Politics

Resignation and absence of 17 Congress-JDS legislators during the trust vote of the H D Kumaraswamy government had paved the way for the BJP to come to power.

Shiv Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai will no longer occupy seats in the treasury benches in Rajya Sabha in accordance with standard parliamentary procedures.

While the ruling BJP has fielded MTB Nagraj, one of the disqualified Congress MLA, as the party candidate; Congress has fielded Padmavathi, who is the wife of Hebbal legislator Byrathi Suresh.

All the three parties are currently holding talks to form a coalition government in the state which is under President's Rule.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik made the remarks a day after Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said his party will soon form the government and claimed it can count on the support of 119 MLAs, including Independents.

Ahead of its internal elections due later this month, the ruling party in UP has brought down the average age of district chiefs to 50 years from 70 years, while the age bar for mandal chiefs has been revised to 40 years.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and National General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, P Muralidhar Rao were among those who welcomed them into the party fold.

Chief Minister Yediyurappa and his deputy, CN Ashwathnarayan, confirmed that the disqualified MLAs will join the BJP on Thursday in Bengaluru.

Firebrand Hindutva leader Singh, along with BJP veterans LK Advani, Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi, is an accused in the demolition of the Babri mosque and is out on bail.

Amid talks that the NCP and Congress may support the Shiv Sena in forming government, Malik told reporters here that there is a need to reach a consensus on 'certain big issues' while working out a common minimum programme.

Priyanka Gandhi tagged a media report which claimed that several changes have been made in the latest NCRB report on farmer suicides and for the first time, a list of state-wise figures was not given.

Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said it was clear that the BJP cannot form the next government, and so all eyes were on the governor.

Responding to a question on the government formation in Maharashtra, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said the state's governor will decide what has to be done.

Terming West Bengal BJP Dilip Ghosh's statement as 'insensitive' and 'senseless', the Congress leader accused him of promoting hatred in the name of religion.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said on Thursday the people are facing a 'very difficult situation' due to the economy slowdown.

It seems the Thackeray-led party wants to have an arrangement with the BJP where they not only share power but are also seen to be in power.