Report Wire

Category: Politics

  • Not allowed to meet Governor, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari to move to HC today

    Kolkata: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari would appeal to Calcutta High Court tomorrow after 200 BJP activists, headed by him, were denied entry to Raj Bhavan on Thursday afternoon to see Governor CV Ananda Bose amid postpoll violence. Kolkata police blocked them with multilevel barricading outside Raj Bhavan despite Bose’s signed authorisation.

    “The Governor had given permission to meet 200 victims in writing,” Adhikari said.

    The delegation could not enter Raj Bhawan even after waiting outside for two hours after the scheduled time of appointment with the Governor at 4PM. All the gates of Raj Bhavan were barricaded at multiple levels by police citing Section 144. These BJP workers are staying in Kolkata shelter following violence in the districts after the polls.”The Governor has allowed my secretary to bring the victims to Raj Bhavan. Mamata Banerjee’s Police was directed to raise barricades on various sides of Raj Bhavan. This is unprecedented. I have been detained for more than one hour in my vehicle. My security has been stopped. We will seek permission from Calcutta High Court and will be seeking action against the Kolkata police,” Adhikari said.

    Calling the whole matter as “undemocratic”, Adhikari said, “I don’t break rules like Mamata Banerjee. I am a law abiding person. I have communicated the matter to the Governor’s OSD. The roads are in the hands of the police. I have learnt that Raj Bhawan has sought reports from the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary on the issue.” “Even during Emergency, no one had seen this kind of situation. This is illegal,” Adhikari said.

  • Bengal BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma criticises state leadership

    After BJP’s loss in West Bengal, another MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma has publicly criticised the state leadership, pointing out the party’s weak organisational framework and how opinions of MLAs were not even heard. The BJP got only 12 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, down from 18 in 2019.

    Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has claimed that three BJP MPs were already in touch with them in the postelection scenario. Sharma, MLA from Kurseong, said, “There were more than 15 virtual meetings. But, we were not even allowed to speak in those meetings.”

  • Putting things in order: Nat’l litigation policy finalised

    New Delhi: Assuming charge as the law minister for the second term, Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday signed a document finalising the national litigation policy which seeks to expedite the resolution of cases pending in apex, high and lower courts. The national litigation policy has been in the making for the past several years with successive governments trying to finalise its modalities.

    The policy document will be tabled before the Union Cabinet for approval, said people in the know. Interacting with media after taking charge, Meghwal said a key priority of the law ministry would be to ensure faster justice in cases hanging fire in various courts.

  • ET Graphics: What do the Ministers have in hand as they form new Cabinet under PM Modi

    By retaining key members from his previous council of ministers, the PM has signalled continuity at the top while bringing in fresh faces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has additional charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space. Read More: Modi Cabinet portfolios allocated; Sitharaman retains finance ministry, Jaishankar to serve as EAM again

    Here are your new Cabinet Ministers:

    RAJNATH SINGH: Business at Hand: Addressing concerns over the armed forces recruitment scheme Agnipath Ensuring peace and security on the border with China Pushing through big reforms in Defence Research & Development Organisation and public sector entities AMIT SHAH Business at Hand: Resolving the ongoing Manipur conflict Implementation of three new criminal laws across the country from July 1 Holding assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir before the Supreme Court deadline of Sept 30 NITIN GADKARI: Business at Hand: Attracting private sector investment in infrastructure Ensuring govt spending continues to be high or at least at the same rate Substantially reducing road accidents and fatalities PRALHAD JOSHI Business at Hand: Managing volatile food inflation while ensuring remunerative prices for farmers Ensuring 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030; supply chain stability Working ongrid stabilityJITAN RAM MANJHI Business at Hand:Improving credit flow,tech upgradation Resolving payment time period issues Ensuring MSMEs get bigger in size and come on par with other countries’ enterprisesSARBANANDA SONOWAL Business at Hand:Boosting private participation in ports, shipbuilding Greening of portsand shipping sector Addressing tariffrelated discrepancies at ports

    JP NADDA Business at Hand:

    Restructuring Ayushman Bharat Yojana and overseeing its expansion Universal and affordable health coverage through increased govt spending, cheaper drugs and strengthening infra Reducing API import dependenceSHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN Business at Hand: Raising farmers’ incometo address rural distress; boosting oilseeds and pulses production to reduce import dependence Streamlining rural jobs guarantee scheme and plugging leakages Promoting climateresistant farming and modernising agricultural practices NIRMALA SITHARAMAN Business at Hand:Sustaining growth momentum, fiscal discipline and creating jobs Bringing in land, labour, farm and tax reforms to aid private investment Ensuring greater privatisation and asset monetisation, easier credit flowASHWINI VAISHNAW Business at Hand:Continuing rapid rail infra development; bringing private investment; faster monetisation Implementing semiconductor manufacturing plansJYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA Business at Hand: Overseeing second 5G spectrum auctionthat starts June 25 Ensuring a 3 private player market, returning BSNL to health Finalising rules around pricing, allocation of satellite spectrum; notification of rules under Telecommunications Act, 2023BHUPENDER YADAV Business at Hand: Securing international climate finance and tech transfer for energy transition ahead of the Baku climate conference S JAISHANKAR Business at Hand: Managing ties with China, which hit a nadir in 2020 after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley Boosting economic diplomacy and trade pacts Navigating geopolitical complexities in a sharply polarised worldMANOHAR LAL KHATTARBusiness at Hand: Capacity additionto meet sharply rising electricity demand Extension and strengthening of transmissionsystem Achieving PMAY (Urban) houses target by December 31HD KUMARASWAMY Business at Hand: Overseeing implementation of auto and battery PLI Addressing concerns related to FAME; attracting foreign capital under new EV policy Looking at the steel dumping issue, Europe’s new import taxesPIYUSH GOYAL Business at Hand:Taking exports to $2 trillion by 2030 amid geopolitical uncertainty Pushing PLI laggards such as auto products, ACC batteries, speciality steel Negotiating complicated FTAs ​​with the UK, the EUANNPURNA DEVI Business at Hand: Improving female participation in workforce Effective utilisation of the Nirbhaya Fund Making the Women and Child helpline more effectiveHARDEEP SINGH PURI Business at Hand: Increasing domestic oil production to cut import dependence Bringing natural gas under GST and other reforms Ensuring adequate ethanol supplyMANSUKH MANDAVIYA Business at Hand: Implementing all 4 Labour Codes across India in one go Significantly reducing compliances to aid formalisation of workforce Bringing Delhi, Bengal and Tamil Nadu on board on Labour Codes

    DHARMENDRA PRADHAN Business at Hand:

    Ensuring full implementation of National Education Policy, 2020 Bringing in foreign varsities Restructuring higher education with a single and more enabling regulatorKINJARAPU RAM MOHAN NAIDU Business at Hand: Taking a call on opening up bilateral air traffic rights Ensuring viability of the regional connectivity scheme; making sure the aviation sector is viable but affordable Privatisation of 12 airportsand capacity augmentation in existing onesCHIRAG PASWAN Business at Hand: Encouraging public, private investment in postharvest infrastructure Modernising the fragmented infrastructure Improving access to financefor food processing SMEsG KISHAN REDDY Business at Hand: Increasing coal output in tandem with rising power, other sectors’ demand Dealing with land possessionrelated issues emerging at mines Forming a longterm plan for the coal sector, diversification

    OTHER CABINET MINISTERS:

  • Third eye: Protem Speaker?

    As the new Lok Sabha is likely to have its first sitting soon, the question is who will become protem Speaker. Since this role usually goes to the seniormost MP, the focus was on Virender Kumar of BJP and Kodikunnil Suresh of Congress – the two leaders belonging to the Dalit community, with both in their eighth term. But with Kumar now becoming a minister, will the ruling side let Kodikunnil act as protem Speaker or pick a comparatively junior one from the NDA side for the job? Walk to RememberAlmost all wouldbe ministers, who were called to the PM’s residence for tea , came in their cars. There was one, who had quit Congress to join BJP but lost the election, who walked up to the house as his car was stuck in heavy traffic. The aim was to reach on time. Post and Delete BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who lost election to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, on Sunday deleted a post on X that said that his 18year stint in public service has come to an end. He later said what he meant to say was that his 18year stint as an MP and three years as Union minister has come to an end.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States

  • Lok Sabha results: Akhilesh Yadav to be SP’s leader in Lok Sabha

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, the formalities for which will be completed in Delhi. Yadav will resign from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, where he is the Leader of Opposition, a senior party leader said on Saturday. Rajendra Chaudhary, the Samajwadi Party’s chief spokesperson, told PTI, “It is understood that Yadav will be the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha but there is a formality of choosing the leader of the parliamentary party and this will be completed in Delhi. ” “The formality of electing the leader of the parliamentary party will be completed after the swearingin of the prime minister and the selection of the Lok Sabha’s protem speaker,” he added.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesChaudhary also confirmed that Yadav will resign from the assembly, where he represents the Karhal seat in Mainpuri.

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    The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kannauj constituency. As a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, the Samajwadi Party won 37 out of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats to emerge as the third largest party in the Lok Sabha. In a statement, the Samajwadi Party said a meeting of its newlyelected MPs was held at its state headquarters that was chaired by Yadav.

    He congratulated the MPs for their victory and said, “Our responsibility has increased due to the massive support of the public. The struggle of the socialists to raise the problems of the people, to put forward their views in their interest will continue in the Lok Sabha. The era of positive politics has begun. The issues of the people have won. The struggle of the Samajwadi Party for the interests of the people will continue.”

    He further said, “The results of the Lok Sabha elections have forever made communalism insignificant. The will of the people has won against the will of the BJP. Now we have to prepare for the 2027 assembly elections.”

    The Samajwadi Party chief said social justice is its real agenda. “The fight of the Samajwadi Party is long.”

  • NDA meeting: Decadesold NDA a natural alliance: Modi

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised at the first NDA parliamentary party meeting of the 18th Lok Sabha on Friday that the grouping has lasted over three decades because it is an “organic alliance” dedicated to nationbuilding. Modi, who will lead a coalition government for the first time in his career, noted that the NDA has lasted over 30 years and is India’s most successful prepoll coalition. “NDA has the majority, but consensus is more important to run the country. We shall strive for success and leave no stone unturned. An honest review of the NDA reveals a commitment to nationbuilding rather than going after power. NDA is organic,” the prime minister said. Equal significance of all partners and working together, not for “photo ops” but at the grassroots is a primary factor that has led to NDA’s growth. “There should be an airtight bond between the regional and national aspirations for the country to grow,” he said.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States TDP Chief NChandrababu Naidu, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU head Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (Shinde) President Eknath Shinde, Chirag Paswan (LJPRV), HD Kumaraswamy (JDS), Ajit Pawar (NCP), Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAMS), Anupriya Patel (APS), and Pawan Kalyan (JSP) shared the dais with Modi and endorsed him as prime minister of the next government. The prime minister insisted that the common thread for the NDA constituents has been good governance. “NDA is synonymous with good governance. Garib Kalyan (welfare of the poor) has been at the centre for all of us for me as chief minister, Babu (Naidu) in Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar in Bihar. The country has ‘lived’ this alliance. There was a big void which we have filled. We have moved with the mantra of sabka vikas,” he said. Looking ahead at “another ten years”, the prime minister assured that the NDA will strive to usher in good governance, development, quality of life for citizens and his own “dream” that the less interference there is of the government in the life of the middle and upper class the better. “All this can be achieved with the help of technology… We will write a new chapter of good.”

    He took jibes at the Opposition on the EVMs controversy during the elections and charged that the INDIA parties are against technology.

    “Is EVM alive or dead?” the prime minister asked the MPs, inviting laughter and thumping of desks. He alleged that the Opposition had decided beforehand that they cannot trust the EVMs and he apprehended they would take out a “death procession or a march” against it on counting day

  • Nara Lokesh: No strings attached support to NDA, but we expect help for Andhra’s development

    Telugu Desam Party has extended unconditional support to BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but we are looking forward to the Centre’s support for development of Andhra Pradesh as an electronics manufacturing hub of South India, an automotive cluster and peppering our long coastline with ports, TDP national general secretary and N Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh told Nidhi Sharma in an exclusive interview. Lokesh speaks on attracting private investment, the first decisions to be made and winning Mangalgiri for the first time since 1985. Excerpts:What do you want the Centre to do?TDP has extended unconditional support to NDA. So, there is no demand. But, we are looking forward to Centre’s support for fulfilling commitments that were made at the time of bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh on development of Amravati as capital and Polavaram dam. There are performancelinked incentive schemes of the Centre and we would like Andhra to be given preference.What about the demand for a special status for Andhra an issue on which your father walked out of NDA in 2018?AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States In the runup to elections, no commitments were made. But Andhra Pradesh is a new state and needs handholding. We want to develop Andhra as an electronics manufacturing hub of South India, an automotive industry cluster, a sports hub and pepper our long coastline with ports so that it can become the gateway of the South. A special status does not create a developed state. This is the culmination of all these ideas. We are working out a framework and we need the Centre’s support.Would TDP like a common minimum programme for NDA?We unnecessarily create processes and then complain of things moving slowly. Both the leaders – Mr Naidu and Mr Modi – are senior leaders. Mr Naidu understands the sensitivities of running a coalition government. We will sit across the table and discuss if some issues crop up.Modi and Naidu have spoken in different voices over reservation for Muslims in the runup to elections…As far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, we will continue to provide reservation to Muslims.

    Where does TDP stand on contentious issues like Uniform Civil Code?

    We have gone through the Bill and as long as there is no discrimination against any particular community we fully support it.

    What will be the priorities of the Naidu government?

    The first decision on which Mr Naidu will put his signature on will be filling up of vacant government posts through District Selection Committee. The second will be repealing of the draconian Land Titling Act. These two will be the first decisions taken in June. The third will be rolling out of pensions for the elderly, differentlyabled and women in July.

    Will BJP be a part of the state government?

    We haven’t discussed it yet. We have a meeting of NDA tomorrow (Friday) and we will have better clarity after that.

    How serious are you about taking action against officers whose names are in your red diary?

    Let me give you some context to the whole thing. I am a Stanford graduate. I returned to India to work for my party and the state. From 2013 to 2019, there was not a single criminal case against me. Between 2019 and 2024, 26 cases were foisted against me and I was taken to the police station 67 times. If a welleducated person like me has to contend with that, imagine how much a common man has been suffering under the YSRCP regime. The laws have been misused to target people. So, when I was on my padyatra I met people and wrote names of officers who had falsely targeted them. Now, we will institute an inquiry, even open it to people to complain against errant police officers and punish the guilty.

    Is developing Amravati as capital of Andhra Pradesh back on the agenda?

    what do you mean by back? It has always been on the agenda. Our idea is very clear – one state, one capital. It’s not just about developing Amravati. It is about decentralisation of development.

    What will decentralisation of development mean for Andhra? We want to develop all districts as specific hubs. We have focus areas and want to build on them. We want to develop East and West Godavari districts for defence production and fisheries, Kakinada as petrochemical corridor, Kadapa as the sports capital of India and Kurnool for renewable energy. We have already started discussions with the industry leaders and in the first 100 days, there will be big bang announcements of private investment projects.

    the victory has been big…

    TDP has not won Mangalagiri, my constituency, since 1985. When I lost my first election in 2019, I had vowed that I will not leave the constituency and keep working and win it. I have won it by 91,143 votes.

  • Delhi court denies interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal

    A local court on Wednesday dismissed a plea filed by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking interim bail for seven days on health grounds.The court observed that extensive poll campaigning and meetings held by Kejriwal during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls show that he was not suffering from any serious or life threatening ailments. The court also revived the AIIMS medical board constituted earlier by it to examine Kejriwal.The court has asked the medical board to conduct medical tests as it deems appropriate within three days.Kejriwal had petitioned the court seeking interim bail on the ground that he had to undergo certain medical tests. The court, however, directed the concerned authorities to conduct the required medical tests of the Aam Aadmi Party chief.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe court is scheduled to take up Kejriwal’s regular bail plea on June 7. Kejriwal returned to Tihar Jail on June 2 as directed by the Supreme Court which had granted him interim bail allowing him to campaign for the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in March under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for his alleged role in the Delhi excise policy case.

  • 70% seats won by Congress saw high voter turnout

    The Congress’ resurgence coincides with high voter turnout in the constituencies where it won, in a Lok Sabha election that has reported an overall dip in votes cast from 2019. While the vote share per candidate is yet to be made public by the Election Commission, it is clear that of the nearly 100 seats where the Congress has scored victory, most seats reported a high voter turnout of 6570% or more. As many as 68 of the 98 seats where the Congress was leading prominently or seen winning on the counting day have reported a voter turnout of over 65%, EC data show. Of these, 38 posted a turnout of more than 70% — from 92% at Dhubri in Assam that elected Rakibul Hussain with a margin of 9.5 lakh votes, to 84% in Lakshadweep. Wayanad, which Rahul Gandhi won with a 3.6 lakh vote margin, reported a 73.5% voter turnout. Pradyut Bordoloi retained his seat in Nagaon which reported a near 85% voter turnout. In BJP stronghold Gujarat, Geniben Nagaji Thakor of the Congress broke through and won the party its sole Lok Sabha seat in Banaskantha, which reported a near 70% turnout. Inner Manipur, with its 80% turnout, brought in Congress’ Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. Even overall trends on turnout bear out this pattern. When seen conversely, of the 58 seats across the seven phases which reported a poor voter turnout – lower than 55% – only seven have gone with the Congress while as many as 30 have been won by the BJP. BJP’s Vivek Thakur won Nawada in Bihar which posted a 43% turnout, while Ravi Shankar Prasad scored a victory in Patna Sahib where only about 46% voters turned out to vote. Ajay Tamta of the BJP scored victory in Almora in Uttarakhand which recorded a 48.7% turnout. In all, among the ten constituencies which reported the lowest turnout, six have gone to BJP. In contrast, three of the ten constituencies with highest turnout have gone to the Congress, while the TDP has won four. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesThe BJP has only one of these ten — Bishnupur in West Bengal which recorded an 85% turnout where BJP’s Soumitra Khan had a 6,000plus lead Tuesday night. For the Congress, votecount wise, after Rakibul Hussain’s 9.5 lakh lead in Dhubri, Sasikanth Senthil has a lead of 5.5 lakh margin in Tiruvallur. In Rohtak, Deepender Singh Hooda was leading with a near 3.4 lakh margin. Kumar Selja recorded a 2.6 lakh margin win in Sirsa, while Hibi Eden retained Ernakulam with a 2.5 lakh margin. However, while there is a clearly high voter turnout in seats wrested by the Congress, there is a question that arises on the female voters and its support to the grand old party