Page 4 - Politics

PM Modi stresses removing hurdles in India's research and innovation

Emphasising the need to set big targets, PM Modi said that research should focus on finding new solutions to existing problems

JMM-led govt using treasury to lure voters ahead of J'khand polls: AJSU

AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto on Sunday accused the Hemant Soren-led government of "using the treasury" to lure voters ahead of the assembly polls. He alleged that the government has cheated youths and women of the state by not fulfilling its promises. "The government is using its treasury in the name of various schemes only to lure voters ahead of the assembly polls in the state," Mahto alleged while addressing the 'Jharkhand Navnirman Sankalp Rally' at Ranchi's Prabhat Tara Ground. Thousands of youths from different districts of the state took part in the rally. "The government is launching schemes when the election is just one or two months away. Had it been honest towards the people of the state, it would have launched these initiatives years back," Mahto said. He alleged that the government cheated youths by not providing jobs and unemployment allowances. "The government had promised Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 unemployment allowances to youth but did not provide these," he said.

New journey not just politics, but fight for justice, says Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh expressed her happiness after meeting the Congress leader and recounted her experience during the protest in a sexual harassment case against ex-MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh

Congress to protest across MP on Sep 20 seeking hike in MSP: Patwari

The Congress will hold a protest on September 20 across Madhya Pradesh seeking hike in minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, the party's state unit chief Jitu Patwari said on Friday. Offices of collectors of the all the 55 districts in the state will be "gheraod" (encircled) at 12 noon that day under the Congress' 'Kisan Nyay Yatra'. Patwari told reporters. "The farmers across India are in distress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union agricultural minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speak about doubling farmers' income but the condition of cultivators is going from bad to worse. We want the state government to procure soybean from farmers at Rs 6,000 per quintal, wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal and paddy at Rs 3,100," he said. The BJP, in its manifesto for the MP assembly polls last year, promised MSP of Rs 2700 for wheat and Rs 3100 for paddy but these have been forgotten by the party after it retained power, he said. "Our leader Rahul Gandhi wants legal guarantee for

President Emmanuel Macron aapoints Michel Barnier as new French PM

The Far-Right National Rally (RN), parliament's biggest single party, indicated it would not block Barnier for now, but could do so later if a range of demands were not met

'Ganesh mandals': Stepping stone for budding politicians to become leaders

During the British rule, social reformer Lokmanya Tilak initiated public celebration of Ganesh festival to bring people together and foster a sense of unity, but over the years, apart from fulfilling these objectives, Ganesh mandals have also been serving as grooming ground for budding politicians. Through the "sarvajanik" (public) Ganesh mandals, the future leaders can get to master different key skills like managing finances, human resources management and establishing coordination between various agencies, says Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS). The Ganesh festival is celebrated across Maharashtra on a large scale. This year, this 10-day cultural extravaganza will begin on September 7. There are several political leaders in Maharashtra who earlier worked as humble "karyakartas" (volunteers) of Ganesh mandals before making a foray into the world of politics. Talking to PTI, Dahibavkar said that NCP leader and Maharasht

J-K Assembly polls: Election schedule, key candidates, issues. Details

The last Assembly elections took place in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, but the government fell in 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support from Mehbooba Mufti's PDP-led administration

SC says no demolitions just for being accused; pan-India guidelines coming

The Supreme Court, taking a strong stand against 'bulldozer action', raised concerns about the use of house demolitions as a form of punishment

Cong MLAs Siddique, Antapurkar expelled from party: MPCC chief Nana Patole

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said the party has expelled its MLAs Zeeshan Siddique and Jitesh Antapurkar, a move coming just ahead of the assembly polls. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, he did not elaborate on reasons for the expulsion of Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, but the action comes more than a month after it came to light that seven Congress MLAs cross-voted in biennial elections to 11 seats of the Legislative Council. Replying to a query on Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, Patole said there was no point in commenting on the two MLAs as they have been expelled by the party. Zeeshan Siddique was elected from Bandra (East) in Mumbai, while Antapurkar represented Deglur in Nanded district. Zeeshan Siddique's father Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in November.

Factory ops resume in Bangladesh, Emami pins hope on political stability

Emami is targeting double-digit growth in its international business in FY25. In FY24, international business grew by 12 per cent in constant currency and 9 per cent in INR terms

Politics becoming family biz in Southeast Asia despite large democracies

Tapping into family lore helps with this generation's allure for voters. The child of a formidable political force has been elevated in Thailand, too

France's Macron holds talks with political players in bid to form new govt

After the excitement of the Paris Olympics and a Mediterranean vacation, now French President Emmanuel Macron has to figure out how to make his country governable again. Faced with a hung parliament, social tensions and ballooning debt, Macron kicked off talks Friday with key political players in a bid to choose a new prime minister who would form a government and end the deadlock created by snap legislative elections last month. Members of the left-wing New Popular Front coalition that won the most seats pressured Macron for a quick decision. Their nominee for prime minister, little-known civil servant Lucie Castets, said after Friday's meetings in the Elysee Palace that she was ready to govern, and ready for compromise to get things done. But the party only has about a third of the seats in the National Assembly, France's powerful lower house of parliament, and no party has a majority. Macron's centrist alliance came in second and the far-right National Rally came in third. There

Won't quit politics, open to floating new outfit, says Champai Soren

Former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren said he would not quit politics, asserting that an option to float a new political outfit was always open to him. Soren said he was firm on his plans after "facing humiliation at the hands of leaders of JMM", a party to which the veteran leader claimed that he devoted his entire life. "It is a new chapter of my life. I won't quit politics as I have received lots of love and support from my followers. The chapter has closed, I may form a new outfit," the senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader said shortly after he reached his ancestral village Jhilingora in Seraikela-Kharsawan district post midnight on Tuesday. The 67-year-old tribal leader has earned the nickname "Jharkhand's Tiger" for his contribution to the fight to create a separate state in the 1990s. Jharkhand was carved out of the southern part of Bihar in 2000. "No one from JMM contacted me. This is the land of Jharkhand...I have struggled since my student life. I participa

RS bypolls: BJP fields Union ministers Bittu from Raj, Kurian from MP

The BJP Tuesday announced nine candidates for the September 3 Rajya Sabha bypolls, fielding Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan and George Kurian from Madhya Pradesh. The party fielded former BJD leader Mamata Mohanta from Odisha and ex-Congress leader Kiran Choudhary from Haryana. Both these leaders joined the BJP recently. According to a list of nine candidates released by the BJP, Manan Kumar Mishra will contest the bypolls from Bihar, Dhairyashil Patil from Maharashtra and Rajib Bhattacharjee from Tripura. Bhattacharjee is the president of the BJP's Tripura unit. The ruling party has fielded Mission Ranjan Das and former Union minister Rameswar Teli as its candidates from Assam. Elections to 12 vacant Rajya Sabha seats in nine states will be held on September 3. Ten of these seats fell vacant as the sitting members, including Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Sarbananda Sonowal and Jyotiraditya Scindia, were elected to the Lok Sabha. Bypolls are also being held fo

Experienced bitter humiliation as Jharkhand CM, says Champai Soren

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren on Sunday said he experienced "bitter humiliation" as chief minister. His statement came hours after he reached Delhi amid speculations about him joining the BJP. He claimed all his government programmes were cancelled on July 3 by the party leadership without his knowledge. "When I asked about the reasons for cancellation, I was told that there is a meeting of party legislators on July 3 and I cannot attend any government programmes till then," he posted on social media. "Can there be anything more humiliating in a democracy than a chief minister's programme being cancelled by another person?" he said.

Tamil Nadu politics: An heir 'yet to mature', and the succession suspense

With M K Stalin away for three weeks, the politics in Tamil Nadu, already intriguing, is set to become even more interesting

Thailand's new, youngest PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra: All you need to know

Some of her top tasks will be to ease the concerns of voters about the high costs of living

Congress capable of winning on its own in Haryana: Bhupinder Hooda

The Congress is capable of winning the Haryana assembly polls on its own and no talks have been held with any party for an alliance yet, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said, indicating that his party may not have a tie-up with the AAP in the upcoming elections. In an interview with PTI, Hooda also stressed that winnability would be the criteria for ticket distribution for the assembly polls. Asked if there is a possibility of a tie-up with its INDIA bloc partner Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the state elections, the senior Congress leader said, "We have an alliance at the national level (with the AAP) but as far as state level is concerned, no talks have been held with any party." "The Congress is capable (to win) on its own. No talks have been held yet," the two-time chief minister said. On Tuesday, when asked about alliances especially in states such as Haryana, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal had said, "We have already ...

Top contenders for Japan's leadership after PM Kishida announces exit

Here's a look at some of the potential contenders to replace Kishida

PM Modi may talk democratic dividend at Independence Day address

In his Independence Day speech last year ahead of the general election, Modi had said the next five years would be the years of unprecedented development