Page 520 - Politics

Campaigning ends for last phase of LS polls

Campaigning for the last phase of the staggered Lok Sabha elections spread over more than a month drew to a close Friday as top leaders sought to muster a final show of strength in the contest for 59 seats with Prime Minister Narendra Modi among those in the fray. Polling will be held on Sunday in the seventh phase in all 13 seats in Punjab, as many seats in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight seats each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, four in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and the lone seat Chandigarh. Electioneering also drew to a close for the bypoll in Panaji, necessitated due to the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in March. In a first, campaigning in West Bengal came to an end 20 hours before the scheduled time on the orders of the Election Commission. The poll body had Wednesday ordered campaigning in West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday in the wake of violence between the BJP and the TMC in Kolkata during Amit Shah's roadshow. The ...

Syria urges 'restraint' as US-Iran tensions soar

Syria called Friday on all parties to exercise "restraint" in the Gulf as its ally Iran comes under mounting pressure from the United States, state media said. "The Syrian government calls on all sides to exercise restraint because escalating tensions in the Gulf would not benefit countries in the region," state news agency SANA quoted a foreign ministry source as saying. "Dialogue... would undoubtedly reduce tensions and would ensure stability, security and peace," the source said. Washington has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf citing alleged threats from Tehran. The ministry source underlined Syria's rejection of any attempt to disrupt Gulf shipping, after four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in still unexplained sabotage attacks in the nearby Sea of Oman on Sunday. Iran's region rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have invited France, Norway and the United States to join an inquiry into the attacks, which ...

Brexit talks collapse; May, Labour Party fail to reach agreement

Talks between British Prime Minister Theresa May and the opposition-led Labour Party aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock and ease the parliamentary paralysis broke down after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on Friday.CNN quoted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as saying that the negotiations have "gone as far as they can go" and that the two sides had been unable to bridge "important policy gaps between us."The talks, which have lasted nearly two months, were convened in an attempt to agree on a Brexit plan that could stand a chance of being approved by the British Parliament.But the prospect of the agreement has diminished in recent weeks, as lawmakers on both sides have grown irritated with the long-drawn process.In a letter to May, released on Friday, Corbyn warned that even if a deal was reached, her successor could simply tear it up."The increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between ...

If Indira can be given credit for 1971 war, why not Modi for Balakot: Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh Friday asked if then prime minister Indira Gandhi can be credited for the victory in the 1971 war, why shouldn't Prime Minister Narendra Modi get the credit for a successful air strike in Balakot. Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said, that throughout the Lok Sabha election campaign, the Congress and its allies have been attacking the BJP and the PM for allegedly taking credit for the successful strikes by the Indian Air Force on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot. Since Independence, whenever there was an armed conflict with a foreign nation, the credit or discredit obviously went to the ruling dispensation and its head, he said. By the same logic, Indira Gandhi's greatest achievement as PM is still remembered to be the victory in the Indo-Pak war of 1971 which led to the liberation of Bangladesh, he said. Similarly, the blame for the Himalayan debacle in the Indo-China war of 1962 is even today primarily put on the then ...

How the BJP crafted its campaign in prized Varanasi

Voters may complain that the competitive zing was missing in the prime minister's constituency but the BJP had a clear-cut strategy to keep the campaign ship sailing -- entrusting senior leaders and celebrities to canvass for votes while a handful of carefully chosen lieutenants managed the back end. A string of senior leaders such as Sushma Swaraj and Yogi Adityanath visited the town to address meetings and Bhojpuri showbiz stars Manoj Tiwari and Nirahua added a dash of glamour in the campaigning for the BJP's most prestigious seat. The campaigning ended on Friday evening, ahead of the last round of the seven-phase elections on Sunday. Behind the scenes, three BJP leaders from Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, have been silently running the show, said party insiders. Parindu Bhagat, also known as Kakubhai, looks at the overall election management of Varanasi and the expenditure, local BJP leaders said. Bhagat, a lawyer by profession, received Modi's winning ...

Campaign for high stakes bypolls to four constituencies ends

The campaign for the high-stakes by-elections to four constituencies in Tamil Nadu ended Friday evening, with the polling all set to take place on Sunday, amidst heavy deployment of around 16,000 personnel. The outcome of the by-polls to a total of 22 seats will decide the future political course in Tamil Nadu as the results would determine the continuance of the two year-old Palaniswami government. While by-elections to 18 seats were held on April 18, along with the 38 Lok Sabha segments, four others--Sulur, Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram and Thiruparankundram go to the polls on May 19. Arch rivals AIADMK and DMK have left no stone unturned to ensure victory, with their leaders, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and DMK President M K Stalin embarking on a hectic campaign trail in order to win the race. Seeking to play spoilsport to the two Dravidian majors, T T V Dhinakaran-led AMMK, Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam and actor-director Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi have fielded

Don't vote for those who speak against country, says Sadhvi Pragya

BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has said that the people should not vote for those, who speak against the nation."This is India. Any person who has a sense of tolerance can live here without being discriminated. If you go to China or Britain, they do not tolerate those who speak against the country," said Pragya while campaigning for BJP candidate Mahendra Singh Solanki on Thursday."But here in India the people even give votes to those, who speak against the nation. People should change their mind this time...People should not vote for the 'Tukde Tukde' gang," she said.She said: "Will you defeat terrorism in India? Will you teach a lesson to those who honour terrorists?"The last phase of the Lok Sabha election will be held on May 19 when eight seats in Madhya Pradesh will also go to polls. The result will be announced on May 23.

PM with Amit Shah at presser is unprecedented: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accompanying BJP President Amit Shah to a press conference, saying the move was "unprecedented".

Bitter campaigning ends in LS polls

Campaigning in the bitterly-fought high-stakes Lok Sabha elections came to an end with the BJP claiming that it will get more than 300 seats and ensure return of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, while Congress president Rahul Gandhi refused to hazard a guess on the numbers the opposition will get and on who could be the prime minister if the incumbent is defeated.As the campaign in 59 constituencies spread over six states and one union territory on May 19 came to a close, BJP president Amit Shah and Gandhi held press conferences at their party headquarters about how electioneering went in the last two months."We will get more than 300 seats along with our pre-poll allies. We will have the government. It'll be a coalition government," Shah said at the press conference also attended by Prime Minister Modi. He also did not rule out new allies coming into NDA after the poll results. "We are open to having anybody who will accept our agenda," he said.At his press conference, Gandhi said a .

Curtains drawn on campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Bihar

Campaign for the long drawn out general elections in Bihar, spread over all the seven phases, came to a close on Friday at 6 pm, for the last lap of electioneering wherein eight Lok Sabha seats go to polls. The constituencies which go to polls on Sunday are Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, Jehanabad and Nalanda. Seven of these were won by the NDA in 2014. Leading the charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held three rallies - one each in Pataliputra, Buxar and Sasaram constituencies - where he was joined by alliance partners Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U) and Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. It was an extensive campaign by the Prime Minister who addressed altogether 10 rallies in the state where the total number of seats is 40. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who did not visit the state in the last couple of phases, held a rally in Pataliputra in support of jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa ...

Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is "sacred" to us: Anand Mahindra

Industrialist Anand Mahindra Friday said Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is "sacred" to us, and equated attempts to damage the same with the Taliban militia's acts of destroying statues in Afghanistan. Mahindra's comments in a tweet come amid a controversy stoked by BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya Thakur, a terror accused, praising Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse as a patriot. "For 75 years, Indias been the land of the Mahatma; a beacon when the world lost its morality. We used to be pitied for being poor but we were always rich since Bapu inspired billions globally," the outspoken industrialist, who chairs the diversified USD 20 billion group, said. "Some things must remain sacred. Or we become the Taliban, destroying statues that sustain us," he said, without naming Pragya or referring explicitly top her comments. The tweet was retweeted by over 6,000 users in a matter of hours, including by Niti Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant. During an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, ...

China hits back at Pompeo remarks on Hong Kong extradition treaty

Beijing hit back Friday at concerns voiced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over Hong Kong's plans to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland, accusing Washington of an attempt to "intervene" in the city's internal affairs. Hong Kong's government is pushing a bill through the city's legislature which would allow case-by-case extraditions to any jurisdictions it doesn't have an already agreed treaty with, including mainland China. Historically the city has balked at mainland extraditions because of the opacity of China's criminal justice system and its liberal use of the death penalty. The extradition plan has sparked huge protests and mounting alarm within Hong Kong's business and legal communities -- as well as foreign governments -- who fear it will hammer the semi-autonomous financial hub's international appeal. Pompeo "expressed concern" about the bill and its potential to undermine rule of law in the city during Thursday talks in Washington, a State Department spokeswoman .

BJP will get full majority, Modi will again be PM: Shah

BJP President Amit Shah on Friday said that his party will get absolute majority in the Lok Sabha polls and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Campaign for Panaji bypoll ends

Campaign for the Panaji bypoll, wherein the BJP is striving to retain the seat, while the Congress is eyeing to win it back from the ruling party after a gap of around 25 years, drew to a close Friday evening. The by-election, to be held on May 19, was necessitated due to the death of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in March this year. Total 22,482 voters are eligible to cast their votes. Parrikar had represented the constituency for nearly two-and-a-half decades since 1994. Total six candidates, including two independents, are in the fray. The BJP has fielded Siddharth Kunkolienkar as its candidate. He had won this assembly seat twice in the past when Parrikar was elevated as the Defence Minister. The Congress has fielded former minister Atanasio Monserratte, who is currently facing several criminal charges, including rape. Former RSS Goa Chief Subhash Velingkar is contesting his first election on the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) ticket. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has ..

MP BJP man suspended after objectionable post on Gandhiji

A Madhya Pradesh BJP functionary was suspended from the primary membership of the party for uploading an objectionable post about Mahatma Gandhi and dubbing him "Pakistan's father of the nation". State BJP chief Rakesh Singh has suspended the primary membership of Saumitra, who was the party's media sampark department's state convener, with immediate effect, informed BJP state media in charge Lokendra Parashar in a press release. In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Saumitra claimed, "He (Gandhiji) was the father of the nation, but of Pakistan, there were millions of sons like him in India some worthy and some worthless." Parashar said action was taken as Saumitra had breached party discipline, adding that the latter was given seven days to clarify. After action on him by the BJP, Saumitra Friday claimed, "The concept of Pakistan was prepared by Britishers and its promulgators were Nehru (first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru) and Jinnah (Mohammed Ali Jinnah), who ...

Japan, China agree to boost relations ahead of Xi visit

Japan and China have agreed to boost their relations ahead of a planned visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Japan in June, his first since coming to power in 2013. China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday that the timing is appropriate for the two sides to deepen ties. Abe said Xi's visit would be a catalyst for further developing relations. Yang is meeting top officials in Japan to discuss details of Xi's visit, when he will attend a Group of 20 summit. The two Asian powers have disputes over the ownership of tiny islands and undersea deposits in the East China Sea, as well as over wartime history, but their relations have improved recently amid the U.S. trade war with China.

Egypt's president pardons 560, including prominent columnist

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi pardoned 560 prisoners, including a prominent journalist and several women. The pardons, announced in the official gazette late Thursday, coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when authorities traditionally release detainees as a goodwill gesture. The journalist, Abdel Halim Qandil, was sentenced to three years in absentia in December 2017 for "insulting the judiciary". He surrendered in October 2018 as Egypt's highest appeals court upheld his verdict. He was pardoned for health reasons. Qandil was tried in a case that included 17 other defendants, among them ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi, on the same charges. Among those pardoned are eight women who had been sentenced in 2018 to several years in prison on grounds of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization and staging an anti-government protest in the Delta province of Damietta. Egyptian authorities have not said yet when the prisoners will be ...

Parties including SP, BSP, TDP won't support BJP: Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said regional parties such as the SP, BSP and TDP will not support the BJP and indicated that opposition parties will get together to form the next government. Gandhi also said he will not pre-judge the verdict of the people and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having lost the opportunity given by the people to take the country forward. Refusing to spell out the opposition's strategy ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23, Gandhi told a press conference that unlike Modi, the Congress will take the experience of veterans such as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. He was also asked what role Sonia Gandhi will play in bringing together opposition parties together to form the next government. "I am not gong to pre-judge what the people of India will decide. The mood and vision of the people will come out on May 23," he said. Gandhi said his party's strategy was to "systematically close down every door

Modi is not PM of masses but only of one per cent elite people: Akhilesh Yadav

Narendra Modi is not the prime minister of Indian masses, but of one per cent elite population, said SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav here on Friday."These elections are the elections to save the country. He (Narendra Modi) is neither mine nor your Prime Minister but the Prime Minister of only one per cent elite population. In the last five years, he has done no work of a Prime Minister and has only done advertisement," said Yadav while addressing a joint election rally with BSP chief Mayawati here."He has made his government on the basis of lies and hatred," he said, while accusing Prime Minister Modi of doing something contrary to what he claims."He has always done things just opposite to what he says. He talked about bringing back the black money but the truth is that the country is going backward. In the last five years during the BJP rule, the nation's debt has increased from Rs 35 lakh crore to Rs 70 lakh crore.""If this money has not reached poor .

Sudan protesters tear down roadblocks, want army to resume talks

Hundreds of demonstrators worked through the night into Friday clearing away bricks and debris, after military rulers demanded that roadblocks which have paralysed parts of Khartoum must be dismantled before talks on a new transitional body can resume. The ruling military council suspended crucial talks Wednesday with protest leaders for 72 hours, insisting that the security in the capital had deteriorated after demonstrators erected roadblocks on several avenues. The council's decision came as army generals and protest leaders were due to meet to finalise the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for a transitional period of three years. The issue is the thorniest to have come up in ongoing talks on reinstating civilian rule after the generals took over following the ouster of autocratic president Omar al-Bashir last month. But for the final talks to happen the military council chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, demanded that protesters dismantle roadblocks, open bridges and ...