Page 385 - Politics
Cyril Ramaphosa elected President by South African Parliament
Cyril Ramaphosa, the head of the African National Congress, has been officially elected President of South Africa by Parliament during its first sitting following the sixth general elections since anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela was elected the first democratic president of the country. Ramaphosa, 66, a former trade union leader, played an instrumental role in negotiations which led to a transition of power from the white minority apartheid government that ruled the country for decades. Former president Jacob Zuma, 77, resigned in February last year amid allegations of corruption and state capture. Ramaphosa, who was elected unopposed in a process overseen by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, will be officially sworn in on Saturday at a stadium in Pretoria, the first time a President's inauguration will be open to the public and not just invited guests. He was a successful businessman before re-entering the political arena. Ramaphosa is expected to announce his new Cabinet on Sunday, .
Arunachal Assembly will have 20 first time MLAs
As many as 20 first timers won the Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh this time with a majority of them belonging to the ruling BJP. Arunachal Pradesh has a 60-member Assembly. Eleven of the first timers are from the BJP, six from Janata Dal (United), two from National People's Party (NPP) and one Independent. The JD(U) and the NPP contested the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections for the first time. The border state has a legacy of electing first timers. In 2014 Assembly polls, altogether 19 new comers were elected in this remote northeastern state while in the 2009 polls 17 new entrants tasted luck. The figure was encouraging in the 2004 Assembly elections where 24 new faces were elected. Among the new comers in this election are BJP candidates from Bameng seat Goruk Pordung and from Lekang constituency Jummum Ete Deori along with JD(U) candidate from Kalaktang constituency Dorjee Wangdi Kharma. They emerged as giant killers as they defeated three senior leaders ..
Trump bypasses Congress to sell arms to Saudi, UAE
US President Donald Trump has bypassed Congress to approve the sale of $8.1 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan by declaring that ongoing tensions with Iran amounted to a national Emergency.
One BJP worker shot dead in Bengal
Amid widespread clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers across West Bengal even after the Lok Sabha elections results were declared, a man said to be a Bharatiya Janata Party supporter was shot dead in Nadia district, police said on Saturday.
Guterres honours Indian police officer posthumously for contribution to UN peacekeeping
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has honoured an Indian police officer with a prestigious medal for sacrificing his life during the world body's peacekeeping mission in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Jitendra Kumar was posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold medal on Friday at the UN headquarters during a special tea reception hosted by India's Permanent Mission to the UN to commemorate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers and pay homage to those who couldn't return after their service in the missions. Kumar, who is among the 119 men and women to be awarded the medal for their courage and sacrifice in the line of duty, laid down his life while serving in the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Central African country. India's envoy to the UN Syed Akbaruddin received the award on his behalf. The recipients for this year's award included military and police personnel, international civil servants, national staff and UN Volunteers from 38 countries who
Jagan Reddy elected YSRCP legislature party leader
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy was on Saturday unanimously elected the legislature party leader by the new MLAs, paving his way to take over as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.Reddy had steered YSRCP to a four-fifths majority in the 175-member strong Assembly in the polls, ousting N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from power in the state.He was felicitated by the party members at the meeting here. Reddy will take oath as the Chief Minister in the temple town of Tirupati on May 30, party sources said.YSRCP finished the tally by winning 151 seats, wresting power from TDP whose strength was drastically reduced from 102 in the 2014 Assembly elections to a mere 23. YSRCP polled 49.9 per cent votes, while TDP got a 39.2 per cent vote share.The party also bagged 22 Lok Sabha seats out of the 25 in the state during the simultaneous elections. While TDP could get only three seats, one went to Jana Sena Party led by actor-turn politician Pawan ...
Congress needs to 'reinvent' itself: Pinaki Misra
Congress needs to "reinvent" itself, otherwise its future in the Indian politics is bleak, said Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Pinaki Misra on Saturday."The Congress will have to reinvent itself, otherwise. Congress, like the left movement, is over. I see the future of Indian politics as BJP versus federal forces. I think Rahul Gandhi led an absolutely negative campaign. The people simply were not convinced with the Congress narrative this time," Misra told ANI here.He thanked the people of his constituency for making him win against BJP's Sambit Patra and added that the fight came really close because Congress couldn't put up a fight this time."I am grateful to the entire Puri constituency for showering their affection on me. It became a bi-polar fight this time because Congress just collapsed this time, they managed just around 44,000 votes, making it a close-contest between us and the BJP," Misra said.He added that as a "token of thanks" he would donate his entire salary and allowances ..
Chief Secretary among 16 senior officials transferred in Tripura
In a major administrative reshuffle a day after the Lok Sabha election results were announced, the BJP government in Tripura has transferred the Chief Secretary, 11 IAS officers, two IPS officers and two Tripura Civil Service officers, officials said on Saturday.
Political leaders arrive in Delhi for NDA meeting
A host of political leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrived here to attend the BJP-led coalition meeting later in the day.Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Goa, Assam, Gujarat and Uttarakhand -- Devendra Fadnavis, Raghubar Das, Pramod Sawant, Sarbananda Sonowal, Vijay Rupani and Trivendra Singh Rawat, respectively, were among those who arrived in the national capital.Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Poonam Mahajan, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also arrived for the meeting.During the convention, the BJP-led coalition is expected to elect Narendra Modi as its leader to head the new government.The meeting will be held at 5 pm in the Central Hall of Parliament, BJP had tweeted on Friday.On May 21, during a meeting of NDA leaders, Modi had said that the coalition represents the country's expectations and ambitions.Meanwhile, the 16th Lok Sabha was on Saturday dissolved following the ...
Victory of 'Modivaad' over dynasty, terrorism: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BJP's massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections, party leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that it was a victory of 'Modivaad' over 'dynasty, casteism, terrorism and hooliganism'."There was a Modi wave which favoured BJP. I had said that BJP will cross 300 seats and NDA will get more than 350 seats," he told reporters here."The biggest achievement of this election is that it has ended casteism, cultism, monarchy and hooliganism. Dynasty, casteism, terrorism and hooliganism were defeated; it is a victory of 'Modivaad' over them," Chouhan said after the BJP registered a spectacular 303 seat victory in the recently concluded elections and is set to form the government at the Centre again.The former chief minister took a jibe at SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which secured only 15 seats, and RJD, which did not win even a single seat in Bihar."In UP it was being said that since the SP and BSP had come
Rahul offering resignation, incorrect: Congress
Minutes after reports of Congress President Rahul Gandhi offering his resignation flashed across the media on Saturday, even as the Congress Working Committee meeting was in progress, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala clarified that there was no truth in the matter, and it was incorrect.
Three women candidates win Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election
In Arunachal Pradesh, women outnumber male voters, but only three women could make it to the 60-member Assembly this time. The border state has a total electorate of 7,94,162 with 4,01,601 women voters and 3,92,561 men, an election official said. The number of women contestants in Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election this year was 11. In 2014 election the number of women who contested the state polls was seven. The three women candidates who won the Assembly elections this year are all from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with two of them retaining their seats. Of the 11 women candidates, the Congress had fielded five, the ruling BJP three, while the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) and the JD(U) one each. While sitting MLA Gum Tayeng (BJP) retained the Dambuk seat in Lower Dibang Valley district by defeating her nearest rival Tony Pertin of the National People's Party (NPP) by 852 votes. Dasanglu Pul, wife of former Chief Minister Kalilkho Pul won from the ...
EC submits list of newly-elected MPs to President for constitution of 17th Lok Sabha
The full Election Commission on Saturday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and handed over the list of 542 newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha that will enable him to initiate the formal process of new government formation. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and the other two Commissioners, Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and gave him a copy of the notification issued by the poll body in terms of provisions of the Representation of the People Act containing the names of MPs elected in the just-concluded polls. While the notification sets in motion the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the list given to the President enables him to initiate government formation process. On Saturday evening, newly-elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance are likely elect Narendra Modi as its leader. After this, a delegation of leaders of the BJP and its allies is expected to call on the President and convey to him their choice of Modi as ...
Split voting helped BJP improve its tally in Odisha
In a clear departure from voting preferences in previous elections, Odisha has witnessed a split voting this time while selecting their representatives for Lok Sabha and the state Assembly.
N. Korean missile tests violated UN sanctions: US NSA
North Korea's missile launches earlier this month violated UN Security Council resolutions, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Saturday in an apparent change in Washington's stance on the tests.
16th Lok Sabha dissolved
The 16th Lok Sabha was on Saturday dissolved following the general elections and the new House has been constituted.President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the order accepting the advice of the Cabinet which met on Friday and made a recommendation to this effect.He signed the order in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sub-clause (B) of clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said.The dissolution paves the way for the constitution of a new House and swearing-in of a new government.Earlier, the three-member Election Commission headed by Sunil Arora called on the President and handed him over the list of the newly-elected Members of Parliament duly constituting the 17th Lok Sabha.The 16th Lok Sabha had its tenure up to June 3, 2019.
Saffron is the new colour of politics
Saffron symbolizes renunciation but it is now becoming the new colour of politics, especially in the Hindi heartland.
US judge blocks funds for Trump border wall plan
A US federal judge has passed an order temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's plan to build part of a Mexico border wall with funds secured under his national Emergency declaration.
MK Stalin, DMK leaders pay tribute to M Karunanidhi
DMK President MK Stalin and newly elected MPs-MLAs and other leaders of the party on Saturday paid tribute to M Karunanidhi here after obtaining a resounding victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The leaders also met party general secretary K Anbazhagan at his residence. The leaders on Friday had met MK Stalin at the party office after he got a sweeping majority in the state in the Lok Sabha elections.Stalin who contested his first major elections after his father and party patriarch M Karunanidhi's death last year vindicated himself by winning 37 out of 38 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.Karunanidhi, who was Tamil Nadu's longest-serving chief minister, breathed his last in August last year at the age of 94 after a period of prolonged illness.Stalin singlehandedly toured the state and led the election campaign with tailor-made programmes to interact with people at grassroots.The DMK-led alliance in the state, which includes the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), ...
Lost to my father, don't have any regrets: Mukul Roy's son
Subhrangshu Roy, the son of BJP leader Mukul Roy, has said that he lost against his father and does not have any regrets.Subhrangshu Roy was apparently referring to the electoral fight between TMC candidate Dinesh Trivedi and BJP's Arjun Singh from Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. Singh had defeated Trivedi from the seat.Interestingly, Mukul Roy, who was once a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, joined BJP in 2017 after a fallout with the TMC supremo."I had said that Bijpur will give Dinesh da (Trivedi) a lead. But I failed. BJP took the lead. So, I lost against my father. I do not have any regrets and I do not need to blame anyone. I gave my best to my party, my father gave his best to his party too," he said at a press conference here on Friday.Subhrangshu Roy won from the Bijpur Assembly seat twice in 2011 and 2016. The Assembly segment falls under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.In a veiled jibe at TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee's remarks .