An overview of the past vice presidential elections in India, highlighting uncontested wins, multi-cornered fights, and notable candidates.
Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla, who had crossed 75 years, resigned on Tuesday from the Union Cabinet along with Minister of State for Heavy Industries G M Siddeshwara.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptuallah on Thursday said most of the political leaders wear skull caps to "show off" but do not have respect for it.
President Pranab Mukherjee hosted the season's first big Iftar party at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday evening, but conspicuously absent was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the event was in turn attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minorities Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah with Union Minister and Lok Janashakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan. Renu Mittal reports
As the deadline to withdraw nominations ended at 1500 IST, Returning Officer H R Punia anounced that there were five candidates for an equal number of seats and hence voting was not necessary.
Vajpayee said this after Heptullah, a veteran Congress leader, heaped praises on him on the sidelines of a book release function.
"The story seems to have been planted and aimed at hitting out at the interests of Najmaji," said a senior party leader from Rajya Sabha, who is known for his lung power.
UB Group chairman and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Mallya and Air Sahara chief executive officer U K Bose were on Monday honoured with the Distinguished Fellow Award, 2003.
"There is no point talking about her as she has already missed the bus by quitting the party. She must be regretting the moment. The party has made its choice and we are going to stick by it," a senior party functionary said.
The BJP has dubbed the seer's arrest as an "assault on religion".
The controversy over the quality of mineral water surfaced again in the Rajya Sabha on Friday with deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah asking the government to clarify the exact position
The Doordarshan-Ten Sports telecast tussle has sparked off a major debate. Here's what two Congress leader and Ten Sports laywer Kapil Sibal, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Najma Heptullah have to say about the controversy.
Apparently, the government did not want to jeopardise its chances of bringing the underworld don back home.
'It was a moment when I felt what power can get. Such a reception was beyond my expectation.'
Though embattled Biren Singh has survived the crisis, media reports suggest that restructuring of the cabinet will not be an easy task for him.
Union Minister Najma Heptullah on Saturday slammed the previous UPA government
'PM's definition of disruption is oppn must not raise anything with which govt disagrees'
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Devegowda, Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Najma Heptullah and Ram Vilas Paswan are among over 300 MPs who are on the utility bill defaulters list of the New Delhi Municipal Council.
Justice V Gopala Gowda's name has been considered positively by the Trinamul Congress as well as the Left.
"I will resign by tomorrow (on Tuesday) to facilitate the process of government formation," Singh said.
Thirty-five Union ministers on Friday huddled in a strategy meeting for an image make-over for the government on a day when Congress began its foot march against the land bill from the symbolical Bhatta Parsaul village.
The Human Resource Development Ministry on Tuesday sought an explanation from the Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah over not allowing access to women undergraduates to the main library in the campus, with Minister Smriti Irani saying that it amounted to an 'insult to daughters'.
Rahul is going about the restructuring of the Congress leadership in a gradual, deliberate fashion: No sudden jerks, no abrupt moves. So while seniors like Janardan Dwivedi were edged out, Ahmed Patel has been retained.
'As a student of history, I am no pessimist, but regardless of which party/coalitions comes to power on May 23, the space for secularism, pluralism and minority rights has shrunk significantly,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
'No country or society ever prospered or remained secure by marginalising more than one-sixth of its own,' warns Shekhar Gupta.
Two Rajya Sabha members, including a nominated one, were today appointed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam amid stiff resistance from the Bharatiya Janata Party which feared "dangerous implications" and stalled proceedings for rest of the day.
National Demorcatic Alliance ministry's list of assets is fairly wide -- from land and property to vehicles and, for quite a few, guns. Nivedita Mookerji reports
Gopalkrishna Gandhi could only manage 244 votes.
Mehbooba wants a congenial political atmosphere and everybody's support before taking the reins of power; hence the delay in government formation. Aditi Phadnis opines.
'Some of his decisions were not so good, but his intentions were always guided by a deep national interest.'
The BJP cobbles up the numbers to stake a claim to form a government in Imphal. But ruling the restive state won't be easy, says Chitra Ahanthem.
'For us, North Indians, who are habitual late comers and lackadaisical in our temple attire; who go to temples in jeans and shorts; who keep our temples dirty; where deities are placed amidst all prasadam and where rotting flowers are strewn on the pathway -- Manipur teaches us grace and discipline,' says Tarun Vijay.
'Then all the usual troubles will break out.'
Empowered in the Modi government, junior ministers have enough on their plate.
'The BJP should know that simple caste arithmetic may have ceased to follow the basic law of addition.' 'Adding up seemingly distinct vote banks can even cause overall reduction in numbers,' says Sudhir Bisht.
'If the BJP wants to build a minimally inclusive and secure society, in which vulnerable groups and religious minorities don't feel persecuted, then the Sangh Parivar, the party and its government must change their ways. Or else, they risk dividing India further -- violently and irreparably -- for narrow political ends,' argues Praful Bidwai.
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