Page 2250 - Politics
Thackeray salutes 'fearless voters' for defeating BJP
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray saluted the "fearless voters" who defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in four out of five Indian states, where results were declared on Tuesday.
It's beginning of end of Modi govt: Amarinder Singh
Terming the assembly poll results in three Hindi heartland states as a mandate for the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday claimed that it was the "beginning of the end" of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. The Chief Minister said the Congress' performance showed that the party was on an upswing across the country. "The results have clearly shown that the people of India were now fed up of the destructive and anti-development policies of the Narendra Modi Government and want a positive change," he said here. Congratulating the party president as well as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the Congress' impressive show in states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Singh said the party had clearly revived under the "dynamic leadership" of Rahul Gandhi. "The results are a sign of the mood of the nation, which saw in Rahul the youthful change it needed to bring India back on the track of development, which had been ..
Chandrababu Naidu congratulates KCR for grand show in Telangana
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday congratulated TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for getting a massive mandate, stating that "the people are with us in our fight against the BJP."In a letter Rao, TDP chief said, "Congratulations to Shri K Chandrasekhar Rao. Also, the best wishes to all the newly elected public representatives of 5 states. TDP respects the mandate of people of Telangana."As per the official details of the ECI, at 4.46 pm, the TRS had won 18 seats in Telangana and was leading on 70 seats out of total seats of 119."BJP became weak across the country. Not only it lost most by-polls in the last five years, it also became very weak in the 5 states which went to assembly polls now. People are with us in our fight against the BJP. These five states' results will help form a strong alternative to the BJP," he wrote in the letter.KCR secured a clear win from Gajewal constituency by over 50,000 votes, while Talasani .
CPI(M) poised to win two seats in Rajasthan
After drawing a blank in the last election in Rajasthan, the CPI(M) is all set to win two seats, both of which were held by the BJP. The Left party's Balwan Poonia is leading with 73,725 votes in Bhadra constituency of Hanumangarh district. His nearest rival is BJP's Sanjeev Kumar. In Shree Dungargarh constituency of Bikaner district, the CPI(M)'s Giridharilal Mahiya is leading with 72,361 votes. Congress candidate Mangalram is at the second position in this seat. In the 2013 elections, the CPI(M) or the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had failed to win any seat. It won three in 2008 elections. The CPI(M)'s Rajasthan in-charge Hannan Mollah said the trend of election results in the three Hindi-heartland states has ended the myth of the BJP's invincibility. "In the last two-three years of electoral politics, Modi-Shah combine emerged as invincible. It seemed no party could defeat the BJP under their leadership. This myth has been broken in this election," said Mollah. Mollah, who is
Kailash Meghwal, oldest unmarried legislator, elected by whopping 74,542 votes
Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal Tuesday registered a thumping victory in the state polls by defeating his nearest rival with a record 74,542 votes. The five-time MLA defeated Congress candidate Mahaveer Prasad from Shahpura seat of Bhilwara constituency. Meghwal (84) was pitted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the second time from Shahpura seat. He had won the 2013 assembly election by a margin of 43,666 votes. The Speaker in the 14th Rajasthan Assembly was born on March 22, 1934, in Majwada of Udaipur district. He completed his MA and LLB. He has held various political portfolios in the state and central government. Meghwal, a three-time MP and former Union minister, has worked for awakening the oppressed sections of the society for their educational and economic advancement.
Gujarat wants state guest houses for accommodating tourists visiting Statue of Unity
In a bid to boost tourism, the Gujarat government has requested other states to construct guest houses near the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity or statue of Sardar Patel in Narmada district, a state minister said here on Tuesday.
Japan seeks 1st aircraft carrier to deploy stealth fighters
Japan is seeking to possess its first aircraft carrier to allow for the deployment of US-made stealth fighters as it seeks to bolster its arms capability under a new 10-year defense plan. A draft outline of Japan's new defense plan, presented by the government Tuesday, proposes refitting an existing helicopter carrier into one that can deploy US-made F-35 stealth fighters capable of short take-offs and vertical landings. A candidate would be the Maritime Self-Defense Force's helicopter carrier Izumo, a 250-meter (820-foot) -long warship that can carry 14 helicopters. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrapping the current program after only five years, citing rapid changes in a security environment that requires higher deterrence to cope with threats from North Korea and China. The new National Defense Program Guidelines are expected next week. The draft outline says Japan needs more STOVLS such as F-35Bs to beef up its air defense capability in the Pacific, while expanding surveillance in
Bangladesh HC gives split verdict on allowing BNP's Zia to contest polls
The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls. One of the judges of the two-member High Court bench favoured Zia's candidacy while the other ruled that she was disqualified from the polls for being a convicted prisoner serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases, court officials and lawyers said. "As the two judges could not reach a consensus, in line with the practice, they referred the matter to the chief justice who will now send the case to another bench for hearing the case," an official said. The ruling came after 73-year-old Zia challenged an earlier decision of the Election Commission to scrap her candidacy as the ex-premier filed nomination papers for contesting polls from three constituencies. Senior judge of the bench Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed in his ruling ..
Uddhav lauds voters' courage to reject "those not wanted"
Taking a swipe at BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Tuesday said voters have rejected those they did not want and lauded their "courage" for showing the way forward to the country. Thackeray in a statement said, "I congratulate the courage of the voters who did not think about the useless question of who would be the choice (to the ruling parties in five states)." "They (voters) did not think about EVMs, distribution of money, hooliganism or who would be the alternative to all of this, but rejected those they did not want. True courage is not worrying about future. The courage of voters has shown the country the way forward," he said. Trends showed the Congress ahead in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and locked in a see-saw battle in Madhya Pradesh. Besides, the TRS was set to form its second successive government in Telangana while the Mizo National Front (MNF) was surging ahead in the Mizoram Assembly polls. "While political parties keep winning and losing elections ...
BJP's anti-farmer policies led to its defeat in Hindi heartland states
A farmers' body claimed Tuesday the BJP's "anti-farmer" policies and "agricultural distress" led to BJP's poor electoral performance in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Shekhar Dixit, the president of the Rashtriya Kisan Manch, said the firing incident in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur, in which five protesting farmers were killed, was a "turning point" and a political set back for the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. He said this incident had dropped enough hints that the BJP was not working in the interests of the farmers. "The dual nature of the BJP leaders while dealing with the grievances and woes of the farmers led to its poor performance in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh," he said. Dixit said that farmers' unrest in both Rajathan and Madhya Pradesh has eventually hurt BJP's electoral prospects in the assembly poll. "Farmers in both the state were angry over agricultural policy decisions adopted by the BJP governments. There has been agricultural
Newly-elected Congress MLAs to hold meetings in Raipur, Jaipur
With voters in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan having given their mandate in favour of the Congress, the newly-elected Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the party will hold meetings in Raipur and Jaipur, respectively, on Wednesday.In Chhattisgarh, the Congress is leading in 59 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in second place with a mere 17 seats. Moreover, the Congress has taken a staggering lead in 98 seats in Rajasthan and the BJP is leading in 64 seats.Celebrations were witnessed outside Congress offices in various parts of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh owing to the favourable trends in the two states.In Raipur, Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was seen celebrating with the party cadre outside the Congress office.Speaking to media here, Baghel said results exceeded expectations of the party and added that the high command will soon decide who the chief minister of Chhattisgarh will be."People of Chhattisgarh took the fight in their own hands. Our party .
MNF wins Mizoram Assembly elections
The Mizo National Front (MNF) emerged victorious in the Mizoram Assembly elections on Tuesday, bagging 23 seats out of the 40-member assembly, according to the latest figures by the Election Commission of India.The MNF was also leading on 3 seats, even as it crossed the 21-seat mark required to form the government in the state.The Congress party has won five seats, while the BJP secured one. The Independents have won five seats and are leading in three.BJP leader and Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, "Congratulations to Pu Zoramthanga for historic win of #MNF in #Mizoram. Meanwhile @BJP4India also opens its account in Mizoram."The Congress party, which has been in power in Mizoram since 2008, was eyeing a third consecutive term. However, incumbent Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who contested from Serchhip and Champhai South, lost both the seats.The land-locked Mizoram in the North-East has assembly constituencies spread across eight districts, out of which 39 seats are ...
No room for renegotiation: EC President on Brexit
European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday said that there is "no room for renegotiation" regarding the Brexit deal, just a few hours before he is slated to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, who delayed the parliamentary vote on the Brexit agreement.May's decision on Monday spurred major furore in the House of Commons, with many British MPs calling for her resignation. Labour MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, even launched a "symbolic protest" by picking up the ceremonial mace that is representative of the royal authority of the crown. His breach of protocol, that left the House of Commons stupefied, got him expelled for the duration of the sitting on Monday.The British Parliament has been debating the Brexit deal since December 4, the culmination of which was supposed to be the parliamentary vote on December 11 that would make or break the way in which the UK would be exiting from the European Union in March next year."I will meet @theresa_may this evening ..
Cong appears set to dislodge BJP from power in Rajasthan
The Congress appeared set to dislodge the BJP from power in Rajasthan on Monday as the party won 2 seats and was leading at 100 others.The ruling BJP won 4 seats and was leading at 65 others, according to the latest trends available from the Assembly results.Among others, CPI(M) was leading at 2 seats, BSP at 5 seats, RLD at one seat and Independents were leading at 12 seats.In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the majority mark is 101.Despite appearing to be in a position to form the government in Rajasthan, the Congress has initiated talks with other parties and Independents for a possible alliance.Sachin Pilot, a front runner for Chief Ministership, said the party is confident of getting a majority but is still in touch with "like-minded and anti-BJP parties"."We are moving towards a full majority and I am sure it will be clear once final numbers are in. Still we welcome all like-minded and anti-BJP parties to support us and we are in touch," the state Congress president ...
BSP gains reckoning
Former Chief Minister Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has gained 'some kind of reckoning' by surging ahead on 15 Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan.In Chhattisgarh, the BSP was leading on three seats with three per cent vote share as per the updated details of the Assembly poll results on the website of Election Commission of India at 4.06 pm. In Madhya Pradesh, the BSP was leading on four seats with 4.6 per cent share in votes polled. The Samajwadi Party was leading on two seats with one per cent share in total votes polled in MP.In Rajasthan, the BSP has already won one seat and was leading on six seats with 4.2 per cent share in votes polled in the state Assembly election for which the counting of votes is being done on Tuesday. In Telangana, the BSP is leading on one seat, with 1.9 per cent share in votes polled.
Congress looks set to dethrone BJP after three terms in Chhattisgarh
The Congress on Tuesday appeared set to snatch the reins of power from the three-term BJP government in Chhattisgarh, as the the Opposition party was poised for a sweep.The Congress was leading at 59 of the 90 seats, leaving the BJP way behind with 17, according to the last figures available.Raman Singh, Chief Minister since 2003, was leading from Rajnandgaon after initially trailing for a brief period.The two-phased Assembly Elections in the state were held on November 12 and 20.
We forgot development issue: BJP MP Kakade on poll trends
BJP MP Sanjay Kakade on Tuesday said the electoral setback suffered by the party in Madhya Pradesh was beacuse the main issue of development were ignored and subjects like Ram Mandir, building statues became the focus.Speaking to ANI, Kakade said, "I knew we would lose in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh but MP trends have come as a surprise to me. I think we forgot the issue of development that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took up in 2014. Ram Mandir, statues and changing names of cities became the focus," he said.According to latest trends available, the ruling BJP was leading at 13 seats while the Congress was leading at 62 seats in Chhattisgarh where 90 seats are at stake.In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress was surging ahead on 112 seats, while the BJP was maintaining the lead on 108 seats. The total seats in Madhya Pradesh are 100.Similarly, in Rajasthan, the Congress was leading on 103 seats, while the BJP on 68 seats. In Telangana, the TRS was almost close to sweeping the Assembly ...
Telangana Assembly elections: TRS leads in 79, major setback for BJP
Huge success for Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as it leads on 79 seats and has already won in seven constituencies out of 119 seats, as per the latest trends by the Election Commission of India (ECI).While the K Chandrashekhar Rao led party seems to be sweeping the polls, it is a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it has not won a single seat till now and is leading only in one seat.Second in the race is Congress leading on 21 seats as of now. Assadudin Owaisi led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has won one seat and is leading on six till now.Reacting on the current trends, as per which the Telgu Desam Party (TDP) is leading on two seats, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said, "TDP respects the mandate of people of Telangana. Congratulations to K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Also, best wishes to all the newly elected public representatives of five states."Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao won from Gajwel ...
Madhya Pradesh: Congress leads in 115 seats, BJP in 105
The Congress is currently edging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the battle for power in Madhya Pradesh with a lead in 115 constituencies as opposed to the incumbent ruling party's lead in 104 seats, latest data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirmed.BJP candidate Dilip Kumar Makwana has been delared the winner from the Ratlam Rural constituency, taking the BJP's total tally in the state to 105. Makwana garnered 73,673 votes, while 65,879 votes were cast in favour of the Congress' Thawarlal Bhuriya.Apart from the two major parties contesting in the 230-seat assembly elections in the state, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Gondvana Gantantrik Party (GGP) and independent candidates are leading in four, two, one and three seats respectively.Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is currently leading in the Budhni constituency with 69,081 votes over the former Congress Lok Sabha MP Arun Yadav, who has garnered 33,550 votes.Meanwhile, the BJP's .
'Rahul faced brickbats, now he deserves bouquets in equal
Reacting to the trends in Assembly election results, Congress leader Milind Deora said Tuesday that party Chief Rahul Gandhi, who was blamed for past defeats, now deserves accolades in equal measure. The Congress was leading in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the Assembly polls as per the the Election Commission data. Deora, a former Mumbai South Lok Sabha MP, said a key takeway from the result was that the states in the Hindi heartland want development and not divisive politics. "Mandir-Masjid politics might win prime time TV spots, not elections," he said, referring to the Ram temple-Babri Masjid issue. "Rahul Gandhi faced brickbats for previous Congress defeats. Today, he deserves bouquets in equal measure," said Deora, who is considered to be a close aide of Gandhi's.