Page 1202 - Politics
AAP to fight upcoming polls in UP, Bihar, Odisha and Andaman
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sunday announced that it will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar and Bihar. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Yogesh Dahiya from Saharanpur, Satish Chandra Sharma from Aligarh and Shweta Sharma from Gautam Budh Nagar for the polls, senior leader Sanjay Singh said in a tweet. The party is likely to contest the April-May parliamentary polls from 25 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The process of selecting candidates for the remaining seats is in the final stage, Singh said. In Bihar, Aleemuddin Ansari has been fielded from Kishanganj, Raghunath Kumar from Sitamarhi and Satyendra Kumar from Bhagalpur, he said in another tweet. In Odisha, Basil Ekka was declared as candidate from the Sundargarh constituency, while Sanjay Meshack will be fielded from Andaman and Nicobar, the party said.
PM urges prominent personalities to inspire people to vote
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday appealed to prominent personalities from different fields to inspire people to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. As part of his "#VoteKar" campaign on Twitter, the prime minister urged personalities from the fields of sports, entertainment, and media to create increased voter awareness. "My fellow Indians, The time has come to say- #VoteKar. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ensure that you as well as your family and friends turnout in record numbers. Your doing so will have a positive impact on the nation's future," he tweeted. "If you are undertaking any innovative voter awareness campaign, do share details using #VoteKar. Together, we will ensure maximum Indians exercise their franchise," he said on Twitter. Modi tagged film personalities and sportspersons like Anupam Kher, Kabir Bedi, Shekhar Kapur, Hritisk Roshan, Madhuri Dixit, Ajay Devgan and Anil Kapoor and urged them to help support the "VoteKar" movement to ensure high voter turnout in .
BJP names its Darjeeling candidate; replaces Union minister Ahluwalia
The BJP Sunday named Raju Singh Bisht as its candidate from Darjeeling seat for the Lok Sabha polls in place of sitting MP and Union minister S S Ahluwalia. In a statement, the party said it has also received support from two local organisations, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Gorkha Liberation Front. Leaders of the two Gorkha outfits met BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is in-charge of the saffron party's affairs in West Bengal, here, it said, describing Bisht as a young party leader. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has managed to win over a section of the Gorkha leadership and has been making a determined bid to wrest the hilly seat from the BJP. The BJP has been winning the seat with support from these Gorkha parties. Its leader Jaswant Singh had won from there in 2009 and Ahluwalia in 2014.
PM Modi to campaign in Odisha on March 29 and April 1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Odisha twice -- March 29 and April 1 -- to campaign for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state. During his back-to-back visits to bolster the BJP's poll prospects in Odisha, Modi is scheduled to attend election rallies in Jeypore on March 29 and Kalahandi on April 1, the party's Odisha unit spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said on Sunday. Ahead of Modi's tour, a galaxy of BJP leaders, including six Union ministers, are slated to visit the state to give momentum to BJP's electioneering. Assembly elections in Odisha is slated to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in four phases from April 11. BJP has so far declared the names of its candidates for 15 Lok Sabha and 121 assembly seats. In the 2014 elections, BJP had won one of the 21 Lok Sabha and 10 of the 147 assembly seats in the state.
Political rhetoric hits new low with 'impotent' slur
With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, political discourse is touching a new low with leaders attacking each other using words like "terrorists" and "impotent".
Modi govt seeking political gains from soldiers' sacrifices:
The opposition alliance in Maharashtra led by the Congress and NCP Sunday kick-started its Lok Sabha poll campaign from Karad in Satara district with a blistering attack on the ruling BJP-Sena combine. NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the Narendra Modi government was trying to make political gains from the valour and sacrifices of soldiers. In a swipe at PM Modi, Pawar said if the PM possessed a "56 inch chest", he should bring back former Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who is jailed in Pakistan over alleged spying charges. "The jawans are willing to undergo any sacrifice for our country. But the current government is trying to make political gains from it," Pawar, a former Defence minister, said. "If you really have a 56-inch chest, bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav," Pawar taunted Modi. Dwelling on poll mathematics, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the BJP won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls because the oppositions' votes got splintered. "The BJP
Jaitley's blog post cover up exercise for BJP's 'colossal failures': Cong
The Congress on Sunday hit back at Union Minister Arun Jaitley over his "dynastic character" attack and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP cannot use such "non issues" to hide the "real issues". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a statement accused the BJP of being a "hypocrite". He alleged that the "dynasty diversion" by Modi and Jaitley is aimed at drawing away the public's attention from issues of "job crisis, rural distress and failed economy". Dubbing Jaitley as a "blog minister", the Congress spokesperson said his "incessant rants" are being used by the Modi government to hide their failures -- unemployment, rural distress, mismanagement of economy and persecution of the weaker sections. "PM Modi and Shri Arun Jaitley cannot hide behind daily blogs on non-issues in order to hide the real-issues," Surjewala said. "The latest outburst of Shri Arun Jaitley against the Congress party is an orchestrated PR gimmick and a cheap cover up exercise for the ...
Jaitley slams Congress over its 'dynastic character'
Claiming Congress leaders were "staring" at defeat in the elections due to their party's dynastic character, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday asked if the party workers were getting frustrated due to their chief Rahul Gandhi's perceived shortcomings.
Maha CM, Thackeray target Pawar, Oppn in first NDA rally
In the first campaign rally of the BJP-led NDA for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday attacked the Congress for questionning 'genuineness' of the cross-border strike. He said only two types of people--Pakistan and the Congress and its allies--are questioning veracity of the operation conducted by the Indian armed forces. Fadnavis also attacked NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the rally, which was held in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, known as the stronghold of the Congress and the NCP. In his address, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray too attacked Pawar for "destroying" Maharashtra during his long political career. "Only two types of people are questioning the surgical strikes. One of them is Pakistan and the other one is Congress and its allies," Fadnavis said. "After the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, there was only condemnation. But after the terror attack in Uri (in 2017), our government carried out a surgical strike," the ...
Peeved over delay in flats, Noida buyers begin NOTA campaign
Peeved over delay in possession of flats, a section of buyers in Noida and Greater Noida Sunday started a unique initiative pledging to go for NOTA instead of any candidate in the Lok Sabha election. The flat buyers under a registered umbrella body Noida Extension Flat Owners and Members Association (NEFOMA) have launched the 'No Home, No Vote' drive to express their angst with their elected representatives and state as well as central governments, the body said. Noida and Greater Noida are part of the Gautam Buddh Nagar parliamentary constituency which has over 22.5 lakh votes. Notably, over five lakh new voters have been enrolled since 2014 and a major chunk of them is flat buyers, according to the district administration. "The flat buyers in Greater Noida west have not got the flats even after the assurance from the prime minister. (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath constituted three ministerial committees but those also did not help. Hence our association has started ..
West Bengal LS candidates campaign in top gear on holiday
Candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal sought to make the most of the second Sunday after the announcement of poll dates, leading processions and holding door-to-door campaigns in their constituencies. Candidates of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP were seen going about different localities with party workers and supporters in tow. The TMC was the first to announce its list for the seven-phase elections in West Bengal, while the BJP declared the names of 28 candidates out of a total of 42 seats in the state, on Thursday. Election fever was quite high at Coochbehar and Alipurduars, the two constituencies in West Bengal which go for polls in the first phase on April 11, with nominees trying to cover as much area as possible. Rahul Sinha, one of the saffron party's national secretaries and a candidate from the Kolkata North seat, paid obeisance at the famous 'Thantania Kali Temple' before walking down the lanes and bylanes of his constituency .
Rahul made crores through illegal means, alleges BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that Congress President Rahul Gandhi has earned crores of rupees through illegal means.
Jittery BJP may pit Shivraj against Digvijaya in Bhopal
The BJP in Madhya Pradesh has withheld its nominee for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat after the Congress formally fielded former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh. The party has deferred a decision on Gwalior and Indore too.
C'garh LS poll: BJP drops former CM's son and Rajnandgaon MP
The BJP Sunday announced candidates for six Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, including high profile Rajnandgaon and Raipur. The other four seats are Bilaspur, Mahasamund, Korba and Durg. On March 21, it had announced names for five other seats. The state has 11 Lok Sabha constituencies. The BJP, which received a severe drubbing at the hands of the Congress in the 2018 Assembly polls, dropped five sitting MPs, including former chief minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek from Rajnandgaon and former Union minister of state Ramesh Bais from Raipur. State unit general secretary Santosh Pandey, who has an RSS background, has been fielded from Rajnandgaon while state party vice president Sunil Soni will contest from Raipur. Soni was formerly Raipur mayor and chairman of the Raipur Development Authority. Other sitting MPs who do not figure in the final list are Chandulal Sahu from Mahasamund, Lakhanlal Sahu from Bilaspur and Banshilal Mahto from Korba. In Mahasamund, Chunnilal ...
Diwali in Pak if Cong wins LS poll: Gujarat CM
A Congress victory "by mistake" in the Lok Sabha election will see Pakistan celebrate Diwali, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani claimed on Sunday. "While this is not going to happen, but when the results (of the general election) are announced on May 23 and (if) the Congress wins by mistake, then Diwali will be celebrated in Pakistan because they (Congress) are all associated with it," Rupani said in Mehsana at the launch of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'vijay sankalp' rally. "The people of the country will ensure Narendra bhai (Narendra Modi) wins on May 23, after which there will be grief in Pakistan," the BJP leader said. Rupani attacked Congress leader Sam Pitroda for demanding proof of the Balakot airstrike. "The world knows Pakistan shelters terrorists. And Sam Pitroda, Rahul Gandhi's teacher, says it is wrong to blame Pakistan for the act of five-seven youths (who carried out the Pulwama attack).... Congress leaders speak the language of Pakistan," Rupani said. The chief ...
Casting a vote to YSRCP is vote for TRS,Modi:Chandrababu Naidu
Continuing his outburst against YSRCP leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the Prime Minister and the Telangana Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Sunday said casting a vote for YSRCP would be akin to one for the TRS and Narendra Modi. Addressing election campaigns in many parts of neighbouring Kadapa district and his native Chittoor district, including Tirupati, for the April 11 simultaneous polls for AP assembly and the Lok Sabha, Naidu, the TDP chief urged people to vote for Telegu Desam for good governance to have a better future for Andhra Pradesh. "Casting a vote to YSRCP will be a vote for TRS, led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, who humiliated the people of Andhra Pradesh in the past," he said. Naidu alleged that Rao had arranged an election fund of Rs 1,000 crore to YSRCP to defeat ruling Telugu Desam Party. He also told the Muslim minorities that a vote for YSRCP was nothing but a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister said his ...
Congress to go it alone in Telangana
: The Congress Sunday said it would contest all the 17 seats in Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled on April 11. "The AICC has decided to contest all the 17 seats. We have no formal alliance with any party in the state-level. For those seats where TJS, TDP, CPI and CPM and others have not fielded candidates, we appeal to them to extend support to the Congress nominees," All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Telangana R C Khuntia told reporters here. The Assembly elections in December last witnessed the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) burying their decades-old rivalry and forging an alliance 'Prajakutami' (People's Alliance), along with Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and Communist Party of India (CPI), to take on the TRS. But the alliance faced a drubbing at the hustings with the Congress finishing a distant second with 19 seats, while the TDP managed to bag two. The TJS and CPI drew a blank. The senior Congress leader further alleged that ...
Cong-NC-PDP alliance in Jammu due to frustration: BJP
The BJP Sunday said the Congress, National Conference and People's Democratic Party formed an alliance in Jammu division under "frustration" as they had no issues to face the public. "The so called strategic alliance of the Congress, NC and PDP on the two Lok Sabha seats of Udhampur and Jammu is a step taken out of frustration due to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi phobia as they have no issues to face the public," senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta said. The Congress and the NC had announced a pre-poll alliance on Wednesday with the Congress fielding candidates from two seats of Jammu division and extending support to the candidature of NC president Farooq Abdullah, who is seeking re-election from Srinagar, while going for a "friendly contest" in rest of the three seats of Anantnag, Baramulla and Ladakh. The PDP, on the other hand, decided unilaterally not to field any candidate from Jammu and Udhampur constituencies to ensure that the "secular votes are
Thai junta party takes shock lead in first general election since 2014 coup
Thailand's ruling junta took an unexpected lead in the country's first election since a 2014 coup with more than 90 percent of ballots counted, putting it on course to return to power at the expense of the kingdom's pro-democracy camp. Sunday's election was held under new laws written by the military to smooth its transformation into a civilian government. While it had set the rules of the game in its favour, analysts had not expected the party to win the popular vote, given mounting anger at junta rule and due to the enduring popularity of Pheu Thai, the party of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The army-linked Phalang Pracharat party, which wants junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha to return as premier, gained more than 7.3 million votes with 91 per cent of ballots tallied, according to the Election Commission -- nearly half a million more than Pheu Thai. The EC said it would announce full results on Monday, including the numbers of lower house seats won by each party. The election pitted a
Priyadarshini Scindia's name for Gwalior crops up
The Gwalior unit of Madhya Pradesh Congress has recommended the name of party General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia's wife Priyadarshini as the Lok Sabha candidate from the constituency. The Congress workers passed a resolution in this regard on Sunday.