In an interview to CNN-IBN, veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee talks about being chosen as the United Progressive Alliance's candidate for the President's post, his equation with party president Sonia Gandhi and why he will not participate in a debate against rival P A Sangma
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre was nothing but a ploy to take away states' powers by the United Progressive Alliance. Accusing the Centre of weakening the federal system, Modi questioned the need for a NCTC instead of anti-terror laws such as the Prevention Of Terrorism Act. Through this proposed body, the Centre wanted to use the Intelligence Bureau in states' domain, he said.
The BJP core group met in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the strategy for ensuring that all party legislators in the states and in Parliament vote for P A Sangma in the Presidential poll and decided to use this opportunity to highlight failures of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Even as Janata Dal-United backed Pranab Mukherjee's candidature for the President's post, party chief Sharad Yadav denied any rift in the National Democratic Alliance, saying that the JD-U's support was for the next President and not for the United Progressive Alliance.
The schedule to conduct the elections for the vice president's post is held up as the Election Commissioner H S Brahma is on a foreign jaunt. Moreover, the United Progressive Alliance-II is yet to appoint the third Election Commissioner.
The tumultuous Winter session of Parliament ended on Wednesday a day before schedule with proceedings in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha marred by repeated disruptions by the opposition over which the government and the Congress traded charges and the presiding officers expressed their anguish at the conduct of some MPs.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday declined to disclose who will be Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's successor and whether the United Progressive Alliance government will have new partners. "I have been churning it in my mind," said Dr Singh when asked whether he has thought of Mukherjee's successor after his nomination as UPA's candidate for the Presidential elections.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday attacked the United Progressive Alliance government for "reducing states to glorified municipal corporations" by turning a deaf ear to their reasonable demands and described central proposals like the Communal Violence bill as "fascist".
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.
Amid the growing strain between the Congress Party and its ally the Trinamool Congress over the choice of Pranab Mukherjee as the United Progressive Alliance's presidential candidate, the latter has said it would quit the ruling alliance only if asked to do so.
Scams dogging the United Progressive Alliance government are tarnishing India's image abroad, but the 'indecisiveness' of the ruling Congress party in taking steps against corruption has resulted in 'misrule and price rice', senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said on Thursday.
With Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar reportedly talking about the United Progressive Alliance's "low credibility due to scams", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said the ruling coalition partners have started feeling they are on a sinking ship and may quit the alliance.
A combative Trinamool Congress sent a terse message to the Congress on Monday night saying it was "mentally prepared to quit" the United Progressive Alliance government and should not be given any "indirect threat".
The United Progressive Alliance government has by now acquired the notoriety of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Not only has it been shy of taking decisions to defuse the various economic and political crises that have affected its governance, it has also let go of many opportunities to bounce back from a setback.
As many as seven chief ministers have joined a chorus of disapproval against the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, which the Union government notified earlier this month. The United Progressive Alliance has argued that the action flows from powers already in the existing unlawful activities statute.
Accusing the Centre of double speak, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said though the United Progressive Alliance government claimed that security was a "shared" responsibility of the Centre and states, it did not bother to consult states when it came to forming laws.
Charging the United Progressive Alliance government with indulging in "vindictive politics", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday alleged that investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation are being misused to target BJP-ruled state governments.
We can sort out certain sensitive issues with the Left, we can put aside certain economic reforms, but there will not be day-to-day skirmishes with them, a senior Congress leader tells Sheela Bhatt
Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, who is on an anti-corruption yatra, on Friday fired a fresh salvo at the United Progressive Alliance government claiming that it was following 'discriminatory' policies against non-Congress ruled states.
Now, the Rs 1,200 crore induction cooker industry has got a much needed boost to go for an all out marketing battle against the gas stove segment pegged at Rs 1,300 crore.
In a series of opinion polls, we ask you the same questions on the Lokpal that the Centre put before CMs and party leaders.
"The party has taken no decision on the vice president's post. We will only comment after the United Progressive Alliance has announced its decision. Whatever Jaswantji is doing is by his own initiative. I already made this clear during my press conference on Tuesday," said Rajya Sabha member of Parliament and BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar
"India is a welfare state and, therefore, we cannot allow either extreme poverty or inequality," he said.
Loss of confirmed orders, increase in wages and labour shortage were blamed on the scheme in a survey of 100 companies from diverse sectors.
Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday threatened to launch a mass agitation from August 9 unless the United Progressive Alliance government took effective steps for the establishment of a strong Lokpal and in bringing back black money stashed abroad.
The Samajwadi Party is ready for mid-term Lok Sabha polls but it is supporting the United Progressive Alliance government to keep communal forces at bay, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday.
In a major relief to Dr Manmohan Singh-led government, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday ruled out the possibility of mid-term polls, adding that his party will support the United Progressive Alliance government as of now.
A steady stream of mourners led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday paid homage to veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram where his mortal remains are kept.
Why is the UPA seemingly bent on pumping the oxygen of publicity to its critics? If you judge the result of an action by the results you must admit that the UPA has scored some spectacular own goals.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday alleged the United Progressive Alliance government's credibility has gone down and internal politics of the alliance adversely affected India's foreign policy as evidenced by India's "failure" to sign a transit treaty with Bangladesh.
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There is no doubt that the United Progressive Alliance government is hugely unpopular among the people. But that is not to say that the principal opposition party, the BJP, is reaping a windfall in terms of public acceptance.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha Tapan Sen, in an interview to Rediff.com, explains what he believes are the irregularities committed by Reliance Industries and how UPA government has allowed it to get away with it.
Banerjee, the chief of Trinamool Congress, the second major partner of UPA government, however, said her party would not topple the government.
Dravida Munettra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday refused to rate the three year performance of the United Progressive Alliance-II government, saying there are "ups and downs" for every government.
The UPA has failed over the last three years because it is in denial mode, refusing to accept that so much is rotten inside the government and the party, says Sheela Bhatt.
The anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam has called for 12-hout Assam bandh on May 26 to protest the visit of the united Progressive Alliance chairman and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to Guwahati on that day.
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.
Slamming the United Progressive Alliance government for its "authoritarian" approach towards states, Bharatiya Janata Party veteran L K Advani on Sunday said all those who believe in strong Centre-state relations should come together on it even as he praised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for highlighting the issue.
The All Assam Students Union on Friday burnt the effigy of Union Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy in protest against hike in petroleum price and termed the decision of the public sector oil companies to increase the petroleum price grossly anti-people.
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