Twenty odd important political figures and civil society leaders from Assam's conflicts-ridden Bodo heartland have joined Bharatiya Janata Party that has started its 'Mission Bodoland' with bang announcing its intention to provide an alternative to Bodoland people who are fed up with misrule of Bodoland People's Front where has been in power in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Council over ten years on the trot.
Protesting adivasis will hit the streets of Assam on Friday to highlight their grievances before United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi during her day-long visit to Guwahati. Sonia will be addressing a farmers' rally to be organised by the ruling Congress party, besides attending an award presentation ceremony organised by Assam government in the afternoon.
Former MP Dr Ajoy Kumar on Monday offered to resign from the post of president of Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee and Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar quit their posts.
The recent bouts of violence by suspected Bodo militias that killed over 30 hapless 'Muslims, mostly children and women, and rendered several thousands homeless in lower Assam recently, once again offers a shocking glimpse of the horrendous game of violent communalism being played by the Congress government of Assam in furtherance of its cynical power politics for the last several years.' 'The result is, the state is a simmering communal cauldron that sporadically erupts at the slightest real or imagined provocation,' says R N Ravi.
'One reason given for the failure of the Congress in Assam was due to the alliance with the AIUDF.'
The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has lodged a First Information Report with Assam police against Enamul Haque Laskar a Congress legislator, and former minister Nurjamal Sarkar for their alleged involvement in financial irregularity involving Rs 270 crore in the state Irrigation Department.
'Everything was sacrosanct when the BJP was led by Vajpayee and Advani.' 'That was a different culture. But with Modi and Amit Shah nothing is sacrosanct.'
'The linking of Aadhaar to births and deaths will revive the debate around citizenship.'
'As demonetisation showed us, the Shah-Modi duo can take big risks.' 'Risking economic damage for political benefit, however, is one thing, stoking old fires in complicated Assam is another', warns Shekhar Gupta.
A 19-year-old girl appearing for an examination in Assam was made to wrap a curtain around her legs by an invigilator who chafed at her wearing shorts, provoking outrage and allegations of gender bias, and prompting university authorities to order an inquiry. The girl's family has, however, decided against taking the matter further in the interest of her mental well-being and academic future.
Clashes were reported from Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, Narayanpur in North 24 Parganas, and Alipurduar town in north Bengal, among others.
A sizeable number of MLAs from across state assemblies cross-voted in support of President-elect Droupadi Murmu, defying their parties' stated support to Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, sources said on Thursday.
The Telangana issue has rekindled Bodo tribe's demand for statehood in Assam besides adding fire to the long-standing statehood demands of different other ethnic communities including Karbi, Dimasa, Koch-Rajbongshi.
Three persons were injured in a low intensity blast that took place inside the Congress head office in Guwahati, on Monday evening. A grenade was thrown into the office on GS Road in Tarun Nagar in the heart of Assam's capital.
Gehlot was made the chief minister of Rajasthan after the party formed government in the state.
A new cabinet in the state will be in place in the next 48-72 hours.
Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said though there is no pre-poll adjustment with the Tipra Motha, there can be local-level understanding with the tribal party, which has emerged as the third pole in the upcoming Tripura elections.
We are definite that we will form the government here," Sonowal told media persons.
"The first thing is he is not fit for politics. Probably, the work he should not do, he is doing," Sarma said.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi kicked off his election campaign in Assam on Tuesday by calling upon the public to vote for Congress, as it was the only party that "cared for the aam aadmi." Launching an attack on the opposition he said that they believed in ruling the nation from Delhi.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi kicked off his election campaign in Assam on Tuesday by calling upon the public to vote for Congress, as it was the only party that "cared for the aam aadmi." Launching an attack on the opposition he said that they believed in ruling the nation from Delhi.
The villagers were venting their anger after militants burnt down at least 100 abandoned houses including the residence of Sugnu Congress MLA K Ranjit at Serou in Kakching district on Saturday midnight.
There are three things you never do in a small North East state: Undermine local leaders, divide and rule, push homogenisation, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday expressed concern over China's proposed mega hydropower project on the upstream of Siang River in Tibet, stating it will have a cascading effect on India and Bangladesh in the near future.
Political parties in Assam, barring the Congress, and the state government employees have voiced unhappiness over the poll dates announced by the Election Commission for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections as those coincide with celebration of Rongali Bihu, the Spring Festival in the state.
Hitting out at the Congress and its government in Assam on their conduct in Guwahati molestation case where authorities have revealed the name and photo of the victim, the Bharatiya Janata Party sought to know how a party headed by a lady was dealing with this issue in such a manner.
For the most battle-hardened, specialised and successful counter-insurgency army in the world, this is an unfamiliar, first-time experience of dealing with the north east's deepest complexities, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Bhuyan Sarma filed the suit at the court of civil judge No 1 of Kamrup metropolitan district on Tuesday and it is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday, her counsel Padmadhar Nayak said.
The government on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment bill reserving 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, reviving a proposal pending for years and blending history, politics and societal imperatives on the first day in the new Parliament building.
Assam's opposition parties including the BJP, AGP and AIUDF accused the ruling Congress of murdering democracy even as party won the election to two of the Rajya Sabha after four of the BJP MLAs and two AIUDF MLAs decided to vote for Congress candidate defying a party whip to vote for opposition's common candidate Jayanta Baruah, a media baron.
He said National Herald is a not-for-profit organisation and not a paisa can be taken out.
Fifteen persons, including six militants and a Congress leader and his family, were killed in Assam's troubled Karbi Anglong and N C Hills districts on Tuesday, where a goods train was also attacked and 20 houses burnt.
A large number of people defied a bandh called by the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam to attend the election rally of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district in eastern Assam on Saturday morning.Dr Singh called upon the people to give the ruling Congress another chance to complete its unfinished agenda of putting the state on the fast track of development in a peaceful atmosphere.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday asked for a probe by the National Investigation Agency into the violence by Bodo militant group NDFB(S) in the state and vowed to apprehend those responsible for the killings.
BJP is set to win majority of 32 municipality boards and 42 town committees in Assam
If only the Congress could rebuild on its strengths and develop a modern enough ideology, we could again be moving towards a clearer two-party political landscape, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Criticising BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for advocating the Gujarat model of development, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi dismissed it, saying the same formula could not be applied to all states in the country.
Congress General Secretary and Assam in-charge Digivijaya Singh in an interview to CNN-IBN said it was not right to draw parallel between 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat and the present ethnic clash in Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Sarma on Saturday visited Guwahati Medical College and Hospital to take stock of the injured who were shifted to Guwahati last night.