Page 734 - Politics
295 crorepatis in fray in Odisha Assembly elections
Out of the 1,121 candidates across parties contesting for the 147 Odisha Assembly seats, 295 have assets worth over Rs 1 crore, an analysis revealed on Sunday.
What vision do you have to get East Delhi ticket: Atishi hits back at Gambhir
AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi Marlena has hit out at her BJP rival Gautam Gambhir for reportedly saying that she has no vision, asking him what work did he do in the constituency to get the ticket. According to media reports, Gambhir said Marlena does not have a "vision" and that is why she is levelling allegations against him of having two voter ID cards. In a series of tweets, Marlena slammed Gambhir, and asked him to share his vision for the constituency. "In 4.5 years, AAP government built 2 new schools of excellence, 2 talent schools, 2 university campus, 25 mohalla clinics in East Delhi and32 are under construction. Hundreds of new jobs. Tell your vision too," she said in a tweet. "I told what we did in 5 years. Now it's your turn, let me tell you that: 1. What did your party MP @MaheishGirri do for East Delhi in 5 years? What did you do for East Delhi in five years which BJP gave you the ticket from here, "she asked. She said no voter would vote for Gambhir as he would be .
Who'll be responsible for cyclone damages: AP minister
With the Election Commission (EC) barring Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu from holding review meetings, a senior cabinet minister on Sunday asked who will be responsible if cyclonic storm 'Fani' causes damage to the state.
Bengal government blocked my poll campaign: Tripura CM
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday alleged that the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal put up obstacles in his election campaign in the state.
Afghanistan ready for peace, says Abdullah
Afghanistan's Chief Executive Order Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday stressed that the government and the people of the country are ready to participate in the peace process, with an aim to end the nearly two-decade-long civil war.As per a statement, Abdullah made the comments after he met US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul, as part of his multi-nation trip aimed at reaching a global consensus on Afghanistan's peace process, TOLOnews reported.Abdullah appreciated Khalilzad's efforts for peace and stability and said that the people of Afghanistan is backing him for his efforts.In the meeting, the special envoy briefed Abdullah on his previous multi-nation visits, where he had discussed Afghanistan's peace process with representatives of different countries."The two sides stressed on the basis of inclusive intra-Afghan talks, international and regional consensus on Afghan peace, joint counter-terrorism efforts and continuing efforts for ...
S Korea set to hold ASEAN maritime drills
A two-part maritime exercise by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partnering countries is slated to start in South Korea's port city of Busan this week, the country's Navy said on Sunday.The exercise aims to counter maritime crime, including illicit transactions of weapons and other banned items, according to Yonhap News Agency. The drills are scheduled to take place from Monday to Thursday in South Korea, following which they will be held in Singapore from May 9 to May 13.The maritime exercise involves 18 countries of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, out of which 12 countries will be sending 16 warships and six aircraft for the exercise. Six other countries are slated to send military personnel.South Korea's Navy will send the 4,400-ton destroyer Wang Geon, the 2,500-ton frigate Jeonbuk, 4,900-ton landing ship Cheonjabong, two UH-60 choppers and one Lynx helicopter for the first part of the exercise.Naval forces from India, Brunei, China, .
If Pakistan fires a bullet, we will surely bomb them: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday affirmed in a public meeting at Sitamarhi that it is the Modi government which has truly secured the borders of the country and made national security as its foremost priority."The Prime Minister has taken effective steps to secure the borders of the country. In the regime of UPA-I and II, enemy forces used to run havoc in the country but no action was taken on that front," Shah contended."In the recent past, our 40 security personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama attack by Pakistan-aided terrorism. Due to the decisive nature of PM Modi, our brave Indian Air Force (IAF) troops retaliated and entered enemy territory to debase their terror camps. India is only the third country after Israel and United States of America (USA) to have retaliated to terrorism in this brave manner," Shah asserted."Sam Pitroda issued a statement that such a retaliation is unwarranted but is it a fair question by the opposition," Amit Shah asked the public. "One thing is .
MP:Voting for 6 LS seats, Chhindwara Assembly bypoll on Apr 29
Polling in six Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh and by-election to Chhindwara Assembly constituency where Chief Minister Kamal Nath is in the fray will be held on Monday. Lok Sabha constituencies of Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat and Chhindwara will go to polls in the first phase of general elections in the central state. Total 108 candidates are in the fray, including maximum 26 in Sidhi, followed by Balaghat-23, Jabalpur-22, Chhindwara-14, Shahdol-13 and Mandla-10. Nine candidates are trying their luck in the Chhindwara Assembly bypoll. Altogether 1.08 crore people, including 9,864 services voters who will cast postal ballot, are eligible to exercise their franchise. State chief electoral officer V L Kantha Rao said barring the Naxal-affected Baiher, Lanjhi and Paraswada Assembly segments under Balaghat parliamentary seat, polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. In Naxal-affected areas, polling will be held from 7 am to 4 pm, he added. In 2014, riding on ..
13 of 25 seats in Rajasthan to go to polls Monday, 153 candidates in fray
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son, a member of erstwhile Jaipur royal family and two Union ministers are among 153 candidates whose fate will be decided in polling on 13 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan on Monday. The polling will take place amid tight security arrangements from 7 am to 6 pm on Monday in 13 of total 25 constituencies-- Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran, according to chief electoral officer Anand Kumar. Jodhpur became one of the most talked about seats in the Congress ruled state where Gehlot did massive campaigning for his son Vaibhav, pitted against sitting MP and Union minister of state Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The Jodhpur constituency, which has been represented by Gehlot for five times since 1980, has become a prestige issue for him who conducted more than 90 rallies, public meetings, road shows in the constituency during the campaigning period which ended ..
13 parliamentary constituencies to vote in fourth phase in UP
Thirteen constituencies of politically crucial Uttar Pradesh will vote Monday in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha election in which 2.38 crore people will exercise their franchise. The seats which will go to polls are Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, barring Kannauj, the BJP had registered wins on rest of the 12 seats. Kannauj was won by Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav. On four of the seats going to polls in this phase, the BJP dropped its sitting MPs. The seats are Shahjahanpur (SC), Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC) and Etawah. Former Union ministers Murli Manohar Joshi (Kanpur) and Uma Bharti (Jhansi) are also not in the fray this time. The SP-BSP alliance has fielded six BSP candidates and seven SP candidates. While the BSP is contesting from Shahjahanpur (SC), Misrikh (SC), Farrukhabad, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC) and Hamirpur, the SP has fielded candidates ...
Gambhir, Marlena contesting elections as 'political picnic': Arvinder Singh Lovely
Former Delhi minister and senior Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely has said people like Gautam Gambhir and Atishi Marlena are fighting the Lok Sabha election as if it is a "political picnic", holding that they do not have either connect with the people or understanding about their hardships. The BJP has fielded cricketer-turned politician Gambhir while AAP has given ticket to Atishi Marlena from East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency which will witness a triangular electoral battle, with Congress pitting Lovely against them. Both Gambhir, who joined the BJP earlier this month, and Marlena, a postgraduate from Oxford University and a member of AAP's Political Affairs Committee, are making their electoral debuts. "The BJP has given ticket to such a person (Gambhir) who has no direct link with politics. He does not have any sense of issues confronting people in trans-Yamuna area," Lovely told PTI in an interview. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's incumbent MP Maheish Girri had ...
Bengal will become another Kashmir if Mamata is not ousted: Kailash Vijayvargia
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeasement politics has helped terrorists to make a stronghold in West Bengal, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday.Vijayvargiya also asserted that if Banerjee is not ousted from Bengal then the state will become like Jammu and Kashmir."The threat of IS coming to Bengal has taken us by surprise, all of this is happening because of Mamata's appeasement politics. If Mamata Banerjee is not removed from Bengal then the state will become like Jammu and Kashmir, it is due to her that the terrorists have got a stronghold in the border areas," said Vijayvargiya talking to reporters during a roadshow in Howrah.IS had recently released a poster on a Telegram channel of the Islamic State stating that the terror organisation is planning to enter Bengal.The security agencies are taking the threat issued by the terrorist organisation seriously after the eight coordinated bomb blasts which took place in Sri Lanka on ...
BSP in bind over Dalit youth connect in UP
Midway though the Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh is caught in a bind.
Priyanka hits out at Modi over nationalism
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday questioned the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of nationalism. "What type of nationalism is there in 'main hoon Modi' (I am Modi)? What is the meaning of nationalism? Vadra asked. "It means patriotism and love for the country. Who is the country? Its people and their love. If you have affinity only towards yourself, then what type of nationalism is this?" The Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh was speaking to reporters in Amethi constituency, which is represented by party president and his brother, Rahul Gandhi. "Arranging a crowd using the power of money and addressing them or sending a message to them is very easy," Vadra said. But, the real thing is to resolve the problems of the people, she added. "The ground reality is absolutely different. When you speak to the people, a different message emanates and I have never seen the prime minister or the BJP leaders accepting that message," ..
Gambhir downplays AAP's allegations, says 'I believe in positive politics'
Former cricketer and BJP's candidate from East Delhi constituency, Gautam Gambhir downplayed the allegations levelled by AAP against him and slammed them for their negative politics.When asked about the allegations made by AAP's Atishi Marlena on his name figuring twice in electoral rolls, Gambhir retorted, "When a party has no vision and has not done anything in the last four and a half years, they stoop to these levels of allegations. There is a great difference between the thinking of BJP and AAP. We do positive politics." He added, "We will do everything according to the rules.""We will make promises which are achievable. Many people have said that they will make Delhi into Paris or London. In reality, we will develop Delhi in such a way that people will be happy to live in such a city with a robust infrastructure. Our greatest challenge will be to achieve our honest promises," he added.On being asked about the development of East Delhi, Gambhir said, "Not only East Delhi, but the
LS polls: BJP North East Delhi candidate Manoj Tiwari holds roadshow in Burari
Seeking re-election from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Bjojpuri flim star and sitting MP Manoj Tiwari reached out to voters in Purvanchali dominated Burari by holding a roadshow on Sunday. The Delhi BJP president's four-hour-long roadshow started from Nangli village in Burari Assembly constituency, which is part of the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, in the morning and concluded after covering around 10 kilometres, passing through several localities. People lined up along the roadside and some hanged from balconies of their houses to have a glimpse of Tiwari's roadshow. The country is scripting a new chapter in history, Tiwari said beginning his roadshow at Nangli asking people to vote for the BJP. "The country needs a Mazboot (strong) government not a Mazboor (helpless) government," he said. Tiwari, who had won from the constituency in 2014 by defeating Aam Aadmi Party's Anand Kumar by around 1.5 lakh votes, is indulged in a triangular contest this time. He is pitted .
JKNPP stages demonstration to press for early assembly polls
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party activists Sunday staged a demonstration here to press for early Assembly polls, saying there is no justification to keep the people "deprived" of their right to choose their representatives and to have an elected government in the state. The protest led by JKNPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh at Exhibition Ground was held two days before the Election Commission (EC) officials are scheduled to meet in New Delhi to discuss the possible dates of the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. "If the municipal, panchayat and parliamentary elections could be held in the state, then what was the hitch for the EC to conduct the assembly elections?" Singh asked. Accusingthe state administration of creating hurdles in the way of the assembly elections without any rationale, the JKNPP leader alleged that democracy in the state was being guillotined ruthlessly for the political expediencies of the ruling party at the Centre and vested interests ..
New to Amritsar, Hardeep Puri hits the ground running
He may be new to the Sikh holy city of Amritsar and to the heat and dust of the politics of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, but Union Minister Hardeep Puri has hit the ground campaigning for the May 19 election to this seat.
Congress holds voter outreach programmes in Delhi
With less than two weeks left before the national capital goes to the polls, Congress candidates on Sunday held voter outreach programmes in their constituencies.
Confident BJP nominee Parvesh Verma says polls just a procedure (IANS Exclusive)
Sitting BJP MP from West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency Parvesh Verma is so confident of winning again that the electoral process is just a "procedure" for him.