Connect with us
Friday,17-October-2025
Breaking News

National News

Is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra proving to be a trouble shooter after Ahmed Patel?

Published

on

Priyanka-Gandhi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hopped from 10 Janpath, residence of party president Sonia Gandhi to 12 Tughlak Road, residence of Rahul Gandhi on Friday during the meeting with Bhupesh Baghel. At the end of the three-hour meet, it’s status quo in Chhattisgarh and there is no word on leadership change in the state.

Priyanka was seen exiting from 10 Janpath and entering and exiting from Rahul Gandhi’s residence to formalize middle path in the state but there is no official announcement of any formula, also the Chhattisgarh CM did not answer on the rotational chief ministership.

It’s being said in political circles that Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention and Bhupesh Baghel’s involvement in Uttar Pradesh saved the day. Baghel maintains good relations with the Congress General Secretary in-charge of UP as about 50 people from the state are being put in UP to train the cadre by Bhupesh Baghel’s team and recently about 100 workers from UP were trained in Raipur.

The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister has put in all the resources in UP before that he was campaign in charge of Assam.

It is not the first time Priyanka Gandhi has intervened in crucial decision making process, she was instrumental in the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress President when he was sulking and was about to jump the ship. Before that when Sachin Pilot led a revolt in July 2020 it was Priyanka Gandhi who pacified Pilot and saved the government last year in Rajasthan, however, she was unable to stop the revolt of Jyotiraditya Scindia which led to the collapse of the government in Madhya Pradesh while Jitin Prasada who worked closely with her also left and joined the BJP.

While Scindia is a Union Minister, Jitin Prasada is expected to get reward soon.

Last year when G-23 leaders wrote a letter and after passing away of Ahmed Patel, she defused the tension by arranging a meeting with the group and Sonia Gandhi, since then there have been individual statements like from Kapil Sibal and some others but no collective movement has started.

For the party it was AP as Ahmed Patel was popularly called, was the chief trouble shooter but after his untimely demise due to Covid, the party was feeling the gap but PG (Priyanka Gandhi) has stepped in his shoes and along with Kamal Nath has been talking to leaders and working behind to solve problems, a close aide points out.

Coming back to Chhattisgarh, she in her intervention has asked the Chief Minister to placate sulking T.S. Singhdeo and it’s expected that final decision may be taken after Rahul Gandhi visits the state next month while the Chief Minister has showed his strength by rallying support of more than 50 MLAs which has not gone down well in the party.

On Friday, Bhupesh Baghel had three-hour meeting with Rahul Gandhi, after which, Baghel said that he has invited Gandhi to visit the state.

“I have apprised him of everything and discussed political as well as administrative issues… have requested Rahul Gandhi to visit Chhattisgarh,” he said. After the meeting Baghel went to Akbar Road, the party headquarters to meet the MLAs camping in support of him.

The Congress high command had summoned Baghel to Delhi on Friday to take a final call whether the powerful OBC leader should be allowed to continue as the Chief Minister or be replaced by T.S. Singh Deo, scion of the Surguja royal family.

Political temperature within the Congress in Chhattisgarh has all of a sudden soared as 56 party MLAs are openly backing Baghel and paraded before the party high command in New Delhi.

The issue in the state boiled after the two leaders were called to Delhi on Tuesday and both Singhdeo and Baghel met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and was summoned again on Friday.

Crime

Navi Mumbai Crime: 2 Women Booked For Abetment To Suicide Of 15-Year-Old Ghansoli Student

Published

on

Navi Mumbai: Two women have been booked for abetment to suicide after a 15-year-old Class 10 student from Ghansoli allegedly died by suicide following humiliation and assault at the hands of her friend’s mother and neighbour.

The deceased, Shamika Nagesh Gawde, lived with her parents in Talavali, Ghansoli, and was preparing for her Class 10 board exams at a private tuition class.

Police said Shamika had a minor quarrel with a classmate during her tuition on Wednesday evening. Though the matter was settled, the classmate told her mother about it, after which Reshma Santosh Gavande (42) allegedly called Shamika to her home.

At her residence, Gavande, along with her neighbour Mayuri Somanath Naikwadi (40), allegedly humiliated the girl, used insulting remarks about her parents, and Gavande reportedly slapped her.

Deeply hurt and distressed, Shamika returned home and later hanged herself. Her mother found her unresponsive around 7:45 p.m. and rushed her to Airoli municipal hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

A two-page suicide note recovered from the house detailed the incident and contained an apology to her parents. Based on the note and initial inquiry, Rabale Police registered a case under Sections 107 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the two accused for abetment to suicide.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused women’s actions caused emotional distress to the minor, leading to her suicide. A detailed probe is underway,” said Senior Police Inspector Balkrishna Sawant of Rabale Police Station.

Both accused, who are neighbours residing in Radha Apartment, Ghansoli, are being investigated further.

The incident comes close on the heels of another Class 10 student’s suicide in Airoli last week, wherein the girl died by suicide after the principal allegedly insulted her in the class.

Continue Reading

National News

Navi Mumbai Weather Update: Heavy Rains, Thunder, Lightning As Temperature Dips By 8°C

Published

on

Mumbai: Residents of Navi Mumbai witnessed a spectacular weather event on Thursday evening, as intense thunderstorms and lightning strikes lit up the skies over Koparkhairane. X user Athreya Shetty shared videos of the dramatic weather, writing, “Exactly as per forecast, an amazing cracking thunderstorm hits Koparkhairane with loud lightning strikes and heavy Mumbai rains.”

The storm brought a welcome respite from the heat, with temperatures dropping by nearly 8°C within just 15 minutes. Many parts of the city reported heavy rain and gusty winds, adding to the pre-festive chill.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thane and Palghar districts have been placed under a Yellow Alert, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds. The IMD has forecast maximum temperatures around 35°C and minimums near 24°C for the next few days.

Additionally, all districts of Maharashtra (except Vidarbha) are under Yellow Alert for varying days between October 15 and 17, as light to moderate rain is expected due to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea.

Meteorologists have attributed the sudden showers and drop in temperature to the Northeast Monsoon (NEM), which set in around 15 October. The shift is bringing fresh moisture from the east, making weather conditions more humid and muggy across the state.

This marks the first rainfall spell after the IMD officially declared the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Mumbai on October 10 — the earliest in seven years.

For the season, the Colaba observatory recorded 2,263.0 mm of rainfall, while Santacruz saw 3,112.0 mm, signalling another intense monsoon season despite the early exit.

As Mumbai braces for humid conditions and patchy rains through the week, residents are advised to stay updated on local weather alerts and plan their travel accordingly.

Continue Reading

National News

ECI to enforce TN Seshan’s 1994 guidelines on Burqa-clad women in Bihar polls

Published

on

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday affirmed that it is strictly enforcing the landmark decisions introduced by former CEC T.N. Seshan in 1994 regarding ‘Pardanasheen’ (Burqa-clad) women voters during the next month’s Bihar assembly elections.

Referring to the ECI order dated 1994 with the subject line – “General elections to State Legislative Assemblies-1994-Special facilities in polling stations for women electors”, the commission highlighted that the poll panel is “implementing Ex CEC TN Seshan decisions of 1994 on Pardanasheens in Bihar.”

The term ‘Pardanasheen’ refers to women who, due to cultural conventions, do not appear before male officials or the public spaces without veils.

In 1994, T.N. Seshan issued specific guidelines directing polling officials to make arrangements that respect such sensitivities while ensuring these women are able to cast their votes without intimidation or identity challenges.

According to the 1994 order issued by the former CEC, “Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officer, Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, and Presiding Officer are responsible for ensuring special arrangements are made for women electors to exercise their franchise in the presence of Lady staff.”

“Where the number of female electors is significant (say, 50 per cent or above) and the system of Burqa or purdah is observed as a social custom, at least one Polling Officer must be a lady Polling Officer in each such polling station,” it noted.

It further added that, “If women officials are not available in the required number, the Returning Officer or Presiding Officer has the authority under Rule 34(2) to appoint ‘any woman to serve as an attendant’ at the polling station.”

Ahead of the Bihar elections scheduled for next month, the assertion by the Election Commission reflects the poll panel’s commitment to ensure the value of every voter, irrespective of gender.

With Bihar witnessing a two-phase voting schedule, the Election Commission’s renewed emphasis on inclusive polling arrangements is expected to significantly boost female voter turnout, especially in rural and conservative regions.

Continue Reading

Trending