Happy tidings: Monsoon hits Kerala

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

The Trinamool Congress winning four of the six civic bodies  that went to the polls in West Bengal on Sunday is highlighted on the front pages of many papers. "Mamata sweeps urban Bengal but loses Haldia", reports the Hindustan Times. On Railway Minister Mukul Roy's comment that the Trinamool had the strength to fight the next general elections alone, the Hindu writes " Armed with civic poll wins, Trinamool says it can go it alone".

The appearance of posters in support of former BJP national executive member Sanjay Joshi in Delhi and Ahmedabad is noticed by all the papers. "BJP internal rift escalates", writes the Statesman. Linking it to an escalation in the conflict between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Sanjay Joshi, the Times of India reports "Poster war: Modi-Joshi feud spills onto streets".

NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's meeting with Yoga guru Baba Ramdev is prominently covered in the press. "Pawar backs Ramdev's black money campaign" reports the Tribune. The Hindu reports Mr Pawar as saying, "Ramdev's suggestions pragmatic".

Most papers highlight a Delhi High Court ruling on marriages of Muslim girls. "Muslim girls can wed at 15 without parental consent", reports the Times of India. The Hindustan Times reports the court order as saying, "Muslim girl can marry at 15 if she attains puberty".

In a special front page story, the Indian Express exposes a land racket in Bihar in which government officials and brokers ganged up to buy land dirt cheap from villagers and then sold it to the government at four to five times the price. This land was then distributed to the most marginalised of Dalits by the state government.

Several papers reported that Vice Admiral D. K. Joshi is to be the next new Navy Chief.

A facelift for two toilets by the Planning Commission on its headquarters in Delhi is noticed by most papers. The Pioneer exclaims "Ideal Austerity! 30 Lakh rupees for 2 loos' facelift".

And finally, the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala is widely noticed in the press with all the papers carrying photographs of a rain lashed state. The Tribune caption says "Happy tidings: Monsoon hits Kerala"