Shankersinh Vaghela claimed Patel's victory in the Rajya Sabha polls came through a 'well thought-out conspiracy'.
'You know how politics is. You never know what will happen the next moment.'
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has said that his party's top brass will discuss with Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar his much-debated meeting with politically estranged nephew and state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar when the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) holds its conclave in Mumbai later this month.
In Uttarakhand, which is traditionally used to a direct fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, the high number of rebels and independents have upset the calculation of the two big players.
The Supreme Court on Thursday referred to a Constitution bench a bunch of petitions arising out of certain orders passed by the Gauhati high court in the ongoing political battle in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday posted a four-year-old video of its leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announcing that he will return to helm the state, prompting speculation in political circles.
'It's the same problem with all six of us. Behenji (Mayawati) is not to be blamed, but the coordinators have acted in a manner which has depressed us and we thought what is the use of remaining with such a party'
In a stern message to rebel legislators, the Congress high command on Tuesday night dropped two ministers from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's ministry for indulging in anti-party activities.
Concealed beneath the feat, which testifies to his political acumen and survival instincts, is the fact that the 72-year-old leader could never remain at peace with his allies which also made him change partners frequently.
The Supreme Court on Thursday virtually paved the way for government formation in Arunachal Pradesh by vacating its order on maintenance of status quo.
Gehlot said he has the proof that horse trading was being committed to topple his government.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said his party has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to a meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar before the crucial verdict on disqualification petitions against rival Sena MLAs, including the CM.
This is apparently the first visit of Ajit Pawar to Silver Oak after he rebelled against his uncle, split the NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2.
The apex court asked what difference would it have made if the sitting was held as originally scheduled.
The actor-turned-politician hit out at the BJP leadership, alleging there's no place left for dialogue in the BJP anymore and the party's top brass "doesn't value its own people and views opponents as their enemies".
Denying the charge of backing rebel of Congress leader Sunil Deshmukh against the candidature of President Pratibha Patil's son Raosaheb Shekhawat from Amravati in Maharashtra assembly polls, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Tuesday that party workers should learn to accept the party's decision.
Despite concerted efforts by senior Congress leaders, rebel Maharashtra minister Sunil Deshmukh did not withdraw his candidature for the October 13 assembly election from the Amravati seat where he takes on President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendrasinh Shekhawat. Bharatiya Janata Party rebel Vinay Natu and Shiv Sena rebel Pradeep Jaiswal are still in the fray.
Top Congress sources said the meeting took place a little after noon at Rahul Gandhi's residence and a 'positive outcome' was expected.
Fast running out of patience, dissident Congress legislators in Assam have set Sunday as the deadline for the party high command to take a decision regarding their demand to replace Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
The two rival Senas took over each other a day after the party's 57th foundation day celebrations which saw Thackeray and Shinde holding separate events in Mumbai and trading charges.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Amol Mitkari said, "It could be a family meeting between the two leaders".
Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra's Pune city, Rohit Pawar said he is firmly with NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Long caught between two polarities, Gujarat's electoral field has expanded to include a third party with the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the opposition Congress that has lost ground but still has significant presence.
In a fresh attempt to find a solution to the Goa crisis, two of the four rebel legislators have agreed to talk to the central leaders of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
In the wake of Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion, MP Sanjay Raut on Friday admitted that the party's numbers in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly have dwindled, but expressed confidence that the rebel MLAs will support the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine during the floor test, saying that 'figures can change any time'.
With the kind of money and talent that has gone into making this movie, a really good biopic of a personality like Savarkar could be made. But this film is lost in polemics, as is the case with almost every biopic and period drama today, observes Utkarsh Mishra.
"The Congress is in the hands of a few people. Rahul Gandhi, C P Joshi, Mohan Prakash, Ahmed Patel, Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia have decided on all the 182 seats. Once again, our leaders are plotting to defeat each other. They have made a mess of the Congress's improving fortunes. Like 2007, the Congress will lose both the election and prestige."
"The Congress is in the hands of a few people. Rahul Gandhi, C P Joshi, Mohan Prakash, Ahmed Patel, Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia have decided on all the 182 seats. Once again, our leaders are plotting to defeat each other. They have made a mess of the Congress's improving fortunes. Like 2007, the Congress will lose both the election and prestige."
The NCP supremo, who was at the receiving end of his nephew's move during the day, had, 45 years ago, split the Congress and walked out with 40 MLAs, leading to the collapse of the Vasantdada Patil government.
This will be the fourth stint for Yeddyurappa as the chief minister -- the last one was after the May 2018 assembly polls.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday rejected the Uttarakhand government's notification withdrawing permission for it to probe a sting operation against Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
Counting of votes will be held on Sunday in assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana in what is seen as a semi-final contest ahead of the general elections in less than six months.
Rajasthan is all set to vote on Saturday to elect members of a new assembly with the Bharatiya Janata Party aiming to unseat the ruling Congress, which is fighting hard to change the trend of alternate governments in the state.
Both LDF and UDF are finding it hard to set their houses in order.
With Thursday's win, the Congress's strength in the Lok Sabha has gone up to 48.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka had the last laugh as it won all the three Rajya Sabha seats it had contested in, out of total of four from the state that went for polls on Friday, while the Congress managed to win only one of the two seats to which it had fielded its candidates.
In a veiled warning to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said there will be an 'earthquake' if he started speaking.
Many rebel legislators who are supporting Shinde are not happy with the current arrangement, Pawar said.
Pawar, who described himself as the national president of the NCP, said employment, economic empowerment of all sections of the society, education, health, implementation of all welfare measures are the priority of the government.
What we have in the Congress is a useful glue to hold a non-cultural, unified Opposition together. That is the sacrifice the Congress must be willing to live with if showing the BJP the door is what the collective Opposition wants, observes Shyam G Menon.
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