Tag: Smriti

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

Phase 5 to decide fate of Rahul, Smriti, Rajnath

Polling for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections began on May 20 across a total of 49 seats, including in high-profile constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

The fate of five Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be decided during the fifth phase of elections covering 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in UP.

Uttar Pradesh

The seats voting in the fifth phase are Lucknow, Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda.

Rahul Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli, which was represented by his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier. For the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded K.L. Sharma from Amethi, Tanuj Punia from Barabanki (SC) and Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’ from Jhansi. Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates are in the poll fray on the rest of the seats.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is pitted against sitting SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow Central. Union minister Smriti Irani has been fielded from the neighbouring Amethi constituency.

In Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, the contest is between BJP’s Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former MP and ex-president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and SP’s Bhagat Ram.

Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, will see a contest between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) Assembly constituency in Ayodhya district.

Maharashtra

In the fifth and last phase of general elections in Maharashtra, 13 of the total 48 seats in the State are polling today. Union ministers Piyush Goyal , Bharati Pawar and Kapil Patil are among the key nominees of the BJP, which has also fielded lawyer Ujjwal Nikam. Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad are also in the fray.

The main contest is between the ruling Mahayuti comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP).

Bihar

In Bihar, where voting is underway in five Lok Sabha seats — Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Saran and Hajipur — 80 candidates are in the fray.

Notable contestants include NDA ally Chirag Paswan in Hajipur, Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, who is pitted against two-term sitting BJP MP and former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Saran, and Muzaffarpur’s sitting MP Ajay Nishad, who crossed over to the Congress after being denied a BJP ticket for a third term.

Sudhir Kumar Ojha, an advocate who remains in the news for his petitions against top political figures, Bollywood stars and even foreign heads of State, is contesting from Muzaffarpur.

Odisha

Voting commenced at 7 a.m. in Aska, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Bargarh, and Sundargarh parliamentary constituencies, along with 35 Assembly segments within these Lok Sabha seats.

Prominent leaders whose electoral fate will be decided include Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is contesting from two Assembly segments (Hinjili in Ganjam district and Kantabanji in Bolangir district), six Odisha ministers, BJP MPs Sangeeta Singh Deo and Jual Oram, and former Indian hockey skipper Dilip Tirkey.

West Bengal

Voting commenced in Bangaon (SC), Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampur, Hooghly, and Arambag (SC) Lok Sabha constituencies at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m.

A total of 88 candidates are contesting in the fifth phase, with the highest number of 15 candidates in Bongaon, where Union Minister Shantanu Thakur is contesting against TMC’s Biswajit Das.

Jammu and Kashmir

Polling began in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency where 22 candidates, including former chief minister Omar Abdullah, are in the fray.

The constituency is spread over 18 Assembly segments in the three districts of Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora, and also includes two segments of Budgam that were included on the recommendations of the delimitation commission two years ago.

The first major political battle post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 will decide the fate of Mr. Abdullah, the National Conference vice-president, and 21 others in the fray. Mr. Abdullah faces the biggest challenge from separatist-turned-politician and former minister Sajad Lone, who heads the People’s Conference.

However, it is the presence of jailed Awami Ittehad Party leader and former MLA Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid that has spiced up the contest.

The People’s Democratic Party has fielded former Rajya Sabha member Mir Mohammad Fayaz while Muneer Khan, the brother of jailed separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan, is contesting as an Independent.

‘We expect all poll officials not to forget responsibilities’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged all officials on election duty not to forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of pressure and warned of strict action against anyone who insults the constitutional oath once the INDIA bloc forms government.

His remarks on ‘X’ came over Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s post on the social media platform in which he shared a video purportedly showing a person voting for the BJP “eight times”.

“Seeing its defeat, the BJP wants to rob democracy by putting pressure on the government machinery to deny the mandate,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

The Congress expects all officials on election duty not to forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of pressure from power, he said. “Otherwise, as soon as the government of the INDIA bloc is formed, such action will be taken that in future anyone will think 10 times before insulting the ‘oath of the Constitution’.”

Posting the video on X from his official account, Yadav said, “If the Election Commission feels that this is wrong then it must take some action. Otherwise, the BJP’s booth committee is actually a loot committee.

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

Smriti targets Congress over SDPI support

Irani further congratulated VD Sharma and other party workers for their hard work and for making BJP a household name in Madhya Pradesh…reports Asian Lite News

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday launched an attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) extended support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a nomination rally in support of Madhya Pradesh BJP President and party’ Khajuraho candidate VD Sharma in Panna, Smriti Irani warned the Wayanad MP and said that “If you threaten to defame the country, it will not tolerate and won’t forgive you.”

“Today the kind of politics I am witnessing, I have heard that today he (Rahul Gandhi) is filing nomination from Wayanad. In front of him our party president from Kerala is fighting the election. They (Congress) are now asking for support from terrorist organizations. They are these people who opposed the abrogation of Article 370A in the Parliament. These are the people who asked the soilders to present the proof of Air strikes in Balakot. Today these people threaten the country for power. I want to say this to Rahul Gandhi that ‘tumne agar desh ko kalankit krne ke liye dhamkaya toh yeh desh jhelta toh nhi, lekin agar chedha jaata hai toh yeh desh chordta bhi nhi (If you threaten to defame the country, it will not tolerate and won’t forgive you),” Smirti Irani said.

She further said that Congress has a habit of running away out of fear of losing.

“I am from the region where a dynasty ruled for five decades, where having Tilak on the forehead and taking the name of Lord Ram was a kind of political curse. I am from the region ‘Jahan Hath Ke Sath Cycle Bhi Chalti Thi, Hath Ko Saaf Kiya Gaya Cycle Puncture Kar Di Gyi’… Congress has a habit of running away out of fear of losing, ask this to the people of Amethi,” she said.

Irani further congratulated VD Sharma and other party workers for their hard work and for making BJP a household name in Madhya Pradesh.

“Arrogance is exhibited by those who are born in political families and consider power their political birthright. It is also displayed by those who inherit power as a legacy. Today, as a party worker, I congratulate you (VD Sharma) and other party workers for your hard work and for making BJP a household name in Madhya Pradesh,” she added.

Earlier on Tuesday, BJP Kerala President K Surendran has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to explain his position on the declaration by Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to extend unconditional support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Lok Sabha elections

SDPI is widely considered to be the political outfit of the banned terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).

The Union Home Ministry had in September 2022 declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates an ‘Unlawful Association’.

Smriti Irani will visit Wayanad to accompany NDA candidate K Surendran when he files his nomination. The state BJP president will submit his papers at the Kalpetta collectorate at 9 am on April 4.

BJP Wayanad district president Prasanth Malavayal also said that Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, will come to Wayanad and give a lot of energy to the National Democratic Alliance.

Earlier today, Congress leader and incumbent MP Rahul Gandhi submitted his nomination papers for the Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala for the Lok Sabha elections, starting from April 19 in seven phases across the country.

His sister and party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present with him.

The Congress leader filed his nomination after leading a roadshow at Kalpetta in Wayanad.

“It has been an honour for me to be your member of Parliament. I don’t treat you and think of you like an electorate. I treat you and think of you the same way I think of my little sister Priyanka. So in the houses of Wayanad, I have sisters, mothers, fathers and brothers. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the gathering.

CPI national leader and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Annie Raj also submitted her nomination papers today in the same constituency.

The CPI is a partner of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala.

The BJP that is leaving no stone unturned to establish its complete dominance in the 2024 elections, has fielded Kerala State President K Surendran as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the constituency.

Kerala, one of the few states where the Congress still has a strong presence, sends 20 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad with a huge margin of over 4.31 lakh votes; the highest margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. He secured 64.94 per cent vote share defeating LDF candidate PP Suneer. The NDA had fielded BDJ(S) leader Tushar Vellapally who secured just around 78,000 votes which accounted for a mere 7.25 per cent.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress won 15 seats, its allies Indian Union Muslim League won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha.

Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the South Indian state across all 20 seats is scheduled for April 26, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)

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Sport Sports

Smriti shines as India beat Pakistan in CWG 2022

While his captain R B Ramesh was more pragmatic. He said, “In any professional sport, one has to be ready for any type of position and situations.”…reports Asian Lite News

All the six Indian Teams in fray in both sections of the 44th Chess Olympiad being played here won their matches to maintain a clean slate.

The India A Team ranked second beat Greece with a 3-1 score, Team B trounced Switzerland 4-0 and Team C beat Iceland 3-1. The Indian women won their third-round matches to keep up perfect scores. India A defeated England 3-1, India B scored over Indonesia 3-1 and India C beat Austria 2.5-1.5.

The highlight of Sunday’s round was Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa playing for Team B and wriggling out of an inferior position, which appeared totally lost at one point against Swiss grandmaster Yannick Pelletier.

The teenager, without giving up, continued to pose problems, making it difficult for his opponent to find the winning way. Pelletier fell short on time, missed his way and ended on the losing side on the 67th turn.

Pragg wasn’t satisfied despite winning a point as he said, “I have played badly and this point doesn’t give me any joy and I struggled throughout this game in a bad position”.

While his captain R B Ramesh was more pragmatic. He said, “In any professional sport, one has to be ready for any type of position and situations.”

Last minute entrant Indian women c team defeated Austria by a narrow 2.5-1.5 score to win their third-round match.

The women’s A Team also looked poised to win their match against England.

In the Open section, all the three Indian teams clinched their third-round matches against Greece, Switzerland and Iceland respectively even though one game in each team was still in progress.

Koneru Humpy was rested today and Harika took over on the top board for her first game at this Olympiad which incidentally is her 9th one along with two virtual ones.

The 31-year-old Harika is in the advanced stages of her first pregnancy and was playing Jovanka Houska of England on the top board for India A team. Harika opted for the Queen’s gambit and declined variation against Jovanka as fortunes fluctuated throughout this game.

The players indulged in a spate of exchanges at regular intervals to enter a rook and three pawn each ending and with no progress possible, decided to split the point on the 40th turn.

A disappointed Harika quipped, “The game was balanced with the position fluctuating only slightly and I never had enough advantage to press.”

WGM Nandhidhaa P V representing team c was the first player to gain a point, courtesy a walkover by Chiara Polterauer who is unwell.

Nadhidhaa who has notched 3 points in 3 outings said, “This is my first Olympiad and I am playing in my home town Chennai and this is enough to give me extra energy. In my opinion ratings and seedings don’t matter. Even our team has a chance to be amongst the medals and we are ready to give our best.”

Eesha Karavade enhanced her space advantage in a Sicilian Defence game against Katharina Newrkla with the latter playing passively.

A centralised knight and well posted pieces indicated winning possibilities for Eesha but the game abruptly ended in a draw after 27 moves with most pieces still gracing the board.

Representing Team A, Harikrishna played an exciting game in a Catalan Opening against Dimitri Mastrovasilis, one which was replete with fireworks. Harikrishna was at his tactical best and launched an attack with a bishop sacrifice on the 24th turn. Black’s castle was ripped open and a well posted knight in enemy territory started creating problems for the black King, especially with the queen also joining the action.

Harikrishna then offered the sacrifice of his second bishop on the 28th turn which was promptly rejected.

However, with Harikrishna’s pieces swarming around the Black King, Dimitri decided to resign on the 29th turn.

Harikrishna was happy with the proceedings and summed up, “I gave a lot of thought before sacrificing the double bishops as I wanted to ensure my calculations were right and reckoned that if it didn’t work out in a checkmating position, I held sufficient advantage to walk towards victory.”

ALSO READ-India’s Harika targets medal at 44th Chess Olympiad

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India News

Sonia Gandhi, Smriti Irani face-off sparks war of words

Other Congress leaders present at the spot have claimed that Irani pointed a finger at Gandhi and said, “How dare you, don’t behave like this. This is not your party office”…reports Asian Lite News

Union minister Smriti Irani heckled Sonia Gandhi and shouted at her, pointing a finger, the Congress said on Thursday after the exchange between the two leaders set off a political storm. Many versions are circulating about the dramatic exchange — most of them from BJP leaders who claim Sonia Gandhi had rebuffed Irani when she tried to cut into her conversation with the BJP’s Rama Devi.

In a statement, Jairam Ramesh — Congress MP and the party’s General Secretary-in-Charge of Communications — said Smriti Irani had “behaved inappropriately” with Sonia Gandhi and used “derogatory terms”.

“Sonia Gandhi was talking to a BJP MP, Rama Devi. Smriti Irani came to Sonia Gandhi and spoke abusive words in a very derogatory tone. When Sonia-ji politely told her, ‘I am not talking to you, I am talking to another MP,’ Smriti Irani shouted, ‘You don’t know me, who I am’. MPs of many other parties and Congress MPs are witnesses to this incident,” read Ramesh’s statement in Hindi.

“What kind of behaviour is this? Can an MP not even talk to a fellow MP? Smriti Irani can make her point in a political way. Why is she taking such a heckling attitude with a senior MP and a party president?” Ramesh added.

Other Congress leaders present at the spot have claimed that Irani pointed a finger at Gandhi and said, “How dare you, don’t behave like this. This is not your party office”.

The exchange took place after a heated Lok Sabha session where Irani had accused Sonia Gandhi of sanctioning her party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “Rashtrapatni” remark on President Droupadi Murmu. Calling her “anti-tribal, anti-Dalit and anti-woman”, she had demanded that the Congress chief apologise.

After the session was adjourned, Sonia Gandhi crossed the floor and spoke to Rama Devi, pointing out that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has apologised and questioned what was her fault, sources said. That was when Smriti Irani reportedly tried to cut into the conversation, saying “Madam, may I help you? I took your name”. Sources said Sonia Gandhi had then retorted, “Don’t talk to me”.

Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra, one of the MPs who witnessed the exchange, tweeted that Gandhi was heckled “pack-wolf style”.

“Was in Lok Sabha when 75-year-old lady senior leader encircled and heckled pack-wolf style when all she did was walk over and speak (masked) to another senior lady panel chairperson. “Disgusted to read BJP lies and false version in press,” her post read.

Chowdhury has apologised for his “Rashtrapatni” remark, saying it was a “slip of tongue” owing to language barrier. He said he would meet Ms Murmu and apologise to the President “a hundred times” if she says she was hurt by his remark.

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Sports

Smriti Mandhana named ICC Women’s Player of the Year

Despite India enduring a difficult 2021, Smriti stock continued to rise this year, scoring 855 runs in 22 international matches at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries…reports Asian Lite News

India opener Smriti Mandhana on Monday was named ICC women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021. After being named in the ICC’s women’s T20I team of the year, Smriti has now won the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy awarded to the ICC women’s cricketer of the year for the second time after 2018.

The left-handed opener beat competition from Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa and Gaby Lewis of Ireland to clinch the honour. Smriti has also become the second women’s cricketer after Australia’s Ellyse Perry to win the honour more than once.

“I am truly honoured for receiving the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021. I am grateful to my teammates, my coaches, my family, friends and fans who believed in my potential and supported me in this journey,” said Smriti in her acceptance of the award.

Despite India enduring a difficult 2021, Smriti stock continued to rise this year, scoring 855 runs in 22 international matches at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries.

In the limited-overs series against South Africa where India won just two of the eight matches at home, Smriti played a major role in both wins. She made 80 not out as India chased down 158 in the second ODI that helped them level the series and scored 48 not out to win the final T20I.

Smriti then played a sublime knock of 78 in the first innings of the one-off Test against England at Bristol that ended in a draw. She played an important knock of 49 in India’s only win in the ODI series. Her 15-ball 29 and fifty in the T20I series went in vain though as India fell short in both the matches and lost the series 2-1.

“A recognition of such high class from the global governing body of cricket in an exceptional and difficult year will motivate me to continue to better my game and contribute to Team India’s success going forward. I look forward to 2022 with a clear focus on winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand as we continue to prepare as a team and unit,” added Smriti.

Smriti was in good touch in the multi-format series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second match. She compiled a brilliant century in the only Test (the first of her career), and was awarded the Player of the Match for the same. She scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India fell short and lost the series 2-0.

She made India’s first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format. The left-hander played her natural game to begin with, and scored a run-a-ball half-century, playing with caution under the lights.

Smriti was caught on 80 but was given a reprieve after replays showed Ellyse Perry had overstepped. She made the most of the lifeline, reaching her first Test century in style with a boundary. Her innings finally came to an end at 127, after putting India in a strong position. The match ended in a draw, and Mandhana was declared the Player of the Match.

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