Page 45 - Bharatiya Janata Party

Didn't decide overnight, Oppn imploding: Ashok Chavan on quitting Congress

Ashok Chavan's remarks followed on Thursday, hours after he filed his Rajya Sabha nomination on a BJP ticket. He quit the Congress on Monday

Sandeshkhali incident: 17 arrested, won't allow injustice, says CM Mamata

Sandeshkhali is at the centre of a political storm for the past one month. TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his followers have been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, triggering protests

Only BJP benefitted from electoral bonds, say Maharashtra Oppn parties

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was the only outfit that benefited from electoral bonds, said opposition parties in Maharashtra on Thursday after the Supreme Court struck down the political funding scheme, calling it "unconstitutional". The NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar claimed the electoral bonds were brought into practice to solely benefit the BJP from anonymous donors. This scheme cannot rule out the possibility of a 'quid pro quo' from an individual or a company to a political party and therefore seeing the quantum of electoral bonds received by the BJP, this is a possibility, said party spokesperson Clyde Crasto. The Supreme Court's decision to strike down the electoral bonds scheme, calling it unconstitutional', is a very welcome move. There should be transparency and accountability of every donation that comes to a political party, Crasto said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said the top court has given a landmark decision over poll bonds but it should not go the way t

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw submits nomination for Rajya Sabha polls

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday filed his nomination paper as a BJP candidate for the third Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha. Vaishnaw submitted his papers to Rajya Sabha Election Returning Officer Abanikanta Patnaik in the Odisha Assembly premises. He submitted two sets of paper, an official said. The ruling BJD had on Wednesday announced its support for Vaishnaw's candidature in the Rajya Sabha polls, as it had done in 2019. Vaishnaw, who is the Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Minister, was accompanied by BJP state president Manmohan Samal and 13 party MLAs while submitting his papers. No BJD leader was present when the Union minister filed his papers. When Vaishnaw had filed his papers for the 2019 Rajya Sabha bypoll, BJD leaders Sasmit Patra and Amar Patnaik were present. Two BJD candidates Debashish Samantaray and Subhasish Khuntia have already filed their nomination papers for the RS polls. Considering the strength of the BJD in the ..

Punjab govt wants farmers to create terror in Delhi, alleges Haryana

Farmers' protest: About 200 farm bodies, from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, have embarked on 'Delhi Chalo' march to present their 12 demands in front of the Narendra Modi government

Rajya Sabha polls: BJP nominates Nadda from Gujarat, Ashok Chavan from Maha

Rajya Sabha elections: In 2024, as many as 69 Rajya Sabha seats are up for election. The upcoming polls to 56 seats come ahead of the much-anticipated Lok Sabha elections

Police cordoned off my lodge, stopped me from visiting Sandeshkhali: BJP

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday alleged that the state police have cordoned off the lodge where he has put up in Taki area to prevent him from heading towards unrest-hit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. Majumdar said he was scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali this afternoon to meet the agitators. "After yesterday's protests, I decided to stay at a lodge in Taki so that I could easily visit Sandeshkhali from here. But since this morning, police have blocked the entrance of the lodge and are not allowing me to move out," he told PTI. Majumdar claimed he has been put under "house arrest", a claim denied by the police. A huge police contingent, equipped with riot gear, was seen deployed outside the lodge. Sandeshkhali is around 35 km from Taki. Reacting to the development, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of trying to "vitiate the atmosphere". "The allegations are baseless. The BJP is trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the area. They want t

BJP has always supported farmers, worked for their welfare: Union minister

Amidst ongoing farmer agitation, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni on Wednesday said BJP has always been a party of farmers and has worked for ensuring positive changes in their life. Talking to PTI Videos here, Teni said the BJP government started the crop insurance scheme to compensate the farmers for the loss of crop, and added that it always works to end the problems of the farmers. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are marching towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept several demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. "BJP has always been a party of farmers and has done big works for them. While Atal Bihari Vajpayee started Kisan Credit Card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started Kisan Samman Nidhi after taking oath," he said. "With this fund, over 12 crore farmers families got benefited. Our government started soil testing and ensured availability of fertilisers and seeds.

PM Modi announces 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' to boost solar power

In a bid to boost solar power and sustainable progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that his government is launching the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' which aims to light up one crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month. Modi said the project would entail an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore. "In order to further sustainable development and people's wellbeing, we are launching the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This project, with an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month," the prime minister said on X. From substantive subsidies, which will be given directly to people's bank accounts, to heavily concessional bank loans, the central government will ensure that there is no cost burden on the people, he said. All stakeholders will be integrated to a National Online Portal, the prime minister added. Modi said that in order to

Union ministers talk with farm leaders, farmers demand guarantee to MSP

A team of Union ministers on Monday evening held talks here with farmer leaders in a bid to dissuade them from their 'Delhi Chalo' march, and the Centre is learnt to have agreed to withdraw the cases against the farmers registered during the 2020-21 agitation. However, sources said farmer leaders were adamant on a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops, which is one of their key demands. The ministers -- Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda -- held the second round of talks with the farmer leaders at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, among others, were part of the meeting, which began at around 6:30 pm. The meeting continued till late night. During the meeting, the delegation of the Centre is learnt to have agreed to withdraw the cases agai

People will bless BJP with 370 seats as it abrogated Article 370: HM Shah

The BJP will get 370 seats and the NDA more than 400 in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and form the government for a third consecutive term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Saturday. Shah asserted that there is no suspense over the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls and even the Congress and other opposition parties have realised that they will again have to sit in the opposition benches. "We have abrogated Article 370 (of the Constitution, which gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir). So we believe that the people of the country will bless the BJP with 370 seats and the NDA with over 400 seats," Shah said at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024. Asked about the possibility of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), headed by Jayant Choudhary, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and some other regional parties joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the home minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ...

Chhattisgarh has set target to double state GDP in 5 years: FM Choudhary

The previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh had pushed the state on the verge of bankruptcy but the BJP government has set a goal of doubling the GDP in five years, Finance Minister O P Choudhary has said. Choudhary, who presented a budget of Rs 1,47,446 crore for 2024-25 in the state assembly on Friday, said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make India a five-trillion-dollar economy and a developed nation by 2047, the state budget has paved the way for inclusive development and economic growth. "At a time when the country is marching ahead with zeal and enthusiasm to achieve the single goal of becoming a developed India. Chhattisgarh too has set a vision of transforming into a developed state in the Amrit Kaal," he said in a write-up after presenting the budget. Through its annual budget, Chhattisgarh has laid the foundation of this new era with a focus on the prosperity of GYAN, stimulating infrastructural growth by increasing capital expenditure, an

Chhattisgarh crosses paddy procurement target at MSP for kharif season

As on December 10, about 40 days after the procurement started, only 3.1 mt of paddy reached the societies set up for procurement

Best of BS Opinion: Avoiding middle-income trap, finding community & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

3 defining political blunders

Indira Gandhi targeting the RSS during the Emergency, Rajiv deciding to give up the mandate in 1989, and Vajpayee and Advani advancing elections - these errors changed the course of India's politics

BJP's 2-point programme to spread injustice, hatred, violence, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the BJP, alleging that the ruling party's two-point programme is to encourage injustice and spread hatred and violence. Gandhi was addressing a public meeting at Rengalpali village in Chhattsigarh's Raigarh district after his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' entered the state from Odisha. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he was not an OBC by birth as his caste "ghanchi" was included in the Other Backward Classes list in 2000 in Gujarat by the then BJP government there. "The BJP's two-point programme is to encourage injustice and spread hatred and violence," Gandhi claimed. One year ago, the Bharat Jodo Yatra covered about 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir (in 2022-23) against the BJP's act to spread hatred and create an atmosphere of violence. Now the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has been started to seek justice for the people, he said. Reiterating his party's pitch for caste census, Gandhi said, "If Modi ji says ther

Govt making mockery of Parliament: Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Thursday accused the government of making a "mockery" of Parliament by extending the ongoing session by one day. He said the government is extending the session by a day, while eight Parliament sessions were in a row cut short. "Hypocrisy of the Narendra Modi government. Make a full mockery of Parliament and then extend last session by one day!" O'Brien said in a post on X. "Between 2020-2022, 8 sessions in a row cut short. Lowest number of sittings ever for a full 5-year Lok Sabha term," he said. "In 8 years, no 267 notice from Opposition allowed for discussion in Rajya Sabha," he said. Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rule book allows for suspension of day's business to debate the issue suggested by a Member. The Budget session of Parliament has been extended by a day till February 10, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on Wednesday. The session, which began on January 31, was otherwise slated to end on February 9.

K'taka CM protests Centre's 'injustice'; 'false narrative', says Sitharaman

Communist Party of India (M) leader and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, along with his Cabinet colleagues, will protest at Jantar Mantar against the Centre's alleged negligence towards southern states

PM Narendra Modi lashes out at Congress in Rajya Sabha; top 10 highlights

From jibes at Kharge's speech to accusation of dividing the country, Prime Minister launched a scathing attack against Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections

BJP workers bring cattle to Bengaluru protest, demand milk subsidies

Protestors alleged that the Congress government was withholding Rs 716 crore in dues and due to it the milk production in the state had come down