FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 122 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 9, 2024 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Nation Yogi govt to host Kumbh Summit ahead of Maha Kumbh 2025 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Anti-climax in Haryana, climax in J&K P.8 No need for panic, enough oil available in world: Puri Cinema Shehzada Dhami breaks his silence P.14 EXIT POLLS FALTER | Defying exit polls, BJP romped home in Haryana, National Conference falls short of majority on its own in J&K BJP 3.0 IN HARYANA, NC-CONG IN J&K Cong snatches defeat from jaws of victory Ajay Jha CHANDIGARH The idiom, "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory," is often used in sporting parlance when a favourite team ends up losing the match. India's principal opposition Congress party ended up doing precisely this in the northern state of Haryana, that too by scoring a self-goal. Even ardent BJP supporters would not have bet on the party retaining power, let alone creating a new record by becoming the first to score a hat-trick of victories. The BJP top leadership themselves were apprehensive, having asked Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to quit in March amidst reports of his growing unpopularity and the heavy baggage of anti-incumbency that he was supposed to carry. The BJP's hunch that its stock was declining in Haryana proved correct in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party, which had made a clean sweep by winning all 10 LS seats five years ago, had to share honours with Congress as the two arch-rivals won five seats each. However, the drastic change in just four months took everyone by surprise. The BJP has recorded its biggest-ever victory in Haryana even as the vanquished Congress party is refusing to accept defeat, alleging foul play. This is against the backdrop of the October 5 exit polls which had tipped Congress to return to power. 4Continued on | P6 Leaders speak Jaha doodh-dahi ka khana, waisa hai apna Haryana'. The people of Haryana have done wonders. Today is the sixth day of Navratri, the day of Maa Katyayani. Maa Katyayani is sitting on a lion with a lotus in her hand. She is blessing all of us. On such a holy day, lotus has bloomed in Haryana for the third time n PM Narendra Modi At 8:30 to 9:00am, Pawan Khera was distributing Jalebis; by 11:30am, Congress spokespersons started criticizing the Election Commission. n Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP National Spokesperson Through their votes, the people have not only strengthened the foundations of democracy but have also illuminated the path of progress for the region n Rajiv Kumar Chief Election Commissioner The PM is an honourable man... he promised the people of J&K statehood and I hope he lives up to that n Omar Abdullah NC vice president HARYANA 90 SEATS BJP INC INLD IND 48 37 2 3 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini greets supporters after winning the Assembly elections from Ladwa constituency, at Ladwa, in Kurukshetra district BUT...EIGHT MINISTERS FALL SHORT Eight ministers in the incumbent Nayab Singh Saini government and Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta suffered defeat. Among the ministers who lost this election is Ranjit Singh, Kanwar Pal ‘JAHAN JAAEGI SATYANAASH…’ EC REJECTS CONG PLAINT BJP TO GO WITH SAINI ormer BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday attacked Congress leader Vinesh Phogat over the latter's victory in the Haryana assembly elections, saying she won but the party lost. If she (Vinesh Phogat) used my name to win, it means I am a great man who helped her win. She won but Congress lost... 'Wo jahan jahan jaegi, satyanaash hi hoga (she will spread destruction wherever she goes)'," Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said. he Election Commission termed as "illfounded" Congress allegation of slowdown in updating results of assembly polls in Haryana and said it rejects the attempt "to surreptitiously give credence to irresponsible, unfounded & uncorroborated malafide narratives". The EC responded to a memorandum by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in which the party complained about "unexplained slowdown" in updating results of Haryana assembly polls on website. ayab Singh Saini, sitting CM of Haryana, will get another term at the top post, leaders of the BJP have said. Though the BJP leadership had made it clear ahead of the election that Nayab Singh Saini will remain in the top post in case of a victory, there had been speculation about a change in view of his short stint and the caste angle. Saini is a member of the other backward classes, in a state that have mostly being led by Jats from the top post. F T `1,814cr Drug Haul: Raw material worth Rs 30L seized from Rapadia Material could be used to prepare drugs worth Rs 300cr Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Katara Hills police seized raw material worth Rs 30 lakh from a shop in Rapadia village on Tuesday. The raw material could be used to produce MD drug worth Rs 300 crore. The Bhopal police action comes two days after Gujarat ATS and NCB New Delhi jointly raided a factory manufacturing banned MD drug in Bagroda industrial complex. The Katara Hills police seized 1600 litres Acetone, 1,000 litres toluene, 100 litres HCL, 200kg Sodium carbonate powder, 240 litres solvent, 40kg sodium corbo, 42 bottles Bromine, 20 litres liquid, 50kg Malathion Hydrochloride, 50kg light soda ash and 10kg crystal powder. 4Continued on | P6 JUDICIAL TEAM CERTIFIES FACTORY OPS Five-member judicial team examined and certified seizures made by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from Bagroda factory in presence of two operators and three labourers on Tuesday. On Saturday, ATS and NCB had raided the factory and seized banned MD drug valued at Rs 1,814 crore. 4Continued on | P6 Gujjar, Subhash Sudha, Jai Parkash Dalal, Abhe Singh Yadav, Sanjay Singh, Kamal Gupta & Aseem Goel. N HIGHLIGHTS HRY: RAHUL CAMPAIGNED ON 8 SEATS, LOST ALL: BJP's IT Cell head Amit Malviya pointed out that the Congress was trailing/losing in 8 out of 12 assembly constituencies in Haryana, which Rahul Gandhi touched during his Vijay Sankalp Yatra. He listed the seats where the Congress was trailing despite Rahul Gandhi's efforts. J&K: BJP PIPS NC IN VOTE SHARE: Though NC won more seats, BJP secured highest vote share in J&K. National Conference secured 23.43% votes, according to Election Commission, while the BJP got 25.64% votes. The vote share of Congress stood at 11.97%, and PDP (8.87%), BSP (0.96%), CPI(M) (0.59%), among others. HRY SHUNS ITS SON: The AAP suffered a humiliating defeat in Haryana, the home state of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, with party failing to win even a single seat. In fact, most of its candidates forfeited security deposit. MEHBOOBA’S DAUGHTER LOSES: Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti lost to National Conference’s Bashir Ahmad Shah from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat. The high-profile constituency in south Kashmir had been a stronghold of Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party since 1999. Cong piggy rides on NC J&K CONG+INC BJP OTH PDP 48 29 10 3 90 SEATS Rashme Sehgal SRINAGAR The people of Jammu and Kashmir delivered a decisive verdict in favour of the National Conference-Congress alliance. Srinagar had been abuzz with speculation about the large number of independents in the fray, whom the public largely perceived as proxies of the BJP. However, only eight out of over 200 Independents managed to secure a win. The release of Rashid Engineer from jail proved to be a political miscalculation, as his party failed to win a single seat, with his brother, Khurshid Ahmed, unable to retain Langate—a seat Rashid had held for two consecutive terms. The NC, whose political future had been questioned just a few years ago, made a remarkable comeback, winning 42 seats, while Congress struggled, securing just six. With 90 assembly seats in J&K, the NC-Congress alliance has now reached the majority mark of 48. PDP fades with 3 seats: The PDP faced a significant setback in these elections, winning only three seats, including Kupwara, where its candidate, Mir Mohammed Fayaz, defeated the high-profile Sajad Gani Lone. The PDP’s vote share has declined by a significant 28% since 2014. 4Continued on | P6 Jammu and Kashmir National Conference supporters celebrate JKNC-Congress alliance’s win in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, in Srinagar Lone BJP woman candidate sweeps Kishtwar ive years after losing her father and uncle in a terror attack, the lone BJP woman candidate in Jammu and Kashmir polls, Shagun Parihar, who won the F PM MODI COMPLIMENTS NC FOR ITS VICTORY ising above party politics, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Tuesday took the lead in complimenting the NC for its victory in the J&K Legislative Assembly polls. PM Modi said on his widely followed X-post R Congress must reflect on its defeats Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL The Congress party's recent defeats in Haryana and its poor performance in Jammu & Kashmir, winning only six of 39 contested seats, are significant setbacks. As attention shifts to upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Congress finds itself in a precarious position in both states. In Jharkhand, the primary contest lies between the BJP and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, while in Maharashtra, Congress is part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance. Despite ANALYSIS the disheartening results in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leaders attempted to frame their losses as victories, a strategy that backfired. Congress must recognize its inability to compete with the BJP on caste dynamics and the latter's successful cultivation of a women's vote bank. Internal factionalism has further undermined Congress, as seen in the treatment of leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh, which mirrors the situation with Bhupendra Hooda in Haryana. The repercussions of these defeats will likely resonate in Madhya Pradesh as well. Kishtwar Assembly seat on Tuesday, vowed to fight for the security of the region. Parihar defeated veteran National Conference (NC) leader and former minister Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo. In the recent state polls, Congress secured only 66 seats but failed to win any of the 29 parliamentary seats contested. The party's organizational structure appears disorganized, contrasting sharply with the BJP, which actively engages its members throughout the year. The ruling party's ongoing membership drive underscores its grassroots outreach. 4Continued on | P6 page immediately after all the results for the 90 Assembly seats were declared by the ECI, "I would like to compliment JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections." Nod for lunar mission ‘Lupex’ IANS NEW DELHI After the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the National Space Commission has cleared the fifth lunar mission -- the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission or Lupex. The Lupex mission will explore the Moon for water and other resources. 4Continued on | P6 RAPE ACCUSED SHOOTS SELF 50 sr doctors of RG On Monday, he had opened fire at victim, her uncle and grandfather, killing the latter Kar hospital resign FP News Service Aritra Singha & Agencies CHHATARPUR KOLKATA A rape accused man who shot at victim and her two family members killing one of them under civil lines police station in Chhatarpur on Monday shot himself dead in presence of cops on Tuesday. In the morning, accused Bhola Ahirwar made a post on his Facebook, tipping-off SP about his location and also Nearly 50 senior doctors of RG Kar hospital on Tuesday tendered their resignations in a mark of solidarity with medics who have been on fast-untodeath since October 5 demanding justice for the institution’s rape and murder victim. Shortly after the development, a section of senior doctors from other medical colleges in West Bengal said they too could follow suit. The development came in the wake of the indefinite hunger strike being conducted by seven junior doctors in the heart of the city and a symbolic 12-hour fast being held in solidarity by their peers across medical colleges of West Bengal. NEXT MOVE? “We would be forced to give a state-wide call to all senior doctors in government hospitals to put in their papers if the government keeps dragging its feet on the just and pertinent demands of the junior doctors who are sitting in protest. This would be a move in solidarity Police at the site where accused shot himself in Chhatarpur making certain allegations against the police. The Monday firing had led to death of victim’s grandfather. The victim and her uncle were seriously injured and referred to Gwalior in critical condition. 4Continued on | P6 wah taj! Taj Mahal’s beauty mesmerises Muizzu PTI AGRA Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed visited the Taj Mahal on Tuesday and found hard to find words to describe the 17th century monument's architectural marvel. "It is tough to describe this mausoleum's beauty as words simply cannot do it justice. This mesmerising intricacy and attention to detail is a testament to love and architectural excellence," Muizzu, who is in India on a four-day bilateral visit, wrote in the visitors' book. After being welcomed by UP Minister Yogendra Upadhyay on behalf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the airport, the visiting president was accorded a warm welcome at the Taj Mahal. The president and the first lady, who were presented a replica of Taj Mahal by Upadhyay, also posed for photographs with the grand monument on the backdrop. Junior doctors and others during a mega rally in Kolkata with our junior colleagues. We will discuss this threadbare within our organisation before the end of day today,” said Dr Manas Gumta, a representative of the Association of Health Services Doctors, one of the organizations of doctors in state-run medical facilities. WHAT GOVT SAID The state government, on its part, has maintained that it would roll out safety and security measures it committed before the agitating doctors, including a real-time centralised bed management system, CC camera installation and panic buttons, by the first week of Nov. 4Continued on | P6