Kurukshetra, All India Trinamool Congress (north zone) and Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh on Sunday said that his political party was the only that would fight a war against corruption, nepotism, and regionalism, which was prevalent in Haryana politics. He said that all governments of the last four decades, irrespective of political party, have ruined Haryana. Addressing a largely-attended rally here, the TMC leader said that in Haryana there was resentment and disillusionment in every section of the society and unemployment among the youth was a major concern. He said that Punjabi community in the state had been marginalized and they did not have a meaningful representation in the state legislative assembly and bureaucracy. Singh promised that TMC would give 35% of assembly seats to the Punjabi community and that 27% seats would be allotted to the Backward Class. The youth will have a heavy representation in the state assembly, he added. It was unfortunate that Haryana had witnessed so many rape cases despite all the promises made by the government, he said and alleged that it was failure of governance that had resulted in violence against women. He declared that his party ...
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New Delhi, With the opposition threatening to corner the UPA Government on a host of issues during upcoming winter session of Parliament, the Congress Party on Sunday said the government is ready to face any motion and discuss all issues according to parliamentary rules. Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Mamata Banerjee's plan to bring a no-confidence motion against the government, Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said: "At least 50 MPs (Member of Parliament) are required to bring a no-confidence motion. If she wants, and it is very difficult without the support of communal forces. But, we are ready to face and discuss any motion." "We want the Parliament to function properly and according to parliamentary rules any member of the house or any political party may raise any issue and bring any motion, we are ready to discuss that," said Alvi. Asked about whether is there any possibility of early elections in backdrop of Samajwadi Party (SP)'s move to announce the first list of its candidates for the next general elections, Alvi reiterated that the government is going to function till the end of its tenure and elections will be ...
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New Delhi, After parting ways with the UPA, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will for the first time lead a demonstration here on Monday against "anti-people" decisions of the Centre. "It is an unprecedented decision by Banerjee to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar in the national capital to press the Centre to review its decisions on FDI in retail, cap on subsidised LPG and diesel price hike," Trinamool Congress MP K D Singh said here on Sunday. He said the demonstration was part of the party's resolve to show solidarity with the 'aam admi' who has been hurt the most by such decisions. "Withdrawing from the UPA was the first step. A series of protests have been planned in the coming days till the decisions are withdrawn," he said. When asked whether Trinamool Congress would support a resolution in Parliament against FDI if it is brought by BJP, former railway minister Mukul Roy evaded a direct reply. "Who brings what is not the issue. The actual issue is the decision of the government which is anti-people...the then finance minister (Pranab Mukherjee) had assured Parliament that any decision on FDI will be taken after consulting ...
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New Delhi, The Trinamool Congress rally here Monday was not just a dharna but a "protest" and aimed at giving voice to the 'aam aadmi', the party said. "It is not a dharna, it is a protest rally. All our MPs will protest, but I have not brought anyone from Bengal," Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister, said. Ahead of the protest against the recent economic reforms, party leader KD Singh said: "Sensex is not the index of people's happiness, those who are happy with the sensex going up want only money. Didi (Banerjee) is concerned about the 'aam aadmi', and this rally is to raise their voice." The protest by Trinamool leaders from across the country is against the recent government decisions to allow foreign investment in multi-brand retail, increase the price of diesel and put a cap of subsidized LPG. The Trinamool Congress parted ways with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after the decisions were taken. ...
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Kolkata, Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy on Friday said the UPA government was in a hurry to introduce FDI in retail bypassing Parliament. Stating that TMC ministers would submit their resignations to the Prime Minister later in the day, he said, "This is a minority government and the act of bypassing the Parliament is most unethical." "According to our schedule we will go to the PM's house at 3pm for submitting our resignations and after that we will proceed to the Rashtrapatti Bhavan" for communicating through a letter the party's stand that all India TMC is withdrawing support from "this anti-people government," Roy said. Besides Roy, who is the railway minister, there are five union ministers of state belonging to the ...
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New Delhi, India on Thursday issued a formal notification over allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in single brand retail, multi brand retail, civil aviation, broadcasting sector and power exchanges. The move cemented the controversial economic reforms, which even though seen as critical for reviving the country’s flagging economy, has been met with a political backlash most significantly from the biggest ally of the government. Much of the country came to a partial halt on Thursday as a daylong nationwide strike called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and other Left and non-Congress parties evoked mixed response while it crippled normal life in most non-Congress states. The nationwide strike, including a 12 hour shutdown by the Left in West Bengal, was called to protest the centre's FDI policy, LPG subsidy reduction and hike in diesel price. The Union Cabinet on Friday approved 51 percent FDI in single-brand product retail trading after amending certain conditions in the policy. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also relaxed rules for FDI in the aviation sector, allowing international airlines to invest up ...
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New Delhi, Trinamool Congress has ruled out supporting the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in demanding the resignation of Prime Minister in the coal scam. According to media reports on Wednesday, the TMC, which is a somewhat disgruntled ally of the Congress in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) otherwise, has ruled out going with BJP and instead said they want a discussion in the house over the CAG report on coal scam. "There is no question of supporting the BJP," said a Trinamool Congress lawmaker. The Parliament witnessed another storm and adjournment on Wednesday as the opposition attempted to corner the government over the coal report of the CAG pointing finger at the loss-making coal block allocations when the portfolio was held by the Prime Minister. The BJP demanded nothing short of the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the coal scam. However, other opposition groups like the Left parties and some of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners like Janata Dal (United) are against stalling the parliament. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day on Tuesday as the opposition led by the BJP attacked the Prime ...
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New Delhi, UPA nominee Hamid Ansari appears set to win a second term as voting in vice-presidential elections got underway on Tuesday. Hamid Ansari is pitted against NDA's Jaswant Singh in a direct contest for the post. Ansari has the support of UPA's allies, the Left and also other parties supporting the govt from outside. A total of 788 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are eligible to vote in the poll to elect the 14th Vice-President. UPA managers are confident that 75-year-old Ansari will get at least 500 votes. Congress has 204 members in Lok Sabha and 71 in Rajya Sabha. UPA constituents Trinamool Congress has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha and 9 in Rajya Sabha, DMK has 18 members in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha, NCP 9 in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha and RLD has 5 in Lok Sabha. National Conference has 3 in Lok Sabha and 2 in Rajya Sabha. Besides, SP with its 22 members in Lok Sabha and 9 in Rajya Sabha and BSP with its 21 in Lok Sabha and 15 in Rajya Sabha are backing Ansari who is also being backed by the entire Left block with 38 members in both Houses of Parliament. Unlike the presidential poll held last month, which had split NDA with JD-U and Shiv Sena ...
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New Delhi, BJP on Tuesday took a dig at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for her decision to support UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, saying it was disappointed at the development and sought to know under what "compulsion" she had taken this stand. "We are disappointed to hear that TMC is going to support Pranab Mukherjee. We understand that TMC is a part of the government but Mamata Banerjee was one of the first ones to raise her voice against the policies of the anti-people, corrupt UPA alliance- be it NCTC, fuel price hike or FDI in retail," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said. After keeping its card close to its chest for weeks, TMC today announced that it will vote for Mukherjee. The decision ended the suspense over its stand and also dashed the hopes of opposition-backed candidate P A Sangma of getting TMC support. Sangma had met Banerjee sometime back to seek her party's support but had got no assurance from her. "Under what compulsion has she supported the UPA candidate? Was all this just posturing when Mamata spoke against the uncaring and insensitive policies of the UPA government and has now taken a U-turn? Is she now indifferent ...
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Kolkata, Disgruntled Trinamool Congess MP Dinesh Trivedi who had earlier stated that UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee was the best choice for the country, made an U-turn on Thursday when he declared he would abide by his party's decision on the election. Even Trivedi had earlier wanted the Trinamool to support Mukherjee. Trivedi had congratulated Mukherjee after his nomination. He had then said, "He is Pranab a politician and an administrator par excellence. He deserves this. I am very happy personally." But on Thursday, after meeting Mamata Banerjee, he said he would follow the decision of the party. He said that it was a routine meeting with the CM. "I am a party man and she is the party chief so I can always meet her. You should not see it as a special meeting. However, many Trinamool ministers were surprised when news spread that Trivedi would be meeting the chief minister." Trivedi was removed as railway minister rather unceremoniously by Mamata Banerjee immediately after he tabled the railway budget this year. It was clear that Mamata was not taking any chances before the presidential election as there are rumours that Trivedi and some MPs like Kabir ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may speak to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee to seek support for the UPA candidate in the July 19 Presidential poll. While there has been a lull between the UPA allies since Trinamool failed to stall Pranab Mukherjee's candidature by joining hands with Samajwadi Party, they have not broken the alliance either. This, along with Banerjee's refusal to commit support to BJP-backed P A Sangma, has raised hopes in Congress that Trinamool could still support Mukherjee for President. Congress sources said the PM may speak to the Bengal CM. The request for support from the top would also give the volatile leader an honourable exit route from the corner she pushed herself in by vetoing Mukherjee for Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to a senior leader, Mukherjee would find it difficult to speak to the CM since another rebuff would be embarrassing to the Presidential favourite. "But why cannot the PM talk? He can," a leader ...
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New Delhi, The CPM decision to support UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee was spurred by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's staunch opposition to the veteran Congress leader and its innate thrust for a president "firmly secular and not in any way open to BJP influence". Explaining the party's decision, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat in an article for mouthpiece People's Democracy said the chasm between the Congress and the Trinamool widened over supporting Mukherjee. "The rift within the ruling alliance is something that the CPM took into account when deciding its stand," Karat wrote. The CPM also factored in the support of non-UPA parties' — SP, BSP, JD(S) and JD(U) — for Mukherjee. The CPM would have considered another candidate if other secular opposition parties were willing, Karat said. Most parties, however, veered round to supporting the UPA candidate and "widest agreement" emerged for Mukherjee. Karat's article comes amid murmurs of dissent within the CPM and expulsion of youth leader Prasenjit Bose over support to Mukherjee. A section in the party preferred abstention to supporting Mukherjee like Left allies the CPI and the RSP. ...
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Kolkata, Former railways minister and Trinamool Congress's member of Parliament (MP) Dinesh Trivedi on Friday congratulated union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee for being nominated as the presidential candidate of the ruling UPA. "I congratulate Pranab-da for being nominated as the presidential candidate. He is a politician and an administrator par excellence. He deserves this. I am very happy personally," said Trivedi, who was replaced by Mukul Roy as railway minister after he annoyed Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee by raising the rail fare. Pranab Mukherjee, the central government's most reliable trouble shooter, was on Friday named the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA)candidate for the presidency and found backing from many political parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). On Wednesday, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh had, along with Mamata Banerjee, virtually rejected Mukherjee, whom Congress president Sonia Gandhi suggested for presidency during her talks with Banerjee. But in less than 48 hours, the Samajwadi Party Friday did a U-turn, and announced it would support Mukherjee as the country's president. When ...
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New Delhi, UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee today sought the support of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in the July 19 elections describing her as his sister. "I also seek the support of Mamata Banerjee because she is like my sister," Mukherjee told reporters on being asked whether his appeal to political parties to back his candidature included Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. Gandhi named Mukherjee as UPA's nominee in the Presidential elections at a meeting of the ruling alliance ...
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New Delhi, Stating that it was not in favour of mid-term polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday said it was not joining the government but would continue to support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) from outside. "We will not join the government and are not in favour of mid-term polls as that would put an extra burden on the state exchequer," SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav told reporters here. Responding to a query on whether his party supported APJ Abdul Kalam as presidential candidate, he said: "It for netaji ( Mulayam Singh Yadav) to decide. I can't comment on it." SP and Trinamool Congress had on Wednesday announced three candidates, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as their choice for the presidential candidate. ...
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Patna, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has reached out to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar seeking his support for A P J Abdul Kalam as the next President, according to Times Now. According to TV reports, Mamata called up Nitish Kumar and urged him to support Kalam. Nitish Kumar will be meeting Abdul Kalam over lunch later on Friday. Kalam who is in Patna on a scheduled visit was welcomed on Thursday by Nitish Kumar at the airport. Kumar's receiving Kalam at the airport assumes significance in the backdrop of TMC and SP rooting for his candidature for the post of President. ...
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New Delhi, Consultations have begun to reach an agreement on Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the next President of India with Congress trying to convince its difficult allies like Trinamool Congress on supporting him. However, what Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee would decide is not known yet and the names she had uttered earlier did not include Pranab Mukherjee. Mukherjee told reporters that the name would be decided by the party. "Party nominates. No one can become president on his own wish," he said in Kolkata. Mamata earlier said no to Pranab Mukherjee as the next President of India while crowding the pitch with new names like Meira Kumar and Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Mamata Banerjee said she would support the candidature of current Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar or former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi or even former President APJ Abdul Kalam. However, Congress has garnered the support of other alliance leaders like Karunanidhi (DMK), Ajit Singh and even Samajwadi Party. Media reports said the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also ready to support Pranab Mukherjee provided the vice-president is a candidate of their ...
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Kolkata, Buoyed with its success in the municipal election in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said the poll results have demonstrated that the party has enough strength to rule the state alone. "It has been proved by the results of these elections that the Trinamool Congress has enough strength to rule Bengal alone," the party all-India general secretary Mukul Roy told a press conference after winning four of the six municipal bodies which went to polls on June 3. Though allies in the central and state governments, Trinamool and Congress contested the civic elections separately. "It has been established that in Bengal, Trinamool can fight and win elections alone. We fought against CPM, Congress, BJP and the Maoists," Roy, who is also the railway minister, said. "The results have shown that not only CPM, but there are some other parties which are going to be insignificant in Bengal politics," Roy said. "The results of the civic polls have proved that the people are with Trinamool Congress and again they have shown confidence in the leadership of Mamata Banerjee," he claimed, adding that his party has reached 72 seats from 19 it held earlier in the ...
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New Delhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has refused to endorse finance minister Pranab Mukherjee for the President's post, giving a twist to the race. Banerjee told a TV channel, "I love Meira Kumar, she is very soft spoken, Gopal Gandhi has done good work, Kalam was a good president. Pranab may be the son-of-the-world but if you ask me my choice, I will go with Kumar, Gandhi and Kalam. But if Congress wants to go with Pranab, its their choice." The comment puts a question mark on Mukherjee's bid to wade into the race. While Congress is still to announce its preference for the top post, there is also a section in Congress that feels Mukherjee cannot be spared for the for the President's post because he is crucial to the government. If the West Bengal CM vetoes the finance minister, it may be difficult for Congress to evolve a consensus around his ...
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New Delhi, Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy was on Tuesday elevated to cabinet rank to take over as railway minister replacing Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced to resign after Congress caved in to Mamata Banerjee's pressure. Widely expected to roll back at least the lower class passenger fare hike proposed by Trivedi in the Railway Budget, Roy, 57, was sworn in as cabinet minister at a special but brief ceremony by President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He was currently serving as Union minister of state for shipping and had earlier served as minister of state in the railway ministry before Trivedi took over last July. The ceremony was attended by vice president Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the UPA chairperson and cabinet ministers including ministers of Trinamool Congress. Trivedi was forced out by Trinamool Congress after he incurred the wrath of party chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who was opposed to his proposal to increase fares in the railway budget last Wednesday. Trivedi resigned on Sunday. The Congress leadership caved in to the Trinamool demand for replacing him with Roy. On Monday, Banerjee had ...
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