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Merkel to step down as German Chancellor in 2021 (Lead)
Berlin, Oct 29 (IANS) German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she will not seek re-election when her term expires in 2021, following recent election setbacks.
Merkel, who has been Chancellor since 2005, made the announcement during a news conference.
“This fourth term is my last term as Chancellor of Germany. In the next Bundestag election in 2021, I will not run again as Chancellor. I will not run for the German Bundestag any more, and I do not want any other political office,” she said.
“It is time today for me to start a new chapter.”
She also said she would not seek re-election as leader of the centre-right CDU party in December. She has held the post since 2000, the BBC reported.
The shake-up at the top of one of Germany’s major political forces came following the CDU’s poor showing in regional elections in the states of Bavaria and Hesse, which Merkel called very “disappointing and bitter”.
“The image given by the governing coalition is unacceptable,” she said, in reference to the major public disagreements that emerged between the CDU and its Bavarian counterpart, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
The CSU’s leader and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has been highly critical of Merkel’s refugee policy and assumed a hardline stance far to the CDU’s right on immigration issues.
In the recent elections in Bavaria, the CSU lost its absolute majority in the regional Parliament and saw a drop from 47.7 per cent to 37.2 per cent of the vote.
In Sunday’s election in Hesse, the CDU fell from 37.2 per cent to 27 per cent.
The electoral decline of the CDU/CSU has been accompanied by an even stronger plunge by the third federal coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which in the past couple of years suffered its worst results in the post-World War II era.
The waning of both the centre-right and centre-left has been paired with the resurgence of the German far right, embodied by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as well as a slight growth of the environmentalist Alliance ’90/The Greens, which takes part in regional coalition governments with both the SPD (Hamburg) and the CDU.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.