CAPITOL NOTEBOOK: Iowa City Sen. Weiner selected to lead Iowa Senate Democrats( MENAFN - IANS) Bagalkot (Karnataka), Dec 1 (IANS) Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basavaraj Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami leading the agitation demanding reservation under 2A Category has charged that the community leaders are being threatened by the congress government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to suppress the agitation for reservation. Speaking to reporters, the seer warned that if anything went wrong, there would be a "blood revolution" in the state. "In the backdrop of agitation for 2A Category for Panchamasali Lingayat community, we are being threatened under the CM Siddaramaiah led government. For four days, the taluk unit presidents and district presidents have been threatened. If anything goes wrong, there is going to be a blood revolution,” he said. “We took up agitation during the tenure of the BJP government led by former CM Basavaraj Bommai. We had staged a protest before the residence of Bommai. No case was filed against us. But, under CM Siddaramaiah-led government, we are being threatened,” he added. The seer further stated that if the involvement of Congress legislators is found in these threatening calls, they won't be spared. “The Congress government should not play with the emotions of people. When there was a BJP government, they used to come to us and the CM used to visit us. However, now we are forced to go to the legislators and the CM. We have decided not to invite community MLAs of the Congress party as it would harm their progress," he said. "The previous BJP government did not give reservation quota appropriately. The present government has not done anything. CM Siddaramaiah did not even speak to us for courtesy. Previously, the CM under the BJP government spoke to us for two hours. But they did not show commitment to give the quota. "CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar did not even give an appointment. Now, we are prepared to lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. I appeal to community members not to get distracted with any statements. Considering the future of upcoming generations, all should take part in the agitation," he said. Asked if he has plans to enter politics, the seer said that he is not interested in politics. "I won't be a king, I would be a king maker," he stated. Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basavaraj Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami warned earlier that they plan to lay siege to the Karnataka Assembly with 5,000 tractors while expressing unhappiness over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not responding to the demand of providing reservation to Panchamasali Lingayats. MENAFN30112024000231011071ID1108941708 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
DES MOINES — Iowa’s 2024 general election results are official — including the recount in an Eastern Iowa congressional district — after a state panel’s certification Monday. The Iowa Board of Canvass, which is comprised of top state officials, met Monday via telephone to officially certify the state’s election results. The certification nearly completes the Nov. 5 elections in Iowa. The state’s presidential electors will meet later this month to commit Iowa’s six Electoral College votes to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who won the state. The state Canvass Board is made up of the governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of Agriculture. The certification puts the final, official seal of approval on Iowa’s election results, including recounts. One such recount was in Southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks won re-election over Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan. Miller-Meeks appeared to win re-election when unofficial results reported shortly after the election showed her ahead by 802 votes. She declared victory, but Bohannan asked for a recount. After a full recount in the 20-county district, the official results certified by the Canvass Board confirmed Miller-Meeks’ victory, by 799 votes out of more than 427,000 cast. Iowans cast 1,674,011 votes in the presidential election, according to the certified results. That just trails the just more than 1.7 million cast in the 2020 presidential election, which is the state’s all-time high. Voter turnout for the 2024 general election was 74.1 percent, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Monday. He called that turnout “impressive and significant.” It also slightly trailed 2020 turnout, which was 75.8 percent. During the brief Canvass Board meeting, Pate praised Iowa’s voters and local elections officials. He said their work helped ensure Iowa’s elections were “safe, fair and accurate.” “The commitment of our officials, the diligence of our election workers and the engagement of our citizens are what makes this process possible,” Pate said during the meeting. “From our 99 county auditors to the 10,000-plus poll workers — your friends and neighbors — we have the best of the best serving their communities, working long hours on Election Day and doing their part to ensure fair elections across the state,” Pate said. “Our local election officials are some of the hardest working Iowans.” Gov. Kim Reynolds praised Pate and elections officials for continuing to “uphold the integrity of the election process in the state of Iowa.” The certified results displayed a shift in partisan voter behavior: more Republicans than Democrats voted early in Iowa in the 2024 general election. Republicans cast 268,899 early votes in Iowa this fall; Democrats cast 257,634 early votes, according to the certified results. Historically, more Democrats have voted early while more Republicans have voted on Election Day. That script flipped in Iowa this year. Pate said that could be explained by many variables, but noted in particular Republicans’ focus on early voting this year in contrast to the 2020 presidential election, when Trump frequently criticized early voting — without evidence — as being rife with fraud. “There was resistance four years ago to vote absentee by the Republican Party, to some extent, but I think they got much more comfortable with that, and that shifted (the early voting results),” Pate told reporters. Pate also noted that the shift in voter behavior only really changed the timing of the votes, not the overall totals. While the early voting trends flipped, Pate noted, overall turnout was down less than 2 percentage points. “If you look at the trends from 2016 to today, voter turnout still is about the same. It’s just the method in which they choose to do it,” Pate said. “I’ve always said this: Voter turnout is not something my office gets to really control. It’s really based on the candidate and the messaging.” Iowa’s presidential electors will meet Dec. 17 to commit the state’s six Electoral College votes to Trump. The president-elect defeated Democrat Kamala Harris by 13.1 percentage points in the state. The presidential electors are selected by the state’s political parties during their respective conventions. They are bound by state law to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for the candidate who received the most votes in the state.The police are reporting that the teen boys seen in a video sexually assaulting a schoolgirl have been arrested. The video, which came to light sometime last week and has been circulated on social media platforms, depicts inappropriate behaviour involving the girl and multiple boys. The police are urging the public to refrain from sharing the video as they say this can further traumatise the victim and by extension affect the successful outcome of the case. The lawmen are also reminding citizens that sharing such content may constitute a breach of the Child Pornography (Prevention Act), and persons found guilty are subject to imprisonment for up to 20 years. Meanwhile, Gender Minister Olivia Grange and Minister of Education Dr Dana Morris Dixon, in a jointed media statement, have both condemned the incident. Grange said she is outraged and deeply concerned about the sexual assault of the young female student. She said it was a heinous act of violence which demands swift justice for the victim. "This is appalling and despicable and has no place in our society. It shows why as a nation, we must come together to protect our women and girls. It is heartbreaking to see this kind of violence, especially against our children, who should be nurtured and protected in every space they occupy." Grange called for all Jamaicans to take a stand against gender-based violence and emphasised the importance of fostering a culture of respect and safety for women and girls. "It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our children are safeguarded, both physically and emotionally, and that perpetrators of such crimes are held accountable.” For her part, Morris Dixon said this horrifying incident not only highlights the pervasive issue of violence against women and girls but also underscores the urgent need to address this scourge through education, awareness, and enforcement of the law. "The Ministry of Education stands ready to provide counselling and psycho-social support to the student, families and members of the community affected by this traumatic event. This type of violence being perpetuated by students cannot not be tolerated.” Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com .
William_Potter Investment Thesis The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFTM ( NYSEARCA: SCHD ) is a popular investment vehicle for investors aiming to combine dividend income and dividend growth. This is due to its effective integration for the generation of dividend income and Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ARCC, O, VZ, MO, PFE, ALIZF, RIO, GOOG, AAPL, MSFT, SCHD either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.After a hot start to the year, the Houston Texans have had a rough go of it over the last month or so of the 2024 season. But they still sit atop the AFC South and are on track to win their second consecutive divisional title as long as they don't have an epic collapse in their final five games. While their passing game has struggled, their running game has been very effective this season, thanks to acquiring Joe Mixon in the offseason. Their selection in a new A to Z Sports mock draft ensures that success in the run game isn't just a one-year wonder. Three-round 2025 NFL mock draft ⚫️ Surprise 1st overall selection ⚫️ Only two first round QBs ⚫️ Run on defensive lineman ... and a lot more! https://t.co/aSsOkOn1x3 Texans land Heisman candidate Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty in a new mock draft "With Joe Mixon only signed through this season, the Texans are going to have an interesting decision to make. Investing in someone like Jeanty, and on a cheaper contract, is probably the way to go. Jeanty also might just be too good to pass up." - New 3 Round A to Z Sports Mock Draft The Texans' decision to acquire Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason has proven to be a very smart move. In the nine games he's appeared in, he has recorded 786 yards and ten rushing touchdowns, as well as 23 receptions for 226 yards and an additional touchdown. He's already surpassed Texans starting RB Devin Singletary from a year ago in touchdowns and is only 113 yards away from reaching his rushing yards total. Getting a boost like this in the run game has been big for the Texans' offense. But Mixon is set to become a free agent this offseason, which poses the question of whether or not the Texans plan on re-signing him. If they decide not to pay the price Mixon is looking for, they might be forced to turn to the draft. The top option in the 2025 NFL Draft class is Boise State's RB and Heisman candidate, Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty would be able to be the Texans' bell cow immediately and would come on a five-year rookie contract that would be less expensive than giving a veteran like Mixon a long-term contract. This would allow them to spend money elsewhere while also having a valuable piece to lead their run game and take some of the pressure off CJ Stroud and the passing game. Ashton Jeanty broke Bijan Robinson’s record for most missed tackles forced in a season pic.twitter.com/usvnvUJTWi This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Per the NFL transaction wire, the Seahawks claimed DB A.J. Finley off waivers from the Chargers. To make room, DE Myles Adams was waived. Seattle also released RB Brittain Brown and DB Faion Hicks from their practice squad and signed DB Ryan Cooper and WR Cornell Powell . Adams, 26, wound up going undrafted out of Rice back in April of 2021. He later signed a rookie contract with the Panthers, but was waived coming out of training camp. After a brief stint on the Panthers’ practice squad, the Seahawks signed Adams to their taxi squad in December 2021 only to release him a few weeks later. Seattle signed him in January of 2021. He’s re-signed on three consecutive one-year deals. In 2024, Adams has appeared in three games for the Seahawks and recorded three total tackles. This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.
Caoimhín Kelleher displays his darting prowess with a double double finishJohn Parker Romo made a 29-yard field goal to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-27 overtime win against the host Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. Romo buried the game-winning kick in his third career game for Minnesota (9-2), which won its fourth game in a row. The score capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive for the Vikings after the Bears went three-and-out on the first overtime possession. Sam Darnold completed 22 of 34 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Vikings. Wideout Jordan Addison finished with eight catches for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown. The overtime defeat spoiled an impressive performance from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago (4-7). D.J. Moore had seven catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, and Keenan Allen finished with nine catches for 86 yards and a score. Chicago erased an 11-point deficit in the final 22 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. Romo had put Minnesota on top 27-16 when he made a 26-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams trimmed the Bears' deficit to 27-24 with 22 seconds to go. He rolled right and found Allen wide open in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown, and moments later he fired a strike to Moore for a two-point conversion. The Bears recovered an onside kick on the next play to regain possession at their 43-yard line with 21 seconds left. Cairo Santos' onside kick bounced off the foot of Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt, and Tarvarius Moore recovered it. D.J. Moore put the Bears in field-goal position with a 27-yard reception across the middle of the field, and Santos made a 48-yarder as time expired to even the score at 27-all. Minnesota led 24-10 after three quarters. Romo made a 40-yard field goal early in the third quarter, and Aaron Jones punched in a 2-yard run with 1:22 left in the period to put the Vikings on top by two touchdowns. Addison and Jalen Nailor each had receiving touchdowns in the first half for Minnesota. Roschon Johnson scored on a 1-yard run for the Bears' only touchdown of the first half. Chicago trailed 14-10 at the break. --Field Level Media
Moncton is proposing a 6.2 cent tax rate cut for most of the city next year while boosting spending on police, firefighters and transit. "The City of Moncton's financial position remains strong," Jacques Doucet, Moncton's general manager of finance services, said as council began going through the the 521-page draft budget Tuesday. "But it doesn't mean we don't have challenges. Everything is about prioritization and we can only invest so many dollars in so many areas." The document covers the city's $223.8 million operating budget, a utilities budget of $46.2 million, and a $62.6 million capital budget. Moncton council began deliberating its 2025 budget on Tuesday. (Shane Magee/CBC) Doucet said the goal of the tax rate cut is to limit the increase to property tax bills for residents driven by assessment values set by the province. Staff proposed a tax rate of $1.3614 per $100 of assessed value for most of the city, down 4.34 per cent from 2024. While the tax rate would be lower, overall a property tax bill would still increase by 5.23 per cent because of higher assessments. The budget shows a home valued at $350,000 would see its tax bill rise by $260 to $5,241. Increase for amalgamated areas While much of the city would see a lower tax rate, areas formerly part of the Moncton local service district amalgamated in 2023 would see a tax rate increase of five cents. That would bring the rate to $1.0158. The tax rate and various budget figures could change before final approval. Coun. Bryan Butler has moved a motion that would reduce the increase to 2.5 cents. That motion will be considered Thursday. The proposed budget includes a number of additions, including: A $9.5 million increase in the policing budget, which includes 17 more RCMP officers. Four more firefighters. Expanding Codiac Transpo bus service at a cost of $435,042. New or replacing buses, including one to test switching to electric buses. $500,000 to plan a new aquatics facility and $5 million to build it. $8 million in 2025 and $17 million in 2026 for downtown facilities such as "a new market, convention centre, or riverfront amenities." The budget calls for 38 more full-time equivalent staff positions, bringing the city to just under 800 full-time positions. Of those, 18 are related to increased Codiac Transpo bus service. Sixteen fall under protective services, which include firefighters, community safety officers and municipal support staff for the RCMP. Proposed Moncton budget includes more money for police, fire, aims to reduce hit to taxpayers Moncton plans to clear snow from more sidewalks around schools Council heard that Codiac Transpo has recorded a nearly 40 per cent increase in ridership this year, resulting in some buses being full. The budget includes money to expand the bus depot as the transit fleet expands. The budget also calls for a $765,000 increase in the city's grant to Ability Transit, a transportation service for physically disabled people. Gregg Houser, the city's deputy treasurer, said the service has a two-week waiting period to book rides and currently isn't able to serve everyone. He said it has about 1,000 clients and is looking to serve 1,300. The budget says an average household will pay $1,128 in water and wastewater fees next year, an increase of 1.17 per cent. Moncton council tells staff to draft budget with eye to tax-rate cut Earlier this year, council approved a budget strategy that called for limiting how much additional revenue the city would collect as a result of higher property assessments. Doucet said 85 per cent of properties in the city are covered by the province's spike protection mechanism, which limits yearly assessment increases on those properties to 10 per cent. To counteract that, the budget was planned to only collect just over five per cent, effectively resulting in a tax rate cut. But Doucet noted the rising assessments are mainly on residential properties and that some commercial properties have reduced assessments. That means those commercial properties would see a greater benefit from the tax rate cut. He said the city is advocating the province reform the property tax system to allow different tax rates for different classes of properties. "If we had more flexibility, we don't necessarily want to tax their commercial properties more, but we could do a better distribution of the fiscal burden," Doucet said. Need for fiscal reform in focus at municipal forum with political leaders The city projects its debt will rise from $85 million at the end of 2024 to $134.8 million for the general fund next year, mainly due to the completion of the $57.3-million police station. Even with that increase, the city's debt radio for the general fund is expected to remain below 10 per cent. The provincially set limit is 20 per cent. Budget deliberations continue Wednesday with discussion of the policing and fire department budgets.Column: Chicago Christian, Joliet Catholic and Mount Carmel aim to bring home state football hardware to Southland
Ukraine must be in strong position for negotiations, Starmer saysNEW YORK — Kaapo Kakko scored a power-play goal with 24 seconds left, and the New York Rangers stopped a five-game slide by topping the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday. Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who got their first win since a 4-3 victory at Vancouver on Nov. 19. Adam Fox had two assists, and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves. With Montreal's Kirby Dach serving a four-minute, high-sticking penalty, Kakko got his fourth goal of the season. The Canadiens trailed 3-1 after two periods. But Cole Caufield scored his 14th goal 4:16 into the third and Nick Suzuki tied it at 14:07. Trocheck tipped the puck past Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault at 19:56 to put New York ahead after Panarin and Montreal's Mike Matheson scored earlier in the first. Panarin put the Rangers ahead at 9:02, scoring on a 5-on-3 for New York's first power-play goal since Nov. 12 at home against Winnipeg. Matheson tied it at 11:47. Montembault made 24 saves for Montreal. Canadiens: Dropped to 3-7-1 on the road. Rangers: Forwards Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil returned to the lineup. Kreider missed three games with an upper-body injury while Chytil was out for seven after colliding with teammate K'Andre Miller on Nov. 14. Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski were scratched. Seeking an early spark, New York captain Jacob Trouba fought Montreal's Josh Anderson 1:58 into the contest. It appeared to give the Rangers a collective jolt that was missing in recent games. The Rangers are 11-1-0 when scoring first. It was the 1,700th home win in franchise history. The Canadiens visit the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Rangers host the New Jersey Devils on Monday.
Vikings withstand Bears' furious rally, win on field goal in OTTrump picks Jay Bhattacharya, who backed COVID herd immunity, to lead National Institutes of HealthCHICAGO — Teresa Weatherspoon doesn’t want to dwell on the past. That’s easy to say. Harder to execute. But as she embraces a new role with Unrivaled — a 3-on-3 league that will debut in January — the former Chicago Sky coach wants to focus on the future. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Rachel Reeves is to appoint a health service and regulatory veteran, Tom Hayhoe, a former Conservative cabinet adviser, as her Covid corruption commissioner with the remit of clawing back billions in fraudulent contracts. The chancellor is understood to believe the Treasury can recoup £2.6bn from waste, fraud and flawed contracts signed during the pandemic. The Treasury has previously said the commissioner will work with HMRC, the Serious Fraud Office and the National Crime Agency to examine an estimated £7.6bn worth of Covid-related fraud. The Guardian understands Hayhoe will begin work on Tuesday initially reviewing £674m in contracts that had been previously written off by the Conservative government, with the aim of returning cash to the taxpayer. Hayhoe, who began his career as an adviser to the Tory cabinet minister Peter Walker under Margaret Thatcher, has had a prolific career in healthcare, procurement and scrutiny. He will also receive assessments of fraud recovery work to date in other major Covid loan schemes such as furlough, bounce-back loans, business support grants, eat out to help out , and Covid-era universal credit fraud. The award of lucrative Covid contracts was a significant controversy of the previous government. The Conservative peer Michelle Mone was involved in one contract with PPE Medpro, awarded contracts worth £200m. The company is the subject of a long-running investigation by the National Crime Agency. Annual accounts for the DHSC in January showed that nearly three-quarters of the money it spent on PPE during the pandemic had been written off. A Treasury source said: “ The chancellor has been clear that she wants this money – that belongs to the British people, and belongs in our public services like our NHS, schools, and police – back. She won’t let fraudsters who sought to profit off the back of a national emergency line their pockets. “ Tom Hayhoe brings a wealth of experience and will leave no stone unturned as a commissioner with free rein to investigate the unacceptable carnival of waste and fraud during the pandemic.” Labour pledged in its manifesto to appoint a fixed-term commissioner to recoup public money lost in pandemic-related fraud and from contracts that have not been delivered. Hayhoe will be in post on a one-year contract, reporting to the chancellor. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion He will then deliver a report to parliament, which will include recommendations for government procurement in the face of future crises. Hayhoe was chair of west London NHS Trust and of West Middlesex university hospital, as well as investigating committee chair on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practise panel. He has also held senior positions at WH Smith and McKinsey and is chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel. He has also chaired the Taxation Disciplinary Board, been an external assessor at the College of Policing, and a disciplinary committee chair for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Reeves is expected to confirm the appointment at Treasury questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Guardian understands. The previous government has always defended the Covid spend, citing the unique circumstances during a pandemic when globally PPE was in extremely short supply, which drove up costs and led to a rush to secure protective equipment for frontline health and care workers.
Kirk Herbstreit Had Classy Message For Ohio State Fans After Week 13 ShowNew Delhi: The Kundarki assembly bypoll results threw a surprise as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won by over 1.4 lakh votes in the Muslim-majority constituency. BJP’s Ramveer Singh got 1,70,371 votes, which is 76.71 percent of the total votes cast, whereas his opponent Mohammad Rizwan of the Samajwadi Party (SP) got only 25,880 votes. Singh was the sole Hindu candidate in Kundarki, where there were 11 Muslim contenders including INDIA bloc’s pick Rizwan. The Muslim population in this SP stronghold is above 60 percent. On Sunday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that in Kundarki, the police and the administration removed almost all the booth agents of his party as well as prevented many supporters from exercising their voting rights. “If voters were prevented from voting, then who cast the votes? If Samajwadi Party voters didn’t reach those booths and our candidate didn’t get support, then who voted there? This is a serious issue.” he said at a press conference in Lucknow. The BJP had last won Kundarki in 1993, when Chandra Vijay Singh emerged victorious in the constituency. ThePrint analyses the reasons behind this BJP’s victory in a Samajwadi party’s stronghold. According to the BJP functionaries in Uttar Pradesh, Ramveer’s different style of campaign in minority areas played an important role in his victory. “Ramveer has put Muslim topis (Muslim prayer caps) during his campaign in minority-dominated areas in Kundarki. He was not only visiting Muslim households but also attended their ‘walima ’ (wedding banquets),” a senior UP BJP leader from Moradabad told ThePrint, adding that the party candidate became a ‘secular bhai’ for the past few weeks. “With the help of the BJP minority wing, he created a team of over two dozen Muslim workers who not only campaigned for him but also fixed his meetings with local maulanas and influential Muslims.” According to a senior Uttar Pradesh BJP functionary who campaigned in the bypolls, there are almost 80,000 Shaikhzadas in Kundarki. “They are considered to be Muslim Rajputs and Ramveer Singh is also a Rajput. During campaigning, we pitched that we are one, as we all are rajputs. That our ancestors are one. This worked in our favour,” the BJP functionary elaborated. Apart from this, he said, the local unit kept two Muslim agents at every booth. “They brought Muslims voters from their home to vote for the BJP. Somehow they convinced a section of the Muslims. 57.7 percent votes were polled in Kundarki, which means a major chunk of the Muslims voted for BJP,” the BJP functionary added. The bypoll in Kundarki was necessitated as SP leader Zia Ur Rehman Barq, a grandson of the later SP veteran Shafiqur Rahman, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sambhal this year. The Barq family wanted a ticket for another of their kin but the SP preferred former MLA Mohammad Rizwan, 71, for this seat Rizwan first won from Kundarki in 2002 but lost to the Bahujan Samaj Party’s Akbar Husain in 2007. But, he went to secure consecutive wins in 2012 and 2017 The Barq family, according to SP insiders, did not support Rizwan as their request was not heard by the party leadership. “Barq Sahab family has a good reputation among the Muslims in this region. Kundarki is in Moradabad district, but falls in the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency where Zia Ur Rehman is the sitting MP. So, why would they want any other leader to capture their space? Though the MP came for some public meetings that was not enough,” a local SP leader told ThePrint. Another reason touted for this stunning results is the BJP raking up the ill-treatment meted out to Ilma Afroz, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Himachal Pradesh’s Baddi, in the Congress-ruled hill state. The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer is currently at her native place in Kundarki, which falls in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district, after she was sent on long leave allegedly after she took on Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary. The BJP’s local unit highlighted Ilma’s case and alleged that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were not coming to the rescue of the Muslim officer. Even Uttar Pradesh cooperative minister JPS Rathore, party’s in-charge of Kundarki, had harped on “injustice” faced by Ilma when he campaigned in the constituency. “’We pitched the issue of Ilma among Muslim women. By showing newspaper cuttings, we told them how a daughter of Kundarki is suffering. He (Akhilesh) can raise this issue to his friend Rahul, but he would not do so because they use Muslims only as a votebank. Our appeals worked somehow...,” a BJP’s women wing leader from Moradabad said. If SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan’s statement is to be believed, the BJP managed to wrest Kundarki on the basis of “gun power”. ”The videos of the Muslims being stopped from voting went viral on social media on the day of voting. They have used gun power to threaten voters,” Sajan said. He further alleged that several Muslim families were threatened with false cases against them if their votes did not go to the BJP. “Otherwise, why would any Muslim vote for the BJP? Why did this not happen in Sishamau where the Muslims are above 40 percent of the total population (and Naseem Solanki retained the seat for the SP). This is a wrong prediction that the Muslims voted in the BJP’s favour. Some of them were forced to do that in Kundarki and on some booths, bogus voting also happened. The way they managed the Rampur bypolls a few years ago, similarly it now happened in Kundarki,” he alleged. The SP, Sajan said, would bounce back at Kundarki in 2027 just like in the case of Rampur in the 2024 general elections. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Dimple, Shivpal, back-to-back rallies. Why SP called in big guns to campaign in family bastion Karhal var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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US consumer confidence takes unexpected hitAfter an emotional farewell address to the media and fans less than 24 hours prior, Daniel Jones was released by the New York Giants on Friday. Team president John Mara revealed in a statement that the 27-year-old quarterback, who was benched on Monday for the remainder of the season, "came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him. We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team.” Jones will be subject to waivers, making him eligible to be signed on Monday after 4 p.m. ET if he's not claimed by a team before then. Expected to go unclaimed, it's "more realistic" that Jones could sign with a new team on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini . Former NFL quarterback-turned-analyst Robert Griffin III weighed in on social media Friday, making it very clear that the Dallas Cowboys have a unique opportunity in front of them. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "The Dallas Cowboys have an opportunity to do the funniest thing with Daniel Jones 🤌🏾," Griffin wrote on X, alluding to the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game between the Giants and Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thursday. Though highly unlikely, if the Cowboys were to claim Jones off waivers or sign him as a free agent by early next week, a scenario exists where the sixth-year veteran quarterback could suit up for an NFC East rival and play against the Giants less than a week after parting ways with his former team. The Dallas Cowboys have an opportunity to do the funniest thing with Daniel Jones 🤌🏾 However, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported Friday that Dallas is "not currently pursuing" Jones' services. With Dak Prescott out for the remainder of the season, the Cowboys are currently starting Cooper Rush under center, and have former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance waiting in the wings. Before being cut, Jones was in the second season of the four-year, $160 million contract extension signed in March 2022. Griffin added in a follow-up X post, "To this day, it is baffling that some people were okay with the Giants paying Daniel Jones, but fought tooth and nail against the Ravens paying Lamar Jackson." Related: Robert Griffin III Didn't Hesitate When Naming Best Team in the NFL Related: NFL Considering Big Potential Changes Involving Cowboys?
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau flies to Florida to meet with Trump after tariffs threatBuccaneers are back to .500 and in position to control their playoff hopes down the stretch
National Lacrosse League launches investigation after player engages in postgame fight with fans
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