Page 848 - Politics
BJP expels four rebel candidates in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra unit of the BJP on Thursday announced expulsion of four party leaders who are contesting the Lok Sabha election against official candidates of the BJP or its allies in the state. Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Anil Gote, Manikrao Kokate and Suhas Natavadkar were expelled for violating the party discipline, a BJP source said. BJP MLA Anil Gote is contesting as independent against BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre from Dhule-Malegaon. In Nandurbar, Natavadkar, a local BJP leader, is contesting the election against the party's official candidate and sitting MP Heena Gavit. Manikrao Kokate, who was eyeing the party ticket from Nashik, is contesting against the Shiv Sena's sitting MP Hemant Godse. In the seat-sharing deal between the Shiv Sena and BJP, the seat fell in the Sena's quota. Wakchaure, a former MP, is contesting against Sena nominee Sadashiv Lokhande in Shirdi.
AAP to field candidates from Ambala, Karnal and Faridabad in Haryana
The Aam Aadmi Party will field candidates from Ambala, Karnal and Faridabad in Haryana, the AAP and the JJP announced in a joint press conference Thursday. The AAP and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) have formed an alliance in the state and they will fight the Lok Sabha elections on three and seven seats respectively. In the press conference, the JJP announced names of its candidates from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Sirsa, Rohtak and Hisar seats. JJP founder Dushyant Chautala said he will seek re-election from Hisar, while Pradeep Deswala will be the party's candidate from Rohtak. Nirmal Singh Malhadi will contest from Sirsa and Swati Yadav from BhiwaniMahendragarh, he said. The AAP will field candidates from Ambala, Karnal and Faridabad and their names would be announced soon, senior leader Gopal Rai said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has said there will be no alliance with the Congress in Haryana after the grand old party refused to have a tie-ups in any other state apart from ...
Manish Tewari urges people to vote for Cong like they did in 2017 Punjab assembly polls
Senior Congress leader and party candidate for Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat Manish Tewari Thursday asked people to vote for the Congress the way they did for the party in the 2017 Punjab assembly polls. "The way you voted for Amarinder Singh in 2017 giving him 77 assembly seats, in a similar way you must vote for the Congress this time also as it is the only party that takes along everyone and does not discriminate against anyone irrespective of caste, creed or colour," Tewari said. Tewari was addressing workers' meeting organised by local MLA Angad Singh after paying obeisance at Khatkar Kalan at the memorial of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. The Congress had stormed to power in 2017 by winning 77 of the 117assembly seats in Punjab after a gap of 10 years. Tewari also said the Lok Sabha poll was a referendum on the "non-performance" of the Modi government at the Centre and the local MP Prem Singh Chandumajra who, the Congress leader alleged, had simply vanished for the last five ...
Terrorism confined to two-and-half J&K districts: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday claimed that the NDA government has restricted terrorist activities to only "two-and-a-half" districts in Jammu and Kashmir while not a single bomb blast was reported from anywhere else in the country in the last five years.
Since Nehru, Cong making false promises on poverty
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday attacked the Congress on Thursday saying the party has been making false promises of eradicating poverty for four generations since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru. The senior BJP leader also asserted that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can keep the country safe by crushing terrorism and also ensure speedy development and end woes of the poor. "The Congress ruled the country for decades since Independence. For four generations, its leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru pledged to eradicate poverty, but the promises have been false," Gadkari said. After Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi became the prime minister, gave the slogan of "Garibi Hatao" and launched schemes such as the 20-point programme, but failed to eradicate poverty, the Union minister of road transport and highways said. Addressing election rallies in Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar Lok Sabha constituencies, Gadkari said the same was the story with Rajiv Gandhi and ...
Sexist remark: Electoral Officer warns ruling LDF leader
Ruling Left Democratic Front convenerA Vijayaraghavan was Thursday served a warning by the Election authorities in Kerala over his alleged sexist remarks against Congress candidate Ramya Haridas. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Tikaram Meena warned the Left leader that the Election Commission would take action if such remarks were repeated, an official statement said here. The warning was issued based on a complaint by the Congress. The CEO found Vijayaraghavan's remarks against Ramya, a Dalit woman contesting from Alathur constituency in northern Palakkad district, prima facie amounted to outraging the modesty of women and were in violation of the section 123 (4) of the Representation of the People Act, the statement said. Vijayaraghavan's made the controversial comments while speaking at party's poll convention at Malappuram district earlier this month, triggering widespread outrage in the social media. Ramya had lodged a police complaint and later approached the local ..
Don't think this is country's last general election: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar Thursday said the ongoing Lok Sabha poll is an important one, but he doesn't think that this could be the last general election in India. Pawar made the remark at Karjat in Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency while canvassing for the party candidate Sangram Jagtap. He was apparently referring to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's allegation she made earlier this month that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will throw away the Constitution to make India a totalitarian regime if he is re-elected and the upcoming Lok Sabha election could be the last one in that case. "This election is an important one. The entire world is watching it...Nehru and Gandhis preserved democracy...Some people (now) have apprehensions that this could be the last election. They are saying so in their speeches, but I don't think so," Pawar said. The former Union minister made the comment without mentioning the name of any leader. Pawar further said it is not .
Gupta urges LG Baijal to take note of changes in financial powers of Delhi Waqf Board authorities
Senior Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta Thursday urged Lt Governor Anil Baijal to take cognizance of alleged changes in financial powers of the Delhi Waqf Board authorities. Gupta, who is Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, charged that the changes gave "ample" power to chairman and member of the panel in withdrawing money against the rules of the Waqf Act. "The Revenue minister of the Delhi government, Kailash Gahlot, has approved the appointment of any two from among the chairman, a member and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as authorised signatory of the Delhi Waqf Board," he said. "This is unauthorized and illegal action. It bypasses the existing practice of mandatory signature of the CEO and gives ample powers to the chairman and member to withdraw any amount of money," Gupta alleged. The minister's reaction on the allegation was not immediately available. Gupta said the powers and functions of the state government are vested in Lt Governor. "He (LG) must, therefore, ...
India suspends LoC trade, says being used to fuel terror
India on Thursday suspended, with immediate effect, trade across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was being used by unscrupulous and anti-national elements for sneaking in hawala money and weapons from the territory under Pakistani occupation to fuel terrorism and separatism in the country.
Mueller probe found 'no evidence' of collusion between Trump campaign and Russia: AG
The nearly two-year investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found "no evidence" of a "collusion" between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 US elections, Attorney General William Barr Thursday announced Thursday, in a major relief to President Donald Trump. Addressing the media at the Department of Justice here on the release of Mueller's redacted report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller was chosen to head the investigation in 2017 following concerns from US intelligence agencies that Russia had tried to tip the election in Trump's favour. The businessman-turned-politician defeated former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Barr said Mueller investigated a number of links or contacts between Trump Campaign officials and individuals connected with the Russian government. "After reviewing those contacts, the special counsel did not find any conspiracy to violate ..
Cong delivered nothing in 72 yrs, now promising Rs 72,000 to poor: UP dy CM
Attacking the Congress over its poll promise of giving Rs 72,000 to poor families, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma Thursday said that those who did not give Rs 72 in 72 years are now making tall claims. He also claimed that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was promoting nationalism, the Congress was backing anti-nationals by pledging to scrap the sedition law if voted to power. In a big-bang poll promise, the Congress president had on March 25 announced that Rs 72,000 per year will be given as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, if his party is voted to power in Lok Sabha polls. "Those who didnt give Rs 72 to the people in 72 years are now talking about giving Rs 72,000 to them. They are only making false promises and deviating people from the right path," Sharma said at an election rally in Kushinagar district in support of party candidate Vijay Dubey. "They (Congress) broke their promise of loan waiver of farmers in 10 days in .
Dushyant to contest from Hisar; JJP announces 4 candidates
Sitting MP Dushyant Chautala will seek a re-election from the Hisar seat in Haryana as the fledgling Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) Thursday announced four candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The JJP has forged an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to jointly fight all the 10 Lok Sabha seats from Haryana. As per an arrangement between both the parties, the JJP will field its candidates on seven seats, while the AAP on the remaining three. Dushyant Chautala has been named as candidate from the Hisar seat, as per the party statement issued here, adding that the core committee of both the parties finalised four names for the general election. Dushyant Chautala, who was the youngest MP at the age of 26, is the great-grandson of former deputy prime minister late Devi Lal. His grandfather Om Prakash Chautala and father Ajay Chautala were convicted in a teachers recruitment scam. The Congress is yet to name its candidate from Hisar, while the ruling BJP has fielded Brijendra ...
Emotional drama has stopped development in Karnataka, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that "emotional drama" of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy led Congress-JDS government has stopped development in the state."Because of emotional drama, the development in the state has stopped. What about the loan waiver of farmers? What happened to irrigation schemes? They did not even get time to think about sugarcane farmers," said Prime Minister Modi, while addressing an election rally here."The drama unfolding here in the state for the past one year is refusing to end. This drama has everything including emotions and revenge. The situation is such that we get to see an overflow of emotions regularly in rallies and press conferences," he said.Addressing an election rally in Mandya on April 16, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had become emotional while campaigning for his son Nikhil. He claimed that Sumalatha Ambareesh, multilingual South-Indian actress and wife of former actor and union minister late Ambareesh, has got recognition in public ..
Congress says Modi regime 'govt of acronyms', dubs it Non Performing Liability
Congress on Thursday accused the Modi regime of failure in job creation and said that the best way to describe the "government of acronyms" is by dubbing it as NPL (Non-Performing Liability)."This is a government of acronyms. So for the government of acronyms, the perfect acronym is NPL - Non-Performing Liability," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference here.Singhvi said that BJP leaders talked about armed forces, national security and other issues because they were trying to divert the country's attention from their failures on job creation, loss of jobs post demonetisation and slowdown of the economy.Singhvi coined another acronym in Hindi for the BJP while calling it 'Berojgari Jamao Party'.The Rajya Sabha MP cited several reports of the government to claim that government has failed on almost all fronts of the economy.He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments in which Modi had said that those who fry 'pakodas' are also employed.Singhvi
Mueller report finds no Trump-Russia collusion: AG
US Attorney General William Barr said on Thursday the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller "found no collusion" between the Donald Trump's campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
Violence disrupts poll process in two Manipur booths
Voting was stalled in two polling booths of Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday after violence broke out over alleged proxy voting and dispute among the election agents, an official said. According to sources in the election office, an estimated 75.69 per cent of over nine lakh electorate exercised their franchise till 4 pm in the second phase of the general election. In one of the booths at Kiyamgei Muslim Makha locality in Imphal East district, unidentified men stormed into a polling station around 11.30 am and broke EVMs and VVPATs, claiming that "proxy voting" was being carried out in the station, Chief Electoral Officer PK Singh told PTI. It was only after the security personnel opened fire in the air, the mob dispersed, Singh said. In another booth in the same area, a scuffle broke out between the polling agents of opposing political parties around 3pm, derailing the voting process. The reason behind the skirmish between the agents was not clear as ...
Imran Khan axes Finance Minister amid IMF talks
Pakistan Finance Minister Asad Umar was removed on Thursday amid a wave of criticism over the government's handling of the financial crisis the country is facing.
Youths want to study but some people want them to make 'pakodas', says Kanhaiya
CPI candidate from Bihar's Begusarai Lok Sabha seat Kanhaiya Kumar has said that this election is a battle between people who want to educate the youth and those who want them to make 'pakodas'. Referring to the CBSE's decision to scrap chapters on 'democracy and diversity' from the political science textbook of class 9, he said, "If we remain silent today, democracy would be erased from the country tomorrow." Opponents of Kumar are trying to corner the CPI leader over the sedition charge levelled against him in February 2016. "If I am a criminal, why's the government not putting me in jail? If I have done something wrong, the government has the right to take action," the leader told PTI in an interview. "The fact that I am contesting elections is a proof that the allegations of sedition are baseless. The public knows everything. People want to talk about real issues, but the BJP is engaging people in useless topics. In the last five years, the central government has not done anything
AAP candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar's affidavit found 'incomplete' by poll officer
AAP's West Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar's affidavit was found to be incomplete by district election officer Thursday. Jakhar, who is making his electoral debut, was among the 36 candidates who filed their nominations Thursday for the Lok Sabha polls. He has declared movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 3.28 crore. An advocate, Jakhar, has shown an income of Rs 9,78,458 in his last year's income tax return, while his wife, Anju Jakhar, a government servant, has shown an income of Rs 15,23,293 during the same period, according to the affidavit. He has declared movable assets worth Rs 1,85,25,444.05 which include deposits and cash possessed by him, his wife and his dependents. The AAP candidate has immovable assets worth Rs 1,22,50,000, including an inherited agricultural land in Mitraun village here worth Rs one crore, the affidavit said. Jakhar has also filed an income tax return of Rs 2,58,243 as part of Hindu Unidivided Family (HUF) beneficiary, it said. He has no ...
J&K newly-wed couple comes to vote in bridal attire
It was an interesting sight to see a newly-wed couple visiting one of the polling booths in Ramban district of Jammy & Kashmir in the bridal attire, on Thursday.