Not interested in direct elections anymore: Union Minister Jual Oram
Interacting with the media following his visit to the Rozgar Mela in Sambalpur, Oram said he may be chosen as Governor or nominated to Rajya Sabha but will not take part in direct elections anymore.
"I have contested elections 10 times during my career - eight times as MP and twice as MLA. I am not willing to contest direct elections anymore," he said.
However, he clarified that he is not considering formal retirement from politics. "I may be sent to the Rajya Sabha or appointed as a Governor by the party. In any case, I will continue serving my party," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
18 minutes ago
- NDTV
"People Living In Fear": Ex Minister's Friendly Fire Over Bihar Murders
Patna: A day after BJP ally Chirag Paswan targeted the Nitish Kumar government over the string of murders in Bihar, the JDU-BJP ruling alliance and Bihar police have drawn friendly fire from senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav. Speaking to the media after a BJP leader was shot dead in Patna last night, Mr Yadav said the frequent incidents of murder are a cause for concern. Flagging police response to the crimes, he said people "are living in fear" and it is the administration's responsibility to prevent the recurrence of such crimes. BJP leader Surendra Kewat, 52, was working in his field when two bike-borne men shot him last evening. He died during treatment. The murder comes a week after prominent businessman Gopal Khemka was shot dead outside his Patna home. The incidents of murder have prompted the Opposition -- and some allies too -- to target the Nitish Kumar government ahead of the Assembly polls due later this year. Ram Kripal Yadav, once a trusted aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, switched to the BJP in 2014. He served as a Union Minister between 2014 and 2019. He lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Patliputra seat to Lalu Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti. In his remarks to the media, Mr Yadav said Surendra Kewat was a devoted BJP worker. "This is a very unfortunate incident. Murders are happening frequently in Patna and this is a matter of concern. I demand that the criminals be arrested immediately. The family members said police reached the spot two hours after the incident. This is a question mark. If police are not swift, how will criminals be arrested?" he asked. He also demanded compensation for the family. Referring to the murders of businessmen Ramakant Yadav and Gopal Khemka, he said, "People are living in fear. They don't feel safe. It is the administration's responsibility to give security to people." Asked about Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha's allegation that the Opposition RJD was behind the crime surge, Mr Yadav said this must be investigated. The former Union Minister was also asked about BJP ally Chirag Paswan's attack on the Nitish Kumar government. "He is upset. Incidents are happening frequently. A politician is also a human being. Yes, we are with political parties and have responsibilities, but we cannot hide the truth. Innocents and businessmen are being murdered. If a politician is worried, it's legit. The government is ours, but what are the officials doing?" he said. Earlier, Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan targeted Bihar police in a post on X. "How many more murders will Biharis face now? It is beyond understanding what the responsibility of the Bihar Police is," he said. The remarks are being seen as signs of unease within the ruling alliance as it preps for the upcoming election. It can also be seen as LJP (Ram Vilas) posturing before seat-sharing talks to pressure its bigger partners, BJP and JDU, for a good deal in the negotiations. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Chirag Paswan clocked a 100 per cent strike rate, winning all five seats his party contested.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sitharaman backs Meghalaya's efforts to get UNESCO recognition for living root bridges
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has expressed strong support for Meghalaya's efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for the iconic living root bridges in East Khasi Hills district of the state. Sitharaman on Saturday praised the recent grassroots momentum to revive the nomination and strengthen the proposal through community engagement and international partnerships. She emphasised that global recognition would not only honour traditional knowledge but also inspire others to adopt sustainable practices rooted in local wisdom. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo "Recognition is not for showing off, but for showing the world that you did it first," she said, during her visit to the living root bridge in Siej village on Saturday. "Your practices are not only effective they are replicable," she said. Live Events These natural, bioengineered structures handcrafted over generations by indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities represent a rare harmony between nature and human innovation. The bridges are mostly found in the southern slopes of Meghalaya towards Bangladesh border. Meghalaya first submitted a proposal to UNESCO in 2018, nominating the living root bridges for inclusion in the World Heritage list under the category of "cultural landscapes". The proposal, backed by the state government and conservation experts, highlighted the ecological, cultural, and architectural significance of these living structures. However, the nomination faced delays due to procedural requirements, lack of comprehensive documentation, and the need for greater community-led participation in the heritage mapping process. The Union Finance minister on Saturday also interacted with village elders, local leaders, and beneficiaries of the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programme, an initiative supported by the World Bank , KFW, and ADB, to understand how traditional ecological knowledge continues to be preserved and innovated by indigenous communities. She also visited Sohbar, a border village in East Khasi Hills district, the first Union minister to do so and highlighted the importance of such villages. "Border villages like Sohbar are not the end of India, but it is the beginning," she said. Sohbar is one of the 92 villages in Meghalaya selected under the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP). The Union Finance minister outlined focus areas for development in Sohbar - road infrastructure, telecom and digital connectivity, television coverage, and electricity access. She assured the residents that within a 5-kilometre radius, they would have access to banking facility, ATM, or financial institution for inclusive growth and rural entrepreneurship. The Finance Minister will conclude her four-day visit to Meghalaya with a stop at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram School in Sohra on Sunday. The Ramakrishna Mission has played a pivotal role in education, healthcare, and rural upliftment in Sohra and adjoining regions for decades. Through its schools, vocational training, and community outreach programmes, the RKM has empowered generations of youth in the Khasi Hills, with a strong focus on value-based education, self-reliance, and social service.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Martyrs day: J&K leaders claim they have been placed under house arrest
Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir alleged house arrest. This prevented them from honoring 22 people killed by the Dogra army in 1931. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah likened the incident to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Other leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Gani Lone, also protested restrictions. The Srinagar district administration denied permission for memorial gatherings. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prominent political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir-- both from ruling National Conference and opposition parties except the BJP -- on Sunday claimed that they have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from paying homage to the 22 persons killed by the Dogra army on this day in was no official confirmation to the house arrest claims made by the tributes to the 22 people killed, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah likened the incident to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre."13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims," the chief minister said on of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Acts, which granted the colonial administration repressive powers, were gunned down by British forces without any provocation at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in said, "We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices".Opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the mistrust between Delhi and Kashmiris will truly end only when India accepted Kashmiri "martyrs" as their own."The day you accept our heroes as your own just as Kashmiris have embraced yours, from Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh that day, as Prime Minister Modi once said, the "dil ki doori" (distance of hearts) will truly end," she said in a post on former chief minister posted pictures of a locked gate to her residence."When you lay siege to the Martyrs' Graveyard, lock people in their homes to prevent them from visiting Mazar-e-Shuhada, it speaks volumes. July 13th commemorates our martyrs those who rose against tyranny, much like countless others across the country. They will always be our heroes," she former chief minister claimed several leaders of her party who managed to sneak out of their homes have been detained at various police stations."Continuing with its regressive policies many of our party leaders like Khurshid Allam, Zohaib Mir, Hamid Kohsheen, Arif Liagroo, Sara Nayeema, Tabassum , Basharat Naseem and others who managed to sneak out of their homes have been detained in police stations. They were on their way to Mazar e shuda. It seems we are getting back into the oppressive times that our 13 July Martyrs fought against," she Conference president Sajad Gani Lone also claimed that he has been stopped from leaving his residence."Not allowed to move out of home. Detained. I don't know why the union government is so keen to redefine what is sacred for the people of Kashmir. The sacrifices rendered on July 13 are sacred for all of us," he Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who has been under house arrest since Friday, said Kashmir bears witness to the painful saga of the sacrifices made by its sons and daughters."The Martyrs of July 13, 1931 led this quest by standing up to the tyranny of the rulers of the day, laying down their lives. Today, Kashmir remembers and honours them. We may be put in jails or under house arrests and threatened with dire consequences, and the martyrs' graveyards may be sealed and blocked, but they live in our hearts and in our memory and will continue to, generation after generation," he posted on leaders claimed that they were placed under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the Naqshband Sahib Martyrs graveyard near Nowhatta in the old Srinagar district magistrate on Saturday rejected the ruling National Conference's plea seeking permission to pay homage to the 22 party, in an application sent to the district magistrate, stated that NC president Farooq Abdullah and other senior functionaries intend to visit the graveyard of "martyrs" at Naqshband Sahib near Nowhatta on Sunday."The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday)," Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on its handle on X on 13 used to be a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories in August 2019. However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in the day, mainstream political leaders used to visit the "martyrs' graveyard" to pay homage to the Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting against the rule of the Maharaja.
