Assembly Elections Wrap: Yogi accuses Mamata of “appeasement”; Priyanka promises CAA rollback in Assam, and more

AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran played down speculations of an alliance between his party and AIADMK while in Kerala, a CPI(M) MLA and the DYFI all-India president were sent to judicial custody in connection with a case in 2009.

Heated campaigns by heavyweight leaders and speculations on pre-poll alliances kept the political temperature up in the poll-bound states Tuesday.

While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath trained guns on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government for practising “appeasement politics”, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her party would roll back Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) if voted to power in Assam.

Down south, AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran played down speculations of an alliance between his party and AIADMK while in Kerala, a CPI(M) MLA and the DYFI all-India president were sent to judicial custody in connection with a case in 2009.

Here are all the important poll-related updates you need to know today.

 Love jihad, appeasement politics flourishing in West Bengal: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while campaigning for BJP in Malda district of West Bengal on Tuesday, launched a strong attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government saying “appeasement politics has turned Bengal into a lawless state”.

“Love jihad is being executed here. We made a law in UP, but here things are different owing to appeasement politics. It is because of this that the state government is unable to stop cow smuggling and love jihad — dangerous activities that will show results in times to come,” Adityanath said.

He added, “Bengal, which had once led the nation, is now facing a lawless situation because of the TMC government.”

He also claimed that Durga Puja is prohibited in Bengal, cows are forcefully slaughtered during Eid and people’s sentiments are being toyed with. “The state government remains silent on all of this. It is now attempting to ban the slogan Jai Sri Ram,” the UP chief minister said.

Will nullify CAA if voted to power in Assam: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who is campaigning in Assam, on Tuesday said her party, if voted to power in Assam, will bring a new law to ‘nullify’ the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state.

At a mega rally of the Congress party in Tezpur, the party general secretary launched the ‘5 Guarantee’ campaign for the 2021 Assam assembly elections.

She said that the Congress, if given a chance to form government in the northeastern state, will dole out Rs 2,000 every month to homemakers across the state, and provide free electricity up to 200 units to all households.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, who is in poll-bound Assam on a two-day visit, also claimed that her party will hike daily wages of tea garden workers to Rs 365 from the existing Rs 167, and provide at least 25,000 government jobs to youth.

“People of Assam were cheated by a party (BJP) five years ago that promised them 25 lakh jobs but gave them CAA instead. Our party is not making empty promises but undertaking five guarantees,” the Congress leader, who sported a traditional ‘gamocha’ around her neck with the letters CAA crossed out on it, said.

Parties opposed to DMK in Tamil Nadu welcome to join AMMK-led alliance, says TTV Dhinakaran

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran on Tuesday dubbed as “speculations” that his party was holding alliance-related talks with the ruling AIADMK and said any party opposed to the DMK and willing to accept his party’s leadership could join its party-led combine.

The AMMK’s “only aim” was to keep the DMK away from power and for this purpose like-minded parties could join its bloc, he said when asked if he was ready to align with the BJP and AIADMK.

However, he hastened to add that “I know they won’t come” for alliance parleys, referring to the AIADMK and the BJP.

Single-phase Assembly elections are scheduled in Tamil Nadu on April 6.

“Elections are nearing. Our only aim is to prevent the DMK from coming to power. I am taking efforts for that. It is not that this party should come or not …we are ready to include (in AMMK-led alliance) all parties opposed to the DMK and willing to accept our leadership and face the polls,” he told reporters.

Asked if this meant he was ready to join hands with the BJP and AIADMK to defeat DMK, the independent legislator said “it’s not like that”.

He reiterated that anyone opposed to DMK was welcome to join the alliance and said only the journalists were specifying parties in the context.

“Only you desire to see that I should talk alliance with the BJP and AIADMK…I know they won’t come… everything will be known in two-three days,” he said.

CPI(M) MLA and DYFI all-India president sent to judicial custody in Kerala

CPI(M) leader and MLA TV Rajesh and Democratic Youth Federation of India all-India president Muhammed Riyaz were sent to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a case in 2009.

Judicial First-Class Magistrate P Vinod ordered the remand in the case related to a march taken out by DYFI activists to the Air India office here to protest hike in air tariff and reduction in-flight services by the national carrier.

A case was registered against four people, including Rajesh, for breaking the law as part of a protest that turned violent.

They were granted bail in the case earlier and wanted to get it extended. They approached the JFCM court as per a direction by the High Court to get the bail extended by the trail court. However, the JFCM remanded them.

DYFI leader K K Dinesan was also remanded in the case till March 16.

Moreover, transport services were hit in the state on Tuesday due to a 12-hour strike called by joint committee of trade unions to protest against rising fuel prices.

[With inputs from PTI]

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