Don't need kings, spirit of 'chowkidar' growing, says Narendra Modi

At the close to two-hour 'Main bhi Chowkidar' interaction, the PM tried to convey that the people of India had already made up their mind to return the chowkidar to power on May 23.

At one of his biggest electoral outreaches of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept the focus on the issue of national security, his efforts at rooting out corruption and his agenda for the next five years. He said the nation did not need ‘rajas and maharajas’ and it made him happy that the spirit behind chowkidar (watchman) is expanding.

At the close to two-hour ‘Main bhi Chowkidar’ interaction with a packed audience at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium, streamed live on television channels, including state broadcaster Doordarshan, the PM tried to convey that the people of India had already made up their mind to return the chowkidar to power on May 23.

(Business Standard)

Modi asked the party workers to consult the facts put out on NaMo app to dispel Opposition’s “lies” and reach out particularly to first-time voters.

Modi said he brought India close to entering the $5-trillion economy club in the world, and in the next term he would want India to enter that club.

While the PM reiterated his promise of doubling farmers’ incomes and house for all by 2022, there was no mention of his government’s scheme of Rs 6,000 to small and marginal farmers.

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Modi said he had delivered on the promises made in 2014 of protecting the taxpayers’ hard-earned money by being an honest chowkidar. The PM said in five years, he brought those who looted people’s money to the threshold of jails and now needs people’s blessings to put them behind bars. The PM said his objective would be to strengthen the education sector.

According to the BJP, the event was seen at 500 spots across the country through video conferencing, and the PM took questions from audience gathered to watch the speech in cities across the country.

Amid frequent chants of “Modi, Modi”, the PM said he devoted his first term to fill the ditches and potholes in the system, and would build “grand buildings” on these in the forthcoming term.

He said his government tried to deliver the “needs” of the people in the first five years, like electricity, toilets, roads, airports, etc, and would focus on fulfilling aspirations of people in the next five years.

Priyanka takes up Congress role in UP after over a decade behind the scenes

The 47-yr-old to take over as gen secy for eastern UP; may contest from Rae Bareli.

With the general elections less than 90 days away, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appointed his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, which constitutes roughly 40 Lok Sabha seats, including their family bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency.

Priyanka, who turned 47 earlier this month, has been an important, behind-the-scenes figure in the party’s decision-making processes for over a decade, but Wednesday’s announcement marks her official political debut. With UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi having already indicated her desire to retire from electoral politics, the move could pave the way for Priyanka’s entry into the electoral arena and she could contest from Rae Bareli, the seat currently represented by her mother, party sources said.

Her appointment, however, opened the Congress to renewed attacks from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over “dynastic politics” and "lack of inner-democracy".

BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress had admitted to Rahul Gandhi having “failed” in providing leadership.

(Business Standard)

The Congress's allies, including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, welcomed the news, though. Congress strategists believe Priyanka's charisma would help the party perform better in key states of UP and Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls. The appointment has ramifications, at least in UP, not just for the principal rival BJP, but also the frenemies Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP).

Speaking to reporters in Amethi, the Congress president indicated his party would be willing to renegotiate its electoral understanding in UP with the SP and the BSP. Earlier this month, the two parties had announced their alliance in UP for the Lok Sabha polls, keeping the Congress out of it but also promising that they would not field any candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli. The three parties are looking at what within the Congress is called the 'Jangipur model', where the Congress might put up strong fights in 15-20 seats in the state and help the SP and the BSP by eating into the BJP's upper caste votes in the rest. In bargain, the SP and the BSP would field weak candidates in the Congress strongholds.

For the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, nearly all hands are now on deck for the Lok Sabha polls. While their first cousin Varun Gandhi is currently a BJP Lok Sabha member from Sultanpur in UP, it is little secret that he is out of favour in the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah dispensation and there is speculation of his joining the Congress.

Many within the Congress view Priyanka's appointment as the dynasty sounding the war bugle against Modi and the Shah-led BJP. Some said the move was also the party's last throw of the dice to win over the electorate in not just UP, but also northern Bihar.

The loss of party's influence in UP and Bihar post-1989 has meant the Congress never winning a majority in the Lok Sabha in the last 30 years.