The Communist Party of India Marxist-led ruling Left Front seems confident about retaining power in the poll-bound state of Tripura. The north-eastern state, which will go to polls on Thursday, is the only state ruled by the Left Front now.
The CNN-IBN-THE WEEK pre-poll survey conducted by CSDS projects the National Democratic Alliance edging towards 200-seat mark in Lok Sabha polls. The NDA tally is projected to rise between 187 and 195 Lok Sabha seats just by gains in four states whereas United Progressive Alliance tally is projected to slip to between 134 and 142 Lok Sabha seats just by losses in four states.
The government on Wednesday approved the inclusion of certain communities in the lists of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, fulfilling long-pending demands from these states.
Overhaul of the goods and services tax (GST) structure, including possible changes in the tax slabs, may now be taken up only after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, given the number of states that are going to the polls in its run-up. "No major overhaul of tax rates is expected in GST until the end of next fiscal year. One major reason for this is that some members of the group of ministers (GoM) - mandated to look at rate rationalisation by the GST Council - are from poll-bound states. Later, this may lead to reconstitution of the panel," a senior government official told Business Standard. Besides, both the Centre and states are not in favour of frequent changes in the tax rates amid inflationary uncertainties; they believe any major change should be brought in after extensive deliberations, according to the official.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday exchanged jibes over the red diary that a sacked state minister claims records financial misdeeds of the CM and his colleagues.
Rahul Gandhi's backroom decisions. Kapil Sibal's fear of television debates. Modi vs Advani vs Scindia. All this, and more, in this week's Dilli Gupshup.
Nine people from Himachal Pradesh, including a key Hindu Raksha Mahasabha functionary, three former armed forces personnel and two retired officers of the state administrative service, joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday.
The Association for Democratic Reforms, an non-government organisation working for electoral reforms, while supporting Election Commission's order to seize unaccounted cash in poll-bound states, has noted that legitimate business transactions based on cash should not suffer.
Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik on Tuesday said any decision on the opposition's candidate for the post of the country's next President will be taken collectively by leaders of various parties, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's name could be considered only if his party Janata Dal-United snaps ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Referring to Modi, Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as 'outsiders', the farmer leader said he has no objection if they become prime ministers after winning polls from Uttarakhand or Gujarat.
Another ruling Bharatiya Janata Party MLA resigned his assembly membership, further jolting the party in the poll-bound state.
"Everyone knows the situation in Kerala. Amit Shah should tell what is wrong here...minorities in Karnataka face widespread attacks whereas religious minorities are safe in Kerala," the chief minister said, adding that Kerala is the only place where the 'communal propaganda of Sangh Parivar' is not working.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dared Congress president Sonia Gandhi to announce her party's Gujarat chief ministerial candidate before visiting the poll-bound state
Gujarat Congress on Monday issued an 18-point "chargesheet" against Narendra Modi government accusing it of practising loot, corruption and adopting anti-people policies in the poll bound state
Cracks surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party when three party secretaries on Sunday resigned, angry over the promotion of senior leader Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj as general secretary in the poll-bound state.
Top Congress leadership led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held marathon discussions with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot joined them later in the evening.
The union territory of Puducherry has the dubious distinction of having the laziest legislators in India. A report shows that in comparison to the other four poll-bound states -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam -- the legislative assembly in Puducherry had the lowest number of sittings in the past 5 years.
Unfazed by criticism from various quarters, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday stuck to his controversial remarks on people from Uttar Pradesh begging in other states, terming it as an "unpleasant truth".
The Congress on Wednesday cancelled its four marathon races listed this week and also decided not to hold any big rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh amid rising cases of the novel coronavirus infection.
Anna Hazare on Wednesday called off his fast a day ahead of schedule and repeated his threat to campaign against Congress in the five poll-bound states for not brining a strong Lokpal.
Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen resigned from the council of ministers after he was arrested for allegedly transporting Rs 1.10 crore in cash and arms and ammunition in a vehicle in Wokha district in the poll-bound state.
An Election Commission surveillance team on Saturday seized Rs one crore cash from a helicopter allegedly being used by a candidate of the Nagaland Peoples Front in the poll-bound state. A team of EC-appointed observers seized the cash from a chopper, which was allegedly hired to ferry Nyemli Phom who is contesting the Assembly polls from a constituency in Longleng district, official sources said.
The youngest in the CWC is 31-year-old Neeraj Kundan, who is an ex-officio member of the body as the president of the National Students Union of India, the students' wing of the party.
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of targeting him as it is losing ground in the poll-bound state. "BJP is targeting me as it is losing ground in Himachal Pradesh, where assembly polls are round the corner." Singh said while addressing a press conference in Shimla.
Amid the ongoing festival season and ahead of the elections for five state assemblies, the Centre is closely monitoring inflation, particularly in food items, to enable it to take steps to increase their supplies. "There is a complete no-nonsense attitude when it comes to food inflation, and instructions have been issued at all levels to be very sensitive to any possible price movements in any commodity," a senior official explained. Sources have said that all departments dealing with food items have been instructed to keep a close eye on all commodities and maintain a weekly record of their price movements.
The Election Commission on Monday empowered the returning officers to reject nominations on ground of a candidate holding an "office of profit" at the stage of the scrutiny.
Addressing her first election rally in the poll-bound state at Chickmagalur, Sonia said: "I remind the young generation that these are some of the darkest days. People want change. The need for change is now, and now."
Maoists on Monday called for a boycott of assembly elections in poll-bound states terming the exercise as a 'farce'.
The united Opposition on Wednesday checkmated yet another promise given by Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to set up a central agricultural university in the Bundelkhand region, spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
A meeting of the Punjab Congress Legislative Party, which was slated for 11 am on Sunday, has been deferred, with party sources saying that a consensus is yet to be made on the name of the new CLP leader.
The Election Commission on Friday issued a show-cause notice to former high court judge and Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his 'improper, injudicious and undignified' remarks against Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"They (BJP) attack different communities, religions and languages. They spread hatred and violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding and this is completely against the idea of India," he added.
In an apparent attempt to invoke the Gujarati pride in the poll bound state, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi took potshots at Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart is pursuing his personal agenda at the expense of the common people.
'It is not a political issue but a matter close to my heart'
In the name of development, Chief Minister Mayawati can only boast of statues of herself or Dalit icons across Uttar Pradesh, but the common man in the state who is yet to savour the pleasure of having basic civic amenities, will most naturally think for whom he or she should vote for, or may even opt for a total Bahujan Samaj Party poll boycott.
She asserted the Congress is united in Rajasthan while the BJP is completely fragmented.
CEC Dr S Y Quraishi in an exclusive chat explains his plans for ensuring an trouble free election in the five poll-bound states.
The anti-talks faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom called off its 12-hour Assam bandh after the visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to the poll-bound state on Monday has been rescheduled.
While no specific state-oriented sops were rolled out, a strong thread of political wellness ran through the Budget.
Launching its campaign in five poll-bound states, Team Anna on Saturday sought to be even-handed by targeting the Centre, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party for bringing a "toothless" Lokpal Bill which is like a "dead body strewn with flowers".
