Rohit Sharma Breaks Silence On Not Being In The Top 3 Retentions For MI

Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday backed the retention of national team players in the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2025 while franchise skipper Hardik Pandya summed it up as "five fingers but one fist". Mumbai Indians chose to retain five Indian players as the IPL franchises submitted their list of retentions to end weeks of speculations around who were going to stay with their teams and who would be entering the auction pool. MI's retentions were 1. Jasprit Bumrah, 2. Hardik Pandya, 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Rohit Sharma, 5. Tilak Varma.

"Since I have retired from the format, this is the perfect (retention) spot for me. The players who are representing the national team at the highest level should get the preference. That's what I believe in. It's a very tough one when you come into a fresh auction and you start retaining players," former MI skipper Rohit said after being retained by the five-time winners.

After a disastrous last season when they finished at the bottom of the 10-team league, Rohit said MI will look to put their best foot forward in the next edition.

"With Mumbai, we have always tried maintaining a core group of players. Moving forward, I just feel that we can have a good auction and create a group of players who can be match-winners for us.

"We will put the right foot forward and bring the legacy back where it belongs." There have also been plenty of chatter around Rohit's future in the side after he was replaced by Hardik as captain before the start of last year's tournament.

"I have played so much cricket for Mumbai Indians. I am happy to be here. We haven't had the best of the season in the last two or three years. But we are quite determined to change that. We will be looking forward to each other's help. And hopefully, we can turn things around," Rohit said.

"Mumbai Indians has a rich history of winning trophies, winning games out of unbelievable situations. Since I have retired from the (international) format, I think this is the perfect spot for me." Hardik will be eager to start afresh after last season's disappointment in a franchise with whom he has achieved so much success as a player.

"Everything that I've achieved in my life has been part of Mumbai Indians. We remember, as a group, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. All our fans know what happened in those years. We are going to come back in 2025 even stronger than that," he said.

"You lose and win on the ground. It is just preparation. I like to work hard. I like to prepare well," Hardik was quoted as saying by the franchise.

Mumbai Indians are left with Rs 45 crore after retaining Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 18 crore), Suryakumar Yadav (Rs 16.35 crore), Hardik (Rs 16.35 crore), Rohit (Rs 16.30 crore) and Tilak Varma (Rs 8 crore).

Hardik added, "Five people who we all have cherished a lot of good memories together. We are as one. We are five fingers but one fist. That's how I look at it.

"We are going to come in all guns blazing, with brotherhood, friendship and at the same point of time we are going to back each other no matter what happens."

PBKS retention

In the Punjab Kings franchise, Shashank Singh got the top retention at Rs 5.5 crore while Prabhsimran Singh was retained at Rs 4 crore.

Speaking about the move, PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting said, "Prabhsimran is someone we've invested in with great expectations. Shashank's skill set is highly sought after, and following his standout performances, he was impossible to overlook.

"We aim to bring back some of our other players at the auction."

RCB Trio

Virat Kohli (Rs 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (Rs 11 crore) and Yash Dayal (Rs 5 crore) are the three players retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

'We are thrilled to retain Yash Dayal, an extraordinary talent whose career is on an upward trajectory.

"His unique ability as a left-arm bowler, capable of swinging the ball in both directions, adds a valuable dimension to our bowling attack -- one that is increasingly rare in the auction landscape," said Andy Flower, RCB's head coach.

Samson speaks

Rajasthan Royals have retained Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Sandeep Sharma.

""The last few seasons have truly been remarkable for our franchise. We have been able to deliver some special moments for our fans and were able to create an environment in the dressing room where some of our young talent has been groomed to be the next generation of superstars for Indian cricket," said skipper Samson in a RR press release.

Samson, who is set to embark on his 11th season with the Jaipur-based franchise, has been retained at a value of RS 18 crore.

During the past four seasons under his captaincy, the team has made the play-offs twice, including a runner-up finish in IPL 2022.

"I am incredibly fortunate to be able to continue this incredible journey for both myself and the franchise under the esteemed leadership of Rahul Dravid and ably supported by Kumar Sangakkara.

"It gives me immense pride and I accept this responsibility with the utmost humility to keep leading this franchise and team into what we all want to make into the best phase in the franchise's history," added Samson. 

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By-Polls In 6 Seats Of Bengal, Opposition Hopes For RG Kar Effect

The coming by-polls in West Bengal are expected to be bellwether for which way the political winds are blowing in Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal after the massive protests over the rape-murder of a Kolkata doctor. The protest, strongly backed by the urban middle class, has shaken the state and despite protesters' claims that it was apolitical, it had received significant support from the opposition.

By-polls are due in six seats in various parts of the state - their geography and demography are expected to be strong indicators of the political trend.

The seats include Naihati, the urban centre close to Kolkata, the minority dominated Haroa, Taldangra with a significant tribal population, Sitai with a chunk of minority and Rajbanshi vote, the tea garden seat of north Bengal. Madiahat and Medinipur.

Many believe that the results now could throw light on whether the RG Kar protests will impact future elections. The Opposition BJP, which has been trying to dislodge Mamata Banerjee for years, is hoping for an upset. 

Of the six seats going to polls, five were held by the Trinamool and one by the BJP. While the Trinamool has claimed it will win all six, anything below five will be seen as a loss. For the BJP, winning Madarihat will be a confidence booster after its performance fell in the region during the Lok Sabha election. 

Senior Trinamool Congress Leader Kumal Ghosh said the Opposition "will try their best to misguide and confuse the voters by misusing this RG Kar issue".

"But I think we are confident that the voters will realise the facts. They know the regime of the CPIM, they know the happenings in the BJP-ruled states and they know that within 24 hours, Kolkata Police have arrested the criminal, the main rape and murder accused," he added.

In the BJP stronghold of North Bengal, where Trinamool clawed its way back in the Lok Sabha elections, Sitai is situated near the Bangladesh border and the Madarihat seat is largely a tea garden seat and the only one among the six that was held by the BJP.

The Left, which the Trinamool accuses of hijacking the RG Kar protests, is fighting alone this time and not with the Congress as it has done in the past elections.

"This time in by-elections, since it was due in ten seats and four had already happened, six are taking place," said senior CPM leader Md Salim. "Time was limited so discussions could not be held because of the change of guard in the party's state unit," he added.

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US Blames Onions For McDonald's e.Coli Outbreak

US health authorities said Wednesday that slivered onions used by McDonald's triggered an e.Coli outbreak that sickened 90 people.

"Fresh, slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders and other menu items from McDonald's are the likely source of this outbreak," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

These particular onions were supplied by Taylor Farms, which issued a voluntary recall. McDonald's also pulled the onions.

Restaurants in a dozen US states temporarily pulled the burgers from their menus this month amid the outbreak linked to them.

The number of people sickened now stands at 90, including 27 who had to be hospitalized, and an elderly man in Colorado died.

McDonald's on Sunday said it would resume selling its Quarter Pounder hamburgers after tests for e.Coli came back negative.

The e.Coli bacterium causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting that last three to four days. Most people recover without needing treatment but some develop complications.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Diwali 2024: Sonakshi, Kareena, Akshay's Festive Greetings

The country is celebrating the festival of lights Diwali today. On this special occasion, the who's who of Bollywood and the South film industry extended warm wishes to their fans. The celebrities posted pictures of diyas and festivities on their official Instagram handles and fans commented sharing their love. Stars from across the country wished for happiness and prosperity for all. Kareena Kapoor shared a photo of herself from vacation and wrote, “Dare to dream …Look ahead…Look after your mind and heart…Feel the light …Happy Diwali Friends #2024.”

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A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan)

Akshay Kumar shared a small clip of lighting diya on his Instagram Stories. The text on the video read, “Shubh Deepawali”.

Parineeti Chopra shared a photo of herself holding a plate of diya. The actress wore a traditional green attire for the occasion. "Wish you all a CHAMKILA diwali!," read the caption of her post. 

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Sara Ali Khan celebrated Diwali in the hills of Uttrakhand. Sharing glimpses of her trip on Instagram, the actress wished her fans a "Happy Diwali". She wrote, "Happy Diwali. Wishing you joy, prosperity, bliss and health- which for me is basically good food. So don't be rude. Just give me my food. Thank you kindly don't intrude." 

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A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95)

Karan Johar posted a set of family photos with his mother Hiroo and twins - Yash and Roohi. He wrote in the caption, “From us to you … we wish you the best festive season and all the love, joy, mutual respect, and the ability to love and live your life to its fullest… thank you Manish Malhotra for always dressing us on special occasions.” 

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Mahesh Babu's wife, actress Namrata Shirodkar shared pictures of her daughter Sitara on Instagram. The note attached to the photos read, “Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous Diwali. May this year bring light, peace and prosperity to all. Soak in the festive spirit.” 

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A post shared by Namrata Shirodkar (@namratashirodkar)

Soha Ali Khan visited a temple on the occasion of Diwali. She was joined by her husband Kunal Kemmu, daughter Inaaya and her in-laws. Sharing the video of their temple visit on Instagram, the actress wished her fans a "very happy and prosperous Diwali". 

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Riteish Deshmukh's Diwali wish was quite different. The actor shared a hilarious video with his wife Genelia D'Souza, who was seen laughing and lip-synching to a dialogue while Riteish made funny expressions in the back. He wrote in the caption in Hindi that can be translated as, “May your Diwali be as heavy with laughter as ours is! Is your wife's laughter also like my Baiko?? Happy Diwali to all of you!!! #happydiwali”.

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A post shared by Riteish Deshmukh (@riteishd)

Sonakshi Sinha posted a picture with her husband Zaheer Iqbal and wrote, “Happy happy happy Diwali. Light in every house, happiness in every house, this is our prayer for all of you.” 

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Farhan Akhtar shared a family photo featuring Shibani Dandekar, Javed Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Shabana Azmi. He wrote in the caption, "Happy Diwali". 

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A post shared by Farhan Akhtar (@faroutakhtar)

Happy Diwali to all of you!

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"You Feared...": Lt Governor's Attack On Arvind Kejriwal Over Ayushman Bharat

The tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government over not implementing Ayushman Bharat escalated on Wednesday with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena hitting out at AAP chief and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that he had deprived people of the benefits of the healthcare scheme to prevent the "false model" promoted by him from getting "exposed". 

In a lengthy post on X in Hindi, Mr Saxena said he does not pay attention to Mr Kejriwal's baseless statements but was forced to do so this time because it concerned the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which benefits crores of Indians. 

"You have kept lakhs of people of Delhi deprived of this scheme till now only because of the fear that its implementation may reveal the truth of the false health model being promoted by you and your habit of taking false credit for everything may get exposed," Mr Saxena claimed, adding that Mr Kejriwal had opposed Ayushman Bharat because he wanted his name associated with it. 

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi had criticised the Delhi and West Bengal governments for failing to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of "political interests", the AAP chief had accused the PM of indulging in politics over public health. In a post on Tuesday, he had also questioned the benefits under the scheme, saying the Comptroller and Auditor General had found several irregularities, and claimed a similar initiative by the Delhi government had benefited lakhs of people. 

Continuing his scathing attack, Mr Saxena said the Delhi government's health department had recommended implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in June 2018 and the then health minister had given permission for doing so. 

"After that, in August 2018, your government talked about naming the Ayushman Bharat scheme 'Chief Minister Aam Aadmi Health Insurance Scheme Ayushman Bharat'. The Government of India, which bears most of the cost of this scheme, also agreed to your self-glorification by simply asking you to use your name after 'Ayushman Bharat'," the lieutenant governor wrote. 

He said that the implementation of the scheme was also announced in the Delhi Assembly in 2020-21 but Mr Kejriwal's "hunger for publicity" has not allowed it to happen.

'Web Of Illusion'

Strongly criticising the Delhi health model, Mr Saxena termed it a "web of illusion" created by Mr Kejriwal's "propaganda machinery".

"You have been suppressing the CAG reports of the health department for years. You do not allow these CAG reports to be presented in the Vidhan Sabha lest they expose your web of illusions. Perhaps Delhi would be the only example where the High Court orders the health minister to appear in person and asks him to make medicines available to the people. Perhaps Delhi is the only example where the honourable courts had to give orders to repair the CT scan machine in the biggest hospital of the Delhi government," he said. 

The lieutenant governor also accused the Delhi government of not revising the "Essential Drug List" since 2013. 

"In the last 10 years, the people of Delhi have been very troubled by your hollow health model. I hope that you (Mr Kejriwal) will put politics aside, accept the truth and implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the people of Delhi as soon as possible. Since you are no longer the chief minister, you will probably not feel the need to name the Ayushman Bharat scheme after the chief minister," Mr Saxena sneered. 

'More Procedures Covered'

BJP's IT Cell head Amit Malviya also took to X to "expose" Mr Kejriwal's lies on Ayushman Bharat and the Delhi healthcare programme and said that while the former chief minister has claimed that there is no upper limit under the 'Delhi Arogya Kosh', the cap is actually Rs 5 lakh.

This post exposes Arvind Kejriwal's lies on Ayushman Bharat and Delhi's Healthcare Programme. Read.

Arvind Kejriwal has been refusing to implement the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Delhi. He is citing the following reasons:

1. As per Arvind Kejriwal, Ayushman Bharat offers only a… https://t.co/Mf0mDDkwqM

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 30, 2024

Among other things, Mr Malviya also said that the Delhi scheme does not factor in people who are over the age of 70 and are not voters within the national capital and that the Ayushman Bharat covers many more procedures. 

AAP's Take

Mr Kejriwal had said he had yet to meet a person who got treatment through the Ayushman Bharat scheme and claimed that, under the Delhi government's initiative, each person in the city receives free medical treatment and the government bears the entire cost whether it's a 5-rupee pill or treatment worth Rs 1 crore.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also claimed that Ayushman Bharat is a "failed" scheme and said poor patients from states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan - where the scheme had been implemented - visited hospitals in the capital for surgeries.

"Delhi government hospitals provide free treatment unlike the paid treatment provided in BJP-ruled states. Delhi government health schemes are far more effective than Ayushman Bharat scheme," he asserted.

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Belgian Paraglider Dies After Mid-Air Collision In Himachal's Bir-Billing

A Belgian paraglider was killed after colliding with another paraglider mid-air in Himachal Pradesh's Bir-Billing as his parachute failed to open after the crash, officials said on Wednesday.

The accident took place on Tuesday, four days ahead of the week-long paragliding World Cup 2024 commencing in Bir-Billing in Kangra district on November 2.

The two paragliders collided mid-air, leading to the death of Feyarets, a Belgian, while the other paraglider from Poland sustained injuries. Feyarets was a free-flying paraglider in his mid-60s, the officials said.

Ten paragliders were flying simultaneously and two of them crashed with each other mid-air. Feyarets died as his reserved parachute did not open after the crash, Vinay Dhiman, Deputy Director, Tourism, Kangra, told PTI.

Chances of accidents increase when free-fliers venture into high-risk zones or inner valleys with little knowledge of the topography and local wind conditions, Mr Dhiman said, adding, "We are in the process of documenting the thermals in the Bir-Billing area with the help of experts to reduce the probability of accidents while flying." This is not the first time that tragedy has struck the famed slopes of Bir-Billing, considered to be a paragliders' paradise.

In October last year, Polish paraglider Andrez died during a solo flight.

Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said police have directed authorities to register paragliders, adhere to the designated routes and ensure that they do not fly over military areas.

"A proposal to install special towers in high mountains to pin-point the crash sites in case of accidents is in the pipeline," said Avinash Negi, director of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali.

The World Cup from November 2 to November 9 will see 130 paragliders from 50 countries participate. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"Most Difficult Stage": Russia Begins Nuclear Drill, West Plans Response

Russia's nuclear forces today began a special exercise after orders were received from President Vladimir Putin. The move comes at a critical point in the Ukraine war after senior officials in Moscow termed it the "most difficult phase".

This is the second such military exercise initiated by Putin in a fortnight and the West-led NATO alliance is still unsure of how to deal with the escalating situation. The rise in tensions began after western forces, led by the US were planning to allow Ukraine the use of long-range ballistic missiles to target territories deep inside Russia.

Moscow has made it clear to the 'West' that if such a move was made by Ukraine with the backing of the West, Russia would consider the use of its nukes to defend the motherland.

The Kremlin had said that its updated nuclear doctrine, approved by Putin last month, will allow Moscow to use nukes against non-nuclear states should be seen as a warning to the West.

Launching the nuclear weapons drill today, President Putin said, "We will work out the actions of officials to control the use of nuclear weapons with practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles."

"We will work out the actions of officials to control the use of nuclear weapons with practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles," President Putin said in a clip from the launch, adding that, "Using nuclear weapons would be an "extremely exceptional measure" but they need to be kept ready for use.

Putin, however, said that "We are not going to get involved in a new arms race, but we will maintain nuclear forces at the level of necessary sufficiency."

WHAT THE 'WEST' SAYS

The NATO has slammed Russia over reports that North Korea has sent troops to the western parts of the country to battle in Ukraine.

The Pentagon has said that North Korea is sending at least 10,000 troops to Russia while Ukraine's Zelensky claims the number could be well beyond 12,000.

"We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

"A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast," Sabrina Singh said.

Vladimir Putin has said that what Russia plans to do about its defence is purely "Russia's business". He also said that if Ukraine took a decision to join NATO, even Russia can choose to do "whatever it wants".

NUCLEAR DRILLS TODAY, NUCLEAR WAR TOMORROW?

The Russian military has started its latest drill today. This follows a similar exercise that happened in the country's Tver region, which lies to the northwest of Moscow. Among other equipment used, there was also a unit equipped with the Yars Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles or ICBMs, which are capable of striking every corner of the US.

Russia is the world's largest nuclear power. Together, Russia and the US control 88% of the world's nuclear warheads. Vladimir Putin, who portrays the West as a decadent aggressor, and US President Joe Biden, who casts Russia as a corrupt autocracy, have both warned that a direct Russia-NATO confrontation could escalate into World War III. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has also warned of the risk of nuclear war.

"Given the growing geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is important to have modern and constantly ready-to-use strategic forces," Putin said, adding that Russia was moving to new "stationary and mobile-based missile systems" which have a reduced launch preparation time and could overcome missile defence systems.

"The US will not impose new limits on Ukraine's use of American weapons if North Korea joins Russia's war," the Pentagon has said.
 

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Ballon d'Or Organisers Break Silence On Real's 'Boycott Over Vinicius Snub'

The organisers of the Ballon d'Or award insisted on Monday that "no player or club" knows who has won the award, responding to Real Madrid's decision to boycott the event because they believe that Vinicius would not win. "All the clubs and players are in the same boat," a Ballon d'Or source told AFP, pointing out the strict confidentiality rules laid down for this 2024 edition.

Real Madrid said they will stay away from the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday as they are convinced that their striker Vinicius, the favourite to win the men's award, has been snubbed.

The club told AFP it questioned the methods behind the selection of the Ballon d'Or winner, saying that defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked. 

"If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the club told AFP. 

"As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d'Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected."

The Ballon d'Or organisers decided to innovate this year by keeping the winner's identity a secret until the very end, to avoid any leaks to the press. 

In previous years, the winner was revealed a few days before the award ceremony. 

All the nominees were invited to the ceremony in Paris this evening. 

The absence of the Real players and the club's declaration suggest that neither Vinicius, Carvajal nor Jude Bellingham, the architects of the club's European triumph, will win the trophy.

That could leave the way clear for Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri, who won Euro 2024 and was named the tournament's best player by UEFA. 

The Ballon d'Or is awarded by a jury of journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"People Create Dispute...": Maharashtra Congress Chief On Ally Rift Buzz

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole today said that he was "friends" with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut amid reports of tension between the two allies.

"I am friends with Sanjay Raut. I don't understand why people create disputes between us," said Mr Patole at NDTV Marathi's Jahirnama event.

Terse remarks by Mr Patole and Mr Raut amid the delay in the seat-sharing announcement for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra triggered the rift buzz.

To a veiled swipe of Sanjay Raut where he said the Congress leaders are "not capable of taking decisions", Mr Patole shot back, "If Sanjay Raut is controlling Uddhav Thackeray, that is their issue. We have the responsibility of telling the reality of our leaders and we are doing that. We do not want to speak anything on what Sanjay Raut does."

Other Congress leaders, however, played down the statements insisting that talks were going smoothly.

During the event, Mr Patole also addressed the impasse between the opposition alliance in Maharashtra - Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - over some seats.

"Congress is a national party, and national parties have to handle things carefully. Regional parties have their demands and dreams of growth, which is acceptable. Congress played a crucial role in allocating seats based on merit, aiming for a majority government in Maharashtra. We are still working towards it," he said.

"Discussions for 5-10 seats are still pending, and we'll resolve this issue. After October 30, we'll gather again to find a solution. We have decided to contest elections as MVA. No conflicts arose during seat allocation. Efforts are continuing to resolve pending seat allocation issues," he added.

The 61-year-old had earlier revealed its seat-sharing arrangement for 255 of 288 constituencies in Maharashtra. He said that each alliance partner - Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) - will be contesting 85 seats each.

When he was asked by the chief minister face of the opposition alliance, he said, "As per Rahul Gandhi's vision, the priority is to save Maharashtra first. Once we do that, the MVA leaders will decide on the Chief Minister."

Earlier, speaking at NDTV Marathi's Election Conclave, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a dig at the opposition, and said, "Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is not announcing Chief Minister face as they don't think their Chief Minister can come after elections."

The ruling alliance, however, has also not named its chief minister face yet.

Mr Fadnavis said that the ruling Mahayuti does not need to announce the candidate for the chief ministerial post, as Eknath Shinde is the incumbent Chief Minister: "Who will become Chief Minister is announced after the elections. We are three major parties, CM Eknath Shinde is chief of Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar is chief of NCP and our (BJP) Parliamentary board will decide who will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. But we are not worried because we have our Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde who is leading our government."

Maharashtra will vote on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.

The BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56, and the Congress secured 44 seats in the 2019 Maharashtra elections. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 63 and the Congress 42.

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Jharkhand Minister Charged For 'Derogatory Remarks' Against Sita Soren

Jharkhand Additional Chief Electoral Officer Neha Arora on Saturday said that an FIR has been registered against Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari for allegedly making derogatory remarks about BJP leader Sita Soren in Jamtara district.

"An FIR has been registered in Jamtara district for violating MCC (model code of conduct) provisions. A strict advisory has also been issued to all the political parties in this regard," Neha Arora said.

Union Minister Annapurna Devi said the statement made by Irfan Ansari exposes the mentality of the Congress party.

"He (Irfan Ansari) has given a very wrong statement on Sita Soren. This exposes the mentality of the Congress party. The Congress party is anti-women and anti-youth...I condemn this statement...Will Rahul Gandhi take back the tickets given to people with such a low level of thinking? The Congress party should remove such people from the cabinet," Annapurna Devi said.

Sita Soren said she was unable to understand how people like Mr Ansari get the courage to make such statements.

"I am unable to understand where he gets the courage to make such statements. Who is giving him the courage to make such statements, because no one has ever made such statements against me in Jharkhand...The party has informed the Election Commission about his statement. We will not forgive him...The entire tribal population is angry," the BJP leader said.

Another BJP leader, Ragini Singh, said insulting women is the policy of the Congress party.

"This is his mentality. It is the policy of Congress to comment on a woman but BJP policy is to respect all the women whether they are from the Congress or the BJP," Ms Singh said.

Irfan Ansari, the Congress candidate from the Jamtara constituency, stirred controversy with his remarks about Sita Soren, his opponent from the seat.

On Friday, Sita Soren posted a video on X, claiming that the Congress leader referred to her as "rejected" and a "borrowed player" while responding to a journalist's question about competing against her in the upcoming election.

The BJP leader also demanded an apology from Mr Ansari for using "indecent language" against her, stating that the public would respond to him.

"Congress @INCIndia candidate Irfan Ansari must apologise for the indecent language he used against me in front of the media immediately after filing his nomination. He has previously made personal comments about me, but this time he has crossed all limits. Irfan ji @IrfanAnsariMLA, apologise, or be prepared for fierce opposition," she posted on X.

"The indecent words you used while holding such a respected position have alarmed women across society. If you can use such words for me, what must poor and vulnerable women face? As long as such leaders remain in power, women will remain unsafe. The time has come to remove them from power. The way you look at women is now before the public, and the public will respond," the BJP leader added.

The BJP will contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). The BJP will contest 68 seats, AJSU 10, JDU two, and the LJP from one seat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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