Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has cancelled his scheduled visit to Kerala today due to mother Sonia’s health concerns, HT has learnt.. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (L) cancelled his Kerala visit over his mother Sonia’s health concerns. (Hindustan Times/File). He was scheduled to kick off his election campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls in Kerala today with a major rally in Kozhikode. However, senior Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge will now be visiting the poll-bound state in Rahul’s place and has left for Kozhikode.. The development comes a day after Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. She is undergoing treatment there, with doctors monitoring her condition, as reported earlier.. Sonia Gandhi was feeling unwell due to the change in weather and was under observation, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. A team of doctors is attending to her, but there is nothing serious, it further added.. The Rajya Sabha MP was hospitalised back in January as well after she experienced respiratory issues. Back then, doctors attributed the deterioration in her health to combined effects of cold weather and the pollution level in Delhi. The Congress MP reportedly suffers from bronchial asthma, which had been mildly exacerbated then.. Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kozhikode was planned in the backdrop of the upcoming polls to Kerala. His rally was reportedly supposed to take place at the Kozhikode beach in the evening, marking the beginning of his campaign tour in the state ahead of the April 9 elections.. Also Read: Sonia Gandhi says India’s ‘silence’ on Khamenei death is abdication. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who heads the election campaign committee, reportedly said last week that Rahul Gandhi is expected to elaborate on key promises of the United Democratic Front (UDF), including the proposed “guarantee card”.. Leaders from the national and state levels of the party were also expected to attend the event, he said in a statement, as reported by news agency PTI. 

 Amid disruptions in global energy supplies and fears of strict measures over shortage of fuel and gas due to the US-Iran war, oil companies on Wednesday dismissed rumours of petrol-diesel shortage saying that India has adequate reserves.. PM Modi’s Rajya Sabha speech (Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab). The February 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a war that has not just affected the Gulf region but the entire world, with key waterway Strait of Hormuz being virtually closed off.. A fifth of world’s gas and fuel requirements reportedly travel through the Strait of Hormuz that Iran’s retaliation has choked.. Amid tankers carrying gas and crude oil being stranded or delayed due to the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, questions have been growing around what steps the government would take to cater to the global crisis, so much so that some have even wondered if there could be lockdown-like measures.. Oil companies dismiss fuel shortage rumours. Addressing the growing speculation and fears, Indian oil companies Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Indian Oil Corp Ltd said on Wednesday that the rumours are unfounded.. “Rumours of petrol and diesel shortages are completely unfounded. India has ample fuel reserves, and supply chains are running normally, said BPCL.. BPCL added it is fully operational and committed to uninterrupted fuel supply.. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) made a similar statement in its communication, assuring customers that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG across the country.. “Dear Customers, There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG across the country. Fuel supplies remain stable, and adequate stocks are available. Customers are advised not to be misled by rumours or resort to panic buying. Please continue with normal consumption patterns. HPCL remains committed to ensuring an uninterrupted and seamless fuel supply across its network,” HPCL said.. Internet searches regarding “lockdown in India” have been rising since Tuesday, March 24, which was also the sixth anniversary of the nationwide lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in 2020 over the Covid-19 outbreak.. ‘Lockdown due to war’ searches rise. Some searches on Tuesday also were about whether there will be a lockdown again in India due to war. The government of India has maintained through multiple statements issued so far over the West Asia conflict that there is no need for panic regarding disruptions globally in gas and oil supplies, however, people have been urged to be mindful in their usage of the key natural resources.. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Parliament speech, in which forecast a strong possibility of ill effects due to the ongoing war, also described the disruption to energy supplies globally due to the fighting in the oil-rich Gulf and as having “serious consequences”.. Drawing attention to the long-term risks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi note 

 Kamal Haasan, actor-politician and founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), announced on Tuesday that his party will not contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly election 2026.. DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin meets Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) MP Kamal Haasan (L), in Chennai on Tuesday (@mkstalin X/ANI Photo). Haasan’s MNM was expected to fight the April 23 elections under a seat-sharing plan with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).. Elections to the 234-seat Tamil Nadu assembly are scheduled to take place on April 23, while the counting of votes is slated for May 4, along with that of West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.. Why is Kamal Haasan’s party not contesting?. Kamal Haasan’s MNM, a constituent of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, said that the number of seats DMK offered and the ‘suggestion’ that MNM nominees should contest under the chief minister MK Stalin-led party’s Rising Sun symbol are not acceptable.. Announcing the decision to not contest the polls, MNM founder Haasan said his party would still be extending unconditional support to all the candidates of the DMK-led alliance.. Haasan said the decision to abstain from poll fray was “not sacrifice but a duty” and through this he has planted the seeds of a new political civilisation. “Proudly rejecting what the chief minister lovingly offers is also a form of love,” according to PTI news agency translation of his statement. He added that he gave up the seats for the progress of Tamil Nadu, and for the formation of a Dravidian Model 2.0 government which was the need of the hour.. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin hailed the announcement as “magnanimous decision setting aside self-interest with dignity and prioritise the welfare of Tamil Nadu.”. “I don’t know how to express my gratitude to him. His decision has deeply moved me,” PTI quoted as saying Stalin, who is the president of the DMK. Extending gratitude, Stalin requested “brother Kamal Haasan” to campaign across Tamil Nadu for the April 23 polls.. ‘No full stop in politics’. Haasan, who called on the chief minister and conveyed his decision on Tuesday evening, said in the statement: “In today’s difficult political environment, the number of seats that they (DMK) have promised to give us and the suggestion that we should contest under the Rising Sun symbol are not acceptable to the members of the MNM and to me.”. Haasan said in politics, election is only a part and it is not final; there is no ‘full stop’ in politics, according to PTI.. The MNM joined the DMK-led alliance during the last parliamentary election. “We worked hard for the alliance’s success. As a result, the voice of Makkal Needhi Maiam was heard in the Rajya Sabha. From that day till today, we have maintained the alliance dharma without giving up our uniqueness,” he said.. The chief minister and other leaders in the DMK “behaved with love, respect, and friendliness” towards him during the seat-sharing negotiations for the 20 

 West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee is banking on her trusted lieutenants to campaign for her in her own assembly constituency Bhabanipur, even as she goes on the offensive against arch rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across the state, especially focusing on North Bengal where the latter is perceived to be stronger.. Bhabanipur has been a TMC bastion since 2011 and Mamata Banerjee represented it in 2011 and 2016. (@AITCofficial X). Also read: Not Delhi, this Indian city was most polluted last year, shows report. The south Kolkata constituency, which goes to polls on April 29, is set to witness a high-voltage battle with the BJP fielding Suvendu Adhikari to challenge the chief minister from Bhabanipur. Adhikari, once a trusted confidante of Banerjee, joined the BJP in December 2020 (ahead of the 2021 assembly elections) and defeated his one-time mentor from Nandigram in 2021. It was the one bright spot for the BJP which won 77 of the 294 assembly seats in the state, belying its performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when it won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.. Also read: Sonia Gandhi admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, condition being monitored. “Banerjee will be away from Kolkata most of the time over the next one month as she will lead the party’s campaign across the state along with Abhishek Banerjee. Meanwhile some of the party’s veteran leaders close to Banerjee will lead the campaign in Bhabanipur during her absence,” said a senior TMC leader.. Firhad Hakim, a cabinet minister and one of Banerjee’s trusted lieutenants, campaigned at Chetla in Bhabanipur on Monday and Tuesday. Hakim, who doubles as the mayor of Kolkata, is the ward councillor from Chetla.. Also read: Modi, Trump discuss West Asia conflict; PM says must ensure Strait of Hormuz remains open. “I am campaigning from Chetla. I am just reminding people that Mamatadi is their own daughter. The people are with Mamatadi. We have already said that this time we will win from Bhabanipur with a margin of more than 60,000 votes. When we are campaigning in Bhabanipur, people are already saying we need not come and campaign as they are with didi. We are hitting the streets just to exchange greetings with the people,” he told reporters on Monday.. Senior TMC leaders aware of the developments told HT that apart from Hakim, other leaders such as Aroop Biswas, state minister and Subrata Bakshi, party president, will also campaign for Banerjee in Bhabanipur. This apart there are eight ward councillors and the party’s star campaigners who will also campaign in the constituency.. Bhabanipur has been a TMC bastion since 2011 and Banerjee represented it in 2011 and 2016. She moved to Nandigram in 2021 and lost, although her party won from Bhabanipur; she won the by-election in October 2021 (five months after the results of the assembly elections were declared in May 2021) with a record margin of 58,832 votes against her nearest ri 

 In a statement on Tuesday, the lawyer representing Ricky Rai, son of the late underworld figure Muthappa Rai, denied that his client was driving the Lamborghini seen performing drifting manoeuvres in a viral video from central Bengaluru, days after the police had seized the high-end car and sent a notice to Rai, asking him to appear for questioning.. Ricky Rai. The video, widely circulated on social media, shows a high-end car performing repeated doughnuts and sharp turns at Anil Kumble Circle on March 21. The footage prompted the Cubbon Park traffic police to register a suo moto case and seize the vehicle.. Authorities had initially suspected that Rai was behind the wheel. However, his lawyer, Narayana Swamy, rejected the claim, stating that the car had been given for servicing and was being driven by a chauffeur at the time.. “Firstly, there was no nuisance; that day, there were no people on the road. The car was given for service, and the driver collected it. Many claimed Ricky Rai was driving, but that is wrong; he wasn’t driving; the driver was. I request you all not to say Ricky was driving. I won’t deny he was in the car, but this was not done intentionally,” he said.. The lawyer described the driver as “talented”, arguing that what appeared to be deliberate drifting was in fact a loss of control on a newly paved stretch of road. “When he applied the brakes, the car skidded because the road was newly paved. There’s nothing big in this. The driver immediately regained control of the car. It happened accidentally,” he said.. Rai had earlier appeared before the Cubbon Park traffic police and submitted documents related to the vehicle. Police have also sought confirmation of ownership details from the Regional Transport Office. Officials said it remains unclear who was driving at the time.. Police officers, however, have taken a serious view of the incident. According to investigators, CCTV footage shows the Lamborghini making multiple passes and performing circular drifts between 2am and 3am, at times amid moving traffic.. West traffic deputy commissioner of police, Sahil Bagla said, “The CCTV footage clearly shows the car repeatedly drifting at the junction. Such acts are highly dangerous and pose a serious threat to public safety.”. “We have reviewed the CCTV footage, and the drifting has been recorded. We are verifying the ownership of the vehicle. Such stunts are illegal on Bengaluru roads and will not be tolerated,” he added.. “We will not only impose penalties but also recommend cancellation of the vehicle’s registration certificate (RC),” warned the DSP.. An FIR has been registered for rash and negligent driving, and investigators are working to identify the person driving the car using CCTV footage and other evidence. The driver is reported to have fled the scene after the incident, which was captured by a bystander.. Ricky Rai, who had been issued a notice, appeared before the Cubbon Park Traffic Polic