Incessant heavy rains today led to water-logging at IGI airport in New Delhi, causing inconvenience to passengers who waded through knee deep water while the baggage handling system was left crippled.            

The monsoon arrived in Delhi today a fortnight ahead of schedule, with national capital recording around 36.6 mm rainfall. But the airport witnessed an "unprecedented" rainfall of 117.8 mm in four and half hours, between 1 PM and 5.30 PM.            

The airport experienced 62.8 mm of rains between 1 pm and 2.30 pm and 55 mm between 2.30 PM and 5.30 pm. The amount of rain water, combined with poor drainage in the surrounding area and topography of airport led to back flow of water towards the Terminal 3 of the airport.            

The much awaited reshuffle of the Union cabinet will take place tomorrow, ahead of which C P Joshi also stepped down as Cabinet minister after Ajay Maken.

Both Joshi and Maken had handed over their resignations last night. Their resignations were today accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee with immediate effect, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said. The reshuffle will take place tomorrow evening, a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said.

The names of Meenakshi Natarajan, considered close to party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, and Oscar Fernandes are being mentioned in Congress circles for a possible berth in the Union Council of Ministers. There was also speculation that Minister of State Charan Das Mahant, who hails from poll-bound Chhattisgarh where the Congress leadership was attacked by Maoists recently, will be elevated. Joshi, who was holding dual portfolios of surface transport and highways and railways, resigned following "directives" from the Congress high command, sources close to him told PTI.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed issues relating to preparation for upcoming assembly election, in which Congress will seek to retain power for fourth consecutive terms.

Dikshit's meeting with Gandhi came before AICC announced a major organisational reshuffle, in which Shakeel Ahmed has been made AICC in-charge of Delhi.

Another prominent Congress leader from Delhi Ajay Maken has been made General Secretary of AICC. Assembly poll in Delhi is scheduled for November.

The JD-U today slammed the "autocratic personality cult" in the BJP, without taking any name, in a strident criticism of Narendra Modi and the party leadership's decision to elevate him as its poll campaign chief.      

The JD-U in a resolution adopted before walking out of its 17-year-old alliance with the party leading the NDA said the anointment of the Gujarat chief minister as chairman of BJP's election campaign committee for the next Lok Sabha elections did not augur well for the health of the country's "secular and democratic polity."

Low-cost carrier AirAsia on Sunday announced industry leader Ratan Tata as chief advisor to the board of its Indian venture.

Announcing Tata's name for the position, Malaysia-based AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes also said that the name of chairman for AirAsia India board would also be disclosed soon.

"Persuading Tata to be advisor has not been easy. Critical, we have someone of his massive experience to help me chart Airasia India with Mittu (Chandilya) and myself," Fernandes announced on micro-blogging site Twitter.

A spirited Rajnath Singh, BJP president, addressed the media after JD-U parted ways with them. "It is unfortunate that JD-U broke coalition with us. We had an emotional coalition for 17 years," he said.

"Is it a crime that I appointed Modi as the campaign committee head for 2014 polls? Even during the Congress rule there were major communal riots. The BJP does not play communal politics.In 2002, the riots were unfortunate but is Narendra Modi responsible for it -- riots have not occurred only in the BJP regime... why brand us communal," he said.

"The situation in Bihar is unfortunate. The BJP has not betrayed anyone," Singh added.

Launching an attack on the Congress, Singh said, "Now the time has come to remove the Congress from power. BJP wants to take all non-Congress parties together and work for India's development. Hum dhokha kha sakte hain par dhokha de nahin sakte (We never betray people even though they may betray us)," he said,

"The JD-U and BJP have divorced today. People gave a fitting reply to both the JD-U and the BJP in Maharajgunj by-polls," says Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi addresses the media after split with the JD-U. "It's a black day in the history of Bihar politics. JD-U had given time till December 31 to name PM nominee. It had earlier called the elevation of Narendra Modi as an internal matter."

"The BJP has always followed coalition dharma. Nitish Kumar should quit as he was NDA's nominee for the chief minister's post. The JD-U has cheated the people of Bihar, breached their trust," he said.

The BJP has called for Bihar Bandh on June 18, he said.     

Congress reshuffle: Oscar Fernandes, Vilas Muttamwar, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Birender Singh dropped as general secretaries.

The Congress is announcing reshuffle of key posts in the Cabinet ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls. The party now has 12 general secretaries and 42 secretaries.

Ajay Maken, Ambika Soni, C P Joshi have been appointed as Congress general secretaries. Ajay Maken to head Congress's media cell, which has been named the communications department. He will be assisted by Priya Dutt.

Rahul Gandhi will look after frontal organisations, said Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi addressing the media.

Ahmed Patel remains the party's political advisor and Moti Lal Vohra as treasurer.      

Vicky Nanjappa reports: All 11 Bharatiya Janata Party ministers have been sacked from the Bihar cabinet for 'indiscipline'. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he is not at fault for the break up of the alliance. "I was forced to leave the NDA and hence the alliance broke up," he added.

Sushma Swaraj tweets: The break up of the NDA is sad.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said: The decision of the JD-U is wrong. The decision on the PM candidate has not been made.    

After Sharad Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke to the media about the JD-U decision to break up with the BJP. Here is what he said:

"JD-U can't continue its partnership with the NDA. When there is divergence from basic principles we decided to split. Despite many requests BJP ministers did not attend the cabinet meet. I have recommended to the governor that 11 BJP ministers should be sacked from the cabinet for their indiscipline. I can't see how BJP ministers can stay within the ministry and can't work," he said.

"The relationship with the BJP worked till there was no outside interference.Pur achievements announced in April were seen against somebody."   

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal-Secular President Sharad Yadav address the media from Patna after the former met with the governor and announced his decision to split with the BJP.

Yadav said, "Our alliance with the BJP was for 17 years and we faced a lot of ups and downs. We have always tried to work for the benefit of the NDA. But in the past six or seven months, the turn of events have been disturbing."

"The JD-U and BJP alliance has put up a good show in Bihar as well. We had warned that we will be forced to leave even before the Goa meet. We are not concerned with who the BJP makes a leader," he said.

"Nitish and I tried our best to keep our alliance intact. The alliance is not the same as it was during the time of Advani, Vajpayee era. And hence we have decided to end the alliance with the BJP. We can't compromise on our basic values. Now, it is a matter of principle and to trust them has become difficult," he said.

Yadav has also announced his decision to step down as convenor of the NDA.  

CNN IBN reports: BJP veteran L K Advani called party chief Rajnath Singh today to discuss the alliance with the JD-U. Advani told Rajnath that Narendra Modi's elevation has led to the end of the 17-year-old alliance.   

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Governor Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil this afternoon and has informed him that the government will now function without the BJP. He also requested the governor to give him an opportunity to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

He explained to Patil the reasons for the split. The CM told the governor that a call had to be taken after the BJP ministers refused to quit the government despite the alliance breaking up.

CNN IBN reports: BJP ministers will not quit Bihar cabinet until the JD-U walks out of NDA, say sources.

Heavy rainfall has crippled Mumbai.Central and Harbor lines have come to a complete halt due to water logging at Masjid. Trains on the Western line are running late by at least 30 minutes, reports Traffline.

Water-logging reported at Hindmata, B J Road in Byculla, Elphistone Road, Lalbaug, Wadala and SV Road from Bandra to Khar. Safe roads for travel are Western Express Highway, Eastern Express Highway, Worli Sea Link, JVLR, GB Road, Eastern Freeway, C D Barfiwala and Vashi Bridge.

For more information check www.traffline.com.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may call for a special session of the Bihar assembly on June 21. He is likely to request the governor for vote of confidence to prove his majority.  

Vicky Nanjappa reports: The Janata Dal-United will pass a resolution of breaking away from the National Democratic Alliance today. The strongly-worded resolution, which is expected to be read out at 3 pm, will target Narendra Modi and cite his elevation in the BJP as the only reason for the break up.

Sources informed rediff.com that the resolution is ready and it is only a matter of time before the formal announcement is made.

The resolution will state that the JD-U wants to split from the NDA, as they did not want Modi to head alliance. Modi has "not done enough to protect Muslims and hence such a leader is not acceptable to the party," the resolution will state, according to an insider.

Just In: A reshuffle of the Union Cabinet will take place tomorrow, reports PTI.

The meet of top Janata Dal-United leaders to decide on the split with the Bharatiya Janata Party has begun at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence.   

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to meet Governor D Y Patilat 2 pm. He is expected to discuss with him his decision to end the 17-year-old alliance with the BJP.

Union Railway Minister CP Joshi has resigned ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle, which is expected tomorrow.

President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of Joshi as well as Ajay Maken, who quit as Union minister for housing and urban poverty alleviation yesterday.  

The Bihar cabinet meeting has started without BJP ministers. Bihar NDA convenor Nand Kishore Yadav said, "There is no point in attending cabinet meet unless Nitish Kumar doesn't specify his stand."

Contradicting to Bihar BJP chief he said that the BJP ministers won't resign. "They want the alliance to remain intact."    

Bihar BJP chief CP Thakur said the ministers of his party will submit their resignations if needed. "We will not compromise of the elevation of Narendra Modi," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Rajnath Singh has called a meeting with senior party leaders from Bihar if needed.  

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the party is hopeful that the Janata Dal-United will take a decision in favour of the people of Bihar. "We are waiting for JD-U's decision and that's why BJP ministers are not attending Cabinet meeting," he told CNN IBN.

It is certain that the BJP will skip the Cabinet meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at 11.30 am, but the latter is now exploring options to dismiss the BJP ministers in case they abstain, reports Vicky Nanjappa.   

The 17-year-old alliance between the Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party will come to an end today, reports Vicky Nanjappa. 

Janata Dal - United President Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met in Patna tonight.