Political updates: All eyes on assembly elections as NDA set to present second year report card
The monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala on 7 June, according to the India Meteorological Department
New Delhi: On Monday, voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry went to polls, marking the final stage of assembly elections in five states. The results for the three along with the states of Assam and West Bengal will be announced on 19 May. The results of the four state and one Union Territory polls come just ahead of the second anniversary of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Meanwhile, as drought conditions and water shortage persist in the country, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala six days later than normal.
Assembly elections: what’s at stake?
Voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry vote for their representatives on Monday, in the final round of this year’s crucial assembly elections. Counting in the two states and the Union Territory, plus West Bengal and Assam, will take place on 19 May. The elections are crucial for the Congress, which is ruling two of these states. Similarly, for the Left parties, it is a battle for survival as they are at an historic electoral low. For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), these elections are not so critical, except for its opportunity to create history in Assam. Read more
Monsoon delayed by a week, to hit Kerala on 7 June
The monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala on 7 June, six days later than normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday, but farming experts said the delay would have little impact on the sowing of crops. The onset of the southwest monsoon in Kerala marks the beginning of the June-to-September rainy season. The monsoon advances to other parts of the country over the next 30 days. Read more
Narendra Modi government’s second year report card
Seven charts that show how the NDA has performed in its second year in power. Read more
Populism is not a dirty word
For politicians, the price of misleading people is being turned out of office, and this is how democracy works. Two key parties in Tamil Nadu were issued notices by the Election Commission over the weekend. Both parties are alleged to have breached the electoral code, which effectively defines the limits of populism—the parties are required to include in their manifestos the ways and means through which they will deliver on their poll promises, especially pertaining to subsidized or free giveaways. Read more
Election promises in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam have a thing in common—populist promises. Read here
EC seeks explanation from DMK chief on ‘violating’ model code
The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday asked DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) to stop political propaganda and campaign in the social media and sought an explanation from party president M. Karunanidhi as to why action should not be taken against him for “violating" its code of conduct. Read more
Liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu, once again?
Whatever the result of Tamil Nadu polls, one thing looks probable—some form of a ban on the sale of alcohol may soon follow. Leaders of all major political parties are committed to the measure. Read more
UPA left empty coffers: Amit Shah
The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government left “empty coffers" after its 10-year rule which made it difficult for the present NDA dispensation to work for the poor, BJP president Amit Shah said in Dahod on Sunday. Shah, who was speaking at the launch of the second phase of ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ at Dahod, also compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign for giving up LPG subsidy by well-off people to that of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s call of voluntarily giving up one meal to deal with food shortage. Read more
Arun Jaitley says investors making money must pay taxes
Investors must pay taxes on money they earn in India and the domestic economy is now strong enough to depend on any “tax-incentivised route" to attract foreign investments, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday. Read more
Parliamentary panel asks govt to revisit target on units polluting Ganga
Terming as “unrealistic" the deadlines set for converting polluting industries located along the Ganga into zero liquid discharge (ZLD) units, a parliamentary panel has asked two central ministries to jointly revisit their targets and ensure they are achieved by March 2017. Read more
Indian journalists in the line of fire
When he was shot dead on 13 May in Bihar, Rajdeo Ranjan, bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan in Siwan, possibly became the fourth Indian journalist to be murdered in 2016 for work-related reasons. Since 1992, according to a global database, 25 Indian journalists have been murdered for work-related reasons, and the cause of death of another 23 is suspected to be similar. Further, the numbers show a rising trend. Read more
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