DK Singh

Arun Jaitley’s Budget 2018 focuses on outreach to key segments

The intent of Arun Jaitley’s Budget 2018 speech was unmistakable: ‘poor’ and ‘poverty’ figured 23 times in it; so did ‘jobs’, ‘employment’ and ‘farmers’; and there were 11 mentions of ‘women’.

‘Absolutely no anti-incumbency’ in Karnataka, Congress will retain power: Chief minister Siddaramaiah

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said he was confident the Congress would be able to counter the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi because the people would “compare the achievements of the state government with those of the Centre”.

PM Modi is popular but did not keep his promises, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

The people of Karnataka are happy with us, there is absolutely no anti-incumbency, the chief minister says.

BJP will contest Karnataka polls on its own: Amit Shah

The BJP chief says if general elections were held today, the BJP would do better than it did in 2014.

Anil Ambani ‘hurt’ by Congress’ statements on Rafale jet deal

In a letter to Randeep Surjewala, in charge of the Congress party’s communication department, Ambani rejected the opposition party’s contention about his company’s lack of experience in aerospace.

Gujarat election results: How BJP cut into Congress gains to retain its hold on state

The saffron party bagged 99 seats in the 182-member assembly in Gujarat and retained its hold over the state where BJP has been in power for over two decades.

How assembly election results 2017 will boost Narendra Modi’s reforms agenda

Results of the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will come a repudiation of these naysayers as people chose to repose faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Passengers likely to pay less for Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Duronto tickets during off-seasons, lean days

The move is likely to be extremely popular with passengers. Airlines use a similar model, and to good effect.

Decisions being executed will make us the safest rail network in world: Piyush Goyal

Railway minister says the bullet train project was initiated during the UPA regime, the Congress forgets what they had started.

Himachal elections: Local dynamics may decide outcome as BJP, Congress eye victory

In the run-up to the Himachal elections, the Congress made the Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation its central planks.

Gujarat elections: BJP has lot at stake in its citadel, Congress eyes revival

The BJP can ill-afford a poor performance in Modi’s home state as it could put a spanner in saffron surge and provide the elixir Congress needs to revive itself before the 2019 general elections.

Was Sonia Gandhi considering Manmohan Singh’s replacement in 2012?

At his book release function, Pranab Mukherjee decribed the Congress as a coalition in itself, as it brings all ideas on one platform.

26/11 attacks: India asked Pak foreign minister to leave, reveals Pranab book

Former president Pranab Mukherjee, who released his autobiography — The Coalition Years 1996-2012 — on Friday, said he had interrupted the press conference of visiting Pak foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and asked him to leave immediately amidst high tension in the country over 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai, which killed at least 162.

Personality politics versus governance: How BJP and Cong will fight the coming assembly elections

The BJP’s performance in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will impact the government’s appetite for bolder policies.

A message in cabinet reshuffle: PM Modi won’t shy away from testing strategies

Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed the defence minister and Piyush Goyal the railway minister as Prime Minister Narendra Modi revamped his team on Sunday.

Cabinet rejig: PM springs a few surprises; Nirmala gets defence, Goyal railways

Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal emerged as two biggest gainers in the cabinet reshuffle. Another gainer in the latest round of restructuring was road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari.

Cabinet reshuffle Highlights: Parrikar praises Sitharaman, Prabhu wishes Goyal luck

In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third cabinet rejig, Nirmala Sitharaman was named defence minister, taking over from Arun Jaitley, while Piyush Goyal took over railways from Suresh Prabhu.

Cabinet reshuffle: Ex-Mumbai top cop, former diplomat among PM’s 9 new ministers

Nine new ministers of the Narendra Modi government will be sworn in at 10:30am on Sunday and the portfolios are likely to be announced later in the day.

What will shape PM Narendra Modi’s new cabinet, poll compulsion or good governance?

In his last reshuffle in July 2016, the PM had dropped five ministers and demoted two. He had inducted 19 ministers, some of them keeping the then upcoming Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand polls in mind.

67 references to China reveal inspiration of Niti Aayog’s 3-year action plan

The agenda, released by finance minister Arun Jaitley on August 24, not only hails and acknowledges China’s economic muscle but also highlights how India comes up short.

OBC sub-categorisation: Mandal 2.0 moment for Indian politics?

The proposed sub-categorisation may bring together a coalition of non-dominant castes.

From Shah Bano to Shayara Bano: The evolution of Indian society and polity

The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down instant triple talaq, calling it unconstitutional and against the tenets of Islam.

Triple talaq verdict: BJP looks set to reap electoral gains, Congress in damage-control mode

The striking down of instant triple talaq by the Supreme Court is likely to benefit the ruling BJP in the coming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

JD(U) vote may have swung Gujarat Rajya Sabha election for Ahmed Patel

Ahmed Patel was declared elected to the Council of States in early hours after a night of drama and a day of claims and counter-claims of support for the Congress leader.

Rajya Sabha win will reinforce Ahmed Patel’s reputation as the Congress’s Chanakya

Although it will boost the morale of Congress workers, but party needs to do much more to dethrone the BJP in either Narendra Modi’s Gujarat or elsewhere

In backing Nitish Kumar, Modi sets up corruption-versus-development plank for 2019

One often hears clarion calls for parties to come together for the sake of secularism. But secular-versus-communal debates have gone in favour of the BJP in the past few elections.

Dots and commas among reasons for rejection of votes in presidential poll

Anandpal encounter: A gangster’s killing in Rajasthan exposes the BJP’s faultlines

Since he was killed, Rajput bodies across the state have blocked roads and vandalised public property in demand for an inquiry into what they allege was a staged encounter.

Lalu may play the victim card for larger role in national politics, but all eyes are on Nitish Kumar | HT analysis

Lalu would seek to play a bigger role nationally by cobbling up a grand alliance of opposition parties at the Centre, and his clamour of ‘political vendetta’ is likely to find resonance with many parties, such as the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and AAP.

Darjeeling unrest: Mamata Banerjee corners BJP but may have to pay for political brinkmanship

It was Mamata Banerjee’s announcement to make Bengali language compulsory in schools that gave Bimal Gurung, the GJM chief, an opportunity to regain his dwindling political stocks