Round The States
New Delhi, 20 April 2024
India Votes
1st PHASE SEES BOYCOTT
By Insaf
The biggest democratic exercise in the world kicked off
yesterday. Of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, 102 went to the polls in the first phase
across 21 states and UTs. While the Election Commission was reeling out polling
percentages, as 40% odd around 1 p.m. across the board, it would be upset with
its tally by the end of the day, given chunks of voters chose to boycott
instead. In six districts and 20 Assembly segments of 60 in eastern Nagaland
not a single vote had been cast. This is in response to call by Eastern
Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) asking for a complete shutdown for the
solitary Lok Sabha seat given the Center’s failure to keep its promise of
creating Frontier Nagaland Territory. Apparently, state CEO show-caused the
ENPO asking why action shouldn’t be taken against it for interfering or
attempting to interfere with free exercise of any electoral right and
thereby committing undue influence. Pat came the reply: “shut down was
voluntary initiative by people” and call was given for maintaining law and
order situation! In down south Tamil Nadu, the story is similar. In nine places,
the voters did not go to polling stations either as a protest against a
greenfield airport coming up, or for a railway bridge not being built, or
non-resolution of their long-pending demands for basic facilities. However, no action
can be taken against the voter. The blame lies elsewhere. The voters make their
point, and it must be corrected.
* * * *
Rajputs To Boycott BJP
Should the BJP be worried on western UP front? At a ‘mahapanchayat’,
on Tuesday last, Rajputs decided to boycott the saffron party candidates in Muzaffarnagar,
Kairana and Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituencies. Their grudge is that the
community has been neglected in the distribution of party tickets. And thus, in
these areas, the community will not vote for BJP candidates, ‘but will opt for
another strong candidate from other parties.’ Interestingly, while the boycott
is for BJP candidates, the Rajputs said it wouldn’t apply to Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath, who ‘was their voice, but wasn’t being heard by central BJP
leadership’! Intriguing indeed for the voter as in UP, it’s not Prime Minister
Modi alone which holds sway, but Yogi too, who has come to be seen as a good
administrator. The region has helped BJP per se win majority of seats in the
past due to a consolidated Hindu vote. But now the big question is whether the ‘mahapanchayat’
decision ‘will become the reason for BJP’s downfall in Western UP,’ as claimed.
* * * *
TN in Focus
Tamil Nadu this time round has surprised many an election
watcher. Campaigning in the state had been hitting national headlines. This,
given the fact that BJP has kept a sharp focus on the south and longs to make
inroads. And that’s why this election is seeing a three-cornered contest: the
ruling DMK-led alliance which includes Congress, two Communist parties and
Muslim League; BJP and opposition AIADMK, which parted company from NDA. While
the DMK and team is confident that it shall rule the roost, the margin
victories may not be as easy as was in 2019 and that it is facing an
inti-incumbency factor. For the BJP, state president K Annamalai has kept the
party’s presence in the state, but it is star campaigner Modi and his
popularity which the party is banking upon, given his repeated campaign visits
in past year, especially the past couple of months. BJP, which has raised the
stakes seeks to change the arithmetic, by relegating AIADMK to the third spot,
managing the second for itself. Recall, the state has in the past voted
one-sided: in 2019 of 39 seats, DMK-Congress got 38 and in 2014, AIADMK got 37.
Will BJP be a new entrant in Dravidian politics?
* * * *
Chhattisgarh ‘Surgical Strike’
Naxalism will see an end in five years in Chhattisgarh if
BJP comes to power, were words of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking votes during
last November’s Assembly polls. He is determined as on Tuesday last, the BJP-ruled
state witnessed the biggest encounter in the state’s history of fighting Left
Wing Extremism, with 29 Maoists killed in Kanker district and 3 security
personnel injured in a joint operation of BSF and state police’s District
Reserve Guard. It’s being said senior cadres of outlawed CPI-Maoist Shankar,
Lalita, Raju and others, may have died in the operation launched and a huge
cache of weapons, including AK-47, SLR, Insas and .303 rifles, were recovered. Since
2024, 79 Maoists have been killed in their stronghold of Bastar region, which
goes to polls yesterday. Polling in Kanker district will be held on April 26. Hailing
it as a ‘surgical strike’, Deputy CM and state home minister Sharma reached out
to the Maoists saying ‘We want talks…whether they do it in a group or through
representatives. Bastar needs peace. We are committed to this.’ Will his offer
be taken up after this encounter?
* * * *
States Laxity On Mob Lynching
State governments must pull up their socks. With most not
filing their affidavits in a writ petition filed in July last regarding action
they have taken in incidents of mob lynching and cow vigilantism against the
Muslim community, the Supreme Court has issued a deadline of six weeks and
shall take up the case after summer break. The petition was filed by National
Federation of Indian Women seeking directions to States to take immediate steps
viz the top court’s verdict of 2018 to effectively deal with such cases.
Notices were issued to the Centre and DGPs of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Orissa, Bihar,
Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. While the latter two states filed their reply, the
petitioner pointed out that in MP there was an incident of alleged mob-lynching,
but the FIR was for cow slaughter against victims and likewise in Haryana FIR
was registered for transporting beef but not mob lynching. All incidents, not
selective, must be reported as states have principal obligation to ensure vigilantism,
be it cow vigilantism or any other vigilantism of any perception, doesn’t take
place, had said the court. It issued guidelines for authorities to deal with
such incidents, but so far it’s been in vain!
* * * *
Relief For Dog Lovers
Dog lovers will be relieved but must be watchful. The
Centre’s notification banning sale and breeding of 23 breeds of ferocious dogs,
including American Bulldog and Pit-bull Terriers has been a no-go in two
courts. Karnataka High Court quashed it with no such power available under
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 or Animal Birth Control Rules, New
Delhi had no such authority. A week later, petitions challenging the directive
in Delhi High Court were disposed, after Department of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying admitted it was put out without consulting or inviting objections and
suggestions from private entity or stakeholders. Agreeing it wasn’t possible to
give an oral hearing to every dog owner, the Centre was directed to issue “a
public notice on its official website and one national daily inviting
objections to the proposed draft notification/amendment to the rules.” These,
it said, shall be considered before finalising fresh notification. The Dept
must listen lest it finds itself in the doghouse! ---INFA
(Copyright, India News Feature
Alliance)
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