Page 2422 - Politics
After intense attack, Governor defends J&K Assembly dissolution (Roundup)
As mainstream parties on Thursday attacked the decision of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to dissolve the Assembly, he defended his action saying the alliance between the former rival parties was opportunistic and not in the interest of the state.
Raj Bhawan fax machine opens new battleground in J-K
A Raj Bhawan fax machine opened a new battleground in Jammu and Kashmir, with the NC Thursday alleging democracy was "scuttled" as it was not functioning, even as Governor Satya Pal Malik said the fax-operator was unavailable on Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi, a state holiday. Letters to stake claim to form government by the PDP and a two-member party, People's Conference, allegedly failed to reach the governor Wednesday, apparently because the machine was not operational The Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP is being supported by the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, while People's Conference claimed support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties. However, their bids to form government were cut short after Malik dissolved the state assembly Wednesday night. In a sarcastic remark, NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said, "This is the first time that a fax machine has scuttled democracy." "This fax machine is strange, just like the traffic management in Srinagar, one way ...
Omar dares Ram Madhav on Pakistan links, BJP leader takes back comment
Hours after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dared senior BJP leader Ram Madhav to prove his allegations of Pakistani links or apologize, the saffron party leader took back his words.
Theresa May hails Brexit draft agreed with EU
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said that a "good" post-Brexit deal with the EU was "within grasp" and she was determined to deliver it, as the European Commission confirmed an in-principle agreement over trade, security and other issues after Britain leaves the economic bloc. In a statement at Downing Street after briefing her Cabinet over the Political Declaration that supplements the Withdrawal Agreement, or divorce arrangements, with the European Union, May described the minor breakthrough in Brexit negotiations as the right deal for the UK. The UK and the EU expect to use the Political Declaration as the basis for a detailed post-Brexit trade agreement, to be thrashed out during a 21-month transition period already agreed to kick-in after March 29 next year, when Britain is set to formally exit the EU after a referendum in June 2016 in favour of Brexit. "It delivers on the vote of the referendum. It brings back control of our borders, our money and our laws. And it
Rajasthan polls: 579 candidates withdraw nominations
At least 579 candidates withdrew their nominations for the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly polls on Thursday, an official said. Among the prominent leaders who withdrew their nominations include BJP dissident Gyan Deo Ahuja and Bhawani Singh Rajawat whereas in the Congress, Ramchandra Sardana also decided not to contest the polls following talks with senior party leaders. According to the chief electoral officer, 579 candidates have withdrawn their nominations and the figure is likely to be updated further. Till November 19, 3,293 candidates had filed 4,285 nominations, of which 612 nominations were rejected, he said. Over 2,000 candidates are in the race for elections scheduled on December 7, he added.
Jasdan by-poll: Vaghela says he will back whoever Cong fields
Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Thursday extended "open support" to the opposition party against BJP's Kunvarji Bavaliya for December 20 Jasdan Assembly by-election in Gujarat. Vaghela, who severed ties with the Congress last year, said he will back whoever the party fields. Earlier Thursday, the Election Commission announced that by-election will be conducted at Jasdan on December 20 and counting of votes will be held on December 23. The Congress has not yet announced its candidate for the election, necessitated after sitting MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya resigned. "I extend my open support to the Congress candidate. No matter whom the party selects, I will support him. If needed, I will hold public rallies in Jasdan against BJP and its candidate," Vaghela told reporters here. Vaghela also said he has been meeting leaders of various opposition parties in the country to ensure BJP's defeat in next year's general elections. The former chief minister, who was once ...
Following are the top stories at 2000 hours
Following are the top stories at 2000 hours: FGN25 PAK-INDIA-LD KARTARPUR Pak conveys to India decision to open Kartarpura Corridor for Sikhs pilgrims: Qureshi Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan has conveyed to India its decision to open the Kartarpura Corridor for the Sikh pilgrims on the occasion of Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Thursday, a development which could help ease tensions between the two neighbours. By Sajjad Hussain FGN28 CHINA-CAR-3RDLD CRASH 5 killed, 18 injured as car rams into students in China Beijing: A speeding luxury car driven by the son of a provincial ruling Chinese Communist Party official rammed a group of students crossing a road in front of a primary school in Liaoning province, killing five of them and injuring 18 others, weeks after a similar incident claimed 11 lives. By K J M Varma FGN15 PAK-LD POET Pakistan's progressive Urdu writer Fahmida Riaz dies Lahore: Noted Pakistani progressive Urdu writer, poet ...
Will do what Mamata says: Ex-Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee
Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said he was asked to resign from his post by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He further said that he would obey the instructions of Banerjee as her command is "above all"."I was asked to resign. I will do what Mamata says. Her command is above all. Whatever happens politically will come in the forefront," he said.Commenting on the controversy in his personal life and his relationship with his wife, he said, " Someone else (Wife Ratna Chatterjee) cannot blame my well wisher (Baishaki Banerjee) for doing all this against me. She is not responsible for my personal or political decisions."Chatterjee and his wife separated earlier in the year. The latter blamed her estranged husband's closeness to Baishaki Banerjee for the alleged indifference in his attitude towards his work.Sovan had resigned as West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services and Housing minister on November 20, following which State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad ...
BJP, Cong centralising powers: Chandrasekhar Rao
TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao alleged on Thursday both the BJP and Congress indulged in centralisation of power at the cost of ignoring interests of the states. The caretaker Telangana Chief Minister urged the people to vote his party back to power in the December seven assembly elections and also make it victorious in next year's Lok Sabha polls to make the Centre agree to the state's demands. Addressing campaign meetings at Ichhoda, Nirmal, Armoor, Khanapur and Bhainsa, Rao said the NDA government did not cooperate though the state government had sent assembly resolutions seeking increase in reservation for Scheduled Tribes and Muslims. "The Centre has kept with it (resolutions). That's why I appeal to you. The Congress or BJP, they don't solve these problems. They cannot do it. They don't want to do it. All power should be centralised in Delhi, wield influence (on states). That is the attitude of these parties," he said TRS has to play a role in national politics
NOTA a candidate, direct mayoral election: Haryana announces civic body polls with many firsts
In a significant move, the Haryana Election Commission has decided to treat 'none-of-the-above' or NOTA option as a fictional candidate in upcoming municipal polls, making it must for winning candidates to secure more votes than those cast for NOTA. Elections to the municipal corporations of Karnal, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Rohtak and Hisar and municipal committees of Jakhal Mandi in Fatehabad and Pundri in Kaithal will be held on December 16, Haryana Election Commissioner Dalip Singh said Thursday. In another first, the mayors of the five municipal corporations too will be elected directly for which the electors would cast votes, not only to elect ward councillors but also the mayor, through unique "multi-post electronic voting machines", he said. NOTA will be treated as a fictional electoral candidate. If in the election, all the contesting candidates individually receive less votes than those cast for the fictional candidate, NOTA, none of the candidates will be declared elected. The .
SC refuses early hearing against unseating of IUML MLA
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined an urgent hearing of a plea by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLA K.M. Shaji challenging his unseating and disqualification by the Kerala High Court for making communal overtures during his election campaign.
Will consult churches on liquor policy if voted to power: Mizoram CM
Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla Thursday said the ruling Congress would consult the churches on the state's liquor policy if the party is voted to power again in the upcoming Assembly election. Liquor has become a contentious issue in Mizoram which goes to polls on November 28 for its 40 Assembly seats to decide who will form the next government in this highly-literate and Christian-majority state. Mizoram is the only state in the northeastern region under a Congress government. In a statement, Lal Thanhawla said the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Act, 2014 was initiated by his government since the total prohibition regime since February 20, 1997, failed to fulfil its desired objective. Liquor was available abundantly in the state during the past 20 years, he said in the statement. "If the MLPC Act, 2014 is not good for Mizoram and the people, we would determine our liquor policy by consulting the church," he said. The MLPC Act had replaced total prohibition and the ...
Imran Ansari joins People's Conference: Lone
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone Thursday welcomed disgruntled PDP leader Imran Ansari into his party saying it was an emotional "homecoming". "I welcome @imranrezaansari into the @JKPC_ family. It is an emotional homecoming. Late Molvi Ifthikar sahib was one of the founding members' if (of) PC along with my late father," Lone said. The Peoples Conference chairman, who was attracting leaders from other political parties like PDP and National Conference, termed Ansari as a mass leader. "Molvi Imran sahib is a mass leader and will be a leading light in the caravan of change," he added. Ansari himself has not yet confirmed joining Lone's outfit. Earlier, National Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu quit the party to contest the urban local bodies elections from Srinagar. After getting elected as Mayor of Srinagar, Mattu formally joined the Peoples Conference.
2 premiers and no government: Crisis confuses
Two men each claim to be the prime minister. Lawmakers are exchanging blows in Parliament. A former finance minister says the country is on the brink of an "economic anarchy." Welcome to Sri Lanka, where the political crisis is getting worse by the week. The trouble started when President Maithripala Sirisena, fed up with disagreements with his prime minister over money, an alleged conspiracy plot and unresolved issues of wartime crimes against civilians, fired Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet and replaced them with a government headed by a popular former strongman, Mahinda Rajapaksa. But lawmakers balked and twice passed a no-confidence motion. Sirisena, however, refuses to accept that his choice of prime minister has been defeated. Jehan Perera, head of the local analyst group National Peace Council, said that the government appointed by the president can't be called legal because Sirisena had not sought a parliamentary vote when he dismissed Wickremesinghe. "It can be called ...
Samajwadi Party MP demands 500-bed encephalitis ward be opened in Gorakhpur
Samajwadi Party MP Praveen Nishad demanded on Thursday that a 500-bed encephalitis ward be opened in the district as he submitted a memorandum asking the administration to ensure transparency in data of deaths due to the disease. SP members led by MP Nishad and party district president Prahlad Yadav marched from the BRD Medical College here to Commissioner's office and handed over a two-point memorandum addressed to the Governor. The MP said 98 per cent construction work of the 500-bed ward was completed during the previous Akhilesh Yadav regime but instead of opening it, the present government is focusing on construction of other encephalitis ward. "We demand that the 500-bed ward be opened as soon as possible so that people of the area will be benefited" he said. "Our next demand is to bring transparency in data as it was in the previous governments. Now, no death data of encephalitis is getting issued by the BRD Medical College and it shows that somewhere something is wrong and at .
Kejriwal writes to EC, demands authentic list of deleted voters in a week
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat demanding a "certified, complete and authentic" list of deleted voters in the national capital within a week. In his letter to Rawat on Wednesday, Kejriwal also sought to know as to why a similar list, which was available on the Election Commission's website, was removed. According to Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha's recent letter to the CEC, more than 30 lakh votes, which is 25 per cent of the total votes in Delhi, have been deleted, Kejriwal claimed. "Kindly put a certified, complete and authentic deleted voter list in public domain within a week. The Delhi government will also use its resources to publicise that list," Kejriwal said in the letter. The AAP had earlier alleged that names of voters were deleted by lower-level officers in collusion with the BJP. An AAP delegation led by party supremo Kejriwal had recently met with Rawat in this regard. The EC had ordered a ...
Extensive 'horse-trading' was going on in J&K: Governor Malik
Under attack from the Opposition for his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday claimed "extensive horse-trading" was going on in the state and dismissed allegations that he was acting on the Centre's directions. Maintaining that it would have been impossible for parties with "opposing political ideologies" to form a stable government, Malik defended his decision and said he acted in the state's interest and according to its constitution. Speaking to reporters at Raj Bhavan here, the governor dismissed allegations that he was acting on the Centre's directions and said had this been the case, their side (BJP, People's Conference) would have been called for government formation. On the Opposition's threat to move court, he said those who wanted to move court, could do so as it was their right. "For the past 15 to 20 days, I have been getting reports of large-scale horse trading. MLAs are being threatened and several types of underhanded ...
Chouhan's assembly segment lacks basic facilities: Congress
The assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh represented by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the last three terms lacks even basic facilities and infrastructure, said Congress leader Arun Yadav who is in the fray from the seat. Budhni in Sehore district has been electing Chouhan for the last three terms and he is contesting again from the seat as the BJP candidate in the November 28 assembly polls. Yadav, a former Union minister, is contesting against Chouhan. "The chief minister has been the MLA for 15 years from Budhni, but whether it is a tribal village, Dalit mohalla (colony) or villages, all are without basic amenities," he said Thursday. "Even basic facilities like roads and water are not available to them. The area has been given to those close to chief minister who have created an atmosphere of fear among the people," Yadav said at a press conference. He cited voting records of various polling booths during the past two elections and said in many booths, ..
Scottish Minister to visit India next week to strengthen bilateral ties
Deputy First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, will visit India next week to further strengthen ties between the two countries. His visit will be aimed at enhancement of trade and investment along with bolstering educational and cultural links.A statement released by the British High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday said that the Scottish Minister would be accompanied by a delegation of senior leaders from Scotland's higher education sector."India is an important international partner to Scotland and we have successfully collaborated on hundreds of different projects in recent years - from the Ganga River Health Project to delivering cost-effective precision medicine solutions for diabetes," Swinney was quoted saying.Swinney would be holding a series of meetings between November 23 to 29 in New Delhi and Bangalore, along with businessmen and industry leaders as well as representatives from the Indian Government."There is much we can learn from India, a country highly regarded for
Badal, Amarinder hail Centre's move on Kartarpur corridor
Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday welcomed the initiative of the NDA government to build and develop a modern and state-of-the-art corridor to facilitate pilgrims to offer prayers at the Kartarpur gurdwara in Pakistan where the first Sikh guru, Nanak Dev, spent the last 18 years of his life.