Posts tagged ‘Australian Associated Press’

14/02/2015

PM Modi sending top diplomat to Pakistan in thawing of ties | Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending his top diplomat to Pakistan as part of a regional tour, the first top-ranking visit since Modi broke off talks last year over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) talks to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif (R) during the closing session of 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu November 27, 2014.  REUTERS/Niranjan Shrestha/Pool/Files

The sign of a thaw in ties comes weeks after a visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The United States has long privately encouraged dialogue between India and Pakistan hoping that better ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours could lead to cooperation in other areas such as Afghanistan.

Modi called his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, early on Friday to wish his country luck in the World Cup cricket tournament beginning this weekend and to tell him that new Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyan Jaishankar will soon visit Islamabad as well as other regional capitals.

Sharif told Modi he welcomed the proposed visit of the Indian envoy to discuss all issues of common interest, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department welcomed the move.

via PM Modi sending top diplomat to Pakistan in thawing of ties | Reuters.

10/01/2014

AAP kicks off nationwide membership drive – The Hindu

“Main bhi aam aadmi” campaign aims to enroll at least 1 crore members by January 26, 2014

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and party leader Gopal Rai launch the party's nationwide membership drive in New Delhi on Friday. Photo Rajeev Bhatt

Buoyed by its spectacular success in the Delhi Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday kicked off a nationwide membership drive with an aim to enroll at least 1 crore members by January 26, 2014 to strengthen the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said under the Main bhi aam aadmi campaign, any citizen can enroll as member of the party without paying any fee.

“Our target is to include 1 crore members in the party by January 26. But the membership drive will continue after that as well,” he said addressing a press conference.

He said the party had decided to waive the Rs. 10 membership fee as it was found out that many people could not afford it. “The decision to waive off the membership fee was taken at the national executive meeting last week,” he said.

Party leader Gopal Rai, who has been tasked to oversee the special membership drive, said over 3 lakh people have registered online as party members after the Delhi elections.

“This is perhaps the first time in the history of India that membership to a party is being opened to public like this. This is our biggest country—wide drive to connect with people before the Lok Sabha polls,” Mr. Rai told PTI.

“Success of this campaign is one of our major strategies before the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

Mr. Rai said the whole campaign will check the “ground reality” of the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha polls to a certain level.

“A lot will depend on this campaign. We will get to know how much response is coming and from which areas,” he said.

Mr. Kejriwal said any citizen can give a missed call on mobile number 07798220033 to enrol as a party member. They can also send SMS of their name, STD code and Vidhan Sabha name after which they will get their membership number.

The citizens will also have an option of filling an online form on the Aam Aadmi Party website aamaadmiparty.org to become a member.

“Those who do not have mobile phones have to use their voter identification number and register at our website after January 17,” Mr. Rai said.

He said one mobile number holder can only have one membership.

Mr. Rai said all AAP members are being urged to bring in as many people as possible into the party fold.

via AAP kicks off nationwide membership drive – The Hindu.

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01/12/2013

India’s political parties pump up the radio volume | India Insight

Anyone who keeps a radio turned on in India’s National Capital Region knows that election fever has settled on Delhi ahead of the Dec. 4 state polls. The ruling Congress party, main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and newcomer Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are betting big on radio campaigning — a medium that reaches millions of people across economic classes and backgrounds.

Overall, about 250 million to 500 million rupees ($4 million to $8 million) have been spent on radio advertising in this year’s assembly election in Delhi – at least 200 percent more than during the 2008 state elections, Sunil Kumar of radio consulting firm Big River Radio estimated.

The AAP, or “common man party,” led by Arvind Kejriwal, has allocated 20 million to 30 million rupees ($320,000 to $480,000) for advertising, with 60 to 70 percent for radio and phone calls, said Dilip K. Pandey, an AAP secretary responsible for their communication strategy.

“The best thing about FM campaign is that it reaches out to everyone … there is an imbalance in society — there are rich people, there are poor people — but it reaches out to everybody,” Pandey said.

Eight private radio channels and seven central government-owned channels cater to a population of about 16 million residents in New Delhi, according to government data.

Average rates for on-air time can vary from 400 rupees per 10 seconds ($6.40) to 2,000 rupees ($32) depending on the radio station’s reach and the time of broadcast, Pandey said. Prices also depend on how long the ad is.

via India’s political parties pump up the radio volume | India Insight.

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