Page 13 - Opposition

Day after Mamata's vow to fight alone, Rahul says INDIA will fight 'anyay'

The Wayanad MP said that he is happy to have come to West Bengal

INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across country, says Rahul Gandhi

The Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' entered West Bengal on Thursday with the Congress leader exuding confidence that the opposition INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across the country. Accusing the BJP and RSS of spreading hatred and violence, Gandhi said the word 'Nyay' (justice) has been attached with the yatra as "injustice is prevailing across the country." "We have attached the word 'Nyay' (justice) in the yatra as injustice is prevailing across the country. BJP and RSS are spreading hatred and violence. The INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across the country," he said while addressing reporters here. Gandhi was welcomed by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury. The yatra entered West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district in the northern part of the state.

Left trying to control INDIA bloc's agenda, will not accept it: CM Mamata

Amid the internal discord within the INDIA bloc in the state over seat-sharing, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee asserted on Monday that the Left is striving to control the opposition bloc's agenda, underscoring that no one confronts the BJP as directly as she does. Addressing an all-faith rally in the city, the TMC leader expressed her unwillingness to accept the Left Front led by CPI(M) controlling the agenda of the INDIA bloc meeting. "I suggested the name INDIA during the opposition bloc meeting. But whenever I attend the meeting, I find the Left trying to control it. This is not acceptable. I cannot agree with those with whom I had fought for 34 years," she said. Banerjee remarked, "Despite such insults, I have adjusted and attended the INDIA bloc meetings." In an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being stopped in Assam from visiting the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimant Sankardeva, Banerjee remarked, "Just going to the temple isn't enough." She highlighted her

AIFB will hold talks with leaders of 'INDIA' bloc on seat-sharing

The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) will hold parleys with the leaders of the INDIA Bloc on sharing seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, AIFB's vice president P V Kathiravan said on Saturday. A poll panel comprising senior leaders has been constituted today and it will commence the negotiations with the INDIA Bloc leaders especially DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, soon, he said. The panel would also engage other leaders of the alliance in the talks and on facing the poll, Kathiravan said in a release here. "We will urge the ruling DMK to allot us the Theni constituency where we are strong," he said. Meanwhile, the Central Committee of the AIFB which met here with its president Naren Chatterjee in the chair resolved to relieve G Devarajan from the post of national general secretary till a new general secretary is elected. Chatterjee will hold the additional charge of general ...

INDIA will disintegrate in Bihar, development to follow for NDA: Minister

Amid the JD(U)'s perceived unhappiness with the opposition INDIA bloc constituents, a key BJP-ally from Bihar Saturday claimed that the state's ruling combine is "100 per cent" certain to break and a "good development" for the NDA will follow the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party leader Pashupati Kumar Paras said differences between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad have deepened. "Their alliance is 100 per cent certain to break. 'Kharmas' (a period considered inauspicious in Hindu belief) has ended. The idol of Lord Ram will be consecrated on January 22 in Ayodhya. An auspicious period has begun and whatever will happen will be good for the BJP-led NDA," he told PTI. The Dalit leader said the entire country, including Bihar, is immersed in the fervour surrounding the Ram temple, and the opposition has no hope in the elections. Asked if the issue will have an impact on Bihar, where the ...

Uddhav Thackeray skips INDIA bloc meeting, cites scheduled engagements

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday didn't attend the virtual meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc citing a scheduled programme. He also said the party had already informed (the opposition bloc) about its inability to attend the meeting. "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding in this regard. I have expressed my inability to attend the meeting as I had to attend a scheduled programme which involved a lot of moving around. In such a scenario, attending the meeting would have been difficult," Thackeray said. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader is visiting the Kalyan-Dombivli Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. Kalyan-Dombivli is the stronghold of CM Shinde. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Ind

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge appointed as chairperson of INDIA bloc

A consensus emerged on the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for appointment as the chairperson of the opposition bloc INDIA on Saturday, sources said. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. Sources said leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Samajwadi Party did not attend the meeting. According to the sources, a consensus emerged on Kharge's appointment as the chairperson of the bloc. An official announcement on the appointment is awaited. The leaders also decided to make Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar the convenor of the bloc, but a final call will be taken after consulting the parties whose representatives were not present in the meeting, the sources said. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on

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Hasina gets 4th straight PM term as her party wins majority in B'desh polls

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday secured a record fourth straight term as her Awami League party won two-thirds of the seats in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition BNP and its allies. Hasina's party won 200 seats in the 300-seat parliament while counting is still underway after the end of the day-long voting on Sunday. "We can call Awami League winner with the already available results but the final announcement will be made after the end of the counting of votes in the rest of the constituencies, an election commission spokesman told reporters. Hasina won the Gopalganj-3 seat for the eighth time since 1986. She bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes. The 76-year-old leader, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, secured a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term in the one-sided .

Bangladesh polls: Oppn to continue peaceful protests against Hasina govt

Leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which boycotted Sunday's general elections, said it plans to intensify its anti-government movement through a peaceful public engagement programme from Tuesday as it dubbed the polls as "fake." In the meantime, the country's main opposition party's leaders at various levels are performing their duties in monitoring the situation after the elections. The BNP led by former prime minister Khalida Zia and the newly-formed Amar Bangladesh Party claim that the low turnout at around 40 per cent was evidence that their boycott movement had been successful, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. BNP leaders said that peaceful democratic protest programmes will be accelerated, and the people's right to vote will be established through this programme. Quoting party sources, the report said that the BNP's high command has given a message to leaders and activists at all levels that even if they cannot stop the polling in the 12th national parliament .

Bangladesh elections: Counting begins amid boycott by main opposition BNP

Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies. The turnout for the 12th national parliamentary election has only been 27.15 per cent as of 3 pm, Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said. The voters' turnout was highest in (southwestern) Khulna division with 32 per cent of people casting their votes. The lowest turnout was reported from (northeastern) Sylhet division where the figure was 22 per cent during this time, an election commission spokesman said. Voting has been suspended at seven polling centres over irregularities, he said. The polls opened at 8:00 am and ended at 4 pm (local time). The usual election-day fervour was nowhere to be seen. Even in front of the election campaign booths, there was no presence of voters except the ruling party-backed supporte

Cong begins seat-sharing talks with INDIA bloc partners for Lok Sabha polls

After extensive internal consultations, the Congress has begun seat-sharing talks in some states with like-minded parties of the INDIA bloc for Lok Sabha elections. Sources said senior leaders of the party have been told to reach out to other leaders of the alliance and talks with some parties have begun. Formal negotiations for seat-sharing with Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab and Delhi will begin on Monday, the sources added. The Congress' five-member committee on seat-sharing - which has Mukul Wasnik as convener and senior leaders Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel among members - has already held internal consultations with state Congress chiefs and handed over its findings to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The seat-sharing talks with other parties come after the 28-party opposition grouping decided to unitedly take on the BJP in upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA bloc has agreed to have a single opposition candidate in Lok Sabha election seats against the BJP in a bid to defeat

How not to fight Modi

Instead of getting diminished by incumbency, Mr Modi continues to grow stronger. The Opposition, mostly the Congress, has struggled to convince enough voters about the relevance of its issues and why

South Korean police raid house of suspect who stabbed opposition leader Lee

South Korean police on Wednesday raided the residence and office of a man who stabbed the country's opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, in the neck in an attack that left him hospitalized in an intensive care unit, officials said. The assault occurred when Lee was passing through a throng of journalists after visiting the proposed site of a new airport in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday. The attacker, posing as a supporter, approached Lee asking for his autograph before he took out a 18-centimeter (7-inch) knife to attack him. After receiving emergency treatment in Busan, Lee was transported by a helicopter to the Seoul National University Hospital for surgery. Cho Jeong-sik, the party's secretary general, said Wednesday the two-hour surgery was successful and that Lee remained in the hospital's intensive care unit for recovery. Police and emergency officials earlier said Lee was conscious after the attack and wasn't in critical condition. The suspect was detained by police

South Korean opposition leader attacked and injured by an unidentified man

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked and injured by an unidentified man during a visit Tuesday to the southeastern city of Busan, emergency officials said. Busan's emergency office said Lee was attacked as he visited the construction site of a new airport in the city. It said Lee, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, was conscious but his exact condition was unknown. South Korean media cited witnesses as saying the man used a knife-like weapon to stab Lee's neck. TV video showed Lee lying on the ground with a person pressing a handkerchief to his neck to stop the bleeding. The reports said police arrested the man on the spot. They said the attacker was wearing something that looked like a crown on his head. Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to President Yoon Suk Yeol by a narrow margin. Lee, a liberal former provincial governor, is known for his outspoken style. His supporters see him as an anti-elitist hero who could reform establishment polit

Congress writes to CEC, seeks time to share INDIA bloc's views on VVPATS

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, requesting that a team of INDIA bloc leaders are provided an opportunity to meet him and his colleagues to put forward their point of view on VVPATS. In his letter to Kumar, Ramesh said that on December 20, 2023, INDIA parties' leaders had requested for an appointment with the ECI to "discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs" based on a resolution passed at meeting of leaders of the bloc held the previous day. "We have been trying to meet with the ECI to hand over a copy of this resolution and have a discussion but have not been successful so far in doing so," he said. "I once again make a request for an opportunity for a 3-4 member team of INDIA party leaders to meet with you and your colleagues and take a few minutes to put forward our point of view on VVPATS," Ramesh said. In his letter dated December 30, 2023, the Congress general secretary also pointed out that on August 9,

Govt wants Oppn to behave like Bidhuri to avoid suspension: Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Tuesday said the government perhaps wants opposition members to behave like BJP lawmakers Ramesh Bidhuri and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh -- both of whom are facing allegations of misconduct -- as 14 opposition MPs continue to remain suspended from Parliament. A hundred opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha were suspended during the recent Winter session of Parliament after they held protests in the two Houses to demand a discussion and a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach. In a post on X, O'Brien -- who was among the MPs to be suspended -- took a jibe at the government and mentioned Bidhuri, accused of using a communal slur in the Lok Sabha, and Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers. The accusation against Bidhuri is being looked into by a privileges committee. "Two impeccably well-behaved Members of Parliament continue to grace the Lok Sabha --

Those who hesitated to take Ayodhya's name now saying will visit: CM

Taking a swipe at opposition party leaders, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that those who hesitated to even take Ayodhya's name are now saying they will visit the city if invited. Adityanath made the remark while addressing a large gathering in Vatsalya Gram, Vrindavan at a programme organised to celebrate Sadhvi Ritambhara's 60th birthday. Several opposition party leaders have suggested that they will attend the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Those who hesitated to go to Ayodhya earlier, those who were hesitant in even taking Ayodhya's name, are now saying that if we get an invitation we will also go, the chief minister said. Adityanath also lauded the change in Ayodhya's infrastructure, which now has spacious roads, upgraded railway station and air connectivity. He added that Ayodhya will soon have waterways also. This is the biggest change in the double engine government. If you assert your power, everyone will join you, he

BJP will take away voting rights from people if it comes to power: Akhilesh

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Samajwadi Party chief asserted that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are for safeguarding the Constitution

Year in review: Major political events that captured imagination in 2023

Welfarism and the outreach of political parties to women dominated the discourse. In 2023, both the BJP and the Congress wooed women as a distinct vote bank like never before