SPEND TIME IN LIBRARY

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today said legislators should develop a habit of visiting Assembly and Parliament libraries and also pressed that they should maintain decorum of the House. "It is very essential for the members of the House to visit Assembly library and read records of old debates on any issue which they wanted to raise on the floor of the House," Mahajan said, addressing the concluding programme of the two-day lecture here organised by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. She said visiting library will help leaders attain knowledge of proper language (words) to be used and also raise issues effectively. An eight-time MP from Indore, Mahajan said an MLA is a bridge between his voters, Assembly and the government and has to solve the problems of the people. "Those who (MLAs) address people's problems ccessfully by coordinating with local officials, civic bodies and other institutions, become popular among voters," she said. The Speaker on the occasion also advised legislators to behave in a decent manner in the House, take part in Question Hour and attend committee meetings actively. "By merely raising any issue in a noisy manner won't serve the purpose. One has to be sincere in approach and I must tell you that sincerity always pays," Mahajan said. The Lok Sabha Speaker also praised Madhya Pradesh Assembly for its glorious historic past, specially for passing laws like Public Service Guarantee Act. In a reference to Mahajan's address, it could be noted that former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma had advised legislators to travel across the country and devote maximum time in reading. Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker, Dr Sitasharan Sharma and Leader of Opposition, Satyadev Katare also spoke on the occasion. Katare also advised the legislators not to waste time of the House by stalling its proceedings.

LESSONS FROM EMERGENCY TAUGHT MORE

Terming the Emergency as the worst post-independence chapter of Indian democracy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said it gave him the best political education of his life as it taught him that some compromises are "just not possible". The senior BJP leader, who was President of Delhi University Students Union when the Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 and was detained for 19 months, also said that it displayed the weakness of the Indian constitutional order where press could be silenced and judiciary "made pliable". "For many like me who underwent Emergency experience in Delhi and successfully fought against it, this became a turning point in our lives. The Emergency was perhaps the best political education of my life. It taught me that some compromises were just not possible," he said, in an article on the 39th anniversary of the 1975-77 Emergency which falls tomorrow. Jaitley, who is also the Defence Minister, said June 26 marks the 39th anniversary of the Emergency whose oppressive phase lasted 19 months (excluding two months of election) and said "this monstrosity" is perhaps the "worst" post Independence chapter of the Indian democracy. Recalling some of his personal memories on the Emergency, he said he received a midnight knock at his residence past 2 AM when he escaped from the backdoor to a friend's house in the neighbourhood. Jaitley said with no newspapers and the entire opposition political leadership including Jai Prakash Narain, Morarji Desai, Choudhury Charan Singh, Atal Behari Vajpayee, L K Advani arrested, he along with his co-ABVP workers organised a protest at Delhi University campus next morning. "This was the only protest against the Emergency which took place that day in the whole country...I requested my colleagues to quietly disappear since I had been surrounded by the police. I courted arrest. I was also taken to the Timarpur Police Station where I was handed over a detention order under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA)," he said.

Jaitley said he was taken to Tihar jail and lodged there for eight days before being transferred to Ambala Jail in Haryana where he was kept for about three months. "I had been detained for 19 months in prison under preventive detention. Needless to say I was deprived of my right to continue my education in Delhi," he said. Jaitley said Indira Gandhi began to rethink on Emergency after pressure of international opinion but "miscalculated" and decided to hold elections in which people vent out their anger against Emergency and Congress was trounced with both Gandhi and her son Sanjay defeated from Rae Bareli and Amethi. Critical of the Judiciary at the time, he said, "The Supreme Court in perhaps the worst amongst post independence judgments, in the habeas corpus case, ruled that even though political detainees have been illegally detained, they have no right to approach the court and seek the relief." Jaitley said High Courts in the country "showed some courage" in giving relief to the detainees, but the "extremely pliable Supreme Court overturned each and every favourable order of the High Court." He said the Representation of People Act was amended retrospectively to "legitimise and validate the invalid election" of Indira Gandhi. "The Constitution was amended to make the election of Prime Minister as non-justiciable. The proclamation of emergency was made non-justiciable," he said, adding that opposition party governments in states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu were dismissed and President's rule imposed.

PURSE IS EMPTY

After the drubbing in the recent general elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today proposed no new taxes in the budget for this year, but made no allocation for his pet schemes such as free laptops for students and allowances for the unemployed. Yadav, who holds the finance portfolio, presented a Rs 4,132 crore deficit budget for 2014-15 in the UP assembly. At Rs 2,74,705 crore, the budget is 24 per cent higher than the level of Rs 2,21,201 crore in the previous financial year. While no new taxes were proposed in the budget, no allocation was made for the ambitious free laptop scheme for students, kanya vidyadhan and unemployment allowance that were promised by the ruling Samajwadi Party in its manifesto during the assembly elections in 2012. The UP government has given a thrust to infrastructural facilities such as roads, bridges, irrigation and power, making a provision of Rs 49,108 crore, about 82 per cent higher than last time. The chief minister stated in his budget speech that in the first phase, the government had started programmes such as unemployment allowance, laptop distribution and kanya vidyadhan for the youth. He said in the second phase, the government would focus on providing basic facilities in rural areas and slums. Allocations have also been made to promote investment and increase employment opportunities. There is, however, a provision of Rs 2,424 crore for the government's ambitious Samajwadi Pension scheme that targets 40 lakh families and Rs 7,625 crore for agriculture and associated services, 15 per cent more than last time. While Rs 41,538 crore has been provided for education, the government increased the allocation for medical health and family welfare by 34 per cent to Rs 14,377 crore. Besides, a provision of Rs 25,522 crore has been made under the head of SC/ST, backward, handicapped and minorities welfare and Rs 50 crore for a rural road scheme named after the ruling party's late leader Ram Saran Das. The BJP boycotted the proceedings, saying a notice given earlier in the day was not considered.

CONGRATULATIONS CHANDRABABU

ANDHRA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER CHANDRABABU NAIDU OFFERING PRAYERS BEFORE ENTERING HIS NEWLY ESTABLISHED CAMP OFFICE

NO "DELAY" IN MODI's DICTIONARY

"Consider that the word 'delay' has been deleted." This was the message articulated today by Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Minister and Environment, as he sought to assure all concerned that the Narendra Modi government would ensure speedy implementation of tasks. Javadekar, while addressing a meeting of CEOs of Media and Entertainment industry, said that if earlier a file was kept pending for four months, in the new dispensation it will not be held back even for four weeks. After the meeting, he tweeted, "There is no word 'Delay'in our Government. 'Delay' is deleted".
The tweet by Javadekar, who is also holds the charge of the Environment and Forest ministry, assumes significance in the context of the industries complaining about delay in the grant of green clearances for infrastructure projects. At the meeting Javadekar told captains of the Media and Entertainment industry that the government would not be detrimental to the development but would be a partner in development and progress. He said that "a stable policy regime with transparency and time-bound mechanism is a priority of the government." Earlier, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said the ministry is making attempts to establish single window clearances for permissions. He said the security clearances for channels at times took 18 months to over two years and efforts are being made to make the process simpler. In another tweet after his interaction at the event, Javadekar also said that his government would attempt to make Doordarshan the most popular channel for viewers. "We will make Doordarshan be the first choice of the viewers in this competitive environment," he said.

AP ASSEMBLY SESSION FROM JUNE 19

The first session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, after the creation of Telangana, will be held for five days beginning June 19.
It will have five working days from June 19 to 24, Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told reporters here today.
On the first day, the newly-elected members will be administered oath, while on the second day elections will be held for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
On June 21 -- Governor ESL Narasimhan will address the joint session. On June 23 and 24 there will be debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's address.
Senior TDP leader and former Minister Pathivada Narayana Swamy Naidu is likely to be the Protem Speaker of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana came into existence as the 29th state of India on June 2 capping the decades-old struggle in the region for carving out a separate state from Andhra Pradesh.
The session will be held in the old Assembly building here.

SHAME SHAMEIS THIS THE TREATMENT FOR A FORMER CM?

IS THIS THE TREATMENT FOR A FORMER CM?

NCP DEMAND MORE SEATS IN MAHA ASSEMBLY ELECTION

With the Lok Sabha polls leaving Congress in a bad shape, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP wants its alliance partner to cede more seats to it to contest in the state Assembly polls due in four months. This was the refrain from party leaders at a meeting addressed by Pawar here this afternoon. The NCP chief reviewed the party's preparedness for the upcoming polls as the Congress-NCP alliance readies to retain power for the fourth consecutive term. "We want more seats to contest in the Assembly polls based on our showing in the recent Lok Sabha polls," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI after the meeting. "A meeting of the two parties should be convened soon to discuss seat sharing. We feel we should get seat share based on our strength," Malik said. NCP won four Lok Sabha seats whereas Congress got just two in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls. During the last Assembly polls in 2009, the NCP had contested in 114 seats and Congress in 174 in the 288-member House. NCP also wants Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to take quick decisions on issues like reservations for Marathas (in government jobs and educational institutions) and LBT. "We feel the (Chavan) government should take fast decisions as we have to face elections based on our performance," Malik said, adding that the Congress should also take into account NCP's increased strength in the local bodies' polls in the state.

200 CRORE TREE PLANTATIONS ALONG NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

The government plans to plant 200 crore trees along the entire 1 lakh km National Highways network across the country to employ jobless youth.
"The length of National Highways in the country is one lakh kilometre. I have asked officials to come out with a plan to plant 200 crore trees along these stretches which in turn would create jobs for the unemployed on the one hand and protect the environment on the other," Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Rural Development Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari said here today.
A similar scheme could be implemented under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act) along the village and district roads and state highways. That has the potential to employ 30 lakh youth, he said while inaugurating a conference on "Regeneration of Rivers".
Gadkari said Gram Panchayats will be taken into confidence and the unemployed youth could be assigned 50 trees each which could fetch livelihood for them from the produce.
He also stressed upon the need for water conservation stating that if even 15 per cent of rainwater could be tapped out of the 60 per cent that goes to the sea, the water- scarcity could be avoided and people can be supplied with potable water besides irrigation of agriculture land.
The government will lay stress on building check-dams instead of mega projects, he said, adding that the biggest impediment in way of water schemes is lack of electricity and steps were on to improve the power situation by fixing accountability and regular auditing.
He said measures were also on to save Rs 6 lakh crore on imports of petrol, diesel and gas by way of promoting bio-fuels.
He added that his departments in coordination with others are preparing roadmaps for cleanliness of Ganga and Yamuna rivers and developing waterways in the country for environment -friendly and quick movement of cargo and passenger traffic.
Gadkari also said that the project monitoring committee was looking into realignment of National Highways in calamity torn Kedarnath region, which faced flash floods last year that killed and displaced thousands of people.

LS, RS ADJOURNED SINE DIE

Both Houses of the Parliament were today adjourned sine die by the respective presiding officers after adopting the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.
While the first session of the 16th Lok Sabha was convened on June 4, the Rajya Sabha was convened on June 9 with the joint address by the President in Central Hall of Parliament.
The Lok Sabha adjourned sine die after an eight-day session and a debate on the Motion of Thanks of President's address. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned after a three-day session.
The Lok Sabha also saw all the newly-elected members taking oath and the election of new Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
A conciliatory Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached out to the opposition urging it to join him in "collective decision-making" for development of the country and all sections of people, including Muslims.
Replying to the debate in his maiden address to the two Houses of Parliament, Modi, fresh from a massive mandate, promised not to work on the basis of numbers but "on the basis of collective decision-making".

TRIBAL,HORTICULTURE VARSITIES IN TELANGANA

The Telangana government plans to establish tribal and horticulture universities, cotton and silk hub, and pursue with the Railway Ministry to set up a coach factory in Kazipet. As per the AP Reorganisation Act, a tribal university would be established at the earliest, Governor E S L Narasimhan said in his address to the maiden session of both Houses of Telangana state, which came into being on June 2. "We are aware that there is demand from tribals of plain areas for sanctioning an ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) for them. We will examine this and take appropriate steps soon," Narasimhan said. The government would like to establish a cotton and silk hub in Warangal and Sircilla on the lines of Tirupur in Tamil Nadu which would transform these towns into thriving textile industrial centres. "An industrial corridor will be promoted between Hyderabad and Warangal to boost employment opportunities," he said. We will pursue with the Railway ministry to set up a rail coach factory at Kazipet as mentioned in the 13th schedule of the state Reorganisation Act, he said. The government would set up a sugarcane research centre in Nizamabad and a turmeric research centre in Mothe, Nizamabad district. A horticulture university would also be set up to strengthen the agriculture sector. The government is committed to provide compulsory and free education from KG to PG with CBSE syllabus in English medium to all needy students. The Governor said as agricultural scientists have found the agro-climate of Telangana best suited for producing high-quality seeds, steps would be taken to encourage farmers to produce seeds of high quality so as to transform the state into 'Seed bowl of India'. Keeping in view the spirit of democratic government, Narasimhan said the government would like to constitute a state advisory council, drawing its expertise from the civil society. "Moreover, intellectuals, media representatives, voluntary organisations, social activists, various professionals and others will be a part of this State Advisory Council," the Governor added.

BABU ALLOCATES PORTFOLIOS

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has kept portfolios of Energy, Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce and Tourism among others with himself while allocating berths to Ministers today. Two Deputy Chief Ministers K E Krishnamurthy and N Chinna Rajappa were given the portfolios of Revenue and Home, respectively. Former Assembly Speaker Yanamala Ramakrishnudu got Finance and Planning, Commercial Taxes and Legislative Affairs. Ayyanna Patrudu was allocated Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply. Two BJP MLAs – Kamineni Srinivas and P Manikyala Rao – were given Health and Medical Education, and Endowments, respectively. Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who served as Minister in the erstwhile cabinet of N Kiran Kumar Reddy and returned to the TDP on the eve of the recent elections, has been given the portfolio of HRD (primary education, secondary education, higher and technical education). In all, 19 ministers, including the two from TDP's ally BJP, were sworn in along with Naidu at a public function at Nagarjuna Nagar, 18 kms from Vijayawada, on June eight. According to an official release following is the list of Ministers (with portfolios in brackets): N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister (GAD, Law & Justice, Energy, Infrastructure,Investment, Industries & Commerce, Public Enterprises, Cinematography, Tourism and all other portfolios not allocated to Ministers); K E Krishnamurthy, Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue, Stamps & Registration); N Chinna Rajappa, Deputy Chief Minister (Home, Disaster Management); Yanamala Ramakrishnudu (Finance & Planning, Commercial Taxes, Legislative Affairs). 
Ayyanna Patrudu is the minister of Panchayat Raj, Rural Water Supply, NREGS while B Gopalakrishna Reddy is given Environment & Forests, Science & Technology, Cooperation, Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao the Irrigation, Command Area Development & Water Resources Management, P Narayana (MA&UD, Urban Water Supply and Urban Planning). Paritala Sunithamma is entrusted with the Price Monitoring, Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies, while Prathipati Pulla Rao will be representing Agriculture, Agri-Processing, Marketing & Warehousing, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Fisheries. While Kamineni Srinivas has got Health and Medical Education, Ganta Srinivasa Rao is entrusted with the Human Resources Development-Primary Education, Secondary Education, Higher & Technical Education. Palle Raghunatha Reddy got I&PR, ICT, NRI Empowerment & Relations, Telugu Language & Culture, Minority Welfare & Empowerment, while Peethala Sujatha is given Women Empowerment, Child Welfare and Disabled & Senior Citizens welfare, Mines and Geology. Other ministers whose names figure in the list are: Atchannaidu Kinjarapu (Labour & Employment, Factories, Youth & Sports, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship); Raghava Rao Sidda (Transport, Roads & Buildings); Kimidi Mrunalini (Rural Development, Housing, Sanitation);  Kollu Ravindra (BC Welfare & Empowerment, Handlooms & Excise), Ravela Kishore Babu (Social Welfare & Empowerment, Tribal Welfare & Empowerment); P Manikyala Rao (Endowments). 

CHANDRABABU TAKING OATH TOMORROW

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu will be sworn in as the first Chief Minister of new Andhra Pradesh at a grand function tomorrow. Governor E S L Narasimhan will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Chandrababu at a public function to be held at Nagarjuna Nagar between Vijayawada and Guntur at 7.27 PM. Some Cabinet ministers will also be sworn-in, but their exact number is not known yet. A host of dignitaries, including 15 Union ministers, six Chief Ministers of various states, film stars and veteran BJP leaders like L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, besides chief ministers of Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Punjab and Goa are expected to attend, sources said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's attendance is not confirmed yet, according to Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao and Director General of Police J V Ramudu. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy will not be attending the swearing-in though Chandrababu has extended personal invitations to them. Soon after taking oath, Chandrababu will sign a file relating to waiver of crop loans to farmers and also loans to women self-help groups. Modalities for the waiver will, however, be worked out subsequently. Chandrababu had been talking about waiving off the crop loans in the campaigning. He may also sign a second file ordering closure of all "belt shops" (unauthorised liquor vends in villages) across the state, TDP sources said. The "NTR Sujala", the scheme for supply of safe drinking water to rural habitations, is also likely to be cleared on the occasion. It is also expected that Chandrababu may also announce the location of the Capital for the new state, though Hyderabad will be the "common capital" for Telangana and AP for ten years. 
A strong police force of 10,000 personnel is being deployed for security for the as a crowd of over five lakh people, including about 10,000 VVIPs and VIPs, is expected. State Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao, DGP J V Ramudu and top IAS and IPS officials are personally monitoring the security and other arrangements at the venue as it is a state function. "Foolproof arrangements have been made for the event," they said. Since the venue abuts the busy Chennai-Kolkata National Highway, special arrangements are being made to ensure there is no traffic disruption.

SUMITRA MAHAJAN ELECTED AS SPEAKER OF LS

Eight-term member Sumitra Mahajan was today unanimously elected Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha, becoming the second woman presiding officer of the Lower House after her predecessor Meira Kumar.
71-year-old Mahajan, the longest-serving woman MP, was elected after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by BJP veteran L K Advani was adopted by voice vote called by Protem Speaker Kamal Nath.
13 similar motions proposed and seconded by several parties in the ruling NDA as also in the opposition supporting Mahajan were also approved by the House.
Mahajan was led to the Speaker's Chair by the Prime Minister, Advani, Anant Geete, M Thambidurai as also a number of opposition leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, besides Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. 
Mahajan, clad in an off-white saree with green border, accepted the post with grace and thanked members for electing her unanimously.
Describing the new assignment as a challenging task, she said she will try to give justice to all parties, including the smallest.
Modi congratulated Mahajan and thanked all parties and members for unanimously electing her as the Speaker and keeping up the great tradition of electing the presiding officer without a contest.
"It is a matter of pride for all of us that a woman is at the helm of the temple of world's largest democracy and we hope that her guidance would help us in the smooth conduct of the House," he said.
Referring to her battle-hardened political career, the Prime Minister said she has risen from the ranks after starting as an ordinary member of the Indore Municipal Corporation and has become an MP for eight terms due to her public service.
Drawing parallels, Modi said the 16th Lok Sabha is similar to that of the country's first Lok Sabha as the present House has around 315 first time members.
With new blood and aspirations, coupled with great traditions of the past, the House could become a temple of energy to help address the hopes of the people, he said, adding the Speaker's name "Sumitra" itself gives a feeling of friendliness.
Quoting a Sanskrit saying, "Mahajano yena gatasya pantha" (you should follow great people), Modi said, "We now have a 'Mahajan' (great person) presiding over the House and what could be more appropriate?"  
Describing her assignment as glorious and challenging, Mahajan assured members that she would not let them down and try to do justice by fulfilling their expectations.
Expressing gratitude to members for electing her unanimously, she said the country's 1.25 billion people have expressed their faith in the elected members with the expectation that their hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled.
"If we discharge our responsibility dutifully and with dedication, then only we will be able to fulfil those expectations of the people," she said.
Modi later tweeted saying he has known Mahajan for years and has seen her dedication and monumental service towards people -- be it as an MP or a Union minister.
"I wish Sumitraji the very best in her role as Speaker. I assure our complete support and cooperation in the smooth running of the House," he tweeted, adding, "Her election is a proud moment for our democracy."
As Mahajan ascended the Speaker's seat closely followed by Modi, Protem Speaker Kamal Nath was seen exchanging a few words with the Prime Minister.
Nath was heard saying, "Madhya Pradesh ke saath nyay hua hai (justice has been done with Madhya Pradesh)," as both he and Mahajan are from that state. 

CHANDRABABU APPOINTED AS ANDHRA FIRST CM

Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan tonight appointed Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu as the first Chief Minister of the new state of Andhra Pradesh and invited him to form the government. A delegation of TDP legislators met the Governor at Raj Bhavan here this afternoon and handed over a letter informing about the election of Naidu as the leader of Telugu Desam Legislature Party. The legislators requested Narasimhan's to formally invite their leader to form the government. On his suggestion, the TDP subsequently communicated in writing details of the swearing-in ceremony to be held at 7.27 pm on June 8 at Nagarjuna Nagar, located between Vijayawada and Guntur. Based on this, the Governor issued a warrant appointing Naidu as the Chief Minister and inviting him to form the government. The TDLP met in the temple-town of Tirupati late last night and unanimously elected Naidu as its leader. Senior legislators Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, K E Krishna Murthy, Mandali Buddha Prasad, Dhulipalla Narendra and P Sujatha met Narasimhan this afternoon and informed him about the unanimous election. "We requested the Governor to invite Chandrababu Naidu to form the government of (new) Andhra Pradesh," Yanamala later told reporters. Elaborate arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony as over five lakh people are expected to attend. Union ministers and chief ministers of various states are expected to attend the ceremony. Naidu has sent personal invitation letters to them, and spoken to some of them over phone, TDP sources said. Though he has personally invited the Prime Minister Narendra Modi too, there is no confirmation about his participation. 
The TDP won 102 seats in the 175-member AP Assembly in the elections held last month. An Independent, a rebel candidate of the TDP, returned to the party upon his election from Pithapuram. Another candidate, who won from Chirala on behalf of Navodayam Party, also announced that he would be an "associate" member of the TDP in the Assembly. The TDP is, however, yet to take a final call in his case as there is a strong opposition from within the party. 

MODI TO VISIT BHUTAN NEXT MONTH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to neighbouring Bhutan later this month in his first foreign visit after assuming power. Modi will be travelling to Bhutan and will hold talks on key bilateral and regional issues with the leadership of the Himalayan nation, top government sources said. The visit reflects the importance India attaches to its ties with Bhutan whose Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay was among the leaders from the neighbouring countries to attend Modi's swearing-in on May 26. After the swearing-in, Modi had held a short duration bilateral meeting with the Bhutanese leader. Modi is also likely to travel to Brazil to participate in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in mid July.

DON't OPEN SENSITIVE ISSUES

CONGRESS ASKS NDA

Congress today asked the NDA government not to "reopen very sensitive issues" like abrogation of Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and Ram Mandir. Party spokesman Shashi Tharoor also cautioned restraint on the issue of tackling infiltration in Assam contending that the problem cannot be solved by "wave of a wand" and "human lives are at stake". Talking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Shashi Tharoor said, "We have taken a very clear position that this is not the time in the country to reopen very sensitive issues raised by several leaders." He was asked about Press Council Chairman Justice Markandey Katju's remarks that Uniform Civil Code must be implemented. Such issues will distract the development message, he said, adding that the BJP-led coalition should "stick to the script". Tharoor said that even calling public debate on such issues is "not an innocent" exercise. On the issue of illegal immigration in Assam, he said, "At the moment, we urge that the government has an appropriate procedure to announce, this kind of irresponsible statement should not be made because it is really lighting a match at the petrol station." "We would urge restraint and abundant caution and we say this from long experience of governance in a country which is full of far bigger challenges... We don't treat people in an inhuman fashion and if we find that happening, we will be certainly speaking against it," he said. His remarks came close on the heels of Union Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju terming as "a national problem" the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh and promising action against those "infiltrators" staying in Indian territory. The minister said this when reporters sought his comment on BJP Assam unit's plan to launch 'Bangladeshi bhagao abhiyan (push back Bangladeshis)' in the state.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME

MODI ADVICE SECRETARIES

In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met the secretaries of all the government departments collectively and asked them to directly get in touch with him to resolve issues and expedite decision-making. Modi held a three-hour-long marathon meeting here with them with an intent of giving the bureaucracy a greater role in decision-making with thrust on transparency and speedy and effective governance. To ensure that implementation of decisions and programmes are not stuck in 'red-tape', he asked secretaries to call him or email him directly for suggestions or intervention required in resolving issues or expeding decisions, sources said. During the meeting, first by a Prime Minister directly with all the secretaries without ministers, Modi made initial remarks and then asked secretaries to raise issues. About 25 secretaries spoke on the sectoral issues under their responsibility. "Discussions focussed more on making governance more effective," a source said. In all, 77 top bureaucrats, including Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram, Home Secretary Anil Goswami, Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, were called for the meeting. Sources said 16 groups were formed by clubbing related ministries. All finance ministry departments were grouped together, while secretaries of energy-related departments — power, coal, oil, mines and atomic energy were put together. 
Agriculture and related departments were clubbed under one head, while the infrastructure group comprised of railways, telecom, roads, civil aviation, shipping and posts. The sources said the Prime Minister illustrated what kind of work he expected them to perform. No presentation was made by the secretaries. Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth made the inital remarks. 

After that those who spoke included Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram, Power Secretary P K Sinha, Heavy Industries Secretary Sutanu Behuria and DoPT Secretary S K Sarkar, the sources said. Previously, the secretaries had been asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation for the Prime Minister listing successes and failures of the past regime as well as points of action for the next five years. That process may start tomorrow.
Notes of finance ministry officials for the meeting included inflation, fiscal consolidation, controlling the current account deficit, clarity on tax administration and disinvestment in non-core sectors like steel and cement. Liberalising the FDI policy in defence, e-commerce retail, railways and construction development and hurdles in land acquisition and cumbersome project clearances topped the agenda of Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher. Updates on the monsoon and a new insurance scheme to protect farmers from crop failure figured on Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna's notes, while the consumer affairs department was concerned about rising onion prices. While the Oil Ministry went with a list of pending decisions, including an increase in natural gas prices which was due on April 1, the Power Ministry cited round-the-clock power supply and easing of fuel shortages as its top focus. Divestment of stake in PSUs such as SAIL and opening of closed mines were the focus areas for the steel and mines ministry. 

SCENE CHANGED

It was a changed scenario in the new Lok Sabha with the churning brought out by the elections throwing in contrasts.
While BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in full strength on the Treasury benches, Congress was a decimated lot on the Opposition with just 44 members, its lowest tally ever.
Amid thumping of desks, Modi walked into the Lok Sabha as the victor closely followed by senior BJP leader L K Advani.
Clad in an off-white slightly cream-coloured kurta, Modi greeted the members with a smile before going around the front rows and exchanged pleasantries with the members.
As he reached the Congress benches, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was walking into the aisle. Both greeted each other with folded hands.
The Prime Minister shook hands with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was heard congratulating Modi.
The seating arrangement also reflected the change of guard at the Centre as BJP has secured a majority on its own in the 16th Lok Sabha, a feat achieved by any party for the first time after 1984.
BJP patriarch Advani was seated next to Modi being Chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Party.
The front bench next to them was occupied by five leaders -- Murli Manohar Joshi, Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP chief), M Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh. Nitin Gadkari, a former BJP chief, was sitting in the second row.
In the Opposition benches, the first row was occupied by Leader of the Congress party in the House Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, M Veerappa Moily and K H Muniyappa.
Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi sat in the back benches on their respective sides.

Those occupying front rows on the Opposition side included Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC), Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD) and M Thambidurai (AIADMK) occupied front rows.
Before the House assembled, Home Minister Rajnath Singh walked around the front rows and greeted the members.
While the BJP had only one member in saffron robes -- Yogi Adityanath -- in the last Lok Sabha, this time there were at least three members who were clad in similar robes.
The new House missed many of its previous members who had made a mark in Parliament. They include CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta who did not contest this time, CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia who lost out to Moon Moon Sen of Trinamool Congress, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh.
BSP and DMK, which had sizeable numbers in the previous House, has no representation this time, as also National Conference and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal.

CENTRAL MINISTER GOPINATH MUNDE DEAD

Union Rural Development Minister and a popular backward class leader from Maharashtra Gopinath Munde today died of multiple internal injuries suffered in a road accident in Central Delhi early this morning. 64-year-old Munde, who made his entry into the Union Cabinet for the first time last week, was on his way to the airport when his car was hit by another vehicle at Prithviraj Road-Tughlak Road intersection in the heart of the capital. A brother-in-law of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, Munde is survived by his wife and three daughters, one of whom is an MLA from Parli in Maharashtra's Beed district. "The minister has died of multiple internal injuries. No external wound was found on his body. When he was brought to Trauma Centre, his pulse and hearth beat were not working," AIIMS spokesperson Dr Amit Gupta said after a team of doctors conducted a postmortem on his body. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Munde suffered cervical fractures and oxygen to the brain and lungs may have been cut off following the injuries. His liver had tear at 2-3 places and there was one-and-half litres of blood in his abdomen because of the injury, he said. "The major thing that cost him very heavily was a fracture of the cervical spines C1 and C2. When you have fracture at C1 and C2, the blood supply at the brain gets cut off because the vertebral artery gets damaged immediately," Vardhan, himself a doctor, said. Munde's Secretary S Nair, who was in the car, said the Union Minister received a huge shock after the accident and apparently suffered a massive heart attack. A senior police official said the Indica car which jumped the traffic signal at Aurobindo Chowk collided with the Maruti Suzuki SX 4 in which Munde was travelling towards Safdarjung road from Prithviraj road. His body has been taken to Mumbai and will be given state funeral to be held in his home town Parli in Beed district of Maharastra. 
Earlier in the morning, Dr Gupta said Munde was brought to the Trauma Centre of AIIMS at 6:30 AM by his personal assistant and driver. Munde was sitting in the backseat of his car which was hit by another car at around 6:20 AM from the side he was sitting, he said. On his arrival at the Trauma Centre, there was no spontaneous breathing, no blood pressure, no pulse, no cardiac activity. So immediately Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was started and continued for the next 15 minutes. Despite resuscitative measures, Munde could not be revived and was declared dead at 7:20 AM, he said. Munde was hypertensive and a sugar patient. He has no major external injuries on his body. "We cannot say anything but clinically we might say that he had a sudden cardiac death".  After the accident, Munde sought water and asked his driver to take him to the hospital, police said. 

MUN DE WITH FORMER PM VAJPAYEE

Munde was considered the architect of social engineering in BJP since the mid-1990s and was responsible for adding parties like RPI and Rashtriya Samaj Party and Swabhimani Paksh into the Sena-BJP alliance that virtually swept the polls winning 42 of the 48 seats. He had only last night attended a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers called by the Prime Minister and was proceeding to Mumbai for work when the accident occurred.
Munde hailed from a poor family in the backward Marathwada region and was brought into politics by the late BJP leader Vasantrao Bhagwat, who also groomed several other leaders including Pramod Mahajan. Munde was recently caught in a row over his educational qualifications with Congress alleging that he "graduated" in 1976 from a college established in 1978. Expressing grief over the untimely demise of 64-year-old Munde, the President said, "In his death, we have lost a veteran leader who always worked for the common man". Modi said he was saddened by the demise of Munde. "Extremely saddened & shocked by the demise of my friend & colleague Gopinath Mundeji. He was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights & tirelessly served people," Modi tweeted. As a mark of respect to Munde, the national flag is being flown at half mast in Delhi, state capitals and Union Territories today.  

INDUSTRY, SERVICE SECTORS TO DRIVE TELANGANA ECONOMY

Telangana recorded a GSDP (State Gross Domestic Product) of Rs 3,35,018 crore for the year 2012-13, driven by industry and services sectors. As per reports prepared by the officials of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the average annual GSDP growth of Telangana, which came into being as the country's 29th state today, between 2004-05 and 2012-13 was 16.05 per cent. The state GDP grew 13.26 per cent in 2012-13 to Rs 3,35,018 crore over Rs 2,95,767 crore in 2011-12, it said. "In 2012-13, the service sector at Rs 1.81 lakh crore contributed 54 per cent to the GSDP (at current prices). It was followed by the industry sector, contributing 28.8 per cent at over Rs 96,000 crore and the agriculture sector's contribution was at 17.2 per cent at over Rs 57,000 crore," a senior official told PTI. According to the official, 95 per cent of the revenue from services sector was contributed by the capital Hyderabad and surrounding areas. Telangana's per capita income of Rs 24,409 in 2004-05 has phenomenally grown to a whopping Rs 83,020 in 2012-13, the reports said. Despite some sluggishness during 2009-10, the growth was largely on track during 2008-09 to 2012-13. However, on the flip side, barring Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, the number of households using open toilets hovers at 58.6 per cent of the total in the state. While Hyderabad has less number of households using open toilets at 0.9 per cent, Mahabubnagar is at 71.1 per cent. The land-locked state is expected to have nearly Rs 4,000 crore surplus budget, but lingering power deficit may force the new government to spend more on the power purchase, the official said. The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh may face the deficit anywhere between Rs 14,000 to Rs 15,000 crore. The undivided state had shown Rs 18,600 crore surplus in its budget last fiscal, the official added. Telangana, spread in 1,14,840 square kilometres, has 66.46 per cent literacy rate with a population of 3.52 crore.

HYD TO HAVE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SURVEILLANCE

About 10,000 closed-circuit television cameras would be installed across Hyderabad as part of an effort to put an international-standard surveillance system in place, first Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao announced here today. "Hyderabad city has got international recognition. We will make it a world-class city with law and order as top priority," KCR said, addressing the Telangana formation day parade here this afternoon. The government would be very firm in matters of law and order and would spare none, particularly in cases of atrocities against women, he asserted. "We will install 6,000 to 10,000 CCTV cameras in every corner of the city to maintain security. We will have an international-standard surveillance system in place," KCR added. He also announced that the various wings of the police like civil, armed reserve, special protection force, special police, etc would soon be brought under one umbrella. "We will study this possibility and bring all units under one umbrella for better functioning," the Chief Minister said. The police communications set up would also be strengthened. "There are certain anomalies in the police set up. We need to set them right. We will ensure monthly payment of stationery expenses to all police stations. We will also grant special medical allowance for traffic police personnel every month," the Chief Minister said. Telangana Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma, Director General of Police Anurag Sharma, ministers and top officials attended the ceremonial parade.

TELANGANA FIRST CM KCR

For TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, the metamorphosis from being the leader of separate statehood agitation by starting of with only a handful of supporters in 2001 to security majority on his own and occupying the Chief Minister's chair in Telangana today is complete. The 60-year-old KCR, as he is popularly known, is now set to guide the destiny of over four crore Telangana people in his capacity as the first Chief Minister of India's 29th state, carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Rao is now hailed as the tallest leader in Telangana and credited with achieving the separate state despite being the only MP for his party in the previous Lok Sabha (his MP colleague Vijayashanti turned a rebel following differences with him and joined the Congress days before the elections). KCR was a TDP leader and a former minister, when he quit the N Chandrababu Naidu-led party in 2001 and formed the outfit to fight for separate Telangana. The separate Telangana issue was not an innovative idea, though it never lost the undercurrent of support among people, as veteran leaders like M Chenna Reddy had fought for the cause albeit unsuccessfully. Not many expected KCR to make it big as seasoned politicians like Naidu, who was Chief Minister, and late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy were around. However, KCR built the agitation all over again though his party could not spread it to the entire region not long ago. The party, however, made inroads in several areas where it did not have much of a presence. 
What aided Rao, a shrewd political strategist, in strengthening the statehood agitation was his fiery oratory delivered in typical Telangana lingo, though his detractors accuse him of being a rabble-rouser. He had criticised leaders from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema (together known as Seemandhra), highlighting alleged injustice meted out to the Telangana region in an "integrated Andhra Pradesh", striking a chord with masses of the region which consists of 10 districts. His remarks like "Telangana waley jaago, Andhra waley bhago" (Telangana people arise, Andhra people run away), warnings of a "civil war" and "bloodbath" made him controversial. Often, he unsparingly criticised even Congress President Sonia Gandhi and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After a poor performance in the 2009 elections, KCR suffered a setback with several leaders deserting his party and getting closer to the then Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy. However, he bounced back after Reddy passed away in a chopper crash and soon began a fast unto death. In the wake of the fast, the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced on December 9, 2009 that steps would be taken for formation of separate Telangana. Following opposition in Seemandhra to the "unilateral announcement", the then UPA government felt that more consultations were needed on the demand for separate state. However, there is no looking back for Rao with the UPA-II accepting the demand last year. He sprang a surprise by refusing to merge his party with the Congress and even having an electoral tie-up with the national party, in what's now seen as a "political master stroke". As the process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh got underway, Rao highlighted that "reconstruction" of Telangana would only be possible with TRS and not with Congress, TDP or BJP. With people adequately reposing faith in his leadership, TRS has secured majority by winning 63 of the 119 assembly seats in the region.

 

CHANDRABABU INVITE KCR TO SWEARING IN CEREMONY

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu rang up Telangana Rashtra Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), who took over as Telangana's first Chief Minister today and invited the latter to his swearing-in ceremony as Andhra Pradesh CM on June 8. Though KCR did not extend a similar courtesy to him, Chandrababu chose not be discourteous towards his erstwhile colleague, TDP sources said. "Besides congratulating KCR for taking over as Telangana CM, Chandrababu invited him to his oath-taking ceremony on June 8," sources said. Chandrababu is scheduled to take oath at 7.27 PM on June 8 as Chief Minister of (new) residual Andhra Pradesh at Nagarjuna Nagar, between Vijayawada and Guntur. The new capital of Andhra Pradesh is also expected to come up between Vijayawada and Guntur, since it is centrally located and has good road and rail connectivity from different parts of the state. Chandrababu has already invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally for his swearing-in ceremony. He also wrote letters to all Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Punjab and Nagaland inviting them for his swearing-in, TDP sources said.

CS, DGP OF TELANGANA, AP APPOINTED

A day ahead of the separate Telangana state coming into existence, Chief Secretaries and DGPs have been appointed for Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh today. Chief Secretary P K Mohanty issued separate government orders here today appointing senior IAS officers Krishna Rao and Rajiv Sharma as chief secretaries of (new) Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively. With Mohanty taking voluntary retirement from today, Krishna Rao has been given full charge as Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Tomorrow (June 2) happens to be the "appointed day" when Telangana would come into existence as the 29th state of India. Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao would also assume the office of Chief Minister of Telangana tomorrow. Meanwhile, senior IPS officers J V Ramudu and Anurag Sharma have been made DGPs of (new) Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively. Anurag Sharma shall officiate as in-charge Director General of Police for Telangana until the DGP is appointed through the Union Public Service Commission process, a government order said. Ramudu shall officiate as in-charge Director General of Police for the residual state of Andhra Pradesh until a DGP is appointed through the UPSC process, another government order said. Separate government orders were also issued today for provisional allotment of staff to Telangana and the residual state Andhra Pradesh. The government order stated that all employees of local, district, zonal and multi-zonal cadres in Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh would be allotted to their respective states.

KARUNANIDHI CALLS FOR SELF INTROSPECT

Seeking to enthuse party cadres after the rout in the Lok Sabha polls, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today urged them to "self-introspect" and ensure their words and deeds are in consonance with DMK's ideals.
"Good or bad does not come from others," he said, quoting a popular verse to indicate that blame for defeat should collectively lie within the party.
In a message to cadres ahead of his 91st birthday on June 3, Karunanidhi also said "no one can destroy you...except by yourself," quoting party founder C N Annadurai.
"Party workers should use the poll results to sharpen and equip themselves better by self-introspection. See where you are, what you are doing and [understand] its consequences, realise that words and deeds should be in consonance with the party ideals," Karunanidhi said.
Stating that several reasons were being put forth by many for the poll debacle, the DMK chief, without naming any leader said, "It is being stated that some party workers shunned poll work or their activities had brought bitterness and regret among the electorate."
The DMK chief pointed out that the party had made dramatic comeback in the past after electoral routs. "Whether it is victory or defeat, I continue to move on in the path of the ideal without losing heart," he said.
Ahead of the LS polls, DMK had suspended the party's southern strongman and elder son of Karunanidhi, M K Alagiri on January 24 and expelled him on March 25 for "anti-party" activities. Many of Alagiri's supporters were also expelled.
Since then, Alagiri had been voicing his protest in several forms and had even rightly predicted that the party would be defeated badly in polls.
Karunanidhi's message assumes significance as it comes a day ahead of DMK's high-level committee meeting here tomorrow to take stock of the party's drubbing in the polls.
K Anbazhagan, M K Stalin, Arcot N Veerasamy, Duraimurugan and Kanimozhi are among the leaders who are expected to participate in the meeting.
DMK failed to win a single seat in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Its allies also drew a blank.

TELANGANA...THE 29th STATE OF INDIA

Telangana would come into existence as the 29th state of India tomorrow, capping the decades-old struggle in the region for carving out a separate state from Andhra Pradesh. President's rule imposed in united Andhra Pradesh would be revoked partially tomorrow to facilitate the swearing-in of a government in the newly-created Telangana headed by TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao. A notification is expected to be issued tomorrow morning in this regard. The Central rule would, however, continue in the residual AP until TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu takes charge as Chief Minister, which is likely on June 8. Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled to be sworn in as Chief Minister at 8.15 am at the Raj Bhavan here tomorrow by Governor ESL Narasimhan, who will be the Governor for both Telangana and the residual Andhra Pradesh. After taking oath as first Chief Minister of separate Telangana, Chandrasekhar Rao would attend the official celebration of 'Telangana Formation Day' at the sprawling Parade Grounds here. The ruling TRS, other political parties and Telangana supporters have lined up a number of events in Hyderabad and elsewhere to celebrate the realisation of the decades-long dream. TRS activists and supporters have already painted Hyderabad pink, the colour of TRS flag, by installing huge cut-outs, banners, festoons and balloons hailing their leader. According to TRS sources, cultural programmes would be organised from 9 pm to 11.59 pm tonight and a dazzling display of fireworks would be held from mid-night at People's Plaza and Tank Bund at the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake to celebrate the occasion. Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter and MP Kavitha would attend the celebrations at Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarters here. The journey towards achieving the goal of separate Telangana has been momentous and there have been a number of milestones in the saga.
In 1956, Andhra and the then Hyderabad state were merged to form Andhra Pradesh, the first state to be formed on linguistic basis in the country. In 1969, an agitation for formation of separate Telangana began and about 300 people were reportedly killed in the agitation. In a big fillip to the separate Telangana agitation, BJP came out in support of separate statehood demand and it promised "one vote, two states" in the 1998 elections. A group of Congress MLAs from Telangana submitted a memorandum to party president Sonia Gandhi in 2000 demanding separate statehood to the region. The separate Telangana agitation got a huge boost in 2001 when the then TDP leader K Chandrasekhar Rao quit the party and launched the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to fight for separate state. TDP announced support for separate Telangana demand in 2008 and it joined hands with TRS for the 2009 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections. The Telangana agitation grew subsequently after Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy died in a chopper crash in September 2009 as he was seen as a formidable opponent of separate Telangana. The TRS president began a fast-unto-death towards the end of 2009 and the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced on December 9, 2009, that steps would be taken for formation of separate Telangana. In the wake of strong protests in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, the Centre set up a commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna, for more consultations on the issue. The Commission presented six options to the Centre. On July 30, 2013, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) favoured formation of separate Telangana. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to divide Andhra Pradesh in October 2013. After the Union Cabinet approved the bifurcation, a Group of Ministers (GoM) was appointed to go into the issue of AP's division.  
The Union Cabinet approved the draft AP Reorganisation Bill on December 5, 2013, based on the recommendations of the GoM. President Pranab Mukherjee referred the Bill to the AP Legislative Assembly for its views. The Bill was, however, rejected by the Assembly on January 30 this year amid din. The Bill was tabled in Parliament for passage and the Lok Sabha witnessed unprecedented scenes with a group of Congress MPs moving a no-confidence motion against the UPA government. Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha with Seemandhra MP L Rajagopal using pepper-spray, though the Bill was passed in Parliament with the support of BJP. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who raised a banner of revolt against the decision to divide AP, resigned from his post when the Lok Sabha passed the Telangana Bill in February this year. The process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh began following the passage of the Bill in Parliament and June 2 was declared as the 'Appointed Day' when Telangana would come into existence as the 29th state of India. In the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held last month, the ruling Congress suffered a humiliating defeat both in Seemandhra and also Telangana. With 63 of 119 Assembly seats, TRS bagged majority in Telangana paving way for the party's president K Chandrasekhar Rao to be sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the new state tomorrow.  

CONGRESS LEADER SUSPENDED FOR CRITICISING RAHUL

In an action against a second Congress leader this week for criticising Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma was today suspended from the party, a day after he dubbed him 'MD of a team of jokers'. "Sharma has been suspended by the PCC chief on a direction by the AICC General Secretary in-charge Gurudas Kamat," PCC spokesperson Archna Sharma said. T H Mustafa, a Congress leader from Kerala, was suspended on Thursday. Sharma had yesterday attacked the leadership of Rahul, saying he was directionless and surrounded by advisers who lack political understanding. Calling Rahul an 'MD of the Congressi Circus', Sharma had said party President Sonia Gandhi should shift her focus towards strengthening and restructuring the party in a democratic manner instead of showing affection for Rahul.
"The people who are around him (Rahul) are jokers. He is the MD of a team of jokers," Sharma told reporters.
"Rahul Gandhi is directionless and has no policy. He and his advisors are responsible for the party's embarrassment and defeat in elections as there is no huge mass support for him," Sharma had told PTI. When contacted, Sharma today said that he was not aware whether he was suspended but said he did not care about the action. "I am not bothered about the action. I was right in saying that Rahul is surrounded by such advisors who have no ground, no support and they all were responsible for the party defeat. The way the party is functioning now is very unfortunate," he said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Rameshwar Lal Dudi did not respond to calls despite repeated attempts. A six-time MLA, Sharma represents Sardarshahar constituency in the Rajasthan assembly, in which Congress has 21 MLAs, including him. In 2013 Assembly elections, BJP stormed to power with winning 163 out of 200 seats.
In Kerala, Mustafa was suspended for his remark that Rahul depended on a coterie close to him during the Lok Sabha campaign and that "acting like a joker" would not help in elections.
Mustafa, a five-time Congress MLA and former minister for civil supplies, also called for the removal of Rahul from all party posts and demanded his sister Priyanka Gandhi be made the new leader.