) % 7! " # - 8 8 8 VRGR '%&((!1#VCEB R BP A"'!#$#1!$"#0$"T utqBVQWBuxy( 12&('$34 +//+ *+#,-. &+#01 "# .%5*3/2>% 2/""5.165%91250: 5!5252'0525%. !5363/1>%&* ?6&".3?6/?.%50*.2 !.% 52 "2&051/&20'!55%153.4&/.2 /5%0 0.2*6*% 2.%162."/2 16.%! .26 !562.!/% [email protected]*.!. ;3 1 +&<=0$ $= ;.0 5 . # #5 " "/5//6 47 R " %R % ! $ ** %5*!536 JP working president Jagat BPrakash Nadda on Monday ' took over the reins of the party ! from Amit Shah and is faced with several tough electoral and ( organisational challenges in !"" the days ahead. %5*!536 Nadda’s first task will be to #!$ galvanise the party to take on oft-spoken, affable and low- Kejriwal-led AAP Government Skey, the newly elected BJP %& in the next month’s Delhi president Jagat Prakash Nadda Assembly polls. The AAP is is a quintessential organisation %5*!536 seen as a clear favourite and man who is expected to con- Nadda would require all his solidate the rapid gains the iting differences on skills to make it an even con- party has made under his pre- CCitizenship Amendment intact and remain in the test. His other challenges are decessor Amit Shah. Act (CAA) and National National Democratic Alliance Assembly elections of Bihar, He takes over at a time Register of Citizen (NRC), (NDA). West Bengal, Assam, Kerala when the BJP is witnessing vig- BJP’s old ally Shiromani Akali Incidentally, SAD leader and Tamil Nadu, all scheduled orous challenge from a united Dal (SAD) Badal, on Monday Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the sit- within one year or so. Opposition in Assembly elec- announced that the party will ting MLA from Rajouri Garden The reverses faced by the tions amid signs that it needs not contest Delhi Assembly Assembly constituency who party in Jharkhand and loss of to rejig its electoral strategy fol- polls. However, well placed had won on BJP symbol, said, power in a big State, like lowing a string of losses in State sources in the BJP said the SAD “the SAD and the BJP have an Maharashtra, have made elections. wanted to contest elections on old relationship but SAD’s Nadda’s task all the more diffi- If a relatively inexperi- six seats whereas they were stand has been quite clear on cult. Nadda would be required enced Shah in 2014 was seen as offered three seats. CAA and NRC. The SAD pres- to revamp party organisation in Prime Minister Narendra The SAD was also not very ident has welcomed the CAA several States and also step up Modi’s hand-picked man to keen to contest on BJP’s ‘lotus which was supposed to include the BJP’s pro-CAA (Citizenship shake up the saffron organisa- symbol’ as it wanted to contest people from all religions but we Amendment Act) campaign tion by easing out veterans and on its own party symbol of never demanded that any one across the country. !"# !"$ !" % $& '( # ) infusing young blood to gal- “weighing scale”. BJP leaders religion should be excluded Enjoying the confidence " $ +& " vanise party cadres and fuel its tried to convince SAD leader- from the list.” of Prime Minister Narendra expansion drive, Nadda is con- ship to let its candidate contest Continued on Page 4 Modi and Shah, the new head Nadda, with parental roots in Pradesh, his home State, and at Shah and all top Central lead- him as “an outstanding sidered a seasoned hand who on its symbol as they have won of the BJP is largely expected to Bihar, was associated with the the Centre. He has also been in ers, Ministers and Chief karyakarta (worker)” will build on these gains with- while going with this symbol continue with the course it took Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi charge of his party’s campaigns Ministers of the BJP-ruled “I do not think words can out causing too many during past elections. under Shah with Modi laying Parishad (ABVP) from his col- in a number of States, includ- States. The PM, who later do justice to the rich contribu- disruptions. SAD president was not out the broader agenda. lege days before joining the ing in Uttar Pradesh, during the joined party leaders in felici- tion of Shah as the BJP presi- The 59-year-old Nadda, very keen to forego his party’s Considered an affable and youth wing of the BJP and ris- 2019 Lok Sabha elections. tating Nadda, said he is sure dent. During his presidency, who holds a degree in law, identity and decided not to accessible politician, Nadda ing through its ranks. Nadda was unanimously that the party will scale newer the BJP got opportunities to brings decades of experience field its candidates on the seats strikes good rapport with all Nadda has also served as a elected as BJP president in heights during his presidency. serve in several parts of India,” during which he served at key being offered by the BJP. top party leaders and is seen as Minister in the BJP party headquarters here at a The PM also praised Shah Modi said in a series of tweets. party posts, headed its election Importantly, the SAD will seasoned organisation man. Governments in Himachal function in the presence of for his contribution, describing Continued on Page 4 campaign in a host of States. keep its alliance with the BJP P ! "#$ O R $ %5*!536 O %5*!536 AP national convener and !" # %5*!536 %5*!536 ADelhi Chief Minister # # he Supreme Court on Arvind Kejriwal, who missed $ n a respite to over 12,000 has- Delhi court Monday con- TMonday dismissed the plea filing his nomination due to Isled homebuyers of Unitech Avicted key accused Brajesh of Pawan Kumar Gupta, a the delay in rally, will file it on !" Ltd, the Supreme Court on Thakur and 18 others for sex- death row convict in the Tuesday. # # Monday allowed the Centre to ually assaulting several girls in Nirbhaya gangrape and murder Kejriwal said he will file $ $&'( " take total management control a shelter home run by him in case, to be declared a juvenile his nomination on Tuesday. “I % of the embattled realty firm and Muzaffarpur, Bihar. at the time of the commission was supposed to file my nom- & ' appoint a new board of nomi- Additional Sessions Judge of offence. ination today but the office ( # nee directors. Saurabh Kulshreshtha convict- A Bench comprising jus- closes at 3 pm. I was asked to # The top court approved the ed Thakur, who once unsuc- tices R Banumathi, Ashok go in between and file the name of retired Haryana cadre cessfully contested Assembly Bushan and AS Bopanna said nomination but I said how * IAS officer Yudvir Singh Malik polls on Bihar People’s Party there was no ground to inter- can I leave people at the road ' as chairman and managing (BPP) ticket, for several fere with the Delhi High court show and go? I will go to file L M director (CMD) of the new offences including the aggra- order that rejected Pawan’s nomination tomorrow with # - board and directed that the vated penetrative sexual assault plea. The trial court had also my family,” he said. existing board of directors of under section 6 of Protection of rejected Pawan’s claim of being Thousands of AAP sup- the company would stand Children from Sexual Offences a juvenile. porters gathered in Central ! # superseded. (POCSO) Act, and offences of Advocate AP Singh, Delhi on Monday to take part $ $&'( . It also refused to appoint Chairman of HDFC Credila rape and gangrape under the appearing for Pawan, said as in Kejriwal’s mega roadshow ' Unitech Group founder Finance Service Pvt Ltd; Jitu Indian Penal code (IPC). per his school leaving certifi- called “Walk With Kejriwal” /"01 Ramesh Chandra, as a member Virwani, CMD of Embassy In its bulky judgment run- cate he was a minor at the time which was to be followed by ' of the new board saying that it Group; and Niranjan ning into 1,546 pages, the court of the offence and none of the him filing his nomination but #( would not be appropriate at this Hiranandani, Managing also convicted Thakur for the courts, including trial court and was postponed till Tuesday ! stage. A Bench of Justices DY Director of Mumbai-based offences under sections 120-B High Court, ever considered owing to the delay in the rally. ' Chandrachud and MR Shah Hiranandani Group. (criminal conspiracy), 324 his documents. The rally started at asked the new board to submit “The idea of a profession- (causing hurt by dangerous But, solicitor general He said the convict was 19 the authorities from executing Valmiki Mandir near RK )#*+ its report in two months on the al board is to allow them to take weapons or means), 323 (vol- Tushar Mehta, appearing for years old at the time of offence the death penalty, scheduled for Ashram Marg metro station resolution framework of the control of the company and untarily causing hurt) and abet- the Delhi Police, said his claim and there is a certified copy of February 1. to the Hanuman Mandir near !$(,(-. 0.20- company. complete the pending projects ment under IPC, section 21 of juvenility was considered at his birth certificate as well as A Delhi court on Friday Connaught Place traversing 1 It also approved the names in the interest of homebuyers,” (failure to report commission each and every judicial forum school leaving certificate which issued fresh death warrants around 2.2 kilometres in over ' of members of the board which the Bench said and indicated of an offence) of the and it will be a travesty of jus- was taken on record by each for February 1 against the four two hours and dancing to the ( # - include AK Mittal, ex-CMD of that the court would stop mon- POCSO Act section 75 (cru- tice if the convict is allowed to and every judicial forum.