Latest news with #I.N.D.I.A
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
'Exercise of exclusion': I.N.D.I.A. bloc warns of 'intensified movement' against Bihar SIR
New Delhi: Describing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar electoral rolls as an 'exercise of exclusion', I.N.D.I.A parties on Sunday warned of an 'intensified movement' next month claiming that the exercise will leave a large number of electors out of voters' list owing to their inability to provide documents of the Supreme Court is set to hear the petitions challenging the exercise, the Opposition bloc is stepping up their attack on the EC with sources saying I.N.D.I.A MPs will hold a protest at Makar Dwar of the Parliament House on Monday at 10:30 am, before the Lok Sabha starts the debate on Operation Sindoor. .With 64 lakh voters weeded out, SIR in Bihar sets an example of 'purifying' electoral a joint press conference of RJD, Congress, CPI(ML)L and CPI(M), the leaders launched an attack on the EC claiming that the whole process was squeezed into one month and because of that, the exercise is flawed. The leaders alleged that the EC was entering into the domain of citizenship verification when it is not its to the allegations, EC sources said the poll body is not able to understand why some are creating a 'big fuss' when there is a one-month window to point out wrongful inclusion or exclusion. Sources also asked why some are trying to give an impression that the draft list is the final one. .CPI(ML)L General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said, 'What I see is a huge gap in numbers in just six months. Does this mean that in just six months, around 22 lakh people have passed away? So, does this mean the ECI's summary revision was a flop?' .Claiming that a large number of people would be excluded from the rolls after the document verification begins, he said the SIR is 'clearly linked' to the upcoming election when the people of Bihar are ready for a change.'The poor and marginalised sections of Bihar have fought long for their voting rights and now they will also fight against this 'vote-bandi'. In August, Bihar will move into an intensified struggle mode against this exclusionary and disenfranchisement process,' he said. .Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said all the recent communication of the EC and refusal to accept Aadhaar, EPIC, and Ration Card as valid documents clearly point towards the fact that the entire SIR process is a citizenship verification Manoj K Jha said the EC did not discuss the SIR exercise with parties and built a consensus. "We have not seen such a large attempt of disenfranchisement in the history of independent India. Opacity has become the hallmark of this EC," the senior MP CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu asked the EC to provide the details of the independent assessment it said it conducted before deciding on the SIR. The EC had in an affidavit to the SC said that it had conducted an independent assessment, which prompted the exercise.
Deccan Herald
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Monsoon Session: I.N.D.I.A meet decides to raise Pahalgam, SIR
While AAP did not attend the online meeting, as it said it is 'out of the I.N.D.I.A bloc', the parties are also planning a joint protest by Opposition MPs – either a demonstration inside Parliament or a march to Election Commission or Jantar Mantar – against the SIR.
Deccan Herald
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Ahead of Monsoon session, I.N.D.I.A. to meet for first time since Lok Sabha polls
Hello Readers! I.N.D.I.A bloc is set to hold its first meeting in over 13 months after the Lok Sabha results, however the AAP won't take part in these meetings owing to political compulsions. The latest meeting comes two days ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the ongoing contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. On the other hand, BJP also held a similar meeting of senior leaders yesterday that saw J P Nadda, Amit Shah, and Kiren Rijiju in attendance among others at Rajnath Singh's residence. Stay tuned to track the latest updates
Deccan Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
NDA ally TDP echoes Opposition's concerns over Bihar electoral roll, asks poll body to 'clearly define' contours
It asked the EC to conduct SIR with 'sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election', in an apparent reference to conducting the Bihar SIR in June-July with just months left for Assembly polls in the state that has invited criticism from I.N.D.I.A parties.
New Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
The Dance Of Democracy
A victory felt like a defeat, and a defeat felt like a victory' is a line which spread like wildfire on social media among netizens after the outcome of India's 18th general elections. It summed up the experience of voters and also the political stakeholders. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), emerged victorious with 293 seats, and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), its main opposition, was confined to 235 seats. Although the NDA got the majority votes, the results were a shock for many political analysts who not only predicted an easy win to the NDA but also forecasted almost 400 seats to the NDA, with the BJP gaining 300-350 seats. Reclaiming Bharat: What Changed in 2024 and What Lies Ahead (Westland Books), by author and journalist Ashutosh, analyses what went wrong for the BJP and how the opposition parties turned the tables. Divided into 10 chapters, it covers Constitution debates, the politics of Mandalisation, and the temporary backlash against 'Hindutva' politics, among others. It also speaks about where the nation stands at this moment and where its key players stand. Excerpts from a conversation with the author. You considered the BJP's rise to power in 2014 a 'revolution' in your book based on '3Ds'—disconnection to the past, disruption in the present, and deconstruction of the future. Where does the 'revolution' stand now almost a year after the 2024 general elections? Yes, I indeed compared the BJP's rise to power to a revolution–and it offended many of my left-liberal friends. However, one must understand the ongoing deconstruction of India's socio-political and administrative systems. The country is chasing a utopia called the 'Hindu Rashtra,' backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). And, like every big corporation has a vertical, the BJP is also a vertical of the RSS. Hence, at this moment, the revolution is continuing. However, I must say that the government has got a little feeble as it does not have the complete majority on its own, and the RSS is also apprehensive a bit because of the negative portrayal of Hindutva by the international media and the threat of being discredited like political Islam. After the 2024 elections, it was expected that the I.N.D.I.A alliance would become a formidable option. However, the back-to-back debacle in the state assembly polls and bypolls, followed by the internal power tussle, has made them weak. Why? The I.N.D.I.A alliance, unlike other alliances in the past, is different. It was formed by parties that were worried about the Modi government's ideological dominance and hence, came together. They were not very friendly with each other, but came together, keeping the parliamentary elections in mind. At present, the alliance exists only on paper. Nevertheless, the alliance has created an ideological paradigm against the BJP, partly because of Rahul Gandhi. As the leader of the opposition, he has understood where the core problem lies. It is not a fight against Narendra Modi, but a fight against Hindutva and the RSS. Without defeating the latter two, one can't defeat the first one. How do you read the political image of Rahul Gandhi from visiting temples in 2018 to talking about social justice in 2024? Is it a journey from soft Hindutva to social justice? See, it is not fashionable to talk about Rahul Gandhi's achievements. He is often considered playing the soft-Hindutva card if he visits temples. Gandhi's answer to the BJP blends three elements: secularism, constitutionalism, and social justice. Unlike previous times, his secularism does not disapprove of religion. Instead, it engages with it. He persistently calls out the BJP's effort to dismantle the constitutional values. The movement for social justice has changed India's political landscape since 1990. The OBCs and the Dalits play a significant role in states like Maharashtra and UP. In 2024, the results provided the BJP with a shock as the OBCs and Dalits largely voted for the I.N.D.I.A alliance. So, he identifies the right people and the right ingredients to put up a fight with the BJP. How do you see the implementation of the caste census by the BJP after all the comments they made against it? It can be considered an ideological retreat. The caste-based division is the biggest hindrance to the RSS's political strategy of uniting the Hindus. However, they cannot ignore the importance of caste-based reservation given the present political scenario. They had to take a middle path. The minorities played a significant role in the last general election. Where do they stand now in the light of developments like the WAQF Amendment Bill? The minorities, especially the Muslims, have suffered the most in the RSS-BJP regime. The 2024 election was a reflection of that suffering. As long as Hindutva remains a dominant ideology, their suffering will prevail.
