Page 760 - Politics

Kejri damaged statehood cause; no need of it to providing basic amenities: BJP

There is no need for full statehood status for Delhi in order to provide basic amenities like power and water supply, the BJP said Thursday, hitting out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "damaging" the cause by "obstructing" the Republic Day parade in 2014. The party was referring to dharna the chief minister had staged outside the Rail Bhavan in January 2014 and sit-on at the Lieutenant Governor's office here. Shyam Jaju, BJP's national vice president and party in-charge of Delhi, said that unless there is a constitutional amendment, this goal cannot be achieved. The AAP on Thursday came out with its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election based on the central theme of full statehood, promising 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. "There is no need for full statehood to Delhi for providing basic amenities like sufficient power, water supply, prevention of pollution, maintenance of sewers, roads, providing health services, employment, ..

Patnaik says no national party will get number to form govt

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday claimed that trends from the three phases of polling held so far indicate no national party will get the required number to form government at the Centre. Patnaik's comment comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating at an election meeting in Balasore on April 23, that the BJP was certain to form government at the Centre on the basis of feedback received from the three phases of polling. "Now, after the three phases of polling, it is clear that no national party will be able to form government on their own," the CM said, addressing a series of election rallies in Mayurbhanj district. Odisha will have a major role to play in the new government formation, he said, urging people to "bless" the his Biju Janata Dal, both in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Patnaik also accused Modi of visiting the state frequently only during elections. "The PM did not come to Odisha when people were ..

Rahul to blame if Modi-Shah return to power: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be responsible if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power in the Lok Sabha polls, promising his party will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo in Delhi.

Kejriwal hits out at Cong, BJP at party manifesto launch

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal hit out at both the Congress and the BJP at the launch of his party's manifesto Thursday, accusing the ruling party of fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing the country and claiming that Rahul Gandhi would be solely responsible if the BJP came back to power. The AAP, in the manifesto, has promised 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. The party also promised to fill up vacancies in the police force to ensure women's safety and a house for all Delhiites in 10 years. Kejriwal said the BJP is fulfilling Pakistan's agenda of dividing India and asserted that his party would do everything to stop the Modi-Shah duo from coming back to power. He also hit out at Gandhi, saying the Congress president would be the only person responsible if the BJP came back to power. He slammed the Gandhi scion days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. "I can say that we tried our ...

TRS trying to strip us of Opposition status, says Congress

Congress in Telangana Thursday alleged the ruling TRS was conspiring to strip it of its main opposition status in the state assembly through defection of MLAs, and make the AIMIM as the main opposition. State Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters here his party had complained to Governor ESL Narasimhan, when a delegation of opposition parties met him, about the TRS allegedly encouraging defection of its MLAs. The complaint came in the backdrop of the announcement of 11 of the 19 Congress MLAs that they have decided to quit the party and join TRS. Reddy hit out at the TRS over reports that the ruling party was planning to enlist the support of two more Congress MLAs (altogether 13) and make them seek the merger of Congress Legislature Party with itself (TRS). The MLAs, who switch sides, would not attract the provisions of anti-defection law if two-thirds of the total MLAs leave the party. "I will tell you the news I am hearing about this CLP merger. KCR ..

AAP's Lok Sabha election manifesto focuses on full statehood for Delhi

It counters the perception that Delhi cannot be granted full statehood as New Delhi is the national capital

Modi show in Varanasi: 'We responded to terrorists in their own language'

Asserting that his commitment was to "India first", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government had given a response to terrorists "in their own language", in a reference to the IAF strike at Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camps in Pakistans Balakot.

Cong slams Kejriwal for 'Hindu-Muslim vote' remark, says he is doing what BJP does

The Congress slammed Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday for the AAP supremo's remarks that the grand old party was not getting a single Hindu vote while Muslims were confused, saying he was doing what the BJP did and mixing politics with religion. Speaking at the launch of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) manifesto for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote while Muslims were a little confused. Hitting back at the AAP chief, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak said, "I feel Kejriwalji himself is confused." She said the top leadership of the Congress had extended a hand of friendship towards Kejriwal for an alliance, but he brushed it aside. "Then he says the Congress is responsible if (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji wins. In Delhi, now he is mixing politics and religion," Nayak said, while asking whether Kejriwal had joined electoral politics for this alternative politics. "I remember the big dreams he had shown -- morality

New India gives befitting reply to terror: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday stressed on national security, saying a New India gives a befitting reply to terrorism. Addressing a meeting after a massive show of strength in his Lok Sabha constituency, Modi said his government had dealt effectively against terrorism. In an apparent reference to the Balakot air strike after Pakistan-based militants killed 40 para-military men in Pulwama, he said the world now backed India in its fight against terror. Modi also referred to the recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, saying innocent people observing Easter lost their lives. The prime minister will file his nomination papers Friday, seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from the constituency. Modi said he will not claim that whatever he had wished for the constituency had come true during the last five years. But the pace and the direction of its development are right, he said. He said while the last five years of his government were about sincere effort, the next five years will be ...

CPI complains to EC against BJP chief

The Communist Party of India has complained to the Election Commission against BJP chief Amit Shah saying he violated the model code of conduct by invoking armed forces to seek votes.

AAP promises zero corruption, Jan Lokpal

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday promised to promulgate the Jan Lokpal Bill to give Delhi the "most effective Lokpal", in its Delhi manifesto for 2019 elections, among the few steps to ensure zero corruption.

Congress seeks to disqualify Alpesh Thakore as MLA

In a stern action, the Gujarat Congress here on Thursday made a representation to the State Assembly to disqualify rebel legislator Alpesh Thakore, who had resigned recently from all the posts of the party.

Pawar and Raj are hand in glove: BJP

The BJP alleged Thursday that there was a tacit understanding between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Thackeray is holding rallies across Maharashtra, 'fact-checking' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and his government's claims, and asking people not to vote for the BJP. State minister and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said it was obvious whose "script" Raj Thackeray's had adopted. "Pawar and Thackeray have addressed public rallies at different places, but their language is same. Pawar said the Modi government and BJP are heading for dictatorship. The same was repeated by Raj Thackeray," Tawde said here. While Pawar said Modi was seeking votes in the name of martyrs, the MNS president made the same allegation, he added. "People now know on whose script Raj Thackeray is working," the BJP leader said. Tawde also slammed the MNS chief for bringing Monica More, a railway accident victim, on stage at his rally in suburban Bhandup. "When Monica met .

49 candidates file nominations in Punjab on Thursday

Forty-nine candidates filed their nomination papers on Thursday, the fourth day of the process, to contest the Lok Sabha election to be held in single phase in the state on May 19, a senior poll panel official said. So far, 107 nominations have been filed, Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said in a release here. Congress candidates Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Amar Singh, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Akali nominee D S Guru, Apna Punjab Party candidate Dharmavira Gandhi were prominent among those who filed their papers. Warring, Singh, Bittu, Guru and Gandhi filed their nomination from Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala, respectively. AAP candidate Peter Masih filed his papers from Gurdaspur seat while Punjab Ekta Party nominee Paramjit Kaur Khalra from Khadoor Sahib seat. The nomination process will continue till April 29. The scrutiny of the nominations will be done on April 30 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature will be May 2. Voting ...

Modi, Yogi yet to answer Akhilesh's queries: SP

Taking a cue from Congress President Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat Assembly elections campaign, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been asking one question each to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath every day since late March.

Will share 'vision document' that will focus on youth, development of Amristar" Hardeep Puri

BJP candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday said he will share a "vision document" that will focus on education, the youth and the development of the city. The BJP has pitted Puri against sitting MP and Congress candidate Gurjit Singh Aujla, and AAP's Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. "Earlier this year on February 15, when I had visited the city, I was asked by journalists about my future plan to contest the elections from here, but I had declined. Now, the party high command has asked me to contest and the party is supreme, he said. On the Congress party calling him an "outsider", Puri said, "somebody should ask Congress president Rahul Gandhi why he was contesting from Kerala." Besides his stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi is also contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala. Talking about his election agenda, Puri said, "In the next three days I will share my 'vision document' before the media about a developmental plan for and a special ..

Kejriwal betrayed Delhi, people fed up with AAP: Dikshit

Delhi Congress chief and Delhi North East candidate Sheila Dikshit on Thursday accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of betraying the people of the city and said that the people are fed up with the AAP's "theatrics".

AAP manifesto harps on full statehood for Delhi (Roundup)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is contesting all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, in its election manifesto on Thursday promised to secure full statehood for Delhi.

Vikhe-Patil quits as Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil's resignation as Leader of Opposition been accepted on Thursday by the Congress high command, a party official said here.

Congress will win all 7 LS seats in Delhi under Rahul's dynamic leadership: Dikshit

Shouldering the responsibility of leading the Congress into the rough electoral battle ahead in the national capital, octogenarian Sheila Dikshit Thursday joined the hustle and bustle by launching her election office in North East Delhi constituency. Dikshit is pitted against sitting MP and Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and AAP's Dilip Pandey in a triangular contest on the seat, one of the most keenly watched contest. After opening her office in Yamuna Vihar area, she said Congress will win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi under the "dynamic" leadership of Rahul Gandhi. "The Congress party, under the dynamic leadership of party president Rahul Gandhi, can take the country forward by ensuring all-round development, and win all the seven seats in Delhi," the veteran Congress leader said. She asked party workers to win over the trust and confidence of people, claiming only a Congress government can ensure stability and development. The Congress has fielded its senior leaders in .