Saket Gokhale alleges BJP manipulated DMs to rig UP elections, cites BJP internal report
New Delhi: In a scathing tweet, MP Saket Gokhale has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate District Magistrates (DMs) to rig the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Gokhale's allegation comes in response to an internal BJP report that cited "lack of support from DMs" as a reason for the party's poor performance in the state.
Sharing a report by 'The Print' titled "Lack of support from MLAs, ministers & DMs led to setback in Lok Sabha polls in UP, finds BJP task force," Saket accused BJP of coercing DMs to manipulate the elections in their favour.
Gokhale tweeted, “This is as brazen as it gets. An internal BJP report that was allegedly made to review the party’s loss in UP cites ‘lack of support from DMs’ as a reason. A DM is also known as the District Collector and is the Returning Officer for elections for that area. It is clear from this that the BJP openly tried to manipulate & coerce DMs to rig elections in their favor under the nose of the Modi-appointed Election Commission. And now, several DMs who didn’t ‘help’ the BJP during elections have been transferred. The fact that it went to the extent of pressuring DMs shows that the BJP is a gang of criminals who will do anything for power. And yet, despite openly trying to manipulate govt machinery during elections, Modi & BJP failed to get a majority.”
This is as brazen as it gets.
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) July 1, 2024
An internal BJP report that was allegedly made to review the party’s loss in UP cites “lack of support from DMs” as a reason.
A DM is also known as the District Collector and is the Returning Officer for elections for that area.
It is clear… pic.twitter.com/xHKjL69rZm
The BJP task force report, prepared by a team of 40 leaders, pointed to sabotage by BJP MLAs and ministers, a lack of synergy between the government and the party, non-cooperation from state government officials, and a disconnect between BJP candidates and voters. It cited these factors as key reasons for the party’s poor performance in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The report was compiled based on visits to 78 of the state’s 80 Lok Sabha seats.
Following the report’s submission, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath transferred 12 district magistrates of which 11 district magistrates were from constituencies where the BJP lost to the SP in the Lok Sabha polls. It is being alleged that these transfers were aimed at addressing the issues raised in the report, which included complaints from BJP local leaders that the administration did not support the party, created obstacles during polling, and humiliated BJP workers.
A senior BJP leader involved in the report noted, “In several places, party workers complained that BJP MLAs and ministers worked against the party. It’s surprising to see such a disconnect between the government and the party, with ministers undermining candidates. Even the indifferent attitude of the bureaucracy in several places cannot be taken lightly.”
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s tally in UP fell to 33 from 62 in 2019, with a 7 percent drop in its vote share.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
