INDIA bloc parties are set to raise issues such as the Pahalgam attack, US President Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire, and concerns over electoral roll revisions in Bihar during the Parliament's Monsoon session.
Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal will soon vacate the official residence of Delhi chief minister in Civil Lines area of the city, with an intensive search on to look for a new house near his New Delhi constituency, the party said on Saturday.
Several Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, saying agencies are targeting those who raised their voice against the ruling party.
A heated political battle erupted Tuesday over Arvind Kejriwal's claim of the Haryana government 'poisoning' the Yamuna water, with the Bharatiya Janata Party saying he cannot be forgiven for his 'dangerous statement', while the Aam Aadmi Party chief asserted he won't let the people of Delhi die due to the dirty, poisonous water.
Aam Aadmi Party MPs boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday to protest against the arrest of party convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak wrote: 'Many indicating towards a conspiracy... Who can be behind this... ?'
Delhi faces a severe financial crunch and the deficit is largely due to numerous welfare schemes without adequate revenue flowing in. The success of welfare schemes and electoral promises will need careful financial planning and out of the box thinking to whip up additional revenue, notes Ramesh Menon.
Several opposition MPs, who had previously criticized former Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, are now praising him following his sudden resignation, with some even requesting him to reconsider.
'If Kejriwal is adamant on running his government from jail, then his government could be dismissed and Article 356 imposed on Delhi, in other words President's rule in Delhi.'
The Election Commission of India has announced that the Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5, 2023, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 8. The last date to file nominations is January 17, and the scrutiny of nominations will be done by January 18. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until January 20.
At a time when India is banning all things Pakistan, thanks to the recent war-like situation between the two countries, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is encouraging Pakistani music.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Virendra Sachdeva was admitted to the RML Nursing Home on Saturday with complaints of itching and breathing difficulties, two days after he took a dip in the heavily-polluted Yamuna to highlight the alleged failure of the Aam Aadmi Party government to clean the river.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite hunger strike in support of various demands, has broken his fast after the Punjab government intervened and dispersed protesting farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu borders. The Supreme Court lauded Dallewal's efforts and acknowledged the government's action, while also asking for a status report on the situation. Contempt proceedings against the Punjab chief secretary and Director General of Police for not complying with the court's order of providing medical aid to Dallewal were dropped.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms at an inflated cost, according to a report by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government. The ACB report alleged that the classrooms were constructed at a rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas the average construction cost was around Rs 1,500 per square feet. The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
'The Election Commission is conducting the National Register of Citizens in Bihar through the backdoor.'
Banking on the Budget's tax relief, the BJP seeks to energise Delhi's middle class; the AAP is doing its bit too. But will their outreach mobilise this politically crucial yet disengaged electorate?
The BJP has demanded the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in the renaming of the official 'CMO Delhi' handle on X to 'Arvind Kejriwal At Work', alleging that the change was made at the behest of the former chief minister. The party accused Arvind Kejriwal of misusing public funds for his own digital propaganda and demanded legal action against him. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) responded by urging the BJP to focus on governing Delhi instead of making "baseless allegations."
A court in New Delhi on Thursday refused to take cognisance of a chargesheet filed against Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board and ordered his 'immediate release', saying his further incarceration in the matter would be 'illegal'.
From dubbing voices to putting faces with the help of AI, political campaigns are undergoing a Bollywood makeover. Among the favourites is a scene from the Anil Kapoor-starrer Nayak, posted by the BJP, where Kapoor asks about the Chunaavi Vaade (poll promise), with Arvind Kejriwal at the receiving end instead of Amrish Puri.
The newly-formed Delhi Cabinet in its first meeting approved the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in the national capital. The cabinet also decided to present 14 pending CAG reports in the first session of the assembly. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the previous AAP government did not allow the health scheme in the city, preventing the people from availing its benefits.
The PWD has issued a notice to AAP over its continued occupation of 206, Rouse Avenue as party office.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has dismissed speculation about dissent within the Aam Aadmi Party's state unit, asserting that Congress leaders have a history of switching parties while AAP leaders remain dedicated. Mann's remarks came after Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa claimed that over 30 AAP MLAs were in touch with his party. Mann, however, dismissed Bajwa's claims, stating that Congress has a culture of switching sides. The meeting follows AAP's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, sparking speculation about instability in its Punjab unit. Mann reiterated the unity within AAP, highlighting his government's achievements, including closing 17 toll plazas, stopping multiple pensions for MLAs, and implementing the Delhi model in Punjab. On the promise of financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to women, he said it will be provided in the coming days. Meanwhile, the BJP has also intensified its attack on the AAP, with BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa taking a dig at Kejriwal for holding a meeting with Punjab MLAs despite AAP's defeat in Delhi.
With such announcements grabbing the voters' attention, critical issues like pollution, especially the smog that chokes Delhi every winter, remain largely unaddressed. Many residents have raised concerns over the lack of concrete action plans to combat air pollution, which continues to pose a severe health risk to Delhiites.
The Delhi government is embroiled in multiple litigations with the Lieutenant Governor in the Supreme Court including its plea challenging the Centre's law establishing pre-eminence of the LG over the elected dispensation in controlling services in the national capital.
Kapil Mishra, a former AAP member and a vocal critic of the BJP, RSS, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has undergone a complete political transformation, becoming a controversial figure often regarded as the "posterboy of Hindutva." He has now been inducted as a minister in the newly formed Delhi government, marking a significant shift in his political allegiance and raising questions about his role in shaping the city's future.
The top court had on March 4 directed the party to vacate its office by June 15 after noting that the plot was allotted to the Delhi high court for expanding judicial infrastructure.
In a post on X, Atishi questioned the "sealing" of the party office, saying it is against the "level playing field" promised by the Constitution.
The government will set up 16 new medical colleges over the next five years.
The prospect of the Delhi chief minister's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, who has so far maintained a distance from politics, assuming a new role is also being discussed by people.
The police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the area on Sunday to maintain law and order.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena and the Bharatiya Janata Party of disrespecting the 'Shivling' by installing fountains shaped like it in the capital ahead of the G20 summit.
Sunita Kejriwal is slowly emerging out of the shadows to assume a bigger role to give a fillip to the AAP's campaigning which has been affected by the chief minister's arrest in a money laundering case in March.
Maliwal's posts came after trends of the Delhi assembly poll results showed the BJP ahead of AAP and heading towards forming the government in the national capital.
Gupta sought to draw the top city bureaucrat's attention to the procedure and protocol to be adhered to by the government officers while dealing with the members of the assembly.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's unexpected announcement to resign after two days kicked up a strong buzz on Sunday over the names of his wife Sunita and his ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai as his possible replacement.
The two ministers were lodged in a police bus as officials asked protesters at the ITO intersection, which is near the AAP and BJP offices, to disperse in view of prohibitory orders under section 144 imposed in the area.
The BJP may win more seats in the February 5 assembly election, but not enough to trump AAP, notes Ramesh Menon.
Kejriwal claimed that 16 AAP candidates had received offers from the BJP with the promise of ministerial positions and Rs 15 crore each if they switch sides.
'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.'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal during his campaign rallies in Delhi, accusing him of being involved in the "liquor scam" and of being "afraid" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi also criticized Kejriwal's governance style, calling it "sheesh mahal politics" and accusing him of being absent when violence and hatred engulfed Delhi during the 2020 riots. He also attacked the BJP, accusing them of trying to change the Constitution and insulting the country's founding fathers.