Bihar: Five-phase polls from October 12
Bihar's Assembly elections will be conducted in five phases between October 12 and November 5, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Wednesday. The votes will be counted on November 8. The elections to the 243-seat Assembly will be held on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. The term of the current Assembly expires on November 29. Zaidi told journalists that security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful, free and fair polls in the state where more 47 constituencies are threatened by Naxalite violence.
The ban on the sale of meat in Mumbai to coincide with the Jain festival of Paryushan Parva has snowballed into a major political row, pitting the Bharatiya Janata Party against other parties, including its ally, the Shiv Sena. Wednesday’s edition of the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, described the meat ban as religious terrorism. The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation headed by the BJP was the first to impose an eight-day ban. The BJP then demanded an eight-day ban in Mumbai too. The other parties in the Mumbai municipal corporation opposed it, but the Municipal Commissioner, Ajoy Mehta, agreed to a four-day ban in response to a request from BJP MLAs.
Andhra Pradesh; Make state open defecation-free, says Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said his government aims to make the state open defecation free by 2016. "Under the phase-1 of the Swachh Andhra Pradesh program, make AP open defecation-free by Janaury 2016," the chief minister said in a meeting with municipal commissioners. Noting that all the state's towns are strewn with litter, Naidu said sweeping and cleaning of all public places should be conducted before midnight.
Jammu and Kashmir: 3 separatists join Geelani faction
Three top separatist leaders joined the Hurriyat Conference faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Wednesday. These leaders were part of the moderate faction till last year and had then parted ways. The development comes six months after Pakistan reportedly asked separatists to unite. Separatist leaders who joined Geelani’s Hurriyat are Shabir Ahmad Shah of Democratic Freedom Party, Nayeem Ahmad Khan of National Front and Aga Hassan Budgami of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian.
Punjab: There is no democracy in AAP, says Sukhbir Badal
Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party, saying there was no democracy in the party and it was being ruled by a dictator Arvind Kejriwal. "The party has failed to fulfil all its promises," Badal said. "The Lokpal was yet to take final shape in Delhi and taxes have been increased in the Capital, causing a lot of anguish to the public."
Bihar's Assembly elections will be conducted in five phases between October 12 and November 5, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Wednesday. The votes will be counted on November 8. The elections to the 243-seat Assembly will be held on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. The term of the current Assembly expires on November 29. Zaidi told journalists that security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful, free and fair polls in the state where more 47 constituencies are threatened by Naxalite violence.
Maharashtra: Udhhav slams BJP for meat ban
The ban on the sale of meat in Mumbai to coincide with the Jain festival of Paryushan Parva has snowballed into a major political row, pitting the Bharatiya Janata Party against other parties, including its ally, the Shiv Sena. Wednesday’s edition of the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, described the meat ban as religious terrorism. The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation headed by the BJP was the first to impose an eight-day ban. The BJP then demanded an eight-day ban in Mumbai too. The other parties in the Mumbai municipal corporation opposed it, but the Municipal Commissioner, Ajoy Mehta, agreed to a four-day ban in response to a request from BJP MLAs.
Andhra Pradesh; Make state open defecation-free, says Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said his government aims to make the state open defecation free by 2016. "Under the phase-1 of the Swachh Andhra Pradesh program, make AP open defecation-free by Janaury 2016," the chief minister said in a meeting with municipal commissioners. Noting that all the state's towns are strewn with litter, Naidu said sweeping and cleaning of all public places should be conducted before midnight.
Jammu and Kashmir: 3 separatists join Geelani faction
Three top separatist leaders joined the Hurriyat Conference faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Wednesday. These leaders were part of the moderate faction till last year and had then parted ways. The development comes six months after Pakistan reportedly asked separatists to unite. Separatist leaders who joined Geelani’s Hurriyat are Shabir Ahmad Shah of Democratic Freedom Party, Nayeem Ahmad Khan of National Front and Aga Hassan Budgami of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian.
Punjab: There is no democracy in AAP, says Sukhbir Badal
Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party, saying there was no democracy in the party and it was being ruled by a dictator Arvind Kejriwal. "The party has failed to fulfil all its promises," Badal said. "The Lokpal was yet to take final shape in Delhi and taxes have been increased in the Capital, causing a lot of anguish to the public."
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