Politics

New leader !

THE last few days have seen a lot of rumblings about leadership change in the Opposition camp -- which actually does not surprise any political observer or even common people. Thanks to Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s massive under-performance and lop-sided thinking, the talk of change in the name at the helm was only a natural consequence. That talk is now zeroing in on the name of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, the feisty chief of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Chief Minister of West Bengal. Even as Opposition leaders ..

New Mah CM to take oath on

THE new MahaYuti Government in Maharashtra will be sworn in at Azad Maidan here on the evening of December 5 in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence , the State BJP announced on Saturday. While there was no announcement yet on who would be the Chief Minister, BJP sources said Devendra Fadnavis, who has been Chief Minister twice and was Deputy CM in the last Eknath Shinde-led Government, was the front-runner for the top post. Shinde, who is holding the charge as caretaker Chief Minister and who ..

Won’t be a hurdle Shinde says, will back BJP’s decision on CM

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said, he will “fully support” BJP leadership’s decision to name the next CM, adding that he won’t be a hurdle in the process. Shinde’s announcement makes the decks clear for the BJP to name Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister for the third time, a senior BJP leader said. “I called PM Modi yesterday and also Amit Shah and told them to decide (on who will be the CM post), and assured them that I will abide by whatever decision they take,” Shinde ..

Sule should apologise for fielding Yugendra against Ajit Pawar: NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday said NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule should apologise for her party fielding Yugendra Pawar against his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the Baramati Assembly seat. NCP President Ajit Pawar won from his traditional Baramati constituency, defeating his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra by more than one lakh votes. The high-stakes contest was seen as a battle between the 65-year-old politician and his uncle, Sharad Pawar (83). Talking to reporters, ..

Voting on Nov 20 Campaigning endsin Mah, J’khand

THE election campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls ended on Monday, with the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine hoping for a strong comeback. Polling will be held in all the 288 Assembly seats on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23. The election campaign saw prominent leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and many Union Ministers crisscrossing the state to garner votes for their ..

Eknath Khadseannouncesretirement fromelectoral politics

A VETERAN NCP-SP leader Eknath Khadse, who quit BJP in 2020 blaming the leadership for his neglect, on Monday announced his retirement from electoral politics citing health issues. However, in an emotional appeal to the voters from Muktainagar Assembly seat in Maharashtra, Khadse, who was all set for his ‘ghar wapsi’ to BJP but dropped the idea due to lack of formal offer, urged the voters to elect his daughter and NCP-SP nominee Rohini Khadse, who is pitted against the Shiv Sena candidate Chandrakant ..

Will not allow ‘vote jihad’ in Mah polls: Nilesh Rane

MAHARASHTRA BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has said he will ensure “vote jihad” does not happen in the upcoming State Assembly polls and maintained he was not afraid of the multiple FIRs pertaining to hate speeches registered against him. In an interview to PTI, Rane, who is the BJP’s nominee from Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district, asserted he has “not done anything wrong” by taking the side of his “dharma” or community. “I am going to be mentioned as a Hindu on my birth and death certificate. If I am being ..

Mah Assembly elections Mahayuti will get over 175 seats, I willwin by over one lakh votes: Ajit Pawar

WITH campaigningin full swing ahead of Maharashtra Assemblyelections, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has exuded confidence in the victory of the Mahayuti alliance with over 175 seats in the 288- member State Legislature. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP candidate from Baramati Assembly constituencysaid,“Mahayutiwillget more than 175 seats and in Baramati, I will win with a margin ofmore than onelakhvotes.” Maharashtrawill go topollson November 20 with votes being counted on November 23. ..

BJP promises strict anti-conversionlaw, skill census in Mah

THE BJP on Sunday promised to enact ananti conversion law with stringent provisions in Maharashtra, and also assured a skill census for training as per industry needs as well as free ration to low-income families. Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled in Mumbai the 25-point ‘Sankalp Patra 2024’, as per which the financial assistance component under the Mahayuti Government’s Ladki Bahin scheme for women will be increased from Rs 1,500 per month to Rs 2,100...

MVA promises caste census, six cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 each

THE Opposition MVA on Sunday released its manifesto for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, promising free cervical cancer vaccines for girls aged 9 to 16 and two optional leave days for women employees during menstruation. The manifesto, titled ‘Maharashtranama’, also assured a castebased census, establishment of a separate department for the empowerment of selfhelp groups, formation of a dedicated ministry for child welfare, and six cooking gas cylinders every year at Rs 500 each to women. It also promised ..

Like UP, bring BJP topower in J’khand to‘bulldoze’ mafia, says Yogi

UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accusedtheJMM-ledcoalition in Jharkhand of “patronising” mafiaandurgedpeopletovote forBJPwhichwould“bulldoze” them. Adityanathalsoclaimedthat such actions were being taken against the mafia in his home State Uttar Pradesh. He also claimed thatitis the BJP that can “guarantee security and safety” to people...

Ajit Pawar to emerge as key player after Maharashtra polls: Nawab Malik

MAHARASHTRA Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar will emerge as a key player after the November 20 Assembly polls in the State, predicted former Minister Nawab Malik on Sunday. In an interview with PTI over the phone, the NCP candidate from Mumbai’s Mankhurd-Shivajinagar seat said the politics of ideology is over in Maharashtra and nobody knows who will side with which party. “There are even speculations that NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, will join ..

Rahul’s ‘guarantee card’ failed in Raj, C’garh; won’t work in Mah: Fadnavis

MAHARASHTRADeputyChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis onThursdaypooh-poohedthe Congress’ plan to come out with a ‘guarantee card’ ahead oftheStateAssemblyelections, and said the ploy failed in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Leader of Opposition in the LokSabhaRahulGandhiwould be releasing a ‘guarantee card’ containing theparty’s election promises,StateCongressleaders have said. “Rahul Gandhi’s guarantee card did not help Congress retain power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh,” Fadnavis told reporters here. ..

Mithun claims WB’s throne will be BJP’s after 2026 Assembly polls

ACTOR Mithun Chakraborty on Sunday asserted that the “masnad” (throne) of West Bengal will be of BJP after the 2026 Assembly elections in the state, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal. Chakraborty, who has received India’s highest film honour Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year, was felicitated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the inauguration of a membership drive of the BJP in West Bengal. Speaking at the programme at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) here, Chakraborty ..

Use ‘clock’ symbol in Maharashtra Assembly elections with disclaimer: SC to Ajit Pawar

THE Supreme Court on Thursday directed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to use the “clock” symbol in its publicity material in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections with a disclaimer that the matter was sub-judice before it. Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order on a plea filed by the rival Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction as it issued a notice to the Ajit Pawar-led faction. The top court on March 19 and April 4 had directed the Ajit Pawar-led faction ..

BJP’s 1st Mah list Retains 71 sitting MLAs in list of 99 nominees

THE BJP has retained 71 sitting MLAs in the first list of 99 candidates for the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls and also fielded kin of some regional satraps including Congress-turned-BJP politician Ashok Chavan’s daughter. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, ministers Girish Mahajan, Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Chandrakant Patil, are among the prominent faces feature in the first list released on Sunday. The list includes ..

Saini to take oath as Haryana CM today

NAYAB Singh Saini on Wednesday staked claim to form the next Government in Haryana, hours after he was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in the State. Saini will take oath as Chief Minister on Thursday, his second time. In a departure from tradition, the BJP had declared that Saini would remain Chief Minister if the party returned to power in Haryana after the assembly polls. At a meeting of newly-elected Haryana BJP MLAs in Panchkula, Saini was unanimously picked as the ..

Haryana, J&K Assembly polls counting today

POLITICAL parties and leaders wait with bated breath as the counting day approaches in Haryana, with the ruling BJP confident of retaining power for a third term, and the Congress, which is out of power for 10 years, more than hopeful of making a comeback when results are announced on Tuesday. Officials said all preparations, including security arrangements, have been completed for the counting process which begins at 8 am on October 8. Counting of votes for 90 Assembly constituencies will begin in ..

Campaigning forHaryana polls ends,voting tomorrow

THE high-octane campaign in Haryana for the October 5 Assembly polls came to an end Thursday evening as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to buck anti-incumbency to retain power for a third consecutive term and the Congress eyes a comeback after a decade-long hiatus. In an interesting development, senior BJP leader and former MP Ashok Tanwar joined the Congress at Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Mahendragarh district Thursday...

Cong holds meet ahead of key State polls

CONGRESS President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday held a meeting with all general secretaries, State unit chiefs and AICC State in-charges here as the party gets battle-ready for the upcoming round of Assembly polls. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, among others, were part of the meeting at the AICC headquarters here. Sources said the party chief took stock of the preparations for the upcoming polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand later ..

His 20 years in power will be remembered for wasted opportunities: Prashant Kishor attacks Nitish Kumar

POLITICAL strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Sunday charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his former mentor, with failure to secure tangible benefits for the State despite the BJP’s dependence on him to retain power at the Centre. Kishor alleged the JD(U) boss was fretting over his party’s share in the Union Council of Ministers and using his clout with the BJP to settle scores with detractors at the State level, instead of leveraging his position to rehabilitate the State industrially...

I.N.D.I.A. bloc to take call on approaching former partners today: Rahul

THE Lok Sabha poll outcome is a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it is his ‘political and moral defeat’, the Congress said on Tuesday while announcing it will consult the I.N.D.I.A. bloc allies on whether to approach old partners JD(U) and TDP for Government formation. Addressing a joint press conference at the Congress headquarters here along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi said the I.N.D.I.A bloc allies would ..

BJP returns to power in Arunachal Pradesh for third time in a row

THE BJP on Sunday returned to power in Arunachal Pradesh for the third time in a row, as the party won 46 seats in the 60-member Assembly and secured a majority, Election Commission officials said. Votes were counted for 50 Assembly segments for which elections were held in the northeastern State along with Lok Sabha polls on April 19. The rest 10 seats were won by the BJP uncontested. Of the 50 seats, the BJP secured 36 seats and Chief Minister Pema Khandu is one of the 10 candidates who won unopposed. ..

I.N.D.I.A. bloc to pick PM within 48 hrs: Jairam Ramesh

By Asim KamalNEW DELHI, THE I.N.D.I.A. bloc will get a “decisive mandate” in the Lok Sabha polls and may take even less than 48 hours to decide on its prime ministerial pick, Congress leader Jaira..

Modi first PM to ‘lower dignity’ of public discourse, says ex-PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI, IN A scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday accused him of lowering the dignity of public discourse and the gravity of the of..

JMM-led J’khand Govt patronising infiltrators: Modi

DUMKA, CLAIMING that the tribal population was decreasing in the Santhal Parganas because of infiltration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand of “..

Patliputra: Thrice unlucky Lalu Yadavfamily seeks to break jinx

By Nachiketa Narayan PATNA, THE RJD seeks to break the jinx in Bihar’s Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, covering rural areas around the State capital, which the party’s prove..

Will exclude agri equipments from GST ambit if voted to power: Kharge

AMRITSAR, CONGRESS National President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that if the I.N.D.I.A. bloc comes to power at the Centre, they will exclude agricultural equipment from the GST ambit. Add..

Clear wave in favour of I.N.D.I.A. bloc: Rahul

BAKHTIYARPUR, CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, if voted to power, would scrap the Agnipath scheme of recruitment in defence services and deposit Rs 8,500 to every..

PM’s ‘mujra’ remark is an ‘insult to Bihar’: Kharge

SASARAM (Bihar), CONGRESS President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ‘mujra’ remark against Opposition leaders and said that the latter “ins..

No progress in lives of people under BJP Govt: Priyanka

FATEHGARH SAHIB, CONGRESS leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, asking why there is no prosperity in the lives of people if the country’s economy is growing at a rapid..

BJP responsible for unemployment, graftin Haryana: Priyanka

SIRSA (Haryana), CONGRESS leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the BJP Government for “unemployment, corruption and inflation” in the Haryana. “There is a huge wave of Congress i..

Haryana Govt blocked Yamuna water supply to Delhi, alleges Atishi

NEW DELHI, DELHI Cabinet Minister Atishi on Wednesday alleged the BJP has hatched a “new conspiracy” to target AAP and through its Haryana Government has stopped water supply to the national..

He is my uncle and must be proud of me: Rohini vs Rudy

CHHAPRA, RASHTRIYA Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from the Saran Lok Sabha seat, Rohini Acharya on Monday, addressed her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opponent, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, as “uncle” and ..

Will deliver ‘Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee’ after June 4, Jairam

NEW DELHI, AS THE Siddaramaiah-led Government completed one year in office, the Congress on Monday said it has successfully implemented all guarantees made to the people of the State and when the I.N.D..

PM’s charge of budget allocation for Muslims foolish: Sharad Pawar

NASHIK, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Congress wanted to keep 15 per cent of the budget for Muslims is “foolish”, said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday, stressing that all..

A S Lovely, 4 others join BJP ... after quitting Cong

ARVINDER Singh Lovely, former Delhi Congress chief and Rajkumar Chauhan, a former Congress Minister, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in the capital on Saturday. Apart from Arvinder Lovely and Rajkumar, a couple of other known faces of the Delhi Congress unit including Naseeb Singh, Neeraj Basoya and Amit Malik joined the BJP on Saturday...

Revanna suspended from JD(S) over sex scandal

JD(S) on Tuesday suspended its Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna from the party with immediate effect over an alleged sex scandal involving him. The suspension came minutes after the party core committee that met in Hubballi recommended his suspension to its national president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who is also Revanna’s grandfather. “Videos of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna allegedly harassing women are widely in circulation on social media and media and this has caused huge embarrassment ..

MVA seals poll pact

THE Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Tuesday announced its seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha polls with the Shiv Sena (UBT) getting the major chunk of 21 seats, while the Congress will contest 17 and the NCP (SP) 10 seats. The Congress gave up its claim on the contentious Sangli and Bhiwandi seats, which will now be contested by the Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), respectively. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said there are no differences among the allies over any seat and the distribution arrangement ..

SC asks NCP factions to abide by order on use of poll symbol, party name

DAYS before the first vote for the Lok Sabha polls is cast, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the rival NCP factions led by party founder Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to abide by its directions on the use of symbols, party names and disclaimers in publicity material for the elections. On March 19, the top court had allowed the Sharad Pawar faction to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ as its name and ‘man blowing turha’ (a traditional trumpet also ..

Rahul Gandhi filesnomination fromKerala’s Wayanad

CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for upcoming elections from Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and other senior party leaders including AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Rahul submitted his nomination papers to the District Collector who is also the Returning Officer. After submitting the papers, he read out the oath to uphold the Constitution which concluded the submission process. Soon after filing papers, Rahul affirmed ..

Kharge launches Congress’ ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ initiative

AHEAD of the Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched the party’s ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ initiative here under which it aims to reach out to eight crore households across the country and make them aware of its “guarantees”. Kharge launched the initiative from Usmanpur, Kaithwada, in the North East Delhi Parliamentary Constituency and distributed pamphlets on the party’s ‘Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee’...

alliance on cards: Raj meets Amit Shah

MAHARASHTRA Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday in an indication that the BJP is looking to ally with him for the Lok Sabha polls to boost its alliance in the western State. Senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said in Mumbai that the talks on Lok Sabha polls between the two leaders were “positive”, and details will be shared in a day or two. The meeting drew sharp reactions from the Maha Vikas Aghadi camp, with the Congress accusing the BJP of “betraying” ..

Second list BJP names 72 candidates

THE Bharatiya Janata Party released the second list of Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday, consisting of 72 candidates, including three former Chief Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Basvaraj Bommai as well as four Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, and Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi. The BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the Karnal Lok Sabha seat. Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier resigned from the position of Haryana Chief Minister on Tuesday. In ..

Khattar quits, Nayab Saini new Haryana CM

HARYANA BJP chief Nayab Singh Saini was on Tuesday sworn in as State’s new Chief Minister, hours after the surprise resignation of Manohar Lal Khattar from the post along with his Cabinet ministers. Five MLAs -- four from the BJP and one independent -- were also sworn in as ministers. However, former Home Minister and six-term MLA from Ambala Cantt, Anil Vij, has not found a place in the new Cabinet. Saini, the 54-year-old OBC leader, was administered oath by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at the oath-taking ..

Nakul Nath from MP, Vaibhav Gehlot from Raj Gaurav Gogoi from Assam

THE Congress on Tuesday announced its second list of 43 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath once again from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara and Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav from Rajasthan’s Jalore. The party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi has been fielded from Assam’s Jorhat and Pradyut Bordoloi from Nagaon. Rahul Kaswan, who switched over from the BJP a few days ago, has been fielded from Churu in Rajasthan. The second list came a day after the Congress’ ..

Confusion Reigns supreme in MP’s pre-poll arena

THOSE who have watched Madhya Pradesh politics for the past fifty years would certainly testify that such a peculiar situation did not exist ever. For, this is one condition in which old loyalties are breaking down, new loyalties are in the making, certified loyalties are asserting themselves — and all this is only adding to a great ideological confusion that actually never characterised MP politics. Until today, lines of loyalty were pretty clearly drawn. Today, those lines are only a maze of ..

Sharad Pawar faction can use ‘NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar’ name till further orders: SC

THE Supreme Court on Monday directed that Election Commission’s order of February 7 granting name of ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ for the group led by Sharad Pawar will continue till further orders. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan sought response of Ajit Pawar-led faction on a plea of Sharad Pawar against the February 7 order of Election Commission recognising the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister-led group as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The bench ..

17 seats - SP’s offer to Congress in UP

THE Congress has been offered 17 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party said on Monday and asserted that its chief Akhilesh Yadav will join the Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Raebareli only if the proposal is accepted. “We have given a final offer of 17 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress. Akhilesh Yadav’s participation in the Nyay Yatra in Raebareli on Tuesday will depend on their acceptance,” Rajendra Chaudhary, the Samajwadi Party’s chief spokesperson, told PTI. He, however, ..

NEW JOURNEY RS POLLS Ex-Mah CM Ashok Chavan joins BJP

FORMER Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Tuesday made his political move by joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai, just a day after parting ways with the Congress. The 65-year-old Chavan was warmly welcomed into the BJP fold at the party’s Mumbai office in the presence of key figures, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Regarding his new phase in his political career, Chavan, who spent nearly four decadesin Congress, said today signifies the ..