Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed a joint press conference in Lucknow, capital of Uttar pradesh, India on Sunday ahead of the Assembly elections.
This is the first time that the two politicians have come together for an event after the announcement of the alliance for the seven phased polls.
A joint poster with the slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ having the pictures of both Rahul and Akhilesh and their respective party symbols was also released on the occasion. The parties also released the theme song of the alliance during the press conference.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi spoke on the alliance and said, “Uttar is the first word in Uttar Pradesh. The alliance of Congress and Samajwadi Party is an answer. Uttar Pradesh has always given answers.”
Gandhi also termed the coming together of the two parties as coming together of Ganga and Yamuna. “It is the onset of development in the state,” he said.
While agreeing to what Rahul Gandhi said, Akhilesh Yadav said that the partnership of Congress and Samajwadi Party will take Uttar Pradesh to greater heights. He also guaranteed the people that the two parties together will win 305 seats in the state.
Clarifying on Priyanka Gandhi’s role in the alliance, Rahul Gandhi says, “Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me and I have been so to her, if she campaigns or not is her choice; she is an asset to Congress.”
Rahul Gandhi dismisses accusations of the alliance being a marriage of opportunities. “This alliance isn’t opportunistic, it is an alliance of hearts. Will explain to Modi Ji,BJP & RSS that UP and its people are one and we will not let them create divide,” he said.
Brushing aside questions of uncertainty in seats from Amethi and Rae Bareilly, Rahul says that the strategy will be revealed as when the time comes.
Rahul Gandhi calls Akhilesh Yadav a good boy. “I had said earlier that Akhilesh Yadav is a good boy, but he’s not being allowed to work,” Gandhi said on if he still believes in Congress’s earlier slogan “27saal UP behal”
Ram Temple issue is sub-judice. It is BJP’s nature to pick up the issue everytime before the polls: Rahul Gandhi said while slamming the BJP over its manifesto.
Referring to the slogans of Congress and Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Imagine what would happen if ‘kaam bolta hai’ and ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ come together.” He also attacked the BJP government and said that its been over two years but, the ‘Acche Din’ still seem so far.
Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that he and Rahul Gandhi are the two tyres of a cycle. He further said that both the parties, together, will win 305 seats in the state with the love of the people.
Putting all speculations to rest, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party last week on January 22 forged an alliance for the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The Congress, which wanted to contest as many as 121 seats, has reportedly now settled for 105 seats. The development came after Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention ending the prolonged deadlock over entering into an alliance to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the politically crucial state.
The Congress is contesting 105 seats while the ruling Samajwadi Party is contesting 298 seats. Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election. Voting in the state begins on February 11 and concludes on March 8. Counting of votes will be held on March 11.
India's military might and rich cultural diversity were in full display during the dazzling 68th Republic Day celebrations in the national capital which had Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the Chief Guest.
Light rains and overcast skies failed to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of spectators who witnessed the nearly one-and-half hour-long parade that marched down the majestic Rajpath, India's ceremonial boulevard, amid unprecedented security cover.
A major highlight of the parade was 149-member marching contingent from UAE comprising personnel from Presidential Guards, the Air Force, the Navy and Army. They were led by a band comprising 35 musicians from that country.
Al Nahyan, also Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, was seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wore a pink color 'safa' (turban). The two leaders were seen sharing some light moments.
For the first time a contingent of the National Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as the Black Cat Commandos, was part of the march past. The parade also saw the fly-past of three LCA Tejas Aircraft flying at a height of 300 metres in 'Vic' formation and the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) developed by DRDO.
The Indian Army's missile firing capability T-90 'Bhishma' tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-2K, Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Weapon Locating Raddar 'Swathi' and Akash Weapons System and Dhanush Gun System were among the main draw in the mechanised columns.
Alongside the Crown Prince, the ceremonial parade was watched by Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the country's top political and military brass, besides the diplomatic community.
Tableaux from 17 states and Union Territories and six central ministries and departments showcased the varied historical, art and cultural heritage of the country. Goods and Services Tax (GST) was the theme of the tableau of Central Board of Excise and Customs. 21 of the 25 children who won the National Bravery Award also participated in the parade. Four children have received the award posthumously.
The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the Indian Air Force which displayed various formations like 'Chakra' and 'Vic' leaving the spectators spell-bound. The 'Hercules' formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft also drew loud cheers.
The national capital was wrapped in an unprecedented security cover with thousands of security force personnel keeping a tight vigil to prevent any terror strike or untoward incident during celebrations.
Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters were deployed to keep a watch on the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort besides nearby localities.
There were intelligence inputs that terror groups may try to carry out attacks. Delhi Police was sent a special advisory informing them that terror groups might use animals to target crowded areas like important installations, railway stations, etc to create a panic.
Suspected militants attacked an Assam Rifles vehicle escorting tourists, killing two personnel and injuring several others near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Sunday.
Militants lobbed several grenades targeting the vehicle at Jagun 12th Mile Barabasti on NH-53 bordering Assam's Tinsukia district in the run-up to Republic Day, a defence spokesman told PTI.
The security personnel retaliated and an encounter followed with sporadic firing still continuing.
The Assam Rifles vehicle and three vehicles of tourists returning from the Pangsau festival have been damaged in grenade explosions, the spokesman said.
The entire area has been cordoned off with combing operations stepped up in the area and tourists are stranded along the highway.
The Pangsau Festival is held along the Indo-Myanmar border in the area.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress today confirmed they will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls together.
The Samajwadi Party will field 298 candidates, and the Congress 105, the SP's Uttar Pradesh chief Naresh Uttam said at a joint press conference in Lucknow.
Congress UP unit president Raj Babbar said the alliance will set an example, and that the two parties will strive for the development of Uttar Pradesh and the upliftment of the poor, ANI reported.
The two parties cemented their alliance earlier today. The Congress managed to wrangle 105 seats for itself, even as it appeared that an alliance may not happen. The party wanted to contest as many as 121 seats.
But the two reached a compromise just before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav released the SP's manifesto today.
At least 39 people were killed and several others injured after the Jagdalpur Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express train derailed near Kuneru station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday night. Nine coaches and the engine of the train derailed at around 11 pm on Saturday.
Relief and rescue operations were put into force by administration immediately and the railways issued a list of helpline numbers. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offered condolences to the families of those killed in the accident and said that the investigation to ascertain the cause was started.
The Railways on Sunday suspected a sabotage which led to the accident. The probe will look into possibility of tampering of track, reported news agency PTI.
However, Director General of Police KB Singh told the media that “there is no evidence regarding the involvement of Maoists. We will inquire into the matter and Railway Safety Commissioner will also probe the matter,” he said.
Unnamed railway officials said earlier they suspected sabotage.
At least 7 devotees have died and many more have been injured in a stampede at Kachuberia during Gangasagar fair in West Bengal. The death toll is likely to rise.
The incident occurred while the devotees were trying to board a launch at the Kachuberia ghats. The stampede occurred around 5pm at jetty number 5 of Kachuberia ghats.
Three of the 7 devotees who have died at Gangasagar are from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal's panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee has said.
"The rush to get on the last launch caused the accident," the minister said, when asked about the stampede at Kachuberia during Gangasagar fair in West Bengal.
While the state government announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the stampede victims, Prime Minister of India sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
On Saturday, at least 16 lakh pilgrims took the holy dip at Gangasagar on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and offered puja at the Kapil Muni temple.
Six years ago, seven pilgrims were killed and nine injured, four of them seriously, when a similar stampede broke out at the Gangasagar mela.
In 2010, around four lakh pilgrims had gathered to take a holy dip at the confluence of Ganga and the Bay of Bengal in Gangasagar islands on the occasion of 'Makar Sankranti' when the stampede took place.
Lakhs of pilgrims gather at Gangasagar every year on Makar Sankranti to take a holy dip in the Ganges before it merges with the Bay of Bengal.
The Election Commission (EC) on Friday reserved its order on the symbol war between Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav.
The hearing lasted for over four hours as the Court heard both sides of the arguments. The decision on which group will get the party symbol will be announced later.
The Akhilesh camp was represented by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal who argued that majority of MPs, MLAs and MLCs along with SP delegates are in support of Akhilesh.
Both the Akhilesh and Mulayam camp had approached EC last week staking claim over the party symbol - bicycle following a split in the party.
Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said on Friday reacting to the viral video by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, that the soldier should have had come directly to him rather than publicising the matter.
“Through the media, I wish to reach out to the rank and file of the Army. Whatever complaint they should have, they can address it through the excellent grievance redressal mechanism we have. Anyone irrespective of rank and service can reach out to me directly. We want them to come directly to us rather than through social media”, Gen Bipin Rawat said.
Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat tells soldiers he’s ready to hear their complaints
He further said that whoever has any problem should come directly to him. He said that there are suggestion and grievance boxes in the Army headquarters, and these boxes should be used to let the administration know about any such complaints.
“This press conference is very relevant to us, as I would like to reach every jawan through you (media). We are one team and we work as one force to ensure India is secure and peaceful”, he added.
“If a soldier writes to us regarding his grievances, penning down his identity; will ensure that his identity is not made public…is the person is unsatisfied with the actions taken, he can chose other ways (to solve the problem).”
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has been appointed as the Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata group. Chandrasekaran’s appointment is expected to stabilise things in the group that was rocked by the unceremonious removal of former chairman Cyrus Mistry in October last.
Here we take a look at five reasons that makes Chandrasekaran the best choice for the coveted post.
To hold the corporate giant together after a tumultuous last few months, Tata Sons needed to appoint someone who is an insider. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, or Chandra as he is popularly called, has been leading TCS, the most profitable company under Tata banner, since 2009. He was appointed a director on the board of Tata Sons on October 25, 2016. The same board had ousted Mistry.
N Chandrasekaran has a legacy of successes behind him. An MCA from the Regional Engineering College, Trichy in 1987, Chandra has received multiple awards by the business community. The most recent award was “Business Leader award” for Corporate Excellence at ET Awards 2016.
TCS is a perennial cash cow for Tata group, apart from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) led by Ralf Speth, who is a German. TCS revenue jumped three-fold from Rs 30,000 crore in 2010 to Rs 1.09 lakh crore in 2016. In the third quarter of 2016, TCS earned a net profit of Rs 6,778 crore, which was 2.9 per cent up quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) basis and 10.9 per cent year on year (Y-o-Y) in the third quarter.
Chandra’s international exposure is incomparable in the Tata group. TCS caters to some of the largest international companies in the world including GE, JP Morgan, Wal Mart, Quantas, Cisco and Vodafone.
Chandrasekaran, 53, comes with a proud history of leading one of the biggest tech companies for several years. His presence at the top of Tata Sons may help provide a digital makeover to the entire group, which also happens to be a necessity in present times. Chandra’s experience in digital businesses would come handy, not just for the company but employees also.
Chandrasekaran is known to take risks and tough business decisions. Many times he has disrupted the established norms of business. For instance, he had broken TCS into 23 units for smooth service delivery and operations. This strategy was even adopted by Infosys later.
The biggest risk a company as big as Tata always faces is the loss of face value. The ensuing acrimony after Mistry’s removal has dented Tata’s image as a reliable brand and shaken investors’ confidence. With Chandrasekaran at the helm of affairs, all of this would expectedly change for the good in no time.
