Breaking News, December 4

The Congress will have to introspect about the shortcomings that led to the party failing to retain the government in Rajasthan, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot said on Monday. He added that it is matter of concern that despite making every effort, the Congress could not break Rajasthan's tradition of voting out the party in power every five years. Party leaders will discuss the reasons for its failure and its future strategy in the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Tuesday. The BJP wrested Rajasthan from the Congress, winning 115 of the 199 seats where polling took place as the grand old party -- which won 69 seats -- failed to buck the state's three-decade revolving-door trend in which the voters reject the ruling party. "It is matter of concern that despite making every effort and hard work, the Congress could not break the tradition. Everyone will have to introspect about the shortcomings and the reasons due to which the Congress could not retain the government," Pilot told reporters in Tonk.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday ordered the suspension of the medical superintendent of MCD's Hindu Rao Hospital over alleged infrastructural lapses, officials said. There was no immediate response from the medical superintendent over the allegations. According to an MCD official, the suspension order came after the mayor paid a surprise visit to the hospital on Monday and found several infrastructural gaps such as dark corners and corridors, lack of basic hygiene, piles of garbage, and dark and dirty toilets.

With the severe Cyclone Michaung poised for landfall by the Bapatla coast on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to be on high alert for taking up relief measures. In view of the heavy rain lashing Andhra Pradesh under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, the state government issued an alert for eight districts -- Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada -- while the chief minister set several relief efforts in motion. In a review meeting at his camp office, Reddy directed the officials to treat the storm as a major challenge to avoid loss of life and property as the winds are expected to blow gales reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour.

Seven people were arrested in two separate incidents of illegal sand mining in Pathankot, officials said on Monday. Punjab Mining and Geology Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra said four trucks loaded with raw materials for crushing, a JCB (earth moving machine) as well as a tractor and trolley carrying similar raw materials were confiscated.

The Congress on Monday said the Assembly poll outcome in three states has been disappointing, but the party is not dejected and will soon hold deliberations to analyse it and prepare for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. After a meeting of the party's parliamentary strategy group, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the election results in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan have certainly been disappointing, but the party has not lost hope and will emerge stronger after introspection.

Under the influence of Cyclone 'Michaung', parts of Jharkhand are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall till December 7, a weather official said on Monday. Ranchi Meteorological Centre has predicted light rain in a few pockets on Tuesday and light to moderate showers on December 6 and 7.

Insolvency tribunal NCLT has issued notice to Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, which provides online educational services under the brand name of Byju's, over a petition filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI has filed a petition claiming dues of Rs 158 crore as an operational creditor under section 9 of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code 2016.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Monday that his government was taking all necessary measures on a war-footing to provide relief in the wake of Cyclone Michaung disrupting normal life. Relief measures in rain-affected regions are being implemented immediately, with various department personnel, including police, fire, and rescue, being deployed in large numbers as a preventive mechanism, he stated. "The government is taking all precautionary measures on a war-footing in response to heavy rainfall over the last two days due to Cyclone Michaung causing devastation in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts," Stalin mentioned in an official release.

A day after the Samajwadi Party drew a blank in Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said he is not disappointed and expressed hope that results will be different in future. He also said that the SP will have to make a lot of preparations to fight a "big party" like the BJP. The SP, which contested on 69 seats in Madhya Pradesh, could not win a single seat. Yadav had held rallies and campaigned for party candidates in the state.

Only three women candidates won in the Mizoram Assembly elections, the results of which were declared by the Election Commission of India on Monday. Out of the 174 candidates in the fray, only 16 were women. Of them, two contested in two constituencies each, making it 18 seats having women candidates fighting the Assembly elections. The Mizoram Assembly has 40 members.

The combined market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies hit an all-time high of Rs 343.48 lakh crore on Monday, amid a rally in equities after the BJP registered victory in assembly polls in three Hindi heartland states. Following the sharp uptick in the market, investors became richer by over Rs 5.81 lakh crore on Monday. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,383.93 points, or 2.05 per cent, to close at a lifetime high of 68,865.12. The index touched an intra-day record peak of 68,918.22. The barometer logged its biggest single-day jump since May 20, 2022.

The National Green Tribunal has issued a fresh notice to the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and asked him to file an action taken report within a week regarding the discharge of untreated sewage into Yamuna river in Mathura. On October 5 this year, the tribunal had noted that the Chief Secretary had not filed the report, nor was any remedial action taken by the authorities concerned on its April order.

Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammed Azharuddin who contested the polls on his home pitch in Telangana for the first time, did not have a pleasant opening as his BRS rival stumped him out comfortably. Azharuddin, who contested the election from the Jubilee Hills constituency in Hyderabad, lost to Maganti Gopinath, the sitting MLA, by 16,337 votes. Gopinath secured 80,549 votes, while Azharuddin, known for his stylish batting and sharp fielding during the heydays of his cricketing career, got 64,212 votes.

A day after drubbing, the Congress on Monday said it will introspect what happened in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan as it had hoped of winning these states. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said the party will also look into "complaints" of INDIA bloc partners, adding, some of them may be genuine and may require necessary corrective measures, which will be taken. His remarks came a day after the BJP swept Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, handing a shattering defeat to the Congress to tighten its stranglehold in the Hindi heartland.

Six people were killed and as many sustained injuries when their vehicle fell into a gorge near Sunni in Shimla district on Monday morning, police said. The mishap took place at Kararghat, about 35 km from here, when the driver of the ill-fated pickup truck -- carrying labourers hailing from Jammu and Kashmir -- lost control of the vehicle, police said. The labourers were on their way to Mandi from Sunni, police said.

Heavy rains lashed parts of Andhra Pradesh on Monday under the influence of the cyclonic storm 'Michaung' and is expected to continue for the next few days. The weather system over west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, leading to heavy rainfall in several parts of the state, an official said on Monday.

A drone was found near the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab's Amritsar district early Monday, a BSF spokesperson said. At around 3:40 am, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops intercepted movement of the drone near village Chan Kalan in Amritsar.

Three persons were detained for questioning as security forces launched massive search operations to flush out suspected terrorists in the forest areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The joint search operations by police, Army, and CRPF in different parts of Budhal, Thanamandi, Sunderbani, and Kalakote in Rajouri and Mendhar in Poonch were underway when last reports were received, officials said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's victory in three states in the recent assembly elections. Patnaik spoke to the PM over the phone and conveyed his greetings to Modi, an official release issued by the CMO said.

Train traffic on the Central Railway route towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from neighbouring Thane district was affected on Monday after an express suffered an engine failure, a railway official said. The engine of Dhule-CSMT Express failed near Vashind railway station in Thane district around 12.08 pm, affecting the suburban and long-distance trains between the Kalyan-Kasara section, the official said.

A meeting of the newly-elected Congress MLAs in Telangana on Monday resolved to authorise AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP). "All the members of the Congress newly-elected party unanimously resolved to authorise AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to appoint a Congress Legislative Party leader," Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said after a meeting of the CLP.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, State Congress chief Revanth Reddy and other Congress MLAs are present in the meeting.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that the Congress party will take a lesson from its defeat in three states in the Assembly polls.

Privileges Committee meeting of Rajya Sabha to be held at 12:30 pm today in Parliament, over AAP MP Raghav Chadha's suspension matter.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the BJP and the NDA allies will emerge victorious with more number of seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, than they did the last time. He was reacting to the BJP's victory in three states in the Assembly polls.

The pilots include an instructor and one cadet, according to the Indian Air Force officials.

A day after the BJP won three of the four Assembly elections, BSP chief Mayawati said the "one-sided results" in the four states have made people "apprehensive, astonished and worried" as she convened a meeting of her party members to discuss the 2024 Lok Sabha polls strategy.

Ahead of Parliament's Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the opposition not to vent its frustration of the assembly polls defeat inside the House and move forward leaving behind its "negativity" of last nine years. Speaking with the media outside the Parliament building, PM Modi said the country has rejected negativity and asserted that the Winter Session was a golden opportunity for the opposition.

The cyclonic storm 'Michaung' over the Bay of Bengal is active and likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday as some parts of Odisha experienced light to moderate rain, the IMD said. Five southern Odisha districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam - were put on alert as the IMD issued Yellow Warning (be updated) of 7 cm to 11 cm rainfall on Monday and the intensity of rain (orange warning) is likely to increase in these areas on December 5.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflected upon the BJP's performance in the three states where it emerged victorious and said that the word "anti-incumbency" become irrelevant when there is good governance.

As the Winter Session of the Parliament gets underway today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the MPs to cooperate with the government in the smooth functioning of both Houses.

The BJP, which has wrested power from the Congress in Chhattisgarh, has convened a meeting of all its newly-elected MLAs in Raipur on Monday, a party functionary said. The meeting will be held at Kushabhau Thakre Parisar, the state party's headquarters in Raipur, from 11 am, he said.

As cyclone 'Michaung' approaches Chennai coast, accompanied by heavy rainfall, several trains are delayed and a few have been cancelled.

BJP's Mizoram unit president Vanlalhmuaka on Monday said that his party will be a part of the next government in the state, as the counting of votes for the 40 assembly seats was underway.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is in the 'Poor' category in Delhi as per the Central Pollution Control Board.

The newly-elected Telangana Congress MLAs will meet here on Monday and are likely to elect their Legislature Party Leader. The meeting will be held in the presence of senior leaders and AICC observers.

Parliament session is set to begin today.

The Winter Session of Parliament is set to begin today.

"This is the victory of PM's leadership & there is tremendous faith in his leadership and tremendous trust in him," BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said.

Several parts of Tamil Nadu are likely to receive moderate thunderstorms and lightning with moderate rain, and intense spells at times.

The counting of votes will take place today starting from 8 am. The Election Commission had rescheduled the date which was earlier slated to take place on December 3, along with the results of four other states.