A-8 | Friday, May 17, 2019 POLL www.WeeklyVoice.com Sonia Invites Party Bosses For Her Project 272 NEW DELHI: Gathbandhan Among those who have con- the upper castes to cut into the partners and Akhilesh irmed their participation at the vote bank of the saffron party. In could be the most promi- meeting are NCP’s Sharad Pawar return, the gathbandhan did not nent faces of ’s and M.K. Stalin of the DMK. contest Rae Bareli and Amethi, much talked- about May 23 meet- Sonia Gandhi had almost taken the traditional seats held by the ing. Neutral players Naveen Pat- the back seat after Rahul Gandhi Gandhi family. Now Sonia Gan- naik and K Chandrashekhar Rao was elected President of the Con- dhi’s latest communique to May- are also being approached. gress. However, as the election awati and Akhilesh Yadav makes In a bid to muster the support results draw closer, she returns to it evident that the gathbandhan of old friends and lead the oppo- take the leadership role to forge leaders are also keen to join the sition front, UPA chairperson So- a grand opposition alliance which UPA to consolidate opposition nia Gandhi has sent letters to all had unfortunately failed last year. fraternity. key players, including former Ut- Besides neutral players such as Speaking to IANS, the national tar Pradesh chief ministers, May- Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata spokesperson of Samajwadi Par- awati and Akhilesh Yadav, for the Dal (BJD) and K. Chandrashek- ty, I.P. Singh said the gathband- May 23 meeting, the day results har Rao of the Telangana Rashtra building efforts even before the ers have been in constant touch han would be the ultimate winner of the elections are to Samiti (TRS), Sonia Gandhi is results are out. She has reportedly with the BSP and SP leadership. in and would se- be announced. eyeing the support of Mayawati been in touch with both May- During the poll campaign in UP, cure at least 60 seats making the Letters have also been shot off and Akhilesh Yadav who are ex- awati and Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi chose to remain SP-BSP alliance the biggest chal- to key allies, DMK and Nation- pected to secure big numbers if also West Bengal Chief Minister silent on Mayawati and Akhilesh lenger to the BJP. “Akhileshji has alist Congress Party (NCP) for the caste chemistry of votes suc- Mamata Banerjee. while launching an open attack the highest regard for Soniaji and working out instant strategies to ceeds in the cow belt. Despite remaining out of the on the BJP and RSS. our party will certainly play an stake claim for forming the gov- Party sources said that Sonia pre-poll alliance (gathbandhan) In several seats in the state, the important role in government for- ernment at the Centre. Gandhi has stepped into alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Congress lead- Congress ielded candidates from mation after May 23,” said Singh. Pragya Calls Godse ‘Patriot’ ‘It’s Not An Issue If Congress BHOPAL/NEW DELHI: BJP’s Lok People calling him a terrorist should instead Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pra- look within. Such people will be given a be- gya Singh Thakur on Thursday kicked up a itting reply in these elections,” Pragya told Does Not Get PM’s Post’ major row by describing Mahatma Gandhi’s reporters in Bhopal. SHIMLA/NEW DELHI: In a signii- Taking a dig at Prime Minister Naren- assassin Nathuram Godse as a “deshbhakt” She was commenting on remarks of actor cant remark ahead of results of the Lok dra Modi, he said: “Modi is the irst PM (patriot), a comment which her party imme- and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Presi- Sabha elections, senior Congress leader in the world to have spent 60 per cent of diately condemned and asked her to apolo- dent Kamal Haasan who called Godse the Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said his ive years in foreign trips... 90 per cent gise for her remark. irst Hindu terrorist of Independent India. his party will not make it an issue “if the of the BJP campaign was led by Modi.” The comment by Thakur, an accused in Unhappy over Thakur’s controversial com- Prime Minister’s chair was not offered to In his earlier remarks, Azad did not the Malegaon blast case, provided fodder ment, the BJP immediately condemned it. it”. “We are not going to make it an is- talk of a Congress-led UPA government to the Opposition Congress to target the “We disagree with the statement she has sue that we will not let any other leader but a non-NDA government, indicating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). made and we strongly condemn it. The BJP to become the PM if the post is not of- that the Congress will reach out to every “Nathuram Godse was a ‘deshbhakt’, is a will ask her to apologise.” BJP spokesper- fered to us (Congress),” he told reporters party outside the National Democratic ‘deshbhakt’ and will remain a ‘deshbhakt’. son G.V.L. Narsimha Rao said. in Shimla. Alliance’s fold to form a government. He “The party will not stand on prestige if said that the party will go by the “com- a coalition government is formed at the mon decision” of all such parties and will Centre with parties that are anti-BJP and take initiative only if there is consensus. the Congress will be a part of it,” he said, “It is not an issue that if we are not Ramadan adding that his party wanted to oust the there, there will be nobody,” he had said. “anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-labourer Congress President Rahul Gandhi has and anti-economy” BJP regime. also scrupulously avoided the issue of Azad, the Leader of Opposition in the leadership of a possible post-poll coali- Rajya Sabha, said neither the BJP nor the tion, saying a decision will be taken after KAREEM NDA would come to power at the Centre. the results are out. Mamta Should Thank EC Sharing my best wishes to our Muslim residents as they take part in this the holiest time of the year. Ramadan is more than For Becoming CM: Modi just fasting, it is a month of generosity and community. DUM DUM: Slamming West Ben- curtail election campaigning and remove gal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for two senior oficers were taken on the Blessed Ramadan questioning the role of the Election Com- direction of the BJP, its President Amit mission, Prime Minister Shah and Prime Minister Modi. on Thursday said she would not have She had also claimed that RSS-backed been the CM if the poll panel had not en- functionaries had been inducted into the sured free and fair elections by deploying Election Commission. Central forces. The crowd at the Dum Dum Central Mayor Allan “Didi, now you are using abusive Jail ground where former Prime Minister words for Election Commission, elec- Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also addressed tion process and the Central forces. But a public meeting over 20 years back, wel- Thompson why are you forgetting that the Left Front comed Modi by turning on their mobile (government) had also made you to face a lashlights and waving their phones, be- Offi ce of Mayor similar situation? sides giving a huge rounds of applause. Town of Caledon “Country’s constitutional bodies had Defying the hot and sultry weather, 6311 Old Church only ensured fair elections in Bengal. Had men, women of various age groups gath- these constitutional bodies not been there, ered at the ground to get a glimpse of the Road, Caledon ON and enough central forces had not been Prime Minister. People from adjacent L7C 1J6 deployed, today you would not have been parliamentary constituencies travelled in 905.584.2272 the Chief Minister of Bengal,” Modi said buses and four-wheelers to reach the ven- at his last public meeting in Bengal ahead ue and hear Modi’s last speech in West of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls to be Bengal in this election. “We are here held on May 19. for over three-four hours as this is our Banerjee on Wednesday had alleged chowkidar’s last speech here. We want the Election Commission’s decisions to change in the state,” said a woman. Waiting Game By TRS & YSRCP HYDERABAD: Both the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSR Congress Party (YS- RCP) may skip May 23 meeting convened by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and will wait for a clear picture to emerge after the Lok Sabha battle before respond- ing to her invitation. Though both the parties have oficially denied receiving invi- tations for the May 23 meeting, they appear to be adopting a wait and watch approach Some YSRCP leaders won- dered how parties could attend a meeting on May 23 when the counting process would still be underway. TRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who is try- Davinder Singh ing to bring parties together un- Call For Honest Advice der his proposed , MONTHLY & ANNUAL PLANS - HARD TO BEAT OUR PREMIUMS is likely to take a decision about talks only after all the results were declared. KCR is counting SUPER VISA INSURANCE on the support of YSRCP.