In the unlikely event of the BJP-NDA losing all five states going to the polls in February-March, the Presidential electoral college numbers could be significantly altered, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday welcomed Anna Hazare's indication of floating a new party to fight the 2014 general elections and said the activist and his team should also contest the polls.
Droupadi Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.
EPS' real test will commence with a decision whether or not to patch up with OPS and on what terms -- and then, to decide whether or not to have the BJP for an electoral ally, come 2024, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Social activist Anna Hazare has postponed a press conference he was to address on Monday morning, saying he needed time to collect "more information", a day after Team Anna member Kiran Bedi advised his close aide to "fully brief" the activist on allegations against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
In fresh confrontation with Team Anna, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday said he intends to file a criminal defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal while Congress MP Jagdambika Pal has slapped a privilege notice against the activist for allegedly insulting Parliament.
Virtually snubbing Arvind Kejriwal, yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday disapproved of the Team Anna member's comments against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other politicians during his fast along with Anna Hazare, saying he was against personal criticism.
High drama was witnessed on Tuesday at Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal's press conference when a man, claiming to be Anna Hazare supporter and a Bharatiya Janata Party activist from Maharashtra, threw black paint on him and other party members present there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India's growth story is being disrupted by forces with a colonial mindset, including in the name of freedom of expression.
Sumit joins the likes of Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) in men's freestyle and Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62kg) in women weights for those who have qualified for the Olympics.
Differences between Team Anna and Aam Aadmi Party came to the fore on Friday when its leader Gopal Rai tried to interrupt General V K Singh's speech at the venue and was rebuffed by Anna Hazare who has been on indefinite hunger strike for passage in Parliament of Jan Lokpal Bill.
Shooting off another letter to Anna Hazare on the eve of Hisar bypoll, Digvijay Singh, who is leading Congress' counter-attack, on Wednesday, raised the issue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh support to the activist and cautioned him that those around him were keeping him in dark.
Activist Anna Hazare will soon write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his views on having an annual performance audit of the Members of Parliament.
The ruling alliance also has some smaller parties like Republican Party of India-Athawale, Asom Gana Parishad, Mizo National Front, National People's Party, Naga People's Front, Pattali Makkal Katchi and Bodoland People's Front, which have one seat each, totalling seven seats.
Taking exception to Anna Hazare's praise for Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday said the Gujarat Chief Minister had not even appointed a Lokayukta despite being in power for seven years. "I respect Anna Hazare a lot for taking up the fight against corruption.
Why the 2020 Padma Shri Awards are an honour truly worth celebrating.
'Congress will try to use Malerkotla to woo Muslim votes in UP. Muslims across the country have definitely taken note of this move in Punjab. But they vote only for a party that can defeat the BJP. The Congress doesn't seem to be capable of doing that'
A section of BJP leaders is of the view that the leadership may spring a surprise with its choice for the post by appointing someone from southern India.
There is speculation that the Congress may bring Priyanka Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Randeep Surjewala and RPN Singh, among others, to the upper house.
Hazare, 81, had started his indefinite fast on January 30 over appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs.
Thank heavens for these images! From a mesmerizing panorama of the aurora borealis in Iceland to a beautiful image of Comet Neowise, the Royal Observatory's annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has again produced some truly astounding images. Run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine and now in its thirteenth year, the competition this year received over 4,500 entries from around the world. The competition winners will be announced on September 16 at an online award ceremony, and displayed in London's National Maritime Museum that same month. Here's our favourite images from this year's batch.
Some of the prominent United Progressive Alliance ministers on Sunday came under fire from Team Anna at the fast venue of Anna Hazare with the activist's close aide Arvind Kejriwal claiming that cases could have been registered against 14 ministers if there was a Lokpal.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday likened Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the blind king Dhritarashtra of the epic Mahabharata to attack him on the issue of corruption, prompting Government to slam the group for turning their fight into a "personal campaign".
Abstention by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi also helped the government get its legislation through in the upper house where the ruling party does not enjoy a majority.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has sought reply from Kejriwal following the receipt of the notice from Verma, a Congress MP from Madhya Pradesh's Dewas, a Team Anna member said in New Delhi on Saturday.
Team Anna on Monday asked the Congress to make public expenses incurred for hiring choppers for the just-concluded assembly elections to five states, particularly for party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul. Anna Hazare and his close aide Arvind Kejriwal demanded that the expenses should be made public.
Arvind Kejriwal and two of his supporters are scheduled to go on an indefinite fast from July 25. But this round of fasting will not only not include Anna Hazare, it would also be without the platform of India Against Corruption's Facebook page.
The world is full of family businesses that withered away with the passing of generations, creating much bitterness and ill will. Entire clans that used to be household names have become pale shadows of their once-mighty empires.
Anna Hazare's fast to demand a strong Lokpal Bill entered the seventh day in New Delhi on Monday with his team asserting that they have no intention to topple the government.
Declaring government's commitment to a strong Lokpal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said Anna Hazare's demand for 'right to reject' provision in electoral law needs political consensus.
"Ask Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to contest an election," chanted thousands of supporters of activist Anna Hazare as they marched down the streets of Lucknow on Saturday. This was their reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's recent statement challenging Hazare to contest the next Lok Sabha election. Their sentiments were echoed by scores of other speakers, who converged at Lucknow's Jhulelal Park that has become symbolic with Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.
"Simpleton" Anna Hazare is being made a scapegoat to fulfil the political ambitions of some "very smart people" in his own team, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has alleged.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal was on Tuesday attacked by a youth with a slipper while he was going to attend a programme in Lucknow as part of their anti-graft campaign, nearly a week after the assault on another colleague Prashant Bhushan.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday said that he would extend all possible support to veteran social activist Anna Hazare if he initiates a protest against corruption in Uttar Pradesh. "If he (Anna Hazare) wants to hold demonstrations in any part of the country, then Uttar Pradesh would be the best place. If he holds a demonstration or fast there, then we (Congress) will also do the same in his support," he said.
The only business that the House could transact was laying of official papers on the table of the House.
India topped the medals tally ahead of hosts China (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), who won five medals in total.
The United Progressive Alliance government and Team Anna Hazare are finding it tough to walk a middle path on the proposed Lokpal Bill draft. Suggest five ways to resolve the stand-off
Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar, Prakash Javadekar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani are also likely to join the second Modi government after being its members in its first avatar.
Nothing 'accidental' about this movie, feels Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Brand Kejriwal-AAP have a long way to go even if they win another Delhi election...'
'It is a force nobody can ignore, not even Mr Modi, because it will keep punching above its weight,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
