Uttar Pradesh

Only Cong can ensure development in UP: Rahul

Pratapgarh: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged hooliganism and casteism reared their ugly heads and development took a back seat during the successive non-Congress regimes in the state in the past 22 years. Only the Congress could ensure development in the state and for this people's mindset needed to be changed, he told a public meeting here. Asking people to get the maximum work done from him for...

Khurshid Law Minister or 'lawless' minister: BJP

Chandauli: Lashing out at Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his spat with the EC over the issue of quota for minorities, BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Monday termed him as a "lawless" minister. "He (Khurshid) is not the Law minister but lawless minister," Gadkari told an addressing an election meeting here. He also blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not sacking the minister. Khurshid had told an election meeting...

Congress is protecting Khurshid: Javadekar

BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said on Monday that the Congress was protecting its Law Minister, Salman Khurshid by not taking any action against him. "If the Law Minister does not respect the law, who will? No action has been taken against the minister despite the EC's complaint," he said. ...

Khurshid free to express his views: Priyanka

New Delhi: In what could be a potential embarrassment for the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi said on Monday that Salman Khurshid was "free" to express his opinions and so was the Election Commission. Referring to the ongoing row between the Union Law Minister and the Election Commission over a Muslim sub-quota remark that he made during a rally in the state, Priyanka said that people were free to express their feelings...

UP Polls: Cong MP Azharuddin issued notice

Farukhabad: A notice has been issued to Congress MP and former cricketer Azharuddin for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by distributing shawls in an election meeting in Farukhabad, officials said on Monday. The notice was issued by a Kayamganj election officer to Azharuddin, who allegedly distributed shawls at an election meeting in Shamshabad on February 11, they said. The notice has been sent by Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Sub...

Salman Khurshid mum on apology to EC

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gets set to ask Law Minister Salman Khurshid to explain his stand on his standoff with the Election Commission, CNN-IBN asks some hitherto unanswered questions. Did Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid make the Muslim sub-quota remark because the Congress desperation for Muslim vote has grown in UP? Was it because Khurshid's wife is facing a tough fight in Farroukhabad? Why has the Government stayed silent ...

Cong pulls up Khurshid, to issue clarification

New Delhi: The Congress has reportedly pulled up Law Minister Salman Khurshid for taking on the Election Commission saying it expected its leaders to respect and work within parameters of the Constitution and institutions. Sources told CNN-IBN that the government or the Law Minister was expected to issue a clarification saying that he never meant to show any disrespect to the EC, that he valued the Commission as an institution...

BJP raises pitch, wants government to sack Khurshid

The Election Commission on Saturday sought the 'immediate and decisive' intervention of President after it charged Congress minister Salman Khurshid with 'improper and unlawful' defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities. ...

UP: Voting generally peaceful, turnout 56 pc

Lucknow: Nearly 56 per cent of 1.92 crore voters on Saturday exercised their franchise for 59 seats spread over nine districts in the by-and-large peaceful second phase of the fiercely-fought Uttar Pradesh assembly election. The fate of 1,098 candidates, including two state party chiefs, 31 MLAs and 24 former ministers was sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines in Saturday's exercise. Polling for the second round, in which 59 assembly seats...

UP polls: Salman Khurshid dares EC, BJP reacts

Farrukhabad: Even as the polling for the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections were underway, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid did not refrain from keeping up the campaign for the third phase. In a not-so-veiled attempt, Khurshid took on the Election Commission in his stronghold of Farrukhabad. "I don't have permission to talk about the rights of minorities. I was attacked for promising them their rights. They can...

UP polls: 46 per cent turnout till 3 pm

Lucknow: The polling in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections picked up after a dull start on Saturday with 46 per cent of nearly two crore electorate exercising their franchise till 3 pm. The fate of 1099 candidates, including 31 sitting MLAs and 24 former ministers and at stake in the second phase of polling on 59 of the 403 assembly seats. Once a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion, it is...

UP: 7.4 pc voting registered in morning polling

Lucknow: Polling for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections started on a slow note with only 7.4 per cent of the total 1.92 crore electorate exercising their franchise in the first two hours. "Polling started at 7 am and in the first two hours 7.4 per cent polling was registered in 59 seats spread over 9 districts amid tight security arrangements," Election Commission sources said in Lucknow. Maximum...

UP polls: Phase 2 today, Maya faces stiff challenge

Lucknow: The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections began on a slow note on Saturday, covering nearly two crore voters who will decide the fate of 1099 candidates, including 31 sitting MLAs and 24 former ministers. Once a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion, it is the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) that has the highest number of MLAs in this region. However, Chief Minister Mayawati does face a stiff...

Uttar Pradesh to vote in second phase today

Lucknow: The second round of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, whose outcome is bound to affect national politics, will take place on Saturday, involving 1.97 crore voters in 59 constituencies. With campaigning for the second of seven rounds ending on Thursday evening, the Election Commission gave finishing touches to the arrangements for the 10-hour balloting. The voters will decide the fate of 1,098 candidates in the second round. The staggered...

Rahul Gandhi could be PM in 2014: Beni Prasad

Jaunpur: In remarks that could further embarrass Congress, Union minister Beni Prasad Verma on Friday made a reference to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's age and said that Rahul Gandhi could be the Prime Minister in 2014. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is 80 years old.. in 2014 he would be 82...there is a limit and age to work..under these circumstances Rahulji could be made the Prime Minister," Verma said in Madiyahon...