Bihar polls: Phase 2 nominations begin; NDA, INDIA bloc yet to announce candidates
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Patna (PTI): Candidates were yet to be announced by both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc in poll-bound Bihar on Monday, even as just four days remain for filing nominations for the first phase, and the process beginning for the second leg.
However, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, who was back from Delhi a day after the NDA announced its seat-sharing formula, asserted that "all five constituents" were likely to declare their candidates "by tomorrow" and filing of nominations will be completed for both phases this week itself.
He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was scheduled to arrive on October 16 on a three-day tour, and, during the period, "several other Union ministers and chief ministers of at least a dozen BJP-ruled states" were likely to be in Bihar to lend some extra glitz to the nomination filing process.
The BJP leader also said rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the biggest crowd-puller, would also be scheduled in due course.
According to the seat-sharing formula that leaders agreed upon in Delhi a day ago, the BJP will contest 101 of the 243 seats, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has accepted a proportionate share, dropping its earlier demand for a dominant share.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan whose revolt five years ago was blamed by the JD(U) for its dismal performance, has got 29 seats, a handsome deal taking into consideration the fact that his party has not a single member in the outgoing assembly.
Rashtriya Lok Morcha, led by Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (of Jitan Ram Manjhi) have each been allotted six seats.
Compared with the NDA, which has at least finalised a seat-sharing formula, the INDIA bloc seems stuck on that very stage, prompting smaller allies to declare their respective candidates for seats they are comfortable of being allotted.
Talking to PTI over phone, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said, "Photographs are viral on social media of our candidates getting the party symbol. This should not be taken as some sort of defiance of the collective INDIA bloc leadership. We are allotting symbols to our sitting MLAs, about whom there is no dispute with alliance partners".
About fresh faces like former AISA leader Divya Gautam, whose candidature is being much talked about, Bhattacharya said, "She is tipped to be our candidate for Digha seat which we had contested in 2020 as well. The then candidate Shashi Yadav is now an MLC".
"In any case, we are hopeful that sharing of seats for the entire coalition will be finalised by tomorrow. And in the next few days, we will complete the nomination process", said the CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary.
Earlier, another Left ally CPI(M), which has two MLAs in the current assembly, had announced that both its MLAs, Ajay Kumar and Satyendra Yadav, would file their nomination papers on October 14 and 18 respectively.
The largest alliance partner, the RJD, is yet to reveal its cards, even as aspirants continued to queue up outside the house of party president Lalu Prasad, who returned from Delhi in the evening, along with wife Rabri Devi, after appearing before a court which framed charges against him in the land for jobs scam.
Their son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, the INDIA bloc's de facto chief ministerial candidate, has stayed back in the national capital, apparently to iron out differences with the Congress, the second largest alliance partner, which is said to have adopted an aggressive stance after the success of Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra.
The RJD supremo's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, who was expelled by his father a few months ago, came out a list of candidates who would contest under the banner of Janshakti Janata Dal headed by him.
The maverick leader has also announced himself as the candidate from Mahua, the seat he had won in 2015, much to the chagrin of the younger brother who wants a smooth run for close aide and sitting MLA Mukesh Raushan.
Meanwhile, the Jan Suraaj Party headed by Prashant Kishor came out with its second list of 65 candidates, raising the total number of names made public by the party to 116. However, the suspense over Kishor contesting against Tejashwi Yadav from his stronghold Raghopur remains as the party's candidate for the seat was yet to be announced.
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Women’s Reservation Bill: K'taka CM accuses PM Modi of adopting 'double standard'
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a “double standard” on women’s reservation, alleging that the Centre had delayed implementation despite having the opportunity to act earlier.
Addressing reporters here, Siddaramaiah said the BJP and Modi had earlier opposed welfare guarantees and were now replicating them, while also questioning the timing and intent behind the women’s reservation move.
“That’s what I call double standards. Narendra Modi is not for social justice. If he was, this would have been done long ago. How many years has he been in power? It’s been 12 years. Why hasn’t it been done so far?” he asked.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the Congress had consistently supported women’s reservation and accused the Centre of "politicising" the issue.
“We spoke about women’s reservation. The Prime Minister asked me what our stand was. I said we are in favour of women’s reservation,” he said, referring to recent discussions with the PM.
He maintained that delimitation should only be carried out after a fresh Census to ensure equitable representation among states.
“In my view, delimitation should be done after a new census. That is why we opposed it. We have not opposed women’s reservation. We have always supported it,” he said.
Highlighting Congress’ past role, he said, “Who brought the 73rd and 74th amendments? Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party. Those amendments ensured 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. Why would we oppose it?”
Siddaramaiah further questioned the union government’s delay in implementation. “Narendra Modi indulged in politics and got it passed in 2023. Why didn’t he implement it immediately? Then why did he wait so long? He could have implemented it immediately. If he is committed to women’s reservation, he should have implemented it,” he said.
On the linkage between delimitation and reservation, he asked, “Why did the Centre link it with delimitation? Why did it go for a constitutional amendment?” adding that such a move could disadvantage southern states that have successfully controlled population growth.
“Southern states have controlled population well, but northern states haven’t. Naturally, it benefits them and disadvantages us,” he said.
Responding to BJP’s criticism that women would “teach Congress a lesson,” Siddaramaiah said, “They are doing politics. If Modi had brought this earlier, who would have opposed women’s reservation?”
On electoral prospects elsewhere, he said he had no direct information on Tamil Nadu but was optimistic about ruling DMK's victory.
"According to the information I have, DMK and its alliance are likely to win,” while asserting that Kerala would also be won by the opposition.
In a major setback to the BJP-led Central government, a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday, with the ruling dispensation asserting that the struggle to give the rights to women will continue.
While 298 members voted in support of the bill in Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-third majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
