Page 61 - Bharatiya Janata Party

Election later this year in MP could change a lot of equations in the BJP

The BJP has been in power in MP for nearly two decades (barring a gap in 2018-20), but the strain of anti-incumbency is beginning to show

With foot already in door, BJP expands booth-level footprint in Telangana

A recent by-election loss does not mean the party has no strategy for the southern state, writes Radhika Ramaseshan

UP Cong chief promises statewide revival of party 'within six months'

When asked about the party's preparation for the urban body polls, Khabri said that the Congress would contest with full vigour and win in the municipal corporation

Assam merges 4 districts with 4 others, changes jurisdiction of villages

The Assam government on Saturday decided to merge four districts with four others and changed the administrative jurisdiction of a few villages, a day before the Election Commission's freeze on redrawing administrative units comes into effect. Announcing this at a press conference here after a meeting of the state cabinet, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decisions have been taken with a heavy heart keeping in mind the interests of Assam, its society and administrative exigencies. He added it was only "temporary" and did not disclose the reason behind the decision. While Biswanath district will be merged with Sonitpur, Hojai will be merged with Nagaon, Bajali will be merged with Barpeta and Tamulpur will be merged with Baksa, he said. The decisions had to be taken at the cabinet meeting on Saturday as the Election Commission has imposed a ban on creating new administrative units in Assam from January 1, 2023 as the poll panel will undertake the delimitation exercise in th

Shah seeks support for BJP in K'taka's Mandya, calls Congress, JDS corrupt

Hitting the ground running in poll-bound Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called Congress and JD(S) "parivaarvadi" (dynastic politics) and "corrupt", and urged the people of Mandya and Old Mysuru region to support the BJP by forming a government with majority in the state. The BJP is considered to be weak in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region, and is focusing on this belt to gain complete majority in 2023 Assembly polls. "Enough of JD(S)-Congress, Congress-JD(S). This time Mandya, the Mysuru region should make BJP win with full majority. Congress and JD(S) are both parivaarvadi (dynastic politics) parties, they are corrupt parties," Shah said. Addressing a massive public meeting as part of the ongoing 'Janasankalpa Yatre' of the state BJP, he said: "We have seen administration of both parties. When Congress comes, Karnataka will become Delhi's ATM and when JD(S) comes, it becomes ATM for a family. Repeatedly, these two parties through corruption have stopped

AAP to launch campaign to contrast its 3 weeks in MCD with BJP's 15 years

The Aam Aadmi Party will start its 'BJP's 15 years Vs AAP's 3 weeks' campaign on Saturday to showcase the work done by its councillors in the last 20 days, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said. He also said the AAP will share a report card on the work done by its councillors in the last 20 days. On December 7, the AAP won the MCD polls with 134 seats, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP in the municipal corporation and reducing the Congress to just nine seats in a house of 250. Though the oath-taking ceremony for new councillors is yet to be held, Pathak said those from the AAP have started working in their wards. "Huge changes" can be seen across the city in just 20 days after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) results, he claimed. "It has been just three weeks and our councillors have started working in their respective wards. We will start a campaign called '15 years Vs 3 weeks' and we will update everyone about the work done by our councillors in the last 20 days," he said on ..

Oppn legislators stage demonstration demanding Maharashtra guv's removal

Legislators of Opposition parties on Friday staged a demonstration in the Vidhan Sabha complex here demanding the ouster of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for his alleged remarks about icons of the state. The legislators led by Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, LOP in legislative council Ambadas Danve, state Congress chief Nana Patole, Rohit Pawar, among others raised slogans outside the House on the last day of the winter session. The opposition legislators holding black caps and a banner shouted slogans demanding Koshyari's removal. The Opposition has been seeking the ouster of the governor since his recent remark that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a "hero of the past".

India's soft power on display through non-stop cultural calendar in 2022

2022 was a year when the government used India's soft power diplomacy both at home and abroad to create a non-stop cultural calendar of events for 365 days. While it appealed to the sense of pride and patriotism of the domestic population by urging them to be part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, a series of events to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence, it highlighted the country's rich culture and heritage to the global audience. In a testament to the scale of these engagements, the culture ministry held more than 136000 events under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav including several mega programmes such as Har Ghar Tiranga. The campaign reached 23 crore households and six crore 'Selfie with Tiranga' were also registered digitally. The official website also had a feature of 'Pin a Flag', which accumulated more than five crore entries. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) also undertook various activities as part of Har Ghar Tiranga which included hoisting of high flag mast of 15 m

How will the BJP's Lok Sabha tally change in the 2024 general elections?

The nine state assembly polls in 2023 will tell us which way the political winds are blowing before the country goes to polls in general elections 2024

A useful man to know

The Chief Minister of Assam might be in the BJP today. But he has skills he learnt at the feet of top Congress leaders like Tarun Gogoi, with whom he worked for many years

LIVE: Enough foodgrain stocks to meet welfare schemes provisions, says govt

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China constantly preparing for war while govt is asleep, says Rahul Gandhi

On completion of 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that China is constantly preparing for war while the government is asleep

Not Nehru's India of 1962, it's Modi's new India: BJP on Rahul's remarks

Hitting back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that India is ignoring the threat of war from China, the BJP on Friday said he is trying to spread confusion and demoralise soldiers and added it is not Jawaharlal Nehru's India of 1962. "This is Modi's India, this is new India. Now if anyone raises an eye against the country he gets a befitting reply," he asserted. Addressing the press on the sidelines of his Bharat Jodo Yatra earlier in the day, Gandhi alleged that China is preparing for war and the Indian government is sleeping over it and trying to ignore the threat. Hitting back, BJP spokesperson Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, "Rahul Gandhi feels there should be proximity with China. Now he has developed so much proximity that he knows what China will do." "During his yatra, Rahul Gandhi has make comments about Indian security and border areas to spread confusion ('bhram') in the country and demoralise Indian soldiers. This is not India of his great grandfather Neh

Amit Shah to attend Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Kolkata on Dec 17

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be attending the Eastern Zonal Council meeting scheduled to be held in Kolkata on Saturday, a senior state government official said. Shah is scheduled to arrive in the city for the meeting on Friday night, he said. "The office of the Union home minister has confirmed that Shah will chair the meeting on Saturday," the official told PTI. Shah is slated to meet chief ministers of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Sikkim and hold discussions on unsettled issues between these five states, including those related to boundaries and completion of the eastern freight corridor. Alongside the CMs, chiefs of all central armed forces are expected to attend the meeting at the West Bengal secretariat, he said. The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to Shah's unavailability, owing to prior engagements.

Six non-BJP ruled states have not reduced VAT on petroleum products: Puri

Six non-BJP ruled states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kerala and Jharkhand -- have not reduced the VAT on petroleum products, leading to higher prices of petrol and diesel there, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. Puri said in Lok Sabha that the central government has reduced excise duty on petroleum products and some other states, following cues, reduced their Value Added Tax (VAT). Six states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Kerala and Jharkhand -- have not reduced the VAT, he said amidst vocal protests by the opposition members. "Some of them are charging VAT at the rate of Rs 17 and other non-BJP states are charging at Rs 32. So, there is a differential. When the member was saying that today the cost of petrol is Rs 100 per litre in some places -- in some places which are non-BJP states -- and in other states, it is Rs 8-10 cheaper," he said. The minister said, currently the petrol price in India is one of the

Rahul Gandhi will contest 2024 LS polls from Amethi, claims Ajay Rai

Rahul Gandhi would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections again from Amethi with which the Nehru-Gandhi family has old ties, Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Ajay Rai claimed on Wednesday. Rai, the regional head of the party in UP, also said that it is his appeal to the people of Amethi to send Rahul Gandhi to Delhi by electing him as an MP again with a huge margin. "The Gandhi-Nehru family has old relations with Amethi...no one can weaken it. Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in 2024," Rai told reporters here. There has been no word from the party so far on the former Congress president fighting the next parliamentary elections again from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi, who had won the Amethi parliamentary seat for three times in a row, was defeated by BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani in 2019 elections. He is currently representing Kerala's Wayanad constituency in Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi's parents Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had won from Amethi in the past. Speaking about the

Himachal CM orders review of BJP govt decisions, BJP calls it 'vendetta'

Himachal Pradesh's new chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a review of all recent decisions by the previous government and also ordered the sacking of officials who were re-employed or given extensions, prompting the BJP to accuse him of "vendetta". According to the orders issued on Monday night, the services of heads and members of boards and committees have been terminated with immediate effect and recruitments for government jobs -- unless done through the state recruitment board or commission -- put on hold. The new Congress government also scrapped notifications for the creation and upgradation of institutions and sought fresh proposals. However, these orders do not apply to government medical colleges and health institutions. Sukhu told reporters that a five-member committee reviewed the notifications for opening and upgradation of institutions -- apparently referring to educational institutes -- and found that these were opened only on paper and were ...

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Bhupendra Patel, soft-spoken face of BJP in Gujarat, is CM for second term

Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as CM in Gandhinagar on Monday at a ceremony attended by PM Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers of state ruled by the party

LIVE: Mandous Cyclone in Andhra Pradesh, rivers overflow in several areas

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