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BJP may retain power in Goa, wrest power in U'khand; consolation prize for Cong in Punjab Election Results 2017   : If the predictions of several of the exit polls, made public on Thursday, for the five states that had Assembly elections in February-March turn out to be true, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to emerge as the most influential leader of India since Indira Gandhi, who had held sway over the country’s political landscape 40 years back. Findings of at least four exit polls suggested that Modi’s blitzkrieg of public rallies in Uttar Pradesh (UP) could help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) either comfortably cross the majority mark of 202 in the 403-seat UP Assembly, or come close to it. The BJP, along with ally Apna Dal, had bagged 73 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2014, winning a staggering 337 of the 403 Assembly segments. At least two exit polls — India Today-Axis and Today’s Chanakya — could come close to that tally by winning up to 285 seats. Howeve...

Leaders of the five economies agree to work on credit rating agency, trade in local currency and cooperation on tax evasion While a key agreement on setting up a   BRICS   credit rating agency eluded them, leaders of the five emerging large economies ended their eighth summit with a commitment to strive for greater synergy and higher economic growth. With Indian and Chinese exports to the West shrinking, Prime Minister   Narendra Modi called for doubling of intra-BRICS trade to $500 billion by 2020. This was seen as a key to spur growth in BRICS economies, two of which have recorded negative growth. Chinese President Xi Jinping drew attention to “some countries getting more inward looking in their policies… Protectionism is rising and the forces against globalisation are an emerging risk,” he said. The ‘Goa Declaration’, issued at the end of the summit, welcomed “experts exploring the possibility of setting up an independent BRICS Rating Agency based on market...