Assam Assembly Elections 2016

They make the most unlikely allies but the BJP and theAIUDF of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal are exploring the possibility of forming a coalition government if Assam gets a hung assembly.

"That may be like going back on everything the two parties have said during the election campaign, but that is politics," said a senior leader of the All India United Democratic Front.

The leader said AIUDF chief Ajmal had been approached by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Assam Assembly Elections :"BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma has had a few rounds of discussions with Ajmal and it looks like Ajmal has decided to go with the BJP if the Congress doesn't win enough seats to merit a coalition," the source said.

Ajmal has told the media: "All depends on how many seats goes to who. That will influence our decision whom to support."

But he dodged questions on whether he will insist on not supporting the BJP come what may.

Before the two-phase assembly elections began in Assam, Ajmal had said there was no question of supporting the BJP and that the Congress could be backed if they dropped Tarun Gogoi as chief minister.

"Gogoi is a failure," said Ajmal, reviving the personal feud that erupted in 2006 when Gogoi said "Ajmal kaun hai?" (Who is Ajmal?)

The BJP leadership is confident that the alliance it leads will emerge as the single largest block in the 126-member assembly even if it doesn't get a clear majority.

"Our first choice will be to win over the independents, some of whom may win. But if we still need some support, the only party we can go to is the AIUDF," said a top BJP leader.

Not everyone feels this can happen.

Elections in Assam :"The BJP is out to detect and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh, at least that is their main poll plank, while the AIUDF is seen as a party of those very illegal migrants," said Samir Purkayastha, a political analyst who has written extensively on Assam.

Purkayastha says the AIUDF is not keen on an alliance with the Congress because they see a competition between them for the minority support base.

Ajmal is also known for his close relations with Himanta Biswa Sarma from the latter's days in the Gogoi cabinet.

Sarma could well be trying to use his friendship with Ajmal and Bodo leader Hangrama Mohilary to outgun BJP's declared chief minister candidate Sarbananda Sonowal.

Sonowal is hugely popular amongst ethnic Assamese and tribals for his spirited legal challenge that led to the scrapping of the IMDT act of 1983 that was seen as protective of illegal migrants.

Political analyst Amarjyoti Bora says that if the BJP-led alliance falls short of the majority, Sarma will use his clout with alliance partners AGP and Bodoland Peoples Front for the numero uno position, more so if the BJP has to lean on the AIUDF to take power.

"Ajmal may not agree to go with the BJP if it sticks with Sonowal as chief minister. So Sarma may be the compromise candidate," said Purkayastha.

Sarma and Ajmal reportedly started their confabulations immediately after the Assam polls ended on April 11.

"If they don't win a majority, the BJP is looking at a Kashmir-type situation. The only difference is that in Assam Elections the BJP will be the senior partner and the AIUDF the junior partner," said analyst Bora.

AIUDF founder Hafiz Rashid Chowdhury, now with the Samata Party, says if Ajmal goes with the BJP, he will "betray the basic spirit of minority politics in Assam".

Many in AIUDF don't agree.

"If we have an alliance with a party which is in power in the Centre, Assam will get a lot of development funds," says AIUDF activist Abu Sufian.

That could well be Ajmal's selling point if he seeks to ally with the BJP.

For the BJP, shaking hands with AIUDF will be a drop from the high cloud of anti-migrant rhetoric to the more mundane talk of governance.

The Congress is also keen on an alliance with the AIUDF but it will be in business only if it gets close to 50 seats and the AIUDF manages a 15-plus score.

Kerala Assembly Elections 2016

Air India to fly 3,000 troopers from Kolkata to Kerala

In view of the upcoming Kerala assembly elections scheduled for May 16, Air India will lift from Kolkata to Kerala over 3,000 personnel of the central para-militaryforces currently posted for election duty in West Bengal.

An Air India source said that every day from May 1 to May 5, two Air India 777 flights that can accommodate 320 people each will fly in these para-military force personnel from West Bengal to Thiruvananthapuram.

"In all, there will be 10 flights that will land in Thiruvananthapuram with these forces and once here, they will be posted in various places of the state," said the source, requesting anonymity.

Kannur in north Kerala, which is always considered to be a sensitive district when it comes to elections, will see the maximum deployment of para-military forces.

Elections in Kerala : Actor takes on late Congress leader's son in Kollam

A fierce duel between two debutants is on the cards inKollam constituency as popular Malayalam film actorMukesh of CPI(M)-led LDF is taking on Congress- headed UDF's Sooraj Ravi for the May 16 Assembly polls.

54-year-old Mukesh fielded by CPI(M) will be looking to retain the seat won by Left veteran P K Gurudasan with a margin of over 8,000 votes in the 2011 polls.

Gurudasan has opted out this time due to old-age.

UDF has fielded 40-year-old KPCC executive member and DCC vice president Sooraj Ravi, son of late Congress leader Thoppil Ravi, to wrest the seat.

Kollam segment comprises the city corporation and two panchayats - Thrikaruva and Panayam, both held by LDF after the recent civic polls.

Of the 23 wards in city corporation, 13 are held by LDF, seven by UDF and two by BJP. One seat is held by Social Democratic Party of India, a Muslim community backed outfit.

Kerala Elections : Though Kollam is considered to be a Left bastion, a worrying factor for CPI(M) is the fact that the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which has a strong base in Kollam, is with the UDF camp after it quit the LDF following differences over seat sharing in the Lok Sabha polls.

CPI(M) politburo member M A Baby was defeated by RSP's N K Premachandran in the Lok Sabha polls.

Mukesh, hailing from a communist family, began his acting career in 1982 and has acted in more than 250 films.

The actor is not leaving anything to chance and he is busy meeting voters directly.

Ganesh, a local tea-shop vendor, said the constituency is a highly politically conscious one. "It is not going to be easy for the actor," he said.

Though the main battle is considered to be between UDF and LDF, NDA has fielded Prof K Sasikumar, a nominee of Janadhipathya Samrakashana Samithi of Rajan Babu faction, a minor partner in the NDA.

Sooraj expressed confidence that he would be able to wrest the seat held by LDF for the past one decade.

"Congress workers are with me and I am confident that I will be able to seize it from CPI(M)," he said.

On the candidature of Mukesh, the Congress leader said he was not worried about the actor's glamour.

With the campaign hotting up, it seems that it would not be a cakewalk for any of the candidates in Kollam.

India the only bright spot for Apple as global iPhone sales fall

India has become the last bastion of growth for technology giant Apple which for the first time witnessed a drop in sales of its flagship iPhone for the quarter that ended March 31. While global iPhone sales fell by 16 per cent in the quarter, iPhone sales in India were up by 56 per cent during the period.

On Wednesday, Apple reported its first drop in quarterly sales in over a decade, with revenues dropping by 13 per cent to $50.6 billion while profits slid by 22 per cent to $10.5 billion for the three months that ended March 31. Growth ofiPhone sales in US and China (the company’s two largest markets) has begun to fall as the markets have hit saturation, forcing the company to turn its attention to India.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said that with a global smartphone penetration of 42 per cent, there was still room for growth, especially in emerging markets. “For example, in India our iPhone sales were up 56% from a year ago,” he said in a call with investors to review Apple’s financial results.

India has begun showing consistent high double digit growth for iPhone sales, with the Cupertino company registering a 76 per cent increase during the October to December quarter. This demand from the emerging markets (especially India) drove Apple to release its most affordable smartphone yet, the 4-inch iPhone SE that’s now being aimed at people switching over from Android to the iPhone.

While sales of the SE was not reflected in the Jan-Mar quarter since the device launched only on March 31, “so far this quarter we're seeing terrific customer response,” said Cook. “The addition of the iPhone SE in the iPhone lineup places us in a better strategic position to attract even more customers into our ecosystem.”Read More.

India the only bright spot for Apple as global iPhone sales fall

India has become the last bastion of growth for technology giant Apple which for the first time witnessed a drop in sales of its flagship iPhone for the quarter that ended March 31. While global iPhone sales fell by 16 per cent in the quarter, iPhone sales in India were up by 56 per cent during the period.

On Wednesday, 

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Apple reported its first drop in quarterly sales in over a decade, with revenues dropping by 13 per cent to $50.6 billion while profits slid by 22 per cent to $10.5 billion for the three months that ended March 31. Growth ofiPhone sales in US and China (the company’s two largest markets) has begun to fall as the markets have hit saturation, forcing the company to turn its attention to India.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said that with a global smartphone penetration of 42 per cent, there was still room for growth, especially in emerging markets. “For example, in India our iPhone sales were up 56% from a year ago,” he said in a call with investors to review Apple’s financial results.

India has begun showing consistent high double digit growth for iPhone sales, with the Cupertino company registering a 76 per cent increase during the October to December quarter. This demand from the emerging markets (especially India) drove Apple to release its most affordable smartphone yet, the 4-inch iPhone SE that’s now being aimed at people switching over from Android to the iPhone.

While sales of the SE was not reflected in the Jan-Mar quarter since the device launched only on March 31, “so far this quarter we're seeing terrific customer response,” said Cook. “The addition of the iPhone SE in the iPhone lineup places us in a better strategic position to attract even more customers into our ecosystem.”Read More.

Leaves a mark

Creo, the newest smartphone-maker, claims to deliver a great experience with its Mark 1. With a promised update every month, Creo Mark 1 claims to deliver a better phone with each upgrade. Though, I was not able to test out the monthly update, I decided to see whether the Mark 1 could hold its own.

The phone looks very stylish but the first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. It is a bit uncomfortable to use and it would need some time to get used to it.

The Mark 1 comes with a 5.5-inch screen with a QHD display. The colours are vibrant and the display is crystal clear.

It houses an octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor and 3GB of RAM, which is quite decent. I downloaded the usual RAM-heavy games and tested them out. The phone performed well though it did heat up a bit. But as for lag, there was none. I played Injustice, and the experience was pretty smooth.

It has a 21-megapixel (MP) primary and an 8 MP secondary camera. It also has four different camera modes: Panorama, live photos, 3D and normal mode. Live photo mode is basically a 3-second video. The 3D mode is an interesting one. You can focus on an object and then move the camera around it and the resultant picture will give you a 3D view of the object. I tried clicking a picture of a statue in my house in 3D mode and the output was great.

The Mark 1 runs its custom Fuel OS, which is based on Android Lollipop. The user interface is minimalistic and a delight to use. It has some great features such as Sense, Retriever and Echo. Sense is a search feature which searches keywords across the apps while Echo is a voicemail feature which transfers the call to voicemail if the phone is left unattended for 30 seconds. This can be done manually as well by swiping up to the mic symbol on the call screen. Retriever is a very helpful feature; if your phone is stolen or simply lost, with this feature you can locate it and even remotely erase personal data.Read More.

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Does Dawood have gangrene, and will he escape being brought to justice?

Is India's most wanted criminal Dawood Ibrahim suffering from gangrene?

CNN-News18 reported on Monday that the dreaded Mumbai mafia boss-turned-terrorist has advancedgangrene at a stage where it is life-threatening, and that he might have to undergo an amputation.

Additionally, the report cites doctors, who are treating Dawood, as saying that the gangrene is at such an advanced stage that Dawood is immobile and an amputation might be required.

It adds that Dawood Ibrahim is being treated at his residence in the "upscale Clifton neighbourhood of Karachi". According to the report, the doctors attending to him are from the Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, and the Combined Military Hospital, Karachi.

The report is specific on Dawood’s medical condition, quoting the doctors treating the don as saying that high blood pressure and blood sugar are the causes behind the gangrene.

The Times of India, on the other hand, on Tuesday reported that senior intelligence officials and the gangster's deputy Chhota Shakeel have confirmed that Dawood is "fit".

The ToI report quotes Shakeel saying that the reports of a gangrene infection are results of rumours being floated to hinder Dawood's business.

If Dawood is indeed suffering from gangrene, and if the condition is indeed life-threatening, then it will have serious consequences for India's pursuit of justice for the Mumbai bomb blasts of 1993 that were exacted by Dawood and his gang in return for the communal riots in the city that followed the December 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Bringing Dawood back to India to stand trial for his role in the blasts has been a longstanding objective of Indian politicians and intelligence agencies, but one that has been met with little success, thanks to stonewalling by the Pakistani establishment.

In fact, the Pakistani government has consistently denied Dawood’s presence in that country, despite the fact that India claims it even knows the exact address of his residence in Karachi.

However, there have been reports of Indian intelligence having had at least four opportunities to nab Dawood in Pakistan, none of which worked out.

1) Dawood allegedly wanted to surrender in 1994:

According to a Hindustan Times report, a little over a year after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, Dawood was willing to surrender and "even spoke thrice to the then CBI DIG Neeraj Kumar".

According to the report, the agency, for unknown reasons, "didn’t take him (Dawood) up on his offer".

Speaking to HT, Kumar said: “I spoke to a jittery Dawood three times in June 1994… He seemed to be toying with the idea of surrendering but had one worry — his rival gangs could finish him off if he returned to India. I told him his safety would be the responsibility of the CBI.”

However, according to the report, Kumar's seniors abruptly ordered him to avoid any further contact with the gangster.Read More.

Now, an app for celebrities to connect with fans

If you are a fan of Virat Kohli, India's hottest cricketing star, you may soon be able to meet and greet him, chat with him online, receive exclusive pictures, videos or content from him or get discounts on select brands, like Wrogn and Chissel, which he endorses or part-owns.

This is provided you buy the Virat FanBox — a special edition MotoG Turbophone that comes with an in-built app for Rs 16,999, which includes the membership fees to the Virat fan club for 365 days.

Of course, the FanBox also comes with a mini-bat signed by Virat, a hand-written (printed) letter from Virat, and a unique membership number which is linked to the IMEI no of the phone — all in a well decorated box. The phone will also serve as a key to a lot of entry points, like the post-match fan booth the club would organise.

The FanBox has been developed by Privyplex, a start-up founded by two alumni of Insead Business School — Ahmed Arab, the CEO, and Upmanyu Misra (chairman of its board), who also heads Elyseum, a Dubai-based private equity firm which has invested $1.5 million in the firm.

“As a cricketer, I feel blessed with all the love and support I get from my fans. TheVirat FanBox is my personal endeavour to get closer to my fans than ever before; to connect and chat with them online and meet them in real life. I am excited and looking forward to engaging and interacting with the club members via the app,” Virat said in a statement.

"In India, celebrities enjoy a lot of following. FanBox is a high-degree engagement platform, which is unique. We are happy to partner with them," says Amit Boni, country head, Motorola. The potential is huge as Virat has 10.5 million followers on Twitter. While the start-up is shy of discussing targets, Boni will be disappointed if it doesn't do 1 million.

Typically, fans-celebrity interactions are one-way. Fans want to have access to celebrities, and celebrities want a better understanding of their fans. "We have created a platform which enables that between the celebrity and the fans," says Ahmed, CEO of Privyplex and a telecom engineer, who has worked with Microsoft, Nokia, Alcatel; co-founded a start-up in Singapore, which was sold to Rocket Internet.

Virat is the first celebrity the firm has signed up, but it’s also in talks with five others globally. These include a football player from South America, a basketball star from USA, a Formula 1 star from Europe, and entertainment and Bollywood stars from South Korea and India, respectively. What’s common is that they are among the most popular in their respective arenas. They all liked the idea and talks with them are currently at various stages; the FanBox will be customised for each.Read more about this article.