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Having succeeded in moving ahead of the Shiv Sena and the MNS within the Hindutva camp in Maharashtra, the BJP’s next objective is apparently to consolidate its hold on the Marathi manoos so that it cannot easily be dislodged from its present position.

If 2016 goes down as the most miserable year for the largest section of the humanity in the modern history, the coming year holds no promise of better times ahead as the course of hard times and political chaos may have just began. The common Indian’s pain of demonetisation continues. The sudden government action badly affected at least one billion of India’s total population after almost 85 per cent of the total money in the system or close to Rs. 15 lakh crore was junked by a midnight government order. Almost 95 per cent of transactions in India are done in cash. The action was termed “immoral” by top economists and global media.

2016 – the Modi Government in third year – is ending in a state of near-paralysis of India’s financial system with its total failure to discharge mandatory payment obligations for tens of millions of customers, even six weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation of Rs.1000 and Rs.500 Notes. Bulk of what became overnight “worthless paper” the way he put it, had been deposited well before the December-end deadline.

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati is working very hard to capture power in Uttar Pradesh where she had been chief minister thrice. For her, mission 2017 is do or die battle and she is not leaving any chance to attack her political rivals. Never before Mayawati was so aggressive in Parliament as she was seen during last session.

The choice of Lt. General Bipin Rawat as the next army chief has created a flutter in the military establishment. The bypassing of two senior army commanders is a rare occurrence. As several commanders have pointed out, the last time it happened was in 1983 when Indira Gandhi elevated Gen Arun Vaidya over Lt Gen S K Sinha (who promptly resigned). But this was not the only instance. In 1957 Jawaharlal Nehru chose Gen. K S Thimmaya superseding two senior Lt. Generals Sant Singh and Kulwant Singh (the later stayed on, while the former resigned).

Now it is confirmed that all domestic airlines, barring PSU carrier Air India, have joined hand to fail the Government’s plan to promote regional connectivity by encouraging setting up of smaller carriers.

The important point of US President Donald Trump is his inconsistency. He is unpredictable and naïve in diplomacy. His election campaign slogans were rhetoric and distant from reality. Even then, if it is believed that his isolationist “ American only “ policy was the driving force to let him win the unexpected battle of election, his foreign policy will be save American trajectory , while outdoing the Democratic middle path and Asia Pivot strategies.

BHOPAL: According to All India Democratic Women's Association demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes played havoc with the lives of the ordinary people of our country, especially the poor, those working in the unorganised sector.

What does the crystal ball predict for the year 2017? Politically, it is certainly going to be an eventful year. For one it will be the beginning of the second half of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term. He has already started making efforts to expand his party’s base as well as his own pro- poor image and also preparing for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government’s police policy has evoked stringent criticism not only from CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan, but also from CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran and NCP leader and Transport Minister A K Shashindran.