Modi Sarkar 2.0 formation: As it happened

Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks set to send a message in international arena once again as leaders from BIMSTE countries are likely to attend swearing-in ceremony scheduled on May 30. BIMSTEC is Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India. Government of India has said that President of the Kyrgyz Republic and Prime Minister of Mauritius have also been invited.

BJP President Amit Shah on Monday pledged to develop Kashi further in the next five years following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha election.

Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists here, Shah said that Modi had placed his trust in the people of Kashi and they too had reciprocated the trust.

"To maintain the traditions of Kashi and to develop it further is a big challenge," he said. "We have only completed five years of work. And you have given Modi another innings."

He said that in the past five years, work was done in the field of improving the ghats along the Ganges and electric wiring in the city besides ensuring cleanliness.

"I have come to thank with folded hands the people of Kashi and Uttar Pradesh, the voters and party activists" for the BJP's sweeping victory in the Lok Sabha battle, he said.

AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami Monday thanked the people of the nine Assembly constituencies where the party won the bypolls, saying the victory allowed the "good government" formed by the late J Jayalalithaa to "stay."

The voters, by preferring the AIADMK in the nine of the 22 Assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, besides giving the party the lone Theni Lok Sabha seat, have ignored those who had "betrayed" the party, the two leaders said.

The ruling AIADMK's fate hinged on the outcome of the elections to the 22 seats, vacancies for which were caused due to reasons including the disqualification of 18 pro-Dhinakaran AIADMK MLAs who revolted against Chief Minister Palaniswami in 2017 for merging his faction with that of Panneerselvam.

An opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator Maheshwar Yadav on Monday demanded that Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav should resign on moral grounds after the RJD-led Grand Alliance was routed by the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.

A legislator from the Gaighat assembly seat in Muzaffarpur, Maheshwar Yadav also targeted jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad for turning the party into his own private fiefdom.

"Tejashwi Yadav should take moral responsibility and resign as the leader of the opposition", Maheshwar Yadav told mediapersons.

He is the first RJD leader to have publicly targeted the former Chief Minister and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav and has blamed both for the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Maheshwar Yadav has raised the banner of revolt a day ahead of RJD's proposed meeting here to discuss the poll outcome.

Delhi Congress Chief Sheila Dikshit has formed a committee to look into the reasons behind the humiliating defeat of her party on all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.

The five-member committee will undertake an "indepth" enquiry into the reasons behind the defeat of the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Delhi Congress spokesperson Jitender Kochar said.

The five-member committee include Parvez Hashmi, AK Walia, Yoganand Shastri, national spokesperson Pawan Khera and Jaikishan, he said.
The committee will submit its report to the Delhi Congress president in ten days.

The committee will not only probe the reasons behind the party's defeat, but also suggest steps to strengthen the organisation to ensure party's victory in the 2020 Assembly elections, he said.

The Congress candidates lost massively to the BJP on all seven seats in Delhi. Party's celebrity candidate Vijender Singh lost his deposit in South Delhi constituency.

Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar, who lost the Lok Sabha election from Gurdaspur to BJP candidate and actor Sunny Deol, on Monday sent his resignation from the post to party chief Rahul Gandhi.

In the resignation, he took moral responsibility for losing his seat and party's not so outstanding performance in the Congress-ruled state.

The Congress has won eight of the 13 seats. The Akali Dal and the BJP won two seats each while the Aam Adami Party (AAP) won one seat.

In his letter, Jakhar said he was unable to retain his seat despite the best support by the Congress President, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

"Everyone supported me fully and put in their best for me but I was unable to defend my seat. In such a scenario I cannot continue as state chief. I feet a moral responsibility to quit," said Jakhar, who lost by over 77,000 votes.

Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar offers to resign from his post after he lost elections from Gurdaspur.

BJP workers are being killed for their ideology in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while addressing the party's workers in Varanasi.

Political analysts will have to accept that beyond poll arithmetic, there is chemistry, the prime minister told the gathering in a 'thank you' visit to his parliamentary constituency.

Modi, who also offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple here, visited the temple town four days after steering his party to a resounding win of 303 Lok Sabha seats.

"For the country I am PM, but for you I am your MP and 'sevak'," Modi said, thanking the voters of Varanasi for voting him into the Lok Sabha for a second term.

He also spoke on the importance of 'perfect synergy' between the government and the party and said "work and workers" together can create wonders.
The prime minister said he was grateful to the opponents who had fought against him.

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

Also, a vacancy was created after disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP.

The ruling party is likely to reward its leaders for their hard work during the general election campaigning which resulted in it winning 62 seats, BJP sources said.

This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.

Adityanath had indicated during an interview to PTI that a cabinet reshuffling was very much on the cards and he was likely to take a decision soon.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal holds a meeting with his cabinet to review the development work going on in the national capital.

Kejriwal holds meet with his cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presently addressing a gathering at his parliamentary constituency Varanasi

Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr Ajoy Kumar offers to resign from his post after the party won only one parliamentary seat in the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday remembered that her government had taken the oath of office for the second term on this day three years back, and promised to keep working for the people in the coming days.

She said West Bengal will one day emerge as the best state in the world.

"On this day in 2016, the Maa-Mati-Manush Government took oath of office for the second time. People of #Bengal reposed their faith on us, with a massive mandate," Banerjee tweeted Monday morning.

"We are thankful to them, and will keep working for them in the days to come," she added.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress ousted the CPI (M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal in 2011 and retained power in 2016.

Supreme Court refuses to grant protection from arrest to Atul Rai, newly elected BSP MP from Ghosi constituency in UP accused in rape case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves from Kashi Vishwanath temple after offering prayers. 

People gather on the streets to catch a glimpse of prime minister. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to visit Maldives on 7-8 June.

It will be his first bilateral visit after assuming office for the second term.

Visuals from Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Watch Video: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. 

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. BJP President Amit Shah also present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. 

BJP President Amit Shah also present. 

PM Modi offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple

Varanasi: Crowd breaks into chants of 'Modi Modi' as the convoy of PM Modi moves through streets of Varanasi to Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi 

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at people on his way to Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Massive crowd greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his convoy takes the road to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. 

People gather to catch a glimpse of PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy takes the road to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

PM Modi's convoy enroute to Kashi Vishwanath Temple

PS Golay takes oath as Chief Minister of Sikkim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chopper lands at police line helipad in Varanasi. 

BJP President Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi.

He will offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple today and hold a meeting with party workers later today.

PM Modi arrives in Varanasi

Visuals from outside Kashi Vishwanath Temple where PM Narendra Modi will offer prayers today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Varanasi airport 

Andhra Pradesh: Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family offers prayers at Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala.

Artists perform in Varanasi ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to the city today.

Artists perform in Varanasi ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to the city today.

Andhra Pradesh: Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family visit Lord Balaji in Tirumala.

Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao visits temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to land in Varanasi at 9:50 am. 

Thereafter, the prime minister will leave for Kashi Vishwanath temple at 10.20 am. 

West Bengal: BJP worker, Chandan Shaw, was shot dead by unidentified assailants late last night in Bhatapara of North 24 Parganas district.

Security forces have been deployed in the area; investigations underway. 

Security deployed in Varanasi ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit today. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets on Jawaharlal Nehru's death anniversary. 

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) president Prem Singh Tamang, popularly known as P S Golay, will take oath as the new chief minister of Sikkim on Monday, a Raj Bhavan source said on Sunday.

The 51-year-old Golay will be administered the oath of office by Governor Ganga Prasad at a function at Paljor Stadium at 10 am on Monday, the source said.

Some ministers are likely to be sworn in along with Golay, who was elected as the leader of the SKM legislature party on Saturday night.

The SKM supremo, accompanied by the 17 newly-elected legislators of his party, on Saturday had called on the Governor and staked claim to form the next government in Sikkim.

Prasad had reportedly told the SKM delegation to wait for his decision as he sought legal opinion on the matter as Golay had been convicted to a year's imprisonment in a corruption case in 2016 and had served the prison term, sources said.

After getting the legal opinion, the Governor invited Golay to form the next government, the Raj Bhavan source added.

Varanasi all decked up as preparations are underway as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits his parliamentary constituency today.

Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari pay tribute to first PM of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at Shantivan, on his death anniversary today.

Delhi: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to first PM of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at Shantivan, on his death anniversary today.

The CBI has summoned former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Monday for questioning in connection with the Saradha ponzi scheme case, officials said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI's) move came shortly after the West Bengal government reinstated Kumar as the additional director general of the CID.

A four-member CBI team visited Kumar's official residence in Kolkata on Sunday evening to serve the notice after repeated efforts to contact him over phone failed, officials said.

The 1989-batch IPS officer has been asked to be present at the Salt Lake office of the agency by Monday 10 am, an officer said.

Delhi: Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora pays tribute to India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary.

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora pays tribute to Nehru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Monday to thank the people for "reposing faith" in him and offer prayers at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.

After reaching Varanasi, Modi will travel by road from the police lines to Bansphatak, with his cavalcade passing through various parts of the city.

He will pay obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Monday morning and later address a gathering of workers of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party sources said.