Moscow BELARUS RUSSIA Kyiv UKRAINE Explosion in the area of the Engels air base ROMANIA HYDERABAD  TUESDAY  DECEMBER 6, 2022  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION MYSTERIOUS BLASTS HIT TWO RUSSIAN MILITARY AIR BASES Fuel truck exploded at an air base in Ryazan ATTACK KILLS THREE SERVICEMEN, INJURES SIX RIA Novosti news agency said three servicemen were killed and six others injured when a fuel truck exploded at an air base in Ryazan in western Russia. A plane was also reportedly damaged in the blast. The base houses long-range flight tankers that serve to refuel bombers in the air. There were also reports of another explosion at the Engels air base in the Saratov region One explosion happened at a base housing nuclear-capable bombers that have been involved in launching strike on Kyiv ■ 70 MOSCOW BLAMES KYIV FOR EXPLOSIONS ■ The Engels air base houses Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers that have been involved in launching strikes on Ukraine. Those bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said its forces shot down Ukrainian drones and their debris caused the explosions | P9 MISSILES WERE FIRED BY MOSCOW AGAINST UKRAINE ON MONDAY CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI HP race tight, BJP sweep in Guj: Exit poll BJP in Gujarat, with the Congress finishing a distant second. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could consider itself lucky if it crosses single digits. If the BJP wins, it would be a record seventh successive term for it in Gujarat. However, the Congress appears to have given the BJP a run for its money in Himachal Pradesh, exit polls suggest. Counting of votes will take place on December 8. P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE BJP appears headed for a record victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections while the race in Himachal Pradesh could be unexpectedly tight, if the poll of exit polls is any indicator. Exit poll results came out in the evening after the last phase Gujarat Assembly elections ended on Monday . Pollsters were unanimous in predicting a clean sweep for the GUJARAT The poll of exit polls gave 132 seats to the BJP in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly with the Congress and its allies trailing at 38. If the projection holds, it would be a huge blow for the Congress, which secured 77 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections. Its lacklustre performance could affect its morale at a time when it is looking to build up some steam ahead of the 2024 general elections. Congress leaders had claimed the party will win despite its low key campaign in the state. As for the AAP its high volt, age campaign may not have commensurate results on the ground in Gujarat, with BJP being the big beneficiary . In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP could get to retain power, through with a razor thin margin, as the poll of polls gave it 35 seats, which is also the majority mark in the 68-member HIMACHAL TOTAL SEATS: 182 | SIMPLE MAJORITY: 92 Assembly The Congress could . end up with 30 seats while it will be a no-show for the AAP . However, two exit polls showed a dead heat between the BJP and the Congress in the state, where results could go either way According to the . Chanakya exit poll, it will be a cliffhanger as both the BJP and the Congress may secure 33 seats each. The India-Today Axis poll gave the Congress an edge with 30-40 seats. TOTAL SEATS: 68 | SIMPLE MAJORITY: 35 POLL BJP CONG+NCP AAP OTH Republic TV P-MARQ 128-148 30-42 2-10 0-3 POLL BJP CONG AAP OTH Republic TV P-MARQ 34-39 28-33 0-1 Aaj Tak-Axis My India 129-151 16-30 9-21 2-6 Times Now-ETG 135-145 24-34 6-16 1-3 Aaj Tak-Axis My India 24-34 30-40 0 4-8 Times Now-ETG 34-42 24-32 0 1-3 ABP News-CVoter 128-140 31-43 3-11 2-6 TV9 Gujarati 125-130 40-50 3-5 3-7 ABP News-CVoter 33-41 24-32 0 0-4 TV9 Gujarati 33 31 0 4 India TV-Matrize 112-121 1-4 51-61 4-7 1-3 Zee News-BARC 110-125 45-60 1-5 0-4 India TV-Matrize 35-40 26-31 0 0-3 Zee News-BARC 35-40 20-25 0-3 1-5 News 24-Today’s Chanakya 150 19 11 2 Poll of exit polls 132 38 8 4 News 24-Today’s Chanakya 33 33 0 2 Poll of exit polls 35 30 0 3 News X- Jan Ki Baat 34-51 6-13 1-2 Present position 111 63 00 News X- Jan Ki Baat 32-40 27-34 0 1-2 Present position 44 21 0 117-140 AAP to trounce BJP in Delhi local body polls A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Bharatiya Janata Party’s 15-year rule at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to come to an end, with four exit polls predicting a clear win for the Aam Aadmi Party . According to poll of exit polls, AAP may win 154 of the 250 wards that were up for grabs. The party had got 48 in the last elections. The BJP, which has 181 seats, may find itself with just 84 this time, while the Congress’ tally may shrink to 7 from 27 (see table). If the exit polls prove right, the AAP will have complete control over many sectors such as sanitation and garbage man- 4 TRS legislators under ED scanner in Sahiti Infratec case @ Hyderabad Musician Lucky Ali alleges land grab by family of IAS officer E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru SINGER Lucky Ali has alleged that his property at Kenchenahalli near Yelahanka in Bengaluru is being encroached upon by the land mafia, and has dragged the name of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri and her family . However, the IAS officer’s brother-in-law Madhusudan Reddy has rebutted the allegations, claiming that the property belongs to him. The dispute is related to a three-acre land located at Kenchenahalli, which Lucky Ali claims is owned by a Trust, while Madhusudan says the property was purchased from Lucky Ali’s brother Mansoor M Ali in 2012. On Sunday night, Lucky Ali posted on Facebook that he had filed a complaint with the DG & IG of Police Praveen Sood. Stating that he is currently in Dubai for work, the singer stated that his farm, a Trust property was being encroached upon , by Sudhir and his brother Madhusudan, calling them part of “the Bangalore Land Mafia”. TWO ruling party MLAs and an equal number of MLCs, apart from a few ruling party leaders, are now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for their alleged involvement in suspected money laundering by Sahiti Infratec Ventures India Private Limited. The ED has already filed a case against the company suspecting a possible conspiracy in the diversion of funds to other platforms. The investigation agency is proceeding against the company based on a case filed at Central Crime Station against Sahiti Infratec whose company shares, the lawmakers and oth- Sources said that the MLCs and MLAs helped Boodati Lakshmi Narayana, CEO of Sahiti Infratec, in getting necessary clearances for his projects. ED wrote to the Sangareddy Sub-Registrar’s office seeking the details of the sale deeds executed by Sahiti Infratec and also informed them not to register the transfer of land which is under its radar. er TRS leaders, had acquired offline. Sources also indicated that the MLCs and MLAs helped Boodati Lakshmi Narayana, CEO of Sahiti Infratec, in getting necessary clearances for his projects, and the other two MLAs were those who had invested money in the company . According to sources, the group’s managing director collected `900 crore under the prelaunch scheme in Sahiti Sravani Elite Ameenpur and the ED found several irregularities in the company’s transactions which were in violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Sources added that the company diverted the funds to other firms besides donating some funds to political parties. The ED wrote to the Sangareddy Sub-Registrar’s office seeking details of the sale deeds executed by Sahiti Infratec and also informed them not to register the transfer of land which is on its radar. CONTINUED ON P4 Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic makes a save during penalty shootout against Japan in Doha on Monday | AP DOMINIK THE SAVIOUR GOALKEEPER DOMINIK LIVAKOVIC SAVED THREE PENALTIES AGAINST JAPAN TO TAKE CROATIA TO LAST 8 ON MONDAY EXTRA TIME DRAMA ENDS IN PENALTIES Croatia beat Japan on penalties to reach the World Cup quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw in their last-16 clash on Monday. Daizen Maeda gave Japan a half-time lead and Ivan Perisic headed home an equaliser. Despite both teams pressing for a goal in extra time, match ended at 1-1 LIVAKOVIC SAVES THREE PENALTIES Livakovic saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitomo and Maya Yoshida. Japan had been looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time but fell short again, just like in 2002, 2010 and 2018. For Croatia, this was their third shoot-out win in two WCs England survived a nervous start before Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane put Senegal to the sword before half-time. Bukayo Saka scored the third, but it was Bellingham’s work-rate and burgeoning quality in possession that allowed them to turn the tide | P11 LALU’S CHOKES ON PIECE OF INFANT KIDNEY TRANSPLANT SUCCESSFUL Traditional dancers perform during the inauguration of the renovated Bansilalpet stepwell in Hyderabad on Monday | P3 POLL 126 BJP SIMPLE MAJORITY CONG AAP Aaj Tak-Axis My India 69-91 3-7 OTH 149-171 5-9 News X- Jan Ki Baat 70-92 04-07 159-175 01 Times Now-ETG 84-94 6-10 146-156 0-4 Zee News-BARC 82-94 8-14 134-146 14-19 Poll of polls 84 7 154 5 Present position 181 27 48 10 agement, community services, public health, veterinary, primary education, property tax, advertisement, toll tax, licensing (health & trade), factory licensing, architecture & town planning, engineering, labour welfare, building, environmental management, remunerative projects, horticulture, engineering, land & estate, etc. After the recently completed delimitation exercise, the total number of MCD wards was reduced to 250 from 272. Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi BELLINGHAM, THE HERO IN ENGLISH TALE NEW LEASE OF LIFE 250 TOTAL WARDS No change in Russian oil buy, says govt Leaders helped secure clearances: Sources I R E D DY S R I N I VAS R E D DY MCD POLLS COCONUT, DIES RJD president Lalu Prasad, underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery at Singapore on Monday. He is conscious and responding, his family said A 10-month-old boy’s father offered him a piece of coconut to pacify him. However, it got stuck in the baby’s windpipe, killing him in the process | P2 ON a day the G7-European Union price cap of $60 a barrel of Russian oil moving by sea kicked in, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar indicated India was firm in its policy on sourcing oil from Russia. Showing Europe the mirror, Jaishankar pointed out that since February 24 — the day the Ukraine war began — till November 17, the European Union had imported more fossil fuel from Russia than the next 10 countries combined. “We need to establish the fact that the oil imports of EU are six times that of what India imports. We need to have an understanding that oil is a finite energy solution. A lot of countries from E u r o p e h ave turned to Middle East for their fuel as a result of which their prices have shot up. This puts a pressure on India and we need to buy from wherever it is viable,” Jaishankar said on Monday, after signing a Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. He also suggested a reality check by looking at the Russian fossil tracker website, which would give clarity on the countries that continue to import oil from Russia whilst urging others not to do so. He reiterated that India stands for peace and wants the war to end through talks and negotiations. No consensus on Srisailam project as TS Liquor scam: Kavitha seeks deferment of CBI questioning disagrees with proposals of AP & KRMB EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad V V B A L A K R I S H N A @ Hyderabad DETERMINED not to deviate from its stand, the Telangana Irrigation Department on Monday reiterated that the Minimum Draw Down Level (MDDL) of the Srisailam Dam should be at 530 feet. Telangana also opposed the sharing of hydel power at Srisailam on a 50:50 ratio with Andhra Pradesh. With this, a consensus eludes the framing of rule curves for the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects. The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) constituted the Reservoir Management Committee (RMC) six months ago to finalise the rule curves RMC MEETING INCONCLUSIVE “With no officials from Telangana side attending the meeting on Monday, there was nothing to be discussed. Though Telangana has agreed on three issues — modification of rule curves pertaining to Srisailam reservoir, power production and the definition of diversion of Krishna river water —it appears they are not in agreement,” AP Engineer-in- Chief Narayana Reddy said | P5 for the two projects on river Krishna. Telangana on Monday demanded that the RMC report should be kept in abeyance and disagreed with the proposals of Andhra Pradesh and KRMB on the proposed rule curves. Telangana officials repeatedly stated that the MDDL of Srisailam should be 530 feet while AP has been demanding that the MDDL should be fixed at 854 feet. “At 854 feet level, AP can draw more water out of the basin than its permissible share of water. We are not agreeing to this proposal. AP is entitled to draw only 34 tmcft water from Srisailam (project) and not more than that,” a Telangana official CONTINUED ON P5 told TNIE. TELANGANA Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha wrote to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday stating that she won’t be available to meet its officials on December 6, as suggested by them, because of her tight schedule. She, however, said that the CBI officials were free to meet her on any day between December 11 and 15, except on the 13th. The CBI had sent the notice to her on Friday to appear before them under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as a witness. The MLC, in her communication to the CBI, said that she found that her name did not figure either in the First Information Report (FIR) or the complaint lodged by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in connection with the Delhi liquor scam. While making it clear that they cannot decide dates for her to meet them taking advantage of Section 160 of the CrPC, she, however, did not let the impression gain ground that she was totally ignoring them as she also indicated alternative dates, reiterating that she was a lawabiding citizen and that she would cooperate with the investigation. Are the bureau’s officials already in Hyderabad? After the CBI sent the notice on Friday, Kavitha replied the same day stating that she would meet them at her residence on December 6, as they had suggested. However, after consulting her father and Chief Minister on Saturday, she sent a mail to the CBI asking them to furnish copies of the FIR and the complaint that the MHA had lodged. She said that she would take a decision after going through them and would meet them at a time and date convenient to her. Kavitha, who got a reply from the CBI that the two documents were available on its website, wrote back to the in- vestigation agency that she had gone through them and found that her name does not figure in either of the documents, indicating that the CBI has nothing to proceed against her in the case and also stated that she was aware of her legal rights. In her communication to the CBI, Kavitha said: “I have carefully gone through the contents of the FIR, list of accused persons as well as the contents of the complaint dated 22.07.2022. I wish to place on record that my name does not figure in any manner whatsoever.” According to sources, CBI officials have already arrived in Hyderabad. It remains to be seen what their reaction would be to Kavitha’s latest missive.