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The BJP and its ally Apna Dal(S) have won 63&nbsp;of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, demolishing the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-up-numbers-show-mahagathbandhan-a-failed-experiment-221047">challenge posed by the SP-BSP alliance</a>, which has managed to get 15&nbsp;seats between them.

The counting of votes is still underway in the state, which sends the highest number of MPs in the Lower House, and the Election Commission has declared results of 77 seats as of 6:20 AM Friday.

Of these, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-modi-wave-sweeps-india-again-nda-poised-to-win-lok-sabha-elections-221034">BJP</a> has won 60 seats and its NDA ally Apna Dal (S) two. The BJP is also leading on two seats.

The party's most remarkable victory came in Amethi where Union minister Smriti Irani unseated Congress president Rahul Gandhi from his party's bastion.

The NDA tally was just 11 short of the 73, the number of seats the two parties won in the Hindi heartland state in 2014. This gap is set to come down to nine.

The opposition SP-BSP alliance bagged 14 seats, with nine going to Mayawati's BSP.

The party is also leading in one seat.

The Congress just managed to open its account in the state as UPA chairperson and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat.

Also read: 'There is no place for dynasty rulers, corrupt leaders in this nation' says Yogi Adityanath

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&nbsp;

The BJP and its ally Apna Dal(S) have won 63 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, demolishing the challenge posed by the SP-BSP alliance, which has managed to get 15 seats between them.

The BJP and its ally Apna Dal(S) have won 63 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, demolishing the challenge posed by the SP-BSP alliance, which has managed to get 15 seats between them. The counting of votes is still underway in the state, which sends the highest number of MPs in the Lower House, and the Election Commission has declared results of 77 seats as of 6:20 AM Friday. Of these, the BJP has won 60 seats and its NDA ally Apna Dal (S) two. The BJP is also leading on two seats. The party's most remarkable victory came in Amethi where Union minister Smriti Irani unseated Congress president Rahul Gandhi from his party's bastion. The NDA tally was just 11 short of the 73, the number of seats the two parties won in the Hindi heartland state in 2014. This gap is set to come down to nine. The opposition SP-BSP alliance bagged 14 seats, with nine going to Mayawati's BSP. The party is also leading in one seat. The Congress just managed to open its account in the state as UPA chairperson and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat. Also read: 'There is no place for dynasty rulers, corrupt leaders in this nation' says Yogi Adityanath ×

In UP, BJP+ gets 63 and counting, SP-BSP struggles to touch 15

All but one Left Front candidates now have the ignominy of losing their security deposit in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, a state which it had ruled continuously for 34 years till 2011.&nbsp;

Except CPI(M)'s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya who got 21.04 per cent of the votes polled in Jadavpur, no other Left Front candidate has been able to achieve the required 16.6 per cent of the votes to retain their deposit money of Rs 25,000 each, according to Election Commission data.&nbsp;

In India, candidates for election to the Lok Sabha pay a security deposit of Rs 25,000. For Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, the amounts are Rs 12,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Any candidate who fails to secure more than one-sixth (16.6 per cent) of the total valid votes cast would have to forfeit his or her deposit.

Candidates of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which ruled the state for 34 years from 1977 to 2011, have been decimated to third and fourth spots in the seats it contested.

There were some candidates who managed to get close -- CPI(M) leaders Mohammed Salim with 14.25 per cent votes in Raiganj, Nepaldeb Bhattacharya with 13.91 per cent in Dum Dum, sitting Murshidabad MP Badarudozza Khan with 11.63 per cent votes, Nandini Mukherjee with 11.63 per cent votes in South Kolkata, but their efforts were not enough.&nbsp;

In most seats, the Left Front candidates have failed to reach double digits as far as vote percentage is concerned.

Registering its worst poll performance in over six decades, the Left Front was wiped off its bastions with no seats from the state.&nbsp;

The Left Front bagged five seats in this election -- four in Tamil Nadu and one in Kerala, where it rules. In Tamil Nadu, the CPI(M) and the CPI bagged two seats each in alliance with the DMK.&nbsp;

This is the first time since 1952 that the Left Front will not end up with double digits in the general election. Till now, while it had put up its most dismal show in 2014, winning only 12 seats -- 12 less than what it had won in 2009 -- its highest ever tally of 59 seats had come in 2004.&nbsp;

All but one Left Front candidates now have the ignominy of losing their security deposit in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, a state which it had ruled continuously for 34 years till 2011.

All but one Left Front candidates now have the ignominy of losing their security deposit in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, a state which it had ruled continuously for 34 years till 2011. Except CPI(M)'s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya who got 21.04 per cent of the votes polled in Jadavpur, no other Left Front candidate has been able to achieve the required 16.6 per cent of the votes to retain their deposit money of Rs 25,000 each, according to Election Commission data. In India, candidates for election to the Lok Sabha pay a security deposit of Rs 25,000. For Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, the amounts are Rs 12,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively. Any candidate who fails to secure more than one-sixth (16.6 per cent) of the total valid votes cast would have to forfeit his or her deposit. Candidates of the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which ruled the state for 34 years from 1977 to 2011, have been decimated to third and fourth spots in the seats it contested. There were some candidates who managed to get close -- CPI(M) leaders Mohammed Salim with 14.25 per cent votes in Raiganj, Nepaldeb Bhattacharya with 13.91 per cent in Dum Dum, sitting Murshidabad MP Badarudozza Khan with 11.63 per cent votes, Nandini Mukherjee with 11.63 per cent votes in South Kolkata, but their efforts were not enough. In most seats, the Left Front candidates have failed to reach double digits as far as vote percentage is concerned. Registering its worst poll performance in over six decades, the Left Front was wiped off its bastions with no seats from the state. The Left Front bagged five seats in this election -- four in Tamil Nadu and one in Kerala, where it rules. In Tamil Nadu, the CPI(M) and the CPI bagged two seats each in alliance with the DMK. This is the first time since 1952 that the Left Front will not end up with double digits in the general election. Till now, while it had put up its most dismal show in 2014, winning only 12 seats -- 12 less than what it had won in 2009 -- its highest ever tally of 59 seats had come in 2004.

All but one Left Front candidates lose security deposit in West Bengal 

Riding on communal polarisation, NRC, infighting within TMC and transfer of Left votes, the BJP in West Bengal breached the impregnable fortress of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee by winning 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and grabbing a vote share of 40.5 per cent.

Up from two seats and 17 per cent vote share it had in 2014, the BJP not only pulled through an unprecedented victory in the bordering state of Bengal, where it was once considered as a marginal force, but also took a lead in around 130 assembly segments of the state in terms of vote share.

The state is scheduled to go for Legislative assembly polls in two years time in 2021.

Bengal witnessed a saffron surge on Thursday as the BJP inflicted a deadly blow to ruling Trinamool Congress by winning 18 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The ruling TMC won 22 seats down from 34 in 2014.

BJP's national general secretary and Bengal minder, Kailash Vijayvargiya, said it was vote against Banerjee's appeasement politics and misrule. 
"This is the penultimate step, the final step will be the formation of BJP government in Bengal," Vijayvargiya said.

According to the BJP sources, among the several factors that led to BJP's stunning growth in Bengal are polarisation of votes due to TMC's minority appeasement politics, it's promise to implement NRC in Bengal to drive out infiltrators, overwhelming shift of the Left Fronts vote share to the saffron party besides infighting within the ruling TMC.

The BJP built its political narrative mostly around Hindutva and nationalism, which resulted in massive polarisation in the state, where Muslims constitute 27 per cent of the population.

Since independence Bengal, where the electoral discourse has largely steered clear of communal politics, witnessed one of the most polarised elections with both TMC and the BJP accusing each other of resorting to minority and majority appeasement.

Riding on polarisation, both TMC and BJP managed to sideline Left Front and Congress.

Watch: BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai

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Promises of NRC in Bengal to drive out infiltrators, allegations that TMC government stopped Durga Puja in Bengal, Ram Navami rallies, hundreds of communal riots in various parts of Bengal sharpened the communal divide with TMC lapping up the much of the Muslim vote share and BJP bagging a major chunk of the Hindu votes in the states.

The issues of NRC, citizenship bill and polarisation playing an important role in BJP's vote share can be gauged from the fact that the saffron camp made substantial gains in areas close to the India-Bangladesh border, which have a substantial minority vote.

The gamble of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill reaped huge dividends for BJP in seats like Bongoan and Ranaghat, which has huge Matua population- who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.

It also worked wonder for BJP in tribal-dominated areas of Junglemahal, where TMC faced a complete rout.

Another most important factor that played an important role in BJP's victory in Bengal is the massive shift of the Left Fronts votes to it.

Compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Lefts vote share of 29 per cent dwindled to about 7 per cent this time whereas BJP, which had around 17 per cent votes in 2014, bagged around 40.5 per cent votes this time.

According to senior Left leaders, a huge section of Left voters, including party cadres, chose BJP to defeat Mamata Banerjee in the state.

BJP's spectacular performance may have raised several eyebrows given its poor organisational strength in the state, but according to senior BJP leader, and one of main architects of saffron surge, Mukul Roy, this victory was much anticipated as there is huge undercurrent against TMC both inside and outside the party.

"In most of the areas a large section of disgruntled TMC workers and leaders have voted in favour of BJP. Several TMC leaders have actually worked in favour of us. Now it's time for us to bring those TMC workers and leaders into BJP and work towards the final battle for assembly polls," he said.The way lakhs of people including TMC workers were denied to cast their votes during last rural polls, backfired for TMC, Roy said.

The saffron camp which is now eyeing the next assembly polls in the state want to consolidate on the factors that led to its stupendous triumph and work towards new avenues to grab a much larger pie of vote share.&nbsp;

Riding on communal polarisation, NRC, infighting within TMC and transfer of Left votes, the BJP in West Bengal breached the impregnable fortress of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee by winning 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and grabbing a vote share of 40.

Riding on communal polarisation, NRC, infighting within TMC and transfer of Left votes, the BJP in West Bengal breached the impregnable fortress of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee by winning 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and grabbing a vote share of 40.5 per cent. Up from two seats and 17 per cent vote share it had in 2014, the BJP not only pulled through an unprecedented victory in the bordering state of Bengal, where it was once considered as a marginal force, but also took a lead in around 130 assembly segments of the state in terms of vote share. The state is scheduled to go for Legislative assembly polls in two years time in 2021. Bengal witnessed a saffron surge on Thursday as the BJP inflicted a deadly blow to ruling Trinamool Congress by winning 18 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The ruling TMC won 22 seats down from 34 in 2014. BJP's national general secretary and Bengal minder, Kailash Vijayvargiya, said it was vote against Banerjee's appeasement politics and misrule. "This is the penultimate step, the final step will be the formation of BJP government in Bengal," Vijayvargiya said. According to the BJP sources, among the several factors that led to BJP's stunning growth in Bengal are polarisation of votes due to TMC's minority appeasement politics, it's promise to implement NRC in Bengal to drive out infiltrators, overwhelming shift of the Left Fronts vote share to the saffron party besides infighting within the ruling TMC. The BJP built its political narrative mostly around Hindutva and nationalism, which resulted in massive polarisation in the state, where Muslims constitute 27 per cent of the population. Since independence Bengal, where the electoral discourse has largely steered clear of communal politics, witnessed one of the most polarised elections with both TMC and the BJP accusing each other of resorting to minority and majority appeasement. Riding on polarisation, both TMC and BJP managed to sideline Left Front and Congress. Watch: BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai × Promises of NRC in Bengal to drive out infiltrators, allegations that TMC government stopped Durga Puja in Bengal, Ram Navami rallies, hundreds of communal riots in various parts of Bengal sharpened the communal divide with TMC lapping up the much of the Muslim vote share and BJP bagging a major chunk of the Hindu votes in the states. The issues of NRC, citizenship bill and polarisation playing an important role in BJP's vote share can be gauged from the fact that the saffron camp made substantial gains in areas close to the India-Bangladesh border, which have a substantial minority vote. The gamble of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill reaped huge dividends for BJP in seats like Bongoan and Ranaghat, which has huge Matua population- who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution. It also worked wonder for BJP in tribal-dominated areas of Junglemahal, where TMC faced a complete rout. Another most important factor that played an important role in BJP's victory in Bengal is the massive shift of the Left Fronts votes to it. Compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Lefts vote share of 29 per cent dwindled to about 7 per cent this time whereas BJP, which had around 17 per cent votes in 2014, bagged around 40.5 per cent votes this time. According to senior Left leaders, a huge section of Left voters, including party cadres, chose BJP to defeat Mamata Banerjee in the state. BJP's spectacular performance may have raised several eyebrows given its poor organisational strength in the state, but according to senior BJP leader, and one of main architects of saffron surge, Mukul Roy, this victory was much anticipated as there is huge undercurrent against TMC both inside and outside the party. "In most of the areas a large section of disgruntled TMC workers and leaders have voted in favour of BJP. Several TMC leaders have actually worked in favour of us. Now it's time for us to bring those TMC workers and leaders into BJP and work towards the final battle for assembly polls," he said.The way lakhs of people including TMC workers were denied to cast their votes during last rural polls, backfired for TMC, Roy said. The saffron camp which is now eyeing the next assembly polls in the state want to consolidate on the factors that led to its stupendous triumph and work towards new avenues to grab a much larger pie of vote share.

Polarisation, NRC, transfer of Left votes help BJP breach Mamata Banerjee's fortress

In a major breakthrough, security forces in south Kashmir's Dadsara village have eliminated Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa, chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an affliate of al-Qaeda in the Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists, a joint team of Army, Jammu and Kashmir police conducted a search operation on Thursday evening in Dadsara village which led to an encounter.&nbsp;

Within minutes of firing, Al-Sindh, an al-Qaeda media outlets asked people to help Musa escape, as he was trapped by forces. During the overnight gunbattle that followed Zakir's body was recovered from the encounter site. &nbsp;

Sources said Zakir tried to escape from the house and was shot dead in a nearby orchard.&nbsp;

"Zakir had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Later he floated new terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).&nbsp;

He was wanted for his role in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities," J&amp;K police said in a statement.&nbsp;

Fearing violence, the administration imposed curfew in parts of Kashmir valley and curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar city. Security forces were deployed in strength and barbed wires were installed in major roads.

&nbsp;At some locations, police asked people to stay indoors. Amid tense situation, authorities ordered to shut schools, colleges and universities in the region.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Protests erupted in several districts of Kashmir valley including Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama and other places.&nbsp;

"Post-encounter security scenario was managed well. There hasn't been any law and order incident reported so far. There have been some areas where restrictions have been imposed," SP Pani, Inspector general of police Kashmir range said.&nbsp;

Who was Zakir Musa?&nbsp;

Zakir Musa, a top wanted terrorists, who was associated with Pakistan backed HM from 2013. He was made commander of the group and succeeded Burhan Wani after his killing in 2016. But in 2017, he left the group after rift with the leadership.&nbsp;

Later, he founded Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Zakir openly threatened Hurriyat leadership for their pro-Pakistan idea and criticised people for raising Pakistani flag. Instead, he stood for the global Islamic movement of al-Qaeda, the idea of which was criticised by many in Kashmir.

He was declared as a proclaimed offender by NIA special court Mohali, Punjab in NIA case involving serial blasts at Jalandhar, Punjab in September 2018. Several members of his group have been eliminated in the past while others have been arrested in several areas.&nbsp;

In a major breakthrough, security forces in south Kashmir's Dadsara village have eliminated Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa, chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an affliate of al-Qaeda in the Jammu and Kashmir.

In a major breakthrough, security forces in south Kashmir's Dadsara village have eliminated Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa, chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an affliate of al-Qaeda in the Jammu and Kashmir. Following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists, a joint team of Army, Jammu and Kashmir police conducted a search operation on Thursday evening in Dadsara village which led to an encounter. Within minutes of firing, Al-Sindh, an al-Qaeda media outlets asked people to help Musa escape, as he was trapped by forces. During the overnight gunbattle that followed Zakir's body was recovered from the encounter site. Sources said Zakir tried to escape from the house and was shot dead in a nearby orchard. "Zakir had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Later he floated new terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). He was wanted for his role in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities," J&K police said in a statement. Fearing violence, the administration imposed curfew in parts of Kashmir valley and curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar city. Security forces were deployed in strength and barbed wires were installed in major roads. At some locations, police asked people to stay indoors. Amid tense situation, authorities ordered to shut schools, colleges and universities in the region. Meanwhile, Protests erupted in several districts of Kashmir valley including Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama and other places. "Post-encounter security scenario was managed well. There hasn't been any law and order incident reported so far. There have been some areas where restrictions have been imposed," SP Pani, Inspector general of police Kashmir range said. Who was Zakir Musa? Zakir Musa, a top wanted terrorists, who was associated with Pakistan backed HM from 2013. He was made commander of the group and succeeded Burhan Wani after his killing in 2016. But in 2017, he left the group after rift with the leadership. Later, he founded Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Zakir openly threatened Hurriyat leadership for their pro-Pakistan idea and criticised people for raising Pakistani flag. Instead, he stood for the global Islamic movement of al-Qaeda, the idea of which was criticised by many in Kashmir. He was declared as a proclaimed offender by NIA special court Mohali, Punjab in NIA case involving serial blasts at Jalandhar, Punjab in September 2018. Several members of his group have been eliminated in the past while others have been arrested in several areas.

Top terror commander of al-Qaeda affiliate Zakir Musa killed, curfew imposed in parts of Kashmir 

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-elections-2019-rash-of-resignations-in-congress-after-election-result-disaster-221242">Congress</a> has drawn a blank in 18 states and Union Territories -- an indicator of its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls.

This is the Congress' second straight rout in Lok Sabha elections after it was decimated in the 2014 polls when the party ended up with a tally of 44 seats.

The Congress has been completely routed in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.

Training his guns on the Congress, BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday said the grand old party had drawn a "big zero" in 17 states and Union Territories, while the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/after-nehru-and-indira-modi-becomes-third-prime-minister-to-return-to-power-with-huge-mandate-221300">saffron party</a> got more than 50 per cent votes in 17 states.

Murmurs have already started within the party over taking responsibility for its poor performance across the country, with some of its leaders already sending in their resignation.

Watch: Did Congress misread the polls?

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Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik announced their resignation in the wake of the party's electoral debacle in their respective states.&nbsp;

According to sources, the party has convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, its highest decision-making body, at 11 am on Saturday. 
Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer his resignation at the meet, party sources said.

The top Congress leadership will deliberate on the reasons for the loss and assess them. It bagged only 52 seats in this election.&nbsp;

The Congress has drawn a blank in 18 states and Union Territories -- an indicator of its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls. This is the Congress' second straight rout in Lok Sabha elections after it was decimated in the 2014 polls when the party ended up with a tally of 44 seats.

The Congress has drawn a blank in 18 states and Union Territories -- an indicator of its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls. This is the Congress' second straight rout in Lok Sabha elections after it was decimated in the 2014 polls when the party ended up with a tally of 44 seats. The Congress has been completely routed in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. Training his guns on the Congress, BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday said the grand old party had drawn a "big zero" in 17 states and Union Territories, while the saffron party got more than 50 per cent votes in 17 states. Murmurs have already started within the party over taking responsibility for its poor performance across the country, with some of its leaders already sending in their resignation. Watch: Did Congress misread the polls? × Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik announced their resignation in the wake of the party's electoral debacle in their respective states. According to sources, the party has convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, its highest decision-making body, at 11 am on Saturday. Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer his resignation at the meet, party sources said. The top Congress leadership will deliberate on the reasons for the loss and assess them. It bagged only 52 seats in this election.

Congress draws a blank in 18 states and Union Territories

The BJP candidates not only won all 10 seats in Haryana, but its nominees also left rivals behind by huge margins - over six lakh in two constituencies and more than three lakh in six.

Rohtak, however, bucked the trend where Arvind Sharma of the BJP defeated three-time MP and Congress candidate Deepender Singh Hooda by just 7,503 votes.&nbsp;

Leading the club of BJP candidates in Haryana is its state general secretary and Karnal nominee Sanjay Bhatia, who surprised many with a record margin of 6,56,412 votes over his nearest rival Kuldeep Sharma of the Congress.&nbsp;

Bhatia, popularly called 'Bunty Bhai', is a confidant of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.&nbsp;

The BJP had replaced sitting MP Ashwani Kumar Chopra from Karnal with Bhatia.&nbsp;

Bhatia was followed by Union minister and sitting Faridabad MP Krishan Pal Gurjar in terms of the victory margin.&nbsp;

He defeated his Congress rival Avtar Singh Bhadana by a margin of 6,38,239 votes.&nbsp;

In the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh constituency too, BJP's sitting MP Dharambir inflicted a crushing defeat on Congress' Shruti Choudhary, who is the granddaughter of former chief minister Bansi Lal.

The former MP lost to Dharambir by a huge margin of 4,44,463 votes. Shruti was elected to the Lok Sabha from the seat in 2009 but was defeated by Dharambir in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh too retained his Gurugram seat. He defeated Congress' Ajay Singh Yadav by 3,86,256 votes.&nbsp;

Haryana minister Nayab Singh Saini, who was fielded from Kurukshetra after sitting MP RK Saini rebelled, defeated Congress' Nirmal Singh by a margin of 3,84,591 votes.&nbsp;

Sitting Ambala MP Rattan Lal Kataria defeated former Union minister and Congress' Kumari Selja by a margin of 3,42,345 votes. Selja is a two-time MP from the constituency. She had bagged the seat in the 2004 and 2009 elections.

Bureaucrat-turned-politician Brijendra Singh won from Hisar, defeating sitting MP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) candidate Dushyant Chautala by a margin of 3,14,068 votes.&nbsp;

Dushyant, who is the grandson of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, had floated his own political outfit after splitting from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;&nbsp;BJP Crosses 300 Mark On Its Own

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Congress candidate Bhavya Bishnoi, the gradson of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, finished third.&nbsp;

Brijendra Singh is the son of Union Minister Birender Singh. He had joined the BJP recently.&nbsp;

The state Congress chief, Ashok Tanwar, too faced a crushing defeat at the hands of BJP's Sunita Duggal. He lost the contest by a margin of 3,09,918 votes.

In Sonipat too, where the Congress had fielded former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the saffron outfit registered an impressive victory.&nbsp;

Sitting MP Ramesh Chander Kaushik defeated the former chief minister by a margin of 1,64,864 votes.&nbsp;

The BJP won all 10 seats in the state, improving its last tally of seven seats.

The BJP candidates not only won all 10 seats in Haryana, but its nominees also left rivals behind by huge margins - over six lakh in two constituencies and more than three lakh in six.

The BJP candidates not only won all 10 seats in Haryana, but its nominees also left rivals behind by huge margins - over six lakh in two constituencies and more than three lakh in six. Rohtak, however, bucked the trend where Arvind Sharma of the BJP defeated three-time MP and Congress candidate Deepender Singh Hooda by just 7,503 votes. Leading the club of BJP candidates in Haryana is its state general secretary and Karnal nominee Sanjay Bhatia, who surprised many with a record margin of 6,56,412 votes over his nearest rival Kuldeep Sharma of the Congress. Bhatia, popularly called 'Bunty Bhai', is a confidant of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The BJP had replaced sitting MP Ashwani Kumar Chopra from Karnal with Bhatia. Bhatia was followed by Union minister and sitting Faridabad MP Krishan Pal Gurjar in terms of the victory margin. He defeated his Congress rival Avtar Singh Bhadana by a margin of 6,38,239 votes. In the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh constituency too, BJP's sitting MP Dharambir inflicted a crushing defeat on Congress' Shruti Choudhary, who is the granddaughter of former chief minister Bansi Lal. The former MP lost to Dharambir by a huge margin of 4,44,463 votes. Shruti was elected to the Lok Sabha from the seat in 2009 but was defeated by Dharambir in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh too retained his Gurugram seat. He defeated Congress' Ajay Singh Yadav by 3,86,256 votes. Haryana minister Nayab Singh Saini, who was fielded from Kurukshetra after sitting MP RK Saini rebelled, defeated Congress' Nirmal Singh by a margin of 3,84,591 votes. Sitting Ambala MP Rattan Lal Kataria defeated former Union minister and Congress' Kumari Selja by a margin of 3,42,345 votes. Selja is a two-time MP from the constituency. She had bagged the seat in the 2004 and 2009 elections. Bureaucrat-turned-politician Brijendra Singh won from Hisar, defeating sitting MP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) candidate Dushyant Chautala by a margin of 3,14,068 votes. Dushyant, who is the grandson of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, had floated his own political outfit after splitting from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). Watch: BJP Crosses 300 Mark On Its Own × Congress candidate Bhavya Bishnoi, the gradson of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, finished third. Brijendra Singh is the son of Union Minister Birender Singh. He had joined the BJP recently. The state Congress chief, Ashok Tanwar, too faced a crushing defeat at the hands of BJP's Sunita Duggal. He lost the contest by a margin of 3,09,918 votes. In Sonipat too, where the Congress had fielded former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the saffron outfit registered an impressive victory. Sitting MP Ramesh Chander Kaushik defeated the former chief minister by a margin of 1,64,864 votes. The BJP won all 10 seats in the state, improving its last tally of seven seats.

Not just clean sweep, BJP candidates in Haryana also notched up big margin wins

The neighbourhood will be a priority and the focus will be on India's ties with the United States and China in the backdrop of Beijing-Washington standoff over trade issue, former envoys said after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-narendra-modi-likely-to-take-oath-as-prime-minister-on-may-30-221221">historic victory of Narendra Modi</a> led-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in country's 17 Lok Sabha elections. Other than this, ties with Iran on the energy front and Russia which is a long-standing ally of India will also be in focus.&nbsp;

Our principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal spoke to 11 former Indian envoys on focus areas for the new government and the challenges ahead.

"The new government will have its hands full. And one of the many priorities would be the immediate neighbourhood- Sri Lanka Afghanistan and Pakistan should be higher on the list- need to work with Sri Lanka, work on Pakistan and with and for Afghanistan &nbsp;as it stands on a critical crossroad.US Taliban talks seem to have hit the wall of Taliban's intransigence andIR inflexibility. India has to be mindful of the danger of Afghanistan being pushed back to dark ages and thus needs a proactive role with all stakeholders to ensure gains of last 18 years are not sacrificed," said Amar Sinha, former Ambassador of India to Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Ashok Sajjanhar, former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia said, "Relations with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/imf-warns-us-china-trade-war-will-jeopardize-2019-global-growth-221117"> US and China</a> will be the most challenging. India will have to deftly and skillfully deal with China's ascendancy and assertiveness through both cooperation and competition to safeguard and promote its strategic and economic interests. With Washington, India will need to ensure that America's growing capriciousness and unpredictability on trade matters does not adversely impact on the rapidly advancing bilateral strategic partnership. Energy security and prices, Pakistan, Afghanistan and West Asia are other challenges looming on the horizon which will need to be attended to urgently."

Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary said, "Standing up to the US &nbsp;on issues where it’s policies hurt our interests while maintaining the forward momentum of our ties. Keeping China engaged while boosting the Indo-Pacific concept. Preserving close ties with Russia as we become closer to the US and participate in hedging policies towards China."

Sharat Sabharwal, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ambassador to Uzbekistan, said, "Managing the relationship with a fast-rising and increasingly assertive China will remain the major foreign policy challenge of the new government. But an immediate crisis that the government may have to deal with is the mounting tension between the US and Iran, with the potential of a military conflict and its impact on India's energy supplies from West Asia and the large Indian diaspora there."

Anil Trigunayat, former Ambassador to Jordan Libya and Malta, said, "The biggest challenge in my view will be in managing the US especially with regard to our engagement with Russia and Iran as blatant unilateralism has the potential to undermine our strategic autonomy. &nbsp;If the US-Iran confrontation crosses the threshold it will have the worst repercussions for our energy security and diaspora welfare in the Gulf region."

Vijay K Nambiar, India’s former Permanent Representative to United Nations and former envoy to Pak, China, Afghanistan, said, "We are increasingly presenting an image to the outside world of an angry "underdog" power wanting to disrupt the status quo. Our biggest challenge, in the coming period, therefore, will be to preserve our traditional soft power image of an open, inclusive and introspective society that, while confident and unselfconscious about its own particularities, is willing to adopt a humane and harmonious attitude towards the outside world and to learn from others."

Deepa Wadhwa, a former envoy to Qatar, Japan, Sweden, Latvia and the Marshall Islands, said, "Sidhant, I believe the first issue the new government will have to confront, will be the fallout of the US-Iran standoff and its effect on our interests in the Middle East. The other priority will be our relationship with the US and in particular, deteriorating trade ties."

"There are perennials of our relations with China and the new government will soon have an opportunity to convey our sensitivities and concerns while batting for improved relations at the second informal summit to be held between the leaders of the two countries in the latter half of the year," Wadhwa added.

Anil Wadhwa, former Indian envoy to Italy, Poland, Oman and Thailand said, "The biggest challenge facing the new government will be the management of its complex web of relationships with the United States, Russia and China, and adapting and keeping pace with the new technological revolution which is changing the way countries operate and move forward in their domestic and external policies."

Bhaswati Mukherjee, a former Indian envoy to the Netherlands, said, "Managing the contradictions in the US-China relationship and its impact on India if a full-fledged trade war breaks out. Balancing out the relationship with Russia in the context of our strategic partnership with the US. Preparing for a meltdown in Afghanistan with the withdrawal of US troops."

Rajiv Dogra, former Indian envoy to Italy and consul general to Karachi "The biggest foreign policy challenge of the new government will be it, itself. If it flips -flops and changes direction whimsically it hands over the policy advantage to others. All said and done the coming months will test the new government repeatedly on the foreign policy front."

Neelam Deo, former Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast said, "With Prime Minister Modi’s return to the office, India will have continuity in foreign policy direction. We can expect an enhancement in the initiatives started in PM Modi’s first term. For example. a strong outreach to members of the Quad – Japan, USA and Australia in defence, especially on maritime matters. There will be an increased focus on building infrastructure, for example in partnership with Japan in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as Africa under the Asia Africa Growth Corridor. In its second term, the Modi government will move rapidly to put more content into its relationship with the West, especially the US, while the Gulf countries will be the focus of energy diplomacy."

The neighbourhood will be a priority and the focus will be on India's ties with the United States and China in the backdrop of Beijing-Washington standoff over trade issue, former envoys said after the historic victory of Narendra Modi led-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in country's 17 Lok Sabha elections.

The neighbourhood will be a priority and the focus will be on India's ties with the United States and China in the backdrop of Beijing-Washington standoff over trade issue, former envoys said after the historic victory of Narendra Modi led-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in country's 17 Lok Sabha elections. Other than this, ties with Iran on the energy front and Russia which is a long-standing ally of India will also be in focus. Our principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal spoke to 11 former Indian envoys on focus areas for the new government and the challenges ahead. "The new government will have its hands full. And one of the many priorities would be the immediate neighbourhood- Sri Lanka Afghanistan and Pakistan should be higher on the list- need to work with Sri Lanka, work on Pakistan and with and for Afghanistan as it stands on a critical crossroad.US Taliban talks seem to have hit the wall of Taliban's intransigence andIR inflexibility. India has to be mindful of the danger of Afghanistan being pushed back to dark ages and thus needs a proactive role with all stakeholders to ensure gains of last 18 years are not sacrificed," said Amar Sinha, former Ambassador of India to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Ashok Sajjanhar, former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia said, "Relations with the US and China will be the most challenging. India will have to deftly and skillfully deal with China's ascendancy and assertiveness through both cooperation and competition to safeguard and promote its strategic and economic interests. With Washington, India will need to ensure that America's growing capriciousness and unpredictability on trade matters does not adversely impact on the rapidly advancing bilateral strategic partnership. Energy security and prices, Pakistan, Afghanistan and West Asia are other challenges looming on the horizon which will need to be attended to urgently." Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary said, "Standing up to the US on issues where it’s policies hurt our interests while maintaining the forward momentum of our ties. Keeping China engaged while boosting the Indo-Pacific concept. Preserving close ties with Russia as we become closer to the US and participate in hedging policies towards China." Sharat Sabharwal, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ambassador to Uzbekistan, said, "Managing the relationship with a fast-rising and increasingly assertive China will remain the major foreign policy challenge of the new government. But an immediate crisis that the government may have to deal with is the mounting tension between the US and Iran, with the potential of a military conflict and its impact on India's energy supplies from West Asia and the large Indian diaspora there." Anil Trigunayat, former Ambassador to Jordan Libya and Malta, said, "The biggest challenge in my view will be in managing the US especially with regard to our engagement with Russia and Iran as blatant unilateralism has the potential to undermine our strategic autonomy. If the US-Iran confrontation crosses the threshold it will have the worst repercussions for our energy security and diaspora welfare in the Gulf region." Vijay K Nambiar, India’s former Permanent Representative to United Nations and former envoy to Pak, China, Afghanistan, said, "We are increasingly presenting an image to the outside world of an angry "underdog" power wanting to disrupt the status quo. Our biggest challenge, in the coming period, therefore, will be to preserve our traditional soft power image of an open, inclusive and introspective society that, while confident and unselfconscious about its own particularities, is willing to adopt a humane and harmonious attitude towards the outside world and to learn from others." Deepa Wadhwa, a former envoy to Qatar, Japan, Sweden, Latvia and the Marshall Islands, said, "Sidhant, I believe the first issue the new government will have to confront, will be the fallout of the US-Iran standoff and its effect on our interests in the Middle East. The other priority will be our relationship with the US and in particular, deteriorating trade ties." "There are perennials of our relations with China and the new government will soon have an opportunity to convey our sensitivities and concerns while batting for improved relations at the second informal summit to be held between the leaders of the two countries in the latter half of the year," Wadhwa added. Anil Wadhwa, former Indian envoy to Italy, Poland, Oman and Thailand said, "The biggest challenge facing the new government will be the management of its complex web of relationships with the United States, Russia and China, and adapting and keeping pace with the new technological revolution which is changing the way countries operate and move forward in their domestic and external policies." Bhaswati Mukherjee, a former Indian envoy to the Netherlands, said, "Managing the contradictions in the US-China relationship and its impact on India if a full-fledged trade war breaks out. Balancing out the relationship with Russia in the context of our strategic partnership with the US. Preparing for a meltdown in Afghanistan with the withdrawal of US troops." Rajiv Dogra, former Indian envoy to Italy and consul general to Karachi "The biggest foreign policy challenge of the new government will be it, itself. If it flips -flops and changes direction whimsically it hands over the policy advantage to others. All said and done the coming months will test the new government repeatedly on the foreign policy front." Neelam Deo, former Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast said, "With Prime Minister Modi’s return to the office, India will have continuity in foreign policy direction. We can expect an enhancement in the initiatives started in PM Modi’s first term. For example. a strong outreach to members of the Quad – Japan, USA and Australia in defence, especially on maritime matters. There will be an increased focus on building infrastructure, for example in partnership with Japan in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as Africa under the Asia Africa Growth Corridor. In its second term, the Modi government will move rapidly to put more content into its relationship with the West, especially the US, while the Gulf countries will be the focus of energy diplomacy."

Lok Sabha election 2019: US, China and neighbouring countries to be focus areas of new government, say former envoys

After taking over as the prime minister in his second term, Narendra Modi's first visit will be a country in the neighbourhood but it will not be in Bhutan. The visit will take place in early June.

During Modi's first tenure as the prime minister, his first visit was to Bhutan in June 2014.&nbsp;

PM Modi will have seven foreign visits scheduled in the next seven months, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, France, Russia, Thailand, Brazil and a country in the neighbourhood.&nbsp;

The visits will see him interact with global leaders and see a consolidation of his foreign policy actions and gains from his first term.

June: Kyrgyzstan, Japan

Other than a visit to a South Asian country, June will see two more major visits. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO summit from June 13 to 15 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan which will begin from June 28 to 29.

The SCO includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan as well as India and Pakistan. The SCO summit will be the first time PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart &nbsp;Imran Khan will be under the same roof and the big question will be if they will meet.&nbsp;

There hasn't been any formal dialogue between India and Pakistan since years now. The last time India took initiative was on December 25 in 2015 when PM Modi landed in Lahore. But, days after India's initiative, Pathankot attack happened which resulted in the breakdown of Indo-Pak ties.&nbsp;

The SCO summit could also see the first meet between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the listing of Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist organisation.

In 2018, Modi-Xi met four times, starting with the famous informal summit in Wuhan, China. The Chinese president will be visiting India this year for the second informal summit.&nbsp;

G20 summit in Japan will also serve as the first major platform for PM Modi to meet global leaders including a likely meet with US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

In 2018, during the G20 meet in Argentina, PM Modi met Donald Trump as part of a trilateral, Japan, America and India (JAI), in which Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was also present.&nbsp;

Another trilateral, Russia, India, China (RIC) saw the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping along with PM Modi.&nbsp;

Both the trilaterals&nbsp;are expected to meet this time as well.

August: France

This will be followed by participation of Indian PM at the G7 summit in Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France from August 25 to 27.&nbsp;

India has been invited by France, which is the chair this time, to participate at the G7 summit. During his congratulatory call to PM Modi on Thursday, French President Macron reiterated his invitation to visit France in August for a bilateral meeting and also to attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz.

In 2005, India was present at the G7 summit with participation of the then Indian PM Manmohan Singh. &nbsp;The G7 group consists of US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan &amp; Italy.

September: Russia

In September, PM Modi is going to Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the far eastern city of Vladivostok from September 4 to 6.&nbsp;

PM Modi has spoken to Putin three times in 2019, the first time on January 1 and the second time on January 28 during which the latter extended the invitation for the EEF. On Thursday Putin called Modi third time to congratulate him for his landslide victory in country's 17 Lok Sabha polls. 
&nbsp; 
On January 1, a Russian government official readout the first phone conversation between Putin and Modi in which it was stated, "The President of Russia invited the Prime Minister of India to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2019 as the main guest."

During PM Modi's second term he might also go for the United Nations General Assembly in New York that starts on September 17 and ends on September 30.&nbsp;

November: Thailand, Brazil

November will see PM Modi going to Bangkok for the East Asia Summit which takes place on third of that month followed by BRICS summit in Brazil from 11-13 November.

Four leaders, Japan's PM Shinzo Abe, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin and &nbsp;Xi Jinping are scheduled to visit India.

After taking over as the prime minister in his second term, Narendra Modi's first visit will be a country in the neighbourhood but it will not be in Bhutan. The visit will take place in early June.

After taking over as the prime minister in his second term, Narendra Modi's first visit will be a country in the neighbourhood but it will not be in Bhutan. The visit will take place in early June. During Modi's first tenure as the prime minister, his first visit was to Bhutan in June 2014. PM Modi will have seven foreign visits scheduled in the next seven months, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, France, Russia, Thailand, Brazil and a country in the neighbourhood. The visits will see him interact with global leaders and see a consolidation of his foreign policy actions and gains from his first term. June: Kyrgyzstan, Japan Other than a visit to a South Asian country, June will see two more major visits. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO summit from June 13 to 15 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan which will begin from June 28 to 29. The SCO includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan as well as India and Pakistan. The SCO summit will be the first time PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan will be under the same roof and the big question will be if they will meet. There hasn't been any formal dialogue between India and Pakistan since years now. The last time India took initiative was on December 25 in 2015 when PM Modi landed in Lahore. But, days after India's initiative, Pathankot attack happened which resulted in the breakdown of Indo-Pak ties. The SCO summit could also see the first meet between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the listing of Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist organisation. In 2018, Modi-Xi met four times, starting with the famous informal summit in Wuhan, China. The Chinese president will be visiting India this year for the second informal summit. G20 summit in Japan will also serve as the first major platform for PM Modi to meet global leaders including a likely meet with US President Donald Trump. In 2018, during the G20 meet in Argentina, PM Modi met Donald Trump as part of a trilateral, Japan, America and India (JAI), in which Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was also present. Another trilateral, Russia, India, China (RIC) saw the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping along with PM Modi. Both the trilaterals are expected to meet this time as well. August: France This will be followed by participation of Indian PM at the G7 summit in Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France from August 25 to 27. India has been invited by France, which is the chair this time, to participate at the G7 summit. During his congratulatory call to PM Modi on Thursday, French President Macron reiterated his invitation to visit France in August for a bilateral meeting and also to attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz. In 2005, India was present at the G7 summit with participation of the then Indian PM Manmohan Singh. The G7 group consists of US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan & Italy. September: Russia In September, PM Modi is going to Russia to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the far eastern city of Vladivostok from September 4 to 6. PM Modi has spoken to Putin three times in 2019, the first time on January 1 and the second time on January 28 during which the latter extended the invitation for the EEF. On Thursday Putin called Modi third time to congratulate him for his landslide victory in country's 17 Lok Sabha polls. On January 1, a Russian government official readout the first phone conversation between Putin and Modi in which it was stated, "The President of Russia invited the Prime Minister of India to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2019 as the main guest." During PM Modi's second term he might also go for the United Nations General Assembly in New York that starts on September 17 and ends on September 30. November: Thailand, Brazil November will see PM Modi going to Bangkok for the East Asia Summit which takes place on third of that month followed by BRICS summit in Brazil from 11-13 November. Four leaders, Japan's PM Shinzo Abe, Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin and Xi Jinping are scheduled to visit India.

Narendra Modi to visit a South Asian country in his first foreign tour in second term

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday knocked the doors of the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside a trial court order granting anticipatory bail to businessman Robert Vadra in a money laundering case against him.

The petition filed by Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh is likely to be taken up on May 27.

The agency, through its plea, is pushing for the custodial interrogation of Vadra, the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

The ED has claimed that Vadra has been evasive during the investigation."...In all likelihood, the respondent (Vadra) is likely to tamper with the evidence and the witness in the case. Special Judge has failed to appreciate that the respondent is a highly influential person. If he is granted a blanket protection of bail, there is all likelihood that the respondent shall tamper with the evidence....and the petitioner is still investigating into the said aspects," the plea filed by the ED read.

The agency further claimed that anticipatory bail interferes in the investigation of the crime.

"It is right to say that anticipatory bail, to some extent intrudes in the sphere of investigation of crime and that the courts must be cautious and circumspect while exercising such powers of discriminatory nature..," the plea said.

In April, A special CBI court granted anticipatory bail to Vadra and his aide Manoj Arora. Special Judge Arvind Kumar while granting anticipatory bail to the duo directed them to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 5 lakh each and surety of like amount.

Furthermore, the court had imposed bail conditions on both of them, whereby the duo cannot leave the country without permission.

They will have to join the investigation when called upon by the authorities, the court had stated.

The court had also ordered that the accused persons shall not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday knocked the doors of the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside a trial court order granting anticipatory bail to businessman Robert Vadra in a money laundering case against him.

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday knocked the doors of the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside a trial court order granting anticipatory bail to businessman Robert Vadra in a money laundering case against him. The petition filed by Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh is likely to be taken up on May 27. The agency, through its plea, is pushing for the custodial interrogation of Vadra, the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The ED has claimed that Vadra has been evasive during the investigation."...In all likelihood, the respondent (Vadra) is likely to tamper with the evidence and the witness in the case. Special Judge has failed to appreciate that the respondent is a highly influential person. If he is granted a blanket protection of bail, there is all likelihood that the respondent shall tamper with the evidence....and the petitioner is still investigating into the said aspects," the plea filed by the ED read. The agency further claimed that anticipatory bail interferes in the investigation of the crime. "It is right to say that anticipatory bail, to some extent intrudes in the sphere of investigation of crime and that the courts must be cautious and circumspect while exercising such powers of discriminatory nature..," the plea said. In April, A special CBI court granted anticipatory bail to Vadra and his aide Manoj Arora. Special Judge Arvind Kumar while granting anticipatory bail to the duo directed them to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 5 lakh each and surety of like amount. Furthermore, the court had imposed bail conditions on both of them, whereby the duo cannot leave the country without permission. They will have to join the investigation when called upon by the authorities, the court had stated. The court had also ordered that the accused persons shall not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.

Enforcement Directorate approaches Delhi High Court opposing anticipatory bail to Robert Vadra

The CPI Thursday said BJP's poll narrative centred on nationalism worked for the party in a big way in the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

"I think it looks like nationalism worked for them in northern states and Karnataka," CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy told PTI commenting on the Lok Sabha poll outcome.&nbsp;

"Nationalism worked (for the BJP)... Points raised by opposition unemployment, price rise, and ommissions and commissions of the BJP did not stand before the nationalism, particularly northern states," he said.

Reddy said lack of electoral understanding between the Left parties and the Congress helped the BJP make big gains in West Bengal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/">Click here</a> to get the live updates of Lok Sabha 2019 election results

"There was polarisation between Trinamool and the BJP, as there was no understanding between the Congress and the Left. The 'friends' behind the Left who wanted to defeat the Trinamool went towards the BJP", he said.

Asked if he thought the Left and the Congress should have fought the elections together in West Bengal, he said: "Yes, there would have been some confidence in the ranks".

"Sabarimala undercurrent" helped the UDF electorally in Kerala, where Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad also consolidated the minority votes behind the Congress, he added.

The CPI Thursday said BJP's poll narrative centred on nationalism worked for the party in a big way in the Lok Sabha elections. "I think it looks like nationalism worked for them in northern states and Karnataka," CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy told PTI commenting on the Lok Sabha poll outcome.

The CPI Thursday said BJP's poll narrative centred on nationalism worked for the party in a big way in the Lok Sabha elections. "I think it looks like nationalism worked for them in northern states and Karnataka," CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy told PTI commenting on the Lok Sabha poll outcome. "Nationalism worked (for the BJP)... Points raised by opposition unemployment, price rise, and ommissions and commissions of the BJP did not stand before the nationalism, particularly northern states," he said. Reddy said lack of electoral understanding between the Left parties and the Congress helped the BJP make big gains in West Bengal. Click here to get the live updates of Lok Sabha 2019 election results "There was polarisation between Trinamool and the BJP, as there was no understanding between the Congress and the Left. The 'friends' behind the Left who wanted to defeat the Trinamool went towards the BJP", he said. Asked if he thought the Left and the Congress should have fought the elections together in West Bengal, he said: "Yes, there would have been some confidence in the ranks". "Sabarimala undercurrent" helped the UDF electorally in Kerala, where Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad also consolidated the minority votes behind the Congress, he added.

Nationalism narrative played big part in BJP win: CPI

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-surges-ahead-with-319-seats-in-early-trends-congress-trails-far-behind-with-105-220814">BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback</a> on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway.

The elections were also closely followed by foreign media as the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister.

While reporting on BJP heading for an outright majority, The New York Times called PM Modi "one of the most powerful leaders" India has produced. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"The win would be a far more dominating performance than many analysts had thought possible a few months ago," The New York Times said.

"Modi is viewed as good for business. He has simplified the tax system and cut down on corruption, and one of the signature achievements of his term was an overhaul of the country’s corporate bankruptcy system," it added.

"PM Modi led National Democratic Alliance's predicted margin of victory is much larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote, when most polls showed it would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority," news agency Reuters said in its report.

"Although the BJP looks set to lose some seats in Uttar Pradesh, where two rival opposition parties have united to defeat it,&nbsp;Modi’s party looks likely to able to compensate for those losses, by making strong inroads into the states of West Bengal and Odisha, where it previously had limited support,"&nbsp;Financial Times stated in its report.

The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Final result declaration is expected only by late evening.&nbsp;

The initial trends by the Election Commission of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/election-results-to-be-in-consonance-with-exit-polls-outcome-arun-jaitley-220128">ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls</a>, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term.

In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009.

Watch:&nbsp;Impact of early election trends on the Indian markets

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&nbsp;

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway.

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway. The elections were also closely followed by foreign media as the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister. While reporting on BJP heading for an outright majority, The New York Times called PM Modi "one of the most powerful leaders" India has produced. "The win would be a far more dominating performance than many analysts had thought possible a few months ago," The New York Times said. "Modi is viewed as good for business. He has simplified the tax system and cut down on corruption, and one of the signature achievements of his term was an overhaul of the country’s corporate bankruptcy system," it added. "PM Modi led National Democratic Alliance's predicted margin of victory is much larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote, when most polls showed it would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority," news agency Reuters said in its report. "Although the BJP looks set to lose some seats in Uttar Pradesh, where two rival opposition parties have united to defeat it, Modi’s party looks likely to able to compensate for those losses, by making strong inroads into the states of West Bengal and Odisha, where it previously had limited support," Financial Times stated in its report. The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Final result declaration is expected only by late evening. The initial trends by the Election Commission of the ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term. In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009. Watch: Impact of early election trends on the Indian markets ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: Foreign media reacts to vote count as results point to a big victory for PM Modi

With the general elections over and the new government all set to take the charge, a lot of incoming foreign visits are expected in months to come. Four important visits are already confirmed which include a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both will be coming to India for the 2nd informal summit. In May last year, PM Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an informal summit in the resort town of Sochi in Russia.

In April 2018, PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the informal summit in Wuhan which came in the backdrop of Doklam crisis of 2017 which saw a standoff between the Indian and the Chinese armies in the Bhutanese territory claimed by Beijing.

Another important visit will be that of the German Chancellor who will be visiting India for the 5th Intergovernmental Consultation. Confirming the visit, the new German envoy, Walter J Lindner told WION, "Chancellor will come again to India, at the end of the year. We have not yet fixed the date, but it will be October and November."

Chancellor Merkel visited India in October 2015. PM Modi visited Germany four times during his first term.&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit is yet to be confirmed, New Delhi was ready to host the Isreali leader even before the dates of general elections were announced. The visit could not take place due to scheduling issues.

Asked when the visit will happen, Isreali envoy to India Ron Malka told WION, "hopefully in the near future, we will see, some kind of a visit, I am not sure when it will be, it is a matter of schedule. The PM wanted to come and will come."

Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to India in 2018 while Prime Minister Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Israel in July 2017.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India this year for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit that alternates its location between India and Japan. Last year PM Modi visited Japan for the 13th Annual Summit during which Japan announced it will be joining New Delhi-led International Solar Alliance and signed a Currency Swap Agreement.&nbsp;

The annual summit has become an occasion for both sides to show special gestures as part of growing ties between the two countries. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a private dinner at his ancestral home in Yamanashi in 2018. It was the first time when such a reception was extended to a foreign leader. In 2017, PM Abe visited PM Modi's home state Gujarat where he was given a special welcome.

With the general elections over and the new government all set to take the charge, a lot of incoming foreign visits are expected in months to come. Four important visits are already confirmed which include a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

With the general elections over and the new government all set to take the charge, a lot of incoming foreign visits are expected in months to come. Four important visits are already confirmed which include a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both will be coming to India for the 2nd informal summit. In May last year, PM Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an informal summit in the resort town of Sochi in Russia. In April 2018, PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the informal summit in Wuhan which came in the backdrop of Doklam crisis of 2017 which saw a standoff between the Indian and the Chinese armies in the Bhutanese territory claimed by Beijing. Another important visit will be that of the German Chancellor who will be visiting India for the 5th Intergovernmental Consultation. Confirming the visit, the new German envoy, Walter J Lindner told WION, "Chancellor will come again to India, at the end of the year. We have not yet fixed the date, but it will be October and November." Chancellor Merkel visited India in October 2015. PM Modi visited Germany four times during his first term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit is yet to be confirmed, New Delhi was ready to host the Isreali leader even before the dates of general elections were announced. The visit could not take place due to scheduling issues. Asked when the visit will happen, Isreali envoy to India Ron Malka told WION, "hopefully in the near future, we will see, some kind of a visit, I am not sure when it will be, it is a matter of schedule. The PM wanted to come and will come." Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to India in 2018 while Prime Minister Modi became the first Indian PM to visit Israel in July 2017. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India this year for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit that alternates its location between India and Japan. Last year PM Modi visited Japan for the 13th Annual Summit during which Japan announced it will be joining New Delhi-led International Solar Alliance and signed a Currency Swap Agreement. The annual summit has become an occasion for both sides to show special gestures as part of growing ties between the two countries. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a private dinner at his ancestral home in Yamanashi in 2018. It was the first time when such a reception was extended to a foreign leader. In 2017, PM Abe visited PM Modi's home state Gujarat where he was given a special welcome.

Putin, Xi Jinping, Merkel, Shinzo Abe and Netanyahu to visit India this year

The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-surges-ahead-with-319-seats-in-early-trends-congress-trails-far-behind-with-105-220814">BSP-SP alliance</a> ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends.

The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one.&nbsp;

BJP stalwarts, including Union ministers Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur and Santosh Gangwar in Bareilly, were ahead of their rivals after the first round of counting of ballots polled in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission office here said.&nbsp;See more updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">&nbsp;BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56</a>

Officials said BJP's Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit and state minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Allahabad were ahead of their nearest rivals.

Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav forged ahead in Mainpuri and his son SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was leading in Azamgarh.&nbsp;

Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav, who is seeking reelection from Kannauj was leading the table.

In 2014, BJP got 71 seats, the SP got five, the Congress two and the BSP none.

Counting for the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies across Uttar Pradesh began Thursday morning amidst tight security.

Watch: In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan on counting day

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&nbsp;

The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the BSP-SP alliance ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends. The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one.

The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the BSP-SP alliance ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends. The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one. BJP stalwarts, including Union ministers Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur and Santosh Gangwar in Bareilly, were ahead of their rivals after the first round of counting of ballots polled in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission office here said. See more updates: BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56 Officials said BJP's Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit and state minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Allahabad were ahead of their nearest rivals. Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav forged ahead in Mainpuri and his son SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was leading in Azamgarh. Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav, who is seeking reelection from Kannauj was leading the table. In 2014, BJP got 71 seats, the SP got five, the Congress two and the BSP none. Counting for the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies across Uttar Pradesh began Thursday morning amidst tight security. Watch: In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan on counting day ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP leads in 56 seats in Uttar Pradesh

The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

"Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi said.

The state results have spelt a knockout blow to the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, in Odisha, incumbent Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/odisha-assembly-polls-result-bjd-registers-massive-gains-naveen-patnaik-set-for-another-term-as-chief-minister-220951">Naveen Patnaik is also set for another term</a>.

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Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/ysjagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ysjagan</a>, 
 
Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure. 
 
ప్రియమైన <a href="https://twitter.com/ysjagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ysjagan</a>, ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ లో ఘన విజయాన్ని సాధించినందుకు అభినందనలు. మీ పదవీ కాలం విజయవంతం కావాలని ఆకాంక్షిస్తున్నాను. మీకు ఇవే శుభాకాంక్షలు.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131503467392978944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Biju Janata Dal, at the moment, leads in over 100 seats in the 147-member House.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patnaik on the win.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Jaganmohan Reddy: Andhra's new kingmaker

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Watch: What went wrong with Congress this LS polls?

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"Congratulations to Naveen Babu for yet another victory in Odisha. Wishing him the very best for the next term," PM's tweet read.&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overtaken the tally board in the Lok Sabha polls results, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-wins-yet-again-tweets-prime-minister-modi-as-bjp-exhibits-leads-on-300-plus-seats-gears-for-parliamentary-win-220920">maintaining a strong lead in over 340 seats</a>.&nbsp;

The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls. "Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi said. The state results have spelt a knockout blow to the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party. Meanwhile, in Odisha, incumbent Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also set for another term. Dear @ysjagan, Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure. ప్రియమైన @ysjagan, ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ లో ఘన విజయాన్ని సాధించినందుకు అభినందనలు. మీ పదవీ కాలం విజయవంతం కావాలని ఆకాంక్షిస్తున్నాను. మీకు ఇవే శుభాకాంక్షలు. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × The Biju Janata Dal, at the moment, leads in over 100 seats in the 147-member House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patnaik on the win. Watch: Jaganmohan Reddy: Andhra's new kingmaker × Watch: What went wrong with Congress this LS polls? "Congratulations to Naveen Babu for yet another victory in Odisha. Wishing him the very best for the next term," PM's tweet read. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overtaken the tally board in the Lok Sabha polls results, maintaining a strong lead in over 340 seats.

'Remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh,' PM Modi congratulates YSRC chief Jagan

Backed by a massive mandate, YSR Congress Party President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to take oath as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on May 30, according to sources in the party.

Jagan Mohan Reddy likely to take oath as AP CM on May 30

The S&P BSE Sensex & Nifty 50 Indexes retreated from record highs hit earlier in the day despite the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning a clear majority in the recently-concluded general elections. Analysts told NDTV that the investors booked profits at high levels as BJP's victory in the elections was factored in and shifted focus to global cues as concerns grew that the China-US trade conflict was fast turning into a technology cold war between the world's two largest economies.

Sensex Falls 1,314 Points From Day's High, Nifty Ends Near 11,650

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India

In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others.

As the 25-hour countdown which began Tuesday concluded, the agency's trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) blasted off at 5.30 am from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on its 48th mission, carrying the 615 kg satellite.

The RISAT-2B (Radar Imaging Satellite-2B), meant for application in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, was released into the orbit around 15 minutes after the lift-off.

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🇮🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISROMissions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISROMissions</a> 🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLVC46?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLVC46</a> successfully injects <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RISAT2B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RISAT2B</a> into Low Earth Orbit. 
Here's the view of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RISAT2B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RISAT2B</a> separation captured by our onboard camera 
 
Our updates will continue. <a href="https://t.co/WUTBdNH2XJ">pic.twitter.com/WUTBdNH2XJ</a>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1130991839836696576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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It would replace the RISAT-2, which was successfully launched in 2009.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan had earlier described the mission as a "very, very important" one for the country.

"This is a very, very important mission for India. It is an excellent satellite with hi-fi earth observation (capabilities)," he had said.

The RISAT-2B is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar that can take pictures of the earth during day and night, and also under cloudy conditions.

With a mission life of five years, the satellite would also be used for military surveillance, ISRO sources told PTI.

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The RISAT-2 has been actively used by India to monitor activities in camps across the border in Pakistan to thwart infiltration bids by terrorists.

The PSLV-C46 was the 14th flight of the PSLV in its core-alone configuration sans the use of the solid strap-on motors.

It was the 72nd launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota and also marked the 36th launch from the first launch pad.

Wednesday's launch of the PSLV also marked the third launch in 2019.

The other two were the PSLV-C45/EMISAT mission, which successfully injected the EMISAT and 29 international customer satellites into their orbits on April 1, and the PSLV-C44, which successfully placed the Microsat-R and the Kalamsat-V2 satellites in designated orbits on January 24.

ISRO had launched RISAT-1, a microwave remote sensing satellite, on April 26, 2012 from Sriharikota.

In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others.

In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others. As the 25-hour countdown which began Tuesday concluded, the agency's trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) blasted off at 5.30 am from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on its 48th mission, carrying the 615 kg satellite. The RISAT-2B (Radar Imaging Satellite-2B), meant for application in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, was released into the orbit around 15 minutes after the lift-off. 🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳#PSLVC46 successfully injects #RISAT2B into Low Earth Orbit. Here's the view of #RISAT2B separation captured by our onboard camera Our updates will continue. pic.twitter.com/WUTBdNH2XJ — ISRO (@isro) May 22, 2019 × It would replace the RISAT-2, which was successfully launched in 2009. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan had earlier described the mission as a "very, very important" one for the country. "This is a very, very important mission for India. It is an excellent satellite with hi-fi earth observation (capabilities)," he had said. The RISAT-2B is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar that can take pictures of the earth during day and night, and also under cloudy conditions. With a mission life of five years, the satellite would also be used for military surveillance, ISRO sources told PTI. The RISAT-2 has been actively used by India to monitor activities in camps across the border in Pakistan to thwart infiltration bids by terrorists. The PSLV-C46 was the 14th flight of the PSLV in its core-alone configuration sans the use of the solid strap-on motors. It was the 72nd launch vehicle mission from Sriharikota and also marked the 36th launch from the first launch pad. Wednesday's launch of the PSLV also marked the third launch in 2019. The other two were the PSLV-C45/EMISAT mission, which successfully injected the EMISAT and 29 international customer satellites into their orbits on April 1, and the PSLV-C44, which successfully placed the Microsat-R and the Kalamsat-V2 satellites in designated orbits on January 24. ISRO had launched RISAT-1, a microwave remote sensing satellite, on April 26, 2012 from Sriharikota.

ISRO successfully launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B

Indian space agency successfully launched an earth-observation satellite from its southern spaceport of Sriharikota on Wednesday. India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C46 (PSLV) carried the 615-kilogram satellite, RISAT-2B into space and injected it into the low earth orbit of 555 kilometres with an inclination of 37 degrees in a pre-dawn mission.

India successfully launches earth-observation satellite

Two terrorists were killed on Wednesday by security forces in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the south Kashmir district of Kulgam, official sources said.

They said troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a CASO at Gopalpora, Kulgam following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists.&nbsp;

As the cordon around the hiding terrorists&nbsp;was&nbsp;tightened, they fired at the security forces triggering an encounter in which two terrorists have&nbsp;been killed.The slain terrorists belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit. Their exact identity is being established.

"Operation is still going on", a police source said.

As precautionary measure authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Kulgam district.

(With inputs from agencies)

Two terrorists were killed on Wednesday by security forces in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the south Kashmir district of Kulgam, official sources said.

Two terrorists were killed on Wednesday by security forces in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the south Kashmir district of Kulgam, official sources said. They said troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a CASO at Gopalpora, Kulgam following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists. As the cordon around the hiding terrorists was tightened, they fired at the security forces triggering an encounter in which two terrorists have been killed.The slain terrorists belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit. Their exact identity is being established. "Operation is still going on", a police source said. As precautionary measure authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Kulgam district. (With inputs from agencies)

J&K: Two terrorists killed in encounter at Gopalpora area of Kulgam district

As Congress and BJP are involved in a spat over allegations of topping the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the party has not demanded a floor test in the Assembly.

"BJP and Gopal Bhargava (Leader of the Opposition) never demanded a floor test. We have said (in the letter to Governor) that there should be a discussion on the problems," Chouhan told reporters.

The furore over floor test started after Bhargava wrote a letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, urging her to convene the Assembly session soon to discuss pressing issues like drinking water, law and order situation, and non-payment of farmers'&nbsp;dues.

However, Kamal Nath had said that his government holds the majority and is <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ready-for-floor-test-madhya-pradesh-chief-minister-kamal-nath-220240">ready to face the floor test</a>. Yesterday, he claimed that the BJP was trying to lure 10 Congress MLAs in its bid to topple his government.

On Opposition`s questions on EVMs, Chouhan said, "Opposition knows they are going to face defeated badly. Now they have to find things blame, so they are blaming EVMs. They are demanding impractical things which cannot be accepted. Tomorrow, they will say they have already said it."

"They are preparing for blaming EVMs. They know very well NDA is going to register landslide victory that is why they are involving in these things," he said.

Citing electricity problem in the state, the former chief minister demanded that the Election Commission should arrange generators for the counting day.

"We are demanding from the Election Commission that there is a dark rule here. The electricity has been cut off for ten times in Bhopal. Counting of votes will take place from tomorrow. So, the poll body should not depend on electricity and should arrange generators,"

"Digvijay Singh used to go out with banners and generators. We demand the generators should be arranged by the Commission. Otherwise, Congress will say that BJP is behind all this," Chouhan said.

The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls will take place on May 23.

The 231-member Madhya Pradesh assembly has 113 Congress members, one short of half-way mark, and 109 BJP legislators.

The ruling coalition is led by the Congress, supported by an MLA of SP, two of MLAs of Bahujan Samaj Party and four independents.&nbsp;

As Congress and BJP are involved in a spat over allegations of topping the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the party has not demanded a floor test in the Assembly.

As Congress and BJP are involved in a spat over allegations of topping the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that the party has not demanded a floor test in the Assembly. "BJP and Gopal Bhargava (Leader of the Opposition) never demanded a floor test. We have said (in the letter to Governor) that there should be a discussion on the problems," Chouhan told reporters. The furore over floor test started after Bhargava wrote a letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, urging her to convene the Assembly session soon to discuss pressing issues like drinking water, law and order situation, and non-payment of farmers' dues. However, Kamal Nath had said that his government holds the majority and is ready to face the floor test. Yesterday, he claimed that the BJP was trying to lure 10 Congress MLAs in its bid to topple his government. On Opposition`s questions on EVMs, Chouhan said, "Opposition knows they are going to face defeated badly. Now they have to find things blame, so they are blaming EVMs. They are demanding impractical things which cannot be accepted. Tomorrow, they will say they have already said it." "They are preparing for blaming EVMs. They know very well NDA is going to register landslide victory that is why they are involving in these things," he said. Citing electricity problem in the state, the former chief minister demanded that the Election Commission should arrange generators for the counting day. "We are demanding from the Election Commission that there is a dark rule here. The electricity has been cut off for ten times in Bhopal. Counting of votes will take place from tomorrow. So, the poll body should not depend on electricity and should arrange generators," "Digvijay Singh used to go out with banners and generators. We demand the generators should be arranged by the Commission. Otherwise, Congress will say that BJP is behind all this," Chouhan said. The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls will take place on May 23. The 231-member Madhya Pradesh assembly has 113 Congress members, one short of half-way mark, and 109 BJP legislators. The ruling coalition is led by the Congress, supported by an MLA of SP, two of MLAs of Bahujan Samaj Party and four independents.

BJP never demanded floor test in Madhya Pradesh Assembly: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya.&nbsp;

The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border and the Indian Coast Guard that guards India’s maritime borders and coastal frontiers carried out the affiliation between 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’.&nbsp;

The signing of the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ was followed by a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the Assam Rifles War Memorial and a combined Guard of Honour was led by Captain Ruchi Pathak of the Assam Rifles.

This initiative will facilitate a greater understanding of operational ethos, sharing of best practices from each other, building camaraderie and utilisation of each other’s assets for training, sports and adventure will be carried out.&nbsp;

“A battalion of the Assam Rifles will soon sail alongside the Indian Coast Guard officers and sailors on board ICG ship Shaurya from Chennai. They will train together and exchange knowledge land borders and overseas management,” said a senior official of the Assam Rifles.

The event was attended by Lt General Sukhdeep Sangwan, Director General Assam Rifles and Director General Rajendra Singh, Indian Coast Guard along with a host of officers and men from both the forces.&nbsp;

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya.

India’s oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles and the Indian Coast Guard signed the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ on Wednesday at the Assam Rifles Headquarters in Shillong, Meghalaya. The Assam Rifles, which guards the Indo-Myanmar border and the Indian Coast Guard that guards India’s maritime borders and coastal frontiers carried out the affiliation between 3rd (Naga Hills) Battalion of Assam Rifles and Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’. The signing of the ‘Charter of Affiliation’ was followed by a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the Assam Rifles War Memorial and a combined Guard of Honour was led by Captain Ruchi Pathak of the Assam Rifles. This initiative will facilitate a greater understanding of operational ethos, sharing of best practices from each other, building camaraderie and utilisation of each other’s assets for training, sports and adventure will be carried out. “A battalion of the Assam Rifles will soon sail alongside the Indian Coast Guard officers and sailors on board ICG ship Shaurya from Chennai. They will train together and exchange knowledge land borders and overseas management,” said a senior official of the Assam Rifles. The event was attended by Lt General Sukhdeep Sangwan, Director General Assam Rifles and Director General Rajendra Singh, Indian Coast Guard along with a host of officers and men from both the forces.

Assam Rifles, Indian Coast Guard sign ‘charter of affiliation’

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-speaks-out-against-terror-at-sco-fms-meet-in-kyrgyzstan-220584">Shanghai Cooperation Organisation </a>meeting in Kyrgyzstan.

The two leaders discussed issues of bilateral interest, including the implementation of understanding reached during last year's Wuhan Summit.

The meeting came a month after India skipped the OBOR in China last month. The two South Asian countries, meanwhile, continue to build on their ties post the battle over Masood Azhar at the UNSC.&nbsp;

"Continuing the momentum of high-level exchanges. EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi on the sidelines of #SCO Foreign Minister's Meeting in Bishkek. Discussed issues of bilateral interest, including the implementation of understanding reached during Wuhan Summit," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.&nbsp;

Swaraj who arrived here on Tuesday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council (SCO) of Foreign Ministers in the Kyrgyz capital, also had a brief encounter with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Earlier today as the delegates of member nations met, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Indian Foreign Minister Swaraj were seen standing next to each other.

This was the first time that top government functionaries of both countries came face to face post the Pulwama attacks.

It was also the first time since that strike that Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi were seen under the same roof.

Tensions escalated between the two countries after the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF men. It was followed by the Indian Air Force striking Jaish-e-Mohammed terror launchpads deep inside Pakstan.

India raised the issue of Pulwama and the recent attacks in Sri Lanka.

Swaraj said that India is open to strengthening the Regional Anti-Terror Structure or RATS of SCO to fight terrorism and security challenges in the region.

The meeting comes at a time when Pakistan is seeking talks with Delhi and is keen to push the restart button with India.

India maintains that talks and terror can't go hand in hand.

India will also raise the issue of region-specific terror, weeks after it successfully ensured a global blacklisting of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar at the UNSC.

India through its successful issue-based negotiations has made Pakistan-based cross-border terror a central theme on international platforms.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Kyrgyzstan.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders discussed issues of bilateral interest, including the implementation of understanding reached during last year's Wuhan Summit. The meeting came a month after India skipped the OBOR in China last month. The two South Asian countries, meanwhile, continue to build on their ties post the battle over Masood Azhar at the UNSC. "Continuing the momentum of high-level exchanges. EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi on the sidelines of #SCO Foreign Minister's Meeting in Bishkek. Discussed issues of bilateral interest, including the implementation of understanding reached during Wuhan Summit," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Swaraj who arrived here on Tuesday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council (SCO) of Foreign Ministers in the Kyrgyz capital, also had a brief encounter with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Earlier today as the delegates of member nations met, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Indian Foreign Minister Swaraj were seen standing next to each other. This was the first time that top government functionaries of both countries came face to face post the Pulwama attacks. It was also the first time since that strike that Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi were seen under the same roof. Tensions escalated between the two countries after the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF men. It was followed by the Indian Air Force striking Jaish-e-Mohammed terror launchpads deep inside Pakstan. India raised the issue of Pulwama and the recent attacks in Sri Lanka. Swaraj said that India is open to strengthening the Regional Anti-Terror Structure or RATS of SCO to fight terrorism and security challenges in the region. The meeting comes at a time when Pakistan is seeking talks with Delhi and is keen to push the restart button with India. India maintains that talks and terror can't go hand in hand. India will also raise the issue of region-specific terror, weeks after it successfully ensured a global blacklisting of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar at the UNSC. India through its successful issue-based negotiations has made Pakistan-based cross-border terror a central theme on international platforms.

Sushma Swaraj meets Chinese counterpart, shares dais with Pak Foreign Minister at SCO meet

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.

Lok Sabha election results would be announced on Thursday and the new government would be in place in the coming weeks.

In an interview to PTI, Kumar said Niti Aayog would submit an action plan to the new government.

"Niti Aayog is preparing something (economic agenda) and that will be submitted to the new government.

"The basic thing is that we need to take steps to increase private investments in the economy. That's a real issue and to increase the private investment, it requires greater access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," Kumar said.

According to him, the economic agenda might also pitch for extending labour subsidies to textile and leather sectors to reduce the cost of production.

Cost of capital in India is quite high, which needs to be brought down, and there is also a need to create a land bank owned by public sector undertakings so that private investment can be attracted, Kumar said.

On whether he sees a case for fiscal stimulus as the economy is slowing down, Kumar said there is always a case for fiscal stimulus provided the fiscal balance is maintained.

"So there is no case at all of busting all fiscal norms. I think we can create fiscal space through non-tax revenues being increased.

"And also including tax compliance, there is a need for expanding public capital expenditure while maintaining fiscal balance," the eminent economist opined.

Emphasising that India can achieve double-digit growth by 2022, Kumar said a good foundation for such a trajectory has already been laid in the last five years. During this period, there has been unprecedented macro stability as well as an average annual growth of 7 per cent growth.

"So there is also a social basis now for ramping up our growth," he said.

Noting that the government has done enough in last five years to be now ready to take that few steps to ramp up growth to 9 per cent, Kumar said, "I think, that by fiscal 2022, we should be able to get there (double-digit growth)."

For the current fiscal ending March 2020, Kumar expects the Indian economy to record a growth of around 7 per cent.

In February, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised downwards the growth estimate for 2018-19 fiscal from 7.2 per cent to 7 per cent, the lowest in five years.

According to a report released by the United Nations on Tuesday, India is projected to grow at 7 per cent in 2019 and 7.1 per cent in 2020.

Most exit polls have predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).&nbsp;

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday.

Niti Aayog is working on the economic agenda for the new government where the focus will be on achieving long term sustainable growth and boosting private investments in the country, the think tank's Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. Lok Sabha election results would be announced on Thursday and the new government would be in place in the coming weeks. In an interview to PTI, Kumar said Niti Aayog would submit an action plan to the new government. "Niti Aayog is preparing something (economic agenda) and that will be submitted to the new government. "The basic thing is that we need to take steps to increase private investments in the economy. That's a real issue and to increase the private investment, it requires greater access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," Kumar said. According to him, the economic agenda might also pitch for extending labour subsidies to textile and leather sectors to reduce the cost of production. Cost of capital in India is quite high, which needs to be brought down, and there is also a need to create a land bank owned by public sector undertakings so that private investment can be attracted, Kumar said. On whether he sees a case for fiscal stimulus as the economy is slowing down, Kumar said there is always a case for fiscal stimulus provided the fiscal balance is maintained. "So there is no case at all of busting all fiscal norms. I think we can create fiscal space through non-tax revenues being increased. "And also including tax compliance, there is a need for expanding public capital expenditure while maintaining fiscal balance," the eminent economist opined. Emphasising that India can achieve double-digit growth by 2022, Kumar said a good foundation for such a trajectory has already been laid in the last five years. During this period, there has been unprecedented macro stability as well as an average annual growth of 7 per cent growth. "So there is also a social basis now for ramping up our growth," he said. Noting that the government has done enough in last five years to be now ready to take that few steps to ramp up growth to 9 per cent, Kumar said, "I think, that by fiscal 2022, we should be able to get there (double-digit growth)." For the current fiscal ending March 2020, Kumar expects the Indian economy to record a growth of around 7 per cent. In February, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised downwards the growth estimate for 2018-19 fiscal from 7.2 per cent to 7 per cent, the lowest in five years. According to a report released by the United Nations on Tuesday, India is projected to grow at 7 per cent in 2019 and 7.1 per cent in 2020. Most exit polls have predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Niti Aayog's economic agenda for new government likely to focus on boosting private investment

The Indian Army has launched a massive search operation in the jungles of Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts to nab the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/arunachal-pradesh-mla-tirong-aboh-among-11-killed-in-terrorist-ambush-220482">killers of National People's Party (NPP) MLA Tirong Aboh</a> and ten others near Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district on Tuesday, sources said here on Wednesday.

According to Army sources, all the likely routes of escape have been effectively blocked.&nbsp;Troops have launched intensive checks along Nagaland - Arunachal borders.

"The Army has intensified operations with increased area domination teams and mobile check posts being deployed in the adjoining districts of Nagaland," sources said.

"Additional forces including troops of Special Forces have also been inducted in the team," they said.

The Army has confirmed the deployment of specialist helicopters with night flying ability and night vision equipment to ensure "dynamic, real-time and all-around surveillance of the area during the prevailing bad weather conditions."

According to sources, reconnaissance helicopters, quadcopters, and tracker dogs are also extensively being employed in the operations. Sources further said the Army is working closely in synergy with the police, administration and intelligence agencies to identify the insurgents involved in the attack.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Indian Army has launched a massive search operation in the jungles of Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts to nab the killers of National People's Party (NPP) MLA Tirong Aboh and ten others near Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district on Tuesday, sources said here on Wednesday.

The Indian Army has launched a massive search operation in the jungles of Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts to nab the killers of National People's Party (NPP) MLA Tirong Aboh and ten others near Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district on Tuesday, sources said here on Wednesday. According to Army sources, all the likely routes of escape have been effectively blocked. Troops have launched intensive checks along Nagaland - Arunachal borders. "The Army has intensified operations with increased area domination teams and mobile check posts being deployed in the adjoining districts of Nagaland," sources said. "Additional forces including troops of Special Forces have also been inducted in the team," they said. The Army has confirmed the deployment of specialist helicopters with night flying ability and night vision equipment to ensure "dynamic, real-time and all-around surveillance of the area during the prevailing bad weather conditions." According to sources, reconnaissance helicopters, quadcopters, and tracker dogs are also extensively being employed in the operations. Sources further said the Army is working closely in synergy with the police, administration and intelligence agencies to identify the insurgents involved in the attack.

Indian Army launches search operations to nab killers of Arunachal MLA

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-successfully-launches-earth-observation-satellite-risat-2b-220516">ISRO successfully launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B</a>

In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-warns-of-painful-consequences-if-us-escalates-tensions-220517">Iran warns of 'painful consequences' if US escalates tensions</a>

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the United States of "painful consequences for everybody" if there is an escalation in tensions with the Islamic republic.

Zarif also accused the US of "playing a very, very dangerous game" in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/at-nda-meeting-pm-modi-expresses-concern-over-needless-controversy-over-evms-by-opposition-220526">At NDA meeting, PM Modi expresses concern over 'needless controversy' over EVMs by opposition</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday expressed concern over the "needless controversy" created by the Opposition over EVMs at a meeting of NDA leaders, even as the ruling alliance laid out its agenda for the next five years if it is elected to power again.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-forecasts-global-economy-to-grow-27-in-2019-29-in-2020-220522">UN forecasts global economy to grow 2.7% in 2019, 2.9% in 2020</a>

The United Nations on Tuesday downgraded its forecast for world economic growth, announcing that it expects overall growth of 2.7 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2020.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mcdonalds-faces-25-new-sexual-harassment-complaints-from-workers-220518">McDonald's faces 25 new sexual harassment complaints from workers</a>

McDonald's Corp was accused on Tuesday in 25 new lawsuits and regulatory charges of condoning sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliating against employees who speak up.

ISRO successfully launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others.

ISRO successfully launches earth observation satellite RISAT-2B In a pre-dawn launch on Wednesday, Indian space agency ISRO scripted history by successfully launching earth observation satellite RISAT-2B that would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities among others. Iran warns of 'painful consequences' if US escalates tensions Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the United States of "painful consequences for everybody" if there is an escalation in tensions with the Islamic republic. Zarif also accused the US of "playing a very, very dangerous game" in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday. At NDA meeting, PM Modi expresses concern over 'needless controversy' over EVMs by opposition Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday expressed concern over the "needless controversy" created by the Opposition over EVMs at a meeting of NDA leaders, even as the ruling alliance laid out its agenda for the next five years if it is elected to power again. UN forecasts global economy to grow 2.7% in 2019, 2.9% in 2020 The United Nations on Tuesday downgraded its forecast for world economic growth, announcing that it expects overall growth of 2.7 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2020. McDonald's faces 25 new sexual harassment complaints from workers McDonald's Corp was accused on Tuesday in 25 new lawsuits and regulatory charges of condoning sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliating against employees who speak up.

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