Letters to the Editor: 23 May, 2019

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May 23, 2019

Water scarcity in India

The recent spate of acute drinking water crisis across in India is moving to an alarming situation. The newly elected government along with the international agencies should now be in a position to tackle the situation urgently much before the problem becomes bigger in the coming years leading to scarcity.

At a time when the entire world is at the crossroads due to imbalanced weather conditions, climate change and week monsoon predictions are an element which was overlooked while dealing with the water scarcity. Timely analysis of climate change pattern and at least a warning should have been sounded much before the onset of summer season or anytime during the dry season.

Proactive preventive measures to mitigate the crisis and save precious drinking water should have planned in phases much early. The world is now reeling due to an extreme and hot weather conditions, owing to climate change and India definitely is not an exception.

Consistent efforts to reduce wastage of drinking water, steps to preserve lakes and water bodies, encouraging rainwater harvesting, extensive climate change awareness programs, effective global policy level changes and adopting eco-friendly measures are some of the major steps needed. These are needed on priority to tackle the drinking water crisis across the globe.

Varun Dambal

Eid is all about sharing happiness

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramzan. All Muslim countries celebrate Eid as a sign of Muslim unity and values. Starting a day with special prayers and a sweet dish called ‘Sheer Khurma’ men, women and children wear new clothes, while women along with new clothes also wear bangles and apply mehndi. The children receive blessings and gifts from elders called Eidi. Being happy and thankful to Allah, we should not forget the workers who are not celebrating Eid because of their duties such as policeman, housemaids and gatekeepers. We should share our happiness with them too, as Eid is all about sharing happiness and joy.

Jubel D’Cruz

EVM blues

EVM issue continues to crop up when BJP is having upper hand in election results. But at the same time when Congress cornered Chattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan no one dared to complain. This is the order of the day and the election commission should pass strictures to avoid such a situation in future. In a democracy, both victory and defeat are part and parcel and the political parties should have the guts to face both in the same way. Meeting EC and creating a flutter is the order of the day of the opposition. EVM blues continue to create chaos among the opposition.

C.K. Subramaniam

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Left cadres behind BJP victory in West Bengal?

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Web Team

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May 23, 2019

It is unfortunate for Indian democracy that the Left Front suffered severe defeat in its old bastion West Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the first time could not open its account in the state.

The Left Front-ruled the state for seven consecutive terms from 1977 to 2011. Jyoti Basu had been the Chief Minister of West Bengal for five consecutive terms and Buddhadev Bhattacharya was CM of the state for two terms. Mamata Banerjee single-handedly wrecked the red bastion in West Bengal ending Left Front’s uninterrupted 34-year-old. Mamata made possible, which seemed impossible. She set up the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after falling out with the Congress Party. Didi became the face of the opposition in West Bengal, Banerjee. She fought against the ruling CPI (M)-led Left Front over the last 23 years. She earned the reputation of being a street-fighting politician.

In 2014 the Trinamool Congress won 34 seats, while CPM got only two seats. The Congress won 4 seats and the BJP got 2 seats in West Bengal. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee coined a catchy slogan Ma, Mati o Manush (Mother, Land and People). But she could not protect her fort in the 2019 Lok Sabha and lost 17 seats to the BJP. It is a major loss to the chief minister of the state.

According to sources, the cadres of the Left Front played an important role in the sudden rise of the BJP in West Bengal and the electoral debacle of Mamata Banerjee this time. In conversation with Afternoon Voice Partha Chatterjee, Education Minister of West Bengal accused Left Parties and the Congress of this. He said that both are guilty of the emergence of the BJP as a prominent political force in West Bengal. However, later on, Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of CPI (M), denied that CPI (M) has helped the BJP in West Bengal. He blamed the Trinamool Congress for facilitating the entry of the BJP into West Bengal. The Left remained the last hurdle against the BJP in the state.

Blame game may go on. But post-election all opposition parties have to introspect for the loss in the parliamentary elections. They have to chalk out a practical strategy and follow their ideologies. Just before the parliamentary elections, opposition parties tried to come together but they could not do so. If they will continue to fight against each other, no one can check BJP.

Loss in Amethi to mark the end of Rahul’s career? Smriti leads with 43k votes

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Web Team

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May 23, 2019

Soon after the early leads started coming in today, Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s battle to retain the Amethi seats is getting tougher to impossible, as believed by political experts. Amethi, a majorly rural Lok Sabha constituency in Avadh region of Uttar Pradesh in North India, which is the constituency of Rahul since 2004 seems to have changed its support and has voted for BJP candidate Smriti Irani who is leading with a significant margin and managed to slow down Rahul by majorly reducing his previous margin. She is reportedly leading with more than 43,000 votes as Rahul Gandhi trails with 38,615 votes.

Rahul Gandhi is also contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, where he has been leading since morning. However, Amethi is considered as an eye candy seat and one of the most highlighting one. Smriti Irani left no stone unturned to campaign aggressively there; in 2014, she had contested and lost to Rahul Gandhi although managed to cut down RaGa’s margin even in the previous general election. Throughout the last five years, she continued being in touch with the people there. She had also always accused the Amethi MP Rahul of neglecting his own constituency. However, the stark contrast in campaigning aggression became evident with Rahul visiting the constituency only once before filing his nomination papers. Being divided between the two constituencies — Wayanad and Amethi — and campaigning in various campaigns across the country, Rahul’s presence this time was weaker in Amethi as compared to the super-active Irani. Although his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited and campaigned in Amethi several times; Sonia Gandhi too was seen actively campaigning in Raebareli. Experts believe that the probable loss in Amethi for Congress will cost the party and the prospects of its president too. Will the set back in Congress’s old bastion mark the end of Rahul Gandhi’s political career?

Regional parties failed to give tough fight to BJP?

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Web Team

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May 23, 2019

While BJP’s victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was clearly predicted by political experts, expectations were high from the regional parties but the early trends on the counting day came out with a dying down picture. The calculation of the regional parties across the country to be on top of the game ended up being a daydream, as per trends so far. Although the vote share differences and previous year comparisons would be clearer with time, it is quite evident that the people’s mandate has supposedly gone against the parties pushing for ‘Mahagathbandhan’. BJP is also set to have the absolute majority, and the face of the party PM Modi is leading by 80,000 votes in Varanasi.

West Bengal which kept its position in the limelight throughout the pre-poll and poll season seems to be experiencing the signs of all changes elsewhere. While the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress managed to maintain its lead in 22 seats, BJP which only got 2 seats in 2014, is giving a neck-to-neck fight by leading in 18 seats; On the other hand, Congress is struggling with one seat and Left vanishes.

The Hindi belt of India which saw a change in the recent Assembly elections is another highlight of the day. While it was massively believed that BJP is going to face a tough contest in all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh due to the alliance of Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal, BJP is leading in 52 seats in the state while the alliance is leading with 26 seats and Congress has come to blows with only two seats so far.

Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha constituencies and BJP is leading with 22 seats, the ruling Congress leads in 6 seats and non-aligned in one seat. The SP and BSP alliance failed to make a mark in the state at the time this report was penned down. Jyotiraditya Scindia too is trailing in the battle.

Maharashtra seems to be leading as another landmark for the saffron party along with its saffron alliance Shiv Sena. The ruling alliance that in 2014 won 41 seats, BJP won 23 seats and the Shiv Sena got 18, this time too is leading with 40 seats so far while the opposition alliance that includes NCP and Congress is struggling with 7 seats.

Delhi’s seven seats show another soothing victory trend for BJP. All the seven constituencies are giving their leads to the BJP candidates.

BJP leads in all seven seats in Delhi, Congress second in five constituencies

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Afternoon Voice

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May 23, 2019

The BJP is leading the trends in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, with the Congress trailing in five constituencies and the AAP in two seats, poll officials said.

Debutant Gautam Gambhir, Union minister Harsh Vardhan and sitting lawmaker Manoj Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata Party were among early gainers.

Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit was on the second spot behind Tiwari, by a margin of 29,797 votes in North East Delhi while former MP J P Agarwal, pitted against Vardhan in Chandni Chowk constituency, was trailing by 8,764 votes.

Agarwal has alleged that strongrooms were opened in “absence” of his counting agents.

Sitting BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma was leading against his Congress rival Mahabal Mishra by 37,387 votes in the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, they said.

BJP candidates were also leading in New Delhi, South Delhi and North West Delhi parliamentary constituencies.

Cricketer-turned-BJP leader Gambhir was leading in East Delhi against Congress’ Arvinder Singh Lovely by a margin 18,632 votes.

Sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri was leading against his AAP rival Raghav Chadha by 30,755 votes in the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat, officials said.

Sitting New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi was ahead of Congress’ Ajay Maken by a margin of 10,486 votes.

In North West Delhi, saffron party’s Hans Raj Hans was ahead of AAP’s Gagan Singh by 46,379 votes, they said.

AAP North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey told reporters that people to not make any judgement on the basis of initial trends, as “it will not be apt”.

Counting is underway for all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi to decide the fate of 164 candidates, who contested the Lok Sabha elections here on May 12.

Over 1.43 crore people were eligible to vote in the polls in Delhi, out of which 60.21 per cent had exercised their franchise.

The elections for the seven parliamentary seats were largely a triangular contest among the incumbent BJP, a spirited Congress and the AAP – the ruling party in Delhi.

Prominent names who were in the fray include former Delhi chief minister Dikshit, Union Minister Vardhan and cricketer-turned-politician Gambhir.

Olympian boxer Vijender Singh (South Delhi), who made his electoral debut, and AAP’s Atishi are also among the candidates in Delhi.

While the BJP, which had won all seven seats in the 2014 polls, is keen to regain the turf, the Congress, that ended up at the third spot in the last Lok Sabha elections, is looking to bounce back.

BJP-led NDA leading in more than 300 seats

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Web Team

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May 23, 2019

Early trends of the counting of votes showed the BJP-led ruling NDA leading in more than 300 seats with the BJP at 270-plus. The trends showed the Congress at 51 and the UPA leading in around 100 seats.

The counting of votes began at 8 am. Election Commission officials said that final results are expected only by late evening. The trends of the counting are in accordance with exit polls results, which have forecasted a clear majority for the BJP-led NDA.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers, BJP chief Amit Shah, the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are among key leaders who contested the polls.

Most exit polls predicted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) is on course to retain power for a second term. However, the opposition parties have trashed results of the exit polls, claiming that the BJP will suffer severe defeat.

It is remarkable that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were held for 542 seats from April 11 to May 19, including 48 parliamentary constituencies of Maharashtra. Around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha from a total of 8,049 contestants. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 282 seats while the Congress suffered a severe defeat, getting an all-time low of 44.

NDA candidates ahead in 35 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

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Afternoon Voice

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May 23, 2019

NDA, Bihar Assembly, Bihar, Elections Results, Elections Polls, Lok Sabha Elections 2019 — Image Courtesy: HT Media

The NDA in Bihar is leading in 35 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, while grand alliance partner RJD is ahead in two seats, as per initial trends of the Election Commission.

NDA constituents JD(U) and BJP are leading in 15 seats each followed by the LJP in 5 seats.

Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ravi Shankar Prasad are among the NDA candidates who are leading.

Prominent among those who are trailing are Sharad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata dal, Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav, former Lok Sabha speaker Meera Kumar of the Congress, RLSP’s Upendra Kushwaha and former chief minister Jitan Kumar Manjhi.

The RJD is leading in Jehanabad and Pataliputra seats.

BJP candidate Giriraj Singh is leading against CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai constituency by 50,743 votes.

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is leading over his Congress rival Shatrughan Sinha by 12,734 votes.

JD(U)’s Dinesh Chandra Yadav is leading over his

In Gaya(SC), JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar is leading over Sharad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal by 21,997 votes.

In Sasaram (SC) seat, Cheedi Paswan of the BJP is leading over Meera Kumar of the Congress by 21,205 votes.

JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar is leading against former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) by 30,728 votes.

In Karakat seat, Mahabali Singh of the JD(U) is leading against his RLSP rival Upendra Kushwaha by 4217 votes.

In Jamui(SC) seat, LJP candidate Chirag Paswan is leading against his RLSP rival Bhudeo Choudhary by 8,821 votes.

BJP’s Gopaljee Thakur is leading against RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddique by a margin of 45,184 votes in Darbhanga.

JD(U)’s Alok Kumar Suman is leading by 20,402 votes in Gopalganj constituency against his RJD rival Surendra Ram while JD(U)’s Ramprit Mandal is leading by 17,332 votes against his RJD rival Gulab Yadav in Jhanjharpur.

In Kishanganj, JD(U) candidate Syed Mahmood Ashraf is leading over his Congress rival Mohammad Jawed by 9,982 votes.

In Gaya(SC), JD(U)’s Vijay Kumar is leading against former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) by 22, 708 votes.

BJP’s Ashok Yadav is leading over his Vikashsheel Insaan Party rival Badri Kumar Purbey by 26,728 votes in Madhubani.

Janardan Singh Sigriwal of the BJP is leading over RJD’s Randhir Kumar Singh by 21,344 votes in Maharajganj,

NDA’s Sanjay Jaiswal is leading in Bettiah, while Dileshwar Kamat is leading in Supaul.
Misa Bharati of the RJD is leading over Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav by 6,200 votes.

RJD candidate Surendra Yadav is leading in Jehanabad over his nearest rival JD(U)’S Chandreshwar Chandravanshi by 330 votes.

Odisha Assembly trends: BJD leading on 26 seats, BJP ahead on 8

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Afternoon Voice

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May 23, 2019

Biju Janata Dal of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is leading in the Odisha Assembly polls, official trends showed.

While BJD is leading on 26 seats in the 147-member House, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead on 8 seats, according to the trends two hours after counting of votes started at 8 am.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, BJD had secured 117 seats while BJP bagged 10 seats. Congress won 16 seats in the state.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly trends: YSRCP leading on 76 seats, TDP ahead on 11

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Afternoon Voice

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May 23, 2019

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Jaganmohan Reddy, is leading in Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls, according to official trends.

YSRCP is ahead on 76 seats out of a total of 175 while the ruling TDP of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is leading on 11 seats, the trends two hours after the counting of votes began at 8 AM, showed.

Jana Sena party of actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan is leading on one seat. The state went to polls on April 11.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, TDP formed the government with 102 seats while YSRCP bagged 67 seats.

Election Results 2019: Early trends show comfortable lead for BJP, Rahul leads from Wayanad

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Afternoon Voice

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May 23, 2019

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken an early lead as counting of the ballot for the 542 Lok Sabha seats gathered pace across the country began on Thursday.

The BJP was leading in 206 seats while the Indian National Congress was placed second in the list with 55 seats according to officials trends of 371 constituencies.

In Uttar Pradesh, BJP is surging on 39 seats, while BSP and SP are ahead on eight and two seats, respectively. Congress is leading on one seat out of the total 80, maximum for a state in the country.

BJP is leading in 22 seats and Congress in 2 out of the total 26 seats in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Modi.

Shiv Sena was leading on 13 seats, while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was ahead on 13, at 9:30 am.

Other parties such as Shiromani Akali Das, Mizo National Front and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference are leading in one seat.

According to early trends, Congress president Rahul Gandhi is leading in Kerala’s Wayanad constituency by over 5,000 votes.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also leading from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli.

Congress leader Digvijaya Sigh is trailing behind BJPs Praygya Thakur by over 3,000 votes in Bhopal. Besides, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna and Vivek Tankha from Jabalpur are trailing.

In the national capital, BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri is leading from South Delhi and BJP’s Parvesh Verma is ahead from West Delhi.

The Lok Sabha polls that commenced on April 11 and wrapped up on May 19, saw approximately 900 million voters exercising their franchise and deciding the fate of 7,928 candidates across 542 seats in the country. Out of those candidates, 724 were women and four were transgenders.