With the Congress having announced is decision not to field anyone for the forthcoming Kannauj Lok Sabha bye-election, the Bahujan Samaj Party following course and a reluctant Bhartiya Janata Party still struggling to step into the fray, the seat is clearly available for Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav on a platter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered five seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got three, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got two apiece and the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena got one each respectively as all 30 made it to the Upper House after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations drew to close on Thursday evening.
Sharing the dais for the first time in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and daughter Priyanka on Tuesday lambasted the Mayawati regime for lack of development alleging large-scale corruption in implementation of central schemes worth Rs 1 lakh crore.
The Congress general secretary said that the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party was responsible for corruption in the state and flayed them for pilfering funds sent by the Centre. Sharat Pradhan reports
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's birthday on Thursday escalated political activity in the state as both ruling party and opposition activists took to the streets to stress their respective points. It was a day of unique demonstrations by each of the four key political parties -- the Samajwadi Party, Bhartiya Janata Party, the Congress and to top it all the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.
Apprehending that the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would bail out the United Progressive Alliance on Foreign Direct Investment in retail, Opposition in Lok Sabha on Wednesday warned these parties as also Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that history will not pardon them if they sided with the government on the issue despite opposing it during the nationwide protest.
The Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday claimed that Election Commission decision of covering statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and party symbol elephant is one-sided and unjustified and was a violation of Article 14 of the constitution.
On possible alliances for the upcoming state polls, the SP president said, "Doors of our party are open for all small parties. Many smaller parties are already with us. More will come with us."
In a series of tweets, she attacked the SP accusing it of being an expert in "narrow politics".
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday sought to re-unite the opposition by apologising on behalf of the seven Members of Parliament suspended for unruly behaviour and demanding that the government express regret for using marshals during the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. Opposition parties and those supporting the United Progressive Alliance government from outside like Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were united against it.
Political observers say that neither Mulayam Singh Yadav nor Mayawati have any intention of toppling the UPA government, as neither stand to gain from it. Sharat Pradhan reports
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre was on a "ventilator", supported by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which were always talking about mid-term polls. BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the UPA government was the "worst and corrupt government," and the country hadn't had such a government since independence.
As soon as Speaker Meira Kumar concluded her reference on International Women's Day, SP members began raising slogans demanding dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh government, complaining that it was showing "dictatorial tendencies".
Sitting Bahujan Samaj Party member of Parliament Dhananjay Singh was on Wednesday suspended from the party by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for reportedly rendering support and meeting expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in jail.
The Congress has informally decided to field party MPs Sudharshan Nachiappan or Shantaram Naik for the post of Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha if P J Kurien offers to quit over allegations of being involved in a 1996 rape case in Kerala, informed sources told Rediff.com.
A couple of policemen have been caught on camera allegedly accepting largesse from a ruling Samajwadi Party member of Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh, upon his release from jail where he was lodged in connection with a bomb attack on a cabinet minister in the previous Bahujan Samaj Party government.
Far from fulfilling his oft repeated proclamations about converting his bete noire former chief minister Mayawati's dream projects -- the multi-billion parks and memorials -- into hospitals and institutions, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav appeared to be following her very footsteps.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said it gave notice for a debate and voting in Parliament against the Centre's FDI move to expose arch-rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which were against foreign investment in retail sector.
The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party saved Dr Manmohan Singh's chair today; will they tug it away from under him tomorrow, asks T V R Shenoy.
Giving in to opposition parties' protests on withdrawal of National Security Guard cover, the government on Thursday announced that the security cover provided to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad will not be reduced.
Sixteen top officials of the Uttar Pradesh Construction Corporation were suspended by the Samajwadi Party-led state government for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam in the construction of the Kanshi Ram Memorial during Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati's regime. The suspended officials include four general managers and a dozen project managers of the Uttar Pradesh Nirman Nigam.
Parliament was on Wednesday adjourned till noon after ruckus over demand by Bahujan Samaj Party for dismissal of Karnataka government following allegations of illegal mining in the state and Rashtriya Janata Dal claims of a deal between the government and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.
With exit polls predicting a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, Beni Prasad Verma, Union Minister and senior Congress leader from the state, on Sunday caused a flutter in the party by favouring a tie-up with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, a comment from which the party quickly distanced itself.
The Samajwadi Party on Thursday claimed that its state unit president Akhilesh Yadav and several other leaders have been put under "house arrest" and party workers tortured to prevent them from leading a one-day agitation against the Bahujan Samaj Party government. "The state government is functioning in an autocratic manner. It is not even allowing me to reach the party office," Akhilesh said. The SP had announced a village-level protest.
Bhartiya Janata Party will not support either Bahujan Samaj Party or Samajwadi Party, says veteran BJP leader Lalji Tandon in an interview to Faisal Kidwai.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Mayawati government was more sympathetic towards "rich builders" than poor farmers and charged Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party with only serving their respective "vote banks" when in power in Uttar Pradesh and ignoring the common man.
Can you imagine that in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly election Bharitya Janta Party can get almost 24 per cent votes to come second in the four-cornered contest between ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Congress and BJP?
Janata Dal-United on Friday targeted ally Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh saying the saffron party like several of its political rivals had succumbed to the contagion of corruption.
Uttar Pradesh, unlike almost any other Indian state, is ruled and run on caste. There are more than 60 castes in the state and all compete with each other for political patronage and benefits. In some ways, caste is a bigger player in the state than either religion or national issues, says Faisal Kidwai.
The seized properties include a hospital building at Bhavani Nagar in Nauchandi and two luxury cars that Qureshi had allegedly purchased in the name of his family members and employees, they said.
The BSP leader won the Bijnor Lok Sabha seat in 1989, her first electoral triumph.
Samajwadi Party candidate Afzal Ansari is the incumbent MP and slain don Mukhtar Ansari's elder brother. Afzal had won the 2019 election on a BSP ticket after defeating the BJP's Manoj Sinha, now the J&K lieutenant governor.
Uproar over a member's alleged harassment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security personnel in Parliament precincts forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for nearly two hours on Wednesday. Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party members rushed into the Well as soon the House reassembled at noon after an earlier adjournment, demanding action against the Special Protection Group personnel responsible for the incident, in which BSP MP Rama Shankar Rajbhar was manhandled.
Sending mixed signals in Uttar Pradesh, Congress on Sunday hinted at a possible alliance with the Samajwadi party against the Bahujan Samaj Party and accused the state government of corruption saying Chief Minister Mayawati cannot be expected to give a 'transparent' administration.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati's dream projects, including memorials and parks in the name of Dalit icons in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, would now witness marriages and cultural events with the Akhilesh Yadav government deciding to use the space for public purposes.
The outcome of the polls to the Rajya Sabha is likely to have an impact in the politically crucial state just ahead of the general elections in the country.
Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Krishna Kumar Singh, who had joined the Samajwadi Party, was on Monday disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh assembly by the Speaker, the fourth party MLA to face action under the anti-defection law.
With the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam pulling out of the United Progressive Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said the party is ready for the general elections as the continuation of the central government is not in the interest of the country.
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