Page 3 - Politics In India

Senior Odisha Cong leader Behera resigns from party, likely to join BJD

Senior Congress leader and former Odisha minister Ganeswar Behera on Tuesday resigned from the primary membership of the party. Behera, who hails from Kendrapara district, sent his resignation letter to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak. He, however, thanked the party for giving him an opportunity to serve the people of Odisha as an MLA and Congress worker. Sources said that Behera is likely to join the BJD. The BJD is likely to field Behera from the Kendrapara assembly segment which is reserved for the scheduled caste candidates. In the 2019 polls, Shashi Bhusan Behera of BJD had won the seat by defeating Ganeswar Behera by a margin of 6,320 votes. Ganeswar Behera has said that his well-wishers and voters of his constituency have been urging him to join the BJD. Several Congress leaders former OPCC former working president and ex-MLA Chiranjib Biswal, former minister Surendra Singh Bhoi, sitting MLA Adhiran Panigrahi, ex-MLA K Surya Rao and Ans

LS polls: Katchatheecvu issue rekindles contention between DMK-AIADMK

The emotive issue of Katchatheevu, a tiny island ceded to Sri Lanka by the Indian government in 1974 has always been a bone of contention between late Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa and the latter even vowed to retrieve the islet as a part of addressing the fishermen's issues. The uninhabited island was ceded in 1974 when the then Prime MInister Indira Gandhi accepted Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan area under the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement with her counterpart Srimavo Bandaranaike, aimed at resolving the maritime boundaries in the Palk Strait. Further, another agreement signed in 1976 restricted the fishermen of both the countries from fishing in the other's exclusive economic zones. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday training his guns against the Congress and its ally DMK, in power at the Centre and the state, respectively then, the issue has now assumed centre stage in the poll season, just days ahead of the April 19 general election in Tamil Nadu. T

Brijendra Singh quits BJP, joins Cong citing 'compelling political reasons'

BJP MP from Hisar Brijendra Singh on Sunday said he has resigned from the party's primary membership due to "compelling political reasons". Brijendra Singh, the son of BJP leader Birender Singh, announced his resignation on X. "I have resigned from the primary membership of BJP due to compelling political reasons. I extend gratitude to the party, National President Sh. J P Nadda, Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, & Sh Amit Shah for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Member of Parliament for Hisar," Brijendra Singh said in his post. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the bureaucrat-turned-politician had defeated JJP's Dushyant Chautala and Bhavya Bishnoi, who was then with the Congress, to win Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

TMC critic Abhijit Gangopadhyay joins BJP after quitting as HC judge

Former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay is known for his judgement ordering a CBI probe into the alleged West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, in which CM Mamata Banerjee's nephew is a suspect

Highlights of the day: Manipur govt extends internet ban till March 2

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Delhi CM Kejriwal skips seventh ED summons; asks to wait for Court decision

AAP has emphasised that the matter is currently sub judice, with the next court hearing scheduled for March 16

PM Modi has ended politics of casteism, corruption and dynasty: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in the past ten years ended the politics of casteism, corruption, appeasement and dynasty that prevailed in the country after independence and ushered in politics of performance. He was speaking at an event in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal. After independence, politics of caste, corruption, appeasement and dynasty prevailed. Modiji has finished them off in the last 10 years and set the trend of politics of performance, Shah said. Naxalism, terrorism and extremism were counting their last breath, he asserted. At the moment, the BJP's chief strategist said, the fight is between two ideologies - one that wants to make the country a developed nation and the other that nurtures dynasties. (Opposition) INDIA bloc is an alliance of dynastic politics. Sonia Gandhi wants her son to be the PM, he said, adding that NCP founder Sharad Pawar is keen on promoting his daughter, TMC chief Mamta Banerjee her nephew, RJ

BJP govt preparing to blackmail Cong leaders, says LoP Umang Singhar

Meanwhile, deputy leader of opposition Hemant Katare also reacted over the IT notices served to Congress leaders

Highlights of the day: Bengal transferring money to 2.1 mn MGNREGA workers

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Independent institutions being vitiated under electoral autocracy: Tharoor

While responding to a question on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Tharoor said that the public must not vote solely based on the construction of a temple but should focus on other development factor

Higher cash seizures being recorded by I-T dept every assembly polls: CBDT

Cash seizures made by the Income-tax department during successive assembly elections have shown a substantial increase, CBDT Chairman Nitin Gupta has said. He said the tax department is investigating these cases apart from other such instances where huge unaccounted currency and jewellery was unearthed during raids and other enforcement action by tax personnel. "In relation to cash seizures if we speak about the assembly elections, then it has been found that cash seizures have been quite substantial vis-a-vis cash seizure in the similar point of time five years back for the same time period of assembly elections. "We have seen that cash seizures have been quite large and high (every assembly election). These seizures are quite significant," the chief of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told PTI. The Election Commission has also spoken about the surge in the seizure of cash and illegal inducements during various state polls. The poll panel, in an official statement issued

BJP to launch new campaign 'Quami Chaupal' to woo Muslim voters in UP

Seeking to connect with voters of the minority community in Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh, the minority front of the BJP is all set to organise 'Quami Chaupal' in more than 4,100 villages and discuss issues concerning them. The campaign will start on February 10 from Kaserwa village of Muzaffarnagar district. The BJP's Minority Morcha will depute Lok Sabha constituency-wise in-charge for the 'Qaumi Chaupal' programme to be organised in 23 Lok Sabha constituencies of Western Uttar Pradesh BJP Minority Morcha's Uttar Pradesh unit president Kunwar Basit Ali told PTI that the Morcha has selected 23 Muslim dominated Lok Sabha constituencies, including Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Meerut, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Bijnor, Amroha, Rampur, Bareilly, Agra and Aligarh, for the programme. Leaders of the Morcha will visit the Muslim-dominated villages and discuss various schemes of the government and the work done by the government for the minorities. T

Tripura BJP announces 73-member state executive committee ahead of LS polls

The ruling BJP in Tripura announced a 73-member state executive committee months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. All senior leaders of the party in the state, including Chief Minister Manik Saha, Rajya Sabha MP Bilab Kumar Deb, Union MoS for Social Empowerment and Social Justice Pratima Bhoumik and former deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma, found a place in the committee announced on Thursday night. There are 14 invitee members in the committee. Names of 18 office-bearers of the party's state unit were announced on December 30. With an eye on the elections, the state BJP has reconstituted the committees of office-bearers of all its frontal organisations, including Mohila Morcha and Yuva Morcha.

Nitish's U-turn

INDIA's future looks bleak

LIVE: Now the double engine govt will benefit Bihar, says JP Nadda

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How Nitish Kumar became longest-serving Bihar CM over many political storms

Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar has distinguished himself as a leader who ruled Bihar for the longest time, without his party having ever won a majority on its own. Concealed beneath the feat, which testifies to his political acumen and survival instincts, is the fact that the 72-year-old leader could never remain at peace with his allies which also made him change partners frequently. "The name of Nitish Kumar deserves to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the number of times he has aligned, dumped and realigned with the BJP, was a tongue-in-cheek remark by Congress MLA from Bhagalpur Ajeet Sharma. Sharma also cited Kumar's famous remark "mitti mein mil jaayenge magar BJP ke saath nahin jaaenge" (I shall be consigned to dust rather than going back to the BJP), soon after he had first snapped ties with the saffron party in 2013, following his objections to the national ascendance of Narendra Modi, his then Gujarat counterpart. No wonder, in a political career spannin

Suspended Assam Congress leader Angkita Dutta set to join BJP today

On April 22, Assam police registered a case based on the complaint filed by Dr Angkita Dutta, former President of Assam Youth Congress against Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV

I cannot go to Sankardeva's birthplace but others can during crisis: Rahul

During a law and order crisis all can go to the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva but only 'Rahul Gandhi cannot go', the Congress leader said in Assam's Nagaon. Gandhi was stopped at Haibargaon enroute to the sattra (Sankardeva's birthplace) where he along with senior Congress leaders and supporters staged a dharna while party MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to the birthplace to resolve the issue. After they returned, Gandhi told reporters that he believes in the philosophy of Sankardeva as 'we also believe in bringing people together and not spreading hatred'. "He is like a guru to us and gives us direction. So I had thought when I came to Assam, I should offer my respects to him', he said. Gandhi said they had received an invitation to visit Sankardeva's birthplace on January 11 but 'on Sunday we were told that there is a law and order situation', he added. "This is strange as there is a law and order situation in the area, but Gaurav G

Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya is a powerful mix of faith and state

The temple is being constructed close to where tradition says Ram was born, and atop the site of a mosque named for India's first Mughal emperor, which was shockingly destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992

TMC slams Bengal BJP chief, demands apology for remarks against Mamata

The TMC on Thursday called for an unconditional apology from West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, alleging obscene remarks towards West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and contending that his comments exemplified the chauvinistic mindset of the saffron camp. The TMC's reaction was triggered by Majumdar's recent use of the term 'Dhanda' about Banerjee during a media interaction. In the course of the exchange, Majumdar made derogatory comments about the chief minister's attire, specifically targeting her "sari.". Majumdar's exact words were, "The Chief Minister claims that she does not take CM's salary and her pension as MP. Then where does money for her iPhone and her designer saris come from? And nowadays, if someone gives something for free, he will not give it without his 'dhanda' (own interest).". On Thursday, the TMC launched a scathing rebuke against the BJP, condemning the lewd and offensive remarks made by Sukanta Majumdar. They demanded an unequivocal apology fr