Why Congress cannot afford speculation of Robert Vadra's political debut

Election News:

Just months ahead of the general elections, the Gandhi family faces a nagging dilemma: pressure from Robert Vadra to enter active politics.

Vadra’s desire to enter politics is hardly a secret. The Gandhi family’s palpable resistance to it is also evident. Vadra is a soft target and his political entry will only delight the BJP.

After Vadra hinted that he could contest in the election, posters have cropped up in his hometown of Moradabad, welcoming him as a Lok Sabha candidate. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, reacting to his speculated entry, said “Vadra could be important for the Congress but, we would not like to glorify him by reacting to it.”

After Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed as the Congress party’s general secretary, it was only a matter of time before Robert Vadra followed. I asked Vadra if he planned to contest the general elections from Moradabad. Vadra said, “All in time. I will start working on it. But no hurry, as I have to earn it and people need to feel I can make a change.”

This means two things: clearly Vadra is extremely keen to enter politics but he is still hedging his bets by not saying that he will be the Congress’s Lok Sabha candidate from Moradabad.

Even the fevered speculation set off by Vadra’s hints is music to the BJP’s ears. Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign hinged around the promise to jail the “damaadji” (son-in-law) for various cases of alleged corruption in land deals.


 Vadra, a controversial businessman, is facing several probes by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering. Soon after Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into active politics, Vadra was summoned, along with his septuagenarian mother, by the ED...Read More

Lok Sabha passes quota Bill for economically weak in general category

Politics News:

A landmark Bill seeking to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor was passed by the Lok Sabha , with most parties backing the measure, described by the government as "historic" and in the country's interest. As many as 323 members voted in support of the Bill and only three voted against it, underlining the cross-party support the politically crucial Bill elicited.

Replying to an over four and half hour debate, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot sought to allay doubts raised by several Opposition members about the legislation's fate if challenged in the Supreme Court, saying he can say with confidence that the apex court will accept it. The Modi government's policy and intention is good and that is why it has enabled the reservation for the poor in the general category with constitutional amendment, he said, seeking support of all parties for the passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019.

"Your doubts are unfounded. Put them to rest," he told Opposition members, many of whom dubbed the Bill as "jumla" and "gimmick", questioned its legal standing and accused the government of bringing it in haste with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. Gehlot claimed that the Bill is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion when he assumed power in 2014 that his government would be devoted to the cause of the poor and work for "sabka saath sabka vikas (With all, development for all)".

"This is an historic decision and in the interest of the country," he said.


 Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present in the House when the Bill was passed. The government will table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Reservation should be based on population, says BJP UP ally Apna Dal

Politics News:

Diverse views of BJP allies Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Apna Dal (Sonelal) in Uttar Pradesh on reservation to backward classes have become thorn in the flesh for the ruling party ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

While the SBSP has given 100 days' ultimatum to the BJP to implement recommendations of a social justice committee on backward reservations, the Apna Dal (Sonelal) has raised questions on the basis of the report without caste census.

The committee constituted in May last year had in its recommendations to the state government favoured division of backward castes in three categories -- backward, 'ati picchda' (very backward) and 'sarvadhik picchda' (most backward).

"The recommendations of the committee cannot be implemented without caste census. The government should first do caste census and then implement any such recommendation.

The reservation should be according to 'jiski jitni sankhya bhari, uski utni bhagidaari' (based on population). And when the government has not done any census, how can it provide quota within quota," Union minister and Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel said.

"If without caste census, the government implements the recommendations, it will be seen as a move of the government to create infighting among backwards," she said.


 On the other had, SBSP chief and cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said, "If the government does not implement recommendations of the report within 100 days, my party will leave the BJP and contest on all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh."

Will be unconstitutional for govt to present full Budget: Yashwant Sinha

Interim Budget 2019:

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha it would be "entirely improper and unconstitutional" if the Modi government presents a full budget ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, as he asked it to stick to the convention of outgoing dispensations presenting an interim budget.

A strong critic of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, Sinha also accused it of "dressing up" economic figures despite the country facing an "unprecedented" agrarian distress, employment not picking up and the huge non-performing asset (NPA) problem being not tackled the way it should have been.

Interacting with reporters at an event in Indian Women's Press Corps, he said Priyanka Gandhi's entry into active politics will have a positive impact and strengthen the Congress.
Taking a swipe at the government over present economic conditions, he said it would now claim by "tweaking" figures ahead of the general election that "river of milk" is flowing in the country and people were never happier.

Amid speculation that the government may present a full budget on February 1, Sinha said there is no precedence of an outgoing government doing so.


 "It would be entirely improper and unconstitutional on the part of this government to present a full budget," he said, adding that it should neither table the economy survey, which is generally presented a day before the budget is tabled, not present the Finance Bill.