New Delhi, May 20: After election drubbing in the Karnataka Assembly election, the Congress has come out as a phoenix in its post-election strategies to win over the BJP. It has a clarity on its strategies right from extending support to JDS if the Congress got less than 100 seats in the election, changing of hotels of Congress MLAs, downloading the call record application to record the calls of BJP leaders who will lure the Congress MLAs, to arranging a special flight to bring Abhishek Manu Singhvi from Chandigarh and it has got fruits for its strategies.

Party sources said that the party leadership has planned strategies after going through all developments well-in advance. AICC president Rahul Gandhi  had met party leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and KC Venugopal on May 14 morning and planned the strategy. The decision to extend its unconditional support to JDS if it got less than half of the total seats was also taken there only.

Interestingly, this message was given to JDS. All five AICC general secretaries Manicka Tagore, PC Vishnunath, Madhu Yashki Goud, Sheik Sailajanath and Yashomati Tagore were directed to be in the designated counting centres and Azad, Gehlot and Venugopal have camped in Bengaluru. As soon as they knew that the BJP would not get the majority, they were asked to contact all the MLAs and bring them to Bengaluru. On the next day of the result, political high drama was started in Delhi and Bengaluru.

Congress-JDS combine has prevailed upon the Governor on May 15 to invite them to form the government. Soon after they confirmed that Yeddyurappa would place his claim for forming the government, the Congress leadership held a meeting in New Delhi and decided to take up legal fight. For this reason, Abhishek Manu Singhvi was brought from Chandigarh in a special flight. Both Ahmed Patel and Randeep Surjewala have spoken to Singhvi over phone and finalized the draft. Even, they have spoken to Congress leader MB Patil over the present situation.

As Singhvi missed the flight, the Congress has made special flight for him thinking that train journey would be delayed. So, the combined efforts of all Congress leaders have turned the defeat as victory.

 

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.



Rajkot, Jan 15: Records tumbled like nine pins as the Indian women's cricket team, powered by skipper Smriti Mandhana's 70-ball century, demolished Ireland by a whopping 304 runs to claim its biggest-ever ODI win and complete a 3-0 clean sweep here on Wednesday.

The result of the match was a mere formality once India set Ireland a massive target of 436, and Ireland could only garner 131 before getting bundled out in 31.4 overs.

India put the first step forward towards a crushing victory through record-breaking Mandhana (135, 80b, 12x4, 7x6) and her opening partner Pratika Rawal (154, 129b, 20x4, 1x6), reaching 435/5, highest total by an Indian team — men’s or women’s — in ODIs.

India men's highest ODI total is 418/5 made against the West Indies in Indore in 2011.

Mandhana and Rawal added a whopping 233 runs for the first wicket in just 26.4 overs and there was no looking back.

Then spinners Tanuja Kanwar (2/31) and Deepti Sharma (3/27) took over, sharing five wickets among them to decimate the Irish line-up, which was well short on experience.

Orla Prendergast (36) and Sarah Forbes (41) added 64 runs for a fluent third wicket stand that helped Ireland to recover from a shaky 24 for two to reach 88 without further damage.

But once Prendergast was cleaned up by Kanwar, India were all over the tourists like a bad rash, claiming the remaining seven wickets for just 33 runs.

It also helped India eclipse their previous largest margin of victory (by runs) — 249 registered against the same opposition in 2017 at Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Mandhana’s 10th ODI century came off just 70 deliveries as the left-hander surpassed Harmanpreet Kaur’s 87-ball hundred mark against South Africa last year.

It also set the tone for India breaching the 400-run mark for the first time, joining Australia and New Zealand in that elite list.

Mandhana was in her usual destructive self, and was not afraid to take the aerial route over the 'V' and clear the 30-yard circle.

Pratika complemented her captain brilliantly with a measured knock, making the occasion even more special by notching her maiden international century in her sixth innings.

Pratika relied on precise placement and deft touches in the point region and she showed her aggression only after reaching the ton, hitting Freya Sargent for her first six.

Demonstrating hunger for a bigger knock, she powered her way to an impressive 150 — a perfect blend of composure and aggression.

Their 233-run partnership made them only the fourth Indian pair to record a 200-run stand in Women’s ODIs.

It was also the third instance of both Indian openers scoring hundreds in ODIs, following Reshma Gandhi and Mithali Raj’s feat at Milton Keynes in 1999 and Deepti and Raut’s partnership at Potchefstroom in 2017 -- all against Ireland.

The duo added 90 runs during the Power Play and 67 in the subsequent 10 overs, maintaining a brisk scoring rate.

Mandhana reached her first century of the calendar year with an exquisite drive off Arlene Kelly.

Kelly bore the brunt of her onslaught, conceding successive sixes in one over.

Even Kelly’s variations, including back-of-the-hand deliveries, were dispatched with ease, with the Indian batter following a six with another boundary in the 24th over.

Mandhana also took on Ireland’s leading bowler, Prendergast, smashing her for a boundary down the ground and a towering six over long-on.

Promoted to No. 3, Richa Ghosh also returned to form, making a 37-ball fifty, her fifth in ODIs.