<p>The Election Commission today issued the notifications for the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly elections.</p>

<p>Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, F R Kharkongor said&nbsp;that &quot;The Election Commission has issued notifications for the elections in the state.&quot;</p>

<p>The tenure of the current 60-member Meghalaya Assembly ends on March 6 and the state will go to the polls on February 27.</p>

<p>With the issuance of the election notification, the filing of nomination started today.</p>

<p>The last date of filing nominations is February 7 while the date of scrutiny of nomination is February 8.</p>

<p>The last date of withdrawal of candidates is February 12.</p>

<p>The counting of votes will take place on March 3.</p>

<p>Voter Verified Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) will be used along with EVMs in the election.</p>


With the issuance of the election notification, the filing of nomination started today

The Election Commission today issued the notifications for the February 27 Meghalaya Assembly elections. Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, F R Kharkongor said that "The Election Commission has issued notifications for the elections in the state." The tenure of the current 60-member Meghalaya Assembly ends on March 6 and the state will go to the polls on February 27. With the issuance of the election notification, the filing of nomination started today. The last date of filing nominations is February 7 while the date of scrutiny of nomination is February 8. The last date of withdrawal of candidates is February 12. The counting of votes will take place on March 3. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) will be used along with EVMs in the election.

Election Commission issues Meghalaya Assembly election notification

<p>Counting of votes for the Rajasthan bypolls in two Lok Sabha and one Assembly constituency, a crucial contest ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year, will take place tomorrow.</p>

<p>The counting of votes of the Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats will be done in the respective constituencies, whereas it will take place in Bhilwara for the Mandalgarh Assembly seat, a spokesperson of the state election department said.</p>

<p>A total of 42 candidates are in the fray for the bypolls to the three seats, the election to which was held on Monday.</p>

<p>In Alwar, Jaswant Singh Yadav of BJP and Karan Singh Yadav of the Congress have contested the election, while Raghu Sharma of the Congress and BJP&#39;s Ram Swaroop Lamba locked horns in Ajmer.<br />
In Mandalgarh, BJP&#39;s Shakti Singh Hada and Congress&#39;s Vivek Dhakad are poised for a tough fight.</p>

<p>The bypolls on all the three seats were necessitated after the sudden death of BJP MPs Sanwarlal Jat from Ajmer, Mahant Chand Nath Yogi from Alwar, and MLA Kirti Kumari from Mandalgarh.&nbsp;</p>


The counting of votes of the Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats will be done in the respective constituencies

Counting of votes for the Rajasthan bypolls in two Lok Sabha and one Assembly constituency, a crucial contest ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year, will take place tomorrow. The counting of votes of the Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats will be done in the respective constituencies, whereas it will take place in Bhilwara for the Mandalgarh Assembly seat, a spokesperson of the state election department said. A total of 42 candidates are in the fray for the bypolls to the three seats, the election to which was held on Monday. In Alwar, Jaswant Singh Yadav of BJP and Karan Singh Yadav of the Congress have contested the election, while Raghu Sharma of the Congress and BJP's Ram Swaroop Lamba locked horns in Ajmer. In Mandalgarh, BJP's Shakti Singh Hada and Congress's Vivek Dhakad are poised for a tough fight. The bypolls on all the three seats were necessitated after the sudden death of BJP MPs Sanwarlal Jat from Ajmer, Mahant Chand Nath Yogi from Alwar, and MLA Kirti Kumari from Mandalgarh.

Counting of votes in Rajasthan bypolls to take place on Thursday

<p>In his maiden Parliamentary address -- which also marked the beginning of the first phase of the budget session -- President Kovind talked about the possibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections this year.</p>

<p>In his address, President Kovind noted that holding frequent elections burden the economy as well as other resources. He called for a &quot;sustained debate&quot; on the matter participated by all political parties and entities so that a consensus can be achieved on the same.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Time and again, the Modi-government hinted at the possibility of going in for an early Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Soon after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/economic-survey-turns-pink-asks-indians-to-confront-son-preference-31091">Economic Survey</a> was tabled in the Parliament yesterday, PM Modi held a meeting with his leaders and touched upon the idea of debating the matter to create a &#39;positive atmosphere&#39; for the proposal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PM also batted for simultaneous elections for the simple reason that holding frequent elections meddle with the development exercises and cause a huge financial burden on the economy.</p>

<p>In an interview with WION earlier this month, PM&nbsp;Modi had noted that the assembly elections this year must happen along with the Lok Sabha elections. &quot;If the elections happen together, then the country can save a lot,&quot; PM Modi noted. He also shared that he had already shared the idea with various policymakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karnataka along with three northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland are slated for assembly polls this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi&#39;s term will end in May 2019.</p>


In his address, Kovind noted that holding frequent elections burden the economy

In his maiden Parliamentary address -- which also marked the beginning of the first phase of the budget session -- President Kovind talked about the possibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections this year. In his address, President Kovind noted that holding frequent elections burden the economy as well as other resources. He called for a "sustained debate" on the matter participated by all political parties and entities so that a consensus can be achieved on the same. Time and again, the Modi-government hinted at the possibility of going in for an early Lok Sabha elections. Soon after the Economic Survey was tabled in the Parliament yesterday, PM Modi held a meeting with his leaders and touched upon the idea of debating the matter to create a 'positive atmosphere' for the proposal. The PM also batted for simultaneous elections for the simple reason that holding frequent elections meddle with the development exercises and cause a huge financial burden on the economy. In an interview with WION earlier this month, PM Modi had noted that the assembly elections this year must happen along with the Lok Sabha elections. "If the elections happen together, then the country can save a lot," PM Modi noted. He also shared that he had already shared the idea with various policymakers. Karnataka along with three northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland are slated for assembly polls this year. PM Modi's term will end in May 2019.

President Kovind's first Parliamentary address suggests early Lok Sabha polls

<p>The Modi government will be trying to woo back rural voters and small businesses when it announces the 2018/19 budget on Thursday and pick up economic momentum as it heads into a season of elections, officials said.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extolling India as a model of economic growth and political openness, told the World Economic Forum in Davos last week the country would be a $5 trillion economy by 2025, more than double its current size.</p>

<p>But at home, PM Modi is facing voter discontent over falling farm incomes and the lack of jobs for hundreds of thousands of youth entering the labour force each month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This month, the government lowered its gross domestic growth forecast for the year ending March, 2018 to 6.5 percent, the weakest pace in four years. Growth slowed down because of a chaotic rollout of a nationwide goods and service tax (GST) last year and a shock move to ban high-value currency notes in late 2016.</p>

<p>PM Modi&#39;s ruling alliance barely scraped through an election in his home state of Gujarat last month and is now faced with elections in eight states spread over 2018 and a general election that must be held by May next year.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-few-jobs-rural-hardship-weak-investment-weak-spots-of-union-budget-31048">Few jobs, rural hardship, weak investment weak spots of Union Budget</a></p>

<p>Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will likely step up funding of existing rural programmes such as a jobs guarantee scheme, rural housing and a crop insurance plan in what will be his final full year budget before the general election.</p>

<p>Budget proposals are a closely guarded secret, but a finance ministry official with direct knowledge of the discussions said: &quot;The government&#39;s top priority is to create jobs and boost growth.&quot;</p>

<p>The official added: &quot;The budget is likely to offer incentives to the farm sector and small businesses.&quot;</p>

<p>Small businesses form the core support base of PM Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party and they are hurting over the implementation of the GST, with its cumbersome compliance procedures, and the demonetization policy that sucked cash out of the system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaitley is also expected to stay the course on a massive plan to build highways, modernize the railways and end infrastructure bottlenecks that have long hobbled Asia&#39;s third-largest economy.</p>

<p>As early as November, as he began laying out his priorities, Jaitley said at a conference of government and industry leaders that &quot;two areas to concentrate on in the upcoming budget are rural India and development of infrastructure.&quot;</p>

<p>India&#39;s growth should pick up to 7.4 percent in 2018 as against China&#39;s 6.6 percent, the IMF said this month, as the twin effects from the tax reform and demonetization wear off.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Fiscal </strong><strong>pressures</strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>But the space for fiscal expansion remains limited at a time when the budget deficit is expected to breach the target of 3.2 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year for the first time in five years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Within the context of weak economic growth, we believe Jaitley faces a difficult balance in supporting growth without compromising significantly fiscal prudence (which could feed into higher inflation and potentially higher interest rates),&quot; Goldman Sachs said in a pre-budget note.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Already, rising inflation, tightening cash conditions, and worries about a less fiscally prudent government have sparked a sharp sell-off in India&#39;s bond markets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A budget that significantly expands the deficit in the next fiscal year could spark a further sell-off, leading to a continued rise in bond yields that could raise borrowing costs at a time when the government is seeking to stimulate growth.</p>

<p>The government&#39;s scope to increase revenues is limited because the power to levy indirect taxes, which make up about half of total tax collections, has been transferred to the Goods and Services Tax Council that is administering India&#39;s biggest tax reform in 70 years.</p>

<p>Jaitley retains control over direct taxes that cover personal and corporate taxes, and in both there could be slight concessions for smaller businesses and the smaller taxpayers, a second finance ministry official said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Firms with an annual turnover of 500 million rupees ($7.87 million) or less are charged 25 percent corporate tax instead of the standard 30 percent but there is a proposal to move businesses with greater turnover into the lower tax band, the official said.</p>

<p>Jaitley had promised in 2015 to lower corporate taxes in four years to bring them more in line with Asia&#39;s average corporate tax of 21.91 percent at the time. But there is little expectation of a sharp move in that direction, economists said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government is likely to look for additional revenues from stake sales and could set a 2018/19 target of 1 trillion rupees, according to a banker involved in the asset divestment programme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>New Delhi looks set to bring asset sales of about 925 billion rupees in this financial year, well above the 725 billion rupee target, officials said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
National flag carrier Air India is expected to be sold in the first half of 2018, spurred by a government decision to allow foreign airlines to take a 49 percent share. Foreign players could earlier invest in India&#39;s private airlines, but not the state airline.</p>

<p>Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan said that at this stage, India would grow faster if the government were to execute the programmes it has committed itself to, rather than opt for a large dose of fiscal expansion.</p>

<p>&quot;We have to focus, if you want enhanced growth, not in terms of fiscal stimulus, but in terms of implementation of all the projects that have been announced, the schemes that have been announced,&quot; he told an Indian television channel on the margins of the Davos conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We need to take a look at all that stuff and make sure it`s working. I would like to see a budget focused more on implementation.&quot;</p>


The budget is likely to offer incentives to the farm sector and small businesses

The Modi government will be trying to woo back rural voters and small businesses when it announces the 2018/19 budget on Thursday and pick up economic momentum as it heads into a season of elections, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extolling India as a model of economic growth and political openness, told the World Economic Forum in Davos last week the country would be a $5 trillion economy by 2025, more than double its current size. But at home, PM Modi is facing voter discontent over falling farm incomes and the lack of jobs for hundreds of thousands of youth entering the labour force each month. This month, the government lowered its gross domestic growth forecast for the year ending March, 2018 to 6.5 percent, the weakest pace in four years. Growth slowed down because of a chaotic rollout of a nationwide goods and service tax (GST) last year and a shock move to ban high-value currency notes in late 2016. PM Modi's ruling alliance barely scraped through an election in his home state of Gujarat last month and is now faced with elections in eight states spread over 2018 and a general election that must be held by May next year. Also read: Few jobs, rural hardship, weak investment weak spots of Union Budget Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will likely step up funding of existing rural programmes such as a jobs guarantee scheme, rural housing and a crop insurance plan in what will be his final full year budget before the general election. Budget proposals are a closely guarded secret, but a finance ministry official with direct knowledge of the discussions said: "The government's top priority is to create jobs and boost growth." The official added: "The budget is likely to offer incentives to the farm sector and small businesses." Small businesses form the core support base of PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and they are hurting over the implementation of the GST, with its cumbersome compliance procedures, and the demonetization policy that sucked cash out of the system. Jaitley is also expected to stay the course on a massive plan to build highways, modernize the railways and end infrastructure bottlenecks that have long hobbled Asia's third-largest economy. As early as November, as he began laying out his priorities, Jaitley said at a conference of government and industry leaders that "two areas to concentrate on in the upcoming budget are rural India and development of infrastructure." India's growth should pick up to 7.4 percent in 2018 as against China's 6.6 percent, the IMF said this month, as the twin effects from the tax reform and demonetization wear off. Fiscal pressures But the space for fiscal expansion remains limited at a time when the budget deficit is expected to breach the target of 3.2 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year for the first time in five years. "Within the context of weak economic growth, we believe Jaitley faces a difficult balance in supporting growth without compromising significantly fiscal prudence (which could feed into higher inflation and potentially higher interest rates)," Goldman Sachs said in a pre-budget note. Already, rising inflation, tightening cash conditions, and worries about a less fiscally prudent government have sparked a sharp sell-off in India's bond markets. A budget that significantly expands the deficit in the next fiscal year could spark a further sell-off, leading to a continued rise in bond yields that could raise borrowing costs at a time when the government is seeking to stimulate growth. The government's scope to increase revenues is limited because the power to levy indirect taxes, which make up about half of total tax collections, has been transferred to the Goods and Services Tax Council that is administering India's biggest tax reform in 70 years. Jaitley retains control over direct taxes that cover personal and corporate taxes, and in both there could be slight concessions for smaller businesses and the smaller taxpayers, a second finance ministry official said. Firms with an annual turnover of 500 million rupees ($7.87 million) or less are charged 25 percent corporate tax instead of the standard 30 percent but there is a proposal to move businesses with greater turnover into the lower tax band, the official said. Jaitley had promised in 2015 to lower corporate taxes in four years to bring them more in line with Asia's average corporate tax of 21.91 percent at the time. But there is little expectation of a sharp move in that direction, economists said. The government is likely to look for additional revenues from stake sales and could set a 2018/19 target of 1 trillion rupees, according to a banker involved in the asset divestment programme. New Delhi looks set to bring asset sales of about 925 billion rupees in this financial year, well above the 725 billion rupee target, officials said. National flag carrier Air India is expected to be sold in the first half of 2018, spurred by a government decision to allow foreign airlines to take a 49 percent share. Foreign players could earlier invest in India's private airlines, but not the state airline. Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan said that at this stage, India would grow faster if the government were to execute the programmes it has committed itself to, rather than opt for a large dose of fiscal expansion. "We have to focus, if you want enhanced growth, not in terms of fiscal stimulus, but in terms of implementation of all the projects that have been announced, the schemes that have been announced," he told an Indian television channel on the margins of the Davos conference. "We need to take a look at all that stuff and make sure it`s working. I would like to see a budget focused more on implementation."

Budget 2018: With assembly elections lined up, government to woo rural voters

<p>In a major blow to Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission is learnt to have recommended to the President the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit.</p>

<p>In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind, the Election Commission said by being parliamentary secretaries, they held office of profit and were liable to be disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi Assembly, highly placed sources said.</p>

<p>The President is bound to go by the recommendation of the Commission. In cases where petitions are made seeking disqualification of lawmakers, the President sends a reference to the EC which decides on the case by sending back its opinion.</p>

<p>In the present case, the petition was made to disqualify 21 MLAs, but one had resigned a few months back.</p>

<p>There, however, was no official word from the Commission.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Recommendation on AAP MLAs is sub judice, will not comment on what recommendation has been given to the President: Election Commission on reports of disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs in Office of Profit case.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/954280855890886656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>When contacted, Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said since the matter is sub judice, he would not offer any comment on the issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With PTI inputs)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The controversy over the "office of profit" started soon after the AAP's victory in the Assembly elections in Delhi.

In a major blow to Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission is learnt to have recommended to the President the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit. In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind, the Election Commission said by being parliamentary secretaries, they held office of profit and were liable to be disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi Assembly, highly placed sources said. The President is bound to go by the recommendation of the Commission. In cases where petitions are made seeking disqualification of lawmakers, the President sends a reference to the EC which decides on the case by sending back its opinion. In the present case, the petition was made to disqualify 21 MLAs, but one had resigned a few months back. There, however, was no official word from the Commission. Recommendation on AAP MLAs is sub judice, will not comment on what recommendation has been given to the President: Election Commission on reports of disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs in Office of Profit case. — ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2018 × When contacted, Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said since the matter is sub judice, he would not offer any comment on the issue. (With PTI inputs)

Election Commission disqualifies 20 AAP MLAs for holding 'office of profit'

<p>The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the polling date for Assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland in the national capital on Thursday.</p>

<p>The Legislative Assembly elections 2018 in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland will be held in a single phase.</p>

<p>The polling in all the three states is likely to be held in February.</p>


The polling in all the three states is likely to be held in February.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the polling date for Assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland in the national capital on Thursday. The Legislative Assembly elections 2018 in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland will be held in a single phase. The polling in all the three states is likely to be held in February.

Election commission to announce dates for Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland polls today

<p>In a major setback to the ruling Congress, four MLAs in Meghalaya joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Minister KJ Alphons and national general secretary Ram Madhav, on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The four legislators, including Congress&#39;Alexander Hek, resigned from the Meghalaya Assembly to join the ruling-Centre.</p>

<p>The development comes ahead of the scheduled&nbsp;2018 state assembly elections.</p>

<p>Last year, five MLAs of Mukul Sangma-led Congress government resigned from the state Assembly to join National People&#39;s Party, an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The five MLAs included former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh also.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP state President Shibun Lyngdoh said all the four legislators decided to join the BJP after observing the overall performance of the BJP-led NDA government at the national level.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Ram Madhav credited the induction of Congress MLAs in BJP to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>As of now, Congress stands with 24 MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.&nbsp;</p>


Ram Madhav credited the induction of Congress MLAs in BJP to PM Modi

In a major setback to the ruling Congress, four MLAs in Meghalaya joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Minister KJ Alphons and national general secretary Ram Madhav, on Tuesday. The four legislators, including Congress'Alexander Hek, resigned from the Meghalaya Assembly to join the ruling-Centre. The development comes ahead of the scheduled 2018 state assembly elections. Last year, five MLAs of Mukul Sangma-led Congress government resigned from the state Assembly to join National People's Party, an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The five MLAs included former deputy chief minister Rowell Lyngdoh also. BJP state President Shibun Lyngdoh said all the four legislators decided to join the BJP after observing the overall performance of the BJP-led NDA government at the national level. Earlier in the day, Ram Madhav credited the induction of Congress MLAs in BJP to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As of now, Congress stands with 24 MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.

Meghalaya: 4 MLAs quit Congress to join BJP ahead of assembly elections

<p>Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up another controversy, mocking secularists with his remark that they are unaware of their parentage.</p>

<p>The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state and sparked condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the BJP leader does not know the parliamentary or political language.</p>

<p>Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel &quot;happy&quot; if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.</p>

<p>&quot;I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don&#39;t know what to call those who claim themselves secular,&quot; said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. &quot;Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don&#39;t have their own identity. They don&#39;t know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals,&quot; he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town of Koppal district on Monday.</p>

<p>He launched the Parishad&#39;s website and women&#39;s wing. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, &quot;I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are.&quot;</p>

<p>He said he respects the Constitution but it &quot;will be changed&quot; in the days to come. &quot;We are here for that and that is why we have come,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know the parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India.</p>

<p>&quot;Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge,&quot; Siddaramaiah told reporters in Hubballi.</p>

<p>Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his &quot;hate speeches&quot;, including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism.</p>

<p>Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate &quot;Kasab Jayanti&quot;, referring to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai&nbsp;terrorist attacks.</p>

<p>Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultan&#39;s birth anniversary on 10 November. The union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a &quot;shameful event glorifying a brutal killer.&quot;</p>


Ananth Kumar Hegde added that he respects the Constitution but that it 'will be changed' in the days to come

Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up another controversy, mocking secularists with his remark that they are unaware of their parentage. The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state and sparked condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the BJP leader does not know the parliamentary or political language. Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu. "I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity. They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town of Koppal district on Monday. He launched the Parishad's website and women's wing. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are." He said he respects the Constitution but it "will be changed" in the days to come. "We are here for that and that is why we have come," he said. Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know the parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India. "Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Hubballi. Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism. Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate "Kasab Jayanti", referring to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary on 10 November. The union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a "shameful event glorifying a brutal killer."

'Those who call themselves secular don't know about their parentage,' says Karnataka MP

<p>Counting of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">votes for the Gujarat</a> and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections began today amid high security.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to early leads just in, BJP is leading in 52 seats with the Congress close behind leading in 35 seats, others(Independents, small parties) are leading in 2 seats.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Himachal Pradesh which is currently</a> being led by a Congress government has 68 seats. Presently, the BJP is leading in 2 seats.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> Postal ballot counting underway; visuals from a counting center in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vadodara?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vadodara</a> <a href="https://t.co/O1ZP9JuLSk">pic.twitter.com/O1ZP9JuLSk</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Counting of postal ballots underway; visuals from a counting center in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shimla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shimla</a>&#39;s Kasumpti <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradeshElections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradeshElections</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkFIi3Gtmq">pic.twitter.com/jkFIi3Gtmq</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942586435198115841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Himachal Pradesh which is currently being led by a Congress government has 68 seats. Presently, the BJP is leading in 2 seats.

Counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections began today amid high security. According to early leads just in, BJP is leading in 52 seats with the Congress close behind leading in 35 seats, others(Independents, small parties) are leading in 2 seats. Himachal Pradesh which is currently being led by a Congress government has 68 seats. Presently, the BJP is leading in 2 seats. #GujaratElection2017 Postal ballot counting underway; visuals from a counting center in #Vadodara pic.twitter.com/O1ZP9JuLSk — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Counting of postal ballots underway; visuals from a counting center in #Shimla's Kasumpti #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/jkFIi3Gtmq — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 ×

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections: Counting of votes begin, BJP takes early lead in both states

<p>Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday said party president-elect Rahul Gandhi had always been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India and would infuse a new energy into the party.</p>

<p>&quot;It is a momentous occasion for the Congress Party. For 19 years, Sonia Gandhi has led the Congress. Rahul Gandhi has been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India who has elected him as the president of the party. It&#39;s a matter of great joy. Rahul Gandhi has a lot of challenges ahead of him. He is an honest person. He allows space for discussion with humility. His becoming the president will infuse a new energy into the Congress Party,&quot; Pilot told ANI.</p>

<p>He also stated that in 2019 Assembly elections, the Congress would remain the only party to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally, which it even now it is.</p>

<p>&quot;In 2019 elections, the only party to challenge the BJP nationally is and will remain the Congress party. I am very confident that he will lead the party with a lot of energy and be able to overcome the challenges,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11 pm. He was elected unopposed.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a day ahead of his formal elevation as the Congress president, the Youth Congress office in New Delhi was lit up, yesterday.</p>

<p>The celebrations began as party workers danced outside the office with drum rolls.</p>

<p>The Congress office in Lucknow was also decorated with lights.</p>

<p>The party is also set to organise a grand celebration in the national capital.&nbsp;</p>


Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11pm. He was elected unopposed.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday said party president-elect Rahul Gandhi had always been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India and would infuse a new energy into the party. "It is a momentous occasion for the Congress Party. For 19 years, Sonia Gandhi has led the Congress. Rahul Gandhi has been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India who has elected him as the president of the party. It's a matter of great joy. Rahul Gandhi has a lot of challenges ahead of him. He is an honest person. He allows space for discussion with humility. His becoming the president will infuse a new energy into the Congress Party," Pilot told ANI. He also stated that in 2019 Assembly elections, the Congress would remain the only party to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally, which it even now it is. "In 2019 elections, the only party to challenge the BJP nationally is and will remain the Congress party. I am very confident that he will lead the party with a lot of energy and be able to overcome the challenges," he added. Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11 pm. He was elected unopposed. Meanwhile, a day ahead of his formal elevation as the Congress president, the Youth Congress office in New Delhi was lit up, yesterday. The celebrations began as party workers danced outside the office with drum rolls. The Congress office in Lucknow was also decorated with lights. The party is also set to organise a grand celebration in the national capital.

Rahul Gandhi will infuse new energy into Congress: Sachin Pilot

<p>The stock market maintained a steady line after a strong opening today as exit polls predicted that the BJP would win Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.</p>

<p>The 30-share BSE index came off its early high but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours.</p>

<p>For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,300-mark at 10,342.55, a gain of 90.45 points, or 0.88 per cent.</p>

<p>Coal India, which advanced 2.55 per cent, was in the lead. HDFC, Bajaj Auto, Adani Ports and L&amp;T too advanced.</p>

<p>Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 232.17 crore yesterday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 374.21 crore.</p>

<p>Overseas, Asian markets edged lower, with Japanese and Hong Kong markets leading the decline after US markets closed in the red.</p>

<p>US stocks closed lower yesterday as a few Senators raised some concerns about the tax bill. PTI PAK ARD</p>


The 30-share BSE index came off its early high, but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours.

The stock market maintained a steady line after a strong opening today as exit polls predicted that the BJP would win Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. The 30-share BSE index came off its early high but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours. For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,300-mark at 10,342.55, a gain of 90.45 points, or 0.88 per cent. Coal India, which advanced 2.55 per cent, was in the lead. HDFC, Bajaj Auto, Adani Ports and L&T too advanced. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 232.17 crore yesterday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 374.21 crore. Overseas, Asian markets edged lower, with Japanese and Hong Kong markets leading the decline after US markets closed in the red. US stocks closed lower yesterday as a few Senators raised some concerns about the tax bill. PTI PAK ARD

Sensex zooms over Gujarat, Himachal exit poll results

<p>Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi&#39;s statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat &#39;&#39;outrageous&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said&nbsp;that statement was an attempt to polarize the country&nbsp;ahead of the&nbsp;second phase of voting&nbsp;and added that it showed Modi&#39;s desperation.</p>

<p>BJP&#39;s loss was now guaranteed, he added. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP&#39;s loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/1Ax2qxDzvN">pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940112995161554944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and&nbsp;there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/K07MwkwhFE">pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940115921053421568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him.</p>

<p>The meeting took place at Aiyar&#39;s residence, Modi claimed.</p>

<p>He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi's statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat ''outrageous''. Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said that statement was an attempt to polarize the country ahead of the second phase of voting and added that it showed Modi's desperation. BJP's loss was now guaranteed, he added. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said. Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. The meeting took place at Aiyar's residence, Modi claimed. He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi desperate about BJP loss in Gujarat, Pak trying to influence polls is outrageous: Anand Sharma

<p>Days before polling-day in the Gujarat assembly elections, differences have cropped up between Congress and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) over seat sharing as Congress is not ready to yield to the demands of Hardik Patel to part with nine seats.</p>

<p>The Congress is ready to give only 4 tickets to the Patel led outfit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to media reports, the representatives from the two parties met on Friday to discuss ticket sharing and quota issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>By late Friday, PAAS leaders gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Congress for a final decision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PAAS is demanding tickets in Patidar dominated areas in Ahmedabad, north Gujarat and Saurashtra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress had earlier assured adequate political representation to the Patidars. However, it changed its mind after the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-sex-cd-goes-viral-allegation-is-it-features-hardik-patel-24122" target="_blank"> alleged sex CD</a> surfaced.</p>

<p>The Congress united with the Patidars to garner support from the state&#39;s Patidar community.</p>

<p>It had earlier<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-invites-hardik-patel-to-contest-gujarat-elections-22699" target="_blank"> invited Hardik Patel to contest elections</a> in state&#39;s assembly elections.&nbsp;To which Hardik replied that it was not a BJP-Congress election. However, he added, &quot; we must unite against BJP&quot;.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/want-clarity-on-patidar-reservation-issue-by-nov-7-hardik-patel-23167" target="_blank">Patidar leader joined Congress on a condition</a> that the party would adhere to their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-cong-gives-3-quota-options-to-patidars-who-say-theyll-get-back-to-them-23775" target="_blank">demands of allowing reservation </a>in education and government jobs to his community.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Conflicts arose after Congress refused to accede to the demands Hardik Patel led Samiti's proposal of 9 tickets.?The Congress is ready to give only 4 tickets to the Patel led outfit

Days before polling-day in the Gujarat assembly elections, differences have cropped up between Congress and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) over seat sharing as Congress is not ready to yield to the demands of Hardik Patel to part with nine seats. The Congress is ready to give only 4 tickets to the Patel led outfit. According to media reports, the representatives from the two parties met on Friday to discuss ticket sharing and quota issue. By late Friday, PAAS leaders gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Congress for a final decision. PAAS is demanding tickets in Patidar dominated areas in Ahmedabad, north Gujarat and Saurashtra. The Congress had earlier assured adequate political representation to the Patidars. However, it changed its mind after the alleged sex CD surfaced. The Congress united with the Patidars to garner support from the state's Patidar community. It had earlier invited Hardik Patel to contest elections in state's assembly elections. To which Hardik replied that it was not a BJP-Congress election. However, he added, " we must unite against BJP". The Patidar leader joined Congress on a condition that the party would adhere to their demands of allowing reservation in education and government jobs to his community.

Hardik Patel sulks over seat sharing ahead of Gujarat poll

<p>Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest polling in assembly elections with 74 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, the Election Commission said.</p>

<p>The figure was until 5 pm and the final polling percentage may be revised as final voting figures are yet to be tallied.</p>

<p>Polling was still on in about 500 booths.</p>

<p>The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45 per cent.</p>

<p>At a press conference, Saxena said the elections were peaceful and no incident of violence was reported.</p>

<p>A total of 11,283 VVPAT units were used in all polling booths of the 68 constituencies out of which 297 were replaced, Saxena said, adding this was well within the technical limits.</p>

<p>The Congress is currently ruling the hill state and the BJP is eyeing to return to power after a gap of five years.</p>

<p>In the outgoing 68-member assembly, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively. There are four Independent MLAs while one seat was vacant.</p>

<p>The poll results will be announced on December 18.&nbsp;</p>


The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said.

Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest polling in assembly elections with 74 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, the Election Commission said. The figure was until 5 pm and the final polling percentage may be revised as final voting figures are yet to be tallied. Polling was still on in about 500 booths. The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45 per cent. At a press conference, Saxena said the elections were peaceful and no incident of violence was reported. A total of 11,283 VVPAT units were used in all polling booths of the 68 constituencies out of which 297 were replaced, Saxena said, adding this was well within the technical limits. The Congress is currently ruling the hill state and the BJP is eyeing to return to power after a gap of five years. In the outgoing 68-member assembly, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively. There are four Independent MLAs while one seat was vacant. The poll results will be announced on December 18.

At 74 per cent, Himachal records its highest voter turnout

<p>During the last Assembly election in Gujarat, Narendra Modi was the chief minister; Shankersinh Vaghela was the tallest Congress leader in the State; veteran Patidar leader Keshubhai Patel had rebelled against the Bharatiya Janata Party and floated his own outfit, the Gujarat Parivartan Party; Sonia Gandhi had vigorously campaigned for the Congress; the Congress was in power at the Centre; 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged; and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had passed away.</p>

<p>The BJP led by Modi had registered a resounding victory while the Congress helmed by Vaghela and consisting of a motley of lesser leaders managed just about half the number of seats the winning party got. Keshubhai Patel&rsquo;s party, contrary to its partvartan promise, could bring no change, ending with a paltry two seats. The so-called KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) combine, that had been crafted in the 1980s by Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki as his party&rsquo;s vote bank, failed to deliver &mdash; as it had on previous occasions in the past decade or so.</p>

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<h5>The last election prepared the ground for Modi&rsquo;s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party&rsquo;s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.</h5>
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<p>Now, as the people of Gujarat prepare to vote in a few weeks from now for a new Assembly, much has changed. Modi is the country&rsquo;s Prime Minister; Vaghela has quit the Congress and is expected to harm his former party&rsquo;s prospects; Keshubhai Patel has reconciled to being a non-entity in the State&rsquo;s politics; the Hardik Patel factor has been introduced to lure the Patidar votes away from the BJP; Balasaheb Thackeray&rsquo;s son and successor Uddhav Thackeray has turned into more of a rival than an ally (which is officially is) of the ruling party; Sonia Gandhi may not campaign extensively owing to her health; Rahul Gandhi, soon to be made Congress president, is at the forefront of his party&rsquo;s electoral battle; and, the BJP has replaced the Congress at the Centre.</p>

<p>Yet, some things remain the same. Modi in 2017, as in 2012, is the BJP&rsquo;s mascot and the Congress&rsquo;s chief enemy and a wall yet to be dented. Like in 2012, Modi is hard selling &lsquo;development&rsquo; and Gujarati pride in 2017 as well. Rahul Gandhi is seeking to establish his credentials as a serious and credible politician, something he had attempted in 2012 as well.</p>

<p>The Muslim voters of the State are as wary of the BJP today as they were in 2012, and they have to do with the ruling party&rsquo;s slogan of &ldquo;Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas&rdquo;. Finally, if the Gujarat election in 2012 was important on account of Modi, it is more so in 2017. The last election prepared the ground for Modi&rsquo;s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party&rsquo;s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.</p>

<p>The gloves are off on both the sides. Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have visited Gujarat on several occasions and are expected to keep doing so in the run-up to the election. If Modi has sought to leverage &lsquo;development&rsquo;, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the &lsquo;divisive&rsquo; nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development.</p>

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<h5>If Modi has sought to leverage &lsquo;development&rsquo;, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the &lsquo;divisive&rsquo; nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development.</h5>
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<p>Modi talks of the Congress&rsquo;s corruption while Rahul Gandhi attacks the BJP for &lsquo;atrocities&rsquo; on Scheduled Castes and discrimination against the Muslims. If the BJP brandishes the World Bank&rsquo;s Doing Business report as a vindication of the Modi regime&rsquo;s economic policies, the Congress alleges the report was &lsquo;manufactured&rsquo; and &lsquo;fixed&rsquo;. The Congress cautions Gujarat&rsquo;s voters against social and economic disasters in case they let the BJP return to power, and the BJP warns them of a rude jolt to the development and Gujarati pride if the Congress succeeds.</p>

<p>The Congress believes, and with good reasons of its own, that it has the best chance in two decades to oust the BJP from the State. It may not have been wrong in sensing a level of disaffection among a section of the traditional BJP supporters &mdash; the business community and the Patidars, for example. The Congress is seeking to tap into the discontent among traders over disruptions caused by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, while it is hoping to swing the Patel votes its way by holding out the promise of reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions.</p>

<p>With Patidar leader Hardik Patel apparently throwing his weight behind the Congress, the opposition party is upbeat. Add to this, the anger in the Scheduled Caste community following the Una incident last year under the BJP rule. The Congress hopes to exploit this as well, although the Dalit population in the State is too insignificant to make a major overall electoral impact.</p>

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<h5>The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout.</h5>
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<p>Mindful of the new challenges which have come its way, the BJP has adopted a multi-pronged approach. For one, it has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride &mdash; juxtaposing it with the Congress&rsquo;s &lsquo;indifference&rsquo;. While dedicating the Sardar Sarovar project to the nation, Modi did not fail to underline what he alleged were obstacles that Congress regimes at the Centre had placed in the early completion of the dam work. In later meetings in the State, he spoke of the delays the Congress-led UPA had effected, in the name of environment protection, in developing coastal Gujarat.</p>

<p>Modi spoke of the Congress&rsquo;s sidelining of Gujarati pride &mdash; freedom fighter, senior Congress leader and independent India&rsquo;s first Minister for Home Affairs, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel &mdash; and mentioned the ongoing work on the Statue of Unity that the BJP had undertaken in the Iron Man&rsquo;s memory. It has been wooing important leaders of the Patidar community to blunt the Hardik Patel impact, and also highlighting Hardik Patel&rsquo;s proximity to the Congress &mdash; a party which it says had consistently betrayed the Patel cause. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout.</p>

<p>As campaigning picks up and nominations are filed and confirmed, there will emerge a better understanding at constituency levels on which way the battle is going. Certain issues will gain steam while others may fall by the wayside. The larger picture, going by published opinion polls so far, appears to be in the BJP&rsquo;s favour. The party is expected to sweep as it did in 2012. These surveys also inform that a majority of the people are unhappy with the GST mess and the effects of demonetisation. And yet, if the BJP still wins, it can only mean one thing &mdash; and one that is discouraging to the Congress: People may be unhappy with some of the BJP Government&rsquo;s decisions, but they will not necessarily vote against the party.</p>


BJP has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride ? juxtaposing it with the Congress?s ?indifference?.

During the last Assembly election in Gujarat, Narendra Modi was the chief minister; Shankersinh Vaghela was the tallest Congress leader in the State; veteran Patidar leader Keshubhai Patel had rebelled against the Bharatiya Janata Party and floated his own outfit, the Gujarat Parivartan Party; Sonia Gandhi had vigorously campaigned for the Congress; the Congress was in power at the Centre; 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged; and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had passed away. The BJP led by Modi had registered a resounding victory while the Congress helmed by Vaghela and consisting of a motley of lesser leaders managed just about half the number of seats the winning party got. Keshubhai Patel’s party, contrary to its partvartan promise, could bring no change, ending with a paltry two seats. The so-called KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) combine, that had been crafted in the 1980s by Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki as his party’s vote bank, failed to deliver — as it had on previous occasions in the past decade or so. The last election prepared the ground for Modi’s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party’s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. × Now, as the people of Gujarat prepare to vote in a few weeks from now for a new Assembly, much has changed. Modi is the country’s Prime Minister; Vaghela has quit the Congress and is expected to harm his former party’s prospects; Keshubhai Patel has reconciled to being a non-entity in the State’s politics; the Hardik Patel factor has been introduced to lure the Patidar votes away from the BJP; Balasaheb Thackeray’s son and successor Uddhav Thackeray has turned into more of a rival than an ally (which is officially is) of the ruling party; Sonia Gandhi may not campaign extensively owing to her health; Rahul Gandhi, soon to be made Congress president, is at the forefront of his party’s electoral battle; and, the BJP has replaced the Congress at the Centre. Yet, some things remain the same. Modi in 2017, as in 2012, is the BJP’s mascot and the Congress’s chief enemy and a wall yet to be dented. Like in 2012, Modi is hard selling ‘development’ and Gujarati pride in 2017 as well. Rahul Gandhi is seeking to establish his credentials as a serious and credible politician, something he had attempted in 2012 as well. The Muslim voters of the State are as wary of the BJP today as they were in 2012, and they have to do with the ruling party’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. Finally, if the Gujarat election in 2012 was important on account of Modi, it is more so in 2017. The last election prepared the ground for Modi’s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party’s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. The gloves are off on both the sides. Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have visited Gujarat on several occasions and are expected to keep doing so in the run-up to the election. If Modi has sought to leverage ‘development’, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the ‘divisive’ nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development. If Modi has sought to leverage ‘development’, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the ‘divisive’ nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development. × Modi talks of the Congress’s corruption while Rahul Gandhi attacks the BJP for ‘atrocities’ on Scheduled Castes and discrimination against the Muslims. If the BJP brandishes the World Bank’s Doing Business report as a vindication of the Modi regime’s economic policies, the Congress alleges the report was ‘manufactured’ and ‘fixed’. The Congress cautions Gujarat’s voters against social and economic disasters in case they let the BJP return to power, and the BJP warns them of a rude jolt to the development and Gujarati pride if the Congress succeeds. The Congress believes, and with good reasons of its own, that it has the best chance in two decades to oust the BJP from the State. It may not have been wrong in sensing a level of disaffection among a section of the traditional BJP supporters — the business community and the Patidars, for example. The Congress is seeking to tap into the discontent among traders over disruptions caused by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, while it is hoping to swing the Patel votes its way by holding out the promise of reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions. With Patidar leader Hardik Patel apparently throwing his weight behind the Congress, the opposition party is upbeat. Add to this, the anger in the Scheduled Caste community following the Una incident last year under the BJP rule. The Congress hopes to exploit this as well, although the Dalit population in the State is too insignificant to make a major overall electoral impact. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout. × Mindful of the new challenges which have come its way, the BJP has adopted a multi-pronged approach. For one, it has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride — juxtaposing it with the Congress’s ‘indifference’. While dedicating the Sardar Sarovar project to the nation, Modi did not fail to underline what he alleged were obstacles that Congress regimes at the Centre had placed in the early completion of the dam work. In later meetings in the State, he spoke of the delays the Congress-led UPA had effected, in the name of environment protection, in developing coastal Gujarat. Modi spoke of the Congress’s sidelining of Gujarati pride — freedom fighter, senior Congress leader and independent India’s first Minister for Home Affairs, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — and mentioned the ongoing work on the Statue of Unity that the BJP had undertaken in the Iron Man’s memory. It has been wooing important leaders of the Patidar community to blunt the Hardik Patel impact, and also highlighting Hardik Patel’s proximity to the Congress — a party which it says had consistently betrayed the Patel cause. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout. As campaigning picks up and nominations are filed and confirmed, there will emerge a better understanding at constituency levels on which way the battle is going. Certain issues will gain steam while others may fall by the wayside. The larger picture, going by published opinion polls so far, appears to be in the BJP’s favour. The party is expected to sweep as it did in 2012. These surveys also inform that a majority of the people are unhappy with the GST mess and the effects of demonetisation. And yet, if the BJP still wins, it can only mean one thing — and one that is discouraging to the Congress: People may be unhappy with some of the BJP Government’s decisions, but they will not necessarily vote against the party.

Gujarat election: Demonetisation vs Gujarati pride

<p>The results of the bypoll in four assembly constituencies - Bawana in Delhi, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh,&nbsp;Valpoi and Panaji in Goa were out by Monday afternoon.</p>

<p>The ruling BJP has won the by-elections to two assembly seats in Goa -&nbsp;chief minister Manohar Parrikar emerged&nbsp;victorious from Panaji and health minister Vishwajit Rane from Valpoi.</p>

<p>Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar was declared the winner from&nbsp;Panaji with a margin of 4,803 votes.&nbsp;Parrikar had opened a big lead in the first round itself&nbsp;over Congress candidate Girish Raya Chodankar.</p>

<p>Manohar Parrikar defeated his nearest rival, Congress&#39; Girish Chodankar, by 4,803 votes. He&nbsp;returned to Goa after resigning as defence minister after the assembly elections in February.&nbsp;He was not an MLA when he assumed office and hence had to get elected to the assembly within six months to continue in the office.</p>

<p>The Aam Aadmi Party comfortably retained the Bawana Assembly constituency today, leaping way ahead of the Congress and the BJP.</p>

<p>The AAP candidate, Ram Chander, bagged 59,886 votes while the BJP, which had fielded AAP turncoat Ved Parkash as its candidate, finished a distant second with 35,834 votes. Congress&#39;s Surender Kumar trailed closely behind with 31,919 votes.</p>

<p>TDP candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy won the Nandyal Assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh, defeating his YSR Congress rival by over 27,000 votes.</p>

<p>During the counting of votes, out 250 postal ballot votes, 39 votes were found to be invalid in Nandyal.</p>


Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has grabbed the Panaji assembly constituency by over 4,000 votes

The results of the bypoll in four assembly constituencies - Bawana in Delhi, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Valpoi and Panaji in Goa were out by Monday afternoon. The ruling BJP has won the by-elections to two assembly seats in Goa - chief minister Manohar Parrikar emerged victorious from Panaji and health minister Vishwajit Rane from Valpoi. Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar was declared the winner from Panaji with a margin of 4,803 votes. Parrikar had opened a big lead in the first round itself over Congress candidate Girish Raya Chodankar. Manohar Parrikar defeated his nearest rival, Congress' Girish Chodankar, by 4,803 votes. He returned to Goa after resigning as defence minister after the assembly elections in February. He was not an MLA when he assumed office and hence had to get elected to the assembly within six months to continue in the office. The Aam Aadmi Party comfortably retained the Bawana Assembly constituency today, leaping way ahead of the Congress and the BJP. The AAP candidate, Ram Chander, bagged 59,886 votes while the BJP, which had fielded AAP turncoat Ved Parkash as its candidate, finished a distant second with 35,834 votes. Congress's Surender Kumar trailed closely behind with 31,919 votes. TDP candidate Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy won the Nandyal Assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh, defeating his YSR Congress rival by over 27,000 votes. During the counting of votes, out 250 postal ballot votes, 39 votes were found to be invalid in Nandyal.

Bypoll results: BJP wins both Goa seats, AAP wins Bawana, TDP gets Nandyal

<p>The Congress is finding it difficult to swallow the reality that it has been outfoxed in Goa, despite emerging as the single largest party in the recently held assembly election.</p>

<p>Even as it was celebrating its win, the Bharatiya Janata Party cobbled an alliance that secured a majority in the 40-member House. The Congress&rsquo;s last ditch appeal to the Supreme Court also failed to stop the formation of a BJP-led government. Even as it continued to hurl accusations, the new government won the floor test too.</p>

<p>As if this was not trouble enough for the Congress, there is a revolt brewing within the party. Senior leader and newly elected MLA Vishwajit Rane has quit the party and his Goa Assembly membership in disgust. It&rsquo;s expected that more could follow.</p>

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<h5>The central leadership of the Congress party ought to have cracked the whip and asked Faleiro to step aside in the larger interests of the party, but it did not</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>What went wrong for the Congress? At least two things.</p>

<p>To begin with, Congress demonstrated shocking lethargy in the face of a hung House. As the single largest party, it should have moved swiftly to stitch a coalition and approach the governor with enhanced numbers. It ought to have shown flexibility--&nbsp;bend like a willow in the wind and not stood like an obstinate oak, as a party leader remarked. The Goa Forward Party, with three legislators, was willing to do business with the Congress provided state party chief Luzinho Faleiro opted out of the chief ministerial race. The GFP leader Vijay Sardesai and Faleiro do not see eye to eye but Faleiro refused to oblige.</p>

<p>The second mistake was that of the Congress high command led by Rahul Gandhi. It provided no sense of urgency or purpose to its state unit. The central leadership of the Congress party ought to have cracked the whip and asked Faleiro to step aside in the larger interests of the party, but it did not. As a result, veteran Congressman Digvijaya Singh - the party&#39;s&nbsp;nominee to firefight the challenge - was fettered in taking on-the-spot decisions. He had only to win over the GFP and get its three MLAs on board, and the government would have been its for the asking. There was no need to woo the Independents even.</p>

<p>In contrast, the BJP had a tougher task, given its low figures.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The Supreme Court&rsquo;s dismissal of Congress&#39;s&nbsp;plea should have ended the talk of any constitutional wrongdoing on the governor&rsquo;s part in inviting the BJP-led combination to form the government</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party had to get the support of the GFP, the Independents and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. That it managed to get them all to its side, demonstrates a political adroitness which was missing in the Congress. The BJP did not dither for a moment once the GFP and the MGP made it known that they would extend support only if Manohar Parrikar were to become the chief minister. Parrikar was asked to resign as the country&rsquo;s defence minister and take charge in Goa.</p>

<p>Now outmanoeuvred, the Congress has been crying foul. It sought to raise the issue of ethics, constitutional propriety, and of money power. The Supreme Court&rsquo;s dismissal of Congress&#39;s&nbsp;plea should have ended the talk of any constitutional wrongdoing on the governor&rsquo;s part in inviting the BJP-led combination to form the government. The apex court&rsquo;s telling remarks expose the Congress&rsquo;s weak defence. The court asked: If the Congress had the numbers, why did it then not approach the governor and lay its claim? The judges pointed out that the party&rsquo;s petition before them did not even mention the magic figure or implead Parrikar.</p>

<p>The Congress is on weak grounds on the matter of ethics too. In 2002, the National Conference had bigger numbers in Jammu &amp; Kashmir, but the Congress teamed up with the Peoples Democratic Party to form the government. In 2005, the BJP was the single largest party in Jharkhand, but the Congress teamed up with Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form the government. In 2013, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Delhi Assembly election, but the Congress extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party and helped it form the government.</p>

<p>The Congress in Goa now faces a period of turmoil. Even an MLA from its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party, backed the BJP-led regime during the trust vote on Thursday. Vishwajit Rane&rsquo;s plans are unclear, but he may well join the BJP or float an outfit that aligns with the BJP. His father, Pratapsinh Rane, is a veteran Congressman and former chief minister. The factions led by the senior Rane and Faleiro are at loggerheads, and for the moment it appears that the latter is on the blackfoot, since many believe his intransigence has led to the party&rsquo;s humiliation.</p>

<p>It is ironical that the 2017 verdict, which should have led to the revival of the Congress in Goa, has proved to be undoing.</p>

<p>The ruling BJP had slipped to 13 seats from the 21 it had won in 2012, and this was a clear thumbs down from the electorate. The reasons for the loss are many, but two factors are primary. The first is the absence of Parrikar from the helm. It is true that even after shifting to Delhi, Parrikar had kept himself connected with the politics of Goa, but a hand on approach was naturally not possible. He commands an across-the-party connect and has excellent relations with several players in the field. For instance, his personal equations with Vijay Sardesai swung the GFP to the BJP&rsquo;s side. The MGP, which broke away from the BJP alliance and contested the election on its own, came around to supporting the BJP once it became known that Parrikar would head the government.</p>

<p>The second cause of the BJP&rsquo;s relatively poor performance was the failure of Laxmikant Parsekar to provide effective leadership. Parsekar took over as chief minister after Parrikar shifted to Delhi as defence minister, but he simply did not have the acumen of his predecessor. The revolt by a section of the RSS in the State, which happened with senior RSS leader Subhash Velingkar forming his own outfit, may have been directed against Parrikar, but it was for Parsekar to tackle it; he failed. There had been murmurs when Parsekar was named the new chief minister, with many within the party of the belief that Deputy Chief Minister Francis D&rsquo; Souza ought to have assumed the mantle.</p>

<p>But all of that is past now. Parrikar has the challenge to reinvigorate the party, balance the demands and counter demands of his coalition partners who hold the key to the Government&rsquo;s survival, and do his bit to exploit the fissures in the Congress. All this, while providing good governance in the run-up to the 2019 general election.</p>


While BJP showed political adroitness, the Congress party stood like an obstinate oak

The Congress is finding it difficult to swallow the reality that it has been outfoxed in Goa, despite emerging as the single largest party in the recently held assembly election. Even as it was celebrating its win, the Bharatiya Janata Party cobbled an alliance that secured a majority in the 40-member House. The Congress’s last ditch appeal to the Supreme Court also failed to stop the formation of a BJP-led government. Even as it continued to hurl accusations, the new government won the floor test too. As if this was not trouble enough for the Congress, there is a revolt brewing within the party. Senior leader and newly elected MLA Vishwajit Rane has quit the party and his Goa Assembly membership in disgust. It’s expected that more could follow. The central leadership of the Congress party ought to have cracked the whip and asked Faleiro to step aside in the larger interests of the party, but it did not × What went wrong for the Congress? At least two things. To begin with, Congress demonstrated shocking lethargy in the face of a hung House. As the single largest party, it should have moved swiftly to stitch a coalition and approach the governor with enhanced numbers. It ought to have shown flexibility-- bend like a willow in the wind and not stood like an obstinate oak, as a party leader remarked. The Goa Forward Party, with three legislators, was willing to do business with the Congress provided state party chief Luzinho Faleiro opted out of the chief ministerial race. The GFP leader Vijay Sardesai and Faleiro do not see eye to eye but Faleiro refused to oblige. The second mistake was that of the Congress high command led by Rahul Gandhi. It provided no sense of urgency or purpose to its state unit. The central leadership of the Congress party ought to have cracked the whip and asked Faleiro to step aside in the larger interests of the party, but it did not. As a result, veteran Congressman Digvijaya Singh - the party's nominee to firefight the challenge - was fettered in taking on-the-spot decisions. He had only to win over the GFP and get its three MLAs on board, and the government would have been its for the asking. There was no need to woo the Independents even. In contrast, the BJP had a tougher task, given its low figures. The Supreme Court’s dismissal of Congress's plea should have ended the talk of any constitutional wrongdoing on the governor’s part in inviting the BJP-led combination to form the government × The party had to get the support of the GFP, the Independents and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. That it managed to get them all to its side, demonstrates a political adroitness which was missing in the Congress. The BJP did not dither for a moment once the GFP and the MGP made it known that they would extend support only if Manohar Parrikar were to become the chief minister. Parrikar was asked to resign as the country’s defence minister and take charge in Goa. Now outmanoeuvred, the Congress has been crying foul. It sought to raise the issue of ethics, constitutional propriety, and of money power. The Supreme Court’s dismissal of Congress's plea should have ended the talk of any constitutional wrongdoing on the governor’s part in inviting the BJP-led combination to form the government. The apex court’s telling remarks expose the Congress’s weak defence. The court asked: If the Congress had the numbers, why did it then not approach the governor and lay its claim? The judges pointed out that the party’s petition before them did not even mention the magic figure or implead Parrikar. The Congress is on weak grounds on the matter of ethics too. In 2002, the National Conference had bigger numbers in Jammu & Kashmir, but the Congress teamed up with the Peoples Democratic Party to form the government. In 2005, the BJP was the single largest party in Jharkhand, but the Congress teamed up with Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form the government. In 2013, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Delhi Assembly election, but the Congress extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party and helped it form the government. The Congress in Goa now faces a period of turmoil. Even an MLA from its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party, backed the BJP-led regime during the trust vote on Thursday. Vishwajit Rane’s plans are unclear, but he may well join the BJP or float an outfit that aligns with the BJP. His father, Pratapsinh Rane, is a veteran Congressman and former chief minister. The factions led by the senior Rane and Faleiro are at loggerheads, and for the moment it appears that the latter is on the blackfoot, since many believe his intransigence has led to the party’s humiliation. It is ironical that the 2017 verdict, which should have led to the revival of the Congress in Goa, has proved to be undoing. The ruling BJP had slipped to 13 seats from the 21 it had won in 2012, and this was a clear thumbs down from the electorate. The reasons for the loss are many, but two factors are primary. The first is the absence of Parrikar from the helm. It is true that even after shifting to Delhi, Parrikar had kept himself connected with the politics of Goa, but a hand on approach was naturally not possible. He commands an across-the-party connect and has excellent relations with several players in the field. For instance, his personal equations with Vijay Sardesai swung the GFP to the BJP’s side. The MGP, which broke away from the BJP alliance and contested the election on its own, came around to supporting the BJP once it became known that Parrikar would head the government. The second cause of the BJP’s relatively poor performance was the failure of Laxmikant Parsekar to provide effective leadership. Parsekar took over as chief minister after Parrikar shifted to Delhi as defence minister, but he simply did not have the acumen of his predecessor. The revolt by a section of the RSS in the State, which happened with senior RSS leader Subhash Velingkar forming his own outfit, may have been directed against Parrikar, but it was for Parsekar to tackle it; he failed. There had been murmurs when Parsekar was named the new chief minister, with many within the party of the belief that Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’ Souza ought to have assumed the mantle. But all of that is past now. Parrikar has the challenge to reinvigorate the party, balance the demands and counter demands of his coalition partners who hold the key to the Government’s survival, and do his bit to exploit the fissures in the Congress. All this, while providing good governance in the run-up to the 2019 general election.

What went wrong for the Congress in Goa

<p>The Indian government&#39;s income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors.</p>

<p>Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported.</p>

<p>The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI&nbsp;reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a&nbsp;year.</p>

<p>Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged &quot;certain errors&quot; in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported.</p>

<p>The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the&nbsp;party&nbsp;were about Rs 27 crore.</p>

<p>Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law.</p>

<p>The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961.</p>

<p>AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a &quot;dirty trick&quot; by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow.</p>

<p>&quot;Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator,&quot; he tweeted.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator <a href="https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg">https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg</a></p>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/827362823936307200">February 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP&#39;s prospects in Goa as well.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


In a report to the poll body, the I-T department said the donation records prepared by the AAP do not match with the actual funds received

The Indian government's income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors. Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported. The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a year. Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged "certain errors" in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported. The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the party were about Rs 27 crore. Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law. The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961. AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a "dirty trick" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow. "Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator," he tweeted. Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 3, 2017 × The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine. The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP's prospects in Goa as well. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party donation records inaccurate, could lead to deregistration by Election Commission: I-T department

<p>India&#39;s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Sunday rejected the Election Commission&#39;s request to enhance the weekly cash-withdrawal limit for candidates contesting the upcoming&nbsp;elections in five states,&nbsp;prompting an angry reaction from the poll panel.<br />
<br />
The Election Commission had written to the RBI on Wednesday, asking it to increase the weekly withdrawal limit for candidates contesting the assembly elections to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 24,000 per week. It had asked for the facility to be extended till March 11, the day of counting. The EC wrote another letter to the RBI on Friday (January 28), expressing its concern at the &#39;&ccedil;ursory manner&#39; in which the central bank was dealing with the issue.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">EC wrote to RBI Governor Urjit Patel on issue of cash withdrawal limits for candidates <a href="https://t.co/b7RkWsbyKN">pic.twitter.com/b7RkWsbyKN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/825658363690180608">January 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Candidates are bound to open an election account for meeting poll-related expenditure which is monitored by the poll panel.</p>

<p>But RBI said that it was not possible for it to hike the limit at this stage.</p>

<p>An apparently peeved Commission has now written back to RBI Governor Urjit Patel expressing &quot;serious concern about the cursory manner in which the issue has been dealt with&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;...(It) appears that the RBI has not realised the gravity of the situation...It is reiterated that it is the constitutional mandate of the Commission to conduct free and fair elections and to provide level-playing field to all candidates...In order to facilitate proper conduct of elections, it is imperative that directions issued by the Commission are complied with,&quot; the poll panel said.</p>

<p>It urged the central bank to reconsider the proposal.</p>

<p>The Commission had told RBI Governor Urjit Patel that it has been apprised of the problems candidates were facing due to withdrawal limits imposed after demonetisation, PTI had reported.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The poll panel&nbsp;said with a weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000, a candidate would be able to withdraw Rs 96,000 in cash during the election process which lasts for three&nbsp;to four weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It reminded the Central bank that as per law, candidates contesting assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab can spend Rs 28 lakh for electioneering. The limit in Goa and Manipur is Rs 20 lakh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


The RBI rejected the Election Commission's request to increase the withdrawal limit. A peeved EC has has now written back to RBI Governor

India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Sunday rejected the Election Commission's request to enhance the weekly cash-withdrawal limit for candidates contesting the upcoming elections in five states, prompting an angry reaction from the poll panel. The Election Commission had written to the RBI on Wednesday, asking it to increase the weekly withdrawal limit for candidates contesting the assembly elections to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 24,000 per week. It had asked for the facility to be extended till March 11, the day of counting. The EC wrote another letter to the RBI on Friday (January 28), expressing its concern at the 'çursory manner' in which the central bank was dealing with the issue. EC wrote to RBI Governor Urjit Patel on issue of cash withdrawal limits for candidates pic.twitter.com/b7RkWsbyKN — ANI (@ANI_news) January 29, 2017 × Candidates are bound to open an election account for meeting poll-related expenditure which is monitored by the poll panel. But RBI said that it was not possible for it to hike the limit at this stage. An apparently peeved Commission has now written back to RBI Governor Urjit Patel expressing "serious concern about the cursory manner in which the issue has been dealt with". "...(It) appears that the RBI has not realised the gravity of the situation...It is reiterated that it is the constitutional mandate of the Commission to conduct free and fair elections and to provide level-playing field to all candidates...In order to facilitate proper conduct of elections, it is imperative that directions issued by the Commission are complied with," the poll panel said. It urged the central bank to reconsider the proposal. The Commission had told RBI Governor Urjit Patel that it has been apprised of the problems candidates were facing due to withdrawal limits imposed after demonetisation, PTI had reported. The poll panel said with a weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000, a candidate would be able to withdraw Rs 96,000 in cash during the election process which lasts for three to four weeks. It reminded the Central bank that as per law, candidates contesting assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab can spend Rs 28 lakh for electioneering. The limit in Goa and Manipur is Rs 20 lakh. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India's central bank, poll panel spar over enhancing cash withdrawal limit for election candidates

<p>India&#39;s top court, the&nbsp;Supreme Court, said on Friday it would hear a plea at the start of next week that seeks to postpone the government&#39;s annual budget, due to be delivered on February 1, until after five forthcoming state elections are held.</p>

<p>The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) calls for the delay over concerns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government could seek to influence the outcome of the polls with populist spending promises.</p>

<p>Election rules in the world&#39;s largest democracy do not allow governments to offer such giveaways. Modi&#39;s government announced last autumn that it would deliver its budget a month earlier than usual, in a move to pre-empt the polls.</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party wants to do well in Uttar Pradesh, a battleground state with a population of more than 200 million that, were it a country, would be holding the biggest election in the world this year.</p>

<p>&quot;The budget should be presented in April. The government should not release it in February, as the state elections are starting soon,&quot; said lawyer ML Sharma, who filed the deferment plea earlier this month.</p>

<p>Sharma said the central government should be restrained from declaring any relief for the poll-bound states in the budget until voting is over, as they would violate the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that governs India&#39;s elections.</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases starting on February 11 with Modi&#39;s party, which swept the state in the 2014 general election, seeking to oust the ruling Samajwadi Party in a contest vital to his chances of winning a second term in 2019.</p>

<p>The election round will kick off in Punjab and Goa on February 4, followed by Uttarakhand and Manipur. Results in all five elections will be announced in mid-March.</p>

<p>A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, will begin hearing the case on Monday, but it is not clear how quickly it will deliver a ruling. The finance ministry started printing the budget documents on Thursday.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The petition said the ruling government could sway votes by introducing sops in the budget to influence upcoming regional polls

India's top court, the Supreme Court, said on Friday it would hear a plea at the start of next week that seeks to postpone the government's annual budget, due to be delivered on February 1, until after five forthcoming state elections are held. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) calls for the delay over concerns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government could seek to influence the outcome of the polls with populist spending promises. Election rules in the world's largest democracy do not allow governments to offer such giveaways. Modi's government announced last autumn that it would deliver its budget a month earlier than usual, in a move to pre-empt the polls. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party wants to do well in Uttar Pradesh, a battleground state with a population of more than 200 million that, were it a country, would be holding the biggest election in the world this year. "The budget should be presented in April. The government should not release it in February, as the state elections are starting soon," said lawyer ML Sharma, who filed the deferment plea earlier this month. Sharma said the central government should be restrained from declaring any relief for the poll-bound states in the budget until voting is over, as they would violate the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that governs India's elections. Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases starting on February 11 with Modi's party, which swept the state in the 2014 general election, seeking to oust the ruling Samajwadi Party in a contest vital to his chances of winning a second term in 2019. The election round will kick off in Punjab and Goa on February 4, followed by Uttarakhand and Manipur. Results in all five elections will be announced in mid-March. A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, will begin hearing the case on Monday, but it is not clear how quickly it will deliver a ruling. The finance ministry started printing the budget documents on Thursday. (Reuters)

India's top court to hear plea to defer annual budget till state polls are over