Regional parties have played a key role in government formation at the Centre since the advent of the coalition era in 1989. BJP’s loss in three Hindi heartland states have given them hope of a hung Parliament in 2019 where they could again play the role of a kingmaker. Many such parties are discussing with Congress to form the mahagathbandhan (MGB) to take on the BJP. Alliances in key states of UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which account for 207 seats, out of which NDA won 150 in 2014, will decide the course of 2019.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh: The entire premise that BJP will have a tough time in 2019 is built on the alliance between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in UP. It was tested in bypolls to three seats earlier this year where BJP recorded big losses. BSP and SP have a solid vote base of Dalits, Muslims and Yadavs accounting for 44 per cent of the population. The alliance has proved it can seamlessly transfer votes in bypolls. Both parties are known for their anti-BJP stance. They are toying with the idea of joining MGB. Though, Congress is well past its prime in the Hindi heartland and is confined to two family-stronghold seats, it can be a game-changer in 13 seats.

Strategists in both parties feel while they will be able to transfer votes to Congress, the reciprocity is unlikely to happen like in 1996 (BSP-INC alliance) and 2017 (SP-INC alliance). There’s not much value which Congress brings to the table in UP. Both these parties may not want to tie their fate to MGB, and &nbsp;instead join the Third Front and wait for results.&nbsp;

Bihar: The fight is veering towards a bipolar contest in Bihar. BJP-led NDA consisting of JDU and LJP vs RJD-led UPA consisting of Congress, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha and Sharad Yadav. BJP inducted Kushwaha before 2014, to make a dent in Nitish Kumar’s Kurmi/Koeri vote bank which accounts for 12 per cent of population. After JDU’s ghar wapsi, BJP faced the problem of plenty. It eased out Kushwaha and retained Paswan who has considerable clout among Dalits (6 per cent of population). He will also act as NDA’s counter to Manjhi who is a leader of Mahadalits (10 per cent of population). Both alliances have almost equal support, NDA of upper caste, Kurmi / Koeri and Dalits while UPA of Muslims and Yadavs. Mahadalits and Most Backward Classes (24 per cent) hold the keys to success in Bihar. RJD hopes to encash on the double &nbsp; anti-incumbency, against Modi’s 5-year and Nitish’s 13-year rule. Paswan who is a political bellwether has decided to stay with NDA. The problem of plenty has now shifted to UPA, so one can expect a big tussle on ticket distribution there.

Maharashtra: BJP almost won the state elections contesting independently held six months after Lok Sabha polls. It did partner with Shiv Sena to form the government, but their relationship strained forever. Shiv Sena which was the bigger brother in the state found itself to be the junior partner. It is playing the role of opposition within the NDA, sharply critical of Modi and has announced plans to contest 2019 elections alone. On the other hand, NCP and Congress have sealed a 24-24 formula for elections. Congress has adopted an accommodative approach for bigger goal of defeating BJP. Shiv Sena is adopting ‘hum to doobenge sanam tumko bhi le doobenge’ strategy.&nbsp;

As per my analysis, Shiv Sena could be routed and get 2-3 seats (current 18) while BJP may not suffer much with loss of 4-5 seats (current 23), based on 2014 numbers. UPA could gain 20-odd seats. Uddhav is making noise to extract his pound of flesh from BJP. Both parties need each other and will come to the table soon.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu: All allies of BJP in state (PMK, DMDK, MDMK, PT) have left NDA. The political landscape has changed with Jaya’s death, split in AIADMK and entry of superstars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan in politics. DMK stays with UPA and could play a crucial role in 2019 as state exhibits a strong trend of AIADMK and DMK alternately sweeping the state in central elections. BJP initially hoped to ally with AIADMK however, split of TTK, has forced a rethink. It needs to bag few seats here to negate losses in North and West where it has maxed out. It has also sent feelers to Rajini. Rajini could join NDA and Kamal UPA in my opinion.&nbsp;

Apart from these, other key players are AITC, BJD, TRS and CPM: AITC is facing the heat from BJP in West Bengal. It needs support of Congress to thwart attempts of BJP. However, Congress doesn’t gain much from the alliance as Mamata Banerjee doesn’t have any votes outside Bengal. Mamata is averse to joining any Third Front as the leadership issue has become complicated.

<img alt="Federal clout at power centre" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d8be145a-44d2-423d-8c16-0e3f8cc26349" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/771140-tally-in.jpg" />

Naveen Patnaik has maintained an equidistance approach from BJP and Congress. He is not keen on joining UPA as Congress is the principal opposition party in Odisha. BJP is also gaining strength there and his joining NDA will help BJP piggyback on BJD’s vote bank.

TRS can’t join UPA as Congress is the principal opposition party in Telangana. War of words between Modi and KCR during state polls have ensured he can’t join NDA immediately. He is floating the idea of Third Front to make a rainbow coalition of regional parties. Akhilesh has shown interest while Mamata and Naveen have been non-committal.&nbsp;

CPM can’t join MGB, as it is left with sizeable presence only in Kerala and Bengal. If it joins MGB it risks losing space to Congress in Kerala. It can under no circumstances join hands with Mamata in Bengal.&nbsp;

All regional parties have a common wish: a hung Parliament. The elections circus has just begun.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-federal-clout-at-power-centre-2701542">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Regional parties have played a key role in government formation at the Centre since the advent of the coalition era in 1989. BJP’s loss in three Hindi heartland states have given them hope of a hung Parliament in 2019 where they could again play the role of a kingmaker.

Regional parties have played a key role in government formation at the Centre since the advent of the coalition era in 1989. BJP’s loss in three Hindi heartland states have given them hope of a hung Parliament in 2019 where they could again play the role of a kingmaker. Many such parties are discussing with Congress to form the mahagathbandhan (MGB) to take on the BJP. Alliances in key states of UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which account for 207 seats, out of which NDA won 150 in 2014, will decide the course of 2019. Uttar Pradesh: The entire premise that BJP will have a tough time in 2019 is built on the alliance between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in UP. It was tested in bypolls to three seats earlier this year where BJP recorded big losses. BSP and SP have a solid vote base of Dalits, Muslims and Yadavs accounting for 44 per cent of the population. The alliance has proved it can seamlessly transfer votes in bypolls. Both parties are known for their anti-BJP stance. They are toying with the idea of joining MGB. Though, Congress is well past its prime in the Hindi heartland and is confined to two family-stronghold seats, it can be a game-changer in 13 seats. Strategists in both parties feel while they will be able to transfer votes to Congress, the reciprocity is unlikely to happen like in 1996 (BSP-INC alliance) and 2017 (SP-INC alliance). There’s not much value which Congress brings to the table in UP. Both these parties may not want to tie their fate to MGB, and instead join the Third Front and wait for results. Bihar: The fight is veering towards a bipolar contest in Bihar. BJP-led NDA consisting of JDU and LJP vs RJD-led UPA consisting of Congress, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha and Sharad Yadav. BJP inducted Kushwaha before 2014, to make a dent in Nitish Kumar’s Kurmi/Koeri vote bank which accounts for 12 per cent of population. After JDU’s ghar wapsi, BJP faced the problem of plenty. It eased out Kushwaha and retained Paswan who has considerable clout among Dalits (6 per cent of population). He will also act as NDA’s counter to Manjhi who is a leader of Mahadalits (10 per cent of population). Both alliances have almost equal support, NDA of upper caste, Kurmi / Koeri and Dalits while UPA of Muslims and Yadavs. Mahadalits and Most Backward Classes (24 per cent) hold the keys to success in Bihar. RJD hopes to encash on the double anti-incumbency, against Modi’s 5-year and Nitish’s 13-year rule. Paswan who is a political bellwether has decided to stay with NDA. The problem of plenty has now shifted to UPA, so one can expect a big tussle on ticket distribution there. Maharashtra: BJP almost won the state elections contesting independently held six months after Lok Sabha polls. It did partner with Shiv Sena to form the government, but their relationship strained forever. Shiv Sena which was the bigger brother in the state found itself to be the junior partner. It is playing the role of opposition within the NDA, sharply critical of Modi and has announced plans to contest 2019 elections alone. On the other hand, NCP and Congress have sealed a 24-24 formula for elections. Congress has adopted an accommodative approach for bigger goal of defeating BJP. Shiv Sena is adopting ‘hum to doobenge sanam tumko bhi le doobenge’ strategy. As per my analysis, Shiv Sena could be routed and get 2-3 seats (current 18) while BJP may not suffer much with loss of 4-5 seats (current 23), based on 2014 numbers. UPA could gain 20-odd seats. Uddhav is making noise to extract his pound of flesh from BJP. Both parties need each other and will come to the table soon. Tamil Nadu: All allies of BJP in state (PMK, DMDK, MDMK, PT) have left NDA. The political landscape has changed with Jaya’s death, split in AIADMK and entry of superstars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan in politics. DMK stays with UPA and could play a crucial role in 2019 as state exhibits a strong trend of AIADMK and DMK alternately sweeping the state in central elections. BJP initially hoped to ally with AIADMK however, split of TTK, has forced a rethink. It needs to bag few seats here to negate losses in North and West where it has maxed out. It has also sent feelers to Rajini. Rajini could join NDA and Kamal UPA in my opinion. Apart from these, other key players are AITC, BJD, TRS and CPM: AITC is facing the heat from BJP in West Bengal. It needs support of Congress to thwart attempts of BJP. However, Congress doesn’t gain much from the alliance as Mamata Banerjee doesn’t have any votes outside Bengal. Mamata is averse to joining any Third Front as the leadership issue has become complicated. Naveen Patnaik has maintained an equidistance approach from BJP and Congress. He is not keen on joining UPA as Congress is the principal opposition party in Odisha. BJP is also gaining strength there and his joining NDA will help BJP piggyback on BJD’s vote bank. TRS can’t join UPA as Congress is the principal opposition party in Telangana. War of words between Modi and KCR during state polls have ensured he can’t join NDA immediately. He is floating the idea of Third Front to make a rainbow coalition of regional parties. Akhilesh has shown interest while Mamata and Naveen have been non-committal. CPM can’t join MGB, as it is left with sizeable presence only in Kerala and Bengal. If it joins MGB it risks losing space to Congress in Kerala. It can under no circumstances join hands with Mamata in Bengal. All regional parties have a common wish: a hung Parliament. The elections circus has just begun. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Regional parties could play key role in 2019

The BJP top brass has relied on a mix of electoral experience and organisational ability in picking its team of state in-charges to drive the party's 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, and as expected from the Modi-Shah duo, they have sprung a few surprises as well with the Hindutva agenda being at the core of the choices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah have entrusted Gordhan Zadaphia, a fellow Gujarati who was long a bitter Modi critic, with the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, a state where BJP's performance will be central to its dream to retain power at the Centre.

Election in-charges are trusted lieutenants of the party's central leadership and their job is to be a bridge between it and state units, elicit feedback from grassroots and craft and execute poll campaign while being at the background.

Here is a profile of leaders<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chhattisgarh-cm-baghel-conducts-first-cabinet-expansion-9-mlas-take-oath-186308"> chosen as in-charges for 17 states </a>and Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Gordhan Zadaphia: He had a big fallout with Modi in 2004 when he refused to take oath as minister. He later floated his own party and joined hands with likes of former state CMs, Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta, to take on Modi.

He returned to BJP before 2014 Lok Sabha polls. What is, however, unquestionable is the 64-year-old leader's Hindutva credentials as his ties with RSS and VHP always remained strong.

The junior home minister in Gujarat government during 2002 riots, Zadaphia has already set a target of winning all 80 seats of UP, where BJP had won 71 seats in 2014.&nbsp;

Incidentally, Shah was UP in-charge in 2014.&nbsp;

Bhupender Yadav: A party general secretary, he will be in charge of Bihar. A lawyer and key party spearhead in Parliament, Yadav has been involved with almost every state election in some way since Shah became BJP chief in 2014.&nbsp;

A low profile leader, he enjoys Shah's trust and has long been in-charge of party affairs in Bihar.

His job will be to iron out any differences with allies— CM Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP. NDA had won 31 of the state's 40 seats in 2014.

Mahendra Singh: A minister in UP government, BJP has appointed him election in-charge for Assam. Party came to power in the state for first time in 2016, with him as in-charge.&nbsp;

Arun Singh: A party general secretary, he will lead a poll campaign in Odisha. &nbsp;A Thakur leader from UP, Singh (53) started his political career with Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, and has since steadily climbed up the organisational ladder.

BJP had won only one seat out of 21 in Odisha in 2014.

Mangal Pandey: A former Bihar BJP chief, he has also looked after party affairs in Himachal Pradesh in past. Now a minister in Bihar government, Pandey (53) has the responsibility of steering campaign in Jharkhand.

Tirath Singh Rawat: A former Uttarakhand BJP chief, Rawat would lead task in Himachal Pradesh. His job will be to ensure a repeat of 2014 feat when the party won all 4 seats.

Nalin Kohli: A lawyer and savvy spokesperson of the party, Kohli is in-charge of Nagaland and Manipur. BJP is in power in Manipur and its ally is at the helm in Nagaland.&nbsp;

Nitin Nabin: An MLA from Bihar, he has been given charge of Sikkim. He is only 38 and has also been associated with BJYM.

Prakash Javadekar, who has been the party's in charge in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, likes to take everyone on board.&nbsp;

Due to this quality, he has been given the responsibility of Rajasthan, where BJP under Vasundhara Raje has been at loggerheads with its national leadership over various issues. He has to act as a bridge between both sides.&nbsp;

Javadekar enjoys trust of Modi and Shah. He also has the backing of BJP's ideological mentor Sangh.

Sudhanshu Trivedi has also been again given the responsibility of Rajasthan for 2019 polls.

Trivedi, who has a doctorate in mechanical engineering, rose to prominence during his tenure as political advisor to then BJP chief Rajnath Singh. He is known for his political analysis and deep understanding of caste equations.&nbsp;

Captain Abhimanyu, a minister in BJP government in Haryana, has been given the responsibility of Punjab and Chandigarh. An Amit Shah loyalist, he was in his team for UP during 2014 LS polls.&nbsp;

The Jaat leader handed caste-dominated western UP at that time. Hailing from Haryana, he twice has been in-charge of Punjab in 2012 and 2017.&nbsp; 
BJP's Chhattisgarh in charge Anil Jain is a practitioner surgeon at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.&nbsp;

Jain maintains a low profile and is essentially a backroom boy. He takes care of Shah's schedule and political programmes. BJP lost Chhattisgarh last month with him as in charge.&nbsp;

O P Mathur, vice-president of the party, will lead the campaign in Gujarat after 16 years. He was state-in-charge in 2002 assembly elections.&nbsp;

BJP's Dalit face and Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot has again been given charge of Uttrakhand. He's also a member of BJP's parliamentary board.&nbsp;

The architect of party's victory in Tripura, Sunil Deodhar has been given a new challenge of making the party a force in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

He is known for his organisation skills especially in strengthening the party on the ground and expanding its network of cadres. He will be assisted by V Muralidharan, party's ex-Kerala unit chief.&nbsp;

The responsibility of Telangana has been given to Aravind Limbavali, sitting MLA from Karnataka and ex-minister.

Swatantra Dev Singh, minister of state (independent charge) in UP, will lead party campaign in Madhya Pradesh. Singh will be accompanied by party's Delhi unit ex-chief Satish Upadhyay.

The BJP top brass has relied on a mix of electoral experience and organisational ability in picking its team of state in-charges to drive the party's 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, and as expected from the Modi-Shah duo, they have sprung a few surprises as well with the Hindutva agenda being at the core of the choices.

The BJP top brass has relied on a mix of electoral experience and organisational ability in picking its team of state in-charges to drive the party's 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, and as expected from the Modi-Shah duo, they have sprung a few surprises as well with the Hindutva agenda being at the core of the choices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah have entrusted Gordhan Zadaphia, a fellow Gujarati who was long a bitter Modi critic, with the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, a state where BJP's performance will be central to its dream to retain power at the Centre. Election in-charges are trusted lieutenants of the party's central leadership and their job is to be a bridge between it and state units, elicit feedback from grassroots and craft and execute poll campaign while being at the background. Here is a profile of leaders chosen as in-charges for 17 states and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Gordhan Zadaphia: He had a big fallout with Modi in 2004 when he refused to take oath as minister. He later floated his own party and joined hands with likes of former state CMs, Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta, to take on Modi. He returned to BJP before 2014 Lok Sabha polls. What is, however, unquestionable is the 64-year-old leader's Hindutva credentials as his ties with RSS and VHP always remained strong. The junior home minister in Gujarat government during 2002 riots, Zadaphia has already set a target of winning all 80 seats of UP, where BJP had won 71 seats in 2014. Incidentally, Shah was UP in-charge in 2014. Bhupender Yadav: A party general secretary, he will be in charge of Bihar. A lawyer and key party spearhead in Parliament, Yadav has been involved with almost every state election in some way since Shah became BJP chief in 2014. A low profile leader, he enjoys Shah's trust and has long been in-charge of party affairs in Bihar. His job will be to iron out any differences with allies— CM Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP. NDA had won 31 of the state's 40 seats in 2014. Mahendra Singh: A minister in UP government, BJP has appointed him election in-charge for Assam. Party came to power in the state for first time in 2016, with him as in-charge. Arun Singh: A party general secretary, he will lead a poll campaign in Odisha. A Thakur leader from UP, Singh (53) started his political career with Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, and has since steadily climbed up the organisational ladder. BJP had won only one seat out of 21 in Odisha in 2014. Mangal Pandey: A former Bihar BJP chief, he has also looked after party affairs in Himachal Pradesh in past. Now a minister in Bihar government, Pandey (53) has the responsibility of steering campaign in Jharkhand. Tirath Singh Rawat: A former Uttarakhand BJP chief, Rawat would lead task in Himachal Pradesh. His job will be to ensure a repeat of 2014 feat when the party won all 4 seats. Nalin Kohli: A lawyer and savvy spokesperson of the party, Kohli is in-charge of Nagaland and Manipur. BJP is in power in Manipur and its ally is at the helm in Nagaland. Nitin Nabin: An MLA from Bihar, he has been given charge of Sikkim. He is only 38 and has also been associated with BJYM. Prakash Javadekar, who has been the party's in charge in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, likes to take everyone on board. Due to this quality, he has been given the responsibility of Rajasthan, where BJP under Vasundhara Raje has been at loggerheads with its national leadership over various issues. He has to act as a bridge between both sides. Javadekar enjoys trust of Modi and Shah. He also has the backing of BJP's ideological mentor Sangh. Sudhanshu Trivedi has also been again given the responsibility of Rajasthan for 2019 polls. Trivedi, who has a doctorate in mechanical engineering, rose to prominence during his tenure as political advisor to then BJP chief Rajnath Singh. He is known for his political analysis and deep understanding of caste equations. Captain Abhimanyu, a minister in BJP government in Haryana, has been given the responsibility of Punjab and Chandigarh. An Amit Shah loyalist, he was in his team for UP during 2014 LS polls. The Jaat leader handed caste-dominated western UP at that time. Hailing from Haryana, he twice has been in-charge of Punjab in 2012 and 2017. BJP's Chhattisgarh in charge Anil Jain is a practitioner surgeon at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. Jain maintains a low profile and is essentially a backroom boy. He takes care of Shah's schedule and political programmes. BJP lost Chhattisgarh last month with him as in charge. O P Mathur, vice-president of the party, will lead the campaign in Gujarat after 16 years. He was state-in-charge in 2002 assembly elections. BJP's Dalit face and Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot has again been given charge of Uttrakhand. He's also a member of BJP's parliamentary board. The architect of party's victory in Tripura, Sunil Deodhar has been given a new challenge of making the party a force in Andhra Pradesh. He is known for his organisation skills especially in strengthening the party on the ground and expanding its network of cadres. He will be assisted by V Muralidharan, party's ex-Kerala unit chief. The responsibility of Telangana has been given to Aravind Limbavali, sitting MLA from Karnataka and ex-minister. Swatantra Dev Singh, minister of state (independent charge) in UP, will lead party campaign in Madhya Pradesh. Singh will be accompanied by party's Delhi unit ex-chief Satish Upadhyay.

BJP bets heavy on electoral experience, organisational ability in selecting Lok Sabha campaign in-charges

The contentious <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-wont-let-triple-talaq-bill-pass-in-rajya-sabha-k-c-venugopal-187198">triple talaq bill</a> seeking to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha Monday, even as the Congress has said it will not allow its passage in the present form.

The ruling BJP has issued a whip in the Upper House asking its members to be present. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the bill in the Upper House.&nbsp;

The bill was cleared by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-passes-triple-talaq-bill-congress-aiadmk-stage-walkout-186851">Lok Sabha</a> -- 245 voting in favour and 11&nbsp;opposing it -- on Thursday amid a walkout by the Opposition.

Prasad had on Friday claimed the bill will find support in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA lacks numbers.&nbsp;

The bill is listed in the Rajya Sabha's legislative agenda for Monday.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters in Kochi Saturday the party would join hands with others to prevent the bill from getting passed in the House.

He said 10 opposition parties had openly come out against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Even the parties which support the government on various issues, including the AIADMK, have opposed the bill, said Venugopal, who is also a Congress floor strategist.

The opposition has questioned the stringent provisions like criminalisation of a civil wrong in the triple talaq bill.

The Opposition has been demanding that the bill be referred to a 'Joint Select Committee' of Parliament for further scrutiny.

On Thursday, the government rejected the Opposition's contention the bill it was aimed at targeting a particular community.

Piloting the bill, Prasad had said there should be no politics on the bill, stressing it was not against any particular community.

Describing the passage of the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha as a historic step towards ensuring equality and dignity of Muslim women, BJP chief Amit Shah had demanded an apology from the Congress for "decades of injustice".&nbsp;

The fresh Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 17 to replace an ordinance issued in September.

Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

The fresh bill will supersede an earlier bill passed in the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The earlier bill was approved by the Lower House.

But amid opposition by some parties in the upper house, the government had cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail, to make it more acceptable.

However, as the bill continued to face resistance in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued an ordinance in September, incorporating the amendments.

An ordinance has a life of six months. But from the day a session begins, it has to be replaced by a bill which should be passed by Parliament within 42 days (six weeks), else it lapses.

The government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament.

Introducing the bill, the Law Minister had said despite the Supreme Court striking down the practice of talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq), terming it unconstitutional, divorces in this form were taking place.

Citing details of instant triple talaq cases, the government had last week informed Lok Sabha that till now 430 incidents of triple talaq have come to the notice of the government through the media.

Of these, 229 were reported before the Supreme Court judgment, while another 201 came to the notice after it.

These cases were reported between the period of January 2017 and September 13, 2018.

The contentious triple talaq bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha Monday, even as the Congress has said it will not allow its passage in the present form.

The contentious triple talaq bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha Monday, even as the Congress has said it will not allow its passage in the present form. The ruling BJP has issued a whip in the Upper House asking its members to be present. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the bill in the Upper House. The bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha -- 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing it -- on Thursday amid a walkout by the Opposition. Prasad had on Friday claimed the bill will find support in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA lacks numbers. The bill is listed in the Rajya Sabha's legislative agenda for Monday. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters in Kochi Saturday the party would join hands with others to prevent the bill from getting passed in the House. He said 10 opposition parties had openly come out against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Even the parties which support the government on various issues, including the AIADMK, have opposed the bill, said Venugopal, who is also a Congress floor strategist. The opposition has questioned the stringent provisions like criminalisation of a civil wrong in the triple talaq bill. The Opposition has been demanding that the bill be referred to a 'Joint Select Committee' of Parliament for further scrutiny. On Thursday, the government rejected the Opposition's contention the bill it was aimed at targeting a particular community. Piloting the bill, Prasad had said there should be no politics on the bill, stressing it was not against any particular community. Describing the passage of the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha as a historic step towards ensuring equality and dignity of Muslim women, BJP chief Amit Shah had demanded an apology from the Congress for "decades of injustice". The fresh Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 17 to replace an ordinance issued in September. Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. The fresh bill will supersede an earlier bill passed in the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha. The earlier bill was approved by the Lower House. But amid opposition by some parties in the upper house, the government had cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail, to make it more acceptable. However, as the bill continued to face resistance in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued an ordinance in September, incorporating the amendments. An ordinance has a life of six months. But from the day a session begins, it has to be replaced by a bill which should be passed by Parliament within 42 days (six weeks), else it lapses. The government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament. Introducing the bill, the Law Minister had said despite the Supreme Court striking down the practice of talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq), terming it unconstitutional, divorces in this form were taking place. Citing details of instant triple talaq cases, the government had last week informed Lok Sabha that till now 430 incidents of triple talaq have come to the notice of the government through the media. Of these, 229 were reported before the Supreme Court judgment, while another 201 came to the notice after it. These cases were reported between the period of January 2017 and September 13, 2018.

Rajya Sabha to discuss Triple Talaq Bill on December 31; BJP, Congress issue whips

BJP MLA Devendra Singh Lodhi on Friday stirred a controversy stating that Inspector Subodh Kumar, the cop who was allegedly killed in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr violence, shot himself in haste after he became hopeless.

Speaking to ANI, Devendra Singh said,&nbsp;"While trying to save himself, the cop became hopeless and fired at himself in haste. He was not targeted by anyone; it was a mob that got aggressive as the police were not filing an FIR."

On December 3, inspector Subodh Singh Kumar and a local were killed in the violence, which erupted after the carcasses of 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post.

The locals had alleged that the carcasses found were of the cows, which were slaughtered illegally.

According to sources, the post-mortem examination conducted on Singh had confirmed gunshot injury on his head. The post-mortem report also revealed that Subodh had six marks of injuries inflicted by stones and also a bullet was stuck inside his skull.

On Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bulandshahr-cop-killing-up-police-arrests-man-who-allegedly-fired-at-inspector-kumar-186934">police arrested Prashant Natt</a>, a man who allegedly shot inspector Singh. As per police, Natt has confessed to having shot at Singh.&nbsp;

"He has accepted during interrogation that he was the one who fired at Subodh Kumar. Further investigation is underway," the SP noted.&nbsp;

Another accused Yogesh Raj, the convener of the district unit of Bajrang Dal, claims innocence and is absconding. So far, the police have been able to arrest four people.

Another key accused, an army man called Jitu Fauji, was detained by Uttar Pradesh Police earlier this month and was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

BJP MLA Devendra Singh Lodhi on Friday stirred a controversy stating that Inspector Subodh Kumar, the cop who was allegedly killed in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr violence, shot himself in haste after he became hopeless.

BJP MLA Devendra Singh Lodhi on Friday stirred a controversy stating that Inspector Subodh Kumar, the cop who was allegedly killed in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr violence, shot himself in haste after he became hopeless. Speaking to ANI, Devendra Singh said, "While trying to save himself, the cop became hopeless and fired at himself in haste. He was not targeted by anyone; it was a mob that got aggressive as the police were not filing an FIR." On December 3, inspector Subodh Singh Kumar and a local were killed in the violence, which erupted after the carcasses of 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post. The locals had alleged that the carcasses found were of the cows, which were slaughtered illegally. According to sources, the post-mortem examination conducted on Singh had confirmed gunshot injury on his head. The post-mortem report also revealed that Subodh had six marks of injuries inflicted by stones and also a bullet was stuck inside his skull. On Thursday police arrested Prashant Natt, a man who allegedly shot inspector Singh. As per police, Natt has confessed to having shot at Singh. "He has accepted during interrogation that he was the one who fired at Subodh Kumar. Further investigation is underway," the SP noted. Another accused Yogesh Raj, the convener of the district unit of Bajrang Dal, claims innocence and is absconding. So far, the police have been able to arrest four people. Another key accused, an army man called Jitu Fauji, was detained by Uttar Pradesh Police earlier this month and was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court. (With inputs from agencies)

Bulandshahr violence: BJP MLA claims cop Subodh Kumar shot himself

'The Accidental Prime Minister' ran into controversy since the time its trailer was released. The Congress has said that the film, which is based on former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh's tenure as PM, distorts facts and has demanded its screening before the film is released.

The film's lead actor Anupam Kher, who has portrayed Dr Singh on the screen, speaks to WION Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary about the film, the challenging role and the controversy around it.

Here's the full transcript of the interview:

WION: Dr Manmohan Singh was called a 'Silent PM'. He never spoke. So how challenging it was to give voice to the 'Silent PM'?

Anupam Kher: It took me 7-8 months to get into the skin of his character and portray it on screen. It was very difficult because he expresses a lot of emotions with his blank face - whether it's joy, sorrow, or&nbsp;he is hurt - and you still had to convey how he is feeling. I have done more than 500 films in my 35-year-long career, but I have never played a more difficult character on screen than this one. Dr Singh was not the leader of a foregone era, he is very much alive in the consciousness of current generation. People have seen him, they know how he behaves, so it became a big challenge for me to portray Dr Mamohan Singh on screen, especially his voice. I went back to my training days in National School of Drama (NSD) - how we used to do the voice training. I also watched his hours-long footage on YouTube and different channels. But he was not always a 'Silent PM'. I think he was hurt during his second stint - from 2009 - and that's why he became quiet. But he used to speak a lot earlier - he gave interviews to many people, spoke at various forums. I think he was hurt during the 2009-2014 stint, he was upset, so he became a 'Silent PM'.

It was a lot like what happens in our homes - sometimes the elders like our grandparents stop talking to us because they get upset. He had a great sense of humour, which comes across in the film. You will see his resilient character, a certain degree of stubbornness.

WION: At a personal level, are you a fan of Dr Manmohan Singh?

Anupam Kher: I became his fan after doing the film. I think he is a very charming man. There is a lot of charisma about him in a very different manner. He is not an extrovert, but I like his poetry and other interesting things that I learned about him during my research. When people will watch the film, they will see a very differnt character of Dr Manmohan Singh. When you will see a film of two hours, you will come across small nuances - his loneliness, his dejection, his joy and how hurt he was, his triumph and the way he used to think. He is very human, and that is what the film's character has portrayed him. He was also weak in some ways, to let other people dictate him. The reason for this is because he was not a politician, he was a bureaucrat.

WION: But did you feel he was helpless?

Anupam Kher: There was no need to do a film to show this. This was felt across the country by its citizens. We did feel that what's stopping him from taking certain decisions? Nobody questioned his honesty, his integrity, but sometimes we&nbsp;used to feel frustrated 'ki yaar ye kuchh bolte kyun nahi? Ye kuchh karte kyun nahi? (Why doesn't he speak? Why doesn't he do something?)'. From whatever I've read, his wife also used to feel the same. He will be proud of my portrayal of his character.

WION: Do you believe he will be happy after watching the film?

Anupam Kher: I have a feeling that if he does not feel hesitant after watching the film, he will definitely hug me and might even ask me to have a cup of tea with him. And I am saying this with sincerity.

WION: And what about Sonia and Rahul Gandhi? What will they think about you after watching the film?

Anupam Kher: Well, I can't give a reaction on that. They will perhaps say 'Don't have tea with him'.

WION: This film was controversial, now it has turned political after the BJP tweeted the trailer from its official handle. So there is an impression that the BJP is promoting this film and wants to gain political mileage out of it just before elections. What do you have to say?

Anupam Kher: I personally feel that a film can't decide voting pattern. Indian voter is very smart, otherwise there wouldn't have been surprises in election results. A political parties always use some things for their advantage - it has happened in the past too, with Congress. I remember reading tweets from politicians when 'Udta Punjab' was released. I think that's a personal opinion. And a political party will use any means to promote their point of view and whatever benefits them. This is a well-established fact that Mrs Gandhi did go to the President to become the Prime Minister as far as the research I have done is concerned. And then Subramanian Swamy told President Kalam that technically it cannot happen. So she had to choose from senior leaders like Pranab da, and she chose a person who was non-controversial, whose honesty was unquestionable and whom she could tell that this is what you have to do. All this is in public domain. And you don't have to wait for a film - things go viral even from television. Recently, the footage of Congress leaders telling Rahul Gandhi what to speak during an address went viral. Now if a filmmaker uses reproduces that in his/her film, how can there be objection on that? The opposition to this film is coming from a certain section of people, and it's unfortunate. But I've heard that some senior leaders in the Congress are saying that the film should not be opposed. It's a great thing and I'm thankful for that reaction.

WION: You would have known from Day 1 that if you do this film, Congress will be upset. Then what was the reason? Did you find the role challenging as an actor?

Anupam Kher: It was a lifetime opportunity for me to get a role as brilliant as that of Dr Manmohan Singh. It is the highlight of my career. And I have portrayed it as an actor. If I have to put across my political view, I don't need to make a film, I can record a video on mobile and post it on social media and millions can see it. Everyone has political leanings, but whenever I've spoken, I've spoken for my country. People think I am a political person; if I want to be a politician, I will join a political party and let you know that I've taken the political plunge.

WION: You often seem to back the BJP ideology and your wife is a BJP MP. It is being alleged that you did this film to please the BJP and that you want a ticket to Rajya Sabha from the BJP. What do you have to say about this?

Anupam Kher: No, no. I am an Indian actor trying to make India proud abroad. I don't want to come into politics, or a Rajya Sabha seat. My wife Kirron Kher has won Lok Sabha election, the seat was not offered to her on a platter. She fought the election and won it. I am an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people are free to interpret. I have spent enough time in this industry to understand 'suno sabki, karo apni (listen to everyone, but do your own thing).'

WION: You say this is the best role of your life. But people are saying you are simply mimicking Dr Manmohan Singh, so is this acting or mimicry?

Anupam Kher: People who don't know acting are making such comments and I don't have time to react to these things.

WION: Had you thought while signing the film that it will run you into a controversy? And that this argument will reach this stage?

Anupam Kher: We've followed a process, the film was cleared by the Censor Board. The audience is mature enough, we can't fool them. If my audience likes my role, that's enough for me. I am not performing to please certain people, and that is what's important.

'The Accidental Prime Minister' ran into controversy since the time its trailer was released. The Congress has said that the film, which is based on former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh's tenure as PM, distorts facts and has demanded its screening before the film is released.

'The Accidental Prime Minister' ran into controversy since the time its trailer was released. The Congress has said that the film, which is based on former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh's tenure as PM, distorts facts and has demanded its screening before the film is released. The film's lead actor Anupam Kher, who has portrayed Dr Singh on the screen, speaks to WION Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary about the film, the challenging role and the controversy around it. Here's the full transcript of the interview: WION: Dr Manmohan Singh was called a 'Silent PM'. He never spoke. So how challenging it was to give voice to the 'Silent PM'? Anupam Kher: It took me 7-8 months to get into the skin of his character and portray it on screen. It was very difficult because he expresses a lot of emotions with his blank face - whether it's joy, sorrow, or he is hurt - and you still had to convey how he is feeling. I have done more than 500 films in my 35-year-long career, but I have never played a more difficult character on screen than this one. Dr Singh was not the leader of a foregone era, he is very much alive in the consciousness of current generation. People have seen him, they know how he behaves, so it became a big challenge for me to portray Dr Mamohan Singh on screen, especially his voice. I went back to my training days in National School of Drama (NSD) - how we used to do the voice training. I also watched his hours-long footage on YouTube and different channels. But he was not always a 'Silent PM'. I think he was hurt during his second stint - from 2009 - and that's why he became quiet. But he used to speak a lot earlier - he gave interviews to many people, spoke at various forums. I think he was hurt during the 2009-2014 stint, he was upset, so he became a 'Silent PM'. It was a lot like what happens in our homes - sometimes the elders like our grandparents stop talking to us because they get upset. He had a great sense of humour, which comes across in the film. You will see his resilient character, a certain degree of stubbornness. WION: At a personal level, are you a fan of Dr Manmohan Singh? Anupam Kher: I became his fan after doing the film. I think he is a very charming man. There is a lot of charisma about him in a very different manner. He is not an extrovert, but I like his poetry and other interesting things that I learned about him during my research. When people will watch the film, they will see a very differnt character of Dr Manmohan Singh. When you will see a film of two hours, you will come across small nuances - his loneliness, his dejection, his joy and how hurt he was, his triumph and the way he used to think. He is very human, and that is what the film's character has portrayed him. He was also weak in some ways, to let other people dictate him. The reason for this is because he was not a politician, he was a bureaucrat. WION: But did you feel he was helpless? Anupam Kher: There was no need to do a film to show this. This was felt across the country by its citizens. We did feel that what's stopping him from taking certain decisions? Nobody questioned his honesty, his integrity, but sometimes we used to feel frustrated 'ki yaar ye kuchh bolte kyun nahi? Ye kuchh karte kyun nahi? (Why doesn't he speak? Why doesn't he do something?)'. From whatever I've read, his wife also used to feel the same. He will be proud of my portrayal of his character. WION: Do you believe he will be happy after watching the film? Anupam Kher: I have a feeling that if he does not feel hesitant after watching the film, he will definitely hug me and might even ask me to have a cup of tea with him. And I am saying this with sincerity. WION: And what about Sonia and Rahul Gandhi? What will they think about you after watching the film? Anupam Kher: Well, I can't give a reaction on that. They will perhaps say 'Don't have tea with him'. WION: This film was controversial, now it has turned political after the BJP tweeted the trailer from its official handle. So there is an impression that the BJP is promoting this film and wants to gain political mileage out of it just before elections. What do you have to say? Anupam Kher: I personally feel that a film can't decide voting pattern. Indian voter is very smart, otherwise there wouldn't have been surprises in election results. A political parties always use some things for their advantage - it has happened in the past too, with Congress. I remember reading tweets from politicians when 'Udta Punjab' was released. I think that's a personal opinion. And a political party will use any means to promote their point of view and whatever benefits them. This is a well-established fact that Mrs Gandhi did go to the President to become the Prime Minister as far as the research I have done is concerned. And then Subramanian Swamy told President Kalam that technically it cannot happen. So she had to choose from senior leaders like Pranab da, and she chose a person who was non-controversial, whose honesty was unquestionable and whom she could tell that this is what you have to do. All this is in public domain. And you don't have to wait for a film - things go viral even from television. Recently, the footage of Congress leaders telling Rahul Gandhi what to speak during an address went viral. Now if a filmmaker uses reproduces that in his/her film, how can there be objection on that? The opposition to this film is coming from a certain section of people, and it's unfortunate. But I've heard that some senior leaders in the Congress are saying that the film should not be opposed. It's a great thing and I'm thankful for that reaction. WION: You would have known from Day 1 that if you do this film, Congress will be upset. Then what was the reason? Did you find the role challenging as an actor? Anupam Kher: It was a lifetime opportunity for me to get a role as brilliant as that of Dr Manmohan Singh. It is the highlight of my career. And I have portrayed it as an actor. If I have to put across my political view, I don't need to make a film, I can record a video on mobile and post it on social media and millions can see it. Everyone has political leanings, but whenever I've spoken, I've spoken for my country. People think I am a political person; if I want to be a politician, I will join a political party and let you know that I've taken the political plunge. WION: You often seem to back the BJP ideology and your wife is a BJP MP. It is being alleged that you did this film to please the BJP and that you want a ticket to Rajya Sabha from the BJP. What do you have to say about this? Anupam Kher: No, no. I am an Indian actor trying to make India proud abroad. I don't want to come into politics, or a Rajya Sabha seat. My wife Kirron Kher has won Lok Sabha election, the seat was not offered to her on a platter. She fought the election and won it. I am an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people are free to interpret. I have spent enough time in this industry to understand 'suno sabki, karo apni (listen to everyone, but do your own thing).' WION: You say this is the best role of your life. But people are saying you are simply mimicking Dr Manmohan Singh, so is this acting or mimicry? Anupam Kher: People who don't know acting are making such comments and I don't have time to react to these things. WION: Had you thought while signing the film that it will run you into a controversy? And that this argument will reach this stage? Anupam Kher: We've followed a process, the film was cleared by the Censor Board. The audience is mature enough, we can't fool them. If my audience likes my role, that's enough for me. I am not performing to please certain people, and that is what's important.

Don't think people's vote depends on a film: Anupam Kher to WION on controversy around 'The Accidental Prime Minister'

The Universal Basic Income is simply a basic income. It is a program in which country's citizens or permanent residents receive a regular sum of money from a government source. UBI can be implemented nationally, regionally or locally.

In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens.

The essential principle behind basic income is the idea that all citizens of the country are entitled to a livable income, whether or not they contribute to production and despite the particular circumstances into which they are born.

After the surprising defeat in the recent five state assembly elections, there are speculations that the Narendra Modi led government may hold a discussion on the implementation of UBI scheme, something which may turn out to be a game changer for the prime minister in upcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, experts are also seeing UBI as a more efficient medium of help to a large number of people, especially farmers than one-time universal loan waiver.

In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens.

The Universal Basic Income is simply a basic income. It is a program in which country's citizens or permanent residents receive a regular sum of money from a government source. UBI can be implemented nationally, regionally or locally. In UBI a basic sum of money is provided to individuals regardless of their income, resources or employment status with a purpose to reduce poverty and increase equality among citizens. The essential principle behind basic income is the idea that all citizens of the country are entitled to a livable income, whether or not they contribute to production and despite the particular circumstances into which they are born. After the surprising defeat in the recent five state assembly elections, there are speculations that the Narendra Modi led government may hold a discussion on the implementation of UBI scheme, something which may turn out to be a game changer for the prime minister in upcoming general elections. Meanwhile, experts are also seeing UBI as a more efficient medium of help to a large number of people, especially farmers than one-time universal loan waiver.

What is Universal basic Income and why it is in news?

Ruling out any attempts by his party to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said Thursday his party would take “appropriate decision” if there was political instability.&nbsp;

The Leader of Opposition in the assembly distanced himself from senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Umesh Katti’s claim that 15 disgruntled MLAs from the ruling coalition were in touch with him and that the saffron party would form the new government in Karnataka by next week.&nbsp;

“Neither I nor our leaders have said we will carry out operation lotus (BJP’s election symbol). Umesh Katti’s statement is not right,” the former chief minister said. “I want to say… let’s think about what to be done when Congress-JD(S) government falls because of the internal squabble,” he said. Operation Lotus refers to the controversial exercise carried out by the BJP during Yeddyurappa’s tenure as chief minister when opposition MLAs were made to resign and join the BJP before getting elected again on the saffron party ticket.

Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura, the senior BJP leader said, “We will not indulge in luring Congress-JD(S) legislators, we don’t require it also.” Noting that people, as well as the party, were watching political developments, Yeddyurappa said, “When the situation arises and there is political instability, we will sit and decide.”

“Everyone is watching the political developments. We are also watching. We are not ‘sanyasis’. We will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time,” he said. “No Congress or JD(S) MLA has contacted us, nor have we attempted it,” he added. Yeddyurappa also alleged that due to internal squabble within the ruling coalition about cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation, development of the state was getting hampered.

The Congress too rubbished claims Thursday that the coalition government in Karnataka would collapse due to the internal rift, with party leader Siddaramaiah asserting that the Congress-JD (S) coalition was strong and they would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together. The leader of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition coordination committee also ruled out any differences between him and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara over portfolio allocation to newly inducted ministers.

Ruling out any attempts by his party to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said Thursday his party would take “appropriate decision” if there was political instability.

Ruling out any attempts by his party to destabilise the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said Thursday his party would take “appropriate decision” if there was political instability. The Leader of Opposition in the assembly distanced himself from senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Umesh Katti’s claim that 15 disgruntled MLAs from the ruling coalition were in touch with him and that the saffron party would form the new government in Karnataka by next week. “Neither I nor our leaders have said we will carry out operation lotus (BJP’s election symbol). Umesh Katti’s statement is not right,” the former chief minister said. “I want to say… let’s think about what to be done when Congress-JD(S) government falls because of the internal squabble,” he said. Operation Lotus refers to the controversial exercise carried out by the BJP during Yeddyurappa’s tenure as chief minister when opposition MLAs were made to resign and join the BJP before getting elected again on the saffron party ticket. Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura, the senior BJP leader said, “We will not indulge in luring Congress-JD(S) legislators, we don’t require it also.” Noting that people, as well as the party, were watching political developments, Yeddyurappa said, “When the situation arises and there is political instability, we will sit and decide.” “Everyone is watching the political developments. We are also watching. We are not ‘sanyasis’. We will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time,” he said. “No Congress or JD(S) MLA has contacted us, nor have we attempted it,” he added. Yeddyurappa also alleged that due to internal squabble within the ruling coalition about cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation, development of the state was getting hampered. The Congress too rubbished claims Thursday that the coalition government in Karnataka would collapse due to the internal rift, with party leader Siddaramaiah asserting that the Congress-JD (S) coalition was strong and they would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together. The leader of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition coordination committee also ruled out any differences between him and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara over portfolio allocation to newly inducted ministers.

BJP will not ‘destabilise’ Congress-JDS government, says BS Yeddyurappa

BJP on Tuesday issued a whip to its Lok Sabha members to be present in the House on December 27 when the Triple Talaq Bill will be taken up for discussion and is likely to be put to vote.

The three-line whip is a strict instruction to the Members of Parliament from their respective party which necessitates their presence in the House and participates in the voting.

Any breach of the whip has serious consequences including disciplinary action against the violators of the whip.

The fresh Triple Talaq Bill aims to make the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with the provision of three-year jail for the husband.

The Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17, will replace the ordinance issued by the Central government in September, banning the instant triple talaq.

With the Lok Sabha failing to function properly due to disruptions ever since the Winter Session began on December 11, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on last Friday had chaired a meeting of the Rules Committee during which law to punish erring members with disciplinary action was favoured.

In that meeting, while referring to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's comments that his party was ready to discuss the instant Triple Talaq Bill on December 27, the Speaker had said: "I believe that on 27th the House will function smoothly."

The instant triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.In a landmark 3-2 verdict, the Apex Court found the practice un-Islamic and "arbitrary", and disagreed that Triple Talaq was an integral part of religious practice.&nbsp;

BJP on Tuesday issued a whip to its Lok Sabha members to be present in the House on December 27 when the Triple Talaq Bill will be taken up for discussion and is likely to be put to vote.

BJP on Tuesday issued a whip to its Lok Sabha members to be present in the House on December 27 when the Triple Talaq Bill will be taken up for discussion and is likely to be put to vote. The three-line whip is a strict instruction to the Members of Parliament from their respective party which necessitates their presence in the House and participates in the voting. Any breach of the whip has serious consequences including disciplinary action against the violators of the whip. The fresh Triple Talaq Bill aims to make the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with the provision of three-year jail for the husband. The Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17, will replace the ordinance issued by the Central government in September, banning the instant triple talaq. With the Lok Sabha failing to function properly due to disruptions ever since the Winter Session began on December 11, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on last Friday had chaired a meeting of the Rules Committee during which law to punish erring members with disciplinary action was favoured. In that meeting, while referring to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's comments that his party was ready to discuss the instant Triple Talaq Bill on December 27, the Speaker had said: "I believe that on 27th the House will function smoothly." The instant triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a law that allowed Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.In a landmark 3-2 verdict, the Apex Court found the practice un-Islamic and "arbitrary", and disagreed that Triple Talaq was an integral part of religious practice.

Discussion on triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha today on December 27

Amid the rising conflict within the NDA alliance, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday hinted at the party's efforts on bringing in new allies ahead of the 2019&nbsp;Lok Sabha polls.

In an interview to news agency ANI, Madhav admitted that certain smaller allies of the BJP have parted ways with the party.

He also added&nbsp;that BJP was now working on inducting new allies.

"Alliance politics is all about accommodation and adjustment and for that BJP is ready. It is true that certain smaller allies like <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-quitting-nda-upendra-kushwaha-joins-mahagathbandhan-in-bihar-185506">Kushwaha</a> have decided to leave us but we are working on bringing new allies into our fold especially in South India and Eastern India, " Madhav said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ram Madhav, BJP: Alliance politics is all about accommodation and adjustment and for that BJP is ready. It is true that certain smaller allies like Kushwaha have decided to leave us but we’re working on bringing new allies into our fold especially in South India &amp; Eastern India. <a href="https://t.co/cx4gtL3CYH">pic.twitter.com/cx4gtL3CYH</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1077870998454587392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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NDA recently lost&nbsp;Upendra Kushwaha who pulled out from the alliance on December 10 and joined the mahagathbandhan in Bihar.

Chandrababu Naidu led Telugu Desam Party had earlier ended its alliance with the NDA in March.

Speaking about the recent victories of the Congress, Madhav said that though the party won the polls, the opposition was still not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as its leader of the mahagathbandhan. Madhav said six leaders were there in the queue to become the prime minister.

"Rahul Gandhi is the leader of Congress. It's for them to decide if his leadership is beneficial to them or not. How can we comment on his leadership for Congress? He tried his electoral mettle in recent polls and brought some victories to Congress, there’s no doubt about it. If Rahul Gandhi could have been an option for PM candidate because of recent victories, then there would've been no need for Mahagathbandhan. Even today, no one, except Stalin, is ready to confirm the name of the leader of Mahagathbandhan. There are six people in queue to become PM".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ram Madhav,BJP: If Rahul Gandhi could've been option for PM candidate because of recent victories,then there would've been no need for Mahagathbandhan.Even today, no one,except Stalin, is ready to confirm name of the leader of Mahagathbandhan. There're 6 ppl in queue to become PM <a href="https://t.co/Xv3hRwmp4x">https://t.co/Xv3hRwmp4x</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1077875786252800000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ram Madhav also hailed the BJP government for bringing in the Triple Talaq Bill. He said, "It's a historic decision of PM Modi’s government to bring this issue of gender justice and equality. Large sections of civil society including Muslims welcomed it, it's a boon for Muslim women. Matter is before Parliament,I’m sure there’ll be meaningful debate".

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Ram Madhav,BJP: Rahul Gandhi is leader of Congress. It's for them to decide if his leadership is beneficial to them or not. How can we comment on his leadership for Congress?He tried his electoral mettle in recent polls&amp;brought some victories to Congress,there’s no doubt about it <a href="https://t.co/CJTIQdgmwB">pic.twitter.com/CJTIQdgmwB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1077870340993355776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking on the Ram Temple Madhav said, "Option of ordinance has always been there. But matter is right now in Supreme Court and it&nbsp;has given a date of January 4 to decide about next bench. We hoping SC will take it in fast-track way and conclude it early. If that’s not going to happen, we'll explore other options".

Amid the rising conflict within the NDA alliance, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday hinted at the party's efforts on bringing in new allies ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Amid the rising conflict within the NDA alliance, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday hinted at the party's efforts on bringing in new allies ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In an interview to news agency ANI, Madhav admitted that certain smaller allies of the BJP have parted ways with the party. He also added that BJP was now working on inducting new allies. "Alliance politics is all about accommodation and adjustment and for that BJP is ready. It is true that certain smaller allies like Kushwaha have decided to leave us but we are working on bringing new allies into our fold especially in South India and Eastern India, " Madhav said. Ram Madhav, BJP: Alliance politics is all about accommodation and adjustment and for that BJP is ready. It is true that certain smaller allies like Kushwaha have decided to leave us but we’re working on bringing new allies into our fold especially in South India & Eastern India. pic.twitter.com/cx4gtL3CYH — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2018 × NDA recently lost Upendra Kushwaha who pulled out from the alliance on December 10 and joined the mahagathbandhan in Bihar. Chandrababu Naidu led Telugu Desam Party had earlier ended its alliance with the NDA in March. Speaking about the recent victories of the Congress, Madhav said that though the party won the polls, the opposition was still not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as its leader of the mahagathbandhan. Madhav said six leaders were there in the queue to become the prime minister. "Rahul Gandhi is the leader of Congress. It's for them to decide if his leadership is beneficial to them or not. How can we comment on his leadership for Congress? He tried his electoral mettle in recent polls and brought some victories to Congress, there’s no doubt about it. If Rahul Gandhi could have been an option for PM candidate because of recent victories, then there would've been no need for Mahagathbandhan. Even today, no one, except Stalin, is ready to confirm the name of the leader of Mahagathbandhan. There are six people in queue to become PM". Ram Madhav,BJP: If Rahul Gandhi could've been option for PM candidate because of recent victories,then there would've been no need for Mahagathbandhan.Even today, no one,except Stalin, is ready to confirm name of the leader of Mahagathbandhan. There're 6 ppl in queue to become PM https://t.co/Xv3hRwmp4x — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2018 × Ram Madhav also hailed the BJP government for bringing in the Triple Talaq Bill. He said, "It's a historic decision of PM Modi’s government to bring this issue of gender justice and equality. Large sections of civil society including Muslims welcomed it, it's a boon for Muslim women. Matter is before Parliament,I’m sure there’ll be meaningful debate". Ram Madhav,BJP: Rahul Gandhi is leader of Congress. It's for them to decide if his leadership is beneficial to them or not. How can we comment on his leadership for Congress?He tried his electoral mettle in recent polls&brought some victories to Congress,there’s no doubt about it pic.twitter.com/CJTIQdgmwB — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2018 × Speaking on the Ram Temple Madhav said, "Option of ordinance has always been there. But matter is right now in Supreme Court and it has given a date of January 4 to decide about next bench. We hoping SC will take it in fast-track way and conclude it early. If that’s not going to happen, we'll explore other options".

Working on bringing new allies into our folds: BJP general secretary Ram Madhav

Anticipating a debate on the contentious triple talaq bill, the Congress on Thursday issued a whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha.

According to sources, all Lok Sabha members have been asked to be present throughout the day for participation should the debate come up.

The Congress has maintained a cautious approach on the legislation banning instant triple talaq and criminalising the offence.

Party leaders have argued against criminalisation and have also sought amendments to the bill to ensure the financial protection of women through a maintenance package by the state.

The Congress has said it is not against the legislation but certain provisions in the bill presented and has sought amendments.

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has been asking who will take care of the woman after her husband faces penal action under the law.&nbsp;

Anticipating a debate on the contentious triple talaq bill, the Congress on Thursday issued a whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha. According to sources, all Lok Sabha members have been asked to be present throughout the day for participation should the debate come up.

Anticipating a debate on the contentious triple talaq bill, the Congress on Thursday issued a whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha. According to sources, all Lok Sabha members have been asked to be present throughout the day for participation should the debate come up. The Congress has maintained a cautious approach on the legislation banning instant triple talaq and criminalising the offence. Party leaders have argued against criminalisation and have also sought amendments to the bill to ensure the financial protection of women through a maintenance package by the state. The Congress has said it is not against the legislation but certain provisions in the bill presented and has sought amendments. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has been asking who will take care of the woman after her husband faces penal action under the law.

Triple talaq bill: Congress issues whip to its Lok Sabha MPs

Rebel SP leader Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), has said he was willing to join hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP in the coming <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2019-lok-sabha-elections-instagram-a-new-game-changer-to-woo-young-voters-186133">Lok Sabha elections</a>. 
 
To a question on the possibility of coalitions for the next year’s Lok Sabha polls, he said, “We have our party’s organisation in 75 districts of the state…the party has decided to contest all the seats against the BJP…to defeat the BJP, we can also enter into an alliance with the Congress”. 
 
Yadav was in Bareilly Tuesday night to take part in a programme. 
 
The estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stressed that all those talking about forming a morcha to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should also talk to his party which was ready to deliberate on the issue. 
 
On the controversy over Lord Hanuman, the rebel leader said, “He is a God and those who are out to confine him to a particular caste have a very narrow mindset”. 
 
Yadav also opined that Ram temple should not come upon the land which was under dispute. 
 
“Lot of lands is lying around River Saryu…if the temple is built there, I am also ready to contribute to it,” he said while asserting that the Supreme Court’s verdict in the matter should not be defied. 
 
The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up a batch of petitions for hearing in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-ram-janmabhoomi-babri-masjid-title-dispute-case-on-january-4-186228">Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case</a> on January 4.

Rebel SP leader Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), has said he was willing to join hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Rebel SP leader Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), has said he was willing to join hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. To a question on the possibility of coalitions for the next year’s Lok Sabha polls, he said, “We have our party’s organisation in 75 districts of the state…the party has decided to contest all the seats against the BJP…to defeat the BJP, we can also enter into an alliance with the Congress”. Yadav was in Bareilly Tuesday night to take part in a programme. The estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stressed that all those talking about forming a morcha to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should also talk to his party which was ready to deliberate on the issue. On the controversy over Lord Hanuman, the rebel leader said, “He is a God and those who are out to confine him to a particular caste have a very narrow mindset”. Yadav also opined that Ram temple should not come upon the land which was under dispute. “Lot of lands is lying around River Saryu…if the temple is built there, I am also ready to contribute to it,” he said while asserting that the Supreme Court’s verdict in the matter should not be defied. The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up a batch of petitions for hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case on January 4.

Shivpal Yadav willing to join hands with Congress to defeat BJP in Lok Sabha polls

BJP MLA and former minister P Manikyala Rao Tuesday sent his "resignation" letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu protesting the state government's 'failure' to implement the promises made to his Tadepalligudem constituency.

Rao also threatened to go on an indefinite fast if the chief minister did not address the issues within 15 days.

Naidu, however, brushed it aside saying the resignation was "politically motivated."

Manikyala Rao served as the Endowments minister in the Naidu Cabinet from June 2014 to March 2018 when the TDP and the BJP were in alliance.

He quit as minister after the TDP pulled out of the NDA and severed ties with the BJP.

Addressing a press conference in his hometown, Rao alleged the Naidu government totally neglected the development of West Godavari district in general and Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency in particular.

"For the past three months, I have been repeatedly requesting the chief minister to resolve the problems related to my constituency but to no avail.&nbsp;

The government has not been taking up any development in the constituency only because the TDP doesn't exist here," he alleged.

"I feel ashamed being a member of the House. Develop the constituency at least by removing me. You may forward my resignation to the Assembly Speaker," Rao said in the letter.

Asked about this, the Chief Minister said at a press conference that he would have been happy if the MLA resigned in protest against the Centre's indifference towards Polavaram project.

"West Godavari is special to me as people of the district gave me all the 15 Assembly seats. I will do everything for the district's development even going out of the way. The MLA's resignation is politically motivated," Chandrababu remarked.&nbsp;

BJP MLA and former minister P Manikyala Rao Tuesday sent his "resignation" letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu protesting the state government's 'failure' to implement the promises made to his Tadepalligudem constituency.

BJP MLA and former minister P Manikyala Rao Tuesday sent his "resignation" letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu protesting the state government's 'failure' to implement the promises made to his Tadepalligudem constituency. Rao also threatened to go on an indefinite fast if the chief minister did not address the issues within 15 days. Naidu, however, brushed it aside saying the resignation was "politically motivated." Manikyala Rao served as the Endowments minister in the Naidu Cabinet from June 2014 to March 2018 when the TDP and the BJP were in alliance. He quit as minister after the TDP pulled out of the NDA and severed ties with the BJP. Addressing a press conference in his hometown, Rao alleged the Naidu government totally neglected the development of West Godavari district in general and Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency in particular. "For the past three months, I have been repeatedly requesting the chief minister to resolve the problems related to my constituency but to no avail. The government has not been taking up any development in the constituency only because the TDP doesn't exist here," he alleged. "I feel ashamed being a member of the House. Develop the constituency at least by removing me. You may forward my resignation to the Assembly Speaker," Rao said in the letter. Asked about this, the Chief Minister said at a press conference that he would have been happy if the MLA resigned in protest against the Centre's indifference towards Polavaram project. "West Godavari is special to me as people of the district gave me all the 15 Assembly seats. I will do everything for the district's development even going out of the way. The MLA's resignation is politically motivated," Chandrababu remarked.

Andhra Pradesh: BJP MLA 'resigns' over government's failure to fulfil promises

The Congress promised to waive off loans to farmers in the run-up to the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and won the right to rule those states. Now the party has decided to keep that promise.&nbsp;

The move will make the farmers happy, no doubt. But there is also no doubt that it will leave the economy of the respective states in a mess so profound that there will be difficulty in extrication. It will also impact the banking sector. Worse, the loan waiver will not resolve the fundamental factors which lead to farmer debts.&nbsp;

Had loan write-offs been a solution, then the problem ought to have gone away a long time ago. This is not there first time that governments have decided to waive loans, but every few years of this step the issue returns to loom large on the agricultural sector. This in itself is an indicator that loan waivers are a non-workable solution. But because they have the potential to fetch votes in the short term, political parties merrily indulge in them.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Let’s look at some figures cursorily. The Congress’s promise of loan write-off to farmers could cost the public exchequer around Rs 70,000 crore — close to 48 per cent of Rajasthan's annual Budget. The Ashok Gehlot regime has little leg space to go in for additional borrowings because out of the borrowing capacity of Rs 36,000 crore in the budget, it has already drawn Rs 25,000 crore. &nbsp;

The situation in Madhya Pradesh is no less worrisome. Farm loan waiver here comes with a cost of roughly Rs 50,000 crore. The Congress had proclaimed that it had inherited empty coffers from the previous Bharatiya Janata Party regime. A former BJP Minister is reported to have said every citizen of the state had an average debt burden of Rs 13,853 as of March 31, 2016.&nbsp;

But, having promised the write-off, the Congress regimes in the two states now have to deliver. One possibility to soften the blow is for the mandarins to work out a formula based on cut-off dates and kinds of loans taken — which will enhance the prospect of selective waiver of the loans. That will, of course, lead to resentment among those that are left out, with such annoyance being exploited by political rivals of the Congress. &nbsp;

And yet, the issue really should not be about politics, because no political party has been averse to adopting this quick-fix solution to an issue that demands structural changes. Why are huge loans taken by farmers even as they know it will be difficult for them to repay? And why then are they unable to face the problems they anticipated well in time in most cases? &nbsp;A simple answer would be that at the end of the day, their earnings fall far short of the investments they have made. Depending upon this gap, the farmer either falls into a vicious debt — taking one loan (often at higher rates from a money-lender) to repay another — or in desperation ends his life. On most occasions, the second follows the first.&nbsp;

Most experts agree that the essence of the solution to the problem lies in the following: Reduction in input costs; diversification of crops; increase in non-farm activities and incomes for farmers; effective crop insurances schemes.&nbsp;

In the first case, the cost of fertilisers, seeds, labour, machinery etc is factored. Small land-holders are not in a position to avail of high-end technology, and so they have to essentially depend on economical availability of seeds and fertilisers. The second, crop diversification, is not just essential to spread the risk but also necessary to promote cultivation of cash crops. Non-farm activities would include income generating sources that are available to the farmer near to his place. Informed commentators accept that for the small and marginal farmers, farming alone is not going to take care of his and his family’s costs and rising aspirations. MNREGA has been one supplementer, now that the scheme has been further enhanced. But that too is not enough. More avenues such as poultry, pisciculture, floriculture etc are to be adopted.&nbsp;

And finally, a good crop insurance scheme that does not milk the beneficiary needs to be put in place. Although the Modi government had recently announced an ambitious crop insurance scheme, experts pointed to certain drawbacks in it, and there are reports that the government is considering a tweak to weed out the defects. &nbsp;

But it has to work harder on the other aspects, such as providing the input subsidies directly into the account of the farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer, instead of through the firms. There is also the issue of the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), established to empower farmers into getting better prices for their produce. The e-NAM is working well in certain regulated markets, but just limping along in many others. &nbsp;

The political cost of ignoring farmer distress is obvious enough; the economic costs are huge too. Let’s not forget that the agricultural sector employs 53 per cent of the country’s workforce but contributes to only under 18 per cent of its GDP (2015-16). 
 
While we are among the world’s top producers of various agricultural commodities, over the years the share of agriculture imports has risen ( from 2.8 per cent in 1990-91 to 4.2 per cent in 2014-15) while that of exports has come down (18.5 per cent in 1990-91 to 12.5 in 2014-15). The need of the hour, therefore, is a holistic and not a populist approach. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Congress promised to waive off loans to farmers in the run-up to the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and won the right to rule those states.

The Congress promised to waive off loans to farmers in the run-up to the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and won the right to rule those states. Now the party has decided to keep that promise. The move will make the farmers happy, no doubt. But there is also no doubt that it will leave the economy of the respective states in a mess so profound that there will be difficulty in extrication. It will also impact the banking sector. Worse, the loan waiver will not resolve the fundamental factors which lead to farmer debts. Had loan write-offs been a solution, then the problem ought to have gone away a long time ago. This is not there first time that governments have decided to waive loans, but every few years of this step the issue returns to loom large on the agricultural sector. This in itself is an indicator that loan waivers are a non-workable solution. But because they have the potential to fetch votes in the short term, political parties merrily indulge in them. Let’s look at some figures cursorily. The Congress’s promise of loan write-off to farmers could cost the public exchequer around Rs 70,000 crore — close to 48 per cent of Rajasthan's annual Budget. The Ashok Gehlot regime has little leg space to go in for additional borrowings because out of the borrowing capacity of Rs 36,000 crore in the budget, it has already drawn Rs 25,000 crore. The situation in Madhya Pradesh is no less worrisome. Farm loan waiver here comes with a cost of roughly Rs 50,000 crore. The Congress had proclaimed that it had inherited empty coffers from the previous Bharatiya Janata Party regime. A former BJP Minister is reported to have said every citizen of the state had an average debt burden of Rs 13,853 as of March 31, 2016. But, having promised the write-off, the Congress regimes in the two states now have to deliver. One possibility to soften the blow is for the mandarins to work out a formula based on cut-off dates and kinds of loans taken — which will enhance the prospect of selective waiver of the loans. That will, of course, lead to resentment among those that are left out, with such annoyance being exploited by political rivals of the Congress. And yet, the issue really should not be about politics, because no political party has been averse to adopting this quick-fix solution to an issue that demands structural changes. Why are huge loans taken by farmers even as they know it will be difficult for them to repay? And why then are they unable to face the problems they anticipated well in time in most cases? A simple answer would be that at the end of the day, their earnings fall far short of the investments they have made. Depending upon this gap, the farmer either falls into a vicious debt — taking one loan (often at higher rates from a money-lender) to repay another — or in desperation ends his life. On most occasions, the second follows the first. Most experts agree that the essence of the solution to the problem lies in the following: Reduction in input costs; diversification of crops; increase in non-farm activities and incomes for farmers; effective crop insurances schemes. In the first case, the cost of fertilisers, seeds, labour, machinery etc is factored. Small land-holders are not in a position to avail of high-end technology, and so they have to essentially depend on economical availability of seeds and fertilisers. The second, crop diversification, is not just essential to spread the risk but also necessary to promote cultivation of cash crops. Non-farm activities would include income generating sources that are available to the farmer near to his place. Informed commentators accept that for the small and marginal farmers, farming alone is not going to take care of his and his family’s costs and rising aspirations. MNREGA has been one supplementer, now that the scheme has been further enhanced. But that too is not enough. More avenues such as poultry, pisciculture, floriculture etc are to be adopted. And finally, a good crop insurance scheme that does not milk the beneficiary needs to be put in place. Although the Modi government had recently announced an ambitious crop insurance scheme, experts pointed to certain drawbacks in it, and there are reports that the government is considering a tweak to weed out the defects. But it has to work harder on the other aspects, such as providing the input subsidies directly into the account of the farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer, instead of through the firms. There is also the issue of the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), established to empower farmers into getting better prices for their produce. The e-NAM is working well in certain regulated markets, but just limping along in many others. The political cost of ignoring farmer distress is obvious enough; the economic costs are huge too. Let’s not forget that the agricultural sector employs 53 per cent of the country’s workforce but contributes to only under 18 per cent of its GDP (2015-16). While we are among the world’s top producers of various agricultural commodities, over the years the share of agriculture imports has risen ( from 2.8 per cent in 1990-91 to 4.2 per cent in 2014-15) while that of exports has come down (18.5 per cent in 1990-91 to 12.5 in 2014-15). The need of the hour, therefore, is a holistic and not a populist approach. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The economics and politics of loan waivers

WION Gravitas: BJP's Bengal Rath Yatra faces road block again

Telangana&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/initiated-talks-to-bring-in-change-in-country-kcr-after-meeting-odisha-cm-naveen-patnaik-186039">Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao</a> Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and emphasised a "dire need" for the unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The meeting between the two leaders assumed significance amid talks about efforts on the formation of a new political front of like-minded, non-BJP and non-Congress parties to take on the national ones in the upcoming polls.

"I can say certainly that there is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP," Rao told reporters after meeting BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Both the chief ministers had a detailed discussion on national issues, including the need for "better friendship among regional parties", Patnaik said.

"This is just the beginning of a dialogue... We will meet again and discuss how to take things forward," Rao said.&nbsp;

After an impressive victory of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state assembly poll, Rao has embarked on a journey to bring together anti-Congress and anti-BJP parties for next year's Lok Sabha polls.

The TRS chief is scheduled to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes to Hyderabad and says the TRS is the "B team" of the Congress, its president Rahul Gandhi claim that the TRS president is the "B team" of the BJP, Rao said, adding, "Let me tell you, we are our own team."

Senior Congress leader and the party in-charge for Telangana,&nbsp; 
Ramachandra Khuntia alleged that Rao's meeting with Patnaik is part of a game plan to weaken the proposed "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) among non-BJP parties.

The Telangana CM has been acting at the behest of the saffron party and the NDA to dilute efforts of like-minded, non-BJP parties for formation of a grand alliance before the general elections, Khuntia claimed.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Rao's visit will have no impact on the BJP's electoral prospects as "zero added to zero will have no value".&nbsp;

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and emphasised a "dire need" for the unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and emphasised a "dire need" for the unification of regional parties to provide an alternative to the Congress and the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections. The meeting between the two leaders assumed significance amid talks about efforts on the formation of a new political front of like-minded, non-BJP and non-Congress parties to take on the national ones in the upcoming polls. "I can say certainly that there is a dire need for unification of regional parties in the country. We strongly believe that there has to be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP," Rao told reporters after meeting BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. Both the chief ministers had a detailed discussion on national issues, including the need for "better friendship among regional parties", Patnaik said. "This is just the beginning of a dialogue... We will meet again and discuss how to take things forward," Rao said. After an impressive victory of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the state assembly poll, Rao has embarked on a journey to bring together anti-Congress and anti-BJP parties for next year's Lok Sabha polls. The TRS chief is scheduled to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes to Hyderabad and says the TRS is the "B team" of the Congress, its president Rahul Gandhi claim that the TRS president is the "B team" of the BJP, Rao said, adding, "Let me tell you, we are our own team." Senior Congress leader and the party in-charge for Telangana, Ramachandra Khuntia alleged that Rao's meeting with Patnaik is part of a game plan to weaken the proposed "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) among non-BJP parties. The Telangana CM has been acting at the behest of the saffron party and the NDA to dilute efforts of like-minded, non-BJP parties for formation of a grand alliance before the general elections, Khuntia claimed. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Rao's visit will have no impact on the BJP's electoral prospects as "zero added to zero will have no value".

Regional parties need to provide alternative to BJP, Congress in 2019: KCR

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at the Congress party, saying no agency can snoop on citizens and that misinformation is being spread to hamper the country`s image and security.

This comes amid reports of BJP-led Central government giving a free hand to 10 agencies to intercept information on computers.

The MoS also sought an apology from the Congress party in the connection and asserted that the latest Home ministry notification was an initiative to enable Internet service providers to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents.

Taking to his twitter handle Rijiju underlined that his government has implemented the rules framed by the Congress in 2009.

"No agency can snoop on citizens. Rules framed by UPA Government in 2009 have been put by MHA in public domain to prevent misuse by unauthorised persons, agencies or service providers. And to enable ISPs to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents," he tweeted.&nbsp;

"Congress should apologise to the nation for terming Orwellian State. Not a single word is added or deleted but MHA has simply notified the rules which were made when P. Chidambaram was the Home Minister," he added.

The issue came to fore after Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on the floor of the house alleged that "undeclared Emergency has taken final shape" and "all federal agencies have been let loose".

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at the Congress party, saying no agency can snoop on citizens and that misinformation is being spread to hamper the country`s image and security.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at the Congress party, saying no agency can snoop on citizens and that misinformation is being spread to hamper the country`s image and security. This comes amid reports of BJP-led Central government giving a free hand to 10 agencies to intercept information on computers. The MoS also sought an apology from the Congress party in the connection and asserted that the latest Home ministry notification was an initiative to enable Internet service providers to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents. Taking to his twitter handle Rijiju underlined that his government has implemented the rules framed by the Congress in 2009. "No agency can snoop on citizens. Rules framed by UPA Government in 2009 have been put by MHA in public domain to prevent misuse by unauthorised persons, agencies or service providers. And to enable ISPs to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents," he tweeted. "Congress should apologise to the nation for terming Orwellian State. Not a single word is added or deleted but MHA has simply notified the rules which were made when P. Chidambaram was the Home Minister," he added. The issue came to fore after Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on the floor of the house alleged that "undeclared Emergency has taken final shape" and "all federal agencies have been let loose".

Snooping row: Rijiju tears into Congress, demands apology for hurting India's image

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday said whenever Ram temple is constructed at Ayodhya it would be only by "us" and no one else and termed Hindu culture as India's only culture.&nbsp;

In an apparent reference to the issue, Adityanath said: "Some people here were speaking about Ram Janmabhoomi. Friends, whosoever does this job or whenever this job is done, this job will be done by us, no one else will be able to do so".&nbsp;

He, however, did not elaborate who would undertake the work.

Addressing a gathering here on the occasion of Yuva Kumbh, Adityanath said, "India is a nation, and it has only one culture. India has a thought (soch). Here languages, castes, regions, eating habits, dialects may be different.

From a political point of view, there can be differences in India, but the country has one culture, which is&nbsp;known as "Hindu culture. And, all of us should feel proud about it," he said.

Pointing towards Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the UP Chief Minister said, "Those who used to consider&nbsp;Ram and Krishna as myth, are making attempts to flash their janeu (sacred thread) and tell their gotra to mislead people (Jo log Ram aur Krsihna ko mithak maante rahe hai, unn logo dwaraa janeu dikhaakar aur gotra bataakar bharmaane kaa prayaas kiyaa jaa raha hai)."&nbsp;

Without naming anyone, Adityanath said, "We have the opportunity of understanding these conspiracies, which represent the negativities in the country and making an effort to push the country towards disintegration. Preparations will be made to hatch this conspiracy at every level, but it is important that we have to remain alert".

On employment generation in the state, the Chief Minister process is on to recruit 69,000 teachers and 50,000?policemen in the state, which will be completed in the initial month of 2019.&nbsp;

He said the One District, One Product scheme will generate jobs for 20 lakh youth in the next 5 years and that an investment climate was being created.

Adityanath along with UP Governor Ram Naik participated in the inaugural session of the Yuva Kumbh.

Adityanath also said, "Kumbh is the symbol of India's unity and integrity, and its spirit is that youth power should be used for nation building. The state government will make efforts to provide all possible facilities to pilgrims at the Kumbh. The state government will also establish grand statue of Bharadwaj Muni and Goddess Saraswati in Prayagraj."

Speaking on the occasion Ram Naik said, "The world has now started to realise the strength of India The 2019 Kumbh in Praygraj will introduce the world with India's cultural greatness."&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday said whenever Ram temple is constructed at Ayodhya it would be only by "us" and no one else and termed Hindu culture as India's only culture.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday said whenever Ram temple is constructed at Ayodhya it would be only by "us" and no one else and termed Hindu culture as India's only culture. In an apparent reference to the issue, Adityanath said: "Some people here were speaking about Ram Janmabhoomi. Friends, whosoever does this job or whenever this job is done, this job will be done by us, no one else will be able to do so". He, however, did not elaborate who would undertake the work. Addressing a gathering here on the occasion of Yuva Kumbh, Adityanath said, "India is a nation, and it has only one culture. India has a thought (soch). Here languages, castes, regions, eating habits, dialects may be different. From a political point of view, there can be differences in India, but the country has one culture, which is known as "Hindu culture. And, all of us should feel proud about it," he said. Pointing towards Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the UP Chief Minister said, "Those who used to consider Ram and Krishna as myth, are making attempts to flash their janeu (sacred thread) and tell their gotra to mislead people (Jo log Ram aur Krsihna ko mithak maante rahe hai, unn logo dwaraa janeu dikhaakar aur gotra bataakar bharmaane kaa prayaas kiyaa jaa raha hai)." Without naming anyone, Adityanath said, "We have the opportunity of understanding these conspiracies, which represent the negativities in the country and making an effort to push the country towards disintegration. Preparations will be made to hatch this conspiracy at every level, but it is important that we have to remain alert". On employment generation in the state, the Chief Minister process is on to recruit 69,000 teachers and 50,000?policemen in the state, which will be completed in the initial month of 2019. He said the One District, One Product scheme will generate jobs for 20 lakh youth in the next 5 years and that an investment climate was being created. Adityanath along with UP Governor Ram Naik participated in the inaugural session of the Yuva Kumbh. Adityanath also said, "Kumbh is the symbol of India's unity and integrity, and its spirit is that youth power should be used for nation building. The state government will make efforts to provide all possible facilities to pilgrims at the Kumbh. The state government will also establish grand statue of Bharadwaj Muni and Goddess Saraswati in Prayagraj." Speaking on the occasion Ram Naik said, "The world has now started to realise the strength of India The 2019 Kumbh in Praygraj will introduce the world with India's cultural greatness."

'Whenever Ram temple is built in Ayodhya it will be by us': Yogi Adityanath

BJP president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-how-ruthless-pm-modi-amit-shah-lost-the-numbers-game-in-karnataka-137369">Amit Shah</a> announced on Sunday that his party would contest 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while the Janata Dal (United) would fight from an equal number of seats.&nbsp;

The Lok Jantantrik Party (LJP), led by union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, meanwhile will fight from six seats.

Talking to media persons, Shah said that the alliance would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that there was no difference of any kind within the NDA in Bihar.

The BJP president further said seat allocation would be decided in the coming days.

Growing discontentment among the NDA allies in Bihar came out in the open when LJP’s Chirag Paswan told the media that the BJP had digressed to ‘non-issues’ like the Ram temple and had demanded urgent steps to return to the ‘real issue’ of development.

Chirag had also expressed unhappiness over the sharing of seats in the state.

Meanwhile, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, after pulling out of the NDA on December 10 over the issue of seat allocation for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, joined the UPA on December 20 to be a part of the grand alliance.

JD-U had contested the last Assembly elections in alliance with the RJD against the BJP and even formed the government, but later defected to the NDA and formed the government with the BJP’s support in the state.

BJP president Amit Shah announced on Sunday that his party would contest 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while the Janata Dal (United) would fight from an equal number of seats.

BJP president Amit Shah announced on Sunday that his party would contest 17 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, while the Janata Dal (United) would fight from an equal number of seats. The Lok Jantantrik Party (LJP), led by union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, meanwhile will fight from six seats. Talking to media persons, Shah said that the alliance would contest the coming Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that there was no difference of any kind within the NDA in Bihar. The BJP president further said seat allocation would be decided in the coming days. Growing discontentment among the NDA allies in Bihar came out in the open when LJP’s Chirag Paswan told the media that the BJP had digressed to ‘non-issues’ like the Ram temple and had demanded urgent steps to return to the ‘real issue’ of development. Chirag had also expressed unhappiness over the sharing of seats in the state. Meanwhile, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, after pulling out of the NDA on December 10 over the issue of seat allocation for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, joined the UPA on December 20 to be a part of the grand alliance. JD-U had contested the last Assembly elections in alliance with the RJD against the BJP and even formed the government, but later defected to the NDA and formed the government with the BJP’s support in the state.

2019 polls: BJP, JD(U) to contest 17 seats each in Bihar, LJP to fight from remaining 6

The BJP on Friday hit out at <a href="http://13.232.42.114/india-news/rahul-no-longer-a-pappu-after-poll-win-in-three-states-farooq-abdullah-185769">National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah</a> over his remarks to grant autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state. 
 
Mr Abdullah had on Thursday promised regional autonomy if his party comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir after next year's assembly election. 
 
"I want to make a promise that God willing if we form the next government, we will bring a resolution to grant autonomy to the three regions (within 30 days)," Mr Abdullah said, as he welcomed expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat into the National Conference. 
 
"Farooq Abdullah has tried to mislead Jammuites and create confusion and discord in peace-loving people of Jammu belonging to different religious and ethnic groups by promising greater autonomy to Jammu in case National Conference comes to power in next elections," State Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters in Jammu. 
 
"By making such a statement the real face of the communal approach of the National Conference has come in open", he said. 
 
Mr Sethi said that National Conference wants to divide the people of Jammu Province into regional subgroups to create subregions of a Muslim majority by creating mistrust and hatred between people who have always lived in complete harmony. 
 
"Jammu is a shining example of all religious and linguistic groups living in complete harmony unlike the intolerant Kashmiri population who forced minority Kashmiri Pandits to migrate," he said. 
 
National Conference has no political agenda for the state except for blindly falling in line with separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, for petty political gains, he added. 
 
On Gagan Bhagat joining National Conference, he said that it exposes the real face of National Conference. "It is very clear that Gagan Bhagat had filed a petition against assembly dissolution at the asking of National Conference only which is his new master", he added. 
 
"Gagan Bhagat had been expelled from the BJP, not because of his matrimonial dispute, but because he had kept a young girl belonging to a poor family in his house with whom his objectionable pictures and videos came in the media," Mr Sethi claimed. 
 
"By misusing his position as an MLA, he had created a situation of fear and helplessness for the poor family which was a heinous act as a political worker. In the coming elections National Conference will have to give an answer to the voters for having such a person in the party," he added.

The BJP on Friday hit out at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah over his remarks to grant autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state.

The BJP on Friday hit out at National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah over his remarks to grant autonomy to Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions if his party comes to power in the state. Mr Abdullah had on Thursday promised regional autonomy if his party comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir after next year's assembly election. "I want to make a promise that God willing if we form the next government, we will bring a resolution to grant autonomy to the three regions (within 30 days)," Mr Abdullah said, as he welcomed expelled BJP leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat into the National Conference. "Farooq Abdullah has tried to mislead Jammuites and create confusion and discord in peace-loving people of Jammu belonging to different religious and ethnic groups by promising greater autonomy to Jammu in case National Conference comes to power in next elections," State Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters in Jammu. "By making such a statement the real face of the communal approach of the National Conference has come in open", he said. Mr Sethi said that National Conference wants to divide the people of Jammu Province into regional subgroups to create subregions of a Muslim majority by creating mistrust and hatred between people who have always lived in complete harmony. "Jammu is a shining example of all religious and linguistic groups living in complete harmony unlike the intolerant Kashmiri population who forced minority Kashmiri Pandits to migrate," he said. National Conference has no political agenda for the state except for blindly falling in line with separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, for petty political gains, he added. On Gagan Bhagat joining National Conference, he said that it exposes the real face of National Conference. "It is very clear that Gagan Bhagat had filed a petition against assembly dissolution at the asking of National Conference only which is his new master", he added. "Gagan Bhagat had been expelled from the BJP, not because of his matrimonial dispute, but because he had kept a young girl belonging to a poor family in his house with whom his objectionable pictures and videos came in the media," Mr Sethi claimed. "By misusing his position as an MLA, he had created a situation of fear and helplessness for the poor family which was a heinous act as a political worker. In the coming elections National Conference will have to give an answer to the voters for having such a person in the party," he added.

BJP slams Farooq Abdullah over promising regional autonomy in J&K if his party comes to power

The Bhartiya Janata Party will move vacation bench in the Supreme court challenging the order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/calcutta-high-court-quashes-single-bench-order-that-allowed-bjps-rath-yatra-in-west-bengal-185687">quashed the BJP's 'Rath Yatra'</a> in West Bengal on Friday.

The division bench of the Calcutta High Court yesterday quashed the approval granted to the BJP for carrying out a Rath Yatra in the state.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/high-court-allows-bjp-rath-yatra-in-west-bengal-185502">Rath yatra&nbsp;was earlier allowed by a single bench order</a> of the Calcutta High Court.

The court on Thursday set aside Bengal government's denial of permission to the BJP to hold three 'rath yatra'&nbsp;in the state.

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BJP plans to run a "Save Democracy Rally" in the state ahead of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Bhartiya Janata Party will move vacation bench in the Supreme court challenging the order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court that quashed the BJP's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal on Friday.

The Bhartiya Janata Party will move vacation bench in the Supreme court challenging the order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court that quashed the BJP's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal on Friday. The division bench of the Calcutta High Court yesterday quashed the approval granted to the BJP for carrying out a Rath Yatra in the state. The Rath yatra was earlier allowed by a single bench order of the Calcutta High Court. The court on Thursday set aside Bengal government's denial of permission to the BJP to hold three 'rath yatra' in the state. BJP to move vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the order of the division bench of Calcutta High Court on BJP's Yatra in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/CktrTxraJn — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018 × BJP plans to run a "Save Democracy Rally" in the state ahead of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

BJP to move SC bench challenging High Court's quashing of 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday asked the party unit in West Bengal to strengthen its organisation and prepare to fight "on its own" in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

He gave the mantra to the party unit at a meeting with PCC chief Somen Mitra and in-charge of Bengal, Gaurav Gogoi in New Delhi after discussing various organisational aspects pertaining the state unit.

"We have been asked to strengthen our party organisation in the state and prepare ourselves to fight on our strength in Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," Mitra said in a statement after the meeting with the party chief.

West Bengal has a total of 42 Lok Sabha seats out of which Congress has four.

According to the West Bengal Congress president, Gandhi asked the party to start mass movements across the state against both BJP and TMC in order to protect the secular fabric of the state.

According to the state party sources, Mitra informed Gandhi about the "misrule" of the TMC and the "threat" of the BJP in the state.

The state Congress unit has also decided to hold a massive rally here in February next year.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has also been informed about how the TMC is trying to undermine the achievement of Congress and Rahul Gandhi in the victory of the three Hindi heartland states," said a senior Congress leader.

The West Bengal Congress is of the opinion that the party's national president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should refrain from attending the proposed opposition rally to be held here by the TMC in January.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has called a rally of opposition parties on January 19 at the Brigade Parade grounds in Kolkata. All opposition parties, including the Congress, have been invited to it.

The Congress' state unit is upbeat after the party's win in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the recent assembly polls.

The state Congress leadership has been vocal against the TMC also for not giving credit to Rahul Gandhi for the grand old party's victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

It had also ridiculed the TMC, saying its leaders were having "sleepless nights" fearing that their dream of Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister might not be fulfilled.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday asked the party unit in West Bengal to strengthen its organisation and prepare to fight "on its own" in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday asked the party unit in West Bengal to strengthen its organisation and prepare to fight "on its own" in the coming Lok Sabha polls. He gave the mantra to the party unit at a meeting with PCC chief Somen Mitra and in-charge of Bengal, Gaurav Gogoi in New Delhi after discussing various organisational aspects pertaining the state unit. "We have been asked to strengthen our party organisation in the state and prepare ourselves to fight on our strength in Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," Mitra said in a statement after the meeting with the party chief. West Bengal has a total of 42 Lok Sabha seats out of which Congress has four. According to the West Bengal Congress president, Gandhi asked the party to start mass movements across the state against both BJP and TMC in order to protect the secular fabric of the state. According to the state party sources, Mitra informed Gandhi about the "misrule" of the TMC and the "threat" of the BJP in the state. The state Congress unit has also decided to hold a massive rally here in February next year. "He (Rahul Gandhi) has also been informed about how the TMC is trying to undermine the achievement of Congress and Rahul Gandhi in the victory of the three Hindi heartland states," said a senior Congress leader. The West Bengal Congress is of the opinion that the party's national president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi should refrain from attending the proposed opposition rally to be held here by the TMC in January. The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has called a rally of opposition parties on January 19 at the Brigade Parade grounds in Kolkata. All opposition parties, including the Congress, have been invited to it. The Congress' state unit is upbeat after the party's win in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the recent assembly polls. The state Congress leadership has been vocal against the TMC also for not giving credit to Rahul Gandhi for the grand old party's victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. It had also ridiculed the TMC, saying its leaders were having "sleepless nights" fearing that their dream of Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister might not be fulfilled.

Congress should prepare to fight on its own strength in Bengal: Rahul Gandhi

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month-old cabinet, inducting eight members from its coalition partner Congress.

Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security.

The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go-ahead for the rejig Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal met him and discussed the issue.

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Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administers oath to new State cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> <a href="https://t.co/zlFhh9cE36">pic.twitter.com/zlFhh9cE36</a>
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Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who faced the axe over his reported reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.&nbsp;

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month-old cabinet, inducting eight members from its coalition partner Congress. Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday expanded his six-month-old cabinet, inducting eight members from its coalition partner Congress. Two ministers -- Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) -- were dropped. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House at Raj Bhavan by Governor Vajubhai Vala amid tight security. The new inductees are Satish Jarkiholi, M B Patil, C S Shivalli, M T B Nagaraj, E Tukaram, P T Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and R B Thimmapur, with seven of them hailing from north Karnataka. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had given the go-ahead for the rejig Friday night after the state party leaders and AICC in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal met him and discussed the issue. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administers oath to new State cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/zlFhh9cE36 — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018 × Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been hobnobbing with BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings, has been replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi. Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who faced the axe over his reported reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

JD(S)-Congress Karnataka ministry expanded; 8 Congress ministers inducted

The Calcutta High Court on Friday quashed the single bench order that allowed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-major-setback-for-mamata-govt-calcutta-hc-allows-bjp-to-hold-its-3-rath-yatras-in-bengal-185498">BJP's 'Rath Yatra' </a>in West Bengal.

The quashing has come a day after the Calcutta High Court set aside Bengal government's denial of permission to the BJP to hold three 'rath yatra'&nbsp;in the state.

On&nbsp;Thursday court's single bench had allowed the BJP to hold rath yatra by adhering&nbsp;to certain&nbsp;reasonable restrictions.&nbsp;

The Division bench comprising Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar have sent the case back to the single bench to consider intelligence inputs by state agencies.

The order for quashing the previous order has come after an appeal was filed by the state government challenging the Thursday order.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Calcutta High Court on Friday quashed the single bench order that allowed BJP's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal. The quashing has come a day after the Calcutta High Court set aside Bengal government's denial of permission to the BJP to hold three 'rath yatra' in the state.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday quashed the single bench order that allowed BJP's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal. The quashing has come a day after the Calcutta High Court set aside Bengal government's denial of permission to the BJP to hold three 'rath yatra' in the state. On Thursday court's single bench had allowed the BJP to hold rath yatra by adhering to certain reasonable restrictions. The Division bench comprising Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar have sent the case back to the single bench to consider intelligence inputs by state agencies. The order for quashing the previous order has come after an appeal was filed by the state government challenging the Thursday order. (With inputs from agencies)

Calcutta HC quashes single bench order that allowed BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal

In a major setback for the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court has set aside the Bengal government’s denial of permission to the BJP to hold three rath yatras in the state.&nbsp;

The court however has imposed several restrictions on the BJP while allowing them to hold the yatras.&nbsp;

“Petitioner has to inform the authorities atleast twelves hours before entering the area, should not hinder transport movement and maintain peace. In case of wrongful loss or damage to property the petitioner will be liable,” single bench judge Tapabrata Chakraborty said.&nbsp;

Chakraborty further instructed the police to ensure the adequate deployment of forces so that there is no breach of law and order.&nbsp;

The yatras are expected to criss-cross the state before the general elections next years.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court court came down heavily on the state government for not even making an effort to allow the BJP to hold the yatras

“The administrative authorities totally denied permission without even making an endeavour that the rally can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. This court can easily interfere with such decisions in exercise of its powers, when decisions are whimsical and illogical,” the court said, referring to the order issued by the state government on December 15 this year.&nbsp;

The BJP's state unit meanwhile welcomed the court’s decision.&nbsp;

“This is a moral victory of the BJP. We had full faith in the judiciary and today the court ruled in favour of us. The state government is trying to bulldoze the democratic rights of all opposition parties in the state,” said BJP leader Joyprakash Majumdar.&nbsp;

Majumdar said that the yatras are likely to be held on December 22, 24 and 26 this year.&nbsp;

“As per the earlier schedule, all three rath yatras will be held. The three locations are Coochbehar, Tarapith and Gangasagar. However we may consider changing dates of the rath yatra(s) as the court has not specified any dates for us,” Majumdar said.&nbsp;

In a major setback for the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court has set aside the Bengal government’s denial of permission to the BJP to hold three rath yatras in the state.

In a major setback for the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court has set aside the Bengal government’s denial of permission to the BJP to hold three rath yatras in the state. The court however has imposed several restrictions on the BJP while allowing them to hold the yatras. “Petitioner has to inform the authorities atleast twelves hours before entering the area, should not hinder transport movement and maintain peace. In case of wrongful loss or damage to property the petitioner will be liable,” single bench judge Tapabrata Chakraborty said. Chakraborty further instructed the police to ensure the adequate deployment of forces so that there is no breach of law and order. The yatras are expected to criss-cross the state before the general elections next years. On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court court came down heavily on the state government for not even making an effort to allow the BJP to hold the yatras “The administrative authorities totally denied permission without even making an endeavour that the rally can be allowed by imposing reasonable restrictions. This court can easily interfere with such decisions in exercise of its powers, when decisions are whimsical and illogical,” the court said, referring to the order issued by the state government on December 15 this year. The BJP's state unit meanwhile welcomed the court’s decision. “This is a moral victory of the BJP. We had full faith in the judiciary and today the court ruled in favour of us. The state government is trying to bulldoze the democratic rights of all opposition parties in the state,” said BJP leader Joyprakash Majumdar. Majumdar said that the yatras are likely to be held on December 22, 24 and 26 this year. “As per the earlier schedule, all three rath yatras will be held. The three locations are Coochbehar, Tarapith and Gangasagar. However we may consider changing dates of the rath yatra(s) as the court has not specified any dates for us,” Majumdar said.

In major setback for Mamata govt, Calcutta HC allows BJP to hold its 3 rath yatras in Bengal

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday made light of the opposition '<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-stumbling-mahagathbandhan-158102">mahagathbandhan</a>' (grand alliance), calling it an illusion and expressed confidence that the BJP will retain power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking at the Republic Summit here, Shah also said he was sure that the Shiv Sena will be with the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. Talks are on (with them), he added.

"The reality of the opposition 'mahagathbandhan' is different. It (the opposition alliance) doesn't exist and is a 'bhranti' (illusion)," Shah said. 
"The mahagathbandhan does not exist anywhere. We have fought against all of them in 2014 and defeated them to form the government. They are all regional leaders, they can't help each other," the BJP president said.

Shah said the BJP will gain in West Bengal, North-East and Odisha in 2019.

"The issues of elections are: in five years how have we ensured national security and defeated corruption. We have provided toilets in eight crore homes and electricity in 2.5 crore homes," Shah said.

"Not only for the BJP, but it is also necessary for the country that a strong govt comes to power," the BJP president said.

The election results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were definitely not favourable for BJP, but it is not right to link them with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said.

State polls can't be linked to Lok Sabha poll results as both elections are fought on separate issues, Shah said.

"It is our duty to work for the people and convince them, but if the mandate is against us we accept that too," he said. "I am not against analysis, but the elections are fought on different issues. The issues on the ground are different," he added.

"In 2014, BJP had government in six states, now we have it in 16 states. So tell me who will win the 2019 elections," the BJP president said.

"We accept the people's mandate (in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). We will introspect on the poll results," he said.

The BJP chief said it does not matter who is pitted against Narendra Modi in the 2019 polls (as prime ministerial aspirant). "We are going ahead on the basis of our strengh and not on the basis of someone's weakness," he added.

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday made light of the opposition 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), calling it an illusion and expressed confidence that the BJP will retain power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday made light of the opposition 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), calling it an illusion and expressed confidence that the BJP will retain power after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Speaking at the Republic Summit here, Shah also said he was sure that the Shiv Sena will be with the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. Talks are on (with them), he added. "The reality of the opposition 'mahagathbandhan' is different. It (the opposition alliance) doesn't exist and is a 'bhranti' (illusion)," Shah said. "The mahagathbandhan does not exist anywhere. We have fought against all of them in 2014 and defeated them to form the government. They are all regional leaders, they can't help each other," the BJP president said. Shah said the BJP will gain in West Bengal, North-East and Odisha in 2019. "The issues of elections are: in five years how have we ensured national security and defeated corruption. We have provided toilets in eight crore homes and electricity in 2.5 crore homes," Shah said. "Not only for the BJP, but it is also necessary for the country that a strong govt comes to power," the BJP president said. The election results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were definitely not favourable for BJP, but it is not right to link them with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said. State polls can't be linked to Lok Sabha poll results as both elections are fought on separate issues, Shah said. "It is our duty to work for the people and convince them, but if the mandate is against us we accept that too," he said. "I am not against analysis, but the elections are fought on different issues. The issues on the ground are different," he added. "In 2014, BJP had government in six states, now we have it in 16 states. So tell me who will win the 2019 elections," the BJP president said. "We accept the people's mandate (in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh). We will introspect on the poll results," he said. The BJP chief said it does not matter who is pitted against Narendra Modi in the 2019 polls (as prime ministerial aspirant). "We are going ahead on the basis of our strengh and not on the basis of someone's weakness," he added.

Opposition 'mahagathbandhan' an illusion; BJP will win in 2019: Amit Shah

Assembly election results in five states reflect the anger of the farmers who have waited for four-and-a-half years for the government to fulfil their poll promise of loan waiver and minimum support price (MSP) for the crops in accordance with the Swaminathan report.&nbsp;

These two demands are the centre point of the countrywide struggle by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella of 209 farming organisations.&nbsp;

Sensing the mood of the farmers’ movement, the Congress along with 20 other political parties has signed a resolution to support the two bills, namely Freedom From Debt and Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices.&nbsp;

Instead of one-time complete loan waiver, the Congress party in its manifesto mentioned a waiver of Rs 2 lakh. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, immediately after being sworn in, has written off loans up to Rs 2 lakh, with cutoff date mentioned as March 31, 2018.&nbsp;

There is no clarification as yet whether all those who took loans as on March 31, 2018, would be entitled to this benefit or only defaulters would be entitled to the declaration. It should not be like the last waiver by the Congress government at the Centre in 2008-09, which waived loans only of defaulters.&nbsp;

This would not only end up in large-scale manipulations by bank officers but also dissuade those who have returned the loans in adverse circumstances, by either borrowing or raising money by accumulating further debt.

The farmer usually gets crop loans for six months and it is likely that many of them would have renewed the same in September 2018. These days, the banks have evolved a technique to renew loans. On one hand, loan entry is reversed from the suspense account or any other account at 2 per cent additional cost and on the other, the limit of the farmer is increased, whereby he gets some money for his subsistence.&nbsp;

In these circumstances, if the farmer has repaid the debt taken by him on March 31, 2018, it would be very unfortunate to exclude him from the loan waiver scheme and would be against the spirit of the agenda to empower the farmers. The only way would be to credit a maximum of Rs 2 lakh in the account of every farmer who had taken the loan as on March 31, 2018.

Loan waiver without increasing the MSP or without a guarantee to ensure that the farmers get the MSP will only accumulate loans in the future. These two demands are closely connected – if the issue of remunerative prices alone is tackled without providing relief from indebtedness, the increased returns will only go to pay back increasing loans.&nbsp;

On the other hand, if only loan waivers are provided without addressing the issue of remunerative prices, farmers will again be pushed back into the debt trap. Therefore, AIKSCC seeks to secure these two as legal rights for all farmers, through the enactment of two Central legislation.&nbsp;

The bills were submitted as private member bills by Raju Shetti in the Lok Sabha and KK Ragesh in the Rajya Sabha. They may have been submitted as private member bills, but they have the mandate of all the country’s farmers.

The first bill clearly mentions that it is a one-time loan waiver and would be benefitting all the farmers who have paid the loan or who have defaulted with their payment. The second bill ensures that the MSP is fixed as per the Swaminathan report, i.e, one-and-a-half times the production cost.&nbsp;

The production cost must be a comprehensive one (C2) wherein apart from input cost (A2), cost of family labour (FL), the interest on capital, rent of land and depreciation of machinery is also taken into account.&nbsp;

The bill also guarantees that no person can purchase the produce below the MSP and if anyone buys below the MSP, then he would be imprisoned and will also have to pay double the difference of the amount paid and the MSP as a penalty to the farmer.&nbsp;

This is the only way to get farming back on track. The next generation is not interested in continuing with farming, as agriculture is a losing proposition.

The only way out to discuss and pass the bills, which has the consent of 21 political parties, is by calling for a special session of the Parliament. This is the solution to discuss the agrarian crisis in the present scenario. In the last session the No Confidence motion was not allowed to be taken up due to disorder in the house and no business has been transacted in this session so far.&nbsp;

If the country can have a midnight special session for GST, don’t the farmers of the country who have been sacrificing their lives to feed the nation, deserve the passing of these bills in the hope of a better living. These bills will ensure that once the debt is over and done with, there is no further debt once the farmer gets one-and-a-half times his production cost, i.e C2.&nbsp;

All this will go a long way in providing livelihood to the next generation, who in the absence of job availability and agriculture being a losing preposition, are disillusioned and are getting into depression or into drugs. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-wretched-of-the-earth-2697728">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assembly election results in five states reflect the anger of the farmers who have waited for four-and-a-half years for the government to fulfil their poll promise of loan waiver and minimum support price (MSP) for the crops in accordance with the Swaminathan report.

Assembly election results in five states reflect the anger of the farmers who have waited for four-and-a-half years for the government to fulfil their poll promise of loan waiver and minimum support price (MSP) for the crops in accordance with the Swaminathan report. These two demands are the centre point of the countrywide struggle by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella of 209 farming organisations. Sensing the mood of the farmers’ movement, the Congress along with 20 other political parties has signed a resolution to support the two bills, namely Freedom From Debt and Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices. Instead of one-time complete loan waiver, the Congress party in its manifesto mentioned a waiver of Rs 2 lakh. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, immediately after being sworn in, has written off loans up to Rs 2 lakh, with cutoff date mentioned as March 31, 2018. There is no clarification as yet whether all those who took loans as on March 31, 2018, would be entitled to this benefit or only defaulters would be entitled to the declaration. It should not be like the last waiver by the Congress government at the Centre in 2008-09, which waived loans only of defaulters. This would not only end up in large-scale manipulations by bank officers but also dissuade those who have returned the loans in adverse circumstances, by either borrowing or raising money by accumulating further debt. The farmer usually gets crop loans for six months and it is likely that many of them would have renewed the same in September 2018. These days, the banks have evolved a technique to renew loans. On one hand, loan entry is reversed from the suspense account or any other account at 2 per cent additional cost and on the other, the limit of the farmer is increased, whereby he gets some money for his subsistence. In these circumstances, if the farmer has repaid the debt taken by him on March 31, 2018, it would be very unfortunate to exclude him from the loan waiver scheme and would be against the spirit of the agenda to empower the farmers. The only way would be to credit a maximum of Rs 2 lakh in the account of every farmer who had taken the loan as on March 31, 2018. Loan waiver without increasing the MSP or without a guarantee to ensure that the farmers get the MSP will only accumulate loans in the future. These two demands are closely connected – if the issue of remunerative prices alone is tackled without providing relief from indebtedness, the increased returns will only go to pay back increasing loans. On the other hand, if only loan waivers are provided without addressing the issue of remunerative prices, farmers will again be pushed back into the debt trap. Therefore, AIKSCC seeks to secure these two as legal rights for all farmers, through the enactment of two Central legislation. The bills were submitted as private member bills by Raju Shetti in the Lok Sabha and KK Ragesh in the Rajya Sabha. They may have been submitted as private member bills, but they have the mandate of all the country’s farmers. The first bill clearly mentions that it is a one-time loan waiver and would be benefitting all the farmers who have paid the loan or who have defaulted with their payment. The second bill ensures that the MSP is fixed as per the Swaminathan report, i.e, one-and-a-half times the production cost. The production cost must be a comprehensive one (C2) wherein apart from input cost (A2), cost of family labour (FL), the interest on capital, rent of land and depreciation of machinery is also taken into account. The bill also guarantees that no person can purchase the produce below the MSP and if anyone buys below the MSP, then he would be imprisoned and will also have to pay double the difference of the amount paid and the MSP as a penalty to the farmer. This is the only way to get farming back on track. The next generation is not interested in continuing with farming, as agriculture is a losing proposition. The only way out to discuss and pass the bills, which has the consent of 21 political parties, is by calling for a special session of the Parliament. This is the solution to discuss the agrarian crisis in the present scenario. In the last session the No Confidence motion was not allowed to be taken up due to disorder in the house and no business has been transacted in this session so far. If the country can have a midnight special session for GST, don’t the farmers of the country who have been sacrificing their lives to feed the nation, deserve the passing of these bills in the hope of a better living. These bills will ensure that once the debt is over and done with, there is no further debt once the farmer gets one-and-a-half times his production cost, i.e C2. All this will go a long way in providing livelihood to the next generation, who in the absence of job availability and agriculture being a losing preposition, are disillusioned and are getting into depression or into drugs. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Farmers' woes: Without MSP hike, loan waivers won't end agrarian crisis

Key NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Wednesday made public its unease with the BJP, saying it had digressed to "non-issues" like Ram temple and demanded urgent steps to return to the "real issue" of development.

LJP leader Chirag Paswan, while being critical of the BJP, praised Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying he had raised "real" issues of the youth and farmers, which fetched his party victory in the recently-held Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Chirag Paswan, the son of LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, told ANI that the BJP lost the Assembly elections because it failed to address the issues of farmers and youth unemployment and emphasized on Ram temple only.

"We have few concerns. All the allies have their concerns. It's for the biggest party in our alliance, the BJP, to address the concerns," he said.

He specified that seat-sharing "is not an issue at all" and "It will be too early to talk about going out of the alliance."

At the same time, he said, "The NDA was voted to power in 2014 on the issue of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (cooperation to all, development for all). The youth, the farmers had supported our government. But recently, non-issues have dominated over the real issues, because of which we had to suffer losses in these (Assembly) elections."

The 35-year-old MP from Bihar said, "The youth have no jobs, farmers are committing suicide and are indebted. The result of three states proves that it's important for the BJP to address these concerns, which the BJP is not being doing."

Emphasising that the "agenda of our government is and should be development," he said, "when the agenda gets diverted and other issues like Ram Mandir start taking over, such failures are bound."

He said the LJP has put forth its views before the BJP considering itself a "life partner" of the NDA and expressed hope that "our issues will be addressed at the earliest."

He underlined that there is an urgent need for the BJP to return to the issue of development like in 2014 by keeping way the issues like Ram temple.

He said the BJP and its allies need to restrategise their policy ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due by May next year.

Referring to the recent Assembly polls, Paswan said Ram temple and Hanuman were made issues while on the other hand, the opposition raised the voice for farmers and the youth, which gave them benefits.

"We are not against the Ram temple. That is in the manifesto of the BJP," he said.

Talking about Rahul Gandhi, he said, "There has definitely been a positive change in him."

He said credit must be given to him for the Congress party's victories after a long time.

He said Gandhi has been criticised several times for his party's defeat in elections but now since under his leadership, the party has been victorious, he should be praised.

"If you criticise someone, you should also appreciate them when they perform well. They chose issues well," Paswan said about Gandhi.

He said Gandhi raised "real issues" as he spoke about farmers and the youth, which benefitted the Congress in the elections."The manner in which they raised the issue of farmers and unemployment, I feel they chose well and we stayed tangled in religion and temples. I urge the government that we should focus once again solely on development in the time to come," Paswan said.&nbsp;

Key NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Wednesday made public its unease with the BJP, saying it had digressed to "non-issues" like Ram temple and demanded urgent steps to return to the "real issue" of development.

Key NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Wednesday made public its unease with the BJP, saying it had digressed to "non-issues" like Ram temple and demanded urgent steps to return to the "real issue" of development. LJP leader Chirag Paswan, while being critical of the BJP, praised Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying he had raised "real" issues of the youth and farmers, which fetched his party victory in the recently-held Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Chirag Paswan, the son of LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, told ANI that the BJP lost the Assembly elections because it failed to address the issues of farmers and youth unemployment and emphasized on Ram temple only. "We have few concerns. All the allies have their concerns. It's for the biggest party in our alliance, the BJP, to address the concerns," he said. He specified that seat-sharing "is not an issue at all" and "It will be too early to talk about going out of the alliance." At the same time, he said, "The NDA was voted to power in 2014 on the issue of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (cooperation to all, development for all). The youth, the farmers had supported our government. But recently, non-issues have dominated over the real issues, because of which we had to suffer losses in these (Assembly) elections." The 35-year-old MP from Bihar said, "The youth have no jobs, farmers are committing suicide and are indebted. The result of three states proves that it's important for the BJP to address these concerns, which the BJP is not being doing." Emphasising that the "agenda of our government is and should be development," he said, "when the agenda gets diverted and other issues like Ram Mandir start taking over, such failures are bound." He said the LJP has put forth its views before the BJP considering itself a "life partner" of the NDA and expressed hope that "our issues will be addressed at the earliest." He underlined that there is an urgent need for the BJP to return to the issue of development like in 2014 by keeping way the issues like Ram temple. He said the BJP and its allies need to restrategise their policy ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due by May next year. Referring to the recent Assembly polls, Paswan said Ram temple and Hanuman were made issues while on the other hand, the opposition raised the voice for farmers and the youth, which gave them benefits. "We are not against the Ram temple. That is in the manifesto of the BJP," he said. Talking about Rahul Gandhi, he said, "There has definitely been a positive change in him." He said credit must be given to him for the Congress party's victories after a long time. He said Gandhi has been criticised several times for his party's defeat in elections but now since under his leadership, the party has been victorious, he should be praised. "If you criticise someone, you should also appreciate them when they perform well. They chose issues well," Paswan said about Gandhi. He said Gandhi raised "real issues" as he spoke about farmers and the youth, which benefitted the Congress in the elections."The manner in which they raised the issue of farmers and unemployment, I feel they chose well and we stayed tangled in religion and temples. I urge the government that we should focus once again solely on development in the time to come," Paswan said.

LJP makes public its unease with BJP over Ram temple

Jammu and Kashmir which has been under the Governor's rule for the past six months will come under the President's rule from Wednesday midnight.

President Ram Nath Kovind signed a proclamation which cleared the way for the imposition of central rule in the state.

In a gazette notification, President Kovind said, "In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I assume to myself as President of India all the functions of the Government of the said state and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that state under the Constitution and the state Constitution."

The state plunged into a political crisis in June after the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP alliance led by Mehbooba Mufti.

Governor Satya Pal Malik had earlier sent a report recommending the establishment of the President's rule in the state. Following this, a cabinet headed by PM Modi decided for the imposition of the President's rule in the state.

After the proclamation, the powers of the Legislature of the state shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament.

Since the state has a separate Constitution, in such cases, six months of governor's rule is compulsory under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, under which all the legislature powers are vested with the governor.

The governor on November 21 dissolved the 87-member state assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch-rivals National Conference, had staked claim to form the government.&nbsp;

Simultaneously, the two-member People's Conference led by Sajjad Lone had also staked claim to form a government with 25 members of the BJP and other 18 unknown members.

The governor had dissolved the assembly citing horse trading and lack of stability to form a government as the reasons.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir which has been under the Governor's rule for the past six months will come under the President's rule from Wednesday midnight. President Ram Nath Kovind signed a proclamation which cleared the way for the imposition of central rule in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir which has been under the Governor's rule for the past six months will come under the President's rule from Wednesday midnight. President Ram Nath Kovind signed a proclamation which cleared the way for the imposition of central rule in the state. In a gazette notification, President Kovind said, "In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I assume to myself as President of India all the functions of the Government of the said state and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that state under the Constitution and the state Constitution." The state plunged into a political crisis in June after the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP alliance led by Mehbooba Mufti. Governor Satya Pal Malik had earlier sent a report recommending the establishment of the President's rule in the state. Following this, a cabinet headed by PM Modi decided for the imposition of the President's rule in the state. After the proclamation, the powers of the Legislature of the state shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament. Since the state has a separate Constitution, in such cases, six months of governor's rule is compulsory under Article 92 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, under which all the legislature powers are vested with the governor. The governor on November 21 dissolved the 87-member state assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch-rivals National Conference, had staked claim to form the government. Simultaneously, the two-member People's Conference led by Sajjad Lone had also staked claim to form a government with 25 members of the BJP and other 18 unknown members. The governor had dissolved the assembly citing horse trading and lack of stability to form a government as the reasons. (With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir to come under President's rule from midnight

Taking a jibe at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wont-let-pm-modi-sleep-until-all-farms-loans-waived-rahul-gandhi-184997">Congress </a>Prime Minister Modi said on Wednesday that the party has humiliated every important institution of the democracy.

While interacting with BJP karyakartas&nbsp;of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, PM&nbsp;Modi said,&nbsp;"the Congress has&nbsp;humiliated the army, CAG and every important institution of the democracy".

Referring to the Rafale verdict, PM Modi further said&nbsp;"recently they <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-urges-sc-to-recall-rafale-judgment-issue-contempt-of-court-notice-to-govt-184555">questioned a Supreme&nbsp;Court verdict</a> just because they could not threaten the court into doing what they wanted. They tried to impeach the CJI also."

PM Modi also targetted the Congress over their frequent&nbsp;accusations of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-files-petition-in-chhattisgarh-high-court-over-evm-security-182070">EVM tempering</a>.

"Before every election they begin to make noise about EVMs, trying to create an atmosphere of doubt. However after elections, if Congress performs well they seem to accept results that have come out of the same EVM", he said.

"The Congress party has become more cunning since the days of Emergency," he said.

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PM: They've humiliated the Army, CAG &amp; every institution imp to our democracy. Recently they questioned an SC verdict just because they didn't like the decision. Earlier, just because they couldn't threaten the court into doing what they wanted they tried to even impeach the CJI. <a href="https://t.co/lH9TSdTzcB">pic.twitter.com/lH9TSdTzcB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1075358111408414720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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PM in interaction with BJP Karyakartas of Tamil Nadu&amp;Puducherry: Before every election they begin to make noise about EVMs, trying to create an atmosphere of doubt. However after elections, if Congress performs well they seem to accept results that have come out of the same EVM. <a href="https://t.co/QH1Abm8WLj">pic.twitter.com/QH1Abm8WLj</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1075358109114093569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The prime minister was interacting with booth level workers of Vellore, Kanchipuram, Viluppuram and south Chennai districts of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, through video conferencing from New Delhi.

PM Modi asked party workers to increase their outreach by creating awareness about his government's welfare schemes.

"From housing to health care, from sanitation to skills, there are schemes for every section of society," he said. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Taking a jibe at the Congress Prime Minister Modi said on Wednesday that the party has humiliated every important institution of the democracy. While interacting with BJP karyakartas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, PM Modi said, "the Congress has humiliated the army, CAG and every important institution of the democracy".

Taking a jibe at the Congress Prime Minister Modi said on Wednesday that the party has humiliated every important institution of the democracy. While interacting with BJP karyakartas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, PM Modi said, "the Congress has humiliated the army, CAG and every important institution of the democracy". Referring to the Rafale verdict, PM Modi further said "recently they questioned a Supreme Court verdict just because they could not threaten the court into doing what they wanted. They tried to impeach the CJI also." PM Modi also targetted the Congress over their frequent accusations of EVM tempering. "Before every election they begin to make noise about EVMs, trying to create an atmosphere of doubt. However after elections, if Congress performs well they seem to accept results that have come out of the same EVM", he said. "The Congress party has become more cunning since the days of Emergency," he said. PM: They've humiliated the Army, CAG & every institution imp to our democracy. Recently they questioned an SC verdict just because they didn't like the decision. Earlier, just because they couldn't threaten the court into doing what they wanted they tried to even impeach the CJI. pic.twitter.com/lH9TSdTzcB — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018 × PM in interaction with BJP Karyakartas of Tamil Nadu&Puducherry: Before every election they begin to make noise about EVMs, trying to create an atmosphere of doubt. However after elections, if Congress performs well they seem to accept results that have come out of the same EVM. pic.twitter.com/QH1Abm8WLj — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2018 × The prime minister was interacting with booth level workers of Vellore, Kanchipuram, Viluppuram and south Chennai districts of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, through video conferencing from New Delhi. PM Modi asked party workers to increase their outreach by creating awareness about his government's welfare schemes. "From housing to health care, from sanitation to skills, there are schemes for every section of society," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Congress has humiliated every important institution of democracy: PM Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday called Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-nath-pitches-for-70-jobs-to-madhya-pradesh-residents-says-up-and-bihar-people-take-away-locals-job-184943">Kamal Nath's comment on jobs given to people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh</a> as "divisive."

Nath, shortly after taking oath as the chief minister on Monday, stated that &nbsp;"people from other states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh come here and local people don't get jobs."

Criticising Nath, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said he appeared to be unaware of existing rules that prioritise jobs for the native population.

"He has also been a Union minister. He should be aware of these rules. What he is talking about is already in place... By making such a claim, he is misleading people," the BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh told reporters.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also reacted to Nath's statement stating that it is wrong for other states to question why people from North India take up jobs there.&nbsp;

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Akhilesh Yadav on MP CM Kamal Nath's statement: It's wrong, often you get to hear the same from Maharashtra. Why have North Indians come here? Why have they taken up jobs here? Same from Delhi &amp; now from MP as well. What if North Indians decide who'll form govt at centre? <a href="https://t.co/aoHloobeK7">pic.twitter.com/aoHloobeK7</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1074971172377309184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"It's wrong, often you get to hear the same from Maharashtra. Why have North Indians come here? Why have they taken up jobs here? Same from Delhi &amp; now from MP as well. What if North Indians decide who'll form govt at centre?" he said.

Nath on Monday told reporters that his government will give incentives to industries that give 70 per cent of their jobs to those from his state and added that people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh get employment in Madhya Pradesh at the cost of the local population.

The veteran politician also said that waiving off farm loans was a promise made before MP elections and he has fulfilled it. He then said employment was another promise made and he will strive to provide people of Madhya Pradesh with jobs.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday called Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's comment on jobs given to people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as "divisive.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday called Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's comment on jobs given to people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as "divisive." Nath, shortly after taking oath as the chief minister on Monday, stated that "people from other states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh come here and local people don't get jobs." Criticising Nath, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said he appeared to be unaware of existing rules that prioritise jobs for the native population. "He has also been a Union minister. He should be aware of these rules. What he is talking about is already in place... By making such a claim, he is misleading people," the BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh told reporters. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also reacted to Nath's statement stating that it is wrong for other states to question why people from North India take up jobs there. Akhilesh Yadav on MP CM Kamal Nath's statement: It's wrong, often you get to hear the same from Maharashtra. Why have North Indians come here? Why have they taken up jobs here? Same from Delhi & now from MP as well. What if North Indians decide who'll form govt at centre? pic.twitter.com/aoHloobeK7 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 18, 2018 × "It's wrong, often you get to hear the same from Maharashtra. Why have North Indians come here? Why have they taken up jobs here? Same from Delhi & now from MP as well. What if North Indians decide who'll form govt at centre?" he said. Nath on Monday told reporters that his government will give incentives to industries that give 70 per cent of their jobs to those from his state and added that people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh get employment in Madhya Pradesh at the cost of the local population. The veteran politician also said that waiving off farm loans was a promise made before MP elections and he has fulfilled it. He then said employment was another promise made and he will strive to provide people of Madhya Pradesh with jobs. (With inputs from agencies)

BJP, SP slam Kamal Nath for saying UP and Bihar people take away locals' jobs

Amidst the controversy surrounding the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-judgement-govt-moves-sc-seeking-correction-in-para-which-makes-reference-to-cag-report-pac-184280">Supreme Court's verdict on Rafale deal</a>, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-topple-govt-if-ram-temple-construction-is-opposed-subramanian-swamy-182345">Subramanian Swamy</a> said that Supreme Court should decide if Centre had misled the judiciary and whether the error made in the affidavit was mala fide. 
 
Reacting to Congress leader Anand Sharma's statement that Center had deliberately misled the apex court, Swamy told ANI: "Sharma is no one to say anything on the Government's intentions. It is for the Supreme Court to decide or to say that you misled us or your error was mala fide in Rafale affidavit. At first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order a probe to see who drafted it whether it was a bureaucrat or our politician." 
 
Swamy's remarks came after discrepancies were pointed out in certain paragraphs of the apex court judgement on Rafale issue. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had raised questions over the claims of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examining the CAG report, claiming that PAC Chairman Kharge had seen no such report. 
 
Further speaking on the Opposition alliance ahead of the general elections, Swamy said, "A coalition with ideological differences won't be able to stay for long and it will soon start falling apart." 
 
Praising his party, Swamy asserted: "After Vajpayee's rule UPA again came to power as his 'India shining' campaign was not enough to win the election. We also need a glue of 'Hindutva' to form the government at the Centre again and make our party workers work." 
 
Taking a jibe at Congress over their continuous attack on surgical strikes Swamy said, "What can you expect from Congress, they have developed a habit of questioning everything patriotic about this country. They even question surgical strike and sacrifices of our jawans." 
 
Sharpening his attack on the Congress leaders, especially Sidhu, who already received criticism for attending Prime Minister Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony in Pakistan and for embracing Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Swamy said, "Congress leaders like Navjot Singh is creating an impression that he is an anti-national as he cares more for our enemies than our own people," he said.

Amidst the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court's verdict on Rafale deal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Subramanian Swamy said that Supreme Court should decide if Centre had misled the judiciary and whether the error made in the affidavit was mala fide.

Amidst the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court's verdict on Rafale deal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Subramanian Swamy said that Supreme Court should decide if Centre had misled the judiciary and whether the error made in the affidavit was mala fide. Reacting to Congress leader Anand Sharma's statement that Center had deliberately misled the apex court, Swamy told ANI: "Sharma is no one to say anything on the Government's intentions. It is for the Supreme Court to decide or to say that you misled us or your error was mala fide in Rafale affidavit. At first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order a probe to see who drafted it whether it was a bureaucrat or our politician." Swamy's remarks came after discrepancies were pointed out in certain paragraphs of the apex court judgement on Rafale issue. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had raised questions over the claims of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examining the CAG report, claiming that PAC Chairman Kharge had seen no such report. Further speaking on the Opposition alliance ahead of the general elections, Swamy said, "A coalition with ideological differences won't be able to stay for long and it will soon start falling apart." Praising his party, Swamy asserted: "After Vajpayee's rule UPA again came to power as his 'India shining' campaign was not enough to win the election. We also need a glue of 'Hindutva' to form the government at the Centre again and make our party workers work." Taking a jibe at Congress over their continuous attack on surgical strikes Swamy said, "What can you expect from Congress, they have developed a habit of questioning everything patriotic about this country. They even question surgical strike and sacrifices of our jawans." Sharpening his attack on the Congress leaders, especially Sidhu, who already received criticism for attending Prime Minister Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony in Pakistan and for embracing Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Swamy said, "Congress leaders like Navjot Singh is creating an impression that he is an anti-national as he cares more for our enemies than our own people," he said.

Let SC say if Centre misled judiciary on Rafale: Subramanian Swamy

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