Page 882 - Politics
Cong leader Shakil Ahmed files nomination from Madhubani;RJDs
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Shakil Ahmed on Tuesday filed his nomination papers here, in presence of a host of party leaders,including a couple of MLAs, and expressed hope that he would be allotted the party symbol within the next couple of days failing which he would be contesting as an Independent. Like Ahmed, senior RJD leader Mohd Ali Ashraf Fatmi might also throw his hat in the ring for Madhubani Lok Sabha seat against the mahagathbandhan nominee hailing from fledgling VIP party. Ahmed, who had announced his decision to enter the fray on Monday followed by resignation from the post of AICC senior spokesman, filed his nomination papers in two sets one as a candidate of the Congress party and another as an Independent. I will wait till April 18. From the positive response I have so far got from the party leadership I am confident that I will be allotted the party symbol. If not, I will withdraw the papers submitted in capacity of the party ...
Kazakhstan to host Syria talks this month: foreign ministry
Kazakhstan said Tuesday it will host fresh talks on Syria on April 25-26, backed by Iran, Russia and Turkey as they eye an end to the eight-year conflict. Delegations from the Syrian regime and armed opposition groups are expected to participate along with representatives of the three guarantor states, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said in a statement. The United Nations and Jordan would attend as observers, it added. The situation on the ground in Idlib will be on the agenda of the talks, as well as "confidence-building measures" and the distribution of humanitarian aid. The talks will be the first in Astana for the UN's new Syria envoy Geir Pedersen, who took over from Staffan de Mistura in January. De Mistura seemed frustrated at the most recent Astana talks in November, ruing a "missed opportunity" to move closer towards a political settlement. Pedersen said that talks in Damascus Sunday with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem focused on a political settlement had been ...
BJP using expletives, rhetoric to deflect public's attention: Manish Tewari
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari Tuesday slammed the BJP for attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi with expletives. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party was resorting to abusive language as they had "no poll issue" and a "track record of non-performance" to campaign with for the ongoing General Elections. "The difficulty is that the BJP has no issue. They have no performance. So, how do you deflect the (public's) attention? You indulge in abuse and rhetoric. People of India are not going to be misled. They are angry over the broken promises of the past five years and they will teach the Narendra Modi government a lesson in these elections," the former Congress union minister said. Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti had allegedly made a derogatory comment against Rahul Gandhi at a public event in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, provoking strong protests from the Congress. Tewari, who is the Congress candidate from Anandpur Sahib, said the Lok Sabha elections are a ...
Mark colour of boxes being transported: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday asked the people to keep vigil about transportation of boxes of various colours, in an oblique reference to allegations of a black trunk having been offloaded from the prime minister's helicopter in Karnataka. Speaking at two rallies in Balurghat constituency, Banerjee attacked the RSS saying that it has imbibed the "shopping mall culture". "I urge the public to keep their eyes and ears open as during elections boxes of various colours - red, blue and other colours - are coming," Banerjee said without naming anyone. The Congress had on Sunday demanded a probe into the alleged transportation of a "suspicious black trunk" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter during his visit to Chitradurga in Karnataka for poll campaign. Modi had addressed an election rally in Chitradurga on April 9. The party also played a video clip purportedly showing that the trunk, after being unloaded from the PM's helicopter, was carried to
NDA to form govt on its own at Centre;will not require support
The NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership would form the government at the Centre on its own after the Lok Sabha elections and not need support from parties like TRS, Telangana BJP President K Laxman said here Tuesday. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has been proposing a non-BJP, non-Congress government at Centre, had favoured a Federal Front government in the country after the Lok Sabha polls. "Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, NDA is going to form the government on its own. NDA does not require the support of parties like Telangana Rashtra Samithi. We are confident NDA is going to have the government on its own by winning more than 300 seats," Laxman told reporters here. The TRS is seeking 16 seats for itself and one for ally AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi to ensure that Telangana gets a 'good' deal post the Lok Sabha elections. There are 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Laxman accused KCR, as Rao is also referred to, of trying to take ..
With Mayawati banned from campaigning, nephew Akash Anand takes charge
As the EC barred BSP chief Mayawati from campaigning for 48 hours, her 24-year-old nephew Akash Anand Tuesday addressed his first political rally here, urging the people to vote for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the Lok Sabha polls. Occupying one of the four seats on the dais with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, RLD president Ajit Singh and BSP general secretary S C Misra at the Koti Mina Bazar ground here, Akash Anand was the first one to address the joint rally. "People in such large numbers have come here on the appeal of my aunt for which I am thankful... My seniors are sitting on the dais but I am appearing before you for the first time and want to make an appeal... will you all listen to me," he said reading from a written text. He appealed to the people to vote for the candidates fielded by the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Mathura Lok Sabha seats, introducing them to the crowd. Seeking their support, he said the victory of the
Battle rages between BJP, BSP over 'outsider' tag in Amroha
The electoral battle in Amroha is raging over the "outsider" tag with key contenders -- BJP's sitting MP Kanwar Singh Tanwar and BSP's Danish Ali -- accusing each other of being oblivious to local issues and concerns. The last time a sitting MP retained the Amroha seat was in 1980 when Chandrapal Singh won his second straight election from here. Barring that election, voters in Amroha are known to choose new candidates ever since Congress veteran Maulana Hifzur Rahman scored a hat-trick of wins in the 1950s and 60s. So, Tanwar has an uphill task with history and numbers stacked against him as he takes on BSP-SP-RLD mahagathbandhan candidate Ali and the Congress's Sachin Chaudhary. Ali, who was general secretary of the Janata Dal (Secular), quit that party and joined the Bahujan Samaj Party just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Muslims constitute a substantial chunk of the population. Dalits also are in sizeable numbers, especially in rural areas. Both Muslims and the Dalits appear to be .
Did you ban him because he's Muslim: Abdullah Azam Khan asks EC
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abdullah Azam Khan on Tuesday claimed that the Election Commission (EC) did not follow a "rightful procedure" before banning his father Azam Khan from campaigning in the run-up to polls in the region.Abdullah alleged that no notice was given to his father before barring him from campaigning for 72 hours, starting today. "Did you ban him from election campaigning because he is a Muslim?" he asked.Abdullah also said that the opposition parties cannot "stifle" their voice. "The more you attack us, the harder we will work for our state," he added.On April 15, Khan, while addressing an election rally, had made derogatory remarks against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada, his BJP opponent in Rampur."I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I did not allow anyone to touch her body. It took you 17 years to identify her real face but I got to know in 17 days that she wears khaki underwear," Khan had said.In the wake of his comment, Khan was ...
Sumalatha got recognition because of me: Karnataka CM
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that Sumalatha Ambareesh, multilingual South-Indian actress and wife of former actor and union minister late Ambareesh, has got recognition in public because of him.Speaking at a public rally in Mandya, Kumaraswamy said, "It is because of me that contribution of Ambareesh is being recognized and she goes around Mandya saying that JDS is a party of thieves. I am the chief minister because of no other person but you (audience) 'punyaatmas'."Sumalatha, who filed her nomination papers as an independent candidate on March 20 from Mandya, is set to contest against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda from the JD (S).Her late husband Ambareesh had represented Mandya both as a Member of Parliament (MP) and also as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).On March 18, she had contended that after her husband's demise in 2018, the people of the constituency started putting pressure on her to contest from Mandya ...
LS polls: CPI candidate Nara Singh holds road show in Manipur
Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate for Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat M Nara Singh on Tuesday held a road show in his constituency, two days ahead of the second phase of polling.Singh, along with scores of his supporters, conducted a road show starting from Singjamei Thokchom Leikai to Lilong and then back to Imphal.Speaking to ANI, he said, "Young people want to support me. They suggested me to conduct a roadshow and people from different walks of life supported me. I contested last time also but now people have started acknowledging me and are supporting me in large numbers. They are the strength of my movement.""I will not deceive people and not make any hollow promises," he added.A total of 11 candidates are in the fray for the Inner Manipur seat.According to Election Commission of India, around 9,28,626 voters (4,47,843 males and 4,8,0751 females), 8,838 service voters and 32 third genders will cast their votes for the Inner election at 1300 polling stations.The election ...
Attempts made by groups to denigrate poll body: 'Concerned citizens' write to President Kovind
A group of 'concerned citizens', comprising civil servants, defence officers, judges, academicians, and professionals, have written to President Ram Nath Kovind, stating that the open letter penned by retired civil servants on the functioning of the Election Commission (EC) is giving rise to a suspicion that a "deliberate attempt is being made by groups with vested interests, to denigrate such institutions of democracy by undermining their position.""Slurs being laid against the Election Commission of India, casting aspersions on its neutrality and ability to hold free and fair elections appears to be a part of the larger design to influence its decision making and to make it conform to a particular line of behaviour and thought," the letter read."It has been stated in the open letter by the retired civil servants that the Election Commission is suffering from a crisis of credibility, and its independence has been compromised. They state that this is the perception of the country. ...
LS polls: OP Rajbhar to go 'solo' in UP, claims BJP wants to eliminate SBSP
Just two days before the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar on Tuesday announced that his party will go 'solo'. He alleged that that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) wanted to "eliminate" the SBSP as it did not give them a single ticket.Talking about his plans of contesting Lok Sabha polls, Rajbhar said: "Our party will go 'solo' in this election and so far we have decided to field 39 candidates for this general election in the state."SBSP is an ally of the BJP since 2017 and Rajbhar is a cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath."It was our attempt that we remain in the 'gathbandhan' with the BJP. In that hope, I have waited for so long. Three days ago, I was called by the Chief Minister and JP Nadda ji (Union Minister) who tried to convince me to fight elections from the BJP. I told them I will not fight elections from your party and your symbol," Rajbhar told ANI."I also conveyed to them that I ...
YSRCP asks Governor to intervene in Andhra polls
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Tuesday sought Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan's intervention to prevent rising attacks on YSRCP cadres and demand more security for the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) alleging that the law and order situation was deteriorating in Andhra Pradesh.
Left not facing existential threat, says key Communist leader
Veteran Communist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy Tuesday said the Left is not facing "existential threat" but acknowledged it has to improve its position in the Lok Sabha to play a role in national politics. The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said the Left is in a "difficult position" because of the "BJP rule on one side" and the setback it suffered in the 2014 elections on the other. The Left, comprising CPI-M, CPI and smaller Communist parties, won 61 Lok Sabha seats in 2004, a number that declined to mere 12 in the last general elections. "So, this (the ongoing Lok Sabha elections) is very important for us. We have to improve our position in the Lok Sabha...very much important", Reddy told PTI in an interview. He does not believe the Left is facing existential threat. "In elections, there will be ups and downs, but our mass organisations, mass following has not diminished; there is an erosion (in our vote share) but it's not that much", he ...
Sidhu warns Muslim voters not to split vote, staying united only way to defeat Modi
Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday warned Muslims not to split their votes and instead defeat BJP by voting against it unitedly."I am here to warn my Muslim brothers. They (BJP) are dividing you. By bringing people like (Asaduddin) Owaisi in here, by making a new party stand for elections, they want to divide your vote for winning. If you people unite and vote unitedly then everything will overturn and Modi will be finished," said Sidhu."This will be a sixer. Hit such a sixer that Modi is sent out of the boundary," Sidhu added by invoking reference of cricket, a sport which he had retired from after playing in the national team.Earlier on April 11, Sidhu had slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the country will get finished if he becomes the Prime Minister for the second term."If Modi comes to power for the second term, then the country would be finished," Sidhu had said.Lok Sabha elections in Bihar are being held in all seven phases. The ...
US advises citizens against travel to Pakistan
The US has advised its citizens to reconsider their travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and asked them not to travel to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces and "Azad Kashmir" -- identified as the "most dangerous" areas.
MP LS poll: Tribal outfit JAYS to field candidates in 4 seats
Accusing the Congress of reneging on its promises, tribal outfit Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) Tuesday said it would field candidates on four out of six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh reserved for Scheduled Tribes. JAYS state president Antim Muzalda said the names of the candidates for Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone and Betul Lok Sabha seats would be announced on April 21. Shahdol and Mandla are the other two seats which are reserved for STs in the state. "We had supported the Congress during the November 2018 Assembly elections, but it went back on its promises. We were assured of being made part of the (Congress) government," Muzalda told PTI. "We were also told that our opinion will be honoured while selecting candidates for Ratlam, Dhar, Khargone and Betul Lok Sabha seats (all ST seats). None of this has happened and the Congress announced its own candidates. Therefore, our leaders will contest as Independent candidates from these four seats," the JAYS leader said. JAYS,
Modi is the biggest liar as PM: Sidhu
In a pointed attack on Narendra Modi in his home state, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu Tuesday said the land of Gujarat, which is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, has also produced a prime minister who is the "biggest liar". Addressing a rally in Dang district while canvassing for Congress' Valsad Lok Sabha nominee Jitu Chaudhary, Sidhu said the prime minister works only for the wealthy people. "I am surprised because the very land (of Gujarat) which gave us Mahatma Gandhi has also produced a prime minister who is the biggest liar," the Congress leader said. He also termed Modi as "Jhootha No.1' and 'Feku No. 1". Sidhu, who is a minister in the Congress government of Punjab, said Modi represents only affluent people and not the poor. "Modiji, you are the PM of only one per cent wealthy people. You are not the PM of poor citizens. You are asking these locals to vacate their land and go elsewhere. Almost 80 per cent of locals of this region are working as labourers in
Cong believes in allowing people to express faith, says Gandhi
With the BJP led NDA trying to turn the Sabarimala issue into a major poll plank, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said his party believes in allowing people to express their faith and sentiments and never stop them from "genuinely" expressing their belief. Addressing a massive poll rally in Pathanamthitta, where the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple is located, Gandhi said his party wants an India "where people can express what is there inside their heart as long as those expressions are peaceful and non-violent." However, he was cautious not to mention the name of Lord Ayyappa or the recent agitations witnessed by the state against the entry of young women there. Pathanamthitta was ground zero of the Sabarimala women's entry agitations last year. The entire Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, had witnessed frenzied protests by devotees and right wing outfits against the CPI-M-led LDF government's decision to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict, ...
Poonam Sinha joins SP to contest against Rajnath
Barely two hours after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh filed his nomination papers with almost no rival in sight, Poonam Sinha, wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, arrived here on Tuesday to take him on as a Samajwadi Party candidate.