BackPolitical updates: Jaitley urges Congress to reconsider GST bill; Tamil Nadu polls in focus
Arun Jaitley says GST bill to be introduced in monsoon session; a distinct lack of wave for or against the two dominant parties in Tamil Nadu makes it tough to predict the win
PremiumPhoto: HT
New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley urged the Congress in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday to reconsider its opposition to the GST bill which the government plans to introduce in the monsoon session.
The government is also banking on the southwest monsoon, which according to Skymet will hit the country early this year, to bring relief to the drought-hit areas of India.
Meanwhile, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh of paying a hefty commission to a company registered in a tax haven to procure choppers in the AgustaWestland case.
Jaitley says GST bill to be introduced in monsoon session, seeks Congress support
The government said it will seek Parliament’s approval for the amendment bill for the goods and services tax (GST) in the monsoon session appealed to the opposition Congress party for its support.
Replying to a debate on the finance bill in the Rajya Sabha, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday urged the party to reconsider its opposition to the bill. Read more
Monsoon may arrive early this year: Skymet
Southwest monsoon is likely to hit the coast of Kerala, the gateway to Indian subcontinent, by 28 or 30 May, a couple of days earlier than usual, private weather forecaster Skymet said on Thursday.
State forecaster India Meteorological Department (IMD) will give its forecast on 15 May. A senior IMD official said that conditions are ideal for the monsoon to reach the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between 15 and 20 May.
Will Tamil Nadu make history this election?
After every state assembly election in the past 27 years in Tamil Nadu, the ruling party has passed the baton to the opposition. This time, no one is so sure.
Ahead of the 16 May election, there is a distinct lack of wave for or against the two dominant Dravidian parties—the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)—making it tough to predict who will walk away with the spoils on 19 May, when results will be declared. A ground report.
Puducherry CM N. Rangaswamy faces anti-incumbency test
For long, Puducherry has been regarded a Congress stronghold—at least between 1991 and 2011. But since then, a rebel section of the Congress has held sway. And the rebel All India NR Congress is now pitted against the Congress-DMK combine and the AIADMK in a three-cornered contest for the 30-seat legislature. A ground report.
Budget session 2016: key metrics
Despite a widening political rift between the government and the opposition, legislative business in the budget session did not get affected. The Lok Sabha adjourned sine die on Wednesday, two days earlier than scheduled. A look at the key indicators of the session.
Rajya Sabha to sit on Friday to complete original schedule
The Rajya Sabha, which was adjourned for the day on Thursday as a mark of respect towards sitting Congress member Praveen Rashtrapal, who passed away, will now meet on Friday to complete its original schedule. A decision was taken on Wednesday to curtail the session of the Lok Sabha by two days and Rajya Sabha by one day. Read more
Swaraj Abhiyan seeks to drag BJP into AgustaWestland chopper row
Seeking to drag BJP into the raging chopper row, Swaraj Abhiyan on Thursday accused the Chhattisgarh government of floating a global tender in a “shady manner" to purchase a specific AgustaWestland helicopter by paying “over 30%" commission without exploring options. Read more
Not thinking of snap assembly polls: Harish Rawat
After meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Thursday said he was not thinking of snap polls to the assembly and wanted to focus on “restoring" development.
“That will happen when the time comes. Right now, the priority is to restore the development of Uttarakhand, which has got derailed in the last two months. The state’s development momentum has got a jolt, which we have to bring back," Rawat said. Read more
Uttarakhand floor test seems to have given a fresh lease of life to the political career of Harish Rawat, the original eye of the storm. Read a profile of the chief minister here.
Lessons for Uttar Pradesh elections, from Uttarakhand
In his speech after being reinstated as the chief minister of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, Harish Rawat thanked Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati for her “support during the crucial floor test". It was Mayawati—the balance of power in the 71-member state assembly—who gave the Congress a shot in the arm by committing her support to Rawat on the morning of the floor test. Read here to find out what this significant development means for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections.
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