Srinand Jha covers the Ministry of Railways and writes on politics in the Hindi heartland. Also interested in media and social/cultural issues.
Articles by Srinand Jha
Shaky Opposition’s fresh take on unity, to launch campaign against Modi govt
A countrywide campaign against the policies of the NDA government is likely to be announced at the national council meeting of the “real” Janata Dal (United) led by Sharad Yadav.
Updated on Oct 08, 2017 07:58 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Lalu Prasad questioned for over 7 hours by CBI in IRCTC hotel scam
Lalu Prasad is being investigated over the awarding of maintenance of two railway hotels to Sujata Hotel in exchange for land during his tenure as Union minister.
Updated on Oct 05, 2017 10:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Rajesh Ahuja and Srinand Jha
Diesel locomotive project with General Electric on track, says Piyush Goyal
Minister Piyush Goyal said the government’s focus is on electrification of the Indian railway network but clarified that it won’t jeopardise the contract with General Electric to supply and maintain diesel locomotives for Bihar’s Marhoura project.
Updated on Sep 28, 2017 05:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha and P Suchetana Ray
Sharad Yadav says JD(U) faction will ally with Cong, Left to take on BJP in Gujarat
Acting president of the Sharad Yadav-led rebel JD(U) faction also said they will explore a tie-up with Hardik Patel.
Updated on Sep 19, 2017 12:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Modi, Abe lay foundation for India’s first Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project
The Rs 1,10,000-crore bullet-train project aims to modernise the country’s crumbling rail networks, which are prone to accidents and long delays
Updated on Sep 14, 2017 09:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times, Sabarmati | Srinand Jha and Hiral Dave
Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train: PM Modi’s flagship project set for takeoff
The high speed train will cut travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad by at least five hours.
Updated on Sep 12, 2017 10:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Opposition parties to meet in Jaipur against NDA govt’s move to ‘create social disharmony’
While the Opposition camp remains weakened, political observers find a ray of hope in the fact that rivals such as the TMC and the CPI (M) have decided to close ranks to oppose the BJP at the national level.
Published on Sep 09, 2017 10:24 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
As Piyush Goyal takes charge of railway ministry, many challenges await him
The government is trying to revamp the transporter, but it continued to creak and groan under the weight of its own contradictions despite frequent changes at the helm.
Updated on Sep 03, 2017 09:53 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Srinand Jha
Nitish’s JD(U) to seek Sharad Yadav’s disqualification as Rajya Sabha MP
As per Schedule 10 of the Rules of Procedure and Business of the Rajya Sabha, a member can be disqualified if he voluntarily gives up the membership of the party by which he got elected.
Updated on Aug 27, 2017 09:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha, New Delhi
India’s irony: Rlys shows improved safety record but scores high in fatalities
The Indian Railways logged just 0.20 mishaps through 2012 in terms of accidents per million train kilometres. This is better than what many developed countries, including Sweden, Belgium, Austria and Finland, can boast of. However, India has the ironic distinction of being on top of the heap when it comes to rail fatalities.
Updated on Aug 25, 2017 05:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Who is Ashwani Lohani, the ‘turnaround man’ who takes over the Railway Board
Ashwani Lohani, whose departure as Air India CMD was described by an official as “bad news” for the national carrier, is taking over the reins of the Railway Board at a time of crisis for the country’s largest transporter.
Published on Aug 23, 2017 10:31 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Air India’s Ashwani Lohani is new Railway Board chief, Suresh Prabhu offers to quit
Ashwani Lohani faces a big challenge as the government is trying to revamp the world’s fourth-largest rail network that has 12,000 passenger trains and 7,000-odd stations, and carries 23 million passengers each day.
Updated on Aug 24, 2017 09:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Utkal Express derails: Officials suspended, probe report blames staff negligence
An FIR has been registered against unknown persons in the derailment of Kalinga Utkal Express in Muzaffarnagar district, police said.
Updated on Aug 21, 2017 12:08 PM IST
New Delhi, Hindustan Times | Srinand Jha
If we fight together, BJP won’t be seen anywhere, says Rahul Gandhi at Oppn meet
At gathering led by JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, Gandhi urges opposition leaders from SP, Left and others to join hands to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party
Updated on Aug 17, 2017 09:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Saubhadra Chatterji and Srinand Jha
JD(U) rift: Nitish-Sharad face-off likely at parallel meets
The event is expected to be attended by several Opposition parties as a show of strength.
Updated on Aug 17, 2017 12:15 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
As sons rise, dynasties continue reign on Indian politics
Former Union minister Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Chaudhary was on Sunday promoted as the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president.
Updated on Aug 14, 2017 05:56 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha, New Delhi
Nitish faction removes Sharad Yadav as JD(U)’s Rajya Sabha head, considers steps against dissidents
JD(U) is contemplating “precipitous steps” to suspend leaders or workers who have been attending Sharad Yadav’s rallies in Bihar.
Updated on Aug 12, 2017 10:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi/Patna | Srinand Jha and Anil Kumar
Sharad Pawar’s NCP skips Opposition meeting called by Sonia Gandhi, raises doubt over unity
The skipping of the opposition meet comes amid reports that two MLAs of the NCP in Gujarat may have voted for the BJP and not for Congress candidate Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Updated on Aug 11, 2017 11:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
Opposition leaders meet in Delhi to plan stopping BJP’s march in 2019
In yet another exercise, Opposition leaders are planning to realign themselves to take on the BJP in the 2019 general elections.
Updated on Aug 11, 2017 01:21 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
Sharad Yadav-led JD(U) faction plans to expel Nitish Kumar over alliance with BJP
Sharad Yadav to begin Bihar tour where he will meet members of the party ahead of a key meeting on August 19 where both factions are expected to clash
Updated on Aug 10, 2017 03:59 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha, New Delhi
Mayawati keeps Lalu guessing, undecided on attending RJD’s Patna rally
A corruption case hanging over her could be a disincentive for BSP chief Mayawati to take a clear-cut political position against the BJP at this point in time.
Published on Aug 08, 2017 01:30 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Bihar switch: Tough days ahead for Nitish as dissenting voices grow louder in JD-U
Twelve heads of state units across the country have asked party founder-president Sharad Yadav to convene a national convention for discussing Nitish Kumar’s “unilateral decision” to align with the BJP after snapping ties with the Grand Alliance in Bihar late last month.
Updated on Aug 02, 2017 01:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Railways must exit catering business and focus on managing train services
India’s 163-year-old State-owned transporter has clearly been unable to fix its catering business as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pointed out in a report tabled in Parliament. From Mamata Banerjee to M Mallikarjuna Kharge, Dinesh Trivedi – or the incumbent Suresh Prabhu – why have all railways ministers failed to tackle the on-board catering business?
Updated on Jul 31, 2017 07:35 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Srinand Jha
CPM’s Yechury, Cong’s Azad meet Sharad Yadav after Nitish wins trust vote in Bihar
The opposition leaders met Yadav, the JD(U)’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, apparently in an effort to convince him to break ranks with party chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar after he broke the grand alliance and renewed ties with the BJP.
Published on Jul 28, 2017 09:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Rumblings in JD(U) over Nitish’s ‘unilateral’ decisions
A section of leaders gathered at senior party leader Sharad Yadav’s residence to discuss possibilities of an alternative course of action.
Updated on Jul 28, 2017 12:47 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha, New Delhi
Nitish’s resignation as Bihar CM hits idea of Grand Alliance at national level
Nitish Kumar’s exit from a coalition with RJD’s Lalu Prasad and the Congress underscores the challenges of such pacts, where once rival regional parties attempt joining hands, often as secular coalitions, to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Updated on Jul 27, 2017 01:05 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Lalu prepares for life after Nitish, plans alternative pact with Maya and Manjhi
RJD chief Lalu Prasad is keen to cobble up an alternative platform with the BSP and Jiten Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) to counter alliance partner and chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Updated on Jul 26, 2017 08:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Presidential poll: How damaging is Meira Kumar’s defeat for Opposition unity?
Chinks in the opposition camp surfaced as over a hundred of its legislators cross-voted in favour of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.
Updated on Jul 22, 2017 07:50 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi
JD(U) rumblings: ‘Party likely to split if Nitish Kumar allies with BJP’
Many JD (U) leaders, unhappy with Nitish Kumar’s new equation with the BJP, could be preparing for life outside the party.
Updated on Jul 19, 2017 09:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha
Kashmir unrest may drive luxury glass-roof trains down south
Given the unrest in Kashmir, the government is thinking of moving the train to Andhra Pradesh’s Araku Valley, or even routes in Goa and Kerala.
Updated on Jul 14, 2017 10:55 AM IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Srinand Jha