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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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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