Mission 2024
Ex-CM, film stars, NGOs fuel KCR’s national plan
Former Odisha chief minister Giridhar Gamang met Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday at Hyderabad. Gamang was invited by KCR to join his party and set up its unit in Odisha. KCR has established contact with dozens of political leaders, non-government organisations, film stars and other celebrities to set up BRS units in at least 10 states before the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The party has contacted the farmers’ organisations that led the 13-month agitation on Delhi’s borders against the three farm laws of the Union government. Sources say KCR is planning to have a presence in seven states — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, besides Telangana. Sources said KCR plans to field as many as 80 Lok Sabha candidates in 2024. The party is planning to hold a press conference soon in the national capital to announce its grand plans for the coming general elections.
Payment Problems
Russia sends team to discuss mounting dues
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trusted lieutenant Sergey Chemezov, who is the CEO of Russia’s military-industrial behemoth Rostek, was in India last month. India and Russia have been struggling to sort out payment issues. India imports huge amounts of crude and military equipment from Russia. The sanctions imposed by the western countries on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have disrupted the existing payment mechanisms. The two countries have since explored various options, including the opening of Vostro accounts, etc. But the issue has not been resolved and Indian dues to Russia have piled up. Sources said the Russian team has said that mounting dues may affect future supplies from Russia. Among the key military imports from Russia that may get affected because of the payment problems is the S400 air defence system. India had bought five units of S400 long-range air defence system for about Rs 40,000 crore. Two batteries comprising missile launchers, a command control station, tracking radar, surveillance radar, support vehicles and 80-100 missiles of four types per battery have arrived. Three more batteries are pending delivery. The S400 is considered to be one of the most advanced air defence systems in the world. The first squadrons have already been deployed in Punjab along the Indo-Pakistan border.
Penultimate Polls
EC sets the ball rolling for state elections
In the last year before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the people of India will choose nine new state governments. This will indicate the mood of the nation in the run-up to the general election next year. The first batch of three states — Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya — have to elect a new government before the middle of March when the terms of their assemblies expire. Karnataka government’s term ends two months later in May. Sources said the election commission may not club Karnataka with the three northeastern states. The commission has already undertaken the summary revision of electoral rolls in these four states and the final electoral rolls for the three northeastern states have been published, and that of Karnataka will be published next week. The high-level EC team visited the three northeastern states and expressed satisfaction regarding their poll preparedness. Top EC officials are likely to visit Karnataka soon. According to sources, the EC may announce election dates for the three northeastern states as early as next week.