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>
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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

Leaders of BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation are set to attend the oath-taking ceremony of prime minister-designate &nbsp;Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 30 at 7pm.&nbsp;

The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "Government of India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC member states for the Swearing-in ceremony. This is in line with the government's focus on its 'Neighbourhood First' policy."

Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal &amp; Bhutan are the BIMSTEC member states.

Modi had participated in the 4th BIMSTEC summit which took place in Kathmandu last year. India had also called all the BIMSTEC leaders for a retreat in Goa in 2016 when India hosted the BRICS summit.

India's focus has been BIMSTEC since the cancellation of the SAARC summit in 2016. India along with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives had boycotted the summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of Uri terror attack.&nbsp;

Heads of Bangladesh and&nbsp;Thailand won't be attending the ceremony due to prior engagement of Sheikh Hasina and government&nbsp;formation in Thailand.

Bangladesh will be represented by President Abdul Hamid.

India has also invited President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who is the current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, who was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.

PM Modi will be going to Kyrgyzstan in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

At his oath-taking ceremony in 2014, Modi had invited all heads of state of SAARC countries. PM of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala, PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and speaker of Bangladesh's Jatiyo Sangshad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury attended the oath-taking ceremony as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on another planned visit.&nbsp;

Only Bangladesh's PM Hasina remains in office while all other countries have seen a change of guard.&nbsp;

Leaders of BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation are set to attend the oath-taking ceremony of prime minister-designate Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 30 at 7pm.

Leaders of BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation are set to attend the oath-taking ceremony of prime minister-designate Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan on May 30 at 7pm. The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "Government of India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC member states for the Swearing-in ceremony. This is in line with the government's focus on its 'Neighbourhood First' policy." Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal & Bhutan are the BIMSTEC member states. Modi had participated in the 4th BIMSTEC summit which took place in Kathmandu last year. India had also called all the BIMSTEC leaders for a retreat in Goa in 2016 when India hosted the BRICS summit. India's focus has been BIMSTEC since the cancellation of the SAARC summit in 2016. India along with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives had boycotted the summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of Uri terror attack. Heads of Bangladesh and Thailand won't be attending the ceremony due to prior engagement of Sheikh Hasina and government formation in Thailand. Bangladesh will be represented by President Abdul Hamid. India has also invited President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who is the current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth, who was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. PM Modi will be going to Kyrgyzstan in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. At his oath-taking ceremony in 2014, Modi had invited all heads of state of SAARC countries. PM of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala, PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and speaker of Bangladesh's Jatiyo Sangshad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury attended the oath-taking ceremony as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on another planned visit. Only Bangladesh's PM Hasina remains in office while all other countries have seen a change of guard.

BIMSTEC leaders to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony in Delhi on May 30

Faced with a colossal electoral defeat, the Congress was on Monday riven by internal turmoil with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dont-want-any-post-want-to-work-for-partys-ideology-rahul-gandhi-221816">Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting</a> as party president while its governments in Rajasthan and Karnataka teetered on the brink.&nbsp;

In the midst of the disquiet, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/punjab-congress-chief-sunil-jakhar-resigns-after-defeat-221988">several state Congress chiefs</a>, including Punjab's Sunil Jakhar, Jharkhand's Ajoy Kumar and Assam's Ripun Bora, also offered to resign following the party's drubbing in the elections, party insiders said.&nbsp;

Congress sources said Gandhi is insisting on resigning his post and is understood to have conveyed to several leaders that it is time for the grand old party to look for a new chief.&nbsp;

The Congress won only 52 out of 542 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha polls, just six more than its 2014 tally. The party could not open its account in 18 states and union territories.

Taking responsibility for the defeat, Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as party president at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, but it was "unanimously rejected".&nbsp;

At the CWC meeting, Gandhi accused three senior leaders -- Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and P Chidambaram -- of placing their sons above the party.&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>

His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the entire top brass of the party left Rahul Gandhi alone to fight it out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. &nbsp; &nbsp;

As the party grapples with a severe existential crisis, its governments in both Karnataka and Rajasthan face a tough time with reports suggesting the BJP may try to wrest power in both states.

It is learnt that Congress legislators Ramesh Jarkiholi and Dr Sudhakar visited BJP leader S M Krishna's residence in Bengaluru on Sunday along with several other BJP leaders and they are understood to have deliberated on dethroning the incumbent dispensation.

Sources said a number of Congress legislators in Karnataka are understood to be unhappy over the party's electoral loss.

In Rajasthan, there have been reports of internal turmoil with several ministers demanding fixing of accountability and seeking action against those responsible for the poll debacle in the state.

The Congress drew a blank in Rajasthan as the NDA won all 25 seats. In Karnataka, where it formed a government with the JD(S) in May last year, the Congress managed to win only one Lok Sabha seat out of 28.

The party was crushed in most of the 29 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where it had defeated BJP in the assembly polls in December.&nbsp;

As crisis beset the opposition party, its chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Monday urged everyone to respect the sanctity of the CWC meeting and asked the media not to fall into the trap of "conjectures, insinuations, gossip and rumour-mongering".

Surjewala said it is a democratic forum for exchange of ideas and taking corrective action. It was a "closed-door" meeting and any speculation about it was unwarranted and uncalled for, he added.

He was reacting to news reports about happenings at the May 25 meeting, the first of the CWC after the Congress's humiliating defeat in the parliamentary polls.

"The Congress party expects everyone, including the media, to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculation, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour-mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted.

"The CWC held a collective deliberation on the performance of the party, the challenges before it as also the way ahead, instead of casting aspersions on the role or conduct of any specific individual. The gist of the deliberations was made public in the CWC resolution of May 25, 2019," the Congress leader said in a statement.

Faced with a colossal electoral defeat, the Congress was on Monday riven by internal turmoil with Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting as party president while its governments in Rajasthan and Karnataka teetered on the brink.

Faced with a colossal electoral defeat, the Congress was on Monday riven by internal turmoil with Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting as party president while its governments in Rajasthan and Karnataka teetered on the brink. In the midst of the disquiet, several state Congress chiefs, including Punjab's Sunil Jakhar, Jharkhand's Ajoy Kumar and Assam's Ripun Bora, also offered to resign following the party's drubbing in the elections, party insiders said. Congress sources said Gandhi is insisting on resigning his post and is understood to have conveyed to several leaders that it is time for the grand old party to look for a new chief. The Congress won only 52 out of 542 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha polls, just six more than its 2014 tally. The party could not open its account in 18 states and union territories. Taking responsibility for the defeat, Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as party president at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, but it was "unanimously rejected". At the CWC meeting, Gandhi accused three senior leaders -- Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and P Chidambaram -- of placing their sons above the party. Watch: Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the entire top brass of the party left Rahul Gandhi alone to fight it out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the party grapples with a severe existential crisis, its governments in both Karnataka and Rajasthan face a tough time with reports suggesting the BJP may try to wrest power in both states. It is learnt that Congress legislators Ramesh Jarkiholi and Dr Sudhakar visited BJP leader S M Krishna's residence in Bengaluru on Sunday along with several other BJP leaders and they are understood to have deliberated on dethroning the incumbent dispensation. Sources said a number of Congress legislators in Karnataka are understood to be unhappy over the party's electoral loss. In Rajasthan, there have been reports of internal turmoil with several ministers demanding fixing of accountability and seeking action against those responsible for the poll debacle in the state. The Congress drew a blank in Rajasthan as the NDA won all 25 seats. In Karnataka, where it formed a government with the JD(S) in May last year, the Congress managed to win only one Lok Sabha seat out of 28. The party was crushed in most of the 29 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where it had defeated BJP in the assembly polls in December. As crisis beset the opposition party, its chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Monday urged everyone to respect the sanctity of the CWC meeting and asked the media not to fall into the trap of "conjectures, insinuations, gossip and rumour-mongering". Surjewala said it is a democratic forum for exchange of ideas and taking corrective action. It was a "closed-door" meeting and any speculation about it was unwarranted and uncalled for, he added. He was reacting to news reports about happenings at the May 25 meeting, the first of the CWC after the Congress's humiliating defeat in the parliamentary polls. "The Congress party expects everyone, including the media, to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculation, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour-mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted. "The CWC held a collective deliberation on the performance of the party, the challenges before it as also the way ahead, instead of casting aspersions on the role or conduct of any specific individual. The gist of the deliberations was made public in the CWC resolution of May 25, 2019," the Congress leader said in a statement.

Disquiet in Congress ranks as Rahul Gandhi insists on resigning, fate of Rajasthan and Karnataka governments uncertain

The top stars of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have been invited for the May 30 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/banglas-hasina-wont-be-able-to-attend-modis-inauguration-for-2nd-time-222041">swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister</a> for a second term, sources close to the stars said.

While Haasan, whose fledgeling political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had made its electoral debut this Lok Sabha polls, Rajinikanth is yet to formalise his December 2017 announcement on taking the political plunge.

Sources close to both actors acknowledged the two being invited to Modi's swearing-in scheduled on Thursday but did not divulge if the veterans would participate.

Incidentally, Haasan has been opposed to the BJP, even expressing joy that the saffron party which swept the Lok Sabha seats in rest of the country, did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu, saying the state did not toe the national line.

His remarks that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse who had gunned down Mahatma Gandhi, had drawn a strong reaction from the state BJP, which even moved the Election Commission, seeking action against him.

Rajinikanth, whom Modi had met in the past during his visit to the city, had in December 2017 announced that he will indeed take the political plunge, by floating a party that would contest from all the 234 Assembly seats in the state in the next general elections.

The next Assembly polls are due in 2021.

Watch:&nbsp;Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to attend 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/sri-lankan-president-maithripala-sirisena-to-attend-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-221542/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Incidentally, commenting on the opposition uniting against Modi last year, the superstar had said the Prime Minister was 'stronger' than 10 persons aligning against him.

"When 10 persons go against one person, who is stronger? Those 10, or the persons they are aligning against. If 10 persons declare war against one man, who is stronger," he had said then on the possibility of a mega opposition alliance against Modi.

However, the veteran star had earlier questioned the 'flawed' implementation of the Modi government's demonetisation exercise in November 2016.

Modi will be administered the oath of office for his second term along with his new council of ministers on May 30 by President Ram Nath Kovind.

He is the first BJP leader who has been elected for the second time after completion of his five-year tenure, a feat so far achieved only by two Congress leaders--Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.&nbsp;

The top stars of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have been invited for the May 30 swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second term, sources close to the stars said.

The top stars of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have been invited for the May 30 swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second term, sources close to the stars said. While Haasan, whose fledgeling political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had made its electoral debut this Lok Sabha polls, Rajinikanth is yet to formalise his December 2017 announcement on taking the political plunge. Sources close to both actors acknowledged the two being invited to Modi's swearing-in scheduled on Thursday but did not divulge if the veterans would participate. Incidentally, Haasan has been opposed to the BJP, even expressing joy that the saffron party which swept the Lok Sabha seats in rest of the country, did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu, saying the state did not toe the national line. His remarks that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse who had gunned down Mahatma Gandhi, had drawn a strong reaction from the state BJP, which even moved the Election Commission, seeking action against him. Rajinikanth, whom Modi had met in the past during his visit to the city, had in December 2017 announced that he will indeed take the political plunge, by floating a party that would contest from all the 234 Assembly seats in the state in the next general elections. The next Assembly polls are due in 2021. Watch: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony Incidentally, commenting on the opposition uniting against Modi last year, the superstar had said the Prime Minister was 'stronger' than 10 persons aligning against him. "When 10 persons go against one person, who is stronger? Those 10, or the persons they are aligning against. If 10 persons declare war against one man, who is stronger," he had said then on the possibility of a mega opposition alliance against Modi. However, the veteran star had earlier questioned the 'flawed' implementation of the Modi government's demonetisation exercise in November 2016. Modi will be administered the oath of office for his second term along with his new council of ministers on May 30 by President Ram Nath Kovind. He is the first BJP leader who has been elected for the second time after completion of his five-year tenure, a feat so far achieved only by two Congress leaders--Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan invited for swearing-in ceremony of Modi

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/your-satisfaction-is-my-lifes-mantra-pm-modi-to-varanasi-bjp-workers-221920">Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday</a> said chemistry has triumphed over poll arithmetic to give the BJP a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and also spoke about how his party always faced the dangers of "political untouchability" and political violence.

On a thanksgiving visit to this temple town after his victory from Varanasi parliamentary constituency for the second straight time, Modi decried the misconception that the BJP was a Hindi heartland party.

Calling himself a 'sevak' of Varanasi, Modi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple that was preceded by a roadshow of sorts as his cavalcade traversed through the bylanes of this temple town amid high security with crowds lining the roads and people on rooftops trying to catch a glimpse of the man who will be sworn as prime minister for a second term on May 30.

"Political pundits are not aware that their thinking and logic is meant for the 20th century. Results show that beyond arithmetic there is chemistry and this time chemistry has triumphed over arithmetic," Modi told his electorate while thanking them profusely for their hardwork and dedication, four days after he steered the BJP to power at the Centre with a resounding victory of 303 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Modi, who will be taking oath as the prime minister for the second time on May 30, said the hat trick of victories in 2014, 2017 and 2019 -- vis-a-vis Uttar Pradesh -- is no mean achievement for the BJP.

"For the country, I am the PM, but for you, I am your MP, I am your sevak," he told the Varanasi electorate, wondering how political pundits still consider his party as that of the Hindi heartland. Modi's victory margin was over four lakh votes.

"There is no region where the BJP's poll percentage is not rising. We have government in Assam, getting elected in Ladakh yet political pundits say (our's is) Hindi heartland politics, this is a misconception that has been created," he said at the meeting of BJP workers.

Admitting that politics is about perception, Modi lamented that a wrong impression had been created about his party through lies and wrong logic.

"Because of this wrong awful perception, people do not like standing with us. But those creating bad and wrong perception can be defeated with the help of transparency and hard work. This is the strategy to trounce it," he said.

Modi also dwelled on the dangers faced by the BJP in the form of "political untouchability" and political violence.

"Take the cases of Kerala or Kashmir, Bengal or Tripura (these cases) it will not come in media. Some people have selective sensitivity. Hundreds of workers have been killed only for political ideology. In Tripura workers were hanged, in Bengal murders are still on, in Kerala too... Perhaps in India, only one political party has faced such killings. Violence has been given legitimacy. This is danger before us," he said.

"Babasaheb Bhimrao (Ambedkar) and (Mahatma) Gandhi had shunned untouchability but unfortunately, political untouchability is rising,...BJP workers were murdered," he said.

Amid such hatred, BJP's mantra remains 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' Modi said, adding that unlike others, his party has not come under the pressure of vote bank politics which has "spoiled" democracy.

The prime minister said he was also grateful to his opponents who fought against him.

Stressing on the significance of Opposition in democracy, he said: "When others come to power, there is no sign of opposition".

He cited the example of Tripura where there was no Opposition during the decades of Left rule but "now that we are in government there is a 'jaandar and shandar vipaksh'. This is the spirit of democracy."

Thanking Uttar Pradesh for showing the way for India and strengthening the foundation of a healthy democracy, the prime minister also spoke about his Kedarnath visit after the completion of polling.

"Since the people of Kashi had ordered me not to come here for a month after filing my nomination papers, I thought if not Baba in Kashi then (baba) elsewhere," he said, adding perhaps no other candidate is as satisfied or contended as he was (before the results are announced) and its reason was the confidence of Kashivasis.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah said Modi has only shown a glimpse of development and Kashi will turn into an amazing city in the next five years.

In the city along with the prime minister for thanking the electorate and party workers for the landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP president said what a difference had come in Kashi of 2014 and today.

Watch:&nbsp;'Chemistry defeated arithmetic in 2019 LS polls', says PM Modi

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chesmistry-defeated-arithmetic-in-2019-ls-polls-pm-modi-221971/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hinting at the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, he said some media was predicting Modi will not get clear majority but the party successfully gave a call for working on achieving 50 per cent vote share.

Both Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in their speeches here, focused on the "gruelling" campaigning Modi undertook in the run-up to the general elections.

Stressing on coordination between the government and party organisation, Modi said, "the perfect synergy between the government and party organisation was a big power and the BJP has realised it."

"The Government makes policies while the organisation makes 'ranniti' (strategy). The synergy of 'niti' (policies) and 'ranniti' (strategy) is the mirror of sarkar and organisation and the country is getting its benefits," he said.

"Work and workers create wonders," he said, giving full credit for his victory to the workers at the grassroots level for creating awareness of his government's policies and programmes for the people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said chemistry has triumphed over poll arithmetic to give the BJP a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and also spoke about how his party always faced the dangers of "political untouchability" and political violence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said chemistry has triumphed over poll arithmetic to give the BJP a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and also spoke about how his party always faced the dangers of "political untouchability" and political violence. On a thanksgiving visit to this temple town after his victory from Varanasi parliamentary constituency for the second straight time, Modi decried the misconception that the BJP was a Hindi heartland party. Calling himself a 'sevak' of Varanasi, Modi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple that was preceded by a roadshow of sorts as his cavalcade traversed through the bylanes of this temple town amid high security with crowds lining the roads and people on rooftops trying to catch a glimpse of the man who will be sworn as prime minister for a second term on May 30. "Political pundits are not aware that their thinking and logic is meant for the 20th century. Results show that beyond arithmetic there is chemistry and this time chemistry has triumphed over arithmetic," Modi told his electorate while thanking them profusely for their hardwork and dedication, four days after he steered the BJP to power at the Centre with a resounding victory of 303 seats in the Lok Sabha. Modi, who will be taking oath as the prime minister for the second time on May 30, said the hat trick of victories in 2014, 2017 and 2019 -- vis-a-vis Uttar Pradesh -- is no mean achievement for the BJP. "For the country, I am the PM, but for you, I am your MP, I am your sevak," he told the Varanasi electorate, wondering how political pundits still consider his party as that of the Hindi heartland. Modi's victory margin was over four lakh votes. "There is no region where the BJP's poll percentage is not rising. We have government in Assam, getting elected in Ladakh yet political pundits say (our's is) Hindi heartland politics, this is a misconception that has been created," he said at the meeting of BJP workers. Admitting that politics is about perception, Modi lamented that a wrong impression had been created about his party through lies and wrong logic. "Because of this wrong awful perception, people do not like standing with us. But those creating bad and wrong perception can be defeated with the help of transparency and hard work. This is the strategy to trounce it," he said. Modi also dwelled on the dangers faced by the BJP in the form of "political untouchability" and political violence. "Take the cases of Kerala or Kashmir, Bengal or Tripura (these cases) it will not come in media. Some people have selective sensitivity. Hundreds of workers have been killed only for political ideology. In Tripura workers were hanged, in Bengal murders are still on, in Kerala too... Perhaps in India, only one political party has faced such killings. Violence has been given legitimacy. This is danger before us," he said. "Babasaheb Bhimrao (Ambedkar) and (Mahatma) Gandhi had shunned untouchability but unfortunately, political untouchability is rising,...BJP workers were murdered," he said. Amid such hatred, BJP's mantra remains 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' Modi said, adding that unlike others, his party has not come under the pressure of vote bank politics which has "spoiled" democracy. The prime minister said he was also grateful to his opponents who fought against him. Stressing on the significance of Opposition in democracy, he said: "When others come to power, there is no sign of opposition". He cited the example of Tripura where there was no Opposition during the decades of Left rule but "now that we are in government there is a 'jaandar and shandar vipaksh'. This is the spirit of democracy." Thanking Uttar Pradesh for showing the way for India and strengthening the foundation of a healthy democracy, the prime minister also spoke about his Kedarnath visit after the completion of polling. "Since the people of Kashi had ordered me not to come here for a month after filing my nomination papers, I thought if not Baba in Kashi then (baba) elsewhere," he said, adding perhaps no other candidate is as satisfied or contended as he was (before the results are announced) and its reason was the confidence of Kashivasis. Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah said Modi has only shown a glimpse of development and Kashi will turn into an amazing city in the next five years. In the city along with the prime minister for thanking the electorate and party workers for the landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP president said what a difference had come in Kashi of 2014 and today. Watch: 'Chemistry defeated arithmetic in 2019 LS polls', says PM Modi Hinting at the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, he said some media was predicting Modi will not get clear majority but the party successfully gave a call for working on achieving 50 per cent vote share. Both Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in their speeches here, focused on the "gruelling" campaigning Modi undertook in the run-up to the general elections. Stressing on coordination between the government and party organisation, Modi said, "the perfect synergy between the government and party organisation was a big power and the BJP has realised it." "The Government makes policies while the organisation makes 'ranniti' (strategy). The synergy of 'niti' (policies) and 'ranniti' (strategy) is the mirror of sarkar and organisation and the country is getting its benefits," he said. "Work and workers create wonders," he said, giving full credit for his victory to the workers at the grassroots level for creating awareness of his government's policies and programmes for the people.

Chemistry triumphed over poll arithmetic: PM Modi on Lok Sabha result

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has resigned on Monday after he lost the Gurdaspur seat to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol.

In his resignation letter, Jakhar took moral responsibility for losing his seat and also party's poor performance in the state.

Jakhar said that he was unable to retain his seat despite the support from the Congress President, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Earlier today, the president of Assam unit of the Congress party, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/assam-congress-committee-president-resigns-post-humiliating-defeat-in-lok-sabha-polls-221861">Ripun Bora, also submitted his resignation</a> to party president Rahul Gandhi.

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.&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>

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 five years.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi has himself offered to resign as party president, though the proposal was rejected during the party's working committee meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has resigned on Monday after he lost the Gurdaspur seat to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol. In his resignation letter, Jakhar took moral responsibility for losing his seat and also party's poor performance in the state.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has resigned on Monday after he lost the Gurdaspur seat to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol. In his resignation letter, Jakhar took moral responsibility for losing his seat and also party's poor performance in the state. Jakhar said that he was unable to retain his seat despite the support from the Congress President, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Earlier today, the president of Assam unit of the Congress party, Ripun Bora, also submitted his resignation to party president Rahul Gandhi. 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. Watch: Rahul adamant on resignation, wants a non-Gandhi as next Congress president 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 five years. Rahul Gandhi has himself offered to resign as party president, though the proposal was rejected during the party's working committee meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar resigns after defeat

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ravi-kishan-meets-yogi-adityanath-after-winning-gorakhpur-lok-sabha-seat-221437">Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers</a> as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

Also, a vacancy was created after the disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP.

The ruling party is likely to reward its leaders for their hard work during the general election campaigning which resulted in it winning 62 seats, BJP sources said.

This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.

Adityanath had indicated during an interview to PTI that a cabinet reshuffling was very much on the cards and he was likely to take a decision soon.

Watch:&nbsp;PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and UP's CM Yogi Adityanath together to address BJP workers

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-modi-bjp-president-amit-shah-and-ups-cm-yogi-adityanath-together-to-address-bjp-workers-221919/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We will do it (Cabinet expansion). We will do everything as and when time comes. We will do everything in the interest of the state," he had said.

"Mahendra Singh was the party's in-charge in Assam, where the BJP had won nine out of 14 Lok Sabha seats. After the elections were over in Assam, he was assigned the task of organising the roadshow of BJP chief Amit Shah in Amethi and Gorakhpur. Both the roadshows were highly successful," a senior UP BJP leader told PTI.

Mahendra Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Rural Development and Overall Village Development.

Another leader of the BJP state unit said UP minister Swatantradev Singh was made in-charge of the crucial state of Madhya Pradesh, where the party bagged 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats.

"The task was indeed very challenging as the BJP had lost in the assembly elections to the Congress. Hence, to boost the morale of the party workers and to ensure that a positive result for the party comes from that state was a tough task. His efforts paid rich dividends for the party, as Congress bigwigs such as Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia had to taste defeat," he said.

Swatantradev Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Transport and Protocol.

Four cabinet ministers in the UP government were in the poll fray. Of them, three won and one lost.

UP Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries S P Singh Baghel registered a win from Agra by a margin of 2,11,546 votes.

Similarly, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is the minister of women's welfare, family welfare, mother and child welfare, tourism, won from Allahabad, defeating her nearest rival Rajendra Singh Patel by 1,84,275 votes.

Satyadev Pachauri, who holds the portfolio of Khadi Village Industries, Sericulture, Textile, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Promotion, won from Kanpur.

However, UP Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari Verma lost to BSP's Ritesh Pandey by 95,880 votes.

With the monsoon session of the UP Legislative Assembly likely in the next couple of months, it is to be seen whether the reshuffle takes place before or after the session.

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet. Also, a vacancy was created after the disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP. The ruling party is likely to reward its leaders for their hard work during the general election campaigning which resulted in it winning 62 seats, BJP sources said. This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017. Adityanath had indicated during an interview to PTI that a cabinet reshuffling was very much on the cards and he was likely to take a decision soon. Watch: PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and UP's CM Yogi Adityanath together to address BJP workers "We will do it (Cabinet expansion). We will do everything as and when time comes. We will do everything in the interest of the state," he had said. "Mahendra Singh was the party's in-charge in Assam, where the BJP had won nine out of 14 Lok Sabha seats. After the elections were over in Assam, he was assigned the task of organising the roadshow of BJP chief Amit Shah in Amethi and Gorakhpur. Both the roadshows were highly successful," a senior UP BJP leader told PTI. Mahendra Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Rural Development and Overall Village Development. Another leader of the BJP state unit said UP minister Swatantradev Singh was made in-charge of the crucial state of Madhya Pradesh, where the party bagged 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats. "The task was indeed very challenging as the BJP had lost in the assembly elections to the Congress. Hence, to boost the morale of the party workers and to ensure that a positive result for the party comes from that state was a tough task. His efforts paid rich dividends for the party, as Congress bigwigs such as Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia had to taste defeat," he said. Swatantradev Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Transport and Protocol. Four cabinet ministers in the UP government were in the poll fray. Of them, three won and one lost. UP Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries S P Singh Baghel registered a win from Agra by a margin of 2,11,546 votes. Similarly, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is the minister of women's welfare, family welfare, mother and child welfare, tourism, won from Allahabad, defeating her nearest rival Rajendra Singh Patel by 1,84,275 votes. Satyadev Pachauri, who holds the portfolio of Khadi Village Industries, Sericulture, Textile, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Promotion, won from Kanpur. However, UP Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari Verma lost to BSP's Ritesh Pandey by 95,880 votes. With the monsoon session of the UP Legislative Assembly likely in the next couple of months, it is to be seen whether the reshuffle takes place before or after the session.

Lok Sabha results create vacancies in Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, first reshuffle likely soon

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated.&nbsp;

An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration.&nbsp;

On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. &nbsp;

To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics.&nbsp;

In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.”&nbsp;

At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. &nbsp;The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. &nbsp;

In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets.

While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses.

At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. &nbsp;

The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas.&nbsp;

Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-flagship-programme-wonders-2753695">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts.

In India, one of the most unedifying sights of an early morning rail ride is mass scale defecation along the tracks, in the villages as the train chugs along and in the open fields, where crops provide a cover for concluding one of nature’s most elementary acts. Of all the flagship programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, one that seems to have carried the day is the Swachh Bharat mission. Its impact on the hundreds of millions of Indians, especially women, deprived of basic sanitation facilities, can scarcely be underestimated. An important part of the Modi persona has been the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, among others. But in terms of impact on the common voter, the Swachh Bharat mission should be considered the high water mark. The Swachh Bharat or cleanliness programme, a nationwide campaign that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas, can be safely assumed to have impacted BJP’s electoral prospects, ahead of any other public welfare programme launched by the Modi government. Sure, one factor is never enough to tilt the balance in a party’s favour, yet certain facts are worthy of consideration. On October 2, 2014, Modi launched the nation-wide cleanliness campaign on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The concept of Swachh Bharat is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and safe and adequate drinking water supply. Modi’s pledges to keep the environment clean were met with sniggers from a class of people, who had never faced sanitation issues in their lives. But they, as luck would have it, were not the archetypal Indian voter. To the professional historian, the prospects of Modi, a former RSS pracharak, invoking Gandhi would be anathema, but the prime minister went ahead nonetheless. In Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s memorable words, “Sanitation is more important than independence”. He made cleanliness and sanitation an integral part of his agitational politics. In his newspaper Navajivan (November 2, 1919), Gandhi famously wrote: “In some countries spitting on the road is a criminal offence. Those who spit after chewing betel leaves and tobacco have no consideration for the feelings of others. Spittle, mucus from the nose, etc, should also be covered with earth.” At the official launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, Modi — who has a way with words — called it ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagrah’ in reference to Gandhi’s Champaran agitation in favour of indigo farmers. The mission had two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the ministry of drinking water and sanitation and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which works under the aegis of the ministry of housing and urban affairs. According to the latest data, the government has constructed 86 million toilets since 2014 under the mission, reducing the number of open defecations from 550 million to fewer than 150 million in 2018. In 2017, the government cited a UNICEF Survey carried out in 10,000 households across the country to claim that the Swachh Bharat Mission was meeting its targets, three years after its launch. The survey, conducted across 12 states, stated that 85 per cent members of the households studied were using toilets. While government data should rightly be regarded with scepticism, in political terms, an idea had been thrown open in the public domain, coming from the highest office in the country. Somewhere the worm had turned, despite the Congress branding it as a mediocre idea, when it was first announced. Now, from the benefit of hindsight, one can say that the Prime Minister knew all along what he was doing. As early as March last year, obviously with an eye on the on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi urged chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to expedite implementation of welfare schemes and to take his government’s flagship programmes to the masses. At this crucial meeting, work done by different states were discussed and deliberations were held on coordination between the Centre and the states for effective implementation of the government’s flagship schemes, in particular, the health insurance scheme. Even though the health scheme, promoted as NaMo Care, has not made as many waves as the party expected, it’s implementation in Modi’s second term, could be a potential winner. The importance of social welfare programmes seem to have been driven home, even if it was not so evident during the course of political discourse in a virulent campaign. Chief ministers present at this meeting were asked to submit a report on the implementation of the welfare schemes. The support that Modi has got from the country’s 48 per cent women voters makes a good study for researchers. His ambitious social welfare scheme —Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana —with the aim of providing 5 crore LPG connections to women below the poverty line across the country, took a heavy toll on the opposition campaign. It seemed a strategic decision to reach out to women in a scheme aimed at replacing unclean cooking fuels, used mostly in rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG gas. Election results, particularly in UP where the Prime Minister was able to develop a connection with women at large, seem to reflect in the UP Lok Sabha results. (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.)

Swachh Bharat campaign had a major role to play in BJP’s spectacular poll success

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset. That is the domain which must not lose focus with the next government because there will be many competing domains of equal significance. The Prime Minister chose to make this the area of his personal focus too in the last government, undertaking long travels to be at the important strategic diplomatic events and meetings with world leaders. However, in strategic leadership, time management is one of the major challenges. It is unlikely that in his next avatar Narendra Modi can devote as much time to foreign policy as he did in the previous. Much depends on the choice of his Cabinet and the identity of the right talent. The economy is going to take up much of his time, especially in view of the escalation in energy prices and the impending continuation of trade wars and agriculture-related problems.&nbsp;

Internal security too will demand much more of his time because, under NDA-2, issues such as J&amp;K at best festered and then stabilised with no transformational outcomes on the horizon. It will need his personal energy if Modi has to convert the situation in J&amp;K to any advantage at a time when Pakistan is on a suspected ‘time out’. Similarly, the National Security Advisor remained most involved with foreign policy to find adequate time for internal security. Under NDA-3, I would expect a foreign policy to be handled far more by the Ministry of External Affairs with ministers and advisors who have the total confidence and the ear of the Prime Minister.&nbsp;

In the foreign policy domain, the prime issues at stake for addressing in the immediate future rotate around the Middle East where war seems imminent on a day and far removed the very next. Considering the strength of India’s relationship with the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran, as also the stakes that exist for it in the stability of this crucial region, perhaps the weight of Indian diplomacy could be a few shades higher. Engagement with all of them must be visible beyond just diplomatic niceties. It is accepted that the US-Iran crisis developed rapidly and unexpectedly through the period of India’s high decibel elections when it was difficult for the government to have the time of the Prime Minister to focus on it. However, amends must be made and made quickly. Our stakes in the Gulf region go beyond just energy and relate more importantly to the almost 7.5 million Indian expatriates who earn their living there and remit almost 37 billion US$ every year. The fact that Iran’s foreign minister came calling on India among the important stakeholders conveys Iran’s dependence on India too. The Middle East success of NDA-2 was indeed one of its high marks. Can it be exploited to advantage by NDA-3.

NDA-3 is going to transit through the next US presidential election. The strategic partnership with the US has moved many notches in the last five years but isn’t entirely cast in iron. Clash of interests is expected at times, but this must not lead to a downturn in relations. If India could weather the Trump Administration there should be no problem handling more altruistic ones. The challenge for NDA-3 lies in convincing the US that India’s foreign policy will need to be multilateral in nature without compromising on mutual Indo-US strategic interests. Among the thorny issues will be Russia which for India is a crucial nation. We cannot have threats being posed&nbsp;on the imposition of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India due to irritants caused by the 5 billion US$ S-400 deal. India needs institutional support, technology, and strategic backing from the US in its progress to higher status but it cannot compromise relationships which could be just a couple of notches lower in significance.&nbsp;

More long-term than most other engagements is the domain of Sino-India relations. NDA-2 handled this well considering that in 2017 relations were at nadir due to Doklam. The government walked away with credits for having stood its ground without immediate compromise. That the PLA then, went on to construct state of the art facilities for housing a regiment of the PLA opposite Doklam has received criticism in India. Yet, it is also clear that most of this infrastructure does not relate to warfighting. Where Modi really scored was the follow-up to Doklam which ultimately took him to Wuhan for a dialogue with Xi Jinping. That dialogue has resulted in the current stability of the relationship. Now, with China in a state of worry after the trade war unleashed by the US, it is India which holds much significance for China. Trade stands at 95 billion US$ and volumes can be enhanced to sustain the Chinese GDP growth in an era of high energy prices. &nbsp;This is an issue which will need attention to make the most of.&nbsp;

The domain which is unmistakably going to be challenging is the Indo-Pacific. The US has invested much in India to rake it into a strategic construct which could actively deny China the freedom to muscle its way in the Pacific and feel threatened in the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-nda-3-s-foreign-policy-hurdles-2753404">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset.

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset. That is the domain which must not lose focus with the next government because there will be many competing domains of equal significance. The Prime Minister chose to make this the area of his personal focus too in the last government, undertaking long travels to be at the important strategic diplomatic events and meetings with world leaders. However, in strategic leadership, time management is one of the major challenges. It is unlikely that in his next avatar Narendra Modi can devote as much time to foreign policy as he did in the previous. Much depends on the choice of his Cabinet and the identity of the right talent. The economy is going to take up much of his time, especially in view of the escalation in energy prices and the impending continuation of trade wars and agriculture-related problems. Internal security too will demand much more of his time because, under NDA-2, issues such as J&K at best festered and then stabilised with no transformational outcomes on the horizon. It will need his personal energy if Modi has to convert the situation in J&K to any advantage at a time when Pakistan is on a suspected ‘time out’. Similarly, the National Security Advisor remained most involved with foreign policy to find adequate time for internal security. Under NDA-3, I would expect a foreign policy to be handled far more by the Ministry of External Affairs with ministers and advisors who have the total confidence and the ear of the Prime Minister. In the foreign policy domain, the prime issues at stake for addressing in the immediate future rotate around the Middle East where war seems imminent on a day and far removed the very next. Considering the strength of India’s relationship with the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran, as also the stakes that exist for it in the stability of this crucial region, perhaps the weight of Indian diplomacy could be a few shades higher. Engagement with all of them must be visible beyond just diplomatic niceties. It is accepted that the US-Iran crisis developed rapidly and unexpectedly through the period of India’s high decibel elections when it was difficult for the government to have the time of the Prime Minister to focus on it. However, amends must be made and made quickly. Our stakes in the Gulf region go beyond just energy and relate more importantly to the almost 7.5 million Indian expatriates who earn their living there and remit almost 37 billion US$ every year. The fact that Iran’s foreign minister came calling on India among the important stakeholders conveys Iran’s dependence on India too. The Middle East success of NDA-2 was indeed one of its high marks. Can it be exploited to advantage by NDA-3. NDA-3 is going to transit through the next US presidential election. The strategic partnership with the US has moved many notches in the last five years but isn’t entirely cast in iron. Clash of interests is expected at times, but this must not lead to a downturn in relations. If India could weather the Trump Administration there should be no problem handling more altruistic ones. The challenge for NDA-3 lies in convincing the US that India’s foreign policy will need to be multilateral in nature without compromising on mutual Indo-US strategic interests. Among the thorny issues will be Russia which for India is a crucial nation. We cannot have threats being posed on the imposition of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India due to irritants caused by the 5 billion US$ S-400 deal. India needs institutional support, technology, and strategic backing from the US in its progress to higher status but it cannot compromise relationships which could be just a couple of notches lower in significance. More long-term than most other engagements is the domain of Sino-India relations. NDA-2 handled this well considering that in 2017 relations were at nadir due to Doklam. The government walked away with credits for having stood its ground without immediate compromise. That the PLA then, went on to construct state of the art facilities for housing a regiment of the PLA opposite Doklam has received criticism in India. Yet, it is also clear that most of this infrastructure does not relate to warfighting. Where Modi really scored was the follow-up to Doklam which ultimately took him to Wuhan for a dialogue with Xi Jinping. That dialogue has resulted in the current stability of the relationship. Now, with China in a state of worry after the trade war unleashed by the US, it is India which holds much significance for China. Trade stands at 95 billion US$ and volumes can be enhanced to sustain the Chinese GDP growth in an era of high energy prices. This is an issue which will need attention to make the most of. The domain which is unmistakably going to be challenging is the Indo-Pacific. The US has invested much in India to rake it into a strategic construct which could actively deny China the freedom to muscle its way in the Pacific and feel threatened in the Indian Ocean. (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.)

NDA-3’s foreign policy hurdles

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday.

A JD(U) leader said the Bihar party expects at least one Cabinet berth in the government which will be sworn in on May 30. The party may also get one more berth in the Council of Ministers.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Sunday that Narendra Modi will be sworn in as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/your-satisfaction-is-my-lifes-mantra-pm-modi-to-varanasi-bjp-workers-221920">Prime Minister</a> on Thursday for his second term.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Though there has been no official word on likely faces in the new government, many leaders are of the view that most key members of the previous dispensation will be retained.

There has been speculation that Arun Jaitley, who held the finance portfolio in the previous government, may opt out due to health reasons but people close to him have insisted that he has been doing well after undergoing treatment.

The government on Sunday stepped in to insist that reports regarding his health condition are false and baseless.

"Reports in a section of media regarding Union Minister Shri Arun Jaitley's health condition are false and baseless. Media is advised to stay clear of rumour mongering," its principal spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.

Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who is associated with the BJP, said Jaitley is off all medication now and is recovering his strength. He is still meeting officials, Dasgupta said.

"Questions about Arun Jaitley health understandable. He is recovering from a bout of heavy medication. But he is still in terrific form and his wit is firmly intact. Needs a little rest to get back his strength. All our good wishes," Dasgupta tweeted.

A number of senior faces from the outgoing Cabinet including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar are expected to figure in the new Cabinet.

Speculation has been rife that BJP president Amit Shah, who won the Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar with a massive margin, may also join the government. Shah has refrained from commenting on the matter.&nbsp;

Another BJP ally LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, sources said, has pushed for induction of his MP-son Chirag Paswan in the government.

His party LJP won six seats in the polls. Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government.

Though the AIADMK, which was also not part of the previous government, has won only one seat, it may be given a ministerial berth as it is in power in Tamil Nadu and a key Dravidian ally of the BJP.

The BJP put up its best-ever show in West Bengal and Telangana these elections, winning 18 (from two in 2014) and four seats (from one in 2014) respectively in the two states. This may result in the party giving greater representation to these states in the government.&nbsp;

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday.

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday. A JD(U) leader said the Bihar party expects at least one Cabinet berth in the government which will be sworn in on May 30. The party may also get one more berth in the Council of Ministers. The Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Sunday that Narendra Modi will be sworn in as Prime Minister on Thursday for his second term. Though there has been no official word on likely faces in the new government, many leaders are of the view that most key members of the previous dispensation will be retained. There has been speculation that Arun Jaitley, who held the finance portfolio in the previous government, may opt out due to health reasons but people close to him have insisted that he has been doing well after undergoing treatment. The government on Sunday stepped in to insist that reports regarding his health condition are false and baseless. "Reports in a section of media regarding Union Minister Shri Arun Jaitley's health condition are false and baseless. Media is advised to stay clear of rumour mongering," its principal spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted. Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who is associated with the BJP, said Jaitley is off all medication now and is recovering his strength. He is still meeting officials, Dasgupta said. "Questions about Arun Jaitley health understandable. He is recovering from a bout of heavy medication. But he is still in terrific form and his wit is firmly intact. Needs a little rest to get back his strength. All our good wishes," Dasgupta tweeted. A number of senior faces from the outgoing Cabinet including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar are expected to figure in the new Cabinet. Speculation has been rife that BJP president Amit Shah, who won the Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar with a massive margin, may also join the government. Shah has refrained from commenting on the matter. Another BJP ally LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, sources said, has pushed for induction of his MP-son Chirag Paswan in the government. His party LJP won six seats in the polls. Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government. Though the AIADMK, which was also not part of the previous government, has won only one seat, it may be given a ministerial berth as it is in power in Tamil Nadu and a key Dravidian ally of the BJP. The BJP put up its best-ever show in West Bengal and Telangana these elections, winning 18 (from two in 2014) and four seats (from one in 2014) respectively in the two states. This may result in the party giving greater representation to these states in the government.

New allies, fresh conquests to find representation in Modi's new Cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-visit-varanasi-today-221858">arrived at his home constituency Varanasi</a> and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi.&nbsp;

"I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said.&nbsp;

He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections &amp; the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. <a href="https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC">https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132912695148072963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said.&nbsp;

Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic".&nbsp;

The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory.&nbsp;

Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.&nbsp;

He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019.&nbsp;

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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 offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. <a href="https://t.co/HbCMaJRqib">pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132881512565751809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week.&nbsp;

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.

On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here. Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi. "I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said. He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here". PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections & the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × "Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said. Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic". The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory. Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019. #WATCH Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week. 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. On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.

Your satisfaction is my life's mantra: PM Modi thanks BJP workers in Varanasi