Established 1864 RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Late City Vol. 155 Issue 19 Published From *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable LANDMARK 5 WORLD 7 SPORT 11 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL FUEL PIPELINE BLAZE IN BHUBANESWAR RANCHI ANNA HAZARE TO START DJOKOVIC, SERENA ENTER RAIPUR CHANDIGARH FASTING ON JAN 30 MEXICO KILLS 66 ROUND 4 OF AUS OPEN DEHRADUN LUCKNOW, SUNDAY JANUARY 20, 2019; PAGES 12+8 `3 www.dailypioneer.com USUALSUSPECTS SWAPAN DASGUPTA ‘United India’ vows to fight Modi Modi’s chance to Mamata brings 23 parties together for mega rally in Kolkata It’s an alliance retain power high he past week has been exhilarating for the Opposition for self & pelf, Tthat hopes to upstage Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in this summer’s general election. First, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP have managed to craft a seat-sharing arrangement that will lead to both parties contesting 38 seats each in Uttar Pradesh. Two other mocks PM seats will be fought by Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal — which will also get a third seat from the SP’s quota — and of truth that they have gath- the two seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli — now represented ‘Gathbandhan to ered parties from across the by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi respectively — will be country and are crying uncontested by the alliance. save parivars ‘bachao, bachao, bachao’”. Second, in successfully staging a grand rally at the “... Their world is centred Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata where representatives of will never win around the progress of their nearly all the major non-NDA parties were represented, the families, their kith and kin. In West Bengal Chief Minister has attempted to fulfil two people hearts’ their world, there is no vision objectives: To show her political muscle within the State and for India,” Modi said, adding showcase her growing national importance. PTI n SILVASSA the countrymen are his fami- Both developments are significant. Together, Uttar ly and his sole aim is the Pradesh and West Bengal account for 120 seats in the Lok Leaders from Opposition parties hold hands in solidarity against the BJP Government during a public rally organised by Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Saturday AP n a day when many progress of the nation. Sabha. If the Opposition can get its arithmetic together in OOpposition parties came “They are troubled as to these places, it would mean two things for the BJP. First, that SAUGAR SENGUPTA n KOLKATA fered 367 amendments, together on a common plat- why Modi is taking stringent it would confront a challenge of monumental proportions in the Bihari Babu said, form in Kolkata, Prime action against corruption. India’s largest State where, with its Apna Dal ally, it won 73 he United India rally “These were never the Minister Narendra Modi hit Should I not fight against cor- of the 80 seats in 2014. Second, that its hope of Tcalled by Bengal Chief decision of the party out at their proposed “maha- ruption....They are troubled as compensating any possible loss in Uttar Pradesh by gains in Minister Mamata Banerjee because had it been so gathbandhan” or grand to why Modi has banished the non-traditional areas such as West Bengal will not be easy. turned out to be a huge suc- then senior leaders like alliance, saying it is a combine middlemen from the corridors BJP president Amit Shah had earlier declared that the party cess as top national leaders of LK Advani, MM Joshi of those who are angry at his of power. was targeting 22 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats from West about 23 outfits on Saturday or for that matter Arun stringent action against cor- “They are so angry that I Bengal. As of now, that figure looks daunting. assembled at the historic Shourie would have ruption as they have been prevented them from looting The Opposition is also likely to put up a united challenge Brigade Parade Ground in been in the know of it. stopped from looting public public money that they are try- in Bihar and Jharkhand which, together, accounts for 54 Kolkata to give out the “oust In fact one wonders money. ing to form a ‘mahagathband- seats. In Bihar, the RJD and Congress are already in alliance Narendra Modi” call, yet whether the Finance “The ‘mahagathbandhan’ han’,” Modi said, adding that and in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the quite prudently putting the Minister (Arun Jaitley) or grand alliance is not just these leaders have come Congress have already reached a seat-sharing deal. A contentious prime minister- knew about it or not.” against Narendra Modi but together out of fear. Congress-NCP alliance ial issue on the backburner. “The result was also against the people of “They can make any num- also looks certain in In what turned out to be large-scale loss of jobs India.... They can make any ber of gathbandhan to save As of now, the chances Maharashtra. this season’s first mega elec- and direct slump in number of gathbandhan to their parivars, their sultanates, With a little more than tion jamboree, two million- agriculture and industry save their parivars, their sul- but they cannot run away of the Opposition three months to go before plus people witnessed the causing Indian econo- tanates... But they will never be from their karmas. Their kar- voting gets underway, Chief Minister successfully my a loss of thousands able to win hearts of the peo- mas are following them on transforming its vote some features of the galvanising the anti-BJP-anti- of crores,” he added. ple,” the PM said on Saturday each and every step,” Modi general election are Narendra Modi sentiments Senior leaders like while addressing a public func- said. “Their politics, which is into something akin to becoming clear. The most reminding how the Prime former Prime Minister tion at Silvassa, the capital of centred around hatred for important of these is the Minister had in his “fit of HD Deve Gowda, NCP the Union Territory of Dadra Modi, can get traction in the Janata Party vote undeniable fact that in the power and conceit” spared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks during TMC mega rally ‘Brigade chief Sharad Pawar, and Nagar Haveli. newspapers and television majority of Lok Sabha none and victimised all Samavesh’ in Kolkata on Saturday PTI Karnataka Chief In a dig at the Opposition channels, but it will never be in 1977 depend on two constituencies — but by no before warning: The payback Minister Kumarswami, rally organised by the able to win hearts of the peo- means all — the BJP will time had arrived. State.” Prime Minister can be decid- his Andhra Pradesh counter- Trinamool Congress (TMC) in ple who are watching their developments. First, encounter a united “Instead of working for The Prime Minister ed after the Lok Sabha elec- part N Chandrababu Naidu, Kolkata, Modi said the BJP has every move,” Modi said, after Opposition. the people, you victimised the thought that all but him was tions,” raising the slogan former Arunachal Chief only one MLA in West Bengal, laying a foundation stone for that the Modi This does not senior leaders who opposed corrupt, Mamata said and “Badal do, badal do, Delhi ka Minister Gegong Apang, “but still they are so afraid of a medical college. automatically translate into you. You did this to Lalu added how the institutions sarkar badal do” (change the National Conference leaders us because we follow the path Turn to Page 6 Government commits straight fights. Take Uttar Yadavji, you did this to like RBI, CBI, banks had Government at the Centre).” Farooq Abdullah, Omar Pradesh as an example. Mayawatiji, you did this to been subverted and how Jan Let alone those from Abdullah, Samajwadi Party a few horrific blunders The Congress has said it Akhilesh Yadavji, Soniaji and Dhan, note ban, GST et al other parties “they would not chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD will contest all the 80 seats you are trying to do this to had been a big scandal even show respect to their leader Tejashwi Yadav, Delhi in the next 30 days. in UP. This sounds a boast me. You spared none. But deserving probe. own leaders like Sushma Chief Minister Arvind and a bargaining ploy to now time has come when we Accusing the Prime Swaraj, Yashwant Sinha, Kejriwal, DMK leader MK And second, that its force the SP-BSP combine will not spare you,” Mamata Minister of running a super Shatrughna Sinha, Arun Stalin joined the rally. into conceding at least 10 thundered stopping short of emergency more vicious than Shourie,” Mamata said Congress leader Kharge, election campaign seats to the Congress. naming Modi from the teem- the one India experienced moments after the Bollywood who carried with him a mes- However, since both ing rally largely construed as under Indira Gandhi, actor-turned BJP MP Sinha sage from his party leader misreads the pulse of Mayawati and Akhilesh TMC’s show of strength even Mamata said the Modi said “the NDA regime led by Sonia Gandhi, said how “the Yadav have also set their as the who’s who on the dais Government was so full of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an political institutions had been the voters and strikes eyes on power in Delhi and nodded in agreement. arrogance that it would not instance of democracy in its undermined and sociologi- need to maximise their tally, Calling the rally a “his- even honour its own senior zenith and the one run by the cally our pluralistic fabric the wrong notes as this demand is unlikely to torical compulsion and not a leaders.