Page 741 - Politics
Kamal Nath makes debut in state polls, his son in LS elections as MP votes on Monday
The political fate of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, his son Nakul and state BJP president Rakesh Singh will be sealed in EVMs Monday when six Lok Sabha seats go to polls, alongside one assembly constituency, where bypoll will be held. Besides, Congress legal cell head Vivek Tankha and former leader of opposition in MP assembly Ajay Singh (Congress leader) are also in the fray in the first phase of pollings in the state on April 29. For the Nath father-son duo, the Monday voting will mark their respective electoral debuts -- while Kamal Nath, who has been elected to Lok Sabha nine times, is contesting his first assembly election, for Nakul, it is his maiden parliamentary poll. Kamal Nath did not contest the state elections in 2018. But after the Congress emerged as the single largest party, he became the chief minister of the state. As per rules, he needs to get elected to the assembly within six months of assuming office. The Chhindwara assembly seat was vacated by Nath's .
Malegaon blast case accused were tortured at 'behest' of Cong leaders: Maj (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay
Those accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case were tortured at the "behest" of senior Congress leaders, Maj (retired) Ramesh Chandra Upadhyay, who is also an accused in the case and contesting the Lok Sabha polls, has alleged. His remark came days after BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, also an accused in the case, had claimed that IPS officer Hemant Karkare died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her.She later apologised for her comment. Investigations in the blast case was led by Karkare, who was the then chief of the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad. Upadhyay also claimed that the term "saffron terrorism" was coined by the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). "We were tortured at the behest of then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Ahmad Patel, P Chidambaram, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Digvijaya Singh...The word 'saffron terrorism' was coined by the Congress and the NCP," Upadhyay, who is contesting the ...
Paswan to hold rallies in Amethi, Rae Bareli in support of BJP candidates Sunday
Seeking to consolidate Dalit votes in Congress bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Lok Janshakti Party leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan will hold election rallies in the two constituencies Sunday. While Dinesh Pratap Singh of the BJP is pitted against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli, Union minister Smriti Irani will take on Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. The two seats will go for polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 5. "Will be campaigning for Smriti Irani and Dinesh Pratap Singh in Amethi and Rae Bareli on April 28," Paswan tweeted.
'Congress is party of Gandhi, Patel...Jinnah', says Shatrughan
In an apparent gaffe, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha described the Congress as a party of, among other stalwarts, Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah here Friday night. Sinha, who joined the Congress recently, said this during a rally. Telling the audience why he joined the Congress after quitting the BJP, he said, "This Congress Parivar (family) was the party of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira, Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. "Their role in the nation's development, progress and in achieving independence was vital. "That is why I have come here (joined the Congress)," he said, adding that he will not leave the party.
Probe into J&K police vehicle bringing food for BJP workers
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday ordered a probe into the use of a security vehicle for distributing food packets among Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in the state's Anantnag district.
'Run to vote' mini-marathon held at Leh
A mini-marathon titled 'run to vote' was held Saturday in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region which is going to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 6. Brand Ambassador of Jammu and Kashmir Election Authority Sana Dua, along with District Election Officer (DEO), Leh, Avny Lavasa and general observer Alkesh Kumar Sharma flagged off the marathon from NDS stadium in Leh, an official spokesman said. He said the marathon culminated at Leh main Bazaar amidst a gathering of huge crowd. "The marathon with the objective to promote voter awareness and educate the target population about EVM and VVPAT, was organised by the nodal officer SVEEP, Leh and the entire SVEEP team. "All the district officers, religious and social heads, teaching fraternity and students participated in the mini marathon," the spokesman said. Addressing the gathering, Dua appealed to the voters to exercise their voting right on May 6 for the Lok Sabha elections which will seal the fate ..
Modi works 18 hours a day while Rahul takes leave every 2
BJP president Amit Shah Saturday took a potshots at his Congress counterpart Rahul Gandhi saying he is no match to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who works 18 hours a day without taking a leave in the last 20 years,whereas Gandhi takes a break from work every two months leaving even mother clueless about his whereabout. Addressing back-to-back rallies in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj and mineral-rich Jajpur Lok Sabha constituencies of Odisha, the BJP chief accused Congress leaders of advocating soft approach towards separatists. With Odisha witnessing assembly election along with that of Parliament, Shah launched a blistering attack at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accusing him of sheltering culprits of chit fund and mining scams in the state. "Modi ji is hard working, dedicated and honest. The Prime Minister, who works 18 hours a day, has not taken a single day's leave in last 20 years as he has dedicated himself to the nation," Shah said. In sharp contrast, Shah said ...
Campaigning ends in for 13 Rajasthan seats; Manvendra Singh, Gehlot's son in fray
Campaigning ended Saturday evening for the 13 Rajasthan seats which go to the polls in the fourth phase with chief minister's son Vaibhav Gehlot, former BJP MLA and now Congressman Manvendra Singh and two Union ministers in the fray. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot's son is contesting his maiden election against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur, where polling will be held on Monday. Former Union minister Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh, who switched over from the BJP to the Congress, is from Barmer, a seat once also held by his father. Polling will take place in Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi covered several key fourth-phase constituencies in the state where all 25 Lok Sabha seats went to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 elections. But after last year's Assembly ...
May move court if no action is taken by EC against Modi, Shah: Congress
Congress on Saturday accused the Election Commission (EC) of ignoring the party's complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah on model code violations and said it may consider moving court if no action is initiated by the poll body."We are astonished and sadly compelled to say that the Model Code of Conduct has become Modi code of conduct," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a press conference here.He said, "We are also saddened to say that it is as if in the second word of the Election Commission, the letter 'C' has been dropped and it has become the 'Election omission' as far as the Modi and Shah duo is concerned."Congress charged the poll watchdog with not taking action against Modi as well as the BJP president for their "hateful, virulent and divisive" speeches and "politicisation of the valour" of the armed forces at election rallies for "cheap electoral gains".Singhvi said, "In the last 20 days, the Modi-Shah duo has made statements with ...
Pakistan can never be India's friend: Gen V.K. Singh
General V.K. Singh (retd), Union Minister of State for External Affairs, said on Saturday that Pakistan can never be a friend of India.
Will win more than 3 out of 6 seats in J-K: Ram Madhav
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said his party will win more than three parliamentary seats out of six in Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections."We are confident of winning more than three parliamentary seats in Jammu and Kashmir in Lok Sabha elections. BJP has become the mainstream party of the Kashmir Valley, today. We will work for peace and development in the region," Madhav told ANI.In its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP reiterated its resolve to abrogate Article 370, which gives autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir and annul Article 35A of the Constitution, which the party finds discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of the Valley.There are six Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir-Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Anantnag and Ladakh.Anantnag is polling in three phases and has already gone to polls on April 23, polling is also due in Anantnag on April 29 and May 6. Meanwhile Ladakh will go to polls on May 6. Counting of ...
J-K Police vehicle used for supplying food packets at BJP rally, probe ordered
The Jammu and Kashmir Police Saturday ordered an inquiry after a video of a police vehicle being used for distribution of food packets at a BJP rally in Anantnag parliamentary constituency went viral. The 28-second video shows the police gypsy being used for distribution of food packets and water bottles among the people gathered for the BJP rally in south Kashmir's Anantnag. The rally was addressed by BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav. Taking cognizance of the incident, police ordered an inquiry into it. The driver of the vehicle, which police said was deployed for ferrying escort personnel of a protected person, has been attached and the gypsy has been withdrawn. "Today a video surfaced on social media wherein one police vehicle is seen being utilised for distribution of food items in a political party rally in Anantnag. The vehicle in question was deployed for ferrying escort personnel of a protected person," a police spokesman said. "The vehicle has been withdrawn from the
AAP leader files complaint against Modi for exceeding Rs 70-lakh limit on Varanasi roadshow
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly exceeding the expenditure limit of Rs 70 lakh for his roadshow in Varanasi. Modi is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate in Varanasi in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. In a letter to the election officer of Varanasi, Singh has claimed that a total expenditure of Rs 1.27 crore was incurred to take out the roadshow on Thursday. He has also given the break-up. "The expenses incurred on the private jets used by various BJP leaders to reach Varanasi were Rs 64 lakh. Over 100 BJP leaders took commercial flights to reach Varanasi at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. The hotel expenses were around Rs 8 lakh, while the expenditure on vehicles was Rs 6 lakh," Singh has said in the letter. Besides, Rs 5 lakh were spent on food, Rs 5 lakh on poll accessories, Rs 2 lakh each on social media campaign, sound system and stage, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader has ..
Shiv Sena appoints Priyanka Chaturvedi as 'Upneta'
The Shiv Sena has appointed former Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, who recently joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, as its "Upneta" or deputy leader. Speaking to a Marathi news channel, Chaturvedi said it was time to "change the Sena's history of Hindi-speaking leaders not staying in the party for long". "I had changed history in the Congress 10 years back when I went on to become the national spokesperson of that party from a district general secretary of Youth Congress. This was unheard of in the party before," she claimed. Chaturvedi had joined the Sena on April 19 over the Congress reinstating some workers who had allegedly misbehaved with her.
Campaigning ends for fourth phase of LS polls in UP
Campaigning ended on Saturday for 13 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the fourth phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh on April 29.
JMM criticises BJP's 'nationalist' tone in LS polls
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its emphasis on nationalism, former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren on Saturday wondered if the party or an Army was contesting the polls.
Rahul Gandhi to blame for Lalu's woes: Sushil Modi
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi is responsible for the pain and sufferings of RJD chief Lalu Prasad as it was him who had tore off an ordinance meant to provide certain immunities to convicted politicians.
Campaigning ends for fourth phase polling in five Bihar LS
Campaigning ended on Saturday for the five Bihar Lok Sabha seats of Begusarai, Munger, Ujiyarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga which go to the polls in the fourth phase on April 29. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a rally at Darbhanga where he defended his use of national security as a poll plank and came down heavily on the reluctance of local RJD candidate Abdul Bari Siddiqui, whom he did not mention by name, to recite the national song Vande Mataram. Currently held by Kirti Azad, who has now joined Congress and is contesting from Dhanbad in neighboring Jharkhand, Darbhanga is being contested by former BJP MLA Gopalji Thakur. Congress president Rahul Gandhi shared the stage with RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav at a rally in Samastipur ending speculations of discord between the two alliance partners. At Samastipur Congress candidate Ashok Kumar is pitted against sitting MP Ram Chandra Paswan, who is the younger brother of Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan. The .
Protesters ransack govt building, set ablaze guv's effigy in J-K's Kishtwar
A mob ransacked a government building, damaged several official vehicles and set ablaze an effigy of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in Kishtwar district Saturday after hundreds of people took to streets to protest against the recent killings of four people, officials said. Sanatan Dharam Sabha (SDS), a local religious group, had called for a peaceful march from its headquarters at Char Chinar to the deputy commissioner's office in the communally sensitive town to lodge their protest against the killings and alleged failure of police to nab the culprits. RSS leader Chandarkant Sharma and his security guard were killed by a militant inside the district hospital on April 9, while state secretary of BJP Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar were killed in the town on November 1 last year. Raising slogans against the killings, hundreds of people, including women, marched in a procession in the town under police protection, the officials said. On reaching the DC office ...
Electioneering ends for 13 UP seats; Modi, Priyanka hold meetings
Feverish campaigning came to an end Saturday evening for the 13 fourth-phase Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh with top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making a last-minute pitch for votes. Modi addressed rallies in Kannauj and Hardoi, two of the UP seats which go to the polls in the fourth phase of voting on Monday. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav too spent much of the day in Kannauj, the seat from where his wife Dimple Yadav is seeking re-election. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi was in Unnao on the last day of electioneering. In 2014, the BJP won 12 of these 13 seats in the state. Only Kannauj, won by the Samajwadi Party, defied the Modi wave that year among them. The other constituencies where elections will be held on April 29 are Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Mishrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kanpur, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur. Apart from the back-to-back rallies in Kannauj and Hardoi on Saturday, Modi ..