As Karnataka's political scenario gets intensive, the state's Congress Party leaders have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to "poach" their MLAs in an attempt to establish majority to form the government in Karnataka.

"They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, and we know that. Every day, there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy, as two parties have the necessary numbers. However, we are taking all necessary steps," said Congress leader DK Shivakumar.

On being asked whether Congress MLAs in Karnataka would be shifted elsewhere, Shivakumar claimed that a plan has been chalked out to safeguard the former.

Echoing a similar stance, another Congress leader, Ramalinga Reddy, also claimed that the BJP was "trying hard" to get his party MLAs on their side.

"We believe in all our MLAs. BJP is trying hard to get them. They don't believe in democracy they just want power. All the people are happy, nobody is unhappy here," he said.

Meanwhile, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah re-iterated that the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance would form the government in the state.

"All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government," he told reporters here, prior to the Congress party meeting at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office.

Results of the Karnataka Assembly polls announced on Tuesday evening showed that the BJP won 104 seats, emerging as the single largest party, while the Congress and JD (S) bagged 78 and 37 seats, respectively.

Soon after, the Congress announced that it would support the JD (S), taking their total seat share to 117, thus resulting in a fractured mandate.

As the results of the poll in the state have left the assembly in hung, the final decision will be taken by the Governor, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.

On a related note, JD(S) MLAs have gathered to attend the legislative party meeting, which is expected to begin shortly.

On being asked whether Congress MLAs in Karnataka would be shifted elsewhere, Shivakumar claimed that a plan has been chalked out to safeguard the former

As Karnataka's political scenario gets intensive, the state's Congress Party leaders have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to "poach" their MLAs in an attempt to establish majority to form the government in Karnataka. "They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, and we know that. Every day, there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy, as two parties have the necessary numbers. However, we are taking all necessary steps," said Congress leader DK Shivakumar. On being asked whether Congress MLAs in Karnataka would be shifted elsewhere, Shivakumar claimed that a plan has been chalked out to safeguard the former. Echoing a similar stance, another Congress leader, Ramalinga Reddy, also claimed that the BJP was "trying hard" to get his party MLAs on their side. "We believe in all our MLAs. BJP is trying hard to get them. They don't believe in democracy they just want power. All the people are happy, nobody is unhappy here," he said. Meanwhile, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah re-iterated that the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance would form the government in the state. "All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government," he told reporters here, prior to the Congress party meeting at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office. Results of the Karnataka Assembly polls announced on Tuesday evening showed that the BJP won 104 seats, emerging as the single largest party, while the Congress and JD (S) bagged 78 and 37 seats, respectively. Soon after, the Congress announced that it would support the JD (S), taking their total seat share to 117, thus resulting in a fractured mandate. As the results of the poll in the state have left the assembly in hung, the final decision will be taken by the Governor, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala. On a related note, JD(S) MLAs have gathered to attend the legislative party meeting, which is expected to begin shortly.

BJP trying to poach MLAs, claim Karnataka Congress frontrunners

The Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the single largest party in the Karnataka Assembly but has fallen short of the halfway mark to form a government.

In a quick turn of events, sources in the Congress said the party is willing to support the Janata Dal (Secular).

Reacting to the current political situation in the state BJP's CM face BS Yeddyurappa has said: Counting is still on. We are waiting to asses all possibilities. The majority of voters have given us their mandate.

"I don't want to discuss the possible JD(S)-Congress alliance," he added.

"The people have rejected the Congress and accepted BJP. People are moving towards 'Congress-mukt Karnataka'. Now they're trying to grab power despite facing rejection," he said at a press conference.

Yeddyurappa accused the Congress of disrespecting the mandate of the people, which was in the BJP's favour and called this move a "back-door politics"

"Congress is trying to subvert the mandate through dubious means. This kind of back-door politics by the Congress should be condemned," he said. 
&nbsp;

In a quick turn of events, sources in the Congress said the party is willing to support the Janata Dal (Secular).

The Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the single largest party in the Karnataka Assembly but has fallen short of the halfway mark to form a government. In a quick turn of events, sources in the Congress said the party is willing to support the Janata Dal (Secular). Reacting to the current political situation in the state BJP's CM face BS Yeddyurappa has said: Counting is still on. We are waiting to asses all possibilities. The majority of voters have given us their mandate. "I don't want to discuss the possible JD(S)-Congress alliance," he added. "The people have rejected the Congress and accepted BJP. People are moving towards 'Congress-mukt Karnataka'. Now they're trying to grab power despite facing rejection," he said at a press conference. Yeddyurappa accused the Congress of disrespecting the mandate of the people, which was in the BJP's favour and called this move a "back-door politics" "Congress is trying to subvert the mandate through dubious means. This kind of back-door politics by the Congress should be condemned," he said.

Congress doing 'back-door politics', people chose BJP: Yeddyurappa

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the Congress will come back to power in Karnataka and added that BJP&nbspwill not win more than 60-70 seats maximum, forget getting 150.

Kharge further said that BJP is just dreaming of forming the Government.

"We are confident. BJP will not win more than 60-70 seats maximum, forget getting 150. They (BJP) are just dreaming of forming the Government," news agency ANI reported quoting Kharge.

Earlier in the day, BJP Karnataka chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa claimed that the party will get more than 150 seats and they will form the government in the state.

Yeddyurappa urged the people of Karnataka to vote for BJP and assured them of good governance in the state.

The BJP Chief Ministerial candidate cast&nbsphis vote in Shikarpur, Shimoga.

The polling, which began at 7 am in 58,546 polling stations, each equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), will conclude at 6 pm.

The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and R.R. Nagar, has been postponed.

In Jayanagar, the polling has been deferred due to the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, B N Vijay Kumar, while in R.R. Nagar, it has been postponed due to fake voter-ID row.

A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes. Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group.

Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across the 222 seats out of 224 assembly constituencies, spread across 30 districts.&nbsp

Kharge further said that BJP is just dreaming of forming the Government.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the Congress will come back to power in Karnataka and added that BJP&nbspwill not win more than 60-70 seats maximum, forget getting 150. Kharge further said that BJP is just dreaming of forming the Government. "We are confident. BJP will not win more than 60-70 seats maximum, forget getting 150. They (BJP) are just dreaming of forming the Government," news agency ANI reported quoting Kharge. Earlier in the day, BJP Karnataka chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa claimed that the party will get more than 150 seats and they will form the government in the state. Yeddyurappa urged the people of Karnataka to vote for BJP and assured them of good governance in the state. The BJP Chief Ministerial candidate cast&nbsphis vote in Shikarpur, Shimoga. The polling, which began at 7 am in 58,546 polling stations, each equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), will conclude at 6 pm. The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and R.R. Nagar, has been postponed. In Jayanagar, the polling has been deferred due to the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, B N Vijay Kumar, while in R.R. Nagar, it has been postponed due to fake voter-ID row. A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes. Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group. Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across the 222 seats out of 224 assembly constituencies, spread across 30 districts.

Karnataka polls: BJP will not win more than 60-70 seats, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Almost five crore citizens of Karnataka will visit polling booths to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives to the state assembly on Saturday.

The election in Karnataka is considered crucial for the Congress Party, as it would be looking to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) juggernaut from expanding its footprints in the south.

Since the 2014 general election, the Congress has been defeated by the BJP in over a dozen states, drastically shrinking its political footprint.

The BJP is making an all-out bid to oust the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka and is looking to come back to power in the state with BS&nbsp;Yeddyurappa, its chief ministerial candidate.

Interestingly, no incumbent government has been re-elected in Karnataka since 1985.

The Janata Dal (Secular) is looking to establish itself once again in Karnataka politics and is expected to give a tough fight to both the BJP and the Congress.

Voting for the 224-member assembly will begin at 7 am across Karnataka on Saturday morning, except in Jayanagar constituency, following the demise of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate B&nbsp;N&nbsp;Vijayakumar on May 4.

The polling will continue till 6 pm in 58,546 polling stations each, equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails. (VVPATs).

A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes.

Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group.

Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across the 224 assembly constituencies spread across 30 districts.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 223 candidates, while Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have fielded 222 and 201 seats respectively.

Out of the 224 seats, 36 of them are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), while 15 of them are for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The majority mark for any party to form the government is 112 in the 225-member assembly. While elections are held for 224 seats, one member is nominated by the state governor from the Anglo-Indian community.

Votes will be counted and results declared on May 15.

Of the 2,564 candidates analysed, about 883 (34 per cent) are crorepati candidates.

Party wise, nearly all the candidates of both the national parties, Congress and the BJP, are crorepatis.

Congress has 207 (94 per cent) crorepati candidates, while the BJP has 208 (93 per cent) millionaire contestants.

Not far behind is the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), with its 154 (77 per cent) crorepati contestants.

In addition to crorepati candidates, 645, or 24 per cent, contestants are such who have criminal cases registered against them.

Further, 25 per cent seats have been declared red alert constituencies.This means there 56 assembly constituencies wherein three or more candidates with declared criminal cases are contesting in the Karnataka election.

Meanwhile, the smallest constituency in terms of area is Dasarahalli seat in Bengaluru Urban district.

It measures just 8.91 sq km in size and has 2.3 lakh male and 2 lakh female voters.

PN&nbsp;Krishnamurthy from Congress and R&nbsp;Manjunatha from JD(S) will fight two-time BJP MLA S Muniraju for the seat.

The biggest constituency in terms of area is the Haliyal seat located in Uttara Kannada district in north Karnataka.

Congress leader RV&nbsp;Deshpande, who is the Medium and Heavy Industries Minister is the incumbent MLA from this seat.

He will face KR&nbsp;Ramesh of JD(S) and Sunil V&nbsp;Hegde of the BJP respectively to defend his seat.

In terms of the size of the electorate, Sringeri is the smallest constituency. It is a prominent religious town situated in the hilly Chikkamagaluru district in south Karnataka and has been a BJP bastion since 2004.

It has 1.6 lakh voters. Sitting MLA DN&nbsp;Jeevaraj of the BJP will take on Congress` TD&nbsp;Rajegowda and JD(S)` HG&nbsp;Venkatesh.

While in Bengaluru South, which has the biggest electorate of 5.5 lakh voters, will witness the contest among BJP`s incumbent MLA M.

Krishnappa, Congress` R.K. Ramesh and JD(S)` R. Prabhakar Reddy.

In 2013, the Congress won with an absolute majority. It won 122 seats, 10 more than the majority mark of 112, while the BJP and JD(S) won 40 seats each.

The voter turnout recorded then was 71.29 percent.

Other parties bagged 22 seats in the 224-seat legislative assembly.

Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the new chief minister after the election.

Interestingly, no incumbent government has been re-elected in Karnataka since 1985

Almost five crore citizens of Karnataka will visit polling booths to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives to the state assembly on Saturday. The election in Karnataka is considered crucial for the Congress Party, as it would be looking to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) juggernaut from expanding its footprints in the south. Since the 2014 general election, the Congress has been defeated by the BJP in over a dozen states, drastically shrinking its political footprint. The BJP is making an all-out bid to oust the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka and is looking to come back to power in the state with BS Yeddyurappa, its chief ministerial candidate. Interestingly, no incumbent government has been re-elected in Karnataka since 1985. The Janata Dal (Secular) is looking to establish itself once again in Karnataka politics and is expected to give a tough fight to both the BJP and the Congress. Voting for the 224-member assembly will begin at 7 am across Karnataka on Saturday morning, except in Jayanagar constituency, following the demise of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate B N Vijayakumar on May 4. The polling will continue till 6 pm in 58,546 polling stations each, equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails. (VVPATs). A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, will cast their votes. Over 15 lakh people are first-time voters in the 18-19 age group. Tight security is in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across the 224 assembly constituencies spread across 30 districts. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 223 candidates, while Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have fielded 222 and 201 seats respectively. Out of the 224 seats, 36 of them are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), while 15 of them are for Scheduled Tribes (STs). The majority mark for any party to form the government is 112 in the 225-member assembly. While elections are held for 224 seats, one member is nominated by the state governor from the Anglo-Indian community. Votes will be counted and results declared on May 15. Of the 2,564 candidates analysed, about 883 (34 per cent) are crorepati candidates. Party wise, nearly all the candidates of both the national parties, Congress and the BJP, are crorepatis. Congress has 207 (94 per cent) crorepati candidates, while the BJP has 208 (93 per cent) millionaire contestants. Not far behind is the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), with its 154 (77 per cent) crorepati contestants. In addition to crorepati candidates, 645, or 24 per cent, contestants are such who have criminal cases registered against them. Further, 25 per cent seats have been declared red alert constituencies.This means there 56 assembly constituencies wherein three or more candidates with declared criminal cases are contesting in the Karnataka election. Meanwhile, the smallest constituency in terms of area is Dasarahalli seat in Bengaluru Urban district. It measures just 8.91 sq km in size and has 2.3 lakh male and 2 lakh female voters. PN Krishnamurthy from Congress and R Manjunatha from JD(S) will fight two-time BJP MLA S Muniraju for the seat. The biggest constituency in terms of area is the Haliyal seat located in Uttara Kannada district in north Karnataka. Congress leader RV Deshpande, who is the Medium and Heavy Industries Minister is the incumbent MLA from this seat. He will face KR Ramesh of JD(S) and Sunil V Hegde of the BJP respectively to defend his seat. In terms of the size of the electorate, Sringeri is the smallest constituency. It is a prominent religious town situated in the hilly Chikkamagaluru district in south Karnataka and has been a BJP bastion since 2004. It has 1.6 lakh voters. Sitting MLA DN Jeevaraj of the BJP will take on Congress` TD Rajegowda and JD(S)` HG Venkatesh. While in Bengaluru South, which has the biggest electorate of 5.5 lakh voters, will witness the contest among BJP`s incumbent MLA M. Krishnappa, Congress` R.K. Ramesh and JD(S)` R. Prabhakar Reddy. In 2013, the Congress won with an absolute majority. It won 122 seats, 10 more than the majority mark of 112, while the BJP and JD(S) won 40 seats each. The voter turnout recorded then was 71.29 percent. Other parties bagged 22 seats in the 224-seat legislative assembly. Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the new chief minister after the election.

Karnataka votes as Congress attempts to prevent BJP juggernaut

Campaigning in Karnataka has come to an end, with high-intensity rallies being carried out by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to woo voters in their favour in both rural and urban areas.

According to Election Commission data, Karnataka consists of 70 urban and 154 rural assembly constituencies.

While nearly half of the urban constituencies are in Bengaluru city (28), the rest are spread across seven city corporations - 43 city municipal councils (CMCs), 65 town municipal councils (TMCs) and 92 town panchayats (TPs).

Drawing from the experience of the Gujarat assembly elections in December last year, it was observed then that the BJP held strong ground in urban Gujarat, while the Congress had the rural voter segment in its grip.

Assembly polls in Karnataka take place tomorrow, and it will be worth a watch to see whether the BJP can work its magic in rural and urban areas, or will they concede defeat to the grand old party for the second time.

While the election results in Gujarat depicted a clear urban-rural divide, a similar situation is hard to ascertain in Karnataka, based on the results of the past two elections.

A cursory glance at the 2008 and 2013 elections in Karnataka shows that results could go either way, thereby eliminating the possibility of a clear-cut pattern in voting.

Taking Bengaluru into account, which has the most urban constituencies, the BJP, in 2008, won in 17 out of 28 seats, while the Congress won nearly 60 percent of the rural seats in the state.

Tables, however, turned in 2013, with the Congress winning 13 seats, one more than the BJP.

It must also be noted that in 2008, campaigning largely focused on the rural population, while in 2013, the urban voter dominated the decision-making process.

While the rural population is looking forward to increased availability of electricity, clean drinking water, education and job opportunities, the urban voter is more concerned about commuting through the harrowing, traffic congested streets of India`s IT hub.

Opinion polls conducted across the state have shown that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah`s campaign is leaning towards the rural population, be it his emphasis on promoting Kannada or the importance of preserving the state`s culture and heritage.

While these may garner votes in the Congress` favour, the alarming rate of farmer suicides in this stratum could swing votes in either direction.

The BJP too has been capitalising on the opportunity to hold the Siddaramaiah government responsible for the plight of farmers and the lack of basic amenities, which may open doors for the former to woo rural voters.

Opinion polls have also stated that the BJP may secure a higher share of votes in urban Karnataka, as many feel that issues related to Bengaluru have not been tackled during the Congress reign, be it infrastructural congestion, growing traffic, pollution of lakes, inefficient management of garbage, delays in the Metro rail construction, all of which have contributed to a disruptive existence.

Although campaigning has been extensively rural-centric, the urban voters, along with the final stance of the Janata Dal (Secular) would be game-changers.

Karnataka will elect representatives to 224-seat assembly on May 15. A total of 2,655 candidates are in the fray and 4.96 lakh people, including 2.52 crore men and 2.44 crore women, will take part in the election.

Over 15 lakh are first-time voters in the 18-19 years age group.

The population of Karnataka in 2018 as per estimated data is over 68 million. The literacy rate is 75.36 percent as per latest data.

About 84 percent of its people are Hindu, 13 percent Muslim, 1.9 percent Christian, 0.16 percent Buddhist and 0.05 percent Sikh.

Kannada is the official language of the state and is spoken by 66.26 percent of the population.

The population density of the state is 319 persons per square kilometre. The number of people living per square kilometer in the city has extended to 4,378 in the year 2011 from 2,985 in 2001.

The BJP has fielded 224 candidates, while Congress and JD (S) have fielded 222 and 201 seats respectively.

The election is considered significant for the incumbent Congress, who wants to retain power in the southern state ahead of the next year`s general elections, while the BJP is going the extra mile to dethrone the Siddaramaiah government and come back to power after a decade under the leadership of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The JD(S), too, is looking to establish itself once again in the state`s politics and is being perceived as a game changer in the state.

Karnataka consists of 70 urban and 154 rural assembly constituencies.

Campaigning in Karnataka has come to an end, with high-intensity rallies being carried out by both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to woo voters in their favour in both rural and urban areas. According to Election Commission data, Karnataka consists of 70 urban and 154 rural assembly constituencies. While nearly half of the urban constituencies are in Bengaluru city (28), the rest are spread across seven city corporations - 43 city municipal councils (CMCs), 65 town municipal councils (TMCs) and 92 town panchayats (TPs). Drawing from the experience of the Gujarat assembly elections in December last year, it was observed then that the BJP held strong ground in urban Gujarat, while the Congress had the rural voter segment in its grip. Assembly polls in Karnataka take place tomorrow, and it will be worth a watch to see whether the BJP can work its magic in rural and urban areas, or will they concede defeat to the grand old party for the second time. While the election results in Gujarat depicted a clear urban-rural divide, a similar situation is hard to ascertain in Karnataka, based on the results of the past two elections. A cursory glance at the 2008 and 2013 elections in Karnataka shows that results could go either way, thereby eliminating the possibility of a clear-cut pattern in voting. Taking Bengaluru into account, which has the most urban constituencies, the BJP, in 2008, won in 17 out of 28 seats, while the Congress won nearly 60 percent of the rural seats in the state. Tables, however, turned in 2013, with the Congress winning 13 seats, one more than the BJP. It must also be noted that in 2008, campaigning largely focused on the rural population, while in 2013, the urban voter dominated the decision-making process. While the rural population is looking forward to increased availability of electricity, clean drinking water, education and job opportunities, the urban voter is more concerned about commuting through the harrowing, traffic congested streets of India`s IT hub. Opinion polls conducted across the state have shown that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah`s campaign is leaning towards the rural population, be it his emphasis on promoting Kannada or the importance of preserving the state`s culture and heritage. While these may garner votes in the Congress` favour, the alarming rate of farmer suicides in this stratum could swing votes in either direction. The BJP too has been capitalising on the opportunity to hold the Siddaramaiah government responsible for the plight of farmers and the lack of basic amenities, which may open doors for the former to woo rural voters. Opinion polls have also stated that the BJP may secure a higher share of votes in urban Karnataka, as many feel that issues related to Bengaluru have not been tackled during the Congress reign, be it infrastructural congestion, growing traffic, pollution of lakes, inefficient management of garbage, delays in the Metro rail construction, all of which have contributed to a disruptive existence. Although campaigning has been extensively rural-centric, the urban voters, along with the final stance of the Janata Dal (Secular) would be game-changers. Karnataka will elect representatives to 224-seat assembly on May 15. A total of 2,655 candidates are in the fray and 4.96 lakh people, including 2.52 crore men and 2.44 crore women, will take part in the election. Over 15 lakh are first-time voters in the 18-19 years age group. The population of Karnataka in 2018 as per estimated data is over 68 million. The literacy rate is 75.36 percent as per latest data. About 84 percent of its people are Hindu, 13 percent Muslim, 1.9 percent Christian, 0.16 percent Buddhist and 0.05 percent Sikh. Kannada is the official language of the state and is spoken by 66.26 percent of the population. The population density of the state is 319 persons per square kilometre. The number of people living per square kilometer in the city has extended to 4,378 in the year 2011 from 2,985 in 2001. The BJP has fielded 224 candidates, while Congress and JD (S) have fielded 222 and 201 seats respectively. The election is considered significant for the incumbent Congress, who wants to retain power in the southern state ahead of the next year`s general elections, while the BJP is going the extra mile to dethrone the Siddaramaiah government and come back to power after a decade under the leadership of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. The JD(S), too, is looking to establish itself once again in the state`s politics and is being perceived as a game changer in the state.

Urban-rural divide key to Karnataka poll outcome

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday night demanded countermanding of elections in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar constituency of Karanataka in the light of latest revelations of seizure of `fake` voter ID.Earlier, the BJP alleged that around 20,000 fake Voters ID cards were recovered from Congress` Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency candidate Muniratna.

Speaking to media over the matter, BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Congress is losing public support and they are trying hard to rig the upcoming elections in Karnataka by undemocratic ways.

So, we demand countermanding of polls in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar constituency."He further alleged a huge amount of cash was recovered from Badami constituency, from where chief minister Siddaramaiah is contesting the Karnataka polls, and asked the Election Commission (EC) to deploy special election officer in Badami.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Income Tax (IT) Department conducted raids at a resort in Badami, where the Congress leaders are lodging for campaigning purpose.

"In Badami, from where Siddaramaiah is contesting, a huge amount of cash was recovered from that place. This is also a shocking incident. So, the EC should put up special election officer in Badami and they should deploy more paramilitary forces," he added.

Following reports of fake voters IDs, the Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that they have recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Card from an apartment in Bengaluru`s Jalahalli area of Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency.

In a midnight briefing, Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka said that the significance of the counterfoils can only be verified after due investigation.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Earlier on Tuesday, the Income Tax (IT) Department conducted raids at a resort in Badami, where the Congress leaders are lodging for campaigning purpose.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday night demanded countermanding of elections in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar constituency of Karanataka in the light of latest revelations of seizure of `fake` voter ID.Earlier, the BJP alleged that around 20,000 fake Voters ID cards were recovered from Congress` Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency candidate Muniratna. Speaking to media over the matter, BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Congress is losing public support and they are trying hard to rig the upcoming elections in Karnataka by undemocratic ways. So, we demand countermanding of polls in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar constituency."He further alleged a huge amount of cash was recovered from Badami constituency, from where chief minister Siddaramaiah is contesting the Karnataka polls, and asked the Election Commission (EC) to deploy special election officer in Badami. Earlier on Tuesday, the Income Tax (IT) Department conducted raids at a resort in Badami, where the Congress leaders are lodging for campaigning purpose. "In Badami, from where Siddaramaiah is contesting, a huge amount of cash was recovered from that place. This is also a shocking incident. So, the EC should put up special election officer in Badami and they should deploy more paramilitary forces," he added. Following reports of fake voters IDs, the Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that they have recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Card from an apartment in Bengaluru`s Jalahalli area of Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. In a midnight briefing, Sanjiv Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka said that the significance of the counterfoils can only be verified after due investigation.

Karnataka polls: BJP demands cancellation of polling in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has postponed all examinations till May 12 due to the ongoing protests.

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News agency ANI reported quoting Umar Salim Parizda, PRO, AMU.

The ongoing Jinnah portrait issue was raked on May 1, 2018, when a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of parliament (MP) Satish Gautam, in a letter to the AMU vice-chairman, asked to explain why it displays a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The AMU students were, however, reportedly not in favour of removing Jinnah’s portrait saying its part of the university’s history as he was given a life membership of the university’s union.

Soon after the letter was sent, members of right-wing organisation Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), barged into the varsity, shouting slogans against the hanging of Jinnah’s portrait and briefly clashed with Aligarh Muslim University students. &nbsp;

The clashes injured 41 people, including 28 students and 13 policemen.&nbsp;

The HYV, which is founded by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, held the protest moments before former vice-president Hamid Ansari was to visit the university to attend an event.

Internet services were suspended on Friday following unrest in the university campus.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, protests reached Delhi and students were seen protesting outside Uttar Pradesh Bhawan in the national capital in support of the AMU students.&nbsp;

Tension prevailed in Aligarh and students continued their protests demanding action against right-wing protesters who entered the campus and wanted the Pakistan founder’s portrait removed from the student union office, where it has been hanging for decades

The ongoing Jinnah portrait issue was raked on May 1, 2018, when a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of parliament (MP) Satish Gautam, in a letter to the AMU vice-chairman, asked to explain why it displays a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has postponed all examinations till May 12 due to the ongoing protests. × News agency ANI reported quoting Umar Salim Parizda, PRO, AMU. The ongoing Jinnah portrait issue was raked on May 1, 2018, when a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of parliament (MP) Satish Gautam, in a letter to the AMU vice-chairman, asked to explain why it displays a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The AMU students were, however, reportedly not in favour of removing Jinnah’s portrait saying its part of the university’s history as he was given a life membership of the university’s union. Soon after the letter was sent, members of right-wing organisation Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), barged into the varsity, shouting slogans against the hanging of Jinnah’s portrait and briefly clashed with Aligarh Muslim University students. The clashes injured 41 people, including 28 students and 13 policemen. The HYV, which is founded by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, held the protest moments before former vice-president Hamid Ansari was to visit the university to attend an event. Internet services were suspended on Friday following unrest in the university campus. Meanwhile, protests reached Delhi and students were seen protesting outside Uttar Pradesh Bhawan in the national capital in support of the AMU students. Tension prevailed in Aligarh and students continued their protests demanding action against right-wing protesters who entered the campus and wanted the Pakistan founder’s portrait removed from the student union office, where it has been hanging for decades

AMU Jinnah row: University postpones exams till May 12 due to protests

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gali Janardhan Reddy, for allowing him to go to Bellary to campaign for his brother, G Somashekar Reddy, contesting for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

A bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan dismissed the plea of Janardhan Reddy and said "your brother will take care of it".

Out on bail in the illegal mining case, Janardhan Reddy approached the apex court saying he wanted to campaign for his younger brother Somashekar Reddy on May 8 and 9 in Bellary, Karnataka.

He also wanted permission to cast his vote in Bellary on May 12. The results of the polls are scheduled to be out on May 15.

In January 2015, the apex court while granting him bail in the illegal mining case had asked him to stay away from mining areas like Bellary district of Karnataka.

Janardhana Reddy is an accused in the illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).

The company is accused of changing the mining lease boundary markings and indulging in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest area, spread over Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

 
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A bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan dismissed the plea of Janardhan Reddy and said 'your brother will take care of it'

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gali Janardhan Reddy, for allowing him to go to Bellary to campaign for his brother, G Somashekar Reddy, contesting for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. A bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan dismissed the plea of Janardhan Reddy and said "your brother will take care of it". Out on bail in the illegal mining case, Janardhan Reddy approached the apex court saying he wanted to campaign for his younger brother Somashekar Reddy on May 8 and 9 in Bellary, Karnataka. He also wanted permission to cast his vote in Bellary on May 12. The results of the polls are scheduled to be out on May 15. In January 2015, the apex court while granting him bail in the illegal mining case had asked him to stay away from mining areas like Bellary district of Karnataka. Janardhana Reddy is an accused in the illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC). The company is accused of changing the mining lease boundary markings and indulging in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve Forest area, spread over Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Karnataka polls: SC rejects Janardhan Reddy's plea to campaign in Bellary for brother

The People`s Democratic Party(PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir is all set for a cabinet reshuffle the state cabinet on Monday noon.

The much-awaited reshuffle likely to see some new faces from the BJP.

The BJP had asked all its nine ministers to resign on April 17 to enable the party to bring in new faces.A day before the reshuffle, Nirmal Singh resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, Singh will now be made a speaker.BJP leader Kavinder Gupta will take over as the new Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

BJP`s new ministers Rajiv Jasrotia, Shakti Parihar, Sat Sharma, Kavinder Gupta, Mohd Khalil Band, Mod Ashraf Mir and others will take the oath.

The Mehbooba Mufti-led government can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The BJP is expected to bring in some new faces in the much-awaited reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government.

The People`s Democratic Party(PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir is all set for a cabinet reshuffle the state cabinet on Monday noon. The much-awaited reshuffle likely to see some new faces from the BJP. The BJP had asked all its nine ministers to resign on April 17 to enable the party to bring in new faces.A day before the reshuffle, Nirmal Singh resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, Singh will now be made a speaker.BJP leader Kavinder Gupta will take over as the new Deputy Chief Minister of the state. BJP`s new ministers Rajiv Jasrotia, Shakti Parihar, Sat Sharma, Kavinder Gupta, Mohd Khalil Band, Mod Ashraf Mir and others will take the oath. The Mehbooba Mufti-led government can have a maximum of 25 ministers, including the chief minister, out of which 14 portfolios are with the PDP and the remaining with the BJP.

Jammu and Kashmir cabinet reshuffle today

BJP MP from Assam RP Sharma on Friday called for a public execution of the accused in the Unnao gangrape case that involves party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

"Rape and murder, especially of children and women is inexcusable and there should be a public execution of the accused- if they are to be shot, they should rather be shot in public so that an example is set," news agency ANI quoted Sharma as saying.

Referring to MLA Sengar, he said, "Being an MLA - it would have been still acceptable if he had committed thievery - but rape and that too of a teenage girl is despicable.''

The MP further said that a trial of a rapist should be completed in three months in a fast-track court, and police should file charge sheet in 15 days.

The BJP MP also called for a law to be brought for the same.

On April 8, a girl and her family tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath`s residence in Lucknow. Her family alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplice last year, and no action was taken against the accused.

Prior to this, on April 3, the rape victim`s father was allegedly thrashed by the accused MLA`s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, for refusing to withdraw the FIR over the rape and was arrested the same day.

On April 9, he died in hospital. However, the family cried foul alleging that he was murdered.

Up to six police personnel were suspended for allegedly beating up the victim`s father.

An FIR was lodged against the BJP MLA on April 12 under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction of woman), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the case was handed over to the CBI.The CBI registered three cases on April 13 against accused Sengar in connection with the case, but he is yet to be arrested.&nbsp 
 
&nbsp

Referring to MLA Sengar, he said, "Being an MLA - it would have been still acceptable if he had committed thievery - but rape and that too of a teenage girl is despicable.''

BJP MP from Assam RP Sharma on Friday called for a public execution of the accused in the Unnao gangrape case that involves party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. "Rape and murder, especially of children and women is inexcusable and there should be a public execution of the accused- if they are to be shot, they should rather be shot in public so that an example is set," news agency ANI quoted Sharma as saying. Referring to MLA Sengar, he said, "Being an MLA - it would have been still acceptable if he had committed thievery - but rape and that too of a teenage girl is despicable.'' The MP further said that a trial of a rapist should be completed in three months in a fast-track court, and police should file charge sheet in 15 days. The BJP MP also called for a law to be brought for the same. On April 8, a girl and her family tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath`s residence in Lucknow. Her family alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplice last year, and no action was taken against the accused. Prior to this, on April 3, the rape victim`s father was allegedly thrashed by the accused MLA`s brother, Atul Singh Sengar, for refusing to withdraw the FIR over the rape and was arrested the same day. On April 9, he died in hospital. However, the family cried foul alleging that he was murdered. Up to six police personnel were suspended for allegedly beating up the victim`s father. An FIR was lodged against the BJP MLA on April 12 under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction of woman), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the case was handed over to the CBI.The CBI registered three cases on April 13 against accused Sengar in connection with the case, but he is yet to be arrested.

Rapists should be executed publicly: BJP MP on Unnao case

Amid an outcry over the alleged Unnao rape case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Singh said that the victim had filed a "false rape case" against a man in the past.

"I have heard that the same girl had filed a false rape case against a man some years back, because of which the man had to spend six months in jail," he told ANI.

However, Singh stated that if Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Bangarmau district in Unnao, who has been accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in 2017, was found guilty, he should be punished.

"Narcotics test should be done of Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the complainant. The truth will then be out. If the MLA is found guilty, he should be punished," he added.

On Sunday, the victim and her family members tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths residence in Lucknow, alleging that she was raped by Sengar and his fellow accomplices.

Later, the victim`s father was arrested and died in judicial custody on April 9.

On Wednesday, the BJP MLA from Bairia district came out in support of Sengar, saying that no one could rape a mother of three children.

"I am speaking from psychological point of view no one can rape a mother of three children. It is not possible, this is a conspiracy against him (Kuldeep Singh Sengar)," he said.

On a related note, the case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further examination.

Amid an outcry over the alleged Unnao rape case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Singh said that the victim had filed a 'false rape case' against a man in the past

Amid an outcry over the alleged Unnao rape case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Singh said that the victim had filed a "false rape case" against a man in the past. "I have heard that the same girl had filed a false rape case against a man some years back, because of which the man had to spend six months in jail," he told ANI. However, Singh stated that if Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Bangarmau district in Unnao, who has been accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in 2017, was found guilty, he should be punished. "Narcotics test should be done of Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the complainant. The truth will then be out. If the MLA is found guilty, he should be punished," he added. On Sunday, the victim and her family members tried to commit suicide in front of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths residence in Lucknow, alleging that she was raped by Sengar and his fellow accomplices. Later, the victim`s father was arrested and died in judicial custody on April 9. On Wednesday, the BJP MLA from Bairia district came out in support of Sengar, saying that no one could rape a mother of three children. "I am speaking from psychological point of view no one can rape a mother of three children. It is not possible, this is a conspiracy against him (Kuldeep Singh Sengar)," he said. On a related note, the case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further examination.

Unnao rape victim had filed 'false rape case' earlier: BJP MLA Surendra Singh

As PM Narendra began his fast on Thursday, Union minister Piyush Goyal began&nbsp;observing a fast in Thane, Maharashtra along with other party leaders as a protest against the Parliament "washout"&nbsp;during the Budget session.

In Delhi, several BJP leaders observed fast in the Townhall.

''The way in which Congress & other opposition parties did not let the Budget session run, is condemnable, to say the least," Piyush Goyal said.

BJP MPs in Bengaluru have also been&nbsp;observing&nbsp;a day-long fast over the disruption in Parliament during the Budget session.

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi is observing a day-long fast along as he announced yesterday. He continued his day on fast while inaugurating the DefExpo at Mahabalipuram.

Party president Amit Shah will take part in a sit-in at Hubli-Dharwad against the Siddaramaiah government in poll-bound Karnataka.

The BJP has blamed Congress for practising divisive politics accusing it of taking parliamentary proceedings "to a new low".

On last day of budget session PM Modi had announced his decision to observe a fast and urged all his BJP parliamentarians to do the same.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had responded saying "farce of a fast by the Modi government and BJP".

Congress said BJP should be on a fast to seek an apology over issues like banking frauds, CBSE paper leak and dilution of SC/ST Act.

BJP MPs in Bengaluru as well are observing a fast in over the parliament disruptions during the budget session

As PM Narendra began his fast on Thursday, Union minister Piyush Goyal began observing a fast in Thane, Maharashtra along with other party leaders as a protest against the Parliament "washout" during the Budget session. In Delhi, several BJP leaders observed fast in the Townhall. ''The way in which Congress & other opposition parties did not let the Budget session run, is condemnable, to say the least," Piyush Goyal said. BJP MPs in Bengaluru have also been observing a day-long fast over the disruption in Parliament during the Budget session. Meanwhile, Narendra Modi is observing a day-long fast along as he announced yesterday. He continued his day on fast while inaugurating the DefExpo at Mahabalipuram. Party president Amit Shah will take part in a sit-in at Hubli-Dharwad against the Siddaramaiah government in poll-bound Karnataka. The BJP has blamed Congress for practising divisive politics accusing it of taking parliamentary proceedings "to a new low". On last day of budget session PM Modi had announced his decision to observe a fast and urged all his BJP parliamentarians to do the same. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had responded saying "farce of a fast by the Modi government and BJP". Congress said BJP should be on a fast to seek an apology over issues like banking frauds, CBSE paper leak and dilution of SC/ST Act.

BJP MPs in Bengaluru, Maharashtra & Delhi observe fast along with Modi

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman in Unnao district.

It also ordered to hand over the twin cases of rape and the custodial death of the victim's father to the CBI.

A separate inquiry report has been submitted by DIG (Prison) Love Kumar on the conduct of the Unnao jail officials during the detention of the victim's father, said an official statement issued tonight.

The district magistrate of Unnao has also submitted a report to the state government on lapses on part of the district hospital.

Based on the SIT report submitted by ADG Lucknow Zone Rajeev Krishna, the BJP-led state government has decided to suspend D K Dwivedi, CMS and Prashant Upadhyay, EMO.

"Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three doctors namely Manoj Kumar (ortho-surgeon), G P Sachan (surgeon) and Gaurav Agrawal (EMO) for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim's father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody," said the statement.

"Circle Officer Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh has been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim," it said.

The state government has also ordered to provide adequate security to the victim and her family.

An 18-year-old woman had created flutters after she accused the BJP MLA of raping her. She tried to immolate herself in front of the CM's residence, seeking justice. Her father was arrested and later died in custody.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday handed over the Unnao rape case, wherein Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar is prime accused, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered registration of an FIR against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of an 18-year-old woman in Unnao district. It also ordered to hand over the twin cases of rape and the custodial death of the victim's father to the CBI. A separate inquiry report has been submitted by DIG (Prison) Love Kumar on the conduct of the Unnao jail officials during the detention of the victim's father, said an official statement issued tonight. The district magistrate of Unnao has also submitted a report to the state government on lapses on part of the district hospital. Based on the SIT report submitted by ADG Lucknow Zone Rajeev Krishna, the BJP-led state government has decided to suspend D K Dwivedi, CMS and Prashant Upadhyay, EMO. "Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against three doctors namely Manoj Kumar (ortho-surgeon), G P Sachan (surgeon) and Gaurav Agrawal (EMO) for laxity in giving proper medical care to the victim's father, both prior to judicial custody and on referral from jail to the district hospital while in judicial custody," said the statement. "Circle Officer Safipur, Kunwar Bahadur Singh has been suspended for negligence in handling the repeated complaints given by the victim," it said. The state government has also ordered to provide adequate security to the victim and her family. An 18-year-old woman had created flutters after she accused the BJP MLA of raping her. She tried to immolate herself in front of the CM's residence, seeking justice. Her father was arrested and later died in custody.

UP government orders FIR against BJP MLA; Unnao rape case handed over to CBI

A Dalit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh's Nagina, Yashwant Singh, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused the Central government of ignoring the Dalits of the country.

In his letter, Singh claimed that he became an MP because of his reservation.

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BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Nagina, Yashwant Singh, writes to PM Modi, says, 'Being a Dalit my capabilities have not been put to use, I only became an MP because of reservation,' adds that, 'In 4 years the govt has done nothing for the 30 crore Dalits of the country.' <a href="https://t.co/nbao7d6tzd">pic.twitter.com/nbao7d6tzd</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/982453505188401152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Being a Dalit, my capabilities have not been put to use, I only became an MP because of reservation," the letter read, adding, "In 4 years the government has done nothing for the 30 crore Dalits of the country."

The letter has also appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision on the SC/ST Act.

Recently, Chote Lal Kharwar, tribal MP from Robertsganj, had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi, alleging mistreatment by the Yogi Adityanath-led government

In his letter, he had alleged that he met the Chief Minister twice regarding "corruption" in the district administration and forest department in Chandauli, but was instead "scolded and thrown out".

Chhotelal, who is a Dalit, had also complained to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes regarding the matter. (ANI)

"Being a Dalit, my capabilities have not been put to use, I only became an MP because of reservation," the letter read

A Dalit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh's Nagina, Yashwant Singh, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused the Central government of ignoring the Dalits of the country. In his letter, Singh claimed that he became an MP because of his reservation. BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Nagina, Yashwant Singh, writes to PM Modi, says, 'Being a Dalit my capabilities have not been put to use, I only became an MP because of reservation,' adds that, 'In 4 years the govt has done nothing for the 30 crore Dalits of the country.' pic.twitter.com/nbao7d6tzd — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 7, 2018 × "Being a Dalit, my capabilities have not been put to use, I only became an MP because of reservation," the letter read, adding, "In 4 years the government has done nothing for the 30 crore Dalits of the country." The letter has also appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision on the SC/ST Act. Recently, Chote Lal Kharwar, tribal MP from Robertsganj, had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi, alleging mistreatment by the Yogi Adityanath-led government In his letter, he had alleged that he met the Chief Minister twice regarding "corruption" in the district administration and forest department in Chandauli, but was instead "scolded and thrown out". Chhotelal, who is a Dalit, had also complained to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes regarding the matter. (ANI)

Another Dalit BJP MP writes to PM, accuses Centre of ignoring Dalits

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Tuesday an end to rumours that the Central Government would repeal the provision for reservation in the Constitution.

"It is pure rumour. Dalits should not pay attention to this. BJP has immense faith in the Constitution and would not allow any other parties to do the same," news agency ANI quoted as saying to reporters outside the airport here.

Shah also trained guns at the Opposition, holding them accountable for the violence that marked the Monday protest against Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

He added that the call for a nationwide bandh was not necessary, given the Centre had already decided to file a review petition in the apex court.

The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

"It is pure rumour. Dalits should not pay attention to this. BJP has immense faith in the Constitution and would not allow any other parties to do the same," Shah told reporters outside the airport here.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Tuesday an end to rumours that the Central Government would repeal the provision for reservation in the Constitution. "It is pure rumour. Dalits should not pay attention to this. BJP has immense faith in the Constitution and would not allow any other parties to do the same," news agency ANI quoted as saying to reporters outside the airport here. Shah also trained guns at the Opposition, holding them accountable for the violence that marked the Monday protest against Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. He added that the call for a nationwide bandh was not necessary, given the Centre had already decided to file a review petition in the apex court. The apex court had, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

Amit Shah rebuffs rumours of repealing reservation policy

Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on BJP/RSS on Sunday. This time the Congress leader attacked Centre over Asansol violence.

"After losing their sons due to hatred and communalism, messages from Yashpal Saxena and Imam Rashidi shows that love will always triumph over hatred in India," he tweeted.

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अपने बेटों को नफरत और सम्प्रदायिकता के कारण खोने के बाद यशपाल सक्सेना और इमाम रशीदी के संदेश ये दिखाते हैं कि हिन्दुस्तान में हमेशा प्यार नफरत को हराएगा। 
 
कांग्रेस की नींव भी करुणा और आपसी भाईचारे पर टिकी है। हम नफरत फैलाने वाली BJP/RSS की विचारधारा को जीतने नहीं देंगे। <a href="https://t.co/5smEqBm8gK">pic.twitter.com/5smEqBm8gK</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/980039094393810944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The foundation of Congress is also on compassion and mutual brotherhood. We will not allow the hatred spreading BJP / RSS ideology to win."

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violence-escalates-in-asansol-west-bengal-section-144-imposed-127231">Violence escalates in Asansol, West Bengal, section 144 imposed</a>

The Imam of a mosque told congregation in Asansol, West Bengal that he would leave the town if anyone retaliates against his son's death in Ram Navami communal clash.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/next-up-from-pm-book-on-stress-relief-after-lives-destroyed-by-paper-leaks-rahul-gandhi-127314">Next up from PM, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/next-up-from-pm-book-on-stress-relief-after-lives-destroyed-by-paper-leaks-rahul-gandhi-127314">book</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/next-up-from-pm-book-on-stress-relief-after-lives-destroyed-by-paper-leaks-rahul-gandhi-127314"> on stress relief after lives destroyed by paper leaks says Rahul Gandhi</a>

A 16-year-old Sibtualla Rashidi, Imam's son went missing from Tuesday during the violence later Police recovered his body on Wednesday.

In&nbsp;the police investigation, his father was informed that his son was beaten to death by some unidentified miscreants.

Following the clashes in West Bengal during the Ram Navami celebrations, section 144 has been imposed in parts of the state including Asansol and Raniganj.

The section will remain in effect till April 4.

The police have also restricted any rally in the area for Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday.

More police personnel have been deployed in the area and internet services have been disrupted to pacify the growing violence in Asansol and other parts of Bengal. 
&nbsp;

Congress President Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak ideology as he tweeted on Asansol violence

Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on BJP/RSS on Sunday. This time the Congress leader attacked Centre over Asansol violence. "After losing their sons due to hatred and communalism, messages from Yashpal Saxena and Imam Rashidi shows that love will always triumph over hatred in India," he tweeted. अपने बेटों को नफरत और सम्प्रदायिकता के कारण खोने के बाद यशपाल सक्सेना और इमाम रशीदी के संदेश ये दिखाते हैं कि हिन्दुस्तान में हमेशा प्यार नफरत को हराएगा। कांग्रेस की नींव भी करुणा और आपसी भाईचारे पर टिकी है। हम नफरत फैलाने वाली BJP/RSS की विचारधारा को जीतने नहीं देंगे। pic.twitter.com/5smEqBm8gK — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 31, 2018 × "The foundation of Congress is also on compassion and mutual brotherhood. We will not allow the hatred spreading BJP / RSS ideology to win." Also read: Violence escalates in Asansol, West Bengal, section 144 imposed The Imam of a mosque told congregation in Asansol, West Bengal that he would leave the town if anyone retaliates against his son's death in Ram Navami communal clash. Also read: Next up from PM, book on stress relief after lives destroyed by paper leaks says Rahul Gandhi A 16-year-old Sibtualla Rashidi, Imam's son went missing from Tuesday during the violence later Police recovered his body on Wednesday. In the police investigation, his father was informed that his son was beaten to death by some unidentified miscreants. Following the clashes in West Bengal during the Ram Navami celebrations, section 144 has been imposed in parts of the state including Asansol and Raniganj. The section will remain in effect till April 4. The police have also restricted any rally in the area for Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday. More police personnel have been deployed in the area and internet services have been disrupted to pacify the growing violence in Asansol and other parts of Bengal.

We will not allow hatred spreading BJP/RSS ideology to win: Rahul Gandhi

Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Assam's Tezpur RP Sharma on Wednesday sparked controversy when he said that "those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public".

BJP MP said that capital punishment is the only way to deal with people disrespecting women.

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Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public, this is the only way to stop these incidents. People who can't respect women should be dealt with like this: RP Sharma,BJP MP from Tezpur <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Assam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Assam</a> <a href="https://t.co/dg8oaYNWCB">pic.twitter.com/dg8oaYNWCB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979185118786048000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public this is the only way to stop these incidents," Sharma Said.

Recently, a five-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped and then set ablaze by five persons at her home in Nagaon's Bordua in Assam.

(With inputs from ANI)

'Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public; this is the only way to stop these incidents,' RP Sharma said

Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Assam's Tezpur RP Sharma on Wednesday sparked controversy when he said that "those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public". BJP MP said that capital punishment is the only way to deal with people disrespecting women. Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public, this is the only way to stop these incidents. People who can't respect women should be dealt with like this: RP Sharma,BJP MP from Tezpur #Assam pic.twitter.com/dg8oaYNWCB — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × "Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public this is the only way to stop these incidents," Sharma Said. Recently, a five-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped and then set ablaze by five persons at her home in Nagaon's Bordua in Assam. (With inputs from ANI)

Rapists should be shot in public: Assam MP

National spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Anil Baluni and Union minister of Human resources and development Prakash Javadekar announced on Friday that 14th April of every year will be celebrated as &#39;Social Justice Day&#39; across the nation.

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14th April, Dr BR Ambedkar&#39;s birth anniversary, will be celebrated as &#39;Social Justice Day&#39; across the nation: Anil Baluni, BJP after BJP Parliamentary meeting <a href="https://t.co/YB4OH302Hd">pic.twitter.com/YB4OH302Hd</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977215576048390145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The 14th April is also a birth anniversary of the social reformer&nbsp;Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

Prakash Javadekar and Anil Baluni held a press conference after the BJP parliamentary&nbsp;meeting; during which the announcement was made.

He directed his party to celebrate May 5 as &#39;gram swaraj Abhiyan&#39;.

The government will celebrate both days by organising various events including related to its own initiatives like &#39;Swacch Bharat&#39; and &#39;Ujjwala schemes&#39; etc.

Prakash Javadekar further informed the press that party president Amit Shah has instructed all MPs to visit their respective constituencies&nbsp;on weekend to address the parliament disruption issue.

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Party President Amit Shah said all MPs of the party visit their respective constituencies on this Saturday, Sunday &amp; Monday &amp; explain to people through programmes &amp; press conferences that who is disrupting Parliament session&amp;why are they doing it: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar <a href="https://t.co/pYw6JVwNym">pic.twitter.com/pYw6JVwNym</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977218271551414273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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National spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Anil Baluni announced on Friday that 14th April of every year will be celebrated as 'Social Justice Day' across the nation.

National spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Anil Baluni and Union minister of Human resources and development Prakash Javadekar announced on Friday that 14th April of every year will be celebrated as 'Social Justice Day' across the nation. 14th April, Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, will be celebrated as 'Social Justice Day' across the nation: Anil Baluni, BJP after BJP Parliamentary meeting pic.twitter.com/YB4OH302Hd — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2018 × The 14th April is also a birth anniversary of the social reformer Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Prakash Javadekar and Anil Baluni held a press conference after the BJP parliamentary meeting; during which the announcement was made. He directed his party to celebrate May 5 as 'gram swaraj Abhiyan'. The government will celebrate both days by organising various events including related to its own initiatives like 'Swacch Bharat' and 'Ujjwala schemes' etc. Prakash Javadekar further informed the press that party president Amit Shah has instructed all MPs to visit their respective constituencies on weekend to address the parliament disruption issue. Party President Amit Shah said all MPs of the party visit their respective constituencies on this Saturday, Sunday & Monday & explain to people through programmes & press conferences that who is disrupting Parliament session&why are they doing it: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar pic.twitter.com/pYw6JVwNym — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2018 ×

Dr BR Amdedkar's birthday to celebrated as 'Social Justice Day': Prakash Javadekar

The Trivendra Singh Rawat-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttarakhand presented a Rs 45,585 crore budget for the financial year 2018-19 on Thursday.

Presented by Finance Minister Prakash Pant the budget allocated Rs 1,500 crore to develop Uttarakhand as an organic herbal state and has also made major allocations for encouraging start-ups, achieving cent percent literacy, opening a trauma centre in each district, and establishing an international parliamentary study, research, and training centre.

A sum of Rs 86 crore has been allocated for construction of Metro Rail, among other things. The state government has also prioritized the tourism sector through various schemes including promotion of home stays. Revenue receipts are pegged at Rs 35,660 crore.

This was the second budget of the BJP government which was voted to power in 2017. In its first budget, the government had presented a Rs 39,957.20 crore budget.&nbsp;

 
Here are the top 10 highlights of Uttarakhand Budget 2018:

1. The Rawat government said that in all government schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer will be incorporated by 2020. Apart from this, they plan to construct 5,000 homestays, also they will invest in nearly 1 lakh youth for making them skilled.

2. The Rawat government will focus on creating more job opportunities for citizens, and for that, they will create 200 start-ups. &nbsp;

3. Health was also taken care during the announcement of Uttarakhand Budget 2018, as the Rawat government there plans to build the trauma centre, blood bank, and ICU in all 13 districts of the state. &nbsp;

4. For below poverty line people, the Rawat government will launch proper LPG connection, electricity facility and insurance to them.&nbsp;

5. To make Uttarakhand an attractive investing spot, the Rawat government has decided an arrangement of investment summit, for which they will allocate Rs 25 crore.

6. For irrigation department, the Rawat government has allotted Rs 40 crore for making dams.

7. To provide loan to farmers under &quot;Uttarakhand Deendayal Farmer Welfare Scheme&quot;, the Rawat government has allotted a total Rs 30 crore.&nbsp;

8. For working women, &quot;Rashtriya Krech Yojana&quot; has been launched, along with the Budget of Rs 3.70 crore.&nbsp;

9. For hygienic drinking water, Rs 40 crore has allocated by the Rawat government in the Budget 2018.

10. Allocation of Rs 10 crore was made for making of warehouses for Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) storage.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(With inputs from Zee News)

A sum of Rs 86 crore has been allocated for construction of Metro Rail, among other things

The Trivendra Singh Rawat-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttarakhand presented a Rs 45,585 crore budget for the financial year 2018-19 on Thursday. Presented by Finance Minister Prakash Pant the budget allocated Rs 1,500 crore to develop Uttarakhand as an organic herbal state and has also made major allocations for encouraging start-ups, achieving cent percent literacy, opening a trauma centre in each district, and establishing an international parliamentary study, research, and training centre. A sum of Rs 86 crore has been allocated for construction of Metro Rail, among other things. The state government has also prioritized the tourism sector through various schemes including promotion of home stays. Revenue receipts are pegged at Rs 35,660 crore. This was the second budget of the BJP government which was voted to power in 2017. In its first budget, the government had presented a Rs 39,957.20 crore budget. Here are the top 10 highlights of Uttarakhand Budget 2018: 1. The Rawat government said that in all government schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer will be incorporated by 2020. Apart from this, they plan to construct 5,000 homestays, also they will invest in nearly 1 lakh youth for making them skilled. 2. The Rawat government will focus on creating more job opportunities for citizens, and for that, they will create 200 start-ups. 3. Health was also taken care during the announcement of Uttarakhand Budget 2018, as the Rawat government there plans to build the trauma centre, blood bank, and ICU in all 13 districts of the state. 4. For below poverty line people, the Rawat government will launch proper LPG connection, electricity facility and insurance to them. 5. To make Uttarakhand an attractive investing spot, the Rawat government has decided an arrangement of investment summit, for which they will allocate Rs 25 crore. 6. For irrigation department, the Rawat government has allotted Rs 40 crore for making dams. 7. To provide loan to farmers under "Uttarakhand Deendayal Farmer Welfare Scheme", the Rawat government has allotted a total Rs 30 crore. 8. For working women, "Rashtriya Krech Yojana" has been launched, along with the Budget of Rs 3.70 crore. 9. For hygienic drinking water, Rs 40 crore has allocated by the Rawat government in the Budget 2018. 10. Allocation of Rs 10 crore was made for making of warehouses for Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) storage. (With inputs from Zee News)

Rawat govt allocates Rs 1,500 crore to develop Uttarakhand as organic state in Rs 45,585 crore budget

Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy here on Sunday, a day after the CPI(M)-led Left Front was dethroned by the BJP-IPFT coalition after nearly 25 years in power.

The governor advised Sarkar, who was the chief minister since 1998, to continue until the new chief minister takes an oath. Coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Sarkar told reporters that he and his ministers would not have been able to run the government for so many years unless the people and the employees extended their cooperation to them.

He expressed gratitude to the people of the state and the staff members of the state administration. The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history yesterday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-thirds majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the northeastern state.

The BJP and the Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) won 43 seats and the CPI(M) won 16. The election on 59 seats of the 60-member assembly was held on February 18. Polling was countermanded in one seat due to death of a CPI(M) candidate.

Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy

Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy here on Sunday, a day after the CPI(M)-led Left Front was dethroned by the BJP-IPFT coalition after nearly 25 years in power. The governor advised Sarkar, who was the chief minister since 1998, to continue until the new chief minister takes an oath. Coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Sarkar told reporters that he and his ministers would not have been able to run the government for so many years unless the people and the employees extended their cooperation to them. He expressed gratitude to the people of the state and the staff members of the state administration. The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history yesterday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-thirds majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the northeastern state. The BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) won 43 seats and the CPI(M) won 16. The election on 59 seats of the 60-member assembly was held on February 18. Polling was countermanded in one seat due to death of a CPI(M) candidate.

Manik Sarkar resigns as Tripura CM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Baitha, whose vehicle was reportedly involved in an accident that killed nine school children on Saturday in Muzaffarpur district, surrendered before the Bihar Police on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Manoj Baitha has been shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment of the injuries he suffered during the accident, news agency ANI reported.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Muzaffarpur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Muzaffarpur</a> Hit &amp; Run Case: Accused <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ManojBaitha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ManojBaitha</a> admitted at Patna Medical College for treatment of injuries he suffered in the accident, that killed 9 school students, denies driving the vehicle involved in the incident. <a href="https://t.co/IBzjEoTmOD">pic.twitter.com/IBzjEoTmOD</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968682539203416065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Baitha, a district level worker of Sitamarhi, was suspended from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years on Monday.

The opposition parties on Tuesday created the ruckus in the Bihar Assembly as it protested against the Nitish Kumar government and demanded the arrest of Baitha.

At least nine schoolchildren were killed and 20 others injured in Bihar&#39;s Muzaffarpur district on Saturday after a speeding vehicle crashed into them outside their school.

The incident occurred in Minapur police station area, about 10 km from the district headquarters when the school got over and the children were returning home.

Manoj Baitha has been shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment of the injuries he suffered during the accident

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Baitha, whose vehicle was reportedly involved in an accident that killed nine school children on Saturday in Muzaffarpur district, surrendered before the Bihar Police on Wednesday. Manoj Baitha has been shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital for treatment of the injuries he suffered during the accident, news agency ANI reported. #Muzaffarpur Hit & Run Case: Accused #ManojBaitha admitted at Patna Medical College for treatment of injuries he suffered in the accident, that killed 9 school students, denies driving the vehicle involved in the incident. pic.twitter.com/IBzjEoTmOD — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2018 × Baitha, a district level worker of Sitamarhi, was suspended from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years on Monday. The opposition parties on Tuesday created the ruckus in the Bihar Assembly as it protested against the Nitish Kumar government and demanded the arrest of Baitha. At least nine schoolchildren were killed and 20 others injured in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday after a speeding vehicle crashed into them outside their school. The incident occurred in Minapur police station area, about 10 km from the district headquarters when the school got over and the children were returning home.

Bihar hit-and-run case: Suspended Bihar MLA Manoj Baitha surrenders

The Supreme Court will&nbsp;continue hearing three pleas seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the death of special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge BH&nbsp;Loya on Monday.

The petitions will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra.

The apex court had earlier asked the Maharashtra Government to submit the postmortem report of the CBI judge, who had died in alleged suspicious circumstances in 2014, citing that the &quot;matter was very serious.&quot;

As per reports, Maharashtra-based journalist B.S. Lone and activist Tehseen Poonavala had filed independent pleas seeking a fair probe into the death of Justice Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, involving various police officers and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah.

In a press conference held on January 12, Justices Madan B&nbsp;Lokur, Kurien Joseph, Ranjan Gogoi and Jasti Chelameswar questioned the conduct of the CJI, alleging that selective Benches were being appointed to preside over certain cases in the apex court.

Justice Loya&#39;s death is one among the certain cases hinted by the four judges.

The petitions will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra

The Supreme Court will continue hearing three pleas seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the death of special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge BH Loya on Monday. The petitions will be heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. The apex court had earlier asked the Maharashtra Government to submit the postmortem report of the CBI judge, who had died in alleged suspicious circumstances in 2014, citing that the "matter was very serious." As per reports, Maharashtra-based journalist B.S. Lone and activist Tehseen Poonavala had filed independent pleas seeking a fair probe into the death of Justice Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, involving various police officers and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah. In a press conference held on January 12, Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurien Joseph, Ranjan Gogoi and Jasti Chelameswar questioned the conduct of the CJI, alleging that selective Benches were being appointed to preside over certain cases in the apex court. Justice Loya's death is one among the certain cases hinted by the four judges.

Supreme Court to hear plea seeking SIT probe into Justice Loya case

The disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs was deliberately delayed due to the hidden alliance between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress party alleged.&nbsp;

&quot;The AAP has been helped by the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) by delaying the decision for over three weeks. If decision would have come before December 22, these 20 MLAs would have been disqualified and the party would not have been able to send three MPs to Rajya Sabha,&quot; Congress leader Ajay Maken said while addressing a press conference here.

Twenty AAP MLAs, accused of holding the &#39;office of profit&#39;, were disqualified from the Delhi Assembly today after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to election commission&#39;s recommendation in the matter.

&quot;Having considered the matter in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission, I, Ram Nath Kovind, president of India, in exercise of the powers...do here hold that the aforesaid 20 members of the Delhi legislative assembly stand disqualified from being members of the said assembly,&quot; read a notification issued by the law ministry.

The election commission on Friday recommended to the president the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs on for holding &#39;&#39;office of profit&#39;&#39;.

Initially, the petition was directed at 21 MLAs, but one MLA, named Jarnail Singh, resigned last year to contest in the Punjab elections.&nbsp;

Twenty AAP MLAs, accused of holding the 'office of profit', were disqualified from the Delhi Assembly

The disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs was deliberately delayed due to the hidden alliance between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress party alleged. "The AAP has been helped by the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) by delaying the decision for over three weeks. If decision would have come before December 22, these 20 MLAs would have been disqualified and the party would not have been able to send three MPs to Rajya Sabha," Congress leader Ajay Maken said while addressing a press conference here. Twenty AAP MLAs, accused of holding the 'office of profit', were disqualified from the Delhi Assembly today after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to election commission's recommendation in the matter. "Having considered the matter in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission, I, Ram Nath Kovind, president of India, in exercise of the powers...do here hold that the aforesaid 20 members of the Delhi legislative assembly stand disqualified from being members of the said assembly," read a notification issued by the law ministry. The election commission on Friday recommended to the president the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs on for holding ''office of profit''. Initially, the petition was directed at 21 MLAs, but one MLA, named Jarnail Singh, resigned last year to contest in the Punjab elections.

BJP, AAP 'hidden alliance' delayed disqualification of MLAs: Congress

Chhattisgharh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Friday said his government is only focused on development.

He made this statement while briefing media about the discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor`s address in the Assembly on Friday evening.

Singh said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power thrice in the state due to its development agenda.&quot;BJP`s government in Chhattisgarh did not come to power in 2003, 2008, 2013 just because the Congress was weak but because development is the BJP`s top agenda.

If the Congress leaders read the figures that I have presented in the Assembly then they would realize that Chhattisgarh`s growth is historic in every field,&quot; Singh said.

The Chief Minister said the Congress leaders do not realize that 36 lakh people have been benefitted by Ujjawala Yojna and 11 lakh people by home scheme in the state.

He lambasted the Congress and said it has been marginalized in the country due to the hegemony of one family (Gandhi family) in the party.

&quot;With 274 members of parliament, government in 19 states; the BJP is the largest party in the country.

On the other hand, the Congress is present in only 7 percent of India. The reason for this is the single family rule in the Congress,&quot; Singh said.He said that today he did not speak much in the Assembly as the Budget would be presented on Saturday and will speak after that.

Raman Singh made this statement while briefing media about the discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor`s address in the Assembly on Friday evening

Chhattisgharh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Friday said his government is only focused on development. He made this statement while briefing media about the discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor`s address in the Assembly on Friday evening. Singh said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power thrice in the state due to its development agenda."BJP`s government in Chhattisgarh did not come to power in 2003, 2008, 2013 just because the Congress was weak but because development is the BJP`s top agenda. If the Congress leaders read the figures that I have presented in the Assembly then they would realize that Chhattisgarh`s growth is historic in every field," Singh said. The Chief Minister said the Congress leaders do not realize that 36 lakh people have been benefitted by Ujjawala Yojna and 11 lakh people by home scheme in the state. He lambasted the Congress and said it has been marginalized in the country due to the hegemony of one family (Gandhi family) in the party. "With 274 members of parliament, government in 19 states; the BJP is the largest party in the country. On the other hand, the Congress is present in only 7 percent of India. The reason for this is the single family rule in the Congress," Singh said.He said that today he did not speak much in the Assembly as the Budget would be presented on Saturday and will speak after that.

My government focused on development: Raman Singh

The Congress on Tuesday carried out a &quot;pakoda&quot; protest in Chhattisgarh&#39;s Raipur in a bid to mock the Centre.&nbsp;

The Congress workers organised a &quot;Shikshit Berozgar pakoda Center&quot; in the state.&nbsp;This set up comes following Amit Shah&#39;s speech at the Rajya Sabha on Monday and Prime Ministers &quot;pakora&quot; comment last month - which started the whole fiasco.&nbsp;

The leaders were seen selling &#39;Arun Jaitley&#39; pakora and &#39;Raman&#39; pakora targeting the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

The Congress on Tuesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah over his statement on &quot;pakoda&quot; sellers and Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the Rajya Sabha.

Shah was quoted saying: &quot;A pakora seller is earning a living, not begging, who knows his next generation might rise to be a leader, after all, a tea seller has today become a Prime Minister.&quot;

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan hit back at this remark and said: &quot;It is very unfortunate that our country&#39;s youth who are talented and educated in various professions are sitting unemployed, and the ruling party is telling them to go and sell pakodas.&quot;

&quot;Never has any ruling party in the past made such a despicable and disgraceful remark,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

In a recent interview to a news channel last month, the Prime Minister had said a person selling &quot;pakoda&quot; outside and earning Rs 200 a day should also be considered as &quot;employed&quot;.

&nbsp;Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Monday hit out at the Congress for being unable to address the issue of unemployment.

While addressing his maiden speech as the member of Rajya Sabha, Shah said that the Congress ruled the nation for a decade but failed to tackle the issue of unemployment.

 
&nbsp;

The Congress on Tuesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah over his statement on Pakoda sellers and Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the Rajya Sabha

The Congress on Tuesday carried out a "pakoda" protest in Chhattisgarh's Raipur in a bid to mock the Centre. The Congress workers organised a "Shikshit Berozgar pakoda Center" in the state. This set up comes following Amit Shah's speech at the Rajya Sabha on Monday and Prime Ministers "pakora" comment last month - which started the whole fiasco. The leaders were seen selling 'Arun Jaitley' pakora and 'Raman' pakora targeting the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh. The Congress on Tuesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah over his statement on "pakoda" sellers and Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the Rajya Sabha. Shah was quoted saying: "A pakora seller is earning a living, not begging, who knows his next generation might rise to be a leader, after all, a tea seller has today become a Prime Minister." Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan hit back at this remark and said: "It is very unfortunate that our country's youth who are talented and educated in various professions are sitting unemployed, and the ruling party is telling them to go and sell pakodas." "Never has any ruling party in the past made such a despicable and disgraceful remark," he added. In a recent interview to a news channel last month, the Prime Minister had said a person selling "pakoda" outside and earning Rs 200 a day should also be considered as "employed". Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Monday hit out at the Congress for being unable to address the issue of unemployment. While addressing his maiden speech as the member of Rajya Sabha, Shah said that the Congress ruled the nation for a decade but failed to tackle the issue of unemployment.

Chhattisgarh: Congress organises 'pakora' protest, names 'pakoras' after Jaitley, Raman Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday accused the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Tripura of running a &ldquo;corrupt and violent&rdquo; government.

&ldquo;The people have to get rid of poverty and unemployment. Only one man should stay unemployed - Manik Sarkar, take away his job. He runs a corrupt government and a violent Government,&rdquo; Madhav said while addressing a gathering ahead of the assembly election in the state.

Further mocking the state government, the national general secretary of the BJP lauded the people of Tripura for &ldquo;tolerating the misrule&rdquo; of the CPI (M) for the past 25 years.

&ldquo;It is time to do away with the government which has left the people poor, devoid of development, a government which could not protect the women of its state,&rdquo; he said.

Tripura will go to polls on February 18 and the results for the same will be declared on March 3.

The CPI (M) has a strong foothold in the state and is in power for past 25 years while the incumbent Manik Sarkar is at the helm for 19 years.

Tripura will go to polls on February 18 and the results for the same will be declared on March 3

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday accused the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Tripura of running a “corrupt and violent” government. “The people have to get rid of poverty and unemployment. Only one man should stay unemployed - Manik Sarkar, take away his job. He runs a corrupt government and a violent Government,” Madhav said while addressing a gathering ahead of the assembly election in the state. Further mocking the state government, the national general secretary of the BJP lauded the people of Tripura for “tolerating the misrule” of the CPI (M) for the past 25 years. “It is time to do away with the government which has left the people poor, devoid of development, a government which could not protect the women of its state,” he said. Tripura will go to polls on February 18 and the results for the same will be declared on March 3. The CPI (M) has a strong foothold in the state and is in power for past 25 years while the incumbent Manik Sarkar is at the helm for 19 years.

Ram Madhav accuses Manik Sarkar of running 'corrupt, violent' government

All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-running-for-chief-minister-position-prem-kumar-dhumal-27550" target="_blank">five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party&#39;s next leader</a>&nbsp;in the legislative assembly.

The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

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BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says &quot;swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bjvLu2TXJO">pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO</a>
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Thakur is thought of as a&nbsp;&quot;strong&quot;&nbsp;leader -- he won his fifth straight assembly election from the Seraj seat this time, and the&nbsp;BJP won nine out of 10 seats in the region.

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Jairam Thakur to be the Legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh: Narendra Singh Tomar, Central Observer <a href="https://t.co/q319dmgOzl">pic.twitter.com/q319dmgOzl</a>
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The announcement was made at the BJP&#39;s legislative party meet in Shimla today. 
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The meeting was attended by union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey.

Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009.

Thakur is considered close to JP Nadda and hence enjoys the&nbsp;support of the top BJP leadership.&nbsp;

The BJP wrested power from the Congress in the recent Himachal Pradesh elections, securing a simple majority by winning 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.&nbsp;

Thakur's name for CM was announced at the BJP's Legislative Party meet in Shimla today

All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party's next leader in the legislative assembly. The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony. BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says "swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend" pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × Thakur is thought of as a "strong" leader -- he won his fifth straight assembly election from the Seraj seat this time, and the BJP won nine out of 10 seats in the region. Jairam Thakur to be the Legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh: Narendra Singh Tomar, Central Observer pic.twitter.com/q319dmgOzl — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × The announcement was made at the BJP's legislative party meet in Shimla today. The meeting was attended by union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey. Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009. Thakur is considered close to JP Nadda and hence enjoys the support of the top BJP leadership. The BJP wrested power from the Congress in the recent Himachal Pradesh elections, securing a simple majority by winning 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.

Jairam Thakur to be sworn in as Himachal Pradesh CM on December 27, PM Modi to attend

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state.

&quot;Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh,&quot; Thakur told.

Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress.

Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998.

Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress&#39; Rajinder Rana.

Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492.

The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.&nbsp;

Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state. "Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh," Thakur told. Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress. Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998. Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress' Rajinder Rana. Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492. The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

BJP leader Jairam Thakur assures Himachal of development

The BJP is on course to take Gujarat, and most of Surat with it.&nbsp;

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Congratulations to all candidates in Surat for winning 12/12 seats! The people of Gujarat have rejected those who tried to divide us in the name of caste! The vision of Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji &amp; Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amitshah</a> ji will march ahead! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BJPWinsGujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BJPWinsGujarat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratVerdict?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratVerdict</a> <a href="https://t.co/JOeQnkWEis">pic.twitter.com/JOeQnkWEis</a>
&mdash; Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarshanaJardosh/status/942671566835367936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST.&nbsp;

They had not been happy with the Goods and Services Tax.&nbsp;

(It is important to note though that counting is still underway in Surat and the results of all 16 assembly seats in Surat have not yet been declared.)&nbsp;

But the Election Commission, which has declared leads, is at the moment giving the BJP the lead in at least 12 seats in Surat.&nbsp;

Surat is the hub of the baniya or trader community, which makes up 14% of Gujarat&#39;s population.&nbsp;

The protest that really got the BJP&#39;s attention was the one by Surat&#39;s textile traders. Surat is the country&#39;s largest man-made fabric hub.&nbsp;

The BJP was quick to act on the disenchantment.&nbsp;

It cut the GST rate on yarn from 18% to 12%, increased the customs duty on fabric by 25% to curb imports from China, and offered relief in the filing of GST returns.&nbsp;

It also cut the tax rate on khakhra, a popular Gujarati snack, and some namkeens.&nbsp;

And announced a number of relief measures for exporters.&nbsp;

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Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST

The BJP is on course to take Gujarat, and most of Surat with it. Congratulations to all candidates in Surat for winning 12/12 seats! The people of Gujarat have rejected those who tried to divide us in the name of caste! The vision of Shri @narendramodi ji & Shri @amitshah ji will march ahead! #BJPWinsGujarat #GujaratVerdict pic.twitter.com/JOeQnkWEis — Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) December 18, 2017 × Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST. They had not been happy with the Goods and Services Tax. (It is important to note though that counting is still underway in Surat and the results of all 16 assembly seats in Surat have not yet been declared.) But the Election Commission, which has declared leads, is at the moment giving the BJP the lead in at least 12 seats in Surat. Surat is the hub of the baniya or trader community, which makes up 14% of Gujarat's population. The protest that really got the BJP's attention was the one by Surat's textile traders. Surat is the country's largest man-made fabric hub. The BJP was quick to act on the disenchantment. It cut the GST rate on yarn from 18% to 12%, increased the customs duty on fabric by 25% to curb imports from China, and offered relief in the filing of GST returns. It also cut the tax rate on khakhra, a popular Gujarati snack, and some namkeens. And announced a number of relief measures for exporters.

Gujarat election results: Hub of trader protests, BJP on course to winning most seats in Surat

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Trends from counting </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">centres</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015"> across Himachal Pradesh</a> showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government.&nbsp;

State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: &quot;We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state.&quot;

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals.

State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una.

A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling.

The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority.

The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats. 
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The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to control the Himachal Assembly.

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday. Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government. State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: "We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state." Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una. A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling. The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority. The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats.

BJP poised to form government in Himachal Pradesh

The Gujarat and Himachal election results show the country is ready for reform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after winning Gujarat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Modi was speaking at BJP headquarters in Delhi after the win.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM Narendra Modi at BJP HQ in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9">https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9</a>
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The BJP has reached the victory mark of&nbsp;92 in Gujarat -- but is looking like it will struggle to reach the 100 mark

The BJP has also won Himachal, getting to the victory mark of 35.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-accepts-verdict-of-the-people-rahul-gandhi-27081" target="_blank">Congress accepts verdict of the people, says&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi</a>

The election results and &quot;in this day and age, for a party to keep winning for so long,&quot; Modi said, &quot;are historic&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Recent elections results have proven that the country is ready for reform, is looking towards things that perform in a positive way and believes in transformation,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&quot;After 2014, there is hunger for development. Even if you do not like BJP, do not try to derail the progress being made towards development,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/people-questioning-pm-modis-policies-will-now-have-to-accept-his-leadership-cm-yogi-on-elections-results-27083" target="_blank">People questioning PM Modi&#39;s policies will now have to accept his leadership, says Yogi</a>

He also added that &quot;So many conspiracies were hatched in Gujarat by Congress, misinformation was being spread.&quot; But &quot;People cannot bear if anyone makes fun of vikas&nbsp;(development)&quot;.&nbsp;

Development was the key theme of Modi&#39;s speech, with a few exceptions:&nbsp;

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30 years back, poison of caste was spread so badly in Gujarat that it took workers like me 30 years to get rid of it. In last few months there were attempts again to sow seeds of casteism, but people rejected it,I congratulate them, but ppl must be alert: PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/srlI5bsa3Y">pic.twitter.com/srlI5bsa3Y</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942746690645237760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Taking of the Himachal elections, he said the results there &quot;show that if you don&#39;t do development and are embroiled in all wrong acts then after five years people will not accept you.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-hails-gujarat-himachal-results-has-eyes-set-on-2019-27079" target="_blank">Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019</a>

And he thanked the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for choosing the path of development.&nbsp;

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The Gujarat and Himachal election results show the country is ready for reform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after winning Gujarat. Modi was speaking at BJP headquarters in Delhi after the win. #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi at BJP HQ in Delhi https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9 — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × The BJP has reached the victory mark of 92 in Gujarat -- but is looking like it will struggle to reach the 100 mark The BJP has also won Himachal, getting to the victory mark of 35. Also read: Congress accepts verdict of the people, says Rahul Gandhi The election results and "in this day and age, for a party to keep winning for so long," Modi said, "are historic". "Recent elections results have proven that the country is ready for reform, is looking towards things that perform in a positive way and believes in transformation," he added. "After 2014, there is hunger for development. Even if you do not like BJP, do not try to derail the progress being made towards development," he said. Also read: People questioning PM Modi's policies will now have to accept his leadership, says Yogi He also added that "So many conspiracies were hatched in Gujarat by Congress, misinformation was being spread." But "People cannot bear if anyone makes fun of vikas (development)". Development was the key theme of Modi's speech, with a few exceptions: 30 years back, poison of caste was spread so badly in Gujarat that it took workers like me 30 years to get rid of it. In last few months there were attempts again to sow seeds of casteism, but people rejected it,I congratulate them, but ppl must be alert: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/srlI5bsa3Y — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Taking of the Himachal elections, he said the results there "show that if you don't do development and are embroiled in all wrong acts then after five years people will not accept you." Also read: Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019 And he thanked the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for choosing the path of development.

Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat, Himachal win