Bikaner LS seat: Congress fields cousin against Union minister Arjun Meghwal
Jaipur: The contest for the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat is a fight within the family as BJP candidate and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Congress' Madan Gopal Meghwal are cousins.
While Congress candidate is in the fray for the first time, the BJP candidate Arjun Ram Meghwal will be contesting to retain the seat, which has been the saffron party's stronghold from the last 15 years. Actor Dharmendra had represented the seat in 2004.
Both the candidate have served the government through administrative services.
Arjun Ram entered politics in 2009 after resigning from the IAS whereas Madan Gopal took VRS from IPS before the assembly election in 2018.
Arjun Ram is two consecutive times BJP MP from Bikaner seat. He had defeated Congress's Shankar Pannu with over 3 lakh votes in 2014 Lok Sabha election and considered a heavyweight in the BJP.
He is elder son of my aunt (Mausi) and is also elder to me. We believe in different ideologies. I am a strong Congress worker whereas he is a staunch BJP man. I may be first timer but I am accepting the challenge, Madan Gopal said.
The BJP leader is presently facing infighting within the party as the former minister and BJP veteran Devi Singh Bhati has been opposing his candidature from the seat accusing him of working as an agent of the Congress.
The battle on the seat also gets tougher this time as CPIM has given ticket to a strong candidate Sheopat Ram who fought the election unsuccessfully from Raisingnagar seat.
Caste equation between upper castes which are in sizeable number, and reserved castes too will play a major role on the Lok Sabha seat comprising eight assembly seats of which seven are in Bikaner dstrict and one seat Anupgarh falls in Sriganganagar district.
Presently, BJP hold four Anupgarh, Nokha, Lunkarnsar, and Bikaner east where as Bikaner west, Kolayat and Khajuwala seats are with Congress while Dungargarh seat was grabbed by CPIM in the recent assembly election.
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
