Karnataka: Congress wins three seats, BJP bags one

Gourav Chandigarh/Shimla: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday claimed that the Congress has lost the Rajya Sabha election and congratulated party’s candidate Harsh Mahajan for winning the polls.”Despite having such a huge majority, Congress lost the Rajya Sabha seat…I congratulate Harsh Mahajan once again,” Himachal Pradesh LoP and former Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur told reporters.

Earlier today, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu alleged that CRPF and Haryana Police convoy have taken away five to six Congress MLAs and urged the Himachal BJP leaders to have patience and not to threaten polling officers.”The manner in which the counting has begun and Opposition leaders are threatening the polling officers again and again is not right for democracy…They had halted the counting for long. I urge the Himachal BJP unit leaders to have patience, don’t put pressure on people…CRPF and Haryana Police convoy have taken away 5-6 MLAs,” CM Sukhu told reporters on Tuesday.

67 out of the total 68 legislators exercised their votes in the Rajya Sabha elections in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Sudarshan Singh Babloo, Congress MLA, has not come so far due to illness. He was hospitalised. There was fierce competition in Himachal Pradesh for the sole Rajya Sabha seat between Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan. Notably, the Congress has a clear majority with 40 out of 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs. Despite the fact that the BJP, with 25 MLAs, is far behind in the number game, it has forced a contest by fielding Mahajan against Singhvi. Earlier on Sunday, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs to vote for party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Following the whip, all the candidates will have to show the ballot to the authorised agent, who can declare a vote invalid if any MLA refuses to show the ballot.Voting for 56 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states, which are falling vacant in April, were being held on Tuesday. The term for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years, and elections are held after every two years for 33 per cent of the seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members.The Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the MLAs in an indirect election through the system of proportional representation. They are mostly foregone conclusions, with elections being held unopposed and all party candidates sailing through. (ANI)

Himachal BJP leaders to meet Governor, demand floor test today

After the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh faced a humiliating defeat owing to crossvoting by six of its legislators for the lone Rajya Sabha seat, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur will meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday morning to demand floor test in the ongoing Budget session against the government. As per the schedule of the Legislative Assembly, the Budget for 2024-25 is slated to be passed on Wednesday and during the session the BJP will demand voting, rather than voice vote on the floor of the House, as the Congress government is in “minority”.

After nine legislators, comprising six Congress and three Independents, the BJP strength in the House rose to 34, from 25. The ruling strength of legislators has reduced from 40 to 34, the half-way mark in the 68-member House. In the voting for the Rajya Sabha seat, both the Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and BJP’s Harsh Mahajan had both received 34 votes each, however Mahajan won by draw of lots.

In a stunning upset, the six Congress MLAs who cross-voted were Sudhir Sharma (Dharamsala) and Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), both ministerial aspirants; Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Badsar); Ravi Thakur (Lahaul-Spiti); Chaitnaya Sharma (Gagret); and Devender Bhutto (Kutlehar). The three Independent MLAs too voted in favour of the BJP.

It is likely that at least four to five more Congress legislators will vote against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the voting of the Budget passing as they are miffed over his confrontationist style and inability to take the legislators along with him.

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On the request of the state Election Commission, the Cabinet relaxed the condition of allowing not more than 50 persons in an indoor meeting. The decision in this regard would help the commission undertaking panchayat election-related training programmes effectively, an official statement said. It also gave approval to start single window empanelment for registration of private hospitals for effective implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Him Care Yojana and Government Medical Reimbursement Scheme in the state.

On the avian influenza that broke in the Pong Dam wetlands in Kangra district, the Animal Husbandry Department made a presentation. The Cabinet advised the Department of Health and the Department of Animal Husbandry to ensure adequate availability of medicines specific to the avian flu and PPE kits for staff. It advised strict enforcement of restrictions on movement of people in the Pong wetlands.

With the death toll of migratory water birds rising to 2,736, and almost half of them being endangered bar-headed goose visiting the Pong wetlands, the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) based in Bhopal on Monday said that avian influenza (H5N1) was the cause. In a report, the NIHSAD said all the five birds sent to it tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza virus by real time RT-PCR tests.

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“Although there is no likelihood of any heavy snowfall in the two UTs during the next 24 hours yet inclement weather will continue in both regions during this period,” an official of the MET department said.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway is closed for traffic due to heavy snowfall in the Bannihal sector.

Officials have advised travellers not to undertake the journey before contacting the traffic control rooms to know the latest status of the highway.

Snow clearance machines have been moved into action in all the districts of the valley.

Locals are complaining about the lack of electric power in most places especially in the rural areas of Kashmir.

The ongoing 40-day long period of harsh winter ‘Chillai Kalan’ will end on January 31.

Srinagar recorded minus 0.9, Pahalgam minus 6.7 and Gulmarg minus 5 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperatures of the day.

The lowest for Leh town of Ladakh was minus 14, Kargil minus 15 and Drass minus 12.1 degrees Celsius.

Jammu city recorded 12.2, Katra 9.4, Batote 1.5, Bannihal minus 0.2 and Bhaderwah minus 0.5 as their minimum temperatures.

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“This is the recognition of the hard work the state police has put into implementing CCTNS,” an official statement quoting state Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu said. On this occasion, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated the DGP and the police for their achievement.

Himachal Police in 2017 became the first in India to connect police posts with the CCTNS.

With the linkage of police posts with CCTNS, the public can file complaints at these posts. Earlier only police stations were authorised to register complaints, a police official said.

Now people would be able to lodge online or offline complaints, police verification for job, tenants or character verification and migrant labourer registration, etc., through the police posts.

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While holding a meeting with PGI Chandigarh Director Jagat Ram, senior government officials and representatives of the construction company, Nadda said that there should be no compromise with the construction quality.

He expressed satisfaction that despite the Covid-19 crisis, the construction work is going on smoothly and is likely to be completed by December 2021.

Nadda said that it is a matter of pride that 18 doctors from this state have been selected for this health institute.

Chief Minister Thakur said that the state is committed to extend all assistance to the institute. He said the state would also examine the demand of electricity bill waiver for the institute, adding that the state has released Rs 73 crore for providing power and Rs 65 crore for water supply to the hospital.

Thakur also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nadda for approving the setting up of AIIMS in Himachal Pradesh and making adequate budgetary provision for its construction.

He said the institute would prove to be a milestone in strengthening health services within the state.

While making a presentation, PGI Director Jagat Ram said there would be 100 MBBS seats in the institute and classes would start in December. Thereafter, efforts would be made to start OPD in January 2021.

He said AIIMS Bilaspur will have facilities for 750 beds, 183 faculty members and 600 nurses.

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The singer, Devika, is a student of a Kendriya Vidyalaya and she sung the song under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’ programme. In a Facebook post, Thakur said: “Kerala’s daughter, Devika, in her melodious voice, has enhanced the glory of Himachal by singing the famous Himachali song ‘Chamba kitni ki door’.”

“Under the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’, you have won the hearts of the entire state along with promoting the culture of Devbhoomi Himachal by singing a song,” Thakur said. He also invited Devika to visit Himachal to get to know its culture more closely.

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After his retirement from the CBI, Kumar had settled down in Shimla and worked briefly for a private university located near here as its chancellor. The university is currently facing charges of issuing fake degrees.

A senior police officer said that a suicide note was found from the crime spot. He along with his wife was seen strolling in the evening in the city, a neighbour told the police. A 1973 batch IPS officer, Kumar is survived by his wife and son.

Kumar served as DGP for the state between 2006 and 2008 before being appointed director of the CBI for two years. He served as Governor of Nagaland from 2013 to 2014. During this period, he was briefly also the Governor of Manipur.

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It also decided to open big temples and religious places by September 10.

The state will prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in this regard, an official statement said.

The Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur decided that the quarantine requirement will be reduced from 14 to 10 days.

The district administrations will strictly enforce the use of masks and social-distancing in the field.

The Cabinet decided to provide wheat flour and rice to income tax payees above the poverty line under the Public Distribution System as was being provided to them earlier at APL rates and provide them pulses, edible oil, salt and sugar at zero subsidy on actual rates.

To address the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ by creating a sustainable ecosystem of affordable rental housing solutions for urban migrants and the poor, the Cabinet decided to request the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to sign a memorandum of agreement related to the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes Scheme with the state.

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“We also extend warm greetings to Tibetans in and outside Tibet and our supporters around the world,” it said in a statement. In 2019, the US State Department report on International Religious Freedom ranked China among the worst offenders. Earlier this year, it said, five United Nations independent mandate holders called on the Chinese government to provide information about the whereabouts of the 11th Panchen Lama and to allow an independent monitor to visit him. Expressing gratitude to the spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the CTA, led by President Lobsang Sangay, said His Holiness’ unceasing efforts in overseeing the Tibetan polity into a democratic system and guiding the Tibetan movement on the path of non-violence have been admired and supported around the world.

“His Holiness sowed and nurtured the seeds of democracy and today Tibetans reap its benefits. We also owe a great debt to all the elected officials of the past for their selfless service,” it said. Earlier this month, the Election Commission announced the commencement of the 2021 general elections of the Sikyong and members of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile. The Tibetan administration urges all the Tibetans around the globe to actively take part in this process. “The task is now on our shoulders to protect and further strengthen our robust democracy. The citizens are at the heart of democracy and Kashag acknowledges the Tibetans for their active engagement in the democratic process. We must continue to strengthen our democracy with renewed dedication and effort,” it added. The Tibetan administration in exile is headquartered in this northern Indian hill station.

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