6 7 ?0) + 4 ! 4 4 !, -./01 %)* 67 + 89 :( ! . ( + .45 -.0123 .+/ 5 2( -1 . 0(. 22 .0 /.) . ,2. 01 6< (/0 (2( #.(0 #(021& N(23(0.O "2.) 1/0 20= 1/0. 02 ( 2 .) (20( 2 60 1)2 2 31234.56 /7/< ! "$% !& # "(( )(/0( $ % QR "& R R #31(4/1" have a list of party candidates in my pocket but I can’t dis- ! ith the candidature of close. However, I can make an Wformer Madhya Pradesh announcement. (Congress) Chief Minister Digvijay Singh Election Committee yesterday ! been finalised from Bhopal, the (Friday) finalised the name of ." ).32 fight in the Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singhji from Bhopal.” confirm whether she has been Congress for attacking and " #$ % capital is likely to be interest- When asked whether contacted by the BJP to fight Hindutva by calling them ter- etting aside the seniority N! ing as Pragya Thakur, aka Digvijay was happy with the poll, she did say the BJP was a ror forces. Pragya was given Snorm in appointing a ' P Sadhvi Pragya Bharti, may be decision, Nath said, “I do not party which matched her ide- clean chit in the murder of RSS Service chief for the second Q * + , pitted against him. Digvijay is know, whether he is happy, but ology. However, Pragya hinted pracharak Sunil Joshi as well. time, the Government on -O contesting election after 2003 in I am happy.” To a query, she wasn’t much eager to con- State BJP spokesman Saturday selected Vice Admiral #Q ' the State. whether he has “dealt” with test election, but said she was Rajneesh Agrawal told The Karambir Singh as the new /0 0 1 ' Digvijay’s candidature was Digvijay with this decision, contacted by someone to fight Pioneer that the voters are Navy chief after the incumbent "# made public by Chief Minister Nath parried the question on election. Pragya, who had waiting for Digvijay to contest Admiral Sunil Lanba retires on The panel was set up in the Kamal Nath during his inter- Digvijay’s winnability. taken sanyas at 14, said it was from Bhopal. They want to May 31 this year. Singh super- wake of the Kargil war in 1999 0 1 action with mediapersons at a Sadhvi Pragya Bharti, who an opportune moment to enter teach him a lesson. sedes the senior most aspirant to suggest ways to fine tune the #Q $ 1 programme here on Saturday. has been acquitted in the politics. She slammed the Turn to Page 4 Vice Admiral Bimal Verma. In fighting capabilities in the 2 Q Meanwhile, the Congress Malegaon blast case, is ready to 2016, the present Army chief modern day warfare. 0 1 has changed the seat allotted to take on Digvijay. Talking to Rawat was selected for the top As regards selecting Singh 1"# , 1 its Uttar Pradesh unit chief Raj mediapersons in Bhopal, she job superseding the then senior over Verma, official sources 1 1 Babbar from Moradabad to said, “Digvijay Singh is a ‘desh most officer Pravin Bakshi. said the Government followed Fatehpur Sikri, in an apparent ka dushman’ and I openly chal- The incoming chief, who is a merit-based approach there- 1 bid to make the Lok Sabha con- lenge country’s enemies,” at present serving as the Flag by giving a go by to the tradi- +, test easier for the actor-turned- Pragya was discharged Officer Commanding in Chief tion of appointing the senior 2 politician. Imran Pratapgarhiya from an ayurvedic hospital in (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern most eligible officer to the 1 will now be the party’s candi- the city months ago after being Naval Command in post. date from Moradabad. treated for critical illnesses. (03(($03200(4100(5($ have requested Gandhi to con- Visakhapatnam, will be the They also said Verma had ' Party sources said that Though Pragya did not test from Wayanad seat. He has first helicopter pilot to become not commanded as chief of ! L 1 1 Babbar was not keen on con- he Congress in Kerala has not commented on the request Chief of Naval Staff. Before the operationally important 1 4 testing from Moradabad, where " Tproposed AICC president so far. But we expect that there present appointment, Singh Western and Eastern 5 1 the BJP has fielded its sitting Rahul Gandhi’s name for the would be a positive response,” also served as Deputy Chief as Commands and these tenures MP Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar. + &, Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, a Chandy said. well as Vice Chief of Naval are considered very important 1 & After having served as party bastion in the State, but The party, which is con- Staff. for selecting the Navy chief. He Chief Minister of Madhya - he has yet to respond to the testing 16 out of 20 Lok Sabha Verma, younger brother was reportedly overlooked for ! Pradesh for 10 years from 1993 request, senior leaders said on seats in Kerala, has announced of former Navy Chief Nirmal these postings as he was the . 2 to 2003, Digvijay had left the Bengaluru: Ending days of Saturday. the names of 14 candidates but Verma, is at present the principal director of naval ! State saying that he would not suspense, Janata Dal (Secular) Talking to reporters in has not declared its candidates Commander-in-chief of the operations during the 2005 1 contest any election. At present, on Saturday said its National Pathanamthitta district, AICC from Wayanad and Vadakara. Andaman and Nicobar Naval War Room leak in New 2 + he is a Rajya Sabha member. president and former Prime general secretary Oommen “I once again request Command. It is the first tri-ser- Delhi. Several critical com- ! ' Digvijay took active part in Minister HD Deve Gowda will Chandy said the Kerala Gandhi to contest from vice integrated command to mercial and some operational MP in the run up to the last be alliance’s candidate from Pradesh Congress Committee Wayanad. Congress president look after the country’s strate- documents were leaked. Verma + & ! Assembly elections. Tumkur Lok Sabha seat. Hours (KPCC) has requested Rahul to contesting from Lok Sabha gic interests in that region. came under scrutiny but was The way the MP CM after the announcment, contest from Wayanad. seats in South India and North The command was set up fol- cleared with a “severe displea- announced the candidature of Congress leader and Tumkur There is a demand from India will strengthen national lowing the recommendations sure” note. He later served as Digvijay was quite dramatic. MP Muddahanumegowda party leaders that Rahul should unity and integration,” of the K Subrahmanyam com- India’s naval attaché in Iran and $ 1 Generally, the CEC of AICC raised strong objection to the contest from any of the South Chennithala said. mittee recommendations on also commanded a ship. declares the list. Nath said, “I move. Detailed report on P5 Indian Lok Sabha seat. “We Turn to Page 4 higher defence management. Turn to Page 4 % , , + 4,,5 7 1 ,, Q ! " 2 1 # * 1 %# &'( names of its candidates for Earlier 17 names for Bihar )*# &" Odisha fielding its spokesper- were announced in Patna. * 1 son Sambit Patra from Puri and Former Jharkhand Chief * 1 ' its State president Basant Panda Minister Arjun Munda will 1 21 from Kalahandi. In Bihar contest from Khunti, a seat O 1+, ,, ." ).32 though, it did not field its once occupied by BJP veteran " spokesperson Shahnawaz Karia Munda. N O1 1 he BJP on Saturday expect- Hussain from Bhagalpur, which BJP’s three new names 9 Tedly denied ticket to yes- he had unsuccessfully contest- from Uttar Pradesh included !"#$ 1 teryears’ filmstar and its sitting ed last time, thus putting his Pradeep Choudhary, a Gujjar, ! ,, MP from Patna Sahib future in the party under cloud. from Kairana seat (west UP) : Shatrughan Sinha and instead The BJP on Saturday which was won by the RLD ! " #! fielded Information and announced the names of its 102 candidate with the backing of $ $ # %& !;; 1 Technology Minister and Rajya more candidates for the Lok the SP and the BSP in a bypoll ! ! Sabha member Ravi Shankar Sabha polls, thus now totalling in 2018. The bypoll had first ! 2 P Q ;; Prasad from its stronghold. 286 candidates till now. tested the efficacy of the </ However, Prasad may face number of issues. tion. The LJP will contest from The candidates have been Opposition alliance against the Sinha eventually as the latter The BJP-led National Nawada this time round. The picked for UP, Telangana, BJP. The other candidates from %&P 1 could be fielded by the Democratic Alliance (NDA) in alliance, however, reposed faith Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, two other seats from West UP 2 Congress in the Kayastha- Bihar announced names for 39 in all other Central Ministers Maharashtra, Assam, which would go to poll in the ( ) 2 dominated seat. For sometime of the 40 seats with Union from the State by fielding them Meghalaya, West Bengal, and first phase are Dr Yashwant * $ 1 now, Sinha had been critical of Minister Giriraj Singh being from the same seats that they Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, (Nagina) and Bhola Singh + ,% $ O ' both the BJP and Prime