Page 484 - Politics
New Ukraine President announces elections (2nd Lead)
Comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelensky announced parliamentary elections during his swearing in as Ukraine's new President on Monday. The election may take place in October.
Iran dismisses Trump's 'genocidal taunts'
Iran on Monday dismissed US President Donald Trump's "genocidal taunts" and warned him not to threaten the country.
It's up to government to take a call on Huawei issue: Trai
Telecom regulator Trai Monday said the issue of whether India needs to take a stand on Huawei is a "larger question" and that it is up to the government to take a call on the matter. Last week, the Trump administration had placed Huawei and its affiliates on a blacklist, a move that essentially bans the Chinese firm from purchasing parts and components from American companies without the US government approval. Replying to a query on whether India needs to take a position on Huawei also, Trai Chairman R S Sharma told reporters, "This is a larger question and the government will have to take a call." He did not comment further on the matter. Meanwhile, Huawei has said it will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to its existing smartphones and tablets, even as the future road map of products remains uncertain after the cancellation of its Android licence. Tech giant Google is said to be ending transfer of hardware, software and technical services to Huawei amid
Will not let China become top superpower, claims Trump
Amidst renewed trade frictions with China, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) claimed that he will not let the Asian country become the top superpower while in office.Both the countries have been locked in a trade dispute since last year. They have held regular negotiations in a bid to find a solution to the trade feud, which recently hit a roadblock just as a trade deal was in its last stages. The United States has since accused China of backing out of the deal at the last moment."Our economy has been fantastic. Because they were catching us, they were going to be bigger than us. If Hillary Clinton became president, China would have been a much bigger economy than us by the end of her term. And now it's not even going to be close," Trump told Fox News.Trump also stated that China is "obviously not doing well" like the US. "We're taking in billions of dollars. China is obviously not doing well like us," he said.He further said that he was "very happy" with the ...
TV channels projecting NDA win are famous for their 'Raag Darbari': Shatrughan Sinha
Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha on Monday downplayed the exit polls, which project BJP-led NDA government returning to power at the Centre, saying the TV channels which give these results have "no credibility.""This is to divert the attention. They have not given any details about the sample size or the agencies which have done surveys. They have started a new game to divert attention because their defeat is imminent," said Sinha, who is seeking re-election from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat."Most of the TV channels on which exit polls have been shown are famous for their 'Raag Darbari.' They sing songs for the government from the beginning. They have no credibility," he told ANI.The Congress leader also said he sees no reality in the exit polls projecting NDA's win.The actor-turned-politician won Patna Sahib parliamentary seat in 2014 on the BJP's ticket but joined the Congress party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections."The exit polls (showing BJP win) have been carried out intentionally .
Opposition still feels NDA will fall short, says alternative needs to be ready
Even as the exit polls predicted a majority for the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition camp is convinced that the BJP-led coalition will fall short of numbers, due to which they are making an effort to cobble up an alternative.
Chandrababu Naidu reaches Kolkata to meet Mamata
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reached here on Monday to hold a meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.
Kerala CM, minister differ over Sabarimala poll impact
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a cabinet colleague took divergent stands on Monday over the impact of the Sabarimala issue on the outcome of the Lok Sabha election. Vijayan said the issue of women's entry into the temple, which had rocked the state last year, would not reflect on the outcome. A day after most exit polls predicted that the ruling Left Front would get only four-five seats and the Congress-led UDF would get a landslide victory with at least 15 seats, Vijayan expressed confidence that the LDF would register an impressive win. "The things that had happened in Sabarimala should have been avoided. Everyone knows who was behind those incidents, which should not have happened in the hill shrine" Vijayan said. "We have taken a stand to protect the Ayyappa shrine. The pilgrims will have a better Sabarimala season next time as reconstruction and developmental activities are going on," the chief minister added. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, meanwhile, ...
Kamal Nath-led Cong govt in MP standing on crutches: BJP
The Madhya Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday claimed that the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state is in minority and standing on crutches.BJP president of state unit Rakesh Singh told ANI that the Congress government in the state will collapse due to its internal conflicts."Their government (Madhya Pradesh) won't go on. Theirs is a minority government standing on crutches. It will collapse due to its internal conflicts. But today we are focusing on elections results and forming government at the Centre. Today, we are not discussing whose government will be or won't be there in Madhya Pradesh," BJP president of state unit Rakesh Singh told ANI.The reaction from BJP leader came after earlier in the day the Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Gopal Bhargava urged state Governor Anandiben Patel to convene an assembly session soon to discuss pressing issues like drinking water, law and order and non-payment of farmers' dues.The 231-member MP assembly has
Naidu 'cent per cent' sure of TDP retaining power in Andhra
Unfazed by the exit polls which predicted that the YSR Congress Party will storm to power in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said he was "cent per cent" sure of his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) retaining power.
2014 Exit polls: Pollsters got the trend tight, but not the scale of NDA win
As the country dissects the exit polls predicting that the NDA will come back to power, a look at the pollsters' 2014 prediction shows that they got the trend right, but not the scale of victory for the BJP-led alliance. Out of the seven main pollsters in 2014, the News24-Chanakya proved to be the most accurate, predicting 340 seats for the NDA which eventually won 336 seats. The India TV-C Voter exit poll gave a simple majority to the NDA, predicting 289 seats, while ABP Nielson and CNN-IBN CSDS gave 281 and 280 seats respectively to the NDA. Headlines Today Cicero predicted 272 seats for the NDA, NDTV predicted 279 and Times Now-ORG forecast 249 seats. For the UPA, Chanakya predicted 70 seats which was the closest to the 59 seats that the Congress-led alliance got. The India TV-C Voter exit poll gave 101 to the UPA, while ABP Nielson and CNN-IBN CSDS gave 97 seats to the Congress-led alliance. Headlines Today Cicero predicted 115 seats for the UPA, NDTV predicted 103, and Times ...
BJD, BJP dismiss exit poll predictions for nation and Odisha
With most of the exit polls indicating a fifth consecutive term for Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in Odisha and substantial gains for BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, both the rival parties Monday refused to accept the predictions, claiming the results on May 23 will be different. Majority of the exit polls have projected that BJP would win more than half of the total 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha and the BJD getting reduced to single digit. The prediction throws a major surprise as in 2014, the BJD had bagged 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state while the saffron party had one seat of Union Minister Jual Oram in its kitty. In the Assembly election, Naveen Patanik's party, is ahead as per the exit polls forecast. Last time, BJD had secured 117 seats in the 147 member Odisha Assembly. The BJP could win in 10 seats in the assembly while Congress had 16 MLAs. BJP state unit president Basant Panda and Union Minister Jual Oram claimed that the saffron party will form government in Odisha by ..
Will support those at Centre who agree to settle long pending issue of Odisha, says BJD leader
Biju Janta Dal (BJD) on Monday said that if the need arises his party will support that combination in the Centre which agrees to settle some of the unsettled and long pending issues of Odisha.Talking to ANI, BJD spokesperson Amar Patnaik said, "We would probably support some party or some kind of combination, whoever forms the government at the Centre and agrees to settle some of the unsettled and long pending issues of Odisha."On being asked whether the regional parties like BJD will be kingmaker at the Centre, The BJD leader said, "As Biju Patnaik had said whatever party supports those issues that Centre had neglected so far, we will support them, if the need arises.""The Exit polls seem to be too far fetched and they do not represent the mood of the nation. All I can say that there is a trend suggesting that NDA is emerging as the largest coaliting," he added.On being asked about the prediction for Odisha assembly polls, The BJD leader further said, "The results we predict in ...
Maharashtra CM calls meeting of Core Committee members
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called a meeting of the state Core Committee members at his residence here on Monday evening.The meeting has been called to review the Lok Sabha elections held in the state where 48 seats are stake. The polling took place in four phases.The exit polls on television channels on Sunday projected BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to retain power at the Centre with most of the pollsters giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clear majority again in the 543-member Lok Sabha.The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Adityanath sacks Rajbhar from cabinet, minister hits back
Just a day after polling ended in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday sacked SBSP leader Om Prakash Rajbhar from the Cabinet for his outbursts against senior NDA partner BJP. Governor Ram Naik accepted the recommendation and relieved Rajbhar with immediate effect from his post of Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment Minister, an official spokesperson said here. The CM also recommended to the governor that all other Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) members holding the rank of Minister of State be removed immediately. A recalcitrant Rajbhar appeared before the media soon afterward and "welcomed" the decision of the CM. "I welcome the decision (to sack me). The decision taken by the chief minister was a delayed one," Rajbhar said. "Had the decision been taken around 20 days ago, it would have been much better." "By taking the decision, he (Adityanath) has proved he does not endorse my war against poverty," he told reporters, ...
Exit polls can be wrong but not all time: Jay Panda
BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda on Monday said the nation should wait for the final results to be announced on May 23 for the Lok Sabha elections as 'Exit Polls' can be proven wrong but not every time."I will point out that some of the exit polls are being done by agencies which in the past had predicted good results for the BJD in the earlier elections and they were correct. Similarly, the same agencies are giving extremely good results to BJP in Odisha. So you cannot pick and choose exit polls depending on whether it suits you or not," he said."Of course, exit polls can be wrong and we have to wait for the final result on May 23 but all the results cannot be wrong," Panda told media persons when asked that many times in the past the exit polls have been proven wrong.However, sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Kendrapara constituency, Panda exuded confidence saying that BJP-led NDA government would retain power in the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will get the ..
No UPA meeting on May 23: Stalin
DMK chief M K Stalin on Monday said there was no meeting of the UPA being convened by Sonia Gandhi on May 23, the day votes in the Lok Sabha elections will be counted."Who said there is an opposition parties meeting on the 23rd. The meeting will be useful only election results," he told reporters here.Earlier there were reports that Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of the constituent of United Progressive Alliance in Delhi for planning a strategy to checkmate BJP from staking claim to power if the NDA falls short of majority.Some non-UPA party leaders were also said to have been sounded for the meeting, it was reported.
It will be 'official end of Iran' if US interests attacked: Trump warns Tehran
In his sternest direct threat to Tehran, US President Donald Trump has warned that a military confrontation with America would "be the official end of Iran." Tensions between the US and Iran have been growing as the Trump administration has deployed a carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf, citing Iranian "threats." "If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran," he said in a tweet on Sunday. "Never threaten the United States again!" The terse tweet comes amid rising fears over a potential military confrontation between the two countries. Trump administration officials are debating recent intelligence regarding whether Iran or the militias it supports are possibly planning to attack US assets in the Gulf or whether it is acting defensively in an attempt to deter US action. Trump's tweet marks a shift in tone after recent attempts from both sides to downplay the possibility of dangerous military conflict. In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, ...
Economic terrorism, genocidal taunts won't end Iran: Zarif to US
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday lashed out at the United States and said that "economic terrorism and genocidal taunts won't end Iran."This comes as diplomatic tensions soar between the two countries, especially after Washington refused to extend sanction waivers to major Iranian oil importing countries along with listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO)."Goaded by #B_Team, @realdonaldTrump hopes to achieve what Alexander, Genghis & other aggressors failed to do. Iranians have stood tall for millennia while aggressors all gone. #EconomicTerrorism & genocidal taunts won't "end Iran". #NeverThreatenAnIranian. Try respect--it works!" Zarif tweeted.Washington has deployed an aircraft carrier and its battle group, along with a fleet of bombers in the Middle Eastern region, citing a threat from Iran, in light of the tensions.US President Donald Trump had recently said that it would be the "official end of ...
Delhi BJP upbeat after exit polls predict clean sweep in Delhi; AAP, Cong question its veracity
A day after exit polls predicted a clean sweep for the BJP in all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, the AAP and the Congress questioned the veracity of such an exercise before counting of votes even as an elated Delhi unit of the saffron party hoped that the predictions will come true. Most exit polls predicted a sweep for the BJP with some predicting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP may draw a blank in Delhi in the Lok Sabha polls whose results will be declared on May 23. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh raised questions over the entire process. "Is EVM the real game? Were the exit polls sponsored? BJP is winning in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karanataka, Delhi, Bengal, who will believe it?All the parties should demand cancellation of the elections on irregularities of VVPAT-EVM match," Singh said in a tweet. However, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari thanked people of the national capital and hoped that the exit poll predictions will ..