How many marks will Prime Minister Manmohan Singh give to the performance of the United Progressive Alliance's second term? This is the question being asked in political circles ahead of Dr Singh's first press conference in Delhi on Monday since taking over as PM for the second time. When the UPA-I had completed one year in May 2005, Dr Singh gave six out of ten marks to its performance, but said he was not satisfied with it.
There is a lack of connect between the Congress president and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in UPA-2. But Sonia Gandhi has ensured that the government does not waver from her pet policies -- NREGA, RTI etc, notes Neerja Chowdhury.
"The economic environment in the country has suddenly become dismal. The UPA blamed the Left Front for the paralysis in economic decision making during UPA-I. However, there is no such compulsion during UPA-II."
'Vijaya Raje Scindia had assured the prime minister that nothing would happen to the Babri Masjid'
"I appeal to the Muslims to understand that the soft approach of the UPA government to terrorism has endangered the security of all sections," BJP chief Rajnath Singh said.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Wednesday said that the United Progressive Alliance government will not complete its five year term in office. Advani reiterated that the government will not last till 2009 and mid-term polls will be held in 2008. "It is certain now that the UPA government at the Centre is not going to last till 2009 because of major differences within the alliance partners. The country is heading for a mid-term polls," declared Advani.
Political observers say that neither Mulayam Singh Yadav nor Mayawati have any intention of toppling the UPA government, as neither stand to gain from it. Sharat Pradhan reports
The poll, conducted across 23 states with a sample size of 18,000 voters, predicts that the UPA will win 267 seats as against the 222 seats it secured in the 2004 elections.
The UPA's old schemes are unravelling while the new ones are still to take off, says Sunita Moga
Singh did not speak on recent developments in the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation but confined himself to self-explanation during the short duration discussion.
"No, she will not make me the PM," was Dr Pranab Mukherjee's cryptic response in a reference to Sonia Gandhi when he was asked by his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee about his chances of becoming the prime minister in 2004.
Bracing up for an Opposition onslaught in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will host dinner for United Progressive Alliance leaders on Friday to firm up a joint strategy on various issues like Foreign Direct Investment that are expected to come up during the session beginning next week.
In future if the party wins, people would say 'INDIA has won,' but if the party loses, then people would say 'INDIA has lost'
Kharge said he condemn this attitude of the government to threaten, scare and humiliate
Banerjee wants the two top leaders of the United Progressive Alliance to nudge the Planning Commission into including some of her most important initiatives in the Railway Budget.
A controversy has erupted over the reported remarks of Central Bureau of Investigation chief Ranjit Sinha that the United Progressive Allianc government would have been happy if the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah was named as accused in Ishrat Jahan case chargesheet, a comment which he has denied.
In the wake of Pakistan's refusal to extradite those guilty in the Mumbai terror attacks, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the United Progressive Alliance government of converting the 'warning rhetoric into a bail-out plan' for the neighbouring country."It seems that the warning rhetoric of the UPA government against Pakistan has converted into a bail out plan for the neighbouring country from its participation in 26/11 attack in Mumbai," BJP said.
After his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said there can be no opposition front without the Congress, in a clear message to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her 'no United Progressive Alliance' taunt, even as another ally Nationalist Congress Party asserted it will make every effort to form a broad-based alliance that will also include the Congress.
Following his arrest, support for Baba Ramdev seems to pour in. While the Bharatiya Janata Party declared a 24-hour satyagrah, the Uttarakhand chief minister assured the Baba that he could continue his protest in the state if he wanted to. With the Left and Samajwadi Party joining in to criticise the UPA, th government seems isolated
Most politicians and even non-politicians have been honoured because of what they were purported to be electorally worth for the ruling party of their time, argues N Sathiya Moorthy.
Joshi alleged that in many of the cases there has been a hundred per cent rise in the price of commodities. He also said that the UPA government is ignoring the plight of farmers.
The Ambani brothers -- Mukesh and Anil -- have emerged among the biggest beneficiaries of the people's mandate in favour of the Congress-led UPA government as their group companies added close to Rs 90,000 crore (Rs 900 billion) of wealth in just five trading sessions after the results were declared.
Complaining that the ruling UPA was treating it like an 'outsider' on the issue of dealing with Pakistan, the SP said it was under 'tremendous pressure' from its cadres as the government was not doing anything against the neighbouring country despite the Mumbai attacks.
The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the government over the women's reservation bill, saying the only appropriate description of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done with the matter is "it is a post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank".
He wanted changes in certain criteria for the project.
Singling out a person for the defeat in 2014 would not be right, Pilot said.
Consensus continued to elude the Women's Reservation Bill which is unlikely to see the light of the day during the current session of Parliament.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said his party would contest the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Lok Janashakti Party, but ruled out conceding more than 13 seats given to the United Progressive Alliance allies in 2004 elections.
Disapproving of Janata Dal-United's remarks against Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday firmly stood behind the Gujarat chief minister saying no "unfounded inferences" should be drawn against him
India's voting pattern in the United Nations with regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict is lately marked by a calibrated distancing from Israel, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The three ills of 'dynasticism, corruption and appeasement' politics must quit India in the best interest of the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Wednesday as it commemorated the Quit India movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi on this day in 1942.
Charging the United Progressive Alliance with lacking "political decency" in evolving a consensus candidate for the Presidential poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said its decision to back former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma was in keeping with "anti-Congress, anti- UPA mood" in the country.
United Progressive Alliance allies on Monday expressed full support to the government over its refusal to agree to a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam, an issue that has paralysed Parliament proceedings for the last 12 working days. Against the backdrop of some UPA constituents appearing not being averse to the JPC probe, the government on Monday held a luncheon meeting of its allies to devise a common strategy.
In the wake of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar, Sibal had on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi over the matter, and said "let not 2024 general elections be the reason" for the violence.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that the home ministry's decision to cancel the FCRA licences of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust for alleged violation of laws has "exposed" their corruption.
"By stating before the Supreme Court that there is no proof that Ram Sethu is a place of worship or that it is an integral part of Hindu religion, the UPA has once again tried to abuse and hurt Hindu sentiments," party spokesperson Ravi Shanker Prasad told reporters in Delhi.
A survey carried out by television channel CNN-IBN has revealed that an overwhelming number of voters believe that the government has lost the faith of the public.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance would once again form the government at the Centre and refuted claims that the country had been swept up in a Modi wave.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday attacked Congress saying 62 big scams involving around Rs 20 lakh crore have taken place during the UPA regime at the Centre.
