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Italian Senate Speaker asked to explore possibilities of forming government

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Rome, April 18 (IANS/AKI) Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday gave Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati until Friday to see if the centre-right alliance and the populist Five-Star Movement can muster the numbers in parliament to govern after last month’s inconclusive national election, his office said.

Besides checking if a centre-right-Five-Star coalition government can command a parliamentary majority, Casellati is to establish whether “a mutually agreed nomination” exists for the job of Prime Minister, said Ugo Zampetti, Secretary-General of the Italian presidency, reading from a statement.

“I have thanked President Mattarella for the trust he has placed in me and will keep him constantly updated,” said Casellati, who is a member of the conservative Forza Italia party of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.

“I undertake this task with the same spirit of public service that I have shown in past weeks as Senate speaker,” she said.

Casellati said she would hold the exploratory meetings with the centre-right parties and with Five-Star “in a very short space of time”.

Two rounds of talks between Mattarella and party leaders this month failed to end the political stalemate after the split vote in Italy’s March 4 poll produced a hung parliament in which populists made strong gains.

Five-Star is the largest parliamentary party after winning almost one-third of votes, while the centre-right alliance is the biggest parliamentary force. The far-right League now leads the centre-right after the party quadrupled its share of votes, while the centre-left Democratic Party has vowed to go into opposition after scoring its worst-ever result (18.72 percent).

Both Five-Star as the largest parliamentary party and the League, as leader of the centre-right alliance – which has the most parliamentary seats – have claimed first bid to try and form a government.

But the main stumbling block in the talks has been Five-Star leader Luigi Di Maio’s refusal to govern with convicted fraudster Berlusconi’s party and his insistence that Five-Star should lead any government.

The centre-left Democratic Party has the parliamentary numbers to play kingmaker in the formation of a coalition government but has so far vowed to go into opposition after getting just 18 per cent of votes in last month’s election – its worst-ever result.

League party leader Matteo Salvini on Wednesday said he welcomed Casellati’s exploratory mandate on forming a government between the centre-right alliance and the populist Five-Star Movement.

“The mandate given to The Right Honourable Casellati is good news because a government containing the centre-right and Five-Star is exactly what the Italian people decided,” Salvini said in a statement.

“The League is ready to govern today – we just need the other parties to stop squabbling.”

–IANS/AKI
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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