National News
Cong flop show in Delhi: Knocked out of top 3 slots in 3 constituencies

New Delhi, Feb 8: As the counting for the Delhi Assembly elections nears its conclusion, the Congress party, once a dominant force in the national Capital, appears set for yet another electoral washout, failing to win even a single seat this term.
The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years from 1998 to 2013, is now staring at its fourth straight defeat in Assembly elections, underscoring its sharp decline in influence across the city.
This time, the party’s struggle was particularly evident in three key Assembly seats — Mehrauli, Okhla, and Mustafabad.
In Mustafabad, BJP candidate Mohan Singh Bisht emerged victorious with a lead of over 17,000 votes. The AAP’s Adeel Ahmad Khan secured second place, while AIMIM candidate Tahir Hussain — former AAP Councillor and a key accused in the 2020 Delhi riots — finished third. Congress candidate Ali Mehdi was left trailing far behind.
In Mehrauli, the BJP’s Gajender Singh Yadav maintained a lead, with the AAP’s Mahender Chaudhary in second place.
An Independent candidate, Balyogi Baba Balaknath, was in third place, while Congress candidate Pushpa Singh lagged at fourth place, with only two rounds of counting left.
Mehrauli is part of the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which comprises nine other Assembly segments, including Bijwasan, Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, Palam, and Badarpur. The BJP is leading in six of these seats.
In Okhla, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan maintained a strong lead of over 30,000 votes. AIMIM candidate Shifa Ur Rehman Khan was in second place, followed by BJP’s Manish Chaudhary.
Congress candidate Ariba Khan trailed at fourth, with eight rounds of counting remaining.
Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit, contesting from the New Delhi Assembly seat, admitted to the party’s poor performance, calling it “disappointing” and acknowledging that Congress had failed to reconnect with Delhi’s voters.
“We had hoped for 12-13 per cent of the vote share, but we fell short. We wanted to make a place for Congress in the hearts of the people but failed. It is disappointing,” Dikshit told media.
Asked about the reasons behind the Congress’ dismal showing, he said, “It is difficult to pinpoint right now. Maybe people wanted to vote for the Congress but were unsure if we could form a government, so they chose other parties instead.”
Dikshit was in a three-way battle in New Delhi against AAP National Convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the BJP’s Parvesh Verma, who won the seat.
As counting continues, early trends from the Election Commission of India (ECI) show the BJP crossing the halfway mark, leading in 48 of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats, while the AAP is ahead in 22. The Congress, however, remains absent from the tally.
Exit Polls had predicted a significant loss for the AAP, with the BJP expected to win between 45-55 seats. The Congress was projected to win just one seat but has failed to achieve even that.
The party’s failure to open its account once again underscores its declining relevance in Delhi politics. Once a formidable force under former Chief Minister late Sheila Dikshit, the Congress has been struggling to regain lost ground since the AAP’s rise in 2013.
Early trends initially showed the Congress leading in Badli, but this advantage quickly dissipated. With no leads in any constituency, the party is poised for another electoral wipeout.
The poor performance comes despite a high-profile campaign led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, who held multiple rallies in the run-up to the elections.
The Congress’ vote share has also been on a downward trajectory. The last time it won seats in Delhi was in 2013 when it secured eight constituencies. That election also marked the AAP’s debut, which disrupted the city’s political landscape.
In 2015, the Congress drew a blank, managing only a 9 per cent vote share, while AAP swept 67 out of 70 seats. The BJP won the remaining three.
The downward spiral continued in 2020, with Congress again failing to win a single seat and its vote share dropping below 5 per cent. AAP retained power with 62 seats, while the BJP managed just eight.
As the BJP celebrates its return to power in Delhi and AAP grapples with a significant setback, Congress’ continued decline raises serious questions about its future in the national Capital.
Education
CBSE pattern in Maha govt schools from academic year 2025-26: Education Minister Bhuse

Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Thursday that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern will be implemented in government schools across the state from the academic year 2025-26.
Textbooks under CBSE will be made available in Marathi by April 1.
The Education Department has issued instructions to the schools governed by the state education boards to implement the CBSE curriculum, the Minister told the Legislative Council.
The minister replied to the question raised by the BJP legislator Prasad Lad. He wanted to know whether the Steering Committee has approved the curriculum plan of the CBSE especially when the implementation of the National Education Policy for schools from class 3 to 12 is underway in the state.
“CBSE pattern will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026 and the government has taken this decision with an aim of improving the quality of students in the state,” said the minister.
His announcement comes days after the Steering Committee had approved the State Curriculum Framework in relation to the school education department.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reviewed the work of all the departments including the school education department for the next 100 days.
Accordingly, he had expressed confidence in the meeting of the School Education Department that Maharashtra would once again come to the forefront of school education.
The Chief Minister directed that the Education Department should take steps for quality education.
He has also directed the School Education Department about the adoption of the CBSE pattern in the state government schools by making necessary changes.
National News
Mumbai court grants mutual consent divorce to Yuzvendra Chahal, Dhanashree Verma

Mumbai, March 20: A family court in Mumbai’s Bandra on Thursday allowed a mutual consent divorce plea filed by cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and choreographer Dhanashree Verma.
Dhanashree and Chahal got engaged in 2020 and married in December of the same year in a private ceremony in Gurugram. “Divorce has been granted. The marriage has been dissolved. They are no longer husband and wife. The petition for divorce by mutual consent has been accepted,” Yuzvendra Chahal’s lawyer told media.
A day before, the Bombay High Court allowed an application filed by the estranged couple seeking waiver of the cooling-off period in their ongoing mutual consent divorce proceedings.
A bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Bombay HC directed the family court to decide the divorce petition on Thursday itself considering Chahal’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
The leg-spinner was picked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.
The Justice Jamdar-led Bench took note of the fact that the parties had been living apart for over two and a half years and had duly complied with the consent terms regarding the payment of alimony arrived at during the mediation process.
Under Hindu law, if the husband and wife have been living separately for one year or more, they may apply to obtain a decree of divorce by mutual consent. However, under Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a statutory cooling-off period of at least six months from the date of presentation of the divorce petition is provided, to explore possibilities of settlement and reunion between the couple.
The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in 2017, held that the 6-month cooling-off period is not mandatory, and the court may waive the condition if it is satisfied that there exists no possibility of parties resuming cohabitation.
The 28-year-old dancer, Dhanashree is known for her fusion dance performances that blend traditional Indian dance forms with contemporary styles.
Recently, Chahal was spotted amongst the spectators sitting next to social media star RJ Mahvash during the Champions Trophy Final. However, this was not the first time the two have been linked together.
Last year, in December, a picture of RJ Mahvash with the cricketer from a Christmas celebration went viral. The social media star then took to Instagram to set the record straight.
In a note, she wrote: “Some articles and speculations have been circulating around the Internet. It’s literally funny to see how baseless these rumours are. If you get seen with a person of the opposite gender, does that mean you are dating them? I’m sorry, what year is this? And how many people are you all dating then?” “I have been patient for 2-3 days now, but I won’t let any PR teams drag my name into this to cover up other people’s images. Let people live in peace with their friends and family during tough times.”
Chahal’s IPL journey, spanning over 160 matches, has been nothing short of remarkable. With 205 wickets to his name, he is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, having surpassed Dwayne Bravo’s record of 183 wickets during the 2023 season. His career average of 22.44 and an economy rate of 7.8 underline his ability to combine wicket-taking prowess with miserly spells, a rare feat in the T20 format.
Chahal’s crowning moment came in 2022 when he donned the Purple Cap for Rajasthan Royals (RR), scalping a phenomenal 27 wickets in the season.
During the 2024 edition, Chahal became the first bowler in IPL history to breach the 200-wicket milestone. His IPL tally includes six four-wicket hauls, one five-wicket haul, and a hat-trick. Between 2014 and 2021, Chahal was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s go-to spinner. In 113 matches for the franchise, he scalped 139 wickets, a record that still stands as the highest for any bowler in its colours.
Despite his dominance, RCB made the surprising decision not to retain him ahead of the 2022 mega auction.
Chahal’s resurgence post-RCB was nothing short of spectacular. Representing RR in the last three seasons, he claimed 66 wickets, underlining his consistent impact.
National News
Barelvi Cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Calls For Ban On ‘Chhava,’ Blames Film For Nagpur Riots

Bareilly: Barelvi sect cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has called for a ban on the film “Chhava,” alleging it was inciting communal tensions and was directly responsible for riots in Nagpur.
In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Razvi, who is also the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Dargah Aala Hazrat, requested immediate legal action against the film’s director, producer, and writer.
Razvi claimed that the film portrayed Emperor Aurangzeb in a manner that provoked Hindu youths.
“The atmosphere of the country is deteriorating since the release of the film Chhava,” Maulana Razvi stated in his letter. “In the film Chhava, Hindu youth have been incited and provoked by showing the image of Emperor Aurangzeb as anti-Hindu. This is the reason why leaders of Hindu organisations are giving hate speeches about Emperor Aurangzeb at various places.”
Razvi specifically cited the communal riots in Nagpur on Monday a direct consequence of the film’s release.
“I immediately appealed for peace through the media and kept in touch with the Ulama and Imams of the mosque of Nagpur throughout the night to calm the atmosphere,” he said.
“The Muslims of India do not consider Emperor Aurangzeb as their idol and leader. We consider him only a ruler, nothing more than that,” Razvi added.
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