Author: Supriya Jena

On Sunday, Maharashtra’s new government added more leaders to its team in a ceremony held in Nagpur. Some important leaders who took an oath included Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state chief of the BJP, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Chandrakant Patil, and Hasan Mushrif from the NCP. This cabinet expansion comes right after the BJP and its allies won the 2024 assembly elections, marking a big step for their teamwork in governing the state.

Earlier that day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis honored Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the creator of India’s Constitution, by paying tribute in Nagpur. After this tribute, he held a roadshow, which was his first public event since the election results. Joined by his wife, Amruta Fadnavis, and BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the roadshow attracted excited crowds. Amruta Fadnavis shared her joy with ANI, saying, “It feels great to see the people’s love. Our responsibilities have increased, and we must accept them.”

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar from the NCP also visited Nagpur before the cabinet meeting, showing everyone how the coalition leaders are working together. This cabinet expansion aims to share power fairly and keep the promises made to the people of Maharashtra. Details about what roles the new ministers will have are expected to be announced soon.

On Sunday, B Y Vijayendra, the President of the BJP in Karnataka, strongly denied claims made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leaders. They accused him of trying to bribe Anwar Manippady, the former head of the Minority Commission, with Rs 150 crore. This bribe was allegedly offered to keep quiet about a report on Waqf property encroachments.

Siddaramaiah had said that Manippady claimed Vijayendra visited his home during the previous Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s time and made the offer to him. However, Manippady denied these claims and said that no bribe was ever offered. He mentioned that he only talked about a report regarding issues from the past Congress government when Vijayendra was a party Vice President.

Home Minister G Parameshwara claimed there is video evidence of Manippady’s accusations. Vijayendra questioned the logic behind these allegations and suggested that the Congress was just trying to divert attention from their own corruption issues, especially concerning an ongoing case against Siddaramaiah.

Vijayendra expressed his willingness to address these accusations in the Assembly if they arise. He criticized the Congress government for allegedly wasting time, instead of discussing important topics like maternal deaths at government hospitals and unresolved issues in northern Karnataka. He said the government appeared to be ignoring serious matters that affect the people, like the protests for higher reservations by the Panchamasali Lingayat community.

He emphasized that the BJP would face all challenges bravely and would not back down just because they are facing politically motivated investigations.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan strongly criticized the Congress party, saying they have no shame or sense of responsibility. Speaking on Sunday, he pointed out that Indian citizens have repeatedly revealed Congress’s wrongdoings.

Pradhan mentioned that Prime Minister Modi shared important historical facts in a recent speech. He accused Congress of ignoring the truth and said they need to learn how to listen. The people of India have shown Congress the truth many times, Pradhan added.

Earlier, PM Modi also took a firm stand against Congress. He accused the party of disrespecting the Constitution, which is crucial for India. Modi presented eleven promises for a bright future for the country. He said everyone should remember their duties and that politics should not be based on family ties.

Referring to the Congress party, Modi highlighted their long history of disregarding the Constitution. He pointed out that from 1947 to 1952, India did not have a real elected government, and there were no important elections during that time. Modi emphasized that following our fundamental duties is key to making India a developed country.

He criticized Congress for past events like the emergency, claiming it took away the rights of citizens and limited freedom of the press.

The Lok Sabha discussed the Constitution’s 75 years over two days starting on Friday.

On Sunday, Ramesh Pehalwan, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and his wife Kusumlata joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). They made this switch in front of Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of AAP. This news comes as we get closer to the Delhi Assembly elections expected in early 2025.

Earlier this week, Kejriwal confirmed that AAP will not team up with the Congress party for these elections. He mentioned on social media that AAP will rely on its own efforts in Delhi instead of forming a partnership with Congress.

Devendra Yadav, the President of the Congress in Delhi, recently criticized AAP for the worsening safety situation in the city. He insisted that Kejriwal should ask for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, similar to how he once demanded the resignation of former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit during the Nirbhaya case. Yadav stated that women in Delhi are facing increased dangers from crimes like gang violence, shootings, murders, rapes, harassment, and theft.

On Friday, AAP announced its third list of candidates for the 2025 elections, picking Tarun Yadav to represent the Najafgarh area. Previously, AAP released a second candidates’ list, which removed 17 current members of the legislative assembly, choosing to replace them with new faces. However, they decided to re-nominate three well-known figures: Manish Sisodia and Rakhi Birla, who are current members, and Deepu Chaudhary, a former candidate from the last elections.

While Congress was dominant in Delhi for 15 years, it has struggled recently. In the last two assembly elections, they didn’t win even one seat. In the 2020 elections, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats, and the BJP managed to secure just eight seats.