National News
On-again, off-again alliances cast shadow on Assam oppn poll pact for 2024
The non-BJP opposition parties in Assam forged an abortive alliance in last years March-April state Assembly polls and again in the by-elections in October. But they are yet to make up their minds about another possible alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress-led ‘Mahajot’, a grand alliance of 10 parties, miserably failed in the 2021 elections against the BJP-led three party alliance, which includes the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
Following the defeat in the Assembly elections, the Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) walked out from ‘Mahajot’ and fielded separate candidates for the October 30, 2021, bypolls to five seats dividing the non-BJP votes.
According to political pundits, any kind of an occasional alliance among the parties does not make up any productive chemistry in the mindsets of the voters.
“If the electoral alliance between like minded parties form much before an election, then the common workers of the parties in particular and the people in general understand the efficacy of the poll deal,” political analyst Bijan Baruah told IANS.
“A genuine alliance of different parties can take forward the local, state level and national issues to the people. But if is forms just before the elections then the outcome of the coalition in most occasions does not yield expected results.”
According to the analyst, the Congress has several internal problems, including an indifferent attitude and mindset towards the state organisations’ pro-active works to beat the BJP or rival parties.
“These predicaments caused the party to lose in one election after the other, as well as alienation from the common people,” Baruah observed.
Since last year’s assembly polls, the main opposition Congress in Assam is yet to get the solid support from the Lurinjyoti Gogoi-led Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Raijor Dal headed by Akhil Gogoi.
The AJP, Raijor Dal and AIUDF have reasonable support bases in different parts of Assam, specially among the indigenous people, tea tribes and Muslims, who play vital roles in the state’s electoral politics.
Speaking to IANS, political commentator and writer Sushanta Talukdar said: “Both the BJP and Congress have high stakes in Assam’s politics. But it is too early before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls about the permutation and combination of the fast changing electoral politics.
“The Congress might be trying to consolidate its position in the northeast on its own but reality shows that it has to take the support of the other non-BJP parties, specially the local ones.”
Talukdar, also is also the editor of multilingual online portal ‘Nezine’, said that the non-BJP parties’ joint programmes and agitations from now onwards can get them a dividend in the 2024 polls but such serious efforts not yet visible now.
Assam has more than 10 lakh tea garden workers in the organised sector working in 850 tea estates. They play a crucial role both in the politics and in the electoral battle.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims account for 34.22 per cent of the state’s population, while Hindus and other religions make up for for the rest of the 3.12 crore people in Assam.
Of the 126 Assembly seats, religious minorities decide the electoral fate of 23, mostly in western and southern Assam and also play a crucial role in about seven more.
Of Assam’s 34 districts, 12 per cent or more Muslims reside in 19.
Muslims are a majority in the districts of Dhubri (79.67), Barpeta (70.74 per cent), Darrang (64.34 per cent), Hailakandi (60.31 per cent), Goalpara (57.52 per cent) and Bongaigaon (50.22 per cent).
Over four million population, mostly Bengali speaking, reside in the Barak Valley’s Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.
National News
‘34 massacres took place in between 1990-2005’: HM Amit Shah lambasts RJD

Patna, Nov 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lambasted the RJD leadership for the alleged “jungle raj”, accusing them of 34 bloody massacres between 1990 and 2005 during their tenure.
Addressing a virtual rally for NDA candidates in Gopalganj, Shah cited 34 massacres that took place during that period, including Bara, Senari, Bathani Tola, Laxmanpur-Bathe, Shankar Bigha and Miapur.
“This is not an election to elect an MLA or minister, but an election to choose between good governance under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, or the Jungle Raj of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan),” Shah said.
The Home Minister said that this election will decide who will control Bihar, those who oversaw years of jungle raj, or the PM Modi-Nitish Kumar combine that has put Bihar on the path of development.
Shah was scheduled to attend the rally in person but said he was unable to fly due to bad weather and addressed the virtual rally from Patna.
“I apologise to the people of Gopalganj who turned out in large numbers. We did not get permission to take off due to weather conditions,” he said, adding that Gopalganj has never elected an RJD MP or MLA since 2002 and expressing confidence that the district would maintain this record.
Shah also highlighted the NDA manifesto and repeated two promises targeting women and farmers.
He said the government had already transferred Rs 10,000 to each of 1.41 crore Jeevika Didis and promised that after government formation, they would be given an additional Rs 2 lakh each.
For farmers, he claimed that the annual PM-Kisan support would be increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000.
Calling these not small commitments, Shah said, “Rs 9,000 a year to 87 lakh farmers and Rs 2.10 lakh each to 1.41 crore Jeevika Didis – this is not a small thing.”
He further claimed the Narendra Modi government had decided to reopen all sugar mills of Bihar, saying several had already restarted, including three in Gopalganj and one rice mill, while Riga Sugar Mill in Sitamarhi was functioning.
Shah also announced new infrastructure commitments, including an expressway from Dumariaghat (Gopalganj) to Patna and the redevelopment of Thave railway station.
National News
‘Onboard LTTE-ISI Operatives’: IndiGo Flight From Jeddah To Hyderabad Diverted To Mumbai After Receiving ‘Human Bomb’ Threat

Mumbai: An IndiGo flight 6E 68 traveling from Jeddah to Hyderabad was diverted to Mumbai on November 1, following ‘human bomb’ threat email. The Rajiv Gandhi International (RGIA) Airport in Hyderabad received a threat email early morning which claimed that there was a “human bomb” onboard the flight. However, the plane was diverted and safely landed in Mumbai.
According to the police, the threat mail stated, “…onboard LTTE-ISI operatives have planned a major 1984 Madras Airport Modus operandi style blast,” as quoted by news agency media.
On the incident, IndiGo spokesperson also released a statement and said, “A security threat was received for IndiGo flight 6E 68 operating from Jeddah to Hyderabad on November 1 and the aircraft was diverted to Mumbai.” After the information was received, following the established protocols, the relevant authorities were immediately informed. All the necessary security checks along with the relevant authorities were carried out before the aircraft was cleared for further operations.
In addition to this, the IndiGo Spokesperson also added, “We made all efforts to minimise inconvenience to our customers including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates,” as quoted by media.
Mumbai has witnessed several instances of bomb threats targeting schools, hospitals, airports, temples, the Bombay High Court, and other public places
On October 9, a threatening email was received at the Bandra Family Court in BKC. Following the email, the BKC police station and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) were informed. In the email, the sender claimed that a bomb had been planted in the BKC Family Court.
In September, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi received a bomb threat. The flight 6E 762 had around 200 people on board and the security agencies found the threat to be non-specific, the source told media.
On September 28, Mumbai’s Shivaji Park Police Station received a bomb threat where caller claimed that a bomb had been planted at Dadar Railway Station. Prior to that, the Bombay High Court had received a threatening email claiming that a bomb had been planted on its premises.
National News
Gujarat: Applications for selection of State Haj Inspectors for Haj 2026 open till Nov 3

Gandhinagar, Nov 1: The Gujarat State Haj Committee under the General Administration Department has invited applications from eligible state government employees interested in serving as State Haj Inspectors for Haj–2026, government officials said on Saturday.
The online application process, which began on October 15, 2025, will remain open for only two more days — until November 3, 2025, while offline submission of applications will be accepted until November 5, 2025.
The role of the State Haj Inspector is crucial in assisting pilgrims during their sacred journey.
Selected officials will be deputed to Saudi Arabia for nearly two months under the supervision of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah through the Haj Committee of India.
The deputation period will be treated as official duty, and regular salary and allowances will be paid by the respective departments.
To be eligible for selection as a State Haj Inspector for Haj–2026, applicants must be Muslim officers or employees currently serving under the Gujarat government, its public sector undertakings, autonomous institutions, or commissions, and must possess a graduate degree from a recognised university.
However, officers belonging to Class I or equivalent cadres, as well as contractual employees or those engaged through outsourcing arrangements, are not eligible to apply.
The applicant’s age must also be below 50 years as of October 15, 2025, ensuring that only physically fit and capable individuals are considered for the demanding nature of the assignment.
Each candidate must also hold a valid Indian passport, with an expiry date extending beyond December 31, 2026, to cover the entire duration of the Haj deputation period and related travel requirements.
Applicants, who have previously served as State Haj Inspectors or Khadim-ul-Hujjaj on three or more occasions will not be considered, as preference will be given to new candidates or those with fewer prior deputations to encourage wider participation among eligible government employees.
In addition, every applicant must upload a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by their respective department, organisation, or competent authority at the time of online submission.
In cases where the NOC is not available at the time of applying, candidates are required to upload a written undertaking or declaration, committing to submit the NOC during the interview stage.
This ensures administrative clearance and accountability for deputation from the parent department.
Interested applicants must first submit their application on the Haj Committee of India website (http://hajcommittee.gov.in) by November 3, 2025.
Later, they must fill out the State Haj Committee online form on https://haj.gujarat.gov.in and upload the required details and documents.
A hard copy of the completed application, forwarded through the head of the respective department or public enterprise, must reach: Secretary, Gujarat State Haj Committee, Block No. 8, 8th Floor, Secretariat, Gandhinagar, by November 5, 2025, during office hours.
Applications that are incomplete, lack required documents, or are received after the deadline will not be considered for the selection process.
As per the guidelines of the Haj Committee of India and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, candidates will be selected through a computer-based test followed by an interview.
For Haj–2026, one State Haj Inspector will be appointed for every 150 pilgrims.
Selected candidates will be required to obtain approval from their parent department or competent authority and bear 50 per cent of the deputation cost (Rs 2,10,000).
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