Amit Shah to release BJP manifesto for Jharkhand polls, address three rallies
Ranchi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release the Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto and address three rallies in poll-bound Jharkhand on Sunday.
Shah arrived in state capital Ranchi on Saturday night.
"Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release the 'Sankalp Patra' for Jharkhand assembly elections in Ranchi on Sunday. He will also address three rallies at Ghatshila, Barkatha and Simaria assembly constituencies during the day," the BJP said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jharkhand on November 4 and address two rallies.
Modi's visit will be followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who is scheduled to hold a public meeting in Jamshedpur on November 5.
Shah is likely to release 25 key points of the saffron party's manifesto to underline 25 years of Jharkhand's formation and a 150-point document, marking the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda, BJP leaders said.
Jharkhand was created on November 15, 2000, which also happens to be the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
Earlier on October 5, the BJP had released five key points of its manifesto for the assembly polls, promising financial assistance of Rs 2,100 to women every month, five lakh jobs to youths and housing for all if voted to power.
Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi had released the 'Panch Pran' (five vows) in the presence of Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Annapurna Devi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
According to the 'Panch Pran', households in the state will be able to purchase LPG gas cylinders at Rs 500. Besides, two cylinders would be provided free of cost in a year.
Apart from this, 2.87 lakh vacant posts in government departments will be filled. The appointment process will start after the very first cabinet meeting, and by November 2025, 1.5 lakh posts will be filled, according to the 'five vows'.
The party, if it comes to power, would also provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to graduate and postgraduate students for up to two years, so that they could prepare for competitive examinations.
The BJP would launch the 'Gogo-Didi' scheme as part of its mission to empower women, and under the programme, women will get assistance of Rs 2,100 per month.
Housing for all also features among the commitments in the party manifesto.
Elections to the 81-member assembly in the state will take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, and votes will be counted on November 23.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
