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UP parties keep fingers crossed ahead of Rajya Sabha polls

Published

7 years ago

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By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow, March 22 (IANS) A day before voting to elect 10 Rajya Sabha members from UP on Friday, both the ruling party and the opposition are having their share of anxious moments as the BJP’s decision to field an extra candidate has transformed the routine election into a prestige contest with ramifications for next year’s general elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which can get eight candidates elected easily based on its strength in the assembly, has raised the stakes by fielding a ninth candidate.

Now faced with the task of getting nine more votes to its extra 28 first preference votes it has apart from those required for its eight candidates which includes Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, it is eyeing independents and some disgruntled elements in the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who may be persuaded to cross vote.

SP, which has again fielded actress-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan, has 10 extra votes and would like to reciprocate the favour of one-time arch rival Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samaj Party’s support in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, helped it trounce the BJP.

However, SP legislator from Hardoi, Nitin Agarwal, son of habitual political grasshopper Naresh Agarwal, has thrown his weight behind the BJP, soon after his father crossed over to the party.

Mayawati, with just 19 legislators, needs 18 more votes to get her sole candidate Bhim Rao Ambedkar to the Rajya Sabha. The nine votes of the SP, seven of the Congress and one of the Rashtriya Lok Dal make 17 votes for her candidate but challenges of defection and cross-voting are looming large on her mind, an aide told IANS.

Leaving nothing to chance, even the probability of any of her own legislators ditching the party candidate, she is meeting them over dinner on Thursday to ensure that all was in place.

Her anxiety may be real.

Some SP leaders and lawmakers including Azam Khan, his son and legislator Abdulla Azam, and even Akhilesh Yadav’s estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav did not turn up at the meeting of the party legislators called by the party chief on Wednesday. While they explained different reasons for their absence and vouched for their loyalty to the party, Akhilesh Yadav is taking no chances and publicly showed affection and regard for Shivpal Yadav at the Wednesday dinner at a five-star hotel.

Party leaders however say all is well and that the results would be good on Friday.

BSP legislator Mukhtar Ansari and SP’s Hari Om Yadav – both languishing in prisons, have also been allowed by the Election Commission to vote in the crucial elections, an official said. This came even as BSP’s Rajya Sabha member and eminent lawyer Satish Chandra Mishra had rushed to the Allahabad High Court seeking permission for the two jailed lawmakers to cast their votes.

SP is keen to ensure a clean transfer of vote to Mayawati’s candidate as this would be a big stepping stone to further parleys for a possible alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BSP on its part is watching the party to deliver as the Gorakhpur-Phulpur ‘electoral understanding’ was largely arrived at keeping the RS polls in mind.

The Congress, which just has seven legislators and has pledged support to BSP candidate, is also on its toes to ensure that there was no cross voting.

State party chief Raj Babbar, and party veterans Pramod Tiwari and P.L. Punia are in town to ensure that not only the flock was together but also that there was no breach in the opposition unity. A senior Congress leader told IANS that the BJP had tried similar tactics in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls where they pulled out all tricks to ensure the defeat of party’s Ahmad Patel but failed.

“We, in the opposition, are united and are certain that out candidates will sail through easily,” the leader said.

Only the results will prove who managed to get the upper hand in the battle.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

Published

2 months ago

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September 19, 2024

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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