RSS Mouthpiece Queers Pitch, Bats for Narendra Modi as PM Candidate

Narendra Modi obtained a taken in the arm with another Sangh Parivar publication, Planner, declaring that only the Gujarat CM has the possible to launch the celebration to energy single-handedly, just like Atal Bihari Vajpayee did in the 1990s.

The perspective is considerable because BJP has shied away from punctuation out its selection for PM, and because of the evaluation in the political teams that the projector screen of Modi as the candidate for the top job is going to obtain powerand may become almost unbeatable if he wins the assembly polls slated be sortedlater this season.

Will Swing votes in BJP’s favour

The Planner content requires go on all the justifications marshalled by those who think Modi’s projector screen will harm the BJP; generally that labeling the hardliner as the excellent ministerial selection would further undercut its already limited public charm and placing off NDA companions like Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who wish to win over the Islamic election.

He argues that the limitation can be overcome by projecting a strong leader “whose appeal transcends state boundaries”, and who “would give BJP’s campaign a nationwide momentum and help it make substantial gains even in non-BJP strongholds”.

It also joins issue with the argument that Modi’s projection will scare away allies, channeling the view of the Hindutva hardliners in BJP that finding partners will not be a problem so long as the party is seen as a winning ticket. “The number of BJP allies grew between 1996 and 1999 principally because regional parties saw an accretion in their strength owing to the incremental role that Vajpayee had delivered to them. The same would work for the BJP at the helm,” it says.

Modi has come out in the assistance of BJP primary Nitin Gadkari, who is commonly seen as the RSS appointee.

Advani, Sushma give Mumbai BJP rally a miss

BJP rallies held after meetings of its national executive are intended to beam a unity message and rally the cadre. But such is the party’s factional dynamics that the absence of senior leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj at Friday’s rally spurred talk of a deliberate snub.

Swaraj and Advani skipping the show led to speculation that they had kept away due to their unhappiness over BJP chief Nitin Gadkari being given a second consecutive term and the party’s capitulation to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad denied the duo was sulking and said they had conveyed their inability to attend. “There is nothing to be read. They are busy with 8pre-8determined programmes,” he said.

Senior party sources also insisted that the absence of Advani and Swaraj was not a deliberate act and should not be read in the context of their alleged differences with Gadkari and Modi.

Yet, the absence ensured that the meeting that began amid controversy with Modi forcing BJP and RSS to bend to his will, ended on a similar note. Asked if the presence of all top leaders would have served the party’s purpose better, Prasad said there would be other occasions where the brass would be seen together on stage.

With Gadkari making peace with Modi, the equations in BJP have altered a bit. Swaraj and Advani have been critical of some of Gadkari’s decisions like one to induct former BSP leader Babu Singh Kushwaha, an accused in the UP rural health mission scam, into the BJP ahead of the state poll.

Party leaders said Advani had gone to meet an ailing relative when the executive ratified the decision to give Gadkari a second term. However, Advani is party to a decision of the office-bearers to adopt a resolution to the same effect earlier in Delhi.

“Advani’s schedule was fixed earlier so he won’t be there and Swaraj has to attend a programme in Ghaziabad tomorrow morning,” party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Former Maharashtra deputy CM Gopinath Munde, who has been at odds with Gadkari, said that he along with other leaders supported the resolution seeking to give a consecutive three-year term to the BJP president. Speaking on the political resolution, Swaraj underlined the need for greater coordination between the parliamentary wing and the organizational wing of the party for launching a decisive battle ahead.

Delhi civic polls: BJP ahead in all 3 corporations in early trends

BJP was on Tuesday ahead in all the three municipal corporations of Delhi as counting of votes progressed for the polls held two days ago. The counting for 272 wards is taking place in 33 centres across the city.

Polling for all the 272 wards spread in three civic bodies — East, South and North — were held on Sunday in which 55 per cent of the 1.15 crore voters exercised their franchise.

The trends showed that BJP is ahead in 59 wards in the North while Congress is leading in 24 and others in 14 seats for which trends are available.

Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta’s wife Shobha is leading in Rohini Central ward by a margin of over 2,000 votes against her Congress rival Dr Monica Puri. Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi (BJP) is also leading in Mukherjee Nagar.

In South Delhi Corporation, BJP is ahead in 47 seats while Congress is ahead in 22 wards while in East, BJP is surging in 28 seays and Congress 16.

Stakes are high for both the national parties in the municipal polls, considered as a semifinal ahead of the assembly elections next year.

There are 104 each wards in South and North Corporations and 64 in the East, of which 138 seats are reserved for women. South has the highest number of 904 candidates followed by North (885) and East (634).

In the 2007 polls to the undivided Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD), BJP had bagged 36.17 per cent of the around 42.35 lakh votes polled while Congress got 29.17 per cent. BSP’s vote share was 9.87 per cent.

Akhilesh Yadav to file papers for legislative council poll

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav would file his nomination papers on Thursday for the biennial elections to 13 seats of legislative council slated for April 26 next.

Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary would be filing their nomination papers, SP sources here said.

Akhilesh Yadav, sworn in as the youngest chief minister of the state on March 15 last, is now not a member of any of the houses of the legislature.

Meanwhile, five nomination papers were on Wednesday filed for the biennial elections.

Notable among those who filed their papers are revenue minister Ambika Chaudhary, Madhu Gupta, Naresh Chand Uttam , Ram Sakal Gurjar and Vijay Yadav (all belonging to SP).

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Time magazine cover page

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi figures on the cover of the forthcoming problem of Time magazine which praises him in an article for growth of the state he has been ruling for over a decade but wonders if he can become the Prime Minister.

The cover of the Time magazine’s March 26 issue features Modi, with the caption: “Modi means business but can he lead India”.

In an article headline “Boy from the backyard”, in the forthcoming edition, the US magazines describes Modi as a “controversial, ambitious and shrewd politician”.

It also mentions his series of day-long Sadbhavana fasts to reach out to the people of the state.

“It’s Modi in makeover mode: an act of self-purification, humility and bridge building in a state that is still traumatised by the Hindu-led anti-Muslim massacres of 10 years ago and the flawed investigations in their wake…,” the article says.

The Time magazine article says Modi is a firm, “no-nonsense leader” who can steer India out of a “mire of chronic corruption and inefficiency”.

Election results: Counting of votes underway in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Counting of votes for 117 assembly seats in Punjab started at 8am on Tuesday, Election Commission officials said here.

It is going to be a close battle between the SAD-BJP and the Congress in the state. Early trends show a neck-and-neck race between the two sides.

The fate of 1,078 candidates, including 93 women and 417 independents, will be decided during the day. Voting was held in the state on January 30.

Most results are expected later in the afternoon after all rounds of counting of votes on the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are completed, a Punjab Election Commission official said.

There are 52 counting centres across the state.

Nearly 78 percent of the 17.6 million voters exercised their franchise. This was an all-time record for assembly polls in the state.

The main contest is between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) alliance and the Congress.

A third front, Sanjha Morcha, formed recently and led by former finance minister Manpreet Badal’s People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), had added a new dimension to the state’s politics.