QBullet: United Left Wins JNUSU Polls; Prashant Kishor Joins JD(U)
Top stories of the day.
1. JNUSU Elections: After a Long Night of Tension, Jubilation
Slogans and the sound of daflis and drums filled the air at 2 pm inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Sunday after it was announced that the United Left had swept all four seats in the university’s student union elections.
Within minutes, the counting venue transformed into a sea of red as hundreds of students assembled holding red flags and hurling red gulaal in the air.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. 2019 Lok Sabha Polls: ‘Seat-Sharing Talks With BJP On, Get to Work,’ Says Nitish Kumar to Party
Indicating that the JD(U) would continue its alliance with the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar told his party’s state executive on Sunday that talks on seat-sharing had been held, and the share of seats would be revealed at the “right” time.
“Seat-sharing par baat ho gayi hai. Aap log kaam par jut jaiye (Seat sharing talks are done. You get to work),” Nitish is learnt to have said at the party meeting.
Just before Nitish made this announcement, poll strategist Prashant Kishor joined the JD(U). Welcoming him into the party, Nitish said, “It is a matter of personal happiness for me”. Sources said Kishor would be given a key role, with an important party designation, soon.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Haryana Police Arrest One of the Three Main Accused in CBSE Topper Gang-Rape Case
The Haryana Police on Sunday, 16 September, arrested one of the three people accused of raping a 20-year-old Rewari woman, nearly four days after the crime that triggered outrage across the country and prompted support for the woman who was a CBSE school topper.
A special investigation team probing the case also arrested two accomplices, even as they continued to hunt for two other accused.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. ‘Will Join Opposition Front Only If Given Respectable Seat Share,’ Says Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said she would join the proposed anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front only if she gets a “respectable” number of seats while dismissing Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar as a stooge of the ruling party. “If I do not get a respectable share of seats, then I could even contest alone,” she said.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) got the better of the BJP in Lok Sabha and assembly by-polls in March and May thanks to the BSP’s support. The Opposition wants to replicate the successes in the next year’s national polls. Mayawati is the key to any joint Opposition challenge to the BJP. She has been repeatedly talking of “respectable share” without actually clarifying what exactly that means.
Mayawati claimed Chandrashekhar, who had been arrested last year following caste violence in Saharanpur, was out to split Dalit votes at the BJP’s behest.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Manipur Lynching Video Shows Armed Policemen Were Present, Four Suspended
Three days after a 26-year-old man was lynched in a village near Imphal, the Manipur police Sunday said that four policemen have been suspended and an inquiry ordered after a purported video of the incident showed that armed police personnel were present at the village when the victim was still alive.
Sources said that police personnel were sent to the village after receiving information about the lynching but that their vehicles were blocked by locals and they reached the village on foot.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. ISRO Launches Two UK Satellites
The late-night dark skies at Sriharikota lit up in bright orange hues as the PSLV-C42 lifted off and vanished into the thick black clouds, carrying two satellites from the United Kingdom – NovaSAR and S1-4 from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR here.
The lightest version of the PSLV, flying in its core-alone version without the six strap-on motors, the PSLV-C-42 rose into the skies at 10.08 p.m. Almost 18 minutes later, the two satellites were placed in the desired orbit by ISRO. This was the 12th such launch of a core-alone version of the PSLV by ISRO.
7. Prashant Kishor Joins JD(U) in Nitish Kumar’s Presence
Election strategist Prashant Kishor joined the Janata Dal (United) on Sunday in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ahead of the party’s state executive meeting in Patna.
“Excited to start my new journey from Bihar!” Kishor tweeted today morning before officially joining the party.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Fresh Hike in Petrol, Diesel Prices
The state-owned oil marketing companies again raised the price of domestic fuel on Sunday, 16 September.
Petrol cost Rs 89.29 a litre in Mumbai, Rs 81.91 in Delhi, Rs 83.76 in Kolkata and Rs 85.15 in Chennai, according to the daily price notification issued by the oil firms. Similarly, diesel prices were increased to Rs 78.26 a litre in Mumbai, Rs 73.72 in Delhi, Rs 75.57 in Kolkata and Rs 77.94 in Chennai.
(Source: The Hindu)
9. 37-Year-Old Cleaning Sewer Dies in Delhi as Rope Holding Him Up Snaps
A 37-year-old man died while cleaning a sewer, allegedly after inhaling toxic gases, in Dwarka’s Dabri Extension late on Friday, 14 September. An FIR has been registered at Dabri police station under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 304A (causing death due to negligence) and Section 7/9 of the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers Act.
DCP (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said, “The contractor Satbir Kala had hired the victim, Anil, to clean the stagnant sewer line. Kala was admitted to a private hospital for high blood pressure on the night of the incident…he was discharged on Sunday and will be arrested soon.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
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