- 33 minutes ago
The political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the INDIA bloc has intensified in Delhi ahead of Diwali, following the announcement of the 2026 Legislative Council election results across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The INDIA alliance is preparing for a demonstration at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November and a public impeachment exercise targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision process, prompting the BJP to organize counter-demonstrations and a padayatra led by Nitin Nabin in Chandni Chowk. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Trade and Industry and wholesale market associations have raised concerns regarding economic disruptions across major commercial hubs during the peak festive shopping season. Concurrently, election outcomes dealt significant losses to the Congress, which failed to win any of the 28 contested seats across four states. The BJP also suffered setbacks in Hindi heartland constituencies, losing Varanasi seats to the Samajwadi Party and Patna to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, while Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party secured victory in Darbhanga.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching To The Point. I am Preeti Chaudhary.
00:03Two cracker of debates lined up for you.
00:05First up, well, let me take you through the headlines.
00:12Prime Minister Modi's scathing drive at Congress flags duck out in MLC polls across four states, 28 MLC elections.
00:20Congress dares Prime Minister Modi to hold all upcoming polls and ballot paper and restore 13.3 crore deleted voters.
00:33Ardeep Singh Puri fielded for Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh after Union Minister L. Murugan vacates his seat.
00:41Move signals Puri may retain cabinet work.
00:51Politics over Tata boardroom tussle. Rahul claims Tata Group being systematically destroyed by government finance minister Sita Raman hits back.
01:00So as Congress trying to incite businesses.
01:09Andhara grapples with cyclone Ornab after map.
01:12Death toll rises to five.
01:14Ex-crash share of rupees five lakhs announced for kin of deceased.
01:18Andhara Chief Minister speaks to Home Minister Shah seeking centre assistance and financial aid.
01:30At least 64 people killed after two high-speed trains collide in Spain's Toledo.
01:36More than 500 people were on board the two trains.
01:40Authorities launched rescue operation in Prohm, what led to the tragic accident.
01:53The battle over SIR is only but escalating with the BJP and the India Bloc gearing up now for a
01:59high-voltage showdown on the streets.
02:01Today, BJP Chief Nitin Nabeen led BJP's counter-offensive.
02:06He led a padhyatra in Delhi's Chandni Chowk.
02:08Congress has decided to go ahead with a public impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Karge's own residence on the
02:1530th of October.
02:16But with traders now raising concerns over the impact of the opposition's mega-rally on the 1st of November,
02:24political confrontation has now acquired a new flashpoint.
02:37From festive foward to political fury, the streets are turning into a battleground.
02:45As the India Bloc sharpens its offensive against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the BJP is mounting a counter-offensive.
02:52BJP Chief Nitin Nabeen led a padhyatra in Delhi's Chandni Chowk on Wednesday.
03:22Union Health Minister J.P. Nadea, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and Gujarat Chief Minister
03:27Bhupinder Patel have also hit the streets, accusing the opposition of spreading anarchy.
03:38And November 1st promises a direct showdown.
03:41As the India Bloc rallies at Ramlila Maidan, Yogi Adityanath will lead a counter-padhyatra in Lucknow.
03:50Two rival campaigns taking the fight to the streets.
03:53But the battle has spilled into the markets.
03:59A trader's body has returned to Rahul Gandhi.
04:02They say India's Bloc's November 1st rally is expected to draw over 10 lakh people.
04:08And thus, rally could disrupt business in 20 markets, within the 1 to 5 km radius of the venue.
04:14Traders say they don't want a fight, they only want a dialogue.
04:18They are seeking a 20-minute meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
04:21Traders say if the leader of opposition can convince them that their businesses won't be affected,
04:27they will withdraw a protest.
04:29And if Rahul can convince them that there will be losses, then the LOP should postpone the rally.
04:36Traders' request has triggered fresh flashpoint between Congress and BJP.
04:42We know this same thing that BJP had written on the people named BJP's people.
04:48So that this agitation, this protest cannot be made.
04:56We know it from a good way.
04:58BJP also is taking the protest.
05:00And it is also taking the protest to other people.
05:24Meanwhile, the opposition is pushing ahead with its public impeachment exercise against CEC Gyanesh Kumar on October 30th.
05:34After permission was denied at Ashoka Hotel in Ramlila Maidan, the public impeachment will now be held at Malik Arjun
05:42Khadrge's residence with opposition MPs, former judges and civil society members expected to attend.
05:50With November 1st emerging as a major test of political strength, this is no longer just a fight over SIR.
05:58It is a battle over the streets, the narrative and public perception.
06:02Who will win?
06:05With Masmi Singh, Bureau Report, India Today.
06:18The mega opposition rally on the 1st of November has now drawn support from the pressure group, the Kokoro Janata
06:24Party.
06:25The latest coming in is in a one-page statement.
06:28The pressure group, Kokoro Janata Party, has extended its support to the India Bloc November 1st rally.
06:34The CJP says the fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to choose their government, not that the government
06:41gets to choose its voters.
06:43By undermining this very principle through SIR, Gyanesh Kumar has lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections.
06:51His resignation is therefore necessary to restore the credibility and independence of the Election Commission.
06:57The idea was simple, bring more citizens into democracy, not keep them out.
07:02It is our responsibility to ensure that no eligible citizen is deprived of that right.
07:08The Kokoro Janata Party will therefore support all organizations fighting for free and fair elections in our country.
07:14Well, that still leaves a bit of a question mark.
07:16Will the Kokoro Janata Party representatives or leaders be attending the 1st of November rally?
07:22That remains to be answered.
07:24But it seems in solidarity, the CJP, the protest group, has issued a one-page statement supporting the India Bloc
07:32rally on the 1st of November.
07:36I am connecting now to my colleague, Ashutosh Mishra, who is joining us for the latest on this letter of
07:43solidarity.
07:44Where is the limit, Ashutosh, to this letter of solidarity?
07:47Will it just be on paper or will the top brass of the CJP attend in person the 1st of
07:54November rally?
07:56Well, for the last couple of minutes, Priti, I've been studying to find out confirmation whether any of these leaders
08:01will be part of that mega-block rally on November 1st.
08:04However, this also comes in a reciprocation.
08:07Remember when the Kokoro Janata Party held the protest and Rahul Gandhi and Congress also extended support without even naming
08:12the Kokoro Janata Party,
08:13but they did support the voice of the students, the generation Z and the students and also supported, extended the
08:18cause.
08:19Now, remember for CJP for the last couple of months, they have been also, you know, voicing against SIRV.
08:24We have seen the massive show of strength, all the barricading the matter even reached the Supreme Court.
08:29So, exactly in a reciprocation of how Congress supported their cause, they have also become the cause.
08:33They say, SIR, it is the fundamental of a democratic people to choose the government.
08:38And hence, they are supporting the cause, extended the support.
08:41However, that is, so far, I mean, as we speak, it is very unlikely that any of these CJP leaders
08:46will take part directly on the stage.
08:48But you never know, because remember, they have also invited not only the opposition bar,
08:51but also the like-minded pressure group and their social organization to come forward on November 1 at Ramlila Brown.
09:00You're right there. So, that remains to be seen whether Kokoro Janata Party will go.
09:03But I will just take our viewers through what has been their stand in the past,
09:07that they didn't want to align with any political party and be seen on stage,
09:12because they see themselves as a pressure group till now.
09:15Will that change? Or was it just reciprocal in nature?
09:18Because when the CJP had announced its protest, political parties, even the Congress had supported the protest.
09:25So, is it just reciprocal? Will it go beyond that?
09:28We'll keep our eyes firmly fixed on the developments there.
09:31But I want to immediately cut across viewers to our panelists this evening,
09:35because it's protest versus protest.
09:37It's going to be a week of protest before Diwali.
09:40Not so great news coming in for journalists.
09:44Well, the traders also seem to think so.
09:46But joining me right now is Brijesha Kadappa, National Spokesperson, Congress.
09:50Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party.
09:54Brijesha Goel, Chairman, Chamber of Trade and Industries, CTI.
09:58I'll give all three of you two minutes' time to put your point forward.
10:02And I'd like to begin with Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan.
10:06Dr. Paswan, you know, the BJP has gone on record to state that the Congress should have postponed their 1st
10:11November rally.
10:13Diwali is around the corner.
10:15There are, you know, people who want to go out, shop, celebrate, and maybe push the rally after Diwali.
10:24Something that has been echoed by various trader associations as well.
10:27But what is it that you're doing different?
10:30Today you had Mr. Nitin Nabeen.
10:32And we can show you the visuals coming in from Chandni Chowk.
10:35We'll just cut across to those visuals.
10:37Where this is Chandni Chowk.
10:39This is the heart of New Delhi where shopping takes place.
10:42Coming in on Sunday, 1st of November, you have a rally taken out by Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.
10:51Lucknow is also celebrating Diwali.
10:52Himanta Biswasarma is holding a rally in Shimla.
10:55Shimla is also celebrating Diwali.
10:57How does it make it kosher for you and not kosher for Congress?
11:04Thank you so much, Preeti.
11:05And I think you have raised a very valid point, a very valid question.
11:08But I think about trader sentiment, I'm glad and grateful that you have a representative from the Chamber of Trade,
11:16Traders and Industry.
11:17But as far as our protest is concerned, Preeti, I think it is our fundamental duty to expose the hypocrisy
11:23of the Congress Party.
11:24Because this entire series of allegations, without any logic, without any truth, without any reality, it deserves an exposure.
11:32You have to understand that the Congress Party is an organization that keeps talking about the Constitution of India.
11:38I would like to bring your notice, the interview given by Mr. Sharjil Imam.
11:43Sharjil Imam has called the Indian Constitution a fascist document.
11:47And how is Sharjil Imam relevant to this conversation?
11:51Neha Mora on multiple occasions has said that we will ensure that the release of Sharjil happens.
11:55So in a way, Neha legitimizes Sharjil and I was just looking at the screen of our live television that
12:03you are having footage of Neha where Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, they were sort of promoting Neha to take
12:09the lead of the protest.
12:10So the flowchart, the basic understanding is that Neha legitimizes Sharjil and Rahul and Priyanka legitimizes Neha Bora.
12:17So I think what is this connection? The people of India deserve to know.
12:20Second and the most important point, Preeti, that today, the teacher's constituency, the graduate's constituency and the local body constituency,
12:28MLC polls results are out.
12:29Out of 28 MLC elections, zero was the scorecard of the Congress Party.
12:36Is there introspection going on within the Congress Party?
12:39But I am glad that the Congress Party has accepted the verdict, I hope with humility.
12:44And they should cultivate this level of humility because what has been apparent, what has been very prominent and visible
12:50is the desperation of the Congress Party.
12:52Preeti, I am live from Patna.
12:53And the kind of body language that Mr. Malika Arjun Khadge, a very senior leader of the Congress Party, national
12:59president of the Congress Party, exhibited during an event in Patna.
13:02When a Congress curry katta itself, the response of Mr. Khadge was deplorable.
13:07Baab bhi aayega, baab bhi aayega.
13:09All right.
13:10Okay, Dr. Paswan, you know, your timer's up, but I'm going to circle back to you.
13:13But it's interesting, and you are right, this is a reality check where MLC elections are concerned.
13:17Something we'll be discussing later, but you're in Patna.
13:19So it's a bit of a reality check for the BJP as well, and you know why, sir, but that's
13:23a matter of a different debate.
13:25I want to bring in Bridges Kalappa into this conversation.
13:28Bridges Kalappa, this has become now my protest and versus your protest.
13:32And what word is coming in that the Congress and the opposition parties are trying to pull all the strings,
13:39all the stops to make sure that you have a massive attendance in Delhi.
13:44The Trader Association and the people in Delhi are like, okay, this is happening right before Diwali.
13:50Maybe you guys could have waited.
13:56See, Preeti, I think it's very clear that as far as the traders are concerned, if the traders were received
14:02the support of the government, I don't think this problem would have been so exacerbated.
14:06The problem is that the government is trying to place impediments on the path of these protests.
14:12Because on the one hand, they don't want to face these protests because it shows how unpopular they are.
14:18Typically, what would happen is that a political party, if it has to counter a protest, you have to do
14:23yet another larger protest.
14:25But the BJP is in no position to do that because the people are not with them.
14:29Therefore, what are they doing?
14:31They are then inciting some of the traders, and I don't say all traders, some of the traders to come
14:37and raise issue regarding the protest.
14:39Now, if these traders genuinely believe that they had a problem, and as far as Mr. Rahul Gandhi is concerned,
14:47he has also spoken to them.
14:48He has also said that, look, if you have any problem, kindly also join us, and let's get rid of
14:54Mr. Gyanesh Kumar.
14:56It's very essential for democracy that Mr. Gyanesh Kumar goes.
14:59As I speak, I'm in Karnataka, and 99 lakh voters, votes have been cut in Karnataka.
15:04So, on this, you know, premise, it's very easy for the BJP to continue to win elections, one, but impossible
15:11for them to represent the people on the ground.
15:14Therefore, what they are today saying is that, no, no, we are having small protests.
15:18Why small protests? Because the people are not joining their protests.
15:21And now they are speaking about, you know, the fact that the Congress Party has not done well.
15:25What has happened in Varanasi, which is the Prime Minister's constituency?
15:28Both the graduates' constituency and the teachers' constituency, both have been lost.
15:34The Samajwadi Party, who's our ally in the India Alliance, has won.
15:39Now, what about Patna? What about Pune? What about Lakta? What about Agra? What about Prayagraj?
15:45All of these places, the BJP has lost.
15:47But they would like to focus on the fact that Congress has not won in Karnataka.
15:51But you must remember that of the four seats, three were already with the BJP.
15:57It's only the fourth who was an independent who joined the Congress Party.
16:00All right, okay. Mr. Galapa, your time is over.
16:02Well, the BJP could stay the same thing.
16:03That other than Patna, every seat was still with the BJP.
16:06But, you know, irony sometimes deals a perfect hand.
16:10And today, viewers, if we are talking about the MLC election, though we're discussing something very different.
16:14We have Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan, who's joining us from Patna.
16:17The seat that BJP lost after 30 years.
16:21And we have Mr. Galapa, who's joining us from Bangalore, Karnataka.
16:24Where all four seats, the Congress has lost.
16:26But that is different.
16:27Matter for a different conversation.
16:29I want to now cut across to Mr. Brijesh Goyal, Chairman, Chamber of Traders and Industries.
16:34And Mr. Goyal, I'll ask you a very direct question.
16:37Which is, I hope you're going to be sitting here, non-partisan in nature.
16:42And you will call out, if you're going to call out the 1st November rally, that it should not happen
16:46in the national capital.
16:48Then you will call out what happened today in Tramni Chowk as well.
16:52Yeah, let me clear you firstly one thing.
16:56That we are not against any kind of rally or any kind of protest.
17:00Our objection is only for this timing as well as venue.
17:04See, Ramila Meidan, where this rally is going to happen on 1st November.
17:11This is surrounded by 20 big wholesale markets like Chani Chowk, Kashmir Gate, Khari Bhavali, Naya Bazar, Sadar Bazar, Chowdi
17:18Bazar, Karol Baag.
17:18These are the wholesale market, Mughal Kali market, you can say.
17:22And these all markets are surrounding by, within 5 kilometers area.
17:26There is no parking space even for 1,200 buses also.
17:31They are saying that they will bring around 10 lakh people.
17:35So, they need to around 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles, buses to bring these 10 lakh people.
17:43So, what will happen?
17:45Because these markets, Chani Chowk, Sadar, very congested, 10 to 12 feet.
17:49Mr. Gouad, allow me to hold your timer.
17:52I understand your apprehensions and I understand why you've taken umbrage to the fact that the Congress has decided on
17:58the 1st of November to hold a rally.
17:59You've elucidated the numbers yourself.
18:01Why not the same amount of anger or resentment of what happened in Chani Chowk today?
18:08For four hours, Chani Chowk came to a standstill with Mr. Nitin Nabeen's rally.
18:13I don't see you say anything on that.
18:16Look, I'll tell you something else.
18:18As I've seen the visuals in front of you,
18:21we've seen one thing clear.
18:23I'll tell you,
18:23I'll tell you,
18:26I'll tell you that in the next season,
18:28we should be able to release this rally from the protest.
18:30But I'll tell you that in the rally,
18:32the protest marches,
18:34the 10,000,000 people will be different.
18:37Today, there's a road,
18:39a market,
18:40a metro,
18:41a police,
18:42a barricade,
18:43a traffic jam.
18:53foreign
18:58foreign
19:14that it doesn't have any impact, but it can be a big impact.
19:19That's why you look partisan.
19:21No, no, no, we are a party party, we are a party party, we are a party party.
19:27We have written a letter, I will tell you, on your other channel.
19:32As you have been notified for the rally,
19:35that day Kendriya and Grahmanthri ji...
19:40You have two minutes, which is over, I want to give final comments.
19:44Dr. Paswan, I want to bring you back into this conversation.
19:48And final comments, two minutes time, please elucidate on why is it
19:52that the Congress's protest, somewhere down the line,
19:56is not as important as say the BJP's protest,
20:00because you are also doing multiple protests at the same time.
20:03Dr. Paswan.
20:07No, Priti, I think every political party has the right to protest,
20:12and the Constitution of India ensures that every political organization protests.
20:15But I was listening to the observations of the Congress party,
20:19and I would like to point by point reply to the lies and the propaganda.
20:24He said that 99 lakhs votes were removed from Karnataka.
20:30Karnataka, as far as I know, has a Congress government.
20:33And who are the BLOs?
20:35The BLOs are the employees of the state government of Karnataka.
20:38Is he suggesting that the state government of Karnataka employees,
20:41the teachers, the professors, and so on and so forth,
20:45were they also involved in this allegation,
20:47which has absolutely no logic and no connection to reality?
20:50Point number two, he has said that the people of India are not with us.
20:53We are unpopular.
20:54I think the biggest measure or the biggest barometer to judge if the people of India
20:59or the popularity is the elections.
21:01And we discussed about the election.
21:03So we must understand.
21:04And the affidavit that has been filed by the Election Commission of India to the Supreme Court
21:08has categorically responded to each and every allegations of the Congress party as well.
21:14Every single decision of the Election Commission of India were consensual,
21:18were unanimous, there were no objections,
21:19and whatever the difference of opinion, it was registered subsequently.
21:23So the lie of 13.3 crore votes that you are also running on your ticker,
21:28I think it is out.
21:292 crore, 80 lakhs have been, they are no longer with us.
21:33More than 5 crore have been displaced.
21:35So the bifurcation is still out.
21:36The lies and the propaganda of the Congress party is surprising, is shocking.
21:42But I am happy.
21:43You mentioned about Patna.
21:44We lost in Patna.
21:46Preeti, we also lost Bankipur, which is the seat of the former MLA
21:50and the President of the world's largest political party.
21:53We accepted the defeat with grace and humility.
21:57Not even a single political worker or leader,
21:59they either questioned the SIR or the EVM
22:02or put any blame or allegations on the Election Commission of India.
22:05We belong to the tradition of Atalviyari Vajpayee Ji,
22:08who said,
22:08Hum Vijay huay, Hummeh Venamrata hai,
22:10Parajay mein aatmu manthan hona chahiya.
22:14All right.
22:15Okay.
22:16Final comments, can I bring in the Congress spokesperson?
22:19Mr. Kalapa,
22:20Dr. Paswan has put out pointed rebuttals
22:23to your interjection.
22:25Would you like to respond sir?
22:30Yeah, yeah.
22:30See, as far as the BLOs is concerned,
22:33we have seen how the BLOs have acted in West Bengal.
22:36We have seen that even despite the fact that Mamata Banerjee had a government,
22:40how the CEO of the Election Commission later on went on to become the Chief Secretary
22:45and one of them became the principal advisor to the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
22:49So, therefore, we have seen how the Election Commission has played a very dirty game,
22:53not just in West Bengal, but also in Vihar and so on and so forth.
22:58Now, when the Election Commission, when the umpire is in your pocket,
23:01and the fact is that the BJP consistently has been speaking
23:05for the Election Commission of India without the Election Commission of India,
23:09which itself, you know, has a lot of articulation.
23:12The Election Commissioners came outside and spoke about Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
23:17He asked him to provide an affidavit and so on and so forth.
23:20What's happened? Why have they become quiet?
23:21Why is the BJP speaking their language?
23:24Why is the BJP speaking for the Election Commission,
23:26when so many political parties have an issue with the Election Commission and the SIR process?
23:31Now, keeping this in mind, if the Election Commission,
23:34and it's proven today that the Election Commission is playing a very partisan game,
23:38if they happen to be, you know, the umpire in the game,
23:42obviously the BJP will continue to win, and when as many as 99 lakh votes have been cut in just
23:50Karnataka,
23:51then obviously does it mean, does it not mean that the Election Commission is also playing a role
23:56in ensuring that genuine voters are being kept out?
23:59What happened to the number of electors who want to come back in West Bengal?
24:04Nearly 30 lakh of them sought re-entry, but the persons who were adjudicating the process,
24:1293% of them said they had to come back.
24:16Yeah, yeah. So, 93% of them were to come back.
24:20So, and then so many of these adjudications are still incomplete.
24:24So, what does it tell you? It tells you that the Election Commission is completely hand in glove with the
24:29BJP.
24:30And therefore, this election rally, this rally…
24:34Alright, sir, your time is up. Unfortunately, I have run out of time.
24:37I thank all three guests for joining us, and now we'll move to our next debate,
24:42something that was partially also brought up and discussed in our debate number one,
24:46which is the 28 MLC seats that went up for elections in four states.
24:51The results of the 2026 Legislative Council elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
24:58While countering to stay on in certain seats, are throwing up a mixed picture for all major political parties,
25:06with the Congress being the biggest loser.
25:08With 28 seats at stake across four states, the results offer key political signals ahead of crucial electoral battles.
25:16First, let's talk about the Congress.
25:18The party has drawn a blank across the four states, failing to win a single seat in the 28-seat
25:25context.
25:25The biggest setback came in Karnataka, where the BJP-JDS combined alliance swept all four seats,
25:34wresting one from the Congress. A sitting Congress lawperson lost their seat here.
25:39This is Karnataka. The polls were held through ballot papers, something the Congress has always demanded,
25:45yet the Congress failed to register a win. More so, this has a new Chief Minister in place.
25:51You have, in the form of DK Shiv Kumar, coming in and yet losing all four seats in Karnataka.
26:00Biggest blow where Congress is concerned.
26:03In Bihar, the Congress lost the Darbhanga teacher seat to Prashant Kishore's Jansuraj party,
26:08raising questions again over the appeal among educated voters.
26:12Is the educated voter that chose the Congress last time looking for options in the state of Bihar?
26:18And with the Congress repeatedly alleging vote chori, the big question is,
26:23can its politics of protest translate into electoral gains?
26:27Now, the BJP. Let's talk about the BJP, because massive concern also.
26:32If it is alarm bells for the Congress, then concern for the BJP.
26:36The MLC results have thrown up warning signs to the party, particularly in its traditional strongholds.
26:42Let's begin with Uttar Pradesh.
26:44The BJP won six of the eleven seats, but the losses matter. And why so?
26:48The party lost both MLC seats in Prime Minister Modi's own constituency, Varanasi,
26:54even though they were held by the Samajwadi party earlier.
26:58Yet, the third term of the Prime Minister, the second term of Yogi Adityanath, and yet they could not win
27:05Varanasi.
27:07In Bihar, the BJP lost the Patna seat to RJD after 30 years.
27:12The results raise questions over the BJP's grip on its educated urban middle class voters,
27:19and importantly, educated urban middle class voters in the Hindi heartland.
27:24Even as poll-bound Uttar Pradesh braces for what could be a fiercely fought bipolar contest.
27:31Because if you look at the results in Uttar Pradesh, these are massive gains that have been seen by the
27:37Samajwadi party.
27:39The BJP might not have lost or ceded ground, but the Samajwadi party has gained ground.
27:46So, Piers, tonight on to the point, we ask, is the Congress now unable to expand its politics of protest
27:57to electoral protest?
27:59Somewhere down the line, does the Congress now need to marry its vote-chori charge
28:04with something that will impact the voters, especially in the Hindi heartland?
28:09Because what worked in 2024, samvidan khatre mein hai, worked with arakshan chala jayega.
28:16Because right now, it seems, the vote-chori charge is not sticking.
28:19Leave alone in the Hindi heartland, not even in Karnataka.
28:24Jolt for the BJP is the second question we ask.
28:28Isn't this a jolt for the BJP on its core constituency of educated urban middle class in the Hindi heartland?
28:35What one really needs to underline is the Hindi heartland.
28:39Educated middle class, something that was always the go-to for the Bharatiya Janata party,
28:46especially in the Hindi belt.
28:47Has that somewhere down the line fractured?
28:50If you just look at certain results.
28:52For example, Patna.
28:54Losing Patna, an urban middle class educated constituency after 30 years.
28:59And that due to the RJD.
29:00The other question that we ask, if you just focus on the state of Uttar Pradesh.
29:06Uttar Pradesh now to be a fiercely fought bipolar contest.
29:10Something that at least this MLC election points towards.
29:16And has the JSP of Prashant Kishore redrawn Bihar's opposition politics?
29:24Taking away Darbanga's teacher seat from Congress.
29:29So it seems the educated class which was looking at the Congress earlier is now being replaced.
29:36We have the Congress being replaced by the Jan Suraj party.
29:40Let's take all of these questions to our panelists this evening.
29:44Joining me, Mr. Sanjay Kumar.
29:46Co-Director.
29:46Lok Neeti.
29:47CSDS.
29:48Anasophologist.
29:49Mr. Sandeep Shastri.
29:52Political analyst.
29:53Dr. Karthike Batra.
29:54Political analyst.
29:55Assistant Professor.
29:56Razan Premji University.
29:57Rashid Kidwai.
29:58Author.
29:59Political analyst.
30:00Shekhar Iyer.
30:01Senior journalist.
30:01I'd like to begin with Mr. Kumar first.
30:03Mr. Kumar, I know you're traveling.
30:05You're in a train.
30:06And thank you.
30:06If we still have his frame.
30:07We do.
30:08If Mr. Kumar, what will be your biggest takeaways from the 28 MLC seats across four states, sir?
30:22Can you hear us, sir?
30:23Okay.
30:24You know, we are going to try and fix Sanjay Kumar's frame.
30:27He's been kind enough to join us from a train.
30:29We are going to cut across to him in just about a bit.
30:32But, you know, let me bring in our other guest.
30:34Sandeep Shastri, did you think, you know, a huge dent for the Congress, especially in the state of Karnataka, losing
30:41one of their sitting seats there?
30:42Do you have a new chief minister in the form of someone who's seen, you know, to be electorally very
30:49good manager, Mr. D. K. Shipkumar, yet losing Karnataka.
30:53And we'll come to the Hindi Hartling later.
31:00Priti, beyond a shadow, this is very much a setback for the Congress in Karnataka.
31:06Not only did they lose the seat they had, they were not able to rest seat from others.
31:10And yes, it is a success of the NDA Alliance in Karnataka.
31:15However, I would add a word of caution before we take this analysis forward.
31:20These were graduates and teachers' constituencies.
31:23And the past record in Karnataka has been that the winner in graduate and teachers' constituencies is invariably the candidate
31:32who is able to enroll the maximum number of graduates and teachers.
31:37It has not to do with party affiliation, but the personal charisma of the candidates.
31:46If you look at past records, this very, very clearly indicates that.
31:50So, yes, in a sense, the BJP candidates who contested these elections did do that enrollment very effectively and possibly
32:02the party machinery helped them.
32:04And the conclusion I would be a little hesitant in drawing is that this will now indicate the political chessboard
32:13for the next major Lok Sabha election.
32:17Because here, in the NDA Alliance, the BJP contested three seats and the JDS won, and they won all the
32:26four seats.
32:26But when it comes to an assembly elections, the stakes are much higher.
32:31The JDS would demand a much bigger share of seats.
32:35So, I think the issues are more complicated, which is not taking credit away from the victory that they have
32:43just achieved in the council elections.
32:45My caveat is council elections are very different from a national election, a Lok Sabha election, an assembly election, where
32:56voters directly choose their representatives.
33:00Alright, fair point.
33:01Shikhar Aiyar, your biggest takeaway is from the 28 MLC seats across four states.
33:09Well, talking of Karnataka, this is a very, very serious setback to the Congress, particularly after D.K. Shikhar Kumar
33:15has become Chief Minister.
33:16Yes, these are very localized elections.
33:19They are not going to change the balance of power in the Karnataka legislature, the council or in the assembly,
33:24granted.
33:25But the fact that, you know, there has been a serious problems in the Congress, the ruling Congress, particularly the
33:32unhappiness that has been expressed by supporters of Siddhartha Mahiya over the functioning of the D.K. Shikhar Kumar government,
33:39and consequently its impact on the Congress poll machinery in the state.
33:45And as well as the fact that one of the seats lost belongs to actually the Kalburgi area, which is
33:50Mallika Arjun Karge's, you know, constituency.
33:54So, this goes to show, while the Congress leadership at the center is more mobilizing on the streets, about SIR
34:03and all that, on the ground where they actually need to fix the election machinery, be it legislative election or,
34:10I mean, council election or assembly election, something is not going right there in Karnataka.
34:15The fact that anti-incumbency has started rising in Karnataka, despite leadership change, and Siddhartha Mahiya himself feels that he's
34:23being targeted by the present government, particularly all the stories circulating around Sting videos, all this has had an impact
34:30on the morale of the average Congress worker.
34:32And also, most of the Congress ministers are, again, repeatedly telling their MLAs and their constituents there are no funds
34:40left because of all the guarantee schemes.
34:42So, there is not much of a development activity happening in their constituency.
34:46This is giving rise to a lot of anti-incumbency issues.
34:50Yes, these are very localized elections, but fact that a government that is going to face elections two year hence
34:56will never let a legislative even council, particularly this kind of election,
35:00which is the graduate constituency and also the JDS-BJP alliance, which was facing problems.
35:08Now, they are realizing that they have to work together and this is what has shown.
35:12Of course, JDS will become demanding in the days to come by, but that alliance has gone stronger.
35:18All right, interesting. So, two very different perspectives on how things have panned out in Karnataka.
35:22We're going to delve a little deeper in that, but I want to bring in Sanjay Kumarji, who's joining us
35:26from a train.
35:27Thank you, sir. I know the connection is sketchy, so I want to immediately bring you in.
35:30What are your biggest takeaways, especially, you know, reality check for the Congress?
35:35But one needs to also focus that there has been a bit of a concern for the BJP where the
35:40Hindi heartland is concerned,
35:41especially the middle class educated voter, which was the BJP's co-constituency.
35:51So, it is true that in the Hindi heartland, if you see that the BJP has not been able to
35:56do well,
35:57if you look at UP, the Samajwadi Party, in my opinion, has won four seats and BJP has not done
36:05just that way.
36:06But look at some other point of view.
36:08At the time of 64, 20 years, BJP put out 38, which is half, they have won half the seats.
36:19So, it's not a performance, but yes, going back to the Northern Hindi, it is a...
36:30Sanjay Ji, we have a terrible connection.
36:32We haven't been able to connect with you.
36:34I apologize, sir, but thank you for trying.
36:36I know your train is moving.
36:38Sanjay Kumar from the CSDS, I just want to quickly dip into the latest news break that we're getting in
36:42and we'll be back with our analysts on the other side.
36:46Well, after Prime Minister's taunt on how many seats have Congress won in the 28 MLC elections,
36:51which is a big fat zero, Congress has now hit back, says,
36:54if Prime Minister Modi is so confident that EDMs have no bearing in election results,
36:58let him prove his confidence in the BJP's electoral prowess through action, not rhetoric.
37:04Number one, commit to conducting all looks, Sabha, and upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections by ballot paper.
37:10Suspend SIR and restore the 13.3 carol voters illegally deleted.
37:14Terminate Gyanesh Gupta.
37:16Repeal the law that gives lifelong immunity to Gyanesh Gupta.
37:20Until Prime Minister Modi acts on these demands, his claims are nothing but hogwash.
37:25Well, this is, of course, the Congress retaliating to the Prime Minister's tweet a short while ago.
37:30But I want to now cut across back to our other panelists and allow me to bring in Rashid Kidwai.
37:36Rashid Kidwai, you know, the Congress would have hoped, at least in Karnataka, it would have done better.
37:41Of course, it wasn't a part, it backed out of the Uttar Pradesh elections.
37:46And in the manner in which how well Samajwadi Party is done, it's quite clear this is going to be
37:51an intensely bipolar contest.
37:53And somewhere down the line will reduce the Congress's bargaining power in UP as well.
37:59How do you reflect on the results?
38:02So, Preeti, while every election and every outcome is very important and it's, of course, a learning experience for various
38:09political parties,
38:10I think in this case it's a very exaggerated narrative.
38:13It has been seen as a reflection of, you know, a ballot paper, you know, the Congress performance and opposition
38:20and whatnot.
38:22Actually, if you look at it, it is an indirect election.
38:25It is not, you see, the council exists only in six of the, you know, 29 states that we have.
38:30And where and who are the voters?
38:32So, there are, as Professor Sandeep Shafi was explaining, how many seats Congress held in the past and out of
38:38this 28?
38:38The figure was just two.
38:40So, they've lost two seats in effect.
38:42One was in Bihar and other one in Karnataka itself.
38:45So, that's a thing.
38:47It is not by any stretch of imagination a kind of any reflection either on, you know, the ballot paper
38:53or the kind of polity because the Congress enjoys majority even in the Karnataka Assembly.
39:00And, I mean, the council part of it, the other house.
39:04And therefore, there is no great kind of, you know, verdict that has come.
39:08In fact, if you look at the Uttar Pradesh thing, it has also been a balancing that among the educated,
39:13like, so to say, the graduate, you know, seat and in the, you know, teacher seat.
39:18If the BGP is struggling, then, of course, it's also, if we stretch our imagination, if we have a very
39:24fertile mind, then we can say that, oh, this is a warning signal.
39:27But I think it's none.
39:28It's a very localized.
39:29In fact, in my personal opinion, it is time, just like Raj Bhavan, even this council should be, you know,
39:34terminated.
39:35It should be ended.
39:35They don't add up.
39:36Why do we have to have a, you know, doctoral college consists of graduates?
39:41All right.
39:42Okay.
39:43Interesting.
39:43Interesting take, Mr. Kidwai.
39:45Allow me to bring in Karthike Batra into this conversation.
39:48Karthike, you know, okay.
39:49Well, this is what we have, the data to go by.
39:52So, despite of what Mr. Kidwai says, that one doesn't need to take them seriously, if you have to study
39:56this data, what would you be keenly watching?
39:59Because it's interesting, the Congress somewhere down the line, the vote chori charge, if you're going, you know, completely by
40:04these numbers, doesn't quite work.
40:06In 24, the sambidan khatre mein hai was married with Arakshan khartam ho jaega and therefore possibly it worked, especially
40:13in Uttar Pradesh.
40:14They need to marry something with vote chori for it to actually find traction with the voters.
40:20And, you know, the fact that you have somebody like a DK Shipkumar yet, you haven't been able to score
40:25in Karnataka, well, that's a big worry.
40:28And on the BJP side, the Hindi heartland was your core constituency, your go-to.
40:33You never had to be bothered about that.
40:34Patna could be an example, but so could be, you know, okay, Varanasi was never with them earlier.
40:39But yet, this time around, you could have won both the seats in Varanasi, you couldn't.
40:45Preeti, I'll answer the second question first, because I think the first question you've summarized it so well, the answer
40:51was in the question itself.
40:52So, I'll take three main conclusions from each of the three states.
40:56I think Karnataka is bad news for the Congress.
40:58Yes, they could have done better.
41:00It's four on four for the NDA.
41:02But let me remind you, the one seat the Congress held, even that used to be a JDS seat, but
41:08the JDS MLC crossed over to the Congress in 2023.
41:11So, the JDS has reclaimed that seat.
41:14Nevertheless, it is definitely something that the Congress would not have wanted to see, a complete whitewash.
41:21Bihar, I think, is very interesting, Preeti.
41:23It's thrown a mixed bag at us.
41:26Why I say mixed bag is because, A, this is the second election after the elevation of Mr. Nitin Nabeen.
41:32That BJP has lost in the Patna region.
41:35So, there was Bantipur and now there is the Patna constituency that the BJP has lost.
41:40Second, the JDU's internals, Fishers, came out very clearly during this MLC election in Patna once again, where one of
41:48their leaders was seen campaigning against their candidate.
41:53And there is factionalism within the JDU which came to the fore.
41:55And third, the victory of the Jan Suraj Party in Darmanga, although it happened because of a split opposition, means
42:03that the Jan Suraj Party will now have two legislators in Bihar.
42:06And that opening for the opposition space in the Bihar is now seeing some very interesting action.
42:14Uttar Pradesh, it was a much more interesting contest.
42:17It was even.
42:19And that just sets the way or sets the platform for the next state election.
42:24I think today's results will lead to a narrative where both sides will want to claim the upper hand.
42:29But it just means that there's going to be a very tight contest next year.
42:33To your first question, I absolutely agree.
42:35High concept issues like constitution and vote showry do not work by themselves.
42:40They will only work with the people who really strongly believe in the cause.
42:47Given India's socio-economic structure, with any high concept issue like that, the number of people that will just vote
42:54on that issue will not be very high.
42:56But as you rightly said, the moment you attach constitution to a bread and butter issue, like your erection will
43:03be taken away.
43:03Because that means your jobs and your educational opportunities will be taken away.
43:07That's when it starts working.
43:09So, how do you marry that vote showry issue with something that is more bread and butter, that is more
43:15about aspiration, that is more about survival?
43:17How do you connect the two?
43:19I think is the biggest challenge right now.
43:21Well, that's the next step for the Congress.
43:22Fair point.
43:23I want to just take final comments.
43:25Save it for your last 30 seconds, Kartike.
43:27Save it for your last 30 seconds.
43:29I'm short in time.
43:30I just want to give all of you 30 seconds to come in.
43:32Shekhar Raiya, final 30 seconds to sum up on what these results mean to you.
43:38Well, these results, take for instance Uttar Pradesh.
43:41These results, I would say, they reflect actually the ground situation where Sabhajwadi party is set to give a tough
43:48fight.
43:49So, no matter whether we think that there is a SIR problem or the elections are being fixed or rigged,
43:55but Akhilesh is doing exactly what should be done.
43:58Leading his party to the next election, concentrating on the poll machinery, doing what needs to be done on the
44:04ground, which the Congress is not doing.
44:06Right.
44:06Which the Rahul Gandhi is not doing.
44:08Okay.
44:09Can I quickly bring in our other panelists?
44:12Sandeep Shashree, if he's still with us.
44:14Oh, yes, we still have him.
44:14Mr. Shashree, 30 seconds.
44:15Sum up, sir.
44:19Preeti, I think my fellow panelists have made the right points.
44:24This is a wake-up call for all political parties for different reasons.
44:30At one level in UP, you see a very close contest.
44:35But then, again, when you take it forward, will the opposition alliance be able to hold on?
44:42Here, the Congress did not contest a seat and gave all the seats to the Sabhajwadi party.
44:46That will not happen in an assembly election.
44:51So, that, I think, will be a critical issue.
44:53Similarly, in Karnataka, the opposite is true for the NDA.
44:57The NDA had an alliance here, but we are not too sure how effectively it will work.
45:02Fair point, sir.
45:03But I think all parties will look at these results and take their strategies forward.
45:10Well, let's see how that pans out.
45:11Rashid Kidwai, I know you've totally rubbished the results, saying it has absolutely no bearing on electoral.
45:17Conscience of this country.
45:18But go ahead, sir.
45:1930 seconds.
45:20Seriously, Priti, I think it shows the desperation of the political class.
45:25Both the BGP side and the India alliance, how they are trying to build a kind of narrative that does
45:32not exist.
45:33See, none other than the Prime Minister is saying, what about ballot, what about Congress, what about this.
45:38And when everybody, anybody in all my fellow partners know that it's a very, very skewed, very, very skewed kind
45:44of, you know, electorate that, you know, participates.
45:47And, of course, there is a, you know, the victim margin and defeat and all is very, you know, inconsequential.
45:53Yet, we are trying to give so much importance and take it as some kind of referendum.
45:57I think, you know, this actually tells you something that nobody is sure.
46:03I mean, I'm deducing the same conclusion that both sides are very, very unsure and desperate.
46:09Fair point.
46:10You know, Karthike, also, if you look at Uttar Pradesh, it's interesting because it does seem that the Samajwadi party
46:14has been able to expand its constituency.
46:16The Allahabad win is an example of that.
46:20Yeah, but Priti, the India alliance did win the Allahabad parliamentary constituency in 2024 itself.
46:26Agra was a smart selection of candidate.
46:29Sorry?
46:31Go ahead, go ahead, Karthike.
46:32Make your point.
46:32Yeah.
46:33Yeah, but I would just wrap it up by saying that I think what Rashid Bhai is saying is absolutely
46:37correct.
46:37That, you know, this is definitely a very skewed electorate.
46:41We are trying to extrapolate.
46:42And I think one of the reasons, Priti, is we have come out of such intense activities on the street
46:48for the last three, four months.
46:51Everybody's looking for a market test.
46:53How do I claim that my movement was successful?
46:56How do I claim that the opposition's movement was not successful?
46:59You saw this with Doosu also.
47:00For God's sake, Doosu election.
47:02Somebody won by three, four hundred votes and they said that Gen Z is now with particular party.
47:06So, I think this is going to be very important for optics and narrative, but does it show the mood
47:12on the ground?
47:13Yes, but in a very limited sense.
47:15So, I think the senior panelists have made that point amply clear that let's not over read it to it.
47:21But do you think people will stop talking about it?
47:23Absolutely not.
47:25All right, okay, we're going to leave it at that.
47:27Thank you, all four of you for joining us, you know, inconsequential as by both of you, but yet interesting
47:34if you look at the sample size, even how small and skewed it might be.