Even as its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party appeared teetering on the brink, the Shiv Sena on Monday endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise for Indian Muslims, saying he has "initiated a new chapter by giving a guarantee of the community's love for its motherland".
Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party gave it an ultimatum to take a final call on the seat-sharing pact for the Maharashtra assembly elections, Shiv Sena said on Thursday night that it would not be dictated by anybody.
Over 83 per cent of the more than 13 lakh electorate cast their vote on Monday in the single-day Nagaland state election which passed off by and large peacefully, Chief Electoral Officer V Shashank Shekhar said.
BJP made inroads into the Congress and NCP strongholds, winning 851 seats. Shiv Sena won 514, NCP 638, Congress 643, MNS 16, BSP 9, unrecognised parties 119, local coalitions 384, CPM 12 and Independents 324 seats.
The vote share of Bharatiya Janata party in Maharashtra assembly elections doubled compared to that in 2009 to help catapult its tally from 46 to 122 seats in a five-cornered contest and it was also marginally higher than it got in the May Lok Sabha polls.
Further hardening his stand on seat-sharing with Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said he has rejected the saffron ally's demand for contesting 135 seats in Maharashtra assembly polls and hinted at going it alone, saying "everything has an alternative".
Not relenting on seat sharing in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said it would fight in all the 288 assembly seats if it is "compelled" to part ways with the Shiv Sena, its ally of 25 years.
Political observers say that except for a strong anti-incumbency sentiment, there is little that might go against the BJP.
The reverses for the BJP in the Hindi heartland threw wide open the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which until a few months ago appeared to be in the grip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party.
"Mr Modi has utterly failed. It is clear by now that we (NDA) cannot deliver more than this (since 2014)," he said.
Tension within the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance over seat sharing for upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls became perceptible with BJP on Sunday disapproving Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's statement that in the event of a saffron victory, the top post would go to Shiv Sena and that he was not averse to assuming it.
Mamata Banerjee's sights are not on the next month's Presidential election. She is focusing on another election that will take place in 2024.
Hukum Singh said the 'migration' of Hindus from Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh was 'not communal' in nature but had more to do with the law and order situation.
Facing the media together for the first time in several days, senior Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Tuesday said the two parties were "firm" on continuing the alliance as they resumed the deadlocked seat-sharing talks for Maharashtra assembly polls.
Facing the media together for the first time in several days, senior Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Tuesday said the two parties were "firm" on continuing the alliance as they resumed the deadlocked seat-sharing talks for Maharashtra assembly polls.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said swift and transparent decision-making and availability of optimal resources were needed for a country's combat readiness.
The outcome is beyond the market's expectation and will be a sentimental boost, say analysts.
The talks between Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti over an alliance have run into trouble and the regional party of Telangana has now opened a channel of communication with Bharatiya Janata Party for a possible tie-up.
]If Andhra Pradesh's middle class is denied salaries and pensions or, if these are delayed, it will rise against Jagan Mohan Reddy with the same fervour with which it voted him in.
Sangh parivar is relying heavily on first-time voters and hopes women will also vote for Bedi. Archis Mohan reports
support for the AAP notwithstanding, the BJP is convinced it will win Delhi.
Having focussed excessively on the Congress, and continuously drawing a Modi-Rahul parallel as if it were the sole selling point, the BJP has lost sight of the regional parties that are seeking to take the centre-stage, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Flagging higher fuel prices in many opposition-ruled states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called it "injustice" to people living there and urged the governments there to reduce VAT in "national interest" to benefit the common man. Modi raised the issue of many states not adhering to the Centre's call for reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel after his government slashed excise duties on them in November last, and asked them to work in the spirit of cooperative federalism in this time of global crisis. Higher prices in some states were also harmful for neighbouring states, he added.
Mayawati was outmanoeuvred by the BJP in the race for the Rajya Sabha in Uttar Pradesh just days after she helped the Samajwadi Party snatch two Lok Sbaha seats from the saffron party in bypolls.
In Mizoram, opposition MNF likely to end 10-year Congress rule.
The broader NSE Nifty plunged 119.15 points, or 1.01 per cent, to 11,709.10.
She is criticising what is perceived to be KCR's strongest point -- welfare -- by charging the government with corruption.
Nineteen political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, received over Rs 1,100 crore during assembly polls in five states and Union territories in 2021 and spent over Rs 500 crore, a big chunk of which went towards advertisements and travel expenses for star campaigners, a study said on Friday.
The BJP needs to revisit its strategy ahead of the forthcoming Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections, says Dharmendra Kumar Singh
Knocking out Congress from its bastions, the Modi wave placed BJP on the cusp of forming a government in Maharashtra with unexpected support from Nationalist Congress Party while it stormed to power on its own in Haryana.
All eyes are now on 13 Independents and 16 MLAs from smaller parties.
However,the exit polls got their forecast of a tight finish in Madhya Pradesh right.
Rediff Labs analysed the 2013 assembly election results to develop a Sentiment Meter for the 2018 electoral battle.
Most exit polls have forecast gains for Congress in at least four states including a clear majority in Rajasthan.
It may be recalled that a large number of TDP leaders have switched over to the TRS in the last few years which has weakened the party substantially in Telangana.
They have already prepared a draft common minimum programme (CMP).
The RLD has aligned with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in UP and is attacking the state government on farm distress and the outstanding sugarcane dues.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday gave enough indications that it was not averse to the outside support offered by the Nationalist Congress Party and made it clear that it will be going ahead with formation of a government in Maharashtra.
With polling of votes coming to an end in Bihar, exit poll prediction by various media outlets have started pouring in.
Jagan maintains a cordial working relationship with the BJP leadership. This may help him get additional financial support from the Centre.
