Monday, December 29, 2025

By-elections for 4 Punjab Assembly seats on Nov 13

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chandigarh: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced that by-elections for four Assembly seats in Punjab will be held on November 13. They are Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (reserved), Gidderbaha and Barnala.

Divulging details, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C. said as per the programme issued for these by-elections, the notification will be issued on October 18. The last date for filing nominations is October 25 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on October 28, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 30.

Sibin C. said voting would take place on November 13, and results will be announced on November 23.

He said with the announcement of the by-elections, the election code of conduct has come into effect in the districts where these constituencies are located: Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Barnala. The code of conduct will remain in force until the completion of the election process till November 25.

He said the total number of voters in the four constituencies is 696, 316, with a total of 831 polling stations.

For Dera Baba Nanak, there are 193,268 voters and 241 polling stations. In Chabbewal, the number of voters is 159, 254, with 205 polling stations.

For Gidderbaha, the total number of voters is 166, 489, and 173 polling stations will be established. In Barnala, there are 177, 305 voters and 212 polling stations.

Sibin C. informed that Uma Shankar Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur, has been appointed as the District Election Officer for the Dera Baba Nanak assembly constituency, while Komal Mittal, Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur, will serve as the District Election Officer for Chabbewal.

Rajesh Tripathi, Deputy Commissioner of Sri Muktsar Sahib, has been appointed for the Gidderbaha constituency, and Poonamdeep Kaur, Deputy Commissioner of Barnala, will be the District Election Officer for Barnala.

He assured that the by-election will be conducted in a peaceful and impartial manner and it will be a fully transparent process.

PM Modi to inaugurate India’s first-ever ITU-WTSA event today

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the International Telecommunication Union-World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (ITU-WTSA) 2024 at the Bharat Mandapam here on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the eighth edition of India Mobile Congress 2024 during the programme, whose focus this year is ‘The Future is Now’.

“A big day for the telecom sector! At 10 a.m. tomorrow, October 15, the International Telecommunication Union-World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly and the India Mobile Congress 2024 will be inaugurated. These forums are important ones, bringing together leading stakeholders from across the sector, ” PM Modi said in a tweet.

The ITU-WTSA will see about 3, 000 industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors, from more than 190 countries descending to the Bharat Mandapam for participation.

“This historic gathering signifies a pivotal moment for India. We will be driving the future of global standards, ensuring connectivity for all and showcasing our tech prowess, ” said Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, adding that “we must ensure innovation thrives not in isolation, but in harmony”.

The Union Minister also spoke about India’s success with new technology as it rolled out 5G across 36 states and union territories within a span of just 22 months, covering 98 per cent of all the districts.

Union Minister Scindia also spoke about Global Stack – Unified Payment Interface (UPI), Aadhaar and DigiLocker which stores about 6.75 billion documents serving 300 million users.

“The roll-out of 5G is expected to inject $450 billion into the economy by 2040, ” the Minister told the gathering.

WTSA is the governing conference for the standardisation work of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Agency for Digital Technologies, organised every four years. It is for the first time that the ITU-WTSA will be hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific. It is a pivotal global event that will bring together more than three thousand industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over 190 countries, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors.

The ITU-WTSA event will provide the country with an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the global telecom agenda and also to set the course for future technologies. A lot of Indian startups and research institutions are likely to be set to get critical insights on developing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Patents.

The India Mobile Congress 2024 will showcase India’s innovation ecosystem, where leading telecom companies and innovators will highlight advancements in Quantum technology and Circular Economy.

The India Mobile Congress is Asia’s largest digital technology forum and provides a platform for participating members to showcase innovative solutions, services and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government, academics, and startups.

More than 400 exhibitors, and about 900 startups from more than 120 countries are likely to showcase their offerings and products. The event also aims to showcase more than 900 technology use case scenarios, and host more than 100 sessions and discussions with over 600 global and Indian speakers.

ECI to announce schedule for Maharashtra, Jharkhand elections today

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi:  The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections on Tuesday.

The Commission will hold a press conference at 3.30 p.m. at the Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital.

The term of the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly will end on November 26 and that of the Jharkhand Assembly, with 81 seats, will end on January 5, 2025.

The whole poll process has to be completed before that as per the rules.

Around 50 bypolls are also due and the ECI is likely to also announce the election dates for these.

In September to assess the preparations for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Maharashtra, a team comprising top officials from the ECI was in Mumbai to take stock of the situation. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, held meetings with district collectors and superintendents of police and met the political representatives also.

The ECI team also toured Jharkhand to assess the situation there in September. The ECI team led by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu held discussions with political parties as also the officials. Representatives of six national parties, including BJP, Congress and CPI(M) and three regional parties — JMM, RJD and AJSU gave their views and submitted their representation to the Election Commission.

With the schedule to be announced by the ECI, the model code of conduct will also come into effect.

All the political parties in both states will name their candidates and begin campaigning.

In Maharashtra, the contest is chiefly between the ruling Mahayuti coalition — the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party — and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance (the INDIA bloc) will take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and the BJP.

India labels Canada’s latest allegations as ‘preposterous imputations’

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Justin Trudeau, during the Joint Press Statement, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on February 23, 2018.

New Delhi: Labelling them as “preposterous imputations”, India on Monday slammed the Canadian government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asserting once again that it has “consciously provided” space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.

“We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics, ” read a strongly-worded statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday afternoon.

“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains, ” it added.

With Hindu temples in Canada being constantly vandalised with hateful graffiti by Khalistani activists in Canada and Hindu-Canadians also repeatedly targeted, India has time and again made it clear that any further deterioration in bilateral ties would eventually result in a big loss for Canada.

The MEA on Monday also detailed Canadian PM Trudeau’s “hostility to India” which it said has long been in evidence.

“In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters.

“Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his Government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains, ” it said.

New Delhi stated that the Trudeau Government has “consciously” provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders.

“All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded, ” the MEA statement mentioned.

It added that High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India’s senior-most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. Having been an Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China, it slammed Ottawa for casting aspersions on him, terming them as “ludicrous” and deserve to be treated with contempt.

At the same time, the ministry also said that the Indian government has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime.

“This led to the implementation of the principle of reciprocity in regard to diplomatic representation. India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats, ” the MEA stated.

Last week, Trudeau had claimed that he had “brief exchange” with PM Modi in Laos on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

Trouble for Congress as INDIA allies demand extra seats, more say in forthcoming polls

By
Nitin Mahajan
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Days after losing Haryana Assembly polls, the Congress is now facing another major problem. None of its INDIA bloc allies is willing to yield as far as ticket distribution for the upcoming polls in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi are concerned and are demanding more seats in these contests. 

The grand old party is facing a major headache in these states as its allies want to increase their share of seats set to go for Assembly contests.  The defeat of Congress may have taken place in Haryana; however, the grand old party is facing its consequences across the nation. In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party have indicated to the Congress that they would need a bigger share of seats in the forthcoming contest.

Till a few days ago, the Congress was preparing to keep about 115 seats for itself, while planning at allocating around 80-85 seats for both the allies in the contest for the 288 member Maharashtra Assembly. Earlier, the Congress’ state president Nana Patole had himself indicated this formula. However, after the defeat in Haryana Assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray is understood to be demanding that Shiv Sena (UBT) play the role of elder brother in the state polls. With Pawar also unlikely to accept the initial offer of the Congress on seat sharing, sources said.  

Even in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren is understood to be not keen on allocating more seats to Congress in the forthcoming state elections. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha doesn’t want to increase the seat allocation of its INDIA bloc ally and will maintain its big brother role in the tribal dominated state, sources said.  

Moreover, the grand old party is staring at a similar situation in Uttar Pradesh where by polls for 10 Assembly seats are set to take place.

Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav has already released a list of contestants for UP by-elections without even bothering to consult the Congress, sources pointed out.

Interestingly, immediately after the Haryana elections results, Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha had made it clear that the party will contest the forthcoming Delhi Legislative Assembly polls without going into an alliance with the Congress. 

While Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand are likely to take place soon, elections to Delhi legislature are scheduled to take place early next year.

Congress, which was seemingly on the rise after securing 99 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is apparently now being made to face the harsh reality by its INDIA bloc allies. 

Ever since the Haryana polls outcome, most of INDIA bloc allies have attacked the Congress, terming the grand old party’s leadership as “arrogant” and “overconfident”.  The allies are trying hard to give a reality check to the Congress, which has often been accused by them of acting in its own self-interest instead of achieving the larger political goal of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

The upcoming polls have become interesting as the BJP is expected to go into the electoral contests with an ego boost after a win, while the Congress is left with an unenviable task to reach out and mend fences with its allies.

Delhi CM Atishi calls on PM Modi

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi:  Delhi Chief Minister Atishi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Monday. This is the first meeting after she became chief minister of Delhi.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) put out just one line on X, saying, “Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi, called on PM Narendra Modi.”

Atishi later posted on X, saying, “Called on Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today. I look forward to full cooperation between the Centre and the Delhi government for the welfare and progress of our capital.”

Atishi took over as the chief minister from Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on September 17. However, she took charge on September 25 drawing parallels between her leadership transition and the epic Ramayana, likening her situation to Bharat’s refusal to sit on Lord Ram’s throne, highlighting her personal connection and loyalty to Kejriwal. She pointed to the media the empty chair and said that this will remain vacant till Kejriwal returns to power.

Atishi is the third woman to become Chief Minister of Delhi and also the youngest to hold the top post. Her succession to the CM post followed Kejriwal’s resignation as the Chief Minister after his bail in the liquor policy scam by the Supreme Court.

Atishi, who represents Delhi’s Kalkaji constituency, is not only the third woman to serve as Delhi’s Chief Minister but also the youngest to hold the position.

Her tenure began amid tensions between the AAP-led Delhi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre. One of the recent flashpoints has been the controversy over the allotment of the Chief Minister’s residence, Sheesh Mahal, and projections from the Finance Ministry suggesting Delhi is facing a revenue deficit for the first time in its history.

These issues continue to fuel political rivalry between the two parties as Atishi steps into her role at a critical juncture for Delhi’s governance and finances.

Delhi will go to the polls early next year unless the Election Commission prepones it with the elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand as demanded by the Aam Aadmi Party.

President’s rule revoked, new government to take shape in J&K

By
Tehelka WebDesk
-

President Droupadi Murmu signed a notification on Sunday night, officially revoking President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the Union Territory (UT).

The President’s rule had been in place since October 31, 2019, following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, which stripped J&K of its special status and reorganized it into a UT.

The notification stated that the order issued on October 31, 2019, is revoked under the powers of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the Constitution, just ahead of the appointment of the new Chief Minister.

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, who is set to take the oath as Chief Minister, has staked a claim to form the government. The NC secured 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly, with support from alliance partners Congress (6 seats) and CPM (1 seat). Additionally, Independent candidates and the lone AAP MLA have extended their backing, comfortably pushing the coalition past the majority mark.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had recommended the end of Central rule to facilitate the government’s formation.

Anil Vij meets JP Nadda as BJP prepares for govt formation in Haryana

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former Home and Health Minister of Haryana, Anil Vij, met with the party’s national president J.P. Nadda on Sunday.

The meeting has sparked some buzz in the political circles of the state as the government formation is in process.

Vij, who has won the Ambala Cantt assembly seat for the seventh time, is reported to have congratulated the party chief for BJP’s third consecutive victory in Haryana.

After securing a third consecutive victory in Haryana, the BJP is now engaged in the process of forming a new government. The top leadership has officially endorsed Nayab Singh Saini as the candidate for Chief Minister.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new Haryana government will take place on October 17. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ceremony along with chief ministers of some states ruled by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Meanwhile, the party on Sunday named Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as central observers for the Haryana BJP legislature party meeting, which will elect the next Chief Minister for the state, the party said in a post on X.

Recently, Anil Vij had also claimed that he could be a candidate for the Chief Minister position, but he later stepped back from that assertion. He stated that if the top leadership discusses his potential candidacy, he would certainly work towards making Haryana the best state in the country.

When asked if he was in talks regarding his political future, Vij clarified that he was not currently in discussions with anyone. He expressed his willingness to accept any decision made by the party’s top leadership.

“I will diligently fulfil any responsibility assigned to me by the leadership, ” he said.

In the recent Haryana Assembly elections, the BJP achieved a remarkable victory, winning 48 out of the 90 assembly seats, and defying all exit polls. This marks the party’s third consecutive term in the state, and despite an anti-incumbency wave, the BJP managed to secure an outright majority. This success has left party workers feeling energised and optimistic.

Baba Siddique murder: One accused gets police custody till Oct 21; another sent for medical test

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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Mumbai:  A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded one of the two prime accused behind the killing of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Ziauddin Siddique to police custody till October 21 and the other for a medical test to determine his age status.

While Gurnail Singh has been given police custody for a week, the other accused — reportedly a minor — has been sent for an ossification test to determine his true age, said a lawyer assisting the court.

The duo have been charged with shooting Siddique near his Congress MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Nirmal Nagar, Bandra, on Saturday evening, sending shockwaves in political circles. They were presented at the Esplanade Court on Sunday afternoon.

A Mumbai Police official said that they are questioning the two arrested accused, while 15 police teams are on the lookout for the third accused, and they are collaborating with the police in other states.

The police have recovered 28 live bullets from the accused plus two mobiles and further investigations are underway into the conspiracy behind Siddique’s suspected contract killing by the trio who came here from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on September 2.

He said that the Mumbai Police managed to nab two of the three assailants shortly after they shot Siddique, while the third one, identified as Shiva Kumar, managed to escape.

The responsibility for Siddique’s elimination has been claimed by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that targetted Bollywood actor Salman Khan and threatened his father Salim Khan on multiple occasions during the past year.

According to an official, among the angles being probed by the police are – who had authorised the killing, the international tentacles to the crime, the exact motives behind the fatal attack on Siddique, how the shooters got the weapons, the cash and the getaway vehicle, with 28 live cartridges found, whether there were other potential targets, and other things.

President Murmu & PM Modi extend Dussehra, Durga Puja greetings to all Indians

By
Tehelka WebDesk
-

New Delhi:  As Indians across the nation and the world celebrate Dussehra and Durga Puja on Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their warm wishes on the festivals that signify the victory of good over evil.

In a post on her official social media handle X, President Murmu wrote, “On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all Indians living in India and abroad.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his wishes to the nation on the occasion of Vijayadashami and invoked the blessings of Lord Ram and goddess Durga on the countrymen.

In a post on his official X handle PM Modi said, “Best wishes to the countrymen on Vijayadashami. With the blessings of Maa Durga and Lord Shri Ram, I wish that all of you achieve victory in every sphere of life.”

President Murmu and PM Modi will be attending the Dussehra festivities on Saturday evening organised by the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee in Delhi.

The event is slated to begin at 5.30 P.M and the 101-year-old Ramleela that has been going on for the last 8 to 10 days will culminate with all three effigies being burnt to mark the victory of good over evil.

With many top leaders and celebrities expected to attend the event, watertight security arrangements have been made and the Special Protection Group (SPG) is taking care of the security.

Apart from Prime Minister Modi who will attend the Ravana Dahan, President Murmu has also been invited.

Among the political leaders invited to attend the culmination of the festival on the occasion of Vijayadashami are former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.

This time on the occasion of Dussehra, film personalities have also been invited for Ravana Dahan in the Ramlila being organised at the historic Red Fort.

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan, well-known film director Rohit Shetty and Bollywood heroine Kareena Kapoor have also been invited to witness the victory of truth over evil.

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