The rescue operation continued on Wednesday to extract 15 miners trapped inside a mine for around two weeks in Meghalaya, in northeast India.

The miners have been trapped since December 13 inside an illegal mine that has been flooded in Meghalaya amid dwindling hopes of finding them alive.

"Two teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are running this operation. The operation is going on," NDRF spokesperson Anil Shekhawat told EFE.

Shekhawat dismissed local media reports that the rescue work had been suspended in the mine, located in the East Jaintia Hills district.

"Not suspended. Technically we are considering things and assessing the situation on the ground, and after doing all assessment, the operation is still going on (and will continue) until the final confirmation comes from the administration," said the spokesperson.

Rescue teams have to first clear the water in the area before proceeding with the operation in the vertical mine shaft.

Shaft mining, which includes digging vertical tunnels into the ground, were outlawed in 2014 by the National Green Tribunal in Meghalaya.

"The situation is very, very difficult, so (chances of) survival is also very, very, low depending on the situation because all the area is flooded," said Shekhawat.

The rescue operation continued on Wednesday to extract 15 miners trapped inside a mine for around two weeks in Meghalaya, in northeast India. The miners have been trapped since December 13 inside an illegal mine that has been flooded in Meghalaya amid dwindling hopes of finding them alive.

The rescue operation continued on Wednesday to extract 15 miners trapped inside a mine for around two weeks in Meghalaya, in northeast India. The miners have been trapped since December 13 inside an illegal mine that has been flooded in Meghalaya amid dwindling hopes of finding them alive. "Two teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are running this operation. The operation is going on," NDRF spokesperson Anil Shekhawat told EFE. Shekhawat dismissed local media reports that the rescue work had been suspended in the mine, located in the East Jaintia Hills district. "Not suspended. Technically we are considering things and assessing the situation on the ground, and after doing all assessment, the operation is still going on (and will continue) until the final confirmation comes from the administration," said the spokesperson. Rescue teams have to first clear the water in the area before proceeding with the operation in the vertical mine shaft. Shaft mining, which includes digging vertical tunnels into the ground, were outlawed in 2014 by the National Green Tribunal in Meghalaya. "The situation is very, very difficult, so (chances of) survival is also very, very, low depending on the situation because all the area is flooded," said Shekhawat.

'Chances of their survival very low': Rescue teams race against time to save trapped Meghalaya miners

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/good-momentum-achieved-in-relations-with-india-china-186424">Good momentum achieved in relations with India: China</a>

A day after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi concluded his India visit, China's foreign ministry said a good momentum has been achieved in the current China-India relations.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-pm-modi-takes-a-walk-ridges-on-bogibeel-bridge-in-assam-186371">Watch: PM Modi takes a walk, rides on Bogibeel bridge in Assam</a>

PM Modi today inaugurated the rail-road bridge over the Brahmaputra river at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh in Assam today.

The 4.94 km bridge has double line broad gauge rail tracks and upper deck road spread in three lanes. The bridge connects Assam's Dibrugarh to Nharlgun in Itanagar in just four hours.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-bcci-announces-playing-xi-for-boxing-day-test-186410">IND vs AUS: BCCI announces playing XI for Boxing Day Test</a>

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia.

In the list, both openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul have been dropped while rookies Hanuma Vihari and debutant Mayank Agarwal will be given the opportunity to open, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rat-hole-mining-rampant-in-meghalaya-despite-ngt-ban-15-labours-still-trapped-186369">After two weeks, 15 miners still trapped in Meghalaya; search operation suspended</a>

There seems to be no hope at the end of the tunnel for the 15 labourers trapped in a coal mine a fortnight ago, as search operations have been suspended by the Meghalaya government for want of high-powered pumps to flush out water from the pit.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/attackers-hit-libya-foreign-ministry-in-tripoli-one-dead-186382">Watch: Attackers hit Libya foreign ministry in Tripoli; 3 dead</a>

Gunfire and explosions rocked Libya's foreign ministry on Tuesday as attackers stormed the building in the capital Tripoli, killing at least three people.

A car bomb exploded in front of the ministry, after which "three or four assailants" entered, the source told AFP from the scene.

Good momentum achieved in relations with India: China A day after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi concluded his India visit, China's foreign ministry said a good momentum has been achieved in the current China-India relations.

Good momentum achieved in relations with India: China A day after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi concluded his India visit, China's foreign ministry said a good momentum has been achieved in the current China-India relations. Watch: PM Modi takes a walk, rides on Bogibeel bridge in Assam PM Modi today inaugurated the rail-road bridge over the Brahmaputra river at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh in Assam today. The 4.94 km bridge has double line broad gauge rail tracks and upper deck road spread in three lanes. The bridge connects Assam's Dibrugarh to Nharlgun in Itanagar in just four hours. IND vs AUS: BCCI announces playing XI for Boxing Day Test The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia. In the list, both openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul have been dropped while rookies Hanuma Vihari and debutant Mayank Agarwal will be given the opportunity to open, according to Reuters. After two weeks, 15 miners still trapped in Meghalaya; search operation suspended There seems to be no hope at the end of the tunnel for the 15 labourers trapped in a coal mine a fortnight ago, as search operations have been suspended by the Meghalaya government for want of high-powered pumps to flush out water from the pit. Watch: Attackers hit Libya foreign ministry in Tripoli; 3 dead Gunfire and explosions rocked Libya's foreign ministry on Tuesday as attackers stormed the building in the capital Tripoli, killing at least three people. A car bomb exploded in front of the ministry, after which "three or four assailants" entered, the source told AFP from the scene.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/flooding-in-illegal-coal-mine-in-meghalaya-13-feared-dead-183935">Thirteen people remain trapped</a> in an illegal coal mine due to flooding in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district.

The incident was reported to the district authorities Thursday morning and rescue efforts are on, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sylvester Nongtynger said.

A pump was pressed into service around 4 pm that day and is being turned off every three hours to give it a rest, officials said on Friday.

Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of over 60 personnel and 12 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have present on the site.

"We are trying to pump the water out from the mine which is about 370 feet deep. The water level is about 70 feet according to the NDRF," Police DIG (eastern range) A R Mawthoh told PTI.

NDRF divers will also make an attempt to reach the trapped miners, the DIG said.

The miners went in by 15 feet by 15 feet vertical shaft which is around 370 feet deep. At the bottom of the mine, at least four to five horizontal holes are dug from which coal chips are taken out, local people said.

"The chances of survival of the miners are very bleak. The mine is way deeper than the nearby river. There are also around 20 shafts," an elder from the village said, adding three of the trapped miners are from the village and the rest are non-tribals.

"Appropriate actions will be taken against people who are involved in illegal mining," Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.&nbsp;

Thirteen people remain trapped in an illegal coal mine due to flooding in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. The incident was reported to the district authorities Thursday morning and rescue efforts are on, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sylvester Nongtynger said.

Thirteen people remain trapped in an illegal coal mine due to flooding in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. The incident was reported to the district authorities Thursday morning and rescue efforts are on, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sylvester Nongtynger said. A pump was pressed into service around 4 pm that day and is being turned off every three hours to give it a rest, officials said on Friday. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of over 60 personnel and 12 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have present on the site. "We are trying to pump the water out from the mine which is about 370 feet deep. The water level is about 70 feet according to the NDRF," Police DIG (eastern range) A R Mawthoh told PTI. NDRF divers will also make an attempt to reach the trapped miners, the DIG said. The miners went in by 15 feet by 15 feet vertical shaft which is around 370 feet deep. At the bottom of the mine, at least four to five horizontal holes are dug from which coal chips are taken out, local people said. "The chances of survival of the miners are very bleak. The mine is way deeper than the nearby river. There are also around 20 shafts," an elder from the village said, adding three of the trapped miners are from the village and the rest are non-tribals. "Appropriate actions will be taken against people who are involved in illegal mining," Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.

13 miners still trapped in flooded Meghalaya mine as efforts to pump out water yet to yield result

As the southwest monsoon makes a steady progress up north, India's west coast was battered today by heavy rainfall, especially the coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Konkan region, the India Meteorological Department said.

The Northern Limit of Monsoon now passes through Thane (including Mumbai), Ahmednagar, Parbhani, Yeotmal, Brahmapuri, Rajnandgaon, Bhavanipatna, Puri, Agartala, north Lakhmipur. Conditions are turning favourable for its advance to Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and parts of West Bengal, Sikkim and other northeastern states in the next 48 hours, it said.

"Heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at a few places over coastal Karnataka and south Konkan and Goa while "heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at isolated places in north Konkan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, central Maharashtra, south-interior Karnataka and Kerala," the IMD said in its monsoon bulletin.

For tomorrow, the Met department has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at a few places in coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha and Kerala.

"Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand while heat wave conditions very likely at one or two pockets over west Rajasthan," the IMD said. 
Squalls gusting to 60 kmph are very likely along Odisha and West Bengal coasts and over north Bay of Bengal.

Sea conditions are likely to be "rough to very rough", it said, advising fishermen not to venture into the waters.&nbsp 
&nbsp

For tomorrow, the Met department has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at a few places in coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha and Kerala.

As the southwest monsoon makes a steady progress up north, India's west coast was battered today by heavy rainfall, especially the coastal Karnataka, Goa and south Konkan region, the India Meteorological Department said. The Northern Limit of Monsoon now passes through Thane (including Mumbai), Ahmednagar, Parbhani, Yeotmal, Brahmapuri, Rajnandgaon, Bhavanipatna, Puri, Agartala, north Lakhmipur. Conditions are turning favourable for its advance to Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and parts of West Bengal, Sikkim and other northeastern states in the next 48 hours, it said. "Heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at a few places over coastal Karnataka and south Konkan and Goa while "heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at isolated places in north Konkan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, central Maharashtra, south-interior Karnataka and Kerala," the IMD said in its monsoon bulletin. For tomorrow, the Met department has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at a few places in coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha and Kerala. "Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand while heat wave conditions very likely at one or two pockets over west Rajasthan," the IMD said. Squalls gusting to 60 kmph are very likely along Odisha and West Bengal coasts and over north Bay of Bengal. Sea conditions are likely to be "rough to very rough", it said, advising fishermen not to venture into the waters.

Monsoon rain batters west coast, fishermen advised not to venture into high seas

The Centre has rushed 10 additional companies of paramilitary personnel to Shillong after fresh violence broke out there Sunday night. A top officer said police had to use tear gas to quell a mob.

Shillong has been on edge since Thursday following clashes between residents of the city's Punjabi Line area and Khasi drivers of state-run buses.

A four-member delegation sent by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to the state met Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in Shillong. ANI reported Sangma as assuring the safety and security of the city's Punjabi Line residents.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Top Union home ministry officials have also been in touch with Meghalaya government officials.&nbsp;

Sangma had earlier said the clashes are <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shillong-clash-not-communal-says-cm-curfew-relaxed-for-7-hours-141984">not communal</a>.&nbsp;

"The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma said on Sunday.

The clashes in Shillong, he added, were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state.

News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night.

Normal life continues to be affected in the town. Authorities have imposed curfew in the capital city to curtail any fresh violence.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Army conducted flag march in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shillong?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shillong</a> in the wake of violence after clashes broke out between two groups following escalation of an argument between a woman & a bus conductor. <a href="https://t.co/MGqCjtbSL6">pic.twitter.com/MGqCjtbSL6</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1003650120586416129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Violence broke out last Thursday after two groups of people in the city's Punjabi Line area clashed after a bus handyman was allegedly beaten up by a group of residents. The clash&nbsp;had been sparked by a fight between the handyman and a woman.&nbsp;

More than 10 people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

Late on Friday night, the Army carried out a flag march in various areas of the town.&nbsp;

News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night. Normal life continues to be affected in the town

The Centre has rushed 10 additional companies of paramilitary personnel to Shillong after fresh violence broke out there Sunday night. A top officer said police had to use tear gas to quell a mob. Shillong has been on edge since Thursday following clashes between residents of the city's Punjabi Line area and Khasi drivers of state-run buses. A four-member delegation sent by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to the state met Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in Shillong. ANI reported Sangma as assuring the safety and security of the city's Punjabi Line residents. Top Union home ministry officials have also been in touch with Meghalaya government officials. Sangma had earlier said the clashes are not communal. "The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma said on Sunday. The clashes in Shillong, he added, were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state. News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night. Normal life continues to be affected in the town. Authorities have imposed curfew in the capital city to curtail any fresh violence. #Meghalaya: Army conducted flag march in #Shillong in the wake of violence after clashes broke out between two groups following escalation of an argument between a woman & a bus conductor. pic.twitter.com/MGqCjtbSL6 — ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2018 × Violence broke out last Thursday after two groups of people in the city's Punjabi Line area clashed after a bus handyman was allegedly beaten up by a group of residents. The clash had been sparked by a fight between the handyman and a woman. More than 10 people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident. Late on Friday night, the Army carried out a flag march in various areas of the town.

After fresh violence, Centre rushes 1,000 paramilitary personnel to Shillong

Curfew in pockets of Shillong was relaxed for seven hours today, even as Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the violence that broke out on Thursday was a local issue and not communal in nature.

A team of Shiromani Akali Dal leaders from Delhi visited the Meghalaya capital in view of the clashes between two communities leaving at least 10 people injured.

The East Khasi Hills district authorities relaxed the curfew from 8 am to 3 pm to allow churchgoers to attend Sunday services, officials said.

"The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma told a press conference here.

The clashes in parts of Shillong were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state, he said.

A number of those arrested in connection with the violence are from outside East Khasi Hills district, in which Shillong falls, and they were given alcohol and cash by some people, he said.

The administration exercised restraint in the first 48 hours and met leaders of civil society organisations to ascertain if their members were involved.

"We came to know there is a large number of people who have come here from West Khasi Hills district and many of those nabbed by the police were from outside Shillong," he said.

The administration and the police are on the job to protect every individual, said Sangma, who chaired a meeting of officials of the home department and Director General of Police S B Singh earlier in the day.

Earlier, a SAD team, including MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and the party's Delhi unit president Manjit Singh, met the residents of the violence-affected area.

The SAD team also called on the chief minister.

"I am happy to inform you that the delegation was very happy with the response of the state government to ensure that all citizens are given protection," he said.

Officials told PTI that the curfew was promulgated in 14 localities under the jurisdictions of the Lumdiengjri police station and the Cantonment police beat house resumed at 3 pm.

Night curfew will continue in the entire city from 10 pm till 5 am, and Internet and messaging services continue to remain suspended, the official said.&nbsp;

'The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing,' Sangma said

Curfew in pockets of Shillong was relaxed for seven hours today, even as Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the violence that broke out on Thursday was a local issue and not communal in nature. A team of Shiromani Akali Dal leaders from Delhi visited the Meghalaya capital in view of the clashes between two communities leaving at least 10 people injured. The East Khasi Hills district authorities relaxed the curfew from 8 am to 3 pm to allow churchgoers to attend Sunday services, officials said. "The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma told a press conference here. The clashes in parts of Shillong were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state, he said. A number of those arrested in connection with the violence are from outside East Khasi Hills district, in which Shillong falls, and they were given alcohol and cash by some people, he said. The administration exercised restraint in the first 48 hours and met leaders of civil society organisations to ascertain if their members were involved. "We came to know there is a large number of people who have come here from West Khasi Hills district and many of those nabbed by the police were from outside Shillong," he said. The administration and the police are on the job to protect every individual, said Sangma, who chaired a meeting of officials of the home department and Director General of Police S B Singh earlier in the day. Earlier, a SAD team, including MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and the party's Delhi unit president Manjit Singh, met the residents of the violence-affected area. The SAD team also called on the chief minister. "I am happy to inform you that the delegation was very happy with the response of the state government to ensure that all citizens are given protection," he said. Officials told PTI that the curfew was promulgated in 14 localities under the jurisdictions of the Lumdiengjri police station and the Cantonment police beat house resumed at 3 pm. Night curfew will continue in the entire city from 10 pm till 5 am, and Internet and messaging services continue to remain suspended, the official said.

Shillong clashes not communal, says Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma

Days after clashes broke out between two communities after a bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of residents, nearly 500 people have been provided shelter in the army cantonment in Shillong.&nbsp;

However, the overall situation has improved and it is being assumed that curfew will be lifted for today but restrictions will remain in force.

A scuffle was also witnessed between the police and the mob at Them Iew Mawlong area, a Punjabi settlement, which allegedly left three boys critically injured.

Soon, the violence spread to the other part of the city with incidents like stone pelting, burning of petrol pump and houses being damaged were reported. A curfew was also imposed in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and Cantonment Beat House in view of the breakdown of law and order in Meghalaya's state capital.&nbsp;

Internet and SMS services have also been indefinitely suspended to prevent people from spreading rumours.

Meanwhile, several media reports claim that the larger matter is of community clashes between Khasis and Punjabis.&nbsp;The Khasi society wants the residents of residents of Them Iew Mawlong locality, that has 350 homes of the Punjabi community, to evict the area as they consider them to be illegal settlers since 1980.

However, the Punjabi community, who claim to have resided in the area for 200 years now, have no intention of moving out.&nbsp;

Internet and SMS services have also been indefinitely suspended to prevent people from spreading rumours

Days after clashes broke out between two communities after a bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of residents, nearly 500 people have been provided shelter in the army cantonment in Shillong. However, the overall situation has improved and it is being assumed that curfew will be lifted for today but restrictions will remain in force. A scuffle was also witnessed between the police and the mob at Them Iew Mawlong area, a Punjabi settlement, which allegedly left three boys critically injured. Soon, the violence spread to the other part of the city with incidents like stone pelting, burning of petrol pump and houses being damaged were reported. A curfew was also imposed in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and Cantonment Beat House in view of the breakdown of law and order in Meghalaya's state capital. Internet and SMS services have also been indefinitely suspended to prevent people from spreading rumours. Meanwhile, several media reports claim that the larger matter is of community clashes between Khasis and Punjabis. The Khasi society wants the residents of residents of Them Iew Mawlong locality, that has 350 homes of the Punjabi community, to evict the area as they consider them to be illegal settlers since 1980. However, the Punjabi community, who claim to have resided in the area for 200 years now, have no intention of moving out.

Khasi-Punjabi clash: Nearly 500 people given shelter in Army cantonment at Shillong

Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday emerged victorious in 9 out of 10 Assembly seats even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and&nbsp; 'M' for Mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM two in Jharkhand CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively.

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

The party, which retained RR Nagar assembly in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire.

"The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters.

The BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats.

The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP. SP's Naeemul Hasan trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur.

In Bihar, RJD won minority-dominated Jokihat by defeating BJP ally JD(U) by a huge margin.&nbsp;

A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state, should resign if he has some conscience left.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulating all the winners said valuable lessions to be learnt from the victories and defeats for all the parties.

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Congratulations to all the winners in the by polls, across India. Valuable lessons to be learnt from the victories & defeats for all parties. I want to thank all the workers & leaders of the Congress party for their hard work & dedication in these elections. God bless you all.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1002206574918688768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is "going to take a massive leap."

BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the "this huge setback in by polls is due to Hubris".

"But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision-making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has the infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results "a defeat of divisive politics" and congratulated all opposition parties for the results.&nbsp;

RLD's Jayant Chaudhary said the opposition unity will continue and the results showed that "Jinnah hara, Ganna jeeta" -- referring to the recent controversy over the Pakistan founder's portrait and the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers.

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its "laboratory of communal and hate politics", Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's politics but warned that the loss could push the RSS-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the "Hindutva vote bank".

In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal.&nbsp;

Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third.

In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third.

JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto, while BJP came third. In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday emerged victorious in 9 out of 10 Assembly seats even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and 'M' for Mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year. Figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM two in Jharkhand CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively. The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates. The party, which retained RR Nagar assembly in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire. "The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters. The BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats. The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP. SP's Naeemul Hasan trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur. In Bihar, RJD won minority-dominated Jokihat by defeating BJP ally JD(U) by a huge margin. A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state, should resign if he has some conscience left. Congress president Rahul Gandhi congratulating all the winners said valuable lessions to be learnt from the victories and defeats for all the parties. Congratulations to all the winners in the by polls, across India. Valuable lessons to be learnt from the victories & defeats for all parties. I want to thank all the workers & leaders of the Congress party for their hard work & dedication in these elections. God bless you all. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 31, 2018 × Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is "going to take a massive leap." BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the "this huge setback in by polls is due to Hubris". "But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision-making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has the infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government. Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results "a defeat of divisive politics" and congratulated all opposition parties for the results. RLD's Jayant Chaudhary said the opposition unity will continue and the results showed that "Jinnah hara, Ganna jeeta" -- referring to the recent controversy over the Pakistan founder's portrait and the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers. CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its "laboratory of communal and hate politics", Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's politics but warned that the loss could push the RSS-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the "Hindutva vote bank". In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third. In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third. JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto, while BJP came third. In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto. (With PTI inputs)

Assembly bypoll results: Opposition scoops 9 leaving one seat to BJP

The India Meteorological Department has warned of thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail at isolated places in 13 states and two Union territories across India on Monday.

Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail were very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds were very likely on Monday at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab, the Home Ministry said.

However, the fresh round of stormy weather is unlikely to be as devastating as the one that was witnessed last week. In its evening bulletin on Sunday, the IMD warned people especially in northern and eastern states to brace for extreme weather.

Snowfall in Himachal's Lahaul Spiti

Keylong valley in Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh saw fresh snowfall today as temperatures plummeted to -11 degrees Celcius. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Rain lashes Chandigarh

Early morning rains lashed Chandigarh and surrounding areas on Monday while authorities in Haryana and Punjab remained on high alert following a storm advisory issued by the Met Department.

Schools in Haryana were ordered to remain closed for two days (Monday and Tuesday) as a preventive measure in view of the weather warning.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures:-massive-landslide-near-assam-meghalaya-border-135116#photo-135089">In Pictures: Massive landslide near Assam-Meghalaya border</a>

Landslide near Assam-Meghalaya border

Due to incessant rains for the last two days, massive landslides occurred along the National Highway 44. Work to remove debris due to landslides is also being affected due to the incessant rains.&nbsp;

The landslide brought in massive mound of mud and boulders triggered by incessant rain over the past couple of days and several earth movers have been pressed into service to clear the debris, the release said.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms and heavy rain continued to lash across the state damaging houses, felling trees and disrupting electric supply in several districts of Assam since yesterday.&nbsp;

Rajasthan may see dust storms again

The IMD has predicted that dust storms are “very likely” at isolated places in Rajasthan even though not at the same scale as last week. Some places in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura can expect heavy rains. Down south, gusty winds along with moderate to heavy rains are also likely to sweep through Telangana, north coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

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&nbsp;

Thunderstorms accompanied by squall and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 20 states and two Union Territories.

The India Meteorological Department has warned of thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail at isolated places in 13 states and two Union territories across India on Monday. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail were very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds were very likely on Monday at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab, the Home Ministry said. However, the fresh round of stormy weather is unlikely to be as devastating as the one that was witnessed last week. In its evening bulletin on Sunday, the IMD warned people especially in northern and eastern states to brace for extreme weather. Snowfall in Himachal's Lahaul Spiti Keylong valley in Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh saw fresh snowfall today as temperatures plummeted to -11 degrees Celcius. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Rain lashes Chandigarh Early morning rains lashed Chandigarh and surrounding areas on Monday while authorities in Haryana and Punjab remained on high alert following a storm advisory issued by the Met Department. Schools in Haryana were ordered to remain closed for two days (Monday and Tuesday) as a preventive measure in view of the weather warning. In Pictures: Massive landslide near Assam-Meghalaya border Landslide near Assam-Meghalaya border Due to incessant rains for the last two days, massive landslides occurred along the National Highway 44. Work to remove debris due to landslides is also being affected due to the incessant rains. The landslide brought in massive mound of mud and boulders triggered by incessant rain over the past couple of days and several earth movers have been pressed into service to clear the debris, the release said. Meanwhile, thunderstorms and heavy rain continued to lash across the state damaging houses, felling trees and disrupting electric supply in several districts of Assam since yesterday. Rajasthan may see dust storms again The IMD has predicted that dust storms are “very likely” at isolated places in Rajasthan even though not at the same scale as last week. Some places in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura can expect heavy rains. Down south, gusty winds along with moderate to heavy rains are also likely to sweep through Telangana, north coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. ×

IMD alert for northern India: Himachal receives fresh snowfall; landslide in Meghalaya

The Ministry of Home Affairs today has removed the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Meghalaya. The move has diluted it in other regions of Arunachal Pradesh, reduced to eight police stations in the state from 16. Besides this, Meghalaya's 20km border belt with Assam has been reduced to 10km.

Nearly 40 per cent of Meghalaya was reported to be under AFSPA until September last year.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated a 37 per cent decline in the number of insurgency incidents in the Northeast region last year. 30 per cent decrease in security forces casualties and 23 per cent reduction in civilian deaths was registered since 2017.

The MHA release said that helicopter services have been extended to Assam to boost connectivity to remote areas. The protected Area Permit has been relaxed for five years for foreign visitors to Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland with an aim to enhance development and tourism in the region.&nbsp;

The Union government had also announced sanctioning 10 Indian Reserve Battalions in March this year to improve security in the region.

Besides this, the Union Home Ministry upped the northeast militants' aid, under the surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.&nbsp;

Besides this, the Union Home Ministry upped the northeast militants' aid from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh

The Ministry of Home Affairs today has removed the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Meghalaya. The move has diluted it in other regions of Arunachal Pradesh, reduced to eight police stations in the state from 16. Besides this, Meghalaya's 20km border belt with Assam has been reduced to 10km. Nearly 40 per cent of Meghalaya was reported to be under AFSPA until September last year. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated a 37 per cent decline in the number of insurgency incidents in the Northeast region last year. 30 per cent decrease in security forces casualties and 23 per cent reduction in civilian deaths was registered since 2017. The MHA release said that helicopter services have been extended to Assam to boost connectivity to remote areas. The protected Area Permit has been relaxed for five years for foreign visitors to Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland with an aim to enhance development and tourism in the region. The Union government had also announced sanctioning 10 Indian Reserve Battalions in March this year to improve security in the region. Besides this, the Union Home Ministry upped the northeast militants' aid, under the surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy, from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

Home Ministry removes AFSPA completely from Meghalaya, eight police stations in Arunachal Pradesh

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/conrad-sangma-to-take-oath-as-meghalaya-chief-minister-today-34798">National </a>People&#39;s Party(NPP) leader Conrad Sangma was today sworn-in as Meghalaya chief minister after he took oath in a glittering ceremony attended by BJP president Amit Shah and home minister Rajnath Singh.

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NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma takes oath as Meghalaya CM in Shillong. <a href="https://t.co/bDZB4KnLM7">pic.twitter.com/bDZB4KnLM7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970889076516773888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In a much-anticipated&nbsp;oath-taking&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/conrad-sangma-to-take-oath-as-meghalaya-chief-minister-today-34798">ceremony, </a>NPP&nbsp;president Conrad Sangma&#39;s party members arrived in Shillong today to take oath to form the new government in&nbsp;Meghalaya&nbsp;as the BJP helped to setup another government in the North East.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/who-is-conrad-sangma-the-new-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-34833">Read: Who is Conrad Sangma?</a>

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Council of Ministers being sworn-in at oath ceremony in Meghalaya&#39;s Shillong <a href="https://t.co/SUWZEQ34cZ">pic.twitter.com/SUWZEQ34cZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970892378017095681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Last week Meghalaya polls <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dont-see-maturity-in-rahul-gandhi-himanta-biswa-on-congress-staking-claim-to-form-govt-in-meghalaya-34643">had thrown up a hung assembly</a>, however, to break the deadlock the BJP along with the United Democratic Party (UDP) extended support to the NPP after it bagged the second largest seats - 19 in all - in the 60 member state assembly.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah arrive for oath taking ceremony of Meghalaya CM elect Conrad Sangma &amp; others in Shillong <a href="https://t.co/ehx91TcaUT">pic.twitter.com/ehx91TcaUT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970886677760823296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Although&nbsp;the Congress had bagged 21 seats but it wasn&#39;t able to cobble together a government as the Opposition was determined to form a &quot;non-Congress&quot; in the state.

During the polls, BJP got 2&nbsp;seats, the United Democratic Party bagged 6&nbsp;seats, the People&#39;s Democratic Front won 4 seats, the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party got 2&nbsp;seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement won one seat&nbsp;each and Independents bagged three seats.

Congress which had bagged 21 seats wasn't able to cobble together a government

National People's Party(NPP) leader Conrad Sangma was today sworn-in as Meghalaya chief minister after he took oath in a glittering ceremony attended by BJP president Amit Shah and home minister Rajnath Singh. NPP's Conrad Sangma takes oath as Meghalaya CM in Shillong. pic.twitter.com/bDZB4KnLM7 — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × In a much-anticipated oath-taking ceremony, NPP president Conrad Sangma's party members arrived in Shillong today to take oath to form the new government in Meghalaya as the BJP helped to setup another government in the North East. Read: Who is Conrad Sangma? Council of Ministers being sworn-in at oath ceremony in Meghalaya's Shillong pic.twitter.com/SUWZEQ34cZ — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × Last week Meghalaya polls had thrown up a hung assembly, however, to break the deadlock the BJP along with the United Democratic Party (UDP) extended support to the NPP after it bagged the second largest seats - 19 in all - in the 60 member state assembly. #Meghalaya Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah arrive for oath taking ceremony of Meghalaya CM elect Conrad Sangma & others in Shillong pic.twitter.com/ehx91TcaUT — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × Although the Congress had bagged 21 seats but it wasn't able to cobble together a government as the Opposition was determined to form a "non-Congress" in the state. During the polls, BJP got 2 seats, the United Democratic Party bagged 6 seats, the People's Democratic Front won 4 seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got 2 seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement won one seat each and Independents bagged three seats.

NPP leader Conrad Sangma sworn in as Meghalaya chief minister

National People&#39;s Party (NPP) president Conrad Sangma took oath as the 12th chief minister of Meghalaya in Shillong today.&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli were present at the swearing-in ceremony.&nbsp;

Here are the 12 MLAs who were sworn in as a council of ministers:

Prestone Tynsong, NPP 
Sniawbhalang Dhar, NPP 
James K Sangma, NPP 
Comingone Ymbon, NPP 
Metbah Lyngdoh, UDP 
Kyrmen Shylla, UDP 
Lahkmen Rymbui, UDP 
Banteidor Lyngdoh, PDF 
Hamletson Dohling, PDF 
AL Hek, BJP 
Samlin Malngiang, HSPDP

It must be noted that the council of ministers include five first-timers, meaning they have become an MLAs for the first time.

Three ex-Congress leaders &ndash; Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dharm, and Comingone Ymbon, who joined the NPP before the polls have also been rewarded by giving them important portfolios and including them in the council of ministers.

NPP president Conrad Sangma's party members arrived in Shillong today to take oath to form the new government in Meghalaya as the BJP helped to setup another government in the North East

National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad Sangma took oath as the 12th chief minister of Meghalaya in Shillong today. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli were present at the swearing-in ceremony. Here are the 12 MLAs who were sworn in as a council of ministers: Prestone Tynsong, NPP Sniawbhalang Dhar, NPP James K Sangma, NPP Comingone Ymbon, NPP Metbah Lyngdoh, UDP Kyrmen Shylla, UDP Lahkmen Rymbui, UDP Banteidor Lyngdoh, PDF Hamletson Dohling, PDF AL Hek, BJP Samlin Malngiang, HSPDP It must be noted that the council of ministers include five first-timers, meaning they have become an MLAs for the first time. Three ex-Congress leaders – Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dharm, and Comingone Ymbon, who joined the NPP before the polls have also been rewarded by giving them important portfolios and including them in the council of ministers.

Meghalaya: The full list of Conrad Sangma's ministers

National People&#39;s Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma took oath as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/conrad-sangmas-national-peoples-party-members-take-oath-to-form-govt-in-meghalaya-34822">twelfth chief minister of Meghalaya</a> on Tuesday. In the 60-member <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/npps-conrad-sangma-to-be-next-chief-minister-of-meghalaya-says-bjp-34635">Meghalaya Assembly</a> with an effective strength of 59, at least 30 seats is required to form majority. Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs - 19 from his own party NPP, two each from BJP and HSPDP, six from the UDP, four from the PDF and an Independent.

The 40-year-old is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from the Tura constituency after his father&#39;s death.

Sangma took over as the president of National People&#39;s Party after his father&#39;s death.

He pursued his BBA in Entrepreneurial Management and MBA (Finance) from University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College, London. The bespectacled leader has a keen interest in music and likes to play guitar and piano. He has also organised a number of musical events in his home state.

In his free time, Sangma likes to read, spend time with family and listen to music. Travelling is one of his passions.

He is also the president of the Meghalaya Cricket Association and works closely with P A Sangma Foundation which is associated with education sector.

The 40-year-old is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who died in 2016.

National People's Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma took oath as twelfth chief minister of Meghalaya on Tuesday. In the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly with an effective strength of 59, at least 30 seats is required to form majority. Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs - 19 from his own party NPP, two each from BJP and HSPDP, six from the UDP, four from the PDF and an Independent. The 40-year-old is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from the Tura constituency after his father's death. Sangma took over as the president of National People's Party after his father's death. He pursued his BBA in Entrepreneurial Management and MBA (Finance) from University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College, London. The bespectacled leader has a keen interest in music and likes to play guitar and piano. He has also organised a number of musical events in his home state. In his free time, Sangma likes to read, spend time with family and listen to music. Travelling is one of his passions. He is also the president of the Meghalaya Cricket Association and works closely with P A Sangma Foundation which is associated with education sector.

Profile of Conrad Sangma, the new Chief Minister of Meghalaya

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party&#39;s defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region.

Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress&#39;s poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people.

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The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. 
 
We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. 
 
My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/970577646869536768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government.

Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state.&nbsp;

Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail.

The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul also appreciated the hard work of party workers

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party's defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region. Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress's poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people. The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 5, 2018 × Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government. Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state. Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail. The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul Gandhi accepts defeat in NE, says Congress respects people's mandate

After the Meghalaya polls threw a hung verdict, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) Sunday extended support to the second largest party NPP to form a non-Congress government in the hill state.

However, the BJP said they will only extend support once the regional outfit takes an initiative in this regard.&nbsp;

National People&#39;s Party (NPP) bagged the second-highest 19 seats in the just concluded 60-member assembly state.&nbsp;

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said the verdict of the assembly elections in Meghalaya was against the Congress, which ruled the state for a decade, and against incumbent Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

&quot;We want the NPP to take the initiative and the BJP will provide full cooperation. We are here to help form a non-Congress government,&quot; he told reporters here.

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How can we have upper hand? BJP has 2, upper hand will be NPP 19, followed by next upper hand UDP, they are 6. We are in discussion with PDF also. That is why at 5 pm we are going to meet governor with 29 members, that number will definitely go up: Himanta Biswa Sarma <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/aZSMj5lvPh">pic.twitter.com/aZSMj5lvPh</a>
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UDP has extended a support letter to us &amp; we have discussed threadbare. It is just a matter of 2 hours, you will come to know everything, who will be the leader. Let it unfold officially in a dignified manner: Himanta Biswa Sarma <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/vutWSpKfSz">pic.twitter.com/vutWSpKfSz</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970238766886502400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sarma said the BJP will encourage smaller parties and independents to join hands with the NPP to form the next government in Meghalaya.

He said the saffron party would not like to take the lead in government formation even though it is ready to talk to everyone unofficially to form a government.

In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People&#39;s Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

BJP asked the regional outfit to take an initiative in this regard

After the Meghalaya polls threw a hung verdict, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) Sunday extended support to the second largest party NPP to form a non-Congress government in the hill state. However, the BJP said they will only extend support once the regional outfit takes an initiative in this regard. National People's Party (NPP) bagged the second-highest 19 seats in the just concluded 60-member assembly state. Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said the verdict of the assembly elections in Meghalaya was against the Congress, which ruled the state for a decade, and against incumbent Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. "We want the NPP to take the initiative and the BJP will provide full cooperation. We are here to help form a non-Congress government," he told reporters here. How can we have upper hand? BJP has 2, upper hand will be NPP 19, followed by next upper hand UDP, they are 6. We are in discussion with PDF also. That is why at 5 pm we are going to meet governor with 29 members, that number will definitely go up: Himanta Biswa Sarma #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/aZSMj5lvPh — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × UDP has extended a support letter to us & we have discussed threadbare. It is just a matter of 2 hours, you will come to know everything, who will be the leader. Let it unfold officially in a dignified manner: Himanta Biswa Sarma #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/vutWSpKfSz — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Sarma said the BJP will encourage smaller parties and independents to join hands with the NPP to form the next government in Meghalaya. He said the saffron party would not like to take the lead in government formation even though it is ready to talk to everyone unofficially to form a government. In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People's Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

Meghalaya: BJP, UDP extend support to NPP to form non-Congress government

Speaking at the &quot;Youth Power Convention&quot; event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations.&nbsp;

He said &quot; There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes &amp; aspirations&quot;.

He&nbsp;also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert&nbsp;ideas of school students into innovation.

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Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/l8AyxsiBQe">pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe</a>
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&nbsp;

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&quot;Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, &quot;Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava&quot;: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/gjnaVjwWhP">pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP</a>
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Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I&#39;m not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east&#39;s celebrations&quot; &quot;It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change&quot;.

&nbsp;

Speaking at Yuva Power Convention PM Modi said 'I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations'

Speaking at the "Youth Power Convention" event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations. He said " There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations". He also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert ideas of school students into innovation. Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × "Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, "Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava": PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East. He said, "A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I'm not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east's celebrations" "It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change".

Always try to work according to hopes and aspirations of youth: PM Modi

The NPP is all set to form a non-Congress government in Meghalaya with the support of three regional parties, the BJP and one Independent MLA.

Conrad Sangma, the lone NPP Lok Sabha member from Tura constituency, will be sworn in as the Chief Minister on March 6.

Sangma on Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.&nbsp;

NPP came out as the second largest party with 19 seats in the recently held elections which threw a hung verdict.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who earlier in the day extended support to NPP, informed that Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of the state.&nbsp;

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Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://t.co/Ou22DLZ8fh">pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh</a>
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Sarma also informed that there will be no deputy CM in the new government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/moPYMOYE33">pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33</a>
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Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow.&nbsp;

&quot;Next 2-3 days are very crucial because Assembly term gets over. The House expires on 7th before that everything has to take place and by tomorrow everything will be clear,&quot; he said&nbsp;

&quot;We have submitted a letter of support of 34 legislators to Governor Ganga Prasad and staked claimed to form the new government,&quot; Conrad Sangma told media as he emerged from Raj Bhavan.

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NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma met <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> Governor to stake claim to form government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. <a href="https://t.co/27NaL1UAwV">pic.twitter.com/27NaL1UAwV</a>
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When questioned how successful the coalition government will be for the state, Conrad Sangma said &quot;running a coalition government is never easy but I am confident that the MLAs who are with us are very committed to the state and people, will work towards development of the state.&quot;

As per media reports, the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. 
&nbsp; 
Earlier, Congress also staked its claim to form the next government in Meghalaya after senior party leaders met the Meghalaya Governor last night.&nbsp;

Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats in the 60-member assembly.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

NPP came out as the second largest party with 19 seats

The NPP is all set to form a non-Congress government in Meghalaya with the support of three regional parties, the BJP and one Independent MLA. Conrad Sangma, the lone NPP Lok Sabha member from Tura constituency, will be sworn in as the Chief Minister on March 6. Sangma on Sunday met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. NPP came out as the second largest party with 19 seats in the recently held elections which threw a hung verdict. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who earlier in the day extended support to NPP, informed that Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of the state. Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of #Meghalaya: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Sarma also informed that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. 1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow. "Next 2-3 days are very crucial because Assembly term gets over. The House expires on 7th before that everything has to take place and by tomorrow everything will be clear," he said "We have submitted a letter of support of 34 legislators to Governor Ganga Prasad and staked claimed to form the new government," Conrad Sangma told media as he emerged from Raj Bhavan. NPP's Conrad Sangma met #Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. pic.twitter.com/27NaL1UAwV — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × When questioned how successful the coalition government will be for the state, Conrad Sangma said "running a coalition government is never easy but I am confident that the MLAs who are with us are very committed to the state and people, will work towards development of the state." As per media reports, the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. Earlier, Congress also staked its claim to form the next government in Meghalaya after senior party leaders met the Meghalaya Governor last night. Congress emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats in the 60-member assembly.

NPP set to form non-Congress govt in Meghalaya with BJP, Conrad Sangma to be next CM

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways.

The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party&rsquo;s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate.

The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right &mdash; indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace &mdash; and here too it&rsquo;s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region.

The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically.

Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology &mdash; whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party&rsquo;s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues.

If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it&rsquo;s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre.

Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in.

If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party&rsquo;s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power?

There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region of north-east India is now painted saffron.

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways. The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate. The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right — indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace — and here too it’s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region. The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically. Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology — whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party’s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues. If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People’s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it’s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre. Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in. If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party’s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power? There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: BJP's bandwagon continues to roll in NE

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-demolishes-left-citadel-in-tripura-certain-to-be-part-of-government-in-nagaland-34576" target="_blank">remarkable victory</a> in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday.

The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm.

BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-never-so-diminished-as-it-is-now-narendra-modi-34570" target="_blank">Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi</a>

BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of&nbsp;left government from the state.&nbsp;

In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura.&nbsp;

The party&nbsp;and its alliance also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557" target="_blank">emerged victorious in Nagaland</a>.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its remarkable victory in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday. The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm. BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly. Also read: Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of left government from the state. In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura. The party and its alliance also emerged victorious in Nagaland.

BJP to celebrate Vijay Diwas to mark its victory in North East

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya.&nbsp;

Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state.

&quot;I don&#39;t see maturity in him,&quot; Biswa added. &nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> BJP&#39;s Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don&#39;t see maturity in him. <a href="https://t.co/c8TdDewBef">pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970299721381240832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now.

He also added that the number is likely to increase.&nbsp;

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1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> <a href="https://t.co/moPYMOYE33">pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33</a>
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NPP&#39;s Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state.

Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow.&nbsp;

BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state.&nbsp;

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Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP <a href="https://t.co/Ou22DLZ8fh">pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970285004692606977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. &nbsp;

In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People&#39;s Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People&#39;s Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats. 
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Earlier, Congress staked claim to form next government in Meghalaya

Assam minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi for staking claim to form next government in Meghalaya. Biswa said that without any proper calculations, Rahul sent four senior Congress leaders to Shillong to stake claim to form next government in the state. "I don't see maturity in him," Biswa added. #WATCH BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma says Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don't see maturity in him. pic.twitter.com/c8TdDewBef — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × The BJP leader, who earlier extended support to NPP, said they have a total of 34 members with them as of now. He also added that the number is likely to increase. 1 MLA out of every 2 MLAs of all the parties will form part of the govt. So 1 MLA, out of the 2, of BJP will be a part of it too: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/moPYMOYE33 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × NPP's Conrad Sangma today met Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the next government in the Northeast state. Addressing media after his meeting with the governor, Sangma said the next two-three days are very crucial and promised that everything will be clear by tomorrow. BJP too supported the decision and declared Sangma as the next chief minister of the Northeast state. Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of #Meghalaya: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Biswa stated that there will be no deputy CM in the new government. In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People's Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

'Don't see maturity in Rahul Gandhi': Himanta Biswa on Congress staking claim to form govt in Meghalaya

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland.

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party&#39;s senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government.

No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland.

The Congress defended Gandhi&#39;s visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother.

The party&#39;s leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents.

The Congress&#39; move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught &quot;napping&quot; in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments.

Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.

Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said.

No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said.

Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.&nbsp;

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland. The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party's senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government. No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress defended Gandhi's visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother. The party's leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents. The Congress' move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught "napping" in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments. Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma. Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it. The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said. No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said. Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.

Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524">Live updates: Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524">results</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524"> today</a>

Counting of votes begins for Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya assembly elections. Results are expected by the afternoon. Tripura went to the polls on February 18. Elections in Meghalya and Nagaland were held on February 27.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/central-michigan-university-shooting-gunman-identified-shot-parents-34522">Central Michigan University shooting: Gunman identified, shot parents</a>

A gunman suspected of killing his parents at a Central Michigan University dormitory during a domestic dispute on Friday was still at large, authorities said. According to media reports, 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr was a sophomore at Michigan University who targeted two people at the University due to personal rivalry.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gauri-lankesh-murder-suspect-taken-to-custody-34521">Gauri Lankesh murder: Suspect taken into custody</a>

The Karnataka Police has taken a suspected accused KT Naveen Kumar into police custody for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. As per media reports, Naveen was caught by the crime wing of the state police&#39;s central crime branch on February 18.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/shoot-a-school-kid-only-29-says-vandalized-vegas-billboard-34525">&#39;Shoot a school kid only $29,&#39; says vandalized Vegas billboard</a>

In yet another demand for the gun reforms on Friday, as an aftermath to Florida High school shooting, a billboard at Las Vegas was vandalised to read, &quot;Shoot a school kid only $29,&quot;. The billboard originally read, &quot;Shoot a .50 caliber only $29.&quot; It was an advertisement for a local firing range called Battlefield Vegas, which, according to its website, is a business owned and operated by veterans that features a &quot;military-style complex&quot; a block from the Las Vegas Strip, as well as additional &quot;outdoor training areas.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/storm-hits-us-northeast-kills-at-least-five-people-34528">Storm hits US Northeast, kills at least five people</a>

A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 80 miles per hour (129 km per hour) helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region. Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummelled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 60 mph (96 kph) in the U.S. capital.

Live updates: Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland results today Counting of votes begins for Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya assembly elections. Results are expected by the afternoon. Tripura went to the polls on February 18. Elections in Meghalya and Nagaland were held on February 27. Central Michigan University shooting: Gunman identified, shot parents A gunman suspected of killing his parents at a Central Michigan University dormitory during a domestic dispute on Friday was still at large, authorities said. According to media reports, 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr was a sophomore at Michigan University who targeted two people at the University due to personal rivalry. Gauri Lankesh murder: Suspect taken into custody The Karnataka Police has taken a suspected accused KT Naveen Kumar into police custody for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. As per media reports, Naveen was caught by the crime wing of the state police's central crime branch on February 18. 'Shoot a school kid only $29,' says vandalized Vegas billboard In yet another demand for the gun reforms on Friday, as an aftermath to Florida High school shooting, a billboard at Las Vegas was vandalised to read, "Shoot a school kid only $29,". The billboard originally read, "Shoot a .50 caliber only $29." It was an advertisement for a local firing range called Battlefield Vegas, which, according to its website, is a business owned and operated by veterans that features a "military-style complex" a block from the Las Vegas Strip, as well as additional "outdoor training areas." Storm hits US Northeast, kills at least five people A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 80 miles per hour (129 km per hour) helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region. Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummelled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 60 mph (96 kph) in the U.S. capital.

WION Morning News Brief, March 3, 2018

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren.

Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states.

Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it&rsquo;s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya.

Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war.

Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt.

Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal.

Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014.

What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative.

From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP&rsquo;s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy.

It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism.

Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal.

The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders.

Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For Congress, anti BJP-ism like anti Congress-ism of 70s-80s will not work.

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren. Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states. Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it’s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya. Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war. Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt. Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal. Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014. What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative. From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP’s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy. It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism. Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal. The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders. Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Like it or not, BJP has captured North East

About 86 per cent voters exercised their franchise during re-polling at one polling station Raliang constituency in Meghalaya today, Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said.

The re-poll was ordered at Kyndong Tuber polling station after polling officers stopped voting on February 27 following a mixed up of voting machines, he said.

Till 4 pm at the close of the poll today, 544 of the total 628 voters cast their votes in Kyndong Tuber polling station and this accounted to about 86 per cent of polling, Kharkongor told PTI.

The re-poll was by and large peaceful.

Polling for 59 of the 60 Assembly seats was held in the north-eastern state on February 27. Around 84.86 per cent votes were polled on that day.

Polling was countermanded in the Williamnagar constituency due to the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma on February 18.

The re-poll was ordered at Kyndong Tuber polling station after polling officers stopped voting on February 27

About 86 per cent voters exercised their franchise during re-polling at one polling station Raliang constituency in Meghalaya today, Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said. The re-poll was ordered at Kyndong Tuber polling station after polling officers stopped voting on February 27 following a mixed up of voting machines, he said. Till 4 pm at the close of the poll today, 544 of the total 628 voters cast their votes in Kyndong Tuber polling station and this accounted to about 86 per cent of polling, Kharkongor told PTI. The re-poll was by and large peaceful. Polling for 59 of the 60 Assembly seats was held in the north-eastern state on February 27. Around 84.86 per cent votes were polled on that day. Polling was countermanded in the Williamnagar constituency due to the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma on February 18.

Meghalaya re-poll: 86% turnout registered

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