Representational image of security personnel standing guard in front of the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi. Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India
| Photo Credit: AFP

Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India as row over separatist killing grows

Canada said Thursday it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India – fallout from a bitter row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

New Delhi planned to revoke diplomatic immunity for all but 21 of Canada’s diplomats and their families by Friday, forcing Ottawa to pull out the others, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said.

Israel-Hamas war, Day 13 updates | Aid for Israel, Ukraine will boost U.S. security ‘for generations’: Biden

Speaking from the Oval Office, U.S. President Joe Biden made the case for U.S. assistance to Ukraine and Israel, and said ‘won’t let “terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win”.

Akhilesh Yadav questions INDIA bloc’s viability as Congress decides to go it alone in Assembly polls

With the Congress deciding to go it alone in the upcoming Assembly elections in five States, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav appeared miffed, not only at the Congress’ unwillingness to share seats in Madhya Pradesh, but also at the lack of clarity on whether the four-month old Opposition coalition INDIA was meant as a partnership only for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and not for the Assembly polls.

Israel’s envoy says bombardment of Gaza to continue, ground operation needed to rescue hostages

Israel will not stop the bombardment of Gaza, and still plans a ground offensive to “eradicate Hamas’s capacity” and free about 200 Israeli hostages taken by the group during terror attacks on October 7, said Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statements, Mr. Gilon said on October 19 that he hopes India, which has not so far designated Hamas as a terror group, would do so. Despite calls from neighbouring Arab countries for an immediate ceasefire, the envoy said that continuing with the operation was necessary for Israel’s “future”.

Court rejects Delhi Police plea against order to release journalists’ electronic devices

A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed the plea filed by the Delhi Police against the orders of a magisterial court which had directed them to release the electronic devices seized from the editors and journalists of news portal, The Wire.

Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Singh Rajawat of the Tis Hazari Courts noted that the investigating agency, by continuous seizure of electronic devices of the respondents, is not only causing undue hardship to them, but impinges upon their fundamental right of freedom of profession and speech.

Steps in place to check price rise during festival season: Centre

Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said here on Thursday that the Centre has taken adequate measures, including extension of restrictions on exports of sugar, wheat and rice, to ensure that the prices of these essential items do not increase further and remain stable during the festival season.

Southwest monsoon withdraws from India

The southwest monsoon has ended and the northeast monsoon is likely to set in “in the next 72 hours”, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on October 19.

The onset of northeast monsoon, also known as the ‘retreating monsoon’, would likely be “weak”, the agency added.

More than 118 cases of corruption await prosecution sanction

There are six cases involving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers among over 118 cases of corruption involving public servants that await prosecution sanction from the Central and State governments, according to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) data.

In M.P., BJP’s strategy this time is going to polls with Modi’s face alone

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrote a letter to the people of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh in an attempt to make a direct connect with voters by saying that their vote will work as “direct support” to him at the Centre.

The letter was made public by BJP State unit president and parliamentarian V.D. Sharma at a press conference in Bhopal by saying “chitthi aayi hai [a letter has arrived]”.

Nitish Kumar talks of ‘friendship’ with BJP leaders, slams last UPA government

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — who is running a coalition mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government in Bihar with allies Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Left parties — made some surprising remarks on Thursday (October 19), saying that as long as he was alive, his “friendship” with BJP leaders would remain.

Sikkim dam collapse will not slow India’s hydropower plans: R.K. Singh

The glacier lake outburst (GLOF) that triggered a flood in Sikkim and destroyed the Chungthang dam will not slow India’s reliance on hydropower, R.K. Singh, Minister for Power and Renewable Energy, has said.

Ind vs Ban |Kohli gets into the act again as India makes light of yet another chase

India’s pursuit of happiness continued unhindered in the World Cup. A fourth successful chase, this time against Bangladesh, ushered in a seven-wicket victory at the MCA Stadium here on Thursday night. Trailing Bangladesh’s 256 for eight, India finished at 261 for three in 41.3 overs, with Virat Kohli’s masterly hundred (103 n.o., 97b, 6×4, 4×6) playing the guiding light.

Australia and Pakistan face off in big-ticket clash at Chinnaswamy

A week is a long time in politics — former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson is supposed to have said, referring to the fast-changing pace of the political landscape. The Pakistan cricket team will hope that the adage comes true in sport when it takes on Australia in a crucial World Cup encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.

Bhopal:

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced its second list of 22 candidates for the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh amid strained ties with its INDIA grouping ally Congress over the formation of alliance in the state.

The SP announced its second list late on Wednesday night. It has, thus, announced 31 candidates for the November 17 elections to the 230-member assembly of the BJP-ruled state.

The Congress released its first list of 144 candidates on Sunday and is likely to declare nominees for remaining seats on Friday, sources said.

Among others, the SP has nominated Shivangi Yadav from Prithvipur constituency in Niwari district. Its first list featured her mother and former MLA Meera Yadav who has been fielded from the Niwari constituency in the district.

Shamshul Hasan was nominated from Narela, Shama Tanveer from Bhopal Central and Rahul Maran (Rawat) from Huzur. All three seats are in Bhopal district.

The process of filing of nomination papers will start from October 21.

On Thursday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party leaders would not have answered calls from the Congress for a meeting in Madhya Pradesh had he known that the INDIA alliance was confined to the national level.

“….the manner in which the Samajwadi Party was treated, they (Congress) will get to see the same treatment here (in Uttar Pradesh),” he said.

In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh elections, the SP had won one seat (Bijawar in Bundelkhand region) and finished second on five, securing 1.3 per cent votes in alliance with the tribal Gondwana Gantantra Party.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

The Congress has fielded at least five former BJP leaders, including Avdhesh Nayak, against Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra from Datia seat, former Jyotiraditya Scindia-loyalist Baijnath Yadav from Kolaras seat, Neeraj Sharma against Scindia-loyalist minister Govind Singh Rajput from Surkhi seat, Rao Yadvendra Singh Yadav from Mungaoli and former BJP MP Bodh Singh Bhagat from Katangi seat.

Congress Dynasts

Seven-time MLA from Lahar (Bhind) seat and Leader of Opposition Govind Singh, whose maternal nephew Rahul Bhadauria has been fielded from Mehgaon seat in Bhind district, and Mr Singh’s close relative ex-MLA Chanda Singh Gaur has been fielded against Uma Bharti’s nephew Rahul Singh from Khargapur seat of Tikamgarh district.

In Alirajpur district of western Madhya Pradesh, both the Congress candidates come from the same family. While the first-time MLA Mukesh Patel will be a candidate from Alirajpur seat, his sister-in-law Sena Patel has been fielded from Jobat seat. In the adjoining Jhabua district, state Youth Congress’s chief Vikrant Bhuria (who lost in the 2018 polls) has been fielded from Jhabua-ST seat, which was won by his father and ex Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria in the 2019 by-election.

Former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh’s son and second-time MLA Jaivardhan Singh has been fielded from the family’s stronghold Raghogarh. Digvijaya Singh’s brother Lakshman Singh has been repeated from the Chachaura seat of Guna district. The Singh family’s close relative Priyavrat Singh (also a minister in the 15-month Congress government) has been repeated from Khilchipur seat of Rajgarh district.

In Dhar district, while former Deputy Chief Minister Jamuna Devi’s nephew and third-time MLA Umang Singhar has been fielded again from Gandhwani-ST seat, second-time MLA and former minister Surendra Singh Baghel has been repeated from Kukshi-ST seat, which was won by his father Pratap Singh Baghel three times between 1972 and 1980.

In Khandwa district, Rupali Nandu Bare (daughter of Congress veteran Nandu Bare, who failed to win despite contesting twice) who as rebel candidate finished third with 25,000-plus votes has been fielded from Pandhana-ST seat, while former MLA Rajnarayan Singh Purni’s son Uttam Pal Singh will contest from Mandhata seat.

In neighbouring Khargone district, former Deputy Chief Minister Subhash Yadav’s younger son, the two-time MLA and ex-minister Sachin Yadav, will contest from the family’s stronghold Kasrawad seat, while former minister and third-time MLA Vijaylaxmi Sadho has been fielded from Maheshwar-SC seat, which was won by her father Sitaram Sadho thrice in the past.

In Indore district, former Ujjain and ex-Sanwer MLA Premchand Guddu’s daughter Rina Bhaurasi will be the candidate from Sanwer-SC seat.

Also, MLA Alok Chaturvedi (brother of former Congress MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi) has been repeated from Chhatarpur seat, and ex-MLA Hemant Katare (son of former Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare) will contest from his old seat Ater.

Families Of Non-Congress Parties

It’s not just members of the Congress’s political families who have been fielded in the polls. Some candidates are fighting the election from non-Congress political families as well.

In Guna district’s Bamori seat, the party has fielded former minister and ex-BJP MLA Kanhaiyalal Agrawal’s son Rishi Agrawal. His father had lost the 2020 by-election from the same seat.

In Pichhore seat, while six-time MLA KP Singh Kakkaju has been shifted to neighbouring Shivpuri seat, Shailendra Singh (son of former Shivpuri district BJP chief Padma Raje Bundela) will be the candidate from Pichhore seat. Even the candidate from Balaghat seat Anubha Munjare is the wife of ex-MLA Kankar Munjare.

New Delhi:

The BJP’s fifth list of candidates for next month’s Madhya Pradesh Assembly election could be its most “explosive”, party sources told NDTV today. When asked about the list, Home Minister Narottam Mishra declared, “List dhamakedar hee hogi. Aage dhamake hee dhamake hone wale hain, Diwali ka tyohar aane wala hai, (List will be explosive… expect fireworks… Diwali is ahead).”

The ruling party Monday ended suspense over the electoral fate of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, 24 of his ministers, and 57 sitting lawmakers, all of whom were named in the fourth list.

The party has named 136 candidates. The Assembly has 230 seats, meaning the BJP has 94 more decisions to make. Many will be made at Sunday’s meeting of the Central Election Committee.

Sources in the party’s state unit said 25 to 30 MLAs may be dropped because of negative feedback.

The list is likely during the Navratri season, which begins Sunday, because the party wants to contain protests by leaders who don’t get tickets; the hope is they will be too busy celebrating the festival.

Among those whose political future remains uncertain are nine ministers; they include Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, OPS Bhadoria, Brijendra Singh Yadav and Suresh Dhakad, all of whom are loyal to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and who joined him in walking out of the Congress in 2020.

The fate of the nine aside, speculation persists the BJP will name Mr Scindia himself.

READ | Jyotiraditya Scindia’s State Poll Debut This Year? Aunt Sets Off Speculation

The Civil Aviation Minister is a Rajya Sabha MP but has never contested a state election. His potential candidature, though, is in line with the BJP’s tactic for this round of elections – to field a few big-name candidates in each state, like Union Ministers and MPs, with strong local connections.

READ | NDTV Exclusive: Inside Details Of BJP’s Strategy For Upcoming State Polls

In Madhya Pradesh the party has already named four other MPs and three Union Ministers.

Mr Scindia, though, may not have been the first choice; buzz about him sparked only after his aunt, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, opted out of this election citing health reasons; the 69-year-old Ms Scindia, who is Madhya Pradesh’s Sports Minister, has had Covid-19 four times since the pandemic began.

Her nephew may be fielded either from his aunt’s Shivpuri seat or any of the two other seats in Guna – Bamori or Kolaras. All three are in the Lok Sabha segment of Guna that he held from 2002 to 2014.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP have taken pot-shots over lists of candidates, or lack thereof.

Mr Mishra also slammed the Congress after the opposition party referred to potential rifts within the BJP, triggered by leaders who were denied tickets. “Congress has no right to question our list. There is no trace of their own… so better if they don’t say anything,” he said.

The Congress’ national spokesperson, Ragini Nayak mocked “internal factionalism in BJP” and said, “I don’t know… maybe BJP is eagerly waiting for our list. There was a meeting day before yesterday in which (ex-Chief Minister) Kamal Nath gave a statement that 140 names were finalised (but) we should not release our list in Shraddh Paksh. There will be no opposition after release of our list…”

Madhya Pradesh will vote in a single phase on November 17. Results will be out December 3.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.