Kamal Nath In Madhya Pradesh, Contest Not Over In Rajasthan: Sources
NEW DELHI, Dec 13: Rahul Gandhi is expected to name the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan today after a meeting with two pairs of leaders fighting for the top post.
Kamal Nath is likely to be named chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, where the party won a narrow victory in state polls, emerging as the largest party but touching majority only with support from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Jyotiraditya Scindia, the other contender for the job, is believed to have been offered the post of deputy. Mr Scindia is believed to have told the party he has popular support. When NDTV asked him yesterday whether he would like to be chief minister, he replied: "Absolutely, I would be honoured to serve as chief minister."
In Rajasthan the Congress is confronting a tougher choice between state chief Sachin Pilot and two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot.
Sources say Ashok Gehlot is the front-runner, but Sachin Pilot, credited with recharging the party after its poorest show in state polls in 2013, is putting up a fight. As the party looks ahead to the 2019 polls, Ashok Gehlot has experience on his side.
Rahul Gandhi's audio message to 7.3 lakh Congress workers, urging them to reveal to him their choice of chief minister in complete confidence, reflects the party's challenging task after scoring poll victories in three big states.
In both states, lawmakers held marathon meetings yesterday, after which leaders announced that the choice had been left to Rahul Gandhi.
Sources say two-thirds of the newly-elected Congress lawmakers in Rajasthan have conveyed to the central leadership that they want Sachin Pilot, the 41-year-old state Congress head, to be chief minister.
Two leaders met each of the 99 Rajasthan Congress lawmakers for over six hours.
Sources say more lawmakers seem to favour Sachin Pilot, but the Congress' worry is accommodating Ashok Gehlot in an equally appealing role. Next year's national election may have a huge bearing on the decision.
Sources say the Congress is weighing a formula that will keep both leaders happy, since it is the combined strength of both that has brought the party this far. Such a formula may involve positioning one leader in Delhi for a national role, leaving the other to manage Rajasthan.
Yesterday, the Congress president had said there would be "no issue" over chief ministership. "It will be done smoothly," he said.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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Lok Sabha refers Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill to JPC
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha on Monday referred the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from both Houses of Parliament for a detailed analysis and recommendations.
The decision was taken following a voice vote after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested it.
Earlier, after the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha, opposition members Manish Tewari (Congress), Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) and T Sumathy (DMK) strongly opposed it, alleging that the legislation sought to dilute the provisions of law under which companies mandatorily have to pay 2 per cent of their profits towards corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The finance minister strongly refuted the allegations and said that the Bill has been introduced after two years of deliberations.
She said the apprehensions of the members were unfounded as the Bill seeks to amend only the criteria of net profits, not the entire clause related to CSR.
Sitharaman then suggested to Speaker Om Birla that the Bill be sent to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for extensive deliberations and proper suggestions.
At this, Tewari said that since a parliamentary standing committee on corporate affairs is already in place, the Bill should be sent to that panel rather than constituting a new JPC.
Intervening the Congress MP, Home Minister Amit Shah said that none of the opposition members talked about referring the legislation to a parliamentary committee, and now, when the finance minister herself has sought it, they were arguing as to which panel the Bill should be sent.
Speaker Birla then put the proposal of the finance minister to a vote, and it was approved with a voice vote by the House, sending the Bill to a JPC for which the members will be selected later.
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aims to amend the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008, and the Companies Act to facilitate ease of doing business and address the gaps identified by the Company Law Committee in its 2022 report.
The Union Cabinet had already okayed the proposed Bill, aimed at further easing the compliance burden on businesses and advancing the government’s agenda of decriminalising minor corporate offences.
The proposed amendments are expected to rationalise penalties, shift several minor procedural lapses from criminal liability to monetary penalties, and streamline regulatory processes to promote ease of doing business.
The reforms are also aimed at improving the overall corporate compliance framework while reducing litigation and encouraging a more facilitative regulatory environment for companies and LLPs.
Sitharaman also said the Bill is aimed at promoting further ease of doing business and ease of living for corporates by decriminalising more provisions and amending certain other provisions.
It is aimed at providing ease of compliance for ‘one person companies’, small companies, startups and producer companies, the minister said in the Bill's statement of objects and reasons.
According to Sitharaman, the amendments also seek to streamline the existing regulatory practices to strengthen as well as recognise new concepts in light of the rapidly evolving corporate landscape and changing business practices.
