Page 724 - Politics
Israeli AG gives Netanyahu ultimatum on graft hearing
Israel's attorney general has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until next week to confirm he wants a formal hearing to defend himself before corruption charges are filed against him. In a letter made public Sunday evening Avichai Mandelblit told Netanyahu's lawyers that if he wants to excercise his right to defend himself before possible indictment he must notify authorities by May 10. The hearing itself must then take place no later than July 10. Netanyahu's lawyers have been protesting non-payment of their fees to date and are refusing to collect the case files until they are paid, the letter said. The prime minister wants to raise a USD 2 million from two American businessmen -- his cousin Nathan Milikowsky and friend Spencer Partrich -- to pay his attorneys, Israeli media reported. However, the government committee that vets requests by government officials to accept money from outside sources has twice rejected his petition. In February, Mandelblit announced his intention
Pawar, Uddhav, Irani vote in Mumbai
NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Union minister Smriti Irani were prominent among the political leaders who voted in Mumbai Monday. Polling is being held for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including six in the country's financial capital, on Monday. MNS president Raj Thackeray and his wife Sharmila had to wait for more than an hour at a polling centre in Shivaji Park area to cast their votes. In Powai, at S M Shetty school polling centre, a 1.5 km long queue formed as soon as the polling began. Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya cast their votes at a municipal school in Bandra East. Pawar was accompanied by his son-in-law Sadanand Sule and grand-daughter Revati Sule at the polling centre at a school at Tardeo. Irani, who is the BJP candidate against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, also cast her vote in Mumbai. "Participated in the biggest festival of democracy. Cast my vote in Mumbai for a
SP fields dismissed BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav against Modi
The Samajwadi Party on Monday declared dismissed BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav as its candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Yadav was dismissed in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the food served to the troops. He will be challenging Modi in Varanasi constituency of Uttar Pradesh, an SP leader said here. Varanasi will go to polls in the seventh phase on May 19 and the last date for filing nomination is Monday (April 29).
LS polls: As power trips, MP CM casts vote with camera flash
The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh government was left red-faced on the voting day Monday when power tripped at a polling booth in Chhindwara district, forcing its high-profile voter and Chief Minister Kamal Nath to cast his vote in flashlight of cameras of media persons. Nath was among the early ones to cast his vote for the Lok Sabha polls in Chhindwara seat, where his son Nakul Nath is in the fray from the Congress. The chief minister along with his wife, son and daughter-in-law arrived at a polling booth in Shikapur area at around 8 AM. Power supply tripped for some time when the chief minister and his family members were inside the polling booth, election micro-observer Narendra Singh Sisodia told PTI. An eye witness said that Nath voted in the flashlight of cameras of media persons. When asked about the incident and power outage, Nath told reporters that he would look into the matter. Power supply was restored at the booth after nearly 25-30 minutes, an ...
LS polls: Congress MP moves SC over alleged EC inaction against Modi, Shah
Congress MP on Monday moved Supreme Court seeking action from the Election Commission on complaints against alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah."We filed 8 complaints to the EC on behalf of the party against the Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah regarding their speeches on armed forces, why no action is being taken? EC can dismiss our complaints but not acting on them is against the law of the land," the Congress leader told ANI.Dev contended that multiple complaints have been lodged against PM Modi and Shah over the violation of electoral laws like the Conduct of Election Rules but the ECI has not responded to any of these representations.The Congress parliamentarian urged the court to direct or order the ECI to expeditiously act on the complaints pending before it against the Prime Minister and the BJP president.
HC refuses injunction on EC's surveillance order on TMC leader
The Calcutta High Court Monday refused to pass any injunction on the Election Commission's decision to keep TMC's Birbhum district president Anubrata Mandal under surveillance. The poll body had on Sunday ordered that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman, who has often invited controversies with his remarks against opposition parties, be kept under scanner from 6 pm of April 28 to 7 am of April 30. Polling is underway in Birbhum and seven other Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal in the fourth phase of the general election Monday. Moving the petition for Mandal, TMC general secretary Baishyanor Chattopadhyay submitted that there was no ground for restricting his movement. The court, however, noted that the EC has mentioned in its order that it has taken the decision based on feedback received by its officials and that the move was necessitated to ensure free and fair elections. Justice Debangshu Basak, refusing to pass any interim injunction on the EC's order, directed ...
Kannauj: SP alleges VVPAT shows 'lotus' when 'cycle' button pressed; wants DGP removed
Opposition Samajwadi Party Monday urged the Election Commission to remove Uttar Pardesh's police chief OP Singh from the post alleging he was "favouring" the ruling BJP and affecting elections. The party also alleged that in at at least two polling booths the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machine showed the voting for the BJP when the ballot was cast for the SP. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimpal is contesting from the constituency. Party leader Dharmendra Yadav said the Director General of Police was "misusing" government machinery to help the BJP. "We demanded from the EC to remove him immediately," Yadav told reporters here. He was part of a SP delegation that met Chief Electoral Officer L Venkatenshwar Lu and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate removal of the DGP. It highlighted the issue of "faulty" EVMs. "The police are terrorising minority voters. The force is being misused in favour of the BJP. We have apprised the CEO about it," SP spokesman ...
Over 40% polling in Bihar till 2 p.m. (2nd Lead)
Ignoring heatwave like conditions, 40.08 per cent voting was recorded in Bihar's five Lok Sabha seats till 2 p.m. on Monday, an official said.
Fresh tug of war between two Himachal Congress arch rivals
In a fresh tug of war between two Congress arch rivals in Himachal Pradesh, six-time former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram, the former slammed the latter at an election rally for ditching the party.
Every dictator first talks of nationalism to captivate people: Gehlot on Modi
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on course to becoming a "dictator" who talks of nationalism to captivate the people. Gehlot alleged that Modi had been dividing the nation and the society in the name of nationalism, which posed a "threat" to democracy. "History says that every dictator first talks of nationalism and captivate the people. Modi has been doing the same thing, but the people, especially the young generation, need to understand this," the Congress leader told reporters here after casting his vote with his family in the morning. Modi is "on course to becoming a dictator, which is a huge threat to the democracy of the country", Gehlot said. "He (Modi) has a perverted version of patriotism and has got down to exploit this term to win the election only by emotionally misleading the people, especially the youth," the chief minister said. Gehlot accused Modi of turning the electoral debate from the issues of ...
Pb Cong Campaign panel chief asks Dullo to resign from party
Punjab Congress Campaign Committee chairman Lal Singh Monday sought Shamsher Singh Dullo's resignation from the party and the Rajya Sabha claiming there were reports of rebellion by the ex-state unit chief whose wife and son joined the AAP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Claiming that Dullo is a "blot" on the Congress, whose exit would "benefit the party", Lal Singh said the MP has no place in the Congress after his wife and son joined the AAP and he reportedly declared that he would not campaign for the party. "Dullo has been quoted in the media as saying that he was neither aware of who the Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib was, nor would he campaign for him," the state Congress Campaign Committee chairman said. Amar Singh is the Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib (reserved) constituency. The AAP on Sunday changed its candidate for the Fatehgarh Sahib seat, nominating Bandeep Singh Dullo in place of his mother Harbans Kaur Dullo, who had joined the party on April 16. When ..
LS polls: Adityanath to canvass for Irani in Amethi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be campaigning in favour of Union minister and BJP nominee for Amethi Lok Sabha seat Smriti Irani on Tuesday. Sub-District Magistrate, Gauriganj, Amit Kumar told PTI Monday that the chief minister will address a public meeting organised by the BJP at Maurya Ki Bag under Jagdishpur assembly segment here Tuesday. Adityanath had attended the nomination procession of Irani but left Amethi soon after. Irani had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Amethi against Congress president Rahul Gandhi. This time she is again pitted against the Congress president. Amethi has traditionally been a Congress bastion. Barring 1977 and 1998, it has always elected a Congress candidate. In 1977, Janata Party candidate Ravindra Pratap Singh had defeated Sanjay Gandhi, son of then prime minister Indira Gandhi. However, he won the seat back in 1980. In 1998, BJP nominee and scion of Amethi royal estate Sanjay Singh had defeated Congress ..
'It's good decision' that Sunny Deol contesting as BJP candidate: Hemal Malini
Bollywood actor Sunny Deol has taken a good decision to contest as a Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate from Gurdaspur in Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls, said sitting BJP MP from Mathura and Deol's stepmother Hema Malini on Monday."Sunny Deol has taken a very good decision to contest as a BJP candidate from Gurdaspur. He has a great fan following," Malini told ANI after casting her vote in Vile Parle."Deol believes in the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government," she added.The BJP leader also talked about the importance of Lok Sabha polls. She said: "This election is very important for the country and it is a duty of every citizen to participate in the polls."Taking on the Congress party she said, "Congress has done nothing special till now for the development of the people."In Mathura, Malini is contesting against Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Narendra Singh and Congress candidate and industrialist Mahesh Pathak.Earlier today, soon after Deol filed his ...
Rahul Gandhi files reply in contempt case against him
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday filed his reply before the Supreme Court in connection with a contempt case against him for his "Chowkidar Chor Hai" remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Gandhi in his today's affidavit filed before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi reiterated his stand but did not apologise and expressed only regret for his comment. "The answering Respondent (Rahul) has not done nor remotely intended to do anything to lower the majesty of this Hon'ble Court in any manner whatsoever," the reply read.In his reply filed against the contempt petition against him, the Congress president said, "The answering Respondent's (Rahul Gandhi) brief statement to the mediawalas made in this context of and during hectic political campaigning without having seen, read or analyzed the order at that stage."Rahul clarified that he did not intend to disrepute the top court by bringing it into the political battle. "...It is clarified that the answering Respondent did
Sirisena names new police chief
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday named a new police chief and appointed a new advisor to the Defence Ministry.
7.5 per cent voting in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat (2nd Lead) (2 p.m.)
A pathetic 7.5 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday until 2 p.m. in the second and penultimate phase of voting in the troubled Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pragya Thakur in tears during meeting with Uma Bharti
Malegaon blast accused and BJP's candidate for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur was in tears Monday, during an emotional meeting with Union minister Uma Bharti here. Bharti, who is not contesting the election but has won from Bhopal in the past, was seen consoling Pragya Thakur, who was seated in an SUV, wiping her tears. Thakur had gone to meet Bharti amid talk of a rift. While leaving, she broke down. Bharti was seen wiping Pragya's tears as the latter sat in her car crying, in presence of a large crowd and media personnel. After Thakur met her at her residence in Shyamla Hills area here, Bharti said Pragya's victory was a certainty. "The day Didi Maa's (as she called Thakur) candidature was announced, it was decided that the BJP will win with a huge margin," Bharti told reporters with Thakur by her side. "Whatever the party says, I will do. Those who are looking after Didi Maa's election management, they will do as they say. I feel she won the election .
Former RSS leader Velingkar in fray for Panaji by-election
Former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar Monday filed his nomination papers for the May 19 Panaji Assembly by-election. Velingkar is contesting on the ticket of Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), which he formed after being sacked as Goa RSS chief in 2016 following his criticism of the BJP-led state government. The Panaji bypoll was necessitated by the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar who represented the constituency. Velingkar would be facing BJP's Siddharth Kunkolienkar and Congress' Atanasio Monserratte, among others, in the election. The GSM fought the 2017 Assembly elections in alliance with the Shiv Sena and MGP, but drew a blank. It also contested all the three Assembly by-elections held on April 23. Velingkar said Panaji bypoll should be seen as the start of a process to cleanse the politics in entire Goa. He also alleged that there were attempts to lure voters with money during the April 23 polls, and added that it will stop with the Panaji by-election. "I am .
Odisha records 35% polling (2nd Ld)(1 p.m.)
Despite rising temperature and EVM glitches, Odisha on Monday witnessed about 35 per cent voter turnout in six hours in the fourth and final phase of voting in the state, said an election official.
Amid violence, intimidation, 35 per cent vote in Bengal (2nd Lead) (11 a.m.)
Amid widespread intimidation and violence including clashes outside polling booths, close to 35 per cent of the electorate voted in the first four hours of polling in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal on Monday.