Page 2259 - Politics
Vote counting underway in MP
Counting for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections began on Tuesday amid tight security, a poll official said.
Counting of votes underway in Rajasthan
The counting of votes for 199 seats in the Rajasthan Assembly elections began on Tuesday amid tight security, a poll official said.
May heads to Europe in bid to save Brexit deal under fire
British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Germany's Angela Merkel Tuesday as she works to salvage her Brexit deal, the day after delaying a parliamentary vote on it to avoid a crushing defeat. May will first go to The Hague for talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte before meeting Merkel in Berlin, as she struggles to unite British lawmakers behind her faltering plan. The embattled leader is facing a rebellion in her own party and from parliamentary allies that threatens to sink both the agreement and her leadership. "I will now do everything I possibly can to secure further assurances," May told mutinous MPs Monday on her planned dash to Europe ahead of an EU summit later this week. "I will discuss with them the clear concerns that this house has expressed," she said. But European Council president Donald Tusk warned the bloc would not reopen the agreement secured in November after months of negotiations, with Brexit looming on March 29. "We will not renegotiate the deal, ...
Rajasthan Assembly polls: Counting of votes begins
Counting of votes to elect a new Assembly in Rajasthan began Tuesday morning amid tight security. According to the Election Commission, counting is underway for 199 seats out of 200 assembly constituencies, election for which were held on December 7. "The counting began at the centres amid tight security arrangements," a spokesperson of the election department said. As many as 35 centres have been set up in the state. Except Jaipur and Jodhpur where there are two counting centres and each district has one centre. "CCTV cameras have been installed at nearly 40 counting centres to keep a close watch on the counting process," the spokesperson said. Polling took place in 15,687 polling centres across the 199 constituencies on December 7 and the state recorded a turnout of 74.21 per cent, a tally just short of the 75.23 per cent registered in the previous assembly election. The BJP and Congress are the main political parties in the state. Both the parties have claimed that they will emerge
Counting of votes begins in five states
Counting of votes for five state assemblies began on Tuesday amid tight security. In the multi-phase polling, Chhattisgarh voted on November 12 (18 seats) and November 20 (72 seats); Madhya Pradesh (230 seats) and Mizoram (40 seats) on November 28; and Rajasthan (199 seats) and Telangana (119 seats) on December 7. Over 8,500 candidates were in the fray in polls for these assemblies. A total of 678 assembly seats across five states went for polls, after polling was countermanded in one seat in Rajasthan due to death of a candidate. Tight security arrangements have been made for the counting, especially in Chhattisgarh where at least 12 assembly seats are in Naxal-affected areas. Besides, there have been allegations related to the electronic voting machines. Hectic political parleys marked the eve of counting of votes for five state assemblies, billed as semi-finals before the 2019 national polls, with the Congress asserting that the mandate from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Counting begins for Mizoram assembly
The counting of votes for the 40-member Mizoram assembly began at 8.00 am on Tuesday, amid elaborate security arrangements, election department officials said here. The counting is going on in 13 counting centres in the eight district headquarters of the state, they added. Postal ballots cast by government employees deployed on election duty and votes cast by service voters, who exercised their franchise from outside the state through electronic transmitted postal ballots (ETPB), would be counted first. After this, the votes cast in EVMs would be counted, the officials said. The election was held on November 28 and its result will decide whether Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla of Congress will be able to return for a third consecutive term in office. Mizoram is the last bastion of the Congress in the northeast. In the 2013 elections, the Congress had won 34 seats, while its main opposition the Mizo National Front (MNF) got five seats and the Mizoram People's Conference bagged one ...
Counting of votes underway in Mizoram
Counting of votes in the 40-seat Mizoram Assembly polls commenced on Tuesday, an official said.
J&K votes in panchayat polls
Voting was underway on Tuesday for the ninth and final phase of the panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security.
Counting of votes underway in Telangana
The counting of votes was underway amid tight security in Telangana on Tuesday.
Assembly polls: Counting of votes begins in Mizoram, Telangana
Amid heightened security, the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in the states of Mizoram and Telangana has begun.In Mizoram that went to polls on November 28, there are 40 Assembly constituencies spread across eight districts, out of which 39 seats are reserved for scheduled tribes, while one seat is for general category people.The state saw a voter turnout of about 80 per cent. As many as 7,70,395 lakh voters were eligible to cast their vote in the state including 3.75 lakh males and 3.95 lakh females.The Congress party, which has been in power in Mizoram since 2008, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the state.In the previous election in 2013, Congress had fielded 40 candidates while it won 34 seats, whereas Mizo National Front (MNF) secured only five seats after contesting 31 seats. Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) had contested on eight seats but it managed to bag only one.Both Congress and MNF are contesting all 40 constituencies this time, while the Bharatiya ...
Counting of votes begins in Telangana
Counting of the votes began on Tuesday for the 119-seat Telangana Assembly amid tight security. Maiden polls for the assembly were held on December 7 with a voter turnout of 73.20 per cent. The previous polls were held in the united Andhra Pradesh. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The assembly polls in Telangana were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year, but the House was dissolved on September 6 as per a recommendation by the state Cabinet. A clear picture about trends is expected by afternoon. The fate of 1,821 candidates from various political parties will be decided on Tuesday. Rajat Kumar Chief Electoral Officer on Monday said necessary arrangements have been made for the counting. "Counting will be done after the completion of the full postal ballot count. Counting will be done in the respective constituencies. With the approval of the ECI, the Chief Electoral Officer, will submit the list of winning candidates
Chhattisgarh Assembly polls: Counting of votes begins
Counting of votes began Tuesday morning for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, being viewed as a prestige battle for three-term Chief Minister Raman Singh of the BJP and the opposition Congress' fight for resurgence. This time, the coalition between Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former chief minister Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and Communist Party of India (CPI) has added another dimension to the electoral politics of the state which has been dominated by the BJP and the Congress. Several exit polls have predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the big two and some have projected victory for the Rahul Gandhi-led party. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a fourth straight term in office, the Congress is aiming to stage a comeback after being out of power for the last 15 years. Tight security arrangements have been made at the counting centres in all 27 districts, particularly the Naxal-affected ones, where voting was held in two ...
Counting of votes for MP, Rajasthan, C'garh polls begins
The counting of votes polled in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh Assembly elections has begun.Much is at stake for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is ruling in these three states and wants to retain them, at least, amidst the hopes of the Congress to dislodge the party.The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years and has been ruling Rajasthan for the last five years.In Madhya Pradesh which went to polls on November 28, as many as 2,899 candidates were in the fray including 250 women and five third gender candidates. The state saw a voter turnout of around 75 per cent.Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Madhya Pradesh VL Kantha Rao informed that counting will take place on an average in 22 rounds in each centre.In order to ensure transparency, he said that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) which did not give clear results due to malfunctioning during mock polls, will be taken out in the last round and the results will be tallied
Senior Congress leader C.N. Balakrishnan dead
Senior Congress leader and former Kerala Minister C.N. Balakrishnan died at a private hospital here due to pneumonia, party sources said on Tuesday. He was 87.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls: Counting of votes begins
Counting of votes for Madhya Pradesh Assembly's 230 seats began at 8 am Tuesday. As many as 2,907 candidates were in fray for the November 28 assembly polls as Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan of BJP is attempting a fourth term in office, while challenger Congress expects to return to power after a 15-year gap. Exit polls predicted a close race between the BJP and the Congress, though leaders from both parties have routinely claimed their respective victories. While Chouhan has called himself the "biggest surveyor" in claiming a win for the BJP, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said his party would get at least 140 seats to oust the saffron party and form a majority government. The state polls saw a voter turnout of about 75 per cent. Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao told reporters that counting began with the postal ballots at 51 centres across the state. "EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) would be taken up for counting at 8.30 am. Counting of postal .
China features in US withdrawal from INF Treaty
After President Donald Trump announced on 20 October that the USA was considering pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty -- a voluntary agreement between Russia and the USA signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev -- the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned of "many negative effects".Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying commented: "We hope that the relevant country can cherish the hard-won outcomes achieved over the years, prudently and properly handle the issues related to the treaty through dialogue and consultation, and think twice before withdrawing."She added: "China has always adhered to the defensive nature of its national defence policy and protects its own state interests. China will not tolerate any blackmail from any country."These were interesting comments from a country that is not party to the INF Treaty. Yet Beijing is right to weigh in on the issue, because any abandonment of the treaty is extremely pertinent to China.Indeed, Adam Ni, a .
US Treasury sanctions 3 senior N. Korean officials
The US Department of the Treasury on Monday announced sanctions against three senior officials of the North Korea, media reported.
Hope next govt in India will respond to talks positively: Pak FM Qureshi
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has expressed hope that the next government in India would show a positive attitude for holding talks to solve bilateral issues.While speaking at the National Assembly on the relations of its neighbours, Qureshi on Monday said that there is no way out except for negotiations when it comes to relations between India and Pakistan, Geo News reported.The Pakistan government, led by Imran Khan has been indicating towards the resumption of bilateral dialogue with India, for which New Delhi has made it clear that it first wants a conducive atmosphere that is free from terrorism.In September, India cancelled the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, after two Special Police Officers and one policeman in Jammu and Kashmir were kidnapped and brutally killed by the terrorists.In October, Khan said that he would resume peace talks with ...
Khashoggi nominated for Time's Person of the Year
Slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is on the shortlist for Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2018, the publication announced on Monday.Apart from Khashoggi, prominent world figures also feature in the list including United States President Donald Trump, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Anadolu News Agency reported.The Time said that Khashoggi was a "prolific commentator and critic of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.""Believed to have been murdered on the orders of the Crown Prince, his death prompted international outcry and scrutiny of the Saudi regime," the magazine added.Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist, went missing on October 2 after stepping into Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul to collect documents which would allow him to marry fiancee Hatice Cengiz. His fiancee, who was waiting outside the consulate, raised an alarm after Khashoggi failed to re-emerge from the consulate.After few weeks, Riyadh ...
US slaps sanctions on 3 North Korean officials
The United States Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions against three North Korean officials for alleged human rights abuses and carrying out censorship activities in the reclusive nation.North Korean state security minister Jong Kyong Thaek, ideological watchdog Choe Ryong Hae and propaganda director Pak Kwang Ho were designated by the The Office of Foreign Assets Control under 2016 financial sanctions penalising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime.The sanctions now prevents the three officials from the US financial system and their assets under the US jurisdiction have been frozen by the Treasury Department. Additionally, transactions by American citizens involving the designated persons are prohibited.In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said, "Treasury is sanctioning three senior North Korean officials who direct departments that perpetrate the regime's brutal state-sponsored censorship activities, human rights violations and abuses, and other abuses