Page 419 - Politics
Gambhir wins on electoral debut from East Delhi, Tiwari retains North East Delhi
Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir emerged victorious on the East Delhi seat, while sitting MP Manoj Tiwari retained the North East Delhi constituency. Gambhir, who made his poll debut in the Lok Sabha election, defeated Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely by 3,91,222 votes, while AAP's Atishi finished third. Delhi BJP chief Tiwari defeated Congress' veteran and former chief minister Sheila Dikshit by 3,66,102 votes. AAP's Dilip Pandey was at the third spot in the triangular contest. Riding high on the Modi wave, the BJP is set for a clean sweep in the national capital with all its candidates bagging more than 50 per cent of votes, while the Congress for the first time in five years fared better than the ruling AAP which was relegated to the third spot.
Nepal, Bangladesh and Aus PMs congratulate PM Modi
The Prime Ministers of Nepal, Bangladesh and Australia joined their fellow world leaders in extending their congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as electoral trends point towards a sweeping victory for him in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli extended his wishes in a congratulatory phone call to Prime Minister Modi today, during which both the leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the warm bilateral relations shared by India and Nepal.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi was also congratulated by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. "The two leaders pledged to continue to raise the India-Bangladesh relationship to unprecedented new heights. They recognised the importance of rapidly completing on-going plans for deepening the partnership in security trade, transportation, energy and people to people ties," an official statement said.The two close neighbours also discussed the importance of rapidly completing on-going plans .
French Prez makes congratulatory phone call to PM Modi
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday made a congratulatory phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BJP's emphatic win in the Lok Sabha elections."The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together towards further strengthening of the Strategic Partnership between India and France," an official statement said.Modi thanked Macron for his country's "steadfast support" to India on "critical issues," apparently referring to United Nation Security Council recently declaring Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, among other issues. JeM had claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed."Describing PM Modi as one of the foremost leaders of the democratic world, President Macron reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit France in August 2019 for a bilateral meeting and also to attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz," the statement added.In 2016, India signed an agreement with France for ...
Chandrababu Naidu's son defeated in Assembly polls
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh was defeated in Assembly election.
Most turncoats in Bengal leading in LS polls
Jumping parties has augured well for most of BJP candidates, who defected either from state's ruling Trinamool Congress or the Left parties, as they were in the lead in the Lok Sabha polls, according to the Election Commission data on Thursday.
Pragya Thakur, Azam Khan among controversial candidates heading towards win
From BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur to SP's Azam Khan, candidates who courted controversies in the run-up to the 2019 general election have put up an impressive performance on their respective seats. These candidates stoked controversy during the high-voltage campaign spread over two months, at times forcing the Election Commission to bar some of them from campaigning or inviting scrutiny from their own party's leadership. Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, was leading by 3.63 lakh votes from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, according to the Election Commission data released at 8.50pm. She had lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", sparking furious a debate in the last lap of the seven-phase election. Thakur has got 8,62,950 votes in the constituency, considered a stronghold of the BJP, against her nearest rival Digvijaya Singh of the Congress. Singh has got 5,00,518 votes. The Congress had alleged that "insulting martyrs is in the DNA" of the BJP, which had .
Memes float around in social media on tall claims by Cong, JDS
As the JDS-Congress coalition faced rout in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, the social media was abuzz with hundreds of tickling memes mocking the tall claims made by the ruling combine leaders in the run up to the polls. BJP inched toward a resounding victory bagging 21 of the 28 seats and leading in four others while Congress and JDS were leading in only one seat each. The videos of the Congress and JD(S) leaders making claims about their victory came to haunt them and party workers as the meme producers reworked on the visuals and served themfresh with a tinge of sarcasm and humour. The most circulated video was of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who had earlier claimed that thecoalition of Congress and the JD(S) will win at least 23seats. The chief minister is heard saying, "We are set to win 22 to 23 seats but our target is to win all the 28 seats." The statement itself was enough to tickle given the fact that the coalition partners could end up with only one ..
Firebrand BJP leader Giriraj Singh to commence his 2nd term in LS
Known for his controversial remarks, Bihar's firebrand Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh will commence his second term as a Lok Sabha member from Begusarai, Bihar. Singh in 2019 elections defeated CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar, former Jawaharlal Nehru University student union leader, by over 4.22 lakh votes. 66-year-old Singh, who was Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Narendra Modi-government, began his political career as a member of Bihar legislative council in 2002. During 2008 and 2010, he was a minister in the cabinet of the then chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar. He served as minister of cooperative, animal husbandry and fisheries resource development in the Government of Bihar. In 2014, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nawada constituency and was inducted into the council of ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is one of the important upper caste leaders in the Bihar BJP who play a fundamental role in the
AAP stares at bleak future in Punjab
The fate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab appears to be bleak with the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit facing almost decimation in the Lok Sabha elections. Of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the faction-ridden party is leading only from Sangrur, where its state unit chief Bhagwant Mann is seeking re-election. It had won four Lok Saba seats in 2014 with 24 per cent vote share in the state. Despite emerging as the main opposition party in the Punjab assembly in 2017, it was in total disarray these Lok Sabha elections. The problems began for the party when its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal sought an apology from SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia for levelling charges over the issue of drugs in March 2018, drawing the ire of several party legislators, led by Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. The removal of Khaira from the post of the leader of opposition triggered a rebellion in the party with eight of MLAs raising the banner of revolt, demanding autonomy. Khaira quit the party
Rajini greets Stalin on thumping victory in LS polls
Top Tamil actor Rajinikanth Thursday congratulated DMK chief M K Stalin whose party is on course for a massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. "I extend my hearty congratulations to DMK president M K Stalin for the party's grand victory in the Parliamentary polls," he tweeted. The DMK contested 19 Lok Sabha seats and was poised to win all of them even as its 'Secular Progressive Alliance' is set to win 36 of 38 seats in Tamil Nadu. DMK won three seats and leading in ten others in the by-elections to 22 assembly constituencies according to trends.
Supriya Sule wins from Baramati
Supriya Sule, daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, retained the family bastion of Baramati in western Maharashtra by a margin of over 1.55 lakh votes. Sule polled 6,86,714 votes while her nearest rival Kanchan Kul of the BJP got 5,30,940 votes. Sule polled 52.63 per cent of the votes while Kul garnered 40.69 per cent. Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi's Navnath Padalkar managed to get only 44,134 votes. Sule improved her victory margin this time. Last time she had won from Baramati by 69,719 votes against Mahadev Jankar of RSP. Elsewhere, Sharad Pawar's grandson and senior party leader Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar suffered a huge defeat in Maval Lok Sabha constituency in his maiden electoral foray.
Odisha CM thanks people for fifth Assembly poll victory
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday thanked the people of the state for the fifth consecutive victory in the Assembly polls.
Goa government more stable with bypoll victories: CM
With the BJP winning three out of the four Assembly bypolls, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant can now breathe a sigh of relief, with the victories taking the ruling party's tally to 17 in the 40-member assembly, leaving the Congress behind at 15 legislators.
Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir term LS poll result mandate for decisive leadership
SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on the NDA's "unprecedented and historic victory" in the Lok Sabha polls. Terming the result "a strong verdict for decisive, strong and caring leadership", Parkash Singh Badal said it was time to "look forward to a strong and united India in which every Indian is an equal contributor and stake-holder." "A bright future beckons Bharat," he said in his message to the prime minister and the BJP chief. In his message to the prime minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal congratulated Modi "on this unprecedented and historic verdict for clear-headed, decisive and far-sighted leadership." He said the entire country, cutting across class, caste, community and creed, delivered a secular and a near-unanimous verdict. Out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an ally of the BJP, registered win in two constituencies. Sukhbir ...
BJP's sitting MP from Sonipat Kaushik emerges giant killer, defeats veteran Congressman B S Hooda
BJP's sitting MP from Sonipat Ramesh Chander Kaushik emerged as a giant killer defeating Congress veteran and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda by a margin of 1,64,864 votes. The loss of the 71-year-old leader from Sonipat dealt a big blow to the Congress in Haryana, where it faces a rout. Hooda, who had been twice chief minister of the state from 2005-2014, is at present a sitting MLA of the Congress from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district. He had jumped into the fray from Sonipat, contesting the Lok Sabha polls after a gap of 14 years. Earlier, he had remained a four-time MP from the Rohtak parliamentary seat. During his heydays, he even had defeated former deputy prime minister Devi Lal from there. When asked what factors he felt worked in his favour, Kaushik said, "The people saw the works done by the central and the state governments." "The people were impressed with our policies and a strong and decisive leadership we gave. If I talk about Haryana, our government ...
DMK ahead in TN assembly by-polls
Archrivals AIADMK and DMK won three seats each in the by-elections to 22 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The DMK was leading in 10 seats while the AIADMK candidates were ahead in six, latest Election Commission figures showed. DMK won in Ambur, Gudiyattam and Thiruporur segments, while AIADMK reaped success in Vilathikulam, Sattur and Sholingur constituencies. By-elections were held in 22 assembly segments along with Lok Sabha polls in the state. Counting of votes was taken up Thursday. The simple majority figure in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is 117, and the ruling party has a strength of 114, including the Speaker. Even in the event of AIADMK retaining 10 seats, Chief Minister Palaniswami could happily settle down and see off the rest two years in office, with the next Assembly polls scheduled in 2021. The principal opposition DMK, along with its allies, including Congress, has 97 MLAs. Its partner IUML has one legislator. Incidentally, two MLAs of ...
"Bypoll trends show people reposed faith in AIADMK"
Unfazed by the electoral drubbing received at the hands of arch rival DMK in the Lok Sabha polls,the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Thursday said the trends in the bypolls showed people had reposed faith in the party. AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami hailed the massive mandate earned by BJP at the Centre, saying the voters had recognised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule, marked by "patriotism and public service." They also said the bypoll 'results', apparently the trends where the party was leading in nine of the 22 seats, showed "only the AIADMK is qualified to rule the state." Even if the AIADMK retains the nine seats it is leading in, it would land a comfortable majority of 123, including the Speaker, in the full house of 234 members. The simple majority number is 117. "The (by)poll results (trends) in Tamil Nadu show only the AIADMK is qualified to rule the state.Our party candidates have registered good victory margins. We assure
BJP hijacked election by EVMs, says Mayawati
BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday accused the BJP of hijacking the electoral process with electronic voting machines and said the faith of people in EVMs will further erode after Thursday's results."The BJP hijacked the electoral process by EVMs. The whole country was opposing EVMs and after today's results, the remaining faith of the public will also vanish."She also alleged that the seats won by the BSP-SP-RLD alliance were deliberately not tampered with to create an impression that there was no manipulation of the EVMs."We were not expecting such a bad performance from the Mahagathbandhan. The seats where we have won were deliberately not manipulated in order to fool the public," said Mayawati.The result of this election will further strengthen the people's resolve to fight a capitalist and status quoist government, she said."All the institutions of the nation are kneeling before the authoritarian government and in such a situation people have to stand up to fight for their rights,"
I promise not to do anything with bad intention: Modi
In his victory speech after securing a massive mandate for a second consecutive term, Prime Minister narendra Modi on Thursday promised that he will not do anything with "bad intentions" or "thinking" and would do nothing for himself.Addressing a huge gathering of cheering BJP workers at party headquarters amidst drizzle, he also said that this was one election after so many years that the BJP's rivals dared not "wear the mask of secularism".Referring to the huge mandate that party has got, Modi said, "We have come back with full majority. This shows the people's belief in us. I thank everybody from party president to workers for their hardwork. The NDA leaders also supported us for the last five years. They also worked very hard.""I promise you that I am going to deliver whatever you expect from us. We will never disappoint you. But I assure you all that I will work hard to deliver all the promises and I am saying this in public. In coming days, I will not do anything with bad ...
Will continue to work for ushering in clean politics:Kalyan
After his five-year-old Jana Sena put in a dismal show in its first electoral battle in Andhra Pradesh,party chief Pawan Kalyan said Thursday he would continue to work for ushering in a change and clean politics. The 'Power Star' of Telugu films, Kalyan lost both Bhimavaram and Gajuwaka Assembly seats he contested, according to Election Commission data. He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on the landmark victories of their respective parties. Talking to reporters, Kalyan said the Jana Sena had actually set out on a 25-year journey and will continue to remain in politics "till my last breath." "We are here to bring in a change by doing clean politics. We may have lost the elections but we will work towards new-age politics," Kalyan said. "In this journey we are required to withstand all turmoils and we are ready for that," he noted. Kalyan thanked all those who voted for Jana Sena. He hoped that Prime Minister Modi ..