Vice President Dhankhar meets world leaders on sidelines of FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Doha (PTI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has met several world leaders, including UN chief Antonio Guterres, on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup here in Qatar.
Dhankhar is in Doha for a two-day visit to represent India at the inauguration of FIFA's showpiece event. He is visiting Doha at the invitation of Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
He also met Sheikh Tamim during the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on Sunday.
"Hon'ble Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar meeting with HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar during the inaugural of FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar today," the Vice President of India tweeted along with a picture of the two leaders.
Dhankhar also met Secretary-General Guterres.
"In a conversation with the UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, FIFA President Mr Gianni Infantino and IOC President, Mr Thomas Bach on the sidelines of FIFA World Cup 2022 inaugural in Qatar today," the Vice President's Office tweeted.
"Hon'ble Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar meeting with world leaders on the sidelines of FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar today," he tweeted.
Besides attending the inaugural ceremony of the Football World Cup, the Vice President will interact with members of the Indian community during the visit.
The Vice President's visit would be an opportunity to join a close and friendly country Qatar as it hosts a major sporting event and also acknowledges the role played and support extended by Indians in this World Cup, the MEA statement said on Friday.
India and Qatar enjoy close and friendly relations with a multi-faceted partnership extending to areas of trade, energy, security, defence, health, culture, and education, among others, the MEA statement said.
Qatar plays an important partner in India's energy security and India participates in the Gulf nation's food security.
India and Qatar will be celebrating 50 years of the establishment of full diplomatic relations next year.
The MEA statement said people-to-people ties form an important element of the bilateral relationship with over 840,000 Indians in Qatar.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mamata asks TMC nominees not to leave counting centres as EC data shows BJP leading
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant and not to leave counting centres, alleging that there was a "game plan" by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the saffron party taking a lead in the early trends of counting.
In a video message issued during the counting of votes, the TMC supremo appealed to party workers to stay put and not to lose morale.
"I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres," she said.
As trends on the Election Commission website indicated the BJP leading in 188 seats against the TMC's 94, Banerjee maintained that her party was still ahead in a significant number of constituencies.
"We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," she said, adding that there were "around 70 to 100 seats where we are leading, but they are not sharing the data of those seats".
"A false narrative is being spread," she alleged.
The chief minister accused the Election Commission of "not declaring results or leads" in areas where the TMC was ahead.
"This is a game plan by the EC and the BJP as it (poll panel) is not declaring results or leads in areas where we are leading," she said.
Banerjee also alleged irregularities in the counting process at some locations.
"In several places, counting has been stopped after the first two to three rounds. In Kalyani, we have caught seven machines with severe anomalies," she claimed.
She further alleged that TMC workers were being "harassed with the help of central forces" and that party offices were being "vandalised and forcefully captured".
"With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing AITC workers. Our offices have been vandalised," she said, also alleging that voter list revision exercises were "purposefully done to target seats where we were strong".
Seeking to reassure party workers, Banerjee said more rounds of counting were yet to take place and urged them to stay firm.
"Fourteen to eighteen rounds of counting will happen. You will surely emerge victorious. Don't be afraid; fight like tigers," she said.
Her remarks came as counting trends suggested that the BJP was leading in 188 seats and had crossed the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member assembly, pointing to a potential shift in the state's political landscape.
Counting for 293 constituencies was underway with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes.
Officials cautioned that trends could change as more rounds are counted, and final results would be known later in the day.
জরুরি বার্তা pic.twitter.com/Uc82oihwEL
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2026
