Page 978 - Politics
Campaigning ends for 91 LS seats going to polls on Apr 11
High-decibel campaigning for 91 Lok Sabha constituencies in 18 states and two Union Territories going to polls on April 11 ended Tuesday, with rivals plunging headlong into the hurly burly of electioneering and engaging in no holds barred attacks. The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven-phases for 543 seats on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19, and counting will be on May 23. In Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha, assembly polls to 175, 32 and 28 seats, respectively, will be held simultaneously in the first phase. For the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah led the campaign in several states, while for the Congress it was Rahul Gandhi. Elections for all 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh will be held simultaneously on April 11. TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's campaign was centered around the "evil trio" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and YSR .
Pb CM terms shifting of IPS officer by EC 'biased', to seek review
Calling the EC's order of shifting IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, probing the 2015 sacrilege incidents, as "biased", the Punjab government Tuesday decided to approach the poll panel to seek a review of the decision. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh dubbed the Election Commission's order of relieving the Inspector General rank officer of his charge as a "direct interference in the investigations" into the police firing incidents. He further said that he will ask the commission to reconsider its decision in the "interest of justice and Constitutional propriety". Following a complaint lodged by the Akali Dal against the IPS officer, the ECI had directed Punjab government to divest him of his present post for "violating" the model code of conduct. Besides being member of the Special Investigation Team, probing 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents, Singh was also holding the charge of IGP Crime and additional charge of the organised crime control unit (OCCU). Acting on the ...
Belgium to host EU members exposed to no-deal Brexit
Belgium is to host a mini-summit of the EU members most exposed to the dangers of a no-deal Brexit on Wednesday, just ahead of a full European meeting. Prime Minister Charles Michel will host leaders or senior officials from northwestern Europe before the EU summit, his spokesman told AFP. "It's a coordination meeting for countries which would be directly affected by a hard Brexit, to discuss the concrete consequences," Frederic Cauderlier said. The guest list has not been finalised, but the official said it would include Spain and countries with North Sea ports pacing Britain. France and Germany have been invited but Chancellor Angela Merkel may not attend in person, as she has to address the Bundestag before leaving Berlin for Brussels. After the pre-summit meeting, the leaders will join colleagues from the rest of the union in hosting Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at a full EU Brexit summit, also in Brussels. May is expected to ask for time to postpone Brexit beyond Friday ..
Stalin rues 'indiscriminate criticism' of Karunanidhi
DMK President M K Stalin Tuesday rued the "indiscriminate criticism" of his father and the late M Karunanidhi, remarks seen as a response to Chief Minister K Palaniswami's charge that the DMK stalwart was under "house arrest" for two years prior to his death. The DMK also lashed out at Palaniswami for his statement, saying it did not behove the office he held. At an election rally in Tirunelveli, Stalin referred to "reports" of Karunanidhi being targeted, an apparent reference to Palaniswami's statement. On Monday, at an election meeting in the Nilgiris, the chief minister had alleged that Karunanidhi was kept under "house-arrest" for two years before his death and that he could have been taken abroad for treatment. He had indicated the AIADMK government could launch a probe into it by virtue of Karunanidhi being a former chief minister. "Karunanidhi is a former chief minister...he was not given proper treatment and put under house arrest by Stalin because he thought he .
Kashmir can't be separated from India so long as BJP is in power: Amit Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Tuesday made it clear that Kashmir cannot be separated from India so long as the BJP is in power.Shah, who was addressing an election rally at Shamshabad, asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to respond to the National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah's proposal to have another Prime Minister in Kashmir.Shah's reaction came after Abdullah recently pitched for the revival of the post of separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir."Rahul Gandhi should give his response to the National Conference's (NC) proposal for another Prime Minister in Kashmir. No one can separate Kashmir from India so long as the BJP is in power," Shah said."The ensuing General Elections of Lok Sabha will decide who will be the next Prime Minister of India," he said.Hailing the party's manifesto titled as 'Sankalp Patra', Shah said: "BJP's manifesto is a document to make India great. The development of the country is possible only with the BJP."Talking at .
People using secularism as mask biggest threat: Modi
Tearing into the Congress manifesto and its campaign slogan "Ab Hoga Nyay" for the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the nation was seeking answers for the "anyay" (injustice) done by it during 60 years of its rule.
After sulking, Sidhu to hit Congress campaign trail
Having remained inaccessible for nearly three weeks, Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is all set to don his chirpy avtaar from Wednesday when he will begin a non-stop 40-day campaign for the Congress across the country.
Erdogan's party wants rerun of Istanbul election: official
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said Tuesday it wants the Istanbul mayoral election to be repeated after the Supreme Electoral Council rejected a demand for a recount of all ballots cast in the city. The AKP had appealed after results showed its Istanbul candidate narrowly lost in last week's local election in what would be a major setback for the party after a decade and a half in power. "We will take the path of extraordinary appeal... We will say that we want the election in Istanbul to be repeated," the AKP's deputy chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz told reporters in Ankara. Electoral authorities would have to decide whether the AKP has a case for a rerun of the Istanbul ballot after a very tight race for the city's mayor. Former prime minister Binali Yildirim was the AKP's candidate against the main opposition CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu, an ex-mayor of one of Istanbul's districts. Imamoglu beat Yildirim by around 28,000 votes according to the Supreme Electoral Council ...
PM Modi to address rallies in Rajasthan on April 21, 22
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Rajasthan on April 21 and 22, addressing rallies in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidates in Chittorgarh, Barmer, Udaipur and Jodhpur, party leaders said Tuesday. Omkar Singh Lakhawat, BJP's tour convener for the polls, said Modi will address meetings in Chittorgarh and then in Barmer on April 21. On April 22, the prime minister will address rallies in Udaipur and Jodhpur the following day on April 22.
CPI(M) knocks EC's door as PM asks first time voters to vote for Balakot strike men
The CPI(M) wrote to the Election Commission on Tuesday alleging violation of the poll panel's directive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Maharashtra asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the brave men who carried out the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot. In the letter, the party's politburo member Nilotpal Basu urged the poll panel to "strongly initiate" appropriate action to stop the pre-election atmosphere from being vitiated, which is fast degenerating towards polarisation. "With deep anguish we are drawing your attention to the latest violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He is also violating the specific direction of the Election Commission to refrain from invoking the armed forces for seeking votes," Basu wrote. Addressing an election rally in Maharashtra's Latur, Modi said, "I want to tell the first time voters, can you dedicate your first vote to the the brave men who carried out the airstrike in Pakistan's .
Nizamabad farmers hold meeting;demand MSP for turmeric,sorghum
: Over 170 farmers who filed their nominations for the April 11 Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, are not looking to win, but to draw nationwide attention to their plight, Kisan Khet Congress State president Anwesh Reddy said here Tuesday. The farmers had decided to contest the polls as a mark of protest, alleging that the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) failed to ensure Minimum Support Price for turmeric and red jowar (sorghum) produce and in getting the Turmeric Board established in Nizamabad. "The nominations by these farmers have been filed in protest against the non-fulfilment of poll promises by the TRS party MP Kavitha. She said she will not seek votes if she fails to get Rs 10,000 ( per quintal) for turmeric. She also promised to set up a Turmeric Board for Nizamabad. Now she says setting up Board is not in her hands. Then why should we vote for you ( Kavitha)?," Reddy said at a public meeting got up here in support of the farmers. Former MLC Prof Nageswar ...
PM Modi will be remembered for incidents of mob lynching, says Asaduddin Owaisi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be remembered for the incidents of mob lynching which took place during his tenure, said AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi here on Tuesday."The legacy of Prime Minister Modi is mob lynching incidents, which are more in numbers so far as his regime is concerned. He will be remembered for mob lynching," Owaisi said while speaking to reporters at a press conference.Giving the example of a mob lynching incident, Owaisi said: "What will be the worst example is that in Assam, a 68-year-old man Shaukat Ali was beaten and forcefully made to eat pork in a state where cow slaughter is not banned. Everyone eats beef. These cases will continue to haunt Modi forever. PM cannot stop.""He was beaten since the BJP government is there and because they know that Modi Sahab is there to help him. After Modi became the Prime Minister, these people feel strengthened. They have got emboldened," he said.Owaisi also criticised Prime Minister Modi for his party's stand on Article .
Libya: Nepal peacekeepers to protect UN mission as crisis escalates
Peacekeepers from Nepal have been given the additional charge to guard the UN peace mission in Libya as the crisis escalates, according to the Nepal Army Spokesperson Yam Prasad Dhakal.This comes as foreign troops have been removed from the strife-torn country, with both Indian and the United States evacuating its peacekeeping contingents from Libya."The Nepali Peacekeepers have been given additional responsibility of guarding the UN peace mission as well as its staff there. As of now, all 231 Nepali peacekeepers are safe and they have been given the order to shoot to defend," spokesperson Dhakal, said on Tuesday.The Libyan Peace Mission Chief Ghassan Salame and other high-level officials still remain in the UN mission, which is now being guarded by the Nepali peacekeepers.Several years of fighting in the war-torn nation, after the death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, is showing no signs of stopping. The Libyan National Army (LNA), under Khalifa Haftar aims to take charge
Hardik Patel's supporters show faith in Congress, say will not vote for BJP's shallow agenda
Two days ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha polling, supporters of Hardik Patel have reposed their faith in the Congress and said that they would not vote for the 'shallow agenda' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel, who joined the Congress a few days back, could not contest the Lok Sabha polls as he was convicted in a case of rioting and arson in Mehsana district of Gujarat, which took place during the Patidar quota stir in 2015.However, he will campaign for the Congress party.Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, PAAS convenor Dharmik Malviya said: "The BJP has misdirected and confused the people. They are fighting election only in the name of Pakistan and surgical strike. They have even forgotten their promises made in 2014. What happened to their Ram Mandir promise?"Expressing hope that the Congress will fulfill all the promises made in its manifesto, Malviya said: "In this Lok Sabha election, the Congress has given seats to eight .
Gujarat CM regrets derogatory remarks by party MLAs
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday expressed regret that BJP legislators Madhu Srivastava and party president Jitu Vaghani made derogatory remarks while campaigning but declined to comment if any action would be taken against them as the Election Commission (EC) was seized of the issue.
Anyone doubting 'Sena' is Pakistani: Gujarat CM
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday reiterated that those who sought evidence of the Indian Air Force's Balakot air strikes were anti-national and pro-Pakistan, including even the kin and family members of the Pulwama terror attack victims.
Omar had agreed on rotational CM with BJP: Sajad Lone
Sajad Gani Lone, chairman of People's Conference, said on Tuesday that the National Conference vice president and former state chief minister Omar Abdullah had agreed on rotational chief ministership with the Bharatiya Janata Party after 2014 assembly elections.
Bijnor: Mahagathbandan may give BJP tough fight with Jat farmers' vote playing key role'
The BSP-SP-RLD 'mahagathbandhan' may give the BJP a tough fight in Bijnor with many voters indicating that infighting within the party and anger among Jat farmers might cost the ruling party its seat. It is a three-way contest in this western Uttar Pradesh constituency, which goes to the polls on April 11. Incumbent Bhartendra Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party is pitted against 'mahagathbandan' candidate Malook Nagar of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Naseemuddin Siddiqui of the Congress. In 2014, Singh won the seat by beating Samajwadi Party's Shahnawaz Rana by two lakh votes. But now BSP, SP and RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) have joined hands, which added up to over five lakh votes (in 2014). This could pose a tough challenge for the BJP, said Palash, a resident of Sadar Bazar. In 2014, Singh got 4,86,913 votes, Rana 2,81,139 votes, RLD candidate Jaya Prada 24,348 and Nagar 2,30,124. Rakesh Sharma, a shopkeeper in nearby Najibabad, added that reports of infighting in the BJP over Singh's .
Pb: MLA Aman Arora appointed AAP campaign committee chief
Senior AAP leader and MLA Aman Arora has been appointed as chairman of the party's campaign committee in Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls. A unanimous decision to appoint Arora as chief of AAP's campaign committee was taken at a meeting of Punjab unit's core committee in Delhi, a party release issued here said Tuesday. Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit chief and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said the "huge" responsibility was given to Arora due to his political acumen and experience in state politics. Mann said the meeting of the core committee was held at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge of party's Punjab affairs Manish Sisodia. Arora, who is a legislator from Sunam, expressed gratitude to the party for reposing faith in him.
Give report card of 5 yrs at Centre, 2 yrs in UP govt: Akhilesh to BJP
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday said the BJP will not only have to give the report card of its government at the Centre but also of the two years it has been in power in Uttar Pradesh. The former chief minister alleged that the BJP-led government failed to fulfil its 2014 poll manifesto promises. "It has only been promises which have been given to the people by the BJP government... not a single one has been fulfilled," Yadav said at an election meeting here. "The farmers were befooled that money will be deposited in their bank accounts which has yet to come and jobless were told that they will get jobs," he alleged at the Sikandrau rally where votes were sought for the alliance candidate from Hathras (Reserve) seat, Ramji Lal Suman. "The BJP will not only have to give the report card of the works of the five years of its government at the centre but also of the two years of the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh...they have to tell the people what has been done in the .