Latest news with #LiveHindustan
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who will be next BJP national president? All eyes on these three heavyweights
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to shift focus to organisational matters, particularly the appointment of its next national president. While the party has made no official announcement yet, sources suggest that internal deliberations are underway and a formal process could begin as early as mid-June. According to sources cited by Live Hindustan, the BJP has completed organisational elections in most states, which are a necessary precondition under the party constitution before electing the next national president. The recent announcement of 70 district presidents in Uttar Pradesh has further fuelled speculation that the central leadership may soon decide on the BJP chief post. However, the process is said to have been briefly delayed in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu, and Kashmir on April 22. Party sources reportedly indicate that before the national-level appointment, the BJP may first finalise new state unit presidents in key states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. In Uttar Pradesh, where caste equations are pivotal, a Brahmin face was reportedly being considered earlier. However, a growing demand for an OBC leader has emerged within sections of the party, reported Live Hindustan. This shift could reflect the BJP's broader attempt to consolidate its OBC support base, particularly after recent electoral trends. In Madhya Pradesh, the current leadership structure has an OBC Chief Minister and a Brahmin state president – a balance that has so far worked for the party. However, sources suggest the party is now considering appointing a tribal leader as the state chief, given the relatively low tribal representation in the current state and national leadership. In Uttarakhand, a Brahmin leader is said to be the frontrunner for the state president's post, although no official confirmation has been made. Even as the state-level equations are being finalised, names of potential contenders for the national president's post have started doing the rounds in party circles. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a key OBC leader from Odisha, known for his organisational acumen and proximity to the central leadership is one of the key bigwigs in the race for the party's president post. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has emerged as another top contender. A former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and now a union minister, is seen as a mass leader with grassroots experience. Manohar Lal Khattar, who recently transitioned from his role as Haryana chief minister to the union cabinet, could represent continuity and administrative experience; hence, he is said to be one of the big three names the BJP may choose from. According to sources, the party's final choice is likely to factor in organisational experience, regional representation, and caste balance. The current national president, JP Nadda, has held the post since January 2020. His term was extended to steer the party through the 2024 general elections. With that mandate now fulfilled, leadership transition discussions have gained momentum. A central election committee is expected to be constituted to oversee the election process, which will include nomination filing, scrutiny, and, if necessary, voting. As of now, it is unclear whether Nadda will seek a second full term or the party will opt for a fresh face. Opposition parties , including the Congress and AAP, are said to be following the developments closely. The new chief will be instrumental in framing electoral narratives ahead of crucial state elections in 2026 and the next Lok Sabha polls in 2029.
India.com
4 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Plan to build Chenab bridge was approved after Kargil war, Pakistan, China are afraid due to...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge – 'Chenab Railway Bridge' and India's first cable-stayed 'Anji Bridge' in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. In a remarkable gesture, Prime Minister Modi waved the Tiranga, the Indian national flag, and carried it forward on the deck of the bridge on the Chenab River, reported news agency ANI. Situated in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel standing at a height of 359 meters above the riverbed. This bridge is reportedly taller than the Eiffel Tower. According to the news agency ANI report, it will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India via rail for the first time in history. The project, part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), faced numerous engineering and logistical challenges due to the region's difficult terrain and seismic sensitivity. According to media reports, the vision for the Chenab Bridge was first imagined over a century ago, almost 130 years ago. Built to endure extreme conditions, the bridge is engineered to resist powerful explosions of up to 40 kg and earthquakes with a magnitude as high as 8 on the Richter scale, showcasing a remarkable feat of modern engineering. Following the Kargil War between India and Pakistan, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee set the USBRL rail project into the authority of the central government. It was following the war that Vajpayee saw the urgent necessity of this bridge. The Chenab Bridge was sanctioned in 2003 to link the far-flung areas of the Kashmir Valley. The project was to be finished in six years. But the project had been delayed numerous times and could not be completed within time. Today, 26 years since the Kargil War, the bridge has finally been completed. According to the LiveHindustan reports, strategic experts believe that this ambitious Indian railway project is a major blow to both China and Pakistan. The completion of the Chenab Bridge has reportedly left the two close allies unsettled. The Pir Panjal region, often seen as a key route for cross-border infiltration, has long been exploited by terrorists. With this new rail link, the operations of terror outfits like ISI, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are likely to suffer a major setback, as reported by LiveHindustan. These groups frequently used the area to hide or retreat into Pakistan. Now, with seamless railway connectivity, the Indian armed forces will be able to move troops and supplies to border regions more quickly and efficiently, no matter the season or weather, marking a big step forward in national security. The Chenab Bridge will greatly facilitate the movement of troops and weaponry to the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh borders. This increased access is also giving China cause for concern. At the same time, tourism in Kashmir is worrying terrorists because they and Pakistan do not want Kashmir to develop. A prosperous and developed Kashmir makes it more difficult for them to radicalize and deceive impressionable youth. With the new rail connection, penetration via the Himalayan Pir Panjal range can be checked, which is likely to minimize terrorist activity in the Valley. Rapid response troops are also now able to move in quicker to meet challenges as they emerge.
India.com
15-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Anti-India Yunus, who challenged India on Northeast is now begging India to..., reason is...
Bangladesh interim government head Mohammad Yunus India-Bangladesh relations: In a significant development after India terminated the transshipment facility that allowed export of Bangladesh cargo to third countries using Indian land, Bangladesh interim government head Muhammad Yunus is on backfoot. The government of Bangladesh led by the Noble laureate is facing significant economic issues and and in order to increase its revenues, it is requesting India and Nepal to use the Chittagong port of Bangladesh. Here are all the details you need to know about the recent development. 'This will be a great opportunity for us. Once the plans of the interim government are implemented properly, it will improve the country's economy and create employment opportunities for thousands of people', Muhammad Yunus was quoted as saying in a report carried by the Live Hindustan. Bangladesh urges India to use Chittagong port 'If the heart is weak, no doctor can make it function better. So we have to make it world-class. This heart should be connected to our neighbours. I mentioned Nepal and the seven northeastern states of India – the Seven Sisters. If they join in, they will benefit, and so will we. Those who don't join in will be left behind', he added. For a background, Muhammad Yunus has given many anti-India statements including threatening India on the northeastern states. This time, he is requesting India's northeastern states and Nepal to use the Chittagong port of Bangladesh. Bangladesh officially bans Hasina-led Awami League In another significant development, Bangladesh issued a gazette notification, officially banning all activities of deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party under an overnight revised anti-terrorism law. 'The Home Ministry today issued the gazette notification banning all activities of the Awami League, its all front, associate and brotherly organisations,' Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam told a media briefing here. According to the notification, Awami League and its affiliated organisations were banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2025 until Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) completed the trial of its leaders and activists, said a Home Ministry official. The official said Section 18 of the revised law empowered the government to declare any 'entity' or organisation alongside an individual if they were found involved in terrorism based on reasonable grounds. (With inputs from agencies)
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra: Ozempic, Mounjaro or lifestyle change? The debate goes on
Jr NTR, Badshah, Karan Johar, Ram Kapoor, Kapil Sharma, what's common between them, apart from of course, being celebrities? All of them have recently been spotted looking leaner and, fingers every single time, point towards the new obsession in town - Ozempic and Mounjaro. The rising popularity of these medicines for weight loss, originally meant for diabetic patients, has come as a bouncer. Celebs, meanwhile, deny using any quick fix to lose weight — and it is this denial which Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Entertainment & Lifestyle, Hindustan Times, explores in the hero segment of her show, MiPhi presents The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra. Episode 3 dropped on Friday across the YouTube channels of Hindustan Times, Live Hindustan and Livemint and delved deep into everything: how Ozempic and Mounjaro work, celebs who have allegedly used them for losing weight, both from Hollywood and the Indian film industry, and reasons why almost everyone denies using this. X owner Elon Musk and actor Amy Schumer are among the rare ones who have accepted that they indeed used the two medicines for looking thin. The Right Angle team doesn't just lay facts before the viewer, but also gets actor Ram Kapoor on record to express why he feels someone taking Ozempic isn't wrong. At the end of the episode, you will get a complete lowdown on the latest fad. A new episode of MiPhi presents The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra drops every Friday at 7pm across Hindustan Times, Live Hindustan and Livemint's YouTube channels. Don't miss it!
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Ek ghante mein hata denge': Prashant Kishor on Bihar liquor ban
Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has said that if his party, Jan Suraaj, is elected to power in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections later this year, the state's liquor ban will be lifted within an hour. 'Ek ghante mein hata denge. (The liquor ban will be lifted within an hour once we come to power.) There is no real liquor ban in Bihar. There is a law in place that has shut down liquor shops and started home delivery,' Kishor said in an interview with Live Hindustan. "This law needs to be removed because Bihar is losing 15 to 20 thousand crore rupees every year due to it. And this money is going to the liquor mafia,' he added. He also said that those who claim liquor prohibition in Bihar is beneficial, particularly in empowering women and reducing violence, should be questioned, especially members of the BJP and Congress, on why such a ban has not been implemented nationwide. 'If prohibition is truly so great, why limit this 'sweet' only to the people of Bihar? Why deprive the rest of the country of it?' asked the Jan Suraaj chief. On contesting seats, Prashant Kishor said his party will field candidates in 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar and will not enter into an alliance with the Congress. He further remarked that the Congress is in discussions with the RJD, and the people of Bihar have already witnessed the era of 'Jungle Raj' or lawlessness under Lalu Prasad Yadav's leadership. He said that he likes Chirag Paswan because he does not engage in caste-based politics, but added that he is opposed to him because of his alliance with the BJP. 'Chirag Paswan's father made many sacrifices for secular politics. He once said he wouldn't become chief minister and that a Muslim should take the post. Today, Chirag Paswan is with the BJP and that's his decision. At the very least, he isn't doing caste-based politics. He talks about the need for progress in Bihar and says the current situation must change,' said Kishor.
