Page 5 - National Politics

Nitish Kumar's Delhi visit explored policy-oriented alternative: RJD leader

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha has said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's visit to Delhi was an effort to explore "policy-oriented political alternative"

Nitish 'neither claimant nor desirous' for PM post, calls for united Oppn

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said he is neither a claimant for the prime minister's post nor desirous of it, his assertion coming amid speculation that his visit to Delhi is to claim leadership of the opposition parties. It is time for the Left parties, the Congress and all regional parties to come together to form a united opposition, Kumar told reporters after meeting CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja at their respective party offices. The Janata Dal (United) leader, who severed his party's ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last month, is in the capital to meet key opposition leaders. "I have had a long association with the CPI(M) from my younger days. You all have not seen me, but whenever I used to come to Delhi, I used to come to this office. We were separated but today, all of us are together again. Our entire focus is to unite all the Left parties, the regional parties and the Congress. This will b

Delhi: Nitish Kumar's meeting with Rahul Gandhi goes on for nearly an hour

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who reached the national capital to confer with opposition leaders on taking on the BJP together, had a nearly one-hour-long meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi re-launch 4.0 as no one wants to head Congress, says BJP

The BJP on Sunday dubbed the Congress rally against price rise as "Rahul Gandhi relaunch 4.0" because, it said, no leader of the opposition party wants to head it. The Congress on Sunday held a 'Mehngai par halla bol' rally at the Ramlila Maidan here, which was addressed by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and a host of other party leaders. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, BJP national spokesperson Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the real purpose of Congress rally is to save Gandhi family and re-launch the family scion Rahul Gandhi. "This rally is meant to save the family and not to protest against price rise. And to relaunch Rahul Gandhi, who has been launched several times in politics. This rally is 'Rahul Gandhi relaunch 4.0', as no one wants to lead the Congress," Rathore said. He said that the Congress party "has lost 90 per cent of the elections since 2014. In Uttar Pradesh elections, its deposit was forfeited on more than 90 per cent of the .

First keep your flock together, then talk of Bharat Jodo: Nadda to Congress

Making an unsparing attack on the Congress that has seen an exit of many senior leaders in recent times, BJP chief J P Nadda on Friday mocked the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra, telling it to first keep its flock together. Taking a dig at the Congress during a rally in Haryana's Kaithal, he also accused it of being a family-centric party. "The Congress is now neither a party of ideology nor a national party, nor even a regional party. It has been reduced to a brother-sister party," Nadda said apparently referring to former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Referring to senior Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad's exit from the party, he said the people who spent 50 years for it and gave their blood and sweat are deserting it. "Did you ever think why are they leaving," the BJP chief asked, adding that senior leaders are quitting with a message that the party first needs to keep its flock together. "Now, they are talking of Bharat Jodo, Bharat Jodo, 'arrey pehle party toh

INS Vikrant collective efforts of past govts; Cong accuses PM of hypocrisy

The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for the commissioning of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and accused him of "hypocrisy" for not recognising the contributions made by earlier governments. Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh also shared a video of former defence minister A K Antony launching INS Vikrant in August 2013 and said it just happens that the Modi government is in power when the aircraft carrier is being commissioned. "The Modi government has nothing to do with this. The Modi government just happens to be in power when it is being commissioned. In fact, INS Vikrant was launched years ago by Mr A K Antony when he was the defence minister. It has taken 22 years to design, manufacture, test, launch and finally be commissioned today. All that the Modi government has done is commissioning of the vessel and he is taking credit for it," Ramesh told PTI. "So this is hypocrisy, which is typical of

With Nitish by his side, Telangana CM in Patna calls for 'BJP mukt Bharat'

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who met his counterpart in Bihar Nitish Kumar, as part of efforts to forge opposition unity, on Wednesday called for a BJP mukt Bharat, blaming the saffron party's government at the Centre for the many ills plaguing the country. At a press conference he addressed in the presence of Kumar, whom he fondly called "bade bhai" (big brother), Rao skirted questions about who will lead a united opposition and whether the Congress will be taken on board. Rao is one of the most vocal satraps opposed to the BJP. These things will be decided in due course. We are in no hurry, said Rao, in reply to questions about the prime ministerial candidate and the role of the Congress, to which his Telangana Rashtra Samiti is bitterly opposed. He blamed the Narendra Modi government for capital drain, a term he coined rhyming 'brain drain' to underscore that businesses were withdrawing their money from the country because of the Centre's policies. Rao also fla

Sharad Pawar renews pitch for opposition unity for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Amid bickering among the opposition parties, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday renewed the pitch for unity for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Interacting with reporters here after welcoming leaders from Haryana into the party fold, Pawar said the NCP was open to contesting polls as part of an opposition alliance under a common minimum programme to take on the BJP. Pawar also asked the opposition parties to keep aside differences and unite on an anti-BJP platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, he had said efforts were underway at the national level to bring non-BJP parties together to create a public opinion. At the same time, the NCP supremo had made it clear that he was not keen on taking up any responsibility due to his age. Pawar also accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to fulfil any of the promises made by it since 2014, including ushering in "acche din". The BJP's agenda is to keep smaller parties away from power, the NCP chief alleged.

Golf resort near Raipur turns into fortress as Jharkhand MLAs check in

Away from the bustling crowds of Raipur city, the Mayfair Golf Resort where MLAs of the ruling UPA coalition in Jharkhand are sequestered has turned into a fortress with police personnel deployed everywhere. The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition in Jharkhand on Tuesday flew its 32 MLAs to Raipur to prevent the BJP's alleged attempts to poach its legislators. The MLAs, 15 from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and 17 from Congress, accompanied by senior Chhattisgarh Congress leaders Ramgopal Agrawal and Girish Dewangan, travelled in three buses to the luxurious resort located in Nava Raipur. While mediapersons are camping in the area in scorching heat in their quest for news and visuals, their entry is strictly barred inside. All 40-odd rooms at the resort have been booked for the guests from Jharkhand for the next two days, Congress sources said. A video of an SUV with 'Chhattisgarh government on duty' written on it and carrying liquor bottles allegedly towards the resort went viral during the

'One Nation, One Election' need of hour, says BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Former Union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said 'One Nation, One Election' is the need of the hour and that political parties should not have a "prejudiced mindset" on the issue. In an interaction with journalists, he pitched for holding simultaneous elections, an idea often pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said political parties should move forward towards this important electoral reform. Political parties need to give priority to national interests over political interests so that this "significant and path-breaking" electoral reform takes place, Naqvi said. Most opposition parties have protested against the idea of holding Lok Sabha and various state assembly polls simultaneously in the country. With one or other election being held at regular intervals, all political parties remain "election machines all the time". This also causes wastage of public money and hampers development work. People, too, become unenthusiastic towards this "festiv

PM Modi has purified politics by freeing it from disease of dynasty: Naqvi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has purified Indian politics by making it free from the "disease of dynasty", senior BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday. In a swipe at the Congress, he also said Modi has brought the politics out of a "family cradle" by his commitment to progress and prosperity of poor. After offering prayers at Dargah Najaf-e-Hind in Uttar Pradesh's Najibabad, Naqvi said Modi is destroying the "termite of corruption, communalism and casteism" to make "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat". Modi's nationalistic willpower has ensured the country's safety, dignity and self-reliance, he said, adding that the prime minister has always played the role of a "troubleshooter" by taking the country out of several calamities. Under the leadership of Modi, "democratic decency" has defeated "dynastic arrogance" He also claimed that the Congress has become a "non-performing asset".

Tharoor may contest for Cong prez poll, to take final call soon: Report

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is exploring the possibility of running for the post of Congress president though he is yet to take a final call on it, sources said. They said he has not made up his mind but could take a call on it soon. While Tharoor declined to comment on whether he would throw his hat into the ring, he has written an article for the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi in which he called for a "free and fair" election. In the article, he has said ideally the party should have announced elections also for the dozen seats on the CWC itself which are supposed to be elected. "Allowing members of the party drawn from the AICC and PCC delegates to determine who will lead the party from these key positions, would have helped legitimize the incoming set of leaders and give them a credible mandate to lead the party," said Tharoor, who was among the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational reforms. "Still, electing a fresh

Mamata says ousting BJP from power in 2024 will be her 'last fight'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asserted that ousting the BJP from power at the Centre in 2024 will be her "last fight". The 67-year-old feisty TMC boss, however, did not clarify her remark. "The BJP has to be defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The fight for Delhi to oust the saffron party from power at the Centre will be my last. I promise to oust the BJP from power," she said while addressing a rally here. Without giving further clarification, she said, "The BJP has to be defeated at any cost." "Saving West Bengal is our first fight. I promise we will remove the BJP from power at the Centre in 2024. If you try to intimidate us, we will respond," Banerjee said. Banerjee, while referring to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi losing elections in 1989 despite winning more than 400 seats in 1984, said, "Everybody has to taste defeat." "Indira Gandhi was a strong political leader, but she had also tasted defeat. The BJP has around 300 MPs, but Bihar is gone, a

'I dare BJP to arrest me; allegations of rise in assets baseless': Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the BJP to have her arrested, even as she dubbed the allegations of a rise in assets of her and her relatives exponentially in the last few years as "baseless". Claiming that central agencies and "ill-gotten money of the BJP" are being used to dislodge elected state governments run by parties opposed to the saffron camp, the Trinamool Congress supremo vowed to defeat the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls. She slammed the opposition for allegedly unleashing a malicious campaign against her and her party leaders following the arrest of two senior leaders by the ED and CBI in different cases, Banerjee said had she not been in politics, she would have asked her people to tear off the tongues of those liars. Addressing a rally of her party's student wing, Banerjee said a malicious campaign has been unleashed against senior TMC leaders such as Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and herself. "Someone told me they have filed a case ...

People should take pledge to make 'BJP- mukt Bharat' in 2024, says KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday tore into the NDA government at the Centre saying people should take a pledge to make a "BJP-mukt Bharat" in 2024 even as he said a government of farmers will be coming at the national level in future. Speaking at a public meeting at Peddapalli, 165 km from here, Rao, popularly known as KCR, describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Golmal PM", said whatever he and the Centre say are "blatant lies". "We all should take a pledge and be prepared to create BJP-mukt Bharat in 2024. We should march forward with that slogan. Then only we can save this country, otherwise there is no scope to save this nation," he said. Attacking the Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay, who recently landed in a controversy after a video purportedly showing him fetching the footwear of Union Home Minister Amit Shah when the latter came out of a temple here, Rao said there are some "sanyasis" who are very eager to carry footwear by pledging Telangana'

Asia Cup 2022: Opposition leaders slam Jay Shah over 'tricolour video'

Video footage of BCCI secretary Jay Shah appearing to turn down an offer to wave the national flag after India beat Pakistan in a thrilling cricket match at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday has sparked a controversy, with Opposition leaders taking a dig at him. However, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi defended Shah in a tweet, saying "staying neutral as ACC (Asian Cricket Council) president doesn't at any point mean being disrespectful to any nation's flag, especially your own. So trolls, sit down". Chaturvedi's tweet came minutes after she herself attacked Shah on Twitter, saying the tricolour in hand is a symbol of the resolve and loyalty of Indians to the nation and to "dismiss it in this way is an insult to the country's 133 crore population". Several Congress leaders slammed Jay Shah, who is Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son. Tagging the video footage of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appearing to turn down an offer to wave the flag, Congress general secreta

Countdown to elect new Cong chief begins, party says will stick to schedule

As the countdown began for the election of Congress president, the party's election authority on Sunday said it would stick to the schedule of electing a new chief by September 20. Chairman of the party's Central Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry said it was up to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to approve the final date for the election, which could be any day between August 21 to September 20. However, sections in the party did not rule out delay in the internal poll process, considering the reluctance of Rahul Gandhi in contesting for the top post, lack of a 'Plan B' and the current focus of the Congress on organising 'Bharat Jodo yatra' next month. The CWC had decided that elections for block committees and one member each of the Pradesh Congress Committee will be held from April 16 to May 31; district committee chiefs and executive will be elected between June 1 and July 20, PCC chiefs and AICC members between July 21 and August 20 and AICC president between August 21 a

Developments in Bihar positive sign for national politics: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday that the political shift in Bihar is a "positive sign" and hoped a strong alternative to the BJP is formed in the 2024 Parliamentary polls. He also claimed that the BJP's allies in Uttar Pradesh are not happy with it and will also break free from the saffron party in the future. JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar recently dumped the BJP and joined hands with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and other parties to form a new government in Bihar. In an interview to PTI at the party headquarter here, Yadav said his party is focusing on strengthening and restructuring its organisation and will be holding a national convention this year. The SP chief also accused the Election Commission of "dishonesty" and blamed it for his party's defeat in the assembly polls as well in the bypolls to Azamgarh and Ramgarh seats. When asked about the developments in Bihar, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "It (Bihar development)

Nadda to meet Bihar party leaders for strategy in state after BJP's ouster

Days after its old ally JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar severed alliance and formed a government with RJD, BJP chief JP Nadda is scheduled to meet party's leaders from Bihar unit

Attacking freebies: BJP's strategy against regional parties

Successful regional parties are mostly run by charismatic leaders who rely significantly on populist welfare schemes and caste combinations