Page 1289 - Politics
Disqualified Cong MLA Barad reaches out to Ahirs, flays BJP
At a time when the BJP is trying to woo Ahirs ahead of Lok Sabha polls, disqualified Gujarat Congress MLA Bhagvan Barad, who belongs to the OBC community, accused the ruling party of targetting him in an old case, in which he has been convicted by court. In view of a spate of defections of MLAs from the Congress camp to the BJP recently, Barad alleged the government has adopted a "threat" strategy to make Congress MLAs switch sides. Barad, who represented Talala seat in Gir Somnath district, was disqualified by the Legislative Assembly Speaker, days after he was convicted by a court in an illegal mining case, which handed him a jail term for two years and nine months. His conviction was later stayed by upper court, which was set aside by the Gujarat High Court recently. Barad has challenged his disqualification before the HC. The Election Commission has announced byelections to Talala, Manavadar, Unjha, Jamnagar Rural and Dhrangadhra seats. Except Talala, the sitting ...
Optimistic that matter will be resolved, says Chinese envoy on Azhar listing at UN
China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui Sunday expressed optimism that the issue relating to India's push for designating Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN would be resolved through consultations. "We are optimistic that this matter will be resolved," Luo said on the sidelines of an event at the Chinese embassy here when asked about China putting a hold on listing of Azhar by UN Security Council (UNSC) or UN Sanctions Committee on designating Azhar as global terrorist. He said China understands India's concerns over the issue. "I am quite sure this matter will be resolved. This is only a technical hold and the matter can be resolved through continued consultation," he said. The Chinese envoy also referred to the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April last year and said the cooperation between the two countries are on the "right track". We are quite optimistic about the future ...
Omar will be chief ministerial candidate in JK: Abdullah
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Sunday announced that his son, Omar Abdullah, will be the party's chief ministerial candidate. Kick-starting the party's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls here, the party chief said he will represent Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament. "I will not be the chief minister. The chief minister will be Omar Abdullah as he is young. I am old and I cannot match the energy of young people, but he can. I will go to Parliament and I have full faith that I will be there," Abdullah said addressing a party rally at Bahu Fort here. Accusing the BJP of dividing the people and spreading hatred in the country, he said that the country had to be strengthened within and there was a need to fight polarisation, hatred and injustice. The former chief minister asked people to support those candidates who could run the country based on the principle of equality. He also countered allegations that the National Conference discriminated against Jammu and Ladakh. In a ...
Philippines out of ICC amid drug war inquiry
The Philippines was officially out of the International Criminal Court on Sunday, though the beleaguered tribunal has pledged to pursue its examination of alleged illegal killings in the government's drug war. Under court rules, Manila's withdrawal took force a year after it told the United Nations that it was quitting the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, the second nation to do so. "The Secretary-General... informed all concerned states that the withdrawal will take effect for the Philippines on 17 March," UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko told AFP on Friday. The departure of the Philippines follows the court being hit in recent years by high-profile acquittals and moves by several nations to drop out. Manila moved to quit after the body launched a preliminary examination in 2018 into President Rodrigo Duterte's drug crackdown that has killed thousands and drawn international censure. However, the president's spokesman said Sunday the nation never legally joined the treaty that ..
Congress loses 8th Telangana legislator to TRS
The crisis in Telangana's main opposition Congress deepened further on Sunday with another legislator deciding to join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
Kerala BJP on alert after Cong omits Thomas as LS candidate
With the Congress' first list of 12 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala omitting the name of veteran leader and five-time Lok Sabha MP K.V. Thomas, the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is keeping a close watch on the developments in the state.
DMK names ex-ministers Maran and Baalu, Kanimozhi
DMK Sunday announced former union ministers Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and T R Baalu and its Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi among its candidates for the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies it is contesting in Tamil Nadu. Releasing the list of candidates, which included 13 new faces, party president M K Stalin Sunday said Maran will contest from Central Chennai, A Raja from Nilgiris (SC) and T R Baalu from Sriperumbudur constituencies. His sister and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi will try her luck from Tuticorin constituency in southern Tamil Nadu. Former Union Minister of State, S Jagathrakshakan is fielded from Arakkonam. Kanimozhi's Rajya Sabha terms ends in July this year. DMK has alloted 19 other seats in the state to its allies.
LS polls: BJP workers want Amit Shah to fight from Gandhinagar
Gujarat BJP workers want party president Amit Shah to contest from Gandhinagar parliamentary seat in the state where polling will be held on April 23, a party legislator said on Sunday. The seat is currently held by BJP veteran L K Advani. Observers were sent by the BJP on Saturday to seek opinion of party workers and leaders in Gandhinagar about the candidate from the seat. Most party workers reportedly told the observers that Shah was their choice for the seat. "BJP workers want party president Amit Shah to contest from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. I made this demand in front of the observers and it was supported by all," said Kishor Chauhan, a party MLA from Vejalpur, which is a part of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. He said Shah was earlier an MLA from Sarkhej seat, which is a part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. "He (Shah) knows everybody here and is the right candidate to represent us," Chauhan said. Party sources said MLAs from Naranpura, Sanand and Sabarmati ..
Raj era theft scandal covered up in Britain: Report
Britain's then Prime Minister Clement Attlee, the chiefs of MI6 security service and Buckingham Palace aides all conspired to cover up one of the last scandals of the British Empire involving the theft of charity funds by one of its Governors posted in India, papers in the UK's National Archives have revealed. Sir Arthur Hope, who served as the Governor of Madras Presidency between 1940 and 1946, had been entrusted with donations to the Indian Red Cross. But in 1944, the British establishment became aware of his mounting gambling debts which led him to also misappropriate the funds intended for the charity, 'The Times' reported. Hope reportedly had a passion for race-horses and tended to lose a lot of money on them, which led him to divert charitable funds to deal with mounting debt liabilities. The money he was thought to have siphoned off to settle his debts added up to 40,000 pound at the time. According to the correspondence documents unearthed in the archives, when word reached ..
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announces presidential run
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday officially announced she would seek the Democratic party's nomination for the 2020 presidential election, taking aim at Donald Trump as she formally joined the crowded field of challengers. In a video released Sunday morning, she said the national anthem posed the question: "Will brave win?" "Well, it hasn't always, and it isn't right now," she said. "Brave doesn't pit people against each other. Brave doesn't put money over lives. Brave doesn't spread hate. Cloud truth. Build a wall. That's what fear does." The announcement was widely expected after the 52-year-old champion of women's rights told TV host Stephen Colbert in January she would be forming an exploratory committee. In an election cycle where Democratic candidates are tilting heavily to the left, Gillibrand touted her vote against the Wall Street bailouts supported by both major parties, pledged to work for universal health care, and pass the so-called Green New Deal, an ...
Panun Kashmir welcomes Indian air strike on terror camp in Pak
Panun Kashmir, an organisation advocating the cause of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Sunday hailed the Centre for carrying out an air strike on a terror camp in Pakistan following the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. "We welcome the decision of government of India to inflict debilitating costs on Pakistan for unleashing jihad (holy war) on the territory of India. It is time that a very high debilitating cost is imposed on the jihadi support structures operating on the soil of India," chairman Panun Kashmir Ajay Chrungoo told reporters here. Terming the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami a "step in the right direction", he demanded similar action against Jamiat Ahle Hadith and its sister affiliates, claiming that the organisation has "phenomenally widened its indoctrination infrastructure in the state".
Tie-up between SAD (Taksali) and AAP unlikely
The possibility of a pre-poll alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls looks unlikely, with senior Taksali leader saying the party would contest the polls on its own. The proposed meeting to discuss on the alliance was scheduled to be held between the leaders of the two parties here on Sunday but did not take place. SAD (Taksali) senior leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan blamed the AAP for this, claiming that the party was showing more inclination towards entering into a tie-up with the Congress. He told reporters here that his party would contest the Lok Sabha elections on its own strength. In reply to a question, Sekhwan said the party will soon decide as to how many seats they would contest on. AAP leaders had earlier maintained that SAD (Taksali) did not want to give up the Anandpur Sahib seat from where AAP had already fielded its candidate. Taksali Akalis (old guard), including Sekhwan, who had last year ...
Jana Sena, BSP tie up in AP; Kalyan wants Mayawati to be PM
: The Jana Sena Sunday announced an electoral tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Andhra Pradesh, allotting three Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats to it for the April 11 elections. Announcing this, Sena president Pawan Kalyan said he wished to see BSP chief Mayawati as the Prime Minister. Kalyan had met Mayawati in Lucknow two days ago. BSP senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Veer Singh came to Vijayawada Sunday to formalise the alliance. Accordingly, the BSP has been allotted SC reserved Lok Sabha seats Chittoor, Tirupati and Bapatla. The 21 assembly seats have not been finalised yet. Many could not appreciate her personality and greatness. Country needs a strong leader like Mayawati as Prime Minister. This is the wish of crores of people and mine too, Kalyan told reporters here. A few years ago he was asked to be the BSP AP unit president but he could not oblige because of the then political situation, the Sena chief said. Veer Singh said AP needed a Chief Minister ...
No compromise on NC contesting 3 seats in Kashmir Valley: Omar on pre-poll alliance with Cong
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday said his party was open to a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir if his party were to get to contest the three seats in the valley. "We have had a proposal for an alliance but we have made it clear that National Conference will field its candidates on the three Lok Sabha seats in the valley," Abdullah told reporters at a party function in Khanabal in Anantnag district. The former chief minister said he has conveyed to the Congress his party's willingness to discuss the other three seats -- two in Jammu and one in Ladakh region -- of the state. "Let us see what response we get from them," he added. The parliamentary board of the National Conference is scheduled to meet here on Monday to discuss the probable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Lok Sabha polls: AIADMK, DMK to cross swords in 8 seats in Tamil Nadu
The ruling AIADMK Sunday released the full list of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry to be fought by it and its allies. Only eight constituencies will see arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK crossing swords one on one. If Indiya Jananayaga Katchi (Perambalur) and Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (Namakkal), who will contest with their partner DMK's rising sun symbol and Puthiya Needhi Katchi (Vellore) that will fight in the two leaves symbol of its ally AIADMK is considered, then the clash between the two Dravidian majors will be seen in 11 Lok Sabha seats. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam released the list in presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and BJP Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan. The AIADMK leaders hailed the alliance as a "victorious" one, while BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said people wanted "Modi again", adding that the opposition was indulging only in negative propaganda. Puthiya Needhi Katchi leader A C Shanmugam was also ...
BJP shortlists candidates for all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka
The BJP's Karnataka unit said Sunday that it has shortlisted candidates for all the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies and the party's central election committee would soon take a call on it. "We have shortlisted the names of all the candidates (in Karnataka). The central election committee will take a decision on it and release the list," BJP state general secretary Arvind Limbavali told reporters. He was speaking after the party's state core meeting here, chaired by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa. BJP general secretary and state unit in-charge P Muralidhar Rao, BJP organising secretary (in-charge south India) B L Santosh, former chief ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar were among those who attended the meeting. Limbavali said the state election committee would table the list before the central election committee, headed by its national president, but refused to divulge the names, saying the CEC would announce it later. On the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, where Chief Minister
JNU activist Shehla Rashid enters active politics, joins Shah Faesal's JKPM
JNU student leader and activist Shehla Rashid made her foray into active politics by joining the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' Movement, launched by former IAS officer Shah Faesal here on Sunday. The engineer-turned-activist, who is currently pursuing her PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, shot to fame as a prominent face of the student activism following a controversy over an event at the varsity during which alleged anti-national slogans were raised. "During the past five years, as a student activist, I have been in conversation with all political parties. To join the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' movement was a conscious decision. However, whether or not I will be contesting elections is something I am still giving a thought. For now, I will be focusing on strenghtening the party's base in different areas," Rashid told PTI. In her short address to the supporters of the party at the function at Gindun Ground in the Rajbagh area of the city, she said the JKPM was a movement for ...
Cong says it will solve Naga problem if voted to power
The Congress will solve the vexed Naga problem if voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, NPCC president K Therie said Sunday. "Give us another chance to deliver and if we do not, throw us out," Therie appealed to the voters. Even after the signing of the framework agreement with the NSCN(IM) in 2015 and six Naga nationalist political groups joining the peace talks separately, there has not been a breakthrough on the decades-old Naga problem. "The Indian National Congress and the founding fathers of the Nagaland Congress have delivered political solution in the past due to which the Nagas are enjoying the fruits of statehood and are protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution," the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) chief said in a statement. Chishi was chosen as the Congress candidate to contest the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland after wide consultations to accommodate the views of like-minded parties, societies and groups, he said. The party .
AMMK first list out, fields former AIADMK minister, ex-mayor
The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) headed by TTV Dhinakaran Sunday announced its first list of candidates for 24 Lok Sabha seats and nine nominees for the by-elections to Tamil Nadu assembly. Prominent among those fielded are former minister Isakki Subaya and former mayor Charubala R Thondaiman in South Chennai and Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. The state, which has 39 Lok Sabha seats, goes to single phase polls on April 18 along with bypolls to 18 assembly constituencies. Most of the 18 assembly seats have fallen vacant after the disqualification of 18 ruling party MLAs loyal to Dhinakaran under the anti-defection law in 2017. The AMMK was floated by Dhinakaran last year after he and his aunt V K Sasikala, close aide of late chief minister Jayalaithaa, were ousted by the ruling AIADMK, capping a bitter power struggle in the party. The AMMK has fielded nine of the disqualified MLAs from the constituencies from where they had won in the 2016
UK PM could scrap third Brexit vote: ministers
British Prime Minister Theresa May's government warned Sunday it could scrap a planned Brexit vote this week unless it felt it could win and avoid a long-term EU withdrawal delay. "It would be difficult to justify having a vote if you knew you were going to lose it," International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told Sky News. "We will only bring the deal back if we are confident that enough of our colleagues... are prepared to support it so that we can get it through parliament," finance minister Philip Hammond added on the BBC.