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Presidential poll: Sangma likens himself with Obama, pins hope on 'hidden votes'

May 27, 2012

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New Delhi, May 27: Presidential hopeful P A Sangma on Saturday likened himself to US President Barack Obama indicating he will continue to canvas support for his candidature despite being rebuffed by Congress and the NCP and the lukewarm response of other parties.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said his hopes were pinned on "big number of hidden votes" and equated himself to Obama making it to the White House. "We have (the case of) Barack Obama...Nobody thought a black man would ever occupy White House. If a black man can become the President of America, why can't an Adivasi become the President of India," the NCP leader said, whose won party NCP has refused to back him.

Interacting with members of the Indian Women's Press Corp (IWPC) Sangma said he "hopes" that a consensus would evolve on his candidature as "neither UPA nor NDA has numbers ... Besides there are a big number of hidden votes...you never know."

According to Sangma, neither Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party has the numbers needed to get their candidate elected to the post and the "third front like Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and AIADMK" will play a key role.

Sangma said that besides approaching parties, he was in touch with individual members. "The best part is that presidential election is through secret ballot and not a whip. So no one comes to know who voted for whom."

"We have to wait to see how things turn up. As of now, parties are still discussing it and there is still time left," said the leader, who started his career as a journalist in a weekly magazine in the northeast. When asked about the appropriateness of his daughter and minister in the UPA government Agatha Sangma campaigning for his presidential prospects, Sangma said she had started the campaign for a tribal candidate but stopped it as soon as he entered the fray with the support of two leaders - CMs of TN and Orissa J Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik.

"My daughter is part of UPA, I am not. When I went to Chennai, P A Sangma was not a candidate...that time we were campaigning for a tribal candiate. She stopped the moment Jayalalithaa and Patnaik announced support to me....She will go by what UPA decides," Sangma said.

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Agencies
February 10,2020

New Delhi, Feb 10: After an hour-long standoff between the security forces and the students on Monday, the police resorted to a lathi-charge on the protesters near Holy Family hospital which is within walking distance of Jamia Millia Islamia.

A scuffle ensued when police confronted the protesters who tried to push forward towards Parliament. The lathi-charge was made to push back the protesters.

In the melee that ensued, many from both sides fainted.

Some security forces personnel resorted to the lathi-charge while others pushed back the protesters when they threw water pouches at the security forces and abused them.

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News Network
July 17,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 17: A gunman posted at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram allegedly attempted suicide on Friday, the police said.

"A gunman who was working at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram allegedly attempted to commit suicide today. He is currently admitted to a hospital. 

The police were searching for him after his relatives had filed a missing complaint on Thursday night. A case has been registered and a probe is underway," said Police.

The person is identified as Jayagosh. He is attached to the police Armed Reserve (AR) camp and was reported missing since last night. Later, his relatives had filed a missing complaint with the police.

Jayagosh was later found lying in a pool of blood near his house in Akkulam and was taken to the hospital.

A police investigation is underway and more details are awaited.

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News Network
April 15,2020

New Delhi, Apr 15: With 1,076 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,439, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

Out of the total tally, 9,756 cases are active while 1,306 patients have been cured/discharged and migrated.

With 38 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll rises to 377.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra is the worst-affected state with 2,687 cases of which 259 patients have recovered/discharged while 178 patients have lost their lives due to the virus.

Delhi comes in at the second position with 1,561 cases of which 30 patients have recovered while 30 patients have succumbed to the virus.

Tamil Nadu is the third state with over 1,000 cases at 1,204 cases of which 81 have recovered and 12 have died due to the deadly virus.

Rajasthan is nearing the 1,000 mark with 969 cases of which 147 people have recovered while 3 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh reported 730 cases including 51 patients recovered and 50 patients dead.

On Tuesday, in an address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 21-day national lockdown has been extended till May 3.

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