Page 432 - Politics
Rahul accepts defeat, congratulates Modi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accepted the shocking defeat in the Lok Sabha elections as "people's verdict" and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the victory.
Rajasthan CM's son loses to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Jodhpur
In a setback to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his son Vaibhav Gehlot faced defeat in his maiden election from the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat which was won by the BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for a second consecutive time. Shekhawat won the seat with a high margin of 2,74,440 votes. It had become a prestige issue for Ashok Gehlot who tirelessly campaigned in the keenly watched constituency. Ashok Gehlot, who became the chief minister of Rajasthan for third time in December 2018, has himself represented the Jodhpur seat in Lok sabha for five times from 1980 to 1999. Considered close to top leadership of BJP and backed by RSS, Gajendra Singh banked on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his election campaign. Shekhawat, who was made the Union minister of state for agriculture in September 2017, entered student politics and became the president of the student union of Jai Narayan Vyas University-Jodhpur in 1992 and also remained active in social works and youth ...
Yechury takes responsibility for CPI-M's poor poll show
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury took the responsibility on Thursday for his party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls, saying as the chief of the party, he was the "first" person who was accountable for its poor show. Speaking at a press conference here after the trends showed that the Left Front was virtually routed in its bastions of Kerala and West Bengal, Yechury said it was time for the entire opposition to introspect. "The people of the country have given a decisive verdict in BJP's favour in this highly-polarised election and it is now time for us to introspect and analyse what went wrong. We will hold a politburo meeting on May 26-27 and a central committee meeting from from June 7-9. "As the general secretary of the party, the first responsibility of the loss is with me. There will be accountability," he said, when asked if heads would roll in the party after the dismal poll performance. Refusing to reply to queries on the reason behind the Left Front's route
YSRC wins 3 seats, leading in 145 others; set for overwhelming
The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for a overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates winning three seats and leading in 145 others, dealing a knockout blow to the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party. The TDP is leading in 26 seats and actor-politician's Jana Sena party in one, according to the latest Election Commission data at 6.15 pm. The Y S Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSRC may end up with over a three-fourths majority in the 175-member Assembly. YSRC sources said the party's Legislature Party will meet here on May 25 to formally elect Jaganmohan Reddy as its leader. Reddy will take oath as Chief Minister in the temple-town of Tirupati on May 30, the sources said. With his party set to wrest power, Reddy Thursday termed it as people's victory. He also said the YSRC's victory was expected. "I sincerely thank the people who overwhelmingly voted for YSRC and blessed it. I also thank them for exercising their franchise in large numbers and ...
BJP wins 8, leads in 16 of Karnataka's 28 LS seats (6th lead)
A resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won eight and was leading in 16 of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka where the vote count has been underway for the two-phase polling held on April 18 and April 23, an official said on Thursday.
Rahul loses Amethi by over 38,000 votes
Congress President Rahul Gandhi lost his traditional Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani, of the BJP, by a margin of 38,449 votes.
Modi wins Varanasi by 4.75 lakh votes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recorded a spectacular victory in Varanasi, clocking a margin of 4,75,754 votes.
Keep your word & quit: Tweeple to Sidhu on Rahul's loss
As Congress President Rahul Gandhi lost the prestigious Amethi seat to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Smriti Irani, one of the biggest setbacks of the Lok Sabha polls, the chorus grew on Twitter for resignation of Pubjan Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Cong's Preneet Kaur win in Patiala, Ravneet Bittu retains Ludhiana seat
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's wife and Congress candidate Preneet Kaur won from Patiala while party nominee Ravneet Singh Bittu retained the Ludhiana seat. Kaur, a former Union minister, defeated her nearest rival Shiromani Akali Dal's Surjit Singh Rakhra by a margin of 1,62,718 votes, according to the Election Commission. In 2014, the seat was won by Dharamvira Gandhi on AAP ticket. Bittu retained the Ludhiana seat by defeating Simarjeet Singh Bains of the Lok Insaaf Party by a margin of 76,372 votes.
BJP heading for 25-0 in Rajasthan
The BJP is all set for a clean sweep in Rajasthan again with the party bagging six seats and leading in 18 others in the Lok Sabha election results declared Thursday, barely five months after it lost to the Congress in the assembly polls. BJP candidates Bhagirath Chaudhary (Ajmer), Kailash Chaudhary (Barmer), Subhash Chandra Baheria (Bhilwara), Rajita Koli (Bharatpur), Devji Patel (Jalore) and Sukhbir Singh (Tonk-Sawaimadhpur) were declared elected. Baheria won by a high vote margin of 6,12,000 votes. NDA alliance partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party candidate Hanuman Beniwal is leading on the Nagaur seat. The BJP had bagged all 25 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Reacting to the results, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the people's mandate has to be accepted. "We accept the people's mandate with humility. The Congress has always worked to build a strong democracy. I thank the people of the state and Congress workers for a peaceful participation in polling," Gehlot said. The chief
BJP likely to surpass its 2014 tally in Assam, leads in 9
The BJP is looking to surpass its 2014 tally in Assam, as it is leading in nine seats, while the Congress is ahead in three and the AIUDF and an Independent candidate in one each of the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state. The BJP is likely to retain six of the seven seats it had won in the last Lok Sabha polls and may wrest two from the Congress and one from the AIUDF, according to official data. The BJP is likely to win Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tezpur, Mangaldoi, Gauhati and wrest Silchar and Autonomous District from Congress, along with Karimganj (SC) from AIUDF. The Congress is set to retain the Kaliabor seat and is marching ahead in Nowgong, earlier held by BJP, and Barpeta, held by AIUDF. The AIUDF is likely to retain one of the three seats it had won in the last polls. BJP MPs Pradan Barua and Rameshwar Teli are likely to retain the Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh seats as they are leading by 3,44,350 and 3,51,594 votes, respectively, over Congress rivals ...
Rajnath's thumping victory over Poonam Sinha in Lucknow
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has won the Lucknow seat with a margin of 3.4 lakh votes. In 2014, he had won with a margin of 2.72 lakh.
Manish Tewari wins from Anandpur Sahib
Former Union minister and Congress candidate Manish Tewari wrested the Anandpur Sahib seat from Shiromani Akali Dal nominee Prem Singh Chandumajra on Thursday. Tewari defeated the two-time MP by a margin of 46,884 votes, according to the Election Commission results. The senior Congress leader had been in the lead against Chandumajra since counting of votes began at 8 am.
Debacle in TN, a mistake by electorate: State BJP chief
: The Tamil Nadu BJP, which was staring at a total loss in the 16th Lok Sabha polls, Thursday termed the defeat as a 'mistake' done by the electorate of the state. BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan said, "My view on the poll result is that people have done a mistake." "Why, because if they had voted someone who was not accused of corruption or selfish politics, people would have reaped more benefits," she told reporters here. However, she extended her congratulations to DMK candidate Kanimozhi, who is leading the race with a comfortable margin. "I wholly accept the people's verdict. But at the same time, I wish to say that no one can prevent me from taking steps for the welfare of the people of Tuticorin," she added. She said her party also lost because of "false propaganda." "People have voted by listening to the false propaganda by the opposition parties," she said, but asserted her party was not upset with the voters' choice. BJP would study the reasons
BJP heads to spectacular win as Modi's magic resonates across India, demolishes Opposition
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a super-sized victory for a second term in office, as his message of nationalism, security, Hindu pride and a New India was wholeheartedly embraced by voters across large swathes of the country. With the elections establishing the 68-year-old Modi as the most popular leader in decades, the partial vote count released by the Election Commission showed that BJP will surpass its 2014 performance, and likely cross 300 seats. Until 6 p.m., the BJP had won 26 seats and was leading in 278 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in seven phases, demolishing the combined opposition with the Congress Party stuck with seven victories and a lead in 43 seats, according to the trends. Modi himself was leading in Varanasi with a margin of over 4.3 lakh votes while party president Amit Shah was ahead in Gandhinagar in their home state of Gujarat by over 5.5 lakh votes. "With all+ development for all+ everybody's ...
BJP will remain much indebted to people: Uttarakhand CM
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will remain heavily indebted to the people of India for giving the party an unprecedented victory in the general elections.
Pompeo: Huawei not truthful about ties with China's government
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged Thursday that Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is not truthful about its relationship with China's government. When Huawei says it is not working with that government, "that's just false. That's just false," Pompeo told CNBC. "To say that they don't work with the Chinese government is a false statement," Pompeo said of Huawei, which has effectively been blacklisted by the US over worries that Beijing uses it as a tool for espionage. Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei, Pompeo said, "isn't telling the American people the truth, nor the world." Last week President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to bar US companies from using foreign telecoms equipment deemed a security risk. The move appeared aimed at Huawei, though the White House said no particular company or country was targeted. The Commerce Department has also announced an effective ban on US companies selling or transferring US technology to Huawei. The moves have prompted a parade of firms ..
'Alert voters' have rejected opportunistic, casteist politics of mahagathbandhan: UP CM
As the BJP marched towards a grand victory in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday said alert voters have rejected the "opportunistic and casteist" politics of mahagathbandhan forged by the opposition parties. "It is high time for the opposition to introspect and shun politics of negativity," Adityanath told PTI in his first interview after trends showed massive gains for the BJP. He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for BJP's "historic victory". The chief minister said "alert voters have rejected opportunistic and casteist politics of the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)". According to latest trends, the BJP was leading in 60 of the 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh. "People across the country have rejected the negative politics of casteism, dynastic politics, and have accepted with open arms the positive politics of development and nationalism. This time our slogan was 'Abki Baar 300 Paar, Phir Ek Baar .
People of India decided Narendra Modi as PM, I fully respect it: Rahul Gandhi
Conceding defeat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for their landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls, and said his party will continue to fight the ideological battle with the saffron party. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, he said the Congress Working Committee will meet soon and decide on whether he should resign as party chief following the electoral debacle. The Congress could manage to add only a few seats to its 2014 Lok Sabha tally of 44 seats. "I congratulate Narendra Modiji and BJP for their electoral victory. People of India have decided that Narendra Modi will be the PM again and I fully respect that," Gandhi said. "The Congress will continue to fight its ideological battle with BJP unitedly," he added, asking the party workers not be afraid. Gandhi also congratulated Smriti Irani on her victory in Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh from where he had won for three consecutive terms ...
BJP retains Mapusa Assembly by-poll in Goa
Joshua D'Souza, BJP MLA candidate from Mapusa assembly, retained the seat where the by-poll was necessitated after the death of his father Francis D'Souza.Joshua registered his victory against Congress' Sudhir Kandolkar, a stronghold of the BJP for the last 20 years.In another Assembly by-poll, Congress' Atanasio Monserratte wrested Panaji Assembly seat, held by late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, from the BJP. He won the seat with a margin of over 1,775 votes.The BJP had fielded Siddharth Kunkolienkar from the seat.Goa Assembly has the strength of 40 members out of which the BJP currently has 12 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and three independents. GFP and MGP each have three MLAs.The Congress party, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs.