Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, singer Anmol Gagan Maan among AAP's star campaigners for Guj polls
Ahmedabad (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, singer Anmol Gagan Maan and cricketer Harbhajan Singh are among the 20 "star" campaigners of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Gujarat Assembly polls.
These names top the list of the star campaigners submitted to the Election Commission by the AAP.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the party's Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha as well as its Gujarat chief ministerial face Isudan Gadhvi also figure in the list shared with the media on Tuesday night.
AAP's woman leader and Punjab MLA Baljinder Kaur, singer and Punjab minister Anmol Gagan Maan, and national council member Rakesh Hirapara, are also named as star campaigners by the Kejriwal-led party.
Among star campaigners from Gujarat are Gadhvi, state AAP president Gopal Italia, general secretary Manoj Sorathiya, Patidar leader Alpesh Kathiria, who recently joined AAP, and youth leader Yuvrajsinh Jadeja.
AAP's Gujarat youth wing president Pravin Ram, Koli community leader Raju Solanki, poll candidate Jagram Vala and AAP's Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Sangthan chief Gauri Desai are also named in the list.
The AAP has so far released the names of 158 candidates for the elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly which will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5.
Kejriwal has been leading the AAP's campaign in the state and has held town halls, rallies, and road shows.
The AAP's national convener has anchored his party's campaign around welfare politics and promised sops including free electricity up to 300 units per month, free education in government schools, unemployment dole, Rs 1,000 allowance to women and a monthly stipend to new lawyers.
Apart from Kejriwal, Mann, Sisodia, and Chadha have also been campaigning in Gujarat.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
