Modi accepts Britain’s G7 summit invitation

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Modi accepts Britain’s G7 summit invitation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accepted the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be part of the G7 meeting chaired by the UK in 2021, seeking to build a wider alliance against China’s growing power.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab handed over a letter from Johnson, inviting the Prime Minister to the G7 meeting.

Modi thanked Raab and accepted the invitation, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

The development comes after Johnson’s office earlier announced that it had extended the offer to Indian, South Korean and Australian leaders to take part in the G7 meeting, “delivering the Prime Minister’s ambition to work with a group of like-minded democracies to advance shared interests and tackle common challenges”.

Recalling his recent telephone conversation with British PM, Modi stressed the importance of the India-UK partnership in the post-Covid world.

He called for an ambitious and outcome-oriented 360-degree roadmap covering trade and investment, defense and security, migration and mobility, education, energy, climate change, and health, in order to tap the full potential of the bilateral relationship.

Modi also conveyed his keenness to receive Johnson in New Delhi next month, on the occasion of India’s 72nd Republic Day celebrations. During his visit, Johnson will be just the second British leader since Indian independence to attend India’s Republic Day parade in New Delhi as a guest of honor, after John Major in 1993.

Despite conveying greetings of Johnson to Modi, the British Foreign Secretary thanked him for participating in the recently held Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by the UK.

Raab also stressed the priority that the UK governments attach to elevating relations with India, based on “shared values and interests and the potential to address common global challenges together”.

Britain’s relationship with China has slid to its most confrontational levels in a generation, chiefly because of the national security law Beijing has imposed in Hong Kong and London’s decision to ban 5G network services by Huawei Technologies, which it contends is closely linked to the Chinese government.

Increasing concerns over China’s assertive moves in the Indo-Pacific have also resulted in greater diplomatic efforts in the region by the US, Britain, and the European Union – with India, Australia, and the 10-nation Asean group at the forefront of their focus.

Modi pays tribute to soldiers on 50th anniversary of 1971 India-Pak war

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Modi pays tribute to soldiers on 50th anniversary of 1971 India-Pak war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to the fallen soldiers on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan war and lit up the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ at the National War Memorial.

Four ‘Victory Mashaals’ lit from the Eternal Flame of the National War Memorial will now be carried to various parts of the country, including to villages of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra awardees of the war.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was also present at the venue, unveiled the logo for ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ to mark the anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

In a tweet, Rajnath Singh said, “I salute the tradition of valor and valor of the Indian Army. I remember the bravery of the brave soldiers who wrote a new legend in the 1971 war. Their sacrifice is a source of inspiration for all Indians. This country will always remember them.”

In December 1971, the Indian Armed Forces secured a decisive and historic victory over the Pakistan Army, which led to the creation of a Nation — Bangladesh — and also resulted in the largest military Surrender after World War-II. From December 16, the nation will be celebrating 50 years of the Indo-Pak War, also called ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’.

Telangana cabinet panel begins streamlining of registration process

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Telangana cabinet panel begins streamlining of registration process

Amid on-going confusion over the registration of non-agricultural properties in Telangana, the state cabinet sub-committee on Tuesday began the process of consultation with various stakeholders to streamline the registration procedure.

On the second day of resumption of registration, after a gap of more than three months, confusion prevailed over the procedure adopted.

There was no clarity on whether authorities were following the old procedure or adopting the new online system.

People who had made slot bookings complained about the difficulties they faced at the registration offices. There were complaints about inadequate staff and a limited number of slots being allotted every day.

Four-member cabinet sub-committee constituted by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to streamline the registration process held at its first meeting on Tuesday.

Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said the Chief Minister wanted a transparent registration process.

He said the Dharani portal launched by the chief minister was aimed at ensuring a registration process that is easy, transparent, without human interface, and with no room for corruption.

He said there were some teething problems and they will soon be overcome. The minister said the authorities will allay apprehensions of people with regard to the new system and create awareness.

The sub-committee submitted to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar suggestions received from people, bankers, buyers and sellers, and other stakeholders.

The minister said a workshop will be held with all the stakeholders on December 17. He asked real estate sector representatives to give their suggestions.

He said additional staff will be deployed in registration offices to clear the backlog of registrations.

BJP to EC: Bring model code, central forces early in Bengal

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BJP to EC: Bring model code, central forces early in Bengal

Just days ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s repeat visit to poll-bound West Bengal, the BJP has clearly upped the ante while urging the EC to invoke Section 15 of the Representation of the People’s Act.

In essence, the Bengal BJP has urged the Election Commission to impose the model code of conduct in the state early according to the provision of that section. Generally, it comes into effect only after the dates of the election are announced.

A delegation led by BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta made the submission to the poll body citing the law and order situation and “political bias”.

The BJP has also demanded early deployment of central police forces in the state, “else the ruling AITC with the active support of West Bengal Police will make campaigning very difficult, resulting in widespread violence.”

The BJP has also said that members of the state government employees federation are not used in the preparation of electoral rolls as “they have pledged their support to the Chief Minister and the AITC.”

They have also referred to an earlier complaint raising objection to this federation who the BJP claims had “committed” to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here “electoral victory”.

The BJP has also complained of discrepancies in the draft voters’ list where it alleged names of the dead and relocated voters continue to remain. The party in its submission to the EC has also raised the issue of the recent attack on its National President J.P. Nadda’s convoy.

West Bengal is going to polls early next year where the BJP hopes to topple the TMC government after its success in last year’s Lok Sabha election.

T’gana Transport Minister tests positive for Covid

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T’gana Transport Minister tests positive for Covid

Telangana’s Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar has tested positive for Covid-19.

The minister is under home isolation in Hyderabad. He tweeted on Tuesday that he tested positive in the RT-PCR test.

“Please don’t try to call or meet me. I request all those who participated in the programs with me to undergo the tests,” he said.

Ajay assured me that there was nothing to worry about. He hoped that he would soon be able to resume his routine activities.

He is the third minister in the state to test positive. Earlier, Home Minister Mohammed Mehmood Ali and Finance Minister T. Harish Rao were found infected by the virus. Both have recovered.

While Mehmood Ali had to be hospitalized, Harish Rao recovered in home isolation. About a dozen legislators of various parties had also tested positive for coronavirus and they all have recovered.

BJP-RSS control Facebook in India: Rahul Gandhi

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BJP-RSS control Facebook in India: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after a report surfaced that Facebook did not act on hate content.

The former Congress president took to Twitter as he posted a video and said, “Further confirmation that BJP-RSS control Facebook in India.”

As per the report in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook discussed banning Bajrang Dal and termed it a dangerous organization but did not actively consider the safety of the employees.

This is not the first time that Facebook is in controversy. Earlier in August this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the social media platform’s policies were allegedly biased and favored the ruling BJP due to business interests.

In the report, it had said that the head of Facebook’s Public Policy in India, Ankhi Das, had lobbied in favor of the ruling party and one of its leaders in spite of posting hate comments on the platform.

Facebook had denied the allegations but it went on to ban the politician, while Ankhi Das quit the company in October this year.

The Congress at that time had said that the matter will not be resolved by just changing one individual.

“Facebook must demonstrate its neutrality through a thorough revamp of its institutional processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs), so as to ensure foolproof checks and balances that cannot be tinkered by an individual’s whims and political leanings,” Congress General Secretary (organization), K.C. Venugopal had said.

“It must also outline the steps taken to curb false, polarising, and hate news/content spread rampantly on its platform, threatening India’s social harmony,” he added.

Wall Street Journal had on August 14 reported substantively on the blatant biases of Facebook India’s team headed by Ankhi Das, and the Congress had raised the issue.

It had reported that Das and her political partisanship towards the ruling party and its leaders, by way of wilful propagation, was spreading fake and hate the news.

Subsequently, Congress had written two letters to the CEO of Facebook Inc, Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to look into the matter seriously. Facebook had responded to the letters reiterating its neutrality and promising due action.

If BJP wants to ban cattle slaughter, stop beef exports: Goa Cong

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If BJP wants to ban cattle slaughter, stop beef exports: Goa Cong

The National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre should ban the export of beef, if the BJP is so committed to banning cattle slaughter in states where the party is in power, the Goa Congress said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, convenor of the Opposition party’s media cell Trajano D’Mello also said that beef would soon be in short supply in Goa, in view of the passage of a stringent law banning cattle slaughter in the Karnataka state Assembly.

Goa imports nearly all its beef from Karnataka in the form of live cattle and slaughtered beef.

“India is the second-largest exporter of beef in the world and if the BJP’s policy is to ban slaughter of bulls and buffaloes, then the first thing they should do is to ban the export of beef. Banning of cattle slaughter for public consumption in states and promoting beef exports is hypocritical,” D’Mello told a press conference.

On average, Goa consumes nearly 25 tons of beef every day. The demand for beef rises further during the tourism season which stretches from October to March.

The red meat is commonly consumed by tourists, as well as by members of the minority communities in the state, which account for more than 30 percent of the population.

Over the last few years, the supply of beef in Goa’s meat stores has been inconsistent on account of the erratic functioning of the state’s only authorized abattoir, the Goa Meat Complex, which is allowed to slaughter cattle. Raids by cow vigilante groups on trucks transporting live cattle as well as slaughtered beef from Karnataka have also taken a toll on the easy availability of the red meat.

Beef sellers in the state have already expressed anguish over the new law in Karnataka, which they said would dry up the sale of beef in the coastal state, especially during the Christmas season, when tourist footfalls and the demand for red meat peaks.

“Most of the ruling party MLAs and Ministers are voracious beef eaters. Are they listening to these cries of anguish over fears of beef drying up from the state’s markets,” D’Mello said.

15 out of the 27 BJP MLAs in the 40-member state legislative assembly are Catholic in religious orientation.

President of the Goa Forward party Vijai Sardesai also expressed apprehension over the impending beef shortage in the wake of the new law passed by Karnataka. He also said that when former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister in 2017, the latter had given an assurance in the state legislative Assembly that he would ensure a steady supply of beef to Goa at any cost.

“BJP needs a diversion to create a vote-bank based on divisive politics. This announcement is made just before Christmas. We will have a shortage of beef during the festival if the government does not intervene and make arrangements,” Sardesai said.

New Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

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New Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat and that the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building.

The Prime Minister expressed his views while laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament building which is proposed to be completed in 2022 when the country will celebrate the 75th year of Independence.

“If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India. The new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said the Prime Minister while addressing members of Parliament and other dignitaries present in the event at the Parliament House premises.

“If work is done to fulfill the needs of the country in the old Parliament House, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building.”

Continuing his speech with a vision of making “India as the mother of democracy” for the world, the Prime Minister said the world has been witnessing India achieving success in the 21st Century.

The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to give their best to make India gain the highest honors in the 21st Century.

Noting that the existing Parliament building was constructed 93 years ago, the Prime Minister said that the new Parliament building is a mixture of the new and the old.

“This is the need of the 21st Century India to construct a new Parliament building. The new building will improve the efficiency of parliamentarians as it will be equipped with modern infrastructure.”

He also said that every parliamentarian will have to be more dedicated to service to make the new Parliament building a temple with their conduct, thought, and behavior.

The new Parliament building will be built in an area of 64,500 sq meters at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

The new Parliament building has been designed by HCP Design and Management Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad and the construction would be carried out by Tata Projects Ltd, keeping the needs and requirements for the next 100 years in mind.

The building is to be equipped with all modern audiovisual communication facilities and data network systems.

Each Member of Parliament would also be provided with a 40 square meter office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, construction for which is slated to be completed by 2024.

The building will have a seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during Joint Sessions. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha Chamber would have a seating capacity of 384 members.

JJP is of farmers, for farmers: Digvijay Chautala

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JJP is of farmers, for farmers: Digvijay Chautala

Sensing the tone and tenor of its lawmakers, Haryana BJP coalition partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Chautala on Monday said party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has been in constant talks with the Central leadership over the protest of farmers, saying “the party is of the farmers and for the farmers”.

His assertion assumes significance a day after many legislators of the JJP, the crucial post-electoral coalition partner with the BJP-led government in Haryana, extended their support to the farmers against the new farm laws.

“The meeting is expected to resolve the issue (of farmers) on December 9. All 90 MLAs of Haryana are in favor of farmers,” Digvijay, the younger brother of Dushyant Chautala, said in a video tagged with his tweet.

“Dushyant Chautala is constantly holding talks with the Union ministers and he’s advocating for the cause of farmers so that they do not face problems,” he categorically said. At the same time, he said they were born in a farmer’s family.

“We all 10 legislators of our party are born in a farmer’s house. How is possible that we are not concerned about the issues of the farmers. The farmers should be listened to, the government should do whatever changes needed. PM Narendra Modi’s government is a farmer’s government,” he added.

Political observers told IANS that the political ‘wedge’ between the BJP and JJP is widening with the talks between the Centre and the protesting farmers remaining inconclusive despite five rounds of negotiations. The sixth one is slated for December 9.

The JJP legislators who posed a challenge to the just one-year-old alliance government included Ram Kumar Gautam and Amarjeet Dhanda.

They have asked the Centre to withdraw the newly introduced farm laws. They have joined their fellow party legislator Jogiram Sihag who last month turned down the government’s offer to be the Housing Board Chairman till the farm laws guarantee the minimum support price (MSP).

The JJP has also been facing criticism within the party too for not walking out of the alliance on the issue of farmers and ‘clinging to power’.

In an alliance, the JJP had extended support to the BJP, which won 40 seats, six short of the majority mark.

The latest issue of ‘irritant’ in the government led by BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar is the registration of hundreds of cases against the farmers for violence, breach of barricades, and causing disruption in the discharge of duty by government employees.

Deputy Chief Minister Chautala has been maintaining stoic silence in public over the issue, but his firebrand brother Digvijay is taking the state government to task several times.

Earlier, he has demanded that the cases against farmers must be withdrawn.

The JJP — a defector of the state’s once-prominent regional outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), is primarily a rural Jat-centric party with the farmers as its core vote bank. The Jat, a dominant farming community, comprises 28 percent of the state’s population.

Opposition trying to vitiate atmosphere: Yogi

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Opposition trying to vitiate atmosphere: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that some political parties are trying to vitiate the atmosphere and their doublespeak on the issue of farmers should be exposed.

The Chief Minister said that the opposition parties are placing their guns on the shoulders of the farmers to shoot at the government.

He said that the stand taken by the opposition parties, particularly the Congress, on the APMC Act has exposed the double standards of these parties.

“The Centre has taken revolutionary steps in agricultural reforms that safeguard the interests of the farmers. But the opposition is trying to spread misinformation to mislead the farmers. During the UPA regime, all these parties had announced their support to the APMC Act, but now they have taken a U-turn,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said that parties like Akali Dal, Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party had supported the APMC Act, but now they are showing double standards.

“Those who are supporting the call for Bharat Bandh on Tuesday should apologize to the farmers for misleading them over the farm laws,” he said.

He pointed out that the Modi government has taken revolutionary steps for the benefit of the farmers through the crop insurance scheme and the PM agricultural irrigation scheme, linking farming with technology.

Apart from this, through the ‘One Nation One Market’ scheme, the work of selling agricultural produce has been made easier, he added.

Hyderabadis give fractured mandate, TRS single largest party

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Hyderabadis give fractured mandate, TRS single largest party

Elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) threw up a hung house as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made big inroads to deny the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) a clear majority.

TRS emerged as the single largest party with 55 seats in the 150-member municipal body while the BJP won 48 seats, signaling its emergence as a dominant political force in the state.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which retained 44 seats, has emerged as the kingmaker. TRS and MIM are likely to enter into a power-sharing arrangement to rule the municipal body.

The Congress could win just two seats. Owning the responsibility for the party’s disastrous performance, state Congress chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced his resignation from the post on Friday evening.

The results came as a big shock to the TRS, which had won a landslide majority in 2016 with 99 seats. With just four seats in the previous elections, the BJP improved its performance manifold.

The result in one division (Neredmet) was withheld as the number of ballots with ‘distinguished mark’ other than ‘swastik’ was more than the majority of TRS. The ruling party was leading by 505 seats but ballots with ‘distinguished mark’ other than ‘swastik’ were 544. The result will be subject to a High Court order in the matter.

The counting day saw several twists and turns in the fortunes of the parties. Though TRS appeared set to retain power with a lead in 70 divisions at around 4 p.m., the scene changed subsequently with the BJP racing ahead in divisions where it was locked in a neck-and-neck battle with the TRS.

The newly-elected corporators and 52 ex-officio members will elect the Mayor. Since TRS has majority of ex-officio members, it required 65 corporators to have its Mayor. The party may now have to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with the MIM if the latter doesn’t extend unconditional support. In 2009, when GHMC polls had thrown a similar verdict, the Congress had shared power with the MIM, leaving the post of Mayor to MIM for two years.

The post of Mayor this time has been reserved for women. Terming the results, not to the expectations of the party, TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said the party fell short by 20-25 seats. When asked about the possibility of an alliance with the MIM, he said the party would discuss all the issues and then make a decision.

Performing beyond its own expectations and making big inroads in the state capital, the BJP replaced MIM as the second-largest party. The saffron party fought the polls with all the might with top Central leaders and Union ministers campaigning for its candidates.

The party’s state chief Bandi Sanjay said that people have taught a lesson to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his arrogance and corruption. He said despite all the unfair means adopted by the TRS, people gave their mandate to the BJP and they see it as the sole alternative to TRS.

Counting of votes cast in all 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. at 30 places in the city with Telangana State Election Commission deploying over 8,000 personnel.

The police made elaborate security arrangements in the city in view of the counting. Prohibitory orders and traffic restrictions were imposed around the counting centers.

The police in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda has imposed a ban on victory rallies for the next 48 hours.

Out of the total 74.67 lakh voters, 46.55 percent had cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. There were 1,925 postal ballots. Polling in one division was stopped due to discrepancy in the ballot paper and a re-poll was held on Thursday.

A total of 1,122 candidates tested their political fortunes. The bitterly contested elections saw a high-decibel campaign with the participation of several central ministers and top national leaders of the BJP.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, BJP President J.P. Nadda, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for the BJP.

The campaign also saw no holds barred attack by political opponents. The promise by BJP leaders to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar if the party was voted to power also sparked a row.

1st T20I: Rahul, Jadeja help India set 162-run target for Australia

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1st T20I: Rahul, Jadeja help India set 162-run target for Australia

A well-compiled half-century from KL Rahul and a late onslaught from Ravindra Jadeja helped India post a 162-run target for Australia in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Manuka Oval on Friday.

Put into bat, India didn’t have a great start as they lost a wicket early in the innings. Shikhar Dhawan was undone by a brilliant outswinger in the third over bowled by Mitchell Starc and went back to the pavilion after scoring just one.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who came into bat next, then stitched a nice, little partnership with Rahul and took the Indian score to 48. Just when the scoring rate seemed to be going up, Mitchell Swepson got the prized scalp of Kohli who was caught & bowled by the leg-spinner at his individual score of 9.

However, Rahul continued his good run and kept scoring boundaries whenever the Australian bowlers erred and along with Sanju Samson, took forward the Indian innings. Samson, during his stay at the wicket, played some beautiful shots and made 23 off 15 before he was caught at covers while trying to hit a boundary against Moises Henriques.

Next batsman Manish Pandey (2 off 8) didn’t have a long stay at the crease and was sent back to the dressing room by Adam Zampa.

Rahul, who was till then holding one end, soon became the second scalp of Henriques who had the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman caught at long-on by Sean Abbott. Rahul smashed five fours and a six during his 40-ball inning.

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya couldn’t cast his magic this time around as he did in the ODIs as he scored 16 off 15 before getting caught at long-off by Steve Smith while trying to go for a maximum against Henriques.

However, Jadeja who has been amongst the runs in recent times provided India the much-needed impetus and scored 44 off just 23 balls, with the help of five fours and a six to help the team end their innings at 161/7.

Henriques was the pick of the Australian bowlers as he returned with figures of 3/22. Starc made two scalps while Zampa and Swepson picked one wicket apiece.

Brief scores: India 161/7 (KL Rahul 51, Ravindra Jadeja 44*; Moises Henriques 3/22)

TRS leading in 70 divisions in Gr. Hyd

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TRS leading in 70 divisions in Gr. Hyd

Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continues to maintain the lead in most of the divisions of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) despite a tough fight put up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TRS was leading in 70 out of 143 divisions, counting trends for which available till 3 p.m.

BJP was leading in 33 divisions while Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) appears to be retaining its strongholds as the party candidates were ahead in 37 divisions.

The Congress party was a distant fourth with a lead in just four divisions. Trends from the remaining seven divisions were not yet available. Results of 22 divisions were announced till 3 p.m. Of them, MIM won 13 while TRS bagged nine seats.

TRS, which had bagged 99 seats in 2016 polls, is locked in a neck and neck race with the BJP, which has improved its performance too and appears to be making big inroads in the divisions held by the ruling party.

The saffron party, which had won only four seats in previous polls, fought the polls this time with all the might at its disposal as top central leaders and union ministers campaigned for its candidates in the civic body polls.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi-led MIM seems to be holding on to the majority of 44 seats it won in 2016 polls.

The first result went in MIM’s favor as its candidate and former mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain was declared elected from Mehdipatnam.

As only 11,818 votes were polled in the division, the results were declared after the first round of counting.

Majid Hussain had become mayor of Greater Hyderabad in 2012 under a seat-sharing agreement between Congress and MIM following 2009 polls. At the age of 31, he became the youngest mayor in the country. MIM’s Rajmohan was elected from the Puranapul constituency in the old city.

TRS also opened its account when its candidate Rajkumar Patel was declared elected from the Yousufguda division.

Counting of votes cast in all 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. at 30 places in the city with Telangana State Election Commission deploying over 8,000 personnel.

Since paper ballots were used in the elections, the counting process is slow and results are likely to be known only by late evening. The authorities have arranged 150 counting halls with 14 tables in each hall.

State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy said a counting supervisor and two counting assistants were deployed at each table.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city in view of the counting. Prohibitory orders and traffic restrictions were imposed around counting centers.

Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda police imposed a ban on victory rallies for the next 48 hours.

Out of the total 74.67 lakh voters, 46.55 percent has cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. There were 1,925 postal ballots.

Polling in one division was stopped due to discrepancy in the ballot paper and a re-poll was held on Thursday.

The day will decide the political fortunes of 1,122 candidates. The bitterly contested elections saw a high-decibel campaign with the participation of several central ministers and top national leaders of BJP.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for BJP, which fought hard to wrest the key municipal body from the TRS. Congress, MIM, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were among the other major contesting parties.

The campaign saw no-hold-barred attacks by political opponents. Remarks by some leaders created controversies. The promise by BJP leaders to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar if the party voted to power had sparked a row.

Six TDP MLAs suspended, ex-CM Naidu walks out of AP Assembly

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Six TDP MLAs suspended, ex-CM Naidu walks out of AP Assembly

Six opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs were suspended for the day on Friday by the Speaker as the Andhra Pradesh Assembly witnessed pandemonium on the fifth day of its Winter Session.

After Nimmala Ramanaidu, Bucchaya Choudary, Jogeshwara Rao, Satya Prasad, Ashok, and Ramaraju were suspended on the last day of the session, the opposition leader and former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu also walked out of the House in protest.

Pandemonium prevailed as members discussed the dairy industry, with ruling and opposition legislators engaged in heated exchange of words.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy said that he had expected Naidu to be present during the discussion on the dairy industry but he, unfortunately, chose to let his party members storm the Speaker’s podium and create chaos for selfish purposes.

Reddy alleged that the opposition leader had given media interviews and was spreading “falsehoods” after walking out of the House.

Meanwhile, Speaker Tammineni Seetharam objected to the conduct of opposition lawmakers in the Assembly. “Every day, you are blocking the House from functioning. I am sad to suspend you every day. Considering their behavior, I have no other option,” lamented Seetharam.

Ruling party whip Gadikota Srikanth Reddy complained that valuable time of the Assembly members was getting wasted daily while voicing his displeasure over the TDP MLAs’ conduct near the Speaker’s seat.

AP govt not clearing village development bills of Rs 2.5K cr: TDP

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AP govt not clearing village development bills of Rs 2.5K cr: TDP

Even as opposition leaders took out a protest rally to the Assembly on Friday, TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh accused the Andhra Pradesh government of not paying up Rs 2,500 crore in bills raised for developmental activities done in villages during the TDP rule.

“The government is harassing them by not paying up bills totaling Rs 2,500 crore to those who carried out developmental activities in villages during the Telugu Desam Party regime,” Lokesh said.

He demanded that the government led by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy should immediately clear the pending bills.

Lokesh demanded that the pending bills of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme should also be paid immediately.

Meanwhile, TDP National President and former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu were among those who rallied along with fellow legislators on the fifth day of the Assembly Winter Session, carrying placards and posters in protest.

Earlier, Naidu slammed Reddy for allegedly “misleading and betraying poor beneficiaries by spreading fake news on pensions, ration cards, and other benefits”.

BJP gains in UP Vidhan Parishad polls

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BJP gains in UP Vidhan Parishad polls

BJP is emerging as a major gainer in the elections to 11 seats of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council which began a day ago and is still underway amid tight security on Friday.

The BJP, earlier, had not put up candidates in these elections but this time, the saffron party has fielded candidates.

In these 11 seats, there are five block graduate and six section teacher seats, on which BJP, Samajwadi Party, and Congress have fielded candidates.

Umesh Dwivedi of BJP won the Lucknow Teachers seat. He got a total of 7,065 votes, while second place was held by Independent candidate Dr. Mahendra Nath Rai.

Out of a total of 17,985 votes, Umesh Dwivedi got 7,065 votes after counting 17,077 valid votes. Mahendra Nath Rai got 3,818 votes. Samajwadi Party candidate Uma Shankar got 2,238 first preference votes. The counting of votes for the graduate constituency is still underway.

The Uttar Pradesh Secondary Teachers Association (Sharma faction) candidate Dhruv Kumar Tripathi has scored a hat-trick win in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Block Teacher Constituency in the 2020 elections.

He becomes the first candidate to win this seat three times in a row. He defeated his nearest rival Ajay Singh by 1,008 votes. Dhruv got 10,227 votes while Ajay Singh got 9,219 votes. The Meerut division Teachers seat has thrown one of the biggest shockers of the season.

BJP candidate Shrichand Sharma got the highest 8,222 votes after counting all the preference votes. His nearest rival and eight-time Legislative Council member Om Prakash Sharma was defeated with just 3,305 votes.

Om Prakash Sharma has held the seats for 48 years and his defeat has left many shocked.

The voting percentage in teachers’ constituencies was relatively better than that in the five graduates’ constituencies, with the highest turnout of 73.94 percent witnessed in Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers constituency; followed by 73.48 percent in Bareilly-Moradabad; 70.78 in Agra; and 68.83 in Varanasi Teachers’ seat.

At 33.93 percent, the Varanasi division graduates’ constituency reported the lowest voter turnout, followed by Agra at 41.56 percent. A total of 199 candidates contested the 11 Vidhan Parishad seats in UP MLC Elections.

Of the six MLC seats in the teachers’ quota, BJP fielded candidates on four seats while Samajwadi Party and Sharma faction fielded candidates on all six seats.

The tenure of the members in these seats was completed in May this year, but the elections could not be held due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown.

Counting of votes begin in Greater Hyderabad polls

TB Team
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Counting of votes begin in Greater Hyderabad polls

Counting of the votes cast in Tuesday’s Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) municipal polls began on Friday amid tight security.

Counting of the votes cast in all 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. at 30 places in the city with the Telangana State Election Commission deploying over 8,000 personnel.

Since paper ballots were used in the elections, the results are likely to be known only late in the evening. Postal ballots were first taken up for counting. The authorities have arranged 150 counting halls with 14 tables in each hall.

State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy said a counting supervisor and two assistants were deployed at each table. Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city in view of the counting.

Prohibitory orders and traffic restrictions were imposed around counting centers. Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda police have imposed a ban on victory rallies for the next 48 hours.

Out of a total of 74.67 lakh voters, 46.55 percent has cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. Polling in one division was stopped due to discrepancy in the ballot paper and a re-poll was held on Thursday.

The day will decide the political fortunes of 1,122 candidates. The bitterly contested elections saw a high-decibel campaign with the participation of several central ministers and top national leaders of the BJP.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani; BJP president J.P. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have campaigned for the BJP, which fought hard to wrest the key municipal body from ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Congress, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were among the other major contesting parties.

The campaign saw no-hold-barred attacks by political opponents. Remarks by some leaders created controversies.

The promise by BJP leaders to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar if the party voted to power also sparked a row. In the 2016 elections, TRS had captured GHMC with a landslide majority of 99 in a 150-member body.

The MIM was the second-largest party with 44 seats, while the BJP was distant with only four seats.

Rajinikanth will launch his political party

Team TeluguBullet
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Rajinikanth will launch his political party

Kollywood superstar Rajinikanth will launch his long anticipated political party in the month of January, five months before the Tamil Nadu election. Breaking the suspense over his political plunge, Rajinikanth took to his Twitter and said, “We will win the assembly polls and give honest, transparent, corruption free, spiritual secular politics without the caste or religion. A miracle will definitely happen.”

2.0 star said to the reports that he is ready to sacrifice even his life for the sake of Tamil people and added, “If I win it will be people’s victory, even if I lose it will be their defeat. The time has come to change the fate of Tamil Nadu. Political and government change in Tamil Nadu is important. It will surely change.”According to Rajinikanth, his party with the support of people will capture power and provide a corruption free government.

Earlier in 2017, Rajinikanth announced his entry into politics, at a time when Tamil Nadu faced a vacuum after the demise of Jayalalithaa and ailing of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. While versatile actor Kamal Hassan launched his party Makkal Nidhi Maiyyam, Rajinikanth has not announced a party.

Chhattisgarh CM wants FCI to procure 40L MT of rice

TB Team
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Chhattisgarh CM wants FCI to procure 40L MT of rice

Amid the ongoing protest by the farmers against the Central farm laws, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written a letter to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal, seeking permission for the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure 26 lakh metric tonnes of parboiled (usna) rice and 14 lakh metric tonnes of raw (arwa) rice under the Central pool in the Kharif year 2020-21.

In his letter, the Chief Minister said that 400 usna rice mills in the state have a milling capacity of 5.68 lakh metric tonnes per month while 1,504 arwa rice mills in the state have a milling capacity of 18.83 lakh metric tonnes per month.

Informing Goyal that the FCI in Kharif year 2016-17 and earlier had procured parboiled rice as well as raw rice, Baghel said that the FCI should procure the surplus paddy (parboiled and raw) from the state so that paddy procured under the DCP scheme can be processed timely without any damage to the crop.

“The Centre has approved the action plan to take 60 lakh metric tonnes of rice after custom milling of paddy to be procured at the support price in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21 in the state of Chhattisgarh,” the CM said.

Out of this, it is expected that 40 lakh metric tonnes of surplus rice will be procured by the FCI under the Central pool and the remaining 20 lakh metric tonnes will be procured by the Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation for its requirement under the PDS scheme.

Time has come to change fate of TN: Rajinikanth

TB Team
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Time has come to change fate of TN: Rajinikanth

Time has come to change the fate of Tamil Nadu, while political and government change in the state is important and compulsion of time, said actor Rajinikanth on Thursday.

The actor sounded his poll bugle against the ruling AIADMK government as well as against the major opposition party DMK.

Rajinikanth said he would float his political party in January 2021 and an announcement in that regard will be made on December 31, 2020.

Speaking to reporters here, Rajinikanth said: “The time has come to change the fate of Tamil Nadu. Political and government change in the state is important. It will surely change. Political change is important and is compulsion of time. If not now, it is not possible ever. Everything has to be changed. We will change everything.” He appealed to all to support him to bring in the change.

“I am just a small instrument in the change. If I win then it is people’s victory,” he added.

He said that in 2017 he had announced his decision to enter politics and contest in all the 234 Assembly seats.

According to him, though doctors had advised against holding rallies, if his life goes for the benefit of people then he is not worried about it. Rajinikanth also said 40 percent shooting is pending for his movie Annaatthe which he will complete.

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