Explore Business Standard
Associate Sponsors
Co-sponsor
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday presented a report card of her government saying it has worked in all sectors in the last one year with an aim to bring positive change and for the welfare of the poor. Gupta and her Council of Ministers took oath on February 20, 2025 following the BJP's massive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections held last year. Addressing mediapersons at the Delhi Secretariat, the chief minister said the report card of her government was a fact sheet of hard work and change brought about in the last one year under the BJP rule, following the philosophy of Antyodaya, or upliftment of the last person. In its first Cabinet meeting after taking charge, the government decided to implement Ayushman Bharat health scheme in which 7 lakh people have registered and over 30,000 have benefitted so far, she said. The government was also committed to the welfare of the poor and slum-dwellers, Gupta asserted, citing Rs 700 crore set aside in the budget for the ...
In a major jolt to the opposition Congress in Assam ahead of the assembly polls, its former state president Bhupen Borah will join the BJP on February 22, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday after meeting him. Sarma visited Borah's residence in the Ghoramara area of Guwahati, a day after the senior leader resigned from the Congress. The CM was welcomed by Borah's wife and son with 'aarti'. After the over one and a half hours long meeting, Sarma announced that Borah will join the BJP along with his supporters, and state BJP president Dilip Saikia will finalise the modalities. "Borah, along with some of his supporters, will join the BJP in Guwahati, but there will be another joining programme at Lakhimpur from where he hails, as many Congress members have expressed their desire to follow his steps," Sarma said, with the veteran leader by his side. The CM claimed that Borah's joining the BJP would show that Congress is not a place for Hindus. "He is the last recognise
Nearly one in four winning candidates in the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls have declared criminal cases against themselves, while close to four-fifths are crorepatis, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The ADR, which studied affidavits of all 227 winning candidates, said 54 winners, or 24 per cent, have declared criminal cases, while 29 candidates, or 13 per cent, face serious criminal charges. The data was compiled along with Maharashtra Election Watch from candidates' self-sworn affidavits filed during the civic polls. Party-wise analysis showed that 33 per cent of the winners from the BJP have declared criminal cases, followed by 24 per cent from Shiv Sena and 15 per cent from Shiv Sena (UBT), the report said. The financial profile of candidates also indicated a strong presence of wealthy contestants. Up to 180 of the 227 winners, about 79 per cent, declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, with the average assets of
BJP workers confronted Congress activists in Pune while protesting against Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal's remarks 'equating' Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with Tipu Sultan, with the Opposition party alleging stone pelting during the agitation on Sunday.Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma told reporters that three Congress workers, two BJP workers, two police personnel, and two journalists sustained minor injuries in the melee. "A protest was held near the Congress Bhavan, which saw sloganeering from workers of BJP and Congress. Workers of both parties climbed onto walls and there was stone pelting from both sides," Sharma informed. A case was registered against workers of the BJP and Congress at Shivajinagar police station later in the evening, an official said. Pune city Congress chief Arvind Shinde said the party has submitted a written complaint to the police against BJP functionaries. A case should be registered against Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, BJP City presiden
Upping the ante against the government over the India-US interim trade deal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday posed a string of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that "we are witnessing a betrayal" of Indian farmers. Gandhi, who has been attacking the government and accusing it of a sell-out through the deal, said this issue concerns the future and asked whether India is allowing another country to gain a long-term hold over India's agriculture industry. "In the name of a US trade deal, we are witnessing a betrayal of Indian farmers," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in his post in Hindi on X. Posing questions to the prime minister, Gandhi asked what it means to import Dried Distillers' Grains (DDG). "Does it mean that Indian cattle will be fed distillers' grains made from GM American corn? Won't this effectively make our milk products dependent on the US agricultural industry?" he questioned. Gandhi further inquired that if India allows the
"We are not bothered about any motions and if you want to hang us, we are ready for that also," said Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey gave a notice to initiate a 'substantive motion' against Rahul Gandhi. Venugopal lashed out at the government over Gandhi's certain remarks in the House being expunged from the records on Wednesday, saying questions were asked as to why "we took an extreme position" to submit a notice for the removal of the Lok Sabha speaker. The answer to that is "we have not been getting justice from the chair", he said. His remarks came after Dubey said he has given a notice to initiate a 'substantive motion' against Gandhi, and demanded that the former Congress chief's Lok Sabha membership be cancelled and he be debarred from contesting elections for life. Speaking to PTI videos in Parliament House complex, Dubey said that in his notice, he has stated how the Leader of the opposition visits foreign countries, joini
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday said he has given a notice to initiate a 'substantive motion' against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to PTI videos in Parliament House complex, Dubey said that in his notice he has stated how Gandhi visits foreign countries joining hands with the Soros Foundation, USAID, Ford Foundation and "colludes" with anti-India elements. A substantive motion is an independent, self-contained proposal submitted for the approval of a legislative house or assembly, drafted to express a decision or opinion. "No privilege motion notice. I have given a substantive motion notice where in I have mentioned how he visits Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia with Soros Foundation, Ford Foundation and USAID, and colludes with anti-India forces," Dubey alleged.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the government ignored the voices of workers and farmers while making decisions concerning their future and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will listen to them now or if there is a "grip" on him too strong. Gandhi's attack on the government came a day after he alleged that the India-US interim trade deal was a "wholesale surrender", with India's energy security handed over to America and farmers' interests compromised. In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi said, "Today, lakhs of workers and farmers across the country are on the streets to raise their voices for their rights." He said that the workers fear that the four labour codes will weaken their rights. "Farmers fear that the trade agreement (with the US) will harm their livelihoods. And weakening or eliminating MNREGA could take away the last source of support for villages," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said. "Will Modiji listen now? Or is there a 'grip' on
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said "very ugly scenes" could have taken place had the BJP MPs not been stopped and the party's women MPs been allowed to confront the Congress members who had come to the treasury benches on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. Commenting on the video that showed opposition women MPs coming to the treasury benches on February 4, Rijiju asked who could justify the behaviour of the opposition members. He said the direction from the BJP leadership was very clear that members belonging to the ruling alliance must maintain the dignity of the House and no MP of the ruling party should get into physical confrontation with the "rude opposition MPs". "The Congress party is proud of the most degrading behaviour by their MPs. If we had not stopped all the BJP MPs and allowed the women MPs to confront the Congress MPs, it would have led to very ugly scenes. We have .
The transfer of nearly 20 acres of land located close to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here, allegedly for constructing an Islamic educational institution, has come under scrutiny. The land was purportedly allotted around two decades ago by the then Congress government. According to a preliminary inquiry conducted by Vikasnagar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vinod Kumar, the plot of land, situated in the Dhaulas area near the IMA, is now being sold in smaller plots for residential purposes, posing a threat to the security of the military training institution. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters that his government would take strict action in the matter. "It is clear from this case that these people (Congress), who talked about building a Muslim university, would have proceeded in that direction if they had come to power. We will take strict action (in the land case)," Dhami said. Reacting to the allegation, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said t
The BJP-led Mahayuti swept the Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti polls in Maharashtra, results of which were declared on Monday, continuing the winning streak that started with the stellar performance in the 2024 assembly polls. The Mahayuti won 552 of 731 ZP seats and more than 1000 of the 1462 panchayat samiti seats, the State Election Commission said. In the ruling Mahayuti, the BJP led with 225 ZP seats, followed by 165 for the Nationalist Congress Party and 162 for the Shiv Sena. In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Congress emerged on top with 55 ZP seats, followed by 43 for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and 26 for Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won a seat each in Latur and Ratnagiri. Independents won 20 seats, unrecognised parties registered with the SEC got 14 and parties registered with SEC won seven. NCP won the Pune ZP getting 51 of 73 seats. The NCP and NCP (SP) had contested on the 'clock' symbol, the elections taking place ju
BJP chief Nitin Nabin on Sunday said that the Modi government "diplomatically and patiently" made the trade deal with the US, ensuring the interests of the farmers and workers remain protected. Nabin said this at Ramleela Maidan while flagging off 500 e-buses along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet ministers. The Modi government "diplomatically and patiently" made a trade deal with the US, said the BJP president. "I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this deal. He has protected the interests of the farmers, workers and enhanced the self-respect of the country," Nabin said. He also congratulated the Delhi chief minister, saying the 500 e-buses were a gift for the Delhi people who on February 8 last year handed over a massive victory to the BJP in Assembly polls. The BJP defeated AAP in the Assembly polls, winning 48 of the 70 Assembly seats, in the results announced on February 8, 2025. The BJP government in Delhi has in last one year worked with zero toler
BJP MP from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya on Saturday said that Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has instructed officials to temporarily put on hold the proposed metro fare hike in the city, which was scheduled to take effect from February 9. He said the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs also assured a personal review of anomalies in the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) and added that a fresh committee could be considered if the state government requests it. "Had a detailed phone conversation with Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattarji, seeking his immediate intervention against the state government's unjust Bengaluru metro fare hike proposed to start from Monday," Surya said in a post on 'X'. He noted that Bengaluru already has the costliest metro fares in India, and another hike would make public transport unaffordable for lakhs of citizens, defeating its purpose. "He has instructed that the proposed hike be kept on hold temporarily. It will no
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post. BJP leader Amit Satam declared Tawade's name, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Ghadi's candidature at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Tawade is a corporator from Ward 132, while Ghadi was elected from Ward 5 in the January 15 civic election. Ghadi will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, Shiv Sena secretary Sanjay More has said in a statement. He was one of the senior former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators who switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. By splitting the deputy mayor's term in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena intends to give an opportunity to four of its corporators. In the polls to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The rul
Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on Thursday said the ruling NDA will contest all 126 constituencies in the assembly elections, but the seat-sharing understanding with its allies has not been finalised yet. During an interaction with journalists, Saikia said the party will be in the fray, riding on the plank of making a "safe, developed and self-reliant" Assam. "The NDA will contest all the 126 seats, it is confirmed from us. However, our seat-sharing agreement is not complete as of now," he said. Saikia said the NDA alliance is not for "show-off" and all parties in it are serious about the state's development. "I have personally spoken to AGP president Atul Bora, minister Keshab Mahanta and MPs Birendra Prasad Baishya and Phani Bhusan Choudhury regarding the seat arrangements," he said. Saikia accepted that there are some issues regarding a few seats, and both parties are in talks to hammer out a solution. "After delimitation, some seats were abolished, and a few were changed. T
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President's address without the customary reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid vociferous protests by the opposition. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla put the opposition amendments to the Motion of Thanks to vote, which were rejected. The Speaker then read out the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to both Houses of Parliament on January 28, which was passed by a voice vote, amid sloganeering by the opposition members. As the protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2:00 PM.