Hinduja brothers are the wealthiest Asians in Britain

London:  Hinduja brothers have been ranked as Britain's richest Asians in 2014 with a total worth of 13.5 billion pounds, an increase of one billion pounds over the previous year.

At a gala Asian Business Awards 2014 function held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London last night, the group also won the Asian Business of the Year award for its outstanding achievement.

G P Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the group and brother of Chairman S P Hinuja, received the award from the Chief Guest Michael Gove, MP, Britain's Secretary of State for Education, in the presence of India's High Commissioner Ranjan Mathai, who was the Guest of Honour.

Mr Gove also released the Asian Rich List, declaring Hinduja group, a conglomerate with interests in banking, oil and manufacturing among many, as the richest in the UK for the second consecutive year.

Just behind the group is steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal with a wealth of 12 billion pounds, one billion pounds more than the previous year.

Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and Angad Paul (Steel) have been listed as 10th richest with wealth amounting to 750 million pounds, whereas mining giant Anil Agrawal was ranked third (2.4 billion pounds) followed by Sri Prakash Lohia (Petrochemicals and textiles) (2 billion pounds).

India's Tata Ltd won the International Business Award. 

Tatas are the biggest industrial employers in the UK. 

Dr Rami Ranger, MBE, Founder and Chairman of Sunmark ltd, winner of Queen's award for exports for fifth consecutive year, won the Business Personality Award while Veena Nangla of Brightsun Travel was declared as the Asian Business Woman of the year. Chakra restaurant in London received the Restaurant Award for 2014.

According to the Asian Rich List 101 published by EasternEye, one of the publications of the Asian Media & Marketing Group headed by Ramniklal Solanki CBE, there are nine Asians in the UK who can be called billionaires.

The estimated wealth of the 101 Asians in the list totals almost 52 billion pounds - up just over 6 billion pounds on 2013's total.

According to the Rich List, the year 2014 is going to be a big one for the Hindujas for it will mark the centenary of the group, which has its headquarters at New Zealand House in Haymarket, London and employs 75,000 people across 35 nations. 

The Hinduja group has what Gopi Hinduja likes to call 10 'verticals' namely: health, energy, power generation, automotive, finance and banking; oil and gas; IT and BPO; media and cable; real estate; and trading.

FIR ordered over book allegedly carrying objectionable content against Gandhis

Badaun: A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against unknown persons in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh for distributing books allegedly containing objectionable material against the Gandhi family.

Omkar Singh, the President of Congress' local unit, had complained that the books titled 'Rahul ki Ravan Leela', allegedly carrying objectionable and derogatory material against the Gandhis, were being distributed in villages in the Lok Sabha constituency which votes on April 17.Mr Singh had also demanded stern action against those responsible for circulating the said books, police sources said.

Taking note of the complaint, the District Magistrate ordered for lodging of an FIR at the Civil Lines police station besides an inquiry by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in this regard.

The email ID mentioned in the book has also been blocked and people responsible for it have been warned, police said.

The book allegedly contains objectionable material against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son-in-law Robert Vadra, police said.

Rahul Gandhi to file nomination in Amethi today in presence of entire family

Amethi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is all set to file his nomination from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh today. Keeping him company will be mother Sonia, sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra as the Congress No. 2 seeks re-election for a third consecutive term from the Lok Sabha constituency. 

Mr Gandhi's party, on its part, is pulling out all stops to ensure that the nomination, expected sometime after 1 pm, is nothing short of a grand affair. The district unit has made elaborate arrangements, including 500 kgs of flowers, to welcome the 43-year-old in Amethi which votes on May 7, the penultimate phase of the nine-phase general election.

"We will welcome Rahul Gandhi with rose petals. All Congress workers are very excited about his nomination," said Yogendra Mishra, President of the district Congress.

But Mr Gandhi faces a tough three-cornered contest this time around with the BJP fielding actor-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani from the seat and poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas representing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).)

Both Ms Irani and Mr Vishwas have openly challenged the Congress No. 2 to a debate over development in Amethi, but so far he has refused. The constituency, which has been represented by Mr Gandhi's mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the past, has traditionally voted for the party.

The battle for Amethi is also a major test for Priyanka, who as campaign manager, will have to ensure that Mr Gandhi's over 3.5 lakh-winning margin in 2009 is not breached this time. The 42-year-old had recently told NDTV that that she will actively campaign only for her brother and mother, who is contesting from the neighbouring Raebareli constituency after vacating the Amethi seat for her son in 2004.

Amit Shah to seek review of Election Commission's ban on his rallies in UP

New Delhi: BJP leader Amit Shah has said he would request the Election Commission (EC) to review its order that bans him from addressing rallies in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making "highly inflammatory speeches" while campaigning. (Threats, personal attacks and Kargil: hate speeches under scrutiny)

"The EC has asked me to reply by today evening. I will give my explanation in the reply and will request for a review of the decision," he told reporters today. 

Along with Mr Shah, the Election Commission has also banned Samajwadi Party's senior minister Azam Khan from addressing rallies in the state. Both parties have sought a review of the decision. 

In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary, the Election Commission has also ordered that First Information Reports or FIRs be registered against the two politicians.

In its letter, the poll panel criticised the Akhilesh Yadav government for "soft pedalling" on action against its minister Azam Khan for what it has described as his "undesirable activities". 

Mr Khan has alleged that he is facing a ban and criminal charges as the Election Commission "had to strike a balance as they were anyway proceeding against Amit Shah." His party's spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman also added that the Election Commission "has carried out a communal balancing act."

The UP government has filed FIRs against Amit Shah, a close aide of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, for talking about "revenge" for the communal violence that tore through Muzaffarnagar last year. Mr Shah delivered the controversial speeches in Bijnor and Shamli, in the riot-scarred western UP region. 

Azam Khan too has made several provocative speeches recently, including one in Ghaziabad on Tuesday when he said that the Kargil war was won by Muslim soldiers. The panel said despite a notice sent to him, he is "still making derogatory and inflammatory statements and using intemperate language as well."

'Pro-incumbency' factor will lead to BJP's win in Goa: Manohar Parrikar

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar claimed that "pro-incumbency" factor for BJP-led government in the state will lead both the candidates of his party to victory in the Lok Sabha polls, voting for which is underway today.

He admitted that "Modi factor" is one of the drivers for the current election. "But that does not mean that the party or other factors do not count," Mr Parrikar told reporters outside a polling booth in Panaji, where he was among the first ones to cast vote.

"Personality is one factor that will finally lead you to victory," he said replying to a query.

"I feel there is pro-incumbency factor in Goa as people have seen the functioning of the state government for the last two years," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the election people will acknowledge the performance of the government over the last two years.

He alleged that the UPA government had been trying to "consistently damage and purposely harass" the state government.

"They are trying to put spokes in the functioning of the government. Congress' main perception is viciousness," Mr Parrikar alleged.

He said that there is "inner jealousy" in Congress which is why it is trying to work against the BJP-led state government.

Responding to a question, Mr Parrikar admitted that Modi factor is one of the drivers for the current election. "But that does not mean that the party or other factors do not count," he said.

"Personality is one factor that will finally lead you to victory," Mr Parrikar commented.

Art Matters: Indian dance takes London by storm

London:  We've all been there, forgotten passwords and stared at computer screens, drawing a blank. But could this be the theme for a dance?

An Indian classical dance choreographer thinks so. Her idea was one of the three dances that were selected as part of a prestigious dance show at the Southbank Centre in London. 

All performances aimed to fuse Indian dance with western contemporary dance styles. A haunting yet thought-provoking piece by Indian choreographer Divya Kasturi asked audiences to think of the number of identities they assume online with different passwords and usernames. 

She linked this with identity and the fact that every time you have to think of new words and letters as names and passwords. 

"It is the day and age when we are using the Internet and creating innumerable number of usernames and passwords. And way we do this is, you choose your letters, characters, pre-rehearse it mentally and then you actually use it...so you are performing to the virtual world," choreographer Divya Kasturi said. "Paralleling that to choreography, we sequence our dances, plan our moves and perform them to a live audience, So there are a lot of parellels there and I wanted to flesh that out."

Meanwhile, Seeta Patel's "First Light" takes the audiences on a journey from fear of the unknown to enlightenment. A hybrid between Bharatnatyam and contemporary western styles, the performance explores Goddess Durga's nine incarnations.

"We looked at Goddess Durga and look at her many sides. Violent side, the side that rides the lion, the side that plays the Veena. So in one of the pieces we have layers..crossing the stage...so I went to the floor and I said well, this may be the moment to show her aritistic side and play the Veena," said dancer Kamala Devi.

The third performance too - like the other two had a deeper spiritual meaning. Detox - explored detoxification of mind, body and soul. It addressees society's wanton need to consume. The dancers used a a mix Indian dance form and western contemporary styles. 

Akademi's director Mira Kaushik said, "I think its very important to ensure that we are part of the scene, we are part of the picture instead of living in the ghetto. A project like this opens us up to the wider world. We are confident about ourselves, we are Indians, our choreographers are Indian - but we are not scared of experimenting within a contemporary context."

The hall was full of dancers, Indian dance fans and other people interested in the fusion of western contemporary dance with other dance forms. 

DR Ann David, Head of Dance, University of Roehampton said, "Most dancers we saw today are classically trained in Bharatnatyam and Kathak. Others come from a contemporary background. Somehow, audiences in the UK expect a very high level of contemporary dance. And these dancers are a doing a good job of bridging that gap."

The applause after the performances seemed to suggest the experiment was quite a success.

Sikkim polls get underway

Gangtok: Enthusiastic voters turned up at the polling booths Saturday for the lone Lok Sabha constituency of Sikkim.

A total of 362,326 voters, including 175,549 women, are eligible to cast their ballot. 

Just six candidates are in the fray.

As many as 24.62 percent of the voters are in the age group of 18-25.

Balloting is taking place at 538 polling booths across the state. 

Sitting MP Prem Das Rai of the Sikkim Democratic Front is re-contesting, while Akar Dhoj Limbu from the Congress, Nar Bahadur Khatiwara from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Kaushal Rai of Aam Aadmi Party are hoping to give him a fight.

Elections 2014: Balloting begins in Assam

Guwahati: Balloting for three Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam began Saturday at 7 a.m., officials said.

Nearly 30 million are eligible to vote at 3,698 polling stations across the three constituencies of Silchar, Karimganj and Diphu (Autonomous District). 

The Karimgamj Lok Sabha seat is reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Diphu (Autonomous District) is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

For the second phase of polls, 37 candidates are in the fray. Polling for five constituencies was held April 7. The last phase of polling for remaining six seats takes place in the state April 24. 

Bharatiya Janata Party's sitting MP Kabindra Purkayastha, Congress legislator Sushmita Deb, who is the daughter of veteran Congress leader and former union minister Santosh Mohan Deb, and Kutub Ahmed Mazumder of the All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF) are in the fray for the Silchar seat.

In Karimganj, 15 candidates, including BJP's Krishna Das, Congress' Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya and Radheshyam Biswas of the AIUDF are contesting.

Five candidates, including the Congress' sitting member Biren Singh Engti and the BJP's Joyram Engleng, are fighting it out in the Diphu constituency.

Polling for two Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa begins

Panaji: Polling for two Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa began today as the state witnesses a triangular fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and newbie Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Polling began on a sedate note at 7 am at all the 1,624 stations with a thin turnout in the first half an hour.

In all, 10,60,777 voters will exercise their franchisee in North and South Goa constituencies.

Women voters outnumber men in the state with 5,32,469 female and 5,28,308 male voters.

The Election Commission (EC) has identified 14 vulnerable and 30 critical polling stations in the state which have been given adequate security cover to avoid any untoward incident.

Polling will conclude at 6 pm. 

In North Goa, BJP's Shripad Naik is pitted against Congress' Ravi Naik, AAP's Dattaram Desai and CPI's Suhas Naik.

Congress' Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is fighting against BJP's Narendra Sawaikar, AAP's Swati Kerkar and CPI's Raju Mangueshkar in South Goa constituency.

Election 2014: Polling starts in Tripura

Agartala: Voting in Tripura for its second Lok Sabha constituency began on Saturday, officials said.

Over 1.13 million people, half of them women, are eligible to vote at 1,490 polling stations across the Tripura East constituency.

The tribal reserved constituency has 12 candidates, including two women, who are in the fray.

The main battle for this seat is between Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) candidate Jitendra Choudhury, who is the incumbent industry, commerce and rural development minister for Tripura, and Congress' Sachitra Debbarma, a national award winning teacher.

Other candidates include BJP's Parikshit Debbarma, TMC's Bhriguram Reang and AAP's Karna Bijoy Jamatia. 

Since 1952, this parliamentary constituency has been won 10 times by the Left and five times by the Congress.

Elections 2014: Voting on in seven constituencies in Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim

New Delhi: Voting has begun in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim, where more than 50 lakh voters will decide the fate of 74 candidates.

Goa, with two seats, will witness a single phased poll where 19 candidates are in the fray for the North and South Goa constituencies, including those of the Congress, the BJP, the CPI and other regional parties and independents. 

Prominent candidates from North Goa include Ravi Naik of the Congress, BJP's sitting MP Shripad Naik and Aam Aadmi Party's Dattaram Desai. From the South Goa seat, Congress' Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, BJP's Narendra Sawaikar and AAP's Swati Kerkar are among the prominent contenders.

South Goa's sitting MP Francisco Sardinha (Congress) has not been given a ticket this time.

Tripura is voting to elect its second representative to the Lok Sabha from the Tripura East (ST) constituency, where a multi-cornered contest will take place between the CPI(M), the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

There are 12 candidates in the fray including CPI(M)'s Jitendra Chowdhury, who is the state Industries Minister, Congress' Sachitra Debbarma, a prominent educationist, BJP's Parkshit Debbarma, an ex-armyman, and Trinamool Congress leader Bhriguram Reang. Polling for the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency was held on April 7.

In Assam, voting is underway in three constituencies. Polling for five constituencies in the state was held on April 7. The last phase of polling for the remaining six seats in the states will take place on April 24.

Today voting is being held in the Autonomous District (ST), comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, Karimganj (SC) and Silchar - the last two being in the Barak valley. The Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tigers has called an indefinite bandh in the Autonomous District since April 8, demanding a separate autonomous tribal state under Article 244(A) of the Constitution.

As many as 17 companies of security forces have been deployed in the constituency and helicopter surveillance is being conducted since yesterday to monitor movement of militants.

In Sikkim, voting is underway for the lone Lok Sabha constituency where six candidates are in the fray. Out of the total 3,62,326 voters in the state, 1,75,549 are women.

China and India face huge cancer burden: report

Paris:  China and India are facing a cancer crisis, with smoking, belated diagnosis and unequal access to treatment all causing large-scale problems, experts said on Friday.

In a major report, published in The Lancet Oncology, more than 40 specialists warn that Asia's big two emerging giants are facing huge economic and human costs from the disease.

In China, cancer now accounts for one in every five deaths, ranking second only to cardiovascular disease as the most common cause of mortality, according to the study.

Sixty percent of cancer cases in China are attributable to "modifiable environmental factors," including smoking, water contamination and air pollution, it said.

But public awareness of the risk remains extremely low, the experts wrote, tinged by either fatalism or a misplaced faith in traditional medicine to tackle the disease.

But funding is also an issue. China currently spends only 5.1 percent of its national income on health care -- roughly only half the rate of European countries -- and just 0.1 percent of this spending goes specifically to cancer. 

In the United States, by comparison, cancer accounts for 1 percent of health spending, or ten times as much.

Patients in China also need to pay for most cancer treatment themselves, which can lead to catastrophic health care bills, while urban areas have twice as many cancer care beds than rural areas, even though half of China's population live in the countryside. 

"A quarter of all cancer deaths worldwide are in China," said Paul Goss, a Harvard Medical School professor who led the Chinese study.

"Some of the main factors responsible for the huge burden of this disease, such as insufficient and unevenly distributed health care resources and public misconceptions about the disease, are barely visible on China's national agenda."

Regional disparities in India -

In India, around one million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, a tally that is projected to reach 1.7 million in 2035.

Deaths from cancer are currently 600,000-700,000 annually, although this figure is also forecast to rise, to around 1.2 million.

The study showed that while incidence of cancer in the Indian population is only about a quarter of that in the US or Europe, mortality rates among those diagnosed with the disease are much higher. 

Fewer than 30 percent of people with cancer in India survive for more than five years after their diagnosis -- a sign that cancer is being spotted too late and that treatment is lacking, while more than two-thirds of cancer deaths occur among people aged 30 to 69.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer killer, accounting for more than one in five of all deaths from cancer in women, while forty percent of cancer cases in the country are attributable to tobacco.

As with China, they found diagnosis is a problem, with a lack of cancer care in the north, centre and east of the country forcing many patients to travel long distances for treatment, and often to live in very harsh conditions.

In rural India, more than three quarters of private practitioners, who are often the first port of call for people sick with cancer, have no medical qualifications, the report said.

"The need for political commitment and action is at the heart of the solution to India's growing cancer burden," said Mohandas Mallath, a professor at the Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata.

"The extent to which death and illness from cancer will actually increase in the next 20 years will depend a lot on the investments made in future decades in tobacco control, healthcare delivery, cancer research, (and) clinical trials," he said.

Also vital, he said, will be boosting public awareness about smoking and of the benefits a healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as investment in vaccinations against cancer-causing viruses.

The report, which was also accompanied by an overview of cancer in Russia, will be presented at an Asian Oncology Summit taking place this weekend in Kuala Lumpur.

BJP and Chandrababu Naidu may announce deal today, hitches remain

Hyderabad: After weeks of proposals and demurrals, the BJP and Chandrababu Naidu may have finalised a tie-up, but last minute hitches have delayed an announcement.

The parties may today announce a partnership for the national and state election in Andhra Pradesh, resuscitating an alliance that was last seen in 2004.


Mr Naidu, 63, heads the Telugu Desam Party or TDP.

Sources say he has agreed to give the BJP eight parliamentary and 45 assembly seats to contest in the Telangana region, and five parliamentary and 15 assembly seats in the residuary Seemandhra region.

A sticking point remains, sources say, over the two key seats - Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam - which both parties want to contest.

On June 2, Andhra Pradesh will be divided - the region of Telangana will be carved out as India's 29th state. Mr Naidu is not popular in this region because he was cagey about his stand on a new Telangana state, refusing to openly endorse it.

For the same reason, Mr Naidu is expected to benefit in Seemandhra - the two regions that will form the down-sized Andhra Pradesh and have aggressively opposed the new map, not least because they will grapple with a reduced share of water, power and revenue from Telangana.

NDTV's opinion poll shows a big leap forward for Mr Naidu in Seemandhra. The TDP gets 14 of the 25 parliamentary seats at stake, according to the forecast. That's a gain of 10 seats from 2009. (NDTV Opinion Poll: Chandrababu Naidu makes big gains in Seemandhra)

For the BJP, the strength and organizational skills of Mr Naidu's party could be a blue-chip asset. And the fact that the BJP supported the law to divide Andhra Pradesh could blunt some of the resentment for Mr Naidu in Telangana.

Telangana votes on April 30; Seemandhra votes a week later on May 7.

In turf war for Narendra Modi posters, BJP's take is upheld

Vadodara: Madhusudhan Mistry, who is running against Narendra Modi in Vadodara, was rebuffed today by the Election Commission, which has denied his request to replace Mr Modi's posters with his own.

The Election Commission has reportedly told the Congress leader to simply pick a different location, pointing out that there were 4,000 spots for poll posters in the city; only 1,000 had been booked by the BJP.

Mr Mistry was arrested yesterday for ripping down posters of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate and trying to replace them with his own, with help from supporters. He was let off on bail later.


After reviewing footage from news channels, the police booked Mr Mistry, 69, who is a General Secretary of the Congress and is considered to be close to the party's young vice-president, Rahul Gandhi.

The BJP has put over a thousand hoardings of Mr Modi across the city. The party had booked all major advertisement kiosks and billboards in Vadodara more than a fortnight ago. Mr Mistry, after being named as Mr Modi's challenger from Vadodara, demanded an equal share in the space allocated for putting up election-related posters. The municipal corporation refused, arguing that these locations have already been allotted to the BJP.

Mr Mistry told NDTV that police and district officials were giving the BJP unfair and blatantly preferential treatment.

Mr Modi is running for Parliament from Vadodara in Gujarat and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. This is his first national election; he is currently a member of the Gujarat state legislature.

NDTV Ground Report: a prestige battle for the Gogois?

Kaliabor: In election season, the number of "election offices" that spring up in every locality is, perhaps, a good way to assess the organizational strength of a political party.

As we drive down NH 37, one mostly sees posters of the father-son duo, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his 32-year-old son Gaurav Gogoi.

So does it mean Congress does not have much of a challenge? "No. People definitely want a change. Being in power for 13 years creates a certain kind of election machinery. That's what you are seeing," says Arun Sharma of the Asom Gana Parishad who's pitted against Gaurav Gogoi.

Gaurav Gogoi will contest from the Kaliabor seat in central Assam, a seat that has been a bastion of the Gogoi family. His uncle has represented it for the past 10 years, and his father has been an MP from the area twice.

We catch up with Gogoi junior who's out on a roadshow. He is accompanied by wife, Elizabeth, who works with a voluntary organisation that deals climate change issues.

I ask Gaurav about the criticism that he's got a chance to contest the elections only because of his surname. "Surname is important but there are important criteria. People are looking for what solutions you can offer," says Gaurav.

How does he respond to people saying that he is an outsider and can barely speak Assamese? "I think people know that I am sincere in my efforts to improve my public speaking...When there were major floods in Kaliabor in 2011, I was there with them," declares Gogoi. Even his wife makes an attempt to connect with the voters by speaking in Assamese.

At Samuguri, a minority dominated assembly constituency that comes under Kaliabor, the mood in the Congress camp is upbeat. They admit that an alliance between the BJP and the AGP would have made the fight more difficult.

Our next stop is Bokakhat, barely 20 kms from Kaziranga and known for its tea and puri sabzi. Here, people raise the issue of rhino poaching and illegal encroachments inside the park.

In his rallies, Narendra Modi attacked the Assam government's poor track record in stopping rhino killings and illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It's an issue that finds resonance among people. Yet, doubts persist if the BJP has put up a strong candidate in Mrinal Saikia, who does not have a strong political background but has contested once before in 1998.

The AGP has put up two-term Lok Sabha MP, Arun Sharma. In his public meetings, Sharma focuses on the lack of development in the constituency. When we ask Sharma if an alliance with the BJP would have helped, he says: "We were negotiating with the BJP but the state leadership was not interested."

Clearly, Kaliabor is a prestige battle for the chief minister to ensure his son's win but a divided Opposition may have made his job easier.

Post-election showdown looms for RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan

New Delhi: India's high-profile RBI governor is likely to come under political pressure to retreat from his hawkish stance on inflation if opposition leader Narendra Modi wins power in the general election.

Strategists in Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), confident that his jobs-first policy pitch will secure a strong voter mandate, suggest that they would prefer to have one of their own at the helm of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

That sets the stage for a confrontation with RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who since being appointed last September has enjoyed an unusually smooth ride in a country where governments often treat the RBI as a punchbag for their own policy failings.

The former International Monetary Fund chief economist is widely viewed as India's most capable technocrat, winning the respect of investors for his handling of a currency crisis that hit Asia's third-largest economy last year.

"It will be a big loss of face for the country and would create a negative perception among foreign investors if the BJP removes the governor immediately after forming the government," said A. Prasanna, an economist at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Ltd in Mumbai.

Before moving to the RBI, Rajan, 51, served as chief economic adviser to the finance ministry under the Congress party-led government, which opinion polls say faces defeat in the five-week national election starting on Monday.

BJP treasurer Piyush Goyal has attacked Rajan over a series of interest rate hikes intended to curb inflation, now running at double the RBI's longer-term 4 percent target, at a time when economic growth has fallen to its slowest in a decade.

Rajan has raised the repo policy rate three times by a total of 75 basis points to 8 percent.
"Governor Rajan is only aggravating the problems and making them worse by increasing interest rates," Goyal, a leading strategist and fundraiser for the nationalist opposition party, told the Economic Times.

Subramanian Swami, a BJP ideologue and former cabinet minister, puts it more bluntly: "We can make it worthwhile for him to leave," Swami told Reuters.

"I would not be surprised if a government led by Narendra Modi removes the governor," said Satish Misra, an analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi-based think-tank. "Modi does not brook any opposition."

GOOD COP, BAD COP

Rajan's policy and academic credentials - he was a professor at Chicago's Booth School of Business - qualify him as a card-carrying member of the policy jetset that gathers twice a year at the IMF's Washington headquarters or at Group of 20 meetings.

Yet his autonomy as central bank governor is more circumscribed than that of his counterparts in the West, who are typically nominated by the government but also accountable to lawmakers.

Under the RBI Act of 1934, Rajan serves at the pleasure of the government: "The central government may remove from office the Governor, a Deputy Governor or any other Director," it says.

While no RBI governor has been sacked in the central bank's 80-year history, two have quit before completing their terms - most recently Sir Benegal Rama Rau, who resigned in 1957 due to differences with the finance minister.

In that context, analysts interpret the verbal broadsides as a softening-up exercise intended to secure greater RBI compliance with Modi's expansionist credo.

To be sure, Rajan has moderated his rhetoric on inflation but analysts said that is more a
response to cooler inflation than anything else.

BJP's Arun Jaitley, tipped to assume either the finance or home affairs portfolio in the next government, has meanwhile avoided confrontation. Asked about Rajan in a TV interview last month, Jaitley said: "If someone is doing good job, he will certainly continue."

Manufacturers and traders, a constituency of the BJP, have complained that the RBI under Rajan has allowed the rupee to recover too strongly with a near 15 percent rally from last year's slump, hurting India's export competitiveness.

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has called for a cut in interest rates of 100 basis points and a more competitive exchange rate to support domestic manufacturers.

SAVVY OPERATOR

Rajan's former colleagues at the finance ministry say he is a pragmatic and politically savvy economist who may yet find a way to work with a BJP-led coalition government that pundits say is most likely to be formed after votes are tallied on May 16.

For his part, Rajan cautions that coalition building may not go as smoothly as bullish foreign investors may expect. They have bought $10 billion in Indian stocks and bonds this year,
driving the BSE Sensex to record highs.

Speaking on Tuesday after the RBI kept its key rate unchanged, Rajan cautioned that "we have to be prepared for some turmoil" in the event that the next government is not stable.

As long as the next government shows proper concern about the economy and the fiscal situation, Rajan added, "I would suspect that after an initial bout of turmoil there might be a reassessment which may be more positive".

Those statements represent a careful deployment by Rajan of his credibility with markets to guard against any attempt by a BJP-led government to render his position untenable.

"It would not be easy to remove Rajan from a constitutional post," said a senior finance ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Explaining why, he used the same words as Rajan: "It would lead to turmoil in the markets."

Political greenhorn aims at rare feat in Mizoram's lone seat

Aizawl: In Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha seat, young political greenhorn Robert Romawia Royte is attempting to repeat a feat which not many have done successfully in the past - become a candidate supported by combined opposition to win it.

An independent candidate, 47-year-old Mr Royte is hoping to cash in on the experiment of past when on two occasions, a combined opposition candidate won from the state's lone Lok Sabha seat.

The first was in 1980 when R Rothuama, nominee of the 'Steering Committee', an alliance of the then opposition Congress and allies, defeated ruling People's Conference Brig C Vankunga. Then in 1998, H Lallungmuana, an Independent supported by Citizens Common Front (CCF), MNF (Nationalist) now called ZNP, and MPC, defeated his nearest ruling Congress rival John Lalsangzuala in a six-cornered contest.

The Independent candidate supported by the eight-party alliance United Democratic Front (UDF), Mr Royte is up against sitting Congress MP C L Ruala (78) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee M Lalmanzuala (72). Mr Royte has been supported by UDF on the condition that he would join the NDA if he wins the seat that goes to polls on April 9.

Mr Ruala had first contested the Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket in 1977, unsuccessfully. He has been elected to the state assembly multiple times, including in 1984, 1989 and 1993.

On the other hand, Mr Lalmanzuala, a former state chief secretary and IAS officer of Punjab cadre, had unsuccessfully contested the state assembly polls in 2008 from the prestigious Aizawl North - I seat.

The UDF comprises opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), Mizoram People's Conference (MPC), Maraland Democratic Front (MDF), Hmar People's Convention (HPC), Paite Tribe Council (PTC), BJP and NCP.

An academician and a teacher by profession before joining the state School Education Department as a Circle Education Officer, Mr Royte became District Project Coordinator of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Aizawl district after the scheme was introduced in the state.

He played an important role in formulating plans for the state SSA mission when posted as an Officer-on-Duty for the State Education Mission Society.

Later, in 2010, he left the government service to join North East Consultancy Service (NECS) as Chief Managing Director, providing consultancy to states in the region such as Nagaland and Meghalaya in getting more funds from Centre.

Rahul Gandhi chauffeurs mother Sonia Gandhi in Raebareli

Rae Bareli: Chauffeured by her son Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today arrived to file her nomination in Raebareli, the constituency in Uttar Pradesh that has sent her to the Lok Sabha since 2004.

Rahul, 43, took the driver's seat as the white SUV weaved its way through town making several stops, allowing Congress workers and others to greet and garland Sonia Gandhi.

At every stop, security personnel diligently wiped heaps of flower petals off the windscreen.

Raebareli was the constituency of former Prime Minister and Sonia's mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and the Congress president will participate in a religious ceremony at the Congress office, which has been a Gandhi family tradition for years.


"There will be a havan. Indira Gandhi used to come here and pray," said a party worker of the constituency which has been with the family for long.

After filing her nomination at the district collectorate, Mrs Gandhi will visit Takia village, the birthplace of Ali Miyan, who was the head of the Muslim Personal Law Board.

Indira Gandhi was elected from Raebareli in the 1960s and also in 1980. Her husband Feroze Gandhi held the seat in the 1950s.

Sonia Gandhi contested her first parliamentary election in 1999 from Amethi. Five years later, she shifted to Raebareli, vacating Amethi for son Rahul's electoral debut.

Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi manages her mother's campaign in Raebareli.

The BJP had earlier this week reportedly evaluated yoga guru Baba Ramdev's suggestion that it field senior leader Uma Bharti against Mrs Gandhi, before announcing that a Supreme Court lawyer, Ajay Aggarwal, would be the party's candidate in Raebareli.

Arvind Kejriwal questions 'Narendra Modi wave', targets Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday hit back at BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying if there was indeed a 'Modi wave' in India, then why was the Gujarat chief minister fighting the Lok Sabha polls from two places.

The former Delhi chief minister was equally harsh on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Accompanied by hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party workers, Mr Kejriwal elicited enthusiastic response from Delhi residents as his campaign entourage wound through the crowded areas of Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi constituencies.

Asked why Mr Modi branded him "a Pakistani agent" and an "AK-49", Mr Kejriwal shot back: "Why doesn't Modi talk about issues I have raised, instead of calling me a Pakistani agent?"

"And if there is indeed a Modi wave, why is he contesting the election from two places? Why is he having a 'safe seat' too? Why not contest from Varanasi alone?"

Mr Kejriwal, who launched his campaign in the city from Dwarka area Monday evening, visited at least 10 places in Chandni Chowk, including Matia Mehal and Ballimaran Tuesday and met the people.

Travelling in an open vehicle along with party candidate Ashutosh and other party leaders, Mr Kejriwal also answered queries from people.

Almost 400 AAP supporters accompanied Mr Kejriwal during the road shows which lasted till 2 p.m.

Asked to comment on Sonia Gandhi's mocking remark that "running a government is not child's play", in reference to the AAP's short-lived government in Delhi, Mr Kejriwal retorted that the comment was actually meant for her son and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) is a young man. She should not be saying such things," he said in a mocking tone.

Mr Kejriwal would be campaigning extensively for AAP candidates for a week in Delhi, which will see polling April 10. He will visit all seven constituencies.

AAP leader and former journalist Mr Ashutosh is contesting from Chandni Chowk, while former Delhi minister Rakhi Birla is fighting from North West Delhi.

After the April 10 polls in the city, Mr Kejriwal is expected to shift to Varanasi where he is contesting against Mr Modi.

Amma, Didi, Behenji and their dynamics with Narendra Modi

Pondicherry: The shape of India's next government could lie in the hands of a trio of women who command a massive following in their states and are called Amma (mother), Didi, (older sister) and Behenji (also older sister) by their supporters.

Known more for their charisma than policies, Jayalalithaa Jayaram, Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati could play pivotal roles in coalition negotiations after the marathon general election that begins on Monday next.

The BJP's Narendra Modi is the frontrunner, but his party is not expected to win an outright majority, underlining the growing support for regional parties. It is now three decades since any party won more than 50 per cent of the seats in Parliament.

In particular, analysts say, Ms Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, could play the role of kingmaker for Mr Modi after telling her supporters that it is time for a change in New Delhi.

Noticeable by its absence at her rallies has been criticism of Mr Modi and the BJP, with reports suggesting that Ms Jayalalithaa has ordered her party to refrain from speaking out against the man who fancies his chance at being the next prime minister.

"This Congress government - those looters - must be overthrown!" the 66-year-old Jayalalithaa - who is usually referred to by her fans simply as Amma - told thousands of cheering supporters at a rally in the city of Pondicherry.

If Ms Jayalalithaa is the queen of the south, Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress rule the roost in West Bengal and its capital Kolkata. Her decision to pull her 18 lawmakers out of the national coalition in 2012 over cuts in fuel subsidies left the Congress-led government reeling.

This time round, Trinamool's share of West Bengal's 42 seats is expected to be closer to 30, which will give her considerable bargaining power in coalition talks. Analysts say it is hard to guess which way Didi will jump after results on May 16.

For all her castigation of the Congress, she has also lashed out at the BJP, aware that Bengal's many Muslim voters are wary of Mr Modi.

Ms Mayawati or "Behenji," whose Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has 21 seats in the current Lok Sabha, says India will be "ruined" if Mr Modi comes to power. But she has previously cut a deal with the BJP which enabled her to be chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

N. Sathiya Moorthy, a Chennai-based analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, said the three women have much in common. "Definitely their image, their fighting spirit, their charisma, and their administrative skills to a great extent, have left them in good stead across the board when it comes to voting," he said.

Subhash Agrawal, a Delhi-based analyst, said Mr Modi will have to reach out to them with even the most generous projections putting the BJP several dozen seats short of a majority in the 543-seat parliament.

Ms Jayalalithaa has made no secret of her own interest in being prime minister. Although such a scenario is seen as unlikely, the former actress could still make a decisive intervention on the national stage in return for senior cabinet posts or legislation that will benefit her core. "She's probably got the most friendly disposition towards the BJP and Modi," Agrawal said, adding, "Jayalalithaa could be very instrumental."