Page 1224 - Politics
Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh files nomination
Andhra Pradesh IT minister and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh on Friday filed nomination to contest from Mangalagiri constituency in Amaravati in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Lokesh, who is the general secretary of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), will be contesting for the first time. He filed nomination papers at the Mangalagiri Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) in the presence of his mother Bhuvaneswari, wife Brahmani and son Devansh.After filing the nomination, Lokesh cast his vote in the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections at a polling booth in Polakampadu Mandal Parishat elementary school.Andhra Pradesh, which has 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats at stake, will go for simultaneous polling on April 11.
SP leader Bal Kunwar Patel joins Cong, to contest from Banda
Former Samajwadi Party MP from Mirzapur, Bal Kunwar Patel on Friday joined Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and the party's western Uttar Pradesh in-charge Jyotiraditya Scindia were also present on the occasion.Patel, who was a prominent face for the Samajwadi Party (SP) from the Kurmi community, will contest polls from Banda Lok Sabha seat in the impending polls.Patel was elected as a Member of Parliament on an SP ticket from Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat in 2009. In 2014, the party changed his constituency from Mirzapur to Banda, where he lost by a narrow margin.There are 80 Lok Sabha seats at stake in Uttar Pradesh, polling for which will be held across all seven phases starting April 11.
India boycotts Pak National Day event, PM Modi sends customary greetings to Imran
India on Friday decided to boycott the Pakistan National Day reception organised by the Pakistan High Commission here, citing invitation to separatists from Jammu and Kashmir as the reason behind the boycott.However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the occasion."Received message from PM Modi: I extend my greetings & best wishes to the people of Pakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that people of sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive & prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence," the Pakistani Prime Minister tweeted.Speaking on Prime Minister Modi's greetings, government sources told ANI that this is a customary unsigned letter which is sent to other heads of states on their National days as well. The sources further emphasised that the letter to Khan highlighted terrorism in South Asia.India has been asking Pakistan to act against terrorists operating ..
LS polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha candidates in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections.The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).The decision was taken after a meeting of the Central Election Committee of the BJP here. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among others.Speaking to ANI after the CEC meeting here, Union Minister JP Nadda said, "We have come out with a list of 36 new candidates which includes Odisha BJP President Basant Panda, senior leader Suresh Pujari and our spokesperson Sambit Patra. We would like to clear the first and second ...
J. Chittaranjan Das, Ananda Bhasker Rapolu resign from Congress
Former Andhra Pradesh minister J. Chittaranjan Das and former Rajya Sabha MP Ananda Bhasker Rapolu resigned from the Congress party on Friday.In his resignation letter, addressed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Das claimed there is no social equality and respect for the senior members in the party.Meanwhile, Konda Vishweshwer Reddy, a former Chevella MP from Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), filed nomination papers for the Chevella seat on a Congress ticket.before filing nomination, Reddy performed a puja at the Venkateshwara Swamy temple here in Jubilee Hills.Telangana will go to polls on April 11, and counting of votes will take place on May 23.
May pushes for Brexit deal with new timetable
British Prime Minister Theresa May rounded up her ministers on Friday to plot a renewed bid to convince MPs to back the EU divorce deal, after securing a delay to Brexit. The premier faces daunting odds to persuade British lawmakers to support a plan they have already overwhelmingly rejected twice, by a new April 12 deadline agreed with European Union leaders. If May succeeds, Britain -- which was staring at a cliff-edge deadline of March 29 for leaving the EU -- will depart on May 22 under the terms of a withdrawal agreement struck with Brussels last year. But if MPs defeat the accord again next week, as appears likely, then Britain must outline a new plan or face a no-deal Brexit as early as April 12, unless London decides to request another extension. A further extension would require Britain to take part in European Parliament elections in May, despite having voted to leave the bloc three years ago. "Until April 12, anything is possible," EU Council President Donald Tusk told ...
Syria force still fighting IS in last holdout: spokesman
US-backed forces in eastern Syria said Friday they were still fighting to expel the last Islamic State group jihadists hunkering down in tiny pocket and refusing to surrender. "Clashes are ongoing in Baghouz" village, said Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman Adnan Afrin. "Small IS groups refusing to surrender are launching attacks and our forces are responding." He spoke after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said "the territorial caliphate has been eliminated in Syria.
Thai parties hold final campaign rallies before election
Thailand's main political parties held their final major rallies ahead of Sunday's general election, urging their supporters on and highlighting policies they hope will bring them victory. The polls follow five years of military rule that began with a coup during a long-running battle for power between supporters and opponents of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by an earlier coup in 2006. The main parties' prime ministerial candidates spoke at rallies in stadiums in Bangkok, the capital. They included Prayuth Chan-ocha, who heads the current military regime, and Sudarat Keyuraphan, representing Thaksin's political machine, the army's main antagonist. The most powerful anti-Thaksin party is Palang Pracharath, seen as a proxy for the military. Prayuth, Its candidate, led the 2014 coup that ousted a government led by Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra. Prayuth served as junta chief and prime minister in a regime that cracked down on dissent and issued a
GFP leader Monserratte says he will contest Panaji bypoll
The Goa Forward Party (GFP), a BJP ally, found itself in an embarrassing situation when its vice-president and former state minister Atanasio Monserratte Friday announced he would contest the Panaji assembly bypoll. Monserratte said he would be contesting as an Independent from the Panaji constituency which fell vacant following the death of its sitting MLA and former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday last. "I have decided to contest. Since my party is not willing to give me ticket, I would resign and fight as an Independent candidate," said Monserratte, who has earlier represented constituencies like St Cruz and Taleigao, bordering Panaji. A Monserratte-led panel is ruling the Corporation of City of Panaji, the civic body for the state capital. Reacting to his statement, Deputy Chief Minister and GFP president Vijai Sardesai said he would never support Monserrattes decision to contest against the official candidate of the BJP-led ruling coalition. "If he is ...
Kashmiri human rights activist briefly detained outside Pak High Commission
Delhi Police briefly detained Kashmiri human rights activist Mohammed Ahsan Untoo when he was about to enter the Pakistan High Commission on Friday, officials said. Untoo, who runs International Forum of Justice and Human Rights, was invited among others, including separatist leaders, from the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir by the High Commission to attend an event to mark Pakistan's National Day. Untoo was released after questioning. "They were very nice to me. Misunderstanding cropped up and every thing was cleared," he told PTI after his release. Separatists from the state, including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and others, have been staying away from the function for the last three years. Pakistan Day is celebrated to mark the Lahore Resolution on March 23 each year. Untoo had recently met jailed JKLF leader Yasin Malik at Kot Balwal jail in Jammu. He has been taking up the cases related to alleged human rights violation at the State Human Rights ..
Protests erupt in West Bengal over BJP's LS poll candidate selection
Protests erupted in various parts of West Bengal after the BJP, in its first list of 28 candidates, nominated its veterans and defectors from the ruling Trinamool Congress to take on Mamata Banerjee's party in the state. With old-timers being overlooked in favour of turncoats and newcomers, protestors gathered outside BJP offices in various parts of the state and, in some places, put up posters of rejected ticket aspirants outside the offices. BJP state vice-president Raj Kamal Pathak submitted his resignation after he was denied a party ticket. The saffron party, which bagged two Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2014 elections, is now targeting 23 of the state's 42 constituencies. Of its 28 candidates, nearly 25 are new faces, with a thrust on active political workers rather than greenhorns from the glamour world. Unlike the TMC which had 18 new faces and a mix of old-timers and greenhorns, hardcore politicians and personalities from the film industry, the BJP has put faith on ..
Union ministers Goyal, Javadekar slam Congress leader Sam Pitroda for remarks
Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar slammed Congress leader Sam Pitroda for his remarks questioning the government's aggressive action against Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack, and demanded an apology from his party president Rahul Gandhi. "He has shown to the people of this country the true ideology and mindset of the Congress. Sam Pitroda reflects absolutely deplorable mindset of Rahul Gandhi and Congress party. Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to the entire nation and to our armed forces and to those who have given up their lives to protect the sovereignty and integrity of India," Goyal told reporters in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. The Railways Minister accompanied his ministerial colleague Jitendra Singh, who filed his nomination papers as the BJP candidate from the Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency. "It is a sad day for all of India...I think people of India will not forgive them. They will not forgive Rahul and his aide Sam," Goyal ...
TMC removes Cong's name from its logo
Twenty-one years after officially separating from the Congress, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has removed the grand old party's name from its logo. The new logo has Trinamool written in green with twin flowers and blue background. It has been in use for a week now, party sources said. It was way back in 1998 that present West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Congress and formed the TMC over differences of opinion on dealing with the then ruling CPI(M). "TMC is called Trinamool and after 21 years, it was time for change," a party leader said. The Congress name has been dropped from party banners, posters and all communication material. However, it will remain registered with the Election Commission as Trinamool Congress, party sources said. The official Facebook and Twitter pages of the party, the CM, her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and Trinamool's leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O Brien already have the new logo.
Two LeT terrorists, minor held hostage killed in Hajin encounter
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists and a minor boy who was held hostage were killed during an encounter in Hajin locality of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said on Friday.The gunfight, which took place between the security forces and terrorists on Thursday afternoon, ended this morning. While searching the area, security forces found charred bodies of both the terrorists and a 12-year-old boy who was among the two taken as hostage by them.The terrorists have been identified as Pakistani nationals Ali and Hubaib."Two LeT terrorists were killed in the encounter. The incriminating materials which we found at the site revealed that the two were Pakistani nationals Ali and Hubaib. One of them was involved in many civilian killings," Bandipora Senior Superintendent of Police Rahul Malik told media persons here."Hostage Ab Hameed was safely rescued on Thursday but minor boy Aatif could not be saved and was brutally killed by terrorists," the SSP added.While one of the hostages .
Interference in EC schedule only in rarest of rare cases: HC
The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed three PILs seeking to reschedule the April 18 Lok Sabha polls for Tamil Nadu in view of religious festivals and events, saying only in the rarest of rare cases could it interfere in the Election Commission schedule. Referring to several Supreme Court judgements, a division bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad said, "The apex court has made it clear that Article 324(1) is a plenary provision vesting the whole responsibility of national and state elections on the Election Commission of India (ECI)... the commission has to comprehend the process of election in the entire country, while conducting the elections for Parliament." It has to take into account the selection of booths, movement of para-military forces throughout the country and several other factors, the court said. Once the election schedule is fixed, it should not be interfered with, unless some event occurs which was not in the contemplation of the ...
Naveen's 'no' to Holi in view of Pulwama attack; others
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik refrained from activities relating to Holi in view of the Pulwama terror attack, the festival of colours was celebrated by politicians ahead of the upcoming twin elections in the state Friday. A statement released by the Chief Minister's Office said Patnaik did not celebrate Holi as a mark of respect to over 40 jawans who were killed in the terror attack on February 14. The chief minister, however, greeted the people on Holi. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Patnaik, also BJD president, extended his greeting in Odia language. Other BJD leaders, however, celebrated the festival. Minister Ashok Chandra Panda and former minister Sanjay Dasburma, Amar Satpathy and others enjoyed Holi. The festival was also celebrated at the state Congress headquarters here where senior leaders including former minister Suresh Routray participated. CPI(M) leader and the party's Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat candidate Janardan Pati attended the Holi ...
There's no respect for freedom of speech in BJP: Rahul
Expressing concern over the health of a Manipur-based journalist who is under detention, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday targeted the BJP alleging the party has "no respect" for freedom of speech. According to media reports, Kishorechandra Wangkhem, the Manipur-based journalist jailed since November 27 under the National Security Act (NSA), has taken seriously ill and is being treated at the government-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) in Imphal. "I am concerned about the falling health of Mr. Wangkhem. I understand that there's no respect for freedom of speech in the BJP but I'd still expect some humanity from its governments," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. "I wish you a speedy recovery, Mr. Wangkhem. My prayers are with you," he said. Manipur is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
White House: Islamic State territory in Syria eliminated
All Islamic State-held territory in Syria has been eliminated, President Donald Trump announced Friday, though officials said sporadic fighting continued on the ground between coalition forces and the group's holdouts. The complete fall of the last IS stronghold in Baghouz, Syria, would mark the end of the Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate, which at its height stretched across large parts of Syria and Iraq. Controlling territory gave the group room to launch attacks around the world. President Donald Trump said Friday "it's about time" that the group no longer controlled territory in the region, after a campaign by U.S. and coalition forces that spanned five years and two U.S. presidencies, unleashed more than 100,000 bombs and killed untold numbers of civilians. The IS "territorial caliphate has been eliminated in Syria," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One. US officials familiar with the situation in Syria said again Friday that .
BJP leaders coming out with their own versions: DK Shivakumar on Yeddyurappa 'diary' row
Amid the political slugfest over a 'diary' alleging that top leaders of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had received Rs 1,800 crore from former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Friday asserted that some BJP leaders were coming out with their own versions.He further said that he would comment on the matter at an appropriate time."Some BJP leaders are coming out with their own information based on what information they had. Let me go through it. I don't want to comment on it. I will comment on it at an appropriate time. (Congress) Party members have not spoken to me on this issue right now," Shivakumar told reporters here.Shivakumar's comments came after the BJP raked up the issue of raids by Income Tax officials on the Karnataka Congress leader's properties in August 2017, in response to Congress' allegations."On August 2, 2017, raids were conducted on Shivakumar. He handed over a loose sheet to the IT officials, saying ..
Tamil Nadu: Sulur assembly seat declared vacant after death of MLA R Kanagaraj
Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan on Friday declared the Sulur constituency of Coimbatore district as vacant after the demise of Sulur MLA R Kanagaraj.With his demise, the number of vacant seats in the state Assembly has gone up to 22."A vacancy has occurred among the Members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly consequent on the demise of Thiru R Kanagaraj, a member elected to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the 116 Sulur Assembly Constituency, Coimbatore district," a notification released by Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat said.R Kanagaraj, AIADMK MLA passed away on Wednesday due to cardiac arrest. He was 67. Leaders across the party line condoled his death.With his death, the strength of the Tamil Nadu assembly has come down to 213.Out of 22 vacant seats, elections to 18 of these seats are scheduled to be conducted along with ensuing Lok Sabha polls.