Narendra Modi to visit Dehradun on 4 December, lay foundation stone of projects worth Rs 18,000 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dehradun to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore on 4 December.

As per the official note released by the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of eleven development projects, which includes the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor (from Eastern Peripheral Expressway Junction to Dehradun) which will be built at a cost of around Rs 8,300 crore. It will significantly reduce the travel time from Delhi to Dehradun from six hours to around two-and-a-half-hours. It will have seven major interchanges for connectivity to Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunanagar, Baghpat, Meerut and Baraut. It will also have Asia's largest wildlife elevated corridor (12 km) for unrestricted wildlife movement.

Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will reduce travel time to 2.5 hours; will have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor for unrestricted wildlife movement @PMOIndia@MIB_India@PIB_India
Details: https://t.co/r2inQxI8d9

— PIB in Tripura (@PIBAgartala) December 1, 2021

Discussion held over election preparedness. On Dec 4, PM Modi will be visiting Dehradun, so action plan for the same was discussed too. We're aiming to get over 1 lakh people for PM's program: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar S Dhami on his meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda in Delhi (27.11) pic.twitter.com/ZddxK0PiWX

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2021

"The greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Halgoa, Saharanpur to Bhadrabad, Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 2000 crore. It will provide seamless connectivity and reduce travel time from Delhi to Haridwar as well. The Haridwar Ring Road Project from Manoharpur to Kangri, to be built at a cost of over Rs 1,600 crore, will give a respite to residents from traffic congestion in Haridwar city, especially during peak tourist season, and also improve connectivity with Kumaon zone," reads the release.

The Dehradun-Paonta Sahib (Himachal Pradesh) road project, to be constructed at a cost of around Rs 1,700 crore, will reduce travel time and provide seamless connectivity between the two places. It will also boost inter-state tourism. The Nazimabad-Kotdwar road widening project will reduce travel time and also improve connectivity to Lansdowne, the PMO said.

It further added that a bridge across River Ganga next to the Laksham Jhula will also be constructed. The world-renowned Lakshman Jhula was constructed in 1929 but has now been closed due to decreased load-carrying capacity. The bridge to be constructed will have the provision of a glass deck for people walking, and will also allow lightweight vehicles to move across.

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Child-Friendly City Project, Dehradun, to make the city child-friendly by making the roads safer for their travel. Foundation stone for projects related to the development of water supply, road & drainage system in Dehradun at a cost of over Rs 700 crore will also be laid.

He will inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region. He will also inaugurate Hydroelectric Project and Himalayan Culture Center at Dehradun.

With inputs from ANI

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57th BSF Raising Day: PM Modi, Amit Shah extend best wishes to mark the occasion

The Border Security Force (BSF) today (Wednesday, 1 December) observed its 57th Raising Day. The BSF was established as a unified Central agency on 1 December, 1965, after the wars with Pakistan and China in 1965 and 1962.

Termed as the country’s first line of defence, the aim behind the formation of BSF was to ensure the security of the country's borders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes on the occasion of 57th BSF Raising Day. Taking to social media, Modi wrote that the country’s first line of defence is widely respected for its courage and professionalism.

He also hailed the force’s contribution towards securing country’s borders and several humanitarian efforts in times of crisis and calamities.

On their Raising Day, greetings to the @BSF_India family. BSF is widely respected for its courage and professionalism. The force makes a significant contribution towards securing India and is also at the forefront of many humanitarian efforts in times of crisis and calamities. pic.twitter.com/HybLzgsnDO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2021

Home minister Amit Shah also extended his wishes to BSF jawans and their families on the 57th Raising Day. He also stated that the entire country was proud of the courage and sacrifice demonstrated by BSF troops in the line of duty.

.@BSF_India पराक्रम, साहस व समर्पण का उत्कृष्ट उदाहरण है। आज BSF के 57वें स्थापना दिवस पर मैं देश की प्रथम रक्षा पंक्ति के सभी बहादुर प्रहरियों व उनके परिजनों को शुभकामनाएं देता हूँ। विषम परिस्थितियों में भी मातृभूमि की रक्षा हेतु आपकी वीरता व बलिदान पर पूरे देश को अभिमान है। pic.twitter.com/q03zBDpIlc — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 1, 2021

Defence minister Rajnath Singh also hailed the courage of BSF soldiers. In his tweet, Singh highlighted the role of the BSF and also praised the "exemplary courage" demonstrated by them on several occasions.

The BSF also took to Twitter and wrote that their journey in the service of the motherland continues for eternity.

According to ANI, BSF patrols about 192 kilometers of the International Border with Pakistan and also deployed, along with the Indian Army, on the Line of Control.

In the year 2021, the BSF encountered many challenges like drone activities, smuggling and tunneling in the region of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the ANI report. But the security force has remained at the forefront in combating all challenges.

The BSF has also organised several Civic Action Camps that cater to the needs of the population in the border areas. These camps have also provided medical equipment, water coolers and so on to the border population.

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Nagaland Statehood Day 2021: President Kovind, PM Modi extend greetings to the people of the state

On the occasion of 59th Nagaland Statehood Day on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to the people of the state.

He tweeted:

On the special occasion of Nagaland’s Statehood Day, greetings to the wonderful people of the state. Naga culture personifies valour and humane values. The people of Nagaland are making rich contributions to India’s growth. I pray for Nagaland’s progress in the years to come. pic.twitter.com/wR2l9DppdO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2021

President Ram Nath Kovind too took to Twitter to extend his wishes to the people of the state and posted a picture from his visit to Nagaland in 2017. He tweeted:

Greetings to the people of Nagaland on statehood day. The rich culture and traditions of Naga tribes enrich our ‘Unity in Diversity'. I fondly recall the warmth of the people during my visit in 2017. My best wishes for a bright future of the people and the State. pic.twitter.com/B1mRVfJJ2n

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 1, 2021

On the day, chief minister Neiphiu Rio addressed the Statehood Day celebration at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza. He also launched the NIPUN Bharat Mission in Nagaland that aims to ensure that every child is equipped with reading, writing and numeracy abilities by the end of Class 3.

Addressed the 59th Statehood Day celebration at Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza. Also, launched NIPUN Bharat Mission in Nagaland which aims that every child gets reading, writing and numeracy abilities by the end of grade 3.
Happy Statehood Day! pic.twitter.com/Glfez19l2i

— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) December 1, 2021

As Nagaland celebrates its 59th Statehood Day, we look at the history and significance of the day.

History

Nagaland Formation Day is marked annually on 1 December. In 1957 leaders of Nagaland and the Government of India came to an agreement to create a separate region of the Naga Hills, as per ANI.

In order to grant statehood to Nagaland, ' The State of Nagaland Act' was enacted by the Parliament in 1962 . On 1 December, 1963, the region was recognised as a separate state, with Kohima being declared as the capital of Nagaland.

Significance

This day is celebrated by remembering the struggle and sacrifice of Naga leaders who contributed in the formation of Nagaland as the 16th state of India. In previous years', parades, drills and air shows by the Indian Air Force have marked the occasion.

Due to COVID-19 protocols last year, the Nagaland Statehood Day was celebrated in a sombre manner at the Civil Secretariat Plaza in Kohima. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio took the general salute from a parade contingent and paid tribute to leaders who, through their determination and foresight, had ensured the formation of the state.

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What is zero budget farming and why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is batting for it

A committee will look into the issues of zero budget farming, minimum support price, crop diversification and other issues, said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, urging the farmers to return to their houses from the borders where they have been protesting for more than a year.

Tomar's announcement of the Centre forming a committee, which will comprise of representatives from the Centre, state governments, farmers, scientists and economists, came after the Narendra Modi-led government repealed the controversial farm laws in Parliament.

The repeal of the farm laws came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on 19 November.

So, what is zero budget farming and how does it affect farmers. Here’s all we know about it.

Zero budget farming

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations calls it Zero Budget Natural Farming. It is a set of farming methods that seeks to bring down the costs of farmers by relying on 'natural products' rather than spending money on pesticides and fertilisers.

The practice first began in the state of Karnataka, born out of collaboration between Subhash Palekar, who put together the ZBNF practices, and the state farmers association Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha.

The idea behind Zero-Budget Natural Farming is to provide an alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides and return to a pre-green revolution style of farming.

Zero-Budget Natural Farming is based on the following four pillars:
• Jeevamrutha: It is a mixture of fresh cow dung and aged cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil; to be applied on farmland.
• Bijamrita: It is a concoction of neem leaves & pulp, tobacco and green chilies prepared for insect and pest management, which can be used to treat seeds.
• Acchadana (Mulching): It protects topsoil during cultivation and does not destroy it by tilling.
• Whapasa: It is the condition where there are both air molecules and water molecules present in the soil. Thereby helping in reducing irrigation requirement.

Benefits of Zero Budget Natural Farming

Zero Budget Natural Farming aims to reduce costs as it removes the dependence on fertilisers and pesticides. This aspect is important as farmers in India continue to struggle with debt.

The ‘Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land Holdings of Households in Rural India, 2019’, which was released on 10 September 2021 revealed that more than half of the country's agricultural households were in debt, with an average outstanding of Rs 74,121.

The survey found Andhra Pradesh to have the highest average outstanding loan, at Rs 2.45 lakh, among 28 states. The state also had the highest proportion (93.2 per cent) of agricultural households under debt, followed by Telangana (91.7 per cent) and Kerala (69.9 per cent).

Other than the financial aspect, Zero Budget Natural Farming also has a positive effect on the environment. It advocates to steer clear of chemical-intensive farming, which is resulting in soil and environmental degradation. Also, it suits all crops in all agro-climatic zones.

Issues concerning Zero Budget Natural Farming

But while it all sounds very nice, Zero Budget Natural Farming is not without its drawbacks.

Scientists from National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) say that it is an 'unproven' technology.

Speaking to Indian Express, Panjab Singh, president of the NAAS, said: "We reviewed the protocols and claims of ZBNF and concluded that there is no verifiable data or authenticated results from any experiment for it to be considered a feasible technological option."

Moreover, while Zero Budget Natural Farming aims to reduce costs, it seems that's not really the case, as farmers will have bear the cost of labour for field work and cattle rearing. They will also have to invest additional time in the collection of dung and urine, over and above the already labour-intensive farming process.

Also, Zero Budget Natural Farming advocates the need of an Indian breed cow, whose numbers are declining at a fast pace.

Farmers who have been adopting Zero Budget Natural Farming also has seen a decrease in yield, forcing farmers to rethink the proposition.

With inputs from agencies

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Man stabbed for refusing to buy ticket for Salman Khan’s Antim: The Final Truth

A 40-year-old man was arrested for attacking another person with a knife allegedly when the victim refused to buy him a ticket for Salman Khan-starrer Antim: The Final Truth, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Syed Jiyauddin, is a resident of Chandni Mahal and previously involved in 27 cases. He used to rob people by threatening or attacking them with multi-purpose knife, they said.

Police said that being a fan of Hindi films, the accused wanted to watch a movie show at a cinema hall here. But having no money, he approached the victim with a knife to arrange a ticket for him.

According to police, the incident took place on November 28 with Ajay who had come to watch a movie. At about 7.15 pm, while he was standing outside the cinema hall, the accused came near him and asked him to get a ticket for the movie. When the victim resisted, the accused attacked him with a knife and robbed him of his wallet containing Rs 1,790 along with essential IDs.

The injured man was sent to a nearby hospital for treatment and on inquiry and based on his complaint, a case was registered in Central Delhi's Daryaganj, said Shweta Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central).

Also read: Aayush Sharma on playing a grey character in Antim, working with Salman Khan: 'It's a big responsibility'

The accused was arrested the same day by a patrolling team on duty near the cinema hall and spotted the injured man and another man raising an alarm, she said.

The weapon of offence was recovered along with the victim's wallet, she added.

"During interrogation, Jiyauddin disclosed that he had recently been released from Tihar Jail after serving five years' imprisonment in a 2016 robbery case.

"He is addicted to smack and had no money to fund his addiction, so he arranged a multi-utility knife to rob people," the DCP said.

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JNVST 2022: NVS extends deadline for class 6 registration till 15 Dec

The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has extended the deadline to register for the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST) 2022 Class 6 admission till 15 December. Candidates who want to apply for JNVST 2022 Class 6 admissions can apply till 15 December on the official website of NVS  https://navodaya.gov.in/nvs/en/Home1

How to register

• Visit the official website
  
• Click on the link that reads, JNVST 2022 Class 6 admission
  
• Click on register for Class 6 admission JNVST
  
• Fill the complete application form and check before submission
  
• Submit the form and download the document
  

Direct link to apply is here - https://cbseitms.nic.in/

According to the official notice released by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti the extension of last date for submission of the application form has been done due to administrative reasons. Earlier, the last date to apply for admission was 30 November. Candidates may apply free of cost on the official website.

JNVST 2022 is scheduled to be held on 30 April 2022 and the exam will begin at 11.30 am. Results will be announced tentatively by June 2022.

Eligibility

Candidates who apply and appear for JNVST Class 6 admission should be currently studying in Class 5 in the academic session of 2021-22. Candidates must be studying in a government/government aided or other recognised school or ‘B’ certificate competency course of National Institute of Open Schooling in the same district where they are seeking admission.

Candidates must note that those who have passed Class 5 in the previous academic session are not eligible to apply and cannot appear in the JNVST admission test.

Age

Candidates who are born before 1 May, 2009 and after 30 April, 2013 are eligible to apply for the class 6 admission test.

For more details on the JNVST 2022 test, candidates are advised to keep visiting the official website.

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Winter Session of Parliament: Allow people to express their views, says Shashi Tharoor as Opposition MPs protest against suspension

It seems that the suspension of the 12 Rajya Sabha members will continue to affect Parliament proceedings.

The third day of the Winter Session of Parliament began with protests and chants.

On Wednesday, the suspended MPs sat near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament to register their protest.

Delhi | Suspended Opposition members of Rajya Sabha sit on protest against their suspension from the House for the remaining part of the Winter session of Parliament pic.twitter.com/Fo5DKcgkgX

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2021

Earlier, on Tuesday too, the members of the Opposition had sat on dharna to protest the suspension of the 12 Rajya Sabha members after M Venkaiah Naidu had refused to revoke their suspension.

Leader of Opposition Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge speaking to news agency ANI, said, "We are demanding the revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha. We will hold a meeting and decide the future course of action."

Expressing solidarity with the protesting members, Congress' Shashi Tharoor also said, "Centre has to realise that in this country other voices deserve to be heard. Parliament is for debate and discussion, you've to allow people to express their views, only then can you truly run a democratic Parliament."

Centre has to realize that in this country other voices deserve to be heard. Parliament is for debate & discussion, you've to allow people to express their views, only then can you truly run a democratic Parliament: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs pic.twitter.com/6vEMCW9OZy

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2021

Earlier in the day, Union minister Pralhad Joshi, it was reported, had invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for debate over bills tabled in Parliament. He said that discussion should be held in Parliament. He said if suspended Rajya Sabha MPs want to participate, they should apologise. "I urge them to express remorse... We also want a debate," he said.

Meanwhile, inside the Parliament, scenes of ruckus and chaos ensued, forcing Rajya Sabha to be adjourned till afternoon.

Lok Sabha was no better, where Opposition MPs raised slogans of 'We want justice' during the Question Hour in the House. Later, Congress and DMK MPs stormed out of the Lower House, forcing an adjournment till 12 pm.

The Opposition has also been taking on the Centre over the issues of farmers’ welfare and compensation in the lower house.

On Tuesday, the Centre said that it had no data pertaining to either cases against or the number of farmers who died during the year-long agitation demanding repeal of the three contentious farm laws and hence there was no question of providing financial assistance to anyone.

This came as Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar was asked about 'Agitation of Farm Laws' raised by a bunch of MPs in the Lok Sabha.

For those wondering what's all the hullabaloo all about, 12 Opposition MPs of the Rajya Sabha, including Congress MP Chhaya Verma, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and TMC's Dola Sen, were suspended on Monday for the remaining part of the winter session for their misconduct and unruly behaviour during the last session.

Among the suspended members, six are from the Congress, two each from the TMC and Shiv Sena and one each from the CPM and the CPI.

The Upper House had witnessed ugly scenes when the opposition members were protesting against the three farm bills during the Monsoon session.

With inputs from agencies

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IAF AFCAT 2022: Registration for 317 posts begins today; check details here

The registration process for Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 2022 has been started by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 10 am today, 1 December. Candidates can apply online till 30 December by visiting the official website of IAF AFCAT - https://ift.tt/2BtGZhG.

As per the IAF’s official advertisement on the website, online registrations are invited for "Short Service Commission (SSC) in Flying Branch and Permanent Commission and Short Service Commission (SSC) in Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches" commencing in January 2023. The IAF is also inviting applications for "grant of PC/SSC for NCC Special Entry Scheme ( flying branch)." The organisation is looking to fill a total of 317 posts through this recruitment drive.

Steps to register for IAF AFCAT 2022:

• Visit IAF AFCAT’s official website -https://ift.tt/2BtGZhG
• On the homepage, click on ‘IAF AFCAT 2022 login link’
• Register yourself or submit the requisite login details to access the AFCAT portal
• Complete the AFCAT application and submit the fee payment
• Submit the IAF AFCAT 2022 form and download a copy for future use

Direct link: https://ift.tt/2H6hdWz

As per the official notification, the AFCAT 2022 exam will be held online from 12-14 February next year.
IAF AFCAT 2022: Recruitment details

The notification mentions 129 vacancies in AE, as well as 51 openings in administration, 77 vacancies in SSC as well as 21 vacancies in ACCTS and 39 openings in LGS.

Interested candidates must note that the age limit for the flying branch is between 20 to 24 years as on 1 January 2023. For Ground Duty branches, the age criteria is between 20 to 26 years on the stipulated date. For further details on the eligibility criteria, applicants can view the official advertisement here:
Candidates will be charged Rs 250 as examination fee by the IAF. No fee will be charged from aspirants who are registering for NCC Special entry.

For more details and updates in the recruitment drive, candidates are advised to regularly visit the official website of IAF AFCAT - https://ift.tt/2BtGZhG.

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As Omicron variant spreads across the world, India's third dose policy may become reality in 14 days

With the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading fast and wide, India’s comprehensive policy on additional and booster doses will be made public in the next two weeks by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) of India, said Dr N K Arora, India’s COVID-19 task force head.

His statement assumes great significance as other countries, such as United Kingdom and the United States, have already started administering booster shots. It also assumes importance as the world scrambles to contain the Omicron threat, which was first detected in Botswana and quickly spread like wildfire to other nations.

As the issue gains ground, take a look at where we are on the issue of booster shots, and will they help against this ‘variant of concern’.

Dr NK Arora speaks

As of today, India has administered 1,24,10,86,850 COVID-19 doses. However, 12 to 15 crore Indians have not received a single dose of vaccine and 30 crore people have not received their second doses.

Speaking to NDTV, Dr N K Arora said that in light of these figures, the need of the hour in India was to push ahead with their vaccination which is the "most important and effected tool and completed on a priority basis".

He said that the country was mulling additional COVID-19 doses for immunocompromised people and that the policy on the same would be drawn up in 14 days' time.

"The policy will deal with who will require the vaccine, when and how. This needs to be seen in the context that a new variant is coming and with time only we will get to know more information about it. Therefore relevance and effectiveness of the current vaccines will also become apparent with time only," news agency ANI quoted Arora as saying on Monday.

He added that they were looking into how the existing vaccines in India, namely Covishield and Covaxin, would work against the Omicron variant.

"We are waiting for the next two weeks or so where labs across the country, some of which are our own labs are working on the effectiveness of the immune response elicited by our current vaccines, Covaxin, Covishield and other vaccines with the (new variant) of the virus and what extent of the virus neutralisation takes place," NDTV quoted him as saying.

The COVID-19 task force head also revealed that they were working on a policy to vaccinate the country's 44 crore children. According to him, priority would be given to those children suffering from co-morbidities, followed by healthy children.

What do Covishield makers have to say?

Adar Poonawalla, the chief of Serum Institute of India, said that Omicron-specific booster shots are possible.
He said tests were being carried out and a call on the matter would be taken in two weeks' time.

"Scientists at Oxford are also continuing their research, and based on their findings, we may come out with a new vaccine which would act as a booster in six months' time. Based on the research, we would know about the third and the fourth dose for us all," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

He also added that if a booster was needed, his firm would provide them at the same price.

Omicron spreads

Days after a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 was identified in southern Africa, countries around the world are confirming that they have found cases of it too.

As of 30 November, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden and Brazil had reported cases of the new variant.

New data has also thrown up questions on the origins of the variant. While it was believed that the first case was reported in South Africa, new data shows that the Omicron coronavirus variant was present in Europe way before.

The new variant — whose high number of mutations the WHO believes may make it more transmissible or resistant to vaccines — was found in two Dutch test samples from 19 and 23 November, with one having no travel history.

India has, so far, not reported a case of the Omicron variant with Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya telling Parliament on Tuesday that no such case had been reported so far, underlining that the government has taken measures to ensure that it does not reach the country.

The Centre has issued an advisory after looking at developments globally and is keeping a close watch on airports, he said, adding genome sequencing of suspected cases is being done.

With inputs from agencies

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Head-on | Mamata Banerjee is on the march, but electoral math of 2024 may stop her in her tracks

Is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the BJP’s principal threat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election? Can she stitch together a fractious Opposition with conflicting agendas?

Banerjee has adopted a three-pronged approach.

One, to attract MPs and MLAs from other parties to the Trinamool Congress. Many are discards from their original parties. Pavan Varma, a former general secretary of the JD(U) who was expelled from the party, is just one example. Others like Kirti Azad, formerly of the BJP and latterly of the Congress, had long been sidelined. However, their entry is good optics. It shows that the TMC is a party in ascendance.

The second approach is more grounded: Arranging the defection of groups of MLAs from small states. Banerjee’s coup in Meghalaya to draw 12 Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Mukul Sangma, has made the TMC the BJP’s principal Opposition in the state.

Banerjee is targeting the North East to establish a foothold in a key regional catchment. In Tripura’s civic body elections, the TMC may have drawn a blank but still attracted a vote share of more than 20 percent, again making it the main Opposition party in the state ahead of the 2023 Assembly election.

The TMC’s predatory though largely unsuccessful swoop in Goa to pick up MLAs reveals her strategy: Pluck the low hanging fruits first. It poached former Goa Congress president and ex-chief minister Luizinho  Faleiro but failed to make much headway otherwise despite poll strategist Prashant Kishor deploying his army of several hundred field workers.

For bigger states like Maharashtra, Banerjee has a different playbook: Building future alliances with strong regional parties like the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to build a powerful anti-BJP core.

The third approach is to cut the Congress down to size. By targeting Congress MLAs in Meghalaya and Goa, Banerjee sent Congress’ UPA allies a message: There’s a new sheriff in town. She refused to meet Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi on her three-day whistlestop sweep through Delhi. She could still tie-up with a chastened Congress in 2024, but on her terms.

Banerjee, if anything, is realistic. She knows that the BJP will emerge as by far the largest single party in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Her objective is to reduce the BJP’s numbers and then inveigle allies. The Janata Dal’s HD Deve Gowda became prime minister in 1996 by winning just 46 seats in the Lok Sabha election. He allied with 119 Left-leaning parties while the Congress’ 140 MPs supported the United Front (UF) government from outside. Banerjee is following the same asset-light model.

Here’s how the asset-light model works: The TMC wins 30-odd seats in 2024 out of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats compared to the 22 it won in 2019. It knows that it will pick up allies but very few seats in other states.

In contrast, the Congress, despite its leadership problems and general ennui, is likely to end up as the second-largest party after the BJP in 2024. It hopes to emulate its 2019 performance when it won 15 seats in Kerala and 8 seats in Tamil Nadu in a seat-sharing pact with the DMK. It is also likely to do relatively better in 2024 in Rajasthan (where it was wiped out in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll).

The TMC and Congress ironically face the same problem in bigger states: Strong regional parties that will not give either Banerjee or Gandhi too many seats to contest. This applies to Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and even Tamil Nadu.

The Congress is in direct fights with the BJP in several large states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and elsewhere. The TMC is not a serious contender in any of these states. That dilutes its chances of picking up enough seats to emerge as the second-largest national party after the BJP.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, TMC recorded a national vote share of 3.8 percent compared to the Congress’ 19.3 percent. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, TMC increased its national vote share only fractionally to 4.1 percent. Congress’ vote share rose to 19.5 percent.

West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu was a consensus choice as prime minister of the United Front government in 1996 before the Left’s politburo shot the proposal down. Banerjee had followed that development closely. The playbook could come in handy in 2024 during coalition negotiations.

Counter-intuitively, Banerjee’s “Jyoti Basu strategy” will gain traction if the Congress performs strongly in states where it is in direct contests with the BJP. That will cut the BJP’s tally and increase the Congress-led UPA’s seats.

Then, like Deve Gowda did, Banerjee will strike a deal with the Congress-led UPA and regional satraps to support a TMC-led alliance in a bid to win power at the Centre. What are the chances of this happening? Obviously, much depends on the Congress’ final tally and Rahul Gandhi’s troubled chemistry with Banerjee. The two have never got along. A TMC-UPA alliance could be dead before arrival.

The BJP, however, shouldn’t be complacent. It has lost political capital. The surrender on farm laws and earlier retreats on the land acquisition bill have dulled its reformist credentials. Labour reforms remain in limbo; the excellent recommendations by a high-powered committee on a direct tax code have been buried. Petrol and diesel prices remain high; inflation is a worry; job growth continues to languish.

And yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a strong hand going into the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Welfare schemes are delivering results across tap water, electricity, sanitation, housing, digitisation and health insurance. Infrastructure projects are gaining critical mass.

Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi have the same target audience: Muslims. Without minority votes, Banerjee would not be chief minister of West Bengal and Gandhi would not be an MP from Wayanad, having lost family fief Amethi to Smriti Irani.

An alliance between the TMC, a Congress-led UPA and regional parties is a theoretical possibility. In practice, it may fall apart before it even comes together.

The writer is editor, author and publisher. Views expressed here are personal.​

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Pulwama encounter: Top JeM commander, IED expert among two terrorists killed by security forces

A top commander of proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed Yasir Parray and an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert were among two terrorists killed in the Pulwama encounter, which took place on Wednesday morning.

#PulwamaEncounterUpdate: #Terrorist commander of proscribed #terror outfit JeM Yasir Parray, an IED Expert & foreign terrorist Furqan #neutralised. Both were involved in several terror #crime cases. A big #success: IGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/ahzk4nEFcm

— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) December 1, 2021

"Top JeM terrorist commander Yasir Parray, an IED expert and foreign terrorist Furqan were neutralised in the encounter," Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir told ANI.

He said both terrorists were involved in several terror crime cases.

An encounter had broken out between security forces and terrorists in the Qasba Yar area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Wednesday morning.

With inputs from ANI

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