The state govt had issued a notification regarding the municipal elections, which stated that any person can be made the mayor without contesting elections.

JAIPUR: After strong objection by deputy CM Sachin Pilot, dispute of the Hybrid formula being implemented in local body elections in Rajasthan has now reached the Interim President of Congress, Sonia Gandhi. It is felt that the decision of making the mayor without contesting elections may have to be withdrawn by the state government. 

Sources say, Sonia Gandhi has asked the organization General secretary, K. C. Venugopal to look into the matter. Venugopal has sought full report of the case from the party’s Rajasthan in-charge, Avinash Pandey.

Pandey has asked UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal to resolve the dispute with immediate effect by meeting CM Ashok Gehlot and Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. He has also asked that the objectionable provisions made for the mayor election should also be removed so that the image of Congress is not spoilt in the country.

The state government had earlier issued a notification regarding the municipal elections to be held in November, which stated that any person can be made the mayor without contesting elections.

This notification was issued without discussion in the cabinet, which was opposed by cabinet Ministers, Ramesh Meena and Pratap Singh Khachariawas. The very next day, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot not only objected to the issuance of such notification but even said that such a decision would increase horse-trading.

“The decision that a mayor can be selected without winning the election, is against the original spirit of the 73rd and 74th amendment of the constitutional and also against the thought of Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi had said that public participation in local elections should increase. But this decision will increase cross-voting and horse-trading to become the mayor in the state,” said Pilot at Bayana Railway station on Tuesday.

The issue has divided the Government into two camps with Party President and Deputy CM, Sachin Pilot and two of the ministers close to him on one side and CM Ashok Gehlot’s camp led by UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal, strongly defending the decision on the other side.

State in-charge, Avinash Pandey said, “I have asked the UDH minister to settle this dispute. For this, he met the CM and the Deputy CM. The High Command has instructed me to tell him that if there is any objectionable provision, it should be removed.”

 After that, on Tuesday, Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey met K.C. Venugopal for a consultation. There was a discussion between the two on the controversy for about an hour. It is now believed that Avinash Pandey can meet Sonia Gandhi with the report very soon. Earlier on Monday, Cabinet Minister, Ramesh Meena met Organization General Secretary Venugopal and gave him feedback on this issue.

On the reasons for the murder, the ATS said primary investigation reveals that they had committed the crime in retribution to purported statements by Tiwari.

AHMEDABAD: In a major breakthrough in the murder case of former Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on Tuesday said that it has arrested the two main accused from while they were trying to enter the state from Rajasthan.

According to the Gujarat Police, the ATS arrested the two suspects – identified as Ashfaqhussain Jakirhussain Shaikh, 34, and Moinuddin Khurshid Pathan, 27, both residents of Surat – from Shamlaji near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The ATS said that the duo were on the way to Gujarat after having reached Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur from Nepal.

The ATS officials said that Shaikh worked as a medical representative, while Pathan worked as a food delivery boy.

On the reasons for the murder, the ATS said primary investigation reveals that they had committed the crime “in retribution to purported statements by Tiwari”.

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh Police also identified the two assailants who had checked into a nearby hotel a day before committing the murder in Lucknow. According to the UP Police, they had checked out of the hotel barely an hour after brutally murdering the former Hindu Mahasabha leader on October 18, leaving behind their blood-soaked saffron kurtas and a blood-stained knife and other personal belongings in the hotel room.

The Gujarat ATS team, led by DIG Himanshu Shukla, said that the two were “apprehended on the basis of technical and physical surveillance mounted on their family members and acquaintances”.

“The two had approached their family members and acquaintances for more funds after the money they had on them was finished,” the ATS said.

A day after the murder of Tiwari, the ATS had arrested three persons in connection with the case. According to the Gujarat Police, the two arrested accused will be handed over to the UP Police.

UP’s Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avanish Awasthi also confirmed the arrests of the two suspects. They will be brought to Lucknow on Wednesday, he said.

Three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammed were killed in an encounter on Tuesday in the militancy-infested Tral area.

SRINAGAR: Three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were killed in an encounter on Tuesday in the militancy-infested Tral area of south Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbagh Singh said here.

He said two of the three militants killed could be foreign terrorists.

“Further details will be available once the operation ends,” he said.

The police chief said that this module of Jaish was involved in the killing of two brothers from the nomadic Gujjar (nomad) community in August this year.

Some ‘shortcomings’ had been noticed after which re-polling was ordered in these booths.

CHANDIGARH: Re-polling was underway in five polling booths in as many assembly constituencies of Haryana on Wednesday.

Some “shortcomings” had been noticed after which re-polling was ordered in these booths, state’s joint chief electoral officer Dr Inder Jeet had said on Tuesday.

The re-polling is being held in booth number 71 of Uchana Kalan Assembly constituency in Jind district, 161 of Beri constituency in Jhajjar district, 28 of Narnaul Assembly constituency in Narnaul district, 18 of Kosli in district Rewari and booth number 113 of Prithla in Faridabad district, officials said.

Re-polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm on Wednesday.

Polling to 90 Assembly seats was held in Haryana on Monday.

Results will be declared on Thursday.

The BJP working president J P Nadda on Tuesday held a strategy meeting with party general secretaries to prepare for the prospects of Jharkhand and Delhi Assembly polls. 

NEW DELHI: The BJP working president J P Nadda on Tuesday held a strategy meeting with party general secretaries to prepare for the prospects of Jharkhand and Delhi Assembly polls. 

The EC is likely to announce poll dates for Jharkhand soon, while the political circle is abuzz with speculations that Delhi elections could be advanced. The BJP poll machinery is already in an overdrive in Jharkhand. The state chief minister Raghubar Das has already concluded his yatra, which was started from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) stronghold

Nadda is learnt to have discussed with party general secretaries about the organisational programmes in the two states to gear the outfit for elections. While the BJP will seek to retain power in Jharkhand, the saffron outfit would be aiming to wrest power in Delhi from Aam Admi Party. The BJP, incidentally, has been out of power in Delhi since 1998. 

The BJP is working to launch a spirited campaign in Delhi where AAP is seen to have taken initiative with campaigns around city government’s programmes. With the Congress facing a daunting task to build organisation in the city, the BJP is bracing up for the prospects of an almost direct contest with AAP. 
Nadda also reviewed the preparations for the organisational elections, which would conclude with the poll to elect the new president of the party in December. 

The BJP is aiming to wrap up district and state level organisational elections by next month by which at least half of the members of the national council of the outfit would be elected to pave way for the national elections.

Shivakumar was arrested by the ED on September 3 in a money laundering case and is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody

NEW DELHI:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday morning met Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar in Tihar jail and assured him of all support from the party.

Shivakumar, 57, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 3 in a money laundering case

He is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.

Gandhi was accompanied by Congress general secretary Ambika Soni and Congress MP D K Suresh, who is also the brother of Shivakumar.

Talking to reporters here, Suresh said the Congress president assured Shivakumar that the party is with him and will stand in his support.

Gandhi told Shivakumar that this is a case of “political vendetta” and other Congress leaders are also being targeted like this by the BJP government at the Centre, he said.

“We have to fight them and come out of this,” Suresh said, quoting the Congress president.

Shivakumar, a seven-time MLA in Karnataka, was booked along with Haumanthaiah — an employee at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi — and others for alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case was based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department against them last year before a special court in Bengaluru on charges of alleged tax evasion and ”hawala” transactions worth crores or rupees.

Earlier, Gandhi had met former finance minister P Chidambaram when he was lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the INX Media case.

The government has asked the tea garden owners not to sell off their estates to foreign companies but instead focus on branding the Assam tea.

GUWAHATI: Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday said the state’s tea industry is in a “very bad shape” with many gardens being sold to companies in West Asia. He said the crisis-ridden tea sector in the state is not able to get remunerative price in overseas markets with lack of linkages.

“We have asked the tea garden owners not to sell off their estates to foreign companies but instead focus on branding the Assam tea,” the minister said during an interaction with media persons here.

Most of the tea being sold at the Dubai Tea Park is from Assam and other countries like Sri Lanka and Kenya but they have been branded with different names, he said. “Our tea is not getting the due price and recognition in the international markets”, he said.

Patowary said the state government has already announced zero cess for the tea industry and will soon meet its representatives to find a solution to the problems.

The minister said the Assam government is setting up a tea park at Chaygaon in Kamrup district and has also asked companies to become partners so that they can get better international market linkages. “Assam tea is not getting a favourable competitive price in the international markets mainly due to lack of proper branding and international linkages,” he said.

The minister said that plucking of Assam tea is considered to be the best in the world as it is done manually while most of the other tea- producing countries use machines for the purpose. The state government would also engage a third party such as the IIM, IIT or Tea Research Institute to conduct a study for better management, marketing, technical support, packaging and design, he added.

Fadnavis said the BJP manifesto, released on Tuesday, promises to set up a financial development corporation (arthik vikas mahamandal) for open category students.

NAGPUR: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said his government is committed to the welfare of all sections of the society and referred to a scheme in the BJP manifesto wherein students from an open category would get scholarships to study abroad.

Fadnavis, addressing an election rally in his assembly constituency Nagpur South-West, said open category students will not suffer due to reservation to members of disadvantaged social groups in educational institutes.

“In our manifesto along with introducing various welfare schemes for all sections of the society, the BJP has also announced schemes for open category students who do not get any reservations,” he said.

“The open category will get the same number of seats which it used to get prior to 2018 (when Maratha quota was implemented).

The number of seats will be increased and restored in various institutions (to pre-quota level).

“Hence, there will be no injustice to open category, OBC or students from any other section of the society,” said Fadnavis, who is seeking re-election from Nagpur South-West in the October 21 assembly polls.

Fadnavis said the BJP manifesto, released on Tuesday, promises to set up a financial development corporation (arthik vikas mahamandal) for open category students.

“Through this corporation, open category students will also get scholarships for studying in foreign universities,” informed the chief minister.

Mediation panel report lists conditions to withdraw title claim; bench to study it today.

NEW DELHI: In a new twist to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, a three-member mediation panel claimed to have broken new ground, saying an important section of the litigating parties had agreed on some contentious issues, including giving up rights on the disputed land. 

In its report to the Supreme Court, the panel headed by former Supreme Court judge F M I Kalifullah, which includes senior advocate Sriram Panchu and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar, said one of the primary Muslim litigants in the title case was willing to drop its claim on the disputed 2.77 acre land if adequate alternative land is given for the construction of a mosque in the vicinity at state expenditure, according to sources.

That apart, the Muslim party demanded renovation of 22 existing mosques in Ayodhya, the sources added. Also, they wanted the government to allow devotees to offer prayers at some historic mosques where no such activity is permitted because the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) has declared them to be protected monuments.

According to sources, bundled into the proposal was another demand by the Muslim party for the implementation of the Religious Places Act, 1991, which mandates maintaining status quo of other religious places as they existed in 1947.

The Hindu parties, including the VHP-backed Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Ram Lalla deity, refused to be part the mediation, the sources said.

The mediation process restarted last month on the request of the Sunni Wakf Board after the panel had earlier expressed its inability to resolve the dispute. The panel’s report is expected to be discussed on Thursday by all the five judges of the Constitution bench — Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer — in their chambers. 

While the bench reserved its verdict, it can still go ahead and adjudicate on the issue and mention the details of the report in its judgment. The verdict is likely to be delivered on or before Nov 15, Gogoi’s last working day before he retires on Nov 17.

Taking a jibe at previous TDP govt, Andhra CM hails his party for working on pending irrigation projects in the State

NELLORE:  Reiterating that the welfare of farmers remains his government’s priority, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said his government will provide nine-hour power supply to agriculture in the morning time across the state by July next year. Already, 60 per cent of villages being provided with nine hours free power, he said and added the government will spend Rs 1,700 crore to cover the remaining feeders. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had launched YSR Rythu Bharosa – PM Kisan financial assistance scheme to farmers in Nellore, also said unlike previous TDP government which benefitted contractors in the name of irrigation projects, his government will complete all the pending irrigation projects in the State.

Launching the flagship programme on the eve of World Food Day, Jagan Mohan Reddy played the visuals of the YSRC’s plenary way back in July 2017 where he announced the scheme, and said he had stood by his promise by depositing the investment support amount to farmers directly to their bank accounts. 

“In the plenary held on July 8, 2017, I announced that `50,000 would be given to farmers as investment support in the month of May as Rythu Bharosa and during the 3,648 km padayatra and the subsequent brainstorming with Farmers’ Associations and others, it was improvised further and the quantum of the package was increased to `67,500 and is being paid eight months in advance,’’ Jagan said adding that a farmer will get an additional `17,500 benefit with the enhanced assistance and also by implementing it eight months in advance.

The scheme will benefit 54 lakh farmers, including tenant farmers, and the amount to be paid is split into `4,000 ahead of rabi in October, ` 7,500 before Kharif and `2,000 during Sankranti festival. “The survey done during the previous government was faulty and has recorded 43 lakh farmers. We have screened the data and arrived at the figure of 54 lakh farmer families and the number might go further as the process is still counting,’’ Jagan said. Eligible farmers, including tenant farmers, can register and claim the benefit till November 15. 

On the promise to provide nine-hour free power supply to farmers, Jagan said nearly 60 percent of areas the feeders are good while in the remaining 40 percent there is a need for repairs. “Nine hour power supply is being provided in 60 percent villages and `1,700 crores are sanctioned to upgrade the feeders and by July all farmers will be getting nine-hour free power supply,’’ he assured.

Jagan, on the aspect of Jalayagnam, said that his government will complete all the pending irrigation projects at the earliest unlike the previous government which used the construction of projects to mint money from contractors. Besides Rythu Bharosa cheques, the Chief Minister had also given a cheque towards ex gratia for loss of livestock amounting  `8,25,000.  

Agriculture minister K Kanna Babu, Home minister M Sucharitha, Irrigation minister Dr P Anil Kumar Yadav, IT Minister M Goutham Reddy, TTD Board Chairman Y V Subba Reddy, Nellore MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy, District Collector M V Seshagiri Babu and others were also present.