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Restlessness growing over delay in seat sharing by Grand Alliance
By Imran Khan
Patna, March 7 (IANS) More than two months after Bihar’s ruling NDA finalised the sharing of seats among its constituents for the upcoming general elections, the opposition Grand Alliance or mahagathbandhan is yet to get its act together and the delay is leading to growing restlessness among the allies.
The bargaining between the two major allies — the RJD and the Congress — is what’s causing the delay. This has left smaller allies like the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), the Left parties and the Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP) uncertain about the number of seats they would be contesting.
A HAM leader said delay is not a good signal. “Our party has been demanding since January to finalise the list but it is yet to happen. We are hopeful it will be sooner rathr than later.
Echoing this, an RLSP leader said the seat sharing formula should not be delayed any further as its candidates have to get to work in their respective parliamentary constituencies.
The RLSP, led by former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, the HAM led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the VIP are eyeing upwards of contesting more than 10 of the state’s 40 seats. Kushwaha and Manjhi have demanded at least 5 seats each and the VIP has asked for 3.
Even the Left parties, mainly the CPI and the CPI-ML are keen to be part of the Grand Alliance.
Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said on Wednesday said the seat sharing formula was in its final stage. “We have almost finalised and the formal announcement would be made soon,” he said.
According to a Congress leader here, the party has agreed to contest a lesser number of seats than the RJD to accomodate the other allies and to ensure the defeat of the BJP-led NDA.
“It has been agreed that Congress will contest 10 seats and RJD will contest 20 seats. The remaining 10 seats will be distributed among other allies,” the Congress leader said.
RJD leaders have repeatedly hinted that party is bound to play the “big brother” in the mahagathbandhan. They have pointed that the RJD is a mass-based party, has 80 legislators in the 430-member Asssembly and a strong social support base that will help the other allies in the polls.
The RJD had contested 27 seats, Congress 12 and one seat was left for Nationalist Congress Party’s Tariq, Anwar who has now returned to the Congress, in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
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The RJD could win only 4 seats, the Congress 2 and the NCP one. The Janata Dal-United, which contested separately, also won only two seats. The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the BJP’s tally being 22.
(Imran Khan can be reached at [email protected]
–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.