There are about 5.7 crore small entrepreneurs.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will lead a delegation of Congress MPs to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, over developments in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly.
Altogether 80 out of 81 members of Legislative Assembly in Jharkhand Assembly voted in the presidential elections on Thursday with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party alone among alliance partners backing P A Sangma.
The government on Thursday sent the ordinance on food security to President Pranab Mukherjee for his consent.
The family of the 16-year-old girl, who was gang-raped and murdered in West Bengal, on Tuesday met President Pranab Mukherjee demanding stringent punishment for the guilty.
As major ally Trinamool Congress tabled an embarrassing amendment to President's address, Congress on Tuesday night warned allies that such steps could threaten the stability of the government.
Emerging from a meeting with UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee in Kolkata on Monday, Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunshi lashed out at the TMC for "spreading canards" against Sonia Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee and demanded immediate severance of all ties with the party.
Left parties were on Thursday divided on the Presidential election with the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Forward Bloc deciding to support United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee while the Communist Party of India and Revolutionary Socialist Party opting to abstain from the voting.
The National Democratic Alliance on Thursday got another jolt in the Presidential race with the Janata Dal-United becoming the second NDA ally after Shiv Sena to break ranks with Bharatiya Janata Party to support United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee.
Top leadership of the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Thursday met to firm up its strategy for the Presidential poll ahead of the Left parties meeting in New Delhi amidst indications that the party is mulling either to support United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee or abstain from the July 19 poll.
Hours after West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra met Pranab Mukherjee to seek a special financial package for the state, the Congress on Monday indicated that the crisis-ridden state could be helped but dismissed suggestions on any quid pro quo for the Presidential polls.
The Congress is working on "evolving a general consensus" for naming the candidate for the next president of India with sources in the party confirming that Pranab Mukherjee appears to be the only name doing the rounds.
Congress leaders say that part of their calculations and preparations for the Presidential poll have focused on getting the numbers without Mamata, reports Renu Mittal.
The who's who of the political and business world showed up for the state dinner
With A P J Abdul Kalam deciding not to join the Presidential race, the Bharatiya Janata Party core group met in New Delhi on Monday night to discuss its strategy including support to P A Sangma and reluctance of allies like the Janata Dal-United to go for a contest against United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee.
'He is 47 years old and not married. Since his son or daughter can contest for Parliament only 25 years after being born, the earliest, if he marries in December, would be 2043.' 'So this, pretty much, is the end of the road for dynastic rule in the party,' says T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan.
Government is looking at a "middle path" in resolving the "ticklish issue" of 'One Rank One Pension' demand of ex-servicemen, officials sources said.
Keeping in mind the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections, President Pranab Mukherjee and the Centre have decided to extend by a week the deadline to discuss the Telangana bill.
The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party, which was stung by cross voting during the Presidential election on Sunday, has decided to set up a committee to look into the matter. Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told mediapersons in Bengaluru that the committee would go into the matter and appropriate action would be taken against MLAs who cross voted.
Chinese President Xi Jinping received a guard of honour on Thursday in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday.
"I'm not worried about numbers. The conscience vote will be in my favour," said Presidential candidate P A Sangma in an interview to CNN-IBN's editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai.
The Election Commission on Sunday called on President Pranab Mukherjee and handed over the list of 543 newly-elected members of Lok Sabha that will enable him initiate the formal process of new government formation.
The statement, made in the backdrop of the historic apex court verdict quashing the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, assumes significance as the President said that the judiciary is "autonomous" and a vital feature of democracy.
In the petition, there has been a challenge to the report and the recommendation of the Union Cabinet for promulgation of President's Rule in the state.
Pranab Mukherjee had wanted to be reborn as one of the well-bred horses in the President's stable at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, he had jocularly told his elder sister years back when he was a young MP.
Jaffer said minorities should not have any fear or crisis of confidence over Bhagwat's name being considered for the coveted post.
Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna on Sunday welcomed the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday said that the Left unity would not be affected in anyway because of the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Communist Party of India not supporting the candidature of United Progressive Alliance's Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee.
'RuPay' is developed by National Payments Corporation of India.
President Pranab Mukherjee has given the Andhra Pradesh assembly six weeks time to deliberate on the issue of Telangana.
The Election Commission on Monday refrained from commenting on whether President Pranab Mukherjee is free to sign ordinances when the Model Code of Conduct is in force for Delhi assembly elections, saying he (the president) knows when to use his constitutional powers.
The Bill seeks to create a welfare fund for farmers at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led from the front a campaign to woo farmers and downtrodden sections of the society.
Rebel Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday took a shot at his party once again by questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 'hurry' to impose President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh.
The government is likely to send this week a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court for conducting a probe into the allegation of sexual harassment against Justice (retd) A K Ganguly after the attorney general has endorsed it.
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday alleged that Nitish Kumar's camp was trying to "frighten MLAs" by spreading rumours that he was "conspiring" with BJP to have President's Rule imposed in Bihar and accused his rival of parading "bogus" MLAs.
Drabu said the GST regime will roll out in the state at midnight on Friday, making Jammu and Kashmir the last state to join the new tax regime.
The government is likely to send a Presidential reference to Supreme Court for conducting a probe into the allegation of sexual harassment against Justice (retd) A K Ganguly after Attorney General has endorsed it.
Leaders of various parties from both sides of the political divide met President Pranab Mukherjee at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on Monday night and put forth their arguments for and against the proposed bifurcation of the state.
Shiv Sena said that Dalit Prez candidate has been chosen for vote-bank politics.
Those who trim or shave beard and hair, smoke or drink alcohol cannot vote in the elections to Sikh religious bodies, with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to a bill passed recently by Parliament.
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