#Bjp News Rajasthan

[hardinnews]

कोयला मंत्रालय के एक आधिकारिक बयान में कहा गया है कि pm Modi 300 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan की आधारशिला रखेंगे। परियोजना 1,756 करोड़ रुपये से अधिक के निवेश के साथ स्थापित की जा रही है। सरकारी संस्थाओं को सस्ती बिजली आपूर्ति सुनिश्चित करने के लिए। NLC India Limited , कोयला मंत्रालय के तहत एक अग्रणी नवरत्न सीपीएसई, नवीन नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा मंत्रालय की सीपीएसई योजना के हिस्से के रूप में, राजस्थान के बीकानेर जिले के बरसिंगसर में बिजली परियोजना स्थापित कर रहा है।

[mactionconsulting]

From Reforms to Results - The Power of Economic Policies in Steering India's Elections

Elections in India are a grand spectacle of democracy, characterized by vibrant campaigns, fervent public engagement, and, crucially, the influence of economic policies. The relationship between economic decisions made by ruling parties and their subsequent electoral outcomes is both complex and intriguing. As the 2024 India Poll is scheduled, we delve into how major economic policies have historically shaped the political landscape of India, influencing voter behavior and determining the fate of political parties.

For further reading please click on the link below :

https://maction.com/from-reforms-to-results-the-power-of-economic-policies-in-steering-indias-elections/

[newsmrl]

RAJASTHAN CM : भाजपा ने राजस्थान के CM के रूप में भजनलाल शर्मा को बिठा कर दिया कड़ा सन्देश, नहीं चलेगी अब राजशाही

JAIPUR : सोमवार को जिस समय मध्य प्रदेश में मोहन यादव को मुख्यमंत्री घोषित किया गया तो राजस्थान भाजपा के भीतरी गलियारों में एक नाम शुरू हुआ कि इस तरह तो हमारे भजनलाल शर्मा भी मुख्यमंत्री बन सकते हैं. तर्क दिया गया कि अब तक उत्तर भारत में भाजपा का कोई भी मुख्यमंत्री ब्राह्मण नहीं है. इस पर मुख्यमंत्री पद के कई दावेदारों के बहुत क़रीबी भी हँसने लगे. लेकिन सुबह होते-होते भजनलाल शर्मा का नाम सोशल…

[thenewsfactsnow]

Bhajanlal Sharma is Rajasthan CM, BJP's New Face for Heartland State

Bhajanlal Sharma the surprise choice as Rajasthan’s New Chief Minister in BJP’s Reshuffle of Heartland Leadership. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again taken a surprise turn by introducing fresh faces for key positions in the heartland states it commands. In a move that has caught many off guard, Bhajanlal Sharma has been named the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. What’s notable is…

[hardinnews0207]

राजस्थान भाजपा ने टिकट वितरण को लेकर राज्य इकाई में असंतोष की खबरों को ज्यादा तवज्जो नहीं दी

[newseee]

BJP woke up earlier..! Exercise on five state elections..!!

Bharatiya Janata Party woke up earlier this time. Generally, after receiving the notification of election for any state, the election committee of that party meets and takes decisions. But this time it did not happen. Sharpening strategies regardless of notification. The BJP election committee is reviewing the five state assembly elections to be held later this year. It is interesting to review the elections three months earlier than ever before. Doubts are arising whether it is fear of losing…precaution…

Assembly elections will be held in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram at the end of this year. Rest of Mizoram are key states. Currently BJP is in power only in Madhya Pradesh. In Mizoram it shared power with the Mizo National Front. However, in the background of the developments in Manipur, the relations between the Mizoram National Front and the BJP are at an end. BJP is determined to win all five of these elections. That is why election strategies are being sharpened three months in advance.

[mayapurimagazine]

PM Narendra Modi Biopic: पीएम नरेंद्र मोदी की बायोपिक में Amitabh Bachchan निभाएंगे उनका किरदार?

[newschakra]

द केरला स्टोरी : कर्नल राठौड़ का रिएक्शन, जैसा फिल्म में दिखाया किसी भी समुदाय और धर्म विशेष की बेटियों के साथ ना हो

सांसद कर्नल राठौड़ ने कोटपूतली के गोल्ड सिनेमा में करीब 700 महिलाओं व बालिकाओं को दिखाई ‘द केरला स्टोरी’ न्यूज़ चक्र, कोटपूतली। द केरला स्टोरी फिल्म सिनेमाहाल में दर्शकों के रोंगटे खड़े कर रही है। दर्शकों का कहना है कि सच्ची घटना पर आधारित यह फिल्म परिजनों व विधार्थियों को सोचने पर मजबूर करती है। इस फिल्म में समुदाय विशेष को दूसरे समुदाय की लड़कियों को टारगेट कर उन्हें लव जिहाद में फंसाकर…

[worldinyourpalm]

विरोध के बीच राजस्थान स्वास्थ्य का अधिकार विधेयक पारित करने वाला पहला राज्य बना | Rajsthan passes the first Right to Health Bill amidst demonstrations;

Source: th-i.thgim.com

अपेक्षित शुल्क या शुल्क के पूर्व भुगतान के बिना

निजी अस्पतालों और नर्सिंग होम के डॉक्टर और पैरामेडिकल स्टाफ इस विधेयक के खिलाफ यह कहते हुए आंदोलन कर रहे हैं कि इसके 'कठोर प्रावधान' निजी स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र का गला घोंट देंगे।

आंदोलनकारी निजी डॉक्टरों के कड़े विरोध के बीच, राजस्थान विधानसभा ने मंगलवार को सरकारी अस्पतालों और निजी तौर पर संचालित संस्थानों दोनों में राज्य के प्रत्येक निवासी के लिए अनिवार्य मुफ्त आपातकालीन उपचार के प्रावधान के साथ स्वास्थ्य का अधिकार विधेयक पारित किया। इसके साथ ही राजस्थान स्वास्थ्य के अधिकार का कानून बनाने वाला देश का पहला और एकमात्र राज्य बन गया है।

विधेयक, जिसे पिछले साल 22 सितंबर को विधानसभा में पेश किया गया था और बाद में एक प्रवर समिति को भेजा गया था, सदन में ध्वनि मत से पारित किया गया था। विधेयक राज्य के प्रत्येक निवासी को किसी भी सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य संस्थान, स्वास्थ्य देखभाल प्रतिष्ठान और नामित स्वास्थ्य देखभाल केंद्रों द्वारा "अपेक्षित शुल्क या शुल्क के पूर्व भुगतान के बिना" आपातकालीन उपचार देखभाल का अधिकार देता है।

आंदोलनकारी डॉक्टरों ने कहा

चिकित्सा एवं स्वास्थ्य मंत्री परसादी लाल मीणा ने विधेयक पर दो घंटे तक चली बहस के दौरान कहा कि जनता के हितों की रक्षा के लिए उठाया गया यह बड़ा कल्याणकारी कदम है। श्री मीणा ने कहा कि अगर कोई मरीज आपातकालीन देखभाल, स्थिरीकरण और रेफरल के बाद अपेक्षित शुल्क का भुगतान करने में असमर्थ रहता है तो राज्य सरकार स्वास्थ्य देखभाल प्रदाता को खर्च की प्रतिपूर्ति करेगी।

निजी अस्पतालों और नर्सिंग होम के डॉक्टर और पैरामेडिकल स्टाफ इस विधेयक का विरोध कर रहे हैं, उनका कहना है कि इसके "कठोर प्रावधान" निजी स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र का गला घोंट देंगे।

आंदोलनकारी डॉक्टरों ने कहा कि उनके द्वारा प्रवर समिति को सुझाए गए संशोधनों को लागू नहीं किया गया था और विधेयक ने आपातकाल को परिभाषित किए बिना मुफ्त उपचार प्रदान करना अनिवार्य कर दिया था......

[mactionconsulting]

The City and Village Vote - Cracking the Code on India's Urban-Rural Divide

As country readies 2024 India Poll Schedule for the massive General Elections, one key factor that political parties and analysts are keeping a close eye on is the difference in voting preferences between rural and urban areas. These two segments often have contrasting priorities, influences, and concerns that shape their voting choices in unique ways.

For further reading please click on the link below :

https://maction.com/the-city-and-village-vote-cracking-the-code-on-indias-urban-rural-divide/

[newspatron]

State Assembly Elections in India

If you are interested in learning more about the state assembly elections that are expected to take place in India by the end of 2023, you should read this article. Its a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the expected outcomes of the elections.

India, the world’s largest democracy, is gearing up for another round of state assembly elections in 2023. Five states, namely Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana, will go to the polls to elect their representatives and form their governments. These elections are crucial not only for the states themselves, but also for the national political scenario, as they will…

[newsmrl]

INDIA ELECTION 2023- राजस्थान में कौन बनेगा मुख्यमंत्री, जानिए सभी दावेदारों की भूमिका

JAIPUR: 199 विधानसभा ��ीटों पर हुए चुनाव में बीजेपी को 115 सीटों पर जीत मिली है. यानी बीजेपी ने स्पष्ट बहुमत हासिल कर लिया है. कांग्रेस को 69 सीटों पर जीत मिली है. कांग्रेस के मौजूदा मुख्यमंत्री अशोक गहलोत ने हार मान ली है और उन्होंने राज्यपाल को अपना इस्तीफ़ा सौंप दिया है. कहा जा रहा है कि राजस्थान में बीजेपी की चुनावी जीत में इसके दिग्गज नेताओं की ख़ासी भूमिका रही है. हालांकि बीजेपी ने किसी को…

[chillyarticles94]

How Rajasthan political crisis robs Congress of claims about Bharat Jodo Yatra | IndiaNews

How Rajasthan political crisis robs Congress of claims about Bharat Jodo Yatra | IndiaNews

NEW DELHI: Soon after the Congress‘s Bharat Jodo Yatra was launched on September 7, the party has been accusing its rival BJP of “headline management” in a bid to divert the people’s attention from the ambitious programme. However, the political crisis in Rajasthan following the defiance by MLAs loyal to chief minister Ashok Gehlot has robbed the party of this accusation. The Congress launched…

[kuch-toh-garbad-hai-daya]

Indian Elections (Part 2)

Part 2 of the result and campaign opinions is here!

I know I said that Rajasthan was Congress's biggest comeback, well I take it back because INDIA alliance won in Maharashtra with Congress getting 13 seats, Shiv Sena (og one) with 9 and NCP (again, og one) with 8. With BJP getting 9 seats, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde one) and NCP (new one) getting 7 and 1 seats respectively, NDA lost 28 of its seats. And honestly, what a banger. Sharad Pawar probably deserves credit for this, that man is a shrewd politician. Also, the Congressi responsible for campaigning in Maharashtra also deserves credit, because Congress performed well and beyond the expectations here.

Tamil Nadu my beloved. Major INDIA sweep! DMK (22) and Congress (9) while BJP remained on the zero mark. As expected of the Tamil public. Everyone say thank you to DMK's campaign and BJP's incompetency to get the Tamilians on their side.

Chhattisgarh is an almost BJP sweep, with BJP getting 10 and Congress getting 1. Expected for Congress, given the Vidhaan Sabha results last year.

Another almost BJP (25) sweep is Gujarat, again, as expected. It is, after all BJP's garh, as my mother calls it. Very heavy campaign that paid off for BJP. Hats off to the Congressi who won 1 seat, probably worked very hard on his own.

Things get tricky in Karnataka, where BJP won with 17 seats and Congress got 9. Again, not much familiar with Karnataka politics, but BJP did lose 8 of its seats, so I guess a part of the public is losing trust in the government but it's not a majority yet. A Rajasthan like situation.

TDP shines in Andhra Pradesh with 16 seats, BJP with 4. Congress remained on its zero mark. Chandrababu Naidu come to the INDIA bloc you can be deputy PM

Congress (14), Muslim League (2) and CPIM (1) lead INDIA alliance to an almost sweep in Kerala, BJP getting 1 seat. I'm so glad that Shashi Tharoor won from Thiruvananthapuram, he is a delight to watch.

Things are perfectly balanced as all things should be in Telangana, with both Congress and BJP winning 8 seats each. I guess the public has major divide on issues and opinions.

That's it for this part, I thought this will be done in 2 parts, but guess not.

[cyndaquillt]

I'm sorry to bother you but all the elections stuff is really confusing me and i don't know what's happening

I'm not at the age of voting but will be by the time of the next elections

Again sorry to be a bother

Not a bother at all! And good on you for wanting to learn about this stuff already! The more informed you are by the time you are of voting age, the more informed of a decision you can make 🙂

Full disclosure, I'm not a social scientist or anything, just an average Indian citizen/voter with some academic expertise (not in this field). If someone reading all this finds something wrong, please feel free to point it out, preferably politely.

TL;DR : Indian parliamentary system is built to thrive on diverse viewpoints representative of its people. An attempt to smooth out dissensions and differences without healthy discussion goes against a democratic system. What we are happy about this week is election of a healthy opposition and a coalition that has the potential of keeping power concentration into one hands in check.

This is a bit of an expansive topic but I'm gonna break down certain key terms that you're gonna hear a lot in the news or other election commentary in the next few days. I'm not sure how much of a background knowledge you already have, so this is super long and detailed. Sorry about that in advance! Take your time reading this, or use it as a reference. Up to you! Follow up questions are more than welcome.

The Indian Parliament: The Indian Parliament is split into two houses, the Lower House or the Lok Sabha/House of the People, and the Upper House or the Rajya Sabha/Council of States. Lok Sabha members are appointed through elections while Rajya Sabha members are selected by the State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabha) and the President. When a new law is proposed as a bill or an ammendment to the constitution is proposed, it must pass through BOTH the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha: Lok Sabha has a total of 543 seats, representing 543 electoral constituencies throughout the country. Note that these 543 constituencies aren't exactly based on existing district divisions (eg: The Ayodhya district in UP is in the Faizabad constituency). Constituencies are split by population density. This means a region with more people will have more seats/stronger voice in the Lok Sabha. As a result, the largest state by area, Rajasthan has 25 seats in the Lok Sabha, while the most densely populated state of Uttar Pradesh has 80 seats in the Lok Sabha despite being the 4th largest state in the country. Also means if a political party bags UP, it gives them a huge leg up in winning Lok Sabha elections. To form a government, a political party or a group of political parties (a coalition) needs to have majority in the Lok Sabha. This mean winning over 272 seats or in other words, winning majority votes in 272 or more constituencies. Lok Sabha elections happen every 5 years, and the one that just happened, was a Lok Sabha election.

Important parties and alliances to keep in mind while parsing the news and comments are :

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP): The ruling party that formed the government in the past two Lok Sabha terms (10 years). Note that in the 2014 and 2019 elections, BJP won a majority without forming an alliance with any other party. BJP's core politics are right-wing, which typically translates to capitalism, socially conservative, and maintaining class hierarchy as a form of order and structure in society.

Indian National Congress (INC or Congress): The main opposition party against the BJP. Indian National Congress's politics are liberal/center. While their polities don't entirely dismantle class/caste divide, they don't entirely aim to privatize sectors or take capitalism as the end all be all.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA): BJP-led coalition that secured majority in Lok Sabha elections and will form the government for the upcoming election term.

Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA): Congress led coalition which didn't get the majority, but did secure 232 out of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. Even though those that are part of the INDIA coalition won't be forming the government, they will be present in the Lok Sabha as the elected representative of their respective constituency to voice their opinion on any motion that passes through the Lok Sabha.

Janta Dal (United) or JD(U): A political party from Bihar led by Nitish Kumar. JD(U) is currently part of the NDA, however JD(U) joined NDA pretty much right before the elections. As a matter of fact, Nitish Kumar has a tendency to switch sides depending on what he thinks would ensure his power and position. In 2014, when it became apparent that BJP was aiming for a Modi-led government and that Nitish, as someone who is not formally in BJP, didn't stand a chance of even being a cabinet minister, much less the Prime Minister, Nitish left NDA. However, back then, BJP managed to get a clear majority and Nitish's pullback didn't have weight. However, with JD(U) winning 12 seats in this election and BJP having to rely on a coalition government, Nitish's pullback has weight. At the time of writing this, word on the street is Nitish is sticking with the NDA and has made demands for 2 cabinets being handed over to JD(U) (See below cut for info on what is a cabinet).

Telugu Desam Party or TDP: Led by Chandrababu Naidu, TDP is a party with a stronghold in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Currently also in the NDA coalition, TDP managed to win 16 seats in Andhra Pradesh. While Chandrababu Naidu isn't as much of a flip-flopper as Nitish, he has been fairly outspoken against the Modi government in the past. That being said, word on the street is also that Naidu garu may have been offered the position of the Lok Sabha Speaker (as in the person who mediates Lok Sabha discussions) and to also assign 2 cabinet berths to TDP in exchange for their continued support of NDA.

Other notable parties and names:

- DMK : Won 22 seats in Tamil Nadu. Is in the INDIA coalition/opposition. Led by M. K. Stalin.

- AITC or TMC: Won 29 seats in West Bengal. Is in the INDIA coalition/opposition. Led by Mamata Banerjee.

- SP : Won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Is in the INDIA coalition/opposition. Led by Akhilesh Yadav.

All in all, the Indian parliamentary system allows for diverse voices and points of view to be a part of the discussion regarding national policies and lawmaking, even if the said voice doesn't make the ruling government. Something also to keep in mind about Indian politicians specifically is that they rarely think about public welfare and rather prioritize their personal hold on power. None of them are above the other when it comes to scheming on how to maintain power and these schemes often involve tactics to deflect their accountability towards the people.

In its decade long term, BJP as a ruling party has invested on multiple levels to maintain a one-man stronghold. I want to keep this answer objective and won't comment on any specific ruling. However, know that a one-man stronghold and a weak opposition defeats the purpose of the parliament and the constituencies. What most people are celebrating today is having a healthy opposition in place in addition to a coalition which would be a sort of check against power being concentrated into one person's hand.

When you vote in the next election, keep in mind that Indian politicians aren't like bands or artists you should root for. What you will be electing them to are positions of public service. Their priority is power and YOUR vote helps them have that. You are not answerable for their loss, THEY are answerable to YOU.

Also whoever you elect to the Lok Sabha is among the candidates in your constituency. A random schmuck from South Delhi who voted for BJP didn't vote for Modi, they voted for Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the BJP candidate running from South Delhi. You could make the argument 'they voted for Modi Sarkar!' but the real, flesh and blood person that vote put in the parliament was not Narendra Modi, it was Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. Only people in Varanasi could vote directly for Modi because he contested from there. Had Modi lost the Varanasi seat, he wouldn't have been a member of the Lok Sabha. In which case, even if BJP or NDA made the government, Modi would have to become a part of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha in the next six months to be chosen as the Prime Minister. Long story short, learn more about the constituency you are in, the candidates and parties in that constituency, the demographic of your community, the problems it faces, and in light of all of that, who is the best candidate to represent your community's voice in the Lok Sabha.

Adding an additional note cabinets, but I think that's a little tangential so it's under the cut. Again, follow up questions more than welcome. Hope this helps you make some sense of the mess that is Indian electoral politics!

Cabinets and Socialism: A Cabinet Minister assumes leadership of one of the 53 ministries within the government. Most countries around the world, regardless of their government system, have a similar structure. Though, I do want to point out that India is a Socialist Republic. What this means, is that there are entire sectors that are folded into a centralized, government funded cabinet as opposed to a third party, like a private company, being responsible for it. Indian Railways are a great example for this. From literally manufacturing trains to operating railway stations to laying down rail lines to issuing tickets, the Ministry of Railway is responsible for all of it. While Indian Railways do have subdivisions to handle different aspects, the Minister of Railways is in-charge of the management of ALL of those subdivisions. There are also sectors like Aviation or Telecom where while the government doesn't own ALL airlines or telecom companies, the government does have it's own public funded unit (Air India in case of aviation and BSNL and MTNL in case of Telecom) and there are cabinet ministers who oversee the management of these units in addition to laying out guidelines and regulations which the entire sector has to follow.

Socialist structures with their govt centralized system help regulate cost and keep cost inflation in check because the purpose of a cabinet that runs on government money is public service, not profit margin (eg: general compartment train tickets are affordable and have been affordable for a long time). In the meantime, privatization of sectors may increase efficiency of a service (eg: Ministry of External Affairs outsourcing passport services to TCS has been a huge success), it may also drive cost inflation, unless checked on by the ministry responsible for the third party contract. We will find out who in the NDA will lead which cabinet on June 8.

[techno-99]

Narendra Modi Story

Narendra Modi (born September 17, 1950, Vadnagar, India) Indian politician and government official who rose to become a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2014 he led his party to victory in elections to the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament), after which he was sworn in as prime minister of India. Prior to that he had served (2001–14) as chief minister (head of government) of Gujarat state in western India.

After a vigorous campaign—in which Modi portrayed himself as a pragmatic candidate who could turn around India’s underperforming economy—he and the party were victorious, with the BJP winning a clear majority of seats in the chamber. Modi was sworn in as prime minister on May 26, 2014. Soon after he took office, his government embarked on several reforms, including campaigns to improve India’s transportation infrastructure and to liberalize rules on direct foreign investment in the country. Modi scored two significant diplomatic achievements early in his term. In mid-September he hosted a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time a Chinese leader had been to India in eight years. At the end of that month, having been granted a U.S. visa, Modi made a highly successful visit to New York City, which included a meeting with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama.

As prime minister, Modi oversaw a promotion of Hindu culture and the implementation of economic reforms. The government undertook measures that would broadly appeal to Hindus, such as its attempt to ban the sale of cows for slaughter. The economic reforms were sweeping, introducing structural changes—and temporary disruptions—that could be felt nationwide. Among the most far-reaching was the demonetization and replacement of 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes with only a few hours’ notice. The purpose was to stop “black money”—cash used for illicit activities—by making it difficult to exchange large sums of cash. The following year the government centralized the consumption tax system by introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which superseded a confusing system of local consumption taxes and eliminated the problem of cascading tax. GDP growth slowed from these changes, though growth had already been high (8.2 percent in 2015), and the reforms succeeded in expanding the government’s tax base. Still, rising costs of living and increasing unemployment disappointed many as grandiose promises of economic growth remained unfulfilled.

This disappointment registered with voters during the elections in five states in late 2018. The BJP lost in all five states, including the BJP strongholds of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. The rival Indian National Congress (Congress Party) won more state assembly seats than the BJP in all five elections. Many observers believed that this portended bad news for Modi and the BJP in the national elections set for the spring of 2019, but others believed that Modi’s charisma would excite the voters. Moreover, a security crisis in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019, which escalated tensions with Pakistan to the highest point in decades, boosted Modi’s image just months before the election. With the BJP dominating the airwaves during the campaign—in contrast to the lacklustre campaign of Rahul Gandhi and Congress—the BJP was returned to power, and Modi became India’s first prime minister outside of the Congress Party to be reelected after a full term.

In his second term Modi’s government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, stripping it of autonomy in October 2019 and bringing it under the direct control of the union government. The move came under intense criticism and faced challenges in court, not only for the questionable legality of depriving Jammu and Kashmir’s residents of self-determination but also because the government severely restricted communications and movement within the region.

In March 2020, meanwhile, Modi took decisive action to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in India, swiftly implementing strict nationwide restrictions to mitigate the spread while the country’s biotechnology firms became key players in the race to develop and deliver vaccines worldwide. As part of the effort to counter the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi undertook executive action in June to liberalize the agricultural sector, a move that was codified into law in September. Many feared that the reforms would make farmers vulnerable to exploitation, however, and protesters took to the streets in opposition to the new laws. Beginning in November, massive protests were organized and became a regular disruption, particularly in Delhi.

Modi’s policies backfired in 2021. Protests escalated (culminating in the storming of the Red Fort in January), and extraordinary restrictions and crackdowns by the government failed to suppress them. Meanwhile, despite the remarkably low spread of COVID-19 in January and February, by late April a rapid surge of cases caused by the new Delta variant had overwhelmed the country’s health care system. Modi, who had held massive political rallies ahead of state elections in March and April, was criticized for neglecting the surge. The BJP ultimately lost the election in a key battleground state despite heavy campaigning. In November, as protests continued and another set of state elections approached, Modi announced that the government would repeal the agricultural reforms.