Its not just that the aforementioned assertions in the HT article were by themselves misleading and false, the prediction video put out by Yadav on the evening of May 24 did not at all convey what the article itself or the headlines implied. Interestingly, the said article was also accompanied by a statement made by Prashant Kishore wherein he had supported Yadav’s seat forecast. In Kishore’s statement, he has alleged that Yadav, who is “a trusted face”, had predicted that BJP will win between 240-260 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and its allies 34-45 seats, bringing the total of NDA’s seats between 275 and 305 seats.

Not unrelated to this “prediction scenario” that has heated up in the week before the last phase on June 1, this quick statement of Prashant Kishore came after he was relentlessly trolled on social media, particular ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), after his interview with journalist Karan Thapar last week.

In the said interview, Thapar had asked Kishore how confidant he was over his recent predictions of BJP sweeping more than 303 seats in the Lok Sabha, and not facing any actual dent in the current elections. In the 5-minute clip from that interview had gone viral on social media, Kishore could be heard losing his cool when Thapar pointed to his previous two predictions in state assembly election which had been wrong. As highlighted by Thapar, Kishore’s prediction that Congress party would be routed in Himachal Pradesh and BRS would be wining in Telangana (2022) had proved to be wrong. On the face of such grilling, in the video clip, Kishore could be seen denying he ever said this and losing his temper!

Karan Thapar screwed Prashant Kishor to the extent that he lost his cool & showed his true colours.pic.twitter.com/inn8vuaFCx

— ✎𝒜 πundhati (@Polytikles) May 22, 2024

After having faced heavy trolling on social media, the present post backing Yadav had been put out by Kishore.

“Yogendra Yadav ji, a trusted face among those who understand elections and socio-political issues in the country, has shared his “final assessment” of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to Yogendra ji, in these elections, BJP may get 240-260 seats and NDA allies may get 35-45 seats. Meaning BJP / NDA may get 275-305 seats. 272 seats are required to form a government in the country and BJP/NDA has 303/323 seats in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (Shiv Sena won 18 seats as part of NDA but is no longer with them) Now you can judge for yourself whose government is being formed. You will know on 4 June who is talking about whom.”

देश में चुनाव और सामाजिक राजनीतिक विषयों की समझ रखने वालों में एक विश्वसनीय चेहरा @_YogendraYadav जी ने 2024 Lok Sabha elections का अपना “फ़ाइनल आकलन” साझा किया है।

योगेन्द्र जी के मुताबिक इन चुनावों में बीजेपी को 240-260 और एनडीए की साथी दलों को 35-45 सीटें मिल सकती हैं। मतलब… pic.twitter.com/B1E3NaBEKa

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) May 24, 2024

Self-serving interpretation of Yadav’s prediction by Kishore?

The said post was based on a video released by Yadav on May 25, wherein he has released his final assessment of the election trends after 5 Phases of voting and his on-ground experience. After watching Yadav’s video, it becomes clear that the interpretation put out by Kishore was misleading and self-serving.

In actuality, Yadav’s prediction does not provide a landslide win for BJP at all. As per the numbers put forth by Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party in itself will surely be falling short of reaching the majority mark and will be able to win seats within the range of 240-260. It is to be noted that to attain majority, a party must win more than 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. In addition to this, Yada predicts that BJP allies will be able to win seats between the range of 35-45.

To explain his prediction, Yadav states that in the Southern, Eastern and North-Eastern part of India, BJP might be able to gain seats in the state of Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the union territory of Puducherry, the loss of that the party will face in Karnataka and certain states of North-East India will even out the tally. According to Yadav, only the allies of the ruling party will see a benefit in the number of seats. With this, Yadav opines that unlike what the majority would like for the people of India to believe, BJP will not be making any headstrong gain in the Southern and North-Eastern states.

Coming to the Northern and Western states, including the Hindu-belt which contributes mainly to the ruling party seats, Yadav predicts major losses of seats in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab and the union territory of Delhi. In all of these states, even BJP allies have not been predicted to make any gains.

Based on these numbers, Yadav conservatively predicts a net loss in the number of seats that BJP will suffer through in the current Lok Sabha elections. It is also to be highlighted here that Yadav predicted a further loss of seats in face of a heavy anti-Modi wave happens prior to the conclusion of the remaining polling phases. Concluding the video, he states that in case a further decrease in seats takes place, the combined NDA, comprising the BJP and its allies, might then not be able to reach the majority mark.

इस नए वीडियो में चुनावी रुझान का फ़ाइनल आंकलन पेश है — 400 या 303 छोड़िए, 272 पार नहीं जाएगी बीजेपी। अगर हवा और जोर से चली तो संभव है एनडीए भी बहुमत हासिल ना करे।

चुनावी रुझान के सच को बताने वाले मेरे पिछले वीडियो को करोड़ से अधिक लोगों ने देखा था। सहमति, असहमति, आलोचना और सवाल… pic.twitter.com/XsAAMaUoE7

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) May 25, 2024

Attempts to misguide?

As the news of Yogendra Yadav, who most look up to and trust for exit polls during elections, predicting a win for BJP started gaining momentum, Yadav himself took to ‘X’ to berate the “Godi media”, a name that has been given to the biased pro-Modi media, for spreading false news. In his post, Yadav called out those who spread these misleading statements in his name, asking people to watch his video.

“Look at the games of Godi Media – I said this time BJP will not get majority, maybe NDA will also not get majority. Godi Media says I predicted BJP’s victory! I said BJP will lose 50 seats or more, it will get less than 250 seats. Godi Media says I agreed with Prashant Kishore (who had predicted more than 303 seats). You can see the video yourself to know what I said.”

गोदी मीडिया के खेल देखिए — मैने कहा इस बार बीजेपी को बहुमत नहीं आएगा, हो सकता है एनडीए को भी बहुमत ना आए। गोदी मीडिया कहता है मैंने बीजेपी की जीत की भविष्यवाणी की! मैंने कहा बीजेपी को 50 सीट या ज़्यादा का नुक़सान होगा, 250 से कम सीट आयेंगी। गोदी मीडिया कहता है मैं प्रशांत किशोर… pic.twitter.com/4jN5zurTST

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) May 25, 2024

Related:

The role of Police in Pre-Poll, During Poll and Post-Poll: What ECI’s Handbook for Police Officers and RP Act 1951 says?

Form 17 C data belongs to the public, must be released: Former CEC Dr. SY Quraishi and EC Ashok Lavasa to India Today

The Maharashtra Lok Sabha scene 2024

Abhishek Manu Singhvi castigates ECI for opposing the plea to publicly disclose Form 17C data

Have things turned significantly in Gujarat, considered a free run for the BJP?

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The film is inspired by the story of “Congress Radio” of 1942 and the struggle of Usha Mehta in setting it up and sustaining it. In this film, Ram Manohar Lohia appears in a very important role on screen for the first time in the history of Indian cinema. The film is indeed historical, but this is a very important film for our times too! This film gives us the words and ideas to address our contemporary challenges. But more than that it gives us hope and self-confidence.

Many scenes of the film are mirrors of today’s world. You will feel as if you are watching today’s film and not that of 1942. The situation the country is going through today is indeed similar to the one that existed during the British era. The very same dictatorship, cruelty and inhumanity.

Make sure that not only you but your entire family watches this movie. In this time marked by false and malicious propaganda, this film will impart in you courage, energy and patience in many ways. This is our film. It is a film of our thinking, a film of our hopes, a film of our struggle, a film of our ideology. It is our responsibility to take its message across India and the globe.

The post “Ae Watan Mere Watan” – A Brief Introduction to the film by Yogendra Yadav appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Karnataka farmers have been agitating for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for years but the government is bent on ending the mandi system rather than ensuring proper prices, said Jai Kisan Andolan Founder Yogendra Yadav on April 2, 2021.

According to the MSP Loot Calculator, state farmers incurred a loss of Rs 27.99 crore in March due to being forced to sell various crops at prices less than the MSP. Kusum farmers incurred the most loss by receiving an average market price of Rs. 4,175 per quintal as opposed to its MSP of Rs. 5327 per quintal. They suffered a “loot” of Rs. 1,152 per quintal.

Similarly, maize farmers in Karnataka suffered the most in terms of total loot. In these 31 days, farmers lost Rs. 8.11 crore, while gram farmers lost Rs. 6.95 crore and ragi farmers lost Rs. 4.97 crore.

MSP rates in other states

The Calculator also showed that other states also face similar issues in availing MSP. Particularly, for gram crops, farmers receive an average market price of Rs. 4,668 per quintal instead of MSP of Rs. 5,100 per quintal – a difference of around Rs. 432 per quintal. In March, farmers incurred a loss of Rs 273 crore due to selling gram below MSP.

In main gram producing regions such as Gujarat, the situation farmers reported a loss of Rs. 639 per quintal due to an average market price of Rs. 4,461 per quintal. Last month, Gujarat gram farmers lost a total of Rs. 72 crores while their Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra counterparts were robbed of Rs. 76 crores and Rs. 55 crores respectively.

Related:

MSP Loot Calculator: MP farmers lost more than Rs 200 crores in March
Terrified by MSP Loot Calculator, the Centre is speaking half-truths: JKA
MSP Loot Calculator: Loss on Barley sales amounts to Rs. 2 crore in 27 days!
Jowar farmers suffer major blow during kharif season sale!
Farmers lost Rs. 18 crore on Moong sales: MSP Loot Calculator

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Karnataka is the first state to bring forth evidence of the damage done to government mandis by the new farm laws, said Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Yogendra Yadav in a press conference in Bangalore city on March 7, 2021.

The law permitting private trade outside the government mandi in the state came into force on May 15, 2020 despite the Supreme Court’s stay order. SKM and other farmer leaders visited Gulbarga and Ballari districts of the state under the MSP (Minimum Support Price) Dilao Abhiyan, to observe the effects of the new provisions and the promise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on MSP for all farmers.

Following visits to the Gulbarga market and Upaj mandi, leaders said that if the arrival of crops from 15 May 2020 to 28 February 2021 in all state mandis is compared to the arrival in the same period of the previous year, then it foreshadows the closure of markets.

“After the implementation of the new law, compared to last year, this year, the arrival of paddy in the mandis has come down by 27 percent, maize by 26 percent, tur dal by 24 percent and gram by 29 percent,” said the SKM.

It may be noted that the production of these four crops has increased compared to 2020, yet arrival of crops for sale decreased in the mandis, indicating that the trade has begun outside mandis.

“What has happened in Karnataka is a precursor to the destruction of mandis across the country,” said Yadav.

Further, market visits revealed that most crops in Karnataka are currently sold well below the MSP fixed by the government. On March 5, seven out of eight crops sold in Ballari were sold below MSP. Maize sold for Rs. 1,459 per quintal instead of Rs 1,850 per quintal. Similarly, jowar was sold at Rs. 1,728 per quintal instead of Rs. 2,640 per quintal. Millet sold at Rs. 1,482 instead of MSP Rs. 2,150 and gram sold at Rs. 4,182 per quintal instead of Rs. 5,100 per quintal.

Urging farmers to expose such lies, Yadav asked, “What is the meaning of MSP was, is and will remain? If MSP is there then why does the farmer not get it? If it is not, why doesn’t the Prime Minister stop false propaganda?”

Meanwhile, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha President Satnam Singh Ajnala from Punjab, confirmed that maize farmers were similarly robbed in Punjab. Former chairman of the Agricultural Price Commission of Karnataka Dr. Prakash Kammardi cited figures of the previous year and pointed out that farmers in Karnataka are forced to sell 72 percent of their crop below MSP.

“Every year a farmer has to bear a loss of Rs. 3,119 crore. If we compare current market prices to the MSP suggested by the Swaminathan Commission, we will see that state farmers have suffered a loss of Rs. 20,339 crore last year. If the government spends Rs 10,500 crores every year, then MSP can be provided to all farmers as per the Swaminathan Commission,” said Kammardi.

Related:

100 days of farmers’ struggle: Agitation evolves and grows stronger

Delhi Police allegedly detain 25 women and a toddler

Karnataka farmers ask: Where is MSP Modi ji?

India’s farmers and workers to commemorate Anti-Privatisation Day on March 15

Labour activist Shiv Kumar granted bail by Haryana court

Nodeep Kaur case: NHRC seeks report from Haryana Police over alleged custodial torture

IT raids, govt’s desperate attempt to attack farmer supporters: SKM

Farmers focus on assembly election stating “govt only understands votes”

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To

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Kisan Mukti Yatra gets off to a strong start in south India; Telangana resonates with demands of freedom from debt and remunerative prices
 
Hyderabad/Suryapet/Nakrekal/Khammam, Sept 16th,  2017: The nationwide Kisan Mukti Yatra saw the participation of thousands of farmers in Telangana on the first day of its South India leg. More than 25 organisations joined hands to highlight farmers’ legitimate demands around debt relief and profitable prices.

The Yatra is being organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) which consists of more than 150 farmer organisations. Prominent leaders and activists who joined the yatra include V.M Singh (Convenor, AIKSCC), Raju Shetty (Member of Parliament), Prof. Kodandram (Telangana JAC), Yogendra Yadav (President, Swaraj India), Dr. Sunilam (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti), Malla Reddy (AIKS), Vemulapalli Venkataramaiah (AIKMS) and others.
 
Addressing a large gathering of farmers in Suryapet, V.M Singh recalled how the Modi government has brazenly reneged on its poll promise of implementing assured price with 50% margin over cost of cultivation.
 
Raju Shetty urged farmers to join in large numbers the Kisan Mukti Sansad on November 20th 2017 in Delhi to make the Centre accountable towards farmers’ well-being.
 
Women farmers from Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch lamented the lack of remunerative prices at the end of a season full of hardships and risks. 
 
Exhorting Telangana farmers not to be left behind in a series of victorious farmers’ struggles in different states of India in the recent past, Yogendra Yadav reminded them of Telangana’s rich history of peasant uprisings.
 
Pointing out that the Telangana government is on the one hand urging farmers to collectivise themselves better, Prof. Kodandaram highlighted the duplicity of the government in repressing farmers’ movements in reality. 
 
Malla Reddy explained that the loan waiver scheme of Telangana government with its many shortcomings ended up burdening farmers more than relieving from debt. As the loan waiver debate hots up in the country there is much to learn from Telangana on how not to design loan waivers, he said.
 
Dr. Sunilam cautioned governments to take note of the unprecedented confluence of all farm organisations in the country which will only gather more strength in the days to come.

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"Dalit is One who Faces Oppression through Caste, Patriarchy or Economic" : Yadav

"Why Can't Dalit Movement Come Together with Farmers," : Yadav

"Why Can't we have Fusion of These Energies? appealed Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan, joining the Azaadi Kooch Yatra that began from Mehsana yesterday commemorating One Year of the Una Lynching

The Azaadi Kooch March was flagged off from Mehsana in Gujarat yesterday. A total of 150 farmers lead by Yogendra Yadav and others had joined the movement. Five kilometers into the march, Gujarat police detained Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and more than 100 activists of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar March. This happened after the march proceeded in the wake of the police denying permission for the same. Thereafter they were formally arrested.

The police have slapped charges under Section 143 of the IPC. The detained are now out on bail. The march is likely to proceed on its week-long journey in buses now, as opposed to foot.

Courtesy: Newsclick
 

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"I have made no cash deposit in my account since November 8, 2016.

I see no reason to offer any special explanation for the same [for making the deposit now]. I normally like and wait for the queues to end. I was assured by the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the RBI that there was no need to rush to the banks and that I had till  December 30 for making any deposit. I believed them."

"… 8 नवंबर 2016 से आज तक मैंनें कोई कैश अपने अकाउंट में जमा नहीं करवाया है।

मुझे कोई कारण समझ में नहीं आता कि मैं इसके [बैंक में देरी से डिपोज़िट करवाने] लिए विशेष स्पष्टीकरण क्यों दूँ। आमतौर पर मैं क़तार ख़त्म होने का इंतज़ार करना पसंद करता हूँ। प्रधानमंत्री, वित्तमंत्री और आरबीआई ने मुझे आश्वासन दिया था कि बैंकों की ओर भागने की ज़रूरत नहीं है, डिपॉजिट के लिए मेरे पास 30 दिसंबर तक का समय रहेगा। मैंनें उनका भरोसा किया।"
 

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Ever since the Ambedkar cartoon controversy erupted, I have not stopped wondering about the irony of the situation. The attempt, perhaps the first one in national textbooks, to accord Babasaheb Ambedkar his due place as one of the founders of our republic, was being attacked for insulting him. Professor Suhas Palshikar, who has taught me to read Ambedkar more carefully, has been attacked in Ambedkar’s name. To be honest, we did expect an attack on these books at some point from some quarters. But little did we imagine that it would come from proponents of social justice.

Over the last two days we have tried explaining this to anyone who cares to listen. Palshikar tried explaining this to his attackers too. The cartoon in the spotlight is actually one of the more innocuous of the hundreds used in the political science textbooks of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). It has been made to look offensive by a series of misreadings. One, the content of the cartoon has been mischievously presented by overlooking the positive symbolism (that Ambedkar holds the reins to the Constitution and holds a whip) and overplaying a possible negative symbolism (Nehru holding a whip behind Ambedkar has been presented as Nehru whipping Ambedkar). Two, the art form of a cartoon is negated by a crass literal reading of the symbol of a whip. Three, the cartoon is detached from the text accompanying it on the same page that celebrates the deliberations that led to the delay in the making of the Constitution. Four, the cartoon is isolated from other cartoons involving Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other leaders that appear in this and other textbooks. Finally, Ambedkar’s depiction in this cartoon is torn out of the context of how Ambedkar and his ideas are treated in this and other textbooks.

Having gone over this a few dozen times, it became clear to me that this debate was no longer about Ambedkar or the cartoon. The real danger is not what you can see and identify clearly. The danger lies lurking just beyond your vision.

For starters, the danger is not that one or a few controversial cartoons may be removed from the textbooks without good reasons. That would be sad but not a cause for alarm. The danger is that this is just the beginning. The minister’s reply in Parliament mentioned a review of other "objectionable" cartoons and content in the textbooks. A group of parliamentarians has been demanding the deletion of several cartoons that showed politicians in a poor light. Many MPs are uncomfortable with the truthful account of post-independence history in these books. Ambedkar’s name may have been used to shield much else. This may be the beginning of a slow and imperceptible rollback of a historical transition in the writing of textbooks in this country that took place between 2005 and 2008, following the adoption of the National Curriculum Framework.

This is linked to the issue of autonomy of institutions like the NCERT. Again, the danger is not that of a sudden loss of autonomy vis-à-vis the government. It is hardly a secret that the autonomy of such institutions vis-à-vis the babus in the ministry is at best highly circumscribed and often non-existent. The rights of the authors and advisers vis-à-vis the NCERT and that of the NCERT vis-à-vis the ministry are admittedly in a grey zone. The parliamentarians obviously did not see anything grey here. They wanted to settle on the floor of the House an issue concerning the content of a textbook that had gone through a due internal process. The minister obliged. The real danger is that this would begin to appear normal to us, that we would forget that institutional autonomy is an issue.

Again, the danger is not that this issue would compromise our freedom of expression in a general sense. The media’s intense scrutiny of the political class on this question has demonstrated, if it needed any demonstration, that the Indian media enjoys ample freedom to take on the government. Besides, the textbook is not the site for an unbridled exercise of freedom of expression. Textbook writing is an exercise in caution and balance. The danger here is that we would miss an opportunity to define what freedom of expression should mean in the context of a textbook. In the course of a TV debate, a fairly well-read MP complained that this cartoon sowed doubt in the minds of young students. The danger is that we might begin to think that textbooks must not create doubts, must not leave any questions.

The attack on Palshikar’s office has momentarily shifted attention to the physical danger to which scholars involved in such an exercise may be exposed. He handled the attack with the equanimity, dignity and courage that I have come to associate with him. If and when my turn comes, I would try and emulate him. But that is not the real long-term issue. The danger is psychological. Just think of the message such an incident sends to any future textbook writers. You cannot blame them for looking at every passage, every image, every drawing, to ensure they have eliminated the possibility of giving rise to any offence to any group that may exist then or in the future. The worst form of censorship is the one that lies in the mind of the author. In any case, a text pruned of the possibility of misreading is a text devoid of any interest and substance.

Finally, the danger is not that loud voices of identity politics will triumph through brute parliamentary majority. The real danger is that any such "triumph" may be counterproductive. This incident might end up damaging Dalit politics in more ways than one. It is not just that the Dalit-bahujan leaders have lived up to their worst stereotypes in the mainstream media and reinforced the prejudices of the chattering classes. Unfortunately, the shrill pitch of the parliamentary debate and its echoes in the media may have already created an insult for Babasaheb that was never inflicted, let alone intended. The censorship that the Dalit leadership and its loyal intellectuals demand today could end up deifying Ambedkar into an empty symbol, worse than any caricature.

 This article was published in The Indian Express on May 14, 2012.; www.indianexpress.com

Archived from Communalism Combat, June 2012.Year 18,No.166 – Controversy

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