Page 1040 - Politics
Sumitra Mahajan not to contest LS polls, says have freed party to make its choice
With the BJP appearing to be in a dilemma over fielding her, outgoing Lok Sabha Speaker and eight-time MP from Indore, Sumitra Mahajan Friday said she would not contest the ensuing general elections and has freed her party from making its choice. Mahajan, who turns 76 next week, said there had been speculations whether the party will field someone who has crossed the 75-year age bar. "There were speculations and so I decided to end them and free the party to make its choice. I will not contest Lok Sabha elections," she told PTI from Indore.
From Pakistan to India, waiting to vote for 16 years
The 16-year wait to cast her vote in India's general election is almost over and Tahira Maqbool, who came from Pakistan in 2003 when she got married to an Indian citizen, is counting each day. The 37-year-old will exercise her right to franchise in the 2019 Lok Sabha from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on May 12, It's a moment that has been 16 years in the making, said Tahira, who will be voting in a parliamentary election for the first time in her life. I could never vote in Pakistan due to its rigid and inconsiderate government policies. This ended in India after a long wait of 13 years when I first cast my vote in the Punjab assembly elections in 2017. Now, I will exercise my franchise for the first time in the parliamentary elections, an excited Tahira said. "This is my right, I will definitely cast my vote for the candidate who is capable of taking India to greater heights," she said. Tahira came to India from Faisalabad in Pakistan in December 2003
Shiv Sena drops plan to contest from North Goa LS seat
The Shiv Sena, which had earlier announced that it would contest both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa, has now decided to drop the North Goa constituency from its list and focus only on the South Goa seat. The two Lok Sabha seats in Goa are currently represented by the BJP. Sena's state unit vice president Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik has filed her nomination from South Goa seat, where she is pitted against BJP's Narendra Sawaikar, Congress' Francisco Sardinha and AAP candidate Elvis Gomes. Sena's state unit president Jitesh Kamat had earlier announced that he would contest from North Goa. However, he has now decided not to be in the fray. Senior Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut had told reporters last month in Panaji that his party would contest the general elections in Goa. When contacted, Kamat said on Friday that his party has now decided to put its entire strength in South Goa, where Prabhudesai Naik is contesting. "We didn't want our resources to be shared between both the ...
Won't contest LS polls, have made BJP free to make its choice: Sumitra Mahajan
With the BJP appearing to be in a dilemma over fielding her, outgoing Lok Sabha speaker and eight-time MP from Indore, Sumitra Mahajan Friday opted out of contesting the general elections saying she has freed the party to make its choice. Informing reporters in Indore that she has written to BJP chief Amit Shah about her decision of not contesting the polls, she said, "I have made the party worry-free." Mahajan, who turns 76 next Friday, said there had been speculations whether the party would field someone who has crossed the 75-year age bar. "There were speculations and so I decided to end them and free the party to make its choice. I will not contest the Lok Sabha elections," she told PTI. Mahajan, popularly known as 'Tai' (elder sister in Marathi) however, maintained that she would continue to work for the party and campaign for it. "The party (BJP) had not been able to name a candidate (from Indore Lok Sabha seat) for so many days and there were speculations if someone over 75 ...
Security cover of 919 'undeserving persons' in J&K withdrawn: MHA
Security cover of 919 "undeserving persons" in Jammu and Kashmir has been withdrawn, thereby freeing 2,768 police personnel and 389 vehicles, the Home Ministry said Friday. The list of persons whose security cover has been withdrawn by the Jammu and Kashmir administration include 22 separatist leaders, in a clear message to those involved in "anti-national activities". The move came following the strict stand taken by the central government on inappropriate usage of scarce police resources in Jammu and Kashmir. It was observed by the home ministry that many undeserving persons managed to get security cover resulting in a lack of state police resources for the public at large. "[Thus), the Jammu and Kashmir government has withdrawn security cover of 919 undeserving persons since the state has come under Governor's Rule on June 20, 2018, thereby freeing 2,768 police personnel and 389 vehicles," a home ministry official said. The home ministry had directed the state administration, ...
Cong suffering from 'Muslim League virus': Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday dubbed the "Muslim League" a "virus" and claimed the Congress was affected by it, prompting the opposition party to retort that it was he who was a "virus" that would be "eradicated" in the election. The tit-for-tat verbal duel was sparked with a tweet from Adityanath a day after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Wayanad in Kerala. "Muslim League is a virus. If someone is affected by this virus, he cannot survive and today main Opposition party Congress is affected by it. Think, if they win what will happen? This virus will spread in the entire nation," Adityanath said on Twitter. The chief minister was apparently referring to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is a long-time member of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, equating it with the pre-Partition Muslim League. He brought in the 1857 movement for freedom and its hero Mangal Pandey. "In 1857, entire country fought ...
JNU sedition chargesheet filed in haste: Delhi government
The Delhi government on Friday told a court here that the Delhi Police filed a chargesheet in the JNU sedition case in haste and secretly without getting the sanction of the competent authority.
Congress taunts CPI-M over Rahul-in-Wayanad
The main opposition Congress party said on Friday that its President Rahul Gandhi was not bound to respond to CPI-M criticism over his decision to contest the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad in Kerala.
Sumitra Mahajan not to contest LS polls, says she has freed party to make its choice
With the BJP appearing to be in a dilemma over fielding her, outgoing Lok Sabha speaker and eight-time MP from Indore, Sumitra Mahajan Friday opted out of contesting the general elections saying she has freed the party to make its choice. Mahajan, who turns 76 next Friday, said there had been speculations whether the party would field someone who has crossed the 75-year age bar. "There were speculations and so I decided to end them and free the party to make its choice. I will not contest the Lok Sabha elections," she told PTI from Indore. Mahajan, however, maintained that she would continue to work for the party and campaign for it. "The party (BJP) had not been able to name a candidate (from Indore Lok Sabha seat) for so many days and there were speculations if someone over 75 years of age will be fielded. So I decided to end all this," she said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah had in an interview to The Week magazine on Thursday stated that it was his party's ...
Cong gifted deep-rooted corruption to Arunachal Pradesh: CM
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday lashed out at the Congress alleging that "deep-rooted" corruption was a "gift" of the grand old party, which had ruled the state for several decades. Addressing a rally here in Changlang district, Khandu claimed that the situation has "changed" after the BJP came to power in the state. "Our government is already on the job to weed out corruption.. we will not spare anybody found indulging in unlawful activities," he said. The recent arrest of a businessman and two government officials allegedly involved in a compensation scam on the ambitious Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) project is a "clear example of our resolve against corruption", Khandu said. He said, the Northeastern region and Arunachal Pradesh , in particular, got its due importance after the NDA government came to power at the Centre in 2014. There were no airports in Arunachal and "it is the Modi government which gifted airports and Advance Landing grounds .
M M Joshi meets Advani at his residence
Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi Friday met party veteran L K Advani at his residence, a day after Advani said his party has never regarded those who disagreed with it politically as "anti-nationals" or "enemies". Advani's comments assume significance as top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, have been attacking opposition parties with anti-national barbs in the aftermath of the Balakot air strikes. Sources said Joshi drove down to Advani's residence and held deliberations with him. There was no comment from either leader on what transpired in the meeting. Advani and Joshi are among some of the senior BJP leaders who were not given tickets to contest for the Lok Sabha polls. Advani, 91, is one of the BJP founders and its longest-serving president. He has been elected from the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency seat six times since 1991. Joshi is one of the founders of the party and its third president. He was denied ticket from ...
BJP transformed northeastern states: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah, who is on an election campaign tour of the north east states, on Friday said that his party has transformed the entire northeastern region in the past few years.
Rahul to file nomination from Amethi on April 10, Sonia from Rae Bareli on April 11
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10 and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will do the same from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency on April 11, party sources said on Thursday. Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present with her brother and mother when they file their nomination papers. The family will be together on both days with Rahul Gandhi accompanying his mother in Rae Bareli and Sonia Gandhi present while he files his papers in Amethi, the sources said. They said the filing of nomination papers will be a big show of strength and the top Congress leadership will be present. A road show is also likely to be taken out after the filing of papers, the sources added. While both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are contesting from the constituencies they have have represented for many years, the Congress chief has this time also decided to contest from Wayanad in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi ..
US envoy says China activities near Philippines 'of concern'
The presence of large numbers of Chinese vessels near islands and islets occupied by the Philippines is "a concern," a senior US defence official said Friday. The Philippine government protested the Chinese ship movements Thursday after its military monitored more than 200 Chinese vessels from January-March in a disputed area named Sandy Cay, which is near the Philippine-occupied island of Pag-asa. Asked about the situation while on a visit to Bangkok, Joseph Felter, deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, told reporters that the US is troubled "by any aggressive activity by any country in the South China Sea, in this case China. We see that as of concern." "In this case, China's activities are of concern. It seems to be somewhat aggressive and provocative and we feel that they're unnecessary and unwarranted," said Felter, who was in Thailand to attend a meeting of defense officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. He noted that the .
First-time BJP Himachal MP tops in fund allocation from state
BJP's first-time MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, who defeated six-time Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh from Mandi in 2014, has topped among the state's four lawmakers with fund utilisation over the allocated amount as high as 103.25 per cent under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
When Pakistan is exposed, so are its Indian supporters: Modi (2nd Lead)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the opposition for questioning the Indian Air Force's Balakot airstrike, saying whenever "Pakistan is unmasked", its supporters in India take its side.
Pak troops shells forward areas along LoC in Poonch
Pakistani troops Friday lobbed mortars and opened fire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri and Poonch districts, leavng two persons injured. "At about 1440 hours, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC in Nowshera sector in Rajouri district," PRO defence said. The Indian Army is effectively retaliating, he said. On Thursday, Pakistani Army lobbed mortars and opened fire with small arms along the LoC in Degwar and Gulpur sectors of Poonch district, in which one person suffered injury, they said. The Indian Army Thursday destroyed seven Pakistani military posts across the Line of Control in retaliation to the continued ceasefire violations by them. With Pakistan using heavy weaponry and 120 mm mortar bombs targeting civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch, people have been advised to stay indoors, officials said.
Contingency plan put in place to deal with any eventuality: J-K CEO
The Jammu and Kashmir election department has put in place a contingency plan to deal with any eventuality during the Lok Sabha polls as the state faces challenges like bad weather conditions, border shelling and militancy, the CEO said Friday. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shailendra Kumar said 70 polling stations have been identified along the LoC in villages of Poonch and Rajouri districts for relocation due to ongoing heavy shelling by Pakistan. "We have not shifted the stations as yet, but we have identified the places where these will be shifted to," Kumar told PTI. "A contingency plan is put in place for the coming elections to deal with any eventuality," he said when asked about the threat of militancy and ongoing border shelling along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the state is also prone to natural calamities. "We have a plan for each challenge. I hope everything pass off peacefully and there arises no need for the contingency plan," the CEO said. While ...
BJP again bets on Modi to retain Bangalore seats
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his campaign to retain the three key Lok Sabha constituencies in India's tech hub of Bangalore, where polling will be held on April 18 in the first phase of the 2019 general elections in Karnataka.
Oppn's agenda is to remove me from power and to promote dynastic politics: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday slammed the opposition parties alleging their only agenda was to dislodge him from power and promote dynastic politics. Addressing a rally in Saharanpur, he targeted the Congress accusing it of being against the welfare of the backward classes and termed its poll manifesto a "dhakosla patra (sham document)". "The opposition's only agenda is 'Modi Hatao' (remove Modi). Their only intention is to promote 'vansvaad' (dynastic politics)," he said. At the election rally here in western Uttar Pradesh which goes to polls in the first phase on April 11, the prime minister also accused RLD chief Ajit Singh of forgetting the atrocities against people and not "raising his voice for self-interest". The RLD is in alliance with the SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh. Modi charged the opposition parties with spreading canard in Saharanpur, Kairna, Muzaffarnagar and the entire western Uttar Pradesh that Shaharnpur was their "new laboratory". "But remember, when there was .