LIVE! BJP’s countdown has begun: Ex-NDA ally on poll results

22:52  BJP’s countdown has begun: Ex-NDA ally on poll results:  

In the wake of the drubbing faced by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said countdown of the saffron party had begun.

His statement comes two days after he severed ties with the BJP and resigned from the Union council of ministers, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing the Cabinet to a “rubber stamp”, “betraying” backward classes and giving Bihar only “jumlas”.

When asked why he snapped ties with the NDA, he said, “I joined the NDA on the agenda of development, but over the years I realised that after forming the government, they were working on the development of their own agenda, which is that of the RSS.”

He said he chose to snap ties with the NDA since the RSS’s agenda was “not suitable” either for the country or for his party.

The former minister of state for HRD was talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Pune.

On the BJP’s drubbing in the state elections, Kushwaha said after the defeat in the Hindi heartland states, the countdown of the BJP has begun.

“No power in the world can save them from getting defeated,” he said.

When asked whether his party would be part of the mega alliance against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said, “The party will discuss, deliberate and adopt the options that are available against the NDA.” — PTI

22:16  No formal invitation was sent to US Prez to visit India in January: Govt:  

The government Wednesday said no formal invitation was sent to United States President Donald Trump to visit India in January.

 

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh stated this while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha on whether the government invited the US president to visit India in January.

In October, a White House official said Trump was unable to participate as Chief Guest of India’s Republic Day celebrations in January due to scheduling constraints.

“The India-US joint statement issued on June 27, 2017 states, ‘President Trump gladly accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India.’ No formal invitation has been sent to the US President to visit India in January 2019,” Singh said in the written reply.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Trump to visit India during their talks in Washington in June 2017. — PTI  

21:56  PM ignored election hype during counting, went about routine work: Officials:  

The assembly elections to five states were seen as a litmus test for Narendra Modi’s popularity, and as the counting of votes began Tuesday morning there was an air of suspense over the outcome  — will it be a setback for BJP? Will the party continue its winning streak in the Hindi belt and prove some of the exit polls wrong?

 

But in the midst of all the tension, the prime minister paid no attention to the hype around the elections and attended to his routine work and scheduled engagements, preparing his speech that he had to deliver on Wednesday at a health conference, and attending the first day of Parliament’s winter session.

“For the prime minister, Tuesday was a busy working day like any other day,” said an aide of the prime minister. 

Modi reached Parliament at 10.30 AM, and in his customary interaction with media called for healthy debate and discussion on all subjects of concern to the people. 

He attended the Lok Sabha, which was adjourned for the day after obituary references to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and former Union minister Ananth Kumar. 

“In the afternoon, the prime minister reviewed development work in Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter, he attended to other important official meetings,” said another official.

Modi will be launching development projects in Rae Bareli and Prayagraj on the December 16.

By the evening, it was clear that BJP suffered defeat in all the three Hindi heartland states.

However, the official said, Modi, late in the evening, gave finishing touches to his speech he was to deliver on Wednesday morning at the Partners’ Forum for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

The day after the shock defeats in three key states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Modi began his day early on Wednesday, attending the health forum at 9 AM at Vigyan Bhavan and then drove straight to Parliament from the event. 

“After the customary meeting with senior party members on Parliament matters, Modi reviewed the progress of development works in Kalyan and Pune in Maharashtra,” said the official. — PTI

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the 4th Partners Forum 2018, a global meet on infant and maternal health, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

21:28  Congress’ win in three states will change ‘picture, fate’ of country: Sidhu:  

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu credited Congress’s victory in three Hindi heartland states to party chief Rahul Gandhi and said the win will change the “picture and fate” of the country.

 

Sidhu, who had gone to see chief minister Amarinder Singh at his residence, told reporters that now the farmers could talk about their rights.

The party won assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

“The Congress’s win in the three states will change the picture and fate of the country,” he told reporters.

He said even one win can change the picture and the Congress has registered three wins.

“The win has opened the doors of prosperity for farmers, employment for youth and better days for the poor,” he said. 

He said the polls were a “battle of truth” which have laid the foundation for a change on political front in the country in 2019.

 He, however, sounded a word of caution for the partymen and claimed the Congress will not become complacent despite the victory.

Asserting that the Narendra Modi government had to pay for its “arrogance”, Sidhu said “dictatorial” approach is not acceptable in democracy.

“You beat people, put them in jails…this is not acceptable,” he said.

With the Congress’s win, now the farmers could talk about his rights, he said.

Sidhu said that he addressed 85 rallies in 17 days in the three states which damaged his vocal cords.

“I was on verge of losing my voice as I had injured my vocal cords, but now I have recovered totally,” he said, adding that he did not speak for four days on advise of doctors.  — PTI

21:03  Patel’s resignation highlights risks to RBI’s policy priorities: Fitch:  

Fitch Ratings Wednesday said the abrupt resignation of Urjit Patel as Reserve Bank Governor highlights the risks to RBI’s policy priorities, and increased government influence on the central bank could undermine the efforts to address bad loan problems.

It further said full implications of Patel’s exit will only become clearer once there is some indication of the RBI’s policy approach under his replacement, Shaktikanta Das, an experienced government bureaucrat. 

After a prolonged face-off between the finance ministry and the RBI on contentious issues like optimum capital reserves that the central bank should hold and ways to ease liquidity for micro, small and medium enterprises, Patel resigned abruptly from the post of the governor on December 10, nine months before his term was scheduled to come to an end in September 2019. 

The government Tuesday appointed former Economic Affairs Secretary Das as the new Governor. Das had played a key role in overseeing government’s move to demonetise high value currency notes in 2016.

Fitch, in a statement, said: “The resignation of the RBI governor… follows a period of government pressure on the central bank to spur economic growth, and highlights risks to the RBI’s policy priorities.”

The RBI’s efforts to address bad loan problems have the potential to improve banking-sector health over the long term and its commitment to inflation targeting has supported a more stable macroeconomic environment in recent years.

“Increased government influence on the central bank could undermine this progress,” Fitch said.

It said that a rollback of measures that address long-standing bad-loan problems and restrict the growth of weakly capitalised banks could have a “negative impact” on the credit profiles of affected banks and may increase risks in the financial system.

“General elections due by May 2019 will create a political incentive for the government to push for more supportive RBI policies,” Fitch said. 

20:45  Black box-like audio-video recording system installed in trains: Railways :  

Devices similar to black box in aircraft have been installed in some trains to record the sequence of events incase of any accidents, the railway ministry informed Parliament Wednesday. 

 

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said railways has started installing loco cab audio video recording system (LCAVR) to record everything if there is an accident.

“Similar to a black box, the Indian Railways has started installing loco cab audio video recording system in diesel and electric locomotives. This system provides invaluable data to investigators which will help them in understanding the sequence of events leading to an accident and for identifying operational issues and human factors,” he said. 

Twenty six locomotives have already been installed with the system, he said. 

Gohain said Rs 100.40 crore has been sanctioned in the budget 2018-2019 for acquisition of 3,500 such systems. — PTI  

20:38  Zoramthanga to be sworn in as Mizoram CM on Saturday:  

Mizo National Front president Zoramthanga would be sworn-in as the chief minister of Mizoram at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl at 12 noon on Saturday, state protocol department officials said Wednesday.

   

Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan formally invited Zoramthanga on Wednesday to form the next government after receiving the signed notification of the result from  Election Commission officials who arrived here late in the evening, Raj Bhavan sources said.

 

The governor also dissolved the seventh state legislative assembly during the day to pave the way for the constitution of the eighth assembly, the sources said.

 

The protocol department officials said it was not known whether all 12 members of the council of ministers would be sworn-in on December 15.

 

The MNF returned to power in Mizoram by bagging 26 seats of the 40-member state legislature after a decade which saw the crumbling of the last Congress bastion in the north east.

 

This followed the newly-formed unregistered Zoram Peoples Movement securing eight seats, which is three more than the outgoing Congress.

 

The BJP opened its account for the first time in the state by bagging a seat while the Congress managed to win five seats in the assembly polls held on November 28.

 

Zoramthanga, who has been chief minister of Mizoram twice, was back with a bang on Tuesday after being in political wilderness for two assembly terms.

The 74-year-old rebel-turned-politician was a former underground leader and a close aide of the legendary MNF leader Laldenga. — PTI  

20:33  Editor’s Guild suspends memberships of Akbar, Tejpal:  

The Editors Guild of India on Wednesday suspended the memberships of former Union minister M J Akbar and ex-Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal over allegations of sexual misconduct.

 

The Guild had sought the views of its executive committee on what action should be taken against Akbar, a dormant member at present and one of its past presidents, Tejpal and senior journalist Gautam Adhikari “in light of sexual misconduct allegations levelled against them”, a statement said.

A majority of the committee members suggested that Akbar and Tejpal’s memberships  be suspended. Office-bearers of the Guild discussed the EC’s comments and concurred with the view that Akbar and Tejpal should be suspended from the Guild, it said.

The Guild decided it would seek Adhikari’s response before deciding on his membership. — PTI

20:00  Rahul to pick Rajasthan CM tomorrow:  

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will take the final call on tomorrow on who will be the chief minister in Rajasthan.

Earlier, a Congress delegation met governor Kalyan Singh at 7 pm to stake claim to form the government in Rajasthan.

Senior party leader Ashok Gehlot and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot are the contenders for the coveted post.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday’s vote count, winning 99 seats. 

Its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat, taking the alliance to a total of 100 seats — the required number to form government.

 

The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won six seats.

BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday pledged support for the Congress. 

19:48  Is she not happy? Congress questions Mamata’s silence on Rahul Gandhi:  

After its good show in the assembly elections, the Congress Wednesday asked if Trinamool leaders were having “sleepless nights” fearing their dream of Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister may not be fulfilled.

 

At a rally in Kolkata, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also questioned why Mamata Banerjee has not given credit to Rahul Gandhi for the massive victory.

“When the entire country has congratulated Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for its victory in three states, only Mamata Banerjee has not. Is she not happy with the victory of Congress?,” Gogoi said.

Although, the West Bengal chief minister had congratulated the winners, she had stopped short of naming either Congress or Gandhi.

The Congress won three Hindi-heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where BJP was in power.

Senior Congress lawmaker Adhir Chowdhury said the Trinamool is having “sleepless nights” as victory of Rahul Gandhi in the three states has put a big question mark on the party’s “dreams of Banerjee becoming the next prime minister has gone for a toss”.

“Now their (TMC leaders) dreams are shattered as they know that Rahul Gandhi will be the next prime minister. That is why they are not ready to give Congress and Rahul Gandhi their due credit,” Chowdhury said.

Criticising the “political duplicity” of the Trinamool, Gogoi said TMC speaks against the undemocratic attitude of BJP but itself functions in an “undemocratic and authoritarian way” in Bengal.

“This political duplicity will no longer work. On the one hand TMC speaks of democratic values when it goes to opposition meets in Delhi and when it comes back to Bengal it tries to throttle the voice of opposition parties  in most undemocratic ways. The Congress high-command is very well aware of the double standards of TMC,” Gogoi said. — PTI

19:14  Most exit polls failed to get 5-state polls right:  

Most exit polls failed to predict the massive mandate that the Congress got in Chhattisgarh, but got their forecast of a tight finish in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh right. 

   

In Rajasthan and Telangana, the exit polls got the winner right but failed to gauge the level of the victory margins for the assembly elections for which the votes were counted on Tuesday.   

 

They predicted a clear win for the Congress in Rajasthan, but when the results were out, the party could not achieve the magic figure on its own, getting 99 of 199 seats, just shy of the majority mark. 

 

In Telangana, it was a landslide victory for the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti, which got 88 of the 119 constituencies, leaving the Congress trailing far behind with 19. 

 

In the northeastern state of Mizoram, where the Congress was ousted from power,  the regional Mizo National Front performed much better than the exit poll prediction, bagging 26 of 40 seats. 

In Madhya Pradesh — where the results went down to the wire with the Congress getting 114 seats, just two short of a simple majority in the 230-member assembly, and the BJP 109 — ABP News predicted a clear defeat for the BJP (94 seats) and victory for the Congress (126). 

While Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat gave 108-128 seats to the BJP and 95-115 to the Congress, India Today-Axis said the saffron party could win 102-120 seats as against 104-122 for the Congress.   

 

The Times Now-CNX exit poll predicted a majority for the BJP in MP with 126 seats and gave the Congress a tally of 89 seats.   

 

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP was reduced to 15 seats while the Congress bagged 68 seats in the 90-member assembly seat.

The Ajit Jogi-led Janta Congress Chhattisgarh and the BSP alliance together bagged seven seats. 

 

Quite in contrast to the declared results, the ABP and the Times Now-CNX exit polls predicted victory for the BJP. Though India Today-Axis said the Congress would triumph, it did not get its numbers right. 

 

Times Now-CNX gave a simple majority to the BJP in Chhattisgarh, saying it may win 46 seats while the opposition Congress may bag 35 seats. ABP News said the BJP may get up to 52 seats against 35 of the Congress.   

 

The India Today-Axis predicted that the Congress would end Chief Minister Raman Singh’s 15-year reign by winning anywhere between 55-65 seats. The BJP, it said, may be reduced to 21-31 seats.    

 

All the exit polls said the alliance of former chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi) and the BSP may win between three and eight seats, which may help him to emerge as a king-maker in the event of a hung house. This was fairly accurate with the BSP getting two seats and the JCC five 

 

In Rajasthan, India Today-Axis said the opposition party may win 119-141 out of 199 seats for which elections were held. The BJP, it added, may win 55-72 seats.   

 

Times Now-CNX forecast 105 seats for the Congress and 85 for the BJP. 

 

ABP News also predicted a victory for the Congress, saying it may bag 101 seats while the BJP may end up with 83 and others with 15 seats.      

 

Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat forecast a tighter race between the two parties. It gave the Congress and the BJP 81-101 and 83-103 seats respectively. — PTI

18:22  Suspense continues over Raj CM as Cong team to meet Guv at 7 pm:  

A Congress delegation will meet Governor Kalyan Singh at 7 pm Wednesday to stake claim to form the government in Rajasthan.

 

Raj Bhavan sources said the governor has given an appointment to a Congress delegation for 7 pm. 

 

The delegation will be headed by the leader of the Congress Legislature Party,  which will be picked by Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the chief minister’s post after getting feedback from the newly elected MLAs.  

 

The contenders for the chief minister’s post are Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both of whom won huge victories in their constituencies. 

“We have a full majority and will stake claim to form government in the evening. We will take along all non-BJP parties and elected members who are against the BJP and are willing to support us,” Pilot told reporters at the state party office before the Congress Legislative Party meeting.

Asked about the choice of the chief minister, Pilot said the party’s newly elected MLAs will debate the matter, and the party president will take a decision after that.

 

AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande and party’s observer K C Venugopal will also seek the individual opinions of the party MLAs.

 

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Rajasthan in Tuesday’s vote count, winning 99 seats. 

Its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat, taking the alliance to a total of 100 seats — the required number to form government.

 

The BJP got 73 seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party won six seats.

 

BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday pledged support for the Congress. The CPI-M got two seats, independents won 13 and other parties got 6, according to the state Election Commission. — PTI  

18:12  ‘Reveal caste of other Gods too’: Akhilesh mocks Yogi :  

Taking a dig at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked him to “reveal” caste of other deities so he could pray to the God of his caste.

Yadav’s remarks come days after the chief minister described Lord Hanuman as a Dalit.

Adityanath had, during a poll rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, said, “Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west.” 

 

“Caste of only some Gods have been revealed. It will be good if he tells caste of all of them. I will also pray to the God of my caste,” Yadav told reporters Wednesday.

Adityanath was strongly criticised by the opposition for his remarks while one of its own Dalit MP quit the party.

Bahraich BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule claimed that Lord Hanuman was “a Dalit and a slave of ‘manuwadi’ people” and alleged that Dalits and backwards were being called ‘bandar’ (monkey) and ‘rakshas’ (demon).

The Lok Sabha member quit the BJP last week, charging it with playing politics to divide the society. 

Asked to comment on the results of the just-concluded assembly elections in five states, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Akhilesh said the outcome was “encouraging”.

 

“Results of assembly polls are out. I thank people of these state especially of Chhatisgarh, MP and Rajasthan and welcome the ‘janadesh’. Though our (SP’s) performance was not good, we won a seat in MP and stood at second at some places,” he said. — PTI

17:55  He thought I was Bruce Wayne: Christian Bale on meeting Donald Trump:  

Christian Bale recalled the time he met Donald Trump and says the United States president thought he was his Batman character Bruce Wayne. 

 

Speaking at the red carpet for the premiere of his upcoming political comedy “Vice”, Bale revealed that during the filming of “The Dark Knight Rises” at the Trump Towers, the business mogul invited him to his office.  

“We were filming on Batman in Trump Tower and he said, come on up to the office,” Bale told Variety.

“I think he thought I was Bruce Wayne because I was dressed as Bruce Wayne. So he talked to me like I was Bruce Wayne and I just went along with it, really. It was quite entertaining,” he added.

Back then, Bale said, he had no inkling that Trump would go on to become the President of the United States.

“I had no idea at the time that he would think about running for president,” he said.

The 44-year-old actor plays Dick Cheney, the former US vice president, in Adam McKay’s “Vice”, which also features Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell and Steve Carrell in pivotal roles. — PTI  

17:16  KCR likely to take oath tomorrow:  TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to take oath as Chief Minister of Telangana for the second term Thursday. Rao, who was unanimously elected leader of the party Wednesday, told reporters that the oath-taking ceremony would take place once the Election Commission publishes the gazette notification.

“The Election Commission of India has to publish the final gazette. If that is done, the government can take oath. Likely by tomorrow..it may be possible. It may not be possible also,” he told reporters.

“Would like to take oath tomorrow. It is a good time also. But it is possible only when the Election Commission publishes the gazette. We will see what happens, by evening”, he said. Rao said he alone may take oath or with two other “colleagues” .

“We can expand (the Ministry) after five-six days. We can do like that.” Rao was earlier elected leader of the legislature party, paving the way for his return as Chief Minister for the second straight term.

The newly-elected MLAs met at Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarters in Hyderabad, and took the decision unanimously, party sources said. In the December 7 assembly elections, the TRS had won 88 seats in the 119-member House. Rao was re-elected from Gajwel in Siddipet district by a margin of 58,290 votes. — PTI

16:28  Will uphold RBI autonomy: Governor Shaktikanta Das:  
Shaktikanta Das, the new RBI Governor, holds his first press conference after assuming office today. He was appointed as the 25th RBI governor yesterday, after his predecessor Dr Urjit Patel quit.

Excerpts:

“I will try and uphold professionalism, core values, credibility and autonomy of this institution.

“It’s an honour and great opportunity to serve RBI. I will try my best to work with everyone and work in the interest of Indian economy.

“Have scheduled a meeting with the MDs and the CEOs of public sector banks based in Mumbai tomorrow morning. This will be followed by meetings with public sector banks outside Mumbai as well as private sector banks later on.

“Banking is an important segment in our economy and its facing several challenges that need to be dealt with. It’s the banking sector on which Id like to focus immediately.

“Will take measures which the economy requires in a timely manner.”

When asked if deputy governor Viral Acharya was in office, Das quipped, “Yes, as far as I am aware. I just had tea with him.”

16:02  What’s your take… Chacha ji? Tejashwi asks Nitish after BJP’s poor poll show:  After BJP’s poor poll show, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Wednesday asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if he was willing to go back on his assertion that there would be no challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 general elections.

Tejashwi’s remark came in the backdrop of assembly poll results in three states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — where the BJP lost to the Congress, an ally in the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar.

“Just after switching sides to the NDA, Nitish Kumar had said that nobody has the potential to challenge Modi. “With all humility, I want to ask Nitish Kumar as what is your take on this (the statement) now. Are you contemplating to take a u-turn again after talking to your conscience? Aren’t you Chacha ji?,” Tejashwi, who is the opposition leader in Bihar, tweeted. Nitish Kumar had dumped the RJD and the Congress, to rejoin the BJP-led NDA in 2017.

15:29  Raj MLA unhappy over lack of autonomy in deciding CM:  Update: The Congress legislature party in Rajasthan, Wednesday, passed a single-line resolution authorising party president Rahul Gandhi to decide the name of the chief minister.

Party legislator Vishvendra Singh has expressed dissatisfaction over the
resolution. Singh, a Jat leader, attended the meeting in which the
resolution was passed and later left after the one-to-one meeting began.
“What was the point to hold the meeting and send the observer if the
decision was to be taken by the party high-command only,” he told
reporters.

Party’s observer K C Venugopal is seeking individual opinion of party legislators in the meeting, which is still underway at the state Congress office in Jaipur.

“We have passed a resolution authorising Rahul Gandhi to take a final decision on the name of chief minister. We raised our hands and passed the resolution. After that, individual opinion is being sought from the MLAs,” Congress lawmaker Parasram Mordia told reporters. Mordia said that when he was asked about his opinion, he said his choice was “high-command”, meaning whatever the party president decides.

“The party has won because of Rahul Gandhi and he has to take a call on that,” he said. MLA Shanti Dhariwal, who was home minister in the Ashok Gehlot government, also said that the legislators were giving their opinion about the chief minister candidate in the meeting.

State Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, both frontrunners for the post, are present in the meeting. The name of the chief minister will be announced in the evening and a Congress delegation will meet Governor Kalyan Singh at 7 PM to stake claim on government. — PTI

Image: Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot with KC Venugopal.

15:13  NOTA votes in 15 Raj constituencies outscore victory margin:  In Rajasthan assembly elections, at least 15 constituencies polled more NOTA (None Of The Above) votes than the victory margin of the wining candidates. Votes polled as NOTA could have yielded 7 to 8 more seats to either the Congress or the BJP.  

The NOTA option gives the voter the choice to reject all candidates in the election fray. Health minister Kalicharan Saraf in the outgoing Vasundhara Raje led BJP government won by 1704 votes from Malviya Nagar constituency where NOTA was exercised by 2371 voters.

The lowest victory margin was witnessed in Asind constituency where BJP’s Jabbar Singh Sankhala trounced Congress’s Manish Mewara by only 154 votes while 2943 voters opted for NOTA.  — PTI

Similarly in Pilibanga, BJP’s Dharmendra Kumar defeated Congress’s Vinod Kumar by just 278 votes but 2441 NOTA votes were polled, as per the election commission data. While on Marwar Junction seat independent candidate Khushveer Singh defeated BJP’s Kesaram Choudhary by 251 votes against 2719 NOTA.

The other assembly constituencies where NOTA votes were recorded more than victory margin include: Ghatol, Chohtan, Pachpadra, Bundi, Chomu, Pokaran, Khanpur, Khetri, Makrana, Dantaramgarh and Fatehpur. However, most of the NOTA votes were exercised by the people of Banswara district, which comprises five assembly seats.

14:40  Cong claims support of 121 MLAs in MP:   The Congress has the support of 121 MLAs in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, party spokesperson Narendra Saluja claimed Wednesday. The Congress won 114 seats in the state polls, but was two short of the simple majority mark of 116 in the 230-member Assembly.

“With the support of BSP’s two, SP’s one and four independent candidates, the Congress’ tally is 121 in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly,” Saluja told reporters at the Raj Bhawan after Congress leaders met Governor Anandiben Patel. Senior Congress leaders, including Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijay Singh, Arun Yadav and Vivek Tankha, met the governor to stake claim to form the government in the state.

Nath, the state Congress chief, requested the governor in the letter to call the Congress to form government in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party,  which ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats in the elections. — PTI

14:25  Rajasthan Congress MLAs ask Rahul to decide on CM:  
Congress legislature party (CLP) in Rajasthan Wednesday passed a resolution authorising party president Rahul Gandhi to decide the name of the chief minister.

“A resolution has been passed by the members in legislature party meeting. The final decision on the chief minister’s name will be taken by party president Rahul Gandhi,” a Congress leader said.

AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande and party’s observer K C Venugopal sought individual opinion of party MLAs in the meeting, which is still underway at the state Congress office here.

State Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, both front runners for the post, are present in the meeting.

The name of the chief minister will be announced in the evening and a delegation of the party will then meet Governor Kalyan Singh to stake claim for forming government. — PTI

14:18  Feast on your eyes on this: Fresh snowfall from Dhanaulti, Uttarakhand.

14:13  It’s a white winter in Kedarnath:  After days of relentless coverage on the polls, here’s other news:

Snowfall in the higher reaches of the hills and light showers in lower areas coupled with cold winds added to chill across Uttarakhand Wednesday with the maximum temperature dropping at most places. Places located at a height of 2500 metres and above including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri received around one feet of snow while lower areas received light showers, MeT office Director Vikram Singh said. Chakrata in Dehradun district  and Dhanaulti near Mussoorie also received snow, he said. Cold winds swept the state after the early morning snow and rain making it chillier, he said.  Similar weather is likely to continue in Uttarakhand till tomorrow, Singh said.

Image: Fresh snowfall from Kedarnath, Uttarakhand. Pic: ANI

13:59  #MeToo: Sajid Khan suspended for one-year from IFTDA:  Director Sajid Khan has been suspended for one year by Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association over the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by several women following an investigation.

IFTDA said acting on the recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee’s, it has suspended Sajid’s membership for a period of one year with immediate effect, which will be reviewed after a year, the organisation said in a statement. Three women, including a journalist and two actors, have accused Sajid of sexual harassment.

IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit said, “The reason we have set up a committee is to assure women and men that there is an avenue, which is gender neutral, for seeking redressal if they have been wronged by someone.

“By suspending Sajid for a year, we have only tried to put forth a word that there is redressal as long as you have the courage to speak up and bring out the complete truth, better late than never,” he added.

Pandit believes the increasing awareness about the POSH Act guidelines and the #MeTooIndia Movement have encouraged women to speak up. “It has given them the confidence to speak against sexual harassment.

A complainant, who shows courage to speak against unwelcome behaviour regardless of who is the perpetrator, is not merely an object of pity or sympathy, but a survivor setting the world on fire with her truth. Now, it’s our duty to uproot such unwelcome behaviour around us,” he added.

Sajid, who was working on his next directorial venture “Housefull 4”, had to step away from the project following the allegations against him. — PTI

13:29  Cong stakes claim to form govt in Madhya Pradesh:  Congress delegation meets Governor Anandiben Patel to stake claim to form the government in Madhya Pradesh, earlier today. Patel met the Congress delegation at noon after party leaders wrote to her last night, seeking a chance to form the new government.

Former Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Chouhan made it clear that the BJP will not stake claim to form government in the state. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in MP by winning 114 seats, two short of a simple majority.

The BJP, which ruled the state for 15 years, got 109 seats. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced their parties’ support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. BSP got two and SP one seat in the MP Assembly polls, held on November 28.

13:23  Poll results mark ‘beginning of change’: Pawar:  The Assembly poll results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh mark the “beginning of a change”, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Wednesday, dubbing the outcome as “rejection” of the BJP-led government’s policies.

Pawar, who turned 78 on Wednesday, said his party would support the Congress and also suggested the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party to throw their weight behind the Rahul Gandhi-led party.

Referring to the constant criticism of Rahul Gandhi by the BJP, the former Union minister said people did not like the Congress president being “ridiculed”.

The Congress dislodged the BJP from power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and emerged as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh.

“People have expressed disappointment against the Modi government… the Assembly poll results mark the beginning of a change… people rejected the anti-farmers, anti-traders policies of Modi,” Pawar said.

On the Shiv Sena’s frequent criticism of the BJP, he said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party may be critical of its senior ally, but the two may come together for elections in the future.

He made the remarks after meeting party leaders and workers who had turned up to greet him on his birthday. Pawar also alleged that the Narendra Modi government took the decision of demonetisation without consulting the Reserve Bank of India. — PTI

12:48  Sonia: Cong’s victory is over BJP’s negative politics:  Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday described the party’s good showing in the assembly poll in three Hindi heartland states as a victory over the BJP’s “negative politics”.

Gandhi’s reaction came after the Congress ousted BJP governments in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Expressing happiness over the polls outcome, the UPA chairperson said it was a “Congress victory over the BJP’s negative politics”.

A resurgent Congress Tuesday made significant gains in the Assembly elections, dealing a body blow to the BJP in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, while emerging as the single largest party in Madhya Pradesh. — PTI

12:32  Shivraj steps down:  Bhopal: Shivraj Singh Chouhan tendered his resignation to the Governor Anandiben Patel, earlier today.

12:28  Cong MLAs’ meeting to choose Rajasthan CM begins in Jaipur:  The Congress Legislature Party meeting has begun at the party’s state headquarters in Jaipur today to discuss the name of the next Rajasthan chief minister.

AICC General Secretary Avinash Pande and party’s observer KC Venugopal will seek individual opinion of the party MLAs in the meeting.

The CLP will file a resolution and the observer, AK Antony, will apprise party president Rahul Gandhi about the opinion and views of the MLAs, a party leader said.

The final decision will be taken by Gandhi based on the feedback, he added.

PCC president Sachin Pilot, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, both MLAs and front runners for the coveted post, are in the meeting besides other party MLAs.

The name of the chief minister will be announced in the evening and a delegation of the party then meet Governor Kalyan Singh to stake claim to form the government. — PTI

Image: Sachin Pilot tweeted this image at Udaipur airport on December 4, writing: With @RahulGandhi ji and @ashokgehlot51 ji after a long day of campaigning Alwar, Jhunjhunu and Salumbar. Congress is on course for a comeback to serve the people of Rajasthan.

12:10  I am free now: Shivraj:  This is what Shivraj Singh Chouhan said after he handed over his resignation to MP governor Anandiben Patel: Ab mein mukt hoon, I am free. I have tendered my resignation to the honourable Governor. The responsibility of defeat is totally mine. I have congratulated Kamal Nathji. Na haar mein, na jeet mein, kinchit nahin bhaybhit main, kartavya path par jo bhi mile, yeh bhi sahi woh bhi sahi. 

12:06  Cong@MP: Kamal Nath to meet Chouhan at 1 pm, MLA meet at 4 pm:  Shobha Oza, Congress spokesperson says that Kamal Nath will meet former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan at 1 pm as a courtesy visit. “At 4 pm we have a meeting of party MLAs and AK Antony is coming as observer and after that we will put in a word with Rahulji,” she said.

The Congress, which was locked in a nail-biting see-saw battle with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, has emerged as the single-largest party with 114 seats after the vote count ended on Wednesday morning, according to the State Election Commission Office. The party was, however, two short of the simple majority mark, 116 seats, in the 230-member Assembly.

But with the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party, which won two seats and the Samajwadi Party, which won, one seat, the Congress tally now stands at 117. The four independents have also pledged support to the Congress.

Image: Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza.

11:59  Cong gives business suspension notice in RS to discuss Rafale deal:  The Congress today gave a notice for suspension of business in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the alleged corruption in the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France under a government to government deal and demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe into the issue.

Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma moved a notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Council of States seeking suspension of all business of the House to discuss the Rafale purchase.

The notice read, ‘This House expresses its serious concern over the irregularities and alleged corruption in the acquisition of Rafale jets. The arbitrary decision has resulted in loss of technology transfer, manufacture of 108 fighter jets by HAL and massive loss to national exchequer. The scam be investigated by a JPC to fix accountability.’ Congress President Rahul Gandhi has been alleging corruption and favour to private industrialists in the Rafale purchase and leading the demand for a JPC in the matter.

The issue of Rafale purchase was also discussed at a meeting of opposition parties held on Monday to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in 2019. Rahul Gandhi had said after the meeting that “there was consensus in the opposition” that the Rafale scam needs to be probed. — PTI

11:28  BJP will NOT stake claim to form govt in MP: Shivraj :   Done deal for the Congress, finally. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, “We did not get majority. We will not stake claim to form government. I am going to tender my resignation to the Governor.”

As you read this, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has reached the Raj Bhawan to tender his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel.

The Congress, which was locked in a tantalising see-saw battle with the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, had emerged as the single-largest party with 114 seats after the vote count ended on Wednesday morning, according to the State Election Commission Office.

The party was however, two short of the simple majority mark, 116 seats, in the 230-member Assembly. The BJP was close behind with 109 seats.

With the BSP (2) and SP (1), the Congress gets 117, the simple majority needed to form government.

File pic.

11:23  SP to support Cong in MP:  Madhya Pradesh update: Akhilesh Yadav says the Samajwadi Party will support Congress in forming the government in Madhya Pradesh.

Chapter closed for the BJP.  

11:14  Nice to have something to celebrate on counting day: Omar:  Omar Abdullah @OmarAbdullah Congratulations to the Congress & especially to its leader @RahulGandhi for the great success in these elections. He took the blame & the brickbats for all the set backs & now deserves the credit for these victories. It was nice to have something to celebrate on counting day.

11:09  Rajasthan CM decision today: Sachin:  Sachin Pilot on being asked who will be Rajasthan CM: Whatever the MLAs have to say they will say in the meeting and final decision is left to the Congress president and other party leaders. We will take a call today.

11:04  To keep BJP out of power we have agreed to support Congress: BSP :  Mayawati on extending support to the Congress and the assembly poll results:

“Results show that people in states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were totally against the BJP and its anti people policies and as a result chose Congress due to lack of other major alternatives.

“To keep BJP out of power we have agreed to support Congress in Madhya Pradesh and if need be in Rajasthan, even though we don’t agree with many of their policies.”

10:54  With BSP’s support, Cong hits majority in MP:  BSP chief Mayawati has announced that her party will be lending support to the Congress in the just-concluded five-state elections. What this means is that the Congress which has 114 seats in Madhya Pradesh, now has the numbers to form government in the state.

The BSP has two seats, which gives the Congress 116 seats, which is exactly the halfway mark need to form government. Even if the BJP (109) gets the support of the SP (1) and Independents (4) it will be still short of a simple majority.

In Rajasthan, the Congress has emerged as the single-largest party in Rajasthan, winning 99 seats, while the BJP got 73. The Bahujan Samaj Party won 6 seats. Allying with the BSP will get it a simple majority of 105 seats. The Congress and the BJP declared their intention to form government with the help of others, including Independents, even before the final results were out.    

Congress state president Kamal Nath submitted a letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, staking claim to form government late Tuesday night. He later said his party had the numbers to form government in the central state. “We have majority numbers with us to form the government. Even Independents, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party have also supported us. We have sought an appointment with the governor and we will apprise her about the majority figure that we have and request her to invite us to form the government,” Nath told reporters in the early hours of Wednesday. He said the party has called a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Wednesday evening.

10:44  Bomb threat in Facebook campus, Buildings evacuated :   Several buildings in the Facebook campus located in Menlo Park in California were evacuated following a bomb threat in Los Angeles on Tuesday (local time).

CNN quoted a management analyst for the Menlo Park Police Department Nicole Acker as saying that the San Mateo bomb unit has responded to the matter.

A spokesperson of the social media giant confirmed that police evacuated a few buildings and the matter is being investigated adding that everyone was safe.Further details are awaited.  — ANI

10:34  ‘To save Modi, BJP wants to hang Shivraj, Vasundhara, Raman’:  In spite of anti-incumbency, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan could defend his turf and gave the Congress a very good fight, says Dr A P S Chouhan, professor of political science at Gwalior’s Jiwaji University.

“There was no impact of Mr Modi, Mr Amit Shah and Mr Yogi. Most of the time they were giving negative speeches and indulging in Hindu-Muslim politics. They did not speak of policies,” says Professor Chouhan as he assesses the Madhya Pradesh results with Rediff.com’s Archana Masih. Read the interview here.

10:25  TMC to raise Urjit Patel’s resignation in Parliament today:  The Trinamool Congress has given a notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to “immediately discuss the threat to nation’s institutions like the Reserve Bank of India.”

The Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha is related to suspension of rules which says “Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being.”

The session, which commenced on December 11, will have 20 sittings spread over a period of 29 days. The Opposition parties are also expected to raise issues like Rafale deal and alleged government interference in the functioning of institutions like the CBI.

TMC’s move came after the post of RBI Governor fell vacant on Monday when Urjit Patel resigned, weeks after differences between the central bank and the government became public.

Patel, 54, quit the post about nine months before his three-year term was to come to an end in September 2019.Patel, who cited “personal reasons” for quitting the prestigious post, is the first RBI governor to resign since 1990. – ANI

09:59  ‘Pappu’ has become ‘Param Pujya’: Raj Thackeray :  As the Congress party has emerged victorious in Rajasthan, and is also poised to sweep Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi who was referred to as ‘Pappu’ (colloquial Hindi word for dumb kid) by his opponents has now become ‘Param Pujya’ (most revered).

“Rahul Gandhi was alone in Gujarat, even in Karnataka and now too. Now Pappu has become Param Pujya. Will his leadership be accepted at the national level, you are seeing it,” he said.

The MNS chief also took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party which is inching towards its defeat in recently held state Assembly elections and said that the party was bound to be defeated because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah’s behaviour.

“It was bound to happen. .he way Amit Shah and Modiji behaved in the past four years. It is all clear to the people of India now… they failed in all fronts and they have nothing to show… so they are playing Ram Mandir card but people are smart enough,” he added. — ANI

09:57  Who will MP governor Anandiben Patel go with?:  Congress state president Kamal Nath submitted a letter to Governor Anandiben Patel, staking claim to form government late Tuesday night. He later said his party had the numbers to form government in the central state.

“We have majority numbers with us to form the government. Even Independents, the BSP and the Samajwadi Party have also supported us. We have sought an appointment with the governor and we will apprise her about the majority figure that we have and request her to invite us to form the government,” Nath told reporters in the early hours of Wednesday.

He said the party has called a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, the BJP said the Congress did not get people’s mandate to form government in the state and claimed that it was in touch with some Independents and other parties.

“The Congress has not got the mandate. Many Independents and others are in contact with the BJP. We will meet Governor tomorrow (Wednesday),” state BJP president Rakesh Singh said in a tweet late Tuesday night. — PTI

Image: MP Governor Anandiben Patel was former Gujarat CM and is a close aide of PM Narendra Modi.

09:51  Four Independents hold key for Cong in MP:  The Congress will have to enlist the support of at least one of the four independents or of the lone Samajwadi Party candidate elected in Madhya Pradesh to form the next government in the state.

The results for 230 of the 230 seats have been declared. The Congress has won 114 and the ruling BJP has won 109 seats. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has won two seats, the Samajwadi Party has won one seat and Independent candidates have won four.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has won from his traditional Budhni seat by a margin of 58,999 votes, defeating former Union minister and senior Congress leader Arun Yadav.  — PTI

09:36  Cong and BJP will stake claim to form govt in MP:  
The counting in Madhya Pradesh has ended with the Congress emerging as the single largest party with 114 seats — two short of a simple majority. 

The BJP has won 109. 

The smaller parties and Independents will now play a crucial role in deciding who forms the next government in the state. 

The BJP has said that it has already reached out to the Independents and will try to form the government. At the same time, the Congress too has called up the Governor to stake claim to the government. 

The focus is now on MP Governor Anandiben Patel, also former BJP CM of Gujarat and a close confidante of PM Modi, to invite a party/alliance to form the government.

The Congress, yesterday, wrote a letter to Anandiben Patel and sought an appointment to seek chance to form government. This was at a time when results of many seats were still trickling in. The Governor rejected the request and asked Congress to wait till the Election Commission announces the complete result.

09:08  BJP should stick to development, trends a warning bell, says party MP:  

A Rajya Sabha member, who is an associate member of the BJP, Tuesday said the assembly poll results are a ‘warning bell’ for the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Sanjay Kakade, a Pune-based builder, also asked the party to introspect over the poll performance.

“I am of the opinion that the BJP should stick to development agenda and not to caste (mobilisation), changing names of cities or a (Ram) temple. We need to revert to the track of development,” Kakade said.

“What the BJP has been doing so far is Mandir-Masjid, changing names of cities, caste politics. Even if we win MP with a slender margin, I will call it our defeat,” Kakade said.

Kakade said he was not surprised with Congress gaining decisive leads in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and TRS’s winning

performance in Telangana, but Madhya Pradesh was a shocker.

“The decisive trends in these four major states are a warning bell for us ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. If we do not learn from it, it will be difficult for us,” Kakade said.

Kakade is no stranger to controversial comments.

Ahead of the results of the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections, he had said: “Forget absolute majority, the party (BJP) will not even get enough number of seats to form the government. The Congress, on the other hand, will reach close to the majority mark.”

— PTI

08:48  MP cliffhanger ends with Congress just two short of majority:  

The Congress, which was running neck and neck with the BJP in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election, ended up the single-largest party with 114 seats, two short of a majority in the 230-member assembly. The BJP won 109.Both parties had almost the same vote share at around 41% and the difference of votes polled by the parties was only 47,827 across the state.

With none of the two parties getting a majority in the state at 116 seats, smaller parties and Independents will play a crucial role in deciding who forms the next government in the state, ruled by the BJP for the last 15 years. The Congress reached out earlier, said sources, to the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party which won two, and one seats. It also contacted regional player Gondwana Gantantra Party and independents who won the remaining four seats.

Mayawatis BSP said it will try and ensure the BJP does not form government. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, The ideology of SP, BSP and the Congress is the same – different from that of the BJP.

08:27  3 dead in shooting in Strasbourg, police say shooter has not been caught:  

At least three people were killed and a dozen others injured late on Tuesday night after gunfire erupted near a Christmas market in the center of the French city of Strasbourg, French authorities said.

Strasbourg police said an armed person entered the perimeter of the Christmas market by the Corbeau Bridge, heading toward the Rue des Orfvres. 

The suspect then opened fire, police said. Police said they have identified the shooter, who has not been captured.

France has raised its national security threat level to “emergency terror attack” status since the attack. 

British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote on Twitter that she was “shocked and saddened” by the “terrible” attack in Strasbourg. “My thoughts are with all of those affected and with the French people,” May tweeted.

The Christmas market will be closed on Wednesday and the flags will be at half-staff, Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries said early Wednesday on his Twitter account. All shows scheduled to be performed at the city’s cultural institutions will also be canceled on Wednesday, the mayor said.

07:52  TRS chief KCR to take oath as Telangana CM tomorrow:  

TRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao will take oath as the chief minister of Telangana tomorrow. Telangana Rashtra Samithi won 88 seats in the Telangana assembly elections. 

01:33  Khashoggi, 3 other journalists named TIME’s Person of the Year:  

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Gulf Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October, and three other journalists were named TIME’s Person of the Year, an honour that recognises them for ‘taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths’ and ‘for speaking up and for speaking out’.

Time Magazine on Tuesday said this year it is recognising four journalists and one news organisation who have paid a terrible price to seize the challenge of this moment: Khashoggi, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, two young Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo — currently imprisoned in Myanmar — and the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, where five journalists were gunned down.

“For taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts, for speaking up and for speaking out, the Guardians — Jamal Khashoggi, the Capital Gazette, Maria Ressa, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo — are TIME’s Person of the Year,” the magazine said on Tuesday.

“They are representative of a broader fight by countless others around the world – as of December 10, at least 52 journalists have been murdered in 2018 – who risk all to tell the story of our time,” Time said.

On Khashoggi, the magazine said that the Saudi journalist ‘dared to disagree with his country’s government. He told the world the truth about its brutality toward those who would speak out. And he was murdered for it’.

“Khashoggi had fled his homeland last year even though he actually supported much of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s agenda in Saudi Arabia. What irked the kingdom and marked the journalist for death was Khashoggi’s insistence on coming to that conclusion on his own, tempering it with troubling facts and trusting the public to think for itself,” Time said.

Ressa, founder and editor of a Philippine news site, Rappler, has faced a barrage of government lawsuits aimed at the site, and violent hate messages on social media — at one point, 90 of them an hour.

Rappler has chronicled the violent drug war and extrajudicial killings of President Rodrigo Duterte that have left some 12,000 people dead, according to a January estimate from Human Rights Watch.

The Duterte government refuses to accredit a Rappler journalist to cover it, and in November charged the site with tax fraud, allegations that could send Ressa to prison for up to 10 years.

In Annapolis, Md., staff of the Capital, a newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications, which traces its history of telling readers about the events in Maryland to before the American Revolution, press on without the five colleagues gunned down in their newsroom on June 28.

“Still intact, indeed strengthened after the mass shooting, are the bonds of trust and community that for national news outlets have been eroded on strikingly partisan lines, never more than this year,” it said.

The two Reuters reporters remained separated from their wives and children, serving a sentence for defying the ethnic divisions that rend that country.

“For documenting the deaths of 10 minority Rohingya Muslims, Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone got seven years. The killers they exposed were sentenced to 10,” Time said.

“Efforts to undermine factual truth, and those who honestly seek it out, call into doubt the functioning of democracy. Freedom of speech, after all, was purposefully placed first in the Bill of Rights.

“In 2018, journalists took note of what people said, and of what people did. When those two things differed, they took note of that too. The year brought no great change in what they do or how they do it. What changed was how much it matters,” Time said.  — PTI