Kumar Uttam covers politics and public affairs. He has been a journalist for 15 years.
Articles by Kumar Uttam
Outside looking in, but Congress missing from broad UP alliance
Some within the SP-BSP combine believe that keeping the Congress out is better since the party, through upper caste candidates, can wean away a section of votes that would go to the BJP otherwise
Updated on May 15, 2018 06:58 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
Amit Shah blows 2019 election bugle, asks party to address Dalit issues
Amit Shah asked the party to address issues related to Dalits, down to the block level.
Updated on May 15, 2018 07:11 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
As Karnataka elections near, BJP goes slow on its Mission-150 claim
While the BJP remains confident of winning Karnataka with a “comfortable majority”, winning 150 seats now looks “Mission Impossible”, said two BJP leaders in Delhi.
Updated on May 10, 2018 12:40 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Kumar Uttam
Given the atmosphere of hate, we cannot side with the BJP again: RLD leader
RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary says the BJP has set a very dangerous trend.
Published on May 08, 2018 11:38 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Prashant Jha & Kumar Uttam
Rajnath Singh woos Lingayat in North Karnataka, slams ‘divisive’ Congress step
The Lingayats are the most dominant and politically influential community in Karnataka.
Updated on May 05, 2018 11:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Gulbarga/Kalburgi | Kumar Uttam
Opposition plans joint candidate against BJP in Kairana bypoll
BJP candidate is likely to be Mriganka Singh, daughter of the late MP Hukum Singh, whose death necessitated the bypolls in Kairana.
Updated on May 04, 2018 12:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Prashant Jha and Kumar Uttam
BJP to increase PM Modi rallies from 15 to 21 in Karnataka
Karnataka has a 224-member legislative assembly and the 21 rallies Modi may end up addressing in the state are fewer than the 34 he spoke at in Gujarat, which has a 182-member assembly.
Updated on May 04, 2018 12:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam, New Delhi
Narendra Modi may address more rallies in Karnataka
Karnataka is headed for a close contest between the BJP and the Congress with the former largely depending on Modi’s popularity to regain power in the state after a gap of five years.
Updated on May 03, 2018 08:49 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
Power tussle in Tripura between Biplab Deb and Sunil Deodhar worries BJP
The tug-of-war between Biplab Deb and Sunil Deodhar comes at a time when Deb is in the midst of controversies over his outrageous remarks over the past few weeks
Updated on May 03, 2018 09:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
In Karnataka, BJP gets a new star in tribal leader Sreeramulu
The 46-year-old tribal leader is fighting from two seats, one of them against chief minister Siddaramaiah in Badami.
Published on May 01, 2018 11:07 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | Kumar Uttam
Act East policy talks: Sushma Swaraj calls meeting of all northeast CMs
The government is looking at stepping up ties with countries in the region that could bring economic benefit to the north-eastern states and fulfil country’s strategic objectives.
Published on Apr 30, 2018 10:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Jayanth Jacob and Kumar Uttam
In coastal belt of Karnataka, BJP banks on ‘Hindutva’ ahead of election
RSS affiliates campaign for party by telling voters Hindus ‘suffered’ under the Congress and Hindutva should win to ensure peace.
Updated on Apr 30, 2018 11:43 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Mangaluru | Kumar Uttam
Congress is confused, its leadership divided, says Karnataka BJP in-charge Muralidhar Rao
P Muralidhar Rao says Siddaramaiah govt has given voters in the Karnataka assembly elections 2018 enough reasons to vote against it, adds Lingayats will not desert Yeddyurappa
Updated on Apr 30, 2018 09:53 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | Kumar Uttam
In Karnataka, former PM Deve Gowda’s JD(S) may influence the poll outcome
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s hopes ride on support from Vokkaligas and Mayawati’s backing in Karnataka elections.
Updated on Apr 29, 2018 07:03 AM IST
Hindustan Times, Ramnagara/Mandya | Kumar Uttam, Ramnagara/mandya
BJP plans one manifesto for each constituency ahead of Karnataka elections
The BJP has crowd-sourced the manifestos, getting data separately from each of the 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka.
Published on Apr 27, 2018 11:45 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | Kumar Uttam, Bengaluru
Is BJP’s caste coalition in trouble?
According to a BJP parliamentarian from western UP, a proposed alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has put the BJP in a tight spot.
Updated on Apr 21, 2018 07:59 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
BJP’s Karnataka calculation: 2013 poll arithmetic and return of 2 leaders
While Karnataka remains a three-cornered contest, like it was in 2013 and 2014, analysts say the BJP cannot be sure of victory with the return of the two leaders.
Updated on Apr 18, 2018 04:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
Change of guards in at least two BJP state units likely
In Andhra Pradesh, party chief K Hari Babu resigned on Monday while in Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says state chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan wants to be relieved of the duty.
Updated on Apr 17, 2018 10:47 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Kumar Uttam
Govt plans to keep SC/ST act ‘unchanged’ if Supreme Court doesn’t reverse order
The government will explore all legal options after the Supreme Court takes a call on the review petition that the government filed on April 2 against the court’s March 20 judgment, which triggered nationwide Dalit protests.
Updated on Apr 14, 2018 09:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
Feud over? Samajwadi Party’s Yadav clan moves towards a thaw
This year, the BJP has so far fielded 34,507 candidates for 58,692 seats in the three-tier polls comprising gram panchayat, panchayat samity and zila parishad. In the last panchayat poll, the BJP had fielded just 11,266 candidates.
Updated on Apr 12, 2018 07:25 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
BJP, govt to step up efforts to reach out to Dalits
On April 14, the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the government will hold camps in 21,000 villages where Dalits make up a substantial part of the population to distribute income and caste certificates.
Updated on Apr 11, 2018 08:19 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Smriti Kak Ramachandran and Kumar Uttam
Govt image among Dalits needs to change: Ram Vilas Paswan
The Union minister said he has urged all elements within the BJP to be restrained in their speech and follow the prime minister’s example.
Updated on Apr 09, 2018 08:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam and Prashant Jha
We have one year left. The perception of young Dalits can be changed: Ram Vilas Paswan
Union minister for consumer affairs and food & public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan spoke about the recent Dalit unrest, the political situation in Bihar, and the 2019 elections.
Updated on Apr 09, 2018 08:39 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam and Prashant Jha
BJP MP writes to PM Modi, says govt hasn’t done anything for Dalits in 4 years
BJP MP Yashwant Singh said in the letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Dalit MPs like him in the ruling party are victims of atrocities against scheduled castes and it has become difficult for them to answer to the community.
Updated on Apr 08, 2018 07:17 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
PM Modi tells BJP MPs to spend a night in villages with high SC/ST populations
In a bid to reach out to the Dalits and Adivasis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked BJP ministers, MPs and senior leaders of the party to spend a night in villages with over 50% population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs).
Updated on Apr 06, 2018 11:37 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
We are wounded, we want justice, says Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu
Telugu Desam Party chief speaks to HT about his party’s pull-out from the NDA, the plan for the 2019 general elections and special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
Updated on Apr 05, 2018 07:39 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam and Prashant Jha
Govt in damage control mode after 9 killed in Dalit protests, says committed to well being of SCs, STs
BJP leaders say the deaths due to protests over alleged dilution of SC, ST Act could dent BJP’s image.
Updated on Apr 03, 2018 07:26 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam
Get 3 lakh ‘genuine’ Facebook likes each, Modi tells BJP MPs
The PM’s stress on the importance of using social media effectively comes nearly a year ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Updated on Mar 26, 2018 08:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Kumar Uttam, New Delhi
Two Union ministers demand review of SC banning automatic arrests under SC/ST act
As the demand for a review built up, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indicated it was open to seeking a review, with party president Amit Shah likely to meet ministers concerned with the issue on Friday.
Published on Mar 22, 2018 11:25 PM IST
Kumar Uttam and Smriti Kak Ramachandran
How will a BSP-SP alliance shape up? Key LS bypoll in Kairana may hold the key
Buzz of a larger alliance between the SP and BSP has increased following their partnership in recent bypolls for two Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh defeated the ruling BJP.
Updated on Mar 21, 2018 11:14 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Kumar Uttam