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How the political battle on GST was won

At the end of the budget session of Parliament in May, few were willing to bet that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would succeed in getting the constitution amendment bill enabling roll-out of the goods and services tax (GST) passed. At best, it was thought to have an outside chance. Yet, on 3 August, at the end of a near eight-hour debate, the Rajya Sabha passed the bill after the ruling coalition managed to forge a political consensus that only months ago seemed impossible. What caused this dramatic turnaround? Read here

L-G is the head of administrative power in Delhi, rules HC

In a setback to Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the Delhi high court on Thursday upheld the administrative powers of the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) in matters of public order, land, police and services—including the power to appoint civil servants—in the national capital.

“Directions under the notification granting independence in decision making to the Lt. Governor are neither illegal nor unconstitutional," said G. Rohini, chief justice of the Delhi high court. Read more

Nitin Patel emerging as consensus CM candidate in Gujarat

Nitin Patel, considered No. 2 in the cabinet of outgoing chief minister Anandiben Patel, seems to be emerging as the consensus candidate for the chief minister’s post in Gujarat, with state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Vijay Rupani withdrawing from the race and the party ruling out the candidature of national BJP president Amit Shah. The Patel factor also seems to be tipping the scales in the favour of the 60-year-old Gujarat health minister. Read more

Narendra Modi to hold first-ever townhall meeting on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to reach out to citizens through his first-ever ‘townhall’ style event on 6 August.

A new PMO app to enable mobile users to connect with the prime minister’s website will also be launched at the mega event, which is being organised by MyGov—the government’s citizen engagement platform—to mark its second anniversary. Read more

AAP releases first list of 19 candidates for Punjab polls

A human rights lawyer, an environmentalist and a former Dalit MP figure among 19 candidates announced by the AAP on Thursday for the Punjab assembly election—more than six months ahead of polls that will mark the party’s debut in the state.

Bhagwant Mann, AAP MP from Sangrur, has been appointed chairman of the party’s campaign committee for the assembly elections that are due by 18 March 2017. Read more

Rajnath Singh for stern action against nations supporting terrorism

In an implicit attack on host Pakistan for declaring Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani a martyr, home minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that “one country’s terrorist cannot be a martyr or freedom fighter for anyone". Terrorism should not be glorified or patronized by any state, Singh said at the 7th meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) interior/home ministers in Islamabad. A copy of the speech was provided by the Indian home ministry. Read more

Gujarat high court scraps 10% EBC quota, govt to move apex court

In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat ahead of the leadership change, the Gujarat high court on Thursday quashed the ordinance providing 10% quota for the economically backward among the unreserved category, promulgated to pacify the agitating Patel community. The state government said it will challenge the high court decision. Read more

Levelling charges against minister without evidence won’t be tolerated, says Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday warned the Congress-NCP against making unsubstantiated allegations against its tainted ministers. The chief minister put up a spirited defence of women and child development minister Pankaja Munde in the assembly. The House witnessed uproar as the ruling BJP and the Congress-NCP engaged in heated arguments over alleged charges of corruption against Munde. Read more

GST set to tax BJP-Shiv Sena relations

The GST bill might have sailed through in the Rajya Sabha, but the BJP might run into a roadblock of a different kind put up by its ally, the Shiv Sena. Once the GST is imposed, no local body tax can be levied on movement of goods within a city or town. Most importantly for the Sena, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be robbed off its single-biggest source of income, the octroi levy. Read more

Determined to implement prohibition: Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa asserted in the state assembly on Thursday that she was determined to implement prohibition in phases in the state even as she harped again on the fact that prohibition was first lifted in the state in 1971 when DMK president M. Karunanidhi was the chief minister.

“We have reduced the business hours of retail liquor shops by two hours and shut down 500 liquor shops as soon we came to power again. So, it is this Government under me which is truly concerned about prohibition," Jayalalithaa said to the loud thumping of desks by AIADMK members. Read more

Soumonty Kanungo from Kolkata, Abhiram Ghadyalpatil from Mumbai, Dharani Thangavelu from Chennai and Maulik Rajnikant Pathak from Ahmedabad also contributed to this story

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