Police arrest 2 for spying, leaking army and air force intel to Pakistan

New Delhi: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which also includes Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU, is heading for a sweeping victory in Bihar, crossing the 204-seat mark in the 243-member Assembly and leaving the Mahagathbandhan in disarray.

Top Highlights of the Big Bihar Verdict

BJP leads in 93 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s JDU is ahead in 83. Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leads in 19, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha in four, and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha in four constituencies.

The Mahagathbandhan is struggling, ahead in just 32 seats: Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD in 26, Congress in five, and CPI(ML)(L) and CPM in one each.

Jan Suraaj Party, launched by poll strategist Prashant Kishor and seen as a potential disruptor, has failed to take off; its vote share has fallen below even NOTA.

A surprise performer is Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which is leading in six seats, largely driven by votes from the Seemanchal region.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav faces an unexpectedly tight contest in Raghopur, his family stronghold, which he has represented since 2015.

Maithili Thakur, the 25-year-old singer making her debut on a BJP ticket, is leading in Alinagar. Meanwhile, Tejashwi's estranged brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who floated his own party, is trailing by more than 12,000 votes.

The Mahagathbandhan’s collapse comes as a major shock. In 2020, the RJD had bagged 75 seats and emerged as the single largest party, while the Congress contributed 19 seats, bolstering the Opposition’s strength.

In the last election, the Opposition had fallen short of the majority mark by just 12 seats, raising hopes of a potential victory this year. Instead, it now appears unlikely to even claim the Leader of the Opposition post.

For the BJP, the performance continues its upward trajectory from 2020, when it surpassed Nitish Kumar’s JDU for the first time and became the dominant partner in the alliance.

Although the JDU has made significant gains compared to its 2020 tally of 43 seats, it still trails the BJP by around 10 seats. Analysts say the NDA’s strong showing is partly due to heavy participation by women voters, traditionally a strong base for Nitish Kumar.

Mysuru/Bengaluru: Legendary environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka, lovingly hailed as Vruksha Mata (Mother of Trees), passed away on Friday morning at the age of 114. She breathed her last at Apollo Hospital, Bengaluru, where she had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments and persistent breathing difficulties.

Thimmakka, who had become a global symbol of grassroots environmental activism, was living with her adopted son Umesh in Balluru, Belur taluk. She had been admitted to the hospital a week ago after her health deteriorated.

Earlier this year, despite her age, she was able to have Hasanamba darshana during the annual jatra mahotsava—a visit her followers fondly remembered.

Born on June 30, 1911, in Gubbi taluk of Tumakuru district, Thimmakka was married to Chikkaiah of Hulikal village in Ramanagar district. The couple did not have children, but she famously channelled her affection into nurturing trees—eventually becoming one of India’s most admired environmental guardians.

Her life’s work is legendary:

•    She planted and tended 385 banyan trees along a 4.5-km stretch between Hulikal and Kudur.

•    Over her lifetime, she is credited with planting nearly 8,000 trees of various species.
In 2022, recognising her extraordinary contribution, the Government of Karnataka appointed her the Environmental Ambassador of the State.

Throughout her remarkable journey, she received numerous honours, including:

•    National Citizens Award (1995)
•    Veera Chakra Prashasti (1997)
•    Indira Priyadarshini Award (1997)
•    Padma Shri (2019)
•    Nadoja Award
•    Rajyotsava Award

Simple, humble, and unwavering in her love for nature, Saalumarada Thimmakka inspired generations of environmentalists, students, women, and nature lovers across India. Her legacy—thousands of trees standing tall—will continue to breathe life for centuries.

Udupi, Nov 11: A pall of grief has descended on the Alangaru locality of Perdur village following the tragic discovery of a missing 15-year-old boy, Shreeshan Shetty. His body was recovered on Monday from the waters of the Alangaru Holebagilu river, bringing a sorrowful conclusion to a frantic overnight search by his family.

Shreeshan, a resident of Alangaru, had reportedly ventured to the river on Sunday afternoon with a friend to bathe. According to police reports, the excursion ended in tragedy when the teenager accidentally drowned while in the water.

Crucially, the friend who accompanied Shreeshan, paralyzed by fear and shock following the incident, failed to immediately report what had happened. This devastating silence meant that the victim's family, unaware of the accident, launched a desperate search throughout Sunday night, believing the boy was simply missing.

The breakthrough came only when local police, investigating the disappearance, questioned Shreeshan’s friend, who then disclosed the sequence of events at the river. Following this lead, the search was refocused on the waterway, culminating in the recovery of Shreeshan Shetty's body on Monday.

The local authorities have registered a case at the Hiriyadka police station and are continuing their investigation into the exact circumstances of the drowning and the delay in reporting the fatal accident.