Bhattacharjee rules out Gorkhaland as indefinite shutdown begins
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Monday ruled out even considering the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, even as the hill areas of the state shut down in response to a call by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the outfit's chief warned people to stock up on essential supplies for 45 days.
The demand for Gorkhaland may be raised in the all-party meeting on the Darjeeling issue scheduled Tuesday, but West Bengal government will not consider the demand, Bhattacharjee said here Monday evening.
BJP may not get majority in Maharashtra, Haryana: survey
New Delhi : The BJP is predicted to emerge the single largest party in Maharashtra and Haryana but may fall short of majority in...
Congress scraps plan to show black flags to Gadkari
By IANS,
Raipur : The Congress party Thursday withdrew its decision to show black flags to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari who is scheduled to tour Chhattisgarh for two days from Friday.
"The decision to show black flagsto him was taken by the Congress in context of Gadkari's reported unwelcome and indecent statements in recent months against several Congress leaders. But the decision has been withdrawn," Ramesh Varlyani, state Congress general secretary and spokesperson, told IANS.
Insurance bill’s fate hangs in balance
By Anjali Ojha and Sreeparna Chakrabarty,
New Delhi : A huge question mark hangs over the fate of a bill to raise the foreign equity...
Mamata threatens to renew Singur agitation
By IANS,
Singur (West Bengal) : Threatening to renew the agitation against the Tata Motors factory here, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Saturday asked the West Bengal government to return the land taken for the project from "unwilling" farmers.
"We will renew our agitation in Singur from Aug 20. The government must give back the land it has acquired from the farmers, who were unwilling to part with it," she said at a meeting here.
Mulayam quotes Kalam to say n-deal in national interest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav quoted former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to say that the nuclear deal was in India's interest as the party veered around to supporting the Manmohan Singh government in its political standoff with its Communist allies that has put a question mark on the government's future.
"Abdul Kalam told us the nuclear treaty is in the interest of the nation," Yadav told newspersons Thursday. He added: "Without the interest of the nation there is no politics."
Sonia attacks Modi for ‘maun vrat’ on party scandals
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on any issue taking a controversial turn, notably...
SC to hear Digvijaya’s plea on Vyapam on July 9
New Delhi : The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and three whistle-blowers seeking an apex court...
Congress, JMM friendly fight likely in Giridih
Ranchi: The two ruling alliance partners in Jharkhand -- the JMM and the Congress -- fighting the Lok Sabha polls following a tie-up in...
Very much welcome Modi statement on relations: Pakistan envoy
New Delhi: Dismissing seemingly tough statements by the BJP and its allies about Pakistan as "poll rhetoric", Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit...
Sonia Gandhi defends Manmohan, hits out at Advani
By IANS,
Karimnagar (Andhra Pradesh) : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he was a strong leader and man of integrity, but hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani for failing to prevent the terror attack on parliament when he was home minister.
Addressing her first election meeting in this southern state, she also targeted the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for handing over dreaded terrorists to hijackers in Afghanistan.
Third Front jolted as RPI(Gavai) quits ahead of polls
By IANS,
Nagpur : In a pre-election blow to the 18-party Third Front, the Republican Party of India (RPI)-Gavai - an important component - walked out of the alliance here Tuesday.
RPI leader Rajendra Gavai announced that his party would independently contest at least 15 seats in eastern Maharashtra's Vidarbha region for the Oct 13 assembly elections.
Ramdas Athavale, who heads the Third Front christened as Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF), dismissed the development, saying that the RPI(G)'s exit from the conglomerate would not have "any impact" on its poll prospects.
Advani yatra to cover 100 districts
By IANS,
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani will cover 100 districts across the country during his anti-corruption yatra beginning Oct 12.
Dalit man who married high-caste girl killed in TN
Chennai : A 23-year-old Dalit man who married into the politically influential Thevar community was hacked to death in front of a large number...
बिहार के पहले चरण का मतदान जारी… महिलाओं में खासा उत्साह!
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
बिहार में पहले चरण का मतदान जारी है. लोगों में वोटिंग को लेकर खासा उत्साह है. खास तौर पर महिलाएं काफी संख्या...
No imposition of central rule in Bengal: Jaiswal
By IANS
Kolkata : The central government has no plans to impose Article 356 in West Bengal, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said Monday, even as he expressed concern over the situation in Nandigram.
Reacting to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's demand for imposition of Article 356 in the state, he said: "I don't know what Mamata has said, but the situation does not warrant imposition of the president's rule. Article 356 cannot be a remedy for all ills."
Bihar rapes: Oppn to stall house till minister goes, her husband arrested
By IANS:
Patna, July 26: The opposition in Bihar on Thursday demanded the resignation of Social Welfare Minister Kumari Manju Verma and the arrest of her...
Polls bring Shekhar Suman home, and his mother is thrilled
By IANS,
Patna : He left 26 years ago and got so busy pursuing a career in showbiz that he scarcely looked back. But Shekhar Suman is coming home for a long stretch to campaign as the Congress candidate from Patna Sahib and his mother can't stop smiling.
"I am very happy that my son Shekhar Suman will be able to spend some time with me thanks to his decision to contest elections," said a beaming Usha Prasad, looking forward to having Suman in the city he was born in.
Sonia Gandhi to visit Rae Bareli Monday
By IANS,
Lucknow : Congress president Sonia Gandhi will undertake a three-day tour of her parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh starting Monday to review developmental schemes, a party official said Saturday.
"Sonia-ji’s main objective behind the tour is to evaluate and monitor welfare schemes and developmental work in Rae Bareli. She is expected to reach Rae Bareli at around 11 in the morning," party spokesperson in the state Akhilesh Pratap Singh told reporters here.
BJP MP demands ban on ‘running commentaries’ by judges
New Delhi : A Bharatiya Janata Party member on Monday demanded in the Lok Sabha a ban on comments by judges while hearing a...
Pub culture won’t be allowed in Karnataka, says Yeddyurappa
By IANS,
Bangalore : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka will not allow pub culture to grow in the state, said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa here Thursday.
"We will not allow this pub culture in the state (Karnataka) to grow," the chief minister told the TV channels.
Talking tough against the people taking law into their hands, Yeddyurappa also said the state cabinet would discuss banning Sri Ram Sene, the self-styled moral brigade involved in an attack on a pub in Mangalore last week.
Nandigram victims recount tales of horror
JMM, BJP condemn president’s rule in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have parted ways to trigger a crisis that saw the union cabinet approve president's rule in Jharkhand Tuesday, but both parties were in sync in condemning the move. The Congress, however, said the central government had no other option.
Modi congratulates new CM of Nagaland
New Delhi : Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi Saturday congratulated newly sworn-in Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang.
"Congratulations to T.R. Zeliang on taking oath as...
Congress legislator booked for BSP leader’s murder
By IANS,
Ranchi : A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Jharkhand's Congress legislator Niel Tirkey in the murder of a state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, a police official said Sunday.
BSP Simdega district unit secretary Ajit Kido was killed Friday night by some unidentified people at his house in Simdega, about 140 km from Ranchi.
The FIR was lodged Saturday night in Kurdeg police station on the statement of Silvester Kido, elder brother of Ajit Kido.
BJP stalled house to stop quota bill: Mayawati
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Monday accused the BJP of stalling the Rajya Sabha because it did not want a bill for reservations in job promotions to be passed.
Is Chiranjeevi’s party out of the race for power?
By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS,
Hyderabad : With hardly any time left for the first phase of polling in Andhra Pradesh Thursday, the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) of Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi appears to be out of the race for power but may emerge as a king maker in the event of elections throwing up the state's first-ever hung assembly.
In an indication of the shape of things to come, Chiranjeevi Sunday cancelled his meetings in Khammam and Nizamabad in the Telangana region due to poor public response.
Shivraj’s 28-hour-long fast: A drama to hide the party’s inner dispute
By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
"Nero fiddled while Rome burned", is a catch phrase which many reports are using to address the drama of Madhya Pradesh...
59.4 percent turnout in 5th phase of UP polls
By IANS,
Lucknow: The fifth round of polling in UP's seven-phased assembly elections in 49 constituencies Thursday witnessed a 59.4 percent turnout, an official said.
UP set to dole out unemployment allowance
By IANS,
Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) government in Uttar Pradesh is Sunday set to fulfil its biggest poll promise - paying an unemployment allowance.
Congress comeback in Uttar Pradesh that no one predicted
By Sharat Pradhan, IANS,
Lucknow : The dramatic comeback of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh was not foreseen even by its own leadership.
In a state that sends the largest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the party's top leadership had resigned itself to a subordinate status to the two regional parties - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) - after being kept out of power for two decades.
Election commissioner rules out early poll in Assam
By IANS,
Guwahati : The Election Commission Wednesday ruled out early polls in Assam, but said the issue of illegal Bangladeshi nationals getting themselves enrolled on the voters' lists was a matter of serious concern.
"There is no likelihood of early elections in Assam and such a possibility is nowhere in the horizon," Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi told journalists.
Jairam Ramesh is Congress coordinator for Lok Sabha polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday appointed former union minister Jairam Ramesh as the party's co-ordinator for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"The Congress president has approved the appointment of Jairam Ramesh as co-ordinator for Lok Sabha elections-related affairs," a statement released by Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.
Jairam Ramesh resigned Wednesday as the minister of state for commerce, industry and power with a view to concentrate on general elections due in April-May.
Will the infighting in AAP leadership disillusion the Aam Aadmi?
By Kaleem Kawaja,
At least twice before in 1977 and 1990 two major political parties that were formed to remove corrupt politics and bring in principled politics fell apart due to intense in-fighting among their senior leaders. In 1977, in the aftermath of the suppression of democracy and imposition of Emergency by the Congress party (Indira Gandhi), senior leaders headed by Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) and Morarji Desai, two highly principled leaders, formed the Janata Party. They had a great vision and a great start forming government at the center in 1977. Yet in three short years the Janata Party fell apart due to much internal bickering; the desire of some leaders to follow principled politics and of other leaders to make shot cuts and promote their own interests.
Wait and see our options on n-deal: Pranab
By IANS
Chennai : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday refused to spell out the government's plans to resolve the political crisis over the India-US nuclear deal.
"Just wait and watch to see what are the options left (with us)," Mukherjee told reporters when asked what "options" the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had.
There will be a debate in parliament on the India-US nuclear deal, he said here on the sidelines of a ministry of external affairs function.
Genetic disease identification centre launched in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram : Leading private healthcare provider in Kerala KIMS Hospital, headquartered here, on Monday announced the launch of the first genetic disease identification centre...
Tikait rises again on the political horizon
By Monobina Gupta and Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi, IANS
New Delhi : In 1988, urban India for the first time witnessed the might of Jat peasant leader Mahendra Singh Tikait when he filled the expansive India Gate lawns of the capital with thousands of his supporters from western Uttar Pradesh. And it was not just a one-day show of strength.
Third Front has no clear ideology: Karunakaran
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Nonagenarian Congress leader and former Kerala chief minister K.Karunakaran Sunday attacked the Third Front, saying it has no clear ideology.
"Its shape, size, meaning and ideology is not known and is just hazy... it needs to be seen only as a research item. The prophets of this front have been unable to explain what they stand for," he told reporters here.
Sonia to tak nuclear deal to the people
By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad : A combative UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi today made her intentions of taking the issue of Indo US Nuclear deal to Aam Admi by saying that the deal was aimed at bringing light in to the dark homes of the poor families but the opposition was coming in the way of meeting the energy requirements of the nation.
Akalis, Congress trade charges at religious congregation
Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab) : With assembly elections in the state to be held within the next few weeks, Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and...
Government blames Pakistan for Kashmir situation, denies use of excessive force
New Delhi : The Union government on Monday blamed Pakistan for the violence in the Kashmir valley since the July 8 killing of Hizbul...
Interim budget an absolute let-down: Pension Parishad
By IANS,
New Delhi : Members of the Pension Parishad Tuesday described the interim budget for 2014-15 as a "let-down", and blamed the government for...
Shutdown called by BJP hits normal life in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : The statewide shutdown called by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest police baton charge on party leaders, including former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha, badly affected normal life Jharkhand Friday.
BJP workers took out protest rallies in many parts of the state. In the capital, over 300 party workers, including Ranchi legislator C.P. Singh, were arrested when they were trying to enforce the shutdown.
Police said the arrested BJP workers will be set free in the evening.
Thackeray improves, Mumbai returns to normal life
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's condition showed signs of improvement Friday, leading to normalcy returning to the city and crowds outside his residence thinning.
Koda unperturbed by Soren lobbying for chief ministership
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda Wednesday said he was not perturbed by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren lobbying with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as the chief minister's post was not a "permanent" one.
"The chief minister's post is not a permanent post for anyone. People select anyone for the post for a certain period of time. The post of chief minister should be respected by everyone".
Asked about JMM's move to install Soren as chief minister, he said: "There is a political process and I am not perturbed with the development.
Karunakaran to meet Sonia Gandhi Sunday
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Veteran Kerala politician K. Karunakaran, itching to rejoin the Congress party, was finally informed Thursday that he can get to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday.
Congress general secretary Mohsina Kidwai, who is in charge of the party's affairs in Kerala, told the former chief minister that the long awaited meeting would materialise in three days.
Speaking on the sidelines of a trade union meeting here, Karunakaran welcomed what he felt was the formal green signal for him to return to the Congress.
India seeks n-energy ties with Canada: Montek
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : India is seeking increased nuclear cooperation with Canada to meet its growing energy demands, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here.
Speaking Saturday at the second annual dinner of the Canada-India Foundation (CIF), Ahluwalia said India's rising demand for energy offered huge business opportunities for Canadian nuclear energy companies.
Since Canada is the world leader in nuclear energy, he said, cooperation between the two countries in the field could give a major boost to India's development.
Now, BJP hopes for 44-plus in J&K
By Sheikh Qayoom,
Jammu : After capturing power in New Delhi and claiming three of the six Lok Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, the...
Naidu, Naqvi, Rudy among BJP candidates for Rajya Sabha
By IANS
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday decided to renominate party leaders Venkaiah Naidu, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Rajiv Pratap Rudy to the Rajya Sabha.
The meeting of the party's central election committee, presided over by its president Nitin Gadkari, decided the names of six party candidates for biennial elections to the upper house.
While Naidu has been renominated from Karnataka, Naqvi will be the party candidate from Uttar Pradesh and Rudy from Bihar.
झारखण्ड़ की लिंचिंग में बकरी चोरी की कहानी पर संदेह !
जिब्रानउद्दीन। Twocircles.net
झारखंड में एक बार फिर से मॉब लांचिंग की घटना सामने आई है। यहां गुमला जिले में एक 32 वर्षीय नौजवान एजाज़...
By-poll result gives a fillip to Gorkhaland movement
By IANS,
Kolkata : The victory of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM)-backed independent candidate in West Bengal's Kalchini assembly seat could fan the separatist movement in the northern part of the state, say political leaders and analysts.
Wilson Champamari, supported by the GJM, won Tuesday from the Kalchini assembly constituency in north Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The Adivasi Vikas Parishad (AVP) nominee finished second, leaving the more established political parties far behind.
Fathima Latheef: Public memory versus memory of the margin
By Raniya Zulaikha, TwoCircles.net
Memory is often a construct. There are many factors influencing the popular memory such as movies, newspapers, books and so on....
Amit Jogi toils with tribals – for career’s sake
By Sujeet Kumar, IANS
Raipur : Amit Jogi, the controversial 29-year-old son of Congress leader Ajit Jogi, has settled for a month in an extremely backward village of Chhattisgarh with fishermen and tribals to "experience the difficulties of the common man".
His stay in Tala village has been kept secret here as it is considered part of his move to prepare for a career in public life - in the footsteps of his father, who is a former chief minister.
People want Sethu project to go ahead: Karunanidhi
By IANS
Chennai : The people of Tamil Nadu "will not accept" any decision to halt the controversial Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said Saturday.
Even if the experts' committee appointed by the government okayed a realignment of the proposed canal, the people will not accept the stalling of the project, "in the name of something that does not exist", he said, alluding to the criticism from some Hindu groups.
Kejriwal a foreign agent, says UP Congress
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress Friday called India Against Corruption (IAC) activist Arvind Kejriwal a "foreign agent".
Government offers opposition ‘mechanism’ to study n-deal
By IANS
New Delhi : The government, after rejecting the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to study the implications of the India-US nuclear deal, Thursday offered it any other "mechanism" including one similar to a committee of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties.
Rs.260 crore unaccounted money seized so far: EC
New Delhi : Unaccounted cash totalling Rs.260 crore has been seized till Tuesday in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission said here.
Andhra...
Worshiping Cow: Killing Humanity
Ram Puniyani,
Just over a decade ago (2002) in Dulina village of Jhajjar in Haryana a...
Tamil Nadu’s new civic body heads sworn in
By IANS,
Chennai : The 10 newly-elected mayors in Tamil Nadu, all from the ruling AIADMK, and other heads of local bodies were sworn in Tuesday across the state.
With 86 pending bills, citizens cry foul over uruly MPs in parliament
By Anjali Ojha, IANS,
AAP writes to EC demanding security in Varanasi
New Delhi: The AAP has written to the Election Commission demanding deployment of central security forces and senior central observers in Varanasi to ensure...
‘Modi stands to negate everything enshrined in constitution’
Srinagar : Formally launching his party's poll campaign in the Valley, National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah said Wednesday Narendra Modi stands to negate...
Demonetisation has killed 95 people, says Mamata
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported deaths of 95 people across the...
Yogendra Yadav gets show cause notice
Gurgaon : AAP's Gurgaon candidate Yogendra Yadav was Wednesday served a show cause notice by the Election Commission for having political offices at two...
Mayawati inducts two new faces in ministry
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Thursday inducted two new faces in her ministry and elevated two ministers of state to cabinet rank.
Governor T.V. Rajeswar administered the oaths of office and secrecy to them.
The new ministers are Rajpal Tyagi, legislator from Muradnagar, and Subhash Pande from Machhlishahr.
Those elevated to cabinet rank are ministers Fateh Bahadur (forest) and Ram Het (election).
With this, the strength of the Mayawati ministry has increased to 54.
UP receives Rs 5000 crore from RBI to meet cash crunch
Lucknow : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday flew in Rs 5,000 crore in a heavily guarded cargo plane to cash parched...
UP to help poor students prepare for IIT entrance
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is working on an action plan to facilitate financial assistance and other help to meritorious students of classes 10...
BJP’s Delhi chief ministerial candidate files nomination
By IANS,
New Delhi : Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s chief ministerial candidate for Delhi, Saturday filed his nomination from the Greater Kailash constituency.
Malhotra was accompanied by senior party leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Vijay Goel and Harsh Vardhan. He filed his nomination at Jamnagar House on Shahjahan Road.
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal were also present.
NC-Congress sweep Jammu and Kashmir legislative council
Jammu, March 7 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir's ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance won seven out of nine legislative council seats for which biennial elections were held here Saturday.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Panther's Party (NPP) bagged one seat each in the upper house of the state legislature.
The NC won five seats and the Congress got two.
The NC winners are: former bureaucrat Vijay Bakaya, ex-home minister Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, Showkat Hussain, Altaf Wani and Ajatshatru Singh.
Lok Dal returns to NDA fold
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Sunday decided to return to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with an understanding to contest the next Lok Sabha elections together in Haryana.
"We have ideological differences with the Congress. Besides NDA, there is no option against the Congress, so we have decided to join them," INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala told a joint press conference along with BJP president Rajnath Singh here.
Singh said: "We welcome the INLD's decision of returning to the NDA.
Delhi polls: Prominent winners and losers
The following were the prominent winners and losers in the Delhi assembly polls:
Winners:
1. Arvind Kejriwal - AAP
2. Manish Sisodia - AAP
3. Somnath Bharti -...
Government, Congress, CPI-M worry over armyman’s terror link
By IANS,
New Delhi : A senior army officer's arrest for the Sep 29 terror attack in Malegaon is a "serious matter", Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Friday, even as the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) underlined the danger of "Hindutva elements" infiltrating the army.
“This incident is a matter of serious concern for all of us," Antony said, referring to Tuesday's arrest of Lt. Col. Shrikanth Purohit by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the bombing in Malegaon that killed five people.
Telangana state may come into existence by month-end
By IANS,
Hyderabad : With the passage of a bill in Lok Sabha, formation of a separate Telangana state has almost become a reality. But...
Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK juggernaut set to roll: Analyst
Chennai : With former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa being acquitted in a disproportionate assets case on Monday, the AIADMK juggernaut is all...
BJP forms panel over atrocities on Dalit women in Kerala
New Delhi : BJP president Amit Shah has set up a three-member committee to look into the incidents of atrocities against Dalit women in...
At Rahul’s behest, Congress looking for full-time cadre
By Liz Mathew, IANS,
New Delhi : With a series of poll debacles behind it and a general election looming ahead, the Congress has identified a crucial weakness - few full time workers unlike the BJP and the Left. And the man who zeroed in on the problem, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, is desperately looking to fill the lacuna through a talent hunt.
Modi solicits votes in name of Kargil ‘martyrs’: Sonia
Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) : BJP leader Narendra Modi is seeking to make political gains by soliciting support for his party in the name of...
Unexpected Triumph: Engineer Rashid’s Electoral Victory Alters Kashmir’s Political Trajectory
Syed Taqui Haider
Srinagar: Engineer Rashid’s surprising victory over political stalwart Umar Abdullah in Baramulla constituency has reverberated throughout Kashmir's political landscape. The unexpected outcome...
Gujarat model will burst after election: Rahul
Ranchi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said Tuesday the Gujarat model of development would burst after the Lok Sabha election - as the BJP's...
Ulema Council’s Azamgarh candidate booked for poll code violation
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Ulema Council's candidate from the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and 30 of his supporters have been booked for defying the model code of conduct by taking out a procession and using microphones without permission, the police said Monday.
"A case has been registered against Javed Akhtar and his supporters for taking out a procession and using loudspeakers without any prior permission from the district authorities," police inspector B.K. Singh told IANS on phone.
New minister inducted into Himachal cabinet
By IANS
Shimla : The Virbhadra Singh-led cabinet in Himachal Pradesh was expanded Wednesday with the inclusion of legislator Sujan Singh Pathania.
Pathania, who is a legislator from Kangra district, has been given transport and health portfolios. With this, the number of ministers in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government has gone up to 11.
Elections are due in the state early next year.
Shimla : The Virbhadra Singh-led cabinet in Himachal Pradesh was expanded Wednesday with the inclusion of legislator Sujan Singh Pathania.
Pathania, who is a legislator from Kangra district, has been given transport and health portfolios. With this, the number of ministers in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government has gone up to 11.
Elections are due in the state early next year.
Journalists’ murder attack on freedom of press: IWPC
New Delhi : The Indian Women's Press Corps on Saturday condemned the brutal murder of two journalists in Bihar and Jharkhand, terming it a...
Maharashtra chief minister meets Sonia Gandhi, PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Five days after taking over as the Maharashtra chief minister, Ashok Chavan met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here Friday during which security issues were discussed.
According to sources in the Congress party, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel were also present at the meeting.
Mamata government mulling appeal against HC order
Kolkata : West Bengal Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim on Sunday said the Mamata Banerjee-led government was planning to appeal against a Calcutta High...
House proceedings may be quieter from Wednesday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Parliament proceedings could become smoother from Wednesday with the opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), inclined to shun disrupting the house any more on issues like rising prices.
The two houses had to be adjourned for the whole day Tuesday when parliament met for the first day of the post-recess budget session. The opposition, Left parties and others like the Samajwadi Party (SP) repeatedly disrupted the proceedings.
BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra conceded informally, "We cannot stall the house every day."
मोदी के बनारस में भाजपा से ही बिफरे पड़े हैं भाजपाई
सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
वाराणसी : यूपी विधानसभा चुनाव के मद्देनज़र भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने बनारस की आठ विधानसभा सीटों पर से पांच पर अपने प्रत्याशी...
Sons rise in Orissa politics
By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Call it catching up with family politics prevalent in the national scene or just lack of choice, several politicians, mainly from the triumphant Biju Janata Dal (BJD), fielded their sons during the just-concluded elections and came out with flying colours.
Shiv Sena supports Pratibha Patil
By IANS
Mumbai : United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil's chances in the July 19 presidential poll brightened as the Shiv Sena, a constituent of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Monday declared its support for her.
One killed in BJP-Trinamool clash in Birbhum
Kolkata: One person was killed and another injured as Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters clashed in villages in West Bengal's Birbhum district Sunday, police...
Amar Singh stuns by resigning party posts
By IANS,
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh Wednesday threw the political establishment into a bout of fevered speculation when he announced his surprise resignation as general secretary of his party and other posts, citing health reasons.
"I hardly had any rest. Doctors told me it is not good. At the age of 53, I am entitled to earned leave and need to give more priority to my family. After 20 years of hard work, they (the family) should get priority over Mulayam-ji and the party," Amar Singh, one of the visible and quoted politicians of the country, told NDTV.
Kashmir outcome may provide Mufti, Modi with new opening
By Saeed Naqvi,
Srinagar-New Delhi, India-Pakistan and Hindu-Muslim are basically one complex of issues. That there is a symbiotic relationship between the three becomes apparent every now and then. But there is, at policy levels, an aversion to see the glaring reality.
Congress unhappy with JMM’s changing stand on poll pact
By IANS,
Ranchi : The Congress Saturday expressed unhappiness over the changing stance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), saying it would harm the prospects of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the state for the Lok Sabha polls.
Pradeep Balmuchu, state Congress president, told reporters here that the statement of JMM leader Durga Soren was a setback for the UPA. On Friday, Soren said that any seat sharing agreement with the Congress would be finalised only after a JMM nominee is administered the chief minister's oath.
Ramadan ceasefire In Kashmir meaningless if media war continues
By Saeed Naqvi
I have never seen the electronic media so totally defiant of the BJP government. Home Minister Rajnath Singh's avowed intention to calm...
CPI-M leader lambasts court observations on Kannur
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan termed as "unfortunate" the Kerala High Court's observation Tuesday that central forces should be deployed in troubled Kannur district, where political clashes last week left seven people dead.
Justice V. Ramkumar had said: "The only solution is deploying central forces that would not yield to those in power. It is hoped that a gubernatorial move to apprise the central government takes place."
Heavy turnout in peaceful Meghalaya polls
By IANS,
Shillong/Kohima: Voting ended peacefully Saturday in the Meghalaya assembly elections as people defied a shutdown called by an outlawed group to cast their ballots.
Not joining AAP, says Achuthanandan
By IANS,
Thiruvananathapuram : Veteran CPI-M leader V.S. Achuthanandan Thursday admitted to having met lawyer and Aam Aadmi Party leader Prashant Bhushan but asserted that...
Gandhi family fights for survival after striking a deal!
By Saeed Naqvi ,
The Gandhi family is in this battle with its back to the wall. A burst of energy at this late stage...
Early Marriage, Tradition and Safety: Unraveling the Challenges for Muslim Girls in Education
Iqra Fatma, TwoCircles.net
Darbhanga (Bihar): Nusrat, a bright young woman from Muzaffarpur district in Bihar, always aspired to pursue higher education. After earning her bachelor's...
RSS activists attack CPI-M Delhi headquarters
By IANS
New Delhi : A mob of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers attacked the Communist Party of India-Marxist headquarters near Gole Market, close to the prestigious shopping centre of Connaught Place, here Saturday, injuring around 15 leftists and damaging property.
The attack comes in the wake of the political clashes between the ruling CPI-M and the RSS that has left at least seven people killed in Kerala's Kannur district over the past week.
Uttar Pradesh asked to implement employment scheme
By IANS
Lucknow : Close on the heels of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the execution of centrally funded rural development schemes in Uttar Pradesh, a central minister has told state government officials to personally monitor the schemes to ensure their proper implementation.
Union Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said: "State officials must undertake extensive tour of the state to personally monitor the progress of NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) that could go a long way in removing poverty in the country."
A colourful sea of humanity, all for Behenji
By IANS
New Delhi : It had the look of a country fair, but of a political variety, as hundreds of thousands of men, women and even children in colourful clothes, with blue predominating, thronged the capital's Ramlila grounds Sunday to hear Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati speak.
Vendors selling books, audio and video cassettes, badges, life sized posters, trophies and other trinkets, all either on Mayawati or Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar lined the entrance gates of the ground.
Rajya Sabha disrupted over Selja’s claim of caste bias
New Delhi : The government and the opposition locked horns in the Rajya Sabah on Wednesday when the treasury benches contradicted Congress member Kumari...
In India, Speaking Up as a Woman Can Be Dangerous. These Women Do It...
Sara Siddiqui, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Journalist Manisha Mondal was offered a simple gesture of hospitality - lunch at a local's home - in a quiet...
जाट -मुस्लिम एकता का लिटमस टेस्ट है, पश्चिमी यूपी में पहले चरण का मतदान
उत्तर प्रदेश में विधानसभा चुनावों के मद्देनजर कल 10 फरवरी को 58 विधानसभा सीटों पर वोट डाली जा रही है। यह...
Sushma talks to Mamata ahead of Dhaka visit
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Wednesday spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ahead of her three-day visit to Dhaka,...
Nripendra Mishra appointed Modi’s principal secretary
New Delhi : Nripendra Mishra, former chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, was Wednesday appointed principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While...
Ruckus in Kashmir assembly, NC legislator injured
Jammu : Pandemonium marred the proceedings of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly on Friday as opposition National Conference (NC) members gathered near the speaker's...
Why was a Muslim principal of MP law college forced to quit after allegation...
After the right-wing student outfit, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused the Muslim faculty at the government law college in Indore of promoting...
Six BSP legislators join Congress in Rajasthan
By IANS,
Jaipur : All six Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators in Rajasthan Saturday joined the Congress, giving the ruling party a majority in the state assembly.
"We have joined the Congress to give a stable government in the state. We had sought votes against the misrule of the previous BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government. Under these circumstances it was our responsibility to provide a stable Congress government, so we decided to join the party," said Rajendra Singh Gudha, one of the BSP legislators.
Prithviraj Chavan gets reprieve – for now
New Delhi/Mumbai: The fate of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is now likely to be decided only after June 28 when state leaders will...
Who said what on the poll results
By IANS,
New Delhi : As the election results poured in, bringing cheers to some and disappointment to others, here are some key quotes from political leaders:
Efforts on to get captive Indians released from Iraq: Sushma
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday met the families of Indian workers held captive in Iraq and assured them the...
After venue, poster war between BSP, Congress
By IANS,
Lucknow: After the tussle between Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress over the venue for their rallies to celebrate Bhimrao Ambedkar's 119th birth anniversary April 14 in Ambedkarnagar town, the two are fighting over the posters for the event.
While the BSP first drew much flak for holding a particular ground for its own celebratory rally and denying it to the Congress, which had no option but to settle for another venue in the neighbourhood, the Congress now is at the receiving end for putting up posters without Ambedkar's picture.
Sonia has always been active leader: Jairam
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi has always been an active and vocal leader and her recent work of going out, meeting people...
Minister expressed regret, won’t quit: Venkaiah Naidu
New Delhi : The government wouldn't relent before the opposition demand for the resignation of union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti as she "has expressed...
‘Postpone elections, go back to ballot’
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are prone to ‘mass hacking’ and hence in order to “save democracy,” general elections should be postponed by few weeks and voting should be held through printed ballot papers. These are the demands raised by some civil society groups.
SP leads in nine UP assembly seats
Lucknow : The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) Tuesday established an early lead in nine of the 11 assembly seats where bypolls were held.
According to...
Bastar voting hours changed, 383 in fray for Chhattisgarh first phase polls
By IANS,
Raipur : Voting will start early in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bastar region as the Election Commission is concerned about the safety of the polling teams, an official said Saturday. A total of 383 candidates are left in the fray for 39 seats going to polls in the first phase of assembly elections, Nov 14.
Polling will begin at 7 a.m. and will conclude at 3 p.m. for the 12 assembly segments in Bastar region, the state's chief election officer Alok Shukla told IANS.
Large threat on polls from outside India: Delhi Police chief
By IANS,
New Delhi : After Home Minister P. Chidambaram's warning to politicians about possible terror attacks during the polls, Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal Thursday said that there was "a large threat on the elections from those outside India".
"There is a large threat on the upcoming elections from those outside India. I cannot disclose more on this, but let me assure you that we are taking all security measures," Dadwal told reporters here.
He said that security measures had been beefed up. "We have quick reaction teams, commandos and mobile patrolling round the clock."