Page 951 - Politics
13.34 pe cent polling in U'khand till 9 am
The five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand saw 13.34 per cent voter turnout till 9 am on Thursday, an official said. The fate of 52 candidates will be decided by over 78 lakh voters of the state, where all the five seats -- Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Almora and Nainital -- are being held by the BJP. The saffron party is locked in straight contests with the Congress on all seats. Polling began at 7 am. Of the 78,56,268 voters in Uttarakhand, 3,71,220 are women and 259 belong to the third gender, Chief Electoral Officer Saujanya said, adding till 9 am the voter turnout was 13.34 per cent. High-profile candidates in the fray are ex-chief minister Harish Rawat who takes on state BJP chief Ajay Bhatt in Nainital, ex-CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who faces Congress's Ambrish Kumar in Haridwar, BJP national secretary Tirath Singh Rawat is up against B C Khanduri's son Manish in Pauri and sitting MPs Ajay Tamta (Lok Sabha) and Pradeep Tamta (Rajya Sabha) in Almora.
Ex-Obama counsel expects charges in Mueller-related probe
Former Obama administration White House counsel Greg Craig expects to be charged in a foreign lobbying investigation spun off from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, his lawyers said. "Mr. Craig is not guilty of any charge and the government's stubborn insistence on prosecuting Mr. Craig is a misguided abuse of prosecutorial discretion," the attorneys, William Taylor and William Murphy, said in a statement Wednesday. The investigation into Craig comes as the Justice Department is cracking down on unregistered foreign lobbying and consulting. Federal prosecutors in New York have been investigating two prominent Washington lobbying firms in a similar probe, and Justice Department officials in Washington have been increasingly willing to prosecute people who they believe intentionally conceal their lobbying work from the federal government. The scrutiny of Craig stems from an investigation of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his work on behalf of a pro-Russian
Separatist-sponsored strike disrupts life in Kashmir
Life in Kashmir was disrupted Thursday due to a strike called by separatists to protest against polling for first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the Valley and NIA action against Hurriyat Conference leaders and their kin. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed due to the strike while attendance in government and private offices was thin, officials said. Public transport remained off the roads in most parts of the valley but some private vehicles could be seen plying the roads in the city, the officials said. Polling is being held Thursday for Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency where 13,12 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of nine candidates in the fray. The officials said the situation across the valley was so far peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere. Joint resistance leadership, an amalgam of separatist conglomerates, has called for a shutdown. They said the strike is also to protest against the closure of Kashmir's ..
Polling in Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency begins
Polling in Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency, where six candidates are in the fray, began Thursday morning. There are 49 polling booths in the Island territory comprising 27 islands, of which only 10 are inhabited. Around 850 security personnel have been deployed to ensure a smooth polling which began at 7 am. The number of electorate in the country's smallest constituency is 54,266, with 26,791 women. While Anthroth island has the highest number of voters (10,212), there are only 231 voters in Bithra island. A close fight is expected between sitting NCP MP P P Mohammed Faisal and former Congress MP Hamdullah Sayeed, son of former Union minister late P M Sayeed. The CPI(M), CPI, BJP and JD(U) are among the parties which have fielded their candidates in the elections.
NCC volunteers beat drums, shower flower petals to greet voters
National Cadet Corps (NCC) volunteers beat drums and showered flower petals to greet voters as they reached a polling station under the Baghpat Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning.A group of cadets had gathered at the polling booth in Digambar Jain Degree College in Baraut ahead of the start of voting to welcome the electors."I felt great after they welcomed me like this," a voter said after casting his ballot.Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh's son Jayant Chaudhary is contesting from the western UP seat against Union Minister and sitting MP Satyapal Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress has not put up a candidate from the seat.Satyapal Singh, a former Mumbai Police commissioner, performed a puja at his residence here in the morning before heading to exercise his franchise.Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and RLD are in coalition in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections. According to the seat-sharing formula, RLD is contesting ...
Brexit: European Council urges UK to 'not waste' extension period
President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, on Wednesday (local time) urged the United Kingdom to "not waste" the six-month extension granted to prevent 'no-deal' Brexit.Tusk also expressed optimism that a deal would be reached at the end of the extension period.Speaking after announcing an agreed extension until October 2019, with a review meeting in June, Tusk said, "Please do not waste this time. I am hopeful that a breakthrough can occur in this time."Tusk clarified that the June meeting is just to "update on the progress" not to "decide another extension".Playing down France's fear that the UK might cause "trouble", European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker announced that Britain will remain a full member till October 31 and will have to participate in the European Union's election on May 23.Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May has reiterated that Britain will leave the European Union (EU) earlier than October 31.She also requested the UK Parliament to break .
Brisk voting in Jammu, muted in Baramulla
Brisk voting was recorded on Thursday in the Jammu Lok Sabha seat during the first two hours while fewer voters were seen in the Baramulla constituency in the Kashmir Valley.
LS polls: PM urges voters to turn out in large numbers to cast vote
As the Lok Sabha elections began Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. "I call upon all those whose constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers and exercise their franchise," he tweeted. During elections, Modi often takes to Twitter to urge people to vote. "I specially urge young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers," he said. Voting is underway in 91 Lok Sabha seats spread across 18 states and two union territories Thursday in the first phase of the seven-phased elections.
Akhilesh, Mayawati urge people to vote
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati urged people to vote on Thursday to bring about major changes in politics.
LS polls begin, 91 seats go to polls in first phase; five union ministers in fray
The BJP will look to defend 32 of the 91 seats in 18 states and two union territories for which voting began Thursday morning in the first phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in which five Union ministers are key contestants. The Congress is hoping to defend seven seats that it won in 2014 and is looking for major gains in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Voting is also underway in 175 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, 32 in Sikkim, 57 in Arunachal Pradesh and 28 seats in Odisha. Polling in all the Lok Sabha constituencies of Andhra Pradesh (25), Telangana (17), Uttarakhand (5), Meghalaya (2) and Arunachal Pradesh (2) besides lone seats in Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep is being held. Eight seats in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Maharashtra, six in Bihar, five in Assam, four in Odisha, two each in Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal and one seat in Chhattisgarh are also going to polls. Prime ...
Inslee: Forget impeaching Trump. Voting him out is better.
Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee wants his party to scrap any thoughts of impeaching President Donald Trump and instead focus on voting him out of office. "We should have a dramatic, engaged, concerted, energetic and successful effort in November 2020 to make Donald Trump a blip in history," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said during a CNN town hall Wednesday. He said damning details still could emerge about Trump's 2016 campaign and business dealings but added that a Republican-led Senate would never remove the president. Inslee, an underdog in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, faces pressure to raise his profile in a campaign dominated by other better-known figures such as former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Inslee, 68, used the spotlight to emphasize his focus on combating climate change while noting his record as a liberal governor and his generally sunny approach to politics a package that, he argued, makes him an ideal foil to the ...
Choose wisely: Omar cautions J&K voters
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote wisely as those chosen for the new Lok Sabha will have to espouse their concerns for the next five years.
Voting is our duty, everyone should vote: Bhagwat opposes NOTA
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Thursday said voters should exercise their franchise for any candidate, instead of opting for the None of the Above (NOTA) option available on the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Bhagwat was talking to reporters after casting his vote in Maharashtra's Nagpur constituency, where Union minister Nitin Gadkari is the BJP's candidate. "Voting is our duty. Everyone should vote," the RSS chief said. Voters should not use the NOTA option, he added. Bhagwat along with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi arrived at a polling booth at Bhauji Daftari School in Mahal area here around 6.50 am. Talking to media-persons after exercising his franchise, Bhagwat appealed people to come out to vote in large numbers. "Voting is necessary and a sacred responsibility of all. Vote for national security, development and identity," he said. On the NOTA option, Bhagwat said one has to say what he/she wants. "Being quiet does not work. You ..
UK, EU agree 'flexible' Brexit delay to Oct 31
The UK and the European Union (EU) have agreed on a "flexible" Brexit delay until October 31, with the option to leave earlier if British Prime Minister Theresa May can secure Parliament's support for a withdrawal deal, media reports said.
Chhattisgarh: People turn up in large numbers to vote in Naxal-hit Bastar constituency
People on Thursday turned up in large numbers to cast their vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh.Voters queued up to exercise their franchise in Naxal-affected regions of Dantewada and Sukma amid heavy security.Chhattisgarh will witness polls in the first three phases of General election - April 11, 18 and 23 - for its 11 parliamentary constituencies.On Tuesday, Naxals triggered an IED blast in Dantewada, which killed sitting BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi, his driver and three personal security officers. Following the attack, security measures have been beefed up.However, the Election Commission has already stated that polling will be held as per schedule. Collectors and Superintendents of Police of affected districts have been instructed to take utmost precautions.In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Dinesh Kashyap had registered victory from Bastar. This time the party has fielded its Bastar district chief and former MLA Baiduram Kashyap. Earlier, BJP's Chhattisgarh .
Vote to decide future of India: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah urged people to vote as the staggered Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday, saying "your one vote will decide the future of this great nation".
U'khand Guv, CM cast vote; ask youth to exercise their franchise in large numbers
Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat were among the first to cast their votes as polling for the five Lok Sabha seats of the state began on Thursday morning. The governor cast her vote at Shaheed Mekh Bahadur Gurung Girls' Inter College in Garhi Cantonment area while the chief minister voted along with his wife and daughter at a polling booth close to his personal residence in defence colony. Both Maurya and Rawat appealed to people, especially the youth, to turn up in large numbers to exercise their franchise and make their valuable contribution towards strengthening democracy. After casting his vote, Rawat said the enthusiasm among people was visible, and the youth should come out in large numbers to vote.
Congressional Democrats' fresh push against Trump travel ban
Congressional Democrats are making a fresh push to repeal US President Donald Trump's travel ban that predominantly targets Muslim-majority countries, the media reported.
BJP seeks Mehbooba's arrest for violence call
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday demanded the arrest of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on charges of instigating people to break the law.
LS polls: Rahul asks voters to vote wisely for soul of India
As voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections started, Congress President Rahul Gandhi urged voters to vote wisely for the soul of India and its future. Referring to promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before assuming power, Gandhi reminded voters that instead of jobs and Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people, the Modi government has given them "no jobs, distrust, violence, hate and fear". "You vote today for the soul of India. For her future. Vote wisely," he said on Twitter. "No 2 Crore JOBS. No 15 Lakhs in Bank A/C. No ACCHE DIN. Instead: No JOBS. DEMONETISATION.Farmers in Pain. GABBAR SINGH TAX. Suit Boot Sarkar. RAFALE. Lies. Lies. Lies. Distrust. Violence. HATE. Fear," he also said. The first phase of voting in the seven-phased crucial Lok Sabha elections is underway in 91 constituencies. The Congress and other opposition parties are seeking to wrest power from the Narendra Modi-led government, which is seeking another term.