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Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be presumed to have done well in Washington despite a tinge of doubt in his response to pointed questions about Indian democracy and minority rights, but the embarrassing questions were not the only source of sour taste in the otherwise impressive visit, for which president Joe Biden rolled out his best red carpet at the White House. The timing of the emergence of news about enquiries being made with American institutional investors in the Adani group, owned by Modi’s bosom friend Gautam Adani, whose mercurial rise ever since Modi ascended prime ministership is viewed with suspicion both inside and outside the country, also left a bad taste in the mouth.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was politically correct in describing the opposition meet in Patna as a (Rajnaitik Navjagran) political renaissance. What was unprecedented was that all the fifteen participating political parties were unanimous in resolving to forge unity to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The parties who have been fighting against each other in the states, forgot their differences on the issue of unitedly fighting the BJP and that was the great achievement of the conclave.

It is not only the Election Commission office in West Bengal that is in the news — mostly for the wrong reasons: in Assam too, the State Election Commission has been targeted by the opposition parties over the delimitation proposals affecting Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies!

The nomination of candidates and their withdrawal for 2023 West Bengal panchayat elections are over. Though the polling date and announcement of results are weeks away, nomination figures of Left read CPI(M) nominees far outnumber the same of BJP candidates in several districts seems to be a pointer to the revival of the political fortune of the dominant Left Front partner.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Opposition parties in the State upping the ante and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government launching a counter-offensive, the state is set for a protracted political slug-fest.

LUCKNOW: BSP national President Mayawati is busy building party organisation while giving prominence to dalits, backward and Muslims to face crucial Lok Sabha polls in 2024.Former chief minister Mayawati has already made it clear her party would not be part of any alliance of opposition parties. There is perception that BSP is helping BJP for quite some time which is evident from her regular statements, tweets and support to BJP legislations.

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached an accord that is hailed by experts as “historic” and which will provide India with American drones and engines for combat aircraft, in an effort to confront China. Modi is attempting to expand the international standing of India, currently the most populous nation on earth with 1.4 billion citizens, in the midst of tense relations with next-door neighbour China. In her article for The New York Times, Harvard University professor of History Maya Jasanoff declared that the US is actively seeking India’s support in the new Cold War with China. And the signal is clear!

Union Minister of Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav’s claim of a massive job creation, 1.25 crore in the last nine years under PM Narendra Modi since 2014, is in fact pittance. About 2 crore people join the workforce every year in India, and in the last nine years 18 crore have entered the labour market in the country. Serious distortion in job market is therefore obvious, which the minister tried to just veil under his claim.

New Delhi: Amateur Vidhatri Urs fired 5-under 67 to build up a massive nine-shot lead with just one more round to go in the ninth leg of the 2023 season at the Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru on Thursday.

New Delhi: Third seed HS Prannoy kept Indian hopes alive as he defeated world No. 95 Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 21-9, 21-17 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Taipei Open singles event on Thursday.