No grand alliance in UP? SP rules out tie-up with RLD, to ally only with Congress

LUCKNOW: Hopes of a 'maha gathbandhan' against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh were dashed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party ruling out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), but asserting a tie-up with the Congress+ .

"We will forge an alliance only with the Congress. We will not ally with the RLD+ . No talks are going on with them (RLD). We will contest from over 300 seats (out of 403)+ and the Congress will be there for the rest of them," SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said.

As regards finalisation of candidates, he said, "SP has finalised its candidates for the first and second phases (of the upcoming polls). Now, it is up to the Congress to decide on their nominees."

Nanda said the details of the seats would be announced by SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
The decisions regarding forging an alliance and seats were taken at a marathon six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders today.

Sources said RLD wanted more seats than what SP was ready to part with.

Source:-Timesofindia

No grand alliance in UP? SP rules out tie-up with RLD, to ally only with Congress

LUCKNOW: Hopes of a 'maha gathbandhan' against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh were dashed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party ruling out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), but asserting a tie-up with the Congress+ .

"We will forge an alliance only with the Congress. We will not ally with the RLD+ . No talks are going on with them (RLD). We will contest from over 300 seats (out of 403)+ and the Congress will be there for the rest of them," SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said.

As regards finalisation of candidates, he said, "SP has finalised its candidates for the first and second phases (of the upcoming polls). Now, it is up to the Congress to decide on their nominees."

Nanda said the details of the seats would be announced by SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
The decisions regarding forging an alliance and seats were taken at a marathon six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders today.

Sources said RLD wanted more seats than what SP was ready to part with.

"After the alliance with the Congress, we will get an absolute majority in the state and Akhilesh will become chief minister again," Nanda asserted, adding that the SP will release its poll manifesto soon.

Talks with the RLD, sources said, failed as it wanted more seats but the SP was not ready to oblige.

"We wanted the seats of our choice but there was no agreement on it," RLD spokesman Anil Dubey later said.

Source:-TOI

It is a blessing PM Modi spends some time in India: Nitish Kumar

"What can be said of the Prime Minister? He goes to foreign countries. It's a blessing that he spends some time in the country also," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of a function marking the installation of a statue of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar here.

Kumar criticised Modi over his Bihar visit later this month, where he is expected to kick-start BJP's campaign for the coming Assembly elections.
  
"He is remembering Bihar after 14-15 months of coming to power. It is to be seen what kind of package the Prime Minister announces for the state when he comes here or just does some packaging," Kumar said.
  
The Chief Minister pointed out that he and his officials have already submitted all papers regarding the needs and demands of the state and Modi's visit would reveal whether he accepts the suggestions for the welfare of the people or just did 'packaging of schemes' that were already going on in various departments.
  
Kumar said people have made Modi the 'Malik-Mukhtar' (ruler) and his wishes would prevail till he was the Prime Minister, but the people of Bihar would not be misled again.

Source:  Hindi News  and Newspaper in Hindi

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Congress, AAP step up demand for resignation of four BJP women Ministers

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are embroiled in a row over extending help to tainted former IPL boss Lalit Modi while HRD Minister Smriti Irani faced trouble with a Delhi court taking cognizance of a complaint against her for allegedly misrepresenting educational qualifications in her election affidavits. Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde is the fourth Minister caught in a row.
   
Sharpening its attack on BJP after the emergence of a document backing Lalit Modi's immigration application in the UK which purportedly bears Raje's signature, the Congress said the party should ask the Chief Minister to step down as it can no longer "continue to defend the indefensible".
   
"I am of the opinion that after what has now been made public, there is absolutely no scope left, no face left for BJP to manoeuvre and defend its leadership," it said.
  
"There cannot be two laws in this country. One for common citizens and one for high-ranking BJP officials. Therefore... I think it is in the best interest of the state and also of BJP to ask the chief minister to put in her papers as soon as possible," Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said.
   
Congress staged twin protests at Jantar Mantar and outside its headquarters and demanded the immediate resignation of Swaraj, Irani and Raje.
   
The protesters also tore an effigy of Irani and placards inscribed with messages that mocked the "farce" of her academic qualifications and warned the government against "toying with education".
   
Scores of AAP workers staged a protest outside Irani's residence demanding her resignation.
   
Congress's Delhi unit chief Lalit Maken accused the prime minister of "inaction" in the wake of the raging controversies involving his party leaders.

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People want governance not controversies: Jaitley to Kejriwal

"The people of Delhi experimented with a new party in the elections, but it is a very costly experiment because governance is not their political agenda," Jaitley cited. He was speaking at Delhi BJP's Executive Committee meeting.

In an apparent reference to various controversies surrounding the AAP government, particularly the tussle between Kejriwal and Jung, Jaitley asserted people of Delhi want governance and the ruling dispensation must understand it.

"Whatever is happening in Delhi in last few months, it seems coming days may be be painful. The AAP government came following a huge mandate. They should understand their responsibilities. People want governance and not controversy. So they should understand their responsibilities and fulfil people's expectations," he added.

Source: Latest News

BJP to hold 'Jan Kalyan Parv' from 26th May

BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh informed that the 'Jan Kalyan Parv' would be observed under the leadership of party's national president Amit Shah.

As planned, the programmes would start on May 26 and continue till May 31, he said in a statement here on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, BJP's national office-bearers, MPs, BJP office-bearers in their respective states and the ministers, MLAs in the states would address at least three rallies each from May 26 to 28, he said.

"The party plans to make people across the country aware about the achievements, good governance and completion of successful first year of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

The party would be organising exhibitions to showcase the achievements of the government on May 28 and 29 with the help of artistes who would be performing at prominent places in different cities, he said.

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Economic policy "directionless", minorities anxious: Arun Shourie

The 73-year-old journalist-turned politician said the one-year rule of Modi is "good in parts", his transformation as Prime Minister is good in foreign policy, but the promised turnaround in economy has not happened.

"The government seems to be more concerned with managing headlines than putting policies in place. The situation is like the many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle lying in a mess with no big picture in mind about how to put them together," he said in an interview.

Shourie, who is not active in BJP these days, said despite promises the fears of foreign investors on retrospective taxes and incentives for manufacturing have not materialised on the ground.

"They (investors) require stability and predictability," he said, adding that the concern expressed by eminent banker Deepak Parekh on the situation on the ground should be seen as a "wake up call".

Asked if the Modi government had done enough to put India on growth path, Shourie said that it was "all hyperbole". "Such claims are meant to grab headlines but lack substance," he said. Shourie handled the Ministries of Disinvestment, Communication and Information Technology in the Vajpayee government.

"Government is talking big on economic matters but nothing is happening on ground. Delivery is missing," he added. In an apparent reference to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, he said the government lacked a stable approach in dealing with investors and that "lawyerly arguments" would not convince them.

Source: Online Hindi News and Newspaper

Shiv Sena takes up Bombay HC renaming issue with Centre

The saffron party wants the name Bombay dropped and replaced it with Mumbai.Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Tuesday said he has spoken to Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda regarding the renaming issue.

"Since the city is now known as Mumbai, we cannot continue to relate the government institutions with the old name," Sawant said, adding, "I will myself demand that all the government institutions like IIT-Bombay should also be addressed with Mumbai in it."

According to the Sena leader, Mumbai derived its name from Goddess Mumbadevi. "However, the name Bombay was coined by the British rulers as they could not pronounce Mumbai," he added.

The Sena's move has drawn flak from opposition Congress, as it said that the ruling party was deviating from development issues.

"They have lost all focus. Before joining the government, they portrayed themselves as the messiah of farmers and wanted the BJP to stop their suicides and provide them with adequate compensation," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.

Source: Latest News

Giriraj Singh rejects reports of crying before PM Modi

"No," he told reporters who had asked him whether he had become emotional during  a meeting today with Modi, who television channels earlier had reported that he had pulled him up for his racist remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi last month.
     
"The meeting had not taken place.  Who told you I had met him," Singh said when asked about his reported meeting with the Prime Minister.

Singh was on Monday forced to express regret in the Lok Sabha for his  remarks against Sonia Gandhi after Congress members staged vociferous protests on the issue.
    
"I never meant to offend anyone. But if my comments hurt anyone's sentiments, I regret it," Singh said when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked him to respond after the House saw loud protests by Congress members, who termed his remarks as an insult to womanhood and sought his resignation.
    
Singh,  minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises, was under fire for his racist barb at Gandhi asking whether Congress would have accepted her leadership had she not been white-skinned.

"Had Rajiv Gandhi married a Nigerian woman and if she was not a white-skinned woman, would the Congress have then accepted her (Sonia's) leadership," he had said recently.
   
Even when the controversy broke out earlier this month, Singh maintained that it was an 'off the record' conversation with journalists but expressed regrets if it had caused hurt to Gandhi.
   
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu sought to play down the issue saying  "the issue is closed".
   
"The only worry is he me and told him he had not made any public comments.  The moment a television channel reported them, the same day he had disowned them. The only worry is nobody has taken note of it," he said.

Source: Latest News

Congress criticism on ordinances like devil quoting scriptures: BJP

Bringing out the past record of previous Congress regimes, the ruling party cited a record number of ordinances were issued during the time and the opposition parties had no right to accuse them of "murder of democracy"

The BJP also armed its MPs with records of previous regimes on ordinances and asked them to "expose" those criticising them before the crucial land bill is taken up for passage in Parliament.

"Congress party criticising the Ordinance route is like a devil quoting scriptures. Their record is worse. They have issued ordinances umpteen number of times. 456 ordinances were issued in last 50 years," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu quoted.

He cited while 77 ordinances were issued during Jawaharlal Nehru's time, as many as 77 ordinances were issued during six years of Indira Gandhi's regime, when three ordinances were issued every two months and 35 ordinances were issued during Rajiv Gandhi's time.

"CPI-M-supported United Front regime issued 77 ordinances, three ordinances per month. Bills passed are only 61 and 77 ordinances were issued by the United Front government which was ably supported by the Communist party, which is taking objection to the issuance of ordinances, which was done after wider consultations after taking stakeholders into confidence," he added.

Source: Latest News

Lakhvi's release unfortunate, disappointing: Rajnath Singh

"India wants talks with Pakistan but the present development (release of Lakhvi) is unfortunate and disappointing," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Singh was reacting to the Lahore High Court's judgement on Thursday suspending the detention of 55-year-old Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order after the Pakistan government failed to present sensitive records against him in the court.

Asked about alliance partners PDP-BJP in Jammu and Kashmir speaking in different voices on composite townships for settlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Singh said, "An agreement has been reached with Chief Minister MuftiMohammad Sayeed in this regard."

On the killing of five undertrials, who were allegedly associated with SIMI and other radical groups, in police custody in Nalgonda district in Telangana, he evaded giving a direct reply, 

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Opposition to Land Bill nothing but public posturing: BJP

Opposition  had even written to Gadkari stating that the social impact assessment should be left to the states to decide, Patra cited.

"What the BJP government has to do? In keeping with the right principles of federalism, this government said as far as the consent clause is concerned, social impact assessment is concerned, let the competent authority - the states take a decision. If the states want a particular project they can do away with the consent of the 40-50 percent because the states are the best judge. We empowered the states," the BJP spokesperson explained.

Petra's comment came in the backdrop of severe opposition to the land Bill brought by the BJP government.

"This opposition is nothing but a public posturing to prove that the Land bill is anti-farmer and pro-corporates. They (parties opposed to the bill) don't fight in the closed door standing committee meeting. They are only fighting in the floor of Parliament when there

e cameras," Patra told a program organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here.

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Defence Minister Parrikar objects to large security cover

Parrikar, who attended a BJP programme at BNSD Shiksha Niketan here, told his security personnel to leave only one vehicle for him and take away the rest.

"I do not need so much of security, one security vehicle is enough for me. Anything more than that causes inconvenience to people," Parikar later told reporters at a press conference.

At the programme, Parrikar also objected to a larger chair placed for him and smaller ones for others and insisted on sitting in smaller chair.

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Congress spreading disinformation about land bill: BJP

As far as the land bill is concerned, "we are worried about the disinformation campaign. It is against facts", BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told the media.

"We are confident about the amendments brought by us and about Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly engaging with people and explaining the points on radio.

We are willing to discuss with anyone," she said as the BJP national executive's two-day meet took place here.Sitharaman said the BJP will go to the people to ask whether the amendments are anti-farmer.

"It is a disinformation campaign which particularly the Congress is trying to spread.""While they have refused to answer questions on distribution of coal blocks, every step of what we are doing is being explained to the people," she added.

"BJP will reveal the facts at every village," she said.The controversial land acquisition ordinance was re-promulgated on Friday after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to it.

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Land Bill in focus on second day of BJP national executive meet

The party, in its strategy meet on Saturday, will adopt a political resolution that is likely to mention the Land Bill.

A power point presentation on the bill is also scheduled for the day, sources said.

The resolution will also make a comment on the 10 months of the working of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Also on Friday, BJP had said it will launch a mass contact programme to dispel "myths and propaganda" spread by the Opposition and engage farmers in dialogue even as it insisted that it remains open to changes suggested by rival parties and farmers.

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Giriraj's remarks on Sonia spark row, Congress demands his sacking

"Had Rajiv Gandhi married a Nigerian woman and if she was not a white-skinned woman, would the Congress have then accepted her leadership?," he told journalists on Tuesday.

Various women leaders also attacked Singh, who is Minister of State for micro, small and medium enterprises, saying it reflected his racial mindset and attitude towards women.

The minister, who had courted controversies in the past with remarks during Lok Sabha elections like people opposed to Narendra Modi can go to Pakistan, also mocked Rahul Gandhi's absence from the political scene and likened it to the "missing Malaysian airliner".

"Imagine a situation, if Congress was in power instead of us and had Rahul been the Prime Minister, and if for some reason, the PM had disappeared for more than 47 days. Absence of Congress Vice President is similar to that of the missing Malaysian airliner that still has not been located,” he said.

“The same way the Congress leader was not present in the Budget Session. No one in Congress is ready to speak. This is unfortunate for the Congress and a joke for the country,” he added.

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All you need to know about Atal Bihari Vajpayee

1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924 to  Krishna Devi and Krishna Bihari Vajpayee in a middle-class Brahmin family in Gwalior.

2. He served country as 11th Prime Minister from 1998 to 2004. Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister from outside Congress to complete a full five-year tenure.

3. A Parliamentarian for over four decades, Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and twice to the Rajya Sabha. He also represented Lucknow int the Parliament until 2009, when he retired from active politics due to health concerns.

4. Vajpayee was one amongst the founder members of erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh which he also headed.

5. He also served as External Affairs Minister in Morarji Desai Cabinet. After the Janata Party government, Vajpayee revived the Jana Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980.


6. He joined Arya Kumar Sabha of Gwalior, the youth wing of the Arya Samaj. Later, he became the general secretary of organisation in 1944.

7. He also joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak in 1939. Influenced by Babasaheb Apte, he attended the officers training camp of RSS during 1940-44 and became a "full-time worker" in 1947.

8. He gave up studying law due to the partition riots. He was sent as a vistarak (probationary pracharak) to Uttar Pradesh where he quickly began working for the newspaper of Deendayal Upadhyaya,

9. Vajpayee has remained a bachelor in his entire life. However, he adopted daughter Namita.

10. Vajpayee's first exposure to politics was in August 1942, when he and his elder brother Prem were arrested for 23 days during the Quit India movement.

11. In 1951, he along with Deendayal Upadhyaya started working for the newly formed Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a political party affiliated with the RSS. He was appointed as a national secretary of the party in charge of the northern region.

12. By virtue of his great oratorical and organizational skills, he became the face of the Jana Sangh. After the death of Deendayal Upadhyaya, he became the national president of Jana Sangh in 1968 and along with Nanaji Deshmukh, Balraj Madhok and LK Advani led the party to national prominence.

13. Vajpayee was arrested along with several other Opposition leaders during the Internal Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during 1975 to 1977.

14. In 1977, heeding the call of social reformer Jayaprakash Narayan for all the Opposition parties to unite against the Congress, Vajpayee merged the Jana Sangh into the newly formed grand-alliance Janata Party.

15. Following Janata Party's victory in the 1977 general elections, he became External Affairs  Minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai Cabinet. 

16. The Kargil war took place in 1999 when Vajpayee was Prime Minister of the country.

17. In December 2005, Vajpayee announced his retirement from active politics, declaring that he would not contest in the next general elections. In a famous statement at the BJP's silver jubilee rally at Mumbai's historic Shivaji Park, Vajpayee announced that "Henceforth, Lal Krishna Advani and Pramod Mahajan will be BJP's Ram and Laxman.”  

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Nitish Kumar meets PM Modi, raises fund issues

The special status issue has been a long standing demand from the ruling JD(U). This is the first time that the two met after Modi became Prime Minister and Nitish came back as Bihar Chief Minister.

The two leaders missed no opportunity to attack each other and Modi's elevation in the BJP had prompted Kumar to pull JD(U) out of NDA in June, 2013 after being part of the alliance for 17 years.

Moreover, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirti Azad also said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cannot do anything without the support of ruling party at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the JD (U) leader should rethink on his party's alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The BJP leader from Bihar also welcomed Nitish's move to meet Prime Minister Modi.

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Re-promulgation of Land Ordinance not ruled out

The government, which is mulling various options, meanwhile, took post-facto approval from the Union Cabinet to the nine amendments which have been included in a bill that was cleared by Lok Sabha and is pending before Rajya Sabha.       

A hint about re-promulgation of the Ordinance, that was initially issued in December last, was given by Rural Development Minister Birender Singh, who told reporters in Chandigarh that the Ordinance could be re-issued.     

"You know that the Ordinance is going to lapse on April 5. Rajya Sabha has not passed it. May be it (Ordinance) will be re-promulgated," he said when asked about the fate of the controversial Ordinance which a bill seeks to replace.
   
In Delhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu dismissed as "speculation" the reports that the government may allow the ordinance to lapse on April 5.
   
"I have seen in certain quarters today that Land Acquisition Ordinance may be allowed to lapse. These are speculation. Government has not taken any such decision to allow Land Acquisition Ordinance to lapse," Naidu told reporters here.

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Raj Babbar, two others take oath in Rajya Sabha

Chairman Hamid Ansari greeted the members with a "welcome" note.

Babbar, who was elected to the Upper House from Uttarakhand, took oath in Hindi and was warmly greeted by members from across the political spectrum.

With his family including brother watching from the Visitors' Gallery, Babbar was greeted with warm hugs from several leaders during a brief adjournment.

Sable, who was elected from Maharashtra, took oath in Marathi while Dola Sen (TMC), elected from West Bengal, took oath in Bengali.

 

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