The government and the opposition used the Kulbhusan Jadhav issue to work out their row, which had stalled Parliament for the last two weeks, but news reports said Thursday that another one was brewing over Karnataka BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-who-call-themselves-secular-dont-know-about-their-parentage-mp-ananth-kumar-hegde-27714" target="_blank">statements</a> on secular people not knowing their parentage and changing the constitution.&nbsp;

The impasse had begun over Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">statement</a> while campaigning for the Gujarat election that Congress leaders were conspiring with Pakistan to affect the outcome of the Gujarat election.&nbsp;

The impasse had hit the winter session of Parliament, with the Congress demanding an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house.&nbsp;

The Congress had later -- after the BJP had said there was no apology coming -- watered down its demand for an apology to asking for a clarification.&nbsp;

In the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, &quot;did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president.&quot;

&quot;Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation,&quot; Jaitley said.

Responding to his statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: &quot;I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock.&quot;

&quot;If during the elections, any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the prime minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the prime minister,&quot; Azad said.

News reports said Thursday that it was a formal meeting between Jaitley and and Azad earlier and other informal meetings that helped break the deadlock.&nbsp;

Azad later said the Congress wanted to discuss the treatment meted out by Pakistan to Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother.&nbsp;

Azad was reported as saying that &quot;for us it is India first and opposition second&quot;.&nbsp;

He added that &quot;we want to raise our voice for a fellow citizen&quot;.&nbsp;

But the reports added that while the government and opposition had shut down one front, they had opened another.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the opposition forced the shutdown of the Lok Sabha a number of times.&nbsp;

Apart from taking offence to his comments on secularism, the opposition also accused Hegde -- he is a union minister -- of disrespecting the architect of the constitution BR Ambedkar by saying &quot;we are here to change it&quot;.&nbsp;

The government has since distanced itself from Hegde&#39;s comments but the opposition says he should either apologise or quit.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Congress had wanted to talk about Kulbhushan Jadhav which was proving impossible in a checkmated winter session of Parliament

The government and the opposition used the Kulbhusan Jadhav issue to work out their row, which had stalled Parliament for the last two weeks, but news reports said Thursday that another one was brewing over Karnataka BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde's statements on secular people not knowing their parentage and changing the constitution. The impasse had begun over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement while campaigning for the Gujarat election that Congress leaders were conspiring with Pakistan to affect the outcome of the Gujarat election. The impasse had hit the winter session of Parliament, with the Congress demanding an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house. The Congress had later -- after the BJP had said there was no apology coming -- watered down its demand for an apology to asking for a clarification. In the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president." "Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said. Responding to his statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock." "If during the elections, any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the prime minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the prime minister," Azad said. News reports said Thursday that it was a formal meeting between Jaitley and and Azad earlier and other informal meetings that helped break the deadlock. Azad later said the Congress wanted to discuss the treatment meted out by Pakistan to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother. Azad was reported as saying that "for us it is India first and opposition second". He added that "we want to raise our voice for a fellow citizen". But the reports added that while the government and opposition had shut down one front, they had opened another. On Wednesday, the opposition forced the shutdown of the Lok Sabha a number of times. Apart from taking offence to his comments on secularism, the opposition also accused Hegde -- he is a union minister -- of disrespecting the architect of the constitution BR Ambedkar by saying "we are here to change it". The government has since distanced itself from Hegde's comments but the opposition says he should either apologise or quit. (With inputs from PTI)

Government, opposition use Jadhav issue to end deadlock, but another brews

As Anant Kumar Hegde&#39;s comment on the Constitution continues to garner condemnation, the government now seems to distance itself from the controversy stating that the BJP doesn&#39;t support or subscribe to Hegde&#39;s views.

Union minister Vijay Goel shared the same with the Upper House of the Parliament today stating that, &quot;we are committed to the Constitution. We do not agree with the Minister&#39;s remarks.&quot;&nbsp;

Union Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman also talked on similar lines noting that the government is not on the same page with Hedge&#39;s remarks, she told the reporters outside Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Both houses of Parliament today met with disruptions as the members of the Opposition parties took strong objection and condemned Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde&#39;s remarks on amending the Constitution.

The leader of Opposition and Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded Hedge&#39;s apology and stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi &quot;should take a call on whether such a person should continue as a minister,&quot; he told the reporters.

He said opposition parties had raised the matter before Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

&quot;Opposition parties are of the opinion that any minister who does not believe in the Constitution should have no place in the council of ministers. It is for the prime minister to take a call on him,&quot; Azad said.Meanwhile,

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Congress&#39; Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of remarks made by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde about the constitution, in Rajya Sabha; says &quot;if a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UDaMge4yOd">pic.twitter.com/UDaMge4yOd</a>
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Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Anant Kumar Hegde, sparked condemnation when he recently noted that&nbsp;Constitution &quot;will be changed in the days to come&quot;.

&quot;We will respect the Constitution, but the Constitution has changed several times and it will change in the future too. We are here to change the Constitution and we&#39;ll change it,&quot; Hegde noted at an event in Karnataka.&nbsp;

The Opposition now seems to press for Hegde&#39;s resignation.&nbsp;

Reports also suggest that Hegde subtly hinted at amending the word &quot;secular&quot; in the Constitution.

&quot;Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yes, the Constitution has given that right to say &#39;we are secular and we will say it&#39;. Yes, I know but the Constitution has been amended many times, we will also amend it. We have come to power for that,&quot; an ANI report quoted Hegde.&nbsp;

Both the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/both-houses-of-parliament-adjourned-over-mp-ananth-kumar-hegdes-controversial-statement-on-secularism-constitution-27838">houses of Parliament were adjourned today</a> amid uproar sparked on Hedge&#39;s remark.&nbsp;

The leader of Opposition and Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded Hedge's apology

As Anant Kumar Hegde's comment on the Constitution continues to garner condemnation, the government now seems to distance itself from the controversy stating that the BJP doesn't support or subscribe to Hegde's views. Union minister Vijay Goel shared the same with the Upper House of the Parliament today stating that, "we are committed to the Constitution. We do not agree with the Minister's remarks." Union Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman also talked on similar lines noting that the government is not on the same page with Hedge's remarks, she told the reporters outside Rajya Sabha. Both houses of Parliament today met with disruptions as the members of the Opposition parties took strong objection and condemned Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde's remarks on amending the Constitution. The leader of Opposition and Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded Hedge's apology and stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "should take a call on whether such a person should continue as a minister," he told the reporters. He said opposition parties had raised the matter before Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu. "Opposition parties are of the opinion that any minister who does not believe in the Constitution should have no place in the council of ministers. It is for the prime minister to take a call on him," Azad said.Meanwhile, Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of remarks made by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde about the constitution, in Rajya Sabha; says "if a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament" pic.twitter.com/UDaMge4yOd — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Anant Kumar Hegde, sparked condemnation when he recently noted that Constitution "will be changed in the days to come". "We will respect the Constitution, but the Constitution has changed several times and it will change in the future too. We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it," Hegde noted at an event in Karnataka. The Opposition now seems to press for Hegde's resignation. Reports also suggest that Hegde subtly hinted at amending the word "secular" in the Constitution. "Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yes, the Constitution has given that right to say 'we are secular and we will say it'. Yes, I know but the Constitution has been amended many times, we will also amend it. We have come to power for that," an ANI report quoted Hegde. Both the houses of Parliament were adjourned today amid uproar sparked on Hedge's remark.

Government doesn't agree with Hedge's remarks, ministers say in Parliament

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur is one of BJP&#39;s senior leaders widely known for his humble, clean and non-aggressive style of politics.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Thakur was sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on December 27 in a ceremony which was attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah and several other leaders.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the recently-held Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. 
&nbsp; 
Thakur belongs to Rajput community and was born on January 6, 1965, in Tandi village of Mandi&#39;s Thunag area.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
His parents were farmers and therefore, had limited earnings. He also had five other siblings - two sisters and three brothers. 
&nbsp; 
Thakur&#39;s father Jhethu Ram died on December 25 last year. 
&nbsp; 
He did his post-graduation from Panjab University, Chandigarh, after which he decided to join politics.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
During his under-graduation days in Vallabh Government College in Mandi, Thakur joined ABVP and won the first election under ABVP flag. 
&nbsp; 
Thakur, a former state unit chief and rural development and panchayati raj minister in a government headed by Dhumal, is considered close to the RSS, where he stayed for three years before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1993.

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Jairam Thakur (Others)
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Thakur contested assembly polls on a BJP ticket in 1993, which he lost but went on to win the 1998 elections from Seraj and every state election after that.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In 1998, he was given a ticket from Chachiot Vidhan Sabha segment after defeating (This should be just defeated. You first get a ticket and then you defeat someone, no?) Moti Ram Thakur by almost 6,000 votes. 
&nbsp; 
The BJP then formed the government in Shimla under Prem Kumar Dhumal, with the support of the Sukh Ram-led Himachal Vikas Congress. Thakur had been a key member in the development of one of the state&rsquo;s most undeveloped and backward areas, according to his constituents. (We can remove this para) 
&nbsp; 
He was a Cabinet minister in the BJP government led by Dhumal from 2007 to 2012. 
&nbsp; 
In 2012, he won against Congress&rsquo;s Tara Thakur by 11,254 votes making it one of his biggest victory margins so far in Himachal Pradesh. 
&nbsp; 
A soft-spoken man, Thakur&#39;s strength is that he is seen as a leader who has managed to straddle the party&#39;s warring factions in the state. 
&nbsp; 
The BJP ousted the Congress from power by winning 44 out of the 68 seats in the recent assembly polls.

The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the 2017 Assembly polls.

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur is one of BJP's senior leaders widely known for his humble, clean and non-aggressive style of politics. Thakur was sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on December 27 in a ceremony which was attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah and several other leaders. The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the recently-held Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. Thakur belongs to Rajput community and was born on January 6, 1965, in Tandi village of Mandi's Thunag area. His parents were farmers and therefore, had limited earnings. He also had five other siblings - two sisters and three brothers. Thakur's father Jhethu Ram died on December 25 last year. He did his post-graduation from Panjab University, Chandigarh, after which he decided to join politics. During his under-graduation days in Vallabh Government College in Mandi, Thakur joined ABVP and won the first election under ABVP flag. Thakur, a former state unit chief and rural development and panchayati raj minister in a government headed by Dhumal, is considered close to the RSS, where he stayed for three years before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1993. Jairam Thakur (Others) × Thakur contested assembly polls on a BJP ticket in 1993, which he lost but went on to win the 1998 elections from Seraj and every state election after that. In 1998, he was given a ticket from Chachiot Vidhan Sabha segment after defeating (This should be just defeated. You first get a ticket and then you defeat someone, no?) Moti Ram Thakur by almost 6,000 votes. The BJP then formed the government in Shimla under Prem Kumar Dhumal, with the support of the Sukh Ram-led Himachal Vikas Congress. Thakur had been a key member in the development of one of the state’s most undeveloped and backward areas, according to his constituents. (We can remove this para) He was a Cabinet minister in the BJP government led by Dhumal from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, he won against Congress’s Tara Thakur by 11,254 votes making it one of his biggest victory margins so far in Himachal Pradesh. A soft-spoken man, Thakur's strength is that he is seen as a leader who has managed to straddle the party's warring factions in the state. The BJP ousted the Congress from power by winning 44 out of the 68 seats in the recent assembly polls.

Jairam Thakur: Soft-spoken man who will now steer Himachal Pradesh

Jairam Thakur<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jairam-thakur-to-be-new-himachal-pradesh-chief-minister-27582"> will be sworn in as chief minister of </a>Himachal Pradesh today.

The ceremony, to be held at the Ridge ground in Shimla, is expected to begin at&nbsp;11 am.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Himachal Pradesh&#39;s Shimla, received by CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiRamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiRamThakur</a> <a href="https://t.co/LNfGAZMI5v">pic.twitter.com/LNfGAZMI5v</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945887948846784513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Shimla: Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh &amp; UP CM Yogi Adityanath present for soon to begin oath taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiRamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiRamThakur</a>; PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly <a href="https://t.co/SroFVjwj4w">pic.twitter.com/SroFVjwj4w</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945892184250769409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Former deputy prime minister LK Advani will also be attending.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank">Rupani </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank">sworn</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank"> in as Gujarat chief minister; Modi, Shah in attendance</a>&nbsp;

The oath of office will be administered by Governor Aacharya Devvrat.&nbsp;

The names of Thakur&#39;s ministers are still to be finalised, news reports said.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-thank-everyone-central-leadership-says-himachal-cm-elect-jairam-thakur-27585">&nbsp;&quot;I thank everyone, central leadership...,&quot; says Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur</a>

The five-time BJP MLA from the hill state&#39;s Seraj constituency was chosen to lead the state after the BJP&#39;s original chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal failed to win in the recent elections.

The BJP ousted the Congress from Himachal Pradesh after winning 44 of the 68 seats in the recently-held Assembly polls.

Prime Minister Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending

Jairam Thakur will be sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh today. The ceremony, to be held at the Ridge ground in Shimla, is expected to begin at 11 am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, received by CM elect #JaiRamThakur pic.twitter.com/LNfGAZMI5v — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Shimla: Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh & UP CM Yogi Adityanath present for soon to begin oath taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM elect #JaiRamThakur; PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly pic.twitter.com/SroFVjwj4w — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Former deputy prime minister LK Advani will also be attending. Also read: Rupani sworn in as Gujarat chief minister; Modi, Shah in attendance The oath of office will be administered by Governor Aacharya Devvrat. The names of Thakur's ministers are still to be finalised, news reports said. Also read: "I thank everyone, central leadership...," says Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur The five-time BJP MLA from the hill state's Seraj constituency was chosen to lead the state after the BJP's original chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal failed to win in the recent elections. The BJP ousted the Congress from Himachal Pradesh after winning 44 of the 68 seats in the recently-held Assembly polls.

Jairam Thakur sworn in as Himachal Pradesh chief minister

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jairam-thakur-to-be-sworn-in-as-himachal-pradesh-chief-minister-today-27800">will swear-in</a> as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh today.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> set to take oath as the Chief Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a>, today, says &quot;people have shown faith in us, will try to meet their expectations&quot; <a href="https://t.co/OdOqThvXK0">pic.twitter.com/OdOqThvXK0</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945866015522537472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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While talking to the media he said: &quot;I would have been happier if my father was present today, he passed away a year back. My&nbsp;mother is unwell at the moment but she sends her blessings and that is more than enough for me.&quot;

The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect&#39;s father died on December 25 last year.

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Bohot khushi hoti agar pitaji aaj saath hote, ek saal pehle wo humein chhodkar chale gaye. Mataji aswasth hain, par unka aashirwaad hai aur ye mere liye bohot badi baat hai: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/dgRHHce9LQ">pic.twitter.com/dgRHHce9LQ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945867545759776768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Thakur&#39;s wife&nbsp;Sadhana Thakur will be accompanying the leader in the ceremony. She expressed her delight and said:&nbsp;&quot;It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public&quot;

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&quot;It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public&quot; says Sadhana Thakur, wife of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiamThakur</a> ahead of his oath taking ceremony <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZbkHMTAmSV">pic.twitter.com/ZbkHMTAmSV</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945868814163394561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The ceremony will be held at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla at 11 am. Thousands of supports have started making their way to the venue to celebrate in full swing.&nbsp;

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Ridge ground in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shimla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shimla</a> all geared up for the swearing in ceremony of CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> and others <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/scV19gKy3k">pic.twitter.com/scV19gKy3k</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945870193728749568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders.

Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony and Modi is likely to address people at the Ridge.

&nbsp;

The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect's father died on December 25 last year

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur will swear-in as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh today. #JairamThakur set to take oath as the Chief Minister of #HimachalPradesh, today, says "people have shown faith in us, will try to meet their expectations" pic.twitter.com/OdOqThvXK0 — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × While talking to the media he said: "I would have been happier if my father was present today, he passed away a year back. My mother is unwell at the moment but she sends her blessings and that is more than enough for me." The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect's father died on December 25 last year. Bohot khushi hoti agar pitaji aaj saath hote, ek saal pehle wo humein chhodkar chale gaye. Mataji aswasth hain, par unka aashirwaad hai aur ye mere liye bohot badi baat hai: #JairamThakur #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/dgRHHce9LQ — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Thakur's wife Sadhana Thakur will be accompanying the leader in the ceremony. She expressed her delight and said: "It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public" "It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public" says Sadhana Thakur, wife of #JaiamThakur ahead of his oath taking ceremony #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/ZbkHMTAmSV — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × The ceremony will be held at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla at 11 am. Thousands of supports have started making their way to the venue to celebrate in full swing. Ridge ground in #Shimla all geared up for the swearing in ceremony of CM elect #JairamThakur and others #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/scV19gKy3k — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders. Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony and Modi is likely to address people at the Ridge.

Would have been happier if my father were here, Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur says before swearing in

The hard work done by RSS in the civil society continues to pay dividends to BJP across the country. The best example of it is the marriage of civil society interests and political ambition in North East where RSS has been working from the 1970s.&nbsp;

It is because of this investment of time with civil society issues by RSS, that BJP has been able to build a political network in areas which is culturally and socially different to the ideological thinking of the RSS.&nbsp;

It is the confluence of social and cultural networking of RSS with BJP&rsquo;s political and electoral machine which explains the rise of BJP as an important party in the North East.

A similar investment was made by the Congress Party during the freedom struggle. The political action was only one part of the Congress activity, the party was involved in hundreds of other civil society issues. From nation building to character building, the Congress worked on a myriad of issues, almost crafting the mindset of the Indians. It is this mental world which has been challenged by the RSS-BJP combine in the last 50 years.

To understand the success, it is important to understand the work done by the RSS in North East. To start with Arunachal Pradesh, RSS runs Arunachal Vikas Parishad in Arunachal Pradesh which in other states is known as Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. It runs schools and maintains hostels for the students. There are thousands of RSS affiliated schools in the state alone.&nbsp;

The RSS runs National Integration programmes which allow students from the North East to stay with different families in different parts of India. Apart from the BJP, more than 4000 trained &lsquo;sevaks&rsquo; work in Arunachal Pradesh who run Shakhas and other programmes which works at the level of social but impact the political mood. Apart from it, affiliated organisations run Civil Service Orientation Services.

There are programmes dedicated to students who require engineering coaching. On top of it, new Yoga Centres have also come up which focus on individual character building. Additional to this is the massive network of Bal Bari schools. Though RSS insists that it has nothing to do with the BJP but the fact is that RSS, unquestionably, has laid the ground for BJP in the North East. Central to this social action are the faceless pracharaks who devote their lives to an ideology that also ends up shaping civil society sentiments on a number of political issues.

The special focus is imparting lessons on cultural nationalism (which is debatable) and national integration which provides an alternative discourse to the civil society.&nbsp;

Unlike Congress of the 50&rsquo;s and 60&rsquo;s which was then the sole repository of nationalism, the RSS-BJP combine has shifted the axis by claiming nationalism as its own domain. Today, they claim to be the sole repository of nationalism. It has allowed them to combine culturally and socially different voices into one, like pre-colonial Congress. Congress refashioned the dominant discourse of the nation into its own image. It started before independence but was institutionalised after independence.

&nbsp;Earlier, the RSS-BJP too wanted to refashion the discourse of nationalism into its own image but only succeeded in the last 25 years. It is this shift which is finding an imprint in our electoral history cutting across regions. It is this worldview, aided by rapid urbanisation and consolidation of a larger Indian national identity, that is emerging as the main opposition to highly volatile, violent, dominant and majoritarian global Islam.

RSS-BJP&rsquo;s intensive interaction with the civil society has also succeeded in underlining its role as the only party which unites and keep India united.&nbsp;

Assam result broke this very myth of geographical and ideological limitations of BJP. It made them local and national at the same time.

Such has been the impact of the effort that the issue of food habit has been kept aside in the North East, and prayer houses have been built for local communities who worship elements of nature in the state.

&nbsp;Despite having an acrimonious relationship with Christian Missionary establishment all across India, RSS has worked both ends in the North East. It has organised non-Christian communities in their cultural realm preventing conversions and also engaged the existing non-Hindu religious establishment by sharing political space with them.

The North East also remains one of the few states where the RSS ensured that most of the pracharaks have a local tribal background. Arun Anand, a scholar who has worked on the RSS says, &quot;RSS has helped BJP identify local issues. It is for this that BJP does not look alien to the people and senior leaders go a mile to accommodate local junior leaders.&rdquo;

Speaking to WION, Sunil Mohanty, the RSS in charge of Arunachal Pradesh said, &quot;What we are worried about is the dilution of the living boundary. Tribals living near the border are migrating to the district headquarter for lack of amenities which is not good. Living boundary is as important as the physical boundary.&rdquo;

Such has been the compulsion borne out of this interaction, that the BJP had to work out suitable state-related issues against various parties.

&nbsp;It created space in states, such as Tripura where Congress has not been able to unseat the Left for past 15 years. The BJP also hijacked the issue of illegal migration and consolidated votes in Assam on this issue, making minority votes irrelevant. For Congress to come back today, it cannot harp on the issue of alienism of BJP.&nbsp;

BJP has become as indigenous as Congress in the North East. RSS-BJP combine might rest on national integrity, focusing on local issues and threat which it faces from migrant populations which can change the local political axis.

Though Congress recently started a Professional Congress, it still needs people who can create a daily ritual of interaction between the worker, leader and civil society. It is through this interaction that social opinion in conjunction with political action translates into mass politics. Most of its departments are defunct today and have not functioned properly for years.

Various frontal organisations of the Congress have an episodic and politico-electoral relationship with the civil society where intimate bond with the organisation is missing. The absence of this bond further dilutes ideological underpinning of an individual. It should worry the Congress. It is for this reason that despite a massive anti-incumbency, BJP was able to retain Gujarat by a thin margin. At the end, personal bond infused with ideology does work.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

It is the confluence of social and cultural networking of RSS with BJP?s political and electoral machine which explains the rise of BJP as an important party in the North East.

The hard work done by RSS in the civil society continues to pay dividends to BJP across the country. The best example of it is the marriage of civil society interests and political ambition in North East where RSS has been working from the 1970s. It is because of this investment of time with civil society issues by RSS, that BJP has been able to build a political network in areas which is culturally and socially different to the ideological thinking of the RSS. It is the confluence of social and cultural networking of RSS with BJP’s political and electoral machine which explains the rise of BJP as an important party in the North East. A similar investment was made by the Congress Party during the freedom struggle. The political action was only one part of the Congress activity, the party was involved in hundreds of other civil society issues. From nation building to character building, the Congress worked on a myriad of issues, almost crafting the mindset of the Indians. It is this mental world which has been challenged by the RSS-BJP combine in the last 50 years. To understand the success, it is important to understand the work done by the RSS in North East. To start with Arunachal Pradesh, RSS runs Arunachal Vikas Parishad in Arunachal Pradesh which in other states is known as Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. It runs schools and maintains hostels for the students. There are thousands of RSS affiliated schools in the state alone. The RSS runs National Integration programmes which allow students from the North East to stay with different families in different parts of India. Apart from the BJP, more than 4000 trained ‘sevaks’ work in Arunachal Pradesh who run Shakhas and other programmes which works at the level of social but impact the political mood. Apart from it, affiliated organisations run Civil Service Orientation Services. There are programmes dedicated to students who require engineering coaching. On top of it, new Yoga Centres have also come up which focus on individual character building. Additional to this is the massive network of Bal Bari schools. Though RSS insists that it has nothing to do with the BJP but the fact is that RSS, unquestionably, has laid the ground for BJP in the North East. Central to this social action are the faceless pracharaks who devote their lives to an ideology that also ends up shaping civil society sentiments on a number of political issues. The special focus is imparting lessons on cultural nationalism (which is debatable) and national integration which provides an alternative discourse to the civil society. Unlike Congress of the 50’s and 60’s which was then the sole repository of nationalism, the RSS-BJP combine has shifted the axis by claiming nationalism as its own domain. Today, they claim to be the sole repository of nationalism. It has allowed them to combine culturally and socially different voices into one, like pre-colonial Congress. Congress refashioned the dominant discourse of the nation into its own image. It started before independence but was institutionalised after independence. Earlier, the RSS-BJP too wanted to refashion the discourse of nationalism into its own image but only succeeded in the last 25 years. It is this shift which is finding an imprint in our electoral history cutting across regions. It is this worldview, aided by rapid urbanisation and consolidation of a larger Indian national identity, that is emerging as the main opposition to highly volatile, violent, dominant and majoritarian global Islam. RSS-BJP’s intensive interaction with the civil society has also succeeded in underlining its role as the only party which unites and keep India united. Assam result broke this very myth of geographical and ideological limitations of BJP. It made them local and national at the same time. Such has been the impact of the effort that the issue of food habit has been kept aside in the North East, and prayer houses have been built for local communities who worship elements of nature in the state. Despite having an acrimonious relationship with Christian Missionary establishment all across India, RSS has worked both ends in the North East. It has organised non-Christian communities in their cultural realm preventing conversions and also engaged the existing non-Hindu religious establishment by sharing political space with them. The North East also remains one of the few states where the RSS ensured that most of the pracharaks have a local tribal background. Arun Anand, a scholar who has worked on the RSS says, "RSS has helped BJP identify local issues. It is for this that BJP does not look alien to the people and senior leaders go a mile to accommodate local junior leaders.” Speaking to WION, Sunil Mohanty, the RSS in charge of Arunachal Pradesh said, "What we are worried about is the dilution of the living boundary. Tribals living near the border are migrating to the district headquarter for lack of amenities which is not good. Living boundary is as important as the physical boundary.” Such has been the compulsion borne out of this interaction, that the BJP had to work out suitable state-related issues against various parties. It created space in states, such as Tripura where Congress has not been able to unseat the Left for past 15 years. The BJP also hijacked the issue of illegal migration and consolidated votes in Assam on this issue, making minority votes irrelevant. For Congress to come back today, it cannot harp on the issue of alienism of BJP. BJP has become as indigenous as Congress in the North East. RSS-BJP combine might rest on national integrity, focusing on local issues and threat which it faces from migrant populations which can change the local political axis. Though Congress recently started a Professional Congress, it still needs people who can create a daily ritual of interaction between the worker, leader and civil society. It is through this interaction that social opinion in conjunction with political action translates into mass politics. Most of its departments are defunct today and have not functioned properly for years. Various frontal organisations of the Congress have an episodic and politico-electoral relationship with the civil society where intimate bond with the organisation is missing. The absence of this bond further dilutes ideological underpinning of an individual. It should worry the Congress. It is for this reason that despite a massive anti-incumbency, BJP was able to retain Gujarat by a thin margin. At the end, personal bond infused with ideology does work. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: How RSS helped BJP to win India's North East

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has suggested his party to implement &quot;Indian climate-friendly&quot; clothing for its members.

Swamy decribed western attire as &quot;foreign imposed slavishness&quot;.

&quot;Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate-friendly clothes,&quot; he tweeted.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ram-mandir-in-ayodhya-will-be-built-by-diwali-says-subramanian-swamy-25743" target="_blank">Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be built by Diwali, says Subramanian Swamy</a>

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Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it of party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate friendly clothes
&mdash; Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/945552642704416768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Swamy also suggested a party-wide ban on alcoholic drinks for BJP ministers.&nbsp;

The BJP leader expressed that that although he does not support a nation-wide ban on alcohol, he would like to propose an alcohol ban for the party members.

&quot;Article 49 of Constitution directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline,&quot; noted his tweet.

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Article 49 of Const directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline.
&mdash; Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/945551508292038656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2g-scam-verdict-swamy-says-need-loyal-law-officers-not-sycophants-27383" target="_blank">2G scam verdict: &#39;Need loyal law officers, not sycophants,&#39; says Swamy</a>

In a tweet, Swamy had written 'Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate-friendly clothes'

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has suggested his party to implement "Indian climate-friendly" clothing for its members. Swamy decribed western attire as "foreign imposed slavishness". "Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate-friendly clothes," he tweeted. Also read: Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be built by Diwali, says Subramanian Swamy Western dress is a foreign imposed slavishness. BJP should make it of party discipline for Ministers to wear Indian climate friendly clothes — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) December 26, 2017 × Swamy also suggested a party-wide ban on alcoholic drinks for BJP ministers. The BJP leader expressed that that although he does not support a nation-wide ban on alcohol, he would like to propose an alcohol ban for the party members. "Article 49 of Constitution directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline," noted his tweet. Article 49 of Const directs alcohol drinks be banned. While I am not for penal action, BJP should make as part of party discipline. — Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) December 26, 2017 × Also read: 2G scam verdict: 'Need loyal law officers, not sycophants,' says Swamy

'Western dress is foreign imposed slavishness', Subramanian Swamy suggests Indian clothing for BJP

Former prime minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/atal-bihari-vajpayee-turns-93-vice-president-naidu-pm-modi-wish-him-27630">Atal Bihari Vajpayee</a> turned 93 on Monday. He is inarguably the BJP&#39;s tallest leader.

Born on December 25, 1924, Vajpayee was India&#39;s Prime Minister first for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004. He is the first and the only non-Congress leader who completed his full term as prime minister.

Vajpayee was elected to Lok Sabha from Lucknow in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

He entered politics during the Quit India movement in 1942. He was also the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in the UN Assembly in Hindi.

Vajpayee is known for his political acumen and administrative skills; he is also a poet, journalist and litterateur. His political brain was put to test when the NDA - a coalition of 23 parties - came to power at the Centre. Vajpayee successfully led the coalition for five years which had a &#39;Jumbo Council of Ministers&#39; with 80 members.

It was under Vajpayee&#39;s tenure that India conducted its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indias-second-nuclear-test-pokhran-ii-on-11th-may-1998-15458">second nuclear test</a> at Pokharan in Rajasthan, despite the international sanctions.

Vajpayee&#39;s family belonged to Bateshwar village in Agra, but he was born in Madhya Pradesh&#39;s Gwalior where his father was a teacher. He made Uttar Pradesh his political battleground - Vajpayee was Member of Parliament from Lucknow.

Vajpayee was a part of the Jana Sangh, the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), founded by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee which later merged with the Janata Party in 1977. After the post-Emergency crisis, the Janata Party was unable to sustain its government at the Centre and collapsed. The years that followed saw many political twists and turns and ultimately the birth of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980 under the leadership of Vajpayee.

Born on December 25, 1924, Vajpayee was India's Prime Minister first for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004. He is the first and the only non-Congress leader who completed his full term as prime minister.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 93 on Monday. He is inarguably the BJP's tallest leader. Born on December 25, 1924, Vajpayee was India's Prime Minister first for 13 days in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004. He is the first and the only non-Congress leader who completed his full term as prime minister. Vajpayee was elected to Lok Sabha from Lucknow in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004. He entered politics during the Quit India movement in 1942. He was also the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in the UN Assembly in Hindi. Vajpayee is known for his political acumen and administrative skills; he is also a poet, journalist and litterateur. His political brain was put to test when the NDA - a coalition of 23 parties - came to power at the Centre. Vajpayee successfully led the coalition for five years which had a 'Jumbo Council of Ministers' with 80 members. It was under Vajpayee's tenure that India conducted its second nuclear test at Pokharan in Rajasthan, despite the international sanctions. Vajpayee's family belonged to Bateshwar village in Agra, but he was born in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior where his father was a teacher. He made Uttar Pradesh his political battleground - Vajpayee was Member of Parliament from Lucknow. Vajpayee was a part of the Jana Sangh, the political wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), founded by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee which later merged with the Janata Party in 1977. After the post-Emergency crisis, the Janata Party was unable to sustain its government at the Centre and collapsed. The years that followed saw many political twists and turns and ultimately the birth of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980 under the leadership of Vajpayee.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: A statesman and BJP's tallest leader

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has won the Sabang Assembly constituency bypoll.&nbsp;

The Trinamool candidate&nbsp;Gita Rani Bhunaia won by a margin of 64,192 votes.&nbsp;

Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Rita Mondal secured 41,987 votes, losing out to Gita Rani Bhunaia who secured 1,06,179 votes.

Though the BJP candidate secured only 37,476 votes, the party acquired a substantial increase in the number of votes in this election.

The BJP received about 5,000 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted expressing his happiness on the significant rise in the BJPs vote share in Sabang.

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Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP&rsquo;s vote share in Sabang, West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal. I appreciate the <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Bengal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Bengal</a> Karyakartas for their effort.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/944918455362371586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The bypoll&nbsp;results&nbsp;made a major dent on the Congress party as&nbsp;it lost the seat it had won in the 2016 Assembly polls. Congress candidate Chiranjib Bhowmick secured only 18,060 votes.&nbsp;

The Secretary-General of the winning party said that the people voted for them because of the development they carried.

The opposition CPI(M) party has accused the winning party of indulging in a&nbsp;massive rigging.&nbsp;

Antara Bhattacharyya, the BJP candidate in the election has also accused that the elections were not &quot;free and fair&quot;.

The bypolls in the constituency were conducted after sitting Congress legislator Manas Bhunia resigned and moved over to the Trinamool Congress.&nbsp;

Trinamool candidate Gita Rani is Manas Bhunia`s wife.

The Trinamool candidate won by a margin of 64,192 votes

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has won the Sabang Assembly constituency bypoll. The Trinamool candidate Gita Rani Bhunaia won by a margin of 64,192 votes. Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Rita Mondal secured 41,987 votes, losing out to Gita Rani Bhunaia who secured 1,06,179 votes. Though the BJP candidate secured only 37,476 votes, the party acquired a substantial increase in the number of votes in this election. The BJP received about 5,000 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted expressing his happiness on the significant rise in the BJPs vote share in Sabang. Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP’s vote share in Sabang, West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal. I appreciate the @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas for their effort. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2017 × The bypoll results made a major dent on the Congress party as it lost the seat it had won in the 2016 Assembly polls. Congress candidate Chiranjib Bhowmick secured only 18,060 votes. The Secretary-General of the winning party said that the people voted for them because of the development they carried. The opposition CPI(M) party has accused the winning party of indulging in a massive rigging. Antara Bhattacharyya, the BJP candidate in the election has also accused that the elections were not "free and fair". The bypolls in the constituency were conducted after sitting Congress legislator Manas Bhunia resigned and moved over to the Trinamool Congress. Trinamool candidate Gita Rani is Manas Bhunia`s wife.

West Bengal by-polls: Congress loses Sabang assembly seat to Trinamool Congress

The results of the Arunachal Pradesh bypolls&nbsp;which released on Sunday demonstrated yet another victory of the BJP over&nbsp;the Congress party.

The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh snatched two assembly seats, Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, from the Congress.

Terming the victory as a &quot;perfect Christmas gift&quot; for BJP, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has promised to return the gesture.&nbsp;

He said that the people of the two constituencies have shown that they are with good governance and development.&nbsp;

&quot;By electing BJP nominees they (people) foresee the accelerated development of their respective regions,&quot; the chief minister said.

Candidates BR Waghe and Kardo Nyigyor fought the bypolls from the BJP tickets.

Prime Minister thanked the people of the two constituencies for placing their faith in the BJP.

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I thank the people of Likabali and Pakke Kesang in Arunachal Pradesh for reposing their faith in BJP. We derive immense strength from this affection and remain committed to transforming the Northeast. <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Arunachal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Arunachal</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/944917903081488384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh snatched two assembly seats, Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, from the Congress

The results of the Arunachal Pradesh bypolls which released on Sunday demonstrated yet another victory of the BJP over the Congress party. The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh snatched two assembly seats, Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, from the Congress. Terming the victory as a "perfect Christmas gift" for BJP, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has promised to return the gesture. He said that the people of the two constituencies have shown that they are with good governance and development. "By electing BJP nominees they (people) foresee the accelerated development of their respective regions," the chief minister said. Candidates BR Waghe and Kardo Nyigyor fought the bypolls from the BJP tickets. Prime Minister thanked the people of the two constituencies for placing their faith in the BJP. I thank the people of Likabali and Pakke Kesang in Arunachal Pradesh for reposing their faith in BJP. We derive immense strength from this affection and remain committed to transforming the Northeast. @BJP4Arunachal — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2017 ×

BJP wins bypolls in Arunachal Pradesh

Marking&nbsp;another victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to hold the Sikandra Assembly seat in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections.

BJP&nbsp;candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes.&nbsp;

The BJP candidate won by a margin of over 11,861 votes.&nbsp;

While the BJP candidate secured 73,284 votes, Congress candidate secured 19,084 and Samajwadi&nbsp;Party&#39;s candidate 61,423 votes.

The Samajwadi and the Congress party claimed that the seals of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were broken. They alleged that the authorities had tampered with the machines for ensuring the victory of the BJP.

The&nbsp;Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, however, clarified that there were three seals and they&nbsp;were intact.

The elections in the region were conducted after the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Mathura Prasad Pal on July 22.&nbsp;

Over 53 per cent people had exercised their franchise in the bypolls&nbsp;on December 21.

Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of Sikandra for extending their support to the party.&nbsp;

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My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP. Our commitment to serving India&#39;s villages and taking them to new heights of progress is unwavering. I congratulate CM <a href="https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@myogiadityanath</a> Ji and the <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4UP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4UP</a> Team for their stupendous efforts.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/944916937171132417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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BJP's candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes

Marking another victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to hold the Sikandra Assembly seat in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections. BJP candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes. The BJP candidate won by a margin of over 11,861 votes. While the BJP candidate secured 73,284 votes, Congress candidate secured 19,084 and Samajwadi Party's candidate 61,423 votes. The Samajwadi and the Congress party claimed that the seals of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were broken. They alleged that the authorities had tampered with the machines for ensuring the victory of the BJP. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, however, clarified that there were three seals and they were intact. The elections in the region were conducted after the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Mathura Prasad Pal on July 22. Over 53 per cent people had exercised their franchise in the bypolls on December 21. Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of Sikandra for extending their support to the party. My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP. Our commitment to serving India's villages and taking them to new heights of progress is unwavering. I congratulate CM @myogiadityanath Ji and the @BJP4UP Team for their stupendous efforts. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2017 ×

BJP retains power in Sikandra, wins UP bypoll

Always giving controversial statements, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that &quot;the time he wears &#39;green&#39; everything will be green&quot; on Friday in Hyderabad.

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Aap karen to kuch nahi, par hum jab green pehnenge to pura hara karenge ..insha allah... aur hamare hare rang ke aage koi rang nahi tikega, na Modi ka rang, na Congress ka, kisi ka rang nahi khali hamara rang rahega...hara, hara, hara...: Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad, last night <a href="https://t.co/wRhjGCu9lq">pic.twitter.com/wRhjGCu9lq</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944450807755182081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Not Modi&#39;s, not Congress&#39;s only colour will stay, green green green,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;The controversial AIMIM leader&nbsp;gave this statement during an event in Hyderabad on Friday evening.

Earlier in December Owaisi had tweeted that India&nbsp;cannot be governed on the basis of &quot;Hindi, Hindu, and Hindustan&quot;.

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As an MP I have taken oath in Urdu 3 Times so is that unconstitutional and will again take in Urdu in 2019 in sha Allah 
India cannot be governed on the basis of Hindi Hindu Hindusthan <a href="https://t.co/inOoGLXkn3">https://t.co/inOoGLXkn3</a>
&mdash; Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) <a href="https://twitter.com/asadowaisi/status/940833759791853568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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That time he was speaking in the context of a scuffle that had broken out in UP between a BJP and BSP members after a BSP corporator took an oath in Urdu.

Owaisi added that he himself has taken&nbsp;oath in Urdu as an MP and will do the same in 2019. 
&nbsp;

?Owaisi gave this statement during an event in Hyderabad on Friday evening.

Always giving controversial statements, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that "the time he wears 'green' everything will be green" on Friday in Hyderabad. Aap karen to kuch nahi, par hum jab green pehnenge to pura hara karenge ..insha allah... aur hamare hare rang ke aage koi rang nahi tikega, na Modi ka rang, na Congress ka, kisi ka rang nahi khali hamara rang rahega...hara, hara, hara...: Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad, last night pic.twitter.com/wRhjGCu9lq — ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 × "Not Modi's, not Congress's only colour will stay, green green green," he added. The controversial AIMIM leader gave this statement during an event in Hyderabad on Friday evening. Earlier in December Owaisi had tweeted that India cannot be governed on the basis of "Hindi, Hindu, and Hindustan". As an MP I have taken oath in Urdu 3 Times so is that unconstitutional and will again take in Urdu in 2019 in sha Allah India cannot be governed on the basis of Hindi Hindu Hindusthan https://t.co/inOoGLXkn3 — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 13, 2017 × That time he was speaking in the context of a scuffle that had broken out in UP between a BJP and BSP members after a BSP corporator took an oath in Urdu. Owaisi added that he himself has taken oath in Urdu as an MP and will do the same in 2019.

AIMIM leader Owaisi hits out at Modi, Congress

Amid speculations regarding&nbsp;the appointment of the&nbsp;new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race.

Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was&nbsp;the BJP&#39;s chief ministerial candidate, said that despite his party&#39;s victory in the state he cannot become the chief minister as he could not win from his seat.&nbsp;

He cleared the speculations which were&nbsp;on the rife after he lost his seat.

Prem Kumar Dhumal had fought the elections&nbsp;from Sujanpur constituency. He lost the seat against Congress candidate Rajinder Rana.

He said he had clarified it on the day of the results itself.&nbsp;

Dhumal said that the decisions lay with the high command of the party.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-rupani-nitin-patel-swearing-in-ceremony-to-take-place-on-december-26-27547" target="_blank">Vijay Rupani to be sworn-in as chief minister on December 26</a>

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Despite BJP&#39;s great victory, unfortunately I could not win from my seat. Speculations rife that I am still in the running for Himachal CM.Had clarified on day of results itself that I am not in the running for any position.The decision lies with the high command:Prem Kumar Dhumal <a href="https://t.co/bAL9fM8GQT">pic.twitter.com/bAL9fM8GQT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944582677323169792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Dhumal had changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur and contested from Sujanpur in this election.

He was made the chief ministerial face only nine days before the polling.

&nbsp;

Amid speculations regarding?the appointment of the?new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race

Amid speculations regarding the appointment of the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race. Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, said that despite his party's victory in the state he cannot become the chief minister as he could not win from his seat. He cleared the speculations which were on the rife after he lost his seat. Prem Kumar Dhumal had fought the elections from Sujanpur constituency. He lost the seat against Congress candidate Rajinder Rana. He said he had clarified it on the day of the results itself. Dhumal said that the decisions lay with the high command of the party. Also read: Vijay Rupani to be sworn-in as chief minister on December 26 Despite BJP's great victory, unfortunately I could not win from my seat. Speculations rife that I am still in the running for Himachal CM.Had clarified on day of results itself that I am not in the running for any position.The decision lies with the high command:Prem Kumar Dhumal pic.twitter.com/bAL9fM8GQT — ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 × Dhumal had changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur and contested from Sujanpur in this election. He was made the chief ministerial face only nine days before the polling.

Not running for chief minister's position: Prem Kumar Dhumal

Rajya Sabha&nbsp;got adjourned till&nbsp;11 am&nbsp;on&nbsp;December 27 amid the uproar by Congress demanding apology over the remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

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Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 AM on 27th December amid uproar by Congress demanding PM Modi&#39;s apology for remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944084799999827968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Congress MPs also raised slogans on&nbsp;the same issue in Lok Sabha today.

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Uproar in Lok Sabha,Congress MPs raise slogans demanding PM Modi&#39;s apology for remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944083191752663040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Early on Friday morning, Congress had sent an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-gives-adjournment-motion-notice-to-rajya-sabha-27427">adjournment motion notice</a> to Rajya Sabha under the rule 267&nbsp;of Rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the council of states, Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also gave adjourned motion notice in Rajya Sabha under the same rule.

Modi while campaigning in Gujarat had said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;

Finance minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congress-agrees-to-have-discussion-with-the-government-over-allegations-made-against-manmohan-singh-27177">opposition that the government</a>&nbsp;was open to discussion.&nbsp;

Congress MPs also raised slogans for the same issue in Lok Sabha also

Rajya Sabha got adjourned till 11 am on December 27 amid the uproar by Congress demanding apology over the remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 AM on 27th December amid uproar by Congress demanding PM Modi's apology for remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × Congress MPs also raised slogans on the same issue in Lok Sabha today. Uproar in Lok Sabha,Congress MPs raise slogans demanding PM Modi's apology for remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × Early on Friday morning, Congress had sent an adjournment motion notice to Rajya Sabha under the rule 267 of Rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the council of states, Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also gave adjourned motion notice in Rajya Sabha under the same rule. Modi while campaigning in Gujarat had said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections. Finance minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till Tuesday amid uproar over Modi's remark on Manmohan Singh

Congress continuing its standoff&nbsp;in Parliament over Prime Minister Modi&#39;s remarks on Manmohan Singh sent an adjournment motion notice to Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The notice was sent under the rule 267 of Rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the council of states, Rajya Sabha.

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Congress given adjournment motion notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on PM Modi&#39;s remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh <a href="https://t.co/g5d7p9Bwdk">pic.twitter.com/g5d7p9Bwdk</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944049701199888384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Vice President and Speaker of Rajya Sabha will be taking a final decision on the adjournment today.

On Thursday, the parliament was adjourned for the day even before <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sachin-tendulkars-unable-to-lead-debate-as-rajya-sabha-gets-adjourned-27360">Sachin Tendulkar</a> could begin his debate on &quot;Right to Play and the future of sports in India&quot; due to the Congress outcry.

The Rajya Sabha had been repeatedly adjourned since Monday as the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks made by PM Modi on former PM Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Gujarat last week.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-adjourned-over-pm-modi-remarks-against-manmohan-singh-27253">Parliament adjourned over PM Modi remarks against Manmohan Singh</a>

On Tuesday, the Congress also walked out of the Lok Sabha.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congress-agrees-to-have-discussion-with-the-government-over-allegations-made-against-manmohan-singh-27177">opposition that the government</a> was open to discussion.&nbsp;

Modi while campaigning in Gujarat had said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The notice was sent under the rule 267 of Rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the council of states, Rajya Sabha.

Congress continuing its standoff in Parliament over Prime Minister Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh sent an adjournment motion notice to Rajya Sabha on Friday. The notice was sent under the rule 267 of Rules of procedure and conduct of Business in the council of states, Rajya Sabha. Congress given adjournment motion notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on PM Modi's remarks against Dr.Manmohan Singh pic.twitter.com/g5d7p9Bwdk — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2017 × Vice President and Speaker of Rajya Sabha will be taking a final decision on the adjournment today. On Thursday, the parliament was adjourned for the day even before Sachin Tendulkar could begin his debate on "Right to Play and the future of sports in India" due to the Congress outcry. The Rajya Sabha had been repeatedly adjourned since Monday as the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks made by PM Modi on former PM Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Gujarat last week. Also read: Parliament adjourned over PM Modi remarks against Manmohan Singh On Tuesday, the Congress also walked out of the Lok Sabha. Finance minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion. Modi while campaigning in Gujarat had said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.

Congress sends adjournment motion notice to Rajya Sabha

The final verdict is not yet out but first round of the 2G spectrum &ldquo;presumptive&rdquo; scam goes to the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, DMK leader A Raja, party patriarch M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s daughter MK Kanimozhi and 15 others, including former top telecom ministry officials whose stand has been vindicated.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Case will go through legal scrutiny from the High Court to the Supreme court. The Top court had earlier taken cognisance and cancelled the 122 licenses issued by Raja and even fined accused telecom companies in February 2012, citing wrongdoings in the allocation of 2G spectrum. The Supreme Court noticed that PM Manmohan Singh was kept in the dark at that time. The latest verdict also raises questions on the role of officials in Manmohan Singh led PMO. That may worry Congress but politically they have a reason to smile for now.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Initial leaks in the case were fuelled by the UPA government&#39;s internal conflicts, emerging at the time due to the existence of many power centres, acting in their own capacities and interests over and above that of the Government.

&nbsp;

Taint on Mr clean

&nbsp;

Post-2004 election victory, Sonia Gandhi had put her bait on Dr Manmohan Singh as the prime minister, projecting him as a leader with clean Image, which is rare in politics. Dr Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s claim, &ldquo;history will be kinder&rdquo; to him, is proven right in this round. An economist, founder of a liberalised economic regime in India, Manmohan Singh was questioned in scam after scam during UPA2.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This Scam Series started with 2G spectrum allocation of 2008. Manmohan Singh has been given benefit of doubt but was questioned &ldquo;why did he let allies loot the nation under his nose&rdquo; when he was head of the government.

&nbsp;

Reason for Congress rout

&nbsp;

Opposition NDA, led by BJP, tore the government apart on the issue inside parliament forcing adjournments. Dr Singh was often accused by LK Advani as weak and dummy PM to 10 Janpath, which happens to be the official residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Returning to power in 2009, Dr Manmohan Singh tried to assert his authority by internally rejecting to accommodate alliance partner DMK in his Council of Ministers. So, was there some admission of wrongdoing is the question.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Opposition NDA led by BJP, Anna Hazare with Arvind Kejrival took to the streets. Politically Congress paid the price, Arvind Kejriwal got a foothold in Delhi and Narendra Modi swept the country with a historic electoral verdict.

&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi&#39;s challenge

&nbsp;

A clean chit in 2G and now Bombay High Court&#39;s &ldquo;no&rdquo; to prosecute Ashok Chavan in Adarsh scam have given a big boost to Congress. Dramatic events are building up to 8 states Assembly elections and the run-up to 2019, making it interesting. Turning the turf to his side will depend on political skills of Rahul Gandhi as the new president of the Grand Old Party. One thing is clear if Rahul was to pose any challenge, he would have to look for combinations which would be capable of taking on the election-winning duo of Modi and Shah as 2017 ends.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

2G verdict has emboldened Congress but Rahul Gandhi as the Congress President will have to come up with a combination which would be capable of taking on the election-winning duo of Modi and Shah as 2017 ends.

The final verdict is not yet out but first round of the 2G spectrum “presumptive” scam goes to the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, DMK leader A Raja, party patriarch M Karunanidhi’s daughter MK Kanimozhi and 15 others, including former top telecom ministry officials whose stand has been vindicated. The Case will go through legal scrutiny from the High Court to the Supreme court. The Top court had earlier taken cognisance and cancelled the 122 licenses issued by Raja and even fined accused telecom companies in February 2012, citing wrongdoings in the allocation of 2G spectrum. The Supreme Court noticed that PM Manmohan Singh was kept in the dark at that time. The latest verdict also raises questions on the role of officials in Manmohan Singh led PMO. That may worry Congress but politically they have a reason to smile for now. Initial leaks in the case were fuelled by the UPA government's internal conflicts, emerging at the time due to the existence of many power centres, acting in their own capacities and interests over and above that of the Government. Taint on Mr clean Post-2004 election victory, Sonia Gandhi had put her bait on Dr Manmohan Singh as the prime minister, projecting him as a leader with clean Image, which is rare in politics. Dr Manmohan Singh’s claim, “history will be kinder” to him, is proven right in this round. An economist, founder of a liberalised economic regime in India, Manmohan Singh was questioned in scam after scam during UPA2. This Scam Series started with 2G spectrum allocation of 2008. Manmohan Singh has been given benefit of doubt but was questioned “why did he let allies loot the nation under his nose” when he was head of the government. Reason for Congress rout Opposition NDA, led by BJP, tore the government apart on the issue inside parliament forcing adjournments. Dr Singh was often accused by LK Advani as weak and dummy PM to 10 Janpath, which happens to be the official residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Returning to power in 2009, Dr Manmohan Singh tried to assert his authority by internally rejecting to accommodate alliance partner DMK in his Council of Ministers. So, was there some admission of wrongdoing is the question. Opposition NDA led by BJP, Anna Hazare with Arvind Kejrival took to the streets. Politically Congress paid the price, Arvind Kejriwal got a foothold in Delhi and Narendra Modi swept the country with a historic electoral verdict. Rahul Gandhi's challenge A clean chit in 2G and now Bombay High Court's “no” to prosecute Ashok Chavan in Adarsh scam have given a big boost to Congress. Dramatic events are building up to 8 states Assembly elections and the run-up to 2019, making it interesting. Turning the turf to his side will depend on political skills of Rahul Gandhi as the new president of the Grand Old Party. One thing is clear if Rahul was to pose any challenge, he would have to look for combinations which would be capable of taking on the election-winning duo of Modi and Shah as 2017 ends. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: With 2G Verdict, parties gear up to tap the waves for 2019

They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam&#39;s newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark.

While campaigning, Jignesh and Hardik left no stone unturned to highlight the condition of the poor under the BJP.&nbsp;

&quot;We have&nbsp;been able to limit BJP below 100. It&#39;s a big thing,&quot; Hardik said.

The BJP retained Gujarat for a sixth consecutive time, but with its lowest tally ever.&nbsp;

With the results out, Jignesh and Hardik spoke to Zee Kalak.&nbsp;

&quot;During election campaigning, we tried making BJP realise that they haven&#39;t done anything fruitful which benefitted the common man of Gujarat,&quot; Hardik said.

&quot;Their development model is nothing but a deception and hence we were able to stop BJP from reaching the three-digit mark,&quot; he added.

Jignesh, who won the Vadgam seat by more than 19, 000 votes, had similar views on the BJP&#39;s win.

&quot;BJP&#39;s arrogance of winning 150 seats in elections has been broken into bits and pieces. The results are shameful for them, despite having ruled the state for last 22 years,&quot; he said.

Talking of his future endeavours as a politician, Jignesh said he started working on his poll promises from day one.

He has written to the Palanpur collector to improve the condition of roads in six villages.&nbsp;

He also gave his assurance that he would start the 108 ambulance facility to the villages and, if required, raise the issue in the assembly.

Hardik meanwhile said that politicians like Jignesh and Alpesh Thakor will make for a strong opposition in the state assembly.

The contest between the BJP and Congress had swung like a pendulum for a large part of the day on Monday when the votes were counted.&nbsp;

The BJP finally won but commentators are saying the Congress emerged victorious, with its vote share going up from 38 per cent in 2012 to 41.5 per cent in 2017.&nbsp;

The two young leaders spoke with Zee Kalak

They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam's newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark. While campaigning, Jignesh and Hardik left no stone unturned to highlight the condition of the poor under the BJP. "We have been able to limit BJP below 100. It's a big thing," Hardik said. The BJP retained Gujarat for a sixth consecutive time, but with its lowest tally ever. With the results out, Jignesh and Hardik spoke to Zee Kalak. "During election campaigning, we tried making BJP realise that they haven't done anything fruitful which benefitted the common man of Gujarat," Hardik said. "Their development model is nothing but a deception and hence we were able to stop BJP from reaching the three-digit mark," he added. Jignesh, who won the Vadgam seat by more than 19, 000 votes, had similar views on the BJP's win. "BJP's arrogance of winning 150 seats in elections has been broken into bits and pieces. The results are shameful for them, despite having ruled the state for last 22 years," he said. Talking of his future endeavours as a politician, Jignesh said he started working on his poll promises from day one. He has written to the Palanpur collector to improve the condition of roads in six villages. He also gave his assurance that he would start the 108 ambulance facility to the villages and, if required, raise the issue in the assembly. Hardik meanwhile said that politicians like Jignesh and Alpesh Thakor will make for a strong opposition in the state assembly. The contest between the BJP and Congress had swung like a pendulum for a large part of the day on Monday when the votes were counted. The BJP finally won but commentators are saying the Congress emerged victorious, with its vote share going up from 38 per cent in 2012 to 41.5 per cent in 2017.

'BJP's arrogance of winning 150 seats... broken into bits and pieces,' say Jignesh, Hardik

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for strengthening the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at booth levels across India for &quot;victory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections&quot;. The Prime Minister was speaking at BJP&#39;s parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi

Union minister Ananth Kumar, also present in the meeting, said that the PM also called for promotion of youth in and outside party.

He also urged party leaders not to be affected by the opposition&#39;s &quot;disinformation&quot; campaign against the BJP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.

Booth level work, which is the root of a poll campaign, is the mother of an election victory, Kumar quoted Modi as saying.

Party sources said Modi turned emotional a few times as he recalled how the party organisation was built in Gujarat and young leaders were groomed by their seniors, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

All elected lawmakers and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-hails-gujarat-himachal-results-has-eyes-set-on-2019-27079">BJP chief Amit Shah</a> are present at the parliamentary party meet, which began at around 10 am on Wednesday.

One of the chief agendas to be picked up in this meeting is the chief ministerial faces of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-elections-2017-see-how-gujarat-voted-27051">Gujarat</a> and Himachal.

The BJP managed to pull a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-set-to-form-government-in-himachal-27056">landslide victory in Himachal Pradesh</a>, but its chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal lost his Sujanpur constituency to Congress. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti also lost his seat.

Their defeat has put a question mark on the face of the next chief minister.

Source told Zee News that Union minister JP Nadda and newly-elected BJP MLA Jairam Thakur are the frontrunners of Chief Minister&#39;s post.

Meanwhile in Gujarat, where the BJP managed to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">retain power for a record sixth time</a>, is mulling a course correction after losing several seats to Congress.

The party leadership is reportedly considering a new face to replace the incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, despite his victory from the Rajkot West seat.

Among the names floating around are Textiles and Information &amp; Broadcasting (I&amp;B) Minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister of State for Road Transport &amp; Highways and Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya.

Irani, however, has denied being a contender for the CM&#39;s post.

One of the chief agendas to be picked up in this meeting is the chief ministerial faces of Gujarat and Himachal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for strengthening the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at booth levels across India for "victory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections". The Prime Minister was speaking at BJP's parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi Union minister Ananth Kumar, also present in the meeting, said that the PM also called for promotion of youth in and outside party. He also urged party leaders not to be affected by the opposition's "disinformation" campaign against the BJP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters. Booth level work, which is the root of a poll campaign, is the mother of an election victory, Kumar quoted Modi as saying. Party sources said Modi turned emotional a few times as he recalled how the party organisation was built in Gujarat and young leaders were groomed by their seniors, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. All elected lawmakers and BJP chief Amit Shah are present at the parliamentary party meet, which began at around 10 am on Wednesday. One of the chief agendas to be picked up in this meeting is the chief ministerial faces of Gujarat and Himachal. The BJP managed to pull a landslide victory in Himachal Pradesh, but its chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal lost his Sujanpur constituency to Congress. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti also lost his seat. Their defeat has put a question mark on the face of the next chief minister. Source told Zee News that Union minister JP Nadda and newly-elected BJP MLA Jairam Thakur are the frontrunners of Chief Minister's post. Meanwhile in Gujarat, where the BJP managed to retain power for a record sixth time, is mulling a course correction after losing several seats to Congress. The party leadership is reportedly considering a new face to replace the incumbent Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, despite his victory from the Rajkot West seat. Among the names floating around are Textiles and Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Mansukh L Mandaviya. Irani, however, has denied being a contender for the CM's post.

Strengthen BJP at grass root level for 2019 victory: PM at parliamentary party meeting

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala took a dig at BJP on Wednesday, saying that young men and women should start taking permission from the saffron party before getting married.&nbsp;

The quote comes following BJP MLA&nbsp;Pannalal Shakya&#39;s objection to Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma wedding.&nbsp;

Surejwala took to Twitter on Wednesday and said: &quot;Attention--To all &#39;Young Men/Women&#39; in India. Please take prior approval from BJP for deciding whom to marry; deciding the venue of marriage; deciding the nature of festivities; deciding the food menu. Thank You. PS- Issued in Public Interest.&quot;

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Madhya Pradesh Pannalal Shakya <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-did-virat-anushka-not-hold-their-wedding-in-india-questions-madhya-pradesh-mla-27211">set off a massive controversy</a> on Tuesday after he questioned Indian cricket captain Virat Kolhi and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma&#39;s decision to get married in Italy, and not in India.

Shakya said: &quot;Virat earned money in India... But he didn&#39;t find any place to marry in the country. Is Hindustan untouchable?&quot;

He further added &quot;Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Vikramaditya, Yudhishthir got married on this land. You all must have got married here. None of us goes to a foreign country to get married...(Kohli) earned money here and spent billions there (Italy)...(he) doesn&#39;t have any respect for the country. This proves he is not a patriot,&quot; Shakhya had claimed.

Virat and Anushka recently got married at a private function in Italy&#39;s Tuscany recently.

The comment from Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala came after a BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh asked why Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma had got married outside of the country

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala took a dig at BJP on Wednesday, saying that young men and women should start taking permission from the saffron party before getting married. The quote comes following BJP MLA Pannalal Shakya's objection to Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma wedding. Surejwala took to Twitter on Wednesday and said: "Attention--To all 'Young Men/Women' in India. Please take prior approval from BJP for deciding whom to marry; deciding the venue of marriage; deciding the nature of festivities; deciding the food menu. Thank You. PS- Issued in Public Interest." Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Madhya Pradesh Pannalal Shakya set off a massive controversy on Tuesday after he questioned Indian cricket captain Virat Kolhi and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma's decision to get married in Italy, and not in India. Shakya said: "Virat earned money in India... But he didn't find any place to marry in the country. Is Hindustan untouchable?" He further added "Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Vikramaditya, Yudhishthir got married on this land. You all must have got married here. None of us goes to a foreign country to get married...(Kohli) earned money here and spent billions there (Italy)...(he) doesn't have any respect for the country. This proves he is not a patriot," Shakhya had claimed. Virat and Anushka recently got married at a private function in Italy's Tuscany recently.

Ask BJP before getting married, says Congress

The BJP today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not uttered a single word for which he should apologise and accused the Congress of venting the frustration of its defeat in the recent assembly polls by stalling Parliament.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit back at the Congress after its leaders demanded that Modi apologise for the allegation that his predecessor Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan to influence Gujarat polls.

He told reporters that the opposition party should rather come clean at the dinner meeting as its leader Anand Sharma had first denied any such event before accepting it.

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Patra alleged that Congress leaders, including its former chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka and many others, had humiliated Modi the multiple&nbsp;times and the opposition party never tendered an apology to him.

It was appalling, he claimed, that the Congress had stooped down to stalling Parliament.

If anyone ever humiliated Manmohan Singh, then it was Congress president Rahul Gandhi who had torn up an ordinance proposed by the UPA government and called it nonsense, he claimed.

&quot;Our prime minister has not uttered a single word or done any wrong for which he should apologise,&quot; he said.

The Congress ran out of issues after people showed their support to demonetisation and the GST by voting for the BJP as it used them to stall Parliament, he said.

&#39;Vikas purush&#39; (man of development) had defeated the &#39;Gabbar Singh&#39; and anti-reform politics, he said, a reference to Gandhi&#39;s moniker of &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; for the GST.

&#39;Vikas Purush&#39; is a reference to Modi.

When the Monsoon Session was delayed, then the Congress accused the government of not letting Parliament work and now when the session has started, it is not letting it work, Patra claimed.&nbsp;

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress should come clean on its dinner meeting with Pakistani leaders

The BJP today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not uttered a single word for which he should apologise and accused the Congress of venting the frustration of its defeat in the recent assembly polls by stalling Parliament. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit back at the Congress after its leaders demanded that Modi apologise for the allegation that his predecessor Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan to influence Gujarat polls. He told reporters that the opposition party should rather come clean at the dinner meeting as its leader Anand Sharma had first denied any such event before accepting it. It was appalling, Patra claimed, that Congress had stooped to stalling Parliament × Patra alleged that Congress leaders, including its former chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka and many others, had humiliated Modi the multiple times and the opposition party never tendered an apology to him. It was appalling, he claimed, that the Congress had stooped down to stalling Parliament. If anyone ever humiliated Manmohan Singh, then it was Congress president Rahul Gandhi who had torn up an ordinance proposed by the UPA government and called it nonsense, he claimed. "Our prime minister has not uttered a single word or done any wrong for which he should apologise," he said. The Congress ran out of issues after people showed their support to demonetisation and the GST by voting for the BJP as it used them to stall Parliament, he said. 'Vikas purush' (man of development) had defeated the 'Gabbar Singh' and anti-reform politics, he said, a reference to Gandhi's moniker of 'Gabbar Singh Tax' for the GST. 'Vikas Purush' is a reference to Modi. When the Monsoon Session was delayed, then the Congress accused the government of not letting Parliament work and now when the session has started, it is not letting it work, Patra claimed.

Congress stalling Parliament to vent frustration over poll loss: BJP

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finally-pakistan-issues-visas-to-kulbhushan-jadhavs-mother-wife-27304">Finally, Pakistan issues visas to Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother, wife</a>

Pakistan on Wednesday issued visas to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife. Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife will arrive in Pakistan via Wagah border on Saturday.&nbsp;The visas were issued by Pakistani High Commission in India. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan confirmed the news through a tweet.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tv-producer-suhaib-ilyasi-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-murdering-his-wife-27285">Suhaib Ilyasi, ex-host of &#39;India&#39;s Most Wanted&#39;, sentenced to life imprisonment for wife&#39;s murder</a>

Suhaib Ilyasi, the former host of the popular crime show&nbsp;&quot;India&#39;s Most Wanted&quot;,&nbsp; was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Anju 17 years ago.&nbsp;The court said Ilyasi &quot;committed her murder and gave it a colour of suicide&quot;.&nbsp;Right after the verdict, Ilyasi, 51, shouted that he was innocent and that the conviction was an &quot;injustice&quot;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-puts-bank-of-india-under-watch-as-bad-loans-surge-shares-tumble-27289">RBI puts Bank of India under watch as bad loans surge; shares tumble</a>

The Bank of India&rsquo;s shares tumbled nearly 4 per cent to Rs 174.55 intraday on Wednesday after Reserve Bank of India put it under watch for bad loans. The move will put various restrictions on the lender, including on fresh loans and dividend distribution.&nbsp;The bank&rsquo;s non-performing assets were reported over 6 per cent for two consecutive years

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-finds-new-supporter-in-pakistan-army-chief-27296">Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief</a>

United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as &#39;active&#39; to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jignesh-hardik-sing-in-chorus-say-limiting-bjp-within-two-digit-mark-is-not-less-than-victory-27297">&#39;BJP&#39;s arrogance of winning 150 seats... broken into bits and pieces,&#39; say Jignesh, Hardik</a>

They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam&#39;s newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark.

Finally, Pakistan issues visas to Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother, wife Pakistan on Wednesday issued visas to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife. Jadhav's mother and wife will arrive in Pakistan via Wagah border on Saturday. The visas were issued by Pakistani High Commission in India. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan confirmed the news through a tweet. Suhaib Ilyasi, ex-host of 'India's Most Wanted', sentenced to life imprisonment for wife's murder Suhaib Ilyasi, the former host of the popular crime show "India's Most Wanted", was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Anju 17 years ago. The court said Ilyasi "committed her murder and gave it a colour of suicide". Right after the verdict, Ilyasi, 51, shouted that he was innocent and that the conviction was an "injustice". RBI puts Bank of India under watch as bad loans surge; shares tumble The Bank of India’s shares tumbled nearly 4 per cent to Rs 174.55 intraday on Wednesday after Reserve Bank of India put it under watch for bad loans. The move will put various restrictions on the lender, including on fresh loans and dividend distribution. The bank’s non-performing assets were reported over 6 per cent for two consecutive years Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as 'active' to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). 'BJP's arrogance of winning 150 seats... broken into bits and pieces,' say Jignesh, Hardik They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam's newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark.

WION Evening News Brief, December 20 2017

The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi&#39;s remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks.&nbsp;

And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-singh-reiterates-pain-and-anguish-in-video-26668">Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video </a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/paks-dig-at-pm-modi-india-should-stop-dragging-pakistan-into-electoral-debate-says-pakistan-foreign-ministry-26433">Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi&#39;s jibe </a>

After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward.&nbsp;

At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-to-pm-find-more-dignified-ways-to-seek-votes-25699">Manmohan to PM, find &#39;more dignified ways&#39; to seek votes</a>

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.&nbsp;

Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister.&nbsp;

He also demanded Prime Minister Modi&#39;s presence to explain the allegations.&nbsp;

Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations.&nbsp;

Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/narendra-modi-questions-aiyars-meeting-with-pak-high-commissioner-26372">Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat </a>

Modi had while campaigning in Gujarat said Congress leaders including former prime minister Manmohan Singh had met with Pakistani leaders and discussed the Gujarat elections

The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks. And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Also read: Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video Also read: Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi's jibe After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward. At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion. Also read: Manmohan to PM, find 'more dignified ways' to seek votes The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister. He also demanded Prime Minister Modi's presence to explain the allegations. Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations. Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections. Also read: Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat

Government, opposition to discuss Modi remarks on Manmohan in RS

After running the BJP close <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-2017-live-results-27014">in the Gujarat elections, Rahul</a> Gandhi took a dig at PM Modi saying Modi has a &quot;credibility problem&quot;.

&quot;The Gujarat verdict<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-bjps-99-seats-lowest-for-a-single-winning-party-since-1975-27137"> has clearly sent a message to</a> the BJP and PM Modi that anger will not help, love will finally conquer it,&quot; the Congress president said.

Congress won 77 seats in the Gujarat elections, trailing the ruling BJP which finished with 99 seats - the lowest seat-count for a winning party since 1975.

&quot;The people of Gujarat have given me a lot of love, they taught me that in a&nbsp;battle you might have a lot of anger, money power but it can be fought with love,&quot; Rahul said after Congress party&#39;s best showing in Gujarat in decades.

&quot;I got to know that people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi&#39;s model, the marketing and propaganda is very good but it is hollow from inside, he said, adding,&quot;they could not answer our campaign.&quot; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi took a dig at PM Modi saying Modi has a 'credibility problem'.

After running the BJP close in the Gujarat elections, Rahul Gandhi took a dig at PM Modi saying Modi has a "credibility problem". "The Gujarat verdict has clearly sent a message to the BJP and PM Modi that anger will not help, love will finally conquer it," the Congress president said. Congress won 77 seats in the Gujarat elections, trailing the ruling BJP which finished with 99 seats - the lowest seat-count for a winning party since 1975. "The people of Gujarat have given me a lot of love, they taught me that in a battle you might have a lot of anger, money power but it can be fought with love," Rahul said after Congress party's best showing in Gujarat in decades. "I got to know that people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi's model, the marketing and propaganda is very good but it is hollow from inside, he said, adding,"they could not answer our campaign."

Watch: I got to know people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi's model, says Rahul Gandhi

Narendra Modi clinched a victory for BJP in Gujarat. He ensured it by consolidating his party&rsquo;s base in urban India. He has given a new political mantra for his party to function:&nbsp;hope and fear. Evidently, Indian politics has the potential to behave as T20 match and Test cricket at the same time. Gujarat result is an example in case.

Rahul Gandhi despite the loss, took away the sheen from BJP&rsquo;s victory. Under his leadership, the Congress brought the BJP&nbsp;down to a two-digit victory, making him the Man of the Match. Narendra Modi, however, remains the Man of the Series when it comes to elections. Modi proved, again, that he is the only one who has the stamina to either change the public mood or arrest a tsunami.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-in-spite-of-gst-how-modi-won-gujarat-27077">Also read: In spite of GST, how Modi won Gujarat</a>

Gujarat election changes a&nbsp;couple of things in the political narrative. It proves that Narendra Modi will not shy away from taking the battle to any level, provided it led to victory. Clearly, he is the only one in Indian politics who has the capacity to shape the mood of the voters if not completely shift them. It shows that Modi treats elections like a battle to be won at all the cost, and rest of the issues are shoved at the periphery.

Whether it is the dinner diplomacy gaffe or Mani-Kapil&#39;s quick mistakes between the wickets, the urban audience in Gujarat reacted positively to Modi&rsquo;s jibe. Urban Gujarat chose Modi despite economic distress. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is their original poster boy. To take him down would mean taking one&rsquo;s own down.

On the day Rahul Gandhi took over as the Congress President, the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of politics of hope and fear. He said that hope must triumph over fear. The results in Gujarat show&nbsp;that for urban India the hope and fear do not exist in a binary but are intermeshed.

It was best reflected by the speeches of the prime minister on the &#39;neech&#39; comment, dinner and temple issue. Both fear and hope were stoked at the same time. The hope was in the assertion of majoritarian politics and the fear was the return to a state where minority voice mattered.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-rahul-the-only-winner-in-gujarat-election-27045">Also read: Rahul, Hardik run out BJP at 99</a>

Rahul Gandhi did neutralise his anti-Hindu stance which he inherited during 2014 elections but the political memories of hard secularism came flushing back into the electoral arena because of the mistakes committed by Congress leaders and activists. It is not to say that BJP supporters don&rsquo;t use abusive language. In fact, the correct picture is that twitter handles of far-right supporters have been far more abusive and rest seems to be only catching up now.

The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to sabka saath sabka vikas. It works on fear and hope at the same time. It is also married to new and some repackaged government schemes which are all attributable to Narendra Modi.

The only thing attributable to Rahul Gandhi today is the extension of NREGA throughout India. However, it is a distant memory today. It is this politics of hope and fear which Rahul Gandhi has to battle as it is enmeshed with fear of the return of massive corruption and minority politics. The hope is pinned on assertive India sitting on the stool of identity.

Rahul played the match well and lost. The vote share difference was again 8 per cent but rural Gujarat supported Congress. It reinforces the image of Congress as a party which takes up agrarian issues more than BJP. He won admiration from both his own party and other regional players. This has happened for the first time. He has received sympathy and grudging respect. To borrow it from &quot;The Last Jedi&quot;, the BJP should hope that Rahul doesn&rsquo;t become the spark which fires up the entire Opposition, which today is in the doghouse, lying straight on the ground.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-what-bjp-and-congress-learned-from-gujarat-elections-27138">Also read: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to sabka saath sabka vikas.

Narendra Modi clinched a victory for BJP in Gujarat. He ensured it by consolidating his party’s base in urban India. He has given a new political mantra for his party to function: hope and fear. Evidently, Indian politics has the potential to behave as T20 match and Test cricket at the same time. Gujarat result is an example in case. Rahul Gandhi despite the loss, took away the sheen from BJP’s victory. Under his leadership, the Congress brought the BJP down to a two-digit victory, making him the Man of the Match. Narendra Modi, however, remains the Man of the Series when it comes to elections. Modi proved, again, that he is the only one who has the stamina to either change the public mood or arrest a tsunami. Also read: In spite of GST, how Modi won Gujarat Gujarat election changes a couple of things in the political narrative. It proves that Narendra Modi will not shy away from taking the battle to any level, provided it led to victory. Clearly, he is the only one in Indian politics who has the capacity to shape the mood of the voters if not completely shift them. It shows that Modi treats elections like a battle to be won at all the cost, and rest of the issues are shoved at the periphery. Whether it is the dinner diplomacy gaffe or Mani-Kapil's quick mistakes between the wickets, the urban audience in Gujarat reacted positively to Modi’s jibe. Urban Gujarat chose Modi despite economic distress. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is their original poster boy. To take him down would mean taking one’s own down. On the day Rahul Gandhi took over as the Congress President, the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of politics of hope and fear. He said that hope must triumph over fear. The results in Gujarat show that for urban India the hope and fear do not exist in a binary but are intermeshed. It was best reflected by the speeches of the prime minister on the 'neech' comment, dinner and temple issue. Both fear and hope were stoked at the same time. The hope was in the assertion of majoritarian politics and the fear was the return to a state where minority voice mattered. Also read: Rahul, Hardik run out BJP at 99 Rahul Gandhi did neutralise his anti-Hindu stance which he inherited during 2014 elections but the political memories of hard secularism came flushing back into the electoral arena because of the mistakes committed by Congress leaders and activists. It is not to say that BJP supporters don’t use abusive language. In fact, the correct picture is that twitter handles of far-right supporters have been far more abusive and rest seems to be only catching up now. The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to sabka saath sabka vikas. It works on fear and hope at the same time. It is also married to new and some repackaged government schemes which are all attributable to Narendra Modi. The only thing attributable to Rahul Gandhi today is the extension of NREGA throughout India. However, it is a distant memory today. It is this politics of hope and fear which Rahul Gandhi has to battle as it is enmeshed with fear of the return of massive corruption and minority politics. The hope is pinned on assertive India sitting on the stool of identity. Rahul played the match well and lost. The vote share difference was again 8 per cent but rural Gujarat supported Congress. It reinforces the image of Congress as a party which takes up agrarian issues more than BJP. He won admiration from both his own party and other regional players. This has happened for the first time. He has received sympathy and grudging respect. To borrow it from "The Last Jedi", the BJP should hope that Rahul doesn’t become the spark which fires up the entire Opposition, which today is in the doghouse, lying straight on the ground. Also read: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Rahul is the Man of the Match. Modi is the Man of the Series

Buoyed by the BJP&#39;s electoral success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Sensex on Tuesday rallied 143 points as it moved closer to an all-time high.

Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend.

The NSE Nifty wrested control of the crucial 10,400-mark.

In the sectoral space, all indices were up, driven by auto and consumer durables, with gains of up to 1.22 per cent.

The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 143.22 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 33,744.90. The gauge had rallied 548.64 points in the previous three sessions.

The 50-share NSE Nifty also went up 39.45 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 10,428.20.

Analysts said buying picked up after assembly elections results showed that BJP will return to power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and topples the Congress to form government in Himachal Pradesh.

Major gainers were Tata Motors, M&amp;M, ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki, rising up to 1.59 per cent.

Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend.

Buoyed by the BJP's electoral success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Sensex on Tuesday rallied 143 points as it moved closer to an all-time high. Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend. The NSE Nifty wrested control of the crucial 10,400-mark. In the sectoral space, all indices were up, driven by auto and consumer durables, with gains of up to 1.22 per cent. The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 143.22 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 33,744.90. The gauge had rallied 548.64 points in the previous three sessions. The 50-share NSE Nifty also went up 39.45 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 10,428.20. Analysts said buying picked up after assembly elections results showed that BJP will return to power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and topples the Congress to form government in Himachal Pradesh. Major gainers were Tata Motors, M&M, ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki, rising up to 1.59 per cent.

Sensex builds on gains, climbs 143 points as BJP bags Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

After a fiercely contested election campaign for over two months now, the cat is finally out of the bag and both the states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, have emphatically gone the saffron way in the election results that has poured in. The result puts a lid over all speculations of an impending negative verdict on PM Modi&#39;s big-ticket economic reforms.

This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model, which seemed to have suffered a major dent under a resurgent Congress led by an aggressive and super combative Rahul Gandhi.

No doubt, this election has seen a resurgent Rahul Gandhi, who not only led the moribund Congress organization from the front but also managed to put up a rainbow of coalition that thrived on the years of anti-incumbency and put up a semblance of strong fight. However, the fact is that his attempt to divide the country along the various caste fault-lines and to exploit the parochial interests haven&#39;t paid. 
&nbsp; 
Following are the five important takeaways from Monday&#39;s Gujarat election results:

<ol>
	<li>First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still the king of electoral politics and the numero uno vote magnet of the party. Gujarat has voted BJP sixth time in power in the name of Modi only. It was a fact that after the exit of Modi from the state politics, the governance had become far too slower in delivering results and many of its policies were not reaching to the ground. Vijay Rupani looked far less a charmer and wasn&#39;t exactly the man needed to tame the anti-incumbency sentiments. On top of it, the heat generated around demonetisation and GST was rubbing off badly on the BJP. For the Congress, it was a now or never moment as with a firm coalition under its belt, it looked eager and full of appetite. Still, BJP walked away with the victory trophy, wholly and solely because of Modi and his reigning magic. The case is much like a football match where the Congress was given to hit a penalty kick, yet it failed to score a goal.</li>
	<li>Second, now all opposition charges around the negative effects of demonetisation and GST must be put to rest. Elections after elections, the electorate have given their mandate in favour of the BJP, the last being the landslide victory in UP early this year. Now, with the resounding victories of the party in the Gujarat and Himachal elections, all such negative narratives must be put to the rest. This becomes more pronounced especially when all the 12 seats of Surat areas, which is the hub of the traders&#39; class and is dominated by the disgruntled Patidar communities, have been retained by the BJP. It proves that the narrative of mass resentment built by the Congress against the BJP&#39;s economic policies were not valid.</li>
	<li>Third, despite all things said to the contrary, &#39;vikas&#39; (development) still resonates with the people which is apparent in the results where the voters have rejected a highly divisive identity politics initiated by Rahul Gandhi, who had cobbled up a regressive casteist coalition and riding the wave of Patidar dissidence, hoped to take on the development plank of the BJP. However, the voters gave the message that, to them, development is far more a lucrative path than divisive agenda of the Congress.</li>
	<li>Fourth, the election results give the Congress an opportunity to pause and reflect over their future election strategies. The Congress began its election campaign in Gujarat on a narrative of lies. It hit the campaign with the slogan &#39;vikas gando thayo che&#39; (development has gone mad) and tried to fool the masses with things that were obviously the opposite. Yes, of course, there have been pockets of resentments in the state where the development has failed to make a connect with the ones who needed it. Yet, dismissing the developments of one of the highly developed states altogether and creating a narrative of negativities seems to have backfired on the Congress, which needs to do a rethink before creating an agenda of negativities for future electoral campaigns. Lies have weaker legs that can&#39;t take one farther and convert in votes.</li>
	<li>Lastly, these election results must put to rest all controversies around the EVMs and impartiality of the electionECommission as the course of the counting since morning has seen huge swinging of fortunes in favour of both BJP and Congress at different points of time giving a perfect rollercoaster effect. It hasn&#39;t been a lopsided win, and with the Congress getting its own moments of celebrations at times, the results have never been a smooth sail for the BJP since the counting began. Also, the huge leads taken by the Congress over the BJP in the areas of Saurashtra, where the former was expected to do better, reflects the reality. Hence, it&#39;s hoped that the EVM controversy has walked to its full length and shall be given a decent burial.</li>
</ol>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model.

After a fiercely contested election campaign for over two months now, the cat is finally out of the bag and both the states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, have emphatically gone the saffron way in the election results that has poured in. The result puts a lid over all speculations of an impending negative verdict on PM Modi's big-ticket economic reforms. This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model, which seemed to have suffered a major dent under a resurgent Congress led by an aggressive and super combative Rahul Gandhi. No doubt, this election has seen a resurgent Rahul Gandhi, who not only led the moribund Congress organization from the front but also managed to put up a rainbow of coalition that thrived on the years of anti-incumbency and put up a semblance of strong fight. However, the fact is that his attempt to divide the country along the various caste fault-lines and to exploit the parochial interests haven't paid. Following are the five important takeaways from Monday's Gujarat election results: First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still the king of electoral politics and the numero uno vote magnet of the party. Gujarat has voted BJP sixth time in power in the name of Modi only. It was a fact that after the exit of Modi from the state politics, the governance had become far too slower in delivering results and many of its policies were not reaching to the ground. Vijay Rupani looked far less a charmer and wasn't exactly the man needed to tame the anti-incumbency sentiments. On top of it, the heat generated around demonetisation and GST was rubbing off badly on the BJP. For the Congress, it was a now or never moment as with a firm coalition under its belt, it looked eager and full of appetite. Still, BJP walked away with the victory trophy, wholly and solely because of Modi and his reigning magic. The case is much like a football match where the Congress was given to hit a penalty kick, yet it failed to score a goal. Second, now all opposition charges around the negative effects of demonetisation and GST must be put to rest. Elections after elections, the electorate have given their mandate in favour of the BJP, the last being the landslide victory in UP early this year. Now, with the resounding victories of the party in the Gujarat and Himachal elections, all such negative narratives must be put to the rest. This becomes more pronounced especially when all the 12 seats of Surat areas, which is the hub of the traders' class and is dominated by the disgruntled Patidar communities, have been retained by the BJP. It proves that the narrative of mass resentment built by the Congress against the BJP's economic policies were not valid. Third, despite all things said to the contrary, 'vikas' (development) still resonates with the people which is apparent in the results where the voters have rejected a highly divisive identity politics initiated by Rahul Gandhi, who had cobbled up a regressive casteist coalition and riding the wave of Patidar dissidence, hoped to take on the development plank of the BJP. However, the voters gave the message that, to them, development is far more a lucrative path than divisive agenda of the Congress. Fourth, the election results give the Congress an opportunity to pause and reflect over their future election strategies. The Congress began its election campaign in Gujarat on a narrative of lies. It hit the campaign with the slogan 'vikas gando thayo che' (development has gone mad) and tried to fool the masses with things that were obviously the opposite. Yes, of course, there have been pockets of resentments in the state where the development has failed to make a connect with the ones who needed it. Yet, dismissing the developments of one of the highly developed states altogether and creating a narrative of negativities seems to have backfired on the Congress, which needs to do a rethink before creating an agenda of negativities for future electoral campaigns. Lies have weaker legs that can't take one farther and convert in votes. Lastly, these election results must put to rest all controversies around the EVMs and impartiality of the electionECommission as the course of the counting since morning has seen huge swinging of fortunes in favour of both BJP and Congress at different points of time giving a perfect rollercoaster effect. It hasn't been a lopsided win, and with the Congress getting its own moments of celebrations at times, the results have never been a smooth sail for the BJP since the counting began. Also, the huge leads taken by the Congress over the BJP in the areas of Saurashtra, where the former was expected to do better, reflects the reality. Hence, it's hoped that the EVM controversy has walked to its full length and shall be given a decent burial. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections

The Congress has decided to make a big deal of the insinuation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress leaders had discussed the Gujarat elections with former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and the Pakistani high commissioner to India at a dinner hosted by former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Congress wants the prime minister to express regret and clarify his statement in Parliament.

&ldquo;Prime minister should undo what he has done. He should take back his words,&rdquo; Sharma said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

In the case of a deadlock, Parliament is expected to see adjournments over the issue.&nbsp;

Highly-placed sources in the government told WION that the prime minister is not going to reply on the issue, nor is there an apology coming.&nbsp;

There is however a small possibility that&nbsp;Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may respond to the issue on the floor of the house.&nbsp;

The BJP is&nbsp;also&nbsp;expected to be aggressive on the issue, and may recall previous incidents of Narendra Modi being attacked by Congress leaders.

Sources in the Congress said the proposition has been suggested to the Centre and they are waiting for the government&rsquo;s response.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Modi had insinuated that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly elections in Pakistan.

Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s dinner&nbsp;was also attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former army chief Deepak Kapoor and a number of retired Indian bureaucrats.

&nbsp;

The BJP wants Prime Minister Modi to apologise for insinuating that the Congress discussed the Gujarat elections with Pakistani leaders

The Congress has decided to make a big deal of the insinuation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress leaders had discussed the Gujarat elections with former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and the Pakistani high commissioner to India at a dinner hosted by former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Congress wants the prime minister to express regret and clarify his statement in Parliament. “Prime minister should undo what he has done. He should take back his words,” Sharma said. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the issue. In the case of a deadlock, Parliament is expected to see adjournments over the issue. Highly-placed sources in the government told WION that the prime minister is not going to reply on the issue, nor is there an apology coming. There is however a small possibility that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may respond to the issue on the floor of the house. The BJP is also expected to be aggressive on the issue, and may recall previous incidents of Narendra Modi being attacked by Congress leaders. Sources in the Congress said the proposition has been suggested to the Centre and they are waiting for the government’s response. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Modi had insinuated that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly elections in Pakistan. Mani Shankar Aiyar's dinner was also attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former army chief Deepak Kapoor and a number of retired Indian bureaucrats.

Storm gathering, BJP & Congress to spar over 'Pakistani dinner' in winter session of Parliament

Three Muslim candidates, all fielded by the Congress, emerged victorious in the Gujarat Assembly elections this time, against two in the previous House.

The ruling BJP did not put up any Muslim candidate in the state where the minority community accounts for 9.67 per cent of the population.

The Congress this time put up&nbsp;six Muslim candidates, three of them in urban seats.

The party nominees romped home in Jamalpur-Khadia, Dariapur in Ahmedabad and Wankaner in Rajkot. Whereas the party candidates in Surat-West, Vagra in Bharuch and Bhuj rpt Bhuj lost to their BJP rivals.

Javid Peerzada (Wankaner), Gyasuddin Sheikh (Dariapur) and Imran Khedawala (Jamalpur-Khadia) are the candidates who made it to the Assembly on Congress&#39; ticket.

The Congress nominee wrested the Jamalpur-Khadia seat from the BJP.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the Gujarat polls for the first time, fielded Muslim candidate Usman Gani Sherasiya from Wankaner seat. He finished way behind other nominees by securing just 2,808 votes.

The Janata Dal (United), which contested independently this time, unlike in 2012 when it was in alliance with the Congress, put up a Muslim candidate in Dariapur, but he got only 82 votes, as per figures of the Election Commission.

The Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP and the NCP in Jamalpur-Khadia also failed to make a mark.

In the 2012 Assembly elections also, the Congress had offered tickets to six Muslims, out of whom two had won.

The three Muslims were all fielded by the Congress

Three Muslim candidates, all fielded by the Congress, emerged victorious in the Gujarat Assembly elections this time, against two in the previous House. The ruling BJP did not put up any Muslim candidate in the state where the minority community accounts for 9.67 per cent of the population. The Congress this time put up six Muslim candidates, three of them in urban seats. The party nominees romped home in Jamalpur-Khadia, Dariapur in Ahmedabad and Wankaner in Rajkot. Whereas the party candidates in Surat-West, Vagra in Bharuch and Bhuj rpt Bhuj lost to their BJP rivals. Javid Peerzada (Wankaner), Gyasuddin Sheikh (Dariapur) and Imran Khedawala (Jamalpur-Khadia) are the candidates who made it to the Assembly on Congress' ticket. The Congress nominee wrested the Jamalpur-Khadia seat from the BJP. The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the Gujarat polls for the first time, fielded Muslim candidate Usman Gani Sherasiya from Wankaner seat. He finished way behind other nominees by securing just 2,808 votes. The Janata Dal (United), which contested independently this time, unlike in 2012 when it was in alliance with the Congress, put up a Muslim candidate in Dariapur, but he got only 82 votes, as per figures of the Election Commission. The Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP and the NCP in Jamalpur-Khadia also failed to make a mark. In the 2012 Assembly elections also, the Congress had offered tickets to six Muslims, out of whom two had won.

In Gujarat Assembly, three Muslim MLAs

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Madhya Pradesh Pannalal Shakya set off a massive controversy on Tuesday after he questioned Indian cricket captain Virat Kolhi and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma&#39;s decision to get married in Italy, and not in India.

&quot;He is loved by millions, he represents India on the world stage, why did he not hold his wedding ceremony in India?&quot; Shakya said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is not rashtra bhakti,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Shakya said Kohli cannot be an inspiration to Indians since only those who are loyal to their country and swear by it deserve to be inspirations.&nbsp;

The MLA added that&nbsp;Virat earned his money and fame in India but&nbsp;chose to take that money out of the country and to a foreign land.&nbsp;

&quot;Ram, Krishna, Yudhishthira married in India. All you people have either been married or will be married in India. No one goes to a foreign land to get married like they did. He earned his money and fame in India and took it abroad,&quot; the BJP MLA said. &nbsp;

Virushka got married in a private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy on December 11, with only family and close friends in attendance.&nbsp;

The couple are among India&rsquo;s most popular celebrities and stories of their romance have been making headlines for years.

Virushka got married in a private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy on December 11, 2017

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Madhya Pradesh Pannalal Shakya set off a massive controversy on Tuesday after he questioned Indian cricket captain Virat Kolhi and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma's decision to get married in Italy, and not in India. "He is loved by millions, he represents India on the world stage, why did he not hold his wedding ceremony in India?" Shakya said. "This is not rashtra bhakti," he added. Shakya said Kohli cannot be an inspiration to Indians since only those who are loyal to their country and swear by it deserve to be inspirations. The MLA added that Virat earned his money and fame in India but chose to take that money out of the country and to a foreign land. "Ram, Krishna, Yudhishthira married in India. All you people have either been married or will be married in India. No one goes to a foreign land to get married like they did. He earned his money and fame in India and took it abroad," the BJP MLA said. Virushka got married in a private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy on December 11, with only family and close friends in attendance. The couple are among India’s most popular celebrities and stories of their romance have been making headlines for years.

Why did Virat-Anushka not get married in India, asks Madhya Pradesh MLA

The Sensex and NIfty closed at record highs on Tuesday after the BJP&#39;s wins in Gujarat and Himachal.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex rose 0.7 per cent to end at 33,836.74, while the NSE Nifty ended 0.72 per cent higher at 10,463.20.&nbsp;

The Sensex&#39;s previous closing high of 33,731.19 was hit on November 6, the Nifty&#39;s of 10,452.50 on November 3.

Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujaratand-himachal-27098" target="_blank">Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi after Gujarat, Himachal wins</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">BJP wins Gujarat but does not cross 100 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">mark</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-wins-gujarat-but-does-not-cross-100-mark-takes-himachal-easily-27117" target="_blank">, takes Himachal easily</a>

There were a number of reasons for the closing highs.

Risk appetite grew with the BJP&#39;s electoral wins.

The rupee climbing to an over three-month high against the dollar during the day came as a morale booster.

And while Asian shares were mixed, Europe opened higher after a record-setting session on Wall Street on bets that US lawmakers would pass a proposed tax cut.

India&#39;s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki was in top gear, with a maximum rise of 5.33 per cent. Other auto stocks were also in demand.

NTPC, ONGC, ICICI Bank, HUL and PowerGrid ended in the green.

On the sectoral front, barring the IT index, all others ended the day with gains.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session

The Sensex and NIfty closed at record highs on Tuesday after the BJP's wins in Gujarat and Himachal. The BSE Sensex rose 0.7 per cent to end at 33,836.74, while the NSE Nifty ended 0.72 per cent higher at 10,463.20. The Sensex's previous closing high of 33,731.19 was hit on November 6, the Nifty's of 10,452.50 on November 3. Both indexes rose for a fourth straight session. Also read: Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi after Gujarat, Himachal wins Also read: BJP wins Gujarat but does not cross 100 mark, takes Himachal easily There were a number of reasons for the closing highs. Risk appetite grew with the BJP's electoral wins. The rupee climbing to an over three-month high against the dollar during the day came as a morale booster. And while Asian shares were mixed, Europe opened higher after a record-setting session on Wall Street on bets that US lawmakers would pass a proposed tax cut. India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki was in top gear, with a maximum rise of 5.33 per cent. Other auto stocks were also in demand. NTPC, ONGC, ICICI Bank, HUL and PowerGrid ended in the green. On the sectoral front, barring the IT index, all others ended the day with gains. (With inputs from PTI)

Sensex, Nifty close at record highs after BJP's Gujarat, Himachal wins

Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party &quot;accepts the verdict of the people&quot;.&nbsp;

The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942709778836471808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942711009789190144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-election-results-i-accept-the-bjps-victory-says-congresss-virbhadra-singh-27075">Himachal election results: &#39;I accept victory of BJP,&#39; says Congress&#39;s Virbhadra Singh</a>

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-poll-results-bjp-on-victory-march-in-gujarat-himachal-pradesh-27047">victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats.</a>&nbsp;

In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11.&nbsp;

The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats.&nbsp;

&quot;My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud,&quot; Gandhi said.&nbsp;

&quot;You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Gujarat of course was the new Congress president&#39;s -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test.&nbsp;

But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time.&nbsp;

Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats.&nbsp;

In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time.&nbsp;

Gandhi&#39;s critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress&#39;s trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India&#39;s grand old party.&nbsp;

Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead.&nbsp;

He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat&#39;s population.&nbsp;

Which, Gandhi&#39;s critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.&nbsp;

The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal

Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party "accepts the verdict of the people". The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal. The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80. Also Read: Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh The victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats. In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11. The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats. "My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud," Gandhi said. "You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage," he added. Gujarat of course was the new Congress president's -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test. But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time. Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats. In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time. Gandhi's critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress's trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India's grand old party. Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead. He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat's population. Which, Gandhi's critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.

Congress accepts verdict of the people: Rahul Gandhi

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