Page 521 - Politics
BJD to shun its "equi-distance" policy after polls: Patro
Ahead of the countiung of votes on May 23, Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal Friday said it will no more adhere to its policy of maintaining "equal distance" from both the BJP and the Congress. "We will not adopt the equal distance (from BJP and Congress) policy any more. The BJD will support any front which supports Odisha," BJD vice-president and minister S N Patro told reporters. The regional party, which had a decade long alliance with the BJP, had severed ties with the saffron party ahead of the 2009 elections over a dispute on seat sharing. A BJD-BJP coalition government existed in Odisha from 2000 to 2009. After severing ties with BJP, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had dubbed the saffron party as "communal" and the Congress as "corrupt. "Even Patnaik in the midst of election campaign this time, also continued his impression on BJP and also called it as "communal." However, Patnaik has meanwhile made his party's stand clear that the BJD will support any front, may be
In Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath urges people to not vote on basis of caste
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that BJP's Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan, who is contesting from Gorakhpur, a seat that the CM had represented in Parliament for five times, will give a new direction to Bhojpuri culture and art."By bringing in Ravi Kishan, a new direction will be provided to Bhojpuri language, Bhojpuri art and culture," Adityanath said while addressing an election rally at Sahjanwa here on Friday.BJP had suffered a shock defeat in Gorakhpur last year in the byelection after Adityanath vacated the constituency on becoming chief minister. After the 2018 defeat, in which BJP candidate Upendra Shukla was defeated, the chief minister is lending his support to Ravi Kishen.At Sahjanwa, he asked people to vote the actor into power.Adityanath appealed voters to not to vote on the basis of caste but rather on the developmental work done by the NDA government and the schemes floated and accomplished by the Prime Minister."While giving you the houses, gas .
Campaigning for 8 LS seats in MP ends, polling on May 19
Campaigning for eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, which go to polls on May 19, ended at 5pm Friday. Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone and Khandwa are the eight seats, all currently held by the BJP. Former Union ministers Kantilal Bhuria, Arun Yadav are in the fray from Ratlam and Khandwa, the latter seeing a tough fight between Yadav and ex-MP BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan. Meenakshi Natarajan, once a lieutenant of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, is trying her luck again from Mandsaur, after being defeated in 2014. At the centre of the campaigning has been the Congress-led government's farm loan waiver scheme, which has been debunked by the opposition BJP in the state. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue at his rallies and said the Kamal Nath government in MP was sending police and recovery notices to farmers rather than writing off their loans. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had hit back by claiming the loan waiver had ...
Pragya's apology is eyewash: CPI-M
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday described BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's apology for calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot" an "eyewash".
BJP leaders abusing martyrs at Modi-Shah's behest: Congress
The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of unleashing their party leaders to abuse freedom fighters, national heroes and martyrs of the country.
Stop daydreaming, Punjab CM asks Akali Dal chief
Deriding Sukhbir Singh Badal's efforts to turn the Lok Sabha elections into a battle for supremacy in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday urged the Akali Dal President to stop daydreaming of getting back into the seat of power in the state.
BJP will get over 300 seats: Amit Shah
Sitting alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the end of gruel and long campaigning, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday exuded confidence that BJP-led NDA would get more than 300 seats and come back to power with its allies.Notwithstanding the confidence on getting a majority on their own, he said the BJP would welcome new allies after the results."In 2014, we came to power with a historic verdict. In 2019, we will return with a bigger majority. For the first time, a non-Congress government came to power with a huge majority. We have now come to the end of election campaign. The BJP has run the most extensive campaign in history," Shah said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.Modi, however, did not take questions, saying "In BJP, everything is the party president.""Narendra Modi has been accepted by the people, I guarantee you that BJP, under Narendra Modi's leadership, is going to form the next government. People have been ahead of us in their ...
Those involved 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Mahatma Gandhi's killing aren't patriots: Delhi BJP leader
Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Bagga Friday sought to compare Mahatma Gandhi's killing and the 1984 riots, saying people involved in both the cases weren't patriots, and asked Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to state her stand on the "murderer" of Sikhs. Bagga was reacting to a tweet by Priyanka Gandhi in which she dared the BJP's "nationalistic luminaries" to spell out their stand on their Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot. Without naming anybody, the Delhi BJP spokesperson said his party has stated its stand on the "murderer" of Mahatma Gandhi and asks the Congress general secretary to specify her stand on "murderer of 10,000 Sikhs". In a tweet, Priyanka Gandhi has said, "Bapu's murderer a patriot? Hey Ram! Distancing yourself from your candidate is not enough. Nationalistic luminaries of the BJP, have the guts to spell out your stand." Tweeting in Hindi, Bagga said, "Neither Bapu's murderer can be a patriot nor the .
Sisodia issues standing order on allocation of power
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has issued a standing order stating that he will hold the power to create posts in government departments, PSUs and boards, and directed officers to bring important service matters to his notice. In February this year, the Supreme Court had given a split verdict on the contentious issue of who should control administrative services in Delhi and had referred the matter to a larger bench of the apex court. In his order issued last month, Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, said proposals involving major deviations from rules and precedents will be disposed of at the level of the finance minister. It stated that proposals for allotment of land free of cost or at concessional rates will be examined by the department's deputy secretary or special secretary or top officers, but will be disposed of by the finance minister. On appeals to the Lt Governor under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, Sisodia, ..
Will decide on PM's post after results are out on May 23: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that a decision on the prime ministerial post of a non-BJP government at the Centre would be taken after the Lok Sabha poll results are out on May 23."People will deliver their mandate on May 23. I will not comment on it before their decision is out. I do not want to prejudge the judgment of Indian people. We will take the decision on the basis of what people decide," Gandhi said here during a press conference when ANI asked if the Congress would compromise on the PM's post.Gandhi's comment comes a day after senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that his party does not have any problem if it did not get the Prime Minister's post as it wants to dislodge the NDA government at the Centre."We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in favour of the Congress, then the party will take the leadership but our aim has always been that the NDA should not come to power again. We will go with the unanimous decision," Azad had
AICC circular for its candidates for post-poll counting process
The election team of All India Congress Committee (AICC) released circular for its Lok Sabha candidates citing important steps to be taken during the counting process and the post-poll situation.The FAQs and guidelines are regarding the general dos and don'ts of the counting process. The powers of the polling officers are enumerated as per the Representation of People Act, 1951.The security system regarding the counting centres has been elaborated. The steps about how a candidate can request for a recount have also been explained.According to the guidelines issued by AICC, the persons allowed inside the counting hall are, counting supervisors and counting assistants; persons authorized by the Election Commission; public servants on duty in connection with the election; the LS candidate, election agent and counting agents."Each candidate has been allowed to appoint as many counting agents as there are counting tables and one more to watch the counting at the Returning Officer's ...
Rajasthan HC notice to Gehlot government over rising rape cases
The Rajasthan High Court on Friday, terming the administration and police a "failure", issued notice to the Ashok Gehlot government on the rising incidents of rape in the state.
EC asks star campaigners, other leaders to refrain from addressing media during silence period
The Election Commission (EC) asked star campaigners and other political leaders to refrain from addressing the media by way of press conferences and giving interviews on election matters during the silence period beginning Friday evening ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 19."In a multi-phased election, the silence period of last 48 hours may be on in certain constituencies while campaign is ongoing in other constituencies. In such event, there should not be any direct or indirect reference amounting to soliciting support for parties or candidates in the constituencies observing the silence period," an EC statement said."During the silence period, star campaigners and other political leaders should refrain from addressing the media by way of press conferences and giving interviews on election matters," it said.The statement came in reference to queries received by the poll body on telecasting interviews of star campaigners during the silence period. The campaigning for .
BJP spokesperson calls Gandhi 'father of the nation of Pakistan', suspended
The BJP on Friday suspended party spokesperson from Madhya Pradesh Anil Soumitra from its primary membership for calling Mahatma Gandhi the "father of the nation of Pakistan".
Election was spectacular, confident of coming to power again: Modi
Addressing the first press conference of his tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the Lok Sabha elections "spectacular" and expressed confidence of coming to power again."In my opinion, our full majority government will return to power, such a thing will happen after a long time in the country. It will happen after a long time in the country," Modi told reporters.Hailing India as the world's largest democracy, Modi said that it is everyone's duty to showcase the strength of this democratic system to the world."It should be a matter of appreciation for the world, the variations we have in our democratic system," Modi said at his maiden press conference as Prime Minister.Modi thanked the people of the country, "I am overwhelmed with the support that I got. I want to thank the people for all the love and support," he said.Party president Amit Shah, at the same dais, affirmed that their party will run the government for a second term."We are confident that we'll receive good ...
UK cross-party Brexit talks end without deal
The cross-party discussions over Brexit on Friday ended without any agreement six weeks after they started.
Crucial Brexit talks between PM May and Labour leader Corbyn end without deal
Britain's Opposition Labour Party ended the crucial cross-party Brexit talks with Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday without striking a deal, saying negotiations have "gone as far as they can". Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to May to declare an end to the negotiation process, blaming the "weakness and instability" of her government as a leadership contest gets underway within the ruling Conservative Party. The development came a day after Prime Minister May was forced to set a June timeline for her exit from Downing Street. "I have written to Theresa May to say that talks on finding a compromise agreement for leaving the European Union have gone as far as they can," Corbyn tweeted. "The government's growing weakness and instability means there cannot be confidence in its ability to deliver," he said. Britain's exit from the 28-member European Union had been due to take place on March 29 - but after MPs voted down the deal May had negotiated with the bloc three times, the EU gave
BJP, Cong bank on sitting MLAs to win three LS seats in HP
The BJP and the Congress, which have fielded their sitting MLAs as Lok Sabha candidates, are banking on their popularity to win three of the four seats in Himachal Pradesh going to polls in the last phase of the general elections. The four seats in the hill state are among the 59 parliamentary constituencies going to polls on Sunday. While the Congress has fielded three sitting MLAs as candidates, the BJP has fielded two state legislators as nominees for the Lok Sabha elections. If any of the state legislators wins in the parliamentary elections, Himachal Pradesh will see by-polls within six months. Denying tickets to its sitting MPs Shanta Kumar and Virender Kashyap, the BJP has fielded its Dharamshala MLA Kishan Kapoor and Pachhad MLA Suresh Kashyap for the Kangra and Shimla Lok Sabha seats respectively. While Kapoor is pitted against Congress' Kangra MLA Pawan Kumar Sejal from the Kangra parliamentary constituency, Kashyap is contesting against the opposition party's Solan MLA ...
Modi at his first media event diverts questions to Shah, asserts BJP will be back in power
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first face-to-face with a large contingent of reporters, asserted confidently that the BJP will come back to power with a full majority on its own. In a surprised move, Modi showed up on the dais for a scheduled press conference by BJP president Amit Shah, who gave a detailed report card of the campaigning as well as performance of the NDA government. He told reporters that he will not take any questions because the press conference is being addressed by Shah, and in BJP's system, discipline has to be followed. "We are disciplined soldiers of the party," Modi said. On opposition's allegations that both Modi and Shah were responsible for lowering the political discourse during the campaigning, the BJP president said "what else do you expect from the opposition," but BJP has never initiated low quality debate.
BJP's Anil Saumitra calls Mahatma Gandhi 'father of Pakistan', suspended
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday suspended its Madhya Pradesh spokesperson Anil Saumitra from the primary membership of the party for calling Mahatma Gandhi "the father of Pakistan."Saumitra, in a Facebook post, had referred to Mahatma Gandhi as the "father of Pakistan". "Pakistan was born with the blessings of Bapu, therefore, Mahatma Gandhi can be called the father of Pakistan and not of India," he wrote on a Facebook post yesterday.Madhya Pradesh BJP unit chief Rakesh Singh conducted an investigation into the matter and directed Saumitra, who is also the chief of BJP's media relations department, to reply within seven days.This comes a day after BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur hailed Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "true patriot"."Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt," Thakur had said while commenting on actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's statement on independent India's first terrorist being .