Congress Fields Virbhadra Singh's Son Against Kangana Ranaut In Himachal

The stage is set for a battle royale in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat as the Congress on Saturday pitted state minister Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, against BJP candidate and actor Kangana Ranaut.

Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from Mandi and the Congress' state unit president.

Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952.

Vikramaditya Singh, the two-time MLA from the Shimla (rural) assembly segment, is not new in the parliamentary constituency as his father and mother each won the seat thrice. In the 2021 Lok Sabha bypoll to the seat, Mr Singh had campaigned extensively for his mother.

Even before his candidature was announced, Vikramaditya Singh was involved in a spat with the actor-politician of Bollywood film 'Queen' fame with neither pulling any punches.

Last Thursday, Kangana Ranaut launched a blistering attack on Vikramaditya Singh and said, "This is not the estate of your father or grandfather that you will threaten me and send me back.

The BJP candidate's retaliation came in response to Vikramaditya Singh's jibe a few days earlier about her reported comments over beef-eating.

"I pray to Lord Ram to give her wisdom and hope she goes back pure from 'Dev Bhoomi' Himachal to Bollywood because she will not win the elections as she knows nothing about the people of Himachal," Mr Singh had said.

She asked why he was not showing evidence of her consuming beef.

"I have made my name in the film industry without the help of my father and mother... I want to join politics and serve the people," she said and asserted that politics is an expression of service and anyone from a king to a beggar is entitled to that expression.

The factors working in favour of Kangana Ranaut are former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur's hold over Mandi and that the party has won all the nine assembly segments under the parliament constituency.

BJP leader Khushal Thakur, a Kargil war hero who lost to Pratibha Singh by a margin of 7,490 votes in Lok Sabha bypolls held in November 2021, has rendered his support to Ms Ranaut. "There are over one lakh ex-servicemen in this Parliament constituency", he had told the PTI earlier.

Moreover, BJP leader and the titular king of Kullu Maheshwar Singh, who earlier opposed Ms Ranaut's candidature, has extended his support to her.

Of the 17 assembly segments under the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, eight are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled castes.

Since 1952, the parliamentary seat has been represented by Raj Kumai Amrit Kaur of Kapurthala dynasty and Raja Joginder Sen Bahadur of the princely state of Mandi once each, Raja Lalit Sen of Suket twice, Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh thrice each and Maheshwar Singh thrice.

Three-time MP from Mandi and former Union minister Sukh Ram, two-time winner Ram Swaroop and Ganga Singh were the exceptions and did not hail from royal families.

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

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Biden Says He Expects Iran Will Attack Israel "Sooner Than Later"

US President Joe Biden said Friday he was expecting Iran to attempt to strike Israel in the short term in retaliation for a strike in Syria but warned the clerical state not to attack.

"I don't want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later," Biden told reporters after an event.

Asked what his message was to Iran on striking Israel, Biden said, "Don't."

"We are devoted to the defense of Israel, we will support Israel, we will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he said.

Iran's clerical state has vowed retaliation after an Israeli strike on April 1 leveled an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, killing seven members of the elite Revolutionary Guards including two generals.

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

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"Rahul Gandhi Turning Into Most Trustworthy, Credible Leader": AK Antony

Rahul Gandhi is a determined and courageous leader who is not swayed from his decisions by any adversity that comes his way, veteran Congress leader AK Antony said here on Friday.

Mr Antony said Rahul Gandhi, who had no interest in politics just like his father Rajiv Gandhi, was now fighting against the BJP not to become the Prime Minister, but to safeguard the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.

"He is turning into the most trustworthy and credible leader in India," he said.

The Congress stalwart was speaking at the release of a book on Rahul Gandhi by veteran mediaperson N Asokan.

Speaking at the event, which was held at Indira Bhavan here, Mr Antony fondly recalled the initial days of his political life, how he became close to the Nehru family and his memories about a young Rahul Gandhi whom he first saw at 'Shakti Sthal' memorial at Raj Ghat in Delhi, paying respects to Indira Gandhi after her assassination.

Mr Antony said the Nehru family is known for sacrificing their lives for the nation and both Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv were examples of it.

He said Indira Gandhi refused to remove her Sikh bodyguards despite being told that they posed a threat to her life.

"She gambled with her life to protect the secularism of our nation," Mr Antony said.

He further said Rajiv Gandhi was repeatedly asked by his wife Sonia Gandhi not to enter political life and take up the mantle of Congress leadership, but he did and, later, he too died tragically.

"I was AICC general secretary when I saw Rahul and Priyanka for the first time when they were paying respects at their grandmother's memorial. I saw them again, slightly more grown up, when they were paying respects to their father at his memorial," Mr Antony said.

He said that from a child, who lived like a bird in a cage surrounded by security personnel and experienced the grief of the untimely deaths of his grandmother and father, Rahul Gandhi has grown into the man he is now -- "determined and courageous." Antony said Mr Gandhi's determination was evident from how he took moral responsibility for the party's loss in 2019 and resigned as Congress president, refusing to return to that position despite entreaties from everyone, including his mother.

"It was also seen when he walked over 3,000 km from Kanyakumari to Srinagar as part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and when he refused to return from Manipur without meeting the affected people and visiting violence-hit areas," the Congress stalwart said.

"Whatever be the adversity, once he takes a decision, he is not swayed from it. It is his determination that brought together 28 parties under the INDIA bloc. The Congress decided to contest only from 300 seats in the LS polls as he was of the view that it was more important to defeat BJP than winning more seats," Mr Antony added.

He urged everyone to buy the book and read it.

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

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"People Talk About Kohli, Dhoni But...": Harbhajan Picks True IPL Superstar

No bowler, except for the retired Lasith Malinga, can match Jasprit Bumrah's ability to single-handedly win games for his team and that's why the Indian pace spearhead is the superstar of the ongoing IPL, feels former spinner Harbhajan Singh. Bumrah lived up to his reputation with a five-wicket haul against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL match here on Thursday night to share the purple cap with Yuzvendra Chahal. In awe of his performance, Harbhajan said the unassuming bowler is peerless. (IPL 2024 Points Table)

"To see him bowl from day one and today, there's a huge difference. He's been a great learner of the game....He wants to learn every day, even if he got five wickets today, he'll go back and tomorrow, he'll see the videos of himself and see where he can improve," Harbhajan told Star Sports on 'Cricket Live'.

"And he's so calm, composed. When it comes to pressure situation, no one does better than what he does. People often talk about Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, because it's a batter's game. But, if you talk about the superstars of the game, he's by far I think, the superstar of the IPL.

"He wins games on his day, like nothing. So, how many batters have done that?" he asked.

The only bowler who comes close to Bumrah's brilliance is Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga, who is incidentally the bowling coach of his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

"If you count, like three to four batters, but if you see the bowlers, it's only Bumrah or Malinga across the format. So, unbelievable. So, the basic thing is he wants to learn and he wants to get better every day.

"And he's still very humble, very calm, and very, very hardworking...It's a great lesson for all the youngsters. When you're practicing, practice like you're playing the game," he pointed out.

Harbhajan was also effusive in his praise of Suryakumar Yadav, who struck a half century on Thursday to announce his return to form after struggling with injuries in the past three months.

"When Suryakumar Yadav shines, you don't want to see anyone. When I see this guy, I think he's a better version of AB De Villiers...if I was part of any team, he would be my first pick if he comes in the auction," he said.

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

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Rs 34 Crore "Blood Money" Raised To Get Kerala Man Out Of Saudi Jail

In a display of solidarity and compassion, people in Kerala have rallied together to raise an astounding Rs 34 crore to save a man sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Rahim, who hails from Kozhikode, has spent 18 years behind bars in the Gulf nation for allegedly killing a Saudi boy in 2006.

Until five days ago, the action committee, formed to work for the release of Rahim, could raise only a meagre amount but as the campaign intensified, help poured in from Kerala people from across the world, the organisers said on Friday.

Local people said Rahim was jailed in 2006 after he accidently caused the death of a specially-abled boy whom he was taking care of. He was sentenced to death in 2018 after the family of the Saudi boy refused to grant amnesty.

The action committee members told the media that the appeals were rejected by the top courts but later the family agreed to pardon Rahim if he pays the 'blood money.' "More than 75 organisations in Riyadh, Kerala-based businessman Bobby Chemmannur, various political organisations in the state, the common people all helped us to raise the money," an organiser told the media here.

His mother said she never thought that such an amount could be raised.

"I had no hope as we have no means to raise Rs 34 crore. But somehow it was all made possible," she said.

Chemmanur organised multiple events in the past few days to raise money. He also organised the sale of one of his products and donated the whole amount to the cause.

The action committee had created a mobile application to ensure transparency in the matter. 

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

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Watch: Bumrah's Heartwarming Moment With Rohit After 5-Wicket Haul Viral

Mumbai Indians fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul after producing a sensational bowling performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday. The Indian cricket team star looked in red hot form as he dismissed Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Mahipal Lomror, Saurav Chauhan and Vijaykumar Vyshak to complete his second five-wicket haul in his IPL career. He was on the verge of taking a hat-trick on two different occasions during the match. However, that was not to be but the celebration of Bumrah along with Rohit Sharma after completing the five-wicket haul has gone viral. (IPL Points Table)

Love the bond between Rohit Sharma & Bumrahpic.twitter.com/Z06MTJYGLK

— Riyaaaa (@Riya__45) April 11, 2024

"It was a good day. One of those days where what I was executing was working. Wicket looked sticky (early on). Disappointed with my last ball. When the first over was bowled, I realised ball was gripping a bit. Wanted to bowl a good hard length. I've been doing this for 11 years, so I'm used to it," Bumrah said.

"What happened at the end was dew set in and it got better to bat on. Don't want to get too high or too low with good and bad days. This game is a great leveller. Want to keep working hard. The wicket did get better. DK played a special knock. Over here, it's tough to stop someone when they get going."

Despite Bumrah coming up with one of the best bowling shows in IPL 2024 till now, RCB were able to post a total of 196 for the loss of eight wickets. Faf Du Plessis was the top-scorer with 61 followed by Rajat Patidar who scored a much-needed half-century to provide perfect support to the RCB skipper.

The late flourish was provided by Dinesh Karthik who remained unbeaten on 53.

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Another Congress Spokesman Joins BJP. His Parting Shot

Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta crossed over to the BJP today, accusing the Grand Old Party of flipping its ideology, giving out contradictory messages, arrogance and treading on people's "self-respect". Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Mr Gupta said the party has lost direction and credibility, thanks to leaders with "Leftist views" who are arrogant enough to ignore feedback from the grassroot level.

While he did not name anyone, he made his target clear, "the person who is handling communications for the party". This leader, Mr Gupta said, not only failed to call up when his father was ailing and in hospital, he was also responsible for much of the garbled messages emanating from the party.

"Ever since he has taken charge, there has been many issues, nationalism, Sanatan, alliances with Aam Aadmi Party... I along with many others were extremely upset. But we soldiered on," he said. The final straw was when he did not receive even a courtesy call about his father. "I thought it was time to call it a day... It was a matter of self-respect," Mr Gupta told NDTV.

Though the Congress is yet to comment on his departure -- Mr Gupta is the latest of a string of leaders from the party's communications section to leave -- he tackled the thorny issue of the party's response.

"Every time anyone leaves they are criticised -- 'He left because of greed. He was scared' -- what about self-respect? When people like us give feedback from the ground, it should be heard. Leaders who cannot listen should not be given a free run," he said.

Asked why he decided to join the BJP, which he has been criticising so strongly on behalf of the Congress, he said it was about the long-term vision of the party. The BJP today stands for everything the Congress once represented, he said. "Primarily the two core values of centrist policies and nationalism, which had helped the Congress rule for 60 years," he said.

But over the last two years, these values have been overtaken by Leftist ideas, which were at the root of the Congress's refusal to attend the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration and criticism of businessmen who contributed to the growth of the country.

"The Congress was never like this," he said, pointing out the party once brought in liberalisation and stood for the country's economic growth.

Turning away from the temple was also big mistake, he said. "When the faith and emotions of millions are involved, one should not ignore it," he added. "You could have skipped the inauguration, but could have easily visited another day,' he said.

While Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had turned down the invite for the temple inauguration, the party had not banned the visit for any leader. But most took their cue from them, and barring a handful of leaders from Uttar Pradesh, few have visited the temple.

Asked how could the Congress lie clash, since Rahul Gandhi is in the habit of visiting temples, Mr Gupta said Rahul Gandhi listens to his advisors. "But one should also pick the right advisors... A man who never contested elections, how can he give the right advice? He does not know the grassroot issues," he said.

Asked what he intended to do about the tweets that berated the BJP, whether he would delete on not, he said, "I'm not ashamed of my past. I have worked faithfully for a party for 15 years. But I don't think the party is happy any more about my vision or mission and now I'm trying to change gracefully".

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