After their major victory in three northern states, the BJP is contemplating whether they can contest the 2024 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections on their own and win as many seats as possible. The second option emerging is to ask prominent leaders of alliance partners, who are strong in their constituencies, to contest on the BJP symbol. Brainstorming and surveys are being carried out to get ground feedback. The BJP believes it no longer needs to carry the baggage of tainted and compromised members of its alliance partners.
Rs 100 cr spent on repair work by ministers, officials
The Maharashtra State Assembly’s winter session takes place in Nagpur for three weeks. After the session, the state government’s Public Works Department undertakes repair work of the residences of ministers, MLAs/MLCs, and bureaucrats, where over Rs 100 crore is squandered each year for 15 days. Ministers and bureaucrats ask civil contractors to replace pairs of everything from refrigerators to washing machines, along with a varied number of chappals as well. The contractors have a hard time providing specific maids that ministers have used for years. They prefer not to have new but prefer experienced ones.
‘Seat-sharing for LS polls must take place in Delhi’
The INDIA alliance partners, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), asked the top leadership of the Congress that the seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha should take place in Delhi with the central leaders of the party only. Both regional parties complained that in the last Lok Sabha election, the Congress party won only a few seats but is demanding 15 to 18 seats and laying claim over seats traditionally contested and won by alliance partners. They believe that the discussion of seat-sharing will not proceed in a positive direction if local Congress leaders are involved in the talks.
Sudhir Suryawanshi
Our correspondent in Maharashtra
suryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com