With the victory over FDI in multi-brand retail in Parliament, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance is now gearing up for the party's all important 'Chintan Shivir' (brainstorming camp) next month.
The first floor of 268, Sukhdev Vihar, a nondescript white and grey bungalow, houses the headquarters of at least three companies/businesses owned by Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Vadra, who had been renting the premises for seven-odd years, has recently bought the property.
Congress president and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has directed all party-ruled states to subsidise three additional cylinders a year for domestic liquefied petroleum gas, raising the cap on subsidised cylinders from six to nine.
Earlier in the day, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the Bharatiya Janata Party would allow Parliament to function if the coal block allocations were cancelled and an independent inquiry was ordered.
At the 13 Talkatora Road bungalow, his home for 16 years, Mukherjee confessed: "Unlike the Lok Sabha elections, in this election, there is no worry."
According to senior leaders, the prime minister's assistance could be taken to mollify Banerjee. If the PM, for whom Banerjee has great respect, were to talk to her before Mukherjee visits Kolkata on July 8, then there could be chances of a turnaround in the TMC's position
TMC leaders say party may do a rethink on UPA's choice for President. Kavita Chowdhury reports
PM blames 'circumstances beyond control'; FM says urged states to consider 25% cut in petrol taxes
Senior government officials say that barring the National Housing Bank Amendment Bill, no major Bill -- not even the Banking Bill which the Cabinet has cleared -- will make it to Parliament by May 22, the last day of this Budget session.
There is a thinking in the Congress party that some of the ministers should be made to step down in the wake of the Congress's disastrous performance in the recent assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and the challenge of three other assembly elections in the coming eight months. This points to a comprehensive party-government overhaul eventually. However, no one was willing to say when
During election season, every party leader worth his salt makes promises of revival, only to again repeat these in the next polls, reports Kavita Chowdhury
Till the other day, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) had made no secret of its opposition to foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. But the trade-union wing of the ruling Congress party at the Centre has now had a change of heart.
Kumar managed to turn popular opinion in his favour by doing just two things: ensuring he took over the work of ministers -- like Bijendra Yadav -- whose charge had befallen some disaster and posting trusted bureaucrats in the ministry.
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