POLITICS

Transfers of IAS officers in UP: Routine or political?

The UP government has transferred 12 District Magistrates (DMs) and 11 of them headed districts where BJP lost in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls. This has led to allegations of 'political vendetta' by the Opposition. The DMs of Sitapur, Banda, Basti, Shrawasti, Kaushambi, Sambhal, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Hathras Lok Sabha constituencies were transferred. In addition, the DMs of Kasganj, Chitrakoot, and Auraiya, which fall under the constituencies of Etah, Banda and Etawah, respectively, have also been changed. The BJP lost in all these constituencies except for Hathras.

Meeting between Nitish Kumar, ex-BJP leader stirs Jharkhand politics?

The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with one of his oldest friends Saryu Roy, a former BJP minister. Both Roy and Kumar are believed to be college friends. Despite fighting against the emergency together, both took different political routes. Kumar went with the Samajwadis while Saryu Roy aligned with the saffron party. Roy is credited with sending two former chief ministers - Lalu Yadav  and Madhu Koda to jail. But Roy is considered a defiant figure in politics. He criticised the then CM of BJP Raghubar Dasand did not miss an opportunity to criticise his own party. And now this meeting has caused stir in the Jharkhand politics. Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha polls are to be held soon.