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Bihar Election results 2020: All constituency results

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The Bihar Assembly election 2020 as of Wednesday morning was done and dusted before dawn. The National Democratic Alliance of the BJP and the Janata Dal-United held true and saw off a stiff opposition challenge in late Tuesday evening in crossing the halfway mark of 122, to win with 125 seats to the opposition’s 110. The Lok Janshakti Party’s desire to teach Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a lesson partly worked in that the JDU was hurt but the NDA held fast. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the BJP won 74 seats, second to the RJD’s 76, and bettered its 2015 tally of 53 seats. It also gained an upper hand over the JDU, which has been reduced to 43 seats from 71 seats in 2015.

The Mahagathbandhan of the RJD, the Congress, the Left parties fell narrowly short of majority with 110 seats. Obviously, the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav was possibly one of the things that didn’t click. As pundits observed, the Congress was the other. It won just 19 seats of the 70 it contested while the Left parties secured an unforeseen victory on 16 seats of the 29 it fought on. Chirag Paswan won 1 seat, and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen inked history by winning 5 seats in the Muslim-dominated seats of Seemanchal, bordering West Bengal, the poll-wagon heads there next.

Here are the winners from all 243 constituencies in the state.

Amarpur: Jayant Raj from JD(U) has won by 3114 votes

Amnour: Kishan Kumar Mantoo from BJP has won by 3681 votes

Amour: Akhatarul Iman from AIMIM has won by 52515 votes

Araria: Abhidur Rehman from INC has won by 47936 votes

Arrah:Amrendra Pratap Singh from BJP has won by 3001 votes

Arwal: Maha Nand Singh from CPI(ML) has won by 19950 votes

Asthawan: Jitendra Kumar from Janta Dal(U) has won by 11600 votes

Atri: Ajay Yadav from RJD has won by 7931 votes

Aurai: Ram Surat Kumar from BJP has won by 47866 votes

Aurangabad: Anand Shanker Singh from INC has by 2243 votes

Babubarhi: Mina Kumar from JDU has won by 11488 votes

Bachhwara: SURENDRA MEHATA from Bjp has won by 484 votes

Bagaha: RAM SINGH from BJP has won by 30020 votes

Bahadurganj: MOHAMMAD ANZAR NAYEEMI from AIMIM has won 54215 votes

Bahadurpur: Madan Sahni from JD(U) has won by 2629 votes

Baikunthpur: Prem Shankar Prasad from RJD has won by 11113 votes

Baisi: SYED RUKNUDDIN AHMAD from AIMIM has won by 16373 votes

Bajpatti: MUKESH KUMAR YADAV from RJD has won by 2704 votes

Bakhri: SURYAKANT PASWAN from CPI has won by 777 votes

Bakhtiarpur: ANIRUDDH KUMAR from RJD has won by 20672

Balrampur: Mahboob Alam from CPIML has won by 53597 votes

Baniapur: Kedar Nath Singh from RJD has won by 27789 votes

Banka: Ram Narayan Mandal from BJP has won by 16828 votes

Bankipur: Nitin Naveen from BJP has won by 39036 votes

Banmankhi: Krishna Kumar Rishi from BJP has won by 27743

Barachatti: JYOTI DEVI from HAM(s) has won by 36318 votes

Barari: Bijay Singh from JDU has won by 10438 votes

Barauli: RAMPRAVESH RAI from BJP has won by 14115 votes

Barbigha: SUDARSHAN KUMAR from JD(U) has won by 113 votes

Barh: GYANENDRA KUMAR SINGH from BJP has won by 10240

Barhara: RAGHVENDRA PRATAP SINGH from BJP has won by 4973 votes

Barharia: BACHCHA PANDEY from RJD has won by 3559 votes

Baruraj: Arun Kumar Singh from BJP has won by 43654 votes

Bathnaha: ANIL KUMAR of Bharatiya Janata Party has won by 46818 votes

Begusarai: KUNDAN KUMAR from BJP has won by 4554 votes

Belaganj: Surendra Prasad Yadav from RJD has won by 4554 votes

Beldaur: Panna Lal Singh Patel from JDU has won by 5108 votes

Belhar: MANOJ YADAV from JD(U) has won by 2473 votes

Belsand: SANJAY KUMAR GUPTA from RJD has won by 13685 votes

Benipatti: Vinod Narayan Jha from BJP has won 32652 votes

Benipur: Binay Kumar Choudhary from Janata Dal (United) by 6590

Bettiah: Renu Devi from BJP has won by 18079 votes

Bhabua: BHARAT BIND from RJD has by 10045 votes

Bhagalpur: AJIT SHARMA from INC has won by 1113 votes

Bhorey: Sunil Kumar from JDU has won by 462 votes

Bibhutipur: Ajay Kumar from CPIM has won by 40496 votes

Bihariganj: Niranjan Kumar Mehta from JDU has won by 18711 votes

Biharsharif: Dr. Sunil Kumar from BJP has won by 15102 votes

Bihpur: Kumar Shailendra from BJP has won by 6129 votes

Bikram: Siddharth from Congress has won by 35460 votes

Bisfi: HARIBHUSHAN THAKUR from BJP has won by 10241 votes

Bochaha: MUSAFIR PASWAN from BJP has won by 11268 votes

Bodhgaya: KUMAR SARVJEET from RJD has won by 4708 votes

Brahampur: Shambhu Nath Yadav from RJD has won by 51141 votes

Buxar: Munna Tiwari from congress has won by 3892 votes

Chainpur: MOHD. ZAMA KHAN from BSP has won by 24294 votes

Chakai: SUMIT KUMAR SINGH from independent candidate has won by 581 votes

Chanpatia: Umakant Singh from BJP has won by 13469 votes

Chapra: DR. C. N. GUPTA from BJP has won by 6771 votes

Chenari: MURARI PRASAD GAUTAM from CONG has won by 18003 votes

Cheria Bariarpur: RAJ VANSHI MAHTO from JDU has won by 40897 votes

Chhatapur: Niraj Kumar Singh from BJP has won by 20635 votes

Chiraia: Lal Babu Prasad Gupta from BJP has won by 16874 votes

Danapur: Rit lal Ray RJD has won by 15924 votes

Darauli: SATYADEO RAM from CPI(ML) HAS WON BY 12119 votes

Daraundha: KARNJEET SINGH ALIAS VYAS SINGH from BJP has won by 11320 votes

Darbhanga:  Sanjay Saraogi of BJP has won by 10639 votes

Darbhanga Rural: Lalit Kumar Yadav from RJD has won by 2141 votes

Dehri: PHATE BAHADUR SINGH from RJD has won by 464 votes

Dhaka: PAWAN KUMAR JAISWAL from BJP has won by 10114 votes

Dhamdaha: LESHI SINGH from JD(U) has won by 33594 votes

Dhauraiya: Bhudeo Choudhary from RJD has won by 2687 votes

Digha: SANJIV CHAURASIA from BJP has won 46073

Dinara: VIJAY KUMAR MANDAL from RJD has won by 8228 votes

Dumraon: AJIT KUMAR SINGH from CPI(ML)has won by 24415 votes

Ekma: SRIKANT YADAV from RJD has won by 13927 votes

Fatuha: Dr. Ramanand Yadav from RJD has won by 19370 votes

Forbesganj: VIDYA SAGAR KESHARI from BJP has won by 19702

Gaighat: Counting underway for elections 2020  Maheshwar Prasad Yadav from RJD won in 2015

Garkha: NIRANJAN ROY from RJD has won by 7566 votes

Gaura: SWARNA SINGH from Vikassheel Insaan Party won by 7280 votes

Gaya: Prem Kumar from BJP has won by 11898 votes

Ghosi: RAM BALI SINGH YADAV from CPI(ML) has won 17333

Gobindpur: MD KAMRAN from RJD has won by 33074 votes

Goh: BHIM KUMAR SINGH from RJD has won by 35618 votes

Gopalganj: Subash Singh from BJP has won by 36752 votes

Gopalpur: Narendra Kumar Niraj from JDU has won by 24461 votes

Goriakothi: DEVESH KANT SINGH from BJP has won by 11891 votes

Govindganj: SUNIL MANI TIWARI from BJP has won by 27924 votes

Gurua: Vinay Kumar from RJD has won by 6599 votes

Hajipur: Awadhesh Singh from BJP has won by by 2990 votes

Harlakhi: SUDHANSHU SHEKHAR from JDU has won by 17593 votes

Harnaut: HARI NARAYAN SINGH from JDU has won by 27241 votes

Harsidhi: Krishnanandan Paswan from BJP has won by 15685 votes

Hasanpur: TEJ PRATAP YADAV from RJD has won by 21139 votes

Hathua: Rajesh Kumar Singh from RJD has won by 30527 votes

Hayaghat: BJPs Ram Chandra Prasad from bjp has won by 10252 votes

Hilsa: Krishnamurari Sharan urf Prem Mukhiya from JDU has won by 12 votes

Hisua: NITU KUMARI from CONG has won by 17091 votes

Imamganj: Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) has won by 16034 votes

 Islampur: Rakesh Kumar Roushan from RJD has won by 3698 votes

Jagdishpur: RAM VISHUN SINGH from RJD has won by 22107 votes

Jale: Jibesh Kumar from has won by 21796 votes

Jamalpur: AJAY KUMAR SINGH from Congress has won by 4432 votes

Jamui: Shreyashi Singh from BJP has won by 401049 votes

Jehanabad: Kumar Krishna Mohan urf Suday Yadav from RJD has won by 33902 votes

Jhajha: DAMODAR RAWAT from JDU has won by 1679 votes

 Jhanjharpur: NITISH MISHRA from BJP has won by 41788 votes

Jokihat: SHAHNAWAZ from AIMIM has won by 7383 votes

Kadwa: SHAKEEL AHMAD KHAN from Congress has won by 33402

Kahalgaon: PAWAN KUMAR YADAV from BJP has won by 42893 votes

Kalyanpur:Maheshwar Hazari from JDU is leading

Kalyanpur: Manoj Kumar Yadav from RJD has own by 1193 votes

Kanti: MOHAMMAD ISRAIL MANSURI from RJD has won by 10314 votes

Karakat: ARUN SINGH from CPI(ML) has won by 18189 votes

Kargahar: SANTOSH KUMAR MISHRA from congress has won by 4083 votes

Kasba: MD. AFAQUE ALAM from congress has won by 17278 votes

Katihar: Tarkishore Prasad from BJP has won by 10519 votes

Katoria: Dr. Nikki Hembrom from bjp has won by 6421 votes

Keoti: MURARI MOHAN JHA from BJP has won by 5126 votes

Kesaria:Shalini Mishra from JDU has won by 9227 votes

Khagaria: Chhatrapati Yadav from congress has won by 3000 votes

Khajauli: ARUN SHANKAR PRASAD from bjp has won by 22689 votes

Kishanganj: IJAHARUL HUSAIN from congress has won by 1381 votes

Kochadhaman: MUHAMMED IZHAR ASFI from AIMIM has won by 36143 votes

 Korha: KAVITA DEVI from BJP has won by 28943 votes

Kuchaikote: AMRENDRA KUMAR PANDEY from JDU has won by 20630 votes

Kumhrar: Arun Kumar Sinha from BJP has won by 26463 votes

Kurhani: Anil Kumar Sahni from RJD has won by 712 votes

Kurtha: BAGI KUMAR VERMA from RJD has won by 27810 votes

Kusheshwar:SHASHIBHUSHAN HAJARI from JDU has won by 7222 votes

Kutumba: Rajesh Kumar from INC has won by 16653 votes 

Lakhisarai: Vijay Kumar Sinha from BJP has won 10483 votes

Lalganj: Sanjay Kumar Singh from BJP has won by 26299 votes

Laukaha: Bharat Bhushan Mandal from RJD has won by 10077 votes

Lauriya: Vinay Bihari from BJP has won by 29004 votes

Madhepura: Nikhil Mandakl from JDU has won by 15072 votes 

Madhuban: Rana Randhir from BJP has won by 5878 votes

Madhubani: Samir Kumar Mahaseth from RJD leading

Maharajganj: Vijay Shanker Dubey from congress has won by by 1976 votes

Mahishi: Gunjeshwar Sah from JDU has won by 1630 votes 

Mahnar: BINA SINGH from RJD has won by 7947 votes

Mahua: Mukesh Kumar Raushan from RJD has won by 13687 votes

Makhdumpur: Satish Kumar from RJD has won by 22565 votes 

Maner: Bhai Virendra from RJD has won by 32917 votes 

Manihari: Manohar Prasad Singh from INC has won by 21209 votes

Manjhi: Dr. Satyendra Yadav of CPI (M) has won by 25386 votes  

Marhaura: JITENDRA KUMAR RAY from RJD has won by 11388 votes

Masaurhi: Rekha Devi from RJD has won by 32227 votes 

Matihani: Raj Kumar Singh from LJP has won by 333 votes

Minapur: Rajeev Kumar from RJD has won by 15512 votes

Mohania: Sangita Kumari from Rashtriya Janata Dal won by 12054 votes 

Mohiuddinnagar: Rajesh Kumar Singh from BJP has won by 15114 votes

 Mokama: Anant Kumar Singh from RJD has won by 35757 votes 

Morwa: Ranvijay Sahu from RJD has won by 10671 votes

Motihari: Pramod Kumar from BJP has won by 14645 votes 

Munger: Pranav Kumar from BJP has won by 1244 votes

Muzaffarpur: Bijendra Chaudhary from INC has won by 6326 votes

Nabinagar: Vijay Kumar Singh alias Dabloo Singh from RJD won by 20121 votes

Nalanda: Shrawon Kumar from JDU has won by 16077 votes

Narkatia: Shamim Ahmad from RJD has won by 27791 votes

Narkatiaganj: Rashmi Varma from BJP has won by 21134 votes

Narpatganj: RASHMI VARMA from BJP has won by 21134 votes

Nathnagar: Ali Ashraf Siddiqui from RJD has won by 7756 votes

Nautan: Narayan Prasad from BJP has won by 25896 votes

Nawada: Vibha Devi from RJD has won bu 26310 votes

Nirmali: Aniruddha Prasad Yadav from JDU has won by 43922 votes

Nokha: Anita Devi from RJD has won by 17672 votes

Obra: Rishi Kumar from RJD has won by 22668 votes 

Paliganj: Sandeep Saurav from CPI-ML has won by 30915 votes

Parbatta: Doctor Sanjeev Kumar from jdu has won by 951 votes

Parihar: Gaytri Devi of Bharatiya Janata Party has won by 1569 votes

Paroo: Ashok Kumar Singh from Bjp has won by 14698 votes

Parsa: RJDs CHHOTE LAL RAY from RJD has won by 17293 votes

Patepur: Lakhendra Kumar raushan from BJP has won by 25839 votes

Patna Sahib: Nand Kishore Yadav from BJP has won by 18300 votes

Phulparas: Sheela Kumari from JDU has won by 10966 votes

Phulwari: Gopal Ravidas from CPI-ML has won by 13857 votes

Pipra: Shyambabu Prasad Yadav from BJP has won by 8177 votes

Pipra: RamBilash Kamat from JDU has won by 19245 votes

Pirpainti: Lalan Kumar from BJP has won by 27019 votes

Pranpur: Nisha Singh from BJP has won by 2972 votes

Purnia: Vijay Kumar Khemka from BJP has won by 32154 votes

Rafiganj: Mohammad Nehlauddin from RJD has won by 9429 votes

Raghopur: Tejashwi Yadav from RJD has won by 38174 votes 

Raghunathpur: Harishankar Yadav from RJD has won by 17965 votes

Raja Pakar: Pratima Kumari from INC has won by 1796 votes

Rajauli: Prakash Veer from RJD has won by 12593 votes

Rajgir: Kaushal Kishore from JDU has won by 16048 votes

Rajnagar: Dr Ramprit Paswan from BJP has won by 19121 votes

Rajpur: Vishwanath Ram from INC has won by 21204 votes 

Ramgarh: Sudhakar Singh from RJD has won by 189 votes

Ramnagar: Bhagirathi Devi from BJP has won by 15796 votes

Raniganj: ACHMIT RISHIDEV from JDU has won by 2304 votes

Raxaul: Pramod Kumar Sinha from BJP has won by 36923 votes

Riga: Motilal Prasad from BJP has won by 32495 votes

Rosera: Birendra Kumar from BJP has won by 35744 votes

Runnisaidpur: Pankaj Kumar Mishra from JDU has won by 24629 votes

Rupauli:  Bima Bharti from JDU has won by 19330 votes

Saharsa: Alok Ranjan from BJP has won by 19679 votes

Sahebganj: Raju Kumar Singh from VIP has won by 15333 votes

Sahebpur: Satanand Sambuddha from RJD has won by 14225 votes

Sakra: Ashok Kumar Chodhary from JDU has won by 1537 votes

Samastipur: Akhtarul Islam Shahin from RJD has won by 4714 votes

Sandesh: Kiran Devi from RJD has won by 50607 votes

Sarairanjan: Vijay Kumar Chaudhary from JDU has won by 3624 votes

SasaramRajesh Kumar Gupta from RJD has won by 26423 votes

Shahpur: Rahul Tiwary from RJD has won by 22883 votes

Sheikhpura: Vijay Kumar from RJD has win by 6116 votes

Sheohar: Chetan Anand from RJD has won by 36686 votes

Sherghati: Manju Agrawal from RJD has won by 16690 votes

Sikandra: Prafull Kumar Manjhi from Hindustani Awam Morcha has won by 5505 votes

Sikta: BIRENDRA PRASAD GUPTA CPI(ML) has won by 2102 votes

Sikti:  Vijay Kumar Mandal from BJP has won by 13610 votes

Simri Bakhtiarpur: YUSUF SALAHUDDIN from RJD has won by 1759 votes

Singheshwar:CHANDRAHAS CHAUPAL from RJD has won by 5573 votes

Sitamarhi: Mithilesh Kumar from BJP has won by 11475 votes 

Siwan: AWADH BIHARI CHAUDHARY from RJD has won by 1973 votes

Sonbarsha: Ratnesh Sada from JDU has won by 13466 votes

Sonepur: DR. RAMANUJ PRASAD from RJD has won by 6686 votes

Sugauli: Er.Shashi Bhushan Singh from RJD has won by 3447 votes

Sultanganj: Lalit Narayan Mandal from JDU has won by 11565 votes

Supaul: Bijendra Prasad Yadav from JDU has won by 28099 votes

Surajgarh: RPRAHLAD YADAV from RJD has won by 9589 votes

Sursand: Dilip Ray from JDU has won by 8876 votes

Taraiya: Janak Singh from BJP has won by 11307 votes

Tarapur: Mewa Lal Chaudhary from JDU has won by 7225 votes

Tarari:  Sudama Prasad from CPIML has won by 11015 votes

Teghra: Ram Ratan Singh from CPI has won by 47979 votes

Thakurganj: Saud Alam from RJD has won by 23887 votes

Tikari:Anil Kumar from HAM(S) has won by 2630 votes

Triveniganj: Veena Bharti from JDU has won by 3031 votes

Ujiarpur: Alok Kumar Mehta from RJD has won by 23268 votes

Vaishali: Siddharth Patel from JDU has won by 7413 votes 

Valmikinagar: Dhirendra Pratap Singh from JDU has won by 21585 votes 

WarisnagarAshok Kumar from JDU has won by 13801 votes 

Warsaliganj: Aruna Devi from BJP has won by 9030 votes

Wazirganj: Birendra Singh from BJP has won by 22430 votes 

Ziradei: Amarjeet Kushwaha from CPI-ML has won by 25510 votes

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PM Modi’s Indonesia visit to boost defence, digital and strategic partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indonesia visit is expected to strengthen bilateral ties through new initiatives in defence, digital infrastructure, maritime security, trade and critical minerals.

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PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Indonesia is expected to give fresh momentum to the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, with discussions likely to cover defence cooperation, maritime security, digital connectivity, trade, critical minerals and several other sectors.

India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said the relationship between New Delhi and Jakarta has entered a stronger phase following Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations last year. He said the Prime Minister’s visit is expected to further strengthen this trajectory through a series of new understandings and agreements.

Defence and maritime cooperation likely to receive major push

According to the ambassador, defence and maritime security will remain key pillars of the discussions during the visit.

He highlighted Indonesia’s strategic location along the Malacca Strait, describing secure sea lanes as vital for both countries and the wider Indo-Pacific region. He stressed that uninterrupted maritime connectivity remains essential for global trade and regional stability.

Without revealing specific details, Chakravorty indicated that the visit could produce significant outcomes in defence cooperation, saying several important announcements are expected.

‘BrahMos Plus’ hints at broader defence partnership

The ambassador also suggested that defence ties between India and Indonesia are moving beyond discussions centred on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

Responding to a question about future cooperation, he remarked that the next phase would be “BrahMos Plus,” while refraining from providing further details.

He said future collaboration is expected to focus on defence manufacturing, technology partnerships, training and capacity building. India, he noted, has emerged as an important exporter of defence equipment and could support Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen its domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.

Military cooperation is also expanding, with India set to participate with troops for the first time in the multinational Garuda Shield military exercise after previously attending as an observer.

Digital connectivity and UPI integration gain momentum

Digital cooperation is expected to be another major highlight of the visit.

The ambassador said Indonesia is preparing to launch its Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-inspired platform during Prime Minister Modi’s visit, making it the fastest international adopter of India’s digital public infrastructure model.

The initiative is expected to support nearly 65 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia by creating a more open digital commerce ecosystem.

Chakravorty also said discussions on integrating India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Indonesia’s payment systems have reached an advanced stage.

While technical integration remains complex due to Indonesia’s multiple payment-switch networks, he expressed confidence that progress would continue and the Prime Minister’s visit could accelerate the process.

Critical minerals and investment to feature prominently

Critical minerals are also expected to be a major area of cooperation as both countries look to strengthen supply chains for clean energy technologies and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Indonesia possesses significant reserves of nickel and other strategic minerals, while India is seeking reliable supplies to support its manufacturing ambitions.

The ambassador said India plans to invest in processing critical minerals within Indonesia rather than importing only raw materials. He added that such investments would support industrial development in both countries while contributing to India’s self-reliance goals.

Cultural ties to be highlighted

Apart from strategic and economic cooperation, the visit is also expected to showcase the longstanding cultural relationship between India and Indonesia.

Both countries will launch a 15-month programme commemorating Rabindranath Tagore’s 1927 visit to Indonesia, recognising his influence on the country’s educational and cultural landscape.

Prime Minister Modi is also expected to visit Yogyakarta, a city known for its historic temples, reflecting the deep civilisational links shared by the two nations.

With cooperation expanding across defence, digital infrastructure, trade and critical minerals, the visit is expected to mark another important step in strengthening the India-Indonesia strategic partnership and advancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

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Ram Mandir Trust accepts Champat Rai’s resignation amid donation theft row

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted Champat Rai’s resignation as General Secretary following the donation theft controversy, with Bajrang Bagra emerging as a leading contender for the post.

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Champat Rai

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignation of its General Secretary, Champat Rai, following the controversy surrounding the alleged theft of cash donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to sources, Bajrang Bagra has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the post. Bagra currently serves as the International General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). A chartered accountant by profession and a former head of PSU NALCO, he is considered to have the administrative and financial expertise required as the Trust moves into its next phase.

Sources indicated that the Trust is looking to appoint someone with strong experience in governance, finance and institutional administration to strengthen its functioning.

Although Champat Rai has stepped down as General Secretary, sources said he is expected to continue as a trustee unless he decides otherwise.

Decision on successor may come after VHP executive meeting

The appointment of the next General Secretary is unlikely to be announced immediately. The VHP’s biannual national executive meeting is scheduled to take place in Delhi on July 19 and 20, where several organisational decisions, including transfers and appointments, are expected to be discussed.

Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra had submitted their resignations after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reportedly took a firm stand on the alleged donation theft. Their resignations came after the Special Investigating Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary findings into the case.

Donation theft investigation

According to the preliminary investigation, temple staff responsible for counting cash donations allegedly siphoned off money despite CCTV cameras being installed at the counting centre. The report stated that the footage was not monitored regularly, allowing the alleged theft to continue. Reports suggest that around Rs 7 crore to Rs 7.5 crore may be missing.

So far, eight people have been arrested in connection with the case. Among them is Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu Yadav, who worked as Champat Rai’s driver.

Sources said Champat Rai has told his close associates that Tinnu Yadav played the central role in the alleged fraud and misused the trust placed in him. According to the sources, Rai also claimed that when Yadav feared he would be caught, he leaked information to a Samajwadi Party leader.

The other accused arrested in the case are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava.

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WhatsApp gets more time to respond on username feature, rollout in India put on hold

WhatsApp has been granted more time to respond to the government’s concerns over its username feature and has assured that it will not launch the feature in India until discussions are completed.

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WhatsApp

Meta assures the government that the feature will not be introduced in India until ongoing consultations are completed.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has been granted an extension to submit its response to the Centre regarding its proposed username feature, while assuring the government that it will not roll out the feature in India until discussions on the matter are concluded.

According to sources, the government has allowed WhatsApp three additional days to file its response after the company sought more time. The original deadline for the reply was Friday.

The proposed username feature would allow users to connect with others without revealing their phone numbers, a move that has raised concerns within the government over its potential impact on cyber safety.

Last week, the Centre issued a notice to Meta questioning the feature, expressing concerns that it could increase online fraud, phishing attempts, impersonation, and so-called “digital arrest” scams. The government also directed the company to pause the rollout until consultations are completed to its satisfaction.

Sources said representatives from Meta met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday following the issuance of the notice. During the discussions, WhatsApp reportedly assured authorities that the feature would not be introduced in India before the consultation process is completed.

The government has also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and the relevant rules if the proposed feature is found to compromise user safety. It reminded the company that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, must comply with due diligence obligations under Indian law.

A WhatsApp spokesperson had earlier clarified that the username feature is not yet live and is expected to be introduced gradually later this year.

The company said it has built several safeguards into the feature to prevent impersonation. According to WhatsApp, usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts have been reserved so that they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners. It also said lookalike variations of such usernames are being restricted.

WhatsApp also clarified that users will still need a phone number to create and use a WhatsApp account. The username feature is intended only as an alternative way for people to connect.

The company added that users would need to know another person’s exact username before initiating contact. It also plans to limit how many new users an account can message, prevent repeated attempts to guess usernames, and use automated systems to detect impersonation and abusive behaviour.

To help users identify unfamiliar contacts, WhatsApp said it will display contextual information whenever someone sends a message through a username for the first time. Users will be informed whether the sender is a new account, an existing contact, someone who shares a mutual group, or a person located in another country before deciding whether to respond.

Following its notice to WhatsApp, the IT Ministry also issued notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on how their existing username-based systems address concerns related to fraud and impersonation. While WhatsApp has around 500 million users in India, Telegram has a significantly smaller user base.

In recent days, Meta and Telegram have also come under regulatory scrutiny on separate issues. The government recently issued a notice to Meta regarding child sexual abuse material appearing in Instagram advertisements, while Telegram was directed to strengthen action against the circulation of pirated films, OTT content, and other copyrighted audio-visual material on its platform.

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