Page 514 - Politics
As 'C-day' nears, suspense grips Maharashtra political parties (IANS Special)
With the countdown for the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls having begun, suspense punctuated by an unusual phobia over the gaminess of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has gripped various opposition parties and their leaders in Maharashtra.
Naidu to meet Mayawati, Akhilesh in UP
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is expected to meet Uttar Pradesh's former Chief Ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Saturday evening.
The roots of violence in Bengal (Column: Political Circus)
Forpeople who are generally known to be gentle, genteel, soft-spoken 'bhadraloks' with a liking for sweets like 'sandesh' and 'rosogolla' and Rabindrasangeet (Tagore's songs), Bengalis are also suspected of having a mutinous streak in them.
WB Cong unit claims TMC may incite violence during by-elections
Congress leader and Baharampur parliamentary constituency candidate, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has claimed that Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress (TMC) might incite violence during polling for Kandi and Nowda assembly by-elections in West Bengal."TMC will try to incite violence with the help of police to win those two seats. If any violence breaks out then Murshidabad Congress, as well as Bengal Congress, will come out on the streets and immobile Murshidabad and the entire state," Bengal Congress heavyweight Chowdhury said on Friday during a press conference.Accusing the ruling TMC in the state, the Congress leader said, "In Kandi by-election, Kandi IC and Kandi SDPO are involved in an active conspiracy with TMC leaders and this was informed to the Election Commission. Besides this, we also came to know that to win these two by-election seats, TMC will try to incite violence on May 20."He further said that the EC and police officials have already been alerted by the state Congress .
Despite EVMs, EC officials can 'make or mar' poll results
As the Opposition parties' apprehensions on glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) continue to simmer, a new spectre looms large on the vote-count day of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, May 23.
Pragya Thakur is a terrorist: Siddaramaiah on 'Godse is Patriot' row
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday termed Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur a "terrorist" for calling Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse a "true patriot"."Mahatma Gandhi was given the title of Mahatma by the people of India but Godse was never given any such title. If people who murder such Mahatmas are called patriots, then all terrorists can be called the same. Pragya Thakur is 100 per cent RSS, a kind of terrorist only. What else can be expected from such a woman?" Siddharamaiah told reporters here.Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat had earlier defended Godse on May 16 by calling him a patriot."Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'," she had said on Thursday.The senior Congress leader also attacked BJP over the statements given by MPs Anant Kumar Hegde and Navin Kateel in support of Thakur's comments and asserted that they knew nothing about India's past."There are many such people in the BJP. There's ..
Modi sets off for Kedar-Badri darshan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived here in Uttarakhand on a two day visit. He will be praying at Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines over the weekend.
PM reaches Dehradun, to visit Kedarnath Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday reached here on a two-day visit during which he will pay obeisance in the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath. The prime minister's visit to Uttarkahand comes a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close. He reached Jolly Grant airport this morning. Stringent security arrangements have been made for the prime minister's visit, DGP (law and order) Ashok Kumar said. While Modi will visit Kedarnath on Saturday, he will offer prayers at Badrinath on Sunday. The portals of the both the shrines were reopened for devotees after winter break early this month.
Trump postpones decision on auto tariffs for 6 months
The US President has postponed for six months a decision on whether to slap tariffs on imports of automobiles and auto parts from trading partners such as the European Union and Japan, the White House said in a statement.
Parliamentary polls establish national identity, right to equality (Column: Spy's Eye)
The Lok Sabha election of 2019 generated a lot of sparks and fury by way of personal attacks, recourse to undignified language and abandoning of the political narrative for tactical use of stray events for some perceived advantage in the immediate term.
Voting under way in climate-dominated Aussie election
Australians flocked to the polls Saturday capping a bitterly fought election that may be the first anywhere decided by climate policy. Between 16 and 17 million people are expected to vote across the vast island-continent, with the opposition centre-left Labor party tipped for victory. Casting his ballot in Melbourne, would-be prime minister Bill Shorten was bullish about forming a majority government after a final poll showed his lead increasing. "Today is the people's day," he said. "Be it buying a 'democracy sausage', the kids having a bit of a sugar cake or what have you, and voting." "In the event that the people of Australia voted to stop the chaos and voted for action on climate change, we will be ready to hit the ground from tomorrow." Weeks ago, Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative Liberals had been heading for an electoral drubbing. But he has closed the gap with a fiercely negative campaign -- backed by powerful right-wing media -- targeting older, wealthier voters .
Shatrughan Sinha didn't follow 'party dharma', taking politics lightly: Acharya Pramod Krishnam
Congress's Lok Sabha candidate from Lucknow parliamentary constituency, Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Friday criticised party leader Shatrughan Sinha for not following 'party dharma' and taking politics 'lightly'.Addressing media persons hours after Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned for Shatrughan Sinha in Patna, Krishnam said, "Rahul ji joined Shatrughan ji's roadshow as he was following 'party dharma' but Shatrughan ji didn't follow 'party dharma'. He's taking politics lightly. Politics is related to India's future, there should be sensibility."Krishnam also advised Sinha to give 'respect' to the party and added, "It is the large-heartedness of Rahul Gandhi that he gave respect to Shatrughan Sinha but Shatrughan Sinha should also give respect to the party."Earlier in April, Sinha had campaigned for his wife and SP-BSP-RLD grand alliance candidate Poonam Sinha who is contesting against Krishnam from Lucknow parliamentary constituency.Krishnam at that time also had criticised ...
Voting begins in Australia general election
Australians have begun voting on Saturday in the first general election since political infighting ousted the nation's fourth leader in a decade.
Parliamentary polls begin in Australia
Australia kick-started polling on Saturday morning to elect their next Prime Minister and members of Parliament.Around 16.5 million Australians are slated to exercise their franchise by 6 pm today. Over four million eligible voters have already cast ballots in early voting by Thursday, according to Al Jazeera.The polls are widely being referred to as the "climate change elections" by the local media."Climate change is the most important issue right now. I'd like to work towards relying purely on renewables in the next few years," a 24-year-old voter told Al Jazeera.The two main parties vying for a win are Prime Minister Scott Morrison's centre-right Liberal-National Coalition and the centre-left Australian Labour Party, which is helmed by Bill Shorten.The parties need 77 seats to win a majority in the House of Representatives. Exit polls indicate that the results will be close as the Coalition currently holds 73 seats while the Labour Party has 72.Other parties like the left-wing ...
Oppn tears into PM's presser: last episode of 'Mann ki Baat' on TV, says Akhilesh
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden press conference, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the presser seemed "like last episode of 'Mann ki Baat' aired on TV instead of radio".Yadav took to Twitter, saying: "Development is asking have you seen the first press conference of Pradhan ji. Seems like the last episode of 'Mann ki Baat' has been aired on TV instead of radio. Media persons did not get to ask their questions and the disciplined soldiers remained silent."Loktantrik Janata Dal party chief Sharad Yadav termed the press conference the 'farewell press conference' of the BJP."It is unfortunate that even after 5 years of rule of d BJP PM could not face media. It's a question in everybody's mind. Before d last phase of election PM has given clear indication from his body language that he has accepted defeat & it was like a farewell P.C of d Party & Govt," he tweeted.Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader ..
Syria intercepts projectiles fired from Israel
Syrian air defence systems on Friday intercepted "luminous objects coming from the (Israeli) occupied territories, shooting down a number of them," as per Syrian state media."Our anti-aircraft systems monitored hostile targets that came from the direction of Quneitra and intercepted them," the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted a Syrian military official as saying.Anti-air missiles can be seen intercepting at least one target over Damascus in a video footage shot on a cell phone.Quoting a political analyst, Sputnik reported that warplanes belonging to Israel allegedly targeted two of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites, located south and southwest of Damascus.Syria had accused Tel Aviv of carrying out an airstrike on military bases in Masayef last month.
US reaches deal with Canada, Mexico to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum
The US on Friday reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum, and the corresponding retaliatory tariffs, a move likely to ease trade tensions between the three North American countries. Elimination of these tariffs is expected to remove a significant barrier to passing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USD 1.4 trillion in North American trade supports more than 12 million American jobs. "I'm pleased to announce that we've just reached an agreement with Canada and Mexico and will be selling our product into those countries without the imposition of tariffs or major tariffs," Trump said in his address to the National Association of Realtors Legislative Meeting. Trump said the agreement is going to be a "fantastic deal" for the US. He hoped the Congress will approve the USMCA quickly. "And then the great farmers and manufacturers and steel plants will make our economy even more successful than it already is if that's possible -- .
Syria's air defences intercept Israeli attack
The Syrian air defences have intercepted "luminous objects" coming from Israel, the media reported.
US approves missile sales to South Korea, Japan
The United States said Friday it had approved more than USD 600 million in sales of air defense missiles to South Korea and Japan as tensions return with North Korea. The State Department said it had approved 94 SM-2 missiles used by ships against air threats, along with 12 guidance systems for a total cost of USD 313.9 million. It separately gave the green light to sell 160 anti-air AMRAAM missiles and related guidance equipment to Japan for USD 317 million. The sales "will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States" by assisting key allies and "will not alter the basic military balance in the region," a State Department statement said. North Korea last week tested what the South Korean military said appeared to be two short-range missiles in its second launch in less than a week. The tests come amid a standstill in negotiations between North Korea and the United States, where President Donald Trump had boasted of ending Pyongyang's missile ...
J-K: Exchange of fire underway b/w security forces, terrorists in Pulwama
An exchange of fire has broken out in the wee hours of Saturday between terrorists and a joint team of security forces in Panzgam village of Awantipora in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.More details are awaited.Earlier, on Thursday, an army jawan and three terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Dalipora area of Pulwama.