Page 7 - National Politics

BJP govt not in trouble, working strongly, says Haryana CM

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday said his government is not in trouble and is working strongly, a day after three Independent MLAs withdrew support to the BJP dispensation in the state. MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) on Tuesday withdrew support to the BJP government and announced that they would back the Congress, reducing the Saini government to a minority in the state assembly. "The government is not in any trouble, it is working strongly," Saini told reporters in Sirsa when asked to comment on the withdrawal of support. Saini was campaigning for BJP's Sirsa Lok Sabha candidate Ashok Tanwar. The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member House which has a current strength of 88.

BJP wants to win 400-plus seats to change Constitution, says Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday claimed the BJP-led NDA wants a 400-plus seat mandate so that they can change the Constitution. "For them (BJP) the Constitution of India is a burden. They think why should they follow the Constitution written by a Dalit? They want 400-plus seats so that they can change the Constitution written by Dr B R Ambedkar," Thackeray claimed. He accused the Centre of betraying farmers by not giving adequate prices to farm produce. "I will restore the glory of Maharashtra which was robbed by these people after we return to power. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had looted Surat (for Swarajta) but now these two (persons) from Surat are looting Chhatrapati's Maharashtra," Thackeray alleged while addressing an election rally for MVA candidate Shobha Bacchav in Dhule.

A turbulent political life

Journalist Pallavi Rebbapragada's book attempts to introduce Odiyas and non-Odiyas alike to the complexities of the state's politics through the fascinating life of its chief minister Nandini Satpathy

TDP quitting NDA in 2018 not a mistake, says ex-Minister Ashok

Telugu Desam Party quitting NDA in 2018 was not a mistake, senior party leader and former Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju has said. The regional party rejoining the alliance (NDA) was justified as BJP is saying it would do "something" for Andhra Pradesh, he added. The scion of the Vizianagaram royal family said he did not retire from politics, but only chose not to contest the ongoing polls due to health reasons. His daughter Aditi is vying for the Vizianagaram Assembly seat taking on the present YSR Congress legislator Kolagatla Veerabhadra Swamy. Aditi is likely to face headwinds to some extent as former TDP MLA Meesala Geetha is contesting as an independent after being denied ticket by the former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led party. "I don't think it (TDP leaving NDA in 2018) was a mistake. Because what had happened at that time (was that), there were certain commitments made in the legislation (AP Reorganisation Act) which needed to be attended to. Cert

LS polls: Rahul Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli; KL Sharma from Amethi

While Rahul Gandhi will be contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh for the Bareli seat, KL Sharma will be up against Smriti Irani in Amethi

Why is PM nervous even in BJP bastions: Cong jabs Modi post Indore setback

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that its candidates in both Surat and Indore were threatened, intimidated and bulldozed into withdrawing their nominations, and asked why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi "so nervous" and "afraid" even in traditional BJP bastions. The Congress' Indore Lok Sabha seat candidate Akshay Bam withdrew his nomination on Monday, a fortnight before polling in the constituency. Earlier, the Congress' Surat candidate's nomination form was rejected over discrepancies, paving the way for the BJP nominee to get elected unopposed from the seat in Gujarat. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Since 1984 the Congress has not won Surat and Indore Lok Sabha seats. Yet in 2024 Congress candidates in both seats were threatened, intimidated and bulldozed into withdrawing their nominations." "Why is the PM so nervous and afraid even in traditional BJP bastions?" he said. The Congress on Monday had said there is a "threat to democracy" and wondere

Akshay Bam withdrew nomination after 'threats and torture', says Patwari

Congress' Indore Lok Sabha candidate Akshay Bam was "threatened and tortured" following which he withdraw his nomination, the opposition party's Madhya Pradesh chief Jitu Patwari has claimed while targeting the BJP. Bam withdrew his nomination on Monday, which was the last day for the process. "Three days ago, IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) was added to an old case against Bam. He was threatened. He was tortured in different ways for the whole night. And today he has withdrawn his nomination," Patwari alleged at a rally here on Monday. Bam, his father Kantilal and others are accused in a case that was registered in October 2007. On April 5 this year, the victim filed an application in the court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) seeking adding of section 307 after alleging that one of the accused had fired on him. The plea was accepted on April 24 and Bam and his father have been asked to appear in a sessions court on May 10. "What is the message in all this? Don'

Naidu confident of regaining Andhra Pradesh with overwhelming majority

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has said the anti-incumbency wave coupled with failure of all institutional frameworks will ensure his party sweeps both assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh as people have 'realised' the ruling YSR Congress has failed to live up to all its promises. The former Chief Minister who is fighting to regain power in the state, expressed confidence that the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena Party (JSP) combine will win 24 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 160 of the 175 assembly seats comfortably in the simultaneous elections to be held on May 13. Naidu (74) said the YSRCP came to power on the promise of getting a special status to AP but the issue has been relegated to the background as people are struggling to deal with alleged mismanagement of every government department. The state has gone into huge financial debt to an extent that people have not received salaries and pensions, he added. "There is a tremendous anti-incumbency. YSR Congress has destroyed the

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Political mercury rising, 2nd phase of voting today

The BJP and its allies won 62 of the 87 seats in 2019

Uttar Pradesh's sugar rush: Parties sweeten deal for cane growers

5 million sugarcane farmers on radar of contesting parties

BJP expels former Karnataka deputy CM K S Eshwarappa for six years

The BJP on Monday expelled rebel leader K S Eshwarappa for six years for violating party discipline and contesting Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. The former deputy chief minister who had also served as the party's state unit president, has entered the poll fray, blaming state BJP president B Y Vijayendra and his father and veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa, for his son K E Kantesh being denied the ticket to contest from Haveri. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has got BJP's Haveri ticket, while Vijayendra's brother and MP B Y Raghavendra is the BJP candidate from Shimoga. "Ignoring the party's directions, you are contesting as a rebel candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, causing embarrassment to the party. This is violation of party discipline," state disciplinary committee president Lingaraj Patil said in the expulsion order. It said, "so, you have been relieved from all the responsibilities and have been expelled from the party for six years, with

A first in LS polls: Corporate-backed political party enters the fray

The party is fielding two lawyers, Charlie Paul in Chalakudy and Antony Judy in Ernakulam

Lok Sabha elections: Corporate India steps up to make every vote count

From offering free rides and paid leaves to launching ad campaigns, companies are going all out to encourage voting

LS polls: Barmer's independent legislator Ravindra Singh Bhati stirs storm

Polling in Barmer-Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) Lok Sabha seat will be held on April 26

Battleground 2024: Polls begin today, Gadkari to Sonowal on the ballot

Assemblies in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to also hold elections

On the tracks of political schism: Southern comfort for Opposition

NITIN KUMAR rides the rails of political discord from North to South aboard the Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari Express

From Katra to Chennai, full steam ahead on the development express

Subhayan Chakraborty travels on the Andaman Express - and finds a majority of passengers impressed with Modi government's track record

Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara: A Congress citadel which BJP wants to breach

As Kamal Nath's grip on Chhindwara weakens, the BJP intensifies its efforts to dismantle the Congress stronghold in Madhya Pradesh

BJP's 2024 Lok Sabha elections approach: Political merit over cachet

But not all, some seats have been cherry-picked to assert the BJP's supremacy over its allies or, significantly, its leaders who charted an independent course in the recent past

Indebted to Constitution: PM Narendra Modi counters Opposition claims

Rahul says key issue of LS polls is RSS-BJP's intent to change Constitution