Sena in touch with BJP, Congress, NCP, but won't ditch allies: Uddhav

(File) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray speaks during a press conference at Sena Bhavan in Mumbai | PTI

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday sounded a note of defiance soon after the party announced the election of veteran Eknath Shinde as legislature party chief.

Uddhav told Shiv Sena MLAs in Mumbai that the Shiv Sena remained firm on its demand that it wanted the chief minister's post for the party, which its ally, the BJP, has publicly not agreed to yet. Uddhav declared that the Shiv Sena "would not ditch its alliance partners", but demanded that the BJP first "agree to what you committed to".

Uddhav declared that the Shiv Sena was in touch with the BJP, Congress and NCP after the election results, sending an ominous message to the larger saffron party. He also claimed the Shiv Sena was in “no hurry” to push for formation of a government in Maharastra. A Shiv Sena delegation is slated to meet Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at 6.30pm on Thursday; the meeting had initially been announced for 3.30pm, but was postponed.

Since the Assembly election results were announced a week ago, the Shiv Sena and Uddhav have demanded that the BJP fulfil its "pledge" of implementing their agreement of "50:50" sharing of portfolios and the chief minister's post.

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Earlier this week, the Shiv Sena had circulated a video clip of a press conference with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, which was held in February.

"We have decided equal sharing of posts and responsibilities once we come to power again," Fadnavis is quoted as saying in Marathi at the presser to announce the Shiv Sena-BJP tie-up for the Lok Sabha elections. However Fadnavis denied that BJP chief Amit Shah had promised the Shiv Sena the sharing of the chief minister's post for a 2.5 year period.

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Indians among most sleep-deprived, says Fitbit study

Indians are the second-most sleep deprived after Japanese people, getting an average night sleep of 7 hours 1 minute, says a report by fitness solutions firm Fitbit.

Indians get 77 minutes of REM sleep on average, which is the lowest in the world just like Japanese, who get the same amount of average REM sleep. 

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a crucial aspect for emotion regulation, memory, and the peak stage of protein synthesis at the cellular level that ensures that multiple processes in the body work properly, according to the report.

India has emerged as the least-active country among 18 countries including the US, the UK, Japan and Singapore, walking an average of 6,533 steps daily, according to the report.

Based on aggregated and anonymised user data insights from 18 countries, the Fitbit report found that "Indians are the least active and log in only 6,533 steps daily, the least amongst all 18 countries which is 3,600 steps lesser than the average of the most active country—Hong Kong".

Average active minutes (32) also fare the lowest in the grid, it added.

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Indians also get the least amount of nightly sleep on average (after Japan) at 7 hours 1 minute, which is 48 minutes lesser than the average nightly sleep of users in the UK and 32 minutes lesser than average nightly sleep of Americans, the report said.

Ireland got the highest amount of average night sleep at 7 hours and 57 minutes.

Interestingly, the report found Indian users in the age group of 75-90 got the lowest sleep (6 hours 35 minutes on average) compared to other age groups, even though users in the age group of 18-25 years went to bed more than an hour later (12:33 AM) than users in 75-90 age group (11:22 PM). 

(With input from PTI)

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Centre's green nod for Rs 819 cr Kochi water metro project

Representational image | Josekutty Panackal

The Centre has given the environment clearance for Rs 819 crore water metro project that aims to provide better connectivity of islands around Kochi with the mainland, according to official document.

The Union Environment Ministry has given the final environment clearance to the proposed project after taking into account the views of its green panel.

Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), a joint venture firm of the Centre and Kerala government, is the implementing agency of the proposed project.

As per the proposal, the project will cover 15 identified routes in Kochi connecting 38 terminals across 10 island communities across 78.2 km channel length and two boatyards.

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KMRL has proposed to take up development of 7 additional terminals (Info Park, Vaduthala, Njarackal, Mulavukad View Point and Embarkation jetty) as a social initiative, the document added.

The cost of the proposed project is pegged at Rs 819 crore and about 9.51 hectare of land to be acquired for it.

According to KMRL, the proposed metro project aims to provide easy access to scenic islands around the mainland Kochi besides will enhance overall employment opportunities. 

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Over 2.5 million affected due to floods in Bihar

The flood situation in Bihar continued to remain grim on Tuesday with over 2.5 million people affected by it across the 12 districts of the state, officials said.

In the last 24 hours, all the major rivers were flowing above the danger level, leading to embankment breaches. 

There were reports of fresh floods in three new districts of Saharsa, Katihar and Purnea.

Dozens of villages have been inundated that have forced people to flee their homes and seek shelter at safer places, a disaster management official said.

In the worst hit Sitamarhi and Araria districts, roads have also been damaged.

The floods were caused by heavy rain in north Bihar and the catchment areas of major rivers in neighbouring Nepal.

However, Water Resources Department officials said the water level in rivers originating in Nepal was likely to decrease as rain in those areas have stopped.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar carried out an aerial survey of the affected Seemanchal and Koshi region on Sunday and Monday. He will inform the Bihar Assembly on Tuesday about the situation.

To date, 196 relief camps have been set up in the affected areas, with 644 community kitchens providing food to the displaced people.

The Disaster Management Department said relief and rescue operations were continuing in the flood-affected areas. 

A total of 26 companies of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and Seema Sashatra Bal have been deployed to carry out the operations.

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Delhi Police arrests suspected Jaish terrorist from Srinagar

In 2007, Basir Ahamad had been arrested in an encounter with Delhi Police, however, he was acquitted by a lower court. 

The Delhi Police have arrested a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Srinagar, it said on Tuesday.

According to Sanjeev Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, the terrorist has been identified as Basir Ahamad, carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh.

In 2007, Basir Ahamad had been arrested in an encounter with Delhi Police, however, he was acquitted by a lower court.

He was later sentenced by the High Court but was out on bail and had not been appearing in court since then.

Post this the court issued a non-bailable warrant against Basir Ahamad, leading to the Delhi Police arresting him on Tuesday.

Delhi Police has also arrested two of his accomplices -- Faiz and Majid Baba.

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US wants India to embrace fair and reciprocal trade, lower barriers

Bilateral trade is likely to be an important topic of discussion during Mike Pompeo's talks with the Indian leadership. (Photo:PIB)

Donald Trump's Administration wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lower trade barriers and embrace fair and reciprocal trade, the United States said on Tuesday, hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in New Delhi on a three-day visit.

"There is enormous potential to grow our trade relationship and create the high-quality jobs that PM Modi wants if India lowers trade barriers and embraces fair and reciprocal trade," according to a State Department Fact Sheet.

Bilateral trade is likely to be an important topic of discussion during Mike Pompeo's talks with the Indian leadership.

US companies see great opportunity in India, and increased economic openness and investment will yield mutual benefit.

"The Trump Administration is working to ensure that American companies operating in India have the same level playing field that Indian companies enjoy in the United States," it said.

The State Department said that as India's number one overseas market, the US purchases close to one-fifth of its exports. India is also the fastest growing major market for US goods.

Two-way bilateral goods and services trade with India totalled USD 142 billion in 2018, up 12.6 per cent, or almost USD16 billion, over the previous year.

US crude oil exports to India are surging, increasing India's energy security while reducing its bilateral trade deficit.

The United States exported nearly 50 million barrels of crude to India in 2018, compared to less than 10 million barrels in 2017, and is on pace to export even greater volumes in 2019, it said.

US defense sales to India are estimated to reach approximately USD 18 billion by 2019 from near zero in 2008, boosting India's national security capabilities and increasing employment in both countries, it said.

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Hyderabad traffic policeman composes songs based on crimes to spread awareness. Heard any yet?

Image posted on Twitter by ANI.

In order to create "awareness", a traffic police personnel from Hyderabad said that he has been composing songs based on crimes since 2012. A Nagamallu said that the reason behind creating crime songs is that the "present generation" is all for "entertainment" and by doing so, he is only aiding in spreading awareness.

"I have been doing this since 2012. The present generation is attracted towards entertainment, therefore I thought this was the best way to create awareness," A Nagamallu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The police personnel, in fact, also said while speaking to ANI that he has composed 20 songs so far. He uses social media platforms to showcase his songs as he said, "I have composed around 20 songs and have uploaded them on YouTube, Facebook and other social platforms."

Nagamallu, in a bid to spread awareness about crimes, said, "My next target is to reach out to all the people across the country and spread awareness about crimes through this initiative."

Meet A Nagamallu:

ANI

✔@ANI

Hyderabad: A Nagamallu, a traffic police personnel composes songs based on crimes, says, "I have been doing this since 2012. The present generation is attracted towards entertainment, therefore I thought this was the best way to create awareness." #Telangana

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Watch his song on student suicides:

The post featuring A Nagamallu's story has been retweeted several times and garnered hundreds of likes within an hour of being made available online.

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For offensive poll speeches, EC temporarily gags Yogi, Azam Khan, Maneka, Mayawati

EC bars SP's Azam Khan and BJP's Maneka Gandhi from campaigning.

The day Supreme Court rapped the Election Commission for not taking stern action against leaders who were violating the Model Code of Conduct, the Commission barred Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan from campaigning for next three days, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Maneka Gandhi from campaigning for next two days starting from Tuesday. The commission invoked special powers under Article 324 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had questioned the Election Commission on what action it could take against leaders in case of violation of the Model Code. According to the commission, all the leaders had violated the MCC.

Both Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati were alleged to have made communal remarks before elections. The Supreme Court had pulled up the commission for failing to take action in cases of Model Code violation and questioning if it was even aware of its powers to force errant political leaders to fall in line.

At a recent meeting in Deoband, Mayawati had warned the Muslim community not to "split votes" between the Congress and her alliance. Appealing to caste or communal feelings to secure votes is a no-no under the model code, which is a series of dos and don'ts for political parties ahead of elections.

Days later, hitting out at Mayawati, Yogi Adityanath had said, "If the Congress, the SP and the BSP have faith in Ali, then we too have faith in Bajrang Bali" - a comment that triggered outraged protests from the Opposition. While Ali is revered by Muslims as Prophet Mohammad's successor, Bajrang Bali is another name for Lord Hanuman.

For the first time a pan-India ban has been imposed on politicians, while any restriction on a chief minister and a union minister is unprecedented. While there was no immediate reaction from Adityanath, Mayawati alleged the order has been passed under pressure and it would be remembered as a black day in the EC's history. She has faced action for appealing to Muslims to not vote for the Congress to avoid their anti-BJP votes getting divided. Her alliance partner and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the EC whether it is capable to issue similar directives to the prime minister to stop him from asking for votes in name of the Army.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the Balakot air strike are under examination of the poll panel.

The poll authorities in Maharashtra's Latur, where he made the speech, have told EC that prima facie the comments are violative of its orders asking parties against using the armed forces in their campaigns.

The EC order to bar Adityanath and Mayawati came soon after the Supreme Court asking the poll watchdog about the action it has initiated against them.

However, a senior EC functionary said the commission had examined the two issues on April 14-15, and came up with the final decision after lots of deliberation as it felt a clear message needed to go out to the politicians. The EC said it strongly condemns the impugned statement made by the UP chief minister and censured him for misconduct.

With PTI inputs

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No 2nd chance: Since 1951, 60% Lok Sabha MPs were never re-elected

Since 1951, India has elected 4,843 MPs to Lok Sabha and 2,840 of these never entered Parliament as Lok Sabha MPs after their first term ended. (Photo: Getty Images)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee did it 10 times, Communist stalwart Indrajit Gupta 11 times, Sonia Gandhi four times and come May 23, Narendra Modi would hope to do it for the second time when results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are declared.

In the past 68 years, India has voted in 16 Lok Sabha elections and elected 4,843 leaders to Parliament as their MPs.

But how have these thousands of MPs performed thereafter? What have been their political journeys? How many of them were able to cash in on to the national stage and rise in the corridors of power? How many were re-elected and how many never entered Parliament as Lok Sabha MPs after their first innings?

As the 2019 election season reaches its climax with voting completed in over 420 seats, IndiaToday.in brings you an analysis of the electoral performance of all leaders who were elected to the Lok Sabha in the past 68 years.

For this, IndiaToday.in analysed Lok Sabha records of all 4,843 leaders who have served as MPs in the Lower House of Parliament. Between 1951 and 2019, a total of 4,865 leaders have served as Lok Sabha MPs, of which 22 were nominated. For this analysis we have excluded the nominated members for the simple reason that they don't contest elections. Thus, the number of MPs elected to the Lok Sabha is 4,843.

IndiaToday.in's analysis shows that three out of every five leaders who were elected to the Lok Sabha since 1951 were never re-elected to the Lower House of Parliament. In other words, of the 4,843 elected MPs, 2,840 (58.64 per cent) never entered Parliament as Lok Sabha MPs after their first term ended.

Among the 2,003 leaders who were re-elected to the Lok Sabha in these 68 years, every second leader (50 per cent) was never elected for the third time i.e. they remained two-time MPs.

The number of leaders who were re-elected decreases as we increase the number of terms. The graph below shows the relation between number of terms served and how many MPs served those terms.

While these numbers may paint a gloomy picture of our elected representatives (as 60 per cent of them were never re-elected and 50 per cent of those who were re-elected never saw a third term), there are also examples that give a completely contrasting picture.

We are talking of stalwarts like Indrajit Gupta, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Somnath Chatterjee, among others.

Since 1951, Indrajit Gupta has been the only person in India who was elected 11 times to the Lok Sabha. In the success ladder of re-election, Gupta is followed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Congress's PM Sayeed, who were all elected 10 times each.

Leaders like Indrajit Gupta, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Somnath Chatterjee and PM Sayeed are exceptions in Indian political history because of the number of years they served as Lok Sabha MPs. (Infographic: IndiaToday.in)

(Click photo for a zoomed version.)

Besides these, nine leaders have served as nine Lok Sabha terms; 18 leaders have served eight terms as Lok Sabha MPs; 34 leaders have served seven terms; 54 leaders have served six terms; and there are 134 leaders who were elected to the Lok Sabha five times.

WHAT ABOUT NOMINATED MEMBERS?

The Constitution of India under Article 331 allows the President to appoint two members of the Anglo-Indian community as nominated members to the Lok Sabha. This is to ensure that the community gets representation in the House.

Lok Sabha data show that since 1951, 22 people have served as nominated MPs in the Lok Sabha. While most of them enjoyed only a single term, here too there were two notable exceptions.

There were two Anglo-Indians who were re-nominated at least seven times by different governments. With eight Lok Sabha terms to his credit, Frank Anthony was the most re-nominated MP in India.

Barring the sixth and ninth Lok Sabhas, he was part of all Lok Sabhas from the first till the 10th. Frank Anthony is closely followed by AET Barrow who served seven terms as a nominated Lok Sabha MP representing the Anglo-Indian community.

WHY 2014 LOK SABHA ELECTION WAS DIFFERENT

Besides registering a historic voter turnout of 66.40 per cent, the 2014 Lok Sabha election was unique because it sent the maximum number of first-time MPs. Of the 543 MPs who were elected, 311 (more than 50 per cent) were elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time. Most of these first-time MPs were from the Bharatiya Janata Party (160), followed by AIADMK (33) and Trinamool Congress (21).

With all eyes set on May 23 when results for the 2019 Lok Sabha election will be announced, it remains to be seen how many among the present MPs are able to retain their seats in the Lok Sabha. Like in the past, will the voters in 2019 continue with the trend of rejecting three out of five sitting MPs or have the sitting MPs been able to convince people that they have performed well?

For the answer wait till May 23.

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Cyclone Fani to intensify into severe storm today | Updates

While Cyclone Fani will not make landfall in Tamil Nadu, but it may bring light rain in the region. (Photo: Twitter/PIB_India)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cyclone Fani heading northwest, will recurve on April 30
• Light rainfall expected in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha
• Recurving of Cyclone Fani may lead to heat wave in Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Fani is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday afternoon. The cyclone currently located above the southeast region of the Bay of Bengal is expected further intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning.

The cyclonic disturbance is moving northwestward at a speed of 21 kilometres per hour. Cyclone Fani will likely make way 300kms away from the Chennai coast, before heading north. It is eventually expected to recurve and move in the north-northeast direction post-Wednesday.

"The cyclone threat for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has subsided with the cyclone Fani keeping away from anywhere near the shores," said Indian Meteorological Department bulletin.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, sounded an alarm and prayed for everyone's safety.

Spoke to officials regarding the situation arising due to Cyclone Fani. Asked them to take preventive measures and be prepared to provide all possible assistance. Also urged them to work closely with Governments of the affected states.
Praying for everyone's safety and wellbeing.

Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2019

via GIPHY

The path for Cyclone Fani (Courtesy: Twitter/Prashanth Rangaswamy)

Light rains, overcast sky

While Cyclone Fani will not make landfall in Tamil Nadu, but it may bring light rain in the region.

Kerala is expected to get light to moderate rain at many places today and tomorrow and heavy rain in isolated pockets. A few places in north coastal Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh are predicted to have light to moderate showers for the next two days.

A few places in coastal Odisha are set to get moderate rainfall on May 2 and heavy rainfall on May 3.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai said cyclone threat to Tamil Nadu has abated. "There is no chance of Fani crossing the Tamil Nadu coast," Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre S Balachandran told reporters in Chennai on Sunday.

Strong winds

Strong winds with speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph are likely to commence along and off the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast, Comorin area and Gulf of Mannar from Sunday. It will intensify a day later, the bulletin said.

via GIPHY

Courtesy: Twitter/Jason Nicholls

"It is very likely to become squally with wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph and gusting to 70 kmph from the morning of April 30 along north Tamilnadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts. Strong wind with speed reaching 30-40 kmph and gusting to 50 kmph is likely to commence along and off Kerala coast from the evening of April 28," it said.

Fishermen warned

Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the deep sea in South East Bay and the adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean.

The IMD has advised fishermen along the coasts of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry not to venture into the sea.

Those in the deep sea were advised to return to the coast, the IMD added.

No respite from heat

With the threat from the cyclonic storm subsiding, scanty rainfall in some regions may provide no respite from the soaring temperatures in the region.

Many weather experts have pointed out that similar cyclonic storms in the past that have recurved have left the atmosphere high and dry, resulting in the temperature rising after they pass.

The recurving of the storm may lead to a heat wave in coastal regions of Tamil Nadu.

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IPL 2019: MS DHONI OPENS UP ON HIS BACK INJURY, MAY TAKE A BREAK IF IT ACTS UP BEFORE THE WORLD CUP

The Indian Premier League will host the finals of the tournament on May 12, barely three weeks before the start of the 2019 World Cup. The IPL itself is a very challenging tournament, leaving very little time for players to rest and recuperate. That poses a challenge for players since they need to stay fit for the World Cup. MS Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings recently faced a back injury that has been bothering him.

During the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhoni didn’t arrive to bat at number six, choosing instead to send in Dwayne Bravo to finish things off. While CSK went on to win the match, there were speculations that Dhoni chose to send in Bravo because of his injury. The various IPL franchises are reportedly monitoring the workloads of their players. Dhoni, who has been a talisman for CSK and India had suffered from a back injury for a while. He was even forced to miss out on a match.

Thala Dhoni during the post-match presentation

Keeping Masterclass!

Bowling Masterclass! 

Captaincy Masterclass! #Thala #WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛🦁 pic.twitter.com/LCK9i9q0PY

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 23, 2019

At the post-match conference, the skipper opened up on the niggle that he’s been facing. “The back is holding up, it’s not getting worse, with the World Cup coming up, can’t afford that, because that’s too important,” he said, adding that he needs to monitor it with a lot of attention.

“If it becomes worse, I certainly take some time off; but at this level, you play with some niggle or the other, because if you wait to get fully fit, then there will be a gap of five years between two matches,” added Dhoni.

CSK is back on the top. Again.

That Singa Nadai has a seperate fan base! #Thala Game ready! #WhistlePodu#Yellove #CSKvSRH 💛🦁 pic.twitter.com/BGxA7QOrAp

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 23, 2019

Before the start of the IPL, Team India captain Virat Kohli addressed the issue of fitness as well. Kohli said that he hoped that players would be open with the way they looked after themselves. The Royal Challengers’ captain even said that he might even sit out on a couple for matches in order to remain fresh for the World Cup.

“It’s a personal responsibility. It is up to the players to give information on any niggle to the concerned people as soon as possible and work as per plan,” Kohli was quoted as saying by media outlets.

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