BJP releases first list of 57 candidates for Delhi polls
New Delhi, Jan 17: The BJP has banked on experience to take on the ruling AAP in the Delhi assembly polls, scheduled for next month, as it released on Friday its first list of 57 candidates, which included four former mayors, and many councilors.
The names of all three BJP MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta, former chief minister Sahib Singh Verma's brother and former mayor Master Azad Singh, as well as former AAP legislator Kapil Mishra figured in the first list.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari's candidature has not been announced in the first list of candidates.
Releasing the list, Tiwari said Gupta will contest from Rohini seat, Azad Singh from Mundka and Mishra from Model Town as he expressed confidence that the party will end its more than two decades of stint in opposition and come back to power on its "positive" agenda.
The list does not include nomination against AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Tiwari, who was joined by Union minister Prakash Javadekar, party's poll in-charge for Delhi, said the party will soon name its remaining candidates.
The party has fielded Khushi Ram from Ambedkar Nagar, Ravindra Gupta from Matia Mahal and Yogender Chandolia from Karol Bagh, all former mayors. It has also given ticket to its national secretary R P Singh, who will contest from Rajender Nagar.
The list has 11 candidates from scheduled castes for reserved seats, four women nominations and seven from Poorvanchal, a region comprising eastern UP and Bihar.
Most of the candidates announced on Friday were also nominated by the BJP in 2013 and 2015 assembly polls.
The polls to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on February 8 and results will be declared on February 11.
Tiwari said the names were finalised at BJP's central election committee meeting on Thursday night.
The ruling AAP has already announced its candidates for all 70 seats. The Congress is yet to announce names of its candidates.
The BJP's list also included six sitting and thirteen former councilors of the three municipal corporations in the national capital.
Among several AAP leaders, who have joined the BJP, only two former MLAs have been given tickets by the saffron party, with names like Devender Sehrawat and Guggan Singh missing from the list.
BJP sources said three seats --Kalkaji, Hari Nagar and Rajouri Garden-- may be given to its ally Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD). Rajouri Garden seat is currently held by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, an Akali leader who had won on the BJP ticket.
The BJP had won only three seats in the previous assembly elections, while the AAP had won 67.
Delhi is set for another triangular contest between AAP-BJP-Congress.
While Kejriwal is relying on populist schemes like free electricity and water besides free ride for women in the government-run buses and efforts to boost education and health infrastructure, the BJP is hoping to reap the benefits of Modi government's decision to grant ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies and planks like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The saffron party has also tried to corner the AAP government over violence during anti-CAA protests in the city.
दिल्ली विधानसभा चुनाव-2020 के लिए भाजपा के 57 उम्मीदवार घोषित, सभी को हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं..#BJPWinningDelhi pic.twitter.com/E0adDaf47s
— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) January 17, 2020
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
