RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led NDA was "jittery" in Bihar, a reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in the state was being intensified. Yadav made the remark when journalists drew his attention to the fact that while Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Aurangabad was scheduled on Wednesday, Modi was likely to address an election meeting in Gaya on April 16. The Lok Sabha polls in Bihar have been staggered across all the seven phases, and Modi has already held two rallies at Jamui and Nawada. While his Gaya visit is yet to be confirmed by the BJP, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an NDA partner who is trying his luck from Gaya, claimed that the PM has agreed to canvass in his favour. People do visit different places during elections, but it is becoming clear that the BJP is jittery this time. The attention of its top leaders, as also the ED and CBI, which are being used for settling political scores, seems focused on Bihar
The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the youth have been "taken for a ride" by the BJP's "double engine" government in Uttar Pradesh and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer to their "woes" in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Pilibhit and posed questions to him on key issues in the state . "Today, the PM is in Uttar Pradesh, a state where the youth have been taken for a ride by the BJP's 'Double-Engine' Sarkar. Perhaps the PM can use some of his time to answer for the woes of UP's youth," Ramesh said in a post on X. He said that last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promised that he would create two crore new jobs in the state over the next three-four years. "Remember this is the same promise that the Prime Minister had once made in 2014 before he came to office. We know what followed - years of record unemployment and slow growth. What have the Prime Minister and his acolytes done over the last decad
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Assam on Tuesday to campaign for BJP Lok Sabha candidates in the state. Shah is the first prominent national leader to participate in campaigning in this North Eastern state since the announcement of the poll schedule. "Tomorrow will be in Assam to attend a mega rally in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha and a roadshow in Tinsukia (Dibrugarh Lok Sabha). Assam is set to secure Modi Ji's goal of '400 paar'. Eager to meet the state's vibrant people," Shah had posted on X on Monday evening. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will be accompanying Shah during the two campaign programmes. Shah is scheduled to address a public meeting at Chukuli Bhoria in Lakhimpur Lok Sabha constituency in the afternoon, BJP party sources said here. Lakhimpur is held by the BJP, with incumbent MP Pradan Baruah seeking a third successive term as he is pitted against Congress candidate Uday Shankar Hazarika. The Union Home minister will also take part in a road show from Chaliha
The standard critique of Singh mingles this lack of legitimacy with his retiring manner and stilted speechmaking to create a picture of a weak man who just happened to make history
The Delhi government on Monday slammed Lt Governor VK Saxena over a letter he wrote to the MHA in which he accused its ministers of not attending a meeting called by him, and questioned the role of the LG's office in the subjects transferred to the AAP government. The LG Secretariat, in a letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), said the Delhi ministers refused to attend a meeting called by Saxena to discuss the functioning of their ministries following the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy and is now lodged in Tihar jail here. In response, the Delhi government hit out at the "total confusion in LG's office regarding his role in the subjects transferred to the elected government of Delhi as per the Constitution of India". In a statement, the Delhi government said, "In the note sent just few days back by LG's ..
AAP legislators on Monday alleged in the Delhi Assembly that the BJP was trying to bring the national capital under President's Rule after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest. AAP MLA from Kasturba Nagar Madan Lal, during a discussion on "attempts to unconstitutionally impose President's Rule in Delhi", claimed the BJP was trying to force Kejriwal to resign after his arrest. "An emergency-like situation has been created in Delhi where the L-G (VK Saxena) is saying he will not allow Kejriwal to run the government from jail," he said. AAP MLAs claimed the Delhi chief minister was not prevented to run the government from jail by any law. Kejriwal was arrested in a money laundering case linked to now scrapped excise policy of his government by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21. He is in judicial custody till April 15. Lal claimed that rumours of President's Rule in Delhi were being spread to intimidate the AAP. Another AAP MLA, BS Joon, said some people are creating pa
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In an acerbic attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held the grand old party responsible for all ills plaguing the country and went on to compare the outfit to bitter gourd (karela), whose taste he said, will never change even if it is "fried in ghee or mixed with sugar". Seeking votes for the BJP-led NDA, he declared the ensuing Lok Sabha polls were a fight between stability and instability, and accused the opposition of seeking power only to indulge in corruption. Addressing his first rally in Maharashtra for the 2024 elections, Modi targeted the Congress and its policies. "The Congress is the source of all problems in the country. Who was responsible for the Partition of the country on the basis of religion...Kashmir (issue), Naxalism? Who opposed Ram temple construction and questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Who declined the Ram temple (inauguration) invite?" he asked the gathering at Chandrapur, the only Lok Sabha seat won by the Congress in 2019. .
Only one application has so far been received for citizenship under the CAA in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. The lone application was made in Barak Valley, he said, without elaborating further. "The anti-CAA movement was based on lies and they (who were at the forefront) will have to answer now. So many days have passed, and only one application has been made in the state till date," Sarma said. The CM was talking to reporters after an election rally at Sonari in Sivasagar district, which comes under the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat. The Centre had last month implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Sarma also said there will be no contest in the five constituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 19. Among the remaining ni
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that the past decade of BJP governance at the Centre has been dedicated to transforming the Northeast from an "abandoned region" to an "abundant region". There has been a marked improvement in the situation in trouble-torn Manipur due to the timely intervention of the Centre and state government, the Prime Minister said in an interview to The Assam Tribune newspaper. He also said that the Union government is making all possible efforts to successfully conclude the peace talks with Naga groups at the earliest. Modi said 11 peace agreements have been signed over the last 10 years, marking a significant milestone in efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. He also highlighted that more than 9,500 insurgents have surrendered since 2014 and integrated into the mainstream, showcasing a substantial step towards peace and development in the region. "When we formed the government, it was my firm commitment to change the status quo
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Former Union minister Birender Singh on Monday said he has quit the BJP and will join the Congress, the move coming almost a month after his son Brijendra Singh joined the grand old party. His wife Prem Lata Singh -- a former BJP MLA from Haryana -- also quit the party. "I have resigned from the primary membership of the BJP and sent my resignation to party chief JP Nadda. My wife, Prem Lata, who was an MLA from 2014-2019, has also quit the party. Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will join the Congress," Birender Singh (78), a prominent political figure in Haryana, told reporters in Delhi. After quitting the BJP, Birender Singh also met Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Delhi. Birender Singh joined the BJP nearly 10 years ago after an over four-decade stint with the Congress. After his son joined the Congress on March 10, there was speculation that Birender Singh would follow suit. Birender Singh was Union steel minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. H
'We are deeply saddened by what the Prime Minister says in his speeches,' said the Congress
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit back at the BJP leadership, alleging that their "ideological ancestors" supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle. Kharge's reaction came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League and utterances of its leaders showed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma. In a post on X, Kharge said, "Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and the Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom struggle." "Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra', guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and demands of common Indians," he added. BJP chief JP Nadda had also accused the Congress of appeasement in its manifesto and asked the party to explain why it was against the majority. In his post, Kharge alleged, "Modi-Shah's ideologic
Media freedom has disappeared under the BJP rule, with the Sangh Parivar relentlessly targeting those outlets that do not sing praises for the regime, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged on Monday. He was reacting to news reports that the BBC's Indian newsroom has ceased operations. The UK-based BBC had recently restructured its operations in India to comply with the country's foreign investment rules. Addressing the media here , Vijayan said reports claimed that BBC was compelled to make this decision due to persistent vindictive actions by the Income Tax Department. "Media freedom has disappeared under the BJP rule, with the Sangh Parivar relentlessly targeting media outlets that do not sing praises for the regime. The BBC's ordeal serves as a stark reminder that this election is an opportunity to address and resolve such issues," Vijayan said. He further said authoritarian regimes always try to control the media and the reminiscent symptoms of India's Emergency era a
The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Muslim League imprint' remarks on the party's manifesto, saying he is scared over the prospect of the BJP struggling to cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls and has again resorted to the "same cliched Hindu-Muslim script". The opposition party's reaction came a day after Prime Minister Modi launched an attack on the Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League and utterances of its leaders showed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP is consistently losing ground, which is why "the PM's love for Muslim League has resurfaced". She said the Congress manifesto is being widely discussed and is a blueprint for the future of the country. "After being in power for 10 years, when the country is at the brink of elections and the prime minister
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday recalled a 2016 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about having come into politics holding the former's finger and expressed surprise over the PM taking a "different stand" now. Speaking at a gathering in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Pune district ahead of the parliamentary polls, Pawar also took a dig at PM Modi for "personal attacks" and for taking action against those who have different ideologies. "When I was Union agriculture minister, I helped Gujarat tremendously when Modi was the state's CM. I didn't see which party he belonged to. I saw that farmers in his state needed to be made happy and so I helped him," he said. "One day he told me he wants to come to Baramati. In his speech then he said: Pawar saheb had held my finger and taught me to do whatever (developmental) work I have done so far. But today he is taking a different view," the NCP (SP) chief said. If someone makes personal criticism or takes a .
Poll strategist said former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has been 'unsuccessfully' running the party for the last 10 years
Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal on Monday said some leaders quit the party the moment they receive notices from Central investigating agencies and 'fall at the feet of BJP and Union government.' Venugopal, who is AICC general secretary (Organisation), however, hailed leaders like Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and said according to him, he defeated the alleged pressure exerted by BJP through various agencies. Citing the example of Shivakumar, he further said the Karnataka Deputy CM was a leader who had shown the courage to continue in the party despite being jailed for no reason by Central agencies. While many other leaders quit Congress when they received notices from Central investigating agencies and surrendered (before the BJP-led Union government), Shivakumar declared the Indian National Congress is his mother and he won't leave the party. "Shivakumar was sent to prison...Sent to Tihar jail for no reason. He was told that he would be freed if he was ready
The ruling Congress, BRS and BJP are leaving no stone unturned to put up an impressive show in the May 13 Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, prompting an intense 3-way fight in the southern state that saw a change of guard last year after a decade. Congress, fresh from its win in the 2023 Assembly polls, is keen to repeat the good show while BRS that ruled the state for 10 years and now suffering defections, is striving hard to reverse its fortunes. The BJP, energised with its better poll show-- in terms of seats and voteshare in 2023 state elections, is eager to make more electoral inroads. While the BJP and BRS have already announced their candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Congress has named its nominees to 14 so far. The Lok Sabha election is crucial for all the three parties, especially BRS which is facing an existential crisis of sorts following its unexpected defeat in the Assembly elections held in November last year. The election is also significan