Indian PM Modi unveils investments in tour of states ahead of polls

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam on Friday, announcing multi-billion-dollar investments as part of a tour of states heading into elections, including the key political battleground of West Bengal.

The Hindu nationalist leader launched infrastructure projects in Assam — including land holdings to tea plantation workers, a dam project and a major train and road corridor — worth over $5 billion.

The northeastern state of about 32 million people is controlled by his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On Saturday, Modi will visit neighbouring West Bengal, a state of 105 million people led by his political rival Mamata Banerjee, of the All India Trinamool Congress party.

During the visit, he is expected to inaugurate “road infrastructure, railways, port and shipping” projects worth roughly $2 billion, which his office says are aimed at “accelerating economic growth”.

State elections this year will be held in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, both under opposition parties, as well as the smaller coastal territory of Puducherry.

Of these regions, only Assam is currently under full BJP control.

The Election Commission is expected to announce polling dates later this month, with voting widely anticipated to take place in April and May.

Modi visited Tamil Nadu earlier in March, a southeastern state with some 72 million people, where he unveiled investments of more than $600 million, including in a petroleum-related manufacturing project, roads and railways.

He also visited Kerala, with around 33 million people, where he unveiled a $1 billion worth of projects, as well as Puducherry.

The contest in Kerala is between the main national opposition, Congress party, and the ruling alliance of left-wing parties, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Past elections in West Bengal and Kerala have seen violent political clashes in the run-up to polls.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/LDPQc8W

Comments

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...

Infinity Social Updates

Search This Blog