Archives for 2024

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak said Tuesday night that all the eight candidates of the BJP won in the Rajya Sabha elections from the state.

The ruling BJP fielded eight candidates and the opposition Samajwadi Party three for elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

Samajwadi Party chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said two of the party’s three candidates — Jaya Bachchan and Ramji Lal Suman — have emerged victorious. The third SP candidate Alok Ranjan conceded defeat earlier.

In a post in Hindi on X, Deputy Chief Minister Maurya congratulated the eight BJP candidates who won. “Certainly, this spectacular victory is a guarantee of development based on the basic mantra of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji: Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” he said.

Another deputy chief minister, Pathak, also congratulated the winning BJP candidates.

In a post in Hindi on X, he said, “This victory is a symbol of the country and the state’s unwavering faith in the illustrious Prime Minister’s ‘Viksit Bharat Modi kee Guarantee’.”

An official announcement of the results is awaited.

Rampur (UP): A court in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday declared former MP and actor Jaya Prada as an “absconder” in connection with two cases of election code violations and directed the police to arrest her and produce her before it on March 6.

According to senior prosecution officer Amarnath Tiwari, two cases were registered against the former MP from Rampur at Kemari and Swar police stations for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The actor was the BJP candidate from Rampur in the 2019 polls and was defeated by Azam Khan of the Samajwadi Party. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rampur in 2004 and 2009 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. The SP expelled her subsequently.

In these cases, the special MP-MLA court had issued summons several times but the former MP did not appear before it.

Subsequently, non-bailable warrants were issued against her seven times, but the police could not produce her before the court

He said that the police, in its reply filed in the court, said that Jaya Prada was evading arrest and all her known mobile numbers were switched off.

Tiwari said that on this, judge Shobhit Bansal took a tough stance and declared Jaya Prada as an absconder.

The Superintendent of Police of Rampur was ordered to form a team under the leadership of a circle officer and arrest Jaya Prada and produce her in the court on the next date of hearing on March 6.

New Delhi: Fresh turmoil hit Hockey India on Tuesday when its long-serving CEO Elena Norman resigned from her position, alleging that her remuneration was held back for a prolonged period and the job itself was made “difficult” by rampant factionalism in the body.

The 49-year-old Australian held the post for nearly 13 years and had not been paid for the last three months, according to sources in HI.

“There were some issues (regarding salary) and after much persuasion, that got cleared last week,” Norman told PTI after HI issued a statement announcing her exit without specifying any reasons.

“There are two factions in Hockey India. There is (President) Dilip Tirkey and I and there is (Secretary) Bholanath Singh, (Executive Director) Cdr. R K Srivastava and (Treasurer) Sekar J Manoharan,” she said.

“It was getting tough to deliver in the fight between two factions,” she added.

Norman moved to India in 2007 to work for a sports marketing firm before being appointed the federation’s first CEO in 2011.

Her resignation comes days after the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team Janneke Schopman quit, claiming that she was not valued and respected by the national federation. She had also complained about a difficult work environment.

Norman’s resignation is another setback for the body. HI president and former India captain Dilip Tirkey, while accepting Norman’s resignation, expressed his gratitude towards the Australian.

“Not only as the President of Hockey India but also as a former player and avid hockey enthusiast, I want to formally acknowledge and extend my sincere gratitude for her remarkable contributions over the last 12-13 years,” Tirkey said in a statement.

“Her dedication and efforts have played a pivotal role in propelling Hockey India and Indian hockey to the commendable position they hold today. I wish her great success in all her future endeavours.”

During the time she held the top job, the country’s men and women’s teams achieved career-best world rankings.

A historic bronze-medal finish by the men’s team at the Tokyo Olympic Games, ending a 41-year medal drought, was also a major accomplishment. The women also finished at an unprecedented fourth in the quadrennial showpiece.

Norman served a major part of her stint with HI when former international hockey federation (FIH) chief Narinder Batra was the president of the national body.

During her tenure, HI hosted two consecutive editions of FIH Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2023, two Junior Men’s World Cup in 2016 and 2021 and also hosted five editions of the now-discontinued Hockey India League (HIL), a franchise-based league.

Besides, HI also hosted several international hockey events including the Champions Trophy, World League Finals in 2015 and 2017, Olympic Qualifiers in 2019 and 2024 as well as the Hockey Pro League home games during her tenure.

“Elena was also at the forefront of bringing women’s hockey to limelight, providing them equal facilities as the men’s hockey team, including cash awards recognising standout performances in international events through the Hockey India Annual Awards,” said a Hockey India statement.

“She was particularly instrumental in the success of the women’s team that qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, a historic feat as the team qualified for the first time and participated in the Olympics after 36 years,” the statement added.

New Delhi: Stressing that communication is important in a democracy, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi on Tuesday said the election commission should call an all-party meeting to address concerns over the EVMs.

Amid concerns being raised by several opposition parties over the electronic voting machines (EVMs), the former CEC said while he defends the EVMs, communication is important in democracy and so the election commission (EC) should call a meeting of the political parties and address the concern

“I have been defending EVMs for the last 15 years. If EVM is manipulatable could the BJP have lost Karnataka so badly? The PM had addressed 34 rallies… They lost Himachal, Punjab, West Bengal… ” he said during an interaction with journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps.

“In 2009, the movement against EVMs was at its peak, BJP leader G V L Narasimha Rao had even written a book, today BJP is the biggest defender of the EVM. When I became the CEC, we called an all-party meeting, which is what I will recommend to the EC even now. Political parties are the biggest stakeholders,” he said.

“The EC should not be quiet on the issue. If I was CEC, I would call all political parties,” he said. “If the election commission does not talk, they (political parties) go to the Supreme Court. The EC is letting go of their power. Communication is important. You cannot shut your doors in democracy, especially for the election commission which is the guardian of democracy,” he said.

He also dismissed the argument that counting VVPATs would take more time. “What is the problem in counting 100 per cent VVPATs? The election commission has said it will take four-five days… Nation waits for two-and-a-half months from the first to the last day of election… What is the problem?” he said.

Asked about ‘One Nation One Election’, Quraishi said there is a risk that it may lead to local issues being subjugated by national issues. “There are some positives and some negatives. At all three levels, whether it is Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha or Panchayat, the voters are the same, booths are the same, the district administration, security apparatus are the same. It is simple that a voter can press buttons on three machines instead of one… It is simpler. It is also beneficial for the election commission that they can hold elections at one go and be free for the next five years,” he said.

“But what is the counter? People like elections being held. People have only one power, that is their vote. You will be snatching away their power. Repeated elections allow people to have a say. Mayawati had said repeated elections suit people,” he said.

“Only two parties can have a problem with repeated elections – the election commission, but it is our job, we get paid for it… The other is politicians, why are they troubled? Politics is about winning elections. So it is not right to say that repeated elections are a problem.”

“The third thing is that the issues are different in the three elections, and all are equally important constitutionally. If I am in a village, there is garbage in front of my house, would I be concerned about that in the Panchayat election or about India’s policy in Ukraine? Local issues should not be allowed to be subjugated by national issues. Perhaps that is the intent, to overshadow local issues with national issues. Here comes federalism, every state has local dynamics,” he added.

Chennai : Santhan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who was later freed by the Supreme Court, died here on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest, a government official said.

Santhan alias T Suthendiraraja (55) is a Sri Lankan national and was one of the seven persons set free by the Supreme Court in 2022 after they served over 20 years of jail term in connection with the killing of the former prime minister near here in 1991.

E Theranirajan, Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where Santhan was undergoing treatment for “liver failure”, said he died at 7.50 am.

Santhan suffered a cardiac arrest around 4 am on Wednesday but was ‘revived’ following a CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) procedure and was given an oxygen supply and was on a ventilator, Theranirajan told reporters.

However, Santhan did not respond to treatment “and he died at 7.50 am today,” he said.

“A post mortem will be conducted….legal arrangements are underway for the body to be sent to Sri Lanka,” he added.

The deceased was admitted to the hospital here from a special camp in Tiruchirappalli, where he was lodged post his release, on January 27 for “liver failure”, the Dean said.

Mangaluru: Four students tragically drowned while swimming under the Koppal dam railway bridge in Surathkal on Tuesday afternoon. The incident came to light late at night.

The deceased, all students of a private school in Surathkal, have been identified as Yashvit (15), Raghavendra (15), Nirup (15), and Anvit (15).

According to reports, the students had gone for an English Pre-Preparation Examination and then proceeded to Old Town, where they went for a swim under the railway bridge. Four of the students left their school bags on the riverbank and entered the water. Unfortunately, they drowned while their three friends who were with them went home.

Upon receiving a complaint about the missing children, the Surathkal police launched an investigation. They checked CCTV footage near the school and bus stand, which showed the children boarding a bus at Surathkal bus stand and getting down at the Haleangadi bus stop. The police then confirmed the location of the boys using their mobile phone signals.

The bodies of the deceased have been sent to VenLock Hospital in Mangalore for post-mortem.

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh BJP on Wednesday sought intervention of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla amid apprehensions that the Assembly Speaker might suspend its MLAs or disqualify the Congress legislators who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday made it clear that the Congress government was in minority and demanded Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu resign.

“We are apprehensive that Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania might suspend the BJP MLAs so that the budget could be passed in the Vidhan Sabha,” Thakur told reporters here.

“As per our information, notices have been issued to Congress MLAs who voted for the BJP candidate, asking them to explain why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law,” he said.

A delegation of the BJP legislative party led by Thakur apprised Governor Shukla on the Tuesday happenings during the election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state and urged him to ensure that division of votes is permitted during the budget.

On Tuesday, Speaker Pathania refused division of votes in cut motions pertaining to the health department and adjourned the house.

Thakur termed the notice on members’ disqualification “unconstitutional” as anti-defection law is not applicable in a Rajya Sabha election. He also said Congress threatened its members their votes would be invalid if they cross voted.

However, the election commission made it clear that the vote cannot be declared invalid as a whip cannot be issued to members to vote for a particular candidate, he said.

The Congress has 40 MLAs and the BJP 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

Thakur alleged that the marshals misbehaved and manhandled BJP members when they were going towards the chamber of the speaker to register their protest.

The BJP won the Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The fray ended in a tie with both the Congress and the BJP candidates getting 34 votes, indicating that six Congress MLAs and three independents voted against the party. The result was then declared on the basis of a draw of lots.

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday suspended 15 BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, and adjourned the House.

They were suspended for misbehaviour and shouting slogans in the House.

“We are apprehensive that Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania might suspend the BJP MLAs so that the budget can be passed in the Vidhan Sabha,” Thakur told reporters earlier in the morning.

He said the Rajya Sabha election had made it clear that the Congress government was in minority and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The move comes a day after the BJP on Tuesday won the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi due to cross-voting by MLAs of the state’s ruling Congress party.