Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party&#39;s defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region.

Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress&#39;s poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people.

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The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. 
 
We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. 
 
My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/970577646869536768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government.

Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state.&nbsp;

Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail.

The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul also appreciated the hard work of party workers

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party's defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region. Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress's poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people. The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 5, 2018 × Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government. Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state. Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail. The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul Gandhi accepts defeat in NE, says Congress respects people's mandate

Spotlighting the differences between the BJP and its coalition partners in the northeast, the Congress today accused the party of playing a &quot;dangerous game? of destabilising the region through its blind quest for power at any cost.

The differences are on key issues such as the bifurcation of Tripura and Meghalaya, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said in a series of tweets as the BJP was set to form a government with its partners in the northeast states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

&#39;&#39;BJP is following a dangerous game of destabilisation, subversion and usurpation of power in North East, unmindful of the stability, security, peace and progress&quot;.

Hope Modiji had cared to learn from Rajivji who put Nation First and brought peace to the region by Assam and Mizo accords,&nbsp;he said.

Every Indian, he added, is concerned that assumption of power at any cost&nbsp;and by any means&nbsp;by the BJP doesn&#39;t blind it into destabilising the entire region.

Telltale signs of BJP&#39;s blind quest for power superseding the stability of the region, propagation of democracy, nipping the separatist tendencies and ignoring core issues of the&nbsp;region are already visible,&nbsp;Surjewala said.

In Tripura, the Congress leader said, BJP has aligned with the IPFT, a party with the division of the state as its election plank which is now demanding a tribal chief minister.

(It is) Time for Modi Government/BJP to address both issues. Does it stand for demand for division of State of Tripura&nbsp;Would it reject the demand for a tribal CM&nbsp;he asked.

In Nagaland, the BJP is in government with the NPF and yet fought an election in alliance with opposition party NDPP, the Congress leader said. The NPF won 26 seats and the NDPP won 18 seats.

With both NPF and NDPP staking claim to form the Government, Is Nagaland headed for another round of instability like in last 5 years&nbsp;and Naga Accord? he asked.

In Manipur, the Congress leader said the BJP&#39;s coalition survives with the support of three NPF MLAs.

&quot;Would the formation of a govt in Nagaland by BJP with NDPP (18 MLAs) ignoring the NPF (26 MLAs), only in the effort of a larger share of the pie of power, not put the stability of Government in Manipur under a cloud?&quot; he asked.

Moving on to Meghalaya, Surjewala said every discordant party that fought BJP and each other, &quot;ideologically-politically-electorally&quot;, is sewn up to form the government at any cost -- NPP+UDP+PDF+HSDP+BJP+Ind.

&quot;Is this the answer to Meghalaya&#39;s aspirations and a stable Government?&quot;

The chief ministerial candidate Conrad Sangma and his party NPP have promised division of Meghalaya and a separate state of Garoland, he said, asking if other parties agreed to this.

&quot;Does Mr Sangma propose to carry out the promise of becoming CM? And what is Modiji&#39;s/BJP take on it?&quot; Surjewala tweeted.

He, however, gave his party&#39;s best wishes to the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, praying that peace, progress, cohabitation and development would be on the agendas of the new governments.

The differences are on key issues such as the bifurcation of Tripura and Meghalaya, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said in a series of tweets

Spotlighting the differences between the BJP and its coalition partners in the northeast, the Congress today accused the party of playing a "dangerous game? of destabilising the region through its blind quest for power at any cost. The differences are on key issues such as the bifurcation of Tripura and Meghalaya, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said in a series of tweets as the BJP was set to form a government with its partners in the northeast states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland. ''BJP is following a dangerous game of destabilisation, subversion and usurpation of power in North East, unmindful of the stability, security, peace and progress". Hope Modiji had cared to learn from Rajivji who put Nation First and brought peace to the region by Assam and Mizo accords, he said. Every Indian, he added, is concerned that assumption of power at any cost and by any means by the BJP doesn't blind it into destabilising the entire region. Telltale signs of BJP's blind quest for power superseding the stability of the region, propagation of democracy, nipping the separatist tendencies and ignoring core issues of the region are already visible, Surjewala said. In Tripura, the Congress leader said, BJP has aligned with the IPFT, a party with the division of the state as its election plank which is now demanding a tribal chief minister. (It is) Time for Modi Government/BJP to address both issues. Does it stand for demand for division of State of Tripura Would it reject the demand for a tribal CM he asked. In Nagaland, the BJP is in government with the NPF and yet fought an election in alliance with opposition party NDPP, the Congress leader said. The NPF won 26 seats and the NDPP won 18 seats. With both NPF and NDPP staking claim to form the Government, Is Nagaland headed for another round of instability like in last 5 years and Naga Accord? he asked. In Manipur, the Congress leader said the BJP's coalition survives with the support of three NPF MLAs. "Would the formation of a govt in Nagaland by BJP with NDPP (18 MLAs) ignoring the NPF (26 MLAs), only in the effort of a larger share of the pie of power, not put the stability of Government in Manipur under a cloud?" he asked. Moving on to Meghalaya, Surjewala said every discordant party that fought BJP and each other, "ideologically-politically-electorally", is sewn up to form the government at any cost -- NPP+UDP+PDF+HSDP+BJP+Ind. "Is this the answer to Meghalaya's aspirations and a stable Government?" The chief ministerial candidate Conrad Sangma and his party NPP have promised division of Meghalaya and a separate state of Garoland, he said, asking if other parties agreed to this. "Does Mr Sangma propose to carry out the promise of becoming CM? And what is Modiji's/BJP take on it?" Surjewala tweeted. He, however, gave his party's best wishes to the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, praying that peace, progress, cohabitation and development would be on the agendas of the new governments.

BJP's dangerous games could destabilise northeast: Congress

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Sunday said the BJP is pained that it could not win the just held bypolls to two Assembly seats but maintained his party fought well and lost narrowly.

The opposition Congress retained the two Assembly seats - Kolaras (Shivpuri district) and Mungaoli (Ashoknagar district) - where bypolls were held on February 24, but with a reduced margin.

&quot;We fought to win but a bit was left in our effort,&quot; he told reporters at his residence here when asked to comment on the bypolls&#39; outcome.

&quot;We are pained we could not win the by-elections,&quot; said Chouhan, who along with some senior members of his Cabinet took part in the campaigning.

&quot;All had thought winning the two seats was tough (for the BJP). The Congress had won Kolaras by a margin of around 25,000 votes in 2013. We narrowed this gap to around 8,000 votes in the bypolls,&quot; the chief minister said.

&quot;The Congress won Mungaoli by 22,000 votes in 2013. This time we lost to the Congress by around 2,100 votes.&quot;

The chief minister expressed confidence that his party would win the Assembly polls, slated for later this year, with a comfortable majority.

The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003.&nbsp;

The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Sunday said the BJP is pained that it could not win the just held bypolls to two Assembly seats but maintained his party fought well and lost narrowly. The opposition Congress retained the two Assembly seats - Kolaras (Shivpuri district) and Mungaoli (Ashoknagar district) - where bypolls were held on February 24, but with a reduced margin. "We fought to win but a bit was left in our effort," he told reporters at his residence here when asked to comment on the bypolls' outcome. "We are pained we could not win the by-elections," said Chouhan, who along with some senior members of his Cabinet took part in the campaigning. "All had thought winning the two seats was tough (for the BJP). The Congress had won Kolaras by a margin of around 25,000 votes in 2013. We narrowed this gap to around 8,000 votes in the bypolls," the chief minister said. "The Congress won Mungaoli by 22,000 votes in 2013. This time we lost to the Congress by around 2,100 votes." The chief minister expressed confidence that his party would win the Assembly polls, slated for later this year, with a comfortable majority. The BJP is ruling Madhya Pradesh since 2003.

BJP narrowly lost Assembly bypolls in MP: Shivraj Chouhan

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP&#39;s &quot;historic&quot; performance in northeastern states to &quot;development-oriented&quot; policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and &quot;organisational skills&quot; of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-says-will-form-next-government-in-meghalaya-34613">BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya</a>

&quot;After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future,&quot; he said.

The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party&#39;s good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">bid</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569"> to form </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">government</a>

He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP&#39;s job easier.

&quot;Under Rahul Gandhi&#39;s presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states,&quot; Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of &quot;happiness&quot; for the saffron party.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557">Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi&#39;s leadership, says Amit Shah</a>

&quot;The BJP&#39;s sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people,&quot; he said.

Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The

UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party&#39;s &quot;sterling performance&quot;.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">BJP breaches &#39;Red Fort&#39; in Tripura, set to end </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">25-year</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552"> Left rule</a>

He said the &#39;lotus&#39; will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah.

&quot;That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari,&quot; he said.

After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India&#39;s 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time.

Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week&#39;s Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;Who doesn&#39;t know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons),&quot; he said without elaborating.

His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back.

On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as &quot;ker-ber&quot; (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel.

Asked for which parties he used the expression &quot;ker&quot; and &quot;ber&quot;, Adityanath smilingly said, &quot;It&#39;s for you to judge.&quot;

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. 
The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

Yogi Adityanath also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP's "historic" performance in northeastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party. Also read: BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya "After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future," he said. The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Also read: Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP's job easier. "Under Rahul Gandhi's presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states," Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of "happiness" for the saffron party. Also read: Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership, says Amit Shah "The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said. Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party's "sterling performance". Also read: BJP breaches 'Red Fort' in Tripura, set to end 25-year Left rule He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah. "That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said. After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India's 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time. Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week's Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. "Who doesn't know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons)," he said without elaborating. His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back. On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as "ker-ber" (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel. Asked for which parties he used the expression "ker" and "ber", Adityanath smilingly said, "It's for you to judge." Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

'Lotus will bloom in Karnataka, Kerala; Rahul's Congress on path of defeat'

Assam Finance, Health and Education Minister and Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with regional parties will form the next government in Meghalaya so that a non-Congress government comes to power in the state.

&quot;I am confident that the regional parties and the BJP will form the government in Meghalaya together. The people in Meghalaya have rejected the Congress. We are committed to giving them an alternate form of government and we are moving in that direction only,&quot; Himanta told ANI.

After Meghalaya saw a hung assembly, the BJP on Saturday suggested that the regional parties -- National People&#39;s Party (NPP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) enter into an alliance to form a &quot;non-Congress government&quot; in the state.

Newly elected MLA Shri AL Hek has been declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, wrote Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Twitter.&nbsp; 
 
Independent candidate Samuel Sangma met BJP&#39;s Himanta Biswa Sarma and extended support to the BJP. Also&nbsp;read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-stakes-claim-to-form-government-in-meghalaya-34582"> Congress stakes claim to form the </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-stakes-claim-to-form-government-in-meghalaya-34582">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-stakes-claim-to-form-government-in-meghalaya-34582"> in Meghalaya</a>. 
&nbsp;

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Newly elected MLA Shri A.L. Hek is declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. <a href="https://t.co/aQ8a4v04ah">pic.twitter.com/aQ8a4v04ah</a>
&mdash; Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju/status/970193411469926400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the UDP -- one of the most important regional parties -- is also holding talks and is likely to call the shots in the elections.

The BJP could only win two seats in the 60-member house. The Congress retained its hold in the state by winning 21 seats, 10 short of the 31 needed for a majority.

The NPP won 19 seats, while other regional parties won 17 seats, implying that even though the Congress has won, it still may not form the government in the state.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

 
&nbsp;

After Meghalaya saw a hung assembly, the BJP on Saturday suggested that the regional parties -- National People's Party (NPP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) enter into an alliance to form a 'non-Congress government' in the state.

Assam Finance, Health and Education Minister and Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with regional parties will form the next government in Meghalaya so that a non-Congress government comes to power in the state. "I am confident that the regional parties and the BJP will form the government in Meghalaya together. The people in Meghalaya have rejected the Congress. We are committed to giving them an alternate form of government and we are moving in that direction only," Himanta told ANI. After Meghalaya saw a hung assembly, the BJP on Saturday suggested that the regional parties -- National People's Party (NPP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) enter into an alliance to form a "non-Congress government" in the state. Newly elected MLA Shri AL Hek has been declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, wrote Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Twitter. Independent candidate Samuel Sangma met BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma and extended support to the BJP. Also read: Congress stakes claim to form the government in Meghalaya. Newly elected MLA Shri A.L. Hek is declared the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. pic.twitter.com/aQ8a4v04ah — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 4, 2018 × Meanwhile, the UDP -- one of the most important regional parties -- is also holding talks and is likely to call the shots in the elections. The BJP could only win two seats in the 60-member house. The Congress retained its hold in the state by winning 21 seats, 10 short of the 31 needed for a majority. The NPP won 19 seats, while other regional parties won 17 seats, implying that even though the Congress has won, it still may not form the government in the state. (With inputs from ANI)

BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday that his party would stake claim to form the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-demolishes-left-citadel-in-tripura-certain-to-be-part-of-government-in-nagaland-34576">next government</a> in Nagaland in the next couple of days.

The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state.

&quot;NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have support of 1 independent and 1 JD(U) member, that takes us to 32 seats. We are in a comfortable position to form next govt. NDPP-BJP alliance will stake its claim to form govt in next couple of days,&quot; Ram Madhav said.

G Kaito Aye, the JD(U) nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum are reported to have expressed their wish to join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its numbers to&nbsp;31.

The BJP-NDPP combine has won 29 seats (BJP 12, NDPP 17). The NPP of Conrad Sangma, an NEDA partner of the BJP, has won two seats and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar&#39;s JD(U) one.

The NPF is the single largest party in the House with 27 seats.

The BJP got an informal invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang to join the new government, PTI reported earlier.

The BJP had parted ways with the NPF just ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly-launched NDPP of three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, also an old NPF hand.

(With inputs from PTI)

The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday that his party would stake claim to form the next government in Nagaland in the next couple of days. The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state. "NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have support of 1 independent and 1 JD(U) member, that takes us to 32 seats. We are in a comfortable position to form next govt. NDPP-BJP alliance will stake its claim to form govt in next couple of days," Ram Madhav said. G Kaito Aye, the JD(U) nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum are reported to have expressed their wish to join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its numbers to 31. The BJP-NDPP combine has won 29 seats (BJP 12, NDPP 17). The NPP of Conrad Sangma, an NEDA partner of the BJP, has won two seats and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) one. The NPF is the single largest party in the House with 27 seats. The BJP got an informal invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang to join the new government, PTI reported earlier. The BJP had parted ways with the NPF just ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly-launched NDPP of three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, also an old NPF hand. (With inputs from PTI)

Will stake claim to form government in Nagaland: BJP

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways.

The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party&rsquo;s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate.

The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right &mdash; indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace &mdash; and here too it&rsquo;s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region.

The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically.

Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology &mdash; whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party&rsquo;s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues.

If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it&rsquo;s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre.

Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in.

If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party&rsquo;s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power?

There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region of north-east India is now painted saffron.

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways. The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate. The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right — indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace — and here too it’s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region. The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically. Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology — whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party’s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues. If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People’s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it’s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre. Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in. If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party’s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power? There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: BJP's bandwagon continues to roll in NE

In a jaw-drawing incident, a tea seller in Maharashtra&#39;s Pune city has set the bar high for his competitors by earning Rs 12 lakh per month.&nbsp;

Yewle Tea house has become one of the famous stalls in the city.

Navnath Yewle, co-founder of Yewle Tea house, says he is going to make it an international brand very soon.

&quot;Unlike &#39;pakora&#39; business. This tea selling business is also creating employment for Indians. This business is growing fast and I&#39;m happy,&quot; Navnath said.&nbsp;

Currently, Yewle Tea House has got three centers in the city and every center has about 12 employees working in it.

The &#39;pakora&#39; remark is often associated as Congress&#39; taunt to PM Modi, saying that he is running a &#39;pakora&#39; government.&nbsp;

Moreover, the opposition party has continuously made comments about PM Modi&#39;s previous job as a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-sold-tea-not-the-nation-prime-minister-modi-attacks-congress-25269">tea seller </a>and had also announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh to the person who gave proof about the stall where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selling tea.&nbsp;

In an interview with Zee, Modi had said: &quot; If someone opened a small shop outside Zee studios, and they earn Rs 200 at the end of the day, isn&#39;t that part of employment generation? These small businesses are not part of the data, but there is growth in the number of such businesses,&quot; upon a question over employment.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Yewle Tea house has become one of the famous stalls in the city

In a jaw-drawing incident, a tea seller in Maharashtra's Pune city has set the bar high for his competitors by earning Rs 12 lakh per month. Yewle Tea house has become one of the famous stalls in the city. Navnath Yewle, co-founder of Yewle Tea house, says he is going to make it an international brand very soon. "Unlike 'pakora' business. This tea selling business is also creating employment for Indians. This business is growing fast and I'm happy," Navnath said. Currently, Yewle Tea House has got three centers in the city and every center has about 12 employees working in it. The 'pakora' remark is often associated as Congress' taunt to PM Modi, saying that he is running a 'pakora' government. Moreover, the opposition party has continuously made comments about PM Modi's previous job as a tea seller and had also announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh to the person who gave proof about the stall where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was selling tea. In an interview with Zee, Modi had said: " If someone opened a small shop outside Zee studios, and they earn Rs 200 at the end of the day, isn't that part of employment generation? These small businesses are not part of the data, but there is growth in the number of such businesses," upon a question over employment.

Pune: This tea seller makes Rs 12 lakh per month, sets benchmark

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya.&nbsp;

Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state.

&quot;I don&#39;t see maturity in him,&quot; Biswa added. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> BJP&#39;s Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don&#39;t see maturity in him. <a href="https://t.co/c8TdDewBef">pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970299721381240832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now.

He also added that the number is likely to increase.&nbsp;

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1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/moPYMOYE33">pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970286147023728640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.

Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow.&nbsp;

BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state.&nbsp;

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Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://t.co/Ou22DLZ8fh">pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970285004692606977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. &nbsp;

In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People&#39;s Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats. 
&nbsp; &nbsp;

Earlier, Congress staked claim to form next government in Meghalaya

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya. Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state. "I don't see maturity in him," Biswa added. #WATCH BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don't see maturity in him. pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now. He also added that the number is likely to increase. 1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × NPP's Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow. BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state. Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of #Meghalaya: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People's Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

'Don't see maturity in Rahul Gandhi': Himanta Biswa on Congress staking claim to form govt in Meghalaya

BJP leader Kiren Rijiju met UDP president Donkupar Roy at his residence today to discuss the formation of a non-Congress government in Meghalaya, under the leadership of the National People&#39;s Party (NPP), which secured the second position in the state assembly polls with 19 seats.

&quot;We are not a big player here. We have come to express our support to the regional parties to form a non-Congress government,&quot; Rijiju told said after coming out of Roy&#39;s residence here.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

The Congress bagged 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly, eight less than the last elections.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, got two seats. The United Democratic Party (UDP) won six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP won two seats. The People&#39;s Democratic Front (PDF) bagged four seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.

UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said his party, too, has made it clear during the meeting that it favours a non-Congress government in the state. 
&quot;We will be discussing government formation with our alliance partners and members of the PDF and the KHNAM soon,&quot; he said.

Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had also met the UDP president earlier in the day to discuss alliance possibilities, he said.

&quot;The UDP, which had led a regional alliance in 2008, still feels the pangs of betrayal by the Congress, which overthrew the coalition a year after to remain in power alone for a decade,&quot; Mawtoh said.

The memories of 2009 are still fresh and the UDP, this time, prefers to work with the non-Congress parties, he said.

&quot;Although we (UDP) are at an advantage point to bargain for seats, we will still follow democratic conventions,&quot; he added.

Polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly in Meghalaya was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party candidate was killed in an IED blast, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat.&nbsp;

'We are not a big player here. We have come to express our support to the regional parties to form a non-Congress government,' Rijiju said

BJP leader Kiren Rijiju met UDP president Donkupar Roy at his residence today to discuss the formation of a non-Congress government in Meghalaya, under the leadership of the National People's Party (NPP), which secured the second position in the state assembly polls with 19 seats. "We are not a big player here. We have come to express our support to the regional parties to form a non-Congress government," Rijiju told said after coming out of Roy's residence here. Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur. The Congress bagged 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly, eight less than the last elections. The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, got two seats. The United Democratic Party (UDP) won six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP won two seats. The People's Democratic Front (PDF) bagged four seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each. UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said his party, too, has made it clear during the meeting that it favours a non-Congress government in the state. "We will be discussing government formation with our alliance partners and members of the PDF and the KHNAM soon," he said. Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had also met the UDP president earlier in the day to discuss alliance possibilities, he said. "The UDP, which had led a regional alliance in 2008, still feels the pangs of betrayal by the Congress, which overthrew the coalition a year after to remain in power alone for a decade," Mawtoh said. The memories of 2009 are still fresh and the UDP, this time, prefers to work with the non-Congress parties, he said. "Although we (UDP) are at an advantage point to bargain for seats, we will still follow democratic conventions," he added. Polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly in Meghalaya was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party candidate was killed in an IED blast, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat.

Rijiju meets UDP chief to discuss government formation in Meghalaya

Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft.

&quot;Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here,&quot; Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way.

Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday.

&quot;I will welcome it (if Congress raises it),&quot; she said.

The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.

Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process.

They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the 36 fighter jets not because of the price arrived at during the UPA tenure but due to the &quot;overarching&quot; assessment of the jet.

There were allegations that payoffs were made in the procurement of the artillery guns from Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in the late 1980s during the then Congress government. The allegations and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled the Indian Army&#39;s procurement of artillery guns.

Alleging corruption, the Congress has been asking the government whether the per aircraft price of Rafale, according to international bids opened on December 12, 2012, comes to $80.95 million (Rs 526.1 crore) as against the

Modi government&#39;s per aircraft negotiated price of&nbsp; $241.66 Million (Rs 1,570.8 crore) as per current exchange rates.

The UPA government floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning.

However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.

The Congress had also claimed that Qatar had purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets in November 2017 for $108.33 million per aircraft (Rs 694.80 crore), noting that the per aircraft rate at which the Gulf nation is buying the jet is much lower than the rate at which India will procure them.

The government has refused to give details of the price break up of each rafale aircraft, citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact.

In a detailed statement, the defence ministry last month had termed as &quot;unfounded&quot; allegations made by the Congress about the Rafale deal, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was &quot;unrealistic&quot; as doing so might compromise India&#39;s national security.

It had said giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet.

The ministry had said that in 2012, the then defence minister exercised an unprecedented personal veto on the laid down institutional process then underway for the procurement of the 126 jets.&nbsp;

Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday

Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft. "Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here," Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way. Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday. "I will welcome it (if Congress raises it)," she said. The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process. They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the 36 fighter jets not because of the price arrived at during the UPA tenure but due to the "overarching" assessment of the jet. There were allegations that payoffs were made in the procurement of the artillery guns from Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in the late 1980s during the then Congress government. The allegations and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled the Indian Army's procurement of artillery guns. Alleging corruption, the Congress has been asking the government whether the per aircraft price of Rafale, according to international bids opened on December 12, 2012, comes to $80.95 million (Rs 526.1 crore) as against the Modi government's per aircraft negotiated price of $241.66 Million (Rs 1,570.8 crore) as per current exchange rates. The UPA government floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning. However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime. The Congress had also claimed that Qatar had purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets in November 2017 for $108.33 million per aircraft (Rs 694.80 crore), noting that the per aircraft rate at which the Gulf nation is buying the jet is much lower than the rate at which India will procure them. The government has refused to give details of the price break up of each rafale aircraft, citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. In a detailed statement, the defence ministry last month had termed as "unfounded" allegations made by the Congress about the Rafale deal, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was "unrealistic" as doing so might compromise India's national security. It had said giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet. The ministry had said that in 2012, the then defence minister exercised an unprecedented personal veto on the laid down institutional process then underway for the procurement of the 126 jets.

No question of Rafale deal going the Bofors way: Nirmala Sitharaman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP&#39;s impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people&#39;s answer to &quot;fear, lies and confusion&quot; being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now.

In an address to party workers at the BJP&#39;s newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature.

In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states.

The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party&#39;s victories.

In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a &quot;specimen of a Congress chief minister&quot; after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May.

&quot;I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister,&quot; Modi said amid laughter.

Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. &quot;He is a &#39;swatantra fauji&#39; (independent soldier),&quot; Modi said of Singh.

The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it.

Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said.

&quot;Fear, lies and confusion were being spread,&quot; he said, an apparent reference to the opposition&#39;s criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes.

When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact &quot;mandetta&quot; as the people have given the mandate to act, he said.

In &#39;vastu shastra&#39;, Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development.

The prime minister charted his party&#39;s phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from &quot;no one to won&quot;.

With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman&#39;s spirit.

Amid a &quot;disinformation&quot; campaign, stories about the BJP&#39;s and its government&#39;s good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development.

He also attributed the party&#39;s performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much.

Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while.

He said the BJP&#39;s win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from &quot;shoonya to shikhara&quot; (zero to peak).

The people of the Northeast supported his government&#39;s &quot;Act East policy&quot; and &quot;politics of performance&quot;, he said.

He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too.

He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah.

The board also took stock of the party&#39;s performance in three states.

Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job.

The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.&nbsp;

The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP's impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people's answer to "fear, lies and confusion" being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now. In an address to party workers at the BJP's newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature. In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states. The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories. In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a "specimen of a Congress chief minister" after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May. "I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister," Modi said amid laughter. Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. "He is a 'swatantra fauji' (independent soldier)," Modi said of Singh. The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it. Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said. "Fear, lies and confusion were being spread," he said, an apparent reference to the opposition's criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes. When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact "mandetta" as the people have given the mandate to act, he said. In 'vastu shastra', Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development. The prime minister charted his party's phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from "no one to won". With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman's spirit. Amid a "disinformation" campaign, stories about the BJP's and its government's good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development. He also attributed the party's performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much. Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while. He said the BJP's win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from "shoonya to shikhara" (zero to peak). The people of the Northeast supported his government's "Act East policy" and "politics of performance", he said. He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too. He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah. The board also took stock of the party's performance in three states. Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job. The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.

Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland.

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party&#39;s senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government.

No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland.

The Congress defended Gandhi&#39;s visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother.

The party&#39;s leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents.

The Congress&#39; move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught &quot;napping&quot; in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments.

Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.

Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said.

No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said.

Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.&nbsp;

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland. The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party's senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government. No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress defended Gandhi's visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother. The party's leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents. The Congress' move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught "napping" in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments. Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma. Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it. The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said. No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said. Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.

Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren.

Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states.

Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it&rsquo;s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya.

Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war.

Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt.

Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal.

Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014.

What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative.

From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP&rsquo;s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy.

It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism.

Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal.

The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders.

Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For Congress, anti BJP-ism like anti Congress-ism of 70s-80s will not work.

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren. Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states. Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it’s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya. Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war. Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt. Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal. Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014. What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative. From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP’s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy. It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism. Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal. The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders. Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Like it or not, BJP has captured North East

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi urged his party workers to uproot both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress from Telangana.

Owaisi, while addressing a rally in Telengana said, &quot;In the coming days, we have to increase the number of MLAs from our party and ensure that our party grows in Telengana&quot;.

Currently, the AIMIM has seven MLAs in the Telengana Assembly.

He further added &quot;we have to put in all our efforts so that both the BJP and the Congress are finished in Telengana&quot;

His statement has come in the view of General Elections which will be held next year.

His statement has come in the view of General Elections which will be held next year

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi urged his party workers to uproot both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress from Telangana. Owaisi, while addressing a rally in Telengana said, "In the coming days, we have to increase the number of MLAs from our party and ensure that our party grows in Telengana". Currently, the AIMIM has seven MLAs in the Telengana Assembly. He further added "we have to put in all our efforts so that both the BJP and the Congress are finished in Telengana" His statement has come in the view of General Elections which will be held next year.

Owaisi urges party workers to uproot BJP, Cong from Telangana

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday declined an&nbsp;invitation to participate in the meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the selection committee of the Lokpal.&nbsp;

Kharge in his letter to the Prime Minister stated that there was no point attending the meeting as &#39;&#39;special invitee&#39;&#39; as it does not have the power to vote, record dissent and participate, he said in the letter.&nbsp;

The government could have chosen to address him as Leader of Opposition of the single largest party, he said and added that to this effect, an amendment was made, and select committee too had put its seal on the change but the ruling dispensation neither introduced the bill nor showed any inclination to pass it.

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INC COMMUNIQUE 
 
Letter by LS LoP <a href="https://twitter.com/MallikarjunINC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MallikarjunINC</a> to the Prime Minister declining invitation to the &#39;Selection Committee&#39; of the Lokpal as a &#39;Special Invitee&#39;. <a href="https://t.co/zQgf0WL8HC">pic.twitter.com/zQgf0WL8HC</a>
&mdash; INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCSandesh/status/969076611516547072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp; 
Centre had been under pressure to speed up the work on the appointment of Lokpal post Supreme Court&rsquo;s observations. The Lokpal bill was passed in December 2013 and brought into effect on 2014 January but incumbent government has not been able to appoint Lokpal for past 4 years. The matter has been complicated because of the strained relationship between Congress and BJP and also former&rsquo;s much-reduced size in Lok Sabha which led to the denial of the status of leader of Opposition, he said in the letter.

Kharge says that the government could have chosen to address him as the leader of opposition of the single largest party.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday declined an invitation to participate in the meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the selection committee of the Lokpal. Kharge in his letter to the Prime Minister stated that there was no point attending the meeting as ''special invitee'' as it does not have the power to vote, record dissent and participate, he said in the letter. The government could have chosen to address him as Leader of Opposition of the single largest party, he said and added that to this effect, an amendment was made, and select committee too had put its seal on the change but the ruling dispensation neither introduced the bill nor showed any inclination to pass it. INC COMMUNIQUE Letter by LS LoP @MallikarjunINC to the Prime Minister declining invitation to the 'Selection Committee' of the Lokpal as a 'Special Invitee'. pic.twitter.com/zQgf0WL8HC — INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) March 1, 2018 × Centre had been under pressure to speed up the work on the appointment of Lokpal post Supreme Court’s observations. The Lokpal bill was passed in December 2013 and brought into effect on 2014 January but incumbent government has not been able to appoint Lokpal for past 4 years. The matter has been complicated because of the strained relationship between Congress and BJP and also former’s much-reduced size in Lok Sabha which led to the denial of the status of leader of Opposition, he said in the letter.

Mallikarjun Kharge declines PM's invite to attend Lokpal meet as 'special invitee'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday went his furthest yet toward endorsing restrictions on gun sales, challenging lawmakers to go big on legislation to help prevent more school shootings.

During a freewheeling hour-long discussion, Trump spoke approvingly of several ideas opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby, which endorsed his 2016 candidacy, including raising the legal age to buy rifles to 21 from 18, and proposals to expand background checks for gun buyers.

&quot;I will sign it,&quot; Trump said as he urged the group of lawmakers - some favouring more gun restrictions, others averse to gun control - to avoid tailored attempts to fix holes in gun laws and embrace a comprehensive fix.

Trump had been cautiously considering changes in gun laws since a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, igniting a wave of national student activism in support of firearms restrictions.

The Republican president, long a champion of gun rights, had also been wary of angering voters who oppose curbs on gun ownership, particularly ahead of the November elections in which his party&#39;s control of Congress will be at stake.

But Trump said at the televised session on Wednesday: &quot;You have to be very, very powerful on background checks. Don&#39;t be shy.&quot;

He added that he told NRA officials during a private luncheon on Sunday: &quot;It&#39;s time. We&#39;ve got to stop this nonsense. It&#39;s time.&quot;

Trump urged lawmakers not to lose momentum. But the Senate is not expected to bring up any gun legislation this week, and next week&#39;s agenda is also unclear.

One bipartisan bill to improve background checks on prospective gun buyers was gaining steam in the Senate. But Trump, Democrats and some other Republicans, are now pushing for broader measures to be added, which could stall progress.

&#39;Going to have to be you&#39;

Seventeen Republican and Democratic senators and representatives were invited to the White House for the fourth such gun policy discussion that Trump has hosted in a week.

Previous roundtables - also open to cameras - included students and parents, law enforcement officials and state governors. The White House is set to present a list of Trump&#39;s policy decisions on school safety as early as Thursday.

Trump continued to express support for training and arming certain teachers in schools to protect students in the event of a mass shooting - an idea promoted by the NRA.

Some lawmakers flatly rejected the concept, which Trump previously said should be left up to states and school boards.

But Trump ruled out an NRA-backed proposal from his close ally, Steve Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, who was wounded in a mass shooting at a baseball practice last June.

Scalise said background check legislation should include a measure allowing people to bring legal concealed guns across state lines. The House has already passed a background check bill with that provision, which Democrats oppose.

Trump said he personally agreed with the idea but that it wold sink a comprehensive bill in the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow 51-49 majority.

&quot;I think that maybe that bill will someday pass, but it will pass as a separate. If you&rsquo;re going to put concealed carry between states into this bill, we&#39;re talking about a whole new ball game,&quot; he said.

Trump pressed Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on whether he supported raising the age to buy rifles. Toomey said it would hurt young adults who enjoy hunting or target shooting without addressing the issue of mass shootings.

&quot;To deny them their Second Amendment right is not going to make anyone safer,&quot; said Toomey, referring to the constitutional rights for Americans to own guns.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Trump that previous efforts to pass background check bills had been foiled by the NRA, and warned the president against underestimating the group&#39;s political clout.

&quot;The reason that nothing&#39;s gotten done here is because the gun lobby has had a veto power over any legislation that comes before Congress,&quot; Murphy said, pressing Trump to use the power of his office on the issue.

&quot;Mr. President, it&#39;s going to have to be you that brings Republicans to the table on this because right now the gun lobby will stop it in its tracks,&quot; Murphy said.

Seventeen Republican and Democratic senators and representatives were invited to the White House for the fourth such gun policy discussion that Trump has hosted in a week.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday went his furthest yet toward endorsing restrictions on gun sales, challenging lawmakers to go big on legislation to help prevent more school shootings. During a freewheeling hour-long discussion, Trump spoke approvingly of several ideas opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby, which endorsed his 2016 candidacy, including raising the legal age to buy rifles to 21 from 18, and proposals to expand background checks for gun buyers. "I will sign it," Trump said as he urged the group of lawmakers - some favouring more gun restrictions, others averse to gun control - to avoid tailored attempts to fix holes in gun laws and embrace a comprehensive fix. Trump had been cautiously considering changes in gun laws since a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, igniting a wave of national student activism in support of firearms restrictions. The Republican president, long a champion of gun rights, had also been wary of angering voters who oppose curbs on gun ownership, particularly ahead of the November elections in which his party's control of Congress will be at stake. But Trump said at the televised session on Wednesday: "You have to be very, very powerful on background checks. Don't be shy." He added that he told NRA officials during a private luncheon on Sunday: "It's time. We've got to stop this nonsense. It's time." Trump urged lawmakers not to lose momentum. But the Senate is not expected to bring up any gun legislation this week, and next week's agenda is also unclear. One bipartisan bill to improve background checks on prospective gun buyers was gaining steam in the Senate. But Trump, Democrats and some other Republicans, are now pushing for broader measures to be added, which could stall progress. 'Going to have to be you' Seventeen Republican and Democratic senators and representatives were invited to the White House for the fourth such gun policy discussion that Trump has hosted in a week. Previous roundtables - also open to cameras - included students and parents, law enforcement officials and state governors. The White House is set to present a list of Trump's policy decisions on school safety as early as Thursday. Trump continued to express support for training and arming certain teachers in schools to protect students in the event of a mass shooting - an idea promoted by the NRA. Some lawmakers flatly rejected the concept, which Trump previously said should be left up to states and school boards. But Trump ruled out an NRA-backed proposal from his close ally, Steve Scalise, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, who was wounded in a mass shooting at a baseball practice last June. Scalise said background check legislation should include a measure allowing people to bring legal concealed guns across state lines. The House has already passed a background check bill with that provision, which Democrats oppose. Trump said he personally agreed with the idea but that it wold sink a comprehensive bill in the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow 51-49 majority. "I think that maybe that bill will someday pass, but it will pass as a separate. If you’re going to put concealed carry between states into this bill, we're talking about a whole new ball game," he said. Trump pressed Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on whether he supported raising the age to buy rifles. Toomey said it would hurt young adults who enjoy hunting or target shooting without addressing the issue of mass shootings. "To deny them their Second Amendment right is not going to make anyone safer," said Toomey, referring to the constitutional rights for Americans to own guns. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Trump that previous efforts to pass background check bills had been foiled by the NRA, and warned the president against underestimating the group's political clout. "The reason that nothing's gotten done here is because the gun lobby has had a veto power over any legislation that comes before Congress," Murphy said, pressing Trump to use the power of his office on the issue. "Mr. President, it's going to have to be you that brings Republicans to the table on this because right now the gun lobby will stop it in its tracks," Murphy said.

Trump pushes Congress for broad bill on guns after school shooting

The Congress is leading in both the Madhya Pradesh assembly seats where by-elections were held last week.

In Kolaras constituency, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav maintained his lead in the first round.&nbsp;

He was ahead by 1,331 votes after the end of the fourth round of counting, as per election official said.

In Mungaoli, Congress&rsquo; Brijendra Singh Yadav was ahead of his rival BJP candidate by 1,332 votes after the fourth round.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the recent reports indicate that Congress has extended lead on Mungaoli seat and is now ahead by 1642 seats, total votes 5244.

In Kolaras bye-election, the contest is between the Congress&#39; Mahendra Singh Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s (BJP) Devendra Jain. &nbsp;Whereas, for Mungaoli Assembly seat, Congress candidate Brijendra Singh Yadav and BJP&rsquo;s Baisahab Yadav are in the fray.&nbsp;

Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras.

The outcome of the two by-polls, held on 24 February, are being seen as a possible pointer to the mood of people ahead of the assembly elections due later this year in the BJP-ruled state.

Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal&rsquo;s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party&#39;s victory.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I would like to express my gratitude to public for showering their blessings on BJD. I am sure we will do very very well in 2019 General Elections as well,&rdquo; says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on his party&rsquo;s win in Bijepur Assembly Bye-poll.&nbsp;

He even took to Twitter and thanked the people of Odisha for choosing BJD.

&quot;Humbled by love &amp; trust of the people of #Bijepur for giving @bjd_Odisha a massive victory. BJD lives in the hearts of the people of #Odisha. Our people are peace loving and have rejected the politics of hatred and violence,&quot; he tweeted. 
&nbsp;

Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras

The Congress is leading in both the Madhya Pradesh assembly seats where by-elections were held last week. In Kolaras constituency, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav maintained his lead in the first round. He was ahead by 1,331 votes after the end of the fourth round of counting, as per election official said. In Mungaoli, Congress’ Brijendra Singh Yadav was ahead of his rival BJP candidate by 1,332 votes after the fourth round. Meanwhile, the recent reports indicate that Congress has extended lead on Mungaoli seat and is now ahead by 1642 seats, total votes 5244. In Kolaras bye-election, the contest is between the Congress' Mahendra Singh Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Devendra Jain. Whereas, for Mungaoli Assembly seat, Congress candidate Brijendra Singh Yadav and BJP’s Baisahab Yadav are in the fray. Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras. The outcome of the two by-polls, held on 24 February, are being seen as a possible pointer to the mood of people ahead of the assembly elections due later this year in the BJP-ruled state. Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal’s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party's victory. “I would like to express my gratitude to public for showering their blessings on BJD. I am sure we will do very very well in 2019 General Elections as well,” says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on his party’s win in Bijepur Assembly Bye-poll. He even took to Twitter and thanked the people of Odisha for choosing BJD. "Humbled by love & trust of the people of #Bijepur for giving @bjd_Odisha a massive victory. BJD lives in the hearts of the people of #Odisha. Our people are peace loving and have rejected the politics of hatred and violence," he tweeted.

By-poll results: BJP loses Odisha to Naveen Patnaik, on verge of losing MP to Congress

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who arrested&nbsp;Karti Chidambaram on Wednesday morning at the Chennai Airport, brought him to Delhi.&nbsp;

Karti, Congress leader and son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, was arrested for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The CBI team is now bringing Karti to Delhi.

According to sources,&nbsp;Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI sleuths at Chennai airport around 8am when he returned from London.

The case involves the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ed-conducts-raids-at-karti-chidambarams-premises-in-delhi-chennai-over-inx-media-case-29388">INX Media</a> when Karti&#39;s father and senior <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chidambaram-moves-supreme-court-for-protection-of-fundamental-rights-33974">Congress leader P Chidambaram</a> was the finance minister during the UPA government&#39;s regime.

An FIR was filed by the CBI in connection with the case on May 15 last year. It is alleged that Karti Chidambaram received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, officials said.

Earlier, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karti-chidambarams-chartered-accountant-remanded-to-14-day-judicial-custody-34128">Karti Chidambaram&#39;s chartered accountant</a> S Bhaskararaman was arrested in connection with the same case. &nbsp;Bhaskararaman was arrested from a five-star hotel in the heart of the national capital on February 16.

&#39;VENDETTA, DIVERSIONARY TACTIC&#39;

The Congress said that Karti&#39;s arrest is vendetta and a diversionary tactic by the Modi government to hide its scams and &quot;mal-governance&quot;.

&quot;Karti Chidambaram&#39;s arrest would not deter the party from speaking the truth to hold the government accountable,&quot; the party&#39;s communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said.

It was a classical diversionary tactic to hide corruption scams, mal-governance and mal-administration that have marred this government, Surjewala added.

His party colleague, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, said Karti Chidambaram was arrested to divert attention from the big issues and the bank scam facing the NDA government.

BJP leader Sambit Patra, however, rubbished Congress&#39; allegations. &quot;I believe no one should consider oneself above the law of country. If corrupt are being jailed and law is taking its own course, I see no reason why any political party should cry vendetta. This is law, not vendetta,&quot; Patra said.

Congress leader and son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, was arrested for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who arrested Karti Chidambaram on Wednesday morning at the Chennai Airport, brought him to Delhi. Karti, Congress leader and son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, was arrested for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The CBI team is now bringing Karti to Delhi. According to sources, Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI sleuths at Chennai airport around 8am when he returned from London. The case involves the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media when Karti's father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was the finance minister during the UPA government's regime. An FIR was filed by the CBI in connection with the case on May 15 last year. It is alleged that Karti Chidambaram received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, officials said. Earlier, Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman was arrested in connection with the same case. Bhaskararaman was arrested from a five-star hotel in the heart of the national capital on February 16. 'VENDETTA, DIVERSIONARY TACTIC' The Congress said that Karti's arrest is vendetta and a diversionary tactic by the Modi government to hide its scams and "mal-governance". "Karti Chidambaram's arrest would not deter the party from speaking the truth to hold the government accountable," the party's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. It was a classical diversionary tactic to hide corruption scams, mal-governance and mal-administration that have marred this government, Surjewala added. His party colleague, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, said Karti Chidambaram was arrested to divert attention from the big issues and the bank scam facing the NDA government. BJP leader Sambit Patra, however, rubbished Congress' allegations. "I believe no one should consider oneself above the law of country. If corrupt are being jailed and law is taking its own course, I see no reason why any political party should cry vendetta. This is law, not vendetta," Patra said.

INX Media money-laundering case: Karti Chidambaram arrested in Chennai, brought to Delhi by CBI

Giving a major defeat to BJP in the held bypoll election, the Congress party retained Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly seat in a by-poll by a margin of over 2,000 and 8,000 votes respectively, in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress&#39; Brijendra Singh Yadav defeated BJP&#39;s Bai Sahib by 2,124 votes. Brajendra got 70,808 votes while &nbsp;Bai Sahab Yadav bagged 68,684,&nbsp;

The grand-old party also managed to retain Kolaras Assembly seat with a margin of over 8,000 votes

A total of 22 candidates from Mungaoli and 13 from Kolaras were in the fray for the February 24 polls.

There was 77.25 per cent voting recorded in Mungaoli and 72.82 per cent in Kolaras on Saturday.

Both these seats saw high-voltage campaigns from the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of the assembly polls in the state due later in 2018.

While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the BJP campaign with a host of ministers, Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia led the opposition attack.

Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal&rsquo;s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party&#39;s victory.&nbsp;

Congress' Brijendra Singh Yadav defeated BJP's Bai Sahib by 2,124 votes

Giving a major defeat to BJP in the held bypoll election, the Congress party retained Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly seat in a by-poll by a margin of over 2,000 and 8,000 votes respectively, in Madhya Pradesh. Congress' Brijendra Singh Yadav defeated BJP's Bai Sahib by 2,124 votes. Brajendra got 70,808 votes while Bai Sahab Yadav bagged 68,684, The grand-old party also managed to retain Kolaras Assembly seat with a margin of over 8,000 votes A total of 22 candidates from Mungaoli and 13 from Kolaras were in the fray for the February 24 polls. There was 77.25 per cent voting recorded in Mungaoli and 72.82 per cent in Kolaras on Saturday. Both these seats saw high-voltage campaigns from the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of the assembly polls in the state due later in 2018. While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the BJP campaign with a host of ministers, Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia led the opposition attack. Meanwhile, in Odisha, Biju Janta Dal’s Rita Sahu won Bijepur seat by a margin of 41,933 votes. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived at the party headquarters and celebrated with the workers after party's victory.

Bypoll results: Lotus shrinks as BJP loses all three seats to Congress, BJD

The Congress took a massive sweep and won the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections, winning 62 out of the 95 seats on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.

Also, the Aam Aadmi Party and Independent candidates won eight and four wards respectively.&nbsp;

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has hailed the Ludhiana MC results as a &quot;clear vindication of the Congress government&#39;s policies and an endorsement of the pro-people initiatives undertaken by it in the past one year&quot;.

Singh congratulated the Congress workers for the &quot;sweeping victory&quot; in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation election. &quot;The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government,&quot; the Punjab CM tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Congratulations to all <a href="https://twitter.com/INCPunjab?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCPunjab</a> workers for leading the party to a sweeping victory, winning 62 out of 95 seats, in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ludhiana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ludhiana</a> MC polls. The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government.
&mdash; Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) <a href="https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder/status/968430195366543360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In a statement welcoming the poll results, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also lauded the performance of the party in the MC polls, which they said marked the total annihilation of the opposition parties in the state.

Amarinder termed the victory as a &quot;befitting reply by the people of Punjab to the misdeeds and fabrications of the opposition, which had been trying to mislead them with baseless allegations against the Congress government&quot;. Opposition SAD-BJP and AAP had accused the ruling Congress of rigging the polls.

He described the results as the &quot;proverbial last nail in the political coffins of SAD, AAP and other parties in the fray&quot;. Sidhu welcomed the three independents who had extended support to the Congress.

The election to the cash-rich Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC) in Punjab was held on Saturday. The corporation&#39;s annual budget is pegged at an estimated Rs 1,300 crore.

The election to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation saw a voter turnout of more than 59 per cent. A total of 494 candidates are in the fray with the contest primarily between the ruling Congress, the SAD-BJP alliance, and the Aam Aadmi Party-Lok Insaaf Party alliance.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.

The Congress took a massive sweep and won the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections, winning 62 out of the 95 seats on Tuesday. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in at a distant second, winning 11 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured wins in 10 wards of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. Also, the Aam Aadmi Party and Independent candidates won eight and four wards respectively. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has hailed the Ludhiana MC results as a "clear vindication of the Congress government's policies and an endorsement of the pro-people initiatives undertaken by it in the past one year". Singh congratulated the Congress workers for the "sweeping victory" in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation election. "The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government," the Punjab CM tweeted. Congratulations to all @INCPunjab workers for leading the party to a sweeping victory, winning 62 out of 95 seats, in the #Ludhiana MC polls. The results are a further vindication of our programmes and policies, it reflects the confidence of the people in our government. — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 27, 2018 × In a statement welcoming the poll results, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also lauded the performance of the party in the MC polls, which they said marked the total annihilation of the opposition parties in the state. Amarinder termed the victory as a "befitting reply by the people of Punjab to the misdeeds and fabrications of the opposition, which had been trying to mislead them with baseless allegations against the Congress government". Opposition SAD-BJP and AAP had accused the ruling Congress of rigging the polls. He described the results as the "proverbial last nail in the political coffins of SAD, AAP and other parties in the fray". Sidhu welcomed the three independents who had extended support to the Congress. The election to the cash-rich Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (LMC) in Punjab was held on Saturday. The corporation's annual budget is pegged at an estimated Rs 1,300 crore. The election to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation saw a voter turnout of more than 59 per cent. A total of 494 candidates are in the fray with the contest primarily between the ruling Congress, the SAD-BJP alliance, and the Aam Aadmi Party-Lok Insaaf Party alliance.

Congress wins in Ludhiana MC polls, wins 62 out of 95 seats

The manner in which the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has been openly warning voters against electing an anti-Christian party &ndash; the BJP, it would have us believe that the Church has a moral hold over the Naga people. If that is so, the effects of that moral authority are neither tangible nor visible. And while corruption is rampant in the entire North Eastern region, it is the bane of Nagaland.

The national highway from Dimapur to Kohima and beyond to the state of Manipur (now known as Asian Highway-1) is the most decrepit. It is a mockery of the central funds repeatedly sanctioned over many decades. Indeed the roads of Nagaland are an indicator of a systemic governance malfunction. The mansions you see off the beaten track also tells you where public money has been invested. One is tempted to ask why the Church has failed to rein in corruption if it is such a moral force.

The Naga conflict, dating back to India&rsquo;s Independence (Nagaland declared Independence from India on August 14, 1947), has gone through many contortions to arrive at the present stage. Today the National Socialist Council of Nagalim led by Th Muivah a Tangkhul Naga from the hills of Manipur and the late Isaac Swu from Nagaland, hence, the acronym NSCN-IM, is the prime negotiator for the peace deal in Nagaland and other Naga-inhabited territories in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam &ndash; a proposition that is as contentious and thorny as it can get and which has got successive central governments in a tailspin.

On August 3, 2015, the Modi Government which said it was serious about bringing the Naga conflict to a close, signed a Framework Agreement with the bare points listed out and which needed to be fleshed out after consultation with various stakeholders. The interlocutor, in this case, RN Ravi, a former IB Special Director has taken his task as a mission and for the first time brought in several civil society groups as stakeholders into the conversation as a consensus building exercise to ensure that the terms of engagement are acceptable to all. It is not easy to get this far.&nbsp;

The NSCN (IM) is the most intransigent insurgent group that has seen many governments come and go. It is well acquainted with the finer points of negotiations and the semantics of it and that often is the reason why talks don&rsquo;t progress beyond a point. But over the years the word &ldquo;sovereignty&rdquo; has been dropped out of the talking points. However, that does not make things any simpler considering the homeland contestations of the Nagas. They believe that the hills of Manipur are the original home of the Naga people and that they were separated by the tyranny of history in 1947 and earlier. But the word &lsquo;Naga&rsquo; itself is contested. It includes a disparate group of hill tribes in the easternmost frontier of India, who the British, for the purpose of better administration, classed as &lsquo;Naga.&rsquo; And herein lies the rub!

Successive state governments in Nagaland, barring SC Jamir a former chief minister, have kowtowed to the NSCN (IM) on account of its firepower. Many more Nagas have been killed in internecine clashes based on ideological differences, than by the Indian army which was sent there by Nehru to put down the uprising when it first started. Jamir, a Congressman and now the Governor of Odisha had felt that the contentious Naga conflict was pulling the state backwards and suggested alternative ways forward. The NSCN (IM) contested this and the rebel group has no love lost for Jamir. They have made several attempts on his life. The NSCN (IM) in fact made sure that their man Neiphiu Rio was made the chief minister of Nagaland in 2003&ndash;08, 2008&ndash;13 and 2013&ndash;14). Rio is the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served three consecutive terms until he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and became MP.

Interestingly, Neiphiu Rio has now returned to the chaotic state politics of Nagaland which has seen three Chief Ministers since May 2014. Rio had joined national politics with the idea of getting a ministerial berth in Delhi but that did not happen. The Nagaland People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) of which Rio has been a founding member is now led by the 81-year-old, Dr Shurhozelie who does not want to relinquish his post or to take cognizance of the changing realities in Nagaland vis-a-vis the peace talks. On January 18 this year Neiphiu Rio formally joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) which also asked him to lead the 2018 election. Rio clearly has his task marked out. Interestingly the BJP which until a month ago was an alliance partner of the NPF &ndash;led Government in Nagaland has severed ties with the Party and also is now aligned to the NDPP.

Political analysts in Nagaland allege that the reason why the NBCC is so incensed with the BJP is because it is seen as an ally of Neiphiu Rio the man who has given the NSCN(IM) a free rein of Nagaland and had in a business summit held recently in Dimapur promised to hand over part of the Intanki forest &ndash; which is very dear to the heart of the Nagas- to the NSCN (IM) as part of the settlement. The Naga people see this as a complete sell-out to the NSCN(IM). The Intanki forest, now a Wildlife Sanctuary, is a verdant forest reserve in eastern Nagaland. It is 37 km away from Dimapur and 111 km from Kohima and spread over 200 sq km. Home to the hoolock gibbons, elephants, wild buffaloes (Mithun), sambhars, barking deer and the famous hornbill amongst others, this forest is the only carbon sink left in Nagaland. It is also alleged that the NSCN (IM) cadres have been felling trees within this reserved forest for commercial purposes.&nbsp;

The Nagas fear that this sanctuary will go out of their hands. To say this openly would be suicidal for the Naga people. Yet they know that if the NDPP-BJP and those inclined to ally with these two parties come to power in Nagaland, the Naga people are likely to lose their grip over the Intanki Forest. Hence the NBCC was used as a public platform to caution the people not to vote for BJP or parties aligned with it (meaning the NDPP). The only alibi that the NBCC could use to defeat the NDPP-BJP coalition is to rake up the anti-Christian activities of the Sangh Parivar and groups like the Bajrang Dal which are harassing Christian missionaries in other parts of India.

It remains to be seen whether the NBCC warning has any traction among large sections of Nagas. They are known to be politically astute and money has always been a key determinant in Nagaland elections. In fact, Naga chieftains are often used by political parties to bring people to the polling booths to vote for particular candidates. In the last election when this writer visited interior Nagaland, there were polling booths where the village chieftain voted for the entire village even as Election Commission hoardings on the Dimapur-Kohima highway spoke of free and fair elections and showed individuals with their black-inked forefingers. This is the ambiguity of elections in this country of 1.3 billion people who never fail to use their enterprise when the opportunity presents itself. No wonder elections in India are termed the &ldquo;dance of democracy&rdquo; except that such dances can sometimes be fatal.

As the people of Nagaland ready themselves for the 13th Assembly election which is fraught with ambiguities, such as the allegedly much hated Neiphiu Rio being elected unopposed, it would be interesting to watch how things finally play out in this state of the famous Hornbill Festival. People are keeping their fingers crossed that voting will be incident free considering the call earlier given by a confederation of NGOs demanding that the Naga solution should precede elections. Apparently the Interlocutor, RN Ravi had requested this confederation named the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) to allow for free and fair polling as the talks are progressing on schedule.

It is in this murky scenario that the 227 candidates who have filed their nominations are heading for the polls. The NPF is contesting 58 seats, the NDPP 40 seats, the BJP 20, and Congress 18 apart from Independents. It is intuitive that the Congress which had provided three chief ministers to Nagaland is relegated to a position lower than that of the BJP. The Congress is apparently trying to work out a post-poll alignment with the NPF. This time 5 brave women are also in the fray. We can only keep our fingers crossed that democracy wins the day! &nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), has been openly warned voters against electing an anti-Christian party, that is the BJP.

The manner in which the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has been openly warning voters against electing an anti-Christian party – the BJP, it would have us believe that the Church has a moral hold over the Naga people. If that is so, the effects of that moral authority are neither tangible nor visible. And while corruption is rampant in the entire North Eastern region, it is the bane of Nagaland. The national highway from Dimapur to Kohima and beyond to the state of Manipur (now known as Asian Highway-1) is the most decrepit. It is a mockery of the central funds repeatedly sanctioned over many decades. Indeed the roads of Nagaland are an indicator of a systemic governance malfunction. The mansions you see off the beaten track also tells you where public money has been invested. One is tempted to ask why the Church has failed to rein in corruption if it is such a moral force. The Naga conflict, dating back to India’s Independence (Nagaland declared Independence from India on August 14, 1947), has gone through many contortions to arrive at the present stage. Today the National Socialist Council of Nagalim led by Th Muivah a Tangkhul Naga from the hills of Manipur and the late Isaac Swu from Nagaland, hence, the acronym NSCN-IM, is the prime negotiator for the peace deal in Nagaland and other Naga-inhabited territories in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam – a proposition that is as contentious and thorny as it can get and which has got successive central governments in a tailspin. On August 3, 2015, the Modi Government which said it was serious about bringing the Naga conflict to a close, signed a Framework Agreement with the bare points listed out and which needed to be fleshed out after consultation with various stakeholders. The interlocutor, in this case, RN Ravi, a former IB Special Director has taken his task as a mission and for the first time brought in several civil society groups as stakeholders into the conversation as a consensus building exercise to ensure that the terms of engagement are acceptable to all. It is not easy to get this far. The NSCN (IM) is the most intransigent insurgent group that has seen many governments come and go. It is well acquainted with the finer points of negotiations and the semantics of it and that often is the reason why talks don’t progress beyond a point. But over the years the word “sovereignty” has been dropped out of the talking points. However, that does not make things any simpler considering the homeland contestations of the Nagas. They believe that the hills of Manipur are the original home of the Naga people and that they were separated by the tyranny of history in 1947 and earlier. But the word ‘Naga’ itself is contested. It includes a disparate group of hill tribes in the easternmost frontier of India, who the British, for the purpose of better administration, classed as ‘Naga.’ And herein lies the rub! Successive state governments in Nagaland, barring SC Jamir a former chief minister, have kowtowed to the NSCN (IM) on account of its firepower. Many more Nagas have been killed in internecine clashes based on ideological differences, than by the Indian army which was sent there by Nehru to put down the uprising when it first started. Jamir, a Congressman and now the Governor of Odisha had felt that the contentious Naga conflict was pulling the state backwards and suggested alternative ways forward. The NSCN (IM) contested this and the rebel group has no love lost for Jamir. They have made several attempts on his life. The NSCN (IM) in fact made sure that their man Neiphiu Rio was made the chief minister of Nagaland in 2003–08, 2008–13 and 2013–14). Rio is the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served three consecutive terms until he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and became MP. Interestingly, Neiphiu Rio has now returned to the chaotic state politics of Nagaland which has seen three Chief Ministers since May 2014. Rio had joined national politics with the idea of getting a ministerial berth in Delhi but that did not happen. The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) of which Rio has been a founding member is now led by the 81-year-old, Dr Shurhozelie who does not want to relinquish his post or to take cognizance of the changing realities in Nagaland vis-a-vis the peace talks. On January 18 this year Neiphiu Rio formally joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) which also asked him to lead the 2018 election. Rio clearly has his task marked out. Interestingly the BJP which until a month ago was an alliance partner of the NPF –led Government in Nagaland has severed ties with the Party and also is now aligned to the NDPP. Political analysts in Nagaland allege that the reason why the NBCC is so incensed with the BJP is because it is seen as an ally of Neiphiu Rio the man who has given the NSCN(IM) a free rein of Nagaland and had in a business summit held recently in Dimapur promised to hand over part of the Intanki forest – which is very dear to the heart of the Nagas- to the NSCN (IM) as part of the settlement. The Naga people see this as a complete sell-out to the NSCN(IM). The Intanki forest, now a Wildlife Sanctuary, is a verdant forest reserve in eastern Nagaland. It is 37 km away from Dimapur and 111 km from Kohima and spread over 200 sq km. Home to the hoolock gibbons, elephants, wild buffaloes (Mithun), sambhars, barking deer and the famous hornbill amongst others, this forest is the only carbon sink left in Nagaland. It is also alleged that the NSCN (IM) cadres have been felling trees within this reserved forest for commercial purposes. The Nagas fear that this sanctuary will go out of their hands. To say this openly would be suicidal for the Naga people. Yet they know that if the NDPP-BJP and those inclined to ally with these two parties come to power in Nagaland, the Naga people are likely to lose their grip over the Intanki Forest. Hence the NBCC was used as a public platform to caution the people not to vote for BJP or parties aligned with it (meaning the NDPP). The only alibi that the NBCC could use to defeat the NDPP-BJP coalition is to rake up the anti-Christian activities of the Sangh Parivar and groups like the Bajrang Dal which are harassing Christian missionaries in other parts of India. It remains to be seen whether the NBCC warning has any traction among large sections of Nagas. They are known to be politically astute and money has always been a key determinant in Nagaland elections. In fact, Naga chieftains are often used by political parties to bring people to the polling booths to vote for particular candidates. In the last election when this writer visited interior Nagaland, there were polling booths where the village chieftain voted for the entire village even as Election Commission hoardings on the Dimapur-Kohima highway spoke of free and fair elections and showed individuals with their black-inked forefingers. This is the ambiguity of elections in this country of 1.3 billion people who never fail to use their enterprise when the opportunity presents itself. No wonder elections in India are termed the “dance of democracy” except that such dances can sometimes be fatal. As the people of Nagaland ready themselves for the 13th Assembly election which is fraught with ambiguities, such as the allegedly much hated Neiphiu Rio being elected unopposed, it would be interesting to watch how things finally play out in this state of the famous Hornbill Festival. People are keeping their fingers crossed that voting will be incident free considering the call earlier given by a confederation of NGOs demanding that the Naga solution should precede elections. Apparently the Interlocutor, RN Ravi had requested this confederation named the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) to allow for free and fair polling as the talks are progressing on schedule. It is in this murky scenario that the 227 candidates who have filed their nominations are heading for the polls. The NPF is contesting 58 seats, the NDPP 40 seats, the BJP 20, and Congress 18 apart from Independents. It is intuitive that the Congress which had provided three chief ministers to Nagaland is relegated to a position lower than that of the BJP. The Congress is apparently trying to work out a post-poll alignment with the NPF. This time 5 brave women are also in the fray. We can only keep our fingers crossed that democracy wins the day! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: If Church is a moral force in Nagaland, why has it failed to control corruption?

There are three certainties in the outcome of the Nagaland Assembly election. The first is that the Congress will not form the Government. The second is that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not form the Government on its own. And the third is that one of the two main regional parties of the state will emerge with the largest number of seats.&nbsp;

This situation may appear to be even-handed for both the national parties, but it&rsquo;s not so. The Congress is at a distinct disadvantage vis-&agrave;-vis the BJP because it is a loner in the State. The BJP has tied up with the formidable National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Moreover, it&rsquo;s open to doing business with the other major contender, the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF). It would be a miracle if either of the two regional outfits align with the Congress, even if for opportunistic reasons, after the results are out on March 3.

The reason why neither the NDPP nor the NPF sees the Congress either as a threat or a potential partner is simple. The Congress is contesting just 18 out of the 60 Assembly seats. Apparently, it ran out of both money and candidates. &nbsp;This is indeed dismal for a party that has given three chief ministers to the State &mdash; and also given that Nagaland&rsquo;s demographic profile (with nearly 90 per cent of the population being Christian) is considered just the right one for the party&rsquo;s &lsquo;secular&rsquo; image.&nbsp;

The BJP, on the other hand, is better placed, with its present alliance and with the prospect of a different tie-up if the occasion demands. At 20, it is also contesting a slightly higher number of seats than the Congress, with the NDPP having its nominees in the rest. And, although it is subordinate to the regional party, the BJP has been aggressive in its campaigns, with the party&rsquo;s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning there. The contrast with its national rival is evident. The Congress has virtually thrown in the towel, with no national leader of substance bothering to canvas for the election.

The start of the Congress&rsquo;s downfall can be traced to some five years ago. It had won eight seats in the 2013 Assembly election (having fought on 56 seats) and emerged as the main Opposition. This was bad enough numerically. But less than two years later, worse followed. All of these eight MLAs crossed over to the NPF. Various local factors can be attributed to this migration, but there was also a failure at the Congress&rsquo;s central leadership level to effectively handle the dissatisfaction of its State representatives. It&rsquo;s a failure similar to that we have seen repeatedly in other northeastern States, with Arunachal Pradesh and Assam being two prominent instances.&nbsp;

By contrast, the BJP has been gaining ground since around the same time. It had just one Legislator from the 11 seats it contested, but its tally shot up to four when three Nationalist Congress Party MLAs switched to its side. The party has also played smart. It realised the futility of making a dent on its own. The NPF was the obvious candidate to woo. The NPF had won 38 seats and secured 47 per cent of the total votes in the 2013 Assembly poll. Not only did the BJP align with the NPF, it very recently decided for tactical reasons, to &lsquo;temporarily&rsquo; dump it in favour of the NDPP. The NPF, though, remains part of the NDA grouping at the Centre.

The flip side of the rise of the two regional parties is the political instability that has besieged Nagaland. This should be food for thought for the voters when they troop to the polling booths on February 27. The State has had four chief ministers &mdash; and thus as many regimes &mdash; since May 2014. The main reason for the fluidity has been the infidelity of the MLAs. The NDPP&rsquo;s formation received a fillip when senior NPF leader and former Chief Minister Neiphu Rio joined its ranks. Since then, the NDPP, which began as a breakaway faction of the NPF, has emerged as a strong entity, with more arrivals from the original party, and Rio is the chief ministerial candidate in case the NDPP-BJP coalition wins.

But the NPF is not a spent force yet. Aware of the crisis it faces, the party has sought to stem the tide by giving tickets to just 10 of the 48 sitting Legislators. It has also made light of the desertions, saying that those who left had become liabilities for the party.&nbsp;

Besides political instability, the other issue which has troubled voters of the state for years is the failure of governments, both in the State and at the Centre, to end the civil strife. They are curious and even anxious to know more about the framework agreement which the Centre has finalised after talks with the insurgent Naga group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah). The framework agreement had been inked by the two parties some two years ago, but its details are still under wraps. The Prime Minister said at a rally in the State that the political solution in the pipeline would be &ldquo;honourable and well-deserving for the people of Nagaland&rdquo;. A few local parties had threatened to boycott the February 27 election in protest against the Centre&rsquo;s failure to make the details public, but that call fizzled out. However, the Centre and the incoming State regime will not be able to avoid the contentious issue for long.&nbsp;

Nagaland&rsquo;s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord. Minus one of these, the potential for socio-economic disruptions will always linger. The BJP-led regime at the Centre will have nobody to blame but itself in case the failure happens even after Kohima gets a government that is aligned with it.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Nagaland’s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord.

There are three certainties in the outcome of the Nagaland Assembly election. The first is that the Congress will not form the Government. The second is that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not form the Government on its own. And the third is that one of the two main regional parties of the state will emerge with the largest number of seats. This situation may appear to be even-handed for both the national parties, but it’s not so. The Congress is at a distinct disadvantage vis-à-vis the BJP because it is a loner in the State. The BJP has tied up with the formidable National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Moreover, it’s open to doing business with the other major contender, the Naga People’s Front (NPF). It would be a miracle if either of the two regional outfits align with the Congress, even if for opportunistic reasons, after the results are out on March 3. The reason why neither the NDPP nor the NPF sees the Congress either as a threat or a potential partner is simple. The Congress is contesting just 18 out of the 60 Assembly seats. Apparently, it ran out of both money and candidates. This is indeed dismal for a party that has given three chief ministers to the State — and also given that Nagaland’s demographic profile (with nearly 90 per cent of the population being Christian) is considered just the right one for the party’s ‘secular’ image. The BJP, on the other hand, is better placed, with its present alliance and with the prospect of a different tie-up if the occasion demands. At 20, it is also contesting a slightly higher number of seats than the Congress, with the NDPP having its nominees in the rest. And, although it is subordinate to the regional party, the BJP has been aggressive in its campaigns, with the party’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning there. The contrast with its national rival is evident. The Congress has virtually thrown in the towel, with no national leader of substance bothering to canvas for the election. The start of the Congress’s downfall can be traced to some five years ago. It had won eight seats in the 2013 Assembly election (having fought on 56 seats) and emerged as the main Opposition. This was bad enough numerically. But less than two years later, worse followed. All of these eight MLAs crossed over to the NPF. Various local factors can be attributed to this migration, but there was also a failure at the Congress’s central leadership level to effectively handle the dissatisfaction of its State representatives. It’s a failure similar to that we have seen repeatedly in other northeastern States, with Arunachal Pradesh and Assam being two prominent instances. By contrast, the BJP has been gaining ground since around the same time. It had just one Legislator from the 11 seats it contested, but its tally shot up to four when three Nationalist Congress Party MLAs switched to its side. The party has also played smart. It realised the futility of making a dent on its own. The NPF was the obvious candidate to woo. The NPF had won 38 seats and secured 47 per cent of the total votes in the 2013 Assembly poll. Not only did the BJP align with the NPF, it very recently decided for tactical reasons, to ‘temporarily’ dump it in favour of the NDPP. The NPF, though, remains part of the NDA grouping at the Centre. The flip side of the rise of the two regional parties is the political instability that has besieged Nagaland. This should be food for thought for the voters when they troop to the polling booths on February 27. The State has had four chief ministers — and thus as many regimes — since May 2014. The main reason for the fluidity has been the infidelity of the MLAs. The NDPP’s formation received a fillip when senior NPF leader and former Chief Minister Neiphu Rio joined its ranks. Since then, the NDPP, which began as a breakaway faction of the NPF, has emerged as a strong entity, with more arrivals from the original party, and Rio is the chief ministerial candidate in case the NDPP-BJP coalition wins. But the NPF is not a spent force yet. Aware of the crisis it faces, the party has sought to stem the tide by giving tickets to just 10 of the 48 sitting Legislators. It has also made light of the desertions, saying that those who left had become liabilities for the party. Besides political instability, the other issue which has troubled voters of the state for years is the failure of governments, both in the State and at the Centre, to end the civil strife. They are curious and even anxious to know more about the framework agreement which the Centre has finalised after talks with the insurgent Naga group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah). The framework agreement had been inked by the two parties some two years ago, but its details are still under wraps. The Prime Minister said at a rally in the State that the political solution in the pipeline would be “honourable and well-deserving for the people of Nagaland”. A few local parties had threatened to boycott the February 27 election in protest against the Centre’s failure to make the details public, but that call fizzled out. However, the Centre and the incoming State regime will not be able to avoid the contentious issue for long. Nagaland’s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord. Minus one of these, the potential for socio-economic disruptions will always linger. The BJP-led regime at the Centre will have nobody to blame but itself in case the failure happens even after Kohima gets a government that is aligned with it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Nagaland's political instability is the biggest challenge to BJP, Congress and others

While the nation is recovering from the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959"> shocking news </a>of Bollywood superstar <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevis-mortal-remains-to-be-brought-back-to-mumbai-by-monday-morning-33998">Sridevi&#39;s death</a>, the Congress party has come under the radar over the condolence message it had tweeted.&nbsp;

Sridevi, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last.&nbsp;

Congress condemned the actor&#39;s demise in a Tweet which read: &quot;We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. Our deepest condolence to her loved ones. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the UPA govt in 2013.&quot;

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The deleted tweet posted by Congress (Twitter)
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Although, soon after facing backlash from the public for politicising the issue, it deleted the Tweet and in order to cover up it posted a series of Tweets talking about the actor&#39;s journey on Bollywood.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-had-no-history-of-heart-ailment-sanjay-kapoor-34009">Sridevi had no history of heart ailment: Sanjay Kapoor</a>

The re-posted Tweet said: &quot;We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work.&nbsp;Our deepest condolences to her loved ones.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. 
Our deepest condolences to her loved ones. <a href="https://t.co/RPagwsnX9h">pic.twitter.com/RPagwsnX9h</a>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/967614355779944448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Followed by three more posts, praising her career and expressing their thoughts on her demise.&nbsp;

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She received a multitude of awards including the fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2013 by the Govt of India &amp; 6 Filmfare awards, the first at the age of 14. Sridevi started her career at the age of 4 in &#39;Thunaivan&#39;. Her Bollywood debut was in &#39;Julie&#39; at 12. <a href="https://t.co/xQ1Kax4emV">pic.twitter.com/xQ1Kax4emV</a>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/967614382707363840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A versatile performer, she acted in numerous Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and&nbsp;Kannada films. 
Sridevi&#39;s many successes included the critically acclaimed Sadma, ChaalBaaz, Lamhe, Khuda Gawah&nbsp;and&nbsp;Judaai. <a href="https://t.co/Jl1DC7UvJI">pic.twitter.com/Jl1DC7UvJI</a>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/967614391549026304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In 2012, after a 15 year break she delivered the much appreciated English Vinglish. She is India&#39;s first female superstar. She&#39;ll be missed. <a href="https://t.co/sd3FfF8azT">pic.twitter.com/sd3FfF8azT</a>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/967614398310199296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, Twitterati did not spare the party and managed to voice their anger regardless.&nbsp;

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Nonsense party. 
 
Nobody is interested in receiving your award. 
 
The award is constitutional and given by Government of India not by your cheap political party. 
 
This tweet shows the character of INC.
&mdash; Sandeep Kumar (@Sandeep82200924) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sandeep82200924/status/967639279701704704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Inka kaam hei - Lashon pe rajniti karna, and chitaon pe roti sekna. <a href="https://t.co/jr71s5SPbv">pic.twitter.com/jr71s5SPbv</a>
&mdash; Praveen Agrawal (@agrawalp2001) <a href="https://twitter.com/agrawalp2001/status/967617166676807681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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They make us easier everyday not to vote for them.
&mdash; AnkurJ (@monsternaath) <a href="https://twitter.com/monsternaath/status/967634895077076992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> you guys are so crazzyyy. Twit edit krke kuch fark nai padega. Sabko pata he aap logo ki ghatia shoch. SHAME ON YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CONGRESS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CONGRESS</a>
&mdash; Sanket (@sanketapnchl) <a href="https://twitter.com/sanketapnchl/status/967711959016726529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The actress, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last.&nbsp;

Soon after the tweet was shared, the Twitterati attacked the Congress for making the death of the actor political

While the nation is recovering from the shocking news of Bollywood superstar Sridevi's death, the Congress party has come under the radar over the condolence message it had tweeted. Sridevi, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last. Congress condemned the actor's demise in a Tweet which read: "We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. Our deepest condolence to her loved ones. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the UPA govt in 2013." The deleted tweet posted by Congress (Twitter) × Although, soon after facing backlash from the public for politicising the issue, it deleted the Tweet and in order to cover up it posted a series of Tweets talking about the actor's journey on Bollywood. Also read: Sridevi had no history of heart ailment: Sanjay Kapoor The re-posted Tweet said: "We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. Our deepest condolences to her loved ones." We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. Our deepest condolences to her loved ones. pic.twitter.com/RPagwsnX9h — Congress (@INCIndia) February 25, 2018 × Followed by three more posts, praising her career and expressing their thoughts on her demise. She received a multitude of awards including the fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2013 by the Govt of India & 6 Filmfare awards, the first at the age of 14. Sridevi started her career at the age of 4 in 'Thunaivan'. Her Bollywood debut was in 'Julie' at 12. pic.twitter.com/xQ1Kax4emV — Congress (@INCIndia) February 25, 2018 × A versatile performer, she acted in numerous Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Sridevi's many successes included the critically acclaimed Sadma, ChaalBaaz, Lamhe, Khuda Gawah and Judaai. pic.twitter.com/Jl1DC7UvJI — Congress (@INCIndia) February 25, 2018 × In 2012, after a 15 year break she delivered the much appreciated English Vinglish. She is India's first female superstar. She'll be missed. pic.twitter.com/sd3FfF8azT — Congress (@INCIndia) February 25, 2018 × However, Twitterati did not spare the party and managed to voice their anger regardless. Nonsense party. Nobody is interested in receiving your award. The award is constitutional and given by Government of India not by your cheap political party. This tweet shows the character of INC. — Sandeep Kumar (@Sandeep82200924) February 25, 2018 × Inka kaam hei - Lashon pe rajniti karna, and chitaon pe roti sekna. pic.twitter.com/jr71s5SPbv — Praveen Agrawal (@agrawalp2001) February 25, 2018 × They make us easier everyday not to vote for them. — AnkurJ (@monsternaath) February 25, 2018 × @INCIndia you guys are so crazzyyy. Twit edit krke kuch fark nai padega. Sabko pata he aap logo ki ghatia shoch. SHAME ON YOU #CONGRESS — Sanket (@sanketapnchl) February 25, 2018 × The actress, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last.

Congress faces backlash over tweet on Sridevi's death

Congress leader and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor attacked the BJP government on GST by saying that the ruling dispensation &#39;&#39;took our concept of a sleek horse and turned it into an ungainly camel&#39;&#39;.

&#39;&#39;I stand by GST as a good idea needed to create &quot;one nation one tax&quot;. But BJP Govt took our concept of a sleek horse &amp;turned it into an ungainly camel. In the process, many SMEs have closed &amp;thousands of jobs lost. Instead of #MakeInIndia we have #UnmadeInIndia.&#39;&#39; he tweeted.

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I stand by GST as a good idea needed to create &quot;one nation one tax&quot;. But BJP Govt took our concept of a sleek horse &amp;turned it into an ungainly camel. In the process many SMEs have closed &amp;thousands of jobs lost. Instead of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakeInIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakeInIndia</a> we have <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnmadeInIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UnmadeInIndia</a>. <a href="https://t.co/d4RqIlttPk">https://t.co/d4RqIlttPk</a>
&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/967646896205586432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Tharoor&#39;s response comes following a tweet by Mohandas Pai, who tweeted &#39;&#39;What a joke. Why is @ShashiTharoor favouring people who evade taxes and deal mainly in cash? Instead of standing up for taxpayers supports cash-based tax evaders. Shocking.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;

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What a joke. Why is <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShashiTharoor</a> favouring people who evade taxes and deal mainly in cash? Instead of standing up for tax payers supports cash based tax evaders. Shocking <a href="https://t.co/vwukCuAw6G">https://t.co/vwukCuAw6G</a>
&mdash; Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVMohandasPai/status/967454750256988160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the &quot;botched&quot; implementation of the Goods and Services Tax has created a &quot;Frankenstein monster&quot; in the bureaucracy where every small firm has to fill in several forms. &quot;We had one nation, one tax model. We did not have any idea that BJP will come with six different rates,&quot; he told reporters here.

Noting that the entrepreneurial spirit in the country was &quot;severely eroded&quot; due to GST and demonetisation, he said, instead of facilitating Start-Up India, the report from Tiruppur shows that central government policies &quot;undermine&quot; the spirit of entrepreneurship.

&quot;This is a great disappointment. We are not judging the government by our yardsticks. We are judging the government by what they claim and what they are trying to do,&quot; the MP said. &quot;They have failed in terms of their own goals. Their slogans and empty speeches have never looked more hollow when you look at this report from Tiruppur&quot;, he said.

Modi-led NDA government has often been criticised after it dealt a twin blow to the Indian economy by announcing invalidation of high-value currency notes and hurried implementation of GST. The moves resulted in thousands job loss, especially in SMEs and put the&nbsp;brakes on&nbsp;GDP growth rates.&nbsp;

Tharoor's response comes following a tweet by Mohandas Pai

Congress leader and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor attacked the BJP government on GST by saying that the ruling dispensation ''took our concept of a sleek horse and turned it into an ungainly camel''. ''I stand by GST as a good idea needed to create "one nation one tax". But BJP Govt took our concept of a sleek horse &turned it into an ungainly camel. In the process, many SMEs have closed &thousands of jobs lost. Instead of #MakeInIndia we have #UnmadeInIndia.'' he tweeted. I stand by GST as a good idea needed to create "one nation one tax". But BJP Govt took our concept of a sleek horse &turned it into an ungainly camel. In the process many SMEs have closed &thousands of jobs lost. Instead of #MakeInIndia we have #UnmadeInIndia. https://t.co/d4RqIlttPk — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 25, 2018 × Tharoor's response comes following a tweet by Mohandas Pai, who tweeted ''What a joke. Why is @ShashiTharoor favouring people who evade taxes and deal mainly in cash? Instead of standing up for taxpayers supports cash-based tax evaders. Shocking.'' What a joke. Why is @ShashiTharoor favouring people who evade taxes and deal mainly in cash? Instead of standing up for tax payers supports cash based tax evaders. Shocking https://t.co/vwukCuAw6G — Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) February 24, 2018 × Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the "botched" implementation of the Goods and Services Tax has created a "Frankenstein monster" in the bureaucracy where every small firm has to fill in several forms. "We had one nation, one tax model. We did not have any idea that BJP will come with six different rates," he told reporters here. Noting that the entrepreneurial spirit in the country was "severely eroded" due to GST and demonetisation, he said, instead of facilitating Start-Up India, the report from Tiruppur shows that central government policies "undermine" the spirit of entrepreneurship. "This is a great disappointment. We are not judging the government by our yardsticks. We are judging the government by what they claim and what they are trying to do," the MP said. "They have failed in terms of their own goals. Their slogans and empty speeches have never looked more hollow when you look at this report from Tiruppur", he said. Modi-led NDA government has often been criticised after it dealt a twin blow to the Indian economy by announcing invalidation of high-value currency notes and hurried implementation of GST. The moves resulted in thousands job loss, especially in SMEs and put the brakes on GDP growth rates.

Govt took our concept of sleek horse and turned it into ungainly camel: Shashi Tharoor on GST

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevis-mortal-remains-to-be-brought-back-to-mumbai-by-sunday-evening-33998">Sridevi&#39;s mortal remains to be brought back to Mumbai by Sunday evening</a>

The news of actress Sridevi&#39;s death has left the entire country in shock. The actress, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last. Sridevi&#39;s mortal remains are expected to be brought back to her Mumbai home on Sunday evening by chartered flight, Mumbai International Airport officials have stated.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-proposes-removal-of-two-term-limit-for-president-reports-34002">China proposes removal of two-term limit for president: Reports</a>

China&#39;s Central Committee proposed on Sunday to remove a limit of two consecutive terms for the president and vice president, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The committee proposed removing the clause &quot;shall serve no more than two consecutive terms&quot; from the constitution, Xinhua reported.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-conducts-successful-test-flight-of-rustom-2-drone-34016">Watch: India conducts successful test flight of Rustom 2 drone</a>

India&#39;s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday conducted a successful test flight of the Rustom 2 drone at the aeronautical test range at Chalakere in Chitradurga in the South Indian state of Karnataka. This flight is being viewed as significant given the fact that this was the first flight undertaken with a higher power engine. The DRDO said that all parameters during the flight were normal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/parties-who-governed-puducherry-did-injustice-to-people-says-pm-modi-34010">&#39;Parties who governed Puducherry did injustice to people&#39;, says PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress for the underdevelopment of the union territory Puducherry. While addressing a public rally in the Union Territory, PM Modi said Puducherry has poor infrastructure and transport system and is a victim of Congress culture.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">North Korea willing to hold talks with </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/north-korea-willing-to-hold-talks-with-us-says-seoul-34014">, says Seoul</a>

Days after the United States office reported that North Korea cancelled a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence at the last minute, fresh reports emerged that now Pyongyang is willing to hold dialogue. According to Seoul&#39;s presidential Blue House, North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States, its delegation to the Winter Olympics closing ceremony said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Sridevi's mortal remains to be brought back to Mumbai by Sunday evening The news of actress Sridevi's death has left the entire country in shock. The actress, 54, was in Dubai for a family wedding when she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi were by her side when she breathed her last. Sridevi's mortal remains are expected to be brought back to her Mumbai home on Sunday evening by chartered flight, Mumbai International Airport officials have stated. China proposes removal of two-term limit for president: Reports China's Central Committee proposed on Sunday to remove a limit of two consecutive terms for the president and vice president, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The committee proposed removing the clause "shall serve no more than two consecutive terms" from the constitution, Xinhua reported. Watch: India conducts successful test flight of Rustom 2 drone India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday conducted a successful test flight of the Rustom 2 drone at the aeronautical test range at Chalakere in Chitradurga in the South Indian state of Karnataka. This flight is being viewed as significant given the fact that this was the first flight undertaken with a higher power engine. The DRDO said that all parameters during the flight were normal. 'Parties who governed Puducherry did injustice to people', says PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress for the underdevelopment of the union territory Puducherry. While addressing a public rally in the Union Territory, PM Modi said Puducherry has poor infrastructure and transport system and is a victim of Congress culture. North Korea willing to hold talks with US, says Seoul Days after the United States office reported that North Korea cancelled a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence at the last minute, fresh reports emerged that now Pyongyang is willing to hold dialogue. According to Seoul's presidential Blue House, North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States, its delegation to the Winter Olympics closing ceremony said on Sunday.

WION Evening News brief, February 25, 2018

Former Congress chief and Rae Bareli MP Sonia Gandhi canceled her visit last moment after concerns over her health, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Gandhi, who had plans to go to her parliamentary constituency for a one-day visit after about two years, canceled last moment due to &quot;unavoidable reasons,&quot; her representative K L Sharma said.&nbsp;

Sharma had informed the representatives in Rae&nbsp;Bareli about the update on Friday night, District Congress President VK Shukla said.

&quot;Gandhi&#39;s day-long visit has been canceled due to unavoidable reasons. We informed district officials about it late last night,&quot; her representative K L Sharma said.&nbsp;

Gandhi was to inaugurate various schemes from MP&#39;s discretionary fund at Bhuemau guest house and meet party leaders there.&nbsp;

Gandhi was to inaugurate various schemes from MP's discretionary fund at Bhuemau guest house and meet party leaders there

Former Congress chief and Rae Bareli MP Sonia Gandhi canceled her visit last moment after concerns over her health, reports said on Saturday. Gandhi, who had plans to go to her parliamentary constituency for a one-day visit after about two years, canceled last moment due to "unavoidable reasons," her representative K L Sharma said. Sharma had informed the representatives in Rae Bareli about the update on Friday night, District Congress President VK Shukla said. "Gandhi's day-long visit has been canceled due to unavoidable reasons. We informed district officials about it late last night," her representative K L Sharma said. Gandhi was to inaugurate various schemes from MP's discretionary fund at Bhuemau guest house and meet party leaders there.

Sonia Gandhi cancels visit to Rae Bareli

The BJP on Saturday asked Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to apologise for comparing the party to a dog.

Shashi Tharoor had said that the Meghalaya&rsquo;s regional National People&#39;s Party (NPP) was allied to the BJP just like &quot;the tail that is wagging along whenever the dog barks.&quot;

&quot;NPP is saying to Meghalaya that they are independent and contesting by themselves everywhere else, but in Meghalaya they are allied to BJP and attaching themselves as the tail that is wagging along whenever the dog barks,&quot; Shashi Tharoor had said in Shillong.

An affronted BJP said it was &quot;shocked&quot; with the language used by Tharoor for political parties.

&quot;We&#39;re shocked with the language used by Shashi Tharoor for political parties in terms of referring to a regional party as the wagging tail of a dog and by implication referring to the BJP literally as a dog. We demand an apology from Shashi Tharoor and the Congress,&quot; said BJP leader Nalin Kohli.

In an indirect reference to Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader said, &quot;Shashi Tharoor&#39;s political master may have special affinity for certain pet dog Pidi (Rahul Gandhi&#39;s pet dog) may also prefer spending time feeding Pidi than attending to senior political functionaries. It doesn&#39;t mean you&#39;ll reduce political parties to be referred to as dog and insult voters.&quot;

BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav called the remarks &quot;indecent&quot;. 
&nbsp;

An affronted BJP said it was 'shocked' with the language used by Shashi Tharoor for political parties

The BJP on Saturday asked Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to apologise for comparing the party to a dog. Shashi Tharoor had said that the Meghalaya’s regional National People's Party (NPP) was allied to the BJP just like "the tail that is wagging along whenever the dog barks." "NPP is saying to Meghalaya that they are independent and contesting by themselves everywhere else, but in Meghalaya they are allied to BJP and attaching themselves as the tail that is wagging along whenever the dog barks," Shashi Tharoor had said in Shillong. An affronted BJP said it was "shocked" with the language used by Tharoor for political parties. "We're shocked with the language used by Shashi Tharoor for political parties in terms of referring to a regional party as the wagging tail of a dog and by implication referring to the BJP literally as a dog. We demand an apology from Shashi Tharoor and the Congress," said BJP leader Nalin Kohli. In an indirect reference to Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader said, "Shashi Tharoor's political master may have special affinity for certain pet dog Pidi (Rahul Gandhi's pet dog) may also prefer spending time feeding Pidi than attending to senior political functionaries. It doesn't mean you'll reduce political parties to be referred to as dog and insult voters." BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav called the remarks "indecent".

BJP asks Shashi Tharoor to apologise for comparing party to dog

In normal circumstances, neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party would fret much over the electoral outcome of a small state such as Meghalaya. Both have larger national goals to achieve, and an assembly election in this northeastern state, which contributes just two seats to the Lok Sabha, should be no big deal for either of the national parties. But these are not normal circumstances. They are so far from normal that the parties&rsquo; tallest leaders, Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, have addressed public rallies there and aggressively wooed the voters.

What makes the situation so important?&nbsp;

For the Congress, Meghalaya represents one of the very few states in the country that it still rules. A loss here would be a double body blow. First, it would concede yet another state to the BJP. Second, it would embolden the BJP to pursue its political dominance in a region where until a couple of years ago, it was on the margins. The Congress has already lost vast ground across the country to the BJP, and while it is hoping to recoup in the coming State elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan &mdash; and retain Karnataka &mdash; that possibility remains in the realm of speculation for now.&nbsp;

The party has been reduced to such a state that even small wins in small states are to seized upon with glee. It has already lost Assam, where the BJP handed over a drubbing in the last assembly election. The Congress had failed to form governments in both Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. It has little prospect of doing well in Tripura, where voting has already taken place. Meghalaya, then, is its only hope in the North-East.&nbsp;

As far as the BJP is concerned, the battle for Meghalaya is an opportunity for the party to expand its footprints even more dramatically in the region. If it wins, it will have hit two birds with one stone: snatching yet another state from the Congress, and reinforcing its ambitious plans for the North-East through its special purpose political vehicle, the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) which it heads.&nbsp;

The BJP does not have smooth sailing, though. The challenges are many, but the foremost is the demographic profile of the State. Meghalaya may derive its name from Sanskrit, meaning the &lsquo;abode of clouds&rsquo;, but this is not going to come to the party&rsquo;s aid. Instead, the religious composition can cloud the BJP&rsquo;s chances in the state.

More than 80 per cent of the population is Christian, and the religious affiliation is spread across the most predominant Khasi and Garo communities. The Hindu faith is the major one among minor tribes such as the Hajong and the Koch. Christians are not known to be the most ardent admirers of the BJP anywhere in the country, and it remains to be seen if the voters of this faith go against the currently prevalent trend elsewhere in the country.

BJP leaders, both at the national and state levels, believe they can reverse the situation in Meghalaya through appeals in favour of development and against parochial considerations. They also feel that the sting can be later managed through post-poll understandings with regional parties which are not just more rooted to the socio-cultural ethos of the state but also command a significant amount of loyalty among the Christian community. For instance, while the National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP), founded by the late PA Sangma, is contesting on its own, the possibility of its aligning with the BJP after the election in government formation, cannot be ruled out. The NPP is fighting the electoral battle on its own for tactical reasons &mdash; it does not want to alienate the section of its voters that is uncomfortable with the BJP.

Meanwhile, the BJP&rsquo;s cause has been somewhat helped by the migration of leaders in the past months away from the Congress. Besides, the party has kept away from contentious issues like the beef ban, which it belligerently promotes in other parts of the country, and even that of illegal migration with a view to appeasing the non-tribal voters.&nbsp;

The Congress is, on the other hand, banking on the very issue that is a challenge for the BJP &mdash; the demographic composition. It has over the years build a solid support base among the Christians and is not hesitant to exploit it. During one of his recent trips to the state, party president Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of trying to &lsquo;purchase&rsquo; the loyalty of the Church there.&nbsp;

Interestingly, while a good part of the local BJP leadership in Meghalaya has come from other parties, the Congress too established its base in the state in a similar fashion some 40 years ago, when an influential organisation, the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC), merged lock, stock and barrel, with the national party. The APHLC had spearheaded the formation of Meghalaya as a separate entity. From then on, the Congress had been on a roll, at times tying up with regional outfits to govern.

The 2018 election will, in many ways, be its first real test in many years. Given how the BJP upstaged the Congress in Manipur despite not even being the party with the largest number of seats, the state Congress leadership does not want to take chances with a hung assembly and is going all out to secure a clear majority.

In this regard, there is much at stake for the local leadership led by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. Not only is he contesting from two constituencies, but his wife too is seeking re-election. Besides, the Chief Minister&rsquo;s brother and the brother&rsquo;s wife too, are contestants. To be fair to the Chief Minister, his is not the only family in the fray; the NPP too is involved in family politics. If all goes well for the Congress, the dynasty issue will not be relevant; if the party fares badly, then he will have to take the rap for brazenly promoting his family.&nbsp;

In the midst of all these calculations, are the real issues of development. Here, while the Congress is on slippery ground, the BJP cannot take it for granted that the promise of inclusive development and growth will necessarily lure voters to its side. Road connectivity in shambles, the primary education system in rural Meghalaya is creaking, basic healthcare in far-flung regions is poor, the power supply is erratic in small towns and villages, agriculture which is the mainstay for a large section of population is in a bad shape, and there is a grave scarcity of potable water. It can be argued that these malaises are not unique to Meghalaya. Even other states, including BJP-ruled ones, suffer similarly. The question is: Will voters buy the reasoning?&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BJP leaders believe they can reverse the situation in Meghalaya through appeals in favour of development and against parochial considerations.

In normal circumstances, neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party would fret much over the electoral outcome of a small state such as Meghalaya. Both have larger national goals to achieve, and an assembly election in this northeastern state, which contributes just two seats to the Lok Sabha, should be no big deal for either of the national parties. But these are not normal circumstances. They are so far from normal that the parties’ tallest leaders, Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, have addressed public rallies there and aggressively wooed the voters. What makes the situation so important? For the Congress, Meghalaya represents one of the very few states in the country that it still rules. A loss here would be a double body blow. First, it would concede yet another state to the BJP. Second, it would embolden the BJP to pursue its political dominance in a region where until a couple of years ago, it was on the margins. The Congress has already lost vast ground across the country to the BJP, and while it is hoping to recoup in the coming State elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — and retain Karnataka — that possibility remains in the realm of speculation for now. The party has been reduced to such a state that even small wins in small states are to seized upon with glee. It has already lost Assam, where the BJP handed over a drubbing in the last assembly election. The Congress had failed to form governments in both Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. It has little prospect of doing well in Tripura, where voting has already taken place. Meghalaya, then, is its only hope in the North-East. As far as the BJP is concerned, the battle for Meghalaya is an opportunity for the party to expand its footprints even more dramatically in the region. If it wins, it will have hit two birds with one stone: snatching yet another state from the Congress, and reinforcing its ambitious plans for the North-East through its special purpose political vehicle, the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) which it heads. The BJP does not have smooth sailing, though. The challenges are many, but the foremost is the demographic profile of the State. Meghalaya may derive its name from Sanskrit, meaning the ‘abode of clouds’, but this is not going to come to the party’s aid. Instead, the religious composition can cloud the BJP’s chances in the state. More than 80 per cent of the population is Christian, and the religious affiliation is spread across the most predominant Khasi and Garo communities. The Hindu faith is the major one among minor tribes such as the Hajong and the Koch. Christians are not known to be the most ardent admirers of the BJP anywhere in the country, and it remains to be seen if the voters of this faith go against the currently prevalent trend elsewhere in the country. BJP leaders, both at the national and state levels, believe they can reverse the situation in Meghalaya through appeals in favour of development and against parochial considerations. They also feel that the sting can be later managed through post-poll understandings with regional parties which are not just more rooted to the socio-cultural ethos of the state but also command a significant amount of loyalty among the Christian community. For instance, while the National People’s Party (NPP), founded by the late PA Sangma, is contesting on its own, the possibility of its aligning with the BJP after the election in government formation, cannot be ruled out. The NPP is fighting the electoral battle on its own for tactical reasons — it does not want to alienate the section of its voters that is uncomfortable with the BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP’s cause has been somewhat helped by the migration of leaders in the past months away from the Congress. Besides, the party has kept away from contentious issues like the beef ban, which it belligerently promotes in other parts of the country, and even that of illegal migration with a view to appeasing the non-tribal voters. The Congress is, on the other hand, banking on the very issue that is a challenge for the BJP — the demographic composition. It has over the years build a solid support base among the Christians and is not hesitant to exploit it. During one of his recent trips to the state, party president Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of trying to ‘purchase’ the loyalty of the Church there. Interestingly, while a good part of the local BJP leadership in Meghalaya has come from other parties, the Congress too established its base in the state in a similar fashion some 40 years ago, when an influential organisation, the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC), merged lock, stock and barrel, with the national party. The APHLC had spearheaded the formation of Meghalaya as a separate entity. From then on, the Congress had been on a roll, at times tying up with regional outfits to govern. The 2018 election will, in many ways, be its first real test in many years. Given how the BJP upstaged the Congress in Manipur despite not even being the party with the largest number of seats, the state Congress leadership does not want to take chances with a hung assembly and is going all out to secure a clear majority. In this regard, there is much at stake for the local leadership led by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. Not only is he contesting from two constituencies, but his wife too is seeking re-election. Besides, the Chief Minister’s brother and the brother’s wife too, are contestants. To be fair to the Chief Minister, his is not the only family in the fray; the NPP too is involved in family politics. If all goes well for the Congress, the dynasty issue will not be relevant; if the party fares badly, then he will have to take the rap for brazenly promoting his family. In the midst of all these calculations, are the real issues of development. Here, while the Congress is on slippery ground, the BJP cannot take it for granted that the promise of inclusive development and growth will necessarily lure voters to its side. Road connectivity in shambles, the primary education system in rural Meghalaya is creaking, basic healthcare in far-flung regions is poor, the power supply is erratic in small towns and villages, agriculture which is the mainstay for a large section of population is in a bad shape, and there is a grave scarcity of potable water. It can be argued that these malaises are not unique to Meghalaya. Even other states, including BJP-ruled ones, suffer similarly. The question is: Will voters buy the reasoning? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will Meghalaya prefer BJP over Congress's Mukul Sangma?

A few days back, there was a very interesting news piece. In the town Shamli of western UP,&nbsp; two dreaded criminals walked into the office of Police Superintendent and handed over an affidavit stating that they were leaving the crime world once and for all and going forward they would earn their bread with honesty and hard work.

This very clip manifest the changes which are ushering in the largest state of the country ever since Yogi Adityanath took over the reign around 11 months back. For someone like me who was born and brought up in UP, this is news of huge significance.

In 2005, when Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister of Bihar for the&nbsp;first time, my friend from college, who is from Bihar called me and said: &ldquo; we finally have our man, when will you have?&rdquo;.

There is a background to the question asked by my friend. UP and Bihar&nbsp;are two of the largest states in India. Combined together, these two states are 1/4th&nbsp;of India. Regretfully, these are the two states, who paid the hefty price for the political turmoil over the past three decades. Both states were left lurching and in the abysmal state on all indexes of development and human life.

For UP, it was a sorry figure for a state which has spearheaded the political, social and even&nbsp;economic&nbsp;activities of the country since the colonial times.

The process of decline started in 1985 when a few months after Indira Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination, Congress swept the assembly polls in Bihar and UP (with other states as well) with Rajiv Gandhi as the Congress supremo and Prime Minister. Rajiv Gandhi subverted constitutional values in a very big way and state governments were only interested in keeping their master happy. In UP and Bihar, Congress governments were jaded and with pathetic or say nil governance. The game of musical chair for chief ministership was on as Rajiv Gandhi was sacking and appointing them&nbsp;on&nbsp;his whims. The result, Congress lost base rapidly and voters alienated with Congress.

1990 was one plummeted steeply in the five years during 1985-90, lost its total voter base in UP and Bihar. In UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshiram made most of this situation and UP just got entrapped in caste-based politics with clear compartments of votes.

In UP, the deterioration was thick and fast in the new millennium. Mayawati had some hold on the governance during 2007-2012 but transparency was completely missing, financial irregularities were pervasive, and BSP cadre was busy in the organised loot from top to bottom.

But it was the rule of Samajwadi Party during 2003-07 and 2012-17, which hit UP the most. Corruption was rife and so was nepotism. Criminals got brazen political protection. As the epitome of worst of cast appeasement, each and every institution like Police, Public Service Commission, Public Works Department, etc, were disrupted and were flooded with people of just one caste. Once a transporter told his plight to me that how goons backed by political dispensation were robbing their fleets and drivers with sheer impunity. The corruption was at an unthinkable peak. A few years back, during the discussion with one supplier who used to supply consumables to UP&rsquo;s health department, it came out that he had to dole out Rs. 55,000 to babus and brokers for a billing of Rs. 1 Lakh. You can imagine what stuff a supplier would deliver after paying a 55% commission. This will also throw some light that how so many kids died in Gorakhpur Medical College a few months back.

The sign of revival was palpable, soon after Yogi took the reign in March 2017. He first attacked the UP&rsquo;s road, which was full of potholes. Then he came hard on illegal butcheries, which were an absolute menace and polluting environment in a big way (liberals ranted though on this and tried to give this a communal twist).

But Yogi&rsquo;s crackdown on criminals is his biggest achievement. Liberals are again ranting on possible human right&rsquo;s violation by Police but these liberals have little idea that how deep-rooted the problem of crimes is in UP. It warrants radical steps and Yogi is just doing that. It needs the shock therapy, which Yogi is providing.

Yogi is the man of action and his actions are decisive and bold. He recently cracked down on blatant cheating in UP Board examinations. To my surprise, I read a piece by a famous liberal, wherein Yogi was criticised that how Yogi is ruthless on cheaters and playing with the future of youth.

His investor summit in Lucknow has been encouraging on the first day itself on 21st&nbsp;Feb 2018. Narendra Modi who is the originator of this very Idea with his &ldquo;Vibrant Gujarat&rdquo; initiatives when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat himself was present and presided over.

So, finally, UP has its man, bit late albeit. Yogi has shown the glimpse that he can reinstate the lost glory of the largest state of the country.

Last but not the least, as UP send almost 15% of representative in the Lok Sabha, he is all important man for Modi and BJP as well in its run up to 2019. For the second term of Modi, UP would again play a decisive role and Yogi has the onus to deliver it, which he will.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Since Yogi Adityanath took the reign in March 2017, he has shown that he can reinstate the lost glory of the largest state of the country.

A few days back, there was a very interesting news piece. In the town Shamli of western UP, two dreaded criminals walked into the office of Police Superintendent and handed over an affidavit stating that they were leaving the crime world once and for all and going forward they would earn their bread with honesty and hard work. This very clip manifest the changes which are ushering in the largest state of the country ever since Yogi Adityanath took over the reign around 11 months back. For someone like me who was born and brought up in UP, this is news of huge significance. In 2005, when Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time, my friend from college, who is from Bihar called me and said: “ we finally have our man, when will you have?”. There is a background to the question asked by my friend. UP and Bihar are two of the largest states in India. Combined together, these two states are 1/4th of India. Regretfully, these are the two states, who paid the hefty price for the political turmoil over the past three decades. Both states were left lurching and in the abysmal state on all indexes of development and human life. For UP, it was a sorry figure for a state which has spearheaded the political, social and even economic activities of the country since the colonial times. The process of decline started in 1985 when a few months after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Congress swept the assembly polls in Bihar and UP (with other states as well) with Rajiv Gandhi as the Congress supremo and Prime Minister. Rajiv Gandhi subverted constitutional values in a very big way and state governments were only interested in keeping their master happy. In UP and Bihar, Congress governments were jaded and with pathetic or say nil governance. The game of musical chair for chief ministership was on as Rajiv Gandhi was sacking and appointing them on his whims. The result, Congress lost base rapidly and voters alienated with Congress. 1990 was one plummeted steeply in the five years during 1985-90, lost its total voter base in UP and Bihar. In UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshiram made most of this situation and UP just got entrapped in caste-based politics with clear compartments of votes. In UP, the deterioration was thick and fast in the new millennium. Mayawati had some hold on the governance during 2007-2012 but transparency was completely missing, financial irregularities were pervasive, and BSP cadre was busy in the organised loot from top to bottom. But it was the rule of Samajwadi Party during 2003-07 and 2012-17, which hit UP the most. Corruption was rife and so was nepotism. Criminals got brazen political protection. As the epitome of worst of cast appeasement, each and every institution like Police, Public Service Commission, Public Works Department, etc, were disrupted and were flooded with people of just one caste. Once a transporter told his plight to me that how goons backed by political dispensation were robbing their fleets and drivers with sheer impunity. The corruption was at an unthinkable peak. A few years back, during the discussion with one supplier who used to supply consumables to UP’s health department, it came out that he had to dole out Rs. 55,000 to babus and brokers for a billing of Rs. 1 Lakh. You can imagine what stuff a supplier would deliver after paying a 55% commission. This will also throw some light that how so many kids died in Gorakhpur Medical College a few months back. The sign of revival was palpable, soon after Yogi took the reign in March 2017. He first attacked the UP’s road, which was full of potholes. Then he came hard on illegal butcheries, which were an absolute menace and polluting environment in a big way (liberals ranted though on this and tried to give this a communal twist). But Yogi’s crackdown on criminals is his biggest achievement. Liberals are again ranting on possible human right’s violation by Police but these liberals have little idea that how deep-rooted the problem of crimes is in UP. It warrants radical steps and Yogi is just doing that. It needs the shock therapy, which Yogi is providing. Yogi is the man of action and his actions are decisive and bold. He recently cracked down on blatant cheating in UP Board examinations. To my surprise, I read a piece by a famous liberal, wherein Yogi was criticised that how Yogi is ruthless on cheaters and playing with the future of youth. His investor summit in Lucknow has been encouraging on the first day itself on 21st Feb 2018. Narendra Modi who is the originator of this very Idea with his “Vibrant Gujarat” initiatives when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat himself was present and presided over. So, finally, UP has its man, bit late albeit. Yogi has shown the glimpse that he can reinstate the lost glory of the largest state of the country. Last but not the least, as UP send almost 15% of representative in the Lok Sabha, he is all important man for Modi and BJP as well in its run up to 2019. For the second term of Modi, UP would again play a decisive role and Yogi has the onus to deliver it, which he will. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Yogi Adityanath is the man to root out crime in UP

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has started following some senior Congress leaders on Twitter of late, triggering speculation over his sudden interest in the party that he was once close to and had drifted away from. 
 
After following Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party&#39;s official Twitter handle, he began following senior leaders P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi from this month. 
 
He recently also started following party leaders Manish Tewari, Shakeel Ahmed, Sanjay Nirupam, Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Jha on the micro-blogging site. 
 
Bachchan, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family and a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat. He has over 33.1 million followers on Twitter and follows only 1,689 people. 
 
His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken the party by surprise. 
 
Some other opposition leaders whom the actor has started following recently, include RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti, JD(U)&#39;s Nitish Kumar, CPI-M&#39;s Sitaram Yechury. He also followed the RJD&#39;s official Twitter handle, NC&#39;s Omar Abdullah and NCP&#39;s Supriya Sule. 
 
The AAP leaders he started following recently are Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan. 
 
Manish Tewari, who was one of the Congress leaders recently followed by the actor, thanked him but did not say anything more on its timing and political significance. 
 
&quot;Thank you Sh Amitabh Bachan for following me and it is my privilege to follow the icon of Indian cinema who we grew up watching first-day first-show every new release. Those days in late 70&rsquo;s &amp; early 80&rsquo;s a balcony ticket in Chandigarh was Rs 3. Unbelievable today! @SrBachchan,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
The superstar also follows a number of BJP leaders. Of late, he started following ministers Nitin Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu.&nbsp;

His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken many by surprise

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has started following some senior Congress leaders on Twitter of late, triggering speculation over his sudden interest in the party that he was once close to and had drifted away from. After following Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party's official Twitter handle, he began following senior leaders P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi from this month. He recently also started following party leaders Manish Tewari, Shakeel Ahmed, Sanjay Nirupam, Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Jha on the micro-blogging site. Bachchan, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family and a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat. He has over 33.1 million followers on Twitter and follows only 1,689 people. His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken the party by surprise. Some other opposition leaders whom the actor has started following recently, include RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti, JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury. He also followed the RJD's official Twitter handle, NC's Omar Abdullah and NCP's Supriya Sule. The AAP leaders he started following recently are Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan. Manish Tewari, who was one of the Congress leaders recently followed by the actor, thanked him but did not say anything more on its timing and political significance. "Thank you Sh Amitabh Bachan for following me and it is my privilege to follow the icon of Indian cinema who we grew up watching first-day first-show every new release. Those days in late 70’s & early 80’s a balcony ticket in Chandigarh was Rs 3. Unbelievable today! @SrBachchan," he tweeted. The superstar also follows a number of BJP leaders. Of late, he started following ministers Nitin Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu.

Amitabh Bachchan starts following Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders; triggers speculation

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