Some AAP legislators to support BJP to help form government in Delhi

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs may support the BJP to form a new government in Delhi.

Sources in party said that a section of AAP MLAs are mulling over an option to support the BJP to form a new government in the national capital. The decision is being considered as the talks between AAP and Congress have not reached any logical end.

 A source in the party said that the AAP MLAs are not confident over their chances of winning the Delhi assembly elections and thus are looking at other options to avoid the elections.

As per the anti-defection law, if one third of the elected members of a party switch sides, it is considered a merger and does not invite disqualification of the members concerned 

Narendra Modi takes oath as the Prime Minister of India

Amit Shah: Modi's master strategist who shaped BJP's dreams

None would get misled by Amit Shah's Hindutva outbursts in the recently concluded Loka Sabha Polls if one were to spend 90 minutes talking to Shah on diverse issues. For, one would find that the architect of BJP's splendid performance in UP is not just a sharp political strategist but also has a very good take on issues to do with governance. Whether he is talking about finance or about defence or about rural development Shah reveals deep knowledge of every subject so what if he can't converse in English. His sharpness on each topic is revealing. What is more, he gives determined solutions to problems in these sectors. His take on import of fighter planes on which country spends thousands of crores of rupees: ' Manufacturing our own Sukhois in a time-bound manner should be one of our main aims. Why can't a country that excels in technical brains dominating even places like the Silicon Valley do it?

Shah, a science graduate from an business family of Mansa town in north Gujarat, did a good job of finance management in all the portfolios he handled including Home and State Road transport before moving out of Gujarat and so was largely considered good in governance, particularly the finance management part. But a lot of his new vision came during his two-year banishment from Gujarat by the Supreme Court in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case in 2010 and 2012 when he used the time at his disposal to meet and connect with experts of diverse fields in Delhi and add to his knowledge in focussed areas of governance.

Management skills came to Shah in family legacy as his grandfather was an administrator in old Mansa princely State and had played host to Shri Aurobino Ghosh nearly 100 years ago at his impressive mansion when the latter was working as an administrator with the great Vadodra ruler Sayajirao Gaekwad. Then Aurobindo left a note on his grandfather's request listing the principles of good governance which Shah very fondly recalls. One of them: A king should always try to take decisions which benefit the mass and not individuals. So, it is not uncommon to see an odd individual accusing Shah of use-and-throw attitude against favours taken.

The way he managed the UP Poll strategy for BJP shows his strategic skills. Thanks to Mayawati's politics of grafting the upper castes like Brahmins on the old Dalit and Most backward OBC vote bank of Kanshiram, the BJP was in total disarray at village and booth levels as BJP' traditional supporters left the party at ground level. As BJP supporters were hijacked by other parties no robust attempt was made to fill up the vacuum. The situation became so bad that there weren't enough workers to drag even the few committed voters to the polling booth. So, in the first four months of taking the charge Shah reconstituted all the booth committees in the State with precise caste representation to affect a semblance of balance. Booth committees are the backbone of BJP's electoral politics unlike in Congress where personal charisma matters more than ground level organisation.

One of Shah's first aims was to reactivate the old party loyalist, many of them from the RSS, in running of party affairs and reduce the overstated importance of leaders who had joined BJP from outside in recent years. Those who had joined the party in the past few years jumping from other parties but had managed to become district BJP president were given marching orders as a matter of principle with the promise that they will be considered at the time of ticket distribution. Drafting of the old guard back brought back into focus many of the old Brahmin and Bania elements nurtured in the RSS-BJP order.

But in a deft move in the second part of his UP innings, a move was aimed at addressing the strange caste-based arithmetic of UP, Shah managed to give almost 50 per cent of the tickets in the non-SC/ST category to OBCs representing all major OBC sub-sections. What was great about the move was that most of these were drawn from the BJP's own cadres and were handpicked by Shah on basis of his precise feedback. Never before the BJP had given so many tickets to OBCs in UP. And many of these were OBCs were either nurtured in the BJP-RSS ideology. Says Manish Manjul, an RSS functionary working in the cultural and media field in UP : " Shah has proved that he is indeed one of the most consummate political strategists in not just the BJP but across the political chessboard. What is more he is ideologically committed in comparison to many other BJP leaders". There is one more facted to Shah, who draws staright from Chanakya like his mentor, Modi. . He is an artful negotiator and is a good mediator between warring groups.

Shah is respected in the BJP and the RSS for his commitment to core RSS ideals. He is against appeasement of all including the religious minorities but at the same time isn't discriminative when he is himself in power. Reportedly, entry of some Muslim leaders into UP BJP was stopped at his behest on the eve of the polls though Modi wanted them. Shah's argument was that Muslims leaders should be taken into the party only if they have political strength and numbers and they genuinely agree with the BJP ideology of 'appeasement of none and justice for all' and not for the sake of maintaining the party's secular image. On his controversial speech describing Azamgarh as Atankgarh in the polls he is reportedly unapologetic. Says a Shah supporter: " Numbers and facts prove Amitbhai right. Actually it is the so-called local secular Muslim leaders and their supporters who should be apologetic about it. They should in fact be assuring us that they would change the situation and bring the strayed Muslim youths back on path. Instead of that they seek our explanations ".

If Modi has no family Shah has only two members in his family, his ultra-pious wife Sonal, and his enthusiastic son Jay, both of whom stood behind him like a rock during his bad phase between 2010 and 2012. Jay. An, engineer by qualification, Jay is now an official in Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). Shah shares a symbiotic relationship with Modi for whom Shah is indispensible as political strategist and loyalist who understands Modi's political mind and development vision like no one else. Shah, is however, not flawless. He is poor communicator at individual level and has to offer suffer because of that. As Gujarat home Minister his handling of the police bureaucracy was very poor and because of that both his boss Modi and himself had to suffer. Interestingly, when Amit Shah went to jail in 2008 in the Sohrabuddin case and many predicted his final political downfall an intuitive astrologer, Niranjan Shukla, whom he consulted, predicted that Shah will rise like a phoenix in the days to come. Those days have come.

Four Ministries to Work Together for Cleaning the Ganges

As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission to clean up the Ganges, four ministries would work hand in hand to cleanse the polluted holy river and make it a hub of spiritual tourism.

Announcing this at a press conference here today after a meeting of the ministries, Minister of Water Resources Uma Bharti said a meeting comprising four ministers from Surface Transport, Shipping, Tourism and Water Resources was convened today for the purpose.

"We will be incorporating ideas as and when required. Ganga is on our top priority. It is not that we are not prioritising other rivers but we will have to create a model first which can be replicated elsewhere," Bharti said.

The meeting, presided by Union Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, was attended also by ministers for Environment, she added.

Bharti said the Centre and the Prime Minister were giving tremendous importance for Ganga and other rivers as had been assured during his election campaign.

Gadkari said a committee, comprising the Secretaries of the four ministries set up for the purpose, would evaluate the entire Ganga cleaning project.

Narendra Modi government's 5-year plan: 2 years to repair, 3 for growth

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government will take a series of steps to rebuild investor confidence while keeping fiscal consolidation firmly in sight as part of its plan to mend the economy in the next two years and then make an aggressive push for growth in the remaining three years of its term.

Insiders say the government will shun populism and quick fixes and instead focus on a concrete plan to fix the struggling economy it has inherited with two consecutive years of growth below 5% and no fiscal or monetary lever to stimulate economic expansion.

The broad programme will be outlined in the upcoming Presidential address to the joint session of Parliament and followed by detailed steps in the budget that's expected in the first week of July.

The finance ministry will work out the details of the budget under the overall direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government is prepared for a tough grind in the next two years to build a base for rapid expansion in the following three years.

Narendra Modi's Hindi bowling was googly for SAARC leaders

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke tradition last week when he spoke with foreign dignitaries in Hindi, showing he isn't under a colonial shadow to want to communicate in English. Surprise was in store for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, when he noticed a translator sitting along in a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders. In the past, leaders would refrain from having translators to convey their messages since English is the unofficial lingua franca in South Asia, and enjoys the status of being the language of diplomacy.

It was not just Rajapakse's, who was told to devolve powers to Tamil-dominated Jafna region and attend to their issues, turn to be surprised, but Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and Mauritius' Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam too were perplexed on realising that Modi was speaking in Hindi. The ministry of external affairs has arranged for a translator to translate Modi's words in English. The ministry, however, didn't need a translator for Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who felt comfortable to communicate with Modi in Urdu. "Basically, the exchange was in Urdu and Hindi. Much like India and Pakistan, the languages are akin to two umbilical cords of the same foetus," a diplomat told dna.

The heads of state from six South Asia nations and of Mauritius attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 26, and held bilateral meetings with him the following day. At the delegation-level talks, the secretaries present at the meetings translated Modi's words into English for the guests.

Diplomats said Modi had actually tried to ape Chinese and Japanese leaders, who speak to foreign dignitaries in their own language, even though they are conversant and fluent in English. "Modi has tried to assert India's national identity in South Asia by talking in Hindi. He played the national card very well," they say. The BJP's first prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was known for his Hindi oratory skills, but on occasions linked to international diplomacy, he would take recourse to English.

Modi asked Rajapakse for an "early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution". He said the government "should expedite the process of national reconciliation in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Tamil community for a life of equality, justice, peace and dignity in a united Sri Lanka".

Analysts believe diplomats in Colombo were expecting the new prime minister to settle down in office, address domestic issues and then turn to bilateral concerns with neighbours. But Modi put to rest that assumption in just 20 minutes, first with Sri Lanka and then with Pakistan.

During last Thursday's weekly ministerial meeting, Rajapakse confirmed that Modi had raised with him issues relating to the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, police and land powers and the issue of fishermen. He made it clear that the Indian Prime Minister had stated his new government's position. In responding to them, he said, he had also stated the Sri Lanka government's position. Rajapakse was impressed that ministers were taking their oath about ensuring secrecy. He said at next week's ministerial meeting, he would present a memorandum that ministers in Sri Lanka too swear such secrecy on matters relating to the government.

Message from The Prime Minister : Namo

My dear fellow Indians and citizens of the world,

Namaste!

A very warm welcome to the official website of the Prime Minister of India.

On 16th May 2014 the people of India gave their verdict. They delivered a mandate for development, good governance and stability. As we devote ourselves to take India’s development journey to newer heights, we seek your support, blessings and active participation. Together we will script a glorious future for India. Let us together dream of a strong, developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world peace and development.

I envision this website as a very important medium of direct communication between us. I am a firm believer in the power of technology and social media to communicate with people across the world. I hope this platform creates opportunities to listen, learn and share one’s views.

Through this website you will also get all the latest information about my speeches, schedules, foreign visits and lot more. I will also keep informing you about innovative initiatives undertaken by the Government of India.

Yours,
Narendra Modi

Black money: Modi's task force is almost ready

It could be the first big step from PM-designate Narendra Modi to bring back black money stashed abroad.
Sources in central agencies tell Indiatoday.in that a framework for a new task force to deal with black money has been prepared.

"Under the directions of senior officials of Department of Revenue, this task force has been created. It will be headed by the Financial Intelligence Unit," said an official, requesting anonymity.
Central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are the members of the task force.
The task force will deal with black money derived from corruption, money laundering, hawala, terrorist financing or through off-shoring of wealth via tax havens.

Narendra Modi likely to strengthen PMO, limit members in Cabinet

Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is likely to beef up the strength of his own office while limiting the number of ministers in his cabinet, sources familiar with the development said.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will likely have as many as 45 officials, compared with 27 when Manmohan Singh was at the helm of affairs, sources said.

The new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is likely to have about 50 ministers, including junior ministers, they added.

Ministers will be appointed after Modi takes the oath of office on May 26. The PM-designate is expected to reach Delhi Thursday night and the names of officers will be finalised by Friday, the sources said.

One of the sources said the PMO will have a Minister of State, who could be a young leader from northern India. Earlier, there was speculation that Modi's confidante, Amit Shah, might be made a Minister of State in the PMO. But senior BJP leaders now say that after Shah's success in Uttar Pradesh, where he was in charge of Lok Sabha elections that led to the BJP winning 71 of 80 seats in the state, he would be required more in the party considering that more than half a dozen states will go to polls soon.

Another source says the PMO might have two principal secretaries. Three Gujarat cadre officers - K. Kailashnathan, A.K. Sharma and A.K. Joti - are being considered for the positions.

The PMO will also have a National Security Advisor, a communication advisor and two secretaries. The name of former Intelligence Bureau chief A.K. Doval* is being considered for the NSA's position. Former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Nripendra Mishra and 1966-batch IAS officer Deepak Chatterjee are among the technocrats who could be part of the PMO.

Sources privy to the discussions also say that the PMO is likely to have six joint secretaries dealing with internal security, external affairs, economy, social sector, infrastructure, and accounts. This means the internal security department, which functions under the home ministry, may now have to report to the PMO.

In India, the home minister is considered as the Number 2 after the prime minister largely because of the internal security department. In the previous BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, L.K. Advani was in charge of the home ministry and was considered second only to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Advani was later named deputy prime minister and also remained in charge of the home ministry.

Senior BJP leaders whom Business Today called up to confirm the developments said that Modi will take a final call on all appointments and that his key team is working on it.

Team Modi is considering restructuring several ministries and discussing probable ministers. The cabinet could include senior ministers heading various ministries with commonalities, ministers with restructured ministries, and many junior ministers with independent charge.

Business Today reported the possibility of a leaner cabinet in the cover story of its latest issue, 'PM Modi - What Lies Ahead'.

The new-look PMO will take stock of social sector spending, especially in issues related to women, youth, employment and education. There can be another joint secretary monitoring infrastructure, including issues related to power, road, mining, steel and oil and gas sectors.

Sources say the new government will focus on improving the execution of big projects, a task where the previous Congress-led government failed to a large extent. "There would be an officer in the PMO taking stock of big-ticket projects," says a source. "As chief minister of Gujarat, the USP of Modi was execution and all efforts are being made to replicate that image on the national level."

Highlights of Narendra Modi's speech at BJP Parliamentary meeting

The prime minister designate, Bharatiya Janata Party's(BJP) Narendra Modi  addressed the parliament and spoke at length to the nation regarding what to look forward under as he takes on the role heading the nation. He conveyed his devotion to the people of the nation and at the same time made efforts to allay the fears of his detractors.

Here are some of the highlights:

"Had Atal Bihari Vajpayee been well, his presence would have completed this moment,," an emotional Modi said trying to pay his respect to the former Prime Minister

"Today I'm standing before you as the son of a poor man. This is the strength of democracy," he said while humbly accepting his victory.

"Office is not important, responsibility is," he asserted that the work takes prominence before title.

"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother....The favour has been done by the party." Modi referred to his party th eBJP as his mother and shied away from taking credit for the BHratiya janata Party humungous victory.

"I want to assure the people of the country that there is no need for pessimism going by the past bad experience..." he said trying to allay fears of divisive policies and communalism amongst is critics.

"Sarkar vo ho jo gareebon ke liye soche, jo gareebon ki sune, jo gareebon ke liye jiye, nayi sarkar gareebon ke liye samarpit hai. (An ideal government would be one that thinks of the poor, listens to the poor, lives for the poor, the new government is completely dedicated to the poor" Modi said indicating the pro-reform BJP will take measures to help the poor.

"In a special way, I'm thankful to Advaniji and Rajnathji for giving me their blessings," said Modi in gratitude.

"When we meet in 2019, I will give you and my countrymen a report card... I will live for India," He spoke about his commitment to the nation.

Modi vs Farooq: Narendra Modi hits back at Farooq Abdullah

I am looking forward to the day when Americans will be in queue for an Indian visa

Mr Perfect Modi:Gujarat Police gives clean chit to Modi, says he made speech outside restricted area

A day after Narendra Modi was booked for making a speech at a polling booth while displaying BJP’s election symbol, a preliminary probe by Gujarat Police on Thursday found that the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate addressed the gathering outside the restricted 100-metre radius.

“Just like any other case, we will investigate this case to find out the facts such as whether Modi was inside the 100-metre radius of the polling booth. Our preliminary probe (has) revealed that authorities had marked that limit with a white strip outside the booth, and the Press conference was outside that limit,” said a senior officer of Detection of Crime Branch of Ahmedabad police.

The Model Code for election prevents canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations.

An FIR was lodged against Modi on Wednesday under section 126 (1)(a) of the Representation of People Act on the orders of the Election Commission for holding a meeting at the polling station. The provision bans holding of public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll.

A non-cognisable complaint was also filed against the TV channels which had broadcast the conference under Section 126 (1)(b) of the RP Act.

There is only one FIR against Modi for violating 126(1)(a) of the RP Act and section 188 of Indian Penal Code for violating CrPC section 144, which prohibits more than four people from gathering for a specific purpose. This is a cognisable offence, which falls under the jurisdiction of police. Police inspector Harpal Rathod became the complainant on behalf of Government,” the officer said.

“Another complaint against TV channels has been filed under 126(1)(b) for telecasting Modi’s Press conference, it is not an FIR. It is a non-cognisable offence. We will approach the court and follow its order about the NC complaint as police cannot investigate NC complaint (on their own),” he said.

The officer also said the charge under section 144 CrPC would not stand legal scrutiny.

“The charge against Modi under CrPC 144 will not stand the trial, as nobody can prove that all the mediapersons and common public were invited or called to the venue by Modi himself. Modi never sent SMS or called them,” he said.

The officer said the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate may not be necessarily called for questioning.

“Our line of investigation includes questioning people present at the time and acquiring video footage. However, it is not always necessary to question the accused. We may or may not call Modi for questioning,” he said

AAP’s national executive member reveals party’s secret deal with Congress

Aam Aadmi Party’s national executive member Ashwini Upadhyay has revealed that his party has struck a secret deal with Congress to stop BJP’s victory.

Six million voters names deleted in Maharashtra : voter scam by whoom????????????????

Mumbai: In a shocking revelation that could impact election results, the names of nearly six million voters have been deleted or diverted across Maharashtra.

The deletion was done mainly because the voters were currently not residing in the area in which they were originally registered, a state election commission official said in Mumbai on Saturday on condition of anonymity.

Narendra Modi urges voters to elect Advani with a huge margin

Terming veteran BJP leader L K Advani as a father figure, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi urged voters at a rally in Kalol here on Wednesday, to elect him from North Gujarat’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency with a huge margin.

AAP’s national council member Ashwini Upadhyaya quits with 2400 others

n a severe jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party, expelled AAP national council member Ashwini Upadhyay on Monday left the party with 2,400 other workers.

Talking to reporters in Lucknow, Upadhyay alleged that the ideology, with which AAP was formed, has lost somewhere and the common man was feeling cheated.

He said due to this 2,400 workers, including convenors of eight wards and 40 local incharges, have resigned from the party.

Upadhyay questioned AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal “why he elected unconstitutional way for Jan Lokpal Bill and why Delhi Lokayukta was not made stronger?”

He said, “Kejriwal resigned from the post of Delhi Chief Minister without referendum.”

“AAP fielded 455 candidates in tacit understanding with Congress to divide votes,” he said.

He alleged that “Sisodia’s Kabir Foundation was registered in 2007, then how he managed to get Rs 44 lakh in 2005 and 32 lakh in 2006 from Ford Foundation.”

Upadhyay also asked why AAP made Yudhveer Singh, who gave clean chit to Robert Vadra in land deal, its candidate from Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

ElectionsUttar Pradesh Modi says Rahul Gandhi's gaffes funnier than Kapil Sharma show

Rahul Gandhi's gaffes should be telecast on TV instead of comedian Kapil Sharma's show, Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, said on Sunday, mocking the Congress vice-president's elections speeches, which, he said, were full of gaffes.

"I feel the TV serial of Kapil Sharma [Comedy Nights With Kapil] will shut down in a few days. TV people should gather these Rahul Gandhi [YouTube] videos and show them and the entire tiredness of the elections will go away. You won't have to do anything [else] for entertainment," Modi said at a rally in support of party candidate Uma Bharti in Jhansi in UP.

Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister, recalled Rahul Gandhi's three speeches, saying they had glaring gaffes.

"This morning I saw my friend, Rahul Gandhi's statement, and I laughed so much that my stomach hurt. What are they saying? Will such people run the Congress, leave the nation aside?" Modi said.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] was in Gujarat yesterday and these days, mother-son have developed a lot of love for Gujarat. They praise Gujarat day and night. Mother speaks somewhere, son speaks somewhere else. Mother speaks one lie and son speaks two lies," he said.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] said: 'Tell me Modi-ji, there is no lokayukta in Gujarat and the day lokayukta comes, this chowkidar [security guard] will go to jail'," Modi said, referring to the Congress vice-president's speech in Bhavnagar on Saturday.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi

Rahul bhaiya, slow down. Why are you spreading such lies? I will tell you. Rahul bhaiya, those who are writing your speeches, they are bent on destroying you, it seems. And your mother's adviser, with whom you do not get along, may be he is providing you with such false speeches," Modi said, amid cheering from the crowd.

"You should know. There is a lokayukta is Gujarat. Not only this, the same lokayukta has given a probe report which was tabled in the last Assembly session. In that report, a minister at the Centre, whose father was once the chief minister of Gujarat and who stole from the forests, ate up forest wood, the current lokayukta has held that Mr Amarsinh Chaudhary guilty. Amarsinh-ji has passed away and that is why we did not want to do politics and that is why we were silent. We never mentioned it. We respect departed souls. And you lie like this?" he said.

When a Gujarati replied to the 16 Questions asked by Arvind Kejriwal to Narendra Modi

While it is praiseworthy to ask questions in a democray, and make the politicians in power accountable for the work they have done, the nature and intent of such political discourse should be clear and related to pertinent issues. Sadly, this is not the case with the 16 questions raised by Arvind Kejriwal on the performance of Narendra Modi led state government in Gujarat. Being witness to the antics and anarchy propagated by Kejriwal, I take the liberty of answering the 16 questions that have been posed by him to Narendra Modi. However, it would be better if Arvind Kejriwal could do some constructive service to the nation by focusing on the real issues of development and nation building instead of resorting to gain cheap publicity at the cost of sidelining the real issues that people should be focusing on. I also humbly expect Arvind Kejriwal to answer the questions that have been posed for him at the end of this write-up. Here are the answers to the questions posed by Arvind Kejriwal.