POLITICS

Independents changing political landscape in Jammu & Kashmir

At 145, the number of Independents in the Jammu &Kashmir  Assembly elections for the first two phases for which nominations have closed is a whopping 44% of the total 330 nominees. This is a huge jump from 2014, the last time Assembly elections were held in Jammu &Kashmir , when the total number of candidates in these constituencies was 278, and the number of Independents was 87 (31%). Before that, in 2008, 190 Independents fought in the constituencies going to polls in the first two phases, but even that time, they added up to only 37% of the 518 nominees in the fray. Apart from the big share of Independents, at least two dozen little-known political outfits are also present in the poll arena. Even the former Jammu & Kashmir  Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is facing seven Independents From his family turf of Ganderbal.

Will the Modi govt achieve the economic target next year?

Sources indicate that the Modi government is likely to achieve the India's third economic target next year, likely by March 2025. They said that the government vigorously working to achieve the set target. During the recently held Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi had announced that India will be the third biggest economy of the world during his third term. Presently India is the fifth economy.