Category: PTI

IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant will only get better working with Ricky Ponting, feels DC’s assistant coach Shane Watson

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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What young Rishabh Pant has achieved so far in his career has been outstanding and the young wicketkeeper-batter will only get better working with two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting, according to former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson. Pant is the skipper of the Delhi Capitals team which is coached by Ponting.

“The skill that Rishabh Pant has, take away his leadership, at 24-years-old to do what he’s been able to do in the infancy of his cricketing career…the things he has been able to achieve has been incredible,” Watson said during Delhi Capitals’ virtual press conference to announce a collaboration with Royal Stag for the upcoming IPL season. “It feels like he’s been around for a long time. He can only continue to get better and learn from his experiences,” said the DC assistant coach.

“For him to get an opportunity to be a leader and under Ricky (Ponting), who was one of the best captains I played with. Ricky has the ability to lead a team and get the best from the people around him. Rishabh certainly has a great person around him,” he added. Pant is often compared to former India captain MS Dhoni but Watson feels both are very different people and cricketers. “Media and public, in general, want to compare apple with apple but every individual has their own skillset, their own ability and in a perfect world we could compare Rishabh with MS Dhoni but both are very different people and cricketers, who have incredible skill.

“Rishabh is a leader who is very cool, calm and collected as well as what I have experienced with the other person — MS Dhoni.” Watson warned everyone to draw comparisons between Pant and Dhoni at their own peril. “In the end, all Rishabh can do is become the best version of himself. The public and media can continue to compare him to great MS Dhoni at their own peril. “But all that matters for Rishabh and DC is that he brings the best version of himself as a player and leader.” Looking forward to working with Pant, Shaw and Shardul

With an exciting set of local and overseas players in the Capitals’ squad Watson is looking forward to working with Pant, opener Prithvi Shaw and all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

“Looking forward to getting to know Pant, finding out what exactly makes him tick and finding out how I can help him in any way possible. “Prithvi Shaw is someone I find very fascinating. The talent this young guy has is spectacular. He has incredible skill.

“Another guy I’m looking forward to working with is Shardul Thakur,” he added. Watson shared the dressing room with Thakur during his time in Chennai Super Kings. “I worked with him (Thakur) in CSK. He’s an extremely skilful cricketer and is continuing to get better. We are seeing his skill with the ball and quite a few glimpses with the bat as well. He is a genuine all-rounder in all formats, especially T20.” Watson feels the Capitals can win their maiden title this season as they have been able to gather a strong squad. “The one thing that stands out for me is the squad. It is certainly one of the strongest with overseas and Indian players,” he said. “DC has been close to winning the title and I feel they have what it takes to cross the line. There are not too many holes in the squad let alone team.” Depth of Indian talent is outrageous =

Asked about the addition of two new teams in Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, Watson said, “When two new teams come in, it sort of dilutes the players a little bit. Teams need to find two more players to fill the void.

“The depth in Indian cricket is outrageous. If there had been 10 teams in IPL 1, 2 or 3 the talent pool would have been stretched thin but now the depth in Indian cricket alone means you have seven world-class players as the local Indian player and the overseas players complement them.” The former Australian all-rounder feels the team that gets its combination correct in the beginning will have a good chance of winning the title. “It will take half a season for the teams to find out their combinations and the team that gets it the quickest that’s the team that will get the momentum going and have a shot at the title.”

Also Read: In IPL-15, India will be looking for a solid captain for future, says Ravi Shastri

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: In IPL-15, India will be looking for a solid captain for future, says Ravi Shastri

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The IPL-15 is an opportunity to unearth a “solid” future captain for the Indian cricket team, former national team head coach Ravi Shastri said on Tuesday. From Rishabh Pant to Shreyas Iyer, the upcoming tournament could be mostly about unearthing the next generation of Indian leaders. He said current India skipper Rohit Sharma is doing an “outstanding” job.

“Virat is not being captain anymore, but Rohit has also been outstanding especially in white ball. India will be looking at who will be captaining the team (in future) — there is Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul. “India will be looking for a solid captain for the future and here is the opportunity,” Shastri said on Tuesday during a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL 2022.

“… That is the beauty of the IPL, last IPL we saw Venkatesh Iyer, no one had heard of him and by the time it got over he was in the Indian team. So you expect the unexpected.” Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya remains tight-lipped on his return to bowling but the whole country will be “very closely watching” his every move in the upcoming IPL, believes Shastri. Pandya, who is set to captain the Gujarat Titans team as the new franchise debuts in the Indian Premier League 2022. Due to a lower back injury, the star Indian all-rounder is yet to play any competitive match post last year’s ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE. “The whole county would be very closely watching Hardik Pandya in the IPL, we all know what he is capable of,” Shastri said on Tuesday during a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL 2022.

Shastri and Suresh Raina will be part of the elite commentary panel of Star Sports for the lucrative league. “Like Hardik there will be a lot of other players who are knocking at the doors of the Indian team.” Shastri also said fast bowling could get more attention than anything else in the upcoming IPL, with the next T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in the hard and bouncy pitches of Australia.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway with a match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. “One think I can say is that they would be watching the fast bowling department more than anything else as they are going to Australia in four months’ times after the IPL,” Shastri said.

A lot of youngsters have been given chances in the Indian team under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and Shastri is waiting to see how these players strengthen their case with good outings in the IPL. “I would rather focus on players who have been just given the opportunity and how they do in IPL… Now it will be important to see how these players perform in the IPL and strengthen their positions.” Shastri is returning to the commentary box after a seven-year absence. He will however be a part of the Hindi commentary team, something he has not been associated with in the past.

This edition of the tournament will see 10 teams in action, with the addition of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants. “Competition will be terrific this time, with two new teams coming in.. Now there are quite a few teams that will give you a real good run for the money. The mix has been very good and it promises a very strong league,” Shastri said.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: Rajasthan Royals have fantastic pace attack, says team’s fast bowling coach Lasith Malinga

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Newly-appointed fast bowling coach Lasith Malinga feels Rajasthan Royals have a fantastic pace attack with a good mix of experienced international players, genuine Indian quicks and youngsters. Malinga, who took 546 wickets in 340 international matches across three formats for Sri Lanka and also led the country to the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup triumph, has been roped in by the Royals as their new fast bowling coach ahead of IPL-15.

“I think we have a fantastic pace attack. You’ve got experienced overseas players like Boult and Coulter-Nile, with whom I’ve worked before,” Malinga was quoted as saying in a media release. “Then we’ve got genuine Indian fast bowlers in Prasidh (Krishna) and (Navdeep) Saini, who have proven themselves at the highest level, and some new faces in Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen and Kuldip Yadav.

“In T20 cricket, I think little margins really matter, and I’m here to guide them to deliver their best in all situations,” he added. Talking about joining the new franchise, the 38-year-old, who is also IPL’s highest wicket-taker, said he’s enjoying his new role.

“It is certainly a new thing for me to get into coaching and pass on my experience to the younger players. I have played this role before with Mumbai, and now I’m delighted to be working with Rajasthan Royals. It is a new place for me, but I’m enjoying my role so far working with such a talented group of bowlers.” Having been associated with Mumbai Indians for 13 seasons, he also recalled how the move to Royals came about. “It was actually last year that Kumar (Sangakkara) asked me if I was interested. But with COVID and all the bubble restrictions, I didn’t want to stay away from my family. “But this year, having also worked with the Sri Lankan team, I felt I could use my experience and give back to the game that I love, by working with this group of players.” Sharing his thoughts on what’s the most important thing for a fast bowler, Malinga said, “I think most of the times teams focus on analyzing the opposition and looking at their weaknesses.

“But in my experience, I think what works best is when you work on your strengths and bowl according to them. In T20, you only have to bowl 24 balls, which works in our favour but it’s also important to trust your instincts as to which variations can work in which situations.” “On the field, you only have a right-hander and a left-hander to prepare against, so when a bowler trains, it’s important to just train according to that to think there are just two batters it doesn’t matter what the name of the batsman is,” he added. Having won the IPL four times with Mumbai, the veteran also commented on what he thinks is the most important thing to do when going after a title.

“I think every team is equally strong and everyone in the team is equally valued. But the most crucial thing is how we understand the game and the situations within a game. “So, what I want to get out of our bowlers is to improve their thinking pattern, and help them understand the situations better,” he expressed.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: Taskin Ahmed denied permission by BCB to play for Lucknow Super Giants

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed, who was approached by Indian Premier League side Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for injured England quick Mark Wood, will not participate in the cash-rich league, the country’s cricket board (BCB) has said. According to a report by local media, Super Giants reached out to the 26-year old pacer after Wood was ruled out of the tournament due to an elbow injury.

New entrants Super Giants had paid Rs 7.5 crore for Wood at the IPL auction last month. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has refused to give Taskin the No-Objection Certificate to take part in the IPL as it clashes with the ongoing tour of South Africa.

“Since we have two important series like the ongoing home tour of South Africa and the home series against Sri Lanka, we feel it won’t be right for him to take part in the IPL,” BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus was quoted as saying by ‘Cricbuzz’. The Bangladesh cricket team is currently in South Africa, playing an ODI series which will be followed by two Tests that concludes on April 11, while the IPL begins on March 26.

“We have spoken with Taskin and he has understood the whole situation. He informed the franchise that he is not playing the IPL and will be available for the South Africa tour and later will return back home,” Yunus added.

Also Read: Faf Du Plessis commands respect, says Virat Kohli

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: Faf Du Plessis commands respect, says Virat Kohli

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Royal Challengers Banglore veteran Virat Kohli says Faf du Plessis’s solid leadership skills was a key reason that they planned to grab his services for the upcoming IPL edition. Kohli, who has been with Royal Challengers right from the first edition in 2008 and as full-time captain since 2013, relinquished captaincy after last year’s IPL.

RCB will now be led by four-time IPL winner Du Plessis, who was purchased by the franchise for Rs 7 crore in the mega auction last month. “Getting Faf at the auctions for us, the plan was very clear. We need a leader in the change room who commands a lot of respect. Commands not demands, because he has been there done that,” Kohli said in video posted by RCB’s Twitter handle.

“He’s a Test captain, that profile comes with a lot of accolades already and we are excited for him to lead RCB. He will do a tremendous job. “We get along really well with him, all of us myself Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) Dinesh Karthik and I think all the guys will enjoy this tournament,” he added.

Kohli joined the RCB preparatory camp on Monday. The Indian batting veteran had earlier said he made the decision to quit RCB captaincy as he wanted some space to manage his workload. “It’s unbelievable IPL has come this far. (I’m here with) Renewed energy because I’m off a lot of responsibilities and duties and life is in a very good place. For me, it’s all about going about life with a lot of joy and happiness. “My focus is so clear, it’s so precise what I want to do — have a lot of fun and enjoy myself on the field and give myself fully to this team, like I have for many years, without any load.” The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to begin on Saturday with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium here.

Check: From Ambani to Shah Rukh Khan and a British firm, find out who own franchises of season 15

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Whenever I scored runs, there’s someone else who scored better: Karun Nair

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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He has had his moments in IPL but Karun Nair, one of the only two triple centurions for India in Test cricket, has not quite gone on to become a T20 mainstay. Not that his Test career took off in the manner it was expected to after the monumental 303 against England in 2016. As far as IPL is concerned, being asked to play different roles at different teams did not help his cause, Nair reasoned. Despite having had a great start to his IPL career, scoring 330 runs for Rajasthan Royals at a strike rate of 142.24 in 2014, and having played for a few more franchises subsequently, Nair has been unlucky when it comes to establishing himself as a mainstay in T20 cricket.

Smiling, Nair on Monday explained why he could not attain a high degree of success in the shortest format. “In my opinion, the reason behind that is that I’ve never been the kind of a main player in a team in T20 cricket. If you see, whenever I score runs, there’s someone else who scores better in the same match (laughs),” Nair said in a press release issued by his IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals.

“…But I’m not really bothered about that at all — all I care about and why I play matches is to help the team win. On a more serious note, why people don’t see me as a T20 specialist is because I’ve been asked to play different kind of roles over the years, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But I’m hoping to have a great season with the Royals and just focus on whatever I’m told to do,” Nair added.

Having had a strong relationship with Rajasthan Royals over the past few years, batter Nair is back in the RR camp for IPL 2022 and is looking forward to contributing to the team’s success.

“Obviously a lot of things have changed since when I was here (at the Royals) first, but this team always feels like home to me. We have a well-balanced side, and I’m enjoying getting to know all the guys here. “It’s an exciting phase in the history of this franchise and I’m looking forward to playing an exciting brand of cricket, which I know the Royals always strive to do,” said 30-year-old Nair, who has also recently become a father. Having played with Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson before in the IPL, Nair is excited to play with his “good friend”.

“I’ve always loved playing with Sanju so I can’t wait to reconnect with him on the ground. We’ve had some really good partnerships over the years and I’m really happy to know Sanju, along with Kumar (Sangakkara) and Zubin (Bharucha), have shown the faith in me to bring me back into the team.” Nair’s teammate at Rajasthan Royals, spinner KC Cariappa is also chuffed to be playing alongside the phenomenal Ravichandran Ashwin in the upcoming IPL, viewing it as an opportunity to learn as much as possible from the veteran tweaker. This time at RR, Cariappa will also have India leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, for company.

Cariappa, who has spent the last two seasons with the franchise, is looking forward to working with two of India’s leading spinners. “I’ve known Yuzi for a long time and have enjoyed interacting with him over the years. Whereas, with a legend like Ashwin bhai in the team, it’s a great thing for me to learn and improve my bowling by taking inputs from him,” said Cariappa. “It’s obviously good to be back at the Royals — my second home. There’s a new feeling around the camp, which is obviously also down to the fact that we’ve got a solid team,” added the 27-year-old from Karnataka.

Check: The full schedule, match timing and venues for season 15

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: We are discussing roles players can take up during matches, says Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant on Monday said the team management has been discussing the roles “players can take up” during matches in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. The IPL-15 starts on Saturday with a match between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium here.

Pant, who will be leading the franchise for the second time after guiding it to the playoffs last year, said every member of the team is in a “good frame of mind” heading into the tournament.

“At the moment, we are trying to understand what do the new players’ need during nets sessions. We are discussing the roles the players can take up during matches and the kind of team environment we would like to set up,” the dashing wicketkeeper-batter said in a press release issued by the franchise. “We have spoken to the new players about the team environment we’ve had in the last few years,” he added. The JSW-GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals franchise will be taking the field with a new group of players in the upcoming season.

Captain Pant attended his first training session with the side.

“It seems like the team has been made for the first time. I observed every player during my first practice session with the team and it looks like everybody is in a good frame of mind. Everybody is enjoying each other’s company.” Pant said.

Speaking about working with head coach Ricky Ponting for the second time as skipper, Pant said, “It’s always special meeting Ricky Ponting. Whenever I meet him, it feels like I am meeting a family member. And he always brings the energy out of every player on the field. Everyone looks up to him and waits for him to say something different.”

Check: IPL 2022 complete schedule

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

BJP leaders meet PM Modi amid ongoing exercise for govt formation in 3 states

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Top BJP leaders, including party chief J P Nadda, and Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing exercise for government formation in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa. The meeting is underway at the prime minister’s residence and it is also being attended by BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh.

In the recent round of assembly polls, the BJP won in these three states and Manipur, while the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Punjab. Earlier in the day, the BJP reposed faith in N Biren Singh and nominated him as the chief minister of Manipur.

In Uttarakhand, the newly elected BJP MLAs will meet in Dehradun on Monday to choose their leader who will be the next chief minister of the hill state where the party has stormed back to power for an unprecedented second successive term. Though the party won the Uttarakhand polls, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost his assembly seat.

In Uttar Pradesh and Goa it is almost certain that the party will repeat Yogi Adityanath and Pramod Sawant as chief ministers, but it has to take a call on the structure of the cabinet in these states. In case of Uttar Pradesh, the party has to take a call on who to appoint as deputy chief minister, as Keshav Prasad Maurya, who held the post in the previous BJP government, lost his assembly seat.

It is expected that by the end of next week, the BJP will complete the government formation process in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa.

Also Read: Assembly Elections 2022 – How the CMs of the five states performed

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: KL Rahul is my favourite captain, says KKR’s new skipper Shreyas Iyer

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India batter and IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders’ new skipper Shreyas Iyer has lavished praise on national team-mate KL Rahul, saying his “calm demeanour” and “instinctive” on-field decision-making ability makes him his favourite captain. Iyer played under Rahul during the ODI series in South Africa earlier this year and he was effusive in his praise for his leadership skills.

“It was nice to play under him. Firstly, he is an outstanding player. The confidence he carries on the field and in the team meetings, the support that he provides to the players it great,” Iyer said on Red Bull Cricket Room on Clubhouse. “He’s got a very calm demeanour and his on-field decision making is very instinctive. I really enjoyed playing under him.” Iyer had bowled three overs for 21 runs after KL Rahul had handed him the opportunity to roll his arms in the third ODI in South Africa.

“Also, he gave me three overs of bowling, which none of the captains previously had done. So yeah, he’s my favourite captain!, Iyer quipped. Rahul, who was leading Punjab Kings till last year, will captain Lucknow Supergiants this IPL season beginning on March 26.

Also Read: IPL 2022 – Navdeep Saini eager to connect with Trent Boult at Rajasthan Royals

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Biren Singh, the footballer who dribbled through the political field to be Manipur’s chief minister

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Nongthombam Biren Singh managed to win the approval of his party on Sunday to get a second term as chief minister of the strife-torn state of Manipur. Singh who led his party to a spectacular victory earlier this month, started out life as a footballer and was recruited into the Border Security Force on the strength of his ability with the ball.

However, he soon metamorphosed into a journalist to become editor of a vernacular daily ‘Naharolgi Thoudang’. The move into journalism soon saw him foray into the world of politics some two decades ago as an MLA from the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party. A move into Congress followed soon after and a reward in the form of a cabinet berth in 2003, placed him as a `go-to’ person in Imphal.

He became one of the then chief minister Ibobi Singh’s trusted lieutenant and after retaining his assembly seat in 2007 election, was given charge of the heavy portfolios of Irrigation & Flood Control, Youth Affairs & Sports, and Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution. Although he retained his seat again in 2012 for a third consecutive term, Biren Singh had a fallout with Ibobi Singh against whom he eventually led a revolt.

Eventually finding it difficult to continue, he resigned from the Congress and joined BJP in October 2016. Elections in March 2017 and the inability of the Congress which emerged as the single largest party but without a clear majority to swing sufficient numbers its way, saw BJP cobble together a coalition government with Biren Singh as the new chief minister. The journey since then has been upwards though not without hiccups. The 61-year-old has been widely credited with bringing peace and bridging the divide between the people of the valley and the hills, in this insurgency-hit, multi-ethnic state during his tenure as chief minister in the past five years.

His initiatives – ‘Go to hills’, ‘Meeyamgi Numit’ (People’s Day on 15th of every month) and ‘Hill Leaders’ Day’ – have made it easier for people in far-flung hamlets to access their elected leaders and top bureaucrats. While he managed to last the five-year term, he too faced internal challenges with Thongam Biswajit Singh also eyeing the Chief Minister’s post. The challenge by Biswajit Singh saw both of them rushing twice to Delhi for adjudication within the last ten days. However, support from the central leadership which weighed in with him as well as from state unit stalwarts like A Sharda Devi, the state BJP chief, eventually saw Biren fending off the challenge and unanimously being chosen as chief minister of the state.

Also Read: Assembly Elections 2022- How the CMs of the five states performed

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow