Page 1210 - Politics
After quitting BJP, Duryodhan Majhi returns to BJD
Duryodhan Majhi, sitting MLA from Khariar, on Saturday returned to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections."I am glad that Duryodhan Majhi has joined back. I welcome him back to the party. His return will strengthen the BJD," Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told media here.Majhi quit the BJP after the party fielded wife of former BJP MLA Hitesh Bagarti, Rita, from the Khariar Assembly seat. Majhi had quit BJD in 2014 after he was denied a ticket.Odisha will be going to polls in four phases - on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. The state will be voting simultaneously for parliamentary and assembly constituencies.There are 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats at stake in Odisha.
US will continue to support Lebanese army: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said that the US will continue to support the Lebanese army, the National News Agency reported.
Kharge, Rawat, Chavan, Khanduri in Congress LS list
The Congress on Saturday released its eighth list of Lok Sabha candidates fielding Mallikarjun Kharge from his traditional seat of Gulbarga, Manish Khanduri from Garhwal and Meenakshi Natrajan from Mandsour.
US to host Chinese trade delegation starting April 3
The US will host a delegation from China led by Vice Premier Liu He early next month, following a trip by US officials to China in an effort to improve trade relations, the White House said Saturday. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump is sending US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to Beijing starting next week, joined by deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish and other senior Trump administration officials. Vice Premier Liu He and other Chinese officials meet with officials in Washington starting April 3, Sanders said. The trade dispute began last year after the US made several complaints, including that China was stealing US trade secrets and was forcing companies to give them technology to access its market. Trump imposed tariffs on USD 250 billion of Chinese imports, about half what the United States buys from that country. China retaliated with tariffs on about USD 110 billion of US ...
Cong fields Harish Rawat from Nainital, B C Khanduri's son from Garhwal
The Congress on Saturday fielded former chief minister Harish Rawat from Nainital and veteran BJP leader B C Khanduri's son, Manish Khanduri, from Garhwal in its list of candidates for all the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand. It has fielded state Congress president Pritam Singh from Tehri Garhwal, Pradeep Tamta from Almora (SC) and Ambrish Kumar from Haridwar. With Monday being the last date for filing nominations in Uttarakhand, all eyes were fixed on the Congress to announce its candidates for the five seats going to polls on April 11. The BJP has already announced its candidates for the five seats on Thursday. It will be a clash of heavyweights in Nainital with Harish Rawat taking on state BJP president Ajay Bhatt and Pritam Singh battling it out with sitting MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah in Tehri. Though Harish Rawat had lost both the seats he had contested in the last assembly polls, he continues to be a seasoned and the most prominent Congress leader in the state, enjoying a ...
'Desh Mera, Vote Mera, Mudda Mera' campaign launched
Several civil society organisations on Saturday joined hands to launch a nationwide campaign titled 'Desh Mera, Vote Mera, Mudda Mera' to bring people's issues back into electoral focus and highlight failures of the BJP-led NDA government.
Haryanvi artiste Sapna Choudhary joins Congress
Haryanvi artist and popular stage performer Sapna Choudhary joined the Congress on Saturday.
Congress names its 38 more candidates for Lok Sabha polls
The Congress Saturday night released its eighth list of 38 candidates for the April-May parliamentary polls with its leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge being renominated from Gulbarga in Karnataka and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan being fielded from Nanded. The party also fielded its former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat from Nainital constituency. Former BJP chief minister from Uttarakhand B C Khanduri's son Manish khanduri has been fielded from Garhwal Lok Sabha seat. Manish had recently joined joined the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. Former union ministers M Veerappa Moily and K M Muniyappa have been nominated as party candidates from Chikkballapur and Kollar Lok Sabha seats. The eighth list contains party candidates from the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Maharashtra. Meenakshi Natarajan, a close aide of Rahul ..
AAP starts Delhi poll drive with multiple rallies
Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched its Lok Sabha election campaign on Saturday with multiple rallies across the city.
BJP goes safe in Gujarat, repeats 15 sitting MPs
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released its second list of Lok Sabha candidates from Gujarat, containing 15 candidates - all sitting MPs,
Uma stays out of LS polls, appointed BJP Vice President
Union Minister Uma Bharti, who has decided not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, was on Saturday appointed the BJP's national Vice President.
Haryanvi singer-dancer Sapna Chaudhary joins Congress
Haryanvi singer-dancer Sapna Chaudhary joined the Congress on Saturday. Chaudhary was formally inducted into the party at Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar's residence here, sources said. Speculation is rife that she could be fielded from Mathura to take on Bharatiya Janata Party's Hema Malini. Chaudhary later met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary in charge of east Uttar Pradesh.
Eichmann's captor, Israeli ex-spy Rafi Eitan dead at 92: media
Former Mossad spy Rafi Eitan, who commanded the audacious 1960 capture of top Nazi Adolf Eichmann, died on Saturday aged 92, Israeli public radio announced. Eitan, the handler for Jonathan Pollard, a US Navy analyst who passed Israel thousands of top secret documents, was himself wanted by American authorities for a time. He died in the afternoon at Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital, the radio said, without giving further details. "Rafi was one of the heroes of the state of Israel's intelligence service in countless acts for Israel's security," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "We mourn his passing." Eitan also won a rare eulogy from the Shin Bet domestic security service, for whom he had worked. "Rafi, who was one of the founders of the Shin Bet's operations branch, led and participated in dozens of groundbreaking operations that will remain unknown for many years to come," agency chief Nadav Argaman wrote in a statement. "We grieve at his passing and are proud to ...
TRS MP Kavitha thanks people for 'landslide victory' in recent polls, promises 'unexpected development'
TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Saturday thanked people for giving her party landslide victory in the recently held Assembly elections."As you all supported Dr Sanjay in an unexpected way, I promise there will be unexpected development for this constituency," she said."The TRS government has brought many developmental schemes for everyone. We are not just satisfied with it," she said and announced that the pension amount will be increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,000 from May 1.She accused the Central government of being non-responsive to Telangana government's bill which mandated 12 per cent reservation for the minorities."TRS is the only party which thinks about the problems of Telangana public," she said.She also accused the BJP and the Congress of being an expert in giving fake statements."BJP says the Central government contributes Rs 800 out of Rs 1,000 in the pension given by the state government, but the fact is that Central government gives only Rs 200 out of Rs 1,000," she ...
Top US officials to visit China for trade talks next week: White House
United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to visit Beijing on March 28 for the latest round of trade talks in order to finalise a deal, the White House said on Saturday."At the direction of President Donald J Trump, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing, China, for principal-level meetings starting on March 28, 2019, to continue negotiations aimed at improving the trade relationship between the United States and China," an official statement said."The United States principals will be accompanied by Deputy United States Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish and other senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Department of the Treasury," it added.The statement noted that the US looked forward to welcoming a delegation from China led by Vice Premier Liu He for meetings in Washington starting on April 3.The US ..
Digvijay Singh wants to contest from MP's Rajgarh parliamentary seat
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said that his first preference is Rajgarh parliamentary seat for the 17th Lok Sabha elections. "My Rajya Sabha term is till 2020. But if the party wants me to contest the Lok Sabha elections, my first preference will be Rajgarh parliamentary seat. However, I have told the party high command that I will contest from wherever the party asks me," Singh told media persons here. This comes after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Saturday announced that Singh will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal."I had asked Digvijaya Singh to contest from Bhopal and he immediately agreed. Even during the meeting with the Congress high command, his name was suggested," said Nath during an event."I hope the people will support him," Nath said.Singh had represented Rajgarh seat in 1984 and 1991.In Madhya Pradesh, polling will be conducted in four phases--during phase four, five, six and seven scheduled on April 29, May 6, May 12 and May
Cong announces Assembly poll candidates in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim
The Congress on Saturday announced 53 candidates for the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election and 32 nominees for state polls in Sikkim. The Congress has fielded former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki from the Sagalee (ST) Assembly seat. Significantly, the Congress has also fielded Tuki from the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat. Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls.Polls for 60 assembly seats and two parliamentary seats will be held on April 11. Assembly polls in Sikkim will be held on April 11 simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. The Sikkim Legislative Assembly has 32 seats.
Jitin Prasada may take on Rajnath Singh in Lucknow
A day after he brushed aside as "hypothetical" the question whether he was planning to cross over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress sources said on Saturday that former Union Minister Jitin Prasada may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow against Rajnath Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP to support Agatha Sangma in Meghalaya's Tura
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is part of the ruling coalition in Meghalaya but had decided to fight the Lok Sabha polls by itself, on Saturday announced its support to National People's Party candidate Agatha Sangma in the Tura parliamentary constituency.
Cong in Kerala wants Rahul to contest LS polls from Wayanad
The Congress in Kerala has suggested that party president Rahul Gandhi should contest the Lok Sabha election from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, a party bastion in the state. The party argued that Gandhi contesting from two seats in northern and southern regions of the country "will strengthen national unity and integration" and energise the party workers. AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy Saturday said the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has requested Gandhi to contest from Wayanad, but he has not yet commented on the proposal. Speaking on the matter, Congress chief spokesperson Ranadeep Surjewala said, "A decision in this regard is yet to be taken by the Congress President. However, we thank Kerala PCC Unit, Congress workers, leaders and people of Kerala for the immense affection, for the respect as also for the desire with which they have urged Gandhi." He said Amethi will remain Gandhi's "Karambhoomi". Gandhi had been contesting from the Amethi seat from 2004. Talking to ...