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Three BJP MLAs were inducted into Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's cabinet in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, raising its strength to 14, the highest in the state's history which traditionally had a 13-member cabinet. Governor Ramen Deka administered the oath of office and secrecy to BJP legislators Rajesh Agrawal, Guru Khushwant Saheb and Gajendra Yadav, all first-time MLAs, at a function held in the Raj Bhavan. The portfolios of the newly-appointed ministers were yet to be announced. CM Sai, assembly speaker Raman Singh, state ministers and other leaders attended the function. Since the formation of the state (in 2000), which has a 90-member assembly, 13 MLAs, including the chief minister, have traditionally been part of the cabinet. Before this expansion, the Chhattisgarh cabinet had 11 members, including CM Sai. The Chhattisgarh has adopted the "Haryana model," where 14 ministers, including the CM, serve in a 90-member assembly, according to sources. The constitutional provisions
A parliamentary committee meeting ended abruptly on Tuesday as BJP MPs protested against the panel's decision to hear activist Medha Patkar, who has long been accused by the ruling party of working against the country's development interests in the name of public and environmental causes. Former Union minister and BJP MP Parshottam Rupala was joined by other lawmakers from his party as they walked out of the meeting, with some dubbing Patkar as "anti-national". A BJP MP wondered if leaders from Pakistan could also be called at such a meeting. The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, had called Patkar to hear her views on the implementation and effectiveness of the land acquisition law enacted by Parliament when the Congress-led UPA government was in power in 2013. Ulaka defended the decision, telling PTI that it is a standard practice for a parliamentary committee to hear civil society members and other stakeholder
Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed the devastating fire that gutted several shops at Khidderpore market here was an act of sabotage. Adhikari also said he and other BJP MLAs will raise the issue in the assembly during the ongoing monsoon session. "People have lost their trust in the chief minister, and that is why a large posse of police personnel had to be deployed during her visit here," he said, addressing the affected shop owners at Khidderpore market. The early morning fire on Monday ripped through parts of the congested Khidderpore market in southwest Kolkata, gutting hundreds of shops and triggering panic among local traders. No casualties were reported. The senior BJP leader also wondered what the state government's monetary compensation of Rs 1 lakh would do for shop owners who lost everything in the blaze. Adhikari said he supported the demand of those affected to not be shifted to any other place as a temporary ...
Two NDA candidates - BJP's Kanad Purkayastha and Asom Gana Parishad's Birendra Prasad Baishya, have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Assam, an official said on Friday. The opposition parties did not field any candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections, he said. The last date for filing of nomination was Thursday. "BJP's Kanad Purkayastha and Asom Gana Parishad's Birendra Prasad Baishya have been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha as there is no opposition candidate," the official said. The elections to the two Rajya Sabha seats were scheduled for June 19. Purkayastha will make his debut as a parliamentarian after winning the Rajya Sabha seat. He is the son of veteran BJP leader and former union minister Kabindra Purkayastha and hails from Silchar. Kanad Purkayastha is now the BJP's state unit secretary. Baishya, the veteran AGP leader and former union minister, will be a member of the Upper House of Parliament for the third time and has also served a term
Forty-four MLAs are ready to form a new government in Manipur, BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh claimed on Wednesday after meeting Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Singh, along with nine other MLAs, met the governor at the Raj Bhavan. "Forty-four MLAs are ready to form a government as per the wishes of the people. We have conveyed this to the governor. We also discussed what solutions can be there for the issue," he said. "The governor noted what we had to say and will initiate actions in the best interests of the people," he added. Asked if they would stake a claim to form the government, he said the central leadership of the BJP will take the decision. "However, to inform that we are ready is similar to staking a claim to form a government. Speaker Th Satyabrata has individually and jointly met the 44 MLAs. There is no one who opposes the formation of a new government," Singh said. "People are facing too much hardship. In the previous term, two years were lost due to COVID,
The special CBI court in Dehradun on Monday sentenced BJP MLA from Haridwar's Ranipur Adesh Chauhan to six months imprisonment in a 16-year-old case. Special CBI judge Sandeep Bhandari convicted MLA Chauhan of assaulting some people at a Haridwar police station in 2009 and sentenced his niece Deepika to six months imprisonment. Three policemen involved in the case were sentenced to one year imprisonment each. One of the three policemen died during the trial. Advocate Neeraj Kamboj, who represented Chauhan in the case, said that the court sentenced Chauhan and Deepika to six months each and three policemen to one year each. Kamboj said that after the court pronounced the verdict, the MLA and all others immediately got bail. He said he will soon challenge the CBI court's decision in the sessions court. According to the case, Deepika Chauhan had accused her husband Manish and his family of dowry harassment. Taking action in the case, the police brought Manish and his family to Ganga
An FIR was registered against Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah in Indore district on Wednesday night for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, following the orders of the state High Court, an official said. In a post on X, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said instructions were given to take action against Tribal Welfare Minister Shah following the orders of the HC. Meanwhile, Shah again apologised for his controversial remarks against the army officer and said that he respects 'sister Sofia' and the army. The minister apologised after the High Court reprimanded him and ordered to register an FIR against him. After the court order, the demand for the immediate dismissal of Shah from the cabinet intensified. In a video shared on X, Shah said, "The sentiments of every society have been hurt by my recent statement. For that, I am not only ashamed, sad from the heart, but also apologise." He described Colonel Sofia as "the sister of the country" and said th
The BJP has expelled its rebel MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from the party for six years. Yatnal said he has been expelled from the party for speaking against dynasty politics and corruption. The MLA from Vijayapura was quite vocal against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son, B Y Vijayendra, who is BJP state president, and their dynasty politics' and corruption'. He was twice served show-cause notices and finally sacked from the party on Tuesday. "Central Disciplinary Committee of the party has considered your response to the show cause notice dated 10 February 2025 and has taken serious note of your repeated violation of the party discipline, despite your assurances of good behavior and conduct in response to earlier show cause notices," the order issued by the CDC member Om Pathak said. "It has accordingly been decided to expel you for a period of six years with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party and you stand removed from any party position
A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed a criminal defamation complaint filed by a Derjeeling BJP MP against a party MLA saying the latter had expressed his grievance which wasn't defamation else the right to freedom of speech and expression would be meaningless. Additional chief judicial (ACJM) Neha Mittal dismissed the complaint filed by Raju Bista while refusing to take cognisance of the matter against Bishnu Prasad Sharma. "The proposed accused has expressed his grievance that no actions were taken by the complainant on the issues raised by him. Such an expression also cannot amount to the offence of defamation, else the right of freedom of speech and expression would become meaningless. The statements made by the proposed accused were pertaining to the conduct of the complainant relevant to the discharge of official functions, he being a public figure and hence, the same cannot amount to defamation," the judge said. Sharma, the complainant alleged, harmed his reputation by making
Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on Sunday issued a show cause notice to party MLA from Ghaziabad's Loni seat Nand Kishore Gurjar for alleged indiscipline following his outburst against the state government. A statement by BJP state general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla said that state BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary has asked the MLA to respond within seven days on why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. The show cause notice to Gurjar said "that for some time now, you have been criticising the government in public places and your statements and actions are hurting the party's reputation which comes under the category of indiscipline." The statement said that "as per the instructions of BJP's national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, you (Gurjar) are informed to give an explanation within seven days of receiving this letter why disciplinary action should not be taken against you?" At a press conference on Friday, Gurjar had alleged that Ut
Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma was on Tuesday appointed the ruling BJP's chief whip in the Delhi Assembly. His appointment was made in a meeting of the BJP Legislative Party in the presence of the party's Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other BJP MLAs were present at the meeting. "During the meeting, discussions were held about the appointment of a chief whip to ensure the smooth functioning of the Legislative Party. All MLAs present decided to entrust this decision to Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva," said the Delhi BJP in a statement. After consulting the chief minister, Sachdeva announced Verma's appointment as the chief whip, it said. Reacting to the announcement, Verma said, "As the chief whip, I will ensure coordination between the party MLAs and the government for smooth running of the House." A two-time MLA from Laxmi Nagar, Verma (52) is a Purvanchali leader and the Delhi BJP's chief spokesperson. A law graduate of Delhi Universi