Politics
Parliamentary panel meetings called off due to staff Covid infections
With the spike in Covid-19 cases in Delhi and over 400 staff members testing positive for the virus in Parliament, the pandemic has led to the cancellation of standing committee meetings. Till now, at least five standing committee meetings have been cancelled after taking stock of the situation as...
Goa minister quits BJP ahead of poll
Goa minister and BJP MLA Michael Lobo on Monday resigned from the Pramod Sawant-led ministry and also as member of the Legislative Assembly, ahead of the state polls scheduled next month. Lobo, who represented the Calangute Assembly constituency, submitted his resignations to the chief minister’s office and the Goa...
Setback for Cong as another senior leader joins SP
In what could be termed as another setback for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, senior party leader Imran Masood on Sunday confirmed that he will be switching to Samajwadi Party soon as the fight in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections was mainly between the SP and BJP. The move by Masood was speculated since September last year after he had openly praised Samajwadi Party terming it as the main contender for the 2022 UP polls. As per news agency ANI, the...
Farmers party leader rules out alliance with AAP
Sanyukt Samaj Morcha leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Sunday ruled out the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party for next month’s Punjab Assembly polls and said they will declare their candidates within a week. Various Punjab farmer bodies who had taken part in the stir against the Centre’s now...
EC warns parties against hate speeches
The Election Commission on Saturday cautioned political parties over hate speeches and said it is closely monitoring social media posts to ensure clean assembly polls in five states. Political parties and their candidates must ensure that their supporters do not indulge in hate speeches and fake news, Chief...
Cong ready to take support of any party to defeat BJP: Chidambaram
The Congress is ready to accept the support of any party that is keen to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections, senior leader P Chidambaram said on Saturday. His statement has come shortly after Trinamool Congress Party’s Goa desk in-charge Mahua Moitra suggested that the...
BJP forms ‘Mandir Prakoshth’ to woo Brahmins before polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has established a mandir prakoshth (temple cell) to woo the Brahmin community ahead of the crucial Assembly elections this year and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Senior party leaders said the panel, formed after a “suggestion” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came into being...
Non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray in 2008 case
A local court in Parli of Maharashtra’s Beed district has issued a non-bailable warrant against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for failing to appear before it in a 2008 case registered against him. A case was registered against Thackeray and MNS activists under sections 143 (unlawful...
Naqvi ridicules UPA Govt’s 15-point plan for Muslims
Union minister of minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that the ‘PM’s 15-Point Programme’ based on the Sachar Committee recommendations was just an eyewash by the UPA government. The minister made the comment during an exclusive conversation with News18 Urdu’s Khurram Ali Shahzad. Naqvi asked when and where injustice...
Modi’s security breach to figure in BJP’s poll pitch
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to highlight the breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security cavalcade on Wednesday to expose the law and order situation in the poll-bound border state of Punjab. Modi who was to address the party’s rally in Ferozepur could not reach the venue...
Amarinder says President’s Rule needed in Punjab
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday termed the security lapse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a rally in Punjab’s Ferozepur as an “absolute failure of the Punjab government” and said the imposition of Presidential Rule is needed to ensure law and order in the state....
Cong ‘one family, one ticket’ rule to counter ‘dynasty’ charge
The Congress has given its approval to the ‘one family, one ticket’ rule for the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. This can potentially throw several senior party leaders or their family members out of the poll fray. Prominent among those likely to be affected are chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s...
Sena minister for Bihar-type power sharing with BJP
Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar on Tuesday said only Union minister Nitin Gadkari can bridge the differences between their two parties and hinted at the Bihar formula for sharing power in the state. Sattar, a minister of state in the Maharashtra government, made the remarks after...
DD plans ‘development story of UP’ conclave ahead of poll
Weeks ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls, state-owned Doordarshan (DD) News has planned a two-day conclave in Lucknow—including one-on-one interactions with political leaders and panel discussions with domain experts—on the “developmental story of Uttar Pradesh” and topics that “frame the progress of the state”, News18.com has learnt. The...
Shantanu Thakur bargains for more Matua representation
After union minister Shantanu Thakur exited the West Bengal BJP WhatsApp Group on January 3, he held a meeting with five other party MLAs, at his residence on Tuesday. Thakur and the five lawmakers have decided to put forth some demands before the party, including Matua representation in the...
Speculation about Union minister from Bengal joining TMC
In a possible setback for the BJP in West Bengal, Union minister Shantanu Thakur left the West Bengal BJP WhatsApp Group on Monday, sparking speculations as many within the party feel he is trying to send feelers to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. Sources close to Thakur told CNN-News18 that...
Karnataka IT minister, MP almost come to blows on stage
Karnataka information technology minister Ashwath Narayana and Congress MP DK Suresh almost came to blows in public on Monday while chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who remained a silent spectator, was sharing the same dais. The incident happened during an event in Ramanagara district. The event was Bommai’s first function...
Chief defends lone lady member on panel to study marriage age bill
In the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, of the 31 members who would be examining the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill that was introduced in Lok Sabha during the winter session, only one is woman lawmaker. Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev, the only...
