Govt anniversary: TMC's Derek O'Brien questions BJP manifesto promises
New Delhi (PTI): As the Union government completes the first year of its ongoing term, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Monday listed out a series of promises listed in the BJP manifesto, and said that the reality was different.
This is the third term for Narendra Modi, who has been the prime minister for 11 years now.
In an article published on his blog, O'Brien mentioned 15 promises from the 69-page manifesto released by the BJP ahead of the 2024 elections.
The BJP promised that it will protect 'garib ki thali' (food security), but according to World Bank data, 7.5 crore Indians earn less than Rs 225 per day, the Rajya Sabha MP said.
"The poorest 5 per cent spend Rs 68 per day. A vegetarian thali costs Rs 77," he said.
O'Brien said while the BJP promised empowering the neo-middle class, between 2014 and 2024, household liabilities have doubled, while net financial savings have "fallen to one of their lowest levels in the last 50 years".
The BJP promised creating high-value jobs, but in reality, since 2021, more and more people have been pushed towards agriculture.
"Currently 46 of the workforce is engaged in agriculture. Nearly three out of five people are self-employed, which experts call 'not the best form of employment'," the TMC leader said.
On participation of women in the workforce, O'Brien said between 2018-23, the proportion of women engaged in employment-related activities rose by just 2.3 percentage points.
"Time spent on employment-related activities increased by just 10 minutes over five years. The labour force participation rate for women remains half that of men," he said.
On reservation for women in legislature, he said the BJP has 13 per cent women MPs in Lok Sabha.
O'Brien criticised the BJP government on the Women's Reservation Bill that was passed in 2023.
"However, it was linked to the Census which is slated to be conducted in 2027. Post Census, the delimitation exercise will be held. It is only after both of these, that the Bill can be actually implemented. When? Anybody's guess." he said.
On farmers' issues, O'Brien said 30 farmers die by suicide every day.
"Between 2018-23, real wages declined annually by 0.4 per cent in rural areas, while agricultural wages saw an annual growth of just 0.2 per cent. The suggestion made by a Parliamentary Committee to increase funds under PM Kisan to Rs 12,000 has been ignored."
The value added by the manufacturing sector has declined from 12.3 per cent of GDP in 2023 to 4.5 per cent in 2024, falling below 2014 levels. he said.
"Over the past two years, only one in ten individuals have been employed in manufacturing. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of manufacturing MSMEs grew just over 2 percent," he said.
O'Brien said the BJP promised to expand the 'Kavach' train protection system. But it has only been installed on only 2 per cent routes, he said.
He also slammed the government over the pending bullet train project, and the alleged delay in the Bharatmala Pariyojana, an expressway and ring road expansion project.
The TMC leader also targeted the BJP government on its claims of removing corruption. In the last decade, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has only made two convictions out of 193 cases against MPs, MLAs, and political leaders.
"In the last 11 years, a total of 5,297 cases were filed by ED. Only 47 were taken to court for trial. For every 1,000 cases filed, accused were found guilty in only seven cases."
On the employment situation, he said one in three young people in India are neither in education, employment, nor training, with women making up 95 per cent of this group.
"Only 4 per cent of the youth workforce have received formal skill training. Under the PM's internship scheme, one out of five districts had less than 10 internship opportunities available," he said.
O'Brien also mentioned the ongoing strife in Manipur, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet visited the state.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
