Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to be next Himachal Pradesh CM
Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. He was elected leader of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Legislature Party at a meeting on December 10 evening. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, one of the party observers for the State, said that after the CLP authorised the “high command” to finalise the name of the leader, it chose Mr. Sukhu. He added Mukesh Agnihotri, the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, would be Deputy CM. The new CM and Deputy CM would take oath on December 11.
Bhupendra Patel meets Gujarat Governor, stakes claim to form government
Gujarat caretaker Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on December 10 met Governor Acharya Devvrat and staked a claim to form a government after he was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party, two days after the party won a record mandate in the State elections.
Congress’ Imran Khedawala lone Muslim MLA in new Gujarat Assembly
Imran Khedawala of the Congress is the only Muslim candidate elected to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly in the just concluded polls, which saw the ruling BJP register a landslide victory. The outgoing Assembly had three Muslim legislators, all from the Congress. Mr. Khedawala, the incumbent MLA from the Jamalpur-Khadia Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad city, won the election by a margin of 13,658 votes.
Cyclone Mandous crossed the north Tamil Nadu coast close to Mamallapuram around December 9 midnight, triggering heavy to very heavy rains in Chennai and neighbouring districts and gusty surface winds . Tamil Nadu CM M. K. Stalin, who visited cyclone-affected areas in Chennai on December 10, said the State had recovered quickly, thanks to the precautionary measures taken by the State and the dedicated work of government employees.
MCD polls | Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar confirms two councillors are still with the party
Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar on December 10 confirmed that the Delhi unit’s vice-president Ali Mehdi and two councillors are still with the party, a day after the latter had defected to the AAP. On December 9, two of the Congress’s winning candidates in the MCD polls — Sabeela Begum from the Mustafabad ward and Nazia Khatoon from the Brijpuri ward — had joined the AAP, along Mr. Mehdi. “We won nine seats in the MCD polls, and we have nine councillors, they are a part of the Congress family. What Arvind Kejriwal’s and his Ministers are indulging is nothing but dirty politics,” he said, in the presence of Mr. Mehdi and the two councillors.
Uddhav Thackeray demands PM Modi clarify his stand on Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maharashtra to inaugurate Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg (Nagpur-Mumbai super communication expressway), Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray asked the PM to clarify his stand on the simmering inter-State border dispute with Karnataka. Mr. Thackeray said the Prime Minister must speak about Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s claim on some villages in Jath taluka in Sangali district in Maharashtra.
Kurhani bypoll result reflection of people’s anger against Nitish Kumar: Prashant Kishor
The BJP’s victory in the recently held Kurhani bypoll in Bihar was a reflection of people’s anger against CM Nitish Kumar and his ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government, political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor said. He also claimed that he had found out during interactions with people that they were fed up with the “rampant corruption” in Bihar. “People are not happy with the performance of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government. I have been interacting with people over the last several days, and I can say with full confidence that they are fed up with rampant corruption in the state. The Kurhani bypoll result is a reflection of people’s anger against Nitish Kumar,” he said.
Russia grinds on in eastern Ukraine; Bakhmut ‘destroyed’
Russian forces have “destroyed” the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while Ukraine’s military on December 10 reported missile, rocket and air strikes in multiple parts of the country that Moscow is trying to conquer after months of resistance. “Bakhmut, Soledar, Maryinka, Kreminna. For a long time, there is no living place left on the land of these areas that have not been damaged by shells and fire,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, naming cities that have again found themselves in the crosshairs. “The occupiers actually destroyed Bakhmut, another Donbas city that the Russian army turned into burnt ruins.”
Tens of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh’s main Opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party on December 10 held a “grand rally” in capital Dhaka, demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and fresh elections. Seven lawmakers of the BNP announced their resignations to protest against the government led by Ms. Hasina. Dhaka’s Golapbagh area, the venue of the rally, was under heavy security surveillance. Police arrested several senior BNP leaders, including secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and scores of activists under various charges ahead of the rally.
Philippines protesters decry alleged injustices under Ferdinand Marcos
Hundreds of people marched in the Philippine capital on December 10 protesting what they said was a rising number of extrajudicial killings and other injustices under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Police estimated around 800 protesters took part in the rally, which coincided with International Human Rights Day. Cristina Palabay of the rights group Karapatan said under the Marcos administration’s counter-insurgency campaign the group has documented at least 17 cases of extrajudicial killings in addition to four other incidents of violence where victims survived.
P.T. Usha becomes first woman Indian Olympic Association president
Ushering in a new era in the country’s sports administration, the legendary P.T. Usha was on December 10 elected as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association. Ms. Usha was declared elected unopposed for the top post in the polls. The election of Ms. Usha to the top job marked an end to the long drawn crisis in the faction-ridden IOA, which was warned of a possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if elections are not held this month.
Bangladesh vs India third ODI | India beat Bangladesh by 227 runs, lose series 1-2
Ishan Kishan smashed the fastest double hundred in the history of ODI cricket as India beat Bangladesh by 227 runs in the inconsequential third and final match on December 10. Put in to bat, Kishan blasted 210 off 131 balls, while Virat Kohli (113) also slammed his first ODI hundred since August, 2019 to power India to a massive 409 for 8. Kishan, who came into the side in place of an injured Rohit Sharma, slammed as many as 24 fours and 10 maximums. Washington Sundar also chipped in with 37 to take the team past the 400-mark. In reply, Bangladesh were all out for 182 in 34 overs with Shakib Al Hasan top-scoring with a 50-ball 43 for the hosts.
