<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-visit-arun-jaitley-shortly-may-ask-to-reconsider-his-decision-222585">Narendra Modi</a>, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls.

The 68-year-old stalwart leader is set to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/pm-narendra-modi-oath-ceremony-four-presidents-three-pms-and-millions-glued-on-tv-screens-222583">take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term today</a>.

President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office.

Born on September 17, 1950, Modi, the three-time Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001-2014) fought and won the 2014 general election to become Prime Minister.

Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi?

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With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971.

In his first term as PM, his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government launched several flagship schemes including the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana among others.

He also introduced demonetisation the Goods and Service Tax (GST).

Often termed as the 'People's Leader', Prime Minister Modi, a brilliant orator, is known for his powerful personal connection with the people on the ground.

In the just concluded mammoth elections, Modi plunged headlong into campaigning, addressing 142 rallies and conducting four roadshows.

The election results showed that the BJP gained 21 new seats.

The BJP, which won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament.

Ever since Modi became Prime Minister his party has formed governments in Assam and Tripura and has emerged as a force to reckon with in states like Odisha and West Bengal.

On the foreign policy front, his initiatives have realised the true potential and role of India on the world stage.

He began his term in office in presence of all heads of States of SAARC Nations. His address to the General Assembly of United Nations was appreciated by many.

Later on, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to embark on a bilateral visit to Nepal after a long period of 17 years, to Australia after 28 years, to Fiji after 31 years and Seychelles after 34 years.

During his first regime, Narendra Modi attended UN, BRICS, SAARC and G-20 Summits, where India's views on a variety of global economic and political issues, especially terrorism, were widely appreciated.

Modi managed to carve out personal equations with world leaders including with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During his visits abroad he actively sold Brand India, articulating a leadership role for India in the world and also leveraging the vast Indian diaspora to national causes.

This time around, Modi has reached out to BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member-states, whose leaders have confirmed their attendance for his swearing-in ceremony.

The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India.

President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony.

The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Narendra Modi, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls.

Narendra Modi, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls. The 68-year-old stalwart leader is set to take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term today. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office. Born on September 17, 1950, Modi, the three-time Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001-2014) fought and won the 2014 general election to become Prime Minister. Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi? With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971. In his first term as PM, his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government launched several flagship schemes including the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana among others. He also introduced demonetisation the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Often termed as the 'People's Leader', Prime Minister Modi, a brilliant orator, is known for his powerful personal connection with the people on the ground. In the just concluded mammoth elections, Modi plunged headlong into campaigning, addressing 142 rallies and conducting four roadshows. The election results showed that the BJP gained 21 new seats. The BJP, which won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament. Ever since Modi became Prime Minister his party has formed governments in Assam and Tripura and has emerged as a force to reckon with in states like Odisha and West Bengal. On the foreign policy front, his initiatives have realised the true potential and role of India on the world stage. He began his term in office in presence of all heads of States of SAARC Nations. His address to the General Assembly of United Nations was appreciated by many. Later on, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to embark on a bilateral visit to Nepal after a long period of 17 years, to Australia after 28 years, to Fiji after 31 years and Seychelles after 34 years. During his first regime, Narendra Modi attended UN, BRICS, SAARC and G-20 Summits, where India's views on a variety of global economic and political issues, especially terrorism, were widely appreciated. Modi managed to carve out personal equations with world leaders including with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his visits abroad he actively sold Brand India, articulating a leadership role for India in the world and also leveraging the vast Indian diaspora to national causes. This time around, Modi has reached out to BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member-states, whose leaders have confirmed their attendance for his swearing-in ceremony. The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India. President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony. The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.

Narendra Modi to take oath as Prime Minister today

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers&nbsp;of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday.&nbsp;

Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet.

In Gujarat, Amit Shah had served as home minister in the governments led by Modi. However, Rajnath Singh, who has retained his Lucknow seat, is one of the senior-most party leaders and served as home minister in the first Modi government.

The speculation of Shah’s inclusion had intensified after Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani confirmed that party chief Amit Shah is being inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet 2.0. He tweeted congratulating Shah.

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प्रधानमंत्री श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>जी के नेतृत्व में केन्द्रीय मंत्री मंडल में मजबूत साथी के रूप में सामेल होने पर हमारे पर्थदर्शक एवं मार्गदर्शक श्रध्देय श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmitShah</a>जी से शुभेच्छा मुलाकात की और शुभकामनाएं दी। <a href="https://t.co/ckzJKEeBA9">pic.twitter.com/ckzJKEeBA9</a>
— Jitu Vaghani (@jitu_vaghani) <a href="https://twitter.com/jitu_vaghani/status/1134050083278737408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names were among more than 40 BJP leaders to receive a call-up for Narendra Modi’s second cabinet. Among the names are also leaders of other NDA constituents, including Shiv Sena, JD(U), Akali Dal, LJP and AIADMK.

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday. Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet.

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday. Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet. In Gujarat, Amit Shah had served as home minister in the governments led by Modi. However, Rajnath Singh, who has retained his Lucknow seat, is one of the senior-most party leaders and served as home minister in the first Modi government. The speculation of Shah’s inclusion had intensified after Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani confirmed that party chief Amit Shah is being inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet 2.0. He tweeted congratulating Shah. प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodiजी के नेतृत्व में केन्द्रीय मंत्री मंडल में मजबूत साथी के रूप में सामेल होने पर हमारे पर्थदर्शक एवं मार्गदर्शक श्रध्देय श्री @AmitShahजी से शुभेच्छा मुलाकात की और शुभकामनाएं दी। pic.twitter.com/ckzJKEeBA9 — Jitu Vaghani (@jitu_vaghani) May 30, 2019 × Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names were among more than 40 BJP leaders to receive a call-up for Narendra Modi’s second cabinet. Among the names are also leaders of other NDA constituents, including Shiv Sena, JD(U), Akali Dal, LJP and AIADMK.

BJP chief Amit Shah may debut as Union Minister in PM Modi's new cabinet

Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai South, Arvind Sawant, will take oath as minister in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-ushers-in-second-term-as-prime-minister-222608">Narendra Modi's Cabinet</a>, said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday.

The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Modi will be held today at 7 pm in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"From Shiv Sena one leader will take oath as a minister. It has been decided that one Lok Sabha MP from each NDA ally will become a minister. Uddhav ji has given Arvind Sawant`s name, he will take oath as a minister," he told ANI.

When asked to comment on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to not attend the ceremony, Raut said, "No matter if Mamata Banerjee has differences but she as Chief Minister should join the swearing-in ceremony. Prime Minister helps the state in difficult times, she should not forget it. You (WB) are not a country but a state. Prime Minister holds more power as stipulated in the Constitution."

Sawant retained his parliamentary seat by defeating Congress` Milind Deora by over one lakh votes. Shiv Sena has 18 Lok Sabha MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha.

 
&nbsp;

Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai South, Arvind Sawant, will take oath as minister in Narendra Modi's Cabinet, said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday.

Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai South, Arvind Sawant, will take oath as minister in Narendra Modi's Cabinet, said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Modi will be held today at 7 pm in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "From Shiv Sena one leader will take oath as a minister. It has been decided that one Lok Sabha MP from each NDA ally will become a minister. Uddhav ji has given Arvind Sawant`s name, he will take oath as a minister," he told ANI. When asked to comment on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to not attend the ceremony, Raut said, "No matter if Mamata Banerjee has differences but she as Chief Minister should join the swearing-in ceremony. Prime Minister helps the state in difficult times, she should not forget it. You (WB) are not a country but a state. Prime Minister holds more power as stipulated in the Constitution." Sawant retained his parliamentary seat by defeating Congress` Milind Deora by over one lakh votes. Shiv Sena has 18 Lok Sabha MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant to be part of Modi's Cabinet

Former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that party president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-workers-gather-outside-rahul-gandhis-residence-urging-him-not-to-resign-222563">Rahul Gandhi is sticking to his decision to resign</a> from the post.

"We want Rahul to continue as Congress president. But he is insisting that he will not continue as party president anymore. All members of the working committee are unanimously saying that we will not accept Rahul's resignation. We asked him to withdraw his resignation but he did not do it," Gogoi told ANI.

"In a democracy, a strong opposition is needed. Who will become a strong opposition? There is only one party Congress and Rahul has the capability to lead the party with his pan-India image," he said.

The Congress leader said that Rahul has stated that he will help the next party president.

"Rahul said he will continue till next president is chosen... He said he will fight the ideological battle with BJP and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. He said that he will help the next Congress president," according to Gogoi.

On May 25, Rahul had offered to step down from the post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

His resignation was rejected "unanimously" by the CWC members who authorised him to do a complete overhaul and restructuring of the party at every level.

The Congress president, who won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, lost to BJP`s Smriti Irani from Amethi parliamentary constituency which was considered a stronghold of the party.&nbsp;

Former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that party president Rahul Gandhi is sticking to his decision to resign from the post.

Former Assam Chief Minister and Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that party president Rahul Gandhi is sticking to his decision to resign from the post. "We want Rahul to continue as Congress president. But he is insisting that he will not continue as party president anymore. All members of the working committee are unanimously saying that we will not accept Rahul's resignation. We asked him to withdraw his resignation but he did not do it," Gogoi told ANI. "In a democracy, a strong opposition is needed. Who will become a strong opposition? There is only one party Congress and Rahul has the capability to lead the party with his pan-India image," he said. The Congress leader said that Rahul has stated that he will help the next party president. "Rahul said he will continue till next president is chosen... He said he will fight the ideological battle with BJP and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. He said that he will help the next Congress president," according to Gogoi. On May 25, Rahul had offered to step down from the post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. His resignation was rejected "unanimously" by the CWC members who authorised him to do a complete overhaul and restructuring of the party at every level. The Congress president, who won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, lost to BJP`s Smriti Irani from Amethi parliamentary constituency which was considered a stronghold of the party.

Rahul Gandhi not ready to withdraw his resignation: Congress leader Tarun Gogoi

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies.

After the victory, global leaders queued up to congratulate Modi for his second term as the Prime Minister. So did Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. He first extended his best wishes on Twitter and then dialled him on Sunday to congratulate him on the landslide victory.

Over that phone call, Khan expressed his desire to work together for their people whereas Narendra Modi reiterated&nbsp;that talks and terror can't go together, and rightly so. "The Indian Prime Minister stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in our region," a MEA statement said.

Moreover, India hasn't invited Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term. In 2014, the then Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif had attended the swearing-in of Modi. It was a goodwill gesture, a diplomatic move. However, circumstances differ now, the tension between the two countries has escalated post-Pulwama attack.

The two nuclear-armed neighbours had reached the brink of war after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing at least 40 security personnel in February 2019.

Subsequently, India launched an airstrike in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, which demolished JeM terror infrastructure and killed several terrorists. The next day Pakistan Air Force breached the Indian air space downed a MiG- 21 and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan, who was released later.

In the last few years, the NDA government has refused several talks offers from Pakistan, urging the neighbouring country to first stop providing safe haven to the terrorists and put a halt to the proxy war against India.

Now is when NDA government's efforts are paying off. The nailing of Masood Azhar is case in point. China, which had been shielding Masood Azhar since 2009, had to give in this time when the entire world supported India's stand to have Masood Azhar put on the global terrorist list. Masood Azhar's terror tag is a big diplomatic and strategic win for India.

Moreover, the global strategic environment is not in favour of Pakistan. Also, Pakistan's economy is in bad shape owing to mounting debts and the country&nbsp;is still on the FATF grey list, therefore, our country is in a much better position to bargain with the neighbouring country to stop targetting India by exporting terror to Jammu and Kashmir.

Peace, prosperity and progress are important to both India and Pakistan, but diplomatic dialogues can't be resumed unless Islamabad decides to put brakes on terror operating from its soil and stop ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC).&nbsp;

To give peace a chance, cross-border terrorism must stop. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies.

Narendra Modi-led BJP won the Lok Sabha elections 2019 with thumping majority. The party won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The mandate was bigger than 2014 when BJP had won 282 seats on its own without any allies. After the victory, global leaders queued up to congratulate Modi for his second term as the Prime Minister. So did Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. He first extended his best wishes on Twitter and then dialled him on Sunday to congratulate him on the landslide victory. Over that phone call, Khan expressed his desire to work together for their people whereas Narendra Modi reiterated that talks and terror can't go together, and rightly so. "The Indian Prime Minister stressed that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism were essential for fostering cooperation for peace, progress and prosperity in our region," a MEA statement said. Moreover, India hasn't invited Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term. In 2014, the then Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif had attended the swearing-in of Modi. It was a goodwill gesture, a diplomatic move. However, circumstances differ now, the tension between the two countries has escalated post-Pulwama attack. The two nuclear-armed neighbours had reached the brink of war after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, killing at least 40 security personnel in February 2019. Subsequently, India launched an airstrike in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, which demolished JeM terror infrastructure and killed several terrorists. The next day Pakistan Air Force breached the Indian air space downed a MiG- 21 and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan, who was released later. In the last few years, the NDA government has refused several talks offers from Pakistan, urging the neighbouring country to first stop providing safe haven to the terrorists and put a halt to the proxy war against India. Now is when NDA government's efforts are paying off. The nailing of Masood Azhar is case in point. China, which had been shielding Masood Azhar since 2009, had to give in this time when the entire world supported India's stand to have Masood Azhar put on the global terrorist list. Masood Azhar's terror tag is a big diplomatic and strategic win for India. Moreover, the global strategic environment is not in favour of Pakistan. Also, Pakistan's economy is in bad shape owing to mounting debts and the country is still on the FATF grey list, therefore, our country is in a much better position to bargain with the neighbouring country to stop targetting India by exporting terror to Jammu and Kashmir. Peace, prosperity and progress are important to both India and Pakistan, but diplomatic dialogues can't be resumed unless Islamabad decides to put brakes on terror operating from its soil and stop ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC). To give peace a chance, cross-border terrorism must stop. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Narendra Modi 2.0 is in better position to bargain with Pakistan to shut its terror export industry

Urging people not to indulge in speculation, Congress on Tuesday said the Congress Working Committee <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-refuses-to-meet-senior-leaders-remains-adamant-on-his-decision-to-step-down-as-congress-chief-222324">(CWC) has rejected Rahul Gandhi's resignation</a> from the party president's post and that "is the only realty".

"I don't think we should speculate. CWC has already explained that Rahul is not resigning... And it should rest there and we should not speculate. Let's not indulge in any speculation," said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.

When a media person said that Rahul had rejected the resolution, Khera dismissed it saying, "Maybe you know better than me."

Rahul had offered to step down from the party post at the CWC meeting held last Saturday, taking moral responsibility for Congress'&nbsp;dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
Watch: Rahul insists on resigning; CWC to hold another meeting

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However, Rahul's offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Sources said that despite senior leaders making serious attempts to convince him to rethink his decision, Rahul is unfazed.

Earlier in the day Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot arrived at Rahul`s residence.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and party general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal were also present at his residence.

Along with Congress leaders, UPA ally DMK too batted for the continuance of Rahul as the party president.

Earlier in the day, DMK chief MK Stalin telephoned Rahul and urged him to continue in the post.

Urging people not to indulge in speculation, Congress on Tuesday said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has rejected Rahul Gandhi's resignation from the party president's post and that "is the only realty".

Urging people not to indulge in speculation, Congress on Tuesday said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has rejected Rahul Gandhi's resignation from the party president's post and that "is the only realty". "I don't think we should speculate. CWC has already explained that Rahul is not resigning... And it should rest there and we should not speculate. Let's not indulge in any speculation," said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera. When a media person said that Rahul had rejected the resolution, Khera dismissed it saying, "Maybe you know better than me." Rahul had offered to step down from the party post at the CWC meeting held last Saturday, taking moral responsibility for Congress' dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. Watch: Rahul insists on resigning; CWC to hold another meeting However, Rahul's offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. Sources said that despite senior leaders making serious attempts to convince him to rethink his decision, Rahul is unfazed. Earlier in the day Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot arrived at Rahul`s residence. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and party general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal were also present at his residence. Along with Congress leaders, UPA ally DMK too batted for the continuance of Rahul as the party president. Earlier in the day, DMK chief MK Stalin telephoned Rahul and urged him to continue in the post.

Let's not indulge in speculation: Congress on Rahul Gandhi's resignation

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) working president Jayakumar on Tuesday asserted that the mandate received by Congress and its allies in South India is a testimony of people's faith in party president Rahul Gandhi and hence, he must not resign respecting their faith.

He also informed that they will pass a resolution urging the Congress president to continue on the post.

Speaking to ANI, Jayakumar said, "Though Rahul ji's name was not announced for the post of Prime Minister, our largest ally DMK leader Stalin clearly said that we are going to seek votes in the name of Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister. People have handsomely voted for us and we all won with a large margin in the state. It is a clear indication that people accepted Rahul Gandhi even as Prime Minister of the country."

He, however, refused to comment on the party's abysmal performance in other parts of the country, while indicating that the party's performance in the state that they won in December seems hard to believe.

"In North what has happened I don`t want to get into it. We formed government in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. In these states suddenly over few months time, people`s heart and mind changed and they voted en-mass for something else, it looks very ridiculous to me", said Jayakumar.

The newly elected MP also asserted that they will be passing a resolution requesting Congress president to take back his resignation.

Jayakumar said, "I don`t accept this kind of situation from Southern side, people have voted for us en masse and they have accepted Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore we cannot go and stand in front of people that our leader has resigned because some performance is bad in some part of the country. Tomorrow we are going to pass a resolution to say that Rahul should stand and lead the party. We will come with the resolution and come and meet Rahul Gandhi."

On being asked whether most Congress MP's being from South have any kind of impact, he said, "Definitely Congress party is strong in the South and it must be recognised and regarded."

A few days back on May 25, P Chidambaram got emotional while appealing to Gandhi not to step down from his post, claiming that the party`s cadres in the southern states will commit suicide.

During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, all leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president, even as Rahul remained firm on his decision to resign, sources said.

Addressing media after the CWC meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Rahul has been authorised to restructure the party following its dismal performance in the recently held general elections.

When party leaders asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and dissuade Rahul from resigning, she said it was up to Rahul to decide whether to step down or not, sources added.

However, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was of the view that no decision should be taken in haste. She, sources claimed, also said if Rahul decides to resign, it would mean that he fell into BJP's trap.

While the newly-elected Wayanad MP expressed his intent to discontinue as the party president, sources said he asserted that he would continue to fight for Congress'&nbsp;ideology and work for the party.

When the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family remained adamant on discontinuing as the party president, the CWC leaders rose to oppose his offer stating that he was not the one to be blamed for the party's drubbing.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) working president Jayakumar on Tuesday asserted that the mandate received by Congress and its allies in South India is a testimony of people's faith in party president Rahul Gandhi and hence, he must not resign respecting their faith.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) working president Jayakumar on Tuesday asserted that the mandate received by Congress and its allies in South India is a testimony of people's faith in party president Rahul Gandhi and hence, he must not resign respecting their faith. He also informed that they will pass a resolution urging the Congress president to continue on the post. Speaking to ANI, Jayakumar said, "Though Rahul ji's name was not announced for the post of Prime Minister, our largest ally DMK leader Stalin clearly said that we are going to seek votes in the name of Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister. People have handsomely voted for us and we all won with a large margin in the state. It is a clear indication that people accepted Rahul Gandhi even as Prime Minister of the country." He, however, refused to comment on the party's abysmal performance in other parts of the country, while indicating that the party's performance in the state that they won in December seems hard to believe. "In North what has happened I don`t want to get into it. We formed government in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. In these states suddenly over few months time, people`s heart and mind changed and they voted en-mass for something else, it looks very ridiculous to me", said Jayakumar. The newly elected MP also asserted that they will be passing a resolution requesting Congress president to take back his resignation. Jayakumar said, "I don`t accept this kind of situation from Southern side, people have voted for us en masse and they have accepted Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore we cannot go and stand in front of people that our leader has resigned because some performance is bad in some part of the country. Tomorrow we are going to pass a resolution to say that Rahul should stand and lead the party. We will come with the resolution and come and meet Rahul Gandhi." On being asked whether most Congress MP's being from South have any kind of impact, he said, "Definitely Congress party is strong in the South and it must be recognised and regarded." A few days back on May 25, P Chidambaram got emotional while appealing to Gandhi not to step down from his post, claiming that the party`s cadres in the southern states will commit suicide. During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, all leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president, even as Rahul remained firm on his decision to resign, sources said. Addressing media after the CWC meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Rahul has been authorised to restructure the party following its dismal performance in the recently held general elections. When party leaders asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and dissuade Rahul from resigning, she said it was up to Rahul to decide whether to step down or not, sources added. However, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was of the view that no decision should be taken in haste. She, sources claimed, also said if Rahul decides to resign, it would mean that he fell into BJP's trap. While the newly-elected Wayanad MP expressed his intent to discontinue as the party president, sources said he asserted that he would continue to fight for Congress' ideology and work for the party. When the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family remained adamant on discontinuing as the party president, the CWC leaders rose to oppose his offer stating that he was not the one to be blamed for the party's drubbing.

South India voted on Rahul Gandhi's name: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president

Two days before his swearing-in ceremony, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/chemistry-triumphed-over-poll-arithmetic-pm-modi-on-lok-sabha-result-222048">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/pm-modi-transformed-kashi-in-five-years-amit-shah-221930">BJP president Amit Shah</a> on Tuesday held an extensive meeting that lasted for around five hours.

According to sources, both the leaders are believed to have discussed the shape of the government, which will be sworn in on Thursday, May 30 and the formation of the new council of ministers.

Speculations are rife on the future role of Shah inside and outside the BJP.

It is believed that Shah, who played a crucial role in the BJP's return to power with a sweeping majority, may join the government.

However, Shah himself has always evaded an answer to this, stating that he is not in the know of the matter.

Watch: Guests List For Modi's Swearing-In Ceremony

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-watch-guests-list-for-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-222357/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to sources, around 60 to 66 new ministers could be sworn-in on May 30. It will include some new faces and states like West Bengal, Telangana and Odisha, in which the party has done well, and are expected to have a good number in the council of ministers.

Sources also indicate that key members from the previous Cabinet such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal and Narendra Singh Tomar are expected to be retained in the new government.

There are also high chances that a few previous ministers may be dropped this time due to their low performance.AIADMK, an ally of the NDA, which managed to get only one seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, is expected to get one ministerial berth.

Shiv Sena and JD(U) are expected to get two berths while one berth each will be there for LJP and SAD.

Two days before his swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday held an extensive meeting that lasted for around five hours.

Two days before his swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday held an extensive meeting that lasted for around five hours. According to sources, both the leaders are believed to have discussed the shape of the government, which will be sworn in on Thursday, May 30 and the formation of the new council of ministers. Speculations are rife on the future role of Shah inside and outside the BJP. It is believed that Shah, who played a crucial role in the BJP's return to power with a sweeping majority, may join the government. However, Shah himself has always evaded an answer to this, stating that he is not in the know of the matter. Watch: Guests List For Modi's Swearing-In Ceremony According to sources, around 60 to 66 new ministers could be sworn-in on May 30. It will include some new faces and states like West Bengal, Telangana and Odisha, in which the party has done well, and are expected to have a good number in the council of ministers. Sources also indicate that key members from the previous Cabinet such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal and Narendra Singh Tomar are expected to be retained in the new government. There are also high chances that a few previous ministers may be dropped this time due to their low performance.AIADMK, an ally of the NDA, which managed to get only one seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, is expected to get one ministerial berth. Shiv Sena and JD(U) are expected to get two berths while one berth each will be there for LJP and SAD.

In 5-hour-long meeting, PM Modi and Amit Shah discuss new Cabinet

The oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi for the Prime Minister's office will be a grand spectacle at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and will be attended by four Presidents, three Prime Ministers, one special envoy, India's top political class and the entire diplomatic corps. Millions will be watching it television and social media, as always is expected to see millions of tweets and posts.

The four Presidents at the ceremony are—President of Bangladesh Mohammed Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov and President of Myanmar U Win Myint.

The three PMs include Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli &amp; Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr Lotay Tshering.&nbsp;

Remember BIMSTEC leaders along with Kyrgyzstan who is the chair of Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) and Mauritius, who was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, will be coming at the oath-taking ceremony.

Narendra Modi has been getting congratulatory calls and messages by world leaders since the election results were announced on May 23.

Nepal Ambassador Nilambar Acharya told WION, "We have close relations and we are confident that relationship will get further impetus in the 2nd term of Narendra Modi"

Thailand, one of the BIMSTEC country, is being represented by special envoy Grisada Boonrach since due to there own government formation.

"Thailand applauds India’s vibrant democracy &amp; welcomes the swearing in of a new government. The next 5 years will see a New India @ 75 &amp; dynamic change. Strong neighbours can reinforce this. That’s why we are honoured to be here", Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Ambassador of Thailand said, while reacting to WION on Indian invite to the neighbouring country.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan envoy Austin Fernando speaking to WION on the re-election and oath taking said, "We must remember that we are not only friends and neighbours, but relations too. Our mutual relations will certainly benefit both countries also in the future under PM Narendra Modi’s second tenure of office"

Before the oath-taking ceremony, PM will pay homage to father of nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, the samadhi of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Samadhi &amp; the National War Memorial in front of India Gate, before he takes oath at Rashtrapati Bhawan at 7 PM.

The oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi for the Prime Minister's office will be a grand spectacle at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and will be attended by four Presidents, three Prime Ministers, one special envoy, India's top political class and the entire diplomatic corps.

The oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi for the Prime Minister's office will be a grand spectacle at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and will be attended by four Presidents, three Prime Ministers, one special envoy, India's top political class and the entire diplomatic corps. Millions will be watching it television and social media, as always is expected to see millions of tweets and posts. The four Presidents at the ceremony are—President of Bangladesh Mohammed Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov and President of Myanmar U Win Myint. The three PMs include Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli & Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr Lotay Tshering. Remember BIMSTEC leaders along with Kyrgyzstan who is the chair of Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) and Mauritius, who was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, will be coming at the oath-taking ceremony. Narendra Modi has been getting congratulatory calls and messages by world leaders since the election results were announced on May 23. Nepal Ambassador Nilambar Acharya told WION, "We have close relations and we are confident that relationship will get further impetus in the 2nd term of Narendra Modi" Thailand, one of the BIMSTEC country, is being represented by special envoy Grisada Boonrach since due to there own government formation. "Thailand applauds India’s vibrant democracy & welcomes the swearing in of a new government. The next 5 years will see a New India @ 75 & dynamic change. Strong neighbours can reinforce this. That’s why we are honoured to be here", Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Ambassador of Thailand said, while reacting to WION on Indian invite to the neighbouring country. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan envoy Austin Fernando speaking to WION on the re-election and oath taking said, "We must remember that we are not only friends and neighbours, but relations too. Our mutual relations will certainly benefit both countries also in the future under PM Narendra Modi’s second tenure of office" Before the oath-taking ceremony, PM will pay homage to father of nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, the samadhi of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Samadhi & the National War Memorial in front of India Gate, before he takes oath at Rashtrapati Bhawan at 7 PM.

PM Narendra Modi oath ceremony: Four Presidents, three PMs and millions glued on tv screens

What's in store for NDA allies in Modi's new Cabinet?

Amit Shah, Gautam Gambhir, Mimi Chakraborty: A look at first-time Lok Sabha poll winners

The BJP has managed to puncture opposition's claims that the party is anti-minority by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/after-nehru-and-indira-modi-becomes-third-prime-minister-to-return-to-power-with-huge-mandate-221300">winning more than 50 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats</a> in 90 'minority-concentration' districts identified in 2008 by the then UPA government.

Besides a considerable minority population, these districts have both socio-economic and basic amenities indicators below the national average.

Of the 79 such constituencies, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-narendra-modi-surge-swept-aside-all-predictions-221494">BJP has won the maximum of 41 seats</a>, a gain of seven over 2014. Congress's share has almost halved, down from 12 in 2014 to six now.

An analyst claimed that Muslims did not vote en bloc in favour of one party or candidate this time.

On the other hand, 27 Muslim candidates won in the recently-concluded elections. However, none of the six Muslim candidates fielded by the BJP tasted success.

Watch:&nbsp;Historical mandate for BJP; Sweeps away whole opposition

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iew-historical-mandate-for-bjp-sweeps-away-whole-opposition-221416/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The winning MPs are from Trinamool Congress (5); Congress (4); Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National Conference and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) (3 each); AIMIM (2); LJP, NCP, CPI(M) and AIUDF (one each).

The Opposition parties have been accusing the BJP of not doing enough for the minorities and also aiding and abetting attacks on them.

Nearly 20 per cent of the country's 130 crore people are Muslims.

In the minority-concentration districts, the BJP gained the most in West Bengal, which has 18 such seats. In Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district which has a Muslim population of nearly 49 per cent, BJP's Debasree Chaudhuri defeated TMC's Agarwal Kanaialal by 60574 votes.

In neighbouring Jalpaiguri seat, BJP candidate Jayanta Kumar Roy defeated sitting TMC MP Bijoy Chandra Barman by 184004 votes. The seat has about 20 per cent Muslim population.

In Maldaha North seat in Malda, the party's Khagen Murmu won defeating TMC's Mausam Noor by a margin of 84288 votes. The seat has nearly 50 per cent Muslim population.

In Coochbehar seat which has a Muslim population of around 30 per cent, BJP's Nisith Pramanik got the better of his nearest rival TMC's Paresh Chandra Adhikary by 54231 votes.

In Balurghat in North Dinajpur district, BJP candidate Sukanta Majumdar defeated TMC's Arpita Ghosh by a margin of 33293 votes. The seat has 35 per cent Muslim population.

In Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat (20 per cent) in Bankura, BJP candidate Saumitra Khan won by 78047 votes defeating his Trinamool Congress rival Shyamal Santra.

In Hooghly seat (20 per cent), Locket Chatterjee of the BJP defeated his TMC rival Ratna Dey (Nag) by a margin of 73362 votes while S S Ahluwalia of BJP won the Burdwan-Durgapur seat by a slender margin of 2439 votes defeating his nearest AITC rival Mamtaz Sanghamita. The seat has around 15 per cent Muslim population.

The UPA government in 2008 had identified the 90 minority-concentration districts under a development programme that focussed on education, health and skill development in these districts.

Rampur, Nagina, Moradabad, Sambhal and Amroha are among the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where Muslim voters are in a very large number.

Though the BJP performed well in the state, ensuring that the SP-BSP-RLD combine does not get a cake walk, the 'mahagathbandhan' bagged these five seats.

In Rampur, where Muslims account for nearly 50 per cent of the voters, veteran SP leader Azam Khan defeated BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada by over one lakh votes.

The BSP won the Nagina seat when its candidate Girish Chandra defeated sitting BJP MP Yashwant Singh by over 1.66 lakh votes.

In Moradabad, ST Hasan of the SP defeated sitting BJP MP Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar by nearly 99,000 votes.

Another SP candidate, SR Barq defeated Parmeshwar Lal Saini of BJP in Sambhal seat.

In Amroha, Kunwar Danish Ali, who had defected from the Janata Dal (Secular) and had joined the BSP just ahead of the polls, emerged victorious trouncing sitting BJP MP Kunwar Singh Tanwar.

The Congress had fielded six Muslim candidates in Uttar Pradesh, but none of them won.

In the entire state, Muslims account for nearly 20 per cent of the population.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, not a single Muslim candidate won and the jinx was broken only during Kairana bypoll when the seat was wrested from the BJP by Tabassum Hassan, the joint opposition candidate, who had contested on RLD ticket.

In Bihar, there are seven such seats, and in Kishanganj, which has around 65 per cent Muslim population, Congress's Mohd Javed defeated JD(U)'s Syed Mahmood Ashraf by 34,466 votes.

In Araria (45 per cent), BJP's Pradip Kumar Singh defeated sitting RJD MP Sarfaraz Alam by 1,37,241 votes while in Katihar (40 per cent) Congress's Tariq Anwar (sitting MP, who won the seat on an NCP ticket) lost to Dulal Chandra Goswami of the JD(U) by 57,203 votes.

Darbhanga, having a Muslim population of about 23 per cent, saw BJP's Gopal Jee Thakur defeating RJD's Abdul Bari Siddiqui by 2,67,979 votes.

In Khagaria (23 per cent), sitting Lok Janshakti Party MP Mehboob Ali Kaisar defeated Mukesh Sahni of VIP by 2,48,570 votes, while in Banka (20 per cent) JD(U)'s Giridhari Yadav prevailed over sitting RJD MP Jai Prakash Narain Yadav by 2,00,532 votes and in Madhubani (19 per cent), BJP's Ashok Yadav defeated VIP's Badri Purbe by 4,54,940 votes.

In Assam, the Congress won two of the seats where there is a sizeable Muslim population -- Abdul Khaleque in Barpeta (over 45 per cent) and Pradyut Bordoloi in Nowgong (over 34 per cent). AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal emerged winner in Dhubri, where the Muslim population is over 65 per cent.

The BJP has managed to puncture opposition's claims that the party is anti-minority by winning more than 50 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats in 90 'minority-concentration' districts identified in 2008 by the then UPA government.

The BJP has managed to puncture opposition's claims that the party is anti-minority by winning more than 50 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats in 90 'minority-concentration' districts identified in 2008 by the then UPA government. Besides a considerable minority population, these districts have both socio-economic and basic amenities indicators below the national average. Of the 79 such constituencies, the BJP has won the maximum of 41 seats, a gain of seven over 2014. Congress's share has almost halved, down from 12 in 2014 to six now. An analyst claimed that Muslims did not vote en bloc in favour of one party or candidate this time. On the other hand, 27 Muslim candidates won in the recently-concluded elections. However, none of the six Muslim candidates fielded by the BJP tasted success. Watch: Historical mandate for BJP; Sweeps away whole opposition The winning MPs are from Trinamool Congress (5); Congress (4); Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National Conference and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) (3 each); AIMIM (2); LJP, NCP, CPI(M) and AIUDF (one each). The Opposition parties have been accusing the BJP of not doing enough for the minorities and also aiding and abetting attacks on them. Nearly 20 per cent of the country's 130 crore people are Muslims. In the minority-concentration districts, the BJP gained the most in West Bengal, which has 18 such seats. In Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district which has a Muslim population of nearly 49 per cent, BJP's Debasree Chaudhuri defeated TMC's Agarwal Kanaialal by 60574 votes. In neighbouring Jalpaiguri seat, BJP candidate Jayanta Kumar Roy defeated sitting TMC MP Bijoy Chandra Barman by 184004 votes. The seat has about 20 per cent Muslim population. In Maldaha North seat in Malda, the party's Khagen Murmu won defeating TMC's Mausam Noor by a margin of 84288 votes. The seat has nearly 50 per cent Muslim population. In Coochbehar seat which has a Muslim population of around 30 per cent, BJP's Nisith Pramanik got the better of his nearest rival TMC's Paresh Chandra Adhikary by 54231 votes. In Balurghat in North Dinajpur district, BJP candidate Sukanta Majumdar defeated TMC's Arpita Ghosh by a margin of 33293 votes. The seat has 35 per cent Muslim population. In Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat (20 per cent) in Bankura, BJP candidate Saumitra Khan won by 78047 votes defeating his Trinamool Congress rival Shyamal Santra. In Hooghly seat (20 per cent), Locket Chatterjee of the BJP defeated his TMC rival Ratna Dey (Nag) by a margin of 73362 votes while S S Ahluwalia of BJP won the Burdwan-Durgapur seat by a slender margin of 2439 votes defeating his nearest AITC rival Mamtaz Sanghamita. The seat has around 15 per cent Muslim population. The UPA government in 2008 had identified the 90 minority-concentration districts under a development programme that focussed on education, health and skill development in these districts. Rampur, Nagina, Moradabad, Sambhal and Amroha are among the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where Muslim voters are in a very large number. Though the BJP performed well in the state, ensuring that the SP-BSP-RLD combine does not get a cake walk, the 'mahagathbandhan' bagged these five seats. In Rampur, where Muslims account for nearly 50 per cent of the voters, veteran SP leader Azam Khan defeated BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada by over one lakh votes. The BSP won the Nagina seat when its candidate Girish Chandra defeated sitting BJP MP Yashwant Singh by over 1.66 lakh votes. In Moradabad, ST Hasan of the SP defeated sitting BJP MP Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar by nearly 99,000 votes. Another SP candidate, SR Barq defeated Parmeshwar Lal Saini of BJP in Sambhal seat. In Amroha, Kunwar Danish Ali, who had defected from the Janata Dal (Secular) and had joined the BSP just ahead of the polls, emerged victorious trouncing sitting BJP MP Kunwar Singh Tanwar. The Congress had fielded six Muslim candidates in Uttar Pradesh, but none of them won. In the entire state, Muslims account for nearly 20 per cent of the population. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, not a single Muslim candidate won and the jinx was broken only during Kairana bypoll when the seat was wrested from the BJP by Tabassum Hassan, the joint opposition candidate, who had contested on RLD ticket. In Bihar, there are seven such seats, and in Kishanganj, which has around 65 per cent Muslim population, Congress's Mohd Javed defeated JD(U)'s Syed Mahmood Ashraf by 34,466 votes. In Araria (45 per cent), BJP's Pradip Kumar Singh defeated sitting RJD MP Sarfaraz Alam by 1,37,241 votes while in Katihar (40 per cent) Congress's Tariq Anwar (sitting MP, who won the seat on an NCP ticket) lost to Dulal Chandra Goswami of the JD(U) by 57,203 votes. Darbhanga, having a Muslim population of about 23 per cent, saw BJP's Gopal Jee Thakur defeating RJD's Abdul Bari Siddiqui by 2,67,979 votes. In Khagaria (23 per cent), sitting Lok Janshakti Party MP Mehboob Ali Kaisar defeated Mukesh Sahni of VIP by 2,48,570 votes, while in Banka (20 per cent) JD(U)'s Giridhari Yadav prevailed over sitting RJD MP Jai Prakash Narain Yadav by 2,00,532 votes and in Madhubani (19 per cent), BJP's Ashok Yadav defeated VIP's Badri Purbe by 4,54,940 votes. In Assam, the Congress won two of the seats where there is a sizeable Muslim population -- Abdul Khaleque in Barpeta (over 45 per cent) and Pradyut Bordoloi in Nowgong (over 34 per cent). AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal emerged winner in Dhubri, where the Muslim population is over 65 per cent.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: BJP wins over 50% seats in 'minority-concentration' districts

Weeks after Time magazine featured <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/world-leaders-congratulate-pm-modi-on-re-election-221092">Narendra Modi </a>on the cover of its international edition with a controversial headline, it has now run an article that says no <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/road-ahead-for-pm-narendra-modi-222133">prime minister </a>has united India in decades the way he has done.

The article titled ‘Modi Has United India Like No Prime Minister in Decades’ is written by Manoj Ladwa, founder and chief executive of the India Inc Group, a London-based media organisation.

The article comes just days after BJP secured a landslide victory in the country's general elections, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-to-take-oath-as-pm-on-may-30-221788">winning 303 seats in the 542</a>-member Lok Sabha.

Watch: 'Modi united India like no PM in decades'

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/time-modi-united-india-like-no-pm-in-decades-222483/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“Despite the strong and often unfair criticisms levelled at Modi’s policies both throughout his first term and this marathon election, no Prime Minister has united the Indian electorate as much in close to five decades," Ladwa writes.

Ladwa, who in 2014 had led the Research Analysis and Messaging division of the Narendra Modi for Prime Minister campaign, further writes that Modi won a massive mandate as he managed to transcend India’s greatest fault line: the class divide.

The article is published in the Time Ideas section, which the publication said: “hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture.”

The article is in stark contrast to the the magazine's cover story done on Modi earlier this month titled ‘India's Divider in Chief’, written by Aatish Taseer, son of Indian journalist Tavleen Singh and late Pakistani politician and businessman Salmaan Taseer.

As Modi enters his second term as leader of the world’s largest democracy, Ladwa writes that he still has work to do.

“Having plugged some horrendous holes in India’s notoriously inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy in his first term, he will now need to focus much more ruthlessly on reforming those institutions and make them fit for the coming decades. This will require him to remain the pragmatic politician he is, and continue to shun the temptations of populism as he sets out his stall for a second term."

While all achievements of the Modi’s government are still “works-in-progress”, Ladwa said that its efforts have been recognised by virtually every single global institute of any standing, including the World Bank, the IMF, and the UN, and “Modi’s India is finally progressing at a rate worthy of its size and potential.

“Modi may have been criticised for remaining silent during incidents of social unrest. But his work has been given the thumbs up at the ballot box by the Indian voters for directly addressing the root causes of some of India’s divisions. For them, the Modi dream of a New India remains very much intact,” Ladwa added.

Weeks after Time magazine featured Narendra Modi on the cover of its international edition with a controversial headline, it has now run an article that says no prime minister has united India in decades the way he has done.

Weeks after Time magazine featured Narendra Modi on the cover of its international edition with a controversial headline, it has now run an article that says no prime minister has united India in decades the way he has done. The article titled ‘Modi Has United India Like No Prime Minister in Decades’ is written by Manoj Ladwa, founder and chief executive of the India Inc Group, a London-based media organisation. The article comes just days after BJP secured a landslide victory in the country's general elections, winning 303 seats in the 542-member Lok Sabha. Watch: 'Modi united India like no PM in decades' “Despite the strong and often unfair criticisms levelled at Modi’s policies both throughout his first term and this marathon election, no Prime Minister has united the Indian electorate as much in close to five decades," Ladwa writes. Ladwa, who in 2014 had led the Research Analysis and Messaging division of the Narendra Modi for Prime Minister campaign, further writes that Modi won a massive mandate as he managed to transcend India’s greatest fault line: the class divide. The article is published in the Time Ideas section, which the publication said: “hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture.” The article is in stark contrast to the the magazine's cover story done on Modi earlier this month titled ‘India's Divider in Chief’, written by Aatish Taseer, son of Indian journalist Tavleen Singh and late Pakistani politician and businessman Salmaan Taseer. As Modi enters his second term as leader of the world’s largest democracy, Ladwa writes that he still has work to do. “Having plugged some horrendous holes in India’s notoriously inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy in his first term, he will now need to focus much more ruthlessly on reforming those institutions and make them fit for the coming decades. This will require him to remain the pragmatic politician he is, and continue to shun the temptations of populism as he sets out his stall for a second term." While all achievements of the Modi’s government are still “works-in-progress”, Ladwa said that its efforts have been recognised by virtually every single global institute of any standing, including the World Bank, the IMF, and the UN, and “Modi’s India is finally progressing at a rate worthy of its size and potential. “Modi may have been criticised for remaining silent during incidents of social unrest. But his work has been given the thumbs up at the ballot box by the Indian voters for directly addressing the root causes of some of India’s divisions. For them, the Modi dream of a New India remains very much intact,” Ladwa added.

Time magazine does an about-face: From 'Divider in Chief' to 'Modi has united India'

It would be stating the obvious in noting that there was a Modi wave in the landslide win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this year's general elections. While there is little doubt that the political genius of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the awesome reach of the BJPs political machinery led by party chief Amit Shah was important as I have tried to explain in another piece, there was more to it than meets the eye. It had something to do with the national mood. In the growth of any plant, the seed, the water and the fertiliser are important, but so is the soil. I like to think that the national mood is comparable to the soil.

Electoral politics a complex business in which parties and leaders try to capture a number of factors and feelings in a manner that results in the pressing of a single button by a single voter on one symbol in a mammoth nationwide exercise. That makes predictions difficult. But post-facto analysis often reveals interesting patterns. My own take is that there this year, there was something in the national mood that favoured not just Modi but others who had qualities similar to him. I would like to say that this year's Modi Wave was a subset of a nationwide "leadership wave" in which the parties that did well were those perceived to have strong leaders - not in the political sense but in the sense of administrative capabilities. This requires a strong (and strange) mix of decisiveness, empathy and concern for issues.

Now, let's look at who were those other than the BJP who did reasonably well in terms of the seats won as a share of seats in which they were in the reckoning. The final results table shows the DMK won 23 seats out of 39 in Tamil Nadu, the Biju Janata Dal 12 seats out of 21 in Odisha, the All India Trinamool Congress with 22 out of 42 in West Bengal and the YSR Congress 22 out of 25 in Andhra Pradesh did remarkably.

Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh's YSR Congress leader Jagan Reddy steered clear of both the NDA and UPA and yet showed a creditable performance and managed to contain the Modi wave sweeping the country. DMK's MK Stalin had the power of the Dravidian ideology and a strong party organisation backing him, but, like Patnaik and Reddy, he worked hard to tower as the strongest local leader with an active interest in local issues.

My contention is that these leaders could work some magic because, despite their differing styles, they moved empathetically among local people and dealt with local issues in an articulate manner.&nbsp;

Trinamool's Mamata Banerjee was up against difficult factors such as illegal infiltration on the state border that helped the BJP's Hindutva politics. Her own militant style also worked against her but at the same she has shown strong administrative capabilities as a chief minister. However, like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, she showed signs of vulnerability because she played the victim rather than project herself as a master.

Patnaik, Reddy and Stalin exuded positive energy and a capacity to govern - despite their individual differences. These men in that sense were just like Modi. My view is that ideology mattered less this year compared with immediate issues and a positive leadership style. That is why I call this a leadership wave.

Now, look at Punjab. The Indian National Congress won 8 out of the state's 13 seats, helping the grand old party led by Rahul Gandhi take the national tally to 52. I would credit Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for that.

What is common between Patnaik, Reddy, Stalin and Captain Singh? They are all articulate men who do not whine much. They understand local aspirations and show a capacity to govern. Patnaik is not a demagogue but showed a tremendous capacity to show sensitivity in listening and designing programmes, such as the showpiece KALIA scheme for agriculture that covers landowners, sharecroppers and landless labourers alike.&nbsp;

Relative to these men, Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee showed themselves to be more like protesters than governance executives. Modi's acidic speeches against the Congress showed him in a similar light in media reports but it is important to note he exuded strength after the Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, and the BJP's machinery was working in tandem to showcase his development schemes. Congress had a solid manifesto, but the leadership style, like that of Mamata and Kejriwal, was more of "They are bad" than "We are cool."

Leadership is a complex business, but it is my firm conclusion that the national mood favoured positive leadership. The ones who managed to check Modi were precisely those who, like him, knew how to blend politics with governance with a confident, methodical approach. Modi converted the parliamentary elections into a presidential-style contest. Those who could take him on showed similar traits.

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/not-just-a-modi-wave-it-was-a-leadership-wave-that-dominated-lok-sabha-elections-2019-results-2207272.html">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

It would be stating the obvious in noting that there was a Modi wave in the landslide win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this year's general elections. While there is little doubt that the political genius of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the awesome reach of the BJPs political machinery led by party chief Amit Shah was important as I have tried to explain in another piece, there was more to it than meets the eye.

It would be stating the obvious in noting that there was a Modi wave in the landslide win for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this year's general elections. While there is little doubt that the political genius of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the awesome reach of the BJPs political machinery led by party chief Amit Shah was important as I have tried to explain in another piece, there was more to it than meets the eye. It had something to do with the national mood. In the growth of any plant, the seed, the water and the fertiliser are important, but so is the soil. I like to think that the national mood is comparable to the soil. Electoral politics a complex business in which parties and leaders try to capture a number of factors and feelings in a manner that results in the pressing of a single button by a single voter on one symbol in a mammoth nationwide exercise. That makes predictions difficult. But post-facto analysis often reveals interesting patterns. My own take is that there this year, there was something in the national mood that favoured not just Modi but others who had qualities similar to him. I would like to say that this year's Modi Wave was a subset of a nationwide "leadership wave" in which the parties that did well were those perceived to have strong leaders - not in the political sense but in the sense of administrative capabilities. This requires a strong (and strange) mix of decisiveness, empathy and concern for issues. Now, let's look at who were those other than the BJP who did reasonably well in terms of the seats won as a share of seats in which they were in the reckoning. The final results table shows the DMK won 23 seats out of 39 in Tamil Nadu, the Biju Janata Dal 12 seats out of 21 in Odisha, the All India Trinamool Congress with 22 out of 42 in West Bengal and the YSR Congress 22 out of 25 in Andhra Pradesh did remarkably. Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh's YSR Congress leader Jagan Reddy steered clear of both the NDA and UPA and yet showed a creditable performance and managed to contain the Modi wave sweeping the country. DMK's MK Stalin had the power of the Dravidian ideology and a strong party organisation backing him, but, like Patnaik and Reddy, he worked hard to tower as the strongest local leader with an active interest in local issues. My contention is that these leaders could work some magic because, despite their differing styles, they moved empathetically among local people and dealt with local issues in an articulate manner. Trinamool's Mamata Banerjee was up against difficult factors such as illegal infiltration on the state border that helped the BJP's Hindutva politics. Her own militant style also worked against her but at the same she has shown strong administrative capabilities as a chief minister. However, like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, she showed signs of vulnerability because she played the victim rather than project herself as a master. Patnaik, Reddy and Stalin exuded positive energy and a capacity to govern - despite their individual differences. These men in that sense were just like Modi. My view is that ideology mattered less this year compared with immediate issues and a positive leadership style. That is why I call this a leadership wave. Now, look at Punjab. The Indian National Congress won 8 out of the state's 13 seats, helping the grand old party led by Rahul Gandhi take the national tally to 52. I would credit Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for that. What is common between Patnaik, Reddy, Stalin and Captain Singh? They are all articulate men who do not whine much. They understand local aspirations and show a capacity to govern. Patnaik is not a demagogue but showed a tremendous capacity to show sensitivity in listening and designing programmes, such as the showpiece KALIA scheme for agriculture that covers landowners, sharecroppers and landless labourers alike. Relative to these men, Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee showed themselves to be more like protesters than governance executives. Modi's acidic speeches against the Congress showed him in a similar light in media reports but it is important to note he exuded strength after the Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, and the BJP's machinery was working in tandem to showcase his development schemes. Congress had a solid manifesto, but the leadership style, like that of Mamata and Kejriwal, was more of "They are bad" than "We are cool." Leadership is a complex business, but it is my firm conclusion that the national mood favoured positive leadership. The ones who managed to check Modi were precisely those who, like him, knew how to blend politics with governance with a confident, methodical approach. Modi converted the parliamentary elections into a presidential-style contest. Those who could take him on showed similar traits. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Not just a Narendra Modi wave, it was a leadership wave that dominated Lok Sabha elections 2019 results

The Congress party will be holding another Working Committee meeting this week to discuss the leadership issue&nbsp;amid reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/disquiet-in-congress-ranks-as-rahul-gandhi-insists-on-resigning-fate-of-rajasthan-and-karnataka-governments-uncertain-222058">Rahul Gandhi not ready to take back his resignation</a> as the party chief.&nbsp;

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and senior party leaders have been trying to make Rahul change his mind from exiting the post.&nbsp;

Party treasurer Ahmed Patel and organisational general secretary KC Venugopal met with Gandhi at his residence yesterday and urged him to continue to lead the party.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/what-happened-at-the-cwc-meeting-the-inside-story-221561">Congress Working Committee (CWC) met last weekend</a> to deliberate on the poll debacle and strategise on ways to bring in structural reform in the party.

It is being reported that taking the moral responsibility of party's nemesis in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Rahul offered to step down - a move that was unanimously rejected by party's top brass.

Watch:&nbsp;Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rahul-adamant-on-resignation-wants-a-non-gandhi-as-next-congress-president-221657/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Sources said that despite senior leaders making serious attempts to convince Gandhi to rethink his decision, Gandhi is said to be unfazed, news agency ANI reported.

Party leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have a new leader at the helm for rebuilding the organisation at this juncture and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual.

"The Congress party expects everyone including the media to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala posted on Twitter.

Meanwhile, more trouble for Congress as three more state party chiefs tendered their resignations on Monday, taking the total number to six.

Congress party chiefs of Jharkhand, Assam and Punjab have also resigned in addition to those from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.&nbsp;

Karnataka Pradesh Campaign Committee chairman HK Patil has also resigned.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Congress party will be holding another Working Committee meeting this week to discuss the leadership issue amid reports of Rahul Gandhi not ready to take back his resignation as the party chief.

The Congress party will be holding another Working Committee meeting this week to discuss the leadership issue amid reports of Rahul Gandhi not ready to take back his resignation as the party chief. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and senior party leaders have been trying to make Rahul change his mind from exiting the post. Party treasurer Ahmed Patel and organisational general secretary KC Venugopal met with Gandhi at his residence yesterday and urged him to continue to lead the party. Congress Working Committee (CWC) met last weekend to deliberate on the poll debacle and strategise on ways to bring in structural reform in the party. It is being reported that taking the moral responsibility of party's nemesis in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Rahul offered to step down - a move that was unanimously rejected by party's top brass. Watch: Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president Sources said that despite senior leaders making serious attempts to convince Gandhi to rethink his decision, Gandhi is said to be unfazed, news agency ANI reported. Party leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have a new leader at the helm for rebuilding the organisation at this juncture and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual. "The Congress party expects everyone including the media to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala posted on Twitter. Meanwhile, more trouble for Congress as three more state party chiefs tendered their resignations on Monday, taking the total number to six. Congress party chiefs of Jharkhand, Assam and Punjab have also resigned in addition to those from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. Karnataka Pradesh Campaign Committee chairman HK Patil has also resigned. (With inputs from agencies)

With Rahul Gandhi firm on quitting as party chief, Congress Working Committee to meet again

The humiliating defeat of Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai in Bihar by a margin of over 4.22 lakh votes, along with the complete shift of Left votes to the BJP in Bengal and the virtual wipeout of Communists in Kerala, indicate how off-the-mark our secular-liberal activists are. &nbsp;

That Kanhaiya was never in the race in his constituency was a foregone conclusion. As was the imminent wipeout of the Left in Bengal and Kerala - except in the eyes of a section of Delhi-based public opinion makers and intellectuals.&nbsp;

The Facebook warriors sitting outside the state or even the country pushed a section of people to believe that Kanhaiya was the great Left hope. They wasted their energy in Begusarai, never realising that their support-base in neighbouring Bengal was shifting to the BJP. They did little to prevent this huge shift.&nbsp;

While some of them were busy spreading a false narrative about the Communists hold in Begusarai, the truth is that the last time the CPI won a Lok Sabha election from this constituency on its own strength was way back in 1967. In 1996, its candidate won, but that victory was largely possible because the CPI contested in alliance with Lalu Prasad, then in power.&nbsp;

When Leningrad in Russia has been renamed as St Petersburg and the Left completely decimated in Bengal and Tripura, liberal thinkers would have us believe that there actually exists a town named after Lenin in Bihar!&nbsp;

Reputed writers and columnists, obviously with no idea of Begusarai, went on to expostulate that the CPI candidate got 1.93 lakh votes in 2014 election! That was a fantastic discovery. The truth was that the CPI then contested the election in alliance with Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). Under the formula, the CPI contested fromBegusarai and Banka and JD (U) in the rest of the 38 seats. So the overwhelming 1.93 lakh votes polled were for Nitish Kumar and not the CPI alone.

The CPI and CPM, the two main Communist parties, do not have a single MLA in the Bihar assembly. The CPI (ML) has three. The RJD left one seat, Ara, for it.

In the 2015 Bihar assembly election, in which Nitish, Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Congress fought jointly, the Left did not find any place in the Grand Alliance.&nbsp;

Even in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar, who had deserted the BJP a year before and was badly in need of an ally, chose to give only two seats to the CPI. The latter agreed willingly.

In contrast, the CPI, as early as December last year, demanded six seats to be a part of the Grand Alliance. They did so despite knowing that there are five other parties in this coalition.&nbsp;

After the May 23 results, those who voted dedicatedly for Kanhaiya, found themselves cheated when they learnt that the entire Left vote in neighbouring Bengal had shifted to the BJP.&nbsp;

In Begusarai itself, there were many stories of CPI card-holders working whole-heartedly for Kanhaiya, who finally ended up voting for Giriraj. Many of those who shifted their loyalty at the final moment was from Kanhaiya’s own caste, Bhumihars. The huge margin of defeat is only confirmation of this fact.

A premier English daily had during the election campaign, quoted a young supporter of Kanhaiya as saying that they want him to win from Begusarai and prime minister Narendra Modi from rest of the country so that they can witness a good debate in Parliament. What weird logic!&nbsp;

The whole Kanhaiya campaign was self-contradictory. Take the case of the statement of well-known lyricist Javed Akhtar, who went on to ask the voters, especially Muslims of Begusarai, to vote for Giriraj and not RJD’s Tanvir Hasan if they did not want to vote for the CPI candidate.

The strangest part of the Kanhaiya campaign was that none of these liberals deemed it fit to address any public meeting for any Grand Alliance candidate in Bihar, although they always claimed that they were spearheading the campaign against the saffron party.&nbsp;

They did not think it fit to come to Ara were the CPI (ML), also a Left party, was fighting with the support of the grand alliance.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-kanhaiya-kumar-and-the-left-liberal-wonderland-2754357">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The humiliating defeat of Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai in Bihar by a margin of over 4.22 lakh votes, along with the complete shift of Left votes to the BJP in Bengal and the virtual wipeout of Communists in Kerala, indicate how off-the-mark our secular-liberal activists are.

The humiliating defeat of Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai in Bihar by a margin of over 4.22 lakh votes, along with the complete shift of Left votes to the BJP in Bengal and the virtual wipeout of Communists in Kerala, indicate how off-the-mark our secular-liberal activists are. That Kanhaiya was never in the race in his constituency was a foregone conclusion. As was the imminent wipeout of the Left in Bengal and Kerala - except in the eyes of a section of Delhi-based public opinion makers and intellectuals. The Facebook warriors sitting outside the state or even the country pushed a section of people to believe that Kanhaiya was the great Left hope. They wasted their energy in Begusarai, never realising that their support-base in neighbouring Bengal was shifting to the BJP. They did little to prevent this huge shift. While some of them were busy spreading a false narrative about the Communists hold in Begusarai, the truth is that the last time the CPI won a Lok Sabha election from this constituency on its own strength was way back in 1967. In 1996, its candidate won, but that victory was largely possible because the CPI contested in alliance with Lalu Prasad, then in power. When Leningrad in Russia has been renamed as St Petersburg and the Left completely decimated in Bengal and Tripura, liberal thinkers would have us believe that there actually exists a town named after Lenin in Bihar! Reputed writers and columnists, obviously with no idea of Begusarai, went on to expostulate that the CPI candidate got 1.93 lakh votes in 2014 election! That was a fantastic discovery. The truth was that the CPI then contested the election in alliance with Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). Under the formula, the CPI contested fromBegusarai and Banka and JD (U) in the rest of the 38 seats. So the overwhelming 1.93 lakh votes polled were for Nitish Kumar and not the CPI alone. The CPI and CPM, the two main Communist parties, do not have a single MLA in the Bihar assembly. The CPI (ML) has three. The RJD left one seat, Ara, for it. In the 2015 Bihar assembly election, in which Nitish, Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Congress fought jointly, the Left did not find any place in the Grand Alliance. Even in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar, who had deserted the BJP a year before and was badly in need of an ally, chose to give only two seats to the CPI. The latter agreed willingly. In contrast, the CPI, as early as December last year, demanded six seats to be a part of the Grand Alliance. They did so despite knowing that there are five other parties in this coalition. After the May 23 results, those who voted dedicatedly for Kanhaiya, found themselves cheated when they learnt that the entire Left vote in neighbouring Bengal had shifted to the BJP. In Begusarai itself, there were many stories of CPI card-holders working whole-heartedly for Kanhaiya, who finally ended up voting for Giriraj. Many of those who shifted their loyalty at the final moment was from Kanhaiya’s own caste, Bhumihars. The huge margin of defeat is only confirmation of this fact. A premier English daily had during the election campaign, quoted a young supporter of Kanhaiya as saying that they want him to win from Begusarai and prime minister Narendra Modi from rest of the country so that they can witness a good debate in Parliament. What weird logic! The whole Kanhaiya campaign was self-contradictory. Take the case of the statement of well-known lyricist Javed Akhtar, who went on to ask the voters, especially Muslims of Begusarai, to vote for Giriraj and not RJD’s Tanvir Hasan if they did not want to vote for the CPI candidate. The strangest part of the Kanhaiya campaign was that none of these liberals deemed it fit to address any public meeting for any Grand Alliance candidate in Bihar, although they always claimed that they were spearheading the campaign against the saffron party. They did not think it fit to come to Ara were the CPI (ML), also a Left party, was fighting with the support of the grand alliance. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Kanhaiya Kumar's humiliating defeat indicates how off-the-mark liberal activists are

The people of India have given a bigger mandate to Narendra Modi and the BJP in 2019. The stupendous, record-breaking mandate comes with multiple challenges, which he has to juggle through. The challenges he faces could be classified broadly into political, economic and social.&nbsp;

Modi needs to manage the aspirations of allies and keep them in good humour, especially Shiv Sena and JD(U), balancing it with good governance. Though the BJP has got a majority on its own, it needs to share power, given the fact that polls are due in Maharashtra this year and Bihar next year.&nbsp;

Retaining both the states is important for the party’s game plan of securing a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament. The party does not enjoy a majority in the Rajya Sabha. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Polls are also due within a year in Haryana and Jharkhand, where the chief ministers are facing natural anti-incumbency.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir, where the BJP was in power before President’s rule was imposed and Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal dealt a big blow to the party in 2015, also go to polls next year.&nbsp;

The challenge for Modi will be to maintain the Lok Sabha election momentum in the state polls and come back to power with a thumping majority.&nbsp;

Modi needs to build relations with regional parties, which share an anti-Congress stand, like BJD and YSR. This will give him the much-needed leeway to pass big structural and constitutional reforms.&nbsp;

There could be pressure from right-wing groups to pass an ordinance on Ram Temple, abolish Article 370 and 35A and establish a Uniform Civil Code. There could also be pressure from the party organisation in Karnataka and MP to topple state governments and install BJP chief ministers there. He needs to tread with caution.&nbsp;

Dealing with loose cannons like Sakshi Maharaj, Pragya Thakur and some others, who have a penchant for making controversial statements, will be tough for Modi. Taking stern action against these Hindu poster boys and girls is not easy, because it takes the focus away from development.&nbsp;

Economic challenges

The economy is slowing down, clocking 6.6 per cent growth in Q3 FY 2018-19. The global environment is not as conducive as in his first term. Oil prices are expected to rise amid Iran sanctions, putting further pressure on the rupee.

Modi 2.0 doesn’t have the luxury of lower oil prices like Modi 1.0. This is also likely to put pressure on inflation. To put growth to 8 per cent levels is a big challenge for Modi given that private investment has been lacklustre.&nbsp;

A stable and powerful government could gain the confidence of industry, kick-starting the capex cycle with the uncertainty over election results vaporising.

 
Unemployment was the topmost issue in the elections. Before polls, there were heated exchanges between BJP and opposition spokespersons on the number of jobs created during Modi 1.0 with both citing numerous data sources to drive home their point.&nbsp;

The truth of the matter is that 10-12 million people are added to the workforce each year and we need to find them gainful employment. Taking a leaf out of Congress manifesto, BJP should first try and fill the 20-lakh plus government positions vacant.&nbsp;

The manufacturing sector needs a big boost and IIP was negative in February 2019. SMEs, which account for 45 per cent of India’s total output and employ 40 per cent of the workforce, are facing a liquidity crisis.

Though ease of business rankings has improved, there is scope, especially for startups. The Make in India initiative needs a rejig as it could be the Indian answer to unemployment.&nbsp;

Modi has promised to double farmers’ income by 2022. This is a herculean task as merely increasing the MSP won’t help. The government would need to increase its procurement from farmers at MSP. Doubling income by offering higher remunerative prices also has implications on inflation, which BJP has claimed of getting under control.&nbsp;

Social challenges

In his Parliament hall speech, when he addressed NDA allies, Modi said, “Our mantra should be "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas."&nbsp;He further added, ‘“We have to break through this deception. We have to win their trust. It is a big responsibility that we have to fulfil. Those who vote us are ours and even our most trenchant opponents are ours. We cannot believe in any discrimination.”&nbsp;

Without going into who’s responsible for the deep lines of division between the Hindus and minorities in the country, Modi will face an uphill task to win their trust and confidence. &nbsp;

All over India, it was a general phenomenon that minorities voted for candidates best placed to defeat the BJP, resulting in a severe trust deficit.&nbsp;

Given this backdrop, it would not be easy for Modi, as he has to tread with caution, lest he will be seen as indulging in minority appeasement. And to this, the right-wing groups would increase pressure on him to declare India a Hindu Rashtra by 2022.&nbsp;

Modi has promised ‘a new journey to build a new India with new energy’. While he faces significant headwinds, he loves challenges, as they bring out the best in him. With this bigger mandate comes bigger responsibilities.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-road-ahead-for-pm-narendra-modi-2754356">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The people of India have given a bigger mandate to Narendra Modi and the BJP in 2019. The stupendous, record-breaking mandate comes with multiple challenges, which he has to juggle through.

The people of India have given a bigger mandate to Narendra Modi and the BJP in 2019. The stupendous, record-breaking mandate comes with multiple challenges, which he has to juggle through. The challenges he faces could be classified broadly into political, economic and social. Modi needs to manage the aspirations of allies and keep them in good humour, especially Shiv Sena and JD(U), balancing it with good governance. Though the BJP has got a majority on its own, it needs to share power, given the fact that polls are due in Maharashtra this year and Bihar next year. Retaining both the states is important for the party’s game plan of securing a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament. The party does not enjoy a majority in the Rajya Sabha. Polls are also due within a year in Haryana and Jharkhand, where the chief ministers are facing natural anti-incumbency. Jammu and Kashmir, where the BJP was in power before President’s rule was imposed and Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal dealt a big blow to the party in 2015, also go to polls next year. The challenge for Modi will be to maintain the Lok Sabha election momentum in the state polls and come back to power with a thumping majority. Modi needs to build relations with regional parties, which share an anti-Congress stand, like BJD and YSR. This will give him the much-needed leeway to pass big structural and constitutional reforms. There could be pressure from right-wing groups to pass an ordinance on Ram Temple, abolish Article 370 and 35A and establish a Uniform Civil Code. There could also be pressure from the party organisation in Karnataka and MP to topple state governments and install BJP chief ministers there. He needs to tread with caution. Dealing with loose cannons like Sakshi Maharaj, Pragya Thakur and some others, who have a penchant for making controversial statements, will be tough for Modi. Taking stern action against these Hindu poster boys and girls is not easy, because it takes the focus away from development. Economic challenges The economy is slowing down, clocking 6.6 per cent growth in Q3 FY 2018-19. The global environment is not as conducive as in his first term. Oil prices are expected to rise amid Iran sanctions, putting further pressure on the rupee. Modi 2.0 doesn’t have the luxury of lower oil prices like Modi 1.0. This is also likely to put pressure on inflation. To put growth to 8 per cent levels is a big challenge for Modi given that private investment has been lacklustre. A stable and powerful government could gain the confidence of industry, kick-starting the capex cycle with the uncertainty over election results vaporising. Unemployment was the topmost issue in the elections. Before polls, there were heated exchanges between BJP and opposition spokespersons on the number of jobs created during Modi 1.0 with both citing numerous data sources to drive home their point. The truth of the matter is that 10-12 million people are added to the workforce each year and we need to find them gainful employment. Taking a leaf out of Congress manifesto, BJP should first try and fill the 20-lakh plus government positions vacant. The manufacturing sector needs a big boost and IIP was negative in February 2019. SMEs, which account for 45 per cent of India’s total output and employ 40 per cent of the workforce, are facing a liquidity crisis. Though ease of business rankings has improved, there is scope, especially for startups. The Make in India initiative needs a rejig as it could be the Indian answer to unemployment. Modi has promised to double farmers’ income by 2022. This is a herculean task as merely increasing the MSP won’t help. The government would need to increase its procurement from farmers at MSP. Doubling income by offering higher remunerative prices also has implications on inflation, which BJP has claimed of getting under control. Social challenges In his Parliament hall speech, when he addressed NDA allies, Modi said, “Our mantra should be "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas." He further added, ‘“We have to break through this deception. We have to win their trust. It is a big responsibility that we have to fulfil. Those who vote us are ours and even our most trenchant opponents are ours. We cannot believe in any discrimination.” Without going into who’s responsible for the deep lines of division between the Hindus and minorities in the country, Modi will face an uphill task to win their trust and confidence. All over India, it was a general phenomenon that minorities voted for candidates best placed to defeat the BJP, resulting in a severe trust deficit. Given this backdrop, it would not be easy for Modi, as he has to tread with caution, lest he will be seen as indulging in minority appeasement. And to this, the right-wing groups would increase pressure on him to declare India a Hindu Rashtra by 2022. Modi has promised ‘a new journey to build a new India with new energy’. While he faces significant headwinds, he loves challenges, as they bring out the best in him. With this bigger mandate comes bigger responsibilities. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Road ahead for PM Narendra Modi

Gujarat MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/alpesh-thakor-couldnt-handle-power-given-by-congress-hardik-patel-210237">resigned from the Congress party last month</a>, said that he will not join BJP though he is in contact with several of the BJP leaders.

While talking to ANI on phone, he said, "I meet several BJP leaders as I am an MLA and I have to work for my constituency but I have no plans to join BJP."

Last month, along with Alpesh Thakor, MLA Dhavalsinh Thakor and MLA Bharatji Thakor also resigned from the Congress.

Their resignation came a day ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Alpesh, who came to limelight due to his quota agitation some years back, joined the Congress in 2017 ahead of the last Gujarat polls and was elected from Radhanpur.&nbsp;

Last month, Congress leader Hardik Patel on Saturday said his party gave a lot of respect and power to MLA Alpesh Thakor which the latter could not handle.

"Congress party had given so much respect and power but he could not handle it. He started playing blame games," Mr Patel told ANI.

Mr Thakor, who had joined the Congress party in 2017, ahead of last Gujarat Assembly polls, tendered his resignation after 18 months from all party posts on Wednesday evening.

Hardik Patel further alleged that the BJP tried its best to stop him from contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

"I am accepting the decision of the High Court. BJP lawyers tried their best so that I could not contest the ongoing elections. Congress wanted to take me to the Parliament. I am a 25-year-old young man and many elections will come in the future," he said.

Gujarat MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who resigned from the Congress party last month, said that he will not join BJP though he is in contact with several of the BJP leaders.

Gujarat MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who resigned from the Congress party last month, said that he will not join BJP though he is in contact with several of the BJP leaders. While talking to ANI on phone, he said, "I meet several BJP leaders as I am an MLA and I have to work for my constituency but I have no plans to join BJP." Last month, along with Alpesh Thakor, MLA Dhavalsinh Thakor and MLA Bharatji Thakor also resigned from the Congress. Their resignation came a day ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Alpesh, who came to limelight due to his quota agitation some years back, joined the Congress in 2017 ahead of the last Gujarat polls and was elected from Radhanpur. Last month, Congress leader Hardik Patel on Saturday said his party gave a lot of respect and power to MLA Alpesh Thakor which the latter could not handle. "Congress party had given so much respect and power but he could not handle it. He started playing blame games," Mr Patel told ANI. Mr Thakor, who had joined the Congress party in 2017, ahead of last Gujarat Assembly polls, tendered his resignation after 18 months from all party posts on Wednesday evening. Hardik Patel further alleged that the BJP tried its best to stop him from contesting the Lok Sabha polls. "I am accepting the decision of the High Court. BJP lawyers tried their best so that I could not contest the ongoing elections. Congress wanted to take me to the Parliament. I am a 25-year-old young man and many elections will come in the future," he said.

I have no plans to join BJP: Gujarat MLA Alpesh Thakor

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader.

Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.&nbsp;

The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38&nbsp;Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls.&nbsp;

Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63.&nbsp;

Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death.&nbsp;

With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow.

Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP.

When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties.&nbsp;

Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory.

From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state.

DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. &nbsp;

The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory.

Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. &nbsp;

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words.

With the DMK's resounding electoral victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, Stalin has cemented, firmly, his place as the party leader. Thalapathy (commander) as he is popularly known among DMK carders, who bequeathed enormous responsibility from his father who died in August 2018, proved his mettle and made the detractors, who questioned his leadership style over the past few months, eat their own words. The DMK-led alliance routed rival BJP-AIADMK in the state winning 37 out of 38 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls. Karunanidhi, fondly called Kalaignar by his party cadres, was rather reluctant to pass the baton to Stalin who was the youth wing secretary of the party for 34 years until the age of 63. Stalin succeeded and was made the party president only after Karunanidhi's death. With the remarkable victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin has finally emerged from his father and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s long shadow. Though the opposition parties across the country wanted to oust Modi, neither was there unity among them nor were they ready to accommodate other like-minded parties opposed to BJP into their fold which resulted in advantage BJP. When everyone from Mamata Banerjee to Mayawati exercised politics of greed and lust for power, Stalin, perhaps the only opposition leader, who was not only magnanimous and accommodated both Congress and the Communist parties in the alliance and set aside a respectable number of seats to both the parties. Stalin also openly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of 'Mahagathbandhan'. While everyone else failed to stop Modi, Stalin remains one of the few anti-BJP politicians who have managed to buck the national trend and halted BJP's juggernaut in Tamil Nadu. DMK-Congress sustained the campaign against the BJP was the main reason for the DMK-led alliance's victory. From the Thoothukudi killings that followed anti-Sterlite protests to Gaja cyclone and Cauvery river and NEET issue, the general mood of Tamil Nadu was against Modi-led BJP regime at the Centre. And, AIADMK shot themselves on the foot when they tied up with the BJP which resulted in the Dravidian party losing any slim chance they had to win a few seats in the state. DMK's coalition with Congress also helped in minority vote consolidation. The minority vote consolidation in favour of DMK-led alliance wouldn`t have happened if the Congress was not part of the alliance or Gandhi was not announced as Prime Ministerial candidate which led to DMK's massive victory. Stalin may not have succeeded in his mission to see Congress president Rahul Gandhi as country's prime minister but he had dealt an embarrassing blow to BJP's ambition to breach the Dravidian citadel by partnering with AIADMK. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

M K Stalin's magnanimity ensured BJP-AIADMK rout in Tamil Nadu

In a major setback to West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, three MLAs from West Bengal, including Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu Roy, along with more than 50 councillors on Tuesday joined the BJP here.

The other two MLAs are Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya from Bishnupur (Trinamool Congress) and Debendra Roy from Hemtabad (CPI-M). Roy represents Bijpur Assembly constituency.

Led by BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu, who was suspended by the Trinamool for six years for "demeaning the party", a large number of MLAs and councillors reached Delhi where they accepted BJP membership in the presence of Party President Amit Shah.

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Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP National General Secretary on 3 MLAs and more than 50 Councillors from WB joining BJP: Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joinings in BJP will also happen in seven phases. Today was just the first phase. <a href="https://t.co/YbYEYK2KwU">pic.twitter.com/YbYEYK2KwU</a>
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Mukul Roy claimed in Delhi that the BJP could take control of up to 60 municipalities in the near future.

"I feel in the next two-three months the BJP will wrest 55-60 municipalities in the state," he said.

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West Bengal: 16 TMC Councillors of the Kanchrapara Municipality collectively withdraw from AITC Councillor' Party. Subhrangshu Roy, son of BJP leader Mukul Roy also withdraws his membership. <a href="https://t.co/h2F9wZf4SN">pic.twitter.com/h2F9wZf4SN</a>
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"More than 20 women councillors are here in Delhi. We are not upset with Mamata Ji (Banerjee) but BJP's massive gains in Bengal has influenced us to join the party. People are liking BJP as they are working for them," Ruby Chatterjee, TMC councillor from Garifa, Ward no 6, told ANI.

In Lok Sabha polls&nbsp;2019, BJP inflicted a massive blow to the ruling TMC by winning 18 of the 42 parliamentary constituencies, in contrast with the figure of 2 seats in the 2014 general elections.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC although retained the state, it won just 22 seats, as against 34 in 2014.

(With inputs from ANI)

In a major setback to West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, three MLAs from West Bengal, including Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu Roy, along with more than 50 councillors on Tuesday joined the BJP here.

In a major setback to West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, three MLAs from West Bengal, including Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu Roy, along with more than 50 councillors on Tuesday joined the BJP here. The other two MLAs are Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya from Bishnupur (Trinamool Congress) and Debendra Roy from Hemtabad (CPI-M). Roy represents Bijpur Assembly constituency. Led by BJP leader Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu, who was suspended by the Trinamool for six years for "demeaning the party", a large number of MLAs and councillors reached Delhi where they accepted BJP membership in the presence of Party President Amit Shah. Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP National General Secretary on 3 MLAs and more than 50 Councillors from WB joining BJP: Like the elections were held in seven phases in West Bengal, joinings in BJP will also happen in seven phases. Today was just the first phase. pic.twitter.com/YbYEYK2KwU — ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2019 × Mukul Roy claimed in Delhi that the BJP could take control of up to 60 municipalities in the near future. "I feel in the next two-three months the BJP will wrest 55-60 municipalities in the state," he said. West Bengal: 16 TMC Councillors of the Kanchrapara Municipality collectively withdraw from AITC Councillor' Party. Subhrangshu Roy, son of BJP leader Mukul Roy also withdraws his membership. pic.twitter.com/h2F9wZf4SN — ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2019 × "More than 20 women councillors are here in Delhi. We are not upset with Mamata Ji (Banerjee) but BJP's massive gains in Bengal has influenced us to join the party. People are liking BJP as they are working for them," Ruby Chatterjee, TMC councillor from Garifa, Ward no 6, told ANI. In Lok Sabha polls 2019, BJP inflicted a massive blow to the ruling TMC by winning 18 of the 42 parliamentary constituencies, in contrast with the figure of 2 seats in the 2014 general elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC although retained the state, it won just 22 seats, as against 34 in 2014. (With inputs from ANI)

Setback for Mamata Banerjee: 2 Trinamool Congress MLAs, over 50 councillors join BJP

Rahul Gandhi is the best person to pull the Congress out of its predicament following the setback in the Lok Sabha polls, says party leader Shashi Tharoor while declaring that his party is&nbsp;"alive and kicking" and it is too premature to write its obituary.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/with-rahul-gandhi-firm-on-quitting-as-party-chief-congress-working-committee-to-meet-again-this-week-222138">Congress has no time to sit and lick its wounds</a> as it must immediately pick itself up for the upcoming state elections, Tharoor said.

The party faces an existential crisis with the party president adamant on his decision to quit after the poll debacle -- winning just 52 Lok Sabha seats -- and its state governments facing an uncertain future.&nbsp;

Tharoor, who scored an electoral hat-trick by winning from the Thiruvananthapuram seat in the Lok Sabha polls, also said he is ready to take on the job of the Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha if offered the post.

The Congress still represents the only credible national alternative to the BJP and it will take its message to the country, hopefully under Gandhi's leadership, he said.

In his view, the Gandhi-Nehru family will continue to command "great clout and respect" within the party, on the basis of the tremendous contributions it has made in shaping and guiding the party since Independence.

The former Union minister said Gandhi has led the party from the front and still has far more to offer to the party.

Watch:&nbsp;Rahul insists on resigning as Cong President; CWC to hold another meeting

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rahul-insists-on-resigning-as-cong-president-cwc-to-hold-another-meeting-222176/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Asked about Gandhi's offer to resign and if he was still Congress' best bet in terms of leadership, Tharoor said attempts in the media to pin all the blame for the party's electoral setback on his shoulders are simplistic and unfair.

"I think it does a disservice to the very complex challenges facing the Congress party to reduce it to a question of one person.

"While Rahulji has bravely taken full responsibility for the defeat, we all are responsible for what went wrong and we all have a responsibility to ensure the party's revival," the 63-year-old leader said.

Gandhi will easily beat any other interested candidate by a landslide if the party decides to hold a free and fair election tomorrow for the position of party president, he claimed.

"That is the kind of place he has built in the hearts of the rank and file of the Congress party and therefore, to my mind, he still undoubtedly remains the best person to help rally the party out of the predicament it finds itself in and help us collectively move forward," Tharoor said.

Asked whether a non-Gandhi could lead the party, Tharoor said others can rise to prominent positions in the Congress and a case in point is that the last two Congress prime ministers were not Gandhis.

"Still, I have no doubt the Gandhi-Nehru family will continue to command great clout and respect within the party, just on the basis of the tremendous contributions they have made in shaping and guiding the party since Independence," the former diplomat said.

Two former prime ministers from the Gandhi family -- Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi -- even sacrificed their lives for the nation and this is the proud legacy to which Rahul Gandhi is heir, he said.

Asked if the Congress still remains a credible alternative to the BJP, he said, "It's far too premature to write an obituary for the party as Kerala and Punjab have shown, we are very much alive and kicking."

Despite Congress' poor showing across the country, the party performed well in Kerala and Punjab, winning 15 and eight seats respectively.

"I strongly believe that we have no time to sit and lick our wounds and must instead pick up again immediately and effectively not least because we have several state elections coming up, some of which are four or five months away," he said.

Elections are due in the states of Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra later this year.

Tharoor said he strongly disagreed with Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav's recent "ill-considered" statement that the "Congress must die".

"I genuinely and passionately believe that what the Congress stands for and offers the nation is fundamentally indispensable to the future of the country," he said.

The Congress represents an alternate vision of the idea of India, an inclusive and pluralist vision, that reflects truly the heart and soul of the country, Tharoor said.

Asked if he would take up the role of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, he said, "If offered, certainly I would, but that is not for me to determine. It is clear, though, that since so many of our stalwarts have lost these elections, those of us who remain will have to pull our weight and take on extra responsibility. I am ready for that."

Talking about polarisation playing a role in elections, Tharoor said certainly the party has to understand why voters chose not to vote in their economic self-interest.

With unemployment at a 45-year high, farmers in such distress that record numbers are committing suicide, and small and micro enterprises are shutting down all over the country, one would think that economics would decide the election, he said.

"...Why should a young man who voted for Mr Modi in 2014 in the hope of getting a job vote for him again in 2019 when he still doesn't have a job? And yet he did," Tharoor said.

"Undoubtedly, increasing religious polarisation was a factor. But it is not the whole story, I think. The larger-than-life personality cult around the PM seems to have convinced some voters that he is the only one to lead the country and keep it safe from real and imagined enemies, within and without," he said.

Rahul Gandhi is the best person to pull the Congress out of its predicament following the setback in the Lok Sabha polls, says party leader Shashi Tharoor while declaring that his party is "alive and kicking" and it is too premature to write its obituary.

Rahul Gandhi is the best person to pull the Congress out of its predicament following the setback in the Lok Sabha polls, says party leader Shashi Tharoor while declaring that his party is "alive and kicking" and it is too premature to write its obituary. The Congress has no time to sit and lick its wounds as it must immediately pick itself up for the upcoming state elections, Tharoor said. The party faces an existential crisis with the party president adamant on his decision to quit after the poll debacle -- winning just 52 Lok Sabha seats -- and its state governments facing an uncertain future. Tharoor, who scored an electoral hat-trick by winning from the Thiruvananthapuram seat in the Lok Sabha polls, also said he is ready to take on the job of the Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha if offered the post. The Congress still represents the only credible national alternative to the BJP and it will take its message to the country, hopefully under Gandhi's leadership, he said. In his view, the Gandhi-Nehru family will continue to command "great clout and respect" within the party, on the basis of the tremendous contributions it has made in shaping and guiding the party since Independence. The former Union minister said Gandhi has led the party from the front and still has far more to offer to the party. Watch: Rahul insists on resigning as Cong President; CWC to hold another meeting Asked about Gandhi's offer to resign and if he was still Congress' best bet in terms of leadership, Tharoor said attempts in the media to pin all the blame for the party's electoral setback on his shoulders are simplistic and unfair. "I think it does a disservice to the very complex challenges facing the Congress party to reduce it to a question of one person. "While Rahulji has bravely taken full responsibility for the defeat, we all are responsible for what went wrong and we all have a responsibility to ensure the party's revival," the 63-year-old leader said. Gandhi will easily beat any other interested candidate by a landslide if the party decides to hold a free and fair election tomorrow for the position of party president, he claimed. "That is the kind of place he has built in the hearts of the rank and file of the Congress party and therefore, to my mind, he still undoubtedly remains the best person to help rally the party out of the predicament it finds itself in and help us collectively move forward," Tharoor said. Asked whether a non-Gandhi could lead the party, Tharoor said others can rise to prominent positions in the Congress and a case in point is that the last two Congress prime ministers were not Gandhis. "Still, I have no doubt the Gandhi-Nehru family will continue to command great clout and respect within the party, just on the basis of the tremendous contributions they have made in shaping and guiding the party since Independence," the former diplomat said. Two former prime ministers from the Gandhi family -- Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi -- even sacrificed their lives for the nation and this is the proud legacy to which Rahul Gandhi is heir, he said. Asked if the Congress still remains a credible alternative to the BJP, he said, "It's far too premature to write an obituary for the party as Kerala and Punjab have shown, we are very much alive and kicking." Despite Congress' poor showing across the country, the party performed well in Kerala and Punjab, winning 15 and eight seats respectively. "I strongly believe that we have no time to sit and lick our wounds and must instead pick up again immediately and effectively not least because we have several state elections coming up, some of which are four or five months away," he said. Elections are due in the states of Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra later this year. Tharoor said he strongly disagreed with Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav's recent "ill-considered" statement that the "Congress must die". "I genuinely and passionately believe that what the Congress stands for and offers the nation is fundamentally indispensable to the future of the country," he said. The Congress represents an alternate vision of the idea of India, an inclusive and pluralist vision, that reflects truly the heart and soul of the country, Tharoor said. Asked if he would take up the role of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, he said, "If offered, certainly I would, but that is not for me to determine. It is clear, though, that since so many of our stalwarts have lost these elections, those of us who remain will have to pull our weight and take on extra responsibility. I am ready for that." Talking about polarisation playing a role in elections, Tharoor said certainly the party has to understand why voters chose not to vote in their economic self-interest. With unemployment at a 45-year high, farmers in such distress that record numbers are committing suicide, and small and micro enterprises are shutting down all over the country, one would think that economics would decide the election, he said. "...Why should a young man who voted for Mr Modi in 2014 in the hope of getting a job vote for him again in 2019 when he still doesn't have a job? And yet he did," Tharoor said. "Undoubtedly, increasing religious polarisation was a factor. But it is not the whole story, I think. The larger-than-life personality cult around the PM seems to have convinced some voters that he is the only one to lead the country and keep it safe from real and imagined enemies, within and without," he said.

Rahul best person to lead party, too premature to write Congress' obituary: Shashi Tharoor

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "charismatic" leader like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi and attributed the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha polls to his leadership.

"This Lok Sabha poll victory is a win for the individual leadership called Modi. It is the victory for a charismatic leader," he told reporters in Chennai.

He also said that he would be attending Modi's swearing-in on Thursday.

Speaking of the impact of leadership in politics he said, at the central level or state level, leaders are those who lead the respective parties to victory. "At the national level, after Jawaharlal Nehru, there were Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Vajpayee and now Narendra Modi. At the state level in Tamil Nadu, we had a Kamarajar, Anna, Kalaignar, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa," said the actor.

On the national mandate he said, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, there has been a Modi wave that has swept across, and that "nobody could swim against it". "Those who went with the wave have won," he added.

On the dismal performance of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu he said that the the issues such as NEET, hydrocarbon extraction project, Sterlite police firing and the strong campaign of the opposition parties have played a major role.

About his expectations from the new government he said, "They should definitely take Tamil Nadu seriously and work for the state and also link the rivers Cauvery, Godavari and Krishna."

He also appreciated fellow actor and debutant politician Kamal Haasan for garnering around four per cent vote share on debut.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-indian-superstar-rajinikanth-to-attend-pm-modis-oath-taking-222206/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Rajinikanth also said that Rahul Gandhi should not resign as Congress president following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, saying he was a youngster and perhaps had not got the cooperation of senior party leaders.

"I won't say he lacks leadership qualities, Congress is an age old party and has senior leaders. As a youngster it is difficult to manage senior leaders, senior Congress leaders have not co-operated well and worked hard. Rahul should not resign, he should prove that he can do."

In a democracy ruling party and opposition party are important, I expect the opposition party also to be strong, said Rajinikanth.

&nbsp;

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "charismatic" leader like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi and attributed the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha polls to his leadership.

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "charismatic" leader like Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi and attributed the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha polls to his leadership. "This Lok Sabha poll victory is a win for the individual leadership called Modi. It is the victory for a charismatic leader," he told reporters in Chennai. He also said that he would be attending Modi's swearing-in on Thursday. Speaking of the impact of leadership in politics he said, at the central level or state level, leaders are those who lead the respective parties to victory. "At the national level, after Jawaharlal Nehru, there were Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Vajpayee and now Narendra Modi. At the state level in Tamil Nadu, we had a Kamarajar, Anna, Kalaignar, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa," said the actor. On the national mandate he said, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, there has been a Modi wave that has swept across, and that "nobody could swim against it". "Those who went with the wave have won," he added. On the dismal performance of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu he said that the the issues such as NEET, hydrocarbon extraction project, Sterlite police firing and the strong campaign of the opposition parties have played a major role. About his expectations from the new government he said, "They should definitely take Tamil Nadu seriously and work for the state and also link the rivers Cauvery, Godavari and Krishna." He also appreciated fellow actor and debutant politician Kamal Haasan for garnering around four per cent vote share on debut. Rajinikanth also said that Rahul Gandhi should not resign as Congress president following the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, saying he was a youngster and perhaps had not got the cooperation of senior party leaders. "I won't say he lacks leadership qualities, Congress is an age old party and has senior leaders. As a youngster it is difficult to manage senior leaders, senior Congress leaders have not co-operated well and worked hard. Rahul should not resign, he should prove that he can do." In a democracy ruling party and opposition party are important, I expect the opposition party also to be strong, said Rajinikanth.

Rajinikanth to attend Modi's swearing-in; calls BJP win in Lok Sabha polls victory for 'charismatic' leader Modi

Congress top brass visited Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday amid reports of him not ready to take back his resignation as party chief.&nbsp;

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Singh Surjewala were spotted arriving at Gandhi's residence in Delhi today.&nbsp;

This comes just a few days before the party is expected to hold another <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/with-rahul-gandhi-firm-on-quitting-as-party-chief-congress-working-committee-to-meet-again-this-week-222138">Working Committee meeting this week</a>.&nbsp;

The Congress party will be holding another Working Committee meeting this week to discuss the leadership issue amid reports of Rahul Gandhi not ready to take back his resignation as the party chief.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rahul-adamant-on-resignation-wants-a-non-gandhi-as-next-congress-president-221657/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and senior party leaders have been trying to make Rahul change his mind from exiting the post.&nbsp;

Party treasurer Ahmed Patel and organisational general secretary KC Venugopal met with Gandhi at his residence yesterday and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) met last weekend to deliberate on the poll debacle and strategise on ways to bring in structural reform in the party.

It is being reported that taking the moral responsibility of party's nemesis in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Rahul offered to step down - a move that was unanimously rejected by party's top brass.

Congress top brass visited Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday amid reports of him not ready to take back his resignation as party chief. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Singh Surjewala were spotted arriving at Gandhi's residence in Delhi today.

Congress top brass visited Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday amid reports of him not ready to take back his resignation as party chief. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Singh Surjewala were spotted arriving at Gandhi's residence in Delhi today. This comes just a few days before the party is expected to hold another Working Committee meeting this week. The Congress party will be holding another Working Committee meeting this week to discuss the leadership issue amid reports of Rahul Gandhi not ready to take back his resignation as the party chief. Watch: Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and senior party leaders have been trying to make Rahul change his mind from exiting the post. Party treasurer Ahmed Patel and organisational general secretary KC Venugopal met with Gandhi at his residence yesterday and urged him to continue to lead the party. Congress Working Committee (CWC) met last weekend to deliberate on the poll debacle and strategise on ways to bring in structural reform in the party. It is being reported that taking the moral responsibility of party's nemesis in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Rahul offered to step down - a move that was unanimously rejected by party's top brass.

Post surgical analysis of Congress poll debacle, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot meet Rahul Gandhi

The president of Assam unit of the Congress party, Ripun Bora, submitted his resignation to party president Rahul Gandhi after Congress's "humiliating defeat" in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

"I take the moral responsibility for the dismal performance of the Congress party in the result of Lok Sabha elections under my leadership in Assam. Whatever may be the reason for this humiliating defeat of my party in Assam, my conscience does not allow me to continue as president of Assam PCC," Bora said in his resignation letter.

"I shall always be a disciplined soldier of my party and I am ready to dedicate myself to work for the party in the days to come. In order to give a new look to the party and rejuvenate it I think a new successor should take immediately my place," he added.

Out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, Congress only managed to win three, while the BJP bagged nine of them and two went to others.&nbsp;

Bora is the latest to resign over Congress's performance. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar, party's Odisha unit chief Niranjan Patnaik and Karnataka state unit president HK Patil have already sent their resignations to Gandhi. Delhi Congress president Shiela Dikshit has also sent her resignation to the party chief.

The Congress is going through a crisis after its humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, where the voters gave a decisive mandate to BJP-led NDA to govern the country for the next fiver years. Rahul Gandhi has himself offered to resign as party president, though the proposal was rejected during the party's working committee meeting.

The president of Assam unit of the Congress party, Ripun Bora, submitted his resignation to party president Rahul Gandhi after Congress's "humiliating defeat" in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The president of Assam unit of the Congress party, Ripun Bora, submitted his resignation to party president Rahul Gandhi after Congress's "humiliating defeat" in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. "I take the moral responsibility for the dismal performance of the Congress party in the result of Lok Sabha elections under my leadership in Assam. Whatever may be the reason for this humiliating defeat of my party in Assam, my conscience does not allow me to continue as president of Assam PCC," Bora said in his resignation letter. "I shall always be a disciplined soldier of my party and I am ready to dedicate myself to work for the party in the days to come. In order to give a new look to the party and rejuvenate it I think a new successor should take immediately my place," he added. Out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, Congress only managed to win three, while the BJP bagged nine of them and two went to others. Bora is the latest to resign over Congress's performance. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar, party's Odisha unit chief Niranjan Patnaik and Karnataka state unit president HK Patil have already sent their resignations to Gandhi. Delhi Congress president Shiela Dikshit has also sent her resignation to the party chief. The Congress is going through a crisis after its humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, where the voters gave a decisive mandate to BJP-led NDA to govern the country for the next fiver years. Rahul Gandhi has himself offered to resign as party president, though the proposal was rejected during the party's working committee meeting.

Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora resigns post 'humiliating defeat' in Lok Sabha polls

Prime Minister Modi had said in his election campaign that for making India a superpower, the country needs a sturdy government. Now that a strong government is elected by the people at the Centre, the country will be expecting various reforms. PM Modi has already started the work and it is reported that the plans for the first 100 days are already being made. &nbsp;

In a diverse and growing country like us, we have multiple issues to take care of simultaneously. The emphasis on economy, power, health, defence and infrastructure are the key to development. However, there are some other areas, which are really urgent but are mostly neglected. We suggest that these areas are given much higher priority than what they are receiving now.&nbsp;

The first and foremost issue to address should be the burgeoning population of the nation. The much talked about demographic dividend would be a disaster-in-waiting, if not addressed timely. The rapidly growing population puts an enormous strain on the nation’s resources, whilst making governance a big challenge. It also has dangerous implications for the sustainability of forests and our rich biodiversity. The population of India is projected to reach 1.68 billion by 2050. Should the government limit the reproductive rights of people is a controversial question that needs to be asked with urgency. China’s experience of “one-child policy” has been mixed. However, it is said that a lack of such a policy would have added 1 billion additional people to China by 2050.&nbsp;

The policy had positive approval from 76 per cent of the Chinese nationals. We may not be able to take such a drastic step on population control but we may be able to adopt an approach where governmental benefits would not be available for the second child, making it costly for people to think of having another child. At the same time, information and communication initiatives should highlight the benefits of one child. The obstacles to such a policy are many. The government might need to bring in the Uniform Civil Code to even pursue a nationwide population policy. &nbsp;Needless to say, it would require a lot of stakeholder management but it is the need of the hour.&nbsp;

A second urgent issue is of waste-management. We are very poor in terms of recycling waste or getting rid of garbage dumps, that greet visitors at the outskirts of every Indian city. Many countries in Europe have laws against dumping waste. Countries like Sweden have revolutionised waste processing, so much so that they are importing garbage to produce electricity. In India, Indore is a recent example of such an experiment. Policies need to be developed that addresses both the stock and the flow problem associated with waste management. Stock relates to the garbage that has accumulated over years of neglect. The flow deals with the incremental garbage creation that happens on a day-to-day basis. Intermittent stock clearing programs (Safai-Abhiyans) are not helpful in the long term unless it is accompanied by a strong policy that addresses generation of waste. &nbsp;Education, intelligent policies and strict implementation is the key to Swachh Bharat 2.0.&nbsp;

The third important issue is of managing the chaotic traffic on the roads. Our traffic laws and their implementation are probably one of the poorest in the world. It results in lots of accidents on the road (1.47 lakh people in 2017 died due to road accidents) and reduces traffic speed. Unruly drivers on the roads are a threat and, therefore, the government needs to revalidate the driving licenses and strictly monitor traffic rules implementation on the road. Making multiple mistakes should result in forfeiting of the driving licence. For that to happen, a lot of autonomous systems are to be put in place and infrastructure has to be created to detect ownership of vehicles instantly after a violation and automatically invoking penalties. There is a need to hire more traffic police force throughout the country. Ideally, one police personnel must be appointed for every 1000 vehicles. Only Kolkata meets this requirement with one police officer for every 421 vehicles. Comparable figures for Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai are 2134, 1773 and 1524 respectively. Traffic reforms are a need of the hour.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A related issue is of creating rapid transit or mass transport in the country. If we want to decongest the roads, we must create rapid transit-mass transport connectivity at a large scale. In the last 5 years, considerable effort has been made in launching mass transit systems across tier-1 and tier-2 cities. However, rapid transit connectivity plans to airports and railway stations are either ineffective (eg: Delhi) or non-existent (eg: Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai). These need to be expedited to enable true seamless multi-modal transport across the country. And such connectivity options need to be built-in into new metro plans of any city.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another area of concern is our depleting forest resources. Economic development creates pressure on our forest resources. In the recent past, Industries are given permission to operate from key forest areas, and some of those decisions were highly controversial. The long term impact of allowing an industry in a forest area has probably not been calculated, even though in the short term they are known to help in economic development. It is important to strictly monitor emissions for industries currently operating in forest areas. As a developing country, we will be pushed to invest more in economic development, but as a country, we need to decide to only use non-productive lands for the industry. Also, it is important that additional areas are brought into reserved forest zones from protected zones, where currently all activities such as hunting and grazing are allowed.&nbsp;

It is natural for people of India to expect a lot from the government that has returned to power with a bigger mandate than in 2014. Focussing on these issues is likely to bring in a lot of benefits for the citizens over the next five years. To achieve results in an urgent and time-bound manner, there will be a need to reorganise the ministries. We believe these are the five key areas and the citizens should hold the next government responsible for not taking action on these issues.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
(Co-authored by Harish Rao. He is an assistant professor of International Management Institute, Delhi.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi had said in his election campaign that for making India a superpower, the country needs a sturdy government. Now that a strong government is elected by the people at the Centre, the country will be expecting various reforms.

Prime Minister Modi had said in his election campaign that for making India a superpower, the country needs a sturdy government. Now that a strong government is elected by the people at the Centre, the country will be expecting various reforms. PM Modi has already started the work and it is reported that the plans for the first 100 days are already being made. In a diverse and growing country like us, we have multiple issues to take care of simultaneously. The emphasis on economy, power, health, defence and infrastructure are the key to development. However, there are some other areas, which are really urgent but are mostly neglected. We suggest that these areas are given much higher priority than what they are receiving now. The first and foremost issue to address should be the burgeoning population of the nation. The much talked about demographic dividend would be a disaster-in-waiting, if not addressed timely. The rapidly growing population puts an enormous strain on the nation’s resources, whilst making governance a big challenge. It also has dangerous implications for the sustainability of forests and our rich biodiversity. The population of India is projected to reach 1.68 billion by 2050. Should the government limit the reproductive rights of people is a controversial question that needs to be asked with urgency. China’s experience of “one-child policy” has been mixed. However, it is said that a lack of such a policy would have added 1 billion additional people to China by 2050. The policy had positive approval from 76 per cent of the Chinese nationals. We may not be able to take such a drastic step on population control but we may be able to adopt an approach where governmental benefits would not be available for the second child, making it costly for people to think of having another child. At the same time, information and communication initiatives should highlight the benefits of one child. The obstacles to such a policy are many. The government might need to bring in the Uniform Civil Code to even pursue a nationwide population policy. Needless to say, it would require a lot of stakeholder management but it is the need of the hour. A second urgent issue is of waste-management. We are very poor in terms of recycling waste or getting rid of garbage dumps, that greet visitors at the outskirts of every Indian city. Many countries in Europe have laws against dumping waste. Countries like Sweden have revolutionised waste processing, so much so that they are importing garbage to produce electricity. In India, Indore is a recent example of such an experiment. Policies need to be developed that addresses both the stock and the flow problem associated with waste management. Stock relates to the garbage that has accumulated over years of neglect. The flow deals with the incremental garbage creation that happens on a day-to-day basis. Intermittent stock clearing programs (Safai-Abhiyans) are not helpful in the long term unless it is accompanied by a strong policy that addresses generation of waste. Education, intelligent policies and strict implementation is the key to Swachh Bharat 2.0. The third important issue is of managing the chaotic traffic on the roads. Our traffic laws and their implementation are probably one of the poorest in the world. It results in lots of accidents on the road (1.47 lakh people in 2017 died due to road accidents) and reduces traffic speed. Unruly drivers on the roads are a threat and, therefore, the government needs to revalidate the driving licenses and strictly monitor traffic rules implementation on the road. Making multiple mistakes should result in forfeiting of the driving licence. For that to happen, a lot of autonomous systems are to be put in place and infrastructure has to be created to detect ownership of vehicles instantly after a violation and automatically invoking penalties. There is a need to hire more traffic police force throughout the country. Ideally, one police personnel must be appointed for every 1000 vehicles. Only Kolkata meets this requirement with one police officer for every 421 vehicles. Comparable figures for Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai are 2134, 1773 and 1524 respectively. Traffic reforms are a need of the hour. A related issue is of creating rapid transit or mass transport in the country. If we want to decongest the roads, we must create rapid transit-mass transport connectivity at a large scale. In the last 5 years, considerable effort has been made in launching mass transit systems across tier-1 and tier-2 cities. However, rapid transit connectivity plans to airports and railway stations are either ineffective (eg: Delhi) or non-existent (eg: Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai). These need to be expedited to enable true seamless multi-modal transport across the country. And such connectivity options need to be built-in into new metro plans of any city. Another area of concern is our depleting forest resources. Economic development creates pressure on our forest resources. In the recent past, Industries are given permission to operate from key forest areas, and some of those decisions were highly controversial. The long term impact of allowing an industry in a forest area has probably not been calculated, even though in the short term they are known to help in economic development. It is important to strictly monitor emissions for industries currently operating in forest areas. As a developing country, we will be pushed to invest more in economic development, but as a country, we need to decide to only use non-productive lands for the industry. Also, it is important that additional areas are brought into reserved forest zones from protected zones, where currently all activities such as hunting and grazing are allowed. It is natural for people of India to expect a lot from the government that has returned to power with a bigger mandate than in 2014. Focussing on these issues is likely to bring in a lot of benefits for the citizens over the next five years. To achieve results in an urgent and time-bound manner, there will be a need to reorganise the ministries. We believe these are the five key areas and the citizens should hold the next government responsible for not taking action on these issues. (Co-authored by Harish Rao. He is an assistant professor of International Management Institute, Delhi.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Key immediate reform areas for the new government

Taking responsibility of the party's debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ajoy Kumar Monday resigned from his post.

Ajoy Kumar handed over his resignation letter to the party's state unit in-charge R P N Singh.

"I have handed over my resignation letter to R P N Singh, party's state unit in-charge in the state, taking personal responsibility for the election results," Kumar told PTI over the phone.

It is not immediately known whether his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/punjab-congress-chief-sunil-jakhar-resigns-after-defeat-221988">resignation letter</a> was accepted.

The Congress, which led the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in the state, contested the Lok Sabha polls from seven out of 14 seats.

Watch:&nbsp;Why did Congress' strategy fail?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-did-congress-strategy-fail-221125/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But the party could win only one seat - Singhbhum(ST) - where former chief minister Madhu Koda's wife, Gita Koda, defeated BJP's state unit president Laxman Gilua. The JMM contested four seats and won only one seat, while Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) contested two seats and lost both.

On the other side, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) failed to open its account, though it had contested the Lok Sabha polls from Palamau (SC) and Chatra constituencies. The BJP-Ajsu Party alliance won 12 of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand.

According to the pre-poll alliance, seat-sharing arrangement of the 'Mahagathbandhan', the Congress had been given the charge to head the grand alliance in Lok Sabha, while the JMM would be given responsibility during the assembly polls to be held later this year.

Taking responsibility of the party's debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ajoy Kumar Monday resigned from his post.

Taking responsibility of the party's debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ajoy Kumar Monday resigned from his post. Ajoy Kumar handed over his resignation letter to the party's state unit in-charge R P N Singh. "I have handed over my resignation letter to R P N Singh, party's state unit in-charge in the state, taking personal responsibility for the election results," Kumar told PTI over the phone. It is not immediately known whether his resignation letter was accepted. The Congress, which led the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in the state, contested the Lok Sabha polls from seven out of 14 seats. Watch: Why did Congress' strategy fail? But the party could win only one seat - Singhbhum(ST) - where former chief minister Madhu Koda's wife, Gita Koda, defeated BJP's state unit president Laxman Gilua. The JMM contested four seats and won only one seat, while Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) contested two seats and lost both. On the other side, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) failed to open its account, though it had contested the Lok Sabha polls from Palamau (SC) and Chatra constituencies. The BJP-Ajsu Party alliance won 12 of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand. According to the pre-poll alliance, seat-sharing arrangement of the 'Mahagathbandhan', the Congress had been given the charge to head the grand alliance in Lok Sabha, while the JMM would be given responsibility during the assembly polls to be held later this year.

Jharkhand Congress president  Ajoy Kumar resigns from post

As a political commentator, I have no hesitation in saying that the idea of Congress is like the idea of India. Just like there can be no one idea of India, similarly the Congress, like the Ganga, has room for everyone and every point of view.

But how did a party that was the original Hindu nationalist party with room and equal opportunity for everyone, go on to become an “anti-national” and “minority appeasing” party?

The answer lies in the office of Rahul Gandhi and those who surround him. For starters, let me put on record that I very firmly believe that Rahul Gandhi is a very well read man with his heart in the right place and a desire to lead the party to glory and bring reforms that transform our nation.&nbsp;

I do believe that he must continue to lead the Congress, but there is not an iota of doubt in my mind that his office needs to be dismantled and a new team must be put together.

In simple plain speak, the office of Rahul Gandhi (RG), as it’s often referred to, has juvenile, immature, and non-serious people who have no political understanding and are out of touch with realities.&nbsp;

I often refer to them as a bunch of clowns, who bring entertainment to our lives, but beyond that have no contribution and are not taken seriously even in the political circles.

If one is to limit the analysis to what went wrong in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, let us look at the office of RG and their performance. Entertaining dead-wood like Sudheendra Kulkarni and Arun Shourie. What value do these two bring? If they were so capable, would they not have made Advani ji the PM? &nbsp;Narendra Modi discarded these dead-woods whose weight the Congress dragged.&nbsp;

The Congress Communication department is headed by a man who came third in by-elections, despite being known as RG's closest aide.

How many spokespersons in Congress are aware of the party history in detail? They keep getting bashed day in and out. The messaging of the party is childish and frankly, no one knows what the party wants to communicate.

On TV, the party comes across as a rich entitled party, with no respect for institutions, throwing tantrums without a roadmap. And honestly, if one is to run MGNREGA advertisements in a premium multiplex chain, this party and it’s communication department simply don’t know the art of speaking the right thing at the right place to the right audience.&nbsp;

The Congress was the original Hindu Nationalist Party, with secular and equal opportunities for everyone. Yet today, so bad has been the Congress strategy in both communication and it’s own brand building, that the party of Indira Gandhi that broke Pakistan into two, the party of not one, but two martyr prime ministers, is known as anti-national!&nbsp;

The question to ask these advisors is this: would Indiraji or Rajivji stand next to a Kanhaiya Kumar or Jignesh?

You could have sent your party secretary to support them, but sending Rahul Gandhi there was a disaster. Then you gave Jignesh a Congress-winning seat in Gujarat and he came and campaigned in Delhi for AAP, whereas Kanhaiya and Prakash Raj ensured that your best candidates in Bihar (from RJD) and Bangalore, both Muslim candidates who deserved to be in Parliament, lost!&nbsp;

And on the issue of Muslims, the BJP managed to brand the Congress as a “Muslim appeasing party”, whereas wherever the Muslims have an option apart from the Congress, like UP or West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, they dump the Congress!&nbsp;

Then the technocrats in Rahul Gandhi’s team. A fraud of a data scientist from the US claimed 2014 was a “black swan” event and Modi won’t be PM again. Well, the black swan just got fatter and is sitting on your head. Where did this data come from? He said Maharashtra was the angriest state. Well, the Congress got wiped out from Maharashtra. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-get-up-and-smell-the-coffee-2753969"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

As a political commentator, I have no hesitation in saying that the idea of Congress is like the idea of India. Just like there can be no one idea of India, similarly the Congress, like the Ganga, has room for everyone and every point of view.

As a political commentator, I have no hesitation in saying that the idea of Congress is like the idea of India. Just like there can be no one idea of India, similarly the Congress, like the Ganga, has room for everyone and every point of view. But how did a party that was the original Hindu nationalist party with room and equal opportunity for everyone, go on to become an “anti-national” and “minority appeasing” party? The answer lies in the office of Rahul Gandhi and those who surround him. For starters, let me put on record that I very firmly believe that Rahul Gandhi is a very well read man with his heart in the right place and a desire to lead the party to glory and bring reforms that transform our nation. I do believe that he must continue to lead the Congress, but there is not an iota of doubt in my mind that his office needs to be dismantled and a new team must be put together. In simple plain speak, the office of Rahul Gandhi (RG), as it’s often referred to, has juvenile, immature, and non-serious people who have no political understanding and are out of touch with realities. I often refer to them as a bunch of clowns, who bring entertainment to our lives, but beyond that have no contribution and are not taken seriously even in the political circles. If one is to limit the analysis to what went wrong in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, let us look at the office of RG and their performance. Entertaining dead-wood like Sudheendra Kulkarni and Arun Shourie. What value do these two bring? If they were so capable, would they not have made Advani ji the PM? Narendra Modi discarded these dead-woods whose weight the Congress dragged. The Congress Communication department is headed by a man who came third in by-elections, despite being known as RG's closest aide. How many spokespersons in Congress are aware of the party history in detail? They keep getting bashed day in and out. The messaging of the party is childish and frankly, no one knows what the party wants to communicate. On TV, the party comes across as a rich entitled party, with no respect for institutions, throwing tantrums without a roadmap. And honestly, if one is to run MGNREGA advertisements in a premium multiplex chain, this party and it’s communication department simply don’t know the art of speaking the right thing at the right place to the right audience. The Congress was the original Hindu Nationalist Party, with secular and equal opportunities for everyone. Yet today, so bad has been the Congress strategy in both communication and it’s own brand building, that the party of Indira Gandhi that broke Pakistan into two, the party of not one, but two martyr prime ministers, is known as anti-national! The question to ask these advisors is this: would Indiraji or Rajivji stand next to a Kanhaiya Kumar or Jignesh? You could have sent your party secretary to support them, but sending Rahul Gandhi there was a disaster. Then you gave Jignesh a Congress-winning seat in Gujarat and he came and campaigned in Delhi for AAP, whereas Kanhaiya and Prakash Raj ensured that your best candidates in Bihar (from RJD) and Bangalore, both Muslim candidates who deserved to be in Parliament, lost! And on the issue of Muslims, the BJP managed to brand the Congress as a “Muslim appeasing party”, whereas wherever the Muslims have an option apart from the Congress, like UP or West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, they dump the Congress! Then the technocrats in Rahul Gandhi’s team. A fraud of a data scientist from the US claimed 2014 was a “black swan” event and Modi won’t be PM again. Well, the black swan just got fatter and is sitting on your head. Where did this data come from? He said Maharashtra was the angriest state. Well, the Congress got wiped out from Maharashtra. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Rahul Gandhi's office needs to be dismantled and a new team must be put together

Pappu ki Adi, the famous tea stall in Varanasi, is bustling with chai lovers on Monday.

What makes the day more special is - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-visit-varanasi-today-221858">Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Varanasi</a>, to the place whose voters sent him to Lok Sabha for the second consecutive time in the recently concluded general elections.

Chandra Prakash Jain, a local businessman who had come to get his daily cup of tea, said the whole of Varanasi was waiting eagerly for PM Modi and added that the constituency would ensure PM Modi's win for many more terms in the future.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at people on his way to Kashi Vishwanath temple. <a href="https://t.co/BIeoXzlwua">pic.twitter.com/BIeoXzlwua</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132874944692531202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"We welcome Prime Minister Modiji on his first visit to Varanasi post his win in the Lok Sabha polls. The whole of Varanasi is eager to see him and thank him for the developmental work he has carried out in Varanasi and the country. He will win from here again and will definitely win two or three times more," Jain told ANI here.

Sridhar Pandey, an astrologer from Ganga Ghat, said that PM Modi is a unique leader and his love for the people knows no bounds. Pandey said he had also conducted pujas for the Prime Minister on his earlier visits.

"It is unique that a leader is coming to thank the people after winning the elections. It shows he is a unique and compassionate leader who cares for the people. His unceasing, tireless work in the past five years has made people love him even more," the astrologer said.

"We know it takes time for development but we want him to finish all the good work he has started, especially the cleaning of Ganga. I have personally accompanied PM Modi when he did aarti at the Ganga ghat in his previous trips, he is a great person," Pandey told ANI.

Ram S Mishra, a local journalist, said that there was no doubt about PM Modi's capability but also implored him to take a closer look at the work being done in his constituency.

"Kashi had chosen its MP the last time but this time we have chosen the Prime Minister of the country. This is a great achievement for Varanasi and we thank Modiji for enhancing its image in the globe," he said.

"We also want him to monitor and assess the development work in his second term as the MP from this constituency and ensure better use of funds. Kashi thanks PM Modi and will be with him always," said Mishra.

There is energy and excitement in Varanasi, a sentiment summed up in a few lines by Manoj, the son of the iconic Pappu tea stall's owner who is managing the shop since the morning."We will wholeheartedly welcome PM Modi for his rally, he has done great work in the constituency and will do much more in the future. We have full faith in him and his commitment," Manoj said.

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Visuals of security from Varanasi ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit today. An LED screen has been installed at the entrance of Kashi Vishwanath Temple (pic 4) which will live stream visuals from inside when PM Modi will offer prayers. <a href="https://t.co/VObjmcgJ5E">pic.twitter.com/VObjmcgJ5E</a>
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The preparations for Modi's welcome have been completed and the area has been decked up with BJP flags, ribbons and wall paintings of Buddha and other spiritual idols.

Cleaning and maintenance work in the area has also been completed.

An LED screen has been installed at the entrance of Kashi Vishwanath Temple which will live stream visuals from inside when PM Modi offers prayers.

Modi's visit is nothing less than a festival for the people of his constituency. Dancers, musicians, and acrobats also took to the streets of the holy city to perform and keep the crowds waiting for Prime Minister entertained.

On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also held a meeting with local administration officials in Varanasi to assess preparations for Modi's visit.&nbsp;

Pappu ki Adi, the famous tea stall in Varanasi, is bustling with chai lovers on Monday. What makes the day more special is - Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Varanasi, to the place whose voters sent him to Lok Sabha for the second consecutive time in the recently concluded general elections.

Pappu ki Adi, the famous tea stall in Varanasi, is bustling with chai lovers on Monday. What makes the day more special is - Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Varanasi, to the place whose voters sent him to Lok Sabha for the second consecutive time in the recently concluded general elections. Chandra Prakash Jain, a local businessman who had come to get his daily cup of tea, said the whole of Varanasi was waiting eagerly for PM Modi and added that the constituency would ensure PM Modi's win for many more terms in the future. #WATCH Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at people on his way to Kashi Vishwanath temple. pic.twitter.com/BIeoXzlwua — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × "We welcome Prime Minister Modiji on his first visit to Varanasi post his win in the Lok Sabha polls. The whole of Varanasi is eager to see him and thank him for the developmental work he has carried out in Varanasi and the country. He will win from here again and will definitely win two or three times more," Jain told ANI here. Sridhar Pandey, an astrologer from Ganga Ghat, said that PM Modi is a unique leader and his love for the people knows no bounds. Pandey said he had also conducted pujas for the Prime Minister on his earlier visits. "It is unique that a leader is coming to thank the people after winning the elections. It shows he is a unique and compassionate leader who cares for the people. His unceasing, tireless work in the past five years has made people love him even more," the astrologer said. "We know it takes time for development but we want him to finish all the good work he has started, especially the cleaning of Ganga. I have personally accompanied PM Modi when he did aarti at the Ganga ghat in his previous trips, he is a great person," Pandey told ANI. Ram S Mishra, a local journalist, said that there was no doubt about PM Modi's capability but also implored him to take a closer look at the work being done in his constituency. "Kashi had chosen its MP the last time but this time we have chosen the Prime Minister of the country. This is a great achievement for Varanasi and we thank Modiji for enhancing its image in the globe," he said. "We also want him to monitor and assess the development work in his second term as the MP from this constituency and ensure better use of funds. Kashi thanks PM Modi and will be with him always," said Mishra. There is energy and excitement in Varanasi, a sentiment summed up in a few lines by Manoj, the son of the iconic Pappu tea stall's owner who is managing the shop since the morning."We will wholeheartedly welcome PM Modi for his rally, he has done great work in the constituency and will do much more in the future. We have full faith in him and his commitment," Manoj said. Visuals of security from Varanasi ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit today. An LED screen has been installed at the entrance of Kashi Vishwanath Temple (pic 4) which will live stream visuals from inside when PM Modi will offer prayers. pic.twitter.com/VObjmcgJ5E — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × The preparations for Modi's welcome have been completed and the area has been decked up with BJP flags, ribbons and wall paintings of Buddha and other spiritual idols. Cleaning and maintenance work in the area has also been completed. An LED screen has been installed at the entrance of Kashi Vishwanath Temple which will live stream visuals from inside when PM Modi offers prayers. Modi's visit is nothing less than a festival for the people of his constituency. Dancers, musicians, and acrobats also took to the streets of the holy city to perform and keep the crowds waiting for Prime Minister entertained. On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also held a meeting with local administration officials in Varanasi to assess preparations for Modi's visit.

Varanasi brims with festivities as PM Modi visits holy city

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-visits-mother-heeraben-in-gandhinagar-221839">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;on Monday arrived in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi after getting a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections last week.

Preparations were in full swing in Varanasi. Banners have been put at various places in the city featuring photographs of the prime minister.

"We are keenly waiting for Prime Minister Modi to visit Varanasi. It is heartening to see that he will be our Prime Minister again," said a local.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi. He will offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple today and hold a meeting with party workers later today. <a href="https://t.co/35oirBCFOa">pic.twitter.com/35oirBCFOa</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132865884949745664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another one added, "A lot of development work was done in Varanasi. Now we are just hoping that the same will happen in the next five years as well."

Three days before taking oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, Modi will hold a roadshow in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, and will address the BJP workers.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/next-5-years-are-crucial-for-india-pm-modi-221853/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The chief priest of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Acharya Ashok Dwivedi, who will perform puja with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, said the Varanasi MP has the blessings of Lord Shiva and mother Ganga has accepted him.

Admiring the success of Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, Dwivedi told ANI, "Baba Shiv and Maa Ganga have accepted him. Prime Minister has blessings of Baba with him. Our Prime Minister is the most respected leader."

"This is our fortune that Prime Minister will perform puja with all rituals as he did in 2014 Lok Sabha and state elections. He is the biggest devotee of Vishwanath baba. Even before the rituals start, he devotes himself to god, you can see tears of devotion in his eyes", he added.

PM Modi is expected to visit the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple. He is also expected to hold a five-kilometre-long roadshow in the constituency to celebrate his massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

After the 'darshan'&nbsp;and 'puja'&nbsp;at Kashi Vishwanath temple, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address the BJP workers at Deendayal Hastkala Sankul.

Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi after getting a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections last week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi after getting a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections last week. Preparations were in full swing in Varanasi. Banners have been put at various places in the city featuring photographs of the prime minister. "We are keenly waiting for Prime Minister Modi to visit Varanasi. It is heartening to see that he will be our Prime Minister again," said a local. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi. He will offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple today and hold a meeting with party workers later today. pic.twitter.com/35oirBCFOa — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × Another one added, "A lot of development work was done in Varanasi. Now we are just hoping that the same will happen in the next five years as well." Three days before taking oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, Modi will hold a roadshow in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, and will address the BJP workers. The chief priest of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Acharya Ashok Dwivedi, who will perform puja with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, said the Varanasi MP has the blessings of Lord Shiva and mother Ganga has accepted him. Admiring the success of Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, Dwivedi told ANI, "Baba Shiv and Maa Ganga have accepted him. Prime Minister has blessings of Baba with him. Our Prime Minister is the most respected leader." "This is our fortune that Prime Minister will perform puja with all rituals as he did in 2014 Lok Sabha and state elections. He is the biggest devotee of Vishwanath baba. Even before the rituals start, he devotes himself to god, you can see tears of devotion in his eyes", he added. PM Modi is expected to visit the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple. He is also expected to hold a five-kilometre-long roadshow in the constituency to celebrate his massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections. After the 'darshan' and 'puja' at Kashi Vishwanath temple, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address the BJP workers at Deendayal Hastkala Sankul. Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi; will hold a roadshow, address party workers

Speculation was rife on Sunday about senior Congress leader Lalchand Kataria quitting as the Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan with his purported resignation letter doing the rounds on social media, even though the Chief Minister's Office did not confirm the development.

In a purported press release, Kataria said he resigned from the Ashok Gehlot cabinet in the wake of the Congress party's poor performance in the state in the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

The Congress lost all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the general elections. The BJP won 24 and its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party one seat in the Congress-ruled state.&nbsp; 
Kataria said he was forwarding his resignation to Governor Kalyan Singh through the CM.

When contacted, the Chief Minister's Office told PTI, "We refuse to confirm the resignation."

Sources at the Raj Bhawan also did not confirm the resignation. "There is no confirmation on this," said a source.

Kataria could not be contacted for comments as his official phone was unreachable.&nbsp;

Speculation was rife on Sunday about senior Congress leader Lalchand Kataria quitting as the Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan with his purported resignation letter doing the rounds on social media, even though the Chief Minister's Office did not confirm the development.

Speculation was rife on Sunday about senior Congress leader Lalchand Kataria quitting as the Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan with his purported resignation letter doing the rounds on social media, even though the Chief Minister's Office did not confirm the development. In a purported press release, Kataria said he resigned from the Ashok Gehlot cabinet in the wake of the Congress party's poor performance in the state in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress lost all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the general elections. The BJP won 24 and its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party one seat in the Congress-ruled state. Kataria said he was forwarding his resignation to Governor Kalyan Singh through the CM. When contacted, the Chief Minister's Office told PTI, "We refuse to confirm the resignation." Sources at the Raj Bhawan also did not confirm the resignation. "There is no confirmation on this," said a source. Kataria could not be contacted for comments as his official phone was unreachable.

Congress Lok Sabha debacle: Speculation over Rajasthan agriculture minister quitting

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/will-work-with-pm-modi-for-betterment-of-people-of-delhi-arvind-kejriwal-after-losing-on-all-7-seats-221149">Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal</a> on Sunday motivated party workers to not get disheartened by their crushing defeat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said "they should now look forward to the Delhi Assembly elections," which are slated to take place next year.

Kejriwal said he is confident of getting more than 54 per cent vote share which AAP received in the last Delhi Assembly elections when it won 67 out of 70 seats.

Taking to the stage, Kejriwal congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for winning a second term and hoped that the Central government would work in good faith with the state government for the betterment of Delhi.

"People gave votes based on PM face thinking it was a national election and not one for AAP. But now it is time to go to them saying this here is the state election now and we must vote not on a name but on the basis of work done," Kejriwal said.

He urged the AAP volunteers to go to the "people of Delhi and ask them if Delhi had elected a BJP state government four years ago, would schools have been transformed, would mohalla clinics have been made, would doorstep delivery be started?"

The CM believes, based on the work they have done for people, their 54 per cent vote share in the last assembly elections would surpass this time. "The only precondition for this is that everyone sheds this air of dismay and starts afresh with a smile," he said.&nbsp;

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday motivated party workers to not get disheartened by their crushing defeat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said "they should now look forward to the Delhi Assembly elections," which are slated to take place next year.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday motivated party workers to not get disheartened by their crushing defeat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said "they should now look forward to the Delhi Assembly elections," which are slated to take place next year. Kejriwal said he is confident of getting more than 54 per cent vote share which AAP received in the last Delhi Assembly elections when it won 67 out of 70 seats. Taking to the stage, Kejriwal congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for winning a second term and hoped that the Central government would work in good faith with the state government for the betterment of Delhi. "People gave votes based on PM face thinking it was a national election and not one for AAP. But now it is time to go to them saying this here is the state election now and we must vote not on a name but on the basis of work done," Kejriwal said. He urged the AAP volunteers to go to the "people of Delhi and ask them if Delhi had elected a BJP state government four years ago, would schools have been transformed, would mohalla clinics have been made, would doorstep delivery be started?" The CM believes, based on the work they have done for people, their 54 per cent vote share in the last assembly elections would surpass this time. "The only precondition for this is that everyone sheds this air of dismay and starts afresh with a smile," he said.

Don't get disheartened by Lok Sabha defeat, look forward to Assembly polls: Kejriwal to party workers