Page 1367 - Politics
Seven-phase Lok Sabha battle from April 18, vote count on May 23
The much awaited Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the millions of votes will be counted on May 23, it was announced on Sunday.
Najma Heptulla to cast her vote in Imphal
Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla becomes the first governor in the state to have her name included in the voters' list.
Time to throw out 'most dictatorial and anti-federal govt' in history: Kejriwal
After the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 2019 parliamentary election on Sunday, AAP head and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was time to throw out the Narendra Modi dispensation, "the most dictatorial and anti-federal" government in the history of India, with the help of the people. "Ultimately back to 'We the people' -- the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders and destroying brotherhood amongst different communities," Kejriwal said in a tweet. Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases till May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. The elections to seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will be held on May 12. The Election Commission has fixed the date for removal of the "autocratic" government in the country, said ..
Four civilians injured in Pak firing along LoC in J-K's Baramulla
Four civilians, including a woman, were injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday, officials said. Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing towards Indian posts and villages in Kamalkote area of Uri in north Kashmir, a police official said. He said four civilians, including a woman, were injured in the firing. The injured were admitted to a hospital, the official said. An Army official confirmed the ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops, but said the Indian Army has responded to Pakistani firing in adequate measure.
Sena's Khotkar says Jalna LS fight plan against Danve still on
Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Arjun Khotkar Sunday said he had not dropped the idea of fighting Lok Sabha polls against BJP state unit chief and sitting MP Raosaheb Danve from Jalna. He added that a decision on his contesting Lok Sabha polls from here would be taken by his party chief Uddhav Thackeray "within two days". The BJP-Sena had inked an agreement on February 18 to fight Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls jointly. As per the alliance agreement, the BJP will contest 25 seats and Shiv Sena 23 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The two parties will contest an equal number of seats, after allotting allies their due share of segments, in polls for the 288-member state Assembly. Sharing a stage with Danve for the ground-breaking ceremony of a bridge here Sunday, Khotkar spoke about his desire for a direct fight with Danve while addressing the gathering. Danve, however, stuck to the schedule of the function, spoke about development works initiated ..
Kerala MP and Cong general secretary K C Venugopal not to contest this Lok Sabha election
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal said on Sunday that he would not contest the Lok Sabha election on account of his organisational responsibilities. Talking to journalists here, Venugopal, who represents Kerala's Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency in Lok Sabha, said he had conveyed his decision to the party leadership in the state. Venugopal is the Congress General Secretary in charge of organisation. "It is my responsibility to do my duty for the party. Also I am in-charge of (party affairs in) Karnataka. Contesting polls in Alappuzha by sitting in Delhi will be an injustice to my voters. I am personally interested in fighting polls but party's interests are supreme. In this context, there is practical difficulties for me to fighting election in Alappuzha," he said. Venugopal said, "I have conveyed my decision to KPCC President Mullappally Ramachandran, AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala." Venugopal replaced Ashok .
Bhaskar Khulbe re-employed as secretary to PM for six months
Senior IAS officer Bhaskar Khulbe has been re-employed as Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for six months, beginning April 1, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Khulbe was in October 2014 appointed as additional secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He was appointed as the secretary, PMO, in August 2016. Khulbe is a 1983-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved re-employment of Khulbe as secretary to prime minister for a period of six months beyond March 31, 2019, the date of his superannuation, the order said.
Lok Sabha polls from April 11 to May 19, vote count on May 23
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the votes will be counted on May 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced on Sunday.
Am a loyal soldier of Mamata Banerjee, says TMC leader after
Dismissing speculations of his cosying up with rival BJP, senior Trinamool Congress leader Sabyasachi Dutta Sunday said he remained a "loyal soldier" of the party and accused the saffron brigade of trying to create confusion ahead of the general elections. Dutta, who is also the mayor of Bidhannagar, met BJP leader Mukul Roy at his residence in Salt Lake on Friday, that had led to the speculation. The TMC leadership, however, said that Dutta has accepted his mistake of hosting a BJP leader at his residence at a time when the two parties are heading for a showdown in the polls in the state. The speculations gained ground after Dutta on Saturday decided to skip the party's North 24 Pargans district committee meeting. Furious at the development, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked senior party leaders Firhad Hakim and Jyotipriyo Mullick to convene a meeting of councillors of Bidhanagar Municipal Corporation to discuss the matter. "I am a ...
Challenging to protect country when neighbour is hostile: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the task of security forces to protect the country becomes challenging when the "neighbour is hostile" and provides safe haven to "those conspiring" to hurt India internally, an apparent reference to Pakistan.He was addressing officers and other personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) here on the occasion of the paramilitary force's 50th Raising Day.He lauded the CISF and other security forces for their efforts to secure the country "when the neighbour is very hostile, is not capable of fighting a war and provides shelter and support to those conspiring to cause hurt in various forms to India from within."The Prime Minister said when terrorism acquires the "very gruesome forms", then the challenge for the security forces to protect the country and its resources becomes very big, he said.He also noted that the 'VIP culture' sometimes becomes the biggest challenge for the security forces."The biggest challenge for you while ..
Palestinian officials: Abbas picks ally for new premier
The Palestinian president has chosen longtime adviser Mohammed Ishtayeh as his new prime minister, officials said Sunday, a step that further deepens the rift with the rival Hamas group. President Mahmoud Abbas was expected to announce the appointment later in the day, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. Ishtayeh, a British-educated economist, is a top official in Abbas' Fatah movement. He is a former peace negotiator and strong proponent of a two-state solution with Israel. He also is a strong critic of the Islamic militant group Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah forces in 2007. The Hamas takeover has left the Palestinians torn between rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank, where Abbas' Palestinian Authority administers autonomous areas. Repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed. Ishtayeh will succeed Rami Hamdallah, who had overseen a unity government formed nearly five years ago with the goal of ...
You were probably playing video games when terrorists hijacked plane in 1999: BJP to Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi was probably playing video games when terrorists hijacked the plane of Indian Airlines in 1999 and the whole of the nation was praying for the safe return of all passengers, said the BJP on Sunday."You were probably busy playing video games when the whole nation was praying for safe return of hijacked passengers. Do you know that all decisions regarding the hijacking were taken at all-party meeting? Remember Latif, the handler of Pathankot, was released by the UPA as goodwill gesture," the BJP tweeted.BJP's attack comes in response to Rahul's tweet asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the families of Pulwama brave hearts who released Masood Azhar. "PM Modi, please, tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar? Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan."It is worth mentioning that Masood, chief of dreaded Pakistan-based terror ...
Akhilesh demands removal of UP DGP before elections
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh DGP O.P. Singh should be removed before the elections begin. The remark comes a day after two police sub-inspectors were suspended for looting a coal trader on the pretext of seizing black money."We demand that the UP DGP be removed from his post before elections. Police personnel themselves are getting involved in theft cases. If it's happening, then DGP is responsible too. If Mayawati ji has said that the DGP be removed, what she said is correct," he said at a press conference here.Akhilesh further claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "can do anything" to regain power at the Centre, with reference to the advisory issued by the Election Commission urging political parties to avoid using photographs of defence personnel on posters used during pre-poll campaigning. "The Election Commission has not named any party, but the people know that if there is somebody who has thrown Army into politics, then it is ..
Seven-phase Lok Sabha polls to begin April 11, counting on May 23: EC
Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and will be held over seven phases followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014. Announcing the schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission said the voter verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time. The first phase will be held on April 11, second on April 11, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases would be done on May 23, Arora said. Among other things, the model code of conduct bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision. Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need ...
Indian voter population is 900 million
The number of voters in the Lok Sabha elections will be around 900 million, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced on Sunday, calling the upcoming polls the "largest festival of democracy".
Senior Congress leader in Telangana may join TRS
In more trouble for the Congress in Telangana, its senior leader and legislator Sabitha Indra Reddy may join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
Just before MCC kicks in, UP govt effects appointments in various commissions
Hours ahead of the model code of conduct for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls coming into force, the Uttar Pradesh government Sunday hurriedly announced the names of top office bearers in various commissions, councils and corporations. A UP government spokesperson said that names of 72 persons have been cleared for various posts of 22 commissions, councils and corporations in the state. Arvind Rajbhar has been made the chairman of UP Small Industries Corporation Limited.He is the son of UP Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, whose party Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is an ally of the NDA. Rana Ajit Pratap Singh, another office-bearer of the SBSP, has been made the chairman of UP Beej Vikas Nigam (UP Seeds Development Corporation). Comedian Raju Srivastava has been appointed as the chairman of Film Development Council, while Shyam Nandan Singh has been made the chairperson of UP Gau Seva Aayog. Jayendra Pratap Singh Rathore has been made the part-time chairman of UP Pollution Control .
Modi trying to recreate 2014 scenario to regain power in 2019
As the general elections are round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an inauguration and foundation stone laying spree to win over voters for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
AIADMK-led combine is natural alliance: AINRC leader Rangasamy
AINRC founder leader N Rangasamy Sunday described as "natural alliance" the tie-up between his party and AIADMK-led combine and asserted that the latter would sweep all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone segment in the union territory. Addressing a meeting at the AIADMK headquarters here after meeting the party MLAs, he rejected the ruling Congress-led rival group's charge that the alliance was opportunistic. AINRC has been allocated the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat under the pact with the AIADMK-led alliance which comprise among others the BJP and PMK. "The pact finalised by us is a natural alliance and not opportunistic as had been wrongly propagated by the rival camp," the former chief minister said. He said the alliance would win the coming polls with a thumping majority in all the 40 constituencies. Noting that his party had won the Puducherry seat in 2014, he it would be retained because of "our powerful alliance". Rangasamy also claimed there would be a 'big change'
Enough is enough, India cannot suffer terrorism till eternity: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday sent across a strong message to terrorist forces targeting India, saying the country cannot keep suffering forever and that his government has taken some "strong decisions" against such elements. "For many decades, the country and numerous families have suffered the wounds and pain given by terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency. What happened in Pulwama and Uri was heartbreaking. "We cannot bear this pain till eternity. Enough is enough," the Prime Minister said while addressing CISF personnel at its base here. The paramilitary force on Sunday is celebrating the 50th year of its raising. This is the first time Modi attended the event of any of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) since he took charge in 2014. Raised in 1969, the Central Industrial Security Force has about 1.56 lakh personnel in its ranks at present. The PM said that following dastardly acts of terrorist violence, his government has taken some strong decisions, in an apparent ...