Strong reservations from key ally Janata Dal-United over pitting a candidate against United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday forced the National Democratic Alliance to defer its decision on the Presidential election.
After a meeting at BJP leader LK Advani's residence, from which the BJP's oldest ideological ally the Shiv Sena kept away, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav merely said more discussions were needed to arrive at a right decision
The Election Commission has shot down a proposal by the Meghalaya government for early polls in the state, official sources said on Thursday.
The Biju Janata Dal on Saturday resolved to abstain in the vice-presidential polls. It has 20 MPs in both houses.
Union Agriculture Minister and key United Progressive Alliance leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday favoured a non-political candidate as the next President in view of the fact that UPA and National Democratic Alliance did not have the strength to elect their own nominee.
Claiming that he and his party workers have got threats from militants, a Congress legislator in Meghalaya has dispatched a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking her intervention.
The road to Raisina Hills appears to be smooth for United Progressive Alliance Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee with the veteran Congress leader assured of support from parties, which have a vote value of at least 6.29 lakh, much above the requisite figure.
With uncertainty over P A Sangma's candidature for the Presidential poll in the wake of the Nationalist Congress Party's threat to sack him, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday decided to adopt a wait and watch attitude and deferred the National Democratic Alliance meeting. Party sources said the NDA meeting, which was earlier planned for Wednesday, has been deferred as there has been no fresh development since A P J Abdul Kalam withdrew from the race.
The Telugu Desam Party indicated that it may support United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee in next month's Presidential election.
Notwithstanding the clear edge for Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential race, the opposition National Democratic Alliance on Saturday appeared keen on ensuring a contest even if it means supporting P A Sangma in a bid to gain new allies ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Efforts to retrieve the body would continue on Wednesday.
Assam Police on Thursday arrested one cadre of the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army from Nine Mile area in Guwahati along Assam-Meghalaya border.
By endorsing the Sangma candidacy the BJP could take the first steps towards a new federalist coalition that shares something more than a common enemy, says Shashi Shekhar.
Pranab Mukherjee was on Sunday elected as the 13th President of India, marking a new journey for the veteran Congress leader after over four decades of life in active politics.
United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee is all set to be elected the 14th President of India on Sunday when the counting of votes will take place.
As many as 4,896 lawmakers -- 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs -- are eligible to vote in Parliament and state assemblies. The total vote value is 10.98 lakh and a winning candidate needs to get 5,49,442 vote value if all of them exercise franchise.
Rasheed Kidwai, associate editor of The Telegraph newspaper who is the author of Sonia: A biography and 24 Akbar Road, made an exclusive appearance on Rediff Chat on Monday where he fielded wide-ranging questions about the Presidential poll. Here is the transcript from the chat..
The Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance on Friday indicated that it will try to mobilise support of non-Congress parties for A P J Abdul Kalam, whose name has been floated by SP and Trinamool Congress.
Party chief Rahul Gandhi formed a nine-member Core Group Committee, a 19-member Manifesto Committee and a committee comprising 19 top party leaders who will look after the publicity during the elections.
The Meghalaya administration on Thursday began culling of chickens in and around a government-run farm in East Garo Hills district following reports of Bird flu there, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said.
At least 72 per cent of MPs and MLAs across the country on Thursday voted to elect a new President in a race in which United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee is set to win with a huge margin over P A Sangma who is backed by some opposition parties.
Celebrations erupted across Assam with opponents of the bill bursting crackers, distributing sweets and breaking into frenzied dancing on the streets.
He served the right-wing organisation for around 16 years under the guidance of Gobinda Acharya and Krishnagopal Sharma, two prominent Sangh leaders.
Summary of all Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday
Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday took oath as the chief minister of Assam for the third consecutive term. Governor J B Patnaik administered the oath of office to Gogoi in a function at Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in presence of a host of dignitaries and the newly elected Congress legislators.Immediately after taking oath as the CM, Gogoi told the media that the top priority for the new government would be to expedite the development process in the state.
"I will resign by tomorrow (on Tuesday) to facilitate the process of government formation," Singh said.
On July 25, Pranab Mukherjee will leave Rashtrapati Bhavan and move into 10 Rajaji Marg in Lutyens' Delhi.
Just a day after claiming that the Assam government did not do enough to contain the ethnic strife between the Rabhas and Garo tribes in areas bordering Assam, Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said that both the states governments are trying their best to ensure peace and normalcy. The ethnic strife that began on January 1 between Rabhas of Assam and Garos of Meghalaya has killed eight people and displaced more than 10,000 people on both sides of the state.
The Shillong Chamber Choir prove that they are the most talented performers in India's Got Talent.
The Meghalaya government has decided to seek a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the firing incident at Langpih, when two people from the state were killed during clashes with the Assam police last Friday.The police resorted to firing following clashes between Khasi villagers and Nepali settlers in a local market. Meanwhile, the Meghalaya police is setting up a border outpost at Langpih, which is a disputed area between Meghalaya and Assam.
Indian forces are doing what they have to do to protect the country, whether it is in terms of deployment, action or counter-action, Modi told political leaders.
Acharya, in a letter to Rio, asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before March 16, the source said.
The Congress chief accused Modi of instead posing for cameras and strutting on the Bogibeel bridge on the mighty Brahmaputra river in neighbouring Assam after inaugurating it on Tuesday.
"Chandigarh is ours. They (Haryana) have no right over it," Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said on Wednesday.
Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force consisting of over 60 personnel reached on Friday morning, while 12 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force are already at the site.
Crisis gripped a politically-volatile Meghalaya on Wednesday with the Nationalist Congress Party led-Meghalaya Progressive Alliance losing majority after withdrawal of support by a senior minister, while the Opposition Congress stated it was being 'contacted from all sides'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tried his hand in beating Khasi traditional drum as he wound up his two-day visit to Meghalaya.
The Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday asked its ally Congress to decide on alliance for coming assembly polls in Maharashtra by July 15 and in an apparent overture to facilitate the tie-up party, president Sharad Pawar proposed the Bandra-Worli sealink be named after Rajiv Gandhi.
Brisk polling began on Thursday morning in 91 constituencies spread across 18 states and two union territories in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. As people queued up across the nation to cast their vote, there were some famous faces in the lines at different polling stations. Take a look.
Lapang, facing revolt by at least 14 legislators, is expected to tender his resignation to Governor R S Mooshahary later on Monday after he returns from New Delhi along with 23 legislators.
