All stories by Shahnawaz Akhtar
Why Rahul feels India need more than just 1 watchman
Rediff.com10 Apr 2014Targeting Narendra Modi over his remarks that he wants to be a chowkidar (watchman) of the country, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said sometimes a watchman also "indulges in theft" so the "keys" of the country cannot be given to just one person.
Rahul charges BJP with a CTRL C, CTRL V of Cong manifesto
Rediff.com10 Apr 2014In one of his longest speeches, All India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto. The BJP's manifesto was released on April 7 when the first phase polling of Lok Sabha 2014 had already begun. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports
Sangeeta Bijlani campaigns for Azharuddin in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur
Rediff.com6 Apr 2014Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who is contenting the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, was on Sunday accompanied by his wife and former Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani.
'Does Vasundhara Raje deserve to hold CM post?'
Rediff.com6 Apr 2014The Rajasthan unit of the Aam Aadmi Party has written to Election Commission seeking action against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for her controversial remarks at an election rally.
Raje reacts to Imran Masood; says election will decide who will be cut to size
Rediff.com5 Apr 2014Hitting back at the Congress after its Saharanpur leader Imran Masood threatened to chop Narendra Modi to pieces in a hate speech, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said the Lok Sabha results will clearly show who will be cut to size and who will be the winner.
Rajasthan has sent only one Muslim to Parliament in 62 years
Rediff.com4 Apr 2014Truth is stranger than fiction, as far as Muslim politics in Rajasthan is concerned. The community which comprises more than 11 per cent of the state's total population, only one leader from the community has became a member of Parliament in the last 62 years. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports
All 3 top performing MPs in Rajasthan from Congress
Rediff.com3 Apr 2014Union Minister and State President of the Congress party Sachin Pilot is the top performing Member of Parliament among the 25 MPs of Rajasthan.
After Jaswant, son Manvendra faces expulsion for 'anti-party activities'
Rediff.com3 Apr 2014After expelling party stalwart Jaswant Singh, now it seems that the Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to take action against the veteran leader's son and legislator Manvendra Singh for allegedly campaigning for his father.
Why are contesting candidates' spouse always richer?
Rediff.com2 Apr 2014A glance through the declared assets of candidates contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections reveals that future lawmakers of the country are rich, but not as much as their spouses.
Only 17 women out of 239 candidates in Rajasthan poll fray!
Rediff.com2 Apr 2014The run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election is witnessing a parallel mobilisation apart from the campaigning for votes -- a movement to make the political parties realise the power of women who constitute 49 per cent of the population in the country. Sadly, it seems the 'Power of 49' movement has made no difference to the political parties in Rajasthan -- a state run by a woman chief minister and woman governor -- as far as giving tickets to women candidates is concerned.
Supported neither temple movement nor Rath Yatra: Jaswant
Rediff.com31 Mar 2014Jaswant Singh, who was suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday for going ahead with his decision to contest the election from Barmer constituency as an independent candidate, has claimed that he had never supported either the Ram Janambhoomi movement or the Rath Yatra led by Lal Krishna Advani.
Will BJP's 'Mission 25' in Rajasthan be marred by infighting?
Rediff.com27 Mar 2014As veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh and former Union minister and vice president of the BJP Kisan Morcha Subhash Maharia have now made the infighting within the saffron party in Rajasthan public, chances of the ruling party touching the mark of 25 seats now seems impossible, say political observers. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports
Ex-army officers, engineers and doctors hold the AAP broom in Raj
Rediff.com26 Mar 2014Until now, a bipolar contest has been taking place in the desert state between the BJP and the Congress, so it will be interesting to see how many AAP candidates taste success in reaching parliament, says Shahnawaz Akhtar.
Vasundhara Raje hits back at Jaswant for 'betrayal' comment
Rediff.com25 Mar 2014A day after Bhartiya Janata Party's veteran leader Jaswant Singh accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of betraying him as it was he who had support her candidature for the chief minister's post, Raje hits back saying that party members should accept the party's decision.
BJP's 'small issues' in Rajasthan: Angry workers, upset veterans, miffed Rajputs
Rediff.com23 Mar 2014After the denial of ticket to Jaswant Singh, a member of the Rajput community and a former Union minister, BJP cadres and members of the community across Rajasthan are incensed, says Shahnawaz Akhtar
'Don't shut down projects started by Gehlot government'
Rediff.com20 Feb 2014The Rajasthan Congress led by its state president Sachin Pilot on Thursday held a Chetna Rally against "anti-people" policies of the Vasundhara Raje led Bharatiya Janata Party Rajasthan government.
Raje follows in Rahul's footsteps, travels in general compartment
Rediff.com18 Feb 2014It seems that to shed her Royal background tag, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is going the 'commoner' way, just like Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports
Rajputs target Farhan Akhtar for his film produced by Ekta Kapoor
Rediff.com2 Feb 2014Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar was in for an unpleasant surprise when he flagged off the fifth edition of Jaipur Marathon in which over 50,000 participants took part.
Rajputs target Farhan Akhtar for his film produced by Ekta Kapoor
Rediff.com2 Feb 2014'Writers and directors will be the focus of Jaipur film fest, not stars'
Rediff.com31 Jan 2014The sixth Jaipur International Film Festival will see 156 films from 90 countries screened at the festival.