Page 800 - Politics
142 candidates file nominations in Haryana so far
On the penultimate day of filing nominations in Haryana, 86 nominations were filed by 64 candidates on Monday, an official said.
US ends Iran oil waivers for India, warns of sanction (2nd Lead)
US President Donald Trump announced on Monday he is ending the waiver given to India to buy Iranian oil and Washington has threatened sanctions if New Delhi does not not comply with the embargo.
Power, industrialists more important for BJP than public: Priyanka
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the BJP on Monday, saying for the saffron party, industrialists and power are more important than the public. Campaigning for her mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh told an election meeting at Amwa village, "The people of this region have seen politics and they understand that service and dedication are its main aim. Sonia Gandhi is your MP and you have seen the development works she has done for this region. She has done it not as a favour, but as her duty." Accusing the BJP of spreading lies, she alleged that for the leaders of the ruling party, the public is not important, but ministerial posts, industrialists and power are. Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate (Dinesh Pratap Singh) from Rae Bareli, Priyanka claimed that he had once vouched not to leave the Congress, but a few days later, had joined the saffron party. Accusing the BJP of not
Modi attacks Cong for 'criminal negligence' on defence production
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday accused successive Congress governments of "not letting" the country become self-reliant in defence production after Independence, and termed it a "criminal negligence". At an election rally here, Modi said when India got Independence, the country had a 150-year experience in defence production and had 18 operational ordnance factories. "On the other hand, China had no factory in defence production during that period. But now the neighbouring country is not only self-reliant in that sector but is also an exporter," he said, adding when he came to power in 2014, he pushed defence production which has increased manyfold now. He also questioned the Congress' policy of zero-tolerance against terror. "After the 26/11 attacks of 2008, the Congress had promised zero tolerance against terrorism in its 2009 manifesto. "In Pune there was a blast, the Congress remained tight-lipped as if nothing had happened. Mumbai was rocked by blasts... still the Congress' .
Union minister Arjun Meghwal gets EC notice for sending bulk SMSs
Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Monday received a notice from the district election office for sending bulk SMSs during election campaign without taking prior permission. The notice was issued by District Election Officer Kumar Pal Gautam, officials said. The Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has been asked to reply within 24 hours. The notice stated that bulk SMS service used during election campaigning comes under pre-certification ambit, so permission has to be taken from the poll body's monitoring committee.
72-hour campaigning ban on Sidhu
The Election Commission Monday censured Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and barred him from campaigning for 72 hours for alleged communal remarks during an election rally in Bihar. The ban comes into force from 10 am on Tuesday. Addressing an election rally in Katihar on April 16, the cricketer-turned-politician had stoked a controversy when he urged Muslim voters to vote en bloc and defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the time Sidhu was canvassing in support of veteran Congress leader and former union minister Tariq Anwar.
Rahul's regret in Supreme Court further erodes his credibility: Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday said Rahul Gandhi has very low credibility which has been eroded further with the Congress president expressing regret in the Supreme Court over his statement in connection with the Rafale judgment. Gandhi, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court Monday said, his April 10 statement with regard to Rafale was "purely political" and was made to counter the "misinformation campaign" being led by senior BJP functionaries as well as the government that the December 14 last year judgment gave a "clean chit" to the Modi government on the Rafale deal. The Congress president was responding to a Court notice on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi alleging that Gandhi has attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice. Jaitley, in a video message said, Gandhi has a "very low level of credibility which has been eroded even further" by his expression of "regret" in the Supreme Court. "He (Gandhi) had no qualms in taking ...
Mehbooba, Omar ask govt to release 'ill' Malik from NIA custody
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah Monday appealed to the Centre to immediately release separatist leader Yasin Malik from the NIA custody in view of his failing health. Malik, who was placed under arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case related to funding of separatists and terror organisations, had complained of chest pain on April 19. He was sent to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in New Delhi for a medical check up and doctors discharged him after a routine examination. He has since been sent to Tihar jail on judicial custody. "It is unfortunate. Malik is very ill. Sadhvi Pragya (Thakur) has been granted bail because of her ill health, but is contesting election and is spewing venom everywhere. She has been let off, but Malik, who is very ill and his life is under threat, has been kept in prison. "I would like to appeal the government to immediately release Malik so that he gets treatment. God forbid, if something bad happens ..
China likely to soften stand on Masood Azhar in a month
China is likely to ease its hard position on the issue of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar within a month, sources indicated on Monday, after Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale shared "all evidences" with the Chinese leadership in Beijing about the Pakistan-based outfit's terror activities.
Bengal wants Modi to contest from there: Vijayvargiya
A day ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Monday said there is a demand from the people of the state that Prime Minister Modi should contest from Bengal.
Three independent candidates withdrew nominations from Ladakh LS seat
Three independent candidates Monday withdrew their nomination papers from the Ladakh parliamentary constituency of Jammu and Kashmir, setting the stage for a quadrilateral contest, officials said. Ladakh is going to polls in the last phase of the five-phased elections in the state on May 6. The three independent candidates -- Tsering Namgyal, Kacho Mohammad Feroz and Asgar Ali -- withdrew on the last day of the withdrawal of nomination papers, leaving the BJP and the Congress candidates besides two independents in the fray, the officials said. Out of the six parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh has the least number of polling stations, 559, for the lowest number of voters, 1,71,819. Leh and Kargil districts have 294 and 265 polling stations, respectively. The Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency is the largest in India in terms of the area though. Veteran leader Thupstan Chhewang had won the Ladakh parliamentary seat for the BJP for the first time in 2014 by a narrow ...
Modi to file nomination on April 26
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi on April 26 and will be accompanied by the party's top brass, including BJP national president Amit Shah. Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states and BJP allies are expected to attend the event, party sources said. Modi will file the nomination papers from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on April 26, they said, adding a road show will be held there on April 25. Various leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, are slated to attend the road show, the sources said. "Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be filing his nomination later this week and given his track record as a Member of Parliament and Prime Minister, Varanasi will be looking forward to welcoming him," BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said. Modi represents Varanasi in the Parliament. The city of temples votes on May 19.
BJP fields Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi, Meenakshi Lekhi from New Delhi
The BJP Monday fielded former cricketer Gautam Gambhir from the East Delhi constituency and renominated Meenakshi Lekhi from New Delhi. The party has so far announced its candidates for six of the seven seats in the national capital. Gambhir has replaced Maheish Girri as the party's candidate and will take on Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress and Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Lekhi is pitted against AAP's Brajesh Goel and Ajay Maken of the Congress. The BJP had on Sunday fielded its four sitting MPs from Delhi -- Harsh Vardhan from Chandni Chowk, Manoj Tiwari from North-east Delhi, Pravesh Verma from West Delhi and Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi. The party is yet to name its candidate for the North-west Delhi constituency. The BJP had won all seven seats in the national capital in the last election.
Mueller report raises questions on role of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Towards the end of the 448-page Mueller report to investigate possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election is a reference to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Zelensky wins Ukrainian presidency by landslide
Actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, 41, with no political experience other than portraying President in a TV series, scored a landslide victory in Ukraine's presidential election by winning won over 73 per cent of the vote, the media reported.
SP declares candidates for three seats
The Samajwadi Party Monday declared candidates for three seats in Uttar Pradesh, including for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi. Shalini Yadav, who joined SP Monday evening, was given ticket from Varanasi and Sanjay Chauhan was declared from Chandauli, a party release said. The SP also fielded former BJP leader Ram Charitra Nishad from Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat in place of Rajendra S Bind, it said. Nishad, a BJP MP from Machlishahr constituency, had last week joined the SP in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Varanasi, Chandauli and Mirzapur constituencies will got to polls in the last phase on May 19.
US ends Iran oil waiver, India says studying implications
India said on Monday it is studying the implications of the US decision to no longer exempt it from penalties for importing oil from Iran.
23 MPs in 3rd phase had below 75% attendance in LS
As 117 Lok Sabha constituencies go to the polls on Tuesday, a look at the data on the sitting MPs' participation in the Parliament shows that 23 out of the 76 candidates contesting elections in the third phase had lower than 75 per cent attendance.
BJP candidate tried to divide Bengal, fled Darjeeling: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at Union Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from the state S.S. Ahluwalia, accusing him of "conspiring to divide Bengal" by fomenting unrest in the Darjeeling hills and later fleeing from there.
BJP's ex-Hamirpur MP Suresh Chandel joins Cong
Former BJP MP from Hamirpur constituency Suresh Chandel joined the Congress party on Monday. The three-time MP met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and joined the party in the presence of Himachal Congress president Kuldeep Rathore and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for the state Rajni Patil. Chandel had won the Lok Sabha polls from the Hamirpur seat in 1998, 1999, and 2004 as a BJP candidate. After Chandel, the seat has been represented in the Lok Sabha by BJP's Anurag Thakur.