Page 20 - Politics

Cong's Kamal Nath arrives in Delhi amid speculation over switch to BJP

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath arrived in the national capital Saturday afternoon amid speculation that he could cross over to the BJP. Over the past few days, Nath had been on a tour of his bastion Chhindwara, from where he had been an MP for nine terms. His son Nakul Nath won the seat in the 2019 polls, even as the BJP swept the remaining 28 seats in the state. Asked about the speculation that Nath could cross over to the BJP, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Jabalpur earlier in the day, "I spoke to Kamal Nath at 10.30 pm yesterday, he is in Chhindwara." "A person who started his political journey and stood with the Nehru-Gandhi family when Indira Gandhi was sent to jail by the Janata party, do you think such a person will ever leave Congress and the Gandhi family?" Singh said. Kamal Nath is said to be disgruntled over not getting a Rajya Sabha berth and also Rahul Gandhi being opposed to him since the party lost the assem

CM Arvind Kejriwal moves a motion of confidence in Delhi Assembly

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he will seek vote of confidence in the Assembly on Friday. The announcement came days after he alleged that the BJP tried to poach AAP MLAs and topple his government. "I will bring the vote of confidence in Delhi Assembly today," Kejriwal said in a post on X in Hindi. However, he did not specify the reason behind the move.

Alexei Navalny, Putin critic and Russian Oppn leader, dies in Arctic jail

Navalny's wife, Yulia, said she could not be sure her husband was dead because "Putin and his government... lie incessantly"

BJP national council meet: More than 1,200 delegates from MP to attend

More than 1,200 delegates from Madhya Pradesh will take part in the Bharatiya Janata Party's two-day national council meeting set to start from Saturday in New Delhi, state unit chief VD Sharma said. The meeting will discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "mantra" of getting 370 extra votes in every booth when compared to the 2019 general elections to ensure the BJP crosses the 370 seat mark, Sharma told reporters on Friday. "A total of 1,226 delegates from MP will take part in the two-day national council meeting. Party president JP Nadda will address the opening session while PM Modi will speak to delegates in the concluding session," Sharma said. "The BJP has resolved to win 370 seats and cross the 400 mark along with (NDA) allies," he said. Candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be decided by the party's parliamentary board under the leadership of the PM, he added. Brushing aside Congress allegations that the BJP was using Central probe agencies to target the opposit

Looking forward to first LS battle; party will decide seat: Mos IT

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is among the ministers not renominated to the Rajya Sabha, on Friday said he is raring to contest his first Lok Sabha polls and looking forward to "an even more exciting phase" in his political career. One needs to be extremely responsible and a very grassroots politician to be a Lok Sabha member and "I am deeply fortunate" that the prime minister and the BJP leadership considered him worth of it, the technology entrepreneur-turned-politician said. He said the constituency or the state from where he will fight the elections, due in April-May, will be decided by the party. "...I'm certainly looking forward to what I believe will be an even more exciting phase in my political career," the Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship told PTI in an interview. "I'm deeply fortunate that our prime minister and my home minister and my party president have said that they think me worthy enough or qualified enough

Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's party claims his wife Bushra's life is in danger

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has expressed concern about the health of his wife Bushra Biwi and claimed that there was a "serious threat" to her life and the fascist regime in Pakistan was denying her medical aid. Bushra Biwi, 49, is imprisoned at Khan's Bani Gala residence here after an accountability court sentenced the couple to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana corruption case last month. Khan, 71, is lodged at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Both of them have been convicted with multiple years' sentences in the Toshakhana expensive gift case and the iddat case which declared their marriage as un-Islamic. Bushra has already petitioned Islamabad High Court on February 6 against authorities' move to declare her residence as sub-jail and requested to move her to the Adiala Jail citing potential security issues.

BJP's return will cause existential crisis to regional parties: Chidambaram

Veteran Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said he cannot predict the future of the INDIA bloc as he is not part of the negotiating committee of the national alliance, but said that the return of Narendra Modi and the BJP to power would cause an existential crisis to state-specific regional parties. He said the Ram temple in Ayodhya could be a factor in the upcoming elections but "whether it will be a decisive one, only time will say". "I cannot say anything about the future of the bloc because I'm not part of the national alliance's negotiating committee and also not part of INDIA bloc meetings. My information is only secondhand or even thirdhand. But I sincerely hope that all the remaining parties understand that the return of Mr Modi and the BJP to the Centre will cause an existential crisis to the state-specific regional parties," Chidambaram told PTI in an exclusive interview here. The veteran Congressman was recently in the city for a ...

EC on tour of states to review preparations for Lok Sabha elections

The Election Commission (EC) will resume its review of states' preparedness for the Lok Sabha polls with a visit to Odisha later on Thursday and complete the process in Jammu and Kashmir on March 13, sources said. In January, the Commission reviewed the preparations in Andhra Pradesh, where Lok Sabha and assembly polls will be held together. The Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and comprising Election Commissioner Arun Goel will be in Odisha Thursday night, the sources said. Besides Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh will see simultaneous parliamentary and assembly polls. The panel will also be touring West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, besides other states. It will visit Jammu and Kashmir on March 13, the sources said. The Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has a provision for a legislative assembly but is under central rule. The Supreme Court had last year asked the EC to hold assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by Septem

Trump's hush-money trial will begin in 39 days with jury selection: Judge

Donald Trump's hush-money trial will go ahead as scheduled with jury selection starting on March 25, a judge ruled on Thursday, turning aside requests for a delay from the former president's defense lawyers. In leaving the trial date intact, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan took advantage of a delay in a separate prosecution in Washington charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. That case has been effectively on hold pending the outcome of an appeal from Trump. The decision means that a case centered on years-old accusations that Trump sought to bury stories about extramarital affairs that arose during his 2016 presidential campaign will be the first of the four criminal prosecutions against Trump to proceed to trial. Other cases charge him seeking to undo the election and illegally hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate. Trump's attorneys blasted the decision to keep the March date, complaining that Trump will have to stand tria

Ajit Pawar faction real NCP, anti-defection law can't stop dissent: Speaker

Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday held that the NCP faction led by deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was the real Nationalist Congress Party, and the anti-defection provisions in the Constitution can not be used to stifle internal dissent. While dismissing disqualification petitions filed by the factions led by Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar against each other's legislators, the Speaker noted that the Ajit group had "overwhelming legislative majority" of 41 out of 53 party MLAs when it decided to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra in July 2023. The Ajit Pawar group was, thus, the "real political party" when the factions emerged, Narwekar said. The ruling, which followed the Election Commission's decision last week holding the Ajit-led faction as the real NCP, was criticised by the Sharad Pawar group as "copy-paste" of Narwekar's earlier decision on disqualification petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena factions. "An invisible power" was trying

Infirmities in electoral system pre-2017 still to be worked on: ADR

NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), one of the petitioners in the electoral bond case, Thursday termed the decision to strike down the scheme a big boost to democracy but also noted that the infirmities which existed in the electoral system pre-2017 still have to be worked on. In a landmark verdict delivered within spitting distance of the Lok Sabha polls, the Supreme Court scrapped the government's electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding, terming it "unconstitutional" and ordering disclosure of the names of the purchasers, value of the bonds and their recipients. Last October, the bench began hearing arguments on the four petitions, including those filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and ADR. "We welcome this landmark judgement wholeheartedly. The Supreme Court has given a big boost to Indian Democracy, something our freedom struggle fought for. ADR is privileged to have played a small role in carrying that legacy ...

NCP facing challenges today but we should not worry: Sharad Pawar

NCP founder Sharad Pawar on Thursday said his party belonged to the common people, and although it was going through difficult times today, nobody should worry about the challenges it was facing. He also stressed that there was a need to stay united and work towards improving the state's image. Pawar was addressing the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) group's convention of young women in Mumbai hours before Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar passed his verdict on the disqualification of the rival NCP factions. The speaker held that the Ajit Pawar-led group was the real NCP when two factions emerged in July 2023, and dismissed disqualification petitions filed by both the factions, one each led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. During the function, Pawar said the decision to form the NCP was made in this same hall 25 years ago, and lakhs of party workers across the state came forward to support the cause. "NCP is a party of common people. Today, it is facing .

NC in talks with Cong for 3 LS seats, is part of INDIA bloc: Omar Abdullah

The National Conference is a part of the INDIA grouping and will continue to be, party leader Omar Abdullah clarified on Thursday and said it is in talks with the Congress for an arrangement in three of the six Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Omar Abdullah's statement came shortly after NC chief Farooq Abdullah told reporters that the party would contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and possible assembly polls in the Union Territory on its own. "We were a part of the INDIA alliance and we still are. Things have been taken out of context. The main idea of the grouping is to defeat the BJP for there is no point in sailing in two boats," Omar Abdullah said with his father, Farooq Abdullah, by his side. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the union territory next week, he said, "We will also get to know how much development has happened in Jammu and Kashmir." He said the prime minister should start his theory of one nation, one election from Ja

Protesting farmers fighting for nation, just like soldiers do: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asserted that the protesting farmers are fighting for the country, just like soldiers do on the borders. Gandhi was referring to the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers. The protesting farmers are fighting for our nation, just like the soldiers do on the borders, Gandhi said, addressing a rally in Aurangabad district. The Congress MP also alleged the RSS and BJP have set Manipur on fire and that they pit one community against another. The northeastern state has been rocked by ethnic strife since May last year. Criticising the Narendra Modi-led central government, Gandhi claimed that it waived loans of the super rich worth Rs 14 lakh crore, while the expenditure on MGNREGA is only Rs 70,000 crore. He also took a dig at the Union government for the presence of a large number of celebrities at the consecration ceremony of ...

Electoral bonds worth Rs 16k cr sold so far, BJP got nearly 55%, shows data

Electoral bonds have accounted for more than Rs 16,000 crore worth funds contributed to various political parties so far, a lion's share is estimated to have gone to the BJP, data shows. All political parties put together received more than Rs 12,000 crore till last fiscal since the introduction of the now-annulled electoral bond scheme in 2018, of which the ruling BJP got nearly 55 per cent or Rs 6,565 crore, according to the data available with Election Commission and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). While the party-wise data for the current fiscal 2023-24 would be available later after they file annual audit reports for the year, ADR put the collective amount of funds generated through sale of electoral bonds between March 2018 and January 2024 at Rs 16,518.11 crore. On an average, these bonds are estimated to account for over half of total contributions received by the parties, though it is more than 90 per cent in case of some regional parties that are in power in thei

SC to decide on validity of Centre's electoral bonds scheme on February 15

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had on November 2 last year reserved its verdict in the matter. The scheme, which was notified by the government on January 2, 2018, was pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring in transparency in political funding. According to the provisions of the scheme, electoral bonds may be purchased by any citizen of India or entity incorporated or established in the country. An individual can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals. Only the political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and which secured not less than 1 per cent of the votes polled in the last elections to the Lok Sabha or a state legislative assembly are eligible to receive .

Panchayat on Feb 17 to discuss 'atrocities' on farmers, says Rakesh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said a 'mahapanchayat' will be organised on Saturday at Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh to discuss the "atrocities" being committed on the protesting farmers in the country. Farmers and activists of BKU from UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Haryana have been exhorted to attend the congregation to be held at the 'Kisan Bhawan' in Sisauli. "All farmers, office bearers and workers of Bharatiya Kisan Union are being informed that as per the decision of the national working committee, a monthly panchayat will be organised on February 17, 2024 at Kisan Bhawan, Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, in which the current situation of the country will be discussed. There will be a discussion regarding the atrocities being committed on farmers," Tikait posted on Facebook in Hindi. "Senior officials of Bharatiya Kisan Union of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Haryana will be present in this monthly panchayat," the BKU ...

Congress announces candidates from 3 states for Rajya Sabha elections

Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan

Manmohan Singh to end 33 yrs stint in RS on Apr 3; Sonia to begin first

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh will end his 33-year-long parliamentary innings in the Rajya Sabha in early April, just as former party chief Sonia Gandhi enters the Upper House of Parliament for the first time. Singh, who is known for ushering in several bold reforms in the economy, became a member of the House for the first time in October 1991. He was finance minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996 and the prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Sonia Gandhi will enter the upper house for the first time from Rajasthan, filling the seat that will fall vacant after 91-year-old Singh completes his tenure on April 3. The Congress leader filed filed her nomination papers in Jaipur on Wednesday. She will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter the Rajya Sabha after former prime minister and her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, who had a two-and-a-half-year tenure (from August 1964 to February 1967) as a member of the House. Sonia Gandhi ha

MSP law cannot be rushed, farmers should talk with govt: Arjun Munda

Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops cannot be brought in a hurry without consulting all stakeholders and urged the protesting farmer groups to have a structured discussion with the government on the issue. In an interview with PTI, Munda also cautioned the protesting farmers to be "aware and alert" about some elements which could defame their protest for political benefits. Munda is part of the ministerial delegation that held two rounds of discussion with the farmers' groups, including Samyuka Kisan Morcha (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha in Chandigarh, to resolve their concerns. However, as the talks remained inconclusive, farmers' groups have started their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Tuesday. "In the two rounds of discussions, we agreed to many of their demands. But there was no agreement on certain issues. The talks are still on," Munda said.