GUWAHATI: Legislative Party Leader of the BJP and NDA, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday met Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and formally staked claim to form the government following BJP-led NDA’s landslide victory in the recently held Assembly elections.
Sarma is set to take oath as Assam Chief Minister on May 12 for the second consecutive term in what would be the third successive NDA government in the state.
Union Minister JP Nadda, who is the BJP observer for the Assam, also accompanied Himanta to the Lok Bhavan.
“With the blessings and trust of the people of Assam, today I submitted the proposal for government formation to the Hon’ble Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Raj Bhavan. To fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the general public and to make the journey towards development, good governance, and a prosperous Assam more dynamic, we are once again committed,” Sarma said on X.
The development comes shortly after Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected as the BJP and NDA Legislature Party Leader in Assam.
Himanta was unanimously elected the Legislative Party Leader during a meeting of newly elected NDA legislators in Guwahati.
Announcing Himanta’s name during the meeting, Nadda said that eight resolutions proposing Sarma’s name as leader were moved by senior party leaders, including Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Biswajit Daimary, Ajanta Neog, Rameswar Teli, Rajdeep Roy, Ashok Singhal, Pijush Hazarika and Chakradhar Gogoi.
The saffron party had won 82 seats, while its allies AGP and BOPF secured 10 seats each, in the Assam Assembly elections 2026.
The Opposition Congress was reduced to just 19 seats and Raijor Dal secured only 2 seats. The AJP could not open its account and the AIUDF managed to win just 2 seats.
Agencies
PM Modi calls Congress ‘parasitic political force’
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday mounted a fierce political attack on the Congress party during a public gathering in Bengaluru, accusing the opposition party of repeatedly “betraying” both its allies and the people, calling it a “parasitic political force” struggling to survive through regional parties.
Addressing BJP workers and supporters during his visit to Karnataka for the 45th anniversary celebrations of the Art of Living Foundation, PM Modi said the Congress had steadily lost the trust of voters across the country because of “fake guarantees”, weak governance, and internal political instability.
Targeting the Congress leadership, the Prime Minister claimed that the party had failed to retain power in states due to growing public dissatisfaction soon after coming to office.
“No Congress state government has returned to power a second time. Within months of forming the government, anti-incumbency begins against Congress because Congress only knows how to betray. They themselves are liars, and their guarantees are also fake. In the Congress model of power, there is no chapter on governance,” PM Modi said.
He further alleged that the Congress had repeatedly abandoned alliance partners whenever political equations changed, citing its relationship with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu.
“Parasitic Congress now needs another party on whose back it can ride to remain relevant,” the Prime Minister remarked.
The Prime Minister also accused the Congress and its allies of undermining democratic institutions and constitutional processes after facing repeated electoral setbacks.
“Hatred towards the Constitution, democracy, constitutional processes, and courts, I have never seen any mainstream political party doing this in my public life,” he said.
PM Modi also alleged that instead of accepting electoral defeats, opposition parties had increasingly resorted to questioning democratic systems and institutions.
Agencies
Northern Railway GM launches YouTube channel ‘RailSafe’
NEW DELHI: Northern Railway General Manager Rajesh Kumar Pandey has launched a YouTube Channel “RailSafe” to strengthen safety, aimed at equipping operational staff with vital knowledge related to safe railway operations.
The channel provides frontline employees with practical content that helps them in understanding and enhancing train operations.
The Northern Railway General Manager launched the channel during a conference on Train Operations which was organised at Baroda House here on May 6.
During the conference, the Northern Railway General Manager emphasised that safety remains the priority of Northern Railway.
Monica Agnihotri, Principal Chief Operations Manager (PCOM) and Sr. Divisional Operations Managers (Sr. DOMs) from all Divisions: Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, and Jammu were also present at the conference.
“The conference offered a platform for senior leadership to review operational management collectively and overcome difficulties present at the ground level,” Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, said.
The Sr. DOMs from their respective Divisions gave elaborate reviews that highlighted the progress made on punctuality, freight loading, station management, and safety standards.
All discussions were based on optimising the crew, strengthening monitoring, and improving last-mile connectivity for both passengers and freight. There was also a discussion on leveraging digital technologies to ensure timely decisions.
Some Divisions of the Northern Railway have taken the lead in implementing technology-driven innovations that have helped in modernising field work and improved operations significantly, some of which were showcased in the conference.
AARAV: (Automated Monitoring, Alert & Real-Time Analysis Validation System)
The Operating Department of the Jammu Division has developed a mobile-based tool under its Station Working Group, enabling real-time field reporting. Officers can instantly log deficiencies, select the concerned department (e.g., Engineering, S&T, Commercial), and the system automatically maps the issue to the relevant Branch Officer and Supervisor for prompt action.
The Firozpur Division drives Basmati Rice Exports via the Hub & Spoke Model:
The initiative of the Firozpur division of using the aggregation cum Hub & Spoke model resulted in the loading of Basmati rice from different parts of Punjab to Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad at competitive prices and transit to road.
Delhi Division’s Six-Point Safety Drive:
The Delhi Division has built safety through a 6-ground-level plan. It includes daily scrutiny of safety performance with the help of Nav Sanraksha. Weekly counselling sessions through Sanrakhsha Chaupal, with 856 staff covered so far, along with the live KPI Monitoring App, which monitors all 12 Sectional TIs, are enhancing operations.
A mentor-mentee programme scheme that is another initiative that pairs junior staff with senior supervisors to bridge knowledge gaps. Digital Safety Posters on LED screens at key panel rooms keep safety messaging visible during duty hours. 61 Shunting Melas have taken conversations directly to the frontline workers.
The conference ended with a common commitment to safety for passengers. With the new technological advancements, Northern Railway reaffirms its commitment to safety and enhanced journeys for all. The initiatives highlighted during this conference demonstrate the hard work of the operational staff.
Agencies
Ladakh gets solar-powered ice hockey rink in green sports push
LEH: The UT of Ladakh is all set to achieve a unique fusion of renewable energy generation and modern sporting infrastructure, with Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena giving approval for the installation of a solar plant atop the famous Ice-Hockey Rink in Leh.
The 500 kWp on-grid Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Plant on the rooftop of the NDS Ice Hockey Rink in Leh will be installed at an estimated cost of Rs 2.38 crore. It is a significant step towards promoting renewable energy and sustainable sports infrastructure in Ladakh. The project will be developed under the Special Development Package (SDP) of the Youth Services and Sports Department, UT Ladakh.
The project will serve as a model for integrating renewable energy solutions into public infrastructure projects across the Union Territory. Under the guidance of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, efforts are ongoing to actively promote solar energy and other sustainable initiatives in line with its broader objective of environmental protection, clean energy transition and sustainable development in Ladakh.
“The installation of the rooftop solar plant at the NDS Ice Hockey Rink is an important step towards integrating clean energy solutions with modern sports infrastructure. As Ladakh moves towards becoming a carbon-neutral and environmentally sustainable region, such initiatives will help reduce the carbon footprint while promoting green and energy-efficient development. At the same time, the project reflects our commitment to strengthening sports infrastructure and creating world-class facilities for the youth of Ladakh,” said Lieutenant Governor Saxena.
Ladakh, being an ecologically sensitive Himalayan region, requires sustainable and climate-responsive infrastructure development. The installation of the Solar Photovoltaic Plant at the NDS Ice Hockey Rink, apart from harnessing the abundance of sunlight, would also contribute towards reducing carbon emissions and further strengthen Ladakh’s efforts to emerge as a carbon-neutral region.
The initiative forms part of the UT Administration’s broader vision to develop environmentally sustainable and modern infrastructure in Ladakh while reducing dependence on conventional energy sources. The rooftop SPV plant is expected to significantly reduce electricity consumption costs and promote clean energy usage at the state-of-the-art ice hockey facility.
The Ice Hockey Rink at Leh has already emerged as a major venue for national-level winter sporting events and has successfully hosted the prestigious Khelo India Winter Games for three consecutive years. Plans are afoot to make this facility operational round-the-year.
Iran sends response to Pakistan on US proposal to end war, allow safe transit in Hormuz: Report
DUBAI: Iran has sent its response to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the more than two-month war to mediator Pakistan, Iran’s IRNA news agency said on Sunday.
According to Iran’s proposal, the current phase of negotiations will focus exclusively on the cessation of hostilities in the region, a source familiar with the matter told IRNA.
Sources in both camps have told Reuters the latest peace efforts are aimed at a temporary memorandum of understanding to halt the war and allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while they discuss a fuller deal, which would have to address intractable disputes such as Iran’s nuclear programme.
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani earlier told Iran’s foreign minister that using the Strait of Hormuz as “a pressure tool” would only deepen the crisis in the Gulf, the Qatari foreign ministry said on Sunday.
PM Abdulrahman al-Thani also told Iran’s Abbas Araqchi in a phone call that all parties in the conflict should respond to mediation efforts to end the war.
One of the main sticking points in the negotiations is the fate of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The UN nuclear agency says Iran has more than 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60 per cent purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels.
In an interview with Iranian state media, a spokesman for the Iranian military said that forces were on “full readiness” to protect nuclear sites where the uranium is stored.
“We considered it possible that they might intend to steal it through infiltration operations or heliborne operations,” Brig. Gen. Akrami Nia told the IRNA news agency late Saturday. He didn’t offer further details.
The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by US-Israeli airstrikes in the 12-day war last year, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi told The Associated Press last month.
The shaky ceasefire in the Iran war was tested again on Sunday when drones of unclear origin set fire to a cargo ship off Qatar’s coast and entered Kuwaiti airspace before dawn, authorities said.
Qatar and Kuwait said that no casualties were reported from either attack. The events marked the latest threats to a month-old ceasefire, which the Trump administration says remains in effect.
The pause in fighting has faced difficulties, with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway key to the global flow of oil, and the US imposing a blockade of Iranian ports.
Washington had been awaiting Iran’s response to a new proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait to shipping and roll back Iran’s nuclear program. US President Donald Trump has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.
Iran has mostly blocked the waterway since joint strikes on Feb. 28 by the US and Israel launched the war, which has caused a global spike in fuel prices and rattled world markets.
In Sunday’s naval attack, Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said that a drone targeted a commercial ship coming from Abu Dhabi into a southern port, setting a small fire that was extinguished.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said that the attack happened 23 nautical miles (43 kilometres) northeast of Qatar’s capital, Doha. It gave no details on the owner or origin of the ship, and there was no claim of responsibility.
There have been several attacks against ships in the Persian Gulf over the past week. On Friday, the US struck two Iranian oil tankers after it said that the vessels were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy on Sunday reiterated its warning that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on one of the US bases in the region and enemy ships.
In Kuwait, Defence Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saud Abdulaziz Al Otaibi said that hostile drones entered Kuwait’s airspace early Sunday, and that forces responded: “in accordance with established procedures.” There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the ministry didn’t say where the drones had come from.
The United Arab Emirates’ air defences dealt with two drones coming from Iran on Sunday, the Defence Ministry said, the latest in renewed attacks on the oil-rich Gulf country.
The UAE has reported being attacked in the past days by Iran after four weeks of relative calm since a ceasefire in the Iran war was announced by the United States.
Iran has denied carrying out operations against the UAE in recent days, yet it warned of a “crushing response” if any actions were launched from the UAE against it.
The attacks prompted the UAE to shift to remote learning for schools last week, but authorities said on Sunday that in-person learning would resume from Monday.
No oil leak at Kharg Island, Iran says
Iran’s Oil Terminals Company denied reports of an oil leak near Kharg Island on Sunday, according to state media, after satellite imagery this week appeared to show a large slick west of the country’s main oil export hub in the Gulf.
The company’s chief executive said inspections had found no evidence of leaks from storage tanks, pipelines, loading facilities or tankers operating near the island. He added that the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre (MEMAC), a regional marine pollution body, had also reported no sign of leakage in the area.
The official said Iranian teams had conducted additional field inspections and laboratory testing after the reports emerged and had not identified “even the smallest trace” of leakage.
Reuters/AP
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