AIADMK not to be cowed down by Panneerselvam’s revolt: Sasikala

February 8, 2017

Chennai, Feb 8: Faced with a revolt from O Panneerselvam, AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala on Wednesday said she had got wind of his moves a few days ago itself and asserted that the party remains united and will not be cowed down by such threats. Sasikala said “betrayal” will never win in the AIADMK and blamed arch rival DMK for trying to destabilise her party.

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The opposition so far unseen but emerging now was a proof that “certain developments our rivals don’t desire are happening in the party,” she said in an apparent reference to her elevation.

“That is why there is this flutter. Neither AIADMK nor me will be cowed down by this,” she told a meeting of party MLAs convened here to discuss the situation arising out of Panneerselvam’s revolt against her last night.

Sasikala said she had noticed “Panneerselvam joining hands with DMK following their conversation in the Assembly,” recently and added that she said duty bound to prevent the next course of action from happening, apparently referring to a revolt.

She referred to the remark of Deputy DMK Leader Durai Murugan who had last week in the Assembly favoured Panneerselvam to continue as Chief Minister for the rest of the term of the current government, i.e till 2021.

“Panneerselvam not saying anything on this and his silence showed clearly that he had joined hands with DMK. His act had also infuriated the Ministers,” she said.

However, responding to Panneerselvam’s charge last night on Ministers speaking against him and that she had not taken action against them, the party chief said she had actually pulled them up, giving him his due respect.

She recalled she was “not in the frame of mind” to accept the leadership of AIADMK following Jayalalithaa’s demise, although Panneerselvam was one of the proponents of the idea.

Referring to Panneerselvam’s political career, Sasikala said he had been part of the AIADMK Janaki (MGR’s widow) team following the death of the founder MG Ramachandran, before switching over to Jayalalithaa camp.

Jayalalithaa had ‘forgiven’ this and provided him with various opportunities (in the party and government), she added.

“Our rivals are showing their true face. We will prove our might to them. No one has the power or capacity to split or break us. I will solve the confusion arising in people’s minds at the right time,” she said.

Sasikala said “betrayal will never win, especially in AIADMK.”

“All these years, I have lived for Amma and would spend the rest of the life fulfilling her dreams,” she said.

“For 33 years, how many happenings, how many shocks. I have faced the many betrayals along with Amma. We had won those, we will win this,” she said.

Many had aided DMK’s “conspiracy” she said while referring to Panneerselvam who last night raised a banner of revolt after meditating at Jayalalithaa’s memorial at the Marina.

At today’s meeting, Sasikala also said that AIADMK’s rivals were “grouping.”

“They come in the form of betrayals also. The party will not fear these,” she said, invoking MGR’s legacy to face the situation with grit.

“Even if betrayal and rivalry join hands, we will defeat them,” she said.

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News Network
March 14,2024

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The high-level committee on simultaneous elections, chaired by Ram Nath Kovind, on Thursday met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted its report on 'One Nation, One Election'. The report comprises 18,626 pages.

Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at Rashtrapati Bhawan when Kovind led panel submitted the report.

"Simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held in first step, followed by local body polls within 100 days in second step," reported PTI quoting the panel.

"Synchronised polls for all three tiers of government to improve governance architecture, in line with quest of aspirational India," it added.

The report has been submitted 191 days after the constitution of the panel on September 2, 2023.

It's further reported that the proposal also puts focus on having a singular electoral roll for holding Lok Sabha, state assembly and local body polls.

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News Network
March 18,2024

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New Delhi, Mar 18: The Election Commission on Monday afternoon issued orders for the removal of six Home Secretaries - including the top bureaucrats from Gujarat, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

The poll panel also directed the transfer of West Bengal's Director-General of Police, the top cop of a state that has seen several instances of poll-related violence in recent years. The poll panel further said a shortlist of three potential replacements had to be prepared and submitted by 5 pm.

The re-shuffle, not an uncommon move by the Election Commission before major polls, also includes the transfer of the Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand Home Secretaries, as well as senior officials attached to the offices of the Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh Chief Ministers.

In addition, Iqbal Singh Chahal, who is Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and other officials in municipalities across Maharashtra, have been removed too.

All of this comes less than a month before the 2024 Lok Sabha poll; the ECI on Saturday said voting will begin on April 19 and run over seven phases till June 1.

This is, in fact, the first bureaucratic re-jig by the ECI since it announced polling dates.

The ECI's move comes after a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his two associates, the newly-appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. This step comes as part of the poll panel's commitment to ensure a level playing field for all political parties in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, as well as by-polls for 26 seats in 13 states.

Sources said the personnel removed were found to be holding dual charge in the offices of the respective chief ministers of each state, and this could compromise, or be seen to be compromising, required neutrality, particularly in relation to law-and-order before, during and after polling.

Bengal's ruling Trinamool has not yet reacted to the removal of DGP Rajiv Malik, who is seen by some to be close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party. In the past, the state government has questioned the last-minute re-shuffle of senior civil service and police officials so close to an election, arguing it actually hampers prep work since the new faces need time to adjust to the post.

Bengal has frequently witnessed violence during polling season; in June last year over a dozen people were killed across the state as voting for a panchayat election was underway.

The Trinamool accused the opposition of instigating violence and criticised central forces for their failure to protect voters, while the Congress claimed the state had let thugs loose on the people.

While announcing the dates on Saturday, the Chief Election Commissioner said the poll panel would take a very dim view of any violence during the election. Mr Kumar said the ECI is prepared to come down hard on any such incident. "We're putting political parties on notice," he declared.

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March 26,2024

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Hyderabad: The K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi faces big questions as shocking allegations of state police officers tapping the phones of then Opposition leaders in Telangana, including current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, celebrities and businessmen come to the fore.

The surveillance, it is alleged, was also used to blackmail businessmen into contributing huge amounts to the BRS party fund.

The BRS is yet to respond to the allegations.

Three senior police officers have been arrested in this connection and a lookout notice issued against T Prabhakar Rao, former chief of the state intelligence bureau, who is reportedly in the US now.

Police have said two senior officers - Additional Superintendent of Police Bhujanga Rao and Additional Superintendent of Police Thirupathanna - have admitted to illegal surveillance and destruction of evidence.

According to reports, Ravi Paul, a technical consultant with the state intelligence bureau under the then BRS government, had allegedly helped import and set up phone-tapping equipment near the residence of Mr Reddy to listen in on his conversations.

The equipment, it is alleged, was imported from Israel using a software company as the front. No permission from the Centre - a must for such imports - was taken, it is learnt. With this setup, anything spoken within a range of 300 metres could be heard, reports say.

Ravi Paul, it is alleged, set up an office near Mr Reddy's residence and installed the device. Police are set to question him in this connection.

Lookout notices have also been issued for Sharvan Rao, who runs a Telugu TV channel I News, and Radha Kishan Rao, a police officer with the city task force.

The surveillance was not restricted to Opposition leaders. Top businessmen, including real estate dealers and jewellers, and celebrities were also under surveillance. In fact, the tapping of phone conversations led to the divorce of a celebrity couple, reports say.

To add to the BRS's troubles, Chief Minister Reddy has received a complaint from Sharan Chaudhary, a businessman and a BJP leader, alleging that senior police officers kidnapped him last year and forced him to sign off a plot of land to a relative of former minister and BRS leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao.

Mr Chaudhury has alleged that Radha Kishan Rao and senior police officer ACP Umamaheswara Rao kidnapped him on August 21 while he was on his way to office. He has alleged that he was illegally detained and forced to register his property in the name of Vijay, a close relative of the minister. He was also forced to pay ₹ 50 lakh before they let him go.

The businessman has said he had approached the High Court after the incident, but Uma Maheshwar Rao threatened to file false cases against him and forced him to withdraw the petition.

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