Though RLD chief Ajit Singh is not likely to be inducted in the Union Cabinet in the anticipated reshuffle soon, the Congress and RLD have agreed in principle for seat-sharing talks for the next year’s UP Assembly elections.

Sounding the battle cry in Uttar Pradesh, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Mayawati government of forcibly acquiring farmers’ lands for real estate development, golf courses

In the last parliamentary polls, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi was credited with reviving the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Of the 80 Parliamentary seats, the Congress secured 22 berths.

The farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul and Tappal villages in Greater Noida and Aligarh areas respectively are likely to hog the limelight in the showcase kisan mahapanchayat to be addressed by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi here on Saturday.

Amid reports of financial irregularities in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), the

Centre is setting up mechanism to fight corruption at the grassroot level by roping in chartered accountants and state auditor generals. The

corruption watchdog at the local and state levels would function under the overall instruction of the CAG.

The Opposition stuck to a united stand in the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to put the onus on the government to bring a strong and effective Lokpal bill in Parliament.

Amid no clear consensus emerging on the proposed Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, the government is likely to move an “open-ended” draft law in Parliament’s Monsoon Session, earmarking 40 to 45 per cent of the net sown area as “reserved agricultural zone” in which there can be no change in land use for at least 10 years.

Amid no clear consensus emerging on the proposed Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, the Central government is likely to move an “open ended” draft legislation in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

In a bid to curb infighting within the party, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is tipped to contest next year’s Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

After shocking rivals with good results in the last MCD polls, BSP supremo Mayawati is all set to blow the election bugle on June 16 for the next year’s municipal polls in Delhi. She is expected to gear up the party machinery in Delhi during her day long meetings with the BSP functionaries. Though the MCD election is still a year away, Ms Mayawati is likely to ask the party machinery to go into the poll mode.