-The Hindustan Times   Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's attempt to amend the state Lokayukta bill in a bid to give more powers to the anti-graft watchdog in the state has failed to impress social activist Anna Hazare's team. Key Team Anna member ARVind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Bihar government's draft bill was a "copy of the much-criticised" Centre's Lokpal bill. "We sincerely wish that Nitish Kumar ji brings a strong Lokayukta...

The Centre is preparing to introduce its own version of the Lokpal bill following its assessment that Team Anna’s Jan Lokpal bill does not enjoy as widespread a support among experts as assumed initially. A Parliament standing committee is looking into the bill now. Not all the panel’s recommendations may be accepted but the government has taken heart from the developments during the committee’s talks with various groups. “We have interacted with...

Team Anna is worried that it is increasingly coming across as the “B team” of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Today, Anna Hazare said he wanted to restructure his team to include Muslims, Dalits, tribals and young people. It was the latest of many U-turns that Hazare has taken in recent days, on issues such as the shape of his core committee and whether his team would campaign specifically against...

Team Anna on Thursday pressed for as many as 34 fresh additions to the proposed Lokpal bill that have already been incorporated in the Uttarakhand Lokayukata bill and renewed their demand that constitutional amendments bringing violation of citizens' charter and conduct of MPs in Parliament within the purview of the Lokpal also be introduced. The additions include widening the definition of corruption to include individuals who have given or taken benefit...

The Election Commission has turned down Team Anna's proposal to amend the law to introduce the “right to recall” option against non-performing elected representatives through a referendum, stating that the move would bring “instability” and “hamper developmental activities.” Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election Commissioners V.S. Sampath and H.S. Brahma told Team Anna members — Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, ARVind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi — that such a...