Eight Union ministers, two former chief ministers and one ex-governor are among those who are set to test their electoral fate in the first phase of elections on April 19 when 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories will go to polls.
Mazloom Nadaf, an old, frail rickshaw puller and Right to Information Act activist in Bihar's Madhubani district, has been on fast for the last six days in support of social activist Anna Hazare's demand for a strong Lokpal in the country.
With Team Anna asking people not to back their party in Hisar Lok Sabha bypolls, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states and senior leaders on Monday hit back at the Jan Lokpal Bill champions, dubbing them as agents of Opposition "trying to grind their own axe in the guise of fighting graft".
Anna University Coimbatore invites applications from diploma holders for admission to BE/ BTech degree programmes.
What Delhi does, Mumbai can do better, a mammoth gathering of activist Anna Hazare's supporters proved. Sanchari Bhattacharya reports.
What Delhi does, Mumbai can do better, a mammoth gathering of activist Anna Hazare's supporters proved recently
Shiv Sena on Friday voiced its strong opposition to social activist Anna Hazare's plans to visit Pakistan in connection with anti-corruption movement.
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday strongly condemned Team Anna for "lowering the dignity" of Parliament after a resolution was moved over which members cutting across party line slammed the activists for using derogatory language against members of Parliament.
Anna Hazare may be on a fast for a "strong" Lokpal, but elaborate arrangements have been made to feed his supporters during the three-day protest. Poha for snacks and puri-sabji for lunch and dinner are some of the items being dished out by some organisations which have set up base at the sprawling MMRDA ground in Mumbai, the venue of the fast."We have made arrangements to provide snacks, tea and food to 10,000 people," said Sumit Gupta from Giriraj Seva Samiti.
As Anna Hazare's fast against corruption and the Lokpal Bill continues, his movement is raging like wildfire in the rest of the country and abroad.
Here are the highlights from the world athletics showpiece...
Anna Hazare on Friday hinted at expansion of his Core Committee as a sense of unease gripped his team over allegations of financial misconduct by some of its key members.
That the political philosophy of Anna Hazare closely resonates with the overall anti-democratic Hindutva ethos owes, in part, to the Brahminical worldview that they share, says Yogi Sikand
Rejecting Team Anna's claim of influencing the outcome in the Hisar by-election, Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Parkash Chautala on Tuesday said that people voted against the Congress to vent their anger against the ruling party. "Team Anna's claim of taking credit is wrong. People voted against the Congress to vent their anger against the ruling party. They were fed up by the misrule of Congress at the Centre and the state," he said.
Lok Satta party president Dr Jayaprakash Narayan may have his differences with Anna Hazare over the Lokpal Bill, but he salutes the Gandhian's efforts to bring the youth and the middle class to the forefront of the anti-corruption movement. Sheela Bhatt reports
Activist Medha Patkar, who is part of Anna Hazare's core group, said in spite of talking about the broad issue, the Congress general secretary should have deliberated on the immediate issues raised by the Gandhian, whose fast for a strong Lokpal continued for the 11th day.
Sahim Salim spoke to Muslims in the national capital to get a sense of what they think about Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign.
As Anna Hazare's fast entered tenth day today, thousands of his supporters organised mass prayers for the well being of the Gandhian leader. A large number of Anna supporters stayed at the Ramlila ground whole night singing patriotic songs and chanting anti government slogans.
Hectic efforts to break the deadlock over Lokpal were on for the second day on Wednesday as Team Anna presented a fresh draft for consideration by the government.
All business establishments in Guwahati on Tuesday downed their shutters for the day to express solidarity with Team Anna's agitation against corruption and to demand the adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Prominent maulanas and Islamic scholars of Uttar Pradesh have reacted strongly to Delhi Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari's diktat to Muslims to keep off Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign because his supporters were chanting 'vande mataram'.
Anna Hazare's team would end the confrontation if the government agrees to 'modify substantially' its stance on several clauses of the Lokpal bill. Sheela Bhatt reports from New Delhi.
Veteran social activist Anna Hazare refused to come out of Tihar jail on Tuesday evening saying he wants an unconditional release and unconditional permission to go ahead with his indefinite fast at Jai Prakash Narayan Park in New Delhi.
The feeling is gathering strength in the Congress that it can see off Anna Hazare if it comes to a fight in the political arena, and that there is nobody else of his stature left to call it to account, says TVR Shenoy.
Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan is the only prominent Team Anna member who has donated to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, shelling out Rs 4 lakh, in the past six months.
Medha Patkar, a member of Team Anna, on Friday said there was a need for "overhauling" the group as it was facing a number of allegations and many members of the core committee were being targeted. At the same time, Patkar said she will not be attending Saturday's core committee meeting, which Anna Hazare and Justice Santosh Hegde have also decided to skip. "I don't think there is a difference of opinion," she said.
Team Anna must show some humility instead of imposing its will on society. It doesn't hold a monopoly on understanding how to make governance more inclusive, clean and people-responsive. It must recognise that finally, it is Parliament that prevailed on the Lokpal legislative process, and that's how things should be, says Praful Bidwai.
A Delhi court on Saturday directed the Delhi Police to file a detailed action taken report on a plea for lodging FIR against Anna Hazare and his former team members for allegedly cheating over four crore people by selling them 'Anna SMS cards', whose service was discontinued before the promised one year time, which earned them Rs 100 crore.
The prime minister has to blame himself because he refused to make up with Anna Hazare when the social activist from Maharashtra was willing to meet him more than half way, says Kuldip Nayar.
Hazare said he was giving the government six months time till August to come good on its assurance and warned that his protest will again begin in September if the demands were not met.
The film promises to be an out an out actioner.
The Centre has initiated a dialogue process with Team Anna at various levels to break the deadlock over the Lokpal issue, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat said on Sunday.
Anna Hazare and his supporters have given a two-page undertaking to the police on the activist's protest fast in Ramlila Maidan, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd will not exceed the capacity of the ground. In the undertaking signed by Anna Hazare himself and his associates -- Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan -- they also said that if any clause of it was violated, they would be liable to be prosecuted.
In a veiled warning to Anna Hazare for his proposed fast, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Wednesday indicated that the Gandhian might be meted out the same treatment, depending upon the prevailing situation at that time, as yoga guru Ramdev was given at Ramlila ground.
The government is still looking at all the pros and cons of the issue and is not yet definite that permission is being given to the social activist to go ahead with the fast
