Despite victory in assembly elections, winning presidential polls won't be easy for BJP: Mamata
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that despite the BJP's recent victory in assembly elections in four states, winning the upcoming presidential polls may not be easy for the saffron party as it doesn't have even half the total number of legislators across the country.
Asserting that the "game is not yet over", Banerjee said that those who don't have even half of the total number of legislators in the country should not talk big as parties like Samajwadi Party, despite defeat in assembly polls, are stronger electorally than last time.
"The presidential elections will not that be easy for the BJP this time. They don't have even half of the total MLAs in the country. Opposition parties together have more MLAs across the nation," she said in the assembly.
"The game is not yet over. Even parties like the Samajwadi Party, which lost the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, has more MLAs than it had last time," she said.
The presidential elections are conducted indirectly through an electoral college consisting of elected members of the Parliament and legislative assemblies of states and Union territories.
The number and value of votes of each voter from the state legislatures is worked out by a formula which takes into account the population of the state in 1971.
Banerjee, who has been trying to stitch an anti-BJP front to take on the saffron camp in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, said that the country is preparing to fight the ruling party in Centre.
The feisty TMC boss, while speaking on the Hills and Home Affairs budget discussion, lauded the state police for maintaining law and order in the state and rubbished allegations of political violence as "canards spread by the opposition .
Condemning the recent killings of two councillors of Congress and TMC, Banerjee said the police is investigating the matters and stern action will be taken without considering the political affiliation of the culprits.
The opposition BJP staged a walkout during Banerjee's speech after opposition and Treasury benches traded slogans and counter slogans of "Jai Bangla" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chhattisgarh: Couple, two grandchildren killed over 'property' dispute; two relatives held
Janjgir (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): An elderly couple and their two grandchildren were allegedly murdered by two close relatives to grab family property in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, police said on Thursday.
The couple’s one son, who had earlier spent 15 years in jail for killing his own brother, and his son have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, an official said.
The bodies were found inside their under-construction house in Bhanvtara village under the jurisdiction of the Shivrinarayan police station after labourers reached the site for work in the morning, a senior police official said.
The deceased were identified as Medani Prasad Kashyap (70), his wife Kanti Bai (65), their grandchildren Pitambar Kashyap (17) and Mogra (25).
The deceased couple’s son, Sonsai, and his son Dakeshwar have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, the official said.
According to the preliminary investigation, Medani Prasad had three sons, including Sonsai. Police said Sonsai had murdered one of his brothers in the past and had served a 15-year jail term in the case, while the couple’s third son had reportedly died by suicide.
Sonsai and his son Dakeshwar, alias Golu, allegedly killed his parents and the children of his two deceased brothers with an axe while they were asleep in the under-construction house, he said.
Pitambar was the only son of one deceased brother, while Mogra was the only daughter of another, the official said.
The accused allegedly wanted sole ownership of the family property and are suspected of having committed the crime to eliminate other claimants, police said.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, the official added.
