Page 878 - Politics

On day one, 12 nominations filed for LS polls in Delhi

Twelve candidates, including 10 from unrecognised parties, filed their nominations Tuesday for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi scheduled for May 12, officials said. Two independent candidates also filed their nominations, which began on Monday, for parliamentary elections. The last date for filing nominations is April 23 and scrutiny of nominations would be on April 24, while the date for withdrawing of nominations is April 26. "Twelve nominations were received on the first day today. No national or state party has filed any nomination. Ten of them belong to unrecognised parties and two are independent candidates," a senior official of the Delhi CEO office said. While the Aam Aadmi Party has declared its candidates for the seven seats, the Congress has almost finalised its candidates and is expected to declare the list soon. The BJP, however, is yet to declare its candidates. The Lok Sabha polls, to be conducted in seven phases, began on April 11 and will continue till May 19. Delhi, ...

Campaign ends for Phase II of Lok Sabha polls in Bihar

Campaigning ended on Tuesday for the second of seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in Bihar covering 5 of the 40 seats in the state.

Election to Tamil Nadu's Vellore LS seat rescinded

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday rescinded the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu's Vellore parliamentary constituency.

Mamata defends theatre activist MP's absence from constituency

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Tuesday attributed long period of absence of party MP Arpita Ghosh, a theatre activist, from her constituency Balurghat to an accident she had suffered in 2016. Ghosh has been renominated from the seat going to polls on April 23, leading to dissent in the party. Stating that Ghosh has performed well in Parliament, Banerjee sought blessings of the people of Balurghat for the candidate again. "You may ask what Arpita has done in the last five years. She has fought in Parliament for the people's rights," the West Bengal chief minister said. She said Ghosh had suffered an accident in 2016 and because of that she has not been seen in the constituency. On April 14, 2016, Ghosh had sustained injuries on her head, right shoulder and left foot in a collision between her car and a three-wheeler in South Dinajpur district while returning from a party meeting. One person was killed in that accident. Ghosh's renomination gave rise to dissent

'Jungle raj' in R'sthan since Cong came to power: Gulab Chand Kataria

Senior BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria Tuesday alleged that 'jungle raj' is prevailing in Rajasthan ever since the Congress has come to power. The leader of opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly also accused the ruling party of trying to disturb communal harmony in the state. "What could be more shameful than stones being pelted on devotees during a procession on Ram Navmi and the administration not granting permission to take out processions in Tonk and Chomu?" Kataria asked. "There is 'jungle raj' and complete lawlessness in the state after the Congress formed the government," he said. Kataria alleged that due to deterioration of the law and order situation under the Congress's three-month rule in the state so far, the morale of criminals is high.

SC seeks EC reply on bribing of Tamil Nadu voters

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Election Commission (EC)'s response on a petition alleging largescale bribing of voters in all the Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

BJP MLA tells voters Modi watching them on CCTVs

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Central Gujarat's Fatepura constituency Ramesh Katara has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is watching every polling booth through closed-circuit television network.

Muniyappa faces uphill task of transferring JD(S) votes to himself to win Kolar: BJP's Muniswamy

BJP's greenhorn S Muniswamy said Tuesday he will be able to defeat veteran Congress parliamentarian K H Muniyappa from Kolar Lok Sabha constituency as they are locked in a direct contest and it would be difficult for JD(S) to transfer its core votes to its alliance partner. Muniswamy, a BBMP corporator from Bengaluru, is banking on a possible discontent among voters with the seven-time Congress parliamentarian, Muniyappa, and on the performance of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. The issue of the closed Bharat Gold Mines Limited is also a factor in the election. The BJP leader claimed people in the constituency, an SC seat, are unhappy with Muniyappa because he has failed to fulfil the promises he made to them during the past 28 years, including to sort out the PSU's long-pending issues. Also, he added, Muniyappa "faces an uphill task" of transferring the votes that were cornered by JD(S) and other smaller parties in a three-way contest in 2014 polls to himself. There ..

Vote for BJP as only Modi can protect India: Ramdev

Stressing that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can protect the nation, Yoga guru Ramdev Tuesday urged the people to vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. "To make India a world economic and political superpower in next 20-25 years, we have to make Modi stronger. In his hands, the country is safe; the future of our Jawans is safe, honour and respect of women is safe and farms of farmers are safe," Ramdev said. Addressing a public meeting here in support of BJP candidate from Jaipur rural constituency and Union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, Ramdev said it was not about an individual but about the character and personality of Modi who was "the pride of Bharat Mata". Ramdev said that only Modi can take the guarantee of not only protecting the borders, but to protect the whole nation. In his address, Rathore said that the 2019 Lok Sabha election is about the development work done by the Modi government in five years as he slammed the Congress for failing to ensure the country's ...

Hema Malini counts on Modi, but farmers not convinced

In the birthplace of Lord Krishna, it's one's 'karma' that matters. So, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did well to retaliate against Pulwama terror attack -- almost all voters agree -- and it's something BJP candidate Hema Malini would sure depend on, on April 18 when Mathura votes in the second phase of polling. Yet, what else would the 'dream girl' of yesteryear bet on?

SC seeks EC response on plea alleging cash-for-vote in LS polls in TN

The Supreme Court Tuesday sought Election Commission's response on a plea alleging that people were being bribed on a massive scale for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked the petitioner K K Ramesh to serve the copy of the petition to the EC counsel for receiving necessary instructions. The bench said it would hear the plea on April 22. The petitioner said that Madras High Court dismissed his plea on March 26 in which he sought creating awareness through TV, newspapers and radio that it was an punishable offence to give or take cash for votes. He said the poll panel has already designated all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, along with 70 other seats across the country, as "expenditure sensitive". The petition said that so far Rs 78.12 crore in cash has been seized in the state. "That Case of the petitioner is that there are reports in all the leading newspapers and T.V. Channels regarding cash-for-vote ..

Campaigning for phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls ends

Campaigning ended Tuesday for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 18 for 96 seats spread across 12 states and the union territory of Puducherry that was marked by acrimony with the Election Commission barring several leaders from electioneering for their controversial remarks. Polling will be held in 38 seats in Tamil Nadu, 14 seats in Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra, eight in Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one seat each in Manipura, Tripura and Puducherry. Elections will also be held in 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and a host of Union ministers among others canvassed for their party candidates in the past few days, undertaking whirlwind tours of constituencies. Among the key contestants in the fray are Union ministers Jual Oram, Sadananda Gowda and Pon Radhakrishnan, former prime minister H D ..

Modi holds campaign roadshow in Bhubaneswar

Campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in the Odisha state capital on Tuesday.

Counter 'disinformation' campaign of SAD, AAP: Amarinder to Cong MLAs, workers

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday asked Congress legislators and workers to "aggressively and effectively" counter the "disinformation" campaign of the SAD and the AAP, who, he alleged, were stooping to "chicanery" to woo voters. He also alleged that the opposition parties were indulging in "false propaganda" to "mislead" voters, a party release here said. Singh Tuesday held a series of meetings with party MLAs and workers, and welcomed new members into the Congress fold ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He welcomed Parminder Mehta from Ludhiana back into the Punjab Congress. Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who had contested as an independent in the 2017 Assembly polls from Sanour seat in Patiala also joined the party. Pathanmajra's entry will give the Congress a boost in Patiala, Singh said. The 'Balmiki Samaj', led by MLA Raj Kumar Verka, also met the chief minister to extend its unconditional support to the Congress. The 'Balmiki Samaj' has full faith in Singh's leadership ..

Congress focusses on announcement of its candidates in Delhi amid uncertainty of alliance with AAP

With its talks of a tie-up with AAP heading nowhere, the Congress has now focussed its attention on the announcement of its candidates for the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi. A senior Congress leader claimed that the list of candidates on all seven seats could be announced on Wednesday. "Congress president Rahul Gandhi has advised us to make the best efforts for the alliance with the AAP and if results are not encouraging go alone for the polls in Delhi," he said. In view of the significance of Purvanchali voters in Delhi, the party plans to field a "celebrity" belonging to the community from West Delhi seat, sources in Congress said. The party has already finalised its candidates on almost all the seven seats, including East Delhi seat from which Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit will be fielded in case a tie-up with the AAP does not materialise, the party leader said. The names of former Union ministers Kapil Sibal and Ajay Maken were finalised on Chandni Chowk ...

Sabarimala issue: LDF govt violated centuries old custom, says

BJP chief Amit Shah Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Kerala's CPI(M)-led LDF government over the Sabarimala women entry issue, accusing it of violating its centuries' old custom and destroying the sanctity of the Lord Ayyappa temple,situated in dense forests. "The Kerala government unleashed violence on the devotees of Sabarimala under the pretext of implementing the Supreme Court order. What message does Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan want to send to people through the violence on the devotees?," Shah said, addressing an election campaign meeting of BJP's candidate for Thrissur Lok Sabha Seat, Suresh Gopi, here. Two days after Vijayan claimed it was the Centre which had asked his government to impose prohibitory orders in Sabarimala during frenzied protests in 2018 over entry of women of all age groups into the hill shrine,Shah alleged that the government had unconstitutionally recruited DYFI cadres in police to destroy the sanctity of the temple. "The DYFI

BJP says Modi believes in 'simple living, high ideals', rejects Cong allegations

Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often donated his personal savings to public causes, the BJP Tuesday said he has always believed in the principle of "simple living, high ideals", as the saffron party slammed the Congress for accusing that he had given "wrong information" about a plot he owned in Gandhinagar. The BJP said the Congress has levelled false allegations regarding Modi's property and counter-accused the Gandhi family of having acquired a lot of assets over years with little-known sources. The Congress has in the past dismissed the BJP's charge of financial irregularities against the Gandhi family as false and has also termed action by probe agencies as political vendetta. At a press conference, the Congress alleged on Tuesday Modi had declared in an election affidavit in 2007 that he was the sole owner of Plot 411 in Sector 1 of Gandhinagar, but omitted that information in his election affidavits afterwards and gave details of another piece of land. "In the ..

Modi is the biggest liar who became the PM of India: Navjot Sidhu

Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "biggest liar" who has failed to fulfil even one of the many promises he had made prior to 2014 elections."Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest liar the country has ever seen in the PM position. He had made 364 promises in 2014, and none of them has been fulfilled to date. The black money is still in foreign, One Rank One Pension is still not implemented and he has come up with the Chowkidar gimmick to hide his shortcomings," Sidhu said while speaking to reporters here.The Minister said that the central government led by Modi has taken India backwards and has been terrible for the government-owned companies in the country."China is laying railway lines inside the ocean, America is probing Mars, Russia is building a robotic army and you are making people chowkidar. How is it that the non-performing assets (NPA) in the past five years have risen to 17 lakh crore rupees from just 2 lakh ..

Cong labelled Modis as 'thieves' just to insult this 'chowkidar', says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sharpened his attack on the Congress for labelling those with Modi surname as "thieves", saying it was done only to get some applause and insult the 'chowkidar' (watchman), while referring to himself."These people are crossing limits daily. According to them, anyone whose name is Modi is a thief. What kind of politics is this? They have labelled a whole community as thieves only to get some applause and just to insult your 'chowkidar'," the Prime Minister said during a public rally here.Accusing it of disrespecting the poor, Modi said that the mentality of Congress was that of a sultanate rule and considered all the poor and downtrodden as their "slaves"."These 'naamdars' (dynasts) have sultanate-type thinking. Whenever they see any poor and downtrodden, they consider them as slaves. The naamdars have a long list of their feats," he said."While the Congress calls the honest taxpayers as selfish, the naamdars themselves are embroiled in a tax ...

Himachal BJP chief booked over 'slur' against Rahul

A criminal case was registered on Tuesday against Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti for using a slur against Congress President Rahul Gandhi while campaigning, police said.