Here's an interactive look at the Indian states going to the polls over the next few weeks

Making sense of India's state elections

By Iftikhar Gilani

The Election Commission has announced the schedule of the high-stakes Assembly polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, which are being touted as a mini-general election. Since polls are being held exactly around the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his half-term in office, they are also seen as a referendum on his policies and programmes, ahead of his big battle to seek mandate for another term in 2019.

The current elections are particularly a test of Modi&rsquo;s popularity among the middle class and business community as they come soon after the demonetisation decision. His latest strategy to build new social support base for the BJP also faces a litmus test. His decision to demonetize the higher denomination currencies and his welfare schemes have caught the imagination of the poor. Though Modi had been underlining his government&rsquo;s focus on &lsquo;antyodaya&rsquo; (the last man in the queue) and focusing on Babasaheb Ambedkar &mdash; the Dalit icon &mdash; for over a year now, his November 8 announcement of banning high-end notes has somewhat broken the barrier between classes. It has found resonance amongst the poor and the downtrodden as they were the biggest victims of corruption.

This is not an election campaign, it is a historic battle between rich and poor. &ldquo;Kaante ki takkar hai (it&rsquo;s a neck-and-neck fight),&rdquo; says Ram Naresh, a taxi driver from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It makes him feel important when he sees his former employer queue up outside an ATM and later at a bank to get cash.

These elections are a battle of nerves for the BJP, because out of the five states, it rules Goa and is an alliance partner in Punjab. Though it has been out of power for over past 14 years in UP, it had swept Lok Sabha elections winning 71 of the 80 seats (its ally Apna Dal won two) in the 2014 general election. In Uttarakhand, it is directly pitted against the ruling Congress.

An opinion poll conducted a couple of months ago had shown an overwhelming majority (as high as 90 per cent in UP, 88 per cent in Punjab and 77 per cent in Uttarakhand) supporting these strikes. About 67 per cent of those polled in UP and 76 per cent in Uttarakhand said the strikes have made the BJP electorally strong. But the mood was somewhat opposite in Punjab, where the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is fighting a strong anti-incumbency factor. The Congress till a few years ago was a frontrunner in Punjab, banking upon upper caste Hindu voters (38 per cent) and Scheduled Castes (34 per cent of SC Hindus and 35 per cent of SC Sikhs) to return to power. But of late, its pitch has been queered with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The drugs problem continues to be on top of the agenda in the border state. Many top leaders of the government had been allegedly found involved in the drug racket.

In UP &mdash; with a population of over 200 million &mdash; often considered to be an election bellwether in India, the BJP had got just 15 per cent of the votes in 2012. But keeping in view its performance in the last Lok Sabha polls, it is now set to win 31 per cent, an unprecedented 16 per cent swing in its favour as the opinion polls suggest. But that may not be a guarantee to form a government on its own, say analysts. But capturing Lucknow is an important and critical milestone for Modi to be able to gain control of Rajya Sabha, as well as turn the Presidential election scheduled to be held in July in his favour. A lack of a majority in the Upper House has hit Modi&rsquo;s economic reforms agenda and delayed passage of a key tax legislation &mdash; the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill.

The state with 403 Assembly seats will test Modi&rsquo;s popularity after he abruptly pulled 86 per cent of the currency out of the system. The Congress said it will also highlight the cash crunch aspect of note ban.

&ldquo;The notes ban has caused the maximum pain to each of the 125 crore Indians,&rdquo; said party spokesperson Manish Tewari.

With the family feud taking dangerous proportions within the ruling Samajwadi Party, the BJP and BSP are smelling a chance. The Congress, much depleted after a series of electoral losses, is looking to form an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav if he is able to gain control of the Samajwadi Party or form his own party. A potential gainer &mdash; apart from the BJP, which has not governed Uttar Pradesh for 14 years &mdash; is Mayawati, the 60-year-old Dalit icon who has served four times as Chief Minister. Muslims, who form 19 per cent of the state&rsquo;s population, have traditionally been loyal to the Samajwadi Party. She is now working to win them over to her Bahujan Samaj Party and has allotted the maximum number of seats to Muslim candidates.

Mayawati is calling on minority groups such as the Dalits, who constitute 22 per cent of the population, and Muslims to reject the BJP, raking up issues like Dadri lynching of Ilkhlaq Hussain, beef ban and riots in Muzaffarnagar. Many lower caste voters had deserted her party in 2014, allowing the BJP to win a majority of seats. Aware that Mayawati is emerging as the main opponent to Modi in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah has made more than 150 visits to the state in the last two years to expand the BJP&rsquo;s appeal from its traditional base of prosperous and upper caste voters to the less privileged ones.

In the far-off North-Eastern state of Manipur, where elections will he held in two phases &mdash; on March 4 and 8 &mdash; a bitter tussle is expected between the ruling Congress and the BJP. The BJP, which won the elections in Assam last year, is hoping to unseat the Congress. Ahead of the elections, the state has witnessed large scale unrest over issues including the inner-line permit system, creation of seven new districts and the demand by various groups to be named as scheduled tribes.

The land locked state is currently under an economic blockade called by the United Naga Council &mdash; the top group of the Naga tribes in Manipur over the state government&rsquo;s decision of creation of seven new districts, which has already crossed 70 days. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has pointed out that it is the &ldquo;constitutional duty of the state government&rdquo; to restore normalcy. Dr Mohammad Imtiyaz Khan who teaches at Gauhati University says that even after three terms, Congress government in Manipur has failed miserably to execute plans which are in larger public interest.

A local journalist Aya Shimray believes that there is a huge disparity between the hills and the valley. &ldquo;It has only helped in creating a sense of alienation in the hills. The tribals in the state are peeved at the manner in which they are being prevented from enjoying the privilges of employment offered to them by the country&rsquo;s constitution. Various instances of discrimination against the tribals even in its bureaucratic set up have surfaced during Ibobi&rsquo;s rule,&rdquo; he adds. Ibobi Singh, who has been in office since 2002, faces a life-time challenge from Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to demand the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). She has formally announced to take on Singh in Assembly polls. Sharmila ended her fast against AFSPA on August 9 last year, and formed the People&rsquo;s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) with an aim to become the Chief Minister and repeal the act. Sharmila said: &ldquo;During his 15 years of leadership, he has not done anything to repeal AFSPA. Since I realise that no politician shall repeal it, I am planning to contest the election, become the Chief Minister and repeal it.&rdquo;

In Goa, where the BJP is in power with its pre-poll alliance partner of 2012 Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), it is facing a stiff resistance both from the Congress and the AAP. More than the PM, here the fortunes of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar are at stake, who has been utilising every opportunity he gets to spend time in his home state. Goa is perhaps the first state where the RSS has split ranks with the BJP. It&rsquo;s a different matter that the BJP leaders say that it is only a section of the RSS which has formed a party called Goa Surakhsa Manch (GSM).

The 2017 elections are definitely a big test for Modi. Their outcome will chart the course for the 2019 general elections. Although state elections are largely governed by caste and community equations and the political campaigns are centred around state-level issues, Modi has emerged as a propelling figure in BJP campaigns. It is an election between him and the rest of political forces. His supporters are also banking upon him rather the party machinery, projecting him as an honest, incorruptible leader, someone who, unlike the Congress, is capable of taking prompt decisions. Amidst a divided Opposition, it seems they have managed to sail their ship through muddy waters. But in India, elections are known for throwing surprises.&nbsp;

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The states go to the polls just as the PM completes a half-term in office, so they are being seen as a referendum on him

By Iftikhar Gilani The Election Commission has announced the schedule of the high-stakes Assembly polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, which are being touted as a mini-general election. Since polls are being held exactly around the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his half-term in office, they are also seen as a referendum on his policies and programmes, ahead of his big battle to seek mandate for another term in 2019. The current elections are particularly a test of Modi’s popularity among the middle class and business community as they come soon after the demonetisation decision. His latest strategy to build new social support base for the BJP also faces a litmus test. His decision to demonetize the higher denomination currencies and his welfare schemes have caught the imagination of the poor. Though Modi had been underlining his government’s focus on ‘antyodaya’ (the last man in the queue) and focusing on Babasaheb Ambedkar — the Dalit icon — for over a year now, his November 8 announcement of banning high-end notes has somewhat broken the barrier between classes. It has found resonance amongst the poor and the downtrodden as they were the biggest victims of corruption. This is not an election campaign, it is a historic battle between rich and poor. “Kaante ki takkar hai (it’s a neck-and-neck fight),” says Ram Naresh, a taxi driver from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It makes him feel important when he sees his former employer queue up outside an ATM and later at a bank to get cash. These elections are a battle of nerves for the BJP, because out of the five states, it rules Goa and is an alliance partner in Punjab. Though it has been out of power for over past 14 years in UP, it had swept Lok Sabha elections winning 71 of the 80 seats (its ally Apna Dal won two) in the 2014 general election. In Uttarakhand, it is directly pitted against the ruling Congress. An opinion poll conducted a couple of months ago had shown an overwhelming majority (as high as 90 per cent in UP, 88 per cent in Punjab and 77 per cent in Uttarakhand) supporting these strikes. About 67 per cent of those polled in UP and 76 per cent in Uttarakhand said the strikes have made the BJP electorally strong. But the mood was somewhat opposite in Punjab, where the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is fighting a strong anti-incumbency factor. The Congress till a few years ago was a frontrunner in Punjab, banking upon upper caste Hindu voters (38 per cent) and Scheduled Castes (34 per cent of SC Hindus and 35 per cent of SC Sikhs) to return to power. But of late, its pitch has been queered with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The drugs problem continues to be on top of the agenda in the border state. Many top leaders of the government had been allegedly found involved in the drug racket. In UP — with a population of over 200 million — often considered to be an election bellwether in India, the BJP had got just 15 per cent of the votes in 2012. But keeping in view its performance in the last Lok Sabha polls, it is now set to win 31 per cent, an unprecedented 16 per cent swing in its favour as the opinion polls suggest. But that may not be a guarantee to form a government on its own, say analysts. But capturing Lucknow is an important and critical milestone for Modi to be able to gain control of Rajya Sabha, as well as turn the Presidential election scheduled to be held in July in his favour. A lack of a majority in the Upper House has hit Modi’s economic reforms agenda and delayed passage of a key tax legislation — the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. The state with 403 Assembly seats will test Modi’s popularity after he abruptly pulled 86 per cent of the currency out of the system. The Congress said it will also highlight the cash crunch aspect of note ban. “The notes ban has caused the maximum pain to each of the 125 crore Indians,” said party spokesperson Manish Tewari. With the family feud taking dangerous proportions within the ruling Samajwadi Party, the BJP and BSP are smelling a chance. The Congress, much depleted after a series of electoral losses, is looking to form an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav if he is able to gain control of the Samajwadi Party or form his own party. A potential gainer — apart from the BJP, which has not governed Uttar Pradesh for 14 years — is Mayawati, the 60-year-old Dalit icon who has served four times as Chief Minister. Muslims, who form 19 per cent of the state’s population, have traditionally been loyal to the Samajwadi Party. She is now working to win them over to her Bahujan Samaj Party and has allotted the maximum number of seats to Muslim candidates. Mayawati is calling on minority groups such as the Dalits, who constitute 22 per cent of the population, and Muslims to reject the BJP, raking up issues like Dadri lynching of Ilkhlaq Hussain, beef ban and riots in Muzaffarnagar. Many lower caste voters had deserted her party in 2014, allowing the BJP to win a majority of seats. Aware that Mayawati is emerging as the main opponent to Modi in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah has made more than 150 visits to the state in the last two years to expand the BJP’s appeal from its traditional base of prosperous and upper caste voters to the less privileged ones. In the far-off North-Eastern state of Manipur, where elections will he held in two phases — on March 4 and 8 — a bitter tussle is expected between the ruling Congress and the BJP. The BJP, which won the elections in Assam last year, is hoping to unseat the Congress. Ahead of the elections, the state has witnessed large scale unrest over issues including the inner-line permit system, creation of seven new districts and the demand by various groups to be named as scheduled tribes. The land locked state is currently under an economic blockade called by the United Naga Council — the top group of the Naga tribes in Manipur over the state government’s decision of creation of seven new districts, which has already crossed 70 days. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has pointed out that it is the “constitutional duty of the state government” to restore normalcy. Dr Mohammad Imtiyaz Khan who teaches at Gauhati University says that even after three terms, Congress government in Manipur has failed miserably to execute plans which are in larger public interest. A local journalist Aya Shimray believes that there is a huge disparity between the hills and the valley. “It has only helped in creating a sense of alienation in the hills. The tribals in the state are peeved at the manner in which they are being prevented from enjoying the privilges of employment offered to them by the country’s constitution. Various instances of discrimination against the tribals even in its bureaucratic set up have surfaced during Ibobi’s rule,” he adds. Ibobi Singh, who has been in office since 2002, faces a life-time challenge from Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to demand the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). She has formally announced to take on Singh in Assembly polls. Sharmila ended her fast against AFSPA on August 9 last year, and formed the People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) with an aim to become the Chief Minister and repeal the act. Sharmila said: “During his 15 years of leadership, he has not done anything to repeal AFSPA. Since I realise that no politician shall repeal it, I am planning to contest the election, become the Chief Minister and repeal it.” In Goa, where the BJP is in power with its pre-poll alliance partner of 2012 Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), it is facing a stiff resistance both from the Congress and the AAP. More than the PM, here the fortunes of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar are at stake, who has been utilising every opportunity he gets to spend time in his home state. Goa is perhaps the first state where the RSS has split ranks with the BJP. It’s a different matter that the BJP leaders say that it is only a section of the RSS which has formed a party called Goa Surakhsa Manch (GSM). The 2017 elections are definitely a big test for Modi. Their outcome will chart the course for the 2019 general elections. Although state elections are largely governed by caste and community equations and the political campaigns are centred around state-level issues, Modi has emerged as a propelling figure in BJP campaigns. It is an election between him and the rest of political forces. His supporters are also banking upon him rather the party machinery, projecting him as an honest, incorruptible leader, someone who, unlike the Congress, is capable of taking prompt decisions. Amidst a divided Opposition, it seems they have managed to sail their ship through muddy waters. But in India, elections are known for throwing surprises. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: In states going to polls, it's Modi versus the rest

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)&nbsp;asked the Samajwadi Party to resolve the ongoing &#39;political drama&#39;&nbsp;and focus on law and order, corruption and&nbsp;lack of administration in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak told ANI the tussle in the Samajwadi Party clearly indicates that the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh is in total confusion at the moment.

&quot;It is purely a political drama. This is a sign that the party (SP) is in total disarray and they talk about giving a fight to the BJP. There was lot of corruption and now the Samajwadi Party family is seen fighting for power,&quot; he said. &quot;The people are upset with the party (SP). I hope there will be a change in UP,&quot; he added.

The Election Commission will later today hold its first hearing on the dispute in the Samajwadi Party. The poll panel announced the date of hearing on Tuesday, a day after both factions - led by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav - submitted their rebuttal to each other`s claims over control of the party.

Earlier&nbsp;on Monday, Mulayam met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners OP Rawat and AK Joti during which he has reportedly reiterated that Ram Gopal Yadav stands expelled from the party and he continues to remain the Samajwadi Party president.

Mulayam, however, later extended an olive branch to his son and said that Akhilesh would become the Chief Minister after the elections.

Earlier, Ram Gopal submitted a dossier containing signed affidavits of support for the Akhilesh faction from party delegates, MPs, MLAs and MLCs. The Akhilesh camp urged the poll body to decide on the matter at the earliest.

(ANI)

'The people are upset with the party (SP). I hope there will be a change in UP,' said BJP general secretary, Vijay Bahadur Pathak

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked the Samajwadi Party to resolve the ongoing 'political drama' and focus on law and order, corruption and lack of administration in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak told ANI the tussle in the Samajwadi Party clearly indicates that the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh is in total confusion at the moment. "It is purely a political drama. This is a sign that the party (SP) is in total disarray and they talk about giving a fight to the BJP. There was lot of corruption and now the Samajwadi Party family is seen fighting for power," he said. "The people are upset with the party (SP). I hope there will be a change in UP," he added. The Election Commission will later today hold its first hearing on the dispute in the Samajwadi Party. The poll panel announced the date of hearing on Tuesday, a day after both factions - led by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav - submitted their rebuttal to each other`s claims over control of the party. Earlier on Monday, Mulayam met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners OP Rawat and AK Joti during which he has reportedly reiterated that Ram Gopal Yadav stands expelled from the party and he continues to remain the Samajwadi Party president. Mulayam, however, later extended an olive branch to his son and said that Akhilesh would become the Chief Minister after the elections. Earlier, Ram Gopal submitted a dossier containing signed affidavits of support for the Akhilesh faction from party delegates, MPs, MLAs and MLCs. The Akhilesh camp urged the poll body to decide on the matter at the earliest. (ANI)

India: BJP mocks 'political drama' in Samajwadi Party

By Manan Kumar

Indications emerged late Tuesday evening that the talks between Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav had failed.

But given the past history of U-turns, only Mulayam knows if this is the end of the drama or more surprises are in store. There is a likelihood of the father-and-son duo meeting again on Wednesday for a quick final bargain to strike a&nbsp;truce. The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule for Uttar Pradesh along with four other states on Wednesday.

Talks ended in a stalemate after Mulayam demanded his own pound of flesh -- that he would remain the President of the party, and that if Amar Singh is ousted from the party, then Ram Gopal Yadav will also have to go. Mulayam, though, agreed to taking brother Shivpal out of state politics by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat, party sources said. Ram Gopal Yadav&#39;s ouster, who also happens to be his mentor, is not acceptable to Akhilesh.

The game of chess between father and son had entered a deadlock after the two were brought at the table by party heavyweight Azam Khan on Tuesday to sort out the feud.

Akhilesh who met Mulayam for four long hours in a one-on-one meeting placed five conditions in clear terms that included, Amar Singh would be completely ousted from the party, there would be no role for uncle Shivpal in state politics, tickets will be&nbsp;distributed as per Akhilesh&#39;s choice, Mulayam will not question alliances and would be made chief guardian of the party.

Sources said Akhilesh conveyed his father that it was either take it or leave it but he would always keep respecting his father by keeping him at the highest pedestal of chief guardian of his party.

As the meeting was being organised, Akhilesh&#39;s mentor and Mulayam&#39;s cousin Ram Gopal Yadav staked claim on the party and its symbol bicycle by showcasing having support of 90 per cent of the elected representatives of the party.

However, the ongoing feud gave union home minister Rajnath Singh and BSP supremo Mayawati to take potshots on the father and son.

Referring to the internecine fight in the Samajwadi Party, Rajnath Singh said the fight between father and son is painful, especially for a sensitive man like him.

The internecine fight is damaging the state and next government will have to undo the damage, added Rajnath.

He, however, chose not to answer whether he would consider the &nbsp;post of chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The BJP has not projected that it&#39;s a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh yet. Rajnath was the chief minister of UP for about a year and a&nbsp;half between 2000-2002.

Rajnath was also evasive if demonetisation will help the BJP in UP and said &quot;some decisions cannot be looked at from the prism of immediate political gains and losses. The decision to demonetise was taken in national interest.&quot;

Exploiting the feud in Samajwadi Party, Mayawati in Lucknow asked Muslims not to waste their vote by choosing SP as it would divide their vote among two warring factions led by Akhilesh and Shivpal and help BJP win elections.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Mulayam said he wanted to remain party president and that if Amar Singh had to go, then so did Ram Gopal

By Manan Kumar Indications emerged late Tuesday evening that the talks between Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav had failed. But given the past history of U-turns, only Mulayam knows if this is the end of the drama or more surprises are in store. There is a likelihood of the father-and-son duo meeting again on Wednesday for a quick final bargain to strike a truce. The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule for Uttar Pradesh along with four other states on Wednesday. Talks ended in a stalemate after Mulayam demanded his own pound of flesh -- that he would remain the President of the party, and that if Amar Singh is ousted from the party, then Ram Gopal Yadav will also have to go. Mulayam, though, agreed to taking brother Shivpal out of state politics by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat, party sources said. Ram Gopal Yadav's ouster, who also happens to be his mentor, is not acceptable to Akhilesh. The game of chess between father and son had entered a deadlock after the two were brought at the table by party heavyweight Azam Khan on Tuesday to sort out the feud. Akhilesh who met Mulayam for four long hours in a one-on-one meeting placed five conditions in clear terms that included, Amar Singh would be completely ousted from the party, there would be no role for uncle Shivpal in state politics, tickets will be distributed as per Akhilesh's choice, Mulayam will not question alliances and would be made chief guardian of the party. Sources said Akhilesh conveyed his father that it was either take it or leave it but he would always keep respecting his father by keeping him at the highest pedestal of chief guardian of his party. As the meeting was being organised, Akhilesh's mentor and Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav staked claim on the party and its symbol bicycle by showcasing having support of 90 per cent of the elected representatives of the party. However, the ongoing feud gave union home minister Rajnath Singh and BSP supremo Mayawati to take potshots on the father and son. Referring to the internecine fight in the Samajwadi Party, Rajnath Singh said the fight between father and son is painful, especially for a sensitive man like him. The internecine fight is damaging the state and next government will have to undo the damage, added Rajnath. He, however, chose not to answer whether he would consider the post of chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The BJP has not projected that it's a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh yet. Rajnath was the chief minister of UP for about a year and a half between 2000-2002. Rajnath was also evasive if demonetisation will help the BJP in UP and said "some decisions cannot be looked at from the prism of immediate political gains and losses. The decision to demonetise was taken in national interest." Exploiting the feud in Samajwadi Party, Mayawati in Lucknow asked Muslims not to waste their vote by choosing SP as it would divide their vote among two warring factions led by Akhilesh and Shivpal and help BJP win elections. (This report first appeared in DNA)

UP election: Suspense remains as talks between Akhilesh, Mulayam fail

The election commission of India announced Wednesday the election schedule for five states going to the polls. It also said that it will implement the recent Supreme Court order barring religion, race, caste, community and language&nbsp;from being used at the time of elections to get votes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The states going to the polls are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand.

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ECI will ensure level playing field for inclusive, free and fair elections, by curbing muscle power and abuse of money: CEC Nasim Zaidi <a href="https://t.co/QPxP22D3lF">pic.twitter.com/QPxP22D3lF</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816538965100609538">January 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Elections in Goa and Punjab will be held on February 4, and in Uttarakhand on February 15.

Manipur will go to the polls in two phases, on March 4 and March 8.

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases: February 11, 15, 19; 23, 27, March 4, and March 8.

Making the announcements, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, &quot;Model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect.&quot;

&quot;690 legislative assemblies will go to polls. Over 16 crore voters will participate in the election. Nearly 100% voters have electoral photo id cards. There will be complete accountability of photo voter slips and colourful voter guides will be distributed to each family,&quot; he added. .

Stating that there will be a voter assistance booth outside every polling station, Zaidi said, &quot;The height of voting compartments has been raised to 30 inch for secrecy and every polling station will have four posters for voting procedure and dos and don&#39;ts.&quot;

Zaidi added that the ECI is committed to curbing the misuse of black money, cash, liquor, and gifts to influence voters.

(This report first appeared in DNA)&nbsp;

The states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. All votes will be counted on March 11

The election commission of India announced Wednesday the election schedule for five states going to the polls. It also said that it will implement the recent Supreme Court order barring religion, race, caste, community and language from being used at the time of elections to get votes. The states going to the polls are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. ECI will ensure level playing field for inclusive, free and fair elections, by curbing muscle power and abuse of money: CEC Nasim Zaidi pic.twitter.com/QPxP22D3lF — ANI (@ANI_news) January 4, 2017 × Elections in Goa and Punjab will be held on February 4, and in Uttarakhand on February 15. Manipur will go to the polls in two phases, on March 4 and March 8. Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases: February 11, 15, 19; 23, 27, March 4, and March 8. Making the announcements, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, "Model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect." "690 legislative assemblies will go to polls. Over 16 crore voters will participate in the election. Nearly 100% voters have electoral photo id cards. There will be complete accountability of photo voter slips and colourful voter guides will be distributed to each family," he added. . Stating that there will be a voter assistance booth outside every polling station, Zaidi said, "The height of voting compartments has been raised to 30 inch for secrecy and every polling station will have four posters for voting procedure and dos and don'ts." Zaidi added that the ECI is committed to curbing the misuse of black money, cash, liquor, and gifts to influence voters. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Election Commission of India announces poll schedule in five states, says will follow apex court order

The infighting within Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) reached a crescendo after the party&#39;s general secretary, Ramgopal Yadav, declared chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party&#39;s national president in place of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh retaliated by expelling Ramgopal, who is also his cousin, for six years -- for the second time in three days and the third time since October. He also called the National Executive meet called by Ramgopal &quot;unconstitutional&quot; and &quot;illegal&quot;, since it was called without consulting him, the party&#39;s national secretary.

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Mulayam Singh Yadav terms today&#39;s National Exec meet called by Ramgopal Yadav as unconstitutional &amp; decisions taken in the meet as illegal
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/815478773889912832">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;The parliamentary board of the party declares all the proposals, decisions and the convention itself illegal and expels Ram Gopal, who convened the convention, for six years,&quot; the letter stated.

Mulayam Singh has called a party convention of his own on January 5 in the state capital, Lucknow. He had earlier issued a letter asking party workers not to attend the National Executive meet called by Ramgopal Yadav.

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Mulayam Singh Yadav writes letter to party workers, asks them not to attend National Executive meet called by Ramgopal Yadav <a href="https://t.co/cigXo5sSn8">pic.twitter.com/cigXo5sSn8</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/815430590266687488">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Soon after he was declared party president, Akhilesh Yadav said, &quot;If there is a conspiracy against Netaji or the party then it will be my responsibility as son to stand against conspirators,&quot; PTI reported.

Akhilesh defended his step, saying the decision was a tough one but one he &quot;had to take&quot;. He will reportedly move the Election Commission tomorrow, staking a claim to the party&#39;s symbol, the cycle, sources told news agency ANI.

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Sometimes to protect the ones you love you must make the right decision. What I did today was a tough decision but one that I had to take. <a href="https://t.co/M5xZYEZhii">pic.twitter.com/M5xZYEZhii</a>
&mdash; Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/815588811854008320">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

At the National Executive&nbsp;meet called by him, Ramgopal also removed&nbsp;Shivpal Yadav from the post of president of the SP&#39;s state unit and &quot;sacked&quot;&nbsp;Amar Singh from the party.

Party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, who was also expelled from the party for attending the meeting, told ANI, &quot;My best wishes to Akhilesh on becoming party president. He will work under the leadership and guidance of Netaji.&quot;

Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s supporters removed Shivpal Yadav&#39;s nameplate from the party office in Lucknow.&nbsp;

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CM Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s supporters create chaos at Samajwadi Party&#39;s office in Lucknow, remove Shivpal Yadav&#39;s nameplate from party office <a href="https://t.co/agCxxgCfOs">pic.twitter.com/agCxxgCfOs</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/815518411560095745">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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They earlier celebrated outside the SP office after he was elected president at the national executive.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Akhilesh supporters dance and celebrate outside SP office in Lucknow after he was elected SP&#39;s Pres at today&#39;s national executive <a href="https://t.co/UvAYKq0ozS">pic.twitter.com/UvAYKq0ozS</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/815530221671567360">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Lucknow: Akhilesh supporters dance and celebrate outside SP office after he was elected SP&#39;s president at today&#39;s national executive <a href="https://t.co/ahGsHAPSY4">pic.twitter.com/ahGsHAPSY4</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/815527166444081152">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Mulayam Singh&#39;s letter, meanwhile,&nbsp;makes no mention of Akhilesh Yadav. It states that the candidates&#39; list issued earlier for the 2017 assembly polls has been endorsed and a decision on the remaining seats will be taken soon.

The father-son trust hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle, Shivpal Yadav.&nbsp;

Things took a turn for the worse on December 30 after Akhilesh &quot;circulated&quot; his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming state elections parallel to the party&#39;s official list of 393 nominees. He and Ramgopal Yadav were expelled from the party for six years the same day by Mulayam Singh.&nbsp;

However, father and son met the next day and Mulayam Singh revoked the suspension, saying he and Akhilesh would jointly prepare the list of election candidates.

The election in Uttar Pradesh is the largest regional election in India.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A convention called by Ram Gopal this morning removed Mulayam Singh from the post of national president, replacing him with Akhilesh Yadav

The infighting within Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) reached a crescendo after the party's general secretary, Ramgopal Yadav, declared chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party's national president in place of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam Singh retaliated by expelling Ramgopal, who is also his cousin, for six years -- for the second time in three days and the third time since October. He also called the National Executive meet called by Ramgopal "unconstitutional" and "illegal", since it was called without consulting him, the party's national secretary. Mulayam Singh Yadav terms today's National Exec meet called by Ramgopal Yadav as unconstitutional & decisions taken in the meet as illegal — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2017 × "The parliamentary board of the party declares all the proposals, decisions and the convention itself illegal and expels Ram Gopal, who convened the convention, for six years," the letter stated. Mulayam Singh has called a party convention of his own on January 5 in the state capital, Lucknow. He had earlier issued a letter asking party workers not to attend the National Executive meet called by Ramgopal Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav writes letter to party workers, asks them not to attend National Executive meet called by Ramgopal Yadav pic.twitter.com/cigXo5sSn8 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2017 × Soon after he was declared party president, Akhilesh Yadav said, "If there is a conspiracy against Netaji or the party then it will be my responsibility as son to stand against conspirators," PTI reported. Akhilesh defended his step, saying the decision was a tough one but one he "had to take". He will reportedly move the Election Commission tomorrow, staking a claim to the party's symbol, the cycle, sources told news agency ANI. Sometimes to protect the ones you love you must make the right decision. What I did today was a tough decision but one that I had to take. pic.twitter.com/M5xZYEZhii — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 1, 2017 × At the National Executive meet called by him, Ramgopal also removed Shivpal Yadav from the post of president of the SP's state unit and "sacked" Amar Singh from the party. Party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, who was also expelled from the party for attending the meeting, told ANI, "My best wishes to Akhilesh on becoming party president. He will work under the leadership and guidance of Netaji." Akhilesh Yadav's supporters removed Shivpal Yadav's nameplate from the party office in Lucknow. CM Akhilesh Yadav's supporters create chaos at Samajwadi Party's office in Lucknow, remove Shivpal Yadav's nameplate from party office pic.twitter.com/agCxxgCfOs — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2017 × They earlier celebrated outside the SP office after he was elected president at the national executive. #WATCH: Akhilesh supporters dance and celebrate outside SP office in Lucknow after he was elected SP's Pres at today's national executive pic.twitter.com/UvAYKq0ozS — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2017 × Lucknow: Akhilesh supporters dance and celebrate outside SP office after he was elected SP's president at today's national executive pic.twitter.com/ahGsHAPSY4 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2017 × Mulayam Singh's letter, meanwhile, makes no mention of Akhilesh Yadav. It states that the candidates' list issued earlier for the 2017 assembly polls has been endorsed and a decision on the remaining seats will be taken soon. The father-son trust hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle, Shivpal Yadav. Things took a turn for the worse on December 30 after Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming state elections parallel to the party's official list of 393 nominees. He and Ramgopal Yadav were expelled from the party for six years the same day by Mulayam Singh. However, father and son met the next day and Mulayam Singh revoked the suspension, saying he and Akhilesh would jointly prepare the list of election candidates. The election in Uttar Pradesh is the largest regional election in India. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Akhilesh Yadav supporters declare him Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh calls it 'unconstitutional'

With both of them keeping an eye on the UP election -- which goes to the polls early next year -- Prime Minister Modi and the Opposition Congress&#39; Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in the state Monday.&nbsp;

Modi spoke in Kanpur, Rahul in Jaunpur, and while both of them obviously talked about the country&#39;s recent demonetisation -- there really is nothing else people are talking about nowadays -- the two said the exact opposite of each other.&nbsp;

Modi told his supporters that today, for the first time, they had a central government dedicated to the poor.

Rahul told his supporters that demonetisation was not a fight against the corrupt. It was a fight against the poor, the farmer, and the underprivileged.

Said Modi: We are fighting against black money and corruption. We are doing all we can to make a better India. Our agenda is to stop corruption, stop black money. But other people have an agenda of &nbsp;&quot;stop Parliament&quot;.

Said Rahul: Modi has not only sucked up the poor&#39;s money, he has also sucked out their blood.

Rahul added, &quot;We said to Modi that the poor, farmers, are crying. I urged him to waive the loans of farmers. But he did not reply. He did not say a word.&quot;

Rahul&#39;s speech also stepped into -- again -- the realm of the speculative&nbsp;

In the last few months, he said, Mr Modi has given 60 per cent of India&#39;s wealth to one per cent of India&#39;s population. And that a handful of families, some 50 of them, hold a majority of this -- 60 per cent&nbsp;of the country&#39;s wealth.

&quot;I ask you,&#39; he said, &quot;is black money with the people of India or with those 50 families?&quot;&nbsp;

Rahul has a habit of alleging the sensational. Last week, he announced to the media that he had proof of &quot;personal acts of corruption&quot; by Prime Minister Modi.&nbsp;

But he refused to elaborate, saying he would say so only in Parliament.&nbsp;

A few years ago, he had alleged that the Uttar Pradesh police had shot dead people in the villages of Bhatta and Parsaul -- the villages&#39; land had been acquired by the government and the villagers were protesting.&nbsp;

Forensics later proved the allegation to be untrue.&nbsp;

Modi, whose attacks can also veer towards the personal, tended not to this time. All he did say was that the Congress&#39; style of functioning was &quot;unaccountable, corrupt and doing as they please -- this is the functioning style of the Congress&quot;.

He added that he saw a strong desire for change in Uttar Pradesh. &quot;I don&#39;t just see winds of change. I see a storm for change,&#39; he said.

He added that if the youth of Uttar Pradesh come together, then nothing can stop India from progressing.&nbsp;

UP and 2019

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls early next year.

The election will be even more closely watched than usual. UP is one of India&#39;s largest states and very important politically.&nbsp;

But more importantly, the result will be seen a referendum on Modi&#39;s shock demonetisation. And an indicator perhaps of which way the 2019 national election will go.&nbsp;

On November 8, Modi had announced -- to everybody&#39;s surprise -- that the country&#39;s 500 and 1,000-rupee notes would cease to be legal tender. He said he was doing so to get at the country&#39;s &quot;black&quot; or untaxed money and terror funding.&nbsp;

The move found widespread support, but it also led to 86 per cent&nbsp;of the country&#39;s currency being sucked out of circulation. News reports talked of people, left with no cash, being unable to buy food and essential medicines.&nbsp;

The chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, recently said more than a 100 people had died because of demonetisation.&nbsp;

Today, on the ground, depending on whom you talk to, there is either tremendous anger against the move or it has dissipated.&nbsp;

The Uttar Pradesh election will tell for certain.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Modi said, for the first time, the central govt is dedicated to the poor. Rahul said demonetisation was a fight against the poor

With both of them keeping an eye on the UP election -- which goes to the polls early next year -- Prime Minister Modi and the Opposition Congress' Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in the state Monday. Modi spoke in Kanpur, Rahul in Jaunpur, and while both of them obviously talked about the country's recent demonetisation -- there really is nothing else people are talking about nowadays -- the two said the exact opposite of each other. Modi told his supporters that today, for the first time, they had a central government dedicated to the poor. Rahul told his supporters that demonetisation was not a fight against the corrupt. It was a fight against the poor, the farmer, and the underprivileged. Said Modi: We are fighting against black money and corruption. We are doing all we can to make a better India. Our agenda is to stop corruption, stop black money. But other people have an agenda of "stop Parliament". Said Rahul: Modi has not only sucked up the poor's money, he has also sucked out their blood. Rahul added, "We said to Modi that the poor, farmers, are crying. I urged him to waive the loans of farmers. But he did not reply. He did not say a word." Rahul's speech also stepped into -- again -- the realm of the speculative In the last few months, he said, Mr Modi has given 60 per cent of India's wealth to one per cent of India's population. And that a handful of families, some 50 of them, hold a majority of this -- 60 per cent of the country's wealth. "I ask you,' he said, "is black money with the people of India or with those 50 families?" Rahul has a habit of alleging the sensational. Last week, he announced to the media that he had proof of "personal acts of corruption" by Prime Minister Modi. But he refused to elaborate, saying he would say so only in Parliament. A few years ago, he had alleged that the Uttar Pradesh police had shot dead people in the villages of Bhatta and Parsaul -- the villages' land had been acquired by the government and the villagers were protesting. Forensics later proved the allegation to be untrue. Modi, whose attacks can also veer towards the personal, tended not to this time. All he did say was that the Congress' style of functioning was "unaccountable, corrupt and doing as they please -- this is the functioning style of the Congress". He added that he saw a strong desire for change in Uttar Pradesh. "I don't just see winds of change. I see a storm for change,' he said. He added that if the youth of Uttar Pradesh come together, then nothing can stop India from progressing. UP and 2019 Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls early next year. The election will be even more closely watched than usual. UP is one of India's largest states and very important politically. But more importantly, the result will be seen a referendum on Modi's shock demonetisation. And an indicator perhaps of which way the 2019 national election will go. On November 8, Modi had announced -- to everybody's surprise -- that the country's 500 and 1,000-rupee notes would cease to be legal tender. He said he was doing so to get at the country's "black" or untaxed money and terror funding. The move found widespread support, but it also led to 86 per cent of the country's currency being sucked out of circulation. News reports talked of people, left with no cash, being unable to buy food and essential medicines. The chief minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, recently said more than a 100 people had died because of demonetisation. Today, on the ground, depending on whom you talk to, there is either tremendous anger against the move or it has dissipated. The Uttar Pradesh election will tell for certain. (WION)

Modi & Rahul address rallies in UP, say exact opposite of each other

Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav, who was expelled from the Samajwadi Party in October for six years in the midst of a raging feud in the Yadav clan, was today reinstated in the party.

Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said the expulsion of his cousin Ramgopal Yadav has been revoked.

&quot;Expulsion of Ramgopal Yadav has been revoked. He will continue as leader of party in the Rajya Sabha, spokesman, party national general secretary and member of party&#39;s national parliamentary board,&quot; Mulayam Singh said in a release issued here.

Ramgopal, who is considered close to Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was expelled from the party for six years on October 23 on the instructions of the SP supremo.

Ramgopal is a cousin of Mulayam and Shivpal and is considered to play the role of a &quot;think tank&quot;. He had strongly supported Akhilesh in the family feud in the Yadav clan.

While announcing his expulsion, Shivpal had levelled serious allegations against Ramgopal, saying he was working as part of a &quot;conspiracy&quot; in collusion with the BJP to weaken the SP and tarnish the Akhilesh Yadav government&#39;s image.

&quot;Ramgopal had met thrice with top leaders of the saffron party,&quot; Shivpal had said, accusing his cousin of &quot;patronising and shielding corrupt elements.&quot;

Ramgopal was also blamed for the SP&#39;s breakup from the &quot;mahagathbandhan&quot; (grand alliance) in the Bihar election last year.

He was sacked hours after Shivpal and three other ministers considered close to him were sacked from the state cabinet by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Ramgopal Yadav had strongly supported Akhilesh in the feud involving Uttar Pradesh's prominent political family

Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav, who was expelled from the Samajwadi Party in October for six years in the midst of a raging feud in the Yadav clan, was today reinstated in the party. Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said the expulsion of his cousin Ramgopal Yadav has been revoked. "Expulsion of Ramgopal Yadav has been revoked. He will continue as leader of party in the Rajya Sabha, spokesman, party national general secretary and member of party's national parliamentary board," Mulayam Singh said in a release issued here. Ramgopal, who is considered close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was expelled from the party for six years on October 23 on the instructions of the SP supremo. Ramgopal is a cousin of Mulayam and Shivpal and is considered to play the role of a "think tank". He had strongly supported Akhilesh in the family feud in the Yadav clan. While announcing his expulsion, Shivpal had levelled serious allegations against Ramgopal, saying he was working as part of a "conspiracy" in collusion with the BJP to weaken the SP and tarnish the Akhilesh Yadav government's image. "Ramgopal had met thrice with top leaders of the saffron party," Shivpal had said, accusing his cousin of "patronising and shielding corrupt elements." Ramgopal was also blamed for the SP's breakup from the "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) in the Bihar election last year. He was sacked hours after Shivpal and three other ministers considered close to him were sacked from the state cabinet by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. (PTI)

India: Mulayam Singh Yadav revokes cousin Ramgopal's expulsion from party

Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has fired his uncle&nbsp;Shivpal Yadav, and four other ministers&nbsp;from the state cabinet.

Earlier&nbsp;in the day, Yadav called a meeting of members of the Legislative Assembly and&nbsp;Legislative Council and other ministers,&nbsp;excluding Shivpal Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, the latter being Akhilesh&#39;s father and party leader, represent the old guard of the Samajwadi party, and Akhilesh represents the new ideology. &nbsp;

Raju Yadav, a member of the Legislative Assembly from Manipur, said, &quot;CM said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet,&quot;&nbsp;ANI reported.&nbsp;

Amar Singh is a close associate of both Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, and is considered by Akhilesh loyalists to be an&nbsp;&quot;outsider&quot; who&nbsp;is blamed for the bad blood between Shivpal and Akhilesh.&nbsp;

The rift in the family that dominates the politics&nbsp;of India&#39;s northern Uttar Pradesh state started in September, when Shivpal replaced his nephew as Samajwadi party&#39;s president. Akhilesh hit back by taking three major portfolios from Shivpal.

The meeting took place a day after Akhilesh&#39;s close supporter Udayveer Singh was sacked from the party by Shivpal, after he wrote a letter to Mulayam Singh, persuading him to name Akhilesh Yadav as the political parties national president and insulted Mulayam&#39;s second wife, as per media reports.&nbsp;

&quot;Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and undisciplined behavior,&quot; party spokeswoman Ambika Chaudhary said.

The political and family feud is a&nbsp;cause of worry for the Samajwadi party, as Assembly elections take place next year.&nbsp;With an approximate population of about 200 million, this state is a key&nbsp;battleground for all political parties in India.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

In a meeting earlier today, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said any minister close to Amar Singh will be fired

Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has fired his uncle Shivpal Yadav, and four other ministers from the state cabinet. Earlier in the day, Yadav called a meeting of members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council and other ministers, excluding Shivpal Yadav. Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, the latter being Akhilesh's father and party leader, represent the old guard of the Samajwadi party, and Akhilesh represents the new ideology. Raju Yadav, a member of the Legislative Assembly from Manipur, said, "CM said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet," ANI reported. Amar Singh is a close associate of both Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, and is considered by Akhilesh loyalists to be an "outsider" who is blamed for the bad blood between Shivpal and Akhilesh. The rift in the family that dominates the politics of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state started in September, when Shivpal replaced his nephew as Samajwadi party's president. Akhilesh hit back by taking three major portfolios from Shivpal. The meeting took place a day after Akhilesh's close supporter Udayveer Singh was sacked from the party by Shivpal, after he wrote a letter to Mulayam Singh, persuading him to name Akhilesh Yadav as the political parties national president and insulted Mulayam's second wife, as per media reports. "Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and undisciplined behavior," party spokeswoman Ambika Chaudhary said. The political and family feud is a cause of worry for the Samajwadi party, as Assembly elections take place next year. With an approximate population of about 200 million, this state is a key battleground for all political parties in India. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Akhilesh Yadav sacks uncle Shivpal, 4 other cabinet ministers

About a year after 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh because of rumours that he had beef in his home, Bisada&nbsp;village in Dadri district is yet again engulfed by tension&nbsp;following the death of one of the men accused of the murder.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Members of&nbsp;21-year-old Ravin Sisodia&#39;s grief-stricken family &nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;his mother, wife and sisters &mdash;&nbsp;staged a sit-in protest outside his house on Wednesday, a day after his death. &nbsp;A female priest and members of the Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu activist group, sat alongside&nbsp;the family.&nbsp;The protesters claimed that Ravin was &quot;tortured to death&quot;&nbsp;in Kasna jail, about 22 kilometres&nbsp;from the city of Noida.&nbsp;

Satpal Bajrangi, a Hindu Jagran Manch leader,&nbsp;took a jibe at the state government saying: &quot;The (ruling) Samajwadi Party in the state has completely ignored the majority community while trying to appease the Muslims for electoral benefits. Not a single leader has visited the village ever since Ravin&#39;s death. This reflects their double standards. The entire nation rose in anger after Akhlaq&#39;s death but where has the anger vanished now?&quot;

Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death by a mob of about a 100 people on September 28, 2015, after it was alleged that he had killed a cow and consumed its meat. (Hindus consider the cow sacred and its killing is restricted in some form in 21 of&nbsp;29 Indian states.)&nbsp;

Akhlaq&#39;s&nbsp;death triggered&nbsp;widespread condemnation and protests&nbsp;across the country.&nbsp;

Simmering tensions&nbsp;

Many people from the minority community in the village&nbsp;confess they are planning to leave the village amid simmering tension&nbsp;following Ravin&#39;s death.&nbsp;

&quot;We are really scared. We cannot even move out of our house. We have been informed that some people with vested political interests are trying to fuel tension&nbsp;in the village. They are trying to politicise the issue of Ravin&#39;s death, which otherwise looks like a natural death,&quot; a woman from the minority community told WION.&nbsp;

However, the minority community has been assured of safety by the local administration. Battalions of police forces remain deployed to ensure that no untoward situation takes place.

Ravin was suffering from chikungunya, claims petition&nbsp;

According to ML&nbsp;Yadav, one of the jailers in Kasna jail, Ravin was admitted to a district hospital on September 29 after he complained of stomach ache. He was shifted to national capital Delhi&#39;s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on Tuesday for further treatment. &quot;Ravi&#39;s ultrasound report showed that there was water in his lungs,&quot; Yadav told the Indian media.&nbsp;

WION is also in possession of a petition filed by Ravin&#39;s lawyer Ram Sharan Nagar. The petition, filed in the assistant district judge&#39;s court on September 30, mentions that Ravin was suffering from chikungunya and had been complaining of body ache.

Nagar had made a request for him to be transferred to a hospital for &quot;better treatment&quot;. In response to the petition, the court had asked the police to admit him to the hospital.

&nbsp;

Ravin&#39;s family alleges conspiracy&nbsp;

Ravin&#39;s family alleges that the family members of the deceased Mohammad Akhlaq conspired to kill him,&nbsp;in collaboration with jailer Akram Khan.&nbsp;

Ravin&#39;s father alleges that when he met his son on September 23, he complained of being beaten up by a prisoner inside the jail.&nbsp;

&quot;My son couldn&#39;t walk properly when I last met him. He told me that&nbsp;he was beaten up by someone who claims to be close to Samajwadi Party bigshot Azam Khan. I suspect that there is a conspiracy involved in his killing and that he has been killed at the behest of someone powerful in the government.&quot;

According to Ravin&#39;s mother and sister, justice can be&nbsp;served only if Jan Mohammad, Mohammad Akhlaque&#39;s brother, accused of slaughtering a cow is sent behind bars immediately.

&nbsp;

Politics over Dadri lynching case in the poll-bound UP&nbsp;

With Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous state in the country, gearing up for state elections next year, politics around Akhlaq&#39;s killing and Ravin&#39;s death continues unabated.&nbsp;

A group led by the leaders of Hindu Jagran Manch gathered outside Ravin&#39;s home on Wednesday and burnt down effigies of ruling party&#39;s leader Azam Khan&nbsp;and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Several villagers also joined them in raising slogans against the incumbent government. The leaders of the organisation accused the government of carrying out minority appeasement while ignoring the majority community for electoral gains.

Suresh Rana, leader of India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also visited the village on Wednesday and said that the party will ensure that the state government is under pressure to meet all the demands of the family and the villagers.&nbsp;

It is pertinent to mention that the Dadri lynching case is sub judice and charges are yet to be framed against the accused. A trial court in Greater Noida rejected an application of the rest of the 14 accused to attend Ravin&#39;s funeral.

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A year after a man was killed over rumours he had eaten beef, the death in custody of one of the accused makes the village tense again

About a year after 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh because of rumours that he had beef in his home, Bisada village in Dadri district is yet again engulfed by tension following the death of one of the men accused of the murder. Members of 21-year-old Ravin Sisodia's grief-stricken family — his mother, wife and sisters — staged a sit-in protest outside his house on Wednesday, a day after his death. A female priest and members of the Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu activist group, sat alongside the family. The protesters claimed that Ravin was "tortured to death" in Kasna jail, about 22 kilometres from the city of Noida. Satpal Bajrangi, a Hindu Jagran Manch leader, took a jibe at the state government saying: "The (ruling) Samajwadi Party in the state has completely ignored the majority community while trying to appease the Muslims for electoral benefits. Not a single leader has visited the village ever since Ravin's death. This reflects their double standards. The entire nation rose in anger after Akhlaq's death but where has the anger vanished now?" Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death by a mob of about a 100 people on September 28, 2015, after it was alleged that he had killed a cow and consumed its meat. (Hindus consider the cow sacred and its killing is restricted in some form in 21 of 29 Indian states.) Akhlaq's death triggered widespread condemnation and protests across the country. Simmering tensions Many people from the minority community in the village confess they are planning to leave the village amid simmering tension following Ravin's death. "We are really scared. We cannot even move out of our house. We have been informed that some people with vested political interests are trying to fuel tension in the village. They are trying to politicise the issue of Ravin's death, which otherwise looks like a natural death," a woman from the minority community told WION. However, the minority community has been assured of safety by the local administration. Battalions of police forces remain deployed to ensure that no untoward situation takes place. Ravin was suffering from chikungunya, claims petition According to ML Yadav, one of the jailers in Kasna jail, Ravin was admitted to a district hospital on September 29 after he complained of stomach ache. He was shifted to national capital Delhi's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on Tuesday for further treatment. "Ravi's ultrasound report showed that there was water in his lungs," Yadav told the Indian media. WION is also in possession of a petition filed by Ravin's lawyer Ram Sharan Nagar. The petition, filed in the assistant district judge's court on September 30, mentions that Ravin was suffering from chikungunya and had been complaining of body ache. Nagar had made a request for him to be transferred to a hospital for "better treatment". In response to the petition, the court had asked the police to admit him to the hospital. Ravin's family alleges conspiracy Ravin's family alleges that the family members of the deceased Mohammad Akhlaq conspired to kill him, in collaboration with jailer Akram Khan. Ravin's father alleges that when he met his son on September 23, he complained of being beaten up by a prisoner inside the jail. "My son couldn't walk properly when I last met him. He told me that he was beaten up by someone who claims to be close to Samajwadi Party bigshot Azam Khan. I suspect that there is a conspiracy involved in his killing and that he has been killed at the behest of someone powerful in the government." According to Ravin's mother and sister, justice can be served only if Jan Mohammad, Mohammad Akhlaque's brother, accused of slaughtering a cow is sent behind bars immediately. Politics over Dadri lynching case in the poll-bound UP With Uttar Pradesh (UP), the most populous state in the country, gearing up for state elections next year, politics around Akhlaq's killing and Ravin's death continues unabated. A group led by the leaders of Hindu Jagran Manch gathered outside Ravin's home on Wednesday and burnt down effigies of ruling party's leader Azam Khan and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Several villagers also joined them in raising slogans against the incumbent government. The leaders of the organisation accused the government of carrying out minority appeasement while ignoring the majority community for electoral gains. Suresh Rana, leader of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also visited the village on Wednesday and said that the party will ensure that the state government is under pressure to meet all the demands of the family and the villagers. It is pertinent to mention that the Dadri lynching case is sub judice and charges are yet to be framed against the accused. A trial court in Greater Noida rejected an application of the rest of the 14 accused to attend Ravin's funeral. (WION)

Dadri mob lynching: Bisada village in India's UP tense after accused's death?

Rift in the first family of India&#39;s Uttar Pradesh might be nearing an end&nbsp;with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announcing on Friday that his uncle Shivpal Yadav will be given back all&nbsp;his portfolios and sacked minister&nbsp;Gayatri Prajapati will be reinducted as cabinet minister, issues which had triggered a public war between the two.

The &nbsp;chief of ruling Samajwadi Party (SP),&nbsp;Mulayam Singh Yadav,&nbsp;had rushed to the state&#39;s capital earlier on Thursday&nbsp;to bridge the differences between brother Shivpal and son Akhilesh. The &nbsp;announcement came in after reaching a compromise formula, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There can be no division in the party, till I am there,&quot; &nbsp;the SP supremo was quoted as saying in the media reports.&nbsp; 
 
 
Following the discusssion between the chief minister, Akhilesh and Shivpal,&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;made the announcement on Twitter.

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Portfolios will be given back to Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav.
&mdash; CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMOfficeUP/status/776789098195451904">September 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

 
 
Akhilesh had stripped his uncle of&nbsp;key cabinet positions earlier this week, ensuing an all out&nbsp;war&nbsp;following&nbsp;&nbsp;Akhilesh&#39;s&nbsp;removal&nbsp;as party&#39;s state unit chief. Speculations were rife that Shivpal&#39;s removal from key portfolios of the cabinet came after&nbsp;Akhilesh, who held the post of state party president for about four years, was replaced by his uncle Shivpal.&nbsp;

Mulayam and Akhilesh had earlier rejected Shivpal&#39;s resignation from the government and the party.

&quot;Netaji (Mulayam) has heard all of us. He will talk to some others if he wants and will take a decision by tomorrow,&quot; Shivpal said on Friday, indicating a truce was on the anvil.

Akhilesh said that he has rejected Shivpal&#39;s resignation &nbsp;will comply with whatever his father directs. &quot;Netaji (Mulayam) will find a solution (to the current crisis) and everyone will accept it,&quot; he said.

Shivpal, meanwhile, said he will as the state unit chief and is preparing for the&nbsp;electoral challenge ahead but was evasive whether he will go back to the government.

&quot;That (resignation from party post) has not been accepted. When I have said that for me, Netaji&#39;s ( the supremo&#39;s)&nbsp;hint is an order...Akhilesh has also said so. So where is the feud anymore,&quot; he said.

At the same time, he indicated that he may not return to the government. &quot;Look, I have resigned only recently. I have got a bigger responsibility. Elections are near and I have to work for the polls. Who is bothered about portfolios? I had only one portfolio, so I said why only one. I will work for the party.&quot;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Akhilesh Yadav had stripped Shivpal Yadav of his key portfolios?ensuing a family feud ahead of elections in India's most populous state

Rift in the first family of India's Uttar Pradesh might be nearing an end with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announcing on Friday that his uncle Shivpal Yadav will be given back all his portfolios and sacked minister Gayatri Prajapati will be reinducted as cabinet minister, issues which had triggered a public war between the two. The chief of ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), Mulayam Singh Yadav, had rushed to the state's capital earlier on Thursday to bridge the differences between brother Shivpal and son Akhilesh. The announcement came in after reaching a compromise formula, according to media reports. "There can be no division in the party, till I am there," the SP supremo was quoted as saying in the media reports. Following the discusssion between the chief minister, Akhilesh and Shivpal, Akhilesh made the announcement on Twitter. Portfolios will be given back to Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav. — CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) September 16, 2016 Akhilesh had stripped his uncle of key cabinet positions earlier this week, ensuing an all out war following Akhilesh's removal as party's state unit chief. Speculations were rife that Shivpal's removal from key portfolios of the cabinet came after Akhilesh, who held the post of state party president for about four years, was replaced by his uncle Shivpal. Mulayam and Akhilesh had earlier rejected Shivpal's resignation from the government and the party. "Netaji (Mulayam) has heard all of us. He will talk to some others if he wants and will take a decision by tomorrow," Shivpal said on Friday, indicating a truce was on the anvil. Akhilesh said that he has rejected Shivpal's resignation will comply with whatever his father directs. "Netaji (Mulayam) will find a solution (to the current crisis) and everyone will accept it," he said. Shivpal, meanwhile, said he will as the state unit chief and is preparing for the electoral challenge ahead but was evasive whether he will go back to the government. "That (resignation from party post) has not been accepted. When I have said that for me, Netaji's ( the supremo's) hint is an order...Akhilesh has also said so. So where is the feud anymore," he said. At the same time, he indicated that he may not return to the government. "Look, I have resigned only recently. I have got a bigger responsibility. Elections are near and I have to work for the polls. Who is bothered about portfolios? I had only one portfolio, so I said why only one. I will work for the party." (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: Thaw in Uttar Pradesh's first family, chief minister returns uncle Shivpal's portfolios

Amid open feud in the first family of India&#39;s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, newly appointed state chief of ruling Samajwadi Party,&nbsp;Shivpal Yadav, resigned from the party on Thursday night.&nbsp; 
 
According to media reports, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav rushed to the state&#39;s capital, Lucknow, from the national capital, New Delhi, on Thursday evening apparently to resolve the differences between his son and chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, and brother Shivpal.&nbsp; 
 
Following the meeting, however, Shivpal resigned from all party posts and the&nbsp;ruling government. &nbsp;His wife, Sarla, also resigned from the post of District Cooperative Bank chairperson, Etawah. While son Aditya submitted resignation as the chairman of Pradeshik Cooperative Federation, the sources added.&nbsp; 
 
However, Indian news agency, ANI, said that the chief minister has rejected his uncle&#39;s resignation.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It&#39;s pertinent to mention that deepening fissures in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s first family may pose as a challenge for the party that&#39;s gearing up for the state elections slated for next year. Samajwadi Party is one of the two prominent regional parties in the state, having a population of about 200 million, apart from Bahujan Samaj Party headed by forrmer UP chief minister Mayawati.&nbsp; 
 
Shivpal was appointed as party&#39;s state president earlier this week, a post that Akhilesh had held for about four years. Later, he was removed from three key portfolios in the cabinet of the Akhilesh-led state government.&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and grand old party Congress have already sounded the election bugle in the &nbsp;state that is represented by about 90 parliamentarians in the lower house of Indian parliament.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The newly appointed state party president resigned from the ruling Samajwadi party and the cabinet

Amid open feud in the first family of India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, newly appointed state chief of ruling Samajwadi Party, Shivpal Yadav, resigned from the party on Thursday night. According to media reports, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav rushed to the state's capital, Lucknow, from the national capital, New Delhi, on Thursday evening apparently to resolve the differences between his son and chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, and brother Shivpal. Following the meeting, however, Shivpal resigned from all party posts and the ruling government. His wife, Sarla, also resigned from the post of District Cooperative Bank chairperson, Etawah. While son Aditya submitted resignation as the chairman of Pradeshik Cooperative Federation, the sources added. However, Indian news agency, ANI, said that the chief minister has rejected his uncle's resignation. It's pertinent to mention that deepening fissures in Uttar Pradesh's first family may pose as a challenge for the party that's gearing up for the state elections slated for next year. Samajwadi Party is one of the two prominent regional parties in the state, having a population of about 200 million, apart from Bahujan Samaj Party headed by forrmer UP chief minister Mayawati. Shivpal was appointed as party's state president earlier this week, a post that Akhilesh had held for about four years. Later, he was removed from three key portfolios in the cabinet of the Akhilesh-led state government. India's ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and grand old party Congress have already sounded the election bugle in the state that is represented by about 90 parliamentarians in the lower house of Indian parliament. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Shivpal Yadav's resignation bares feud in Uttar Pradesh's first family

As one of the largest states in India, Uttar Pradesh (UP), gears up for state-level elections slated for next year, fissures are growing within the ruling Samajwadi Party, it seems.&nbsp; 
 
Speculations are rife that senior party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was stripped of key cabinet portfolios by his nephew and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, is likely to resign from the ruling party, Indian news agency PTI reported today. &nbsp; 
 
The senior leader was stripped of three portfolios, revenue, irrigation and power and works department. after he replaced chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party president for the state on Tuesday. &nbsp;Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had been serving as the state party president for about four years. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;It is the discretion of CM to give (or take) portfolios and remove officers and keep his advisors. I will follow netaji&#39;s (leader&#39;s) directions and will fulfill responsibilities given by him,&quot; Shivpal was quoted as saying by PTI today when asked about speculation on his resignation. 
 
He said that he will abide by the decision of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. 
 
Meanwhile, following the latest development, the chief minister has kept the power and works department while irrigation department has been handed over to Awadhesh Prasad and revenue department to party leader Balram Yadav. Shivpal has now been handed over the social welfare department. 
 
Earlier, Shivpal Singh Yadav had reportedly announced the party&#39;s first list of 142 candidates for the 2017 polls. 
 
Indian daily DNA observed that the development came hours after Akhilesh shunted out state chief secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal, and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar. 
 
Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state&#39;s chief secretary after Alok Ranjan&#39;s term ended, and the postponement of regional party Qaumi Ekta Dal&#39;s merger with Samajwadi Party. 
 
Uttar Pradesh, that has an approximate population of about 200 million, has been an important political battleground for major political parties in India. Grand old party Congress and India&#39;s ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) &nbsp;have already sounded the election bugle here.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav stripped his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key cabinet portfolios after he replaced Akhilesh as state party chief

As one of the largest states in India, Uttar Pradesh (UP), gears up for state-level elections slated for next year, fissures are growing within the ruling Samajwadi Party, it seems. Speculations are rife that senior party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was stripped of key cabinet portfolios by his nephew and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, is likely to resign from the ruling party, Indian news agency PTI reported today. The senior leader was stripped of three portfolios, revenue, irrigation and power and works department. after he replaced chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as the party president for the state on Tuesday. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had been serving as the state party president for about four years. "It is the discretion of CM to give (or take) portfolios and remove officers and keep his advisors. I will follow netaji's (leader's) directions and will fulfill responsibilities given by him," Shivpal was quoted as saying by PTI today when asked about speculation on his resignation. He said that he will abide by the decision of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Meanwhile, following the latest development, the chief minister has kept the power and works department while irrigation department has been handed over to Awadhesh Prasad and revenue department to party leader Balram Yadav. Shivpal has now been handed over the social welfare department. Earlier, Shivpal Singh Yadav had reportedly announced the party's first list of 142 candidates for the 2017 polls. Indian daily DNA observed that the development came hours after Akhilesh shunted out state chief secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal, and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar. Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended, and the postponement of regional party Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with Samajwadi Party. Uttar Pradesh, that has an approximate population of about 200 million, has been an important political battleground for major political parties in India. Grand old party Congress and India's ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already sounded the election bugle here. (WION with inputs from agencies)

The Yadavs of UP: Fissures in India's most populous state's first family grow bigger

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today cut short her visit to the Indian temple town Varanasi after she was advised by the doctors to return to the national capital Delhi. 
 
This development comes after it was reported that Sonia had high fever. Before leaving for the national capital, the Congress president, standing in an SUV, waved to the thousands of people who gathered to see her off. 
 
&quot;Heard about Sonia ji&#39;s ill health during her Varanasi visit today. I pray for her quick recovery and good health,&quot; Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. 
 
Gandhi, earlier in the day, launched her party&#39;s campaign for the 2017 assembly elections in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s parliamentary constituency Varanasi. 
 
The roadshow began with Gandhi putting a garland at the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, hailed as an architect of the Indian constitution, at the Circuit House. 
 
Thousands of party supporters and workers took part in the roadshow, which started from the Circuit House to Englishiya Line, a distance of about eight kilometres.It was ensured that Congress president&#39;s posters, banners, welcome arches and gates are seen everywhere in the city.&nbsp; 
 
Gandhi, who was initially travelling in a car and later moved to a vehicle with open sunroof, waved at the crowd which cheered and raised slogans against the Modi government.&nbsp;She came out of her vehicle several times to accept the greetings of the cheering supporters, including groups of Muslim women. As the road show passed through several localities, rose petals were showered on Gandhi and her cavalcade from adjoining buildings. 
 
Dozens of mini trucks prominently displayed posters with &#39;27 Saal, UP Behaal&#39; (27 years of UP&#39;s distress) written on them. Placards carried by hundreds of workers also had the same slogan written on them. 
 
Besides the party&#39;s chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit, All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state party chief Raj Babbar and senior leaders Pramod Tiwari and Sanjay Singh accompanied Gandhi. 
 
This was Gandhi&#39;s first visit to Varanasi after Modi became Prime Minister. 
 
(ANI, PTI)&nbsp;

This was Gandhi's first visit to Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency since he became Prime Minister

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today cut short her visit to the Indian temple town Varanasi after she was advised by the doctors to return to the national capital Delhi. This development comes after it was reported that Sonia had high fever. Before leaving for the national capital, the Congress president, standing in an SUV, waved to the thousands of people who gathered to see her off. "Heard about Sonia ji's ill health during her Varanasi visit today. I pray for her quick recovery and good health," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. Gandhi, earlier in the day, launched her party's campaign for the 2017 assembly elections in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi. The roadshow began with Gandhi putting a garland at the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, hailed as an architect of the Indian constitution, at the Circuit House. Thousands of party supporters and workers took part in the roadshow, which started from the Circuit House to Englishiya Line, a distance of about eight kilometres.It was ensured that Congress president's posters, banners, welcome arches and gates are seen everywhere in the city. Gandhi, who was initially travelling in a car and later moved to a vehicle with open sunroof, waved at the crowd which cheered and raised slogans against the Modi government. She came out of her vehicle several times to accept the greetings of the cheering supporters, including groups of Muslim women. As the road show passed through several localities, rose petals were showered on Gandhi and her cavalcade from adjoining buildings. Dozens of mini trucks prominently displayed posters with '27 Saal, UP Behaal' (27 years of UP's distress) written on them. Placards carried by hundreds of workers also had the same slogan written on them. Besides the party's chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit, All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state party chief Raj Babbar and senior leaders Pramod Tiwari and Sanjay Singh accompanied Gandhi. This was Gandhi's first visit to Varanasi after Modi became Prime Minister. (ANI, PTI)

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi cuts short Varanasi visit after falling ill

The Supreme Court of India today held that former chief ministers are not entitled for government accommodation for lifetime. 
 
A bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave, which pronounced its verdict on a 2004 plea, said that any such government accommodation should be vacated within two to three months.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They don&#39;t have the right to occupy government accommodation for lifetime,&quot; the bench also comprising Justices U U Lalit and L Nageswara Rao said. 
 
The judgment came on a plea filed by an NGO Lok Prahari, based out of northern India Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, which had sought a direction against allotment of government bungalows to ex chief ministers and other &#39;non-eligible&#39; organisations.&nbsp; 
 
The NGO had alleged that despite the direction of Allahabad High Court, the UP government had framed ex-Chief Minister&#39;s Residence Allotment Rules, 1997 (non-statutory) for allotting bungalows to successive ex-chief ministers. 
 
The NGO had also contended that the rules framed in 1997 for allotment of government bungalows to ex-chief ministers were unconstitutional and illegal, and those occupying them were allegedly unauthorised occupants under the purview of the UP Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act.&nbsp; 
 
The petitioner also said that retention of government accommodation by chief ministers after demitting office was against the Provisions of UP Ministers (Salaries/allowances and other facilities) Act. The judgment on the plea was reserved on November 27, 2014. 
 
(PTI)

The judgment came on a plea filed by an NGO which had sought a direction against allotment of government bungalows to ex chief ministers

The Supreme Court of India today held that former chief ministers are not entitled for government accommodation for lifetime. A bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave, which pronounced its verdict on a 2004 plea, said that any such government accommodation should be vacated within two to three months. "They don't have the right to occupy government accommodation for lifetime," the bench also comprising Justices U U Lalit and L Nageswara Rao said. The judgment came on a plea filed by an NGO Lok Prahari, based out of northern India Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, which had sought a direction against allotment of government bungalows to ex chief ministers and other 'non-eligible' organisations. The NGO had alleged that despite the direction of Allahabad High Court, the UP government had framed ex-Chief Minister's Residence Allotment Rules, 1997 (non-statutory) for allotting bungalows to successive ex-chief ministers. The NGO had also contended that the rules framed in 1997 for allotment of government bungalows to ex-chief ministers were unconstitutional and illegal, and those occupying them were allegedly unauthorised occupants under the purview of the UP Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. The petitioner also said that retention of government accommodation by chief ministers after demitting office was against the Provisions of UP Ministers (Salaries/allowances and other facilities) Act. The judgment on the plea was reserved on November 27, 2014. (PTI)

No lifetime government accommodation for former chief ministers: India's top court

Nine people, including eight children, were killed and eleven injured in India&#39;s northern state of Uttar Pradesh today when the school bus they were travelling in was hit by a train while crossing an unmanned railway track. 
 
Seven children died on the spot as a train coming from Varanasi city ran into the bus at a railway crossing in Bhadohi city. 
 
The injured were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where another child died. 
 
&quot;Seven school children died on the spot and their post mortem is going on. We have since then received information of one more child&#39;s death and we will be doing a post mortem. The state chief minister has announced compensation of Rupees 2 lakh (about USD 2974) from the chief minister relief fund for the kin of the deceased,&quot; said a railway official earlier. 
 
According to the ministry of railways, India had 11,563 unmanned level crossings as of December 2014. 
 
Though the government has progressively worked to eliminate all level crossings, a high number of accidents still continue to be reported at such points. 
 
A flood of untrained drivers, inadequate law enforcement, badly maintained highways and cars that fail modern crash tests add to the dismal scenario. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The collision took place at an unmanned railway crossing in Bhadohi city of Uttar Pradesh

Nine people, including eight children, were killed and eleven injured in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh today when the school bus they were travelling in was hit by a train while crossing an unmanned railway track. Seven children died on the spot as a train coming from Varanasi city ran into the bus at a railway crossing in Bhadohi city. The injured were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where another child died. "Seven school children died on the spot and their post mortem is going on. We have since then received information of one more child's death and we will be doing a post mortem. The state chief minister has announced compensation of Rupees 2 lakh (about USD 2974) from the chief minister relief fund for the kin of the deceased," said a railway official earlier. According to the ministry of railways, India had 11,563 unmanned level crossings as of December 2014. Though the government has progressively worked to eliminate all level crossings, a high number of accidents still continue to be reported at such points. A flood of untrained drivers, inadequate law enforcement, badly maintained highways and cars that fail modern crash tests add to the dismal scenario. (Reuters)

Train rams into school bus in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 8 children among dead

Seventeen labourers&nbsp;have died and about a dozen others are fighting for their lives in northern India after drinking toxic homemade liquor, police said today, in the latest incident of alcohol poisoning in the country.&nbsp;Hundreds of poor people die every year in India due to alcohol poisoning, mostly from consuming cheap hooch. 
&nbsp;

Police in northern Uttar Pradesh state&#39;s Etah district said the victims started to vomit and fall sick, complaining of severe stomach aches and blurred vision after consuming the illicit moonshine late Friday.&nbsp;&quot;Seventeen people have died since (Friday) night and about 12 are still in the hospital, very ill,&quot; a local police officer told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

The officer said a local vendor was arrested late Saturday after police registered a formal case against him for culpable homicide.&nbsp;&quot;The vendor obviously mixed some chemical in the last batch... police are investigating the matter,&quot; he added. 
&nbsp;

The latest incident prompted state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to suspend five district officials, including two police officers, for neglect of duty.&nbsp;He offered $3,000&nbsp;in compensation to the families of those killed.

In April, eight people died, including two soldiers, after drinking tainted liquor in the western desert state of Rajasthan.&nbsp;More than 100 people died in coastal Mumbai city last year after drinking illegal homemade moonshine in a slum.&nbsp;Nearly three billion litres of legal liquor and an estimated two billion litres of hooch are consumed in India annually, according to the International Spirits and Wines Association. 
 
(AFP)

Victims vomitted and complained of severe stomach aches and blurred vision. A local vendor was arrested yesterday for culpable homicide

Seventeen labourers have died and about a dozen others are fighting for their lives in northern India after drinking toxic homemade liquor, police said today, in the latest incident of alcohol poisoning in the country. Hundreds of poor people die every year in India due to alcohol poisoning, mostly from consuming cheap hooch. Police in northern Uttar Pradesh state's Etah district said the victims started to vomit and fall sick, complaining of severe stomach aches and blurred vision after consuming the illicit moonshine late Friday. "Seventeen people have died since (Friday) night and about 12 are still in the hospital, very ill," a local police officer told AFP on the condition of anonymity. The officer said a local vendor was arrested late Saturday after police registered a formal case against him for culpable homicide. "The vendor obviously mixed some chemical in the last batch... police are investigating the matter," he added. The latest incident prompted state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to suspend five district officials, including two police officers, for neglect of duty. He offered $3,000 in compensation to the families of those killed. In April, eight people died, including two soldiers, after drinking tainted liquor in the western desert state of Rajasthan. More than 100 people died in coastal Mumbai city last year after drinking illegal homemade moonshine in a slum. Nearly three billion litres of legal liquor and an estimated two billion litres of hooch are consumed in India annually, according to the International Spirits and Wines Association. (AFP)

Bootleg hooch kills 21 in northern India, 12 hospitalised

Imrat Namdev and her younger sister Pushpa Namdev were neighbours in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Chhatarpur district, in the drought-hit Indian region of Bundelkhand. Both relied on the same well for water and, according to police, frequently quarrelled over how much the other was using. 
 
In May, during one fight over water, Pushpa, 42, beat Imrat, 48, with a stick, police say. The injured sister was rushed to a hospital, but died there, and Pushpa was charged with murder. 
 
&quot;Our village faces a severe shortage of potable water,&quot; Imrat&#39;s son, Jitendra, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. &quot;Pushpa always felt my mother drew more water from the well.&quot; 
 
As northern and central India continue to suffer through severe drought and oppressive heat, police in Bundelkhand and several other regions are reporting a rise in violent &ndash; and often deadly &ndash; clashes over water. 
 
After almost ten years of below-average rainfall and several consecutive years of drought, the region&rsquo;s rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wells are drying up. 
 
Disputes are a common problem in many places in India that face water shortages. But Indian police report that the fighting is getting more frequent and bloody. In many parts of the country, neighbours, friends and family are turning on each other, desperate to protect what little water they have left, police records suggest. 
 
Last month, in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 13-year-old Surmada, her brother and her uncle used a neighbour&#39;s hand-pump, without permission, to get water for the family&#39;s houseguests. 
 
According to police, the owner of the pump and his son attacked the group with arrows. One pierced Surmada&#39;s eye, killing her. 
 
And in the village of Kanker, in Shivpuri district, a large-scale argument broke out after two motorcyclists got into an accident, causing one to spill the 15-litre (4 gallon) container of water he was carrying. 
 
&quot;The two later called their family members and friends and attacked each other with spears, axes and sticks,&quot; said investigating officer Jaisingh Yadav of Sathanwada police station. Fifteen people were injured, five of them women, he said. 
 
Lal Singh Arya, Madhya Pradesh&rsquo;s urban administration and development minister, said the government is using all its resources to try to make sure everyone has water. But he predicted tensions will remain high until monsoon rains &ndash; which began recently in some areas &ndash; take hold. 
 
&ldquo;There have been disputes over water in many parts of the state because of two consecutive droughts,&quot; he said. &quot;The situation will improve with the monsoon rains.&quot; 
 
Only drinking water&nbsp; 
 
Activists say the government&rsquo;s failure to act to better manage water is partly to blame for the rise in violence. 
 
&quot;The present crisis is the fallout of over-consumption, wasteful use and inefficient water governance systems,&quot; said Ajay Dubey, an activist with the environmental non-governmental organisation Prayatna, based in Madhya Pradesh. 
 
&quot;People are going to any lengths for the sake of water. They&#39;ve lost hope that the situation will ever improve. Things were never so bad,&quot; Dubey said. 
 
According to the Madhya Pradesh water resource department, out of the state&#39;s 139 main reservoirs, 82 are at only 10 per cent capacity and 22 are empty. As authorities try to make the remaining water last until monsoon rains help refill the reservoirs, the measures they have implemented have only exacerbated the sense of desperation. 
 
Across much of the region, authorities have banned the use of water for washing cars or trucks, bathing cattle or irrigating crops. In most cities in Madhya Pradesh, the local government only supplies drinking water on one out of every two to seven days. 
 
The district administration of Sehore in Madhya Pradesh has temporarily taken charge of all water sources, whether government or privately owned, so that it can manage use of the dwindling resource. And in three towns in Madhya Pradesh, the use of water for anything other than drinking is banned. 
 
Lokesh Kumar, sub-divisional magistrate of Ichhawar town, said water can&#39;t be used for farming or industrial purposes until July 5, when the monsoon is underway and authorities hope water sources will be replenished. 
 
For many in rural India, the struggle to survive with very little water is proving too difficult. In areas like Bundelkhand, a growing number of people are leaving their homes and abandoning their work in hopes of finding water &ndash; even just a little more &ndash; somewhere else. 
 
Asandi Das, who lives in a village in Chhatarpur district, plans to take his family to Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He said that right now his family has neither food nor water. 
 
He knows it won&#39;t be easy even in Agra &ndash; or anywhere else &ndash; but hopes to get enough work to make ends meet. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll not be able to survive in our village,&quot; Das said. &quot;There&#39;s just no water. We&#39;ll have to go to some other place if we want to live.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The water crisis is apparently the fallout of over-consumption, wastefulness, and inefficient water-governance systems

Imrat Namdev and her younger sister Pushpa Namdev were neighbours in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Chhatarpur district, in the drought-hit Indian region of Bundelkhand. Both relied on the same well for water and, according to police, frequently quarrelled over how much the other was using. In May, during one fight over water, Pushpa, 42, beat Imrat, 48, with a stick, police say. The injured sister was rushed to a hospital, but died there, and Pushpa was charged with murder. "Our village faces a severe shortage of potable water," Imrat's son, Jitendra, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Pushpa always felt my mother drew more water from the well." As northern and central India continue to suffer through severe drought and oppressive heat, police in Bundelkhand and several other regions are reporting a rise in violent – and often deadly – clashes over water. After almost ten years of below-average rainfall and several consecutive years of drought, the region’s rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wells are drying up. Disputes are a common problem in many places in India that face water shortages. But Indian police report that the fighting is getting more frequent and bloody. In many parts of the country, neighbours, friends and family are turning on each other, desperate to protect what little water they have left, police records suggest. Last month, in the tribal-dominated Alirajpur district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 13-year-old Surmada, her brother and her uncle used a neighbour's hand-pump, without permission, to get water for the family's houseguests. According to police, the owner of the pump and his son attacked the group with arrows. One pierced Surmada's eye, killing her. And in the village of Kanker, in Shivpuri district, a large-scale argument broke out after two motorcyclists got into an accident, causing one to spill the 15-litre (4 gallon) container of water he was carrying. "The two later called their family members and friends and attacked each other with spears, axes and sticks," said investigating officer Jaisingh Yadav of Sathanwada police station. Fifteen people were injured, five of them women, he said. Lal Singh Arya, Madhya Pradesh’s urban administration and development minister, said the government is using all its resources to try to make sure everyone has water. But he predicted tensions will remain high until monsoon rains – which began recently in some areas – take hold. “There have been disputes over water in many parts of the state because of two consecutive droughts," he said. "The situation will improve with the monsoon rains." Only drinking water Activists say the government’s failure to act to better manage water is partly to blame for the rise in violence. "The present crisis is the fallout of over-consumption, wasteful use and inefficient water governance systems," said Ajay Dubey, an activist with the environmental non-governmental organisation Prayatna, based in Madhya Pradesh. "People are going to any lengths for the sake of water. They've lost hope that the situation will ever improve. Things were never so bad," Dubey said. According to the Madhya Pradesh water resource department, out of the state's 139 main reservoirs, 82 are at only 10 per cent capacity and 22 are empty. As authorities try to make the remaining water last until monsoon rains help refill the reservoirs, the measures they have implemented have only exacerbated the sense of desperation. Across much of the region, authorities have banned the use of water for washing cars or trucks, bathing cattle or irrigating crops. In most cities in Madhya Pradesh, the local government only supplies drinking water on one out of every two to seven days. The district administration of Sehore in Madhya Pradesh has temporarily taken charge of all water sources, whether government or privately owned, so that it can manage use of the dwindling resource. And in three towns in Madhya Pradesh, the use of water for anything other than drinking is banned. Lokesh Kumar, sub-divisional magistrate of Ichhawar town, said water can't be used for farming or industrial purposes until July 5, when the monsoon is underway and authorities hope water sources will be replenished. For many in rural India, the struggle to survive with very little water is proving too difficult. In areas like Bundelkhand, a growing number of people are leaving their homes and abandoning their work in hopes of finding water – even just a little more – somewhere else. Asandi Das, who lives in a village in Chhatarpur district, plans to take his family to Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He said that right now his family has neither food nor water. He knows it won't be easy even in Agra – or anywhere else – but hopes to get enough work to make ends meet. "We'll not be able to survive in our village," Das said. "There's just no water. We'll have to go to some other place if we want to live." (Reuters)

Murder, violence on the rise as parched central India battles for water

At least 67 people have been killed by lightning in India over the past two days, disaster management officials said today, as the annual monsoon rains sweep the country. 
 
Lightning strikes are relatively common in India during the June-October monsoon, which hit the southern coast earlier this month, but this week&#39;s toll is particularly high. 
 
An overnight storm in the eastern Indian state of Bihar killed at least 47 people and injured another 22, mostly in rural areas. 
 
&quot;We have confirmation of 47 deaths and fear the toll may go up as reports are pouring in from other districts,&quot; Anirudh Kumar, a senior official at Bihar`s diaster management agency, told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Authorities in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh said 20 people were killed over two days. 
 
Lightning kills thousands of Indians every year, most of them farmers working in the fields. 
 
More than 2,500 people were killed by lightning in India in 2014 according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the most recent figures available. 
 
(AFP)

Over two days at least 47 have died in the Indian state of Bihar and 20 in Uttar Pradesh

At least 67 people have been killed by lightning in India over the past two days, disaster management officials said today, as the annual monsoon rains sweep the country. Lightning strikes are relatively common in India during the June-October monsoon, which hit the southern coast earlier this month, but this week's toll is particularly high. An overnight storm in the eastern Indian state of Bihar killed at least 47 people and injured another 22, mostly in rural areas. "We have confirmation of 47 deaths and fear the toll may go up as reports are pouring in from other districts," Anirudh Kumar, a senior official at Bihar`s diaster management agency, told AFP. Authorities in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh said 20 people were killed over two days. Lightning kills thousands of Indians every year, most of them farmers working in the fields. More than 2,500 people were killed by lightning in India in 2014 according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the most recent figures available. (AFP)

Lightning strikes kill at least 67 as monsoon sweeps India

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