Jaya launches Rs 10 per litre mineral water scheme

After low-cost tiffin centres, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today launched a scheme to provide 1 litre mineral water at Rs 10 a bottle, to ensure quality and affordable drinking water to the poor and middle class.

She inaugurated the state-run 'Amma Drinking Water' plant with a daily capacity of three lakh litres at Gummidipoondy, about 50 km from here, through video conferencing from the Secretariat and launched the sale of the water bottles.

Digvijaya regrets allotting land to Asaram during his tenure

Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh has said he committed a "mistake" by allotting land to self proclaimed godman Asaram, who is facing rape charges, during his tenure as the chief minister and demanded that the BJP government cancel the lease. "Allotment of land to Asaram was a mistake and I regret it," Digvijaya, who has been accusing BJP leaders of "protecting" the controversial self-style godman, said. He was addressing a farmers' meeting organised by the Congress at Susner in Shajapur district on Saturday.

Singh, who was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh from 1993 to 2003, had allotted the land to Asaram for developing his ashram in Indore. He demanded that the BJP government should cancel the land lease agreement. Earlier, Digvijaya had said in Indore that in 1998, all political parties had recommended that land be allotted to Asaram since none of them were aware of his character and what he would do in future. The 72-year-old self-proclaimed godman is presently in judicial custody after being arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at his Jodhpur ashram. The senior Congress leader also targeted yoga guru yoga Ramdev accusing him of acquiring wealth amounting to Rs 1,100 crore and sought to know how he had accumulated so much of assets. He also alleged that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was taking out his Janashirwad Yatra from the money allotted for the central welfare schemes.

Modi is finally BJP's PM candidate, pledges 2014 victory

New Delhi:    Despite patriarch L.K. Advani's opposition, the BJP Friday formally declared Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi its prime ministerial candidate, and he promptly vowed to lead the party to victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

There were joyous scenes at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here as Modi, 62, one of the youngest in the country's political establishment, drove in to attend a meeting of the parliamentary board which decided to name him as its general for the parliamentary battle.

BJP president Rajnath Singh made the formal announcement at a media conference, and Modi pledged to do everything to ensure that the BJP again got to rule the world's largest democracy.

"I promise that in the 2014 election, the BJP will emerge victorious," a confident sounding Modi said flanked by a galaxy of senior colleagues, the notable absentee being his former mentor Advani.

"For this, the party will work hard and we will leave no stone unturned," said Modi in a brief speech after accepting sweets, bouquets and garlands from senior and junior colleagues.
He said the country was passing through a crisis and the party.

"I am sure that people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will vote for the lotus symbol," Modi said of the BJP's election symbol.

But like in June, when Advani had revolted against the BJP's decision to name Modi its election campaign chief, the former party leader stayed away from the parliamentary board meeting to express his displeasure over the decision to make Modi the prime ministerial candidate.

Even before the Gujarat chief minister flew into New Delhi, there were hectic parleys within the BJP establishment, with Rajnath Singh holding a string of meetings to convince everyone to fall in line. And everyone did -- except Advani, formerly Modi's mentor.

A political pundit aligned with the BJP hailed Friday's decision.

"This will make a huge difference to the BJP," G.V.L. Narasimha Rao told IANS. "Across the country, there is a very, very strong wave in support of Modi, even among non-traditional BJP supporters."

Like in the case of the now ailing Atal Bihari Vajpayee and later Advani, Modi's personal popularity far exceeded that of the party, Rao said.

"While the BJP got just about 18 percent of the votes in the last Lok Sabha election, Modi currently enjoys the support of more than 40 percent of voters. That will make all the difference," he said.

"This means that there is a huge mass which will vote for the BJP only if Modi leads the party. This is particularly true in critical states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar."

Modi, who once sold tea in a railway station in Gujarat, said it was a matter of pride that the BJP had catapulted him -- despite his origin from "a humble family" -- as the prime ministerial candidate.

In his four-minute speech in Hindi, Modi made it a point to pay tributes to Vajpayee and Advani.

Modi also underlined that he had the "blessings" of the BJP's allies, including the Akali Dal and Shiv Sena.

Rajnath Singh added that "all our allies ... have given their backing" to Modi's candidature.

"We have always announced prime ministerial candidates... Seeing the national mood, we have decided that Narendra Modi will be our PM candidate in the Lok Sabha election."

Once Rajnath Singh made the announcement, BJP stalwarts, including those who were said to be against the announcement earlier, offered him garlands and bouquets.

Rajnath Singh and Modi hugged one another. Modi touched the feet of former president Murli Manohar Joshi as a mark of respect.