National
Narayan Rane stays out of Maharashtra council by-poll
Mumbai, Nov 27 (IANS) Contrary to expectations, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Maharashtra Swabhiman Party President Narayan Rane on Monday preferred to keep away from the upcoming by-elections for a lone seat to the state legislative council.
The decision was necessitated by political arithmetic, though the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said he stayed out of the contest on its directions.
Ruling ally Shiv Sena, which was bitterly opposed to Rane’s candidature, promptly expressed support to the BJP’s official nominee, Mumbai BJP Vice President Prasad Lad, who is believed to be close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Rane, on his part, commented that he was “a former Chief Minister, so he was not worried about contesting for a legislative seat” for the December 7 elections.
He had quit the Congress in September, floated the MSP and joined the National Democratic Alliance after an assurance that he would be inducted into the state cabinet.
Anticipating a stormy winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature slated in Nagpur next month, the BJP also decided to keep the Sena in good humour by fielding Lad, a former NCP leader who defected to BJP last year.
There was some speculation that the BJP bypassed a senior leader and spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, but he denied claiming he was “never in the race”.
The opposition combine led by the Congress has nominated its ex-Solapur MLA Dilip Mane, though the numbers game appears to favour the ruling coalition.
On the developments, state Congress President Ashok Chavan built up suspense by claiming that its nominee Mane would bag the seat courtesy “an invisible arrow”, hinting at Sena’s whose official symbol is a bow & arrow.
“The Shiv Sena is unhappy over various issues including the recent farm loans waiver, and has repeatedly threatened to quit the government. Given the current political scenario, ‘an invisible arrow’ will help us win the by-poll,” he claimed.
Mane has secured the support of major opposition parties including Nationalist Congress Party, Peasants and Workers’ Party, Samajwadi Party and Peoples’ Republican Party among others, in the 288-member assembly.
The BJP has 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, Congress 42, NCP 41, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and Peasanta & Workers Party are three each, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen two, the CPI-M, Bharipa Bahujan Sangh, Samajwadi Party one each, and independents and local parties seven. The winning figure is 145.
–IANS
qn/vd
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.