THE HEADLINES:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold talks with President of Vietnam To Lam in New Delhi; Several MoUs exchanged in the fields of Digital Technology, rare earth and medical product regulations.
Hectic parleys continue in Tamil Nadu among parties as TVK is set to stake claim for forming government despite lack of majority figure.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tenders resignation; Swearing-in ceremony of the new government to take place after 11th May.
India and European Union launch joint initiative to strengthen EV battery recycling capacity.
IMD forecasts heavy rainfall over Assam, Bihar, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry today.
And, in IPL Cricket, Hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad to take on Punjab Kings this evening.
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India and Vietnam today inked several MoUs in the fields of Digital Technology, Rare Earths, Medical Products Regulation, Public Sector Audit, Digital Payment System, and Culture and Tourism. The agreements were signed after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Vietnam To Lam in New Delhi this afternoon. During the talks, both leaders held wide-ranging discussions across the spectrum of bilateral relations as also on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
We now go over live to Hyderabad house where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is briefing media on the outcomes of the talks:
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In Tamil Nadu, political parleys to form a new Government under Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder C. Joseph Vijay has intensified as his party is short of majority figure of 118. State Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is to arrive in Chennai later this afternoon from Kerala. The Chief Minister Designate C Joseph Vijay, will be meeting the Governor and submitting the letter to stake a claim to form the Government later this evening.
As the rift over supporting Vijay-led TVK government in Tamil Nadu is growing amidst parties, long-time alliance between DMK and Congress is on a thin line.
Congress, which has five MLAs, has decided to support TVK. The decision was taken after a meeting of the newly elected members to the Assembly from the Congress Party led by Tamil Nadu in charge Girish Chodankar. Rajesh Kumar from Killiyoor Assembly constituency, a three-time Congress MLA, has been elected as the leader of the Congress in the State Assembly. This reduces the number from the DMK alliance and has been added to the TVK, which has 107 MLAs. Still, six more MLAs are needed for a majority.
Speaking to media, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram today said that the Congress party will formally support a government headed by Vijay’s TVK.
On Congress supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu, DMK leader and spokesperson Kanimozhi NVN Somu said, if the Congress has done this, it is a big stab on DMK. She said, DMK stood with Congress in all odd hours.
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In West Bengal preparations within the state administration have reached a peak following the declaration of the election results and ahead of the swearing-in of the new government. According to party sources, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving in Kolkata today and may announce the name of the leader of the BJP legislative party after holding a meeting with the newly elected BJP MLAs. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to follow soon after. More from our correspondent:
“The constitutional process of government formation is moving swiftly. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, along with representatives of the Election Commission, today met the Governor with the Gazette notification of the results of all 293 Assembly constituencies in the state. The formal process of forming the new government begin only after the Governor receives the official election results. The Governor may also take a decision on how the interim administrative arrangement will function until the new government is formally sworn in. At the same time, the stand taken by outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has added a layer of complexity to the situation. Mamata on Tuesday made it clear that she would not go to Raj Bhavan to resign. Against this backdrop of political confrontation, preparations for the administrative transition in Bengal have now entered a decisive phase. SANDIPON DASGUPTA, AKASHVANI NEWS, KOLKATA.”
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Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has condemned the alleged remarks of Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee that she will not resign and tender her resignation to the Governor as the outgoing Chief Minister. In a social media post, he accused that resistance to accountability and the refusal to accept the public’s mandate by the Trinamool Congress is an example of compromised democracy in Bengal.
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In Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today tendered his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at the Lok Bhawan in Guwahati, following the completion of the Assembly election process. The resignation has paved the way for the formation of a new government in the state after the declaration of results.
Speaking to the media later, Dr. Sarma said that the Governor has accepted the resignation of the Council of Ministers and dissolved the present Legislative Assembly. He said, swearing-in ceremony of the new government is likely to take place after the 11th of May. On being asked about the next Chief Minister of the state, he said the BJP Legislature Party will decide on the leadership, after which the new Chief Minister will form the Council of Ministers.
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In Keralam, the United Democratic Front (UDF), which secured a clear majority in the Assembly elections, is continuing discussions to form the government. The Congress, which leads the front, will first decide on the Chief Minister, after which further discussions will be held. More from our Thiruvananthapuram Correspondent:
“The Congress Legislature Party meeting at Keralam will be held tomorrow in Thiruvananthapuram.The meeting will take place after informal discussions by observers from the All India Congress Committee, who are scheduled to arrive the state capital this evening. KPCC President Sunny Joseph has stated that a decision regarding the Chief Minister will be made only after the observers hear the views of the MLAs. Following the Congress Legislature Party meeting, a UDF Legislature Party meeting also will be held. After these meetings, the alliance leaders are expected to meet the Governor and stake their claim to form the government. Smithy M Palluruthy, Akashvani News,Thiruvananthapuram.”
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In Punjab, the twin explosions that had occurred outside heavily guarded BSF Frontier Headquarters in Jalandhar and an Army establishment at Khasa in Amritsar, last night, are part of Pakistan’s nefarious designs perpetrated by its ISI.
Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav who visited the blast site at Khasa in Amritsar along with Army and other security officials to take stock of the situation said that as per the initial investigation Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) have been used at both the places.
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The government has debunked a digitally altered video circulating on social media which features Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh claiming that Pakistan jammed India’s systems on 10th May last year. In a social media post, the Fact Check Unit of Press Information Bureau clarified that the video is an AI-generated deepfake and is being circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts to spread misinformation. The unit has also urged the citizens to not fall prey to such videos and report such suspicious content on 8799711259 or mail at factcheck@pib.gov.in.
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India and the European Union have launched a one hundred sixty nine crore rupee joint initiative to strengthen EV battery recycling capacity under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council-Working Group two.
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood said this launch is a pivotal moment in the India-EU strategic partnership. He said that as country’s EV market continues its rapid expansion, creating a robust domestic recycling ecosystem is essential for the resource security and environmental commitments.
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India is among the most resilient large emerging market economies over the past five years, according to Moody’s Ratings. In its recent report, the agency said that India is better placed than most of its peers to absorb future global shocks, supported by strong foreign exchange reserves, a stable and predictable policy framework, and deep domestic capital markets.
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In USA, Indian-origin Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy, has secured the Republican nomination for Ohio governor with a commanding 87 percent vote share, defeating Casey Putsch.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Keralam, Mahe, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal today. The Met department predicted thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Meghalaya, East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during the day.
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In IPL Cricket, Hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Punjab Kings this evening. The match will begin at 7:30 PM. Yesterday, Chennai Super Kings defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in Delhi.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold talks with President of Vietnam To Lam in New Delhi; Several MoUs exchanged in the fields of Digital Technology, rare earth and medical product regulations.
Hectic parleys continue in Tamil Nadu among parties as TVK is set to stake claim for forming government despite lack of majority figure.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tenders resignation; Swearing-in ceremony of the new government to take place after 11th May.
India and European Union launch joint initiative to strengthen EV battery recycling capacity.
IMD forecasts heavy rainfall over Assam, Bihar, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry today.
And, in IPL Cricket, Hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad to take on Punjab Kings this evening.
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