New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): A meeting of Assam BJP’s core group over the state Assembly elections will be held in Delhi on Wednesday.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other BJP leaders will meet the party’s national president JP Nadda ahead of the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting.
A meeting of the CEC will be held on Thursday at the party headquarter in Delhi which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, party chief JP Nadda, party leader BL Santosh and others. The CEC will clear the name of the candidates for polls and will also release the list of the candidates.
The Election Commission of India earlier announced that Assam will go to polls in three phases beginning March 27.
The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 3 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has ordered to constitute a committee to probe the tree plantation drive of the previous Devendra Fadnavis government.
“The previous government had undertaken a tree plantation drive aiming to plant 33 crore trees from 2014 to 2019. The then government spent Rs 2,429 crores on this drive,” sources said.
The issue was raised by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole during a discussion at the state Assembly on a starred question about tree plantation during Fadanvis’s regime.
However, a committee will be formed by March 31 and will be given six months to complete its probe on the tree plantation drive, sources said. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 3 (ANI): A day after a case was registered against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday tendered resignation from his post.
Jarkiholi’s resignation has been accepted by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and it has been sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala for approval.
A purported sex tape showed Karnataka’s Major and Medium Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi in a compromising position with a woman.
Jarkiholi in a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, said, “The allegation made on me is far from the truth. An investigation must be done on this issue. As fair investigation should take place, I am resigning on moral grounds. I request you to accept my resignation.”
Karnataka Minister Jagadish Shettar said, “He (Ramesh Jarkiholi) has resigned. Nobody has given any statement or complaint. We have to make a decision.”
A case was registered against Jarkiholi on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman.
Addressing reporters, the complainant Dinesh Kallahalli, who is a social activist, said, “I have lodged a complaint with police, demanding a probe into a sex scandal involving Ramesh Jarkiholi.”
Denying the allegations, Jarkiholi had said that he will resign from politics if these allegations are proven true.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said, “I do not even know the woman and the complainant. I am going to meet my high command to convey a clarification about the alleged video. I was in Mysuru and I went to Chamundeshwari Temple. I do not even know about the video because I never spoke to that woman. I will resign from my MLA post and politics if these allegations are proven against me.” (ANI)

Awantipora (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 3 (ANI): A terrorist hideout of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen was busted and destroyed in Awantipora, police said on Wednesday.
“Upon information of terrorist hideout in the forest area of Seer/Pastoona, Police along with 42 RR and 180 Bn CRPF launched a search operation in the said area. During search one hideout of the proscribed outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen was busted and subsequently destroyed,” read a release by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The police said the size of the hideout is approximately 5 feetx7 feetx4 feet.
Incriminating material of proscribed outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and other materials including utensils, food items have been recovered from the hideout.
All the material has been taken into police custody for investigation purpose, police said.
A case under relevant sections of law has been registered at Tral police station. (ANI)

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], March 3 (ANI) A large number of people gathered at a COVID-19 vaccination facility in Nagpur on Wednesday and as a result, social distancing norms went for a toss.
“There are flaws in NMC’s arrangements. There’s no social distancing as both registered and non-registered people are waiting. The registered lot must be given preference”, said one of the persons waiting for inoculation at the Indira Gandhi Hospital here.
The second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive — to inoculate people above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities against the coronavirus — began on March 1.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi.
Apart from the Prime Minister, President Ram Nath Kovind and several Union Ministers, including Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Jitendra Singh, Dr Harsh Vardhan have also received their first COVID-19 vaccine jabs.
More than 1.56 crore (1,56,20,749) vaccine doses have been administered through 3,12,188 sessions in the country, as per the provisional report till 7 am on Wednesday, the health ministry informed. (ANI)

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 3 (ANI): In Gujarat’s largest budget so far of Rs 2.27 lakh crore, Rs 32,719 crore has been allocated for education and Rs 11,323 crore to the health and family welfare department.
Finance Minister Nitinbhai Patel allotted Rs 13,493 to urban development, Rs 5,494 crore for water resources, Rs 3,974 crore for water supply, Rs 7,232 crore for the Krishi Khedut Kalyan Yojana, Rs 4,353 for social justice and empowerment, and Rs 1,502 crore for labour welfare and employment.
A provision of Rs 1,224 crore has been proposed for food and civil supplies, Rs 1,814 crore for forest, environment, Rs 563 crore for Science and Technology, Rs 1,032 crore for the destitute and old age pension and the revenue department has been provided Rs 4,548 crore.
Rs 1,500 crore for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, Rs 50 crore to buy new police vehicles, Rs 100 crore for crop credit in Co-operative Department, Rs 11,185 crore for Roads and Buildings Department, Rs 1,478 crore for Ports and Transport Department, Rs 13,034 crore for energy and petrochemical sector and Rs 910 crore for Climate Change Department have been allocated in the budget.
The Industry and Mines Department, Forest and Environment Department, and Home department have been allocated Rs 6,599 crore, Rs 1,814 crore, and Rs 7,960 crore respectively. (ANI)