Bihar, the state that had stood up against communalism and stopped Advani’s rath yatra when it was spreading hatred throughout the country, is now virtually in the hands of the BJP. Lalu Prasad Yadav who had saved Bihar from communal hatred is in jail. Modi has achieved what Advani failed at by using socialist leaders. BJP has won Bihar in the name of NDA. Nitish’s party has personally lost the elections. Compared to Nitish, RJD led by Tejaswi Yadav who is very young has won maximum seats. While RJD that contested in 144 constituencies won 75 seats, the JDU that contested in 115 seats has won only 43 seats and BJP has won 74 seats. The strength of the JDU that won 71 seats in the 2015 elections has been reduced to 43 seats. The BJP that had then won 53 seats has increased its tally to 74. Though BJP has captured Bihar that was in the hands of regional parties through Nitish, Bihar has accepted Tejaswi Yadav as its future leader. BJP has already announced Nitish Kumar as the NDA Chief Minister. Tragically, though he has become Bihar’s Chief Minister with the support of the BJP, the people of Bihar have partially rejected him. In the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the way Tejaswi strengthened the party and captured 75 seats is a huge development in Bihar. The Bihar election results have shown that the era of senior and seasoned politicians such as Nitish and Lalu Prasad Yadav has ended and a new era of young politicians has begun.
Conscientious citizens had great expectations from the Bihar Assembly elections as the elections were held after the sustained dark period post the Coronavirus and lockdown. Bihar that has the maximum number of migrant labourers suffered enormously due to the lockdown. The government that failed to handle the Coronavirus and imposed a nation-wide lockdown transferred the lives of the poor from the frying pan to the fire. Also, the several anti-people policies of the Central government impacted the lives of the common man of Bihar. In such a grim scenario, it is normal for an election to throw up an anti-establishment result. But BJP has emerged as the second largest party in the state. Not just this, it has also partially eaten away at a regional party rooted in the state such as the JDU. With the memories of the pain of lockdown still etched in public memory, BJP improving its performance tremendously in Bihar is a defeat of the ‘politics of development.’ In a way, this election has primarily given a ‘small clean chit’ to Modi from the losses the country suffered due to the lockdown. Even though there was rampant misuse of power, misuse of media, brazen display of money power, and a full display of Modi’s lies, none of them seemed to have mattered in the election. However, by contributing to the growth of BJP, Nitish Kumar and Dalit youth leader Chirag Paswan have cheated the victims of the lockdown in the Assembly elections.
Election analysis reports are referring to the significant role played by Asaduddin Owaisi and Chirag Paswan. Of these two leaders who have proclaimed themselves as leaders of two communities that are experiencing maximum distress, Chirag Paswan, son of Ramvilas Paswan, has admitted openly that he contested against the JDU to strengthen the BJP. But perhaps Paswan has no answers as to how strengthening the BJP would help him politically or how the Dalit community would benefit. During the campaign, Chirag spoke in support of Modi. In public rallies, Chirag, who did not even mistakenly utter the name of Ambedkar, was citing the name of Modi as though he would be his savior. He regarded Nitish’s defeat as his victory and succeeded in achieving that but he won only one seat. The politics of Chirag Paswan who hails from a community that is defeated is directionless. Forget benefitting Dalits, he is not benefitting from his politics.
Owaisi’s is a different case. Owaisi has clarified after the election results that though he was interested in being a part of Mahaghatbandhan, everyone considered him as an untouchable. By bagging five seats in the elections, Owaisi’s party has registered surprising results. There is no doubt that Asaduddin, who has won the best parliamentarian award, is a seasoned politician. But other secular parties hesitated to identify themselves with his party that targets Muslims as its base. Having taken this as a challenge, Owaisi not only chose to field candidates in several constituencies but also won five seats and proved his stature. Parties such as Congress that are politically pushing the minorities into a corner have no moral authority to hold Owaisi responsible for their failures. Congress leaders who believe that Muslims will not win if they are given tickets are solely responsible for Owaisi winning five seats. Though the Muslim, Dalit, and secular votes are divided differently, the one promising factor that has emerged is the emergence of RJD as a major political force. At the same time, the Left has captured 16 seats having joined hands with other parties. If they come out of their superiority bubble, the Left parties have the potential to play a significant role in the country’s politics by joining hands with other political parties to defeat communal and anti-Constitutional forces. The election results have thus conveyed a clear message to the leaders of the left parties who should amplify their intellect to absorb this message.
The results of by-elections in Karnataka, held along with Bihar elections, are not even worth analyzing. If Munirathna’s money power won the elections in RR Nagar, in Sira, BJP won because of the opportunism of the JD(S). In R.R.Nagar, Congress made the mistake of fielding Kusuma, wife of the Late D.K.Ravi, a popular IAS officer who had killed himself. The media then had written about the wife’s role in Ravi’s death, quoting his parents. Kusuma could not therefore convert into votes the popularity of Ravi. It appears that the people voted in favour of justice for Ravi and against Kusuma. That the by-election results have further strengthened Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s position is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the by-election results.
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Lucknow: In a sequence of events shrouded in suspicion and allegations, the recent hospitalization and subsequent demise of convicted former legislator Mukhtar Ansari have sparked controversy and demands for a thorough investigation. Ansari, who was lodged in Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh, complained of abdominal pain and was hospitalized before his death, allegedly due to a cardiac arrest. However, his son, Umar Ansari, has raised serious concerns about foul play, citing instances of alleged poisoning and lapses in medical treatment.
A week prior to his hospitalization, Ansari had filed an application in a court in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, alleging that his meals had been poisoned on at least two occasions within 40 days. He claimed that the food provided to him in jail had been mixed with a poisonous substance, leading to severe illness. Additionally, Ansari stated that some jail staff, including those responsible for food tasting, also fell ill after consuming the same food. Subsequently, he sought a probe into the matter and requested adequate medical attention and security.
Ansari said after eating the food, he felt uneasy and felt pain in his limbs first and then in the rest of his body.
“My hands and feet turned cold. And it felt like I was about to die. I felt uneasiness. Before that, my health was completely fine,” said Ansari in his application.
He had further alleged that around 40 days before that, he was given a “slow poison” with his meal. Some jail members, including one who would taste his food before it was fed to him, also felt unwell and they all had to be treated, Ansari had alleged in his two-page application.
“The threat to my life in the jail has increased. Any untoward incident can happen to me at any time,” Ansari had said, alleging that his poisoning was part of “some big conspiracy”.
Upon receiving Ansari's application, special judge Kamal Kant Srivastava directed the Jail Superintendent in Banda to submit a report on Ansari's health and security by March 29. The court emphasized the need for proper medical examination and facilities for Ansari as per the jail manual. Furthermore, the court instructed the jail official to take necessary measures to ensure Ansari's safety.
On March 26, Ansari was admitted to the hospital after complaining of abdominal pain. His health deteriorated suddenly, leading to his transfer to Rani Durgavati Medical College. Despite initial treatment, Ansari succumbed to a cardiac arrest. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised suspicions, especially considering his earlier allegations of poisoning and concerns about his safety in jail.
Ansari’s son Umar Ansari had last year filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying that the state government was planning to assassinate Ansari in Banda jail, where he was lodged as a convict and accused in several criminal cases.
Umar Ansari had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court last December praying that his father be moved to a jail outside UP. On December 15, 2023, the Adityanath government assured the apex court that “necessary augmentation of security as needed will be made” to ensure that no harm was caused to Ansari while in custody. In his petition, Umar had expressed concern for his father’s well-being by drawing attention to the murder of former Lok Sabha MP and tainted politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad while they were being escorted by a team of policemen for a routine medical check-up in Prayagraj on April 15 last year. The Ahmad brothers were killed in front of reporters and the footage was relayed live on television.
Ansari's family, including his son Umar Ansari, has reiterated their allegations of foul play and demanded a thorough investigation into his death. Umar Ansari, in particular, highlighted the lack of access to his father during his hospitalization and expressed concerns about the handling of the case by authorities. Moreover, the past assurances by the Adityanath government regarding Ansari's security have come under scrutiny in light of recent events.
“I am nobody to make an allegation. The who was poisoned (Mukhtar) had himself alleged that he was given poison along with his dinner on March 19.” Umar said.
Various political leaders and organizations, including Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, have called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Ansari's death. They have criticized the state government for allegedly neglecting Ansari's health concerns and failing to address the serious allegations of poisoning.