BMC`s Dahisar plant processes 16,000 metric tonnes of construction debris
To streamline waste collection, the BMC introduced a toll-free number, 1800-210-9976, allowing residents to request the collection of debris from domestic or small-scale construction, repair, or demolition projects
Stock market update: Stocks that hit 52-week highs on NSE in today's trade
GIC, Hisar Metal Ind, Sambhaav Media, Mohit Inds and Salzer Electro, hit their fresh 52-week highs during the day.
SC asks Punjab govt to shift fasting farmer leader Dallewal to makeshift hospital
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Punjab government to shift fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to a nearby makeshift hospital at the Khanauri border where his health can be monitored round-the-clock. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Punjab government Advocate General Gurminder Singh to file an undertaking during the course of the day about shifting the 70-year-old Dallewal to the makeshift hospital setup near the protest site at Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana. Singh informed the bench that on Thursday the farmer leader has cooperated and underwent several tests, including ECG and blood tests. He said that Dallewal's health condition appears to be stable as of now. The bench said it will take up the matter again at around 2.30 pm. On Thursday, the bench referred to civil rights activist Irom Sharmila continuing her protest for more than a decade under medical supervision and asked the Punjab government to convince Dallewal to undergo a health examination. It had pulled up the Punjab government for not conducting medical tests on Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast. Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces. The Haryana government set up the barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway in February after it was announced that the farmers would march to Delhi in support of their demands, including legal guarantee of MSP for their produce. Farmer leader Dallewal faints, regains consciousness after ten minutes; Haryana Khaps call for maha panchayat in Hisar
CHANDIGARH: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's condition turned critical as he fainted on the twenty-fourth day of his fast unto death . On the other hand, the Khap Panchayats of Haryana have extended their support to the farmers and decided to hold a Maha Panchayat in Hisar on December 29. The Supreme Court reprimanded the Punjab Government for not running regular medical tests on Dallewal, advising it to persuade the leader to take treatment for a week before resuming protest. Dallewal is currently receiving treatment at the protest site. Sources close to him said that Dallewal fainted this afternoon. Dallewal stepped out of the temporary hut behind the stage at Khanauri border after taking a bath. Shortly after, he vomited and lost consciousness for about ten minutes. He was quickly wrapped in a blanket and changed into his clothes. He was taken to an area behind the stage as soon as he regained his senses where doctors examined him and fed him water with a spoon, a close associate of Dallewal said. Senior doctors from Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, along with officials of Patiala Police officials reached the Khanauri border. Sources added that a team of doctors from a NGO 5 Rivers Heart Association had been regularly monitoring him. A mini hospital has been set-up at the protest site to provide him medical aide. 'Attempt to unite all farmer unions' The Khap Panchayats of Haryana extended their support to the farmers and decided to hold a mahapanchayat in Hisar on December 29 and added that the Maha Panchayat will decide the next course of actions. A representative of Satrol Khap, Satish said, We have decided to support the farmers' movement, as it is not the fight of any one farmer, but for the farmers' community. The Maha Panchayat has been called in Bas village of Hisar and we will try to unite all the farmer unions so that the movement can be fought together. We demand that the government start talks if it is really concerned about the health of protesting farmers. The government should send a delegation to talk to the farmers within ten days. If something untoward happens to him then the government will be solely responsible, he said. He said that on December 13, the committee of Khaps went to Khanauri border to meet Dallewal . Earlier during the farmers' protest dharnas were held and Khaps supported the movement but during elections, everything was stopped but now the movement will be renewed. We want all farmer unions to once again unite on this issue. The 11-member committee of Khaps is supporting the farmers' movement, he added.
Sex tests: Accused doc produced in Hisar court
Rally to seek new capital, HC for Hry in Hisar on Feb 23
Temperatures drop in Delhi, Punjab; slight respite from cold for Kashmir
NEW DELHI: Cold weather conditions persisted in parts of north and west India on Sunday with the mercury dropping several notches in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. Kashmir and the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received some respite from the intense cold as minimum temperatures rose. The respite for Kashmir is likely to be short-lived as the meteorological department has predicted a cold wave in parts of the valley over the next three days. Delhi's minimum temperature dropped to 4.9 degrees Celsius, 3.1 notches below normal, but cold wave conditions did not prevail, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The mercury settled at a low of 8 degrees Celsius in the city on Saturday. The capital recorded a maximum temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 0.2 notches below normal, the IMD said. The weather department has forecast moderate fog in Delhi on Monday. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to settle at 5 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius respectively. Punjab and Haryana also remained in the grip of cold weather conditions with Faridkot recording the lowest temperature in the region at 1 degree Celsius, according to the meteorological department. Punjab's Gurdaspur and Bathinda recorded a minimum temperature of 2 degrees Celsius and 4.6 degrees Celsius respectively at night, it said. The mercury settled at a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius in Pathankot, 3.9 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 6.8 degrees Celsius in Ludhiana and 3.8 degrees Celsius in Patiala. In Haryana, Hisar shivered at 1.7 degrees Celsius and Narnaul recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius. Bhiwani recorded a low of 4 degrees Celsius, Gurugram 5.6 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 5.2 degrees Celsius and Ambala 5.7 degrees Celsius. The weather office said that Chandigarh, the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures rose by three to five notches in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh while cold wave conditions gripped the lower hills as the weather remained dry. Tabo was the coldest place in the state at night with a low of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius and Shimla was the warmest at 12.2 degrees Celsius, 6.5 notches above normal. The adjoining resorts of Kufri and Narkanda recorded a low of 9.8 degrees Celsius and 6.4 degrees Celsius respectively. In the lower hills, Una recorded a minimum temperature of 0.2 degrees Celsius and Sundernagar 0.6 degrees Celsius. The local meteorological office has issued a 'yellow' warning for cold wave at isolated places in the lower hills and plains till Thursday and predicted dry weather in the state over the next seven days. Cold wave conditions will prevail in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and parts of Kangra districts, the weather office said. There was no significant change in maximum temperatures in Himachal Pradesh. Solan was the hottest during the day at 24.7 degrees Celsius followed by Shimla at 19 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. Kashmir saw a slight respite from intense cold wave conditions as minimum temperatures rose across the valley, though they remained below the freezing point. The summer capital of Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, an improvement from minus 4.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, the meteorological department said. Gulmarg, a tourist destination popular for skiing, registered a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius -- a rise of nearly four notches from the night before. Pahalgam, the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, logged a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, three notches higher than the previous night. Konibal, a hamlet on the outskirts of Pampore town, was the coldest place in the valley with the mercury settling at a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was minus 4 degrees Celsius in Qazigund, 3.7 degrees Celsius in Kupwara and 2.8 degrees Celsius in Kokernag. According to the meteorological office, the weather in the valley is likely to remain mainly dry till December 21. Minimum temperatures are predicted to drop and a cold wave is likely over many stations during the next three days, the weather office said. In Rajasthan, cold wave conditions prevailed in most parts and Fatehpur recorded sub-zero temperatures for the third consecutive day on Sunday. According to the meteorological department, the minimum temperature in Fatehpur settled at minus 1.2 degrees Celsius. Churu recorded a minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius; Bhilwara 2.2 degrees Celsius; Sangaria, Pilani and Sirohi 2.6 degrees Celsius; Chittorgarh 3.2 degrees Celsius and Alwar 4 degrees Celsius. The mercury settled below 10 degrees Celsius at several other places in the state.
Haryana Womens Commission Official Sonia Aggarwal held in Bribe Case
Chandigarh: Haryana Women Commission Vice Chairperson Sonia Aggarwal and her driver Kulbir were arrested on Saturday by the states Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on charges of accepting a bribe. According to an official statement, the ACB caught Kulbir red-handed while he was accepting 1 lakh from a complainant. The complainant, a teacher married to a Haryana Police sub-inspector, approached the ACB after his wife filed an application against him before the Haryana Womens Commission on November 25. During the proceedings, Aggarwals driver, Kulbir, allegedly demanded a bribe to resolve the matter. On December 12, Aggarwal reportedly instructed the complainant to pay 1 lakh to Kulbir for settling the issue. A trap was set by the ACB, with one team deployed to Kharkhoda and another to Hisar. On December 14, Kulbir was caught accepting the bribe near Jindal Park in Hisar, while Aggarwal was arrested from Kharkhoda. The ACB is continuing its investigation into the case. The arrests have sparked attention due to the involvement of a prominent official in a corruption scandal.
Bihar teacher falls victim to 'Pakadua Vivah' or forced marriage tradition, lodges police complaint
PATNA: A 30-year school teacher was allegedly kidnapped and forced to marry a 25-year-old girl in Bihar's Katihar district on Friday, reminding people of 'Pakadua Vivah' (forced marriage) prevalent in the state for several decades. During the wedding season, the incident 'Pakadua Vivah' is a common feature in Bihar's several districts, including Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Patna, Nalanda, Samastipur, Jamui and Munger. Police have to grapple with incidents of forced marriage which at times take an ugly turn. Avnish Kumar, posted as an assistant teacher at a government school in Katihar district, was allegedly held captive by two SUV-borne people when he was going to school by an e-rickshaw. The SUVs stopped near a temple after covering a distance of about two to three kilometres. The relatives of the girl were present at the temple where Avnish was forced to perform rituals under threat. His protests and even repeated pleas to spare him didn't deter the relatives of the girl Gunjan Kumari, a native of the Lakhisarai district. The wedding was solemnized by the local priest chanting the mantras. The couple later left for Avnish's native village in Begusarai district. Avnish escaped when the vehicle stopped at a place before his native village Rajaura Sikandarpur under Mufassil police station in Begusarai district. The girl and her relatives reached Avnish's house where the family members refused to accept her as 'bahu' (daughter-in-law). As the situation took an ugly turn, the girl reached Mufassil police station and sought police intervention. Gunjan, in her complaint, alleged that she was in a 'relationship' with Avnish for over four years. She met him at her elder sister's house where Avnish used to be a tutor. Gunjan's sister and Avnish are stated to be co-residents. She told the police that Avnish started ignoring her since he was appointed as a teacher in a government school through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC TRE-2) and posted in Katihar. She claimed that she visited Katihar whenever Avnish called her and returned to her sister's house after staying three-four days with him. She alleged that Avnish established a physical relationship with her on several occasions on the pretext of marriage. Avnish's father Sudhakar Roy was summoned by the Mufassil police after the girl formally submitted a written complaint and requested that SHO Arvind Kumar Gautam to forward the matter to the Mahila Helpline for counselling. The SHO said that the matter was being verified as the place of occurrence didn't fall under his jurisdiction. The incidents of alleged abduction and marriage took place somewhere else, the SHO said. A video about alleged forced marriage also went viral on social media. Avnish later told the media that he had already informed the Katihar superintendent of police about his kidnapping and subsequent forced marriage. The marriage was solemnized against my wishes and rituals were performed under threat, he added. A case of kidnapping for marriage and physical assault has been lodged in Katihar, he revealed. However, he admitted that he came in contact with Gunjan when he used to teach students at her sister's house before his appointment as a teacher in a government school. I used to work as a teacher in a private school and teach students at their houses as well, he said. He alleged that the girl used to call him on one pretext or the other after he was selected as a teacher by the BPSC. I even blocked her mobile phones but she used to call me by changing her numbers, he added. 'Pakadua Vivah' is an old, bizarre tradition in Bihar in which the bride's family kidnaps an unmarried man and forces him to marry at gunpoint. Police sources said that incidents of kidnapping for marriage have increased manifold in recent years with raising demand of dowry in affluent families. According to police, 2024 has recorded the highest cases of 'grooms kidnapping' or forced marriage in the last 30 years. A similar case was reported in Bihar's Vaishali district where a school teacher was kidnapped and married at gunpoint at a village under Patepur police station.
IIT-Bombay inspects Dahisar cement concretisation road project
BMC has appointed IIT-Bombay as the third-party quality control authority to oversee the cement concretisation projects in Mumbai. The institution is tasked with maintaining standards, offering technical guidance for road development initiatives
Ex-cops son murdered in Hisar, FIR against 7
Farm dialogue: Chouhan meets Haryana & Chhattisgarh farmers
NEW DELHI, Dec 10: Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday met representatives of farmers organisations from Haryana and Chhattisgarh and discussed various issues facing the farm sector. Farmers representing Chhattisgarh Yuva Pragatisheel Kisan Sangh, Naugama Khap Kisan Sangathan Jind, Satrol Khap Seva Samiti Hisar, and Nandal Khap Rohtak participated in the discussions. During the meeting, the farmers appreciated the work being done by the central government in the field of agriculture and farmers welfare and gave some important [] The post Farm dialogue: Chouhan meets Haryana & Chhattisgarh farmers appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
BPSC exam row: Tejashwi Yadav demands extension in exam date
Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday came in support of protesting BPSC aspirants and demanded extension in the exam date of the upcoming 70th Preliminary examination of the Commission, scheduled to be held on December 13. Talking to reporters in Lakhisarai, Yadav who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
In marriage season, Hisar SP warns against loud music after 10pm
Folk Song Performed By Patna Girls In State Art Festival Win Hearts
Over 1500 individuals from 38 districts participated in the three-day art festival at Gandhi Maidan in Bihar's Lakhisarai district
Nine Years of PRAGATI: Transforming India's Governance and Infrastructure
A recent case study by the University of Oxford has highlighted the remarkable impact of the Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. Over its nine-year journey, PRAGATI has transformed Indias governance, especially in tackling stalled infrastructure and social development projects. The platform has had a significant role in reviewing 340 projects worth INR 17.05 lakh crore ($205 billion) by the end of June 2023. Its focus on breaking bureaucratic gridlocks, resolving delays, and fostering cooperative federalism has reshaped India's project management landscape. The report, From Gridlock to Growth - How leadership enables Indias PRAGATI ecosystem to power progress, offers valuable insights into how PRAGATI has fast-tracked stalled projects and ensured their timely completion. One of PRAGATIs most notable successes is the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam. This rail and road bridge, which had been stalled for years due to land acquisition challenges and extreme weather, saw renewed momentum after PRAGATIs introduction in 2015. With Prime Minister Modi personally reviewing the project, it was completed by 2018, drastically improving connectivity for Dhemaji district. The area had previously relied on dangerous boat services, and the bridge now offers safer, more reliable transport. In Jharkhand, PRAGATI played a critical role in advancing the North Karanpura Thermal Power Plant. Stalled for years due to unresolved land lease issues and disputes between stakeholders, the plants construction gained momentum under PRAGATIs intervention. Today, it supplies electricity to millions and creates jobs, benefiting local communities. Similarly, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Project serves as another example of PRAGATIs success. Delayed by approval bottlenecks, the project gained traction after it was brought under PRAGATIs oversight. By coordinating efforts between central and state authorities, the platform significantly shortened the projects timeline, enabling Bengalurus urban commuters to enjoy modern public transport services earlier. Another achievement of PRAGATI is seen in the Dahisar-Surat section of National Highway 8. In Maharashtra and Gujarat, this highway expansion was delayed due to environmental concerns, particularly a stretch passing through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The project was stalled until PRAGATI facilitated a resolution in 2017, allowing the highway expansion to proceed with additional measures to protect the parks wildlife. Beyond infrastructure, PRAGATI has significantly impacted social sector programs. The Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide tap water to every rural household, has seen remarkable progress under the platforms oversight. In 2019, only 17% of rural households had access to tap water, but by early 2024, that number had surged to 74%, demonstrating PRAGATIs effectiveness in speeding up crucial services. The Swachh Bharat Mission, aimed at eliminating open defecation, also benefited from PRAGATIs management. In just five years, over 100 million toilets were built, improving sanitation and reducing public health risks, particularly for women and children. PRAGATI's influence is also evident in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link in Jammu and Kashmir. This rail project had been delayed for years but gained momentum after being included in the PRAGATI platform. Today, it connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, providing vital socio-economic benefits to the region. A key factor in PRAGATIs success is its reliance on digital tools. The platform integrates real-time data, drone feeds, and GPS tracking, allowing for accurate monitoring of project progress. For example, during the construction of the Dahisar-Surat highway, GPS-enabled tracking helped identify inefficiencies, enabling timely corrections. Additionally, centralized data dashboards and video conferencing have improved transparency and accountability, reducing reliance on outdated reporting systems. The broader economic impact of PRAGATI has been substantial. Research by the Reserve Bank of India and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy suggests that every rupee spent on infrastructure generates a return of 2.5 to 3.5 rupees in GDP. By accelerating project completion, PRAGATI has minimized cost overruns and ensured that the economic benefits of infrastructure projects are realized more quickly, improving access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities for millions. Centre Approves Rs 3,296 Crore Investment to Boost Tourism Infrastructure Across 23 States
Two nabbed from Hisar over crude bomb blast outside Chandigarh clubs
The explosion occurred outside two bar-cum-lounges, one of them owned by rapper Badshah, at Sector 26 in the early hours of Tuesday, November 26
Days After Blast Outside Rapper Badshah's Club In Chandigarh, 2 Arrested In Encounter
Two people, allegedly involved in the crude bomb blast outside singer and rapper Badshah's club in Chandigarh, were arrested on Friday evening following an encounter in Haryana's Hisar district.
Two suspects arrested after encounter in connection with bomb blasts outside clubs in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH: After an encounter with the Chandigarh Police and the Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police, two alleged suspects involved in the recent twin low-intensity bomb blasts outside two clubs in Chandigarh, one of which belonged to Punjabi rapper Badshah, have been apprehended. Sources said that Vinay and Ajit, both suspects in the twin bomb blasts in Chandigarh, were injured during an encounter with the STF of Haryana Police and Chandigarh Police in Hisar. Both were admitted to the civil hospital in Hisar for medical treatment. When the police attempted to apprehend them, the suspects allegedly resisted and opened fire on the police teams. In response, the police fired back, injuring them in the legs. Both suspects are linked to the Kala Jathedi-Goldy Brar gang and will be brought to Chandigarh for questioning. The bomb blasts, which were carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, targeted two clubs in Sector 26: Seville Bar and Lounge, owned by rapper Badshah, and DeOrra. The suspects, riding a motorcycle, arrived around 3:15 a.m. and planted low-intensity crude bombs. The explosions shattered the glass windows of De'Orra, but fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. CCTV footage showed an unidentified person throwing an object towards the lounge, followed by a cloud of smoke. Sources further indicated that this could be a case of extortion, with the suspects attempting to spread terror among nightclub owners. The Chandigarh Police have registered a case under the Explosives Act at the Sector 26 police station.
On 27th November, Congress-friendly YouTuber Abhisar Sharma published a video on his YouTube channel in which he repeated the same lies The Wire published in its removed propaganda piece.
More women vote, but fewer elected in battle for Maharashtra
MUMBAI: The Mahayuti governments Ladki Bahin scheme may have helped increase women voters turnout in the Maharashtra assembly polls, but only 21 women got elected this time against 24 in the previous election. According to the Election Commission data, of the 4126 candidates in the fray, 250 were women including independents. Out of the 250 women candidates, only 21 got elected to the assembly. The BJP has the largest elected women MLAs 10 out of 14 candidates. Two women candidates of Shiv Sena (Shinde) got elected, four from Ajit Pawar-led NCP and one from the Congress. The elected BJP women MLAs include Shweta Mahale from Chikhali, Meghna Bordikar from Jintur, Devyani Farande from Nashik Central, Seema Hire from Nashik West, Manda Mhatre from Belapur, Manisha Chaudhary from Dahisar, Vidya Thakur from Goregaon, Madhuri Misal from Parvati, Monika Rajale from Shevgaon and Namita Mundada from Kaij, Sreejaya Chavan from Bhokar, Sulabha Gaikwad from Kalyan East, Sneha Pandit from Vasai, and Anuradha Chavan from Phulambri. Shiv Senas women MLAs include Manjula Gavit from Sakri and Sanjana Jadhav from Kannada. NCPs elected women candidates include Sulabha Khodke (Amravati), Saroj Ahire (Deolali), Sana Malik (Anushakti Nagar) and Aditi Tatkare (Shrivardh). In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP had fielded 45 women, of whom 24 women were elected to the 288-member assembly. The women representation percentage was 8% against 7% this time. Though the state and Central governments launched schemes for women empowerment, representation of women is sliding, said a political analyst. Political parties are always reluctant to field women candidates arguing that they face difficulty to get elected.
21 women among 288 winning candidates in Maharashtra; only 1 from oppn side
Mumbai: As many as 21 women candidates have emerged winner in the elections to the 288-seat Maharashtra assembly, with only one of them from the opposition, according to the poll results. The BJP accounted for the highest number of 14 women candidates emerging victorious, including 10 who were re-elected: Shweta Mahale (Chikli constituency), Meghana Bordikar (Jintur), Devyani Farande (Nashik Central), Seema Hiray (Nashik West), Manda Mhatre (Belapur), Manisha Chaudhari (Dahisar), Vidya Thakur (Goregaon), Madhuri Misal (Parvati), Monica Rajale (Shevgaon) and Namita Mundada (Kaij). The four new women winners of the BJP are Shreejaya Chavan (Bhokar), Sulabha Gaikwad (Kalyan East), Sneha Pandit (Vasai) and Anuradha Chavan (Fulambari), as per the poll results announced by the Election Commission on Saturday. Manjula Gavit (Sakri) and Sanjana Jadhav (Kannad) were elected on the ruling Shiv Sena tickets. Sulbha Khodke (Amravati), Saroj Ahire (Deolali), Sana Malik (Anushaktinagar) and Aditi Tatkare (Shrivardhan) won on the ruling NCP tickets. Congress' Jyoti Gaikwad (Dhavari) will be the lone woman MLA from the opposition's side.
CLAT 2025 Exam Centre Changed For Hisar Candidates, Check Steps To Download Revised Admit Card
CLAT 2025: The examination consists of 120 questions and lasts for two hours.
The Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU) has changed the CLAT 2025 exam center in Hisar to CCS Haryana Agricultural University. Affected candidates must re-download their admit cards from consortiumofnlus.ac.in by logging in with their credentials. CLAT 2025 is scheduled for December 1, 2024. For details, refer to the official website or the notice.
Court denies bail to Raut aide in Covid centre scam
A special court in Mumbai denied bail to businessman Sujit Patkar, an aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, in the alleged COVID treatment centres scam. The court found that Patkar played with the life of people by under-deployment of doctors and staff to generate proceeds of crime. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that Patkar's firm, Lifeline Hospital Management, fraudulently obtained a contract for supplying medical staff at Dahisar and Worli Jumbo Covid facilities during the pandemic, resulting in the generation of proceeds of crime (PoC) amounting to Rs 32.44 crore. The court noted that there are ample statements of the witnesses to show that a list of more staff members was prepared than being deployed on the instructions of Patkar.
Punjab reports season's highest stubble burning cases as Haryana AQI touches 'severe' levels
CHANDIGARH: The highest number of stubble burning cases in this season, at 1,251 incidents, were reported in Punjab on Monday increasing the total number of reported cases this year to 9.655, according to data by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PCCB). The Air Quality Index (AQI) level in the state was in the 'Poor category, while in Haryana five towns were in the 'Severe category and six places in the 'Very Poor category. Of the total 1,251 incidents reported on Monday, 247 cases were in Muktsar district followed by 149 in Moga, 130 incidents of stubble-burning were in Ferozepur, 129 in Bathinda, 94 in Fazilka, 88 in Faridkot, 77 in Tarn Taran and 73 in Sangrur. Ludhiana had 52 cases, Barnala 42 incidents, 40 in Mansa and Amritsar had 36 reported cases and Marelkotla had 34. Meanwhile on Sunday, 404 stubble burning cases were reported across the state, of which 74 new cases were from Ferozepur and 70 in Bathinda. An environmental compensation of Rs 1.35 crore had been imposed for 3,943 cases till November 15. As per the central pollution control board, the AQI levels of both Amritsar and Jalandhar around 7.30 pm were 241 in the 'Poor' category. Khanna was 143 in the 'Moderate' category and Ludhiana, Patiala and Rupnagar all three were at 262 and Mandi Gobindgarh was 213 - all in the 'Poor' category. While the AQI level of Chandigarh was 270 at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Sector 22, the AQI at around 7.30 pm on Monday was at 250 and that at CAAQMS Sector 53 was recorded at 240 and at the Sector 25 station it was 270. Ambala residents report breathing issues due to fog, pollution. In Haryana the Air Quality Index at Gurugram was 494, Dharuhera was 447, Bahadurgarh was 443, Faridabad was 432 and Bhiwani 405, all in the 'Severe category. While Jind was 387, Fatehabad was 383, Kaithal was 354, Karnal was 348, Palwal was 327, Narnaul was 320 - in the 'Very Poor category. Kurukshetra's AQI was 298, Mandikhera was at 293, Hisar at 281, Charkhi Dadri at 226 - all in the 'Poor' category. Only two places - Ambala and Panchkula - were in the 'Moderate category. In response to worsening air pollution, the Nuh Administration has declared holidays for schools up to class 5 from November 18 to November 22, according to an official order. As per the order from the office of the District Elementary Education Officer of Nuh, the holiday has been declared in all government, semi-government, and private schools in the Nuh district of Haryana. Sources pointed out that the PPCB is under scrutiny and facing allegations of under-reporting of farm fire incidents. The scientists monitoring the farm fires claimed that many farmers were setting paddy residue on fire post afternoon, dodging the satellite. While the pollution control board claimed have brought down farm fires by 70 per cent than previous years, farmers could be seen evading the satellite by setting the paddy residue on fire post 3 pm.
Rajnath Asks Rahul Gandhi to Specify Quota for Every Community After Caste Census
Mumbai: Union minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday addressed a meeting of Hindi speaking people at a hotel in Mumbai. Around 23 lakh north Indian voters are in Mumbai. Mr Singh said that the party had not achieved the desired result in Lok Sabha election from Haryana and Maharashtra, but the situation has now changed as is evident from the Haryana Assembly election result. The senior BJP leader also questioned the logic behind Congress leader Rahul Gandhis promise of caste census. What will he do with data? he asked. Senior BJP leader Kripashankar Singh and BJP leader Akhilesh Chaubey-led Parishram Sanstha (organisation) organised the event at a hotel in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). A large number of intellectuals from the North Indian community residing in Mumbai attended the programme, which was also attended by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, north Indian leaders and prominent personalities from business, education, medical field and legal fraternity. Mr Singh said that the mood of the people has changed as the BJP is coming to power with clear majority in Jharkhand there is a conducive atmosphere in Maharashtra for the BJP in comparison to the Lok Sabha election. We are hopeful that our government will come here as well, he said. Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhis demand for caste census, the senior BJP leader said that Mr. Gandhi has been repeatedly saying that he is committed to conducting a caste census in the country. Rahul should tell what he will do after conducting the caste census?, he asked. Mr Singh went on saying that the Congress leader should first make a blueprint and present it before the country as to how much reservation Mr Gandhi would give to which castes after conducting caste census. There should be a discussion in the country on this issue and a consensus should be formed over the same. But he will not do it as he wants to gain support only by misleading the people, the senior BJP leader said. Referring to caste census during the UPA government, he said that the caste census was done in the country in 2011. There are more than one lakh castes and sub-castes. However, the report was not published. A few years ago, the Ministry of Social Justice had conducted a caste census. Several thousand backward castes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were found in the census. Perhaps, he (Rahul Gandhi) thinks that a government can be formed by misleading the people, Mr.Singh said. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, the BJP led Mahayuti alliance won only 18 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra including two out of six seats in Mumbai. The BJP won only one out of three seats it contested in Mumbai. Its alliance partner Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won the Mumbai North West seat by the margin of mere 48 votes. By roping in the north Indian stalwart leaders like Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath, the party is trying to consolidate its north Indian votes in Mumbai. The north Indian voters can play a major role in 20 out of 36 Assembly seats in the city. The north Indian community is a decisive factor on at least nine seats, namely Dahisar, Kalina, Andheri (East), Versova, Dindoshi, Malad, Goregaon, Jogeshwari and Chandivali.
Several injured in bus-truck collision in Haryana due to dense fog
The dense fog in Haryanas Hisar district led to a serious bus-truck collision on Thursday morning near the Majra Piyau area. The bus lost control and crashed into the truck, causing severe damage to both vehicles. Several people were injured, with some sustaining serious injuries. A large police team was deployed at the scene, and the injured were swiftly rescued and taken to a local hospital. Authorities have stated that the accident was caused by poor visibility due to the fog. The investigation is ongoing as more details emerge.
A shocking incident came to light from Haryana, where a Dalit youth has accused Hansi sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of sexual assault.
Air quality 'poor' in large parts of Punjab, Haryana; Chandigarh 'very poor'
CHANDIGARH: The air quality in several parts of Punjab and Haryana was recorded in the 'poor' category on Saturday, while it was worst in the joint capital city of Chandigarh with an AQI of 322 which falls in the 'very poor' band. According to the Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer App, which provides hourly updates, Haryana's Bahadugarh recorded an Air Quality Index of 314 -- also in the 'very poor' category at 9 am. Among other places in Haryana, the AQI at Sonipat was 290, Hisar (285), Bhiwani (277), Jind (275), Charkhi Dadri (258), Gurugram (259), Faridabad (220), Yamunanagar (213), Rohtak (238), Kurukshetra (202), Kaithal (205), Fatehabad (198), Ambala (160), Sirsa (181), and Karnal (144). In Punjab, the AQI was registered at 264 in Mandi Gobindgarh, 258 in Amritsar, 257 in Rupnagar, 248 in Jalandhar, 197 in Ludhiana, 183 in Bathinda, 176 in Khanna, and 133 in Patiala. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'. The rise in air pollution levels in the two states and Delhi during this time of year is often blamed on farm fires. Punjab reported 730 farm fire incidents on Friday, taking the total count to 6,029 in the state this season. As the window for the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop.
Air quality remains 'very poor' in several parts of Haryana, Punjab
CHANDIGARH: The air quality index at several places in Punjab and Haryanawas recorded in the 'very poor' and 'poor' categories on Sunday. According to Sameer app that provides hourly updates of the national AQI published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Punjab's Amritsar was recorded at 301,183 in Chandigarh, 119 in Bathinda, 214 in Jalandhar, 171 in Khanna, 153 in Ludhiana, 207 in Patiala, 184 in Mandi Gobindgarh and 141 in Rupnagar. Among several places in Haryana, the AQI was recorded at 293 in Bhiwani, 280 in Charkhi Dadri, 238 in Faridabad, 202 in Fatehabad, 266 in Gurugram, 266 in Hisar, 253 in Jind, 258 in Rohtak, 296 in Sonipat, 251 in Sirsa, 238 in Kurukshetra, 187 in Panipat, 142 in Yamunanagar and 112 in Ambala, the data showed. Spike in stubble burning on Diwali worsens Punjabs air quality The air quality index in Haryana's Bahadurgarh and Karnal were the worst hit with 313 and 316 respectively. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 poor, 301 to 400 very poor, 401 to 450 severe, and above 450 classified as 'severe plus.' Notably, Punjab recorded 379 farm fires on Saturday.
Spike in stubble burning on Diwali worsens Punjabs air quality
CHANDIGARH: The biggest spike in stubble burning cases this season in Punjab occurred on Diwali, with 484 farm fire incidents reported. So far, a total of 2,950 crop residue burning cases have been reported across the state, and the number is expected to rise in the coming days. The Air Quality Index (AQI) level this morning in Punjab and Haryana fell into the 'Very Poor' and 'Poor' categories, while the Union Territory of Chandigarh recorded 'Very Poor' air quality. Meanwhile, Pakistan Punjabs Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has described smog as a common enemy and called for joint efforts between the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. She stressed that the issue is not political but a humanitarian one. According to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Sangrur topped the state with 89 stubble burning incidents, followed by Ferozepur with 65, Mansa with 40, Fatehgarh Sahib with 36, and 35 each reported in Tarn Taran and Kapurthala. In Patiala, 33 incidents occurred, followed by 29 in Amritsar, 28 in Bathinda, 20 in Gurdaspur, and 14 each in Moga and Barnala. Additionally, Ludhiana recorded 11 cases, Faridkot had 10, and seven cases were reported from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur. Muktsar saw four cases, SAS Nagar three, and one case each was recorded in Fazilka and Malerkotla. Since October, there has been a noticeable uptick in stubble-burning incidents. On October 12, 177 cases were reported, followed by 163 on October 13, 173 on October 15, and 219 on October 29. Sources pointed out that the number of crop residue burning cases is expected to increase further in the coming days, as farmers prepare to clear their fields for wheat sowing during the November 1-15 window. Cracker ban goes up in smoke as Delhi records its most polluted Diwali in three years The deteriorating air quality in major cities across Punjab remains a concern. This morning, Amritsar recorded an AQI of 335 ('Very Poor'), Mandi Gobindgarh 326 ('Very Poor'), and Khanna 306 ('Very Poor'). In other cities, the AQI fell into the 'Poor' category: Patiala registered 255, Ludhiana 206, and Jalandhar 266. Bathinda was the only city with 'Moderate' air quality at 110. In Chandigarh, the AQI was marked as 'Very Poor' at 320. Haryanas air quality was also grim, with four cities recording 'Very Poor' AQI levels this morning: Gurugram at 376, Ambala at 336, Jind at 326, and Kurukshetra at 310. Twelve cities had AQI levels in the 'Poor' range, including Bahadurgarh at 284, Faridabad at 278, Bhiwani at 275, Kaithal at 260, and Daruhera at 257. Panchkula registered 249, Manesar 247, Hisar 246, Karnal 243, Ballabgarh 228, Fatehabad 233, and Charkhi Dadri 210. Only Palwal (129) and Mandikhera (136) recorded 'Moderate' air quality. Addressing a Diwali event in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz Sharif emphasised the need for cooperation between the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. She stated, Winds do not recognise boundaries; we must engage in diplomacy with the government of Indian Punjab, as smog has become a significant concern in Punjab, especially Lahore. I am thinking of writing to the CM of Indian Punjab for a joint war against smog and ask for a coordinated response to measures being implemented to prevent smog and environmental degradation. Until both Punjabs come together, we will not be able to tackle the smog issue.
The government has failed to work towards sustainable development despite there being numerous studies, says former Karnataka Biodiversity Board head
The government has failed to work towards sustainable development despite there being numerous studies, says former Karnataka Biodiversity Board head
NEW DELHI: Rejecting the Congress allegations after the Haryana assembly poll results, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday said after the EVM tampering row, questions are being raised on the strength of battery charge and wondered what next accusation would come. Addressing a press conference here to announce the poll schedule for Jharkhand and Maharashtra assemblies, Kumar, while referring to the allegations of the Congress of tampering of EVMs in some Haryana seats where machines with varying battery strength gave out different results, said earlier allegations of hacking were made but this has come up for the first time. Now we are thinking what will come next, we cant fathom. But certainly something new will come up, he added. He asserted that around six days prior to the poll day, EVMs are commissioned and election symbols of candidates are loaded and a new battery is installed, which has the signatures of candidates or their authorised agents. Leave alone EVM, even batteries (installed) have signatures of candidates. Even we were not aware (of this rule) as it was framed long back. Now it is helping us, the CEC said responding to a series of questions on the reliability of the machines and concerns flagged on battery. Kumar also said that people ask if pagers can be used to blow up people in some countries, why cant EVMs be hacked? Pagers are connected (to the network), EVMs are not, he asserted. Pagers sold to Hezbollah and Lebanese officials had exploded recently, triggering claims that their batteries were rigged with explosives. Giving details of the Complaints the Commission has received so far after the assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, Kumar said, 20 such representations have been submitted. We will give detailed responses to each of the complaints and put our response in public domain, he said, adding that the panel would come out with detailed FAQs to satisfy all stakeholders. Last week, Congress leaders had said complaints had been received from Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat that there were electronic voting machines with 99 per cent battery on which the BJP won while units with 60-70 per cent battery saw the Congress win. Meanwhile, the CEC also said that exit polls create expectations that cannot always be met, and before getting hopes up, one should look into the specifics of the exit poll- like where it was held and what was the sample size. This, he said, is an occasion where the media must introspect and correct itself. We dont govern exit polls - but there is a need to introspect - what was the sample size etc. There are bodies that self-regulate. Time has come that the concerned bodies will do some self-regulation, the CEC noted, while pointing that the gap between expectation and reality can lead to frustration, as one cannot expect the results trends to match the exit polls.
CEC rejects Congress claims on EVM hacking; says allegation on battery 'has come up for first time'
NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday rejected claims by Congress leaders of alleged tampering of EVMs in some Haryana seats where machines with varying battery strength gave out different results. Referring to the issue of battery strength affecting results, the CEC said earlier allegations of hacking were made ut this has come up for the first time. Now we are thinking what next will come, we can't fathom. But certainly something new will come up, Kumar said. He asserted that around six days prior to the poll day, electronic voting machines are commissioned and election symbols of candidates are loaded and a new battery is installed which has signatures of candidates or their authorised agents. Leave alone EVM, even batteries (installed) have signatures of candidates. Even we were not aware (of this rule) as it was framed long back. Now it is helping us, he said responding to a series of questions on the reliability of the machines and concerns flagged on battery. He also said that people ask if pagers can be used to blow up people in some country, why can't EVMs be hacked. Pagers are connected (to network), EVMs are not, he explained. Pagers sold to Hezbollah and Lebanese officials were exploded in an attack attributed to Israel, triggering claims that their batteries were rigged with explosives. CEC Kumar said in the recently-held assembly polls in Haryana, 20 complaints were received regarding EVMs. We will give detailed response to each of the complaints and put our response in public domain, he said. He also said EC will come out with a detailed 'FAQs' to satisfy all stakeholders. Last week, Congress leaders had said complaints had been received from Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat that there were electronic voting machines with 99 per cent battery on which the BJP won while units with 60-70 per cent battery saw the Congress win. Have you understood this conspiracy? Where there was 99 per cent battery in EVMs, the BJP won. Where there was less than 70 per cent battery, the Congress won. If this is not a conspiracy, then what is it? party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on last Tuesday. Kumar explained that batteries are used in the control unit of EVMs. New batteries are inserted in the control unit on the day of commissioning in the presence of candidates and are sealed. He explained that initially, the battery provides a voltage between 7.5 and 8 volts. Hence, the battery capacity is displayed as 99 per cent when the voltage is above 7.4. With the use of the EVM, its battery capacity and consequently the voltage decreases. As the voltage goes below 7.4, the battery capacity is displayed as 98 per cent to 10 per cent, EC officials had earlier explained. The control unit remains functional when the battery has more than 5.8 volts. It is when it is left with more than 10 per cent capacity and the battery replacement warning appears on the control unit display. This is similar to the signal displayed in a vehicle when it is running on reserve fuel. The remaining capacity of the battery on the counting day depends upon the mock poll conducted on the control unit, the actual poll and the initial voltage of the battery (8 to 7.5 volts). Generally, alkaline battery has the property of regaining its voltage to some extent when kept switched off, officials said.
Shinde Announces Toll Exemption for Mumbai Entry, Exit
Mumbai : The Maharashtra government on Monday announced complete toll exemptions for light motor vehicles at five entry points of Mumbai. The opposition called it election jumla. According to the state government, the toll waiver will benefit approximately 2.8 lakh light motor vehicles every day. There are five entry points for Mumbai including Vashi creek bridge, Airoli creek bridge, on the Western Express Highway at Dahisar, Eastern Express Highway at Mulund and LBS road at Mulund. An official from the MSRDC, which is the nodal agency for the five entry points, said, Every day, 3.6 lakh vehicles pass through the five toll booths. Of these, on average, 2.8 lakh are light motor vehicles. As per the submission of the MEP Infrastructure and Developers, the contractor operating toll booths at the five entry points,it collected Rs 45.31 crore as toll tax in January this year. The exemption for the light motor vehicles will be implemented from 12am on Tuesday, chief minister Eknath Shinde announced. Calling it a masterstroke that will save time, fuel and reduce pollution, the CM said, It was a long pending demand to waive toll at Mumbais entry points. Many activists, including I, had approached the court demanding the same. Just like we implemented Laadki Bahin Bahin (Beloved Sister), Laadka Bhui (Beloved Brother) and Laadka Shetkar (Beloved Farmer) schemes, now we have implemented Ladke commuters scheme. Soon after the announcement, the opposition parties criticised the government for announcing schemes only to woo voters before the election. The opposition parties said like all other schemes, toll tax waiver was also election jumla which put additional burden on the state budget. Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that the move will benefit only the contractor, who will receive compensation from the government. This is an election jumla to fool people. Around Rs 800 crore will be given out of this to benefit someone, this is the politics behind it, he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed that it was a desperate move by the Eknath Shinde government to stay in power. After completely finishing the law and order situation in Maharashtra, now they have taken a new decision. Elections are going to be announced today or the day after and the model code of conduct will be imposed in Maharashtra. So as a last-minute desperate measure, they have removed the five tolls of Mumbai from midnight. This is the way they are trying their best to stay in power, she said in a social media post. However, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray congratulated the government. He also claimed that his party workers should also be credited for it. Congratulations to all the citizens living in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area and a big congratulations to my Maharashtra soldiers (MNS workers). We fought hard for transparency in toll collections. We were criticised for vandalising the toll booths but now every Mumbaikar can travel toll-free, Raj said. In 1995, the state government had started construction of 52 bridges and underpasses in the MMR at a cost of Rs 1,560 crore. In 2002, all five toll booths were commissioned in order to recover money spent on the construction of bridges. According to activists, the maintenance money and costs were recovered 10 years ago, but the government continued to collect the toll. Last year, the Maharashtra government extended the toll tax recovery for three more years till 2027 and it was expecting revenue of around Rs 11,000 crore.
Poll-bound Maharashtra scraps entry toll for light motor vehicles in Mumbai
The toll fees for five entry points in Mumbai: Dahisar, Mulund, Vashi, Airoli, and Tinhanth Naka, were revised on October 1, inviting criticism against the Eknath Shinde government from the Opposition
Whatsapp-based ticket service launched for Mumbai's metro lines 2A and 7
The MMMOCL on Friday launched a Whatsapp-based eco-friendly ticketing service for passengers of metro rail lines 2A and 7 in Mumbai, an official said. Metro line 2A is from Andheri West to Dahisar and runs on the new link road, while line 7 is from Andheri East to Dahisar on Western Express Highway. The two lines were launched in April 2022 and serve passengers in the north-west part of the metropolis. In a release, Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Limited said, This innovative service, now available to passengers on Metro Lines 2A and 7, allows commuters to purchase tickets directly through Whatsapp, eliminating the need for paper tickets and providing a seamless, user-friendly experience. The Whatsapp-based ticketing service was launched at the hands of a woman passenger as part of the ongoing Navratri celebrations, symbolizing empowerment and innovation, the release added. To purchase metro ticket through Whasapp, commuters will have to simply send a 'Hi' to ...
haryana-nayab-saini-to-take-oath-as-cm-on-october-15-talks-on-cabinet-formation-pick-up-pace
BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini will take oath as the chief minister of Haryana on October 15, according to local media. The ceremony will likely be held at Panchkula and will have Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it. Earlier there were reports that the swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place after Dussehra. Nayab Singh Saini had met Modi and other senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Wednesday as part of Cabinet formation talks. Saini also met Union minister and the BJP's election in-charge for Haryana, Dharmendra Pradhan. So far, Saini is the only contender for the top post. However, other factors like caste and region equations may be considered while deciding the cabinet. Along with Saini, 10 to 11 ministers are also likely to take oath. Haryana can have a maximum of 14 ministers, including the chief minister. In line with the BJP's past choices, new faces may be given a chance in the new government. The fact that eight out of 10 ministers and the assembly speaker of the previous Saini government lost the elections may prompt the party to opt for fresh faces. The probable names include Shruti Chaudhary, granddaughter of late Bansi Lal, and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh's daughter Arti Singh Rao. Other women in the fray include senior leader Kiran Choudhry's daughter Shruti, a former MP, who won from Tosham assembly seat and Shakti Rani Sharma, who won from Kalka. Senior leaders Mahipal Dhanda and Mool Chand Sharma are also in the list. Dhanda, who won from Panipat Rural, belongs to the Jat community while Sharma, elected from Ballabhgarh seats, is the Brahmin face of the party. It could also give the Dalit community adequate representation in the Cabinet as the BJP won eight out of the 17 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats in Haryana. Dalit leaders in reckoning for the ministerial berths include senior leader Krishan Lal Panwar, who won from Israna seat, and Krishan Kumar, who won from Narwana. Om Prakash Yadav, who won from Narnaul, and senior leader Rao Narbir Singh, who won from Badshahpur, are also in the race. Independent candidate and Hisar MLA Savitri Jindal's name is also doing rounds besides BJP leaders Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur), Jagmohan Anand (Karnal), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Krishan Lal Middha (Jind), Arvind Kumar Sharma (Gohana), Vipul Goel (Faridabad), Nikhil Madaan (Sonipat) and Ghanshyam Dass (Yamunanagar). Devender Attri, who won from Uchana Kalan, is also a probable.
86 out 90 MLA-elects in Haryana are crorepatis; 12 legislators face criminal cases: ADR data
NEW DELHI: In the newly-elected 90-member Haryana Assembly, 86 MLAs (96 percent) are crorepatis, while 12 (13 percent) have criminal cases against them, according to an analysis by poll rights body ADR. An analysis of the affidavits of all the 90 winning candidates by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Haryana Election Watch show a slight rise in the number of crorepati MLAs, from 93 percent in 2019 to 96 percent this time. Of the 90 MLAs, 44 percent possess assets worth over Rs 10 crore, while only 2.2 percent have assets below Rs 20 lakh, the data showed. The average assets per winning candidate stand at Rs 24.97 crore, marking a handsome rise from Rs 18.29 crore in 2019. Party-wise, 96 per cent BJP legislators, 95 per cent Congress MLAs, and 100 per cent of both INLD and Independent winners have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Independent MLA from Hisar Savitri Jindal tops the list with assets totalling over Rs 270 crore, followed by BJP's Shakti Rani Sharma and Shruti Choudhry at Rs 145 crore and Rs 134 crore, respectively. A total of 30 MLAs have been re-elected in 2024, whose average assets grew by 59 percent since 2019, from Rs 9.08 crore to Rs 14.46 crore now, marking significant financial gains over the past five years. Meanwhile, of the winning candidates, 12 have disclosed criminal records, including six facing serious charges, with one accused of attempt to murder, the data showed. In 2019, seven candidates had serious criminal cases against them. Party-wise, 19 percent of Congress MLAs, 6 percent of BJP legislators, and 67 percent of the Independent winners have declared criminal cases against their names. The analysis also showed that 28 winning candidates have declared liabilities of Rs 1 crore or more, with Congress' Rajbir Fartia from Loharu topping the chart at Rs 44 crore. Fartia also tops the list of highest income earners, declaring an earning of Rs 10.75 crore in his Income Tax Return for 2023-24. In terms of educational qualification, 68 percent of winning candidates are graduates or hold higher degrees, while 29 percent have educational backgrounds ranging from Class 8 to Class 12, as per the report. The new House has 14 per cent women legislators, an increase from 10 per cent in 2019, while 66 per cent of the MLAs are aged between 51 and 80 years. The poll results were announced Tuesday. Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana to retain power and halt Congress' comeback attempt. While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress, parties like the JJP and the AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats.
Haryana Assembly: 96% MLAs crorepatis, 13% face criminal cases, shows data
In the newly-elected 90-member Haryana Assembly, 96 per cent MLAs (86) are crorepatis, while 13 per cent (12) have criminal cases against them, according to an analysis by poll rights body ADR. An analysis of the affidavits of all the 90 winning candidates by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Haryana Election Watch show a slight rise in the number of crorepati MLAs, from 93 per cent in 2019 to 96 per cent this time. Of the 90 MLAs, 44 per cent possess assets worth over Rs 10 crore, while only 2.2 per cent have assets below Rs 20 lakh, the data showed. The average assets per winning candidate stand at Rs 24.97 crore, marking a handsome rise from Rs 18.29 crore in 2019. Party-wise, 96 per cent BJP legislators, 95 per cent Congress MLAs, and 100 per cent of both INLD and Independent winners have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Independent MLA from Hisar Savitri Jindal tops the list with assets totalling over Rs 270 crore, followed by BJP's Shakti Rani Sharma and
Mumbai commute gets easy: An officegoer can travel from Dahisar to Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) using Metro-7, Metro-1 and Metro-3 trains. Here's how
Haryana assembly election: After results, three independents back BJP
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH : With the BJP set to form government for the third time in Haryana, all the three Independent MLAsSavitri Jindal, Devender Kadyan and Rajesh Joon on Wednesday extended support to the saffron party, taking its tally from 48 to 51 in the assembly. Savitri Jindal, the Independent candidate from Hisar and richest woman of the country, said that for the development she has decided to support the BJP government. She met Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi. Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli said that independent MLAs Devender Kadyan from Ganaur and Rajesh Joon from Bahadurgarh have extended support to the party. Joon said, I am impressed by BJP policies. For the development of my constituency, Ive decided to support BJP. Kadyan, a BJP rebel who contested as an independent, defeated Kuldip Sharma of Congress from Ganaur. Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi met Nayab Singh Saini in New Delhi and expressed hopes that he would take the state further on the development path. I am confident that Haryanas role is going to become more important in the realisation of a developed India, Modi said. Saini also met Home Minister Amit Shah.
Saini Credits Modi for BJP's Poll Performance
New Delhi : A day after the BJP registered an astounding hat-trick in Haryana Assembly polls, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party top brass, including Union home minister Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda. The meetings come ahead of the swearing-in of the new government in the state. The BJP won 48 of the total 90 Assembly seats and got a further boost on Wednesday when three Independent MLAs -- Savitri Jindal, Devender Kadyan and Rajesh Joon -- decided to extend their support to the party. The BJP had indicated during the elections that Mr Saini, who replaced Manohar Lal Khattar in March and hails from the Other Backward Classes, will be its choice for the top post if it wins. Mr Saini also met defence minister Rajnath Singh during the day. Later interacting with the media, Mr Saini gave Mr Modi the credit for the BJPs performance in the polls and said psephologists might have declared the Congress as the favourite to win the polls, but he always insisted that people will put their trust in the BJP due to its government's policies. The credit of this big win goes to the PM, who in the last 10 years brought such schemes that benefitted the poor, farmers, youth and women. These helped all sections of society. People love him and hence the BJP is coming to power for a third time, said Mr Saini. Replying to queries about the Congress raising doubts on EVMs, Mr Saini said the Opposition party has been building up a storm of lies. The Prime Minister posted on X that he congratulated Mr Saini on the party's historic win and expressed confidence that the role of Haryana will become more important in the resolve of building viksit Bharat. Of the three Independent MLAs who extended support to the BJP, Mr Joon is a Congress rebel, Mr Kadyan fought as an Independent after the BJP denied him a ticket. Mr Kadyan fought from the Ganaur constituency in Sonipat and defeated his nearest Congress rival Kuldeep Sharma. Mr Joon won from the Bahadurgarh seat in the Jhajjar district, defeating his nearest BJP rival Dinesh Kaushik. The Jindal Group chairperson emeritus, Ms Jindal, had earlier said she contested Hisar elections because of the wishes of the people. She fought as an Independent candidate from Hisar and won against her nearest Congress rival Ram Niwas Rara. BJP's Kamal Gupta, who was the sitting legislator and minister in the outgoing Saini Cabinet, ended up in the third spot.
Haryana: All 3 Independent MLAs extend support to BJP
Chandigarh: With the BJP set to form its government for the third time in Haryana after winning the polls, all the three Independent MLAs -- Savitri Jindal, Devender Kadyan and Rajesh Joon -- on Wednesday decided to extend support to the BJP government once it is sworn in. While Joon was a Congress rebel, Kadyan fought as an Independent after the BJP denied him ticket. Kadyan fought from the Ganaur constituency in Sonipat and defeated his nearest Congress rival Kuldeep Sharma. Joon won from the Bahadurgarh seat in the Jhajjar district, defeating his nearest BJP rival Dinesh Kaushik. Savitri Jindal fought as an Independent candidate from Hisar and won against her nearest Congress rival Ram Niwas Rara. BJP's Kamal Gupta, who was the sitting legislator and minister in the outgoing Saini Cabinet, ended up at the third spot. Savitri Jindal said she has decided to extend support to the BJP government after it is formed. I want development for Hisar and want it to become a beautiful city, for this I extend my support, Savitri Jindal said. Jindal Group Chairperson Emeritus Jindal had earlier said she contested Hisar elections because of the wishes of the people. Before Jindal took the decision to extend support, Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli said earlier on Wednesday that Kadyan and Joon have decided to extend their support to the BJP government once it is sworn in. On Wednesday, the two Independents met Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was BJP's election in-charge for Haryana, and former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, the co-incharge for the state, he said. Later, Savitri Jindal also held a meeting with the BJP leaders in the national capital. Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in the state on Tuesday to retain power and thwart Congress' comeback attempt in the assembly elections, winning 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly.
Two newly-elected Independent MLAs extend support to BJP in Haryana
CHANDIGARH: With the BJP set to form its government for the third time in Haryana after winning the polls, two Independent MLAsDevender Kadyan and Rajesh Joonon Wednesday decided to extend support to the BJP government once it is sworn in. While Joon was a Congress rebel, Kadyan fought as an Independent after the BJP denied him ticket. Kadyan fought from the Ganaur constituency in Sonipat and defeated his nearest Congress rival Kuldeep Sharma by a margin of 35,209 votes. Joon won from the Bahadurgarh seat in the Jhajjar district, defeating his nearest BJP rival Dinesh Kaushik. #WATCH | Independent MLA from Haryana's Bahadurgarh Assembly seat, Rajesh Joon extends support to BJP He says, I am extending support to BJP. I like BJP's policies and for the development of my constituency, I have decided to support them... pic.twitter.com/jjZakS5WJq ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2024 Three Independents won the pollsthe other being Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP leader Naveen Jindal, from Hisar. Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli Wednesday said Kadyan and Joon have decided to extend their support to the BJP government once it is sworn in. On Wednesday, the two Independents met Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was BJP's election in-charge for Haryana, and former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, the co-incharge for the state, he said. Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in the state on Tuesday to retain power and thwart Congress' comeback attempt in the assembly elections, winning 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly.
CHANDIGARH: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 of the 90 assembly seats to form the government in Haryana for the third consecutive time and performed well across the state. It not only won 18 out of the 29 seats in the Grand Trunk (GT) belt its stronghold, it also secured 7 out of 9 seats in Faridabad and Pawal districts, swept the Ahirwal region in southern Haryana winning 10 out of 11 assembly seats. This time saffron party won 18 out of 29 seats in the GT Road belt, which spans seven districts: Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, and Sonepat as this is a traditionally non-Jat dominated area. Last time it had won 14 seats and Congress won 13 seats. In 2014 BJP won 22 seats from this belt and Congress only six seats. The party candidates won all nine assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency of Karnal which is on the GT road belt and spans in two districts: Karnal and Panipat and is represented by Union Minister of Urban Development and Power and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, thus his dominance continues. While in the 2019 elections, the BJP won in only five segments ( Karnal, Indri, Gharaunda, Panipat Urban and Panipat Rural) from this Lok Sabha seat. Also, BJP candidates won from Ladwa (CM Saini won), Sonepat, Gohana, Ambala Cantonment, Yamunanagar and Nilokheri. On the other hand the Congress could win from Panchkula, Naraingarh, Ambala City, Mullana, Sadhaura, Jagadhri, Shahabad, Thanesar, Pehowa, and Baroda. On this GT road belt Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, party election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders held rallies. The saffron party even won in a few Jat-dominated seats as the votes were divided it owns 18 out of the 35 seats where the Jat vote was more than 50,000. In Hoodas strongholds of Rohtak, Sonepat and Jhajjar, the BJP won six seats and Congress managed to win only eight of the 14 seats. In the Ahirwal belt in southern Haryana BJP won ten out of 11 seats despite a 10-year anti-incumbency, this region largely remained loyal to the party. It formed the government in 2014 and 2019 after it won seats from here. BJP leader Arti Rao daughter of Ahir stalwart union minister Rao Inderjit Singh has pulled off a close victory in Ateli with a margin of 3085 votes. In addition to these all nine candidates recommended for a ticket by Rao and supported by him have emerged victorious in the Ahirwal belt comprising of Gurugram, Rewari and Mahendargarh distrcts. The BJP also won 7 out of 9 seats in Faridabad and Pawal districts. On the other hand, Congress failed to gauge the anti-incumbency sentiment against its sitting MLAs as 17 of them lost and party won seven out of the 37 seats with margins below 5,000 votes and lost ten seats by margin below 5,000 votes. Former Hisar Member of Parliament Brijendra Singh who left BJP and joined back the grand old party lost from Uchana Kalan by 32 votes and Amit Sihag lost in Dabwali by 610 votes. The SC vote bank failed to consolidate behind the Congress.
CHANDIGARH: Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana to retain power and halt Congress' comeback attempt in the assembly elections, results of which were announced Tuesday. While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress, parties like the JJP and the AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats. AAP had contested on its own. Proving wrong exit polls which predicted a comfortable Congress win, the BJP will be forming government in Haryana for the third consecutive term. The party had contested 89 of the 90 seats. It did not contest Sirsa seat, from where its ally Gopal Kanda was a sitting MLA, though Kanda lost his seat. The Congress also contested 89 seats leaving Bhiwani constituency for the CPI (M). While BJP won 48 seats, bettering its tally of 47 in 2014, Congress won 37, INLD 2 while three Independents also tasted win. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the win saying it was due to good-governance that all communities voted for the BJP. Our guarantee of 'vikas' prevailed over the pack of lies spread by the Congress and people wrote new history electing us for a third term, he told party cadres in Delhi. Once the people throw out Congress, they do not let it come back. They put 'no entry' boards for Congress...it is a party that always thought power was its birthright, the prime minister said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge termed the Haryana results unexpected and said his party will assess the people's mandate. Among prominent candidates who won included Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (Ladwa), Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), BJP's Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham), INLD's Arjun Chautala (Rania) and Aditya Devi Lal (Dabwali), Congress' Vinesh Phogat (Julana), Aditya Surjewala (Kaithal), Geeta Bhukkal (Jhajjar), BJP's Arti Singh Rao (Ateli) and Independent candidate Savitri Jindal (Hisar). Those who lost included INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP's Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala (Dabwali), Speaker in outgoing Assembly and BJP's Gian Chand Gupta, Congress's Brijendra Singh, Aam Aadmi Party's Anurag Dhanda (Kalayat), BJP's O P Dhankar (Badli), Capt Abhimanyu (Narnaund), Haryana Lokhit Party's Gopal Kanda (Sirsa) and Ranjit Chautala, an Independent (Rania). Can't accept Haryana verdict; democracy lost, establishment won: Congress Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan and BJP's Bhavya Bishnoi, son of Kuldeep Bishnoi and grandson of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, also lost. Bhavya lost from Adampur in Hisar district, which had been Bhajan Lal's family citadel for more than five decades. Haryana went to polls on October 5 in a single phase. The BJP secured a vote share of 39.94 per cent, which was close to Congress' 39.09, but winning and nearest rival were separated by number of seats won. In the 2019 assembly polls, when BJP had won 40 of the 90 seats, it had got a vote share of 36.49 while Congress, which had then won 31 seats with a vote share of 28.08 per cent. The JJP, which contested the polls in alliance with Azad Samaj Party, suffered heavy loss of vote share as after having won 10 seats in 2019 the party had secured nearly 15 per cent which now fell to 0.90 per cent. In the outgoing assembly, the BJP had 41 MLAs (including the Adampur seat won in 2022 bypoll), the Congress 28 MLAs, the JJP (6), while the Haryana Lokhit Party and Indian National Lok Dal one member each. There were four Independents, while nine seats were vacant. A total of 1,031 candidates, including 464 Independents and 101 women, were in the fray this time. Thirteen woman candidates also made it to the assembly which included many new faces like Congress' Vinesh Phogat (Julana), Pooja Chaudhary (Mulana) and BJP's Shakti Rani Sharma (Kalka). Independent candidate Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP MP Naveen Jindal, won from Hisar. Thanking the voters while speaking to reporters, Haryana Chief Minister Saini said people have put a stamp on the government's policies under the leadership of Modi. Senior Congress leader Hooda said the poll outcome was opposite to what the atmosphere in the state was. The results have left us 'achambhit' (stunned) and the BJP must also be 'achambhit'. These results are opposite to what the atmosphere was in the state, he said. Bringing Saini, a OBC face, to replace Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister in March appeared to have worked to the advantage of the BJP. Notably, OBCs constitute nearly 35 per cent of state population while Jats constitute nearly 25 per cent while Dalits constitute nearly 20 per cent. During campaigning, the BJP had targeted the Congress with the 'kharchi-parchi' (bribery and favouritism) in government jobs during Hooda's 10-year dispensation. It also promised 2 lakh government jobs for youths without 'kharchi-parchi'. The ruling party highlighted providing MSP on 24 crops in Haryana, claiming that it was the first state in the country to do so. In its poll promises, the BJP promised Rs 2,100 per month to women under the Lado Lakshmi Yojna and also announced to give a cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 under the Har Ghar Grihni Yojna, appeared to have worked. When Saini took over as chief minister, the ruling BJP in Haryana was facing anti-incumbency as it had been in power for nine-and-a-half years. The BJP created history in 2014 when it came to power for the first time in Haryana, winning 47 seats. Announcing Saini as the chief ministerial face for the state assembly polls, the BJP was looking to consolidate non-Jat votes in Haryana where caste equations play a key role in the electoral success of a political party. While the BJP was looking to consolidate non-Jat votes and on the other hand the Congress was relying on consolidation of Jat votes. The BJP's consistent attack on the Congress over the Dalit issue also appeared to have found resonance among voters. Modi in his poll speeches went acerbic and called the Congress the biggest anti-Dalit party and also reminded voters about the 2005 Gohana and 2010 Mirchpur incidents. The BJP also targeted the Congress over its alleged infighting with Home Minister Amit Shah accusing the grand old party of insulting Dalit leaders like Kumari Selja. Congress failed to put up a united fight and its factionalism was exploited by the ruling BJP in their entire campaign which included taking potshots at the grand old party over not-so-good equations between Bhupinder Hooda and prominent Dalit face Kumari Selja. Unlike the BJP, which has a well-organised and has a strong organisational structure till the grass-roots level, the Congress failed to set up its complete organisational structure in Haryana for past many years now. The BJP not only took the bold decision of bringing in Saini months before the polls as chief minister, unlike Congress which nominated all its sitting MLAs, the BJP denied re-nomination to several of its sitting MLAs by bringing in new faces which paid off. However, like in last assembly polls, this time too eight out of 10 ministers under the Saini government faced defeat. Prominent among those included Kamal Gupta, who lost from Hisar, Aseem Goel from Ambala City, Kanwar Pal from Jagadhri and Abhe Singh Yadav from Nangal Chaudhary. Haryana Assembly Speaker Gupta was also defeated from his Panchkula seat from where Congress party's Chander Mohan was declared winner. The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security. Several exit polls had predicted a comfortable victory for the Congress in Haryana but the BJP consolidated as the counting progressed. As the BJP won for a third consecutive term, party workers and leaders were in a jubilant lot, distributing 'ladoos' and sweets with many dancing to the beats of 'dhols'. In sharp contrast, the mood in the Congress camp, which had witnessed brief celebrations by workers in the morning after some TV channels put the grand old party ahead in early trends, changed as the day progressed as it became clear the trends were not holding and several exit polls had also been proved wrong. Haryana elections: How BJP overcame anti-incumbency to romp home for third consecutive term
Congress Blames Infighting for Haryana Election Defeat
New Delhi: After a completely unexpected defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, the knives are out in the Congress. The faction-ridden Haryana Congress is trying to apportion blame on rival camps. Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Haryana results are unacceptable to the Congress. He claimed the results are inconsistent with ground reality, citing significant irregularities in counting. Supported by party spokesperson Pawan Khera, Mr Ramesh highlighted issues with EVMs in Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat districts, and mentioned evidence is being collected and collated and would soon be presented to the Election Commission, questioning the transparency of the electoral process. He said: I think under these circumstances, it is not possible for us to accept the results that have been announced today. Mr Ramesh said what the Congress had seen today in Haryana was a victory for manipulation, a victory for subverting the will of the people and it is a defeat for a transparent democratic processes. The party claimed in almost ten seats the EVMs when taken out were almost fully charged. During the day Jairam Ramesh had written to the EC on the issue of an unexplained slowdown in updating of results on the poll watchdogs website and urged it to direct officials to update accurate figures so that false news and malicious narratives can be countered immediately. The EC said that the Congress allegations were irresponsible, unfounded and uncorroborated malafide narratives. Congress Sirsa MP and former Union minister Kumari Selja, who largely stayed away from the party campaign, expressed disappointment over the partys performance. In a veiled dig at former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepinder Hooda, Ms Selja questioned the accountability for the poll loss without naming them directly, and flagged the issue of coordination among leaders in the state. She said: The results are disappointing. Until the morning, we were hopeful. All our workers are upset, they have worked for the last 10 years for the Congress Party and when such a result comes, there is a huge disappointment. She asserted: It will not be business as usual in Haryana and I am sure the Congress high command would identify those who negated the efforts to bring the party to power after 10 years. She also underscored the necessity of pinpointing individuals who undermined the party's efforts to regain power in the state. Many in the party are now openly gunning for state unit chief Uday Bhan and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Leaders say these two leaders had a complete freehand in candidate selection and the campaign, and hence a message went out that the Congress was relying heavily on the Jat vote. The Jat vote is estimated to be almost 28 per cent in the state. This led to reverse polarisation against the Congress of non-Jat votes, which costed the party dear. The Dalit vote, on which the Congress was banking, also got divided and went to the BJP and other smaller parties. When asked about infighting and sabotage as being the reason for the defeat, Mr Jairam Ramesh said: The party will look into all aspects about the reasons of defeat.
Can't accept Haryana verdict; democracy lost, establishment won: Congress
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday said it cannot accept the Haryana Assembly polls verdict as there were serious issues about the integrity of the counting process and functioning of the EVMs in some districts, and asserted that it would take up the matter with the Election Commission. Alleging a conspiracy, the opposition party said that in Haryana democracy had lost and establishment had won. Serious questions have been raised by our candidates. We will bring it to the notice of the Election Commission, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference with AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera. What we have seen today in Haryana is a victory of manipulation and subverting the will of the people. It is a defeat of transparent, democratic processes. The chapter on Haryana is not complete, it will continue, he said. Ramesh said the results in Haryana are otally unexpected, completely surprising and counterintuitive. Congress slams Election Commission for 'hostile' response over alleged delay in Haryana poll results They go against ground reality, against what the people of Haryana had made their mind up for which was for change and transformation, he added. Khera alleged that complaints had been received from Hisar, Mahendragarh and Panipat that there were electronic voting machines (EVMs) with 99 per cent battery on which the BJP won while units with 60-70 per cent battery saw the Congress win. Have you understood this conspiracy, where there was 99 per cent battery in EVMs, BJP wins where there is less than 70 pc battery, Congress wins. if this is not a conspiracy, then what is it? Ramesh said, adding that the complaints were from 12 to 14 seats as of now. Ye loktantra ki haar hui, hai aur tantra ki jeet hui hai (Democracy has lost and establishment has won), the Congress general secretary said. All afternoon I have been in touch with the Election Commission, and the EC has replied to my complaints. I have replied to the reply of the EC. We have received very serious complaints about the process of counting, the functioning of EVMs in at least three districts, there are more that are coming in, Ramesh said. We have spoken to our colleagues in Haryana and this information is being collected. We hope to present this in a consolidated form to the Election Commission tomorrow or the day after, we will seek time from them, he said I think under these circumstances, it is not possible for us to accept the results that have been announced today, Ramesh said. He asserted that the party will introspect the results and a committee will also be formed. We will talk to everyone. But now is not the time for analysis, the important thing is that victory has been snatched from us. The systems have been misused. Everyone felt that the ground reality was in favour of change. The results that have come do not reflect that, Ramesh said. The reason why the Congress is not accepting the results is because not only it is surprising and unexpected but there are serious issues with the integrity of the counting process and the functioning of the EVMs in at least three to four districts in which about 12 to 14 constituencies are involved, he said. EC is our first stop. It is a constitutional body, it is an independent body, we expect it to function constitutionally and independently, Ramesh said. There are serious questions about the instruments of the system, namely the EVMs and also the extraordinary pressure on local administration officials. It is a double engine pressure of the state government and the Centre. There was an environment in which people have lost by 200 votes, 300 votes, 50 votes, people who had healthy leading margins have ended up losing by 100-200 votes. This can be explained only by manipulation and pressure, Ramesh said. The BJP coasted towards a hat-trick win with its biggest tally in Haryana and the National Conference-Congress combine was set to form government in Jammu and Kashmir, voters in both places giving the victors a decisive edge as counting day progressed with many a surprise on Tuesday. One state, one Union Territory and three main stakeholders. Bucking exit poll predictions and pollsters in the first elections after the June Lok Sabha verdict, the results threw up a mixed bag for the BJP, sobering lessons for the Congress but clear-cut unambiguous victory for the NC, which led the alliance to power in Jammu and Kashmir.
Results in Haryana go against reality, says Congress' Jairam Ramesh, alleges EVMs at fault
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Haryana Assembly election results are against reality and raised serious complaints regarding counting processes in Hisar, Mahendragarh, and Panipat districts. The party plans to present evidence to the Election Commission, claiming manipulation and EVM malfunctions.
India's Richest Woman Savitri Jindal Wins Hisar Seat in Haryana
India's richest woman Savitri Jindal won from the Hisar assembly constituency as an Independent candidate. Savitri Jindal won with majority of 19,034 votes over Ram Niwas Rara of Congress. She is the head of the OP Jindal Group. After the victory, Savitri Jindal took to X to express her gratitute to the people of Hisar. All of you have fought this election, this victory is also yours. Hearty congratulations to my Hisar family for this victory, she wrote on X. Haryana went to polls on October 5 for 90 assembly constituencies.
haryana-assembly-election-result-2024-how-did-bjp-rebels-including-ex-minister-ranjit-chautala-fare
The BJP looks set for a consecutive third term in Haryana, as counting trends in the Haryana assembly elections 2024 shows the ruling party, under the leadership of incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, is leading in 49 seats in the 90-seat assembly. With the saffron party crossing the majority mark, the state and the national leadership can heave a sigh of relief, as they seem to have overcome anti-incumbency and the public mood against the incumbent government over the controversial farm laws and Agniveer scheme. ALSO READ: Haryana Election Results 2024 LIVE Ahead of the Haryana assembly polls, the BJP had tried to put its house in order by replacing Manohar Lal Khattar, who resigned as the CM in March, with Saini, who is an OBC leader. Khattar was under fire for his handling of the wrestler protests, and agitations over quotas and farm laws. A week ahead of the polls, BJP was forced to expel eight party leaders over their decision to contest the Haryana assembly polls as independents. Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala was among those who were shown the door for six years with immediate effect. Chautala was denied the ticket from Rania, the seat he represented in the assembly when he was an independent MLA. Chautala quit as MLA before joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. But he lost the parliamentary polls from Hisar. ALSO READ: Rebel trouble worries BJP, Congress Here's a look at the 'rebels' expelled by the BJP last month, and how are they faring in the Haryana assembly election 2024: Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh) Trailing; has got over 4,000 votes (BJP's Yoginder Singh Rana is leading, having got over 15,000 votes) Devender Kadyan (Ganaur) Leading; has got over 40,000 votes Naveen Goyal (Gurgaon) Trailing; has got over 30,000 votes and is in second place (BJP's Mukesh Sharma is leading, having got over 59,000 votes) Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) Trailing; has got over 2,000 votes (Congress's Mohammed Israil is leading, having got over 40,000 votes) Sandeep Garg (Ladwa) Trailing; has got over 1,000 votes (CM Nayab Singh Saini is leading, having got over 40,000 votes) Radha Ahlawat (Meham) Trailing; has got over 12,000 votes (Congress's Balram Dangi is leading, having got over 23,000 votes) Ranjit Singh Chautala (Rania) Trailing; has got over 27,000 votes (INLD's Arjun Chautala is leading, having got over 33,000 votes) Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon) Trailing; has got over 7,000 votes (BJP's Ram Kumar Gautam is leading, having got over 49,000 votes)
Independent candidate Savitri Jindal is leading from Hisar assembly seat in Haryana, surpassing Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rara by 3,836 votes and outperforming BJP's Kamal Gupta. The vote counting started at 8 am, following the October 5 assembly elections.
Mumbai's 1st Underground Metro corridor opens; public hopes it will reduce commuting woes
MUMBAI: Mumbai's first underground Metro corridor, the aqua line's phase-1, stretching from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Aarey became operational for the public on Monday morning. A large number of people came to experience the ride on the first day of the BKC to Aarey stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3 as the service commenced at 11 am, amid cheers from passengers. Many people, excited about the first day travel, arrived at stations before the Metro operation commenced to buy tickets and expressed hope the new service would reduce their commuting challenges. Some people also complained of safety door glitches and the entry-exit points being closed at a few stations on the first day of the operation, while some passengers demanded an integrated app for all Metro services in the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 12.69 km long phase-1 of the BKC to Aarey stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3. He travelled from BKC to Santacruz and back during which he interacted with students, beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme and labourers involved in constructing the underground line. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is executing the 33.5-km-long Colaba-SEEPZ-Aarey JVLR project, has already notified that the regular operation of the Metro on the aqua line will commence from Tuesday. As per the notification, services will be operated from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm between Monday and Saturday, and from 8.30 am to 10.30 pm on Sundays. The minimum fare for a ride on the Metro line is Rs 10 and maximum Rs 50, as per the MMRC. Passengers can book tickets using the NCMC (National Common Mobility Card), Mumbai Metro 3 mobile app, and ticket vending machines, among other means. The corridor between BKC and Aarey road has 10 Metro stations - BKC, Bandra Colony, Santacruz metro, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) T1, Sahar Road, CSMIA T2, Marol Naka, Andheri, SEEPZ, Aarey Colony JVLR. Of these, only Aarey JVLR station is at a grade while all others are underground. The aqua line is the fourth Metro corridor of Mumbai. The Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro Line-1, Andheri West-Dahisar Line-2A and Andheri East-Dahisar Line-7 are already operational in the city. Mumbai resident Ankush Nevre, who works at the Andheri MIDC, said the new service will be very helpful to reach BKC from there. I was waiting for this connection for quite some time. I managed to get the first train to BKC at 11.10 am at the MIDC (Andheri). The service will be good (for the people), but there is a need for more signages and boards (for better access to Metro services), Nevre said. A person claimed on his X account that an entry-exit point at CSMIA T1 was closed at around 1.30 pm. Jyoti Trilok, who works at the Sahar Cargo Complex, got down at CSMIA T2 and said the station needs to have more entry and exit points. Some passengers also expressed unhappiness over multiple apps for different Metro services in the city. They demanded a single app for accessing all the Metro services. Should have an integrated app to book tickets and plan journeys. Mumbaikars can't have 14 apps when all the lines are live. Integration and convenience should be there, X user J Vidyasagar said in his post.
Mumbai's first underground Metro stretch opens for public
Mumbai: Mumbai's first underground Metro corridor, the aqua line's phase-1, stretching from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Aarey became operational for the public on Monday morning. A large number of people came to experience the ride on the first day of the BKC to Aarey stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3. The Metro operation on the stretch commenced for the public at 11 am, amid cheers from passengers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 12.69 km long phase-1 of the BKC to Aarey stretch of Mumbai Metro Line 3. He travelled from BKC to Santacruz and back during which he interacted with students, beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme and labourers involved in constructing the underground line. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is executing the 33.5-km-long Colaba-SEEPZ-Aarey JVLR project, has already notified that the regular operation of the Metro on the aqua line will commence from Tuesday. As per the notification, services will be operated from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm between Monday and Saturday, and from 8.30 am to 10.30 pm on Sundays. The minimum fare for a ride on the Metro line is Rs 10 and maximum Rs 50, as per the MMRC. Passengers can book tickets using the NCMC (National Common Mobility Card), Mumbai Metro 3 mobile app, and ticket vending machines, among other means. The corridor between BKC and Aarey road has 10 Metro stations - BKC, Bandra Colony, Santacruz metro, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) T1, Sahar Road, CSMIA T 2, Marol Naka, Andheri, SEEPZ, Aarey Colony JVLR. Of these, only Aarey JVLR station is at a grade while all others are underground. The aqua line is the fourth Metro corridor of Mumbai. The Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro Line-1, Andheri West-Dahisar Line-2A and Andheri East-Dahisar Line-7 are already operational in the city.
Haryana CM Saini rejects exit polls, says BJP will form government alone
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday rejected exit poll predictions claiming the BJP will form the government in the state with full majority for a third time after the results are announced on October 8. Congress will blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for its defeat, he said. Overall, Haryana witnessed 67.90% voting in the assembly elections, with a lower voter turnout in the urban areas. The polling was lower compared to 68.2% in previous assembly polls. To a question about the exit polls predicting a Congress win, Saini said on October 8, the BJP was going to form the government. They forecast a Congress victory in Chhattisgarh and showed the party ahead in Uttarakhand as well. The exit polls have their own theory and system, but we work on the ground. The people of Haryana want BJP to come to power for a third time. Exit polls back Congress to return to power in Haryana, give edge to NC-INC in Jammu and Kashmir Asked how many seats the BJP will win in the 90-strong assembly, Saini said, I have said we will form the government with full majority. The BJP will form the government on the basis of works done in the state, he added. The Haryana assembly elections on Saturday saw a turnout of 67.90% , with several exit polls predicting a clear majority for the Congress, which is eyeing a comeback after a decade. The turnout was less compared to 68.2% recorded in the 2019 Assembly election. Besides, there was a lower voter turnout in the urban areas than in rural counterparts. Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said 67.90% voting took place for the assembly polls. The highest 75.36% voting was recorded in Sirsa district and the lowest 56.49% was recorded in Faridabad district. The polling percentage in Gurugram district was 57.96%, 67.62% in Ambala while 65.23% voting was recorded in Panchkula, 65.67%in Karnal, 68.80% in Panipat and 66.08% in Sonipat. On the other hand, 74.77% voting took place in Fatehabad, Palwal saw 73.89%, Mewat 72.81%, and Hisar recorded 70.58%.
Pollsters predict BJP exit in Haryana
NEW DELHI: Pollsters on Saturday predicted the exit of BJP rule in Haryana, giving the Congress a clear majority. They also saw a Congress edge in J&K as it has a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference. The exit poll results came in shortly after polling concluded in Haryana, where the voter turnout was over 61%. The counting of votes in both states is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8. However, NC leader Omar Abdullah was derisive of the exit polls, saying Im amazed channels are bothering with exit polls especially after the fiasco of the recent general elections. Im ignoring all the noise on channels, social media, WhatsApp etc because the only numbers that matter will be revealed on the 8th of Oct. The rest is just time pass. As for Haryana, the contest was particularly intense, with the ruling BJP facing severe anti-incumbency, having stayed in power for two consecutive terms. The AAP did not appear to have an impact in the state. Bouyed by the exit poll outcome, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the decision on chief ministers face will be taken by the partys high command after factoring in the opinions of the partys lawmakers. Peoples Pulse gave the Congress an average of 55 seats in Haryana while the BJP was trailing at 26. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which was in alliance with the BJP till a few weeks ago, was heading for a washout, as was the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). All exit polls placed the Congress far ahead of the ruling BJP. Dainik Bhaskar predicted the Congress getting 44-54 seats and the BJP 15-29 in the 90-member Haryana Assembly. The C-Voter-India Today polls gave Congress 50-58 seats and the BJP 20-28 in Haryana, while Republic Bharat-Matrize put the Congress tally higher at 55-62 seats. In J&K, the C-Voter-India Today survey put the National Conference-Congress alliance at 40-48 seats and the BJP at 27-32 in the 90-member assembly. As for Dainik Bhaskar, it gave the NC-Congress alliance 35-40 and the BJP 20-25. Axis My India polls gave NC-Congress 35-45 and the BJP 24-34. Peoples Pulse predicted the NC-Congress getting 46-50 against the BJPs 23-27. Awami Ittehad Party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid was pessimistic about the J&K poll outcome, saying irrespective of the results, the control will lie with Delhi. But he was courted by Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi, who called on him at his residence. It led to speculation about the Congress seeking his support for a post-poll coalition government. On Channis visit, Rashid said he was the only leader to raise voice for him in Parliament. He came to visit and I thanked him for raising voice for me. We had a good discussion, Rashid said. The Peoples Democratic Party said exit polls were not reliable, adding it was premature to talk about government formation. What matters are the numbers at the end of counting, senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said. Over 61% polling in Haryana Voter turnout in 2019 Assembly polls was around 68% Sporadic incidents of violence reported in Nuh and Hisar districts of the state Yamunanagar recorded a poll percentage of 67.93, Sirsa 65.37, Rohtak 60.56, Nuh 68.28, Palwal 67.69, Mahendragarh 65.76, Kurukshetra 65.55 and Jind 66.02 at 5 pm
Haryana Assembly Elections: Clashes reported in Nuh and other districts
Clashes and violence marred the Haryana Assembly Elections, with incidents of stone pelting, scuffles, and damaged polling booths reported in Nuh, Hisar, and Meham districts.
Haryana Assembly elections: Clashes reported in Nuh, Hisar districts. Video
Amid the ongoing polling during the Haryana Assembly elections, two incidents of sporadic violence were reported in Nuh and Hisar. Haryana is conducting the polls in a single phase for all 90 seats
People have been waiting for this day to bring Congress govt in Haryana: Congress leader Selja
CHANDIGARH: Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja on Saturday said people of Haryana have been waiting for the assembly election to change the current dispensation in the state and bring her party to power. Selja was speaking to reporters after casting her vote in Hisar district. Polling began for all the 90 assembly seats in Haryana on Saturday morning. We have seen this inclination in people even before the Lok Sabha polls, they have been waiting for this day to change the rule and elect a Congress government, Selja said. The Congress MP from Sirsa also appealed to voters to exercise their franchise to decide their future in Haryana. Asked if she would become the chief minister should the Congress win, Selja said it was for the party high command to decide. After the result comes, the party high command will decide, Selja said. Replying to another question, Selja said she did not need to talk about her seniority and that it was evident and everybody knew. She also asserted that the Congress would form the government in the state. People have made up their minds that the Congress will form the next government, Selja said. On alleged infighting within the Haryana Congress unit, she asked the BJP to set its house in order as she alleged that the ruling party's leaders have been fighting with each other for the last 10 years. On BJP leader Ashok Tanwar joining the Congress, Selja said people come and go during elections.
'Everyone should vote': Savitri Jindal appeals to people of Haryana
Savitri Jindal is contesting independently from Hisar constituency after being denied tickets by the BJP
Polling begins for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana
CHANDIGARH: Polling for all the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana began on Saturday morning amid tight security arrangements, officials said. The fate of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat, besides the JJP's Dushyant Chautala and 1,027 other candidates, will be decided in the polls in which more than two crore people are eligible to vote. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a hat-trick of Assembly election wins in the state, while the Congress is hoping to return to power after 10 years. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 8. The voting is being held from 7 am 6 pm. Post-campaigning, temple hopping with a slice of reality check in Jatland Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal had earlier said 2,03,54,350 voters, including 8,821 centurions, are eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting the election, including 101 women and 464 Independent nominees. A total of 20,632 polling booths have been set up, Agarwal had said. Besides the BJP and the Congress, the key contesting parties are the Aam Aadmi PArty (AAP) and the INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliances. In the last Assembly polls in 2019, the BJP had won 40 seats, the Congress 31 and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) 10. The Congress has left the Bhiwani seat for its INDIA bloc partner CPI(M), while the BJP is not contesting the Sirsa seat, from where Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda is seeking re-election. Haryana: All eyes on 29 seats in 7 districts along GT Road Most seats are likely to see a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress. Prominent among those in the fray are Chief Minister Saini (from Ladwa), Leader of Opposition B S Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP's Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan), BJP's Anil Vij (Ambala Cantonment), Captain Abhimanyu (Narnaund) and O P Dhankar (Badli), AAP's Anurag Dhanda (Kalayat) and Congress's Phogat, a former wrestler, from Julana. From Tosham, former MP Shruti Choudhry of the BJP and Anirudh Chaudhary, both cousins, are contesting. From Dabwali, Devi Lal's grandson Aditya Devi Lal, an INLD candidate, is taking on the JJP's Digvijay Singh Chautala, the great grandson of the former deputy prime minister. The importance of Dalit votes in Haryana The BJP has fielded former chief minister late Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur in Hisar while its nominee from Ateli in Mahendragarh is Arti Rao, whose father Rao Inderjit Singh is a Union minister. Among the independent candidates are Savitri Jindal (Hisar), Ranjit Chautala (Rania) and Chitra Sarwara (Ambala Cantonment). Taking on Dushyant Chautala from Uchana is the Congress's Brijendra Singh, son of former Union minister Birender Singh. A few rebels from both the Congress and the BJP are also in the fray. Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur on Friday said the Haryana Police is fully prepared to ensure a free, fair and peaceful conduct of the election. Nearly 30,000 police personnel and 225 paramilitary companies have been deployed. An adequate number of home guard personnel have also been deployed. Adequate police presence will be maintained at the polling booths and other locations. More than 3,616 polling booths have been classified as sensitive and 145 deemed vulnerable, necessitating additional security measures. To maintain law and order and ensure compliance with the Model Code of Conduct, the state has also formed 516 flying squads, 469 static-surveillance teams and 32 quick-response teams. Additionally, 1,156 patrolling parties are actively monitoring the situation, the DGP said. Agarwal said of the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are men, 95,77,926 are women and 467 belong to the third gender. There are 5,24,514 voters aged between 18 and 19 years and 1,49,142 differently-abled voters, of whom 93,545 are male, 55,591 are female and six belong to the third gender. A total of 2,31,093 voters are aged above 85 years, comprising 89,940 males and 1,41,153 females. There are 8,821 voters aged over 100 years, including 3,283 males and 5,538 females. The total number of service voters is 1,09,217 -- 1,04,426 males and 4,791 females. The voter turnout recorded in the 2019 Assembly polls was around 68 per cent. A total of 144 polling stations have been designated as model ones. Besides, 115 polling stations will be entirely managed by women staff, 114 by young government employees and 87 by differently-abled employees. Webcasting will be conducted at all the polling stations on election day, Agarwal had said earlier. The CEO had said including reserved units, a total of 27,866 electronic voting machines (ballot units) will be used in this election. In 2019, the BJP formed the government with the support of the JJP while most of the Independent MLAs had also extended support to the saffron party. However, the JJP's post-poll tie-up with the BJP ended after the latter replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Saini as the chief minister in March.
Haryana all decked up for battle
CHANDIGARH: The fate of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat of the Congress besides JJPs Dushyant Chautala and 1,027 other candidates will be decided on Saturday as elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held with over 2 crore people eligible to vote. The ruling BJP is eyeing a hat-trick of wins in the state while the Congress is hoping to make a comeback after a decade. The counting of votes will be held on October 8. State chief electoral officer Pankaj Agarwal said 2,03,54,350 voters, including 8,821 centurions, are eligible to vote which will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. Post-campaigning, temple hopping with a slice of reality check in Jatland DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said Haryana Police is fully prepared to ensure free, fair and peaceful conduct of elections. Over 30,000 police personnel and 225 paramilitary companies have been deployed. Adequate police presence will be maintained at the booths and locations, among which 3,460 polling booths have been classified as critical, and 138 have been deemed vulnerable, necessitating additional security measures. As many as 186 interstate and 215 intra-state checkpoints have been established, where police teams will monitor movements closely. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting in all 90 assembly constituencies, including 101 women. Among these candidates, 464 are contesting as independent. A total of 20,632 polling booths have been set up for voting, Agarwal said on Friday. Haryana: All eyes on 29 seats in 7 districts along GT Road The grand old party is contesting 89 seats as it left the Bhiwani assembly seat for its INDIA bloc partner CPM. The saffron party, too, is contesting an equal number of seats as Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda is seeking re-election from the Sirsa seat. Besides the BJP and Congress other political parties in the fray are AAP, INLD-BSP and JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliance. Most seats are likely to see a direct fight between BJP and the Congress. There are 20 assembly segments in the Jat heartland where there might be a multi-cornered contest as the rebel leaders of BJP and Congress who were denied the party ticket are in the fray as Independent candidates. Besides these seats there is a direct contest between the saffron and grand old party in about 70 of the total of 90 assembly seats. Sources said assembly constituencies where these rebels can upset the apple cart of both parties are Ellenabad, Ambala Cantt, Kalayat, Gurugram, Dabwali, Pundri, Baroda, Hisar, Gohana, Panipat City, Panipat Rural, Ganaur, Punhana, Rewari and Rania. The importance of Dalit votes in Haryana The INLD-BSP, AAP and the JJP-ASP alliance candidates may also spring a surprise. Both BJP and Congress changed their strategy for these seats at the eleventh hour. In the assembly polls in 2019, BJP won 40 seats, Congress 31 and JJP 10. In race for CM post if Congress wins, says Selja Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja asserted that she is in the race for the CM post if the party comes to power in the state. See, that only high command will have to answer, they will only decide. There are a few people who would be in the consideration zone, and I think Selja would be there. The high command would look at the seniority, work done, and everything else. These political decisions would be taken by high command, she said. Selja dismissed reports of her joining BJP. Selja is Congressi, she said, adding she is not upset with the party.
Haryana polls 2024: Uchana, Julana, Ladwa, and Hisar among key contests
The Haryana Assembly elections, with 90 constituencies, are set for October 5, with the vote count slated for October 8
BJP expels eight leaders, including Ranjit Chautala, for contesting Haryana polls as independents
CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and seven other leaders were expelled by the BJP for six years on Sunday after they decided to contest the October 5 state assembly polls as independent candidates. The Haryana BJP said its chief Mohan Lal Badoli has expelled these leaders for a period of six years with immediate effect. Besides Chautala, Sandeep Garg (contesting the polls from Ladwa), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Devender Kadian (Ganaur), Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goel (Gurugram) and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) have been expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Earlier, Ranjit, the brother of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, resigned from the Cabinet after being denied a ticket by the party for the upcoming assembly polls. He had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary polls from Hisar. Chautala decided to run as an independent candidate from Rania, the seat he represented in the Assembly when he was an independent MLA. I will contest as an independent candidate from the Rania Assembly constituency. It is the decision of the people of my constituency. After I did not get the ticket, I took this decision, he told ANI . The BJP has fielded Shishpal Kamboj to contest from the Rania seat in its first list of candidates. Chautala decided to quit the saffron party after he was denied the ticket. Meanwhile, Sandeep Garg has filed nomination papers from the Ladwa constituency against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on October 8. The BJP is eyeing a return to power in the state for a third consecutive term. The Haryana Congress expelled 13 leaders on Friday for anti-party activities over their decision to contest the polls as independent candidates. Several leaders of both the BJP and the Congress were upset over being denied tickets to contest the Assembly polls, but the parties have managed to pacify most of them. (With inputs from PTI and ANI)
Ranjit Singh Chautala among eight rebels expelled by BJP in Haryana
Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and seven other leaders were expelled by the BJP for six years on Sunday, after they decided to contest the October 5 state Assembly polls as independent candidates. The Haryana BJP said its chief Mohan Lal Badoli has expelled these leaders for a period of six years with immediate effect. Besides Chautala, Sandeep Garg (contesting the polls from Ladwa), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Devender Kadian (Ganaur), Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goel (Gurugram) and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) have been expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chautala decided to quit the saffron party after he was denied the poll ticket from Rania, the seat he represented in the Assembly when he was an independent MLA. Chautala quit the membership of the Assembly before joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls held earlier in the year. He had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary polls from Hisar. The 90-member Haryana
Rahul Gandhi to take out 'Haryana Vijay Sankalp Yatra' in second leg of poll campaigning
CHANDIGARH: As the Congress is looking to go all out to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, party leader Rahul Gandhi will continue to campaign in the state, covering several districts during his Haryana Vijay Sankalp Yatra. This will be the second leg of Gandhi's campaigning in Haryana for the October 5 Assembly polls. He addressed rallies at Assandh in Karnal and Barwala in Hisar on Thursday. During the second leg of his campaigning, Gandhi is also likely to be joined by party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Sharing the schedule of his programme for Monday, the Haryana Congress said Gandhi will launch the second leg of his poll campaign from Naraingarh in Ambala district by addressing a public meeting. After the public meeting, the yatra will pass through Yamunanagar district and then through Mullana in Ambala. It will also pass through Rajeev Chowk, Saha, Ambala, Shaheed Udham Singh Chowk, Shahabad, and Babain, Ladwa in Kurukshetra, where party workers will welcome Gandhi at various points. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has been fielded by the ruling BJP from Ladwa. According to the schedule of Gandhi's programme, a public meeting will be held at Kurukshetra's Thanesar on Monday evening. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is likely to campaign in the state till canvassing ends in the evening of October 3. He will be joined by Congress leaders from the state, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja. The Congress is aiming to come back to power in Haryana after a 10-year hiatus. At the Assandh rally on Thursday, Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of unemployment and accused him of systematically destroying the process of employment generation in the country. The Congress leader also exuded confidence that his party would sweep the Haryana polls. The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on October 8. Selja says she'll remain in Congress, dismisses talk of switch to BJP
Rahul to cover several Haryana districts in second leg of poll campaigning
As the Congress is looking to go all out to wrest power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, party leader Rahul Gandhi will be campaigning in the state over the next few days, covering several districts, in what is likely to take the shape of a yatra. This will be the second leg of his campaigning in Haryana for the October 5 Assembly polls. Gandhi addressed poll rallies at Assandh in Karnal and Barwala in Hisar on Thursday. Sharing a tentative schedule of his campaign programme, sources in the Congress said Gandhi, who is likely to be joined by party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, will launch the second leg of his poll campaign from Naraingarh in Ambala district by addressing a public meeting on Monday. Gandhi will also cover Yamunanagar district on Monday and a few more places in Ambala, where party workers will welcome him at various points, before he moves on to Saha and then to Kurukshetra district, including Ladwa, from where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is
Modi Targets Congress Infighting, Confident of BJP Victory in Haryana
NEW DELHI: Highlighting the factionalism within the Congress in the poll-bound Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Hisar on Saturday said the Opposition party cannot offer stability because everyone in the Congress is jostling among themselves to become chief minister. Mr Modi also accused the Congress of misleading the voters with false promises, dubbed the Opposition party anti-Dalit and expressed confidence that the BJP's government will form Haryana for a third consecutive term. At the Hisar rally, Mr Modi said that the BJP will form the government in the state again. He said: From everywhere, one voice is heard -- Bharosa dil se, BJP phir se . While addressing his third poll rally in Haryana, Mr Modi targeted the Congress over infighting in the state unit and said, The party that cannot bring unity among its leaders, how will they bring stability in a state? Bapu (Mr Hooda) is also a contender for the CM post and beta (Deepender Hooda) is also a contender. And together, they both are engaged in attempts to finish off the other contenders. Seeing all this, aware voters of Haryana are set to wipe out the Congress in the state, he said. In a swipe at the Gandhis for sidelining Dalit leader Kumari Selja, Mr Modi said some leaders who dedicatedly served Delhi's royal family are now asking what fault they committed. On every seat, there is infighting in the Congress. In this infighting in Congress, the doors for Dalits and backwards are closed. The Congress knows that Dalits do not give them votes. Therefore, they hate the entire Dalit community. The Prime Minister also harked back to the Congress regime in Haryana and said, Atrocities on Dalits took place in Gohana and Mirchpur, but they remained silent. There were atrocities and injustice with Dalit daughters, but they remained silent, Mr Modi said in the presence of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union minister M.L. Khattar, among others. As voting day draws near, the Congress is becoming desperate...their leaders have started to say that in Haryana they will face the same situation that the party had to face in Madhya Pradesh, he said. In the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan polls, the Congress resorted to lies, but the balloon of their lies burst. In Haryana too, the same thing is going to happen, he said. The Congress suffers this fate because it is deceitful and dishonest. See what they have done in the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh. During the polls there, they made false promises and lied to people. After coming to power, they are making excuses for not fulfilling the promises they made. Delhi's royal family trapped people of Himachal in their lies. Now, they don't have the budget to pay salaries to even the government employees in Himachal, Mr Modi said, adding, People are now asking the Congress -- Kya hua tera vada ? In reply, the Congress is asking people -- Tum kaun ?... Where there is the Congress, there can be no stability. Continuing his attack on the Congress, Mr Modi accused the Opposition party of sympathising with the urban Naxals. He said: The Congress has stated that it wants to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. They want to incite violence again. The soldiers, the sons of Haryana who were on duty there, faced stones and bloodshed. Now the Congress wants to release such people. Tell me, with whom is this urban Naxal Congress aligned? Why does the Congress oppose the farmers, youth and mothers of Haryana? Why does it favour those who are against them? Why does it seek their votes? Recalling the days when he worked for party organisations in Haryana, Mr Modi said that the state has given me a lot, taught me a lot. Mr Modi said: Haryana's mothers and sisters have given a slogan -- Mahra Haryana, non-stop Haryana. Haryana's development should continue non-stop and that's why people have made up their minds to give the BJP a third term to serve the state.
'Bapu, beta, all others in Congress want to be CM': PM Modi at Haryana election rally
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party during a rally in Hisar, Haryana, stating that internal strife prevents them from providing stability. He mentioned that many leaders, including Bhupinder and Deepender Hooda, are vying for the chief minister position.
Dalit Mahapanchayat Sangh to Mobilize Against Congress Over Kumari Selja's Insult
Chandigarh: In a press conference held in Narnaund, Hisar, on Friday, Kuldeep Bhukkal, the State President of the Dalit Mahapanchayat Sangh, expressed strong discontent regarding the treatment of Congress MP Kumari Selja by the Congress party. Bhukkal announced that the entire Dalit community would retaliate against the perceived insult by working together to defeat Congress candidates supported by Bhupendra Singh Hooda in Narnaund and across Haryana. Bhukkal criticized the Congress for nominating Naresh Selwal from Uklana, who was expelled in 2019 for anti-party activities. He pointed out that Selja would not campaign for the Congress candidate, Jassi Petwar, in the Narnaund area due to the ongoing tensions.He recounted the oppressive actions faced by Dalits during Hoodas tenure as Chief Minister from 2005 to 2014, highlighting incidents like Mirchpur, Gohana, Bhagana, Dabda, and Daulatpur, where Dalits suffered significant violence, including the burning of homes and shops. Bhukkal also recalled that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Hooda lost the Sonipat seat due to the lack of Dalit support. While the Congress had initially seen some success in the 2024 elections, he claimed that Hooda supporters have now insulted Selja, who represents the Dalit community.He alleged that Hooda was using threats and financial influence to sway the Congress high command, further asserting that derogatory comments were made about Selja by Hooda's associates. As a result, Selja was expected to campaign only for candidates she supports. In response to the situation, Bhukkal announced plans to form committees of five members in each district of Haryana. These committees will travel from village to village to raise awareness about what they consider the anti-Dalit stance of the Congress. He concluded by noting that the actions of the Hooda faction had severely damaged the Congress party in Haryana, prompting both Bhupendra Hooda and his son Deepender to acknowledge Selja's status as a senior leader and a figure akin to a sister within the party. India Commits Rs 474 Million for 12 Community Development Projects in Nepal IIFA Utsavam 2024: Check Here the Full List of IIFA Utsavam 2024 Winners Madhya Pradesh's Three Villages Recognized as Best Tourism Destinations
PM Modi Attacks Congress In Hisar Rally | PM Modi News | PM Modi In Hisar | English News | News18
PM Modi Attacks Congress In Hisar Rally | PM Modi News | PM Modi In Hisar | English News | News18BreakingNews | Congress hates the entire Dalit community, PM Modi slams Congress in his Hisar Rally ahead of HaryanaAssemblyElections2024
Selja, Hooda Join Hands at Rahul Rally
New Delhi: With just nine days left until polling in Haryana, the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has ramped up its campaign efforts, presenting a united front by bringing party heavyweights Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Singh Hooda together on stage, despite ongoing speculations of internal rifts. On Thursday, Gandhi made his first appearance on the campaign trail in the agrarian state with rallies in Karnal and Hisar. He criticised the BJP on various issues, including unemployment and the caste census, and expressed confidence that the Congress would win a majority in the 90-member Haryana Assembly. Speaking at a rally in Assandh, Karnal, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of systematically dismantling the employment system in the country. He also addressed the topic of a caste census, accusing the BJP of creating divisions among the people. A storm is coming, and the Congress is going to sweep the elections. We will form a government for all, Gandhi declared. In a show of unity, Congress MP Kumari Selja and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda joined Gandhi on stage, dispelling rumours of discord within the party's Haryana unit. Gandhi sharply criticised the BJP government, claiming it had destroyed Haryanas prospects. He shared an anecdote from his recent visit to the United States, where he met young people from Haryana who had left the state in search of better opportunities. There is unemployment and inflation, Gandhi said, recounting the hardships faced by youths in the US, many of whom traveled dangerous routes to escape lack of employment back home. He also accused the BJP of trying to take away farmers' rights with the now-repealed farm laws, claiming the government was more concerned with waiving the debts of billionaires than helping farmers. The Rs 16 lakh crore debt of 25 billionaires will be waived, but not the debts of farmers, he said. In addition, Gandhi referred to the sexual harassment allegations made by women wrestlers, accusing the BJP of protecting the accused. Outlining the Congress election promises, Gandhi announced several key initiatives: 2,000 monthly payments to women, subsidised cooking gas cylinders at 500, filling two lakh government job vacancies, and guaranteed crop MSP for farmers. He also pledged to build homes for the poor. Gandhi accused the BJP of undermining India's Constitution, claiming that government institutions were being controlled by the RSS. This fight is not just for Haryana; it is a fight for the country, a fight to save the Constitution, he stated. On the issue of the caste census, Gandhi reiterated his commitment, saying, We want to know how many Dalits, tribals, and backward classes are in the country. Whether Narendra Modi does it or not, I will get it passed. With just days remaining before voters head to the polls, the Congress hopes to galvanise support across the state with a message of inclusivity and reform.
Centre issues fresh advisory to states on Mpox after first clade 1b case detected in Kerala
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday issued fresh advisory to states and union territories and asked them to isolate suspected cases of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, and implement strict infection prevention and control measures. The advisory was issued after India reported the first case of the clade Ib strain of mpox infection, making it the third non-African country to do so. Clade 1 is the fast-spreading and severe viral strain that has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the advisory, Union Health Secretary Aprurva Chandra asked the states to send samples from skin lesions of patients with suspected symptoms to designated labs immediately. Those who test positive will have their samples sent to Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, for genome sequencing to determine the clade, the advisory said. He said that robust diagnostic testing capabilities are already available, with 36 ICMR-supported labs across the country and three commercial PCR kits validated by ICMR and approved by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). States were directed to identify isolation facilities in hospitals for suspected and confirmed cases, equipped with logistics and trained staff. The advisory asked states and UTs to continue undertaking appropriate activities to make communities aware of the disease, its modes of spread, and the need for timely reporting and preventive measures. It is crucial that any panic amongst the masses is prevented, the advisory said. It also said that the states must conduct review of public health preparedness particularly at health facility level and district level by senior officials. India has reported two mpox cases. The first case was of a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar, who had tested positive last month for the West African Clade 2 strain, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards. He was admitted to a government hospital in Delhi. The second case was of a 38-year-old man, who had recently traveled from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Kerala after he tested positive for mpox last week. His test came positive for clade 1b strain. Clade 1 is more virulent and more transmissible strain. Outside Africa, one case each of mpox clade 1b has been recently reported from Sweden and Thailand. India is now the third country to report this fast-spreading mpox strain.
At Haryana rally, Rahul says wont allow RSS to subvert Constitution
Hisar (Har), Sep 26: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at the RSS, alleging it poses a threat to the Constitution and asserted his party will not allow any attempt to subvert the Constitution of BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and the poor people of India. Addressing a poll rally in Barwala in Haryanas Hisar district, he said the Constitution protects the poor. And these RSS people want to undermine the Constitution. It is their target. We will protect [] The post At Haryana rally, Rahul says wont allow RSS to subvert Constitution appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Rahul to hit Haryana poll campaign trail with rallies in Karnal, Hisar
NEW DELHI: With just 10 days left for the Haryana Assembly election, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hit the campaign trail on Thursday, with two rallies in Karnal and Hisar districts. This would be his first public rally in the state after elections were announced. Significantly, in a sign of thaw in tensions in the state unit, Sirsa MP and former Union minister Kumari Selja, who had been missing from campaigning so far, will also attend Gandhis rally in Assandh in Karnal. According to the partys state unit, Gandhi will address a rally in Karnals Assandh from where Shamsher Singh Gogi is seeking re-election. In a post on X, Selja shared her campaign plans including Rahuls rally and four other public meetings. Knives were out in the Congress camp after Selja decided to stay away from election campaigning for two weeks. Selja was reportedly upset that the high command had sidelined her and gave an upper hand to her rival Bhupinder Singh Hooda in ticket distribution. However, Selja came around after her two meetings with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul Gandhi had also asked veteran leader Ashok Gehlot to mediate between the two warring camps. Though Selja ruled out her leaving the grand old party, she did not mince words in expressing her disappointment over ticket distribution. The party is also worried that as a popular Dalit leader, Seljas rebellion would dent its prospects as there are 17 reserved assembly constituencies in Haryana. Thaw in tensions Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, who had been missing from Congress campaign so far, will also attend Gandhis rally in Assandh in Karnal. Faction wars Selja, who was reportedly upset that the high command gave an upper hand to her rival Bhupinder Hooda, came around after two meetings with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
Is India's Richest Woman Savitri Jindal BJP's 'B Team'? What She Told NDTV
The BJP denying a ticket to India's richest woman, Savitri Jindal, who joined the party in March after quitting the Congress, came as a surprise to many and the two-time MLA from Hisar and former Haryana minister is now contesting as an Independent.
The patient from Hisar, Haryana, was hospitalised on September 8, with doctors confirming the diagnosis on September 9.
Mpox patient discharged from Delhi's LNJP Hospital after 12 days: Report
An Mpox patient admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital here earlier this month has been discharged, the hospital officials confirmed. The 26-year-old patient, who had been admitted to the disaster ward dedicated to Mpox cases for almost 12 days, was discharged on Saturday. An official from the hospital confirmed he only Mpox patient was discharged on September 21. The 26-year-old patient from Hisar, Haryana, was admitted to the hospital on September 8, with doctors confirming the diagnosis on September 9. The hospital has 20 isolation rooms, out of which 10 are for suspected cases and the remaining for confirmed Mpox patients. The Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital have five rooms each for suspected Mpox cases and five each for confirmed ones. The World Health Organisation (WHO) last month declared Mpox a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)' for the second time in view of its prevalence and spread a
RWAs oppose G.O. for stilt-plus-four construction, opposition guns for BJP
CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Haryana Government has landed itself into a catch-22 situation during the ongoing assembly elections as it has given go-ahead with stilt-plus-four construction in the residential areas of the state. Several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are opposing this decision of the government and have decided to oppose the BJP candidates across the state. The RWAs have written to the Election Commission of Indian to suspend the government order which gave the go-ahead to the stilt-plus-four construction in the state. On the other hand, the opposition parties have got another issue against the government on the platter which they are now raising for their political benefits. This might affect the saffron party in the National Capital Region (NCR) especially Gurugram and Faridabad. Targeting the incumbent BJP government for allowing builders to exploit the stilt-plus-four-floor housing policy, RWAs have threatened to vote against the BJP candidates. The residents are of the view that the stilt-plus-four houses in their residential areas are being misused to create multiple apartments, thus burdening the existing civic infrastructure. The letter to the ECI stated that the notification regarding the construction will not only come in the way of a level playing field during elections and smacked of the governments vested interests. Haryana polls: BJP is anti-farmer, allege kisan unions Yashvir Malik, convener of Haryana State HUDA Sector Confederation of which 287 RWAs of the state are members, said, y allowing construction stilt-plus-four construction the BJP-led Government is trying to please the builder lobby. The RWAs will oppose the candidates of the BJP across the state and request not to vote for them. Malik added that while this decision affects the whole state, ten districts including Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, Panipat, Sonepat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Panchkula, Hisar and Amabla are most affected. He also said that approximately 7.25 lakh plots or house owners are affected by this decision of the government in these cities as it calculated around 25 lakh voters in 15 to 20 assembly segments. We have sent an e-mail to the EC, stating that the removal of embargo on the construction of S+4 floors in residential areas be put on hold. This notification is beyond the powers of the current caretaker government in the state and is clearly a big allurement for voters. The policy needs to be properly reviewed, he said. State President All Sector Residents Welfare Association, Kuldeep Vats said that re-implementing the policy of constructing four-storey buildings with stilt parking in HSVP sectors without developing infrastructure facilities is completely wrong. The association will strongly oppose this. This will strain our sewage, power, water and parking infrastructure and leave us in a mess especially in old sectors. At present, the drinking water and sewerage system in the sectors is completely in shambles. This problem is especially severe in the old sectors. Even after many years of sector demarcation by HSVP, the old and dilapidated drinking water and sewerage lines have not been upgraded according to the population density, he said. He added that, with this decision, the residents of the sector will have to face a lot of trouble for basic facilities. Vats said that it is completely wrong to construct a stilt plus four storey building on a 10 meter road. The rule made on the common wall in the new policy will increase disputes among the people. Our demand is that, in view of the problems of public interest, this decision should be withdrawn. If the matter is not resolved soon, then the next strategy of the movement will be prepared by calling a state level meeting of the association, he said. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that this is care-taker government and this decision cannot be taken, it is completely wrong. Echoing the same view former deputy chief minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said that when his party was part of the government it did not approve of this and to allow S plus 4 in existing sectors is wrong. We will write to ECI, he said. Sources said that the construction had been allowed in a policy that was already there and this is not a new decision and it does not violate the poll code. We only told the court that we are lifting the self-imposed ban, said an officer. It is learnt that some 200 applications are pending in Gurugram alone, seeking permission to build the floors. The stilt-plus-four-floors policy was initially brought by the state government in 2017 by amending the Haryana Building Code of the same year, and registrations of the fourth floor as a separate dwelling unit started by 2018. Under the new policy, the state has allowed the construction of four floors with stilts in sectors where the layout plan allows for the building of four dwelling units per plot. Haryana assembly polls: Kin of key political families take poll plunge Power Games | Haryana Polls: Rahul cracks whip as Hooda-Selja rift widens
Didi writes to Modi, says DVC released water without consulting Bengal govt
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sent Prime Minister Narendra Modi another letter on the flood situation in West Bengal, maintaining that Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released water from its reservoirs without consulting her government, inundating several districts. Responding to Banerjees earlier letter to the PM, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil had said the states officials were informed at every stage about the release of water from the DVC reservoirs, which was essential to prevent a major disaster. To which Banerjee said, While the Honble minister claims that the release from DVC dams was carried out by consensus and collaboration with the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, including consultations with representatives of the government of West Bengal, I may respectfully disagree. All the critical decisions are made unilaterally by representatives of the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India without arriving at a consensus, she said. Banerjee claimed that sometimes water is released without any notice to the state and the views of her government are not honoured. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Sep/22/bengal-power-secretary-santanu-basu-steps-down-from-dvc-board Bengal Power secretary Santanu Basu steps down from DVC board Moreover, peak release from the reservoirs lasting for a prolonged period of nine hours were conducted with only 3.5 hours notice which proved insufficient for effective disaster management, she said in the letter dated September 21, which was made public on Sunday. In her earlier letter to the PM Modi on September 20, she claimed that 5 million people in the state were affected by the floods, and urged him to immediately release central funds. In his letter, Paatil explained that the releases were managed by the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, which includes representatives from the Central Water Commissionand DVC. Flood in Bihars 12 dists Flood water has gushed into 12 districts of Bihar even as people are being evacuated from the low-lying areas of these districts. Patna, Buxar, Bhojpur, Vaishali, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Lakhisarai, Munger, Samastipur, Begusarai and Vaishali are among the worst affected districts. As many as 1288 boats and 18 boat ambulances have been pressed into service into the affected areas, sources at state disaster management department say.
Haryana polling stations: Over 2,700 'critical', more than 300 'vulnerable'
Over 2,700 polling stations in Haryana have been classified as 'critical' and over 300 as 'vulnerable' by the Election Commission of India. Gurugram district has the highest number of critical stations, followed by Hisar, Sonipat, and Ambala. Vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of voters being influenced or intimidated.
Haryana assembly polls: Kin of key political families take poll plunge
CHANDIGARH: The dynastic politics remains strong in Haryana as over three dozen candidates across party lines, BJP, Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) are contesting elections in the upcoming assembly polls. Besides, the three prominent political families of the Jat Land Chaudahry Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal there are other candidates who owe their standing to their influential political families. The ruling BJP, known for anti-dynasty rhetoric, is fielding kin of many political leaders. Arti Singh Rao, daughter of Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, from Ateli; Pardeep Singh Sangwan, son of former MP Kishen Singh Sangwan, is fighting from Baroda; Devender Kaushik, brother of former MP Ramesh Kaushik, is contesting from Gannaur; Sunil Sangwan, son of former minister Satpal Sangwan, is contesting from Dadri; Manmohan Bhadana, son of former minister Kartar Bhadana, is contesting from Samalkha; Sanjay Singh, son of former minister Suraj Pal, is contesting from Nuh; Krishan Middha, son of former MLA Hari Chand Middha, is contesting from Jind and Savitri Jindal, mother of Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal is contesting from Hisar seat as an independent candidate against party candidate. The story is the same for Congress. Aditya Surjewala, son of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala, is contesting from Kaithal; Vikas Saharan, son of Hisar MP Jai Prakash, is battling out from Kalayat; Pooja Chaudhary, wife of Ambala MP Varun Chaudhary, is vying for Mullana seat; Brijendra Singh, son of former Union minister Birender Singh, is contesting Uchana Kalan assembly seat; Chiranjeev Rao, son of former minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, is competing from Rewari; Mandeep Chatha, son of former minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha, is standing as a challenger from Pehowa; Vijay Pratap Singh, son of former minister Mahender Pratap, is contesting from Badkhal; Balram Dangi, son of former minister Anand Singh Dangi, is contesting for Meham seat; Neeraj Sharma, son of former minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma, is trying his luck from Faridabad NIT seat; Gokul Setia, grandson of former minister Lachhman Das Arora, is contesting from Sirsa. While in the Indian National Lok Dal, Sapna Barshami, daughter-in-law of Sher Singh Barshami, a close aide of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, is contesting from Ladwa; Tahir Hussain, son of former MLA Zakir Hussain, is contesting from Nuh. Some seven family members of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal are fighting these elections and some of them are pitched against each other. Arjun Chautala, great-grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal and son of Abhay Chautala, is fighting on the INLD ticket and is pitted against former chief minister OP Chutalas brother Ranjit Singh Chautala, who is sitting MLA from Rania assembly segment and is fighting as independent. Digvijay Chautala of JJP, another great-grandson of Devi Lal and son of Ajay Chautala, is contesting against his uncles Aditya Devi Lal from INLD and Amit Sihag of Congress. Khattars nephew joins Congress Ramit Khattar, nephew of former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, and another senior leader of the party Gurvinder Singh Dhamija joined the Congress. Ramit joined the grand old party in the presence of Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra. His defection is seen as a notable setback to the saffron party especially given his familial ties to Khattar.
Assembly polls: EC team holds meeting with senior officers of Haryana
Chandigarh: A team of senior officials from the Election Commission of India held a meeting with senior officers of Haryana on Thursday to review the action taken on the directions issued to the authorities involved in the election process during its visit to the state last month.The meeting was held with the divisional commissioners, inspector generals of police, police commissioners, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, general observers and police observers from 11 districts. Haryana goes to polls on October 5. According to an official statement, the team comprised of Deputy Election Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar and other officials. The meeting was held in the presence of Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal. According to the statement, a team of the Election Commission of India led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had earlier in August taken the review of the administrative, logistics, law and order, and election-related arrangements with the chief electoral officer and state police nodal officer. The commission had directed to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections by maintaining good law and order situation, the statement said. It had also stressed to maintain good health of the electoral roll with the removal of dead and shifted voters. Further, it directed to provide minimum assured facility at the polling booths along with conducive environment to encourage the voters turnout. In Thursday's meeting, the Election Commission team emphasized the importance of ensuring that all polling stations are fully equipped with the necessary facilities. The deputy election commissioner instructed the district commissioners-cum-district election officers and superintendents of police to personally inspect the polling stations to verify the availability of essential resources. The Commission emphasised that the Voter Facilitation Booths should be set up by the booth level officers at each polling stations. Proper sitting arrangements have to be made to facilitate the voters standing in queues. The team cited the need for webcasting from all polling stations. For ensuring better monitoring, cameras of high resolution should be used and they should be positioned in a way that these cover the polling stations properly for effective surveillance. At the same time, the secrecy of voting should not be compromised, it said. The police authorities briefed about the security arrangements for ensuring a good law and order situation. The team expressed its satisfaction over the deployment of the central forces and other security arrangements. However, it stressed immediate action for better surveillance of the border areas in coordination with the police of the neighbouring states. In another meeting with the enforcement agencies of Income Tax department, state police, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Directorate of Enforcement, Narcotics Control Bureau, Civil Aviation, Customs and other departments, the team noticed that the seizures have been less compared to the recent Lok Sabha elections. It emphasised to rework the strategy, monitor the working of different flying squad surveillance teams and static surveillance teams. The team also reviewed the preparations related to the counting centres, postal ballot papers and training of the polling staff. Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said that a centralized postal ballot collection centre would be established in Karnal. The Election Commission team reiterated that maximum efforts should be made at the local level and the state level to enhance the voters turnout in these elections. It cited the recent good voter turnout in the sensitive districts of Jammu and Kashmir and said that Haryana should draw inspiration from that. At the end of the meeting, Hirdesh Kumar re-emphasised that all efforts should be made to ensure free and fair polls. The districts covered in the meeting included Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Hisar.
Rebels in Haryana look to upset BJPs electoral applecart
CHANDIGARH: Rebels are threatening the ruling BJP in at least 15 of Haryanas 90 seats voting for which will take place on October 5. The party continues to mollify these rebels but to little effect. On the last day of the withdrawal of nominations on Tuesday, the party managed to convince about five rebel candidates and they withdrew their nomination. That leaves the party with at least 15 more seats it will have to contend with the rebel trouble. It is learnt that prominent rebel candidates are Naveen Goyal from Gurugram, Kalyan Chauhan from Sohna, Jasbir Deswal from Safidon, Zile Ram Sharma from Assandh, Devender Kadian from Ganaur, Deepak Dagar from Prithla. While Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, is contesting as an Independent after being denied the ticket from Hisar against Kamal Gupta of the party. Earlier former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh filed papers as an Independent candidate after being denied the ticket from Rania. While Nagendra Bhadana who joined the INLD after being denied the BJP ticket, will also play spoilsport for the BJP candidate Satish Fagna from Faridabad (NIT). Sources said senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, state BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and party election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan tried to mollify the disgruntled rebel candidates. They were able to pacify and convince a few of them who reportedly withdrew their nominations. These include Bharti Saini, Rampal Yadav, Shiv Kumar Mehta, Rajiv Jain and his wife and former Haryana minister Kavita Jain, was eyeing the ticket from Sonepat, former Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta after her husband was elevated as working district BJP president and former deputy speaker Santosh Yadav who was a ticket aspirant from Ateli. Sources said though the deadline for withdrawal of papers ended, efforts would still be made to woo the rebels back two weeks for the polling.
Suspected Mpox Infection Reported from Malappuram in Kerala, Samples Sent for Testing
A new case of monkeypox (Mpox) was reported last week from the national capital after a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar tested positive for the virus.
Suspected mpox infection reported from Kerala, samples sent for testing
A suspected case of monkeypox infection has been reported from Malappuram district of Kerala after a man who recently returned from abroad showed symptoms of the disease. A district health official said that the patient arrived in Kerala a few days ago and, after falling sick, was first admitted to a private hospital. From there he was admitted to the Manjeri Medical College. On suspecting that it might be a case of monkeypox, we sent his samples to the Kozhikode Medical College for testing. The results are awaited, the official said. A new case of monkeypox (Mpox) was reported last week from the national capital after a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar tested positive for the virus and was admitted to Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital. The Union Health Ministry had termed it an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards and said that it was not part of the current public health emergency reported by WHO which is regarding clad
