Page 418 - Politics
Hard luck for 'turncoats' at the hustings
Jumping parties did not augur well for 'turncoats' as most of the 76 such prominent candidates are facing defeat on their respective seats, according to the Election Commission data. Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who joined Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha election, was trailing by over 2.83 lakh votes from his nearest rival Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar. In nearby Madhepura, former JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who joined the RJD before polls, was lagging by over 3 lakh votes from Dinesh Chandra Yadav of JD(U). Tariq Anwar, who switched from Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to Congress, lost by over 57,000 votes from Katihar from D C Goswami of JD(U). Cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad is trailing from Dhanbad by over 3.99 lakh votes. He had joined Congress from BJP. Son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, Manvendra, who contested on a Congress ticket from Barmer lost by about 3.23 lakh votes from Kailash Choudhary ..
BJP, allies hail Modi 'tsunami'; Rahul takes responsibility for Cong's defeat
"India has won again", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday while reacting to BJP's stupendous showing in the Lok Sabha polls as the Union ministers and NDA allies credited him and BJP president Amit Shah for the feat, described by many as a "tsunami" that virtually drowned the Opposition. While there was euphoria in the BJP-led NDA camp, the Congress and other opposition parties were muted in their reactions after the poll verdict clearly showed that they were headed towards another poll debacle after 2014. Congress president Rahul Gandhi took "100 per cent responsibility" for his party's defeat but asserted that the party will continue to fight the ideological battle with the BJP and asked his party workers and leaders to not be afraid. He also congratulated Modi and the BJP on their electoral win, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said,"People of India have decided that Narendra Modi will be the PM again and I fully respect that." Hailing the BJP's performance as "victory of
Justice Dept: Banker gave loans to gain Trump admin post
A US banker was charged Thursday with approving millions of dollars in loans to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort in expectation of getting a top level position in the new administration. Stephen Calk, the chairman of Chicago-based Federal Savings Bank, overturned resistance in his bank to lending USD 16 million to Manafort, who at the time in late 2016 faced losing valuable properties to foreclosure if he could not come up with new financing. In exchange, Calk detailed his preferred positions in the Trump cabinet in emails to Manafort, including Treasury secretary, Defense secretary, and secretary of the Army. If not any of those jobs, Calk told Manafort, he could accept an ambassadorship, listing by order of preference the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. Calk was charged with one count of financial institution bribery, which can bring a maximum 30 years in prison. The indictment said that Manafort, who continued to advise the Trump campaign ...
No Priyanka 'magic' in UP
Congress workers expected Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to turnaround the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh with the swish of a magic wand, yet her combative and calculative campaign failed to lift the grand old party from the abyss of political irrelevance in the state. Priyanka, 47, who was appointed AICC general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh (east) in January, did manage to create a buzz during the Lok Sabha polls, but failed to revive the party's hopes for the assembly elections scheduled for 2022. A distinctive feature of Priyanka's campaign was her aggressive take down of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, and while the jury is still out on why she did not take on the PM from Varanasi, her teasing references to the contest certainly established her as a politician willing to take a challenge head-on. Another key feature of her foray into politics was her calculative approach allowing her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take centre-stage, while establishing .
Babul Supriyo plays the right notes, notches up second win in Asansol
Bollywood singer-turned politician Babul Supriyo proved his mettle by winning the Lok Sabha poll from Asansol in West Bengal for the second time in 2019. The BJP leader defeated Moon Moon Sen (All India Trinamool Congress) by about 1.97 lakh votes. The BJP has made significant inroads into West Bengal, offsetting losses in Uttar Pradesh. Supriyo, 48, who was the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises in the Narendra Modi government, began his political career only in March 2014 when he was inducted into the BJP and was promptly fielded by the party as its Lok Sabha candidate from Asansol. In 2014, he had defeated Trinamool Congress bigwig Dola Sen. A commerce graduate, Supriyo became a minister in the Modi government in 2014. He was inducted as the Union Minister of State, Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in November 2014. On July 12, 2016, his portfolio was changed to Minister of State for Heavy ...
AP sources: Pentagon proposing troop buildup in the Mideast
The Pentagon on Thursday will present plans to the White House to send up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East, in a move to beef up defences against potential Iranian threats , US officials said. The officials said no final decision has been made yet, and it's not clear if the White House would approve sending all or just some of the requested forces. Officials said the move is not in response to any new threat from Iran but is aimed at reinforcing security in the region. They said the troops would be defensive forces, and the discussions include additional Patriot missile batteries, more ships and increased efforts to monitor Iran. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans have not been formally announced. Thursday morning's meeting comes as tensions with Iran continue to simmer, and it wasn't clear if a decision would be made during the session. Any move to deploy more forces to the Middle East would signal a shift for President Donald Trump, who has ..
LS polls: Nearly 11,000 votes cast using postal ballots in Delhi
Nearly 11,000 votes were cast through postal ballots in the national capital for the Lok Sabha election with three of the seven constituencies receiving nil ballots through post. According to data shared by the Delhi Chief Electoral Office, a total of 10,925 votes were cast through postal ballots. The maximum postal ballots were counted in West Delhi, with 4,514 votes followed by North East Delhi at 3,429 votes. East Delhi and New Delhi received 1,507 and 1,485 postal ballots, respectively. Chandni Chowk, North West Delhi and South Delhi did not receive any postal ballots. According to the Election Commission's norms, the facility of postal ballot, where a voter casts his or her vote using Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers (ETPB) rather than physically visiting polling booths, is available for service voters which include members of armed forces, police and government officials on poll duty and those who are posted outside India.
Odisha: Naveen Patnaik expresses 'deep gratitude' to voters after BJD's spectular victory
With the official trends indicating a spectacular victory by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, party supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expressed his "deep gratitude" to the voters for "showering their blessings" once again on the party."I would like to express my deep gratitude to the people of our state for having showered their blessings on us time and time again. I would also like to thank the leaders and workers of the party who work so hard for this election, and also to all the women who came out in large numbers to vote for us," Patnaik said while speaking to ANI here.Patnaik, who is set to become the Chief Minister of Odisha for the record fifth time, noted that his government will build a "constructive relationship" with the centre "for the development and welfare" of the state.According to the official trends, BJD is leading on 113 out of a total of 146 seats in the assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha polls, ..
TRS would introspect on loss in LS polls, says K T Rama Rao
TRS working president K T Rama Rao Thursday said the party would go into the losses it suffered in the Lok Sabha polls though it'd won majority of the assembly seats in the state December last. "Five months ago, BJP lost its deposit in 103 seats. Now, it has won two and counting is on in two others. So, we have to think of all this...," he told reporters. "We expected better results. We worked hard. We hoped for results accordingly. But, in some places, it came differently. We have to think of it. We have to analyse what happened," he said. He was referring to BJP pulling off surprise wins in the Lok Sabha results against its poor performance in the assembly elections held December last. Rao, son of party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said the party has majority of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. He thanked the people for making TRS win majority of the seats in the state. At the time of writing, TRS emerged victorious in eight of the ...
Telangana CM's daughter Kavitha suffers shock defeat
: In a setback to the ruling TRS, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter K Kavitha was defeated in Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency by the BJP Thursday. D Arvind, son of TRS Rajya Sabha MP D Srinivas and a new entrant to politics, won by a margin of over 71,000 votes, according to the information made available by the Election Commission on its website. Kavitha had won the seat by 1.67 lakh votes in the 2014 elections. Nizamabad had hit headlines after 177 farmers jumped into the fray demanding remunerative price for turmeric and red sorghum and setting up of a Turmeric Board, taking the total number of candidates to 185. Polls to 17 seats in Telangana for the Lok Sabha were held on April 11 in the first phase.
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu wins from Mukto
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu won from the Mukto assembly constituency for the third consecutive time, defeating his lone rival Thupten Kunphen of the Congress by a margin of 2,602 votes. Khandu won the seat in 2011 bye-election and was re- elected unopposed in 2014. His political journey began after his father and former chief minister Dorjee Khandu died in a helicopter crash near Luguthang in Tawang district in April 2011. The ruling BJP in the state has so far won 25 seats, including three unopposed, out of 35 seats. While Janata Dal United (JDU) made its debut in the state with six seats, the opposition Congress has won three. Independent candidates have won two seats, the NPP and the PPA one each.
MNF wins Mizoram's lone LS seat
C. Lalrosanga of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) was declared elected from the state's lone Lok Sabha seat on Thursday, defeating his nearest Independent rival Lalnghinglova Hmar by 8,307 votes, the Election Commission announced.
BJP, Congress win one Lok Sabha seat each in Goa
In a mixed showing for the BJP in Goa, the party lost South Goa Lok Sabha seat to the Congress but managed to retain North Goa constituency held by Union minister Shripad Naik. Congress candidate Francis Sardinha defeated BJP's Narendra Sawaikar in South Goa. The Congress, which had lost this seat in 2014, snatched it back from the saffron party this time. Sardinha, who had represented this parliamentary constituency earlier, won by a margin of 15,268 votes as he polled 1,81,340 votes, while Sawaikar got 1,66,072 votes, a poll official said. AAP candidate Elvis Gomes polled 19,304 votes and Shiv Sena nominee Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik got 1,503 votes in South Goa. Independent candidates Kalidas Vaigankar and Mayur Kankonkara polled 1,215 and 1,463 votes, respectively. Total 70.15 per cent people had cast their votes in this constituency against 75.17 per cent in 2014 polls. In North Goa, AYUSH minister Naik defeated his nearest Congress rival Girish Chodankar by 79,627 ...
V-P congratulates people for 'voting for stability'
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Thursday congratulated people for "voting for stability" and hailed the EC for a smooth and efficient conduct of elections. In a message, he said, "I congratulate all the winning parties and candidates in whom the people have reposed immense trust". "I hope that all of us, irrespective of party affiliations, will continue to deepen the roots of our rich democratic tradition and focus our collective energies on development, reforms and enhancement of the quality of our people's lives," he added.
Modi 'mahanayak' of BJP's grand victory: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the world's "most popular" leader and credited him for party's spectacular victory in Lok Sabha polls.
NDA win a big opportunity for nation building: Aaditya
Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray Thursday said the landslide mandate for the NDA is a huge opportunity for the saffron alliance to take the nation forward. Aaditya said he "bowed" before the voters of the country for reposing their faith in the ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supported by his father and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other allies. "This huge mandate is truly a great opportunity and responsibility given to the NDA and the Hon'ble PM & team by the nation to take India ahead, wholeheartedly. "Newer ideas, solutions, togetherness for each and everyone in the nation. Every issue will be voiced, every voice heard," he tweeted. He also thanked those electors who favoured the NDA. "As always, to those who voted for us, a wholehearted thank you. We will make your vote worth it. To those who chose to not vote for us, we will win your votes with our selfless service to each and everyone," he said in another Tweet.
Angry Trump insists not in a 'rage' over row with Democrats
An angry President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he was not in a "rage" when he abruptly canceled a meeting with top Democrats at the White House. Despite 24 hours of furious tweets and a hastily arranged press event at which he expressed bitterness at Democrats, Trump explained he'd been unflappable Wednesday while blowing up the meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer. "I was extremely calm yesterday with my meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, knowing that they would say I was raging, which they always do, along with their partner, the Fake News Media," Trump said in a tweet. "Well, so many stories about the meeting use the Rage narrative anyway - Fake & Corrupt Press!" The meeting had been billed as a rare bipartisan session on funding national infrastructure projects. But within minutes of Pelosi and Schumer arriving, Trump showed them the door. Pelosi said afterwards that he'd had a "temper tantrum." Trump says he pulled the plug on ...
TMC's Madan Mitra loses Bhatpara bypoll to BJP in Bengal
BJP's Pawan Kumar Singh defeated former West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra by a margin of 23,104 votes in by-elections to Bhatpara assembly seat, the Election Commission said Thursday. Singh polled 58,119 votes, while Mitra got 35,015 votes in the contest where polling was conducted amid incidents of violence. In Nowda assembly seat, TMC candidate Sahina Mamtaz Begum defeated Congress' Sunil Kumar Mondal by a margin of 33,822 votes. The TMC candidate polled 82,921 votes, while the Congress nominee got 49,099 votes.
After consecutive Lok Sabha trashing, Congress stares at uncertain future
Dominating the country's politics for decades, the future of the Congress is now uncertain as it faced its second consecutive and humiliating Lok Sabha defeat at the hands of the BJP. The grand old party could manage to win only a few more seats than its 2014 tally of 44 and its severe drubbing again has raised questions over its existence, with voices raised within for having serious introspection on what went wrong despite the party's all-out efforts to reach out to the electorate. The biggest shock to the Congress is its leader Rahul Gandhi losing the family pocket-borough of Amethi, held by the party since decades. It has again failed to get the post of Leader of Opposition in the lower house. Some insiders feel the party's negative and highly-personalised attack on Prime Minister Modi in the poll campaign like 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' digs and too much talk about Rafale did not work and harmed the party at the hustings. The party's proposed "Nyay" (Nyuntam aay Yojna) scheme failed to
Pelosi warns move to impeach Trump now premature, 'very divisive'
Democrats are not yet ready to initiate impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump, top Democrat Nancy Pelosi said Thursday, warning that such a course of action would be "very divisive." "We can get the facts to the American people through our investigation," she told reporters, referring to ongoing congressional probes that Trump has resisted. "It may take us to a place that is unavoidable in terms of impeachment or not, but we're not at that place." Pelosi reaffirmed her charge that Trump is engaged in a "cover-up," but cautioned that "impeachment is a very divisive place to go in our country.