Natarajan quits MP Congress panel

After its failure to form government in Karnataka, the BJP leadership is now focussing on the three poll-bound states-Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the party seemed to be hit by a major anti-incumbency wave. The party seemed to be worried following results of a ‘Mood of the Nation’ survey conducted by a news channel on Thursday which claimed that the BJP “appears to be on the downfall in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in terms of vote share.”

More importantly, it is electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh, which would see the BJP losing the most with the survey suggesting that SP- BSP alliance is likely to get 46 per cent (a gain of 4 per cent) while NDA will get 35 percent (loss of 8 per cent) in the next year’s Lok Sabha poll. Gujarat could witness a surge in Congress’s popularity, it said.

It further stated that in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is likely to get 44 per cent vote share and the BJP 39 per cent if elections to the 200-member assembly were to be held today. While claiming that “in Rajasthan the Congress is just 5 per cent ahead of the BJP in terms of vote share,” in Bihar, “the BJP would get 60 per cent of the vote share while the UPA would end up with just 34 per cent.”

Region wise, the survey has put the NDA vote share at 39 per cent, UPA’s at 21 per cent and others at 40 per cent. The NDA is likely to win 90 out of 151 seats in the region while the UPA tally is at 25. Others parties will get 36 seats.

States like Gujarat would see a surge in support for the Congress. In May 2017, NDA had led UPA by 24 percentage points. In Maharashtra, the NDA would continue to lead with a voteshare of 48 per cent while the UPA will be at 40 and others at 21 per cent.

The survey states the NDA will continue to lead in eastern India and if Lok Sabha elections are held today, the ruling alliance will likely get 8694 out of 142 seats. UPA will get 22-26 and others will get 26-30 seats. In 2014, NDA had won 58 seats in this region, UPA 21 and Others 63.

In West Bengal, TMC is likely to get 44 per cent vote share, BJP 24 percent, Left parties 17 percent and the Congress 11 per cent. In Rajasthan, the Congress is likely to make a huge gain by bagging 44 per cent vote share while the BJP will get 39 per cent and the others 17 per cent. In 2013, the BJP had 45 percent vote and the Congress, 33 per cent. Bhopal, May 24: Congress leader and former MP Meenakshi Natarajan has resigned from Madhya Pradesh Congress’s manifesto committee, apparently peeved by the induction of her bete noire Rajendra Singh Gautam into a party panel.

The development comes ahead of Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Mandsaur district of on June 6 to mark the first anniversary of the death of six farmers in police firing.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath, however, sought to downplay the issue, saying he had spoken to Ms Natarajan and a solution will be found.

Ms Natarajan, former Mandsaur MP and a close confidante of Mr Gandhi, quit the party manifesto committee on Wednesday, sources close to her said.

When asked whether she had withdrawn the resignation, she said, “I would make no public statement on the party’s internal issues. I do not talk about party's issues outside.

“I am preparing for Rahulji's visit right now,” she said.

Talking to the media later, Mr Nath insisted that Natarajan had not resigned from the committee. “She has not resigned. I had a talk with Meenakshiji. These sort of things keep happening. Meenakshi is our respected leader. She had been in parliament. Everyone will be heard and a solution would be found,” he said.

“Picking someone for a panel is a small issue. Such things happen,” he added.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot had on Tuesday announced the formation of various committees as the Assembly elections in the state were due later this year. — PTI