Page 954 - Politics
Netanyahu's main rival Gantz concedes defeat in Israeli elections
The Blue and White party, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main challenger in the Israel's elections, has admitted defeat but vowed to serve as "fierce opposition" to the right-wing leader.
Algeria announces election as protests keep up pressure
Algeria will head to the polls in July, the presidency announced Wednesday, as demonstrators kept up protests against the ruling elite following veteran leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika's resignation. Presidential elections will be held on July 4, interim leader Abdelkader Bensalah's office said, just hours after he pledged "transparent" polls. The new date was set a day after Bensalah assumed office for a 90-day period, as stipulated by the constitution but much to the ire of demonstrators. Chants of "Go away Bensalah!" and "A free Algeria!" rang out from thousands of demonstrators gathered under police surveillance in Algiers, where anti-regime rallies have been held over the past seven weeks. The appointment of upper house speaker Bensalah as Algeria's first new president in 20 years failed to meet the demands of demonstrators. Although 77-year-old Bensalah is barred under the constitution from running in the upcoming election, protesters have nonetheless pushed for the close Bouteflika
BJP demands Mehbooba's arrest for 'instigating' Kashmiris
Lashing out at PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for allegedly instigating people to defy a ban of vehicular movement on the national highway connecting Jammu with Srinagar, the BJP Wednesday demanded that she be arrested for trying to create law and order problem. "FIR should been registered against former CM Mehbooba Mufti for statements to instigate the public to defy vehicular ban on highway on Wednesdays and Sundays," the chief spokesperson of J&K Bharatiya Janata Party, Sunil Sethi, told reporters here. "We demand the arrest of Mehbooba Mufti for instigating public to break law," he added. The BJP leader said Mufti wants to create "chaos for pity political gains". He said "perhaps" that is what Mufti desires as she may get more votes by instigating public. Sethi noted that politics in the state has gone to the "lowest ebb" when a former chief minister has no regard for law. He said restrictions on vehicular traffic of civilians on these two days in a week is well a thought-out ...
Poor became poorer, rich got richer under BJP rule: Mayawati
Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party saying the central government had made the poor, poorer and the rich, richer through its policies and schemes. Canvassing for her party candidates here, Mayawati said the Goods and Services Tax rolled out by the Centre had largely affected small and medium scale industries across the country. "BJP has made the poor, poorer and the rich, richer. Goods and Services Tax has largely affected the small and medium scale industries", she said. The ruling BJP had rolled out Goods and Services Tax on July 1, 2017. Stating that the manifestos of the Congress and the BJP did not mention the issue of reservation, she said reservation would be included in the private sector, apart from the public sector, if her party comes to power. She alleged the Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax department were being used by the BJP to attack its rivals. She said the Congress' promise of Rs 6,000 every month ...
Tax office complains against Karnataka CM
The Income-Tax office filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for staging a protest demonstration at its office in the city on March 28 over the raids on contractors in the state, an official said on Wednesday.
Ashutosh Shukla appointed DG, Elections in Tamil Nadu
The Election Commission on Wednesday night appointed Ashutosh Shukla, the present DGP, prisons, as Director General of elections and supervise all poll related works involving police in Tamil Nadu with immediate effect. In a letter to Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, the commission said, Shukla would not report to the Director General of Police and all police officers in charge of electoral process would report to Shukla. The commission also made it clear in the communication that the present DGP T K Rajendran would not be associated in the process of election and would not communicate with superintendents of Police, DIG, IGs or other officials on election related matter or have any meeting with them till the completion of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. The EC further directed Ashutosh Shukla to take charge of the new assignment immediately. The polls in the 39 seats of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry would be held on April 18.
Sitharaman points to 'FAM', downplays Rahul's charge
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi who filed his nomination papers from Amethi Lok Sabha seat with his entire family by his side, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the Congress President was accompanied by the "family", the word used in AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal accused Christian Michel's diary, seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Modi alleges Tughalaq Road poll scam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while in his public address in Gujarat's Junagadh on Wednesday accused the Congress of looting the money meant "for the poor and pregnant women" in the country, terming it as a new scam by the Congress, which he named "Tughlaq Road election scam".
Rs 45 lakh seized during IT raid on TDP MP's aide
The Income Tax Department seized Rs 45.4 lakh cash during a search at the residence of an aide of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and outgoing MP from Guntur, Galla Jayadev, late Tuesday night.
LS polls: Opposition fears violence in Tripura
With the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency going to the polls in the first phase on Thursday, the opposition parties are fearing intimidation and violence by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the BJP has snubbed the claims of hostility by it.
Darbar Move: J-K Secretariat to close on April 26 in Jammu
The Civil Secretariat, the seat of the Jammu and Kashmir government, will close here on April 26 and reopen in Srinagar summer capital on May 6 as part of the biannual 'Darbar Move', a practice started by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872. "The Civil Secretariat and other Darbar Move offices will close in Jammu on April 26 and reopen at Jammu on May 6," an order issued here Wednesday, said. The Civil Secretariat and other 'Darbar Move' offices function in Jammu for six months during winters and in Srinagar for the remaining six months. The practice was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh 145 years ago to escape the extreme heat of Jammu during summers and biting cold of winters in Srinagar. However, the practice was continued by elected governments post-Independence in order to provide access to people of both the regions-- by turns -- to the seat of power in the state. The state government spends crores of rupees every year to shift voluminous records between the two capital cities twice a ...
BJP factions clash at Mahajan's rally over change of candidate
The BJP was left red-faced Wednesday after its workers clashed in the presence of Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan at a public rally in Jalgaon, where the party has changed its candidate for the Lok Sabha seat. The rally was held for BJP candidate Unmesh Patil, who is contesting from Jalgaon constituency in north Maharashtra. The BJP had earlier announced the candidature of Smita Wagh from the seat, but the party later changed the candidate and Patil was fielded in her place. Besides Mahajan, several BJP leaders, including Smita Wagh, her husband and party's district unit chief Uday Wagh, B S Patil were present on the stage. There are reports that former MLA B S Patil and sitting MP A T Patil had jointly campaigned against Wagh and ensured that she would not get the ticket for Lok Sabha. Uday Wagh and his supporters Wednesday lost their cool and charged at B S Patil. Mahajan, who was present there, had to intervene. Last month, two elected representatives of the ...
Coalition a sign of strength not compulsion: Rajnath
Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the BJP considers its alliance partners as a sign of strength ('mazbooti') and not as a compulsion ('majboori'), pointing out the party had taken along all allies when forming the government in 2014, despite having majority. "The same will be seen this time. We view Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) as a natural ally. He deserves as much credit for the state's progress as the cooperation of the Centre," said Singh, who is a former BJP president, at a rally in Purnea Lok Sabha seat with Kumar sitting beside him. The union home minister had last week held two rallies in the state for Lok Janshakti Party's Chirag Paswan in Jamui and the party's candidate in Nawada. In Purnea, he canvassed for JD(U) MP Santosh Kumar who is pitted against Uday Singh of the Congress. Singh also addressed rallies in Banka and Madhepura Lok Sabha seats, both of which are being contested by Nitish Kumar's party, before going to Araria where he canvassed in ...
Ahead of crucial summit, EU leaders positive about Brexit extension
Most leaders from the European Union on Wednesday (local time) expressed confidence in granting the United Kingdom an extension for Brexit ahead of the crucial summit here."If the Brits are asking for a little more time to decide, I think it's right. It's really up to the British, the British Parliament, the British Government, the British people to decide," Arturs Karins, the Latvian Prime Minister said on arriving at the venue of the summit, according to CNN.Echoing the sentiment, Antonio Costa, the Portuguese Prime Minister, said: "We need to always keep in mind that we need to manage this process with the goal to have with the United Kingdom a closest as a possible future relationship. And, that's why we should agree to an extension as long as necessary for the United Kingdom.""My opinion is that we must do all that we can to avoid no-deal and to have a Brexit with an agreement ... if we could prolong the period and if it is giving a solution, then, of course, Estonia supports ...
PM Modi has assured me everything will be alright: Mriganka Singh
BJP leader Mriganka Singh, who is said to be 'upset' with the party over the denial of Lok Sabha ticket from Kairana, on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured her that "everything will be alright" and there is "no need to worry."She said that she is working in favour of the candidate fielded by the party and there is no resentment."That was an unforgettable moment of my life when I saw Modi Ji. I think he sensed that I am a little upset and said that everything will be alright and I must not worry," said Mriganka Singh told ANI."I was very upset for two days initially after being denied the ticket. But later on, I explained to myself that I am a dedicated worker of the party and such things come and go," she said.Mriganka, daughter of late BJP leader Hukum Singh, lost to RLD's Tabassum Hasan in Kairana by-election in 2018. However, the party this time has fielded Pradeep Chaudhary.In Uttar Pradesh, the first phase of polls will be held on eight Parliamentary ...
PM Modi running government on fake promises: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of running the government on fake promises."All the statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after 2014 about Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims were fake. PM Modi runs the government on fake promises," BSP chief said while addressing an election rally here.The BSP chief also alleged that Prime Minister Modi runs the government on the basis of thinking of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).Accusing BJP and Congress of not doing anything for Dalits, she said: "BJP and Congress didn't speak a word on the reservation. There is no chance for both of them to form a government this time."She also termed the Central government's recent move to give 10 per cent reservation to the economically weaker sections (EWS) in the general category as an election gimmick.The Lok Sabha election is set to be conducted in seven phases ...
KPCC writes to EC against PM Modi
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has written to the Election Commission (EC), complaining against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for referring to Balakot air strike in a bid to woo the first-time voters."Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally on April 9 at Ausa near Latur, Maharashtra, urged the first time voters to dedicate their votes to the Air Force which carried out air strikes at Balakot," reads the KPCC letter to EC."It is pertinent to mention that the EC has restricted the use of photographs of defence personnel as a part of the election campaign. Therefore, there is an urgent need to direct the political parties particularly the BJP to restrain from making statements and speeches during the election campaign about Pulwama attack, Balakot attack and the surgical strike, which recently took place," reads the letter further.
Alpesh Thakore quits Congress, takes one MLA along (2nd Lead)
After days of pulls and pressures and flip-flops, maverick Gujarat legislator Alpesh Thakore finally resigned from the Congress on Wednesday, along with another MLA owing allegiance to his Gujarat Kshatriya Thakore Sena, claiming that the party's state leadership had "sidelined" him and not given him respect.
Surgical strikes laid foundation of New India: Modi
The twin surgical strikes conducted by the Indian armed forces under the leadership of late Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, laid the foundation for 'new India's new principle and new policy", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.
Sudan: 11 killed in clashes between protesters and security
Clashes between Sudanese security forces and protesters holding a large anti-government sit-in outside the military's headquarters in the capital Khartoum killed at least 11 people including six security forces, the government's spokesman said Wednesday. Information Minister Hassan Ismail, who also serves as the Sudanese government spokesman, did not give further details on the violence a day earlier. Sudanese security forces tried again to break up the sit-in, which began over the weekend, killing at least 14 people on Tuesday, activists behind the demonstration said, disputing the government's figure. Attempts by security forces to break up the sit-in have killed at least 22 since Saturday, including five soldiers who protest organizers said were defending the sit-in. The demonstration is the latest in nearly four months of anti-government protests that have plunged Sudan into its worst crisis in years. The protests initially erupted last December with demonstrations against a ...