Tejaswini Ananth Kumar appointed as BJP's state vice president
Bengaluru: The BJP Tuesday appointed union minister Ananth Kumar's widow Tejaswini as the state unit vice-president in an apparent placatory move after denying her the ticket to contest from Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency, which her husband had represented.
Tejaswini was sulking after the BJP announced political greenhorn Tejasvi Surya as the Bangalore South candidate, leaving her supporters angry and agitated.
"I am very delighted to announce that @Tej_AnanthKumar has been appointed as state vice president of @BJP4Karnataka.
Wishing her all the very best," Karnataka BJP Chief Yeddyurappa tweeted.
BJP announced the ticket to 28-year-old Surya, with just hours left for the deadline for filing of nominations for the first phase of polls in Karnataka.
Maintaining an unbroken record, Ananth Kumar had won the Bangalore South seat six times.
The decision had led to disappointment among late Ananth Kumar's supporters and some state leaders, as it waswidely expected that the BJP would field Tejaswini given heractive participation in scripting her husband's victories.
Tejaswini was also confident about fighting the poll on BJP ticket and had started a door-to-door campaign, as the Karnataka BJP had proposed only her name.
The discontent among BJP leaders against Surya's candidacy was visible, with senior legislators from the constituency including former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka and V Sommana not attending his nomination filing.
Tejaswini, though had insisted that she remained loyal to party and accepted their decision to ensure that Narendra Modi became Prime Minister again, was not involving herself in any campaign related activities.
Active in public life through not-for-profit organisation Adamya Chetana, Tejaswini had worked as a scientist at the Aeronautical Development Agency between 1993 -1997 and also on the Light Combat Aircraft (LCATejas) project.
During her student days, she was very active in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and has also served as its State Joint Secretary and National executive member.
I am very delighted to announce that Smt. @Tej_AnanthKumar has been appointed as state vice president of @BJP4Karnataka.
— Chowkidar B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) April 2, 2019
Wishing her all the very best.
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Bengal MLA Humayun Kabir floats new party days after laying foundation for Babri-style mosque
Beldanga (WB), Dec 22 (PTI): West Bengal MLA Humayun Kabir on Monday floated a new outfit, Janata Unnayan Party, days after he was suspended by the TMC for laying the foundation stone for a Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district.
Addressing a public meeting in Beladanga, Kabir named eight candidates that his new party will field in the 2026 assembly elections in the state.
Kabir, the MLA of Bharatpur, said he would contest the assembly polls from two seats, Rejinagar and Beldanga in Murshidabad.
"We can only tell you later how many seats we will be finally contesting," he told the gathering.
Kabir said his mission is to oust Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from power in the assembly polls, which will be due in less than six months.
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"Mamata Banerjee is no longer the same person I knew. She is beyond the reach of the common man," he alleged.
The BJP alleged Kabir was working to help the TMC return to power.
"Kabir will not be a factor in the next assembly polls. He will face the drubbing of the electorate along with his old friend TMC, with which he is still in touch in a clandestine manner. Both Kabir and his new party will be rejected by the people of Bengal," state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya claimed.
He claimed Kabir was attempting to split "BJP votes" in the assembly polls.
"In the wake of the situation in Bangladesh, people of Bengal will thwart Kabir's attempts and elect a strong nationalist force like the BJP, only which can defeat fundamentalists," he claimed.
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The TMC is yet to comment on Kabir's new party.
The TMC had suspended Kabir on December 4 after his announcement to build a Babri-style mosque triggered a massive row.
On December 6, the day the Babri Masjid was razed in Ayodhya in 1992, a defiant Kabir laid the foundation stone for the mosque at Rejinagar.
Kabir has had a tryst with most of the major political parties in the state over the last 10 years.
In 2015, he was "expelled" by the TMC for six years for criticising the CM and alleging that she was trying to make her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, the "king".
He contested the 2016 assembly elections as an Independent from the Rejinagar seat, but lost to Congress candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury. He subsequently joined the Congress, which then had a huge presence in the district, but switched to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP fielded him as its candidate in the Murshidabad Lok Sabha seat, and managed to secure the third spot after the TMC and Congress nominees. He then returned to the TMC and, in 2021, became the MLA of Bharatpur.
