Page 16 - Politics

Lok Sabha polls: BJP names 72 candidates; Thakur, Khattar among nominees

BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni has been fielded from Garhwal in Uttarakhand

We felt neglected in alliance with BJP, says JJP Chief Dushyant Chautala

Addressing a rally in Haryana's Hisar, a day after the coalition with BJP ended, the JJP leader said that the party was preparing to contest 2024 LS elections on two seats

Haiti's future being planned on two tracks: political power, gang power

Haiti's future is being planned on two tracks one involving traditional political power, the other focused on the power of gangs. After an intense session of international diplomacy in Jamaica, a group of Caribbean nations and the United States announced Tuesday that Haiti's best hope for calming violence rests with a council of influential figures who would elected an interim leader and could steer the country toward fresh presidential elections. As they spoke to the media, a heavily armed gang leader held an impromptu news conference in Port-au-Prince and rejected any solution led and supported by the international community. Haitian people will choose who will govern them, Jimmy Barbecue Chrizier said Monday. Haitian politics have lived in these two worlds for decades, experts told The Associated Press this week. Politicians and business interests have maintained on-the-books legal interests while employing gangs to enforce their will on the chaotic streets. WHO DECIDES HAITI'

Govt bans Nayeem Ahmad led Jammu Kashmir National Front under UAPA

The government on Tuesday banned the Jammu Kashmir National Front led by Nayeem Ahmad Khan under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In an order, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the JKNF, a constituent of the hardline Hurriyat Conference, an "unlawful association" with immediate effect. The government said the JKNF has been "indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country." It said members of the JKNF have remained involved in supporting terrorist activities and anti-India propaganda for fuelling secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir and providing logistic support to terrorists in the Union territory. It also said JKNF members "have been involved in mobilising violent protesters in various parts of Kashmir for perpetrating unlawful activities, including supporting terrorist activities, sustained stone pelting on security forces." The order will have effect for a period of five years.

BJP's Nayab Saini sworn in as Haryana CM, 5 others take oath as ministers

BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as Haryana's new chief minister on Tuesday, hours after Manohar Lal Khattar and his Cabinet ministers resigned from their posts. Five others took the oath as members of the new council of ministers along with Saini. They are BJP leaders Kanwar Pal, Mool Chand Sharma, Jai Parkash Dalal and Banwari Lal and Independent MLA Ranjit Singh Chautala. Saini was administered the oath by Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya during a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan here. He bowed before Khattar and sought his blessings after being sworn in. Earlier in the day, the BJP named OBC leader Saini (54) as Haryana's new chief minister. He is the party's state unit president and the MP from Kurukshetra. The development comes just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Khattar's second term as chief minister was also to end in October when the assembly polls are due. Khattar and all 13 other members of the BJP-led council of ministers submitted their resignatio

Prez Zardari's daughter Aseefa Bhutto set to become first lady of Pakistan

In a historic decision, Pakistan President Asif Zardari has decided to formally recognise his 31-year-old daughter Aseefa Bhutto as the First Lady of the country, according to a media report. The status of the First Lady goes to the wife of the President of the country in general. But Zardari became a widower after his wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007. Zardari did not remarry and the position of the first lady also remained vacant during his first tenure as the country's president from 2008 to 2013. Zardari, 68, was sworn in as the country's 14th president on Sunday. During his oath-taking ceremony at the President's House in Islamabad, Zardari was accompanied by his youngest daughter, Aseefa. Sources claimed that President Zardari decided to declare Aseefa Bhutto as the first lady of Pakistan, ARY News reported. This became particularly relevant when Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the eldest daughter, tagged Aseefa in a tweet on Sunday The text r

Haryana political crisis: Who is Haryana's new CM Nayab Singh Saini?

With an association of nearly three decades with the BJP and close relations with Manohar Lal Khattar, Saini was appointed as Haryana state president for the party last October

China passes law granting Communist Party more control over cabinet

The amended State Council Organic Law passed by 2,883 delegate votes, with eight opposing and nine abstaining, during the closing day of the National People's Congress in Beijing

Sandeskhali ED attack: CBI arrests 3 associates of Shahjahan Sheikh

The CBI on Monday arrested three alleged associates of suspended TMC leader Shahajahan Sheikh including his security guard in connection with the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team, officials said. The agency took into custody Sheikh's security guard Didar Baksh Molla, who is the complainant in one of the three FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police after the attacks. These FIRs have been handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court. Besides Baksh Molla, the CBI also arrested Jaiuddin Molla, the Panchayat Pradhan of Sarberia village, and another person Faruk Akunji. All three are close associates of Sheikh who is considered the mastermind behind the attack, the officials said. "They will be produced before a magistrate tomorrow," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement. The CBI had summoned nine close aides and associates of Sheikh for questioning in the case on Monday, the officials said. The agency suspects that these nine individuals were allegedly part

BJP's election body holds second meeting to finalise Lok Sabha candidates

The BJP's Central Election Committee on Monday held its second meeting to decide on the party's candidates for the Lok Sabha elections as its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went through the list of probables for several states to make final choices. The states, which were tipped to come up for discission, included Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Haryana. Ahead of the meeting, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister and Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala held talks with BJP president J P Nadda for distribution of seats among the two allies in the state. Though a section of Haryana BJP leaders has been opposed to the alliance, the party seems to be weighing its options. The BJP had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the previous elections in 2019. The JJP had allied with the party after the assembly polls. The BJP has joined hands with a number of parties across the country in the run-up to the general elections, expected to be held in ...

Lok Sabha polls: EC directs observers to ensure intimidation-free elections

The Election Commission on Monday asked its observers to ensure polls free of coercion and intimidation and pushed for judicious use of central and state forces keeping in mind that their deployment should not favour any particular party. Addressing a meeting of more than 2,100 general, police and expenditure observers here ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections and some state assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar directed them to ensure a level-playing field for free and fair elections. The polls should be free of intimidation and inducement, he said. The CEC reminded them that as observers, they represent the commission, and are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be accessible to all stakeholders, including candidates. The observers were instructed to be tough but polite in their conduct on the field, the Election Commission (EC) said in a statement. The observers were also asked to be confined physically within the boundarie

Pak Prez administers oath to 19-member Cabinet recommended by PM Sharif

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday administered the oath to 19 members of the Cabinet of the newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ending the tenuous wait for the completion of government formation. The oath-taking ceremony was held in the President's House and was attended by Prime Minister Sharif among others. Those who took oath included Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Azam Tarar, Rana Tanvir, Mohsin Naqvi, Ahad Cheema, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Riaz Prizada, Qaiser Sheikh, Shaza Fatima, Aleem Khan, Jam Kamal, Amir Muqam, Awais Leghari, Atta Tarar, Salik Hussian and Musaddiq Malik. The portfolio of the new minister will be announced later. Aurangzeb will likely be the finance minister, Dar as the foreign minister, and Khawaja Asif the defence minister. Azam Tarar will be the law minister, Atta Tarar as information minister, Musaddik Malik as petroleum minister, Mohsin Naqvi as interior minister and Ahad Cheema as minister for Kashmir ..

'INDIA' bloc parties will fight in West Bengal to defeat BJP, TMC: Yechury

Trinamool Congress announcing its candidates for all seats in West Bengal means the other INDIA bloc parties will have to sit together and decide how to go about the polls, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, adding that they will fight to defeat the "BJP and TMC". Asked about the TMC's decision to go solo in West Bengal, Yechury said, "Every party has the right to take decisions. If TMC has announced, it is a clear indication that rest of the parties will have to sit together and decide how to proceed in fighting these elections in Bengal." "Our line has always been very clear. We are asking all secular forces in Bengal to come together to defeat the BJP and the TMC, which actually has taken such unilateral decisions... CPI(M)'s appeal has always been to defeat BJP and defeat TMC in order to save democracy in India and Bengal," he said. The TMC has stepped away from the INDIA bloc, the mega opposition alliance against the BJP which includes th

Peace gradually returning to state, efforts are being taken: Manipur CM

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday said peace has been gradually returning to the state, particularly over the last four months. Addressing the public at a function for the distribution of welfare benefits, Singh said, "We are working hard for peace to return. Peace has begun to return in the last four months compared to the period following the outbreak of violence on May 3 last year." Reflecting on the May 3 incident, Singh expressed regret, saying, "What was unfortunate was that we didn't anticipate there would be targeted and deliberate attacks on the government." Singh elaborated, "We thought it was a simple rally for the students," referring to the rally organised by the All Tribal Students Union Manipur against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the Meitei community. Singh, however, pointed out that the attacks were isolated to one or two places, with no incidents reported in other parts of the hill districts. "At that time, security personnel and police

BJP against social justice, secularism enshrined in constitution: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday attacked the BJP over its MP Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, alleging that the ruling party is against social justice and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, the Congress president said the BJP aims to get a massive mandate only for amending the Constitution. Kharge's attack came after Hegde, at a gathering in Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress". Kharge said, "I have to say sadly that Constitution has not been fully accepted by the BJP." He claimed that on one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi states that the Constitution will not be changed and on the other hand, he makes his people say that they need two-thirds majority to amend it. This statement has been ma

The North-South divide: The 'fiscal injustice' rhetoric is biased

It should not be forgotten that in the 1950s and 1960s, the North Indian states subsidised Southern and Western India as part of the cooperative model of nation-building

Bangladesh: A pyrrhic victory for Sheikh Hasina's Awami League

Awami League's victory, ensuring a fourth consecutive term for PM Sheikh Hasina, was expected. The one-sided victory is unlikely, however, to end the political deadlock or restore democracy credibly

Kharge as PM candidate: A pre-election gambit

Umbrella parties with no fundamental commitment to OBC or Dalit politics are not known to have gained electorally from such opportunistic pivoting

Pakistan's ruling PML-N, coalition partner PPP may scrap caretaker system

Pakistan's ruling PML-N party and its coalition partner PPP have reached a consensus to abolish the caretaker system and reform the politically volatile and cash-strapped country's electoral system, a media report said on Saturday. Three-time ex-premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and ex-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have eliminated the need for a caretaker government, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The two parties agreed that the outgoing government's head will remain in office until the new general elections, and the prime minister's cabinet will be dissolved after completing its term, while the premier will continue to serve. The PML-N and PPP have also endorsed the drafting of legislation for electoral reforms to make the electoral process "simple and easy", the report said It added that both parties will take other parties into confidence on the proposed reforms. The PML-N-led alliance is also aiming

NCP(SP) chief Pawar declares Supriya Sule as party candidate from Baramati

Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP), on Saturday declared MP Supriya Sule as their candidate from Maharashtra's Baramati Lok Sabha seat, amid speculation that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar could be fielded from there. The octogenarian leader made the announcement during a rally organised by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi in Bhor tehsil of Pune district. Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), an MVA constituent, was also present at the event. The Election Commission will announce the Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 14 or March 15, said Sharad Pawar. The EC has allotted man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet) symbol to his outfit. The elections will decide the future of our country. Nobody was so anxious about the future of the country so far, but now a change is needed. Today, PM Modi is not paying any attention towards farmer suicides. Instead, he is focussing all his attention only on Gujarat, he said. The NCP founder also accused the