A look at the headlines today:
1. After talks with CM Uddhav Thackeray, Shirdi bandh to be withdrawn from today
Residents of Shirdi in Maharashtra will call off from today the day-long bandh, observed in the temple town amid a row over the birthplace of 19th century saint Sai Baba. Leaders representing the Shirdi residents said that the decision to call off the shutdown was taken at a 'gram sabha' on Sunday evening in view of the meeting called by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the issue. They, however, warned that if the meeting with the CM fails to bring any satisfactory solution, an aggressive protest will be launched. The bandh, which began after Saturday midnight, was observed to protest against Uddhav Thackeray's announcement of grant of Rs 100 crore for development of facilities at "Sai janmasthan" (birthplace) at Pathri in Parbhani district, nearly 273 kms away from Shirdi in Ahmednagar district.
2. CM Kejriwal to file nomination today
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will file his nomination for the New Delhi assembly seat today. "I will file my nomination on Monday. I will feel very good if you come to bless me," Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor, said in a tweet. Before filing his nomination, Kejriwal will hold a roadshow after seeking the blessings of Bhagwan Valmiki at the historic Valmiki Mandir, the AAP said in a statement. The roadshow will go to Connaught Place via Panchkuian Marg into the Inner Circle and then towards the Outer Circle on to Baba Kharak Singh Marg. It will end near the Patel Chowk Metro station, it said. Kejriwal will file his nomination at SDM office in Jamnagar House. Kejriwal on Sunday released a "guarantee card" listing 10 promises, including free bus rides for students and deployment of "mohalla marshals" for women safety, that his AAP will fulfil if it is re-elected in Delhi.
3. BJP set to get new president today, Nadda likely to succeed Shah
The BJP is set to get its new national president in place of Amit Shah today, with its working president J.P. Nadda expected to be elected to the post unopposed. Top party leaders, including those from states, are likely to arrive at the BJP headquarters to file nominations in support of Nadda, who has long been seen as the choice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for the job. His decades-long experience in the organisation, starting from student politics, proximity to the RSS and clean image are seen as his strengths. Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is in charge of the party's organisational poll process, said that nominations for the national president's election will be filed on January 20, and a contest will take place the next day if required. The BJP has the convention of electing its president with consensus and without any contest, and there is little possibility that it will be any other way this time. The election of a new president will bring to end incumbent Shah's tenure of over five-and-a-half years during which the BJP expanded its footprints across the country like never before and enjoyed its best phase in electoral contests despite suffering a few setbacks in state polls.
4. Crucial Andhra Pradesh Council of Ministers meet on state capital issue
The Andhra Pradesh Council of Ministers and the Legislature will meet one after the other today to decide the fate and the future of the state capital. There is widespread anticipation on what is in store for the state, already suffering from the pangs of bifurcation since 2014, as the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government is firm on carrying out its new plans for "comprehensive, parallel and decentralized development." All other political parties and citizens at large, however, are staunchly opposing the ruling YSR Congress' move to basically relocate the state capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, as already indicated by the Chief Minister on the floor of the Assembly on December 17. How the government is seeking to go ahead with its plans remains a closely-guarded secret but, given any opportunity, the principal opposition Telugu Desam is determined to derail the process by showing its strength in the Legislative Council. The YSRC may be having a brute majority of 151 in the 175-member Assembly but it's in a woeful minority in the 58-member Council, with its numbers being just nine.
5. SC to hear Nirbhaya convict's plea against HC order rejecting his juvenility claim
The Supreme Court will hear on January 20 a plea of a death row convict in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case against a Delhi High Court order dismissing his claim of being a juvenile at the time of commission of the offence. A bench of Justices R. Banumathi, Ashok Bushan and A.S. Bopanna will hear the plea of Pawan Kumar Gupta. Gupta moved the apex court on Friday challenging the high court's order dismissing his claim of being a juvenile in December 2012. Besides, the convict has sought a direction restraining the authorities from executing the death penalty, which has been scheduled for February 1. He has challenged the high court's December 19 order by which it also deprecated the conduct of his advocate for filing forged documents and not appearing in the court. A Delhi court on Friday issued fresh death warrants for February 1 against the four convicts—Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan (25)—in the case. Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of Mukesh. The other three condemned convicts have not yet availed of the constitutional remedy of filing the mercy petitions.
6. Harry and Meghan begin life as almost ordinary people
Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan began a new life today as somewhat ordinary people with financial worries and security concerns after being stripped of their royal titles and public funding by the Queen. The settlement announced by Buckingham Palace on Saturday saw the 93-year-old monarch assume her painfully familiar role of managing a family crisis that threatened the very foundations of one of Britain's oldest institutions. The "Megxit" mess began when the young couple gave up their font-line family duties and announced plans to chart a "progressive new role" in North America on January 8. They did so without winning Queen Elizabeth II's permission or seemingly knowing how it was all going to work out. A mad rush of royal family meetings and screaming headlines in the tabloid papers culminated with a ruling Saturday that The Daily Telegraph called "the hardest Megxit possible". The couple lost their right to be called "his and her royal highness" (HRH)—much as Harry's late mother Princess Diana did when she divorced Prince Charles in another family drama that upset the Queen in 1996.
7. PV Sindhu to take on mentor Gopichand's daughter in PBL today
World champion PV Sindhu will take on her mentor Pullela Gopichand's daughter Gayatri in an interesting opening day encounter featuring Hyderabad Hunters and Chennai Superstarz in fifth edition of Premier Badminton League (PBL) starting today. Seven teams—Awadhe Warriors, Bengaluru Raptors, Mumbai Rockets, Hyderabad Hunters, Chennai Superstarz, North Eastern Warriors and Pune 7 Aces—will slug it out for a prize of Rs 6 crore. This will be the second consecutive season with Hyderabad Hunters for the Rio Olympic silver medallist, who led the Chennai franchise to title glory in the second season. With Chennai's Kirsty Gilmour playing at the Thailand Masters, this will be a priceless opportunity for the 16-year-old debutante Gayatri to hone her skills and gain confidence in front of home fans. "I have fond memories of winning the title for the Chennai franchise in the second season here. I thoroughly enjoy the love and support every time I play here. I am excited for the new season and I hope people will come and watch us play," said Sindhu.
-Inputs from PTI
