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Tussle between BJP-Sena on seat allotment to RPI-A: Athawale
Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday claimed there are differences between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena on which Mumbai seat to allocate to his RPI-A for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“While the Shiv Sena feels the RPI should contest Mumbai North-East, the BJP wants to give us Mumbai South-Central seat,” said Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India-Athawale.
Mumbai North-East is currently represented by the BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, while Mumbai South-Central is held by Shiv Sena’s Rahul Shewale.
Both parties are not keen to give up their respective seats in the country’s commercial capital in favour of Athawale, and reportedly even elsewhere in the state, which has 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, the second-highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh’s 80.
Upping the ante, the RPI-A chief, who is a Rajya Sabha member, demanded that the BJP-Sena must allot at least one of the two city constituencies to his party in the high-stakes elections.
Last week, the leaders of all the five smaller National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents from Maharashtra held a meeting where they unanimously raised the demand for adequate number of seats for both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections from the BJP-Sena.
After blowing hot-and-cold for over a year, last month, the BJP-Sena entered into an alliance and have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in the ratio of 25:23, leaving out all other parties in the alliance high and dry.
However, they have decided to contest the state assembly elections on a 50:50 basis, after seat allotments to the smaller alliance partners.
There has been no response from the BJP-Sena to the demands made by the smaller allies for Lok Sabha seats, even as the Election Commission is expected to announce the 2019 polls schedule any day.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.