Citing early polls, Mamata keeps her MPs on their toes

May 13, 2012

New Delhi, May 13: A day after she said she had information that a political party had held a meeting to advance general elections to 2013, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would be happy to see the United Progressive Alliance — of which her party is a part — last its full term.

Her statement about the possibility of early elections came at a party meeting here on Friday, when she advised her colleagues to be ready for elections at any time as she had heard that polls could be advanced.

While Ms. Banerjee is well-known for her whimsicality, it is not a secret that she herself is keen that general elections be held as soon as possible to derive the maximum advantage of her party's performance in last year's Assembly elections when the Trinamool Congress-Congress combine swept the polls, ousting the Left Front from power.

Her fear is that if general elections are held on time in 2014, she may not make the gains she might make if they are held sooner. This is especially as West Bengal is in dire economic straits and the Centre has made it clear that there will be no bailout package until the State itself pulls up its socks and takes some tough measures — something Ms. Banerjee is not prepared to do.

Simultaneously, for while her personal popularity may be intact in rural Bengal, and the Left Front is a long away from rebuilding its party machine, Ms Banerjee is rapidly losing support in the urban areas of the State, especially Kolkata. Apart from that, she is not sure of the loyalty of many of her MPs: the first one to challenge her was the former Railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, whom she unceremoniously sacked for announcing a hike in rail passenger fares in his budget, and then refusing to roll them back. It would help to keep her MPs on their toes, by scaring them into believing that elections are round the corner, party sources say, especially as they remain dependent on her not just to get the party nomination but to get elected.

Meanwhile, the Congress officially responded to the Trinamool leader's statement.

“I have not gone through Ms. Banerjee's statement but one thing is clear: UPA-II will complete its term and elections will be held on schedule [in 2014],” party spokesman Rashid Alvi said adding, “There is no question of any mid-term poll. The Manmohan Singh-led government will complete its full term. I can specifically say the [next Lok Sabha] election will be held as per schedule … if any political group talks to its workers about mid-term [election], it is their internal matter.”

Within the Congress, the majority view remains that UPA-II should last its full term, so that it has another two years to set its house in order. Only occasionally, a few of the younger MPs have been heard saying that as this is a lame duck government, it would be better to advance the polls. But given that the core of the party is cautious, it looks unlikely that the Congress would willingly advance the polls: it would rather wait it out.

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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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