LAXMAN BAG, a former daily wage labourer, defeated Odisha's five-term chief minister Naveen Patnaik from the Kantabanji Assembly constituency in the recently concluded elections. Kantabanji in west Odisha has been in the news for large-scale outward migration of labourers due to lack of employment in the area.
In Bihar, Mithilesh Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power in the state along with the Janata Dal (United), lost the Buxar Lok Sabha constituency to Rashtriya Janata Dal's Sudhakar Singh.
The government's handling of a land acquisition drive over the past few years to build a power plant is reported to have played a major role in the electoral loss. "We voted against BJP for ignoring our demands. The brutal police action against our peaceful protest backfired," Haridayal Tiwari, a farmer from Buxar's Banarpur village, tells Down To Earth (DTE).
India just saw conclusion of its longest general election that ran from April 19 to June 1. Some 600 million people voted in the polls to elect members to the Lok Sabha as well as to four state Assemblies. By 6 pm on June 4, the verdict of the world's largest electoral exercise was out, with many unlikely defeats and victories, such as those mentioned above.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, was expected to sail into a third consecutive term, with a bigger majority in the Lok Sabha. The opposing bloc-the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)-led by Indian National Congress, was to be pushed into electoral oblivion. But the final results show a relatively close contest: 292 seats to NDA and 234 seats to INDIA bloc, with BJP falling much short of the majority mark of 272 seats.
Denne historien er fra June 16, 2024-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra June 16, 2024-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
