State of the state polls: What is at stake in the forthcoming elections?
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Synopsis
Can Mamata Banerjee stop the BJP’s electoral offensive in West Bengal? Can the Left Democratic Front upend the recent election history of alternating power with the United Democratic Front in Kerala? Will Stalin and allies stop AIADMK and BJP? Can BJP return to power in Assam? ET Magazine takes a look at what is at stake in the upcoming assembly elections in the four states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala and the Union territory of Puducherry.
When West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee left the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on a wheel chair on March 12, her left leg heavily bandaged, it seemed to give a twist to the party’s Khela Hobe (The Game is On) slogan. A bruising electoral match will now be played in injury time.
All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have formed a new regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) which will make its electoral debut in alliance with peasant leader Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal party and the Autonomous State Demand Committee from Karbi Anglong.
The minister said, “Ajmal is always a factor given the area Assam is. He is a threat to the culture and civilisation. His people illegally grabbed the land in Batadrava, wanted to set up Miya school and promote Miya poetry in Assam.”
Batadrava Than is the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev (the 15th century saint-reformer of Assam). BJP led government claims freeing the encroached land as one of its major achievements.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. File photo
Former Assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Paul said long-time party loyalists were being side-lined by “imported” leaders
Former Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Paul, who ended his 37-year-old association with the BJP after being denied a ticket from the Silchar constituency, said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has waged a war against illegal syndicates in West Bengal, kingpins of such collectives had been running the show in Assam.
The two-time MLA said he had tremendous respect for Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, but “it is painful to see his hapless status” in the party because of “imported leaders” who had their “hands dipped in corruption”.
BJP MLAs Dilip Kumar Paul and Shiladitya Dev quits party after being denied tickets for assembly polls
Following denial of poll tickets by the Bhartiya Janata Party BJP two legislators, former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul and Shiladitya Dev resigned from the party
| 10 March 2021 3:02 PM GMT
GUWAHATI: Following denial of poll tickets by the Bhartiya Janata Party BJP two legislators, former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul and Shiladitya Dev resigned from the party on Wednesday.
Soon after the announcement of the first list of candidates, resentment emerged within the party following which several leaders resigned from the party.
Sitting Silchar MLA Dilip Paul will now contest as an independent candidate. On the other hand, BJP will now field Dipayan Chakraborty for the Silchar constituency.
Himanta Biswa Sarma. File Photo.
Party insiders say he could be given a senior post in the Modi ministry or made Chief Minister if NDA retains power
The BJP does not seem to be looking beyond Finance, Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for ideas in poll-bound Assam.
A majority in the first list of 70 candidates announced by the party on March 5 are known to be loyalists of Dr. Sarma. Such has been his clout, party insiders say, that many aspirants backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and some new faces reportedly preferred by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were ignored.