PM Modi connects to the nation with ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign
PM Modi addressed a Town Hall at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi in a nationally televised addressed to the nation. He began with profiling the chowkidar and how he embodies the spirit of an alert chowkidar in protecting the nation.
The PM took questions from select attendees from various parts of the country on various topics of security and public interest, answering in his signature style and drawing spirited applause from all.
Wayanad in Kerala is Rahul Gandhi’s Plan B; Left unhappy
It’s official. Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be contesting his second seat from Wayanad in Kerala. Congress leader AK Anthony and Randeep Surjewala, in a press address, confirmed the development highlighting the need to build bridges to narrow the north-south divide and Wayanad, located at the tri-junction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, was the best place to contest.
The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency was carved out just before 2009 elections and has been a Congress stronghold with the late MI Shanavas winning in 2009 and 2014 seat. Wayanad constituency comprises three assembly segments; Wayanad district, Malappuram district, and Kozhikode district.
Mr Gandhi will be contesting against LDF candidate and CPI leader PP Suneer. The Left has criticized the Congress decision saying it will impact opposition unity. The BJP is expected to put up a known face against the Congress president.
Mamata, Kejriwal make a united pitch in Vizag in support of Chandrababu Naidu
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrived in Vizag today to extend support and campaign for TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.
TDP extended an invitation for today’s rally in Vizag to former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, former JD(S) HD Deva Gowda, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, DMK leader MK Stalin, and RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav but they were unable to attend today’s rally. They will separately be joining Chandrababu Naidu at different rallies through the next two weeks.
Mamata Banerjee has returned the favour since Chandrababu Naidu has visited Kolkata in a strong show of support for Mamata Banerjee.
The TDP supremo is facing political heat from both the BJP and Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSRCP and so, has been attempting to form a Mahagathbandhan with all opposition political parties against the BJP-led NDA. With eleven days left for polls to commence, the Mahagathbandhan remains without a common minimum program-based agenda.
The coming polls will reveal whether mere stage unity beats agenda-based unity or not.
Congress keeps AAP in suspense
The capital remains in suspense with the Congress taking its time on deciding to ally with AAP or go it alone in a three-way contest involving AAP and BJP.
Congress remains divided on the subsequent fallout with AAP should they fight the elections together. AAP has been a very vocal critic of the Congress and therefore mere coming together to defeat BJP is only postponing inter-party bickering that may follow, as seen between the Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka. Former Congress CM Sheila Dikshit has been opposing any tie-up with AAP, but there seem to be some signs of her relenting as the immediate priority seems to be to defeat the BJP at any cost with all other issues to be addressed post-poll outcome.