1. AIADMK Hit, DMK Rattled as TTV Dhinakaran Wins RK Nagar Seat
Creating electoral history in Tamil Nadu and dealing an embarrassing blow to the ruling AIADMK group and the main Opposition DMK, ousted AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran Sunday won the bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai, defeating his nearest rival by over 40,000 votes.
Dhinakaran, who got 89,013 votes, became the first Independent candidate to win a bypoll in the state, claiming 50.32 percent of the 1,76,890 votes polled. The ruling AIADMK’s veteran leader E Madhusudhanan came second with 48,306 votes, while DMK’s N Maruthu Ganesh got only 24,651 votes to forfeit his deposit.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Suspense Ends in Himachal, Jairam Thakur to Be CM
Suspense over Himachal Pradesh's new chief minister ended on Sunday afternoon with BJP giving the reins of the state to five-time MLA and former minister Jairam Thakur. The 52-year-old will be the 13th chief minister of the hill state. He will be sworn in on 27 December in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amid uncertainty within BJP following the defeat of its original CM-candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP's central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narender Tomar, along with the party's Himachal in-charge, Mangal Pandey, arrived in Shimla on Sunday morning and met newly-elected MLAs, leaders and MPs from the state.
“In the meeting, Prem Kumar Dhumal proposed Jai Ram Thakur’s name as the leader of the BJP legislature party and senior leaders — Shanta Kumar, J P Nadda and Satinder Satti — seconded it,” Tomar told reporters after the meeting at Hotel Peterhoff.
(Source: Times of India)
3. BJP Retains Bypoll Constituencies in UP, Arunachal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP victories in Sikandra in UP and Likabali and Pakke Kesang in Arunachal Pradesh, saying his party was committed to serving the country’s villages.
He also expressed happiness over the party’s improved performance in the Sabang bypoll in West Bengal.
“My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP,” Modi said. In another tweet on the Arunachal victories, he said, “We derive immense strength from this affection and remain committed to transforming the northeast.”
The BJP retained the Sikandra Assembly seat in UP by a margin of over 11,000 votes. In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP wrested both the Pakke-Kessang and Likabali Assembly seats from the Congress in the by-elections.
(Source: PTI)
4. Wife and Mother to Meet Kulbhushan Jadhav on Monday
The wife and the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a prisoner on death row for alleged espionage, will meet him here on Monday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
They will arrive here by a commercial flight and leave the same day after the meeting, it said. India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh will accompany them to the meeting.
“India informs that the mother and wife of Commander Jadhav will arrive by a commercial flight on 25 December and leave the same day. Indian DHC (Deputy High Commissioner) in Islamabad will be the accompanying diplomat,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Saturday night.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Roti, Dal, Cabbage for Lalu Prasad's Jail Dinner
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad was served chapatti, dal (cereal) and cabbage for dinner on his first night at the Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi, where he is lodged after being convicted in the multi-crore-rupee fodder scam on Saturday.
The 69-year-old leader’s elder son, Tejashwi Yadav, had asked jail authorities to serve him chapattis instead of rice as he suffers from heart ailments, prison sources said.
In Patna, wife Rabri Devi is worried about his health and medication.
“Laluji takes medicines throughout the day. He needs somebody by his side to assist him. I don’t know who is taking care of him in jail. Many leaders have travelled with him to Ranchi. I hope they are being allowed to meet him,” she said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Triple Talaq Bill Against Women, Will Destroy Families: AIMPLB
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday in an emergency meeting said that the proposed instant triple talaq bill by the union government is against women and, if implemented, will destroy many families.
“No procedure was followed in drafting this bill, neither any stakeholder was consulted. President of AIMPLB will convey this stand to PM and request him to withhold and withdraw the bill,” Sajjad Nomani of the AIMPLB said.
Speaking to The Times of India, Secretary of the board, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that the board is also opposed to the practice and is in favour of a strong law. However, it is not satisfied with the current structure of the bill, especially the provision of three-year jail term.
(Source: Times of India)
7. In Retaliatory Attack, Indian Troop Guns Down Pakistani Soldier in J&K's
In a retaliatory attack to the cross border firing that claimed the lives of four soldier, Indian troops on Sunday gunned down a Pakistani soldier along the Line of Control in Jhangar sector in Jammu and Kashmir, army sources said.
The incident occurred at 1100 am when a Pakistan army sniper was seen taking a position and ‘neutralised’.
A day after four Indian soldiers, including a Major, were killed in a ceasefire violation from across the Line of Control in Keri sector of Rajouri district, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on forward Indian positions in Shahpur area of J&K’s Poonch district.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. At 6.3 Degrees, Sunday Morning in Delhi Was Coldest
Sunday was the coldest day this December so far with the minimum temperature hitting a low of 6.3 degrees Celsius.
“The clouding has cleared away and the clear sky is the reason why minimum temperature witnessed a drop on Sunday. In the days to come, too, the minimum temperature will remain in 6-7 degrees range,” the official said. He added that northern winds are required to get the temperature further down.
In terms of pollution, Delhi saw a “very poor” day with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 305. On Saturday, it was 228 in “poor” levels, while on Friday it was 336.
The AQI is calculated on a scale of 0-500. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is severe.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. India Completes Clean Sweep Against SL in Wankhade
India won the third and final T20I against Sri Lanka by five wickets in Mumbai on Sunday. This result also saw the home side register a clean sweep in the T20I series as they won by a margin of 3-0.
However, unlike the previous two encounters, the visitors did put up a spirited performance at Wankhede as India were made to work hard during the chase. This was after the Islanders batted first and set a target of 135.
Despite having a small total to defend, Sri Lanka bowled well and took the game down to the wire. But the presence of mature heads of MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik saw India reach the target with four balls to spare. For his match-winning performance, Jaydev Unadkat was deservedly adjudged as man of the match.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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