Haryana elections: Ex-MP Ashok Tanwar seeks votes for BJP, hours later joins Congress in Rahul Gandhi's presence
Haryana elections: Ex-MP Ashok Tanwar seeks votes for BJP, hours later joins Congress in Rahul Gandhi's presence
In a dramatic move, as Rahul Gandhi was concluding his address, a message was delivered from the stage, requesting the crowd to remain for a few more minutes. Tanwar, who had joined the BJP earlier this year, walked onto the stage, amidst the announcement that "aaj unki ghar vapsi ho gayi ha (today, he has returned to the Congress fold)".
Notably, Tanwar was campaigning for BJP candidate Randhir Panihar hours before joining Congress
Tanwar, once seen as a close associate of Gandhi, rejoined Congress just before campaigning for the October 5 Haryana Assembly elections concluded. He had left the party in 2019 due to disagreements with senior leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The former Haryana Congress chief was welcomed back by Gandhi and greeted by Hooda, who acknowledged him with a pat on the back. Senior leader K C Venugopal was also on stage during the event. Tanwar joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in April 2022 after a brief stint with the Trinamool Congress.
Tanwar's return as a prominent Dalit leader is expected to strengthen Congress as it seeks to reclaim power from the BJP after a decade of opposition.
Meawhile, speaking about the move, senior BJP leader Anil Vij said, "He is a migratory bird and it is his character to hop on different branches. These kind of people are not faithful to anyone. If he was not ours, he cannot be of Congress either.
AAP's Amar Singh joins Congress
In a setback to the AAP ahead of Saturday's Haryana Assembly polls, the party's Nilokheri (reserve) seat candidate, Amar Singh, joined the Congress.
After joining the party, Singh on Wednesday said only Congress can defeat the BJP government, which has been “unjust to farmers, women, Dalits, and minorities"
The party said in a statement that he joined the Congress in the presence of Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. Bajwa formally inducted Singh into the party, it added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is part of the INDIA bloc but is contesting the Haryana elections on its own after the talks between the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and Congress did not materialise last month.
Special counsel says Trump committed ‘private crimes’ in bid to stay in power
Special Counsel Jack Smith, seeking to kick-start the federal prosecution of Donald Trump on election-interference charges, laid out a 165-page road map for allegations that the former president “resorted to crimes" to remain in power after losing the 2020 election.
The filing, unsealed Wednesday in a Washington, D.C., trial court, amounted to a defense of the case even after a recent Supreme Court ruling that conferred broad immunity on presidents for official acts at the core of their constitutional powers. Smith’s team asserts that Trump’s “scheme was fundamentally a private one," leaving him open for prosecution.
World War ‘Aaj nahi to Kal’, predicts Shankar Sharma; What will be India’s role in it?
Veteran investor Shankar Sharma stirred discussions on geopolitical tensions with a tweet, predicting an inevitable escalated global conflict. He foresees the formation of two opposing blocs in the world, with the US, UK, Israel, and Europe on one side and Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea on the other.
“Apna prediction kilear hai: aaj nahi to Kal, ek World War hona hi hai. US UK Israel Europe: Side 1. Iran Russia China N Korea: Side 2. India? Referee without Penalty Powers," Sharma said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 2.
The tweet hinted at India’s uncertain role, likening it to a “referee without penalty powers" - a position of neutrality but with limited influence in mitigating the global conflict.
Sharma’s prediction aligns with growing concerns about escalating global tensions, particularly surrounding the US-China relations, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Middle Eastern conflicts involving Iran and Israel. The inclusion of major nuclear powers such as Russia, China, and the US intensifies the potential consequences of such a scenario.
Middle East tensions escalated significantly on October 1, when Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Tehran, while Iranian officials warned that any further targeting of their country would provoke an even more devastating counterstrike.
Sharma’s comment on India’s role as a “referee" reflects its current foreign policy of strategic autonomy and its ‘neutral’ position. While India maintains strong ties with the West, it has also sought to balance its relations with Russia and other non-aligned nations.
This is evident in its approach during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, where India has preserved diplomatic ties with both Russia and Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has engaged with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aiming to foster dialogue without explicitly taking sides.
Financial markets have been rattled by the ongoing geopolitical conflicts, with the Indian stock market indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, dropping over 2% each on Thursday. The heightened volatility in the markets have added to broader concerns about the global economic outlook amid speculations over how the conflict will evolve.
Elon Musk gave tens of millions to Republican causes far earlier than previously known
Elon Musk’s financial support for Republican causes has been much more extensive and started earlier than previously known.
The Tesla CEO quietly gave tens of millions of dollars to groups with ties to Trump aide Stephen Miller and supporters of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid, according to people familiar with the matter.
What is vote jihad? People like Fadnavis want to break nation again?’ Sanjay Raut criticises Maha Dy CM for his remark
Shiv Sena UBT's Sanjay Raut on Thursday questioned Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his claim that “vote jihad" was prevalent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Retaliating to Fadnavis's comments, Raut mentioned that it was fine with the BJP if the “Muslims, Jains, Hindus, Parsis, vote for them" and asked whether Fadnavis wanted to divide the nation.
What is vote jihad? Citizens of this country are Muslims, Jains, Hindus, Parsis, if they vote for you (BJP) then it is okay... Why did you (BJP) bring the Triple Talaq law for Muslim women? We came to know that people from Gujarat vote for BJP in Maharashtra...People from other sections of the society also vote for them...Do people like Devendra Fadnavis want to break this country again?" ANI quoted Raut as saying.
While addressing a public event in Kolhapur city, Devendra Fadnavis targeted the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and claimed that “vote jihad" was witnessed in 14 out of 48 constituencies in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections. During his speech, Fadnavis also pointed out instances wherein women were tricked into inter-faith marriage and subsequently abandoned after they gave birth to children.
Vote jihad was seen in Lok Sabha elections. In the Dhule constituency, the BJP candidate led with 1.90 lakh votes in five assembly seats. However, our candidate trailed by 1.94 lakh votes because of voting in the Malegaon Central assembly segment, losing the election by just 4,000 votes," PTI quoted Fadnavis as saying on October 1.
Sanjay Raut's remarks on the controversy are the latest in a series of objections the opposition party leaders raised against Fadnavis's statement. Many even demanded an apology from the BJP.
Criticising Devendra Fadnavis for his remarks, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Wednesday said, “Devendra Fadnavis should be ashamed...He is the home minister of the state and holds a constitutional post...Devendra Fadnavis himself wants to do the same cheap politics that the BJP does by making such statements and fighting on the basis of religion during elections...Congress demands that Devendra Fadnavis should apologise to the people of the state (for his statement)."
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