Page 1231 - Politics

Telangana Congress to meet Governor, complain about defections

The Congress in Telangana has decided to approach the Governor E S L Narasimhan to complain against the TRS government after nine of its MLAs announced their decision to join the State's governing party since the beginning of this month. CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said a Congress delegation, which would comprise among others former Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, would urge the Governor at tomorrow's meeting at Raj Bhavan to 'come to the rescue of the Constitution and democracy.' "Congress cadre has become more active and vigorous," he told PTI Friday, rejecting suggestions that the party workers have been demoralised after the string of defections ahead of the April 11 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress won 19 seats in the 119-member Assembly in the elections in December last year which saw the ruling TRS returning to power with 88 seats. K Kavitha, Nizamabad Lok Sabha member and daughter of TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, hinted a few days .

LS polls: Cong & NCP to announce Maha seat-sharing on Saturday

The Congress and the NCP will announce their seat-sharing pact and alliances with smaller like-minded parties for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra on Saturday. An office-bearer of the Congress Friday said, both the parties will contest 23 seats each and leave two for allies. The NCP has given Hatkanangale seat from its quota to Raju Shetti of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), while the Congress will leave Palghar for Bahujan Vikas Agadhi. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that although both the parties will carry out the publicity and campaign jointly, they will release their manifestos separately. Apart from the SSS, the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Bahujan Vikas Agadhi, three factions of the RPI led by Jogendra Kawade, Rajendra Gavai and Khobragade group, Loktantrik Janata Dal's Kapil Patil, independent MLA Ravi Rana's local outfit in Amravati are some of the smaller parties supporting the Congress-NCP. Congress has so far announced candidates for 12 .

Close aide of Pulwama mastermind arrested in Delhi

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Sajjad Khan, a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir Khan was arrested by the police here, officials said on Friday. They said Sajjad Ahmed Khan (27), a resident of Pulwama is also suspected to be involved in the conspiracy of Pulwama attacks. Sajjad, who was arrested near the Lajpat Rai market late Thursday night is believed to have been in regular touch with the terror strike mastermind before and after the attack, police said. On Mudasir's instructions, Sajjad had moved to Delhi and lived here under the guise of a shawl vendor to establish a sleeper cell of JeM. Mudasir was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir recently. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a JeM terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus, which was part of a convoy going to Srinagar from Jammu on February 14. The same day, Mudasir contacted Sajjad on .

BJP MP plays down denial of ticket, says he backs nominee

BJP MP and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been denied ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls from his Secunderabad constituency, Friday said he would fully support the candidature of party nominee G Kishan Reddy. Talking to reporters, he recalled that he had contested from Secunderabad for the first time in 1984. "From that day onwards till today, on any single day, I never sought ticket. Party gave me all the opportunities," Dattatreya, a four-time MP from Secunderabad, said. He said he has held various posts and responsibilities, including that of MP, Union Minister, party's national vice-president and national secretary. "So, I have full satisfaction. I am an active political activist. I take felicitations and insults in politics the same way," he said. BJP announced candidates for 10 among the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana Thursday night. Former MLA G Kishan Reddy has been given the ticket to contest from Secunderabad. "Kishan Reddy would have my ..

Samajwadi Party replaces Ghaziabad LS candidate

A day after the BJP announced the candidature of Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh from Ghaziabad, the Samajwadi Party on Friday replaced its previously announced candidate Surendra Kumar 'Munni' with Suresh Bansal.

Congress MP Pala files nomination in Shillong

Sitting Congress MP Vincent H. Pala on Friday filed his nomination papers for the Shillong parliamentary constituency, seeking a third straight term in the Lok Sabha.

Engineer Rashid to contest from Baramulla

A former legislator and chief of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), Engineer Rashid, on Friday said he will contest the Lok Sabha election from Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jagan files nomination from Pulivendula

YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday filed nomination from Pulivendula constituency for next month's elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Italian move to join China's Belt and Road coup for Beijing

Despite criticisms, Beijing has been steadily gathering support for its "Belt and Road" initiative, which aims to weave a network of ports, bridges and power plants linking China with Africa, Europe and beyond. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has pledged to sign a memorandum of understanding this week on supporting the initiative during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has made the initiative a signature policy of his administration. Italy's involvement would give China a crucial inroad into western Europe and a symbolic boost in its economic tug-of-war with the United States. Italy would be the first member of the G-7, a group of seven major economies that includes the United States, to join Belt and Road, following Portugal's embrace of the initiative in December. \ It appears to be driven partly by hopes that Chinese investment in Italy's ports might help revive the country's traditional role as a key link in trade between the East and West. The Belt and Road program is .

CPI(M) comes up with "Iss Bar Modi Berojgar" poll mantra

With a view to freeing the central government from the policies of the NDA, the CPI(M) has come up with the poll mantra "Iss Bar Modi Berojgar" (this time Modi will be unemployed) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The decision was taken during last week's marathon meeting, under the leadership of party secretary general Sitaram Yechury, said sources. Speaking to PTI-Bhasha on Monday, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat said this time her party will campaign with a three-point agenda. First the Modi government must be removed from power to save the country, second, for policy change the left parties must be voted and, third, a secular government must be formed at the Centre, she said. Karat said the left parties have decided on the "Iss Bar Modi Berojgar" mantra in response to the BJP's "main bhi chowkidar" (I too a watchman) campaign on social media. "The CPI(M) has decided to fight the election with other left parties and suitable candidates are being identified. In seats where we ..

Delhi BJP lashes out at Arvind Kejriwal's controversial tweet, says it is a violation of poll code

Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta on Friday lashed out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal over his controversial tweet that depicted his party symbol, a broom chasing a "Hindu swastika", saying it is a violation of the model code of conduct and aims at disrupting communal harmony. The Aam Aadmi Party should be invalidated and strict action should be taken against it for attempts to incite communal tension, Gupta said. The tweet, posted late night on March 20, triggered an uproar on the social media, with the Twitterati slamming the Delhi chief minister for his post, prompting the ruling party to come out with a clarification saying it was not 'Swastik' but the Nazi symbol that the AAP leader had tweeted. "It is not only an objectionable tweet aimed at disrupting the communal harmony but also a violation of the model code of conduct. "What is the kind of message he (Kejriwal) wants to send out? We demand that their party is invalidated and strict action taken against them for attempts to ...

UK's Def Ministry sets up command centre in nuclear bunker amid no Brexit deal fears

The UK's Ministry of Defence has reportedly taken over a nuclear bunker below its offices in central London to set up an armed forces command centre to fine-tune its military readiness of any chaotic fallout in the event that Britain and the EU fail to strike a deal for an orderly transition at the borders. The room beneath Whitehall, which is already used for crisis management throughout the year, would be used to coordinate efforts in the event of a no-deal Brexit to ensure the smooth movement of goods and people. The MoD's Operation Redfold is reportedly the military element of the wider UK government no-deal planning that is labelled Operation Yellowhammer. It comes as Cobra, the UK government's emergency committee, has taken over control of Operation Yellowhammer from the Cabinet Office to start implementing contingency measures from Monday. Almost 1,000 MoD civil servants are on standby to help other government departments, following formal requests for assistance. An MoD ...

Akali Dal rebel Gurtej Singh returns to party

Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, a three-time legislator from Balluana Assembly constituency in Punjab, has returned to the Akali Dal after he left the party in 2017.

DMK leader seeks limited ban on Modi biopic

A leader of the DMK in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu has reportedly written to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a ban on the release of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's biopic till the Lok Sabha polls get over.

Syria ally Iran 'shocked' at Trump Golan decision

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed shock on Friday at US President Donald Trump's acceptance of Israeli sovereignty over Syria's Golan Heights. "All shocked by @realDonaldTrump continuing to try to give what is not his to racist Israel: first Al-Quds & now Golan" Zarif tweeted from Istanbul where he was attending an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Trump said on Thursday the United States should acknowledge Israeli sovereignty over the hotly contested Golan Heights. "After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights," Trump said in a tweet. In 2017, Trump also went against decades of practice in recognizing the disputed city of Jerusalem, called Al-Quds by Muslims, as Israel's capital, rather than the previously accepted Tel Aviv. Iran has been a key ally of the Syrian government during the devastating civil war that erupted in 2011 and a key player with Russia and .

BSY dismisses bribe payment charge as 'malicious', says I-T probe found documents to be fake

The BJP's Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa on Friday rubbished as "atrocious and malicious" the allegation that he had paid Rs 1,800 crore as bribe to the party top brass, after the Congress demanded a Lokpal probe into the issue. The allegation has been already inquired into by the Income Tax department and it has been found that documents are "fake", the former Karnataka Chief Minister claimed, terming it as a "closed chapter". He accused the Congress of raising the issue as it was "frustrated" over its "imminent defeat" in Lok Sabha polls. "To be frank all the issues being raised by Congress including one raised by them today about alleged payment of crores of rupees has been already inquired and it was found that documents are fake," Yeddyurappa said in a statement. He said the Income Tax department officials found that the documents, signatures and handwritten notes were forged. "Congress leaders who are apt in carrying out all these atrocious and malicious campaigns have planted .

Jimmy Carter's new milestone: longest-lived US president

Nearly four decades after voters unceremoniously rejected then-President Jimmy Carter's bid for a second term, the 39th president has reached a milestone that electoral math cannot dispute: He is now the longest-living chief executive in American history. Friday is the 172nd day beyond Carter's 94th birthday, exceeding by one day the lifespan of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. Both men were born in 1924: Bush on June 12, Carter on Oct. 1. It's yet another post-presidency distinction for Carter, whose legacy since leaving office has long overshadowed both his rocky White House tenure and the remarkable political rise that led him from his family peanut farm and a state Senate seat to the governor's mansion and his unlikely presidential victory in 1976. The achievement also defies medical odds, coming more than three years after Carter announced he had melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain. He underwent treatment and ...

India-Pakistan should resolve differences bilaterally: SCO

India and Pakistan should resolve their issues bilaterally, the SCO's new Secretary-General has said, asserting that their participation in the security grouping could become "impossible" without a commitment for an "unconditional" fight against terrorism and separatism. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established in Shanghai in 2001 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as founding members. It was expanded in 2017 with the inclusion of India and Pakistan. Addressing his first press conference here on Wednesday after assuming charge, Vladimir Norov said that the Pulwama terror attack was a "direct provocation" by the opponents of peace between India and Pakistan. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in February 14. "The recent situation between India and Pakistan, which has resulted in human ...

Mahagathbandhan announces seat-sharing formula in Bihar,

The opposition 'Mahagathbandhan' in Bihar on Friday announced its seat-sharing formula for the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, half of which will be fought by Lalu Prasads RJD and nine by Congress. Former JD(U) president and NDA convener Sharad Yadav will be contesting on an RJD symbol and merge his party Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with it after the Lok Sabha polls, RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha and RJD state president Ram Chandra Purve told newsmen. Recent entrants to the Grnad Alliance Upendra Kushwahas Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) and Mukesh Sahnis Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP) will be field their candidates on five and three seats respectively. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) has been given three seats. Leaders of all alliance partners of the Mahagathbandhan, including BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha were present at the press conference. However top leaders like Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Upendra Kushwaha, Sharad Yadav and Jitan ..

Will certainly contest Chandni Chowk LS seat irrespective of alliance with AAP: Sibal

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has said he will "certainly contest" from Delhi's Chandni Chowk seat in the Lok Sabha, irrespective of whether there is an alliance between his party and AAP. Sibal had won twice from Chandni Chowk in 2004 and 2009 before losing to BJP leader Harsh Vardhan in 2014. Asked about his views whether there should be an alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, Sibal told PTI: "I don't know that is for the party to decide. There are two views within the party." "I will certainly contest the Chandni Chowk seat, alliance or no alliance," the 70-year-old leader asserted. Sibal, who has held various important portfolios as a Union minister under the UPA government, is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He was elected to the Upper House in 2016. NCP chief leader Sharad Pawar is making efforts for an alliance between the Congress and the AAP. According to sources, the Congress leadership is also in talks with AAP