NDA sitting pretty seats 243 Target 122 hyderabad l wednesday l november 12, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Source NDA Chanakya Strategies 130-138 MGB JSP OTH 100-108 0-0  3-5 Dainik Bhaskar 145-160 73-91 0-3  5-7 DV Research 137-152 83-98 2-4  1-8 JVC 135-150 88-103 0-1  3-6 Matrize 147-167 70-90 0-2  2-8 P-Marq 142-162 80-98 1-4  0-3 Peoples Insight 133-148 87-102 0-2  3-6 TIF Research 145-163 76-95 0  3-6 Peoples Pulse 133-159 75-101 0-5  2-8 Poll of Polls 148 90 1 5 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 ■ ■ Blast probe handed over to NIA l Intercepted letter from Nowgam proves key link l Jaish hand evident, say officials M u k esh R a n j a n , F aya z W a n i & N a m i ta B a j pa i photo: pti @ New Delhi/Srinagar/Lucknow THE investigation into the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10 that killed 12 people was on Tuesday formally handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), following high-level security meetings chaired by home minister Amit Shah. Security agencies, working in coordination with state police across J&K, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, launched extensive search operations on Tuesday and found multiple leads linked to the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit. Preliminary investigations revealed incriminating JeM inter nal communications that suggest ‘revenge’ as the motive for internal disloyalty. An intercepted letter recovered in J&K’s Nowgam, believed to have originated from the Pakistan-based outfit, threatens punishment for ‘betrayals’ within JeM, exhibiting rhetoric consistent with earlier internal directives. Senior intelligence officials suggest that factional pressure and infighting within JeM could have precipitated the Delhi blast, following counter-insurgency activity in Kashmir. Pulwama doctor in the middle of ‘car bomb’ Car track Umar’s i20 first spotted outside Asian hospital in Faridabad around 7.30 am on Monday Car entered Delhi at 8.13 am Seen near a petrol pump in the Okhla Industrial Area at 8.20 am 3.19 pm: Car entered parking lot near Red Fort, stayed for 3 hrs At 6.22 pm, drove toward Red Fort Illustration: sourav roy Polls suggest exit of Oppn aspirations P R E E T H A N AI R @ New Delhi Charred remains of vehicles on Tuesday, following the deadly blast near Red Fort Metro Station the previous night that killed 12 people in New Delhi; and a forensic official collects samples from the site a day after the explosion | Shekhar yadav The police registered a case headlined ‘bomb blast’ invoking sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act, after forensics teams began analysing specimens from the site and vehicle to match those from the deceased. Investigators are scrutinising CCTV footage and digital devices and matching DNA samples to ascertain the identity of the car’s occupants. Early findings indicate the use of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil as the explosive material, and a possible operational link to the Faridabad module, from which 350 kg of explosives and a cache of weapons were seized. Several individuals associated with the accused doctors from Kashmir, notably Dr Umar Nabi and Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Adeel Ahmed, have been detained for questioning in coordinated raids in Pulwama, Srinagar, Faridabad, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh. In UP ATS teams car, ried out raids in Saharanpur, Lucknow and Muzaffarnagar, detaining individuals connected to the JeM module. In Srinagar, at least eight persons including father, mother and two brothers of Dr Umar Police and Haryana’s Special Task Force. The operation led A day after the Red Fort blast, to the arrest of eight individuwhich killed 12 people and in- als, including three doctors, jured more than 20, investiga- and the seizure of 2,900 kg of tors are focusing on Umar Mo- explosive-making material hammad Nabi, a from multiple locations Pulwama-born medical in Haryana. professional suspected Umar, a resident of to have been behind the Koil village in Pulwama, wheel of the white Hywas allegedly in touch undai i20 that exploded with members of the near Gate No. 1 of the same Faridabad module, Lal Qila Metro Station. according to sources. Umar Nabi According to officials CCTV footage shows a man familiar with the probe, Umar with a mask at the wheel of the is suspected to have links with car before the blast. the radicalised white-collar Tracing the ownership of the module busted in Faridabad, in i20 provided the breakthrough a joint operation by the J&K that led investigators to the N i t i n R a w at @ New Delhi Revanth again urges Centre to confer Padma Shri on Ande Sri E x press N e w s S er v i c e Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy carries the bier of poet Ande Sri at Ghatkesar on Tuesday @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that the state government would once again urge the Centre to confer the Padma Shri posthumously on noted poet and writer Ande Sri. He also announced that the government would construct a memorial park in the poet’s honour and provide a government job to one of his family members. Revanth, along with several ministers, attended Ande Sri’s last rites at Ghatkesar on Tuesday. The chief minister also served as a pallbearer, giving his shoulder to the bier of the departed writer during the funeral procession, which was attended by thousands of admirers and literary enthusiasts. Ande Sri’s wife Mallubai, daughters Vaakkulamma, Vennela, Vekuva, and son Dattu performed the rituals as per Hindu traditions. The funeral was conducted with full police honours. Later, speaking to reporters, Revanth said, “The state government had written to the Union government last year, requesting that the Padma Shri be conferred on Ande Sri, but no positive response was received. We will write again and appeal to the Centre to consider the request.” He also urged Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar to support the state government’s efforts in securing the honour for the poet, who penned Telangana’s official song “Jaya Jayahe Telangana.” “Let both the state and Central governments work together to honour this great Telangana writer,” he added. The chief minister said that Ande Sri’s acclaimed collection “Nippula Vaagu” would serve as a guiding light like the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and the Quran for those fighting for the issues of Telangana. He announced that 20,000 copies of the book would be published and distributed to libraries across the state. Recalling his close associa- tion with the poet, Revanth said that Ande Sri’s demise was an irreparable loss to him personally and to Telangana society at large. “When I was TPCC president, I met him and urged him to contribute towards addressing the problems faced by the people of Telangana. Every song written by Gaddar and Ande Sri has been a source of inspiration to the people. It was for this reason that the state Cabinet decided to include Ande Sri’s song ‘Jaya Jayahe Telangana’ in the school curriculum,” he stated. Ministers D Sridhar Babu, Jupally Krishna Rao, Danasari Anasuya, Ponnam Prabhakar, Adluri Laxman Kumar, government advisors Vem Narender Reddy and K Keshava Rao, and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud were among those who attended the funeral. express read Close shave for pax as bus catches fire Nalgonda: Passengers escaped unhurt after a private travels bus, going to Nellore from Hyderabad, burst into flames near Pittampally in Chityala mandal on NH 65. The driver, noticing smoke from the engine, opened the emergency exits and alerted the passengers, who jumped to safety | P2 800-year-old temple faces neglect Mulugu: The 800-year-old Ramalingeswara temple, located in Jakaram village, Mulugu district, lies in a state of neglect due to the alleged apathy of the state government. Though the temple is under the control of the Archaeology department, it continues to remain in a dilapidated condition | P2 Nabi, who is suspected of driving the car that exploded, were detained. Security has been ramped up at sensitive locations, including Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in Thimpu on an official visit, said: “The conspirators will not be spared.” India hit out at Pakistan for attempting to link New Delhi to the terrorist attack in Islamabad on Tuesday, calling the charge “baseless, unfounded, and a predictable tactic.” Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif alleged India’s role in a suicide bombing that killed 12 people in Islamabad. Faridabad module. The car was initially registered in the name of Salman. He sold it to Devender, who later sold it to Taariq, based in Pulwama. While tracking Taariq, investigators found the white i20 was with Nabi. The police said specialised teams, including crime units, are collecting forensic evidence from the site. Raids have been carried out across the National Capital Region, with security checks in Daryaganj, Paharganj, railway stations, airports, and bus terminals. Investigators said the Pulwama-Faridabad connection is the key line of inquiry . AS the high-stakes Bihar assembly election came to a close on Tuesday, pollsters were unanimous in predicting the National Democratic Alliance’s return to power with a convincing majority. If the predictions stand, it will be a huge setback for the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), which was trying to win the politically crucial state after a gap of 20 years. The poll of exit Voting percentage 48.47 what surveys say Chanakya Strategies  Cong - 46%  BRS - 43%  BJP - 6% People’s Pulse  Cong - 48.5%  BRS - 41.8%  BJP - 6.5% HMR  Cong - 48.31%  BRS - 43.18%  BJP - 5.84% PRever Media  Cong - 47.41%  BRS - 43.13%  BJP - 7.91% Smart poll  Cong - 48.2%  BRS - 42.1%  BJP - 7.6% Mission Chanakya  Cong - 39.43%  BRS - 41.6%  BJP - 18.97% QMega:  Cong - 41%  BRS - 45%  BJP - 9% Booker Prize to Hungarian-British author David Szalay Szalay’s novel Flesh won the prize (£50,000 and a trophy), beating Indian author Kiran Desai’s The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny | P9 Trump says levy cut soon; India waits for US word P U S H P ITA D E Y @ New Delhi A day after US President Donald Trump said that Washington is ‘pretty close’ to signing a trade deal with India, which would also pave the way for lowering tariffs on Indian goods, sources in Delhi said the trade talks have been so comprehensive that another round of ne gotiations may not be necessary . Commerce ministry officials said New Delhi is awaiting a response from Washington on the bilateral trade agreement talks. “They (US) have to get back to us. India’s negotiations have been the most comprehensive and WTO-compliant as compared to any other country. Negotiations have been done cautiously and carefully, keeping the sensitive sectors in mind.” The ministry’s update came a day after Trump said the deal would soon be sealed, which would enhance the bilateral relations, boost US energy exports and promote investments in key US sectors. According to US media reports, Trump also signalled that the tariffs on Indian goods would be lowered. “The tariffs on India are really high because of the Russian oil [imports], but they have now substantially reduced Russian oil [imports], so we will be bringing the tariffs down,” Trump was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that while India wants a fair trade deal with the US, it won’t compromise on the interests of farmers and the dairy sector. polls projected the NDA comprising Janata Dal United JD (U), the BJP, and the LJP(RV) will cross the majority mark by securing 148 seats, giving the RJD-led grand alliance just 88 seats, less than the 110 seats it won in the 2020 election. The majority mark for the 243-seat assembly is 122. Election strategist Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj Party, which was hyped to play a crucial role in this election, may end up with a poor showing, as per exit polls. The Bihar polls were conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the results will be out on November 14. The results will also set the tone for the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu next year as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls has already begun in these states. Bihar is the first state to go to polls after the SIR exercise. Exit poll projections are made by election survey agencies based on interviews of voters as they come out after casting their votes. These may vary from the actual results. Exit polls give Cong an edge in Jubilee Hills E x press N e w s S er v i c e @Hyderabad With the completion of the fiercely contested Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll on Tuesday, most exit polls predicted a victory for the ruling Congress, with a margin of around three to seven per cent. However, a couple of surveys gave an edge to the BRS. Barring a few sporadic incidents, polling was largely peaceful, with nearly 50% of the 3.99 lakh eligible voters exercising their franchise. However, both the Congress and the BRS traded accusations of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and distributing money to influence voters. In the evening, mild tension broke out in Yousufguda when BRS candidate Maganti Sunitha and supporters of Congress candidate Naveen Yadav came close to clashing. Some Congress supporters even brandished footwear at Sunitha as she attempted to highlight alleged irregularities by Congress workers. Police intervened promptly and dispersed both groups. Cases were registered against several leaders, including Beerla Iliah, Ramchander Naik, Maloth Ramdas, Dasyam Vinay Bhasker and Methuku Anand, for poll code violations. Police also filed cases against non-locals who were supporting the candidates.