Page 481 - Politics
Repolling at booth 32 in Chandni Chowk held as presiding officer "tried to manipulate" data
The presiding officer at polling station number 32 in Chandni Chowk Parliamentary constituency "tried to manipulate" voting data to hide his mistake of not deleting mock poll votes, necessitating repolling there, officials said Monday. The Election Commission had directed disciplinary action against the presiding officer and ordered repoll which was held on May 19, officials said. It was found that the presiding officer tried to manipulate the details filled in performa 17 A to hide his mistake of not deleting mock poll data on May 12, officials said. "It was discovered that he (the presiding officer) had tried to adjust the votes cast during mock polls and added them to the data of the votes cast during actual polls (on May 12) but this came to the notice of the returning officer, who mentioned it in her report to the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi. The report was forwarded to EC, which directed disciplinary action against the officer," an official said. On the day of repoll, polling
Followed in disbelief as Austrian corruption scandal unfolded: EU
The European Union on Monday said that it "followed in disbelief" when an alleged corruption scandal involving the former Vice-Chancellor of Austria unfolded recently."Indeed, we followed in disbelief as a leader of a political party was seen negotiating access to media and institutions in exchange for funds from external benefactors who clearly do not have Europeans' best interests at heart. We do not feel that comment from our side would be necessary," Sputnik quoted the Chief Spokesman for the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, as saying.On Friday, German news magazine Der Spiegel and the Suddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper released a video shot in 2017 which showed the former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache allegedly offering government contracts in exchange for media coverage to a woman claiming to be a Russian investor, along with being the niece of an oligarch.The publications further reported that the woman offered to buy a 50 per cent stake in Austria's
EVMs have no role in exit polls: Jaitley's swipe at opposition
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday took a swipe at the opposition parties, saying the EVMs have no role in exit polls and if the results are in the same direction, their "fake" issue would also lose its non-existent rationale.
2nd round of training for poll officials in T'gana
The Returning Officers and other election officials in Telangana were imparted a second round of training and reorientation here Monday for the counting of votes in the Lok Sabha polls on May 23. Various legal provisions involved in counting and the detailed step by step process for pre-counting and counting were explained to the ROs (Returning Officers) and other officials, an official release said. They were told not to give scope for criticism from any quarters and to scruplously follow the Election Commission of India guidelines like ensuring presence of candidates, agents and observers at the time of opening of strong room Besides the Assistant Returning Officers were also told to be vigilant during counting and guide the counting staff step by step for the first two rounds so as to finalise the counting process, it said. State Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar and the senior consultant from ECI, Bhanwarlal, interacted with ROs and AROs and impressed upon them the
Congress office bears deserted look after exit polls
A day after the exit polls predicted a thumping victory for the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress office in the national capital wore a deserted look.
BJP upbeat post exit polls, Trinamool circumspect
Fresh from their exit poll high, the BJP remained jubilant a day after the elections ended in West Bengal, while the Trinamool Congress continued to turn a blind eye towards the predictions, although there was a mood of despondency.
BJP confident of smashing decade-old trend in Rajasthan
With the exit polls largely giving a major seat share to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan, the saffron outfit is confident of shattering the decade-old trend of the ruling party having an edge over the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
EU's Barnier says Britain has limited Brexit choices
EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Monday that whatever the shifting political situation in Britain its options are limited and unchanged -- deal, no deal or no Brexit. "Today, the fundamental choices in front of the United Kingdom remain the same: deal, no deal, no Brexit," Barnier told reporters in Nicosia after updating Cypriot authorities on the latest developments. "Whatever happens and whatever the political situation in the UK, the issues and solutions remain the same," he added. Barnier said the EU has "always been working for a deal" and the withdrawal agreement is the "only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal". He noted discussion in Britain is not about the withdrawal agreement itself, but the future relationship. "Let me be clear: if the United Kingdom still wants to leave, ratifying the withdrawal agreement is the only way to secure a transition period," said Barnier. He said the period of transition would give Britain time to sort out its negotiation positions and ...
Chinese envoy calls on Pak Army chief, discusses bilateral ties and regional security situation
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing on Monday called on army chief General Qamar Bajwa and discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional security situation, the Pakistan Army said. The meeting came days after Pakistan Army announced that it would deploy another division-size special force to protect Chinese nationals and projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistan military's media wing, matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed in the meeting held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Pakistan's civil-military leaders frequently hold meetings with Chinese officials in the backdrop of the multi-billion dollar CPEC project. The CPEC is a 3,000-kilometre network of roads, pipelines and railways to connect Gwadar port in Pakistan to Kashgar in the Xinjiang region of China. In a recent interview with the Chinese state media, chief military spokesperson Major .
UK foils 19 terror attacks in 2 years, cracks down on ISIS travel
The UK government on Monday announced a fresh crackdown on its nationals travelling to Islamic State (ISIS) territory in Syria as it revealed that Britain's security forces had foiled 19 major terror attacks in the past two years. In a speech on national security at Scotland Yard headquarters in London, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid warned British nationals to leave conflict-ridden territories or risk a jail term of up to 10 years, effectively imposing a ban on travel to Idlib and the northeast of Syria under new powers to tackle suspected terrorists. "Each and every day, our security services fight against terror from large international terrorist groups, to radicalised individuals. In the past two years, they have foiled 19 major terrorist attacks 14 of them Islamist, and five of them motivated by extreme right-wing ideologies, said Javid, the UK's senior-most Pakistani-origin minister. And despite this impressive work, the tempo of terrorist activity is increasing, he ...
We are ready for floor test, says Chief Minister Kamal Nath
Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday said his government is ready for a floor test in the Assembly to prove that his is a majority government in the state.Chief Minister Nath, while speaking to ANI, said: "His government is ready to face the floor test. BJP is just trying to disturb the government in the state to save itself from getting exposed.""For long, the BJP has been trying this. We have proved our majority at least four times in the last five months. BJP wants us to prove majority again. We have no problem," he said.Chief Minister Nath's reaction comes close on the heels of Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava's letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, urging her to convene the Assembly session soon to discuss pressing issues like drinking water, law and order situation, and non-payment of farmers' dues.Asked to react to the exit polls projecting BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to retain power at the Centre, he said: "These exit polls are for the BJP's entertainment. There
Assam: Congress says exit polls 'misleading', BJP hits back
The Congress's Assam unit Monday said the exit poll results were "imaginary and misleading", drawing sharp reactions from the BJP, which said the opposition party was making the allegations as it was going to "lose miserably". The Congress said the exit poll results were a ploy by the BJP to divert attention of the people when it is actually faced by imminent defeat. "This has been completely pre-planned by the BJP and the party has pressured a section of the media to carry out these polls based on false premises," Congress's state unit spokesman Durga Das Boro said. "This has been primarily done to demoralise the opposition parties and also to ensure that the people and organisations who have helped them (BJP) financially are not demotivated while at the same time there is no negative impact on the share market," he added. Boro said his party does not consider the exit polls of any value as the Congress is confident of its victory. BJP's state unit chief Ranjit Dass ...
Need to 'energise' village defence committees in J-K: Army
The Army Monday batted strongly for "energising" village defence committees (VDCs) in Jammu and Kashmir calling them a "useful instrument" for the state. The VDCs were setup in the mid 1990s with an aim to strengthen the security of those living in remote and mountainous areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramba, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathua and Poonch districts of the region. A total of 4,125 VDCs exist in the state which not only guard the identified villages along the border, but also the infrastructural installations in and around them. "VDCs are most useful instrument available with the state", General Officer Commanding in Chief (GoC-In-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh told reporters here. "They (VDCs) are always to be energised and they shall be able to take on responsibility (of securing the villages in remote and hilly areas) tasked to them," he added. The Army commander said that it must be ensured that the volunteers are provided weapons so that they can defend their villages and ..
BJP will grow in T'gana as it did in West Bengal: Laxman
Hailing the exit polls which forecast a return of the NDA government, BJP Telangana president K Laxman Monday said his party would grow in the state in the way it believes it has done in West Bengal. "The results are now in EVMs. Whatever surveys and exit polls say, our party emphatically said on the basis of our activists who work on the ground that we would win over 300 (Lok Sabha seats). Yesterdays exit polls are the beginning. 'Ram Rajya' is going to come again. Exit polls clearly prove that," he told reporters here. The opposition parties, who held divergent views and crossed swords till the other day, were coming together with the sole agenda of defeating Modi, he alleged. Laxman expressed confidence that BJP would get a simple majority on its own. Alleging that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promoted the politics of violence, he said BJP workers valiantly fought against it. "Congress and the Left parties will lose badly in that state, he ...
Oppn leaders to meet EC officials regarding tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures
Ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23, leaders of various opposition parties will meet the Election Commission (EC) and raise the issue of tallying paper trail of votes (VVPATs) with electronic voting machine (EVM) figures as per Supreme Court directions. The opposition parties are demanding tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency in case a discrepancy is found in any polling booth. The court has asked the EC to tally the VVPAT slips with the EVM figures of five polling stations in each Assembly constituency across the country, which may delay the results. According to sources, leaders of opposition parties such as the Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Left parties, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) will informally meet on Tuesday to discuss the way forward in case the BJP-led NDA fails to get to the majority mark. Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Sharad Pawar of the ..
Exit polls 'nautanki', truth will be out on May 23: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar Monday doubted the exit poll projections that the BJP-led NDA will retain power at the Centre, calling them a nautanki (farce), adding the "truth" will be out in two days when counting of votes for Lok Sabha polls is held on May 23. The former Union minister was speaking at an iftaar event in south Mumbai in the evening. "There is a strange atmosphere in the country today...After 6 pm yesterday, there was a sense of unease after seeing all TV channels and newspapers. "People have been calling me...I told them that an attempt is being made by those who control the electronic media to present a different view (through the exit polls)... The truth will come out after two days (on May 23)," Pawar said. The NCP chief said elections will come and go and someone is bound to win or lose. "But I have never seen that after elections, those who shoulder the country's responsibility have left Delhi and gone to the Himalayas," Pawar said, taking a swipe at ...
Satta bazars too see BJP winning but gives fewer seats than pollsters
Like most pollsters, various 'satta bazars' too have stuck to a BJP win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but expect the party tally to be fewer than predicted in the exit polls.
Notwithstanding exit polls, oppn leaders set to meet tomorrow; also to move EC over VVPATs
Two days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results, top opposition leaders will meet in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the political situation and possibilities of a non-NDA alliance to stake claim for government formation. As part of his efforts to unite the opposition, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, at her Kolkata residence on forming a non-BJP government at the Centre in case of a hung verdict. Naidu had a 45-minute meeting with Banerjee on the future strategies of the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance), during which he also discussed the possibilities of forming a non-BJP government, including regional parties, with the support of the Congress. "It was decided at the meeting that a detailed discussion will be held with other players of the Mahagathbandhan in the event of a hung verdict after the poll results are declared on May 23," a source said. The decision on Banerjee ...
Shankar Dayal Sharma was Sonia's first choice as PM in 1991 (IANS Special)
After Rajiv Gandhi's tragic death mid way through his 1991 election campaign in Sriperumbudur, the Congress party came to power with 244 seats. It was a unique election for it was split into two parts, one before his assassination and the other after. A day after the first round of polling took place on May 20, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed. The remaining election days were postponed until mid-June and voting finally took place on June 12 and 15. Voting was the lowest ever in parliamentary elections with just 53 per cent of the electorate exercising their right to vote.
Already prepared to hold spl session: MP govt on BJP demand
On a day the BJP in Madhya Pradesh demanded a special session of the Legislative Assembly so that the Congress-led dispensation could prove its majority, state minister Govind Singh said the government had already made preparations for holding such sitting. Earlier in the day, the BJP wrote to Governor Anandiben Patel, asking her to convene a special session of the state Assembly. As the development churned politics of the state, Minister for General Administration and Parliamentary Affairs Govind Singh said, "As far as calling of the assembly session is concerned, much before this demand was made, the government had made preparations for it (holding the session). Only dates needed to be finalised". Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Gopal Bhargava, has written a letter to the governor stating that the party wanted a discussion on important issues like the farm loan waiver and (to) test the government's strength. The letter says "several problems, including some ...