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Sonia non-committal on giving chief ministership to NCP

         New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday remained non-committal on the issue of giving Chief Ministership to NCP, which has emerged as the single largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. "Let the final results come. We will sit together and discuss the issue," a beaming Sonia Gandhi told reporters in reply to a volley of questions whether the Congress would give up the chief minister's post as the Sharad Pawar-led party had secured more seats than Congress. To a question whether she had talked to Pawar in this regard, Gandhi said that she had been trying to contact him on phone to congratulate him on the Congress-NCP combine's victory but so far she could not succeed in her efforts. Asked what were the factors that had led the ruling alliance to victory, she said that it was because the Government did "some good work Meanwhile, NCP leader Sharad Pawar has said that the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be from the Congress, whom his party will support. "The Congress will select its leader and the NCP will support the decision. This is our clear cut thinking," Pawar maintained. Pawar praised Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and said the credit for the good number also goes to him. "If you are getting a majority, definitely the credit also goes to the Chief minister," he said.

Maharashtra polls: Winners and losers (Go To Top)

         Mumbai: Congress president Sonia Gandhi's and NCP President and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's campaign in Maharashtra appears to have proved successful. The prominent Congress leaders who have won are - Sushilkumar Shinde (South Solapur), Vilasrao Deshmukh (Latur), Baba Jiyauddin Siddiki (Bandra), Kripashankar Singh (Santacruz), Rohidas Patil (Daji) Chudaman (Kusumba) and Rajendra Jawharlal Darda (Aurangabad West). The prominent Congress who have lost are - Raj Shroff (Malbar Hill), son-in-law of Chief Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde, and Ranjeet Deshmukh (Nagpur West). The prominent NCP leaders who have won are - Chhagan Bhujbal (Yevla), Ganesh Naik (Belapur), Sureshkumar Bhikamchand Jain (Jalgaon), Anil Deshmukh (Katol), Vijaysingh Shankarrao Mohitepatil (Malshiras), Jayant Rajaram Patil (Walva), Ajit Anantrao Pawar (Baramati) and Patil Raosaheb Ramarao (Tasgaon). The prominent NCP leader who has lost is - Pankaj Bhujbal (Mazgaon). The prominent Shiv Sena leaders who have won are - Narayan Rane (Malvan), Subhash Desai Goregaon, Bala Nandgaonkar Mazgaon. The prominent Shiv Sena leader who has lost is - Rahul Suresh Narwekar (Colaba). The prominent BJP leaders who have won are - Gopinathrao Pandurang Munde (Renapur), Raj K Purohit (Mumbadevi), M P Lodha (Malbar Hill), Khadase Eknathrao Ganpatrao (Edlabad) and Sambhaji Diliprao Nilangekar Patil (Nilanga). Former underworld don Arun Gawali is a surprise winner. He won Chinchpokli assembly seat. Pachapute Babanrao Bhikaji has won from Shrigonda as an independent candidate.

Maharashtra verdict: Cong-NCP set to form Govt (Go To Top)

         Mumbai: In a setback to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, the ruling Congress-NCP combine is all set to form the next government in Maharashtra. In the keenly contested election to the 288-member Assembly, the ruling alliance has won 140 seats. The Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine has bagged 118 seats. Independents, including rebels, who hold the key to new government formation, have won 18 seats. By evening the NCP, which has bagged 71 seats compared to Congress' 69, had signaled its intention to lead the next coalition in Maharashtra. Contrary to expectation of smooth govfernmnent formation differences have reportedly surfaced between the Congress and the NCP leaders over who will become the next chief minister of the state. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who had earlier in the day said the next chief minister would be from the Congress, has begun talking of the principle of largest party getting the top post. Even other NCP leaders had made it clear that a Congress chief minister would be chosen from among the elected MLAs. "The NCP and Congress have more or less equal seats. The Congress will be the main claimant for the Chief Minister's post. Our leaders will talk to the other parties and after a meeting with Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi, the final decision will be taken," said NCP leader Suresh Chavan. But in Delhi, the Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the new chief minister of Maharashtra would be chosen after consultation with allies.

It's Congress-NCP again in Maharashtra (Go To Top)

         Mumbai: The ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine is all set to form the next government in Maharashtra. In a keenly fought contest for securing a majority in the 288-member state Assembly, the ruling alliance has so far won 139 seats, while the opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine is trailing at 120 seats. The close contest suggests that the independents and rebels could play a key role in the next round of government formation. The mood in both camps was predictable in contrast with the BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj indicated that it was all over for the opposition. NCP leader and former chief minister Sharad Pawar emphatically said that Maharashtra would have a Congress chief minister. Indications are that incumbent Sushil Kumar Shinde is a frontrunner for the top post. The results so far indicate that the Congress-NCP combine has retained its hold over Western Maharashtra and in Vidarbha, while the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has lost ground in its Konkan stronghold as also in Mumbai. It is now being suggested that an anti-incumbency factor has played a very significant role in determining the results.

        It is also being suggested that the inability of Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray to campaign and the Congress-NCP slogan to vote for a party which has a government at the Centre may have tilted the scales in favour of the ruling combine. Acting chief minister Shinde (Cong), his deputy Vijaysinh Mohite- Patil (NCP), Patangrao Kadam (Cong), Jayant Patil and Chaggan Bhujbal (both NCP) were among the prominent ruling front winners. On the opposition side, former chief minister Narayan Rane (Shiv Sena) has won from Malvan, while former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde (BJP) was leading from his pocket borough of Renapur in Marathwada region. Prominent among independent winners were Madan Patil from Sangli, Satej Patil from Karveer both in Western Maharashtra as also former don Arun Gawli from Chinchpokli in Mumbai. However, Shinde's son-in-law and the Congress nominee from Malabar Hill Raj Shroff lost to Mangal Prabhat Lodha of BJP, who was the sitting member. The counting of votes, which began early this morning, was carried out amid tight security. Altogether 63.21 per cent of the total 6.59 crore electorate exercised their franchise on October 13 for the polls.

Apang sworn in as Arunachal CM (Go To Top)

        Itanagar: Congress leader Gegong Apang was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor V.C. Pande at the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar today. Apang was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the seventh time. The ceremony was attended by senior Congress leaders Mukut Mithi and L Wanglat and newly-elected Congress and independent MLAs. It was, however, boycotted by the BJP members saying that Apang had betrayed the people of the state and the party by joining Congress at the 11th hour before the polls.

Mufti Sayeed wins South Pahalgam seat (Go To Top)

       Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has won the South Pahalgam assembly seat by a handsome margin. Sayeed re-enters the state assembly after a gap of 17 years. At the end of fifth round of counting, he had established a lead of over 5,000 votes over his National Conference rival Rafi Mir, who managed only 2,300 votes. Only 11, 537 votes were polled during the by-election that was held on Wednesday. (ANI with other wire inputs.

'Six killed' in Afghan violence (Go To Top)

         Kabul: At least four people including a policeman were killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan last night, according to reports. According to The BBC, the blast occurred near a truck with US military supplies which had been set on fire by suspected Taleban rebels. The US military also reported that two soldiers were killed and three injured when their vehicle was blown up by a land mine on Thursday. The attacks happened as counting of votes began in the presidential polls. The Taleban had threatened to disrupt last Saturday's election, but it went ahead peacefully. However, experts warned of an upsurge in violence once the tight security accompanying the vote had been relaxed. Friday's explosion took place on a main road in the Dap area of Kunar province's Asmar district, around 125km east of Kabul. Provincial governor Saeed Fazel Akbar Agha told the news agency the district police chief had been injured in the blast. He had gone to investigate an arson attack on a truck carrying food to US bases, and a crowd of local people had also gathered at the scene, the governor said.

Fasting month of Ramadan begins in Pakistan (Go To Top)

        Karachi: Pakistanis from all walks of life have begun to observe the holy fasting month of Ramadan after sighting of the new moon. According to a foreign news agency report, Muslim devouts spent Saturday evening offering special Taravih prayers. Observing Ramadan involves fasting from dawn to dusk, offering prayers at regular intervels and studying the Koran. A visit to the mosque for morning and evening prayer is also a must. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Karachi flocked to beautifully illuminated mosques and to grounds designated for worship to offer Ramadan's first evening prayers amid tight security Pakistan's commercial capital with an estimated population of over 14 million people, has been exposed to a spate of high- profile terror attacks, including suicide bombings that have targetted Westerners, top government and defence officials and religious minorities during the last two years. In the last 20 days alone, over 70 people have been killed in such attacks in Lahore, Multan and Sialkot. Like in many other cities of Pakistan, Karachiites were busy shopping for food ahead of Ramadan, which stipulates that no food, drink or sex may take place until after dark. Muslims are also required to refrain from indecent acts or improper thoughts for 30 days. Muslims account for over 90 percent of Pakistan's population of about 145 million people. The fasting month will end on November 15 when Muslims celebrate Eid.

Dead Chinese engineer's body sent home (Go To Top)

        Islamabad: The body of a Chinese surveyor Wang Peng, who was killed while an attempt was being made to rescue him from his Al Qaeda captors on Thursday was flown to China on board a Pakistani military aircraft on Saturday. Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Chen Jian, an assistant to China's Commerce Minister saw the body off from the Chaklala Air Force Base. Jian is here leading a Chinese government team that is investigating the kidnap and ill-fated rescue of the two Chinese engineers. Chinese engineers Wang Ende and Wang Peng were heading to work on a dam project in the remote South Waziristan tribal region when they were kidnapped on October 9 by Uzbek and Pakistani militants led by a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, according to a foreign agaency report. Wang Peng, who had worked as a surveyor on the project, was critically hurt by gunfire from the kidnappers and later died, said Pakistani military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan. Wang Ende was unharmed while their five kidnappers were killed. Both men worked for state-run Chinese firm Sino Hydro Corp. Thursday's incident was the second instance this year of Chinese workers coming to harm at the hands of militants opposed to Pakistan's role in the U.S.-led war on terror. In May, three technicians working on a port project were killed and nine wounded in a bomb attack in the southern Pakistani city of Gwadar.

US wants Pak to modernize its education (Go To Top)

        Islamabad: The US has reportedly asked Pakistan to expand and improve the framework of secular education in the country and initiate a moderate curriculum for the private religious schools in the country. According to The News, the main emphasis for the move has been to revamp the education being imparted in religious schools, especially in the areas bordering Afghanistan. As per the report, Washington has also promised a five year three billion dollar package under the Economic Support Fund(ESF) along with an additional 100 million dollars for education reforms. Apparently a bill titled HR 4818 passed to this effect in the US House of representatives states that the US Secretary of State would not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act submit a report to the congressional committees describing the Pakistan government's strategy of implementing the education reforms. "The term 'education reform' includes efforts to expand and improve the secular education system in Pakistan, and to develop and utilise a moderate curriculum for private religious schools in Pakistan," the paper quoted the final print of the bill as saying.