Heena Sharma Blog

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Wednesday proved the majority of his BJP-led government in the Assembly, comfortably winning a floor test in the House. Twenty MLAs voted for the motion of confidence in the two-day old government, while 15 opposed it. The special session of the House was convened by Governor Mridula Sinha to conduct the floor test, after Sawant was sworn in as the CM during wee hours of Tuesday. Besides 11 members from BJP, three each from Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents supported Sawant during the head count conducted in the House. The Assembly session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo. All the 14 MLAs of Congress and one from NCP stood up against the motion. After winning the trust vote, Sawant appealed all the members to join hands with him to ensure that developmental work reaches every nook and corner of the state. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

An advertising blitz by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's administration, which saw more than 150 newspaper ads exulting over its performance in 10 days, stopped on Monday, a day after the schedule for the next general election was announced. The election will be held over seven stages from April 11 in what will be the world's biggest democratic exercise, the Election Commission said on Sunday, when a code of conduct over election campaigning came into force. Citing the code, the commission said "no advertisements shall be issued in electronic and print media highlighting the achievements of the govt. at the cost of public exchequer". Leading English-language national dailies including the Times of India, the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express carried no government ads on Monday. The New Delhi editions of the same three newspapers had 162 government ads between March 1 and March 10, according to Reuters calculations. Of those, 93 were full page.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued shooting for a film in the Corbett National Park for his " propaganda and publicity " till the evening of February 14 despite the Pulwama attack taking place in the afternoon that day, the Congress on Thursday alleged, citing reports in a section of the media. There was no immediate reaction from the Prime Minister's Office and the BJP over the allegations. The opposition party also accused BJP president Amit Shah of " politicisation of terrorism " in his speech in Assam following the attack in which 40 CRPF jawans died after a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the paramilitary force's convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama . Shah, while addressing a public rally at Lakhimpur in Assam, had said that the sacrifices of the 40 CRPF personnel will not go in vain as there is a BJP government at the Centre now and it, unlike the previous Congress dispensation, will not "comp

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a purported “dissent note” by some officials who negotiated the Rafale deal to assert that it demolished Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets, and dismissed the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on the multi-billion pact as a “cover-up” that was “not worth the paper” it was written on. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded by demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi, as the CAG had said in its report that the National Democratic Alliance deal was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the United Progressive Alliance one. At a press conference, the Congress chief said even though he did not agree with the CAG’s submission, it still called the bluff of Modi, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had told Parliament that the new deal was 9-20 per cent lower. “ The fact of the matter is that the new deal that… Modi signed gets In

The BJP headquarters in Delhi wore a relatively deserted look on Tuesday, even as Congress workers celebrated their party's good show in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh at its headquarters. ALSO READ: Chhattisgarh, MP polls result LIVE: BJP suffers 'humiliating' defeat in CG The Delhi Police erected barricades near the BJP headquarters at ITO in the morning as a precautionary measure to manage crowd, expecting the arrival of party workers following the results of assembly polls in five states. However, BJP workers did not turn up at party headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, even as celebrations broke out at Congress headquarters on Akbar Road. Trends showed the Congress ahead in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and locked in a tantalising, see-saw battle in Madhya Pradesh.    Read More Business Standard

Smelling victory over the ruling BJP based on trends for all the 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress has begun contacting leaders of small parties and also independents for mustering a simple majority, party sources said Tuesday. Congress leaders have contacted the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) and independents who are leading, the sources said. ALSO READ: Madhya Pradesh Assembly election 2018: Pre-poll trends belie BJP's hopes The Congress is leading in 115 seats and BJP in 105 seats, as per the latest trends. MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and the party's campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia have contacted potential allies, the sources said. Nath was in contact with BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav besides leaders of GGP whose candidate is leading in one place. BSP is leading at four places while SP is ahead in two constituencies. Read More Business Standard

Reacting to election trends, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said the BJP was nowhere in the "semi-final" ahead of the "final match" in 2019 and people were always the "man of the match" in a democracy. "People voted against BJP. This is the people's verdict and victory of the people of this country. Victory of democracy and victory against injustice, atrocities, destruction of institutions, misuse of agencies, no work for poor people, farmers, youth, Dalits, C, ST, OBC, minorities and general caste," she said in a series of tweets. The Trinamool Congress chief, who is currently in Delhi and holding meetings with opposition leaders, also said the trends indicated the outcome of the 2019 general elections . "Semifinal proves that BJP is nowhere in all the states. This is a real democratic indication of 2019 final match. Ultimately, people are always the 'man of the match' of democracy. My congrats

Top political leaders on Wednesday paid homage to India's third prime minister Indira Gandhi to commemorate her 34th death anniversary. "Tributes to our former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary ," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress President Rahul Gandhi also took to the micro-blogging site to remember his grandmother "with a deep sense of happiness." "Remembering Dadi today with a deep sense of happiness. She taught me so much and gave me unending love. She gave so much of herself to her people. I am very proud of her," his tweet read. The Congress President, along with his mother and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also paid floral tributes to the 'Iron Lady' at her memorial Shakti Sthal. Indira Gandhi, who was hailed as one of the tallest world leaders, was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards at her residenc

Protestors Tuesday tried to put up blockades on railway tracks and disrupt train services across Assam as part of the 12-hour state-wide bandh called by 46 organisations against the Citizenship Bill . Police officials said here that the demonstrators, who were trying to prevent train movement by squatting on tracks, were being evicted. Demonstrators also burnt tyres on roads in various places of the state. Police escorts were being provided to public transport vehicles to ensure transport services functioned normally during the bandh. The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and 44 organisations have called the 12-hour bandh to protest against the Centre's bid to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Winter Session of Parliament. Political parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have extended their support to the bandh in the interest of Assam and its indigenous people. Read Complete Article

A court has directed police to register an FIR against senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia and an RTI activist on charges of "fabricating evidence" in the Vyapam scam case . The special court of Additional District Judge Suresh Singh in Madhya Pradesh issued the order Wednesday in response to a private complaint filed by advocate Santosh Sharma. The judge asked the police to immediately register an FIR and submit its copy before the court, and also sought the investigation report in the case by November 13. ALSO READ: Vyapam: A scam that won't die, continues to throw up fresh twists His complaint came after Digvijay Singh deposed on Saturday in a court in connection with his private complaint seeking criminal prosecution of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union minister Uma Bharti and five others in the Vyapam scam. Singh had deposed for over two hours before judge Suresh Singh of the spec

Congress also alleges PMO connived in Choksi's escape National News : The Congress party on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of behaving like a 'medieval monarch' in getting a failed Indian industrialist the contract to manufacture Rafale fighter jets. The Congress also alleged that Modi-led Prime Minister's Office (PMO) connived to help jeweller Mehul Choksi escape from India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was yet to react to these allegations at the time of filing of this report. Congress spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy, who heads the subgroup of the party to study the Rafale fighter jet deal, alleged that the ' Rafale scam ' was a 'direct deal between PM Modi and the industrialist', whose only distinction is that he has 'spectacularly failed as an industrialist'. Over the past few days, Congress party leaders have fanned out across the country to hold press conferences on the 'Rafale scam'. Reddy allege

Gandhi made the statement while addressing the Indian Overseas Congress on Thursday in Berlin Politics News : Congress President Rahul Gandhi has lambasted the BJP and RSS, saying they were working "to divide and spread hatred" in India. Gandhi made the statement while addressing the Indian Overseas Congress on Thursday in Berlin, the Congress said on Friday. His address was not aired live due to a technical glitch. Interacting with the Indian-origin parliamentarians, Gandhi said that "the government which is now ruling in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, want to divide and spread hatred in the country. The Congress party will not let this happen". Gandhi said the strength of India lies in listening to the views of every citizen, irrespective of his/her religion or caste. Read More

The only time he lost a Lok Sabha election was against Madhavrao Scindia of Congress from Gwalior in 1984, when he lost by a margin of close to 2 lakh votes Current Affairs News : Atal Bihari Vajpayye had a unique distinction of being a member of Parliament for 12 terms -- a 10-time Lok Sabha member and twice of Rajya Sabha. The only time he lost a Lok Sabha election was against Madhavrao Scindia of Congress from Gwalior in 1984, when he lost by a margin of close to 2 lakh votes. Vajpayee represented Lucknow in the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabha from 1991 to 2009. He represented Balrampur in the second and fourth Lok Sabha, Gwalior in the fifth and New Delhi in the sixth and the seventh LS. In 1962 and 1986, he was elected to Rajya Sabha. In December, 2005, Vajpayee had announced his retirement from electoral politics at a party gathering in Mumbai. He was a parliamentarian for nearly 47 years. Vajpayee served as the prime minister between

The state-wide shutdown is backed by opposition parties including RJD, Congress, Samajwadi Party Current Affairs News : A shutdown called by the Left parties in Bihar on Thursday against the rape of 34 minor girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur district has hit rail and road traffic, police said. The state-wide shutdown is backed by opposition parties including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) (RJD), Congress, Hindustani Swam Morcha , Samajwadi Party and Lokrantrik Janata Dal . Left party workers and supporters blocked railway tracks thereby affecting over a dozen trains since early Thursday morning According to reports reaching here, trains were stopped in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Jahanabad, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna and Bhojpur districts. Protesters have also blocked several roads in Siwan, Bhojpur, Nawada, Patna, Arwal, Jagabad districts. The case came to light earlier this year when the Bihar Social Welfare Department filed an FIR based on a social audit o

Gandhi was severely criticised by BJP leaders for hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the no-confidence motion against the government last week Politics News : A day after Rahul Gandhi said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs step back on seeing him as they fear he might hug them, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday took a jibe, saying the leaders might be divorced by their wives if they embrace the Congress president as "Section 377 hasn't been scrapped as yet". Dubey said BJP MPs can hug Gandhi only when the Congress president gets married. "Why should we hug him. Section 377 hasn't been scrapped as yet. And our wives will also give divorce to us. If Rahul Gandhi gets married, then we will hug him," he said.   The IPC's Section 377 criminalises sex among people of the same gender. On Wednesday, at an event, Gandhi said the BJP's MPs take "two steps back" on seeing him fearing he might embrace them. Gandh

The mention of the Rafale deal triggered noisy protests from the ruling party MPs Current Affairs News : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said French President Emmanuel Macron had told him that there was no secrecy pact with India on the Rafale jet deal, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had lied to the nation about it. "I personally met the French President and asked him if there was a secrecy pact with India. He told me that no such pact was signed between the two countries. He said he had no hesitation in saying this and that I can tell this to my country," Gandhi thundered in the Lok Sabha. Gandhi said the price per plane during the UPA regime was Rs 520 crore (Rs 5.2 billion) but when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to France and "with some magic" powers, the price per plane increased to Rs 1,600 crore (Rs 16 billion). "Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is here. She said s

As the debate about depiction of public figures in bio-pics continues, Sunil Dutt's attempts to bail his son out recounted. Current Affairs News : When a film about a public figure is made, many questions relating to the accuracy or inaccuracy of portrayals arise. In a vibrant democracy, multiple truths often jostle with each other, so that we can determine for ourselves which one (or ones) we prefer. We must also ponder if any biographical film, condensing a life into two-and-a-half hours, takes certain departures from reality. In this sense, Sanju, a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt is no exception. In a particular scene in Sanju, Dutt is seen playing court to a political figure in Delhi, months after he was charged with the crime of possessing an AK-56 rifle and hobnobbing with those suspected of carrying out the bomb blasts in Bombay (now Mumbai) on March 12, 1993. The politician in the movie is rather indifferent and dismissive of Dutt’s plea. In real life, it was ac

The Delhi Police has sought that Tharoor be summoned as an accused, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him Current Affairs News : A special court, designated to try lawmakers in regard to   Sunanda Pushkar death   case, will on Monday consider Delhi Police's charge sheet against   Congress MP and Pushkar's husband   Shashi Tharoor. The police has sought that Tharoor be summoned as an accused, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him. Earlier on May 24, a Delhi Court, which was hearing the   Sunanda Pushkar death   case, transferred the matter to the   Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Samar Vishal. "Since he (Tharoor) is a sitting Member of Parliament, the matter is being sent to the special designated court for politicians, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter will be taken up on May 28," the court said. The   Delhi Police   had on May 14 filed a charge sheet in the court, in which they named Tharoor a

In the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly election 2018, Congress’ Rajya Sabha member M V Rajeev Gowda says Siddaramaiah’s Karnataka model has beaten BJP’s Gujarat model on several key indicators Election News   :  The Siddaramaiah-led Congress   government in Karnataka has outperformed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) so-called ‘Gujarat model of development’ on most indicators, says the Congress’ Rajya Sabha member and research department chief M V Rajeev Gowda. A professor of economics and social sciences at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, from 2000-2014, Gowda has a doctorate in public policy and management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In an interview with Archis Mohan, Gowda says investment and job generation in Karnataka have been much higher than Gujarat. Edited excerpts: Is the Karnataka   election yet another in a series of elections or do you think it would be a narrative-setting election for the next year, including for the