Connect with us
Monday,30-June-2025
Breaking News

National News

2023 polls to set tone for 2024, but will BJP get closer to ‘Cong-mukt Bharat’?

Published

on

Year 2022 was a milestone for the BJP in terms of electoral success as it secured a record breaking win in its strongest bastion, Gujarat.

The party also created a record by retaining power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

It, however, failed to form government in Himachal Pradesh. The party that raised the slogan of ‘Congress-mukt bharat’, was defeated by the Congress in the hill state.

Given this, now 2023 will be crucial for the saffron party as the elections to be held in the year would decide the course of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The coming year would tell whether Congress has regained its strength or BJP’s slogan of Congress-free India is headed towards success.

Out of 10 states and Union Territories- Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and J&K, where Assembly elections are to be held in 2023, the BJP will be engaging in direct contest with the Congress in all the states except Telangana and J&K.

The saffron party is expected to hold its national executive meeting in mid-January, 2023 to chalk out a strategy for the upcoming Assembly polls.

In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, which are currently under the Congress rule, the BJP is attempting to oust it from power.

The BJP wants to give a jolt to both the Gandhi family and the Congress by defeating Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan and Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh, as both these leaders are considered very close to the Gandhi family.

The saffron party faced defeat in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in the 2018 Assembly elections, and gained power much later due to major defection by Jyotiraditya Scindia among others in MP, and the success of Operation Lotus in Karnataka.

In order to defeat the Gehlot government in Rajasthan, the BJP has been taking out a Jan Aakrosh Yatra in all the 200 assembly seats of the state and is also preparing for a big campaign by bringing all the factions together.

The BJP is trying to unite the party divided into factions in Chhattisgarh, and taking the help of organisations affiliated to the RSS to strengthen its base in the state.

The Shivraj government and the BJP high command have been gearing up to win the elections in Madhya Pradesh.

To change the political atmosphere in Karnataka in its favour, the BJP high command removed the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and made Basavaraj Bommai the Chief Minister in 2021.

Yediyurappa was then made a member of BJP Parliamentary Board Committee, party’s highest and most powerful body, in a bid to appease all factions and caste equations, and to send a political message to the people of the state.

Assembly elections are also due in Telangana where the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi) is in power and K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the Chief Minister.

Rao is engaged in a campaign to unite all opposition parties against the BJP across the country, while the latter is working on a strategy to defeat Rao in his home state.

In view of Assembly elections to be held in 2023 in J&K, the BJP which has a stronghold in Jammu, has been trying hard to strengthen its base in Kashmir.

In all these states, the BJP is expected to take the advantage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, which is why Modi will be seen engaged in more programmes and rallies in these states under the strategy for 2023.

Along with free ration being provided to more than 80 crore people, attempts will be made to spread information of the Centre’s other achievements among the people.

The party is also eyeing the Muslim votes and has been laying emphasis on preparations to seek the support of the Muslim community, especially the backward Muslims, in these elections.

The BJP high command will review its strategy by visiting Delhi and the capitals of the states where the elections will be held in 2023, several times in the new year.

These meetings will be held under the command of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda and General Secretary B.L. Santosh.

Legislative Assembly elections are also to be held in Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram in 2023.

Tripura is currently ruled by the BJP and as part of its election strategy, the party has changed the Chief Minister in the state.

In Meghalaya and Nagaland, the BJP-backed government is in power, while in Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) is in power.

National News

241 dead, one survivor as Air India Dreamliner crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad: Air India

Published

on

New Delhi, June 13: In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 p.m. (IST) on Thursday before losing control moments later and crashing into a densely populated area, igniting a massive blaze and triggering emergency response teams across the city.

Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X: “UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.”

The airline also shared the nationality breakdown of passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support,” the statement added.

The national carrier has pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the crash and has established dedicated helplines for families seeking information.

Domestic callers can reach the support team at 1800 5691 444, while international callers are advised to dial +91 8062779200.

Regular updates will be provided through Air India’s official website and its X handle.

Continue Reading

National News

Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches TN’s Dhanushkodi sanctuary, raising alarm

Published

on

Chennai, June 10: A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems.

The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.

The ship’s cargo manifest remains undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental risk.

Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, supports 128 species of birds — including Greater and Lesser Flamingos — and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.

The nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing — resemble fish eggs and can be deadly to marine life. When ingested, they cause internal blockages, starvation, and often death. They also absorb toxins, entering the food chain and posing long-term health hazards.

About 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have reportedly washed ashore along a 12-km coastal stretch. Affected sites include the Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti village.

Carried by ocean currents from the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari coast, the spill now threatens the adjacent Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, home to vital coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Experts warn these habitats could be smothered by plastic debris, blocking sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis.

Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said, “We’ve identified between 15 and 30 nurdle bags along the coast. A special team has been deployed for cleanup, and additional teams are monitoring for further debris.”

He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was underway.

The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled fisheries.

Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms, threatening entire food chains.

Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face challenges due to the nurdles’ buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon waves that break them into microplastics.

With the 61-day annual fishing ban nearing its end, fishermen fear reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the spill worsens.

Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo transparency, and long-term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.

Continue Reading

National News

Eight Punjab and Haryana HC judges take lead to boost Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack

Published

on

Srinagar, June 9: To give a boost to Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack, eight judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are visiting the valley along with their families.

The visit of the legal personalities along with their families carries a powerful message for the revival of tourism in Kashmir, which got shattered after the Pahalgam terror attack.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists of Lashkar-e-Kashmir (LeT) killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner.

The pony owner sacrificed his life while trying to protect the tourists from the bullets of the terrorists.

The terror attack caused outrage in the entire country, and to avenge the killings of innocent civilians, the Indian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

In retaliation for India’s attack on terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Eighteen civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling, 13 of them in Poonch district, in addition to the destruction of scores of homes, shops, a temple, a mosque, a church and a Gurudwara.

The itinerary of the visiting high court judges includes visits to the Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, a visit to the historic Pari Mahal and buying a few handicrafts at the local market.

There could be no better omen for the revival of tourism in Kashmir than the decision of the honourable justices of the High Court to come here along with their families.

Coinciding with the visit of these dignitaries, local tour and travel operators and hotel owners are reporting a gradual rise in the tourist bookings that had virtually stopped after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tour and travel operators and others connected with the tourist industry have expressed hope that the visit by the most respected legal dignitaries, like the high court judges, will restore confidence among visitors, both domestic and foreign, that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination.

Continue Reading

Trending