India / Social Life
Karunanidhi says Congress-led UPA will again form govt
13.05.2009 00:22
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi on Wednesday said the Congress-led coalition would again form the government at the Centre. Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, Karunanidhi said, "It will be again a Congress-led government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls." He said the DMK-Congress would appear victorious in all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. "Our achievements during the past five years, will give us victory," he added. Election is being held to 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and in one seat in Puducherry. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Varun Gandhi moves Supreme Court on National Security Act
13.05.2009 00:22
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The BJP candidate from the Pilibhit seat, Varun Gandhi, on Wednesday, moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the National Security Act (NSA) invoked against him. The apex court will hear the plea on Thursday. The apex court will also hear the Uttar Pradesh Government petition, challenging the recent quashing of the NSA on Varun. In its petition, the government has argued that the Advisory Board''s decision was incorrect, as it had ignored several cogent evidences against Varun. The imposition of NSA on Varun by Mayawati Government has been termed invalid by the UP Advisory Board appointed by Allahabad High Court to go into the merits of the case. Varun had submitted his representation before an Advisory Board in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on April 28 against slapping of the NSA over his alleged hate speech in Pilibhit. As the ultimate statutory authority on the NSA, the Advisory Board has the right to approve or revoke the government order invoking the act against Varun. The verdict of the Advisory Board is final and if it chooses to revoke the NSA, Varun would be set free with immediate effect. The Supreme Court on May 2 had extended the interim bail of Varun till May 14. Varun was charged for making highly inflammatory anti-Muslim utterances during his poll campaign in Pilibhit. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Srinagar observes shutdown on poll day
13.05.2009 00:22
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A shutdown is being observed in Srinagar today to thwart planned protests by separatists during the fifth and last phase of general elections. Troops patrolled deserted streets in Srinagar, cutting off access to residential areas after separatists called for a two-day strike from Tuesday. Shops and businesses also remained closed. Voting, however, is taking place in the Baramulla region of the valley. The appeal by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference to stay away from the vote in Baramulla, is seen as an attempt to deny New Delhi any credit for holding elections in the Himalayan region. But Kashmiris are questioning whether such tactics have brought them any closer to the long-held goal of self-determination. This is not the first time that separatists have given a call for poll boycott in the Kashmir Valley. The separatists have had to suffer a major setback after residents defied a boycott call given by the Hurriyat during the State Assembly polls held in November 2008 and came out in large numbers to cast their votes. A prominent Kashmiri separatist leader, Sajjad Lone, who had given a call for poll boycott during the state elections, has decided to contest during these general elections and raise the voices of Kashmiris in Parliament. Besides the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the National Conference (NC) and the People''s Democratic Party (PDP) are also contesting the elections. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Fifth phase of polling to elect 86 Members of Parliament
13.05.2009 00:22
b4uindia.com
Elections for the fifth and final phase of parliamentary elections for the 86 constituencies in seven States and two Union Territories began on Wednesday morning. The seven states comprising Punjab (nine constituencies), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (11), Himachal Pradesh (four constituencies), Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5) and two Union Territories including Chandigarh (1) and Pudducherry (1) would complete voting in all the constituencies in this fifth and final phase. In this last leg, there are 10.78 crore eligible voters who will choose their political representatives out of 1,432 candidates including 93 women. The Chennai South constituency has the highest number of contestants (43) and in the case of women candidates it is Faridkot in Punjab (5). In Uttar Pradesh, Muslim vote is set to play a crucial role in the fifth and final round of polling. Unlike the previous four phases, no area or polling station will come under the naxal-infested belt this time. Staggered polling, which began on April 16, has seen elections completed to 457 Lok Sabha seats and also stray violence in some parts of the country. The final phase would see election of 86 MPs and among the contenders are Congress'' P. Chidambaram and Md. Azharuddin, BJP''s Maneka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, DMK''s T.R. Baalu, A. Raja, Dayanidhi Maran and M.K. Azhagiri, MDMK''s Vaiko, TC chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party’s actor-turned politician Jayaprada. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sajjad Gani Lone of People''s Conference are the other prominent names in this final phase of elections which would see election of 86 MPs. Polling has already completed for 457 Lok Sabha seats since the exercise commenced began on April 16 amid stray violence that left over 20 dead. Counting of votes and results will be out on May 16. Any party or a coalition requires 272 seats in the Lok Sabha to stake claim to form a government at the Centre. The Lok Sabha has 545 members. But elections are held to 543 seats, as two members are nominated from the Anglo- Indian community. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Lapang to be sworn in as Meghalaya Chief Minister today
13.05.2009 00:22
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Senior Congress leader DD Lapang will be sworn in as Chief Minister of Meghalaya on Wednesday. The Congress Party stitched an alliance with the United Democratic Party (UDP) following failure of talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the government in Meghalaya. Lapang on Tuesday called on Governor R S Mooshary and enclosed a letter of support from the UDP and independent MLA Donkupar Massar, taking the tally of the alliance to 37 members in the 60-member Assembly. The Meghalaya United Alliance-led by Congress has got the majority for formation and continuation of a viable government after coming of the UDP to its fold, Lapang said. "We have signed an agreement before the Governor pledging our support to the Congress. We have been given two berths in the cabinet," UDP president and former Chief Minister Donkupar Roy said. As per the agreement, the UDP will get a deputy chief ministership and a cabinet berth. There was no official word from the Congress, but party insiders said "unreasonable demands" by the NCP like five berths and opposition from a good chunk of state Congress members prompted the party to align with the UDP. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Defamation case against Rabri Devi to be heard today
13.05.2009 00:22
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A defamation case against former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi for making inflammatory remarks against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh ''''Lalan'''' will be heard today. On May 4, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) A K Jha, who heard the matter, had fixed the next date after Rajiv Ranjan Singh failed to appear before the court today because he was sick. On April 13, Rajiv Ranjan Singh had filed a defamation case against Rabri Devi. The complaint said such malicious and slanderous statements did not behove a former Chief Minister. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate A. K. Jha received the case under Section 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On April 5, at an election rally in Saran parliamentary constituency, Rabri Devi had allegedly described Nitish Kumar and Lalan as being "brothers-in-law". On April 6, senior advocate Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey had filed a petition in the Patna High Court against Rabri Devi, seeking criminal contempt proceedings against her. He also charged Rabri Devi of scandalizing and lowering the authority of the judiciary. The JD (U) also urged the Election Commission (EC) to bar Rabri Devi from participating in election campaigns and also asked for a termination of her membership from the Bihar State Assembly. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Polling for fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections begins
13.05.2009 00:22
b4uindia.com
Polling for the fifth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in 86 constituencies in seven States and two Union Territories began today amid tight security. The polling exercise began at 7:00 a.m. across 1.21 lakh booths. In this phase, polling is being held in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab; and two Union Territories - Chandigarh, Puducherry. Election is being held to four seats in Himachal Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, nine in Punjab, 39 in Tamil Nadu, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand, the lone one seat each in Chandigarh and Puducherry. Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are the only states to have undergone polls in all the five phases. There are a total of 1,432 candidates including 93 women in the fray and close to 10.78 crore voters. The prominent contestants in the fray are Congress''s P. Chidambaram and Mohd. Azharuddin, BJP''s Maneka Gandhi, Varun Gandhi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vinod Khanna, DMK''s M K Azhagiri, Dayanidhi Maran, T R Baalu and A Raja, MDMK''s Vaiko, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party''s Jayaprada. The other important contestants in the fray are Mani Shankar Aiyar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sajjad Gani Lone, and Tamil actor M Karthik. In Kolkata, voters turned out in large numbers to cast their votes. Communist Party Of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat was among the early voters who stood in a queue to exercise her voting right. "I felt good because my vote is for an alternative secular progressive government at the Centre. I''m sure that my individual vote added to that," said Karat. In Baramulla district of Kashmir, voters defied the boycott call given by the separatists to cast their votes in large numbers. The futility of the boycott and the frequent loss incurred due to the shutdowns called by the hardliners has disillusioned the residents who said they want stability and peace. "I don''t think that the boycott call given by the Hurriyat is having any effect on the people as they have also realised that there is nothing to be gained from these boycotts. Many have come here to cast their votes," said Kifayat Hussian, a voter. In Shimla, peace and betterment of poor topped the voters'' wish list as they cast their votes. "We want a government with a clean image that works for the upliftment of poor and labourers. And restores peace in the country," said Prem Kumar, a voter. A group of early voters also gathered in Himachal Pradesh''s Kullu valley. In Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, constituency of former cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who is contesting on a Congress party ticket, polling was being conducted in tight security. So far, elections have been completed to 457 seats since the exercise began on April 16. On May 7, the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections held for 85 constituencies spread across seven States had witnessed 57 per cent voting of the total 9.46 crore eligible votes. The first, second and third phases of polling were held on April 16, 23 and 30 respectively. The counting of votes will take place on May 16. The 543-member House will be constituted before June 2. (ANI)
India
Social Life
DD Lapang to be sworn in as Meghalaya CM
13.05.2009 00:22
b4uindia.com
The Congress party stitched an alliance with regional outfit UDP following failure of talks with the NCP to form the government in Meghalaya. Senior Congress leader DD Lapang will be sworn in on Wednesday as Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Lapang, who arrived at Shillong from New Delhi on Tuesday morning, called on Governor R S Mooshary and enclosed a letter of support from the UDP and independent MLA Donkupar Massar, taking the tally of the alliance to 37 members in the 60-member Assembly. The Meghalaya United Alliance (led by Congress) has got the majority for formation and continuation of a viable government after coming of UDP to its fold, Lapang said. "We have signed an agreement before the Governor pledging our support to the Congress. The new government will be sworn in tomorrow. We have been given two berths in the cabinet," UDP president and former Chief Minister Donkupar Roy told reporters. As per the agreement the UDP will get a deputy chief ministership and a cabinet berth. There was no official word from the Congress, but party insiders said "unreasonable demands" by the NCP like five berths and opposition from a good chunk of state Congress members prompted the party to align with the UDP. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Two killed in Thane chemical factory blast
13.05.2009 00:22
b4uindia.com
Two workers were killed in a massive blast, which gutted down a chemical factory in Ambernath area of western Thane on Tuesday. The blast, which took place in the morning hours, caused extensive damage to the chemical factory named Thomas Baker Private Limited. Eyewitnesses rushed to the floor after hearing the sound of the blast. “I heard the voice of the blast while I was sitting in the office. Our production manager was declared dead at the hospital. A worker, Avinash Vani, was taken to the hospital and his condition was serious,” said Aliyas Satana, who works in the administrative department. Police sources confirmed that two people were killed in the blast. “The reality is that there are two dead and a few injured,” said Smita Pathak, Assistant Commisioner of Police, Ambernath. The blast cause is unknown as of now, the local government has ordered an investigation into the incident. In another incident, goods worth millions of rupees were destroyed in a fire at a five-storied cloth factory in Dombivali city of Maharashtra state. Ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire at Indi Private Limited was brought under control after four hours. No casualties were reported. (ANI)
India
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‘IPL, trade ties between India and South Africa will improve relations’
13.05.2009 00:22
b4uindia.com
The growing trade and the ongoing Indian Premier League will give a boost to the bilateral relations between India and South Africa, Indian High Commissioner Rajiv Bhatia has said. “Our trade today stands at about 6.5 billion dollars and it will grow further and we believe that it will strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries,” Bhatia said, addressing a press meet during Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari''s three day visit to South Africa. “In the last two years we have witnessed about 30-35 big delegations coming into South Africa and collaborating in spheres like IT, pharmaceuticals, automotive, power, railway, electricity,” he added. Ansari, who visited South Africa to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, attended the swearing-in-ceremony of Jacob Zuma as the fourth president of democratic South Africa on Saturday. Bhatia also said the ongoing Indian Premier League would also boost the ties between the two countries. “Tourism resources of both the countries are increasing. Tourists from both the countries are visiting each other and now with the ongoing cricket IPL (Indian Premier League), the image of modern India gets portrayed,” he said. South Africa is playing host to the second edition of IPL after the Twenty20 competition was moved out of India due to its schedule clashing with the ongoing general elections. (ANI)
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