Sonia Gandhi rules out supporting Shiv Sena in Maharashtra: Sources
New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has ruled out any support to Shiv Sena for a new power alignment in Maharashtra, sources told NDTV, negating the latter's leverage over ally BJP.
Mrs Gandhi had a meeting this evening with the party's Maharashtra ally Sharad Pawar, said to be in favour of such an alliance to block the BJP from coming to power in the state. While nothing was said about what transpired at the meeting, Mr Pawar spoke of another having meeting in the near future, indicating that today's discussions did not have a favourable outcome.
The Shiv Sena, engaged in a tussle with the BJP over the Chief Minister's post, has been hinting that it is ready to form government with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. Senior party leader Sanjay Raut even met the Governor today, during which, he said, they discussed the political situation in the state.
The Sena is also understood to have sent out feelers to the NCP. Mr Raut had earlier met Sharad Pawar, though he later said it was a courtesy call after Diwali. Yesterday, Mr Pawar's nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar said Mr Raut had also reached out to him.
Later in the evening, sources in the Congress said Sonia Gandhi has entirely ruled out any dealing with Sena, though a section of the party's state leaders are said to be in favour of it. She has given a "polite political no" to Mr Pawar's suggestions, sources said.
After the meeting, Mr Pawar told reporters that Sena-BJP tussle was their "internal matter" and that the Sena has not given him "any assurance". But he also admitted that he does not have the numbers to "be in the government" and that he was ready to sit in the opposition.
About his visit, he said the Congress and the NCP leaders had "discussed the way ahead, and it was decided to brief leadership in Delhi... My visit was in this regard".
The term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on November 9 and unless a new government is formed before that, President's Rule can be declared in the state.
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Hyderabad woman commits suicide after allegedly getting injected with HIV-infected blood by relative
Hyderabad: A 22-year-old woman committed suicide in Hyderabad about a month after a relative allegedly injected her with HIV-infected blood after she rejected a marriage proposal, police said.
The woman is identified as Ramani. She was found dead at her grandmother's home in Annojiguda on Friday morning, according to The News Minute.
According to police, the accused, a 24-year-old man related to the victim, had been in a relationship with her. Initially their families had agreed to their marriage but the proposal was later withdrawn after medical tests confirmed that the man was HIV positive.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly injected his own blood into the woman at her home on March 11, after his marriage proposal was refused. Police said he obtained a syringe and committed the act when she was alone, allegedly with the intent of forcing her into marriage.
The incident was discovered when the woman told her relatives and was sent to a medical checkup. The accused was detained in March and put in judicial prison on allegations including attempted murder.
Police said a suicide note was recovered from the scene in which the woman mentioned being distressed by the manner in which the incident was discussed on social media. Family members stated that she had been undergoing emotional distress and had developed health complications following the assault.
