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Bihar brouhaha: Sharad Yadav breaks silence, calls Nitish’s power-swap “unfortunate”, betrayal of mandate

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Sharad Yadav

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Former Janata Dal (United) chief has been sulking ever since Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar broke the Mahagathbandhan last week and chose to ally with BJP to return to office within four hours of his ‘conscience call’

Emerging from his five-day-long ‘political hibernation’, former Janata Dal (United) chief and the party’s seniormost Rajya Sabha member, Sharad Yadav, finally broke his silence on Monday over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to purge his own Mahagathbandhan government last Thursday and then be sworn-in to office within 16 hours with the BJP as his ally.

Yadav confirmed speculations that he was not happy with Kumar’s decision to resign as chief minister of the 20-month-old JD (U)-RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan government and stopped just shy of terming as blatant betrayal his decision to take the BJP’s support to return as the state’s top executive last Friday.

Speaking to mediapersons outside the Parliament on Monday, a visibly upset Yadav said: “Whatever happened is very unfortunate. The mandate by the people was not for this.”

Yadav had gone into a studied silence the moment Nitish Kumar announced his resignation last Thursday evening – a move that had left his alliance partners, RJD chief Lalu Yadav, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders stunned. It is widely believed that Kumar had not kept Sharad Yadav in the loop on his surprise move, putting him in an embarrassing position at a time when for Rajya Sabha MP was at the forefront of the Opposition’s effort to corner the Narendra Modi-led BJP government both inside and outside the Parliament.

RJD chief Lalu Yadav had earlier indicated that Sharad was sulking over Kumar’s decision. “He (Sharad) had called me after the trust vote on Friday and said that he wasn’t happy about what was happening… he even urged me to carry on my fight,” Lalu had told mediapersons, adding that he replied to the former JD (U) chief saying he should “join us and lead our fight against the BJP and its allies”.

Sharad’s silence in the days following Kumar’s high political drama was being attributed to two things. First, there were clear attempts by senior JD (U) leaders as well as the BJP to keep Sharad from speaking out against the Bihar chief minister and the grapevine was abuzz with speculation that he might be offered a key portfolio in the Narendra Modi government since his party could now join the NDA at the Centre too. Sharad’s meeting with union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Friday had further strengthened this rumour. Second, those who know Sharad well claim that he was weighing his options and didn’t want to openly confront Kumar, or resign from the JD (U), as this would mean that he would also lose his Rajya Sabha membership which still has three more years before it ends.

Sources say that Sharad’s hope of getting a hefty portfolio in the Narendra Modi cabinet didn’t meet a favourable response – possibly because of his recent attacks on the Prime Minister during interventions in the Rajya Sabha and also his frosty relations with Kumar.

The wily politician that he is, Yadav seems to have – for now – decided to stay within the JD (U) and act as the party’s internal voice of dissent at least till a time when he is either won over by Kumar or can break away and join some other party or form his own. Doing so would give Sharad at least some bargaining power, which he currently does not have since he is neither a leader with a mass base nor one who has a significant hold over the JD (U) legislators in the Bihar assembly.

Sharad’s open disapproval of Kumar’s power swap, which the chief minister had termed as a result of a call of conscience which was unsettled about him sharing political space with a ‘corrupt’ Tejashwai Yadav as his deputy, comes after the veteran socialist leader took to Twitter to criticise the Modi government on a range of issues.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRU5laXRoZXIlMjBibGFjayUyMG1vbmV5JTIwc2xhc2hlZCUyMGFicm9hZCUyMHJldHVybmVkJTJDJTIwb25lJTIwb2YlMjBkJTIwbWFpbiUyMHNsb2dhbnMlMjBvZiUyMGQlMjBydWxpbmclMjBwYXJ0eSUyMG5vciUyMGFueW9uZSUyMGNhdWdodCUyMG91dCUyMG9mJTIwdGhvc2UlMjBuYW1lZCUyMGluJTIwUGFuYW1hJTIwcGFwZXJzLiUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMFNIQVJBRCUyMFlBREFWJTIwJTI4JTQwU2hhcmFkWWFkYXZNUCUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRlNoYXJhZFlhZGF2TVAlMkZzdGF0dXMlMkY4OTE1MDMyODUxNDc4MDM2NDglMjIlM0VKdWx5JTIwMzAlMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRnBsYXRmb3JtLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGd2lkZ2V0cy5qcyUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRSUwQSUyMCUwQSUzQ2Jsb2NrcXVvdGUlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMnR3aXR0ZXItdHdlZXQlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUzRSUzQ3AlMjBsYW5nJTNEJTIyZW4lMjIlMjBkaXIlM0QlMjJsdHIlMjIlM0VBbHRob3VnaCUyMEdvdnQlMjBjb2xsZWN0cyUyMG51bWJlciUyMG9mJTIwY2Vzc2VzJTIwaW4lMjBkJTIwbmFtZSUyMG9mJTIwZGlmZmVyZW50JTIwc2VydmljZXMlMjBmcm9tJTIwcHVibGljJTJDJTIweWV0JTIwZG9uJTI2JTIzMzklM0J0JTIwc2VlJTIwYW55JTIwaW1wcm92ZW1lbnQlMjBpbiUyMGFueSUyMGFyZWElMjBpbiUyMGQlMjBjb3VudHJ5LiUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMFNIQVJBRCUyMFlBREFWJTIwJTI4JTQwU2hhcmFkWWFkYXZNUCUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRlNoYXJhZFlhZGF2TVAlMkZzdGF0dXMlMkY4OTExNDM4Mzk3Mzc1NjUxODQlMjIlM0VKdWx5JTIwMjklMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRnBsYXRmb3JtLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGd2lkZ2V0cy5qcyUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRSUwQSUyMCUwQSUzQ2Jsb2NrcXVvdGUlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMnR3aXR0ZXItdHdlZXQlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUzRSUzQ3AlMjBsYW5nJTNEJTIyZW4lMjIlMjBkaXIlM0QlMjJsdHIlMjIlM0VVbHRpbWF0ZWx5JTIwb3VyJTIwUFNVcyUyMGFyZSUyMHVzZWQlMjBmb3IlMjBhbnklMjBzb2NpYWwlMjBjYXVzZSUyMGxpa2UlMjBHb3Z0JTIwcGxhbnMlMjB0byUyMHJlc2N1ZSUyMHN0cmFuZGVkJTIwYXNzZXRzJTIwaW4lMjBwb3dlciUyMHNlY3RvciUyMGJ1dCUyMFBTVXMlMjBkaXNpbnZlc3RlZCUyMGhlYXJ0bGVzc2x5JTNDJTJGcCUzRSUyNm1kYXNoJTNCJTIwU0hBUkFEJTIwWUFEQVYlMjAlMjglNDBTaGFyYWRZYWRhdk1QJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGU2hhcmFkWWFkYXZNUCUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjg5MDc3OTM2NTUyODU3NjAwMCUyMiUzRUp1bHklMjAyOCUyQyUyMDIwMTclM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGYmxvY2txdW90ZSUzRSUwQSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMGFzeW5jJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZ3aWRnZXRzLmpzJTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNFJTBBJTIwJTBBJTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRUFtb25nc3QlMjBvdGhlcnMlMjBGYXNhbCUyMEJpbWElMjBZb2phbmElMjBpcyUyMGFub3RoZXIlMjB1bnN1Y2Nlc3NmdWwlMjBzY2hlbWUlMjBvZiUyMGQlMjBHb3Z0JTIwdGhyb3VnaCUyMHdoaWNoJTIwb25seSUyMHByaXZhdGUlMjBpbnN1cmFuY2UlMjBjb21wYW5pZXMlMjBiZWluZyUyMGJlbmVmaXR0ZWQuJTNDJTJGcCUzRSUyNm1kYXNoJTNCJTIwU0hBUkFEJTIwWUFEQVYlMjAlMjglNDBTaGFyYWRZYWRhdk1QJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGU2hhcmFkWWFkYXZNUCUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjg5MDQwMjMzOTU3OTc2NDczNiUyMiUzRUp1bHklMjAyNyUyQyUyMDIwMTclM0MlMkZhJTNFJTNDJTJGYmxvY2txdW90ZSUzRSUwQSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMGFzeW5jJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZ3aWRnZXRzLmpzJTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNFJTBB[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It now remains to be seen whether Sharad, in days to come, would be favourably disposed to once friend-then rival-and friend again Lalu Yadav’s appeal to part ways with the JD (U) and stick with the Opposition in its fight against the BJP.

“Nitish has tarnished the image of Ambedkar. I urge Sharad Yadav, whom we consider as a true leader, to travel to every corner of the country and come to Bihar and join our fight against the BJP and Nitish Kumar,” Lalu has said repeatedly since Thursday.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Delhi CM Atishi accuses BJP’s Parvesh Verma of distributing cash to voters in Kejriwal’s constituency

Kejriwal also hinted that the BJP might declare Parvesh Verma as their chief ministerial candidate, questioning whether the people of Delhi would want such a leader.

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Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Wednesday accused BJP leader Parvesh Verma of handing out cash to women in New Delhi, the constituency represented by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

During a press conference, Atishi claimed that Rs 1,100 was distributed to women from slum areas at Verma’s residence in Windsor Place, with their voter ID details being recorded. She stated, “The BJP is distributing money and checking voter cards in the New Delhi assembly constituency, where Arvind Kejriwal is a candidate.

Today, Parvesh Verma was caught red-handed giving out money at his official residence, money he received as an MP. Women from various slums in the New Delhi area were called there and handed Rs 1,100 in an envelope,” ANI reported her as saying.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had alleged that women voters in his constituency were being paid Rs 1,100 for their votes. “I have just returned from several areas in my New Delhi Vidhan Sabha constituency, and everywhere I went, people told me that these individuals are openly buying votes, paying Rs 1,100 for each vote. People said they would take the money but wouldn’t vote for them,” he posted on X.

Kejriwal also hinted that the BJP might declare Parvesh Verma as their chief ministerial candidate, questioning whether the people of Delhi would want such a leader.

In response to the accusations, Parvesh Verma stated that the money was distributed as part of a campaign by ‘Rashtriya Swabhiman’, an NGO founded by his late father, former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma.

“I see the struggles faced by women that Arvind Kejriwal has ignored for 11 years. They have been suffering, so I decided to support them with Rs 1,100 per month. Unlike Arvind Kejriwal, I am not distributing liquor; I am glad to be able to help people,” he said.

Verma added that the Rashtriya Swabhiman has been actively involved in community support, including redevelopment efforts in villages affected by disasters. Elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly are scheduled for February next year.

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Yogi Adityanath says Congress insulting Ambedkar since Nehru days

Adityanath pointed to examples of Congress’ alleged negligence, including its initial hesitance to include Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly and the Drafting Committee, crediting Mahatma Gandhi for securing Ambedkar’s position.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of disrespecting B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution, both during his life and after his death.

During a press conference held at his official residence at 5 Kalidas Marg, he also claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, opposed Ambedkar’s inclusion in the Constitution Drafting Committee.

Adityanath’s comments came in the wake of a controversy sparked by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha last week. Surrounded by ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Asim Arun, the Chief Minister emphasised that the purpose of the press conference was to reveal what he called the unethical and unconstitutional actions of Congress and other opposition parties against Ambedkar.

“Dr. B.R. Ambedkar played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle, the formulation of the Constitution, and the foundational years of an independent India. Despite facing numerous societal challenges, he achieved the highest accolades in law, finance, and economics. His contributions to the nation are unmatched, and he is deeply revered by every Indian,” Adityanath stated.

He contrasted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) respect for Ambedkar with the Congress party’s history of disrespect. Adityanath highlighted the BJP’s initiatives to honor Ambedkar’s legacy, including memorials in significant locations like Mhow, Nagpur, Mumbai, and London, where Ambedkar pursued his studies.

“Under BJP leadership, from Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, we have made every effort to uphold Ambedkar’s ideals. In stark contrast, the Congress has consistently insulted him and minimised his contributions,” he asserted.

Adityanath pointed to examples of Congress’ alleged negligence, including its initial hesitance to include Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly and the Drafting Committee, crediting Mahatma Gandhi for securing Ambedkar’s position.

He also recalled an incident during the UPA regime when a textbook depicted a derogatory cartoon of Ambedkar being prodded by Nehru, which was withdrawn only after widespread protests, leading to an apology from then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

The Chief Minister claimed that the Congress worked to defeat Ambedkar in elections, including the 1952 general elections for the Mumbai North constituency and the 1954 by-elections.

He alleged that even Nehru campaigned against Ambedkar to ensure his loss, asserting that the Congress consistently aimed to silence the voices of Dalits and marginalized communities.

Adityanath also criticised the Congress for not granting national honors to Ambedkar during his lifetime, stating, “It was only when a government supported by the BJP came to power that Ambedkar was finally awarded the Bharat Ratna.”

He further emphasised the BJP’s commitment to realizing Ambedkar’s vision through programs aimed at benefiting Dalits and marginalized groups, reiterating the party’s dedication to preserving Ambedkar’s legacy while accusing the Congress of ongoing disrespect and divisive politics.

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Government set to table One Nation, One Election bill in Lok Sabha on December 16

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Parliament Winter Session: Lok Sabha speaker warns opposition, No-Confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman

The stage is set for a major legislative push by the central government as two bills related to the ambitious “One Nation, One Election” initiative are scheduled for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday, December 16.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to present The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, marking a significant step towards implementing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections.

On Thursday, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its nod to the constitutional amendment bill that seeks to align elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. This decision underscores the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to its long-standing agenda of electoral synchronization, aimed at reducing the frequency of polls and associated costs.

The Cabinet also approved a supplementary bill to amend specific provisions related to three Union territories with legislative assemblies—Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir. This aligns their governance framework with the overarching constitutional amendments proposed under the “One Nation, One Election” initiative.

The constitutional amendment bill aims to streamline the electoral calendar by establishing a legal framework for conducting Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously. However, the government has, for now, opted to exclude local body polls, such as those for municipalities and panchayats, from this framework. A high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind had earlier suggested a phased approach to include local elections in the future.

The concept of “One Nation, One Election” has been a focal point in political discourse, with proponents arguing it will enhance governance by reducing electoral disruptions and fostering policy stability. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the logistical and constitutional challenges of synchronizing diverse electoral cycles across India’s federal structure.

This legislative development will undoubtedly dominate parliamentary discussions as political parties prepare to deliberate on the feasibility and implications of reshaping India’s electoral landscape.

The introduction of these bills is expected to spark robust debate, with the government emphasizing the potential benefits of reduced administrative burdens and streamlined governance, while opposition parties scrutinize its impact on India’s democratic fabric.

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