INDIA bloc gets jolts in Bengal and Punjab
Hindustan Times|January 25, 2024
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday ruled out alliances with the Indian National Congress in their states for the coming Lok Sabha elections, jeopardising not just the prospects of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, but also threatening its utility.
Saubhadra Chatterji, Tanmay Chatterjee and Navneet Sharma
INDIA bloc gets jolts in Bengal and Punjab

A top-ranking TMC leader close to Banerjee told HT on condition of anonymity that what irked the chief minister was (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi’s comment that “the negotiations on seat-sharing are underway” even though there are no talks going on between the two sides. TMC leaders also cited state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s frequent attacks as a factor.

“No, I did not have any talk with anyone. Since they refused my proposal at the very beginning, our party has decided to go it alone in Bengal. Have they even shown the courtesy by informing us about the rally they are holding in our state? I am also in the INDIA alliance. So, I have no relationship with them in Bengal,” said Banerjee, referring to Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which is scheduled to enter Bengal on Thursday.

In Punjab, while addressing reporters after a cabinet meeting, Mann said: “How many times will you make me say the same thing. Punjab will become a hero in the country, AAP will win 13-0 in the Lok Sabha elections.”

Their comments mean that the TMC will contest all 42 seats in West Bengal and AAP, all 13 in Punjab.

To be sure, an alliance in the two states was always going to be a challenge. The AAP came to power in the state by defeating the incumbent Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in state elections in 2022. The Congress won just 23% of the vote and 18 seats in that election compared to AAP’s 42% and 92 seats (in the 117-member house). The Congress’s performance suffered after it ousted its chief minister Amarinder Singh, who had led it to a creditable performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in the state, winning eight of 13 seats and 40% of the vote.

Esta historia es de la edición January 25, 2024 de Hindustan Times.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 25, 2024 de Hindustan Times.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE HINDUSTAN TIMESVer todo
'MVA copying our welfare policies...people know this'
Hindustan Times

'MVA copying our welfare policies...people know this'

People have woken up to the false propaganda now... They have also understood that our govt can work for the welfare of all sections of society

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Harris concedes election, 'but not the fight'; Biden urges calm
Hindustan Times

Harris concedes election, 'but not the fight'; Biden urges calm

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, acknowledged that her Republican rival, Donald Trump, had won the 2024 elections. But she warned that while she was conceding the election, she wasn't conceding the fight for freedom \"that fuelled her campaign\".

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Terrorists claim to kill two defence volunteers
Hindustan Times

Terrorists claim to kill two defence volunteers

Two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) went missing from the Kishtwar district of Jammu on Thursday with an offshoot of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claiming to have killed them and security forces launching a search operation to trace the two men.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
SC restores DRI's powers, revives 20k-cr tax notices
Hindustan Times

SC restores DRI's powers, revives 20k-cr tax notices

A two-and-a-halfyear-old boy and a 37-year-old man were electrocuted after touching high-tension wires in separate incidents within hours of each other in Delhi's northwestern fringes on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, underscoring the hazards of the city's public infrastructure, which has resulted in at least 10 such deaths this year.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Hindustan Times

AFTER SALMAN, SHAH RUKH KHAN RECEIVES DEATH THREAT

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan received a death threat at the Bandra police station in Mumbai on Monday night, police said, adding that they have identified a Raipur lawyer whose phone was allegedly used to threaten the actor if he did not pay ₹50 lakh.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Hindustan Times

SC QUASHES NCLAT RULING, ORDERS LIQUIDATION OF JET AIRWAYS

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the liquidation of Jet Airways while setting aside a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) ruling in March that upheld the transfer of the defunct airline's ownership to the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium (JKC) under an approved resolution plan.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Hindustan Times

3 UNACQUAINTED MEN GANG UP TO RAPE MENTALLY ILL WOMAN IN S DELHI

The Delhi Police has arrested three men for gang-raping a 34-year-old mentally ill woman, officers said on Thursday, weeks after she was found walking near Sarai Kale Khan, bleeding and partially clothed.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
Nivin Pauly thanks supporters after receiving clean chit in rape case
Hindustan Times

Nivin Pauly thanks supporters after receiving clean chit in rape case

In a major relief for Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly, he has been cleared of all charges by the Kerala police in a rape case filed against him in September.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
'RE-RELEASING FILMS IS TOO EXPENSIVE'
Hindustan Times

'RE-RELEASING FILMS IS TOO EXPENSIVE'

As the trend of re-releasing films in theatres gains momentum, director Hansal Mehta shares his take on it

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024
It can get lonely: Sai on constantly seeking work
Hindustan Times

It can get lonely: Sai on constantly seeking work

Actor Sai Tamhankar, who was recently seen in the crime thriller series Manvat Murders, has been dabbling in different industries. She admits that working across mediums without a break does take a toll on her.

time-read
1 min  |
November 08, 2024