Current Affairs– News That Keeps You Intrested

India opposition PM designate Narendra Modi ensures ruling Congress party is routed.Is set to assume office of PM on May 21

2014-05-16T17:11:00.002-07:00

The Big Picture

How Different Regions voted?

How Each of the 29 states voted?

2014 big picture of high voter turnout

2014-05-03T19:56:00.001-07:00

Irrespective of the outcome of this election, it's already a landmark in one respect: turnout. The turnout in 2014, from the constituencies which have polled so far, is hovering around 66% for about 438 constituencies.

This is ahead of the previous election record of 64% set in 1984, and as much as eight percentage points above the total turnout of 56% in 2009. As the map shows, the jump in turnouts occurs across the country.

However, also interesting are states where turnout has not risen as sharply — Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, for instance. Goa is the topper when it comes to the increase in turnout, followed by Rajasthan.

1984 holds the record for the highest turnout in any general election in the country, when Congress swept to a big majority in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination.

Rajasthan and Goa have seen sharpest rise in turnout, while northeastern states like Nagaland have seen a fall.

Here’s the list of top 10 contributors to #Congress and #BJP between fiscal 2004-05 and 2011-12.

2014-05-03T19:52:00.001-07:00

RETAIL REALTY IN INDIA: A COMPARISON AND CONTRAST WITH THE EMERGING CITIES OF ASIA

2014-03-23T19:31:00.004-07:00

JLL India,in its report: Retail Realty In India Evolution & Potential,analyses the similarities and differences between the retail markets of India and the emerging Asian countries and places where India can improve and learn from these countries,when it comes to its retail sector

Emerging Asia is wellpoised to become the engine of future economic growth with its favourable demography and consistently rising income of the people.Markets such as Shanghai,Singapore,Hong Kong and Beijing,have already witnessed high growth rates in retail and formed an established retail market,while newer ones are consistently emerging.The top seven cities in India - Delhi,Mumbai,Bangalore,Chennai,Pune,Hyderabad and Kolkata,are comparable to some of the Chinese cities that are in transition.The paper tries to draw a comparison between these retail growth markets,and evaluates the position of Indian cities within emerging Asia.

Retail realty in India: Evolution and Potential

It is well-known that most of the emerging Asian economies are currently enjoying a favourable demography.Their dependency ratio has been falling,thereby,giving a boost to the income and spending potential.The dependency ratio of a country,if falling,signals a growing young population,as a proportion to the total population.As a consequence,the economy witnesses a faster rise in income.The dependency ratio indicates the sum of population aged,0-14 and 60 plus,divided by the number of people in the 15-59 (working age) age group.A falling dependency ratio indicates faster rise in incomes,as more number of people are earning as opposed to merely spending (or dependents).

Favourable demography is a driving factor for retail in Asia of the years left for the dependency ratio to bottom out.India has another 26 years to enjoy the demographic advantage before its dependency ratio bottoms out.China is currently at a stage where it enjoys the peak of its demographic dividend.Therefore,income and spending in China is highest among the emerging Asian nations.

Organised retail penetration (as of 2013)

As incomes rise,the pattern of consumption usually shifts in favour of the organised retail formats that offer an enhancement of lifestyle and entertainment quotients.Since the middle of the previous decade,India has witnessed an income growth of about 10 per cent y-o-y,enabling large sections of its population to move up the consumption,fashion and lifestyle pyramid.This has driven the demand for the organised retail space as opposed to the traditional convenience stores (the kirana stores).Organised retail penetration (the value of organised retail as a proportion of total retail market - ORP) grows simultaneously,gathering a greater share of the total retail market size.ORP across all the emerging Asian countries has picked up by 5-8 per cent bps over the last five years.

Retail sales growth in emerging Asia

Indonesia,China and India,have witnessed a growth of around 15 per cent y-o-y,during 2007-2012,suggesting that they are not just large markets,but also the most lucrative,in terms of the increasing volumes generated each year.Vietnam,where the retail sector is still nascent,witnessed the highest growth in sales during the same period.Philippines witnessed relatively lower retail sales growth,largely due to a proportionally higher retail base compared to other nations.

SWOT analysis Asian markets

Strengths:

FDI policies are either liberal or are increasingly becoming favourable.:

Weaknesses:

There is high reluctance to automate investment approvals.

Opportunities:

To combat the current slowdown,emerging Asian governments are considering further relaxation of norms to attract big retailers.

Threats:

While emerging markets offer potential for high growth,market scenario could be,at times,challenging.

SWOT - Indian focus

Strengths:

As of mid-2012,single-brand retail outlets can be fully owned and operated by foreign entities.Around the same time,multi-brand retailing was partially (51 per cent) opened-up.Opening-up of Indian retail sector offers vast and untapped retail market opportunities.

Weaknesses:

While FDI in retail has been allowed up to 100 per cent in single-brand and 51 per cent in multi-brand retail,retailers operating in the latter category are still reluctant,owing to certain criteria,which are perceived as stringent by international retailers.

Opportunities:

The ruling government in India received strong criticism for the policy paralysis until 2012.Currently,the policy makers are willing to relax norms and embrace liberal policies in order to receive more investment.

Threats:

Certain large political parties have vehemently opposed FDI in retail.Fear of FDI policy reversal could arise if those parties come to power,post upcoming elections.

India vs emerging Asia

Opening-up of the Indian retail sector offers vast and (in some cases) untapped retail market opportunities.There are some trade restrictions in place to protect domestic retailers.Retail trade enterprises with paid-up capital of less than USD 2.5 million are reserved only for Filipino citizens and corporations.Foreign participation in retail space is still limited to domestic and neighbouring Asian countries,possibly due to stiff competition from domestic retail chains.

Sneak peek at the most attractive retail cities in Asia

The cities that are compared in emerging Asia are a mix of tier-I (Mumbai,NCR Delhi,Bangalore,Chennai,Shenzhen,Jakarta,Manila,Bangkok and Hanoi),tier-II (Kolkata,Pune and Hyderabad,Chengdu and Shenyang) and tier-III (Changsha and Hefei).Therefore,it is important to compare all these cities in the context of their real estate development.Bangalore and Pune have a large commercial base,higher per capita income (after Mumbai and Delhi) and a relatively low level of retail stock.These two cities house a large concentration of IT/ITeS companies,which is the largest occupier of office space in India and generates huge employment opportunities.Despite housing a larger population than cities in other Asian countries,Indias retail stock is very low,which suggests a late emergence of retail in India.India fully opened up its singlebrand retail segment to foreign investors only in mid-2012,while the multibrand retail segment has a 51 per cent equity restriction,along with some other entry conditions.However,over the last few years,the policy is gradually moving in favour of liberalisation of the sector.

Retail realty in India: Vacancy

Vacancy is higher in average or poor grade malls in India.Another reason for the higher vacancy rates in Indian cities compared to those observed in Chinese or ASEAN cities,is the large number of average or poor grade malls.Vacancy rates in these malls are significantly higher than the vacancy rates in superior grade malls.

A lower vacancy rate in superior grade malls,compared to average and poor grade malls,indicates an underlying trend of consumers increasingly favouring good-quality malls that offer better lifestyle and entertainment facilities.Subsequently,developers have responded with large-sized malls in order to accommodate all services under one roof,thereby,increasing the average mall size.

The lease model is increasingly gaining popularity amongst retailers due to quality maintenance and mall management.More than 75 per cent of the operational malls on the sale model,have medium and high vacancy levels.Malls operating in the sale model have higher vacancy than malls in the lease model.Ownership is one of the important factors that influences the vacancy rates of malls in Indian cities.Malls that have a sale model are likely to have a higher vacancy rate,as they lack proper management,tenant mix and zoning.At the end of 2013,47 per cent of total mall space in India was operating under the sale model,while the remaining 53 per cent,was operating under the lease model.However,the lease model is gradually becoming more popular among developers,as this helps the developer to execute a better quality mall that will attract more retailers and buyers.

Brands that have made an entry into the Indian retail space

In the last half decade,Indias retail market has seen a significant shift in retailer attraction for the Indian cities.Select luxury brands have gradually preferred to enter the Indian market to meet the rising demand for their brands.With increasing globalisation and corporatisation,Indian buyers have borrowed a lot of taste and preferences from multinationals and there has been a sea-change in the consumption habits of Indians.

However,the wide gap in penetration of these brands between India and China,suggests that India is only emerging in these categories.The potential for further penetration of these brands is high,given that the supply of right quality of mall increases.

The demand-supply situation of Indian retail market

Indian cities are witnessing demand from all types of retailers high-end as well as luxury segments,backed by strong city fundamentals economy,population and income.The leading Indian cities of Mumbai and Delhi,have witnessed an influx of big-box,fast-fashion and high-end retailers.Other leading Indian cities such as Bangalore,Pune and Chennai,have seen reasonably good absorption of retail spaces on the back of high consumerism,supported by the strengthening of IT-ITes sectors and the strong auto,manufacturing and biotech sectors.Improvement in infrastructure,city expansion and the right supply of retail malls,have been primary reasons for growth over the recent past.

QUICK BYTE

FAVOURABLE DEMOGRAPHY IS A DRIVING FACTOR FOR RETAIL IN ASIA OF THE YEARS LEFT FOR THE DEPENDENCY RATIO TO BOTTOM OUT.INDIA HAS ANOTHER 26 YEARS TO ENJOY THE DEMOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE BEFORE ITS DEPENDENCY RATIO BOTTOMS OUT

6 skywalks you shouldn't miss

2014-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Mount Titlis,Switzerland

It is believed to be the highest suspension bridge in the world,at a height of 3,000m above sea level.One needs nerves just as strong as the steel cables,of which this 100-metre long and just 1-metre wide walkway is made of! Once on the bridge,you probably have the best view of the Swiss Alps.It is advisable to look around than look below...

AURLAND LOOKOUT,

Sogn og Fjordane,Norway

How about parking at the end of a hilly road and walking over the valley like a swimmer atop a diving board The view is vertigo-inducing even for the bravest and not many actually walk till the end.Those who do walk the entire stretch (till the frameless glass structure on the edge) get to see the best and the scariest view of the valley.

GRAND CANYON SKYWALK,

Canyon National Park,Arizona,US

Suspended at an altitude of more than 4,700 feet,this glass walkway is definitely amongst the most vertigo-inducing sites across the globe.Stroll through the museum,lounge,souvenir shop and finally step out in the open to soak in the unmatched view of the canyon.Since many find a walk on this horseshoe-shaped bridge too scary,they usually sit back and relax at open cafes and bars nearby,to catch the same adrenaline pumping view.

MONTEVERDE RAINFOREST SKYWALK,

Monteverde,Costa Rica

A major ecotourism destination of the country and the South American continent,walking along tree tops in a misty rainforest is an unmatched experience.This 2.5-km walk on a network of hanging bridges offers you a chance to see over 100 animals,400 birds,thousands of insects and over 2,500 plant varieties! In the tropics,trees and plants stretch upwards as high as they can,to get some sun,which barely reaches the forest floor.So we got a better view of the forest life from aerial hanging bridges in Costa Rica than from below, recalls Payal Jain,who recently visited the place.

TIANMEN MOUNTAIN SKYWALK,

Zhangjiajie,Hunan,China

Soak in breathtaking views of the Hunan province while treading on this walkway at the height of over 4,700 feet above sea level.What really takes the breath away is the walkway itself with rocky mountain slopes for support on one side,deep valley on the other and a 3 feet wide and 2.5 inches thick passage made of see-through glass.A walk across this passage is rightly termed Walk of Faith. It is certainly not a path for the faint-hearted;you have a sheer rock face on one side and a 4,000 ft drop on the other! shares housewife Aprajita Anil,who undertook this adventure with her husband last year.

AUGRABIES WATERFALLS

WALKWAYS,

Augrabies National Park, Northern Cape,South Africa

A 5 km wooden track trail takes you around the waterfall where Orange River falls into a 240 m deep and 18 km long gorge.Locals call it the place of great noise and various viewing decks offering a firsthand experience of deafening noise of water falling are the sights and sounds you wouldnt easily forget.

CHECKLIST

No open footwear! Wear non-slippery and covered clothes for all these walks.

Loose items such as cameras,sunglasses and mobile phones are not allowed for open skywalks.Usually guides are equipped with cameras to click you.

People under influence of drugs or alcohol are not permitted.The heights are enough to cast a dizzy spell.

Do not hide any medical condition at the time of starting.For people with height or health-related problems,indoor observation decks are advised.

Book tickets in advance.They are not only cheaper than on-the-spot ones but also save a lot of time.

CITYSCAPE

Some skywalks and observatory decks do not require us to drive to interiors of a country to catch the breathtaking views.For travellers sticking to prominent cities,skywalks atop these buildings are equally exciting.Harness up and start treading in the sky!

EdgeWalk,CN Tower,Ontario,Canada:

You need guts of steel while you explore Ontario from a height of 356 m with just a harness for support.Amongst the highest walks in the world,every step of this hands-free walk on the five-feet ledge is heart pounding yet fascinating.

OBSERVATION DECKS

Canton Tower,Guangzhou,China:

Declared as the highest observation deck in the world,a walk along this deck lets you watch over the modern dragon kingdom from a height of 488 m.

100th Floor,Shanghai World Financial Center,Shanghai,China:

Fancy walking on air! Thats what it seems like here,as you walk on a glass floor at a height of 474 m.

At The Top,Burj Khalifa,Dubai:

Hop on to the lift at the reception that travels at a speed of 10 m per second and transports you to a height of 452 m on the 124th floor.As the door opens,the glass wall observatory offers a daring view of this desert wonder.Night-time view with a clear sky is a unique experience, says Junaid Ali Khan,a Delhi-based marketing executive.

91st Floor,Taipei 101,Taipei,Taiwan:

Wonder how a bustling business hub looks from a height of 392 m Head here to find out.The outdoor observatory has ample space to walk and explore.

Sensex hovering near 22,000: Should you be fearful or greedy

2014-03-23T18:57:00.003-07:00

The markets touched new highs recently,but the risk of elections looms ahead.Heres how to negotiate this possible bump

Even as the stock markets hit new highs recently,Rohit Karna grew more apprehensive.This Patna-based entrepreneurs portfolio has benefited from his allocation to equities.But Karna is now worried that the current rally may be driven more by hope than reality.The earnings of companies did not improve so much in the last quarter as to warrant such an upswing, he says.He fears that after the elections,if investors hopes are not realised,the markets may see a precipitous drop.Sentiment-driven rally The biggest driver of the current rally is indeed sentiment.Recent opinion polls have assigned a high probability to the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) coalition forming a government at the centre.This has enthused investors,especially FIIs.

Second,strengthening FII inflows in recent weeks have driven the markets up.Once tapering started in January,the emerging markets witnessed a mini crisis.Many of them saw capital outflows and currency depreciation.Compared to other emerging market peers,India has emerged as a safe haven.Indias current account deficit (CAD) is expected to come in at a benign 2-2.25% for 2013-14.In the recent vote on account,the Finance Minister managed to peg the fiscal deficit at 4.6%,thereby sticking to his promise.A recent report from Nomura Securities suggests that inflation may ease in the second half of 2014 owing to the base effect.All these factors have placed the Indian markets in a sweet spot,leading to higher FII inflows.Key risks The biggest risk before the markets is the possibility of the elections delivering a fractured mandate.Aditya Narain of Citi Research says in a recent report that if one looks at the track record of opinion polls in India,they have been modest on reliability.The best that can be said about them is that they have captured accurately the shift in momentum as one got closer to the elections.Hence,despite the opinion polls suggesting a BJP victory,investors shouldnt treat it as a foregone conclusion and allow it to influence their investment decisions excessively.The second risk to the markets comes from the ongoing Fed tapering.It is currently in its third month.Since its onset in January,FII investments have weakened compared to the levels seen in 2013.As it continues,FII investments could dry up further.Bi-polar valuations The current consensus earnings per share (EPS) estimate for the Sensex is 1,344 for 2013-14 and 1,575 for 2014-15.At the current Sensex level of 21,856 (12 March closing) the market is trading at a one-year forward PE of 13.88,which is not high compared to the long-term average of 15.1.However,if the expected EPS growth of 17% does not materialisedowngrading of earnings estimates as the year progresses has been the norm in recent yearsthese levels would appear expensive.While frontline indexes like the Sensex and the Nifty have scaled new highs recently,sector valuations reveal the bi-polar nature of the markets.While IT,FMCG,pharma and private banks are trading at high valuations,infrastructure and capital goods companies are languishing at single-digit PEs,and PSU banks have price to book value ratios of 0.5 or less, says Sanjay Sinha,founder,Citrus Advisors.Thus,some pockets of the market are still affordable.The key is to examine whether they also offer growth.

SECTORS TO INVEST IN NOW IT With global growth reviving,prospects of the Indian IT sector remain robust.Both the US and European corporates are increasing their IT spends which they had reduced in the aftermath of the financial crisis.Currently US companies are sitting on record profits.They are also more confident about future demand and want to tap IT for efficiency and productivity gains to benefit from an improving economic outlook.

Technology shifts offer another opportunity area to Indian IT companies.Organisations are spending a considerable portion of their IT spends on making their IT infrastructure more mobile,more cloud-based,and more geared towards exploiting big data.In Europe,where the outsourcing trend is now catching on,Indian IT companies have begun to gain market share.Faced with the imperative to cut costs,European governments and companies are willing to outsource.They are replacing high-cost vendors with more cost-effective ones.The major threat to the sector comes from the US Immigration Bill which calls for the substitution of Indian workers with Americans.If passed in its current form,the Bill will translate into higher labour costs for Indian IT.Valuations of most IT stocks are high compared to historical levels.Besides large-caps,even mid- and small-caps have run up.Pharma The developed countries are adopting generic drugs to cut healthcare costs.This trend is the biggest contributor to Indian pharmas rapid growth.Over the last five years,more than $100 billion worth of drugs have gone off-patent in the US.With more than 100 US FDA approved plants in India and with Indian companies having the most number of product filings for this market (by non-US companies),they are well placed to tap this opportunity.The domestic pharma market has also been growing at 12-15 %.The rupees depreciation in 2013 will boost earnings in 2014.Indian companies performance will depend on how fast they get approvals for their niche drugs in the US.The key threat comes from regulators turning stricter in the US and the UK.The sector is expected to grow at 17-18 % annually over the next two years.Stocks are likely to perform in line with earnings growth.FMCG Analysts are neutral or negative on the sectors prospects.While earnings growth has declined below the peak levels witnessed in the years up to 2012-13,valuations remain high.There is potential for valuations to correct, says Ritwik Rai,FMCG analyst,Kotak Securities.Earnings growth has slowed down because of slowing GDP growth,which has translated into lower income growth and lower consumption.The sector continues to enjoy high valuations due to the lack of other attractive investment options,and low risk appetite.If other sectors do well,or risk appetite improves,valuations would be hit.This governments redistribution initiatives led to strong rural demand in the past 5-6 years.If such initiatives slow down under a new government,demand would be affected.Rais favourite picks are ITC and Marico.Banking The sectors prospects are tied to those of the economy.Currently growth has bottomed out but a revival is not visible.Asset-quality concerns are weighing heavily on banking stocks.These concerns have been aggravated by the lack of revival of the infrastructure sector,to which banks have lent heavily.PSU banks in particular have a significant NPA problem.They also suffer from the problem of low capital adequacy due to which they cant grow their loan books fast.If GDP growth recovers in 2014 or 2015,it will be positive for the sector.Interest rate cuts will be yet another positive.At present private banks enjoy better valuations than PSU banks as they are gaining market share over the latter.They have higher capital adequacy and lower asset-quality related concerns.Auto The auto sectors prospects will depend on a potential economic recovery.All the sub-segments within the automobile sectorfour wheelers,two wheelers and commercial vehicleshave substantial pent-up demand.

The key risk to the sector is a fractured verdict in the elections.If the government that comes to power is perceived to be incapable of driving economic growth up,both business and consumer sentiment,and demand,will be hit.The high-inflationary environment is also a threat as it erodes discretionary spending.Currently valuations do not factor in a potential recovery in volumes.Gandhis picks in this sector are Hero MotoCorp and Tata Motors among large-caps and Eicher Motors and TVS Motor among mid-caps.Metals Currently analysts are neutral on this sector.While they expect the demand for metals to recover,it will be slow.The average historic demand growth for steel has been 8% whereas it is now expected to be only 4%.While there will be a recovery,it will not be a strong one because the investment cycle is still slow in India, says Prasad Baji,senior VP,Edelweiss Financial Services.Moreover,Chinese demand growth for steel is expected to slow down from 7-8 % last year to 3% this year.The mining ban in Karnataka was lifted last year,but production has been slow to ramp up.The mining ban in Goa is still on.Some companies are trading at average valuations while other are trading at a discount.Bajis two favourite picks in the sector are Tata Steel and JSW Steel.Oil & Gas Analysts are gradually turning positive on the prospects of the oil and gas sector.This is because of the government undertaking price reforms in this sectorthe 50 paise per litre hike in the price of diesel each month.This has helped to contain under-recoveries for players in the sector.It has also resulted in lower demand growth for diesel,which means potentially lower losses for players in the sector.According to a recent report from Religare Securities,if prices are hiked at the same pace,underrecoveries will be wiped out completely by the end of 2015-2016.If under-recoveries are lower,then the government could allow higher realisation for crude oil for companies like ONGC and Oil India.The approval by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs of the revised formula for domestic natural gas prices will also lead to higher earnings for both these companies.According to Religare,the improving prospects of these PSU players in the oil and gas sector is not sufficiently factored into the price.Realty Analysts are either neutral or negative on this sector whose biggest headwind is lack of affordability.While prices have run up,salaries have not kept pace and inflation is eating into disposable incomes.Except Bangalore,prices have gone out of the reach of the middle class in most other metros.In Mumbai they are steady but demand has fallen while it remains strong in Bangalore.According to an analyst at Emkay Research,DLF and Unitech are struggling because sales have dried up in the north.Prestige and Shobha,which enjoy sales visibility and have decent balance sheets,enjoy high valuations. He is currently recommending Oberoi Realty,Prestige Developers and Kolte Patil.Telecom Analysts currently have a neutral view on the telecom sector.Most of the opportunity lies in the data segment,whose revenue is growing 100% year-on-year,due to growing penetration of 3G mobile phones.The other opportunity will arise for stronger incumbents from reducing discounts in the voice segment as the industry consolidates.As for risks,Shobit Khare,VPResearch,Motilal Oswal Securities,says: The launch of a well-funded player,Reliance Jio,will enhance competition.The markets may worry about possible over-bidding in the next round of spectrum auctions.The incumbents will also have to invest more on their data offerings.They may do so prematurely due to competition even though the business case may not be strong. Khares favourite stock is Bharti Airtel.

Share your opinion for 2014 Elections

2014-03-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

BJP's PM candidate requests supporters not to chant 'Har Har Modi

2014-03-23T17:53:00.002-07:00

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls requested his supporters on Sunday not to use the phrase 'Har Har Modi' in future while referring to him.

Narendra Modi posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter - “Some enthusiastic supporters are using slogan "Har Har Modi…" I respect their enthusiasm but request not to use this slogan in the future.”

Ever since Modi was declared as BJP's candidate in from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi earlier this month, his supporters have been chanting “Har Har Modi' in the 'Land of the Gods.'

This has rubbed some people the wrong way, notably the Dwarka Peeth Shankarachayra Swaroopanand Saraswati who raised objection to the slogan in favour of Modi and registered a strong protest with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asking him to stop such "vyakti puja" (eulogising of individual).

The Shankaracharya, who is considered close to Congress leaders like Digvijay Singh, is unhappy over the traditional chant "Har Har Mahadev" raised to hail Lord Shiv being "modified" into "Har Har Modi" to spruce up Modi's campaign, PTI reported.

"After learning about it, I called up Bhagwat yesterday and asked him to stop such chanting, which is an insult to Lord Shiva. I told him that converting 'Har har Mahadev' into 'Har Har Modi' must be stopped. Instead of worshipping god, it is an attempt to worship a particular human being and is against Hindu religion," Swaroopanand told PTI over phone today.

Bhagwat reportedly told him that the RSS was against the worshipping of a man. He is also said to have told the seer that the slogan being used as a result of over-enthusiastic supporters and was intentional on BJP's part.

Swaroopanand also questioned as to why Modi had not raised objections to the slogan being used for him.

Meanwhile, opposing the 'Har Har Modi' slogan to hail Modi, Union Minister Salman Khurshid today requested the Election Commission to take cognisance of it.

"We respect democracy but God is above it,” Khurshid told reporters in UP's Farukhabad yesterday.

Paresh Rawal gets an unopposed welcome for Gujarat ticket

2014-03-23T17:48:00.003-07:00

When the BJP dropped sitting MP Harin Pathak from the Ahmedabad (East) constituency in Gujarat and announced the name of actor Paresh Rawal instead, nobody was surprised. For, Rawal, it is believed, is close to Gujarat CM and BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi.

Even in Mumbai, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state unit invited Rawal to contest against Congress candidate Priya Dutt from Mumbai North Central or against Congress' MP Sanjay Nirupam from Mumbai North.

BJP leaders reckoned that he had a good chance against both, given his popularity and clean image. But the actor declined both the seats, since Modi had apparently sounded him out to contest from Gujarat and nowhere else, said a BJP leader, requesting anonymity. Incidentally, Rawal has a home both in Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

Rawal's proximity to Modi is evident from the fact that his name was being mentioned for both the seats from where Modi was planning to contest as well.Finally, Rawal got the Ahmedabad East seat, and Modi Vadodara.

"If Modi stood from Ahmedabad, then Rawal would have probably got Vadodara." admitted the BJP leader. Gujarat BJP leaders say that while Rawal and Modi knew each other since 2005, they grew closer from 2008, and Rawal's actor wife Swaroop Sampat had a role in bringing them closer.

Sampat, who has a PHD on educating children with learning disability, wanted to be part of the central government's teaching initiative and volunteered to work in rural areas. But the central and state governments didn't respond to her request. In 2008, when she wrote to Modi, he promptly replied and she began working with the Gujarat Council for Educational Research and Training. It was through Sampat that Rawal got to know Modi, and their bond became stronger when the BJP invited the actor to to campaign during the last assembly elections.

Rawal endeared himself to Modi because unlike other celebrities and actors, he was very aggressive and went the whole hog during the campaign.

"The difference between him and other actors is that he just didn't come and wave at the crowds. He aggressively attacked the Congress and publicly criticized Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh," said a BJP leader from Gujarat.

Private jobs quota plan by Congress is economic insanity

2014-01-25T12:04:00.003-08:00

Besides being detrimental to business, the proposal won't even facilitate large scale employment generation for the backward classes.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram may have steered clear of populism in an election year, forcing upon himself harsh fiscal prudence to contain the deficit, but his government isn't shying away from making sweeping populist gestures in a bid to restrain the electoral drubbing that's staring it in the face.

Last week Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi openly sought an increase in the number of subsidized LPG cylinders from 9 to 12. Yesterday, his cabinet approved the grant of minority status to the Jain community, a long pending demand. The party's state machinery in Maharashtra also slashed electricity prices by 20% following the AAP's move to cut power tariffs and dole out free water in the capital. If many of these proposals are being called ruinous competitive populism by the opposition and sections of industry, the Congress's latest plan for job quotas in the private sector has been dubbed 'economic insanity' by one observer.

"This is economic insanity. It would amount to labour market suicide" Manish Sabharwal, founder of Teamlease - a recruitment consultancy told Business Standard. "As it is, there is 90% informality in the jobs market, if you bring in quotas, there will be a further explosion of informal employment. Companies would simply not show staff on rolls. It has been tried in many parts of the world but never worked."

So what exactly is the Grand Old Party up to? According to a report in the Economic Times, the Congress's election manifesto is likely to include a proposal to legislate job reservations for SC/STs in private companies with investments worth Rs 100 Cr or employing 1000 people besides introducing reservation in private schools for class 1 admissions, free post-matriculate education and a Rs 25,000 voucher for every graduate.

"It will sound the death knell of meritocracy and performance which have been the hallmarks of private sector jobs. We need the best brains to come in to generate innovative ideas and take Indian companies to the next level. Using affirmative action could be helpful in building skills and capability, or in giving education to the disadvantaged but not for employment generation in the private sector." said a CFO of one of India's largest steelmakers seeking anonymity.

Besides being detrimental to private sector performance, the proposal may not even end up having the desired effect of generating large scale employment for the backward classes feel experts. Barely 29 million of India's 484 million strong labour force is part of organized sector employment of which only about 11.5 million are employed in the private sector - i.e. less than 3% of India's total labour force. Only a myopic, opportunistic government will mull such a scheme and peddle it as being a game changer in empowering the historically disadvantaged.

If there is any legislation needed at this juncture, we need one that will look at amending our archaic labour laws that are restricting employment creation, not one that enables positive affirmation in the private sector that comprises a miniscule part of the jobs market. It is a shame that this government has presided over a decade of jobless growth. Rather than manipulating the existing labour markets further, the drafters of Congress's manifesto could do themselves great service by glancing through the latest report put out by CRISIL for fresh ideas on how to tackle the ticking jobs time bomb. The report projects an apocalyptic scenario of millions fleeing back to farms as an economic recovery isn't followed up by sufficient job creation with the manufacturing sector stuttering, labour absorption falling and automation rising.

A roadmap to address these long to medium term challenges in the manifesto will instill far greater confidence in the electorate than blinkered short term objectives of vote bank politics. India's economically and socially backward sections will be carried along the road of prosperity only if the country as a whole gets back to the high growth path and creates opportunities for its young (not withstanding caste, religion or class.)

That's the first battle to be won.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/private-jobs-quota-plan-by-congress-is-economic-insanity-114012100388_1.html

NDA may win over 200 seats as Modi's popularity soars further: India Today Mood of the Nation opinion poll

2014-01-25T11:46:00.001-08:00

Despite an apparent wave of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) till recently, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would have won 200-odd seats if the general elections were held in January 2014, the findings of the latest India Today Group's Mood of the Nation opinion poll suggest.

The opinion poll gives the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) only around 100 seats, down by over 150 seats in the current Lok Sabha. It also underlines the significance of a possible Third Front in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election as the non-UPA, non-NDA parties and Independents are expected to win 220-odd seats

The NDA thus crosses the 200-mark for the first time since 2010. Both, the NDA and the likely Third Front, gains substantially in numbers and vote share.

The opinion poll suggests that the NDA's vote share of 34 per cent will be significantly more than the UPA's 23. However, the others will have the maximum vote share of 43 per cent.

Under the leadership of Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks all set to become the single largest party as it is also likely to emerge the biggest gainer in the Lok Sabha polls. Its 2009 tally of 116 is expected to rise to 188 in 2014, an increase of more than 60 per cent.

Congress, under the leadership of its vice-president Rahul Gandhi, might win just 91 seats, as compared to its current tally of 206, a drop of about 55 per cent.

The Congress ploy of propping AAP to counter Modi at the national level seems to have a limited impact, as Kejriwal's gains are restricted to areas around Delhi and a few metro cities only.

Modi consolidates his position

Modi, who emerged as the strongest leader within his party after the BJP's hat-trick in Gujarat in December 2012, cemented his position further through strong campaigning across the country. As the party's lead campaigner in the recently held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi he consolidated his position further.

In the latest India Today Mood of the Nation opinion poll, as many as 47 per cent people voted him as the best prime ministerial candidate against his previous best of 42 per cent polled in August 2013. The Gandhi scion was way behind Modi with just 15 per cent votes, followed by Kejriwal with 9 per cent votes and 6 per cent votes each to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

During these five months Modi was also able to improve his image from being a communal leader to being pro-development. To a question "what does Modi represent", the option "communalism" saw a drop of 11 per cent from 18 per cent in August 2013, while "economic development" increased by 6 per cent to 30 per cent.

The number of people thinking Modi should apologise for the 2002 Gujarat riots also fell drastically during this period to 39 per cent from the previous figure of 51 per cent.

Modi as a role model

The Gujarat chief minister emerged as a role model for the highest 17 per cent respondents, a gain of as much percentage as nobody earlier saw him as one among the overall personalities of India.

Modi was followed by Kejriwal with 14 per cent votes, up from 2 per cent. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan too saw a big jump in his popularity as 10 per cent people saw him as a role model, up from the previous 1 per cent, followed by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar's 9 per cent against 2 per cent in the earlier opinion poll.

Veteran anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare's position as a role model remained unchanged with 7 per cent votes.

Bangalore becomes first Indian city to have free wifi hotspots

2014-01-25T11:32:00.003-08:00

Internet connectivity available at M.G. Road, three TTMCs

Namma Wi-Fi, free wireless Internet connectivity via Wi-Fi hotspots, was launched in five locations here on Friday by Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology S.R. Patil.

The free Wi-Fi will be available in commercial hotspots including M.G. Road and Brigade Road, CMH Road in Indiranagar, and Shanthinagar, Yeshwanthpur and Kormangala bus-stands.

Mr. Patil said the service was the “dream” of the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who promised free Wi-Fi in his budget last year.

According to him, the free Wi-Fi would help students as well as budding entrepreneurs.

The service would be extended to 10 other locations in the city as well as to tier II cities such as Hubli, Dharwad, Mangalore and Belgaum, he added.

Technicalities

Users would be able to access Internet speeds of up to 512 kbps. Usage will be limited to three hours a day, and maximum 50 MB data a day.

As many as 2,500 users can log on at the same time in Brigade Road and M.G. Road, which have 23 wireless hotspots or access points, while there are 28 hotspots in all the other locations.

Users can connect to the network either via an Android app, or using an authentication password that will be sent to their phone upon registration.

The government has tied up with D-Vois Broadband Pvt. Ltd., a private Internet service provider, to execute the project. Ramesh Sathya, director of the company, said they had developed the service for free.

Srivatsa Krishna, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, claimed the government had addressed aspects of security. The system could track individuals as well as details of downloads, he said.

Users facing difficulty in accessing the service can call the 24-hour toll-free number: 1800 123 9636

Are Aam Aadmi Party’s donations hit by anarchy too?

2014-01-22T21:06:00.001-08:00

The raucous street politics of Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and Arvind Kejriwal's dharna that turned the heart of Lutyens' Delhi into a warzone might be costing Aam Aadmi Party dearly.

Online donations to the fledgling party, the financial lifeline that keeps its political prospects on track, have dropped perceptibly since January 17, when news emerged that Bharti and his supporters had raided residences of African nationals in the Khirki Extension neighbourhood during the the midnight of January 15.

On each of the six days starting January 17, the party has received less money in donations than any other day since December 12, when AAP reopened donations. In November, the party had ceased accepting donations, saying it had collected the Rs 20 crore that it needed to contest the Delhi elections. The number of donations on each of the past six days has also been less than any other day since December 12.

The trend during the past week will worry Kejriwal, who plans to field AAP candidates from 400 seats across the country in general elections due in May.

Assuming a low expenditure of Rs25 lakh per constituency (the Election Commission limits expenditure by Lok Sabha candidates toRs 16-40 lakh) and 150 days to go for the elections, AAP needs to collect at least Rs 66 lakh every day. In the past six days, the highest amount it has received is Rs 3.04 lakh. AAP had said it plans to spend about Rs 1 crore per constituency. With that kind of expenditure, the funding gap grows even bigger.

When it reopened donations on December 12, to prepare for Lok Sabha elections, supporters donated enthusiastically. When Kejriwal took oath as Delhi chief minister, donations to the party started pouring in. On December 28, the day the party formed the government, its website received Rs 21 lakh in donations. On the first three days of 2014, supporters contributed more thanRs 40 lakh each day. On January 2, the party was just Rs 5,000 short of clockingRs 50 lakh in donations. More than 2,500 people made donations that day alone.

From those promising highs, the donation counter is now down to a trickle. On January 17, the day when news of Bharti's activism in Khirki Extension on the midnight of January 15 hit the newspapers, the party collected just Rs 1.6 lakh, down fromRs 4.45 lakh the previous day. Since then, as the party and Kejriwal came out on to the streets raising various demands and evoking imagery of protests in the days before the anti-corruption movement became a political party, donations have remained low. The party and its leaders came in for criticism from various quarters during this time.

Pankaj Gupta, the AAP leader responsible for the party's finances, said he didn't see a problem. "There have been days in the past when our donations came down to Rs 1-2 lakh. This is nothing unusual and by no means a reflection of any change in our support base. Moreover, we have been involved in strengthening our backroom donation units and that hasn't given us the time to seek donation actively. The decline could be on account of that," he said. Online donations only portray part of the picture. It is unclear how the party updates the donations received offline, via cheques and other means. The data for this analysis was sourced from Aaptrends. com, an independent website run by AAP member Arijit Upadhyay

His website scrapes the data from the official AAP website. It has not independently verified the data provided by Upadhyay, a former journalist and statistician who said he is now working with AAP's central IT cell.

Upadhyay said the median donations during the round of fund-raising till November was about Rs2.5 lakh. In the round of fund-raising since December 12, he said, it has been higher, at Rs4.5 lakh. He said he calculated the median (the middle value of a set of numbers) after removing extreme values from the set. Shortcomings in the party's presumed target of Rs66 lakh per day can obviously be met by large donations from corporations or wealthy individuals. Lawyer Shanti Bhushan, for instance, donated Rs1 crore on December 13.

The states that account for the most donations are Uttar Pradesh (29.4%), Maharashtra (16.1%), Delhi (14.7%) and Karnataka (10.6%).

BJP’s poll equations may hit AIADMK vote math

2014-01-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Supporters of the AIADMK may believe its leader J Jayalalithaa will be India's next prime minister after sweeping the elections in Tamil Nadu, but they may still feel a bit uneasy with the action emerging out of the BJP, a marginal player in the state until now.

How can the BJP hurt the AIADMK? That too, when the former managed just above a 2% vote share, compared to the AIADMK's over 38%, during the 2011 Assembly elections. (The AIADMK, in alliance with the DMDK and the Left, swept the polls).

The answer: by eating into AIADMK's share, a scenario that rival DMK is betting on.

In Tamil Nadu, there's little to divide the two main Dravidian parties - AIADMK and DMK - when it comes to vote share. In the 2009 Parliamentary elections, for instance, the AIADMK alliance scored just 5 percentage points lower than the rival alliance and, as a result, won just 12 seats while losing 27.

This time, an usually active BJP in Tamil Nadu is not only trying to cash in on what it calls the 'Modi wave' but is also trying to stitch together and lead a broad alliance of second-rung parties.

After managing to woo Vaiko's MDMK, the BJP is now trying to get the PMK, Vijayakanth's DMDK, as also a clutch of even smaller parties such as the Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam and IJK. "We are confident of forming an alliance by the end of this month," says Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP state president.

What this means, based purely on past arithmetic, is that if the BJP can indeed manage to bring all those parties on board, it could easily score above 15% of the votes, if not more. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan in a recent interview told ET in a recent interview that such a situation will work to its advantage, as BJP will more likely eat into the AIADMK votes

Both the DMK and AIADMK have been choosy with alliance partners this time. DMK still has VCK while AIADMK has the Left parties. But from the broad alliances which fought each other in the 2011 elections, one player from either side is missing: DMDK (no longer in the AIADMK alliance) and Congress (no longer with the DMK).

This has opened up an opportunity for the BJP to lead a third front in the state. On one side of the perception spectrum, BJP believes it is on the verge of making history in the state, with Radhakrishnan saying the performance will be unprecedented.

Political analysts such as MR Venkatesh are optimistic about the BJP's showing. He believes the party on its own can get a 10% share and its alliance up to 25%. "The chemistry could then take the numbers higher to over 30%," he says.

However, others such as political commentator Gnani Sankaran and C Lakshmanan, assistant professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, believe BJP will continue to have a negligible presence in the state. Lakshmanan says BJP might not get more than a 5% share.

For the AIADMK, however, the point to note may not be just how much the BJP is able to manage but, more importantly, how broad its alliance is going to be.

Cong rules, but BJP makes a killing via donations

2014-01-08T20:22:00.002-08:00

The Congress may have been wielding power at the Centre since 2004 but it appears that the corporate houses and business establishments preferred Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for donating money during United Progressive Alliance regimes, if one were to go by analysis by two private election watchdogs.

The BJP received the maximum donations of Rs 192.47 crore from 1,334 donors from corporate or business sector between 2004-05 and 2011-12, while the Congress lagged behind at Rs 172.25 crore, which it collected from 418 donors, the study by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) said.

The five national parties—the Congress, BJP, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI and the CPM— got Rs 378.89 crore during the period from corporates while the sixth national party, Bahujan Samaj Party, claimed that it received no voluntary contribution above Rs 20,000 from any donor between 2004-05 and 2011-12.

The donations from corporate and business houses form 87 per cent of the total contribution from known sources of parties. Parties do not need to declare the source if the donation is below Rs 20,000. For the Congress, the General Electoral Trust of the Aditya Birla group donated the maximum Rs 36.41 crore, followed by Torrent Power Rs 11.85 crore and Bharti Electoral Trust of Bharti group Rs 11 crore.

Birla's electoral trust also donated Rs 26.57 crore to BJP, the highest for the party, followed by Torrent Power Rs 13 crore and Asianet V Holding Rs 10 crore. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP got Rs 1 crore each from Ambuja Cement, Hindustan Construction Co and Infina Finance.

Big corporates and business houses appear to have no inclination to donate to CPI as its 11 donors included Nawa Karnataka Publications, four bank officers associations and a housing cooperative group. It received a meagre Rs 11 lakh during the last eight years as donations.

The CPM was a shade better as it got Rs 1.78 crore from 108 donors, which were identified under corporate/business houses, but like its Left ally, many of them were trade unions or officers’ associations.

Citing the Supreme Court judgment that no part of candidate's affidavit should be left blank, the ADR and NEW have demanded that similar provisions should be made to ensure that political parties provide all details regarding donations above Rs 20,000 in the prescribed form.

It also demanded that parties, which do not submit its donation statement to the Election Commission before October 31 every year, should be penalised and its income should not be tax-exempt. Only the Congress and CPM have submitted the details of donations they received during 2012-13 to the Election Commission.

2014-01-08T18:43:00.001-08:00

Experts say around 35,000 analytics-related jobs would be generated in India in 2014, with Bangalore alone generating 12,000 jobs.

Analytics has emerged as one of the most sought after professions in the city over the past year. The number of youngsters joining the stream more than doubled in 2013, the reason being a steady increase in the number of jobs coupled with attractive salary.

Bangalore continues to be the prime destination for those seeking a job in analytics industry. Of the 90,000+ analytics professionals in the country, the city recruits about 30%.

“Bangalore is the biggest recruiter in India for analytics, followed by Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai,” says Gaurav Vohra, CEO, Jigsaw Academy, an organisation that trains people in analytics.

With global demand for analytics talent increasing on the backdrop of business requirements growth, mainly in the US, job growth in this segment is expected to go through the roof in India.

According to experts, the overall analytics-related employment generated in India will be about 35,000 in 2014. In Bangalore, the figure is expected to hover around 12,000 jobs, while in Delhi NCR, it will be about 10,000.

Pure play analytics firms such as Mu-Sigma, Fractal, and LatentView would be among the top hirers, while firms such as Accenture, IBM, Cognizant and EXL services would be among the top when it comes to IT/BPO and other firms, says a report by Knowledgefaber.

Rohit Trivedi, associate professor, marketing at MICA, seconds the report. The institute provides specialisation in marketing research and analytics. “During recruitment time, we see maximum placements happening in Bangalore. Another city that is fast coming up is Hyderabad,” says Trivedi.

Sectors and salaries

Analytics professionals have an array of options. They can chose to be in a KPO, or an IT company or join any niche analytics firm. Additionally, some companies have in-house analytics teams as well.

A report by Jigsaw Academy says with an average salary of Rs5.6 lakh at entry levels, KPOs are the most financially attractive option to enter analytics. Financial benefits aside, KPOs offer some other options that make them a good place to work. KPOs offer analytics services to a wide variety of clients. This means they are able to offer their employees opportunities to work on different clients and different industries.

In the IT industry, an analytics professional can earn Rs5.5 lakh at the entry level, which can go upto Rs23 lakh at director level. When it comes to city-wise breakup of salaries, Mumbai leads the pack at Rs11.49 lakh, followed by Bangalore at Rs11.34 lakh.

“If we adjust these numbers for the cost of living, Bangalore will actually have the highest salaries,” says Vohra.

Who Urban India wants as it's next Prime Minister?

2014-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

An eight-city TOI-Ipsos survey captures views of urban Indians on AAP and how the party can change the political landscape.Between January 3 and 7,interviews were conducted with men and women between 18 and 45 in Delhi,Mumbai,Kolkata,Chennai,Bangalore,Hyderabad,Pune and Ahmedabad

It is a mini-Jantar Mantar at AAPs 41,Hanuman Road headquarters.The party's decision to go national has buoyed enthusiasm and the area is abuzz with volunteers,hawkers,OB vans and hangers-on.

An air of feverish excitement is palpable in the CPWD bungalow the party calls office,where a sea of Main Hoon Aam Aadmi caps bob up and down the tiny verandah of the house.Three counters work overtime to register volunteers names,recruits diligently track the partys social media outreach.People await their turn to speak with Arvind Kejriwal,and a few make it to the accesscontrolled,first-floor office reserved for meetings.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh,who is part of a team selecting LS poll candidates,is often asked if the year-old party can scale up fast to replicate its Delhi success.Hes emphatic it can,drawing parallels to the 1977 elections,when protests against the Congress-imposed Emergency brought Janata Party to power.

Thirty-seven years on,AAP hopes to ride a similar wave.Hume jumle ke rajneeti se hatna hai (We must move away from sloganeering), Singh said,And talk about real issues. These include corruption,unemployment,erratic power supply,water and poverty,local problems,the vacuous,self-serving politics of established parties talking points AAP leaders believe will resonate not only in the Hindi heartland where their party units are strong but also in Andhra,Tamil Nadu and Kerala where they need to build a significant base.

Singh says the attempt would be to expose the other partiesnational and regionalfor dynastic rule,playing up caste and religion while shoving key issues on the backburner.Some might feel this is too simplistic,possible only in a state like Delhi.But Singh is confident that disgust with these parties runs across regions because all Indians are at the receiving end of this self-serving politics.

The party is accused of middle-class bias,but AAP leaders argue they won 9 of Delhis 12 reserved seats.Delhi too has caste politics.But we broke traditional vote banks and made a dent, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav says.

Some of AAPs enthusiasm is understandable.Every day,well-known professionals are joining the ranks,be it former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan or low-cost airline pioneer G R Gopinath.Its coffers are swelling theyve collected Rs 5 crore since the Delhi polls.But the challenge AAP faces,as they prepare to contest over 300 seats across the country is getting right candidates and party units to support them.

The Delhi campaign was run by volunteers,a model they seek to replicate.For that,a six-day nationwide membership drive,titled Main Bhi Hoon Aam Aadmi,will kick off on January 10.There is a huge wave of enthusiasm,whether it is rural or urban.The party will use that to strengthen its volunteer force, Yadav says.We are looking for highvalue individuals,not high net-worth individuals, AAPs Prashant Bhushan says,adding prior political experience is not important to them.

A key learning from the Delhi poll has been that the public didnt take kindly to candidates defecting from BJP and Congress.But that hasnt stopped AAP from accepting rebels party sources say 10 to15 members of these parties visit AAPs Delhi office every day.Our membership is open to anyone but well put all new members through a rigorous induction process.First four months,theyll work as ordinary members.Only after screening,will they be made active members.This will ensure that those wanting to join for tickets or posts are kept away, an insider said.

AAP has made Delhi,headquarters of the national media,its laboratory,realizing its performance here will help further its country-wide ambitions.Kejriwal has launched a strong attack on graft and non-governance,spurning the lal-batti culture.AAP has already fulfilled three of its promises: Cutting power tariffs and a CAG audit on power companies,and free water up to 660 litres daily to households.

There are those critical of their stance,claiming AAPs opposition of FDI in retail or subsidies for frugal power consumers make them appear an NGO in a partys garb.Their pro-development,pro-poor agenda remains unclear,and the recent controversy over Bhushans reported remarks on a J&K referendum has raised questions over whether they are equipped to tackle complex domestic policy issues.

Primarily,the party is seen as urban.Of the eight to 12 states,including Bihar,UP,Haryana and Maharashtra where they have a presence,AAP admits it is largely in the urban centres. We are yet to capture the imagination of rural areas.We will have to visit these places and understand where we have failed, Pankaj Gupta,national secretary,says.

Why I Accept All LinkedIn Contact Requests

2014-01-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

I’ve had numerous speaking engagements since 2006 where I’ve touched on how job seekers, employees, entrepreneurs and students can leverage LinkedIn for career and business success. In these presentations, I always mention that you should accept all of your LinkedIn contact requests even if you don’t know the person. There’s always a lot of criticism around this piece of advice because people are still very private, aren’t trusting and don’t understand the power of having a larger network on LinkedIn. My stand on this issue has been the same since 2006.

Here are five reasons why you should accept everyone:

1. Referrals. The best way to get a new job is through a referral, anyone will tell you that. By increasing your first degree contacts, you have more people who can introduce you to hiring managers that you didn’t have access to.

1. Research. I view LinkedIn as a professional research directory. It’s the white pages for professionals. If you don’t have a large network on LinkedIn, then you are limited in the number of profiles you can view when searching.

2. Awareness. Who knows how that person found you in the first place. When you put yourself out there, sometimes people find you interesting so they connect with you. If you’re ultra paranoid, then why not just email them and find out how they found you?

3. Influence. The number of contacts on LinkedIn has an impact on your Klout.com score. Klout is becoming more important to employers who are looking to identify talent that has social media influence. If you have a low Klout score, it can hurt your chances of getting a job in some industries like marketing, PR, media and communications.

4. Branding. The size of your network on LinkedIn if visible up to five hundred contacts. If you don’t have many contacts, then you will appear to be less valuable because your network is your net worth. If a recruiter is choosing between hiring two people based on LinkedIn profiles, the person with 500 contact will beat out the person with only 20 every time.

Of course there are exceptions, aren’t there always! If your top competitor or someone you dislike adds you, you shouldn’t accept them.

Dan Schawbel is a workplace speaker
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2014/01/07/why-i-accept-all-linkedin-contact-requests/

Swabhiman joins Sena-BJP alliance, setback to AAP

2014-01-07T13:01:00.003-08:00

The plans of the Shiv Sena-BJP-led opposition alliance to rope in smaller political groups to take on the ruling Congress-NCP combine in the forthcoming polls got a boost on Tuesday with the Swabhimaani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Lok Sabha member Raju Shetty, joining the fold.

The development is also considered a setback for the plans of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been reportedly toying with using the Shetty-led organisation's clout in rural areas of the state, specially in western Maharashtra.

Reacting to Shetty's decision, AAP leader Mayank Gandhi said, "Shetty was apparently pressurising the Sena-BJP-RPI alliance by indicating that he was in parleys with us. We do not subscribe to such tactics."

The Sanghatana's decision came after a meeting between the MP, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, BJP leader Gopinath Munde and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale, at Uddhav's residence in suburban Bandra on Tuesday.

Reacting to the development, Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raghunath Patil said, "Shetty is not a farmers' leader. He became Lok Sabha member by coincidence." It is not clear how many seats Shetty's organisation would be allocated in the "Mahayuti" (grand alliance) comprising Sena, BJP and RPI (A). In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Sena had contested 26 seats and BJP 22 of total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

However, this time around, RPI and Shetty's outfit will also be in the fray from some seats, as part of the grand opposition alliance.

AAP may have impressed India Inc but Dalal St is disappointed

2014-01-06T18:27:00.002-08:00

Even though several corporate India executives have recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party while others like Bicon's Kiran Mazumdar shaw have praised the party for its anti-corruption stand and, the party' s populist measures are worrying investors on Dalal Street.

At the heart of the investor community’s hesitation to accept the AAP wholeheartedly is the party’s promises of free water and cheap power.

The anti-establishment party which recently formed the government in New Delhi with support from the Congress Party, has promised several freebies such as free distribution of 700 litres of water per family and slashing of power tariffs is beginning to worry investors who believe that now both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, including other regional parties, will begin to root for more such populist scheme at the cost of reforms.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has decided to give free water to all households consuming up to 20,000 litres and slash electricity tariffs by half for those using less than 400 units a month. The Congress-ruled Haryana has followed suit by announcing a Rs 200 rebate on power bills, while Chhattisgarh under the BJP has commenced distribution of food grain at Re. 1/kg to about 50 lakh poor families.

Power distribution companies in Delhi are already crying fowl about the cheap power promise as they are facing accumulated losses of Rs 11,000 crore and it is not possible for them to reduce the rates as promised by the party. Little wonder that stocks of Reliance Infrastructure, which supplies power to Delhi, have dropped over 3% since January 1 while the Tata Power scrip has fallen 7.7%.

The party has also decided not to allow global majors into the multi-brand retail sector, thus shutting out a very lucrative market for the Wal-Marts and Tescos of the world. They fear, the AAP’s insistence on populist Left-of-the-centre economic agenda is likely to be a death knell for the economy and business.

"AAP has started on a wrong note, and if its surge continues, it could be a disaster for the economy and stock markets," Deven Choksey, MD, KR Choksey Shares and Securities told The Economic Times.

Clearly AAP's populist measures is creating a domino in other states and are bound to harm the country's finances.

According to Andy Mukherkee, AAP's rise is a bad omen for this year’s general election.

As he writes in a Reuters BreakingViews column, "The race to get to the halfway mark in the 545-member national parliament won’t be an easy one for BJP leader Narendra Modi and his coalition partners. Even if the Common Man Party wins just 20 seats in the April elections, it could undermine Modi’s chances of becoming prime minister. This makes investors wary. Modi is their preferred candidate to slay India’s stagflation. An inconclusive election result could lead to greater paralysis in economic policy."

Will Kejriwal wreck Modi's dream?

2014-01-06T18:19:00.001-08:00

The Bharatiya Janata Party's forward march has slowed down. Can Arvind Kejriwal eclipse Narendra Modi in the upcoming general election?

Modi, feels Praful Bidwai, may have peaked too soon and Arvind Kajriwal's politics may find new takers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has reason to be greatly pleased with the results of the recent assembly election in four northern and central states. It swept 163 of Rajasthan's 200 seats, taking an unprecedented 12-plus percentage-point lead over the Congress.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won a convincing two-thirds majority. In Chhattisgarh, where it was expected to lose, it won albeit by a whisker. And in Delhi, it kept the Congress out of power. Its seat tally in the four states has risen from 50 percent to 69 percent of the total. This could translate into 50 of these states's 72 Lok Sabha seats for the BJP, up from 30.

Yet, the impact of the BJP's success has been blunted to some extent by the Aam Aadmi Party's spectacular performance in Delhi. Strange as it seems, AAP Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, not the BJP's Narendra Modi, is leading the battle for the national popular imagination. Kejriwal's 'new politics' has inspired large numbers of people.

Has Kejriwal eclipsed Modi?

Has Modi, with his aggressive high-profile campaign, peaked too soon?

Has his macho style put off potential supporters?

Has his belated, strained expression of 'misery, pain, anguish, agony' at the 2002 violence won him Muslim sympathy?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to all these questions just yet. But two things are clear. Modi's feigned 'hurt' at the anti-Muslim pogrom convinces nobody.

Second, the AAP's entry has introduced a new variable and enlarged the shadow of uncertainty over the BJP's 'target' of reaching the 272-seat halfway-mark on its own by fielding Modi.

Modi or no Modi, the BJP lacks the support-base to reach this. But can the National Democratic Alliance do so?

The NDA has shrunk from 23 parties to just three: The BJP (116 Lok Sabha seats), the Shiv Sena (11) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (4).

It must more than double its present seat-tally to reach the half-way mark. This means raising its percentage-share of the national vote from 21.2 to over 30.

This is a far bigger task than the highest jump in seats and votes ever achieved by the BJP, when it rose from 161 seats and 20.3 percent (1996) to 182 seats and 25.6 percent (1998) and collected enough allies to form an opportunist coalition, which expediently put all trademark Hindutva issues in abeyance.

The NDA has lost -- probably irrevocably -- major allies like the Janata Dal-United, the Trinamool Congress and the Biju Janata Dal, besides ethnic-Tamil parties and Telugu Desam, Party which quit earlier.

For the NDA to come to power in 2014, the BJP must win about 200 (if not 210 to 220) Lok Sabha seats to create a nucleus around which smaller parties can coalesce and form a winning alliance.

Winning 200 to 220 seats, up from 116, is a tall order. Unlike in the 1990s, when the BJP rode a Hindutva wave, it has no social-mobilisation tailwind behind it. So where can the seats come from?

Cold arithmetic, for which thanks are partly due to public-policy consultant Manish Dubey, suggests that the BJP's success will hinge primarily on making huge gains in three major states -- Uttar Pradesh (80 seats), Bihar (40) and Maharashtra (48).

In addition, the BJP must further improve on its 2009 performance in states which it has ruled in alternation with the Congress: Madhya Pradesh (29), Gujarat (26), Rajasthan (25) and Chhattisgarh (11). Only then can the BJP boost the NDA sufficiently to attract willing allies who agree with its policies, and indifferent ones who join it for the loaves and fishes of office.

Consider India's political arithmetic from the BJP standpoint. India's 35 states and Union Territories fall into four categories. First are the big states like Andhra Pradesh (42), West Bengal (42) and Tamil Nadu (39), somewhat smaller Kerala (20), and the tiny North-Eastern states barring to an extent Assam, where the BJP has no effective presence.

In this big chunk of 168 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP's score has always been in the low single-digits and is unlikely to improve.

Second home states like Karnataka (28), Orissa (21), Punjab (13) and Jharkhand (14), where the BJP has a limited or unsteady presence via alliances, and the smaller states and UTs each with less than 10 seats, which account for 40 seats, making a total of 116 Lok Sabha seats.

These are unlikely to add substantially to the BJP's tally. It has to share Punjab with the Akali Dal, and Jharkhand with regional groups. It is marginal in Orissa after it broke with the BJD. And given the AAP's ascendancy in Delhi, the BJP cannot score handsomely in the UTs either.

What of Karnataka? After B S Yeddiyurappa's disastrous performance as chief minister, his break with the BJP (he has since announced his decision to return to the parent party), and the Congress's recent assembly victory, it is unlikely that the BJP will win anywhere near the 19 seats it bagged in 2009.

So in the states and UTs listed above, which send 284 MPs -- or more than half the Lok Sabha's total -- the BJP's tally will on balance of probability be about the same as earlier: 40 seats.

Then comes the third category of states comprising Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The BJP won 45 of its 91 Lok Sabha seats in 2009, and did well in the assembly elections held since.

The BJP can legitimately hope to do better vis-a-vis the now-weakened Congress in Rajasthan (where it won only 4 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2009), Gujarat (15/26 in 2009) and MP (16/29 in 2009), but not in Chhattisgarh, where it took 10 of 11 seats in 2009, but didn't do too well in the last assembly election.

Modi will draw in some votes both in Rajasthan and Gujarat -- although his strident Hindutva rhetoric could prove counterproductive beyond a point to the BJP by further alienating Muslims and secular voters, and creating new opportunities for the Congress.

However, even if the BJP repeats its best-ever performance in MP (25), Rajasthan (21), Gujarat (20) and Chhattisgarh (10), that would still fetch it 76 of 91 seats. More realistically, it could win 55 to 60 seats.

This would bring it about 100 seats, with a maximum of 115, from the first three categories.

The BJP would still need to reap 85 to 100 seats from the fourth category (UP, Bihar and Maharashtra) which send 168 Lok Sabha MPs. In 2009, it won just 31 seats from these.

These states are politically complex, marked by strong local-level organisations and candidates, and well-cultivated vote-banks. They have multi-cornered contests, whose outcomes are hard to predict.

In 2004, these states returned 115 non-Congress-non-BJP MPs, and in 2009 a good 97.

In a super-optimistic scenario, the BJP might win 24/40 seats in Bihar with a strike-rate of 60 percent -- way above its best-ever score of 23/54 in undivided Bihar, a 43 percent strike-rate.

In Maharashtra, the BJP could end its alliance with the Shiv Sena and risk going it alone. Even if it creates a 'wave', which seems extremely unlikely, it can maximally repeat its best-ever performance (18/48 in 1996). That entails an improbable doubling of its present tally.

Even then, the BJP would need to win 55 to 60 seats from UP. It crossed the 50-seat mark in undivided UP's 85 seats only twice, in 1998 and 1999, in the wake of the Ramjanambhoomi mobilisation, and when it came to national power, but shrank to 10 seats in both 2004 and 2009.

To exceed the old performance won't be easy for the BJP in the face of the strong caste and other social-group coalitions forged by the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party.

True, the BJP stands to gain from the communal polarisation recently created by the Muzaffarnagar violence, its renewed emphasis on the Ram temple, and the shrinking of the Congress's and Samajwadi Party's bases.

However, the BJP in UP lacks both a broad social coalition (as distinct from upper-caste support) and a convincing development agenda. It is relying on mobilising fringe groups around the BSP and Samajwadi Party's coalitions.

It is far from clear if this, and Modi's 'charisma' can over-ride the appeal of traditional leaders and help the BJP win more than 30 to 40 seats.

In an optimistic scenario, the BJP's three-state gamble may pay off. More realistically, it may not. The BJP has the advantage of having emerged as an urban winner in a few states. For instance, in Gujarat, it bagged 58 percent of city votes, to the Congress's 28 percent. But Gujarat is 40-percent urbanised.

The BJP can't replicate its performance in Bihar and UP, with their 11 and 22 percent urbanisation rates.

Besides, a new, quintessentially urban, challenge has arisen -- in the shape of the AAP. Despite its flawed start and many problems including near-silence on communalism, the AAP could eat into the BJP's votes in many cities, wrecking Modi's dream.

Only 10% students have access to higher education in country

2014-01-04T18:29:00.001-08:00

Access to education beyond higher secondary schooling is a mere 10% among the university-age population in India.This is the finding of a report Inter generational and Regional Differentials in Higher Education in India authored by development economist,Abusaleh Shariff of the Delhi-based Center for Research and Debates in Development Policy and Amit Sharma,research analyst of the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

The report says that a huge disparity exists as far as access to higher education is concerned across gender,socio-economic religious groups and geographical regions.The skew is most marked across regions.Thus,a dalit or Muslim in south India,though from the most disadvantaged among communities,would have better access to higher education than even upper caste Hindus in many other regions.Interestingly,people living in Bihar,Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal designated as the north central region and those in northeast India have the worst access to higher education.Those in southern India and in the northern region consisting of Jammu and Kashmir,Punjab,Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Chandigarh,Haryana and Delhi are relatively better placed in this regard.

In the age group 22-35 years,over 15% in the northern region and 13% in the southern region have access to higher education.In the north-central region,the number is just 10% for men and 6% for women whereas in the northeast,only 8% men and 4% women have access to higher education.

The report,brought out by the US-India Policy Institute in Washington,is based on data from the 64 th round of NSSO survey 2007-08.It throws up quite a few other interesting facts.For instance,among communities,tribals and dalits fare worst with just 1.8% of them having any higher education.Muslims are almost as badly off,with just 2.1% able to go for further learning.Similarly,just 2%of the rural population is educated beyond higher secondary level,compared to 12% of the urban population and just 3% of women got a college education compared to 6% of men.

South India offers the best opportunities for socially inclusive access to higher education including technical education and education in English medium.For instance,the share of Hindu SC / ST in technical education in south India is about 22%,and the share of Muslims 25%.These were the lowest shares among all communities in south India.But this was higher than the share of most communities including Hindu OBCs and upper caste Hindus in most other regions.South India also has the highest proportion of higher education in the private sector at about 42%,followed by western India where it is 22%.The northeast has the least privatized higher education sector and is almost entirely dependent on government-run or aided institutions.

Not surprisingly,government institutions are the cheapest places to study at,with annual expenditures ranging from less than Rs 1,000 to around Rs 1,500,except in north and south India,where the average is above Rs 2,000.Both private and private aided institutions are quite costly,making them difficult to access for the poor.With little regulation of the quality of education and cost differentials,the poor and deprived are often trapped in low quality education,the report points out.It adds that although free education is provided at school level,it is almost non-existent at higher levels.

The report also compares India's low 10% access to higher education with China's 22% enrollment and the 28 % enrollment in the US.Since the early 1990 s,China's post-secondary enrollments grew from 5 million to 27 million,while India's expanded from 5 million to just 13 million,says the report,while emphasizing that higher education has the potential to enhance productivity and economic value both at the individual and national levels.The government has to urgently address the geographical skew in the availability of higher education facilities in the two regions of north-east and north-central, says Shariff.The central region,comprising Chhattisgarh,MP,Rajasthan,Jharkhand and Odisha,too needs attention.There is so much talk about a Harvard in India.I say,give two hoots to Harvard.What we need are thousands of community colleges that can offer professional courses so that youngsters can improve their skills and become employable.

IIT-Modi vs IIT-Kejri

2014-01-04T18:22:00.003-08:00

If you thought the comment by outgoing Infosys director V Balakrishnan — that the Aam Aadmi Party was the best start-up ever by an IITian — would push the best brains towards the winds of political change blowing across the country, pause to ponder. For, alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) already form the heavy artillery in Narendra Modi's armoury as he draws political strategy to capture power in Delhi.

But the Gujarat chief minister has now competition from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, an IITian himself, who is finding support in premier institutes and among the urban, educated middle class — a constituency that Modi has been trying to get on board.

Last year, Modi started building an army of bright youths through his Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) initiative. This was in anticipation that much of the political battle would be fought in the theatre of the youth. Almost half of the 60-odd founder members of CAG are IITians. They quit from renowned organizations like Oracle, AT Kearney, JP Morgan, Google, IBM, Deutsche Bank and McKinsey, just to be part of Modi's think-tank.

The second tier comprises around 200 short-term members — around half of them again IITians — who form the core of CAG, which has 60,000 foot soldiers from good colleges across the country.

After the emergence of Arvind Kejriwal and the groundswell of support for AAP from premier institutes, Modi plans to graft the CAG army of 60,000 into the BJP apparatus in a dozen important states. Within the next couple of months, almost 20% of BJP's active base will comprise these volunteers.

"Immediately after the win in assembly polls in December 2012, Modi started to build a platform to connect with first-time voters and youths from urban areas. CAG was launched in mid-2013 and the fact that Modi spent eight hours at an event organized by CAG on October 2 suggests how deeply the CM is interested," said a Modi aide.

The Gujarat CM is learnt to have advised Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh to take help from CAG volunteers during the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. "The interest in these two states on what CAG can do increased after AAP's recent surge," he said.

8 Actresses Salman could have married

2014-01-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

Sangeeta Bijlani: Salman Khan's personal life made news for the first time when the reports of him being 'close' to former beauty queen Sangeeta Bijlani made headlines. During her short stint in the industry (Hathyar, Tridev etc), Sangeeta found a confidante in Salman and this was just the beginning of their affair. Unperturbed by their names making headlines, the duo could be spotted everywhere and anywhere together. But right when industry people were thinking she is the woman of his life, Sangeeta bailed out from the relationship citing Salman's infidelity as the reason.

Somy Ali: After parting ways with Sangeeta Bijlani, Salman found solace in Somy Ali's arms. The Pakistani journalist-turned-actress, Somy claimed to have fallen for Salman at the age of 15. Though Somy's dad was quite against the relationship, the 'love- struck' couple remained oblivious to it. However, fate had something else written for Salman. Their closeness soon turned into hatred when Somy Ali came open to the open in the media and spoke about Salman's alcoholism. On the other hand, Salman who was a well known name in the industry chose to drift apart as he could not handle her immature behaviour

Aishwarya Rai: The world seems to have a continuing love affair with her and Salman was no different. Roped in opposite Aishwarya Rai (not Bachchan at that time) in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'; it was love at first sight for Salman. He is rumoured to have gifted her a lavish bungalow and a high end car too. Though Aishwarya never admitted to the relationship openly, industry insiders vouched for the chemistry (read: love) that was brewing between them. But like the rest of his relationships, Salman again went through a heartbreak. All hell broke loose on the sets of 'Chalte Chalte', where Salman is said to have manhandled Aishwarya who was cast opposite SRK in the movie. It is also rumoured that Salman got into an ugly verbal exchange with the actor while he tried saving Aishwarya. After this episode, not only did Salman lose Aishwarya but lost his friendship with Shah Rukh Khan too. And now that Salman and Shah Rukh have ended their decade long feud, we wonder if Aishwarya is ready to forgive him too?

Sneha Ullal: While Salman was in his rebound phase he came back with Aishwarya look- alike Sneha Ullal and gave her a dream debut 'Lucky'. The actress who was a friend of Salman's sister Alvira, was just 18 then. The sparks faded as soon as they flew

Katrina Kaif: Next in line was the ravishing beauty, Katrina Kaif. After a failed and forgettable debut 'Boom', the actress sought help from Salman. Salman being a man of his words helped her bag a couple of films. Both seemed completely smitten by each other and the reports of Salman's true love again began making rounds. Katrina's career with the Salman starrer 'Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya' and there was no turning back for the actress after that. Though both remained in a state of constant denial in front of the media, paparazzi caught hold of them time and again sharing warm hugs and solace with each other

Zareen Khan: Again, during his rebound phase after a supposed fall- out with Katrina, he came back to the screen with Zareen Khan. The actress made news because of her uncanny resemblance to Katrina Kaif. It was expected that Zareen would finally light up Salman's life, but the pair became a dud just like their film (Veer) together

Lulia Vantur: The latest girl rumoured to be in Salman's life is Romanian actor, Lulia Vantur. Though pictures of Lulia taking a jungle tour with Salman have been flashed all over, Lulia and Salman both have refrained from commenting on it.

Elli Avram: The latest tinselville bombshell to have caught Salman's attention is debutant Elli Avram. She may not have grabbed eyeballs because of her performance in 'Mickey Virus' but her debut stint in Bigg Boss 7 and 'hide and seek' chemistry with host Salman definitely raised eye brows

Will return to BJP and strengthen Modi as PM candidate: Yeddyurappa

2013-12-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

Ending months of speculation, former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said he would return to the BJP, which he had deserted to form his own outfit more than a year ago.

"I will give sweet news in the first week of New Year. I know the party which I built has suffered due to my absence. I will not only rejoin my parental party but also tour the entire state to strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi to make him the Prime Minister," Yeddyurappa said.

The talk about the homecoming of Yeddyurappa had gained more currency in recent weeks with state leaders making intensified efforts to bring him back and the former BJP strongman also giving enough indications about it.

Yeddyurappa's statement to reporters at his home constituency of Shikaripura in Shimoga district comes a day after he told a Karnataka Janatha Paksha party workers meet here that "this may become the final KJP meet."

He said he had spoken to BJP President Rajnath Singh and even the state leaders had been talking about the necessity of his return.

"I grew up in the RSS parivar.I could become the Chief Minister only because of the blessings and support of the party," he said, adding his return was "unconditional."

He said the Congress had benefited as a result of the BJP and KJP contesting the May 8 assembly elections separately in the state.Garnering 10 per cent vote share and six seats, Yeddyurappa had damaged the prospects of the then ruling BJP but failed to make an impact as an independent entity.

Yeddyurappa said he had left the BJP out of "inevitable circumstances." He said the BJP had won 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in the last elections and his effort in the 2014 parliamentary polls would be to get more number of seats

He said after assembly polls, KJP had planned to have a tie-up with BJP but "on clearance from BJP high command" to induct him back he has decided to merge KJP with BJP.

Yeddyurappa, a strongman from the majority Lingayat community, was made to quit as Chief Minister in July 2011 over findings of Lokayukta indicting him on illegal mining issue.

Sidelined by BJP central leadership subsequently, Yeddyurappa had formed KJP in December last year, ending his 40-year-long association with BJP.