Jayalalithaa seeks huge central investment, assistance for Tamil Nadu
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa Tuesday presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi a memorandum listing projects and schemes involving central investment and assistance...
Congress, Trinamool fight for Siliguri mayor’s chair
By IANS,
Kolkata: The Congress and the Trinamool Congress, who are allies at the national level, are fighting for the mayor's seat in Siliguri with both sides Wednesday filing nominations for the post in the municipal corporation.
Both the parties laid claim to the mayor's chair after the Siliguri municipal polls resulted in a tie. They have 15 seats each.
The Congress won 15 seats and Trinamool 14 in the elections but Mamata Banerjee's party claimed the support of an independent candidate, Ranjan Sil Sharma, to equal the Congress number.
Left parties to go alone in Tamil Nadu
Chennai : Left with not much of an option, the two communist parties Thursday announced they were calling off their alliance with Tamil Nadu's...
Manmohan Singh cleanest man in Indian politics: Rahul Gandhi
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the cleanest man in Indian politics today.
Decision on Pillai, a governance issue: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress Wednesday said a decision on union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai is a "governance issue", after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna commented that Pillai's statement on the involvement of ISI in the 26/11 attack could have waited till after the talks with Pakistan.
"It is essentially a governance issue. If there has to be a reaction, it has to be from the government," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told IANS.
A few hundred votes made the difference in Andhra
By IANS,
Hyderabad : A few hundred votes made the difference between the winner and loser in a sizeable number of assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress party, which retained power with a comfortable majority of 157 in the 294-member assembly, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) won at least 20 seats with a majority of less than 1,000 votes.
‘Ambedkar was a national, not just Dalit, leader’
New Delhi : It is "grossly unfair" to describe B.R. Ambedkar as a Dalit leader, says a new biography, adding that the architect of...
Parliament witnesses adjournments over Naidu’s remark
New Delhi : Both houses of parliament witnessed brief adjournments Thursday as the opposition demanded an apology from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu...
Mamata to act if Trinamool members linked with chit funds
Howrah : Facing opposition ire over the multi-crore Saradha scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said she would take action if any...
Panchayats will be empowered soon: Omar
By IANS,
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared Friday that the newly elected panchayats will be empowered soon.
“Desh ko bachao”: AAP’s promise to the slums of Indore
By Vanya Mehta, TwoCircles.net,
Living in trash is not a condition kind to the human sensibility. In a slum in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in Javar Nagar bordering the wealthy enclave of Kathju Colony, a community of 250 families suffers, but not in silence.
Nitish rules out early elections
By IANS,
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday ruled out the possibility of early elections to the Lok Sabha.
‘Modi, a man mesmerised by own persona’ (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: How Modi Won It, Notes from 2014 Election; Author: Harish Khare; Publisher: Hachette India; Pages: 242; Price: Rs.599
Man is wise in hindsight. This is certainly true for journalists. Harish Khare, editor and commentator who was also media adviser to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, comes up with his own analysis of what went wrong with the Congress and how Narendra Modi simply crushed the Grand Old Party to lead the BJP to a historic Lok Sabha win.
High-flying Badal gives his security a nightmare
By Parminder Singh Bariana, IANS,
Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's high-flying visits across the state in a helicopter have become a security nightmare for those responsible for protecting him, officials say.
Repeated snags developed by the hired chopper in recent months have literally "grounded" the chief minister, forcing him to travel by road at the last minute.
Key Maharashtra Police post to combat terrorism downgraded
Mumbai: A key post created in the Maharashtra Police to combat terrorism and the Maoist menace in the state after the 26/11 Mumbai terror...
Meetings, wooing continue as countdown begins for trust vote
By IANS,
New Delhi : With the ruling and opposition parties counting each vote ahead of Tuesday's confidence motion in parliament, both sides were holding hectic parleys in the national capital Saturday to re-confirm the loyalty of their supporters and woo the fence sitters, who now hold the key to the government's survival.
Both sides are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their victory.
CBI quizzes Fernandes in Barak missile deal
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has quizzed former defence minister George Fernandes twice this month in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of Israeli Barak missiles in 2000.
The CBI had been planning to summon Fernandes for long, but could not due to his poor health, official sources said.
"Finally, Fernandes was questioned twice, at his home," a CBI official said.
110 million vote in India, BJP says it’s ‘Modi tsunami’ (National)
New Delhi : Nearly 110 million people peacefully voted Thursday in 117 Lok Sabha constituencies in 12 states in a staggered election that will...
Rahul Gandhi to hit poorest pockets of Chhattisgarh
By IANS,
Raipur : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is set to hit some of the poorest tribal pockets of Chhattisgarh for two days starting Friday. The trip will take him into areas that are considered Maoist strongholds.
More than 5,000 police personnel have been deployed in stretches of Surguja in the state's north and Bastar in the south to ensure a smooth show for 37-year-old Rahul.
The road show is part of his 'Discover India' tour' but comes ahead of assembly polls in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state in November.
Left Front allies blame corruption, policies for rout
By IANS,
Kolkata : Two Left Front allies Thursday blamed corruption and "wrong polices" of the West Bengal government for the combine's rout in the civic polls.
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Kshiti Goswami and West Bengal Socialist Party bigwig Kiranmoy Nanda, both cabinet ministers, also admitted that winds of change were sweeping the state.
"The mandate is in favour of change and that's why we have come up with this result. After staying in power for so many years there has been corruption in many sections of the Left Front," Goswami told IANS.
N-deal good for India, PM tells parliament amid din
By IANS
New Delhi : Amid strident cries of a sell out by a section of the opposition, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday assured parliament that the India-US civil nuclear pact is a "good deal for India and the world" and that it has not compromised India's strategic and national interests.
Azad predicts `disaster’ of NC, says party not to get more than 15 seats
Jammu, Dec 21 (NAK): Just ahead of the final phase of polling for Jammu and Kashmir assembly, former chief minister of the state and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the ongoing election has `unfortunately' proved `disastrous' for National Conference, which may not get more than 15 seats.
"Unfortunately the election is likely to burry National Conference as it failed to come up to the expectations during the first six phase", Azad said during an interview with a local cable TV network, here on Saturday.
Boost to Chiranjeevi as two veteran politicians join him
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam party, which had so far failed to attract veteran politicians from other parties, appears to have received a boost with two senior leaders of the Congress joining its ranks.
While P. Shiv Shankar joined Praja Rajyam Saturday, former union minister P. Upendra has decided to join the new party later this month.
Chiranjeevi hopes to leverage the vast experience of these two senior politicians, who have not been in the limelight for the last few years.
Kumaraswamy to contest from Bangalore Rural
By IANS,
Bangalore : Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) state unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy will contest from the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency while party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda will be in the fray from his home turf Hassan to retain the seat.
Releasing the party's first list of 16 candidates selected to contest in the state, Deve Gowda told reporters Friday that candidates from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) would be in the fray from Mangalore and Udupi seats respectively.
Polling hit in Haryana village as women told to show face
Gurgaon : Voting to the Haryana assembly was impacted Wednesday in a village as an official told women to show their faces, police said.
The...
High court upholds death penalty to 3 AIADMK men
By IANS
Chennai : The Madras High Court Thursday upheld the death penalty to three AIADMK men found guilty in an arson case in which three girl students were charred alive.
In February this year, First Additional Sessions Judge D. Krishnaraja of a lower court in Salem district convicted 28 AIADMK activists on lesser charges and awarded death to three leaders of the mob for various offences, including attempt to murder.
India’s democracy reaches out to lone voter in Gir forest
By Ranjana Narayan,
Ahmedabad : He remains one of India's most prized voters. Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas is the lone voter in the midst of Gujarat's...
Bandh coincides with Goa holiday
By IANS,
Panaji : The bandh called by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the left parties has had no effect in Goa, which is celebrating the second day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Sonia Gandhi’s birthday a low-key affair
By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi's birthday Thursday was a low-key affair in view of a message sent out by the party against celebrations.
Ashok Chavan sworn in Maharashtra chief minister
By IANS,
Mumbai : A new Democratic Front government headed by Ashok Chavan took office in Maharashtra Saturday evening.
Governor S.C. Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chavan, of the Congress party, at the Raj Bhavan in the evening.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal took oath as deputy chief minister.
Naidu concludes ‘padyatra’ with show of strength in Vizag
By IANS,
Visakhapatnam : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu concluded his nearly seven-month long 'padyatra' (walkathon) with a mammoth public meeting in this port city Saturday.
CBI’s stand sought on Dutt’s plea for suspending conviction
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Friday sought the stand of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Maharashtra government on a lawsuit by Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt seeking suspension of his conviction in a criminal case to enable him to contest elections.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Markandey Katju and Justice P. Sathasivam issued notices to the CBI and the state government and sought their replies within two weeks. It will hold the next hearing of Dutt's plea on March 30.
BJP-RSS shutdown against murder hits Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram : Thousands were stranded at bus and railway stations across Kerala Tuesday as a BJP-RSS sponsored shutdown to protest the murder of a...
CPI-M calls for suspension of question hour
By IANS
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday gave notices in both houses of parliament for suspension of question hour to raise the issue of attack on the party office allegedly by Rashtriya Seva Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In the Lok Sabha, Mohammed Salim has given the notice and in Rajya Sabha politburo member Sitaram Yechury will raise the issue.
A 250-strong mob attacked the CPI-M headquarters here Sunday, injuring 10 Left activists and eight policemen.
Muslim councillor from Meerut hands over cow to Police, says “it is a dangerous...
By Aas Mohammed Kaif, TwoCircles.net
Fed up by the constant attacks on Muslims across the country in the name of so-called cow protection, a Muslim...
Congress sees “winds of change” in Gujarat
By IANS
Ahmedabad : The Congress Monday said "winds of change" were blowing across Gujarat even as it said its first list of candidates for the next month's assembly polls will be released Thursday.
Addressing a press meet, Gujarat Congress president Bharat Solanki and central minister Kapil Sibal, who is in charge of media for Gujarat, said they could discern a "wind of change blowing across Gujarat with people yearning for a new dispensation".
Used pepper spray in self-defence, says MP
By IANS,
New Delhi : Suspended Congress lawmaker L. Rajagopal who used pepper spray inside the Lok Sabha Thursday said he took the step in...
Delhi needs woman chief minister: Meenakshi Lekhi
New Delhi : BJP parliamentarian Meenakshi Lekhi Wednesday said that only a "woman chief minister with administrative experience" can ensure the safety of women...
‘राहुल गांधी ने भी मुझे धोखा दिया’ –डेल्टा मेघवाल के पिता
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बारमेर (राजस्थान) : दलित मेधा की मिसाल बन चुकी डेल्टा मेघवाल की लड़ाई अब घर-घर का हिस्सा बनती जा रही है....
Muslims constitute much larger proportion of the poor and deprived in West Bengal: Amartya...
By Zaidul Haque, Twocircles.net
Kolkata: Muslims constitute a much larger proportion of the poor and the deprived in West Bengal, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen...
Railway budget is disappointing: Raman Singh
By IANS,
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Wednesday termed Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's railway budget "disappointing". He said the budget benefits only the state to which the minister belongs.
"The rail budget is disappointing for the people of Chhattisgarh, it has let down our expectations," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader told reporters.
Singh said: "Bilaspur railway zone in Chhattisgarh was generating highest revenue for the railways but only two new trains have come to the state's share in the railway budget. It's really disappointing."
Manmohan a weak prime minister: Advani
By IANS,
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) : Taking on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had criticised him while releasing the Congress poll manifesto, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Tuesday once again termed him a "weak" prime minister.
"From Jawaharlal Nehru till now, I have seen all prime ministers very closely. But I have not seen a weak prime minister like him (Manmohan Singh)," Advani, the National Democratic Alliance's prime ministerial candidate, declared at a rally here.
जेएनयू के कन्हैया कुमार की गिरफ़्तारी पर मचा घमासान
TwoCircles.net News Desk
नई दिल्ली : जेएनयू में ‘अफ़ज़ल गुरू को शहीद बताने’ और ‘देश-विरोधी नारे लगाने’ का विवाद थमने का नाम नहीं ले रहा...
Highways get maximum allocation in PM’s Bihar package
New Delhi: The government on Tuesday gave out detail of the Rs.1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with...
Kerala cabinet reshuffle after LS polls: Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala cabinet will sport a new look after the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thursday.
Chandy, who was talking...
Muslims in Delhi lean towards AAP
By Gaurav Sharma,
New Delhi : With the balloting in Delhi barely ten days away, Muslims in the capital seem to be increasingly veering towards...
Mahatma Gandhi’s clean India dream is also ours: Mukherjee
New Delhi : Calling Mahatma Gandhi's dream of clean India "our dream", President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday that his vision will guide people...
Uttar Pradesh opposition demands minister’s sacking
By IANS,
Lucknow : The opposition in Uttar Pradesh Thursday demanded sacking of state Rural Development Minister Daddu Prasad who, along with his personal assistant, has been accused of rape.
People from weaker sections treat me as goddess: Mayawati
New Delhi : Amid protests in Uttar Pradesh after former BJP leader Daya Shankar Singh's abusive remark against her, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati...
क्या आबिदा की ज़िन्दगी में सुकून लौट पाएगा?
Saleem Ansari for TwoCircles.net
मुज़फ़्फ़रनगर : 40 साल की आबिदा ने अपनी पूरी ज़िन्दगी में स्कूल का कभी मुंह तक नहीं देखा. अनपढ़ मोमिन से...
AAP leader Somnath Bharti beaten up in Varanasi
Varanasi: AAP leader and former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti was beaten up allegedly by some BJP supporters during a TV show here Wednesday...
BSP fields six candidates for Rajya Sabha seats
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Thursday fielded six nominees for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
These included sitting Lok Sabha member Brajesh Pathak from Unnao and the high-profile aspirant for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, Akhilesh Das.
Others in the fray include Vir Singh, who is already a Rajya Sabha member from Moradabad and is seeking a second term, former BSP Lok Sabha member Brijlal Khabri from Jalaun, and Raja Ram, a sitting member of the state legislative council from Azamgarh.
RJD leader shot dead in Bihar
Patna, Jan 24 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Raghuvar Rai was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Samastipur district, police said.
He was...
‘Fair and Lovely’ scheme launched to convert black money into white: Gandhi
New Delhi : Congress vice president on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government, saying it launched a "'Fair and Lovely...
Poll panel suspends Haryana official, transfers two others
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Election Commission Sunday suspended an official and transferred two others in Haryana on complaints filed by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
In a letter to the INLD president Om Prakash Chautala, the poll panel said: "Based on you complaints, Radhey Shyam Mittal, naib tehsildar, HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Agency), Faridabad, has been put under suspension, and Harish Kumar, jail superintendent, Kurukshetra, and Parmjit Kaur, DPRO, Hissar, have been transferred out of the districts, besides remedial action taken in several other cases."
Tyler withdraws from race for Congress ticket
New Delhi : Former Congress MP Jagdish Tytler Thursday withdrew from the party's internal race for Lok Sabha candidature from the North East Delhi...
Congress protests BJP-led MCD’s ‘inefficiency’ to check dengue
By IANS,
New Delhi : With dengue cases in the national capital reaching an alarming figure of 409, opposition Congress municipal councillors Monday protested against the alleged inefficiency of Bharatiya Janata Party-run Municipal Corporation of Delhi in checking the epidemic.
A delegation of ex-MCD officials lead by former mayor Jai Kishan Sharma complained to Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna saying medicines being used had run expiry dates and that "while 409 cases of dengue have been reported (in Delhi) and many patients died, the Municipal's data shows only two deaths".
Is Javed Ahmad Ghamidi phenomena a New Fitna?
By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
Recently a book release function was held in Kashmir Valley in which a book Fikr e Ghamidi: Ek Tajziyati...
Mayawati boycotts PM’s meet on price rise
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday boycotted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with state chief ministers in New Delhi to discuss the price rise in the country.
The state was represented by Finance Minister Lalji Verma, who read out a statement on Mayawati's behalf.
While quite blatantly giving her government a clean chit, Mayawati did not mince words in passing the buck to the central government for the "unprecedented rise in prices of essential goods".
Maywati expressed Jan 14 her intention to boycott the meeting.
Congress claims Rahul helped cause of sanitation workers
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said it was due to the "intervention" of its vice president Rahul Gandhi that Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb...
Gorkhaland issue resolved, says Mamata
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday claimed that the issue of a separate Gorkhaland has been resolved and an official agreement has been signed.
No food no vote, decide Madhya Pradesh villagers
By Sanjay Sharma, IANS,
Bhopal : People from 150 villages of Madhya Pradesh's Satna district, where malnutrition has led to 42 deaths in the last three months, have decided to boycott elections if the women and children continue to suffer for want of food.
Congress leaders, cadres held for protest in Chhattisgarh
By IANS,
Raipur: Police arrested Chhattisgarh Congress unit president Dhanendra Sahu, leader of opposition Ravindra Choubey along with over 200 party workers Thursday when they were on way to state Chief Minister Raman Singh's official residence to stage protests.
The Congress leaders and cadres were held when they defied police warnings and insisted on demonstrating in front of the chief minister's residence to highlight the suicide by a farmer Suresh Yadav.
‘BJP will support bill for separate Telangana state’
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Sunday said his party was ready to support a bill for the formation of a separate Telangana state if the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government brings it in parliament.
Asserting that BJP was "100 percent" for separate statehood to the Telangana region, he told reporters here that the Congress party was playing with the sentiments of Telangana people.
"If Congress party is sincere on Telangana issue, let them bring a bill in Parliament. BJP will support it," he said.
Meira Kumar gives marching orders to Lok Sabha TV CEO
New Delhi : Days before her exit as speaker, Meira Kumar has given the Lok Sabha TV CEO his marching orders with immediate effect...
TRS not to contest bye-elections in Andhra Pradesh
By IANS
Hyderabad : Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the regional party fighting for a separate Telangana state, Sunday announced it would not field a candidate for bye-election to Khairatabad assembly seat as a mark of respect for senior Congress leader P. Janardhan Reddy who died Friday.
TRS president and former union minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao told newsmen that his party had decided to appeal to other parties to ensure unanimous election of a member of Reddy's family. He had fought for the rights of the people of Telengana.
Action against those involved in Kerala bar scam: Congress
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress said on Friday that action would be taken against those who were involved in the Kerala bar scam, if the...
Former Congress legislator joins BJP in Chhattisgarh
By IANS,
Raipur : The Congress party Monday received a blow in Chhattisgarh as its former legislator and tribal leader Gopal Ram joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ram announced his decision in the presence of Chief Minister Raman Singh at a party function in the Surguja district.
Though the Congress did not comment on Ram's decision, the BJP said it would gain in the Surguja Lok Sabha seat where Ram enjoys good support of the people.
Will act if murder link proved: CPI-M
By IANS,
New Delhi : The CPI-M Monday denied its involvement in the murder of a former party leader in Kerala but vowed to take "strong action" if anyone within its ranks was founded involved.
Rebel BJP MP reiterates decision to vote for UPA
By IANS,
New Delhi : Somabhai Gandalal Koli Patel, rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gujarat, Tuesday reiterated his decision to support the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during the trust vote in parliament.
"I have decided to support the motion since the BJP has misbehaved with me and I am not going to change my decision at all," Patel told reporters in parliament houses Tuesday.
Ashwini Sharma is new Punjab BJP chief
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Ashwini Sharma was Thursday elected unopposed president of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
His name was finalised after a meeting of party leaders here in the presence of BJP central leader Balbir Punj.
Sharma, earlier the state party unit's general secretary, replaces Rajinder Bhandari.
After his election, Sharma said his priority would be to strengthen the party at all levels in the state.
The BJP is an alliance partner of the Akali Dal in the Punjab government.
Shiv Sena takes early lead in Thane
By IANS,
Thane : Shiv Sena's Anand Paranjpe took an early lead of 10,210 votes over Sanjeev Naik of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at the end of the first round of counting for the Thane Lok Sabha by-election Sunday.
Anand, son of Shiv Sena MP Prakash Paranjpe whose death in February caused the by-poll, had polled 38,965 votes as against Sanjeev Naik who got 28,780 in the first round of counting in which votes from the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominated Thane-Kalyan-Ambernath belt were counted.
BJP slams government for ‘diluting’ stance against Pakistan
By IANS,
New Delhi : By warning Pakistan that it would have to pay "enormously" if another 26/11 takes place, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was actually "condoning the present act", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said here Monday.
The BJP said that Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement that the "price they (Pakistan) will pay if this is repeated, I think, will be enormous" was a testimony to the bailout plan.
Tiwari’s Congress membership status to be known Thursday
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress said Wednesday that details about the party membership of N.D. Tiwari, who quit as the Andhra Pradesh governor following a sex scandal, would be known after Thursday when the Congress membership campaign ends.
"He has been our senior leader since he was appointed as governor of Andhra Pradesh. During his tenure as governor ... he ceased to be a party member. Because it is a constitutional position," said Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand.
"I cannot say whether he is a member of the party now," Chaturvedi said.
Will bring Jan Lokpal, says Kejriwal
New Delhi : Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday said his party was still committed to bring anti-graft Jan Lokpal legislation in the...
Jammu and Kashmir assembly adjourned for scribe
Jammu : The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was adjourned on Tuesday after a journalist collapsed inside the press gallery while reporting the proceedings of...
Vajpayee comes within ambit of Parrikar’s ‘compromise’ charge: Congress MP
Panaji : Former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee comes within the ambit of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's charge that some former PMs had compromised...
Mamata demands Buddhadeb’s arrest
By IANS,
Kolkata: Condemning "unabated violence" allegedly triggered by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Friday demanded the arrest of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for "masterminding" atrocities in the state.
Banerjee's comments came as four of her party legislators, headed by leader of opposition Partha Chattopadhyay, staged a sit-in in front of Bhattacharjee's chamber at the state secretariat Writers Buildings on the same demand.
Dhumal rejects health minister’s resignation
By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Tuesday rejected the resignation of Health Minister Rajiv Bindal, saying the opposition
AIADMK landslide: Some surprised, some not
By IANS,
Chennai : The allies of the AIADMK expressed mixed reactions Friday to the landslide victory that their front is expected to post in the 2011 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Dozen media persons injured in Bengal poll violence
Kolkata : At least a dozen journalists, photojournalists and TV channel camerapersons sustained various degrees of injuries after being assaulted while covering polls to...
JD-U Lok Sabha nominee booked for assaulting party colleague
By IANS,
Patna : Munna Shukla, the Janata Dal-United nominee from Bihar's Vaishali Lok Sabha constituency, has been booked for allegedly assaulting and intimidating the party's legislator Ajit Kumar, police said Monday.
Ajit Kumar, a former minister and legislator from Kanti assembly seat, filed a complaint against Shukla Sunday night.
“I was rejected for those who dance in films”: SP’s Naresh Agrawal joins BJP
New Delhi (IANS): Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agrawal on Monday joined the BJP, saying "dancers and film actors were preferred over him...
Amit Shah pays tributes to Kakori revolutionaries
Lucknow : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah paid tributes to the revolutionaries -- Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil -- at...
BJP clears 53 candidates for Delhi assembly polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late Saturday released its first list of 53 candidates for the Delhi assembly polls, which it will contest in alliance with the Akali Dal.
The list, which includes 19 sitting legislators, was cleared at a meeting of the Central Election Committee chaired by party president Rajnath Singh.
The BJP's chief ministerial candidate V.K. Malhotra will contest from the Greater Kailash constituency.
Sheila Dikshit to contest from New Delhi constituency
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Wednesday announced its first list of 48 candidates for the Delhi assembly elections Nov 29 with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit contesting from the New Delhi constituency.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Vijay Jolly for this seat.
Gujarat’s compulsory voting full of difficulties: EC
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Election Commission Tuesday termed the Gujarat government's move to make voting compulsory in local body elections as "full of difficulties" even as the issue has evoked a larger national debate in the country.
"Such proposals had come up for discussion in the commission on many occasions earlier. For India, it is full of difficulties," Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi told reporters here Tuesday when asked to comment on the issue.
Mayawati wakes up to neglected governance, holds review meet
By IANS,
Lucknow : The poor performance of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls appears to have woken up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to the need for devoting attention to the governance of the sprawling state - she held a long review meeting here Friday.
Online survey on Modi government: 43% find performance ‘below expectations’
New Delhi (IANS): The Modi government hasnt scored too well on farmers issues, jobs and prices of essential commodities at the end of its...
Madani – Where has he gone wrong?
By Karoly for TwoCircles.net,
The honeymoon is over. CPI (M) has divorced Abdunnasser Madani and his People Democratic Party (PDP) after their nearly year long stint together, where both their babies of Lok Sabha results and the by-elections results were stillborn. While it is a going back to roots for the CPI(M), PDP is left uprooted and Madani faces a sharp reversal in fortunes and seems destined for the next harsh phase in his life.
TN Congress chief Gnanadesikan quits
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Congress president B.S. Gnanadesikan Thursday resigned to enable the leadership reconstitute a new state unit.
Gnanadesikan, in his resignation letter to...
Ajit Singh visits injured party workers in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad : RLD chief Ajit Singh Friday visited his party workers who were injured in clashes over cutting off water supply to Delhi.
The Rashtriya...
Day 2 monsoon session: protests stall parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : Protests by the opposition over inflation, corruption and land acquisition Tuesday forced the adjournment of both houses of parliament for the day.
Modi is ‘unavoidable’, blogs Amar Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : Away from political activities after his expulsion from the Samajwadi Party, blogger Amar Singh Tuesday chose Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to comment on, describing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader as unavoidable.
Modi was the one personality in Indian politics who cannot be ignored, Amar Singh wrote in the latest entry of his blog.
Amar Singh recalled about the internal security meeting held in Delhi last week.
50 percent seats for women in Maharashtra local government bodies
By IANS,
Mumbai: In a significant move, the Maharashtra cabinet Wednesday approved hiking reservation from 33 percent to 50 percent for women in all local self-government bodies.
TRS MPs raise issue of special powers to governor
New Delhi : Members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Monday raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of granting special powers over law and...
Muslim party seems destined to sit in opposition
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Malegaon : As the time for elections to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor, etc. slated for Friday is coming nigh, the Indian Muslim Congress Party, a new party floated by Ulama and Muslim community leaders in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon in Maharashtra - which emerged as the single largest party winning 26 seats in the 72-member Malegaon Municipal Corporation - now finds it difficult to democratically capture the civic body. And the only option left with the IMCP now seems to be sitting in the opposition.
Rajya Sabha not to sit Aug 23 due to Onam
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha is likely to have a sitting on Aug 21, a Saturday, instead of Aug 23, a Monday, due to the Onam festival.
The business advisory committee of Rajya Sabha recommended that the house will take up private members business Aug 21, instead of Friday (Aug 20).
The advisory committee recommended that the private members business may be dispensed with in favor of government legislative business on Aug 20. The committee also recommended that there will be no sitting of Rajya Sabha on Aug 23.
Nitish Kumar threatens to quit after NDA criticism
By IANS
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reportedly threatened to quit after legislators of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) questioned his style of functioning and criticised his agenda of good governance.
Kumar, peeved at the charges levelled against him, threatened to resign Thursday night at a meeting called to discuss the strategy to be adopted by the government during the four-day monsoon session of the state assembly that began Thursday, a senior leader of the ruling NDA told IANS Friday.
AAP has the edge in Muslim neighbourhoods
New Delhi : Posters and banners of the AAP and its leaders were festooned across electric poles, bus stops and buildings while young boys...
Rahul Gandhi condemns Punjab terror attack
New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned the terror attack in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.
"Strongly condemn the terror attack in Gurdaspur. I...
Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, slams Centre’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies
Amethi : Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government, accusing it of being "anti-farmer".
On a two-day...
Amartya Sen votes for secular prime minister
Kolkata : Iterating that he did not consider Narendra Modi as a good prime ministerial candidate, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen Wednesday said he preferred...
In Punjab, many voted for Manmohan despite SGPC campaign
By Alkesh Sharma, IANS,
Chandigarh : He might not have been their candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha election but a large number of voters in Punjab and Chandigarh voted for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - the man and his policies - despite a smear campaign against him.
In an election which saw campaigning hitting a personal low with Manmohan Singh even being termed as "not a Sikh" by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar, there were many, including professionals, youngsters and urban Punjabis, who voted for his clean and positive image.
Sonia congratulated Modi: Congress
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, congratulating him on the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha...
‘Ambedkar transformed from being the leader of the untouchables to being a thinking man’
By Lalita, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: While Babasaheb Ambedkar has been widely accepted as the leader of the untouchables, we should pay attention to other aspects of his life which are as promising, says Ananya Vajpeyi, the author of the prize winning book The Righteous Republic.
K.K. Sharma to be Delhi’s new chief secretary
New Delhi : The home ministry on Monday approved the name of K.K. Sharma as Delhi's next chief secretary, official sources said.
"K.K. Sharma's name...
डेल्टा मेघवाल मरी नहीं, मारी गई है…
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
नोखा (राजस्थान) : डेल्टा मेघवाल कौन थी? उसमें ऐसा क्या था? जो सभी को अपनी ओर खींचता था? वो क्या कर...
Blame illegal immigrants for northeast tensions: Gadkari
By IANS,
Imphal : Illegal immigrants were to be blamed for triggering the mass exodus of northeastern people from southern states, BJP president Nitin Gadkari has said.
Congress MPs from Telangana to hand over resignations to Sonia
By IANS,
New Delhi/Hyderabad : Congress MPs from Telangana region Thursday decided to hand over their resignations to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. They said there was ambiguity in Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement Wednesday, which indicated that the government was planning to put on hold the process for forming a Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.
Goa RSS slams BJP government over school grants
Panaji: Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the BJP-led coalition government in the state, accusing it of succumbing...
Lok Sabha adjourned again amid protest by Left MPs
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Lok Sabha was adjourned again till 2.00 p.m. Wednesday as Left MPs continued to protest against Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and demanded an apology from him for using unparliamentary words against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Basudeb Acharia.
Earlier, the house was adjourned over the issue during the question hour.
When the house assembled at 11, Speaker Meira Kumar said about Tuesday's incident: "I disapprove such conduct". She also requested the opposition to cooperate with the chair to conduct the question hour.
Case against Mukesh Ambani, Moily over gas scarcity, pricing
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Bureau Wednesday filed cases against Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily...
Poll panel notice to Pawar
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Election Commission Wednesday said it has issued notice to Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for violating the model code of conduct in Maharashtra where assembly elections will be held Oct 13.
The poll panel said it had received complaints earlier this week about an agriculture ministry advertisement in a newspaper published in Mumbai Oct 3.
Forbesganj: Congress gives Rs 1 lakh each to four victim families
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Kashmiri women contesting poll to usher in change
By F. Ahmed,IANS,
Srinagar : Five women among the 71 candidates in five assembly constituencies in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, which go to the polls on Nov 30, say they are contesting to usher in change.
Shabnum Gani Lone, a senior lawyer and daughter of slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, is challenging candidates of the regional National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), besides independents, in the Kupwara assembly constituency.The Nov 30 polling will be in the third of the seven-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dilemmas of Defeat: Whither BJP?
By Ram Puniyani,
The humiliating electoral defeat continues to dodge the BJP. In quick succession lot of things are happening, old pillars are crumbling, earlier cracks are on display with bigger clarity and those who joined the party in the hope of basking in the glory of power are deserting. In the process a lot of things which were slightly hidden are becoming glaringly obvious.
Only 50 percent crimes reported in Delhi, Mumbai: Survey
New Delhi : Only about 50 percent of crimes and about 12 percent of sexual harassment cases are reported to police in Delhi and...
Government conspiring against Hindus, says Togadia
By IANS,
New Delhi : The central government is falsely implicating innocent army men and Hindu seers in the name of Hindu terrorism, alleged Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Praveen Togadia Wednesday.
Rahul says allying with Trinamool in 2011 was mistake
New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with partymen from West Bengal on Monday conceded that it was "not a wise...
Tapes prove MPs were offered bribes: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said the tapes of a sting operation by the TV channel CNN-IBN proved bribes were offered to buy votes and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had given its responsibility to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.
“After seeing the telecast, it becomes very clear that each frame of the tape supports what our three MPs have said in their written complaint,” said BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad.
AAP rally demands Delhi re-polls
New Delhi : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sunday held a rally to press its demand that the assembly be dissolved and re-election be...
Curfew continues in two Kashmir districts
Srinagar : Authorities on Saturday imposed curfew in two south Kashmir districts and restrictions in many other areas of the Valley.
"Curfew shall continue today...