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Vishwas DeclineThe BJP is learnt to have been considering several candidates for the membership of Legislative Council. Among them is renowned poet and former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. The saffron unit feels that his inclusion can help the BJP. However, the poet has seemingly declined the offer by the BJP. Sources stated that, for the time being, Vishwas wants to maintain a distance from active politics.   

Yogi LookalikeThere was a flutter in Parliament as a lookalike of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, dressed in saffron robes, was seen interacting with several leaders. The uncanny resemblance of the person with the UP CM also led to many people getting clicked with him. Many were also seen curiously looking at him to ascertain whether he was indeed the popular chief minister or not.   

In RaGa's FootstepsTelangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy is walking in the footsteps of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi by continuing his 'Yatra for Change'. Just like in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', Revanth is holding corner meetings in all parts of Telangana and raising issues faced by the people. Given that Rahul Gadhi's yatra didn't do much to make things turn in favour of Congress in the Munogode bypoll, people are wondering if Revanth's yatra too would meet the same fate.

Quiz TimeThe government is organising an online quiz on Secure Social Media Practices as part of G20 India by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Ten winners of the contest will get Rs 10,000 each. There will be 10 questions that the participants are expected to answer within five minutes. Only those who score 50 per cent or higher will be given a digital participation certificate, which can be downloaded right away from the website and will be available only during the quiz period. The contest will be conducted between March 20 and April 30. Interested people can visit staysafeonline.in/quiz to participate. Previously, a similar contest was organised on the topic of Cyber Hygiene Practices which took place between January 1 and February 15.

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Delhi Budget: Remembering SisodiaThe announcement posters and banners for the Delhi budget, which was presented on Tuesday by new finance minister Kailash Gahlot, had his picture along with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's while former finance and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who used to feature on these banners was amiss. This was even as Gahlot, who started his budget speech with a note for his former colleague Sisodia (who has presented all previous state budgets) saying that he is presenting the budget as Sisodia's younger brother, who like Bharat in Ramayana takes care of the administrative works while his elder brothers Ram and Lakshman were in vanvasa (exile).    

Army's Millets PushIn an effort to promote consumption of millets in light of the UN declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The army is promoting its use. This landmark decision will ensure troops are supplied with native and traditional grains after over half a century. Sanction has been sought to procure millet flour not exceeding 25% of the authorised entitlement of Cereals (Rice and Wheat Atta), in rations for troops. Advisories issued for Millets to be extensively used in functions like, Barakhanas, canteens and in home cooking. 

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Going GreenChhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel is set to launch the country's first-ever commercial plantation drive 'Mukhyamantri Vriksha Sampada' scheme. The state government will fix the minimum price for purchasing earmarked species of trees. Farmers will receive additional income by monetizing carbon credits. A total of 23,600 farmers across 33 districts will get benefitted and commercial tree plantation will take place in 36, 230 acres of land in Chhattisgarh over next few years.

Puzzle for Amrit MahotsavThe Twitter handle of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative of the Centre to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Independence and the glorious history of people, culture and achievements, has shared a pixelated image of an Indian musician and asked netizens to guess the icon. The admin of the Twitter handle Amrit Mahotsav shared a hint to guess the image. It said: “His music echoed from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi on 15th Aug 1947. If you know the answer, share it in the comment section below. Don't forget to tag your friends & family.” As the picture wasn't pixelated enough, it was easy for the Twitter users to guess the name. It was the image of Ustad Bismillah Khan.

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Sparrow Day On the World Sparrow Day on March 20, which was first celebrated in 2010 in India, some Indian Twitter users shared a picture from Gujarat's Ahmedabad. It is a plaque that is dedicated to a sparrow that died during a police firing in March 1974. The plaque reads: “During the 1974 Roti Ramkhan (Navnirman Movement) in Gujrat on March 2, 5.25 pm an innocent sparrow was killed here in reckless police firing”. While one of the social media users stated in his post that “people are beautiful”, another user highlighted the fact of the declining population of sparrows in many urban landscapes.  

Jat PoliticsAfter rumours of talks between BJP and RLD taking place over a possible tie-up, not everyone is seemingly happy. Several Jat leaders and MPs in the BJP have reportedly expressed displeasure to the top leadership of the party regarding the recent developments. Many of them are fearful that RLD leaders will be accommodated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at the cost of BJPs own Jat leaders in Western Uttar Pradesh. 

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Railways ExpansionUnion Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of the first electric train in Meghalaya, where recently the assembly election took place. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also applauded the news on Twitter, saying “Wonderful news for Meghalaya and furthering connectivity in the Northeast”. This happens as the Indian Railways is on a mission to become the world's largest green railway, with the goal of becoming a net zero carbon emitter by 2030. The Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), according to the Ministry of Railways, has completed the electrification works in Dudhnai (Assam) – Mendipathar (Meghalaya) (22.823 Track Kilometre) single line section and Abhayapuri (Assam) – Pancharatna (Assam) (34.59 Track Kilometre) double line section. 

Nose Picking WarThe social media war between BJP and Congress escalated over the weekend. This time, the battle was not merely about politics but regarding personal hygiene habits. Several BJP handles shared videos of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and claimed that he had picked his nose and allegedly wiped it off party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's back while moving around in Parliament. However, this led to a severe retaliation by Congress leaders. Several of them also shared videos of top BJP leaders, who were also apparently digging their noses while at public rallies or in Parliament. 

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Missing: Rahul GandhiCongress MPs were ready for some excitement when they were told that former party chief Rahul Gandhi would join the march to Enforcement Directorate. They were prepared to be detained; some had even got a change of clothes, hoping they get to spend some time with the Wayanad MP. However, to their disappointment, he did not turn up for the Opposition protest.

Cheetah Sighting? Not Anytime SoonSuch has been the enigma around the Cheetahs brought from Africa that no one is being allowed to even catch a glimpse of them. Last week, when a senior judge insisted on seeing the felines during his visit to Kuno National Park, he too had to return disappointed. Not just the dignitaries but even the local administrative officials are still waiting for their turn to catch a glimpse of the cats brought to India as part of the biggest inter-continental translocation. With just two released into the wild so far, officials say, they have strict orders to not let any tourists disrupt the animals' natural environment until they are “fully settled”.

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Fit PoliticianLife of politicians is often very busy, with only a few leaders finding time to maintain their fitness. Despite being one of the senior most in Parliament, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, is becoming known for his fitness. The senior BJP leader has recently lost several kilograms of weight, which he is terming as the effect of Ayurveda. A visibly fit Singh was seen moving around the Parliament during the ongoing budget session.   

Rajasthan Caste Moves Days after the Jat community held a show of strength in Jaipur, the Brahmins, too, have decided to seek their "fair share" from the political establishment with just a few months to go for the Legislative Assembly polls. The Jats, Brahmins and others have been holding shows of strength in the pink city to impress upon the ruling Congress and opposition BJP to field more candidates from their respective communities.  

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Divided OppositionThe much talked about opposition unity continued to be a far away illusion as the TMC skipped opposition meetings in Parliament. Despite most opposition parties joining in, TMC has maintained a safe distance over the past few days. This even forced the Congress to term TMC as the B team of the BJP. The 'ekala cholo re' of TMC is likely to continue till 2024, party leaders said. 

Green Bullet TrainThe Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail, also known as the bullet train project, is also emerging as a green warrior. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited is also ensuring that there is minimal damage to the environment. It has been promoting plantation and transplantation of trees as compensation for trees that need to be removed due to the infra project. As many as 8,004 trees have been transplanted and 83,600 saplings planted so far under the project.

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Powerless VIPsThe power department reportedly disconnected the electricity connections of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP's J&K unit chief Ravinder Raina for allegedly not paying dues. The premises where the action took place are located in the posh Gandhi Nagar area of Jammu. It is not for the first time that electricity supply at the homes of political leaders has been snapped for non-settlement of dues. The New Delhi Municipal Council, where a majority of the nation's VIPs reside, has been initiating such action regularly to book defaulters.  

Guinness Record by RailwaysMinister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a picture on Twitter, announcing that Hubballi, in the South Western Railway (SWR) zone, was given recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records for possessing the world's longest railroad platform at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji station. The post included the world record certificate and a model of the station, which is an important junction in Karnataka. This station is located at a juncture where rail lines heading in the directions of Bengaluru (Davanagere side), Hosapete (Gadag side), and Vasco-Da-Gama/Belagavi converge (Londa side).

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Kharge's Litmus Test in KarnatakaAfter taking over as the Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge is set to face his first major political litmus test in his home state of Karnataka. Winning the Assembly polls will be the Congress chief's top priority to establish his position and authority in the grand old party. However, many believe, with the presence of two strong leaders, Pradesh Congress Committee chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddharamaiah, the task ahead for Kharge is a tricky one and he will need to tread carefully.

Dressing Up as Cartoon BJP's National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya dressed up as popular Indian cartoon character Chacha Chaudhary at an annual event in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. Vijayvargiya, explaining his choice, described the cartoon character as a treasure trove of experience. Dressed in the Chacha Chaudhary costume – red turban, a wooden stick, a waistcoat and a pocket watch, the senior leader was a crowd puller at the event.       

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AAP’s Loss is Cong’s Gain?Leaders in the Congress believe that it is a golden opportunity for the party to re-emerge in key areas like Delhi and Punjab with four of Arvind Kejriwal's top ministers --- Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in Delhi and Fauja Singh Sarari and Vijay Singla in Punjab --- in the dock over corruption charges. Congress is soon expected to go on an all-out attack against AAP as it has not been able to prove any corruption charges levelled against the then Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit or her ministers. It will also demand the resignation of Kejriwal.

Wooing JatsWith assembly polls in Rajasthan just a few months away, most parties are trying to woo the influential Jat community. Senior leaders from both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP were seen at the Jat Makumbh organised by the community in Jaipur this week. The community, which holds sway in about one-fourth of the 200 assembly seats, displayed its electoral strength by holding the Makumbh in the state's capital and demanded that both BJP and Congress project a leader from the community as their respective chief ministerial candidates.

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BSY’s Son RiseThe BJP central leadership's decision to elevate BS Yediyurappa to the party's core electioneering team has triggered unhappiness and dissidence in the Karnataka unit. Leaders such as V Sommanna and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal among a section of MLAs and leaders who support Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai are found to be sulking as they feel BSY's son Vijayendra will become more influential with this new role for the father. They have expressed their dissent stating that when BSY was CM, Vijayendra was practically running the government on his father's behalf. Somanna, a Lingayat leader who has openly been at loggerheads with Vijayendra, has said he would quit the BJP if Vijayendra is given a bigger role. Senior ministers like Ashwath Narayan, CP Yogeshwar are said to be uncomfortable with the elevation of BSY. The crux of their problem is not BSY per se, but Vijayendra's growing powers. Vijayendra is tipped to stand from his father's seat Shikaripura after BSY resigned from electoral politics.

Bonhomie Between Opponents?The sudden bonhomie between the industries ministers of the two Telugu states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, has left Twitteratti puzzled. After the spectacular opening of T-Works in Hyderabad, AP industries minister Gudivada Amarnath tweeted that he was proud of the achievements of 'big brother Hyderabad'. At that time, the AP Global Investors' summit was taking place in Visakhapatnam. In reply, Telangana counterpart KTR said that Andhra was Telangana's sister state, and wish 'younger brother' Visakhapatnam the best.

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Tipu vs Savarkar ContinuesUnion Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurating the BJP's Vijay Sankalp  Rath Yatra from Devanahalli has a subtle significance in the ongoing Tipu versus Savarkar debate in Karnataka. Devanahalli is considered to be the birthplace of Tipu and flagging off the yatra from there is being seen as another way for the BJP to erase Tipu's relevance and existence in Karnataka's history. Four Rath yatras from four directions were launched to cover all the districts of Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections.       

Special Budget BriefcaseChhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel presented the state budget with the papers stored in a special briefcase. The case was prepared from cow dung paint. Painting of Chhattisgarh Mahatari was on one side of the bag while Kamdhenu's photo could be seen etched on the other side. The budget is the most important one for the Baghel government with the Legislative Assembly polls in the state scheduled to take place later this year.     

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Trouble for BJP in UP?With both deputy chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, KP Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, missing at the photo op event for legislators at Vidhan Sabha, murmurs of a divided BJP have again started doing the rounds. While Maurya was reportedly unwell, Pathak claimed to be busy at another event. However, the Opposition was quick to pounce on the missing deputy CMs, with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav asking chief minister Yogi Adiyanath to put his house in order. Over the past few months, there have been murmurs that all is not well between BJP's top brass in the state.

Security Scare? With Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh scheduled to take place later this year, regional party Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi)'s president Amit Jogi has decided to up the ante. The leader has been having regular run-ins with the Congress government in the state and also been on a tour of tribal-dominated Bastar region. However, police have asked him to cancel his tour to Chintalnar in Bastar's Sukma district, citing security reasons. Police are on alert in the region after four local BJP leaders were killed by suspected Maoists recently.

Early Holi for BJPWith the BJP doing well in assembly polls in the Northeast, Holi has arrived early for the party. Several senior saffron party leaders are scheduled to host Holi celebrations in the national capital over the days leading up the festival. With the latest win in these states, the leadership is particularly elated and the celebrations are likely to be held with much fervour. Several leaders are also using this occasion to reach out to senior leaders ahead of assembly polls scheduled to take place later this year.

What’s Cooking?There are many innovative ways used by various political parties to fight against their opponents. The Congress has found a novel way in Chhattisgarh where the party has set up a kitchen in front of the Enforcement Directorate office in Raipur. The move came days after state-wide raids by the agency. Several Congress leaders are being summoned for questioning in connection with the ongoing PMLA probe into the 'illegal coal levy extortion' case at the office. The kitchen is a small way to thank party cadre which turn up in support of these leaders each day.

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Promises to KeepGenerally, the political class is averse to sharing any news of failure or less-than-desired results in any sector. However, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu seems to be an exception. The senior leader shared visuals of the deplorable condition of the Yangte Road from Joram-Koloriang Highway and assured it would be improved soon. "Was astonished to find deplorable road condition of the Yangte road from Joram-Koloriang highway. Such poor state of roads are distant memories in other parts of Arunachal. I have promised the people that this road will be turned into one of the finest in the area,” Khandu promised on social media.

Rolling Out the Red CarpetWith delegates from several countries already in the national capital to attend the G-20 summit, the government has put in special efforts to improve the look of roads in the city. Beautifully sculpted elephants have been placed at roads leading up to the international airport to welcome G-20 foreign ministers and other travellers. These newest additions to the makeover of the IGI Airport-Dhaula Kuan stretch comes after placement of sculptures of lions and water fountains on the road as part of the beautification process that began last year.

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Foodie MinisterThe BJP has deployed its ministers and MPs on Lok Sabha pravas across the nation to create awareness about Modi government's public welfare schemes. These leaders have been asked to tour and stay in various parts of the nation during the exercise. Some leaders like Union law minister Kiren Rijiju seem to be also enjoying the local cuisine apart from doing the party work. "This is real India..!  We all relished traditional Tiwa food in Morigaon, Assam. Immense satisfaction to have such delicious local cuisine with our Assam BJP Karyakartas after attending many hectic programs, " the minister stated on social media and posted shots of sumptuous dishes.   

Security ReductionThe Himachal Pradesh government has decided to curtail security attached with officials deployed across the state. Personal security officers attached with all SDMs and additional district magistrates have been reduced. It is also understood that the number of vehicles in chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's official fleet has also been reduced. These measures come as the Congress government aims to put austerity measures into place to avoid wasteful expenditure.   

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Turncoat TroublesWith just a few months left for the Telangana Assembly polls, several leaders are facing a peculiar problem. It is believed that some BRS leaders want to join the BJP before the Assembly elections. However, these leaders are not doing so because of lack of assurance on tickets by the saffron party. The BJP is reportedly not promising anything concrete to turncoats, and hence, there has been no movement. Though some movement is expected on the joining the front as the election dates approach.  

Startup Enthusiasm

Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma has expressed his enthusiasm in a short 36-second video for Startup20, describing it as a platform for entrepreneurs to gather, share experiences and ideas, as well as make an impact in the startup world. Sharma, who is also the founder of India's largest mobile payment service, has asked aspiring entrepreneurs to share their stories and paths to success and contribute to the larger conversation about innovation and entrepreneurship. The first formal engagement group of its kind, Startup20, was established under India's G20 2023 presidency. By uniting all stakeholders on a single platform, the engagement group would serve as the voice of the global startup ecosystem.

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Busy Minister Union education minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan, who has recently been made in-charge of Karnataka for the upcoming assembly polls, has been doing frequent rounds of the poll-bound state. He has been working extra hours to handle both running the ministry, launching important projects and going back to Karnataka every other week to build the party's campaign. Given the way he led the social media campaign of the party in Uttar Pradesh last year, Pradhan was given the charge of Karnataka state elections, and he's not leaving a stone unturned in reaching out to voters while carrying forward with his ministerial role as well.  

Unending WoesThe woes of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami seem to be unending. He has apparently been put under scanner by the Bharatiya Janata Party after the violent action against protesting students and unemployed youth. The BJP leadership is not happy with the hasty way the Dhami government handled these protests. It feels that the issue could further flare up and hurt the saffron unit by erosion of its goodwill.

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Ending VIP CultureIn what is being seen as an attempt at ending VIP culure, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked his staff to remove the bell used to call attendants in offices. The Minister has directed that the bell should not be used to call office attendants, but rather they should be called personally. To ensure that the instruction is fully implemented, Vaishnaw removed the bell in his own office first. The move intends to ensure that each employee here is given equal respect.  

Delayed CMTennis superstar Bjorn Borg waits for no man. This was seen to be true when Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai arrived late at the Bengaluru Open ATP Challenger by 1.5 hours. Borg was to be felicitated by Bommai along with Indian tennis star Vijay Amritraj. The felicitation event had to begin at 9.30 am, but Bommai landed at around 11.10 am. Punctual about time, Borg had visited the felicitation premises at least twice hoping it would begin, but soon left the place to watch his son Leo Borg play his first round match. The Swedish tennis legend Borg and his wife Patricia have been accompanying his son who qualified to play in the Bengaluru Open. Bommai was forced to watch the game for 15 minutes and later left the venue.   

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It’s Raining ComplimentsUnion Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju praised the Kerala High Court for its attempts at making the court procedure more people-friendly. The Union minister posted on social media: “Kerala's High Court sets an inspiring example by publishing judgments in Malayalam. This empowers citizens, particularly at grassroots level, by making Judgments more accessible in their language. Let's celebrate this historic step towards language empowerment!” The move has come for praise as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over the past several years, too has been batting for empowering citizens through use of regional languages in judiciary.

Political Overtures in BiharIs Bihar politics again going to witness political rumblings? The rumour mills gathered pace as RJD scion Tej Pratap Yadav posted a cryptic tweet. The message read that he had seen and been blessed by Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in his dreams. He further went on to say that he wanted to emulate and walk on the path of the late Samajwadi leader throughout his life. He also posted his photograph riding a bicycle, the SP symbol. With differences amongst Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav emerging time and again, political circles are viewing this message with much interest.

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Cabinet Rejig BuzzRumours about an imminent rejig of Narendra Modi cabinet are doing the rounds again. The talk of a Central cabinet reshuffle has been doing the rounds over the past several months. Apart from the council of ministers, this time around, there is also a strong buzz about a similar reorganisation in the BJP's organisational set-up. With the Lok Sabha polls just about an year away, it is being considered as the right time to make these changes so that the persons accorded with the new responsibilities can acquaint themselves with these.   

Political HiringWith elections not too far away and with some bad press and controversy over the reading of old budget, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot too has fallen for the need for an image makeover. He has hired a political strategist to make him appealing. The mission is to ensure that Gehlot is acceptable to voters once again in the second round and also, more importantly, is able to counter Sachin Pilot, and show to the Gandhis he is not faded and is geared for a fight. The strategist earlier was hired by Pilot before this latest hiring, however, things didn't work out.   

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On Air GreetingsIndiGo Airline's 6E-262 crew welcomed MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar onboard with a greeting card. The note on the card reads, “Welcome onboard Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar”. The minister later shared a picture of the greeting note and thanked the airline for the gesture on social media saying “This is becoming a tradition with IndiGo-being welcomed with a greeting”. In response to his tweet, IndiGo wrote “your appreciation means a lot to us”.    

Ghar Wapsi for Etala?Telangana Chief Minister KCR's indulgent responses to criticism of his schemes by BJP leader Etala Rajender has reignited the rumour that he might rejoin BRS. During the budget session, KCR welcomed the suggestions of his old friend and replied to them graciously. Soon after the session ended, Etala made a four-day trip to Delhi. Though he made it clear that it was a personal trip, people are wondering what's cooking.   

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Short-Lived HappinessLast week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that New Delhi was no longer in the top 10 most polluted cities of the world. However, the happiness was short-lived as the national capital's air quality deteriorated soon enough, triggering a return to the dreaded list of cities with the most polluted air.

Millets in Mid-day MealStudents in Chhattisgarh will be served mid-day meals made of millets as part of the government's initiative to promote the same. This comes after chief minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote to the Centre, proposing the inclusion of millets in the diet of children. From now, kids in 12 districts of the state will be served mid-day meals made of millets four days a week.

BJP Strikes BackDelhi BJP was able to score a major coup by getting its candidate Kausar Jahan elected as Haj committee chief. This is being seen as another round won by BJP over Aam Aadmi Party. Ahead of MCD Mayoral polls, this is considered a bad outcome for AAP. The way BJP is going after every post, it doesn't seem that the saffron unit will give up easily in MCD.

Leopard Seeking Date?Ghaziabad Bar Association has called for a strike at the District Court after a leopard was sighted on the premises at least twice this week. A resolution was passed by the Executive Committee of lawyers stating that there is an 'atmosphere of panic' amongst the lawyers. And it has called for addressing this important security issue arising out of human-animal conflict.

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Rajasthan Battle The Congress house in Rajasthan may be seemingly silent with just months to go for the Assembly polls. However, not everything is seemingly fine in the state unit. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's camp has apparently conducted a surgical strike against his former and known rebel Sachin Pilot. Many of Pilot's supporters have been won over using the carrot and stick policy by the Gehlot camp. It is believed that Gehlot has also assured the central leadership of the party that he will complete his term without any further noises from the rebel camp.   

Rahul Back in J&KWeeks after ending Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was back in the Union Territory, this time for a short vacation. He was seen skiing in snow through the slopes of Gulmarg. "As a reward, Rahul Ji treating himself to a perfect vacation in Gulmarg after successful Bharat Jodo Yatra," said a video shared on social media.   

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Poll Season in KarnatakaThough the Assembly polls in Karnataka are yet to be announced, polling on social media sites has already begun. A Twitter poll that was conducted showed that people voted for Siddaramaiah to be the next CM. While incumbent CM Bommai came last on the list. The poll was put out by a user called PLE ktka and the handle has over 10k followers. Nearly 34% of people said Siddaramaiah should be the next CM while 8.6% people voted in favour of Bommai.   

Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Troubles Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Uma Bharati seems to be on a collision course with the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. She has been openly attacking the Chouhan government over its liquor policy. It is learnt that the party's central leadership is trying hard to convince Bharati to stop her anti-liquor agitation against the state government as it could send a very bad message among voters. The state goes to Assembly polls later this year and Bharati could prove to be a biggest challenge, party leaders feel.    

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Baghel Raises Security Cover ConcernChhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has raised concern over excessive security cover for political leaders. Baghel pointed out that BJP leader and former CM Dr Raman Singh was still being provided Z+ level of security despite him not being in office for the past several years. BJP was quick to point out that security was provided to political leaders based on threat perception assessment provided by security agencies and the issue was not political in nature.   

Kamal Nath's Hindu OutreachCongress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is trying to garner support from all corners with just months to go for state Assembly polls. The senior Congress leader called on Bageshwar Dham's Mahant Dheerendra Shastri. The Grand Old Party is seemingly interested in securing the support of the influential Hindu leader ahead of the state polls. At 28 years, Shastri is understood to be popular amongst the young population in the state. 

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Divine Intervention?Union minister Amit shah's roadshow in Mangaluru was cancelled due to security reasons is what was communicated by BJP Mangaluru district president Sudarshan Moodbidri. But one of the main reasons for the cancellation was because the locals of the region were observing the Koragajja Nema Utsav. Koragajja is a demi-god worshipped in the coastal region of Karnataka, especially in the Puttur, Mangaluru, and Bantwal districts. It is believed that the demi-god has power to give people what they may have lost in their lives --- wealth, health, social position, and relations. The demi-god also helps in resolving marriage disputes and bringing peace to homes, people believe. Shah's roadshow was cancelled due to this, but the party did not want to make this the reason and hence claimed that it was rescheduled for another date owing to “security reasons”.