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What till now looked impossible has happened in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress and Samajwadi Party have entered into an alliance. This will have far-reaching effect on coming UP election. The image of Akhilesh Yadav has gone up with his party getting the cycle symbol. The family feud in the SP has taken a decisive turn with Election Commission awarding the cycle symbol to Akhilesh Yadav. It is a tilting of scales that gives the young Chief Minister a big boost on the campaign trail ahead of next month’s assembly election in UP. Not only this cements his place as the man to beat in the polls, it helps him sidestep anti-incumbency with having to give up the emotional connect with the organizational support that SP brings with it as a key player in the state for more than two decades. By winning the pitched battle with his uncles and other forces within the party, and most significantly his father Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh can shed the perception that he was the weak CM and showcase himself as agent of development and change.

Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani is a man of action. In what is billed as a historic first, he has ordered Air India to reserve an entire row in economy class on its domestic flights for women passengers travelling alone. Almost simultaneously, he ordered grounding of 57 crew members, mostly air hostesses, for being overweight with a caveat that they can return to their high flying jobs only if they get back in shape quickly. Else, they will be assigned ground jobs permanently.

BHOPAL: The agitation demanding the re-posting of Gaurav Tiwari as police Commissioner of Katni district has taken a violent turn and the Congress supporters are capitalizing on the grievances of the common residents against the BJP Government’s partisan action in transferring an honest officer like Tiwari at the diktat of the BJP party workers. The anger at the state administration’s actions, is now widespread and the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is facing severe criticism for his handling of the issue.

The boat disaster is a grim reminder that safety in public transport remains a low priority for governments. Little doubt the accident reflects very poorly on the functioning of the state government. While it sends a loud and clear message that Kumar his lost his control on the administration. Had it not been the case, why then the administration was not too proactive in managing the crowd after his interaction with them a day before.

For the first time since its winning power in 2011 in West Bengal, the political authority of the Trinamool Congress (TMC)facesa new challenge: recent outbreaks of violence at Bhangar and Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district, put a question mark against itsvery ability to govern.

NEW DELHI: The Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has decided to field Mrs Daswinder Kaur as the CPI candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency.

With the US and India making 'progress' over the commercial and financing aspects of their civil nuclear agreement, the USA administration is hopeful that a deal for a nuclear power plant in India would be announced by summer of 2017.

Ironically, a good showing by the Congress in Punjab may harm the party in the long run because a satisfactory performance will further strengthen the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty’s grip on the organization. The stranglehold will preclude any infusion in the foreseeable future of fresh blood at the top with new ideas and greater proximity to the grassroots level.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s much-hyped up ‘Mission Delhi’ ended in fiasco with the Congress High Command refusing to blink in the face of his brinkmanship.

The US President Barack Obama closed his eight years of presidency with an emotional speech on Tuesday last. When he entered 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as its tenant in 2009, there were high expectations from within the country and abroad. India was no exception. Now that he has bid adieu to his presidency, his considerable legacy towards India needs to be assessed.