Page 382 - Politics
14th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly dissolved
The 14th Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly was dissolved on Saturday after the notification in this regard was issued by Governor ESL Narasimhan.The notification states: "In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (2) (b) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, on the advice of the Council of Ministers, hereby dissolve the fourteenth legislative assembly with immediate effect."Earlier today, YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy was unanimously elected the legislature party leader by the party MLAs, paving his way to take over as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He is likely to take the oath on May 30.The YSRCP has got an absolute majority in 175-member strong Assembly, ousting N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from power in the state.YSRCP finished the tally by winning 151 seats out of 175, whereas TDP's strength was drastically reduced from 102 in the 2014 Assembly elections to a mere 23.YSRCP polled 49.9 per cent ..
Disproportionate ticket distribution led to our defeat in LS polls, says Bihar Cong chief Qadri
Bihar Congress unit president Kaukab Qadri on Saturday said that disproportionate ticket distribution among allies was the reason for the rout of Congress-RJD alliance in the state, where 40 Lok Sabha seats are at stake out of which NDA won 39."We had never thought that the seats from our quota will be given to the new allies. RLSP got five seats and its president Upendra Kushwaha contested from two seats while others were crying for one seat. Similarly, Mukesh Sahni was very inexperienced but was still given three seats," said Qadri while talking to ANI."We were not given tickets to contest from seats like Darbhanga, Aurangabad, and Karakat, where the Congress party has had a strong support base for long," said Qadri."Even after the announcement of giving us 11 seats, our share was later reduced to nine. Uncertainty and delay till the last moment also went against us," he said.Talking about Congress president Rahul Gandhi insisting to resign, Qadri said: "Rahul Gandhi need not resign
Governor invites Jagan Mohan Reddy to form govt in AP
The Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan Saturday invited YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to form the government in AP. The swearing-in ceremony would be held at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium, Vijayawada on May 30 at 12.23 PM, a Raj Bhavan communique said here. It said Botcha Satyanarayana and other YSR Congress elected members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly called on the Governor and informed him about the election of Reddy as the leader of the YSR Congress Legislature Party. "While congratulating Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on his election as the Leader of YSR Congress Legislature Party, the Hon'ble Governor has invited him to form the government," the communique said. Reddy, who reached Hyderabad by air from Vijayawada, met the Governor at Raj Bhavan around 4.30 PM. After his meeting with the Governor, Reddy called on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the latter's official residence in ...
Bhaichung Bhutia congratulates SKM for victory in Sikkim
India's former football captain and Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) working president Bhaichung Bhutia on Saturday congratulated the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on winning the assembly polls and the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim. The SKM won a slender majority in the 32-member assembly by bagging 17 seats against 15 won by the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). In a video message, Bhutia said, "I congratulate the SKM and its president P S Golay for its victory in the Sikkim assembly polls." Bhutia had formed the HSP in April last year to usher in a corruption-free Sikkim, but failed to impress the electorate, with all its 20 candidates, who had contested the assembly polls, forfeiting deposits. He fared miserably losing deposits from two assembly seats, Gangtok and Tumen-Linging, that he had contested. He polled 70 votes (0.94 per cent of total votes polled)) in Gangtok to finish fourth, while in Tumen-Linging he bagged 234 votes (1.76 per cent of total votes polled) to finish .
Hindu-Muslim division was done, votes were divided: Mamata Banerjee on TMC's performance in the LS polls
Declaring that she did not want to continue as chief minister, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee on Saturday attributed her poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls to the "division" of Hindu-Muslims votes."I said at the beginning of the meeting that I don't want to continue as the Chief Minister. I trying hard to convince my party," she told the meeting after a meeting of her party leaders called to discuss the reverses in the elections.Banerjee said the central forces worked against her party."An emergency situation was created. Hindu-Muslim division was done and votes were divided. We complained to the Election Commission of India (EC) but nothing was looked into," she said.The Chief Minister alleged that a bribe of Rs 5000 was given to each family. "I still believe BJP has a lot of money," she said.In the recently held Lok Sabha polls, TMC could win only 22 of the 34 Lok Sabha seats it had won in 2014. The BJP made deep inroads in the state ..
No need for Rahul Gandhi to resign, Cong leaders in Kerala
Coming out in support of the AICC chief, Congress leaders in Kerala said there was no need for Rahul Gandhi to resign in the wake of the party's poll debacle. Gandhi had offered to resign as the Congress received a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress party had faced similar defeats earlier also and has bounced back, Opposition leader in the state ssembly Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here. "No need for Rahul Gandhi to resign..Gandhi's resignation is not the solution. There is need to further stregthen the party and regain the faith of the people for which he needs to lead the party," Chennithala said. People had thronged Gandhi's meetings, but it could not converted into votes and hence the party set up needs to be stregthened further, he said. AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy also echoed similar views and said the party chief should continue. While the Congress improved on its 2014 tally of 44, it could win just 52 Lok Sabha seats this year. In ..
Emotional Chidambaram urges Rahul not to resign, says cadre in South will commit suicide
P Chidambaram got emotional while appealing to Congress President Rahul Gandhi not to step down from his post, claiming that the party's cadres in the southern states will commit suicide.During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held today, all leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president, even as Rahul remained firm on his decision to resign, sources said.Addressing media after the CWC meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Rahul has been authorised to restructure the party following its dismal performance in the recently held general elections.When party leaders asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and dissuade Rahul from resigning, she said it was up to Rahul to decide whether to step down or not, sources added.However, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was of the view that no decision should be taken in haste. She, sources claimed, also said if Rahul decides to resign, it would mean that he fell into BJP's trap.While the newly-elected .
Modi elected as NDA leader, to stake claim to form govt
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who steered the NDA coalition to a massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was on Saturday unanimously elected the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party and the NDA Parliament Party to head the new government once again.He was elected at a combined meeting of the newly elected MPs of BJP and the NDA coalition at the Central Hall of Parliament by 353 MPs by raising their hands amidst shouts of 'Modi, Modi, Modi' and clapping of hands.BJP president MP Amit Shah, who has himself been elected to Lok Sabha for the first time from Gandhinagar, was proposed the Modi's name as the leader of BJP Parliamentary Party which was seconded by former party President and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, another former President and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari."I propose the name of Narendra Modi for the leader of BJP's Parliamentary Party," Shah said moving the resolution."With great joy and pleasure I announce that the BJP Parliamentary party has unanimously elected
Vijayan may come out unscathed from Left poll rout fire
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here on Saturday, broke his silence and told those asking for his resignation after the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) Lok Sabha polls debacle in the state that it was not a verdict against his government and therefore there was no question of him stepping down.
Modi elected BJP, NDA parliamentary party leader
Narendra Modi was elected the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary party at a function in Central Hall of Parliament on Saturday.
CEC meets Kovind, submits names of elected parliamentarians
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora accompanied by other officials met President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday and submitted a copy of the notification which contains the names of members elected to the 17th Lok Sabha.
248 lose deposit in Punjab, 5 legislators among them
Two sitting MPs and three MLAs are among 248 candidates in Punjab who lost their security deposit in the Lok Sabha elections. The five legislators were Aam Aadmi Party candidates or those who left the party and contested the elections under the banner of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA), a grouping of several parties. Among political parties, the worst hit were the AAP candidates. Twelve of their candidates failed to get the one-sixth vote share needed to save the deposit. The party's vote share in the state tanked to 7.38 per cent from around 24 per cent in the 2014 poll. Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann was the only AAP candidate who was re-elected to the Lok Sabha. In the 2014 polls, the party had won four seats. Among the MPs whose deposit was forfeited was Nawan Punjab Party candidate from Patiala, Dharamvira Gandhi. He was polled around 1.61 lakh votes. He was elected to the Lok Sabha on the AAP ticket in 2014. AAP's sitting Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh also lost his deposit. He lost the
CWC rejects Rahul's offer to quit, seeks thorough overhaul of party
Smarting under the second consecutive debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign taking moral responsibility for the defeat but was rejected 'unanimously' by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) which authorised him to do a complete overhaul and restructuring of the party at every level.At a three-hour long meeting called to discuss the poor showing of the party at the hustings, Gandhi reportedly spelt-out various options including having a working president who will be from outside the Gandhi family. He is also said to have urged the party leaders not to seek such a role for his sister Priyanka.However, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, who addressed a press conference after the meeting, dismissed reports in this connection, saying that there is no truth in the speculation that Rahul Gandhi asked for a non-Gandhi to be made president of party."We did not discuss any names. He only offered his resignation", said Surjewala ..
BJP wins most of LS seats lost in bye-polls between 2014 and '19
The resounding win of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections has also reinstated the party in more than half of parliamentary seats lost in by-polls between 2014 and 2019.According to the Election Commission of India's statistics, BJP had won only six out of 30 Lok Sabha bye-polls held between 2014 and November 2018. However, the after results of 2019 general elections are out, the BJP has won back 12 of the seats the party had lost in the bye-polls.These Lok Sabha constituencies are Ratlam, Bangaon, Gurdaspur, Phulpur, Gorakhpur, Ajmer, Alwar, Araria, Bhandara-Gondiya, Kairana, Coochbehar, and Bellary. Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, the two seats which were an issue of prestige for the BJP, were wrested from the opposition parties.After the General Elections in 2014, in the first year itself bye-polls to the Lok Sabha were held in five constituencies out of which BJP retained two seats. In these five constituencies, the BJP won Beed and Vadodara, but had ...
Emotional Chidambaram appeals Rahul not to resign, says cadre in South will commit suicide
P Chidambaram got emotional while appealing to Congress President Rahul Gandhi not to step down from his post, claiming that the party's cadres in the southern states will commit suicide.During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held today, all leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president, even as Rahul remained firm on his decision to resign, sources said.Addressing media after the CWC meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Rahul has been authorised to restructure the party following its dismal performance in the recently held general elections.When party leaders asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and dissuade Rahul from resigning, she said it was up to Rahul to decide whether to step down or not, sources added.However, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was of the view that no decision should be taken in haste. She, sources claimed, also said if Rahul decides to resign, it would mean that he fell into BJP's trap.While the newly-elected .
Mamata offers to quit as CM, party rejects
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday offered to quit as chief minister of West Bengal following her party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls but the TMC rejected it. Addressing her first press conference after the election results were declared, she accused the BJP of polarising the people on religious lines to garner votes in West Bengal. "At TMC's internal meeting, I offered to leave the chief minister's post. However, the offer was rejected by the party and I may continue," Banerjee said. She also raised suspicion over BJP's stellar poll performance. "This huge victory is not beyond suspicion. It is quite astonishing how opposition is completely wiped out in several states. There has been some setting and foreign powers are also involved," she claimed. The TMC chief also said that an emergency-like situation was created in the state by the BJP to win the elections.
Modi elected NDA parliamentary party leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unanimously elected leader of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Saturday at a meeting attended by its newly elected MPs and senior leaders in Parliament's Central Hall. Modi will now call on President Ram Nath Kovind to stake his claim to form the government, following which he will be sworn in as the next prime minister, likely next week. "Modi is elected the leader of the parliamentary party of 353 MPs unanimously," BJP president Amit Shah announced after the election as Modi acknowledged the support and cheers from MPs. Top alliance leaders, including JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal, extended their party's support after Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP parliamentary party at first. Senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were present on the dais with other alliance leaders. Shah proposed Modi's name and former party presidents Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari ...
Modi elected leader of BJP and NDA parliamentary party
Narendra Modi was on Saturday elected the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary party at a function in Parliament's Central Hall.
Vijayan rules out quiting as Kerala CM after poll rout
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here on Saturday, broke his silence and told those asking for his resignation after the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) Lok Sabha polls debacle in the state that it was not a verdict against his government and therefore there was no question of him stepping down.
US envoy calls for Beijing 'dialogue' with Dalai Lama
The US ambassador to China has called on Beijing to open a "substantive dialogue" with the Dalai Lama in remarks made this week during a rare visit to Tibet, his embassy said Saturday. Terry Branstad visited northwest China's Qinghai province -- home to many Tibetans -- as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region, where access is restricted for diplomats and journalists. "He encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives, without preconditions, to seek a settlement that resolves differences," an embassy spokesman told AFP via email. China is accused by human rights groups of repressing Tibet's religion and culture, and cracking down on separatism. Beijing says it protects religious freedom and has invested heavily to modernise the region and raise living standards. Since fleeing to India in 1959 following a failed uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, the Dalai Lama has been trying to reach a compromise with the Chinese ...