Page 25 - Politics

Bal Thackeray did not use Hindutva to break parties, says Aaditya

Bal Thackeray did not use Hindutva to break other parties, his grandson and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Saturday in an attack on former ally BJP. Addressing party workers in central Mumbai, Thackeray said his party colleagues were being targeted by investigating agencies as the Shiv Sena (UBT) had held a press conference to highlight what he said was a wrong order by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar in the case pertaining to disqualification of MLAs. Post the split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022 following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who went on to become chief minister, both factions had petitioned the speaker seeking disqualification of MLAs from the other side under anti-defection laws. Narwekar, in his order, held that Shinde's faction was the real Shiv Sena and did not disqualify any MLA from either camp. "Ravindra Waikar, Kishore Pednekar, Rajan Salvi are being hounded by probe agencies and are being given threats so that they join the Eknath .

Talks of alliance with Congress for LS polls in progress: SP chief Akhilesh

Talks of an alliance with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are in progress, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday. Talking to reporters at the SP headquarters here, he said several meetings have taken place in Delhi and more will be held soon. "We are in talks of an alliance with the Congress and a way will be found," said Yadav, whose SP, like the Congress, is part of the 28-member opposition INDIA bloc. The alliance, which also includes the TMC, the DMK and the AAP, was formed to take on the BJP in the general elections. Constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are engaged in seat- sharing talks in different states. Yadav's remarks come a day after the SP and the Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) reached a seat sharing agreement in Uttar Pradesh for the polls. "The INDIA bloc should be strong. The question is not about which party gets how many seats but about winnability," he ...

AIFB will hold talks with leaders of 'INDIA' bloc on seat-sharing

The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) will hold parleys with the leaders of the INDIA Bloc on sharing seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, AIFB's vice president P V Kathiravan said on Saturday. A poll panel comprising senior leaders has been constituted today and it will commence the negotiations with the INDIA Bloc leaders especially DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, soon, he said. The panel would also engage other leaders of the alliance in the talks and on facing the poll, Kathiravan said in a release here. "We will urge the ruling DMK to allot us the Theni constituency where we are strong," he said. Meanwhile, the Central Committee of the AIFB which met here with its president Naren Chatterjee in the chair resolved to relieve G Devarajan from the post of national general secretary till a new general secretary is elected. Chatterjee will hold the additional charge of general ...

INDIA will disintegrate in Bihar, development to follow for NDA: Minister

Amid the JD(U)'s perceived unhappiness with the opposition INDIA bloc constituents, a key BJP-ally from Bihar Saturday claimed that the state's ruling combine is "100 per cent" certain to break and a "good development" for the NDA will follow the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party leader Pashupati Kumar Paras said differences between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad have deepened. "Their alliance is 100 per cent certain to break. 'Kharmas' (a period considered inauspicious in Hindu belief) has ended. The idol of Lord Ram will be consecrated on January 22 in Ayodhya. An auspicious period has begun and whatever will happen will be good for the BJP-led NDA," he told PTI. The Dalit leader said the entire country, including Bihar, is immersed in the fervour surrounding the Ram temple, and the opposition has no hope in the elections. Asked if the issue will have an impact on Bihar, where the ...

SP, RLD announce alliance for Lok Sabha polls; latter gets 7 seats in UP

The Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal on Friday announced their alliance for the Lok Sabha polls, with the RLD saying that the other party will leave seven seats in western Uttar Pradesh for its nominees. SP president Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary announced the tie-up for the elections later this year on social media. "Congratulations to everyone on the alliance of RLD and SP. Let us all unite for victory," Yadav said in a post on X. Reposting this tweet, Chaudhary said, "Always ready to protect national and constitutional values. We expect all workers of our alliance to move forward together for the development and prosperity of our region." He also posted pictures of the two leaders shaking hands. An RLD spokesperson told PTI that the seat-sharing deal was finalised at a meeting between the two leaders. "The RLD will contest seven seats in western Uttar Pradesh," he said. But the spokesperson did not name the specific seats.

Moitra says she's hospitalised, urges HC to direct authorities not to evict

Citing medical reasons, expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday urged the Delhi High Court to restrain the authorities from evicting her from the government bungalow on cancellation of allotment following her expulsion. The Trinamool Congress leader, who has challenged a notice by the Directorate of Estates (DoE) to vacate the government accommodation, pleaded not to throw her out of the premises for the time being as she is a single woman and is undergoing treatment at a hospital here. Justice Girish Kathpalia, who heard the counsel for Moitra and DoE at length, said he will dictate the order today. Senior advocate Brij Gupta, representing Moitra, submitted she has undergone a surgical procedure and is admitted to a private hospital. Doctors have advised her bed rest, the lawyer said and urged the court to give her some time to vacate the bungalow, preferably four months. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma and central government's standing counsel Anurag ...

Trinamool's Mahua Moitra gets eviction notice to vacate govt bungalow

The Directorate of Estates on Tuesday issued a notice to evict former TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha last month, from her government bungalow, sources in the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said. The Trinamool Congress leader has been asked to vacate the bungalow immediately, which had been allotted to her as an MP, they said. "Since the eviction notice was issued to her (Moitra) on Tuesday, a team of officials from the directorate of estates will now be sent to ensure that the government bungalow is vacated at the earliest," a source told PTI. The TMC leader, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, was earlier asked to vacate the house by January 7 after her allotment was cancelled. On January 8, the DoE had issued a notice seeking her reply within three days as to why she had not vacated her government accommodation. Another notice was also issued to her on January 12. On January 4, the Delhi High Court asked the TMC leader

My actions based on SC guidelines: Speaker on Uddhav tirade against ruling

Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday defended his decision to recognise Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction as the real Shiv Sena, and asserted that his actions were based on the guidelines provided by the Supreme Court. He spoke to the media here immediately after Thackeray, at a press conference, attacked his January 10 ruling on disqualification petitions filed by both Shinde and Thackeray camps against each other's MLAs following a split in the party in June 2022. The speaker also justified his decision not to accept the undivided Shiv Sena's amended constitution of 2018. The party had then informed the Election Commission only about Uddhav Thackeray being the party chief but not submitted the amended constitution, he said. In his ruling, Narwekar held that the Sena's 1999 constitution was the valid one for deciding which faction was the real Shiv Sena. "My actions were based on the Supreme Court's guidelines," he said. Rules framed by a party should not

INDIA to resolve seat-sharing woes, victory assured in LS polls: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence on Tuesday that the seat-sharing issues among the INDIA bloc partners will be resolved and claimed that the coalition will defeat the BJP in this year's Lok Sabha polls. He also said there is mutual respect and affection between the leaders of the INDIA bloc, which he asserted is "an ideological formation" that is in opposition to the idea of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a press conference here in Nagaland during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi said the status of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is "very good". "We are in conversation with our partners. The issue of seat sharing is being taken up. Those discussions are ongoing and I think they are going quite well. Let us see where those discussions end. "Broadly, a lot of those discussions are quite simple. They are not complex discussions and are relatively easy discussions to have. So I am quite

BJP politicised Ram temple consecration, difficult to attend: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said it is difficult for his party's leaders to attend the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony as the BJP and the RSS have turned it into a "political event" centred around Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His remarks at a press conference during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here comes days after the Congress top brass declined the invitation to the event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. "The Ram temple consecration ceremony is a political event centred around the prime minister. The BJP and the RSS are giving an election flavour to it and that is why it is difficult for us to attend," Gandhi said. "It is difficult for us to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony when our principal opponents the BJP and the RSS have captured the function and turned it into election event," he said. On the opposition INDIA bloc, the Congress leader said the alliance will defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The seat sharing ..

Arvalo faces obstacles as Guatemala's new president to deliver on change

Bernardo Arvalo was sworn in early Monday as Guatemala's new president. Many doubted they would ever see the day as powerful interests aligned against his anti-corruption campaign and authorities threw various legal challenges at him and his party. Arvalo is now president, but those disputes will continue and with little support in Congress he will be hard-pressed to deliver the deep changes in Guatemalan government and society that fuelled his support and a surprise electoral victory. He's considered a political moderate with a background in conflict resolution, skills that should serve him well in Guatemala's current polarization. WHO IS GUATEMALA'S NEW PRESIDENT? Arvalo is the 65-year-old son of former Guatemalan President Juan Jos Arvalo. The elder Arvalo was credited with implementing fundamental protections for workers and spaces for the country's Indigenous population. Bernardo Arvalo was born in Uruguay, where his father was in exile following the ouster in a 1954 CIA-bac

Poland's president and new PM remain divided on rule of law despite talks

Poland's president and new prime minister said on Monday they remain divided on the key subject of rule of law in the country, despite one-on-one talks in search of common ground in various areas. Centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with pro-opposition President Andrzej Duda to discuss Poland's security ahead of Tusk's planned visit to Ukraine, but also to identify areas where they can cooperate in the society's interest above their sharp political divisions. In a sign that did not bid well for their future cooperation, both later said that they had found no common ground in the very sensitive area of the rule of law, where Poland's previous government and Duda himself clashed with the European Union. Tusk's government is taking steps to reverse the controversial policies of its predecessors, making new appointments to key offices, wrestling control of state-owned media and even arresting two former government ministers convicted and sentenced by court for abuse of power. Duda

Ram temple consecration: AAP plans 'Sundar Kand' in Delhi on Tuesdays

In an apparent attempt to counter the BJP's focus on the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the AAP has announced its plan to hold "Sundar Kand" recital programmes across Delhi on Tuesdays. The consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be held on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present there. "'Sundar Kand' recitation programme will be held in all Assembly constituencies and municipal wards on the first Tuesday of every month. Party MLAs, councillors and office bearers will take part in the programmes that will held at over 2,600 places in the city," said AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. He invited the people of Delhi to participate in the programme enthusiastically. "Sundar Kand" is one of the chapters in the Ramayana devoted to Lord Hanuman. The Aam Aadmi Party will organise "Sundar Kand" recitation at the Assembly level and after that, it will be done at the ward level and then at the mandal level also, the AAP

Another resolution seeking delay in Feb 8 polls moved in Pakistan Senate

A resolution seeking a delay in the February 8 general election was moved in Pakistan's Senate on Sunday, two days after a similar resolution was submitted in the Parliament's upper house. The resolution, the third of its kind to be moved in the Senate, cited cold weather and security concerns for the postponement of the elections, Geo News reported. Tabled by independent Senator Hilal-ur-Rehman, the resolution said that extreme cold weather and snowfall would create difficulties for citizens to cast votes in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and create challenges for candidates trying to campaign. In the same way, due to security concerns in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, candidates are facing threats of terrorist attacks while campaigning, it said. The resolution added that the security issue was also creating obstacles and limiting the participation of candidates in their campaigns, the Dawn newspaper reported. The resolution claimed that due to the increasing sen

Pak's PTI party candidates were picked with little input: Imran Khan

Pakistan's jailed ex-premier Imran Khan has said that his party candidates for the February 8 elections were picked with his little input and he was largely unaware of ticket distribution among them. Khan made these remarks on Saturday after attending court proceedings in the Toshakhana corruption case, according to a report by the Dawn newspaper. Before the court proceedings began, about two dozen PTI workers and candidates of different constituencies complained to 71-year-old Khan about being denied party tickets. He told them that the tickets were awarded with his little input and that he was unaware of their distribution. He explained to them that it was not possible for him to make a quick decision on the award of 850 tickets in a brief discussion with party leaders, the paper reported. Khan also again accused his rival Nawaz Sharif of playing the match with the umpires of choice. He said that a certified money launderer returned to Pakistan under the London Plan and was give

BJP's ST wing will hold mega tribal rally in Ranchi on February 11

BJP's Scheduled Tribe Morcha on Saturday announced to hold a mega tribal rally here on February 11 on occasion of the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Tilka Manjhi. Party's national general secretary Raddha Mohan Das Agarwal told reporters here that lakhs of tribals from different states including Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya will participate in the rally. He said, "The rally will be a game-changer and bring a sea change in Jharkhand politics." Agarwal added that the recent election results of three states have made it clear that tribal community has put its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP.

Lawlessness, corruption at peak in West Bengal, says Anurag Thakur

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Monday flayed the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging a severe breakdown in law and order and unprecedented levels of corruption in the state. Thakur's remarks come in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the assault on three Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid at the residence of a TMC leader, accused in a ration distribution scam. "Law and order in West Bengal has collapsed under Mamata Banerjee's rule. The TMC ensures that public money from the Centre meant for welfare is being siphoned off through its infamous cut money (commission) system. Corruption is at its peak in Bengal; if action is taken against the corrupt, even the ED team is being attacked, stones are pelted at them," Thakur, who is in the city to attend a programme, told reporters at the airport. On January 5, three ED officers were injured and their vehicles vandalised during a raid at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24

Uddhav Thackeray skips INDIA bloc meeting, cites scheduled engagements

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday didn't attend the virtual meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc citing a scheduled programme. He also said the party had already informed (the opposition bloc) about its inability to attend the meeting. "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding in this regard. I have expressed my inability to attend the meeting as I had to attend a scheduled programme which involved a lot of moving around. In such a scenario, attending the meeting would have been difficult," Thackeray said. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader is visiting the Kalyan-Dombivli Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. Kalyan-Dombivli is the stronghold of CM Shinde. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Ind

Stalin dubs speculations of his son's elevation as deputy CM as rumours

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday dismissed as 'rumours,' speculations that his son Udhayanidhi was being made deputy CM of the state and asserted he was healthy. Such rumours were being spread by those opposed to the January 21 DMK Youth Wing Conference in Salem, to be held under its chief Udhayanidhi, Stalin said. At a time when youth across the state were getting ready for the Salem conference, those engaged in rumour-mongering "spread false information about my health," he said in a Pongal greetings message. He said he had attended an event here on Friday where he had mentioned that he had nothing to worry about when the people of the state were happy. "I am healthy and cheerful. I am working, working, working," the 70 year-old leader added. "After this lie was shattered, rumours were being spread with an intention to create sensation, that deputy CM post (for Udhayanidhi) was going to be given," he added. Udhayanidhi himself had responded to

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge appointed as chairperson of INDIA bloc

A consensus emerged on the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for appointment as the chairperson of the opposition bloc INDIA on Saturday, sources said. Leaders of the bloc met virtually and discussed various aspects of the alliance and the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, due in April-May. Sources said leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Samajwadi Party did not attend the meeting. According to the sources, a consensus emerged on Kharge's appointment as the chairperson of the bloc. An official announcement on the appointment is awaited. The leaders also decided to make Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar the convenor of the bloc, but a final call will be taken after consulting the parties whose representatives were not present in the meeting, the sources said. As many as 28 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on