The weekly recap: 23rd-27th March
The weekly recap: 23rd-27th March
Tata’s Rs1 lakh rupee car is finally here. Motor enthusiasts are pleasantly surprised that Ratan Tata actually managed to deliver what he promised: an efficient, practical, compact car. The car, which is considered a game changer, might energize the consumer base. But the big question is, can the small car bring the much-needed profits for the company.
And the second season of the Indian Premier League has moved out. The blockbuster will now be played in South Africa. The Board of Cricket Control for India or BCCI took the decision after many futile meetings with the Union Home ministry and its counterparts in the states. IPL discovered that despite many changes the dates were still clashing with the election schedule. Home minister P. Chidambaram blamed the states and IPL managers in-turn obliquely blamed the home minister. Politicians were only too happy to jump in.
Moving on to politics - Congress allies Lalu Prasad, Ramvilas Paswan and Mulayam Singh joined hands for the fight in Bihar and UP, days after the Congress declared it would go alone in the two states.
Meanwhile in the south, another Congress ally PMK turned away to go with arch rival AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The BJP as well as the left welcomed the move though for different reasons. Everyone now seems to be waiting to see how the post poll scenario shapes up – and yet another round of realignments.
As the Congress made it clear that Manmohan Singh would be its candidate for prime minister for a second term, Singh hit out at L.K. Advani. BJP’s Venkaiah Naidu reacted quickly to the criticism of its PM candidate with an equally personal attack on Manmohan Singh.
The Congress election manifesto meanwhile renewed its commitment to the aam aadmi with a range of populist promises, and promise of strengthening internal security. Every family below the poverty line would be guaranteed 25 kg of rice or wheat per month priced as low as Rs3 a kg.
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