RSS asks BJP to drop 78 MLAs weeks ahead of polls
BHOPAL, Oct 18: Feedback from RSS has left BJP concerned barely six weeks ahead of MP assembly elections. Sources say RSS has suggested dropping 78 sitting MLAs and even advised that CM Shivraj Singh contest from Govindpura seat in Bhopal rather than Budhni. Govindpura is a BJP bastion where former CM Babulal Gaur (88) has had an undefeated eight terms since 1980.
While no BJP leader came on record on this, sources told TOI that the Sangh Parivar has urged the ruling party to replace 78 candidates after poor feedback on their performance. This was among the issues discussed at a meeting of BJP state election management committee, where the party state top brass agreed that only potential winners will be chosen and no other factor will be considered. The party high command also said no candidate can be dubbed as ‘tainted’ before he or she is convicted in court.
Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP state president Rakesh Singh, state in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and organising general secretary Suhas Bhagat discussed at length the criteria for ticket distribution and the names that could be replaced. “The party will give tickets on winnability criteria alone. There are no tainted candidates unless there is a court verdict against any potential candidate,” Rakesh Singh told reporters after the meeting.
Sources said Congress plans to pit a heavyweight against Chouhan to tie him down in Budhni. But senior BJP leaders dismissed the idea, saying Budhni is Chouhan’s home turf and voters will never accept anybody else from the constituency, irrespective of his stature. BJP on Wednesday filed a complaint against Congress with cyber cell for sharing a morphed picture of a dilapidated road in Bangladesh. Congress claimed that it was a road in MP. BJP leaders said the picture was released through Twitter handle of Kamal Nath. Nath was quick to apologise for posting the wrong picture.
Courtesy: timesofindia
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Operation Sindoor: India carries out military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan, PoK
New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
