LIVE: 'Gujarat is with BJP's agenda,' says Modi on winning local body polls

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12:02 AM

US imposes sanctions on Russia for attempting to assassinate Navalny

Today, US imposed sanctions on Russia for attempting to assassinate Aleksey Navalny with a novichok nerve agent. Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable. We stand with our EU & UK partners to counter Russia’s actions & in calling for Mr Navalny’s release: US Secretary of State, according to ANI

10:45 PM

ED registers case against KIIFB for external borrowing without Centre's permission

Enforcement Directorate has registered a case against Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for external borrowings through Masala Bonds without Central govt's permission. ED has sent notices to KIIFB CEO & Deputy CEO, asking them to appear before it next week, according to ANI

9:29 PM

7 people arrested in Army recruitment exam paper leak case: Pune City Police

8:46 PM

EC relaxes timeline for objections to registration of political parties in poll-bound states

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced a reduction in the notice period for the registration of new political parties in the four poll-bound states and the Union Territory of Puducherry from 30 days to seven days, keeping in view the difficulties caused by the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

According to the existing guidelines, a political party seeking registration has to submit an application to the commission within 30 days of the date of its formation.

 

The applicant is asked to publish the party's proposed name in two national dailies and two local dailies on two days. Objections, if any, with regard to the proposed registration of the party have to be submitted within 30 days of the publication of the notice.

8:41 PM

Union Cabinet meeting to take place through video conference tomorrow

Union Cabinet meeting to take place through video conference tomorrow.

8:19 PM

BJP set to record another big victory in Gujarat local body polls

The BJP won all 31 district panchayats, 70 out of 81 municipalities and was far ahead of main rival Congress in 231 taluka panchayats as counting for the second phase of local body polls in Gujarat was underway on Tuesday.

 

The success follows the BJP's clean sweep in elections for six municipal corporations in the first phase last month.

 

In the second phase of elections for which counting began at 9 in the morning, the BJP had won 6,110 out of 8,261 seats for which results had been announced by the State Election Commission by evening. A total of 8,474 seats were up for grabs in the second phase across district and taluka panchayats and municipal councils. Elections were held on February 28.

8:12 PM

Congress constitutes a Screening Committee for upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

8:12 PM

Spectrum auction: Telcos place bids worth Rs 77,815 crore; Jio biggest buyer

The auction of telecom spectrum concluded on Tuesday and airwaves worth Rs 77,814.80 cr were bought in two days, Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash said on Tuesday.

 

The official said spectrum auction concluded on Tuesday at 12.45 pm after 6 rounds of bidding. Bids were received in 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 MHz bands but there were no takers for the airwaves in the premium 700 and 2500 MHz bands.

 

About one-third of the spectrum being auctioned is in the 700 MHz band, which was completely unsold during the 2016 auctions. READ MORE...

8:03 PM

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addressed a public rally in poll-bound Assam today

7:54 PM

Delhi Cabinet approves child welfare schemes worth Rs 185 crore

The Delhi Cabinet approved child welfare schemes worth Rs 185 crore on Tuesday, according to a statement issued here.

 

Chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the cabinet released funds for several schemes, including scholarships for minority communities and the 'Ladli scheme'.

 

While Rs 76 crore was approved to provide pre-matric, post-matric and merit scholarships for class 1-12 students from SC, ST, and OBC communities, Rs 100 crore was approved for the 'Ladli scheme' that looks at empowering school going girls, the statement said.

7:36 PM

TMC leader and former Asansol mayor Jitendra Tiwary joins BJP

7:28 PM

India woos Tesla with offer of cheaper production costs than China

India is ready to offer incentives to ensure Tesla Inc's cost of production would be less than in China if the carmaker commits to making its electric vehicles in the south Asian country, transport minister Nitin Gadkari told Reuters.

 

Gadkari's pitch comes weeks after billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla registered a company in India in a step towards entering the country, possibly as soon as mid-2021. Sources familiar with the matter have said Tesla plans to start by importing and selling its Model 3 electric sedan in India. READ MORE...

7:12 PM

Kin of legislators rejected by Gujarat voters in civic polls

From the poll results unfolding on Tuesday of the local bodies in Gujarat, it is clear that the people of the state have rejected the relatives of sitting legislators from major parties. Around ten such legislators' kin contesting these elections have been shown the door.

 

Nikunj, niece of Congress MLA from Sojitra constituency Punam Parmar, lost from the Tarapur seat of the district panchayat. Punam Parmar's son Vijay also lost on the taluka (tehsil) panchayat seat in Tarapur taluka election.

 

Yash Kotwal, the son of Congress MLA from Khedbrahma constituency and party whip in the Gujarat assembly Ashwin Kotwal, lost Chitariya seat of Vijaynagar taluka panchayat. Yash was president of this taluka panchayat previously.

7:03 PM

Assam polls: Priyanka Gandhi 'guarantees' financial sops for women, free electricity, 500,000 jobs

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday announced five poll guarantees for the people of Assam if her party is voted to power in the state.

 

A law that nullifies the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), creation of five lakh government jobs, a hike in the daily wage of tea workers to Rs 365, free electricity up to 200 units per household and Rs 2,000 monthly income support to all housewives are among the guarantees that Priyanka Gandhi announced

 

The Congress general secretary said that "these are not promises but guarantees."

6:50 PM

Payments by resident Indian end-users to foreign software manufacturers not taxable as royalty: SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday held that amounts paid by resident Indian end-users or distributors to non-resident foreign manufacturers as consideration for the use of the computer software is not taxable as 'Royalty'. A bench of Justices R F Nariman, Hemant Gupta and B R Gavai said the amount paid is not the payment of royalty for the use of copyright in the computer software and does not give rise to any income taxable in India.

 

"The amounts paid by resident Indian end-users/distributors to non-resident computer software manufacturers/suppliers, as consideration for the resale/use of the computer software through End-user license agreements/distribution agreements, is not the payment of royalty for the use of copyright in the computer software, and that the same does not give rise to any income taxable in India ," the bench said adding that the persons were not liable to deduct any TDS.

6:34 PM

I thank people of Gujarat for reposing their faith in BJP: Party president J P Nadda

6:06 PM

Gujarat civic polls results indicate Gujarat firmly with BJP’s agenda of development, good governance: PM Modi

6:05 PM

BJP set to better its 2015 tally in Gujarat local body polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is headed to better its 2015 tally in the Gujarat local body polls. As per the results received for all the municipalities till 2 pm on Tuesday, BJP captured 1,182 seats, followed by Congress (214), Independents (73), Aam Aadmi Party (2), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (2), and others (10).

 

In the district panchayat polls, 382 seats went to the BJP, 84 to the Congress, and one each to Independents, AAP, BSP and others.

 

In the tehsil polls, 1,636 seats went to the BJP, 625 to the Congress, 51 to Independents, 16 to AAP, 5 to BSP and 6 to other candidates. The AAP opened its account in the Junagadh tehsil panchayat. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that it looks like the BJP will form more than 60 municipal bodies.

5:39 PM

Election Commission issues notification for first phase of Assam Assembly polls

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued the notification for the first phase of the elections in 47 Assembly constituencies of Assam, officials said. Elections for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held in three phases as per Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. The counting for all phases will take place on May 2.

 

Phase one will see polling for 47 constituencies on March 27 while in the second phase polling would be held for 39 seats on April 1 and the remaining 40 constituencies will go to the polls on April 6.

 

In all 2,32,44,454 voters are eligible to cast their votes in three phases this time while the number of eligible voters was 1,98,66,496 in the last Assembly polls in 2016. Election officials said that a little over 80 lakh voters can exercise their franchise in the first phase.

5:33 PM

Workers' union of Toyota Kirloskar Motors plant in Karnataka calls off ongoing strike against management

5:24 PM

Congress will bring law to nullify CAA in Assam if voted to power in assembly polls: Priyanka

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday asserted that her party, if voted to power in Assam, will bring a new law to "nullify" the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state.

 

Gandhi, during a public meeting in Tezpur, launched the 'Five Guarantees' campaign, and said her party, if given a chance to form government in the northeastern state, will dole out Rs 2,000 every month to homemakers across the state, and provide free electricity up to 200 units to all households.

4:58 PM

We will create 500,000 new govt jobs: Priyanka Gandhi in Assam

4:48 PM

Ghazipur border closed again

The Delhi Police on Tuesday afternoon closed the Ghazipur border again, hours after it reopened a portion of NH-9 for traffic movement, officials said. The stretch was closed since January 26 when violence broke out during the farmers' tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day. The one side of the road which goes towards Ghaziabad from Delhi was opened for traffic in the morning.

 

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- demanding a repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year.

4:22 PM

LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi addresses a public rally in Assam

4:10 PM

No CAA implementation in Asam when Congress comes into power: Priyanka Gandhi

3:57 PM

Gujarat local body polls: BJP leading 1,636 seats, Congress on 625

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading on 1,636 seats, Congress on 625 and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 16 seats as the counting of votes for Gujarat local body election is underway.

 

As per the latest trends till 2 pm, out of 4,772 seats in 231 taluka panchayats in the state, the Independents are leading on 51 seats, BSP on 5 and others in 6 constituencies.

 

Out of 980 seats in 31 district panchayats, BJP is leading on 382 seats, Congress on 84. BSP, AAP, Independents and other are leading on one seat seach. In municipalities, BJP is leading on 1,182 seats, Congress on 214, Independents on 73, AAP on 2, BSP on 2 and others on 10.

3:42 PM

People of Bihar living in West Bengal will vote for development: Manoj Tiwari

Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Tuesday said the people of Bihar living in West Bengal will vote for "development", paying no attention to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has voiced support to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the upcoming Bengal polls.

 

The Northeast Delhi MP, who hails from Bihar, said leaders from the state should stop treating its people as their vote bank in other states.

 

"Tejashwi should have learnt his lesson from the Bihar polls, where people voted in favour of the BJP and the JD(U) due to their development aspirations. His appeal to the people from Bihar living in Bengal to support the TMC will fail as they will vote for the BJP and development," Tiwari said.

3:38 PM

West Bengal govt unable to stop cow smuggling and love jihad: Yogi Adityanath

3:27 PM

LIVE: 'Love Jihad' incidents happening in Bengal, says Yogi at Malda rally

3:07 PM

India's February trade deficit widens to $12.88 billion

India's trade deficit in goods widened to $12.88 billion in February from $10.16 billion during the same period a year earlier, preliminary data released by the government on Tuesday showed.

 

Merchandise exports fell 0.25% in February from a year earlier to $27.67 billion, while imports were up 6.98% to $40.55 billion, the data showed.