Cong loses Bagbahara and Keshkal Nagar panchayat presidents bypoll
Raipur: Congress suffered a huge jolt in both the bypolls held for election of Nagar panchayat presidents at Bagbahara and Keshkal results decried on June 27. While the Congress candidate suffered humiliating defeat in Bagbahara, the party candidate lost her deposit in Keshkal bypolls as the Independent candidate supported by former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi camp romped home triumphantly. At both the places, error in selection of candidates and factionalism in party came in to open. Notably, due to age related shortcomings the election of Bagbahara Janpad president Kunti Mahanand had been annulled, while Keshkal Nagar panchayat president Pila Bai's election was quashed for not submitting election expenditure data necessitating bypolls at these places. In Bagbahara, Congress party Basanti Baghel, was badly humbled by BJP candidate Ukia Shankar Tandi. In Keshkal, Congress had nominated Mamata Pawan Chandrakar as official candidate who even lost her deposit receiving just 457 votes in comparison of Independent Sahina Salim Memon who comfortably defeated her nearest rival BJP's Shyama Santosh Jayaswal.
War of word intensified over Jeeram Ghati
Raipur: The war of words between ruling party BJP and its arch rival Congress intensified this week. The Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh termed the Jeeram Ghati massacre a political conspiracy during his State visit. According to Ramesh, while Jharkhand and West Bengal have scored gains on anti-Naxal front, the situation in Chhattisgarh areas bordering Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, was very critical as rebels have declared a liberated zone where even the State Government machinery, including police, does not have access. Countering the Union Minister the BJP national general secretary and Chhattisgarh State in-charge Jagat Prakash Nadda said on June 26 said Congress party has been seeing Naxalism issue through political spectacles. For the Congress, politics is above all and the burning issues of the country were secondary, Nadda said. Nadda stated that the statements of the Central Ministers -- Jairam Ramesh and Narayansami - were totally irresponsible as the Naxal problem has been in the country for the past 50 years, in fact, it has taken birth, grown and became a big problem during the Congress rule.
5 died 13 injured in road mishap
Raipur: In a ghastly mishap 5 persons including 4 children died while 13 others were injured after a rashly driven bus rammed into a Mahindra Bolero (MUV) in Pathalgaon about 350 kms from Raipur. The mishap occurred on Ambikapur-Pathalgaon road on Thursday morning about 10 kms from Pathalgaon. The errant bus driver however managed to escape from the spot. According to police the victims were returning to Ambikapur after attending a marriage function in Pathalgaon around 8.45 am when the incident happened.
Kingpin of duplicate lPG cylinder factory nabbed
Raipur: The kingpin of duplicate lPG cylinder factory busted in Urla area in the month of January on June 15 in Nagpur. Police was granted 7 day police custody remand for questioning. The, district food department on January 9 had raided a factory in Bhanpuri area and seized about 1500 gas cylinders under manufacturing or finished stages. In the factory, spread over area of 25000 sqft, seals of Indian Oil Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum were also recovered. Montu Tapadiya was on the run since then. The market value of cylinders and machinery was estimated to the tune of several corers.