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Kumar Uttam

Kumar Uttam covers politics and public affairs. He has been a journalist for 15 years.

Articles by Kumar Uttam

Lok Sabha election results 2019: Behind BJP’s Bengal inroads, months of planning, silent toil

As the end of the counting of votes, the BJP had won 18 seats with a vote share of 40.23%, improving its 2014 performance of two seats and 17% vote share. Trinamool’s tally is down to 22 seats from 34 in 2014.

A well thought out strategy, well-oiled party machinery and months of rigorous preparation stood the BJP in good stead in the election.(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 02:39 PM IST

ByKumar Uttam

Possible change of guard, strategy for 3 state polls on BJP’s agenda

After a thumping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) two next tasks are picking a new national president and turn its attention towards three crucial assembly elections later this year.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporter seen kissing a cut-out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they celebrate the party's lead on the counting day of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at BJP office, in Jaipur.(Himanshu Vyas / Hindustan Times)

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 07:41 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha election result 2019: ‘Nation first’ approach won the day

The airstrike appears to have been the turning point in shifting the focus to nationalism and national security from issues like farm distress and lack of jobs, which helped the Congress wrest power from the BJP in the three heartland key states.

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 07:38 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha election 2019: Irani beats Gandhi by 49K votes, Congress loses Amethi seat for first time since 1998

In New Delhi in the evening, Gandhi conceded defeat. “I would like to congratulate Smriti Irani for winning. Amethi has chosen her and I would want that she takes care of it with love and responsibility,” he said at a press conference.

Smriti Irani was defeated in Amethi in 2014. The 43-year-old leader bounced back to extract revenge on Thursday, defeating Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his pocket borough by more than 49103 votes at 10pm.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on May 24, 2019 12:54 AM IST

Lucknow/New Delhi | ByUmesh Raghuvanshi and Kumar Uttam

Lok Sabha election results 2019: GST, demonetisation had no impact on the ground

Even though the Congress and other Opposition parties raised the two issues throughout the campaign, the results show that they failed to reap any political benefit out of it.

The BJP’s performance in both urban and rural constituencies across the country prove that the 2016 invalidation of high-value banknotes and the 2017 introduction of GST did not have a negative impact on the party’s political prospects.(HT file photo)

elections

Updated on May 23, 2019 12:21 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Himachal CM Jairam Thakur banks on the Modi factor

“I have never seen such a response for any public leader. This election revolves around Narendra Modi,” Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur told HT in an interview.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur says he has set himself the task of winning all the four Lok Sabha seats in the state, and describes the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “party’s biggest weapon” ahead of polling on Sunday(Sanjeev Sharma/HT)

elections

Updated on May 17, 2019 08:28 AM IST

Shimla | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Will 2019 be the year of BJP’s rise in Bengal?

The BJP’s inability to find an electoral base in the “nationalist” state of Bengal has been a sore point for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates for decades.

The BJP and RSS affiliates did all they could to position themselves as the main challenger to Banerjee(PTI)

elections

Updated on May 13, 2019 07:20 AM IST

New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Wives of gangsters-turned-netas slug it out in Bihar’s Siwan

This is Sahab’s third bid to win the seat that her husband Mohammad Shahabuddin, a gangster-turned-politician, held for four terms until his conviction in a criminal case barred him from seeking re-election in 2009.

Siwan goes to the polls with these competing narratives, and trying to find a balance between nationalism and development, religion and caste.(PTI)

elections

Updated on May 11, 2019 09:37 AM IST

Siwan (Bihar) | ByKumar Uttam

‘Sceptical of Congress’s minimum income scheme’: NREGA architect

Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s promise of Nyay has found an unlikely sceptic -- Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, the Rashtriya Janata Dal veteran and former rural development minister who delivered the United Progressive Alliance’s flagship rural job scheme.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi(PTI file photo)

elections

Updated on May 09, 2019 08:05 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Vaishali | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Modi clocks nearly as many miles in 2019 as in 2014 polls

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: PM Modi has still, on average, managed to hold two rallies a day — comparable to his 2014 poll campaign. Indeed, on some days, he has conducted as many as three in different states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally at Bhatpara, in Barrackpore constituency, West Bengal, India, on Monday, April 29, 2019.(Samir Jana/HT Photo)

elections

Updated on May 08, 2019 12:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Will PM Modi’s ‘feel-good’ factor help BJP in re-election bid?

The BJP appears to be reaping a rich harvest from its schemes to provide toilets and housing in rural areas. The relative spread of public conveniences has brought about a behavioral change, and the “roof over head” mantra has struck a chord.

the corruption charges that the Opposition threw at him with its “chowkidar chor hai” slogan, have managed to get only a limited response in most parts. On the ground, Modi’s image remains his strongest draw.

elections

Updated on May 04, 2019 08:32 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Big infra push, no tough opponent a boost for PM’s bid

First, he is the prime minister who has a story to tell his voters. Varanasi is a changed city in five years. The overhead electricity wires are now underground, the ghats are clean, and the civic infrastructure has improved.

When he took over, Varanasi had been crumbling under its own weight. The big push he gave to infrastructure projects has left voters impressed.(PTI)

india news

Updated on May 02, 2019 12:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Varanasi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: PM sets 3 targets for workers, stresses ‘incumbency wave’

The three targets are: to ensure increased electoral participation of women; to reach out to firsttime voters; and to maintain civility in political discourse.

The results for all seven phases of the general election, which ends on May 19, will be declared on May 23.(HR Photo)

elections

Published on Apr 27, 2019 01:00 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | BySudhir Kumar and Kumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: PM Modi sets 3 targets for workers, stresses ‘incumbency wave’

Referring to the campaign model followed by the party in Gujarat, where Modi was the chief minister before he contested the 2014 general elections, he suggested that the BJP workers should personally reach out to families in their respective areas over the next few days and spend time with them.

The results for all seven phases of the general election, which ends on May 19, will be declared on May 23.(HT Photo)

elections

Updated on Apr 26, 2019 11:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Varanasi | BySudhir Kumar and Kumar Uttam

In home constituency, PM Modi’s show of strength

A day before he files his nomination papers for re-election, PM Modi on Thursday participated in a spectacular electoral roadshow attended by tens of thousands of supporters in his Lok Sabha constituency, culminating in the daily evening aarti on the banks of the Ganga.

elections

Updated on Apr 25, 2019 11:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Varanasi | BySudhir Kumar and Kumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: North Bengal, West UP could boost BJP’s national prospects

The BJP never got a foothold in Bengal, and even at the peak of its performance in 2014, it could win just two Lok Sabha seats, even though it got a respectable 17% of the vote share.

North Bengal and parts of west Uttar Pradesh are emerging as the bellwether regions for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ongoing parliamentary elections.(AFP)

elections

Updated on May 02, 2020 09:15 PM IST

New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Battle of nerves between Azam Khan, Jaya Prada

A nine-term legislator from Rampur, Azam Khan has a larger than life image among his supporters. His name evokes unmatched loyalty and an equally strong opposition among local people.

india news

Updated on Apr 20, 2019 07:16 AM IST

Rampur | ByKumar Uttam

Exclusive: ‘Modi’s leadership generates lot of hope,’ says Varun Gandhi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, 39, is contesting his third Lok Sabha election from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. He spoke to Hindustan Times about his party’s prospects and the challenges he faces as he seeks re-election.

elections

Updated on Apr 19, 2019 07:41 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: In new poll campaign slogan, BJP to pitch for continuity and development

“The new slogan will underline that much work remains to be completed, and there should be a continuity in the government,” a BJP leader said.

The slogan roughly translates as work must not stop, the nation must not bend.(Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

elections

Updated on Apr 16, 2019 11:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

BJP set to contest highest number of Lok Sabha seats in party history

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may end up contesting the highest number of Lok Sabha seats in its history, according to a party leader.

BJP supporters at PM Narendra Modi rally at Mirzapur in Varanasi, India, on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo by Arun Sharma/ Hindustan Times) Uttar Pradesh, Election, Rally, Polls, BJP, Congress, BSP, Campaign(Arun Sharma/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Apr 30, 2020 06:00 PM IST

New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

‘Possible for NDA to get three-fourths majority’: Rajnath Singh

In a wide-ranging interview to Kumar Uttam before the seven-phase elections kick off on Thursday, Singh spoke about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Ram temple promise, the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the BJP decision to exclude politicians aged 75 and above from its slate of candidates, among other issues.

The Ram temple issue is in court and the apex court has formed a team for negotiations, said Rajnath Singh during the interview.

elections

Updated on Apr 11, 2019 09:28 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: ‘Vultures, not brave count bodies’: Rajnath Singh jabs Congress over Balakot

Singh was reacting to recent remarks by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti that warned against the abrogation of Article 370 and annulment of Article 35A.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh(HT File)

elections

Updated on Apr 10, 2019 09:32 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByKumar Uttam

Rajnath Singh praises PM Modi for Balakot air strike

On February 26, the Indian Air Force had launched an attack on terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan, to avenge the Pulwama suicide bombing in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives.

Prime minister Narendra Modi with home minister Rajnath Singh.(Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

elections

Published on Apr 09, 2019 10:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Chandrapur/Amaravati | ByKumar Uttam

‘One mission, one direction’ is our mantra: PM Modi at BJP manifesto release for Lok Sabha polls

The ruling party promised pension for small and medium farmers and shopkeepers, days after the Congress vowed to bring about several welfare measures, including a grant of Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20% households in the country, if voted to power.

The party manifesto charted 75 milestones India @75 had to achieve, chief focus being on the farm sector, education, health and infrastructure. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

elections

Updated on Apr 29, 2020 12:56 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Grassroots expansion key to BJP’s ‘Mission Bengal’

The party lacked someone it could project as its face in the state. Its organizational structure was weak. And its cadre wasn’t motivated enough.

BJP’s general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, joint organisational secretary Shiv Prakash, Arvind Menon and Suresh Pujari played pivotal a role in building the party in West Bengal(ANI Photo)

elections

Published on Apr 07, 2019 07:05 AM IST

Siliguri (West Bengal) | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: NDA looks for repeat of 2014 performance against Oppn alliance

The BJP and its allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), won 31 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and others, during an election rally in Gaya, Bihar, on April 2.(HT File)

elections

Updated on Apr 06, 2019 10:58 AM IST

New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: PM Narendra Modi to interact with first-time voters

The event is likely to be held outside Delhi in the state capital of a major state. First-time voters elsewhere will be able to join the interaction at different locations through video conferencing.

The BJP launched a Pehla Vote Modi Ko (first vote to Modi) campaign to woo the first-time voters.(PTI)

elections

Updated on Apr 02, 2019 08:54 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Was not informed about change in seat: Giriraj Singh

Upset over the change of his constituency, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Bihar, Giriraj Singh, has claimed the state leadership did not take him into confidence before allotting him the Begusarai seat, instead of re-nominating him from Nawada.

india news

Updated on Mar 27, 2019 08:50 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Jaya Prada, actor-turned-politician, joins BJP

Jaya Prada said she was joining the BJP as she was impressed with the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jaya Prada joins BJP in New Delhi on Tuesday.(Mohd Zakir/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 26, 2019 04:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Jharkhand a battle of narratives and numbers in state

The political landscape of Jharkhand is laid out between these competing narratives. The mineral-rich state has 14 seats, out of which 12 went to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.

People at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Dhanbad.(HT File Photo)

elections

Updated on Mar 26, 2019 08:46 AM IST

New Delhi | ByKumar Uttam

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Kumar Uttam

Kumar Uttam covers politics and public affairs. He has been a journalist for 15 years.

As the end of the counting of votes, the BJP had won 18 seats with a vote share of 40.23%, improving its 2014 performance of two seats and 17% vote share. Trinamool’s tally is down to 22 seats from 34 in 2014.

After a thumping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) two next tasks are picking a new national president and turn its attention towards three crucial assembly elections later this year.

The airstrike appears to have been the turning point in shifting the focus to nationalism and national security from issues like farm distress and lack of jobs, which helped the Congress wrest power from the BJP in the three heartland key states.

In New Delhi in the evening, Gandhi conceded defeat. “I would like to congratulate Smriti Irani for winning. Amethi has chosen her and I would want that she takes care of it with love and responsibility,” he said at a press conference.

Even though the Congress and other Opposition parties raised the two issues throughout the campaign, the results show that they failed to reap any political benefit out of it.

“I have never seen such a response for any public leader. This election revolves around Narendra Modi,” Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur told HT in an interview.

The BJP’s inability to find an electoral base in the “nationalist” state of Bengal has been a sore point for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates for decades.

This is Sahab’s third bid to win the seat that her husband Mohammad Shahabuddin, a gangster-turned-politician, held for four terms until his conviction in a criminal case barred him from seeking re-election in 2009.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s promise of Nyay has found an unlikely sceptic -- Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, the Rashtriya Janata Dal veteran and former rural development minister who delivered the United Progressive Alliance’s flagship rural job scheme.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: PM Modi has still, on average, managed to hold two rallies a day — comparable to his 2014 poll campaign. Indeed, on some days, he has conducted as many as three in different states.

The BJP appears to be reaping a rich harvest from its schemes to provide toilets and housing in rural areas. The relative spread of public conveniences has brought about a behavioral change, and the “roof over head” mantra has struck a chord.

First, he is the prime minister who has a story to tell his voters. Varanasi is a changed city in five years. The overhead electricity wires are now underground, the ghats are clean, and the civic infrastructure has improved.

The three targets are: to ensure increased electoral participation of women; to reach out to firsttime voters; and to maintain civility in political discourse.

Referring to the campaign model followed by the party in Gujarat, where Modi was the chief minister before he contested the 2014 general elections, he suggested that the BJP workers should personally reach out to families in their respective areas over the next few days and spend time with them.

A day before he files his nomination papers for re-election, PM Modi on Thursday participated in a spectacular electoral roadshow attended by tens of thousands of supporters in his Lok Sabha constituency, culminating in the daily evening aarti on the banks of the Ganga.

The BJP never got a foothold in Bengal, and even at the peak of its performance in 2014, it could win just two Lok Sabha seats, even though it got a respectable 17% of the vote share.

A nine-term legislator from Rampur, Azam Khan has a larger than life image among his supporters. His name evokes unmatched loyalty and an equally strong opposition among local people.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, 39, is contesting his third Lok Sabha election from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. He spoke to Hindustan Times about his party’s prospects and the challenges he faces as he seeks re-election.

“The new slogan will underline that much work remains to be completed, and there should be a continuity in the government,” a BJP leader said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may end up contesting the highest number of Lok Sabha seats in its history, according to a party leader.

Singh was reacting to recent remarks by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti that warned against the abrogation of Article 370 and annulment of Article 35A.

On February 26, the Indian Air Force had launched an attack on terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan, to avenge the Pulwama suicide bombing in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost their lives.

The ruling party promised pension for small and medium farmers and shopkeepers, days after the Congress vowed to bring about several welfare measures, including a grant of Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20% households in the country, if voted to power.

The party lacked someone it could project as its face in the state. Its organizational structure was weak. And its cadre wasn’t motivated enough.

The BJP and its allies, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), won 31 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.

The event is likely to be held outside Delhi in the state capital of a major state. First-time voters elsewhere will be able to join the interaction at different locations through video conferencing.

Upset over the change of his constituency, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Bihar, Giriraj Singh, has claimed the state leadership did not take him into confidence before allotting him the Begusarai seat, instead of re-nominating him from Nawada.

Jaya Prada said she was joining the BJP as she was impressed with the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The political landscape of Jharkhand is laid out between these competing narratives. The mineral-rich state has 14 seats, out of which 12 went to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.

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