Cost of success: On the BJP’s victory in Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to take oath as Chief Minister after leading the BJP to power in Assam yet again. Mr. Sarma, who was a Congress leader when the party came to power in the north-eastern state in 2011, switched sides in 2015 and became a central figure of the BJP not only in Assam but also in surrounding states. Starting his political career in 2001 on a Congress ticket, he has won six consecutive elections from the same Assembly seat. Emerging as a powerful leader, he joined the BJP and was appointed Chief Minister in 2021. Since then, he has reshaped Assam’s politics through exceptional organisational ability, communal rhetoric, and the partisan use of state power. A combination of infrastructure projects and welfare initiatives, including the Orunodoi scheme for direct cash transfers to women and Mission Basundhara, a flagship program to digitise land records and protect land rights, enabled the BJP’s deep expansion. These efforts, along with measures like the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in 2023, have significantly altered the state’s political landscape. Mr. Sarma has been both the architect and principal beneficiary of this transformation. The BJP’s victory in Assam has broader implications for the party’s national power dynamics. Mr. Sarma is perceived to be close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP now commands a majority in the 126-member Assembly, with the ruling coalition holding 102 seats. This has not only decimated the Opposition but also rendered regional parties largely irrelevant. The BJP has consolidated fragmented social groups, diluting the linguistic and ethnic politics of the state. However, this consolidation has come at the cost of sharp religious polarization.#assam #bjp #himanta_biswa_sarma #amit_shah #delimitation_process
Mamata Banerjee Challenges PM Modi Over Women's Reservation Bill and Delimitation Disputes Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly refuted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of the Women's Reservation Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2023. Modi had accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of blocking the bill, claiming it was part of a broader political agenda to undermine the government's authority. Banerjee dismissed these allegations as misleading, asserting that the TMC had supported the bill from the outset and that Modi's claims were based on misinformation. Banerjee highlighted that the Women's Reservation Bill, which mandates 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies, was already passed by the Lok Sabha in September 2023. She accused Modi of using the bill as a political tool to divert attention from the government's delimitation policies, which aim to reallocate parliamentary seats to increase representation. According to Modi, the bill's implementation is tied to the delimitation process, which involves adjusting electoral boundaries based on population data. Banerjee, however, argued that the government's proposal to expand the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 is a deliberate attempt to dilute the bill's impact. The dispute centers on the constitutional provision under Article 334A, which requires the delimitation process to be completed before the reservation can be enforced. Banerjee pointed out that the current law mandates the implementation of the reservation only after the delimitation process is finalized, which is expected to occur by 2034. She criticized the government for delaying the implementation of the bill, despite its passage in 2023, and questioned the logic of waiting until 2034 to enforce the reservation.#mamata_banerjee #bjp #trinamool_congress #narendra_modi #delimitation_process
'Political demonetisation': Tharoor slams Centre for linking women’s reservation with delimitation Congress leader Shashi Tharoor urged the government to implement women's reservation immediately, separate from the delimitation process. He argued that delimitation requires extensive discussion, unlike the reservation bill which the opposition fully supports. Tharoor cautioned against a rushed approach, likening it to 'political demonetisation' and advocating for broader consultation. #Shashi_Tharoor #leader_Shashi #Congress_leader #slams_Centre #Political_demonetisation #delimitation_Congress #linking_women #implement_women #reservation_immediately #delimitation_process
