Set to file nomination papers for the Presidential poll, a sentimental Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday resigned as finance minister to "embark on a new journey", leaving behind his four-decade stint as a political activist.
Non-flagship programmes to get a mere 5% hike in allocation
The Congress on Monday bid a warm farewell to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, poised to become the country's President, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that the veteran leader will be missed.
The United Progressive Alliance government has become a symbol of "heartless government" as it has failed to understand the pains of inflation borne by the common man, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley said on Friday.
Giving a major boost to the United Progressive Alliance's Presidential candidate, key National Democratic Alliance constituent Shiv Sena on Tuesday described Pranab Mukherjee as the "right candidate" for the top post and sought unanimous support for him. "Let bygones be bygones. Let us unanimously support Pranab Mukherjee and show the world that "hum sab ek hai" (we are all united)," Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday kept up the suspense on continuance of outside support to the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, saying a decision on the issue will be taken soon. She also asked party cadres to be ready for snap polls which "can take place any time" in view of the "instability" at the Centre.
After a meeting at BJP leader LK Advani's residence, from which the BJP's oldest ideological ally the Shiv Sena kept away, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav merely said more discussions were needed to arrive at a right decision
As finance ministry officials remained glued to news flashes on the LCD screens in their rooms, others were constantly monitoring news on the web. The support staff got its share of the news feed by keeping a close watch on politicians visiting North Block, reports Vrishti Beniwal
Trinamool Congress strategy of opposing the United Progressive Alliance candidate has raised question mark over its continuance in the Congress-led coalition.
Making it clear that it is firmly behind the United Progressive Alliance candidate in the Presidential race, the Nationalist Congress Party has told former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma not to press for his candidature in the polls.
BSP supremo Mayawati may have used her plan to nominate a Dalit candidate for the post of President as a bargaining tool with the Congress, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took potshots at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, alleging his "lack" of leadership had made the United Progressive Alliance government a "sinking ship" and prompted even allies like Trinamool Congress to declare that he should be moved to the President's post.
Annoyed over Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's rejection of Pranab Mukherjee as one of the United Progressive Alliance's possible presidential candidates, the West Bengal Congress on Thursday said it would discuss pulling out of the TC-led government in the state.
Indications from the Congress are that the party is veering round to the view that it cannot allow any troublesome ally to dictate terms on an issue like presidential poll and that the party has to prepare for any eventuality
National Democratic Alliance Working Chairperson L K Advani on Thursday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Chennai on to discuss fresh developments in the run-up to Presidential election and they agreed to "coordinate" with each other on their strategy.
Having rejected the three names proposed by the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party combine, the Congress is expected to come out with the name of the United Progressive Alliance candidate either on Thursday or Friday.
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 Bihar Deputy Chief Minister urged the Centre to consider the state government's demand for assistance of Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) annually under the 12th five-year plan.
"There will be no President's rule in Andhra Pradesh," said a senior All India Congress Committee functionary on condition of anonymity.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement that the opposition had always obstructed the passing of a strong and effective Lokpal Bill in Parliament, and growth in Gujarat, as one full of half-truths.
"The presidential elections have not been announced yet. There are no candidates. We will decide on whom to support after considering merits and de-merits (of candidates)," Mulayam Yadav said addressing a press conference in New Delhi after the party's parliamentary board meeting
Alleging that Congress has been "deceiving" people on separate Telangana issue, Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said the United Progressive Alliance government should move a bill on the formation of the state in the coming budget session of Parliament.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday likened Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the blind king Dhritarashtra of the epic Mahabharata to attack him on the issue of corruption, prompting Government to slam the group for turning their fight into a "personal campaign".
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sternly criticised the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, saying it has disappointed people of the country with a series of scams coming to light and by ignoring burning issues such as price hike.
Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday hit out at the United Progressive Alliance's decision to allow FDI in retail, saying, "Looting is going on in the name of aam admi and reforms". "Reforms are meant to usher development for the people. Nowadays, the trend is that whenever any anti-people decision is taken, it is taken in the name of reforms," said Banerjee.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday played down the remark made by Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on backing Foreign Direct Investment in retail if the United Progressive Alliance government addresses the concerns of traders.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Saturday said the United Progressive Alliance has lost its "moral authority" to continue in power after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 spectrum licences given to telecom operators and alleged that the Congress was after him since he started his campaign on black money issue.
Attacking the United Progressive Alliance government and threatening a fight to the finish by August on the black money issue, Anna Hazare and yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday sat on a day-long fast to protest against corruption.
The Court deserves to be complimented for its verdict and indeed for doing what the government should have done long ago.
A day after pledging support to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday met Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Biju Janata Dal supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday termed as "baseless rumours" reports that his party would support the United Progressive Alliance government following the Trinamool Congress's pullout. He also made it clear that there was no question of the BJD abstaining if the UPA government seeks a trust vote in Parliament.
In an apparent U-turn, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi rejected reports that he has threatened a pullout from the United Progressive Alliance government over the recent petrol price hike.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Sultan Ahmed lashes out at the Congress and gives reasons for pulling out of the UPA.
Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and A B Bardhan on Thursday shared dais with Bharatiya Janata Party's Nitin Gadkari and Murli Manohar Joshi at a demonstration against FDI in retail and hike in diesel prices.
After slamming the Centre for the steep hike in petrol price, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday hit the streets in Kolkata, leading a massive protest march to put pressure on the United Progressive Alliance government for a roll-back. Banerjee, who was accompanied by Railway Minister Mukul Roy, party functionaries and thousands of Trinamool Congress workers, marched from Jadavpur to Hazra crossing, a distance of five km in south Kolkata.
Hitting back at Narendra Modi for his criticism of the United Progressive Alliance, the Congress on Saturday said the soul of Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels seemed to have entered the "frustrated" Gujarat chief minister and accused him of crossing the laxman rekha.
Dubbing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the most hapless Prime Minister India has ever seen, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Friday slammed the United Progressive Alliance government as the most ineffective, corrupt and indifferent dispensation since Independence.
At the end of UPA-2's three years in power, India has become a more unbalanced, strife-torn and unhappy society, with reduced human security and tattered social cohesion. Rather than correct policy course, the government deals with the resulting discontent with brute force, says Praful Bidwai
While corruption and inflation have made life difficult for the common man, the government's decision to hike petrol prices has only added fuel to fire, anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare has said. "My activists will support the Bharat Bandh called by the BJP and Left parties on May 30 to protest the petrol price hike," Hazare said while addressing a public meeting.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said implementation of FDI in multi-brand retail will make India a nation of "sales boys and sales girls" and it hoped to see the end of the United Progressive Alliance government on the issue.
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