Mumbai, April 12: Bharatiya Janata Party top leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and others sat on a day-long fast across Maharashtra on Thursday to protest the disruption of Parliament's budget session by opposition parties.
Fadnavis, along with Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, MP Poonam Mahajan, actor-turned-MP Paresh Rawal and legislator Parag Alvani launched the fast at the local party office in Vile Parle.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal started a hunger strike at the government hostel in adjoining Thane along with a large number of supporters and party activists.
MP Kirit Somaiya sat on a fast near the Bhandup railway station along with his supporters.
Besides, other state ministers led similar fasts in their respective constituencies or districts where they are appointed Guardian Ministers and were joined by local MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party workers across the state.
At all places, the BJP leaders and hundreds of activists carried banners or placards with slogans critical of the opposition parties and holding them responsible for the washout of the second part of the Parliament session.
The call for a day-long fast by the BJP central leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given to protest the manner in which the second half of parliament's recently-concluded budget session was stalled by the combined opposition parties.
The BJP has alleged that the Congress did not allow Parliament to function, initially on account of the bank scams. Thereafter, the YSR Congress and TDP created hurdles on the issue of Special Status for Andhra Pradesh by moving a no-confidence motion against the government.
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JD(S) and BJP will form coalition govt in Karnataka again: HD Kumaraswamy
Shivamogga (Karnataka), Apr 18: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said 2024 will herald an era of a new change in Karnataka politics and his party and the BJP will again form a government in the state in the future, as in 2006.
The former Chief Minister was speaking at a public meeting here after veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa’s son and sitting MP B Y Raghavendra filed his nomination as candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha segment.
“The reason for me to come here (Shivamogga) — is when I formed the government in 2006, Yediyurappa joined hands with me and because of that Kumaraswamy got introduced to the entire state. I should have given him 20 months of power, (after my 20 months as CM), and I was ready for it, but because of some middlemen it did not happen, and because of that I had to suffer for 15-16 years,” Kumaraswamy said.
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Addressing the gathering, he said, “if people across the state identify me, it is because of the good government both Yediyurappa and I gave together. You cannot probably see such a good administration again.” “In the coming days — the good government that I and Yediyurappa gave in 2006 — to establish such a government once again, this year itself — 2024 will herald an era of a new change,” he said, as he appealed people of Shivamogga to support and vote for Raghavendra.
In 2006, Kumaraswamy had rebelled and walked out of the JD(S)-Congress coalition with 42 MLAs, reportedly against the wishes of his father former PM and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, citing a threat to the party, and formed the government with the BJP, becoming the Chief Minister during his very first term as MLA. Yediyurappa was the Deputy Chief Minister.
Under a rotational chief ministership arrangement, he helmed the state for 20 months.
When the BJP’s turn for Chief Ministership came, he reneged on the promise to transfer power and brought down the Yediyurappa government within seven days.
Kumaraswamy occupied the Chief Minister’s post for the second time after the 2018 Assembly polls, despite the JD(S) finishing a poor third in the polls, by forging a coalition with the Congress.
But his tenure was short-lived as the wobbly coalition government that he headed collapsed after 13 months in power, because of internal differences.
