Mangaluru, Apr 21: A Konkani translation of the Indian Constitution has been released by the Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha at the Rosario cathedral here.

The translation has been done by Prof Stephen Quadros Permude, who has authored several books in Konkani.

The book has been brought out by the Mangaluru diocesan commission, led by its convener Fr J B Crasta.

In his speech during the release on Saturday, the Bishop said the need of the hour was to understand the Constitution, respect it and strive to strengthen its provisions by designating the duty of its protection to the right people.

The common people should be made aware of their rights and constitutional responsibilities, he said.

Saldanha said the Catholic Bishops Conference of India wants all students in its institutions to learn the provisions in the Constitution.

He urged Konkani-speaking people to utilise the translated work to the maximum.

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Mumbai (PTI): Mahayuti alliance's new government in Maharashtra will be formed on December 5 with Devendra Fadnavis emerging as the frontrunner to become the next chief minister again, a senior BJP leader said on Saturday.

In the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) retained power, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41 seats.

However, even after the announcement of poll results a week ago (on November 23), the formation of the government has been delayed as the tripartite alliance is yet to decide on who will be the next chief minister. Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar met BJP president J P Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah late Thursday to discuss a power-sharing pact for the next government.

A key Mahayuti meeting scheduled on Friday was put off and likely to take place on Sunday now as caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde headed to his native village in Satara district, delaying government formation further.

The BJP leader, who did not wish to be quoted, said the swearing-in of the new government will take place on December 5.

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who was the chief minister twice and deputy chief minister in the last government, is the frontrunner for the top post, the leader said.

Another senior BJP leader said the chief minister's swearing-in ceremony will take place at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

But before that, a meeting will be held on December 2 to pick the BJP legislature party leader, he said.

Caretaker CM Shinde has made it clear that he will fully support BJP leadership's decision to name the next CM, and that he won't be a hurdle in the process, while Ajit Pawar-led NCP has backed Fadnavis for the chief minister's post.

In the assembly elections, Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) could bag only 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20.