Goa’s Christian netas in big demand in northeast
By Mayabhushan
Panaji: Goa's Christian politicians appear to be hot currency in the Christianity-dominated regions of northeastern India, which send 25 parliamentarians to the...
Jaya-Karunanidhi war of words reaches crescendo
By IANS,
Chennai : The war of words between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Leader of Opposition J. Jayalalitha over last week's clash between two groups of law students reached a crescendo Tuesday, with the DMK supremo being threatened with legal action.
"For alleging that the opposition engineered the inhuman attacks in the Ambedkar Law College Campus, I will take legal action against Karunanidhi," Jayalalitha said in a statement.
Why are Yadavas vilified?
By IndScribe
Why Yadavas are made villains so easily and why it is so common to talk about Yadav-raj or use words like Yadav-gardi?
Aren't there...
UP, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra join discom debt restructure plan
New Delhi : Major states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra - on Monday agreed to join the UDAY debt restructuring scheme for...
BJP retains Purnia assembly seat in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an alliance partner in Bihar's Nitish Kumar government, retained the Purnia assembly seat in the state Wednesday, defeating the Congress.
Uma Bharati’s party offers Pragya election ticket
By IANS,
Bhopal : Uma Bharati's Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS) party Thursday announced it was ready to offer an election ticket to Hindu activist Pragya Singh Thakur, currently arrested for her alleged role in the bomb blasts in Gujarat and Maharashtra last month.
BJS national secretary Inder Prajapati told reporters in Indore his party would not mind fielding Thakur from any seat of her choice in Madhya Pradesh.
YSR Congress Party to vote for Pranab
By IANS,
Hyderabad : The YSR Congress Party Wednesday decided to support United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election.
To run a party, you need advice of people: Rahul
By IANS,
Cuttack/Angul (Orissa) : " To run a party, you need advice of the people around you, and if that is called coterie, I have nothing to say", Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said Tuesday.
Gandhi was responding to a query over the allegation that he has been guided by a 'coterie'. Former central minister Akhilesh Das , who recently quit the Congress and the Rajya Sabha membership, hit out at what he called "flatterers and inexperienced coterie" surrounding Gandhi, whom he derisively dubbed as "yuvraj" (prince).
Dalmiya unlikely to face opposition in CAB presidential race
By IANS,
Kolkata : Incumbent Jagmohan Dalmiya is unlikely to be opposed in the coming Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) presidential elections July 31, with the dissident group deciding not to put up any candidate.
The opposition's decision appeared a tactical one, aimed at giving a year's time to former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly to prepare the ground for mounting a serious challenge to Dalmiya - a former president of world cricket's apex body International Cricket Council - in the CAB Annual General Meeting in 2010.
Congress pits new face against Gujarat home minister
By IANS
Ahmedabad : The Congress party has chosen to field a new face, Sashikant Patel, to take on Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Amit Shah from Sarkhej constituency in Ahmedabad in the assembly elections next month.
In the December 2002 polls, Shah secured 158,036 votes while Himanshu Patel of Congress could manage 130,291 votes.
TRS legislators suspended from Andhra Pradesh assembly
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Opposition Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislators were Monday suspended from the Andhra Pradesh state assembly for one day for stalling the proceedings of the house.
Gandhian philosophy can help fight terrorism: Modi
Shanghai : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Centre for Gandhian and Indian Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and said Gandhian...
Nandigram victims recount tales of horror
Manjula Pradeep: Working tirelessly to ensure equal rights for Dalits
By Amit Kumar
For Manjula Pradeep, growing up in Baroda and attending an English-medium school meant her childhood was like any other child, at least...
UPA earnestly woos small parties as D-day draws near
By IANS,
New Delhi : With just four days to go before it faces a crucial trust vote in parliament, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government Thursday stepped up its efforts to bridge the shortfall in numbers by openly wooing the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which has three members in the Lok Sabha.
The government decided to rename an airport after RLD chief Ajit Singh's father, the late former prime minister Charan Singh, even as the Left tried equally hard to win him over.
Will Shahnawaz, Naqvi leave BJP?
By Andalib Akhter, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The day Varun Gandhi’s hate CD was published in the media, the two prominent Muslim figures of BJP, Vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and chief of the party’s minority’s cell Syed Shahnawaz Hussain were crying at the top of their voice condemning the utterance of young Gandhi.
Redefining OBC ‘creamy layer’: Modi government eyes UP polls
By Nirendra Dev,
New Delhi: The BJP-led central government has initiated the process of reviewing the definition of "creamy layer" as applicable to Other Backward...
Notices to BJP, INLD candidates for advertisements in Gurgaon
Gurgaon : The district administration Friday issued notices to two more candidates contesting from Haryana's Pataudi (R) assembly segment for publishing advertisements in various...
Congress does well in Odisha municipal polls
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The state's main opposition Congress party has registered an impressive win in the elections held for three urban local bodies in Odisha, an official said Friday.
Kerala parties mull online voting for expatriates
Thiruvananthapuram: An all-party meeting here on Thursday discussed the issue of extending online voting facility to the Kerala expatriates.
All parties, save for the Communist...
‘Digambar Kamat will be arrested in illegal mining case’
Panaji : Former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat will "sooner or later" be "arrested" in connection with a Rs.35,000 crore mining scam in the...
MIM strengthens its position in Hyderabad
By IANS,
Hyderabad : No matter which party gets power in Andhra Pradesh and which party bags the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats from the state, voters in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency always elect the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).
The delimitation of constituencies has come as a boon for the Muslim political party as it improved its tally in the state assembly from five to seven seats, while retaining Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat for the eighth consecutive term.
Digvijaya slams Centre’s clause for Urdu writers
New Delhi : Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday slammed the union Human Resource Development ministry's proposal asking Urdu writers to declare that...
Centre funds Rs.3,231 crore to build 2.28 lakh houses for urban poor
New Delhi: The central government will provide Rs.3,231 crore to five states -- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthana - for constructing...
Lalu-Akhilesh relative arrested in land grabbing case
Ghaziabad : Mohit Yadav, a relative of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and also connected with RJD chief Lalu Prasad, was on Saturday...
Keshubhai Patel ahead in Visavadar
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel was leading in Visavadar constituency in Saurashtra region Thursday, officials said.
Chandrababu Naidu, Modi congratulate each other
Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu Friday congratulated BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi over the NDA's victory in Lok Sabha...
Congress’ traditional support bases eroding: Sonia
By IANS,
Jaipur : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday expressed concern that "competitors" were making inroads into the party's traditional support bases.
BJP releases list of candidates for Maharashtra
New Delhi: A day after ending its 25-year-old alliance with Shiv Sena following differences over seat sharing, the BJP Friday released a list of...
LG to decide Delhi government formation: Home minister
New Delhi : Evading a direct reply on the government formation in Delhi, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday said only the lieutenant governor...
Rajya Sabha stalemate ends with chairman’s statement
New Delhi : The stalemate in the Rajya Sabha over union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's abusive comment ended Monday, after the government and the...
Judicial probe ordered in Karnataka police firing
By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Sunday ordered a judicial probe into police firing on agitating farmers at Haveri June 10, in which a farmer was killed and four were injured.
“The judicial inquiry will be headed by retired Karnataka High Court judge K.C. Jagannatha Shetty. The commission has been asked to submit its findings on the tragic incident in four months,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.
The judicial probe comes in the wake of the strident demand by the opposition parties for such an inquiry.
22 Muslims elected to Kolkata Municipal Corporation
By Zaidul Haque, for TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: In total 22 Muslims have got elected to Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Eleven of them are from Trinamul Congress – the party of Union Minister Mamata Banerjee has swept the civic body elections held on May 30. The elections were held in 80 municipalities in West Bengal.
Out of 141 Wards in Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, Muslims have won on 22 seats – 11 from Trinamul, 8 from Left Front and 3 from Congress.
List of Muslim elected candidates of Kolkata civic body
UPA government anti-labour, anti-farmer: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi : Terming three amendments to a notification under the Employees' Pension (Second Amendment) issued in 2008 as anti-labour, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the government withdraw it immediately.
"The three amendments withdraw major provident fund benefits available to millions of workers of the country and we demand its immediate withdrawal," BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said here Friday.
"This clearly reflects the anti-labour approach of the United Progressive alliance (UPA) government and we term it as 'black notifications'," he added.
47 Islamic nations join International Yoga Day
By Chaitanya Mallapur
New Delhi, June 21 (IANS/IndiaSpend) There are 47 Islamic nations among the 177 countries of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that...
BJP dissociates itself from Sangma’s petition plan
By IANS,
New Delhi : The BJP Wednesday dissociated itself from the petition Purno A. Sangma is planning to file in the Supreme Court against Pranab Mukherjee's election as the president.
Zero tolerance towards disruption in parliament: Pranab
By IANS,
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday said he favoured zero tolerance of disruptions in parliament, regretting that members often raised "panchayat level" issues.
“There should be zero tolerance towards disruption in the house,” Mukherjee told journalists covering the Lok Sabha.
Mukherjee delivered a speech on “Parliament and Foreign Policy” at the orientation programme for media persons, organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPRST).
Victory celebrations by Congress in Mizoram, MNF routed
By IANS,
Aizawl : Victory celebrations by the Congress erupted in Mizoram Monday, with the opposition party all set to form the next government and the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) literally routed as votes cast to elect the 40-member state legislature were counted.
According to latest trends and results available, the Congress won 18 seats and was leading in four seats, while the MNF and the other major regional conglomeration United Democratic Alliance (UDA) failed to make an impact in the vote held Tuesday.
Meghalaya CM has violated poll code, says Sangma’s party
Shillong : Former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission seeking action against Meghalaya...
Trust vote? It’s all about distrust, say people
By IANS,
New Delhi : It should be about the future of the nation, the issues that confront it and the challenges that lie ahead. But the trust vote in parliament seems to have become the focus of intense distrust for many people in the country.
As the Indian parliament debated the trust motion and the India-US civil nuclear deal that will decide the future of the Manmohan Singh government, common people in the national capital Tuesday said they were increasingly losing their faith in parliamentarians.
45 percent voting in Mumbai civic elections
By IANS,
Mumbai : In a show of voter apathy, Mumbai marked a turnout of 45 percent in elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest civic body in India.
BJP, BJD split in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, March 7 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late Saturday announced that they would fight Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Orissa separately, ending their decade-long alliance.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who heads the BJD, told reporters here that his party will fight the Lok Sabha and assembly elections alone.
The BJD and BJP jointly fought the Lok Sabha polls in 1998, 1999 and 2004 and the assembly elections of 2000 and 2004.
Woman files harassment case against Odisha MLA
Bhubaneswar : A woman on Tuesday filed a harassment complaint against an Odisha MLA who she claimed was her father-in-law but the Independent legislator...
Opposition criticises Karunanidhi for cable operators’ arrests
Chennai, Feb 17 (IANS) Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu Sunday criticised the state government for arresting cable operators of the Sun TV owned by Maran siblings, Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi, the estranged nephews of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L. Ganeshan, Janata Party chief Subramaniam Swamy and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi founder Sarath Kumar alleged that Karunanidhi was trying to stifle the commercial interests of his nephews for extraneous reasons.
Darjeeling problem solved: Mamata
By IANS,
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was in the capital Tuesday said the long-drawn Gorkhaland statehood problem in north Bengal has been "solved".
‘Nepal keen to adopt Modi’s development model’
New Delhi : Nepal is keen to learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development model, visiting Nepalese Commerce Minister Sunil Bahadur Thapa said Wednesday.
Speaking...
PM votes in Assam, says no Modi wave
Guwahati : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday cast his vote in Gauhati Lok Sabha constituency along with his wife Gurcharan Kaur, and said there...
Byelection for Rohtash Nagar in Delhi announced
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Election Commission Wednesday announced byelection in the Rohtash Nagar assembly constituency in Delhi following the death of Congress leader Ram Babu Sharma.
The byelection will be conducted on May 7 - the same day the Lok Sabha polls will be held in the capital.
Votes will be counted on May 16 - again, on the day counting would be undertaken in the entire country for the Lok Sabha polls.
BJP’s Delhi unit discusses poll preparations
New Delhi : The election management committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Delhi unit Wednesday held a meeting here to discuss preparations for...
CPI(ML) candidate arrested in Bihar
Patna : CPI(ML) candidate from Bihar's Katihar Lok Sabha constituency was Friday arrested in a case of murder, soon after he filed his nomination...
UP seeks quick release of Rs.7,543 crore
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has sought immediate release of Rs.7,543.14 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund to disburse compensation to farmers who...
No tribe in India venerates Mahishasur, says tribal scholar
Ranchi: Mahishasur, whom the popular belief views as the 'demon' slain by Goddess Durga, is not an object of inspiration or veneration for any...
No proposal for law to allow animal sacrifice: Himachal CM
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday informed the assembly that there was no proposal to enact any law or promulgate an...
Two IUML MPs unable to vote as they arrived late
New Delhi, (IANS): Two Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MPs from Kerala on Saturday could not vote in the vice presidential election as they arrived...
Four Muslim students in Top 10 of Kerala Medical Entrance results
By Shafeeq Hudawi
Kozhikode: Four Muslim students feature in the top 10 list of Kerala Medical Entrance Examinations results jointly announced by the Minister for...
BJP slams tax code proposals, bats for religious trusts
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the provisions of the proposed Direct Tax Code as being inequitable towards small asessees and strongly objected to the move to deny tax exemptions to religious institution.
In a memorandum to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday, the principal opposition party said that the proposed tax code also seeks to establish a draconian regime by conferring arbitrary and discretionary powers on tax officials.
Over 80 percent voting in Tripura gram panchayat polls
Agartala : Over 80 percent of the 1.1 million electors Tuesday cast their votes in the elections to the three-tier gram panchayat in Left-ruled...
Chaos in Uttar Pradesh assembly, members burst balloons
By IANS
Lucknow : Utter pandemonium marked the start of the Uttar Pradesh assembly's budget session Friday as opposition members not only raised anti-government slogans, but also burst gas balloons!
Led by the Samajwadi Party, opposition members demanded dismissal of the eight-month-old Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government.
Governor T.V. Rajeshwar, who had barely started his address marking the opening of the assembly's budget session, was interrupted by slogans of "Governor - go back".
‘Unaccounted victims,’ 3 children from Dholpur, Assam died due to poor access to medical...
Three children of No 1 and No 3 Dholpur villages in Darrang district of Assam, where the state government carried out forceful evictions of...
Shekhawat not a BJP/NDA candidate: Sushma
By IANSNew Delhi : Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat will not contest the presidential elections as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)...
Talked about boosting India-US ties with Obama, tweets Modi
New Delhi : During his telephonic talk with US President Barack Obama, prime minister-to-be Narendra Modi said the two talked about boosting bilateral strategic...
गोरखा संगठनों का फ़ैसला है कि ‘हम फॉरेनर्स ट्रिब्यूनल्स में नहीं जाएंगे…’
एनआरसी की अंतिम लिस्ट से बाहर कर दिए गए 19 लाख 6 हज़ार 657 लोग खुद को भारतीय साबित करने की क़वायद में जहां...
41 percent polling in West Bengal by-polls
By IANS,
Kolkata : An average of 41 percent polling was reported in the by-elections to two West Bengal assembly seats in the city Tuesday.
While the poll percentage was 47 percent in the Sealdah constituency, 37 percent of voters exercised their franchise in Bowbazar, according to state Chief Electoral Officer Debasish Sen.
Sen said there were no reports of any untoward incidents.
Mayawati meets Sonia, still mum on president
By IANS
New Delhi : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati met United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi here Friday, giving rise to speculation that she might support UPA's presidential candidate. She, however, maintained her silence on the issue.
Arrest Raja, says Jayalalithaa
By IANS,
Chennai : AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa Monday demanded the arrest of former communications minister A. Raja over the irregularities in the spectrum allocation.
Opposition parties condemn dissolution of Arunachal assembly
Guwahati : Opposition parties in Arunachal Pradesh Friday condemned the dissolution of the assembly by the governor and termed it a most undemocratic move.
Governor...
Rajya Sabha session from April 23
New Delhi : The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) has recommended that the next session of the Rajya Sabha begin from April 23,...
Judicial Independence Under Scrutiny: Ex-Judges Join BJP, VHP, as CJI Hosts Modi
TCN News
New Delhi: As the political landscape heats up ahead of state elections, a significant trend is emerging: the judiciary is transitioning into active politics....
Bengal train blast: Local politicians, criminals also on NIA radar
By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi: Political parties, local gangs and terrorist organisations are among the suspects the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is tracking in its...
Jayalalithaa compares DMK regime to Hitler, Idi Amin
By IANS,
New Delhi : People in Tamil Nadu voted out the DMK because they felt they were living in Hitler's Germany or Idi Amin's Uganda, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said Tuesday.
Shashi Tharoor walks out of TV talk show
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Former UN undersecretary general Shashi Tharoor, the Congress candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, took everyone by surprise when he walked out of a live TV talk show Friday night.
P.G. Suresh Kumar, the anchor of the show organised by Asianet TV channel, described the incident as "unfortunate". He told IANS: "When he walked out, the Left Democratic Front candidate P. Ramachandran Nair was responding to questions on MP Paniyan Ravindran. In fact Tharoor had answered all the questions that were put to him by me and also from the audience."
Voting important process of democracy, must vote: Aamir Khan
Mumbai : Bollywood's thinking actor Aamir Khan came along with wife and director Kiran Rao to cast his ballot Thursday and appealed to everyone...
Modi adopts a village in Varanasi
Varanasi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday adopted a village in his Varanasi parliamentary constituency and exhorted its residents to combine their collective strength...
Congress fumes at no mention of Sonia in Telangana text book
Hyderabad : The Congress in Telangana has condemned the non-inclusion in school text books of the role of party president Sonia Gandhi in the...
Amarinder arrives in Amritsar to challenge Jaitley
Amritsar : Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh arrived in this Sikh holy city Friday to challenge senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley for the...
Nothing objectionable in Maggi noodles in Bengal: Mamata
Kolkata : The West Bengal government found nothing objectionable in the Maggi instant noodles during safety tests on the samples, Chief Minister Mamata...
N-deal in national interest, even Vajpayee supports it: Digvijay
By IANS,
Lucknow : The India-US nuclear deal was more important than saving the government, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said here Thursday, adding that even former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was fully in favour of the deal.
"The nuclear deal is most important for us and it will only help the country in becoming a global power," Singh, Congress general secretary and the party's Uttar Pradesh affairs in-charge, told reporters.
Congress loses both seats in Delhi by-polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Thursday lost two seats in the Delhi by-elections with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning one seat each.
While BJP's candidate Pardymn Rajput defeated Congress' Tilotma Chaudhary in Dwarka, RJD's Asif Mohhamed Khan trumped the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Braham Singh in Okhla.
Elections in Dwarka were held on Sep 10, and in Okhla on Sep 15.
Rajnath, Jaitley meet Modi
New Delhi : Several BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, met Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi Monday, ahead of his swearing-in...
Now a number three in the cabinet hierarchy?
By IANS,
New Delhi : Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is certainly the number two in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) cabinet and takes charge whenever Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is away. But there could soon be a number three.
A little bird tells us that the mantle could come Defence Minister A.K. Antony's way. The quiet and non-controversial minister has risen in Congress president Sonia Gandhi's esteem since he was inducted into UPA-1 in 2006.
In the eye of the storm: The rise of AAP’s Amanatullah Khan
48-year-old Amanatullah Khan grew in popularity after he consistently spoke for the Muslim community and has been in the eye of the storm throughout...
The good professor is back – with a better mandate
By Murali Krishnan, IANS,
New Delhi : The good professor, who many were ready to send into retirement less than 24 hours ago, is back in the saddle - a second term as prime minister for a man who stood steadfastly by his principles and was ready to sacrifice his government rather than succumb to the demands of realpolitik.
Vyapam scam: CBI team summons Gwalior’s SIT
Bhopal: The CBI on Tuesday summoned the Gwalior-based Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take charge of the probe into the Madhya Pradesh Vyapam recruitment...
छत्तीसगढ़ में पादरी के साथ मारपीट,बजरंग दल पर आरोप
आकिल हुसैन।twocircles.net
छत्तीसगढ़ में एक थाने के अंदर हिंदूवादी संगठन के लोगों द्वारा पादरी से मारपीट का मामला सामने आया हैं। हिंदूवादी सगठन के...
Chiranjeevi supports farmers’ agitation against SEZ
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Telugu superstar-turned-politician Chiranjeevi Friday supported the struggle of farmers affected by the Pharma Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Polepalli in Mahbubnagar district and hit back at the Congress government by branding it a "land broker".
The chief of the newly-floated Praja Rajyam Party visited the village, about 80 km from here, met the affected people and promised to return their land if his party was voted to power in the next year's state assembly elections.
Pawar to attend BJD-NCP-Left rally in Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will participate in an election rally organised here Friday by the Biju Janata Dal and its allies, including the Left parties, the BJD said Wednesday.
"We are jointly organising a massive rally. Those who are expected to attend include NCP chief Sharad Pawar and senior Left leaders such as A.B. Bardhan and Prakash Karat," BJD general secretary Damodar Rout told IANS.
Karnataka moves SC against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal
New Delhi: The Karnataka government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the state high court's verdict acquitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa,...
BJP wants all-party meet on FDI logjam
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday called for an all-party meeting to resolve the stalemate in parliament over the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail issue.
TRS workers beat up party candidate, attack MP’s house
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Angry over their leaders being denied the party tickets, activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Friday beat up the party candidate from Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat and attacked the house of MP Vinod Kumar in Warangal town.
Alleging that S. Venkat Reddy, the candidate from Secunderabad, had got the ticket by paying huge amounts of money to the party leadership, TRS workers roughed him up outside Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarters, here.
NSA leaving for Sri Lanka, calls on Karunanidhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan will be leaving for Sri Lanka Wednesday afternoon to discuss the rehabilitation of Tamil civilians in the war-ravaged island nation.
Referring to Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, he said: "As far as we are aware he is no more, but we will get further confirmation."
Before leaving for Sri Lanka, Narayanan called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here to seek his advice.
Modi wows 65,000 youth in Central Park, with message of sanitation, peace
By Arul Louis,
New York : Who would have thought of Narenda Modi as a rock star? But Saturday evening, the Indian Prime Minister shared...
Government agrees to form Telangana, KCR ends fast
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Bowing to mass pressure and fearing for the detereorating condition of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, on a fast unto death, the central government late Wednesday pledged to form a separate Telangana state carved out of 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Meeting the five-decade long demand of the region that includes Hyderabad, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government said the process for formation of Telangana state would be initiated soon.
Trinamool leaders obstructing IT park project: Bengal minister
By IANS,
Kolkata : A section of West Bengal's main opposition Trinamool Congress was obstructing the proposed IT park project at Rajarhat here, Housing Development Minister Gautam Deb alleged Wednesday.
"A few Trinamool leaders are trying to obstruct the project. I would like to request all our state leaders, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Trinamool chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to come and start working together for the development of the state," he said.
HC notice to Centre on honouring killed police, paramilitary personnel
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking directions to issue the honorific of "martyr"...
HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s apathy towards Bihar
By Dr Mumtaz Naiyer
Last year I was on a short trip to India. I had received an invitation to deliver a lecture in Central...
Opposition leaders call on Lalu Prasad in hospital
Mumbai : Opposition leaders called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad in a hospital here Monday after the RJD-Congress-JD-U alliance won six of the 10...
Sex scandal: Opposition walks out of Kerala assembly
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kozhikode ice cream parlour sex case which dates back to the early 1990s led to an opposition walkout Thursday in the Kerala assembly.
Trinamool makes its presence felt at Bengal cricket’s AGM
Kolkata : The rising influence of Trinamool Congress in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) was evident Sunday during its 83rd annual general meeting...
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...
Jharkhand lurches towards political uncertainty, JMM holds key
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand was Wednesday headed towards political uncertainty with a messy, fractured electoral verdict that gave no clear leads to any grouping. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was pitchforked into the role of kingmaker in the 81-member assembly.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances were virtually neck-and-neck and the JMM followed close behind, making a hung assembly inevitable.
Once religious, Karat had wanted to be an engineer
By Liz Mathew, IANS
New Delhi : Prakash Karat, the reigning oracle of the Indian communist movement, was deeply religious in his younger days and had wanted to be an engineer. But a teacher persuaded him to go to Edinburgh where he embraced Marxism.
And he has never been to the United States, the country he is dogmatically opposed to, Karat reveals in a rare interview to the Malayala Manorama newspaper in Kerala.
Chiranjeevi, wife own assets worth Rs.880 mn
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Film star-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha own assets worth Rs.880 million (Rs.88 crore), a record among politicians in Andhra Pradesh who declared their assets while filing nominations for this month's elections.
The Telugu megastar has less assets in his name than his wife. The couple, however, has beaten Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his wife, who declared assets of Rs.770 million (Rs.77 crore).
Government hikes withdrawal limits at banks, ATMs
New Delhi : The government on Sunday increased the withdrawal limits in banks and ATMs.
"Banks have been advised to increase the Business Correspondents limit...
Mulayam no hero for Mainpuri’s young
By Puja Awasthi,
Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh): Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is no longer a hero for the young in Mainpuri, the constituency which...
Rahul Gandhi to visit Amethi Friday
By IANS,
Lucknow : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh Friday to meet party workers and others injured in a baton charge during a protest over power shortage Monday night, a party spokesperson said Wednesday.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) will be visiting Amethi Friday for a thanksgiving meeting with the party workers," Akhilesh Pratap Singh, spokesperson of Uttar Pradesh Congress, told IANS.
Karan Singh ‘available’ for presidential post
By IANS
New Delhi : Amid rumours that his was one of the names in the Congress list as a possible contender for the presidential post, senior Congress leader Karan Singh met DMK chief M. Karunanidhi here Thursday.
BJP ahead in Gujarat, Congress close behind
By IANS
Ahmedabad : Gujarat's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday led the race to retain control the state assembly but the Congress was making major gains, officials counting millions of votes said.
The BJP was leading in 65 of the 122 constituencies where counting trends were available, losing nearly 22 seats that it had swept in the 2002 elections, the officials said.
The BJP losses were dominantly coming from Central Gujarat but it appeared to have beaten back the challenge of dissidents within in the sprawling region of Saurashtra.
Sonia starts ramping up party machinery
By IANS,
New Delhi : With state and national elections round the corner, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is ramping up the party machinery.
Gandhi has issued a circular to all office-bearers to assess and strengthen the district- and block-level committees. She has also demanded a detailed report on vacant posts in the organising committees.
"The circular is to take stock of the party's readiness through the length and breadth of the country," Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said Sunday.
40 percent voting till afternoon in first phase of Karnataka polls
By IANS,
Bangalore : Around 40 percent voting was reported till Saturday afternoon in 89 constituencies across 11 southern districts of Karnataka in the first phase of assembly elections.
The voting was marred by a slew of complaints from people in several constituencies, including Bangalore city, that their names were missing.
In upmarket R.T. Nagar area in Bangalore, scores of people demonstrated holding aloft their photo identity cards as their names were not found in the voters' lists.
Kumaraswamy refuses to sack ministers for default
By IANS
Bangalore : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has declined to sack two of his ministers for not filing in time a statement of their assets with the state's anti-corruption body.
N. Santosh Hegde, chief of Lok Ayukta, the anti-corruption body, had suggested to Kumaraswamy that he should sack Youth Affairs Minister Alkod Hanumanthappa and Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur for violating rules regarding submission of details of their assets and liabilities.
Battle for pride in Kerala assembly by-elections
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has never lost a by-election while in power and the Congress is defending its long-held seats - the results of the three assembly by-polls this Saturday may not alter the state's power structure but there is plenty of pride at stake.
Elections are being held for the Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha assembly seats after their Congress legislators got elected to the Lok Sabha in the May 2009 general elections.
Modi’s business brand is ‘crony capitalism’, says Chidambaram
New Delhi : Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Monday criticised BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi saying that his brand of liberalism is “crony capitalism”...
Jammu PDP Youth wing condemn the arrest of Mehbooba Mufti
TCN News
The Jammu PDP Youth wing have in their press release condemned the action of the central government in arresting their leader and former...
Mamata severs ties with National Democratic Alliance
By IANS
Kolkata : In a surprise announcement Thursday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee formally severed ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). She cited no reasons, but said her party would "try to help" minorities and go it alone for now.
"I want you to know that we have severed our ties with the NDA," Banerjee said, addressing a Madrassa Students Union here.
Himachal assembly session from Aug 17
By IANS,
Shimla : The week-long monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly will start here Aug 17, an official statement said here Tuesday.
"Governor Urmila Singh has recommended convening of the monsoon session of the assembly from Aug 17-23. There will be five sittings during the session," said the statement.
Congress workers quit to escape Maoist fury
By IANS,
Ranchi : Some Jharkhand Congress workers have quit their party fearing attacks by Maoists who blame the party for a sweeping inter-state offensive against them.
The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) had last month warned that Congress workers would be targeted if the crackdown on Maoists was not halted.
State Congress spokesman Radha Krishna Kishore admitted that members were leaving the party but he gave no numbers.
PDP issues 11-Point Proposal to BJP over Govt Formation in Jammu and Kashmir
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,
Srinagar: The repercussions of recent drubbing of BJP in Delhi Polls can be seen over government formation in jammu and Kashmir.Taking advantage of the recent debacle of BJP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued fresh eleven-point demands for government formation. BJP won 25 of 37 seats of Jammu division while PDP got 28 seats in the Kashmir valley in recently concluded Assembly Elections resulting in the complete polarization of the two regions of the state with divergent interests for the two parties. Both the parties are reluctant to enter in any kind of alliance before mutually consenting on the common terms.The fragmented mandate by people has already delayed government formation since 23rd December 2014. Presently, State is under Governor Rule.
Rabri dares Thackeray, says will perform Chhath in Mumbai
By IANS
Patna : Daring Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, Bihar's Leader of Opposition Rabri Devi Monday said she will join her husband Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in performing the Chhath Puja in Mumbai.
"I will join my saheb (Lalu Prasad) in performing Chhath Puja in Mumbai," Rabri Devi told newspersons here.
Lalu Prasad last month said: "If possible, I will go to Mumbai to perform Chhath Puja."
BJP promises to build Ram temple
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday reiterated its commitment to the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya as well as the removal of the constitution's article 370 that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Among the party's promises:
-- The BJP remains committed to the construction of a grand Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
-- BJP will not allow anybody to touch the Ram Setu (also known as Adam's bridge, close to the southern tip of India). The party will evolve a new route for the Sethusamudram shipping canal project bypassing Ram Setu.
More Muslims voted for BJP this time: Naqvi
New Delhi : The BJP increased its vote share among the Muslims in the Lok Sabha election this year, party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi...
Shutdown called by Congress hits normal life in Odisha
Bhubaneswar : Normal life was paralysed on Saturday in eight KBK districts of Odisha by a dawn-to-dusk shutdown called by the Congress party to...
Security strengthened ahead of Tamil Nadu by-poll
By IANS,
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) : Eight companies of central paramilitary forces will be deployed in Tamil Nadu's Tirumangalam assembly constituency ahead of the Jan 9 by-poll, the run-up to which was marred by violence, officials said Friday.
"The effective numbers of men in the eight companies of central forces will be around 500 men though a company comprises of a little over 100 personnel. They will augment the law and order machinery in Tirumangalam," Tamil Nadu's Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta told IANS.
Congress, BJP have just six women candidates in Madhya Pradesh
By IANS,
Bhopal : Women may comprise 47 percent of Madhya Pradesh's electorate, but the two main parties together have fielded just six candidates for the 29 Lok Sabha seats - the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) four and the opposition Congress two.
The two parties have also been advocating 33 percent reservation for women in all bodies. But this does not seem to translate into a more equitable distribution of nominations.
The smaller parties are no different. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not fielded even one woman. Ditto with the Samajwadi Party.
Poll panel gives clean chit to Deora
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Election Commission Tuesday gave a clean chit to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora over his remarks on slashing petrol and diesel prices even while assembly polls are on.
"The commission considered the explanation given by Murli Deora and examined the video footage and came to the conclusion that there was no violation of the model code of conduct," said Deputy Elections Commissioner R. Balakrishnan.
Hasina’s victory is my victory: Mamata Banerjee
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal's principal opposition leader, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, was "happy" that "friend'" Shiekh Hasina had won Bangladesh's ninth general election, she said here Tuesday.
"Hasina is a very good friend of mine and we share a special bonding. I am very happy that she is going to be the next prime minister of Bangladesh. Her victory is my victory," Banerjee told reporters here.
"I wish her all the luck and hope she follows her father and the founding leader of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's principles."
Two minors held for threatening Madhya Pradesh minister
By IANS,
Bhopal: Two minors have been arrested from Madhya Pradesh's Narsingarh town for allegedly pretending to be Maoists and threatening to blow up Madhya Pradesh Housing and Environment Minister Jayant Malaiya on Diwali day, police said Thursday.
The call on the minister's phone Tuesday was attended by his personal assistant J.P. Namdev.
The caller insisted on talking to the minister. "Later, he said that he would blow up the minister; when I asked him about his identity, he said he was a Naxalite," Namdev told police.
BJP seeks special Uttar Pradesh assembly session on terror
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday demanded that a special session of the state assembly be held over the issue of rise in terrorism, particularly after Azamgarh emerged as a "haven for terrorists", a party official said.
"(Chief Minister) Mayawati must tell us why unlawful elements are thriving in the state," senior BJP leader Om Prakash Singh told reporters here.
The fact that Azamgarh has become "a haven for terrorists" exposes the ineptness of the state government and police authorities to check terrorism, Om Prakash Singh said.
Tension grips Nandigram over school committee poll
Tension grips Nandigram over school committee poll
Indo-Asian News Service
By IANS
Kolkata : Fresh tension gripped West Bengal's Nandigram Saturday morning after activists of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its rival the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) clashed over a school committee election.