Page 52 - Politics

Shiromani Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Badal dismisses BJP reunion speculation

''I have come after a month, so we are having a routine meeting. We held the meeting to discuss the VAT increase and water issues'', said the President of Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal

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Leaders must maintain discipline, will win Raj polls with unity: Congress

The Congress on Thursday said it can win the Rajasthan assembly elections provided there is complete unity and asked all its leaders to maintain discipline and not speak outside the party forum. The party also said that it will decide its candidates for the polls by the first week of September and winnability will be the only criterion for their selection. Congress leaders will hit the ground from Friday through a house-to-house campaign to take schemes of the state government to the people. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters after the party's strategy meeting on election preparedness in Rajasthan that all leaders agreed that the Congress could win the assembly polls slated later this year provided there is complete unity. It, however, refrained from commenting on any peace formula between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot. "We never announce the chief ministerial candidate, but we will fight the election

Meeting to select new Delhi Congress chief held at DPCC office: Report

Two separate meetings have been held to seek suggestions on selecting new chief of the Congress' Delhi unit and discuss ways to mobilise the party workers in the national capital, party sources said on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by AICC incharge for Delhi Deepak Babaria at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office here on Wednesday. He also met Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the same day. The meeting to seek suggestions on the new party chief was a one-on-one meeting with the party's district and block-level leaders and workers, sources said. "Delhi Congress' district and block level leaders and workers were called individually to seek suggestions about a new party president. The meeting on Wednesday lasted for more than eight hours," a source in the party told PTI. "Suggestions were also sought on how to mobilise the party workers in every district of Delhi and strengthen the party further ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," the source

CM Shivraj Chouhan washes feet of tribal man who was urinated upon

A video showed Shivraj Singh Chouhan conversing with the man, a 36-year-old tribal from Karaundi, at his official residence in Bhopal

'Kattappa stabbing Babubali' poster put up outside NCP office in Delhi

Rashtrawadi Vidyarthi Congress put up a poster depicting a scene from the film 'Baahubali', showing Ajit Pawar as "Kattappa" who is stabbing "Amarendra Baahubali" Sharad Pawar in the back

Sharad Pawar to convene party's working committee meet in Delhi today

As the fight for the party name and symbol reached the Election Commission, Sharad Pawar said it is time to create a new generation of leaders

Made move after consulting legal experts to avoid disqualification: Bhujbal

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday said the recent developments in the party, culminating in Ajit Pawar taking oath as deputy CM, happened after legal experts were consulted to escape disqualification. Addressing a news conference here, Bhujbal also said that Ajit Pawar and other leaders will decide on whether to use photos of Sharad Pawar on posters. Even after Sharad Pawar said his photo should be used only with his permission and by people who were of the same ideology, his photo featured on a poster set on stage where Ajit Pawar's faction met on Wednesday. Bhujbal said 42 to 43 NCP MLAs have signed affidavits in support of Ajit Pawar. "When it was decided to join the government under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, law experts were consulted and decisions were taken thereafter, he said. After consulting two-four experts, steps were taken to escape disqualification," Bhujbal said. The party's constitution and electoral rules were followed before

Tamasha not democracy: Kapil Sibal on Maharashtra developments

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday dubbed the political developments in Maharashtra as a "tamasha", and said the law seems to allow it. He also said the political developments were about "loaves of power" and not people. The remarks by Sibal, a noted advocate, came after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday, triggering a vertical split, and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become the deputy chief minister. In a tweet, Sibal said, "Maharashtra politics, this is not democracy. It's a 'Tamasha'& The law seems to allow it! It is about the loaves of power, not people!" Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said he aspired to become the CM of the state and also took a jibe at NCP chief Sharad Pawar asking his 83-year-old uncle when will he retire from active politics, as .

Oppn creating confusion, Shinde to continue as CM": Maharashtra BJP chief

"There is no question of the resignation of CM Eknath Shinde. We have the support of more than 200 MLAs. No leader is unhappy and all have faith in Eknath Shinde's leadership," Sanjay Raut said

WB Governor sends sealed envelope to SEC Sinha over failure to meet him

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and SEC Rajiva Sinha could not meet as Sinha was busy with election work; on Monday, Bose had given Sinha 48 hours to rein in panchayat poll violence

DMK regime asks Guv Ravi to give nod to prosecute former AIADMK ministers

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi should not delay any further his sanction to prosecute former Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the State government urged Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Writing to Ravi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, former Ministers in the AIADMK regime (2016-21). On September 12, 2022, the CBI's plea for sanction was forwarded to the Governor by the state Cabinet. The central agency is probing the scam in which bribes were allegedly paid by the Gutkha firms. Vijayabaskar and Ramana were among the accused. The TN Law Minister said similarly, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and M R Vijayabaskar, also former Ministers in the AIADMK government. The ..

Cong deceived people with 'misleading poll guarantees': BJP to K'taka govt

The BJP attacked the Congress government in the Assembly on Wednesday, alleging that it deceived the people with their "misleading poll guarantees", which are now replete with conditions. The party claimed that the Siddaramaiah government is fast losing its popularity as people are no longer relying on its guarantees. Former deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka sought to pick holes in the five 'guarantees' promised in the Congress party's election manifesto. He alleged that the government introduced numerous conditions in these guarantees and limited the number of beneficiaries. Ashoka charged that these conditions in the guarantees are creating confusion among people. Referring to the 'Shakti' scheme offering free rides for women in government buses, Ashoka noted that the Congress manifesto did not mentions any conditions but after coming to power, the government said the scheme is available only in non-luxury buses. Ashoka accused the government of plying only a limited number of buses

Attempts to create polarisation through UCC: Chhattisgarh Dy CM TS Deo

Be it Sikh, Christian, tribal or any other community, everyone has their separate culture and traditions, he added

Delhi Congress to meet on Wednesday to deliberate on DPCC president

Newly appointed AICC in-charge for Delhi Deepak Babaria has called a meeting of Delhi Congress leaders on Wednesday to seek suggestions about a new party chief for the state, sources said. "A meeting has been called at Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee office at 4 pm on Wednesday. All Delhi Congress leaders will be present at the meeting and provide their suggestions on who should be the new president of the party," a source told PTI. Babaria had also held a meeting last week with party leaders and workers to discuss Congress' roadmap for the 2024 Parliament elections. The meeting culminated with the passing of two resolutions - political and organisational. Anil Chaudhary, the current Delhi Congress President, is likely to depart before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The main contenders for his replacement are Sandeep Dikshit, Devender Yadav, Arvinder Singh Lovely, and Kanhaiya Kumar, according to the party sources. The new Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president was supp

Reddy skips Union Cabinet meet after appointment as Telangana BJP president

A day after his appointment as the Telangana BJP president, Union minister G Kishan Reddy skipped the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Though no official reason was cited for his absence, some leaders believe it could be an indication of his likely exit from the Union Cabinet ahead of its expected reshuffle. Reddy, the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of the North East Region, was on Tuesday appointed as the president of the BJP's Telangana unit. The BJP also has the norm of one-person-one-post. A source close to Reddy declined to comment on whether he will be quitting from the Cabinet. He has been a dedicated party worker for decades and will discharge whatever responsibility its leadership assigns to him, the source said. Prime Minister Modi is expected to reshuffle his Council of Ministers soon, and the organisational changes in the BJP are seen as a precursor to that as the ruling party prepares for a host of stat

Supriya Sule reaches YB Chavan Centre for meeting called by Sharad Pawar

Supporters of NCP chief Sharad Pawar have gathered outside YB Chavan Centre ahead of the meeting called by the party chief

All NCP workers support Sharad Pawar, upset on Ajit's move: LoP Awhad

"All NCP workers are with Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar). That is why workers are angry with what Ajit Pawar did. That is why his poster has been removed from the party office," Jitendra Awhad said

Central leadership will decide Karnataka Leader of Opposition: Yediyurappa

"We have not taken any decision so far, it is left to the central leadership, they will take the decision", the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said

Wrong to discuss UCC now as its structure not yet known: Jayant Chaudhary

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary on Monday said any discussion on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) now is "wrong" as its "structure" is not known yet, but said men and women should get equal rights. RLD's alliance partner Samajwadi Party has slammed the government over UCC. "As of now, I do not know its 'swaroop' (structure). Discussing it now is wrong. In modern India, everyone should be given equal rights. Men and women should get equal rights. How the government does this job, this has to be seen," the RLD chief told reporters here when asked to comment on UCC. Chaudhary has made his remarks on UCC for the first time, said RLD's UP unit chief Ramashis Rai. A fresh debate on UCC has been ignited after the Law Commission initiated a public consultation process on June 14 by inviting views from all stakeholders, including people and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos a