Page 1172 - Politics

Nomination of AAP candidate, 7 others rejected for UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar seat

Aam Aadmi Party's Shweta Sharma was among the eight candidates whose nomination papers for Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha seat were rejected during the process of scrutiny on Tuesday, officials said. Sharma's papers were rejected as she failed to find 10 mandatory proposers required for any candidate who is not from a recognised national or regional party in a state, they said. "She said in her nomination papers that she is a candidate from the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP is not a recognised regional party in Uttar Pradesh. It is not recognised as a national party by the Election Commission as well. It is recognised in Delhi though. This was a flaw in her claim," District Magistrate and Returning Officer Brajesh Narain Singh told PTI. The final position on the total number of candidates in the fray for the Gautam Buddh Nagar seat will, however, become clear on Wednesday -- the last day for withdrawal of nomination, the officials said. A total of 21 nomination papers were filed .

Ex-Cong MLA joins TRS

In another setback to the Congress in Telangana, former party MLA B Bikshamaiah Goud joined the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday. The development has compounded the misery of the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as nine among the total 19 MLAs have announced their decision in March to leave the party and join the TRS. Goud joined the TRS in the presence of its working president K T Rama Rao. Speculation has been rife that former minister Sunita Laxma Reddy would also join the TRS. In a statement, the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee had suspended Goud, Sunita Laxma Reddy and others from the party.

US envoy on Afghan peace heads back to region

The US envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban to end 17 years of war is heading back to the region for a new round of talks, the State Department said Tuesday. Zalmay Khalilzad will head to Afghanistan as well as neighboring Pakistan during the trip that began Monday and is scheduled to run through April 10. The State Department did not confirm he would hold fresh talks with the Taliban but said he would stop in Qatar, the usual location for negotiations with the militants. Khalilzad's trip is "part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that brings all Afghan parties together in inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations," the State Department said. The emphasis on negotiations among Afghans comes as the Taliban refuse to sit down for talks with the internationally recognized government of President Ashraf Ghani, despite US appeals. Tensions over the issue recently led to Ghani's national security adviser telling reporters in Washington that Khalilzad had not been ...

Rahul Gandhi promises Nyay, real GST after LS win

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government slapped on people demonetisation and "Gabbar Singh Tax", while his party would give them the 'Nyay' income guarantee scheme and "real" GST if it comes to power.

Pravin Togadia releases list of 16 candidates for LS polls

Former VHP chief Pravin Togadia, who has formed the Hindusthan Nirman Dal, Tuesday released the names of its Lok Sabha poll candidates from Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to reporters here, Togadia said the time has come for a new sociopolitical leadership in the country, as the political parties which ruled the nation, have not been able to fulfil the cultural, social and economic needs. Togadia also announced candidates from 16 parliamentary constituencies in the state. Meanwhile, the Republican Party of India (A), headed by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, declared names of candidates from 15 Lok Sabha seats of the state, the party said in a statement here. A party leader said the RPI (A) is a part of the NDA only in Maharashtra.

Pakistan opens its airspace; PIA resumes normal flight

Pakistan Tuesday fully opened its airspace, nearly a month after shutting it for commercial flights following escalating tensions with India after the Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent aerial strike by Indian jets on a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the complete opening of Pakistan's airspace, with the national carrier resuming its flights across the country. On Tuesday, two-way flights from Lahore to Islamabad and flights from Karachi to Multan departed as per schedule, said a statement issued by the national carrier - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) - on Tuesday. Flights have also been resumed for Bahawalpur, Raheem Yar Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. Flights from Sialkot will resume from March 28, after necessary repairs are carried out on the Sialkot airport runway, it said. Earlier in February, the CAA partially opened the country's airspace after keeping it closed for several hours following a rare ...

Europe at UN says Golan is not Israeli territory

Five European countries that sit on the UN Security Council on Tuesday rejected US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the Golan as Israeli territory and voiced concern the move could have broad consequences. Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Poland insisted that the European position had not changed and that the Golan remained Israeli-occupied Syrian territory, in line with international law enshrined in UN resolutions. "We do not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including the Golan Heights, and we do not consider them to be part of the territory of the state of Israel," Belgian Ambassador Marc Pesteen de Buytswerve told reporters. "We raise our strong concerns about broader consequences of recognizing illegal annexation and also about the broader regional consequences," he said, flanked by the ambassadors of the four other countries. Three UN Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, .

Acting is in Modi's nature, he should have joined Bollywood: Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have joined Bollywood as acting was in the latter's "nature". "Jumlebaazi" (rhetoric), "dramabaazi" (theatrics) and acting are in Modi's nature and he should have gone to join Bollywood and he should have been an actor, Gehlot said at a rally in Bundi district. Like acting has no truth, Gehlot said in the same way Modi had "no truth" but was only acting on a bunch of lies. Her said acting cannot do any good to the country, no development and acting does not satisfy one's hunger. The chief minister was addressing the rally prior to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's speech. "The democracy is in danger, the Constitution is in danger and the country is in danger today. And if they (BJP) are not countered with full strength and capacity... they would destroy the country," Gehlot added. Speaking at the rally, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot accused the BJP government of destroying the ...

Senior Assam Cong leader hails Rahul's minimum income scheme

Leader of the opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Tuesday welcomed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's announcement of the ambitious minimum income guarantee scheme, which aims to lift 25 crore people out of poverty. The 'Nyuntam Aay Yojana' will ensure that poor families receive an allowance of Rs 72,000 per year, and it will benefit around five crore families and 25 crore people in all, Saikia said in a statement. "The Narendra Modi government has hoodwinked people after making promises like depositing Rs 15 lakh in each person's bank account, reviving two sick paper mills of Assam, but Gandhi proved himself to be a man of words by waiving bank loans of farmers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh immediately after it came to power in these states," he said. The Congress was also instrumental in foiling the passage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, he added.

Not sharing details on RBI Governor's appointment: Government

The Centre on Tuesday declined to share details relating to the appointment of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das citing a clause in the transparency law that bars disclosure relating to the appointment of key government functionaries.

For Congress, full statehood for Delhi not a poll issue

Amid talks of possible alliance with the AAP, the Congress' local unit Tuesday rejected full statehood for Delhi as its poll plank for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress will contest Lok Sabha polls on national issues and full statehood for Delhi is not in its list of issues to be taken up during campaigning, Sheila Dikshit, president of the party's Delhi unit told reporters. The ruling AAP in Delhi has been campaigning for Lok Sabha polls with full statehood for the city as its main issue for the elections. Dikshit maintained full statehood was not possible and the issue will not figure in the party's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls.

BJP names candidates for 10 more Bengal LS seats

The BJP on Tuesday announced its candidates for 10 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The party had previously announced names for 30 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Thai political parties to form democracy 'coalition' against junta

Thai pro-democracy factions on Tuesday moved to unite and thwart a junta-backed party from forming a government after the first election since a 2014 coup. The junta appeared to be in pole position to return to power as a civilian administration after preliminary results from Sunday's poll showed its proxy party had secured an unexpected majority of the popular vote. Around 7.6 million votes went to Phalang Pracharat with 94 percent of ballots tallied, the Election Commission has said. That gives it -- and its prime ministerial candidate, junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha -- a strong claim to legitimacy from a poll held under new junta-scripted rules. It is more than 400,000 ballots ahead of Pheu Thai, the populist party toppled from power by the 2014 coup and affiliated with self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. But Pheu Thai still appeared set to become the largest party in the lower house, on track for 137 constituency seats compared to Phalang Pracharat's 97, according to ...

BJP candidate asks cadres to shoot booth capturers in chest

Senior West Bengal BJP leader Sayantan Basu Tuesday courted controversy by asking party cadres to shoot those who would try to capture booths during the coming Lok Sabha polls. "If you notice goons trying to capture booths, shoot them. Don't aim at their legs, shoot them in the chest," Basu said while addressing a rally at Basirhat. Basu, state BJP general secretary, is the party candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency. Referring to the violence during last year's panchayat polls in West Bengal, Basu said the Trinamool Congress should not think of rigging the polls, as elections will be held under the supervision of the Election Commission with central forces patrolling the streets. Reacting to Basu's statement, senior TMC leader and minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said the party would inform the Election Commission and urge it to take steps against him. "The BJP is trying to vitiate the poll atmosphere by making such provocative statements. The EC should take action .

BJP terms Congress' video on demonetisation fake, considering legal action

The BJP on Tuesday accused Congress leader Kapil Sibal of spreading "fake news" to target the ruling party on the issue of demonetisation and threatened of legal action against him and his party. In a statement, BJP general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Bhupendra Yadav referred to the Congress and other opposition parties releasing a video purportedly showing a "BJP leader" exchanging old notes after demonetisation on a commission of 40 per cent, but they did not vouch for the authenticity of the 30-minute footage. Yadav accusedSibal, who represented the Congress at the Opposition's press conference, of releasing a fake CD to make baseless allegation against the ruling party. "The BJP is considering taking legal action," he said in a statement. Yadav claimed that with poll campaign gaining momentum, the Congress is fighting for existence in the face of dwindling support and is therefore, resorting to lies. The BJP will expose the "dirty tricks department", he said. He said it is ...

Joshi among 8 denied BJP ticket, seats of Maneka, Varun swapped

Days after denying tickets to party veterans L.K. Advani and Shanta Kumar, the BJP on Tuesday kept out Murli Manohar Joshi from the list of candidates and instead fielded Uttar Pradesh Minister Satyadev Pachauri from Kanpur won by him in 2014.

Bangladesh celebrates 49th Independence Day

Bangladesh on Tuesday celebrated the 49th Independence Day amid tight security. The day was celebrated with parades and paying of respects at Jatiyo Smriti Soudho, national memorial at Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, the Xinhua news agency reported.

It's a fight between two ideologies, says Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the run-up to the country's general election is witnessing a fight between two ideologies and that his party would defeat those who practise "politics of hatred".

LS polls: Cong, TRS in war of words in T'gana

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Congress in Telangana were engaged in a war of words Tuesday, as campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls gathered pace in the state. At an election meeting, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is contesting from Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency,alleged that the TRS did not have a right to seek votes as it has failed to do anything substantial for the state despite having 16 MPs on its side. He was referring to the TRS' campaign, seeking 16 out of the total 17 seats in Telangana (leaving Hyderabad for AIMIM) so that it can play a crucial role post elections and secure a better deal for Telangana. The TRS had won 11 seats on its own and three MPs of the outgoing Lok Sabha switched over to the party, he said. One MP each of BJP and AIMIM were also on its side, he claimed. "Though TRS and KCR had 16 MPs, KCR could not achieve anything for Telangana and he does not have the right to seek votes again," Reddy ...

Nomination papers of four candidates rejected for J&K's Baramulla seat

Ten candidates were left in the fray for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir after four nomination papers were rejected during the process of scrutiny on Tuesday. "The nomination papers of four candidates for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat were rejected during scrutiny today," an election department official said. The nomination papers of independent candidates Abdul Majeed Bhat, Syed Muzaffar Ali, Mohammad Abdullah Chatwal and Syed Aamir Sohail were rejected on several grounds, he said. Those of Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference's Raja Aijaz Ali, People's Democratic Party's Abdul Quyoom Wani, National Conference's Mohammad Akbar Lone, Bharatiya Janta Party's Maqbool War, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party's Jahangir Khan, Indian National Congress's Haji Farooq Ahmad Mir were accepted, the official said. The remaining four are Syed Najeeb Shah Naqvi, Abdul Rasheed Shaheen, Javeed Ahmad Qureshi and Abdul Rasheed Shiekh, all independents, he said. The last