Sharat Pradhan

Stories by Sharat Pradhan

Maya slams UPA for 'ignoring the downtrodden'

Maya slams UPA for 'ignoring the downtrodden'

Rediff.com   5 Jun 2009

Training her guns on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was extremely critical of President Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of parliament in New Delhi on Thursday.

Recruitment case: Maya jolted, Mulayam upbeat

Recruitment case: Maya jolted, Mulayam upbeat

Rediff.com   25 May 2009

While Monday's Supreme Court order reinstating 18,000 dismissed Uttar Pradesh policemen came as a bolt from the blue for Chief Minister Mayawati, it has left her predecessor and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav all pepped up as the recruitments were made during his regime.

 'Inexperienced' Raja Bhaiya crash lands chopper

'Inexperienced' Raja Bhaiya crash lands chopper

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2009

A private helicopter carrying Samajwadi Party leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh crash landed on a highway at Dhimi village under Hathgawan police circle of Pratapgarh district, on Sunmday evening.

Senior SP woman leader quits, joins BSP

Senior SP woman leader quits, joins BSP

Rediff.com   14 Mar 2009

In a major blow to the Samajwadi Party, Ranjana Bajpai, chief of the SP's women's wing, joined hands with the party's avowed rival Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday.The move comes in the wake of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's decision to withdraw her ticket as the party nominee for the Sitapur Lok Sabha seat.Attributing her decision to the 'neglect of Brahmins in the Samajwadi Party', Bajpai pointedly accused SP general secretary Amar Singh of having "hijacked the party."

Congress & SP are together for LS polls: Mulayam

Congress & SP are together for LS polls: Mulayam

Rediff.com   14 Mar 2009

Notwithstanding the hiccups over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party , SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday claimed that the two parties will face the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in 'perfect coordination'.Mulayam told media persons that despite the visible tug-of-war over sharing the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the country's most populous state, all was well between the two parties.

CEC reviews LS poll preparations in UP

CEC reviews LS poll preparations in UP

Rediff.com   5 Mar 2009

Accompanied by two election commissioners -- Naveen Chawla and S Y Quraishi -- Gopalswami arrived in Lucknow on Wednesday evening on a two-day visit. The team will also travel to Patna to take stock of the poll preparations in Bihar. India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, has as many as 80 parliamentary constituencies. The state will go to poll in five phases, during which 11.62 crore voters will exercise their franchise at 1,28,112 polling stations.

Straying tiger killed in UP

Straying tiger killed in UP

Rediff.com   25 Feb 2009

The stray tiger that had been on the prowl in parts of Uttar Pradesh for the last four months, was shot down on Tuesday evening. The three-year old animal that had lost its way after stepping out of its natural home in the forests of Pilibhit on the Himalayan foothills , traversed across nearly five districts including Lucknow to finally met its end in the Bachuna forests near Kumarganj in Faizabad district.

Mayawati slams UPA over reservation withdrawal

Mayawati slams UPA over reservation withdrawal

Rediff.com   18 Feb 2009

Vehemently opposing the Union government's move to withdraw the reservation facility for higher positions in select elite educational institutions , the fiery dalit leader on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , urging him to stall a bill , proposed to be tabled before the national parliament in this regard on Thursday.

Media-persons assaulted by Lucknow cops

Media-persons assaulted by Lucknow cops

Rediff.com   13 Feb 2009

The Uttar Pradesh police lathi-charged media-persons seeking to question jailed mafia don Babloo Srivastava, while he was brought to a local court for appearance.

'Where did Amar Singh get Rs 48.5 crore from?'

'Where did Amar Singh get Rs 48.5 crore from?'

Rediff.com   9 Feb 2009

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has been accused of using the contraband 'hawala' operation to dole out a hefty $10 million 'gift' to the Clinton Foundation in United States.Vishwanath Chaturvedi, who had earlier moved a PIL accusing SP chief Mulayam Singh of amassing disproportionate assets, has filed a petition before the Election Commission in New Delhi.He added "It is evident that Singh had given false declaration about his wealth."

Samajwadi MP slams Mulayam as traitor

Samajwadi MP slams Mulayam as "traitor"

Rediff.com   5 Feb 2009

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav's insistence on continuing his new found friendship with rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader and its one time Hindutva mascot Kalyan Singh is apparently going to cost Mulayam his Muslim support.

Mulayam gets Maulanas to give himself testimonial

Mulayam gets Maulanas to give himself testimonial

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2009

In a damage control move, while party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday roped in a large number of Maulanas to give himself a clean chit, his second-in-command Amar Singh flew down to the well-known Islamic seminary, DarulUloom Deoband in Saharanpur district to woo the clerics there.

Mulayam terms Kalyan tie-up as bond of friendship

Mulayam terms Kalyan tie-up as "bond of friendship

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2009

Unmindful of the deep resentment within his own ranks and file against his new found bonhomie with once sowrn political adversary and rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh , Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday termed his relationship with Kalyan as a "bond of friendship."

SP willing to welcome Advani too!

SP willing to welcome Advani too!

Rediff.com   29 Jan 2009

As if the flak over Samajawadi Party's sudden bonhomie with hardcore Hindutva mascot and rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh was not enough, SP strongman Amar Singh now makes no bones about giving a big hug even to BJP bigwig Lal Kishan Advani.

Azamgarh clerics charter train to protest in Delhi

Azamgarh clerics charter train to protest in Delhi

Rediff.com   28 Jan 2009

Islamic clerics of Azamgarh are leading a trainload of Muslims to the national capital New Delhi , where they propose to stage a demonstration on Thursday to mark their protest against what they termed as "framing of local youth as terrorists"

Two LeT terrorists killed in encounter with UP ATS

Two LeT terrorists killed in encounter with UP ATS

Rediff.com   25 Jan 2009

Two Pakistani terrorists believed to be Lashkar-e-tayiba members, were gunned down by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad in Noida, bordering the national capital ,New Delhi, early on Sunday morning.

Kalyan's son Rajvir joins SP

Kalyan's son Rajvir joins SP

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2009

Rajbir Singh, the son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, joined the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday. His decision comes just a day after his father quit the Bharatya Janata Party, giving a jolt to the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Former UP CM Kalyan Singh leaves BJP

Former UP CM Kalyan Singh leaves BJP

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2009

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh on Tuesday announced that he has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Singh is reportedly unhappy with the party top brass for sidelining him. His resignation comes in the wake of rumours that he might join the Samajwadi Party, after he met SP supremo Mulayam Singh a few days ago.

Munnabhai bowls Lucknow over

Munnabhai bowls Lucknow over

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2009

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt arrived in Lucknow on Saturday to a hero's welcome by thousands, who hailed him as the Samajwadi Party nominee for the prestigious Lucknow Lok Sabha seat.

Protests, counter-protests mark Maya birthday

Protests, counter-protests mark Maya birthday

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2009

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's birthday on Thursday escalated political activity in the state as both ruling party and opposition activists took to the streets to stress their respective points. It was a day of unique demonstrations by each of the four key political parties -- the Samajwadi Party, Bhartiya Janata Party, the Congress and to top it all the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.