Page 1185 - Politics
Actress Sumalatha upsets JDS, Cong calculations in Mandya
Actress Sumalatha's decision to contest as an independent from Mandya Lok Sabha seat, where JD(S) has fielded Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil, has upset the calculations of the ruling coalition, especially with the BJP now extending support to her. Under the seat-sharing agreement between Congress and the JD(S), the Mandya constituency in the Vokkaliga heartland was left to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's party which holds sway in the region. Sumalatha's husband Ambareesh, a popular Kannada film star who died last year, had represented the seat thrice -- two times on Congress ticket and once as Janata Dal candidate. The Mandya seat has become a prestige issue for the JD(S) as party patriarch Deve Gowda is launching his grandson Nikhil Gowda into politics with this contest. Sumalatha's decision to fight from the seat has left the JD(S) fuming. The party had won all the eight assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituency in the 2018 Assembly elections. "Sumalatha
Modi to address BJP rally in Jammu on Thursday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally in the Jammu district on Thursday, a BJP official said here on Tuesday.
BJP fields Rupak Sarmah from Nowgong LS seat
The BJP has fielded MLA Rupak Sarmah to contest the coming general elections from the Nowgong Lok Sabha seat, despite Rajen Gohain, the sitting MP from the constituency, getting a clean chit against a rape case against him.
Pentagon authorizes USD 1 bn for Trump's border wall
Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan said Monday he had authorized $1 billion to build part of the wall sought by President Donald Trump along the US-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon to build 57 miles (92 kilometers) of 18-foot (5.5-meter) fencing, build and improve roads, and install lighting to support Trump's emergency declaration as concerns the border. Shanahan "authorized the commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing up to UUSD 1 billion in support to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol," a Pentagon statement read. The acting defense secretary defended the move by citing a federal law that he said "gives the Department of Defense the authority to construct roads and fences and to install lighting to block drug-smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States in support of counter-narcotic activities of federal law enforcement agencies." The statement was
MIM fields Imtiaz Jaleel for Aurangabad LS seat
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) on Tuesday decided to contest Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra in alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar.
BJP denies Joshi ticket, asks not to contest
Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Murali Manohar Joshi will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from anywhere as he has been denied a party ticket.
HC directs removal of unauthorised flag poles in TN by Apr 1
The Madras High Court has directed election officials to remove all unauthorised flag poles of political parties in public places throughout Tamil Nadu by April 1. A bench comprising justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad gave the direction Monday on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a complete ban on erection of poles in public places. Petitioner A Radhakrishnan of Salem submitted that most of the political parties "encroached" upon public places such as roadside, parks and play grounds and erect their flagpoles permanently, causing hindrance. Claiming that there had been clashes due to dispute between rival political parties over flag poles, he said using power drilling machines while digging for temporary erection of poles during party conferences, public meetings also damaged underground telecom and power cables. When the PIL came up for hearing, the Tamil Nadu government counsel submitted that 58,172 flag poles in rural and urban areas had been removed and another ..
BJP releases list of campaigners for UP; LK Advani, MM Joshi find no mention
Party veterans Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi have not made it to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) list of 40 leaders who will be campaigning for the party's candidates during the first two phases of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.It is worth mentioning that both Advani and Joshi have also not made to the list of parliamentary candidates announced so far by the BJP.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and top leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Yogi Adityanath are some of the key leaders who are part of this list of star campaigners.Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held from April 11 and will go on till May 19 in seven phases. Polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held in all seven phases, and counting of votes will take place on May 23.There are 80 Lok Sabha seats at stake in Uttar Pradesh.
Gujarat Minister asks Cong workers to make 'Shiva devotee' Rahul consume poison
Gujarat minister Ganpat Vasava has stirred a controversy by saying that Congress president Rahul Gandhi should be made to consume poison by his party workers to prove that he is a true devotee of Lord Shiva."People from the Congress claimed that their leader Rahul Gandhi is an avatar of Lord Shiva. Now, since Lord Shiva used to consume poison to save people, I want Congress workers to make their leader consume 500 grams of poison," Vasava, who is the state's Tribal Development Minister, said at a rally here on Monday."If he survives like Lord Shiva after consuming poison, we will all believe he is a true reincarnation of Lord Shiva" the Gujarat Minister added.A similar statement was made by another BJP leader, Kamal Patel, who said the Gandhi scion should consume poison to prove that he is "worth worshipping like Lord Shiva.""Congress always demands proofs. Now, we also want. If Congress thinks Rahul Gandhi is Shiva avatar then they should give him poison. If he will survive like ...
Pentagon sanctions $1 bn for US-Mexico border wall
The Pentagon notified Congress that it has sanctioned the transfer of $1 billion to begin new wall construction along the US-Mexico border, drawing immediate objections from Democratic lawmakers.
Rahul's real supporters are in Pakistan, claims BJP leader Kedar Kashyap
With the Lok Sabha elections inching closer, former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kedar Kashyap has said Congress president Rahul Gandhi should go to Pakistan, claiming that the Gandhi scion's "real supporters" are in the neighbouring country."Instead of Amethi, Rahul should go to Pakistan, his real supporters are there," Kashyap said at a public rally here on Monday.Kashyap also said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacks Pakistan, only Congress and Pakistan feel aggrieved."What kind of Prime Minister do you need- one like Narendra Modi or someone like Pappu (Rahul Gandhi)," the former state education minister asked.There are 11 Lok Sabha seats at stake in Chhattisgarh, polling for which will be held in three phases - on April 11, 18 and 23.Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Pentagon authorises $1 bn for Trump's border wall
The Pentagon on Monday (local time) notified the US Congress that it authorised the transfer of USD 1 billion for building a barricade along the US-Mexico border, which was a long-standing demand by President Donald Trump.According to a notification, around USD 1 billion will go towards building 57 miles (around 92 km) of fencing, improving road infrastructure and other security measures at the border, CNN reported.The Defence Department authorised the Army Corp of Engineers (part of the department) to commence the planning and construction for the barricade from Monday night. Funds will be directed towards fencing with a height of 18-foot (around 5.5 metres) along the Yuma and El Paso sections of the US-Mexico border, a letter written by acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen stated.However, the move has left the Senate Democrats fuming, asserting that the Pentagon did not seek permission before notifying the Senate ...
Allies likely to push NDA tally near 300 mark: IANS-CVoter 2019 survey
The State of the Nation March 2019 Wave 2 opinion poll conducted by CVoter for IANS shows the likely vote percentage for the two main poles of national politics, the NDA and UPA in this year's general elections.
UK lawmakers seize Brexit agenda in bid to break deadlock
British lawmakers seized a measure of control over the stalled Brexit process from Prime Minister Theresa May's foundering government Monday, setting up a series of votes that could dramatically alter the course of the UK's departure from the European Union. The move came after May conceded that Parliament would defeat her twice-rejected divorce deal with the EU again if she put it to a third vote. With Brexit delayed and the new departure date up in the air, the House of Commons voted to give itself temporary control of the parliamentary timetable starting on Wednesday so lawmakers can vote on alternatives to May's withdrawal deal. The government usually controls the scheduling of votes in Parliament. Lawmakers who backed Monday's motion, which passed 329-302, hope the planned "indicative votes" will narrow the options down to one that can secure majority support. Possible options include a "soft Brexit" that maintains close economic ties with the EU or scrapping Britain's departure .
BJP names 'young turk' Tejaswi Surya for Bangalore South
The BJP on Tuesday named its Karnataka Yuva Morcha General Secretary Tejaswi Surya as candidate for the prestigious Banagalore South Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to poll on April 18.
Bolsonaro orders celebration of Brazil military coup: spokesman
Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday ordered the armed forces to hold "appropriate commemorations" of the March 1964 military coup -- while denying it was a coup. "Our president has ordered the Defense Ministry to carry out appropriate commemorations related to March 31, 1964," 55 years on, Bolsonaro's spokesman Otavio Rego Barros said at Planalto Palace in Brasilia. The celebrations should be carried out according to "what the commanders deem right within their respective garrisons, and within the context in which they should be performed," the spokesman added. Bolsonaro, an ex-Army captain, says he admires the military dictatorship that overthrew President Joao Goulart and ruled the country for over two decades until 1985. Yet "the president does not consider what happened March 31, 1964 a military coup," Barros said. "He believes that society as a whole, perceiving the danger that the country was experiencing," was able that day to unite "civilians and military, ..
MPs take over Brexit process from May
MPs have temporarily seized control of the Brexit process from the British Prime Minister Theresa May, in a rare move that puts lawmakers in the driving seat, the media reported.
British MPs vote for bigger role in Brexit process
British MPs voted on Monday to play a bigger role in Brexit, giving themselves the power to express their preference for different options in an unprecedented move that the government called "dangerous". MPs won a vote that will allow them to seize control of parliamentary business on Wednesday by 329 to 302, with three junior ministers quitting after voting against the government. Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt and health minister Steve Brine resigned, a government source told AFP, while business minister Richard Harrington announced his decision to leave government on Twitter. In his resignation letter, Harrington said the government's approach was "playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods of the vast majority of people in this country". But the Brexit ministry said in a statement it was "disappointed" by the vote, adding that it "upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent". Three years after Britain voted to ...
Venezuela crisis: Pompeo urges Russia to '"cease its unconstructive behaviour'
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday (local time) urged Russia to "cease its unconstructive behaviour" as it is "exacerbating tensions" in Venezuela.This comes hours after reports appeared in the media that two Russian military jets reportedly reached Caracas.According to Anadolu Agency, Pompeo telephoned his Moscow counterpart Sergei Lavrov and asked Russia to "cease its unconstructive behaviour", US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement." The continued insertion of Russian military personnel to support the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela risks prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people who overwhelmingly support interim President Juan Guaido," the statement further read.Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that Russia would send medicine "next week" to Venezuela, amid reports of strengthening ties between Caracas and Moscow.According to Al Jazeera, the Maduro regime in February had blocked a convoy ...
UK MPs vote to take control over Brexit process
Further deepening the crisis, British MPs on Monday (local times) defied Prime Minister Theresa May's government and voted in the favour of an amendment that gives them the power to control of the country's Parliament, reports CNN.As many as 30 Conservative MPs have voted against Theresa May. Letwin Amendment has allowed the lawmakers to make a series of indicative votes on various alternative options-including Norway-style deal with the EU and no Brexit.Terming it as an "another humiliating defeat" for Theresa May, Labour MP Keir Starmer tweeted, She has lost complete control of her party, her Cabinet and of the Brexit process. Parliament has fought back - and now has the chance to decide what happens next."Last week, at least one million people protested against May's handling of the Brexit process, demanding for a second referendum to be held.In 2016, over 50 per cent of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, following which the British government triggered Article 50 of the ...