Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led Centre, claiming that it has sent the Enforcement Directorate to the premises of a person who is handling the record of his election expenditure. He termed the move an attempt to scare the people of his constituency.

Mr Baghel represents the Patan assembly seat in the Durg district.

According to sources, the ED launched a raid at the premises of Suresh Dhingani, a fireworks trader, in the Bhilai area of Durg district this morning. However, it is not yet known in connection with which case the action is being taken.

Reacting to the action, Baghel said on X, “I thought the exit poll of the first phase would be known after a few days. But Saheb revealed it this morning itself.” “Early in the morning, the ED has been sent to the place of Suresh Dhingani ji who had accompanied me when I filed my nomination papers and has been acting as my ‘adhikarik vyay lekhak’ (official handling poll expenditure records) in the electoral process,” Baghel said.

मुझे लगा था पहले चरण का एक्ज़िट पोल कुछ दिनों बाद पता चलेगा.
लेकिन साहेब ने आज सुबह ही बता दिया, सुबह-सुबह ED को मेरे नामांकन के दौरान मेरे साथ उपस्थित एवं मेरी निर्वाचन प्रक्रिया में आधिकारिक व्यय लेखक की भूमिका निभा रहे श्री सुरेश धिंगानी जी के यहाँ ED को भेज दिया है.

पाटन…

— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) November 8, 2023

“This attempt to scare the people of Patan assembly would have failed in the same way as BJP faced in voting on 20 seats yesterday. Saheb, don’t consider Chhattisgarhiya people weak and cowardly. They eat their rice, that too with full self-respect.’ Baat hai abhimaan ke, Chhattisgarhiya ke swabhiman ke’ (it’s a matter of pride, self-respect of Chhattisgarhiya),” the CM added.

Polling for the first phase of the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly was held on Tuesday in 20 seats, while the remaining 70 segments will see voting in the second phase on November 17.

Former Mayor of Jaipur and Congress leader Vishnu Lata, along with many other prominent state Congress leaders, on Wednesday joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and State President CP Joshi in Jaipur.

During the programme, Rajasthan Nath Society State President Ishwar Yogi, Mahesh Narayan Sharma, a retired officer, former President Jaipur Municipal Corporation Mahesh Lata, Manish Sharma and Rajesh Mandya, and General Secretary Congress Committee member Anita Sharma, also joined the BJP.

During the programme, BJP state president CP Joshi said, “Today is a fortunate day as people are expressing faith in the BJP and Modi Ji’s leadership, and all these public representatives are joining the BJP family.”

“These people have faith in Narendra Modi’s policies, so the BJP family is growing. These people will teach a lesson to the Gehlot government of Rajasthan. They will liberate the troubled public from this Gehlot government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that “the increasing number of people and leaders joining the party will enhance the party’s strength and capabilities. Which in turn will have a significant influence on the outcome of the forthcoming elections.

“The way all these people and leaders have joined the BJP family will increase the strength and capacity of the BJP and the BJP will win a vast majority,” he said.

“The prestige of the Congress Party of Rajasthan has ended. The character and face of Congress have been exposed,” he said.

“The people of Rajasthan understood the Congress. The public has decided to uproot them from the government. The Ashok Gehlot government gives false guarantees to the public, “Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member house. Ashok Gehlot came to power with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.

Rajasthan will go to polls on November 25, the counting of which will take place on December 5 along with four other state assembly elections.

The ongoing El Nino event is expected to last at least until April 2024, influencing weather patterns and contributing to a further spike in temperatures on land and over the ocean, according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organisation.

The India Meteorological Department earlier this month said EL Nino conditions — abnormal warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean — are not likely to influence the southwest monsoon season next year.

Amid intensifying El Nino conditions, India received “below-average” cumulative rainfall — 820 mm compared to the long-period average of 868.6 mm — during the southwest monsoon season this year.

As of mid-October, sea surface temperatures and other atmospheric and oceanic indicators in the central-eastern tropical Pacific are consistent with El Nino, the warm phase of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

The El Nino event developed rapidly during July-August and reached moderate strength by September, and is likely to peak as a strong event in November 2023 to January 2024. There is a 90 per cent likelihood it will persist throughout the upcoming northern hemisphere winter/southern hemisphere summer, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in a statement.

Based on historical patterns and current long-range predictions, it is anticipated the El Nino event will gradually diminish during the forthcoming boreal spring, said the WMO update, which combines forecasts and expert guidance from around the world.

El Nino occurs every two to seven years on average and typically lasts nine to 12 months. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. But it takes place in the context of a climate being changed by human activities.

“El Nino impacts on global temperature typically play out in the year after its development, in this case in 2024. But as a result of record high land and sea-surface temperatures since June, the year 2023 is now on track to be the warmest year on record. Next year may be even warmer. This is clearly and unequivocally due to the contribution of the increasing concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases from human activities,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas.

“Extreme events such as heat waves, drought, wildfires, heavy rain and floods will be enhanced in some regions, with major impacts. That is why WMO is committed to the Early Warnings for All initiative to save lives and minimise economic losses,” he said.

The previous warmest year on record was 2016 due to a “double whammy” of an exceptionally strong El Nino and climate change.

A strong El Nino does not necessarily mean strong El Nino impacts locally.

El Nino, however, is not the only factor that drives global and regional climate patterns and the magnitudes of El Nino indicators do not directly correspond to the magnitudes of their effects. No two El Nino events are alike.