Hardeep Singh Puri to file Rajya Sabha nomination in MP tomorrow

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Bhopal, Oct 30 (IANS) Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh, will file his nomination papers at the state Assembly in Bhopal on Saturday in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other senior party leaders.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP Media department said Puri would leave the party’s state headquarters at 11 a.m. to file his nomination papers.

“Union Minister and BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, Hardeep Singh Puri, will leave the party’s state headquarters at 11 a.m. on October 31 to file his nomination papers,” the BJP media department said.

He will proceed to the Legislative Assembly and submit his nomination in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, State BJP President and MLA Hemant Khandelwal, State Organisational General Secretary Chandrashekhar and other senior party leaders.

Before proceeding to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Puri will pay floral tributes to statues of prominent party leaders at the state BJP headquarters at 10:30 a.m., along with CM Mohan Yadav.

The BJP announced Puri’s candidature on October 28 for the November 12 Rajya Sabha by-election.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Union Minister L. Murugan, whose term was scheduled to continue until April 2030.

Puri, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, is due to complete his term on November 25. His candidature from Madhya Pradesh has triggered a political controversy, with the Congress questioning the BJP’s decision to field a leader from outside the state instead of a local leader.

The opposition party has also raised questions over Puri’s alleged interactions with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded an explanation from the Union Minister and the BJP.

The BJP is in a comfortable position to retain the seat, given its numerical strength in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

The BJP has 164 MLAs, while the Congress has 65.

Polling for the Rajya Sabha by-election is scheduled for November 12.

–IANS

pd/khz

Related Posts

Parvesh emerges giant killer by defeating Kejriwal; Sisodia also loses in Jangpura

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) After tight fights, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lost from the New Delhi and Jangpura Assembly constituencies respectively, on a day which saw the ruling party’s rout in the city.

Talking to mediapersons, Sisodia congratulated Tarvinder Singh Marwah of the BJP and conceded defeat. In the last round of counting, Sisodia was trailing by 572 votes.

After beating Kejriwal, BJP’s Parvesh Verma spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone. His victory margin over Kejriwal was almost equal to the nearly 3,000 votes garnered by Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit.

The BJP leaders remained tightlipped about its Chief Ministerial candidate after the party achieved a majority with over 45 seats in a 70-member Assembly which has 36 as the majority mark.

Sisodia, described as the brain behind the AAP’s education revolution, had shifted to the Jangpura seat from Patparganj from where he had won the 2020 election.

Earlier, as the Election Commission trends indicated a BJP majority in the Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday, a pall of gloom descended over the AAP’s office while celebrations broke out at the BJP headquarters.

Other AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj were also trailing.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Atishi exuded confidence in the AAP’s return to power and called the election a battle between good and evil, while Bharadwaj predicted that the AAP would win at least 40-45 seats.

Reacting to the trends, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said: “We can see the blessings of the people of Delhi. We are confident that the tally will remain the same till the end.”

An off-shoot of an anti-corruption campaign of Anna Hazare in 2011, ‘Brand Kejriwal’ proved to be fourth time unlucky after winning three successive Delhi Assembly elections.

The AAP’s fourth attempt at capturing the ‘Dilli Darbar’ failed amid a strong anti-incumbency, poor performance of MLAs, and the party chief’s growing faith in turncoats from other parties.

–IANS

rch/rad

Saints like Swami Vivekananda protected this nation: Former CM Basavaraj Bommai

Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 24 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that saints like Swami Vivekananda protected this nation.

Speaking at the valedictory of the centenary celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama in Mysuru, Bommai stated, “Hindu dharma and Indianness are one and the same. The invasions of India were never only for land or wealth; they were attacks on its culture. Yet, hundreds of saints like Swami Vivekananda have protected this nation.”

The former CM said that there is confusion everywhere. “The human mind across the world has become clouded and impure. People cannot stand one another. Dharma is supposed to unite humanity, but today it is dividing people. Vivekananda spoke clearly about dharma. In Hindu dharma, one must love the land one lives upon. From that point begins the link between dharma and nationhood.”

“Hindu dharma and Indian identity are one. Looking at our country’s situation, individually, they are intelligent, but history is full of conflict. When great wars happened in other nations, neither religion nor culture changed there. But in India, invasions were not merely for land or wealth; they were to destroy the culture because the roots of their dharma were so deep and widespread,” he stated.

“Yet, saints like Swami Vivekananda protected this nation. They safeguarded its identity. Thousands and lakhs of students have received knowledge and values from this Ashram. It has nurtured them to become complete beings,” he said.

“I offer crores of salutations for showing what it means to build a nation. Let this become a strong foundation. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi dreams of a developed India by 2047. This Ashram is a school that will help realise that vision. PM Modi also bears the name Narendra, and his farsighted vision is inspired by Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Some ask whether Modi will be alive in 2047. Modi may or may not be alive then, but this nation will exist, and we must work to build it,” he added.

Bommai said one can study the personality of Swami Vivekananda once in an era. He was the answer to every question. At a very young age, he imparted great wisdom. It is remarkable that this Ashram, inspired by his ideology, has rendered uninterrupted service to the people of Mysuru for a hundred years. ” I bow first to the ones who conceived the idea of establishing this Ashram. The very moment that thought arose deserves reverence, because that moment gave immense energy to the entire world”.

The former CM said that in the journey between birth and death, discovering the purpose of life is essential. “They believe that the purpose of life is to attain happiness, but man can never remain happy forever. Instead, they must strive to conquer life. If they dedicate their lives to the pursuit of knowledge, it becomes possible to attain true happiness, as Vivekananda taught.”

Bommai said God has given them a unique identity for a purpose. They should not try to become someone else; that is not God’s wish. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is Modi; no one else can become Modi. Trying to imitate him would be the height of foolishness.

Mukhtinanda Swamiji of the Ramakrishna Ashrama, Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji of Suttur Mutt, Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and several dignitaries were present on the occasion.

–IANS

mka/uk

Six Maoists including four women cadres killed in Chhattisgarh encounter

Raipur/Bijapur, Jan 18 (IANS) In a major success for security forces, six Maoists, including four women cadres, have been neutralised in a fierce encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, an official said.

The operation, carried out by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), COBRA and Special Task Force (STF), marks a significant blow to Maoist activities in the region.

Among the slain Maoists, notorious commander DVCM Dilip Bedja, ACM Madvi Kosa, woman ACM Lakhi Madkam and party member Radha have been identified. The identification of the remaining two is still underway.

Officials confirmed that Dilip Bedja had long been active in the Indravati Reserve and National Park areas, orchestrating violent campaigns against the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma stated that Bedja was given an opportunity to surrender but refused. “He was neutralised after rejecting repeated calls to lay down arms. With his elimination, the National Park area can now be considered almost free of Maoist presence,” Sharma said.

The encounter also led to the recovery of a large cache of weapons, including two AK-47 rifles, one INSAS rifle, two .303 rifles and six grenades. Authorities believe the Maoists were preparing for a major offensive, underscoring the importance of the intelligence-led operation.

According to Bijapur Superintendent of Police Dr Jitendra Yadav, intermittent firing between the forces and Maoists continued throughout the day. “The dense forest terrain and difficult geographical conditions posed serious challenges, but our jawans displayed exemplary courage and strategy,” Yadav noted.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, praised the discipline and efficiency of the forces. “Despite the odds, the DRG, COBRA and STF personnel conducted a decisive operation with unparalleled bravery. This marks another step toward dismantling Maoist networks in Bastar,” he said.

The successful operation is expected to significantly weaken Maoist influence in Bijapur, a district long considered a stronghold. Security forces remain vigilant, continuing search operations to ensure the area is fully secured and to prevent any regrouping of Maoist cadres.

–IANS

sktr/pgh