'Cash-For-Query' Hearing To Candidates' Lists For Rajasthan Polls — Here's What Lies In The Week Ahead

Both the Congress and the BJP have to carry out a fine balancing act as they prepare to announce the names of the rest of their candidates for the Rajasthan elections in the week ahead.

The political arena in the week ahead is expected to remain on the burn as the Congress and the BJP declare the names of the rest of the candidates for the Rajasthan elections. The Rajasthan BJP has had to deal with protests by ticket aspirants after it released the first two lists. The Congress, too, has had to deal with a similar situation. Both parties have to carry out a balancing act as they prepare to release the rest of the names.

The cash-for-query controversy will also remain in focus with the BJP and the TMC throwing allegations and counter-accusations. 

Stay with ABP Live as we try to cut the clutter around the latest news from the political arena and help you understand what is likely to happen in The Week Ahead. Here are the biggest political developments expected to play out this week. 

Supreme Court to Hear Pleas on Maharashtra Assembly Disqualification Petitions

The Supreme Court on October 30 will hear petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar bloc of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Both factions are seeking a directive for the Maharashtra assembly speaker to promptly decide on disqualification petitions against certain MLAs for alleged "defection".

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will preside over the bench hearing the pleas, marking the resumption of court proceedings after a week-long Dussehra holiday.

On October 17, the apex court granted Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar a "final opportunity" to provide a realistic deadline for resolving cross-petitions filed by the Shiv Sena factions of Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray seeking the disqualification of each other's MLAs, following a split in the party last year.

"The narration of facts indicates that the first batch of petitions has been pending since June and July 2022. The judgment of the Constitution Bench was delivered on May 11, 2023. The disqualification petitions have to be adjudicated upon with all expeditions. Otherwise, the very purpose of the 10th schedule shall stand defeated," the bench stated in its order.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the Speaker's proposed timeline, the court remarked, "The time schedule as proposed will not result in a foreseeable conclusion of the disqualification petitions at a reasonably early date." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had assured the court that during the Dussehra break, he would personally engage with the Speaker to establish a firm set of modalities to ensure the timely conclusion of the hearings.

"Before this court issues peremptory directions for compliance with a time schedule for disposal, we grant a final opportunity to prescribe a realistic time schedule for the disposal of the disqualification petitions, particularly, in view of the assurance which has been given to the court by the Solicitor General," the top court emphasized.

The Supreme Court had previously criticized the Speaker for the delay in deciding pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction, seeking the disqualification of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and several MLAs loyal to him.

CM Mann's 'Main Punjab Bolda Haan' Debate To Confront Political Parties On Past Actions

In a bid to address public grievances and alleged "misdeeds" by previous governments, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will hold the 'Main Punjab Bolda Haan' debate on November 1. The debate, set to take place at noon at an auditorium at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, will feature prominent political parties presenting their perspectives on the state's affairs.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has asked CM Mann to declare the detailed agenda of the debate by 1 PM on Monday. The SAD said that the focus of the debate should be on saving the river waters of Punjab and the timely completion of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

The event follows Mann's challenge to leaders of rival political parties, including Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The challenge was prompted by criticisms from opposition parties regarding the Aam Aadmi Party government's handling of the SYL canal issue.

According to Mann, the debate will delve into previous issues, covering topics such as nepotism, toll plazas, the 2015 sacrilege case, river water-sharing, and others, reported news agency PTI.

Mann asserted that the open debate would offer citizens insight into the actions of political leaders, accusing them of deceiving Punjab on crucial matters. The Chief Minister emphasized that the public deserves an explanation and that these leaders must account for their actions.

The debate, moderated by Nirmal Jaura, PAU's Director of Students Welfare, faced criticism from Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar. Jakhar questioned Jaura's impartiality, citing his government employment and sharing old photographs of Mann and Jaura to emphasize a close association between the two.

Previously, Jakhar proposed the formation of a three-member panel to oversee the debate, suggesting the names of former MP Dharamvira Gandhi, former MLA H S Phoolka, and Kanwar Sandhu.

In response, the Shiromani Akali Dal declared the debate a "sham" and refused to participate, labeling it an "anti-Punjab exercise." The stance of the party adds a layer of controversy to the already heated political atmosphere in Punjab.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra Likely To Appear Before Lok Sabha Panel In 'Cash-for-Query' Case

TMC MP Mahua Moitra is likely to appear before the Lok Sabha ethics committee on November 2 as the panel declined to grant an extension to her.

Moitra had earlier said she wouldn't be able to appear before the panel on October 31. She cited her scheduled constituency programmes as the reason and conveyed her availability only after November 5. In response, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee extended the appearance date by three days, directing her to depose on November 2, while categorically stating that no further extension requests would be entertained.

The accusations against Moitra stem from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's claim that she received "cash and gifts" from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for posing questions in Parliament. Subsequently, Hiranandani, in a sworn affidavit, admitted to fulfilling Moitra's lavish demands while utilizing her parliamentary login to raise questions targeting Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee convened its first meeting related to the "cash-for-query" complaint against Moitra on Thursday. During the initial hearing, Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai recorded their statements before the panel.

Moitra, in response to the allegations, stated that she provided her Parliament login ID and password to her "friend" and businessman 'Darsh'. She clarified that someone in Hiranandani's office typed the questions on the Parliament website, and she would receive an OTP (one-time password) on her mobile phone. Moitra insisted that the questions were submitted only after she provided the OTP, dismissing the idea that Hiranandani logged into her ID to pose questions independently as "ludicrous".

Deadline To Close For Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh Election Nominations 

The last date to file nominations for the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh elections will close this week. While the nomination filing deadline for the Madhya Pradesh candidates ends on Monday, the same for Rajasthan will end on November 6, a week after the Election Commission issues the gazette notification on October 30.

The voting for the 200-constituency Rajasthan election will be held on November 25 and the 230-seat Madhya Pradesh Assembly will go to polls on November 17.

Both BJP and the Congress have announced their candidates for all the  230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the BJP has named 124 candidates in two lists so far and will announce the names of the rest of the candidates this week. The Congress has so far declared 95 candidates for the Rajasthan elections in three lists.

Stay tuned to ABP Live as we track the updates on these stories and more.

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