Page 1111 - Politics

BJP will win from Amethi and Wayanad: Maneka Gandhi

Expressing confidence over BJP's win from both Amethi and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Sunday opined that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will lose the elections from both the parliamentary constituencies."We will emerge victorious from both the seats," Maneka, who is contesting Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat, told reporters on Sunday.Earlier in the day, the Congress announced that its president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Kerala's Wayanad parliamentary constituency in addition to Amethi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh which he has been representing in Parliament since 2004.The Congress said that Rahul will contest the two seats to further strengthen the unity between North and South.It will be the first time when the Congress president will contest elections from two different parliamentary constituencies.Wayanad will to elections on April 23 while Amethi will vote on May 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Congress appoints vice chairman of OBC department

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday appointed Vinay Kumar as the vice chairman of the party's OBC department. Ajay Kumar Yadav was appointed as the chairman of the OBC department of the party's Bihar unit, a party statement said. In other appointments, Gandhi set up various election-related panels of the party in Daman and Diu Territorial Congress Committee.

BJD MLA quits party

In a fresh jolt to ruling BJD ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state, its senior leader Raghunath Mohanty Sunday resigned from it and accused it of having deviated from the ideals of legendary leader Biju Patnaik. Mohanty, who was vice-president of the ruling BJD, said he has sent a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik coveying his decision to resign from the primary membership of the regional party. "I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership as well as vice-presidentship of BJD for personal reasons," Mohanty said in his resignation letter. He is, however, believed to have quit the party after sensing denial of ticket to contest from his home turf of Basta assembly seat in Balasore district. Alleging that BJD has deviated from the Patnaik's ideals, he said it is now being run by a group having vested interests. "Though I was one of the founding members of the BJD and served as a dedicated worker, the party leadership sidelined and .

Rahul has 'fled' to Kerala out of fear: Amit Shah

BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday ridiculed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his decision to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, saying he has "fled" to Kerala fearing that Amethi voters will seek an account of work done by him and his party over the years. Shah was speaking at his first election meeting in western UP, where voting will be held on April 11. The saffron party had won all eight Lok Sabha seats in the region in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "Rahul Gandhi has fled to Kerala as he fears that Amethi voters will seek an account (of work) from him," the BJP chief said. "In Kerala, there is politics of appeasement, hence he is going there. You have played with the security of the country for your vote bank politics. Wherever you will go, people of the country will ask you to give an account (of your work)," Shah said. The Congress announced earlier on Saturday that Gandhi will contest from Wayanad besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The decision

Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad means Cong is going to target Left in Kerala, says Karat

The CPI(M) and the CPI Sunday said the Congress' decision to field Rahul Gandhi from the Wayanad parliamentary constituency indicates that the party wants to take on the Left in Kerala and asserted that they will work to ensure his defeat. "Their priority now is to fight against the Left in Kerala. It goes against the Congress' national commitment to fight the BJP, as in Kerala, it is the LDF which is the main force fighting the BJP there," CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat told reporters. The party will oppose the move, he added. "To pick a candidate like Rahul Gandhi against the Left means that the Congress is going to target the Left in Kerala. This is something which we will strongly oppose and in this election, we will work to ensure the defeat of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad," Karat said. CPI leader D Raja also questioned the decision of the Congress, saying it made no sense. "This makes no sense. I don't understand what politics the Congress is playing here. There is no BJP to ..

Congress to discuss National Security report: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said a comprehensive report on India's national security has been presented to him by Lt. General (Retd.) D.S. Hooda.

Mamata tells opposition to set aside differences

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged opposition forces to set aside their "petty differences" and join hands to oust the Narendra Modi regime from the Centre.

Modi, Rahul to address public meetings in Telangana on April 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address rallies in Telangana Monday as the campaigning for the April 11 Lok Sabha elections in the state enters a feverish pitch. Modi, who launched his campaign in the state on Friday, would address a public meeting at the LB Stadium here Monday evening in support of the candidates of the BJP, which is contesting the 17 Lok Sabha seats on its own. Gandhi will be on a whirlwind visit to the state Monday, addressing three election rallies at Zaheerabad, Wanaparthi and Huzurnagar. With just ten days left for polling, BJP president Amit Shah and party's other top leaders, including Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari, are also expected to campaign for the party nominees in coming days, state BJP spokeserson Krishna Saagar Rao told PTI Sunday. Having suffered a humiliating defeat in the assembly polls in December last (winning only one among the 119 seats), BJP is hoping that ...

BJP govt has taken over all premier institutions: Mamata

In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of DRDO's recent space achievement, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee Sunday said the BJP government has taken over all premier institutions in the country. On March 27, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite missile test, from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island launch complex, paving the way for the country to join an elite space club comprising the US, Russia, China with such specialised capability. Opposition parties have slammed the prime minister, saying the BJP government was trying to take credit for the DRDO's achievement. Claiming that the people's liberty was at stake under the BJP's rule, Banerjee said "an atmosphere of fear" was prevailing in the country. "The BJP government has taken control of all premier institutions in the country. People here live in fear. They do not have the right to speak freely under an autocratic

Will still back our son, Rahul: Amethi voters

Unfazed by their MP Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest from Kerala's Wayanad seat as well in the Lok Sabha elections, voters in Amethi say they will support "the son" of their "VIP constituency". Amethi goes to polls on May 6.

Surgical strikes hero Hooda submits national security report to Rahul

Lt Gen (Retd) D S Hooda, the main architect of the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK, Sunday submitted a report on national security to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, over a month after he was tasked by the party to come out with a vision document. The former northern Army commander was made the head of a 'task force on national security', set up by Gandhi in February to prepare the vision paper for the country. "Lt General (Retd) D S Hooda & 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 & debated within the Congress party," Gandhi tweeted. The Congress chief thanked Hooda and his team for their effort. The retired Army officer headed the panel set up by the party and prepared the paper in consultation with a select group of experts. After meeting Gandhi, Hooda said, "The Congress president had constituted a task force on national security headed by

Brazil's Bolsonaro arrives in Israel for pre-vote visit

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Israel on Sunday just ahead of the country's polls in which his ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough re-election fight. Bolsonaro was welcomed by Netanyahu and an official ceremony at the airport near Tel Aviv. He will walk a diplomatic tightrope during the three-day visit as he seeks to shore up ties with Netanyahu while avoiding angering key Arab trade partners. Bolsonaro's controversial pledge to move Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem is expected to be high on the agenda, as Netanyahu uses the occasion to boost his standing ahead of April 9 elections. Months after promising the shift, which sparked an angry response from Palestinian leaders, Bolsonaro has yet to announce a timetable. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Bolsonaro suggested he was in no hurry to make a decision. "Trump took nine months to decide, to give his final word, so that the embassy was transferred," Bolsonaro said. "Perhaps now we will open a commercial ...

RaGA contesting in Wayanad; Cong cadres celebrate

: Celebrations broke out in this hilly constituency and rest of Kerala Sunday as Congress cadres burst crackers, distributed sweets and raised slogans praising Rahul Gandhi after the announcement that he would contest from here in the Lok Sabha elections. The announcement of Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, known for its picturesque locales and spices, as a second seat apart from his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh was made by veteran party leader A K Antony in New Delhi Sunday. As the television channels focused on the expected decision on Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad, the party cadres and leaders here waited with their fingers crossed. When the much-awaited announcement finally came, the party activists, who gathered at the district committee office, were overcome by joy. The jubilant workers, who were glued to the television, jumped with joy, hugged each other and danced. Besides Congress activists, the workers of some coalition partners also ...

BJP names 4 candidates in Gujarat, drops 3 outgoing MPs

The BJP on Sunday announced the names of four more candidates for the seats from Gujarat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, dropping three of its outgoing MPs and retaining Rajesh Chudasma from Junagadh.

NPF to back Cong LS candidate in Nagaland

In a major boost to the Congress, the Naga People's Front (NPF), which is the main opposition party in the 60-member Assembly, has decided to support K L Chishi, the grand old party's candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state. The NPF, which is not fielding any candidate for the general election, announced its decision to back the Congress candidate during a consultative meeting of central office bearers and MLAs here on Saturday. "The NPF has decided to lend issue-based support to Congress candidate KL Chishi in the upcoming Lok Sabha election," its president Shrhozelie Liezietsu said. "That, however, does not change the party's stand on regionalism. Also, the NPF is not an ally of the Congress," Liezietsu clarified. The NPF, which has 26 MLAs in the Assembly, wants to bring all secular forces together for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, he said, adding that the NDA, if it comes to power, will push for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, putting the interests ..

Bhartiya Tribal Party fields candidates in Rajasthan's Banswara-Dungarpur, Jodhpur LS seats

Gujarat-based Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) has declared its candidates on two of the five Lok Sabha seats that it would contest in Rajasthan. It has nominated Kantilal Rot from Banswara-Dungarpur and Amar Singh Kalunda from Jodhpur parliamentary constituency. The party will later announce its candidates on Udaipur, Rajsamand and Jalore seats, BTP state president Dr Velaram Goghra told PTI. The party's second list will be released in a couple of days, he said. Accusing both the BJP and the Congress of neglecting issues of tribals for years, Goghra alleged the major political parties have betrayed the tribals and bereft them of their rights. He exuded confidence that the BTP will win the five seats and work for the betterment of people. The BTP was founded in 2017 ahead of the Gujarat polls by former JD(U) legislator Chotubhai Vasava. It won two seats in Gujarat elections in alliance with Congress. The party won the Sagwara and Chaurasi Assembly seats in the recent Rajasthan ...

Cong will carry out surgical strike on poverty

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Sunday assured his party would provide special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections and would carry out "surgical strike" on poverty. He expressed 'surprise' that parties in the state were not 'aggressively' pushingg Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant the special category status, promised by the UPA when the state was bifurcated five years ago. Launching his party's campaign in Andhra Pradesh that goes to simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls on April 11, he told a rally here that his promise of a minimum income scheme NYAY was a "non-violent weapon" that will be used to uplift the poorest. Gandhi, whose party is contesting the polls in Andhra Pradesh alone, said while Modi did "surgical strikes against the poor" his party will carry it out against poverty. He accused Modi of creating two Indias -- one for the richest people "like Anil Ambani and Mehul Choksi" and another for poor farmers, ..

Amethi is family, party workers upbeat: Amethi Cong unit on Rahul's Kerala move

Amethi is family for Rahul Gandhi, the Congress unit in the Uttar Pradesh district Sunday said after it was announced that the party president will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Kerala's Wayanad also. Gandhi has been thrice elected the member of parliament from Amethi, considered the Congress bastion in 2004, 2009 and 2014. "He has decided to fight from Wayanad in Kerala in keeping with the demand and emotions of the party workers. Amethi is family and a family is forever," Congress's Amethi unit president Yogendra Mishra told PTI over the phone. Asked about the reduced vote margin in 2014 when the BJP had fielded Smriti Irani from the seat, Mishra said last time it was a "parade of lies" across the country and exuded confidence that this time Gandhi will win by a margin of over five lakh votes. "This time he is going to win by over five lakh votes. Last time (in 2014 Lok Sabha election), it was a different atmosphere in the country. 'Jhooth ki parade chal rahi thi us baar '(There .

Modi govt took credit for Balakot, should also take responsibility for Pulwama: TDP

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Sunday said the Narendra Modi government, which was "quick to take credit for the Balakot airstrikes", should also take responsibility for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. TDP national spokesperson Dinakar Lanka alleged that the Modi government failed to gave bullet proof vehicles to the CRPF which could have prevented the attack on a paramilitary convoy on February 14 in which 40 personnel were killed. "The attack on a CRPF bus in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama happened due to negligence on the part of the government. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated bullet proof buses for the CRPF on September 7, 2017. There are 200 such vehicles in the inventory of the Defence Ministry, but the forces haven't got them yet. Where are those buses? he asked. The Narendra Modi government was quick to take credit for the valour of the armed forces, but has failed to ensure their safety, he alleged. Lanka also said that his party will win

Joining Cong as it is national party in true sense; Lalu advised to do so: Shatrughan

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who has announced that he is quitting the BJP, on Sunday said he decided to go with the Congress as it was a national party in the "true sense" and family friend Lalu Prasad also advised him to do so. He said leaders such as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, among others, wanted him to join their respective parties, but he had made it clear that whatever be the situation, the constituency he would be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls would be Patna Sahib. The actor-turned-politician, who has been criticising the Modi government for long, said it was "painful" for him to leave the BJP with which he has had such a long association, but was disturbed at the treatment meted out by the party to stalwarts such as L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha. The BJP has not fielded party veterans Advani and Joshi in the Lok Sabha .