Congress should give three top portfolios to Muslims
After forming the JDS-Congress coalition government amidst political high drama, now it is time for the coalition to confront another round of political strategies from different communities seeking representation to their communities while constituting the Cabinet. It is natural in a democratic set up. It is a social justice to ensure equal representation to each community based on its population in the administration and development. So, every community has the right to ask its share of portfolios while forming the cabinet.
Now, Lingayat and Vokkaliga (DK Shivakumar) communities have been attracting the attention in the state because of their demand of deputy chief minister post. In fact, the Lingayat leaders and community have been lobbying for this post in a big level. But the most surprising thing is there seems to be no strong demand or debate for the representation for Muslim community. A few Muslim MLAs have been demanding the positions. Apart from this, as a community, the Muslims have not placed their demand for the posts in a strong voice and it has not become a news either.
Though the Congress has no majority, it has formed the government. It is high time for the Congress high command on how to ensure justice to the Muslim community which has supported the party wholeheartedly. Even after recommending the Centre to consider Lingayat community as a separate religion in the state, Siddaramaiah did not get expected votes from that community. But the Vokkaliga community has supported the JDS in its strong bastion and in some parts, it has supported BJP. The interesting factor in this election is, the Congress has ‘lost’ the Ahinda votes from its basket. Despite a number of good programmes for the Dalits and Backward Classes and Siddaramaiah government was branded as ‘Ahinda government’, the result and voting share itself shows that the Congress has not got the votes from these two communities as it expected. But the Muslims have supported the Siddaramaiah government. Going by the result analysis and vote sharing, it is confirmed that more than 80 per cent Muslims have endorsed the government programmes and voted the Congress. This means, Muslims have played a pivotal role in Congress getting 78 seats. The Congress leadership should not forget this fact. The Congress leaders should think about ensuring natural justice to the community which supported them.
Now the Congress has seven Muslim MLAs. But both BJP and JDS have no Muslim MLAs this time. in recent years, this time the Muslim community has less number of MLAs. At this time, the Congress should not give excuses and cheat the Muslim community. Out of 22 portfolios, the Congress should give at least three posts to the community and while considering them, top portfolios like revenue, industry, health, education and others should be given. Those who were elected from Congress have all abilities to handle any portfolios. Considering the experience, previous achievements, the votes they have taken, regional representation, service to the party and opinion among people, the Congress should give cabinet ranks to minimum three members out of seven MLAs. Other minorities like Jains, Christians and others should also get their share. Social justice should not remain as a slogan, but it should be implemented effectively.
If the Muslims were cheated without doing this, the Congress will have to face the opposition from the community. Those who are against giving portfolios to Muslim community saying that Hindus would detach from the Congress, should clarify about how many Hindu houses they have reached, how many programmes of the Siddaramaiah government they have taken to the houses of Hindus? Just making loud speeches on the stages would not help as such speeches would not convert into votes. They have to work hard to get votes. But some Congress leaders have forgotten this very simple mantra. Such leaders have raised their objection on giving more seats to Muslims.
No community should be given more seats than it deserves. But it should get the seats it deserved as a social justice. Then only, we could ensure social justice. If it is forgotten, then Muslims may think of cornering the Congress in future.
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Raj Bhavan urges ECI to act against CEO officials for 'leaking' list of goons to political leaders
Kolkata (PTI): The Raj Bhavan here moved the Election Commission of India, urging it to identify and take strong action against officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal who may have "leaked names of gangsters and goons" to political parties, sources said on Saturday.
In the wake of the ongoing general elections, the office of Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose had, using its own mechanism, compiled a list of suspected criminals across the state who could be used by political parties to intimidate voters on or before poll dates besides creating other law and order situations.
In the second week of March, the Raj Bhavan had shared a list of such goons and anti-social elements with top officials of the CEO's office, West Bengal, through the state Director General of Police for appropriate pre-emptive action, an official said.
"A few senior officials of the CEO office, West Bengal may have leaked the list of the suspected criminals, provided by the Raj Bhavan, to top political leaders of the state," the source told PTI and suggested that, in doing so, may have thwarted the governor's attempts to reign in criminal activities during the polls.
The Raj Bhavan move comes in the wake of sustained face-offs between the governor's office and the state administration over political and administrative matters in Bengal.
The move by Bose was also made within 48 hours of the Trinamool Congress complaining about him with the CEO for "repeatedly illegally interfering with the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024" after he reportedly made initial plans to visit poll areas during the silent period and the first phase on polls in north Bengal, an idea which the Governor later scrapped.
The names of anti-social elements were gathered based on complaints received from people over the phone at the 'Peace Room' established by Governor Bose inside the Raj Bhavan premises and also from grassroots feedback he received during his field visits, the source said.
"These goons and anti-social elements are likely to disrupt the voting process by scaring the common voters during the polls in this state. This disclosure of confidential and sensitive information is a gross violation of Clause E of the ECI manual (Document No: 324.6.EPS:MA: 004:2023)," he said.
The official, however, refused to disclose the name of the political party or parties to whom the 'confidential' list was allegedly leaked.
"… This exercise of identifying the persons responsible for making the voters/villages vulnerable shall be undertaken polling station wise indicating the name of (the) village, hamlet, names of the potential troublemakers, including their address, and so on. This work has to be done by maintaining complete confidentiality of the informers/source…" Clause E of the ECI manual states.
Hence, the Raj Bhavan source added, "It was incumbent upon the Election Commission authorities of Bengal to maintain confidentiality of the sensitive information on goons."
The CEO of West Bengal received a substantial number of complaints related to violence and voter/polling agent intimidation from three Lok Sabha constituencies – Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduars – which went for polls on Friday during the first phase of elections.
The complaints were lodged by both the ruling Trinamool Congress as well opposition parties like the BJP, Left and Congress amid assertions from the CEO’s office that polling was "largely peaceful".
Earlier on Wednesday, incidents of violence were reported during Ram Navami processions from Saktipur and Beldanga in Murshidabad district where at least four persons were injured.
The ECI on Friday suspended the OCs of the two police stations for "failing in containing and preventing repeated communal violence in areas under their jurisdiction".
Apprehensive that goons and anti-social elements would be used to scare voters by creating an atmosphere of violence and would be indulged in other electoral malpractices like casting of false votes, multiple opposition party leaders as well as those of the Trinamool Congress have also registered complaints with the poll body.
The ECI, incidentally, has asked the Union Home ministry to deploy 920 companies of central forces in West Bengal, which is the highest in terms of such deployment anywhere in the country for this year's ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
