21112024-TTC-01.qxd 11/21/2024 12:48 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 322 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 GLORIOUS CAREER COMES TO END AS NADAL BIDS FAREWELL TO TENNIS SPORT /thetribunechd ONLINE SCAMS POSE FRESH CHALLENGE FOR UT POLICE J&K US VETOES UNSC RESOLUTION ON GAZA TRUCE WORLD FOCUS ON REBUILDING TRUST AS RAJNATH MEETS CHINA MINISTER BACK PAGE thursday | 21 november 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Most exit polls predict NDA victory in Maha, Jharkhand CBSE Class X, XII examsfrom Feb 15 NEW DELHI: The CBSE Class X and Class XII final examinations will begin on February 15. While the Class X exams will end on March 18, those of Class XII will continue till April 4. To appear for the board examinations, a student must have at least 75 per cent attendance. For the first time, the datesheets have been issued nearly 86 days before the start of the examinations. — TNS Axis My India sole pollster to give eastern state to JMM-led coalition Aditi Tandon MAHARASHTRA JHARKHAND TOTAL SEATS 288 | MAGIC MARK 145 TOTAL SEATS 81 | MAGIC MARK 41 Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 20 Most exit polls on Wednesday predicted a win for the ruling NDA in Maharashtra while giving it an edge over incumbent JMM-led INDIA bloc in Jharkhand. Four of the seven exit polls said the incumbent BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine would retain power in the country’s richest state while three predicted a hung House. None forecast a win for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) in Maharashtra. In Jharkhand, of the six exit polls, three gave a clear edge to the NDA, with Axis My India the only one to predict the JMM-led alliance’s win. Two of these six exit polls said Jharkhand voters could return a hung verdict. In Maharashtra, the average of seven polls placed the ruling Mahayuti above 150 seats in a House of 288 where 145 is the simple majority, while giving 126 to the opposition INDIA bloc. Chanakya Strategies (152160), Matrize (150-170), Times Now-JVC (150-167) and People’s Pulse (175-195) gave the NDA a clear victory in Maharashtra. P Marq, Lokshahi and Dainik Bhaskar, however, said the verdict would be hung. In Jharkhand, where incumbent Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led INDIA coalition faced a tough electoral challenge from the BJP continued on page 9 NDA Matrize People’s Pulse ■ Chanakya Strategies ■ Times Now-JVC ■ P Marq ■ ■ MVA OTH 150-170 175-195 152-160 150-167 137-157 110-130 85-112 130-138 107-125 126-146 8-10 7-12 13-14 7-12 NDA Matrize People’s Pulse ■ Chanakya Strategies ■ Times Now-JVC ■ Axis My India ■ ■ INDIA OTH 42-47 44-53 45-50 40-44 25 25-30 25-37 35-38 30-40 53 1-4 5-9 3-5 1-1 3 COUNTING FOR ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS, BYPOLLS ON NOVEMBER 23 ED conducts raids in Bitcoin poll case MUMBAI: Indian players celebrate after winning the Asian Champions Trophy at Rajgir in Bihar on Wednesday. PTI Gidderbaha sees highest 81% vote in Punjab bypolls Haryana’s Deepika stars as India beat China to retain hockey title Tribune News Service Indervir Grewal Tribune News Service Voters outside a polling booth at Chabbewal in Hoshiarpur. MALKIAT SINGH Maharashtra records 65% voting, Jharkhand 68.4% Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 20 The Naxal belts of Maharashtra recorded the highest voter turnout on Wednesday while it was the lowest in Mumbai and its neighbouring urban Assembly segments even as the overall polling percentage in the state stood at 65.02 per cent, much higher than the 2019 poll count of 61.74 per cent. Jharkhand witnessed 68.45 per cent polling in the second and final phase of the elections for 38 of the 81 Assembly seats, surpassing the 2019 figure of 67.04 per cent. In Uttar Pradesh, where the Assembly byelections were held on nine seats, several continued on page 9 Chandigarh, November 20 Nearly 63 per cent voters turned up to cast their ballot in the byelections to the four Assembly constituencies of Gidderbaha, Barnala, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab today. Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said the highest voter turnout was recorded in Gidderbaha, with 81 per cent voters coming out to exercise their franchise. The lowest voting percentage of 53 was recorded in Chabbewal. No untoward incident was reported during the poll, where the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress appear to be in a direct fight, with the BJP staking a claim as the third important political force in the state...in the absence of the Shiromani continued on page 9 Chandigarh, November 20 Before Deepika could even realise what she had done, the 20-year-old striker was swarmed by her ecstatic teammates. Moments earlier, she had found herself at the end of a desperate pass after a botched-up penalty corner. Not letting the occasion overwhelm her, Deepika took her time before firing a tomahawk strike low into the far Joshi quits SAD, says he’s Crores spent, Hry okays a misfit as party’s focus ~15 cr more to spruce up on Panthic issues alone CM, ministers’ houses GS Paul Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 20 Former Punjab minister Anil Joshi on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), saying the “party was only focused on Panthic issues and was bereft of progressive thinking and brotherhood”. The development came days after Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned from the post of party president, although the SAD working committee refused to accept it. In his resignation letter sent to SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Joshi said he did not find any space for himself in the party that was mired in Panthic politics whereas he had always “stood by secularism Chandigarh, November 20 Despite spending lakhs, in some cases even crores, on the annual renovation at ministers’ residences, the Haryana Legislative Assembly has now approved Rs 15 crore for maintenance work at the Chief Minister’s house, ministers’ office rooms and their residences for the 2024-25 fiscal. This massive expenditure was included in the first instalment of the Supplementary Estimates. According to the document, “Being a post-Budget development, the provision could not be made in the Budget Estimates for 2024-25. Hence, the demand of Rs 15 crore is being made through Supple- REAL ISSUES IGNORED ❝ The Akali Dal has deviated from real issues and is entangled in Panthic agenda. I have always stood by secularism… can’t serve my people by staying with it. Anil Joshi, FORMER PUNJAB MINISTER and all-round development”. He, however, heaped praise on Parkash Singh Badal, saying continued on page 9 MINISTER DEFENDS EXPENDITURE ❝ It is but natural that when new persons move in, they undertake renovation according to their preferences. These are old buildings, so repairs are needed every five years. Ranbir Gangwa, PWD MINISTER mentary Estimates.” Surprisingly, the opposition Congress did not oppose the proposal, and the demand sailed through without contention. With the formation of the new BJP government led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, fresh allocation of offices and residences has continued on page 9 Will revive hotels: HP seeks review of HC order Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, November 20 The state government has decided to seek a review of the Himachal Pradesh High Court order for the closure of 18 loss-making hotels of the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). The government said it would also submit a roadmap to the high court to turn the units profitable after a renovation of the run-down properties. The HPTDC has already Plans to renovate units, rope in private players The Apple Blossom, Fagu, is one of the 18 hotels ordered to be closed. set in motion the process to hand over some of its properties — both loss-making and the ones earning little profit — to private players on an operate and management (ONM) basis to pull the corporation out of the red. However, the initiative is bound to face stiff resistance from the corporation staff, who have been opposing the move of successive regimes to lease out the loss-making units to the private sector. “We will share the roadmap to enhance occupancy in these hotels to 90 per cent with the high court,” said Raghubir Singh Bali, Chairman, HPTDC. He said the condition of these hotels, most of which were located in prime areas, had deteriorated continued on page 9 edit: white elephants c m y b corner. The goal, coming in the 31st minute of an intense final, proved to be the difference between the two teams. India defended their title by beating Paris Olympics silver medallist China 1-0 in the final of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy at Rajgir in Bihar today. For Deepika, and the Indian team, it was a perfect ending to a difficult year. In January, the team had helplessly watched its dream of participating in its third consecutive Olympics shatter after losing two close matches, to Germany (3-4 in shootout) and Japan (0-1), in the Paris Games qualifying tournament. Haryana’s Deepika was part of the team in the Ranchi tournament, solely carrying the penalty corner responsibility on her young shoulders. Expectedly, she had crumbled under the pressure, scoring just two goals in continued on page 9 The ED on Wednesday conducted searches at the Chhattisgarh premises of an audit company employee, Gaurav Mehta, allegedly linked to a Bitcoin transactions political case in Maharashtra, as part of a money laundering probe, sources said. He has also been summoned by the CBI. — PTI EPFOadds18.8lakh members in Sept NEW DELHI: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added 18.81 lakh new members in September this year, a growth of 9.33 per cent compared to the same month last year, reflecting a rise in employment opportunities and heightened awareness of benefits. — IANS