Keyword : Congress

Arrogance has become biggest disqualification factor

This is the season of arrogance. The capital’s elections were fought on the platform of arrogance and a bunch of politicians were elevated because they lacked it and others were dumped as the

No surprises in byelections, huge win for ADMK in Jaya’s seat

As anticipated the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly by-election to the prestigious Srirangam constituency of Tamil Nadu, earlier held by the party chief J J

The Goliaths got it wrong in Delhi. They fell, and fell very hard

I am not going to repeat the biblical story here; I have used this word for two giants and powerful adversaries of the AAP. The two national parties, the BJP and Congress, with decades of political

Venkaiah’s remarks on introspection shakes parliament

It was an inauspicious start to the railway budget presentation in parliament on Thursday morning. Led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi the opposition parties stalled parliamentary business over

AAP’s moment of reckoning

Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal share many characteristics. Cult politics is one of them. However, unlike the PM, the Delhi CM is fortunate in having people who can speak out and question him.

Rahul again shakes parliament, this time it is `snoopgate-2`

In parliament on Monday, the Congress party raised what it called ‘Snoopgate-2 , the alleged espionage of its vice president Rahul Gandhi by Delhi police. On March 12, Delhi po

Opacity of politics

Political parties have a predictable attitude when it comes to transparency: that it is a very good thing and it must apply to everybody – other than us. It was of course a political party th

Sonia’s Congress in no mood to get well soon

Just as Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to a hospital in the US in 2011, a bouquet with a get-well-soon message was delivered at her residence early one morning. Sonia’s illness

Nigeria jumps into Sonia and Giriraj racist remark row

Nigeria, which just on Tuesday saw a peaceful presidential election, is angry with an Indian minister.  What has Nigeria got to do with a minister in India? Well, in a remark t

BJP’s army to fight for land bill as party begins national meet

The BJP is deploying over 15 lakh party workers, who would be trained to reach out to people and spread the message of good work being done by the Modi government. Another mass contact programme be

Karnataka sends fresh request as CBI declines time-bound probe

Somebody has goofed up and somebody will pay for it. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday was forced to say that his government would send a fresh request to the centre for a probe by th

Rahul Gandhi back from sabbatical, trends on Twitter

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday returned from his 56-day ‘sabbatical’. He was on an unexplained leave amid speculations about his possible elevation as p

Beyond the return of the prodigal

Rahul Gandhi’s disappearance and reappearance have led to much discussion and debate. That is surprising, because he is a leader far outshined by his mother, in a party far outshined by Modi&

We are hopeful of support from opposition ranks: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

As parliament resumed its budget session after a break, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, minister of state for parliamentary affairs speaks to Sweta Ranjan on the business

Govt has little time for important bills as parliament session resumes

Temperatures are going to rise both outside parliament and inside. Lok Sabha resumed its budget session after a break and Rajya Sabha sitting is from Aril 23. The debate over land bill is going to

This is govt of suit and boot, says Rahul and slams land ordinance

The land acquisition ordinance was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday by minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy. The ordinance was promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee on

Rajasthan farmer commits suicide as Kejriwal holds rally

Politicians never learn especially Indian politicians about propriety.  A farmer committed suicide during AAP`s rally in Delhi against the controversial land acquisition bill and the political

Rahul to take out padayatra for farmers’ cause

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is on a maiden two-day visit to Telangana from Thursday that includes a 15-km `padayatra` in Adilabad district. Rahul`s visit is to highlight the

Selection of heads for information commission and vigilance panel today

Finally, after months of being headless, the prime minister-led selection committees will on Saturday decide the names of chiefs of central information commission (CIC) and central vigilance commis

Karnataka to appeal against Jaya acquittal

The Karnataka government of the Congress party has decided to appeal against the high court verdict acquitting J Jayalalithaa in a corruption case. Jayalalithaa, 67, was sworn in as

Soft Sushma under attack but real target is Narendra Modi

Delhi Police on Monday beefed up security outside Sushma Swaraj`s residence in Delhi but the foreign minister faces relentless attack on the issue of her role in Lalit Modi controversy.

Lalit Modi’s name dropping makes it miserable for Sushma

Lalit Modi is keeping the pot boiling and adding to the discomfort of Sushma Swaraj even as the Congress attack questioned Narendra Modi on why he was protecting his foreign minister and termed the

Why bring Dawood in Lalit Modi debate?

As the cacophony over Lalit Modi hits unbearable decibels, the arguments and comments are becoming irrational or say childishly pedestrian. Gurudas Kamat, AICC general secretary and

Emergency bomb: Advani provides fodder to Modi & BJP foes

It is hard to believe that in the age of social media activism in India there is a possibility of emergency-like situation in the country. But BJP leader LK Advani did allude to such a scenario and

Mumbai let down by civic authorities and politicians

Even though Mumbai’s municipal corporation claims to have completed more than 95% of the desilting work and removed more than 3.40 lakh cubic metre of silt from major nullahs (storm water dra

Public funds being used to build brand Kejriwal?

The Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the advertisement of the AAP-led Delhi government that is being broadcast on television channels as a "violation" of the supreme court`s order and th

Lalit Modi drops another name-bomb, tweets on Priyanka Gandhi

Lalit Modi’s tweets on the so called `accidental meeting` with Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra has triggered a fresh war between the BJP and the Congress while pushing Vasundhara Raje issue

After tweets it’s turn of RTI silence that will hurt Sushma Swaraj

Lalit Modi show is running like a Indian serials on televisions, long and tedious with same repetitive dialogues. Now, this week’s episodes may focus on a RTI query. The ministry of external

Cong fires at PM from Dulat’s shoulder

Congress party has now found its voice to directly attack prime minister Narendra Modi instead of indirect barbs of Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje episodes. On Friday, the party raked up

Morning briefings: Woman cop, who was recruited through MP Vyapam, found dead near police academy in Sagar

Trainee Sub Inspector Anamika Kushwaha, who was recruited through Vyapam, found dead near Madhya Pradesh police academy in Sagar. Her body was found in a lake. Anamika Kushwaha was recruited throug

Morning briefings: PM Modi`s meeting on land bill today, oppn CMs skip it

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of NITI Aayog`s governing council, of which all chief ministers are a part, with the land acquisition Bill as the main agenda. However, the chief m

BJP bowls googly in Gondia and Shiv Sena is angry

The Bharatiya Janata Party will continue to grow and Shiv Sena will remain confined to one state or say to Mumbai. Apart from being a national party, there are other reasons; especially the art of

PM Modi and Rahul in political shootout

Today is the day of loaded political discourse that can also serve as lessons to politicians. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remained stuck to the rhetorical mud-slinging, prime minister Narend

Morning briefing: Parliament`s stormy monsoon session begins today

Parliament is set for confrontation between the Opposition-led by Congress and the government. The Narendra Modi government will be hauled up over Vyapam scam and Lalit Modi episode. External affai

Legislative business stalled by the tyranny of the minority Congress

Tyranny of the majority is a familiar concept in politics. It occurs when a majority takes action to thoroughly subjugate the minority. But what is happening in parliament or nothing is happening i

With farmers on agenda, Rahul seeds Cong revival in TN and AP

The countdown to the 2016 assembly elections began in Tamil Nadu with the byelection to RK Nagar, where chief minister J Jayalalithaa contested and won with a huge margin. The impending assembly el

No meaningful proceedings till resignations, says tough-talking Sonia

Parliamentary majority does not give anyone a license to escape accountability, said Sonia Gandhi on Monday morning and dashed to ground any hopes the government was harbouring on resumption of bus

Morning briefing: AAP, TMC, Left join Congress boycott of Lok Sabha

In a show of solidarity, nine opposition parties — Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI, JD(U), RJD, NCP, RSP, Muslim League and Aam Aadmi Party — have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha for t

Non-bailable warrant against Lalit Modi should bring Cong back to parliament

Will the Congress return to the parliamentary business now? A special court on Wednesday allowed the issuance of a non bailable warrant against Lalit Modi in a money laundering case. With this warr

Talking and taking a walk to Rashtrapati Bhavan will not help India

India woke up today to another day of uncertainty and ceaseless cacophony created by the politicians. Television screens screamed that today is last day of parliament`s monsoon session and no legis

PM Modi utters Emergency word while targeting Cong

The Rajya Sabha worked for just over nine hours of the 17-day session monsoon session of parliament, which ended today. Key legislation like the goods and services tax bill is pending in the RS.

Bengaluru polls: Cong lost grace too?

In a democracy political parties lose elections and some are won. And in a century of its existence the Congress party has many humiliating defeats and unbelievable victories. However, the party do

Mulayam deals a hard blow to Nitish & Lalu, breaks Bihar alliance

Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party have plenty to rejoice. The Samajwadi Party on Thursday pulled out of the `grand alliance` in poll-bound Bihar, dealing a blow to Nitish Kumar. The SP also

Haryana sets minimum qualifications for panchayat poll candidates

Haryana become the second state after Rajasthan to fix educational and other qualifications for the candidates contesting panchayat elections. The state Assembly on Monday passed a bill, fixing the

Narendra Modi brings back pride in Indians, his ratings take a leap

On his birthday there was a gift in numbers. Prime minister Narendra Modi`s favourability ratings have jumped to 87 per cent, according to a latest Pew survey released on Thursday. 

To run the country you need to take people along, Shourie tells PM Modi

Stop picking a new fight every day and to run the country you need to take people along. These are the words of advice for prime minister Narendra Modi by BJP leader Arun Shourie, who was once an a

Quota has to remain to end social backwardness

National commission for scheduled castes chairman P L Punia is a dalit leader from the Congress. He represented Barabanki constituency in Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014 and is cur

Morning briefing: Government agrees to some demands put forward by Congress on GST

In what could possibly thaw the ice between the Centre and Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh to

Morning briefing: Cong scores in rural Gujarat, BJP retains urban areas in civic polls

The Congress has made a comeback in the rural areas of Gujarat and won 21 of the 31 district panchayats, while the BJP retained its hold over urban pockets clinching all six municipal corporations

Morning briefing: Parliament business to be smooth as Cong decides to be constructive

The Congress has decided it will not obstruct non-contentious legislative business in parliament but strongly raise issues of public importance in both houses. A Congress strategy meeting chaired b

Delhi pollution: Curbs on vehicles gets 15 days test run

Public wrath is being expressed on the social media and the politicians have been gate-crashing on the issue of Delhi government`s move to curb movement of private vehicles in the capital due to ba

Morning briefing: Modi to address commanders meet being held outside Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addresses a combined commanders` conference onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya off the Kochi coast. The Combined Commanders` Conference is an annual th

Morning briefing: Prime minister meeting departmental secretaries today

Prime minister Narendra Modi is today meeting secretaries of the central government. Official sources said performance of various departments and development works being undertaken by them will be

Rebirth for GST bill as govt accepts Cong terms for its passage

The all important GST bill (goods and services tax bill) may get passed soon with the government agreeing to the conditions set by the Congress party to support the landmark tax reforms legislation

Modi quotes Rajiv, Somnath; should’ve also quoted Sushma, Jaitley

Prime minister Narendra Modi, replying to the debate after the president’s address, once again called on the opposition to cooperate in pushing ahead parliamentary business and pending legisl

Food security act still missing in Congress-ruled states, says Modi

Prime minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Congress’s pet project, National Food Security Act (NFSA), by saying that four states, out of 11 which “hurriedly” agreed to the Act, h

UPA withheld AgustaWestland info under RTI

Amidst uproar in parliament over corruption in the AgustaWestland chopper deal and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy’s attack on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, another twist in the tale has emerged. In

RTI Act: Why citizens must send a strong message to MPs

There is a very disturbing news report about the entire political spectrum agreeing that RTI is misused and some constrictions and impediments should be developed to muzzle it. This is indeed a sad

At least 283 TN candidates have criminal cases

As many as 283 candidates in the electoral fray in Tamil Nadu have declared criminal cases against themselves, showed an analysis of self-sworn affidavits of 997 of the 1,107 candidates by Tamil Na

AAP to give tough fight to BJP, Congress in Delhi civic bypolls

Arvind Kejriwal led-Aam Aadmi Party [AAP], which is contesting the municipal elections for the first time, is all set to give a stiff challenge to the BJP and the Congress in the Delhi civic bypoll

AAP makes huge splash in MCD bypolls, bags 5 seats

Arvind Kejriwal led-Aam Aadmi Party [AAP],  which contested the municipal elections for the first time, has won five seats in the Delhi civic bypolls. Congress managed to grab four while BJP w

Congress suffers setback; BJP smiles in Assam

As the BJP celebrated its magnificent victory in Assam, the outcome of assembly elections in five states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry – should make India&rsqu

When HRD minister entered in a nasty Twitter fight with Congress spokesperson

Political war that too on Twitter was a new low on Monday when HRD minister Smriti Irani entered in a Twitter spat with Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi. The nasty conversation started ove

Congress: Once a dream, today a nightmare

On May 19, after the results of the assembly elections were announced, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “We will work harder till we win the confidence & trust of people.&rdq

Kejriwal attacks BJP, Congress over parliamentary secretaries row

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today attacked the Centre saying that when the BJP appointed parliamentary secretaries it was legal and constitutional, but when AAP does the same, it`s illegal

“Uttarakhand should be allowed to have more seats in the assembly”

Harish Rawat has seen more ups and downs in two months than many see in decades. He is back in power in Uttarakhand, but facing a CBI inquiry over the alleged horse-trading sting. Ahead of his

Why Jagmati Sangwan resigned from CPI (M)

Jagmati Sangwan who resigned from Communist Party of India (Marxist) in protest against party’s refusal to accept that its alliance with Congress in West Bengal was key factor behind party&rs

[Statehood demand] is not realistic: Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit

Veteran Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, during her three consecutive terms as Delhi chief minister, often blamed the multiplicity of authorities in the national capital as an obstacle to develo

Five things to know about the SC verdict on Arunachal Pradesh

In yet another jolt to the BJP, the supreme court has ordered the reinstatement of the Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh, about four months after the party was ousted from power. Earlier in

In naming Dikshit, Congress tries to make a serious pitch

Sheila Dikshit, Congress veteran and former chief minister of the national capital, will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party for the Uttar Pradesh elections, scheduled for early next ye

Five things to know about political strategist Prashant Kishor

Political strategists often remain low-profile and prefer to be in the background. But Prashant Kishor grabbed headlines soon after BJP’s mammoth victory in the 2014 general elections. There

BJP to feel the heat on NSG and Kashmir from Congress

A combative Congress will raise issues like the ongoing violence in Kashmir and the fiasco of India’s unsuccessful attempt to join the Nuclear Supplier’s Group [NSG] in the monsoon sess

A season of political surprises

This is no laughing matter. Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former Indian cricketer who guffaws throughout The Kapil Sharma Show on television, has quit the BJP and his Rajya Sabha seat and there is a distin

BJP, Congress not in the clear as they slam AAP government advertisements

 Opposition is not necessarily enmity; it is merely misused and made an occasion for enmity, said          Sigmund Freud, one of 20th century’s most influential

Few Indians approve of the way Modi is tackling Pakistan, says Pew report

“Just 22 percent of the public approves of Modi’s management of India’s volatile relationship with Pakistan. Half disapprove. This harsh judgment is relatively unchanged from 2015

Prince of the waiting game finally makes a move

[This was the cover story of Governance Now a couple of years ago, September 16-30, 2010 to be precise. Little seems to have changed in the intervening period, except that this week Rahul Gandh

Rahul Gandhi and the art of waiting

 As reports suggest that Rahul Gandhi may indeed come to head the grand old party, we republish this analysis of the Congress vice president by a prominent social scientist, first publishe

Bangaru Laxman was ahead of times, he preferred dollars

Harshad Mehta The superhero stock-broker dropped a bomb in July 1993, when he told a press conference that he had paid prime minister PV Narasimha Rao a bribe of Rs

If you (really) want to fight black money, won’t Lokpal make more sense?

Remember the Lokpal? The one-point panacea for all corruption and black money. It is a law, on the statute book. And while the government has launched a surgical strike against black money that has

Donations to BJP far more than to other parties: ADR

 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) collected Rs 76.85 crores from 613 donations in the year 2015-16, which is the highest among all political parties. Indian National Congress (INC) party recei

Will Modi go UP or down? Here’s why all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh polls

The dangal is on. The election commission has announced dates to the assembly elections to five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur.  Chief election c

We will undo damage done to Punjab economy: Manmohan Singh

“This election manifesto is a forward looking visionary document, which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the state government in the last ten yea

Drug menace hangs heavy over Punjab polls

 It took some 330 odd days and over Rs 200 crore for the government of Punjab to create the 800 metre heritage street from Amritsar’s Town Hall to the Golden Temple. Inaugurated in Decem

Why any fight against black money is pointless unless it targets political parties

As much as 69 percent of the income of six national political parties and 51 regional parties has come from unknown sources, according to a long-term data analysis carried out by the Association fo

India’s richest civic body heads to polls

Elections to the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is the country’s richest civic body, will be held in February and political observers are expecting a split verdict. The reas

Convenient coalition vs. aspirational alliance

 It is that time when contesting parties take the road less travelled, woo their voters with dream schemes and swear by their promises. Each party attempts to gerrymander vote share and appeas

Convenient coalition vs. aspirational alliance

 It is that time when contesting parties take the road less travelled, woo their voters with dream schemes and swear by their promises. Each party attempts to gerrymander vote share and appeas

Hungama over hamam humour

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s comment on his predecessor Manmohan Singh’s alleged practice of using a raincoat in the bathroom has been met with hostile reactions. It’s difficult

AIMIM to contest Pune civic polls for the first time

“Our corporator is missing,” reads a banner on a defunct lamppost in Shaniwar Peth – a densely populated area in Pune, the second largest city of Maharashtra after Mumbai. Many mo

BMC polls throw up fractured mandate

 It’s a hung verdict in the elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, which is India’s richest civic body. Shiv Sena bagged 84 seats closely followed by BJP th

Modi`s magic intact; BJP can now take 2019 for granted

Bharatiya Janata Party’s spectacular show in the elections 2017 – especially, the victory in Uttar Pradesh, has put a stamp of invincibility on prime minister Narendra Modi’s pers

Punjab victory: A ‘gift’ for birthday boy Amarinder Singh

This Saturday, there could not have been a better birthday gift than this for Captain Amarinder Singh – a Congress victory in Punjab. And the icing on the cake – Amarinder Sin

Crestfallen Kejriwal shuts himself up in room

  As the votes got counted and the results by 11 am indicated a drubbing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa and Punjab, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal shut himself up in his room. 

Moneybags: 322 newly elected UP MLAs are crorepatis

  A staggering 80 percent of the newly elected MLAs in Uttar Pradesh are crorepatis, shows an analysis carried out by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which also said tha

Ghachar Ghochar in Goa

  The supreme court on Tuesday allowed Manohar Parrikar to be sworn-in as chief minister of Goa, but he must take the trust vote on Thursday.   Parri

Excess of saffron isn’t good

Anxiety and headache are just two of the side effects of saffron. Some people are also allergic to it. Pray what were you thinking – That this is about BJP’s victory and Yogi Adityanath

MCD elections: Delhi in decay

Work on the 1.6 km Rani Jhansi grade separator (road engineering jargon for a structure that allows traffic from different directions to flow without obstruction) began more than 19 years a

Arvind Kejriwal: A tornado loses force

On the sultry afternoon of April 1, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal rose to deliver his first campaign speech for the capital’s municipal corporation elections. The venue was Gau

Cooperative banks not playing to script

The cooperative banks, largely controlled by politicians, are today groaning under the weight of its own contraindication – it is flush with funds following demonetisation, yet it suffers fro

Will Delhi see the highest ever turnout in the upcoming civic polls?

Historically, voter turnout for local elections has lagged behind state assembly elections and general elections.    For example, a recent report by Jana

Ajay Maken fails to charm Delhi

The dismal performance of the Congress in the Municipal Corporations of Delhi elections forced party chief Ajay Maken to announce his resignation, ending an energetic effort to revive the

Private agency to assess Tamil Nadu Congress

 A private agency has been hired to assess the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC). Sources say Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has tied up with the private agency t

The president who knew his way

President Pranab Mukherjee, who demits office in July, has been known as a man “of the constitution”, a believer in it, and was called to be its custodian during the last five years. Hi

A prez all for people

Five years ago, when the Congress had finalised Pranab Mukherjee as its choice for the 13th president of India, the news-hungry media was eager to know if he had agreed. One day, he gave in to the

Staying with the Rashtrapati

  They may not have tweeted about it, as some did, or been vocal about it. But for the many guests who spent time at Rashtrapati Bhavan, as president Pranab Mukherjee’s guests, t

Why on earth did Rahul Gandhi meet Chinese envoy?

 There is a huge difference between chalk and cheese. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, it appears, has not developed acumen to decipher it. He is not a quick learner. But, when a major st

‘Not just Muslims, everyone is in fear and awe of Yogi Adityanath’

At 70, Dr Aziz Ahmad, a well-known homeopath and politician now with Congress, still has a busy practice in Abu Bazaar, in old Gorakhpur. During working hours, the lane in which he has a clinic

From Shah Bano to Shayara Bano: How Rajiv’s blunder undid secularism

History could have repeated itself as a farce, but in the triple talaq case today, there has been no replay. A historic blunder has been undone, though it has taken three decades. T

Melodramatic theatrics: Congress on Modi speech

The Congress described as “melodramatic theatrics” the speech by prime minister Nare

Too little, too late: Congress on GST changes

The Congress has criticised the changes made in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), say

In poll-bound Gujarat, what Rahul misses is Modi’s organisational strength

The assembly elections in Gujarat are expected by December, and the Elections Commission is touring the state on Monday to check the preparedness. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home st

Democracy inside

When prime minister Narendra Modi laid emphasis on internal democracy within political parties during a Diwali Milan interaction with the media in Delhi, he was merely echoing the sentiments of Sya

Himachal Polls: Why battling mafias will be an uphill task for Modi

Campaigning in Himachal Pradesh early in November, prime minister Narendra Modi raised the pitch for good governance when he spoke about ridding the state of the five demons of mining mafia, forest

Rahul should stop flaunting lineage as asset

As terror mastermind Hafeez Saeed walked free in Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi tweeted to ridicule prime minister Narendra Modi’s diplomacy, and in response BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao called

Forgotten riot victims of Ahmedabad are indifferent to polls

In Ahmedabad, any mention of this locality elicits quite a reaction. “There’s no point in going there. It’s been 15 years now. It’s all developed!” And I’d be te

Nehru, Kripalani, Bose… Rahul Gandhi has big shoes to fill

Rahul Gandhi, who becomes the Congress chief on Monday without opposition, is taking up a position that was once occupied by stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru, JB Kripalani and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Lesser known facts about Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi may get elected unopposed t

Congress leaders who could have been party president

The election for the Congress presidentship turned out to be a stroll in the park for Rahul Gandhi as nobody else filed nomination papers. It is not that the Congress doesn’t h

Gujarat Elections: Is BJP putting a new electoral strategy to test?

As the first phase of the Gujarat elections is on, one question that political pundits and common people alike are asking is: who is likely to win? Indeed, these elections are vital for the BJP, no

Gujarat Elections: For BJP, voters show both pride and prejudice

Familiarity, it is said, breeds contempt. But a two-decade-long association of a political party with the electorate is bound to unleash demons of contempt, jealousy and disaffection. 

Ascent and dissent

Rahul Gandhi has become the president of India’s grand old party. Nobody else wanted to, since none contested. By any parameter, it is not a welcome move in a democracy. Regardless of your vi

The fairy-tale thriller

Assembly elections in Gujarat, since 2002, have been like Churchill’s description of Russia – with a little twist: wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, but eventually a non-riddle.

BJP takes early lead in Gujarat, Himachal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surged ahead in the first hour of vote count in both Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.   The initial trends on Monday indicate that th

In Gujarat, all eyes on Ahmedabad

All eyes are on Gujarat as the vote count is on, but in the state all eyes might be on Ahmedabad. The chief city, and the early capital before the planned township of Gandhinagar cam

LIVE: Whatever the result, blame it on EVMs

9:13 am: Like failed political analysts, parties also look for an excuse to explain away their failures. Right from the word go, the opposition in Gujarat began with a bravado but

Could there be hung assemblies in Gujarat, Himachal?

An hour of vote count has showed that it is not going to be an easy win for the BJP in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh, as had been predicted by the numerous exit polls. While th

Himachal Verdict 2017: Game of alternation

 The neck-to-neck run of the Congress and the BJP so far, as figures of leads come in from Himachal Pradesh, may sharpen the appetite of punters betting on an upsetting of the alternation game

What a possible jolt in Gujarat can mean for governance

As of writing, there are only leads, and the gap between the BJP and the Congress is somewhat increasing. Yet, it looks like a close battle – not what all the exit polls had forecast.

Trends: BJP coasts past halfway mark in Gujarat

There was a time during the vote count when the BJP election managers may well have chewed through their nails as the Congress put up a spirited fight in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. But, soon the

Rahul Gandhi’s rise comes at the right moment

In future, the Gujarat elections might as well be remembered for the arrival of Rahul Gandhi.   Going by the leads, the Congress is certainly not going to win, and few ha

Modi flashes V sign

Prime minister Narendra Modi flashed the victory sign before entering parliament, as trends indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party was all set to retain Gujarat and win in Himachal Pradesh.

Twitter erupts in laughter with #GujaratVerdict

Going by the leads, the BJP is set to establish its stronghold in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Confident of his party’s victory, prime minister Narendra Modi even flashed a victory sign whil

Modi credits good governance for Gujarat, HP victories

Prime minister Narendra Modi has thanked voters of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and credit good governance for his party’s victories in the state assemblies. “I bow to th

Majoritarianism rules!

Just the facts first. In the Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate. No one expected it to; and its leaders make no bones about ignoring the nine percent Muslim

A short and succinct history of Gujarat elections

1934 The first elections After the British law paved the way for representational assemblies, the first elections were held in 1934. Gujarat was then part o

Jo Jita Wohi Sikandar, yes, but the victor is PM, not BJP

More often, a colloquial proverb sums up a complex political situation more aptly than scholarly formulations. If one looks at the Gujarat verdict, nothing summarises it more perfectly than the ada

For a Gujarati, BJP is what CPM was for a Bengali (with a rider)

The BJP is set to form the sixth government in Gujarat. Not counting a bump in 1996-98 thanks to its own rebel Shankarsinh Vaghela, the party has been in power since 1995, and shows no signs of ant

Development, religion, hindutva most discussed terms in #GujaratElection, says Twitter

Prime minister Narendra Modi emerged as the most mentioned personality, while Vijay Rupani emerged as the most mentioned candidate on Twitter, the social media giant said in a release.

Crime in Politics: The nexus

Prof Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) points out a stark irony of crime in Indian politics. “There are more than 3.5 lakh undertrials languishing in Indian pris

Crime in Politics: The dirty game

Criminalisation of politics is the focus of public debate when discussion on electoral reforms takes place. This issue gets amplified when data highlights an increasing number of candidates with

Karat then, Yechury now; Left leadership remains clueless

Much before Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury got marginalised within the party’s central committee last week over the possibility of an alliance with the C

Let the youth help in governance

 India is the largest democracy and the second largest populated country in the world. One-third of its population belongs to the youth in the age group of 15-29. Youth is a transition period

Modi blames Congress for partition

The partition happened due to the wrong policies of the Congress party, said prime minister Narendra Modi who called for building a new India. In the reply to the Motion of Thanks to

Political parties used only a third of what they collected for electioneering

National and regional parties collected a total of Rs 1503.21 crore and incurred a total expenditure of Rs 494.36 crore towards the five state assembly elections held in 2017, observed the Associat

More harm than good

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, has opted out of a meeting on the appointment of the Lokpal, a move that may end up further delaying the process for the country getting

Our freedoms are under attack: Sonia Gandhi

“Parliament is a forum for exchange of views. If you are not allowed to speak, then what is the point? We might as well shut down and go home,” said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at the

BJP IT cell chief tweets Karnataka poll dates before EC

In the age of ‘breaking news’, ‘breaking first’ and ‘super-exclusives’, authenticity of news and following basic journalistic norms is hardly given any importanc

BJP emerges as richest national party, income up by 81.18%

The Bharatiya Janata Party`s total income has increased by 81.18% in one financial year. In 2015-16, the party`s income was Rs 570.86 crores and this went up to Rs 1,034.27 crores during 2016-17. T

Congress’s real agenda is Save Dynasty: Amit Shah

As the Congress leads a bunch of opposition parties in preparing to move an impeachment motion against the chief justice of India, Dipak Misra, BJP president has said its real agenda is not to save

BJP lawmakers top the list in hate speech cases

Out of all MPs and MLAs in office, 58 have declared cases related to hate speech. This includes union minister for drinking water and sanitation Uma Bharti along with 14 other Lok Sabha MPs. The li

Expect Karnataka to thrash predictable political punditry

If political punditry is to be believed, the predictable outcome of the Karnataka election will invariably be a hung house. And this punditry is based on sound logic which is quite convincing for a

Some Sholay dialogues can help make sense of Karnataka polls

While driving down from Bengaluru to Mysuru, you come across a patch of hillocks near Ram Nagar, a place that provided the backdrop for the all-time hit Bollywood movie, Sholay. This was where vill

Voter, voter everywhere, but not a drop for them to drink…

One of the three big elections before the grand final next year is over. Predictably, there was mud-slinging and allegations, caste equations and mutt visits, histories and histrionics: With a pinc

Look who’s talking ethics in Karnataka?

 Just after the UP assembly election in 1996, I was among the scores of reporters waiting at Kalyan Singh’s residence, waiting to get the first inkling of the future course of the BJP. T

Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi of ignoring sr BJP leaders

Recently, while addressing a rally in Mumbai, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at prime minister, Narendra Modi. Gandhi called the PM as a “watchman of a handful of superrich”

Rahul’s messianic words don’t match dirty deeds of politics

Self-deception is an essential trait of a revolutionary, particularly of the Marxist variety. Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president seems too eager to internalise this trait in his politics.

It’s time for the Bullshit Season

It was nearly midnight at a small ground in Aminabad of Lucknow, and an enthusiastic crowd was waiting for VP Singh. This was in 1988, after the Bofors scandal had blown up in the face of prime min

RaGa puts a Cheshire cat on Rajiv’s big tree

You needn’t be thoroughly familiar with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to know about the Cheshire cat. Characters like Humpty Dumpty, the Red Queen and

Gaslighting: Decoding Rahul’s falsehoods against Modi & RSS

Demagoguery is elemental to politics. But the use of lies, rather patent lies, as an instrument of politics is a new trend. In the age of social media lies peddled with confidence acquire features

Modi raises battle cry with power packed slogans

In politics, the coining of slogans is nothing less than the work of literature. Like any good and creative piece of poetry or prose finds resonance with people, smart slogans set the political moo

Safety nets

Any mention of Rajasthan evokes many images: the ultimate princely state, the land of grandeur and valour, but also a place where life can be difficult.  The state is going to polls

Raman Singh routed by Peter Principle

To describe the Chhattisgarh assembly election result as defeat for the BJP will be a euphemism. It is a total rout in every sense of the term. And if Raman Singh met this fate after three full ter

Back to ‘lamppost politics’

The Indian electorate’s tryst with cyclical elections invented a phenomenon called ‘lamppost elections’. Implicit in this formulation was the notion that the people would elect a

A limp loss, a paltry victory

The Rajasthan assembly election outcome has thrown up many curious surprises. It was a near-unanimous prognosis, both of poll pundits and pre-poll surveys, that ruling BJP under Vasundhara Raje w

Modi’s reverse sweep reverses Mandal, counters opposition spin

In cricket, reverse sweep was an unconventional invention by some batsmen not only to neutralize the spin but score a big hit. Cricket analogies are often applied on Indian politics while analyzing

The Triptych and us

Some of the developments in India during the past four years, such as lynchings, growing polarisation among communities on caste and religious lines in every walk of life and the consequent fear ps

BJP receives staggering high donations in 2017-18

The total donations (above Rs 20,000) declared by the national parties was Rs 469.89 crore, from 4,201 donations, revealed a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report gives the

Betting on nostalgia

“Aandhi” (Storm), director Gulzar’s movie starring Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar, was made in 1975, when Indira Gandhi reigned supreme in Indian politics. The film, based on Ka

Budget and Modi’s ‘neo middle class’ strategy for elections

Those who have gained the most from the latest budget are the ones who are going to have the most crucial impact on the Lok Sabha election results. Who are they? They are hiding in plain sight. The

Not enough for the kids

The nation is virtually in election mode, and political parties are busy thinking up campaign strategies. But have MPs been making a mark in their constituencies? A study of malnutrition indicators

Priyanka’s ill-advised photo op with Azad reveals Congress diffidence in UP

Here is a picture of the late 1970s: prime minister Indira Gandhi calls on an ailing Sheikh Abdullah at a hospital in Srinagar. He had just been released and had taken over the reins of Jammu and K

Why AAP-Congress alliance could be a threat for BJP

The Congress party has unanimously supported Sheila Dikhshit`s decision to reject an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. With the Congress shutting the prospect of alliance, the natio

The chronicles of a gradual fadeout

Few know that LK Advani was often accused by Sangh Parivar apparatchiks of exercising ‘unilateralism’. In the history of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its earlier incarnation, th

Dequoting Rahul Gandhi`s Nyay scheme

“Today is a historic day.. It is on this day that the Congress party launched its final assault on poverty. 5 Crore of the poorest families in India, will receive Rs. 72,000 Per Y

Congress campaign: Perennially catching up?

The general elections of 2019 commence on April 11 and the last phase of campaigning in the 91 constituencies of 21 states is under way. Both prime minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rah

“Socialism is the most relevant ideology and will never wither away”

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is an archetypal Indian socialist, a Lohiaite whose tribe is practically extinct. In his personal life, he is extremely austere. In his political life, he is s

“I have a bigger reason and motivation to join politics”

Urmila Matondkar joined the Congress party and within just two months into politics, the actor is already surrounded by controversies – from being accused of making anti-Hindu comments to

Trafficking survivors’ votes don’t count

While the entire nation is agog with political grapevine, political parties are weighing on all options to lure voters by touching upon issues that impact their lives. Several parties, inc

“The people of Delhi will vote for change”

Senior Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit is the Lok Sabha candidate of her party from the Northeast Delhi constituency. In a conversation with Deexa Khanduri, she s

A coastal wind of change

It’s early summer still in Odisha, but the state is already in the grip of an intense heat wave. In the last few weeks, many places have been regularly recording temperatures of 40 degrees Ce

In pictures: Phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections begin

The fifth of the seven phases of general election 2019 is currently underway and a total of 51 seats across seven States have gone to polls.   Voting will take place in a

“Sometimes we wonder if we are living in a democracy at all”

Sharad Pawar is the grand old man of Indian politics. He is among the last stalwarts from a generation that is fading out. He has served as chief minister of Maharashtra four times and held crucial

The real winner will be the FPTP system

The ongoing parliamentary elections are in the concluding phase/ stage. Eventually, the results will be out on May 23. A huge number of candidates are, as usual, in the fray. There are claims and c

The Elephant dances

The 2019 parliamentary election in India is a humungous affair: about 890 million voters, nearly thrice the population of the United States, many months of planning, over a month of actual voting a

The Evolution of Modi

Gujarat was passing through a turbulent phase in the 1980s. The decade began middle class agitations against new reservation policies, and the caste friction turned communal under the watch of chie

How not to criticize Modi

Jairam Ramesh and Shashi Tharoor have stirred the hornet’s nest in the Congress. They have argued that the party should not “demonise” prime minister Narendra Modi. The two leader

Manmohan Singh favours ‘time-tested measures’ for economy

The much hyped ‘double engine’ model of governance on which the BJP is seeking votes has utterly failed, and Mumbai and Maharashtra have had to face some of the worst effects of economi

BJP wins Maharashtra, nearly there in Haryana

Banking on the continued Modi wave, the BJP, along with the ally Shiv Sena, won the Maharashtra assembly elections in Haryana, it ran out of steam and could not achieve the simple majority.

BJP-Sena alliance will go by pre-decided understanding: Fadnavis

Though the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena got fewer seats in the next Maharashtra assembly than what the exit polls had predicted, the alliance has retained its edge over the opp

Shiv Sena set to form government in Maharashtra

The BJP’s oldest ally Shiv Sena is once again parting ways, putting their alliance behind and preparing to form government in Maharashtra with the support of the NCP and Congress.

Power struggle, stalemate lead to president’s rule in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has been placed under the president’s rule after the leading contenders failed to make a head start in government formation amid tussle for power. Governor Bhagat S

Maharashtra set to get first Shiv Sainik CM

The conundrum in Maharashtra is moving towards resolution, as the Shiv Sena has secured the support of the ideological opponents, the Congress and the NCP, to form the government, after the BJP, th

Fadnavis is Maharashtra chief minister, after all

In the latest development in the unusual roller-coaster of events in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis of BJP was sworn in as chief minister Saturday morning, with Ajit Pawar of the NCP as deputy chie

Supreme court verdict on Maharashtra on Tuesday

Amid the high drama in Maharashtra politics, the supreme court has reserved its judgment on Tuesday, even as the Shiv Sena and NCP wrote to the governor, claiming they had the number to prove major

Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar quit after supreme court order on floor test

Devendra Fadnavis of BJP resigned as Maharashtra chief minister Tuesday afternoon, three after he was sworn in. Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar of NCP resigned as deputy chief minister. The dramatic

Maharashtra finally has a govt: now for the difficult part

Maharashtra finally has a government in place that has enough numbers, but its longevity may be tested time and again, given the differing ideological commitments of the three parties that make it

End of ideology, coalition politics and popular mandate?

On November 29, Uddhav Thackeray, the 19th chief minister of Maharashtra and the leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), won the vote of confidence in the 244-member Vidhan Sabha of Maharashtra. Wit

Thackeray keeps home with Shiv Sena, NCP gets finance, Cong revenue

Two weeks after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) came to power in Maharashtra on November 28 following a month-long political tug of war, chief minister Uddhav Thackerey has announced cabinet portfolios

Ajit Pawar returns as deputy CM – for the fourth time

Thirty-two days after taking oath as chief minister, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has expanded his council of ministers by inducting 26 cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state (M

Why Delhi elections are more crucial than you think

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) goes to polls on February 8, amid debates and protests for and against the amended citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC

You have to sometimes find your adversary No. 1: Prithviraj Chavan

Prithviraj Chavan, a senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister, is the key architect of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance that came to power after the three-day gov

Electoral bonds emerge as preferred mode of political donation

Electoral bonds, introduced in January 2018 to bring in transparency in political funding, has emerged as the preferred route for making donations to parties, according to an analysis of the partie

In Delhi, 672 candidates, chasing 1.47 crore votes

The national capital territory of Delhi (NCTD) is going to assembly elections on February 8, and the results will be out on February 11. Now that the candidates have filed their nominations, here i

Delhi votes in a crucial election

Delhi is voting today in a high-stakes assembly elections that have virtually been projected as a referendum on the CAA-NRC debate, which from the BJP dominated the high-decibel campaign. The rulin

Kejriwal’s AAP creates history in capital – again

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal rewrote the political playbook of the country, by repeating the stunning performance of 2015, as it won 62 of the 70 seats in Delhi assembly, leavin

Delhi elections: accounting for intangibles away from banal nationalism and hyper nationalism

The party that came into existence on the intangible timeworn issue of corruption, transparency and increasing public investment through public savings is going on winning elections in Delh

Naveen looks at caste for consolidation, critics sceptical

The opposition in Odisha was taken by surprise at the alacrity with which the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government amended the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. The resolution in

`Undeclared emergency`? Arun Jaitley`s answer recalls dark days

A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19 By Arun Jaitley, with a foreword by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Juggernaut Books, 384 pages, Rs 799 Arun Jaitley (

No open and shut case: Rajan on exit options

Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has cautioned that after opening up if you are forced to shut down it would that be devastating for economic activity as it would create a trust deficit. It would

Freedom of press in India is a myth: Tewari

Sections of the news media have degenerated into becoming the pet performing poodle of the government, says Manish Tewari, former information and broadcasting minister and a member of the Lok Sabha

Media in self-destruct mode: Kapil Sibal

Congress leader and former union minister Kapil Sibal feels the media, the fourth pillar of democracy, has actually dismantled itself and is in self-destruct mode. He was in a live

‘Media worst affected with massive job losses’

Coming down heavily on the government for economic de-growth and job losses, Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate has said that even before the Covid pandemic struck, the economy  h

“Women and child dept the busiest during lockdown”

Maharashtra’s women and child development minister Yashomati Thakur of the Congress is a member of the legislative assembly, representing Tivasa in Amravati district. She comes from a fam

Media under fear psychosis: Kumar Ketkar

The media is working under immense fear and compelled to align with the government failing which it is threatened by agencies like the enforcement directorate and income tax department, says Kumar

Pawar to take a call on Deshmukh

Amid political turmoil in Maharashtra over allegations made by the former Mumbai police chief, the ruling coalition allies met NCP chief Sharad Pawar late Sunday, leaving the fate of home minister

Govt better equipped to tackle second wave: Sudhanshu Trivedi

As many states face a huge resurge of Covid-19 cases, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, MP, Rajya Sabha, and national spokesperson, BJP, has said the government is better equipped to handle the second wave com

NCP will never ally with BJP: Nawab Malik

Ruling out reports of NCP and BJP coming together to form an alliance, Nawab Malik, Maharashtra cabinet minister and president of the Mumbai unit of NCP, has said BJP has always made such offers to

Deshmukh likely to challenge high court order in SC

Anil Deshmukh is reportedly considering approaching the supreme court Tuesday to challenge a Bombay high court order that had forced him to quit as home minister of Maharashtra a day earlier.

Probe agencies` credibility in doubt: Prithviraj Chavan

Raising concerns about the “leaks” of aspects of an ongoing investigation into incidents leading to political turmoil in Maharashtra, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Pr

Politicians trade charges as Covid breaks previous records in Maharashtra

A political war erupted between the centre and Maharashtra over supply of essentials including medicines and oxygen as the state struggles to control the raging Covid-19 amidst scarce health infras

Deshmukh seeks copy of ECIR for appearance before ED

Citing non-supply of a copy of the ‘enforcement case information report’ (ECIR) and related documents, former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday did not make per

Govt earned Rs 25 lakh crore from fuel hike: Mallikarjun Kharge

Slamming the Modi government on the issues of fuel price hike, inflation, economy and agriculture laws, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has alleged that the centre has

Government failed to manage second wave: Sanjay Jha

Attacking the Narendra Modi government for “mishandling” of Covid -19 and a large number of deaths, astronomically high fuel prices, rising inflation, and unemployment, political analys

BJP-RSS have never had elected presidents to date: Pawan Khera

In a scathing attack on the government, PawanKhera, national spokesperson of the Congress party, has said that the BJP is remote-controlled by RSS, an unregistered organisation that decides who the

Arrogance of Twitter didn’t work: Guru Prakash Paswan

BJP spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan has said if people want to do business in the country, they have to follow the law of land. Speaking with reference to the US-based Twitter’s friction wit

“Spending on penguins justified, they increased Mumbai zoo’s income”

Responding to the criticism from the opposition Congress and BJP for floating a tender of Rs 15 crore for the upkeep of seven penguins at the Byculla zoo, the the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municip

Maharashtra Congress to campaign against inflation

To protest against the rising fuel prices and inflation, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday announced a week-long awareness campaign, beginning on November 14, the birth

Why 40%? Priyanka should reserve 100% for women: Anila Singh

BJP spokesperson Anila Singh has ridiculed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary of All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh, for promising 40% reservation for women and said that

If Rahul is in race to prove himself a better Hindu, our efforts have paid off: Ram Madhav

Ram Madhav, a member of the RSS National Executive, has said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi proudly proclaiming to be a better Hindu is a welcome step and the opposition’s newfound claim t

KCR meets Thackeray, Pawar; talks a third front

Ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections, to form a strong third front of regional parties against the ruling BJP at the centre, Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekar Rao visited Mumbai and met

Dating the electorate, Valentine’s Day for political parties on March 10

A few days to go, when results of elections to five state assemblies will be announced on March 10th. At stake are 689 assembly seats, in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. BJP ha

Oppn giving publicity to ‘Kashmir Files’ by talking about it: Tehseen Poonawala

Responding to the popularity of the much-debated film ‘The Kashmir Files’, political analyst and social activist Tehseen Poonawala has asked the opposition, if it has no burning issues

First ever Party Spokespersons 50 Rankings launched by exchange4media group

In a first-of-its-kind initiative launched by the exchange4medi

Chintan Shivir 2022: Will Congress regain its lost mojo?

The Congress is scheduled to hold a Chintan Shivir (meaning, ‘introspection camp’) from May 13th to 15th in Udaipur and it has identified six specific areas for introspection. These are

Mumbai civil body refutes allegations of scam in tenement scheme

The BrihanMumbai municipal corporation (BMC) has rejected the Congress accusations of financial irregularities worth Rs 8,000 crore—9,000 croe in awarding contracts for getting project-affect

Places of Worship Act: Time for a second look?

A videography survey in the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi this month, along with a similar survey in the mosque in Mathura permitted by a court, has brought the Places of Worship Act under focus afte

Uddhav Thackeray resigns as chief minister of Maharashtra

Minutes after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test on Wednesday night, Uddhav Thackeray in a televised address resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra and also as a member of legislative co

Metro 3 car shed to stay at Aarey, say new CM Shinde

Former Maharashtra chief minister Davendra Fadnavis stunned all at a press conference Thursday and named Eknath Shinde, the rebel MLA from Shiv Sena, as the next chief minister. Though Fadnavis sai

NCP’s Ajit Pawar is LoP in Maharashtra assembly

After the Bharatiya Janta Party orchestrated rebellion in the Shiv Sena partly led by Eknath Shinde who took away with him a majority of MLAs, the Eknath Shinde-BJP government proved majority in th

With Modi wave, BJP breaks Gujarat record

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat since 1998, and the state proved to be its springboard for the national sweep in 2014. Yet, it never came even close to the highest tally of 149 seats (out of t

Dust settles: In new Gujarat assembly, 22% members have criminal cases

As many as 40 – or 22% – of the 182 members of the new Gujarat assembly have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Refor

Karnataka: More than half the winners have declared criminal background

As many as 122 winners of the Karnataka assembly elections, that is to say, more than half of the 224 MLAs, have declared criminal background, according to an analysis by the Association for Democr

"I am NCP president," says Sharad Pawar as Ajit stakes claim to party

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar-led group on Thursday passed a resolution against the rebel faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar during the National Executive meeting held

Govt has saddled the country with Rs 200 lakh crore debt: Kharge

Hitting out at prime minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that it has saddled the country with a debt of Rs 200 lakh crore and atrocities against Dalits have increased

Large part of national parties’ income from ‘unknown sources’

Between FY 2004-05 and 2022-23, the national political parties collected Rs 19,083.08 crore from unknown sources, according to an analysis made by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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