MONDAY 11 MAY, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard PA K I S TA N 14 KILLED IN SUICIDE ATTACK Urvil hits joint-fastest fifty in IPL history A suicide bomber and several gunmen detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a security post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near Afghanistan A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Urvil Patel equalled the record of Yashavi Jaiswal, smashing a 13-ball half-century for Chennai Super Kings, as the five-time champs beat Lucknow Super Giants, moving to fifth place in the points table. Patel hit 65 off 23 balls, setting up the 204-run chase for Chennai. The hosts got across the line in 20th over | P11 Tussle over CM strains Cong-IUML ties in Kerala L A K S H M I AT H I R A @ Malappuram UNTIL a few days back, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) towered over the UDF like a Colossus. Riding on the League’s strength, the front swept back to power with a resounding victory in the assembly elections. However, within a week of the results, the party found itself pushed to the margins in the UDF, as the Congress secured the numbers enough to form the government sans the League and with the support of the smaller allies. The post-election power equations have exposed widening fault lines within the UDF, leaving the IUML politically isolated at the very moment it was expected to wield decisive influence. The backlash was triggered by the League’s aggressive intervention in the chief ministerial race. By openly backing V D Satheesan for the top post, the IUML sought to shape the Congress leadership narrative from outside the party Campaigns, public . meetings, and protest marches across the Malabar region projected Satheesan as the “natural choice” for chief minister soon after K C Venugopal’s name surfaced in internal discussions. H oweve r, i n s t e a d o f strengthening its bargaining power, the League’s intervention provoked resentment among Congress factions backing Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala. From senior Congress leaders to campus units of the party’s student arm, KSU, criticism mounted against what many described as the League’s interference in the Congress’s internal affairs. Rahul tilts towards KC Congress high command is indicated to have taken a final decision on the next chief minister of Kerala. An official announcement is expected on Monday or Tuesday. Party sources said AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal has the strong backing of Rahul Gandhi for the post. A majority of MLAs and MPs are understood to have supported Venugopal. Assam CM-elect Himanta Sarma meets Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya | PTI Himanta to take oath on Tuesday P R A S A N TA M A Z U M D A R @ Guwahati Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar congratulates new CM C Joseph Vijay after he administered the oath of integrity to the TVK leader on Sunday | P JAWAHAR VIJAY SWORN IN AS TAMIL NADU CM On Day 1, signs orders to create special force for women’s safety, offer 200 units free electricity to domestic users Immediately after being sworn in, the 51-year-old signed government orders to create a SHATTERING the six-decade- specialised police unit to imlong electoral dominance of prove women’s safety and to the DMK and AIADMK in sanction 65 Anti-Narcotic Task Tamil Nadu, Tamilaga Vettri Force (ANTF) stations across Kazhagam (TVK) founder- Tamil Nadu. He also greenlit president C Joseph Vijay on the provision of 200 units of Sunday assumed office as the free electricity bi-monthly for state’s chief minister, script- all domestic consumers with ing a historic rise within just consumption up to 500 units. around two years of This was a major ASSEMBLY launching his party . poll promise of the ELECTIONS State Gover nor TVK chief. Rajendra Arlekar In his first speech administered the as Chief Minister, oath of office and Vijay said his govsecrecy to Vijay and e r n m e n t wo u l d his nine-member soon release a white cabinet in the presence of Con- paper detailing the exact finangress leader and Leader of the cial and administrative condiOpposition Rahul Gandhi, who tion of Tamil Nadu. is now a coalition partner of “Only after entering office the TVK. The nine TVK MLAs- do you realise the actual condielect who were sworn in as tion, what exists and what does minister are are N Anand, not. I want this to be a transparAadhav Arjuna, K G Arunraj, ent government. I want to openK A Sengottaiyan, P Venkata- ly tell you the situation of the ramanan, R Nirmalkumar, Ra- government today and then jmohan, T K Prabhu and S take things forward from Keerthana. there,” he said. S U B A S H I N I V I J AYA K U M A R @ Chennai Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay along with Rahul Gandhi during the swearing-in ceremony. Right, actor Trisha Krishnan also attended the event | ASHWIN PRASATH/PTI CONTROVERSY ON FIRST DAY Right on his first day in office, controversy brewed after a section of spectators at the swearing-in ceremony raised alarm over the Thamizhthaai Vaazhthu being pushed to a distant third place, following all six stanzas of Vande Mataram and the National Anthem. However, this arrangement was based on an order dated January 28, in which the Union Ministry of Home Affairs put forth the guidelines to ensure uniformity and clarity in ceremonial practices across the country Stating that the government had assumed office at a time when the state was burdened with debts of nearly `10 lakh crore, Vijay requested people to give him time to implement his Gelatin sticks found near PM’s route EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru JUST 30 minutes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Art of Living Centre on the outskirts of Benglauru on Sunday morning, the police recovered a packet of two gelatine sticks placed close to his convoy route. Earlier in the day police had , received a threat call on the VVIP movement. But the recovery of gelatin sticks and the threat call were not linked. Modi was visiting HAL and the Art of Living Centre, and both events concluded without any untoward incidents. A police constable, identified as Jagadeesh, and the Anti-Sabotage Check Team noticed the gelatine sticks around 10.30 am near Vaderahalli Gate. The team was conducting security checks as part of the Prime Minister’s programme at AoL, which was scheduled at 11 am. Bengaluru South district Superintendent of Police R Srinivas Gowda said the gelatin sticks were found about 1 km away from the NICE Road junction, nearly 20 feet away from the road on a compound wall. ‘2nd wife not needed in 1st wife’s maintenance case’ HUSBAND DIVORCED SECOND WIFE AS WELL U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court has said that a second wife is neither necessary nor a proper party in the maintenance proceedings initiated by the first wife and her children. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the observation while dismissing a plea filed by a woman seeking to be impleaded as a party in a petition filed by the first wife against her husband, who demanded revision of the maintenance awarded by a family court. The family court had denied her maintenance, while granting `10,000 each to the two children. During the pendency of the petition, the man divorced his second wife, who then sought to During the pendency of the first wife’s petition in the High Court, the husband divorced his second wife too, who then sought to be heard in the maintenance proceedings initiated by the first wife, claiming that any order passed in the matter could adversely affect her rights and financial interests, necessitating the impleadment petition. be impleaded in the maintenance proceedings initiated by the first wife, claiming that any order passed in the matter could adversely affect her rights and financial interests. The first wife opposed her plea, claiming that the dispute was confined to maintenance claims between herself, the children, and the husband, and no relief had been sought against the second wife. The judge agreed and said, “The proceedings under Section 125 (maintenance of wives, children, and parents who are unable to maintain themselves) of the CrPC are confined to the rights and obligations inter se the petitioner and the respondent, and the status or claims of the applicant, if any, do not have any direct or substantial bearing on the adjudication of such rights.” The court rejected the contention that the second wife’s financial dependence on the husband justified her impleadment, saying that accepting such a plea would open the door for every dependent person to seek intervention in maintenance proceedings. Dubbing it “untenable” in law, the judge rejected the second wife’s contention that her n o n - i m p l e a d m e n t wo u l d amount to a violation of the principles of natural justice. promises. “I will gradually try to fulfil what I promised, and I will fulfil them. Your patience and cooperation will help me greatly he said. ,” He also asserted that his gov- er nment would take strict measures to ensure women’s safety and curb the drug menace in the state. “It is the duty of our government to save our youth. Likewise, I will ensure law and order and safety for everyone. Even those who insulted me or troubled me are still my people. Whether friends or enemies, all eight crore individuals are my people,” he said. Vijay said that his government’s immediate focus would be on basic issues such as education, ration supplies, healthcare, drinking water, roads and bus facilities. Reiterating his earlier promise, he said he would not misuse public funds. “I will not commit mistakes, nor allow mistakes to happen. If anyone thinks, ‘We have won, let us misuse this power and play games’, erase that thought right now,” he warned. He further said women, youth, farmers, government employees, teachers, workers and fishermen would prosper under the TVK rule. P5 HIMANTA Biswa Sarma will be sworn in as Assam chief minister for a second consecutive term on May 12, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah among the dignitaries expected to attend the ceremony . Sarma was on Sunday unanimously elected leader of both the BJP and NDA Legislature parties, paving the way for his return. The BJP had appointed Union Minister J P Nadda and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini as observer and coobserver, respectively, to oversee the election process. Sarma, accompanied by leaders of NDA allies BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) subsequently met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at Lok Bhavan and staked his claim to form the next government. The NDA had swept the state Assembly elections, bagging 102 of 126 seats, with BJP alone winning 82 and AGP and BPF claiming 10 each. Thanking the people of Assam and the BJP’s top leadership for electing the coalition for a third straight time, Sarma said, “I thank PM Narendra Modiji for taking Assam’s development to a level we could not imagine.” He also acknowledged and thanked Home Minister Shah for maintaining peace in Assam. “The results are a reflection of the development initiatives,” he added. PM: Save fuel, work from home amid West Asia conflict HOME M E G H N A N AT H @ Hyderabad IN the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, for the first time, extensively spoke about the need to save foreign exchange by avoiding foreign travel and gold purchases for a year, reducing fuel consumption by reviving Covid-era practices such as work from home, and invoking patriotism as India attempts to tide over the crisis. Addressing a public meeting at Parade Ground in Secunderabad, Modi said the conflict in West Asia had led to a sharp increase in petrol and fertiliser prices. “When there is pressure on the supply chain, difficulties increase despite various measures taken by the government to overcome the crisis. During such a global crisis, we must place the country above everything else and take certain resolutions,” he said. Earlier in the day, while virtually laying foundation stones and inaugurating development projects worth around `9,400 crore for Telangana, Modi stressed the need for restrained use of petroleum products. “The need of the hour is to use petrol, diesel, gas and other petro products with restraint. This will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war,” he said. Urging people not to buy gold during weddings or special occasions for one year, Modi recalled that there was a time when people donated gold for the country . “We do not have to donate now, but we should at least resolve not to buy gold at functions for one year to save foreign exchange,” he said. The prime minister also appealed to people to reduce edible oil consumption. “I have been saying, reduce the use of cooking oil by 10%,” he said. Earlier, in March, citing the challenging global situation created by the West Asia war, Modi had urged the nation to stay prepared and united like it did during the pandemic. SCHOOLING FAST GAINING TRACTION Parents in the capital are preferring to hone curiosity of children by choosing to teach them at home | P4 EXPRESS READ Navy top deck rejigged, Vice Chief moved to west Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, currently serving as Vice Chief of the Navy, is set to take over Western Naval Command in Mumbai. Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar is set to succeed him as the new Vice Chief. P7 Yogi expands cabinet with six new faces Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has carried out the long-pending expansion of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, inducting six new faces and promoting two ministers of state. The expansion takes into account caste equation. P8