KONGAD,MAY 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed a significant increase in its vote share in Kongad in the latest round of polling, with party functionaries describing the result as evidence of deepening support for the party's development agenda in the constituency.

Dr. Dileep Kilaru, the party's election in-charge for Kongad, attributed the improved performance to sustained ground-level work by party workers, effective communication of Central government welfare schemes, and consistent advocacy on local infrastructure and public service issues. He said the party's presence in the constituency had been year-round rather than election-driven, which he credited with narrowing the gap between the administration and ordinary voters.

"The rise in our vote share is a humbling validation of our hard work. It strengthens our resolve to serve Kongad with even greater vigour," Dr. Kilaru said, adding that the BJP had now established itself as a definitive voice for the aspirations of the constituency.

Party leaders said the results reflected a growing alignment among voters with the BJP's stated goals of inclusive development, framing the gains as consistent with the broader national narrative of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas." The party indicated it would continue to expand its organisational presence in the constituency and ensure that local concerns are taken up at higher levels of governance.

VIJAYAWADA, May 5: Bharatiya Janata Party Andhra Pradesh State president P.V.N. Madhav on Tuesday described the party's victories in three of the five States that went to the polls as historic, and said the results reflected the growing trust of the electorate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He was addressing a press conference at the party's State office in Vijayawada.

Mr. Madhav said Mr. Modi had effectively articulated people's issues during the election campaign, and that voters in West Bengal had rewarded the BJP with a decisive mandate. The party's return to power in Assam and its success in Puducherry, he added, further underscored the expanding reach of the NDA.

Bengal win rooted in history and public discontent

Contextualising the West Bengal result within a broader historical frame, Mr. Madhav said the victory was made possible by the sacrifices of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, and that winning in the land of luminaries such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Swami Vivekananda, and Subhas Chandra Bose lent the achievement special significance.

He was sharply critical of the preceding years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule in the State, alleging that both had presided over a rise in lawlessness. He further alleged that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh had been encouraged and cultivated as a vote bank by the ruling dispensation. It was public awareness of and anger against these trends, he argued, that had driven high voter turnout and ultimately brought the BJP to power.

Assam hat-trick and Kerala foothold

On Assam, Mr. Madhav said the BJP had achieved a hat-trick by strengthening the spirit of nationalism in the State. He also highlighted the party's performance in Kerala, where it won three seats and entered the State Assembly for the first time, describing it as a significant indicator of the party's geographic expansion.

Commenting on Tamil Nadu, he said the victory of actor-politician Vijay's party over the DMK was a signal of change in the State.

Senior party functionaries including Kapu Ramachandra Reddy, Saligrama Lakshmi Prasanna, Sheikh Baji, Rongala Gopi Srinivas, Uppalapati Srinivas Raju, Adduri Sriram, Syed Basha, Surendra Reddy, and Reddy Pavani were present at the press conference.

VIJAYAWADA, May 5: The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday held a victory rally in Vijayawada to celebrate the party's electoral successes in three States, with State president P.V.N. Madhav leading the procession from the Sujana Chowdary office at Bhavani Puram. Party leaders and workers turned out in large numbers for the celebratory event.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Madhav said the results reflected the trust that voters across the three States had reposed in the BJP. He singled out West Bengal as particularly significant, asserting that the people of the State had decisively ended the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee. The Bengal verdict, he said, had been received with jubilation across the country.

A journey from one seat to a historic majority

Recalling the party's ideological lineage, Mr. Madhav noted that the Jana Sangh had begun its journey in West Bengal — the birthplace of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee — with just a single seat, and that the BJP's landmark victory in the State today represented a remarkable political transformation. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, NDA governments were now in power in nearly 20 States, which he described as a testament to the country's development trajectory.

Wins across States

Mr. Madhav also highlighted the party's strong performance in Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as well as its gains in Puducherry. He pointed to the party's showing in constituencies with a Muslim population of around 60 per cent — where the BJP had won 40 of 63 seats — as evidence that the notion of minorities being averse to the party was a misconception. He also said the BJP welcomed the victory of actor-politician Vijay in Tamil Nadu.

The State president attributed the electoral successes to the organisational efforts of senior leaders such as Amit Shah and Sunil Bansal, as well as the sacrifices of party workers at the grassroots level.

Among those present at the event were NTR District president Adduri Sriram, MLA office in-charge Sridhar, BJP State office in-charge Uppalapati Srinivas Raju, State spokesperson Sheikh Baji, Minority Morcha State president Syed Basha, and OBC Morcha State president Rongala Gopi Srinivas.

Srikalahasti, May 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and cadres celebrated the party’s performance in the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, at Srikalahasti under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh BJP president P.V.N. Madhav.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Madhav said the results reflected the people’s continued support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He noted that the BJP had secured a clear majority in Assam, Puducherry and West Bengal, and described the outcome in West Bengal as particularly significant.

Referring to the ideological roots of the party, Mr. Madhav said West Bengal shared a historical connection with BJP’s founding ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The party’s success in his home State had enthused cadres across the country, he added.

Mr. Madhav congratulated party leaders and workers for their efforts, stating that the BJP’s growth was also evident in States such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where the party had registered a notable increase in vote share.

He said the results underscored public support for development, national security and transparent governance. Welfare initiatives of the Union government, infrastructure expansion and digital progress had received widespread appreciation, he observed.

Mr. Madhav attributed the victory to the support of youth, women, farmers and the middle class. He affirmed that efforts would continue to strengthen the party in Andhra Pradesh and reiterated the BJP’s commitment to addressing public issues.

Calling for unity, he urged citizens to work together towards the nation’s development.

VIJAYAWADA, May 4: Andhra Pradesh Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday said the BJP's strong performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections signalled the end of what he described as a regime that fomented religious hatred, issued voter identity cards to illegal infiltrators, and deprived the poor of their rightful entitlements.

Reacting to the election results, Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav said the people of Bengal had blessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his commitment to regional development, basic infrastructure, and wealth creation for ordinary citizens. The BJP's victory, he said, was proof of the people's faith in the vision of Viksit Bharat.

The Minister said the NDA coalition was now poised to usher in successive terms in governance, breaking what he called the earlier assumption that a second consecutive victory was near impossible. He noted that in several States where the NDA was in power, the alliance had been consistently fulfilling its electoral promises.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav said the government would identify, delete, and deport illegal infiltrators, invoking what he described as the BJP's three-point slogan of "Detect, Delete, Deport." He said the party would continue to consolidate its presence across States on the strength of this agenda.

Underlining the party's inclusive development philosophy, the Minister cited Prime Minister Modi's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" commitment as evidence that no region or community would be left behind. He reiterated that the people's trust in the BJP's ideology remained firm and that the party's win in Assam further reinforced this confidence.

Special Parliament session from April 16 to take up Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendments; BJP issues three-line whip

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to the floor leaders of both Houses of Parliament on Sunday, calling upon members across party lines to unite in support of amendment bills linked to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, and declared that the women's reservation quota would come into effect from the 2029 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The Central government has extended the ongoing Budget Session by three days, with a special sitting of both Houses scheduled from April 16 to 18 for the purpose.

In his letter, Mr. Modi said the time had come to implement the women's reservation law in its true spirit, and that his government had decided to fast-track the legislation after extensive consultations. He urged all Members of Parliament to participate in what he described as a historic debate beginning April 16. "If the Women's Reservation Act comes into effect from 2029, India's democratic institutions will gain new strength, public trust in them will deepen, and participation and representation in governance will increase," he wrote.

The Prime Minister recalled that reservation for women in legislatures had remained a matter of discussion for several decades, but his government had enacted the law as early as 2023. He described the day of the Bill's passage as an inspiring milestone in India's parliamentary history, witnessed by the entire world. He called upon MPs of all parties to come together in the special session and usher in historic change.

Three-Line Whip Issued

The BJP issued a three-line whip to its members in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, directing them to be present without fail for the duration of the three-day special session and not to avail any leave during the period. The party asked its MPs to strictly comply with the whip and extend full cooperation in ensuring the passage of the amendment bills.

Two Key Amendments Proposed

The government is learnt to be considering two significant amendments during the special session. The first relates to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which currently stipulates that women's reservations can be implemented only after a fresh census and delimitation exercise — a condition that would have pushed implementation to 2034. The proposed amendment seeks to delink the law from the requirement of a fresh census, enabling reservations to be implemented on the basis of the 2011 census data from the 2029 elections onwards.

The second proposed amendment pertains to the delimitation law. Rather than carving out 33 per cent of existing seats for women — which would reduce the number of seats available to male legislators — the government is understood to be considering an expansion of the total number of seats in Parliament and State Assemblies. Reports indicate that the number of Lok Sabha constituencies could be increased from the present 543 to 816, which would result in 273 seats being reserved for women from 2029. A proportionate increase in seats in State Assemblies is also being considered on the same basis.

Mumbai ( Journalist File ) : The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra faced a significant setback on Saturday, as the Samajwadi Party (SP) announced its decision to exit the coalition. SP legislator Abu Azmi revealed that the party had chosen to distance itself from the alliance, citing the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s embrace of the Hindutva agenda as the primary reason for their withdrawal.

Azmi criticized the lack of coordination within the MVA, particularly regarding the allocation of seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections and the subsequent election campaign. He pointed out that following their defeat in the Assembly elections, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had instructed party leaders and workers to aggressively pursue a Hindutva agenda during internal meetings. Azmi further highlighted the controversy surrounding a social media post by Shiv Sena (UBT) on December 6, which expressed support for the demolition of the Babri Masjid, an act that the SP deemed unacceptable.

"Given the Shiv Sena's stance, we have decided to no longer continue with the MVA," Azmi stated, emphasizing that the party could not align with an alliance that supported Hindutva in its current form.

The political drama continued in the Maharashtra Assembly, where opposition legislators, including those from the SP, boycotted the session in protest. However, SP legislators Asim Azmi and Rice Shake took their oaths as members of the Assembly today, defying the MVA's call to boycott the proceedings.

The withdrawal of the SP marks a further unraveling of the MVA alliance, which has been under strain due to internal differences and political disagreements.