Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, whom Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier gave a berth in the Rajya Sabha, was the surprise entry even for senior ministers who were seen asking each other about the background of the man from Punjab.
Actor and activist Deep Sidhu, accused of being the key conspirator of the Red Fort violence on Republic Day last year, died in a road accident on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal highway near Kharkhoda in Haryana's Sonipat, police said.
The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in saving the life of death row convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar whose mercy petition had been rejected by the President. In a statement, the ruling party in Punjab sought "direct and immediate intervention of the prime minister to save the life of Bhullar on grounds of humanitarianism and civilised concern and above all the national interest".
Riding on its recent success in Punjab, where it created history by returning to power for a second consecutive term, National Democratic Alliance ally Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday favoured early Lok Sabha polls, saying the country had come to a standstill under Congress rule and people were fed up. Badal also said the NDA was currently the best alternative to the Congress at the Centre in case the country went in for early general elections
Putting at rest all speculation, Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday declared that Parkash Singh Badal will remain the chief minister of Punjab, a post he would be holding for a record fifth time.
For far too long, the BJP has postponed an uncomfortable debate on the need for radical change. The outcome in Uttar Pradesh presents the perfect opportunity to force that debate, says Shashi Shekhar.
Samajwadi party may gently want to ease Akhilesh into the role of the CM, rather than rock the boat so soon after such an impressive victory, says Neerja Chowdhury
President of newly-formed Punjab People's Party, which is emerging as a third force in the state, Manpreet claims the results of Punjab elections would be quite different than expected.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Parkash Singh Badal-led Shiromoni Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Punjab, saying the state which was once a frontrunner in all spheres had now fallen behind.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari, who is an MP from Punjab, on Friday quoted from an affidavit filed by the Punjab government in court which said that 70 per cent of the youth in Punjab are on drugs of various kinds. It is the same Akali-BJP government, which filed the affidavit in the court.
Amit Doda, one of the accused in Abohar Dalit murder case, has surrendered before police even as the liquor baron and Akali leader Shiv Lal Doda continued to remain elusive.
Seeking to dismiss reports of differences in NDA over FDI in multi-brand retail, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it was opposed to the decision in toto and indicated that it will scrap the policy if it comes to power.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar held talks with leaders of the opposition in her attempt to break the Parliament impasse on the 2G spectrum issue.Leaders of several parties including the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the National Conference did not attend the luncheon meeting called by the Speaker to find a solution to the deadlock.
If 'Raja' Amarinder Singh can address the issues of health and education, he is certain to coast to victory.
'Narendra Modi might not have made 145 in Maharashtra, but it is definitely true that the Congress, and other dynastic parties, are well and truly stumped.'
Leaders of a number of opposition parties on Tuesday met twice after which they decided to put up a united fight for the post.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is to being installed as the new CM of Punjab with the Shiromani Akali Dal's alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party giving its consent.
With 85-year-old Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal at the helm, the old faces mostly stand out in the newly sworn Punjab Cabinet, whose average age is 60 years. Badal is the oldest member of his council of ministers, which comprises 17 other Cabinet-rank ministers, including his son Sukhbir Singh Badal as his deputy.
A day after his party got a miserable drubbing in the Assembly polls, Peoples Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday accused Shiromani Akali Dal of using money power to garner votes.
The results of the Assembly elections were nothing to exult about for the Bharatiya Janata Party with the party faring poorly in Uttar Pradesh and its chief minister B C Khanduri losing in Uttarakhand although it grabbed Goa from Congress.
Despite attaining absolute majority in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party lost its vote share in comparison to Congress which failed to live up to its expectations in the poll results of the 117 member assembly.
The SAD-BJP alliance on Tuesday created history in Punjab by storming back to power for a second consecutive term, breaking a 46-year-old jinx.
Shiromani Akali Dal created history on Tuesday to become the first party ever to retain power in Punjab bucking the anti-incumbency factor with Parkash Singh Badal, the grand old man of the state politics, and his son Sukhbir Singh leading the charge.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari is confident that his party will come back to power in Uttrakhand as well as Punjab, where it has an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. He also believes that the party will fare way better in Uttar Pradesh than the predictions made by several exit polls. "I am confident that we will win the elections in Uttrakhand and Punjab," he said.
A beaming Amarinder Singh thanked the people of the state for their overwhelming support, saying he was committed to good governance and tackling the drug menace.
Strains in relations between the SAD and the BJP had begun surfacing for over a year.
Even as Sidhu parries queries on whether he would join the AAP, dissent is brewing in Arvind Kejriwal's party.
Though the Congress lost the battle in 2007 to the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, it hopes to regain power in Punjab this year. The party, which is banking on the anti-incumbency factor, believes it "will throw Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Bhartiya Janata Party out of power".
After 13 years in hibernation, the prospects of passage of the controversial women's reservation bill brightened with sharp divisions coming to the fore among one of the main the opponents of the measure--JD(Uas Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declared his support.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul asked how could he stand with the Akali Dal when he always talks about eliminating corruption.
The government has ruled out a separate marriage law for the Sikhs and dropped the proposal to amend the Anand Marriage Act of 1909 to provide for registration of the Sikh marriages.
Amritsar Rural Police booked four people, including a 10-year-old boy and his father, for glorifying gun culture but later cancelled the first information report (FIR) after it was pointed out that the firearm in question was a 'toy gun'.
In the complaint, the DSGMC mentioned that Ranaut had intentionally and deliberately portrayed the farmers' protest (Kisan Morcha) as a Khalistani movement and also dubbed the Sikh community as Khalistani terrorists.
Sikh groups on Tuesday said the incident of shoe-throwing at Home Minister P Chidambaram reflected the long pent-up anger of the community which had suffered in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
President Ram Nath Kovind said the nation will always be grateful to the security personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
'Kirtans' (hymns) were sung and prayers offered as Bhindranwale's portrait was placed alongside paintings dating to the 15th century in the Sikh heritage museum.
The dinner was followed by a meeting in which nearly two dozen allies facilitated Prime Minister Modi.
He was colourful. He was dramatic. He was The Master of His Craft. There never will be an editor as versatile as Pritish Nandy, notes Nikhil Lakshman.
Poll-bound Delhi will witness star-studded election rallies on Sunday, organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party's ally Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party, which are trying their best to ensure impressive turnouts.Congress president Sonia Gandhi will sound the election bugle from Mangolpuri in outer Delhi while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP chief Mayawati will address a rally in Trilokpuri in east Delhi.
A former chief minister of Punjab, Barnala has the ability to carry other parties with him, including Akali Dal from the National Democratic Alliance.
