THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR YOGI SAYS SANGAM WATER FIT FOR BATHING TOUGH BARGAINS AHEAD IN TIES WITH AMERICA P9 SENSEX 75,939.18q28.21 WEATHER Scattered thunderstorms. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 29°C and 21°C respectively. NIFTY ‘PARTY GENERAL SECYS WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR POLL RESULTS’ P13 22,932.90q12.40 P5 ` vs $ 86.95 GOLD 89,240.00 Rekha Gupta to be next CM of Delhi RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY The new Delhi Chief Minister will take oath of office today Max. 86% NIKHIL VYAS Min. 75% TEMPERATURE Max: 29.2˚C SUN RISES 06:04 hrs MOON RISES 19:11 hrs The PM, other top BJP leaders and several NDA Chief Ministers will attend the swearing-in ceremony at iconic Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY Min: 21.3˚C SUN SETS 17:35 hrs MOON SETS 10:22 hrs R New Moon on 28 February THUMBNAILS People of the Mising community perform rituals during the celebration of the 'AliAye-Ligang' festival 2025, marking the beginning of the sowing season, at Sonaighuli in Guwahati on Wednesday. n ANI Gyanesh Kumar takes charge as Chief Election Commissioner: Gyanesh Kumar took over as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday and said the Election Commission of India was, is and will always be with the voters. “The first step for nation building is voting. Therefore every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and should always vote,” Mr Kumar said. ekha Gupta, the newly-elected BJP legislator from Shalimar Bagh, will be the next Chief Minister of Delhi. She will be sworn in on Thursday, ending the prolonged suspense following the party's historic win in the Assembly elections in the national capital on 8 February. The BJP's legislature party tonight elected Ms Gupta as its leader. Her name was announced by the party's two central observers ~ Ravi Shankar Prasad and Om Prakash Dhankhar ~ after a meeting of the BJP legislature party which was attended by all 48 newly-elected party legislators at the Delhi BJP office. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Ms Gupta on her election as the leader of BJP legislature party. The PM, other top BJP leaders and several NDA Chief Ministers will attend the swearing-in ceremony at iconic Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. Rekha Gupta will be the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi. The last BJP government in Delhi was from 1993 to 1998. A firsttime MLA, Ms Gupta will be the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi. Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Sheila Dikshit (Congress) and Atishi (AAP) have held the position in the past. The saffron party registered a landslide victory in the 5 February Delhi assembly elections, the results of which were declared on 8 February, winning a two-thirds majority by bagging 48 seats in the 70-member assembly. The AAP suffered a rout with 22 seats while the Congress failed to score for the third consecutive time. Earlier, hours ahead of the BJP's legislature party meeting in the national capital for electing a new Delhi Chief Minister, the parliamentary board of the party appointed Ravi Shankar Prasad, MP and former Union Minister, and Om Prakash Dhankhar, the party’s national secretary, as Central observers for the elec- ICC CT 2025: India look for strong start in campaign opener against Bangladesh tion of the Leader of the Legislative party in Delhi. The new Chief Minister will take oath at a grand swearing-in ceremony at the city’s iconic Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. The event will commence at 10 a.m. The new CM will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Car drivers, auto drivers and slum-dwellers will be among the key invitees who will garner attention at the oathtaking ceremony. Twenty chief ministers from various NDA-ruled states will also participate in the oath-taking ceremony of the Delhi Chief Minister to be held at the Ramlila Maidan tomorrow. (Photo: Subrata Dutta) Foreign Secretary briefs House panel on PM’s US visit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY Fresh from recording a 3-0 whitewash over England in the recently-concluded ODI series at home, India will look to carry forward the momentum in their pursuit of a third ICC Champions Trophy title when they open their campaign against a tricky Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday. Despite being pre-tournament favourites, India faces a series of challenges. The absence of bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, the questionable batting form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and thus the onus will be on the likes of young turks Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana to make their mark in the highstakes multi-nation tournament. For Kohli, Rohit, and even head coach Gautam Gambhir ~ despite being just six months into his tenure, there is little room for error. The setbacks against New Zealand and Australia continue to cast long shadows over Indian cricket. However, recent performances offer glimpses of promise. Rohit’s century and Kohli’s fifty against England, coupled with Gambhir’s strategic role in India’s dominant 4-1 and 3-0 wins in T20Is and ODIs, hint at a resurgence. Gill’s stellar performance as Player of the Series against England, where he scored two fifties and a hundred in three ODIs, further strengthens India’s batting credentials. But the Champions Trophy presents a starkly different challenge. Unlike a relatively passive England side, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand—India’s Group A opponents—are highly motivated. Even a single misstep could significantly alter the league stage dynamics. Despite India’s recent success in ODIs, key selection puzzles remain unsolved. A primary concern is KL Rahul’s batting position. Should he continue at No. 5, where he has been most effective, or shift to No. 6 to accommodate Axar Patel in the middle order? The team management is expected to maintain a flexible approach based on match situations. However, the most pressing issue lies in the bowling attack, particularly in the absence of Bumrah. The choice of Mohammed Shami’s newball partner is a crucial decision. While Harshit has impressed with his raw pace and bounce, Arshdeep’s left-arm angle and variety give him an edge in the race for a starting spot. India is also expected to field three spinners, with Hardik Pandya playing as the fast-bowling all-rounder. The battle for the third spinner’s slot is another contentious point ~ should the team opt for the recent form of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy or rely on the proven skills of left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav? Kuldeep’s impressive net session against top-tier batsmen may tilt the scales in his favour. NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, on Wednesday, briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs about the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States and also on present foreign policy developments. A meeting of the committee, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was held in Samvidhan Sadan. Talking to a news agency about the meeting, Mr Tharoor said since it was a closed-door meeting, they don't talk in detail about anything discussed during the meeting. However, the Congress MP said the panel members had a "very good briefing" from foreign secretary on the current foreign policy developments. He said most of the discussion was in the US due to the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, DC. Three of a family found dead at Tangra home, three others hurt in car crash STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 19 FEBRUARY Three members of the same family were discovered dead in their home at Tangra in the city, two of them with their wrists slit, while three others of the same family were injured in a vehicle accident, in a shocking incident that has given rise to speculation of a possible suicide pact. The incident has left the neighbourhood in shock, while the police probe whether this was a case of suicide or something more sinister. According to police sources, the shocking discovery came to light while investigating a road accident near Abhishikta More on the EM Bypass earlier in the day. In the accident, a car rammed into a Metro pillar, injuring three men. It is reported that police discovered the bodies of the women when they went to the address of the injured persons. Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited the spot and said police are looking at all possible angles of these deaths to reveal the actual truth. “Police recovered three bodies, one of them being a minor. No mark of injury was visible in the body of the minor. However both adult women’s bodies bore injury marks. Post-mortem will reveal the details of the deaths. Police are also looking for the CCTV footage," police commissioner Verma said. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Rupesh Kumar disclosed that the six individuals were all from the same family. Preliminary findings indicate that they had planned a collective suicide. The entire family is said to have consumed a dessert laced with sleeping pills before attempting to take their own lives. While two women and the teenage girl were found dead at home, the three injured men, identified as brothers Pranay Dey and Prasun Dey, along with another male relative ~ left the house and crashed their car in what police suspect was another suicide attempt. “One of the injured men is conscious, while the other two are semi-conscious. Their statements indicate that they tried to end their lives by SHUBMAN REPLACES PAKISTAN'S BABAR AS TOP-RANKED ODI BATTER consuming sedatives. After that, they took out their car and deliberately rammed it into a pillar," Rupesh Kumar stated. However, he emphasised that further investigation and post-mortem reports would confirm the actual cause of death. The deceased have been identified as Rumi Dey and Sudeshna Dey, along with a teenage girl aged around 14 years. Forensic experts, homicide detectives from Lalbazar, and the dog squad have been deployed to examine the crime scene. Police are also questioning the surviving family members to determine the exact sequence of events. As investigators dig deeper, questions continue to mount. Why did the entire family attempt suicide? Was financial distress a factor? While initial statements from the injured hint at economic struggles, local sources suggest otherwise. P16 SILVER 1,08,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.45p0.61 Major relief for Siddaramaiah in MUDA case as Lokayukta Police finds no evidence of graft LAKSHMANA VENKAT KUCHI BENGALURU, 19 FEBRUARY In a significant relief to Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah in the MUDA corruption case, the Lokayukta Police indicated on Wednesday that it found no proof of corruption against the Chief Minister and his wife Parvathi BM regarding the alleged fraudulent allotment of high-value residential plots in the year 2021. In a notice issued to the RTI activist who filed the case against the Chief Minister, his wife, and two others, Snehamayi Krishna, the Lokayukta Police said that no evidence of corruption had been found. This notice is being viewed as an indication of a clean chit to the power couple and a preparation for closing the investigations, ordered by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and later ratified by the Karnataka High Court, which directed the Lokayukta to investigate the matter. In its notice issued to the RTI activist today, the Lokayukta Police said: “As the allegations against accused-1 to accused4 are not proved due to a lack of evidence, the final report is being submitted to the competent court. The final report is being submitted to the court under section 173 (8) of the Criminal Procedure Code after investigations into the allegations over the grant of compensatory plots under the 50:50 scheme, from the year 2016 to 2024, by the Mysore Urban Development Authority.” Two days ago, the Lokayukta Police sought more time to file the final report on the investigations. But on Wednesday, the police issued a notice to the RTI activist clearly stating that they could not find any proof of corruption against the CM and his wife and that they would be informing the court of this in its final report. If the Lokayukta Police submits its final report when the matter comes up in a special court on 24 February, the final report could be contested by the complainant. Also, it is up to the court to accept or reject the police report. The Lokayukta Police has examined over 100 witnesses in its investigation since the case was lodged against the accused in September last year after the Karnataka High Court upheld the decision of the Governor to order investigations into the MUDA scam. The case pertains to 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore that were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife as compensation by MUDA in 2021 after around 3.16 acres of land gifted to her by her brother in 2010 had been “wrongfully” acquired by the authority in 2014. EAM Jaishankar to attend G20 foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 FEBRUARY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting being held on 20 and 21 February. The minister's participation in the G20 meet will further strengthen India's engagement with the G20 countries and bolster the voice of the Global South in this important forum, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Mr Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts on the margins of the meeting. South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024, through to November 2025. The G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to two blocs; European Union and the African Union. The G20 Presidency rotates annually among the members and is selected from a different regional grouping of countries. India hosted the G20 Summit in September 2023.