Gujarat: BJP suspends ex-spokesperson after he shared 'selfie' with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
Ahmedabad, Oct 3: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday suspended its former spokesperson Kishansinh Solanki for "anti-party activities", hours after he shared a selfie with Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann on social media.
Solanki, a BJP leader from Ahmedabad who served as a party spokesperson till around six months ago, has been suspended for six years with immediate effect, a statement issued by Gujarat BJP said.
Solanki on Sunday night shared a selfie with Mann on his Facebook page with the caption, "Thanks for birthday wishes @BhagwantMann ji @CMOPb".
"Ahmedabad district's Kishansinh Solanki is today suspended from the party for six years with immediate effect for anti-party activities by the order of state BJP chief CR Paatil," the statement said.
Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave said Solanki had been a part of the state BJP media team and served as a spokesperson but was not holding any post as of now.
"He was a convener of the BJP media cell and appeared in TV debates on behalf of the party before he was removed from the post around six months ago," Dave said.
As per his Facebook profile, Solanki had also served as a national executive member of the BJP Kisan Morcha or farmers' cell.
Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal visited Gujarat recently for campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Thanks for birthday wishes @BhagwantMann ji @CMOPb pic.twitter.com/WpeX739ic6
— kishansinh (@kishansinh) October 2, 2022
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
