Bengaluru/Chandigarh: Congress has packed off nine of its 14 Odisha MLAs to a Bengaluru resort and 32 of its Haryana legislators to the hills of Himachal Pradesh, kickstarting the familiar ritual of unscheduled political vacations as parties seek to ring-fence the pack from horse-trading ahead of the March 16 Rajya Sabha polls. In Bhubaneswar, ex-CM Naveen Patnaik’s BJD lined up mandatory evening meetings of its legislators for three days to ensure everyone stays in line. Both Congress and BJD are backing independent candidate Datteswar Hota for one of the four seats in the state among 37 in the country going to RS polls. Odisha PCC president Bhakta Charan Das accompanied the Congress flock Friday to the resort at Bidadi in Bengaluru South that will be their home until at least the eve of the election. “Nine of our colleagues are on a leisurely weekend trip while five of us are here. You know how BJP is openly trying to trade MLAs. But our colleagues remain united,” CLP chief Rama Chandra Kadam told TOI. Karnataka deputy CM and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar, overseeing arrangements at Wonderla resort off Mysore Road, said the MLAs were brought to the city after BJP fielded a second candidate in the race for four seats. “There are concerns about cross-voting and attempts to influence MLAs with big offers,” he said. In the 147-member Odisha assembly, governing party BJP has 79 MLAs and is expecting support from three independents. Whereas, BJD has 48 legislators. A candidate needs at least 30 first-preference votes to win a seat. Under this formula, two BJP candidates and one BJD candidate are expected to win comfortably. For the fourth seat, BJP has extended support to independent candidate Dilip Ray, a former Union minister. In Haryana, 32 Congress MLAs assembled at the Chandigarh residence of CLP leader Bhupinder Hooda for a meeting in the presence of AICC general secretary BK Hariprasad and PCC president Rao Narender Singh. They took part in a voting drill before being herded into two buses that ferried them to Shimla, sources said. Among the MLAs who haven’t gone are Chandermohan, who is said to be unwell, and Olympian Vinesh Phogat. With 48 seats, BJP is confident its candidate, Sanjay Bhatia, will sail through. Congress, with 37 members, needs 31 first-preference votes for its candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh to win. Independent candidate Satish Nandal has skewed the equation for the second seat. Congress appears wary of a repeat of the 2022 defeat of Ajay Maken due to cross-voting.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes it would be extremely difficult for the Chennai Super Kings team management to leave MS Dhoni out of the playing XI in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.Dhoni is set to return for Chennai Super Kings in the 2026 campaign, with franchise CEO Kasi Viswanath already confirming that the veteran will be available for the entire tournament. However, the exact role he will play during matches is yet to be finalised. According to Viswanath, the decision will be taken by the team management, who will decide whether Dhoni features as the wicketkeeper or is used as an impact player depending on the match situation.The 44-year-old had a relatively quiet season in IPL 2025 season, scoring 196 runs from 14 matches. Batting mostly in the lower order, Dhoni averaged 24.50 and maintained a strike rate of 135.17 while often coming in during the closing stages of the innings to provide quick runs.Despite questions around his role, Badrinath feels the management would find it almost impossible to bench the legendary captain given the stature he holds within the franchise. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former CSK batter suggested that even head coach Stephen Fleming may not be in a position to make such a call.“I don’t know if it is an administrative decision where he (CSK CEO) said that he (Dhoni) is ready to play all matches. He said that he would support the cricketing decision and stop. Now, will Fleming go and tell Dhoni that you don’t play this match, we are dropping you. I don’t think Fleming has a chance at all. How will he go and tell Dhoni that you are dropped? I literally feel that it is not possible,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.Badrinath further emphasised the level of respect Dhoni commands inside the CSK dressing room. According to him, it would be extremely hard for any member of the coaching staff to even suggest that the former India captain should sit out or be used only as a substitute.“I don’t think any support staff in the world, be it even Fleming, can tell Dhoni you are an impact player, or you don’t play this match. There is no chance. We can take it that he is going to play all the matches,” he added.

NEW DELHI: The joint opposition on Friday moved Parliament for removal of Gyanesh Kumar as chief election commissioner (CEC), a critical step that takes the anti-BJP camp’s protest against the nationwide SIR and conduct of elections to the extreme limit that would further widen its already yawning chasm with the NDA. The removal notice comes just before EC announces schedule for assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, where key INDIA bloc members are pitted against BJP, as also against each other. Opposition MPs submitted removal notices in both Houses of Parliament, with 130 Lok Sabha members and 63 from Rajya Sabha signing the petitions. The notices include not just INDIA bloc parties but also some Independent MPs and AAP which has been waging its own battle against EC, with grave allegations about Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi. AAP had walked out of the bloc after the 2024 LS polls. Sources in the INDIA bloc said the petitions have seven charges against Kumar, chiefly alleged “partisan and discriminatory conduct in office”, “deliberate obstruction of investigation of electoral fraud”, “mass disenfranchisement of voters”, and “misbehaviour”. The opposition has also raised the issue over the SIR that was conducted for the 2025 Bihar polls and the forthcoming elections in states like West Bengal, and CEC’s partial conduct towards a political party, they said. The opposition has been accusing the EC of seeking to help BJP through SIR. CEC’s removal notice is a TMC initiative, with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee having first made the demand during the Budget session in Feb. The move came to fruition after Mamata led a bellicose multiple-day protest in Kolkata. Process for removing CEC is similar to that of a Supreme Court judge – incumbent can be removed only on “grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity”. As per Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, once motion to remove a judge is admitted in LS or RS, speaker or chairman will constitute a three-member panel to probe the grounds. Once it submits its report, it will be tabled in the House and discussions will follow. The motion has to be passed by both Houses by majority of total membership and two-thirds majority of MPs present and voting. Given that NDA has majority in LS and RS, it makes the opposition’s move a non-starter. There was a quid pro quo of sorts that ensured an early submission of the notices in LS and RS. TMC did not sign the removal notice against Speaker Om Birla that was backed by other opposition parties, but it supported the notice when it came up in LS this week, after an understanding within the INDIA bloc to jointly sponsor the notice against the CEC.

How is govt seeking to ensure that power supply stays ahead of demand?We are continuously expanding our generation. Earlier, the focus was on thermal capacity addition. The priority now is renewable energy, especially solar. Since solar power is not available round the clock, we are focusing on storage solutions. Nuclear energy will also contribute. The current capacity is around 8GW and 12GW is in the pipeline. Our long-term target is 100GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, and states have been encouraged to develop at least one project each. Continuous power can come from thermal, nuclear or gas. Gas is expensive and therefore not a priority. In 2014-15, the demand-supply gap was around 5.5%. By 2024-25, it came down to 0.1%, which is largely due to technical factors. There is pressure from developed countries to shut down coal-based thermal power plants. What will be India’s policy?Our priority is clean and green power. Continuous supply is needed for grid stability, and thermal power provides that. All thermal projects that can be developed up to 2032 have already been planned. Around 20,000MW of capacity is under development. After that, new thermal plants may not be necessary because India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. Thermal plants that exist will continue until the end of their life cycle, but the overall share will gradually decline as renewable energy expands. How will the gas shortage impact power generation?I don’t want to comment bec-ause it’s an evolving situation. Discoms have reported a profit of about Rs 2,700 crore. However, the sector still has large debt and accumulated losses. How will this be addressed?Earlier, losses increased because tariffs were not aligned with costs. Govts often announced free or subsidised power, so cost of supply was higher than tariff charged. In some cases, the gap reached Re 1 per unit. Gradually, states have started addressing this issue. AT&C losses have fallen from 23-24% 10 years ago to ar-ound 16%. Illegal connections were removed and billing systems improved. Despite these improvements, accumulated losses remain around Rs 6.7 lakh crore. Earlier, the UDAY scheme transferred discom debt to state govts. A similar approach is being considered along with reforms, such as partial privatisation. Which states are taking steps toward privatisation?Gujarat has begun moving in that direction, Haryana is exploring the option and UP is considering further private participation. Haryana has proposed a model where a separate company will handle ag-ricultural electricity connections. Agricultural feeders wi-ll be separated and power accounting will become clearer. Farmer organisations have protested in some pl-aces against privatisation. What message does the Centre want to give them to address their concerns?Farmers mainly require reliable electricity for irrigation. Whether supply comes from a govt company or a private one does not affect opera-tions. Subsidies will continue. There is discussion about having two discoms in the same area so consumers benefit from competition. Is the idea of multiple suppliers being considered?Yes, it is being examined. Electricity quality cannot be differentiated because once power enters the network, it gets mixed. The system would function somewhat like the telecom sector, where consu-mers choose their service provider. The physical network will remain the same. Wires and meters won’t change. Only the supplier providing electricity behind the network will change, and digital systems will track how much ele-ctricity each supplier provi-des. Consumers will be able to select their supplier based ma-inly on tariff. The concept is still at an early stage and req-uires legal and policy approval before implementation. When will smart meters be installed in all homes? n Initially there was resistance, especially in rural areas, but people have started understanding the benefits. With prepaid smart meters, companies also receive payments in advance. If these are widely adopted, nearly Rs 1 lakh crore can enter the system as adv-ance payments, improving liquidity in the power sector and reducing the need for loans. Some states already provide incentives for prepaid meters. After the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, will new hydro projects come up in Kashmir?Some plants are already operating, and desilting work is being undertaken to restore reservoir capacity. Work has also started on three-four projects that were stalled. Additional projects are being pla-nned, and site identification is under way. There are also proposals to divert water towards Punjab and further to Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and Delhi through canals or tunnels. There are two-three possible routes; we have to see which one can be built faster and will be financially viable. One that has been proposed through the city of Jammu may not be feasible. The feasibility of another alignment around the city is being checked.

Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ is creating massive buzz ahead of its March 19th release. Early reviews hail it as ‘Paisa Vasool,’ with advance bookings already crossing Rs 120 crore. Andhra Pradesh has approved a temporary ticket price hike, and special early morning benefit shows are planned, promising a grand opening for the action entertainer.

The upcoming Telugu action entertainer ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ has started generating strong hype even before its theatrical release. Starring Pawan Kalyan in the lead role, the film is scheduled to hit theatres on March 19, 2026 and it coincides with the festive occasion of Ugadi. With just days left for the premiere, an early review has started circulating on social media.

Early review calls it ‘Paisa vasool’

On March 11, film personality Umair Sandhu shared his first impressions of the film on X. Sharing his reaction, he wrote, “#PawanKalyan Entry Scene is Paisa Vasool ! Watching Overseas Censor Screening #UstaadBhagatSingh !.”

Advance booking buzz crosses Rs 120 crore mark

Even before its release ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ has reportedly generated impressive business through advance bookings. As reported by Money Control, the film has already recorded significant ticket sales across Telugu-speaking regions and also the film has earned nearly Rs 120 crore in advance booking sales in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Ticket price hike approved in Andhra Pradesh

Ahead of the film’s release, the government of Andhra Pradesh has approved a temporary ticket price hike for Ustaad Bhagat Singh as reported by 123 Telugu website. A new Government Order confirming the revised pricing has also surfaced online.According to the order, single-screen theatres can increase ticket prices by Rs 100, including GST. This brings the revised ticket rate to Rs 247.For multiplex theatres, ticket prices can be increased by Rs 125, including GST. The revised multiplex fare will be Rs 302.These enhanced ticket prices will remain in effect for ten days starting from March 19.

Benefit shows planned for early morning screenings

As per the same Government Order, the film will not have premiere shows before its official release. Instead, a special benefit show will be screened on the release day itself. The benefit show will take place on March 19. It will begin early in the morning between 4 AM and 5 AM.The ticket price for this special show has been fixed at Rs 500, including GST. Additionally, theatres have been permitted to screen five shows per day for the first ten days of release.Interestingly, the project was initially scheduled for release on March 26. The makers later decided to advance the release by a week, bringing it to theatres earlier than planned.Directed by Harish Shankar, the film also features Sreeleela, Raashii Khanna, and R. Parthiban in key roles. On the other hand, Pawan Kalyan’s previous film was ‘OG’.

MUMBAI: Kandivli resident Deonandan Prasad Singh (54) was killed after the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MT Safesea Vishnu, on which he was serving, came under attack near Khor Al Zubair Port, close to Basra, Iraq, on Wednesday, according to the director general of shipping, ministry of port, shipping and waterways.In a press release on March 12, the ministry had confirmed the death of one Indian seafarer. An official said Singh, serving as the additional chief engineer (superintendent) aboard the vessel, died following the attack. Singh’s family alleged he had been on shore duty for over seven years after leaving sailing work, having served on the engineering side for almost 25 years, before the company forced him to rejoin a ship three days before the war began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28.“Singh was killed almost two weeks after joined the vessel at Iraq. It is sort of forcing him to join as he has signed the agreement with the company and in a corporate world one has to abide the company’s rules and regulations. Despite having stopped sailing and having taken a shore desk job, he was sent to die. The company forced him to join the ship as per the contract clause he had signed and joined the ship in Iraq three days prior to the war began,” a family member said.“Singh sustained severe injuries during the incident and later succumbed to them. Authorities and relevant maritime agencies have been informed, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is underway,” a ministry official said.Following the incident, all crew members abandoned the vessel and entered the water. They were rescued by an STS tug. The Iraqi Coast Guard evacuated all 28 crew members, including 16 Indian nationals and 12 Filipino nationals, and transported them the port of Basra.The DG Shipping office in Mumbai remained tight-lipped. The shipping company, Executive Management or Bravo Shipping Management, was yet to revert to a mail sent by TOI. The management of MT Safesea Vishnu and associated stakeholders expressed condolences to Singh’s family.The alumni cell of BIT Sindri posted a condolence message on on Facebook.

Abrar Ahmed and Kavya Maran (PTI/IPL Photo)

NEW DELHI: The signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred has sparked debate online, but the BCCI, through its vice president Rajeev Shukla, has distanced itself. The franchise, owned by the Sun Group, which also runs Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, bought Abrar for GBP 190,000 (around Rs 2.34 crore) during Thursday’s auction after a bidding battle with Trent Rockets. The tournament will take place from July 21 to August 16.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla made it clear that the Indian board does not control decisions made in overseas leagues. “It doesn’t concern us. It’s not the IPL. What happens in The Hundred or other overseas leagues, we have nothing to do with it,” Shukla told PTI.Abrar’s signing triggered backlash on social media, and the Sunrisers Leeds X account was suspended briefly. The reaction reflects the long-standing absence of Pakistani players in the IPL since 2009, when worsening diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan effectively ended their participation in the league.Sunrisers Leeds came under the Sun Group’s control last year after it bought a 49% stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board and the remaining 51% from Yorkshire for about GBP 100 million. Sunrisers CEO Kavya Maran attended the auction.Interestingly, Abrar wasn’t the only Pakistan player picked in the auction. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq was earlier bought by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000, though that team has no IPL links.Despite the IPL ban, Pakistani players have still appeared in overseas leagues for teams connected to IPL owners. Recently, Several Pakistani cricketers have played for Indian-owned or co-owned franchises in overseas T20 leagues.Imad Wasim featured for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 in 2023–24 and later for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in 2024 and 2025, a team co-owned by the Delhi Capitals’ GMR Group. Zaman Khan also played for Seattle Orcas in MLC 2024. The same year, Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq played for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL, a franchise owned by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Representative image (AP)

NEW DELHI: Iran has allowed two India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to transit through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Reuters reported citing four sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The development comes as Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, confirmed that Tehran would provide safe passage to vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical routes for global energy trade.Responding to a question on whether Iran would allow Indian-bound ships safe transit through the strait, Fathali said, “Yes. Because India and I are friends. You can see the future, and I think that after two or three hours. Because we believe that. We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests; we have a common fate.”He also highlighted the mutual responsibility between the two countries. “Suffering of the people of India is our suffering and vice versa. And for this reason, the government of India help us, and we should help the government of India because we have a common fate and common interest,” he added.Meanwhile, Reuters, citing two sources and shipping data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence, reported that a crude oil tanker carrying Saudi Arabian oil is expected to arrive in India on Saturday after transiting the Strait of Hormuz around March 1.Separately, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticised the United States over its stance on Russian oil, saying Washington is now “begging” countries, including India, to buy Russian crude despite earlier pressure to stop such imports.In a post on X, Araghchi said, “The US spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia. After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world–including India–to buy Russian crude.”He also criticised European countries for supporting what he called an “illegal war” against Iran.“Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win US support against Russia. Pathetic,” he said.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 aimed at preventing religious conversions through coercion, fraud or marriage, says any child born out of a marriage or a “relationship in the nature of a marriage” due to unlawful conversion shall be “deemed to belong to the religion of the mother before such marriage or relationship”.The Bill mandates that any person intending to convert as well as any individual or institution organising a conversion ceremony, must give a notice at least 60 days in advance to the competent authority. The competent authority will then display details of the proposed conversion on its office notice board and the office of the village panchayat or local authority concerned and invite objections from the public within 30 days.The Bill requires that the converted person and individual or institution organising the ceremony submit a declaration to the same authority within 21 days after the conversion. It allows any person including the converted person’s parents, siblings or relatives by blood, marriage or adoption to lodge an FIR if they suspect unlawful conversion and mandates police to register such complaints.While setting a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for those “involved” in illegal conversion, it prescribes similar punishment for those “involved” in mass conversions and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat individual offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and fine of Rs 5 lakh. Inducements seen as illegal in such cases include gifts, employment, free education, better lifestyle or divine healing, Under the proposed law, the burden of proof that a conversion was not carried out in violation of the Act will lie on the person who caused, assisted or abetted the conversion.The bill, described as draconian by critics, says “forceful” and “involuntary” religious conversions in the state are increasing and that Maharashtra has no mechanism to stop them. It cites the example of other states which have passed similar laws.“Right to freedom of religion… under the Constitution of India is not absolute, but is subject to public order, morality, health and to other provisions of… Constitution relating to the fundamental rights of citizens. The Supreme Court… has in many cases held that the freedom of religion is subject to reasonable restrictions and right to propagate under article 25 of the Constitution does not include the right to forcibly convert another person,” says the Bill.It says, “religious conversions which are forceful, involuntary or caused by influencing free consent” are rising and are “being carried out in organized manner by various institutions.” It says various states have already enacted laws to prohibit them. “The objective is to protect the right to freedom of religion. It also aims to prohibit unlawful religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage,” said minister of state for home Pankaj Bhoyar, who introduced the bill in the assembly.Civil society bodies who opposed the bill in the run-up to its introduction in the assembly, called for a dialogue. “We are very disappointed that the bill was tabled without discussions with stakeholders who are going to be affected by this Anti-Conversion Law. It takes away the right to one’s conscience to follow the religion of their choice or marry a partner of their choice. We urge the Opposition to raise their voices and also demand that it be referred to a Select Committee for discussions as some of the clauses are draconian,” said Dolphy D’souza of The Bombay Catholic Sabha.Legal challenges against anti-conversion laws by civil rights groups such as Citizens for Justice and Peace have been taken up by the high courts in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Sections of these laws have been stayed by the courts and states have, in turn, gone on appeal before the Supreme Court. In Maharashtra, BJP leaders had promised during the last assembly poll campaign that an anti-conversion law would be brought to combat “love jihad”.(With inputs by Vijay V Singh)