Page 1110 - Politics
Farmers contesting NizamabadLS polls to launch campaign
A large number of farmers contesting the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat in Telangana over demands to ensure remunerative price for their produce will launch their election campaign Monday even as they decided to choose one candidate from among them and seek support. A decision to launch the poll campaign was taken by the farmers at a meeting organised in Armoor town of the district Saturday. As part of the campaign, two farmers' teams will undertake a bus yatra and padayatra in different parts of the district and explain to the people the reasons for filing nominations for the coming Parliament polls and seek their support. "At the meeting it was also decided that one candidate's name will be chosen after the campaigning to whom support will be sought from the people. The candidate's name will be declared shortly," one of the contesting candidates, who attended the meeting, told PTI over phone. Over 170 farmers are in the fray for Nizamabad constituency from where Chief ...
Cong's Rahul to contest from Wayanad announcement evokes sharp reactions from Left, Right
The Congress' announcement that party chief Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh evoked sharp reactions on Sunday from the Left and Right of the political spectrum. While the CPI(M) and CPI said the move signalled that the Congress wanted to take on the Left which would work towards defeating him in the elections from Wayanad, the BJP said Gandhi "fled" to Kerala fearing that Amethi voters will seek an account of the work done by him and his party over the years. Veteran Congress leader from Kerala and former defence minister A K Antony made the announcement that Gandhi will contest from Wayanad apart from Amethi at a press conference, saying Gandhi had consented to fighting from the constituency in Kerala following requests from the party's state unit. The decision is seen as an attempt by the Congress to consolidate its electoral base in south India, especially Kerala which has 20 Lok ...
Lalthlamuani is first woman to fight Mizoram LS poll
For the first time in the Lok Sabha elections in Mizoram, a woman, Lalthlamuani, 63, is trying her luck.
Series of Congress rallies planned in west UP next week
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with the party's other star campaigners Navjot Singh Sidhu and Jyotiraditya Scindia, will hold a series of road shows and rallies in the first week of April in West Uttar Pradesh, AICC members said Sunday. Speaking to Bhasha-PTI, Congress west UP co-incharge Raghav Singla said the party president would be joined by general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and MP Jyotiraditya Scindia during his April 8 rallies in Saharanpur. Further, the party is planning to hold rallies in Meerut, Hapur, Bijnor, Ghaziabad, Moradabad and Fatehpur Sikri, though exact dates have not yet been finalised. Singla said the Congress should not be taken lightly in Uttar Pradesh as the people are looking towards his party for change. He said the Congress will win at least a dozen seats out of the total 28 in west UP. The Congress in not looking to hold grand rallies in the state, concentrating on smaller road shows and campaigns to put its view in front of the people, Singla
Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy quits Congress, to join BJP
In yet another setback to the Congress in Telangana, its senior leader and former MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy Sunday resigned from the party and announced his decision to join the BJP. In his resignation letter sent to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Sudhakar Reddy, a former secretary of AICC, said, "Unfortunately the traditions and values of Congress party have changed contrary to its principles. Money influence has increased during allocation of tickets in Telangana Assembly elections in 2018, MLC elections and also coming Lok Sabha elections." "It is shocking to find that crores of rupees is being sought for allocation of tickets. This kind of commercialisation of ticket allocation in Indian National Congress forced me to consider leaving the party and I am rendering my resignation," Reddy said. Referring to the air strikes carried out by IAF in Pakistan, Reddy said he was annoyed with the attitude of Congress and its prominent leaders as their stand on the issue of
CPI-M slams Rahul's Wayanad foray, vows to defeat him
The CPI-M, the main force in Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Alliance (LDF), on Sunday reacted sharply to the Congress's announcement that party President Rahul Gandhi would contest from the state's Wayanad parliamentary constituency and vowed to defeat him.
Will Saharanpur see a repeat of 2014? (Constituency Profile)
Among the seats in Western Uttar Pradesh seats going to the polls in the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Saharanpur presents a unique picture. The constituency has a large presence of Muslims. The BJP had won the seat in 2014 and the scenario could repeat itself in 2019 given that both the Congress and the BSP have put up strong candidates from the Muslim community.
Farm loan waiver for ryots if Cong voted to power;Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi Sunday promised farm loan waiver for ryots in Andhra Pradesh if the party is voted to power in the coming elections. The 'revolutionary' Nyay, the party's proposed income guarantee scheme, will change the face of India and wipe out poverty from the country forever, he said addressing a public rally here. Both the Parliamentary polls and Assembly elections are scheduled in Andhra Pradesh on April 11, and the Congress is going it alone in the hustings. Pointing out that the Congress governments in Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh waived farm loans soon after it stormed to power in those states last year, Gandhi said he was making a similar assurance in this southern state also. "There were recently elections in North India and in the three states we promised farm loan waiver within 10 days if we came to power. And I am proud to say that within two days, we waived all farm loans in the three states." "And I want to commit the same ...
LS polls: In Vidarbha, Cong-NCP hope to recover lost ground
In the seven Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, where polling will be held in the first phase on April 11, the Congress and NCP are hoping to recover the ground they had lost in the 2014 elections. In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the Congress had lost in six constituencies, whilethe NCP was defeated in Bhandara-Gondiya. This time, Congress and BJP are pitted against each other in Wardha, Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur constituencies, while the former will take on the Shiv Sena in Ramtek and Yavatmal-Washim. In Bhandara-Gondiya, the NCP will lock horns with the BJP. Nagpur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal-Washim are the constituencies from where Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Hansraj Ahir, and senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakre are contesting respectively. In the 2014 elections, the Congress had lost six seats with a margin of two lakh to three lakh votes. NCP's Praful Patel had lost the Bhandara-Gondiya seat with a margin of around 1.4 lakh votes. In
Guj Cong wants Ahmed Patel to contest from Bharuch LS seat
The Gujarat Congress unit has requested senior party leader Ahmed Patel to contest the next month's Lok Sabha poll from the state's Bharuch seat. Patel, currently a Rajya Sabha member, won from Bharuch thrice, in 1977, 1980 and 1984, but lost to BJP's Chandubhai Deshmukh in 1991, after which he did not contest from the seat. The BJP has never lost the seat since then. "People want Patel to contest from Bharuch, because they believe this will help the Congress win the seat, and its positive impact will be felt on other seats in Gujarat as well," state party's election in-charge Rajiv Satav said. "It will be clear in the next two-three days whether he will contest from Bharuch, but we (local unit party workers) have requested him for the same," he said. Congress state president Amit Chavda said Patel has been like a guide for party workers in the state. "Whether it is Bharuch, Gujarat, or the country, Ahmed bhai has been a popular leader among people cutting across caste, ..
In Gandhinagar, Modi makes his objectives clear (News Analysis)
With BJP national president Amit Shah replacing party veteran L.K. Advani in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to multitask three things: edge out the 91-year-old saffron patriarch, project his deputy in the new 2019 Union cabinet and inject a new spirit in the party cadre who have had no leader to look up to since Modi left for Delhi.
In seventh heaven: BJP feels 'lucky' about UP poll schedule
The Bharatiya Janata Party feels that the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh would be lucky for them as the number seven has a "special significance" in the Hindu religion. The party also thinks that the poll schedule in the state would help them as it is almost similar to the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly elections, with the election starting from western UP and eventually culminating in Varanasi in the east. State BJP media coordinator Rakesh Tripathi drew an analogy to underline that the number seven suits the saffron party. "In Hindu religion, the number seven has a special significance. The sunlight can be dispersed into seven-colour spectrum. There are seven basic nodes in music and people take seven 'pheres' (rounds) during marriage," Tripathi told PTI. The Election Commission of India has announced a seven-phase Lok Sabha election and the state will figure in each of the phases, starting on April 11 and ending on May 19. "These seven phases will be 'shubh' (lucky)
Will work to defeat Rahul in Wayanad: Karat
CPI-M leader Prakash Karat on Sunday said that Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will work to defeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who will be contesting from the state's Wayanad parliamentary constituency too.
Guj BJP announces candidates for 4 LS seats, drops 3 MPs
The BJP Sunday announced four more Lok Sabha candidates for Gujarat, dropping three sitting MPs. Bharatsinh Dabhi, sitting MLA from Kheralu assembly constituency, will contest from Patan while Geeta Rathwa, a district panchayat member for the last five terms, will be the BJP candidate from Chhota Udepur (ST). Mitesh Patel, a district-level treasurer in the BJP, will fight from Anand. The three will replace sitting MPs Liladhar Vaghela from Patan, Ramsinh Rathwa from Chhota Udepur (ST) and Dilip Patel from Anand. Junagadh Member of Parliament Rajesh Chudasama has been renominated from the same seat. Vaghela had declined to contest the April-May Lok Sabha polls citing poor health. The ruling party has so far announced candidates for 23 out of the state's 26 seats. It is yet to announce candidates for Mehsana, Surat and Ahmedabad (East) Lok Sabha seats, the last held by actor-politician Paresh Rawal who refused to contest this time. The BJP, while announcing candidates for .
Vishakhapatnam: Mamata, Kejriwal to put on show of strength at TDP rally
Preparations are underway for the grand Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rally scheduled to be held on Sunday where several big names from the opposition camp are expected to register their attendance.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the rally to support Andhra Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu .Talking about the rally, TDP Spokesperson Lanka Dinakar said, "We'll show the voice of Andhra especially the betrayal of Narendra Modi led Union govt."Notably, the Delhi CM had met his Andhra counterpart and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Mar 28."I have come to Andhra Pradesh to appeal to the people to vote for Chandrababu Naidu," the Delhi CM had said then.
High Commissioner to India, Sohail Mahmood appointed as Pakistan's Foreign Secretary
Sohail Mahmood, Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi will be the country's new foreign secretary, Pakistani media reported on Sunday.The announcement was made by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi while talking to reporters in Multan.Mahmood will take over from incumbent Tehmina Janjua on April 16.Mahmood's appointment assumes significance in the wake of India-Pakistan tensions following Pulwama attack and subsequent air-strikes by Indian Air Force on Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
Captain ran away noticing sinking ship: RS Prasad on Rahul contesting from Wayanad
Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday likened Congress president Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency to a captain running away from a sinking ship."The captain ran away after noticing the sinking ship. Helpless, unsecured Rahul Gandhi has run away to far South from Amethi. The roots of Congress have shaken", Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.Senior Congress leader AK Antony announced today that Rahul will be contesting from Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala in addition to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.Prasad also asserted that the Congress president has specifically chosen the southern seat based on the census of the parliamentary constituency."We did some homework to find why did Rahul Gandhi go to Wayanad. The reality of Rahul Gandhi's extraordinary escape from Amethi and landing in Wayanad is evident because of the ethnic profile of Wayanad where 49.4-49.8 per cent are the Hindus and the rest belong to minorities. The seven Assembly
Lt Gen DS Hooda submits report on national security to Rahul Gandhi
Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda on Sunday submitted "a comprehensive and exhaustive" strategy document on the national security to Congress president Rahul Gandhi."Lt General (Retd) D S Hooda and his team have put together a comprehensive report on India's national security that he presented to me today. This exhaustive report will at first be discussed and debated within the Congress party. I thank him and the team for their effort," Rahul tweeted.It is worth mentioning that the Congress party had roped in Lt Gen Hooda in February this year to prepare a comprehensive report on the national security.After meeting Rahul, Lt Gen Hooda said: "The Congress president had constituted a task force headed by me on national security. I have prepared a national security strategy document and today submitted it to him."Lt Gen Hooda, who had overseen the surgical strike of September 2016 on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, retired from the service in November
Congress will have to explain why Rahul contesting from Wayanad seat against LDF: CPM
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting against Left Democratic Front (LDF) from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency conveys a message which the party will have to explain to the people."Coming here and fighting against LDF, what message does this convey that Congress will have to decide. Any party can decide which candidate will contest from which seat but what is the message they want to convey, they will have to explain to the people," Yechury said.Emphasising that priority is to remove BJP, the CPI(M) leader said: "We are very clear, this election is an important one that will decide whether a secular democracy will survive or not. Removing BJP is our priority."Congress today announced that Rahul will be contesting from Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, in addition to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, to further strengthen the unity of North and South.In its first list released on March 7, Congress had announced that ...
Naidu slams Jaganmohan Reddy for giving credit to PM of bringing car manufacturing plant to Andhra
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday slammed YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy for giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of setting up a car manufacturing plant in Erramanchi village in Anantapur district.Addressing party workers through teleconference, Naidu claimed that Kia Motors came to Andhra Pradesh because of the incentives he offered to the firm."Narendra Modi betrayed Andhra Pradesh a lot of times. Kia Motors set up the plant because of the incentives given by my government," he said.The statement from Naidu came just a day after YSRCP leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy stated that Kia plant came to Andhra Pradesh because of Modi.Condemning YSRCP leader's statement, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said: "Reddy is making efforts to be friends with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the KCR for his own political motives and not for the development of the state." He urged people not to cast votes in favour of YSRCP in Andhra ...