When 'Telangana' Separated With Andhra Pradesh State?

By M H Ahssan | INNLIVE

ANALYSIS Fifty-eight years after the unification of Telangana and Andhra region, the Lok Sabha separated them by dividing the state of Andhra Pradesh. After blacking out the live coverage of the Telangana debate on Lok Sabha TV, the Hower House voted for Telangana state in a controversial voice vote. Interestingly, both Congress and BJP joined hands to divide Andhra Pradesh. Only the TMC and JDU staged a walkout calling it a murder of democracy.

According to experts the Congress which is staring at a rout in most parts of the country is likely to win big in Telangana which has 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats. The Congress is expected to be decimated in Seemandhra region.

'Selling Indian Leaders In The Rs 2000 Crore Ad-Scramble'

By Likha Veer | INNLIVE

EXCLUSIVE It’s raining political ads and copywriters are reaping the whirlwind. All major political parties, national and regional, have recruited advertising agencies to sell them in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The size of the election publicity pie is Rs 1,000 crore, estimates Group M, an international media investment arm of the WPP group which may well escalate to Rs 2,000 crore. 

The Congress is spending the most, around Rs 700 crore, mostly with Dentsu India, a Japanese public relations-cum-advertising agency. The BJP’s campaign revolves singularly around Narendra Modi, though party treasurer Piyush Goel maintains that the party hasn’t finalised any agency. It’s an indicator of the changing times that Mayawati’s BSP is also hiring a professional ad agency to mount a catchy poll campaign. 

Focus: Mango, The 'King Of Fruit' Is Now In Indian Markets

By Dabu Sadaf | INNLIVE

SPECIAL REPORT Summer in India for foodies is synonymous with the mango season. In our country, each state boasts of different varieties of mangoes, all hailed as delicacies. Some are meant to be eaten ripe, while others are best eaten when they're green and raw.

While this season starts as early as the last weeks of March, it is only around the last week of April that the many varieties make their entry in the fruit bazaars across the country. This season lasts up to the end of June. In certain areas, it lasts up to the first week of August.

New Challenge To The Supremacy Of AIADMK And DMK With Emergence Of Narendra Modi And Arvind Kejriwal

By Shastri Ramachandaran (Guest Writer)

Political theatre in Tamil Nadu promises more entertainment in 2014. Regardless of how party games play out in the general elections, the state’s economic development is unlikely to be affected adversely. With development long delinked from the fortunes of the fratricidal Kazhagams — the AIADMK and the DMK — electoral outcomes have had little bearing on survival issues for the state’s 7.2 crore people.

Whether it remains Jaya-nadu or turns in to Stalin-grad in the power contests between the DMK and the AIADMK, Chennai would remain India’s second-most prosperous city — as shown in rating agency Crisil’s study — for some more years. Tamil Nadu, with the country’s third highest GDP, has a per capita net domestic product of $1,800 a year — 50 per cent more than the national average ($1,200). 

Rahul Gandhi's 'Yuva Karyakarta' Hasiba Amin Admits Difficult To Shoot 'Yuva Josh' Ad With A Straight Face

By Rumi Fernandez | Delhi

Congress party's national student union of India (NSUI) Goa President Hasiba Amin admitted that shooting for the “kattar soch nahin, yuva josh” ad was the most difficult assignment of her career. Amin said she was initially thrilled to learn that she had been selected as the face of the “yuva josh” campaign. But that joy turned to apprehension when she was told she would have to reel off lines like “Jo liberal ho, open minded ho. Again, no rocket science, woh Congress leaders hain” in all earnestness and then stand next to Rahul Gandhi, staring at the cameras with a very serious expression.

'Yuva Josh' Face Of Congress Party 'Hasiba Amin' Slams Social Media Smear Campaign Levelled Against Her

By Kajol Singh | Delhi

Media spotlight and fame can have serious side-effects. This is what Hasiba B Amin , the youth face of Congress's ad campaign 'Kattar Sooch Nahi, Yuva Josh', is realising now that a full-fledged smear campaign has been unleashed against her on the social media.
At first, this young NSUI's Goa president took the barbs sportingly but soon these were replaced with serious charges, including allegations about her involvement in a Rs. 300 crore scam and a jail term, forcing her to react strongly.

"The allegations are baseless and are of personal nature. I am disgusted with the campaign and the people behind it. How can they stoop so low? It's alright if they don't agree with my ideology, but this is not acceptable," she told INN Live.

'Yuva Face' Of Cong Disgusted With 'Negative Publicity'

By Kajol Singh | Delhi

Popularity extracts its price. Hasiba B. Amin is famous today and people are asking her questions. She likes that and answers them. But with questions come, attacks, sometimes personal.

The young face of Congress, Amin, who features in the Congress party's new campaign advertisements on TV, is in a spot.

After a slanderous campaign on social media against her, Goa NSUI president on Thursday responded by saying that she is "disgusted with the campaign against me".

Colours, Pride, Fervour Marks Indian Republic Day In India

By Likha Veer | INN Live

The 65th Republic Day was celebrated on Sunday across the country amid tight security and hoisting of the National Tricolour in different states.

West Bengal: In Kolkata Governor M K Narayanan presided over the marchpast of armed and police forces. Colourful parade  and procession with decorated tableaux portraying the state’s culture and heritage were highlights of the programme, which was attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Assam: Assam Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik today appealed the underground militant groups to abjure violence and come to the discussion table to solve the issues for an overall development of the state. Hoisting the National Flag on the 65th Republic Day here, Patnaik also condemned the recent incidents of violence in many districts across the state.  Besides, various initiatives were started under the Multi Sectoral Development Plan in areas like agriculture, cottage industry, drinking water and education to uplift the minority communities.

Opinion Polls Predict Congress May Loose In South & Northen States While BJP's May Win In 2014 Elections?

By Likha Veer | INN Live

The Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi seems to have impressed rural voters throughout the country as the BJP is emerging as the most favoured party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

According to the poll survey conducted by CVoter, the BJP is likely to bag highest ever seats crossing all its previous tallies. The survey predicts that BJP would emerge as the single largest party by winning 188 seats while the final results of NDA is likely to be close to 220 seats. The saffron party had bagged 116 seats in the 2009 general elections.

Opinion: Why Indian 'System' May Completely Change?

By Rajinder Puri | Delhi

Not too long ago BJP leader  Narendra Modi addressing a public rally in Jammu said that Article 370 imposed in the state needed to be debated. The reactions this evoked were amusing. The BJP went on a panic drive to assert that there was no change in the party’s policy towards Kashmir and it continued to oppose Article 370. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah retorted that Article 370 was permanent because Kashmir acceded to India by reference to the state’s Instrument of Accession which mentioned Article 370.  Modi responded by stating that a debate on all issues related to J&K was desirable. Upon that this writer urged a debate on the entire Indian political system.

Is Narendra Modi Making More Enemies Than Friends?

By Siddharth Bhatia | INN Live

After Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi hit a rough patch with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray last month, it was the turn of his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray to take on the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Taking a similar line as his older cousin's, the MNS chief targeted Modi for his inability to come out of Gujarat and think pan-India. Thackeray said, "If you want to be the PM, then leave the CM post. Don't just talk of Gujarat but the whole nation." "You come to Maharashtra and speak about Sardar Patel's statue. Why don't you talk about Shivaji Maharaj," asked the MNS chief.

Opinion: National Interest Focussed On 'AAP Versus VIP'

By Shekhar Gupta (Star Guest Writer)

Kejriwal's anti-politics politics strikes at the heart of Delhi's power structure. But what next?
Something quite remarkable happened this Thursday in our political history. Unless you can remember any other time when a vote of confidence debate in the assembly of Delhi, which is not even half a state yet, was telecast live. 

And the stars of the day were many of the same people who had led a movement just three years ago that blamed our electoral system, politics, and by implication our democratic practice, for all that was rotten. In fact, at one point, some in the movement had even described the national parliament as a refuge of murderers and looters. If the smartest and most convincing leaders of the same movement now joined the same democratic practice and acquired power, it is a vindication of both our constitutional system and the aam aadmi's strengthening faith in it.

Special Report: Godmen Reinvented - The Sex Lives Of Spiritual Healers, Hypnosis Artists And Sexual Exploiters

By Vidyut Saxena | INN Live

Asaram Bapu is no longer on Aastha channel, his sermons on which had become something of a morning ritual for many Indians over the past few years. He is now in jail, accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 

The term ‘bapu’ is an honorific. It means ‘father’ in Hindi, and in a culture where such an elder gets utmost respect, the irony is not lost on all those who sympathise with the victim of his alleged assault.

Chatrapati 'Shivaji' – A Pivotal Role in Crossroads of Time

By Aneeta Chakrabarty (Guest Writer)

One question snaked throughout the land under Aurangzeb - How long? For how long do we endure the hateful Jiziya, the slaughter of Brahmins, forced conversions, and destruction of temples? How long will this genocidal ogre wallow in luxury while we drown in oceans of agony?

From an unlikely place came the answer - the sleepy Deccan. It opened its eyes and sent the heroic Shivaji, who lighted a fire under the land of the Mughals and set it right with his fists and fury.

'Make Yourself Comfortable With New Year Resolutions'

By Khushwant Bhalla | INN Live

The first day of a New Year. There’s an undeniable pressure to celebrate it the ‘right’ way. After all, the 1st has always been rich in ritual. Unlike every other holiday, however, this one has no prescribed customs. You could be spending the day nursing a hangover, thanks to last night’s joyful excesses. Or by doing 45 energetic suryanamaskars on the beach. Here are INN Live suggestions on how to make today memorable, and pave a path for a fulfilling year ahead

Get stronger 
Don’t fall for the old fat trap. That ponderous old set of resolutions you make ever year: I will lose weight. I will work out. I will eat less dessert. We both know you’ll be tucking into a double chocolate chip cookie before the day is over. So how about approaching the issue from a different angle this year? Resolve to get stronger, fitter and healthier.

Delhi, Chhattisgarh Cong Party Revamp Gets Into Action

By Kajol Singh | INN Live

Congress on Thursday appointed Arvinder Singh Lovely and Bhupesh Baghel as new PCC chiefs of Delhi and Chhattisgarh respectively signalling the party's intent to bring sweeping changes in state units after its debacle in recent assembly elections.

Former minister and sitting MLA Lovely replaces JP Agarwal, who resigned taking "moral responsibility" for the party's worst-ever defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly election. Lovely, 46, has been active in politics since 1987 and is known to be close to senior Congress leader Ajay Maken. 

Two Firms Invested In Tehelka Were Named In Coal Scam

By Bhupender Singh | Delhi

INVESTIGATION Even as Tarun Tejpal remains in custody in Goa over rape charges, fresh revelations of financial misdoings continue to dog Tehelka magazine. INN Live investigation revealed that two firms which invested a total of Rs 28.35 crore in Anant Media are linked to a Jindal group company mentioned in the CBI FIR in the coal blocks allocation scam. 

Investigations revealed, the Enlightened Consultancy Services invested Rs 16.75 crore and Weldon Polymers Private Ltd Rs 11.60 crore in Anant Media. Not only did both companies initiate their investments on the same day, but they also both purchased Anant Media shares -- of Rs 10 face value -- at a whopping Rs 10,623, thus valuing the company with losses of over 21 crore at Rs 93.1crore. What's more, both these firms later sold back the same shares back to the company at Rs 10. The Tehelka magazine management then allegedly reissued these same shares again at a huge premium.

Manohar Parrikar And Arvind Kejriwal: 'Political Twins'?

By Navneet Achaungar | Panaji

They aren’t exactly like those twins in a typical Manmohan Desai blockbuster film who are separated at birth. But the more you look at Goa’s maverick Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Delhi’s new political messiah Arvind Kejriwal and appreciate their methods, the more similar they appear.

The duo, who mercilessly slayed the political beast called the Congress in their respective states in a manner that few ever have, are both alumni of Indian Institutes of Technology. Parrikar, the metallurgist passed out of IIT-Bombay in 1978, while the younger Kejriwal cleared his graduation in mechanical engineering from the other prestigious IIT-Kharagpur in 1989. 

Analysis: BJP, Congress Political 'Mirror Masks' Unveiled

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

Economic policies. Corruption. Civil liberties. Public Discourse. There is nothing to distinguish the two national parties. Growth junkies. US-friendly. Anti-labour and pro-business. Anti-poor but pro-subsidy. Is there a choice between the economic policies of the Congress and the BJP?

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s Rs 100-crore Bharat Nirman campaign ran into trouble this September. One of its print advertisements featured the same women models in an almost identical frame that was used in the Antyodaya Yojana campaign launched by the BJP-led NDA back in 2000. The two parties apparently hired the same agency. But then, fittingly, the NDA’s Antyodaya scheme was the precursor to the UPA’s Food Security Act too.

Insight: Goa Could Be A Classic Example Of 'Paradise Lost'

By Joy Fernandez / Panaji

The corruption in the state runs deep where, since the past few decades, there has been a systematic attack on the accountability of institutions and the rule of law resulting in a profound sense of cynicism within the state.

India seemed to have been taken aback when the murder of a Nigerian national in the Goan village of Parra, early on 31st October, led to a rabid outburst of racism in the state.