BJP ropes in big guns for states, UT going to polls later this year

In a further indication that Assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) could be held later this year, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President J P Nadda appointed Union Minister G Kishan Reddy as the party’s election in-charge for the Union Territory of J&K on Monday.

Nadda also appointed in-charges and co-in-charges for the other three poll-bound states: Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand.

The BJP’s appointment of senior leaders to oversee election preparedness in these states follows the party’s failure to replicate its performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha (LS) polls in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand during the recently concluded 2024 LS polls.

According to a party statement, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed as the in-charge for Maharashtra, while Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will serve as the co-in-charge.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been appointed as the BJP’s election in-charge for Haryana, with former Tripura chief minister (CM) Biplab Kumar Deb as the co-in-charge.

Former Madhya Pradesh CM and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will lead the BJP’s efforts in Jharkhand, assisted by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma as co-in-charge.

The term of the Haryana Assembly expires on November 3, and the Maharashtra Assembly on November 26 this year. The Jharkhand Assembly’s term ends on January 5, 2025.

Regarding J&K, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to hold elections in the Union Territory by September 30.

In the recently concluded LS polls, the BJP won five of Haryana’s 10 seats, losing five compared to its 2019 LS results. The Congress won five seats and increased its vote share from 28 per cent in 2019 to 43.67 per cent. The BJP’s vote share declined to 46.11 per cent from 58 per cent in the 2019 LS polls.

In Maharashtra, the BJP-led alliance won 17 seats, with the BJP securing nine seats, down from 23 in 2019. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 seats. In Jharkhand, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won nine seats, while the INDIA bloc secured five seats; the NDA had won 12 seats in 2019.

Modi’s visit to UP, Bihar

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi, his LS constituency, on Tuesday. This will be his first visit to Varanasi since assuming office for the third consecutive term.

According to a statement from the Uttar Pradesh government, the PM will express gratitude to the people for electing him to the LS for the third successive time. He will offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and participate in the Ganga Aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

During his visit, the PM will participate in the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan at Mehdiganj in the Sevapuri Assembly constituency and release ~20,000 crore as part of the PM Kisan Nidhi income support scheme for over 92.6 million farmers. The PM will distribute certificates to 30,000 Krishi Sakhis of self-help groups. The Krishi Sakhi Convergence Programme aims to transform rural India by empowering rural women through training and certification of Krishi Sakhis as para-extension workers.

An official statement mentioned that this certification course also aligns with the objectives of the Lakhpati Didi programme.

On Wednesday, the PM will be in Bihar, where he will inaugurate the campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir and address the gathering. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by the Heads of Missions of 17 countries.

The campus comprises two academic blocks with 40 classrooms, totalling a seating capacity of around 1,900. It includes two auditoria with 300 seats each and a hostel capable of accommodating 550 students. An official statement highlighted that the campus is a net-zero green campus.