Page 1216 - Politics
Maharashtra: Cong, NCP seal seat-sharing deal
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), along with smaller parties, on Saturday sealed their seat-sharing agreement for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.Announcing the break-up, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and state Congress chief Ashok Chavan, "Congress will contest on 24 seats, NCP on 20 seats, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi on one seat, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana on two seats and Yuva Swabhimani Paksha on one seat."The finalising of the seat-sharing deal comes days after NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that he will not contest in the impending Lok Sabha elections.Meanwhile, the Congress has announced candidates for 12 seats and NCP for 16 seats in Maharashtra.On February 18, the BJP and its NDA ally Shiv Sena had announced the seat-sharing deal in the state. According to the agreement, the BJP will fight on 25 seats and Shiv Sena on 23 seats.In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 seats while the Shiv Sena garnered 18 seats. The NCP and Congress won just ...
Cong takes swipe at Modi over greetings to Pak
The Congress on Saturday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending best wishes to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the eve of its National Day, alleging that he had been on good terms with the Pakistani establishment even earlier. "Remember Modiji...you embraced (then Pakistani premier) Nawaz Sharif, called him to your inauguration and showed what a change it would be. It was you who shared a birthday bash, gave him gifts. While our PM never visited Pakistan, you gave him gifts and then you are teaching us lessons on Pakistan?" said senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal. Official sources said Friday that Modi sent a letter to Khan, greeting people of Pakistan on the eve of its National Day and highlighting the importance of a terror-free South Asia. Modi's message to Khan came in the midst of severe strain in ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the Pulwama attack and the subsequent air strikes by India on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's ...
Gaffe in nomination papers of Naidu&son leave TDP red faced
: Telugu Desam leaders in Andhra Pradesh were left red faced after a glaring blooper in the election nomination papers submitted by party president N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh went viral on the social media Saturday. In one of the annexures to the Chief Ministers nomination papers, Kharjura Naidu has been named as Chandrababu Naidu's 'husband' instead of father. And the same mistake was committed in Lokesh's papers, where Chandrababu Naidu was named as his 'husband'. While Naidu filed his nomination for the Kuppam assembly seat in his native Chittoor district, Lokesh filed his papers for Mangalagiri seat in the state capital region Amaravati. A certified extract of the electoral roll, where a candidate is registered as a voter, has to be annexed to the nomination. It was in this that the glaring mistake was committed. "Actually, the extract was issued by the electoral registration officer concerned, who is the competent authority. He made this mistake," a .
SAD to announce remaining candidates within week: Sukhbir
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Saturday that his party will come out with names of candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha seats in a week. The party had already announced to field Bibi Jagir Kaur and Charanjit Singh Atwal from Khadoor Sahib and Jalandhar seats respectively. "The party will release its remaining candidate list for the parliamentary election in another one week or so, said Sukhbir here. Out of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, Akali Dal contests on 10 and BJP on three. The seven-phased Lok Sabha polls will be held from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 23. Punjab will go to polls in single phase on May 19. SAD chief said he held a meeting on Saturday with party leaders and workers of Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary constituency. He further said the party would start a week long membership drive starting April 1 during the course of which party office bearers would fan out across the state to register new ...
With fall of ISIS in Syria, a major danger is eliminated: French President
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that a "major danger" for France has been "eliminated" after Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that the "last bastion" of Islamic States--Baghouz--has fallen in Syria."The stage reached today is immense: a major danger for our country is eliminated," President Macron wrote on his Twitter handle."I pay tribute to our partners and the armies of the international coalition, of which France is a part. They fought the terrorists with determination, for our security," he said."The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has lost its last stronghold, Baghouz, in eastern Syria," the SDF announced on Saturday."Syrian Democratic Forces declare total elimination of so-called caliphate and 100 per cent territorial defeat of ISIS. On this unique day, we commemorate thousands of martyrs whose efforts made the victory possible," tweeted Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF press office.The terror group had once controlled vast ...
Every citizen of India is a Chowkidar, says Piyush Goyal
Union Minister for Railway Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that all the citizens of India are 'Chowkidars.' He was addressing the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' programme here."All the citizens of our country are Chowkidars--from students and housewives to all professionals. Every person should be true to his work to secure the future of our country" said Goyal.Goyal claimed that 130 crore people of the country feel secure because of the NDA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has become the 'Chowkidar' for the security and development of the country."We are not like the previous government who remains silent after attacks in India. BJP government gives a reply to these attacks. Modi is the only Prime minister who has worked 365 days without taking leave to make our country secure."Attacking the opposition, Goyal said: "Congress Manifesto Committee chief on Friday while talking about the terrorist attack in Mumbai said 'some things happen.' This shows the mindset of the opposition. ..
Pak violates ceasefire in J-K's Poonch, Indian Army retaliating
Pakistan on Saturday violated ceasefire in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir at around 5The Indian Army is strongly retaliating to the unprovoked ceasefire violation.More details are awaited.On Friday also, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Poonch district by resorting to mortar shelling and firing from small arms along the LoC.
Elections a battle between unity and hatred: Rahul
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "lying all day in his speeches", Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday termed the coming Lok Sabha elections a battle between the Congress' idea of unity and the BJP-RSS' ideology of "divisiveness and hatred".
Cong petitions Guv on TRS 'encouraging' defections of its MLAs
Congress Saturday petitioned the state Governor over the ruling TRS in Telangana allegedly encouraging defections of its MLAs and said it would also complain to the Lokpal on the matter. "We request you to send the copy of our representation to the President of India and Union Ministry to impose President's rule by invoking Article 356 of the Constitution of India," the memorandum said. Copies of the memorandum were later shared with the media. "...Lok Pal has been constituted. This was an act passed by the UPA-2 government and I was the law minister to draft this... this will be the first complaint to be lodged there," senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily told reporters here. The Congress' ire came in the wake of nine of its MLAs announcing their decision to quit the party and support TRS. Many among them said they would quit as MLAs and seek re-election, if necessary. The party had won 19 seats (out of total 119) in the Assembly elections in December last year and the
Abhay Chautala resigns as LoP, seeks disqualification of five legislators
INLD secretary general Abhay Chautala Saturday resigned from the post of Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly and sought disqualification of five of his MLAs for alleged anti-party activities. Abhay Chautala, who is an MLA from Ellanabad said he would also write to the Lok Sabha Speaker to seek disqualification of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala, the son of his elder brother Ajay Chautala. "I have written a letter to the Haryana Assembly Speaker today and demanded the disqualification of four MLAs who are supporting Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) for indulging in anti-party activities, said Chautala here. Ajay Chautala's two sons, Dushyant and Digvijay were expelled from the Indian National Lok Dal last November after their supporters had heckled Abhay Chautala at a rally in Gohana amid a power struggle in Chautala clan. This eventually resulted in Ajay Chautala and his sons floating a new outfit, Jannayak Janata Party, with four INLD MLAs - Anup Dhanak (Uklana), Rajdeep Phogat (Dadri), ..
More than 630 civilians killed in Syria anti-IS fight: monitor
More than 630 civilians were killed in the six-month operation against the Islamic State group that culminated in its defeat by US-backed Syrian forces on Saturday, a monitor said. The civilian dead -- among them relatives of IS fighters -- included 209 children and 157 women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces launched their offensive against the jihadists' last bastions in the Euphrates Valley on September 10, taking town after town before finally announcing victory in the village of Baghouz on Saturday. The Britain-based Observatory said the operation had cost the lives of 730 SDF fighters while 1,600 jihadists were also killed. The SDF does not usually divulge its losses for months. The Observatory says its figures are drawn from a network of sources inside Syria.
Cong-NCP announce seat-sharing pact in Maha
The Congress and the NCP Saturday announced their seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with the two parties agreeing to contest 26 and 22 seats respectively. Addressing a press conference here, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar said 56 parties and organisations have come together to support the alliance to take on the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. From its share of seats, the Congress will give Palghar seat to the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and another undeclared seat to Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. From its 22 seats, the NCP will leave Hatkanangle seat for Shetti, who is the sitting MP from there, and give another to Independent MLA Ravi Rana's Yuva Swabhiman Party. Without naming any parties, Chavan and Pawar dubbed those who stayed away from the Congress-NCP alliance as the "B team of the BJP". The remarks were an apparent reference to Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash ...
Banned JKLF was first to raise slogan of 'azadi'
Yasin Malik-led Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, which was banned by the government on Friday, was the first terrorist group to raise the slogan of 'azadi' in the state and among its first targets was a BJP leader, a Kashmiri Pandit, in 1989, officials said. The JKLF was responsible for a litany of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since 1980s. Raising the slogan of 'azadi', the group targeted Kashmiri Pandits, government employees and ordinary, peace-loving Kashmiri people, a security official said. The JKLF targeted a Kashmiri Pandit for the first time on September 14, 1989 when it killed Pandit Tikalal Taploo, the state BJP vice president, in front of several people, a security official said. The terror group was also involved in the blasts at three government buildings, including the Telegraph Office in Srinagar, on August 1, 1988. JKLF terrorists killed Mohammad Yousuf Halwai, a local leader of the National Conference, in Srinagar on August 17, 1989 and shot dead retired ...
Macron says IS defeat removes 'significant threat' to France
French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the fall of the so-called "caliphate" run by Islamic State jihadists in Syria has removed a source of potential terror attacks against France. "A significant threat to our country" has been "eliminated", Macron said on Twitter, adding that "the step taken today is immense." "But the threat remains and the fight against terrorist groups must continue," he said. France has suffered a wave of jihadist-inspired terror attacks that have killed 250 people since 2015, when gunmen massacred 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The next day a man took hostages at a Jewish supermarket on the edge of Paris, killing four before being shot and killed by police. "If you attack the caliphate, we will attack you," the attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, said in a posthumous video. Macron's comments came as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and other officials gathered in Trebes, southern France, to mark the first anniversary ..
Backed by Cong-ZPM, sports journalist files nomination in
Sports journalist and Mizoram Football Association honorary secretary Lalnghinglova Hmar filed his nomination for the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat as the candidate of the Congress-ZPM combine on Saturday. The opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and the Congress have forged an alliance to contest the Lok Sabha election and an Assembly by-poll in the state. Returning officer Vanlalngaihsaka told PTI that two Independent candidates - Lalnghinglova Hmar and Lalthlamuani - filed submitted their papers Saturday. Hmar, who was not into active politics, did not want to contest the election as a political party candidate and that is why he is contesting as an Independent, sources said. The Congress needed a fresh face for the Lok Sabha seat as its sitting MP, 84-year-old C L Ruala, had said he would not contest because of old age. Lalthlamuani, the other Independent candidate to submit papers Saturday, is a woman. With these two, altogether four candidates filed their ...
BJP axes five sitting MPs in Assam
The ruling BJP in Assam has axed five sitting MPs from contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and selected new faces instead.
BJP takes dig at Rahul over rise in income between 2004 and 2014
The BJP Saturday cited the rise in Congress president Rahul Gandhi's income between 2004 and 2014 to question its source, claiming he had no ostensible source of income. There was no immediate response from the Congress. BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media that Gandhi's income had risen from over Rs 55 lakh in 2004 to Rs 9 crore in 2014 as per his election affidavits, and asked how can a mere MP witness such a jump in income. "In his election affidavit in 2004, his income was Rs 55,38,123 while in 2009, it rose to Rs 2 crore and in 2014 it rose to Rs 9 crore. We know how much an MP earns. We want to ask what is this Rahul Gandhi model of development without an ostensible source of income," he said. He also questioned Gandhi whether he had bought two properties from Unitech which was linked to the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Haryana Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala resigns
Haryana's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala has resigned as the Leader of Opposition from the state Assembly.
Palaniswami pledged AIADMK with BJP: Stalin
DMK President M.K. Stalin on Saturday said Chief Minister K. Palaniswami has pledged his party AIADMK to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to escape corruption complaints.
Ban on JKLF 'undemocratic' : JRL
Separatists Saturday said the Centre's decision to ban Jammu and Kashmir Liberatation Front headed by Yasin Malik was "undemocratic" and "political vendetta". Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), an amalgam of separatist groups, called for a general strike on Sunday to protest against the ban imposed by the government on the JKLF. "The Government of India's decision of banning the JKLF for five years is highly authoritarian, autocratic and pure political vendetta," the JRL said in a statement. The JRL urged people of Kashmir to observe a complete shutdown on March 24 against "the arbitrary and undemocratic decision" of the government. "The way Government of India is announcing bans and crackdowns on the organizations associated with the Kashmir struggle, arresting the leadership and slapping them with draconian PSA, killing youth in custody .... exposes their hollow claims of democracy," it said. This is the second organisation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been banned this month. ...