1. Congress-Akhilesh Yadav Tie-Up is Next
With the Election Commission allotting the Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ poll symbol to the faction led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the announcement of a pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the Akhilesh-led group is “imminent”, top Congress sources said.
Sheila Dikshit, the Congress’ chief ministerial face in UP, said a decision is expected in the “next two-three days”.
The announcement of the alliance is imminent. It should be announced any time. Both the parties, particularly the SP, was waiting for the result of the Election Commission.Top Congress Leader to The Indian Express
The leadership of both the sides got in touch with each other after the EC decision was announced, sources said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Sherry on Top: Sidhu Has No ‘Ifs And Buts’
A day after he met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu formally joined the party on Monday, saying he was a “born Congressman” returning to his roots — his father Bhagwant Singh Sidhu, a freedom fighter, had been with the Congress for 40 years.
Though he refused to comment on who would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate in poll-bound Punjab, Mr Sidhu — Sherry to cricket fans — stressed that he was willing to work under anybody appointed by the party high command and contest from whichever seat the party wanted him to.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Odd-Even Plan to Come Back the Moment Delhi’s Pollution Levels Hit ‘Severe’
The Capital can expect a rerun of the odd-even car restriction the next time pollution levels cross the “severe” mark of 300 micrograms of PM2.5, micro particles of dust known to cause lung and respiratory diseases.
The radical formula was tried before for two fortnights last January and April, restricting vehicles from roads on odd and even dates based on the last number of their licence plates.
The government has plans for another round of road rationing to reduce pollution levels in the city of above 20 million, which ranks among the world’s top cities with foul air on a WHO list.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Supreme Court Agrees to Judge Andhra Pradesh Division Process
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine the constitutional validity of the 1 March 2014 notification to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh into two states of AP and Telangana from 2 June 2014.
A Bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud, admitted a batch of petitions filed by former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy, former ministers and MLAs to declare the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 as unconstitutional as being violative of the basic structure of the Constitution, having been enacted without following the due procedure of law.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
5. ISI Will Continue its Proxy War Against India, Claims German Political Scientist Hein Kiessling
Pakistan’s spy agency ISI will continue its proxy war against India regardless of any change in its leadership because it needs an enemy, and ISI defines it as India's "control over Kashmir", said German political scientist Hein Kiessling, who spent 13 years in Pakistan researching and interacting with its intelligence and military elites, on Monday.
Last month, Pakistan's new army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had abruptly removed the head of ISI and appointed Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar as director-general replacing Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar.
The ISI, under any leadership, would continue supporting Kashmiri separatists and run terror camps in POK to keep the conflict with India alive, said Kiessling.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Turncoats And Relatives Crowd BJP List
The BJP’s second lot of candidates for the February-March assembly polls prominently features fresh inductees from other parties, mainly in Uttarakhand, and relatives of these turncoats as well as of long-time BJP leaders.
After a CEC meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah Monday, the party released the names of 149 candidates for Uttar Pradesh, seven more for Goa, 64 for Uttarakhand and completed its list for Punjab.
“We have given tickets to candidates from all sections of the society and from all walks of life,” said Union minister JP Nadda, who released the list.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Fissures Emerge in AIADMK Over Role of Sasikala’s Family
Notes of discord emerged in the AIADMK on Monday with former Minister KP Munusamy accusing party general secretary VK Sasikala’s brother V Divakaran of attempting to usurp credit for the party’s successful legacy.
At a press conference in Kaveripattinam, Mr Munusamy objected to Mr Divakaran’s speech at a function in Thanjavur on Saturday wherein he had said that Ms Sasikala’s husband Natarajan was instrumental in retrieving the party’s ‘Two Leaves’ symbol after it was frozen following the split in the party after MGR’s death.
“We did not mushroom (in the AIADMK) in overnight rains. Natarajan and I played a role in building the party and elevating Jayalalithaa as Leader of the Opposition and later as Chief Minister,” Mr Divakaran had said.
(Source: The Hindu)
8. Good That He’s Been Caught: Wife of Delhi ‘Serial Rapist’ Doesn’t Want to Lament
The wife of the alleged paedophile Sunil Rastogi doesn’t want to see him again.
Rastogi, a 38-year-old tailor from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, was arrested in the national capital on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting young girls, mostly students he lured outside schools and in slum clusters. The youngest victim is said to be just seven years old.
Wife Bhawna, who suffers from a spine ailment and is bedridden, told Hindustan Times at the family’s rented home in the foothills town on Monday that she had ignored his behaviour despite witnessing him inappropriately touching young girls.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Virat Kohli is the Cristiano Ronaldo of Cricket, Says Nasser Hussain
Virat Kohli’s innings of 122, in the incredible chase against England in the first ODI on Sunday, has shattered records and earned praise from across the cricketing world. The biggest testament to Kohli’s stature and performance as a player and skipper is when the praise comes from the opposition camp.
After his innings in the India vs England 1st ODI in Pune, former and current England players applauded Kohli, with a former England skipper even calling him the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket.
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain compared Kohli to Real Madrid and Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo while giving his analysis on Sky Sports.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)