Page 426 - Politics

BJP gains in north, tribal Bengal to lead in 18 seats; Trinamool in 23 (5th Lead)

The BJP made stunning inroads in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal, with the trends of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday showing a virtual saffron sweep in the state's northern parts as also the western tribal heartland while Chief Ninister Mamata Banerjee's party managed to hold on to its ground in and around Kolkata and a major chunk of the south Bengal.

Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena fails to shine in AP

Actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party, which was expected to put up a strong fight in Andhra Pradesh, came a cropper in the Assembly elections, with the party chief himself trailing in both seats he contested. Kalyan was trailing behind YSRC candidate Grandhi Srinivas in Bhimavaram, while in Gajuwaka he was lagging behind YSRC's Nagireddy Tippala, according to Election Commission data. In the only consolation for it, Rapaka Vara Prasada Rao was leading in Razole against his nearest rival Rajeswara Rao Bonthu of YSRC. The Jana Sena, contesting its maiden elections, fought from 140 seats leaving to rest to allies including the BSP. A strong performance was predicted from the actor-politician, riding on the support of his Kapu community and his stardom. The YSR Congress is heading for a landslide victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls and also in the Lok Sabha elections. Jana Sena Party had backed the TDP-BJP combine in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but had pulled out ..

Very disappointing, we should have won: Sheila Dikshit

Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit Thursday conceded her party's defeat in Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, terming the loss "very disappointing", and congratulated the BJP for its spectacular performance. BJP candidates were leading over their rivals on all the seven seats in Delhi by margins ranging from 1-5 lakh votes. Final results are expected later tonight. "It is very disappointing, we should have won," she told PTI. Dikshit, who herself was trailing by over 3.63 lakh votes against her rival and Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari in North East Delhi constituency, expressed satisfaction that the Congress pushed the Aam Aadmi Party to the third place on most seats. She said Delhi Congress leaders will meet in coming days and discuss steps needed in view of the her party's dismal performance in the election. Congress, which trailed behind AAP in Delhi in elections since 2014, took consolation in the fact that its candidates on four seats managed to force Arvind Kejriwal-led

Mallikarjun Kharge staring at his first defeat

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who had never lost a single election since the commencement of his political career in 1972, is all set to witness his first defeat as he is trailing behind BJP candidate Umesh G. Jadhav by a huge number of votes in the Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka.As per latest trends, Jadhav is leading by more than 90,000 votes and has become the first person to defeat Kharge, who was the leader of the Congress party in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Jadhav was a member of the Congress Party and because of Kharge's support he got the Congress party ticket to contest elections in Chincholi and won the elections.He drifted away from the party in 2018 because of not getting a ministerial position in Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka.Through a tweet, Kharge accepted the verdict of the people and trusts the democratic functionalities of the nation."We accept the result in Gulbarga, the verdict that people gave us, we are accepting it. We believe in ...

Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy congrats Modi, BJP

Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with absolute majority.

Clean sweep for BJP in Haryana, wins all 10 seats

In a first in Haryana's electoral history, the ruling BJP made a clean sweep by winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the Congress and Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) faced humiliating defeats.

Naveen's journey: Reluctant politician to five-time CM

Once reluctant to join politics and inherit his father's mantle, 72-year-old Naveen Patnaik is on his way to form the fifth consecutive government in Odisha -- in the process becoming one of the longest-serving chief ministers in the country.

AAP set to lose on all seven seats in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party is set to lose on all seven seats in Delhi as it is trailing by lakhs of votes and coming third in most of the constituencies. Except North-West and South Delhi seats, where they are at the second spot, the ruling party in Delhi is trailing at the third position in all the other five constituencies. AAP had fielded seven candidates in Delhi - Brijesh Goyal from New Delhi, Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Raghav Chadha from South Delhi, Atishi from East Delhi, Dilip Pandey from North East Delhi, Gugan Singh from North West Delhi and Balbir Singh Jakhad from West Delhi. In New Delhi, Goyal is trailing by a margin of 4 lakh votes to BJP candidate Meenakshi Lekhi, Gupta is trailing by over 3 lakh votes to BJP candidate Harsh Vardhan, Chadha is trailing by a margin of over 3 lakh votes to BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri and Atishi is trailing by a margin of over 4 lakh votes to BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir. On the other hand, Dilip Pandey is trailing by over 5 lakh votes ..

Poll results signal 'end of politics of dynasty, casteism': Mahesh Sharma

Union Minister and BJP leader Mahesh Sharma on Thursday described the Lok Sabha results as a signal towards "end of dynasty politics and politics of casteism". Sharma, 59, fought the poll from Gautam Buddh Nagar seat and looked certain for a victory with result trend showing him leading with a margin at 1.39 lakh votes around 7 pm. "This resounding victory signals towards the end of dynastic politics and politics of casteism. The people have reposed their faith in Modi, it's the victory of the people's faith," Sharma told PTI. Until 7.30 pm, the BJP had won 42 seats and was leading in 260 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in seven phases in April and May. It demolished the combined opposition with the Congress Party stuck at 11 confirmed victories and a lead in 40 seats, according to the partial results. Hailing Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for their leadership, Sharma said the country will move forward in a new direction over the next five years and witness all-round .

First timers set to make their maiden foray in Lok Sabha

: Several first timers are set to make their maiden foray in the Lok Sabha as many are heading towards a remarkable victory, according to Election Commission data. Some of them, including AIADMK's P Raveendranath Kumar, son of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, hail from a political background. Among the first timers are Congress candidate S Jothimani (Karur), Raveendranath Kumar (Theni), DMK's Kalanidhi Veerasamy (North Chennai), DMK's T Sumathy (alias) Thamizhachi Thangapandian (South Chennai) and India Jananayaka Katchi's (IJK) Dr Paarivendhar, who contested from Perambalur. According to the EC data, Jothimani is way ahead of her rival, AIADMK veteran and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, by a margin of nearly four lakh votes. AIADMK's Raveendranath is contesting against Congress leader and former Minister EVKS Elangovan and is leading the race by securing a lead of 49,836 votes. Kalanidhi Veerasamy, son of DMK leader and former Minister 'Arcot' N Veerasamy .

French President Macron congratulates PM Modi

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his electoral victory and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together towards further strengthening of the bilateral Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister Modi on Thursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a super-sized victory for a second term in office. Macron congratulated Modi over telephone and 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 France for her steadfast support to India on critical issues. Describing Modi as one of the foremost leaders of the democratic world, Macron reiterated his invitation to the Indian prime minister to visit France in August 2019 for a bilateral meeting and also to attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz.

Rahul a fine leader, Cong will bounce back: Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Thursday trashed criticism of the Congress president after the party's Lok Sabha defeat, saying he has worked closely with Rahul Gandhi and found him to be a "fine leader". "Winning or losing are part of the game. If the BJP could rise from two seats when the Congress had over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha, it can and will rise again,"he said. The chief minister also rejected charges of dynastic politics by the Congress, maintaining that Rahul Gandhi was never thrust on people but was duly elected the president of the Congress. The Congress leader said Hindutva did not have any impact in Punjab and cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against destroying India's secular credentials". Amarinder Singh said he did not agree with the "brand of nationalism being promoted by the BJP" as every citizen of India was a nationalist and the nation's strength was in its diversity. The chief minister said giving Modi the credit for the Balakot airstrike was totally ...

The rise and rise of Amit Shah: How a worker became most successful BJP president

"It is time for Congress to get an Amit Shah," former Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister and once an ally of BJP, Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet as the trends showed BJP, led by Amit Shah, headed for yet another stellar victory in the Lok Sabha polls.Indeed, as the captain of the winning team, Shah deserves credit for turning the party into an election-winning machine. With one Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, his record as the BJP president has been unmatchable.Shah took over as the BJP president soon after NDA emerged victorious in 2014 general elections. A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was appointed party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh just ahead of the 2014 national elections.With his sharp organisational skill and political acumen, Shah helped the party and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats in the stat,e leading PM Modi to proclaim him as "man-of-the-match" of BJP's victory.But .

Hope 'double engine' govt will solve problems of Bihar : Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha elections saying that he respects people's mandate.He also hoped that problems of Bihar would be solved as BJP and its allies will rule both the State and Centre."Respect people's mandate and congratulate PM Narendra Modi. We hope that the dual engine government in Bihar will solve the problems faced by people here. I would like to thank our workers and there is no reason to be disappointed, we will continue the fight," said Tejashwi Yadav.The ruling BJP-JDU-LJP alliance in Bihar looks all set for a resounding victory in the Lok Sabha elections as suggest the counting trends. BJP is leading on 16 seats, while its allies Janata Dal (United) (JDU) on 15 seats and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on six seats. In all, the alliance is leading on 37 seats.Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is leading on two seats, while the Congress on one seat. The others ...

Karnataka: Sumalatha defeats Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil from Mandya

Sumalatha Ambareesh, the veteran actor and wife of late former Congress lawmaker MH Ambareesh created history on Thursday by becoming the first independent candidate to successfully contest Lok Sabha polls from Karnataka in 52 years.According to Election Commission of India (EC) website, Sumalatha got 51.02 per cent votes (701122 votes). Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from the seat, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, came second with 41.89 per cent votes (575740 votes).Nikhil is the son of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.In February this year, Sumalatha made headlines for declaring that she would contest Lok Sabha elections from Mandya - a seat her husband had represented both as Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly. MH Ambareesh passed away in November last year.On March 18, Sumalatha announced that she would contest from Mandya parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha elections after Congress gave the seat to JD(S) as a part of the ...

CPI-M accepts poll setback, says time to introspect

Noting the "severe setback in these elections", the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has decided to introspect and draw lessons from it.

Raje's son Dushyant Singh wins from Jhalawar-Baran seat

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje's son Dushyant Singh on Thursday emerged victorious from the Jhalawar-Baran Lok Sabha seat. Singh defeated his Congress rival Pramod Sharma by a margin of 4,52,928 votes. Sharma, a BJP rebel, had joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha election and contested the polls for the first time. Singh got 8,87,400 votes against 4,33,472 votes received by the Congress candidate. Jhalawar-Baran has remained BJP's fortress for nearly 40 years. Raje had represented the seat for five terms from 1989 to 2004 after which her son was elected from the seat. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Singh won the seat by defeating the Congress candidate by a margin of 2,81,546 votes. In 2009, he emerged victorious in this seat by defeating the INC candidate by a margin of 52,841 votes.

Sons of famous politician fathers lose in 17th LS polls

All the political prowess they inherited seems to have been rendered ineffective as sons of famous politician fathers headed towards a debacle in the 17th Lok Sabha elections. From former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi losing out on the party's political bastion in Amethi, to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav, who lost in Jodhpur, the current generation of political dynasts have clearly not lived up to their predecessors' success. Rahul Gandhi was left far behind by BJP's Smriti Irani by over 40,000 votes. Vaibhav lost by a margin of over 2.7 lakh votes to BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Also losing his stronghold over Madhya Pradesh's Guna constituency is Congress' Jyotiraditya Scindia, son of former Union minister Madhav Rao Scindia. The Congress has been in power in the seat since 1999. In Rajasthan's Barmer, Manvendra Singh, son of Jaswant Singh, founding member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lost by over 3.2 lakh ...

BJP makes inroads in Telangana, wrests 3 seats from TRS (2nd Lead)

Making inroads in Telangana, the BJP wrested three seats from the TRS and retained one seat while the Congress also wrested two seats from the ruling party and retained one.

BJP's Gen V.K. Singh leading in Ghaziabad

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Gen. V.K. Singh was on a victory path from the Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He was leading in the seat with around 4.45 lakh votes.