Battling for Punjab's crown

Queue of voters outside polling booth in Rasan Hedi Village, Punjab

Punjab elections have largely been bipolar contests, mostly predictable. The voters invariably threw out the incumbent. That was until 2012, when neither pollsters nor politicians could read the mood. The entry of a third contender, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in the coming 2017 Assembly polls in the border state has made predicting the outcome that much more difficult.

While the Shiromani Akali Dal -Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government faces a 10-year anti-incumbency mood, the Congress' Amarinder Singh has surprised people with his hard work. He has been known for leisurely poll campaigning but this time's vigour isn't only thanks to the goading from his party's election strategist, Prashant Kishor.

In 2012, Amarinder was so confident of victory that he spent the gap between the last day of polling and the counting day in selecting his future council of ministers and key bureaucrats. The result, the first time an incumbent was returned since the 1960s, were a blow to Amarinder and a surprise to the SAD's Badals.

Pro-peace Kashmiris will defeat unruly powers: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Minister - Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday exuded confidence and said the people of Kashmir will stand up for peace and defeat the unruly powers trying to disturb tranquility in the region hence dragging the valley out of abyss.

Naqvi said it is saddening to see that this region has fallen victim to the hands of fistful miscreants.

"The people of Kashmir have always vouched for peace. And I believe this urge for peace will defeat terrorism. The people of Kashmir have always backed peace and have taken over the separatists and terrorists. And this time once again the people of Kashmir will stand up for peace and defeat unruly powers trying to disturb tranquillity in the region," said Naqvi.

"It is saddening that the people of Kashmir had

Amar Singh threatens to quit SP over 'insult' by party leaders

Amar Singh

Senior Samajwadi party leader and Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh Amar Singh has threatened to quit the party, alleging that he was being insulted, kept on 'mute' and sidelined following his return to the fold after six years.

In a television interview in Delhi, the former national general secretary of SP said that he found it humiliating that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav did not take his telephone calls and even kept him waiting.

This is the second dissension bomb in SP only days after the rift between Akhilesh, his uncle and 

Punjab Brahmin Maha Sabha extends support to AAP

Arvind Kejriwal addressing in Punjab

Punjab Brahmin Maha Sabha on Sunday announced that it will support Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the upcoming 2017 assembly polls.
"Our body has decided to support AAP in order to bring a corruption free and peace loving government in the state," Punjab Brahamin Maha Sabha President, Devi Dayal Parashar said.
Parashar accused Parkash Singh Badal led government of having "anti-people" policies and alleged that no section of the society was happy with the current regime.
Welcoming the support, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann said the party will get boost with the unconditional joining and support of the members of Punjab Brahamin Maha Sabha.
To a question on joining of cricketer-turned politician, Mann said the decision to join or not to join AAP is to be taken by Sidhu. "We have already welcomed him many a times," the Sangrur MP said.

SP, BSP hand-in-glove in exploiting Dalits: Keshav Prasad Maurya

Accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of "using the Dalits as a votebank", state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed on Sunday that the saffron party was serious about putting an end to their exploitation and working for their betterment.

He alleged that the SP and the BSP were "hand-in-glove" in exploiting the Dalits with the former "unleashing atrocities" on them and the latter "cashing in on their sentiments" by projecting itself as the "messiah" for the community which would heal their wounds if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh. He reaffirmed that the BJP was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Dalits and urged them "not to get misled" by the SP and the BSP.

Navjot Singh Sidhu tight lipped over plans of joining AAP

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, whose joining the Aam Aadmi Party was being seen as a foregone conclusion at one point, has left everyone guessing about his future plans.

Sidhu had on Friday met Delhi Chief Minister and AAP's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal at the latter's residence, but the party remained tight lipped on what transpired at the meeting.

"It was Sidhu's decision to quit the Rajya Sabha and we welcomed it. Now, it will be entirely his decision to join the party. The people of Punjab will decide who their MLA and the Chief Minister will be," AAP's national spokesperson Dilip Pandey said.