It could possibly be advantage Congress in the coming Assembly polls in four key states. Sulking BJP patriarch L.K. Advani’s move to take on Gujarat CM Narendra Modi is expected to hit saffron forces hard.
The BJP, which had appeared enthused and charged just 24 hours back, will now approach the Assembly polls as a divided house. Its internal crisis triggered by Mr Advani’s action is likely to benefit the Congress in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chhattisgarh which are likely to hold polls in November.
BJP leaders feel that with his decision to quit the party’s parliamentary board, national executive and election committee, Mr Advani has successfully damaged Mr Modi’s chances of projecting a united BJP in the polls.
Speaking to this newspaper, a senior BJP leader said that irrespective of whether Mr Advani now sticks to his decision to quit all posts, or withdraws his resignation, the “damage has been done”. Saffron strategists fear it could also vertically split the party.
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Sooraj held for abetting Jiah suicide
Age Correspondent
Mumbai, June 10
The Mumbai police arrested Sooraj Pancholi, 21, son of actor Aditya Pancholi, on Monday evening for allegedly abetting the suicide of actress Jiah Khan, 25, who ended her life at her Juhu residence last week.
“We arrested Sooraj under IPC Section 306 (abetment of suicide) in Jiah’s case. He will be produced in a court on Tuesday,” a senior police inspector said.
Soon after Jiah’s death, the police found she made several phone calls and texted Sooraj all through Monday. She had also spent the weekend with him. She made her last phone call around 10.53 pm to him. She committed suicide between 10.53 pm and 11.23 pm.
Jiah’s mother claims he hit her when she went to his house on Monday, but he denies that he met her that day.