New Delhi: The final opinion poll for the Karnataka Assembly elections conducted by C-Voter for ABP News indicates that the Congress is still in the pole position though the BJP seems to have closed the earlier gap in the last leg of campaigning.
A detailed analysis of the poll data across demographics and other categories in the major regions of the state suggests that the Congress is likely to win between 110 and 122 seats in the May 10 elections. The Karnataka Assembly has 224 members and a tally of 113 is required to form a simple majority government.
The party is projected to get 40.2 per cent of the vote share, up 2.2 per cent from what it managed in the previous Assembly elections in 2018. The BJP, which currently has a government in the state, is projected to win between 73 and 85 seats. In 2018, the saffron party had won 104 seats.
Interestingly, BJP’s vote share is projected to remain the same at 36 per cent. Compared to the earlier rounds of the C-Voter poll, this is an improvement both in terms of seats and vote share.
The JD(S) is projected to win between 21 and 29 seats. In 2018, it had won 37 seats. The projected vote share for the JD(S) in 16.1 per cent, down almost 2 per cent compared to the 2018 elections.
Barring the Greater Bengaluru region, which sends 32 MLAs to the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress is projected to win more seats than the BJP in all the other regions of the state.
Interestingly, the BJP is projected to substantially increase its vote share in the Old Mysuru region, a stronghold of the JD(S), from 17 per cent in 2018 to more than 25 per cent this time.
But this seems to be resulting in a triangular fight which is helping the Congress.
Elections are scheduled in a single phase on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the National Conference on ‘[email protected]’, today at the Convention Centre.
The Conference was organized by IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, AIIMS Jammu, in collaboration with Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI) to deliberate upon priorities, prospects and way forward for creating an inclusive & sustainable society.
“The aspirations of humanity can be fulfilled only in the conditions of peace. And, I strongly believe, ‘Ahimsa’ deeply rooted in our great civilization, is making the world realize the futility of conflict and utility of dialogue,” said the Lt Governor.
During India’s G20 presidency, green, accelerated, inclusive & sustainable growth are top priorities and the world is looking at us with a hope to deal with the challenges of Covid, Climate Change and Conflict, observed the Lt Governor.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a new vision to the world that climate change cannot be fought from conference tables alone but It has to be fought from the dinner tables in every home. This will pave the way for sustainable & inclusive development,” the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor stressed upon synergy between developmental activities and environment conservation to ensure global prosperity and better quality of life for all. He further observed that Ecological security will lead to economic security and strengthen our social development initiatives.
“India will play the most important & constructive role for climate future and shape the action plan for mitigation, adaptation and environmental management systems. India will guide the world towards achieving the goal of environmentally sustainable development,” he said.
The Lt Governor said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, India has given a new social model to the world for equitable development.
Atma-Nirbhar Bharat, Make In India and Digital India have provided a robust framework for rapid and sustainable growth, he added.
The Lt Governor also underscored the important role of premier institutions like IIM, IIT & AIIMS and the youth to provide future solutions to humanity.
He further emphasized on exchange of best practices and increased cooperation between the countries for Digitally Empowered Society and Knowledge-based Economy.
G20 represents 60% of the world population, accounts 85% of global GDP and 75% of global trade. I am confident that India’s G20 presidency will give new impetus to global relations and strengthen the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, he added.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary also shared his views and highlighted the efforts to fulfil India’s G20 goals.
Dr Milind Kamble Chairman, BoG, IIM Jammu; Dr Sharad Saraf, Chairman, BoG, IIT Jammu; Prof YK Gupta, President AIIMs Jammu; Prof BS Sahay, Director IIM Jammu; Prof Shakti Gupta, Executive Director, AIIMS Jammu; Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu, besides delegates from across the country, prominent citizens and students were present.
The bill was eventually paid, according to Somerset GOP Chair Tim Howes and former Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman, who said he interceded to get it done. But the episode shows just how far the party has fallen.
As recently as 2017, Republicans completely controlled the wealthy suburban county, where they had dominated for decades. The county produced Republican Gov. Christie Whitman and even the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2021, Jack Ciattarelli. They also had one of the strongest fundraising operations in the state.
Now, Somerset County Republicans hold no county-wide offices and there isn’t a single Republican from Somerset County in the Legislature.
The party’s financial woes didn’t end with the steakhouse bill. They were months late on rent for their Somerville headquarters and, most alarming to Howes’ critics, the party hasn’t filed a legally-required campaign finance disclosure with the Election Law Enforcement Commission since January 2021, when it reported just shy of $12,000 in the bank.
The lack of disclosure risks major fines for the cash-strapped committee. And some party officials say there’s even less of an excuse for that under the leadership of Howes, an election attorney.
A group of Somerset Republicans including Bateman is now attempting to get Howes to resign and, failing that, to get a detailed accounting of the party’s finances. But Howes, who was easily reelected chair in 2022, plans to stay in office until his term is up in 2024, leaving his critics to see if there’s a way to force him out.
“My interest is just making the Republican Party relevant again in Somerset. It hasn’t been for a lot of reasons. You can’t blame the chairman for everything, but we haven’t won an election in years,” Bateman said in a phone interview with POLITICO.
On April 4, almost two dozen current and former party officials, as well as several former elected officials from the county — including Bateman and former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco — outlined their complaints in a letter to Howes calling for his immediate resignation.
“Your failure to comply with the mandatory legal requirements set forth by ELEC, as well as your utter lack of transparency and your denial surrounding this failure, are indisputable and indefensible,” reads the letter, which accuses Howes of “financial malfeasance and deception.”
The letter claims that the party’s fundraising has dropped to “historic lows,” that it’s six months behind in rent payments for its Somerville headquarters, and notes that all eight countywide Republican candidates during his tenure have lost “by record margins.”
“If you refuse [to resign], we will call a special meeting of the SCRO to remove you from office,” they wrote.
Years of decline beginning with Trump election
Howes, who took on the chairmanship in 2020, can’t be blamed for the drastic political shift in Somerset county. Republican losses there started before Howes took the reins, with the GOP going from holding every county-wide office in 2017 to none by 2021.
“I came in the sixth inning. I was the middle relief pitcher,” Howes said in a phone interview.
Howes said party officials had a “difference of opinion” with Char Steakhouse on how many people attended the holiday party and that “once we settled that, I dropped off the check.”
Howes also said that the party’s rent has since been paid and that he’s “working on perfecting” the overdue ELEC reports now that he has a new treasurer in place, but declined to say why the party has gone two years without filing them.
“As far as an explanation, I’m not there yet,” Howes said. “As far as what happened, we’ll get to that. At some point we’re going to hold a meeting so that everybody’s questions can be answered. I think the committee’s questions need to be answered before they read it on the internet.”
The effort to oust Howes was first reported by New Jersey Globe.
The Somerset County Republican Party’s downfall coincided with the presidency of Donald Trump, whose gains for Republicans in formerly competitive blue collar areas were offset by stunning losses in middle-class and wealthy suburban counties like Somerset, and whose continued presence on the political stage has allowed Democrats to cement their control.
“Can he just go away?” Bateman said. “He’s the gift that keeps on giving for Democrats, unfortunately.”
But Howes’ critics within the GOP don’t believe the party will be in position to stage a comeback under his leadership. The party’s former treasurer, Robert Damiano, resigned on March 30 over the filings with ELEC, according to a letter he sent to Howes.
“You and I have had conversations regarding the accuracy of the records that I need to file correct ELEC reports. Each time, I was told that I would get all the information that we needed. However, that never happened,” Damiano wrote.
Howes did not explicitly blame Damiano, but said “we got back control of our records from the former treasurer.”
“At this point, I took the steps within 24 hours of accepting his resignation of getting a new treasurer with a good reputation, very ethical, hard working and we’ve begun the process of going back to making sure everything was filed.”
Damiano declined to comment.
Howes isn’t up for reelection as chair until 2024, and he says there’s no mechanism to remove him. His critics acknowledge it’s not in the party bylaws, but believe that state laws provide a way to remove him.
Howes said that under his leadership Somerset County Republicans have gained 14 seats at the municipal level and noted that they have performed better in off-year elections, when federal candidates aren’t on the ballot.
“It’s not your mother’s Somerset County. In a D+10 county we still outperformed both by way of margin and by percentage the deficit,” Howes said. “I’m here to win county races. I didn’t come here to be the nice guy that runs good campaigns but we still don’t win. We came very close in 2021 — very close. We intend to win this year and we’ve been moving forward despite this distraction.”
Lucknow: The Lucknow police have cracked the murder of a woman with the help of a strip of sedatives that were found near the body.
The charred body of the woman was found on a vacant plot in Sarauna village under Sairpur police station area on Thursday.
Those arrested were identified as Arshad, 21, of Alinagar Khadra locality under Madeyganj police station area and his aide Mohammed Avesh, 19, of Hardoi district.
The two have admitted to the crime during interrogation.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North, Qasim Abidi, a strip of sedatives was found at the crime scene.
The police took the strips and contacted the wholesale drug stores which sell the sedatives and got a lead about the prime accused.
“In the meantime, another police team found footage in which two youths were seen sitting on an e-rickshaw along with a woman and going towards the Saruana village. The man in the footage was identified by the owner of a medical store,” said the official.
Another CCTV footage surfaced of the same group of youths, who were seen returning from Saruan village but the woman in the previous footage was missing in the photo frame.
Later the police traced Arshad and he disclosed the identity of the woman.
Arshad was the live-in partner of the woman identified as Saba Khan, 20, residing in Adilnagar in Gudumba.
Abidi said Saba was pressuring Arshad to marry her and the latter was unwilling due to his parents’ refusal.
Thereafter, he planned to kill her and gave her an overdose of the sedative on the way to Sarauna village, making her unconscious. Arshad with the help of his aide Mohammed Avesh, killed her and they burnt her body with a lighter.
Mumbai: When two mature persons have had a relationship, one of them can not allege rape later when the relations turn sour or do not culminate in marriage, the Bombay High Court has said.
Justice Bharati Dangre passed the ruling on March 29 while discharging a man from a case of rape lodged against him by a woman at the suburban Versova police station in 2016. The judgement became available this week.
“Two matured persons coming together and investing in a relationship, one cannot be blamed only because the other complained of the act at some point of time when the relationship did not go well and for whatever reason need not ultimately culminate into a marriage,” the court said.
The 26-year-old woman had claimed in her complaint that she met the man through social media, and he had a physical relationship with her by making false promises of marriage. The man subsequently moved the court seeking to be discharged from the case, pleading innocence. The judge, while granting his plea, noted that he and the woman were in a relationship for eight years.
“Admittedly, the prosecutrix (the complainant) was major at the time when the relationship was established, both emotionally and physically. She was at the age where she is presumed to have sufficient maturity of understanding the consequences of her act and according to her own version, on some occasions, the relationship was consensual, but some times it was forcible,” HC said.
The relationship had continued for “a considerable length of time” and this fact does not lead to the conclusion that “on every occasion, only on the promise of marriage the sexual relationship was established,” it added.
Further, Justice Dangre noted that merely because the relationship had turned sour it cannot be inferred that the physical relationship on every occasion was against her will. As per her own version, she consented to physical relationship not only because of the promise of marriage but also because she was in love with him, the judgement said.
Hyderabad: YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y.S. Sharmila on Tuesday called on Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) leader Prof M. Kodandaram and requested him to lead the proposed Telangana Students Action for Vacancies & Employment (T-SAVE) to fight for the rights of the youth and the unemployed.
Sharmila also called on state Secretaries of Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and appealed to them to join hands for a united battle for the future of the youth of the state
Kodandaram responded positively to Sharmila’s request to head T-SAVE but said a final decision will be taken after discussing the proposal in the party.
He said that there is a need for a united struggle on the problems faced by unemployed but the party’s state committee will decide whom to join hands and how to carry forward the movement.
The TJS leader said the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) paper leak has created unrest among students. He alleged that the BRS government is playing with the lives of students.
యువతను నిరుద్యోగం పట్టిపీడిస్తున్నా కేసీఆర్ గారికి సోయి లేదు. ప్రశ్నిస్తే, అధికారం అడ్డంపెట్టుకొని గొంతునొక్కే ప్రయత్నం చేస్తున్నారు. ప్రతిపక్షాలు ఏకమై పోరాడితే తప్ప నిరుద్యోగులకు న్యాయం జరగదు. T-SAVE పోరులో భాగమై, నాయకత్వం వహించాలని TJS అధ్యక్షులు ప్రొ.కోదండరాం గారిని కోరడమైనది. pic.twitter.com/VizKxOSL60
Kodandaram said Class 10 question paper leak for last two days once again proves the negligence of the government.
Sharmila said T-SAVE will be a joint platform for all the political parties to converge and pledge their commitment and fight for the cause of the educated and unemployed youth of the state.
She invited all parties to set aside differences and join T-SAVE.
The YSRTP chief invited all parties for a meeting on April 10 to discuss the action plan.
Sharmila also met CPI-M Secretary T. Veerabhadram and CPI Secretary K. Sambasiva Rao and requested them to attend the meeting to discuss and chalk out a joint action plan.
Stating simply that he was innocent might have been the more prudent — and accurate — alternative. But prudence and accuracy have never been in Trump’s toolkit, nor has respect for the court. Ever since he appeared on the political horizon — hell, ever since he grew out of short pants — Trump has scorned and degraded practically every democratic institution that has limited or challenged him.
When elections go against him, he bashed the election as corrupt. When the courts defied him, he torched the judges as “so-called” or having “an agenda” or making political judgments rather than judicial ones or of “disgracing the judiciary.” In 2020, he demanded, with little rationale, that Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg recuse themselves from any case involving him. In Trump’s hermetically sealed world, the only evidence needed to declare corruption or banana republichood was that a ruling had gone against him.
Other presidents have clashed with the judiciary, the intelligence community, federal law enforcement and the civil service, but never to the Trumpian extreme of challenging the institutions’ legitimacy. If there is anything remotely “third world” about the United States, the malicious odor of Donald Trump cannot be distant from the stink. The unfounded slurs Trump flings at the courts and the election processes are the sort of acts that “third-world dictators” commit. Trump isn’t the victim of third-worldism, he’s the cause.
In fact, that Trump now faces potential accountability for his actions proves the United States is not a failed state after all.
Trump proved his absolute allegiance to third-worldism and his desire for dictatorial powers in December 2022 when he famously took to Truth Social to call for the “termination” of the U.S. Constitution to undo what he called the “massive & widespread fraud & deception” of the 2020 election. No matter what the country’s faults — and they are many — the Constitution has prevented a Mussolini or worse from taking absolute power. This demand for the termination of the Constitution and his egging on and tolerance of the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters only proves his ambition to wreck the nation if it will save his hide.
In his 2016 inaugural address, Trump exhibited his demagogic mindset by describing our nation as engulfed in “carnage” to further his personal political gain. In 2018, he ran down Haiti and the nations of Africa as “shithole” countries while discussing his opposition to immigration.
Today, with prosecutions unfolding in Manhattan and perhaps soon to come in Georgia and beyond, he’s playing a similar word game in hopes of discrediting the courts for his personal gain. In Trump’s view, America is a ruined and backward country — “third world,” as he and his clan put it — not because it resembles any such country in the world but solely because the wheels of justice have rolled up to his address. In Trump’s mind, everything has always been about him. You can’t get more “third world” than a president who instigates a riot to stall the orderly transition of power.
In a democracy, nobody is above the rule of law, not even former presidents. We see through all of his rationalizations, including his latest, which holds that if the justice system prosecutes him, America is just another shithole.
******
“Johnny’s playroom/ Is a bunker filled with sand/ He’s become a third world man.” Please listen to Steely Dan’s “Third World Man.” Send your favorite Dan tracks to [email protected]. No new email alert subscriptions are being honored at this time. My Twitter feed grew up in Indonesia, the one-time capital of the Third World. My Mastodon account has a vacation home in Mali. My Post account is currently seasteading. My RSS feed belongs to the yet-to-be-explored Fourth World.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Washington: The World Bank has said that Indian-American Ajay Banga is the only candidate nominated for the President’s position as the nomination period closed on March 29.
The World Bank announced that Ajay Banga will be considered for the position.
In a press release issued on its website, the World Bank said, “The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors today confirmed that, as announced on February 22, the period for submitting nominations for the position of the next President of the World Bank Group closed on Wednesday, March 29 at 6:00 pm ET.”
The World Bank further said, “The Board received one nomination and would like to announce that Mr. Ajay Banga, a U.S. national, will be considered for the position.” The World Bank said that a formal interview will be conducted with the candidate in Washington DC.
The World Bank in a statement said that a formal interview will be conducted with the candidate. It said, “In accordance with established procedures, the Board of Executive Directors will conduct a formal interview with the candidate in Washington D.C., and expect to conclude the Presidential selection in due course.”
In February, US President Joe Biden nominated former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank. In a statement, Biden noted that Ajay Banga is “uniquely” equipped to lead the World Bank at a critical moment in history.
Biden’s statement reads, “Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history. He has spent more than three decades building and managing successful, global companies that create jobs and bring investment to developing economies and guiding organizations through periods of fundamental change. He has a proven track record managing people and systems, and partnering with global leaders around the world to deliver results.”
In his statement, US President Joe Biden noted, “Raised in India, Ajay has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity.”
Biden’s decision came after World Bank Group President David Malpass informed the Board of Executive Directors of his intention to step down from his position by the end of the Bank Group’s fiscal year on June 30.
Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. Previously, he was President and CEO of Mastercard, leading the company through a strategic, technological and cultural transformation, according to the statement released by the White House.
Over the course of his career, Ajay Banga has become a global leader in technology, data, financial services and innovating for inclusion. He is the honorary Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, serving as Chairman from 2020-2022. He is also Chairman of Exor and Independent Director at Temasek. He became an advisor to General Atlantic’s climate-focused fund, BeyondNetZero, at its inception in 2021.
Previously, Ajay Banga served on the Boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc. He has worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a founding trustee of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a former member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and Chairman Emeritus of the American India Foundation.
Previously, Ajay Banga has served on the Boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc. He has worked closely with US Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a founding trustee of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a former member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and Chairman Emeritus of the American India Foundation.
He is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute, Vice Chair of the Economic Club of New York and served as a member of President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, according to the statement released by the White House. He is a past member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Ajay Banga was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, the Padma Shri Award by the President of India in 2016, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award in 2019, and the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star in 2021.
Trump has been ramping up attacks on the likely 2024 contender. On Wednesday, he posted three new videos on Truth Social, the social media company he helped found, criticizing the governor for both his past policy decisions and his falling poll numbers.
The Fox poll was one of a handful released in recent days that show the former president widening his lead over DeSantis. In a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, Trump had the support of 47 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters, well above DeSantis’ 33 percent. A Morning Consult survey from earlier this month showed Trump with a 54-to-26 percent lead over DeSantis among potential GOP primary voters.
Trump’s growing lead in the polls comes amid a flurry of news over a potential indictment of the former president in a case related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Though an indictment appeared imminent earlier this month, it was reported Wednesday that the Manhattan grand jury investigating the allegations isn’t expected to hear additional evidence in the case for the next month.
In the Fox GOP poll, former Vice President Mike Pence drew 6 percent, followed by former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 3 percent each, with other Republicans trailing behind.
The poll also showed President Joe Biden with an approval rating of 44 percent, same as last month.
Fox polled 1,007 randomly selected registered voters from March 24 to March 27. The margin of error of the poll was plus or minus 3 percentage points, though that margin was slightly larger — plus or minus 4.5 percentage points — for the results of the Republican primary ballot.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hyderabad: Controversial MLA T Raja Singh of Goshamahal who is currently suspended from BJP is set to lead the Shobha Yatra on March 30. The procession, which is scheduled to begin at 10:11 am, will start from the Akashpuri Hanuman Temple located at Mangala Hat Market Road in the city. However, the police is yet to grant permission for the yatra.
Last year, the procession began from the Seetarambagh temple in Mangalhat and proceeded to the Hanuman Vyayamshala School in Sultan Bazar, passing through various locations under the Goshamahal and Sultan Bazar traffic police stations. One tributary procession began from the Akashpuri Hanuman temple and joined the main procession at Gangabowli Junction. The police had imposed traffic restrictions at various points along the route.
Raja Singh’s offensive remarks at Ram Navami rally last year
Last year, Shahinayathgunj police station registered a case against Raja Singh following the provocative statements he made at a Ram Navami rally.
In his speech, Singh spoke against the alleged boycott of Hindu vendors in the Old city on the occasion of Ramzan. He said, “If Hindus were to target the traitors (Muslims) similarly, they would run out of business and would not even be in a position to beg as even alms are given to the poor by Hindus.”
He further remarked, “If Hindus awaken, all Muslims will be vanquished.”
In August, the police issued a notice to the MLA in the hate speech case.
The MLA’s political career
Raja Singh, who was with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from 2009 to 2013 and later with the BJP from 2014 onwards, has won an MLA seat for two consecutive terms.
He also floated the Sriram Yuva Sena long ago to reinforce his identity as a Hindutva leader at the national level and to increase his fan following in the country.
His uncompromising Hindutva stand helped him emerge as the favourite in his constituency and the sole MLA for the BJP in the 2018 assembly election when the party lost deposits in over 100 assembly segments among 119 constituencies in Telangana.
However, Raja Singh has been embroiled in several controversies in the past. Last year, he was arrested after he made derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammed.
The MLA claimed that he did it in retaliation against the state government’s decision to allow comedian Munawar Faruqui to hold a show in Hyderabad at Madhapur on August 20.
