Page 1296 - Politics
Told Republicans to 'vote for transparency' in making Mueller's Russia probe report public: Trump
US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed he told Republican leadership to vote in favour of making public, Robert Mueller's report on alleged Russian interference in 2016 presidential election, asserting that it would "makes us all look good.""On the recent non-binding vote (420-0) in Congress about releasing the Mueller Report, I told leadership to let all Republicans vote for transparency. Makes us all look good and doesn't matter. Play along with the game!" Trump tweeted.The US House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution directing the Justice Department to release special counsel Robert Mueller's highly anticipated inquiry report in the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.Lawmakers passed the non-binding measure by 420 votes to nil. Notably, four Republicans voted present on the resolution in the House. The resolution calls for the Justice Department to release Mueller's report on Russia probe to the Congress and the public.The ..
LS polls: IPFT declares two candidates for Tripura, says will continue to support BJP
BJP's alliance partner Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) on Saturday announced its own nominees for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura.The IPFT nominated party President and Revenue Minister Narendra Chandra Debbarma from the Tripura East seat and youth leader Sukhla Charan Noatia from the Tripura West.Senior leaders of the IPFT including the party president N C Debbarma and general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia were present in the press conference held here on Saturday evening."We have been asking the BJP to leave East Tripura scheduled tribe reserved seat for us since it is reserved for tribals. But the BJP did not accept their proposal," Jamatia told ANI.Jamatia added that IPFT is still keeping its doors open for the BJP for dialogue and if BJP withdraws its candidate from the East seat then IPFT will also withdraw its candidate from the West seat."We were left with no other option but to put up candidates in both the Lok Sabha seats. However, we would keep supporting the
Congress releases fourth list for LS polls
The Congress on Saturday night released its fourth list of party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki from Arunachal West constituency and former MP Harender Malik from Kairana.
Congress releases 4th list for LS polls, Shashi Tharoor, Nabam Tuki to contest again
Former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor and former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Nabam Tuki are among 27 candidates who will be fielded by Congress party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.According to its fourth list released late on Saturday night, Congress has finalised candidates for 12 seats in Kerala, seven in Uttar Pradesh, five Chhattisgarh, two in Arunachal Pradesh and one in Andaman and Nicobar islands.Two-time sitting MP Shashi Tharoor has been fielded from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala and former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki is set for a face-off in Arunachal West parliamentary constituency.In Kerala, Hibi Eden, MLA, will be fielded in Ernakulam constituency in place of sitting member KV Thomas. Rajmohan Unnithan has been selected to contest from Kasaragod, a CPM stronghold. Anto Antony, the sitting MP has been fielded from Pathanamthitta.Other candidates announced by the Congress in Kerala include M K Raghavan from Kozhikode, VK Sreekantan from
Goa: BJP MLAs to meet again on Sunday in Panaji
Amidst reports that ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's health is fluctuating, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Saturday said a meeting of BJP MLAs will be called on Sunday at the party's Panaji office.The meeting is scheduled to begin from 10.30 am, the minister said.Meanwhile, sources told ANI that BJP national leaders BL Santosh and Avinash Khanna will arrive in Goa on Sunday to review Parrikar's health and discuss the political situation in Goa. The leaders will also plan a strategy for the upcoming bypolls in three constituencies and Lok Sabha election in North and South Goa.The bypolls will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections on April 23 include Shiroda, Mandrem and Maspusa seats."At present, there are no demands regarding the removal of Parrikar and the party leadership from the Centre to Goa firmly stands in his favour. As long as Parrikar is there he will serve as the Chief Minister and there will be no change in the leadership," sources said.Parrikar who was ..
BJP likely to replace Shatrughan Sinha with Ravi Shankar Prasad for Patna Sahib
The BJP is set to drop sitting MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha and he is likely to be replaced by Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, sources said Saturday. Prasad's name was discussed in the BJP's central election committee here which was attended by party chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shatrughan Sinha has been critical of the party's top leadership on several occasions in the past. Deliberations continued till late in the night and the name of Rajya Sabha MP R K Sinha was also discussed for the Patna Sahib seat. The meeting was also attended by other senior leaders, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and party's Bihar unit chief Nityanand Rai.
Cong announces fourth list of 27 candidates
The Congress Saturday night released its fourth list of 27 candidates, including 12 from Kerala, but denied party ticket to sitting MP and former Union minister K V Thomas from the Ernakulum Lok Sabha seat. The party renominated its sitting MPs and former Union ministers, Shashi Tharoor and K Suresh, from Thiruvananthapuram and Mavelikkara Lok Sabha seats. The Congress replaced Thomas with Hibi Eden, the sitting MLA from Ernakulum. The party also renominated its Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony. It fielded former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki from the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat. The Congress dropped former Union minister and sitting MP from Arunachal East Ninong Ering and replaced him with James Lowangcha Wanglet. Among the 27 Lok Sabha seats declared Saturday, 12 are from Kerala, seven from Uttar Pradesh, five from Chhattisgarh, two from Arunachal and one from Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In Kerala, of the total 20 seats, the party is contesting in 16, but has not ...
Rahul to campaign in Manipur, northeast next week
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will kick-start the party's poll campaign in Manipur and two other northeastern states next week, party leaders said on Saturday.
YSRCP announces nine Lok Sabha candidates
The YSR Congress Party on Saturday night announced candidates for nine Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.
Congress releases Kerala candidates list, Thomas axed
The Congress, which is contesting 16 of Kerala's 20 Lok Sabha seats, on Saturday announced 12 of its candidates. While most of its eight sitting MPs have been re-nominated, a shock exclusion was of former Union Minister K.V. Thomas.
Cong seals poll pact with Apna Dal faction
The Congress on Saturday sealed an alliance with the Krishna Patel-led faction of the Apna Dal in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finalised a seat sharing deal with the Apna Dal (Sone Lal), the other faction of the party led by Anupriya Patel, a Minister of State in the Narendra Modi government.
BJP deliberates on candidates for LS polls
The BJP on Saturday deliberated on finalising the names of candidates for Lok Sabha elections, particularly for constituencies where polling will be held in the first phase. The names were discussed at the party's central election committee attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party Amit Shah. Sources said the discussion was held on seats in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand and the seven northeastern states. The Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23.
Tejashwi urges alliance partners to give up pride
Irked over the delay in finalisation of seats in the 'mahagathbandhan', RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Saturday warned alliance partners that if they were not willing to give up their pride and insisted "on a few more seats", then countrymen would not forgive them. The Rashtriya Janata Dal heir-apparent's remarks come at a time when less than 48 hours were left for nominations for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls and the grand alliance is yet to announce the number of seats to be fought by different constituents. "The constitution and the country are facing an unprecedented crisis. If the opposition makes any mistake of strategy, nobody knows whether there will be elections in the future. "If for increasing a few seats of theirs and reducing those of other associates, (then) the constituents do not give up pride, the justice loving countrymen with faith in the Constitution will not forgive them," he said. Earlier in the day, former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) ...
Not been given ticket from Ernakulam Lok Sabha seat: KV Thomas
Senior Congress leader K V Thomas Saturday said he has been denied party ticket from the Ernakulam seat and accused the party of injustice. The former Union minister, who has represented the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency five times, was talking to reporters after a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee here, chaired by party chief Rahul Gandhi. The Congress, however, has not not made its list public. Thomas said he is not retiring from public life and will chart his course soon in case the party does not want his services. The senior party leader has held several key portfolios in the Congress-led government and till some time ago was the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Thomas has also been a member of the state assembly twice. "I am shocked and pained. Injustice is done to me. I am not part of any group. I will continue in active politics," he told reporters. "I don't know what mistakes I have committed (for being denied the seat). I am 72 now, that ..
Goa BJP MLAs, core committee meet, discuss Parrikar's health
MLAs and core committee members of Goa BJP Saturday met to discuss the political situation rising out of the health condition of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The health of Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, had deteriorated earlier in the day sparking hectic political activities across parties in the coastal state. A senior BJP office-bearer who attended the meeting in Panaji, chaired by state unit chief and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, said the political situation was discussed but not the issue of leadership change. Goa Panchayat Minister and BJP MLA Mauvin Godinho said the meeting discussed preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha and bypolls as well as "other challenges" facing the state. Godinho said Parrikar's health was also discussed. Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, after the meeting, said, "The BJP is aware that the Chief Minister's condition is not well. Some of our party leaders had met him during the day. Concerns about his health ...
Book highlighting Modi govt's decision launched
A Marathi book highlighting the decisions taken by the Modi government, including on taxation and economy, was launched on Saturday in the national capital. The book, "Rashtriya Pratham Namo Sarvotam", is written by chartered accountant Anand Deodhar, who is the brother of BJP national secretary Sunil V Deodhar. "I have tried to dismantle the false propaganda against the decisions of the Modi government. I have covered various topics such as the National Herald issue... I tried to educate the people about the case," Anand Deodhar said at the launch of his book in Constitution Club of India here. In his book, which will soon be translated in Hindi and English, Deodhar has also highlighted NOTA and the "falling" quality of Indian media.
WB Cong leaders urge party high command to take call on seat sharing with Left Front
Miffed with the CPI(M) for announcing its candidates for 25 seats, the West Bengal Congress leadership Saturday unanimously asked the party high command to take a call on the issue of seat sharing with the Left Front. A section of the Congress leadership felt insulted after the CPI(M)-led Left Front Thursday released its list of 25 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Bengal, party sources said. "We have unanimously decided to leave it on the party high command to take a call on whether we should move forward with the seat sharing deal or fight alone in the state. A section of out-of-state leaders are not happy with the attitude of the CPI(M)," state Congress president Somen Mitra said. He has written a letter to AICC president Rahul Gandhi about the situation that has evolved in the last few days. The Left Front announced its first list of candidates for 25 seats in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Friday, leaving 17 constituencies for the Congress. According to the ..
Sacked IPS officer sees hope in Rajasthan HC order
Former Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Pankaj Chaudhary, dismissed earlier this month from the service for alleged extra-marital affair, has exuded confidence that he shall make a comeback while referring to a Rajasthan High Court order, issued on Friday.
Lawyer: US Navy veteran held in Iran sentenced to 10 years
A US Navy veteran held in Iran, the first American known to be detained since President Donald Trump took office, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, his lawyer said Saturday. Mark Zaid told The Associated Press that Michael White was convicted on charges of insulting Iran's supreme leader and posting private information. Zaid says he learned of the sentence from the State Department, which in turn learned of it from the Swiss government, which looks over American interests in Iran. Iranian state media have not reported the sentence, which was first reported by The New York Times. White, of Imperial Beach, California, went to Iran to see a girlfriend he met online and had booked a July 27 flight back home. He never returned. Trump has pursued a maximalist campaign against Tehran that includes America's withdrawal from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. Iran has in the past detained Westerners and dual nationals to use them as leverage in negotiations.
NZ gunman wrote 'Indian invaders' in his 'manifesto'
Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old main suspect in the Christchurch terror attack in New Zealand that claimed 49 lives, had apparently an aversion for immigrants, including from India, according to a "manifesto" received by the Prime Minister's Office there.