English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Rajya Sabha election: Congress’ Ahmad Patel’s fate remained undecided till late

Published

on

Ahmed Patel

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It was a cliffhanger of an election to Rajya Sabha in Gujarat, the results of which, expected by evening, were still awaited till late night.. The one seat on which the entire drama was centred was that of Congress strategist, party chief Sonia Gandhi’s right hand man, Ahmed Patel. Other contenders and other states took a backseat. Suspense hung heavy till the last moment, even going well past the expected deadline.

In the hotly contested election, the dispute at the end was over a couple of votes. The Congress has asked the Election Commission to invalidate the vote of two of its legislators who, after showing their ballot papers to the Congress election agent, also showed the BJP’s agent how they had voted, which the party said violates polling norms. The attempt is to bring down the total number of votes needed by each candidate today. Senior BJP leaders too have approached the Election Commission to counter the Congress’s objections. Counting of votes has been delayed because of this.

Never has one Rajya Sabha seat been so fiercely contested. For Ahmed Patel and the Congress, there was more at stake than just one seat, for it would directly reflect on the party high command, its ‘first family’.

As voting began in the morning, the Congress and Patel exuded confidence. “We have the numbers,” they said.

He needs 45 Gujarat legislators to have voted for him to win his Rajya Sabha seat back.

Ahmed Patel, political Secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was counting on 44 of the Congress’ 51 MLAs to support him – the others seen as loyalists of rebel leader Shankarsinh Vaghela.

Two of the Congress MLAs are believed to have cross voted and shown their votes to BJP president Amit Shah. On the other hand, the Congress is supposed to have got the votes of one legislator each of NCP and JD(U). Of the two NCP MLAs, one had said he had voted BJP.

Vaghela had exited the Congress two weeks ago and soon after six Congress MLAs resigned, three of them joining the BJP. One of them, Balwantsinh Rajput, is the BJP’s third candidate today against Patel.

The six who resigned can’t vote and that brought the strength of the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly down to 176. Each of the four candidates contesting needed to win 45 first preference votes.

Of the BJP’s 121 MLAs, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani have 45 each, and the remaining 31 were with Balwantsinh Rajput. The BJP also counted on cross voting. If neither Ahmed Patel nor the BJP’s Balwantsinh Rajput gets 45 votes to win directly, second preference votes of each MLA come into consideration.

Already on an edge, the Congress moved the Election Commission to disqualify its two MLAs who had cross voted. The BJP leadership also rushed in. Delegations of the two parties went to the EC to argue their case, the drama going on till late in the night.

The BJP alleged that the Congress raised objections about its two MLAs showing their votes to Amit Shah belatedly, after it became clear that Ahmed Patel was losing. Patel, however, said the party had brought it to the notice of returning officer immediately. The Congress said the video footage also showed this.

The Congress demanded the votes of these two MLAs be invalidated. Congres leader Anand Sharma said cited the case of Haryana to say, “One of our MLAs had mistakenly showed his vote in Haryana & his vote was rejected, same was done in Gujarat so should be rejected.”

Ahmad Patel said that his party had complained about ballot papers being shown to Amit Shah in the morning itself. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Mohanlal’s Stephen returns in fearsome form in L2: Empuraan Teaser

Published

on

Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumpally in the teaser of L2: Empuraan

The much-anticipated teaser for L2: Empuraan, the second chapter of the planned trilogy directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, has been unveiled, offering a glimpse of a darker, more brutal narrative. Starring Malayalam cinema legend Mohanlal, the film continues the story of Stephen Nedumpally, also known as Khureshi Ab’raam, a character that mesmerized audiences in Lucifer.

The teaser debuted at a grand event attended by the film’s key players, including Mohanlal, Prithviraj, and Mammootty, who released the teaser in style. Clocking in at 143 seconds, the preview immediately sets a grim tone, beginning in Qaraqosh, a war-torn town in Iraq. The atmosphere is tense, underscored by the chilling phrase, “Death to the Evil.”

One of the standout moments in the teaser recalls PK Ramdas (Sachin Khedekar) advising Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier) in the first film: “If one day you feel everything is falling apart and I’m not around, the only person you can turn to is Stephen.” This sentiment reverberates through the teaser as it shifts to Stephen’s iconic black Ambassador car, now layered with dust—an ominous sign of his long absence.

The suspense builds as a voice declares, “He leads the most powerful mercenary group in Asia,” introducing audiences to Stephen’s transformation into a figure commanding immense influence and fear. The teaser’s climactic moments highlight Mohanlal’s commanding return as Khureshi Ab’raam, warning of the perils of dealing with the devil.

Star-Studded Cast and Stellar Crew

Joining Mohanlal in this cinematic spectacle are Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, and others reprising their roles from Lucifer. The film also features Saniya Iyappan, Saikumar, Baiju Santhosh, Fazil, and Sachin Khedekar in key roles.

The story, penned by Murali Gopy, is brought to life with the expertise of cinematographer Sujith Vaassudev, editor Akhilesh Mohan, and composer Deepak Dev, whose score amplifies the teaser’s intensity.

As the teaser hints at power struggles, deceit, and vengeance, L2: Empuraan sets the stage for an explosive continuation of this gripping saga, leaving fans eagerly awaiting its release.

Continue Reading

India News

MSBTE Result 2025 declared: Maharashtra diploma winter exam results now available online

Published

on

MSBTE Result 2025 announcement for Winter Diploma exams

The Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) has officially announced the results for the Winter 2024 diploma exams. Students who appeared for these exams, held in December 2024, can now access their results on MSBTE’s official website, msbte.org.in.

To check the MSBTE Winter Exam Result 2025, candidates must have their enrollment or seat numbers ready. The results are accessible via a direct link available on the website.

Steps to check MSBTE 2025 results:

  1. Visit the official MSBTE website: msbte.org.in.
  2. Navigate to the “Examination” section and click on “Winter 2024 Exam Result.”
  3. Enter your enrollment number or seat number in the required fields.
  4. Click on the “Show Result” button to view your marksheet.
  5. Download and save the PDF for future reference.

Details mentioned on the MSBTE Winter Diploma results:

The MSBTE Winter Diploma Marksheet 2025 includes the following information:

  • Student’s name
  • Register number
  • Course name
  • Marks obtained in each subject
  • Subject codes and names
  • Total marks
  • Maximum marks
  • Result status (Pass/Fail)

The announcement is crucial for diploma students across Maharashtra as it determines their academic progress and eligibility for future courses or career opportunities.

Students are advised to verify all details on their marksheets and contact the board in case of discrepancies. For further updates, visit the official MSBTE website.

Continue Reading

India News

JPC clears Waqf Amendment Bill with 14 changes, Opposition cries foul

Published

on

By

The Waqf Amendment Bill is poised for a final vote on January 29 in the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The committee had been tasked with reviewing the bill by November 29, which was then extended to February 13, approved 14 changes to the draft. The 44 amendments proposed by the Opposition were rejected by its chairman BJP MP Jagadambika Pal.

The Opposition had accused the BJP of bias in several sittings of the committee leading to the suspension of several MPs, including Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress and Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM, both vocal critics of the Bill.

The Opposition MPs had also written to Speaker Om Birla against Pal, saying he was rushing the Bill to gain political mileage ahead of the Delhi Assembly election due to be held on February 5.

Earlier, reports had said Banerjee had broken a glass during a verbal altercation while in deliberations with BJP MP and former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

The Bill aims to reform Waqf Board administration, mandating the inclusion of non-Muslim and women members. The Central Waqf Council’s composition would also change, incorporating a Union minister, MPs, ex-judges, and individuals of national repute, regardless of religious affiliation. Crucially, the Council’s land acquisition powers would be removed. A controversial clause restricts donations to Muslims practicing their faith for at least five years, prompting concerns about religious freedom.

While proponents claim the bill empowers Muslim women and children, critics, including the Congress and the DMK, allege it infringes upon Articles 15 and 30 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion and the right of minorities to administer educational institutions. The final report is expected by January 31.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com