<p>Amidst the news of the&nbsp;Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, more than 18 dead bats were discovered on Wednesday in the premises of a government school in Himachal Pradesh's Nahan, triggering a panic among locals.</p>

<p>Officers of the Health Department, Animal Husbandry Department and Forest Department arrived at the Burma Papadi School, following a directive from the Deputy Commissioner, and took samples from the dead bats for further investigation.</p>

<p>However, the officials denied rumours of fears of the virus as of now.</p>

<p>The district's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sanjay Sharma, although the bats are present in the area every year, this year their numbers are significantly higher.</p>

<p>"The principal of the school and the students said that bats come here every year, and eventually perish, however, this year, their numbers are far greater than in previous years," Sharma said.</p>

<p>"We have informed the teachers, students of the school about the virus, its symptoms, preventive measures. We told them to avoid physical contact in case of an outbreak, as this is a communicative disease," he added.</p>

<p>Suparna Bharadwaj, the principal of the school, said, "In this situation, there is a panic in the people after this episode, as the way the bats are dying, Napa Virus's fears cannot be sidelined. The students were informed of the disease, it's preventive measures, so we will exercise all precautions in case of an outbreak and inform as many people as possible."</p>

<p>The death toll in the deadly Nipah virus outbreak has so far, risen up to 10, Kerala health minister KK Shailaga confirmed.</p>

<p>Earlier, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam appealed to the people of the state to not to panic over the rumours being circulated about the spread of the virus and requested everyone to follow the advisories issued by the State Health Department.</p>

<p>Also, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government is closely monitoring the outbreak and taking steps to prevent its further spread.</p>

<p>Taking cognizance of the issue, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda also directed to constitute a team of six doctors to probe the outbreak of the virus.&nbsp;</p>


The death toll in the deadly Nipah virus outbreak has so far risen up to 10, Kerala health minister KK Shailaga confirmed

Amidst the news of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, more than 18 dead bats were discovered on Wednesday in the premises of a government school in Himachal Pradesh's Nahan, triggering a panic among locals. Officers of the Health Department, Animal Husbandry Department and Forest Department arrived at the Burma Papadi School, following a directive from the Deputy Commissioner, and took samples from the dead bats for further investigation. However, the officials denied rumours of fears of the virus as of now. The district's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sanjay Sharma, although the bats are present in the area every year, this year their numbers are significantly higher. "The principal of the school and the students said that bats come here every year, and eventually perish, however, this year, their numbers are far greater than in previous years," Sharma said. "We have informed the teachers, students of the school about the virus, its symptoms, preventive measures. We told them to avoid physical contact in case of an outbreak, as this is a communicative disease," he added. Suparna Bharadwaj, the principal of the school, said, "In this situation, there is a panic in the people after this episode, as the way the bats are dying, Napa Virus's fears cannot be sidelined. The students were informed of the disease, it's preventive measures, so we will exercise all precautions in case of an outbreak and inform as many people as possible." The death toll in the deadly Nipah virus outbreak has so far, risen up to 10, Kerala health minister KK Shailaga confirmed. Earlier, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam appealed to the people of the state to not to panic over the rumours being circulated about the spread of the virus and requested everyone to follow the advisories issued by the State Health Department. Also, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government is closely monitoring the outbreak and taking steps to prevent its further spread. Taking cognizance of the issue, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda also directed to constitute a team of six doctors to probe the outbreak of the virus.

Nipah virus scare in Himachal after 18 dead bats found in Nahan

<p>Six people were killed when a bus plunged into a deep gorge on Sunday&nbsp;at Solan-Rajgarh road in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district.</p>

<p>The injured were rushed to a hospital in Solan, police said.</p>

<p>The bus was on its way to Solan. Over 20 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the mishap.</p>

<p>Rescue teams are at the spot and rescue operation is underway.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpotVisuals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpotVisuals</a> from Himachal Pradesh: Six people died and several injured after a private bus fell into deep gorge near Sanora in Sirmaur district . Police says, 'Rescue operation underway'. <a href="https://t.co/jUh1vfx657">pic.twitter.com/jUh1vfx657</a></p>
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The bus was on its way to Solan. Over 20 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the mishap.

Six people were killed when a bus plunged into a deep gorge on Sunday at Solan-Rajgarh road in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Solan, police said. The bus was on its way to Solan. Over 20 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the mishap. Rescue teams are at the spot and rescue operation is underway. #SpotVisuals from Himachal Pradesh: Six people died and several injured after a private bus fell into deep gorge near Sanora in Sirmaur district . Police says, 'Rescue operation underway'. pic.twitter.com/jUh1vfx657 — ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2018 ×

Himachal Pradesh: 11 dead, several injured after bus falls into gorge

<p>In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Himachal Pradesh government today transferred 18 senior IAS officers, including six officers of additional chief secretary rank.</p>

<p>Additional chief secretary-cum-Principal Secretary to chief minister Manisha Nanda has been replaced by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Srikant Baldi, an official release said.</p>

<p>Nanda has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department.</p>

<p>Additional Chief Secretary B K Agarwal has been given the charge of Home and Vigilance department. He would also hold the additional charge of health and family welfare, the release said.</p>

<p>Anil Kumar Khachi, Secretary (PWD) would now hold the charge of finance, planning, economics and statistics, it said.</p>

<p>Additional Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh, holding the charge of revenue and transport, has been posted as additional chief secretary of tourism and civil aviation with the additional charge of urban development.</p>

<p>Tarun Kapoor, the Additional Chief Secretary of forest, town and country planning, urban development and housing has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary MPP and power, forest, environment, science and technology.</p>


Additional chief secretary-cum-Principal Secretary to chief minister Manisha Nanda has been replaced by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Srikant Baldi, an official release said.

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Himachal Pradesh government today transferred 18 senior IAS officers, including six officers of additional chief secretary rank. Additional chief secretary-cum-Principal Secretary to chief minister Manisha Nanda has been replaced by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Srikant Baldi, an official release said. Nanda has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department. Additional Chief Secretary B K Agarwal has been given the charge of Home and Vigilance department. He would also hold the additional charge of health and family welfare, the release said. Anil Kumar Khachi, Secretary (PWD) would now hold the charge of finance, planning, economics and statistics, it said. Additional Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh, holding the charge of revenue and transport, has been posted as additional chief secretary of tourism and civil aviation with the additional charge of urban development. Tarun Kapoor, the Additional Chief Secretary of forest, town and country planning, urban development and housing has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary MPP and power, forest, environment, science and technology.

18 IAS officers transferred in Himachal Pradesh

<p>Thunderstorms accompanied by squall, hail and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 13 states and two Union Territories across the country today.</p>

<p>Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely today at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab.</p>

<p>Heavy rains are likely today at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, a home ministry official said on Sunday quoting an Indian Meteorological Department advisory.</p>

<p><strong>Schools in Haryana to remain shut on May 7, 8</strong></p>

<p>The meteorological department has warned of thunderstorm accompanied with squall at isolated places in Haryana between May 7 and 8, following which the state government decided that all government and private schools will remain closed on these two days.</p>

<p>State Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma today said the decision to keep schools closed on May 7 and 8 has been taken in view of the MeT Department's warning.</p>

<p>The weatherman has forecast thunderstorm with squall at isolated places in the state on May 7 and thunderstorm with squall and hail at some places on May 8.</p>

<p>In view of the warning, the Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Department, in an advisory, has suggested safety tips be adopted in case of thunderstorms, dust storms and squall. A spokesperson of the department said there is no need to panic and people should follow the precautions, pay special attention to children and senior citizens. All departments have been directed to stay alert, he said.</p>

<p>At least 124 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in five states due to dust storms, thunderstorms and lightning last week.</p>


India Meteorological Department (IMD) said dust storm and heavy rain likely at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, western Rajasthan and states in North-east

Thunderstorms accompanied by squall, hail and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 13 states and two Union Territories across the country today. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely today at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab. Heavy rains are likely today at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, a home ministry official said on Sunday quoting an Indian Meteorological Department advisory. Schools in Haryana to remain shut on May 7, 8 The meteorological department has warned of thunderstorm accompanied with squall at isolated places in Haryana between May 7 and 8, following which the state government decided that all government and private schools will remain closed on these two days. State Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma today said the decision to keep schools closed on May 7 and 8 has been taken in view of the MeT Department's warning. The weatherman has forecast thunderstorm with squall at isolated places in the state on May 7 and thunderstorm with squall and hail at some places on May 8. In view of the warning, the Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Department, in an advisory, has suggested safety tips be adopted in case of thunderstorms, dust storms and squall. A spokesperson of the department said there is no need to panic and people should follow the precautions, pay special attention to children and senior citizens. All departments have been directed to stay alert, he said. At least 124 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in five states due to dust storms, thunderstorms and lightning last week.

Thunderstorm warning: 13 states on alert, schools closed in Haryana

<p>Thunderstorms accompanied by squall, hail and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 13 states and two Union Territories across the country tomorrow, the Home Ministry said.</p>

<p>Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely tomorrow at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab.</p>

<p>Heavy rains are likely tomorrow at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, a Home Ministry official said today quoting an Indian Meteorological Department advisory.</p>

<p>Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>Dust storm and thunderstorm are also likely at isolated places in West Rajasthan, a PTI reported quoting the official.</p>

<p>At least 124 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in five states due to dust storms, thunderstorms and lightning last week.&nbsp</p>


Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh.

Thunderstorms accompanied by squall, hail and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 13 states and two Union Territories across the country tomorrow, the Home Ministry said. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely tomorrow at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab. Heavy rains are likely tomorrow at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, a Home Ministry official said today quoting an Indian Meteorological Department advisory. Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh. Dust storm and thunderstorm are also likely at isolated places in West Rajasthan, a PTI reported quoting the official. At least 124 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in five states due to dust storms, thunderstorms and lightning last week.

Thunderstorms, rains likely in 13 states, 2 Union Territories tomorrow

<p>India Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rainfall in many regions of Himachal Pradesh. Manmohan Singh Director IMD, Himachal Pradesh told news agency ANI, “Rainfall is expected in many regions of the state between 6 to 8 May. Thunderstorm and strong wind warning for May 7 and 8 have been issued for Shimla, Solan, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra and Una districts.”</p>

<p>IMD has issued a five-day weather warning on Sunday. Over the next two days, thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail is likely to hit Himachal Pradesh. Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Delhi and Bihar are also likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied with the squall. Uttrakhand is also going to be affected by thunderstorm, squall and hail, whereas dust storm is likely to hit Rajasthan.</p>

<p>Isolated areas of Sub–Himalayan Region of West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar are likely to be hit by thunderstorm accompanied with the squall. Gusty winds are likely to blow across Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and over northern plains on Sunday.</p>

<p>Over the next five Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is likely to be affected by heatwave conditions. If we move down south heavy rains are expected in Tamil Nadi, South interior Karnataka and Kerala. Heavy rainfall is also expected in isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.</p>


Isolated areas of Sub–Himalayan Region of West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar are likely to be hit by thunderstorm accompanied with squall.

India Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rainfall in many regions of Himachal Pradesh. Manmohan Singh Director IMD, Himachal Pradesh told news agency ANI, “Rainfall is expected in many regions of the state between 6 to 8 May. Thunderstorm and strong wind warning for May 7 and 8 have been issued for Shimla, Solan, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kangra and Una districts.” IMD has issued a five-day weather warning on Sunday. Over the next two days, thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail is likely to hit Himachal Pradesh. Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Delhi and Bihar are also likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied with the squall. Uttrakhand is also going to be affected by thunderstorm, squall and hail, whereas dust storm is likely to hit Rajasthan. Isolated areas of Sub–Himalayan Region of West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar are likely to be hit by thunderstorm accompanied with the squall. Gusty winds are likely to blow across Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and over northern plains on Sunday. Over the next five Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is likely to be affected by heatwave conditions. If we move down south heavy rains are expected in Tamil Nadi, South interior Karnataka and Kerala. Heavy rainfall is also expected in isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Thunderstorm likely to hit Himachal Pradesh; Met department issues five-day weather warning

<p>The Himachal Pradesh Government has told the Supreme Court that it will provide Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-pradesh-hotelier-kills-woman-officer-during-demolition-drive-134083">officer&nbsp;who was killed while conducting a demolition drive</a>&nbsp;in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli.</p>

<p>The move came a day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-woman-officers-murder-in-himachal-pradesh-134155">apex court took </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-woman-officers-murder-in-himachal-pradesh-134155">suo</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-woman-officers-murder-in-himachal-pradesh-134155">&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-woman-officers-murder-in-himachal-pradesh-134155">motu</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-takes-suo-motu-cognisance-of-woman-officers-murder-in-himachal-pradesh-134155">&nbsp;cognisance of the matter </a>and also lashed out at the Himachal government for its inability in securing the life of the officer.</p>

<p>The court observed the seriousness of the case as the victim was shot dead in&nbsp;broad daylight and the police were not able to arrest the accused who managed to flee the spot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shailbala Sharma was shot dead while undertaking&nbsp;the demolition drive of the recent orders of the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Shailbala Sharma&nbsp;along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area when the incident took place.</p>

<p>When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. He allegedly opened fire on Sharma when her team went ahead with the demolition and tried to evacuate him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On April 17, the court had ordered the hotel owners&nbsp;to demolish unauthorised construction of several hotels and resorts in Himachal Pradesh within 15 days.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Officer Shail Bala Sharma heading SC-ordered demolition drive shot dead in Kasauli(HP) matter: Himachal Pradesh Govt tells Supreme Court that Rs 5 lakhs compensation will be given to Sharma's family</p>
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The move came a day after the apex court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and also lashed out at the Himachal government for its inability in securing the life of the officer

The Himachal Pradesh Government has told the Supreme Court that it will provide Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the officer who was killed while conducting a demolition drive in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. The move came a day after the apex court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and also lashed out at the Himachal government for its inability in securing the life of the officer. The court observed the seriousness of the case as the victim was shot dead in broad daylight and the police were not able to arrest the accused who managed to flee the spot. The 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shailbala Sharma was shot dead while undertaking the demolition drive of the recent orders of the Supreme Court. Shailbala Sharma along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area when the incident took place. When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. He allegedly opened fire on Sharma when her team went ahead with the demolition and tried to evacuate him. On April 17, the court had ordered the hotel owners to demolish unauthorised construction of several hotels and resorts in Himachal Pradesh within 15 days. Officer Shail Bala Sharma heading SC-ordered demolition drive shot dead in Kasauli(HP) matter: Himachal Pradesh Govt tells Supreme Court that Rs 5 lakhs compensation will be given to Sharma's family — ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2018 ×

Will provide compensation to family of officer killed on demolition drive: Himachal Pradesh govt to Supreme Court

<p>The Supreme Court has taken a suo motu&nbsp;cognisance of the murder of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-pradesh-hotelier-kills-woman-officer-during-demolition-drive-134083">lady assistant who was killed while carrying out a demolition drive</a> in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli on Tuesday.</p>

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<p>The apex court&nbsp;lashed out at the state government for not providing adequate security to the woman official.</p>

<p>The court observed the seriousness of the case as the victim was shot dead in&nbsp;broad daylight and the police were not able to arrest the accused and&nbsp;he managed to flee the spot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We might stop passing any orders if you are going to kill people," the bench said. The bench also said that the matter will be placed before Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra for assigning it before an appropriate bench. It also questioned as to what the police team, which had accompanied government officials during the sealing drive was doing when the hotel owner allegedly shot at the woman, PTI reported.</p>

<p>The 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shailbala Sharma was shot dead while undertaking&nbsp;the demolition drive of the recent orders of the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Shailbala Sharma&nbsp;along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area when the incident took place.</p>

<p>When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. He allegedly opened fire on Sharma when her team went ahead with the demolition and tried to evacuate him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On April 17, the court had ordered the hotel owners&nbsp;to demolish unauthorised construction of several hotels and resorts in Himachal Pradesh within 15 days.</p>

<p>The court had also asked the owners to deposit a fine of up to Rs 15 lakh each.</p>

<p>The apex court's order came after it had observed that the illegal constructions had put the entire city in danger, causing landslides.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma heading SC-ordered demolition drive shot dead in Kasauli matter: Supreme Court also observed that it is very serious issue as the accused had allegedly killed the woman official in broad daylight and the police could not arrest him.</p>
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The apex court also lashed out at the State government for not providing adequate security to the woman official

The Supreme Court has taken a suo motu cognisance of the murder of the lady assistant who was killed while carrying out a demolition drive in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli on Tuesday. × The apex court lashed out at the state government for not providing adequate security to the woman official. The court observed the seriousness of the case as the victim was shot dead in broad daylight and the police were not able to arrest the accused and he managed to flee the spot. "We might stop passing any orders if you are going to kill people," the bench said. The bench also said that the matter will be placed before Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra for assigning it before an appropriate bench. It also questioned as to what the police team, which had accompanied government officials during the sealing drive was doing when the hotel owner allegedly shot at the woman, PTI reported. The 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shailbala Sharma was shot dead while undertaking the demolition drive of the recent orders of the Supreme Court. Shailbala Sharma along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area when the incident took place. When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. He allegedly opened fire on Sharma when her team went ahead with the demolition and tried to evacuate him. On April 17, the court had ordered the hotel owners to demolish unauthorised construction of several hotels and resorts in Himachal Pradesh within 15 days. The court had also asked the owners to deposit a fine of up to Rs 15 lakh each. The apex court's order came after it had observed that the illegal constructions had put the entire city in danger, causing landslides. Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma heading SC-ordered demolition drive shot dead in Kasauli matter: Supreme Court also observed that it is very serious issue as the accused had allegedly killed the woman official in broad daylight and the police could not arrest him. — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2018 ×

Demolition row: Supreme Court raps Himachal Pradesh government after woman officer's murder

<p>A 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shail Bala Sharma was shot dead today during demolition drive at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh to demolish illegal construction on recent orders of Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Shailbala Sharma&nbsp;along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area, on the order of the High Court, when the incident took place.</p>

<p>When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. When the team went ahead with the demolition and tried to get the place evacuated, Singh opened fire on them.</p>

<p>According to the Police, Sharma was shot in the back and died on the spot. An employee of Public Works Department (PWD) was injured and had to be rushed to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the accused managed to flee the spot.</p>

<p>Himachal Pradesh Police spokesperson, superintendent of police (SP) Khushal Sharma said that a case has been registered at Dharampur police station and search is on.</p>

<p>On April 17, the court had given gave hotel owners 15 days to demolish unauthorized construction. They were also told to deposit a fine of up to Rs 15 lakh each</p>

<p>A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta had observed that some hotels and resorts authorized to construct only two-storied buildings had built six-storied buildings.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


A Public Works Department employee who was engaged by the administration among other PWD employees to clear the hotel rooms of belongings was also injured in the firing allegedly by Narayani hotel owner Vijay Thakur at about 2:33 pm.

A 51-year old lady assistant town and country planner Shail Bala Sharma was shot dead today during demolition drive at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh to demolish illegal construction on recent orders of Supreme Court. Shailbala Sharma along with four teams of the Town and Country Planning Department were razing unauthorised construction in the area, on the order of the High Court, when the incident took place. When Sharma and her team reached Narayani Guest House, its owner, Vijay Singh asked them to keep off his property. When the team went ahead with the demolition and tried to get the place evacuated, Singh opened fire on them. According to the Police, Sharma was shot in the back and died on the spot. An employee of Public Works Department (PWD) was injured and had to be rushed to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). Meanwhile, the accused managed to flee the spot. Himachal Pradesh Police spokesperson, superintendent of police (SP) Khushal Sharma said that a case has been registered at Dharampur police station and search is on. On April 17, the court had given gave hotel owners 15 days to demolish unauthorized construction. They were also told to deposit a fine of up to Rs 15 lakh each A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta had observed that some hotels and resorts authorized to construct only two-storied buildings had built six-storied buildings. (With inputs from ANI)

Himachal Pradesh: Hotelier kills woman officer during demolition drive

<p>The CBSE's Class 10 mathematics question paper was allegedly leaked by a Una-based teacher who was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in the Class 12 economics paper case, the police said today.</p>

<p>Last week, three men- identified as Rakesh Kumar, Amit Sharma and Ashok Kumar - from the DAV Centenary Public School in Una, were arrested by the crime branch after lengthy investigations and questioning.</p>

<p>The Police today said Rakesh Kumar was also found to be involved in the mathematics paper being leaked before the March 28 examination. He confessed during questioning about his alleged involvement, the police claimed.</p>

<p>Further details were awaited.</p>

<p>The economics paper was leaked on March 23 - three days before the exam date - in Himachal Pradesh's Una town and was shared on social networking site WhatsApp by at least 40 groups.</p>

<p>Rakesh Kumar had been teaching economics at the DAV school for the last eight years. He was the centre superintendent of the Jawahar Navodaya Public School in Una, where the CBSE exams were being held.</p>

<p>Amit Sharma and Ashok Kumar worked at the DAV school as a clerk and a peon respectively.</p>

<p>The economics paper leak was exposed after an envelope containing four images of a hand-written copy of the question paper was delivered to the CBSE Headquarters in Delhi on the evening March 26, the day of the exam.</p>

<p>On March 30, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced it would re-conduct the Class 12 economics exam throughout the country on April 25.</p>

<p>The police has registered two cases in connection with the matter. The first case relating to the leak of the economics paper was filed on March 27, while the other on the mathematics paper leak was lodged on March 28.&nbsp;</p>


Rakesh Kumar, arrested last week, has been teaching economics at the DAV school in Una, Himachal Pradesh for the last eight years

The CBSE's Class 10 mathematics question paper was allegedly leaked by a Una-based teacher who was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in the Class 12 economics paper case, the police said today. Last week, three men- identified as Rakesh Kumar, Amit Sharma and Ashok Kumar - from the DAV Centenary Public School in Una, were arrested by the crime branch after lengthy investigations and questioning. The Police today said Rakesh Kumar was also found to be involved in the mathematics paper being leaked before the March 28 examination. He confessed during questioning about his alleged involvement, the police claimed. Further details were awaited. The economics paper was leaked on March 23 - three days before the exam date - in Himachal Pradesh's Una town and was shared on social networking site WhatsApp by at least 40 groups. Rakesh Kumar had been teaching economics at the DAV school for the last eight years. He was the centre superintendent of the Jawahar Navodaya Public School in Una, where the CBSE exams were being held. Amit Sharma and Ashok Kumar worked at the DAV school as a clerk and a peon respectively. The economics paper leak was exposed after an envelope containing four images of a hand-written copy of the question paper was delivered to the CBSE Headquarters in Delhi on the evening March 26, the day of the exam. On March 30, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced it would re-conduct the Class 12 economics exam throughout the country on April 25. The police has registered two cases in connection with the matter. The first case relating to the leak of the economics paper was filed on March 27, while the other on the mathematics paper leak was lodged on March 28.

Teacher who leaked CBSE Class XII eco paper also leaked Class X math paper, say police

<p>The hills of Uttarakhand are hit frequently by mild earthquakes -- as many as 51 since January 1, 2015 -- which are often dismissed as "usual occurrences". But are these tremors indicative of a big earthquake in future?<br />
"Yes," says the head of state's Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC).</p>

<p>"Frequent mild earthquakes in the hills of Uttarakhand should not be dismissed as common occurrences but treated as pointers to a major earthquake which is long overdue in the central seismic gap of the Himalayan front spanning Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and Uttarakhand," said DMMC Executive Director Piyush Rautela.</p>

<p>The DMMC is an autonomous body working under the Uttarakhand government for protection of people and environment against any kind of disaster. Its tasks among other include running training programme for people and communities for disaster mitigation.</p>

<p>Rautela said the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand was hit by a catastrophic earthquake way back in 1803, and 200 years on there is a lot of "un-released energy in the Himalayan region".</p>

<p>"This pent-up energy accumulated over more than 200 years has led to an apprehension among scientists that it could find an outlet in the form of a big earthquake in the Himalayan region, of which Uttarakhand is a part, in the near future," he said.</p>

<p>Another factor which has led to the apprehension is that the 700-km long seismic gap on the Himalayan front, which spans Uttarakhand, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, has not been ruptured in any major earthquake in the last 200-500 years, he said.</p>

<p>"Hence, it is only a matter of time before this pent-up, cumulative energy releases in the form of a major shake-up," Rautela said.</p>

<p>Asked as to what scientists mean by a major earthquake, he said the earthquakes measuring more than eight on the Richter Scale are categorised as such.</p>

<p>According to data available on the Uttarakhand MeT department's website, there have been as many as 51 mild earthquakes in different parts of the state, especially the hill districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Almora, and Rudraprayag, since January 1, 2015.</p>

<p>On an average mild intensity, earthquakes occur in the hills twice a month with the latest hitting Pithoragarh on April 1 this year. The magnitude of the quake was 3.5 and it was not felt by many.</p>

<p>The Pithoragarh earthquake was preceded by another of 2.9 magnitudes in Uttarkashi on February 28, which had already been hit by another with a magnitude of 3.2 on February 12.</p>

<p>Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts were hit by an earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter Scale on December 28 last year, followed by a 2.9-magnitude earthquake in Chamoli just two days later.</p>

<p>"The mild earthquakes which hit the hills of Uttarakhand almost every month and are often dismissed as usual occurrences should better be treated as warning bells so that we could equip ourselves better to deal with a bigger disaster," the DMMC ED said.</p>

<p>"These earthquakes often measuring about 2.5-4.5 on the Richter Scale are reminder from the nature that we live in an area vulnerable to earthquakes and cannot afford to lower our guard."&nbsp</p>

<p>When asked what would be the extent of damage if an earthquake of 8+ magnitude hits the state, Rautela said it was difficult to quantify. "But definitely the damage will be more in the thickly populated urban areas where there has been rapid and unplanned growth of population and infrastructure."</p>

<p>The devastating earthquake of April-May 2015 in Nepal, which left nearly 9,000 dead, amply highlighted the seismic threat in the region as also the vulnerability of the building stock there, he said.</p>

<p>"Hence, it is important to assess the vulnerability of built environment before undertaking any seismic-risk reduction exercise."</p>

<p>Rautela emphasised the importance of effective planning, preparedness and mitigation, underlining the "constraints in earthquake prediction".</p>

<p>He said the assessment of seismic vulnerability is a necessary precondition for realistic planning and effective mitigation. Citing a DMMC study conducted some time back to assess the seismic vulnerability of</p>

<p>Nainital and Mussoorie, he said out of a total of 6,206 buildings surveyed in popular tourist cities, 14 per cent in Nainital and 18 per cent in Mussoorie show high probability of Category-5 damage (very significant damage) in the event of a seismic activity reaching intensity VII (earthquake measuring 7 on Ritcher Scale).</p>

<p>Most of these buildings were reportedly constructed before 1951, he said.</p>

<p>On infrastructure, the DMMC ED said, hospitals constitute the most critical facility required in the aftermath of any disaster and therefore it is important to assess the seismic performance of the buildings housing these facilities.</p>

<p>Disruption of hospital services has the potential of magnifying the trauma and misery of the affected population manifold, he added. Safety of school buildings is also critical, he said. "The collapse of school buildings would disrupt relief work as they are often used as shelters, makeshift dispensaries and stores for relief supplies in the aftermath of any disaster."</p>

<p>Tourism being the main economic activity in several cities of Uttarakhand, safety of hotel buildings must also be ensured. Seismic vulnerability assessment of such buildings is therefore highly recommended, according to the officer.</p>

<p>In November last year, scientists had gathered for a two-day national workshop here. They were unanimous in their view about the high possibility of a devastating earthquake in Uttarakhand and asked the state government to work towards building tremor-resilient infrastructure.</p>

<p>Professor ML Sharma from IIT-Roorkee recommended expansion of the earthquake early warning system network which has already been deployed in Uttarakhand.</p>

<p>Scientists also spoke about the extra care that needs to be taken in designing the structures on hill slopes and the implications of wrong design or construction practices.&nbsp</p>


The hills of Uttarakhand are hit frequently by mild earthquakes -- as many as 51 since January 1, 2015 -- which are often dismissed as 'usual occurrences'

The hills of Uttarakhand are hit frequently by mild earthquakes -- as many as 51 since January 1, 2015 -- which are often dismissed as "usual occurrences". But are these tremors indicative of a big earthquake in future? "Yes," says the head of state's Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC). "Frequent mild earthquakes in the hills of Uttarakhand should not be dismissed as common occurrences but treated as pointers to a major earthquake which is long overdue in the central seismic gap of the Himalayan front spanning Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and Uttarakhand," said DMMC Executive Director Piyush Rautela. The DMMC is an autonomous body working under the Uttarakhand government for protection of people and environment against any kind of disaster. Its tasks among other include running training programme for people and communities for disaster mitigation. Rautela said the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand was hit by a catastrophic earthquake way back in 1803, and 200 years on there is a lot of "un-released energy in the Himalayan region". "This pent-up energy accumulated over more than 200 years has led to an apprehension among scientists that it could find an outlet in the form of a big earthquake in the Himalayan region, of which Uttarakhand is a part, in the near future," he said. Another factor which has led to the apprehension is that the 700-km long seismic gap on the Himalayan front, which spans Uttarakhand, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, has not been ruptured in any major earthquake in the last 200-500 years, he said. "Hence, it is only a matter of time before this pent-up, cumulative energy releases in the form of a major shake-up," Rautela said. Asked as to what scientists mean by a major earthquake, he said the earthquakes measuring more than eight on the Richter Scale are categorised as such. According to data available on the Uttarakhand MeT department's website, there have been as many as 51 mild earthquakes in different parts of the state, especially the hill districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Almora, and Rudraprayag, since January 1, 2015. On an average mild intensity, earthquakes occur in the hills twice a month with the latest hitting Pithoragarh on April 1 this year. The magnitude of the quake was 3.5 and it was not felt by many. The Pithoragarh earthquake was preceded by another of 2.9 magnitudes in Uttarkashi on February 28, which had already been hit by another with a magnitude of 3.2 on February 12. Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts were hit by an earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter Scale on December 28 last year, followed by a 2.9-magnitude earthquake in Chamoli just two days later. "The mild earthquakes which hit the hills of Uttarakhand almost every month and are often dismissed as usual occurrences should better be treated as warning bells so that we could equip ourselves better to deal with a bigger disaster," the DMMC ED said. "These earthquakes often measuring about 2.5-4.5 on the Richter Scale are reminder from the nature that we live in an area vulnerable to earthquakes and cannot afford to lower our guard." When asked what would be the extent of damage if an earthquake of 8+ magnitude hits the state, Rautela said it was difficult to quantify. "But definitely the damage will be more in the thickly populated urban areas where there has been rapid and unplanned growth of population and infrastructure." The devastating earthquake of April-May 2015 in Nepal, which left nearly 9,000 dead, amply highlighted the seismic threat in the region as also the vulnerability of the building stock there, he said. "Hence, it is important to assess the vulnerability of built environment before undertaking any seismic-risk reduction exercise." Rautela emphasised the importance of effective planning, preparedness and mitigation, underlining the "constraints in earthquake prediction". He said the assessment of seismic vulnerability is a necessary precondition for realistic planning and effective mitigation. Citing a DMMC study conducted some time back to assess the seismic vulnerability of Nainital and Mussoorie, he said out of a total of 6,206 buildings surveyed in popular tourist cities, 14 per cent in Nainital and 18 per cent in Mussoorie show high probability of Category-5 damage (very significant damage) in the event of a seismic activity reaching intensity VII (earthquake measuring 7 on Ritcher Scale). Most of these buildings were reportedly constructed before 1951, he said. On infrastructure, the DMMC ED said, hospitals constitute the most critical facility required in the aftermath of any disaster and therefore it is important to assess the seismic performance of the buildings housing these facilities. Disruption of hospital services has the potential of magnifying the trauma and misery of the affected population manifold, he added. Safety of school buildings is also critical, he said. "The collapse of school buildings would disrupt relief work as they are often used as shelters, makeshift dispensaries and stores for relief supplies in the aftermath of any disaster." Tourism being the main economic activity in several cities of Uttarakhand, safety of hotel buildings must also be ensured. Seismic vulnerability assessment of such buildings is therefore highly recommended, according to the officer. In November last year, scientists had gathered for a two-day national workshop here. They were unanimous in their view about the high possibility of a devastating earthquake in Uttarakhand and asked the state government to work towards building tremor-resilient infrastructure. Professor ML Sharma from IIT-Roorkee recommended expansion of the earthquake early warning system network which has already been deployed in Uttarakhand. Scientists also spoke about the extra care that needs to be taken in designing the structures on hill slopes and the implications of wrong design or construction practices.

Uttarakhand: Is a big earthquake coming? 'Yes', says top disaster official

<p>Police arrested three persons --a teacher, clerk and&nbsp;support staff -- over the leak of CBSE Class XII Economics paper which was leaked in handwritten form.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeak</a>: Three, including a teacher, clerk & support staff, arrested from Himachal Pradesh over the leak of XII class Economics paper which was leaked in handwritten form. <a href="https://t.co/hcypTOUPzo">pic.twitter.com/hcypTOUPzo</a></p>
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<p>All three were arrested from Himachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>Earlier this week Delhi Police's crime Branch questioned the principal of a school whose two teachers were arrested for their alleged role in the leak.</p>

<p>However, the officials later informed that they did find anything that could indicate his involvement in the leak.</p>

<p>The Delhi police are trying to find the link to the module in which handwritten papers were circulated before the Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics exam.</p>

<p>According to reports so far 150 people have been questioned including both teachers and students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the trace has still not been found.</p>

<p>The Delhi Police has lodged two cases over the leaks of the CBSE question papers.</p>

<p>The first case related to the leak of economics question paper was lodged on March 27, while the other pertaining to the leak of mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the CBSE's regional director.</p>

<p>The examinations for the class 12 economics papers and class 10 mathematics were held on March 26 and March 28, respectively.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


In recent developments of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) paper leak case, three more have been arrested over the leak of XII class economics paper

Police arrested three persons --a teacher, clerk and support staff -- over the leak of CBSE Class XII Economics paper which was leaked in handwritten form. #CBSEPaperLeak: Three, including a teacher, clerk & support staff, arrested from Himachal Pradesh over the leak of XII class Economics paper which was leaked in handwritten form. pic.twitter.com/hcypTOUPzo — ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2018 × All three were arrested from Himachal Pradesh. Earlier this week Delhi Police's crime Branch questioned the principal of a school whose two teachers were arrested for their alleged role in the leak. However, the officials later informed that they did find anything that could indicate his involvement in the leak. The Delhi police are trying to find the link to the module in which handwritten papers were circulated before the Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics exam. According to reports so far 150 people have been questioned including both teachers and students. However, the trace has still not been found. The Delhi Police has lodged two cases over the leaks of the CBSE question papers. The first case related to the leak of economics question paper was lodged on March 27, while the other pertaining to the leak of mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the CBSE's regional director. The examinations for the class 12 economics papers and class 10 mathematics were held on March 26 and March 28, respectively. (With inputs from PTI)

CBSE Paper leak: 3 more arrested from Himachal Pradesh

<p>Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on Thursday filed his nomination papers as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>Nadda is seeking re-nomination to the Upper House from his home state.</p>

<p>There will be 59 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in April, including 17 from the BJP and 12 from the Congress party. Three nominated members - actor Rekha, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and social worker Anu Aga - will also retire then.</p>

<p>Out of the BJP&#39;s 17 Rajya Sabha members, eight are union ministers.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will contest from Uttar Pradesh and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Bihar.</p>

<p>The BJP will field Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot from Madhya Pradesh for another Rajya Sabha term.</p>

<p>Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will reportedly contest from Maharashtra.</p>

<p>Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L. Mandaviya and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala will contest election from Gujarat.</p>

<p>Parliamentarian Bhupender Yadav will also be seeking re-nomination from the Rajasthan seat.</p>


Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will contest from Uttar Pradesh

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on Thursday filed his nomination papers as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh. Nadda is seeking re-nomination to the Upper House from his home state. There will be 59 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in April, including 17 from the BJP and 12 from the Congress party. Three nominated members - actor Rekha, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and social worker Anu Aga - will also retire then. Out of the BJP's 17 Rajya Sabha members, eight are union ministers. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will contest from Uttar Pradesh and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Bihar. The BJP will field Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot from Madhya Pradesh for another Rajya Sabha term. Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will reportedly contest from Maharashtra. Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L. Mandaviya and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala will contest election from Gujarat. Parliamentarian Bhupender Yadav will also be seeking re-nomination from the Rajasthan seat.

Rajya Sabha election: J P Nadda files nomination from Himachal Pradesh

<p>In a huge administrative reshuffle after the formation of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, 102 administrative officers including 11 officers of IAS cadre, were transferred on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Besides 11 middle rung officers of IAS cadre, 91 officers of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services (HPAS) were also transferred, an official release said.</p>

<p>Four Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) of IAS cadre were elevated as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), it said.</p>

<p>Kadam Sandeep Vasant, director, Women and Child Development department, has been shifted as Commissioner, Dharamsala Municipal Corporation with additional charge of Managing Director-cum-Chief Executive officer of Dharamsala Smart City Project.</p>

<p>Hans Raj Chauhan, director, Public Finance and Public Enterprise-cum-Special Secretary (Finance) has been given additional charge of director, Women and Child Development department. Debasweta Banik, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) (Civil) Sundernagar (Mandi) has been promoted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, ADC (Development) at Shimla, the release said.</p>

<p>Raghav Sharma, SDO (Civil), Chachiot has been elevated as ADC (Development), Mandi while Kritika Kumari SDO (Civil), Nahan goes as ADC (Development), Chamba.</p>

<p>Hemraj Balwara SDO (Civil), Manali has been promoted as ADC-com-Project officer DRDA, Una, it said.</p>

<p>Aditya Negi, Additional Controller of Stores, Industries department has been shifted as ADC (Development) at Nahan, the release added.&nbsp;</p>


In a huge administrative reshuffle after the formation of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, 102 administrative officers including 11 officers of IAS cadre, were transferred on Tuesday

In a huge administrative reshuffle after the formation of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, 102 administrative officers including 11 officers of IAS cadre, were transferred on Tuesday. Besides 11 middle rung officers of IAS cadre, 91 officers of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services (HPAS) were also transferred, an official release said. Four Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) of IAS cadre were elevated as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), it said. Kadam Sandeep Vasant, director, Women and Child Development department, has been shifted as Commissioner, Dharamsala Municipal Corporation with additional charge of Managing Director-cum-Chief Executive officer of Dharamsala Smart City Project. Hans Raj Chauhan, director, Public Finance and Public Enterprise-cum-Special Secretary (Finance) has been given additional charge of director, Women and Child Development department. Debasweta Banik, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) (Civil) Sundernagar (Mandi) has been promoted as Additional Deputy Commissioner, ADC (Development) at Shimla, the release said. Raghav Sharma, SDO (Civil), Chachiot has been elevated as ADC (Development), Mandi while Kritika Kumari SDO (Civil), Nahan goes as ADC (Development), Chamba. Hemraj Balwara SDO (Civil), Manali has been promoted as ADC-com-Project officer DRDA, Una, it said. Aditya Negi, Additional Controller of Stores, Industries department has been shifted as ADC (Development) at Nahan, the release added.

102 officers transferred by Himachal government

<p>After <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavat-film-is-controversial-will-discuss-what-to-do-says-himachal-pradesh-cm-29044">ambiguous statements </a>about the release of the film &quot;Padmavat&quot;, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday that his government does not intend to ban the film in the state if there is nothing controversial.</p>

<p>&quot;I had said earlier that I respect art. As far as &#39;Padmavat&#39; is concerned, Himachal government doesn&#39;t intend to ban it in the state. If there&#39;s nothing controversial in it, we have no objection in releasing it here. I want the film to be screened in theaters,&quot; the Himachal Pradesh chief minister said.</p>

<p>Asked about the film&#39;s release on January 9, Jai Ram Thakur had said that while he respected art, he did not want people&#39;s sentiments to get hurt.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t want to say much. We will discuss what to do. The film, indeed, is a controversial one. I respect art but when it comes to people&#39;s sentiments getting hurt, it must be thought about and discussed,&quot; the Himachal Pradesh chief minister had said.</p>

<p>&quot;Padmavat&quot;, which was was recently given a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification after months of controversy, is up for release on January 25.</p>

<p>Rajasthan has banned the screening of the controversial film.Other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which had indicated that the film will not be allowed to be released in November -- are yet to announce their final decisions.</p>

<p>The film was earlier scheduled to release on December 1, 2017 but was postponed after protests by Rajput fringe groups and the BJP and after the Central Board of Film Certification said the filmmakers had not provided all the information they had been asked for.</p>

<p>In December last year, the censor board had suggested five modifications in &quot;Padmavati&quot;, which included changing the film`s title to &quot;Padmavat&quot;, in December last year.</p>

<p>The Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film co-stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday that his government does not intend to ban the film in the state if there is nothing controversial.

After ambiguous statements about the release of the film "Padmavat", Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday that his government does not intend to ban the film in the state if there is nothing controversial. "I had said earlier that I respect art. As far as 'Padmavat' is concerned, Himachal government doesn't intend to ban it in the state. If there's nothing controversial in it, we have no objection in releasing it here. I want the film to be screened in theaters," the Himachal Pradesh chief minister said. Asked about the film's release on January 9, Jai Ram Thakur had said that while he respected art, he did not want people's sentiments to get hurt. "I don't want to say much. We will discuss what to do. The film, indeed, is a controversial one. I respect art but when it comes to people's sentiments getting hurt, it must be thought about and discussed," the Himachal Pradesh chief minister had said. "Padmavat", which was was recently given a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification after months of controversy, is up for release on January 25. Rajasthan has banned the screening of the controversial film.Other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which had indicated that the film will not be allowed to be released in November -- are yet to announce their final decisions. The film was earlier scheduled to release on December 1, 2017 but was postponed after protests by Rajput fringe groups and the BJP and after the Central Board of Film Certification said the filmmakers had not provided all the information they had been asked for. In December last year, the censor board had suggested five modifications in "Padmavati", which included changing the film`s title to "Padmavat", in December last year. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film co-stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

Himachal Pradesh gives green signal to 'Padmavat'

<p>Delhi Shelter authorities have claimed that they failed to persuade 1,100 homeless people to shift to night shelters from streets.</p>

<p>The government was informed that roughly 1,167 people across the city have rejected attempts of shifting them to night shelters, by rescue teams.</p>

<p>The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which deploys the rescue teams, has written to the city government&#39;s revenue department apprising it of the situation.</p>

<p>A letter was sent to government informing that around 1,167 people across the city have rejected attempts of shifting to night shelters by rescue teams.</p>

<p>In that letter, it was also mentioned that people who were displaced from Kathputali colony JJ colony which was recently demolished by Delhi Development Authority have been spotted.</p>

<p>The reasons for people refusing to shift to night shelters are considered to be unhygienic conditions, fear of theft, lack of space, and brawls involving junkies.</p>

<p>According to a list attached to the letter, the numbers are 200 near the ISBT, 200 near AIIMS, 150 in Safdarjung, 50 near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and 20 near Hanuman Mandir.</p>

<p>Delhi was experiencing cold waves since New Year&#39;s day due to the snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, there were media reports saying that more than 40 people have been died in Delhi because of the cold.</p>

<p>However, CEO of &nbsp;DUSIB denied reports of anybody dying from cold and said that such deaths cannot be associated with cold as they happen in summers also.</p>

<p>Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also acknowledged the deaths and called CEO a &quot;useless officer&quot; while attacking Lt Governor Anil Baijal.</p>

<p>Overall above 100 deaths have happened in Northern India in this winter due to severe cold of which more than 70 people died in UP only.</p>

<p>Currently, DUSIB&#39;s 261-night shelters, run through NGOs on a contract basis, have a capacity to house 20,934 people. Singh claimed the peak occupancy during nights this winter season has been 13,810.<br />
Of the 261 shelters, 83 are concrete structures, 115 are portacabins, while the rest, save one, are tents.</p>

<p>Every night, a subway near AIIMS is thrown open for the families of outstation patients thronging the premier hospital to take shelter.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>(With inputs from news agency)</p>


In that letter, it was also mentioned that people who were displaced from Kathputali colony JJ colony which was recently demolished by Delhi Development Authority have been spotted

Delhi Shelter authorities have claimed that they failed to persuade 1,100 homeless people to shift to night shelters from streets. The government was informed that roughly 1,167 people across the city have rejected attempts of shifting them to night shelters, by rescue teams. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which deploys the rescue teams, has written to the city government's revenue department apprising it of the situation. A letter was sent to government informing that around 1,167 people across the city have rejected attempts of shifting to night shelters by rescue teams. In that letter, it was also mentioned that people who were displaced from Kathputali colony JJ colony which was recently demolished by Delhi Development Authority have been spotted. The reasons for people refusing to shift to night shelters are considered to be unhygienic conditions, fear of theft, lack of space, and brawls involving junkies. According to a list attached to the letter, the numbers are 200 near the ISBT, 200 near AIIMS, 150 in Safdarjung, 50 near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and 20 near Hanuman Mandir. Delhi was experiencing cold waves since New Year's day due to the snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, there were media reports saying that more than 40 people have been died in Delhi because of the cold. However, CEO of DUSIB denied reports of anybody dying from cold and said that such deaths cannot be associated with cold as they happen in summers also. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also acknowledged the deaths and called CEO a "useless officer" while attacking Lt Governor Anil Baijal. Overall above 100 deaths have happened in Northern India in this winter due to severe cold of which more than 70 people died in UP only. Currently, DUSIB's 261-night shelters, run through NGOs on a contract basis, have a capacity to house 20,934 people. Singh claimed the peak occupancy during nights this winter season has been 13,810. Of the 261 shelters, 83 are concrete structures, 115 are portacabins, while the rest, save one, are tents. Every night, a subway near AIIMS is thrown open for the families of outstation patients thronging the premier hospital to take shelter. (With inputs from news agency)

DUSIB says,1,100 homeless in Delhi prefer streets over shelters

<p>The cold wave sweeping northern India tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh, as dense fog forced the Indian Railways to cancel 22 trains and reschedule another eight.</p>

<p>Delhi recorded the season&#39;s lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average, the Met office in the national capital said.</p>

<p>Dense fog delayed 45 north-bound trains, while eight were rescheduled and 22 were cancelled by the Railways.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kejriwal-blames-lg-for-deaths-in-delhi-says-he-appointed-useless-officer-28898" target="_blank">Kejriwal blames LG for deaths due to cold, says he appointed &#39;useless officer&#39;</a></p>

<p>The night temperature in Srinagar slipped to the season&#39;s lowest at -6.2C, a MeT department official said in Srinagar.</p>

<p>This was the third straight night when the minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at -6.0C or below.</p>

<p>Many water bodies in the the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir have partially frozen due to the intense cold wave. The Dal Lake partially froze early today, but a bright sunshine through the day defroze the popular lake&#39;s surface.</p>

<p>Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below the freezing point.</p>

<p>Biting cold conditions persisted in parts of Himachal Pradesh. The high-altitude tribal areas groaned as the minimum temperature in the hills ranged between -13C and -20C.</p>

<p>Keylong and Kalpa, in tribal Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur recorded a low of -7.2C and -3.4C respectively.</p>

<p>The temperature during daytime, however, rose by 2-3 degrees in Himachal, including in Una, which recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 25.8C.</p>

<p>Punjab, Haryana and their common capital Chandigarh remained under the grip of intense cold conditions. Narnaul recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the states at 0.2C.</p>

<p>The minimum temperature remained up to five degrees below the normal in parts of Punjab and Haryana, the MeT office in Chandigarh said.</p>

<p>The minimum temperature in Chandigarh was 3.4C.</p>

<p>In the desert-state Rajasthan, Bhilwara, Alwar, Churu, Sikar, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Pilani districts reeled under the cold wave.</p>

<p>Alwar was recorded the coldest place in the state at 0.3C, followed by 1.5C in Sikar, 2C each in hill station Mount Abu and Churu, and 2.2C in Sriganganagar.</p>

<p>In Uttar Pradesh, the Met office in Lucknow said the day temperature fell markedly in Bareilly division. The lowest minimum temperature in the state was in Meerut at 2.9C.<br />
<br />
The Met office has forecast dry weather in Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours, with shallow to moderate fog at a few places over eastern and western UP.&nbsp;</p>


Delhi recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius

The cold wave sweeping northern India tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh, as dense fog forced the Indian Railways to cancel 22 trains and reschedule another eight. Delhi recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average, the Met office in the national capital said. Dense fog delayed 45 north-bound trains, while eight were rescheduled and 22 were cancelled by the Railways. Also read: Kejriwal blames LG for deaths due to cold, says he appointed 'useless officer' The night temperature in Srinagar slipped to the season's lowest at -6.2C, a MeT department official said in Srinagar. This was the third straight night when the minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at -6.0C or below. Many water bodies in the the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir have partially frozen due to the intense cold wave. The Dal Lake partially froze early today, but a bright sunshine through the day defroze the popular lake's surface. Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below the freezing point. Biting cold conditions persisted in parts of Himachal Pradesh. The high-altitude tribal areas groaned as the minimum temperature in the hills ranged between -13C and -20C. Keylong and Kalpa, in tribal Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur recorded a low of -7.2C and -3.4C respectively. The temperature during daytime, however, rose by 2-3 degrees in Himachal, including in Una, which recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 25.8C. Punjab, Haryana and their common capital Chandigarh remained under the grip of intense cold conditions. Narnaul recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the states at 0.2C. The minimum temperature remained up to five degrees below the normal in parts of Punjab and Haryana, the MeT office in Chandigarh said. The minimum temperature in Chandigarh was 3.4C. In the desert-state Rajasthan, Bhilwara, Alwar, Churu, Sikar, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Pilani districts reeled under the cold wave. Alwar was recorded the coldest place in the state at 0.3C, followed by 1.5C in Sikar, 2C each in hill station Mount Abu and Churu, and 2.2C in Sriganganagar. In Uttar Pradesh, the Met office in Lucknow said the day temperature fell markedly in Bareilly division. The lowest minimum temperature in the state was in Meerut at 2.9C. The Met office has forecast dry weather in Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours, with shallow to moderate fog at a few places over eastern and western UP.

Cold wave tightens grip over north India

<p>The temperature in north India is likely to drop further in the coming days, according to Manmohan Singh, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director, Shimla.</p>

<p>&quot;Currently minimum temperature in Himachal is one - two degrees below the normal and temperature during the day is normal. No significant western disturbance is expected in next one week. Temperature is likely to drop by one-two degrees in coming days,&quot; Singh told ANI.</p>

<p>After fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, the cold wave has intensified in the region.</p>

<p>Keylong in Lahaul Spiti is the coldest with temperature ranging around -7 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p>Further, Kalpa in the Kinnaur district recorded -4 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p>Popular hill stations Manali and Shimla recorded -2.4 degrees and 2.1 degrees Celsius respectively.</p>

<p>The cold wave has left hundreds of passengers at several railway stations in north India stranded after multiple trains have been cancelled, delayed and rescheduled for the last couple of days.&nbsp;</p>


Popular hill stations Manali and Shimla recorded -2.4 degrees and 2.1 degrees Celsius respectively.

The temperature in north India is likely to drop further in the coming days, according to Manmohan Singh, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director, Shimla. "Currently minimum temperature in Himachal is one - two degrees below the normal and temperature during the day is normal. No significant western disturbance is expected in next one week. Temperature is likely to drop by one-two degrees in coming days," Singh told ANI. After fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, the cold wave has intensified in the region. Keylong in Lahaul Spiti is the coldest with temperature ranging around -7 degrees Celsius. Further, Kalpa in the Kinnaur district recorded -4 degrees Celsius. Popular hill stations Manali and Shimla recorded -2.4 degrees and 2.1 degrees Celsius respectively. The cold wave has left hundreds of passengers at several railway stations in north India stranded after multiple trains have been cancelled, delayed and rescheduled for the last couple of days.

Temperature likely to drop further in north India

<p>Congress MLA Asha Kumari who had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-mla-apologizes-says-cop-should-have-shown-restraint-as-im-her-mothers-age-28046" target="_blank">entered into a scuffle</a> with a lady constable in Himachal Pradesh has lodged a complaint against the woman constable.</p>

<p>She said that the lady constable had prevented her from discharging her duties.</p>

<p>She said &quot; I was pushed, manhandled, threatened&nbsp;with dire consequences. I was on my official duty as the lady constable has prevented me from discharging my public duty.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress MLA Asha Kumari has lodged complaint against the woman constable, requesting an FIR in this regard; says &quot;I was pushed, manhandled,threatened with dire consequences. I was on my official duty as such the lady constable has prevented me from discharging my public duty&quot;</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946806110647861248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The woman constable, on the other hand, has already lodged an FIR against the&nbsp;lady.&nbsp;She said that had she slapped the MLA&nbsp;for her self-protection.</p>

<p>The woman constable&nbsp;had said earlier that she was on duty for crowd control. She was performing her duty when the MLA said &quot;you don&#39;t know me, my power.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We were there on duty for crowd control.A lady came &amp; I stopped her, she said &#39;you don&#39;t know me, my power&#39;. I didn&#39;t know who she was.She slapped me thrice. It was only later when I got to know she is a MLA:Constable who slapped back Cong&#39;s Asha Kumari on being assaulted <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shimla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shimla</a> <a href="https://t.co/LdVy9p5LHm">pic.twitter.com/LdVy9p5LHm</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946804687323275264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A&nbsp;video went viral showing Congress MLA Asha Kumari slapping a woman constable on duty during party chief Rahul Gandhi&#39;s visit to Himachal Pradesh. The constable&nbsp;gave back&nbsp;two slaps in return to the MLA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former minister Dhani Ram Shandil had to intervene to quell the frayed tempers.</p>

<p>The Congress MLA later tendered an apology for the incident, saying &quot;the lady constable misbehaved, abused me and almost beat me, but I should not have lost my calm. I am sorry for the incident&quot;.</p>

<p>The scuffle broke out when the police refused to allow the MLA into a meeting being chaired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.</p>


Congress MLA Asha Kumari who had entered into a scuffle with a lady constable in Himachal Pradesh has lodged a complaint against the woman constable

Congress MLA Asha Kumari who had entered into a scuffle with a lady constable in Himachal Pradesh has lodged a complaint against the woman constable. She said that the lady constable had prevented her from discharging her duties. She said " I was pushed, manhandled, threatened with dire consequences. I was on my official duty as the lady constable has prevented me from discharging my public duty." Congress MLA Asha Kumari has lodged complaint against the woman constable, requesting an FIR in this regard; says "I was pushed, manhandled,threatened with dire consequences. I was on my official duty as such the lady constable has prevented me from discharging my public duty" — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017 × The woman constable, on the other hand, has already lodged an FIR against the lady. She said that had she slapped the MLA for her self-protection. The woman constable had said earlier that she was on duty for crowd control. She was performing her duty when the MLA said "you don't know me, my power." We were there on duty for crowd control.A lady came & I stopped her, she said 'you don't know me, my power'. I didn't know who she was.She slapped me thrice. It was only later when I got to know she is a MLA:Constable who slapped back Cong's Asha Kumari on being assaulted #Shimla pic.twitter.com/LdVy9p5LHm — ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017 × A video went viral showing Congress MLA Asha Kumari slapping a woman constable on duty during party chief Rahul Gandhi's visit to Himachal Pradesh. The constable gave back two slaps in return to the MLA. Former minister Dhani Ram Shandil had to intervene to quell the frayed tempers. The Congress MLA later tendered an apology for the incident, saying "the lady constable misbehaved, abused me and almost beat me, but I should not have lost my calm. I am sorry for the incident". The scuffle broke out when the police refused to allow the MLA into a meeting being chaired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Himachal: Congress MLA files complaint against woman constable who slapped her back

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a sudden&nbsp;stop at Indian Coffee House in Himachal Pradesh for coffee on Wednesday, reminiscing his old days when he was in the state for party work.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Shimla, relished coffee at the Indian Coffee House and reminisced old days. The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago, when I would frequent Himachal for party work. <a href="https://t.co/XOYzlpLc43">pic.twitter.com/XOYzlpLc43</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/945935906518605824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi was on his way to his helipad after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and other ministers when he made the sudden stop and had a cup of coffee. &#39;&#39;The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago when I would frequent Himachal for party work,&#39;&#39; Modi reportedly said after the drinking the coffee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi has spent a lot of time in the iconic Indian Coffee&nbsp;House, mall road of Shimla in Himachal.</p>

<p>As Modi was sipping a hot cup of coffee, people went berserk. While some shook hands with the prime minister, others happily clicked&nbsp;selfies.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi was on his way to his helipad after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and other ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a sudden stop at Indian Coffee House in Himachal Pradesh for coffee on Wednesday, reminiscing his old days when he was in the state for party work. In Shimla, relished coffee at the Indian Coffee House and reminisced old days. The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago, when I would frequent Himachal for party work. pic.twitter.com/XOYzlpLc43 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 27, 2017 × Modi was on his way to his helipad after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and other ministers when he made the sudden stop and had a cup of coffee. ''The coffee tastes as good as it did two decades ago when I would frequent Himachal for party work,'' Modi reportedly said after the drinking the coffee. Prime Minister Modi has spent a lot of time in the iconic Indian Coffee House, mall road of Shimla in Himachal. As Modi was sipping a hot cup of coffee, people went berserk. While some shook hands with the prime minister, others happily clicked selfies.

Modi stops for cup of coffee at Indian Coffee House in Himachal; crowd goes berserk

<p>Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur is one of BJP&#39;s senior leaders widely known for his humble, clean and non-aggressive style of politics.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Thakur was sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on December 27 in a ceremony which was attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah and several other leaders.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the recently-held Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Thakur belongs to Rajput community and was born on January 6, 1965, in Tandi village of Mandi&#39;s Thunag area.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
His parents were farmers and therefore, had limited earnings. He also had five other siblings - two sisters and three brothers.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Thakur&#39;s father Jhethu Ram died on December 25 last year.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
He did his post-graduation from Panjab University, Chandigarh, after which he decided to join politics.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
During his under-graduation days in Vallabh Government College in Mandi, Thakur joined ABVP and won the first election under ABVP flag.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Thakur, a former state unit chief and rural development and panchayati raj minister in a government headed by Dhumal, is considered close to the RSS, where he stayed for three years before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1993.</p>

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<p>Jairam Thakur (Others)</p>
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<p>Thakur contested assembly polls on a BJP ticket in 1993, which he lost but went on to win the 1998 elections from Seraj and every state election after that.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In 1998, he was given a ticket from Chachiot Vidhan Sabha segment after defeating (This should be just defeated. You first get a ticket and then you defeat someone, no?) Moti Ram Thakur by almost 6,000 votes.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The BJP then formed the government in Shimla under Prem Kumar Dhumal, with the support of the Sukh Ram-led Himachal Vikas Congress. Thakur had been a key member in the development of one of the state&rsquo;s most undeveloped and backward areas, according to his constituents. (We can remove this para)<br />
&nbsp;<br />
He was a Cabinet minister in the BJP government led by Dhumal from 2007 to 2012.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In 2012, he won against Congress&rsquo;s Tara Thakur by 11,254 votes making it one of his biggest victory margins so far in Himachal Pradesh.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
A soft-spoken man, Thakur&#39;s strength is that he is seen as a leader who has managed to straddle the party&#39;s warring factions in the state.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The BJP ousted the Congress from power by winning 44 out of the 68 seats in the recent assembly polls.</p>


The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the 2017 Assembly polls.

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur is one of BJP's senior leaders widely known for his humble, clean and non-aggressive style of politics. Thakur was sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on December 27 in a ceremony which was attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah and several other leaders. The 52-year-old leader emerged as one of the frontrunners for the top post after the defeat of BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal in the recently-held Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. Thakur belongs to Rajput community and was born on January 6, 1965, in Tandi village of Mandi's Thunag area. His parents were farmers and therefore, had limited earnings. He also had five other siblings - two sisters and three brothers. Thakur's father Jhethu Ram died on December 25 last year. He did his post-graduation from Panjab University, Chandigarh, after which he decided to join politics. During his under-graduation days in Vallabh Government College in Mandi, Thakur joined ABVP and won the first election under ABVP flag. Thakur, a former state unit chief and rural development and panchayati raj minister in a government headed by Dhumal, is considered close to the RSS, where he stayed for three years before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1993. Jairam Thakur (Others) × Thakur contested assembly polls on a BJP ticket in 1993, which he lost but went on to win the 1998 elections from Seraj and every state election after that. In 1998, he was given a ticket from Chachiot Vidhan Sabha segment after defeating (This should be just defeated. You first get a ticket and then you defeat someone, no?) Moti Ram Thakur by almost 6,000 votes. The BJP then formed the government in Shimla under Prem Kumar Dhumal, with the support of the Sukh Ram-led Himachal Vikas Congress. Thakur had been a key member in the development of one of the state’s most undeveloped and backward areas, according to his constituents. (We can remove this para) He was a Cabinet minister in the BJP government led by Dhumal from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, he won against Congress’s Tara Thakur by 11,254 votes making it one of his biggest victory margins so far in Himachal Pradesh. A soft-spoken man, Thakur's strength is that he is seen as a leader who has managed to straddle the party's warring factions in the state. The BJP ousted the Congress from power by winning 44 out of the 68 seats in the recent assembly polls.

Jairam Thakur: Soft-spoken man who will now steer Himachal Pradesh

<p>Jairam Thakur<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jairam-thakur-to-be-new-himachal-pradesh-chief-minister-27582"> will be sworn in as chief minister of </a>Himachal Pradesh today.</p>

<p>The ceremony, to be held at the Ridge ground in Shimla, is expected to begin at&nbsp;11 am.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Himachal Pradesh&#39;s Shimla, received by CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiRamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiRamThakur</a> <a href="https://t.co/LNfGAZMI5v">pic.twitter.com/LNfGAZMI5v</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945887948846784513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shimla: Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh &amp; UP CM Yogi Adityanath present for soon to begin oath taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiRamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiRamThakur</a>; PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly <a href="https://t.co/SroFVjwj4w">pic.twitter.com/SroFVjwj4w</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945892184250769409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former deputy prime minister LK Advani will also be attending.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank">Rupani </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank">sworn</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupani-sworn-in-as-gujarat-chief-minister-modi-shah-in-attendance-27723" target="_blank"> in as Gujarat chief minister; Modi, Shah in attendance</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The oath of office will be administered by Governor Aacharya Devvrat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The names of Thakur&#39;s ministers are still to be finalised, news reports said.</p>

<p>Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-thank-everyone-central-leadership-says-himachal-cm-elect-jairam-thakur-27585">&nbsp;&quot;I thank everyone, central leadership...,&quot; says Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur</a></p>

<p>The five-time BJP MLA from the hill state&#39;s Seraj constituency was chosen to lead the state after the BJP&#39;s original chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal failed to win in the recent elections.</p>

<p>The BJP ousted the Congress from Himachal Pradesh after winning 44 of the 68 seats in the recently-held Assembly polls.</p>


Prime Minister Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending

Jairam Thakur will be sworn in as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh today. The ceremony, to be held at the Ridge ground in Shimla, is expected to begin at 11 am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, received by CM elect #JaiRamThakur pic.twitter.com/LNfGAZMI5v — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Shimla: Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh & UP CM Yogi Adityanath present for soon to begin oath taking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh CM elect #JaiRamThakur; PM Narendra Modi to arrive shortly pic.twitter.com/SroFVjwj4w — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Former deputy prime minister LK Advani will also be attending. Also read: Rupani sworn in as Gujarat chief minister; Modi, Shah in attendance The oath of office will be administered by Governor Aacharya Devvrat. The names of Thakur's ministers are still to be finalised, news reports said. Also read: "I thank everyone, central leadership...," says Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur The five-time BJP MLA from the hill state's Seraj constituency was chosen to lead the state after the BJP's original chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal failed to win in the recent elections. The BJP ousted the Congress from Himachal Pradesh after winning 44 of the 68 seats in the recently-held Assembly polls.

Jairam Thakur sworn in as Himachal Pradesh chief minister

<p>Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jairam-thakur-to-be-sworn-in-as-himachal-pradesh-chief-minister-today-27800">will swear-in</a> as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh today.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> set to take oath as the Chief Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a>, today, says &quot;people have shown faith in us, will try to meet their expectations&quot; <a href="https://t.co/OdOqThvXK0">pic.twitter.com/OdOqThvXK0</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945866015522537472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>While talking to the media he said: &quot;I would have been happier if my father was present today, he passed away a year back. My&nbsp;mother is unwell at the moment but she sends her blessings and that is more than enough for me.&quot;</p>

<p>The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect&#39;s father died on December 25 last year.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Bohot khushi hoti agar pitaji aaj saath hote, ek saal pehle wo humein chhodkar chale gaye. Mataji aswasth hain, par unka aashirwaad hai aur ye mere liye bohot badi baat hai: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/dgRHHce9LQ">pic.twitter.com/dgRHHce9LQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945867545759776768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Thakur&#39;s wife&nbsp;Sadhana Thakur will be accompanying the leader in the ceremony. She expressed her delight and said:&nbsp;&quot;It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public&quot; says Sadhana Thakur, wife of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiamThakur</a> ahead of his oath taking ceremony <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZbkHMTAmSV">pic.twitter.com/ZbkHMTAmSV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945868814163394561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The ceremony will be held at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla at 11 am. Thousands of supports have started making their way to the venue to celebrate in full swing.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ridge ground in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shimla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shimla</a> all geared up for the swearing in ceremony of CM elect <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairamThakur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JairamThakur</a> and others <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/scV19gKy3k">pic.twitter.com/scV19gKy3k</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945870193728749568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders.</p>

<p>Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony and Modi is likely to address people at the Ridge.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect's father died on December 25 last year

Five-time MLA from Seraj, Jairam Thakur will swear-in as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh today. #JairamThakur set to take oath as the Chief Minister of #HimachalPradesh, today, says "people have shown faith in us, will try to meet their expectations" pic.twitter.com/OdOqThvXK0 — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × While talking to the media he said: "I would have been happier if my father was present today, he passed away a year back. My mother is unwell at the moment but she sends her blessings and that is more than enough for me." The new Himachal Pradesh chief minister-elect's father died on December 25 last year. Bohot khushi hoti agar pitaji aaj saath hote, ek saal pehle wo humein chhodkar chale gaye. Mataji aswasth hain, par unka aashirwaad hai aur ye mere liye bohot badi baat hai: #JairamThakur #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/dgRHHce9LQ — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Thakur's wife Sadhana Thakur will be accompanying the leader in the ceremony. She expressed her delight and said: "It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public" "It is a win for the common man. There are a lot of expectations with this Govt that they will try and solve the problems faced by the public" says Sadhana Thakur, wife of #JaiamThakur ahead of his oath taking ceremony #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/ZbkHMTAmSV — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × The ceremony will be held at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla at 11 am. Thousands of supports have started making their way to the venue to celebrate in full swing. Ridge ground in #Shimla all geared up for the swearing in ceremony of CM elect #JairamThakur and others #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/scV19gKy3k — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will be attending, as will a number of other BJP leaders. Elaborate security arrangements are being made for the swearing-in ceremony and Modi is likely to address people at the Ridge.

Would have been happier if my father were here, Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur says before swearing in

<p>All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-running-for-chief-minister-position-prem-kumar-dhumal-27550" target="_blank">five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party&#39;s next leader</a>&nbsp;in the legislative assembly.</p>

<p>The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says &quot;swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bjvLu2TXJO">pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944866934889123840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Thakur is thought of as a&nbsp;&quot;strong&quot;&nbsp;leader -- he won his fifth straight assembly election from the Seraj seat this time, and the&nbsp;BJP won nine out of 10 seats in the region.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jairam Thakur to be the Legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh: Narendra Singh Tomar, Central Observer <a href="https://t.co/q319dmgOzl">pic.twitter.com/q319dmgOzl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944849586698444800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The announcement was made at the BJP&#39;s legislative party meet in Shimla today.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The meeting was attended by union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey.</p>

<p>Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009.</p>

<p>Thakur is considered close to JP Nadda and hence enjoys the&nbsp;support of the top BJP leadership.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP wrested power from the Congress in the recent Himachal Pradesh elections, securing a simple majority by winning 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.&nbsp;</p>


Thakur's name for CM was announced at the BJP's Legislative Party meet in Shimla today

All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party's next leader in the legislative assembly. The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony. BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says "swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend" pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × Thakur is thought of as a "strong" leader -- he won his fifth straight assembly election from the Seraj seat this time, and the BJP won nine out of 10 seats in the region. Jairam Thakur to be the Legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh: Narendra Singh Tomar, Central Observer pic.twitter.com/q319dmgOzl — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × The announcement was made at the BJP's legislative party meet in Shimla today. The meeting was attended by union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar and state party in-charge Mangal Pandey. Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009. Thakur is considered close to JP Nadda and hence enjoys the support of the top BJP leadership. The BJP wrested power from the Congress in the recent Himachal Pradesh elections, securing a simple majority by winning 44 seats in the 68-member assembly.

Jairam Thakur to be sworn in as Himachal Pradesh CM on December 27, PM Modi to attend

<p>Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister-elect Jairam Thakur Sunday thanked the Central leadership and other senior BJP leaders for proposing his name as the Legislature party leader.</p>

<p>The legislators&#39; decision came a day after Prem Kumar Dhumal- who was named BJP&#39;s prospective Chief Minister before the elections - pulled out of the race.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says &quot;swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bjvLu2TXJO">pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944866934889123840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Addressing the media shortly after his appointment, Thakur said &quot; I thank everyone, central leadership, Prem Kumar Dhumal ji who proposed my name supported by JP Nadda, Shanta Kumar ji&quot;.</p>

<p>Thakur&#39;s name was announced at the Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s legislative party meet in Shimla today.</p>

<p>The meeting comprised Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar. State party in-charge Mangal Pandey was also present in the meeting.</p>

<p>Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009.</p>


Thakur's name was announced at the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative party meet in Shimla today

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister-elect Jairam Thakur Sunday thanked the Central leadership and other senior BJP leaders for proposing his name as the Legislature party leader. The legislators' decision came a day after Prem Kumar Dhumal- who was named BJP's prospective Chief Minister before the elections - pulled out of the race. The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony. BJP delegation met Himachal Pradesh governor Acharya Dev Vrat and staked claim to form Government in the state. Jairam Thakur says "swearing in ceremony to take place on 27th December, PM to attend" pic.twitter.com/bjvLu2TXJO — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × Addressing the media shortly after his appointment, Thakur said " I thank everyone, central leadership, Prem Kumar Dhumal ji who proposed my name supported by JP Nadda, Shanta Kumar ji". Thakur's name was announced at the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative party meet in Shimla today. The meeting comprised Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar. State party in-charge Mangal Pandey was also present in the meeting. Thakur was a minister in the previous BJP government and was state unit president between 2006-2009.

"I thank everyone, central leadership...," says Himachal CM-elect Jairam Thakur

<p>Amid speculations regarding&nbsp;the appointment of the&nbsp;new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race.</p>

<p>Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was&nbsp;the BJP&#39;s chief ministerial candidate, said that despite his party&#39;s victory in the state he cannot become the chief minister as he could not win from his seat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He cleared the speculations which were&nbsp;on the rife after he lost his seat.</p>

<p>Prem Kumar Dhumal had fought the elections&nbsp;from Sujanpur constituency. He lost the seat against Congress candidate Rajinder Rana.</p>

<p>He said he had clarified it on the day of the results itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhumal said that the decisions lay with the high command of the party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-rupani-nitin-patel-swearing-in-ceremony-to-take-place-on-december-26-27547" target="_blank">Vijay Rupani to be sworn-in as chief minister on December 26</a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Despite BJP&#39;s great victory, unfortunately I could not win from my seat. Speculations rife that I am still in the running for Himachal CM.Had clarified on day of results itself that I am not in the running for any position.The decision lies with the high command:Prem Kumar Dhumal <a href="https://t.co/bAL9fM8GQT">pic.twitter.com/bAL9fM8GQT</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944582677323169792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Dhumal had changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur and contested from Sujanpur in this election.</p>

<p>He was made the chief ministerial face only nine days before the polling.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Amid speculations regarding?the appointment of the?new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race

Amid speculations regarding the appointment of the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal has clarified that he is out of the race. Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, said that despite his party's victory in the state he cannot become the chief minister as he could not win from his seat. He cleared the speculations which were on the rife after he lost his seat. Prem Kumar Dhumal had fought the elections from Sujanpur constituency. He lost the seat against Congress candidate Rajinder Rana. He said he had clarified it on the day of the results itself. Dhumal said that the decisions lay with the high command of the party. Also read: Vijay Rupani to be sworn-in as chief minister on December 26 Despite BJP's great victory, unfortunately I could not win from my seat. Speculations rife that I am still in the running for Himachal CM.Had clarified on day of results itself that I am not in the running for any position.The decision lies with the high command:Prem Kumar Dhumal pic.twitter.com/bAL9fM8GQT — ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 × Dhumal had changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur and contested from Sujanpur in this election. He was made the chief ministerial face only nine days before the polling.

Not running for chief minister's position: Prem Kumar Dhumal

<p>BJP observers Nirmala <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Sitharaman, Narendra Singh Tomar and</a> party in-charge for Himachal Mangal Pandey held a meeting with RSS leaders in Shimla today.</p>

<p>Even as the meeting <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-slowly-losing-power-ruling-only-four-states-following-election-27109">was going on supporters of former Himachal </a>CM Prem Kumar Dhumal who lost the recent state polls raised slogans in his support.</p>

<p>Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar said observers have come from Delhi, raising slogans in favour of any one leader by party workers was wrong.</p>

<p>&quot;If I was the party president, I would have expelled such workers,&quot; Shanta Kumar said.</p>

<p>Dhumal was the chief ministerial face for Himachal but he lost the elections leading the BJP to hunt for a new chief minister.</p>

<p>Jairam Thakur who beat Chet Ram of the Congress from Seraj constituency is expected to be the next chief minister but the party is still looking for an acceptable face to lead the state which was earlier led by Congress.</p>

<p>The BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member house in Himachal with the Congress way behind with 21 seats. The only consolation for the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress was that Himachal Pradesh has a history of changing the ruling formation at its helm every five years.</p>

<p>Congress saw a jump of about 10 per cent in its vote share as compared to the last Assembly polls in 2012 but the BJP romped home with the required numbers to form a government in the state.</p>

<p>The CPI(M) made its presence felt by winning the Theog seat after 24 years. The party had won one seat in 1962, 1972 and 1993, but had drawn a blank in successive polls.</p>


Even as the meeting was going on supporters of former Himachal CM Prem Kumar Dhumal who lost the recent state polls raised slogans in his support.

BJP observers Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Singh Tomar and party in-charge for Himachal Mangal Pandey held a meeting with RSS leaders in Shimla today. Even as the meeting was going on supporters of former Himachal CM Prem Kumar Dhumal who lost the recent state polls raised slogans in his support. Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar said observers have come from Delhi, raising slogans in favour of any one leader by party workers was wrong. "If I was the party president, I would have expelled such workers," Shanta Kumar said. Dhumal was the chief ministerial face for Himachal but he lost the elections leading the BJP to hunt for a new chief minister. Jairam Thakur who beat Chet Ram of the Congress from Seraj constituency is expected to be the next chief minister but the party is still looking for an acceptable face to lead the state which was earlier led by Congress. The BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member house in Himachal with the Congress way behind with 21 seats. The only consolation for the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress was that Himachal Pradesh has a history of changing the ruling formation at its helm every five years. Congress saw a jump of about 10 per cent in its vote share as compared to the last Assembly polls in 2012 but the BJP romped home with the required numbers to form a government in the state. The CPI(M) made its presence felt by winning the Theog seat after 24 years. The party had won one seat in 1962, 1972 and 1993, but had drawn a blank in successive polls.

Himachal elections: BJP observers hold meeting with RSS leaders

<p><br />
Buoyed by the BJP&#39;s electoral success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Sensex on Tuesday rallied 143 points as it moved closer to an all-time high.</p>

<p>Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend.</p>

<p>The NSE Nifty wrested control of the crucial 10,400-mark.</p>

<p>In the sectoral space, all indices were up, driven by auto and consumer durables, with gains of up to 1.22 per cent.</p>

<p>The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 143.22 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 33,744.90. The gauge had rallied 548.64 points in the previous three sessions.</p>

<p>The 50-share NSE Nifty also went up 39.45 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 10,428.20.</p>

<p>Analysts said buying picked up after assembly elections results showed that BJP will return to power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and topples the Congress to form government in Himachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>Major gainers were Tata Motors, M&amp;M, ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki, rising up to 1.59 per cent.</p>


Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend.

Buoyed by the BJP's electoral success in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Sensex on Tuesday rallied 143 points as it moved closer to an all-time high. Firm Asian stocks on bets that US tax reforms Bill will go through supported the uptrend. The NSE Nifty wrested control of the crucial 10,400-mark. In the sectoral space, all indices were up, driven by auto and consumer durables, with gains of up to 1.22 per cent. The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 143.22 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 33,744.90. The gauge had rallied 548.64 points in the previous three sessions. The 50-share NSE Nifty also went up 39.45 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 10,428.20. Analysts said buying picked up after assembly elections results showed that BJP will return to power for the sixth straight term in Gujarat and topples the Congress to form government in Himachal Pradesh. Major gainers were Tata Motors, M&M, ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki, rising up to 1.59 per cent.

Sensex builds on gains, climbs 143 points as BJP bags Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

<p>Taking a dig at Mani Shankar Aiyar without naming him, Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said &#39;&#39;if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat.&#39;&#39; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat, they managed a good show there,&#39;&#39; said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Himachal Pradesh, he said that one party unseats the other every five year which is not new.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;In Himachal Pradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>, they managed a good show there: Former J&amp;K CM Farooq Abdullah <a href="https://t.co/T3jllcc9ae">pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942993132462915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>On being asked if a conspiracy to defeat PM Modi in elections was made in Pakistan, Farooq Abdullah says, &#39;&#39;he himself went to Pakistan,&#39;&#39; and added taht, &#39;Pakistan koi saazish nahi karta.&#39;</p>

<p>In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi &quot;neech kisam ka insaan&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>, they managed a good show there: Former J&amp;K CM Farooq Abdullah <a href="https://t.co/T3jllcc9ae">pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942993132462915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Whatever Ambedkar wished, one person- Nehru made it come true. If a person is talking bad things about a such a family, and that too in at a time when a big memorial is being inaugurated in remembrance of Ambedkar, I feel, this person is lowly and has no decency. On such an occasion, why do we need dirty politics?&quot; he had said.</p>

<p>The BJP was quick to claim that Aiyar was calling the PM as a low-born individual. What added to the controversy is Aiyar&#39;s historic remarks against the PM wherein he had called PM Modi a chaiwallah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Aiyar rushed to correcting the remarks saying he meant &quot;low level and not low-born&quot;, the damage was done as Congress asked Aiyar to apologize and later expelled him from the party.&nbsp;</p>


In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi "neech kisam ka insaan".

Taking a dig at Mani Shankar Aiyar without naming him, Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said ''if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat.'' ''Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat, they managed a good show there,'' said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah. On Himachal Pradesh, he said that one party unseats the other every five year which is not new. ''In Himachal Pradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new,'' he said. In #HimachalPradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in #Gujarat, they managed a good show there: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × On being asked if a conspiracy to defeat PM Modi in elections was made in Pakistan, Farooq Abdullah says, ''he himself went to Pakistan,'' and added taht, 'Pakistan koi saazish nahi karta.' In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi "neech kisam ka insaan". In #HimachalPradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in #Gujarat, they managed a good show there: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × "Whatever Ambedkar wished, one person- Nehru made it come true. If a person is talking bad things about a such a family, and that too in at a time when a big memorial is being inaugurated in remembrance of Ambedkar, I feel, this person is lowly and has no decency. On such an occasion, why do we need dirty politics?" he had said. The BJP was quick to claim that Aiyar was calling the PM as a low-born individual. What added to the controversy is Aiyar's historic remarks against the PM wherein he had called PM Modi a chaiwallah. While Aiyar rushed to correcting the remarks saying he meant "low level and not low-born", the damage was done as Congress asked Aiyar to apologize and later expelled him from the party.

Watch: If some people had not said certain wrong things, Cong would have won in Gujarat, says Farooq Abdullah

<p>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state.</p>

<p>&quot;Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh,&quot; Thakur told.</p>

<p>Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress.</p>

<p>Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.</p>

<p>He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998.</p>

<p>Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress&#39; Rajinder Rana.</p>

<p>Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492.</p>

<p>The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.&nbsp;</p>


Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state. "Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh," Thakur told. Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress. Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998. Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress' Rajinder Rana. Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492. The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

BJP leader Jairam Thakur assures Himachal of development

<p>Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party &quot;accepts the verdict of the people&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942709778836471808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942711009789190144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-election-results-i-accept-the-bjps-victory-says-congresss-virbhadra-singh-27075">Himachal election results: &#39;I accept victory of BJP,&#39; says Congress&#39;s Virbhadra Singh</a></p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-poll-results-bjp-on-victory-march-in-gujarat-himachal-pradesh-27047">victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud,&quot; Gandhi said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gujarat of course was the new Congress president&#39;s -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gandhi&#39;s critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress&#39;s trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India&#39;s grand old party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat&#39;s population.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Which, Gandhi&#39;s critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.&nbsp;</p>


The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal

Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party "accepts the verdict of the people". The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal. The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80. Also Read: Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh The victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats. In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11. The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats. "My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud," Gandhi said. "You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage," he added. Gujarat of course was the new Congress president's -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test. But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time. Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats. In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time. Gandhi's critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress's trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India's grand old party. Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead. He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat's population. Which, Gandhi's critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.

Congress accepts verdict of the people: Rahul Gandhi

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