Prime Minister Modi's ruling party loses crucial Indian state election

The incumbent chief minister's party in India's West Bengal state has defeated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party in a state election held as the coronavirus pandemic surged to crisis levels. Modi has been criticised for focusing on the elections instead of making the pandemic his top priority. Some expert blame the federal election commission for allowing rallies and voting in which large crowds flouted rules on social distancing and mask-wearing.

Mamata Banerjee, 66, is set to be the chief of West Bengal for the third time after her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) won a two-thirds majority, taking more than 200 seats in the 294-seat state assembly, election commission officials said. Final counting for some seats was still underway. Banerjee is now India's only woman chief minister. Despite the defeat, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) made substantial gains, making it the main opposition party as its tally in the state legislature went to nearly 80 seats from just three seats won in 2016. Modi, his colleagues and regional politicians campaigned aggressively in five state elections despite the pandemic. The results are seen as a test of the impact the pandemic's second wave is having on support for him and his right-wing BJP.

Banerjee, a sharp critic of Modi, largely conducted a one-woman campaign to retain power by leading scores of public rallies. "It is a stupendous performance by Mamata Banerjee because Modi was determined to win Bengal, but it's clear that his entire political machinery and strategy was unable to defeat her," said Diptendu Bhaskar, a political analyst in Kolkata, West Bengal's capital. In Assam state, the BJP managed to retain political power. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK - the main regional opposition party - secured victory. In Kerala state, the ruling lefist political party was set to form government while the BJP led-alliance won no seats. In the union territory of Puducherry, the All India NR Congress-led alliance was leading in 14 of the 30 seats assembly. Most of the votes were cast in March, but polling in some constituencies continued through April, just as India started to detect thousands of new coronavirus infections everyday.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/vote-count-five-indian-states-begin-amid-pandemic-2021-05-02/

Industry Body Urges Curbs To Economic Activity To Save Lives Amid Covid

Billionaire Uday Kotak, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, said a "maximal response measure at the highest level is called for to cut the transmission links", as building healthcare infrastructure will take time. New Delhi:

Leading Indian industry body urged authorities to take the "strongest national steps" and to curtail economic activity to save lives on Sunday as the country battles surging coronavirus cases that have overwhelmed the healthcare system. The rate of new infections dipped marginally but deaths kept climbing. Authorities reported 392,488 new cases in the previous 24 hours, pushing total cases to 19.56 million. Deaths jumped by a record 3,689, taking the overall death count to 215,542.

Billionaire Uday Kotak, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, said a "maximal response measure at the highest level is called for to cut the transmission links", as building healthcare infrastructure will take time. He was speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where he is the president. "At this critical juncture when toll of lives is rising, CII urges the strongest national steps including curtailing economic activity to reduce suffering," Mr Kotak said in a statement. Hospitals have filled to capacity, medical oxygen supplies have run short and morgues and crematoriums have been swamped as the country deals with the surge in cases: more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Concerned about the economic impact of shutting down the economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is reluctant to impose a national lockdown. At least 11 states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions. Odisha and Haryana became the latest to announce new lockdowns on Sunday, joining Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. Other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have either imposed night curfews or weekend lockdowns.

LOCKDOWN FEARS PM Modi said last month all efforts should be made be avoid a lockdown. He imposed strict curbs on movement and social and economic activity last year in the early months of the pandemic and economic output fell a record 24 per cent in April-June 2020 compared with the same period a year earlier. The current devastating second wave has also led to a shortfall in medical staff. Mr Kotak also said healthcare workers may not be able to tackle the influx of patients, given the escalating caseloads, and they need reinforcing. International aid has been pouring in. Countries including United States have shipped in critical oxygen equipment, therapeutics and raw materials for vaccine production. On Sunday, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his country would send more ventilators "very shortly".

PM Modi's government has been criticised for not taking steps earlier to curb the spread and for letting millions of largely unmasked people attend religious festivals and crowded political rallies in five states during March and April. Reuters reported on Saturday that a forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/industry-body-urges-curbs-to-economic-activity-to-save-lives-amid-covid-2426714

>>13568137

>They swear that Mary is an eternal virgin who was born sinless, did not die but ascended into heaven, and is a co-mediatrix between God and Men.

>

>It's the 4,500 year old Mystery Religion started in Babylon, just with updated names.

>

>The Catholic "Mary" is not Mary, the mother of Jesus, at all.

Interesting statement you have here, personally left this religion years ago, was raised in it as a child. They indeed do not teach the bible, but your statements regarding Mother Mary..which is how they refer to her are not correct. Their teachings are that she is the virgin mother of Jesus. Hail Mary is a prayer that is used in all of their masses.

>>13568289

Sorry, we don't agree on the previous statement..nor do I agree with you on this statement either..

>why they call Jesus the Son of Mary, and never the Son of God.

Ever sat thru a mass or 2..Yes he is the son of god which was also taught..You are miss informed. If you read the Hail Mary..you will see that her womb is glorified as a gift from god..which transfers to all women.

>>13568352

The muslims call Jesus the Son of Mary,

You translate this to Catholics how?

>>13568384

Thinking..some sauce in necessary for these claims..

>>13568403

Could take you moar seriously if you would sauce some of these claims. Personally..Religion has been used to war and divide. God is every where in everything and in everyone..No building or religion changes that.