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Modi’s proactive measures to fight Corruption

October 23, 2019

One of the biggest evils plaguing our nation is the curse of corruption. Corruption in the Indian society has prevailed from time immemorial in one form or the other. Corruption is a slow poison which kills the constitution, the society and the economy of developing nations. Asserting his government’s resolve against corruption and nepotism, PM Modi has already assured “justice” against the country’s economic offenders. It is to be appreciated that Modi government has provided an incorruptible administration at the helm. It has taken stringent steps to arrest generation of black money as well ensure that economic offenders are brought to book. The menace of corruption and black money has adversely affected us for decades. Under the dynamic leadership of Modi, the government has taken various proactive measures against black money stashed abroad which have led to positive results.

Stating that India stands committed in its fight against corruption, Modi has rightly said that “The very day that we assumed office, we constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Supreme Court to look into the issue. Government has entered into agreements with many countries for exchanging real time information on black money,” he said, adding the government has signed the Inter Government Agreement with the US to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Modi’s government is committed to making bureaucracy more efficient, performance oriented and accountable and their mission is to build a prosperous India. To achieve this objective, it is essential to fight relentlessly against corruption. Corruption is a principle challenge. Further, corruption has become something respectable in India, because respectable people are involved in it. Social corruption like less weighing of products, adulteration in edible items, and bribery of various kind have incessantly prevailed in the society. Corruption attacks the morality of the justice that damages the society. India is in a crucial phase of nation building. There’s a need to fight relentlessly against corruption.

No doubt our PM who has faced criticism for demonetisation and GST but these measures had left the corrupt scared and brought black money into the formal economy. Demonetisation was a ‘step’ towards eradication of corruption and black money. It is not the last step in our fight against corruption. The most prominent among these is demonetisation, which has “strengthened the hands of the common citizen and the government in the fight against corruption, terror funding, Naxalism, human trafficking, black money and counterfeit notes.

The one thing that needs to be ensured is proper, impartial, and unbiased use of various anti-social regulations to take strong, deterrent, and timely legal action against the offenders, irrespective of their political influences or money power. Several steps have been taken to make the bureaucracy more efficient, performance-oriented and accountable. The Government is committed to ensuring probity among public servants and to protect them from frivolous allegations. Firm and strong steps are needed to curb the menace and an atmosphere has to created where the good, patriotic, intellectuals come forward to serve the country with pride, virtue, and honesty for the welfare of the people of India. Corruption may also be controlled by openness, transparency and information costs, intergovernmental competition, localism, party competition, decision rules, collective action problems and public administration. Modi is on the right track because he is bringing systemic changes that will remove corruption for ever.

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

Letters to the Editor: 23 October, 2019

Web Team

October 23, 2019

Low voter turnout in Mumbai

Despite consistent efforts by the Election Commission of India (ECI) the recently concluded assembly elections in Maharashtra yet again witnessed low voter turnout in Mumbai. The elections were scheduled after spectacular general assembly elections in the month of October and hence turned out to be a low-key affair.

There is now an urgent need to create an innovative strategy to draw voters to the polling booth especially in urban areas. Providing a holiday apart, ECI should involve in extensive voter awareness drive through consistent outreach programmes including through social media. As also the need to update and make available the voter list in a seamless and hassle free manner will only evoke interest amongst the voters to vote on any polling day.

ECI should also strengthen its Voter Awareness initiatives by providing necessary information related to polling booths much in advance. Hence there is also a need to look into logistical and security arrangements through a strategic and systematic manner otherwise to garner high voter turnout on a polling day. Smart queue management during the polling at polling booths will also thus ensure quicker franchise process and thus enable voters to turn up at the booth.

Varun Dambal

PM Modi fails to fulfill several promises

In India, every politician keeps making promises at the time of elections but do not fulfil them once they come to power. An example of it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has made several promises but not fulfilled any of them.

Jubel D’Cruz

Turmoil rocks Infosys

Infosys is the brainchild of Narayan Murthy and hitherto was considered as the most transparent corporate house of India. The turmoil which rocked Infosys stock on the bourses both in India & US comes as a shock. Whistleblower has targeted Infosys CEO & CFO for unethical practices which need to be investigated urgently. It could be an vested interest motive but shareholders including myself have been affected by dramatic single day fall in its stock price.

Infosys has asked top fraud investigating agency to look into the case & let us hope they come out with their report at the earliest. Also, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh mocking two directors on its board with communal remarks calling them ‘Madrasis‘ is demeaning & he needs to tender an apology. Ex-CEO & Infosys founder Nandan Nilekeni should be asked by the shareholders & govt to oversee various issues at Infosys so that the crisis can be doused without further damage!

S.N.Kabra

Too many milk-variants by Amul confuse consumers

Milk-giant Amul has added a new milk-variant under brand-name Buffalo in addition to earlier existing variants under brand-names Gold and Diamond. All these three variants are apart from cow-milk and several other low-fat variants. Apart from cow-milk, all other variants should therefore be processed from buffalo-milk, in case some of milk-brands are not made from milk-powder. Amul should print on its all milk-packs if milk is packed and processed after procuring natural milk, or some of these are made from milk-powder.

Now are three variants namely Gold, Buffalo and Diamond priced respectively at rupees 53, 55 and 57 per litre respectively with varying fat-contents increasing with price with newly added under brand-name Buffalo unnecessarily confusing consumers.

Even pricing-system of Amul is very confusing with Gold-brand milk priced at rupees 53 per litre, has printed Maximum-Retail-Price MRP at rupees 324. Evidently purchasing six one-litre packs will cost just rupees 318. Bigger six-litre economy-pack must cost below rupees 318. Interestingly while all other milk-packs are sold at printed MRP, this six-lire economy pack with printed MRP of rupees 324 is commonly available at just rupees 315. Amul has not cared to respond to advisory from Department of Animal Husbandry in this regard.

All milk-products should be compulsorily packed in either units of like 100, 200, 500 millilitres and thereafter in packs of 1, 2, 5, 10 litres etc rather than in non-metric irrational units like 180, 250. 400 or 450 millilitres or six litres.

Madhu Agrawal

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

New era in BCCI, Sourav Ganguly takes charge as 39th president

Web Team

October 23, 2019

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday took over as the BCCI’s 39th president, becoming the biggest name to head the world’s richest cricket board. The 47-year-old Ganguly was officially entrusted with the task of heading Indian cricket for the next nine months at the BCCI’s General Body meeting in Mumbai, ending a tumultuous 33-month reign of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).

“It’s official – @SGanguly99 formally elected as the President of BCCI,” the BCCI posted on its Twitter page. Ganguly’s appointment was finalised last week.

It’s official – @SGanguly99 formally elected as the President of BCCI pic.twitter.com/Ln1VkCTyIW

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2019

In the meeting that was also a reunion of sorts for some of the familiar faces associated with the board before the CoA’s institution, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah was made the secretary.

During his tenure, Ganguly will look to coordinate with old guard such as former President N Srinivasan and ex-Secretary Niranjan Shah, whose children are now part of the BCCI. Mahim Verma of Uttarakhand became the new vice-president.

Former BCCI president and current junior finance minster Anurag Thakur’s younger brother Arun Dhumal became the treasurer while Kerala’s Jayesh George took the joint secretary’s position.

Ganguly, who took over as India captain during one of its darkest hours following the 2000 match-fixing scandal, will need to demit office by the end of July next year as per the provisions of new constitution, which makes ‘Cooling Off’ period mandatory after six years in office.

One of the most elegant left-handers to have represented India, Ganguly is expected to make use of his experience gained as the secretary and later president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

He has set a few goals and the primary ones are restructuring of first-class cricket as well as getting the administration back in shape along with getting India’s position of reverence back in the corridors of International Cricket Council (ICC).

With the conflict of interest rules in place, Ganguly will face the challenge of having quality cricketers on board as far as the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and national selection committees are concerned. His take on veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s international future, Day/Night Test cricket, permanent Test centres will also be dissected.

His tenure begins at a time when the International Cricket Council has left India out of its newly-formed working group, which might affect the country’s share in the ICC revenue. The group has been formed to figure out a new governance structure for the world body.

Waqf Board stands smeared with serious corruption

Vaidehi Taman

October 22, 2019

Maharashtra has around 97,000 acres of Waqf land. The Marathas and Peshwas who ruled Maharashtra in 18h century also documented the land as waqf property. In 1923, during the British rule, the document was again notified as waqf property in the Bombay gazette. The survey of 1997-2000 confirmed it again. Earlier too the Congress party urged and demanded a full-fledged probe into the Waqf properties, as number of properties, encroachments and the ongoing disputes, especially between the Revenue and other government departments with the Waqf Board. There are many accusations of corruption against several officials of the Waqf board suggest that the real duties of these officials have changed from maintaining of Waqf properties for the benefit of Muslim community to using their authority and power in illegally selling off Waqf lands and properties at cheap rates in return for cut offs. Hardly any community member is ever benefited from these lands allotted for Muslim welfare; many Muslims in India are shelter less even today after 72 years of independence. In spite of owning property spanning 600,000 acres, Muslims are one of the poorest communities in India. Waqf means donation of transferrable or fixed property by Muslims for the welfare of the poor and the needy and for maintaining properties dedicated to mosques, tombs, orphanages, shrines, imambaras, madrasas and the like. The waqif has the right to employ either himself or any Muslim as mutawalli (manager or custodian or caretaker). Waqf endowments can be made in any form as enshrined in Qazis Act II of 1864, Dargah Khwaja Saheb Act of 1955, Central Waqf Act of 1954, Waqf Amendment Act of 1959, UP Muslim Act of 1960, to name a few. The waqif (pilgrim or the settler), in his deed, appoints a mutawalli for the administration of the Waqf.

Since ages, the greedy politicians, police, bureaucrats and land mafia covet Waqf property because those can be found mostly in prime localities. Unfortunately, most of the corrupt officials who sit on Waqf boards are Muslims well aware of the implications of violating pledges made for charitable purposes. This, despite the fact that Waqf property cannot be sold. The interested parties have found ways to circumvent this obligation. Many such properties are leased out after pockets of the officials concerned have been adequately lined. A builder or businessman first identifies a Waqf property, approaches the members or chairman of the local board and acquires it for a mite after bribing the board members. Lack of accountability and a defined law in this regard come to their aid. Thousands of mosques and even graveyards have been encroached upon likewise across the country.

The Waqf boards invariably have members who are puppets in the hands of the state governments, which are involved in fixing them in the first place. As such, most are incompetent about Waqf management and relevant laws. The City Centre Mall that stands in Mumbai Central was constructed on land bought from the Waqf Board of Maharashtra. Before City Centre Mall was constructed on that land, an Orphanage under the Haji Zakariya Ahmed Patel Mohammadan Orphanage and Asylum Trust used to stand there. This land was sold for just Rs 1 crore in September 2004 to Neel Kamal Realtors & Builders Pvt Ltd. The estimated value of that land in 2004 was Rs 100 Crores! How Waqf has become an institution deeply mired in corruption can be gauged from the land scam perpetrated by the Maharashtra Waqf Board. It sold a 4,535 square-metre Waqf plot in the upmarket Altamount Road to Mukesh Ambani for a mere Rs 21.05 crore in 2003 when its market value was not less than Rs 500 crore. Ambani’s 27-storey home stands on the plot now. Waqf boards have almost institutionalised the tendency to wheel and deal in land donated in the name of God. Only a transparent system of management can extinguish the culture of corruption, nepotism and greed that is consuming Waqf endowments in India.

The Maharashtra Waqf Board chief executive officer (CEO) ND Pathan was caught red-handed taking bribe of Rs 30 lakh by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He is known to have issued several non-objection certificates to builders in Mumbai illegally. The Waqf Board of Maharashtra gave out the ‘No Objection Certificate’ for the sale of the 4,535 square metres in the Altamount Road, on which Mukesh Ambani have constructed his plush home, for just Rs 16 lakh. Why is the Wakf Board selling their lands in the first place and even if they are selling it then why take a pittance instead of crores? The deal has been termed by many as illegal or shady. Aarif Naseem Khan of the Congress from Chandiwali is also alleged for misusing lots of Waqf lands for private construction business, he also let other builders come up with their construction projects in Mumbai’s prime Waqf land. For which AV has all papers. Waqf corruption in India can be said to signify the most systematically managed daylight robbery in Mumbai and across India, perpetrated over decades. Waqf boards have almost established the tendency to wheel and deal in land donated in the name of Allah by the affluent for the upkeep of orphans, widows, divorced women, educational and charitable purposes and other social causes.

There are additional allegations of financial irregularities in the leasing of a part of the Pir Baghdadi dargah in Mumbai by the Waqf Board to a hotel for a mere Rs 70 lakh whereas the property’s value is close to Rs 14 crore. Similarly, the Crime Investigation Department has registered four separate cases of criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy against former Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board chairman Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani alias Khusro Poasha and others for allegedly causing huge loss to the Board by misusing their official positions and leasing or selling Waqf Property at very cheap rates. Waqf endowments in India are staggering. There are around 800,000 registered properties and as much as 600,000 acres of land, the largest in the world. Today, the Waqf Board stands smeared with serious corruption allegations. There are various corruption cases against them from all over the country.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Praful Patel to become another ‘Bhujbal’

Rajesh Choudhary

October 22, 2019

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Humayun Merchant, a close aide of underworld don Iqbal Mirchi. His arrest may increase the problems of NCP leader Praful Patel as the ED is also preparing to attach a 15-storey property Ceejay House in Mumbai, which is linked to Patel. Former Union minister Patel has already been interrogated by the ED on October 18 for more than 12 hours in the case related to investigation of properties of drug smuggler Iqbal Mirchi.

When our correspondent Nikhil Sagare spoke to Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare said, “Just ahead of election powerful leaders are arrested. Media trail is taken of Chidambaram and later on bail is granted to him. The BJP government is using Enforcement Directorate, CBI and police to damage the opposition.”

According to sources, Praful Patel can be sent to jail. That too with serious charges of conspiring with underworld dons. After counting of votes on October 24 and formation of new government in the state, perhaps he will be arrested. It is remarkable that when NCP president Sharad Pawar volunteered to meet the ED whole Maharashtra was set on fire. But nobody from the NCP seems even supporting Praful Patel. Sharad Pawar was expected to strongly protest questioning Patel by the ED which he has not done. So, speculations are rife that Praful Patel will become another ‘Bhujbal’ and the NCP letting him down?

Shiv Sena spokesperson Arvind Bhosale said, “I can’t comment on this matter and you can ask me about voting.”

Till the Maharashtra and Haryana Assemblies elections got over, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was kept inside the jail. Was that insecurity of BJP? Because, as soon as, the elections got over in these states, he got bail on Tuesday from the Supreme Court and he may be released sooner or later. The reason behind this is that now there is no threat. Was it a BJP’s strategy to damage the Congress? As they kept Chhagan Bhujbal inside the jail and they got nothing, the same thing goes with P Chidambaram. No evidence has been found against them. After talking about NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, they were supposed to grill him. But Sharad Pawar himself approached the ED and foiled their strategy. Now BJP is targeting Praful Patel. The BJP has accused him of having link with D-company. Is it a strategy of the BJP to damage the rival political parties and finish the opposition?

Former NCP MP Madhukar Kukde said, “Democracy is finished in this country. During elections NCP has to face odd situation on account of Praful Patel episode. Such allegations have damaged the image of the party. They are attempting to end the constitution written by Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

As per reports, Praful Patel has accepted that he made deals with the family members of Iqbal Mirchi. But he told the ED during questioning that he was unaware Iqbal Memon alias Iqbal Mirchi was the same man. Thus, he was completely in dark about Hajra Memon (Mirchi’s wife), when the deal between the Millenium Developers was signed with Memon. The deal was done between Mirchi’s family and Millenium Developers, which is owned by Patel and his wife Varsha.

It is worth mentioning that Iqbal Mirchi was a member of Dawood’s gang and his properties are under investigation in India and abroad. Humayun Merchant is a close friend of Iqbal Mirchi. He was arrested by the ED because he held the power of attorney to strike deals on behalf of underworld don Iqbal Mirchi. It is a first big arrest in this case. Humanyu Merchant was mainly involved in the land deal of Worli in Mumbai.

Investigation agencies have been probing properties held by Iqbal Mirchi, who died in 2013 in London. They have traced his half-a-dozen properties in India and around 25 properties in foreign lands.

Documents available with the ED show that Praful Patel’s Millenium Developers 15-storey Ceejay House is situated on the land owned by Iqbal Mirchi. Documents show the Ceejay House was constructed as a joint venture between Mirchi and Patels-owned Millenium Developers. Praful Patel could not deny the documents held by the ED. The claim of his family proved wrong that this land was with them since 1963 and it has nothing to do with Iqbal Mirchi. Praful Patel has told media that Mirchi’s wife Hajra had purchased two floors on Ceejay House through one MK Mohammad. The ED has also arrested Haroun Yusuf and Ranjeet Singh Bindra in this case, who are related to this deal.

According to the ED official, apart from Ceejay House, Iqbal Mirchi’s other benami properties in Mumbai are also under investigation. They will also be seized. After this, the process of confiscating Dubai and London-based properties will begin. Iqbal Mirchi had created all these assets from the black money earned from the drug smuggling business and there is a provision for confiscation of them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED has so far unearthed several assets of Iqbal Mirchi worth more than two thousand crore rupees in India and abroad.

PMC Bank fiasco

C K Subramaniam

October 22, 2019

With so many co-operative banks facing problems, it is high time that RBI as a regulatory body should have more stringent measures and monitor closely to have better control over banks. Failures such as PMC Bank’s must be pre-empted to retain public faith in the system.

It has been a nightmare of a week for thousands of customers of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC), who were told by the Reserve Bank of India that no more than Rs 40,000 could be withdrawn from their accounts. The 35-year-old lender may not be the first but is certainly one of the largest urban co-operative banks facing this clampdown. The resultant distress is also more widespread as the bank, with a large footprint in Maharashtra, is also present in Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Strikingly there was no ostensible sign of distress to trigger the bank’s virtual collapse, following the regulator’s intervention.

Things were going swimmingly as per its latest annual report, with deposits growing nearly 17% year-on-year to Rs 11,617 crore by March 2019, with long-tenure savings accounting for the largest chunk. Profits, in a tough year for banks, were flat, and while bad loans more than doubled, their proportion was far lower at PMC than at most public sector banks. Given this backdrop, the bank’s depositors, who ironically include the RBI’s own employees’ are understandably perturbed about the fate of their savings. The RBI realised depositors woes after financial irregularities, failure of internal control and systems of the bank and under-reporting of exposures’ came to its notice and raised the withdrawal limit to Rs 40,000 per account, stressing the importance of allowing a withdrawal of about Rs.100000 with immediate effect.

Questions have been raised on the bank’s large exposure to Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) which is itself undergoing insolvency proceedings. The bank’s chairman had served on the board of the HDIL for ten years between two long stints at the bank, and any irregularities in loans to the firm would be an indictment of the quality of oversight on banks. That the RBI shares regulatory responsibilities over such banks with States’ Registrar of Co-operative Societies further mires the problem. With over 1,500 urban co-operative banks operating in the country, and a few of them already under RBI-imposed restrictions, a new road map is essential for their future course.

As a watchdog RBI should have more control and avoid such a situation in co operative banks in future. After all, life long savings and hard earned money is deposited in banks to earn some interest for a peaceful living. Now the depositors is facing financial crunch as their money deposited in PMC Bank is not allowed to be withdrawn. A timely measure can provide a solace for its 17 lakhs client base. Every time a crisis such as PMC surfaces, there’s some sympathy over the plight of depositors, and debates around the need to regulate cooperative banks better. But then the world moves on, leaving hapless depositors to pick up the pieces of their lives, and denting people’s faith in the banking system ever so slightly.

The regulatory inaction leaves room for the next crisis at another bank somewhere else. Why have institutions that are called banks but are not entirely within. It is indeed testing time for PMC Bank depositors till the time a wise solution is provided to the pathetic depositors and there should not be any time lag in settling the issue in the most amicable way without wasting time and find an end to their miseries.

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

Letters to the Editor: 22 October, 2019

Web Team

October 22, 2019

Govt should frame guidelines for couriers

Union Government should frame guidelines for couriers. Since important documents like cheques and drafts are carried by this service, registration of courier-service with Union Ministry of Communications should be compulsory with list of their offices recorded with the Ministry and displayed on website of the ministry.

Courier-boys deliver documents any time during the day. Such a system is totally unsafe in residential areas especially for ladies and senior citizens. Mischievous persons can enter the residence for malaise intention of loot, rape or murder in form of courier-boys. Otherwise also it is not fair to disturb rest-hours of residents to deliver documents which many-a-times contain junk-mail like publicity-material. There should be fixed timings to deliver couriers especially in residential areas. It may be mentioned that mail by Indian Posts Department is always delivered during some fixed timings only.

At times, couriers are delivered very late even after weeks. Addressee should be aware about despatch-date by making it compulsory for courier-agencies to print date of receipt by courier-agency together with the courier-number. Courier-services should leave message-slip about the undelivered courier to enable addressee to take delivery of documents in case of his/her unavailability at the address.

Best is to encourage reliable and economical Speed Post service by Department of Posts by having ‘one nation, one tariff’ policy with its tariff being uniformly fixed at rupees say twenty or thirty per 50 gms (inclusive of GST) for complete country instead of charging differently for local and non-local Speed post. This service then can be still more popularised by initiating system of sponsored postal stamps whereby private bodies may be able to get postal-stamps of their designs (to be approved by postal-department) on payment of some fixed charge per stamp and on some minimum prescribed print-order, like is presently in case of not-much-used post-cards and inland-letter-cards with advertisements on these reducing heavy burden on postal-subsidy to some extent.

Madhu Agrawal

Every vote counts

As the curtains were drawn for the Maharashtra polls the voters play a pivotal role even though percentage of votes polled is not appreciable. However, it was time to make a big impact for the voters. The 50 per cent turn out is the highest in the city. As a responsible citizen we voted in this election and it was overall peaceful. Security arrangements were top class and city police force made arrangements for fair and peaceful polling. The dedication of the volunteers, who worked well within their limitations is to be appreciated and it was a polling for picking the new government.

C.K.R. NATHAN

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

SC grants bail to Chidambaram in INX Media case

Web Team

October 22, 2019

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But he will still remain in jail.

A three-judge Bench of Justice R Banumathi, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hrishikesh Roy granted bail to Chidambaram. Chidambaram is currently in the custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) till October 24 in the INX Media money laundering case.

Chidambaram, who is currently in judicial custody in Tihar jail, had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the apex court days after the High Court dismissed his bail plea contending that he might influence the witnesses in the case.

Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the judgement of the Delhi High Court is set aside and Chidambaram be released on bail if not required in another case. He shall not leave the country without the trial court’s permission. This judgement of the top court will not have any bearing on the other case.

Chidambaram can be released provided he is not arrested in any other case and on the personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. Chidambaram has to make himself available for interrogation, the top court stated.

The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the Finance Minister. ED is investigating the alleged offense of money laundering that arose out of the FIR. While the CBI arrested him in August, he was booked by the ED last week.

BJP is winning 2019 Assembly elections

Vaidehi Taman

October 21, 2019

Voting for the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana went well, where the BJP is seeking a second term in power and hopes for an easy victory. The Congress, yet to recover from its rout in the Lok Sabha elections, is in a shambles in both states – battling factionalism, rebellion and defections. Its ally in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, is struggling too. For Maharashtra’s 288 seats, the BJP is continuing its alliance with Shiv Sena, despite their insecure relationship over the last five years. In Maharashtra people chose to vote only two options, one BJP another Shiv Sena. Options before the voters were, stable Government with a leader who is capable of taking decisions. Uttar Pradesh has a mini assembly election of sorts, with by polls on 11 seats. Bypolls are being held in 53 seats across 17 states and one Union Territory. The counting of votes will take place on 24^th of this month.

Complaints of faulty EVM and VVPAT machines were reported in from different parts of Maharashtra. Most of them have been from Ratnagiri and Bhandara districts. In the latest incident being reported from Chikli in Buldhana, the EVM machines stopped working from 1pm following which there was long queue outside Booth no 196 in Chikli. Polling in Ratnagiri’s Dhamangaon village was stopped for nearly 2 hours due to EVM malfunctioning. Similarly in Worli, where Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray contested there was brief stoppage of polling in one of the booths due to an EVM glitch. Meanwhile, Congress and some other political parties have sent 187 complaints to EC. However, officials say the complaints were exaggerated and that the glitches have been rectified soon. Since BJP won with majority the EVM is in debate.

It is insulting to genuine voters like us if people say BJP will win with the help of EVM. Opposition guarded the strong rooms also. Insisted on taking out the boxes and checking the seal. 24 hours they guarded the EVMs during Lok sabha. Still they blame the EVM. They are not able to digest that voters have given up on the family. An overwhelming majority of the Indian electorate is considering Modi as the great leader and that’s why he and his BJP is getting elected and re-elected again and again. BJP’s election strategists left no stone unturned to campaign for Modi and Party. Ahead of election, even the celebrities were invited to participate in a programmes on Mahatma Gandhi where PM was the host. They clicked selfies and various pictures with him that went viral. The fan following of heroes and heroins translate such association as endorsements to vote Modi or BJP. Meeting people to announcing various schemes and perfect campaigning and hammering by Modi mouthpiece media added to party’s win. NO political entity or party ever had such strong support of media in entire history of Independence.

2019 elections were very crucial for every body. Congress in their tenure was a corrupt government with its entire minister’s involved in scams. With Anna agitation, Congress got dismantled and country saw rise of a Modi. Modi wave took over the country like euphoria and every single soul was expecting change.

But after Modi’s taking over some started attacking him, because they felt that nothing really changed on ground. Demonetisation was like a surgical strike for small businesses and common people who were made to queue for days together to get the money exchanged or deposited. Small businesses, which thrived on cash, crumbled under pressure with the result lots of job cuts were there. The government and the people grappled with this unplanned and unprepared decision. Then licensing of more than 11 lakh companies were cancelled as the PM thought that every company was involved in money laundering without taking cognizance of the company owned by Amit Shahs son whose turnover increased from 5k to 80 crore in just one year. GST was another blow to the business. Tax on food items were increased to 28 percent. No jobs, no cleanliness, no smart cities and nothing much changed in common man’s life.

Modi’s experiments with economy failed miserably in getting the GDP down by 2 per cent. To save this country from economic catastrophe, change is again important. A political party that can take out India from the economic mess to the real development is need of an hour. In 2014, the aim was to remove a corrupt government. They never came out of their shell after Anna agitation. The ministers themselves knew that they had lost the moral legitimacy and that was reflected in their work and conduct post 2012. This time, the important issue is to deal with an unresponsive and careless government. Whether it is demonetisation, GST or many times police firing on people, the government was completely absent once the decision was made. They were active on TV but not on ground. Let’s see Modi at Centre and Devendra in state both ruling for second term may bring some change by fulfilling their election promises.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

#MaharashtraAssemblyPolls: Exit polls predict three-fourth majority for BJP-Sena

Rajesh Choudhary

October 21, 2019

In Maharashtra, the electoral fate of 3237 candidates was sealed in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) by the voters on Monday evening. Amid 60.25 per cent voter turnout, exit polls predict three-fourth majority for ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state. Voting started on very slow pace in all 288 constituencies of the state in the morning. Polling gained momentum in the afternoon. After glitches were reported in EVMs, the voting process was disrupted at several polling stations of Thane (Bhiwandi), Ratnagiri and Bhandara districts. Fifty VVPATs and 19 EVMs were replaced in Nagpur district due to glitches. Supporters of Shiv Sena and NCP clashed in Pimpri Chinchwad in which NCP leader Dabboo Aswani was injured. In spite of heavy rains in Latur district since morning, people came out in big number to exercise their franchise. Voting took place at a polling booth in Pune’s Shivaji Nagar in candlelight due to unavailability of electricity. In Mumbai, EVM of booth no.62 at Worli got replaced due to some issues. Till 6 pm, Maharashtra registered around 60.25 per cent voting. In 2014 Maharashtra had seen 64 per cent voter turnout.

NCP leader and advocate Majeed Memon said, “Voters in Maharashtra was not keen to exercise their franchise. The climate has been very uncertain as it has been drizzling for the past two days. There was three consecutive holidays from Saturday to Monday. Mumbaikars thought of moving to Lonavala, Khandala and Mahabaleshwar. Some of them thought they will return on Sunday night to vote on Monday. However it seems that they have changed their mind and stayed back and refrained from voting.”

During the same period nearly 65 per cent voters in Haryana exercised their franchise. Exit polls predict landslide victory for incumbent BJP in the state. There are 1169 candidates in the fray for the 90 seats of Haryana Assembly. Violent clashes took place at four booths in Mewat district of the state. Barring an attempt of booth capturing in Haryana’s Narnaul, voting concluded peacefully in both Maharashtra and Haryana. In addition to this, bypolls were held to 51 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha constituencies which are spread across 18 states. The counting of votes in both the states will take place on October 24.

Mahila Pradesh Congress General Secretary Manisha Rote said, “Residents of Maharashtra are angry with the BJP. Several parts of Maharashtra had witnessed floods. Due to lack of money people are unhappy. People have lost faith in EVMs. “

There were 96,661 polling booths in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes. Polling began at 7 am in the morning in all 288 Assembly constituencies of the state, and ended at 6 pm. Nagpur South-West, Worli and Parli are hot seats in the state. CM Devendra Fadnavis is contesting from Nagpur South-West, while Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena and Pankaja Munde of BJP are in the fray from Worli and Parli respectively. More than 40 defectors are contesting elections as candidates of BJP-Sena alliance. In these elections BJP-Shiv Sena alliance hopes to be benefitted with Modi wave. PM Modi addressed many nine rallies across the state.

Sanjog Patil, photographer said, “In this election, I have noticed that many candidates change their respective parties and join the leading party or join a successful party. This was the major change I have noticed.”

In Mumbai, 9,894 polling stations were set up at 1,537 locations. 36 out of 288 seats come in the city of Mumbai where 334 candidates are in the fray. The city has 97.72 lakh registered voters. At least 40,000 police and security personnel were deployed across the city for smooth polling process.

Pratik Bhavsar, Vasai resident said, “This time there was a very less number of voter turnout also the security of polling booth was up to the mark.”

This time, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is seeking a second term with landslide victory, while the Congress-NCP alliance is hoping to come back to power again. BJP is contesting on 164 seats, which includes candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol. Its ally Shiv Sena has fielded 124 candidates. On the other hand, Congress has candidates in 147 constituencies and NCP is contesting on 121 seats. In 2014, all four parties had fought assembly elections separately.

Mumbaikars voted on Monday for assembly polls, but long queues of voters were not common sights in the city. Polling booths were seen less crowded. Long weekend and migrant voter’s apathy were key reasons behind this. Many voters with family went out of the city for a picnic.

Nishant Birje, Yuva Sena Vasai taluka Chief Coordinator said, “Many new voters were added especially the youths who attained 18 years this year. Well, new voters are getting accustomed about how to vote but they are unable to find their polling booths. Youth’s are getting influenced by social media’s targeting from various parties. Apart from this Aaditya Thackeray is contesting elections from Worli Constituency.”

Haji Ibrahim Aleem Joad, a 102-year-old man cast vote along with his family at a polling booth in Lohegaon in Pune said, “I was admitted to hospital for 4 days but today I’m here to cast my vote. I urge everyone to come forward & vote.”

Deepak Sharma, Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi party worker from Vasai said, “This year’s election is quite tough, as the competitors are strong. The Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi has done much work for the development.”

However, prominent political leaders and Bollywood actors-actresses exercised their franchise. NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, MNS leader Raj Thackeray and Union minister Smriti Irani were prominent among the political leaders who voted in Mumbai. CM Fadnavis, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari cast their votes in Nagpur. Aamir Khan, Ritiesh Deshmukh, Genelia D’Souza, Madhuri Dixit, Dia Mirza and other Bollywood celebrities voted here and urged others to make their vote count.

Urban voters are not committed as compared to their rural counterparts. Election Commission and celebrities have urged voters to cast their vote. Total 8,98,39,600 people, including 4,28,43,635 women are registered in Maharashtra for the 2019 assembly elections.

Survey Maharashtra (Total 288 seats) Majority 145

BJP-Sena Cong-NCP Others

230 48 10 Times Now

243 41 4 News 18 IPSOS

204 69 15 ABP Lokniti

Survey Haryana (Total 90 seats) Majority 46

BJP Cong Others

71 11 8 Times Now

75 10 5 News 18 IPSOS

75-80 9-12 1-3 India News

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