Page 1097 - Politics
Kuki militants of Manipur to cast vote through postal ballots
The Election Commission Monday notified that cadres of Kuki militant groups who signed Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with both the Centre and the Manipur government will cast their votes in postal ballots. To exercise their franchise, the cadres also must reside in their designated camps and their names feature in the voters' list, the office of the state chief electoral officer (CEO) said in a statement here. They would have to collect the postal ballots from assistant nodal officers or nodal officers. The Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement - a pact to ensure peace in the Kuki dominated areas in Manipur - was first signed by the state and the Centre with two militant groups of the community in 2008. Since then, agreement is being renewed periodically. Kuki militants are members of two major conglomerates - the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF) who were demanding a separate Kuki state out of Manipur. Many cadres of the .
Karnataka Speaker accepts Congress MLA's resignation
Karnataka Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Monday accepted the resignation of Congress legislator Umesh Jadhav who represented the Chincholi assembly segment in Kalaburagi district in the northern region of the state.
AAP complains to EC against 'NAMO TV'
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against a television channel 'NAMO TV' named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari misleading people on full statehood: AAP leader Gopal Rai
AAP leader Gopal Rai Monday alleged that Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari was "misleading" the people of the national capital by saying that the Supreme Court has denied complete statehood to Delhi. He also questioned Tiwari why has he "betrayed" the people by not fulfilling his party's promise to help Delhi attain full statehood during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. "You and your party won votes on all seats of Delhi during 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the false premise that you will get Delhi full statehood. "Neither you nor your party has fulfilled this promise. Why did you betray the people of Delhi?" asked Rai in his letter to the Delhi BJP President. He also asked why Tiwari was "lying" by saying that Supreme Court has ruled against granting full statehood to the national capital and said that there was no such verdict by the apex court yet. "The Supreme Court has not yet given its verdict on the issue of statehood to Delhi. Why are you lying and misleading the people by ...
Mizoram civil society body call for poll boycott
An umbrella organisation of major civil societies and student associations in Mizoram Monday decided to boycott the April 11 election to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat and organise a state-wide indefinite bandh from April 8, sources in it said Monday. The NGO Coordination Committee said that a decision was taken earlier to boycott the Parliamentary polls if special polling booths are established at Mizoram-Tripura border Kanhmun village. "The NGOCC opposed the establishment of special polling stations at Kanhmun by the election department and the state government officials," a statement issued by the committee and signed by NGOCC Secretary Lalhmachhuana said. The EC is setting up 15 exclusive polling booths in the villaage for Bru refugees from Mizoram who are housed in six camps in neighbouring Tripura. The step had been taken in the November 2018 Mizoram assembly polls too. Appeals would again be made to the authorities to ensure that Bru voters housed in the relief ..
Rahul Gandhi will lose in Wayanad: NDA candidate
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be defeated in Wayanad in Kerala if he contests the Lok Sabha election there, Tushar Vellapally, who heads the BDJS, a BJP ally in the state, said on Monday.
AAP files complaint with Election Commission on 'NAMO TV'
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) raising concern over the recently launched 24-hour television channel "NAMO TV"."Can permission be granted to a party to have their own TV channel even after model code of conduct (MCC) is enforced? If no permission was sought by ECI then what action has been taken?" AAP legal cell member Mohd Irshad stated in his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner.AAP alleged that BJP, by launching 'NAMO TV', has defied the cardinal principle of 'Level Playing Field' for all the political parties."Who will monitor the contents of the telecast? Did BJP approach the Media Certification committee established to certify the contents of the telecast and cost of the telecast? If not why show cause not issued for the violation of MCC? AAP asked the Election Commission.The model code of conduct came into force on March 10, after the EC announced the schedule for 17th Lok Sabha elections.The election will be held ..
Shah likens Naveen Patnaik govt to 'burnt transformer', Modi govt to 'high-capacity electricity production unit'
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state, BJP president Amit Shah, while appealing public to vote for the BJP in the impending elections, likened the Naveen Patnaik government to a "burnt transformer" and the Narendra Modi government to a "high capacity electricity production unit.""The electricity cannot reach your home from the High tension line directly, a transformer has to be put in place. Narendra Modi government in Delhi is like a big electricity producing unit which sends a lot of development for Odisha, a huge amount of money, but the Odisha government is like a burnt transformer," Shah said at a rally here on Monday. "The electricity cannot reach your home with the burnt transformer. We have to throw the burnt transformer, not replace it."The BJP president claimed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik cannot deliver his speeches in Odiya without holding a note in his hand."The state was founded on the basis of language, 19 years have passed and Odisha ...
SP patriarch Mulayam Singh files nomination from Mainpuri
Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav filed his nomination from Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency for the ensuing Lok Sabha election on Monday.Mainpuri is considered a safe seat by the Samajwadi Party.In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam had contested from two seats -- Azamgarh and Mainpuri. However, he later gave up Mainpuri seat which was subsequently successfully contested by party candidate Tej Pratap Yadav.Mulayam's son and SP president Akhilesh Yadav and several other party leaders were seen accompanying the party patriarch. However, Mulayam's younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav was inconspicuous at the event."My adversaries would be there. Hence, I cannot go there," Shivpal had said on Sunday when asked if he would attend the nomination paper filing of Mulayam.Seven-phase Lok Sabha polls are set to begin on April 11 and will go on till May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. In Uttar Pradesh, where 80 seats are at stake, polling will be held during all
BJP blames SKM for backing out from a pre-poll alliance in
The BJP on Monday hit out at the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for backing out the alliance between the two parties for inexplicable reasons a few days after making a firm commitment on the issue. "We were ready to accommodate most of the demands by the SKM leadership to sew up an alliance with us for Sikkim Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, but P S Golay led-party chickened out at the last minute without giving any reasons," a senior BJP leader, who was involved in talks with the SKM leadership, told PTI on the condition of anonymity. He said that the SKM's withdrawal from a pre-poll alliance in Sikkim has embarrassed the BJP no end as it had gone public about it on a commitment given by Golay himself following a meeting with BJP's North-East and Sikkim incharge Ram Madhav in Delhi in the first week of March this year. The SKM leadership, however, took an about turn after reaching Sikkim and reneged on alliance with the BJP without citing any reason, the BJP leader ...
PM Modi trying to save Sangh parivar in Samjhauta case: Owaisi
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "dividing" Hindus and Muslims on the religious line. Addressing a rally here in east Maharashtra in support of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) nominee, Owaisi alleged that the prime minister was trying to "save" the Sangh Parivar in the Samjhauta train blast case. A special court recently acquitted Swami Aseemanand and three others in the 2007 Samjhauta train bomb blast case. A total of 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed in the bombing. Owaisi further said there was no difference among parties like the BJP, the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP. The VBA is headed by Owaisi and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar. The front has said that it would contest all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. "PM Modi had said a (VBA) candidate is in the fray from Amravati because it has less number of Hindu votes. He is creating a religious divide between Hindus and Muslims. Where is democracy, where is ..
J-K: 5-year-old girl, BSF personnel killed in ceasefire violation by Pak in Poonch
A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and a five-year-old girl were killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors of Poonch on Monday.A total of five security personnel were injured in the attack. Of the five, one succumbed to his injuries while the other four are undergoing treatments, according to an official.Rahul Yadav, District Development Commissioner (DDC) of Poonch informed about the death of the five-year-old girl in the attack.Meanwhile, in another ceasefire violation that took place earlier today, wherein forward posts and villages in Kerni and Shahpur areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch were targeted, a civilian got injured who is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, Jammu and Kashmir police said.Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by firing mortar shells and small arms along the LoC in Poonch at around 8 am, officials said."Heavy firing underway in Poonch along the LoC since 8 am. One local, who sustained injuries .
Modi compares CM Naidu to Bhallala Deva of 'Baahubali'
Stepping up his attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday compared him to blockbuster "Baahubali" movie's primary antagonist Bhallala Deva and accused him of trying to keep power with his family by hook or crook.
PETA asks parties to not use animals in campaigns
The India chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged all political parties to refrain from using animals for poll campaigns as per the Election Commission's (EC) model code of conduct guidelines.
BJP begins final round of campaigning in Uttarakhand
The ruling BJP began the last round of campaigning on Monday for the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand going to polls on April 11 with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressing a slew of rallies in Pithoragarh, Gopeshwar, Kotdwar and Jhabrera. Some BJP star campaigners will be addressing poll rallies in different parts of the state over the next few days, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and party leaders Shanawaz Hussain, Uma Bharti and Smriti Irani, said Pradesh Party vice president Jyoti Prasad Gairola. BJP president Amit Shah will address a rally in Uttarkashi on April 3 while senior party leader Shahnawaz Hussain will address a series of rallies in Sahaspur, Bhagwanpur and Dharampur on the same day. Adityanatah will address rallies in Kashipur and Roorkee on April 4 and the prime minister will hold a rally at the Parade Ground here on April 5, Gairola said. Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani, .
At poll rally, Yogi calls Indian Army 'Modi ji ki sena'
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the Indian Army as "Modi ji ki sena" (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Army) during an election campaign for the BJP here. Hitting out at Opposition parties over a host of governance issues Sunday, Adityanath said what was "impossible" for the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party is possible under the BJP rule. "Congress ke log aatankwadiyon ko biryani khilate the aur Modi ji ki sena aatankwadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai (Congress people would feed biryani to terrorists, while Modi's army gives them bullet or bomb). This is the difference. The Congress people use 'ji' in Masood Azhar's name to encourage terrorism," he said. "Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, terror camps are being destroyed which is breaking the back of terrorists and Pakistan. This is the work being done by the BJP government and this is the difference," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister added. "What was namumkin(impossible) for the Congress
BJP pits BJDS chief Vellappally against Rahul in Wayanad
The BJP on Monday announced Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) President Thushar Vellappally would be the NDA candidate against Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Kerala's Wayanad constituency.
French President inducts 3 new government members
French President Emmanuel Macron has inducted three new faces in his government -- two of whom come from his inner circle -- and will be replacing the three members who quit office to prepare their bids for the upcoming European and local elections, the French presidency said.
FB dumps Pakistan military-backed fake accounts
Facebook on Monday said it removed 103 Pages, Groups and accounts on both its platform and Instagram for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour against India as part of a military-backed network that originated in Pakistan.
US gives Vietnam more patrol boats as defence links grow
The US handed over six patrol boats and equipment worth USD 12 million to the Vietnamese coast guard, the embassy in Hanoi said Monday, as the former foes continue to boost political and defence links. Vietnam and the United States have become staunch allies in recent years as China exerts influence in the hotly contested South China Sea. The latest military deal saw the US transfer six 45-foot (14-metre) Metal Shark patrol boats to counterparts on the central coastline of Khanh Hoa on March 29. It was the third handover in a four-tier deal and marks "another important step in the continued security cooperation between the United States and Vietnam", the embassy said. The latest delivery brings the number of ships handed over to Vietnam to 18, and there will be 24 in total. The previous tranche of boats arrived a year ago and followed a historic visit of a US aircraft carrier, the first since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Vietnam Coast Guard Colonel Nguyen Minh Khanh said the ...