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In today's episode, we look at Punjab, where three ARP
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legislators have joined the BJP just months before the 2027
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Assembly elections, exposing fresh tensions within the ruling party. We
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also talk about Gujarat, where a municipal official was suspended
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after 12 streetlights on a route used by Prime Minister
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Narendra Modi were found to be non-functional. But we begin
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today with the impact that the results of the US
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midterms will have on India. Hi, I'm Ichha Sharma and
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you're listening to Three Things, the Indian Express News Show.
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Last week, the United States held its midterm election and
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the results dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump.
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The Democratic Party won back control of both chambers of Congress,
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the Senate and the House of Representatives, shifting the balance
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of power in Washington. Here's House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
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addressing the media shortly after the results were announced.
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The American people have chosen the economy over extremism. The
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American people have chosen hope over hatred. The American people
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have chosen common sense over corruption, chaos and cruelty. The
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American people have chosen House Democrats because they want to
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see a dramatic change in direction. And that's exactly what
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House Democrats will deliver beginning on day one.
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Now the result has implications that go well beyond American
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domestic politics. With the opposition now controlling Congress, Trump could
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face greater resistance to his legislative and policy agenda. And
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this also has implications for India, which has been navigating
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considerable uncertainty over US tariffs, trade negotiations, immigration restrictions, and
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the war in West Asia. So what do these results
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mean for Trump and the future of American politics?
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And how could they shape India's relationship? with the United States.
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To understand this, my colleague Niharika Nanda speaks to the
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Indian Express's Diplomatic Affairs Editor, Shubhjeet Roy.
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Shubhjeet, could you first explain what the Democrats' winning control
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of both the Senate and the House of Representatives means
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for the US political system and.
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How should we understand this in the Indian context?
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So it's a sort of Democrats have won essentially the
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House of Representatives, which is the lower house and the Senate,
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which is the upper house. So it is something like
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if the opposition party in India, India is not a
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presidential form of government. So we cannot compare the two systems.
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But Just for the argument's sake, if, for example, if
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we had a prime minister who was a presidential form
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of government, who was a president and who was elected
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by the people, but if both the Lok Sabha and
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the Rajya Sabha were dominated by the opposition party, then
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that kind of a situation is what has happened in
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the midterm elections which took place in the United States,
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where Democrats have now won both the House of Representatives,
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which is equivalent to Lok Sabha and the Senate, which
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is equivalent to the Rajya Sabha. So whereas the president,
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which is here in this case, is President Donald Trump,
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he is a Republican president and he's still in office.
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So Donald Trump still has two more years as a
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president to go till 2029. But the two houses of
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the parliament are no more dominated by his own party.
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So that is the significance of the verdict. And which
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means essentially that for any law to be passed, now
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Democrats will have the say and they will have the
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upper hand and the president will have to implement it
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sign it or have to has.
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To veto it. So he'll have a veto power. So
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which he can exercise.
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But in a sense, so after almost one and a
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half years, almost two years of being in office, when
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he had the support of the Congress, both houses of
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the parliament, US parliament, He will no more have that
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freedom and there
Load full transcript
will be checks and balance on his
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powers to pass a law or.
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Sign a law and get things done.
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And the US president also has executive powers, right?
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So how will that work out?
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The United States presidents also have what is called executive powers,
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which he has exercised in the last 19 months or so, 19,
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20 months or so, quite extensively in, for example, issuing.
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Tariffs or launching a war on Iran.
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So he has used those powers to do these things.
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But now those powers will be sort of questioned and
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those moves will be questioned and those impulses will be
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kept in check, provided the Democrats sort of stay united
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and they are able to form a sort of a
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united front against the president. So this also would mean
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that the president will have to negotiate with the Democrats,
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with the opposition to get anything passed that he wants
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to or to get anything done that he wants to
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in the next two years.
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Right.
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And Shubhjeet, how do we see this result impacting the U.S. policies,
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especially towards other countries?
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Well, you know, so the.
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U.S., has in the last, especially the two years or
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so since Donald Trump won the elections in 2024, it
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has created uncertainty because of this unpredictable nature of President
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Trump and his administration and his policies. So there is
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a sense that this particular verdict will bring back some
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sort of predictability in the global order, in the way
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US functions.
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For example, the US president, he used his.
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Executive powers, which are his special powers used under wartime,
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which has now been challenged by the Supreme Court and
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has set aside. But he used those powers to predict
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impose tariffs on different countries.
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So now with a.
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Sort of opposition controlled United States Congress, the president won't
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be able to do what he has been
able to do,
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that is impose tariffs at his women fancy.
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And there would be a pushback.
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Similarly, you know, its policies say towards immigration, how it
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deals with them. Also, its policy is the current war,
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the war in Iran, which has been on and off,
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on and off. in the last seven, eight months, how
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it plays out, what decision does he take. So those
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policies will also be impacted and they will also be
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sort of be seen by how the Trump administration now
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carries forward those policies. Apart from that, its outlook towards China, Russia,
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especially in the context of with Russia, especially in the
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context of the war in Ukraine, those moves and policy
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stances would also be to be seen how they play
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out in the next couple of years.
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And now coming to India and its relationship with the US,
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like if we talk about the tariffs levied by the
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US president, like you mentioned, how do we see that changing?
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With regards to India, you know, as I said, the
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issue of tariffs is something that has bothered India a
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lot because of the off and on policies that have
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played out in the last two years, especially in the
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last year and a half. And so now with the
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trade deal being negotiated between India and US, the midterm
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outcome is expected to have an impact as Washington will
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be sort of seen to be in a weaker position because,
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you know, it will have a hostile, the Trump administration
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will have a hostile US Congress. I mean, the Indian
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government will obviously now watch this new playing field and
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negotiate differently here on.
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So can we expect changes as far as immigration and
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H-1B visas are concerned? Because these are two issues that
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have really impacted Indians in the recent past.
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Well, you know, the last two years have seen a
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rise in anti-immigrant racism and restrictions, especially in H-1B visas
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or the student visas, OPT, which is optional practical training.
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So the pushback against anti-immigrant crackdown, you know, which is
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being led by the Trump administration and the pushback is being.
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Led by the Democrats.
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Now, this will sort of serve as a reminder to
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the U.S. administration that the immigrant communities have tremendous veto.
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Power and so do the big business.
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So these are the areas which will be of interest
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for India and the world. And this will also be
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a live issue as several African-Americans and Indian-Americans have got
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elected in the U.S.
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Congress and from the states.
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And as well as those from say Arab Americans or
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the Hispanic community. So the immigrant origin senators and U.S.
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congressmen will obviously be much more sympathetic towards the more
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favorable immigration policies. So that is another issue that India
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will keep a watch on. How does the Trump administration
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follow through hereafter after these midterm results?
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And Shubhjeet, now that the Democrats control both chambers of Congress,
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what are the key issues India needs to watch out
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for and are there any particular concerns for New Delhi?
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Well, you know, there are issues like how does the
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Trump administration look at China, which India has sort of
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seen in the last two years, how it has engaged
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with China.
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And there's a rapprochement, there is.
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Talk of G2 by President Trump himself.
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So that is of concern for India.
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The other issue is about the Trump administration's proximity and
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closeness to Pakistan and its generals.
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How does that play out?
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Because Trump family has sort of our business interests have
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cut these crypto deals and critical mineral deals with the
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Pakistan entities and Pakistani firms. Now, those deals would also
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be under question. So we'll have to see how these
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two elements play out. And in
terms of the war
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in Ukraine, how does Trump sort of engage with Europe
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and Russia will be something to watch out for in
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the coming days. India also sort of will be under
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scrutiny from the Democrat lawmakers in the US on India's
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human rights record, be it the handling of its protests
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or these SIR, which is going on, the voter registration
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that's going on. And We have seen those issues be
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raised by the Democrat congressmen and congresswomen, including Pramila Jayapal,
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who raised this issue to which the Indian government responded
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as well, including the Indian ambassador to the U.S.
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And so we'll have to see how that also.
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Plays out in the next two years with a stronger
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democratic majority in both houses of the U.S.
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Congress.
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And next, we talk about Punjab, where three legislators from
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the ruling Aam Aadmi Party have joined the BJP, exposing
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divisions within the party just months before the state goes
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to assembly elections. Last week, Harmeet Singh Pathan Majra from Sannor,
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Chetan Singh Jodha Majra from Samna, and Kuver Vijay Pratap
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Singh from Amritsar North formally joined the BJP in New
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Delhi after breaking away from AAP. the development comes at
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a politically sensitive time for the Bhagwant Maan government as
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parties begin preparing for the 2027 assembly elections. But while
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all three leaders have ended up in the BJP, the
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circumstances behind their departures are quite different.
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Take Harmeet Singh Pathan Majra, for instance. He's actually related
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to Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan's wife.
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And he is MLA from that Sanor constituency of Patiala district.
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That's The Indian Express's Rakhi Jagga, who covers the state
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for the newspaper.
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And he became the MLA in March 2022. And in
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August 2022, he was in a controversy regarding bigamy. And
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a woman had alleged that on the pretext of marrying her,
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he had a live-in relationship with her for the past
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many years. And an obscene video of his had also,
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I mean, that had also gone viral or that woman
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had made that video viral.
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But despite that, there was.
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No action taken against him by the Aam Aadmi Party.
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And the leadership at that time, they had said that
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it's his personal life and we should not mix the
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personal life with the political life. But it was in 2025, August,
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that all of a sudden he started speaking against the
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government on various issues like mining. And he was saying
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that my area is not being looked after. And despite
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I am giving so many suggestions, they are not being
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taken care of. And maybe he had started apprehending that
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they are going to register a case against me.
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So on September 1, 2025, you can.
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Say that three years after that lady's complaint, they lodged
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a rape case against him. And on September 2025, another
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FIR was lodged against him in illegal mining case. And
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Pathan Majra had disappeared from his house and then, I mean, he.
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Fled to Australia.
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When we had asked him when he came back, he said,
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I had gone there via Burma. And police arrested him
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in March this year, 2026. Police arrested him from Gwalior
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and then he remained in jail. And gradually he was
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given bail in both the cases. He got a regular
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bail in that rape case and he got a bail
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in that mining case as well. On 31 May, he
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came out of jail in both the cases. Now he's
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out on bail in both the cases and he's actively
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pursuing his political life.
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So after all.
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This controversy, he was sure that he's not going to
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get a ticket from the party. So eventually he joined BJP.
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So that's the story of Harmeet Singh Pathan Majra. The
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other person who has joined the BJP is Chetan Singh
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Jodha Majra, a former cabinet minister who was once among
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the prominent faces of the AAP government.
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So he was given the cabinet portfolio in July 2022.
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He was made the health minister.
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But days after he became the minister, he landed in
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a controversy. He made the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid Health University.
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This is the only health university of Punjab. He made
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that vice-chancellor, Dr. Raj Bahadur, lie on a dirty mattress.
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When he went to that Faridkot government hospital, I mean,
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he went to the hospital to inspect that hospital and
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he found anomalies. And then he told the vice-chancellor, can
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you lie on this mattress?
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And if not, then how can patients sleep on it?
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After that, that vice-chancellor, he felt humiliated and he resigned.
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And in July 2023, after six months, he was divested
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of this portfolio. Rather, he was given much powerful portfolios
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after that, water resources, mining, public relations, horticulture, and few
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more departments as well. So he continued enjoying this cabinet
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portfolio till September 2024. And then there was a rejig
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in the cabinet and then he was dropped from the
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Council of Ministers. But in May this year, May 2026,
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the real twist happened in this year only. When Chetan
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00:17:19.509 --> 00:17:23.309
Singh Jodha Majra, when he became MLA, he had defeated
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00:17:23.369 --> 00:17:27.039
Akali Dal candidate Surjeet Singh Rakhta. He's a senior Akali
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00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:32.619
Dal candidate and he remained minister also in Akali BJP government.
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00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:36.369
So in May this year, Surjit Singh Rakha, whom.
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00:17:36.210 --> 00:17:39.869
He had defeated in 2022, he joined Aam Aadmi Party
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because Rakha.
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Rakhda is also from Samana.
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So he came as a competitor for Chetan Singh Jodha Majra.
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And after that, all the focus was on Surjit Singh
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Rakhda only. And Chetan Singh Jodha Majra was given a
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00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:56.890
cold treatment by the Aam Aadmi Party after that. And
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00:17:57.130 --> 00:18:00.809
Chetan Singh Jodha Majra had openly been praising the central
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00:18:00.849 --> 00:18:05.250
government schemes on camera and on his Facebook pages after that.
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So he was giving enough indication that.
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He's going to join.
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00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:13.839
BJP because he was praising the Prime Minister, Avaas Yojna
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00:18:13.940 --> 00:18:15.619
and other schemes on camera.
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00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:19.789
Now the third leader, Kuver Vijay Pratap Singh, a former
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00:18:19.910 --> 00:18:23.210
IPS officer, represents a different kind of dissent.
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00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.730
So, I mean, this officer is known for speaking his mind,
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00:18:27.829 --> 00:18:31.589
irrespective of the fact which government he's part of. So
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00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:36.410
he took voluntary retirement in April 2021. He was part
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00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:41.339
of a special investigation team, which was investigating that Kotkapura case.
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00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:45.039
firing case and Bargadi sacrilege case. I mean, that's an
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00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:49.180
important case in Punjab where the sacrilege of Guru Granth
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00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:53.220
Sahib had happened in 2015. So he was the member
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00:18:53.299 --> 00:18:57.880
of special investigation team investigating those cases. But in April 2021,
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the High Court had quashed that report of the SIT
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00:19:02.730 --> 00:19:06.049
and rather the government was told to form another SIT
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00:19:06.130 --> 00:19:11.049
without Kumar Vijay Pratap. And in June 2021, he joined
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00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:14.450
Aam Aadmi Party and in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal.
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00:19:14.650 --> 00:19:17.599
So at that time, Arvind Kejriwal, he promised that once
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the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power, they will give
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justice in Bargadi sacrilege case, Kotkapura firing cases, Bahebal Kala
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00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.720
firing cases, all connected to that sacrilege case. And Kovar
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00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:32.140
Vijay Pratap, he was an officer investigating those cases and
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now he's part of the party. So he will be
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a key player in helping us out to get the
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00:19:37.490 --> 00:19:40.730
culprits punished. So he was a poster boy of Aam
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00:19:40.750 --> 00:19:43.670
Aadmi Party because this was a major promise given by
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00:19:43.710 --> 00:19:47.089
the Aam Aadmi Party before contesting 2022 polls.
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00:19:47.109 --> 00:19:47.869
So Aam Aadmi Party.
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00:19:50.210 --> 00:19:53.809
They came to power and Govind Vijay Pratap, he won
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00:19:53.869 --> 00:20:00.359
from Amritsar North. constituency but after that this sacrilege investigation
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00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:03.539
cases they went at snail's pace and kubar vijay pratap
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00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:06.700
claims that he was hardly consulted on any of the
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00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:10.069
cases and few months he kept quiet and after that
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00:20:10.119 --> 00:20:14.069
he started speaking his mind and he started saying he
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00:20:14.130 --> 00:20:18.109
found that government was wrong or so And mid of
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00:20:18.329 --> 00:20:22.559
the 2025, maybe I think July 2025, he was suspended
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00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:26.119
by Aam Aadmi Party for five years for anti-party activities.
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00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:30.339
And so Rakhi, from the BJP's perspective, what is the
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00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:34.549
significance of inducting these three leaders? Like, is the party
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00:20:34.589 --> 00:20:38.789
kind of looking to strengthen its organisation in these particular constituencies?
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00:20:39.569 --> 00:20:42.650
Yeah, of course, because as I mean, we all know
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00:20:42.670 --> 00:20:46.089
that BJP was earlier in alliance with the Kalidhal and
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00:20:46.130 --> 00:20:49.650
they used to contest only on 23 seats and the
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00:20:49.690 --> 00:20:55.000
rest 94 seats Kalidhal used to contest. So in 2020,
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00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.559
Kalidhal parted ways. So before that, BJP had no organizational
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00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:02.980
structure in the 94 constituencies or they had a very
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00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.559
weak organizational structure in the rest of the 94 constituencies
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00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:11.400
because they were mainly focused only on the 23 constituencies
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00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:16.630
which were largely in Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, a few of
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00:21:16.670 --> 00:21:20.529
the constituencies in Jalandhar and around area and one each
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00:21:20.630 --> 00:21:22.549
constituency in Fazilkar and Ferozpur.
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00:21:22.569 --> 00:21:25.230
So they had no base in these districts.
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00:21:25.329 --> 00:21:28.089
So although they now over the years they have started
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00:21:28.150 --> 00:21:31.390
building up so but the I mean, now these sitting MLAs,
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00:21:31.450 --> 00:21:33.690
if they are joining them, so it's a boost for them.
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00:21:34.009 --> 00:21:37.349
So they'll get the candidates for their constituencies who are
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00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:40.910
known faces and who have a support base.
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00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:43.119
So, I mean, it's kind of a boost for them.
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00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:46.160
And if we see Chetan Singh Jara Majra, so he
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00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:49.480
was given a cold treatment. Otherwise, he's not in much
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00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:52.819
of any controversy. And Kovar Vijay Pratap, again, he was
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00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:54.240
not in any controversy.
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00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:55.240
He was simply.
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00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:58.849
speaking against the Aam Aadmi Party for all the things
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which he felt that they promised and they did not fulfil.
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00:22:02.410 --> 00:22:05.109
Right, and like you mentioned earlier that the AAP has
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00:22:05.170 --> 00:22:09.740
dismissed these departures, saying that it had already distanced itself from.
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00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.740
The three leaders. So how do we read this? The
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00:22:12.759 --> 00:22:15.019
AAP saying these departures do not matter.
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00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:18.299
Yeah, they are now saying that they are the leftovers.
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00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:21.490
I mean, soon after they joined, their party general secretary
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00:22:21.529 --> 00:22:24.369
Baltej Pannu, he said that they are the leftovers and
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00:22:24.410 --> 00:22:27.470
BJP is having nothing of their own and they are
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00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.579
just taking leftovers of the other parties.
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00:22:29.859 --> 00:22:30.630
So because they are.
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00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:33.819
They have already made an alternative arrangement in all these
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constituencies because once Surjeet Singh Rakhda joined in Samana, he
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00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:41.099
is a known face, two-time MLA from Samana and he
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00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:44.480
remained a minister as well in Akali BJP government. So
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00:22:44.529 --> 00:22:48.670
he is a known politician. He has contested many assembly elections.
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00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:52.490
So they have a backup candidate in that area. And
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00:22:52.650 --> 00:22:56.670
in Sanaur area, they had already appointed a constituency in charge,
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00:22:56.970 --> 00:23:01.970
Ranjot Singh Hadana. So he's already campaigning there. When Pathan Majra,
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00:23:02.150 --> 00:23:06.130
I mean, he ran in September 2025. Soon after, I mean,
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00:23:06.289 --> 00:23:09.150
they launched an FIR against him. Soon after, they had
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00:23:09.390 --> 00:23:12.359
appointed Hadana as the constituency in charge. So they have
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00:23:12.390 --> 00:23:15.960
a backup plan in Sanaur as well. And similarly, they
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00:23:16.019 --> 00:23:19.779
have a backup plan in... Amritsar North as well. So
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00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:21.839
that's why they are saying that they are not bothered.
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00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:26.279
And Gover Vijay Pratap was also already unhappy with the party.
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00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.220
And they had already there were many few leaders, local
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00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.839
leaders active in that area. So the party have backup plans,
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00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:37.299
the backup candidates with them in those constituencies.
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00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:39.440
So that's why they are saying that, I mean, it
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00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.089
hardly matters.
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00:23:40.589 --> 00:23:43.519
And Rakhi, we know that these politicians joined another party
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00:23:43.619 --> 00:23:45.779
while they were elected on ARP tickets.
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00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.529
So, what happens to their assembly membership?
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00:23:49.170 --> 00:23:52.880
No, but now that once the tenure of the government
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00:23:52.940 --> 00:23:56.160
is less than six months, so anti-defection law is no
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00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:57.420
longer applicable on them.
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00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.069
So, I mean, there is no need.
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00:23:59.829 --> 00:24:03.069
For a re-poll
because the next elections are going to
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00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:07.029
happen in February. So if they have resigned and their
384
00:24:07.069 --> 00:24:10.359
resignation has accepted, so they'll continue to stay as MLAs,
385
00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:12.539
but not of the Aam Aadmi Party. or at the
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00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.019
most they will be no longer MLAs and if they
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00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:18.180
will no longer be MLAs so I mean for three
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00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:21.440
months time period because in January so there will I
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00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:24.269
mean code of conduct is likely to be implemented maybe
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00:24:24.309 --> 00:24:26.470
in the last week of December or maybe in the
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00:24:26.509 --> 00:24:29.789
first week of January so it's hardly two months left
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00:24:29.890 --> 00:24:33.470
now and so I mean it hardly matters now and
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00:24:33.670 --> 00:24:36.750
that's why I mean they strategically choose this time because
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00:24:37.250 --> 00:24:42.980
there's no point for a And Rakhi, as Punjab approaches
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00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.339
the 2027 assembly elections, what do these three defections tell
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00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.039
us about the political tensions? Like, are parties seeing more
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00:24:48.059 --> 00:25:05.269
disagreements over ticket distribution? No, as of now, Amadmi Party,
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00:25:05.309 --> 00:25:08.930
they had hurriedly taken out the first list of the
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00:25:08.930 --> 00:25:12.490
40 candidates. Now, it apparently, it appears that, I mean,
400
00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:14.910
that was a hurried attempt because they may be aware
401
00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:18.420
that a number of our candidates are going to join.
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00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:19.220
The BJP because.
403
00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:24.259
The BJP president, he said that had they not released
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00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:26.980
that list, a number of them would have left the party.
405
00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:30.309
And of course, it causes a major setback to the
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00:25:30.349 --> 00:25:34.309
ruling party, a party which has 94.
407
00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:36.369
MLAs in majority. And in that party.
408
00:25:36.589 --> 00:25:40.589
If defections are happening, so it's a cause of concern.
409
00:25:40.970 --> 00:25:43.599
And if we see the list of the 40 candidates...
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00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:47.160
Punjab CM Bhagwant Maan has also been listed in that list.
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00:25:47.420 --> 00:25:49.720
I mean, if there is a requirement to, I mean,
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00:25:49.779 --> 00:25:53.140
name him in the first list, that also itself explains
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00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:56.980
that how difficult it is for the ruling party to
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00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.119
regain the ground because he's the tallest leader of the
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00:26:00.140 --> 00:26:03.599
party and if he listed as a candidate, so maybe,
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00:26:03.619 --> 00:26:07.240
I mean, the other candidates will stick on or hold
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00:26:07.319 --> 00:26:08.640
on to the party or so.
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00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:11.579
This is what the political analysts, they see.
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00:26:16.650 --> 00:26:20.009
And in the end, we talk about an unusual disciplinary
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00:26:20.190 --> 00:26:24.200
action in Gujarat, where a municipal official was suspended after
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00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:28.039
12 streetlights along a route used by Prime Minister Narendra
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00:26:28.059 --> 00:26:32.200
Modi were found to be non-functional. Mahesh Vasava, the clerk
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00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:35.680
in charge of the lighting department at the Boid municipality
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00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:39.819
in Vatodara district, was suspended for six days for alleged
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00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:40.700
negligence in.
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00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:44.180
Maintaining the streetlights. Now, the timing is what makes the
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00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.769
case particularly striking.
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00:26:46.309 --> 00:26:50.349
As reported by the Indian Express's Aditi Raja, on 31st October,
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00:26:50.710 --> 00:26:54.849
Prime Minister Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other
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00:26:54.890 --> 00:26:59.420
dignitaries had attended National Unity Day celebrations at the Statue
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00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:02.539
of Unity in Ekta Nagar. They were originally expected to
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00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:06.099
travel to Vadodara airport by helicopter. But because dusk had
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00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:10.809
already fallen, the delegation instead travelled roughly 90 kilometres by road.
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00:27:11.170 --> 00:27:11.589
That meant.
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00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:15.559
the route through and around Daboi suddenly became part of
436
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:20.279
the VIP movement plan. The municipality had assigned specific responsibilities
437
00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:24.980
to different departments, including cleanliness, control of stray cattle and
438
00:27:25.019 --> 00:27:29.160
maintenance of streetlights. According to the suspension order, Vassava had
439
00:27:29.220 --> 00:27:32.829
been instructed to ensure that the lights were repaired in time.
440
00:27:33.250 --> 00:27:37.349
But along the stretch from Sinnor Crossroads through Bhogol and
441
00:27:37.549 --> 00:27:41.430
up to Sarita Bridge, 12 streetlights were found not working,
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00:27:41.670 --> 00:27:46.390
while several others were reportedly flickering. The municipality subsequently invoked
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00:27:46.710 --> 00:27:51.200
Section 48 of the Gujarat Municipalities Act, which allows disciplinary
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00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:55.299
penalties against municipal officers and employees for what the law
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00:27:55.339 --> 00:28:00.019
describes as good and sufficient reasons. Vassava has been asked
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00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:03.799
to appear before the competent authority and explain why the
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00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.009
required repairs were not carried out.
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00:28:06.609 --> 00:28:08.829
There is, however, another layer to the story.
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00:28:09.309 --> 00:28:13.190
The suspension order also refers to previous complaints against Vassava
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00:28:13.490 --> 00:28:16.410
and sources told the Indian Express that the action may
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00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:21.079
also be connected to other ongoing inquiries into works handled
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00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:31.549
by him. His additional responsibilities have now been withdrawn. You
453
00:28:31.589 --> 00:28:34.529
were listening to Three Things by The Indian Express. Today's
454
00:28:34.609 --> 00:28:37.670
show was edited and mixed by Suresh Bavar and produced
455
00:28:37.710 --> 00:28:40.759
by Niharika Nanda and me, Ichha Sharma. If you like
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00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:43.759
the show, do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast.
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You can also recommend it to someone you think may
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