The Odisha government on Wednesday hoped Maoists would soon name their negotiators for talks for release of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka, a day after it invited them for parleys, even as intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was sought by mediators in the Italian captive's case.
A meeting of Nationalist Congress Party office bearers will be held in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the coming Presidential poll as the party leader P A Sangma faces possible disciplinary action for remaining in the race going against the party directive.
Odisha government, grappling with the hostage crisis, on Tuesday said some demands made by Maoists like halt to combing operations, have been conceded as prospects of the release of the lone Italian national seemed to have brightened.
The Odisha government is examining the demands made by abductors of ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikakaka, which includes release of jailed ultras, amid indication that talks with Maoist mediators for release of the second Italian will soon yield positive results.
After day-long talks with Odisha government representatives for release of the second Italian hostage, Maoist mediators on Monday said they expect a positive outcome on Tuesday even as abductors of a ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA demanded an immediate halt to combing operations and release of jailed ultras.
Though two days have passed since the Maoists abducted ruling Biju Janata Dal member of Legislative Jhina Hikaka, the Odisha government is yet to receive any information on the whereabouts of the young tribal legislator.
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday reiterated his party's support to former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma even as former president A P J Abdul Kalam expressed his unwillingness to contest the presidential poll.
The Opposition concluded that NCP's Chavan would be able to get the support of all opposition parties and even a few of the National Democratic Alliance allies.
Maoists on Saturday abducted a Member of Legislative Assembly from the Biju Janata Dal while he was returning home from Koraput district, leading to suspension of negotiations between the authorities and ultras for the release of two Italian nationals taken hostage by the rebels ten days ago.
While several opposition parties criticised the move, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the Parliament session is being held under special and extraordinary circumstances.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal candidate Ranendra Pratap Swain on Wednesday defeated his nearest Congress candidate Suresh Chandra Mohapatra by 47,390 votes in the by-election for Athgarh assembly seat in Odisha.
A senior TRS leader had said his party expects the Congress to not cross the 100-seats mark.
Most of the parties concur with Hazare's demands for inclusion of Prime Minister, lower bureaucracy and CBI's anti-corruption wing under Lokpal. However, they did not favour bringing higher judiciary under the ombudsman and argued for a separate mechanism to check corruption in it.
Sparking speculation of cracks within the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, two groups t held separate meetings on Tuesday night at the houses of party member of Parliament Pyari Mohan Mohapatra and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is on a London visit.
'Look at what happened to the BJP in that India Shining episode in 2004.'
Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, who is being backed by the Biju Janata Dal and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the President's post, on Tuesday sought to reach out to political parties, saying he hoped they will respond "to the call of conscience of the tribal people of the nation."
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Monday stepped up the campaign for former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma's candidature for presidency describing him as a distinguished tribal leader.
Ruling Biju Janata Dal memver of Legislative Assembly Subarna Nayak was arrested on Monday for allegedly slapping and misbehaving with a woman homeguard.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu announced in the House that the election will be held at 11 am on August 9.
Many political experts believe that the extent of protests has put the government on the defensive and highlighted its unpreparedness.
Malayalam films Seniors and Manikya Kallu will fight it out this weekend.
It is visually grand and meditative in nature.
Four days after release of Jhina Hikaka from Maoist captivity, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday questioned why the MLA, belonging to his party the Biju Janata Dal, should resign and said he was looking forward to meeting him.
Three days after being freed by Maoists, Odisha Member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka on Sunday said the ultras are likely to release a fresh audio message which could clear the air over his possible resignation as a legislator.
There was a half hour firefight between the Maoists and the police on Friday night at a jungle under Sorada police station area bordering Kandhamal district, before the ultras fled, a senior police official who took part in the operation told PTI.
Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka Monday completed a month in captivity of Maoists even as all including Odisha government were anxiously waiting for the 'praja (people's) court' proposed by the Naxals to decide the fate of the tribal legislator by April 25.
In an audio message to the media, a leader of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of CPI (Maoist) said the final verdict of the praja court on the fate of Laxmipur MLA would be communicated by April 25.
Bowing to demand by Maoists that it withdraw cases against 13 prisoners for the freedom of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka, the Odisha government on Wednesday announced that it was agreeable to do so after expiry of the deadline set by the ultras at 5 pm.
The Maoists holding ruling Biju Janata Dal Member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka hostage on Sunday extended the deadline for the fulfillment of their demands till April 18. In a message, a leader of Maoists' Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee set a new deadline of 5 pm on April 18 for the release of 29 rebels, said Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, a Koraput-based lawyer who fights cases for Maoists.
Starring Dileep and Kunchacko Boban, this film has been shot in Spain.
The Maoists holding Italian Paolo Bosusco hostage on Wednesday welcomed 'certain' steps taken by the Odisha government to meet their demands while the fate of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka held by another Naxal group was still unknown as the deadline set by both sides ended on Tuesday.
As the deadline set by two Maoist groups in the twin hostage crisis ends on Tuesday, the Odisha government seemed to have toughened its stance vis-a-vis their new demands.
Three days after the Odisha government invited it for talks for the release of abducted Biju Janata Dal Member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka, Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh on Monday said it was willing to do so if certain conditions were fulfilled.
Alleging that the Odisha government is indifferent towards the Italian hostage crisis, Maoist mediators on Thursday threatened to pull out of talks if no response is received on the demands of the rebels who said they are ready to release the foreigner if three of their 13 conditions are met.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday night on a two-day visit to the Odisha capital during which he is slated to inaugurate the 99th Indian Science Congress.
Will numbers 1 to 8 in the BJP pull together so that it is a strong and formidable BJP which makes for a BJP-led NDA and not an NDA where the multiple docked tails are wagging the dog, asks Radha Rajan
Maoist-nominated mediators on Monday refused to issue an appeal to the ultras for early release of a ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA and an Italian, held captive by different rebel groups, and instead asked Odisha government to release "innocent" people jailed on the charge of being Naxal.
With P A Sangma insisting on contesting the Presidential poll, the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, which was the first to moot his name, on Saturday said there was no change in its decision to back him.
Bhaiyya Bhaiyya does provide a few chuckles, but nothing substantial.
The Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance on Friday indicated that it will try to mobilise support of non-Congress parties for A P J Abdul Kalam, whose name has been floated by SP and Trinamool Congress.
