Latest Politics News
Raghuram Rajan declines AAP’s Rajya Sabha berth offer, will stick to academia

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s party wanted former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to be one of its three nominees for the Rajya Sabha polls in January
In a setback for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, on Thursday, declined its offer to contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Delhi as an AAP candidate. Rajan has chosen to pursue his career as an academician instead of taking the plunge into the rough and tumble of the grisly world of politics.
The renowned economist’s decision comes in the wake of reports that surfaced on Wednesday about the Aam Aadmi Party planning to field professionals, like Rajan, for the three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi that will fall vacant in January, 2018.
The Rajya Sabha berths from Delhi that are set to expire in early-January are currently occupied by Congress leaders Dr Karan Singh, Janardhan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi. However, with its brute majority of 66 members in the 70-seat Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal can easily ensure the victory of his party’s nominees for all three seats.
While the AAP had reportedly decided against fielding its own leaders for the Rajya Sabha polls and instead opt for professionals and subject experts, Rajan’s decision could force a re-think in the Delhi-based political party. AAP is already fraught with factional feuds and Kejriwal’s decision of fielding ‘outsiders’ as the party’s Rajya Sabha candidates has already irked his former confidante Kumar Vishwas. Not one to hide his political ambitions, Vishwas has told several mediapersons that he is vying for a Rajya Sabha berth and that he deserves it as a reward for the work he has put in to build the Aam Aadmi Party.
A statement issued by Rajan’s office at the University of Chicago, USA, where he is currently engaged in an academic role, must have thus come as a ray of hope for Kumar Vishwas, even if it upset Kejriwal’s plans.
“While Professor Rajan is engaged in a variety of educational activities in India, he has no plans to leave his full-time academic job at the University of Chicago,” the statement released by Rajan’s office said.
If Rajan had accepted AAP’s proposal, his presence in the Rajya Sabha would have added to the troubles of the Narendra Modi-led government. The Modi government has been under fire for its economic policies – particularly over the Prime Minister’s demonetisation decision and the Goods and Services Tax rollout. Rajan’s opposition to the demonetisation initiative is now publicly known and is also touted to be the reason behind his unceremonial departure from the RBI, shortly after Modi forced the note ban on Indians.
Rajan has a keen sense of economic and financial issues. Along with former finance minister P Chidambaram, Rajan he would have been a major cause of concern for the BJP whenever the Centre wished to or was forced to discuss economic issues in Parliament.
With the other celebrated orator on issues of economy and social sector, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, no longer a member of the Rajya Sabha (his term ended earlier this year), the Upper House of Parliament is desperately in need of a member who doesn’t indulge in mere political rhetoric to take on the government but also makes a sound, balanced and not over-the-top argument.
AAP’s plan to rope in Rajan may have failed but perhaps its quest for professionals as its Rajya Sabha nominees may continue and be instrumental in adding some heft to the debates in Parliament’s Upper House – something that the former RBI governor would have achieved with ease.
Latest Politics News
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says every passing day feeling more confident as he meets his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin
The AAP leader was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

On Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as a part of his nationwide campaign to seek support of opposition leaders in his fight against ordinance.
Kejriwal post the meeting with Stalin addressed the media saying if the elected government don’t hold any control over the officials, there is no value of having an elected government. He said it is first time in the history when the government negate a Court verdict, he further termed it unconstitutional and undemocratic.
The Delhi CM further added that the ordinance will soon be moved in the Rajya Sabha, he informed in the upper house the BJP has 93 seats and if all non-BJP parties unite, it will be possible to defeat the BJP.
Kejriwal thanked Stlain for his support and said with each passing day he is getting more confident and termed it a semi-final of the 2024 general elections.
The AAP leader was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Since, last month Kejriwal has embarked on a pan India tour to meet and garner support of the various opposition parties and leaders in order to defeat the ordinance in Rajya Sabha.
The AAP leader until now has held meetings with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.
Kejriwal is also schduled to meet Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday.
The Centre last month had moved an ordinance to nullify the Supreme Court judgement in favour of the Delhi government giving it the powers of transfer and postings of officials working under it.
The Supreme Court had solved the 8-year long dispute between the Centre and Delhi government, ordering in favour of it but later was changed by the Centre moved ordinance taking back the power to its hands.
Karnataka News
Congress’s poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu appointed Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s chief advisor with cabinet minister rank
Amid the finalisation of the new cabinet formation in the state, the CM office has shared the news of Kanugolu’s appointment as the chief advisor.

Top poll strategist and the man behind Congress campaigns in the recent held Karnataka elections Sunil Kanugolu has been appointed as the chief advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with cabinet minister rank.
Congress after coming to the power in Karnataka after marking a landslide victory officially took charge after Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were sworn in as the CM and Deputy Chief Ministers respectively on May 20.
Amid the finalisation of the new cabinet formation in the state, the CM office has shared the news of Kanugolu’s appointment as the chief advisor.
Kanugolu, known to be a champion strategist for political parties for political parties was born in the Ballari district of Karnataka.
Congress which secured a huge mandate of 135 seats in the Karnataka assembly elections was said to be because of its campaigns that hit success reaching out to the masses.
Reports said, Kanugolu’s micro-management strategies was what Congress relied heavily on, he was the part of the core strategy building team of the party contributing in the making of catchy campaigns for the party to encircle the BJP during elections.
Some of the key campaigns were PayCM, 40 percent commission among others.
Kanugolu is a key member of the Congress Task Force 2024, who got appointed in May last year, a team created to execute the Nav Sankalp declaration of the grand old party after its brainstorming session held in Udaipur last year.
The Task Force also includes senior leaders of the party Priyanka Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal and others.
Kanugolu was earlier associated with the sharp witted poll strategist Prashant Kishor and was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 Lok Sabha elections campaign.
Kanugolu has earlier also worked for the DMK and AIADMK.
As per reports, the data driven strategist was also behind the planning of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
Latest Politics News
Video of Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi running to avoid questions on wrestlers protest goes viral; watch
Lekhi was kept chasing by the media person asking her comments on the ongoing wrestlers protest.

A video of a Union Minister running is doing rounds on the internet.
In a viral video, Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi can be seen running towards her car avoiding questions by a reporter on the issue of wrestlers protest.
Lekhi was kept chasing by the media person asking her comments on the ongoing wrestlers protest.
First the Minister walked briskly and then started running towards her car with her security personnel around and fled the incident ignoring the question asked by the reporter.
The incident is reportedly moments before the protesting wrestlers gathered in Haridwar where the immersion of their medals was attempted, which was later prevented by farmer leader Naresh Tikait.
Meenakshi Lekhi is a Lok Sabha MP representing the Delhi constituency and is Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture.
The video has gathered various reactions along with criticism from users across the internet. In fact, opposition leaders could not have got a better opportunity to criticise this action by the Minister.
A user wrote that being a lady minister she is avoiding the questions concerned to the country’s female athletes and further slammed the BJP saying they will bring laurels in running from issues.
The Aam Aadmi Party also Tweeted through its official handle tagging Lekhi as shameless.
The Congress also took a jibe at the Minister sharing the video on Twitter.
A user shared a hilarious picture morphing the poster of the film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and changing it to Bhaag Lekhi Bhaag with her face on it.
The ace grapplers of India Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Mallikh have been demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment of female athletes including some minor girls.
Singh on Wednesday challenged the wrestlers that if he is found guilty he will hang himself and asked them to produce evidence before the court.
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