Page 5 - National Democratic Alliance

Not just China, all PLI-led visas being fast-tracked: Piyush Goyal

On 100-day agenda, Goyal said the commerce department and DPIIT were still working on it and it was a "work in progress"

JD(U) names Sanjay Jha working prez, seeks special package for Bihar

The JD(U) appointed its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha as working president on Saturday. The decision was taken at a meeting of its national executive where the party reiterated its demand for special category status for Bihar, while adding that the Centre could also consider an alternative in a special package, its senior leader Neeraj Kumar said. The BJP ally also demanded stringent action against culprits in exam paper leak cases and called for a strong law to rule out such incidents in the future. The decision to appoint Jha as working president is significant since he is known to have a good equation with the BJP leadership. He is also the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha. Party sources said Jha was well-suited to draw a good deal from the BJP and maintain a friendly relationship between the two parties, which have a history of bumpy ties. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, and other senior leaders from aro

NDA candidate Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha Speaker for second time

'Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, congratulating Om Birla on his appointment, passed through voice votes

LS Speaker poll: Om Birla vs K Suresh - a fight for dominance. Key updates

After the Opposition INDIA bloc put forth Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker post against NDA's Om Birla, the Lower House is poised for an election after decades

LS set for first Speaker seat contest since 1976; NDA fields Om Birla

The INDIA bloc, in turn, pointed to the convention that the Opposition should be given the post of Deputy Speaker

LS Speaker election: BJP begins consultations, Oppn too weighs options

The BJP has begun consultations with its allies on the ruling NDA's candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post while the opposition INDIA bloc is considering its options and may force a contest to score political points, sources said on Monday, a day before the filing of nomination for the key position. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha, gave little indication about its choice as it weighs its options and looks to deny the opposition any opportunity to mount a political attack. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Union minister K Rammohan Naidu told reporters that the alliance's leaders, including his party's president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, will take a decision on the matter, adding that no final decision has been conveyed to them yet. A leader of another BJP ally said on the condition of anonymity that the BJP leadership has held consultations with him. He declined to discuss the details. With th

Lok Sabha session: People want substance not slogans, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said people have given his government mandate for a third consecutive term and have put a stamp of approval on its policies and intentions. He also said that the 18th Lok Sabha begins on Monday with a resolve of building a 'Shreshtha Bharat' and 'Viksit Bharat'. Addressing the media in Parliament complex at the beginning of the first session of the new Lok Sabha, PM Modi asserted that his government will take everyone along in fulfilling the aspirations of the people. Modi also noted that Emergency's 50th anniversary falls on June 25, and described it as a "black spot" on India's democracy when Constitution was discarded. Welcoming new MPs, he said the 18th Lok Sabha commences with a dream of building a developed India by 2047. People expect good steps from the opposition but it has been disappointing so far, he said while expressing hope that it will fulfil its role and maintain democracy's decorum. India needs a responsible opposition and

No evidence PM Modi understood true meaning of people's verdict: Congress

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nothing new to offer and as usual resorted to "diversion" in his remarks ahead of the start of the 18th Lok Sabha. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the PM has shown no evidence that he understood the true meaning of people's verdict. "The non-biological PM who suffered a resounding personal, political, and moral defeat in the Lok Sabha elections has just given his usual 'desh ke naam sandesh' outside the Parliament as the 18th Lok Sabha prepares to commence its tenure," he said. "He has said nothing new and as usual resorted to diversion. He has shown no evidence that he understands the true meaning of the people's verdict, which saw him eking out only a narrow and dubious win in Varanasi," Ramesh said in a post on X. "Let him be under no doubt: the INDIA Janbandhan will hold him to account for every minute. He stands brutally exposed," Ramesh also said. In his customary remarks ahead of the start of 18th Lo

Who Is Bhartruhari Mahtab? BJP's pro-tem speaker who sparked controversy

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu in the 18th Lok Sabha's first Parliament session on June 24

Andhra assembly session begins, 1st after TDP-led coalition comes to power

The maiden session of the 16th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly began on Friday with the oath-taking process of the newly-elected MLAs. TDP MLA G Butchaiah Chowdary presided over the proceedings as the Pro-tem Speaker. The session commenced at 9:45 am in the Assembly Hall located at Velagapudi, Amravati. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu attended the session after more than two and half years. Actor-Politician and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan entered the House for the first time in his 16-year-old political career as Pithapuram MLA and Deputy Chief Minister. The session will witness the election of a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker. According to TDP sources, senior party leader and Narsipatnam MLA C Ayyannapatrudu is likely to be elected as the Speaker. CM and Kuppam MLA Chandrababu Naidu was the first to take oath followed by Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan. After taking oath, Naidu went to the Pro-tem's Speaker's chair and exchanged pleasantries. The NDA alliance swept the 2024 And

Jolt to Cong in Haryana: Kiran Choudhry, daughter Shruti quit; to join BJP

In a jolt to the Congress in Haryana where assembly polls are due in October, senior leader Kiran Choudhry and her daughter Shruti Choudhry quit the party and will join the ruling BJP on Wednesday. Both Kiran Choudhry and Shruti Choudhry resigned from the primary membership of the Congress on Tuesday. Shruti Choudhry was also the working president of the Haryana unit of the Congress. Kiran Choudhry, who is also a sitting MLA, told PTI that both she and Shruti, a former MP, will be joining the BJP on Wednesday. Kiran Choudhry snapped her four-decade long association with the Congress. Their joining is likely to come as a big boost to the BJP in Haryana with few months remaining for the polls. Kiran Choudhry, daughter-in-law of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, is considered as bete noire of senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. She and her daughter sent separate resignation letters to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in which they took a veiled dig at Hooda. While

Unprecedented mandate for NDA has created history: PM Modi in Varanasi

The mandate given by the people in this Lok Sabha election is truly unprecedented and has created history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday on his first visit to his Varanasi constituency after the polls. He was addressing a PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, where he released the Rs 20,000 crore 17th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi for more than 9.26 crore farmers. Modi said the first decision of the new government related to farmers and the poor. With the blessings of Baba Vishwanath, Maa Ganga and love of Kashi's people, "I became the country's 'pradhan sevak' for third time," the prime minister said.

'Teary' PM said NDA couldn't win single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu: DMK

DMK's Tamil mouthpiece 'Murasoli' on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recent meeting of MPs of the National Democratic Alliance had said with 'teary eyes' that they could not win even a single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu. "He did not say why they could not win. He does not seem to have realised the reason for that. He will not spell out the reason even if he has realised and he cannot disclose that reason," Murasoli said in its editorial on June 17. The DMK-led INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu has been unmasking the BJP not only for electoral politics but it is being done ideologically and this alliance was not formed in the state just before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "This alliance has been waging a democratic war against the fascist BJP for the past five years." The DMK and its allies could secure a landslide victory by its grassroots campaign that nurturing BJP would be dangerous for the whole of India. DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin's pitch of a vote

In day-long meeting, Virendra Kumar reviews progress of DEPwD schemes

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar convened a pivotal daylong meeting on Saturday to review the progress of various schemes and strategize on key departmental initiatives for the next 100 days. The meeting included the participation of Ministers of State Ramdas Athawale and B.L. Verma. During the meeting, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Rajesh Aggarwal, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the department's initiatives, according to an official statement. This was followed by a detailed discussion on the modernization efforts of the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO). Heads of various organisations, including the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD), the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), National Institutes (NIs) and the National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC), presented their significant achievements. The participants engag

BJP, AIADMK fighting Tamil Nadu bypoll through 'proxy' PMK: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday alleged the BJP and AIADMK are fighting the July 10 Vikravandi bypoll through 'proxy' PMK and that the INDIA bloc must ensure a resounding victory of the DMK candidate. Hitting out at Tamil Nadu's main opposition AIADMK for boycotting the bypoll, Chidambaram, in a post on X, said: "AIADMK's decision to boycott the Vikravandi by-election is clear evidence that it has received instructions from the 'top' to facilitate the electoral chances of the NDA candidate (PMK). Both BJP and AIADMK are fighting the battle through a proxy (PMK). The I.N.D.I.A. bloc must ensure the resounding victory of the DMK candidate." Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party, AIADMK, on June 15 announced a boycott of the bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency, alleging the ruling DMK will unleash 'violence' and not allow people to vote 'independently.' Pattali Makkal Katchi, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA in Tamil Nadu announced on Saturday that the party'

News updates: US Fed leaves interest rates unchanged at 5.25%-5.5% again

From the oath-taking ceremonies scheduled in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Pakistan's annual budget, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

NDA govt likely to present full FY25 Budget in second half of July

The finance ministry is likely to begin the consultation process for the Budget with various ministries and stakeholders next week

Chandrababu Naidu's swearing-in today; Pawan Kalyan to be deputy CM?

Chandrababu Naidu will assume the office of chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth time today. PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are among key guests set to attend the swearing-in ceremony

Remove 'Modi Ka Parivar' suffix from social media: PM Modi to supporters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his supporters to remove the 'Modi Ka Parivar' suffix from their social media handles, after the elections victory for the NDA had communicated the intended message

Meet Annapurna Devi, women and child development minister in Modi cabinet

Annapurna Devi, 55, succeeds BJP leader Smriti Irani, who was dropped from the new National Democratic Alliance government