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BJP crosses 300 in UP; Congress grabs Punjab

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The BJP wave grew into a tsunami and threw all calculations awry. Once considered a small challenger, the saffron party emerged the biggest victor on March 11, crossing the 300 mark in the total 403-member UP assembly. The Samajwadi Party was kept within the 50 mark, while their party in alliance, the Congress, could not even manage to reach double digits.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was bewildered, having won 19 seats.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has failed to find favour with the electorate. It has struggled to find a footing in both Punjab and Goa, where it pushed into, with huge preparations and it certainly failed to become a logical alternative to the BJP except in the urban area of Delhi. It is time for Arvind Kejriwal to introspect and find a reason why it failed at the grassroots.

The Manipur verdict is moving down a path nobody expected it to take. Irom Sharmila’s defeat was a wakeup call, and by the time things started getting less ambiguous, the BJP had crept up into a position where it would not need a helping hand from rebel MLAs.

In Uttar Pradesh, as BJP striding crossed the 300 mark, the results of the infighting of the Samajwadi Party are showing up. Shivpal Yadav, who was removed just before the elections, appeared in victory mode, cheering and saying:  “Sabhi logon ko badhai.” Earlier, he had tweeted: “Ye ghamand ke haar hai.”

It was a sad reflection of the way things are, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, yet to make a comment, would not be happy with the way things were handled in a complex state by his son Akhilesh. Shivpal’s comments hit right into the heart of the party.

Congress comes in next, not in numbers, but in accountability. How would Rahul Gandhi explain to the SP their demand for 100 seats and how his party has handled it? Interestingly, Akhilesh wants the alliance to continue.

Mayawati’s party has virtually been washed away. She has claimed that the EVMs had been tampered with; she said she wants to go to court, start a movement. All in vain; because the verdicts have been overwhelming.

In Uttarakhand, all early drama was washed away with Chief Minister Harish Rawat losing both seats he contested. He has resigned.

Here are the basics of each state, with some special quotes.

UTTAR PRADESH

The colour of Holi this year is just one: saffron. So it seems as the Uttar Pradesh results started coming in. All exit polls, as usual, were proved wrong in this state, with the BJP at last reading, having won 304 and leading in eight seats.

Demonetisation has had no effect so far, loss of jobs has not reflected in the showdown and the steady growth of the Modi wave has turned into a tsunami now.

Rahul  Gandhi: “I congratulate Shri Narendra Modi and the BJP on their victory in Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand.”

Kapil Sibal, Congress: “Just as you can’t blame Modi for BJP’s defeat in Punjab, you can’t blame Rahul Gandhi for our defeat in UP.”

Somnath Bharti: “We don’t indulge in politics of religion or caste and never will. Yes, it’s Modi’s win, but hum log lage rahenge, logon ko aware karne ke liye.”

Surendra Rajput, Congress spokesperson:  “It’s Modi’s win and congrats to him for that. But we expect that he will fulfill the promises that he has made, not indulge in jumlas. We do alliances for something constructive. It’s up to the voter to give a stamp of approval on it.”

Pankaj Singh, Rajnath Singh’s son, won from Noida. Says Singh: “BJP going to break its own record. 1991 Kalyan Singh’s record. Responsibilities increased. Kaam bolta hai issue has become non-issue.”

Anila Singh, BJP spokesperson: “The way corruption has become rampant. It’s important to open files to set example. This was our promise. To give them a transparent government.”

MoS Jitendra Singh: “Voters of India have risen above caste, religion and other factors. People have reposed their faith in Modi. It is a new India. The message is at multiple levels.”

Deepak Mishra, SP spokesperson: “Every time SP has lost, it has introspected, worked on its shortcomings and emerged stronger next time.”

Mohsin Raza: “Congress had given them (Muslims) topi andmadarsa. We are giving them Quran in one hand, laptop in another.”

PUNJAB

Congress won 76 seats, leading in 1; BJP won 3: AAP won 20; SAD won 15.

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal said he will resign on Sunday.

Navjot Singh Sidhu said: “This is a new year’s gift to Soniaji, Rahul and Captainsaab (Amarinder Singh). People have defeated evil forces and dharma has emerged victorious.”

Amarinder Singh: “Punjab voters have made the right choice/Man of the match in Punjab.”

Ambika Soni: “Many contributed to Punjab results.”

UTTARAKHAND

BJP won 56 seats, leading in 1; Congress won 11.

MANIPUR

BJP won 20 seats, leading in 1; Congress won 26.

Irom Sharmila has lost.

Congress’ Ibobi Singh won.

GOA

The anti-BJP forces were not in the picture with only the Congress still the major force against it.

BJP won 13 seats; Congress won 16, leading in 1.

Laxmikant Parsekar, Goa CM, lost to Congress’ Dayanand Sopte in Mandrem and has resigned.

The final tally of seats in all the five states:

FINAL Election Result 2017

FINAL Election Result 2017

Written with contributions from Sujit Bhar, Meha Mathur, Sucheta Dasgupta,
Prabir Biswas, Punit Mishra, Bhavana Gaur, Kh Manglembi Devi,
Ram Lagan, Anthony Lawrence, Amitava Sen, Anil Shakya, Anubhav Tyagi and Ravi Kumar

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India News

Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

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Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

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Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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