Gandhinagar, May 17 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the BJP's sweeping performance in Gujarat’s recent local body elections reflected the people’s trust in development-oriented governance, while asserting that both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been decisively rejected by voters.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 620 crore under the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, HM Shah said the BJP’s electoral success was rooted in the party workers’ continuous engagement with the public and their focus on resolving civic issues.

He said the uninterrupted journey of development initiated in Gujarat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been carried forward by the government led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

"Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and the state government had jointly undertaken works related to drinking water supply, sewage treatment, lake beautification, roads, libraries, health facilities and yoga centres," he said.

Referring to the local self-government elections in Gujarat, HM Shah said the BJP’s victories demonstrated people’s confidence in the party’s governance and development agenda.

“In the recent local body elections, Congress was completely wiped out. Even if we search with binoculars, Congress cannot be seen,” he said.

Criticising AAP, the Home Minister indicated that opposition parties had failed to gain public support despite repeated claims of electoral gains.

"In Delhi, they themselves got wiped out, and here they could not even open their account," he said.

He said the BJP had secured victories across municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats in the state.

HM Shah said elections had been held in all municipal corporations and the BJP had won every one of them. "Out of 84 municipalities, the BJP won 77, while the party also secured victories in 33 out of 34 district panchayats and 253 out of 260 taluka panchayats," he said.

He said the people’s support was linked to the conduct of BJP workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HM Shah stated that party workers worked among people without concern for their own safety, delivering food kits, helping patients reach hospitals, arranging testing facilities and managing vaccination lines.

“Many workers themselves came under the grip of the coronavirus, and some lost their lives, but they continued to serve the people,” he said.

The Home Minister said this approach had created a strong sense of trust among citizens. He described the BJP’s political strength in Gujarat as being built on "continuous public contact and service rather than temporary campaigns".

During the event, HM Shah also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects including urban health centres, overhead water tanks, community halls, road development works, sports facilities, sewage treatment infrastructure and internal roads in newly developing areas of Gandhinagar.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who was present at the event, said: "The state government aimed to develop pollution-free, garbage-free and slum-free cities with green infrastructure and sustainable urban planning."

The programme was attended by State Urban Development Minister Darshanaben Vaghela, MLA Alpesh Thakor, Gandhinagar Mayor Miraben Patel and senior officials of the municipal corporation and district administration.

--IANS

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Raipur/Bijapur, May 17 (IANS) Severe weather conditions across Chhattisgarh have resulted in the deaths of 21 heads of cattle in two separate lightning strike incidents, officials said on Sunday.

The sudden atmospheric shift, characterised by heavy thunderstorms and torrential rain, has caused significant economic distress to local livestock farmers and peasants in the affected regions.

The first incident occurred on Saturday night in Pondum village, situated within the Bhairamgarh development block of the Bijapur district. The village cattle were out grazing in the open fields and agricultural spaces when a sudden spell of extreme weather gripped the area. Accompanied by deafening rolls of thunder, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the open ground. Caught directly in its path, ten heads of cattle died instantly on the spot. The scale of the loss sent shockwaves through the rural community, as livestock represents a primary source of savings and food security for the local marginal farmers.

Simultaneously, a similar tragedy occurred in the remote, hilly terrain of Rajmergarh village, located in the Gorela region of the Gorela Pendra Marwahi district. On Saturday evening, the local weather patterns took an abrupt turn, bringing dense clouds, heavy downpours, and intense electrical activity, officials said.

At that time, a herd of cattle was returning home from their daily grazing routine in the nearby forest. Amidst a violent thunderstorm, lightning struck the returning herd. Eleven heads of cattle perished instantly due to the high-voltage impact. All eleven deceased animals belonged to a local resident named Nathuram Yadav. For Yadav and his family, who depend entirely on livestock rearing for their daily sustenance and livelihood, the sudden loss of their herd has triggered an immediate financial crisis.

Upon hearing the news, a large number of anxious villagers rushed to both sites to assist the distressed families. Local administrative and Revenue Department officials were promptly notified of the twin disasters. Administrative teams have arrived at the spots to conduct field inspections and initiate the formal documentation and panchnama proceedings. Officials have assured the affected families that government compensation cases are being processed swiftly, while the villagers have appealed to the administration for immediate financial relief to survive the crisis.

On Saturday, a sudden shift in weather brought heavy rain, thunder, and strong winds across several districts of Chhattisgarh, including Raipur, offering relief from the intense heat. However, the storm uprooted trees, damaged vehicles, and disrupted traffic, requiring clean-up operations that lasted until Sunday morning.

The Meteorological Department forecasts continued rain and cloud cover until Monday, after which skies will clear in most regions except the Bastar division. Temperatures are expected to rise rapidly thereafter, potentially triggering heatwaves by late May. Meanwhile, active weather systems in the Bay of Bengal and favourable conditions in the Andaman and Nicobar region indicate positive early signs for the advancement of the Southwest Monsoon.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) SC Delhi and Inter Kashi shared the spoils in a tightly-contested 0-0 draw in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

Despite Inter Kashi enjoying greater attacking momentum and creating the better chances, both sides were unable to find the finishing touch in a match defined by disciplined defending and resolute goalkeeping. SC Delhi keeper Nora Fernandes was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant work in between the sticks, including six saves.

With this result, Inter Kashi moved up to ninth place with 13 points from 12 matches, while Sporting Club Delhi climbed to 11th with 11 points from the same number of games.

Inter Kashi started on the front foot, showing early attacking intent and testing the Sporting Club Delhi defence within the opening minutes. Rohit Danu forced a save from Nora Fernandes with a long-range effort, while winger Mohammed Asif and striker Seiminlen Doungel both came close to breaking the deadlock.

Sporting Club Delhi, however, remained organised at the back, with Clarence Fernandes and captain Ashutosh Mehta leading a compact defensive display. While the hosts saw more of the ball in phases, they struggled to create clear openings in the final third.

Inter Kashi continued to dominate possession through the first half, with Alfred Planas particularly influential in attack. The Spaniard saw multiple efforts either blocked or saved, and even had the ball in the net in the 37th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

The visitors came closest to scoring just before the interval when a well-delivered corner from the right saw Narender Gahlot open on the far side, but the centre back failed to connect cleanly from close range. Planas then forced another sharp save from Fernandes in stoppage time, ensuring the teams went into the break level at 0-0.

Sporting Club Delhi emerged with greater urgency in the second half, making three changes at the restart and pushing higher up the pitch. The hosts enjoyed a bright spell early on, with Augustine Lalrochana coming close with a left-footed effort that drifted narrowly wide.

Inter Kashi gradually regained control and continued to threaten from set-pieces and long-range efforts. Sergio Llamas orchestrated a play from midfield, setting up Planas for another attempt that was parried away by Fernandes.

As the game progressed, both teams exchanged attacking spells, but neither could carve out a decisive opportunity. Substitute Prasanth K delivered a teasing ball into the box in the 79th minute, but Nauris Petkevičius failed to guide his effort on target. At the other end, Abdul-Halik Hudu and Augustine combined well, though the final touch continued to elude the hosts.

The closing stages saw Inter Kashi push for a late winner, with Narender Gahlot’s header punched away by Fernandes before a flurry of blocked attempts inside the box by SC Delhi's defence. Sergio Llamas had the final chance deep into stoppage time, but his effort sailed high and wide.

In the end, neither side could find the breakthrough, settling for a point each in a contest.

--IANS

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Dhaka, May 17 (IANS) Six more children died from symptoms similar to measles in Bangladesh in 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 459, as the country grapples with a worsening health crisis, according to local media reports.

One death was confirmed as measles-related by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), while the remaining five were classified as suspected, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) noted in a report.

With this, the confirmed number of deaths from measles has reached 75, while the suspected deaths are now at 384.

In the 24 hours, a total of 1,274 suspected measles cases were recorded, bringing the total cases to 57,846 during the period, the report said according to the DGHS data.

"During the last 24 hours, 243 new confirmed cases of measles were reported, which brought the total number of confirmed infections to 7,767," the report added.

42,092 suspected measles patients were hospitalised since March 15, of which 37,744 have recovered.

On Saturday, at least 12 more children died of measles and measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh. Among the 12 deaths, four were confirmed measles cases, while the remaining eight children died with symptoms of the disease, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Amid the rapid spread of the infection, health experts have called on the Bangladesh government to prioritise the ongoing measles vaccination campaign and set up "fever corners" at local health complexes to facilitate early detection of diseases such as measles and pneumonia.

The appeal was made during a joint press conference organised by the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh in Dhaka, the report noted.

On Wednesday, a group of protesters under the banner of 'Socheton Nagorik Samaj' reportedly formed a human chain in Dhaka's Dhanmondi 27 area, calling for the trial of the former interim government's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and his health advisor Nurjahan Begum over the measles-related deaths, along with compensation for the victims' families.

As measles has killed more than 400 individuals since mid-March across Bangladesh, a recent report described the outbreak as an "avoidable disaster" and called for accountability from the previous interim government led by Yunus, who dismantled a functional vaccine procurement system without the capacity to rebuild it.

–IANS

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Mumbai, May 17 (IANS) Salman Khan spelled out the difference between being 'alone' and being 'lonely' through his latest social media post.

Sharing a jaw-dropping shirtless pic of himself flaunting his abs on social media, the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor stated that being alone is a choice, whereas being lonely is when no one wishes to be with you.

Salman penned on his official Instagram handle, "By I me myself, 2 ways to be by yr self, Alone and Lonely, Alone is by choice n lonely when nobody wants to be with u….. Ab iske aage you Figure out what you need to do (sic)."

However, this is not the first time that Salman has left his Insta Family in awe with his words.

Earlier this month, the 'Ek Tha Tiger' actor shelled out some street-smart wisdom through his post that read, “Thinking yeh hai kisi bhi field mai. Soch lo samaj lo clear ho jao decision lo aur sab bhool ke aage badho and topi se yaad aaya topi khud pehno kisi ko pehnao nahi na kisi ko pehnane do.”

Salman used the 'topi' metaphor to underline the significance of virtues such as honesty and integrity. Salman stressed that one should neither deceive others nor be naive enough to allow someone to mislead them.

Talking about Salman's professional commitments, he is presently working on the war drama, "Maatrubhumi", which was previously called "Battle of Galwan".

Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the eagerly-awaited project also has Chitrangada Singh as the female lead.

The movie will shed light on the events of June 15, 2020, when our Indian soldiers clashed with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. It will narrate the journey of Colonel Santosh Babu (played by Salman Khan) and the 16 Bihar Regiment, who were tasked with enforcing a disengagement agreement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"Maatrubhumi" is set for a theatrical release on April 17.

In addition to this, Salman also has Dil Raju's untitled next in his kitty, which will be helmed by Vamshi.

--IANS

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