CAA, Article 370 factors behind India's slide democracy index: Shiv Sena

Sena said a slowdown in economy gives rise to unrest and instability, and this was getting reflected in the prevailing situation in the country.

Politics News : The Shiv Sena on Friday said there have been attempts to muzzle dissenting voices and this is one of the reasons for India slipping in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking.

An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Saamana" said a slowdown in economy gives rise to unrest and instability, and this was getting reflected in the prevailing situation in the country.

"Now (after an economic slowdown) there is a slide in (India's) global democracy index ranking," the Marathi daily said.

India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend. The EIU report was released earlier this week.

Citing issues like scrapping of Article 370, that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, new citizenship law CAA and the proposed NRC, measures which have witnessed protests, the paper said the country had witnessed a churning in the last one year.

"There have been protests and attempts to muzzle dissenting voices. Those who showed sympathy with JNU students (attacked by goons) were put in the dock and were made to look like an accused.

"This is the reason India slipped to 51st position in the Democracy Index, the editorial said and wondered if the ruling party at the Centre and its supporters accept the current situation.

"Even if the government rejects the (EIU) report, does the ruling party have an answer as to why the country was witnessing a slide, from economic field to democracy (ranking)?" the Sena, a former ally of the BJP, asked.

The Sena publication said if the government thinks the country was doing well (on economic front), "why is it asking the RBI for money"? apparently referring to the Centre's decision last year to seek Rs 1.76 lakh crore from reserves of the apex bank.

It is good to have a goal of making India a five trillion dollar economy (by 2024), but the GDP is not likely to grow by even 5 per cent in the current fiscal year, the party said.

Why did you not waive off farmer loans when in power? Shiv Sena asks BJP

Without naming the BJP, it said one can provoke people by playing politics of sentiments, but he/she needs courage to take a decision in the interest of farmers.

Hailing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government for declaring loan waiver of up to Rs two lakh for farmers, the Shiv Sena on Monday hit out at the BJP for seeking to write off debts fully and asked why it did not address the issue when it was in power.

In a veiled attack on the BJP-led central government, the Shiv Sena, in its party mouthpiece 'Saamana', noted that the Thackeray government took the decision of farm loan waiver at a time when the country is "burning" over the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Without naming the BJP, it said one can provoke people by playing politics of sentiments, but he/she needs courage to take a decision in the interest of farmers.

The Maharashtra government on Saturday announced a loan waiver of up to Rs two lakh for farmers, with a cut off date of September 30, 2019.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly on the last day of the state legislature's winter session in Nagpur.

The BJP staged a walkout seeking full loan waiver.

"The chief minister announced the decision at a time when the country is burning over the issue of the citizenship law. One can provoke people playing politics of sentiments, but needs spunk to take a decision in the interest of farmers," the Shiv Sena said in sarcastic remarks.

This is the first step of the new government towards writing off farmers' debts completely, the Marathi daily said.

It said the demand for full farm loan waiver was made by Sena president Thackeray himself during the tenure of the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

The Fadnavis government could have also given full loan waiver, but it did not do so then and is now seeking writing off debts completely when the BJP is in opposition, the Shiv Sena observed.

"You are not appreciating the government's decision to write off farmers' loans of upto Rs two lakh, but questioning whether full loan waiver has been extended. You were in power in Maharashtra for five years. Why did not you give it then? You should tell this first," it said.

Business Standard

Election 2019 may see the highest voter turnout, but will it benefit BJP?

Increased voter turnout seems to be concentrated in states where the voters have been at the forefront of the ongoing rural distress.

Business Standard : As the election 2019 season enters the final lap with polling left only for one phase of the seven scheduled, voter turnout this time around is likely to create a record. According to reports, the 2019 election is on track to achieve record voter turnout of around 67 per cent (55 – 56 million new voters relative to 2014 general elections), which would surpass the previous record of 66.4 per cent during the 2014 polls.

As per the data available with the Election Commission of India (ECI), voter turnout in the first four phases stood at 69.5 per cent (first phase), 69.44 per cent (second phase), 68.4 per cent (third phase) and 65.51 per cent (fourth phase).

ALSO READ: UP to dent BJP tally, BSP-NDA post-poll alliance possible: Ambit Capital

Constituency-wise comparison, as per a Nomura report suggests that in the first four phases (around 69 per cent of the seats), increased voter participation was concentrated in the key Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Assam and Karnataka.

“The two outliers are Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, where voter turnout was high, but the BJP’s prospects have traditionally been weak,” the report says.

So, will the BJP/National Democratic Alliance (NDA) benefit from this higher voter turnout or will it succumb to anti-incumbency?

Both theoretical and empirical studies, according to Nomura, have struggled to find causality between voter turnout and election outcomes. In past Lok Sabha elections, there have been anti-incumbency outcomes during both high and low turnout elections.

“On the one hand, increased voter turnout may indicate a strong sense of dissatisfaction that has led to voters coalescing to boot out the incumbent, although studies have disputed this causality in previous elections,” wrote Sonal Varma, managing director and chief India economist at Nomura in a recent co-authored report with Aurodeep Nandi.

Adding: “On the other hand, high voter turnout could reflect active participation at the grass root level, with the party cadre coaxing citizens to vote. It may also be indicative of more structural, party-agnostic trends, wherein increased social media outreach, general political awareness and ease of voting contribute to participation of previously dormant registered voters.”

Priyanka's resemblance to Indira Gandhi will benefit Congress: Shiv Sena

The BJP's ally also said that comments by ruling party leaders stating Priyanka was formally inducted due to the the Congress president's 'failure' had no substance.

The Shiv Sena Friday said that Priyanka Gandhi will emerge as the "queen" if she plays her cards well and held that with her induction, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has shown he will do whatever it takes to win the upcoming general elections.

The BJP's ally also said that comments by ruling party leaders stating Priyanka was formally inducted due to the the Congress president's "failure" had no substance.

It added that the Congress chief had increased the problems of the government by raising the Rafale fighter jet purchase issue.

Even if Gandhi's attacks on the Modi government over corruption in the Rafale deal are ignored, not giving him credit for the wins of the Congress in three states (in recent Assembly polls) would show a closed mindset, it said.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the SP and BSP tied up not giving space to the Congress. However, Rahul Gandhi, with a lot of patience, kept his cool," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

It said Gandhi played his cards well by announcing that the Congress would fight on all seats in Uttar Pradesh, while helping the SP and BSP wherever possible, and at the same time bringing Priyanka into mainstream politics.

"This will help the Congress. Even the Prime Minister had to speak over this (Priyanka's foray into politics). Even people have accepted a family, why does the stomach of some have to ache?" the editorial asked sarcastically.

It said the BJP harbours ill feelings towards the Nehru-Indira family because the former sees it as formidable competition.

The editorial said the BJP was scared of a stiff challenge to it (from the Congress) as it tries to retain power.

"Priyanka bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi in looks and manner of speaking.Therefore, the Congress will surely benefit in the Hindi heartland," the Shiv Sena said, lauding her for agreeing to join active politics not worrying about cases against her husband Robert Vadra.

Priyanka, like Indira Gandhi, will emerge as the "queen" if she plays her cards well, the Sena said.

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Where are the jobs, asks Shiv Sena after Parliament passes 10% quota bill

The Parliament had on Wednesday approved amending the Constitution to provide 10% reservation to general category poor in government jobs and education.

A day after Parliament approved 10 per cent reservationto general category poor, the Shiv Sena Thursday wondered where will the jobs come from and warned that if it is an election-driven move, then it will prove costly.

The Maratha community has been given reservation in Maharashtra, but the question still remains that where are the jobs, the Sena said.

The Parliament had on Wednesday approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to general category poor in government jobs and education.

"When those in power fail on the twin fronts of employment and poverty, they have to play the reservation card," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"If this decision has been taken for votes, it will prove costly. After 10 per cent reservation, what about employment? Where will you get the jobs from?" it asked.

ALSO READ: Parliament clears 10% quota bill, Prez nod to make it a law: Top highlights

In India, the population of those over 15 years of age is increasing by 13 lakh every month. Employing minors below the age of 18 years is a crime, but child labour continues unabated, said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which is an ally of the ruling BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Around 80 to 90 lakh new job opportunities are needed every year to balance the employment rate in the country, but this calculation has been unstable for a while now, it noted.

"In the last two years, job opportunities have decreased instead of increasing and about 1.5 crore to two crore jobs have been lost due to decisions like demonetisation and GST implementation. There is a feeling of helplessness among youth," the Marathi publication said.

In 2018, 2.8 crore people applied for 90 lakh jobs in Railways. Besides, for 1,137 positions in Mumbai Police, over four lakh people applied and many of the applicants had more educational qualifications than required, the Sena claimed.

"After the government's 10 per cent reservation, will the eligible youth be able to gain anything? The prime minister, who had advised youth to fry 'pakodas' (snack), had to eventually give 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward classes," it quipped.

Business Standard

Too late, says Shiv Sena on Maharashtra govt's 1.5 bn aid to onion growers

The government Thursday announced Rs 1.5 billion as relief to onion farmers.

A day after the Maharashtra government announced Rs 1.5 billion relief to onion farmers, BJP's ruling ally Shiv Sena Friday took a dig at the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation saying it has "woken up from slumber too late".

The party said although the decision to provide relief to onion farmers was good, the government needed to ensure that its implementation was done in a speedy manner.

It also alleged that the onion farmers were yet to get the financial aid that was promised to them under a similar scheme announced by the government in 2016.

The government Thursday announced Rs 1.5 billion as relief to onion farmers. The decision by the state cabinet came amid reports about farmers selling freshly harvested onions at as low as Rs 1.50 a kg in Maharashtra, the top producer of the bulb in the country.

The financial relief consists of an ex-gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the kitchen staple sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018.

"Despite spending Rs 1,000 per quintal as input costs to grow onions, the farmers had to sell the kitchen staple at Rs 500 per quintal in the market. The prices further came down to Rs 100-105 per quintal, which is Rs 1-1.50 per kg," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

In September, the farmers had urged the government to take immediate steps to control the decline in onion prices. But their demands went unheeded, it alleged.

"Prices of onions had similarly dipped in 2016 and the government had then announced a relief of Rs 100 per quintal. However, there are allegations that the onion growers have not received the money so far. If that is true, the question that arises now is when will the farmers receive the aid of Rs 200," it said.

"The government has woken up from slumber very late. Although the decision to provide relief to onion farmers is good, it sould ensure that money is disbursed on time," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

Last month, a farmer from Nashik, Sanjay Sathe, had sent Rs 1,064, which he earned after selling 750 kg of his onion crop in a wholesale market, to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as a protest.

The farmer had said his intention was to prompt the government to take some steps to ease the financial stress that farmers were suffering because of the low prices.

The PMO had later returned the farmer's money order.

Another farmer from Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, Shreyas Abhale, had sent a money order of Rs 6 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a mark of protest against the crashing prices of onion and the paltry returns.

Abhale had said that after selling 2,657 kg onions at the rate of Rs 1 per kg at the Sangamner wholesale market in the district and adjusting market expenses, he was left with only Rs 6.

Business Standard

Maha stays land acquisition for Nanar refinery after talks with Sena, CM

The Sena, rooted firmly in the Konkan region, has been opposing the project.

The Maharashtra government has stayed the land acquisition process for the controversial Nanar refinery project after consulting the Shiv Sena, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly Wednesday.

The Sena, a ruling ally of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, has been opposing the project on the grounds that it is against the interest of the farmers and would destroy ecology in Ratnagiri district in the coastal Konkan region.

"The government has not issued any new notice for land acquisition. After talks with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, the entire process has been stayed," he said.

The issue came up after Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patiltold the House thatjournalist Alok Deshpande of English daily The Hindu was manhandled by police at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai Tuesday night while covering a protest against the upcoming project.

To this, Fadnavis said he would seek information about the incident and take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, fourpersons, including two women seated in the visitors gallery of the House,were detained by the Vidhan Bhavan security for raising slogans demanding scrapping of the refinery project.

Three Indian oil majors had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 11 this year with Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to develop a refinery and petrochemicals complex in the coastal district.

The Sena, rooted firmly in the Konkan region, has been opposing the project.

In April this year, senior Shiv Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai had announced in Ratnagiri that a government notification for acquiring land for the project in Nanar stood cancelled.

Desai's statement was negated by the chief minister who said that the order had not been cancelled.

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Shiv Sena to BJP: Why don't you declare date for construction of Ram temple

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on November 25 as part of his party's push to build a Ram temple there.

The Shiv Sena Friday asked the BJP to come out with an ordinance and declare a date for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

While slamming the BJP, the Sena said those in power should be proud of Shiv Sainiks who had "destroyed Babur's raj in Ram Janmabhoomi". The Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya n the orders of Mughal emperor Babur.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena said it neither moves around with a begging bowl asking for votes in the name of Lord Ram nor does it indulge in "jumlebaazi" (rhetoric) during polls.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on November 25 as part of his party's push to build a Ram temple there.

"Why did those, who call themselves pro-Hindutva, start getting a stomach ache when we announced our plans of going to Ayodhya? We are not going there for political purposes," the Sena said in the editorial.

It claimed the party had not given the slogan "Chalo Ayodhya", but Shiv Sainiks were going there for Lord Ram's darshan and also because Ayodhya is "nobody's private place".

"There is no Ram raj there now, but the raj of the Supreme Court. However, in 1992, Balasaheb's Shiv Sainiks had destroyed Babur's raj in Ram Janmabhoomi. Instead of being scared and jealous of such Sainiks, those in power should be proud of them," the Sena editorial claimed.

It further said that instead of casting aspersions on the motive of Sainiks going to Ayodhya, the government should declare a date for the construction of the temple and put all suspicions to rest.

"We ask you ask once again, why don't you declare a date for the construction of the Ram temple? If the issue of Ram temple goes out of your hands, in 2019, apart from your 'rozi-roti' (livelihood), many people's tongues too will become handicapped," the editorial warned.

"Instead of doing everything to stop the Sena, we ask again, why don't you come out with an ordinance and declare a date for the construction of the temple," the editorial stated.

Business Standard

Shiv Sena attacks Centre for not taking action against MJ Akbar

In the editorial, it also criticised the Maharashtra government's proposal of online sale and home delivery of liquor.

People involved in misconduct towards women are in the Cabinet, Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena said Tuesday.

Sena, without naming anyone, attacked at the Centre for not taking any action against Union minister M J Akbar, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment. Several women journalists have come out and accused Akbar, a former newspaper editor and now the Union minister of state for external affairs, of sexually harassing them during his stint as a journalist.

Akbar has rejected the allegations as "false, fabricated and deeply distressing", and also filed a private criminal defamation complaint in a Delhi court Monday against one of journalists who levelled charges against him.

Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, "The BJP (prior to 2014 Lok Sabha polls) had promised food, clothing and shelter to all and also to make a 'moral country'. But people involved in misconduct towards women are in the Cabinet while decisions are taken to encourage alcoholism."

In the editorial, it also criticised the Maharashtra government's proposal of online sale and home delivery of liquor.

It said amid water scarcity in Maharashtra, the state was also suffering from an "intellectual drought".

Excise Minister Chandrakant Bawankule said Sunday the BJP-led government had decided to allow online sale and home delivery of liquor in the state, but later stated that only a proposal for this was received.

The Sena said the government cited two reasons behind such a proposal - that it would bring down cases of drunken driving and check liquor adulteration.

"The state is facing water drought but now it seems there is also an 'intellectual drought'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not made any promise before the Lok Sabha polls of home delivery of liquor," it said.

What is the guarantee that people will not drive after getting drunk at home? it wondered.

"The government is so careful of people that it decided to deliver liquor at their doorsteps. The figures of people dying due to malnutrition and of unemployment are already out. Has the government found home delivery of liquor a solution to this? the Marathi daily taunted.

How much revenue the government will get from such a decision is not known, but the proposal must have been mooted after forging a "deal" with liquor makers, the Sena claimed.

"This is how large amount of funds are raised for election. The BJP's fund raising formula is now open...this has exposed the party's real face," it said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clarified that there was no proposal to sell liquor online, then why his Cabinet colleague spoke about it? it sought to know.

Business Standard

Cong must support alliance between regional parties to unseat Modi in 2019

Despite the CWC projecting Rahul as the PM candidate for the 2019 general elections, leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik and Mayawati might have to be accommodated to defeat the NDA.

Although the recently-constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) anointed Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate in its very first meeting, senior party leaders, including Gandhi himself, have subsequently indicated that forging alliances with like-minded parties to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party from coming back to power would be the Congress’s top priority. In case of a hung Lok Sabha in 2019, the Congress has said that it is open to supporting any non-BJP/RSS backed leader for the top position.

2019’s general elections are still a few months away. More immediately knocking on the Congress party’s doors are the crucial assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, scheduled later this year. Only when it is able to wrest at least two of these states from the BJP, can it think of emerging as the pivot around a larger coalition to take on the formidable Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Despite giving consistent signals that the party may be on an upward swing, it cannot be debated that the grand old party is currently facing one of its worst crises and is short of both funds and a determined workforce. Naturally, the Congress is hedging bets on its performance in the upcoming assembly elections to pull its weight as a national party with other anti-BJP political players. At the same time, it will have to work around the priorities of regional parties, which may be unwilling to let the Congress play big brother, irrespective of its showing in the assembly elections.

Given the current political landscape, the Congress is deeply aware of its strengths and limitations. In any scenario, forging alliances with non-BJP parties will be crucial for the depleted Congress to make a mark in the general elections.

That is why the ‘P. Chidambaram formula’, or what the former Union finance minister proposed in the CWC meeting, is being discussed in political circles. In his presentation at the CWC meeting, Chidambaram proposed that the Congress should work to secure anywhere between 140 and 150 seats in the 12 states where it is directly up against the BJP. In the remaining states, it should form pre- or post-poll alliances with regional parties to garner another 150 seats, which should be enough to form the government in 2019.

However, the problem with such a formula is that it is easier said than done. The former minister’s calculations can be contrasted with the fact that the Congress’s average seat tally was only a little more than 130 from 1996 to 2004, when the party was in a much better shape. While in 2009 it increased its tally largely due to its improved performance in Andhra Pradesh, it has since then been reduced to only 48 in the Lok Sabha.

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BJP to go alone in Maharashtra? Amit Shah meets leaders, sparks speculation

Shah also reviewed the BJP's performance of 2014 polls, as Maharashtra is the second largest state in the country going by the number of Lok Sabha seats after Uttar Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday held a closed-door assessment meeting of senior party leaders here with the focus on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and strengthening the cadre in Maharashtra.

After attending the meetings, Shah met melody queen Lata Mangeshkar at her home in south Mumbai as part of the party's "contact for support" campaign.

Earlier in the day, the BJP chief, who was supposed to reach Mumbai before noon, landed at the city airport at 1 PM due to some developments in New Delhi.

He spent the entire day in 'Vasant Smruti' building, the BJP headquarter, in south-central Mumbai, a BJP official said.

At the meeting, Shah laid down a 23-point working strategy and discussed issues such as increasing the party strength, addressing new voters' groups based on their profession, gender, likings etc and a regular follow up of the voters by the local party workers.

"The national president plainly stated that the strategy has to be implemented in all the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in the state. At present, the BJP shares its political space with the Shiv Sena and a couple of smaller allies. It is a message that says 'prepare for contesting elections alone'. We will have to rush as the general election are now less than a year away," said a senior BJP minister who attended the meeting.

Shah also reviewed the BJP's performance of 2014 polls, as Maharashtra is the second largest state in the country going by the number of Lok Sabha seats after Uttar Pradesh.

Of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, BJP had won 23, the Shiv Sena (18), the NCP four, the Congress two, and the Swabhimani Paksh, a former ally of the BJP, one.

Apart from meeting the 'Vistaraks' of the party whose mandate is to increase the network of the BJP in different geographies, Shah also interacted with the members of the 'Lok Sabha Toli', a group that consists of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chandrakant Patil and Pankaja Munde, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, among others.

"The mandate of the group is to identify weaknesses of the party in certain areas, (ways) to overcome them and the current key issues related to the people of Maharashtra. The candidates who had contested and won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the current image of the candidates in the same constituency was also discussed at the general-level in this meeting," the BJP official said.

He said the BJP is also mulling over holding some events with a view to demonstrate its strength and communicate with the people.

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After bitter Palghar bypoll battle, Fadnavis for pre-poll alliance with Shiv Sena

The chasm between the Sena and the BJP has grown further since the results of the recent by-polls in Maharashtra were announced

Days after estranged National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena -- ran an acrimonious campaign against each other ahead of the Palghar bypoll, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called on BJP office-bearers to try for a pre-poll alliance with the saffron ally.



"Fadnavis asked the party's state office-bearers to try for a pre-poll alliance with the Shiv Sena. But, he said that if the alliance does not materialise, we should prepare to contest alone," Raosaheb Danve, the BJP's state unit chief, told news agencies on Monday.



The allies had exchanged sharp barbs during campaigning for the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya by-polls, held on May 28. While the BJP won Palghar by a margin of 29,572 votes, it lost Bhandara-Gondiya to the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine.



A few days ahead of the by-election, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray released an audio clip, purportedly of Fadnavis asking BJP workers to use all possible means to win the by-election.



Subsequently, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on Fadnavis, saying that the chief minister is full of arrogance. "We have all seen that in politics, even a dog starts considering himself a tiger after coming to power," Raut had told agencies.



In response, the BJP targeted Shiv Sena for "not acknowledging" the "achievements" of the Narendra Modi government in the past four years.

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