A section of the AAP points out that the Congress’s vote-share has dipped further from what it had been during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when it drew a blank.Ajay Maken may have quit as the party’s Delhi chief, but if the Congress is hoping for an easy ride in the seat-sharing part with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, it could be mistaken. A section of the AAP believes strongly that the Congress does not have the strength left in Delhi to claim more than two Lok Sabha seats. They point out that the Congress’s vote-share has dipped further from what it had been during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when it drew a blank. The following year, it again drew a blank in the Assembly elections. Many in the AAP believe that the Congress can at best claim two seats, and Rahul Gandhi’s party is set for some tough bargaining if the parties decide to contest in alliance.
Treating Colleagues
As Rajya Sabha discussed private member’s resolution on Friday, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan was spotted leaving a ball of crumpled paper in Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s hands. Apparently, the crumpled ball had some savoury treats that Bachchan had been offering to her colleagues in Parliament all day. It became evident when she pulled out a small tiffin box from her purse and offered it to party colleagues sitting next to her.
Keeping Watch
There is good news for those who have been working hard to promote Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna, as the scheme has been applauded by the World Health Organization on the 100th day of its launch. Quoting a tweet from Health Minister J P Nadda, WHO secretary-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted: “In its first 100 days,#India’s ambitious #AyushmanBharat scheme has provided free care for almost 700,000 people. I applaud Prime Minister @narendramodi and Health Minister @JPNadda for their visionary leadership for #HealthForAll.”
