Do Gujarat, Punjab bypoll victories mark explosive return of Arvind Kejriwal?
Arvind Kejriwal was everywhere, then he was nowhere. It was as if the AAP chief had a distinct pre- and post-Delhi election era. After four months of remaining evasive from the public eye, this could be the very moment that Kejriwal, The Mufflerman who seemed to have unravelled, makes a comeback. Thanks to the victories in the bypolls in Gujarat and Punjab.advertisementThe question being asked by many now -- will Kejriwal become a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab? The path has been cleared though.Monday's twin victories revived hopes after a lull of four months. It was the February 2025 Delhi election that shocked the AAP as the state is the party's political nursery. That the angst remained was evident from the remarks of AAP's Delhi unit President Saurabh Bhardwaj, who termed the Delhi loss the BJP's "deceit", even as he heralded Kejriwal's return to national politics.
Results of the bypolls in five seats in four states were declared on Monday. While the BJP, Congress and the Trinamool Congress won one seat each, it was the AAP that managed to win two seats.The AAP secured massive victories in Punjab's Ludhiana West and Gujarat's Visavadar. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won Kerala's Nilambur, while the BJP managed to bag Gujarat's Kadi. The TMC is on course to retain Kaliganj in West Bengal.advertisementIt is the victory in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state where the BJP has been in power uninterrupted since 1998, that the AAP and its leaders showcased as the feather in the electoral cap."Now that's an Arvind Kejriwal-style comeback. A stellar victory for AAP's Gopal Italia in Modi's fortress Gujarat," the party posted on X after the results were declared.Like most parties in India do, the AAP was super-quick in laying the credit for the victory on Kejriwal's doorsteps."The credit goes to Arvind Kejriwal's policies, Bhagwant Mann government's work, the hard work of our workers and volunteers, and the decency of Sanjeev Arora [the candidate]," said Punjab AAP president and state minister Aman Arora.Four months in the political wilderness must have been a long time for Kejriwal, so used to being in the thick of things. Right from taking over the Jan Lokpal agitation of Anna Hazare in 2011 to launching the AAP as a political party to taking oath as Delhi CM thrice, to sidelining detractors, Kejriwal modelled the AAP in his own image.So, when the image received a setback with leader after leader, including himself, being sent to jail in corruption cases and a drubbing in the 2025 Delhi Assembly election, Kejriwal merged into the shadows.advertisementHowever, a politician like Kejriwal, nurturing national ambition, it was just a chance that was required for return.The bypoll election results in Punjab, and, more importantly, Gujarat, might have gifted him just that.Bhardwaj, a former Delhi minister, said Arvind Kejriwal was making an explosive re-entry into national politics."This loss in Gujarat's Visavadnagar is a big setback for the BJP, which won Delhi against the AAP with deceit. With this victory, Arvind Kejriwal is making an explosive re-entry into national politics," said Bhardwaj.Both Punjab and Gujarat will go to Assembly polls in 2027. While the AAP has a massive majority in Punjab -- the only state outside Delhi it was able to crack despite contesting in several -- the party stood third in Gujarat in 2022.Though AAP leaders are heralding a return for Kejriwal in national politics, the issue is that he will need a national platform to announce his comeback.That is what has sparked the buzz of Kejriwal entering the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.Sanjeev Arora of the AAP, who won from Ludhiana West on Monday by a margin of 11,000 votes, will most likely vacate his parliamentary seat now. He has 14 days to resign as an MP, else his election as the MLA stands cancelled.advertisementBJP leader Anurag Thakur had alleged earlier in June that Kejriwal wanted to get into the Rajya Sabha through Punjab and that was why Arora, an MP whose term as an MP extended till 2028, was fielded in the bypolls.Since the AAP's loss in Delhi, it had been increasingly speculated that Kejriwal would look for a role via Punjab. That seems to be a possible now with Arora being elected as an MLA.Arora's potential demotion to an MLA, giving up his MP post for a state legislator's role, might be sweetened with a plum ministry or even the Deputy CM's post.Will Arvind Kejriwal use the seat vacated by Arora for the Rajya Sabha entry? That is a question that will be answered in time, but in politics, nothing is impossible. The buzz has already intensified as AAP leaders announce the "spectacular comeback" of Kejriwal into national politics.Trending Reel
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Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Jagan slams CM Naidu over 'restrictions' during Rentapalla visit
Amaravati, YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday questioned Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on why the TDP-led NDA government allegedly imposed restrictions on his recent visit to Rentapalla to ensure that "people would not turn up." Jagan slams CM Naidu over 'restrictions' during Rentapalla visit On June 18, Reddy visited Rentapalla village in Palnadu district to call on the family members of a party leader who had died by suicide a year ago due to alleged "harassment by TDP leaders and police." Though police gave permission for a limited number of vehicles and only about 100 people for this visit, many vehicles joined Reddy's convoy, and thousands of people swarmed all along the way from Tadepalli to Rentapalla. Further, a YSRCP supporter, C Singayya, allegedly fell under a vehicle and died in that melee at Etuku Cross. Guntur district superintendent of police S Satish initially said that Singayya fell under a private vehicle, but not under Reddy's convoy. However, on Sunday night, he said that Singayya was actually "run over" by the vehicle being used by Reddy, leading to the registration of a police case against Reddy and others. Amidst this backdrop, the former CM questioned if the erstwhile YSRCP government had imposed such restrictions during the visits of Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan between 2019 and 2024. 'Chandrababu, why did you impose restrictions on my tour to ensure that nobody would turn up? Did we impose these kinds of restrictions when you and Pawan Kalyan were touring?' Reddy asked in a post on 'X'. Reddy questioned why opposition leaders like him are allegedly being stopped from visiting their party workers and expressing solidarity with farmers and citizens. Though he "followed all the rules" and gave prior information about his visit to the authorities, Reddy alleged that the state failed to provide the necessary security arrangements. Reddy emphasised that Z security for a former chief minister is not a favour but a protocol-based right, adding that just as it applied to Naidu in the past, it should apply to anyone in the future. "Why were there no pilot vehicles or rope parties deployed during my visit, which are part of the standard Z security protocol?" asked the YSRCP chief. If the security arrangements were in place, Reddy questioned, "How could anyone have come under his vehicle," and demanded clarity. "Did the government fail to provide security, or is the claim that someone was run over false?" he asked. Alleging that the government did not provide a bulletproof vehicle, which is mandatory under protocol, Reddy said he arranged one for himself at his own expense. Further, the opposition leader referred to Guntur SP's initial statement on Singayya's incident and demanded to know "why the narrative was later changed and politicised." He accused the ruling coalition of using this tragic incident as a distraction from their governance failures. Observing that he had only held a press conference to expose the alleged "unfulfilled promises, corruption, and financial damage done by the current regime," Reddy alleged that the NDA alliance government has launched diversionary tactics instead of responding with accountability. On learning about Singayya's death, Reddy said he immediately instructed his party leaders to provide help, along with ₹ 10 lakh compensation to the victim's family. He reminded that another supporter had also died due to a heart attack during the same tour, and similar support was extended to that family as well. Reddy asserted that these actions show the value he places on his supporters and questioned Naidu's response in similar situations. He criticised the TDP for allegedly spreading lies and questioned their moral authority to speak about humanity and ethics. Moreover, Reddy called on Naidu to mend his ways, act with responsibility, and "stop using political power to suppress the opposition." Meanwhile, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha accused Reddy of continuing his tour even after two people had lost their lives. The police had informed YSRCP leaders that the road was only 10 feet wide and that security could be provided for only 100 people, including his convoy and three vehicles, she said. Despite intelligence reports suggesting that the YSRCP was mobilising cadres, police extended maximum security, keeping in mind Reddy's Z status, said the Home Minister. "No one who commits a crime in the state will escape the law under any circumstances," she added. She further alleged that Reddy's supporter in Rentapalla village had died a year ago due to gambling, questioning the need for his visit. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
NDTV
36 minutes ago
- NDTV
From Congress To AAP: A Political Shift In Gujarat's Visavadar
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Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Statistics ministry to conduct first-ever household income survey in 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct the first-ever Household Income Survey in 2026, with a Technical Expert Group (TEG) being set up to guide the ministry on the method of estimation and other aspects of the survey. In addition to measuring household income, the proposed survey will also try to assess the impact of adoption of technology on wages, the statistics ministry said on Monday. The survey will be MoSPI's latest attempt to measure household income in India, with pilots conducted in the past not resulting in a nationwide survey due to difficulties in collecting reliable income data, the ministry said. These past attempts date back to the 1950s, when it tried to collect information on income as part of its consumer expenditure surveys on an experimental basis. Further attempts were made in the 1960s as part of the Integrated Household Survey. 'However, these efforts were not continued as it was found that the estimates of income were lower than the estimates of consumption and savings put together,' MoSPI said. In the 1980s, it was again explored if it was operationally feasible to collect household income data, but it did not lead to a national survey. 'Recently, NSS (National Sample Survey) has taken a number of initiatives to plug-in the data gaps in different spheres of social and economic interests… The household income survey is another important initiative of the Ministry to generate vital information for deriving income distribution and welfare thereof,' MoSPI said. It added that there was an 'urgent need' for a dedicated income distribution survey 'to better understand the profound structural changes that have occurred in the Indian economy over the past 75 years'. According to MoSPI's latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data, India's per capita gross national income in 2024-25 was Rs 2.31 lakh in current prices, up 8.7 per cent from 2023-24. Surjit Bhalla-led expert group The expert group constituted on Monday will be chaired by economist Surjit Bhalla, formerly India's Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. In addition to Bhalla and officials from MoSPI and other government ministries, the expert group comprises of Aloke Kar, former professor at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Sonalde Desai of National Council of Applied Economic Research, Praveen Jha from Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Srijit Mishra from University of Hyderabad's School of Economics, National Stock Exchange of India Chief Economist Tirthankar Patnaik, People Research on India's Consumer Economy Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Shukla, and Ram Singh, Director of Delhi School of Economics and an external member of the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee. 'The Expert Group will provide guidance with regard to finalisation of concepts and definitions, preparation of the survey method and instruments, sampling design and method of estimation, and incorporate best country practices as adopted across the world… The TEG will also provide guidance for finalisation of the survey results and report for release,' MoSPI said. MoSPI, over the last couple of years, has conducted a variety of surveys to shed light on different parts of the Indian economy in addition to the regular ones that are used to compile key macroeconomic indicators such as GDP, Consumer Price Index, and Index of Industrial Production. These include annual surveys on unincorporated enterprises, the service sector, a forward-looking survey on private sector capital expenditure, and domestic travel and tourism, among others. Last month, the ministry released the result of its maiden monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which had so far been conducted only on a quarterly basis for urban areas and annually for rural areas. The revamped monthly PLFS also seeks details about households' usual monthly income from rent, pension, interest, and remittances. However, the findings related to these details have so far not been released. Some of the key surveys whose results will be released over the next few months include the Annual Survey of Industries for 2023-24 and Household Social Consumption: Health. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. He reports primarily on data and the economy, looking for trends and changes in the former which paint a picture of the latter. Before The Indian Express, he worked at Moneycontrol and financial newswire Informist (previously called Cogencis). Outside of work, sports, fantasy football, and graphic novels keep him busy. ... Read More
