Page 574 - Politics
Delhi records 60 pc voter turnout, sees dip in polling percentage
Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60 per cent on Sunday, down from 65 per cent in 2014, in a three-cornered Lok Sabha contest among BJP, AAP and Congress, with instances of EVM glitches and missing voters names in reported from various areas. Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said the turnout did not meet expectations considering the awareness campaigns his office had undertaken to draw voters to polling stations. Of the seven seats here, which went to polls in the sixth and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Chandni Chowk and North East Delhi constituencies recorded over 62 per cent turnout while New Delhi, known for its VVIP voters, saw a turnout of 56.5 per cent. The voting percentage for East Delhi is 61.5 per cent, North West Delhi is 59 per cent, South Delhi is 58 per cent and West Delhi is 60 per cent. Voting recorded till 6 pm was 60 per cent and the figure may slightly go up as polling continued at several places way beyond the deadline. "There were queues ..
South Africa chief vows to purge ANC of 'deviant tendencies'
South Africa's president is vowing to purge his party of "bad and deviant tendencies" as he prepares to appoint a new Cabinet following a victory in national elections. The 57 per cent share of the vote was the worst-ever election showing for the African National Congress, which has ruled since the apartheid system of racial discrimination ended 25 years ago. Low voter turnout also reflected the frustration of many South Africans after corruption scandals around the ANC that led former president Jacob Zuma to resign last year under party pressure. Current President Cyril Ramaphosa in his first speech to supporters since the election win said Sunday he will not appoint leaders who work "to fill their own pockets." Ramaphosa is believed to be facing a revolt within the party by Zuma allies.
Maduro's foes fill embassies in Venezuela as crisis deepens
From the lush tropical garden of the Chilean ambassador's residence, Venezuelan opposition leader Freddy Guevara takes a much-anticipated call from a foreign diplomat and asks him to protect a fellow lawmaker fleeing President Nicols Maduro's latest crackdown. "Gracias, Gracias ambassador. In the name of all of us," said Guevara speaking into his cellphone as he sits down for a rare interview inside the diplomatic compound that has been his uneasy and isolating home the past 18 months. "You probably think this was all staged for you, right?" he chuckles while tapping out a text message sharing the good news to someone in his party. "But the last few days have all been like this." As Venezuela's crisis deepens, more and more government opponents are on the run, facing arrest for their role in a failed military uprising last week when opposition leader Juan Guaid briefly took control of a highway with a small cadre of troops seeking to topple Maduro. But instead of going into exile, or .
Shah touts OROP implementation to seek vote in HP
Making a jibe at the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Sunday said for the Congress, OROP (one rank, one pension) meant 'One Rahul, One Priyanka'. But the Narendra Modi government not only ensured national security but also implemented 'one rank, one pension' scheme for the armed forces.
No model code violation by Niti Aayog in sharing district level data with PMO: EC
The Election Commission has found no violation of the poll code in Niti Aayog sharing data with the prime minister's office on places where PM Narendra Modi was set to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said the commission has disposed off the complaint as the prime minister is exempted from the provision that bars ministers from combining official visits with campaigning. The exemption to the prime minister was given in October, 2014. "It was not a one time exemption but a standing instruction," Saxena told reporters here. Sources later said, the Niti Aayog had not shared any political data but district-level data with the prime minister's office (PMO). The EC had written to Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on May 4 flagging the allegations made by the Congress and the AAP. Asking Kant to furnish the reply "immediately", the EC had referred to the allegations that the Niti Aayog has asked officers in various states and Union ...
SP, BSP & Cong looted public resources: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress of looting public resources and building big bungalows for themselves using government funds. Addressing election rallies in Kushinagar, Ghosi and Gorakhpur, Adityanath claimed that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance was worried after seeing India "growing and developing" each passing day. "The SP, BSP and the Congress have looted the resources of the public. They never built houses for the poor, but made sure to build their big bungalows using government funds," Adityanath said. "These parties have never done any work in public interest. They kept the public in dark because thieves do not like full-moon night." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader took a jibe at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and said: "When the Supreme Court had ordered (Akhilesh) to vacate the bungalow, 'babua' stole the government tap (from the vacated house). He had misused the government funds during his ...
SAD accuses Cong of inciting communal hatred in Punjab
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday accused the Congress party's Punjab unit of inciting communal hatred in the state."A desperate and frustrated Congress party in Punjab is endangering peace and communal harmony in the state through a brazen resort to violence, terror and open incitements to communal hatred between the sisterly communities of the Hindus and the Sikhs in Punjab," said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in a statement."All this and the brazen abuse of police force were merely parts of an attempt to terrorise the Punjabi voters and Akali workers," the SAD president further said.Attacking Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, he said: "His communal card is the last throw of the dice by him to avert his political eclipse following the imminent poll debacle of his party in Punjab. But he would be well advised not to play havoc with peace and communal harmony in Punjab just to save his doomed political career.""The SAD has urged the Election ..
At 111, Delhi's oldest voter keeps his date with democracy
Bachan Singh is among the millions who voted in the capital on Sunday in the penultimate phase of the general election, but he is unique because of his vintage.
Mayawati accuses Cong, BJP of 'failing' to solve country's problems
Accusing both the BJP and the Congress of failing to solve the problems facing the nation, BSP chief Mayawati Sunday appealed to the people to defeat both the parties in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Addressing an election rally here, she hit out at the Congress for "failing" to implement reservation policy to the poor and Dalits in the proper manner. "The Congress, which ruled the country for a major period after Independence, could not solve the main problems of poverty and unemployment. Besides, it failed to implement the reservation policy to the poor and Dalits in the proper manner which resulted in denial of benefits to these sections," Mayawati said. She also targeted the the Narendra Modi government and accused it of using the Dalits "merely as a vote bank". "The BJP government did not fulfill even a single promise it made in the 2014 elections. Besides, its decision of demonetisation, GST implementation in a half-baked manner have adversely affected the live of common ...
KCR may meet Stalin on May 13
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday left for Tamil Nadu, where he is likely to meet DMK Chief M K Stalin and hold discussions on emerging political developments in the country. He would first visit Tiruchirappalli, official sources said. Rao would also possibly meet Stalin in Chennai Monday,they said. The TRS supremo had stepped up efforts to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional parties and recently met his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) had earlier said that KCR would call on Stalin at his residence in Chennai on May 13.
63.3 per cent turnout in 6th phase of LS polls: EC
An estimated 63.3 per cent turnout was recorded on Sunday in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls covering 59 seats spread over seven states, the Election Commission of India said.The voting percentage may go up after details are received from the states, a Commission official said.Polling was held on 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats in Haryana, 8 seats each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, seven in Delhi and four in Jharkhand.
77% turnout in re-polling for Tripura West LS seat (Evening Lead)
Around 77 per cent of the 141,251 voters cast their votes during the re-polling at 168 polling stations in the Tripura West parliamentary constituency on Sunday, election officials said.
Dynasty can make you party chief, but it doesn't bring vision, wisdom: Modi's dig at Rahul
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, saying dynasty can take him to the top position of a party, but it "doesn't bring vision and wisdom". Addressing a rally in Indore, Modi expressed confidence about his re-election, claiming that while there was anti-incumbency against the Congress-led UPA government in 2014, there is pro-incumbency now. He said people from Kanyakumari to Kashmir have decided to re-elect his government. He said the Congress's arrogance reflected in its senior leader Sam Pitroda's remark "hua toh hua" about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Addressing the rally in Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, the prime minister said that a mechanism would be put in place to strengthen start-ups. "My government has given importance to technology and transparency in the last five years. We will strengthen the funding mechanism of start ups in the next five years," Modi said, adding that India had become the ...
Local, national issues play on minds of Delhi voters
As voters in Delhi exercised their franchise to elect seven Members of Parliament on Sunday, local issues seem to have been strongly on their minds even as many of them also talked of national issues.
Shibu Soren "failed" to develop Santhal Paragana area: Das
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das Sunday alleged that JMM chief Shibu Soren and his son Hemant "failed" to develop the Santhal Pargana area of the state. The people of Santhal Pargana entrusted responsibility to represent the region for 40 years to both "father and son" (Shibu and Hemant) and they also became the chief ministers after the creation of the state but "failed" to develop the region, Das said. They have won from the Santhal Pargana but did nothing to develop the area, he alleged. "What have they done for the Santhal Pargana? What have they done for the tribals here? Nothing," Das said, alleging the Sorens only spread "misinformation" and garnered votes from the people. He was addressing an election rally at Kathikund in Dumka (ST) Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to the polls on May 19 along with Rajmahal (ST) and Godda.
Around 60% polling in Delhi; below 2014 mark
Delhi recorded a voter turnout of around 60 per cent for the seven Lok Sabha seats, five percentage points down from the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Delhi chief electoral officer said on Sunday. The turnout was not as per the poll body's expectations considering the number of campaigns it had undertaken to draw the voters to the polling booth, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said. Voting recorded till 6 pm was 60 per cent and the figure may slightly go up as polling continued at several places way beyond the deadline. "In 2014, it was around 65 per cent, but this time it might turn out to be around 61 per cent, which is a disappointment," Singh said.
Re-polling held at booth in Anand Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat
Re-polling was held at an election booth in Dharmaj village in Anand Lok Sabha seat on Sunday, officials said. The Election Commission (EC) had annulled all the votes cast on April 23 at the booth, following reports of bogus polling there. The poll watchdog had ordered fresh polling on May 12. "Re-polling was conducted in a peaceful manner at the booth in Dharmaj village, where April 23 polling was cancelled due to bogus voting," Anand Collector Dilip Rana said. Of the total 894 voters, 698 cast their vote were cast out of 894 voters registered for the booth, which is 78.08 per cent of the total votes, he said. On April 23, when polling was held across 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, 621 votes were cast at this polling booth, officially called '239-Dharmaj-8'. In Anand constituency, Congress's Bharatsinh Solanki was locked in a battle against BJP's Mitesh Patel. Polling for all the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat was held on April 23.
Delhi LS polls: National security, unemployment, noteban weighed heavy on voters' mind
National security, unemployment and demonetisation were among the various issues on which Delhiites exercised their franchise on Sunday. Anuj Agarwal, a 65-year-old retired Professor of Delhi School of Economics, said he voted for the stability of the country. "The country needs a strong prime minister who can capably lead it on all fronts," Agarwal said after casting his vote at a polling station in the Nizamuddin East area of the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Sandip, a medical representative, criticised the heavy expenditure on campaigning by political parties, saying they should focus on real issues like public transport, employment and water supply. Muhammad Waseem, 21, a resident of Nangloi, said he voted for those who can give him a "real job and not someone who asks people to sell pakodas". National security is important but people are also dying due to distress over crop failure, Waseem, a first-time voter, added. Meena Jasotani, 47, a resident of Chandni Chowk, said she .
Will Modi hang himself in Vijay Chowk if Cong wins more than 40 seats: Kharge
Stoking a controversy, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi if his prediction of the opposition party getting less than 40 seats in Lok Sabha polls is proven wrong. Addressing a rally in support of Subash Rathod, the Congress candidate for the Chincholi Assembly bypoll in Karnataka, Kharge said, "It is you the people sitting here who are going to write the future and fate of this country, it is in your hands to write the fate of Subash and ours, not it their (BJP/Modi) hands." "Wherever (Modi) goes, (he) says Congress will not get 40 seats (in Lok Sabha polls). Does any of you agree with this? If we get 40 seats, will Modi hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi?" the senior Congress leader said. The Congress had won 44 seats in the 2014 parliamentary election. Senior BJP leader and MP Shobha Karandlaje has demanded Kharge's apology, saying that she never expected such low remarks from a ...
Central forces coercing voters to vote for BJP: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused the central forces in the state of coercing voters to cast their vote in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in several areas."I respect the central forces. But some of them are coercing voters to vote for BJP. I heard they opened fire on locals in one booth. How can they campaign in favour of Modi? Tomorrow when Modi will be ousted from power, where will they hide?" asked Mamata while addressing an election rally in support of Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Pratima Mondal, who she has fielded from Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency.Continuing her attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, TMC supremo accused him of running a parallel government in the state. "Narendra Modi is running a parallel government in Bengal, in guise of elections. We are tolerating everything silently. Our decency shouldn't be mistaken as our weakness. You people have insulted me and Bengal, you don't even allow me to run the government," she ...