Page 342 - Politics

We could not explain to the people why they should vote for us: Kejriwal to party workers

The AAP was not able to explain to the people why they should vote for them in the Lok Sabha polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said in an open letter to party workers, days after his party suffered a crushing defeat in the general elections. In the letter, Kejriwal lauded his party workers for running a "superb" campaign that was considered to be one of the best in the country. "The results, however, didn't meet our expectations. Post election ground analysis has revealed two major reasons. First, the atmosphere that prevailed in the country rubbed off on Delhi as well. Second, people saw this "big election" as between Modi and Rahul and voted accordingly. "Whatever be the reason, we were not able to explain to the public why they should vote for us in this big election," he said. Kejriwal said on the brighter side, "people have been enthusiastically assuring us that in the small election for Delhi Vidhan Sabha, they will vote in the name of the incredible work we .

Belgian king meets far-right leader in first since 1936

King Philippe of Belgium met with the Flemish far-right party leader on Wednesday, the first time since 1936 that an extreme right-wing party has been received by the monarch. The royal palace announced the meeting with the 32-year-old Tom Van Grieken of the Vlaams Belang party, which scored a surprise second place in Dutch-speaking Flanders in federal and regional elections on Sunday. While extremely limited, the role of the Belgian monarch is to serve as a facilitator to build a ruling coalition, a complicated task in a country deeply split between French and Dutch speaking communities. The Vlaams Belang party emerged second in Flanders, behind the nationalist but more mainstream N-VA party. Before the announcement Van Grieken told Flemish media that he would definitely accept the invitation, should he get one. "If you want to get respect you have to show respect, and that comes from both sides," he told Radio 1. In the European Parliament, the party is allied with Marine Le Pen's ..

Veteran China dissident urges linking of human rights, trade

Veteran Chinese dissident Wang Dan is urging Western nations to restore the link between human rights and trade with China. Wang was speaking Wednesday in Tokyo days ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1989 student pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, of which he was a key leader. Wang said China's authoritarian government poses a threat to free societies everywhere, requiring foreign nations to take tougher action to curb its abuses. He said the overthrow of the one-party Communist government must be the ultimate goal of such a campaign. Wang said free trade should be conditional on China's respect for freedoms including labour rights and an open internet. He said putting rights on the agenda could also help reduce the U.S.-China trade imbalance.

Karnataka: Congress workers urge Rahul to continue as party President

The Congress workers on Wednesday demonstrated outside party office urging Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party President."Losing elections isn't a big deal. We want Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party president because we need his leadership along with Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to boost our confidence and work hard for the party," Naveen Chandra, a party worker said.He further said, "Now, everything is in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Balakot air strike incident. Sometimes, people's mandate will not favour you but that doesn't mean they don't need Rahul Gandhi's leadership and guidance."The demonstration comes days after Rahul had offered to step down from the party post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections. However, Rahul's offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.Many leaders including DMK

After discussion with Nitish, Shah meets Modi

BJP President Amit Shah on Wednesday afternoon reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence to discuss the formation of the new government and the allocation of ministerial berths.

Sikh shrine destroyed in Pakistan: Punjab CM asks PM to seek probe

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pressurise Pakistan to undertake a thorough probe into the destruction of the centuries-old Guru Nanak Palace in Narowal.

IAF Chief Dhanoa new chairman of chiefs of staff committee

Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Wednesday received the baton of Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee from outgoing Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on Friday. The Chiefs of Staff Committee comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior most member is appointed its chairperson. "Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be the Chairman COSC with effect from May 31 consequent to relinquishment of charge by Admiral Sunil Lanba upon superannuation," a defence ministry spokesperson said. The Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa is a Kargil war veteran and top rated fighter pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience. An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the flying branch of Indian Air Force in June 1978. The Air ..

Kerala CM to skip PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled on May 30.According to the Chief Minister's Office, nobody from the Kerala government including the Chief Minister will be present in the ceremony on Thursday.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had a bitter spat with Modi in the Lok Sabha elections, has been invited to attend his swearing-in ceremony, which she has accepted."I have spoken to other Chief Ministers also. Since it is a ceremonial program, we thought of attending it. Yes, I will go," she had said.Modi will be sworn in for a second term as the prime minister on Thursday at 7 pm in Rashtrapati Bhavan, along with members of the Union Council of Ministers.

Congress MLA Vasanthakumar resigns from TN Assembly

Tamil Nadu Congress MLA H. Vasanthakumar on Wednesday resigned from the House following his election to the Lok Sabha, said an official statement.

New Israeli government or election: Netanyahu faces deadline

Israel's raucous political world was on edge Wednesday, counting down the hours to a midnight deadline to see whether a new government will be formed or whether, alternatively, there will be an unpresented second national election this year. Backchannel negotiations were continuing throughout the day to try and hammer out a compromise that would allow Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu faction to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition. Without him, Netanyahu has no parliamentary majority and won't be able to form a government within the 42 days he was tasked to do so. Netanyahu and his former top aide Lieberman, who have alternated between a close alliance and bitter rivalry over the past two decades, are now engaged in perhaps the most dramatic episode of their longtime political relationship a high-stakes showdown in which neither side appears ready to blink first. At stake is the makeup of the future Israeli government and perhaps Netanyahu's own perilous .

Rajasthan Cong MLA's advice to party: Resolve internal crisis amicably for state govt's stability

A senior Congress legislator of Rajasthan who contested recently concluded Lok Sabha elections from Kota has advised the party to resolve the internal crisis amicably to ensure that the state government remains stable. Ramnarain Meena, who was among 25 candidates of the party who faced defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, said the BJP's top leadership might "try to take advantage of the crisis in the Congress and constitutional provisions might be manipulated by the Centre to destabilise the Ashok Gehlot government". "I fear that Prime minister Narendra Modi may attempt to destabilise the government by manipulating and misusing Article 356 of the Constitution (President's rule). Therefore, our leaders should resolve the crisis in the party amicably, as a family," Meena told PTI ahead of the Congress' state executive committee meeting here Wednesday. Meena, who is not a member of the committee, said Congress president Rahul Gandhi was trying to take on Prime Minister Modi and his ...

UP: Adityanath pays floral tribute to Charan Singh on death anniversary

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik on Wednesday paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary.Several ministers including Minister of State for Rural Development, Mahendra Singh and Swati Singh were also present during the occasion inside the Assembly complex where a statue of Charan Singh was installed."'The road to the country's prosperity passes through the fields of the villages'. Paying tribute to the great freedom fighter and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh Ji, who disseminated such thoughts into the society and dedicated his life for the welfare of the farmers, on his death anniversary," Adityanath tweeted.Born in Meerut district in 1902, Singh was first elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli constituency and represented it in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967. He also held several ministry portfolios.Singh served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh between 1967 to 1968,

Pema Khandu takes oath as Arunachal Pradesh CM

Senior BJP leader Pema Khandu took oath as the 10th chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday. State Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Khandu at a function organised at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Centre here. Eleven Cabinet ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, were also administered oath along with Khandu. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his deputy Y Patton, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with BJP general secretary Ram Madhav were among others who attended the swearing-in ceremony. Six sitting cabinet ministers, including Chowna Mein, Wangki Lowang, Honchun Ngandam, Kamlung Mossang, Alo Libang and Bamang Felix, have been included in the new ministry. Deputy speaker Tumke Bagra and two sitting MLAs Mama Natung and Tage Taki also found berth in the cabinet. Two newcomers -- Taba .

Travellers stranded as Sudan strike enters second day

Hundreds of travellers remained stranded in the Sudanese capital Wednesday as bus terminal staff stopped work for a second day in support of protesters demanding the ruling generals step down. In a bid to step up the pressure on the military council which took power after ousting longtime president Omar al-Bashir, the Alliance for Freedom and Change protest movement called for a two-day general strike starting on Tuesday. Thousands of employees of government offices, banks, private sector firms and the docks of Port Sudan observed the strike on Tuesday, insisting that only civilian rule can lift Sudan out of its political crisis. On Wednesday, the capital's airport began to return to normal after scores of staff stopped work on Tuesday. But the flights of Sudanese airlines Badr, Tarco and Nova remained suspended. At the main bus terminal, stranded passengers were looking for private transport to reach their destinations as bus company staff reamined on strike. "This is the second day .

Nitish Kumar calls JD (U) meeting as 'normal', says many issues will be discussed

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who arrived here for a Janata Dal (U) meeting, on Wednesday termed the meeting as "normal"."JDU office bearers' meeting is scheduled to take place on many issues. It's a normal meeting," Kumar told reporters here before the meeting.A meeting of Janata Dal (United) office bearers was called ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi swearing-in ceremony on May 30.JD (U) is a part of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and bagged 16 parliamentary seats in Bihar. BJP-JD (U) had contested on 17 seats each.Kumar's government also is supported by BJP after it came out of the alliance with RJD and Congress.

Mamata to not attend PM's swearing-in, cites 'political violence'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she will not be attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony as it is "an august occasion to celebrate democracy, not one that should be devalued by any political party".

Shah, Prasad cease to be members of Rajya Sabha

BJP president Amit Shah, Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Smriti Irani and DMK leader Kanimozhi have ceased to be the members of the Upper House of Parliament after being elected to the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha secretariat said Wednesday. The BJP is likely to use these three vacancies to bring in leaders like its ally LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, who is not a member of any House but may become a minister in the Modi government, to the Upper House. Paswan may get elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, from where Prasad was a member. Prasad has won the Lok Sabha elections from Patna. Similarly, the two seats which will fell vacant from Gujarat, after both Shah and Irani got elected to the Lok Sabha, may be used for accommodating those leaders who have lost the election but may be given berth in the Cabinet. Shah has won the election from Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Irani from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Kanimozhi won the election from Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.

Clamour in Congress to go it alone in Bihar

After the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) no-show in Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections, the clamour is growing in the Congress to drop out of its Grand Alliance with the RJD and other parties and go it alone in the Assembly elections next year.

Yogi hosts lunch for newly elected BJP MPs from UP

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hosted a lunch for all newly elected MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the state.

Now Congress leader targets Tejashwi for election debacle

Congress legislator Shakeel Ahmad Khan on Wednesday questioned the leadership ability of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and blamed the feud in jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad's family for the RJD-led opposition's rout in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.