THE HEADLINES
- Prime Minister discusses the outcome of Delhi elections with his senior collegues; Kejriwal to take oath as Chief Minister on Saturday following historic win by Aam aadmi party; BJP restricted to 3 seats while Congress draws nil.
- JDU leader Nitish Kumar to meet President with 130 MLAs supporting him.
- In Assam, a top Militant of Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers Donri Kramsa arrested in Karbi Anglong district.
- Leaders of four nations Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany hold peace summit to solve Ukrain issue today; 23 people killed in fighting.
- And in the 35th National Games, with 3 new gold Services continue to be on the top with 55 gold.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi held meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues from the party yesterday in the backdrop of BJP's shocking defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections. Immediately after the meeting of the Union Cabinet the Prime Minister had a discussion for one-and-a-half hours with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Chemical and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot.There is no official word on what transpired in the meeting.
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Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal will be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday. AAP leader Ashutosh said the swearing-in will take place at Ramlila Maidan. Mr. Kejriwal was elected leader of the AAP Legislature Party at a meeting of newly elected MLAs yesterday. Soon after the meeting, Mr. Kejriwal, accompanied by senior Party leaders, met Lt. Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung and staked claim to form a new government in Delhi.
A Raj Niwas press release said that the Lt. Governor will now send his report with his recommendation to the President to enable government formation, a formality under the rules. Aam Aadmi Party yesterday created history by winning 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, the elections for which were held on the 7th of this month. A report :
"After getting a drubbing in the loksabha polls the Aam Aadmi Party stormed back to political centrestage with an unprecedented and historic win, bagging almost 95 percent of the total seats in the 70-member House. The victory will give a major boost to the party for its expansion in other states. The poll result is a first major blow for the BJP after Lok Sabha elections. As the party was restricted to mare 3 seats. The grand old party Congress even failed to open its accounts and 63 of its candidates forfeited their deposits. Mr Kejriwal will be sworn in as the chief Minister exactly a year after he quit the post after 49 days in power. with report of Dipendra, this is Swati rakheja, AIR News,"
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Aam Aadmi party Chief Arvind Kejriwal will meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh today. This will be the first meeting of Mr Kejriwal with the Home Minister after his historic victory in the assembly election. AAP spokesperson Atishi Marlena has said that Mr Kejriwal will discuss the issues related to law and order in the national capital.
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Janta Dal United, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar's battle to become the Chief Minister of Bihar again has reached Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. He is scheduled to parade 130 MLAs belonging to the ruling JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and Independent before the President Pranab Mukherjee to show that he enjoys majority in Bihar Assembly. Kumar and MLAs supporting him landed in Delhi in two commercial flights yesterday. The President will take a call on meeting the JD(U) leader today. Nitish Kumar is demanding the Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to invite him to form a new Government in the State after he was elected the leader of JD(U) Legislature Party removing Jitan Ram Manjhi. Meanwhile, Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Bihar Government has decided to give reservation to forward classes in Government jobs in the State. More from our correspondent :
"Amidst ongoing hectic political situation in Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi Cabinet has taken decision to provide reservation in Government jobs for economically weaker sections among upper castes. For this a three-member committee has been constituted. The Committee will recommend a protocol to provide reservation. The Cabinet also passed a proposal allowing for preference to SC/ST contractors in State Work Contract. This has been done to ensure participation of weaker sections in work bids. Krishna kumar lal, AIR News, Patna."
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The Election Commission has announced schedule to fill up a total of 11 vacancies in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council. While eight vacancies arose due to retirement of sitting members, three other seats fell vacant after the MLCs were elected to the state assembly. The polls will be held on March 2, for which the notification will be issued on February 12 and February 18 will be the last date of filing nominations. The counting will be held on March 2.
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President Pranab Mukherjee will preside a two-day Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning today. 21 Governors and two Lt. Governors will attend the Conference. The Conference will deliberate on the internal and external Security with special focus on border security in States sharing international frontiers, financial inclusion and employment generation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog and National Security Advisor will also participate in the conference.
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The Union Cabinet has given its nod for increasing the authorized share capital of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, NMDFC from 1500 crore rupees to 3000 crore rupees. Approval was also given to revise its shareholding pattern among the Centre, States and Institutions. NMDFC is a Central Sector Public Enterprise which works under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
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In a major breakthrough, security forces nabbed the self styled Chairman of Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers in Karbi Anglong district of Assam last night. Karbi Anglong SP, Mughdya Jyoti Mahanta said a joint team of the army, the CRPF and police arrested Donri Kramsa from Parokhuwa Bazar under Dokmoka police station. Our Correspondent reports that the militant outfit was involved in several massacres and other anti-social activities. In another incident, 2 cops were killed and several others injured in a blast in Golaghat district last evening. Official sources said the incident occurred at Deopahar firing range when abandoned explosives materials went off accidentally.
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In Gujarat with 10 more deaths yesterday, the total number of swine flu victims has reached 98 in Gujarat so far this year. Union Health Minister JP Nadda has reviewed the swine flu situation in the state. More from our Ahmedabad correspondent :
"Union Health Minister J.P.Nadda reviewed the situation in Gujarat following increasing number of cases of swine flu. During the high level meeting at Gandhinagar, state health Minster Nitin Patel informed him that about 10 thousand health workers have been given special training through BISAG SATCOM satellite program. 17 lakh people have been covered under door to door survey. 500 beds and 236 ventilators have been kept reserved in isolation wards for swine flu patients in the state. About 1500 Medical staff attending the swine flu cases has been protected with H1N1 vaccine. Yogesh Pandya/AIR News/Ahmedabad."
In Rajasthan, death toll due to swine flu rose to 109 with five more casualties reported yesterday. Principal Secretary Medical Education JC Mohanty said that adequate detection kits have been made available in government hospitals and services of private laboratories are also being outsourced. Maharashtra also continues to reel under the menace of swine flu, taking the total toll to 40 in the State. Mumbai has recorded six deaths due to H1N1 virus.
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US Ambassador to India Richard Verma has said that the onus of leveraging the civil nuclear deal now lies with private companies. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Mr. Verma said the governments of both countries will help the companies looking to leverage on the possibilities thrown open by the agreement sealed during US President Barack Obama's visit to India last month.
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Nepal has constituted two commissions to investigate allegations of human rights abuses and disappearances during the country's decade-long civil war with Maoist rebels that claimed over 1,600 lives. Law Minister Narahari Acharya said, the government has appointed the chairman and members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission on Enforced Disappearances (CED). Both the government forces and Maoist rebels have been accused of serious abuses including murder, abduction, rape or sexual violence during the civil war.
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The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are due to meet in Minsk today to hammer out a peace deal to end the Ukraine crisis. Intense fighting in Ukraine, including a rocket strike on Kiev's military headquarters in the east, killed at least 23 people ahead of the summit. As diplomats scrambled to finalize a deal to end the 10-month war, pro-Russia rebels sought to encircle railway hub Debaltseve and Ukrainian forces launched a counter-offensive around the strategic port of Mariupol. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, rockets for the first time hit the military's command centre in Kramatorsk,the government's administrative capital in the region.
Meanwhile, the US President Barack Obama has urged his Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the peace deal for Ukraine set for review today at a four nation crisis summit in Belarus.
And now news from the 35th National Games :
"Services and Madhya Pradesh won three Gold each while Kerala bagged three Silver in the Kayak and Canoe events in the ongoing National Games at Tiruvanantpuram yesterday. The Services continue to be on the top Maharashtra with 100 medals including 27 gold are continuing on the second spot. Haryana with 56 medals are third while hosts Kerala are fourth with 71 medals including 21 gold Anand Sourabh, AIR News, "
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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
- Reports of AAP’s landslide victory in the Delhi elections is splashed across all the papers today. “Wall to Wall, Kejriwal” is the banner headline in the Times of India today. “Kejri sweep stuns India" writes the Asian Age.
- The Pioneer leads with “Delhi Chali AAP ke saath”, the subhead says “Broom clean sweeps in worst drubbing of BJP”. “Aam Aadmi Kejriwal is the new Sultan of Delhi” states the Tribune.
- The Pioneer quotes Kejri’s pep talk “stay humble serve people”. The Times of India writes ‘Avoid ahankaar Kejri tells party”. TheIndian Express quotes Kejriwal’s first words after the victory as "this victory is scary don’t let it go to the head".
- The Asian Age reports that AAP is ready to offer leader of opposition status to the saffron party - BJP.
- “Kejriwal to take oath on Feb 14th”, writes the Hindu. The Times of India writes, ‘V-Day resignation to V-Day oath”, as Arvind Kejriwal will take oath of office for his second term as Chief Minister exaclty a year after he resigned the first time, on Feb 14th.
- The Asian Age in its bottom spread quotes Kiran Bedi as saying”, I did’nt lose, BJP lost”. The subhead reads "embarrasses party, says it did’nt take money to give ticket".
- "Nitish takes his flock of 130 to meet president" writes the Pioneer adding that he seeks time at the earlist to prove majority to prevent horse trading.
- The Hindu reports that the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Prasar Bharti to share its Doordarshan feed of the ICC world cup 2015 matches with cable operators.
- The Hindu also reports "Facebook launches internet.org in India", announcing its tie-up with Reliance communication.
- And finally, it was the mufflers moment. Well, the ExpressNewsline writes about how Kejriwal’s humble accessory became symbol of fight back, spawning a series of posters.
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