BJP may back PA Sangma as President candidate

May 21, 2012

New Delhi, May 21: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday stepped up her advocacy for P A Sangma as president, rallying support across the political spectrum. She called up BJP veteran L K Advani, who is believed to have told her that he was "positively inclined" towards Sangma personally but a decision would only be taken only after consultations within the party and with NDA leaders.

The NDA is likely to discuss its strategy by Tuesday in light of the intense lobbying for the former Speaker by the AIADMK chief.

Jayalalithaa also spoke to CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI's A B Bardhan, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, the AIADMK said.

YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy is also learnt to be in favour of Sangma's candidature. In a coordinated move, Jayalalithaa and her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik had floated Sangma's name on May 17.

While Jayalalithaa and Patnaik had propped up Sangma as a "tribal" candidate, Advani is learnt to be of the view that the NCP leader's credentials as a "Christian" has greater weight as the tribal block is fragmented, while the Christian block less so.

In fact, Advani is learned to have received a letter from the Council of Churches, a body of Christian clerics, who without naming Sangma, seem to be backing him. The letter pointed out that there had been presidents from other minority communities -three Muslim presidents and one belonging to the Sikh community - implying that a Christian should get the top job this time.

After Jayalalithaa's phone call to Mulayam, SP said it was not a hurry to decide on the presidential candidate and that the party had not taken a decision on whom to support. The CPI said it would decide on the issue after a party meeting on May 23.

Interestingly, the Nationalist Congress Party, to which Sangma belongs, has ruled out supporting his candidature, saying it would go with the UPA decision.

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan said in Tiruchirapalli on Sunday that his party would support the UPA candidate for presidency. Asked about Sangma's candidature, he said, "All are our friends. But we will support only the candidate chosen by UPA."

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'No place for sacrifice in politics': Akhilesh says will contest Maha polls alone if MVA keeps SP out

News Network

October 27,2024

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday, October 27, that his party is prepared to contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not include them in the alliance.

Yadav assured that the SP would only contest in constituencies where it has a strong organizational presence and would ensure its participation does not affect the MVA’s overall prospects.

Several I.N.D.I.A. alliance members have expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress over seat-sharing arrangements in upcoming state polls.

Both the CPI(ML)L and the RJD voiced frustration after being offered only 3-4 seats each for the Jharkhand elections by the Congress.

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‘Don't fly Air India from Nov 1 to 19’: Khalistani terrorist Pannun's fresh threat

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October 21,2024

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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