News18 Daybreak | BSP-SP Announce Pre-Poll Alliance for Lok Sabha 2019 and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For
BSP-SP announce pre-poll alliance for Lok Sabha 2019 with no Congress party
One-time arch rivals Uttar Pradesh’s Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday announced their alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. In what comes as a major snub to the Congress party’s plans of allying with the two parties, the SP and BSP party chiefs, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati disclosed their plans to equally share 76 out of the 80 seats in UP. The parties have chosen not to field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
100 Women will trek the ‘forbidden’ Agasthyarkoodam, days after Sabarimala row
Days after the row over the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years in the Lord
Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala, a batch of 100 women will be trekking up the Agasthyarkoodam mountain peak, in Thiruvananthapuram district breaking the decades old ban. On November 30, 2018, the Kerala High Court had ruled that no gender-based restrictions could be imposed on those wishing to make treks to Agasthyarkoodam. The forest department had yielded to court order and opened online registrations for women on January 5 following which the 100 women registered for the trek.
BMC strike into its seventh day as Thackeray announces budget merger
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) strike enters its seventh day in Mumbai. 32000 employees have been on strike since last Tuesday over various demands, including higher salaries and merger of budgets. More than 3200 buses have been off the streets, inconveniencing over 25 lakh commuters. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party will fulfil its promise to merge the budget of the transport undertaking with that of the BMC. Shiv Sena controls the BMC apart from being a partner in the BJP-led Maharashtra government.
SC to hear former Congress Leader Sajjan Kumar’s plea challenging life term
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the appeal filed by former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar challenging the Delhi High Court verdict convicting and sentencing him to life term in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. The high court had sentenced Kumar on December 17 to spend the remainder of his life in jail for his involvement in the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and burning down of a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II..
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Justice A.K. Sikri responsible for Alok Verma ouster turns down government offer
The Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice of India’s nominee on the high power panel which in a 2:1 majority vote ousted Alok Verma as the CBI chief, turned down a government offer which he is reported to have been given in December. According to sources, Sikri had been promised a job in the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT). According to sources, the judge withdrew his consent on Saturday evening “to be away from the controversy”.
Bill for 10% Reservation to Economically Weak Upper Castes Cleared By President
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday gave his approval to the Constitutional amendment providing for 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections in the general category. The Amendment was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday in a near unanimous vote despite several opposition leaders raising questions regarding the benefits of the bill. Meanwhile, the government of Gujarat became the first state government to implement an additional 10 per cent quota after the central government legislation providing quota for upper castes.
Shubman Gill & Vijay Shankar Called up as Replacements for Rahul, Pandya
Shubham Gill and all-rounder Vijay Shankar have been called on as replacements for Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul for the ongoing One-Day International series against Australia and the limited-overs New Zealand series. Pandya and Rahul have been suspended for the controversial comments they made on the chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’.