BJP's Rahul Narwekar is poised to be elected unopposed as the speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, with the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) deciding not to put up a contest. Narwekar, who was the speaker in the 14th assembly for two and a half years and gave the key verdicts tied to the Shiv Sena and NCP, was reelected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai. Accompanied by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Narwekar filed his nomination before the legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole on Sunday. MVA leaders met Fadnavis and urged him to follow the protocol of giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition. They also sought the post of the leader of the opposition. The speaker's election will be formally announced in the House on Monday. This will be followed by a floor test to prove the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address the joint session of both Houses of the state ...
The BJP on Sunday accused the Left government in Kerala of "failing" to utilise the central funds in the SDRF and the NDRF for the relief and rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors and carrying out "fake propaganda" against the union government. The saffron party said that the Narendra Modi government has provided sufficient funds to Kerala through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). "The Pinarayi government is sitting on available funds and blames the Centre," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar alleged in a social media post. In a hard-hitting X post, he said the Centre has allocated over Rs 500 crore for this purpose through SDRF, which already has a balance of approximately Rs 700 crore. "The state has failed to utilise the Rs 700 crore in the calamity fund. People world over have donated to CM Relief fund. This is also not used. This is the hypocrisy of LDF and UDF, and their fake propaganda has
Prolonged violence in Manipur with frequent internet shutdowns, curfews and general strikes is affecting the academic and career pursuits of students pursuing higher education in the northeastern state, many educationists said. With frequent internet shutdowns, students are facing problems in having access to online resources and many recruiters are hesitant to visit campuses in Manipur for placement drive due to curfews and general strikes, they said. Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and also in charge of placement of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur, K H Johnson Singh told PTI "We have witnessed a decline in recruitment drives after violence broke out in the state. At least 40 companies (online mode) came and 70 students have been selected this year. This is much less than what we were used to before the outbreak of violence. We had expected selection of some 100 students and some 50 companies." He said, "Recruiters who prefer offline mode o
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has asserted that India will become a USD 30 trillion-economy by 2047. Delivering a lecture at the concluding function of XLRI-School of Management's year-long platinum jubilee celebration here on Saturday, Pradhan said that India, the fastest-growing global economy, is currently in the fifth position and will bag the third spot in the next three years. "The world didn't even count India on the economic front when XLRI came into being 75 years ago. Today, we are the fastest-growing economy and fifth-largest economy in the world, with a size of US 3 trillion. We will be the third-largest economy in the next three years at USD 5 trillion. Our economy will grow to USD 30 trillion by 2047," he said. "We have to be wealth creators, job creators. We have the potential to create millions of jobs. The world is looking at India for digital public infrastructure... 46 per cent of digital transactions in the world take place in our country. We have .
Delhi CM Atishi claimed that the BJP-ruled central government has caused a breakdown of the law and order situation in Delhi, due to which the residents are troubled
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday slammed the BJP after the US rejected the ruling party's allegations that elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India and said this "attack-dog" behaviour is an embarrassment to India. The US on Saturday rejected the BJP's allegations that organisations funded by the US State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world. The BJP alleged on Thursday that the US deep state colluded with the media portal OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "damage" India's image. In a post in X, Tharoor said, "It's clear the BJP neither understands democracy n
Devendra Fadnavis, after taking oath as Maharashtra CM, assures a stable government with swift decisions, saying the Mahayuti alliance will ensure no repeat of past political turmoil
The Congress on Friday slammed the BJP for acussing Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to destabilise India and calling him a traitor, saying the truth is that BJP-RSS is the "biggest tukde-tukde" gang of this country and is spreading the "poison of communalism". The opposition party said the truth is that the work of destabilising the economy is being done by the people of BJP. The BJP on Thursday had claimed a link between Rahul Gandhi and international forces, including an investigative media platform, trying to destabilise India and that the Congress leader was a "traitor of the highest order". Patra claimed that billionaire investor George Soros and some US-based agencies, investigative media platform Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and Gandhi occupy three sides of a "dangerous" triangle trying to destabilise India and stoke public disaffection for a regime change. "I have no hesitation in saying he (Gandhi) is a traitor of the highest order," he ...
Kejriwal alleged that the BJP had submitted an application to Election Commission of India to cut votes of 11,000 people, citing that either these people have shifted or passed away
Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Thursday said no MLA from the party will accept any responsibility in the new Maharashtra government if Eknath Shinde does not take oath as deputy chief minister. Talking to reporters hours ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Samant also said no MLA from the Shiv Sena has the intention to become deputy CM and the post should be occupied only by Shinde. Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde, who served as chief minister in the outgoing government, has indicated that he is reluctant to join the new government as deputy CM. BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn-in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at a grand ceremony here to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis would be taking oath along with two deputy chief ministers, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters earlier in the day. "If Eknath Shinde does not accept the deputy CM's post, no MLA from Shiv Sena will accept any responsibility in th
Samajwadi Party MLA Iqbal Mehmood has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send a political delegation to meet the families of victims of the November 24 violence in Sambhal district. Talking to reporters on Wednesday evening, the Sambhal MLA alleged the BJP wants to divide people and as a result, the country is lagging behind. On Wednesday, a delegation of Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi on its way to Sambhal was stopped by Uttar Pradesh Police at Ghazipur border here amid a ban on the entry of outsiders in the district. Last week, several Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs were stopped from entering the district. "The government should send its political delegation here to meet families of victims and send out a message that everyone should live together with unity," Mehmood said. He said the BJP should follow RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice that there is no need to look for shivling in every mosque. "It should be followed to avoid spread of hatred in society and increase brotherh
An official invitation card of swearing-in ceremony sourced from Fadnavis' office states that he is set to take oath as chief minister of the State at Azad Maidan in Mumbai at 5:30 pm on December 5
The crucial legislature party meeting of the BJP will be held at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday to elect its leader, who is expected take over as the next chief minister of the state. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti government. The BJP legislature party leader elected in the meeting is then expected to meet the governor to stake a claim to form new government in the state. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai Tuesday evening for the meeting, said late night that the legislature party leader's name will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. If there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected, he said. The BJP achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securin
The BJP on Tuesday cited the conviction of AAP MLA Mehrauli Naresh Yadav in a case of desecration of the Quran in Punjab to accuse the party of going to any extent in its alleged greed for power. BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi told reporters that another AAP MLA, Naresh Balyan, was recently arrested by the Delhi Police on extortion charges, as she hit out at party leader Arvind Kejriwal. "Be it extorting money or stoking communal passion, such shrewd minds and such a party in its greed for power can go to any extent," she alleged. Ilmi, who was once with AAP before falling out with Kejriwal, said Delhi's ruling party says all kinds of things to get Muslim votes but its MLA conspires to defile the Quran in Punjab. Kejriwal's friend and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav should also talk about it, she said. "This party (AAP) has crossed all limits and come to a dangerous place," Ilmi said, adding that it is now up to the people to decide to get rid of such leaders. Ilmi suggested
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday witnessed a live demonstration simulating a crime scene investigation under the new criminal laws here. Modi arrived in Chandigarh earlier in the day to dedicate to the nation the successful implementation of the three new laws. The three criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- came into effect on July 1, replacing the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. A live demonstration of the process of collecting evidence and recording statements was given by the Chandigarh Police at an exhibition hall set up at the Punjab Engineering College here. The programme showcased the practical application of the new laws. Modi was also briefed by Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur. The prime minister was accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab
The Supreme Court's posing question over the reinstatement of DMK's V Senthil Balaji in the M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu Cabinet soon after he was granted bail in a money laundering case was actually 'directed' at the Chief Minister and he should sack his cabinet colleague immediately, the state BJP said on Tuesday. TN BJP vice-president and party spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy pointed out to the apex court asking "what is going on," vis-a-vis Senthil Balaji's reinstatement and said the question was "directed" at the CM. "Is Senthil Balaji the reason for this question? No. It is a question directed at Chief Minister M K Stalin. It is not Senthil Balaji's crime to have become minister. The question is why did you (Stalin) bring him back as a minister," Thirupathy said in a post on 'X.' As a "responsible chief minister", Stalin could have told Senthil Balaji that he would be made minister "after coming out of the case," he said. Senthil Balaji was behind bars for "over 400 days," as
Jaishankar also stressed the importance of domestic development to strengthen India's credibility and attract international collaborations
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday assured that over the next three financial years, the state will achieve a huge transformation in education that will ensure access to quality learning, improved infrastructure and better opportunities to the youth of the state. Speaking at a public meeting at Logum Jini near Aalo in West Siang district, he said that brainstorming sessions, headed by Education Minister P D Sona and his advisor Mutchu Mithi, were being conducted across the state to understand and document core issues in the department and ways and means to resolve them. He said that once these sessions are completed, a comprehensive report with recommendations will be submitted to the state government for further action, an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office said here. I promise that recommended reforms will be 100 per cent implemented on the ground, Khandu assured. Preferring quality over quantity, Khandu said that the number of schools does no
The BJP will reach out to various sections of society from December 5 to seek feedback for its Delhi Assembly poll manifesto under the theme "Meri Delhi Mera Sankalp BJP", party MP Ramvir Bidhuri said on Monday. At a press conference here, the South Delhi MP also released a phone number and the #bjpsankalp2025 hashtag, inviting suggestions for the party manifesto from people through social media. The Delhi BJP's manifesto chairman for the assembly polls said the meetings with the various sections of the society will be held at the assembly constituency and district levels. Senior party leaders and members of the manifesto committee were given charges for various Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi -- Parvesh Verma was given the charge of Chandni Chowk, Arvinder Singh Lovely New Delhi, Satish Upadhyay East Delhi, Ajay Mahawar North East Delhi, Kailash Gahlot and Abhishek Tandon South Delhi and former Union ministers Harsh Vardhan and Vijay Goel North West Delhi. Former Union minister
A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over declining population growth, BJP leaders welcomed his remarks while the opposition asked where will additional resources come from in case of an increase. Food prices are high and the government has "failed" to create employment opportunities for people, they said. Speaking at an event in Nagpur on Sunday, Bhagwat highlighted the vital role of families and warned that according to population science, if a society's total fertility rate dips below 2.1, it could face extinction. "So when we say 2.1, this means it should be more, at least three. The (population) science says so," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said and described the declining population growth as a "serious concern". Asked about Bhagwat's remarks, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said they are in national interest. "The RSS is a patriotic organisation. If Mohan Bhagwat ji has said something, then it would certainly be in the national interest. So it shoul