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Asking states to stop thermalcoal <keyword id="35091" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="imports">imports</keyword>, the government in Rajya Sabha on Monday saidthat a lobby was active in some states that was behind dry-fuel imports despite sufficient domestic stock.Replying to a query in the Upper House during <keyword id="8915837" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="questionhour">QuestionHour</keyword>, Coal Minister <keyword id="221548" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pralhad-Joshi">Pralhad Joshi</keyword> said India houses the fourthlargest resources in the world yet thermal coals were beingimported and should be stopped. "There is no hesitation in saying that in many statessome import lobby is also working. Though in last three-fourmonths we have enough stock some of the Gencos are importing.This is the major problem," Joshi said. Making it clear that he was not politicising the issue,the minister said many states are importing thermal coal whichis substitutable. "I have written to all chief ministers including ofMadhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan,Maharashtra, <keyword id="6357783" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword>, Telangana, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadurequesting them to direct all Gencos to maximise the coallifting and stop coal imports," he said. The minister said he has also asked Power Minister R KSingh to ask NTPC to totally stop the imports. All thermal power plants have a stock of 23 days whichis the highest ever in ecent history, he added. The minister cautioned states to utilise domestic coal ona priority basis as the present stock has a maximum life of 30years. The minister said though coal production this yearremained impacted due to "incessant and unprecedented" rains,the production increased post December. On commercial mining, he said a new system for E auctionof mines has been put in place besides stringent actionagainst non-performers. Also, captive mine owners have been allowed to sell 25per cent of the coal over and above end-use. Thermal coal is used in power generation. About coking coal which is mostly used in steelproduction, the minister said the country has not sufficientstock but Jharia coalmines which has the highest such stockwas being redeveloped. "Jharia Redevelopment Authority is there. We aresupporting that ...Rehabiliation will done at the earliest,"he said in reply to a supplementary. India imported 235.24 million tonnes of coal in 2018-19whereas imports for the current fiscal up to December stood at186.64, the minister said. The value of imported coal during last fiscal wasestimated at USD 2,4513 million.

Coal imports should be curbed says minister who accuses lobbies at play

This budget, the excise duty has been hiked by up to 6 % for cigarettes of all sizes. This wasn't expected at all. Still the shares of ITC Limited are going good because it's still below 10%. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Cigarette </a>smoking is injurious to health. This statutory warning has taken a toll on the tobacco farmers in India. And this budget the tobacco farmers of the country wants the government not to impose any more taxes on legal cigarettes. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: WHAT CAN A COMMON MAN EXPECT THIS BUDGET</a> 
 
While the market is decreasing every other day as far as consumption is concerned, the Indian tobacco exports are also sluggish and this has resulted in 22 % decline in returns to farmers. 
 There are 96,865 registered tobacco farmers and many more that are not registered in India. Around 0.25% of India's cultivated land is used for tobacco production. Since the independence, the Indian government has supported growth in the tobacco industry. India has seven tobacco research centres that are located in Jeelugumilli, Andhra Pradesh, Kandukuru, Andhra Pradesh, <keyword id="52887" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Guntur">Guntur</keyword>, Andhra Pradesh, Kalavacherla, Andhra Pradesh, Hunsur, Karnataka., Vedasandur, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Dinhata, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">West Bengal</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Rajamundry </a>houses the core research institute. The government has set up <keyword id="162734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tobacco-Board">Tobacco Board</keyword>, Guntur. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: YOU CAN OWN A CAR LIKE THIS</a> 
 Guntur is also well known place for tobacco plantation. The <keyword id="672789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Tobacco-Research-Institute">Central Tobacco Research Institute</keyword> works under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Tobacco crop is cultivated in an area of 0.45 M ha (0.27% of the net cultivated area) producing ~ 750 M kg of tobacco leaf. India is the 2nd largest producer and exporter (in quantity terms) after China and <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword>, respectively. 
 Ahead of the Budget 2017, the <keyword id="3404445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="federation-of-all-india-farmer-associations">Federation of All India Farmer Associations</keyword> (<keyword id="3164346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="FAIFA">FAIFA</keyword>) wants to bring stability in farm prices of the crop. 
 The non-profit organisation representing farmers across the states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, appealed to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Finance Minister </a><keyword id="143010" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitely">Arun Jaitely</keyword>, to avoid “the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">onslaught</a> of heavy taxation on legal cigarette industry” and help bring stability in farm prices of tobacco. 
 “We are very disturbed because of the declining off-take from domestic manufacturers … Regulatory overreach has created panic and strain on the FCV tobacco farmers in the country,” FAIFA General Secretary <keyword id="1407736" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Babu">Murali Babu</keyword> said in a statement. 
 
“Excessive increase in the excise duties on<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget"> tobacco products</a>, cumulative increase of 118 per cent since 2012/13, leading to 22 per cent” has led to shrinkage in the legal cigarette volumes, FAIFA said. 
 (Image: <keyword id="76338" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reuters">Reuters</keyword>))

Excise duty in cigarette hiked. Tobacco farmers in india are struggling to make ends meet

Walnut, a personal finance app, has created a Cashless India Scorecard comparing how each state is moving towards a cashless economy post-demonetisation, based on an aggregate analysis of its 5 million+ user’s data. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/take-a-tour-of-oyo-rooms-attractive-new-property-townhouse/articleshow/56781794.cms">ALSO READ: Take a tour of Oyo Rooms’ attractive new property: OYO Townhouse</a> 
 
The scorecard ranks states based on: 
 
1) percentage increase in overall cashless transactions 
2) growth in shoppers using debit or credit card for the first time 
3) growth in merchants accepting digital payments. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-sells-close-to-two-lakh-units-of-redmi-note-4-within-minutes-of-going-live/articleshow/56754191.cms">ALSO READ: Flipkart sells close to Two Lakh Units of this smartphone within minutes!</a> 
 Gujarat, <keyword id="41646" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana">Haryana</keyword>, and <keyword id="68884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword> emerged as the top 3 states with the highest growth in going cashless in the country. 
 
The app also tracked category-wise spends for the top 5 states and fuel expenditure emerged as the leading category for cashless transactions post-demonetisation. Among these states, Walnut users who had previously used their debit cards only for withdrawing cash performed their first cashless transaction to pay bills. 
 
This suggests that enabling public and private utility services such as telecom, electricity, gas, water etc. to start accepting digital payments is most likely to turn users cashless for the first time. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget-2017-expectations-of-fintech-startups-from-modi-government/articleshow/56774975.cms">ALSO READ: Budget 2017: Expectations of Fintech Startups from Modi Government</a> 
 
J&amp;K and the north eastern states featured in the end which could be due to the unrest in the states. It also suggests that they might be the worst affected due to demonetization with less technological advancement. 
​ 
The complete ranking was as follows: 
 
1) Gujarat 
2) Telangana 
3) Haryana 4) <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> 
5) Delhi 6) <keyword id="1502020" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himanchal-Pradesh">Himanchal Pradesh</keyword> 7) <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> 8) <keyword id="6354953" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab">Punjab</keyword> 9) <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> 
10) Maharashtra 11) <keyword id="6355588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword> 12) <keyword id="6354780" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka">Karnataka</keyword> 13) <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> 
14) Jharkand 15) <keyword id="6355772" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="meghalaya">Meghalaya</keyword> 16) <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword> 17) <keyword id="28504" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> 
18) Goa 19) <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>

Here are the top three states that scored high on the ‘cashless India scorecard’

<ul><li><keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword> has become the latest state to exit the central government’s <keyword id="6199405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ayushman-bharat">Ayushman Bharat</keyword> <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> scheme. </li><li>In addition to <keyword id="6357783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword> and Chhattisgarh, the non-BJP ruled states of Odisha, Telangana as well as Delhi have also rejected the scheme. </li><li>All of these states either have plans to or have already started their own health insurance coverage schemes.</li></ul>The central Indian state of Chhattisgarh has become the latest state to exit the central government’s Ayushman Bharat insurance scheme. The state’s health minister, T S Singhdeo, said that the government would instead offer its <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-to-move-towards-universal-healthcare-plan-t-s-singhdeo-5543794/">own universal healthcare scheme</a> featuring free medicines, outpatient care, and improved public health infrastructure via an existing network. In addition to West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, the non-BJP ruled states of Odisha, Telangana as well as Delhi have also rejected the scheme. All of these states either have plans to or have already started their own health insurance coverage schemes. Delhi, in particular, took a similar line as West Bengal in that it objected to how the scheme was being branded as mainly a central government programme. The common thread across these states rejecting the programme is that they are ruled by the rivals of <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, that is not the only challenge. The national health insurance scheme was rolled out at the end of September last year, with the stipulated aim of covering 110 million families to the tune of half a million rupees a year. Around <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ayushman-bharat-a-game-changer-6-85-lakh-patients-treated-in-100-days-jaitley/articleshow/67335634.cms">685,000</a> patients had reportedly availed of the scheme by the end of 2018, according to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. As the minister from Chhattisgarh explained, Ayushman Bharat provided insurance for secondary and tertiary <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> in hospitals, whereas <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/chhattisgarh-govt-to-pull-out-of-ayushman-bharat/articleshow/67550227.cms">nearly 80%</a> of the state’s citizens required primary healthcare services. Outpatient treatment, which is hugely popular with India’s poor households according to <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/201612_health-and-morbidity.pdf">a Brookings report</a>, isn’t provided under the scheme. In addition, as public hospitals lack the requisite infrastructure, the government is relying heavily on private hospitals, which aren’t that widespread in semi-urban and rural areas and can promote expensive treatments to improve their margins. The programme is not well funded either. The central government will have to increase its annual funding for the scheme as its ₹20 billion allocation in the 2018 Budget is insufficient - <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/kYhU6jUzQHcz4gexCpVUQP/Confident-of-getting-more-funds-for-Ayushman-Bharat-CEO-Ind.html">a view echoed </a>by the CEO of the programme, Indu Bhushan. As of end-December 2018, the central government had already authorised <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/centre-has-spent-850-crore-on-ayushman-bharat-till-date/article25836102.ece">₹8.5 billion </a>worth of claims. A higher allocation will likely be unveiled in the government's interim budget on February 1st. Whose insurance is it anyway The state of West Bengal, which merged its own health protection programme Swastyasathi with Ayushman Bharat last year, also pulled out of the scheme. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee rationalised the move by citing the central government’s attempts<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mamata-banerjee-pulls-out-of-pmjay-ayushman-bharat-scheme-says-centre-taking-credit-5532864/"> to take full credit</a> for what was essentially a joint effort, wherein the state government shared 40% of the cost. While the states’ pull-out will affect the momentum and portability of the national programme, it also indicates the problems associated with its implementation. Granted, it's only been a little over 100 days since the scheme came into operation, but the gaps in the plan are already evident. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-insurers-are-being-left-out-of-the-countrys-national-health-insurance-scheme/articleshow/65422864.cms">India’s insurers are being left out of the country’s national health insurance scheme</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-allocates-15-billion-for-modicare-health-insurance-2018-3">India allocates $1.5 billion for 'Modicare' health insurance</a>

India's 'Modicare' insurance scheme needs some fixing

<keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s biggest floating <keyword id="59444" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Solar-power-plant">solar power plant</keyword> with a capacity of 100 megawatt is expected to become operational in <keyword id="68884" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword> next month. The project has been set up by the energy conglomerate National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in the reservoir of its thermal power plant at Ramagundam, Peddapalli district. The solar photo-voltaic project, spread over 450 acres, will have 4.5 lakh photovoltaic panels and it can be expanded in the future According to C.V. Anand, Executive Director, <keyword id="10904332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ntpc-southern-region">NTPC Southern Region</keyword>, this will be the largest floating solar plant in the country in a single location as of now. The project has been set up at a cost of ₹423 crore. The Maharatna company plans to set up solar projects across all thermal power plants in the country. The NTPC plans solar power plants of the total capacity of 450 MW in the southern region. Of this, 217 MW plants would be floating on water bodies. The corporation is also setting up 92 MW floating unit at Kayamkulam gas plant in Kerala and a 25 MW unit at Simhadri power plant in Visakhapatnam. The NTPC embarked on setting up large floating solar plants after successfully completing pilot projects at Kayamkulam (100 KWH) in Kerala and Kawas (1 MW) in Gujarat. Officials say the solar powers project are in line with the country's commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022 including 100 GW of solar installed capacity. The upcoming floating solar plants in South India are likely to be commissioned in next few months. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the delay in construction of the new projects. Under the floating plants, the photovoltaic panels are deployed on the surface of water bodies. They are considered as a viable alternative to land-based solar arrays. NTPC officials explain that setting up floating solar units on water bodies and huge reservoirs help them in cutting down on the costs. Floating solar units prove to be cost effective when compared to ground-mounted plant. As South India has a large number of major reservoirs, NTPC Southern Region plans to focus on floating solar plants. The company officials say they prefer solar floating plants due to their advantages. As five acres of land is required for setting up one MW solar photo-voltaic plant on <keyword id="6375548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ground">ground</keyword> and given the challenges in land acquisitions, the authorities are going for floating method. There are other advantages of the floating plants. As water bodies exert a cooling effect, this improves the performance of solar photovoltaic panels by 5 to 10 per cent. This means a significant cost saving for the plant owners. The other benefits include reduced water evaporation, reduced grid interconnection costs, low algal blooming and improved water quality. Interestingly, the world's largest floating 600 MW solar energy project is also coming up in India. The project to be constructed at Omkareshwar dam on the Narmada river in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, is likely to begin power generation by 2022-23. Electricity will be produced in about 2,000-hectare water area by installing solar panels in the dam. Solar panels will float on the surface of the water in the reservoir. The floating solar power project at Ramagundam is expected to give boost to share of renewable energy in overall power generation in Telangana. The total installed capacity of renewable energy, including solar, in Telangana stood at 3,944 MW in 2019-20. Telangana is among a handful of States and Union territories who are on track to meet their renewable energy targets for 2022. The solar power projects by NTPC in the southern region include 5 MW unit set up at Port Blair Solar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2012, a 10 MW solar plant at Ramagundam in 2013 and the phase I- of the 250 MW (5X50 MW) Ultra Mega solar project commissioned at NP Kunta village of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. The NTPC is also working on 230 MW ground mounted solar power plant in Ettayapuram near Tuticorin in <keyword id="20154" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>. This is expected to be commissioned by next year. The solar power projects are part of NTPC's plans to reduce its carbon footprints and accelerate its green energy production to 30 per cent of its capacity. NTPC Southern region has total installed capacity of about 9,125 MW, out of the corporation's total capacity of 64,880 MW in the country. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/upi-crosses-5-lakh-crore-in-transaction-value-in-march/articleshow/81820799.cms">India’s digital payments soar – UPI crosses ₹5 lakh crore in transaction value in March</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/west-bengal-is-the-highest-contributor-to-small-savings-schemes/articleshow/81825902.cms">West Bengal is the highest contributor to small savings schemes – with elections underway, it could have been a trigger for the government to roll back interest rate cuts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/revolut-india-plan-starts-with-a-25-million-investment-and-possibly-a-fintech-acquisition/articleshow/81833983.cms">Revolut’s India plan starts with a $25 million investment and possibly, a fintech acquisition</a>

India's biggest floating solar power plant coming up in Telangana

India may become a power surplus country in the current fiscal as the energy shortage and peak power deficit was already less than 1 per cent in April with many states reporting nil electricity deficits, according to PTI news report. According to Central Electricity Authority's latest monthly report for April, the energy shortage in the country is reported at 0.5 per cent during the month compared to 1.4 per cent a year ago. In April, the energy shortage was as low as 0.1 per cent each in Western, Southern and Eastern region. However the Northeastern region has reported energy shortage of 4.5 per cent. It was 1.5 per cent in the Northern region. Peak power deficit too has reduced to 0.8 per cent across the country in April this year. It was recorded at 0.1 per cent each in Southern, Eastern and Western regions. However, the Northeastern region reported a peak power deficit of 2.2 per cent in April. It was 1.8 per cent in Northern region. As per the Power Ministry data, many states have reported nil energy shortage and peak power deficit in April this year. These states include <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword>, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim and Tripura, <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>. There are other states where energy shortage (ES) and peak power deficit (PPD) has been up to 1 per cent in April. They are: Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh (PPD zero), <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword> (PPD zero), Maharashtra, Meghalaya (ES zero), Puducherry, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Telangana (ES zero), Uttarakhand (PPD zero). Uttar Pradesh, where <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> recently won elections with a thumping majority, reported an energy shortage of just 1 per cent in April from 14 per cent level a year ago. Besides, the peak power deficit was down to zero. According to the load generation balancing report of the Central Electricity Authority for 2017-18, India would become power surplus nation. It said, "All India power supply position indicates that the country is likely to have a peak surplus of 6.8 per cent and energy surplus of 8.8 per cent." It also said that surplus energy is anticipated in the order of 7.4 per cent, 13 per cent, 9.8 per cent and 3.0 per cent in the Southern, Western, Northern and North-Eastern Regions respectively. However it said that the Eastern region is likely to face minor energy shortage of 0.2 per cent which can be mthrough surplus power in other regions. It has also said that the peaking surplus is likely to prevail in all the regions-- Northern, Western, Southern, Eastern and North-Eastern regions to the tune of 6.7 per cent, 17.2 per cent, 1 per cent, 10 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.

No more power cuts from 2018?

The gong’s been sounded for one of the most exciting battles in Indian elections. It will be a longdrawn out contest, to be held in nine phases, <keyword id="54921" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="spread">spread</keyword> over 36 days from April 7 to May 12. 
 The votes will be counted on May 16 and on that day or in the next few days it will become apparent who will form the next government — <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> or a surprise Third Front satrap. 
 Along with the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> election, three states — <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>, Odisha and <keyword id="48118" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sikkim">Sikkim</keyword> — will also go to the polls. 
 
Assembly elections in Delhi will have to wait till a new government at the Centre has been formed. The nine days when polling will be held are April 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 24 and 30 and May 7 and 12. The model code of conduct has kicked in with immediate effect. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lok-Sabha-elections-2014-Crucial-factors/articleshow/31509920.cms">Lok Sabha elections 2014: Crucial factors</a> 
 Indian elections have been essays in uncertainty since 1967 when <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>’s hegemony faced its first serious challenge. However, indications are that the coming election may be even more exciting. While Congress and <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> are locked in a gladiatorial contest, the entry of <keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword> has inserted an X factor in the battle. 
 
Going by opinion polls, Congress seems to be heading for its worst-ever performance with some estimates indicating that its tally may shrink to double digits. If that were to happen, the transition of the Congress leadership to Rahul Gandhi could become a wrenching process. 
 
BJP appears poised to make big gains this time. Narendra Modi’s arrival has energized the party’s base and triggered hopes of a comeback after a decade-long power drought at the Centre . Unless BJP falls victim to its historical inability to live up to its promise, this Modi-led resurgence, coupled with a deep disenchantment with Congress, raise the possibility of his rightwing, growth-centric political model spreading to new constituencies. 
 
 The <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword>’s stunning debut in Delhi has been a testimony to its success in tapping into the popular resentment against established parties in a remarkably short time. The coming election will show to what extent this fledgling party led by <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> can convert its appeal into votes in other states. What’s , however, already apparent is that AAP is fast becoming a thorn in BJP’s flesh — the party it is now targeting after having routed Congress in Delhi. 
 
Soon-to-be-born states, FB, Twitter add zing to 2014 polls 
 
It has been reported that Kejriwal will contest from Varanasi if Modi fights from there. And on Wednesday, he was in Gujarat , queering Modi’s pitch in his home state. 
 This election will also be different because of the spread of social media as a political tool. If the 2004 polls saw parties using mobile phones to reach out to voters, this poll will see <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>, Twitter and various apps being used to mobilize the techsavvy among 149.5 million new voters. 
 
The assembly election in Andhra Pradesh carries the possibility of two new parties forming governments in the about-to-be-born states of Seemandhra and Telangana. YSR Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti respectively are regarded as the frontrunners for the two states which will come into being after June. 
 
 
 Among the states, UP and <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> will vote on six days; <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> and Jammu &amp; Kashmir on five; <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword>, <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword>, <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword>, <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword> and Maharashtra on three; and Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha , Rajasthan and Tripura on two days. There will be a single-day poll in Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, <keyword id="6358126" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword>, Karnataka, Kerala, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> and Goa, a majority of northeastern states and Union territories including Delhi. 
 Announcing the schedule, chief election commissioner V S Sampath, flanked by election commissioners V S <keyword id="153539" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Brahma">Brahma</keyword> and <keyword id="141382" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Nasim-Zaidi">Nasim Zaidi</keyword>, appealed to all political parties and candidates to “uphold the peerless democratic traditions by maintaining high standards of political discourse and fair play in the course of their election campaigns”. Sampath said, “We appeal to the leaders of all political parties, especially their star campaigners , to refrain from using language that is against decorum and decency”.

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