BJP may back PA Sangma as President candidate

May 21, 2012

New Delhi, May 21: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday stepped up her advocacy for P A Sangma as president, rallying support across the political spectrum. She called up BJP veteran L K Advani, who is believed to have told her that he was "positively inclined" towards Sangma personally but a decision would only be taken only after consultations within the party and with NDA leaders.

The NDA is likely to discuss its strategy by Tuesday in light of the intense lobbying for the former Speaker by the AIADMK chief.

Jayalalithaa also spoke to CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI's A B Bardhan, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, the AIADMK said.

YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy is also learnt to be in favour of Sangma's candidature. In a coordinated move, Jayalalithaa and her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik had floated Sangma's name on May 17.

While Jayalalithaa and Patnaik had propped up Sangma as a "tribal" candidate, Advani is learnt to be of the view that the NCP leader's credentials as a "Christian" has greater weight as the tribal block is fragmented, while the Christian block less so.

In fact, Advani is learned to have received a letter from the Council of Churches, a body of Christian clerics, who without naming Sangma, seem to be backing him. The letter pointed out that there had been presidents from other minority communities -three Muslim presidents and one belonging to the Sikh community - implying that a Christian should get the top job this time.

After Jayalalithaa's phone call to Mulayam, SP said it was not a hurry to decide on the presidential candidate and that the party had not taken a decision on whom to support. The CPI said it would decide on the issue after a party meeting on May 23.

Interestingly, the Nationalist Congress Party, to which Sangma belongs, has ruled out supporting his candidature, saying it would go with the UPA decision.

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan said in Tiruchirapalli on Sunday that his party would support the UPA candidate for presidency. Asked about Sangma's candidature, he said, "All are our friends. But we will support only the candidate chosen by UPA."

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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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