Page 886 - Politics

SBSP breaks away from BJP, fields 39 candidates

The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, will contest on 39 Lok Sabha seats separately.

Taiwan's Foxconn chief hints at presidential run

Tech giant Foxconn's boss Terry Gou hinted Tuesday that he is considering running for president of Taiwan in elections early next year. The 69-year-old said Monday that he would soon step back from frontline operations while remaining at the helm of the major Apple supplier. Known for his aggressive dealmaking, Gou has been snapping up investments from Japan to India in a bid to diversify from electronics assembly. But when asked by reporters Tuesday if he would run for president, he said: "I will have meetings today and hear (feedback). Hopefully we can talk about this tomorrow or later." Gou, a supporter of the Beijing-friendly opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, said he would follow the party's nomination procedure "if I were to join the KMT's primary". "If (I were to) stand from the height of the president to ponder over Taiwan's issues, I feel that peace, security, economy and future ... are most important," he said in comments aired by local tv channels. Incumbent President Tsai .

Siliguri-based artist pins hope on new govt for funds to establish world's first micro art gallery

Siliguri (West Bengal) April 16 (ANI): With five world records to his name, micro artist Ramesh Shah has one unfulfilled dream of opening an art gallery, for which he is now pinning hopes on the election with the belief that the next government will pay heed to his demand.Shah, who is a self-taught micro-artist, claimed that he has approached the state government several times for demanding land for a gallery, but it went in vain."I want to open the world's first micro art gallery in India however managing land for the gallery is a big problem. I have written to local authority and state government many times but all went in vain. After the election I will appeal to the central government for help", he told ANI.Shah also said he did not get due recognition from the state or central government yet, despite being a world-renowned expert in his field."I hold five world records and people from all over the world comes to learn from me yet I have not received any kind of recognition from ..

BJP govt taken measures to weed out unscrupulous elements:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday insisted that his government has taken measures to weed out middlemen from the system to ensure that the "entire funds flowing from the Centre percolates to the poor". Addressing a rally here in western Odisha, he said, "Only 15 paise of a rupee would reach the poor during the UPA rule, the rest was swindled by unscrupulous elements." Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said the grand old party, during its rule, was embroiled in multiple controversies and scams. "People have seen a helpless and corrupt government in the past amid rampant corruption charges in the form of sugar scams, ration scams and urea scandal. "This chowkidar (watchman) has taken concrete steps to ensure that the entire fund flowing from the Centre percolates to the people," he said. Slamming the BJD government over mining and chitfund scams, the prime minister said the Naveen Patnaik-led party is only worried about personal gains. "How can they (BJD) think of common

LS polls phase II: Farm distress, development, nationalism take lead

Western Uttar Pradesh will be a test case in the second phase of the general elections on April 18 when polling will be held for 97 Lok Sabha seats. There are serious farmers issues at stake there, yet they could be subsumed by the discourse on nationalism.

Rahul giving excuses: Gopal Rai on AAP-Cong alliance

Amid uncertainty over its tie-up with the Congress, AAP Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that Rahul Gandhi is "giving excuses" to avoid forming an alliance with his party for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."Yesterday, Arvind Kejriwal clearly stated that the party will do anything to defeat BJP in the Lok Sabha. Our party decided to form an alliance with other parties because people want to unseat BJP. I feel Rahul Ji is making excuses for not forming an alliance with us. If he is really serious, then the Congress must come forward and form an alliance," he told ANI."And if he is not interested, he must tell us like his other party leaders directly that he is not interested in forming an alliance. Rahul ji is not even ready to hold a discussion on the same. He is not able to justify why Congress cannot form an alliance with the AAP. Congress is in confusion from the past three months," Rai added.The statement from Rai came a day after the Gandhi scion accused AAP of backing .

Bateshwar: Locals in Vajpayee's birthplace remember him

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 16 (ANI): Former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthplace Bateshwar is missing its favourite leader in the first ever general elections that are being held since his demise.Locals believe that it is "near impossible" for any leader to attain Vajpayee's stature.Speaking to ANI, the late prime minister's nephew Rakesh Vajpayee said, "This is the first election that BJP is fighting after his demise and his absence is being felt by all. Without him, the election campaign is not the same.""Every party is today deviating from its principles. Objectionable language is being used in the elections. When Vajpayee ji was in politics such bad language was never being used. All parties must introspect before using foul language in public discourse", he added.Rakesh also said BJP is carrying on the legacy of Vajpayee by taking everyone together.Prem, a resident f the village, claimed that his presence would have worked as a catalyst for the village's

Bernie Sanders became a millionaire after 2016 presidential bid: Report

Democrat Bernie Sanders acquired the status of 'millionaire' twice since his first presidential bid in 2016, his tax returns have revealed.Sanders' earnings jumped from USD 24.06 thousand in 2015 to USD 1.07 million in 2016 as he became a political sensation after contesting unsuccessfully for the post of President, CNN reported. He managed to sustain the status throughout 2017, it added.Sanders, who has, in the past, voiced concern about America's growing income inequality, said in a statement that the returns show that his family has been "very fortunate.""I consider paying more in taxes as my income rose to be both an obligation and an investment in our country," he added. "I will continue to fight to make our tax system more progressive so that our country has the resources to guarantee the American Dream to all people."Sanders also attributed his personal wealth to advances and royalties from his book - Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In. "I wrote a best-selling book," he ...

Modi must stop looking outwards by talking of Pak; jobs, farm distress key issues: Scindia

Hitting out at the BJP for repeatedly bringing up Pakistan in its campaign, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia says Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party must stop looking outwards and gaze inwards as jobs and agrarian distress are the key issues facing the country. Scindia, the Congress' general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh (West), said he is very confident the party's strategy, the candidates fielded and the campaign in the state will result in it winning the trust of the people. The Congress is fighting the elections in UP on its own strength to rebuild the party, the senior leader told PTI in an interview. Asked about BJP leaders repeatedly talking about Pakistan in their election campaign, he said, The key issue in India is jobs, jobs and jobs. The key issue in India is about (the distress faced by) the kisan, the key issue in India is the maan (respect), samman (honour) and pehchaan (identity) of every citizen. Stop looking outwards Mr Modi and and the BJP, look ..

K'taka: I-T raids at premises of Kumarswamy's close aides

Officials from the Income Tax department are conducting raids at the residence of Zilla Panchayat President and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Nagarathna Swamy in Maddur, sources said on Tuesday.Raids are also being carried out at Zilla Parishad member Timme Swamy's premises, as well as two firms belonging to Nagarathna, namely Someshwara Fertiliser and Saw Mill, sources added.Both Nagarathna and Timme are said to be close aides of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.Last month, I-T officials and CRPF personnel conducted raids at the residence of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Musuru and Mandya.Raids had also taken place at locations of 17 contractors and seven officers from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department..

K'taka: I-T raids at premises of Kumarswamy's close aides

Both Nagarathna and Timme are said to be close aides of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

Japan, US struggle to find crashed jet and its 'secrets'

One week after an F-35A stealth fighter jet crashed off the northeastern coast of Japan, US and Japanese military vessels are struggling to find the wreckage and protect its valuable "secrets." The Japanese jet vanished from the radar on April 9 over the Pacific as it was conducting a training mission with three other aircraft some 135 kilometres east of Misawa, northeastern Japan. A defence ministry spokesman told AFP that the remains of the jet's tail had been found but they were still hunting in vain for the rest of the fuselage, as well as the pilot. "On average two aircraft, including a helicopter, and two patrol vessels are constantly deployed in the around-the-clock search operations," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous. Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force has also dispatched an unmanned submersible vessel. Separately, the US military has dispatched one military aircraft and one vessel to join the mission, said the official, adding that the search has not yet been

PM failed to fulfil promises: Rahul

Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said he has "failed" to fulfil the promises made during the last five years. "The promises Modi has given to you, he has not fulfilled. but Anil Ambani gets Rs 30,000 crore in Rafale deal. "The Prime Minister is speaking of nationalism and he gave the biggest defence deal to a person who has not made a single aircraft," Gandhi charged. The Congress President was addressing an election rally at the St Stephen college grounds here in Kollam district. Hitting at the Sangh forces, the AICC chief alleged the country is now under attack from the BJP-RSS and there was an idealogical fight going on between the BJP on one side and Congress on the other. "No matter how many times you (BJP/RSS) attack us, we will use love and non-violence to convince you are wrong," he said. "In the last five years, our Prime Minister promised several things.Two crore job opportunities.. Rs 15 lakh deposits ..

If not Anand, Cong can't win any seat in Guj, claims Solanki

Bharatsinh Solanki, the Congress' Anand Lok Sabha candidate, is confident of wresting the seat from the BJP and claims it is his party's safest bet in Gujarat. He said if the Congress cannot win Anand Lok Sabha seat, in central Gujarat, then it can't win any of the 26 seats in the state. In the 2014 polls, the BJP had blanked out the Congress winning all 26 Lok Sabha seats. Anand, known as the milk capital of India and famous worldwide for the Amul dairy brand, is expected to see a close contest between Solanki, two-time MP from here in 2004 and 2009, and the BJP's Mitesh Patel, a well known businessman making his poll debut. The BJP, possibly sensing anti-incumbency, dropped sitting MP Dilip Patel, who had defeated Solanki, a former Union minister, riding the Narendra Modi wave. Anand has traditionally been a Congress stronghold, the party having won from here ten times, while the BJP managed to wrest it in 1989, 1999 and 2014. Among the ten Congress victories, five ...

During ban, Yogi recites Hanuman Chalisa

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited the Hanuman Setu temple here to offer prayers after he was barred from campaigning for 72 hours by the Election Commission on Monday for making objectionable statements in his speeches

Redacted Russia probe report to add to collusion controversy (News Analysis)

The release of the report of the investigation into allegations that Russia colluded with President Donald Trump's campaign in the 2016 election that is scheduled for Thursday with some redactions will only amp the volume of debate, rather than set the controversy at rest.

Sudan's disparate opposition comes together post Bashir

After decades of intense divisions, Sudan's political opposition united recently to form a powerful three-pronged bloc that became part of the protest wave which ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir last week. During Bashir's politically repressive three-decade rule, Sudan had around 100 political parties. They ranged from Islamists to leftists and ran the gamut from ardent critics to regime loyalists. A military transitional council is now set to rule the country for the next two years. Veteran journalist Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh, 91, mapped out the political trajectories of the burgeoning opposition movement for AFP. "The opposition in Sudan now is made up of the (Paris-based) Nidaa Sudan, the National Consensus Forces and the Sudanese Professionals Association," said Saleh, who was imprisoned several times during Bashir's reign. Collectively, the tripartite bloc is known as the Alliance for Freedom and Change. Nidaa Sudan includes the Umma Party, the Sudanese Congress Party as well as ...

Rajnath visits Lucknow temple ahead of filing nomination

Ahead of filing nomination for the Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh offered prayers at the city's revered Hanuman Setu temple.Singh was accompanied by party's national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi and UP Minister Brajesh Pathak.After praying at the temple, Singh will be heading to BJP state headquarters situated at Hazratganj Chauraha where he is likely to address party workers before holding a road show to the collector's office for filing nomination.Key leaders of state BJP and Uttar Pradesh government are expected to be present during the road show.Singh had contested from Lucknow parliamentary constituency for the first time in 2014 and registered an easy victory over the Congress candidate. Singh's nearest rival then was Rita Bahuguna Joshi who is now in BJP and a minister in UP government.Lucknow remains a prestigious constituency for BJP as it was once held by party patriarch and former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Elections in Lucknow will ..

Gulberg massacre survivor to contest against Amit Shah in Gandhinagar

Two brothers who survived the 2002 Gulberg massacre - Imtiyaz Pathan and Firoz Khan Pathan- have entered into politics and filed their nominations from Kheda and Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively.Imityaz, 42, is a candidate of the Apna Desh Party and has been allotted the election symbol of pressure cooker, while Firoz, 45, is contesting as an independent candidate against BJP chief Amit Shah.Shah, who is a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP), is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time. He has been fielded from Gandhinagar constituency, which was last represented by BJP veteran LK Advani.Firoz now lives in Vejalpur, which falls under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency while his younger brother Imtiyaz resides in the city area of Gomtipur. When a mob attacked Gulberg society in Ahmedabad following the 2002 Godhra riots, the Pathan brothers lost as many as 10 members of their family, including their mother.Imtiyaz, who is the key prosecution witness .

Another spring offensive will result in more suffering, destruction: UNSC

United Nations Security Council on Monday condemned the announcement of another spring offensive by the Taliban, saying it will "result in more suffering and destruction for the Afghan people."The global body also said that Afghan's people "desire" peace in their country, reported Xinhua."The spring offensive will result in more suffering and destruction for the Afghan people. The members of the Security Council recognized the Afghan people's strong desire for sustainable peace in Afghanistan. They underscored that calls for more fighting will not advance the goal of making a sustainable peace," said a press statement released by the UNSC.Last week, the Taliban had announced its annual spring offensive, with an aim of "eradicating occupation" and "cleansing Muslim homeland from invasion and corruption".It comes as a major setback to the US as it is holding talks with the Taliban since last year to end the conflict in the country.The annual spring offensive marks the beginning of the ..