Stark contradictions and U-turns within BJP
In the last assembly elections,the BJP met a miserable defeat owing to its own party image. Congress wasn’t even responsible for where BJP had found itself. The BJP’s high command in Delhi and leaders at local level had posed massive challenges to Yeddyurappa, who was not allowed to discharge his duties. The government was resting on the money power bolstered by the Reddy brothers who were another league of troublemakers altogether. They resorted to blackmailing Yeddyurappa at every given opportunity. The dissidents often went to Delhi and complained against their CM BSY. And all this finally ended with BSY having to relinquish the CM’s seat. The only priority for the BJP ministers after this was to loot the state. Many ministers were caught carrying out acts of corruption and were even caught in the act. Finally, the BJP government fell after Justice Santosh Hegde submitting a report on unchecked illegal mining in the state. After Yeddyurappa was forced to step down,The BJP government gave the state two chief ministers such as Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar. Not only that, there were even two deputy chief ministers too. The assembly hall because infamous for the legislators watching porn films when the session was on.
Speaker K G Bopaiah flouted the rules and BJP breathed a temporary end with Yeddyurappa deciding to launch a new party, KJP or Karnataka Janata Paksha.
Today as we get close to elections, BJP is desperate to assume a new avatar.Like the mighty phoenix, It wants to rise from the ashes and come to life. It needs a brand new identity. But then why would people accept a party that they roundly rejected last time? They could have, only if the current Congress government had misruled the state or had not attended to people’s needs and requirements. CM Siddaramaiah has given most significant welfare programmes to people. Hence, the Congress government has gone to people with Siddaramaiah as their leader.
Though it was inevitable, and also desirable for the BJP to go to seek people’s mandate with new faces and fresh manifesto, the party has lost its plot by projecting the same leader the people had rejected last time. The current BJP has disappointed their own workers.
When BSY formed KJP, the same leaders within BJP had criticized him to no end. Today, this job of criticism need not be done by the Congress. BJP itself is being unfair to its own roots. If people remember the past and go over the criticism the leaders had made against each other, this party would definitely bite the dust in the coming days. The infamous Reddy brothers who were responsible for the collapse of the order in the BJP government, are being considered in the top ranks of the party again. Unfortunately, our own Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being seen with the corrupt Reddys pandering around him. Janardhan Reddy had even approached the Supreme Court to seek permission to canvas on behalf of the party he earlier belonged to.
Basically, BJP has gone to people with the same stains that existed earlier. And the party hopes to make a comeback too! That’s some ambition, really. The leaders seem to be thinking Modi’s jibes and sarcasm will win them the votes. But then this is a costly lesson the party would learn at the earliest that this way, people will never buy their version. Even their manifesto does not say anything new. Congress at least had made a solid effort in ensuring their manifesto consisted of deliverable promises and the party completed its own assurances. The BJP which had ridiculed Indira Canteens in the beginning, has now mentioned a canteen on such lines for poor people in its manifesto. So will people have to choose BJP only so that the scheme names can be changed? BJP has been very sternly against loan waiver of farmers. The state government did its part in waiving off the loans. But the government at the centre flatly refused to waive off the farmer loans. Now in its manifesto, BJP has assured farm loan waiver. On one hand, BJP encourages dairy farming and on the other, they have a law to protect the cows. The party is filled with contradictions from top to bottom over such matters. There is a ban on cow slaughter in some states of BJP rule, whereas some other states and leaders of the party have clearly made statements supporting protection of cows and total ban of cow slaughter. As of now, confusion is the only state BJP is in irrespective of whether it wins other states or not. And this could even mark the end of Yeddyurappa era too.
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Modi govt's 'calibrated erosion' of EC's integrity: Kharge on election rule
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the government for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, alleging it is part of the Modi government's "systematic conspiracy" to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission.
Kharge also said the Modi government's "calibrated erosion" of the ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy.
The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse.
Based on the recommendation of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Union law ministry on Friday amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of "papers" or documents open to public inspection.
Reacting to the development, Kharge said, "Modi government's audacious amendment in the Conduct of Election Rules is another assault in its systematic conspiracy to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India." "Earlier, they had removed the Chief Justice of India from the Selection panel which appoints Election Commissioners, and now they have resorted to stonewall electoral information, even after a High Court order," he said in a post on X.
Everytime the Congress party wrote to the ECI, regarding specific poll irregularities such as voter deletions and lack of transparency in EVMs, the ECI has responded in a condescending tone and chosen not to even acknowledge certain serious complaints, Kharge said.
"This again proves that the ECI, even though it is a quasi-judicial body, is not behaving independently," he said.
"The Modi government's calibrated erosion of ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and Democracy and we will take every step to safeguard them," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the party would legally challenge the amendment.
Lok Sabha MP and Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the poll panel had chosen opacity and a pro-government attitude in its dealings thus far.
According to Rule 93, all "papers" related to elections shall be open to public inspection.
The amendment inserts "as specified in these rules" after "papers".
Law ministry and ECI officials separately explained that a court case was the "trigger" behind the amendment.
While documents such as nomination forms, appointment of election agents, results and election account statements are mentioned in the Conduct of Election Rules, electronic documents such as CCTV camera footage, webcasting footage and video recording of candidates during the Model Code of Conduct period are not covered.
"CCTV coverage, webcasting of polling stations are not carried out under Conduct of Election Rules but are the result of steps taken by the ECI to ensure a level playing field," a former ECI official explained.
