Page 1024 - Politics
Sonia Gandhi accuses BJP of favouring big corporate companies
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government of making policies to favour the "big corporate companies" of the country.Addressing a People's Agenda Programme endorsed by more than 200 organisations here, Sonia said: "The incumbent government makes policies which suit big corporate companies. We should revolt against it. In the past few years, the government has crushed the very soul of the nation."She added, "When the UPA was in power, under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, the government and civil society worked together," she added.Taking a jibe at the incumbent government, Gandhi said: "Regressive forces have systematically dismantled our institutions. The current government has undermined the welfare architecture that was laid down over the last 65 years."She also accused the BJP-led NDA government of not enduring anyone who revolts against it. "BJP government turns its face when people are ...
Cong seeks to mollify JDS in the wake of CM's 'Chakravyuh'
With fissures in the ruling front coming to the fore again ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress' Karnataka unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao Saturday said a meeting has been convened with its coalition partner, the JDS, here Sunday to sort out the problems. The statement comes in the wake of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy accusing the Congress and others of hatching a 'chakravyuh', a deadly formation in the epic Mahabharata, to defeat his son and JDS nominee Nikhil in the Mandya Lok Sabha seat. Conceding that there were problems in Mandya, Rao told PTI, "Almost all the problems are solved and we will solve the Mandya problem also. Tomorrow we will be having a meeting where we will be taking a decision." Rao reiterated that Nikhil would win without any doubt. While 80 per cent of the Congress workers were toiling to ensure Nikhils victory, the remaining were creating problems, he said. "To sort out our problems, a meeting has been convened in Bengaluru Sunday where prominent
Dimple Yadav files nomination from Kannauj, Akhilesh says she will take SP legacy forward
Samajwadi Party leader and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Dimple Yadav on Saturday filed her nomination from the Kannauj parliamentary seat.Dimple filed the nomination in presence of her husband and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is contesting from the Azamgarh constituency in the polls.The SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Chandra Mishra were also present."The victory margin will be huge since there is an alliance between SP-BSP. BJP did not fulfil its promises and now to divert attention, it is using the security forces. It has been a failed government," Dimple Yadav said.Talking to media, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Dimple will take the legacy of Samajwadi Party forward. In Kannauj the SP has done great in the past and this time it will do better."Hitting out at BJP, Yadav said, "BJP has been stopping the path of development that was made possible with Lucknow-Delhi expressway built by Samajwadi Party. BJP ...
Cong plans to dilute armed forces powers, break middle-class
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday that past governments did not had the courage to cross the border and kill terrorists, and hit out at Congress saying while the "chowkidar" showed guts to hit terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan, the grand old party wants to dilute powers of the armed forces. He also accused the Congress of always using poverty as a major political weapon and said the best remedy to eradicate poverty was to do away with that party. With Odisha all set to witness state poll with the general election in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29, Modi also made a scathing attack at the BJD government charging it with lacking "sahi niti & sahi niyat" (right policies or intention) for the development and urged people to elect a BJP government in the state for faster growth through double engine. The PM addressed election rallies in Sundargarh and Sonepur in western Odisha where voting for simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls will take place ..
TDP leader in T'gana Mandava Venkateswara Rao joins TRS
In a fresh setback to the TDP in Telangana, its senior leader and former minister Mandava Venkateswara Rao and the party's Hyderabad unit president M N Srinivas joined the ruling TRS on Saturday. Venkateswara Rao, a five-time MLA and an influential leader from Nizamabad, was welcomed into TRS fold by party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TRS sources said. Rao's entry is expected to add to TRS' strength in the Lok Sabha poll battle in Nizamabad and other places. Srinivas has been the president of TDP's Hyderabad unit. The exit of Venkateswara Rao adds to TDP's woes in Telangana. Once a major force in the state, TDP has found its base substantially weakened over the last several years with a number of party leaders joining the TRS. The party has decided not to field candidates in Telangana for the Lok Sabha polls. TDP had allied with the Congress for the Telangana assembly polls held in December last. However, Congress and TDP got 19 and two seats ...
Former Army Vice Chief Sarath Chand joins BJP
Former Indian Army Vice Chief, Lt Gen Sarath Chand (retd) on Saturday joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here at party headquarters in the presence of Union Minister Sushma Swaraj.
BJP declares 4 more candidates for Rajasthan, fields Diya Kumari from Rajsamand
The BJP on Saturday announced names of four more Lok Sabha poll candidates for Rajasthan, which included Diya Kumari, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur. Fielded from Rajsamand parliamentary seat, where polling will be held in the fourth phase on April 29, Kumari would be fighting the Lok Sabha polls for the first time. She had represented Sawai Madhopur Assembly constituency during the last BJP rule in the state and had refused to contest the state elections in 2018. Hariom Singh, the sitting MP of Rajsamand refused to contest this time citing health reasons. With Saturday's list, the BJP has declared its nominees in 23 out of the 25 parliamentary seats in Rajasthan. It has announced alliance with RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal on Nagaur seat whereas suspense continues on Dausa parliamentary seat. The party renominated sitting MP Manoj Rajauriya from Karuali-Dholpur seat and pitted Kailash Chaudhary against former BJP leader Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh in ...
BJP 'whipping up war hysteria', no F-16 downed: Imran
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday accused India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "whipping up war hysteria" and cited a US report to dismiss its claims of downing an F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force.
Sudan protesters reach army HQ for first time: witnesses
Thousands of Sudanese demonstrators marched in Khartoum Saturday, many reaching the army headquarters for the first time since deadly protests against President Omar al-Bashir erupted in December, witnesses said. Chanting "One Army, One People," protesters rallied in the capital's streets, following a call by organisers to march on the army headquarters.
Transfer of Bengal top cops highly arbitrary: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday termed the Election Commission (EC)'s decision to transfer four West Bengal IPS officers, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner, and bar them from poll duty as "highly arbitrary, motivated and biased towards BJP".
BJP axes two sitting Jharkhand MPs, fields RJD defector
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced its remaining three candidates from Jharkhand, dropping two sitting MPs and fielding the RJD state President who had joined it last month.
BJD lacks "Sahi Niti & Sahi Niyat": Modi
Accusing the BJD government of neglecting western Odisha and lacking intent and policies for development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday claimed there is a wave for BJP which has gained confidence of the people. Addressing BJP's Vijay Sankalp Samabesh in Sundergarh and Sonepur in western region of Odisha, Modi alleged that Naveen Patnaik government "discriminated and neglected" western Odisha for years. "Do you want to see vikas-bad (development agenda) or Bhed-bhav (discrimination)?" the prime minister asked the gathering and said BJP stands for "sabka saath, sabka vikas." "The BJD is ignoring development in this part of the state much like the Congress government at the Centre had ignored development in the eastern part of the country," Modi said dubbing Patnaik government as "lazy" and "corrupt". "BJD government lacks "Sahi Niti and Sahi Niyat" (right policies or intention) for the states development and indulges in regional discrimination," the prime minister .
Former vice chief of army Sarath Chand joins BJP
Former vice chief of army staff Lieutenant General (retd) Sarath Chand joined the BJP Saturday in presence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Sarath Chand was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in June 1979 and retired as vice chief of Indian Army on June 1 last year. He has been in active combat leadership roles at every stage of command in the Army. "In today's global scenario, the country needs a strong leadership. I was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership that's why I am joining BJP," said Chand. The BJP has done a lot for soldiers, he added.
243 in fray for Kerala's 20 LS seats, 22 in Wayanad
A total of 243 candidates are in the fray in Kerala's 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, with Wayanad, from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is contesting too, topping the list with 22.
We are fighting polls to punish terrorists, Cong to give them free hand: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said only a strong government can punish terrorists and achieve development, and alleged the Congress and its allies were fighting the elections to give a free hand to terrorists. Addressing a poll rally at Hathuad in Balod district of Chhattisgarh, Modi also said the "naamadar" (dynast) of the Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) party had to run away to find a "safe" seat. The Congress president is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from two seats -- Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Kerala's Wayanad. When the government is strong, the country does not sit quiet after a terror attack, the prime minister told the audience. "Didn't you feel proud when the country punished perpetrators of terror." The Congress and its allies were contesting the Lok Sabha elections to "give a free hand (khuli chhuth) to terrorists and separatists" while the BJP was in the fray to "punish terrorists and separatists for their sins", he said. "Do you want a government .
PM Modi made China retreat for first time: Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the prime minister's leadership made China, for the first time, to retreat from Doklam in Bhutan.Speaking at an election rally here, Adityanath said, " China tried to forcefully enter India's borders & threaten our security in Doklam, govt under the leadership of Modi ji displayed strong will power & our soldiers gave China a befitting reply. For the first time, China was forced to retreat."In a bid to woo voters of North-East, Adityanath said that only NDA government has ensured equal participation of eight sisters state.He said: "BJP five year back said that 'sabka sath sabka vikas'. We came to Assam also, asked people to choose us. So that sabka sath, sath vikas could be ensured. We do what we said, BJP has performed in the last five years. We have ensured development, security and harmony in the country and in the region.""Nobody has taken care of this region
BJP never made Rs 15L promise, oppn spreading disinformation to mislead people: Kalraj Mishra
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Kalraj Mishra Saturday said his party had not promised Rs 15 lakh in everybody's bank account in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and accused the opposition parties of spreading "disinformation" over this issue to "mislead" people. At a press conference here on the 39th foundation day of the BJP, he hit out at the Congress over its proposed minimum income guarantee scheme and the Rafale fighter jet issue claiming that the party was "in the habit of speaking lies". To a question on the 2014 poll promise of providing Rs 15 lakh, Mishra said "I want to clarify that we never made any Rs 15 lakh promise. In a public address (ahead of 2014 polls), our leader said that if black money stashed abroad comes back, an estimated Rs 15 lakh can be given per family. But this promise was never made in our party's manifesto." Prime Minister Narendra Modi never made any such promise, he asserted. On Congress' 'Nyay' (minimum income guarantee ...
Omar blames Mehbooba for NIA summons to Mirwaiz
Jammu and Kashmir's former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday blamed Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summons to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in the terror funding case.
Kamal Nath, son to file bypoll, LS nominations on Apr 9
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and his son Nakul will file their nominations together on April 9 for the Assembly bypoll and Lok Sabha elections respectively in Chhindwara. The Madhya Pradesh CM has represented Chhindwara, over 300 kilometres from here, nine times. The father-son duo would lead a procession in an open vehicle from Shyam Talkies area on April 9 to file their nominations, Deepak Saxena, former Chhindwara MLA and a close confidante of Kamal Nath, told PTI over phone. Nath (73), who is also MP Congress president, is contesting the Chhindwara bypoll as he needs to get elected to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly within six months of being sworn in to continue as state CM. Nath was sworn in as MP CM in December last year. Nath had not contested the Assembly polls in November last year in which the Congress ended the BJP's 15-year rule in MP. To facilitate Nath's entry into the MP House, Saxena had resigned as Chhindwara MLA. Nath's son Nakul (44), aBoston ..
Video showing a fit Patnaik released by BJD
The ruling BJD in Odisha has released a short video showing its president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik exercising and jogging in his residence here in a bid to give a message to the people that he is fit and ready to face electioneering in the summer heat. The video also shows the 72-year-old Patnaik in a black sport gear cycling, lifting dumbbells, doing pushups and other regular exercises to keep himself in good health for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls to be conducted in four phases in the state. Patnaik, who is contesting to form the government for the fifth consecutive time, is seen watching television and keeping track of developments. At end of the 2.08 minute video, which was released Friday, the smiling chief minister says "Getting ready to fight for the people of Odisha." It is said by various quarters that the ruling party deliberately released the video keeping in view the rumours over the aging chief minister's health. In the past .