Page 15 - Politics

Congress replaces candidate in Jaipur LS seat, fields Pratap Khachariyawas

The Congress on Sunday replaced its candidate for the Jaipur Lok Sabha seat, fielding former Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas after a section of party leaders objected to Sunil Sharma's nomination. Sharma's candidate sparked controversy over his alleged association with the 'Jaipur Dialogue', which is critical of the Congress on social media. Sharma, however, asserted that he has had no association with the organisation and has been invited by it occasionally to present the Congress' view. Sources said local opposition led to the change. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal stated that the party has fielded Murari Lal Meena as its candidate in the Dausa Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan. It also fielded Pratibha Suresh Dhanorkar from the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.

I will not contest 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says union minister VK Singh

The former Army General further explained his rationale, emphasising his desire to redirect his energy and time towards new avenues of serving the nation

CBI includes Darshan Hiranandani as 'accused' in FIR against Moitra

This comes after conducting searches at Moitra's residence in Kolkata in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday

Media should be objective, not power broker: Vice President Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said media should not be a power broker and it serves its cause best by being objective and not getting involved in politics. He also termed the debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act "orchestrated" and urged the media to play its role in such a situation. The law does not deprive any Indian citizen of his or her citizenship rights but an impression is being generated differently, Dhankhar said. "It is unfortunate that some failed to recognise the historical context and soothing impact from human rights perspectives to persecuted minorities in the neighbourhood," he said referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, rules for which were notified recently. He said the media serves its cause best by being objective and not getting involved in politics. "We know the ground reality. I will not reflect more on it," Dhankhar said. He also said that the media should not be a "power broker". "Media has to only do its job. The fourth pillar of

Delhi excise policy scam: After arrest, Kejriwal approaches lower court

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 following his plea for relief against coercive action by the ED in the Delhi High Court was denied

Arvind Kejriwal arrest: Here are the routes to avoid amid AAP protests

With protests planned by AAP workers at the BJP headquarters, the traffic police advised commuters to avoid Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg which has been closed for traffic movement

Arvind Kejriwal arrested: Can a chief minister run office from behind bars?

Delhi liquor policy case: Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal is the first serving chief minister to be arrested. The AAP leader insists on running office from behind bars, but what does the law say?

Electoral bonds: Future Gaming donates Rs 540 cr to TMC, Rs 509 cr to DMK

Future Gaming, the DMK's biggest donor and the top purchaser of electoral bonds, donated funds to the BJP and the Trinamool Congress as well among other parties through the now-scrapped bearer instruments, data submitted by SBI to the Election Commission showed on Thursday. The company, owned by 'Lottery King' Santiago Martin, donated at least Rs 285 crore till October 2022 to the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party of West Bengal. The BJP also got at least Rs 100 crore from Future Gaming, while the YSR Congress got over Rs 150 crore, as per a preliminary analysis of the data. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha was also among the beneficiaries. As per an earlier disclosure by the DMK, it received Rs 509 crore from Future Gaming. The data was made public following a Supreme Court order.

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress announces new list of candidates

The Congress on Thursday announced five more candidates from Rajasthan, including AICC secretary Kuldeep Indora from Ganganagar and former minister Pramod Jain Bhaya's wife Urmila Jain from Jhalwar-Baran seat, for the Lok Sabha elections. The party has left the Sikar parliamentary seat for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). All five Congress candidates are fresh faces and will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time. Apart from Indora and Urmila Jain, the other candidates include Congress leader and chairman of a private university Sunil Sharma from Jaipur city, Sangeeta Beniwal from Pali and Umeda Ram Beniwal from Barmer. Umeda Ram Beniwal had earlier contested the assembly election on a Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) ticket and had recently joined the Congress. Sangeeta Beniwal was the chairperson of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The party on March 12 announced the names of 10 candidates from Rajasthan while the BJP has ..

SC pulls up TN Guv RN Ravi for refusal to reinduct K Ponmudi as minister

Voicing "serious concern" over the conduct of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for his refusal to reinduct senior DMK leader K Ponmudi as a minister in the state cabinet, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed him to decide the issue within 24 hours. It said Ravi was defying the Supreme Court. The governor has refused to re-induct Ponmudi, whose conviction and three- year sentence in a disproportionate assets case the apex court stayed recently, despite Chief Minister M K Stalin's recommendation. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud wondered how can the governor say that Ponmudi's reinduction will be against constitutional morality. "Mr Attorney General, we are seriously concerned about the conduct of the governor. We did not want to say it out loud in court but he is defying the Supreme Court of India. Those who have advised him have not advised him properly. Now the Governor has to be informed that when the Supreme Court stays a conviction, it stays a conviction,

What is the 60% Kannada signage rule? Here's all to know about the law

After the Karnataka HC asked the State to avoid any coercive action against shops failing to comply with the Kannada on signboards rule, here's a look at the history of the Kannada preference struggle

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Here's why BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje is in trouble

After complaints against her divisive remarks in the Bengaluru blast case and against the Tamil-speaking people, the Election Commission directed Karnataka CEC to take immediate action

Lok Sabha elections: Suspended BSP leader Danish Ali joins Congress

Suspended BSP leader and Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali joined the Congress on Wednesday in the presence of senior party leaders. After joining the Congress here, he said that going by the prevailing situation in the country, it is important to join the grand old party in the fight against "divisive" forces. "On one side are divisive forces and on the other are those forces fighting to get 'nyay' (justice) for the poor and oppressed sections of society, and the choice is very clear," Ali said, asserting that time has come to decide where one stands. "If we have to fight with divisive forces, then one has to strengthen the Congress under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi," he said. "The ideology with which we started our politics...we have to now strengthen the forces fighting against those divisive forces. That is why I took this important decision while charting my future political journey by becoming a member of the Indian National Congress," he told ..

Jan Adhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav joins Congress, merges his outfit

Jan Adhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav joined the Congress on Wednesday and announced the merger of his outfit. A former five-time MP from Bihar, Yadav is the husband of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan and is known for having influence in Seemanchal area of the eastern state. He was accompanied by his son Sarthak Ranjan and other party leaders as he announced his decision at the AICC headquarters. Yadav said the Congress leadership gave him respect and he was joining the party's fight against "dictatorship" in the country to help save democracy and the Constitution. "The honour that the entire Congress family has given is enough for us. Both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have given us a lot of love. "If anyone has won the hearts of people in India, it is Rahul Gandhi and people love him. He has also raised the concerns of OBCs by raising the issue of holding a caste census," he said. "To save this country and its democracy and protect the Constitution, there was no

Vladimir Putin: From the KGB to running Russia for nearly three decades

With an 87 per cent vote share, 71-year-old Putin has cemented his power, and if he completes his six-year tenure, he will become the longest-reigning Russian leader ever

Speculations rife after Raj Thackeray arrives in Delhi; may join NDA

Hours after a meeting between Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP's top leadership over seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray arrived in Delhi to meet Amit Shah

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress, DMK finalise seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu

DMK will contest in 22 seats; Congress 9 seats; VC, CPI and CPIM will contest 2 seats each, while MDMK and IUML will contest 1 seat each

Electoral bonds dropped at office, got by post: Political parties on donors

Several political parties declined to share details of electoral bond donors citing various legal provisions, while others said they received the funding instruments through "drop box" or by post without any name. The DMK, which received most of its donations from a lottery firm, reached out to its donors to seek details of the electoral bonds as demanded by the Supreme Court in 2019. The BJP cited the amendments to the Representation of People Act, 1951 and the relevant portions of the Reserve Bank of India Act and the Income Tax Act for not revealing its donors. "It is duly submitted that the electoral bonds were introduced with the aim of bringing only accounted for funds in political funding while protecting the donors from any consequences, therefrom," the BJP said in its letter to the Election Commission. The Congress shot off a letter to the State Bank of India (SBI) seeking details of donors of electoral bonds, the amount, the bank account in which it was credited and the .

Remembering 'Shakti': Why PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi are talking about it

Stating that he considers every mother, daughter, and sister, as well as 'Bharat Mata' as 'Shakti', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he accepts Congress' challenge

Sunak's leadership in turmoil amid infighting in Conservative Party

Transport Secretary Mark Harper was directly asked during a television interview if he thinks Sunak will be the leader of the Conservative Party at the general election