Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
He also said the governments of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BSP and the SP that have ruled Uttar Pradesh in the last 32 years, when Congress was not in power, failed to live up to the expectations of the people and the Congress was set for a comeback in the state.
In a significant move, the Centre on Wednesday announced that caste enumeration will be part of the next population census, with the inclusion of caste details for the first time since independence hailed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies as a historic step to help design truly equitable and focused policies.
With Samajwadi Party cosying up to the Congress, its leaders have been invited for the fourth UPA anniversary celebrations scheduled here on May 22. In a clear message that it was warming up to the Congress, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had recently lashed out at BSP leader Mayawati for being 'ungrateful' to the United Progressive Allaince government by criticising it. He added that Congress 'charity' had only helped her become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again.
'If his health was good he would have become CM again after polls.' 'Those who are with Nitish Babu today will remain with him till the elections to use his name for votes and would definitely play games with him after the polls.'
A day after the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government assumed power in Jammu and Kashmir, a group of lawmakers from the Kashmiri party demanded that the mortal remains of Parliament attack convict be handed over to the family.
The original suggestion was to call it 'Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance', but the word 'democratic' was replaced with 'developmental' after Kumar and Yechury raised some objections saying it sounded too similar to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), sources said.
Pranab Mukherjee and P A Sangma will file their nominations on Thursday, setting off the presidential race between the United Progressive Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party-backed opposition candidate in which the ruling alliance is set for a runaway victory.
Kumar, who visited Pawar at the latter's residence in south Mumbai along with deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, told reporters that what the ruling BJP is doing not in the interest of the country.
Catch all the debates from the Upper and Lower House of Parliament.
The 30-share Sensex ended at a record closing high up 17 points at 26,437 after hitting a fresh record high of 26,631 and the 50-share Nifty ended down seven points at 7,906 after hitting a fresh record high of 7,968.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched a strong critique of the Janata Dal-United, its ally in the National Democratic Alliance, for concentrating its energy on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi instead of pressing matters like price rise, black money and anti-farmer policies of the United Progressive Alliance, and said it was unacceptable.
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.
Against the backdrop of dramatic twists and turns in the Presidential race, key National Democratic Alliance ally Janata Dal-United on Thursday refrained from making its stand clear on the issue saying the United Progressive Alliance should first settle it within itself.
The exodus in Congress could again momentum (Kiran Reddy, L Rajagopal's resignations) in contrast to which the BJP is adding to its tally of allies and is finding new admirers. Anita Katiyal reports
Mamata Banerjee's plans for a no-confidence motion against the United Progressive Alliance government on FDI and other issues on Tuesday appeared to be running out of steam with clear indications from opposition Janata Dal-United that it is not inclined to the idea.
Official said a CBI inquiry has been recommended against Aman Biradari for violation of various provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh summons to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav in the railway land-for-jobs scam case, asking him to appear on January 5, official sources said on Saturday.
A survey has suggested that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance is losing its sheen.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and his father and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for questioning in the railways land-for-jobs money laundering case probe, official sources said on Wednesday.
The winter session of Parliament has already witnessed several disruptions and adjournments. In Tuesday's session, the Opposition is expected to give a tough time to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over the issue of FDI in retail.
The winter session of Parliament has already witnessed several disruptions and adjournments. In Tuesday's session, the Opposition is again expected to give a tough time to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over the issue of FDI in retail.
The winter session of Parliament has already witnessed several disruptions and adjournments. In Tuesday's session, the Opposition is again expected to give a tough time to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over the issue of FDI in retail.
The winter session of Parliament has already witnessed several disruptions and adjournments. In Tuesday's session, the Opposition is expected to give a tough time to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over the issue of FDI in retail.
Shinde, participating in a discussion on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, took a jibe at the opposition coalition Indian National Develomental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) describing it as a 'destructive alliance' and said the next elections will be fought on the issue of scams of the United Progressive Alliance and schemes of the National Democratic Alliance.
Regional parties currently outside the ambit of both United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance will hold the key to formation of next government at the Centre in 2014 with BJP-led alliance projected well ahead of the ruling UPA headed by Congress, an election survey has predicted.
He was elected as a local body councillor in 1976 in Bharuch Municipal body of Gujarat at the age of 25 years and became the political secretary of Sonia Gandhi and remained a bridge during UPA-I tenure between the party and the government.
Gandhi met Pawar within hours of the BJP's defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.
Sharad Yadav, JDU chief and NDA convener, tells Gyan Varma if the UPA had discussed Pranab Mukherjee's nomination for Presidential election before announcing his name, the NDA would not have put up its candidate against the former finance minister
United Progressive Alliance's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee will file his nomination papers on Thursday at 11 am in the midst of changing political alignments, with the UPA largely intact while the National Democratic Alliance in considerable disarray as its trusted allies have openly sided with the 'master troubleshooter,' saying Pranab is the best candidate for the country's top job.
Support to the United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee does not mean the Shiv Sena is backing the Congress, the party's executive president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.
With a significant number of Opposition leaders present at the swearing-in ceremony of the Congress government in Karnataka, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said Opposition unity requires much more than optics of this nature and stressed the need for meeting of minds, a common agenda and sacrificing partisan interests.
Political analysts are deciphering her desperation as Mamata Banerjee's last resort to fight several investigations launched by the Centre against her party colleagues and close aides.
Perhaps the change brought about in the cooking gas economy will not lose its momentum if the next government proves forward-thinking enough to improve on one of the UPA's solid achievements.
The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Fund has alleged that absence of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate against Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan in Malampuzha is part of a clandestine understanding between the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the BJP as they are now together in opposing the United Progressive Alliance at the Centre.
Those joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers for the first time include three former chief ministers -- Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana) and H D Kumaraswamy (Karnataka).
Apart from opening up the possibility of a tie-up for the 2014 general election, the crucial Congress support to Nitish Kumar's trust vote also has other advantages, notes Anita Katyal.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a key ally of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, on Wednesday announced it would contest coming local body elections in Tamil Nadu on its own, saying alliances were required only for Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
The decision was taken at a meeting in senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence on Monday, which was attended by the party's allies. At a press conference soon after, Jaswant Singh described the decision as a "great honour".
A day before the July 19 Presidential poll, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will host a lunch for the members of Parliament of the United Progressive Alliance and supporting parties.
