Panaji: A group of Congress legislators in Goa were “upset” and blamed the party’s top leadership for the failure to form the government in the coastal state despite emerging as the single largest party in the assembly polls.

“I am very upset with the way our party leaders handled the situation after the (Goa Assembly poll) results, which gave us the first right — as the single largest party — to form the government. I feel let down at the functioning of the party leaders who could not take a decision at the right time,” Vishwajit Rane, who won from the Valpoi constituency, told PTI today.

He said that “gross mismanagement” by party leaders and the “delay” in choosing the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader hurt them. The Congress won 17 seats in Goa, only four short of the magic figure to form the government. Soon after the results threw up a hung assembly, Independent candidate Rohan Khaunte had extended support to the party.

Also, informal talks were on with three legislators of the Goa Forward Party on Saturday, before the BJP stole the march on its rival after it could not muster the numbers to capture power.

Congress’ lone woman legislator Jeniffer Monserratte representing Taleigao constituency said, “Our party leaders are to be blamed for the failure to form the government.” “People had given us the mandate but party leaders failed to respect it. It is entirely their fault,” she said.

Similarly, senior leader and Curtorim legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that the people wanted the Congress to form the government but party leaders miserably failed to honour the verdict.

“Why should we blame someone for forming the government, when we failed in our responsibility? We were 17 in number,” Lourenco said. “People wanted us to form the government and hence, they had rejected the BJP. But we failed to give people their government,” he added.

All India Congress Committee General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Goa Digvijaya Singh said he would speak to the Congress legislators who have expressed resentment.

“Let us see. I will talk to them. I will find out,” Singh said today. Yesterday, despite being a runner-up behind the Congress, the BJP, which bagged 13 seats, pulled off a coup and staked the claim to form the next government in Goa in coalition with local outfits and Independents under Manohar Parrikar.

As the saffron party outmanoeuvred the Congress in its bid to power, Singh had accused Parrikar of indulging in “horse trading and hijacking the popular mandate which was in favour of the Congress”.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The restrictions placed on cash withdrawals from bank accounts after Centre’s demonetisation drive on November 8, 2016 was completely removed today.

The Reserve Bank of India had announced last month that the all caps on cash withdrawals would end on March 13.

The limits were imposed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to scrap 86 per cent of total currency in Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, around Rs 15.44 lakh crore, on November 8, creating huge cash crunch across the country.

The limits were gradually eased to Rs. 50,000 per week on February 20.

“Effective March 13, 2017, there will be no limits on cash withdrawals from Savings Bank accounts,” the RBI had said in a notification on February 8.

The RBI had already removed restrictions on cash withdrawals from Current accounts on January 31, 2017.

The central bank is yet to provide final figure on how much of the demonetised currency has been deposited in banks after demonetisation was announced.

Last month, the apex bank said it was yet to collect all the data.

It said that all the centres of the RBI are yet to send the data on old notes and NABARD has also not provided with the data on deposits in cooperative banks. The data on notes in circulation in Bhutan and Nepal is also not been collected, the RBI said.

Along with all these data and deposits made by NRIs after December 30, 2016 deadline will it be able to tell how much old notes are back in banks, the RBI said.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was today given the additional charge of the Defence Ministry after Manohar Parrikar resigned to take on the new role of Goa Chief Minister.

A Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said that the resignation of Parrikar as the Defence Minister, on advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been accepted with immediate effect.

“Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Arun Jaitely, Cabinet Minister, shall be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Defence, in addition to his existing portfolios,” the communique said.

Parrikar submitted his resignation after BJP staked claim to form an alliance government in Goa.

He will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa tomorrow heading the BJP-led ministry which has the support of regional outfits and Independents.

This is the second time that Jaitley is holding the additional portfolio of Defence Ministry during the present NDA government.

He was incharge of the ministry earlier from May 26 to November 9 in 2014.

(Agencies)

Islamabad: Pakistan has summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner to express its concern over the acquittal of right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand – an accused in the Samjhauta train blasts case – in a case of terrorism.

In a late night statement, the Foreign Office said Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh was called in by the Director General (South Asia & SAARC) on Friday “to express concern over acquittal of Swami Aseemanand in Ajmer Sharif blast case.”

“Swami Aseemanand had publicly confessed that he was the ‘mastermind’ of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack of February 2007 and had also identified a serving Indian army officer Col Purohit, who was head of terrorist organisation Abhinav Bharat, as his accomplice in the Samjhauta Express terrorist attack,” it said.

A total of 68 people were killed in the blasts in two coaches of Samjhauta Express in Panipat on February 18, 2007.

The statement said that 42 Pakistani citizens had lost their lives in the Samjhauta train blasts.

“The Government of Pakistan expects India to take steps to bring to justice all those involved in the heinous act of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack,” it said.

On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria had asked India to bring the perpetrators of the Samjhauta train blasts to justice and termed the acquittal of Aseemanand in the 2007 Ajmer blast case as “regrettable”.

Aseemanand is an accused in the Samjhauta blast case.

“What we have noted is that over the last few years they had been exonerating people involved in the Samjhauta Express terrorist attack,” Zakaria had said.

“We have been pursuing the case of Samjhauta Express with the Indian government and we hope that they will share the findings/investigations collected so far in the case with us and perpetrators will be brought to justice,” he had said.

A member of right-wing Hindu group Abhinav Bharat, Assemanand has been in jail since December 2010. He was also named as an accused in Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blast case.

(PTI)

New Delhi: The AAP today said it is disappointed with its performance in Punjab and Goa and will introspect on the reasons behind it.

As per the counting trends, the party was not doing well in Punjab, where it was seen as an alternative to the Akalis and the Congress, and Goa, where it hoped to put up a spirited fight.

“We are disappointed with the results. We will introspect on the reasons behind the (poor) performance,” senior AAP leader Ashutosh said.

AAP leader and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said the party had not expected such results in Punjab and Goa.

“This was not expected and it its the time to review,” Mishra said.

He, however, added that the party has made its impact felt at the national stage.

As the counting of votes started in the morning, Atishi Marlena, Ashutosh and other senior party leaders went to Kejriwal’s residence.

The party had put tri-colour balloons on the Flag Staff Road, the lane that houses the Chief Minister’s official bungalow, and installed LED screens to show live results.

Party workers had gathered outside Kejriwal’s residence, but as the trends indicated that party is not winning any of the two states, the crowd started ebbing.

The party had put all its might and resources in Punjab and Goa. Kejriwal had himself addressed over 95 rallies in Punjab over the past few months.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati, whose party received a major drubbing in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, today alleged that the EVMs were tampered with in such a way that whichever button was pressed, the vote went to BJP.

Terming the results as “shocking”, she said the Election Commission should stop the counting and withhold results and hold fresh polls using traditional paper ballots.

As results and trends went in favour of the BJP in a big way, she called a press conference in a hurried manner and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to ask the poll panel to hold fresh elections in the state “if they have an iota of morality and honesty left in them”.

Mayawati said this trend will have a “very bad bearing” on democracy in the country and will amount to crushing it. “The results in UP and Uttarakhand are surprising and not palatable to anyone…it seems EVMs did not accept votes polled for any party other than BJP,” she said.

“It is a matter of common discussion here that even if button is pressed for any other party, vote will be polled in favour of BJP,” Mayawati said.

The BSP chief claimed that a similar complaint was made by her partymen in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but she had preferred to stay silent thinking it was Modi wave and anti-Congress sentiment.

She said it was “unacceptable” that the BJP was winning even in Muslim-dominated areas. “Muslims constitute 20 per cent votes in the state and the BJP did not give a single ticket to Muslims…but in Muslim- dominated seats also the results went in the BJP’s favour and this is unpalatable to the party,” she said.

The BSP chief said that she has written a letter to the Election Commission in this regard and demanded that the declaration of results should be immediately stopped and fresh polls be held in the state using paper ballots after an impartial inquiry into the EVMs.

Issuing an open warning to the BJP, Mayawati said they need not be happy that they got a majority as they have “killed democracy and this is betrayal of democracy”.

(PTI)

New Delhi: The BJP headed for a stunning victory today in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, trampling a fragmented opposition that had hoped the demonetisation exercise would have chipped away at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity.

The BJP was also locked in a close contest in Goa and Manipur with the Congress, which won the consolation prize of Punjab where it was certain to form the government.

The party was now set to return to power after a 14-year gap during which regional parties such as the SP and BSP had held sway.

“The prime minister has clearly established himself as the predominant leader in India,” said Aarti Jerath, a political analyst, on NDTV.

BJP president Amit Shah, who crafted and conducted the election strategy in UP, credited Modi and his policies for the victory. “This is the victory of the corruption-free rule and pro-poor polices under the leadership” of Modi, he tweeted.

“BJP has reached new heights in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and changed the political picture of the country,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said amid scenes of jubilation at party offices in UP.

Party members danced and distributed sweets on streets and BJP offices. Women gathered in groups to watch results on TV danced as the results came in. One party leader said Holi, which will be celebrated on Sunday and Monday, has come a day early.

Terming the BJP victory as “shocking” and “difficult to swallow,” BSP leader Mayawati hinted at vote fraud in the elections that were spread over seven phases during the last two months in the five states.

She provided no evidence for her allegation, and it is unlikely to be taken seriously. Her party is expected to finish third. After five hours of counting, the BJP was ahead in xxx races in UP. Along with its allies Apna Dal (Soneylal Patel) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), the party will likely control at least 305 seats for a comfortable two-thirds majority in the 403-member legislative assembly.

The party had however not put forward any chief ministerial candidate. BJP leaders said the decision will be taken by the BJP parliamentary board and the legislature party in the state soon.

The BJP, which had just 47 seats in the outgoing Assembly, garnered 40 per cent vote share in the most riveting contest seen as a gamechanger and a virtual referendum on Modi’s popularity and demonetisation.

The party also went to the elections without fielding any Muslim candidate. The nascent SP-Congress coalition was ahead in only 64 seats while Mayawati’s BSP was a distant third leading only in 20 places. The SP, whose campaign was spearheaded by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on development agenda, led in 55 seats.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi acknowledged the party’s defeat was massive. “Yes, UP is a bad loss, it hurts…I agree that, in UP, we need fundamental restructuring thinking for the Congress as a whole. These have to be hard, tough decisions about strategy,” Singhvi said.

The previous best showing by BJP in UP was in 1991, at the height of Ram Janam Bhoomi movement, when it got majority on its own winning 221 seats out of 425 in an undivided state.

SP leader and a state minister, Gayatri Prajapati, who is wanted in an alleged gangrape case and attempt to rape a minor, was trailing in Amethi, where Garima Singh (BJP), the first wife of Congress leader Sanjay Sinh, was leading.

Ameeta Singh (Cong), the current wife of Sanjay Sinh was also trailing. In Noida, Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh was leading by an impressive margin.

The trends also showed BJP’s Sangeet Singh Som, who was booked in the Muzaffarnagar riots, was leading in Sardhana. Kailash Vijaywargia, a BJP general secretary, that the perception that the BJP was a party of the upper caste has been demolished as all sections of the society including Dalits and Muslims voted for it.

“The central government schemes have benefitted everyone. Muslim women have also benefitted from the schemes. Modi has created confidence in every section,” he said.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP put up a splendid show and is leading in 56 seats in the 70-member Assembly while Congress was way behind ahead in only 10 seats. Congress Chief Minister Harish Rawat lost Haridwar (Rural) seat to BJP’s Yatishwaranand by over 12,000 votes.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad attributed the party’s poor show in the politically crucial UP to “public mood” and said its performance will be “scrutinised”.

He, however, stressed that Congress’ gains in Punjab and likeliness of the party forming government in Goa, ruled by the BJP until before the elections, should not be ignored

In Punjab, the Congress won 16 and was leading in 60 of the 117 constituencies while the AAP, making a debut in Punjab Assembly polls, was in second position winning six seats and ahead in 16.

The ruling SAD was demolished with the party winning one and leading in 13 while its coalition partner BJP led in three seats. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh, who is the party’s chief ministerial face, thanked people of the state for their overwhelming support.

The Congress legislature party will meet tomorrow to elect its leader, he said.

In Goa where trends and results were available for 25 seats, the ruling BJP and Congress won seven seats each and were also leading in two seats each, in what could lead to a hung Assembly whose strength is 40.

The BJP suffered a big reverse when Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar lost to his Congress rival from Mandrem. Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat (Congress) won from Margao constituency.

In Manipur, the ruling Congress won 9 seats and was ahead in seven while the BJP bagged four leading in 12, according to details available for 39 out of 40 constituencies.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh won from Thoubal Assembly seat by a margin of 10,400 votes. Rights activist Irom Sharmila, making her poll debut, was relegated to the fourth position.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: After last year’s chaos caused due to the paper leak during the II PUC exams, this year’s exam began on a smooth note across the state on Thursday with students answering Biology and History papers.

Heavy security was put in place at all centers to prevent any untoward incident.

The Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) keeping in mind last year’s paper leak, this year prevented students from answering exams in their own colleges.

Meanwhile, it is said that some of the students arrived late while some forgot to bring ID cards and such students were excused as it was the first day; however, Director of DPUE Shikha said that students would not be excused during other exams.

Centers had put up notices that no gadgets and phones would be allowed in the exams hall and that students were under surveillance; however, contrary to a statement issued on Wednesday by Tanveer Sait, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, a few photocopy shops in and around exam centers in Malleswaram and Rajajinagar were found open.

When questioned, they said that that it was their daily bread and that they would not shut down the shop. Director Shikha assured of necessary action in this regard.

There were also incidents of malpractice reported from Kalaburagi and Davangere. Meanwhile, there were rumours that the Biology paper had leaked, but Shikha dismissed the rumours.

Students will answer Electronics and Computer Science papers on Friday.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya today took to Twitter saying he is ready to negotiate with banks to pay a one-time settlement charge on Rs 9,000-crore loan default.

“Public sector banks have policies for one-time settlements. Hundreds of borrowers have settled. Why should this be denied to us? Our substantial offer before the honourable Supreme Court was rejected by banks without consideration. (I) am ready to talk settlement on fair basis,” Mallya said in a tweet.

He further said: “Wish the Supreme Court would intervene and put an end to all this by directing banks and us to negotiate and settle. We are ready.” Mallya added that he has “humbly obeyed every single court order without exception” and “seems as if government is bent on holding me guilty without fair trial”.

“The allegations against me by the Attorney General before the Supreme Court only prove the attitude of the government against me,” he went on to say. On Thursday, the Supreme Court posed a question to Mallya about the “truthfulness” of his disclosure of assets and transfer of USD 40 million to his children.

A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit put forth the queries during the day-long hearing following which it reserved the orders on two pleas from lenders seeking contempt action against Mallya and a direction to him to deposit USD 40 million received from offshore firm Diageo.

Last month, the Indian government handed over to the UK an extradition request for the businessman, who is facing cases of loan default and other financial irregularities. Mallya, whose now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9,000 crore to various banks, had left India on March 2.

(PTI)