Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the Congress Party for their unparliamentary language, saying the outcomes of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh state polls are a lesson for those who forget political courtesy.

Yogi stated that BJP&#39;s performance in both the states is a victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s policies and economic reforms.

&quot;Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results are a lesson to those who forget political courtesy and indulge in unparliamentary language. Those raising question mark on the Prime Minister will now have to accept his leadership,&quot; Yogi said.

&quot;We, on behalf of the people of UP congratulate Modiji and Amit Shahji. It&#39;s victory of economic reforms. Modi&#39;s leadership has established country economically. Those who raised questions on Gujarat model should now look at the results. It&#39;s victory of policies of Modiji,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Yogi reiterated that Congress President Rahul Gandhi showed casteist, divisive and despicable thinking during his campaigning for the state elections, ending up losing Himachal Pradesh, one of the strongholds of the Congress party.&nbsp;

The Chief Minister stressed that change in Congress leadership is a positive sign for the BJP and will help them win other Congress strongholds also.&nbsp;

During the elections campaigning, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the prime minister for ignoring the poor people and farmers and implementing policies to benefit only the rich people of this country. 
&nbsp;

BJP's performance is a victory of PM Modi's policies and economic reforms.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the Congress Party for their unparliamentary language, saying the outcomes of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh state polls are a lesson for those who forget political courtesy. Yogi stated that BJP's performance in both the states is a victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and economic reforms. "Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results are a lesson to those who forget political courtesy and indulge in unparliamentary language. Those raising question mark on the Prime Minister will now have to accept his leadership," Yogi said. "We, on behalf of the people of UP congratulate Modiji and Amit Shahji. It's victory of economic reforms. Modi's leadership has established country economically. Those who raised questions on Gujarat model should now look at the results. It's victory of policies of Modiji," he added. Yogi reiterated that Congress President Rahul Gandhi showed casteist, divisive and despicable thinking during his campaigning for the state elections, ending up losing Himachal Pradesh, one of the strongholds of the Congress party. The Chief Minister stressed that change in Congress leadership is a positive sign for the BJP and will help them win other Congress strongholds also. During the elections campaigning, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the prime minister for ignoring the poor people and farmers and implementing policies to benefit only the rich people of this country.

People questioning PM Modi's policies will now have to accept his leadership: UP CM Yogi on election results

The stock market today inched closer to the all-time intra-day high as the BJP sniffed victory in Gujarat and also stayed on course to take power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.

According to trends available on the Election Commission&#39;s website, the BJP is leading in 101 of the 182 assembly segments in Gujarat. As for Himachal Pradesh, it is leading in 40 seats as against the Congress&#39; 21.

The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7.

For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,400-mark at 10,415.50, up 82.25 points, or 0.80 per cent.

Early in the beginning of the session, the benchmark BSE Sensex had tanked as much as 867 points to breach below the psychological 33,000-mark while the NSE Nifty plunged 258 points within one hour of counting of votes.

However, evolving equations showed that the BJP is pushing ahead in both the states.

Metal, auto, healthcare, realty, and banks all showed up in the green.

The big mover was M&amp;M 2.93 per cent, with SBI and Adani Ports closely following the leader.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net sold shares worth Rs 921.03 crore last Friday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 635.44 crore.

Asian stocks were mixed. US stocks rose to all-time highs last Friday, as prospects of the passage of a Republican tax Bill increased.

The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7.

The stock market today inched closer to the all-time intra-day high as the BJP sniffed victory in Gujarat and also stayed on course to take power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh. According to trends available on the Election Commission's website, the BJP is leading in 101 of the 182 assembly segments in Gujarat. As for Himachal Pradesh, it is leading in 40 seats as against the Congress' 21. The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7. For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,400-mark at 10,415.50, up 82.25 points, or 0.80 per cent. Early in the beginning of the session, the benchmark BSE Sensex had tanked as much as 867 points to breach below the psychological 33,000-mark while the NSE Nifty plunged 258 points within one hour of counting of votes. However, evolving equations showed that the BJP is pushing ahead in both the states. Metal, auto, healthcare, realty, and banks all showed up in the green. The big mover was M&M 2.93 per cent, with SBI and Adani Ports closely following the leader. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net sold shares worth Rs 921.03 crore last Friday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 635.44 crore. Asian stocks were mixed. US stocks rose to all-time highs last Friday, as prospects of the passage of a Republican tax Bill increased.

Sensex eyes higher ground as BJP pulls ahead in Gujarat poll

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday. Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats.

Ganesh Dutt (BJP): &nbsp;We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state.

Rajnath Singh (BJP):&nbsp; We&nbsp;will form a government in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh&nbsp;

Vikramaditya Singh (Congress): I am sure in the end Congress will be victorious and form Government in the state.&nbsp;

Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday. Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats. Ganesh Dutt (BJP): We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state. Rajnath Singh (BJP): We will form a government in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Vikramaditya Singh (Congress): I am sure in the end Congress will be victorious and form Government in the state.

We have crossed the half-way mark in Himachal: Who said what on poll day

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Trends from counting </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">centres</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015"> across Himachal Pradesh</a> showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government.&nbsp;

State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: &quot;We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state.&quot;

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals.

State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una.

A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling.

The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority.

The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats. 
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The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to control the Himachal Assembly.

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday. Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government. State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: "We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state." Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una. A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling. The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority. The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats.

BJP poised to form government in Himachal Pradesh

New Congress President Rahul Gandhi has his work cut out for him.

Following the election results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the Congress -- the country&#39;s &quot;grand old party&quot; -- is now left in power in only four states in the country.&nbsp;

The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujaratand-himachal-27098">Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win</a>

Since coming to power at the Centre -- Modi had at the time promised to deliver a &quot;Congress- mukt Bharat&quot; -- the BJP has wrested Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Manipur from the Congress.

The Congress had ruled Maharashtra for over 15 years, and Assam for over 10.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-is-a-temporary-and-face-saving-win-for-bjp-says-mamata-banerjee-27094">It is a temporary and face-saving win for BJP, says Mamata Banerjee</a>

The next battleground will be Karnataka, which is expected to go to the polls sometime in April or May next year.&nbsp;

&quot;Victory in Gujarat and Himachal shows people have once again accepted PM Modi, his policies and Gujarat model. They&#39;ve voted for development and against corrupt Congress. It&#39;ll have positive impact in Karnataka,&quot; Karnataka BJP President said Monday after the BJP won Gujarat and HImachal.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had attacked Karnataka&#39;s Congress government over what he said was the deteriorating law and order situation.

He cited the murder of the&nbsp;journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying if&nbsp;the&nbsp;BJP came to power in the state it would catch her killers.&nbsp;

There have also been killings of members of right-wing Hindu groups in Karnataka in recent months.&nbsp;

Singh also accused the&nbsp;Siddaramaiah government of trying to &quot;divide&quot;&nbsp;society, saying the state government should have refrained from celebrating Tipu Sultan&#39;s birthday.&nbsp;

The &quot;divide&quot; though is really between two different forms of nationalism.&nbsp;

Karnataka has been mulling the adoption of a state flag and there have been protests in the state against Hindi signboards.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Commentators say&nbsp;Siddaramaiah will deploy this &quot;sub-nationalism&quot; to counter Modi and the BJP&#39;s exhortation of &quot;nationalism&quot;.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram

New Congress President Rahul Gandhi has his work cut out for him. Following the election results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the Congress -- the country's "grand old party" -- is now left in power in only four states in the country. The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. Also read: Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win Since coming to power at the Centre -- Modi had at the time promised to deliver a "Congress- mukt Bharat" -- the BJP has wrested Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Manipur from the Congress. The Congress had ruled Maharashtra for over 15 years, and Assam for over 10. Also read: It is a temporary and face-saving win for BJP, says Mamata Banerjee The next battleground will be Karnataka, which is expected to go to the polls sometime in April or May next year. "Victory in Gujarat and Himachal shows people have once again accepted PM Modi, his policies and Gujarat model. They've voted for development and against corrupt Congress. It'll have positive impact in Karnataka," Karnataka BJP President said Monday after the BJP won Gujarat and HImachal. On Sunday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had attacked Karnataka's Congress government over what he said was the deteriorating law and order situation. He cited the murder of the journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying if the BJP came to power in the state it would catch her killers. There have also been killings of members of right-wing Hindu groups in Karnataka in recent months. Singh also accused the Siddaramaiah government of trying to "divide" society, saying the state government should have refrained from celebrating Tipu Sultan's birthday. The "divide" though is really between two different forms of nationalism. Karnataka has been mulling the adoption of a state flag and there have been protests in the state against Hindi signboards. Commentators say Siddaramaiah will deploy this "sub-nationalism" to counter Modi and the BJP's exhortation of "nationalism".

After Himachal loss, Congress left in power in only four states

The stock market maintained a steady line after a strong opening today as exit polls predicted that the BJP would win Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.

The 30-share BSE index came off its early high but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours.

For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,300-mark at 10,342.55, a gain of 90.45 points, or 0.88 per cent.

Coal India, which advanced 2.55 per cent, was in the lead. HDFC, Bajaj Auto, Adani Ports and L&amp;T too advanced.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 232.17 crore yesterday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 374.21 crore.

Overseas, Asian markets edged lower, with Japanese and Hong Kong markets leading the decline after US markets closed in the red.

US stocks closed lower yesterday as a few Senators raised some concerns about the tax bill. PTI PAK ARD

The 30-share BSE index came off its early high, but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours.

The stock market maintained a steady line after a strong opening today as exit polls predicted that the BJP would win Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. The 30-share BSE index came off its early high but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 per cent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours. For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,300-mark at 10,342.55, a gain of 90.45 points, or 0.88 per cent. Coal India, which advanced 2.55 per cent, was in the lead. HDFC, Bajaj Auto, Adani Ports and L&T too advanced. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 232.17 crore yesterday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 374.21 crore. Overseas, Asian markets edged lower, with Japanese and Hong Kong markets leading the decline after US markets closed in the red. US stocks closed lower yesterday as a few Senators raised some concerns about the tax bill. PTI PAK ARD

Sensex zooms over Gujarat, Himachal exit poll results

Panic loomed over the Himachal Raj Bhawan on Saturday evening after a leopard was spotted roaming the lawns of the compound.&nbsp;

The leopard was spotted three to four times.&nbsp;

A guard managed to take some pictures of the big cat.&nbsp;

Wildlife staff were informed by Raj Bhavan officials, who cordoned off the area and shut the main gate&nbsp;to stop the leopard from venturing any further.

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Himachal Pradesh: Leopard seen wandering inside Raj Bhavan campus in Shimla <a href="https://t.co/rM1VGCbVJA">pic.twitter.com/rM1VGCbVJA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939483560704016384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Shashikant Sharma, adviser to Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, said&nbsp;&quot;a solar electric fence is being put up to keep the leopard away from&nbsp; Raj Bhawan,&quot; ANI reported

(With inputs from ANI)

The leopard was spotted three to four times in the compound

Panic loomed over the Himachal Raj Bhawan on Saturday evening after a leopard was spotted roaming the lawns of the compound. The leopard was spotted three to four times. A guard managed to take some pictures of the big cat. Wildlife staff were informed by Raj Bhavan officials, who cordoned off the area and shut the main gate to stop the leopard from venturing any further. Himachal Pradesh: Leopard seen wandering inside Raj Bhavan campus in Shimla pic.twitter.com/rM1VGCbVJA — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Shashikant Sharma, adviser to Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, said "a solar electric fence is being put up to keep the leopard away from Raj Bhawan," ANI reported (With inputs from ANI)

Panic at Shimla Raj Bhavan after leopard is spotted

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday banned construction, residential or commercial, within three metres of the national highways in the entire state of Himachal Pradesh.

The tribunal also banned new construction in any part of &quot;green, forest and core areas&quot; in the northern hill state, PTI reported.

Any person found damaging forest area or hills without permission would be liable to pay a fine not less than Rs 5 lakh, the NGT said.

The tribunal rapped the Himachal Pradesh government for permitting indiscriminate construction and said it has failed to discharge its constitutional obligations and it was this failure that has exposed picturesque Shimla to natural and man-made disasters.

&quot;If such unplanned and indiscriminate development is permitted, there will be irreparable loss and damage to the environment, ecology and natural resources on the one hand and inevitable disaster on the other,&quot; the bench said.

It also reiterated its earlier order banning the use of plastic bags in Shimla and asked the authorities to ensure that no such material is &quot;used, stored and sold&quot; by the shopkeepers.

The tribunal also made rain water harvesting system mandatory for all the building plans and held that even the old buildings must be provided with such system within three months.

The bench also directed the state government to prepare an action plan for providing appropriate infrastructure, water and sewerage facilities, roads and other public amenities in the areas which lack such facilities.

The judgement came on a plea filed by Himachal Pradesh resident Yogendra Mohan Sengupta and Sheela Malhotra who sought a detailed study on the carrying capacity of hills in Shimla.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday banned construction within three metres of the end of the national highways in the entire state of Himachal Pradesh

The National Green Tribunal on Thursday banned construction, residential or commercial, within three metres of the national highways in the entire state of Himachal Pradesh. The tribunal also banned new construction in any part of "green, forest and core areas" in the northern hill state, PTI reported. Any person found damaging forest area or hills without permission would be liable to pay a fine not less than Rs 5 lakh, the NGT said. The tribunal rapped the Himachal Pradesh government for permitting indiscriminate construction and said it has failed to discharge its constitutional obligations and it was this failure that has exposed picturesque Shimla to natural and man-made disasters. "If such unplanned and indiscriminate development is permitted, there will be irreparable loss and damage to the environment, ecology and natural resources on the one hand and inevitable disaster on the other," the bench said. It also reiterated its earlier order banning the use of plastic bags in Shimla and asked the authorities to ensure that no such material is "used, stored and sold" by the shopkeepers. The tribunal also made rain water harvesting system mandatory for all the building plans and held that even the old buildings must be provided with such system within three months. The bench also directed the state government to prepare an action plan for providing appropriate infrastructure, water and sewerage facilities, roads and other public amenities in the areas which lack such facilities. The judgement came on a plea filed by Himachal Pradesh resident Yogendra Mohan Sengupta and Sheela Malhotra who sought a detailed study on the carrying capacity of hills in Shimla. (With inputs from PTI)

Himachal Pradesh: NGT raps govt, bans construction within 3 mts of national highways

With the vote turnout of 75%&nbsp;till Thursday, Himachal Pradesh could potentially break its highest polling record.&nbsp;

The Election Commission officials have&nbsp;said that it is highly likely that the final count could cross the 75%&nbsp;mark.&nbsp;

The voting&nbsp;began on Thursday at almost 500 polling stations which were open till late evening, encouraging every individual to cast their vote.

In the previous polls held in 2012, the total count came to 73.5%, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45%.

Polling for all 68 constituencies in Himachal Pradesh commenced at 8 am on Thursday.

Over&nbsp;37,000 poll officials, 17,770 policemen, home-guards and 65 companies of the paramilitary have been deployed in the state for election duty, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.

The highest polling percentage was reported around 82% in Sirmour, while lowest 69.5% in&nbsp;Hamirpur.&nbsp;

The poll results will be announced on December 18.&nbsp; 
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The poll results will be announced on December 18.?

With the vote turnout of 75% till Thursday, Himachal Pradesh could potentially break its highest polling record. The Election Commission officials have said that it is highly likely that the final count could cross the 75% mark. The voting began on Thursday at almost 500 polling stations which were open till late evening, encouraging every individual to cast their vote. In the previous polls held in 2012, the total count came to 73.5%, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45%. Polling for all 68 constituencies in Himachal Pradesh commenced at 8 am on Thursday. Over 37,000 poll officials, 17,770 policemen, home-guards and 65 companies of the paramilitary have been deployed in the state for election duty, the Election Commission said on Wednesday. The highest polling percentage was reported around 82% in Sirmour, while lowest 69.5% in Hamirpur. The poll results will be announced on December 18.

Himachal Pradesh to cross 75% polling record

101-year-old Shyam Saran Negi,&nbsp;believed to be the oldest and the first voter of independent India, exercised his franchise today during the voting in the&nbsp;hill state of Himachal Pradesh. The government had made&nbsp;special arrangement for Negi&nbsp;at Kalpa polling booth in tribal Kinnaur constituency.

People who came out to vote waited anxiously for Negi to arrive at the polling booth. It was a morning as unual for Negi as he got ready to cast his vote.

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India&#39;s first voter Shyam Saran Negi saying his daily prayers as he gets ready to vote one more time <a href="https://twitter.com/wion?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wion</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dna</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hpelection?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hpelection</a> <a href="https://t.co/s2iYYlMmY3">pic.twitter.com/s2iYYlMmY3</a>
&mdash; Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) <a href="https://twitter.com/raghvendra_rao/status/928479463297314816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Negi, a retired schoolteacher, was born in July 1917 and has never missed an opportunity to cast his vote.

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India&#39;s first voter Sh Shyam Saran Negi has voted, yet again. The 100-year old has never missed an opportunity to vote <a href="https://t.co/kuLDZmYPh6">pic.twitter.com/kuLDZmYPh6</a>
&mdash; Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) <a href="https://twitter.com/raghvendra_rao/status/928503762062262272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He&nbsp;voted&nbsp;in the independent&nbsp;India&#39;s first ever election held in 1951 at a polling station in Kinnaur.

Though the election took place in February 1952, residents of Himachal Pradesh voted five months early&nbsp;to avoid the difficulty of voting&nbsp;during&nbsp;snow fall.

Negi says that he has voted in every election that&nbsp;held in the country since 1951.&nbsp;

He was honoured with an invitation&nbsp;to be a part of the Election Commission diamond jubilee celebrations in 2010.&nbsp;

In 2014, he talked about his experience of the first election&nbsp;in the Google India&#39;s public service announcement.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;at the age of 83,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-election-virbhadra-singh-is-oldest-cm-looking-for-7th-term-23799" target="_blank"> Virbhadra Singh</a>, India&#39;s oldest chief minister&nbsp;is heading to contest his seventh&nbsp;term election.

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101-year-old Shyam Saran Negi,?believed to be the oldest and the first voter of independent India, exercised his franchise today during the voting in the?hill state of Himachal Pradesh. The government had made special arrangement for Negi?at Kalpa polling booth in tribal Kinnaur constituency.

101-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, believed to be the oldest and the first voter of independent India, exercised his franchise today during the voting in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. The government had made special arrangement for Negi at Kalpa polling booth in tribal Kinnaur constituency. People who came out to vote waited anxiously for Negi to arrive at the polling booth. It was a morning as unual for Negi as he got ready to cast his vote. India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi saying his daily prayers as he gets ready to vote one more time @wion @dna @hpelection pic.twitter.com/s2iYYlMmY3 — Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) November 9, 2017 × Negi, a retired schoolteacher, was born in July 1917 and has never missed an opportunity to cast his vote. India's first voter Sh Shyam Saran Negi has voted, yet again. The 100-year old has never missed an opportunity to vote pic.twitter.com/kuLDZmYPh6 — Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) November 9, 2017 × He voted in the independent India's first ever election held in 1951 at a polling station in Kinnaur. Though the election took place in February 1952, residents of Himachal Pradesh voted five months early to avoid the difficulty of voting during snow fall. Negi says that he has voted in every election that held in the country since 1951. He was honoured with an invitation to be a part of the Election Commission diamond jubilee celebrations in 2010. In 2014, he talked about his experience of the first election in the Google India's public service announcement. Meanwhile, at the age of 83, Virbhadra Singh, India's oldest chief minister is heading to contest his seventh term election.

Himachal election: India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi proudly shows his inked finger

At an age when most people are enjoying retirement, India&#39;s oldest chief minister Virbhadra Singh is on the campaign trail, one of a number of ageing men still clinging to power in the youthful country.

At 83 he is hoping to snare a seventh term at the helm of Himachal Pradesh when the mountainous north Indian state that he has ruled for years goes to the polls on Thursday.

Singh, a stalwart of the Congress Party that has held national power for much of independent India&#39;s history, is far from alone.

Around two-thirds of India&#39;s population is aged under 35, making it one of the youngest countries on earth.

But many of its top regional leaders are elderly products of a quasi-dynastic system of rule that took root in the twentieth century and now appears at odds with its youthful population.

Earlier this year the neighbouring state of Punjab, home to 28 million Indians, voted out its 89-year-old five-time chief minister Prakash Singh Badal.

His successor, Amarinder Singh, is the 75-year-old scion of a family that once ruled the princely state of Patiala, now part of Punjab.

Virbhadra Singh is himself descended from the royal family that ruled a part of Himachal Pradesh until Indian independence, and he admits his heritage has helped his political career.

&quot;The people respect me. They respect my family and lineage,&quot; he told AFP during a brief break from campaigning in the state, where campaign hoardings refer to him as Raja Sahib, a royal title.

Nistula Hebbar, political editor of The Hindu daily, said older candidates had a natural advantage because personal relationships were still hugely important in getting things done on the ground.

&quot;As a society, we are a gerontocracy that still worships the grey and considers its advice sagely. And this clearly reflects in our politics too,&quot; Hebbar told AFP.

&quot;Our state&#39;s poor record in delivery (of services) also ensures that the personal networks and relationships nurtured by politicians over a long time are still trusted more by the people over youth and the system.&quot;

Political patricide

Most of India&#39;s leaders do not have royal titles, but a large number are the products of political dynasties that have proved remarkably resilient.

At 94, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, five-time former chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, remains a key political player as leader of the opposition DMK party.

His 64-year-old son, M.K. Stalin, is positioning himself as the political heir, and appears to have met little popular resistance.

Meanwhile campaigning for elections in India&#39;s most populous state Uttar Pradesh was dominated by a bitter intergenerational power struggle earlier this year.

Akhilesh Yadav, 44, carried out a hostile takeover of the regional Samajwadi Party formed by his 77-year-old father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, a manoeuvre that some termed political patricide.

Rahul Gandhi, himself a member of India&#39;s most famous ruling dynasty, is reported to have tried to push for younger regional leaders after his Congress Party suffered a heavy defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 national election.

But he was eventually forced to back down in the face of stiff internal resistance.

His 70-year-old mother Sonia remains party president despite persistent rumours of her imminent retirement.

&quot;Sadly, we don&#39;t believe in graceful retirement or riding into the sunset after a well-played inning,&quot; said veteran Indian journalist Kanchan Gupta.

&quot;Also linked to this is the fact that our politics is about patronising and favour dispensation. It is all about why I am voting for someone and what I can get out of it.&quot;

The views of voters at a rally for Singh in Paonta Sahib, an industrial town in Himachal Pradesh, appear to bear that out.

We back anyone he says as he is someone who stays reachable and gets our issues resolved even when other local officials don&#39;t listen,&quot; one told AFP.

At the end of a packed day, the octogenarian appeared tired, but he insisted he could still cope with the gruelling demands of the campaign trail.

Besides, at 73 his main challenger, Prem Kumar Dhumal of the nationally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, is no spring chicken either.

&quot;I still campaign with all my seriousness and participate till the very last programme,&quot; Singh told AFP.

At an age when most people are enjoying retirement, India's oldest chief minister Virbhadra Singh is on the campaign trail, one of a number of ageing men still clinging to power in the youthful country. At 83 he is hoping to snare a seventh term at the helm of Himachal Pradesh when the mountainous north Indian state that he has ruled for years goes to the polls on Thursday. Singh, a stalwart of the Congress Party that has held national power for much of independent India's history, is far from alone. Around two-thirds of India's population is aged under 35, making it one of the youngest countries on earth. But many of its top regional leaders are elderly products of a quasi-dynastic system of rule that took root in the twentieth century and now appears at odds with its youthful population. Earlier this year the neighbouring state of Punjab, home to 28 million Indians, voted out its 89-year-old five-time chief minister Prakash Singh Badal. His successor, Amarinder Singh, is the 75-year-old scion of a family that once ruled the princely state of Patiala, now part of Punjab. Virbhadra Singh is himself descended from the royal family that ruled a part of Himachal Pradesh until Indian independence, and he admits his heritage has helped his political career. "The people respect me. They respect my family and lineage," he told AFP during a brief break from campaigning in the state, where campaign hoardings refer to him as Raja Sahib, a royal title. Nistula Hebbar, political editor of The Hindu daily, said older candidates had a natural advantage because personal relationships were still hugely important in getting things done on the ground. "As a society, we are a gerontocracy that still worships the grey and considers its advice sagely. And this clearly reflects in our politics too," Hebbar told AFP. "Our state's poor record in delivery (of services) also ensures that the personal networks and relationships nurtured by politicians over a long time are still trusted more by the people over youth and the system." Political patricide Most of India's leaders do not have royal titles, but a large number are the products of political dynasties that have proved remarkably resilient. At 94, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, five-time former chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, remains a key political player as leader of the opposition DMK party. His 64-year-old son, M.K. Stalin, is positioning himself as the political heir, and appears to have met little popular resistance. Meanwhile campaigning for elections in India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh was dominated by a bitter intergenerational power struggle earlier this year. Akhilesh Yadav, 44, carried out a hostile takeover of the regional Samajwadi Party formed by his 77-year-old father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, a manoeuvre that some termed political patricide. Rahul Gandhi, himself a member of India's most famous ruling dynasty, is reported to have tried to push for younger regional leaders after his Congress Party suffered a heavy defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 national election. But he was eventually forced to back down in the face of stiff internal resistance. His 70-year-old mother Sonia remains party president despite persistent rumours of her imminent retirement. "Sadly, we don't believe in graceful retirement or riding into the sunset after a well-played inning," said veteran Indian journalist Kanchan Gupta. "Also linked to this is the fact that our politics is about patronising and favour dispensation. It is all about why I am voting for someone and what I can get out of it." The views of voters at a rally for Singh in Paonta Sahib, an industrial town in Himachal Pradesh, appear to bear that out. We back anyone he says as he is someone who stays reachable and gets our issues resolved even when other local officials don't listen," one told AFP. At the end of a packed day, the octogenarian appeared tired, but he insisted he could still cope with the gruelling demands of the campaign trail. Besides, at 73 his main challenger, Prem Kumar Dhumal of the nationally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, is no spring chicken either. "I still campaign with all my seriousness and participate till the very last programme," Singh told AFP.

Himachal election: India's oldest CM, Virbhadra Singh, looks for 7th term

Himachal Pradesh this morning in 68 constituencies where 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray.

A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote.

As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty.

Besides 17,850 personnel of police and Home Guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force have been deployed.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring.

The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.

The 12-days high-voltage campaign, which came to an end&nbsp;on Tuesday, saw over 450 rallies by star campaigners of the BJP and the Congress including Prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah who addressed seven and six rallies respectively.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed three rallies.

Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns at Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, while the Congress hit out at the BJP over the issue of GST and demonetisation.

There is a straight contest only in one constituency (Jhanduta) while the maximum number of 12 candidates is in the fray in Dharamsala.

The BJP has fielded four Congressmen including former minister Anil Sharma and given a ticket to on Independent from Chopal while Congress had fielded two independents from Paonta Sahib and Kangra.

Both Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Dhumal have shifted their constituencies and are contesting from Arki and Sujanpur.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mansa Ram, who was elected for the first time in 1967 from Karsog(SC), is in the fray for the eleventh time.

There are 19 women in the fray including six fielded by the BJP and three by the Congress while seven rebels each of BJP and Congress are also contesting the polls.

At present, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively in the 68-member House besides four independents while one seat is vacant.

Over 180 independents and a dozen rebels of the Congress including former ministers Singhi Ram (Rampur) and Vijay Singh Mankotia (Shahpur) are in the fray.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for ensuring free and fair polls and?29 general, three police, 22 Expenditure Observers and 71 Assistant Expenditure Observers, 1,561 Micro Observers, besides, 193 Sector Magistrate and 789 Sectors officers have also been deployed throughout the state.

Web-casting would be used in 2,307 polling stations in the state for live monitoring of polling activities in the state.

The state has 100 percent Photo Identity Card (EPIC) holders and 7,525 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) are being used.

VVPAT machines are being used for the first time in this Vidhan Sabha Election and 10 percent of total EVMs and VVPATs have been kept in reserve. 
The Election Commission has also allowed the electors to cast their vote by producing any one document out of the 12 identity documents.

Voting in all 68 constituencies will be held today

Himachal Pradesh this morning in 68 constituencies where 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray. A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote. As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty. Besides 17,850 personnel of police and Home Guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force have been deployed. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring. The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3. The 12-days high-voltage campaign, which came to an end on Tuesday, saw over 450 rallies by star campaigners of the BJP and the Congress including Prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah who addressed seven and six rallies respectively. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed three rallies. Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns at Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, while the Congress hit out at the BJP over the issue of GST and demonetisation. There is a straight contest only in one constituency (Jhanduta) while the maximum number of 12 candidates is in the fray in Dharamsala. The BJP has fielded four Congressmen including former minister Anil Sharma and given a ticket to on Independent from Chopal while Congress had fielded two independents from Paonta Sahib and Kangra. Both Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Dhumal have shifted their constituencies and are contesting from Arki and Sujanpur. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mansa Ram, who was elected for the first time in 1967 from Karsog(SC), is in the fray for the eleventh time. There are 19 women in the fray including six fielded by the BJP and three by the Congress while seven rebels each of BJP and Congress are also contesting the polls. At present, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively in the 68-member House besides four independents while one seat is vacant. Over 180 independents and a dozen rebels of the Congress including former ministers Singhi Ram (Rampur) and Vijay Singh Mankotia (Shahpur) are in the fray. Elaborate arrangements have been made for ensuring free and fair polls and?29 general, three police, 22 Expenditure Observers and 71 Assistant Expenditure Observers, 1,561 Micro Observers, besides, 193 Sector Magistrate and 789 Sectors officers have also been deployed throughout the state. Web-casting would be used in 2,307 polling stations in the state for live monitoring of polling activities in the state. The state has 100 percent Photo Identity Card (EPIC) holders and 7,525 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) are being used. VVPAT machines are being used for the first time in this Vidhan Sabha Election and 10 percent of total EVMs and VVPATs have been kept in reserve. The Election Commission has also allowed the electors to cast their vote by producing any one document out of the 12 identity documents.

Voting begins in Himachal pradesh

Polling got underway in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday morning with&nbsp;reports of malfunctioning of electronic voting machines(EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails(VVAPTs) in&nbsp;several places.

At least 58 EVMs and 102 VVPATs were replaced during polling and 167 EVMs and 219 VVPATs had to be replaced during mock polls in the state. In fact,&nbsp;polling could not be held in Gondla polling booth in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district.

During actual polling, 31 ballot&nbsp;units and 27 control units of EVMs malfunctioned and had to be replaced while in mock polls, 101 ballot&nbsp;units and 66 control units of EVMs malfunctioned and had to be replaced.

Most EVM &amp; VVPAT failures were reported in Una, followed by Mandi, Kangra, Solan &amp; Shimla.&nbsp;

64.8 per cent&nbsp;polling was recorded until 4 pm in Himachal Pradesh, reports said.&nbsp;

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal cast their votes at Rampur and Samirpur.

Shyam Sharan Negi (101), the first voter of India, cast his vote for the 15th time in assembly polls at Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

Shimla district recorded 36 per cent&nbsp;voting which was the&nbsp;highest till 1 pm, while the largest district Kangra recorded 22 per cent voting.&nbsp;Kinnaur recorded 35 per cent polling.

Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Mandi, Una, Solan and Sirmaur districts recorded 26 per cent, 29 per cent, 32 per cent, 35 per cent and 30 per cent polling till noon while Theog in Shimla recorded the highest polling at 42 per cent.

Polling has picked since noon.

The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.

&nbsp;

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal cast their votes at Rampur and Samirpur respectively.

Polling got underway in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday morning with reports of malfunctioning of electronic voting machines(EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails(VVAPTs) in several places. At least 58 EVMs and 102 VVPATs were replaced during polling and 167 EVMs and 219 VVPATs had to be replaced during mock polls in the state. In fact, polling could not be held in Gondla polling booth in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district. During actual polling, 31 ballot units and 27 control units of EVMs malfunctioned and had to be replaced while in mock polls, 101 ballot units and 66 control units of EVMs malfunctioned and had to be replaced. Most EVM & VVPAT failures were reported in Una, followed by Mandi, Kangra, Solan & Shimla. 64.8 per cent polling was recorded until 4 pm in Himachal Pradesh, reports said. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal cast their votes at Rampur and Samirpur. Shyam Sharan Negi (101), the first voter of India, cast his vote for the 15th time in assembly polls at Kalpa in Kinnaur district. Shimla district recorded 36 per cent voting which was the highest till 1 pm, while the largest district Kangra recorded 22 per cent voting. Kinnaur recorded 35 per cent polling. Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Mandi, Una, Solan and Sirmaur districts recorded 26 per cent, 29 per cent, 32 per cent, 35 per cent and 30 per cent polling till noon while Theog in Shimla recorded the highest polling at 42 per cent. Polling has picked since noon. The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.

Multiple EVM, VVPAT failures reported in Himachal Pradesh polls

Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest polling in assembly elections with 74 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, the Election Commission said.

The figure was until 5 pm and the final polling percentage may be revised as final voting figures are yet to be tallied.

Polling was still on in about 500 booths.

The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45 per cent.

At a press conference, Saxena said the elections were peaceful and no incident of violence was reported.

A total of 11,283 VVPAT units were used in all polling booths of the 68 constituencies out of which 297 were replaced, Saxena said, adding this was well within the technical limits.

The Congress is currently ruling the hill state and the BJP is eyeing to return to power after a gap of five years.

In the outgoing 68-member assembly, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively. There are four Independent MLAs while one seat was vacant.

The poll results will be announced on December 18.&nbsp;

The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said.

Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest polling in assembly elections with 74 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, the Election Commission said. The figure was until 5 pm and the final polling percentage may be revised as final voting figures are yet to be tallied. Polling was still on in about 500 booths. The previous highest polling percentage of 73.5 was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was 64.45 per cent. At a press conference, Saxena said the elections were peaceful and no incident of violence was reported. A total of 11,283 VVPAT units were used in all polling booths of the 68 constituencies out of which 297 were replaced, Saxena said, adding this was well within the technical limits. The Congress is currently ruling the hill state and the BJP is eyeing to return to power after a gap of five years. In the outgoing 68-member assembly, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively. There are four Independent MLAs while one seat was vacant. The poll results will be announced on December 18.

At 74 per cent, Himachal records its highest voter turnout

&quot;Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,&#39;&#39; said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, the prime minister added.

After Modi announced the demonetisation of high-value currency on November 8, 2016, several BJP leaders have hit out Indira Gandhi and said she lacked the courage to go ahead with the&nbsp;demonetisation, though she was advised to do so.&nbsp;

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Fmr PM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> refused to carry out note ban.Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task: Modi.
&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/927125446646366208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Attacking the Congress on the issue of corruption, Modi accused the previous Congress-led government at the Centre of abusing subsidies worth Rs 57,000 crore. He claimed he had stopped this misuse, and the money was now being used for the welfare of the poor.

&quot;Over Rs 57,000 crore in subsidies were looted by middlemen. Modi has stopped all this and this money is now being spent for the welfare of the poor,&quot; he said, holding that this was the reason for the Congress&#39;s attack on him.

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Rs 4,000 cr fraud found in probe into 5,000 companies out of 3 lakh that have shut down after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/demonetisation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#demonetisation</a>: PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>.
&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/927125779552518144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He also took a dig at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his statement that out of one rupee spent from Delhi, only 15 paisa reached the villages, saying that Gandhi was merely painting a picture of what the Congress did when it ran the country.

Gandhi, he added, was a doctor who diagnosed the problem of corruption but did nothing&nbsp;about it.

Modi wondered where the 85 paise went.

&quot;Who was that magician? Or which &#39;panja&#39; (palm) was used to steal that money,&quot; he asked, in an apparent reference to the Congress&#39;s electoral symbol, the palm. 
On GST, Modi said no businessman or business body had opposed the new tax regime, and the government was doing everything to resolve the problems of traders and shopkeepers after taking all states on board.

&quot;If there is a problem in any corner of the country, we discuss and seriously think about it and try to resolve it. The GST Council last month resolved all the problems of businessmen arising out of the one tax law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(With agency inputs)&nbsp;

"Never has there been a one-sided election as seen in this election. The reason for this is that the country knows what the Congress government is like and what its intentions are," Modi said.

"Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, the prime minister added. After Modi announced the demonetisation of high-value currency on November 8, 2016, several BJP leaders have hit out Indira Gandhi and said she lacked the courage to go ahead with the demonetisation, though she was advised to do so. Fmr PM #IndiraGandhi refused to carry out note ban.Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task: Modi. — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2017 × Attacking the Congress on the issue of corruption, Modi accused the previous Congress-led government at the Centre of abusing subsidies worth Rs 57,000 crore. He claimed he had stopped this misuse, and the money was now being used for the welfare of the poor. "Over Rs 57,000 crore in subsidies were looted by middlemen. Modi has stopped all this and this money is now being spent for the welfare of the poor," he said, holding that this was the reason for the Congress's attack on him. Rs 4,000 cr fraud found in probe into 5,000 companies out of 3 lakh that have shut down after #demonetisation: PM @narendramodi. — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2017 × He also took a dig at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for his statement that out of one rupee spent from Delhi, only 15 paisa reached the villages, saying that Gandhi was merely painting a picture of what the Congress did when it ran the country. Gandhi, he added, was a doctor who diagnosed the problem of corruption but did nothing about it. Modi wondered where the 85 paise went. "Who was that magician? Or which 'panja' (palm) was used to steal that money," he asked, in an apparent reference to the Congress's electoral symbol, the palm. On GST, Modi said no businessman or business body had opposed the new tax regime, and the government was doing everything to resolve the problems of traders and shopkeepers after taking all states on board. "If there is a problem in any corner of the country, we discuss and seriously think about it and try to resolve it. The GST Council last month resolved all the problems of businessmen arising out of the one tax law," he said. (With agency inputs)

Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi

After taking a potshot at the Congress on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sambit-patra-says-for-congress-ease-of-doing-corruption-was-the-core-issue-23288">&#39;&#39;ease of doing business&#39;&#39;</a>, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again attacked Rahul Gandhi on Friday by saying the Congress leader lacked&nbsp;primary understanding of diplomacy.&nbsp;

Addressing a rally in Himachal Pradesh&#39;s Kangra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, saying, &quot;Instead of asking Indian diplomats and foreign minister, you go and ask Chinese envoy.&quot; 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&#39;&#39;Instead of asking Indian diplomats and foreign ministry, you go and ask Chinese envoy. Sorry to say this shows lack of primary understanding,&#39;&#39; Modi said and added that the country was well aware of how the Doklam issue was resolved, but the Congress even questioned that.

&#39;&#39;The country is aware how the Doklam issue was dealt with, but the Congress even questioned that,&#39;&#39; the prime minister said.&nbsp;

Turning the spotlight on the dynastic&nbsp;politics yet again, Modi said someone born in a family which has ruled for decades doesn&#39;t believe his own Army and agencies? Meet&nbsp;China&#39;s envoy and ask&nbsp;about Doklam, he said.

&quot;Congress had become a &#39;laughing club&#39; and they need to introspect why people were turning away from them across the country, &#39;&#39; Modi asserted.

Speaking of the problems faced by the state, Modi said that there were five monsters that Himachal needed&nbsp;to get rid off: Mining mafia, forest mafia, drug mafia, tender mafia and transfer mafia.

&quot;Himachal Pradesh is embroiled in corruption yet Congress&#39; manifesto says there will be zero tolerance for corruption. Even a child won&#39;t believe it,&#39;&#39; Modi said and added that he had worked extensively in Himachal Pradesh and was very familiar with every nook and corner of the state.

Turning the spotlight on the dynasty politics yet again, Modi said someone born in a family which has ruled for decades doesn't believe his own Army and agencies? Meets China's envoy and asks about Doklam.

After taking a potshot at the Congress on ''ease of doing business'', Prime Minister Narendra Modi again attacked Rahul Gandhi on Friday by saying the Congress leader lacked primary understanding of diplomacy. Addressing a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, saying, "Instead of asking Indian diplomats and foreign minister, you go and ask Chinese envoy." ''Instead of asking Indian diplomats and foreign ministry, you go and ask Chinese envoy. Sorry to say this shows lack of primary understanding,'' Modi said and added that the country was well aware of how the Doklam issue was resolved, but the Congress even questioned that. ''The country is aware how the Doklam issue was dealt with, but the Congress even questioned that,'' the prime minister said. Turning the spotlight on the dynastic politics yet again, Modi said someone born in a family which has ruled for decades doesn't believe his own Army and agencies? Meet China's envoy and ask about Doklam, he said. "Congress had become a 'laughing club' and they need to introspect why people were turning away from them across the country, '' Modi asserted. Speaking of the problems faced by the state, Modi said that there were five monsters that Himachal needed to get rid off: Mining mafia, forest mafia, drug mafia, tender mafia and transfer mafia. "Himachal Pradesh is embroiled in corruption yet Congress' manifesto says there will be zero tolerance for corruption. Even a child won't believe it,'' Modi said and added that he had worked extensively in Himachal Pradesh and was very familiar with every nook and corner of the state.

Rahul Gandhi lacks primary understanding of diplomacy: Modi

BJP chief Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign to address his first public meeting in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh on Monday.

Shah will be in the state for two days. During his trip, the BJP president will address four rallies and hold a number of party meetings, including the state party&#39;s core group, a party leader said.

The party chief is expected to hold close to 15 rallies during the entire Himachal election campaign. Shah will address a public rally each at Banikhet and Chalwara on Monday,&nbsp;sources added.

On Sunday, Adityanath had said that&nbsp;Congress has turned the land of Gods into the land of crime, urging the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for the BJP to end the mafia rule in the state.

Campaigning for BJP candidates at Arki and Haroli, he said only crime and corruption increased under the rule of Congress in Himachal Pradesh. &quot;The Congress has turned the &#39;dev bhoomi&#39; (land of Gods) into &#39;apraadh bhoomi&#39; (land of crime). It has sullied the name of the state, which is now known as forest and mining mafia, and illegal activities,&quot; he said.

The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority by defeating the incumbent Congress government in the North Indian state.

The elections for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on&nbsp;November 9. The results will be declared on&nbsp;December 18.

BJP national president Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign.

BJP chief Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign to address his first public meeting in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Shah will be in the state for two days. During his trip, the BJP president will address four rallies and hold a number of party meetings, including the state party's core group, a party leader said. The party chief is expected to hold close to 15 rallies during the entire Himachal election campaign. Shah will address a public rally each at Banikhet and Chalwara on Monday, sources added. On Sunday, Adityanath had said that Congress has turned the land of Gods into the land of crime, urging the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for the BJP to end the mafia rule in the state. Campaigning for BJP candidates at Arki and Haroli, he said only crime and corruption increased under the rule of Congress in Himachal Pradesh. "The Congress has turned the 'dev bhoomi' (land of Gods) into 'apraadh bhoomi' (land of crime). It has sullied the name of the state, which is now known as forest and mining mafia, and illegal activities," he said. The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority by defeating the incumbent Congress government in the North Indian state. The elections for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on November 9. The results will be declared on December 18.

Himachal polls: Amit Shah to join Yogi Adityanath in campaign against Congress

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale hit the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh on Friday morning.

The tremors were felt at around 8:07 a.m. in the morning.However, there was no report of loss of life or damage to property.

Earlier this month, an earthquake of almost similar intensity was recorded in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh had suffered the most devastating earthquake in 1905 in the Kangra valley in which over 20,000 people were killed.

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale hit the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh on Friday morning.

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale hit the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh on Friday morning. The tremors were felt at around 8:07 a.m. in the morning.However, there was no report of loss of life or damage to property. Earlier this month, an earthquake of almost similar intensity was recorded in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh had suffered the most devastating earthquake in 1905 in the Kangra valley in which over 20,000 people were killed.

Earthquake jolts Himachal Pradesh's Mandi

As many as 275 candidates, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,&nbsp;filed their nomination for&nbsp;Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls on Monday, the last day to file nominations.&nbsp;

With this, the total number of nominations filed for the polls went up to 479.

The date of polling in Himachal Pradesh is November 9,&nbsp;and the counting will be held on&nbsp;December 18.&nbsp;The date before which election shall be completed would be December 20, the Election Commission had announced earlier.

In all, 119 candidates filed nomination for 15 seats in Kangra, 74 candidates for 10 seats in Mandi, 64 for eight seats in Shimla, 41 for five seats in Hamirpur, 28 for five seats in Chamba, 29 for five seats in Solan.

Twenty seven candidates filed their nomination for five seats in Sirmaur, 47 for five seats in Una, 17 for four seats in Bilaspur, 23 for four seats in Kullu, five each for one seat in Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur constituencies.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Deepak Rathore had filed his nomination from Theog seat, but the party later announced that veteran leader, Irrigation and Public Health Minister&nbsp;Vidya Stokes&nbsp;would be the official candidate -&nbsp;who filed her nomiation from Theog in Shimla district.&nbsp;

Stokes had left the seat for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who&nbsp;shifted to Arki and she was&nbsp;asked by the party high command to contest from Theog, HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu said.

Stokes has contested assembly polls ten times since 1974 and lost twice in 1977 and 1993.

Dhumal filed his nomination from Sujanpur; Sukku entered the fray from Nadaun, while Vikramaditya Singh filed his papers from Shimla (Rural) constituency, vacated by his father Virbhadra Singh.

Former minister Anil Sharma, son of former Union communication minister Sukh Ram who recently joined the BJP, also filed his nomination from Mandi (Sadar) and&nbsp;deputy speaker Jagat Singh Negi from Kinnaur.

Over two dozen rebel leaders of the Congress and the BJP who were denied tickets also joined the fray as independents.

Nominations filed for the polls went up to 479

As many as 275 candidates, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, filed their nomination for Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls on Monday, the last day to file nominations. With this, the total number of nominations filed for the polls went up to 479. The date of polling in Himachal Pradesh is November 9, and the counting will be held on December 18. The date before which election shall be completed would be December 20, the Election Commission had announced earlier. In all, 119 candidates filed nomination for 15 seats in Kangra, 74 candidates for 10 seats in Mandi, 64 for eight seats in Shimla, 41 for five seats in Hamirpur, 28 for five seats in Chamba, 29 for five seats in Solan. Twenty seven candidates filed their nomination for five seats in Sirmaur, 47 for five seats in Una, 17 for four seats in Bilaspur, 23 for four seats in Kullu, five each for one seat in Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur constituencies. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Deepak Rathore had filed his nomination from Theog seat, but the party later announced that veteran leader, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes would be the official candidate - who filed her nomiation from Theog in Shimla district. Stokes had left the seat for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who shifted to Arki and she was asked by the party high command to contest from Theog, HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu said. Stokes has contested assembly polls ten times since 1974 and lost twice in 1977 and 1993. Dhumal filed his nomination from Sujanpur; Sukku entered the fray from Nadaun, while Vikramaditya Singh filed his papers from Shimla (Rural) constituency, vacated by his father Virbhadra Singh. Former minister Anil Sharma, son of former Union communication minister Sukh Ram who recently joined the BJP, also filed his nomination from Mandi (Sadar) and deputy speaker Jagat Singh Negi from Kinnaur. Over two dozen rebel leaders of the Congress and the BJP who were denied tickets also joined the fray as independents.

Himachal polls: 275 nominations filed on last day

The government is looking into a proposal for 50 temperature-controlled posts along the India-China border for ITBP jawans who guard the Himalayan heights in sub-zero temperatures, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Greater Noida on Tuesday.

Addressing personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, established on this day 56 years ago to guard India&#39;s borders with China, the home minister announced a slew of other measures to boost the capabilities of the force.

These include the construction of 25 border roads in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

There are 176 border posts along the India-China border, from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to Singh, the government is considering using technology to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in the proposed new posts. These will be located in high-altitude areas where ITBP jawans have to bear the brunt of snow blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.

&quot;We are committed to enhancing your operational and infrastructure capabilities. Recently, we got a proposal to build 50 new border posts for the force and we are working on it,&quot; the home minister said.

The setting up of more posts is aimed at ensuring that they are not abandoned during extreme snow and cold.

The government is also considering special lightweight winter clothing for troops deployed above 9,000 feet and an enhanced fleet of snow scooters to patrol the high-altitude areas of the 3,488-km Sino-Indian frontier.

The force guards the border in altitudes ranging from 9,000 feet to 18,700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern sectors of the Indo-China Border.

Singh said he is not satisfied with housing and infrastructure facilities and is &quot;seriously&quot; working to improve these areas. The minister also said 35 old border posts in very high- altitude areas are being upgraded as &quot;composite&quot; units.

&quot;We are working to enhance road, mobile and satellite connectivity in the border areas for the ITBP,&quot; he said.

The minister asked ITBP troops to ensure and build good relations with border dwellers as they are &quot;strategic assets&quot; of the country and important stakeholders in keeping the borders safe.

Singh lauded the ITBP for introducing Mandarin during basic training of its troops. This was done so they can converse with the Chinese Army during face-offs.

He also asked ITBP officers to take the responsibility of at least one family of those killed in the line of duty.

The ministry is working to help jawans who have suffered 50 percent disability during operations through the Bharat Ke Veer benevolent fund, he said.

ITBP Director General (DG) R K Pachnanda said the force has been nominated as the &quot;nodal agency&quot; for obtaining and channelising satellite communication for all border-guarding forces in the country.

He said the home ministry has also approved the ITBP&#39;s proposal to hire helicopters for high-altitude border posts.

The paramilitary is also enhancing its intelligence set-up, Pachnanda added.

The government is looking into a proposal for 50 temperature-controlled posts along the India-China border for ITBP jawans who guard the Himalayan heights in sub-zero temperatures, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.

The government is looking into a proposal for 50 temperature-controlled posts along the India-China border for ITBP jawans who guard the Himalayan heights in sub-zero temperatures, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Greater Noida on Tuesday. Addressing personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, established on this day 56 years ago to guard India's borders with China, the home minister announced a slew of other measures to boost the capabilities of the force. These include the construction of 25 border roads in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. There are 176 border posts along the India-China border, from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. According to Singh, the government is considering using technology to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in the proposed new posts. These will be located in high-altitude areas where ITBP jawans have to bear the brunt of snow blizzards and sub-zero temperatures. "We are committed to enhancing your operational and infrastructure capabilities. Recently, we got a proposal to build 50 new border posts for the force and we are working on it," the home minister said. The setting up of more posts is aimed at ensuring that they are not abandoned during extreme snow and cold. The government is also considering special lightweight winter clothing for troops deployed above 9,000 feet and an enhanced fleet of snow scooters to patrol the high-altitude areas of the 3,488-km Sino-Indian frontier. The force guards the border in altitudes ranging from 9,000 feet to 18,700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern sectors of the Indo-China Border. Singh said he is not satisfied with housing and infrastructure facilities and is "seriously" working to improve these areas. The minister also said 35 old border posts in very high- altitude areas are being upgraded as "composite" units. "We are working to enhance road, mobile and satellite connectivity in the border areas for the ITBP," he said. The minister asked ITBP troops to ensure and build good relations with border dwellers as they are "strategic assets" of the country and important stakeholders in keeping the borders safe. Singh lauded the ITBP for introducing Mandarin during basic training of its troops. This was done so they can converse with the Chinese Army during face-offs. He also asked ITBP officers to take the responsibility of at least one family of those killed in the line of duty. The ministry is working to help jawans who have suffered 50 percent disability during operations through the Bharat Ke Veer benevolent fund, he said. ITBP Director General (DG) R K Pachnanda said the force has been nominated as the "nodal agency" for obtaining and channelising satellite communication for all border-guarding forces in the country. He said the home ministry has also approved the ITBP's proposal to hire helicopters for high-altitude border posts. The paramilitary is also enhancing its intelligence set-up, Pachnanda added.

Govt considering temperature-controlled posts for ITBP: Rajnath Singh

The Election Commission is all set to announce today the dates for assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The announcement will be made at 4pm, the Press Information Bureau said in a tweet on Thursday.

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Nirvachan Sadan, 4 PM today: Presser by the Election Commission, to announce schedule for Assembly Elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh <a href="https://t.co/rYX4Ic01VX">pic.twitter.com/rYX4Ic01VX</a>
&mdash; PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/918347194637283329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Commission had indicated on Wednesday that Gujarat may go to polls in December as the term of the current legislative assembly is coming to end in the third week of January.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A K Joti also said that voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system will be used in over 50,000 booths in Gujarat. VVPAT was first used in Goa polls earlier this year.

For the first time, the poll panel will also introduce all-women polling stations in Gujarat in all assembly segments.

A team of Election Commission officials headed by the CEC was on a visit of Gujarat to assess the poll preparedness.

Gujarat will have 50,128 polling stations and 28,639 polling locations, Joti said.

He said the total number of voters in Gujarat now stands at 4.33 crore.

The tenure of 182-member Gujarat assembly is due to end on January 22, 2018.

The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7, 2018.&nbsp;

(With inputs from news agency PTI)

&nbsp;

The Commission had indicated on Wednesday that Gujarat may go to polls in December as the term of the current legislative assembly is coming to end in the third week of January.

The Election Commission is all set to announce today the dates for assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The announcement will be made at 4pm, the Press Information Bureau said in a tweet on Thursday. Nirvachan Sadan, 4 PM today: Presser by the Election Commission, to announce schedule for Assembly Elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/rYX4Ic01VX — PIB India (@PIB_India) October 12, 2017 × The Commission had indicated on Wednesday that Gujarat may go to polls in December as the term of the current legislative assembly is coming to end in the third week of January. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A K Joti also said that voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system will be used in over 50,000 booths in Gujarat. VVPAT was first used in Goa polls earlier this year. For the first time, the poll panel will also introduce all-women polling stations in Gujarat in all assembly segments. A team of Election Commission officials headed by the CEC was on a visit of Gujarat to assess the poll preparedness. Gujarat will have 50,128 polling stations and 28,639 polling locations, Joti said. He said the total number of voters in Gujarat now stands at 4.33 crore. The tenure of 182-member Gujarat assembly is due to end on January 22, 2018. The term of the 68-member Himachal Assembly ends on January 7, 2018. (With inputs from news agency PTI)

Dates for Gujarat, Himachal polls to be announced today

A number of vehicles were buried Saturday after a large landslide on the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway.&nbsp;

In video footage of the incident, at least one car can be seen falling off the road -- it was swept away by the sheer force of the landslide -- and into the khud below.&nbsp;

Watch videos below:&nbsp;

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Landslide at Shimla Highway today <a href="https://t.co/RLhrJzWFIp">pic.twitter.com/RLhrJzWFIp</a>
&mdash; Nandini. (@nandinit9) <a href="https://twitter.com/nandinit9/status/903970052600348672">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Massive Landslide On Chd-Smimla NH, Vehicles Buried. The incident took place near Dhalli Tunnel which is close to Shimla<a href="https://twitter.com/AnupamPkher">@AnupamPkher</a> <a href="https://t.co/MpUXnAK5X2">pic.twitter.com/MpUXnAK5X2</a>
&mdash; ANIL KUMMAR (@KummarAnil02) <a href="https://twitter.com/KummarAnil02/status/903934219407114242">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The landslide occurred near the Dhalli tunnel, close to Shimla.&nbsp;

News reports said the movement of traffic was affected.&nbsp;

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Himachal Pradesh: Road clearing operation underway at site of landslide on Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway near Dhalli Tunnel <a href="https://t.co/cGx4tD5Icy">pic.twitter.com/cGx4tD5Icy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904009404122521601">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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People who were stuck in houses below were rescued, 2-3 empty cars still under debris from landslide; no casualties: DSP City, Shimla Police <a href="https://t.co/23FNujYNJa">pic.twitter.com/23FNujYNJa</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/903950408732651520">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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ANI reported DSP City, Shimla Police, as saying there were no casualties.&nbsp;

But that two to three empty cars were still lying under the debris.&nbsp;

The landslide occurred near the Dhalli tunnel, close to Shimla

A number of vehicles were buried Saturday after a large landslide on the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway. In video footage of the incident, at least one car can be seen falling off the road -- it was swept away by the sheer force of the landslide -- and into the khud below. Watch videos below: Landslide at Shimla Highway today pic.twitter.com/RLhrJzWFIp — Nandini. (@nandinit9) September 2, 2017 × Massive Landslide On Chd-Smimla NH, Vehicles Buried. The incident took place near Dhalli Tunnel which is close to Shimla@AnupamPkher pic.twitter.com/MpUXnAK5X2 — ANIL KUMMAR (@KummarAnil02) September 2, 2017 × The landslide occurred near the Dhalli tunnel, close to Shimla. News reports said the movement of traffic was affected. Himachal Pradesh: Road clearing operation underway at site of landslide on Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway near Dhalli Tunnel pic.twitter.com/cGx4tD5Icy — ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017 × People who were stuck in houses below were rescued, 2-3 empty cars still under debris from landslide; no casualties: DSP City, Shimla Police pic.twitter.com/23FNujYNJa — ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017 × ANI reported DSP City, Shimla Police, as saying there were no casualties. But that two to three empty cars were still lying under the debris.

VIDEO: Several vehicles buried after landslide on Chandigarh-Shimla highway

Over 20 people were killed after a private bus enroute Solan rolled down a deep gorge near Rampur on Thursday.

The incident took place around 9.15 am&nbsp;when the bus, carrying around 40 passengers, rolled down from the National Highway 5 connecting Simla to Kinnaur.

The civil and police administration have started the rescue operations and around seven injured have been taken to the nearest hospital till now.

Further details are awaited.

The crash took place around 9.15 am?when the bus, carrying around 40 passengers, rolled down from the Highway connecting Shimla to Kinnaur

Over 20 people were killed after a private bus enroute Solan rolled down a deep gorge near Rampur on Thursday. The incident took place around 9.15 am when the bus, carrying around 40 passengers, rolled down from the National Highway 5 connecting Simla to Kinnaur. The civil and police administration have started the rescue operations and around seven injured have been taken to the nearest hospital till now. Further details are awaited.

Private Himachal bus falls in gorge, over 20 dead

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