National
People will predict here who will be make government BJP-Congress after General elections?
With an upswing of about 4 per cent in vote share, as reported in recent polls/surveys, can the Congress tide over its lowest ebb (44 MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha) and dethrone the incumbent? Perhaps a deep dive into two latest surveys — CSDS-Lokniti and Times Now-VMR — will serve the purpose.
The first votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be polled on April 11. Both the principal parties — the BJP and the Congress — are entering into the general elections with a likely 4 percentage point increase in their vote shares. However, as per CSDS-Lokniti pre poll survey, this increase in the BJP’s vote share appears to be largely at the cost of the non-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) parties. Thereby, this increase vote share is unlikely to fetch more seats for the BJP.
Does that mean the GOP, like they usurped the reins in 2004 general elections from the popular Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government, will form the union government with its alliance partners in 2019? According to Sanjay Kumar, director CSDS, 2004 and 2019 general elections cannot be compared as the voter base for the Congress party between the two elections are remarkably different.
“2004 and 2019 not comparable. The support base are different. Before 2004 Elections Cong had 28.5% votes, before 2019 Cong has 19.6% votes,” Kumar tweeted.
The Congress party sure has its task cut out. In the BJP won 207 parliamentary constituencies with a margin well over one lakh votes (see box 1). The Congress was routed. The party endured a 9.03 per cent negative swing, lost 162 MPs – from 206 MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha to just 44 MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha – and its vote share was reduced to a measly 19.6 per cent.
Will a 4 percentage point increase in vote share suffice then? According to Kumar even if the party pulls off about 7 per cent increase in its vote share the Congress is unlikely to win over 100 seats in the 2019 general elections.
There is no “Modi wave” — is perhaps the only silver lining for the opposition parties. Most surveys predict advantage BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, but add a rider that the alliance could just fall short of a majority.
Though Times Now – VMR latest survey points at a close contest between the NDA and the UPA, predicts Congress-led UPA will finish a distant second.
According to the survey NDA will get 2.6 per cent more votes than in 2014 but the alliance will lose 57 seats and will be reduced to slender majority with 279 MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha. The UPA with 30.7 per cent vote share, as per the poll, is likely to add 89 MPs to its 2014’s tally and take 149 seats (see Box 2).
The results for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be declared on May 23, the jury is out till then!
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.