Remembrance
When Indira Gandhi became India’s first woman Prime Minister
India 1966, upon the sudden demise of second Prime Minister of India, late Lal Bahadur Shastri, who would now lead India and the government, was a serious question and race for power began in Delhi.
Let us look at the incident, which changed Indian politics forever and named Nehrus daughter, Indira Gandhi as India’s first woman Prime Minister.
Senior Congress leader late Morarji Desai and Syndicates choice late Indira Gandhi, were the two candidates, contesting for PM’s office. Due to the inter-party differences, Congress Party, which was governing Centre at that time, could not decide upon one name for the post of Prime Minister.
The then Congress President, late K Kamaraj, wanted to resolve this matter within the party but Desai was adamant on calling for a parliamentary election. Desai was quoted saying, Congresss working committee can’t decide the countrys Prime Minister, the representatives of Indian people sitting in the parliament, should.
Kamaraj agreed on having elections and a date was decided. Media persons gathered in large numbers, as parliamentarians (Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha) were voting for the next Prime Minister of India.
A reporter from outside called, Who is it? boy or girl?? a voice came from inside of the parliament building and said, It’s a girl, girl in white khadi sari with a shawl. That’s how on 19 January 1966, India and the world got to know that Indira Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai by securing 355 votes from 524 and became, the third Prime Minister of India.
Gandhi succeeded Shastri and went on governing India from 1966-1977. She again came back to power in 1980 and governed till 1984. On 31st October 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards at her residence, in Delhi.
COVID-19
Thane Municipal Corporation adds 25 beds as COVID cases rise
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) added 25 additional beds in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital Kalwa apart from arranging a special ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The total number of active patients in the city stood at 252 while five succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, TMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said a ‘death audit’ of patients who died of COVID would be conducted. The TMC has ensured it has additional stock of oxygen concentrators, testing kits, medicines, to name a few. Bangar told HT, “Due to the increasing number of Covid patients, it is necessary for everyone to be alert.”
He added, The number of Covid tests should be increased to stay one step ahead of the disease. As a result, the number of patients is likely to increase due to increased testing. However, as per the ‘test, isolate, treat’ protocol for Covid, it becomes necessary to isolate and treat more and more patients. The testing centres will not remain closed even for a single day. At the same time, more arrangements for testing will be made immediately in public places, markets, railway stations, malls.”
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
Also read: Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
Politics
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified

Rahul Gandhi
An independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections named Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from contesting polls for failing to lodge account of election expenses. Gandhi, who’s name figures as ‘Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma’ in an Election Commission list of persons, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent and had received 2196 votes from the Wayanad seat in Kerala – a constituency from where ex-Congress MP Rahul Rajiv Gandhi had won with over seven lakh votes.
However, since it is mandatory for all contestants to submit their account of election expenses among other mandatory requirements under EC rules and the Representation of the People Act.
Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma stood disqualified to contest polls from September 13, 2021 till September 13, 2024. According to Section 10A, the Election Commission can disqualify a contestant for a period of three years from the date of the order if he/she has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by law and has no good reason or justification for the failure.
Also read: ‘CBI under UPA govt. pressurised me to frame Modi,’ recalls Amit Shah
Nagpur News
Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
A total of 22 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur in past 24 hours on Thursday. Almost 242 people were tested in the city, out of which 15 belonged to urban area while and 6 were from the rural areas, and one from outside Nagpur district.
At present, there are 72 active patients in the city. Three new cases of the new XBB.1.16 variant of COVID-19 were detected that took the total tally to five in the district.
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
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