PK will be CM face of Jan Suraaj in Bihar assembly elections, says party president Uday Singh
PATNA: Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) national president and former Purnea MP Uday Singh alias Pappu Singh on Thursday revealed that Prashant Kishor would be the chief ministerial candidate of the party in the upcoming Bihar assembly election. Kishor is the founder of JSP.
JSP's national president's statement is in contrast of Kishor's stand on the issue as the latter has repeatedly said that he was not in the race for the CM's post. It has to be seen how Kishor responds to his party chief's statement as the former is currently on 'Bihar Badalo Yatra', ahead of the assembly elections.
Singh claimed that a wave of change was sweeping entire Bihar, and it could also be felt easily, adding that people from different villages were joining JSP.
'People are posing faith in the leadership of Kishor', he said, adding JSP was more a movement aimed at reforming society than a political party.
He alleged that all political parties were only interested in power, as the state's deplorable condition was also due to it.
Singh also attacked Bihar chief minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar by claiming that migration from the state had not stopped despite the JD (U) leader being at the helm for the last 20 years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Opposition may raise revision of electoral rolls in Parliament
Opposition INDIA bloc partners may raise the Election Commission of India's (ECI) move to conduct a door-to-door special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, just months before the crucial assembly polls, in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, two senior leaders of the Opposition grouping said on Sunday. Two days after the ECI's announcement to start the SIR of electoral rolls, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the move was more dangerous than the National Register of Citizens (NRC).(File Photo) A senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said the issue will be also taken up politically by the INDIA bloc parties. 'The talks among INDIA bloc allies have already started on this issue,' the leader said. Also read: EC 'clarifies' rules as Bihar voter roll drive starts today In Patna, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said all constituents of INDIA bloc may knock the door of judiciary against the ongoing SIR if the poll body does not accept opposition parties' objections about the drive. 'The SIR drive of the EC is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise poor, tribal, young, flood-affected, and migrant voters in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. All constituents of INDIA bloc may knock the door of judiciary against the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll in Bihar if the EC does not accept the opposition's objections about the drive,' the Rajya Sabha member said. ECI on June 24 announced it will undertake SIR of the electoral roll across the country, beginning with Bihar, to weed out ineligible names, citing rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants. The announcement met with strong criticism from Bihar's opposition Mahagathbandhan, which claimed the move was aimed at electorally benefiting the ruling NDA in the poll-bound state. Singh said he spoke to RJD chief Lalu Prasad on the issue and urged him to speak to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The SIR drive has been launched just a few months before the state polls, Singh said, adding, 'The EC should have taken the opinion of all political parties before launching this drive.' Two days after the ECI's announcement to start the SIR of electoral rolls, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the move was more dangerous than the National Register of Citizens (NRC). 'I don't understand the reason behind the ECI move or the rationale behind selecting these dates. This is nothing short of a scam. I seek clarification from the commission on whether they are trying to implement the NRC through the back door. In fact, this looks to be more dangerous than the NRC which every political party in Opposition must resist,' Banerjee, who is also the TMC chief, said. A leader of a non-Congress party said the ongoing drive might impact other states as well. 'Next year, three states which are ruled by INDIA bloc parties will go to poll. Therefore, we need to be united to tackle the issue,' the leader said, also declining to be named. In 2026, TMC-ruled West Bengal, DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and the Left parties-led Kerala will go to polls along with Assam and Puducherry.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Amritsar North MLA suspended by AAP for 5 years
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has suspended its Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, for five years over his alleged involvement in anti-party activities, reported PTI. The move comes just days after Singh criticised the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia and the way the Vigilance Bureau raided his residence. In April 2007, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh became Amritsar's Senior Superintendent of Police and served in that position till October 2009. (File) According to party sources, the decision to suspend Singh was taken by the party's political affairs committee, who added that there is no place in the party for those who try to hinder its campaign against drugs, the PTI report said. Also read: Punjab: AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay questions his govt's action against Majithia Who is Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh Before his political career started, Singh was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre. Originally from Bihar's Gopalganj district, Singh has had several feathers in his cap. In April 2007, Singh became Amritsar's Senior Superintendent of Police and served in that position till October 2009. He became Deputy Inspector General of Police in April 2015 and Inspector General of Police in April 2019. In 2021, Singh resigned from his IPS job and entered politics. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party and in 2022, Singh won from Amritsar North constituency and became part of the Punjab's state assembly. He defeated Congress' sitting MLA Sunil Datti. Singh has earned Masters of Arts in Sanskrit from Patna University and in Political Science from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He did his PhD in Police Administration from Amritsar's Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and has also done bachelors in law (LLB) from Punjab University, followed by an MBA from IGNOU. Most recently, Singh earned a diploma in French language from GNDU. According to Singh's website, he is also an Advocate with the Punjab and Haryana high court. Singh was the chief of the Special Investigation Team formed to investigate the firing incidents in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in 2015, which originated from the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The report filed by Singh in the Haryana and Punjab high court shook the state government at the time headed by Captain Amarinder Singh. However, the report was rejected by the high court which called it politically motivated. Singh' wife, Madhumita, passed away last year and he has two daughters. What did Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh say? On June 25, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh shared a video of the Vigilance Bureau's raid on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia's house. In the video, Majithia's wife Ganieve Kaur, who is the SAD MLA from Majitha constituency, is seen protesting the highhandedness of the bureau officials for barging into her house. Sharing the video, Singh wrote, 'When Majithia ji was in jail in 2022, the Bhagwant Mann-led government neither conducted any interrogation nor sought his remand and eventually allowed him bail.' 'The dignity of a family is shared by all — whether one is a politician, actor, rich or poor, friend or foe. Conducting a raid at someone's house early in the morning is against ethical principles. Almost every government has misused the police and vigilance agencies for its own benefit, but the outcome has never been significant,' he added. 'I may have political disagreements or ideological differences with someone, but when it comes to principles, religion, and integrity — it becomes necessary to speak out. When Majithia Sahib was in jail in a case registered during the Congress government, the Mann government did not seek any remand or conduct any questioning. Later, the state apparatus under Mann sahib even facilitated his bail.' 'The Punjab and Haryana high court granted bail (to Majithia) on grounds that if the police don't require someone for interrogation, keeping them in custody is against the law. My point is that when he was in custody, the government enabled his bail, and now suddenly, notices are being issued to him, raids are being conducted at his house, and the dignity of his wife is being violated. It is important to mention here that I have an ideological disagreement with Majithia sahib — and that remains. But this is a matter of ethics and integrity.'
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Water body or low-lying land? A dispute that lies at the heart of Delhi's depleting wetlands
A long-running tug of war between two government agencies in Delhi over Tikri Khurd lake, which spans over 40 acres in Narela,is symptomatic of why wetlands and water bodies are depleting in the national capital. It's been eight years since the Centre formulated wetland rules –which made it mandatory for all States and Union Territories to form State wetland authorities and identify and notify all wetlands – but not a single wetland has been notified in the Capital. Over six years have elapsed since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed authorities to conserve Tikri Khurd lake. No action has been taken, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which owns the lake, continues to deny that it is a water body. 'We are of the view that the Wetland Authority of Delhi (WAD) must look into the matter. Even if it is found thatthe area in question is not technically a wetland, the lake is required to be preserved as a water body,' the NGT had said in an order dated March 29, 2019. A similar stand taken by the DDA in 2019 was flayed by the NGT as showing lack of commitment for conserving the water body and 'focusing on technicalities and shifting responsibility'. Expertshave highlighted that the role of wetlands is vitalin the city's hydrological cycle, which provides a wide range of ecosystem services likewater storage, purification, groundwater recharge and helps prevent waterlogging and floods. Dwindling numbers The situation of the Tikri Khurd lake is not unique. Diwan Singh, a Delhi-based environment activist, criticised the authorities for not trying to revive water bodies. 'The government is not doing anything to revive water bodies. Even water bodies mentioned in government records are being legally or illegally filled up in many cases,' Mr.Singh said. The WAD is supposed to notify water bodies that fit the definition of 'wetlands'. It should also provide legal protection from encroachments and facilitate efforts to rejuvenate them. But Delhi has lost several wetlands to unplanned growth and encroachments, say experts. Meanwhile, the government agencies in charge ofwater bodies in Delhi have reportedly requested WAD for the 'deletion'of 232 out of 1,045 water bodies — over 22% — from the official records, due to encroachment and other reasons. Agencies at odds The DDA describes Tikri Khurd lake as a 'low-lying land' where sewer water has accumulated. 'It is hereby requested to kindly not issue the notification declaring the Tikri Khurd lake under the Wetlands (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017 since the said area is the acquired land of DDA,' the DDA told WAD in a communication dated November 29, 2024, accessed byThe Hindu. WAD officials say obstacles like the one they are facing with Tikri Khurd lake are causing the delay in notifying water bodies as wetlands in the Capital. However, a WAD official asserted that the lake is a water body and they have donea ground-truthing exercise, whichinvolves verifying data by comparing it to real-time observations or measurements. 'A technical committee of the Wetland Authority of Delhi had in 2021 recommended to notify the lake as a wetland after its assessment. It has remained in our records as a water body and the DDA cannot say that it is not a water body. We will push for notifying it as a wetland,' the official said. There was no response when The Hindu reached out to a DDA spokesperson and vice-chairperson's office. Meanwhile, when The Hindu visited the area, a large shallow waterlogged area was found. Residents recalled the destruction of smaller ponds as the village grew, while the current lake gradually filled the remaining low-lying land.
