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Mon, 23 December 2019
CM blames tie-up failure for Jharkhand loss
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23:00 CM blames tie-up failure for Jharkhand loss
Jharkhand's outgoing Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party's failure to cling on to the alliance with the All Jharkhand Students' Union party and the opposition parties' ability to keep their coalition intact are the reasons for the its loss in the assembly election.
He, however, said it was his defeat, and not of the BJP.
As per the trends available on the Election Commission website at 10 pm, Das was trailing BJP rebel candidate and former minister Saryu Roy by over 15,000 votes in Jamshedpur (East) constituency.
"Our alliance could not happen while the opposition coalition remained intact. The party will review all the points (that led to the defeat) and try to plug the loopholes," he told reporters after submitting his resignation letter to Governor Droupadi Murmu.
The BJP and the AJSU party, which had been in alliance since the creation of the state 19 years ago, failed to reach a seat-sharing formula and poached each other's leaders to field them in the assembly elections.
Das, whose government is first one to complete five years in the state, said, "I have honestly worked for the development of Jharkhand, providing electricity, roads and other schemes, covering every section of the society. In future also, I will serve as a BJP worker as party has always been working for the building of nation."
About the party's target of winning 65 seats in the 81-member assembly, he said one should always set a big goal.
"Win and loss is a part of democracy. I don't go ga ga over wins and get upset at losses. I assure the people to provide a constructive role in the development of the state and the nation as an opposition party," he said.
The BJP contested 79 seats, supported an Independent candidate in one constituency and did not put up nominee against AJSU Party president Sudesh Mahto.
The saffron party's Bihar allies-- the Janata Dal-United and Lok Janshakti Party-- contested the elections on their own and none of their candidates was leading anywhere. -- PTI
22:20 Maha won't implement CAA, NRC: Thorat
Congress leader and Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat on Monday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented in the state.
"In Maharashtra, Citizenship (Amendment) Act and NRC will not be implemented," Thorat said at Congress' 'Satyagraha for Unity' protest at Rajghat. -- ANI
22:06 Delhi likely to witness longest December cold spell after 1997
The national capital is likely to witness its longest cold spell in December after 1997 with the Meteorological Department predicting another cold day on Tuesday.
According to Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the India Meteorological Department's regional forecasting centre, a 'cold day' is when the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 notches below the normal.
A 'severe cold day' is when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5 degrees Celsius below the normal, he said.
Since December 16, the national capital has witnessed eight consecutive cold days or an eight-day cold spell so far, he said, adding that it has already equalled the eight-day cold spell in December 2014.
Another cold day is predicted on Tuesday, Srivastava said.
"Delhi had witnessed 17 cold days and a 13-day cold spell in December 1997," he said.
The national capital may witness a cold wave on December 28 and 29 as the minimum temperature is likely to drop to 4C, he said. -- PTI
21:35 Pawar, Uddhav meet amid cabinet expansion talks
Amid talks of imminent expansion of Maharashtra cabinet, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar held discussions in Mumbai on Monday evening.
Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, and Pawar remained closeted in a meeting for nearly one hour at the Sahyadri Guest House, sources said, adding that no leader of the Congress was present.
The Sena, NCP and the Congress are constituents of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that came to power on November 28 this year. On the same day, six ministers from all the three parties, apart from Thackeray who took oath as the CM, were administered the oath of the office.
"The Cabinet expansion will be carried out after holding discussions with the Congress," an NCP leader said.
Asked about the meeting, Shiv Sena leader and Home Minister Eknath Shinde told Marathi news channel 'ABP Majha' that the chief minister will give official information about the cabinet expansion.
Earlier in the day, Sharad Pawar told reporters that allocation of portfolios is the prerogative of the chief minister.
"We also are waiting when our colleagues will be invited to take oath," the NCP chief said.
Responding to a query whether the NCP's list of ministers is ready, Pawar said his party doesn't take much time to finalise anything.
"We don't have to go anywhere to seek anybody's permission," he said in an apparent jibe at the ally Congress.
A senior Congress leader had said that ministerial faces will be decided after holding discussions with the party high-command in Delhi.
The opposition BJP had targetted the MVA government ahead of the recently-held winter session of the state legislature over delay in allocating ministries. -- PTI
20:47 GoAir plane returns to Guwahati minutes after take-off
A GoAir aircraft flying to Kolkata on Monday returned to the city airport a little over 10 minutes after take-off as it suffered a technical snag, an official said.
This is the second incident involving a GoAir plane in as many days. On Sunday, a Mumbai-bound aircraft from Chandigarh returned due to a technical snag.
On Monday, the A320 plane, carrying 139 people, sought an air turn back from the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) citing a minor technical snag, an official of Airports Authority of India said.
GoAir confirmed the incident and said the glitch-hit aircraft is being inspected and rectified by its team of engineers.
'The pilot of GoAir flight G8 546, operating on Guwahati-Kolkata route, soon after getting airborne at 11:17 am requested (the Air Traffic Control) for a turn back, saying there was a minor technical problem in the aircraft,' the official told PTI.
The aircraft landed back safely at 11:29 am with 132 passengers and seven crew members on board, the official added.
As per the official, the aircraft has been grounded and a decision over it flying again would be taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
'GoAir flight G8 546 from Guwahati to Kolkata did an air turn back due to a technical glitch. After turn back, the flight landed safely at Kolkata airport with 132 passengers on board,' GoAir said in a statement.
The aircraft is being inspected and rectified by GoAir engineering team. Alternate flight arrangements are being explored to accommodate the passengers to their destination, it added. -- PTI
20:25 Harsh Shringla to be next Foreign Secretary
Indian envoy to US, Harsh Shringla, will be the next Foreign Secretary of India.
He will replace Vijay Gokhale on January 29, 2020.
20:18 Jharkhand: Raghubar Das resigns as CM
Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das has submitted his resignation to governor Draupadi Murmu at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
Das on Monday conceded the defeat in the assembly polls
"It is not BJP's defeat, it is my defeat," Das told reporters at a press conference.
19:38 No place for NRC in Andhra Pradesh, says Jagan
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday announced that his government was opposed to the National Register of Citizens and would not implement it in the state.
Addressing a public meeting after launching some developmental works in Kadapa, the chief minister asserted that his government was against the NRC.
"After I landed here on Monday, several minority groups came to me and requested that I make a statement on NRC. I told them clearly that state government will not support it," the chief minister said.
He recalled that deputy chief minister Amzath Basha had made a statement on the issue a few days ago.
"He had discussed the issue with me before making that statement. I fully endorse that. The entire government is committed to it. We are against NRC and there is no question of supporting it," Jagan told the minorities.
19:05 PM congratulates Hemant Soren for Jharkhand win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Hemant Soren, who led JMM-Congress alliance, for win in Jharkhand assembly polls.
"Congratulations to @HemantSorenJMM Ji and the JMM-led alliance for the victory in the Jharkhand polls. Best wishes to them in serving the state," the PM tweeted.
"I thank the people of Jharkhand for having given @BJP4India the opportunity to serve the state for many years. I also applaud the hardworking Party Karyakartas for their efforts. We will continue serving the state and raising people-centric issues in the times to come," he said in another tweet.
18:38 Respect people's mandate in Jharkhand: Amit Shah
Union home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah tweets, "We respect the mandate given by the people of #Jharkhand. We express our gratitude towards them for giving us the opportunity to serve them for 5 years. BJP is committed towards continuous development in the state".
18:12 My defeat, not BJP's, says outgoing Jharkhand CM
Conceding loss in the assembly polls, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday said it was his defeat, not of the BJP. As per the latest trends available on the Election Commission website, Das was trailing BJP rebel candidate and former minister Saryu Roy by over 10,000 votes in Jamshedpur (East) constituency.
"It is not BJP's defeat, it is my defeat," Das told reporters at a press conference here. The BJP contested 79 seats, supported an Independent candidate in one constituency and did not put up nominee against AJSU Party president Sudesh Mahto. The saffron party's Bihar allies--the JD(U) and LJP-- contested the elections on their own and none of their candidates was leading anywhere. -- PTI
18:11 My defeat, not BJP's, says outgoing Jharkhand CM
Conceding loss in the assembly polls, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday said it was his defeat, not of the BJP. As per the latest trends available on the Election Commission website, Das was trailing BJP rebel candidate and former minister Saryu Roy by over 10,000 votes in Jamshedpur (East) constituency.
"It is not BJP's defeat, it is my defeat," Das told reporters at a press conference here. The BJP contested 79 seats, supported an Independent candidate in one constituency and did not put up nominee against AJSU Party president Sudesh Mahto. The saffron party's Bihar allies--the JD(U) and LJP-- contested the elections on their own and none of their candidates was leading anywhere. -- PTI
17:55 Bengal stands with Modi, welcomes CAA: Nadda
BJP working president J P Nadda on Monday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of "misleading" masses on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, claiming that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always prioritized politics over national interests.
"Today, we have seen that Bengal stands with Modi ji and it welcomes the Citizenship Amendment Act. The people of Bengal are 'desh-bhakts'," Nadda said.
Addressing a rally, he said the amended law grants citizenship, does not take it away, as claimed by a section of people. "It is unfortunate that Mamata Banerjee has always given priority to her politics over national interests. The TMC and other opposition parties are misleading people on the amended law. They are only bothered about securing vote banks," he said.
Nadda, accompanied by senior BJP leaders, including West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, had taken out a march earlier in the day in support of the amended citizenship law. The senior BJP leader claimed that "Muslims have flourished in our country, but Hindus have suffered torture in Pakistan". -- PTI
17:46 Jharkhand verdict conclusively against NRC/CAA
People of at least one state have conclusively given their verdict that they do not want NRC, CAA: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
17:41 Surprised over Modi's NRC comments: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was surprised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that his government never discussed a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Pawar said President Ram Nath Kovind had talked about the government's plan to implement NRC across the country in his joint address to Parliament.
Even Home Minister Amit Shah had also spoken on this issue in Rajya Sabha, Pawar told reporters. Modi on Sunday said the nationwide NRC has not been discussed by his government and noted that it has been carried out only in Assam so far following the apex court's order. Pawar said he was surprised by Modi's comments, made during a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
"When a major policy is brought, a discussion takes place at the government level. Such a policy will not come before the country without that. Secondly, the country's home minister had said in Parliament that they will bring NRC across the country," Pawar said.
He recalled the President too had talked about implementing the NRC across the country. The President's speech reflects the government's policy, Pawar said. "Now to say there was no discussion on this (NRC in the Cabinet) is not right," he added. "I think the government has failed on every front. To divert attention of the public at large from such a situation, they are raising such issues and giving such speeches. Beyond that there is nothing in it," Pawar added. Pawar also accused the Modi government of not handling the country's economy properly. -- PTI
17:33 Reactions: Chidambaram
Former union minister P Chidambaram on Monday thanked the voters of Jharkhand for going with the coalition of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal and added that the election results have shown that the BJP is "slipping" nationwide.
"Dented in Haryana, denied in Maharashtra, defeated in Jharkhand. That is the story of the BJP in 2019. All non-BJP parties must raise their sights and rally around the Congress to save the Constitution of India," Chidambaram tweeted.
"I thank the people of Jharkhand for this victory. In Haryana, they (BJP) won with a very little leading, while in Maharashtra they tried to grab the seat via back door but continuously they are slipping down," Chidambaram told reporters.
The three parties seem all set to cross the majority mark of 41 in Jharkhand, according to trends now. The ruling BJP appears to be sliding in numbers compared to earlier trends and was leading on 25 seats. It has won two seats.
17:09 First reactions on the JMM+ win in Jharkhand
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar: The result of Jharkhand Assembly polls that has come today clearly states that people are with non-BJP parties. After Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, people have decided to keep BJP away from power in Jharkhand also.
17:04 Thank you, Jharkhand! Hemant Soren on poll win
Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) in Ranchi begins his victory lap with a vote of thanks to the people of Jharkhand for the mandate. "I want to thank Laluji, Soniaji, Rahulji and Priyankaji and all Congress leaders for all the support and for believing in me." He said he will work for everyone and for the betterment of Jharkhand.
Soren is the consensus CM candidate for the alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das has already conceded defeat. "The BJP will accept the people's mandate," he said, as it became clear that the rival JMM-Congress alliance was comfortably past the majority mark of 41.
Raghubar Das had earlier said he was confident the BJP would pull through and win in the end. "I am hopeful that the result will be in our favour. I am waiting for final results," he said later.
16:39 People trust Soren to fulfil aspirations: Mamata
Congratulating JMM leader Hemant Soren on the latest Jharkhand poll trends, which showed that the opposition coalition led by his party was ahead of the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said people have faith he would fulfil their aspirations.
Banerjee also said that elections were held amid protests over amended citizenship law and proposed countrywide NRC, and extended good wishes to the "brothers and sisters" of the neighbouring state for voting in favour of the JMM- Congress-RJD alliance.
"Congratulations @HemantSorenJMM ji, @RJDforIndia, @INCJharkhand on winning. People of Jharkhand have entrusted U to fulfill their aspirations. My good wishes to all brothers/sisters in Jharkhand. Elections were held during #CAA_NRC_Protest. This is a verdict in favour of citizens," she tweeted.
The three-party opposition alliance in Jharkhand is leading in 47 of the 81 assembly seats, while the ruling BJP has bagged one constituency and was ahead in 23, according to the latest trends available on Election Commission website. PTI
15:55 BJP refused permission to hold pro-CAA rally in WB
Siliguri Metropolitan Police (SMP) on Monday denied BJP the permission to organise a rally in support of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
According to party sources, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis along with BJP leaders likely Mukul Roy and Dilip Ghosh are likely to participate in the rally slated for Tuesday afternoon.
"We came here to take permission for the BJP rally. The Commissioner of Police has denied us permission. His reason was that things may get out of hand during the rally and the police are short on staff to control if any untoward situation arises," said Rathindra Nath Bose, State general secretary of BJP talking to ANI.
"The actual reason for denying the permission is that Trinamool Congress is scared of BJP. The TMC fears that it will be wiped out in 2021 Assembly elections in the state," he added.
15:29 Soren meets father as polls suggest victory
JMM's Hemant Soren is leading from Barhait assembly constituency by margin of 11668 votes and from Dumka seat by 2750 votes. He met his father, Shibu Soren, the founder of the party, at his residence.
15:27 Dhankhar shown black flags at Jadavpur University
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was shown black flags on Monday by a section of students at the Jadavpur University where he went to attend a meeting as its chancellor. The students surrounded his car and shouted slogans, asking the governor to "go back".
Amid the fracas, Dhankhar was stuck for around 45 minutes after which he was escorted to the court meeting venue by security men. "As Chancellor would be presiding the 10th Meeting of the 9th Court of the Jadavpur University scheduled to be held on Monday, the 23rd of December, 2019 at 200 p.m. in the Committee Room No. I of the University," Dhankhar had said in a tweet. -- PTI
15:05 I have full faith Cong alliance will win: Ghulam
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said that the Congress alliance will come to power in Jharkhand. "I have full faith that the alliance of Congress, JMM, and other parties will come to power in Jharkhand," Ghulam told the media persons.
Jharkhand went to polls for 81 Assembly seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20 and saw 65.17 per cent voter turnout. Ghulam said that the people can finally see through the blatant lies being told by the BJP.
"Slowly and steadily, BJP is being exposed and people are realizing that, in six years, the party has not fulfilled a single promise," the Congress leader added.
He also said that BJP will not form government in any state in the upcoming assembly elections.Meanwhile, keeping hopes alive to retain power again, BJP leader and Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that the trends should not be seen as final results of the election.
"These trends are not the final word. There are more rounds of counting to be held," he told media here. - ANI
BJP: 27, JMM+43 AJSU: 4 Others: 3
14:49 People rising above BJP's divisive politics: Cong on Jharkhand
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday asserted that the Jharkhand assembly election results show that the people are rising above the 'divisive politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party'.
"This is a clear victory of the democratic process in the country. It is evident that the common people are realizing that they (BJP) are polarising the people of the country with divisive issues for their political benefits," Venugopal told ANI.
The Congress leader said that the people want to analyze the performance of the incumbent state government for the assembly elections."However, they (BJP) are not ready to be judged on their programs and policies. They want to bank upon the divisive issues. Now the people are realizing that and this is why they have given us more seats in the assembly," Venugopal said.
"These people are not interested in addressing the issues of the common people, like unemployment, inflation, farmers' distress, and economic slowdown. They are only interested in dividing people and diverting their attention to divisive issues," he added.
Image: JMM party workers celebrate their leads at the Shibho Soren Awass in Ranchi. Pic: ANI
14:22 Saryu Rai ahead of Jharkhand CM
Saryu Rai, the independent candidate from Jamshedpur East, leading against Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das says, "Lead of about 1500-2000 will continue in the coming rounds of counting. I could win by a margin of 30,000 votes".
Roy, a former Jharkhand minister, had quit the Raghubar Das cabinet and the BJP after he was denied a ticket from Jamshedpur (West) seat, from where he had won in the 2014 polls.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das was trailing and has secured 13,708 votes.
14:00 No more tears: 790 tonnes of imported onion reach India
The first batch of imported onion weighing 790 tonnes has reached India and some quantities are being distributed to Delhi and Andhra Pradesh at a landing cost of Rs 57-60/kg, a senior Consumer Affairs Ministry official said on Monday.
An approximately 12,000-tonne of onion shipment is expected to arrive by end of December, he stated. State-run MMTC, which is importing the key kitchen staple on behalf of the government, has contracted 49,500 tonne of onion so far.
Retail onion prices are ruling at an average Rs 100 per kg in major cities, but rates are as high as Rs 160 per kg in some parts of the country. "The two consignments comprising 290 tonne and 500 tonne each has already reached Mumbai. We are offering this onion at a landed cost of Rs 57-60/kg to state governments," the official told PTI. Andhra Pradesh and Delhi governments have already placed their demands and have started lifting imported onions, he said. Onion has been imported from Turkey, Egypt and Afghanistan. More consignments are underway which should improve the domestic supplies, he added. -- PTI
13:45 BJP may support AJSU, JVM: Munda
As the trends showed JMM-Congress-RJD alliance inching towards the majority, Union Minister Arjun Munda on Monday said that if required it is for the party to decide to take support from All Jharkhand Students Union and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.
"We need to wait for the final results as these are just trends and BJP is giving close competition to the opposition in many constituencies. However, if required, it is for the party to decide to take the support of JVM and AJSU," Munda said.
"We are fighting the assembly elections alone this time. AJSU is not with us but it is the party's nature to carry alliance partners together. Even if we get the majority, we would like to take our allies together. There is a system for that. The party will decide accordingly," he added.
The Union Minister said that he believes people of Jharkhand are with the BJP since both "state and Centre government have made efforts to bring development in the state."
BJP is leading on 28 seats, while the Congress-JMM-RJD alliance is leading on 42. AJSU and JVM have three seats each.
In 2014, the BJP had a clear majority in the House with 37 seats, while its ally AJSU managed to win five Assembly seats. The tenure of the current Assembly ends on January 5, 2020. This is the fourth Assembly election in Jharkhand since the state was carved out of Bihar in 2000. Polling on 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand was held in five phases from November 30 to December 20. -- ANI
13:03 Modi is like God for non-Muslim refugees: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not less than God for non-Muslim refugees who have fled Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh facing religious persecution.
He thanked Prime Minister for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that grants citizenship to non-Hindus of three Islamic countries who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
Speaking at an event in Jaipur, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said that Modi has given a new lease of life to the non-Muslim refugees.
"Narendra Modi has emerged as God for these people who were living a hell-like life," Chouhan said."God gave them life, their mother gave them birth but it is Narendra Modi who gave them a new lease of life."Later, during an interaction with media, Chouhan ruled out any link between anti-CAA protests and BJP's performance in the Jharkhand Assembly election."No such question arises. State elections are fought on issues concerning the state," he said.
12:54 Jharkhand: Cong begins victory celebrations
Total seats: 81
Trends available: 81
BJP: 29
JMM: 24
Congress: 13
RJD: 5
JVM(P): 4
AJSU Party: 2
CPI-ML(Liberation): 1
NCP: 1 Independent: 2
Buoyed by the Opposition alliance inching closer towards victory in Jharkhand, Congress workers celebrated here at All India Congress Committee (AICC) office by bursting crackers and playing the drums.
Scores of party workers gathered outside the AICC office to celebrate even as the counting of votes is still underway.
Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have contested these Assembly elections in an alliance to oust ruling BJP from power.
The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats began at 8 am on Monday in all the 24 district headquarters amid tight security.
The state went to polls for 81 Assembly seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20.
Image: Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das is leading from his Jamshedpur (East) seat.
12:32 Confident of win: Cong
Congress's Jharkhand in-charge, RPN Singh: "We were confident that Jharkhand will give clear majority to our alliance. Trends are good but I won't make comment until final result. We've clearly said that Hemant Soren will be CM candidate of our alliance."
12:13 Jharkhand CM: Trends not final word
Jharkhand CM and BJP candidate from Jamshedpur East, Raghubar Das, is leading by 1,449 votes, as per official trends of the Election Commission. According to EC, Das is maintaining his lead in the constituency with 8,212 votes so far. Independent candidate Saryu Roy is trailing with 6,763 votes. On the other hand, Congress candidate Gourav Vallabh is way behind the duo and has garnered 1,235 votes as of now.
"These trends are not the final word. There are more rounds of counting to be held. It will not be correct to comment on these trends. I will hold a press conference later in Ranchi.
"Had Saryu Rai (opponent and Independent candidate) caused damage, I would not have received the votes, which I did so far. Let me clearly state that we're not only winning but we'll also form govt under the leadership of BJP in the state."
12:10 Results are not as per our expectations: JVM(P) leader Babulal Marandi
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) leader Babulal Marandi on Monday said that the results of the Jharkhand Assembly Elections were not as per their expectations.
"The results are not as per our expectation. We will have to accept people's mandate. We will play the role which people's mandate has given us. Let the results come, then we will sit and discuss what to do," Marandi said while talking to ANI.
Babulal Marandi is leading from Dhanwar seat by 2841 votes.The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats began at 8 am on Monday in all the 24 district headquarters amid tight security.
11:52 MS Dhoni completes 15 years in international cricket
While his state's election results are being counted, two time World Cup winning former India captain MS Dhoni has completed 15 years in international cricket.
The dasher from Ranchi, who made his debut against Bangladesh under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy in 2004, has been one of country's most impactful cricketers with 17266 runs across all formats for India.
The 38-year-old wicketkeeper turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20 Internationals while affecting a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps. His career is studded with several milestones including leading India to victory in the 2011 World Cup where finished the match with a six to help the 'Men in Blue' lift the coveted trophy.
Under Dhoni India transformed into one of the most successful limited-overs sides in world cricket and he is the only Indian captain to have won all the three major ICC trophies -- the World Cup in 2011, the T20 World Cup in 2007, the Champions Trophy in 2013. He also led Team India to the number one spot in ICC Rankings in Test and ODIs. -- PTI
11:39 Jharkhand CM likely to win seat, lose state
Jharkhand Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Raghubar Das is maintaining a lead in his home turf Jamshedpur East over an independent candidate.
According to Election Commission data, available at 10:40 am, Das bagged 8212 votes, preceded by Saryu Roy, an independent candidate who managed to get 6763 votes. While the Congress candidate Gourav Vallabh is trailing far behind the duo with only 1235 votes.
In the Jharkhand Assembly elections the BJP is leading on 27 seats while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on 23 and Congress on 13.
The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats began at 8 am on Monday in all the 24 district headquarters amid tight security.
The state went to polls for 81 Assembly seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20.
The Jharkhand assembly election results 2019 will be announced today to determine the fate of the Raghubar Das-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. -- ANI
11:08 JMM ally RJD: Mahagathbandhan will win, Soren CM
Jharkhand: Who's leading, who's trailing: JMM+ 43, BJP: 27
Former CM and JVM(P)'s Babulal Marandi leading from Dhanwar seat by 2841 votes. CPI(ML)'s Raj Kumar Yadav trailing. "The results are not as per our expectation. We will have to accept people's mandate. We will play the role which people's mandate has given us. Let the results come, then we will sit and discuss what to do.
AJSU party's Sudesh Mahto trailing in Silli seat.
JMM's Seema Devi leading by 284 votes.
Tejashwi Yadav, RJD: There is going to be a clean sweep for Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in this election. We have fought elections under leadership of Hemant Soren. He is going to be the Chief Minister.
10:48 Jharkhand: JMM+ leaps ahead of BJP
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is leading on 23 seats, as per the latest data by Election Commission of India. The Congress party is leading on 12 seats while the RJD is leading on five seats. BJP is leading on 30 seats. AJSUI is leading in four seats, and Others 4 (Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and BSP.
The trends are available for all 81 seats.
The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats began at 8 am on Monday in all the 24 district headquarters amid tight security.
The state went to polls for 81 Assembly seats in five phases from November 30 to December 20.
The Jharkhand assembly election results 2019 will be announced today to determine the fate of the Raghubar Das-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state.
BJP, JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha - Prajatantrik (JVM-P) are the main political parties in the fray. The primary fight is between the BJP and the Congress- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha alliance. (ANI)
10:26 Soren leads
JMM's Hemant Soren leading from Barhait assembly constituency by 664 votes, BJP's Simon Malto trailing.
Leads: BJP+ 30 AJSU 3 JMM-Cong-RJD: 41 JVM 3 Others: 4
10:08 Jharkhand: BJP confident of winning 50 seats
Ram Vichar Netam, the BJP incharge of Jharkhand, on Monday expressed confidence over his party retaining majority for the second consecutive term in the state with maximum 50 seats.
"The early trends may not be in our favour. But gradually you will see that the BJP will take over in all the constituencies where we have expected victory. I have been saying from starting that the BJP will form the government with people's mandate and we will win at least 50 seats," Netam told ANI.
He claimed that "no one can stop BJP from forming the government in the state.
"I have stayed in Jharkhand for 1.5 months. I had visited each and every state. On the basis of our micro-management, I am 100 per cent sure that people's mandate will be in BJP's favour," the BJP leader added when asked about the reason for his confidence.
The counting of votes for 81 Assembly constituencies is taking place in Jharkhand and the final result is expected to be announced later in the day.
The supporters of the opposition alliance in the state seem to be encouraged by exits polls that have predicted a marginal advantage to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance and have pointed towards a hung Assembly.
While ABP-C-Voter exit poll has given 35 seats to JMM, Congress and RJD combine, India Today-Axis My India exit polls predicted between 38 and 50 seats for it in the 81-member Assembly.
JMM contested on 43 seats, the Congress on 31 and Lalu Prasad's RJD, which has a relatively smaller presence in the state, contested in seven seats.The state voted in five phased-elections which saw 65.17 per cent voter turnout. -- PTI
09:59 HC directs police to videograph DMK anti-CAA rally
The Madras High Court has directed videographing of DMK's proposed rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act on Monday if the party goes ahead with it despite denial of permission by the police.
It gave the interim direction late Sunday night on PILs opposing the rally after the Tamil Nadu government counsel informed that police have denied permission for the protest as there was no firm commitment from the organisers on owning responsibility in case of any violence and damage to property.
A bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and PT Asha, however, declined to stop the rally, saying a peaceful demonstration cannot be prevented in a democratic country as it was the backbone of the democratic set up.
Petitioners R Varaaki and R Krishnamoorthy sought to restrain the DMK from organising the protest rally, contending that such "unlawful" demonstrations would affect the life of public and can turn violent and cause unrest as in similar rallies in various other places, including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. -- PTI
09:53 Rahul calls youth for CAA dharna at Raj Ghat
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gave a clarion call to youth and students to join the party sit-in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Raj Ghat on Monday. Senior Congress leaders will stage a sit-in under the aegis of party chief Sonia Gandhi from 3 pm.
The 'dharna' was earlier scheduled for Sunday."Dear students and youth of India, It's not good enough just to feel Indian. At times like these, it's critical to show that you're Indian and won't allow India to be destroyed by hatred. Join me today at 3 PM at Raj Ghat, to protest against the hate and violence unleashed on India by Modi-Shah," tweeted Rahul Gandhi.
"The dictatorial and stubborn BJP government at the Centre and in different states has used indiscriminate police force against an ordinary citizen in the name of maintaining law and order," read a statement from Congress.
Meanwhile, the party has also decided to organise a silent protest led by the Chief Ministers of the respective states ruled by it.Protests erupted across the country over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which seeks to grant citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before 31, 2014. -- ANI
09:47 Who leads, who trails
Gomia: AJSU Party candidate Lambodar Mahto leads over Babita Devi of the JMM by 2,217 votes in Jharkhand's Gomia seat.
Dhanwar: Former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi of JVM (P) leads in Dhanwar seat.
Potka: Menka Sardar of BJP leads over Sanjib Sardar of JMM by 5,144 votes in Potka seat of Jharkhand.
09:10 JMM's Hemant Soren leads over BJP's Marandi
JMM working president Hemant Soren leads over state Welfare (Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs) Minister Louis Marandi after counting of postal ballots in Dumka seat in Jharkhand. In the 2014 Jharkhand Assembly elections, Marandi had defeated Soren.
08:33
Postal ballots are being taken up first and votes polled in the EVMs will begin at 8.30 am.
08:30 Will PM's nine rallies win the day for the BJP?
BJP leads in 19 seats, JMM+ in 15 and AJSU in 1. But counting has just begun, so still a long way ago.
BJP, JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha - Prajatantrik (JVM-P) are the main political parties in the fray.Raghubar Das took oath as Chief Minister in 2014 after the BJP won 37 seats and stitched an alliance with AJSU, which had won 5 seats.
However, AJSU broke ties with BJP and is contesting the current elections solo.Under the leadership of JMM chief Hemant Soren, Congress and RJD have come together to oust BJP from power.
While the JMM has fielded candidates in 43 seats, the Congress and the RJD are fighting for 31 and seven seats, respectively.The ruling party has fielded its candidates in 79 out of the 81 seats.
BJP has not fielded any candidate against All Jharkhand Students' Union's (AJSU's) Sudesh Mahto, and is supporting a candidate in the remaining one constituency.Raghubar Das is contesting the polls from Jamshedpur East against his ex-cabinet colleague Saryu Rai (who is fighting as an independent) and Congress candidate Gourav Vallabh.
Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren is in the fray from two seats -- Dumka and Barhet. BJP has pitted Women and Child Development Minister Louis Marandi in Dumka against Soren.
Image: A poster with 'Jharkhand ki pukar hai gathbandhan ki sarkar hai. Hemant ab ki baar hai' seen in Ranchi.
08:29 What the exit polls say
The Jharkhand exit polls telecast by news channels soon after voting ended for the fifth and final phase of the Jharkhand elections on Friday indicated a hung assembly.
Leads: BJP+ 18, AJSU, 4 JMM+ 32, JVM 2, OTHERS 3
The ABP/C-Voters has given 35 seats to the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). It has given 32 seats to the ruling BJP, five to the AJSU Party and three to the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and six to others.
Aaj Tak has given the BJP between 22 and 32 seats, and the JMM-led opppsition between 38 and 50 seats.It has predicted two to four seats for the JVM-P, three to five for the AJSU Party and four to seven for others.
Jharkhand/Bihar Hindi news channel, News-XI, has given the BJP between 30 and 35 seats. It has given the JMM between 17 and 22 seats, the Congress between nine and 12, the AJSU Party between eight and 12 seats, and the JVM-P between four and six seats. Others have been given between eight and 10 seats by the channel.
In the present assembly, the BJP has 43 members, JMM 19, Congress eight, AJSU Party three, JVM(P) two, CPI(ML) Liberation one, MCC one and others two. Two MLAs Geeta Koda (Independent) and AJSU Party's Chandra Prakash Choudhary resigned after being elected to Lok Sabha. The five-phase election was held between November 30 and December 20.
08:07 What lies ahead for Raghubar Das?
Counting has begun in the Jharkhand polls, but these are postal ballots.
Jharkhand is the third-BJP ruled state which has gone to polls this year. This election is crucial for BJP as it has already lost power in Maharashtra, and in Haryana, it managed to secure its government after entering into a post-poll alliance with Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party.
07:58 Who are the key players in Jharkhand?
After voting in five-phased Assembly polls, the people of Jharkhand will finally get to see the winner of the neck-to-neck political contest between the ruling BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance as the counting of votes will take place today.
BJP, which had won 37 seats in the last Assembly elections, coined the slogan "Abki baar 65 paar". However, the ruling party is facing a stiff challenge as the alliance of JMM, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal seems to have an advantage, as per exit polls released last week.
Major political parties
BJP, JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, All Jharkhand Students' Union and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik are among the major political parties which are in the fray in the tribal-dominated state.
Raghubar Das took oath as Chief Minister in 2014 after the BJP won 37 seats and stitched an alliance with the AJSU, which had won 5 seats. However, AJSU broke ties with BJP and contested elections solo this time.
The ruling party has fielded its candidates in 79 out of the 81 seats. However, BJP has not fielded any candidate against AJSU's Sudesh Mahto, and has supported a candidate in the remaining one constituency.
Under the leadership of JMM chief Hemant Soren, Congress and RJD have come together to oust BJP from power. JMM has fielded candidates in 43 seats, while the Congress and the RJD candidates are in the fray in 31 and seven constituencies, respectively.
Image: A counting centre at Dumka
07:46 Jharkhand polls: Will Cong-JMM unseat BJP?
The counting of votes for 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats, which went to polls in five phases from November 30 to December 20, will take place today.
Exit polls have predicted that the pre-poll alliance of Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal is likely to emerge as the single largest coalition and may go on to form majority in the assembly.
The counting will start at 8 am in all the 24 district headquarters.
The maximum rounds of counting will take place at Chatra with 28 rounds and lowest round at two seats -- Chandankyari and Torpa.
The Election Commission has made arrangements for counting at all the districts headquarters. The first result is expected around 1 pm on Monday.
The BJP, however, is confident of returning to power. "We will cross the majority mark. Wait till counting. People has reposed faith in five years governance" BJP General Secretary Deepak Prakash said.
JMM is anticipating the grand alliance's victory. "The grand alliance will certainly get majority. People are fed up with BJP government" said Vinod Pandey, JMM General Secretary.
The state saw a six-way battle with two national parties, the ruling BJP and main opposition party Congress battling it out with the smaller regional parties like AJSU Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and Rashtriya Janata Dal trying to play a major part in this assembly elections.
The JMM fought in 43 seats while its alliance partners Congress and the RJD fought in 31 and seven seats, respectively.
According to data released by the Election Commission, Jharkhand has a total of 2.26 crore eligible voters. The number of polling stations that are being used by voters across the state is 29,464. This number is 19 percent higher than in 2014.
Raghubar Das, Jharkhand's only chief minister to complete a tenure, is leading the BJP's campaign to retain power.
00:56 No Christmas at Notre Dame; first in 200 yrs
The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral will not hold Christmas services for the first time in over 200 years, following the devastating blaze that ravaged the renowned structure earlier this year, officials said.
It will be the first time since 1803 that the 850-year-old Gothic landmark will not hold a Christmas mass, spokesperson Andre Finot told CNN on Sunday.
In April, the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was ravaged by the fire, causing massive damage to the structure, including parts of the roof and vault.
The landmark had remained open for Christmas for over 200 years, including the period of Nazi occupation in the Second World War.
French prosecutors in June had said that the devastating blaze may have been caused by a burning cigarette or an electrical malfunction.
Officials also said that they were looking into the possibility of negligence following which a judicial inquiry has been opened.
President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to re-build the 13th-century landmark in five years. -- ANI
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