Page 1253 - Politics
Congress-NC alliance for Lok Sabha polls in J&K
The Congress and the National Conference (NC) on Wednesday announced a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir but said there will be "s friendly contest" in Anantnag and Baramulla.
No deadlock in Mahagathbandhan over seats: Tejashwi
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has denied reports of a deadlock over seats in the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) in Bihar, saying it has been finalised and will be announced after the Holi.
Holi bonfire: Effigies of Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed put up at Patna neighbourhood
While burning 'Ravana' in a Holi bonfire is a common sight every year, residents of a neighbourhood in the Bihar capital this time have put up effigies of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in the streets for torching them as part of the festive ritual. The effigies have been mounted on top of a huge pile of timber and broken twigs on a street in Kadam Kuan's Nawal Kishor Road, and would be burnt tonight to mark 'Holika Dahan' or the eve of Holi. The pile faces a shop on the street side, selling colours, 'pichkaris' (water toy guns) and fancy masks, while an image of a jawan in combat fatigue and pointing a gun, has been put up on an electric pole in the corner of the road. "People from the local area have put effigies to show solidarity with the spirit that terror activities originating from Pakistani soil would not be tolerated by India and its people. "Pictures of both the terrorists have been pasted on the faces of the effigies," a local ..
State elections deferred as J-K sought 70,000 troops for simultaneous polls: Officials
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections were deferred as the state administration asked for over 70,000 paramilitary troops for conducting simultaneous polls, a demand which could not be acceded to, officials said Wednesday. A home ministry official said the Jammu and Kashmir administration's demand of about 717 companies of paramilitary personnel could not be met as a large number of forces would be required across the country for general elections. A company of paramilitary comprises about 100 personnel. The state elections may be held anytime after the Parliamentary polls, the officials said. The Home Ministry and the administration of J&K, which is currently under the President's rule, had apprised the Election Commission of the security situation in the state when a team of the poll panel had visited there on March 4-5. The EC team had gone there for assessing the situation and checking poll preparedness in the wake of the February 14 terror strike in Pulwama in which 40 ...
Pompeo, in Kuwait, again urges resolution to Gulf crisis
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is renewing calls for a resolution to a festering dispute between Qatar and four other Arab nations, all America's Mideast partners. On a visit to Kuwait, Pompeo says the crisis that has roiled the Gulf Cooperation Council for almost two years is hindering efforts to combat regional threats posed by Iran, the Islamic State group and others. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began a boycott of Qatar in June 2017, alleging that Qatar funds extremists and has too-cozy ties to Iran. Qatar has long denied funding extremists, but Doha shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran. Pompeo is in Kuwait on the first leg of a Mideast tour that will take him next to Israel and Lebanon.
Terror-funding case: Delhi court allows ED to quiz Syed Ali Shah Geelani's son-in-law
A Delhi court Wednesday allowed ED to quiz Altaf Shah, son-in-law of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and others in connection with a terror-funding case involving LeT chief and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Special judge Rakesh Syal allowed the agency to question Shah, Zahoor Watali, an influential businessman who has allegedly friendship with Pakistani leaders and Kashmiri separatists, and Naval Kishore Kapoor, a UAE-based businessman. The court said the Enforcement Directorate would get three days between March 24 and April 5 to quiz Shah, Watali and Kapoor, who were arrested by the NIA in the terror-funding case and are lodged in Tihar jail. NIA had earlier filed a charge sheet against the accused, including Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin, in the case accusing them of "conspiring to wage war against the government" and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley. The agency has charged Pakistan-based terrorists Saeed and Salahuddin, besides 10 others with
Apply C'garh BJP ticket formula to team leader too: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav suggested the BJP on Wednesday that its decision to not give Lok Sabha tickets to sitting Chhattisgarh parliamentarians should apply for the saffron party's "leader" too. "'Vikas' (development) is asking... Why the ruling party is not giving tickets to a majority of its sitting MPs? It means they have accepted their failure. This formula should not only be applied for the team but for its leader also," Yadav tweeted, in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yadav used the hashtag, 'vikas pooch raha hai' (development is asking), to corner the Modi government over its claim of development. "How many more people will be made unemployed by the BJP? For increasing competition among the unemployed, the BJP is not giving tickets to its MPs and making them unemployed," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in another tweet. The SP leader's comments come against the backdrop of the Bharatiya Janata Party announcing on Tuesday that it
Nine sitting MLAs in Kerala in LS poll arena
Nine sitting MLAs of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Opposition Congress headed UDF are in the poll arena in Kerala, waging a do-or-die battle to secure maximum seats for their parties in the Lok Sabha polls. Both the fronts have finalised their candidates and have already hit the campaign trail. However, the Congress leadership is yet to officially release the names of candidates of two constituencies-- Vatakara and Wayanad. Polls in 20 parliamentary seats in Kerala will be held in a single phase on April 23. The BJP, which has only one MLA, has slammed this trend of fielding legislators for the general election, saying it amounted to "mocking" the people of the state. Kerala, which has witnessed bipolar polity since its formation in 1956, is all set for a highly-charged electoral battle this time with the BJP hoping to open its account to the Lok Sabha from the southern state. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded the most number of MLAs -- six. With K Muraleedharan being
India call off Coast Guard meet with Pakistan after Pulwama attack
A dialogue between the Coast Guards of India and Pakistan scheduled to be held from March 6-9 in Pakistan has been cancelled, sources said.According to the sources, Indian DG Coast Guard Rajendra Singh was supposed to visit Pakistan for the dialogue but it has been scrapped in the wake of the Pulwama attack.India had withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status accorded to Pakistan a day after the dastardly terror attack on CRPF convoy in which 40 personnel were killed. On February 14, a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy in Pulwama district of Kashmir.
Shashi Tharoor moves EC against BJP
Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor filed a complaint with the Kerala Chief Electoral Officer against Bharatiya Janata Party and Sabarimala Karma Samithi accusing them of making the malicious attempt in a bid to appeal to religious sentiments of voters.Tharoor in his complaint asserted, " I am writing to file a complaint in relation to a malicious attempt by BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samithi to vitiate free and fair polls in Thiruvananthapuram LS constituency, by publicising materials in a bid to appeal to religious sentiments of voters."Tharoor filed the complaint after fliers were distributed in his constituency accusing Congress and communist parties of harming the interests of the devotees of Sabarimala temple.After Election Commission announced the schedule for Lok Sabha, Chief Electoral Officer T R Meena said, "Citing/invoking or doing some sort of religious propaganda based on Sabarimalajudgement or issue by invoking the name Sabari God etc. will be a clear violation of the Model Code ..
RS Prasad tears into Cong for 'derogatory' remarks against PM Modi
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday hit out at Congress leaders for making "derogatory" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his blog on dynastic politics."The kind of 'abusive' attack the opposition has launched on PM Modi for his comments is 'derogatory'," Prasad told ANI.Earlier today, Prime Minister in his blog post attacked Congress for indulging in dynasty politics, which had left the opposition simmering.Slamming Modi for his comments, Congress leader Tariq Anwar had said: "A person who does not have a progeny cannot take the legacy of the dynasty forward. Modi Ji does not have a successor in the family, which is why he is making such comments."Calling these just mere tactics to deflect the discourse, Prasad said: "I would like to tell them that the entire 130 crores of Indians are part of Modi's family."He also pointed out that in Congress, no one becomes the President or leader unless he is from the family.He also accused the Gandhi family of being ...
TRS hits century as 9th Congress MLA defects
The ruling TRS' tally in the Telangana Assembly reached 100 on Wednesday as another MLA of the main opposition Congress party switched loyalty.
Congress, National Conference announce pre-poll alliance in J-K
The Congress and the National Conference (NC) announced an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir and with Congress set to contest from Jammu and Udhampur while NC chief Farooq Abdullah will contest from Srinagar.Meanwhile, both the parties will field their respective candidates in Anantnag and Baramulla constituencies in a contest that would be 'friendly' and it will be a 'win-win' situation if any of them is victorious from these two seats.The fate of Ladakh seat is yet to be finalized among both the partners. Jammu and Kashmir has six parliamentary constituencies.The poll tie up was formally announced at a joint press conference of the NC and Congress in Jammu on Wednesday, in which NC Chief Farooq Abdullah and Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad represented their parties."Jammu and Udhampur will be contested by Congress, I will contest from Srinagar and there will be a friendly contest between NC and Congress in Anantnag and Baramulla. We are also ..
Bihar Mahagathbandhan seat sharing will be formally announce after Holi : Tejashwi Yadav
Amid reports of ongoing tussle between Congress and RJD over seat sharing in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said that the Bihar "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) is 'intact' and formal announcement of seat sharing arrangement among the allies would be made after the Holi."The Mahagathbandhan is intact and strong and who will contest from where and the Lok Sabha constituencies will be announced formally after Holi. There is nothing to worry, and all is fine in the alliance," said Tejashwi Yadav.SharadYadav of LokJantantrik Party said formal seat sharing announcement for the LokSabha elections in Bihar will be made on March 22."Mahagathbandhan will do a press conference in Patna on 22nd March to formally announce the seat sharing in Bihar," said Sharad Yadav."Talks regarding the seat sharing in Mahagathbandhan has almost been finalised. I only intervene if they need my help, else the people from the Congress and RJD are largely involved in the talks and settle it among ..
BJP may deny tickets to sitting MPs in Jharkhand
With winnability being emphasised as the main criterion in deciding candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand's ruling BJP may deny tickets to some of its sitting MPs.
Ex-Pak prez Zardari, Bilawal appear before anti-graft body in corruption case
Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday appeared before the anti-corruption body and recorded their statements in a graft case. They appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office here in connection with an alleged loan obtained by the Park Lane Estate Company, a Karachi-based real estate firm co-owned by Zardari and Bilawal, Dawn news reported. The NAB has claimed in the case that a piece of land belonging to the Punjab forest department was illegally transferred to the company by some government officials. The anti-corruption body launched an inquiry against the company and the officials. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal later addressed his party workers and media, saying it was PPP's "weakness" and "mistake" to not amend the NAB's "black law". He, however, did not elaborate on the "black law". "This was our mistake, this was our weakness that we did not change this black law which was introduced ..
MNS chief's anti-Modi stand will benefit us: NCP
The NCP feels that MNS chief Raj Thackeray's latest diatribe against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would eventually benefit the Congress-NCP combine in Lok Sabha polls, at least in some urban pockets in Maharashtra. The NCP's optimism stems from the appeal made by Thackeray Tuesday in which he said the Lok Sabha elections is a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rest of the country. Thackeray met NCP chief Sharad Pawar here Wednesday. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which tried hard to be part of the Congress-NCP front ahead of the polls, has already announced not to contest Lok Sabha polls. Though the NCP was in favour of taking MNS on board, the Congress opposed any such move citing the MNS' aggressive brand of politics. In 2014 elections, the MNS had drawn a blank. In the assembly elections held that year, the party won only one seat. Maharashtra will vote in four phases next month. Disgruntled BJP MLA from Dhule, Anil Gote also called on ..
If not pre-poll, anti-BJP forces will come together post elections: Gehlot
In the backdrop of the Congress facing difficulties in forging alliances in a number of states, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asserted that if pre-election tie-ups are not formed due to "compulsions", the anti-BJP forces will come together post the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress wants to enter into alliances in various states and party president Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that the party will take to the electoral battlefield in the Lok Sabha elections with its alliance partners, Gehlot said. "The BJP has massive resources at its disposal. It wants to capture power by misusing the resources at its disposal and on money power. "The Congress has its compulsions as it is a national party. If the Congress does not forge alliances properly and its workers do not align with the alliance partners, then what is the use of such a tie-up," the senior Congress leader said during an interaction with PTI. Talking about the Congress and the SP-BSP-RLD alliance fighting separately in .
Goa CM Pramod Sawant wins trust vote
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday won the trust vote in the state Assembly and pledged to carry forward his late predecessor Manohar Parrikar's vision of "positive thinking".
Exodus continues from BJD as MP, MLA resign
The exodus from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha continued with Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh and Daspalla MLA Purna Chandra Nayak resigning from the party on Wednesday.