Page 1191 - Politics
NDA continues to be well ahead of UPA in seat and vote share: IANS-CVoter 2019 survey
The State of the Nation March 2019 Wave-II opinion poll conducted by CVoter for IANS shows a marginal change in fortunes for the NDA and the UPA in seat share as compared to an earlier CVoter poll put out on March 10. However, there is a sharp increase in vote share for the NDA compared to the March 10 figures of the CVoter poll.
Congress, SP, BSP turncoats pose challenge to Rahul in Amethi (Dangal 2019)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is pitted against BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, is facing a tough challenge from many of his party's turncoats who have joined UP's ruling BJP in the last few years.
45 candidates have filed nomination for 5 Lok Sabha seats
Altogether 45 candidates have filed their papers for the five Lok Sabha seats in Assam till Monday, the last date for the filling of nomination for the first phase of parliamentary polls in the state, officials said. The five Lok Sabha seats that goes to polls in the first phase on April 11 are Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur. In Tezpur, 10 candidates, including state minister Pallab Lochan Das of the BJP and retired bureaucrat M G V K Bhanu of the Congress have filed their papers, officials said. In Kaliabor, seven candidates including sitting Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and AGP's new entrant Moni Madhab Mahanta have filed their nomination papers. In Jorhat, eight candidates including state minister Tapan Gogoi of BJP and former Congress MLA Sushanta Borgohain have filed their papers. In Dibrugarh, sitting BJP MP Rameswar Teli and former Union Minister and Congress veteran Paban Singh Ghatowar are among the eight candidates who have filed their nomination
Ex-Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP Delkar to contest as Independent
Former MP from the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and tribal leader Mohan Delkar of Congress is all set to contest as an Independent nominee, according to sources close to him. A formal announcement is likely on Tuesday, they said Monday. Delkar, who had represented the Dadra and Nagar Haveli seat six times in the past, met his supporters at Sayali village near Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Monday, sources said, adding that he would make a formal announcement about his decision Tuesday. Delkar had lost to BJP's Natubhai Patel in 2009 and2014 general elections. While the BJP has renominated Patel, the Congress is yet to announce its candidate. The constituency is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. A day earlier, BJP leader from Silvassa Ankita Patel resigned from the party in protest against renomination of Natubhai Patel. She is reportedly trying for a Congress ticket to fight the election against the BJP MP. "After seeking views of .
Congress moves EC over release of Modi biopic
The Congress on Monday moved the Election Commission urging it to not allow the release of the "PM Narendra Modi" biopic, saying that its purpose was "political" to get extra mileage in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
AAP seeks explanation from Puri over fall in Delhi metro ridership
The Aam Aadmi Party has sought an explanation from Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over the recent media report of fall in Delhi metro ridership following fare hikes, claiming that the move has led to increase of pollution and impacted the economically weaker sections of the society. According to a recent media report, the average daily ridership of the Delhi metro has dropped by over 3 lakh. Reacting to it, the AAP has sought an explanation from Puri, alleging that apart from directly affecting the revenues of Delhi Metro, the fare hike has also forced the metro commuters to switch to other modes of transport "which is causing an increase in the air pollution levels in Delhi." "Higher Metro tariffs also directly affect the travel pattern of the economically weaker sections of the society," the AAP said in a statement. "The Aam Aadmi Party would like to know from the Union Minister of State for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri, who is these days taking a keen interest in ...
People have hopes from Congress: Chhattisgarh CM (Interview)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is credited with single-handedly leading the Congress to a stunning victory in BJP's bastion of Chhattisgarh, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's regime was a "big let-down" for people who have now great expectations from the Congress.
Congress leader Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar joins BJP
Congress leader Ranjitsinh Naik- Nimbalkar Monday joined the BJP ahead of the next month's Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, becoming the latest opposition figure to enter the saffron fold. Naik-Nimbalkar, the Congress's Satara district president, joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil and other leaders of the ruling party. Naik-Nimbalkar is considered to enjoy following in two of the six Assembly segments, Maan and Phaltan, that are part of the Madha Lok Sabha constituency in Satara district in Western Maharashtra. The BJP has not yet declared any candidate from the Madha seat, where the NCP has fielded Sanjay Shinde. Recently, son of Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Sujay, had switched loyalties to the BJP after quitting the Congress. Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and sitting NCP MP from Madha Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil's son, Ranjitsinh, too, ...
Patnaik also a member of Rahul-Mamata-Mayawati club: Pradhan
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan Monday claimed that Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has already become a member of the 'Majboor Sarkar' club comprising Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and others. "Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, Chandrababu Naidu and Mamata Banerjee want a 'Majboor' (helpless) government at the Centre. Patnaik also wants a similar government," Pradhan said while accompanying the BJP Bargarh Lok Sabha candidate Suresh Pujari for filing his nomination papers for the seat. Pradhan said this referring to a Patnaik's statement where the BJD president had claimed that no national party would be able to win majority in Lok Sabha this time. "The BJD will have decisive role to play in formation of the next government at the Centre," Patnaik had said while formally launching his party's poll campaign at a rally in Nayagarh on Sunday. Stating that the country required a 'Majboot' (strong) and decisive government, Pradhan ...
Chandra Shekhar, Gujral headed 'majboor sarkars'; country does
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb Monday asserted that the country does not want 'majboor sarkars' (helpless governments) like those headed by Chandra Shekhar or IK Gujral. Apparently targeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said people know who wants a helpless government at the Centre. 'Majboor sarkars' like those of Prime Ministers Chandra Shekhar and IK Gujral made India bankrupt, Deb said at a rally at Ambassa in Dhalai district, without elaborating. The governments headed by Chandra Shekhar and Gujral in early and late 1990s respectively were short-lived and supported by the Congress from outside. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave India a majboot sarkar (strong government). A strong government is one which does not have any helplessness. Everyone in India knows who wants a helpless government now," the chief minister said. He claimed that the BJP will win both Lok Sabha seats of Tripura and opposition candidates will have their security deposit ...
Cong's bid to 'cheat' poor again: Jaitley slams Rahul's minimum income promise
BJP leader Arun Jaitley Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi's promise of giving Rs 72,000 per year to the most deprived families as a "bluff" and yet another Congress' bid to "cheat" the poor, and asserted the Modi government was already giving one-and-a-half times more money to them. The Finance Minister told reporters here that the Congress has a history of cheating the poor and misleading the country in the name of removing poverty as it only gave them slogans but not the tools and resources. "Merely slogans and statements will not remove poverty. It will go by providing resources which the Modi government has by giving the poor houses, gas connections, roads... You (Congress) have cheated the poor many times and are trying to do so again. But people will not fall in this trap this time," he said. Earlier in the day, Congress president Gandhi promised that the 20 per cent poorest families will be given Rs 72,000 annually as a minimum income if his party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha ..
Candidates of DMK, AINRC file nominations for bypoll in Pondy
: DMK nominee K Venkatesan and AINRC candidate P Nedunchezhian filed nominations for the April 18 byelection to the Thattanchavady assembly seat. DMK is heading the "Secular progressive alliance" in which the ruling Congress, the VCK and the Left parties are the other partners. The byelection has become necessary following the disqualification of the sitting legislator Ashok Anand (AINRC) after he was aconvicted by a CBI court in October last in the disproportionate assets case. The byelection would be held simultaneously with the lone Lok Sabha seat here on April 18. Tuesday is the last date for filing nominations.
Mumbai Congress chief Nirupam ejected, Deora in
In a surprise move prior to elections, Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam was suddenly removed and replaced with former Union minister Milind Deora, here on Monday evening.
Rahul's minimum income promise a 'bluff announcement': Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday described the poll promise of Congress President Rahul Gandhi to dole out Rs 72,000 each to poorest families every year as a "bluff announcement", saying no other political party has betrayed India for more than seven decades. Jaitley said the Congress has given to the people many slogans but very little resources to implement its election promises. "If the Congress Party's announcement is tested on simple arithmetic, Rs.72,000 for five crore families works out to be Rs.3.6 lakh crore, which is less than 2/3rd of what is being given (by the current government)- A bluff announcement," Jaitley said. In a Facebook post titled 'Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi already giving to poor much more than what the Congress promises?', Jaitley said no political party has betrayed India for more than seven decades other than the Congress. "It gave to the people of India many slogans and very little resources to implement them," he said. Accusing the Opposition of
RJD appoints new J'khand party president, expels incumbent for
RJD appointed Goutam Sagar Rana its new Jharkhand unit president hours after the incumbent, Annapurna Devi joined BJP in Delhi on Monday just weeks ahead the Lok Sabha polls. Annapurna Devi, who had replaced Rana as the RJD state president in 2018, has been expelled from the party for six years, said RJD Jharkhand unit general secretary Sanjay Singh Yadav. Lalu Prasad (RJD president) has appointed Goutam Sagar Rana as RJDs Jharkhand unit president, a RJD statement said here. She joined BJP along with former RJD MLA Janardhan Paswan in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav in the national capital. Annapurna Devi's defection to BJP comes a day after the RJD rejected the Grand Alliances seat sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the state, which has a total 14 seats. As per the seat sharing formula of the Allaince, Congress would contest in seven seats, JMM four, JVM two and RJD one. But .
Gehlot criticises Kalyan Singh's statement on Modi
The Congress government on Monday strongly criticised the recent statement made by Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh wishing for a comeback of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the country's Prime Minister.
Pak's D-Chowk to be opened this week, says official
D-Chowk, a prominent town square in Pakistan's national capital often used for political rallies and public gatherings that was closed for a month following the Indo-Pak tensions, will be opened to traffic this week, according to a media report. The D- Chowk, which was one of the busiest intersections here, was shut after the tensions escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF personnel. After the suicide attack, India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were killed The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial confrontation and captured an Indian pilot, who was handed over to India later. A joint session of parliament was called the very next ..
EC to deploy more special expenditure observers, 120 sensitive seats identified
The Election Commission (EC) is set to increase the number of 'special expenditure observers' to monitor illegal cash and inducements being given to voters during the Lok Sabha polls as it has identified about 120 expenditure sensitive constituencies till now in the country, officials said Monday. The poll body, last week, appointed two retired Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officers as special expenditure observers for Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. This is the first time that such observers have been appointed for any polls in the country. They said few more such observers could be appointed by the next week to oversee the work of about 800 central expenditure monitoring teams and observers who track black money, liquor, drugs and other freebies given to voters illegally. The maximum number of election expenditure observers are drawn from the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), while others belong to the IRS (Indirect Taxes and Customs). Officials said the Election Commission, ...
Sukh Ram returns to Congress, calls it homecoming
Former Union Telecom Minister Sukh Ram and his grandson Aashray Sharma on Monday joined Congress in the presence of party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and party in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajani Patil."When I met Rahul ji, he told me that we have family relations. I have spent (my) political life in Congress and today I have come back home," said Sukh Ram who had left the Congress in 2017 and joined the BJP."When I joined BJP, the party got 44 seats out of 68 in the assembly elections (in Himachal Pradesh)," he added."Pt. Sukhram Ji and his grandson Ashray Sharma joining Congress again. He is a 'vikash purush' in Mandi. We believe Pt. Sukh Ram and Ashray Sharma will strengthen Congress in Himachal Pradesh and across north India," Surjewala said addressing a press conference here.Hitting out at BJP for denying Lok Sabha seat to LK Advani from Gandhinagar, he said, "In this country, those in power have driven out their party's 'Bhishmapitamah' Shri L.K. Advani.""On the one hand, an
NCP releases manifesto, advocates talks with Pakistan
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is contesting on 22 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra out of 48, released its manifesto named 'Aao Milkar Desh Banaye' here on Monday ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.The focus of the manifesto was on the relationship with Pakistan, saying it will open talks with Pakistan while also insisting discussions on the issue of terrorism. "We will open talks with Pakistan during which we will insist on discussing terrorism," read the manifesto.While releasing the manifesto, NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said: "It is necessary to strengthen our stand in global circumstances. Hence, the pathway of talks should never be closed. I don't say dialogues will immediately resolve the situation, but it'll lessen the problems".Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi-led Government on its foreign policy, the manifesto stated: "It is important to at least continue working relations with Pakistan as we have with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. The reason ..