Page 397 - Politics
No alternative to Kejriwal in Delhi: AAP on Assembly polls in Delhi
After a crushing loss in Lok Sabha polls, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai on Friday dismissed suggestions that it would have an impact on Delhi assembly elections slated for early next year, asserting that there is no alternative to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital. The party suffered a humiliating loss in the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, with three of its seven candidates losing their deposits. Rai said the party lost because the elections were highly polarised and people either voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi or for Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "We consider it our failure that we could not introduce the agenda of statehood (main poll plank of AAP) in the highly polarised elections," he said. Riding high on the Modi wave, the BJP made a clean sweep in the national capital winning all seven seats with massive margins as all its candidates bagged more than 50 per cent of votes, while the Congress for the first time in five years fared better than ..
Baig will not join BJP as it had tried to end his political career: K'taka minister
Senior Congress leader Roshan Baig, who criticised the party and urged Muslims to join hands with the BJP if there arises a need, will not join the saffron party because it had once conspired to end his political career, Karnataka minister U T Kader asserted Friday. After exit polls had predicted a rout of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state, Baig dropped hints he could join the BJP and slammed the grand old party for its "flop poll campaigning". He was then served a show-cause notice by his party for his outburst. "Roshan Baig is our senior leader. He will not leave the Congress and join BJP. At one point of time, the BJP tried to foist false cases against him and put him in jail. They tried to finish off his political career," Kader, a state minister, told PTI here. He appeared to be referring to the 2004 multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. Baig faced allegations of his involvement in the scam, which forced him to resign from the S M Krishna government. The BJP had sought his ...
Cabinet expansion after consultation with central leaders: HP CM
The Cabinet expansion in Himachal Pradesh will be done after consultation with the central BJP leaders, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Friday. A day after the saffron party's massive victory in the state, Thakur told the media, "The cabinet expansion will be done after consulting party leaders as and when its requirement is felt." A berth in the state Cabinet has been lying vacant for over a month following Mandi MLA Anil Sharma's resignation as the power minister, while another will fall vacant soon as food and civil supplies minister Kishan Kapoor has been elected to parliament from Kangra constituency. Sharma had resigned from the Cabinet in April following pressure from the BJP as he refused to campaign for the party's candidate from Mandi Ram Swaroop Sharma because his son Aashray was contesting from the seat on a Congress ticket. In March, Sharma's father, former Union minister and chief minister Sukh Ram, too had quit the BJP and joined the Congress along with Aashray ...
No-deal Brexit 'near impossible to stop': Spain
A no-deal Brexit appears inevitable after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation, paving the way for hardliners to take over, an increasingly assertive Spain warned on Friday. "Under these circumstances, a hard Brexit appears to be a reality that is near impossible to stop," Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told reporters. She added "the British government, the British parliament" would be "solely responsible for a no-deal exit (from the EU) and its consequences." In an emotional announcement, May said she would step down as Conservative Party leader on June 7 and remain as prime minister in a caretaker role until a replacement is elected by the party. That will end her dramatic three-year tenure of near-constant crisis over Britain's planned exit from the European Union. With her resignation, the manner of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union appears more uncertain than ever. It could lead to Britain, which has already twice delayed its ...
Union Cabinet passes resolution to dissolve 16th Lok Sabha
The Union Cabinet met on Friday and adopted a resolution for the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, setting in motion the process of constituting the new House and formation of the government after the conclusion of the general elections.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired the meeting, will meet President Ram Nath Kovind to handover the resolution that will pave the way for constituting the 17th Lok Sabha.The Election Commission will then issue a formal notification constituting the new House.It is speculated that the new government under Modi may be sworn-in on May 30.Meanwhile, a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be held on May 25 when Modi will be formally elected leader of the coalition before the President will invite him to form the next government.Earlier in the day, government spokesperson Sitanshu Kar had tweeted that "the Cabinet and Union Council of Ministers will meet this evening"He said the dates for the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime ...
BJD wins 112 Assembly seats, Biju Patnaik to be CM for 5th consecutive term
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has once again established its political supremacy by winning 112 Assembly seats in 146-member House and paving the way for Naveen Patnaik to be the state's chief minister for the 5th consecutive term.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has overtaken the Congress party as the main opposition party by winning 23 seats. The Congress party has been able to win only nine seats. In 2014 Assembly elections, the BJD had got 117 seats and the BJP 10 seats. The Congress party had won 16 seats.The vote share of BJD in the Assembly polls has been pegged at 44.7 per cent while that of the BJP at 32.5 per cent and the Congress' 16.12 per cent.Patnaik, who defeated Pitambar Acharya of the BJP by a margin of 60,160 votes from Hinjili Assembly constituency, first became the state's chief minister in 1997. Since then, he has been winning all successive Assembly polls.In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJD won 12 seats, BJP 8 and Congress one.BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lost from ..
Chamling congratulates SKM for getting mandate in Sikkim
The outgoing Chief Minister of Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling, Friday congratulated rival SKM for getting a clear mandate in the just-concluded assembly polls and thanked the people of the state. "My dear people of Sikkim, I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude for giving us the opportunity to serve you for five successive terms," Chamling, who ruled the state for over 24 years, wrote on Facebook. "I congratulate the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party and its leadership for getting people's mandate this time. I sincerely hope that it will be a government of the people and will fulfill their hopes and aspirations," he said. He expressed satisfaction with his government's performance saying that the SDF has wholeheartedly worked for the welfare of the Sikkimese people. "Now, through the process of elections, people have decided that SDF should perform the role of an opposition party. I uphold the decision of the people and promise that we will continue to safeguard the ..
Modi cannot remove Article 370, 35-A from J&K: Farooq Abdullah
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot remove Article 35-A and Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. He said the prime minister should make efforts to unite the people of the country instead of dividing them. "Let him be as powerful as he (Modi) likes, he cannot remove Article 370 and article 35-A (from the state of Jammu and Kashmir)," Abdullah told reporters here. "Our right of Article 370 and Article 35-A should be protected. This is very important for us. We are soldiers of this country not enemies of this nation," he said. Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and limits Parliament's power to make laws concerning the state. Article 35A empowers the state assembly to define 'permanent residents' for bestowing special rights and privileges on them. Abdullah urged Modi to connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country through rail network. The NC chief said his party will provide autonomy to .
China welcomes Khan, Modi exchanging pleasantries
China on Friday welcomed the exchange of pleasantries between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the re-election of the Indian leader.
Gurung hopes new Modi govt will look into Gorkhaland demand
Gorkha Janamukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung, who is in hiding, Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the resounding victory of BJP and hoped that his new government will look into the long standing demand for Gorkhaland. Gurung's faction of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha had supported BJP's Raju Bisht has recorded a massive victory against TMC's Amar Singh Rai. In Darjeeling by-election, Neeraj Tamang Zimba of BJP defeated GJM leader Binoy Tamang, who fought as an independent candidate with TMC support. "We are very happy that BJP has won and TMC and the traitors of GJM have lost the polls. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will request the BJP leadership and the new government to look into our long standing demand of Gorkhaland," Gurung told PTI over phone. The BJP, which has won for the third straight time in Darjeeling, had made no mention of the statehood issue in its manifesto but assured a "permanent ...
Thai king opens first parliament since 2014 coup
Thailand's king opened parliament Friday five years after a 2014 coup, stressing the importance of "national security" and "people's well-being" as the junta moves within striking distance of cementing its grip on power. Results of the March 24 poll were released almost two months after the vote and showed no clear winner. But the junta-linked Palang Pracharat won 115 seats in the lower house, only 11 votes shy of a majority in the combined parliament thanks to 250 military-appointed senators. All eyes are now on mid-sized parties that analysts believe are tilting towards Palang Pracharat. Wearing glasses and reading from prepared remarks, King Maha Vajiralongkorn told hundreds of assembled MPs standing in white uniform to act with responsibility because "each member's action will directly affect national security and people's well being." Members of the diplomatic corps were also in attendance. The king was next to Queen Suthida, a former member of his royal bodyguard unit whom he ...
Sabarimala row, Vijayan's style blamed for Left rout
Kerala's ruling CPI-M on Friday gave enough indications that the Sabarimala issue and even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's leadership were to blame for the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.
Britain's Brexit-beaten PM Theresa May announces resignation, to step down on June 7
An emotional British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday announced that she would resign as the Conservative leader on June 7 "in the best interests of the country" after she failed to win support from party lawmakers for her strategy for the UK's divorce from the European Union. The embattled prime minister said she would step down as leader of the Conservative Party on June 7, with a leadership contest for a new Prime Minister to kick off the following week starting June 10. She would meanwhile stay on caretaker PM until a new incumbent has been elected by the Tories. "I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold," she said. "The second female Prime Minister, but certainly not the last. I do so with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love," the 62-year-old May said in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street. The outgoing Prime Minister said she had kept Queen Elizabeth II ...
Maha NCP chief seeks permanent solution to EVM issues
Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the BJP's Lok Sabha victory, but also called for a permanent solution to EVM-related issues to ensure poll transparency. Patil, a former Maharashtra minister, said people would lose faith in the election process in the absence of such transparency. Patil's comments come a day after NCP president Sharad Pawar Thursday said he accepted the mandate gracefully and that he would not blame the EVMs following the result. "Several instances of EVMs related irregularities have come to the fore. There is a need to find a permanent solution to this. People will lose faith in the election process in case it is not transparent," Patil said. "The people are sovereign, supreme in democracy. We accept the mandate given by the people. Congratulations to Narendra Modi for registering incredible victory by securing public mandate," he tweeted. "Several attempts were made to hurt India's Constitution, ...
Union cabinet recommends dissolution of 16th LS
The Union Cabinet on Friday recommended the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, government sources said. The Cabinet meeting came a day after the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections in which the NDA retained power with a massive mandate. After the Cabinet's recommendation, President Ram Nath Kovind is now expected to dissolve the present Lok Sabha, the term of which is ending on June 3. The 17th Lok Sabha has to be constituted before June 3 and the process to form a new House will be initiated when the three Election Commissioners meet the President in the next few days to hand over the list of newly-elected members.
Congratulations PM Modi on great victory: Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump, the Advisor to the US President, on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his resounding electoral victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls."Congratulations @narendramodi on a great victory! Exciting times ahead for the wonderful people of India!" the American politician and businesswoman tweeted.This comes after US President Donald Trump extended wishes to PM Modi, outlining that "great things are in store for the US-India partnership.""Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together!" he had tweeted.Wishes have been pouring in for the BJP leader ever since it became clear that the party along with its allies had secured a thumping majority in the latest Indian General Elections.Apart from the US President, several other American politicians have congratulated PM
Saudi King makes congratulatory phone call to PM Modi
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his electoral performance, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud gave a congratulatory phone call to the Indian leader on Friday.This comes as the BJP and its allies won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a resounding mandate, paving way for PM Modi to continue for a second term.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also extended his greetings to PM Modi on Friday.Thanking the two leaders, PM Modi tweeted: "Thank you, Your Majesty @KingSalman and Your Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for heartfelt greetings. India cherishes deep-rooted and multi-faceted ties with the Kingdom. Look forward to further enhancing our relations for the benefit of our citizens."Wishes have been pouring in for the BJP stalwart ever since it became clear that the party along with its allies had secured a thumping majority in the latest Indian General Elections.
Uttar Pradesh to face by-elections in 11 Assembly seats
A total of 11 MLAs have been elected to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh this time and by-elections will be held in their constituencies.
Turncoats in AP: Some bite the dust, a few gain
: Voters literally threw out some of the turncoats in the general elections in Andhra Pradesh. A few others were lucky to win their constituencies over, both in the assembly and Lok Sabha contests. A bunch of MLAs, who defected from the YSR Congress to the Telugu Desam Party between 2016 and 2018, was made to bite the dust. Another who switched sides on the eve of the polls was also defeated. Prominent among the turncoats defectors from YSRC to TDP who lost were four ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet. Minister Ch Adinarayana Reddy lost the contest from Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. Ministers N Amarnath Reddy, Bhuma Akhila Priya and Sujaya Krishna Ranga Rao were trounced in Palamaneru, Allagadda and Bobbili assembly segments respectively. The other losers were K Venkata Ramana, Giddi Eeswari, Jyothula Nehru, V Rajeswari, U Kalpana, Gouru Charita Reddy, M Ashok Reddy, Pothula Rama Rao, Budda Rajasekhar Reddy and P Sunil Kumar. Another turncoat Jaleel Khan ...
TMC suspends party MLA Subhrangshu Roy, son of BJP's Mukul Roy
Trinamool Congress Friday suspended its Bijpur legislator Subhrangshu Roy, son of BJP leader Mukul Roy, for anti-party comments. Subhrangshu has been suspended for six years from the party, announced TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee at a press conference this evening. "He has been constantly making such statements. Our party's disciplinary body after consultation with party supremo Mamata Banerjee has decided to expel him," Chatterjee said. Subhrangshu, a two-time MLA from Bijpur assembly constituency which is part of the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat, held a press conference earlier in the day and hailed his father's organisational skills and said he had tried to give a lead to his party from his assembly segment but failed to do so as his father was a better organisational player than him. "Today I have no qualms in accepting that I have lost to my father. He is a real chanakya of Bengal politics. Our party has lost and people voted against us. We should accept ...