Nath renews call for ballots instead of EVM
Fresh from the party’s national Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, the ex-chief minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath has renewed the party’s long standing demand for holding polls through ballots and not EVMs in MP. Nath quoted example of US, Japan and European nations, like Germany, which either don’t use EVMs or have banned its use in polls. Then there are some countries, where ballot papers generated by EVMs are put by voters into boxes, Nath said. Importantly, State Election Commission which has been asked by the Supreme Court to hold local body polls soon, will reportedly hold panchayat polls with ballots and the urban local body elections with EVMs.
Headless BJP OBC cell amid local body polls
The recent Supreme Court order for holding local body polls in MP sans OBC quota has triggered race between BJP and Congress for fielding maximum number of OBC candidates in these polls. But amid this race, the ruling BJP is hurrying to find a suitable face for its OBC cell, which is functioning without a head since three months. Opposition is targeting the BJP over headless OBC body, particularly when the BJP often boasts about having three CMs from OBC segment to portray itself as real crusader of OBC’s political empowerment. The political quota issue has once again come into limelight after the Supreme Court a week ago directed the State Election Commission to notify local body polls.
Meat shops marring women safety: BJP MLA
A war of words between two MLAs of Bhopal hogged a recent meeting at Bhopal district collectorate chaired to review the MP capital’s development works. The BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma raised the issue of meat shops and non vegetarian restaurants opening well past midnight in the city and also objected to meat shops near a goddess temple in the city, claiming the development is undermining women safety. The Congress MLA Arif Masood responded to Sharma, by asking why he didn’t have any problem with liquor shops also operating till late nights. Masood was heard telling Sharma that meat shops will continue to run till late nights and dared the BJP legislator to try and do whatever he can.
Anuraag singh
Our correspondent in Madhya Pradesh singhanuraag.jaurno@gmail.com