Page 787 - Politics
Lone voter from Gir Forest casts vote in Banej
The Election Commission of India (ECI) set up a polling booth for Mahant Bharatdas Bapu, who resides inside Gir Forest, to cast his vote on Tuesday in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.Two days ago, around five polling officers, including police personnel travelled 70 kilometres inside the dense forest to set up a polling booth at Banej its lone voter, Bapu.Situated in Somanth district, Banej is part of Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency, which witnessed polling today along with 25 other Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.Bapu received a warm welcome at Banej with a beautiful bouquet of flowers."Government spent a lot in setting up the polling booth. People should come out and vote in large numbers. I never miss out a chance to exercise my vote. The election team especially came here for me and it shows that every vote matters. I am happy to tell you that this booth has a distinction of registering 100 per cent voter percentage," Bapu said while speaking to ANI."I am proud that I have ..
Rahul raises Chowkidar slogan; promises to make Rafale in
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuessay once again raised the slogan "Chowkidar chor hai", and promised that if voted to power, his party would ensure that Rafale fighter jets are manufactured in India. He was addressing a rally at Sihora in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. "This is a beautiful slogan. Chwokidar...," he said. To which the people replied, "Chor hai." The Congress chief reiterated his allegation that for the benefit of industrialist Anil Ambani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi "gave Rs 30,000 crore" to the former's company. The price of the fighther jet increased from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,600 crore under the contract signed by the Modi government, and the contract to manufacture the jets was given to Ambani's firm instead of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), he further alleged. "If Congress is voted to power, I will ensure that Rafale jets are made in India and not in France. The new deal will protect the interest of India and not of France," the ...
Patnaik's exit is certain : Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said that the exit of the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha is certain as the ruling BJD in Odisha has adopted the culture of violence, akin to that in West Bengal, fearing defeat in the ongoing polls. "I want to tell Naveen Babu that you are going. It has been decided and a handful of officers cannot save you," he said. Modi said that he had remained silent and refrained from criticising Patnaik during the election campaign for the two previous phases. "I had been maintaining decorum as I wanted Naveenbabu to quit office in a dignified manner. But BJDs act of unleashing violence against BJP workers in the past 10-12 days, like in Bengal, compelled me to speak out. Naveenbabu aapka jana taya hain (Naveen babu your going is certain)". Patnaik had on Monday accused BJP of resorting to falsehood, lies and violence during the polls. Simulatneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls are on in the state. The people of Odisha are angry due to the
Trump to make first state visit to UK in June
US President Donald Trump will make his first state visit to the UK between June 3 and 5, Buckingham Palace announced Tuesday, more than two years after an invitation was first extended. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be welcomed as guests of Queen Elizabeth II during a three-day visit to the UK. While details of the engagements during the official visit will be unveiled over time, Downing Street said the US President will hold discussions with British Prime Minister Theresa May during the tour. "The President of the United States of America, President Donald J Trump, accompanied by Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from Monday 3 June to Wednesday 5 June 2019," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "President Trump and Mrs Trump previously joined The Queen for tea at Windsor Castle in July 2018," the statement noted. The confirmation comes amid much speculation around a formal US state ...
J-K Police arrest PhD scholar from Bhatinda on terror link suspicion
Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a student of the Central University of Punjab in Bhatinda on suspicion of his involvement in alleged terror activities.According to the Punjab Police, the arrested student has been identified as Hilal Ahmed who is pursuing PhD from the university."Five cops including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (of Jammu and Kashmir) had come to the university to arrest a 22-year-old PhD student," Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said Tuesday.An arrest warrant was issued against the student, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, on suspicion of his alleged involvement in terror-related activities in the valley.Singh denied giving further details saying that an investigation was on by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Varanasi: Telangana farmers may contest against Modi
Fifty turmeric farmers from Nizamabad district of Telangana plan to contest the election against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency to highlight their problems.
Badal hits out at Amarinder Singh for criticising PM for his remarks on nukes
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Tuesday said Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh never chided Pakistan for making "threatening" statements against India, but was quick to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on nuclear arsenal. He asked the chief minister why does it "trouble" him when India responds to Pakistani threats. "He (Amarinder Singh) has never thought it fit to criticise Pakistan and its leaders who never miss an opportunity to threaten India about the use of nuclear weapon," Badal said addressing a gathering here. Singh on Monday had termed as "highly irresponsible" the remarks of Modi on nuclear arsenal, saying the statement was made with an eye on the polls. Modi, at an election rally in Rajasthan's Barmer, Sunday said India is no more afraid of nuclear threats of Pakistan. "Otherwise, Pakistan used to give nuclear threats. What do we have? Have we kept it for 'Diwali'? (Warna aay din nuclear button hai, ye kehte the. Hamare paas kya hai?
N Korea's Kim to meet Putin Thursday in Russia's Far East
Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin will meet in Russia's Far East on Thursday, the Kremlin said, as the North Korean leader looks to rebuild ties with an old ally amid a standoff with the United States. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the meeting -- the first between the two men -- would take place in the Pacific coast city of Vladivostok, before Putin heads to Beijing for another summit. "The focus will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula," Ushakov told a briefing on Tuesday. "Russia intends to help consolidate positive trends in every way," he said. Anticipation for the summit had been building since the Kremlin announced last week the two men would meet by the end of April. Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place. The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim last year embarked on a series ..
US decision to end Iran oil waiver is Modi's 'diplomatic failure': Cong
The Congress on Tuesday described the US' decision of not renewing its waiver that let countries buy Iranian oil as an "attack" on India's political and economic sovereignty, and alleged that it is the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic "failure". The opposition party also alleged that Prime Minister Modi has directed oil companies not to increase the prices of petrol and diesel till May 23 so that he can "garner votes". The Trump administration on Monday decided not to renew the waiver that let countries import Iranian oil without facing US sanctions. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, at a press conference here, said the American decision to impose sanctions on all countries that buy oil from Iran or have commercial ties with that country is a "direct attack on India's political and economic sovereignty". "Our demand is whether the prices increase or not is up to the oil companies but the fact is that if we don't buy oil from Iran, prices have already crossed ...
Four candidates file nominations for Kangra LS seat
Four candidates filed their nomination papers for the Kangra Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday, an electoral official said. Subhash Sharma of Himachal Jan Kranti Party, Prem Chand Vishwakarma of the Nav Bharat Ekta Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party's Kehar Singh and Swabhiman Party's Sawroop Singh Rana filed their nominations before the District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Kangra Sandeep Kumar. The process of filing of nomination papers in Himachal Pradesh started Monday and it will continue till April 29. All four Himachal Lok Sabha seats -- Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur and Shimla -- will go to polls in the seventh and final phase on May 19.
Denied ticket in Delhi, Udit Raj hits out at BJP
Current BJP MP from North West Delhi Udit Raj on Tuesday accused the party of ignoring the hard work of ticket aspirants and instead depending on some "inscrutable internal standards".
EVMs vulnerable to hacking, malfunctioning: Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday alleged that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are vulnerable to "hacking and programming errors", and urged the Election Commission (EC) to check all polling machines after elections.Addressing media here, Naidu said, "We have serious doubts about EVMs. I am a strong supporter of technology. But today, technology is very vulnerable. Every six months technology is changing. There are also technical problems, vulnerability and also malfunctioning. Only three countries out of the ten most populous countries in the world use EVMs. These countries are also not technologically strong.""The present government is destroying all democratic institutions one by one. EC is an independent body and its job is to ensure level playing field for all political parties. Today if we see the elections all political parties are being subjected to harassment. In Andhra, every raid of Income Tax and ED is happening on TDP, in Karnataka, JDS and ...
Udit Raj removes 'chowkidar' prefix after LS ticket denial, adds it back
BJP MP Udit Raj, who had removed the prefix 'chowkidar' from his Twitter handle, has added it back to his name.He had removed the prefix after BJP announced Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans' candidature from the North West Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday. Hans joined the party in 2016.However, Raj, who was elected from the constituency in 2014, later added the word 'chowkidar' before his name.Earlier in the day, he wrote on Twitter that he would resign from BJP if he is denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Delhi."I am waiting for ticket if not given to me I will do goodbye to party. I am still hopeful that I will file nomination from my constituency and BJP where I have worked hard and proved my metal. I hope I will not be forced to leave BJP by BJP itself," the MP tweeted."In 2014, I trusted the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and merged my "Indian Justice Party" with BJP. I now realise many smaller regional parties have benefited more by remaining independent. Is
100 turmeric farmers from Telangana, TN to contest from
In a bid to highlight their problems, about 100 turmeric farmers--50 each from Telangana and Tamil Nadu, are planning to file nominations as independents from the Varanasi constituency, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election. According to PK Deivasigamani, president of the Turmeric Farmers Association of India, they will file their nominations before April 29. "They are in the process of arranging funds towards deposit to contest the polls," he said. Varanasi will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19. "Whether it is the BJP government or Congress government, farmers are always neglected. About 50 farmers from Tamil Nadu and 50 from Telangana will be contesting from Varanasi. We want to highlight farmers issues. We never got any profitable price for our produce," Deivasigamani told PTI. He claimed all over the country, farmers were neglected as far as government policies are concerned. Deivasigamani alleged 381 farmers committed suicide last ...
Bhopal: Day after sadhvi FIR, BJP MP files papers as 'dummy'
Outgoing Bhopal MP Alok Sanjar Tuesday filed his nomination as a 'dummy' candidate from the seat, a day after police registered an FIR against party's official nominee Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur over remarks on the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, had boasted about her role in the demolition of the 16th century structure, inviting a show-cause notice from the Election Commission (EC), which also directed the police Monday to file an FIR against her. The Hindutva leader (48), currently out on bail, had filed her nomination papers Monday, which she believed was an "auspicious time" for her. Thakur was expected to file her papers "formally" Tuesday. The FIR was registered against her Monday night. Sanjar said he filed nomination papers on the directives of the party leadership. "I will follow all directives of the party leadership," he told PTI. Sanjar also said he was confident of Thakur's victory from
As LS polls ends in Karna, speculations of longevity of
Speculation about the longevity of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka has again come to the fore as the second phase polls drew to a close, with state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa Tuesday predicting its collapse after the May 23 election results. "We will win 22 Lok Sabha seats. After we win,the disagreement between Congress and JD(S) will increase hundred times and everyone expects it will have its impact on the government. Let's wait and watch," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Shimoga. "The rivalry has increased, there are internal bickerings... I don't see the Congress-JD(S) government surviving at any cost in the current political situation," he said. Speculations are rife within political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabha polls, which they fought in alliance, will have its implications on the longevity of the H D Kumaraswamy government. Though the leadership of both parties decided to fight the polls jointly, it was not
BJP, Cong did little to end poverty: Mayawati
BSP supremo Mayawati Tuesday said the BJP and Congress governments did little to address issues of poverty and unemployment. "Poverty and unemployment increased ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre. The Congress, too, has not kept its promises," Mayawati said while addressing an election meeting in support of SP-BSP candidate Manoj Agarwal here. The BSP supremo further said the GST and demonetisation were initiated by the BJP government without any preparation, leading to poverty and unemployment. "It also had an adverse impact on the country's economy," she said, adding that the BJP government misused the CBI and the ED to its advantage. Reminding people about corruption during the BJP and Congress regimes, Mayawati said the Bofors case took place during the Congress rule while the Rafale scam surfaced when the BJP was in power. She asked if the poverty of farmers could be removed with just Rs 6,000 being provided by the union government annually under a scheme. Attacking ..
By fielding Pragya Thakur, PM Modi has done "great favour" to Pakistan: Manish Tewari
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing "great favour" to Pakistan and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar by fielding Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur for the Bhopal parliamentary constituency. Tewari said the Congress will win all 13 seats in Punjab, which has always safeguarded secular and patriotic values in the country. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done great favour to Pakistan and JeM chief Masood Azhar by fielding Pragya Thakur, a terror accused, from Bhopal. "On one hand you are trying to build pressure on Pakistan and seeking international support to take action against Azhar and on the other hand you are fielding a terror accused in the parliamentary elections," Tewari said, after a roadshow here. The former union minister is the Congress' candidate for Anandpur Sahib seat. "For petty partisan reasons, the PM has done great disservice to the nation. That is why these elections are important as otherwise .
Delhi: Sheila Dikshit, Gambhir, Vijender file nominations
Three heavyweights including former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir and boxer Vijender Singh on Tuesday filed their nominations from their respective Lok Sabha seats.BJP has named Gambhir against three-time Gandhi Nagar MLA Arvind Singh Lovely of Congress and AAP's Atishi in East Delhi. Gambhir had joined BJP on March 22."Many people tweet on every issue but they do not come on the ground. BJP has given me the opportunity to implement my vision and thought," Gambhir told reporters after filing nomination."If AAP had worked in the last four-and-half years then they would not have been so desperate about the alliance (with the Congress)," he said.Congress has fielded Dikshit to take on sitting MP Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi parliamentary seat.When asked about the alliance with AAP, she said: "If any situation like this comes, then we will let you know."Earlier in the day, Congress' candidate Lovely also filed his nomination.Professional ..
Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu voice concern over EVM "manipulation"
People are in a mood to change the Modi-led government but manipulation of EVMs is the "only worrying factor", NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here Tuesday. He was speaking at a joint media interaction addressed by leaders of the Congress, NCP, TDP, Trinamool Congress, AAP CPI(M), CPI and DMK. "I have been to several constituencies. The people are in a mood to change (the government), they want a change both at the Centre and in the state. There is no question (about it)," Pawar said. "Our only worry is someone misusing this technology to manipulate elections...Our worry is manipulation through these machines," Pawar said. "EVMs are vulnerable to programming errors," TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu said, adding that the BJP can get votes only through manipulation. EVMs can be manipulated, hacked and even malfunction, he said. Only 18 countries have so far adopted EVMs, he added. Naidu said the economy, business and agriculture are in a bad shape under Prime Minister Narendra ..