Page 78 - Bjp

Ladki Bahin scheme affecting Maharashtra's farm loan waiver plans: Minister

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has said the Ladki Bahin Yojana is creating a burden on the state coffers, affecting its ability to implement the farm loan waiver scheme. The Ladki Bahin scheme, launched by the previous Eknath Shinde-led government in August last year to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, is likely to cost the state around Rs 46,000 crore annually. The scheme is said to have played a key role in the ruling Mahayuti's win in the state assembly elections held in November 2024. Speaking to reporters in Pune on Sunday, Kokate said the financial strain caused by the Ladki Bahin Yojana has disrupted the state's ability to form a surplus that would otherwise be allocated for waiving the loans of farmers. "The burden created by the Ladki Bahin scheme has affected our ability to set aside funds for the farm loan waiver. We are reviewing the financial situation, and once the state's income increases, we will move forward with the loan

Capital conundrum: Welfare promises versus infra push ahead of Delhi polls

Amid increasing poll promises ahead of Delhi elections, the spending choices of Congress and AAP regimes, and the fiscal challenges ahead for the next government

BJP only national party not owned by any family but by workers: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that the BJP is the only national party that is not owned by any family but by its workers. Speaking at a party event, Fadnavis called BJP a democratic organisation. There are more than 2,300 registered parties in the country but those that are national parties can be counted on fingertips, he said. There are only two parties the BJP and the Communist Party of India that are not owned by any family, he said. Almost all of the 2,300 parties are privately owned, Fadnavis said. The Communist Party of India is no longer a national party. But the BJP is the only national party that is owned by people and party workers. No leader owns the party and it has its own constitution, Fadnavis said. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a national party. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rise from humble beginnings, Fadnavis said the BJP is the only party where a boy who once sold tea becomes the CM (of Gujarat) and the

PM Modi promises no welfare schemes will end if BJP wins in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the AAP government in Delhi of wasting a decade fighting with the Centre and urged the people of the national capital to give the BJP an opportunity to turn it into a city of the future. The prime minister also assured that no public welfare scheme would be discontinued if the BJP assumed power but the party's government would weed out the corruption in their implementation. Addressing a rally in the Rohini area, Modi dubbed the AAP government a "disaster" that had struck Delhi and asserted the BJP would usher in change. "Only when this 'aapda (disaster)' is gotten rid of in Delhi, the double-engine of development will come in," Modi said. The prime minister said the Centre had been developing highways in Delhi, expanding the Metro network, starting the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System, and running big hospitals. "However, the moment you step out of a Metro station, you can see potholed roads, overflowing sewers. Some areas a

Congress slams BJP for Ramesh Bidhuri's sexist remark on Priyanka Gandhi

Shrinate said that Bidhuri's statement against Congress Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, was not only shameful but also shows his 'disgusting' mentality towards women

PM Modi inaugurates Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS line worth Rs 4,600 crore

The Prime Minster also took a ride on Namo Bharat train from Sahibabad station and interacted with children

Delhi polls: Will defeat Kejriwal from New Delhi, says BJP's Parvesh Verma

Verma exuded confidence that he will defeat Kejriwal and claimed that AAP Chief will run away from the New Delhi seat after that

BJP demands Priyank Kharge's resignation in contractor's suicide case

The BJP on Saturday staged a protest here demanding the resignation of Minister Priyank Kharge in connection with the suicide of a Bidar-based civil contractor. BJP State President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, Legislative Council Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy led the protest. The saffron party leaders gathered at Jagat Circle in large numbers holding placards, raising slogans against the Minister amid tight security presence. As the BJP planned lay siege to Kharge's residence, the Minister decided to counter them in a unique way. Police personnel were also seen deployed outside the residence as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident. "We have ordered tender coconuts, coffee, tea, bottled drinking water for the BJP leaders who will get tired after the protest," a Kharge supporter told PTI. Reacting to the protest, Kharge told reporters that neither he nor the government will succumb to the opposition

AAP will shrink to single digit in polls for their misdeeds: Cong's Dikshit

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said the Aam Aadmi Party will face defeat in the upcoming Delhi assembly election as a result of their misdeeds. The elections are scheduled for February this year. AAP has already announced candidates for all 70 seats, while Congress has named 48 candidates so far. During an interview with the PTI, Dikshit, who has been fielded from the New Delhi constituency by the Congress for upcoming assembly polls, also said that they need to highlight what Sheila Dikshit did for Delhi during her tenure. When asked about Congress not having a chief minister face, Dikshit said, "We do not have any CM face and we never give it. Even when Sheila Dikshit became the chief minister for the first time, it was evident that if Congress will win, she will become the CM, but we never announced her face for it. This has not been the habit of Congress. It happens sometimes that if there is a big leader, then people believe that he or she will become the CM, but this is not

Delhi polls: Parties go tech-savvy, use AI for creative ads, sharp jibes

With Assembly elections in Delhi due in February, political parties are using Artificial Intelligence to churn out creative ads and visuals -- projecting their leaders as heroes and targeting rivals with sharp jibes. From calling its supremo Arvind Kejriwal the "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time) to portraying him as "Delhi ka Beta" (Son of Delhi), the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is creatively leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its campaigns. On the other hand, the BJP is labelling Kejriwal as the "Original Mahathag" (master conman) in AI-generated videos and posters. In one instance, a scene from Amitabh Bachchan's movie "Baghban", which depicts parents enduring neglect from their children despite their sacrifices, was modified with AI to feature Kejriwal, emphasising that "Delhi ka Beta" will never abandon the people. Delhi BJP's X handle also has multiple ad clips, including videos featuring Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi. In one such video, Atishi is shown praising Kejr

Kejriwal promises to waive 'inflated' water bills if AAP returns to power

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday promised to waive the "inflated" water bills received by people in Delhi if his party returns to power in the upcoming assembly polls in the national capital next month. In a press conference here, Kejriwal said that people were "distressed" due to water bills worth thousands and lakhs of rupees being sent to them by the Delhi Jal Board. He alleged that the inflated water bills started arriving after he went to jail and urged people not to pay those bills. "I have said this earlier, but today I am making a formal announcement: when AAP comes back to power after the assembly polls, these inflated bills will be waived. Those who think their bills are incorrect need not pay them," the former Delhi chief minister said. The AAP government provides free 20,000 liters of water per month and over 12 lakh households in the city have benefitted from the scheme, he added. The AAP is seeking to return to power for the fourth consecutive term after the .

BJP fields ex-MPs Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri against Kejriwal and Atishi

The BJP on Saturday released its first list of 29 candidates for the polls to the 70-member Delhi Assembly, fielding former MP Parvesh Verma from the New Delhi seat against ex-chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. It has named another former MP Ramesh Bidhuri from Kalkaji, where Chief Minister and AAP candidate Atishi is in the fray. The party has fielded its national office-bearers Dushyant Kumar Gautam and Ashish Sood from Karol Bagh and Janakpuri, respectively, Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar and former AAP leader Kailash Gahlot from Bijwasan. Former Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay will contest from Malviya Nagar.

Delhi polls: BJP fields Parvesh Verma against Arvind Kejriwal in first list

Delhi Assembly elections: Ramesh Bidhuri will be contesting from the Kalkaji constituency against Chief Minister Atishi

Updates: Grap 3 curbs back in Delhi-NCR amid rise in air pollution levels

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of ruining youth's future via exam irregularities

The BJP is destroying the future of youths through alleged irregularities in the examination system, but the Congress is committed to fighting for the rights of students, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. His remarks came after two students protesting against alleged irregularities in the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) exams were put in jail. "The BJP is cutting the thumb of the youth of India just like Ekalavya's, and destroying their future," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. "Failure in executing government recruitments is a big injustice. First, recruitment is not announced. And then even if it is announced, exams are not held in time. If exams are held, the question papers are leaked. And when the youths demand justice, their voice is ruthlessly crushed," he alleged. There were students' protest in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams. And, now two students protesting against the irregularities in MPP

Munde shouldn't hold portfolio until chargesheet filed, says BJP MLA

BJP MLA Suresh Dhas on Friday said NCP leader Dhananjay Munde should remain in the Maharashtra cabinet as a minister without portfolio till a chargesheet is filed in the murder case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The opposition parties have been demanding that Munde, whose close associate Walmik Karad has been arrested in an extortion case related to the murder, be removed from the cabinet. However, Munde, who holds the food and civil supplies portfolio, on Thursday clarified that there would be no influence from his side as a minister in the probe into these cases. Addressing a press conference in Beed, Dhas questioned the inclusion of some members in the special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder and extortion cases. "There is a member who was transferred from Gadchiroli by one of the accused, Walmik Karad. This person should not show devotion to his 'master'. Some people have connections with him (Karad). I have no objection to senior officials, but I have issues with ..

Prayer meet for late former PM Manmohan Singh to be held on Friday

Leaders from across the political spectrum will pay their tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at a prayer meeting on Friday. The 'Shabadv Kirtan and Antim Ardas' of Dr Singh would be held at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib at 3 pm. Before the prayer meet, the family of the former PM would also hold a 'bhog' of the 'Akhand Path' kept in the memory of Singh at their 3, Motilal Nehru Marg residence. Singh, who steered the country as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was considered the architect of India's economic reforms in the 1990s. He died at AIIMS Delhi December 26. He was 92.

PM Modi's 'Parivartan Rally' on Sunday will be game changer in Delhi: BJP

The BJP will take its Delhi Assembly poll campaign to the next level with the "Parivartan Rally" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rohini with "major announcements" for Delhi, party leaders said on Thursday. The rally is scheduled to be held Sunday at Japanese Park in Rohini in northwest Delhi. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the run-up to Delhi Assembly polls next month has announced a Rs 2,100 monthly payment for women and an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month for priests and granthis. "Some big-ticket announcements are expected to be made by Modi in the rally. These will have a course-changing impact on our campaign," said a top Delhi BJP functionary. The Delhi BJP has already claimed that the "free" schemes of the AAP government will be continued if the party comes to power in Delhi. They have also hinted that the BJP could offer more to Delhi residents through increased free electricity units per month as well as by matching the Rs 2,100 promised by Kejriwal under Mahila Samma

News updates: US NSA Jake Sullivan set to visit India early next week

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

Don't depend on freebies, produce own solar power, says Prahlad Joshi

Union Minister for Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi urged people on Thursday not to be dependent on the governments for freebies, but to produce their own solar power. Joshi attended a consultative meeting with the consumers, electricity supply company (ESCOM) officials, and people's representatives to discuss Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana here on Thursday. "I will not comment on what the motives were behind the distribution of free power generated using environmentally harmful core sector material. But sustainability in the power sector is going to be the key to a safer future for the country," said Joshi, who is also the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. According to Joshi, Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2024 aims to provide free electricity to households in India by providing a subsidy to install solar panels on their roofs. The subsidy will cover up to 40 percent of the cost of the solar panels.