QBullet: WB-Assam Polls Begin, Indians in Panama Papers, and More

The day’s top news and views in one place.

West Bengal will have elections spread over six phases starting today. (Photo: PTI)

1. Assembly Polls Begin in West Bengal, Assam

The first phase of crucial assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam will be held on Monday with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee facing a tough fight from Left-Congress combine and Tarun Gogoi of Congress striving hard to retain power in the key north eastern state.

Eighteen constituencies in West Bengal and 65 in Assam will go to polls in the over a month-long election process to elect new governments in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.

While West Bengal will have elections spread over six phases, the Assam polls will be held in two phases. In West Bengal, elections will be held on seven dates with the first phase having two polling days – the other being on 11 April.

Also Read:
Assam Polls: Moneybags, Criminals, and Some Surprises
West Bengal Polls: The Quint’s Low-Down on Phase 1

Follow all the top Assembly Election stories and live updates here.

2. Indians in Panama Papers list: Amitabh Bachchan, KP Singh, Aishwarya Rai, Iqbal Mirchi, Adani Elder Brother

(Photo Courtesy: The Indian Express)

The biggest leak of over 11 million documents of a Panaman law firm features over 500 Indians linked to offshore firms, finds 8-month investigation by a team of The Indian Express.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalism, a non-profit organisation based in Washington, said the cache records detailed the offshore holdings of a dozen current and former world leaders, as well as businessmen, criminals, celebrities and sports stars.

In India, the names include - film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to corporates including DLF owner KP Singh and nine members of his family, the promoters of Apollo Tyres and Indiabulls to Gautam Adani’s elder brother Vinod Adani, two politicians including Shishir Bajoria from West Bengal and Anurag Kejriwal, the former chief of the Delhi unit of Loksatta Party.

According to the reports, leaked records show individuals who “have paid the firm — and bought the benefits of the secretive, lax regulatory system in which it operates — to set up offshore entities in tax havens around the world.”

Also Read: Panama Papers explained – They went looking for secrecy and an identity mask

3. Over 60 Financial Giants Line Up to Partner With India Post

(Photo Courtesy: www.indiapost.gov.in)

Global financial firms Barclays, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Western Union, Visa and Indian banks like State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank have queued up to partner with the payments bank arm of the country’s postal department, The Times of India reports. The total number banks looking to tie-up with India Post is over 60.

There are nearly 1.5 lakh post offices across the country, 1.3 lakh in rural India. A modernisation drive across these branches and rollout of core banking solutions and ATMs has attracted the attention of the big boys of the financial world looking at opportunities in banking, MFs, insurance and money transfer.

The interest in partnerships, according to The Times of India report, comes against the backdrop of the success that India Post has achieved after tying up with over 800 e-commerce companies, including Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon

4. Over 22 Delhi University Colleges Running Without Principals

Over 22 out of 77 colleges in Delhi University are running without a permanent principal, irking the varsity’s teachers’ association which has been demanding streamlining of the appointment process.

The colleges which are operating without a permanent principal include prestigious institutions such as Hindu College, Sri Ram College of Commerce, Kirorimal College and Kamla Nehru College, which are either being supervised by an acting principal or an officer on special duty (OSD).

University of Delhi Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh (Photo Courtesy: Facebook.com/UniversityofDelhi)

Delhi University authorities say that the process of appointment of principals has been set in motion and the delay has been caused due to the “transition” following the retirement of Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh and taking over by the new incumbent Yogesh Tyagi.

Read the details here.

5. 27 UP Cops Convicted of Killing Sikh Pilgrims in 1991 Go Missing

On Friday, a CBI court convicted 47 UP policemen in a fake encounter in Pilibhit in 12 July 1991, involving 11 Sikh pilgrims.

They were supposed to be sentenced on Monday. However, 27 of those 47 policemen have gone missing. Sources tell The Times of India that “many of these cops have disappeared after taking long leaves. Others who had retired from service during the 25-year-long trial have gone underground.”

On 12 July 1991 a group of Sikh pilgrims was returning by bus after visiting Nanakmatha, Patna Sahib, Huzur Sahib and other holy places. The police intercepted the bus near a bridge at Kachhalaghat in Pilibhit at around 11 am. Eleven Sikhs were forced to step down from the bus. Later, they were killed allegedly in an encounter. It was said that they were terrorists and had fired on cops, a claim found incorrect during investigations.

6. Where Cattle Traders are Running Scared

In Latehar, if you have a cow and you are a Muslim you are automatically suspected of smuggling them, or worse - killing them, The Telegraph quotes community members.

The bodies of the Muslim traders who were hanged. (Photo Courtesy: Greater Kashmir)

Following the horrific incident involving the torture and hanging of tho cattle traders in Jharkhand, including a 14-year-old boy, cattle rearing has become a scary affair for the locals.

“If you take cattle out at night, it sends out a wrong message... They take cattle only through Muslim villages to avoid disturbances, not through normal routes. This is also an ill motive,” said Balumath revenue circle officer DK Thakur, who failed in his efforts to convince the families to accept the state government’s immediate compensation offer of Rs 1 lakh and meet the Chief Minister in Ranchi.

7. Opinion | When Less is Not More: SY Quraishi

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion that elections to the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and local bodies should be held simultaneously, former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi writes,

Voters queue outside a poll booth in Bihar. (Photo: Reuters)

Frequent elections have some benefits too. One, politicians, who tend to forget voters after the elections for five years have to return to them. This enhances accountability, keeps them on their toes. Two, elections give a boost to the economy at the grassroots level, creating work opportunities for lakhs of people. Three, there are some environmental benefits also that flow out of the rigorous enforcement of public discipline like non-defacement of private and public property, noise and air pollution, ban on plastics, etc. “Let EC Raj continue” was one headline in a Punjab paper. And one national newspaper from the south carried letters to the editor for one week after the 2011 election in Tamil Nadu, expressing appreciation for the quality of life during the MCC days! 

To implement PM Modi’s suggestion. Quraishi recommends “…putting a cap on political party expenditure and state-funding of political parties (not elections), with a simultaneous ban on all private, especially corporate, funds.”

Read his take here.

8. Opinion | Next Door Nepal – Symbolic, not Substantive: Yubaraj Ghimire

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the former’s visit to India. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@narendramodi)

The five-month long blockade Nepal suffered after promulgating its constitution and India’s visible international isolation apparently contributed to Kathmandu looking the other way - China - writes senior Nepalese journalist Yubaraj Ghimire in his
Indian Express column.

What Oli has “achieved” in China is more “symbolic” than substantive in the context of Nepal-India relations, but he cannot afford to ignore China’s suggestion of political stability. India can still return to its previous acceptability in Nepal by encouraging Nepali actors to pragmatically review the situation and take corrective action. Any delay would prove counter-productive for India’s image.

Read his take here.

9. Opinion | Assembly Elections 2016 – For Whom The Bell Tolls: Ashok Malik

As voting begins for Assam and West Bengal, with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry not too far behind, senior journalist Ashok Malik writes,

What would the national parties hope to gain from these elections? For BJP, a victory in Assam and a forceful performance in Kerala are priorities. If Mamata wins in Kolkata ­ and more importantly, CPM-Congress lose ­ and if Jayalalithaa comes back in Chennai, it will add to the Narendra Modi government’s hopes for deals in Parliament. This could also provoke another attempt to have the Goods and Services Tax constitutional amendment passed this summer.

Read his take here.

From The Quint:

• Mehbooba Mufti’s Journey from Foot Soldier to J&K Chief Minister
  
• Modi in Saudi: Selfies and Agreement on Exchange of Intelligence
  
• Assam Polls: What’s Brewing Amongst the Tea Tribes of the State