Kolkata Apr 23 PTI A year after its drubbing in assembly polls the West Bengal unit of the BJP is struggling to hold its flock together amid the slide in its vote share as reflected in the series of electoral losses since thenThe state unit of the saffron camp which has been experiencing churnings since the change of guard late last year is still licking its wounds from the assembly poll defeat with several leaders voicing concerns or raising complaints over the state leaderships style of functioningAs efforts made by the top brass to unite the state BJP unit seemed to have hit the wall all eyes are now on the likely visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who during his tenure as the partys national president was instrumental in creating its inroads into BengalWhatever has been happening is unfortunate It has led to an uncomfortable situation for all of us The party leadership is looking into it trying to resolve all problems BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told PTIThe party which had been grappling with reverse exodus since the assembly poll debacle with top leaders and legislators including Babul Supriyo and Mukul Roy switching over to the TMC is now plagued by internal rebellion even as state unit chief Sukanta Majumdar urged members to approach him with grievances instead of speaking to mediapersonsBJP national secretary Anupam Hazra who had recently called for introspection within the party told PTI There are complaints against those in charge of the states organisation The leadership here is not functioning democratically and trying to sideline experienced leaders The new state president too is unable to handle the situation In a similar vein a BJP state general secretary who did not wish to be named said If you dont find out and acknowledge the disease how will you treat it To pretend everything is all right when it is not is like living in fools paradise The slide in vote share that began with Bhabanipur bypolls -- from 35 per cent in May 2021 to 22 per cent in October last year has continued unabated since thenIn Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls held last December the party managed to get 20 per cent vote share -- down from 29 per cent that it had bagged in the civic body-administered areas during assembly electionsTwo months later during elections to 108 other civic bodies the BJP managed to garner just 1257 per cent of votes and failed to clinch any municipality In last years assembly polls the party had pocketed nearly 36 per cent votes in these areasThe recent by-polls to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat which was snatched away by the TMC and the Ballygunge assembly seat where the Left Front emerged as the first runner-up only added to the BJPs downswing in BengalAccording to saffron camp sources the internal rebellion that had brewing since the state poll fiasco only grew stronger after leaders such as Ritesh Tiwari Jay Prakash Majumdar and Sayantan Basu were dropped from the new office bearers panelAlthough the party initially cracked the whip by suspending Majumdar who was quick to switch over to the TMC and Tiwari it failed to stem the rebellionState BJP sources pointed out that the lack of a dedicated central observer has also augmented the crisis with BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya who has been in charge of Bengal since 2015 seen nowhere since the assembly poll defeatKaliashji doesnt show any interest in party affairs of Bengal The state leaders do not know who they should approach for problems another state BJP leader saidBJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh whose tenure as the state unit chief is considered the most successful one too has taken a dig at his successor Sukanta Majumdar over his inexperience in managing the party affairsMajumdar has declined to comment on the criticism he is facingState vice-president of the saffron party Rathin Chakraborty however said there are just some trivial issues within the camp which will be sorted out soonWhenever a party grows these issues come with it All matters would be resolved very soon The state BJP is a united family he told PTIPolitical analyst Suman Bhattacharya feels that the BJP wont be able to arrest its slide as it has lost the plotBJPs growth was inorganic As it has failed in the assembly polls the slide that started will continue Till the time the party can boast of strong homegrown leaders the situation will not improve he saidEchoing him political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty stated that lack of mass movements is loosening the glue within the partyAny political party grows through mass movements The BJP grew by inducting leaders from other parties Unless they organise mass movements at the state and local level there wont be any change in the situation he added PTI PNT RMS RMS

Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 2 (ANI): The BJP and its ally United People's Party, Liberal swept the Assam bypolls as the former bagged Thowra, Bhabanipur and Mariani Assembly seats while the latter won Gossaigaon and Tumulpur Assembly seats.

Guwahati Oct 31 PTI Altogether 7377 per cent of nearly eight lakh eligible electors cast their votes in bye-elections to five Assembly constituencies in Assam that concluded peacefully on Saturday the Election Commission of India said Women voters exercised their franchise more than men while none of the four transgenders in the five constituencies voted the ECI data shared by a state government spokesperson said on Sunday Though the number of male voters in the five constituencies was more than women by a little over 10000 the voter turnout of women was 7338 per cent against 7317 per cent of male electors Thowra constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 7756 per cent followed by Gossaigaon with 7720 per cent and Bhabanipur with 7684 per cent The lowest turnout was registered in Tamulpur with 6784 per cent of electors coming out to vote The voting percentage in the fifth constituency Mariani was 7170 the ECI figures said The electoral fate of 31 candidates has been sealed in the EVMs with eight each in the fray in Gossaigaon and Bhabanipur six in Tamulpur five in Thowra and four in Mariani Counting of votes will be taken up on November 2 A senior police official said on Saturday that no untoward incident had been reported from any of the constituencies where tight security was in place The bye-elections to Gossaigaon and Tamulpur were necessitated due to the death of the sitting MLAs while the incumbents of Bhapanipur Mariani and Thowra resigned from their seats to join the ruling BJP PTI SSG MM MM

Dispur (Assam) [India], October 30 (ANI): Bypolls for five assembly constituencies in Assam will be held on Saturday.

Guwahati Oct 29 PTI By-elections will be conducted in five assembly constituencies in Assam on Saturday under tight security officials saidStrict Covid-19 protocols will be followed during the by-polls in Gossaigaon Bhabanipur Tamulpur Mariani and Thowra seatsAround 796 lakh voters will decide the electoral fortune of 31 contestants in the five seats that fell vacant due to resignations and deaths of legislators officials said on FridayThe ruling BJP has fielded its candidates in three seats leaving the other two to alliance partner UPPL The Congress put up nominees in all five while its former allies the AIUDF and the BPF are contesting in two and one seats respectivelyThe prominent contestants include Rupjyoti Kurmi Sushanta Borgohain Phanidhar Talukdar all BJP Luhit Konwar and Jowel Tudu both Congress Jubbar Ali and Khairul Anam Khandakar both AIUDF and Jiron Basumatary of the UPPLVoting will take place from 7 am to 5 pm while counting will be held on November 2 The poll results however will not affect the composition of the governmentThe Election Commission has appointed general police and expenditure observers in the constituencies for free and fair pollingPersonnel of Central Armed Police Forces CAPF have been deployed at each polling station while webcasting will be done in all the 1176 polling stations for monitoring the voting process live on October 30 as per the ECs directionIn the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic the EC has taken measures to ensure that all polling stations strictly follow Covid-19 protocols for the safety of voters and election officials The facilities of thermal scanning hand sanitiser face masks will also be available at the polling stations officials saidFacilities such as transport and wheelchair have also been made for elderly voters and persons with disabilitiesIn the 126-seat House the ruling BJP has 59 MLAs its allies AGP and UPPL nine and five MLAs each respectively The opposition Congress has 27 AIUDF 15 BPF three and CPIM one MLA besides an Independent legislatorBy-polls in Gossaigaon and Tamulpur were necessitated due to death of the sitting MLAs while the incumbents of Bhabanipur Mariani and Thowra resigned from their seats to join the ruling BJP Gossaigaon seat was won by the Bodo Peoples Front BPF in the March-April Assembly election while the United Peoples Party Liberal UPPL had bagged Tamulpur Mariani and Thowra had Congress MLAs while Bhabanipur was cornered by AIUDF PTI ESB NN NN

Guwahati Oct 27 PTI Campaigning ended on Wednesday in the five assembly constituencies of Assam where by-elections will be held on October 30The by-polls will be conducted in Gossaigaon Bhabanipur Tamulpur Mariani and Thowra seats Campaigning came to end at 5 pmThe ruling BJP has fielded its candidates in three seats leaving the other two to alliance partner UPPL The Congress put up nominees in all the five while its former allies the AIUDF and the BPF are contesting in two and one seats respectivelyAssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma his predecessor and Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal canvassed for BJP and UPPL candidates Senior leaders of the Congress including national general secretary Jitendra Singh and state president Bhupen Bora campaigned for their respective nomineesAltogether 31 contestants are in the fray in the five seats Their electoral fate will be decided by 796 lakh voters Voting will take place from 7 am to 5 pm while counting will be held on November 2The poll results however will not affect the composition of the government The prominent contestants include Rupjyoti Kurmi Sushanta Borgohain Phanidhar Talukdar all BJP Luhit Konwar and Jowel Tudu both Congress Jubbar Ali and Khairul Anam Khandakar both AIUDF and Jiron Basumatary of the UPPL In the 126-seat House the ruling BJP has 59 MLAs its allies AGP and UPPL nine and five MLAs each respectively The opposition Congress has 27 AIUDF 15 BPF three and CPIM one MLA besides an Independent legislatorBy-polls in Gossaigaon and Tamulpur were necessitated due to death of the sitting MLAs while the incumbents of Bhabanipur Mariani and Thowra resigned from their seats to join the ruling BJP Gossaigaon seat was won by the Bodo Peoples Front BPF in the March-April Assembly election while the United Peoples Party Liberal UPPL had bagged Tamulpur Mariani and Thowra had Congress MLAs while Bhabanipur was cornered by AIUDF PTI ESB TR SSG NN NN

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday criticised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), saying an impression is being created as if Maharashtra has become the hub of narcotics.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday criticised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), saying an impression is being created as if Maharashtra has become the hub of narcotics.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday criticised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), saying an impression is being created as if Maharashtra has become the hub of narcotics.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday criticised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), saying an impression is being created as if Maharashtra has become the hub of narcotics.