Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday announced names of candidates on five seats for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly Elections.

The list of candidates includes Mahendra Bhadu from Suratgarh, Jaspreet Kaur from Raisinghnagar, Tarusha Parashar from Hawa Mahal Assembly, Dwarika Prasad from Lalsot and Brahm Singh Gurjar from Sawai Madhopur.

Earlier on Friday, BSP released a list of 20 candidates in which the party has fielded Babu Lal Salvi from Nathdwara against Assembly Speaker and veteran Congress leader CP Joshi.

The polls for the 200-member assembly will be held on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member house.

Ashok Gehlot came to power with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.

Reacting over the blasts that took place at a prayer meeting in Kerala’s Kochi, Congress national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra said that the incident is “unfortunate” and the state government will take action on it.

“The blasts that happened are unfortunate, it should not have happened. The government there will definitely take action on this…,” Charan Sapra said speaking to news agency ANI on Sunday.

Reacting to Union Minister Ramdas Athawale calling Rahul Gandhi a liar for promising a country-wide caste census, Charan Sapra said Mr Athawale is not aware that the Congress has fulfilled its promises in Karnataka as well as in poll-bound Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

“Mr Athawale does not know what to say and what not to say. He does not know that Congress has fulfilled the five promises made in Karnataka. It has fulfilled the promises made in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh…,” the Congress spokesperson said.

Speaking on the hunger strike called by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil in Maharashtra, Charan Sapra said that his demand is reasonable.

“Manoj Jarange Patil’s demand is reasonable, the government shows him carrots. Eknath Shinde takes false oaths, Devendra Fadnavis cheats the Maratha people…Ajit Pawar himself is a Maratha, if he is not able to give reservation to Marathas then they should drown…,” Charan Sapra said.

Manoj Jarange Patil once again started a hunger strike in Jalna on Wednesday, after the purported deadline of 40 days given to the state government to announce the reservation expired.

Jarange Patil said that this time the community would intensify its protest and hold chain hunger strikes and candle marches till their demand is fulfilled. The Maratha community has been protesting for the community’s inclusion on the OBC list in the state.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India takes a strong position on terrorism because “we are big victims of terrorism.”

Mr Jaishankar’s remarks came at a time when there is an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and New Delhi abstained from a UN resolution that did not condemn Hamas terror attacks. He also stressed the need to take a “consistent position” on terrorism.

“Today, a good government and strong governance stand up for its people. Just as good governance is necessary at home, right judgements are necessary abroad. We take a strong position on terrorism because we are big victims of terrorism. We will have no credibility if we say that when terrorism impacts us, it’s very serious; when it happens to somebody else, it’s not serious. We need to have a consistent position,” Mr Jaishankar said while speaking at a Town hall in Bhopal yesterday.

India abstained from voting on the Jordanian resolution which called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists in Gaza. However, it is pertinent to note that India was in favour of the Canadian resolution which condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas.

The Jordanian-led draft resolution was adopted by the General Assembly, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions. The 45 nations that abstained from voting on the resolution included Iceland, India, Panama, Lithuania and Greece.

The resolution was adopted during the UN General Assembly’s emergency special session on the Israel-Palestine crisis. The UNGA also demanded “continuous, sufficient and unhindered” provision of lifesaving supplies and services for civilians trapped inside the enclave.

Notably, expressing deep concerns over the deteriorating security situation and the astounding loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, India at the UN urged both parties to “de-escalate, eschew violence.”

India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yojna Patel on Friday (local time) in her remarks at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Emergency Special Session on the Israel-Hamas war said, “India is deeply concerned at the deteriorating security situation and the astounding loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict. The escalation of hostilities in the region will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. It is necessary for all parties to display the utmost responsibility.”

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar in Bhopal further highlighted how India’s image has changed across the globe.

“So, how do you have a government that stands for what is necessary and in the best interest of its people? A strong government and good government are two sides of one coin. In the last few decades, India’s image in the world has changed a lot. The way we handled the pandemic when developed nations were too stressful; as some had a totally collapsed public health response. We made, ‘Made in India’…’Invent in India’ vaccine, we had a COWIN platform as well,” the EAM said.

“Similarly, when every other country looks after the welfare of its people and its economic interests, the same countries in Europe are saying don’t buy oil from Russia; they were themselves taking it and they made such a schedule that impacts their own population in the least possible way,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar also talked about the digital consumption of data in India and added, “Our digital consumption of data in this country has doubled in the last 5 years. Five years ago, for the 5G either you went to Europe or China. Europe was costly and China, you very well know…”

“In the last five years, we have made our own 5G technology…Today we have fought covid, we deployed 5G; whatever has happened in last few weeks, the Chandrayan mission…it has left an impression on the entire world,” he stressed.