of Bista and 4,88,098 votes for Lama with a victory margin of 1,58,421 votes for the former. 
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Bista won by a record margin of over 4.13 lakh votes against the Trinamool Congress-GJM (Binoy Tamang faction) combine candidate Amar Singh Rai. Surprisingly, Bista won by an impressive margin from Kurseong which is the home ground of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha chief Anit Thapa who heads the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and is the key ally of Trinamool in the hills. 
The GJM president said there was a lot of work for the BJP to do for the community and that he would keep reminding Bista. 
“The demand for tribal status will be given priority. We will keep pressuring Bista and the BJP to fulfill this demand as early as possible. There are lots of other work to do for the hills and Terai people,” said Gurung. 
In its 2019 Sankalp Patra, the BJP had promised to find a permanent political solution for the hills and grant tribal status to the 11 left out Gorkha communities, which has not been fulfilled, yet. 
The BGPM president congratulated Bista on his victory and said in democracy the mandate of the people had to be accepted. 
“We tried a lot to bring about a change in the mindset of the people but failed. People have voted for the BJP and we have to accept their mandate. Now for 20 years people have voted for the BJP and expect results. I want to congratulate Bista and hope he will work the people,” he said.
Politics, West Bengal

How LS candidates are preparing for counting day Some rest, meet parents; others stay with party workers

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PTI, Kolkata, Jun 3, 2024 :  With the campaign frenzy now a fading echo and the polls over, a palpable tension gripped the air as candidates of various political parties faced the anxious moments for the EVMs to be opened.

To pass that time, some candidates preferred to stay with the party workers, others decided to take some rest after the heat and dust of electioneering, while some others took timeout to meet parents before the results were announced.
    
Sougata Roy, veteran TMC MP from the Dum Dum, is one such candidate who is making the most of this period by giving time to himself.
    
“I read books and sleep during this period,” he said while talking to PTI.
    
However, not everyone spends the way Roy does. For BJP’s Medinipur candidate Agnimitra Paul, there is “no time to die or rest”.
    
“I have lots of work to do before the EVM machines are opened for counting of votes. Setting up camps near the counting centres, selecting and briefing the counting agents along with other party workers – I have been busy with all these,” Paul said.
    
For one day, she had to go to Durgapur as her mother was unwell, she said.
    
BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency Dilip Ghosh said that he had to make a whirlwind tour of various constituencies and only got one-and-a-half months to campaign in his seat.
    
Now he is in his constituency with his party activists and counting agents.
    
Sujan Chakraborty, CPI(M) candidate from Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency said, “I just had a few moments to spend with my mother when I visited Midnapore recently. I had no time for myself after polling was held in my constituency since I have campaigned for other candidates of my party.”
   
“I am an active worker of the party and it is a 365-day job. I am back doing my regular job after the polls were over in Dum Dum constituency on June 1,” Chakraborty said.
    
The Left leader said that besides attending party meetings he visited all those workers who were attacked and beaten up by our rival party during and after the polls, Chakraborty added.
    
The feeling is strange now, TMC sitting MP and Birbhum candidate Satabdi Roy said.
    
“It’s like the situation after a war is over…everything is so quiet. In this waiting period, the feeling like that of a student who is waiting for the exam results or like the person who is about to meet her or his love for the first time in person,” the actor-turned-politician said.
    
Roy also said that tonight she is going to attend several meetings with her workers in her constituency.