Is Amit Shah's appointment as UP BJP in-charge a boost for Modi?

New Delhi: In a move that is being seen as Narendra Modi's clout growing within the BJP, the party president Rajnath Singh appointed the Gujarat Chief Minister's aide Amit Shah as general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh for 2014 elections.

The indications are loud and clear as Uttar Pradesh with 80 Lok Sabha seats will be critical to the BJP's preparations for 2014 elections. The BJP in its prime has won as many as 57 seats out of 85 in undivided Uttar Pradesh, but since nineties the party's fortunes have dwindled with each passing Lok Sabha polls. With its tally now reduced to mere ten, UP will be the focus state for the party.

TN: Released on bail, Ramadoss to undergo heart surgeory

Chennai: PMK founder leader S Ramadoss, hospitalised here since his release on bail last week after 12-day imprisonment, would undergo a heart surgery on Monday, the party said.

A team of doctors at the corporate hospital here where he was admitted on May 11 decided to perform the surgery, a PMK release said on Sunday.

Jagan DA case: Under pressure from the Oppn, 2 AP ministers resign

Hyderabad: In a dramatic development, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabita Reddy and Roads and Buildings Minister D Prasada Rao, who were named as accused in disproportionate assets case involving Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, late on Sunday night submitted their resignations to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The two Cabinet ministers were summoned by the Chief Minister who met them for over an hour. With both the ministers named as accused in CBI Chargesheets in Jagan Reddy's illegal assets case, party sources say the Chief Minister conveyed to them the Congress high command's decision of asking the accused ministers to go. A decision that comes close on the heels of Opposition parties questioning the government's morality.

Did Mamata squander the overwhelming mandate that voters gave her?

Kolkata: After two years of rule, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appears to have squandered the overwhelming mandate voters gave her, but as West Bengal gears up for panchayat polls, it seems that the TMC has the advantage as the Left is yet to regroup.

Rattled by the Saradha meltdown and a spate of suicides, Trinamool faces the uphill task of addressing cries of lakhs of anguished investors and agents. With allegations of Trinamool patronage to the ponzi scamsters, Mamata's only advantage is that the Left in disarray.

Maken, Shukla differ over bringing BCCI under RTI Act

New Delhi: Even as Law Minister Kapil Sibal proposed a new law to fight fixing in sports, his Cabinet colleagues Rajiv Shukla and Ajay Maken spoke in two different voices over the exemption of BCCI from the Right to Information Act. Union Minister Ajay Maken, who earlier held the sports portfolio, wants the BCCI brought under the Right to Information Act.

He tweeted, "BCCI should agree to come under RTI. Any organisation entrusted with job of selecting a National Team can not call itself a Private Body!"

BJP to launch a week long Jail Bharo campaign against UPA

Guwahati: BJP will launch a week-long 'Jail Bharo' campaign protesting against alleged corrupt practices of the UPA government. The campaign would start on May 27 and continue till June 2 in all states, BJP vice president SS Ahluwalia told reporters in Guwahati on Sunday.

The UPA government at the Centre had over the years been rocked by various scams losing the moral right to continue in office, he said. Various scams have come to light over the years, but there has been no headway in investigations, he alleged. "This is, primarily, due to the role of the CBI in carrying out investigations, which has become a puppet in the hands of the Congress," Ahluwalia alleged.

HP Cong chief asks party workers to prepare for LS polls

Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh on Sunday asked party workers to start preparations for 2014 Lok Sabha elections, saying they should reach out to people and help solve their grievances. The Congress state chief told party members to work as a unified unit to help achieve desired results in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Singh presided over the first meeting of Kangra District Congress Committe in Dharamsala to chalk out startegy to further strengthen the party before 2014 general elections. "Discipline is the key factor for success," he said.

Cong alleges rampant corruption and plunder of BPL rice

Bhubaneswar: Alleging rampant corruption and plundering of BPL rice, minerals and from gullibles through chitfund during BJD rule in Odisha, Congress on Sunday claimed it would capture power in the next polls by dumping the Naveen Patnaik government in Bay of Bengal. Addressing a function to accord a reception to the new OPCC President Jayadeb Jenan, senior party leaders including Union Minister Srikant Jena slammed the BJD government of failing on all fronts and vowed to fight it unitedly.

"Congress will make all efforts to return to power in Odisha and throw the BJD government in the Bay of Bengal. The state has been a victim of largescale corruption during the BJD rule," the new PCC President said. Alleging corruption in almost all spheres, Jena said apart from gross irregularities in mining of iron ore and coal, the state witnessed loot of rice supplied by the Centre for people living below the poverty line (BPL). Though the Centre provided 35 kg for each BPL families per month, the state gave them only 25 kg each, thereby diverting 10 kg of rice meant for each of the poor families, the PCC chief and others claimed.

Congress leader foresees party-led third front in TN

Pudukottai: With the break-up of UPA in Tamil Nadu, Congress leader and former Union minister EVKS Elangovan on Sunday said there was a possibility of his party heading a new alliance sans the two major Dravidian parties - DMK and AIADMK - for the next Lok Sabha elections. Rejecting the charges against Congress over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, he said people were not aware of the party's good work towards the welfare of the Lankan Tamils.

Congress still enjoyed the support of the people and wielded influence, though in Tamil Nadu "some people may say it is a party without cadres," he told reporters in Pudukottai. "Hence there is a possibility of Congress forming an alliance excluding DMK and AIADMK," he added. DMK had pulled out of UPA in March over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

Jagan DA case: Two accused Andhra ministers quit

Hyderabad: The two Congress Cabinet ministers, accused in Jagan Reddy disproportionate assets case, submitted their resignations to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday night. Dharmana Prasad Rao and Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy met Kiran Kumar on Sunday night, who briefed them about his meet with Sonia Gandhi and other leaders regarding the opposition's demand for their resignations.

Both the ministers, who had served in the cabinet of Jaganmohan Reddy's father YS Rajasekhara Reddy (2004-09), have been accused of showing undue favours to companies which invested in Jagan Mohan Reddy's business.