Category: NATIONAL NEWS

Polling is underway in the Charilam (ST) Assembly constituency in Tripura, which was postponed due to the death of the CPI(M) candidate a week before the February 18 election. Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister and state BJP vice-president Jishnu Deb Burman is contesting from the seat. He is pitted against Arjun Debbarma of the Congress, Uma Shankar Debbarma of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and Independent contestant Jyotilal Debbarma. Additional Chief electoral Officer Tapas Ray said, 35.45 per cent of votes were cast till 11 am and no untoward…

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government was “sensitive and positive” towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration’s attention towards their problems. Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers participating in the ‘Kisan Long March’ for their peaceful protest while demanding a complete loan waiver and compensation for hailstorm and pink bollworm pest attack on crops. The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned…

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Farmers’ issues, the welfare and development programmes of the TRS government and the ruling party’s election promises are expected to figure prominently in the budget session of Telangana legislature beginning here tomorrow. The session would start with the address of Governor E S L Narasimhan. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Assembly is likely to meet after that to decide the duration of the session and its agenda, official sources said. The ruling TRS would finalise its strategy for the session at a meeting of its MLAs and MLCs…

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Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a polling percentage of around 40 per cent while Phulpur saw a turnout of around 29 per cent till 4 pm today, Election Commission sources said. The voting for the bye-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats began on a dull note but picked up momentum in the day amid tight security, they said. The bypolls were necessitated after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, respectively following their election to…

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In a boost to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the government today sanctioned a special monetary allowance for it, akin to what is granted to the investigators and employees of the premier probe agency – the CBI. The Union finance ministry issued an order granting a ‘special incentive allowance’ at the rate of 20 per cent of the basic pay, on par with the CBI, to the officers and staffers of the ED. The order, accessed by PTI, was issued today. ED Director Karnal Singh had last year written to the…

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Tripura’s outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar will be today shifting to his new residence–the CPI(M) state committee office. Sarkar, who has ruled the state for 20 years, is in the process of checking out of his official residence on Marx-Engels Sarani, about 500 metres from his new home, CPI(M) state party secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters. “He would be moving in to the party office in a few hours. Sarkar would be living in one room of the party office guest house with his wife Panchali Bhattacharya,” he said. CPI(M)…

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The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were today disrupted for the third consecutive day amid protests by various parties, including NDA allies TDP and Shiv Sena over various issues. As soon as the House met for the day, members from various parties, including TDP, Shiv Sena, TRS, YSR Congress, AIADMK and TMC started raising slogans over various issues, following which Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the proceedings for an hour this morning Most of the protesting members were in the Well before the Speaker took her chair to conduct the proceedings.…

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked all political parties to ensure that those found desecrating statues are dealt with strictly and said such incidents of vandalism can never be justified. The minister’s comments came hours after the Home Ministry said it had sent an advisory to all states and Union territories to take strong action against anyone involved in the destruction of statues. “I appeal to everyone, all parties, that anyone indulging in such acts should be dealt with strictly. These incidents can never be justified,” Singh told reporters…

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Opposition parties stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for the second day today, forcing an adjournment till 11.30 hours over the PNB banking fraud, special package for Andhra Pradesh and constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board. As soon as the listed papers were laid on the table, TMC members, legislators from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh rushed into the well of the House shouting slogans. While TMC members raised slogans demanding that the alleged mastermind of the banking fraud Nirav Modi be brought back to the country, the AIADMK…

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The Lok Sabha today was adjourned till noon following vociferous protests by Opposition members over the Punjab National Bank fraud and other issues while those from NDA ally TDP continued to raise their demand for a special package to Andhra Pradesh. Soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan made obituary references, members from the Congress, TRS and other parties as well as from the TDP trooped into the Well raising various issues. This was the first day the House met after the recess of the Budget session. Before the start of proceedings,…

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