Page 513 - Politics
Defence Ministry rejects Vice Admiral Bimal Verma's plea challenging appointment of Navy Chief
Verma had questioned the government's decision of overlooking him for the post of Navy chief despite he being the seniormost.Rejecting his statutory complaint filed on April 10, Defence Ministry's Joint Secretary (Navy) Richa Mishra clarified that though seniority is an important criterion while appointing services chiefs but it is not the "sole" criteria. It has been dispensed with in the past too while appointing the Navy chiefs.The Defence Ministry in its order said, "The Central government after careful examination of the matter is of the opinion that this statutory petition dated April 10 from Vice Admiral Verma regarding his non-selection as the chief of naval staff is devoid of merit and be rejected."The ministry further said, "Upon examination, the Central government is satisfied that the parameters for selection as evident from consistent practice were applied uniformly to all the officers in the zone of consideration and based on the assessment, Verma being the senior most ..
Former Union ministers, greenhorns in fray in MP
Eight constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, which will vote in the last round of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 19, will decide the fate of a number of key candidates including former Union ministers Kantilal Bhuria and Arun Yadav, sitting MLA Guman Singh Damor and a few greenhorns, among others. Also in the running are former state BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natrajan. The constituencies in the state going to polls in the last round are Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone and Khandwa. All eight seats are held by the BJP. Bhuria, the sitting Congress MP from Ratlam-Jhabua seat is up against Damor, the sitting BJP MLA from Jhabua. This is Damor's maiden parliamentary poll. After retiring as engineer-in-chief from the public health department, Damor joined the BJP before the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. In a successful electoral debut, he defeated Bhuria's son Vikrant with a margin of nearly 10,400 ...
Karnataka allies spar over CM post ahead of LS poll results
Ahead of the Lok Sabha election results on May 23, Karnataka's ruling allies Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Congress are locked in a war of words over the post of the chief minister.
Amit Shah offers prayers at Somnath Temple
A day after campaigning ended for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Saturday offered prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat.
Congress, JDS will win 18-19 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka: Kumaraswamy
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday said Congress party and Janta Dal Secular (JDS) together will win 18 to 19 Lok Sabha seats in the state.Speaking to media after praying at Tirupati Balaji temple here, Kumaraswamy said, "We will win comfortably and there is nothing to worry about. In Karnataka with the combination of Congress party and the JDS, we will get 18 to 19 seats in the state."Karnataka has a total of 28 Lok Sabha seats. Kumaraswamy was accompanied by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda in the temple.On being asked who will form the government at the Centre, the Karnataka chief minister said, "Let us wait till May 23 when the results will come out. We already committed to supporting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and there is no changes in our stand."When asked about the drought in Tamil Nadu and he said, "the reason why I have come to Lord Venkateshwara temple is to seek blessings so that there are good rains this year also.
Sri Lanka marks 10 years since end of civil war
As Sri Lanka on Saturday marked the 10-year anniversary since its brutal civil war came to an end, the country finds itself again at a crossroads following the Easter Sunday bombings that ripped through the nations fragile peace and fuelled some of the islands worst fears of returning to violence.
Key constituencies in final phase of Lok Sabha polls
As campaigning for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in 59 parliamentary constituencies ended on Friday, over 10.17 crore voters across seven states and one Union Territory are ready to decide the fate of 918 candidates on Sunday.
Yet another battle between Lalu's family and former aide in Pataliputra
Named after the ancient Indian city that was the seat of power for the mighty kingdom of Magadh, the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing yet another showdown between a former loyalist of RJD boss Lalu Prasad and his eldest daughter. Although Prasad has dominated the political landscape of Bihar for close to three decades, capturing Pataliputra, that came into being after the 2018 delimitation - has remained a Sisyphean task for the family that controls the RJD. Altogether 26 candidates are in the fray in the constituency which comprises six assembly segments of which four are currently held by the Congress-RJD combine while another was won, in 2015 polls, by the JD(U), which was then an alliance partner but has now realigned with the BJP. The contest, however, is primarily between Ram Kripal Yadav - the sitting BJP MP and a Union minister - and Misa Bharti who had lost to the former five years ago and has entered the fray again apparently to avenge the defeat despite ...
PM Modi's defeat from Varanasi would be more historic than his win: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of development of eastern Uttar Pradesh and asserted that it would be 'more historic than a win' if PM loses from Varanasi -- his parliamentary constituency.Taking to Twitter, Mayawati attacked the 'Gujarat model of development' and wrote, "The Gujarat model of PM Modi was not at all successful in eliminating extreme poverty, unemployment and backwardness of the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. This is blatant deceit. Instead of development, the Modi-Yogi double-engined government has only given communal tension, hatred and violence to the country.""This deception and betrayal happened with people of Purvanchal even when PM and UP's CM, both represent this region. If Yogi can be turned down by Gorakhpur, wouldn't the defeat of PM Modi from Varanasi be more historic than his win? Will Varanasi repeat what Raebareli did in 1977?" she added.Mayawati was referring to the 1977 ...
Fabricated stories being created against Modi, Shah: Naqvi
Those not aware of the struggles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have tried to create "fabricated" stories that the cadre-based party has become an individual-centric organisation, Union minister Muktar Abbas Naqvi said. Denying claims that a sense of fear prevails in the BJP, he said stories of no other senior leader apart from Modi and Shah are allowed to speak their mind are "fabricated". Modi has been the biggest victim of "political intolerance" and a "few incidents by fringe elements" cannot be branded as intolerance against minorities, the senior BJP leader and Union minister for minority affairs told PTI in an interview. "Narendra Modi and Shah are both ground-level workers.They started their political journey as village and local level (mandal) workers. "Those who don't know Amit Shah and Modiji (and their struggles) make such comments. They create such false and fabricated stories," Naqvi said when asked whether a cadre-based party like the BJP ...
Can Mimi Chakraborty do a Mamata of 1984 in Jadavpur?
The prestigious Jadavpur parliamentary constituency in West Bengal has never blessed a political party for a third consecutive term. Can the Trinamool Congress buck the trend? As this question was posed to an elderly TMC worker, his mind flashed back to 1984 -- when a young woman leader defeated an erudite lawyer and Communist leader. The script is somewhat similar in 2019, with addition of a new actor. The TMC is banking on 30-year-old Bengali film-star Mimi Chakraborty for a third consecutive win in Jadavpur, where party chief Mamata Banerjee, then a feisty young Congress leader, had trounced CPI(M) veteran and noted lawyer Somnath Chatterjee in 1984. And this time, TMC's Chakraborty faces a stiff challenge from another lawyer - former Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPI(M). The BJP, in a bid to win the seat riding on its growing popularity, has fielded Anupam Hazra, a TMC parliamentarian in the outgoing Lok Sabha who switched sides before the election. TMC this time
42 candidates in fray in 3 LS seats in Jharkhand
The electoral fortunes of 42 candidates including that of former Chief Minister and Union Minister Shibu Soren will be decided on Sunday in the final phase of the general elections in Jharkhand. Elections will be held in three seats - Dumka, Rajmahal and Godda on Sunday. Soren, the chief of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and a 8th term sitting MP is in the fray from Dumka seat once again. He is crossing swords with BJP's Sunil Soren. The JMM leader had defeated his BJP challenger twice in 2009 and 2014. Altogether 45,64,681 electors, including 22,00,119 female and 21 third gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, an Election Commission release said. While 15 candidates are in the fray in Dumka, 14 are trying their luck from Rajmahal and 13 in Godda. The JMM, the Congress and the JVM of former chief minister Babulal Marandi have formed 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), putting up candidates against the BJP nominees in the 14 seats of the state. JMM's sitting MP, ..
N Korea demands UN action over ship seizure by 'gangster' US
North Korea has demanded the United Nations take "urgent measures" to help return a cargo ship taken by the United States, calling the seizure a "heinous" act. Washington announced last week it had taken possession of the North Korean-registered bulk carrier M/V Wise Honest -- a year after it was detained in Indonesia -- citing sanctions-violating activities. The seizure came amid heightened tensions after Pyongyang conducted weapons drills involving short-range missiles in recent weeks, and with nuclear talks deadlocked since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year. In a letter sent Friday to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kim Song -- Pyongyang's permanent representative at the UN -- said the incident was "an unlawful and outrageous act", according to North Korea's state news agency KCNA. "This act of dispossession has clearly indicated that the United States is indeed a gangster country that does ..
TDP chief Naidu meets Rahul; discusses firming up anti-BJP front
TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu Saturday met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and discussed firming up an anti-BJP front to keep the saffron party out of power after poll results are declared. Before meeting the Congress chief, Naidu, who is spearheading an effort to cobble up an anti-BJP front, met CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja. He is scheduled to meet NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav in the national capital later in the day. The Andhra Pradesh chief minister is also scheduled to meet BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow in the evening. In an hour-long meeting with Gandhi, sources said, Naidu discussed the impending need to bring together all parties which are against the BJP after the Lok Sabha election results are declared on May 23. Sources said Naidu also told Gandhi to have a strategy ready in case the BJP falls short of numbers and still stakes claim to form the government. Naidu is also in touch with Trinamool Congress chief ...
Naidu meets Rahul, to meet Mayawati, Akhilesh in UP
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress President Rahul Gandhi at his residence probably to discuss possible alliances in the post-election scenario.
LS polls: HD Deve Gowda reiterates support to Congress
HD Deve Gowda, the former prime minister, and chief of Janata Dal- Secular (JD-S) on Saturday reiterated his support to the Congress party in the ongoing general elections.Gowda, whose party JD-S, is in coalition with the Congress in the Karnataka state, told ANI that the election results will clear the political picture of the country."We are with Congress; I do not want to speak anything more. On May 23, results will come, a clear picture will be known to the entire country, and what further development takes place," he said.Earlier, the JD-S supremo had pledged support to Rahul Gandhi if he becomes the prime minister.Of the 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka, Congress and JD-S contested on 21 and 7 seats, respectively, as per a pre-poll arrangement.Counting of votes will begin on May 23.
Cong slams Modi govt over election commissioner Lavasa recusing himself from meetings
The Congress Saturday hit out at the Modi government over Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa recusing himself from EC meetings to discuss poll code violations, saying erosion of institutional integrity is the hallmark of the present dispensation. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala cited a media report which claimed Lavasa, who disagreed with the poll panel's decisions to clear Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of charges of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), has since May 4 recused himself from all meetings to discuss MCC issues. Lavasa has reportedly insisted that he will do so only after dissent notes and minority decisions are included in the orders of the commission. "The Election Commission or Election Omission! Another Dark Day for Democracy!" Surjewala tweeted, tagging the media report. "Sh Ashok Lavasa, Member CEC, who dissented on multiple occasions when EC was busy giving clean chits to Modi-Shah duo, opts out of EC as the ECI even .
Jimmy Carter chastises Trump: 'US most warlike nation in history' (Comment)
You may not have noticed it, but Americas war with Iran started some days ago, and may not be going too well for the worlds mightiest power. This is not a war that President Trump, as Commander-in-Chief, is enthusiastic about. The eager beavers, the trigger happy foursome lurching towards war are what Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif describes as Trumps "B" team - Bibi Netanyahu, John Bolton, bin Salman and bin Zayed.
Clean chit to PM: Lavasa opts out of EC meetings
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has decided to stay away from the meetings related to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) due to his dissent on the clean chit given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, sources said.
Caracas willing to begin dialogue with Washington on basis of mutual respect: Venezuelan FM
Against the backdrop of mediation in Norway aimed at resolving the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela, the Foreign Minister of the Latin American country, Jorge Arreaza, on Friday said that Caracas is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States on the "basis of mutual respect.""The moment is right for diplomacy. The hour is right for diplomacy. We are ready to return to diplomacy and to sitting at the negotiating table and respecting each other," sputnik quoted Arreaza as saying."The Venezuelan government is willing to establish a dialogue mechanism with the US administration on the basis of mutual respect," he added.The development has come following the high-level meeting between the representatives of the European Union and the political leaders of Venezuela, including President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition leader Juan Guaido.Tensions between the United States and the Venezuelan Nicolas Maduro-led authorities are high since earlier this year when Washington ...