Santosh Joy - Livemint.com
ABOUT RECENT POSTS
Member since 05-11-2009
Last visited 09-08-2009
Timezone 5.00 GMT
Total Posts 12
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  • Monday, September 07, 2009
    Posted at 5:31:00 PM
    The big question with BJP leaders these days is if the party's expelled leader Jaswant Singh is heading to Pakistan for the launch of his controversial book 'Jinnah- India, Partition, Independence'. According to people close to Jaswant Singh, the answer is yes. Jaswant Singh will reportedly reach Pakistan on Sept 26 and will be given a public reception before the unveiling of the book the next day. But Jaswant Singh's son and former party MP Manvendra Singh, has said that his father has no plans to go to Pakistan and has not even.
  • Friday, August 21, 2009
    Posted at 1:33:00 PM
    Gone are the days when politicians hailing from Rajasthan represented themselves as a non-controversial class of politicians in the national arena. One after the other, senior leaders from the state (all of royal descent) have made unceremonious exits from various positions and portfolios. First Kunwar Natwar Singh, the External Affairs of the country was expelled from Congress after he was implicated as a "non-contractual beneficiary" from Iraqi oil sales in the 2005 UN Volcker Committee report. Next, former BJP Vice President Bhairon.
  • Friday, August 21, 2009
    Posted at 8:48:00 AM
    Jaswant Singh may have been sent back from Shimla on the first day after his expulsion from the BJP. However his book is flying off the shelves in this hill city. Tourists are eager to read the contents of the book which sealed the senior politician's fate in the saffron party. The response to the book has also taken booksellers in the city by surprise. The two book depots, Minerva and Asian book house have had to order advance copies of the book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah "Jinnah-India, Partition, Independence" to catch up with the demand.
  • Thursday, August 20, 2009
    Posted at 7:21:00 PM
    It was surprising for us to see Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi taking a stroll at the Scandal Point in Shimla on the second day of the three-day brainstorming session of his party here in the morning. Leaving behind his security paraphernalia, Modi rode in a green Scorpio car to reach Mall road without notice and spend considerable time interacting with people including the media. With a special request to avoid any queries on the BJP’s internal deliberations, Modi said he comes to the scandal point everytime he visits Shimla. He has memories.
  • Wednesday, August 19, 2009
    Posted at 8:06:00 PM
    The imposing Hotel Peterhoff amid the hills of Shimla town, the venue of the three-day brainstorming session of BJP has a story of its own to narrate. It was at this hotel where the trial of Nathuram Godse, the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, was held in the year 1948. Around 61 years after the main opposition party chose this venue to hold the ‘summary trial’ one of its senior leader Jaswant Singh. His crime- he wrote a book allegedly against the core ideological viewpoints of the party. In Jaswant Singh’s words, he said,”I am hurt and pained.” While.
  • Thursday, July 30, 2009
    Posted at 5:27:00 PM
    For the main opposition BJP, its seems the mention of Balochistan in the Indo-Pak joint statement has proved a panacea for many a internal ailments. While diplomatic issues have a bearing on the bilateral relation between the countries, the saffron party has used the occasion to unite its top leadership and build further understanding among the NDA partners. Criticized by the media for being 'invisible' in Lok Sabha, the right wing party to the true opposition rule in mid July by staging the first walkout after the new government formation.
  • Tuesday, July 07, 2009
    Posted at 7:35:00 PM
    Ever since Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was spotted carrying her Railway budget papers in her jhola (her patent cloth bag) to Parliament, everyone has been asking what's in Mamata's jhola. The answer lies in seeing it, and some of the parliament reporters were lucky recently to witness the unraveling of the secret. Banerjee obliged the reporters after persistent request to have a inside view of her jhola. What was in store was interesting. As she pulled out the things, it was all medicines. Antiseptic cream, bandages, tablets to treat.
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  • Thursday, July 02, 2009
    Posted at 8:54:00 PM
    Arun Jaitley seems to have played a trick with the English language. Led by the AIADMK in Rajya Sabha, opposition leaders demanded that the name of the Union minister, who attempted to influence Justice Regupathy of Madras high court, be revealed. Some newspapers allegedly reported that Jaitley suggested the name of union environment minister A Raja. Talking on the issue, the BJP leader said, "The ministers sworn in as per the Indian constitution are bound by it and have the duty to protect its sanctity. We are governed by the constitution.
  • Thursday, July 02, 2009
    Posted at 9:14:00 AM
    Only an hour after Justice Liberhan drove to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office in South Block, senior BJP leader L K Advani was already in discussion with BJP top brass including senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. The official reason for the meeting was to discuss the seat arrangement in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for party MPs. However much of the discussion had reportedly centred around a possible BJP reaction to the Liberhan report, which was expected to point out the role of many senior party leaders including Advani.
  • Sunday, June 28, 2009
    Posted at 2:12:00 PM
    After its election debacle, members of L K Advani's communications team have decided to embark on a Padayatra (foot journey) across the country to gain a better understanding of the Indian mindset. The Padayatra christened the 'Bharatanjali Yatra' is to be lead by BJP IT cell chief Pradyut Bora, the man behind Advani's e-rallies. Bora will be accompanied by other members from the Advani communication office and community leaders from a variety of backgrounds ranging from farmers to bankers. "The journey would start from Kanyakumari.
  • Tuesday, June 23, 2009
    Posted at 4:17:00 PM
    The Sports Ministry Shastri Bhawan is faced with a new dilemma. Interestingly, the predicament has nothing to do with the implementation of the ministry's schemes or to with the disbursement of funds. It is about Room No 102 of the ministry which is fast gaining the reputation of being jinxed. Room no 102 was originally occupied by former Sports Secretary S K Arora who died of a heart attack. After Arora, Secretary Sudhir Nath took over the room and passed away while in office. After Nath's death the room was kept vacant till the elections.
  • Wednesday, May 27, 2009
    Posted at 11:17:00 PM
    After a poor show in the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is set to do some hard listening. And it is the all powerful RSS which is speaking this time. The Sangh has called upon the BJP to take up some "merciless" analysis of its defeat. "We expected the BJP to do much better...The party will surely introspect and undertake hopefully a stern and merciless dissection of its shortfall," says the editorial in the recent edition of “Organiser”, the RSS mouthpiece. The editorial has come down heavily on the party's dependence on the Internet.
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  • Thursday, May 14, 2009
    Posted at 9:17:00 AM
    Remember the white smoke that rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing the election of the new Pope? India now has its very own analogy! Reports now indicate that there are many who expect smoke to emanate from the BJP headquarters before counting begins. The BJP will reportedly conduct an exclusive 'Yagya' or 'havan' to bring good luck to the party and candidates. However the decision to hold the sacred purifying ritual involving the fire ceremony at the BJP headquarters has invited much criticism within the party.
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