The supporters of prominent Rajput leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi have called a ‘Jaipur bandh’ today after he was shot dead in his house. They have also threatened a statewide shutdown if action is not taken.

Gogamedi, who led a fringe outfit called Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, was shot dead by three men who just had tea with him in his living room, CCTV footage showed.

Rohit Godara, a gangster closely associated with the gangs of Goldie Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi, has taken responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post.

Gogamedi and two of his associates suffered bullet injuries in the attack. They were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead. One of the attackers was also shot dead by Gogamedi’s aides during a gunfight, police said.

The Rajput leader’s sensational murder sparked protests in Rajasthan which is under the process of a regime change after the BJP defeated the Congress in the recently held assembly elections.

His supporters blocked the Shipra Path road outside the hospital and demanded that the accused be arrested immediately. Besides Jaipur, protests also erupted in Churu, Udaipur, Alwar and Jodhpur districts.

Gogamedi had formed Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 after splitting from Rajput Karni Sena, then led by Lokendra Singh Kalvi. Both the outfits had protested against the 2018 movie ‘Padmaavat’ for allegedly distorting historical facts about the Rajput community.

The BJP will choose its Chief Ministers for three heartland states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha election, party sources have said, adding that new faces may be chosen in all three states.

The BJP won the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, results of which were declared on Sunday. The party’s central leadership has been holding discussions on the Chief Minister probables in the three states.

A four-and-a-half hour meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence yesterday, during which the frontrunners in the three states were considered. The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.

This marathon meeting followed a series of meetings held by Mr Shah and Mr Nadda with the BJP’s in-charges of these states to gather feedback about state leaders.

The BJP’s central leadership is likely to appoint observers for the three states soon. These observers will oversee meetings of newly elected MLAs in the three states to elect their leaders in the Assembly.

In Madhya Pradesh, incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is a contender for the top post, along with Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar, and senior state leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Several names are doing the rounds for the Rajasthan top post too. While former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has been elected as an MLA, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, state party president C P Joshi, and prominent leaders Diya Kumari and Mahant Balaknath are being seen as probables.

Former Chief Minister Raman Singh is among the contenders in Chhattisgarh. State BJP president Arun Kumar Sao, leader of opposition Dharamlal Kaushik and former IAS officer O P Chaudhary are also being seen as contenders for the Chief Minister post.

It must, however, be kept in mind that the BJP leadership is known to spring a surprise with its choices.

Chennai came to a standstill following heavy rain and flooding. Seventeen people died in the city due to rain-related incidents, making it one of the worst affected places due to the cyclone.
As many as ten incidents of drowning and electrocution have been reported and medical assistance has been provided, Greater Chennai Police said.
DMK MP Kanimozhi said the Tamil Nadu government is prepared to deal with the situation in a better manner than in 2015 when incessant rains caused flooding in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the Rs 4,000 crore investment in stormwater drains played a crucial role in minimizing the impact of what he called the “47-year high rainfall”.
Food and other relief materials are being airdropped in Chennai and water is being pumped out from several low-lying areas that are flooded, DR J Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation told NDTV.
Additional teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been called in and 300 boats have been deployed in low-lying areas. Around 5,000 government workers from other districts will join the relief efforts, Dr J Radhakrishnan said.
The cyclone weakened into a depression and is moving northwards in Andhra Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department said.
It is expected to move northwards in Andhra Pradesh and further weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area in the next six hours.
Schools and colleges were ordered to remain shut today in Chennai and an 80 per cent power supply has been restored in the city. Many residents in the city grappled with power cuts and no mobile connectivity.
Traffic has been restored on several key roads including; Kamarajal Sarai, Cathedral, Pondy Bazaar, Dams, RK Salai and Anna Salai Road. The Greater Chennai police said water logging is being removed from roads and traffic is slow.