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Trinamool prepares to play key role in uniting Oppositon, avoiding vote split

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As elections for the new President of India is scheduled sometime in July this year, it is certain that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take a lead role in uniting the regional parties so that a strong and unanimously accepted opposition candidate can be fielded against the nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

On Thursday, after a section of the media asked Banerjee about the Presidential polls, she refused to divulge the details of her plans but made it clear that she is determined to take a lead role in uniting the opposition ahead of the Presidential polls.

“There is time to go for the polls. I cannot divulge my plans right now. I will share the details at an appropriate time. All I can say is that the opposition will put up a strong contest,” the Chief Minister said.

a senior Trinamool MP, who on conditions of anonymity said that Banerjee has started talking to the CMs of non-BJP states on this count.

“During her recent visit to New Delhi, she had a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The issue of fielding a unanimous opposition candidate came up in the meeting. I heard that soon she is also likely to hold a meeting with TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on this matter. The rest is up to the Chief Minister to decide,” the Trinamool MP said.

That Trinamool will go all out to play an important role in forging opposition unity over the Presidential polls was made clear by Banerjee on March 16, when she said that despite BJP’s victory in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, it will not be a cakewalk for the BJP since they do not have even 50 per cent of the total number of legislators in the country.

“You should not forget that without our support, BJP will not be able to sail through,” the Chief Minister had said then.

The question that automatically arises is whether the Chief Minister’s dream of taking a lead role in uniting the opposition on this issue will be fulfilled if she keeps the Congress out of her plans.

According to All Indian Congress Committee member Suvankar Sarkar, Banerjee has to decide whether she is really serious about uniting the opposition on the issue of Presidential polls.

“In March, she had said that without Trinamool’s help the BJP will not be able to sail through. Do I consider this statement as a subtle message to the BJP? The initiative has to come from her side on whether she wants the support of the Congress on this issue,” he said.

Political analyst and the former registrar of Calcutta University, Rajagopal Dhar Chakraborty, said that any attempt from the Chief Minister to field an unanimously accepted opposition candidate will not be fruitful without the support of the Congress.

“Mere unity of regional parties will never be able to put up a formidable opposition against BJP’s presidential nominee. However, I feel the equation will be clear by the first or second week of June,” Chakraborty said.

National

Maha govt transfers seven bureaucrats in a minor reshuffle

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Mumbai, April 2: In a minor reshuffle, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred seven bureaucrats.

Nishi Pandey, an IAS officer of the 2001 batch, has been posted as Managing Director of Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation.

Laxminarayan Mishra, an IAS officer of the 2012 batch, has been posted as Joint Managing Director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Bharat Bastewad, an IAS officer of the 2013 batch and CEO of Raigad Zilla Parishad, has been appointed Commissioner of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at Nagpur.

Indurani Jakhar, an IAS officer of the 2016 batch, who is the Municipal Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation, has been posted as Collector, Palghar district.

Vasumana Pant, an IAS officer of the 2017 batch, who is Director General, VANAMATI, Nagpur, has been posted as Additional Municipal Commissioner, Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Vaishnavi B, an IAS officer of the 2019 batch, who is Chief Executive Officer, Akola Zilla Parishad, has been posted as Additional Municipal Commissioner, Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Neha Bhosle, an IAS officer of the 2020 batch, has been posted as Chief Executive Officer, Raigad Zilla Parishad.

Earlier, on March 25, the state government transferred five IAS officers.

The state government posted B. H. Palawe, an IAS officer of the 2013 batch, who is Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Palghar, as the Managing Director, Maharashtra State Financial Corporation, Mumbai.

Manoj Ranade, an IAS officer of the 2014 batch and the Director of Municipal Administration, Mumbai, was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Palghar.

Shubham Gupta, an IAS officer of the 2019 batch and the Municipal Commissioner of Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad City Municipal Corporation, was posted as Member Secretary, Vidarbha Statutory Development Board, Nagpur.

Anjali Ramesh, an IAS officer of the 2020 batch, after transfer of cadre from Madhya Pradesh, was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Hindoli.

Zenith Chandra Deonthula, an IAS officer of the 2022 batch, who is Assistant Collector, Varora Sub-Division, Chandrapur, was posted as Project Officer, ITDP, Kinwat, and Assistant Collector, Kinwat Sub-Division, Nanded.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai’s Bandra Worli Sea Link Toll Rates To Go Up By 18% From April 1

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has announced an 18% increase in toll charges for Mumbai’s Bandra Worli Sea Link from April 1. According to media reports, this hike in toll rates is limited to-one way travel.

After the implementation of the surge rates, cars and jeeps, from Monday, will have to pay Rs 100, up from the current Rs 85.

On the other hand, minibus, tempos, and similar vehicles will have to pay Rs 160. Earlier, these vehicles paid Rs 130.

While two-axle trucks currently pay Rs 175, they will have to spend Rs 210 for a one-way trip from tomorrow.

The old rates were put in place in April 2021. The new rates will be in effect for three years – from April 1 to March 31, 2027.

The report added that the MSRDC officials announced a rebate of 10% for motorists and 20% on the purchase of booklets carrying 50 and 100 toll coupons in advance, respectively.

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link was opened to the public in 2009. The cable-stayed bridge was named after former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi. It connects Mumbai’s Worli and Bandra, making it easy for commuters to avoid congestion in Dadar, Mahim, Prabhadevi, and Worli neighbourhoods.

In a big relief to commuters, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the Mumbai coastal road. The 9.6-km high-speed corridor also connects Worli with Marine Drive.

The coastal road has been constructed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

It proposes to connect the Marine Drive area in south Mumbai to Kandivali, a western suburb, via the existing Bandra Worli Sea Link and is expected to ease Mumbai’s northbound traffic.

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National

After LS nod, Amit Shah to move Immigration and Foreigners Bill in RS today

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New Delhi, April 2: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday will discuss the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

As per the business list of Upper House, Union Minister Amit Shah will move that the Bill “to confer upon the Central Government certain powers to provide for requirement of passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering into and exiting from India and for regulating matters related to foreigners including requirement of visa and registration and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto, as passed by Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration.”

He will also seek the passing of the bill after a discussion is held by the members of the House.

A key aspect of the Bill is the implementation of enhanced surveillance and security protocols. The Union Home Minister while speaking about the importance of the bill in the Lok Sabha had said, “It will strengthen the country’s security and economy, pave the way to make our education system and universities global, lay a strong foundation for research and investigation in the country and make India number one in the world in every field by 2047.”

He said that immigration was not an isolated issue but many issues of the country were directly or indirectly linked with it. He said that it was very important for the security of the country to know who is entering our borders, when they are entering, for how long they will stay and the purpose for which they are here.

Also to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha is the Boilers Bill, 2024, returned by Lok Sabha with Amendments. Union Minister Piyush Goyal will move that the amendments made by Lok Sabha be taken into consideration.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will make a statement regarding the “Status of implementation of the recommendations contained in the Tenth Report (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs on ‘PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)’ of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.”

Upper House members Sushmita Dev, Rekha Sharma and Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya will present the “366th Report (in English and Hindi) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports on ‘Demands for Grants (2025-26)’ pertaining to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.”

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