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Thu, 13 December 2018
Kamal Nath to be MP CM, without a deputy

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22:59   Kamal Nath to be MP CM, without a deputy
JUST IN: Kamal Nath to be the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

There will not be a deputy chief minister.

More details awaited.  -- ANI
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22:21   Raje's 'second home' to be her residence where she stayed as CM
Rajasthan's general administration department on Thursday allotted outgoing chief minister Vasundhara Raje a bungalow where she had controversially stayed during her term.

She had mostly stayed at 13, Civil Lines instead of the official chief minister's residence at 8, Civil Lines, which was not allotted to anyone else.

The GAD said bungalow number 13 has now been allotted free of cost to Raje as per a 2013 order of the cabinet secretariat.

But, the allotment will be subject to the decision of the Rajasthan high court on a writ petition pending before its Jaipur bench, it added.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ghanshyam Tiwari had protested over the chief minister holding on to a 'second' bungalow, and had demanded that she should shift to the official CM's residence.

Tiwari had also argued that the Rajasthan Ministers' Salaries (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017, entitling former chief ministers to a government bungalow for the rest of their lives, was unconstitutional.

Raje submitted her resignation after the BJP was voted out in the December 7 assembly elections. A new Congress government is yet to be sworn in with the party yet to pick a chief minister.  --  PTI
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21:30   Kamal Nath all set to be MP CM: Reports
Maintaining suspense over the name of Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweets this photograph with the two hopefuls -- Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia -- with the caption 'The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. - Leo Tolstoy' 

However, if media reports are to be believed, Kamal Nath has been selected for the job by the Congress president, after discussion with party leaders, including Scindia.

While India TV announced that Kamal Nath has been selected as MP CM, NDTV says that Gandhi has taken Scindia on board to support this decision.

Both Kamal Nath and Scindia are on their way to Bhopal after meeting Gandhi.

Meanwhile, there are celebrations outside Congress office in Bhopal with workers holding large cutouts of Kamal Nath.  -- Agencies
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21:27   Jaya death probe: OPS summoned
A panel probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death on Thursday said it has summoned Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to appear before it on December 20.

Panneerselvam, who had held the portfolios of late Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation in 2016, will appear after Health Minister C Vijayabaskar who has been directed to be present on December 18 before the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry.

Senior All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader C Ponnaiyan and police officer Sudhakar, who was part of Jayalalithaa's security team, have also been summoned to appear on December 18 and 20 respectively, commission sources told PTI.

Panneerselvam had demanded a probe into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa's death after he revolted last year against V K Sasikala, confidante of Jayalalithaa.

Sasikala is now serving a prison sentence in a Bengaluru jail in the disproportionate assets case.

In his first public comments on February 8 last year on Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation, Panneerselvam, then Chief Minister, had said he could not meet her even once during her 75-day hospitalisation.

In September 2017, the state government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.

The panel's terms of reference was to inquire into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided till her death on December 5, 2016.

Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her death was raised by several people, including Panneerselvam and his followers.

After unification of the factions led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam in August 2017, the government notified constituting the panel.

The probe was a key precondition put forth by Panneerselvam for the merger.  -- PTI
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20:53  
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has nominated Brijendra Pal Singh, current Vice Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India Governing Council, as the new President of FTII Society and Chairman of Governing Council.  -- ANI
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20:50   WB: BJP sticks to Rath yatra programme, says will wait for govt nod on dates
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said it will stick to its 'rath yatra' programme in West Bengal but will launch it only after hearing from the state government on the new dates.

The BJP held a meeting with Chief Secretary Malay Dey, Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya and state Director General of Police Virendra during the day as directed by the Calcutta high court.

After the meeting at the Lalbazar police headquarters in Kolkata, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, "We informed the state government that we want to organise our programme the way it was scheduled. Only the dates will be changed."

The 'rath yatra', touted as a 'save democracy' programme, was scheduled to start on December 7 from Coochbehar but could not as the state government denied permission on grounds that it might cause communal tension.

"The programme will start the day the state government give us permission. The government representatives listened to us and said they will inform us at an appropriate time," Ghosh said.

Apart from Ghosh, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and senior leader Mukul Roy were also present at the meeting.

The 'rath yatra' in Coochbehar was slated to be the first of three by the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls next year.

The other two were scheduled to be held on December 9 from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district and on December 14, from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district.

The 'rath yatras' were supposed to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.

A Calcutta high court division bench of justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee disposed of an appeal by the BJP against a single bench order on December 6 that refused permission for its 'rath yatra' and directed the state to hold the meeting by Wednesday.

The bench had directed the chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12 and take a decision on the matter by December 14.  -- PTI
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20:24   Kamal Nath, Scindia leave for Bhopal; decision on MP CM tonight
Madhya Pradesh chief minister hopefuls Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia have left the residence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and are heading for Bhopal.

"I am leaving for Bhopal, MLAs meeting will be held and we will announce the CM name after that," Kamal Nath said after meeting Rahul at his home on Thursday evening.

Scindia said after leaving Rahul's residence, "It is not a race, it is not about kursi, we are here to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh."

"I am leaving for Bhopal and you will get to know the decision today," he said.
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19:52   Priyanka leaves, Kamal Nath reaches Rahul's residence
UPDATE: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has left from Congress president Rahul Gandhi's residence, where she had gone to discuss names of chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

MP CM hopeful Kamal Nath has now reached Congress president's residence.

According to an NDTV report, Rajasthan CM hopeful Ashok Gehlot has been asked by party high command to stay in Delhi.  -- Agencies
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19:39   Mallya congratulates Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia
Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, who has been ordered to be extradited to India by a United Kingdom court, on Thursday congratulated Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia over the party's wins in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.

Mallya, who had accused politicians and the media of making him a 'poster boy' of bank default while presenting himself as the victim of a witch hunt, took to Twitter to congratulate the two young leaders of the Congress, which defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections.

'Young Champions @SachinPilot and @JM_Scindia Many congratulations,' he tweeted.

On Monday, Westminster Magistrates' Court in London had concluded that the 'flashy billionaire' does have a case to answer in the Indian courts over substantial 'misrepresentations' of his financial dealings.

In a major boost to India's efforts to bring back the businessman wanted for alleged bank fraud and money laundering amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, Chief Magistrate Judge Emma Arbuthnot had said there was a prima facie case against Mallya.

Appearing to be undeterred by the development, he also took a potshot at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over a report that the investigative agency asked his lawyers 'who goes to attend a meeting with 300 bags?' while countering claims that he did not flee India in March 2016 but went to attend an event in Geneva.

'Next the ED will say that I chartered the Jet Airways 777!' Mallya said in a retweet of the link to the report.

Under India's extradition treaty with the UK, the sign off on the extradition order is made by the UK home secretary, in this case senior British Pakistani minister Sajid Javid, who has two months to formally order the extradition.

Mallya has the right to lodge an appeal in the UK High Court against the Chief Magistrate's order but that appeal would only be addressed once Javid has made his decision on the extradition order, until which time he remains on the same bail conditions as before.  -- PTI
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19:30   Jaitley admits to 2-3 areas of differences between Centre, RBI
Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday admitted there were two-three areas of differences with the Reserve Bank of India, but questioned how a mere discussion on its functioning could be considered 'destruction' of an institution.

Under attack politically for creating circumstances that led to the resignation of Urjit Patel as the central bank's Governor, Jaitley listed out a string of actions initiated by past governments including Congress PMs Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi asking RBI Governors to resign.

Speaking at the Times Networks India Economic Conclave, Jaitley said the differences with RBI included credit flow in the economy and liquidity support, and added that the government had initiated a 'discussion' to convey its concerns.

"A discussion with an important institution, which is independent and autonomous, to tell it that its a part of your (RBIs) functions and therefore this is an important area of an economy which you must look at, how is it destruction of the institution?" he questioned.

According to reports, the government had initiated discussions under the never-used Section 7 of the RBI Act which provides for the central government forcing down decisions in public interest.

It is this aspect, which led to voicing of concerns across and also a strong speech by RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya to warn against compromising RBI autonomy.

Jaitley did not elaborate on how the discussion were initiated.

"We are the sovereign government, we are the most important stakeholders as far as the management of an economy is concerned," Jaitley said, in reference to the discussions with RBI.

He reiterated that the RBI has the responsibility as far as credit and liquidity is concerned.

"We are not taking over the function," he said, adding that the government was only initiating discussions using instruments which force a discussion.

"In some situations, the autonomous institutions also have to be informed that there is some difficulty arising in the system that requires to be corrected," he added.

Further, if the government is not able to convey the difficulties in the system, it would be failing its duty, he said.

The FM pointed out that the countrys first prime minister Nehru had written to the RBI stating that the economic policies are determined by the elected government, while RBI has autonomy over the monetary policy.

The RBI's policies also need to be in sync with the economic policies, Jaitley stressed.

Patel resigned amid the protracted friction with the government Monday, citing personal reasons. the government has immediately appointed retired bureaucrat Shaktikanta Das, who was at the helm of finance ministry during the controversial demonetisation exercise, as his successor.  -- PTI
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19:01   Gehlot, Pilot appeal Congress workers to remain calm
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who is in the race to become new Rajasthan chief minister, says the decision on the names of CMs of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will be taken soon.

"There is nothing to worry. Just wait. The decision has to be taken on CMs of three states so naturally, it takes time. Party president will take a call," Gehlot said.

"I appeal to workers to maintain calm, they have worked very hard, whatever decisions will be taken will be binding on all. Rahul ji is talking to and consulting all leaders," he said.  -- ANI
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18:36   May to quit before next elections
BREAKING: United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May confirms she will quit before next parliamentary elections scheduled for 2022. -- ANI
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18:10   Pilot appeals for peace as supporters go on rampage in Rajasthan
Amid violence in Karauli, which is a stronghold of Sachin Pilot, after reports suggest that Ashok Gehlot will be the next CM of Rajasthan, the PCC president has tweeted an appeal for peace. "I appeal to party workers to maintain peace and decorum. I have full faith in the leadership, we will welcome whatever Rahul Gandhiji and Sonia Gandhiji decide. It is our responsibility to uphold the honour of the party, we are dedicated to the party."


The chief minister aspirants in Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot) and Madhya Pradesh (Kamal Nath and Jyotidaridya Scindia) met Rahul Gandhi and staked their claims even as senior leaders huddled at the residence of party chief Rahul Gandhi, where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also participated in the deliberations.


While Rahul Gandhi met the party's central observers who gave him inputs on the views of newly-elected legislators in the three states, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also came to her son's residence at Tughlaq Lane here to participate in the discussions.


Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also at brother Rahul's residence and is said to have taken part in the discussions on who should be the chief minister in the three states, party sources said.
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18:06   Rafale verdict tomorrow
The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Friday at 10:30 am on pleas for lodging FIR and probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.
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17:54   Pilot backers on rampage in Rajasthan
Security was tightened in Jaipur ahead of the announcement of the name of the next Rajasthan chief minister as the supporters of both Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot had started gathering near their residences since morning.


A large number of supporters are present at the civil lines residence of Gehlot, while Pilot's supporters are also present near his house in Jalupura.


"Security arrangements have been tightened looking at the large number of supports at both the places. Additional policemen have been deployed to keep things under control," Additional Commission of Jaipur Police Nitindeep Bluggan told PTI.


Many Gurjar community members and supporters of Pilot had assembled near the PCC office Wednesday when the Congress Legislature Party meeting was going on for the discussion over the name of the chief minister and kept raising slogans in support of Pilot. -- PTI
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17:48   And the other winner in MP is...
Votes cast in favour of NOTA (none of the above) option were more than the margin of victory in 22 assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, the Election Commission data shows. NOTA even `outperformed' some of the parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party, getting more votes across the state than them.


As many as 5,42,295 voters pressed the NOTA button on Electronic Voting Machines, which was 1.4 per cent of the total number of votes cast. But the number is less than that in the 2013 polls when 6.43 lakh (1.9 per cent) voters rejected all candidates.


In 22 seats this time, NOTA tally was greater than the victory margin. Twelve of these seats were won by the Congress, nine by the BJP and one by an independent candidate. Four BJP ministers lost in such constituencies.


In Damoh, Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya lost to his Congress rival by a margin of 798 votes, while NOTA got 1,299 votes. Archana Chitnis lost in Burhanpur to an independent candidate by 5,120 votes while 5,726 votes went to NOTA. -- PTI
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17:39   MP Cong MLAs to meet at 8:30 pm
This is going to take much longer. A meeting of Congess MLAs from Madhya Pradesh is going to take place at 8:30 pm. 
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17:25   The meetings don't end
Update: Sonia Gandhi drove to Rahul Gandhi's Tughlaq Lane residence to discuss the choices for the new chief ministers, party sources said. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present at the discussions.


Rahul Gandhi held separate meetings with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, the two chief ministerial aspirants for Rajasthan, besides meeting Jyotiraditya Scindia, one of the frontrunners for the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister. The three spent around 15 minutes each with the Congress president, and left without talking to the media.
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17:11   Cong gets cheeky
As we wait for the party's decision, this: Congress @INCIndia "While you wait on tenterhooks to know the new Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, distract yourself with this fun new game we found. https://www.corruptmodi.com/match/
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17:10   The Ranveer-Deepika pic at the Ambani wedding is by Shobhaa De
Just so you know. Shobhaa De tweets: @DeShobhaa "Hello!! A picture I clicked for my series 'Portraits by De', and for which Ranveer-Deepika posed sportingly last night, is now public property and widely used minus photo credit?"


And it's not candid, it's posed.
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17:05   Will Kamal bloom in MP?
A poster congratulating Kamal Nath for being named CM is seen outside Congress office in Bhopal.
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17:04   Jyotiraditya lights up Bhopal
In Madhya Pradesh, posters and banners seen outside the Congress party office in Bhopal.
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17:02   Sonia, Priyanka at Rahul's residence for final discussion on CMs
Reports say Priyanka Vadra is also at the meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to decide the CMs for the three states. About time they arrived at a decision. In Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao took oath of office this afternoon, while Zoramthanga will take oath as Mizoram CM On Sunday.
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16:11   Sonia at Rahul's residence for final discussion on CMs
So, Sonia Gandhi has now arrived at Rahul Gandhi's residence to discuss the CM choices for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot appears to be emerging as the favourite for the chief minister's post in Rajasthan, after party chief Rahul Gandhi held hectic deliberations with senior leaders including him. It is advantage Gehlot, sources said, after he came out of Gandhi's residence. Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot is also a strong contender for the post. However, Gehlot looks set to return as chief minister of the western state for the third time. Gandhi also held a separate meeting with Pilot, prior to meeting Gehlot.

In Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath seems to be a shoo in, but again, no confirmations from the Congress top brass on the same. Jyotiraditya Scindia is now at Rahul's residence.
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15:43   Will not go to the Centre: Shivraj
Outgoing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says he will not go to the Centre. "I'll live in Madhya Pradesh and die in Madhya Pradesh." he said amid questions on his next political move.
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15:40   Fadnavis to file reply to SC notice on plea against his election: CMO
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will file an appropriate response to the Supreme Court's notice to him on a plea seeking annulment of his election to the state Assembly for alleged non-disclosure of pending criminal cases against him, the CMO said Thursday.


The SC's notice was whether or not to admit the plea, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement. "An appropriate response will be filed to the notice. Fadnavis had filed all details about cases against him in the election affidavit in 2014. The petitioner had moved the high court which dismissed the case calling it baseless," it said.


Earlier in the day, the apex court sought response of the chief minister on an appeal filed against a Bombay High Court order. The Bombay High Court had dismissed the plea of one Satish Ukey seeking annulment of Fadnavis's election to the Maharashtra Assembly on the ground of alleged non-disclosure of all pending criminal cases against him in his nomination papers. The apex court was hearing an appeal of Ukey against the high court order.
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15:11   Rahul meets Kamal Nath, Scindia
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has met the Observer for Madhya Pradesh, AK Antony, and front-runner for the post of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Kamal Nath as well as Jyotiraditya Scindia.


The party observers gave their inputs to Gandhi after talking to the newly-elected MLAs in the states. The state legislature parties of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh earlier passed a one-line resolution authorising the party president to take the final decision on chief ministers.


Rahul Gandhi's decision will be made public at 4 pm.
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14:25   Ashok Gehlot likely to be Rajasthan CM: Reports
NDTV quoting sources says Ashok Gehlot will be the next chief minister of Rajasthan. The official announcement on the CMs of the three states won by the Congress -- Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh -- will be made by party president Rahul Gandhi at 4 pm today.

Rahul Gandhi in a nod to the democratisation of the GOP held one-on-one meetings with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, the two chief ministerial aspirants in Rajasthan, before taking a final call on who would head government in the desert state.


Gandhi also held deliberations with the party's central observer K C Venugopal and party in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande and took inputs from them to ascertain the views of the Congress' newly elected legislators on the matter, sources said. The Congress president gave separate hearings to both Pilot and Gehlot, one representing the young face of the party and the other, the old guard. The individual meetings lasted around 10-15 minutes each and neither Gehlot nor Pilot talked to the media after the meeting.


There has been hectic lobbying for the top post and both leaders have staked their claims for the post of chief minister, sources said. Pilot's supporters raised slogans outside Gandhi's office. They vociferously voiced their demand on Wednesday evening too when state legislators were meeting in the Rajasthan capital.


Gandhi sought the views of party workers through an internal messaging system with a pre-recorded message asking them to send their views directly to him through the application.


A decision on the post of chief minister will be taken by this evening to enable the oath-taking soon. The Congress has already staked its claim for government formation in Rajasthan, even though it fell slightly short of the simple majority mark. -- PTI
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13:36   KCR takes oath as Telangana CM
And here's a decision that has never been in doubt. At the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, K Chandrasekhar Rao takes oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana, for a second term. He took oath at 1:34 pm.
 

Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Tuesday steamrolled a feeble Opposition challenge to win the assembly elections by a landslide, riding pro-Telangana sentiments and the success of a raft of populist schemes launched by his government.


Rao, 64, who emerged as the mascot of Telangana pride when he led the massive movement that convulsed undivided Andhra Pradesh and ended with the creation of the youngest state of the country in 2014, powered his party winning 88 seats in the 119-member assembly.
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13:19   Rahul's meeting with Sachin, Gehlot ends
Rahul Gandhi's meeting with Rajasthan's CM contenders -- Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot -- has ended and the two leaders have left the Congress president's residence.


Amid hectic lobbying in the Congress for the top posts in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, party president Rahul Gandhi Thursday held deliberations with central observers and MLAs at his residence and said the names of the chief ministers would be declared soon. Gandhi met the party's observers -- KC Venugopal for Rajasthan and AK Antony for Madhya Pradesh early morning along with the state unit in-charges and later met the contenders.


"Yes, you will see a chief minister soon...," he said when asked about when the decision will be taken. "We are checking, taking inputs from different people in the party, we are taking inputs from MLAs, workers. We are getting a comprehensive answer to what the Congress party and others feel," he told reporters outside Parliament as the race for the top post in the three states hots up within the party.


Image: Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot with Rajasthan observer KC Venugopal
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13:02   This is a defeat of injustice and lies: Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena Thursday continued its tirade against senior ally BJP, saying its rout in the just held state polls was the "defeat of injustice and lies". It said along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, throats of even their party workers had turned hoarse while calling for a "Congress-free" country and condolences were being offered every day to the nation's oldest party.


"However, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has beaten them in their own turf. This is the defeat of injustice and lies. Pride has been captured and ego crushed," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.


"Our culture is that along with one's loss, a win should also be accepted humbly, however, this culture was destroyed after the Lok Sabha election of 2014," it said in sarcastic remarks. The BJP lost its governments to Congress in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the just concluded polls.


"Those who built the party, were ousted. Friends, who did not give up in bad times, were termed enemies. People, who lifted you up from dust, themselves are in ruins today. They (BJP)could not register a win in a single state because the country doesn't need industrialists," the Sena said.


In a vitriolic attack on Modi, it said the prime minister held dozens of rallies in every (poll-bound) state and mercilessly attacked Rahul Gandhi, not taking care about the "lows" one could go to while holding the constitutional post. There is ego even in Modi's "humble" acceptance of defeat as he did not congratulate Gandhi over the win, and the BJP's loss should be attributed to him as his entire Council of Ministers was roped-in for campaigning, said the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.


It said Rahul Gandhi has humbly accepted his win and acknowledged the contribution of BJP chief ministers. However, Modi is not willing to accept the contribution of (former prime ministers and late Congress leaders) Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi in building the nation. "He is not even willing to accept that (veteran leader) L K Advani has built the BJP," the Sena said.


"Why did Rahul Gandhi survive this storm? Why did democracy survive despite so many bruises? The answer lies in humbleness. The election results are a lesson. But, is there a will to learn lessons?" the Sena asked.
-- PTI
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12:53   Gehlot meets Rahul
ON the heels of Sachin Pilot's arrival at Rahul Gandhi's residence, is Ashok Gehlot. Which way will Rahul go?
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12:36   Sachin Pilot arrives at Rahul's residence
Congress leader Sachin Pilot reaches Congress President Rahul Gandhi's residence in Delhi. Pilot, and other potential chief minister candidates from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh arrived in Delhi today for a meeting with the Congress president who will take a final call on the top post in the states.


While Kamal Nath is considered top contender for the post in Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Gehlot leads the race in Rajasthan, but Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Sachin Pilot is not giving up his claim and is putting up stiff resistance.


The contenders for the top post in Rajasthan -- Gehlot and Pilot -- and in Madhya Pradesh -- Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia -- arrived early morning in the national capital.


The Congress president will first meet party observers A K Antony for Madhya Pradesh and K C Venugopal for Rajasthan before meeting those in the race. The observers had already held discussions with the newly-elected party MLAs in Jaipur and Bhopal Wednesday and would give their inputs to Gandhi on who the legislators want to be as their chief ministers.


Over the last 24 hours, an audio message from Gandhi has gone to 7.3 lakh party workers across the three states in which they have been asked to name their chief ministerial choice.


In the audio message, he is heard congratulating the leaders for the party's victory in the assembly elections in the three heartland states. "Now I want to ask you a vital question: Who should be the chief minister? Please mention just one name. I'm the only person who would know whom you are naming. No one in the party will know. Please speak after the beep".
-- PTI
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12:15   Pilot for CM roar in Rajasthan
Supporters of Congress leader Sachin Pilot have gathered outside All India Congress Committee headquarters in Delhi and are raising slogans demanding selection of Pilot as Rajasthan Chief Minister
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12:09   Decision on Chhattisgarh CM will be taken today: Deo
In Chhattisgarh, TS Singh Deo of the Congress, on the CM choice for the state: "We can't make the conclusion of confidential discussion public. MLAs are given the rights that they can express their individual opinions, nothing will be disclosed for now. Decision on CM candidate (Chhattisgarh) should be taken by today.


Deo is the current Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and represents the Ambikapur constituency. Many in the party believe that Singhdeo, from the royal family of Surguja, is a frontrunner for his contribution to the party manifesto.

Bhupesh Baghel and Tamardhwaj Sahu are the other contenders for the post.
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11:59   Interpol issues Red Corner Notice against Mehul Choksi: CBI
The Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against absconding billionaire Mehul Choksi, who is accused of cheating state-run Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore in alleged collusion with his nephew Nirav Modi, officials said Thursday. Choksi, who escaped in the first week of January this year after he and his companies cheated the bank of Rs 7,000 crore, has taken citizenship of Antigua. PTI
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11:58   Kovind visits last Mughal's mausoleum in Myanmar
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday paid respects to Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal dynasty's last emperor, by offering a 'chadar' on his mausoleum in Yangon.


Kovind is in Myanmar to continue India's high level bilateral engagements under the rubric of the 'Act East' and the 'Neighbourhood First' policies. Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the first war of Independence of 1857.


External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted a picture of the president offering a 'chadar' (holy cloth) on Zafar's mausoleum. "President Kovind paid respects to last emperor of Mughal dynasty Bahadur Shah Zafar by offering Chadar," he said in a tweet. -- PTI
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11:26   News briefs at this hour
Interpol issues Red Corner notice against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi: CBI.


SC issues notice to Maharashtra CM on plea seeking annulment of his election for alleged non-disclosure of criminal cases against him.


Nirbhaya gangrape-murder: SC dismisses plea seeking immediate execution four death row convicts.


SC stays Meghalaya HC order asking airlines to immediately start flight operations from Umroi airport in the state.
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11:23   Over 2.1 crore households electrified in past two months
Over 2.1 crore households have been electrified since October 11 last year, the Union Power Ministry has said. The nation is expected to achieve 100 per cent household electrification by December 31, 2018.


"Nine states have achieved 100 per cent saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya scheme. These states are Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, J&K, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana, and West Bengal," the ministry said in a statement.


Thus, a total of 16 states in the country now have 100 per cent household electrification. Many more state like Maharashtra, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are left with a small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time, added the ministry.


More than two crore electricity connections were released under Saubhagya and 100 per cent village electrification achieved under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), the ministry said."Energy deficit reduced to almost zero and India emerges as a net exporter of electricity to Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar," said the ministry.
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11:11   You will see a CM soon: Rahul
All India Congress Committee's observer for Chhattisgarh, Mallikarjuna Kharge says all MLAs have unanimously authorised AICC President Rahul Gandhi to select the Congress Legislative Party leader (for Chhattisgarh). Whatever decision he takes, the MLAs are ready to accept.


Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who paid his tribute to people who lost their lives in the terrorist attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001 said on the CM choices for the three states, "We are taking inputs from different people in the party. We are taking inputs from MLAs, from workers. You will see a Chief Minister soon."


Reports say in Madhya Pradesh, it's more or less likely that Kamal Nath will be the CM. In Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel will be the CM. However, in Rajasthan, PCC chief Sachin Pilot, who worked hard to ensure a 99-seat win, may or may not be the CM.


The Congress President has said he is looking for a comprehensive answer before a decision is taken on the names. 
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10:35   BJP Parl meeting to discuss poll debacles begin
BJP Parliamentary party meeting is now being held at the Parliament library building. PM Narendra Modi, BJP Chief Amit Shah, Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj, Prakash Javadekar, Kiren Rijiju,Ravi Shankar Prasad, senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, among others present in the meeting.


BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit chief Rakesh Singh has offered his resignation from the post taking responsibility for the defeat in the Madhya Pradesh polls, however BJP President Amit Shah did not accept the resignation and asked him to work hard.Shah will discuss the defeat in recent assembly elections in five states and plan an agenda for 2019 general elections. State presidents and state in-charges of BJP will be present in the meeting.
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10:29   Yogi should tell caste of all other deities: Akhilesh
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should disclose the caste of other deities too, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has said, while referring to Yogi's 'Hanuman-Dalit' remark.


"He is telling the caste of deities which is a good thing. As of now he has disclosed the caste of a few deities only, but he should tell the caste of all other deities, which will make us understand which deity is of our caste so that we may ask for blessings from the God of our caste only," said Yadav.


During campaigning for recently concluded Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Adityanath in a poll rally at Alwar had said that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit.


"Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west," he had said.Yadav said that the Samajwadi Party does the politics of development and the real issues are of farmers as they are committing suicide under stress. -- ANI
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10:15   MP, Rajasthan CM candidates to meet Rahul in Delhi today
The potential chief minister candidates in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh arrived in New Delhi for a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi who will take a final call on the top post in the states.


The contenders for the top post in Rajasthan -- Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and in Madhya Pradesh -- Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia -- arrived early morning in the national capital and will be meeting Gandhi soon.


The Congress president will first meet the party observers AK Antony for Madhya Pradesh and KC Venugopal for Rajasthan before meeting those in the race.


The observers had already held discussions with newly-elected party MLAs in Jaipur and Bhopal Wednesday and would give their inputs to Gandhi on who the legislators want to be as their chief ministers.


Using an internal messaging platform for the party workers, Gandhi sent out to party workers a pre-recorded audio message seeking their feedback for selection of the chief minister in their respective states.


Sources said that the decision would be taken Thursday itself after the state legislature party had authorised the Congress president to take a final call on the chief ministers.


Congress observer for Chhattisgarh Mallikarjun Kharge will also be handing over his report to Gandhi following which he is likely to meet the contenders. -- PTI
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10:01   Rupee rises 42 paise to 71.59 per US dollar in early trade
The rupee Thursday appreciated by 42 paise to 71.59 in early trade after the new RBI governor Shaktikanta Das took charge and stressed on the need of a consultative approach to tackle pressing economic issues.


Forex traders said a higher opening of domestic equity markets and weakening of the US dollar against some currencies overseas boosted the local unit.


"The new RBI governor's first speech confirms our initial impression that he is likely to be more communicative and consultative in his approach, which is a positive," Japanese financial services major Nomura said in a research note.


At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened on a strong note at 71.70 against the US dollar, then appreciated further to 71.59 showing a rise of 42 paise over it's previous closing. On Wednesday the rupee had declined by 16 paise to 72.01 per US dollar. -- PTI
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09:54   Sensex rises over 200 points as new RBI chief assumes office
The equity benchmark BSE Sensex Thursday rose over 200 points in early trade, a day after Shaktikanta Das took charge as the new RBI chief and promised to take all stakeholders along on key policy issues to maintain growth while keeping inflation under check.


Recovery in rupee and positive cues from other Asian markets too influenced investor sentiment here. Rising for the third straight session, the 30-share index was trading higher by 263.70 points, or 0.74 per cent, at 36,042.77.


The NSE Nifty reclaimed the 10,800 mark, rising 76.95 points, or 0.72 per cent, to 10,814.55. The Sensex Wednesday zoomed 629.06 points, or 1.79 per cent, to end at 35,779.07, while the broader NSE Nifty rallied 188.45 points, or 1.79 per cent, to 10,737.60. Top gainers in morning trade include Yes Bank, SBI, Tata Motors, Vedanta, BHarti Airtel, Infosys, HUL, Asian Paints, Wipro and ITC, rising up to 3 per cent. -- PTI
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09:32  
An update for cricket lovers: Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin and Rohit Sharma ruled out of India's second test match against Australia in Perth tomorrow because of ankle injury, abdominal strain and a jarred lower back respectively.
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09:31   Kamal Nath to be CM, Scindia likely to be offered Deputy CM: Sources
As the race to who will be CM in Madhya Pradesh heats up, sources have said that Kamal Nath is likely to be CM, while Jyotiraditya Scindia may be offered the deputy's post. 

Congress emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats, two short of a simple majority. 

Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties' support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. BSP got two and SP one seat in the MP assembly polls. 

The Congress has also claimed support of the four independents, all Congress rebels, who emerged victorious. 
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09:07   Nation pays homage to Parliament attack martyrs
The nation is paying homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives while defending Parliament House in the terror attack on this day in 2001. 

Two persons from the Parliament Security Service of the Rajya Sabha, five Delhi Police Personnel and a woman constable of the Central Reserve Police Force laid down their lives on this day while preventing entry of terrorists inside the Parliament House Building. A gardener of CPWD also lost his life in the attack. 

President Ram Nath Kovind said that India gratefully remembers those martyred while defending Parliament from terrorists. In a tweet, Kovind said forces of hate and terror targeted India's democracy and democratic values but did not succeed. He said such forces will never be allowed to succeed.
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08:55   Congress won polls through deceit: Yogi on assembly elections
A day after the BJP was pushed out of power from three major states in the Hindi heartland, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath downplayed the Congress's victories by saying that it had achieved electoral success through deceit.

"The Congress's lies will start unravelling soon, and that will make our future battles even easier," the firebrand BJP leader said.

Adityanath campaigned extensively for the recent assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

Addressing mediapersons, the BJP leader said that victories and defeats were part of the democratic process and one should accept both outcomes in all humility. "But we never bask in our victories while blaming our defeats on electronic voting machines, unlike our rivals who practise serious double standards in this regard. When they win, they immediately start worshipping the EVMs," he claimed.
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08:32   After losing 3 states, Amit Shah meets leaders today to review setback
After Tuesdays electoral setbacks, it is time for introspection in the Bharatiya Janta Party.

Party president Amit Shah will go into a huddle with senior leaders on Thursday to discuss the reasons behind the defeats the party faced in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh annd Rajasthan, and to lift the morale ahead of the 2019 general elections, according to senior leaders familiar with the matter.

Before that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to the BJP MPs at the weekly parliamentary party meeting in the Parliament complex. The BJP is also expected to hold a meeting of its national council in the Capital in the second week of January, when 2,000 party leaders from across the country will assemble to discuss the national elections.
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07:55   Kamal Nath vs Scindia, Pilot vs Gehlot: Rahul to decide today
Who will lead the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments will be decided by Congress president Rahul Gandhi today. 

In both states, lawmakers held marathon meetings after which their leaders announced that the choice had been left to Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress won Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in state elections seen as the last popularity test before the 2019 national polls.

The victory parties have been short-lived with intense lobbying behind-the-scenes for the chief minister's post in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

In Rajasthan, the Congress is sharply divided between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot, even though both leaders have projected unity and smiled together in multiple photo-ops.

Sources say two-thirds of the newly-elected Congress lawmakers in Rajasthan have conveyed to the central leadership that they want Sachin Pilot, the 40-year-old state Congress head, to be chief minister.

In Madhya Pradesh, state Congress chief Kamal Nath is believed to be his leadership's choice but a conflicting picture has emerged after Jyotiraditya Scindia, the other contender for the top post, said he would be "honoured" to serve as chief minister. Both the leaders left for Delhi on Wednesday night and are expected to meet Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.

"I am a servant of the people, have always been and will always be. What form that will take, be it through Madhya Pradesh or as minister of central government or chief whip, it is for my party to decide," Scindia, 47, said, not ruling himself out.

While Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot contested and won the Rajasthan election, both Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia are parliamentarians and did not contest the Madhya Pradesh polls.
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00:28   State poll results a warning ahead of 2019 elections: Hazare
Failure to fulfil promises made to people led to the defeat of the BJP in three Hindi-speaking states, social activist Anna Hazare said Wednesday.
The government may have forgotten its promises but people have not, the veteran anti-corruption crusader said and added those in power at the Centre should heed voters' warnings ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Hazare said the BJP had to face defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly polls due to false assurances given by it to people.
Assurances were given to people that black money will be brought back, farmers will get a good price for their produce, power will be decentralised and people will get Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts, Hazare said.
However, none of these promises was fulfilled, he said.
"It is not clear if they even remember the promises they made, but people do remember. That is why people understood they were false assurances to come to power," Hazare told a TV news channel when asked about the results of the just-held assembly polls.
"People have given the indication to those in power to be careful or they would be taught a lesson in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2019," the social activist said.
He said the November 2016 demonetisation drive was a misstep and failed to achieve its stated objective of curbing black money.

In a democracy, important decisions should be taken after thorough discussion and brining on-board the opposition, Hazare said.
"However, here, demonetisation was done according to their whims. People faced hardships. How much black money has come out? The RBI said 99 per cent of (scrapped) money returned to banks. Where is the black money then?" he asked.
Asked if Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's name changing spree was one of the factors that led to the BJP's dismal poll performance, he said Lord Ram is not present in temples alone but inside every poor man.
"Why are you only searching him there (in temples)? Service of the poor is his worship. This is what Ram taught us." -- PTI

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