
Gujarat Confidential: In solidarity
A 'Bharat Jodo Abhiyan' was organised at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar Saturday where Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi spoke about the 'virtues that identify India'. The meet also saw heads from all faiths- Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians, Parsi, Dawoodi Bohra and Swaminarayan sect, expressing solidarity with the armed forces. 'When our tolerance is taken for our weakness then it is the demand of the moment to support the decisions taken by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' said Devvrat.
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Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Result a mirror to big parties
Jalandhar: The results of the Ludhiana West byelection hold a mirror to all parties, with only a year and a half left to the 2027 assembly elections. Though AAP won the seat by an improved margin compared to the 2022 assembly elections, there is a contrast in the way the party won it over three years ago, when it swept the state, and now when the state govt had to put its continuous, intense focus on the seat for four months. For Punjab, it has been the norm since 2002 that the incumbent party wins the byelection. Apart from the might of the state govt being behind its candidate, AAP's supremo Arvind Kejriwal also announced plans to make the newly elected MLA, Sanjeev Arora, a minister to ensure his victory. This promise was also a major vote-getter. A similar promise was made by CM Bhagwant Mann in the Jalandhar West bypoll, in which AAP got over 58% of the vote share. In Ludhiana West, the party's vote share is around 39%. Though Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu sought to take solace in "giving a good fight and not allowing a walkover to the ruling party" and claimed that the party was united, factionalism in the Punjab Congress was not subtle during electioneering. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the state unit of the Congress had contested under a unified command. Demography also favoured it at the time, given the sliding graph of SAD leadership among Sikhs and Sikh apprehensions about BJP. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Afterward, the Congress remained a divided house in Punjab and lacked imaginative politics, even as the ground situation in demanded so. During the 2022 assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it appeared to be contesting each seat separately, instead of working as a cohesive machine. Things have not been different in the byelections. If, on one hand, Congress is facing a challenge from AAP, BJP too can now dent its support base. A weak Akali Dal is working for Congress and AAP. These factors make it clear that senior Congress leaders' confidence that their party would be the default choice could be misplaced. The results also hold a mirror to Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Though his party leaders and active supporters were projecting it as a four-cornered battle, the SAD candidate could not save his security deposit and remained short of touching a five-digit mark, even at a seat which the party was contesting when in alliance with BJP. The result is significant even as SAD's Parupkar Singh Ghuman was the only Sikh candidate in the fray, did not have any personal baggage, and SAD (Amritsar) also failed to get any traction. This indicates that a major section of the Sikh electorate, who make up a sizeable section in Ludhiana West, largely preferred AAP or Congress over the Akali Dal. BJP can take solace in the fact that it closely followed Congress, and its state president Sunil Jakhar said the result reflected that the people were looking at BJP as an alternative to Congress and AAP. However, in comparison to the parliamentary election, its vote share is almost half. Contrasting sides AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal continues to reinvent his strategy and narratives, throwing surprises to other parties. After picking up a Rajya Sabha member as a candidate for the byelection, he never denied until the polling day the opposition's claims that it was to clear his path to the Rajya Sabha. On Monday, he categorically said he was not going to the Upper House of Parliament. In contrast, Congress and SAD have been refusing to reinvent themselves or engage in imaginative politics. Mostly, they are in a reactionary mode, instead of coming up with original ideas. Like AAP, only BJP has shown the capacity to go beyond old templates.


Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
13-yr-old girl killed in bomb blast in Kaliganj
Kaliganj (Nadia): A 13-year-old girl standing outside her home with her mother was killed in a crude bomb blast in Molandi area of Kaliganj's Bara Chandghar village on Monday. Tamanna's mother, Sabina Yasmin, said a Trinamool Congress victory procession was passing by the house — before counting of bypoll votes had ended — when socket bombs were hurled in their direction. Witnesses said one of the bombs exploded near Tamanna, a Class 4 student and daughter of a CPM supporter, killing her on the spot. Aktar Sk, who was named by Sabina in her FIR, was arrested and police have launched a manhunt for other suspects. Krishnanagar SP Amarnath K, along with senior police officers, went to the spot and spoke to Sabina. "Prima facie, it appears that bomb splinters could have led to the death. One FIR-named accused has been arrested. We have identified more suspects," he told reporters. "There was a clash in this spot in 2023 in which the local OC was hurt," the SP added. Sabina said: "My daughter never leaves my side. She does not even go out to play. She sleeps with her head on my hand. She was holding my hand today when there was a sudden loud noise. My daughter was thrown to one side while I fell to the other. When I got up, one side of me was burning. Then I saw Tamanna lying there." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Blaming Trinamool for her child's death, Sabina said: "They did this because we didn't vote for them." CM Mamata Banerjee immediately assured strong action against the perpetrators. In a post on X, she said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened at the death of a young girl in an explosion at Barochandgar in Krishnanagar police district. My prayers and thoughts are with the family in their hour of grief. Police shall take strong and decisive legal action against the culprits at the earliest." Bengal Police, in a statement, said: "Raids are on in full swing to arrest those responsible for this extremely unfortunate death. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family members of the deceased." Bengal chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal told mediapersons that he had asked for a report on the incident. Questioned about victory processions, he said the CEO's office was not informed of permission for such rallies, approval was sought from district police or the district magistrate. "I have already requested a report, what happened is extremely unfortunate," he added. BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said: "TMC's celebration ends with blood on its hands. Again. From TMC's victory rally in Muslim-majority Kaliganj bypoll, bombs were hurled, and in the chaos, a little girl—Tamanna Khatun, a Class 4 student—was killed. Let that sink in. A child. Murdered. While TMC danced to the tune of their 'victory'." Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "What happened is a criminal act and will be punished. There are clear and unambiguous instructions by the state to the police that none should be spared. However, it also needs to be probed whether any overzealous person did it or there was a hidden agenda to malign Trinamool Congress."


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Who is Zohran Mamdani? New York City's Mayoral candidate proposes free child care, rent relief, and tax hikes for rich
With just a day to go until New York City's pivotal Democratic mayoral primary, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is generating buzz as a progressive candidate, pushing a bold left-wing agenda and rising from relative obscurity to challenge the high-profile comeback bid of former Governor Andrew Cuomo. At just 33, Mamdani has positioned himself as the face of a new political generation — one focused on lowering the city's cost of living, expanding social services, and challenging the status quo. His campaign got a major boost with an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called him 'the strongest to lead the pack,' citing his grassroots coalition of working-class New Yorkers. Still, Mamdani faces an uphill battle against Cuomo's well-financed campaign and deep name recognition. Cuomo has secured the backing of major unions and used the first televised debate to attack Mamdani's limited government experience, dismissing his record as 'three bills in 27 minutes of service.' Mamdani's personal story is central to his appeal. Born in Kampala, Uganda, he moved to New York City at age 7. He's the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. After becoming a US citizen and graduating from college, he helped found his university's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter — signaling early political engagement that would later shape his platform. Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, Mamdani represents parts of Queens and is best known legislatively for championing a pilot program offering free city buses. His mayoral platform expands on that vision, calling for free child care, rent freezes, new affordable housing, and higher taxes on the wealthy. Mamdani's platform and identity — he would be New York City's first Muslim and Indian American mayor — have earned him strong backing from younger, progressive voters. But his self-identification as a democratic socialist, and his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, could alienate more moderate Democrats and the city's influential Jewish electorate. During the first debate, Mamdani said Israel 'has the right to exist' but 'as a state with equal rights for all,' a stance that may deepen skepticism among centrist voters. He has also made headlines for saying he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited the city, citing an ICC war crimes warrant. Despite growing momentum, Mamdani remains unknown to many voters. He acknowledged in a campaign video that 'a third of New Yorkers still haven't heard of us' — a vulnerability he frames as an opportunity for growth. At a recent housing rally, Mamdani received a standing ovation for his speech. Yet, even among voters critical of both Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, his name is still catching on. Adams, facing political headwinds after a federal corruption probe (which the Trump administration later dropped), has opted to run as an independent in the general election, skipping the Democratic primary entirely. Mamdani insists that his campaign can bridge the city's ideological divides. 'There is no ideological majority in New York City,' he told the Associated Press. 'If you speak to the people directly about issues they care about, such as the sky-high cost of living, you can successfully build a coalition.' With the June 24 primary looming, Mamdani is betting on his grassroots network, social media presence, and populist messaging to propel him past a crowded field — and unseat one of New York's most well-known political figures. Whether that's enough to overcome Cuomo's name recognition and institutional backing remains to be seen.