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Naveen Patnaik to be Odisha Chief Minister for fourth term
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CBI keen to quiz Guvs in chopper deal
Congress leaders’ scions
get thumbs down in polls
AIADMK, BJP warm up to each other
Youth’s wishlist for Narendra Modi:
employment, safety of women
Poll debacle: Stalin offers to quit, does a quick U-turn
Despite poor show, it’s best debut for AAP
Gujarat BJP legislature party to elect new leader on May 21
15th LS dissolved, stage set for new govt
Pressure on Chavan to quit as M’rashtra CM
Won’t interfere in BJP govt, says RSS
Plot to kill MIM leader busted; 4 held
Slim victory margins in Seemandhra polls
Mamata meets TMC MPs for LS strategy
Soon, soldiers to see through walls, doorways
Terror plot: India to seek info from
Malaysia
Mumbai designer stitches special suit for PM-elect Modi
BJP leaders thank Ramdev for ‘awakening’ voters
Kejri's Delhi effect did us in: AAP leader Mulayam meets SP leaders to review result
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Naveen Patnaik to be Odisha Chief Minister for fourth term
Bhubaneswar, May 18 Senior MLA V Sugyan Kumari Deo moved the proposal that was supported by Damodar Rout. “The election was a mere “formality” as he is the “undisputed” leader of the BJD,” a source said. Patnaik, who has been the CM since 2000, thanked the newly elected members to the Assembly for choosing him as their leader. “We will all work together with renewed effort for the development of Odisha and its people.” Once seen as a political novice and reluctant inheritor of his father’s mantle, Patnaik has metamorphosed into a master strategist to be Odisha Chief Minister for the fourth time in a row despite attacks over a series of scams and defying anti-incumbency theories. As the 67-year-old BJD supremo puts it, the goal of the regional party he heads is to transform the dream of his legendary father late Biju Patnaik into reality. “Only BJD can fulfill it and convert Odisha into an advanced state, keeping its “swabhiman” (pride) aloft and protecting people’s interest,” asserts Patnaik. The BJD had swept the Assembly polls in the state, grabbing a lion’s share of 117 seats in the 147-member House. While raising its tally from 103 seats in 2009 to 117 this time, the regional party virtually decimated the Congress as well as the BJP, which won 16 and 10 seats, respectively. Patnaik’s presentation of the BJD as a champion of the poor and downtrodden coupled with bitter allegation of Central negligence did wonders to decimate both the Congress and the BJP, which were forced to bite the dust in Odisha. Meanwhile, the process of constitution of the new Assembly has commenced with the state Chief Electoral Officer Jyoti Prakash Dash meeting Governor SC Jamir earlier in the day and presenting him the gazette notification in this regard, official sources said. The schedule for the swearing-in of the new ministry will be finalised soon, they added.
— PTI
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CBI keen to quiz Guvs in chopper deal
New Delhi, May 18 While rejecting the plea of
CBI, the Law Ministry had said the constitutional posts gave them
immunity from prosecution under Article 361 of the Constitution. But
recently, the Law Ministry again wrote a letter asking the agency to
state its position of examining the two, official sources said here. In
its reply, the CBI said it wanted to record statements of Narayanan, who
was the then National Security Adviser, and Wanchoo, who was the then
head of elite Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding the Prime
Minister.
The sources said the agency had made it clear that the two constitutional functionaries would be approached as witnesses for recording their statements in the case. The CBI had sought permission to record their statement as part of its probe into alleged payment of Rs 360-crore bribe in the deal that was scrapped by the government last year. While reasoning for recording of their statements, the CBI has said Wanchoo and Narayanan had participated in the meeting in 2005 that allowed key changes in the technical specifications. The CBI claims that the parameters regarding the height at which the helicopters can fly as also the flight evaluation were changed in a manner that enabled AgustaWestland to clinch the deal vis a vis its competitor Sikorsky. — PTI Under scanner
The CBI said it wanted to record statements
of West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan (left), who was the then NSA, and
Goa Governor BV Wanchoo (right), who was the then head of elite SPG
guarding the Prime Minister The CBI has said Wanchoo and Narayanan
had participated in the meeting in 2005 that allowed key changes in the
technical specifications
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Congress leaders’ scions
get thumbs down in polls
New Delhi, May 18 Sachin Pilot, the son of former Union minister late Rajesh Pilot, contested from Rajasthan’s Ajmer constituency. Sachin, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Corporate Affairs in the outgoing UPA government, lost to BJP’s Sanwar Lal Jat by a margin of about 1.71 lakh votes. Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti lost from Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga constituency. Karti, who had made a debut in the polls from Sivaganga (represented by his father in the last Lok Sabha), came in fourth position by securing 1,04,678 votes. The constituency has been won by AIADMK candidate Senthilnathan PR. Kerala Governor and former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s son Sandeep lost East Delhi constituency. Sandeep, who lost to BJP’s Maheish Girri (5,72,202 votes), came at third position by getting 2,03,240 votes. Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajmohan Gandhi got 3,81,739 votes. Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra and former Cabinet Minister in UPA government Murli Deora’s son Milind could not retain South-Mumbai constituency. Milind, Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology and also for Shipping, lost to Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant by a margin of 1,28,148 votes. Former Congress Union minister and late actor Sunil Dutt’s daughter Priya failed to retain Maharashtra’s Mumbai-North-Central seat. Priya lost to BJP’s Poonam Mahajan, daughter of former Union Minister late Pramod Mahajan, by 1,86,771 votes. Jitin Prasada, son of Congress leader late Jitendra Prasada, lost from UP’s Dhaurahra. Jitin, who was Minister of State for Human Resource Development in the government which resigned yesterday, secured fourth position by getting 1,70,994 votes.
— PTI
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AIADMK, BJP warm up to each other
Chennai, May 18 “Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh spoke to Jayalalithaa over phone and the leaders greeted each others for the respective parties’ victories,” official statements said. Modi spoke to Jayalalithaa over phone and thanked for her letter on Friday congratulating him for his party’s magnificent win in the elections and also assured his government’s cooperation to Tamil Nadu. “Selvi J Jayalalithaa wished him a successful tenure as the Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister-designate assured the Chief Minister that there will be absolute cooperation between the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu,” a state government release said. Singh also called up Jayalalithaa and wished her for the AIADMK’s grand win, a party release said. “Thanking Rajnath Singh, Jayalalithaa extended her greetings to him for the BJP’s win,” it added. While the BJP secured absolute majority to form a government at the Centre, the ruling AIADMK swept the April 24 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, winning 37 of the 39 seats and in the process decimating the DMK, Congress and the six-party alliance sewn up by the BJP. While there was no pre-poll alliance between the two parties for the elections, Jayalalithaa’s sparing of the BJP in her election campaign, based on a strong anti-Congress, anti-DMK theme, drew flak from her rivals with Congress leader P Chidambaram even describing her party as the ‘BJP’s B-Team’. Modi also did not make any mention of the AIADMK in his earlier rallies in Tamil Nadu. However, things changed soon as the two parties sparred in the last leg of the election campaigning, with Jayalalithaa doubting the Gujarat model of development, even calling it a ‘myth’ and insisted her state was well ahead in human development indices than its western counterpart. Jayalalithaa heightened her criticism on the Gujarat Chief Minister when she declared it was the ‘Lady’ in Tamil Nadu who did better, seeking to debunk the ‘Modi wave’. Later, Modi also took a dig at the AIADMK, saying the party, besides DMK, was locked in a fight with each other to settle personal scores, thus not focussing on people’s welfare. He had pitched BJP-led NDA as a ‘viable alternative’ to the two Dravidian parties.
— PTI
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Youth’s wishlist for Narendra Modi:
employment, safety of women
“Now that the BJP has come to power, I am hopeful about the new government but also have certain reservations,” said Guwahati-based Avantika Paul, who had voted for the Congress. On being pressed, the 27-year-old-entrepreneur added: “Like most liberals, I have my reservations against this right-wing government and I am apprehensive that they might increase censorship and regulation in popular culture and social media, make minorities feel more insecure, and clamp down on gay rights.” “I see a lot of qualified youth sitting idle and many other over-qualified people earning meager salaries. This leads to brain drain, which should be checked by the government. So, I would expect the new government to ensure increased job opportunities,” said Rishi Mahendru, a commercial pilot. For Mimansa Shekhar, a Narendra Modi supporter, the new government will bring a much-needed “change” from dynastic politics. “The biggest reason behind this change of guard is corruption that hogged previous government. So, the first thing the new government should keep a check on is its corruption levels,” said Shekhar, a 28-year old journalist. She said inflation is an equally important issue. “Also, it is essential that Modi develops a national perspective and silences his critics by developing the entire country, much like Gujarat,” she stated. Agreed Tenzing Youtso of Bangalore, who voted for the BJP. “A Modi win implies that India desperately wants change. I have also voted for the party and now, I want this government to deliver its promises and bring about policy reforms, make India safer for women and give them equal rights,” said Youtso, a 20-year-old student. Pratikshya Gogoi, who lives in Guwahati, said it is natural to expect development and better facilities. “But along with that, I hope the new government does away with all sorts of reservations - except for the differently-abled in the field of education. Additionally, the resources from our areas should be used for us only,” said Gogoi, a 23-year-old student. But for Priya Raman, a homemaker, women’s safety should be the new government’s priority as “everything else will follow”. “Women’s safety cannot be ensured by weakened patrolling and check posts without the presence of police personnel. The government should run sensitisation programmes, enforce stricter laws and set up fast track courts, which would ensure better conditions for women,” she added. Raman further stated that only when the new government ensures all this will it stand the test of time.
— IANS
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Poll debacle: Stalin offers to quit, does a quick U-turn
Chennai, May 18 As the events unfolded, Karunanidhi went into a huddle with senior leaders even as many others including party workers started thronging Stalin’s residence, pressing him to reconsider his decision. Senior leader Durai Murugan later told reporters that Stalin, also the party’s Youth Wing chief, changed his mind following advice from Karunanidhi against resigning his party posts and assurance from other leaders that they were behind him. He said Karunanidhi advised Stalin that there was no need to quit and that the “young leader” had to steer the party in the future even as the political stalwart told his son that one should not be bogged down by such defeats. Other leaders urged Stalin not to take such a “tragic decision,” Durai Murugan said, adding, they assured their support to him. “So he accepted our request and the leader’s (Karunanidhi) advice and withdrew the resignation,” he said. He said Karunanidhi had told Stalin the time “was not apt” for taking such decisions and while the party was strong, it had many more challenges to face, in an apparent reference to the 2016 Assembly election. Following the expulsion of Alagiri, who wields considerable political influence in southern Tamil Nadu, the decks were cleared for Stalin to lead DMK in the April 24 Lok Sabha poll. He had handpicked the candidates besides leading from the front by way of an exhaustive campaign with a view to enthuse supporters, who were on a low following the drubbing in 2011 Assembly polls at the hands of archrival AIADMK, which has continued its winning streak in all bypolls since then. However, the DMK drew a blank in all the 35 constituencies it contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Its allies fared no better. The events in the DMK camp drew ridicule from Alagiri, who not only described it as a drama but asked scribes to wait and see for how long it went on. “I don’t watch or hear unnecessary news. I came to know only from you about his (Stalin’s) offer to resign,” he told reporters in Madurai when sought for his response on the matter. “All this is a drama. He will pretend to give resignation letter. Someone will prevent him. Then the DMK president (Karunanidhi) will say he will not accept the resignation. You wait and see how long this drama is enacted,” Alagiri, who had reportedly demanded his younger sibling’s resignation due to the party’s poor show at the hustings, said. Earlier, Stalin’s supporters held protests outside the Chennai residence of Karunanidhi and Stalin against his decision to quit, even as many others wrote in social media pages asking their leader to reconsider his decision.
— PTI
High command steps in
All this is a drama. He will pretend to give a resignation letter. Someone will prevent him. Then the DMK president (Karunanidhi) will say he will not accept the resignation. You wait and see how long this drama is
enacted. — MK Alagiri, Stalin’s brother
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Despite poor show, it’s best debut for AAP
New Delhi, May 18 The Bahujan Samaj Party had opened its account in the General Elections with three seats in 1989 and the BJP made its national entry with two seats in 1984. This certainly gives the rookie party, which though missed its dream of attaining the national party status, a reason to rejoice. However, the party leaders are left with mixed emotions post results. “It will be dishonest to say that we are not disappointed, as we had hoped to get two to three seats in Delhi. But we have sidelined the Congress and our vote share has gone up by about three to four per cent. AAP had won the minds and hearts of the poor and minorities and we will bounce back in the Delhi Assembly,” said AAP leader and psephologist Prof Yogendra Yadav, who lost from Gurgaon. Party leaders have conceded that the overall Lok Sabha results indicated that people have voted for the BJP’s PM nominee Narendra Modi, contrary to their previous perception of anti-incumbency factor against the Congress, and the Delhi resignation in terms of manner and timing did make a difference in its poll prospects. “A day before counting, I thought that Congress and the UPA had created such a moral, political vacuum and it would only lead to negative voting. But, people have reposed faith and aspirations in Mr Modi as a person and the BJP in general. AAP hopes he would address the concerns of corruption, and unemployment among others,” stressed Prof Yadav. AAP leader and lawyer Prashnat Bhushan, however, attributed the Lok Sabha results to a propaganda run by certain sections. “In this election we made crony capitalism an issue and we contested the elections in a transparent manner on Rs 37 crore public funding,” said Bhushan. When asked what went wrong and why its fierce anti-corruption campaigns and even raising the Robert Vadra issue didn’t pay off, he said, “Miracles don’t happen always. The elections were for prime minister and people didn’t see us as a potential contender for the PM post. They thought AAP is an irrelevant player.” He also clarified that AAP never targeted Modi during its poll campaign, saying, “Our campaign was never against Modi but we always focussed to eliminate dynasty politics, criminalisation of politics and communalism.” Prof Yadav said: “In Punjab, the results were above our expectations whereas in Delhi it wasn’t. We got 26 per cent vote share in Punjab. We weren’t hopeful for seats in Haryana.” Even AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who was defeated by Modi in Varanasi by a margin of 3,36,864 votes, too shared his close aide’s view expressing shock and disappointment. Noting that AAP has learnt lessons from electorate’s mandate, he asserted.
Reason to rejoice
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Gujarat BJP legislature party to elect new leader on May 21
Gandhinagar, May 18 Modi is expected to submit the resignation of his council of ministers to the governor on May 22 or 23 before taking oath as the Prime Minister later, possibly by week-end. Besides Modi, eight other BJP members of the Assembly, including his two cabinet colleagues, would also resign as MLAs the same day as they have been elected to the Lok Sabha, necessitating by-elections within six months. Along with the Lok Sabha elections, byelections were held for seven state Assembly constituencies also in which the BJP won four seats and the Congress three. The bypolls were caused by the resignation by some sitting Congress members who had crossed over to the BJP on the eve of the parliamentary elections. The BJP strength in the 182-member House has gone up to 123 with the victory in the bypolls but would be reduced to 114 with the resignation of nine members all of whom were certain to keep the Parliamentary seats in preference to their present Assembly membership. Meanwhile, the revenue minister Anandiben Patel, tipped to be the successor of Modi as the chief minister, was in Ambaji today to seek the blessings of Goddess Amba Mata. She, however, said her visit to the famous temple was not linked with the election as the leader. She maintained that she had no information about the new leader.
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15th LS dissolved, stage set for new govt
NEW DELHI, MAY 18 The near simultaneous action by the President clears the deck for the installation of the Narendra
Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party/National Democratic Alliance
government. Rashtrapati Bhawan today said the President accepted the advice of the Union Cabinet and signed the order dissolving the 15th Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) Article 85 of the Constitution. In its last meeting on Saturday, the outgoing Cabinet of Manmohan Singh recommended the dissolution and later submitted his resignation and that of his Council of Ministers. The President asked them to continue in office till a new government is in place. Soon after the President issued the dissolution order, the Chief Election Commissioner accompanied by his colleagues HS Bramha and Naseem Zaidi called on the President this evening and submitted a copy of the notification issued by the poll body in terms of Section 73 of the Representation of The People Act containing the names of the 543 members elected to the 16th Lok Sabha. The BJP has scheduled a meeting of its Parliamentary Party on Tuesday where Modi will formally be elected as its leader. Announcing this after a meeting of its Parliamenatry Board here on Saturday, BJP president Rajnath Singh said the allies in the NDA will also meet the same day. As per practice, the allies’ representatives will also elect Modi as the leader of the coalition. Once Modi is formally elected the leader, he can either call on the President to stake a claim to form the new government or the President can take the initiative of inviting him. It is at this meeting that a formal date is decided with preference given to the new head to indicate a choice of time and date. Though by winning 282 seats the BJP has an absolute majority, the party leadership is keen to demonstrate togetherness to underscore its commitment with political parties who joined hands with it in the run-up to the General Election.
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Pressure on Chavan to quit as M’rashtra CM
Mumbai, May 18 The Opposition BJP and the Shiv Sena have already demanded that the Maharashtra Assembly be dissolved and fresh elections be conducted immediately. Polls are due late in October. The Shiv Sena said Chavan should follow in Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s footsteps and resign. "Like Nitish Kumar, Chavan must also take responsibility and resign immediately," Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said today. At least two senior ministers in the state government, EGS Minister Nitin Raut and Industries Minister Narayan Rane, have resigned. Their resignations have so far not
been accepted. Observers say it is not clear who would replace Chavan as the CM. Former CM Ashok Chavan, who won his Nanded seat, is one of the two MPs from the party and it is not clear if the Congress will want him to quit and take the reins of the state. Ashok is facing investigations for allegedly indulging in “paid news” during the 2009 elections. Rane, who quit the Shiv Sena for the Congress eight years ago, remains a strong contender for the top job, but his failure to ensure the victory of his son Nilesh from pocket borough Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri could go against him.
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Won’t interfere in BJP govt, says RSS
Jaipur, May 18 His comments came in the midst of a flurry of meetings between top BJP and RSS leaders ahead of Tuesday’s BJP parliamentary party meeting in which Narendra Modi will be named its leader for taking over as Prime Minister. There is speculation that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh influence will be reflected in the formation of the new Modi government. Madhav said, “This is common cause of concern for people specially the Congress who want to know what would the RSS do next? The same question (as to who was controlling him?) was posed to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to which the former prime minister replied saying he himself was a direct remote control”. The Sangh spokesperson said the Hindu right wing outfit never played a political role, but only for bringing a permanent and sustainable alternative. Madhav said the RSS worked tirelessly to spread awareness about importance of voting and encouraged people to exercise their franchise, especially in favor of Modi. “Sangh’s work is accomplished, and Sangh will go back to its basic service of nation and society building, character and personality development,”
he said. — PTI
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Plot to kill MIM leader busted; 4 held
Hyderabad, May 18 According to information reaching here, a joint team of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh police intercepted the gangsters and seized weapons. Giri and another accused were injured while trying to escape. The gang had reportedly taken ‘supari’ or a contract to assassinate Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
(MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi. The police in Hyderabad said they were trying to gather information from their counterparts in
Bangalore. It was immediately not clear who had hired the gang to kill
Akbaruddin. The young leader had escaped an assassination attempt in Hyderabad in 2011. He had sustained bullet and stab injuries in an attack by his rivals. A member of the rival gang was killed when a security guard of Ahmed
Balala, a MIM legislator, opened fire to save Akbaruddin. The 42-year-old was re-elected in the recent elections to Andhra Pradesh assembly from Chandrayangutta constituency here.
— IANS
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Slim victory margins in Seemandhra polls
Hyderabad, May 18 A small gap in the vote share has made a big difference in terms of seats as the TDP-BJP combine bagged 106 seats and captured power, while the YSRCP had to be content with 67. In the 175-member Assembly, the TDP bagged 102 seats, several of them by narrow margins, while its ally BJP won four. Spread over 13 districts, covering Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra, Seemandhra has 3.67 crore voters. Of them, 2,87,94,902 votes were polled. The TDP-BJP combine polled 1,34,95,308 votes, while the YSRCP got 1,29,31,730 votes and the Congress, which drew a blank in both Lok Sabha and Assembly, got only 8,10,481 votes. In terms of vote share, the TDP-BJP combine got 46.86 per cent.
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Mamata meets TMC MPs for LS strategy
Kolkata, May 18 Mamata met newly elected TMC MPs and other leaders at her Kalighat residence this evening for finalising the party’s strategy to be followed in the coming Lok Sabha session. In the meeting, Sudip Bandopadhyaya was again elected party leader in the Lok Sabha. He will have two deputy leaders — Dr Ratna De Nag and Prof Sugata Bose. Kalyan Banerjee will be the chief whip. It was decided that for the next eight days, party leaders and workers would visit all 42 constituencies and thank people for their support during the elections. They will also listen to their grievances and take steps to redress these. The party will celebrate victory on May 21. Mamata reminded the leaders and workers of their duties and responsibilities towards the people. She advised them to work honestly and sincerely for the welfare of the people.
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Soon, soldiers to see through walls, doorways
Chandigarh, May 18 The Army is procuring flexible surveillance devices (FSD) for its infantry battalions that would enable them to carry out discreet surveillance mission as well as give them a tactical advantage and real-time intelligence during conduct of operations. A request for information in this regard was issued by the Directorate General of Infantry at Army Headquarters earlier this month. The Army is expected to procure about 500 such devices. Rashtriya Rilfes units and infantry battalions deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast as well as Special Forces outfits and Ghatak platoons in some other select infantry units would be equipped with these devices. FSDs use optical devices and miniature cameras mounted at the end of a thin flexible tube, in many cases having optical fiber cables. The free end of this cable can be pushed under doorways, through a miniature hole in a wall or held around a corner and the operator can view the scene captured by the optical devices.
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Terror plot: India to seek info from Malaysia New Delhi, May 18 The Special Malaysian unit was monitoring the man, whose identity was not disclosed, since December after it was found he was allegedly involved in plans to carry out terror attacks in India, DIG Bakri Zinin had said after making his arrest public. The leads in the case surfaced while Malaysian authorities were probing money laundering and human trafficking cases. Sakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan national, was suspected to be talking to ISI officers and allegedly planning to carry out terror strikes on the two consulates. — IANS
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Mumbai designer stitches special suit for PM-elect Modi
Mumbai, May 18 Suman said the suit is prepared keeping in mind Modi's preferences of colour and clothes material. Suman struck the idea of designing the suit for Modi while doing a fashion show in Sydney. She said she had had a hunch that Modi will win elections and become prime minister. "While I was doing a fashion show in Sydney, I got a strong feeling that Modi ji would win these elections. I then immediately flew down to Mumbai and began my work of crafting a special suit for him so that I could gift it to him personally before his oath-taking ceremony day," Suman said. She expressed confidence that the suit will perfectly fit Modi because she has been observing his attire since a long time. — PTI
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BJP leaders thank Ramdev for ‘awakening’ voters
New Delhi, May 18 Party veteran Arun Jaitley said, "The role played by Ramdev in awakening the voters is similar to the struggles undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi and Jayprakash Narayan. He had no greed of any post. "His motto is to strengthen the system. The struggles he undertook against black money and corruption is similar to those struggles (undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi and Jayprakash Narayan)." Jaitley was speaking at 'Sankalppurti Mahotsav' a programme organised by followers of Ramdev after the electoral success of the BJP. — PTI
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Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik, who steered the party to a landslide victory in the Assembly polls in Odisha, is set to become the Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term as he was unanimously elected its legislature party leader today.
Patnaik was chosen the BJDLP leader in the newly elected MLAs’ first meeting held at the party headquarters here, sources in the BJD said.
After trading spiking barbs during the Lok Sabha elections, it is time for bonhomie for the AIADMK and
BJP. Leaders of both the parties today exchanged pleasantries in a sign of warming up to each other.
Two days after the landslide win, top BJP leaders, including its Prime Minister-designate Narendra
Modi, today greeted Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for her emphatic victory, which the AIADMK supremo reciprocated congratulating the saffron party leaders.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is coming under increasing pressure from colleagues in the Congress to accept responsibility for the party’s poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections and resign.
However, Chavan said here today that the decision on his continuing as the Chief Minister would be taken by the party high command.
After having been denied the permission, the CBI had
petitioned the President Pranab Mukherjee’s Secretariat as it was the
appointing authority for the Governors.
New Delhi, May 18
The DMK drew a blank in all 35 constituencies it contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; its allies fared no better
It’s drama, says Alagiri
