Page 732 - Politics
Rahul to address poll meetings in Rajasthan on Monday
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be in Rajasthan on Monday to address public meetings for the 12 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, which will go to the polls on May 6, the party said on Sunday. Gandhi will address a public meeting at Sepau in the Karauli-Dholpur parliamentary constituency at 11 am, followed by meetings at 2.10 pm in Churu and at 4.10 pm in Kotpuli town of the Jaipur Rural constituency, state Congress vice-president Archana Sharma told reporters here. In the fifth (second in Rajasthan) phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election, polling will be held in 12 of the 25 constituencies of the state -- Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur. Polling for the 13 other constituencies of the state will held in the fourth phase on Monday.
Criminals carrying placards reading 'arrest us, don't do encounter' since Adityanath became CM: Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday said while criminals roamed freely when the SP and the BSP ruled Uttar Pradesh, they are seen moving around with a "patta" (placard) reading "arrest us but don't do encounter" since Yogi Adityanath became chief minister. The Yogi Adityanath government had come for criticism last year after the UP Police launched a massive crackdown across the state, killing dozens of criminals. Reports had suggested that many people facing criminal cases wanted to be in jail rather than getting killed in encounters. Addressing a rally here, Shah said, "Till the time the SP and the BSP ruled the state, criminals would roam freely. But, after Yogi Adityanath assumed office, criminals are seen moving with a 'patta' (placard) reading 'arrest us but don't do encounter'." Shah also claimed that a "pall of gloom had descended on Pakistan and the offices of SP, BSP and Congress on the day of surgical strikes". He also asked "Buaa-Bhatija (Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) and Rahul ...
Digvijaya calls himself admirer of Kanhaiya who will campaign
CPI contestant from Begusarai in Bihar, Kanhaiya Kumar would be campaigning for Congress' Bhopal nominee Digvijaya Singh, who is pitted against Hindutva leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a gathering at the CPI office here, Singh called himself an "admirer" of the former JNUSU president, and said that he was happy that Kumar would campaign for him on May 8-9. Singh also sought to dispel perception that Kumar's arrival might rake up "Tukde-Tukde" controversy in the poll season, as Thakur is viewed as a polarising figure. He blamed the BJP and the RSS for "defaming" Kumar in the 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) sloganeering controversy. "I am an admirer and a supporter of Kanhaiya Kumar. He has become an ideologue. I openly support him. I told my party that the RJD has made a big mistake (by fielding its candidate in Begusarai). This seat (Begusarai) should have been allotted to the CPI," Singh ...
Manoj Tiwari holds roadshow in Delhi's Burari
Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari, who is re-contesting from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat held a 10 km-long roadshow in his constituency for the second consecutive day on Sunday and appealed to voters to strengthen the hands of the BJP government.
72 constituencies go to polls in fourth phase on Monday
A total of 72 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over nine states, mostly in Hindi heartland, will go to polls in the fourth phase of the elections on Monday.
BJP fields Sidharth Sripad Kuncalienkar for Panaji Assembly bypoll
The BJP on Sunday announced its candidates for bypolls in two Assembly seats in Karnataka and one in Goa. Sidharth Sripad Kuncalienkar will be the BJP's candidate from Panaji in Goa, the party said in a statement. The May 19 bypoll was necessitated following the demise of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The party nominated Avinash Jadhav and S J Chikkanagowdar as its candidates from Chincholi and Kundgol Assembly seats in Karnataka.
Will ask EC to seek expenditure details of PM rallies: Mamata
Accusing the BJP of doling out money to buy votes in the general election, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Sunday said her party will request the poll panel to seek an account of expenditure at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies. Banerjee also demanded that Modi's candidature from Varanasi be cancelled, claiming that he has written "does not know" on many counts in his affidavit. Addressing back-to-back rallies in East Midnapore, she said, "We will ask the Election Commission (EC) to keep an account of the spendings in the prime minister's public meetings. If the EC can seek details of expenditure from others, why not from him?" The chief minister also alleged that the saffron party is doling out thousands of rupees to lure people to its rallies, while also buying votes. Taking her diatribe against the prime minister to his homefront, she claimed that "all throughout his life, Modi never respected his mother or his wife". "You shy away from
Priyanka slams BJP for distributing goodies in Amethi
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday mounted a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of distributing "money, shoes and saris" to the voters in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency which goes to the polls in the fifth phase on May 6.
Iran warns could shut Hormuz Strait if tensions grow
Iran's top general warned Sunday Tehran could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping route if it faces more "hostility", news agency ISNA said, as the US tightens up sanctions. "We are not after closing the Strait of Hormuz but if the hostility of enemies increase, we will be able to do so," armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri told semi-official ISNA. "Also if our oil does not go through the strait, other countries' oil will certainly not cross the strait, too," he added. The statement came after Washington said on Monday it would start imposing sanctions on countries such as India, China and Turkey that buy Iranian oil. Eight countries were initially given six-month reprieves after the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran in November, following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear accord. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned the Islamic republic could shut down the strait, a vital shipping lane for international oil supplies, ...
Iran: Exiting nuclear pact one of 'many options' after US sanctions
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is one of the "many options" Tehran has to retaliate against US sanctions, state media reported Sunday. The United States has imposed a raft of sanctions against the Islamic republic since President Donald Trump withdrew last year from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. On Monday Washington announced an end to sanction waivers for buyers of Iranian crude oil, and earlier this month the US declared Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a "foreign terrorist organisation". "The Islamic republic has many options... (leaving) the NPT is one of them," Zarif said in remarks to Iranian reporters in New York aired by state television. State news agency IRNA said Zarif was asked why he had not touted leaving the nuclear treaty as one of Iran's possible reactions during his trip as he had done so previously. "The country's officials are deliberating" the different options and measures, Zarif
Huge Hong Kong protest against China extradition plan
Tens of thousands of people hit Hong Kong's streets on Sunday to protest against a government plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, the crowds swollen by anger over the recent jailing of democracy leaders. The extradition proposal has already sparked large protests and mounting alarm within the city's business and legal communities who fear it will hammer the financial hub's international appeal and tangle people up in China's opaque courts. But Sunday's protest was one of the biggest in the city in recent years. The demonstration comes just days after four prominent leaders of Hong Kong's democracy movement were jailed for their role in organising mass pro-democracy protests in 2014 that brought parts of the city to a standstill for months. Demonstrators on Sunday chanted "Step down, Carrie Lam!" -- referring to the city's pro-Beijing leader, while many held the yellow umbrellas that symbolised the 2014 rallies. Fanly Leung, an accountant, told AFP it was "heartbreaking" to ..
MNM names candidates for bypolls to 4 assembly seats in TN
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan Sunday announced his party's canditates to the by-polls to four Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu scheduled on May 19. Haasan announced the names of the four candidates to Sulur, Aravakurichi, Thirupprankundram and Ottapidaram constituencies, just a day ahead of the last day for filing of nominations. In a statement, he said P Shaktivel, G Mayilsami and S Mohanraj would contest from the Thiruprankundram, Sulur and Aravakurichi Assembly seats respectively. M Gandhi has fielded friom Ottapidaram, a reserved constituency. Earlier, the ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK and Naam Tamizhar Katchi had nominated their candidates for the May 19 by-polls.
PM-KISAN scheme an insult to farmers: Priyanka
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday dubbed the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) an "apmaan"(insult) to farmers. Vadra also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of nationalism, saying it can be best served by listening to the problems of the people and solving it. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, Vadra said: "The BJP is, in fact, insulting the farmers in the name of the Kisan Samman Yojana, which the prime minister discusses very much, as it will give only Rs 3.50 per day to the beneficiary. This is 'Kisan Apmaan Yojana' (a scheme to insult the farmers)." Under the PM-KISAN scheme, Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares. Comparing the PM-KISAN to the Congress' minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyay, Vadra said: "On the other hand, the Congress has announced that it will give Rs ...
PM following dictators in preaching nationalism: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Sunday said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are about saving democracy, as he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of following "dictators" in preaching nationalism. He said people will not be "lured and fooled" by BJP's talk of nationalism and will change the government at the Centre for good of the country. Rajasthan, where the Congress ousted the BJP from power in the assembly elections last year, has 25 Lok Sabha seats out of which 13 are going to polls Monday, and the rest 12 will vote on May 6. "Democracy is in danger under the Modi government. Saving democracy is our biggest challenge in this election. To save democracy, people should understand the allurements of BJP and not get misled by their false promises," Gehlot told PTI in an interview. Training his guns on the PM, Gehlot alleged Modi is "misleading" people in the name of nationalism. "Every dictator in the world used nationalism for his benefits. Modi is following their footsteps by ..
Kumaraswamy discusses Karnataka political developments with AICC general secy
Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy Sunday met AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal here to discuss political developments in the state, amid coalition worries and dissidence within alliance partner Congress surfacing again. The leaders reportedly discussed the threat by rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit the party along with legislators close to him, recently concluded Lok Sabha polls in the state and preparations for the May 19 by-polls to Chincholi and Kundgol assembly segments, sources said. They are also said to have discussed the strategy to be adapted to pacify the disgruntled MLAs, who may pose a threat to the coalition government. Kumaraswamy had on Thursday taken stock of the situation with his deputy G Parameshwara and senior Minister D K Shivakumar. In another development, Yeshwanthpura Congress legislator S T Somashekara has reportedly convened a meeting of "like-minded" MLAs on April 30 to seek their suggestions to find a solution to the ...
Mafia don seeks parole to contest from Varanasi
Mafia don-turned-politician and former MP Atiq Ahmad has moved a bail application before a special court, seeking a short-term bail to contest parliamentary elections from Varanasi.
BJP names candidates for Kundgol and Chincholi bypolls
BJP Sunday announced the names of former MLA S I Chikkanagowdar and Avinash Jadhav as candidates to contest the Kundgol and Chincholi assembly seats, where by-polls will be held on May 19. The by-poll to Chincholi was necessitated as Umesh Jadhav quit as Congress MLA and joined BJP to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Gulbarga against veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, while Kundgol seat fell vacant following the death of MLA and Minister C S Shivalli. Chikkanagowdar, who is said to be a relative of state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa, had lost in Kundgol in the 2018 assembly polls to Congress Shivalli by a wafer thin margin of 634 votes. Chincholi candidate Avinash Jadhav is the son of Umesh Jadhav, whose resignation necessitated the by-polls. While Umeshs brother Ramachandra Jadhavs name was earlier recommended by the state BJP core committee to the high command for Chincholi, he is said to have later lobbied for his son Avinash, sources said. As M R Patil from ...
No power on earth can abolish reservation: Nitish
Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar Sunday asserted that no power on earth can abolish reservation and asked people to beware of those who are spreading confusion over it. Opposition Mahagathbandhan leaders especially RJDs Tejashwi Yadav, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha have questioned the continuance of reservation if Modi government returns to power at the Centre. "No power on earth can abolish reservation. People need to be beware of those who are spreading confusion and canard with regard to reservation. I introduced reservation in panchayat polls while Narendra Modi government gave the benefit of 10 per cent of reservation to the weaker sections among general category," Kumar said at a public meeting. Addressing an election rally at Majha in Gopalganj, in favour of NDA-JD(U) candidate Dr Alok Kumar Suman, Kumar claimed that the return of Narendra Modi government at the Centre is needed for Bihars development. The Bihar CM said that Modi government has .
TMC mulls steps after refusal of plaint against BJP
West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties are planning further steps after the Election Commission (EC) dismissed their complaint that the BJP's initials were seen printed under the party's lotus symbol in the EVM in the Barrackpore constituency.
Ukraine's president-elect offers passports to Russians
President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed an offer by Vladimir Putin to provide passports to Ukrainians, and pledged instead to grant citizenship to Russians who "suffer" under the Kremlin's rule. The Russian president on Saturday said Moscow was considering plans to make it easier for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship, after it earlier moved to grant passports in the country's separatist east. Kiev has been fighting Moscow-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine since 2014 in a war that has killed 13,000. Zelensky, a comedian who won Ukraine's presidential election last week, responded to Putin's offer by releasing a statement on Facebook late on Saturday. "We know perfectly well what a Russian passport provides," he said, listing "the right to be arrested for a peaceful protest" and "the right not to have free and competitive elections." He pledged instead to "give citizenship to representatives of all nations that suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes. "But first and