WorldIndia's defence minister resigned Monday to lead the coastal state of Goa after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party secured enough support from minor parties to retain power in the popular tourist region. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will take over his defence responsibilities until a replacement is appointed, a statement from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's office said. It also won a majority in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and despite coming second will form government in Manipur, a remote northeastern state where the BJP held zero seats before polling day. But Congress Party accused the BJP of “stealing” the elections in Goa and Manipur, where it won the most seats but was apparently unable to secure alliances. “Party that comes second has no right to form government,” Congress leader P Chidambaram said in a tweet.

Source: Sunday Times March 14, 2017 14:25 UTC