The Bharatiya Janata Party's action against its two members for their controversial comments against Prophet Mohammed cap a series of statements from its top brass and also Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat that sought to distance their organisations from shrill and combative religious rhetoric, even as it has brought to fore the conflict within their wide sphere of support.
'It is the first-time voters and the agnostics who are often influenced by political advertising.' 'These swing voters tend to make a huge difference in the outcome of any election.'
Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the same case and later by the CBI which was probing corruption charges, stepped out after spending 155 days in Tihar jail. The AAP supremo, who was earlier granted three-week interim bail in the ED case, was given a resounding welcome by his party leaders and supporters who were drenched in heavy rain. Addressing party workers from the top of an SUV, Kejriwal, sporting a half-sleeve blue shirt, raised 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Vande Mataram' slogans.
'This means the remedy will be worse than the disease. The thing which you want to avoid will happen.'
Even as the dust settles on one election, glory in Thiruvananthapuram has come with a new question on the horizon: Who will be UDF's candidate in the next Lok Sabha election given Shashi Tharoor has said 2024 would be his last? It isn't a vacancy that can be easily filled, points out Shyam G Menon.
According to insiders, their lack of enthusiasm is showing on the ground. There is nothing to suggest that their enthusiasm will return in the final four phases of polling, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'Commentators have said that dealing with allies as equals will make Modi more sensitive.' 'Remember that the people Modi is dealing with are equally autocratic in their own lairs.' 'Further, Modi always has handy the threat of dissolving Parliament and calling for fresh polls.' 'Most of his own party, and certainly his allies and opponents having blown their budgets of efforts and resources in the just concluded elections, have no stomach for this.' 'They are all greatly looking forward to the loaves and fishes of office on offer.' 'That gives Modi an unbeatable advantage in any push-comes-to-shove situation,' explains Shreekant Sambrani.
Nagaland and Meghalaya BJP chief Temjen Imna Along and Ernest Mawrie, respectively also named party candidates approved by the party's central election committee.
Sniping at the BJP senior leadership has reached a new high in Karnataka. For the moment, there is a truce, but the party knows the damage it could do ahead of the polls.
In a bid to consolidate its position for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, and after having welcomed Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti back into the party, the BJP on Wednesday re-inducted another of its former national leader into the party.
The satta market is accepting bets on how many times Modiji will mention Nehru at his election rallies, says A Ganesh Nadar with a wink.
It will be in Modi's interest to reinvent his party, read the writing on the wall that voters wrote, and move ahead. He has little choice now. The country is watching, asserts Ramesh Menon.
2,470 BJP workers from across the country would spend a year visiting polling booths, while another 1,441 workers would spend six months and 378,000 workers will spend 15 days to reach out to party cadres and ensure better polling management in areas outside their home districts.
B S Yeddyurappa's newly-launched Karnataka Janata Party is holding its national executive in Bengaluru.
The future challenger to Narendra Modi would be somebody who can bring the Hindus and Muslims together again. The Hindus as Hindus, not broken caste groups, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The announcement of Murmu's candidature by BJP president J P Nadda came a day after she celebrated her 64th birthday.
Since Kalpana is not an MLA, her becoming the CM will need a present MLA to vacate his or her seat.
Marathon rounds of meetings between the RSS top brass with BJP leadership in New Delhi might have prepared a ground for leadership change.
'The Opposition will continue to be attacked through misuse of agencies, civil society will be force-marched towards extinction and India's plummeting on global indices will continue.' 'Minorities and especially Muslims will continue to have open season declared on them. Institutions will continue their decline,' predicts Aakar Patel.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi cited a viral video on social media platforms, claiming that in it Modi's voice is heard in a call with BJP rebel Kripal Parmar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday expressed its ire over party leader Mahesh Jethmalani going to the media with his resignation from the national executive and hitting out at party president Nitin Gadkari, saying such an act damages the party and should have been avoided.
Sources within the Congress, including those who have been members of the teams that drafted its 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha poll manifestos, said the Karnataka government decision lacked any empirical basis.
Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Adbul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa were traced to their hideout near Kolkata and apprehended by an NIA team, they said.
'We should be mindful that the religious minority community in one country is the majority in another (and) so treatment of the minority community in our respective countries will be an important variable in our relationship'
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday downplayed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's absence from its national executive meeting in Delhi.
West Bengal is home to 43,000 Durga Pujas, and the business around it is a major economic driver.
'It doesn't help to transpose the Hindi heartland model on Bengal. Bengalis don't understand its dynamics. They won't comprehend the impact of Modi's dip in the Ganga because Bengal's political culture is different. Even in the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrams, Christ is worshipped on Christmas. It's difficult to polarise Bengal religiously'
The National Investigation Agency court also noted that the warrant was not served on Thakur and directed her to appear before it on March 27 for recording statement.
With a large number of Indian youth aspiring to work in the railways, delays in filling up railway job vacancies were a point of criticism against the BJP in the run-up to the elections.
Gadkari told Business Standard on Monday, "The adverse effect of Soviet Union model accepted by India are now quite visible as poverty has risen by 12 per cent. The BJP will strive for a welfare state and 'antyodaya' to reduce poverty and increase job opportunities so that benefits of progress reach the last person. This will be possible through good governance."
With his three-week temporary bail for poll campaign ending, Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be back in Tihar Jail on Sunday as a court here put off till June 5 its order on his plea seeking interim bail on medical grounds.
'Pass the law on Ram temple without any delay and stop fooling the majority'
Charging the United Progressive Alliance government with indulging in "vindictive politics", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday alleged that investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation are being misused to target BJP-ruled state governments.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh and the party's senior leader Narendra Modi dodged all questions about the latter's possible projection as BJP's prime ministerial candidate, after they arrived for the party's national executive meeting in Panaji on Friday.
"One has to follow one's self-conscious. I resigned because Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari had appointed me in the party's national executive. It was the favour done by him to me. I am not satisfied with his actions now, so I resigned." says advocate Mahesh Jethamalani while talking exclusively to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
With the Congress stepping up attack over the controversial remarks of Union Minister Giriraj Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said it considers the matter closed as the minister has expressed his regret.
The seat equation for the opposition alliance will become a matter of debate as UP Congress state president Ajay Rai mentioned that Congress is prepared for all 80 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and is ready to contest on all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
'I have faced 18 hours of darkness daily all my life.'
Highlighting corruption and financial scandals during the United Progressive Alliance regime and evolving strategies for the forthcoming assembly elections in five states across the country will be the focus of the two-day national executive body meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party to be held in Guwahati from Saturday.
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