This party wants to be voice of 'mard' in LS polls
Lucknow (PTI): Unlike other political parties, winning or losing elections does not matter to the Mera Adhikaar Rashtriya Dal (MARD), which has jumped into the electoral battle to be the voice of the ‘mard’ and to defend men’s honour.
MARD has lost deposits on all seats it has contested so far since it was formed in 2018 but its leaders say they are undeterred by elections losses.
The party has released its ‘MANifesto’ for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls with the slogan "Beton ke samman me, ‘mard’ utre maidan me" (In honour of sons, men have stepped on to the battleground).
The party has so far announced candidates for three seats - Lucknow, Ranchi and Gorakhpur.
The MARD party has previously contested in seven different elections – Lok Sabha polls in Varanasi and Lucknow in 2019, bypoll in Bangarmau assembly seat in 2020, assembly polls in Bareilly, Lucknow North, Bakshi Ka Talab (Lucknow) and Chauri Chaura seats in 2022.
"We have jumped into the fray in honour of men, to raise the voice for those who are harassed and exploited in the name of women’s security. Winning and losing does not matter to us," MARD party national general secretary Ashutosh Kumar Pandey told PTI.
When asked about the fate of his party candidates contesting polls this time, he candidly accepts, "This time too, they can lose their deposits."
"We don't have a lot of resources and we also do not take donations. Our candidates contest on their own expenses. The benefit of contesting the polls is that now more parties are coming to raise the issues of men," Pandey said.
Kapil Mohan, the party’s national president, said men are "suppressed" in a bid to "empower half the population”. The party wants to highlight this issue so that people pay attention to it, he said.
In the party ‘MANifesto’, the party has promised that a separate Men's Welfare Ministry and National Men's Commission will be created so that before any policy or law is formulated, the point of view of men is taken into account.
"It will help in formulating schemes keeping in mind the health, security and honour of men," Pandey added.
The party has also promised a Men's Security Bill to save men from exploitation by “laws made for women”.
To ensure that men's side is heard, Pandey said the party has promised for a "Men power line" on lines of Women power line – a helpline which provides immediate assistance to women in cases of harassment, stalking, etc.
The party has also promised to promote self-reliance of women so that men are not “harassed in the name of alimony”, Pandey said.
Pandey claimed over 200 men commit suicide every day “as they are not heard properly” by anyone. People will be more aware about men's rights slowly and that was their objective, he said.
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BJP will form govt in Bengal with thumping majority: Nabin
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will form the government in West Bengal with a "thumping majority".
Polling is underway for 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, covering key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas.
The high-stakes contest is being seen as decisive for the ruling TMC's bid for a fourth consecutive term and the BJP's push to form its first government in the state. The first phase held on April 23 recorded a high voter turnout of over 93 per cent, reflecting intense electoral engagement.
Speaking to reporters in Mirzapur, Nabin said, "The BJP will form the government in Bengal. We are winning the elections with a massive majority."
Earlier in the day, the BJP chief visited the Vindhyavasini temple and offered prayers. The rituals were conducted by his priest Acharya Agastya Kumar Dwivedi.
On his first visit to the district after assuming office, Nabin was welcomed by party workers at several places. At the temple, he was received by city MLA Ratnakar Mishra and District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, who felicitated him with a traditional 'angvastram'.
After offering prayers for about 10 minutes amid Vedic chants, Nabin held a meeting at a hotel with local MLAs, including Mishra, Majhwan MLA Suchismita Maurya and Madihan MLA Ramashankar Patel.
Patel said Nabin emphasised strengthening the organisation and asked public representatives to focus on serving people in their respective constituencies.
Several party leaders, including district president Lal Bahadur Saroj, district vice-president Gaurav Umar, municipal chairperson Shyam Sundar Kesari, women workers and senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the district administration for the visit, with multiple officers of circle officer rank deployed, officials said.
