National News
Naidu turns 72, gears up for another poll battle
As he turned 72 on Wednesday, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is gearing up for another electoral battle in his long chequered career.
Nearly three years after suffering his worst-ever electoral defeat, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief appears to be down but not out as he looks to infuse new energy into the party for the 2024 poll battle.
Leading the charge against Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, the veteran leader aims to make another comeback to power.
Though facing perhaps the toughest challenge of his four-decade-long political career, Naidu continues to be the tallest opposition figure who can take on Jagan Mohan Reddy, a leader 22 years younger to him.
As the leader of opposition in Andhra Pradesh Assembly, he is leading from front the fight against the ‘misrule’ of YSRCP. Backed by a strong cadre at the grassroots level, he is helming the TDP’s fight against the YSRCP government’s ‘corruption’, ‘anti-people policies’ and ‘atrocities’.
With two years to go for the polls and Jana Sena led by actor politician Pawan Kalyan and BJP yet to have a strong presence on the ground, Naidu seems to be the only one who can give Jagan Mohan Reddy a run for his money.
On his 72nd birthday, Naidu said that he is working to restore the glory of Telugu people. He visited Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada, seeking blessings and strength to carry on what he calls the fight on behalf of people.
Thanking people for celebrating his birthday, Naidu assured them that he would carry forward the party by working as per their expectations. Determined to be steadfast in this fight, he is confident of a victory.
Political observers say 2024 could be a do or die battle for him. If he makes a comeback as the chief minister, he can groom his son Nara Lokesh as his political successor but if he fails, it could well be the end of the road for him.
Naidu’s four-decade-long career saw his political pendulum swinging wildly from left to right. In 2019, he exercised even his last option — aligning with the Congress but this gamble could not save him.
He not only lost power in the state but became irrelevant in the national politics as his friend-turned-rival Narendra Modi retained power at the Centre with a huge majority.
Desperate to stop Modi, Naidu was holding extensive deliberations with regional parties across the country to forge an anti-BJP alliance. He wanted to achieve what he did in 1996, when as the convenor of the United Front (UF) he brought together regional parties to prop up the government of the third alternative. In 1999, he donned a similar role for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A shrewd politician, Naidu was also seen as rank opportunist as he aligned with the BJP, apparently to ride on the Vajpayee wave. He succeeded in retaining power, which he got in 1995 after leading a revolt against his father-in-law and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao.
Then known as the poster boy of new economic reforms, a reformist and a tech-savvy leader, Naidu mastered the skills of doing business with any formation at the Centre, irrespective of its ideology.
After losing power to his bete noire Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) in 2004 following a record 9-year stint as Andhra Pradesh chief minister, Naidu admitted his priorities were lop-sided which led to the neglect of agriculture in the state.
So he promised a slew of freebies in the 2009 elections, but the people remained unconvinced and gave YSR a fresh mandate.
The emergence of Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate in 2014 offered Naidu a chance to revive his political fortunes.
He not only joined the NDA once again but by campaigning with Modi, he succeeded in storming to power in the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh, as people preferred him, apparently for his experience in developing Hyderabad as a tech hub.
As a leader who always enjoyed the role of a kingmaker and extracted his pound of flesh from the government at the Centre, Naidu was uncomfortable in the new dispensation where Modi had absolute majority.
Though facing post-bifurcation challenges like lack of state capital and poor finances, he had no option, but to quietly accept whatever was doled out to the state.
However, it was when YSR’s son and the chief of the YSRCP Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy started targetting him for his compromise over the Special Category Status (SCS) that Naidu realised how he was losing the ground to the opposition. In 2018, he pulled out of the NDA government accusing Modi of ‘betrayal’.
From a great admirer of Modi, Naidu soon turned into his worst critic and even joined hands with the Congress, his party’s sworn enemy of 35 years. This was Naidu’s biggest political misadventure.
His experiment ended in a disaster with the Congress-led United People’s Alliance (UPA) biting the dust.
Ironically, Naidu began his political career with the Congress party. At the age of 28, he was elected to Assembly from Chandragiri constituency in his native district Chittoor and became a minister in the state cabinet (1980-83)
When his father-in-law and popular actor N. T. Rama Rao floated TDP, Naidu was with the Congress and had even thrown a challenge at the former. The TDP wave in 1983 nearly wiped out Congress and Naidu too failed to re-elect to the Assembly.
Later, NTR admitted Naidu into TDP and since then he never looked back. Making a modest beginning in NTR dominant TDP, he climbed to the position of party general secretary.
In 1995, a few months after NTR led TDP back to power with a landslide victory, Naidu staged a revolt against father-in-law to become chief minister. NTR’s children backed Naidu as they were also unhappy over growing interference by his second wife Lakshmi Parvathi in administration and party affairs.
NTR, who accused Naidu of back-stabbing him, died of cardiac arrest in January 1996, dramatically changing the state’s political scene.
Since then Naidu has been heading TDP. He became the longest serving chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh (1995-2004). A decade later when Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to carve out Telangana as a new state, he made a new beginning as the first chief minister of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
Maharashtra
Delhi HC to pronounce today verdict on anticipatory bail plea of ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar
New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.
As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.
Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.
Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.
Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.
Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.
The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.
After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.
In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.
However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.
It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.
The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.
The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.
In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.
National News
‘Stubborn, anti-farmer’, Kharge attacks Centre while paying tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh
New Delhi, Dec 23: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the Centre of being stubborn and anti-farmer, hoping that the government would not do injustice to the farmers and implement its promises.
He said this while paying tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, whose birth anniversary is marked as the Farmers’ Day.
In a post on X, Kharge wrote, “Farmer is India, the pride of the country. Warm wishes to all farmer sisters and brothers, and farm labourers on Farmer’s Day. Respectful tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji on his birth anniversary, who fought for the farmers of the country.”
Attacking the Modi-led Centre, the Congress chief accused the government of being stubborn and anti-farmer. “It is hoped that the Modi government will not do further injustice to our farmers through its stubbornness and anti-farmer policies and will implement its old promises,” he further wrote.
Even as Kharge attacked the government on the farmers’ issues, the Centre on Sunday said it has been recognising the vital role of farmers and has introduced a suite of initiatives designed to support their socio-economic upliftment and ensure sustainable agricultural growth.
“These programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), are aimed at providing financial security, risk mitigation, and long-term social security for farmers,” said a government statement.
It said that by addressing both immediate challenges and long-term needs, these schemes underscore the government’s commitment to nurturing the backbone of the nation and fostering a sustainable agricultural future.
Earlier in the day, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and others paid rich tributes to the former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh at Kisan Ghat, Delhi. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary — RLD chief and grandson of Chaudhary Charan Singh — was also present with the Vice President.
After paying tributes, the Vice President said, “On the occasion of Kisan Diwas, I salute all the farmers of India. In 2001, the right decision was taken and Kisan Diwas was started in the name of such a great man who dedicated his life to the nation’s development along with the farmers and rural development. His thinking and philosophy are exemplary for all of us.”
National News
Will the changed rules of the Election Commission affect transparency? Understand every point
New Delhi: On the recommendation of the Election Commission, the rules have been clarified regarding the electronic records sought by the Law Ministry in the form of documents. The amended rules say that common people will not be able to take the footage of CCTV cameras installed in polling booths and webcasting. The opposition, including the Congress, is strongly opposing these amendments.
Amidst the commotion in the matter, spoke to the Election Commission. An attempt was made to find out whether the new amended rules will have any effect on the transparency of elections? Can there be any possibility of malpractice due to this? Or any other kind of manipulation? In this entire matter, a senior official of the Election Commission clarified about the amended rules.
Question: Congress has strongly opposed the amended rules and has questioned the transparency of the amendment.
Answer: Election Commission official says that this is completely baseless. There will be no reduction in transparency in the new amended rules. We are not hiding anything from anyone nor are we trying to hide anything, through amendment, Rule 93 (2) (A) of the old rule Conduct of Election Rule, 1961 has been amended to make it clear and unambiguous that there is no mention of CCTV cameras and webcasting footage in seeking records.
For those who ask for this record, it should not be construed as giving the footage of CCTV cameras and webcasting installed inside the polling booths. The new amended rules make it clear that these electronic records will not be given to the general public. This includes footage from CCTV cameras, webcasting and videography.
Question: Where did the case start?
Answer: It started with the case of Advocate Mehmood Pracha, in which on his petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 9 ordered the Election Commission to give a copy of the videography, CCTV footage and documents related to votes of a polling booth during the Haryana Assembly elections to Advocate Pracha. Only after this, on the recommendation of the Election Commission, the Law Ministry made these changes in the rules. Officials say that in the old rules, electronic data was also being sought under 17 (C) by citing Rule 93 (2) (A). There is no clear mention of this in the old rules, because at that time there was no provision for CCTV cameras, webcasting and videography at polling stations.
Question: So will the candidate also not be able to get CCTV footage?
Answer: This is not so, if the candidate wants, he will still be able to get electronic records like CCTV cameras through the court as before. This restriction will be only on common people. But here it would be right to clarify that the candidate will also be able to get electronic data of only that assembly or Lok Sabha constituency from where he has contested the election. It is not that he will be able to get CCTV records of any electoral area. In this too, this electronic record will be available only to the candidate, not to his political party.
Question: What is the problem in providing electronic records?
Answer: The Commission official says that there are major problems on two fronts. First, the safety of voters and second, its misuse by mischievous elements through AI. The Commission said that if such CCTV footage records in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Chhattisgarh and many other states including Naxal-affected states fall into wrong hands, it can pose a threat to the safety of voters. Secondly, it can be misused through AI. Especially during elections.
People can misuse this on social media by creating polling booths of different states through AI on the day of voting and can make fake news viral by giving wrong messages to voters as per their wish. If this is stopped, the voting will be over and the wrong people can succeed in their nefarious intentions. Electronic data can also be sold outside the country.
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