Congress interim president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-attacks-bjp-over-shameless-efforts-to-form-the-government-in-maharashtra-264991">Sonia Gandhi</a> is unlikely to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uddhav-thackeray-invites-pm-modi-for-oath-taking-ceremony-264970">Uddhav Thackeray</a> in Mumbai on Thursday.

On being asked if she will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray today, Gandhi said: "Not decided."

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday met Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonai-gandhi-manmohan-singh-pay-tribute-to-indira-gandhi-on-birth-anniversary-263061">Manmohan Singh</a> and invited them for the swearing-in ceremony.

"We met Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh as their guidance and blessings are necessary. Now we are returning to Mumbai," Aaditya told media here.

Uddhav Thackeray, Sena chief and the leader of `Maha Vikas Aghadi` led by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-ncp-to-get-deputy-cm-portfolio-assembly-speaker-to-be-from-congress-264935">Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress</a> will take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday at Shivaji Park at 6.40 pm.

Around 400 farmers from various districts of Maharashtra have been invited for Thackeray`s swearing-in ceremony.

On Tuesday, Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance.

The political development came after BJP leader Devendra <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ajit-pawar-resigns-as-deputy-chief-minister-of-maharashtra-sources-264628">Fadnavis submitted his resignation</a> as Chief Minister to the Governor on Tuesday as "the BJP fell short of the required number of MLAs to win the scheduled floor test".

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday. On being asked if she will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray today, Gandhi said: "Not decided.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi is unlikely to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Thursday. On being asked if she will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray today, Gandhi said: "Not decided." Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday met Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh and invited them for the swearing-in ceremony. "We met Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh as their guidance and blessings are necessary. Now we are returning to Mumbai," Aaditya told media here. Uddhav Thackeray, Sena chief and the leader of `Maha Vikas Aghadi` led by Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress will take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday at Shivaji Park at 6.40 pm. Around 400 farmers from various districts of Maharashtra have been invited for Thackeray`s swearing-in ceremony. On Tuesday, Thackeray was unanimously elected as the leader of the tri-party alliance. The political development came after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis submitted his resignation as Chief Minister to the Governor on Tuesday as "the BJP fell short of the required number of MLAs to win the scheduled floor test".

Sonia Gandhi unlikely to attend Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony

Shiv Sena president and leader of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

This ceremony has put an end to a month-long political drama following the assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Congress-NCP-Sena alliance has been named 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a> <a href="https://t.co/pKaAjqYvWM">pic.twitter.com/pKaAjqYvWM</a>
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The oath-taking ceremony was held at Shivaji Park ground, which is located in Mumbai's Dadar, a ten-minute walk from the Shiv Sena Bhavan. Shivaji Park has a long association with the Shiv Sena. The 28-acres ground was the venue of the first public rally of Bal Thackeray in 1966.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his oath-taking ceremony.

Shiv Sena party sources confirmed the news and said that Thackeray spoke to the Prime Minister over the phone and invited him.

Around 400 farmers from various districts of Maharashtra have been invited for Thackeray`s swearing-in ceremony, the ANI report added.&nbsp;

Both Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. Other non-BJP regional satraps like MK Stalin and Mamta Banerjee are also absent from the swearing-in ceremony which stands in stark contrast to the way opposition leaders came to see Kumaraswamy's swearing ceremony in Bengaluru in 2017.

The three-party alliance has agreed on a common minimum programme and have agreed to insert the word secular in its preamble.

Shiv Sena president and leader of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This ceremony has put an end to a month-long political drama following the assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena president and leader of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This ceremony has put an end to a month-long political drama following the assembly elections in Maharashtra. Congress-NCP-Sena alliance has been named 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. #WATCH Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/pKaAjqYvWM — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019 × The oath-taking ceremony was held at Shivaji Park ground, which is located in Mumbai's Dadar, a ten-minute walk from the Shiv Sena Bhavan. Shivaji Park has a long association with the Shiv Sena. The 28-acres ground was the venue of the first public rally of Bal Thackeray in 1966. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his oath-taking ceremony. Shiv Sena party sources confirmed the news and said that Thackeray spoke to the Prime Minister over the phone and invited him. Around 400 farmers from various districts of Maharashtra have been invited for Thackeray`s swearing-in ceremony, the ANI report added. Both Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. Other non-BJP regional satraps like MK Stalin and Mamta Banerjee are also absent from the swearing-in ceremony which stands in stark contrast to the way opposition leaders came to see Kumaraswamy's swearing ceremony in Bengaluru in 2017. The three-party alliance has agreed on a common minimum programme and have agreed to insert the word secular in its preamble.

Uddhav Thackeray sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra

Shiv Sena president and&nbsp;chief ministerial candidate of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday staked his claim to form the government in Maharashtra before Governor BS Koshyari.

The Shiv Sena chief will be sworn in on November 28 at Shivaji Park, the party announced after his visit to the Raj Bhavan.

Earlier on the day, Devendra Fadnavis submitted his resignation as the CM of Maharashtra to the Governor BS Koshyari.&nbsp;

Addressing a press conference before his resignation, Fadnavis said Ajit Pawar has also quit as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

He also said that the party formed the government after it received assurance from NCP chief Sharad Pawar that NCP will support the BJP. He added that when Ajit Pawar submitted his resignation today, they then took a call that will also not continue to remain in power.

On November 23, in a massive turn of events, Devendra Fadnavis took oath as CM of Maharashtra in the wee hours. NCP's Ajit Pawar was also sworn in as deputy CM.&nbsp;

The swearing-in ceremony came at a time when NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena were finalising a deal to form government in the state. After the ceremony, NCP chief clarified that the party is not with BJP and will form an alliance with Congress and NCP.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shiv Sena president and chief ministerial candidate of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday staked his claim to form the government in Maharashtra before Governor BS Koshyari.

Shiv Sena president and chief ministerial candidate of Sena-NCP-Congress alliance Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday staked his claim to form the government in Maharashtra before Governor BS Koshyari. The Shiv Sena chief will be sworn in on November 28 at Shivaji Park, the party announced after his visit to the Raj Bhavan. Earlier on the day, Devendra Fadnavis submitted his resignation as the CM of Maharashtra to the Governor BS Koshyari. Addressing a press conference before his resignation, Fadnavis said Ajit Pawar has also quit as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. He also said that the party formed the government after it received assurance from NCP chief Sharad Pawar that NCP will support the BJP. He added that when Ajit Pawar submitted his resignation today, they then took a call that will also not continue to remain in power. On November 23, in a massive turn of events, Devendra Fadnavis took oath as CM of Maharashtra in the wee hours. NCP's Ajit Pawar was also sworn in as deputy CM. The swearing-in ceremony came at a time when NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena were finalising a deal to form government in the state. After the ceremony, NCP chief clarified that the party is not with BJP and will form an alliance with Congress and NCP. (With inputs from agencies)

Uddhav Thackeray to take oath as Maharashtra chief minister on November 28

The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-congress-sena-ncp-will-meet-governor-tomorrow-to-form-government-in-the-state-says-prithviraj-chavan-264719">Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP </a>will stake claim to form the next government in Maharasthra and pending Governor's approval is set to be sworn in here on December 1, according to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

The announcement came more than a month after the results for the Assembly elections in the state ending weeks of flip flop over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ajit-pawar-resigns-as-deputy-chief-minister-of-maharashtra-sources-264628">government </a>formation in the state.

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Shiv Sena chief and Chief Minister candidate of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi', Uddhav Thackeray: We will make this Maharashtra once again that Maharashtra which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj dreamt of. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maharashtra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maharashtra</a> <a href="https://t.co/qdrWe4G7OY">pic.twitter.com/qdrWe4G7OY</a>
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"Three representatives of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' will meet the Governor today. Swearing-in ceremony to be held at Shivaji Park, Mumbai on December 1," NCP chief Sharad Pawar said during a joint meeting of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP MLAs at a hotel here.

The meeting saw all legislators pass a unanimous resolution supporting Uddhav Thackeray's name as the chief ministerial candidate and the leader of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'.

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Shiv Sena chief and CM candidate of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi', Uddhav Thackeray: I accept the responsibility given by all of you. I'm not alone but you all are CM with me. What has happened today is the actual democracy. Together we will wipe off the tears of farmers in the state. <a href="https://t.co/dUtxW3a4nS">pic.twitter.com/dUtxW3a4nS</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1199339535961751554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The development comes after Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar resigned as the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, merely three days after they were administered the oath.

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Devendra Fadnavis resigns as the Chief Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maharashtra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maharashtra</a>. <a href="https://t.co/45ysg3CMx3">pic.twitter.com/45ysg3CMx3</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1199269299157794822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Congress new legislature wing leader Balasaheb Thorat endorsed the resolution moved by NCP leader Jayant Patil proposing Uddhav's name.

"I had never dreamed of leading the state. I would like to thank Sonia Gandhi and others. We are giving a new direction to the country by keeping faith on each other," Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the gathering.

Shiv Sena confirmed that the Uddhav and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders will meet the governor later tonight and stake the claim to form the government.

On Wednesday in a special assembly session protem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar is expected to swear in the new MLAs.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP will stake claim to form the next government in Maharasthra and pending Governor's approval is set to be sworn in here on December 1, according to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP will stake claim to form the next government in Maharasthra and pending Governor's approval is set to be sworn in here on December 1, according to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. The announcement came more than a month after the results for the Assembly elections in the state ending weeks of flip flop over government formation in the state. Shiv Sena chief and Chief Minister candidate of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi', Uddhav Thackeray: We will make this Maharashtra once again that Maharashtra which Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj dreamt of. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/qdrWe4G7OY — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019 × "Three representatives of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' will meet the Governor today. Swearing-in ceremony to be held at Shivaji Park, Mumbai on December 1," NCP chief Sharad Pawar said during a joint meeting of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP MLAs at a hotel here. The meeting saw all legislators pass a unanimous resolution supporting Uddhav Thackeray's name as the chief ministerial candidate and the leader of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'. Shiv Sena chief and CM candidate of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi', Uddhav Thackeray: I accept the responsibility given by all of you. I'm not alone but you all are CM with me. What has happened today is the actual democracy. Together we will wipe off the tears of farmers in the state. pic.twitter.com/dUtxW3a4nS — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019 × The development comes after Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar resigned as the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, merely three days after they were administered the oath. Devendra Fadnavis resigns as the Chief Minister of #Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/45ysg3CMx3 — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019 × Congress new legislature wing leader Balasaheb Thorat endorsed the resolution moved by NCP leader Jayant Patil proposing Uddhav's name. "I had never dreamed of leading the state. I would like to thank Sonia Gandhi and others. We are giving a new direction to the country by keeping faith on each other," Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the gathering. Shiv Sena confirmed that the Uddhav and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders will meet the governor later tonight and stake the claim to form the government. On Wednesday in a special assembly session protem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar is expected to swear in the new MLAs.

'Maha Vikas Aghadi' government to be sworn-in on December 1, Uddhav to lead alliance: Sharad Pawar

If there is one politician in India who is a living testimony to what erstwhile "Iron Lady" and former Prime Minister of UK, Thatcher said, it has to be Home Minister and BJP's National President, Amit Shah, who has given invincibility and will power a whole new dimension.

Shah has earned the enviable epithet of being named the new-age Chanakya, after the prolific scholar, statesman, strategist, philosopher, economist and advisor to the Mauryan Empire in 4th Century B.C., who has, till date, remained an enigmatically inspirational character.

Shah’s stellar and well-earned rise to national prominence as the Union Home Minister in 2019, is likewise, a story of sheer grit, determination, excruciating hard-work, an acutely keen understanding of India’s socio-political landscape, and an in-depth understanding of the regional equations at play, across the length and breadth of India.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC), which aims to identify illegal immigrants, primarily from Bangladesh, who entered Assam and settled there after March 25th 1971, and have them deported back to their native country, is yet another masterstroke from Amit Shah,who has said in Parliament that people whose names are missing from the NRC can approach tribunals formed at the tehsil level.

The Assam government will provide financial help to those who don't have the money to file pleas, Shah added, deftly putting to rest contentious issues pertaining to the NRC exercise. Explaining the nuances between NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Bill like only he can and, stating that NRC which will be a pan-India exercise, is primarily about stopping the malaise of infiltrators and illegal immigrants, on the floor of the Parliament, is part of Shah's broader vision of rehabilitating persecuted Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Parsi and Sikh minorities, among other things and, rightfully so.

Among the possible changes in the new Citizenship Amendment Bill which lapsed after the dissolution of the last Lok Sabha, include a clear categorisation of those who are "illegal immigrants" and those who took shelter in India after facing gross religious persecution in the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Due to recently found violations of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card by a British-born Hinduphobic writer, Aatish Ali Taseer, there is a possibility of incorporation of certain provisions in the new draft, so that such rampant abuse and misuse could be detected and action taken, right from the word go.

Going a little back in time, success in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections apart, under Amit Shah’s indomitable leadership, the BJP continued its streak of successes in legislative assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Jharkhand and Assam in 2016, including a landslide victory in state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, not to forget storming to power in Gujarat for the sixth time in a row, amidst huge anti-incumbency.

A strong debut in Manipur for the BJP and the spectacular victory in Tripura in 2018, where the BJP dislodged an utterly incompetent Leftist (CPI-M) government which had ruled Tripura for over two decades and still done virtually nothing to uplift people from the morass of poverty, are ringing testimonies of how Amit Shah ensured BJP's ascent in the North-East, completely annihilating the Congress, which incidentally, by December 2018, had been electorally wiped out of the eight beautiful North-Eastern states, in totality.

Chanakya’s work ethic has always been about getting his hands “soiled on the shop floor”, as management gurus would put it, rather than arm-chair steering. It is this passionate, personal involvement, right up to the booth and panna-pramukh levels that has catapulted Amit Shah into being amongst India’s finest master political strategists, where the zeal to win is based on the strengths of the BJP, and not on the weaknesses of the opposition, which has, in any case, fumbled and faltered, sans any cohesive development agenda or grassroots organisational structure, besides the added ignominy of being embattled with a blinkered vision, marred by an unhealthy Modi-phobia.

Shah’s "Chanakya-Niti" is about putting into practice what Chanakya preached. Chanakya ended the concept of King as demi-god and preached that an effective ruler is only one who follows the constitution or the legal hand-book. Having risen up the ranks by the dint of his patience, intellect and political acumen, it has not come as a surprise, therefore, that Amit Shah has always had strong reservations about the “Parivarwad” culture or dynastic politics, abetted and nurtured by the Congress establishment.

Chanakya was of the view that if the king has only one child, who is not mature enough to rule, the reins of the state should then be passed on to someone from outside, to someone who is capable of it. Shah, by reinforcing what Chanakya said, brilliantly shifted the political narrative to dynastic politics, something which a left-leaning media had always shied to take note of in its unabashed and misplaced loyalty towards the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Narendra Modi came and re-wrote India’s political narrative with his no-nonsense style, and the irrepressible Amit Shah, in turn, ensured the invincibility of the BJP in election after election, with a persistence that is rare.To the Modi-Shah duo, goes the credit of correcting a historical Nehruvian blunder, by revoking Article 370.Amit Shah realised that the horrific Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan on 14th February 2019, is one more reason why Article 35-A needed to be abrogated unconditionally. Terrorism, promoted and abetted by Pakistan in the Kashmir valley, is no longer about separatism or secessionism, but about the Islamic theology of “Ummah”, which is synonymous with Ummat-al-Islam. In simpler terms, it basically means, the problem of terrorism in Kashmir is part of a larger game-plan by radical Islamists to establish an Islamic Caliphate in J&amp;K, &nbsp;under the guise of “Jihad”.

“Ummah” is the desire by radicalised terror elements to establish a supranational community of Islamists in the Kashmir valley, under the garb of uniting people with common ancestry, history or geography.

Amit Shah, the modern-day Sardar Patel, whose political genius has never been in doubt, has shown once again, why courage of conviction, is what it takes to ensure, justice, social, economic and political, is delivered to those who need it most, at a time when it matters most! "Is Desh Mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan aur Do Nishan, nahin challenge," said Syama Prasad Mukherjee.

66 years after his death in 1953, Syama Prasad must be finally smiling from wherever he is, as his long-cherished dream of "One Nation, One Union, One Constitution, One Prime Minister and One Flag," finally came true, in its truest sense, on 5th August 2019, thanks to Amit Shah.

In what is likely to be a new beginning for India's fight against terrorism, if there is one more measure which makes Amit Shah, India's new age "Loh Purush" it is the passage in the parliament, of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill, in the recently concluded monsoon session.

The bill is a cornerstone of the Modi government's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The objective of the new amendments is to facilitate speedy investigation and prosecution in terror-related offences. The most important part is, allowing an individual to be designated as a terrorist, a measure that is in line with the global practices.

Under the law, personal/financial information of an individual designated as terrorist, can be shared with various Western agencies. It also gives power to officers of the rank of Inspector of NIA, to investigate the offences under chapter IV and Chapter VI. The bill also seeks to empower NIA to conduct raids anywhere without the relevant state government's prior permission.

Besides designating an individual as a terrorist, the bill empowers the NIA to grant approval to seize/attach property when the case is being probed.

To allay fears about misuse of the law, the home ministry has said that an individual designated as terrorist can appeal to the Home Secretary, who will have to dispose of the appeal within 45 days.The Centre will constitute a review committee under the act. An implicated individual can appeal against the inclusion of his/her name and seek a hearing before the committee.

If not satisfied with the Home Secretary&amp;#39;s decision, the individual in question can move the committee headed by a sitting/retired judge of a high court and comprising at least two retired secretaries of the central government.

Home Minister, Amit Shah, India's new age "Loh Purush" has clarified that the new law would be used "sparsely" — for example only in such cases as dreaded militants like Yasin Bhatkal and Masood Azhar, to name a few.

According to Home Ministry data, in India, in the last 15 years, only one outfit, "Deendar Anjuman" appealed against the government's decision to ban it. To put things in perspective, as many as 42 organisations that had been declared illegal during the period under consideration, did not appeal. The law will also prevent terror masterminds from setting up a new group after their previous outfit is outlawed.

The provisions of the law are similar to a UN policy used by the Security Council to apply pressure on a state or entity to comply with the objectives set by the UN without resorting to the use of force. Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind, and JeM chief Masood Azhar could be among the first individuals to be designated as terrorists under the law.

Both of them have already been designated "global terrorists" by the US, the UN and the EU. These type of anti-terror laws are already there in such countries as US, China, Israel and the EU. It, therefore, goes entirely to Amit Shah's iron will, that he could bring in the UAPA, which will go down as a watershed bill in curbing terror on Indian soil. Sardar Patel integrated more than 550 princely States into the Indian Union.

Amit Shah, as Home Minister, has ensured, that the integration exercise which was embarked upon, over 70 years back, has no room for any ambiguity whatsoever. That India will not cede an inch of its territory or sovereignty, is a message that has gone out loud and clear, by India's new age "Loh Purush". 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/report-amit-shah-india-s-new-age-loh-purush-2803194">original article</a>) 
&nbsp; 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

If there is one politician in India who is a living testimony to what erstwhile "Iron Lady" and former Prime Minister of UK, Thatcher said, it has to be Home Minister and BJP's National President, Amit Shah, who has given invincibility and will power a whole new dimension.

If there is one politician in India who is a living testimony to what erstwhile "Iron Lady" and former Prime Minister of UK, Thatcher said, it has to be Home Minister and BJP's National President, Amit Shah, who has given invincibility and will power a whole new dimension. Shah has earned the enviable epithet of being named the new-age Chanakya, after the prolific scholar, statesman, strategist, philosopher, economist and advisor to the Mauryan Empire in 4th Century B.C., who has, till date, remained an enigmatically inspirational character. Shah’s stellar and well-earned rise to national prominence as the Union Home Minister in 2019, is likewise, a story of sheer grit, determination, excruciating hard-work, an acutely keen understanding of India’s socio-political landscape, and an in-depth understanding of the regional equations at play, across the length and breadth of India. The National Register of Citizens (NRC), which aims to identify illegal immigrants, primarily from Bangladesh, who entered Assam and settled there after March 25th 1971, and have them deported back to their native country, is yet another masterstroke from Amit Shah,who has said in Parliament that people whose names are missing from the NRC can approach tribunals formed at the tehsil level. The Assam government will provide financial help to those who don't have the money to file pleas, Shah added, deftly putting to rest contentious issues pertaining to the NRC exercise. Explaining the nuances between NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Bill like only he can and, stating that NRC which will be a pan-India exercise, is primarily about stopping the malaise of infiltrators and illegal immigrants, on the floor of the Parliament, is part of Shah's broader vision of rehabilitating persecuted Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Parsi and Sikh minorities, among other things and, rightfully so. Among the possible changes in the new Citizenship Amendment Bill which lapsed after the dissolution of the last Lok Sabha, include a clear categorisation of those who are "illegal immigrants" and those who took shelter in India after facing gross religious persecution in the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Due to recently found violations of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card by a British-born Hinduphobic writer, Aatish Ali Taseer, there is a possibility of incorporation of certain provisions in the new draft, so that such rampant abuse and misuse could be detected and action taken, right from the word go. Going a little back in time, success in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections apart, under Amit Shah’s indomitable leadership, the BJP continued its streak of successes in legislative assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Assam in 2016, including a landslide victory in state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, not to forget storming to power in Gujarat for the sixth time in a row, amidst huge anti-incumbency. A strong debut in Manipur for the BJP and the spectacular victory in Tripura in 2018, where the BJP dislodged an utterly incompetent Leftist (CPI-M) government which had ruled Tripura for over two decades and still done virtually nothing to uplift people from the morass of poverty, are ringing testimonies of how Amit Shah ensured BJP's ascent in the North-East, completely annihilating the Congress, which incidentally, by December 2018, had been electorally wiped out of the eight beautiful North-Eastern states, in totality. Chanakya’s work ethic has always been about getting his hands “soiled on the shop floor”, as management gurus would put it, rather than arm-chair steering. It is this passionate, personal involvement, right up to the booth and panna-pramukh levels that has catapulted Amit Shah into being amongst India’s finest master political strategists, where the zeal to win is based on the strengths of the BJP, and not on the weaknesses of the opposition, which has, in any case, fumbled and faltered, sans any cohesive development agenda or grassroots organisational structure, besides the added ignominy of being embattled with a blinkered vision, marred by an unhealthy Modi-phobia. Shah’s "Chanakya-Niti" is about putting into practice what Chanakya preached. Chanakya ended the concept of King as demi-god and preached that an effective ruler is only one who follows the constitution or the legal hand-book. Having risen up the ranks by the dint of his patience, intellect and political acumen, it has not come as a surprise, therefore, that Amit Shah has always had strong reservations about the “Parivarwad” culture or dynastic politics, abetted and nurtured by the Congress establishment. Chanakya was of the view that if the king has only one child, who is not mature enough to rule, the reins of the state should then be passed on to someone from outside, to someone who is capable of it. Shah, by reinforcing what Chanakya said, brilliantly shifted the political narrative to dynastic politics, something which a left-leaning media had always shied to take note of in its unabashed and misplaced loyalty towards the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Narendra Modi came and re-wrote India’s political narrative with his no-nonsense style, and the irrepressible Amit Shah, in turn, ensured the invincibility of the BJP in election after election, with a persistence that is rare.To the Modi-Shah duo, goes the credit of correcting a historical Nehruvian blunder, by revoking Article 370.Amit Shah realised that the horrific Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan on 14th February 2019, is one more reason why Article 35-A needed to be abrogated unconditionally. Terrorism, promoted and abetted by Pakistan in the Kashmir valley, is no longer about separatism or secessionism, but about the Islamic theology of “Ummah”, which is synonymous with Ummat-al-Islam. In simpler terms, it basically means, the problem of terrorism in Kashmir is part of a larger game-plan by radical Islamists to establish an Islamic Caliphate in J&K, under the guise of “Jihad”. “Ummah” is the desire by radicalised terror elements to establish a supranational community of Islamists in the Kashmir valley, under the garb of uniting people with common ancestry, history or geography. Amit Shah, the modern-day Sardar Patel, whose political genius has never been in doubt, has shown once again, why courage of conviction, is what it takes to ensure, justice, social, economic and political, is delivered to those who need it most, at a time when it matters most! "Is Desh Mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan aur Do Nishan, nahin challenge," said Syama Prasad Mukherjee. 66 years after his death in 1953, Syama Prasad must be finally smiling from wherever he is, as his long-cherished dream of "One Nation, One Union, One Constitution, One Prime Minister and One Flag," finally came true, in its truest sense, on 5th August 2019, thanks to Amit Shah. In what is likely to be a new beginning for India's fight against terrorism, if there is one more measure which makes Amit Shah, India's new age "Loh Purush" it is the passage in the parliament, of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill, in the recently concluded monsoon session. The bill is a cornerstone of the Modi government's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The objective of the new amendments is to facilitate speedy investigation and prosecution in terror-related offences. The most important part is, allowing an individual to be designated as a terrorist, a measure that is in line with the global practices. Under the law, personal/financial information of an individual designated as terrorist, can be shared with various Western agencies. It also gives power to officers of the rank of Inspector of NIA, to investigate the offences under chapter IV and Chapter VI. The bill also seeks to empower NIA to conduct raids anywhere without the relevant state government's prior permission. Besides designating an individual as a terrorist, the bill empowers the NIA to grant approval to seize/attach property when the case is being probed. To allay fears about misuse of the law, the home ministry has said that an individual designated as terrorist can appeal to the Home Secretary, who will have to dispose of the appeal within 45 days.The Centre will constitute a review committee under the act. An implicated individual can appeal against the inclusion of his/her name and seek a hearing before the committee. If not satisfied with the Home Secretary&#39;s decision, the individual in question can move the committee headed by a sitting/retired judge of a high court and comprising at least two retired secretaries of the central government. Home Minister, Amit Shah, India's new age "Loh Purush" has clarified that the new law would be used "sparsely" — for example only in such cases as dreaded militants like Yasin Bhatkal and Masood Azhar, to name a few. According to Home Ministry data, in India, in the last 15 years, only one outfit, "Deendar Anjuman" appealed against the government's decision to ban it. To put things in perspective, as many as 42 organisations that had been declared illegal during the period under consideration, did not appeal. The law will also prevent terror masterminds from setting up a new group after their previous outfit is outlawed. The provisions of the law are similar to a UN policy used by the Security Council to apply pressure on a state or entity to comply with the objectives set by the UN without resorting to the use of force. Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind, and JeM chief Masood Azhar could be among the first individuals to be designated as terrorists under the law. Both of them have already been designated "global terrorists" by the US, the UN and the EU. These type of anti-terror laws are already there in such countries as US, China, Israel and the EU. It, therefore, goes entirely to Amit Shah's iron will, that he could bring in the UAPA, which will go down as a watershed bill in curbing terror on Indian soil. Sardar Patel integrated more than 550 princely States into the Indian Union. Amit Shah, as Home Minister, has ensured, that the integration exercise which was embarked upon, over 70 years back, has no room for any ambiguity whatsoever. That India will not cede an inch of its territory or sovereignty, is a message that has gone out loud and clear, by India's new age "Loh Purush". (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Amit Shah — India's new age 'Loh Purush'

Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said that the post-poll alliance between NCP and Shiv Sarties under the guidance of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.

"Earlier today. All together for Maharashtra's #MahaStrength," Aaditya said retweeting a photo shared by Supriya Sule after today's meeting of NCP MLAs presided by Sharad Pawar which saw Uddhav Thackeray also attend.

The photo showed Aaditya standing with Sena's Sanjay Raut and NCP's Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar. He also retweeted another tweet by the official handle of the NCP with photos from the meeting, with both party chiefs.

The NCP meeting was called to explain the current scenario in Maharashtra to the party MLAs.

Later on, Uddhav Thackeray addressed a meeting of his party's MLAs to discuss the existing situation in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile Sharad Pawar, through a tweet today expressed confidence that his party will form the government with the Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and it had no plans to ally with the BJP.

"There is no question of forming an alliance with the BJP. NCP has unanimously decided to ally with Shiv Sena and Congress to form the government. Ajit Pawar's statement is false and misleading in order to create confusion and false perception among the people," Sharad Pawar's tweet read.&nbsp;

Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said that the post-poll alliance between NCP and Shiv Sarties under the guidance of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. "Earlier today.

Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said that the post-poll alliance between NCP and Shiv Sarties under the guidance of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. "Earlier today. All together for Maharashtra's #MahaStrength," Aaditya said retweeting a photo shared by Supriya Sule after today's meeting of NCP MLAs presided by Sharad Pawar which saw Uddhav Thackeray also attend. The photo showed Aaditya standing with Sena's Sanjay Raut and NCP's Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar. He also retweeted another tweet by the official handle of the NCP with photos from the meeting, with both party chiefs. The NCP meeting was called to explain the current scenario in Maharashtra to the party MLAs. Later on, Uddhav Thackeray addressed a meeting of his party's MLAs to discuss the existing situation in Maharashtra. Meanwhile Sharad Pawar, through a tweet today expressed confidence that his party will form the government with the Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and it had no plans to ally with the BJP. "There is no question of forming an alliance with the BJP. NCP has unanimously decided to ally with Shiv Sena and Congress to form the government. Ajit Pawar's statement is false and misleading in order to create confusion and false perception among the people," Sharad Pawar's tweet read.

Congress-NCP together for Maharashtra's 'Maha strength': Aaditya Thackeray

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that there was no reason for the Congress, Shiv Sena or Sharad Pawar to have doubts on the role of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in government formation in Maharashtra.

"The Governor can ask anyone to form the government when he is fully satisfied that the party has the majority needed. It is up to the Governor's discretion, nobody should have an objection to that," Singh told ANI.

Responding to the allegations that the BJP would fail in the majority test in the state Assembly, being raised by the Congress and Shiv Sena, Singh said, "Let us see what happens in floor test but I believe that they must have had required numbers, that is why they were invited. The majority will have to be proven in the floor test, but I have faith that the Governor must have felt that they (BJP) have a majority and only then did he allowed us to stake a claim."

Earlier today, addressing a workers felicitation meeting, Singh had targeted Pakistan and blamed it of running a "terror industry".

"The entire world wants to walk alongside India, but our country's neighbour Pakistan is running a terror business. When terrorism becomes an industry at any place then all other businesses close on their own," Singh said in his address at the programme.

At the meeting, he also said that the party workers were the reason behind BJP's phenomenal success in the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that there was no reason for the Congress, Shiv Sena or Sharad Pawar to have doubts on the role of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in government formation in Maharashtra.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that there was no reason for the Congress, Shiv Sena or Sharad Pawar to have doubts on the role of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in government formation in Maharashtra. "The Governor can ask anyone to form the government when he is fully satisfied that the party has the majority needed. It is up to the Governor's discretion, nobody should have an objection to that," Singh told ANI. Responding to the allegations that the BJP would fail in the majority test in the state Assembly, being raised by the Congress and Shiv Sena, Singh said, "Let us see what happens in floor test but I believe that they must have had required numbers, that is why they were invited. The majority will have to be proven in the floor test, but I have faith that the Governor must have felt that they (BJP) have a majority and only then did he allowed us to stake a claim." Earlier today, addressing a workers felicitation meeting, Singh had targeted Pakistan and blamed it of running a "terror industry". "The entire world wants to walk alongside India, but our country's neighbour Pakistan is running a terror business. When terrorism becomes an industry at any place then all other businesses close on their own," Singh said in his address at the programme. At the meeting, he also said that the party workers were the reason behind BJP's phenomenal success in the Lok Sabha elections.

Nobody should object to Governor asking BJP to form government in Maharashtra: Rajnath Singh

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday reacted to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shiv-senas-chief-minister-will-rule-for-5-years-sanjay-raut-263824">ongoing political impasse in Maharashtra</a>. The minister stated that ideological differences exist among the Congress, the Shiv Sena and the NCP and that even if the triad is able to form a government, "it will not go much ahead".

"This (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) is an alliance of opportunism, they will not be able to give Maharashtra a stable Government," Gadkari said as reported by news agency ANI.&nbsp;

The minister said that the BJP and the Shiv Sena don't have much ideological differences.&nbsp;

"Breaking of such an alliance is a loss to the country," he added.

Gadkari further asserted that Congress strongly opposes the views of Shiv Sena and its vice versa.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a Congress Legislative party meet is underway at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai.

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Earlier NCP and Congress leaders met with leaders of other allies to hold discussions over the political situation of the state.

The NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena are holding hectic deliberations on the government formation in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra came under President's Rule on November 12 after all the parties failed to form a government in the state.&nbsp;

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister's post and equal sharing of Cabinet berths.

Shiv Sena parted its ways with BJP to explore ways to form a government. It, however, failed to prove the support of the required number of MLAs in the time given by state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Governor had then invited NCP, the third-largest party, to prove its ability to form the government failing which President`s Rule was imposed in the state.

The Shiv Sena is now in talks with the Congress and NCP to form a government in Maharashtra.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday reacted to the ongoing political impasse in Maharashtra. The minister stated that ideological differences exist among the Congress, the Shiv Sena and the NCP and that even if the triad is able to form a government, "it will not go much ahead".

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday reacted to the ongoing political impasse in Maharashtra. The minister stated that ideological differences exist among the Congress, the Shiv Sena and the NCP and that even if the triad is able to form a government, "it will not go much ahead". "This (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress) is an alliance of opportunism, they will not be able to give Maharashtra a stable Government," Gadkari said as reported by news agency ANI. The minister said that the BJP and the Shiv Sena don't have much ideological differences. "Breaking of such an alliance is a loss to the country," he added. Gadkari further asserted that Congress strongly opposes the views of Shiv Sena and its vice versa. Meanwhile, a Congress Legislative party meet is underway at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Maharashtra govt formation: This(Shiv Sena-NCP-Congresss) is an alliance of opportunism, they will not be able to give Maharashtra a stable Government https://t.co/NMeH7S0GN8 pic.twitter.com/58ZHrqshk5 — ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2019 × Earlier NCP and Congress leaders met with leaders of other allies to hold discussions over the political situation of the state. The NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena are holding hectic deliberations on the government formation in Maharashtra. Maharashtra came under President's Rule on November 12 after all the parties failed to form a government in the state. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister's post and equal sharing of Cabinet berths. Shiv Sena parted its ways with BJP to explore ways to form a government. It, however, failed to prove the support of the required number of MLAs in the time given by state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The Governor had then invited NCP, the third-largest party, to prove its ability to form the government failing which President`s Rule was imposed in the state. The Shiv Sena is now in talks with the Congress and NCP to form a government in Maharashtra. The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44. (With inputs from ANI)

They won't give Maharashtra a stable government: Gadkari on Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena alliance

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance.

"Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can. We have cleared our stand yesterday. We have refused to form the government as Shiv Sena declined to support us. Now, Shiv Sena should tell its future strategy," he told reporters here.

After BJP failed to form the government, Shiv Sena was<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-governor-invites-shive-sena-to-stake-claim-in-government-formation-after-bjp-refuses-261219"> asked by Governor</a> Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to express its ability for government formation.

Shiv Sena also hinted at getting support from Congress and NCP owing to the current political situation in Maharashtra.

NCP has 54 MLAs while its alliance partner Congress has 44. If Shiv Sena, which had 56 legislators, gets the support of NCP and Congress, it will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

The NDA alliance received a majority in Maharashtra after the BJP won 105 and Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance. "Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can.

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance. "Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can. We have cleared our stand yesterday. We have refused to form the government as Shiv Sena declined to support us. Now, Shiv Sena should tell its future strategy," he told reporters here. After BJP failed to form the government, Shiv Sena was asked by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to express its ability for government formation. Shiv Sena also hinted at getting support from Congress and NCP owing to the current political situation in Maharashtra. NCP has 54 MLAs while its alliance partner Congress has 44. If Shiv Sena, which had 56 legislators, gets the support of NCP and Congress, it will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The NDA alliance received a majority in Maharashtra after the BJP won 105 and Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.

BJP leader Prasad Lal asks Shiv Sena to prove majority

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which bagged 54 seats in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/maharashtra-bjp-shiv-sena-feud-continues-for-the-cm-post-258477">Maharashtra Assembly elections</a> on Wednesday held meetings and took few decisions in Mumbai.

It all began with a meeting of important leaders at Silver Oak, which is NCP chief Sharad Pawar`s residence.

All prominent faces of the NCP were present at the meeting and were spotted with happy faces as they met Pawar for the first time after Diwali.

A little while later an NCP core committee meeting took place at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Leaders like Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Dhananjay Munde, Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Nawab Malik and other leaders and workers were present in the meeting.

A few decisions were to be taken and therefore the core of NCP was present there.Post core committee meeting, a gathering of the newly-elected MLAs was held in NCP office, Ballard Pier here. The meeting saw the NCP office being decorated with flowers and posters of `Pawarful NCP` depicting powerful NCP.

It was a comeback of sorts as NCP leaders seemed to be happy and satisfied with the results and the way every winning MLA was welcomed was special in its own way.

The meeting also saw Ajit Pawar being elected as the Legislative Party leader unanimously.Pawar took BJP-Shiv Sena`s "arrogance" to task by saying that NCP had won people`s hearts and people had taught them a lesson.

Pawar also said, "The current scenario is that except the ruling parties of Shiv Sena and BJP, NCP is the most accepted party in the state. The people of Maharashtra have shown us love."

On <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/supreme-court-reserves-ayodhya-verdict-after-40-days-of-hearing-256283">Ayodhya land dispute</a> case, Pawar said, "The Ayodhya result will be announced soon and it is a matter of faith. Whatever judgement comes we have to make sure that it is accepted and peace prevails everywhere. There should be communal harmony maintained everywhere. There are chances that some forces might take advantage of this but it is important to be calm and accept things."

In a veiled attack at BJP, Pawar also said, "I don`t think Article 370 makes relevance at every place. Why do you have to raise the issue of 370 everywhere? How does 370 affect everything? You have to understand that Article 370 is not the only thing in the nation. First, understand the needs of the common man, that is much more important."

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which bagged 54 seats in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday held meetings and took few decisions in Mumbai.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which bagged 54 seats in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday held meetings and took few decisions in Mumbai. It all began with a meeting of important leaders at Silver Oak, which is NCP chief Sharad Pawar`s residence. All prominent faces of the NCP were present at the meeting and were spotted with happy faces as they met Pawar for the first time after Diwali. A little while later an NCP core committee meeting took place at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Leaders like Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Dhananjay Munde, Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Nawab Malik and other leaders and workers were present in the meeting. A few decisions were to be taken and therefore the core of NCP was present there.Post core committee meeting, a gathering of the newly-elected MLAs was held in NCP office, Ballard Pier here. The meeting saw the NCP office being decorated with flowers and posters of `Pawarful NCP` depicting powerful NCP. It was a comeback of sorts as NCP leaders seemed to be happy and satisfied with the results and the way every winning MLA was welcomed was special in its own way. The meeting also saw Ajit Pawar being elected as the Legislative Party leader unanimously.Pawar took BJP-Shiv Sena`s "arrogance" to task by saying that NCP had won people`s hearts and people had taught them a lesson. Pawar also said, "The current scenario is that except the ruling parties of Shiv Sena and BJP, NCP is the most accepted party in the state. The people of Maharashtra have shown us love." On Ayodhya land dispute case, Pawar said, "The Ayodhya result will be announced soon and it is a matter of faith. Whatever judgement comes we have to make sure that it is accepted and peace prevails everywhere. There should be communal harmony maintained everywhere. There are chances that some forces might take advantage of this but it is important to be calm and accept things." In a veiled attack at BJP, Pawar also said, "I don`t think Article 370 makes relevance at every place. Why do you have to raise the issue of 370 everywhere? How does 370 affect everything? You have to understand that Article 370 is not the only thing in the nation. First, understand the needs of the common man, that is much more important."

Maharashtra power tussle: Sharad Pawar holds NCP meetings in Mumbai

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. This, despite the fact that the party managed to increase its vote share over its 2014 performance.

The BJP won 40 of the 90 constituencies in the Haryana Assembly, which means it is six seats short of the simple majority needed to form a government on its own. It scored 36.45 per cent of the votes, which was an increase of 3.25 percentage points over its 2014 performance of 33.2 per cent, which had give it 47 seats in the Assembly.

However, the sticking point that led most observers to expect a massive electoral sweep for the BJP in the 2019 Assembly election was the fact that the party had received a mind-boggling 58 per cent of the votes. This was an extremely steep increase from the 34.84 per cent the party had scored in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

However, this very real Modi wave doesn't seem to have translated to the Assembly elections for the BJP.

The Congress managed to hold on to its vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and notched an increase of eight percentage points over its score in the 2014 Assembly elections. This gave the party victories in 31 seats, up from 15 seats in 2014.

But, if the BJP's vote share increased and the Congress's vote share increased, where did these votes come from? The likely answer to that is that they came from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which crashed from an inelastic and steady vote share between 22 and 24 percentage points over the past few elections to a mere 2.45 per cent.

The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which broke away from the INLD in a family feud, seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of the INLD's decimation. The fledgeling party managed to score victories in 10 seats. The JJP's vote share was not presented separately by the Election Commission of India since it is not yet recognised. Whether the votes that abandoned the INLD vote shifted in totality to the JJP remains to be seen.

Simply put, this many not exactly have been a vote against the government of ML Khattar. It is just that vote bloc migrations as a result of the collapse of the INLD put in place a situation where the increases in vote share just didn't convert into seats for the BJP. Only one thing is certain, there was a massive Modi wave in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, and the Prime Minister's popularity need not necessarily translate to victories for the Chief Ministers he put in place over the past five years. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-haryana-election-result-shows-pm-modi-s-popularity-does-not-automatically-assure-bjp-victory-2798544">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar.

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. This, despite the fact that the party managed to increase its vote share over its 2014 performance. The BJP won 40 of the 90 constituencies in the Haryana Assembly, which means it is six seats short of the simple majority needed to form a government on its own. It scored 36.45 per cent of the votes, which was an increase of 3.25 percentage points over its 2014 performance of 33.2 per cent, which had give it 47 seats in the Assembly. However, the sticking point that led most observers to expect a massive electoral sweep for the BJP in the 2019 Assembly election was the fact that the party had received a mind-boggling 58 per cent of the votes. This was an extremely steep increase from the 34.84 per cent the party had scored in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, this very real Modi wave doesn't seem to have translated to the Assembly elections for the BJP. The Congress managed to hold on to its vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and notched an increase of eight percentage points over its score in the 2014 Assembly elections. This gave the party victories in 31 seats, up from 15 seats in 2014. But, if the BJP's vote share increased and the Congress's vote share increased, where did these votes come from? The likely answer to that is that they came from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which crashed from an inelastic and steady vote share between 22 and 24 percentage points over the past few elections to a mere 2.45 per cent. The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which broke away from the INLD in a family feud, seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of the INLD's decimation. The fledgeling party managed to score victories in 10 seats. The JJP's vote share was not presented separately by the Election Commission of India since it is not yet recognised. Whether the votes that abandoned the INLD vote shifted in totality to the JJP remains to be seen. Simply put, this many not exactly have been a vote against the government of ML Khattar. It is just that vote bloc migrations as a result of the collapse of the INLD put in place a situation where the increases in vote share just didn't convert into seats for the BJP. Only one thing is certain, there was a massive Modi wave in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, and the Prime Minister's popularity need not necessarily translate to victories for the Chief Ministers he put in place over the past five years. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Haryana election result shows PM Modi's popularity does not automatically assure BJP victory

The results of Assembly elections&nbsp;in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the &nbsp;BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections.

A key takeaway from these poll results is that people in India vote differently for the assembly and the parliamentary polls. While at the national level, the national leadership and the ideology of a party have a decisive impact on the poll outcome, in Assembly polls there are multiple factors that influence the poll outcome such as local leadership, ticket distribution, caste, number of parties that are contesting, profile of individual candidates and tactical understanding between different players in multi-cornered contest. But most importantly, it is the anti-incumbency that plays a significant role in assembly polls. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On all the above parameters, the performance of the BJP has been credible. It has turned upside down the key political dictum of Indian politics i.e. most governments have to be voted out of power after one term. In most of the states where the BJP has captured power, it has been able to make a comeback, even if with reduced numbers. It is a significant achievement and it underlines the fact that people believe that the BJP tries to provide good governance. In some spheres, it is able to deliver and in some spheres it is not.

But overall, the BJP has been able to build an image of a party that is concerned more with governance and less with the self-interest of the individuals. If one looks at the Assembly results of both Haryana and Maharashtra from this perspective, one would be able to understand that how the BJP lost some seats in both the states but still remains the most preferred party.

Another important takeaway from these poll results is that the Congress Party needs to shun Rahul Gandhi completely if it is interested in revival. It is clear from these poll results that Congress has performed much better than even its own expectation. One of the primary reasons for this performance is the stepping down of Rahul Gandhi. It is a well-known fact that Rahul Gandhi had backed Ashok Tanwar in Haryana and not BS Hooda.

The latter was backed by Sonia Gandhi after she again took over the reins of the Congress recently leading to exit of Rahul loyalist Ashok Tanwar. And it is former Chief Minister BS Hooda who has spearheaded the revival of Congress in Haryana.&nbsp;

The Assembly poll results would surely lead to the next round of power struggle within the Congress as the old guard is likely to strike back with greater confidence after the party has performed well without Rahul Gandhi. One of the possible outcomes of this revival of the old guard could be the comeback of Rahul as the Party President much sooner than expected as he is likely to feel more and more insecure in days to come. It would be interesting to see how long Sonia can protect him from this power struggle.

Meanwhile, the BJP also needs to go back and rethink about the gap between expectations and actual performance on the ground. &nbsp;The party needs to review where did it go wrong in Haryana and how it could have improved its tally further in Maharashtra. &nbsp;The formidable organisational network of the BJP has become probably vulnerable at the local level in certain places and the party need not overlook that.

The party also needs to rethink about the utility of high decibel campaigns. Such campaigns are effective only when they are backed by organisational outreach at the grassroots level. It seems that many ‘members’ or ‘party workers’ didn’t do the task assigned to them at the grassroots level. 
 
There was intense infighting in the party units in both the states. The same situation prevails in the state of Jharkhand and Delhi also which are going to go to polls soon.

It remains to be seen now, which of the party’s learn from these polls and do not repeat its past mistakes. If the Congress wants to revive and challenge the BJP, it needs to keep Rahul Gandhi far away, if the BJP wants to win back Delhi and retain Jharkhand, it needs to review its organisational outreach at the grassroots level and control infighting within its state units. 
 
It also needs to look at some of the distress signals in the economic sphere that affect day to day lives of the common people. The BJP must not forget amidst its high decibel campaign that ‘for a hungry man, utopia is a world full of food.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The results of Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections.

The results of Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections. A key takeaway from these poll results is that people in India vote differently for the assembly and the parliamentary polls. While at the national level, the national leadership and the ideology of a party have a decisive impact on the poll outcome, in Assembly polls there are multiple factors that influence the poll outcome such as local leadership, ticket distribution, caste, number of parties that are contesting, profile of individual candidates and tactical understanding between different players in multi-cornered contest. But most importantly, it is the anti-incumbency that plays a significant role in assembly polls. On all the above parameters, the performance of the BJP has been credible. It has turned upside down the key political dictum of Indian politics i.e. most governments have to be voted out of power after one term. In most of the states where the BJP has captured power, it has been able to make a comeback, even if with reduced numbers. It is a significant achievement and it underlines the fact that people believe that the BJP tries to provide good governance. In some spheres, it is able to deliver and in some spheres it is not. But overall, the BJP has been able to build an image of a party that is concerned more with governance and less with the self-interest of the individuals. If one looks at the Assembly results of both Haryana and Maharashtra from this perspective, one would be able to understand that how the BJP lost some seats in both the states but still remains the most preferred party. Another important takeaway from these poll results is that the Congress Party needs to shun Rahul Gandhi completely if it is interested in revival. It is clear from these poll results that Congress has performed much better than even its own expectation. One of the primary reasons for this performance is the stepping down of Rahul Gandhi. It is a well-known fact that Rahul Gandhi had backed Ashok Tanwar in Haryana and not BS Hooda. The latter was backed by Sonia Gandhi after she again took over the reins of the Congress recently leading to exit of Rahul loyalist Ashok Tanwar. And it is former Chief Minister BS Hooda who has spearheaded the revival of Congress in Haryana. The Assembly poll results would surely lead to the next round of power struggle within the Congress as the old guard is likely to strike back with greater confidence after the party has performed well without Rahul Gandhi. One of the possible outcomes of this revival of the old guard could be the comeback of Rahul as the Party President much sooner than expected as he is likely to feel more and more insecure in days to come. It would be interesting to see how long Sonia can protect him from this power struggle. Meanwhile, the BJP also needs to go back and rethink about the gap between expectations and actual performance on the ground. The party needs to review where did it go wrong in Haryana and how it could have improved its tally further in Maharashtra. The formidable organisational network of the BJP has become probably vulnerable at the local level in certain places and the party need not overlook that. The party also needs to rethink about the utility of high decibel campaigns. Such campaigns are effective only when they are backed by organisational outreach at the grassroots level. It seems that many ‘members’ or ‘party workers’ didn’t do the task assigned to them at the grassroots level. There was intense infighting in the party units in both the states. The same situation prevails in the state of Jharkhand and Delhi also which are going to go to polls soon. It remains to be seen now, which of the party’s learn from these polls and do not repeat its past mistakes. If the Congress wants to revive and challenge the BJP, it needs to keep Rahul Gandhi far away, if the BJP wants to win back Delhi and retain Jharkhand, it needs to review its organisational outreach at the grassroots level and control infighting within its state units. It also needs to look at some of the distress signals in the economic sphere that affect day to day lives of the common people. The BJP must not forget amidst its high decibel campaign that ‘for a hungry man, utopia is a world full of food. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assembly election results: Lessons BJP and Congress need to learn

Devendra Fadnavis is only the second Chief Minister after Vasantrao Naik to complete his full term in office. His rise from being the Mayor of Nagpur to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is a telling commentary on how meritocracy rules the wealthiest state in India, which also happens to be the second most populous state and the third-largest in terms of area. Even the first non-Congress government in the state, led by the Shiv Sena from 1995-1999 (the BJP was part of the coalition, but a junior partner then) saw two Chief Ministers, with Manohar Joshi being replaced by Narayan Rane, in the last year.

His achievements include the "Right to Services" bill, with 'Aaple Sarkar' online portal providing a total of 403 online services that benefitted over 14 lakh citizens; the 'Atal Maha Aarogya' camp that has proven beneficial to 24 lakh patients in the state; starting work on Metro routes of which 298km is in various stages of construction. He took major steps to decongest Mumbai, making Mumbai a "WiFi City" with over 1700 hotspots, installed over 5000 CCTV cameras to make the city safer, made 1052 police stations online, closing 11 toll nakas in the state and extended discounts to light motor vehicles on 52 toll nakas. Speeding up the process for the international airport in Navi Mumbai, he initiated projects to set up as many as 10 airports in the state in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.&nbsp;

Fadnavis also ensured better connectivity, the allocation of funds for the Mumbai-Delhi industrial corridor, securing clearances for the "Chhatrapati Shivaji" sea memorial and the "Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial" at Indu Mills, achieving the digitisation process of as many as 66458 schools, and ensured that 2750 MW of power capacity is added. He sanctioned 10 smart city projects, started work on the Bandra-Virar-CST-Panvel elevated railway corridor, kickstarted the 712 km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi super expressway which will connect 24 districts of the state and set up the first automatic weather station in Dongargaon in Nagpur in 2017.&nbsp;

These are only some of the sterling examples of how Devendra Fadnavis has made the "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" model successful, his abiding work ethic. Most importantly, the rate of conviction for crimes has gone up from 9% to a staggering 52% and cyber labs have been set up in all districts of the state.

The pro-farmer Fadnavis government, which announced a farm loan write-off package of Rs 34,022 crore in June 2017 for all farmers with a Rs 1.5 lakh debt, has spent Rs 50,000 crore for farmer welfare in the last five years, as comparison to the less than Rs 20,000 crore in 15 years of the corrupt Congress-NCP rule. After 151 talukas were found affected by drought earlier this year, Fadnavis assured that more than 52 lakh farmers have received compensation of Rs 2700 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme. With a view to providing weather-related information and digital kiosks in all gram panchayats to farmers in real-time, the project "Mahavedh" has been made operational in all 2060 revenue circles in the state.

Under the 'Jalyukta Shivar Yojana', one of the biggest water rejuvenation initiatives in recent times, more than 16,000 villages across the state have become water neutral. Over six lakh works have been completed, which has created a water storage capacity of over 26.90 lakh TCM. Also, under the 'Galmukt Dharan Ani Galyukt Shivar' (salt-free dams and fertile farms) scheme, 3.23 crore cubic metres of silt has been removed from 5270 reservoirs, which benefitted as many as 31150 farmers. The 'Farm Pond on Demand' scheme has received the Prime Minister's award as one of the 10 best innovative initiatives, with over 1.37 lakh farm ponds having been created under the scheme. Apart from economic progress, one of the high points of the Fadnavis government is undoubtedly the sheer efficacy with which it passed the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) bill, to live up to the promises made to the Maratha community. That Fadnavis himself is a Brahmin and still skillfully resolved the contentious Maratha issue, makes this achievement even more commendable, testifying him as political savvy in matters of realpolitik. The SEBC Act provides for 12% and 13% reservation in education and government jobs.

The 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Ahaar Yojana' is being implemented on a war footing in tribal areas to tackle the problem of malnutrition and anaemia and has already benefitted over 1.59 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers. Maharashtra bagged the third rank in health index throughout the country. As part of the Bharat Net, Maha Net, which has already reached out to over 60% of Maharashtra's targetted villages, is a classic example of how robust connectivity will empower every single citizen to leverage on digital governance and digital economy. The Employment Guarantee Scheme, too, has been a huge success. Around 36.54 lakh families have benefitted through Women's saving groups.&nbsp;

To achieve the goal of 'Affordable Housing for All by 2022', more than 10.5 lakh beneficiaries have been registered under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) and 7.65 lakh houses have been built. Further, nearly 30000 km of rural roads are being upgraded in rural areas under the "Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana", with 8900 km of works being completed.

To sum it up, the spectacular "Maha Janadesh Yatra" by CM Devendra Fadnavis, which covered a distance of 4232 km, spread over 104 rallies and almost all the 36 districts in the state, was not merely a show of strength or a measure of the BJP-led government's outstanding "performance report card" in the last five years. The "Yatra" has signalled, in more ways than one, the unbridled popularity and excellent mass connect that Chief Minister Fadnavis enjoys, cutting across caste, creed, social, gender and demographic barriers if any.

&nbsp;(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/report-the-fadnavis-juggernaut-2797311">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

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Devendra Fadnavis is only the second Chief Minister after Vasantrao Naik to complete his full term in office. His rise from being the Mayor of Nagpur to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is a telling commentary on how meritocracy rules the wealthiest state in India, which also happens to be the second most populous state and the third-largest in terms of area.

Devendra Fadnavis is only the second Chief Minister after Vasantrao Naik to complete his full term in office. His rise from being the Mayor of Nagpur to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is a telling commentary on how meritocracy rules the wealthiest state in India, which also happens to be the second most populous state and the third-largest in terms of area. Even the first non-Congress government in the state, led by the Shiv Sena from 1995-1999 (the BJP was part of the coalition, but a junior partner then) saw two Chief Ministers, with Manohar Joshi being replaced by Narayan Rane, in the last year. His achievements include the "Right to Services" bill, with 'Aaple Sarkar' online portal providing a total of 403 online services that benefitted over 14 lakh citizens; the 'Atal Maha Aarogya' camp that has proven beneficial to 24 lakh patients in the state; starting work on Metro routes of which 298km is in various stages of construction. He took major steps to decongest Mumbai, making Mumbai a "WiFi City" with over 1700 hotspots, installed over 5000 CCTV cameras to make the city safer, made 1052 police stations online, closing 11 toll nakas in the state and extended discounts to light motor vehicles on 52 toll nakas. Speeding up the process for the international airport in Navi Mumbai, he initiated projects to set up as many as 10 airports in the state in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Fadnavis also ensured better connectivity, the allocation of funds for the Mumbai-Delhi industrial corridor, securing clearances for the "Chhatrapati Shivaji" sea memorial and the "Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial" at Indu Mills, achieving the digitisation process of as many as 66458 schools, and ensured that 2750 MW of power capacity is added. He sanctioned 10 smart city projects, started work on the Bandra-Virar-CST-Panvel elevated railway corridor, kickstarted the 712 km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi super expressway which will connect 24 districts of the state and set up the first automatic weather station in Dongargaon in Nagpur in 2017. These are only some of the sterling examples of how Devendra Fadnavis has made the "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" model successful, his abiding work ethic. Most importantly, the rate of conviction for crimes has gone up from 9% to a staggering 52% and cyber labs have been set up in all districts of the state. The pro-farmer Fadnavis government, which announced a farm loan write-off package of Rs 34,022 crore in June 2017 for all farmers with a Rs 1.5 lakh debt, has spent Rs 50,000 crore for farmer welfare in the last five years, as comparison to the less than Rs 20,000 crore in 15 years of the corrupt Congress-NCP rule. After 151 talukas were found affected by drought earlier this year, Fadnavis assured that more than 52 lakh farmers have received compensation of Rs 2700 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme. With a view to providing weather-related information and digital kiosks in all gram panchayats to farmers in real-time, the project "Mahavedh" has been made operational in all 2060 revenue circles in the state. Under the 'Jalyukta Shivar Yojana', one of the biggest water rejuvenation initiatives in recent times, more than 16,000 villages across the state have become water neutral. Over six lakh works have been completed, which has created a water storage capacity of over 26.90 lakh TCM. Also, under the 'Galmukt Dharan Ani Galyukt Shivar' (salt-free dams and fertile farms) scheme, 3.23 crore cubic metres of silt has been removed from 5270 reservoirs, which benefitted as many as 31150 farmers. The 'Farm Pond on Demand' scheme has received the Prime Minister's award as one of the 10 best innovative initiatives, with over 1.37 lakh farm ponds having been created under the scheme. Apart from economic progress, one of the high points of the Fadnavis government is undoubtedly the sheer efficacy with which it passed the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) bill, to live up to the promises made to the Maratha community. That Fadnavis himself is a Brahmin and still skillfully resolved the contentious Maratha issue, makes this achievement even more commendable, testifying him as political savvy in matters of realpolitik. The SEBC Act provides for 12% and 13% reservation in education and government jobs. The 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Ahaar Yojana' is being implemented on a war footing in tribal areas to tackle the problem of malnutrition and anaemia and has already benefitted over 1.59 lakh pregnant women and lactating mothers. Maharashtra bagged the third rank in health index throughout the country. As part of the Bharat Net, Maha Net, which has already reached out to over 60% of Maharashtra's targetted villages, is a classic example of how robust connectivity will empower every single citizen to leverage on digital governance and digital economy. The Employment Guarantee Scheme, too, has been a huge success. Around 36.54 lakh families have benefitted through Women's saving groups. To achieve the goal of 'Affordable Housing for All by 2022', more than 10.5 lakh beneficiaries have been registered under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) and 7.65 lakh houses have been built. Further, nearly 30000 km of rural roads are being upgraded in rural areas under the "Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana", with 8900 km of works being completed. To sum it up, the spectacular "Maha Janadesh Yatra" by CM Devendra Fadnavis, which covered a distance of 4232 km, spread over 104 rallies and almost all the 36 districts in the state, was not merely a show of strength or a measure of the BJP-led government's outstanding "performance report card" in the last five years. The "Yatra" has signalled, in more ways than one, the unbridled popularity and excellent mass connect that Chief Minister Fadnavis enjoys, cutting across caste, creed, social, gender and demographic barriers if any. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Devendra Fadnavis enjoys unbridled popularity and excellent mass connect

Maharashtra Cabinet on Monday decided to introduce a bill for reservation of certain seats in medical colleges of government and municipal corporations, in the legislative assembly.

The new bill when passed will enable the state government to keep some medical seats reserved for the candidates who are voluntarily willing to provide their services at government hospitals on a long term basis.

According to the cabinet decision, 10 per cent seats would be reserved for PG courses and it will be mandatory for the students availing this reservation to give at least 5 years service in government hospitals after completing their course.

Government has decided to introduce this new reservation system for medical colleges to tackle the scarcity of doctors in government hospitals specially hospitals in rural/tribal areas and the areas with difficult terrain.

Maharashtra Cabinet on Monday decided to introduce a bill for reservation of certain seats in medical colleges of government and municipal corporations, in the legislative assembly.

Maharashtra Cabinet on Monday decided to introduce a bill for reservation of certain seats in medical colleges of government and municipal corporations, in the legislative assembly. The new bill when passed will enable the state government to keep some medical seats reserved for the candidates who are voluntarily willing to provide their services at government hospitals on a long term basis. According to the cabinet decision, 10 per cent seats would be reserved for PG courses and it will be mandatory for the students availing this reservation to give at least 5 years service in government hospitals after completing their course. Government has decided to introduce this new reservation system for medical colleges to tackle the scarcity of doctors in government hospitals specially hospitals in rural/tribal areas and the areas with difficult terrain.

To tackle doctors' scarcity, Maharashtra proposes 10%  MBBS quota for people willing to work in government hospitals

In view of the incessant and heavy rainfall, Air India flights from Mumbai have been delayed. Air India tweeted on Wednesday, "Passenger Alert !! Due to heavy rains, flights out of Mumbai will be delayed.

In view of the incessant and heavy rainfall, Air India flights from Mumbai have been delayed. Air India tweeted on Wednesday, "Passenger Alert !! Due to heavy rains, flights out of Mumbai will be delayed. Passengers are requested to check flight status through Air India website, Mobile App or Customer care." Earlier in the day, railway services were also severely affected in many parts of Mumbai. According to the IMD, Mumbai most likely to get continuous rains and showers with the possibility of extremely heavy falls at isolated places in city and suburbs for the next 48 hours. Rains for past few days is relentless in several parts across Maharashtra and it has resulted in massive water logging and flood-like situation in some regions.

Maharashtra: Air India flights delayed due to heavy rains

On the occasion of fifth International Yoga Day, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday performed yoga here along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his followers.

Thousands of people participated in the event and performed various yoga asanas. Fadnavis was also seen following various yoga postures.

Ramdev's organisation Patanjali has today organized programs in one lakh villages across India.

The theme of 5th International Yoga Day 2019 is "Climate Action".

The word "Yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit root 'yuj' meaning "to join", "to yoke" or "to unite". Yoga is based on an extremely subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. Yoga works on one's body, mind, emotion and energy.

The main Yoga Day was&nbsp;being held in Jharkhand's Ranchi where Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/yoga-for-heart-care-this-years-theme-pm-modi-in-ranchi-229057">Narendra Modi performed Yoga</a> along with the other participants.

Around&nbsp;30,000 people participated&nbsp;in the event, for which security was beefed up across the city.

Several departments of the defence are conducting Yoga programmes on the fifth international yoga day. The striking yogic poses have now become a norm amongst the defence personnel in India.

Personnel of 9th Battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) also performed 'River Yoga' in Digaru river near Teju, Lohitpur this morning.

In the United Nation, Yoga day was celebrated on Thursday that would be followed by a panel of discussion today.

On the occasion of fifth International Yoga Day, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday performed yoga here along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his followers.

On the occasion of fifth International Yoga Day, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday performed yoga here along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his followers. Thousands of people participated in the event and performed various yoga asanas. Fadnavis was also seen following various yoga postures. Ramdev's organisation Patanjali has today organized programs in one lakh villages across India. The theme of 5th International Yoga Day 2019 is "Climate Action". The word "Yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit root 'yuj' meaning "to join", "to yoke" or "to unite". Yoga is based on an extremely subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. Yoga works on one's body, mind, emotion and energy. The main Yoga Day was being held in Jharkhand's Ranchi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Yoga along with the other participants. Around 30,000 people participated in the event, for which security was beefed up across the city. Several departments of the defence are conducting Yoga programmes on the fifth international yoga day. The striking yogic poses have now become a norm amongst the defence personnel in India. Personnel of 9th Battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) also performed 'River Yoga' in Digaru river near Teju, Lohitpur this morning. In the United Nation, Yoga day was celebrated on Thursday that would be followed by a panel of discussion today.

Maharashtra: Baba Ramdev, CM Fadnavis perform yoga on 5th International Yoga Day

Six people were killed and 45 others injured after a bus fall into a forge near Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra's Palghar district.&nbsp;

Emergency workers were immediately rushed to the spot to expedite the rescue operations.&nbsp;

The incident occurred at around 2:45 pm in Torangane ghat between Mokhada and Trimbakeshwar villages, said Thane Region Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) chief Santosh Kadam.

The private bus had started from Nashik in north Maharashtra and was headed towards Palghar, around 100 kms from here, he said.

The injured have been rushed to the Trimbakeshwar primary health centre, he said, adding that the condition of some of them is serious.

(With inputs from PTI)

Six people were killed and 45 others injured after a bus fall into a forge near Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra's Palghar district. Emergency workers were immediately rushed to the spot to expedite the rescue operations.

Six people were killed and 45 others injured after a bus fall into a forge near Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra's Palghar district. Emergency workers were immediately rushed to the spot to expedite the rescue operations. The incident occurred at around 2:45 pm in Torangane ghat between Mokhada and Trimbakeshwar villages, said Thane Region Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) chief Santosh Kadam. The private bus had started from Nashik in north Maharashtra and was headed towards Palghar, around 100 kms from here, he said. The injured have been rushed to the Trimbakeshwar primary health centre, he said, adding that the condition of some of them is serious. (With inputs from PTI)

Maharashtra: 6 killed, 45 injured in bus accident near Trimbakeshwar in Palghar district

A leopard was spotted at a shopping mall and a hotel in Thane city of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning and later caught by forest officials after over six hours, an official said.

The big cat was initially thought to be a panther but it was later found to be a leopard.

The feline was caught from the basement of the hotel located on Pokhran Road around 11.50 am, a senior forest official said.

The carnivore was first seen at Korum Mall located in Samata Nagar around 5.30 am by some persons who alerted police and forest officials, he said.

The police and forest officials rushed to the mall but after searching the premises for around two to three hours, they concluded that the animal must have escaped from there by jumping off its compound wall, the official said.

The leopard was later spotted at a housing complex and then in the basement of the hotel near the mall, he said.

The forest officials finally managed to tranquilise the feline in the hotel basement before taking it away, he said, adding that the animal would be released in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park after an examination.

A leopard was spotted at a shopping mall and a hotel in Thane city of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning and later caught by forest officials after over six hours, an official said.

A leopard was spotted at a shopping mall and a hotel in Thane city of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning and later caught by forest officials after over six hours, an official said. The big cat was initially thought to be a panther but it was later found to be a leopard. The feline was caught from the basement of the hotel located on Pokhran Road around 11.50 am, a senior forest official said. The carnivore was first seen at Korum Mall located in Samata Nagar around 5.30 am by some persons who alerted police and forest officials, he said. The police and forest officials rushed to the mall but after searching the premises for around two to three hours, they concluded that the animal must have escaped from there by jumping off its compound wall, the official said. The leopard was later spotted at a housing complex and then in the basement of the hotel near the mall, he said. The forest officials finally managed to tranquilise the feline in the hotel basement before taking it away, he said, adding that the animal would be released in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park after an examination.

Leopard spotted at Thane shopping mall caught after six hours

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