Politics
Nominations for Rajya Sabha polls trigger war of words between BJP and Congress in Madhya Pradesh
A fresh round political tug-of-war has ensued between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh over the fielding of candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled on June 10.
While the BJP leaders are patting their backs for nominating two women — one OBC and a Sheduled Tribe (ST) — for the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress has fielded a Kashmiri Pandit, Vivek Tankha, to contest for a place in the Upper House.
By nominating Kavita Patidar (OBC) and Sumitra Valmiki (ST), the BJP has set the tone for the 2023 Assembly polls, sending a message to both the communities which account for a considerable vote share in the state.
By fielding Kavita Patidar, the BJP seems to have countered Congress’ relentless allegations on the OBC reservation issue.
“The BJP fielded an OBC candidate, Kavita Patidar, for the Rajya Sabha polls. The difference with the Congress is clear,” tweeted BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.
“Why didn’t the Congress field Arun Yadav (OBC) for the Rajya Sabha polls,” asked MP BJP media in-charge, Lokendra Parasar, in a tweet.
Patidar is the general secretary of the party’s state unit from Indore. She is also the first woman OBC leader from the Malwa division to have been sent to the Upper House after OBC quota row erupted.
Talking about Sumitra Valmiki, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who accompanied her when she filed her nomination on Tuesday, said, “Sumitra (Valmiki) had never thought of going to the Rajya Sabha. Even demanding a ticket was a distance thought. But this is the BJP.”
The Congress, on the other hand, accused the BJP of hypocrisy on the Kashmiri Pandit issue.
Responding to BJP’s jibe for nominating senior advocate Vivek Tankha for a second term in the Rajya Sabha, Congress office-bearer Piyush Babele said, “The BJP is a wonderful party. Two months back, it was beating its chest for supporting the Kashmiri Pandits’ cause following the release of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’. But when the Congress nominates a Kashmiri Pandit (Vivek Tankha) for a second term in the Rajya Sabha, BJP leaders are protesting.”
At present, BJP’s Rajya Sabha members from Madhya Pradesh are Jyotiraditya Scindia, L. Murugan, Dharmedra Pradhan, M.J. Akbar, Ajay Pratap Singh, Kailash Soni, Sumer Singh Solanki, and Sampatiya Uike.
The Congress’ Rajya Sabha members from the state are Vivek Tankha, Digvijaya Singh and Rajmani Patel.
Business
Top 10 firms add nearly Rs 93,000 crore in market value last week

Mumbai, July 12: The combined market valuation of four of India’s 10 most-valued companies increased by Rs 92,995.48 crore during the last week, with HDFC Bank and Bharti Airtel emerging as the biggest gainers, even as the broader equity market ended lower.
During the week, the Sensex declined 194.52 points, or 0.25 per cent, while the Nifty slipped 63.95 points, or 0.26 per cent.
Among the country’s 10 most-valued companies, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) registered gains in their market capitalisation.
In contrast, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Hindustan Unilever together witnessed an erosion of Rs 49,294.13 crore in their market valuation.
HDFC Bank recorded the largest increase in market capitalisation during the week, with its valuation rising by Rs 35,808.09 crore to Rs 12,69,454.42 crore.
Bharti Airtel followed closely, adding Rs 34,896.92 crore to take its market valuation to Rs 11,98,774.22 crore.
LIC’s market capitalisation rose by Rs 16,065.5 crore to Rs 5,60,205.05 crore, while Reliance Industries added Rs 6,224.97 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 17,71,206.33 crore.
On the losing side, Hindustan Unilever registered the steepest decline, with its market capitalisation falling by Rs 12,088.65 crore to Rs 5,04,997.65 crore.
Larsen & Toubro’s valuation declined by Rs 11,040.23 crore to Rs 5,42,938.40 crore, while TCS lost Rs 8,574.87 crore in market value, ending the week at Rs 7,48,600.40 crore.
Bajaj Finance saw its market capitalisation shrink by Rs 7,813.58 crore to Rs 6,35,327.78 crore. ICICI Bank’s valuation slipped by Rs 6,315.32 crore to Rs 10,05,379.71 crore, while SBI’s market value declined by Rs 3,461.48 crore to Rs 9,56,430.44 crore.
Despite the mixed performance, Reliance Industries retained its position as India’s most-valued company by market capitalisation. It was followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, TCS, Bajaj Finance, LIC, Larsen & Toubro and Hindustan Unilever.
Business
Piyush Goyal to lead business delegation to Spain, Belgium and Finland to deepen trade, investment ties

New Delhi, July 12: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a high-level Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to Spain, Belgium and Finland from July 13 to 17, as India seeks to deepen its economic engagement with Europe through enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation and sustainability, it was announced on Sunday.
The delegation will include leading Indian companies from sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, gems and jewellery, food processing, healthcare and design. The visit is aimed at expanding business-to-business partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration with European industries, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.
The visit will begin in Spain on July 13, where Goyal will participate in a business roundtable jointly organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, CEOE and ICEX Spain Trade & Investment. The discussions are expected to focus on sectors including automotive, renewable energy, railways, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, food processing and tourism.
The meeting will bring together industry leaders from both countries at a time when India and Spain are celebrating the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. Several Spanish companies, including Iberdrola, Acciona, CAF, Talgo, Gestamp and Indra, have already established a strong presence in India, while Indian technology and engineering firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro are expanding their operations in Spain to support digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
In Belgium, where the delegation will travel on July 14 and 15, the minister will visit the Port of Antwerp to study Europe’s leading logistics hub and gain insights into multimodal connectivity, green logistics and resilient supply chains.
During the Belgium visit, Goyal will hold CEO-level meetings with senior executives of Thales Group and Silox Group.
The minister will also participate in the India-EU Business Roundtable and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Plenary, where discussions will cover foreign direct investment, trade facilitation, sustainable technologies and resilient supply chains.
The final leg of the tour will take the delegation to Finland on July 16 and 17. Goyal will participate in the India-Finland Business Roundtable, engaging with Finnish companies across digitalisation, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and the circular economy.
International News
10 Indians on board rescued, one missing: India condemns attack on commercial vessel off Oman coast

New Delhi, July 12: India on Sunday condemned the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy carrying Indian nationals off the coast of Oman, terming the continuous incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region “deeply worrisome.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that 10 of the Indian nationals on board were rescued, while one person is still reportedly missing. The MEA said that the Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation. It also thanked the Omani authorities for their support.
In a statement, the MEA said, “The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region.”
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” it added.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Oman said that it is closely monitoring the incident involving the vessel GFS Galaxy. It further said that its officials are in close contact with the Omani authorities, the vessel’s management, and the concerned stakeholders, and is extending all possible assistance.
Earlier in the day, US Central Command said that GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, was attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leaving a crew member missing.
In a post on X, the US Central Command stated, “At 7:15 p.m. ET today, US Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engineroom damage.”
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed. In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait. The strikes are being carried out at the direction of the Commander in Chief,” it added.
The incident occurred amid increased tensions in waters around the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and is critical for global energy security.
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