LIVE: Sachin Pilot may not attend Legislative Party meeting today

The India Meteorology Department has said that heavy-to-very heavy rainfall is expected in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on Sunday

3:05 AM

Rajasthan crisis: Three Congress MLAs say they will follow party line

Three Congress MLAs, who had left for Delhi and were being counted among those in Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's camp in the power tussle in Rajasthan, on Sunday said they will follow the party line.

 

Addressing a press conference at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home here, Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi called themselves "soldiers" of the party and said they will do whatever the top leadership tells them.

3:05 AM

We're clear on not allowing internet voting amid Covid-19: Ashok Lavasa

The Bihar Assembly elections due by November will be the first test case of how polls work during the Covid-19 pandemic in India. Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa talks to Subhomoy Bhattacharjee about the challenges envisaged. Edited excerpts:

3:04 AM

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally crosses 30K-mark with record 1,560 new cases

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally crossed the 30,000-mark on Sunday with record 1,560 new cases reported from different parts of the state, according to a bulletin issued by the health department. With the fresh infections, the total number of cases in the state has risen to 30,013, it said.

 

At present, there are 10,500 active cases in the state.

3:04 AM

UP govt to impose stricter lockdown on weekends to curb Covid-19 spread

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to impose a stricter lockdown across the state on weekends to stop Covid-19 spread, a senior official said on Sunday.

 

The decision has come amid a spike in the number of infections, which had crossed 35,000 on Saturday.

3:04 AM

Nepal urges India to take steps against broadcast of anti-Nepal materials

Nepal has sent a 'diplomatic note' to India, urging New Delhi to take steps against the broadcast of materials what it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country and its leadership by a section of the Indian media, a source said on Sunday.

 

The move came days after Nepal on Thursday stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment.

3:04 AM

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya test positive for Covid-19

In the first major Covid-19 outbreak in Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan and three members of his family, son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya and grand daughter Aaradhya have tested positive, civic officials said on Sunday, adding there was no cause for concern over their health.

 

However, Amitabh’s wife Jaya Bachchan has tested negative.

3:03 AM

Bank, post offices can now find out TDS on large cash withdrawals

Bank and post offices can now ascertain the tax deducted at source (TDS) of those withdrawing large cash just by entering permanent account number of these assesses on the facility provided by the income tax department.

 

The department has facilitated a new functionality for banks and post offices through which they can ascertain the TDS applicability rates.

1:20 AM

US, Chinese ambassadors spar on Twitter in Brazil

The US and Chinese ambassadors have gotten into a Twitter spat in Brazil, echoing the tense relations between the nations as a whole.

 

It started Friday when US Ambassador Todd Chapman retweeted a State Department account accusing the Chinese Communist Party of conducting a mass sterilisation campaign for women as part of its crackdown on Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province.

 

Silence is not an option, Chapman added.

12:16 AM

It's Trump's call on what the GOP convention will look like

After months of insisting that the Republican National Convention go off as scheduled despite the pandemic, President Donald Trump is slowly coming to accept that the late August event will not be the four-night infomercial for his reelection that he had anticipated.

 

After a venue change, spiking coronavirus cases and a sharp recession, Trump aides and allies are increasingly questioning whether it's worth the trouble, and some are advocating that the convention be scrapped altogether.

 

Conventions are meant to lay out a candidate's vision for the coming four years, not spark months of intrigue over the health and safety of attendees, they have argued.

 

Ultimately, the decision on whether to move forward will be Trump's alone.

11:46 PM

BJP in 'wait and watch' mode on Pilot's rebellion in Rajasthan

The BJP is in a "wait and watch" mode over the unfolding crisis in the Congress in Rajasthan and will wait for the outcome of the show of strength between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot before deciding on its next course of action, party sources said on Sunday.

 

Gehlot has called a meeting of Congress MLAs on Monday, which is likely to give a clear indication of how much support he and Pilot enjoy in the legislative group.

 

Pilot, who is also the Rajasthan Congress president, is said to be in touch with some BJP leaders but saffron party sources declined to comment on whether it has held any discussion with him.

11:03 PM

5 killed in lightning strikes in Jharkhand's Dumka and Giridih districts: Officials

11:02 PM

TRAI asks Airtel, Vodafone Idea to hold priority plans promising faster speeds

The telecom regulator has asked Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to put on hold specific plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users, as it questioned whether the network preference came at the cost of deterioration of services for other subscribers.

 

A source said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked the two operators to withhold the specific plan for the interim period.

 

The TRAI has written to the two operators -- Airtel and Vodafone Idea -- and questioned them about their individual plans that promised faster speeds to certain priority users.

10:59 PM

F1 star Hamilton raises right fist in fight against racism

Standing on the podium to celebrate his latest win, Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton raised a clenched right fist and then delivered a message to his fellow drivers not to slow down in the fight against racism.

 

It's 52 years since American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos introduced that powerfully defiant gesture to a worldwide TV audience when standing on the podium during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

 

On Sunday Hamilton and the other 19 F1 drivers wore black T-shirts with End Racism on them, as they had done at last weekend's season-opening Austrian GP. Most again took the knee on the grid before Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix in Austria.

 

Others still did not and even questioned in the pre-race drivers' briefing whether it should still be done.

10:48 PM

Legislative assembly for Jammu and Kashmir would be formed 'very soon': Ram Madhav

10:45 PM

Around 70 to 75 MLAs attended meeting at Gehlot's residence

10:44 PM

Congress tries to keep its MLAs together; Sends Makan, Surjewala as central observers

10:20 PM

Congress govt is strong in Rajasthan: Avinash Pande

10:18 PM

Assam CM directs ministers, MPs, MLAs to rush to respective constituencies and help flood affected people

10:18 PM

Assam flood situation worsens; four more die in deluge, landslides

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Sunday with four more people losing their lives in the deluge and landslides, which have affected nearly 13 lakh people in 24 districts, a government report said.

 

One person each died at Kampur and Kaliabor revenue circles of Nagaon district due to the deluge, while two persons were killed in a landslide at Sonapur area, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

 

This flood and landslides have claimed 70 people's lives so far across the state with 44 having been killed in incidents related to the deluge and 26 dying in landslides.

 

After a landslide in Jorabat, Guwahati traffic police alerted people about diverting traffic.

9:52 PM

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot's meeting with party MLAs has been concluded

9:28 PM

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Ministry Sachin Pilot to skip Rajasthan Legislature Party meeting on Monday: Statement

9:24 PM

Pilot claims 30 MLAs back him

8:53 PM

Rajasthan Deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot to not attend Congress Legislative Party meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow

8:48 PM

BJP trying to topple Congress govt in Rajasthan, says Avinash Pande

Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to topple Congress government in the state and said that the ruling party at the Centre will fail in its attempt as 'everything is fine'.

 

"We had a talk with Rajasthan Congress MLAs who had gone to Delhi and now, after talks, many of them have returned back to Jaipur. BJP is trying to topple Congress government in the state, but it will not be successful. Everything is fine," Avinash Pande said. "Congress is strongly working together. All MLAs have trust and faith in the party and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. BJP is deliberately diverting the present situation," added Pande.

 

Expressing confidence that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government will continue to rule in the state, he said that the Rajasthan government will complete a five-year term.

 

"This Conspiracy is created by the BJP government and they have been trying this for one year. I can say that all Rajasthan Congress MLAs will work together and Congress government in Rajasthan will complete five years of its tenure," Pande said.

8:39 PM

Will follow party line, say three Congress MLAs after return from Delhi

Three Congress MLAs, who had left for Delhi and were being counted among those in Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's camp in the power tussle in Rajasthan, on Sunday said they will follow the party line.

 

Addressing a press conference at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home here, Rohit Bohra, Danish Abrar and Chetan Dudi called themselves soldiers of the party and said they will do whatever the top leadership tells them. The MLAs said their visit to Delhi was a normal affair and the media should not speculate over it.

 

We are with the Congress Party which gave us tickets. The media trial, which is going on, has no sense. We are soldiers of the party and will remain so for lifetime, Bohra said. He said they had long association with the Congress and the media should not indulge in speculation. I have been going to Delhi since childhood. Visiting Delhi is a normal affair but this time, it was made special, Danish Abrar said taking a swipe at the media.

 

"We are soldiers of the Congress Party at any cost, he said.

8:29 PM

LIVE: Sachin Pilot opposes induction of ex-BSP MLAs in Rajasthan council of ministers

Until Sunday evening, even as Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot gathered legislators supporting him for a meeting, there seemed little immediate threat to the longevity of the 19-month old Congress government in Rajasthan.

 

However, the latest round of the power struggle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, 69, and his deputy Sachin Pilot, 42, yet again foregrounded the rudderless state of the Congress party.

 

Sources in Pilot camp said their leader could even split the party. According to them, Pilot has insisted that Gehlot should not induct two of the 6 former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators in the state council of ministers. The 6 BSP MLAs recently joined the Congress.

 

Pilot also does not want Gehlot to make one of the ‘independents’, a minister. Pilot has argued that these MLAs had defeated Congress MLAs, and making them ministers would demoralise the party. READ MORE...

8:12 PM

LIVE: Congress Legislative Party meeting tomorrow at Rajasthan CM residence

Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the state, a meeting of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) will be held at Gehlot's residence at 10 am on Monday. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also called a meeting of party MLAs and ministers in Jaipur on Sunday night.

 

The crisis in Rajasthan Congress has deepened with state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot at loggerheads. While Gehlot is blaming BJP for trying to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Pilot is camping in Delhi to speak to the party leadership regarding the political turmoil in the state.

 

Taking to Twitter, Gehlot said that special operations group (SOG) gave notices the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Whip, some other ministers and MLAs in connection with Congress Legislative Party's complaint regarding horse-trading by BJP.

7:51 PM

Rajasthan political crisis LIVE: Scindia says Pilot too persecuted, Congress has its deja vu moment

As Rajasthan politics heats up over Congress Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot being summoned by the police of his own government, his old party colleague turned BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has added to the intra-Congress tussle by saying that Pilot is being "persecuted" by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

 

In a tweet that has intensified speculation about the BJP's next move, Scindia said, "Sad to see my erstwhile colleague, Sachin Pilot, too being sidelined and persecuted by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Shows that talent and capability find little credence in the Congress."

 

Scindia, who too was kept out of power ever since the party's victory in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh elections, recently jumped ship to the BJP along with his followers, leading to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state.

 

Both Scindia and Pilot have worked closely in the party as junior ministers in the UPA government.

7:34 PM

Congress leaders Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala sent to Jaipur as central observers; will meet and hold discussions with MLAs

7:19 PM

Rajasthan crisis should be short-lived, says Abhishek Singhvi

With its government in Rajasthan on the brink, Congress managers are looking for ways to call a truce between the warring camps led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot.

 

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said "There is a time and a place for everything. Gehlot and Pilot are seasoned leaders and have to demonstrate the perspicacity and maturity they are famous for. Turbulence should be shortlived and solutions lasting and deep."

 

Singhvi's remarks came amid the political crisis in the state after Deputy Chief Minister Pilot went incommunicado along with over a dozen MLAs. Pilot, who arrived in the national capital on Saturday has also sought meeting with party interim chief Sonia Gandhi over the issue.