'Switching loyalty from one party to another is completely unfair as it devalues my vote.'
Fourteen persons were killed in the firing on a demonstration against land acquisition on March 14, leading to a nationwide outrage and the Calcutta high court 'suo motu' ordering a CBI investigation.
Mamata imposed affirmative action to the point of absurdity. This has naturally led to counter-action: The Hindus who never thought of themselves as Hindus are now banding behind the BJP, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Sources said the opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasise on building a common ground.
Rediff poll: Can Mamata transform Kolkata into London?
According to the sources, he wrote to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee apprising her of his decision to resign from the party's primary membership.
'With sufficient gaps between polling dates, the BJP will have time to convert the 'fence-sitter' votes,' observes Payal Mohanka.
Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former defence minister AK Antony, senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma also took part in the protest sporting black bands.
What would Parliament be without these nine ladies?
Among other measures, TMC announced Monday that it had formed coordination committees in all districts comprising senior leaders to look into party members' grievances.
Sources said Kishor agreed to work with her if she so desired.
Opposition leaders urged Modi to use the opportunity for the country's benefit.
The wife of the chief minister's brother Kartik, Kajari is contesting from ward number 73 of the KMC.
Over one crore voters in West Bengal will decide the political fate of 342 candidates on Saturday, when 45 assembly constituencies go to polls in the fifth phase, amid a raging second wave of COVID-19.
She is the 21st chief minister of West Bengal and 8th person to hold the office.
The 'Group of 23' leaders who participated included Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, besides Sibal who hosted the post-birthday dinner for them.
Pawar may not be in the Congress and heading a rival party having a love-hate relationship with it. But still he is considered the top Congress leader from Maharashtra, reports Sunil Gatade.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday hinted that the winter session of Parliament is set to be a stormy one, as opposition parties would do all that it takes 'to stop India from turning into an elected autocracy'.
AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi's first rally in Kolkata, scheduled to be held on Thursday, has been cancelled as the city police denied permission for it, party sources claimed.
Stating that many people have not yet got the card and were being harassed by government agencies, Mamata Banerjee said that the Centre should make a single identity card which would be common for all purposes.
"I am very excited about joining the TMC. I will work for the development of Bengal," he said.
Rahul Gandhi replied on Twitter, saying, 'Thank you for your greetings @narendramodi ji. I appreciate them.'
The central agency asked Banerjee to appear at its Kolkata office on Friday morning, he said.
New Delhi is witnessing a spurt of political activity over the Goods and Services Tax Bill.
The invitation to opposition leaders is seen as Modi's move to reach out to them following the fiercely fought election in which the BJP registered a massive victory.
The meeting also discussed possibilities of forming a non-BJP government including regional parties with the support of the Congress.
All schools and colleges in West Bengal will remain closed till June 10, she added. The Trinamool Congress supremo said she raised the issue of a financial package for the state and clearing its dues.
Urging the people to make sure that their names are in the voters' list, Banerjee accused "local leaders" of the BJP of spreading canards about the possibility of implementing the NRC in the state.
The WB CM visited three banks and several ATMs at Sarat Bose Road, Bhawanipore and Chowringhee and spoke to the people there. "These are all common people. Let the government nab the real culprits," Banerjee said.
The party brought back Yashwant Sinha as its national vice-president.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at the latter's residence in New Delhi and extended 'complete support' to him in the Aam Aadmi Party government's ongoing tussle with the Centre over the control of administrative services.
The list, which is a mix of seasoned political players and greenhorns, has 17 women candidates, five more than the last elections, constituting roughly 41 per cent of the candidates.
Nearly 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs will vote on Monday to elect the 15th President of India, with National Democratic Alliance candidate Droupadi Murmu having a clear edge over Opposition's Yashwant Sinha as over 60 per cent votes are expected to be cast in her favour.
Amid signs of increasing bonhomie between her and her Telangana and Tamil Nadu counterparts Rao and Stalin, Banerjee had approached the two on Sunday to set up meetings of opposition chief ministers.
613 candidates are in the fray on 54 seats, including those falling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary segment Varanasi.
Any erosion in the TMC, may benefit the BJP, reports Ishita Ayan Dutt.
The implementation of the NRC as nothing but a political vendetta of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government, she told the assembly.
Both the BJP and the Congress have banked on new and young faces, some of whom have been nominated by the parties for the first time.
The EC issued a show cause notice to CM and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.
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