Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) In a major relief, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday allowed the Sharad Pawar-led NCP SP to accept donations under section 29 B of the Representation of People Act.

ECI gave its ruling after hearing on NCP SP’s plea.

NCP SP Working President Supriya Sule welcomed the ECI’s order saying that the party is now allowed to accept donations under Section 29 B of the Representation of People Act.

“The people blessed us by seeing the manner in which Sharad Pawar’s party was taken away. Assembly elections will be held in the state soon. For this, the party had requested the ECI to register NCP SP as a separate political party under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to raise funds. The Election Commission had a hearing on this today. After the hearing the ECI has allowed the NCP SP to accept donations under Section 29B,” she added.

“After having considered your letters, the ECI hereby authorises, on an interim basis, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar to accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company,” said the ECI in its order.

Sule said that ECI has assured to look into its plea to not to give a trumpet symbol to anyone where the symbol of a trumpeter is there.

Her plea was important as NCP-SP hit severely in Dindori and Satara in particular where the candidates with a trumpet contested the election against party nominees with a symbol of a trumpeter.

–IANS

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Ranchi/New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to grant bail to JMM leader Hemant Soren, who was sworn in again as Jharkhand Chief Minister, in a money laundering case related to a land scam.

The ED has filed a petition in the apex court, seeking that Soren’s bail be cancelled. The High Court had granted Soren regular bail on June 28 with certain conditions.

The ED’s move comes as a significant development, as Soren had taken oath as CM for the third time on July 4, just a week after his release from jail. His government won the trust vote in the Assembly on Monday.

Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 and spent five months in jail before being released on bail.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) In view of the forecast of heavy rains, civic authorities have ordered all schools and colleges in Mumbai and Thane to remain shut on Tuesday, officials said late on Monday.

This will be the second consecutive day that all educational institutions in Mumbai will remain closed as a precautionary measure, given the heavy rainfall that claimed one life on Monday.

Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and coastal Konkan were battered by heavy rains since early Monday, disrupting normal life. The forecast for Tuesday is also heavy to very downpours in these regions, besides similar warnings for other parts of the state as all agencies went into a high alert mode.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence for a ‘private engagement’.

“PM Modi welcomed by President Vladimir Putin of Russia at his official residence at Novo-Ogaryovo for a private engagement,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.

He said that the meeting was between two close friends and trusted partners. “An occasion for the two leaders to cherish & celebrate friendship,” the Spokesperson said.

Earlier, PM Modi arrived to a ceremonial welcome at the Vnukovo-II International Airport in what is his first visit to the Russian capital since 2015. He was received by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

On Tuesday, PM Modi will interact with the Indian community in Russia, lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kremlin and thereafter visit the Rosatom pavilion at an exhibition venue in Moscow.

These engagements will precede a restricted level talk between the PM Modi and President Putin, which will then be followed by delegation-level talks.

“I look forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues,” PM Modi said in his departure statement before leaving New Delhi.

He spotlighted that the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia has advanced over the past 10 years, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

–IANS

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Guwahati, July 8 (IANS) A marginal improvement was reported in the overall flood situation in Assam, but the situation remained serious with six more deaths in five districts on Monday while around 19 lakh people remain affected in 27 of the state’s 35 districts, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said.

According to the officials, over 24.20 lakh people in 30 districts had been affected till Friday.

ASDMA officials said that on Monday two people drowned in Dhubri while one each died in Goalpara, Golaghat, Sivasagar, and Sonitpur.

With Monday’s deaths, the toll has mounted to 72 across different districts. The flood water also submerged over 49,014 hectares of crop area in 3,154 villages under 27 districts while over 15.18 lakh domestic animals have also been badly affected, the ASDMA officials stated.

Out of the 27 flood-affected districts, Dhubri, Morigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dibrugarh, and Barpeta are the worst-hit.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati and Dhubri, while Burhidihing, Subansiri, Dikhou, Disang, Kopili, Sankosh, Barak and Kushiyara rivers are near the danger level in many places.

ASDMA officials also said that the district administrations have set up 543 relief camps to provide shelter to over 48,000 people, while 298 more relief distribution centres are functioning in different districts. Several teams of the National and State Disaster Response Forces, accompanied by volunteers from various NGOs, have also been deployed for the rescue and relief operations.

A large area of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has been submerged and park authorities have intensified efforts to rescue the animals and to prevent poaching. KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that so far, 99 wild animals have been rescued while 137 animals, including deer, rhino, and hog deer, have drowned in flood waters.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is regularly reviewing the flood situation in the state, on Monday said that the Health Department has been conducting regular health camps and providing all necessary medicines and essential items for the people. “Due to the ongoing Assam floods, many people are affected and are being sheltered in relief camps set up across the state. To ensure good health and hygiene, Team Assam is conducting regular health camps and providing all necessary medicines and essential items for the people”, he said in a post on X.

Special care is being taken to ensure that women’s and children’s health is ensured and sanitary napkins, baby food, medicines, etc are being distributed for their use, he added.

–IANS

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