 "FirstUp: Nayab Singh Saini to take oath as Haryana CM and other big news today")
Today, October 17, is expected to be a busy day with several key events scheduled.
BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini will be sworn in as the chief minister of Haryana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to attend the ceremony.
A defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to be heard in a UP court. The case concerns alleged defamatory remarks made by Gandhi against the Union Home Minister.
BTS member J-Hope is set to complete his mandatory military service and will be officially discharged.
A cyclonic storm forming in the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall near the coast between Puducherry and Nellore. Heavy rains across parts of the South Coast are expected.
In the United States, Derrick Dearman is scheduled to be executed in Alabama, eight years after using an axe and two guns to kill five people.
Let’s take a look at the big events today.
Nayab Saini to take oath as Haryana CM
Nayab Singh Saini is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana today after he staked his claim to form the next government on Wednesday. This came after his unanimous election as the leader of the BJP legislature party in the state.
Notably, this is the first time a party has come to power for a third consecutive term in Haryana. Saini, who succeeded Khattar as Chief Minister in March, was the BJP’s key face in the Assembly elections.
Despite exit polls suggesting otherwise, the BJP achieved a huge victory, winning 48 of the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana. Meanwhile, the Congress, which was hoping for a comeback, ended with 37 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among those expected to attend Saini’s swearing-in ceremony today.
Hearing in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi likely today
A defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to be heard in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district today.
The case pertains to alleged defamatory remarks made by Gandhi against Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah, following a complaint filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra in 2018.
On July 26 this year, Gandhi recorded his statement in court, denying the charges and stating that the case was politically motivated. The court then instructed the complainant to present evidence.
The case was originally filed in the District and Sessions Court of the MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur on August 4, 2018. The remarks were allegedly made by Gandhi during an election rally in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka elections.
BTS’ J-Hope to be discharged from military
BTS member J-Hope is set to complete his mandatory military service today and will be officially discharged. He will become the second BTS member to be discharged from the South Korean military, following Jin.
Last month, J-Hope shared a message on Weverse, marking the 30-day countdown to his discharge. He wrote, “One month, exactly 30 days left to go! All that time flew by, but I’m already reminiscing about it, I guess I grew pretty fond of everything here. I’ve been packing, giving away some of the gear I came to cherish, and my locker’s starting to look a bit empty.”
With J-Hope and Jin completing their service, other BTS members - RM, Suga, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook - are expected to be discharged by June next year.
Cyclonic storm to make landfall near Puducherry
A cyclonic storm forming in the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall near the coast between Puducherry and Nellore on the morning of October 17, bringing heavy rainfall to several areas of the South Coast and Rayalaseema.
Speaking to ANI, Ronanki Kurmanath, Meteorological Department, Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority said, “A depression in the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm which is moving in a northwest direction at a speed of 10 km/h. It is located 440 km from Chennai, 460 km from Puducherry, and 530 km from Nellore.”
In response to the approaching storm, schools, colleges, and government offices were closed on Wednesday in parts of southern India, as heavy monsoon rains caused severe flooding. The Tamil Nadu government has also deployed over 200 boats and disaster response teams to affected areas.
US death row inmate Derrick Dearman set to be executed
Derrick Dearman, 36, is set to be executed in US’ Alabama today, eight years after killing five people with an axe and two guns. The victims were related by blood or marriage to his then-girlfriend, Laneta Lester, who was spared during the attack.
Dearman was sentenced to death after pleading guilty to the August 20, 2016, killings at a rural Mobile County home near Citronelle in southwest Alabama. The rampage targeted five members of Lester’s family.
On death row since 2018, Dearman wrote letters in April to four state officials, including Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, stating that he had dropped his appeals and requested his death sentence be carried out.
If executed as planned, Dearman will become the fifth inmate executed in Alabama in 2024 and the 20th in the United States this year.
With inputs from agencies
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