BIG POLLING DAY TODAY

Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are going to the polls in single-phase elections today, while and Assam (final phase today) and West Bengal will witness the third-phase polling in a crucial high stakes election.

While the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan is looking to create history in Kerala by bucking a four-decade trend of power alternating between the LDF and Congress-led UDF, the DMK and the Congress are fighting to wrest Tamil Nadu back from AIADMK, which has been in power for two terms.

In West Bengal, the TMC on Monday roped in actor Jaya Bachchan to campaign for the party. A Samajwadi Party representative in the Rajya Sabha, Jaya said she would stay in the state for three days. She said she respected Mamata for being the ‘single woman fighting all atrocities’. “Though

The BJP on Monday cancelled both rallies of party president JP Nadda in Hooghly district after he had to rush back to New Delhi for an “urgent meeting”. The BJP party chief’s meeting at Sreerampur was cancelled due to unknown reasons. The TMC claimed Nadda did not turn up as the attendance at these rallies was thin.

DESHMUKH QUITS AFTER HC ORDERS ‘EXTORTION’ PROBE BY CBI

The 17-month-old Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra suffered a jolt on Monday with state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh resigning hours after the Bombay High Court ordered a preliminary CBI probe into the extortion allegations against him.

Citing loss of moral right to continue, the NCP’s Deshmukh sent his resignation to CM Uddhav Thackeray while the BJP mounted pressure on the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance to resign on moral grounds.

A CBI team will reach Mumbai today to begin a preliminary inquiry against Anil Deshmukh. Bombay HC wants the probe into the extortion charge conducted within 15 days

The Maharashtra Government and Deshmukh have, however, decided to move the Supreme Court against the HC orders.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar approved Deshmukh’s move days after defending him and questioning the timing of former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s allegations of extortion against the minister. Singh had alleged that Deshmukh asked cops, including the suspended Sachin Waze, to extort Rs 100 crore every month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

The NCP’s Dilip Walse Patil, current Maharashtra Excise Minister, will replace Deshmukh.

ROW ERUPTS AS FRENCH MEDIA SAYS ‘COMMISSION’ PAID IN RAFALE DEAL

A French media report alleging suspicious payments to an Indian company for the Rs 59,000-crore deal under which New Delhi ordered 36 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation reignited debate over the aircraft purchase back home with the opposition Congress demanding an independent probe and the ruling BJP dismissing the charges as “baseless.”

The report, published by news portal Mediapart.fr, alleged that the discrepancy was found during an audit of Dassault Aviation by French anti-corruption agency Agence Française Anticorruption (AFA). Dassault allegedly paid about one million euros (approx Rs 8 crore) to Defsys Solutions in India for making 50 models of the aircraft, which were to be given as “gifts to clients”.

Defsys Solutions belongs to the family of Sushen Gupta, arrested by the ED in another case. According to the report, members of the Gupta family had been “acting as middlemen in aeronautical and defence industries for three generations”.

Congress media head Randeep Surjewala asked if the government would invoke integrity clause of the Defence Procurement Policy, which bars middlemen in defence contracts and provides for banning the supplier, cancelling the contract and registering an FIR in case of evidence of commissions.

“Will this happen now? Does the matter not warrant an independent probe into India’s biggest defence deal as to how much bribe was paid and to whom in the government?” asked Surjewala.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad trashed the allegations as “corporate rivalry and completely baseless”, accusing the Congress of undermining the armed forces’ morale. He said the Supreme Court had rejected a demand for a probe and the CAG too had found nothing wrong. He alleged Sushen Gupta had links with the Congress, which had been “established in the AgustaWestland case”.

CHINA UPSET AS INDIA, TAIWAN EXCHANGE CONDOLENCES

India and Taiwan engaged in a rather unusual exchange of condolences following untimely deaths in both countries but China has taken umbrage to the media commentary here around these exchanges.

India had first sent its condolences to the victims of a train crash in Taiwan which was acknowledged by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A couple of days later, Taiwan’s Foreign Office expressed its condolences on the loss of life and injuries in the Chhattisgarh ambush.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy took umbrage at editorials in India, which “seriously violated One-China principle and provoked China’s bottom line disregarding long-standing position of the Indian government”. Chinese Embassy spokesperson said all countries that have diplomatic relations with China should firmly honour their commitments to One-China policy, which is also Indian government’s official standing.

“The Taiwan question concerns China’s core interests. We firmly oppose any separatist activities to create the so-called “Taiwan independence,” “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.

The embassy urged the relevant Indian media to take a correct stance on issues of core interests concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adhere to the One-China principle, and “avoid sending wrong messages to the public”.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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PUTIN PASSES LAW THAT MAY KEEP HIM IN OFFICE UNTIL 2036

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave final approval to legislation allowing him to hold office for two additional six-year terms, giving himself the possibility to stay in power until 2036. The 68-year-old Russian leader, who has already been in power for more than two decades, signed off on the bill Monday.

Putin was first elected president in 2000 and served two consecutive four-year terms. His ally Dmitry Medvedev took his place in 2008, which critics saw as a way around Russia’s limit on two consecutive terms for presidents. While in office, Medvedev signed off on legislation extending terms to six years starting with the next president. Putin then returned to the Kremlin in 2012 and won re-election in 2018. The term reset was part of constitutional reforms that included populist economic measures and sweeteners for traditionalists such as an effective ban on gay marriage. Russians voted yes or no to the entire bundle of amendments in a vote last summer that was held over the course of a week, in a move authorities said was aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus but critics said left the process open to manipulation.

Golos, an independent election monitor, criticised the format of the vote, saying Russians should have been able to vote for each separate change. It also said it received hundreds of complaints of violations, including people voting multiple times. Russians ultimately voted 78% in favour of the changes.

Kremlin opponents have said the constitutional reforms were a pretext to allow Putin to become “president for life”. Putin would be 85 when he leaves office if he is elected and serves two additional terms to their end in 2036.

ERDOGAN ACCUSES FORMER ADMIRALS OF ‘POLITICAL COUP’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused 104 retired admirals of “hinting at a political coup” by criticising his plans for a new canal linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Turkish prosecutors detained 10 of the admirals on Monday after they published an open letter critical of the proposed canal over the weekend. “The duty of retired admirals — 104 of whom come together — is not to publish declarations that hint at a political coup,” Erdogan said. “In a country whose past is filled with coups, (another) attempt by a group of retired admirals can never be accepted,” he said. Officials last month approved a project to develop a new 45km shipping lane comparable to the Panama or Suez canals but it has raised questions over Turkey’s commitment to the Montreux Convention. The 1936 pact is aimed at demilitarising the Black Sea by setting strict commercial and naval rules on passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. The retired admirals worry that the new canal’s construction would result in Turkey abandoning the 1936 treaty, angering Russia and losing its neutrality in the volatile region. Erdogan said it was “completely wrong” to link the proposed canal to the treaty.

THE REST

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KEY COVID NUMBERS:

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 7,83,844

New Cases in last 24 hours: 96,512

Recovered in last 24 hours: 50,093

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 45,974

No. of deaths in last 24 hours: 445

Most Affected States:

(S. No. / State / No. of Active Cases / New Cases in last 24 Hrs / Deaths in Last 24 Hrs)

1          Maharashtra     4,51,375           /           47,288  /           155

2          Chhattisgarh     44,296  /           7,302    /           44

3          Karnataka         42,483  /           5,279    /           32

4          Kerala              28,370  /           2,357    /           12

5          Punjab              25,419  /           2,692    /           72

6          Tamil Nadu       23,777  /           3,672    /           11

7          Uttar Pradesh   22,820  /           3,974    /           13

8          Madhya Pradesh           22,654  /           3,398    /           15

9          Gujarat             16,252  /           3,160    /           15

10        Rajasthan         14,768  /           2,429    /           12

11        Delhi                14,579  /           3,548    /           15

12        Haryana                       13,105  /           2,040    /           8

13        West Bengal     11,446  /           1,961    /           4

14        Andhra Pradesh            10,710  /           1,326    /           5

15        Telangana        8,746    /           1,097    /           6

16        Jharkhand        5,882    /           1,086    /           10

17        JnK                  4,154    /           442       /           2

18        Bihar                4,143    /           935       /           3

19        Himachal Pradesh         3,828    /           567       /           6

20        Uttarakhand      3,239    /           547       /           2

21        Odisha             3,143    /           573       /           NIL

22        Chandigarh       3,062    /           285       /           1

23        Goa                  2,180    /           247       /           2

24        Puducherry       1,677    /           180       /           NIL

A DAY OF RECKONING FOR CONGRESS

The three states where the 2021 Assembly elections conclude today will be decisive in determining the future dynamics in the Congress, that is scarred by barely concealed faultlines, which might finally rupture in case of another battering poll loss. The Congress fancies its chances in Kerala and Assam, where it has got the maths right with allies.

First up after the poll results will be the selection of a full-time president for the party, put off successive times and now scheduled for June. A setback, especially in Kerala, could deepen the turmoil in the party and provoke fresh questions regarding Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. The MP from Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul has devoted the maximum time and attention to the state, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also chipping in. A victory for the Left despite this would be a blow for the two, particularly as Kerala has a tradition of voting out the incumbent.

A senior leader said, “The main fight is in Kerala. It was always an uphill battle in Assam although we are running a very disciplined campaign there which has made the race a close one. In Tamil Nadu, we are a minor player and we are nowhere in Bengal. If we lose in Kerala and perform badly in Assam… it will have ramifications.”

The Congress enthusiasm for Tamil Nadu is a little dampened now following the seat-sharing talks, where it did not get as many constituencies as it had hoped for. The Congress is contesting in 25. While Rahul had made multiple visits to the state earlier, including for three days after the poll dates were announced, he has done so only once since the seat-sharing was concluded. At this meeting, on March 28, DMK chief Stalin urged Rahul to take the lead in uniting Opposition to take on BJP.

In Assam too, Rahul spent three days, with a day’s campaigning washed out due to bad weather.

However, neither Rahul nor Priyanka has campaigned in West Bengal so far, with three of eight phases of polling in the state ending today. Party leaders said they would go to Bengal after April 6.

Puducherry also goes to polls today.

MAOISTS SUSPECTED TO HAVE ABDUCTED CRPF MAN MISSING AFTER ATTACK

A CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) jawan who is missing after the ambush on the Sukma-Bijapur border on Saturday is allegedly being held captive by the Maoists.

In the aftermath of the ambush in Teklagudam on Saturday, bodies of 22 security personnel had been recovered. In a statement on Sunday, Bastar Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj had said that one constable, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, of the elite CoBRA unit of the CRPF, was missing. Manhas is originally a resident of Jammu.

Immediately after security forces returned to the site of the ambush, and other bodies were recovered, it was clear that Manhas was not there, and there was little evidence to suggest he had been killed. The security agencies, including the CRPF and the district police, began making urgent phone calls to sources within Bijapur from Sunday afternoon, including local journalists to make enquiries.

Meanwhile, Commandant PC Gupta from CRPF headquarters at Bantalab visited the family at Nethar Kothey in Jammu Monday afternoon. He assured them that “they (CRPF) were trying to contact him on his phone, but have been unable to talk to him on ground”. He told Rakeshwar Singh Manhas’s wife Meenu Manhas that the “Department and the Government are with you and making all out efforts (to bring him safe)”, according to family members.

RAHUL CALLS OP ‘INCOMPETENTLY EXECUTED’, TRIGGERS A STORM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that the operation against Maoists in which 22 CRPF personnel were killed was “incompetently executed” triggered a strong reaction from BJP, with law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying he was prone to making irresponsible statements.

Retired J&K police chief Shesh Paul Vaid said, “...As someone who has led operations in Kashmir, I find your tweet disrespectful to CRPF. Casualties are unavoidable in operations of such nature against elements supported by hostile neighbours.”

Rahul had tweeted, “If there was no intelligence failure, then a 1:1 death ratio means it was a poorly designed and incompetently executed operation. Our jawans are not cannon fodder to be martyred at will.”

ONE-FIFTH OF ACTIVE COVID CASES IN DELHI AND MUMBAI NEED HOSPITALISATION

In Mumbai, data from Sunday shows that one-fifth of the active cases required hospitalisation in dedicated covid hospitals and dedicated covid health care facilities. What's worse is that 1.8% of the active cases required a ventilator, and 2.8% required an ICU. Although these ratios are much lower than observed in November when 8.5% of people required a ventilator and 12.4% required an ICU, they are still putting a strain on the system as the number of active cases are six times higher and are rising every day.

The situation in Pune is not as bad as in Mumbai, with only 15% of active cases requiring hospitalisation and 1.2% and 1% requiring ventilator and ICUs, respectively. But, on Monday, the city had no more capacity to accommodate patients requiring ICU and ventilators as it had run out of these beds.

Although the situation in Delhi—the city is facing the fourth wave—still does not warrant a lockdown, it is still worrying. Delhi may have one-fourth the number of active cases than Mumbai, its hospitalisation rates are much higher. In Delhi, of the 13,892 active cases, 21.6% required a hospital bed. More worryingly, 3.3% required a ventilator, and nearly 5% required an ICU.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to relax the norms for opening vaccination centres and lift the age criterion for getting inoculated.

He reiterated that the Delhi government could vaccinate all the residents of the city within three months if the necessary permissions are granted by the Centre.

ON EVE OF KERALA VOTE, GOVT REVIVES SPY CASE; SC TO HEAR IT NEXT WK

A day before Kerala votes in assembly elections, the Union government on Monday requested the Supreme Court to urgently open the Justice D K Jain-led committee’s sealed cover report to the SC on the role of three police officers in framing scientist Nambi Narayanan in the cooked up Isro spy case.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by CJI S A Bobde that the case was of national importance as the policemen had allegedly framed reputed scientist and Padma Bhushan awardee Narayanan in the Isro spy case for which he suffered for 24 years.

Narayanan was framed by Kerala police in 1994, when the state was under a Congress government headed by K Karunakaran, along with another scientist D Sasikumaran in the cooked up case of leaking secret space research documents to two Maldivian women. Nearly 24 years after Narayanan was arrested, the SC had created history on September 14, 2018, when it invoked its constitutional powers under Article 142 to direct the Kerala government to pay Rs 50 lakh compensation to him for “blatant violation” of his right to life.

COVID -19 HITS BOLLYWOOD

The second wave of the novel coronavirus has hit the film industry hard. Many A-listers have tested positive for the deadly virus in the recent past. Yesterday, it was reported that Akshay Kumar and the 45 crew members of his upcoming film Ram Setu have tested positive. This was followed by Bhumi Pednekar and Vicky Kaushal revealing that they have also tested Covid positive.

Akshay was admitted to Mumbai's Hiranandani hospital from where he wrote, "Thank you everyone for all your warm wishes and prayers, they seem to be working. I am doing fine, but as a precautionary measure under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back home soon. Take care.”

In a note that Bhumi Pednekar shared on Instagram, she mentioned that she has mild symptoms and has quarantined herself. She wrote, “I HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.”

Others who are currently Covid positive include Vicky Kaushal, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Paresh Rawal, R Madhavan

And the ones who were tested positive and have subsequently tested negative include Kartik Aaryan, Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Manoj Bajpayee.

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Bitcoin - USD 58,746

Dollar Index 92.67 Brent Crude 62.85  BDI 2,072

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,733 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,520 / 4,420, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 65,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you hate something thoroughly without knowing why, you can be sure there is something of it in your own nature. - Friedrich Hebbel

OFF TRACK

"I get those maternal feelings sometimes, like when I'm lying on the couch and can't reach the remote, I think, 'Boy, a kid would be nice right now.”