'MGNREGA was about a guaranteed right to work.' 'The new law does not guarantee employment at all.' 'It removes everything that made MGNREGA a legal guarantee.'
Priyanka accused the prime minister of "speaking on unnecessary issues" while staying silent on corruption, unemployment and the alleged misrule under the NDA government in Bihar.
A recurring theme of the prime minister's election rallies was the reminder of the 'jungle raj' during the RJD rule under chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, and there were special efforts to ensure that the youth in the state does not get swayed by the promises made by Tejashwi Yadav.
The Centre has rejected claims that the new definition of the Aravalli range will allow large-scale mining, asserting that 90 per cent of the region will remain protected and citing a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised a defence corridor and factories in each district of Bihar if the NDA wins the upcoming elections. He also outlined plans for flood control, infrastructure development, and revival of sugar mills.
The BJP's MoSha leadership are past masters in encouraging defections from their allies if it helped their party capture the chief minister's chair. In Bihar, they are not sure if JD-U MPs and MLAs would be willing to cross over to the BJP if the Nitish leadership came on top -- and the NDA crossed the halfway mark together, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the bus accident in Saudi Arabia's Medinah, in which several Indian Umrah pilgrims are feared dead.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge criticizes Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him 'incompetent' and demanding his resignation following a deadly blast in Delhi, citing intelligence failure and lack of accountability.
In a significant move, the Centre on Wednesday announced that caste enumeration will be part of the next population census, with the inclusion of caste details for the first time since independence hailed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies as a historic step to help design truly equitable and focused policies.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav will address joint rallies before the first Phase of voting and, after that, for the seats in the second Phase of voting, they added.
Experts warn that a new government definition of the Aravali Hills, accepted by the Supreme Court, could lead to environmental degradation and expose Delhi and surrounding regions to harsher weather and drought conditions.
The BJP in Kerala announced the launch of a 'Muslim Outreach Programme' aimed at building trust and dispelling what it claims are lies spread by other parties about the BJP's stance towards the Muslim community.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during rallies in Bihar, accusing him of prioritizing votes over genuine governance and alleging that the BJP is controlling the state government through remote control.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi, along with MNS, held a protest march in Mumbai against alleged irregularities in the voters list, claiming it favors the ruling BJP. Key leaders participated and addressed a rally highlighting issues like multiple entries and wrongful deletions.
The Special Investigation Team probing the 'vote chori' (vote theft) in Aland assembly segment in 2023 assembly elections in Karnataka has discovered that "attempts" were made to delete votes and zeroed in on at least six suspects involved in the scam.
After Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the sale deed executed by his son Parth's firm for a prime land in Pune has been scrapped, officials said the company will have to cough up double the stamp duty, which comes to Rs 42 crore, to get the transaction cancelled.
Votes will be counted on January 16 and the outcome will be keenly watched as the BJP-led Mahayuti will seek to stamp its supremacy in urban landscape, especially in Mumbai, while the Opposition parties will try to redeem themselves after last year's rout in assembly polls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the record turnout in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls indicates people's trust in the NDA government. He predicted victory for the NDA, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and lauded the Election Commission for conducting successful elections.
Sources said a couple of resolutions are expected to be passed at the crucial meeting, with an eye on the upcoming Bihar polls.
The Supreme Court expressed concern over threats to election officials in West Bengal and other states, urging the Election Commission to take action. The court also addressed the lack of cooperation from state governments in electoral roll revisions.
The Haryana government has requested a CBI investigation into the death of Aqil Akhter, son of former Punjab DGP Mohammad Mustafa. The case involves allegations of foul play and a complaint filed by a family acquaintance.
'Every issue that Muslims are facing today affects Muslim women. But how come women's issues don't affect the community?' 'How does the community benefit by the practice of halala or polygamy?'
'Gandhi had given the call 'Do or Die'. And with all the leaders arrested, you had to be your own leader.'
The BJP is in power at the Centre and Maharashtra, while there is infighting in Chandrapur, she said.
According to official records, Kishor is enrolled as a voter in West Bengal at 121, Kalighat Road, the address of the Trinamool Congress headquarters in Kolkata's Bhabanipur assembly constituency, which is Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's seat, he said.
Left to its machinations, the BJP would have loved to cut Nitish down to size, but it can't afford to do so as the JD-U is in alliance with the BJP at the Centre, and cannot form a government on its own in Bihar. For now, both need each other: Nitish for legitimacy, the BJP for numbers, points out Ramesh Menon.
The National Democratic Alliance was set to sweep the Bihar assembly polls, surging ahead in over 200 of 243 seats on Friday with the Bharatiya Janata Party emerging as single largest party with about 90 per cent strike rate, reaffirming the popularity and campaign clout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the face of the ruling alliance through the poll battle in the highly sensitive political state.
If he cannot do it this term by using his bureaucracy and experts from different fields, it will be a tragedy, asserts Ramesh Menon.
'...the electoral playing field is tilted significantly in its favour.'
The Lingayat community, led by its seers, has renewed its call for a separate religion status, raising awareness and seeking government benefits similar to Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.
"Not even a single social media post from the Congress congratulating our national team for thrashing Pakistan thrice in the tournament and bringing the Asia Cup home," BJP IT department head Amit Malviya posted on X.
'The possibility of Nitish Babu continuing at least for some time is very much there, but don't rule out the artistic possibility of a leadership change executed very elegantly.'
Anjani Mishra, a resident of Prayagraj, is planning to file a police complaint after his mobile number was shared by Rahul Gandhi at a press conference, leading to hundreds of unwanted calls.
An first information report (FIR) was registered on Tuesday against Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell head Amit Malviya and Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Arnab Goswami for allegedly running false information, police said.
The Congress party has expressed outrage over the death of ex-serviceman Tsewang Tharchin, a Kargil War veteran, in firing by security forces during a protest in Ladakh. The incident occurred amidst ongoing protests for Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, leading to continued curfew and detentions.
'Stalin's intention is plain and simple.' 'The DMK wants to convert what is an 'incumbency-centred' election for the party-led alliance into one more 'Modi/BJP election' after Stalin's successive success in 2019 and 2021, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The BJP has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his explanation of decentralisation using a car and motorcycle engine analogy at a university in Colombia.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister assures investigation into an alleged land deal involving a company linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar, after receiving a formal complaint.
After taking a dig at former India skipper Rohit Sharma on his fitness, Congress leader Shama Mohamed, on Wednesday, again sparked controversy, drawing a religious angle to cricketer Sarfaraz Khan's omission from the India and India A squads announced recently by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
An uneasy calm prevails in Ladakh as authorities enforce a curfew following clashes between security forces and protesters demanding statehood and constitutional protections. The violence resulted in fatalities and injuries, prompting detentions and political reactions.