Glad that PM was reminded of Nehru’s contributions in US: Jairam Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he is glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reminded of the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru by an American Democratic leader at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston.

US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, while welcoming Mr. Modi at the event on Sunday, had invoked Mahatma Gandhi and India’s first prime minister Nehru in his speech.

“I recall L.K. Advani praising Nehru in a speech in New York some years ago. Vajpayee’s tribute to Nehru is a masterpiece. Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din (Where did those days go)...,” Mr. Ramesh said in a tweet.

BJP to protest against VAT hike on fuel in MP

The BJP will soon launch a protest against the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by five per cent, a party leader said on Monday.

This is against the promise made by the ruling Congress before the state elections last year, Leader of the Opposition in MP Assembly Gopal Bhargava told PTI.

“We will soon announce a statewide agitation against the five per cent hike in VAT on petrol and diesel in Madhya Pradesh. We will finalise details of the agitation soon after our state president (Rakesh Singh) returns from his foreign tour,” Bhargava said.

He said the Congress had promised to reduce the cost of two fuels in the state by Rs 5, in its manifesto before coming to power in the state last year.

“It was not ‘Vachan Patra’, but ‘Jhoot Patra’ (false manifesto). The increased cost of the two fuels is causing lot of hardships to people,” he said.

-- PTi

Dantewada bypoll

Voting for the bypoll to the Naxal-affected Dantewada Assembly constituency is underway amid tight security. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in a Naxal attack in April.

Polling began at 7 am and it will go on till 3 pm, an election official said.

Of the nine candidates competing, both the ruling Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates who have been victims of Naxal violence.

By-poll in Kerala’s Pala witnesses brisk voting

Voting for the by-election to the Pala Assembly constituency began at all the 176 booths by 7 a.m. on Monday.

With all signs of a higher voter turn-out, polling is progressing at a brisk pace with 13.20% votes being cast in the first two hours.

A total of 13 candidates are in the fray, with the Congress-led UDF, the CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP-led (National Democratic Alliance) leading the pack. The by-election was necessitated following the death of Kerala Congress (M) stalwart K.M. Mani on April 9.

Among those who voted in the first couple of hours include the UDF candidate Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, LDF candidate Mani C. Kappan and the family members K.M. Mani, including his son Jose K. Mani, MP.

Article 370 becomes poll agenda in Maharashtra

With barely a month for Maharashtra Assembly elections, campaigning is on at full swing in the State. Union Home Minister and BJP national president Amit Shah kicked off his party's campaign in Mumbai with a question: whom would you vote for — a nationalistic party that abrogated Article 370 or 'family-oriented parties' that opposed it?

However, the Congress and NCP have dismissed Mr. Shah's campaign as rhetoric. "The leaders of BJP need to be reminded that the elections are for Maharashtra and not for Kashmir. Amit Shah should go to Kashmir if he wants to talk about Article 370,” said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant. The NCP claimed the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is "attempting to hide its failures" behind Kashmir issue.

Believe in constructive cooperation with Centre for state’s interest: Naveen Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday asserted that he believes in constructive cooperation with the Centre for state’s interest, seeking to scotch growing notions about his bonhomie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a bitter poll campaign.

Patnaik also spoke for the first time in public about the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), headed by him, had strongly backed the move in Parliament.

“We always believe in constructive cooperation with the central government. We support whatever is constructive and creative,” he said during an interactive session at a literary festival here. “We expect their (Centre’s) help in the state.”

Mr. Patnaik’s assertion about extending constructive cooperation to the Centre has come after both the BJD and the BJP fought a bitter battle marked by trading of charges in the run up to the Lok Sabha election.

-- PTI