Politics

Raipur: A crucial cabinet meeting is scheduled today just before Diwali, it is being anticipated that the state government might take some important decisions for  mayoral elections and industries . The cabinet meeting is to commence at 7 pm. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel  had formed a three-member cabinet subcommittee to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of holding indirect elections of mayors and presidents of urban bodies. On October 15, the three member ministers of the subcommittee, Ravindra Choubey, Mohammad Akbar and Dr. Shivkumar Dahria met and submitted a report recommending indirect elections, this report is to be discussed today.  Ordinance will be brought to conduct the elections of mayors and presidents through indirect system in urban body elections. 
Besides this, there can be discussion in today's meeting about crop loss due to rain. The Department of Industries is also set to introduce a new industry policy. The new industry policy has been formulated from 2019 to 2024. Preparations for the state festival - 'Rajyotsav' will also be discussed in the cabinet meeting today.

Raipur: Congress has recorded a big victory in Bastar by – election with a heavy margin of 17862 votes. This not only has clean bolded BJP in the state assembly seats but has also established Congress once again very strongly in Chhattisgarh.

Congress candidate Rajman Benzam has defeated BJP candidate Lachhuram Kashyap by heavy votes.

With the victory in Chitrakoot by-election, the position of Congress-BJP in Bastar division has become 12-0. At the same time, the BJP's seats within the Assembly have reduced to 14 while the Congress's position has increased from 68 to 69.

BJP was successful to acquire the Dantewada seat in Assembly elections with the victory of late MLA Bhima Mandavi. Mandavi was killed in an IED blast by Naxalites. After which this seat was vacant, but in the by-election held here recently , Devati Karma of Congress won the seat BJP candidate and Bhima Mandavi's wife Ojaswi Mandavi.

Deepak Baij who was elected as MLA from Chitrakoot, won the Lok Sabha elections. Due to which this seat was empty. To win this seat, the BJP had put all its strength here but the Congress managed to save this seat in the by-election. CM Bhupesh Baghel very crisply tweeted about the huge victory of Congress saying- Danteshwari Mata ki Jai 

दंतेश्वरी माई की जय।#चित्रकोट_उपचुनाव #ElectionResults2019

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) 24 अक्तूबर 2019

Raipur. General Secretary of the State Congress Committee Shailesh Nitin Trivedi after Congress's major victory in the Chitrakot by election has said that it is the faith of our state that we are now on a score of 12 out of 12 in the aseembly seats of Chhattisgarh. The tribal community has clearly rejected BJP.  

Crediting the victory to Bhupesh Baghel's work in 9 months, Trivedi has said that voters of Chitrakot Assembly voted very strongly and voted for democracy. In Chitrakot assembly by-election, Congress candidate Rajman Benzam's tremendous growth is a victory of the development work done by the Congress government. As a result of the positive initiatives and developmental activities undertaken by the Congress government in Bastar, the common people have further strengthened confidence in democracy and the parliamentary system and in the Congress party.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel visited Chitrakot thrice after coming to power. The state Congress president Mohan Markam was also seen to be highly active in the Chitrakot assembly constituency before the notification of the by-election and reached the booth and joined the workers.

All the MLAs of Bastar campaigned fiercely in favor of Congress candidate Rajman Benzam in the by-election. Congress leaders and activists from across the state and especially from Bastar played a major role in the promotion of Congress candidate Rajman Benzam in Chitrakot. The result of this can be seen in the high turnout of votes for Congress.  

Raipur : As reported by HT, a committee is working on the draft of Chhattisgarh Protection of Media persons Act in order to provide protection to journalists by making their harassment a cognizable but bailable offence, with a jail term of up to one year for violators. Members of the committee that framed the draft said it also proposes the constitution of a media protection unit in every district.

The draft is likely to be submitted to the state government in November and will be finalised after discussion with the Press Council of India and Editor’s Guild of India, they said.

The proposed act also provides up to one year for a “public servant” who neglects his responsibilities to protect journalists. The draft law, seen by HT, lists offences as cognizable and bailable, and has separate provisions for journalists working in Maoist-affected Bastar region of the state.

“We have also defined ‘media person’,”said a member of the drafting committee, who was not willing to be quoted. This, the member said, was because “many of the journalists working in Bastar region work for websites or are regarded as columnists, not journalists.”

Committee member Ruchir Garg who is also an adviser to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “The primary process of discussing the bill/act is complete and now we have to discuss the final draft.”

While welcoming the proposed law, Raipur-based journalist Lalit Surjan said implementing it will be a challenge as there could be several frivolous complaints. “It would help genuine journalists in the conflict zone of Bastar as they need protection against harassment by government agencies. But in other areas, it will be difficult to justify harassment of journalists,” he said.