Delhi civic polls: BJP heads for big win

April 17, 2012

New Delhi, April 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday appeared heading for a victory in the elections to all the three newly-formed municipal corporations of Delhi.

Of the 80 results declared by State Election Commission so far, the BJP has bagged a total of 49 of 272 wards in all the three corporations while the Congress has won 19 seats.

Eight Independents have also won, the Bahujan Samaj Party 2 besides one each by the Janata Dal (United) and the Indian National Lok Dal.

As per the trends available, the BJP is leading in 130 wards out of the total 272 wards while Congress is ahead in 80 seats. Others, including the BSP, are ahead in 54 seats.

In the South Delhi Corporation, the BJP has won or is leading in as many as 43 out of the 104 wards while the Congress was ahead in 32 seats. Interestingly, others are leading in 20 seats.

The East Delhi Corporation is witnessing a close fight with the BJP winning or leading in 28 seats while the Congress is ahead in 23 seats.

In the North Delhi Corporation, which has 104 seats, the BJP is ahead in 59 seats while the Congress is ahead in 25 seats. Others are leading in 12 wards.

The Congress sought to downplay the results with party spokesperson Rashid Alvi saying that MCD polls should be seen only as civic polls. BJP’s M. Venkaiah Naidu said BJP’s good governance in the MCD and Congress’ corruption resulted in the good show of his party.

The counting is taking place in 33 centres across the city. Polling was held on Sunday in which 55 per cent of the 1.15 crore voters exercised their franchise.

The first result to be declared was that of Shahdara (SC) in East Corporation where the BJP’s Balbir Singh defeated the Congress’ Jagdish by a margin of 1,238 votes. Mr. Singh polled 6,809 votes while his nearest rival got 5,571 votes.

The BJP’s Subhash Arya, the Leader of undivided MCD House, trumped his rival from Congress Manmohan Singh Kochar.

Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta’s wife Shobha has won in Rohini Central defeating her Congress rival Dr. Monica Puri.

MCD Leader of Opposition Jai Kishan Sharma (Congress) lost his electoral battle from Najafgarh.

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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