Politics

In another development, the saffron party alleged that the Bengal government has denied permission to land Amit Shah’s chopper at the Malda airstrip on January 22.

On Sunday, the JDU had announced that the party would vote against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha.

The Union Minister said that BJP will get more seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, as compared to 2014, and that its vote share will also increase.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the opposition is staring at a defeat in upcoming elections and is looking for excuses ahead of the “impending loss”.

Regional leaders let slip their private ambitions at the Kolkata rally while urging each other to sacrifice their desires “in the interest of the nation”.

At the rally, Kharge read out a message from Sonia Gandhi, highlighting the "crisis" looming over the country with farmers and fishermen living under immense strain.

Criticising the BJP government at the Centre, MK Stalin accused it of working for corporate houses.

Deve Gowda, the national president of Janata Dal (Secular), stressed that the post of the PM is not a concern for the ‘mahagathbandhan’ and it is up to the people to decide who will be the right person.

Kharge, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, reminded BJP leaders that Congress workers were 'strong and stubborn' and they would not yield to any pressure.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gehlot said the Congress party president has been continuously demanding loan waiver of farmers and Congress ruled states have done the same, which has come as a breather for farmers.

The former finance minister reiterated his party's demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale jet deal, saying the decision is not amenable to court but to a parliamentary panel.

JD(U), which did not participate in the student union election last year, is contesting on all posts on this occasion. A local hotel has been rented in the city to prevent poaching of student party leaders making it look nothing less that state-polls.

Thambidurai, however, later clarified that that the decision of political alliances will be taken by the executive committee headed by Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam.

Ajay Maken’s replacement with Dikshit as the Delhi unit chief had sparked speculation in political corridors in the capital of a possible tie-up between Congress and AAP to take on the BJP, but Dikshit put AAP and BJP in the same bracket on Wednesday.

NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said the BJP would not succeed in its alleged bid to poach some MLAs of Congress for dislodging the H D Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka.

Puducherry CM Narayanasamy made a veiled attack on the Lt Governor on the issue of Pongal gift hampers and said the government had intended to ensure availability of the freebies for the festival to all families.