Sizzling beauty Mallika Sherawat has once again sparked a controversy by sporting a tricolour in the first poster of her upcoming film `Dirty Politics`. The first look of the movie was released recently in Mumbai.

In the poster Mallika Sherawat, who plays the lead role in the film, is seen sitting on an old ambassador car draped in a long tricolour cloth. Not only this, but the poster also shows the Rajasthan Assembly building in the background.

According to reports, the director of the film KC Bokadia is surrounded by political pressure from all quarters to change the poster to a more acceptable form, especially since the using the tricolor has offended many.

The film which is slated to release later this year is reportedly based on the infamous Bhanwri Devi case. Big names like- Om Puri, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff and Rampal Yadav will also be seen in the movie.

This is not the first time Sherawat has been seen sporting a flag in a raunchy pose. The poster of Mallika Sherawat`s 2011 film `Politics of Love` which saw the actress lying on a bed with Brian White, draped in an American flag had also sparked a controversy.

The background of the poster features the State Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan. Mallika Sherawat is shown flaunting her toned legs with a CD in her hand.
 
However, as expected the poster has given rise to a huge outcry from people all over the country especially from the state of Rajasthan.

Directed by K.C. Bokadia, ‘Dirty Politics’ also stars Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Om Puri and Atul Kulkarni.

Last year, the actress promoted ‘Dirty Politics’ at the Cannes Film Festival.

Talking about the film, in her heavy American accent, the actress had said, “It’s about a woman who gets involved with a politician, who was a nurse (sic),” she said as she kept shuffling between ‘hurr’ American and Indian accent, “And how she gets murrderred in the end… here was this woman who actually had the ‘currrage’ to stand up to this politician who kind of raped her, molested her, abused her and record his misgivings and everything (sic), and release it to the press.”

At a time when new players in the Indian smartphone market are opting for and finding success in the e-commerce route, Obi Mobile, which will launch its first devices in the country this June, has decided to take a multi-channel approach.

Ajay Sharma, CEO of the company which came into limelight for being promoted by former Apple CEO John Sculley’s Inflexionpoint, told indianexpress.com that they would go across channels to sell the new range of phones.

“We are talking about pop and mom stores, mobile stores, regional stores and online. We plan to have a larger width of channel and touch all the distribution points available,” he said. The strategy is in complete contrast to new players like Motorola and Alcatel which are selling only through e-tailers like Flipkart. “We can’t afford to pick just one channel. Some specific models could be launched through individual channels later, but not now.”

“We were first planning to bring in just three devices, but as our launch has got delayed we should be coming in with about 5-6 devices in the R5,000 to R15,000 price bracket. Most of the devices will be priced under R10,000, that is the sweet spot,” he said.

Sharma said they are looking at a 360-degree campaign on TV, online and print to make people aware of the brand. “We also plan to give the customer an experience at the store level to convert the enquiries into sales,” he said, adding that Obi Mobile will, however, have a pan India strategy covering 50 cities initially. The company already has a headstart with distribution as Iris Computers, also owned by Inflexionpoint, has warehouses and offices in 23 Indian cities.

“We will not compete on price. What we will offer the customer is a unique looking device with differentiation and we are working with many design houses on the same,” he said, adding that user experience will also different.

The company plans to offer stock Android at the entry level, some user interface differentiation at the middle range and a completely different UI at the high end. “We are working with companies to offer content on our phones to add value to the user... We really need to help customers access content,” added Sharma, who has worked with companies like HTC and Micromax before.

The Superfight: it’s a term used so often these days that it’s become a novelty.

In theory, it identifies a bout that is designed to bring two fantastic fighters together in a clash that speaks to the best aspects of their relative skills and styles.

In boxing, it has often been used to identify bouts that could never happen: Muhammad Ali versus Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Robinson versus Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roberto Duran versus Manny Pacquiao.

But in the sport of MMA, it is used to describe the dreamlike quality of fights that, while perhaps improbable, are not impossible: Jose Aldo versus Anthony Pettis, for instance.

Or the previously ballyhooed Georges St. Pierre versus Anderson Silva.                     

It’s the proverbial “White whale” of the sport, and no matter how many times such bouts are rumored, only to fail to be actualized, the term endures because there are always new fighters rising to the top; new fights that could answer the question: “Who would win if…”

As fighters fight to answer that question, fans and pundits ponder and posit in the absence of these rarest of occurrences. We question and debate who would win in a bout between two fighters that are so good that they remain nearly untouchable by anyone save perhaps another of their untouchable ilk.

No matter what criteria you favor, you know the fights in question, as we all do. While Anderson Silva may no longer have the title, much of the Superfight debate has been built upon his name and that honestly has not changed.

Even though he lost two in a row to Chris Weidman, he is still thought to be the best because great fighters are not the sum total of their defeats. Muhammad Ali lost to Leon Spinks, when the latter had just eight professional fights, yet even after their bout, no one doubted Ali would be remembered as the greater fighter.

So, we ponder the obvious inclusions, as we always have; this time, we include them all, in one place and at one time. In fact, we will also include one boxing bout—Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao—simply because it has been debated at length in many MMA discussions, which is of no surprise; it is the gold standard for incredible fights that should have been made yet never were.

Last week, I followed TJ Dillashaw as he prepared for his UFC 173 bout against Renan Barao. He was one of the biggest underdogs ever to participate in a championship bout, and few gave him a chance of making it out of the first round, much less pulling off the historic upset.

In my time spent with Dillashaw, I saw a man completely unfazed by the task ahead of him, as though he had no idea what the fans and oddsmakers were saying.

He was relaxed, loose and absolutely confident that he’d be taking the title back to Sacramento. He spoke of all the things he’d need to get used to as bantamweight champion, such as spending fight weeks in the nicest hotel suites available instead of standard rooms.

Where did his confidence come from? How was he able to overlook the long odds he faced?

“Duane (Ludwig) always said he had the utmost confidence in me beating Barao. He isn’t going to blow smoke up my butt when he tells me what he believes. The way he went about it made me super confident getting in there,” Dillashaw says. “And then the rest of my team, Urijah, Joseph, Chad, they all tell me how good I am. Urijah really believed that I could beat Barao.



Dillashaw was on to something. He went in the Octagon and beat Barao from pillar to post before finishing him in the fifth round to become the new bantamweight champion.

He knocked Barao down in the first round, then used the same tactics to befuddle the champion and keep him off balance in the second. He knew then that he had a chance to win. After a dominant third, he realized he’d won the first three rounds going away. Barao had nothing to offer him.

“After that, I was like ‘I’ve got this guy’s number. I can put it on him,’ Dillashaw says. “After the third, I knew I had him.”

The historic underdog hadn’t just defied the odds; he’d trampled all over them and then kicked them out the door. He’d dominated one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and turned in one of the single best performances in UFC history.

Two police officers in India have been sacked for refusing to help search for two missing girls who were later found gang-raped and hanged, officials say.

They were also charged with criminal conspiracy, police said, adding that three people had been arrested so far.

The government has pledged to set up a fast-track court to prosecute the crime, which took place earlier this week in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Alleged police inaction sparked outrage in the teenagers' village.

The father of one victim told the BBC he was ridiculed by police when he sought help in finding his missing daughter.

He said that when policemen found out he was from a lower caste, they "refused to look for my girl".

Students in New Delhi protest against police inaction over the killings of the girls (30 May 2014) Students in New Delhi held angry protests after the girls' killings

The incident has received top coverage on India's main TV channels such as NDTV, Times Now and CNN-IBN.

"Uttar Pradesh Rape shockers", reads a ticker on NDTV, which accuses the local police of being "complicit" with the attackers and quotes relatives of the two girls saying they have "no faith" they'll receive justice.

"Lawless in Uttar Pradesh" reads a top headline on CNN-IBN, which has started its own campaign using the hashtag #StopThisShame.

"UP: 3 Rapes in 48Hrs" is the lead on the Times Now channel, which reports the growing number of rape incidents in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

"Outrage" is the word used on the front pages of several leading English-language newspapers, including The Hindu and The Indian Express.

In an editorial, The Times of India lays the blame on the government of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh, saying the hangings "exposes the state's slide into medieval lawlessness".

A sharp fall in plan expenditure has helped pull India's fiscal deficit for last financial year below the government's estimate, but the cut in spending on productive activities has left an impact on the economy.

The deficit, or the shortfall in the government's revenue to meet expenses, narrowed to 4.5% of gross domestic product in the year ended on March 31, compared with 4.9% initially estimated in the 2013-14 budget and the revised 4.6% given out with the interim budget for 2014-15 in February.

Plan expenditure, which is associated with productive expenditure, fell to Rs 4.53 lakh crore, according to provisional data released on Friday, from Rs 4.76 lakh crore envisaged in the estimates presented with the interim budget. This implies a reduction of more than Rs 1 lakh crore in plan spending budgeted for 2013-14.

The nation's economic growth remained below 5% for the second straight year, as GDP expanded just 4.7% in 2013-14, better than the previous year's 4.5% growth, but below the most recent government estimate of 4.9%, data showed Friday.

Sluggish manufacturing sector growth dented tax mobilisation with tax receipts coming in lower at Rs 8.16 lakh crore compared with the downwardly revised estimate of Rs 8.36 lakh crore. Non-tax revenue, largely in the form of dividends from public sector units, provided some help - at Rs 1.99 lakh crore, it exceeded the February budget estimate of Rs 1.93 lakh crore.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought to put a stop to the race among Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States to include a chapter on his life in school text-books by articulating his reservations about the move on Twitter which he uses regularly to connect with people.

``Am reading that some states want to include Narendra Modi’s life struggles as part of their school curriculum. I firmly believe that the life story of living individuals should not be included as a part of the school curriculum. Young minds should read about the great stalwarts of India who made our nation what it is & emulate them,’’ he tweeted from his personal and Prime Minister’s Office Twitter handles.

The governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat had announced their intent to include a chapter on Mr. Modi in their school textbooks. With the Prime Minister speaking out against such a move, reports from Gujarat suggest that the State Government has already dropped the proposal.

Compared to some of Mr. Modi’s tweets on controversial subjects, this time round his comments did not generate an animated debate on Twitter. Actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna’s wife Kavita Vinod Khanna differed with Mr. Modi. ``Humbly, I disagree with you. Lessons & inspiration are not just from those deceased but living legends too.’’

Yara Khmidan might have a confusing sounding name, I think it's actually abbreviated oddly, but this Ukranian hottie has nothing but talent ready for prime time in the West with a few fashion model breakout shoots and now this Beach Bunny bikini catalog pictorial. Damn, I'll buy some vowels for this stunning bit of visual wonderment all sultry and alluring in her perfectly fitting two pieces.

I'm not saying I'm prepared to drop everything in my life and run off to the hills with Yara to make many babies but I'm also not saying that. I mean, she does have to say yes, I'm not a brute. Then it's a life of learning the international language of lust, or at least two years before she learns how to say 'Are you just going to sit there all weekend and watch sports again?' before we both decide it's time to find new mating partners. The circle of life.

A few months ago, Rachel McAdams revealed her favorite "Mean Girls" quote -- "I don't think my father, the inventor of Toaster Strudel, would be too pleased with this" -- which came as a surprise since it's a line uttered by Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert) rather than Regina George (McAdams).

In a new interview with Digital Spy, Amanda Seyfried names her favorite quote from the film, and based on her response, it's clear that Seyfried realizes the hilarity of her own character, the "blissfully ignorant" Karen Smith.

"'If you're from Africa, why are you white?' is the best line ever," Seyfried said when asked to pick her favorite quote from "Mean Girls," which turned 10 last month. The "A Million Ways to Die in the West" actress also addressed the potential of a reunion, saying she'd love to reprise the story in a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, but is worried it would fall short of expectations.

"I would do that in a million years, but I would fear that it wouldn't be funny. What if it wasn't funny?" Seyfried said. "So I think the mystery, or the idea of it, is sometimes better than actually following through. If [writer Tina Fey] is not on board or if she doesn't have anything for us to do, then I don't think we should, because that was designed by her and it would have to be designed by her again.

Maya Angelou was a celebrated author and poet, and also a filmmaker: Angelou, who died on May 28 at the age of 86, made the 1998 film "Down in the Delta," which was released by Miramax on Dec. 25 of that year. It was the only feature film she ever directed.

Based on an original script by Myron Goble, "Down in the Delta" focused on Loretta (Alfre Woodard), a struggling single parent who gets sent to Mississippi by her mother (Mary Alice) to clean up her life. There, Loretta meets a coterie of family and friends. Wesley Snipes and Loretta Divine co-starred.

"Down in the Delta" received some positive reviews from critics, including Roger Ebert, who gave Angelou's film three-and-a-half stars.
"Angelou's first-time direction stays out of its own way; she doesn't call attention to herself with unnecessary visual touches, but focuses on the business at hand," Ebert wrote. "She and Goble are interested in what might happen in a situation like this, not in how they can manipulate the audience with phony crises."

In addition to "Down in the Delta," Angelou directed an episode of "Visions." As an actress, she appeared in the hit miniseries "Roots," the 1993 film "Poetic Justice" with Janet Jackson, "How to Make an American Quilt" and an episode of "Touched by an Angel." Angelou is credited as co-writer on the 1979 television adaptation of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," her iconic autobiography. She last appeared onscreen in 2006's "Madea's Family Reunion."

Alyssa Funke, a straight-A student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, committed suicide last month after being bullied and harassed online over her choice to appear in pornography. Local police have said they don't plan to press charges against anyone who taunted Funke.

Funke, 19, had recently appeared in a porn film at the website CastingCouch-X. According to KMSP, after former classmates from her high school in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, discovered the video, they began sending her abusive messages through Twitter and Facebook.
Her last tweets before her death were on April 14 and 15, appearing to mock those harassing her online:

On April 16, Funke completed suicide at a boat landing on Big Carnelia Lake, 26 miles from River Falls and 9 miles from Oak Park Heights.

KMSP reports Funke's family did not want to speak on camera, but said they believe the cyberbullying played a significant role in her decision to end her life. The Washington County Sheriff's Office told the station that it does not think the taunts rise to the level of criminal harassment. The investigation is still ongoing.

The Daily Dot reports that her family launched The Alyssa Stop Bullying Fund, which raised $165 in the 19 days it was active.

Funke's death follows the widely covered harassment of Belle Knox, a Duke University freshman who appeared in pornographic films and was harassed by students on campus after she was publicly identified. Knox had even appeared on the same couch for the same website. But she became very open about her porn career in spite of what Knox has referred to as "a culture of slut-shaming and rape apology."

Many porn actresses say they struggle to protect their privacy. One former college student who was outed several years ago on her campus for an amateur porn even asked The Huffington Post not to identify the school she attended, out of concern it would lead to further harassment online.

Sofia Vergara sure looks ready for summer.

Vergara models a leopard-print bikini, a cutout swimsuit and other summery attire in the latest ads for her eponymous Kmart collection. In the bikini ad, the 41-year-old "Modern Family" star channels a sultry vibe wearing her hair in tousled waves and posing against a background of lush greenery.

The brunette beauty first launched her Kmart line back in 2011, and she has done quite a bit since then. Last month, she debuted her first fragrance, Sofia by Sofia Vergara, on the Home Shopping Network.

Miley Cyrus obtained a temporary restraining order Friday against an Arizona man who was recently detained by police while trying to meet the singer-actress.

A Los Angeles judge granted Cyrus the stay-away order against Devon Meek after Cyrus' lawyers filed court documents stating that Meek, 24, believes the singer is communicating to him through her songs.

Los Angeles police arrested the man from the southeastern Arizona city of Sierra Vista on May 16, and he was placed in a psychiatric hospital, where he remains. Meek has said he will continue to try to meet Cyrus once he is released, according to filings by Cyrus' attorneys and a police detective.

Meek was arrested outside a property he believed is owned by Cyrus, but the documents don't specify the location.

Detective Rosibel Smith wrote in a sworn statement that Meek told officers they should shoot him in the head if he couldn't meet Cyrus.

Smith wrote that a police officer who interviewed Meek "informed me that Mr. Meek stated that when he is released from the hospital, he will not stop seeking Ms. Cyrus and that he will continue to go to Ms. Cyrus' residence until Ms. Cyrus accepts him or he dies."

A hearing to extend the restraining order for three years is scheduled for June 16.

There is no declaration from Cyrus in the filing. The pop star rose to fame as the star of the TV show "Hannah Montana" and has recently postponed several concerts while she recovers from her representatives have said is an allergic reaction to antibiotics.

Lana Del Rey joined the Kardashians for Kimye wedding celebrations in Versailles, France on Friday, May 23. Reports that Del Rey would perform had been swirling for months after a 50-piece orchestra played her hit "Young & Beautiful" when Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian in San Francisco in October. E! News reports that Del Rey performed three songs for the wedding party, including "Summertime Sadness."

Giancarlo Giammetti, the honorary president of Valentino, posted photos of Del Rey's performance and of her with the Kardashian-Jenners. He wrote, "Magnificent voice @lanadelrey #kardashian #versailles #fun #wedding #reallove"

Gunmen armed with heavy weapons including rocket propelled grenades on Friday attacked the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province during which three attackers were killed, top Indian officials said.

However, TV reports further claimed that the fourth gunman has also been killed by the security forces.

All the diplomatic staff were safe.

Three gunmen were killed, one by ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and two by Afghan police, out of four attackers who struck the Consulate which houses two buildings, Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha said.

PM-designate Narendra Modi spoke to Amar Sinha and assured all help.

Modi also spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and thanked him for the efforts of Afghan forces in thwarting the attack.

"President Karzai & I talked about Consulate attack in Herat.

He assured me he will do everything to protect India's Missions in Afghanistan," Modi tweeted later.

He also praised the consulate staff in Herat and thanked the security forces for thwarting the terror attack.
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat

Karzai is among the leaders expected to attend Modi's swearing in as prime minister on Monday, May 26 .

In a pre-dawn assault, the gunmen attacked the building which houses the residence of Consulate General, Sinha said, adding that there were nine Indians in the mission apart from local Afghans.

One attacker was killed while climbing the wall to enter the premises of the consulate, Sinha said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said, "India's Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked.

 Afghanistan has experienced a rise in the Taliban attacks as foreign troops plan to withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of the year.

 In August last year, a failed bombing against the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city near the border with Pakistan killed nine people, including six children.

Lenovo has announced a price cut for the mid-range Vibe X smartphone, which will now be available at Rs. 22,999.
The Lenovo Vibe X was launched at Rs. 25,999 (translating to a Rs. 3,000 price cut) December last year as the first Vibe smartphone to reach the Indian market.

The smartphone has a premium polycarbonate body and an advanced mould, laser-engraved 3D tactile finish. One of the highlights of the device is its super thin frame measuring 6.9mm. It weighs 121 grams. The Vibe X at launch ran Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.

The Vibe X sports a 5-inch full-HD display that has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and a pixel density of 440ppi, sitting under a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen bevelled at the edges. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek (MTK 6589T) processor, has 2GB of RAM, and offers 16GB of inbuilt storage.

The Lenovo Vibe X features a 13-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera with a back-illuminated sensor and an LED flash. The phone also features a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that comes with a wide-angle 84 degree lens. It includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AGPS and 3G connectivity options. The Vibe X is backed by a 2,000mAh battery. The smartphone supports Micro-SIM, instead of regular SIM size, and measures 144x74x6.9mm in dimensions.

On Tuesday, Lenovo also announced Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the Vibe X and the Vibe Z smartphones. The Chinese handset maker revealed that the update for both smartphones would be rolled out in a phased manner starting from the last week of May.

The Android 4.4 KitKat update for Vibe X brings security enhancements and bug fixes, and a revamped UI with lesser icons and new incoming call interface. It also brings various camera fixes such as efficient auto focus and white balance capabilities for clearer and sharper images. The company has also claimed that the update will boost the Vibe X's power management for improved battery utilisation.

After a string of teasers, Panasonic has finally pulled the wraps off its newest smartphone dubbed P81. The Panasonic P81 is company’s first octa-core priced at Rs 18,990. The device is now available for Rs 17,999  via  Snapdeal. The online retailer promises to ship the device in two business days.

The P81 poses a sleek at 7.9mm profile and follows the phablet trend with a 5.5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution. Just like most of the mid-range smartphones entering the Indian market, it comes with dual SIM functionality. It comes powered by an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.7GHz coupled with 1GB RAM. The chipset isn’t specified, but considering the price point and octa-core capability, it could be Mediatek.

On the camera front, one can expect a 13-megapixel rear snapper with auto-focus and LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It gets 8GB onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot. The device runs on older 4.2.2 Jelly Bean flavor of Android, and also gets a layer of Play Life UI.

Other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP. The device will also support FM radio. All of this will be fuelled by a 2500mAh battery.

The device comes packed with app freebies worth Rs 9,900, and accessories worth Rs 2000 along with a leatherette design.

An emotionally charged Narendra Modi on Tuesday said people have voted for "new hope and aspiration" and he would try his best to live up to their expectations after he was unanimously elected the leader of the BJP parliamentary party.

BJP leader and the NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi receives a bouquet from newly-elected BJP Members of Parliament as he arrives at the Parliament building in New Delhi. (AFP ...

BJP president Rajnath Singh arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

BJP leader and the NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi gestures as he arrives at the Parliament building in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani arrives for the BJP parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi. (AP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament and Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament and Bollywood actress Hema Malini arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)
He expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the party and specially thanked party patriarch LK Advani and president Rajnath Singh for giving him their "blessings".

"We are here in the temple of democracy. We will work with all purity... not for the designation but for the people of the country. Work and responsibility are the biggest things," Modi told the gathering.

Referring to his humble background, Modi said it was an ode to Indian democracy and its founding fathers that he was standing there, all set to be the new PM.

"Today I'm standing before you as the son of a poor man. This is the strength of democracy."

Modi said the recent election result had increased people's faith in democracy and there is a "new hope" among people that this dispensation can fulfill their aspirations.

"The new government will dedicate itself for the poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived," he said.

"I will try to live up to expectations of people," he said and promised to present a report card of his government to the people in 2019.

"This is the time for new hope and strength." Modi said in 2019 he will meet the MPs again with a report card.

Referring to the nature of the verdict, he said if it had been a hung or a fractured verdict then one can say that people had vented their anger against the government and that it was anti-establishment.

"But by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith. and I will do everything to fulfil their aspirations," he said, adding that he is a man full of optimism.

"I want to assure the people of the country that there is no need for pessimism going by the past bad experience... I am a very optimistic man and only an optimistic man can bring optimism in the country."

During his 30-minute acceptance speech, 63-year-old Modi broke down when he referred to LK Advani's mention that he had done a favour to the party by taking up the responsibility.

"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother... The favour has been done by the party," he said addressing the newly-elected MPs of the party in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.

The PM-to be also took the opportunity to praise the work of the past governments, saying every government and its leaders have contributed to the welfare of the country and he will carry forward whatever good they have done.

He also invoked former PM and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying it would have been an icing on the cake had the ailing leader been present among them.

Modi, who led the saffron party to a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was earlier elected as the leader amid chants of "Bharat Mata ki jai" and a standing ovation.


BJP president Singh announced Modi as the leader of the BJP parliamentary board after Advani proposed the name of "popular" and "famous" leader.

"This is a historic moment in the politics of India," said Rajnath Singh.

Murli Manohar Joshi seconded the proposal with a sense of "pride" and "joy" and Sushma Swaraj hoped that Modi will be a "famous" prime minister.

Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari also supported the proposal for electing Modi.

Advani, who embraced Modi after he was chosen as the leader of BJP parliamentary party, got emotional as he greeted the Gujarat strongman.

The election was an important formality before Modi approached President Pranab Mukherjee to stake claim to form the new government.

According to reports, Mukherjee congratulated Modi and invited him to form the government.

Before that, a 15-member delegation of the NDA, led by Advani, called on Mukherjee on Tuesday afternoon to convey to him that Modi has been elected as the leader of the alliance.

The NDA delegation comprised of BJP president Singh and senior party leaders Advani and Joshi.

Leaders from alliance partners included Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh, TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan and Neiphu Rio of Naga People's Front.

Other BJP leaders who were part of the NDA delegation included Swaraj, Jaitley, Naidu, Gadkari, Ananth Kumar and TC Gehlot.

After the meeting, BJP chief Singh told reporters that the Modi government will be sworn-in on May 26. ?

According to reports, as the race for key posts in the Modi government intensified the BJP president may get the home portfolio while Arun Jaitley could be the new finance minister.

Reports also said that Joshi could be chosen as the defence minister and Advani could be asked to guide the party.

Amid a flurry of meetings, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar also paid a visit to Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, hectic consultations were on in the BJP for the second consecutive day ahead of the government formation in New Delhi. A stream of leaders met Modi, Singh and senior RSS functionaries.

Swaraj, who is tipped to be one of the four top ministers of the next government, reportedly conveyed her readiness to work in a "respectable position" in his team.

The PM-designate, however, has not revealed anything about who his cabinet colleagues will be.

"He is hearing everyone out and will make his mind known at the right time," a BJP leader considered close to Modi said.

Wrong. Almost everyone in "The Runaways" was out of place or out of their element, and quite conscious of that fact. And I'll say more about that in a minute, but first, well, wow. You can't make the claim that "Mad Men" denies the viewer a full range of experiences.

First, we had the AMC After Dark scene of Don having a three-way with Megan and her friend Amy. And then we had something completely different: Michael Ginsberg proudly presenting his sliced-off nipple to Peggy. Excuse me for a minute while I go drink the entire contents of my liquor cabinet.

Yeeeeow. I feel scarred from having written the above sentence about Ginsberg's body part; seeing what was in that box was worse. There's a mental image I'll never be able to remove from my brain -- Scout's honor.

As wildly different as those two moments were, this is "Mad Men," so the moments shared a thematic link, as did much of what occurred elsewhere in "The Runaways." As I noted above, almost every character stood on unfamiliar terrain or felt deeply alienated from what was going on around them.

Even though Don may have succumbed to the charms of Megan and her friend, there was reluctance in everything he did when he was out in California. He felt left out at her party, he tried to ignore her dancing with another man and he sensed that there was something odd about Stephanie's quick exit from Megan's pad. Don was so uncomfortable that Harry Crane, of all people, turned out to be a sight for sore eyes. Don couldn't wait to get away from all those pot-smokin' hippies and go drink manly alcohol in a dimly lit bar. There's only so much extramarital flirtation and banjo a man can be expected to endure.

Ginsberg's unease, at least in his own mind, had an explanation: It was all the computer's fault. He was so rattled by that humming monolith that he actually went to Peggy's house, a weird place for him to end up on a Saturday night. There, Ginsberg found one of the episode's many odd pairings: Peggy and little Julio from upstairs. In an episode full of characters experiencing discomfort and disconnected states, it's wildly ironic and very sad that Ginsberg actually found relief from his distress. Unfortunately, his "relief" was a symptom of profound mental illness.

Actress Kareena Kapoor is said to have laughed a lot when she saw her actor-husband Saif Ali Khan don the look of a 'sexy woman' for a scene in Sajid Khan's forthcoming movie 'Humshakals'.
A source says that when the actor got ready with his costumes and make-up and came out of his van, Kareena just couldn't stop laughing at him.

"Kareena who was on the sets of 'Humshakals' for a few days when we were supposed to shoot for the cross-dressing scene. She was quite excited to see Saif dress up like a woman. And when Saif stepped out of his vanity van, Kareena busted out laughing and just didn't stop after that," said the source from the production team.

Kareena Kapoor couldn't stop laughing after watching Saif Ali Khan in drag
A file photo of Kareena Kapoor.

Apart from Saif, the movie also stars Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Tamannaah and Esha Gupta.
Produced by Vashu Bhagnani and presented by Fox Star Studios, the movie will release June 20.

A forensic psychiatrist testifying for the defense told the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Monday that the double amputee track star suffered from an “anxiety disorder” after growing up with a mostly absent father and a mother so afraid of intruders that she slept with a firearm under her pillow.

The testimony by the psychiatrist, Merryll Vorster, offered an uneasy echo of Mr. Pistorius’s own account of events in his bedroom in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013, when he has admitted taking a handgun and firing four shots through a locked bathroom door, killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Gerrie Nel, Ms. Vorster said Mr. Pistorius’s perceived disorder did not constitute a mental illness that would require the judge to order a psychiatric examination. But Mr. Nel said the runner should be sent for psychological observation and evaluation to assess whether his mental state was a factor in the killing.

Oscar Pistorius in court in Pretoria on Monday. Testimony is set to end in mid-May, followed by closing arguments and weeks of deliberation before a verdict is issued.Witnesses Tell of Pistorius’s Anguish After Shooting GirlfriendMAY 5, 2014
The prosecution says Mr. Pistorius, 27, murdered Ms. Steenkamp, but the runner says he shot her by accident, believing at least one intruder had entered his comfortable villa in a gated complex in Pretoria, the South African capital, where he is now on trial. The case is being broadcast around the world.
The portrait she offered of Mr. Pistorius’s troubled upbringing and deepening anxieties recalled some of his own behavior during the trial since it opened in early March. On occasions he has wept, wailed, retched and sobbed when confronted with graphic evidence relating to the events surrounding Ms. Steenkamp’s death.

Ms. Vorster, the psychiatrist, said she had interviewed the athlete and some of his family members and friends.

Her testimony seemed designed to bolster the defense’s argument that Mr. Pistorius felt vulnerable because of his disability and had an usually high level of anxiety about intruders. It also seemed intended to rebut earlier prosecution testimony that he was self-centered, trigger-happy, quick-tempered and jealous.

The psychiatrist traced her analysis of Mr. Pistorius’s personality to his birth without fibula bones in his lower legs. At the age of 11 months, both legs were amputated below the knee. The procedure constituted a “traumatic assault” that he would not have comprehended at the time, Ms. Vorster said.

The runner grew up with a mother who was “very anxious,” abused alcohol intermittently and “slept with a firearm under the pillow.” His father was “irresponsible and mostly absent.”

The Hinduja brothers have emerged as the richest persons in the UK, which boasts of 102 billionaires, including Lord Swraj Paul and four others of Indian-origin.

The London-based Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, who have a fortune of 11.9 billion pounds - "up by an astonishing 1.3 billion pounds in the past year", edged out steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal and Russian magnate Alisher Usmanov, according to the 'Sunday Times Super-Rich List' made public today.

The Hinduja brothers, who run the multinational Hinduja Group conglomerate with interests across automotive, real estate and oil, moved up from third position last year to top the UK's billionaire charts this year.

The list - a full version of which will be released next Sunday - also includes NRI industrialists such as Lakshmi Mittal and family, Prakash Lohia, Lord Swraj Paul and family, Anil Agarwal and Ajay Kalsi and family among the city's 72 billionaires.

Mittal also edged one position upwards to the third rank with 10.25 billion pounds even as Arsenal shareholder and Russian business chief Usmanov, who topped the list till last year, fell to the second place after his estimated fortune dropped to 10.65 billion pounds.

"Last year, the Hindujas sold a 49 per cent stake in a Saudi Arabian lubricants maker, Petromin, for more than 200 million pounds. Property investments in India have added 200 million pounds. The family's IndusInd bank is capitalised at about 2.7 billion pounds. In Britain, Hinduja Automotive turned over about 1.5 billion pounds in 2012-13," the newspaper said.

In reference to the Kolkata-based Mittal, the newspaper highlighted a final bounce in fortunes after a few years of dip.

"After a tough few years in the steel industry, Mittal is seeing a glimmer of light. Arcelor Mittal shares have recovered, making his stake worth 6.65 billion pounds - up 700 million pounds in a year," it said.
Mittal's brother-in-law India-born textiles and plastics tycoon Lohia is ranked as Britain's 46th richest man with around 2.11 billion pounds.

Leading NRI industrialist and Caparo chief Lord Swraj Paul is ranked Britain's 48th richest, with an estimated wealth worth around 2 billion pounds.

"The 83-year-old came to Britain from India in 1966 to seek treatment for his daughter's leukaemia. He stayed after her death and founded steel manufacturer Caparo, which made more than 62 million pounds profit in 2013. The company has been restructured, with its American and Indian businesses worth 1.6 billion pounds," the newspaper said.

"Paul is chancellor of Westminster and Wolverhampton universities. In memory of his daughter he set up the Ambika Paul Foundation, which supports children's charities," the newspaper said.

Vedanta Resources chief Agarwal at 50th rank and Indus Gas supremo Kalsi at 102nd complete the Indian presence among the London-based billionaires.

The 21-year-old was photographed leaving Madame Jojo's Night and Cabaret Club in London on Thursday, May 8, wearing a bra with matching underwear and some metallic leggings. She partied the night away at the SoHo hotspot with the likes of Kate Moss, singer Pixie Lott and Topshop heiress Chloe Green.
She also sported a long red wig with a light-up bow at one point in the night.

Cyrus performed in London at the O2 arena on Tuesday night, where she encouraged the crowd to smoke weed over cigarettes. While overseas, she also dispelled rumors that a drug overdose was behind her recent concert cancellations.

Zoe Saldana has never been one to hold back about her sex life, sharing her go-to positions with Marie Claire in May 2012 and then again with Amanda de Cadenet in July 2013. But earlier this week, in an interview with SirusXM "Sway in the Morning," Saldana revealed something even more ... shall we say, kinky?
"The craziest place [I've had sex] -- I am a part of the Mile High Club," Saldana said, according to Page Six. "Okay, this is ghetto, but hey, I’m from Queens, whatever. There is a train from Coney Island all the way back into the city, and in between two train cars. It was super ghetto."

The 35-year-old, who married Marco Perego in secret in late 2013, then added she's "a lady now. I'm a lady."

Saldana stars in a new miniseries, "Rosemary's Baby," in which she has the worst kind of sex (with the devil). It premieres Sunday, May 11 at 9 p.m. EDT on NBC.

Somehow Blake Lively manages to be a glittering celebrity and a regular, sundae-loving twenty-something at the same time.

On Monday, Lively attended the Met Gala with husband Ryan Reynolds, looking stunning in a sparkling Gucci gown. After dazzling on the red carpet, the 26-year-old decided to skip the Met Gala afterparties and do something decidedly awesome.

"I ate hot fudge sundaes," she told "Extra" host A.J. Calloway at Gucci's Chime for Change party Tuesday. "Yeah. That's what I look forward to because you're just, like, in a corseted gown all night, like, just give me a hot fudge sundae."
She went to the famed Serendipity in New York City's Upper East Side to indulge in some frozen hot chocolate with extra peanut butter sauce on the side.

"Closed that place down," she said. "That's how I do an afterparty ... Peanut butter frozen hot chocolate, extra thick. Then you get peanut butter sauce on the side, and you get a hot fudge sundae, and you use the peanut butter sauce for that too."

Although Lively has incited envy by saying she doesn't work out but still eats desserts, the actress says outlets fail to report she maintains an active lifestyle.

"They make me look like a jerk because I'm like 'I have hot chocolate everyday and don't go to the gym,'" she told Calloway. "Yes, that part is true that I don't go to the gym and I eat chocolate everyday. But what they don't print is that I hate the gym. So, what I do instead is I find other ways to be active."

If Naya Rivera shares enough bikini photos, will all those rumors go away?

The 27-year-old singer roped in socialites including Kyle Richards, Yolanda Foster, Lisa Vanderpump and Kim Richards to shoot 'G.U.Y.' at Hearst Castle in California but despite her unusual guest stars, a behind-the-scenes clip from the video shows all of her usual weird and wonderful touches have remained.
The clip - shown on the Today show on Friday - gave the first glimpse of the reality TV stars but also features Gaga in a series of revealing bodysuits including a slashed gold leotard and a cleavage revealing black number.

And in her scenes with the famous-for-being-famous Real Housewives, who bizarrely are all seen playing musical instruments while dressed in matching pink suits, Gaga is decked out in a splendid white headdress and bodysuit.
She also said on Today that she 'cracks the whip' on set to get things done.
Gaga explained: 'You have to [crack the whip] to keep the pace going. We had our work cut out for us with this video. It was a very big production.
'We shot for six days and it was just such a pleasure working with the whole team. We had a great time.

Taylor Kinney reveals he and Lady Gaga like to spend their time hiking and painting in a new interview with Glamour.

There’s just one tiny issue… with the pop star’s wardrobe.

“I’m always giving her flak, like, ‘Babe, you can’t wear your heels when we’re hiking,’” Kinney tells the magazine.

And while the actor won’t share what he and Gaga like to paint, he does say, “There’s a lot of laughing.

“I think that’s the basis of a healthy relationship,” says the “Chicago Fire” star. “We laugh a lot.”

Kinney goes on, “I think we just complement each other. I’m proud of her, and I’d like to believe she’s proud of me. We’re kindred spirits.”

Last year, Gaga said she’s “found love” with Kinney, saying they “complement each other’s weirdness.”

An unreleased Britney Spears song leaked online on Friday, and it may be the sultriest R&B ditty you've never heard. We got a nine-second snippet of "Love" in 2011, but now the full track -- which the YouTube video calls "Welcome To Me" -- is available. It's believed to have been intended for Spears' 2007 album "Blackout," but who knows, maybe it was part of the lost album "Original Doll." Either way, "Love" is a sensual dance-floor anthem in the vein of "I'm a Slave 4 U," peppered with cabaret undertones and Spears' signature whisper grunts. It's divine.
Britney Spears accepts the award for favorite pop artist at the 40th annual People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, in Los Angeles.

In a grim incident, a Class 12 student of a public school in Gurgaon was found dead in the institution's premises.
The deceased, a Commerce student, was found hanging from the washroom ceiling of her school in Sector 23, Gurgaon, said police.
Investigation has revealed that the student was pulled up by a teacher for using mobile phone in the school premises. The teacher had even threatened to call her parents.

At last the long wait is over and Rajinikanth fans across the globe will get to see his much-awaited and anticipated Tamil film Kochadaiiyaan, directed by the matinee idol's younger daughter Soundarya. When it unravels on the silver screen on Friday, the film will introduce moviegoers to a new technology - first motion capture photo-realistic 3D animation. (Also read: Deepika Padukone's Fight Scene with Rajinikanth is the Highlight of Kochadaiiyaan)

A labour of love, Soundarya's Rs 125-crore venture, which has been cleared with U-certificate, will have a wider release - it will release in 10 countries on approximately 6,000 screens and will be dubbed in six languages, including Telugu, Hindi and more likely in Bhojpuri too.

Jointly produced by Media One Global Entertainment and Eros International, the film has been dubbed in Spanish and Japanese too.

It took Soundarya two years, over 200 technicians in India and abroad to make the film, which was tagged as a "delayed project" by many. But the 29-year-old tech-savvy director, who keeps herself abreast with the latest technology, said there wasn't any delay, "It is the process that takes such a long time to make a film like this."

It's Soundarya's tribute to her father's illustrious career.

Soundarya completed the film "braving all technological odds" and hopes that Kochadaiiyaan breaks the myth that the animation film is cartoon, and is accepted as an alternate filmmaking medium.

Comparisons with Hollywood films Avatar, made with the same technology, are inevitable, but the makers are unperturbed because they feel looking at the budget and time, comparing Kochadaiiyaan with these films is not practical.

The makers explained that Avatar was made on a budget of Rs 3,000 crores and was completed in five years, while Tin Tin cost about Rs 4,000 crore and also took about five years.

In the film, Rajinikanth, 63, has been paired with 28-year-old Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who also has elaborate stunts in the film.

According to Soundarya, her father felt awkward shooting romantic scenes with Deepika.

"I guess it was because I was around and calling action and cut, dad felt very awkward to shoot some romantic scenes," said Soundarya.

Deepika's stunts are described as never-before-seen action by a female star from any part of the world and said to be on par with Uma Thurman's Kill Bill and Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft.

There is a ten-minute stunt in the film, which has been choreographed by Peter Hein, the man behind Rajinikanth's stunts in Robot. Apparently, the superstar personally requested Hein to make Deepika's action sequences "super-hero style".

Soundarya feels Deepika's stunts are one of the highlights of the movie.

One of the biggest Tamil stars, Rajinikanth, who is technologically not as sound as his daughter, gives credit to god for being able to do Kochadaiiyaan.

He also marvels at his daughter's passion and understanding for the technology. "I am amazed, Soundarya, in her childhood, had this obsession. She liked to read books with pictures and my wife identified her talent and encouraged her. I am proud of her with all the legends praising my daughter. I hope people like the film."

Eighteen persons were killed and 145 injured after an engine and four coaches of the Diva-Sawantwadi Road Passenger derailed between Nagothane and Roha stations in Maharashtra, railway authorities said.

The accident happened at 9.40 am on Sunday.The injured were rushed to a nearby local hospital. “Eighteen lives have been lost in the tragedy,” Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil told the IANS news agency after visiting the spot.

“We are giving all possible help to the victims’ families and providing medical attention to the injured,” he added.

"The Railway ministry has announced an ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh to the next of kin of dead, Rs.50,000 to the grievously injured and Rs.10,000 to persons who sustained minor injuries," a Central Railways press statement said.
Doctors of the Konkan Railways and other officials are assisting CR for quick relief and restoration work. Materials and other equipment are also being provided to the CR. Rescue teams are trying to extricate bodies that have been trapped inside the bogies that turned turtle owing to the accident.

The Railways have set up a helpline at the Roha railway station.

HELP LINE NUMBERS:

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS MUMBAI 022-22755990 / 22694090

DADAR 022-24114836

THANE 02225334840

PANVEL 27468833

RATNAGIRI: 02352-228176 / 228951 / 228954

BELAPUR CBD: 022-27561721 / 23 / 24

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah, at a press conference early today, accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) workers of booth capturing.

Alleging cases of booth capturing in the ongoing Lok Sabha election the BJP leader has called for increased security measures in the remaining two phases of the elections. "For last two phases, there should be paramilitary troops, micro observers and cameras in all booths," he said.

The allegation were refuted by the SP leaders, who called it a sign of desperation. "Such allegations are sign that they are losing," said SP leader Ramgopal Yadav. "It's just frustration on their part," added another SP leader Gayatri Prajapati.

On the controversy surrounding the snooping scandal, Amit Shah said, "Instead of conducting probes in the massive scams, they are doing this," he said. He further dismissed the issue by adding, "Anyway, we have no problem."

CONGRESS president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel Friday refuted Narendra Modi’s claims that they shared a warm friendship.

“This is a political stunt to create confusion and create a cloud of doubt in the midst of elections. How can Modi be able to make friendship with me when he has never been able to strike friendship within his own party?”, Patel said, reacting to Modi’s claims in an interview to the Doordarshan, which were edited out by the broadcaster.

He said Modi’s claims of closeness between them were “baseless” and “a complete lie”. In the interview, Modi had claimed that he used to go to Patel’s residence and dine with him. Patel said Modi did come to his place for lunch when he was BJP general secretary in the eighties. “But I never had any one-on-one meeting with Modi before or after the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002,” Patel said.
“I do not know who are and who are not his friends in Congress, but if somebody is saying that I was very close to him or is very close friend... It is all to create doubts in the midst of elections. It is all baseless and ridiculous, a complete lie.... If he proves that I ever visited his house or his office or taken any favour, I will quit public life,” Patel said.

“It is far from truth what he is talking about our dining at each other’s house. I remember once in the eighties he had come to my residence, when he was general secretary of BJP in the eighties. I did offer him food then.... When he became CM for the first time... he used to call me on phone whenever there was a festival and I used to answer him out of courtesy, to acknowledge that his phone call had come,” he said.

Rihanna doesn't need much to look glamorous. In fact, she doesn't even need a shirt.

The singer posted photos to her Instagram account from her sexy spread in Vogue Brasil, proving this point.

The photos, taken by Mariano Vivanco, are featured in Vogue Brasil's May 2014 issue which hits stands April 28.

Kanye West has a million dollar smile, but it's his pout that has the Internet thoroughly amused.

A photo of the rapper looking rather depressed while wearing a bright red helmet outside a zip-lining office in the middle of Mexico surfaced on Reddit on May 1. The juxtaposition of his fiancee Kim Kardashian who is smiling next to a man who is likely a zip-line instructor makes the snapshot particularly hilarious.

Sad Kanye isn't exactly new as the 36-year-old rapper is known for his scowl, and has inspired a Tumblr page that features nothing but pictures of the unhappy-looking star.
Read more at www.huffingtonpost.com

SCIENTISTS have created early stage sperm from the skin of men who cannot make their own, raising hopes of new treatments for currently incurable male infertility.

A leading British expert said the stem cell research challenged the widely held view that the "door is closed" on men with the problem who want to have children.

Although still at a very early stage, the study raises the future prospect of lab-grown sperm that could allow them to become fathers.

Lead scientist Dr Reijo Pera, from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University, US, said: "Our results are the first to offer an experimental model to study sperm development. Therefore, there is potential for
applications
to cell-based therapies in the clinic, for example, for the generation of higher quality and numbers of sperm in a dish.

"It might even be possible to transplant stem-cell-derived germ cells directly into the testes of men with problems producing sperm."

Infertility often affects 10pc to 15pc of couples, and in men it usually has a genetic origin, most commonly the loss of key genes on the male Y chromosome.

All three infertile men taking part in the new study had missing regions of Y chromosome DNA associated with the production of few or no sperm.

 BJP president Rajnath Singh has indicated that he will not be part of the government if his party comes to power after the Lok Sabha election.

BJP president Rajnath Singh has indicated that he will not be part of the government if his party comes to power after the Lok Sabha election.

"My responsibilities are already decided and I think, in the BJP, I have many colleagues who are capable who should be given a chance in the government," he added.

Rajnath Singh categorically said Narendra Modi will be the prime minister if the party comes to power.

"No matter what happens, under any circumstances, Modi will be India's PM.

"I want to clarify this as president of the party, because just by sitting in an office, people can't run a government," he added.

Rajnath Singh gave an interview to Zee news and spoke about the party leadership and why Narendra Modi would become the PM:

*In an exclusive interview with Zee News, BJP President Rajnath Singh denied that he had any ambitions of becoming the PM. He said only Narendra Modi would be the PM of a BJP-led NDA government, under any circumstances.

*Rajnath Singh also claimed that Narendra Modi was made the PM nominee after consultations with and agreement of all party leaders. He said the party cadres and leaders are disciplined and there is agreement on key issues.

*Singh also brushed aside the suggestion that the Lucknow seat, on which he is contesting, is of any significance to the PM's post. Atal Bihari Vajpayee won from Lucknow in 1998 and became the PM. However, Singh said that this does not imply that he would also become the Prime Minister. He quoted the example of Lalji Tandon, who also won from the Lucknow seat after Vajpayee. Rajnath Singh went on to say that it would be against his values to seek the Prime Minister's post after anointing Narendra Modi as the nominee.

*Singh asserted that a Prime Minister must not merely possess legal and constitutional authority, but also moral authority to be the Prime Minister. He said Narendra Modi possessed such moral authority to take over the reigns of governance at the Centre.

*The media has been abuzz about the bonhomie between Rajnath Singh and Narendra Modi. Singh however denied that there was anything extraordinary about this. He said that there must be good relations between the party president and the Prime Minister for efficient functioning of the country. Singh explained that he had always believed Modi to be the most popular leader in India, even before becoming the party president.

*Singh though stated that Narendra Modi would have the complete authority to run the country once he became the PM. There would be no interference from him or the party leadership. Rajnath claimed that it was the Congress that believed in remote-controlling the Prime Minister, because they were run by a single family all the time. He said that BJP was a democratic party which did not believe in such remote-controlled governance.