Page 807 - Politics
Dhubri: Administration makes special arrangements for elders, specially-abled to help them cast their votes
The district administration has made special arrangements to increase voter's participation in polls in the Lok Sabha election.Dhubri Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the third phase on April 22.The administration is also making efforts to ensure that every specially abled person, senior citizens, and pregnant women are able to cast their votes in a hassle-free manner.District Welfare Organisation in Dhubri has identified 2,500 such specially abled people and senior citizens who will be provided with vehicles so that they can cast their votes.There are plans to deploy volunteers to help pregnant women as well.Senior citizen Ashwini Marak is quite excited to cast his vote. Ashwini belongs to Gauripur assembly constituency, which falls in Dhubri Lok Sabha seat.When someone comes to his home asking if he will cast his vote, he readily agrees. "Definitely, I am going to cast my vote," he says.
Harsh Vardhan, Manoj Tiwari and Parvesh Verma file nominations
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and sitting party MP Parvesh Verma filed their nomination on Monday for the Chandni Chowk, Northeast Delhi and West Delhi constituencies respectively. They also organised road shows which saw participation of Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel. The BJP had announced candidates for four seats in the national capital late on Sunday evening and had retained sitting MPs including Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi. During the road show, Vardhan who filed his nomination for the Chandni Chowk constituency was accompanied by Gadkari and Naqvi while Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman joined the road show organised by Parvesh Verma who is the sitting BJP MP from West Delhi. During his road show, which culminated at the office of Returning Officer, Northeast, Tiwari was accompanied by Goel. Haryanvi singer-dancer Sapna Choudhary and rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra also accompanied Tiwari.
India has shared evidence of JeM, Azhar's terrorist activities with China: MEA
India shared with China all evidence of terrorist activities of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and its leader Masood Azhar during Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's latest visit to Beijing, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.This comes as China placed a technical hold -- for the fourth time -- on the JeM chief's listing as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council, drawing flak as the latest blockage came in the wake of the gruesome Pulwama terror attack.India lost over 40 CRPF personnel when a JeM operative targetted a CRPF convoy with an explosive-laden vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14."It is now for the 1267 Sanctions Committee and other authorized bodies of the UN to take a decision on the listing of Masood Azhar. India will continue to pursue all available avenues to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens are brought to justice," Kumar reiterated, in response to media ...
Goa: Voting for 2 Lok Sabha seats; bypoll for 3 Assembly seats
Polling for two Lok Sabha seats and bypoll for three state Assembly seats in Goa will be held in a single phase Tuesday, election officials said Monday. Over 1,600 polling booths have been set up for the elections in North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha constituencies and Shiroda, Mapusa and Mandrem Assembly seats, they said. There are 12 candidates in the fray for the two Lok Sabha constituencies and 18 for the three Assembly seats. Around 11 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. The by-elections in Shiroda and Mandrem were necessitated after their sitting Congress MLAs resigned and joined the ruling BJP. The Mapusa seat fell vacant following the death of its sitting MLA. Suspension of mining and fall in tourism revenue are some of the issues on which the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in the coastal state traded charges during the campaign. The BJP has fielded its sitting MP and Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik from North Goa against state Congress ...
Cong has weakened India's stand on terrorism on several occasions: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India's stand against terrorism has been weakened on several occasions by the Congress party. Addressing a press conference here, Singh said, "They (Congress) have given a new theory of Hindu terrorism. There is no religion or caste of terrorism. Their new theory weakened India's stand against terrorism." He said repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was another such case which undermined India's stand. "In 2004, India had an agreement with Pakistan in which its former army chief had assured that the country will not provide shelter and allow terrorism to flourish on its soil, but Congress tried weakening India's stand, saying Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism," he said. The home minister said the opposition was doing politics over issues which should not be politicised. Instead of praising the defence forces after the airstrike in Balakot of Pakistan, the opposition parties questioned it with queries on number of ...
Factional complications in Cong, Modi factor to play role In Ballari LS seat: Sreeramulu
State BJP vice president B Sreeramulu has said factional complications in the Congress and the 'Modi wave' will play a major role in the saffron party regaining the Ballari Lok Sabha seat from sitting Congress MP V S Ugrappa. "The discord between Congress leaders -- D K Shivakumar and Ramesh Jarkiholi, besides Modi wave will play a major role in the defeat of sitting Congress MP Ugrappa," Sreeramulu, who was also the former minister, told PTI on Friday in an exclusive interview at his palatial mansion here. The BJP had fielded Y Devendrappa, who interestingly, is a relative of Jarkiholi brothers. There has been a growing discord between the two leaders after Belagavi strongman Jarkiholi was dropped from H D Kumaraswamy-led cabinet. The disgruntled leader then tried holding negotiations with BJP president Amit Shah to destabilise the state government with the BJP's support. The Congress, thereafter, filed disqualification petition on February 2 against Jarkiholi and three other MLAs --
Modi's N-threat highly irresponsible: Amarinder
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on India's nuclear arsenal was "highly irresponsible".
BJP MP Udit Raj asks party to clear confusion over his candidature
Apprehending that his party may deny him a ticket, sitting BJP MP from the reserved Northwest Delhi parliamentary seat Udit Raj on Monday asked the BJP to clear the confusion over his candidature for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. In a series of tweets, Raj said he believed that the BJP will not betray dalits in the country. The BJP has announced its candidates on four parliamentary seats in Delhi. The names of candidates on three seats, including Northwest Delhi are yet to be announced. Nomination process for the polls will conclude on Tuesday. "I merged my party in the BJP, crores of my supporters are worried over my ticket. My name has not been declared from the North West Delhi seat yet. My supporters have decided to wait till 4 PM today," Raj tweeted. Raj merged his Indian Justice Party (IJP) with the BJP and contested Lok Sabha election from North West Delhi in the 2014 polls. "I tried to talk to BJP president Amit Shah many times and sent him SMS as well. I also tried to talk to
'Disowned' BJP MP Udit Raj tweets his disappointment
MP Udit Raj on Monday took to Twitter to express his disappointment at not receiving a party ticket to field elections, a day after the BJP announced its candidates for four parliamentary seats in Delhi."Amit Shah ji, I have been trying to talk to you many times. I have sent an SMS to you. I also tried to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Manoj Tiwari is saying that I will get the ticket. I tried to speak to Nirmala Sitharaman as well. I have requested Arun Jaitely," Raj tweeted."I merged my party, my supporters are restless about my ticket. My name has not been announced from North West Delhi. My supporters have asked me to wait till 4 pm today," he further tweeted."At the end, I expect the BJP that they will not cheat dalits," he said in another tweet.On Sunday, the BJP announced its candidates for four parliamentary seats of Delhi.The party has fielded Harsh Vardhan from Chandni Chowk, Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi, Pravesh Verma from West Delhi and Ramesh Bidhuri from ..
BJP creating communal divide by giving Bhopal ticket to Pragya Thakur: Kamal Nath
The BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur has no record of political or public service and was nominated just to create a communal divide, the only card left with the party, says Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath. The Bharatiya Janata Party has been invoking nationalistic issues during the election season to divert people's attention from its failures, Nath said. " basically the BJP is trying to create a communal divide because that's the only card they have left. But what the BJP does not realise is that the people of the country are intelligent enough to know that this communal card is for political purposes, he told PTI in an interview. Thakur, who was recently nominated by the BJP to contest against the Congress' Digvijay Singh, is out on bail in the Malegaon blast case of 2008. She is under fire for saying Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare died during the 26/11 terror attacks because she cursed him for "torturing" her ..
Rahul Gandhi's credibility has taken a beating, says Nirmala Sitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the credibility of Congress president Rahul Gandhi has taken a beating after his faux pass over 'Chowkidar Hi Chor Hai' remark involving the Supreme Court.Sitharaman said: "Rahul Gandhi's credibility has taken a beating. People in public life generously go on saying untruth. It is a matter of grief to repeat the untruth." "I feel sorry that the president of a national party like the Congress depends only on falsehood," she told media persons here.The Defence Minister was responding to Gandhi's regret over his own remark where he had claimed that the apex court while giving an order on the admissibility of three documents in Rafale fighter jet deal had said that 'Chowkidar Chor Hai.'Earlier in the day, Gandhi expressed his regret before the Supreme Court over his 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' remark and said that his statements were "used and misused" by the political opponents and that he "gave the statements in the heat of political ...
Cong fields Yogesh Sukla from Allahabad
The Congress Monday announced names of three more Lok Sabha candidates in Uttar Pradesh, including Yogesh Shukla from the Allahabad constituency. The party also fielded Chandresh Upadhyay from Domariyaganj and Bhal Chand Yadav from Sant Kabir Nagar in place of Pervez Khan. With this, the Congress has so far declared candidates from 421 Lok Sabha seats. Earlier in the day, the Congress announced names of candidates for six Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, fielding three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit from North-East Delhi and former Union minister Ajay Maken from New Delhi. The Congress also fielded J P Agarwal from Chandni Chowk, Arvinder Singh Lovely from East Delhi, Rajesh Lilothia from North-West Delhi and Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi.
Mehbooba hits out at PM for bringing nuclear bombs in political discourse
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing nuclear bombs in the political discourse, saying if India has not kept the nuclear bomb for Diwali, Pakistan has not kept its for Eid. During a rally in Rajasthan's Barmer Sunday, Modi had said India is no more afraid of nuclear threats of Pakistan. "Otherwise every other day 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? Ye diwali ke liye rakha hai kya)," he asserted. Mufti tweeted, "If India hasn't kept nuclear bomb for Diwali, it's obvious Pakistan's not kept theirs for Eid either. Don't know why PM Modi must stoop so low & reduce political discourse to this.
Headed home to vote, migrant workers wade into 'Modi vs Didi' debate
Lack of jobs compels many to leave their homes and families in search of livelihood, a quest for a better life that brings with it great struggle in its train. Migrant workers returning home to vote in the parliamentary election in West Bengal recount stories of their struggles and express their hopes and expectations on a railroad journey. It will be "didi" in Delhi this time, said a group of men travelling in the Krishnanagar-Lalgola local train to Murshidabad, drawing sharp retort from a few others seated next, who feel apart from retaining power at the Centre, "Modi's party" will sweep in West Bengal. As the three constituencies in Murshidabad go to polls over the next few days, trains to the district are packed to the full with migrant labourers returning home to cast their votes. Murshidabad district, along with Malda, send lakhs of labourers from the state to across the country, especially to southern states. Rejaul from the Raninagar area of Murshidabad is one of them who ...
BJP Dalit leader gives deadline to party over ticket
Accusing top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of being unavailable, Udit Raj, sitting MP from North West Delhi, on Monday gave the party a deadline of 4 p.m. to announce the name for his parliamentary constituency.
Rahul Gandhi has lost credibility: Sitharaman
Defence Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi has lost his credibility after he expressed regret over his remarks on the Supreme Court's order in the Rafale jet deal.
Ukraine vaults into unknown after comic elected president
Ukraine took a leap into the unknown Monday as comedian Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president on promises of change but just a vague blueprint of what he might do as leader. Zelensky, whose only previous political role was playing the president in a TV show, trounced incumbent Petro Poroshenko in Sunday's election in a stinging rebuke to the establishment fueled by anger over war and social injustice. Ukrainians looked to the future with hope and anxiety after the performer took 73 percent of the vote, according to nearly complete official results. The star of the sitcom "Servant of the People", now in its third season, has vowed to stick to the pro-European course set out by his predecessor. But he has also said he will try to improve ties with arch-enemy Russia. On the streets of Kiev, many praised honest elections and a peaceful transfer of power after popular uprisings of 2004 and 2014. "People showed that they want change," 28-year-old Karina told AFP. "We had the most honest
After virulent campaign, Karna set for second phase poll
After a rancorous campaign for about a month, the remaining 14 out of total 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will go to polls in the second and final phase Tuesday, with the battle lines clearly delineated for a bipolar contest between the ruling Congress-JD(S) and the BJP. The constituencies that are going to polls in the second phase are mostly in the northern belt of the state, covering the entire Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnataka regions, a couple of central districts and coastal Uttara Kannada. BJP that has considerable presence in the region aims to improve its tally banking on the "Modi wave" and the support of dominant Lingayat community, considered as it's vote base. For ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, it is a high stake battle as their performance in this poll is likely to have its bearing on the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy in the state. Realising the crucial vote of Karnataka in the wake of perceived challenges in northern state, Prime
BJP to scrap Art 370 in J&K; introduce NRC in the country:Shah
BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said his party will scrap Article 370 of the Constitution which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and introduce National Register for Citizens across the country after returning to power. Shah accused TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee of questioning the air strikes to "appease" her minority vote bank and wryly said she can do "Ilu Ilu" (I love you) with Pakistan but if that country fire bullets on us we would respond with cannon balls. On the campaign trail in West Bengal's Uluberia Lok Sabha seat in Howrah and Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia, Shah demanded the TMC chief to clarify whether she too favoured a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir like her ally National Conference leader Omar Abdullah. 'Apko (Mamata) Pakistan ke saath ilu ilu (I love you) karna hain toh kijiye. Lekin agar Pakistan goli marega toh hum gola marenge' (If you are interested in showing love with Pakistan, you can do that but we would respond to ..
Pakistan criticises confinement of JKLF chief Yasin Malik
Pakistan on Monday criticised India for arresting and confining separatist leader Yasin Malik in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested JKLF chief Malik on April 10 after a special NIA court in Jammu gave the go ahead for his custodial interrogation by the probe agency. Malik, who was shifted to Tihar jail under police protection, was taken into preventive custody in February by the Jammu and Kashmir police and shifted to Jammu's Kot Balwal jail. Malik, whose organisation JKLF was banned last month by the Centre, is also facing two CBI cases. These relate to the kidnapping of Rubaiya Saeed, daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, in 1989, and the killing of four IAF personnel in 1990. Pakistan strongly condemns the continuing incarceration and deteriorating health of Yasin Malik since February 22 on trumped up charges, Pakistan's foreign office said in a ...