651 Maoist-Sensitive Polling Stations in Agency 2 Choppers To Fly Poll Officials
Picture used for representation purpose. Photo: PTI Picture used for representation purpose. Photo: PTI Visakhapatnam: The police in Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram districts are focusing on Maoist-influenced polling stations for conducting the elections in a smooth manner on May 13. Cops in the two districts have identified 651 LWE sensitive and 238 law and order problem polling stations. A police official in ASR district said that they have identified 610 Left Wing Extremist sensitive and 85 law and order sensitive stations out of the total 1021 polling stations. The district election officer has arranged two helicopters to fly the polling officials to Gruttedu under Y Ramavaram mandal of Rampachodavaram assembly constituency. Funds have been sanctioned early to install cell towers and improve roads to several polling stations in the district. We have set up check posts and are frisking suspicious persons at various locations in the district, said a police officer. Araku Lok Sabha seat (ST), which consists of LWE affected assembly segments like Paderu, Araku Valley, Rampachodavaram, Parvathipuram and Saluru, will go to polls on May 13. The official said 30 polling booths in Chintoor and Munchingput mandals have been shifted due to the Maoist threat perception. The special police launched an area-domination exercise in the bordering areas of Odisha and Chhattisgarh after a large number of Maoists were neutralized in Chhattisgarh, to ensure they do not cross over to AP via the Odisha border, he added. The outlawed Maoists recently released a pamphlet in Munchingput and other areas close to the Odisha border, appealing to the people to boycott the elections. Maoists had shot down Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and his predecessor Siveri Soma in Livitput village near Araku Valley on September 23, 2018, some 10 months before the 2019 elections. In Parvathipuram Manyam district, out of the total 981 polling stations, 41 have been identified as Maoist-sensitive and 153 law and order problem stations.
Chirag threatens legal action against Tejashwi
PATNA, May 3: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Friday threatened legal action against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for making false statements about the formers stand on reservations. At rallies, especially in the Lok Sabha constituency of Hajipur which Paswan is contesting, Yadav has been claiming that the LJP (R) chief has []
Suneetha Reddy: Malkajgiri people rally behind Congress
Hyderabad: Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy, Congress candidate from Malkajgiri, said that the people of the Lok Sabha constituency were convinced that only the ruling party in the state ensure all-round development of Medchal-Malkajgiri district. The people wanted to elect Congress for the second consecutive term, she said. Sunitha Reddy said that she noticed people's desire to elect the Congress during her interaction with voters while campaigning in the constituency. Amidst rising temperatures, the campaign of Sunitha Reddy is drawing large crowds, demonstrating significant public support. Enthusiastic supporters continue to gather in significant numbers. She said the robust turnout at her road shows along with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy underscored the people's desire for development. The people are rallying behind me for my commitment to progress and Development, she said.
After ECI Intervention Sujata Karthikeyan IAS Shunted Out of Mission Shakti Dept
Hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered for shifting of Odisha Mission Shakti secretary Sujata Pandian to a non-people department, the state government on Friday transferred her to the finance department as special secretary. The ECI order to transfer came late on Thursday night following the Bharatiya Janata Partys allegations of misuse of public office. The ECI had Thursday night asked the state government for transfer of Sujata Pandian who is the wife of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaiks most trusted aide V Karthikeyan Pandian. The BJP alleged in its complaint that Sujata is working like an agent of BJD. Besides, she is intimidating members of women self-help-groups (SHGs) to cast their votes for the BJD. She is also using the Mission Shakti department to persuade around 70 lakh women voters, the party alleged. The saffron party, in the complaint, had demanded that the official be relieved from the post of secretary and not be assigned any public dealing till the conclusion of the parliamentary and assembly elections in Odisha. Women empowerment is not the real motive of the BJD. Rather, it uses women SHGs for its own during election time. There is evidence that Sujata Pandian has been threatening SHGs to work for the BJD and not to vote for the BJP. It has been proved that BJD wants to use SHGs for its own gain, said BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal.
Visakhapatnam city, which is called the City of Destiny, is destined to grow, and making it the capital city really does not appeal to the people or will have an impact, he says
Complaint against Naidu and Pawan for abusing Jagan
Vijayawada: The YSRC leaders, led by MLA Malladi Vishnu, lodged three complaints with the Election Commission on Friday against Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan for abusing Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy personally by using objectionable words like psycho, among others. Vishnu stated that Naidu used the objectionable words against Jagan Mohan Reddy at a public meeting in Rayachoti on Thursday. He further said that Pawan Kalyan made inappropriate comments and baseless accusations against the CM in Visakhapatnam South and Palakonda public meetings on May 2. The MLA said that they have lodged another complaint against TD-friendly vernacular dailies for publishing articles against the CM and YSRC leaders and asked the Election Commission to treat them as paid articles.
To convey big message, Bihar man takes donkey ride to file papers
DC Report Makes Officials Visit Hilltop Village
Visakhapatnam: Following a report published in Deccan Chronicle on May 1, revenue inspector M. Laxmikant and revenue officer T. Kondababu of Anantagiri mandal walked five kilometres and visited the remote hilltop village of Kalyan Gummi. The officials made detailed inquiries about the villagers demands and took stock of the situation. Kalyan Gummi villagers have to leave their homes two days before the voting day. They take up an arduous journey of 70 kilometres across two districts, including walking through the hills, to reach their polling centre in Cherikibidda of Anantagiri mandal, where they finally exercise their franchise. The villagers' journey to the polling centre is a testament of their determination to cast their vote. The demand of Kalyan Gummi villagers is that the government connect their village with transport facilities.
Hajipur villagers wash Ambedkar statue with milk after Chirag garlands it
Paswan community washes Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar's statue with milk after Chirag Paswan offers flowers en route to filing Hajipur Lok Sabha nomination, sparking protests. Chirag accused of defiling the statue, leading to a viral video of the incident.
We Will Ban Liquor After 15 Years: Botsa
VISHAKHAPATNAM: Botsa Satyanarayana, a key figure in the YSRC cabinet, holds significant sway in North Andhra. He spoke about the current election management, government policies and the party manifesto in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle. The state education minister spoke about many issues and, in special, said a ban on liquor can be effected after 15 years. He expressed confidence in the YSRC winning the present polls and retaining power. Excerpts from the interview: Q. How confident are you about the YSRCs chances as the polling day is fast approaching? A. My confidence is unwavering. Jagan Mohan Reddy has created a narrative in which he urges voters to support YSRC if they have benefitted from his five-year tenure. This election is a litmus test of credibility, and the people are captivated by Jagans trajectory. I am convinced that the people will rally behind him. Q. You are confident that `2.7 lakh crore in DBTs will see you through, but your opponents say the AP government incurred huge debts. How are you going to deal with this? A. It is true that the loans were taken, but this was done by keeping in mind the states Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. Chandrababu Naidu had borrowed more than what the FRBM rules allowed. He borrowed in excess of Rs 28,000 crore; more than what we have borrowed. Q. What is your take on the propaganda that the state is in debt like Sri Lanka. A. Chandrababu is indulging in baseless propaganda against us. He alleges that we have plunged the state into debt due to the welfare schemes that we've implemented. However, his own manifesto is replete with promises of similar welfare schemes termed Super Six or Super Ten. Now, he must elucidate us as to how he intends to fulfill these promises. Where would he organize as much money from? The people are beginning to question his capacity to deliver on his commitments. Q. What are your sources to implement the YSRCs 2024 Manifesto? A. We have introduced some improvements in the new manifesto because we know that we have to fulfill everything that was promised in it. We have taken some financial steps to increase the state's revenue. We are confident that we will implement the 2024 manifesto without undue resort to loans. This time, the main point of our manifesto is action for development. Q. The main charge of the Opposition is that the YSRC government can't create wealth. How do you respond? A. Compared to Chandrababu's administration, Jagan Reddy's administration ensured a far better growth rate. It becomes apparent who is likely to generate more wealth. Based on official records, the growth rate during Jaganmohan Reddy's administration was higher. Q. You have compared the YSRC Manifesto to Bhagavad Gita, Quran and Bible, and how can you be dishonest in implementing total prohibition of alcohol? A. Liquor prohibition will be done in a phased manner. We will ban liquor after 15 years. What is wrong with this? We have not promised to ban liquor overnight. Secondly we have been reducing liquour sales by 33 per cent annually, which has reduced its consumption. Q. Employees have turned hostile to your government. Will they vote for you? A. After Independence, which government cleared employee dues? Dues clearance is a routine process with new dues accumulating regularly. It's unnecessary to scrutinize the matter too closely. Q. The Opposition is alleging that Visakhapatnam is being made capital because there is a real estate interest behind it. A. CM Jagan wants to make Vizag the executive capital so that this region will develop. Because sea, air and land connectivity are good here, Vizag would become a world-class city. Building a gated community in Amaravati and concentrating all the wealth there would benefit a particular community involved in the real estate business. Q. What are your efforts to stop the privatization of VSP? A. During a public meeting addressed by Prime Minister Modi, Jagan raised his voice for VSP and opposed its privatization. The CM had written several letters asking the PM to stop the privatization. The assembly also passed a resolution opposing privatization. Q. The alliance has been using the Land Titling Act as its main campaign tool, explaining that the Act would impact landholders. How would you counter this? A. The Opposition is spreading lies to mislead the public. This framework has not yet come into force. The matter is in the court. We will hold meetings. Arguments will be made before the District Authority on the objections received. After this work is completed, a public hearing will be held. If there are any problems, the High Court can be approached. In this way, the opinions of all the communities will be collected and then the decisions will be made. The process of making a decision will take two years. The aim of this Act is to resolve the years-old disputes and to ensure that individuals ownership is protected. As per data, 80 per cent of the current civil disputes are related to land. We want to resolve these disputes. Q. The opposition's big campaign is that Jagan has not been able to create jobs, and if Chandrababu comes to power, more jobs will be created. How many jobs could be created by the YSRC government? A. Even in 2014, TD's campaign was that Babu would bring jobs and the unemployed would get `2,000 as stipend. What happened to this promise? Chandrababu is telling the same story again. We are building four seaports on a large scale. We are also building hospitals, developing industry which would create jobs. We have also introduced the secretariat system, announced Group-1 recruitment, and released the DSC notification. We have released the notification for about 3000 jobs in universities. Q. You were not on screen when Vijayasai Reddy was the North Andhra Regional Coordinator but you shined after he left. What is the reason for this? A. Vijayasai Reddy was the regional coordinator, but elections were not held then. If elections were held now, I would definitely be the one who appear on the screen. I am used to carrying out the responsibilities given by the party, and now I am doing the same thing. Q. You shifted to Vizag because Jhansi is facing a tough time. A. The situation is strong in Vizianagaram district because we are all on our own. We are going to win 9 seats in Vizianagaram, but given the fact that there are two TD sitting MLAs in Vizag, there is a need to take care of the affairs here. Q. Bharat is among those contesting for Vizag MP. Is he more local compared to Botsa Jhansi? Don't you think it is a tough competition? A. We are doing our best and we believe that the people will bless us. Although there will be competition in Vizag, we are confident of winning the present polls.
Soumya Ranjan Patnaik to Fight from Ghasipura Seat as Independent Candidate
Bhubaneswar: Ending all speculations, Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik confirmed on Friday that he will run as an Independent candidate in the upcoming elections from the Ghasipura Assembly constituency in Odisha. Patnaik made this declaration following a public meeting in Ghasipura, Keonjhar district. The MLS stated that he took the decision respecting the wishes of [] The post Soumya Ranjan Patnaik to Fight from Ghasipura Seat as Independent Candidate appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .
BJP sharpens attack against Naveen Patnaik as party leadership heads to Odisha
Odisha is ten days away from the first of its four phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha election even as the BJP tries to build momentum in its favour
BJP sharpens attack against Naveen Patnaik as party leadership heads to Odisha
Odisha is ten days away from the first of its four phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha election even as the BJP tries to build momentum in its favour
Kaikalur will be upgraded into a municipality, promises JSP president Pawan Kalyan
Avanigadda, Kaikaluru, Machilipatnam and Pedana will be developed as an urban agglomeration if the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance is voted to power, he says
Nothing can stop me from contesting LS polls from Karakat: Pawan Singh
Patna: Bhojpuri singer-turned-politician Pawan Singh said on Friday, May 3, that he is the son of Bihar and no one can stop him from contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Bihars Karakat as an independent candidate. After Pawan Singh had recently said that he would be contesting the polls from Karakat as an independent, Union Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
5000 km road trip in my Tata Altroz iTurbo: Mumbai to Kolkata and back
BHPian Mgdoodler recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Blue Rocket had plans for 2023, which 2023 decided were not to come to fruition. On charts was to travel to Khar Dung La and Kanyakumari sometime between June and Sept 2023 but due to some personal circumstances all long-distance plans were abandoned. Or so we thought. Thanks to my cousin, who was marrying the love of his life in her city in Dec 2023. Invitations were issued and the plan initially was to make a quick visit to Kolkata for a couple of days for the event itself which then turned into a week's solo drive to Kolkata and back and in the end, turned into a 15-day holiday with Blue Rocket travelling through 6 states and the rest of my family flew to Kolkata for wedding festivities. As per my usual practise Blue Rocket was serviced and a checkup done 15 days before my travel and I drove it for a couple of short excursions around Mumbai. Plan was to take the Mumbai - Nagpur - Sambhalpur - Keonjhar - Kolkata route through central India while going and return via Konark - Vishakhapatnam - Chhattisgarh - Hyderabad - Mumbai. This was my first time driving any of these routes and my first time meeting the Bay of Bengal. As with most of my long-distance drives, this was just Blue and me all the way. FYI Blue Rocket is a petrol, manual i-turbo Altroz.Day 1- 1/12/2023 FridayThis was a day I was looking forward to the most, the opportunity to drive on the Samruddhi Mahamarg. I have already driven on the Trans Haryana and enjoyed it and was looking forward to a similar experience. Left home at 6:45 am - much later than the planned 5:30 am, but I was ok with it as there was a mild fog and starting later allowed better visibility. Travelled across Mumbai via the SCLR and eastern express highway leaving the city behind at Thane, but not the traffic, roads were jammed due to diversions and the first couple of hours were tedious. First stop was to fill fuel at Padgha. Tank filled and the drive started towards Kasara ghat which I would be driving on for the first time and it was a good drive. Stopped for a quick breakfast at 10:30 at a restaurant after Ghoti Bhudruk at 150 kms from Mumbai and 7 kms before Bharvir entry into the Mahamarg. The mahamarg is wide, well planned and mostly a comfortable drive. Speed Limit for cars is 120 Kmph and it is possible to maintain the same comfortably. Heavy vehicles are few and keep to the middle and left lane. It was a pleasure to drive on this route. I stopped at approximately halfway at around 3 pm for a fuel refill and bio break. I also stopped at about 1.5hrs of driving on the mahamarg for a quick photo session with Blue being the model. As you can see the weather was lovely with blue skies and fluffy white clouds - a perfect winter day for a drive and the road is practically empty. Road surface could be better and more functional rest stops are required. Hopefully, these requirements will be fulfilled soon. It was later in the day after 4:30 pm and as we neared Nagpur, I encountered some truck traffic in the fast/overtake lane and middle lane at the same time blocking the road. But it was not for long. Crossed Waifal toll naka at 5:30 PM, having covered 600 kms in approx. 6 hours with a 20 min break. Winter and travel towards the east meant that the sun set earlier and it was already dark as we exited the Expressway and made our way to the night stay - Hotel Pride near the airport metro. Reached and checked in at 6:30 pm. Covering 814 kms in little less than 12 hours. The day had not ended though. After a quick catch-up with work, I headed towards the nearest Haldirams at Ajni Square. Travelled by metro for 4 stops and exited just outside Haldirams. My last meal had been a protein bar along with a yoghurt smoothie at 3 pm and now I feasted on Dahi Puri and hot Rajma Chawal. Dinner done I took the metro back to my hotel and turned in for an early night. Continue reading about Mgdoodler's road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
The Patna High Court dismissed a Petition filed seeking striking down of Rule-7(iii)(d) of Chapter-4 of the Senior Resident/Tutor and Bihar Medical Education Service Recruitment, Appointment and Promotion Rules, 2008. The objectionable rule prescribes the maximum age limit for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor to be 45 years for unreserved category, 50 years []
BJD being run by bureaucrats, outsiders in CMs office trying to capture Odisha: Pradhan
Sambalpur: Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal is facing public revolt for the first time and a caucus of outsiders in the chief ministers office wants to capture the state, BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has claimed. The Education Minister, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Sambalpur, also dismissed the speculation that []
Naveen Patnaik has concrete plan to take Odisha to top; BJD to sweep polls: Pandian
Bhubaneswar: Asserting that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has a concrete plan to take Odisha to the top in all fields, his close associate Kartik Pandian has said it is a matter of time for migration from the state to stop completely. In an exclusive video interview with PTI, Pandian also said the Biju Janata Dal []
Naveen Patnaik has concrete plan to take Odisha to top; BJD to sweep polls: V K Pandian
People are so much in love with him and they appreciate his work. They know the state is in safe hands and their progress is guaranteed with Naveen Babu at the helm of affairs, said Pandian, who served as the chief minister's private secretary before quitting his nearly 25-year-long bureaucratic career last year to join the BJD.
Naveen files nomination for Kantabanji assembly seat
Naveen Patnaik files nomination for Kantabanji assembly seat amidst extreme heat, accompanied by BJD leaders. Focuses on prosperity and growth for Odisha, aiming for success beyond traditional bastion.
2.40 Crore Unaccounted Cash Seized In East Godavari
Police seized unaccounted cash of `2.40 crore from a private, inter-state bus in Gopalapuram, East Godavari on Thursday. Devarapalli circle inspector (CI) P. Bala Suresh said the cash was found in two bags with a bus passenger, Ayyala China Chennaiah, a resident of Kurnool. Chennaiah said that some unidentified person gave him the money to give it to another man in Rajamahendravaram. The bus was going from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam. CI Bala Suresh said the money was found during a routine check at the interstate check post near Gopalapuram. The cash was handed over to treasury department officials.
BJD being run by bureaucrats, outsiders in CM's office trying to capture Odisha: Pradhan
SAMBALPUR: Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal is facing public revolt for the first time and a caucus of outsiders in the chief minister's office wants to capture the state, BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has claimed. The Education Minister, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Sambalpur, also dismissed the speculation that there were any attempts from BJP to enter into an alliance with the BJD. In an interview with PTI, Pradhan, who is returning to the electoral fray after 15 years, said, he Odia identity is under threat and this election is all about that identity. BJD is being run by a group of bureaucrats...the caucus in the chief minister's office which has few non-Oriya officers, they all came together and thought let's exploit the inability of the chief minister, let's create a vacuum from back door and their intention is to capture the state. This is a very dangerous trend and this is what public is angry about besides their inaction on the ground, Pradhan said in a veiled jibe at Patnaik's close aide VK Pandian. The minister said this is the first time the so far popular CM is facing the heat from the public. BJD is facing public revolt for the first time...we have been fighting with them for long, we fought elections together too in the past. But 2024 election is a new type of election for them ..it is the most difficult election they would be facing, he said. The Assembly and general elections are being held in Odisha simultaneously. Naveen Patnaik will become the longest serving chief minister of India if his party wins the upcoming Assembly polls. He is already the longest serving CM of Odisha. Pradhan, however, said Patnaik's more than two-decade rule has brought little to the people of the state in way of solid development. Since last 24 years, Patnaik has been the in-charge of the state as chief minister but on all the fronts, be it social structure, infrastructure, economy, employment generation this government has been an utter failure. The lack of basic facilities causing large scale migration from the state. They do not have any vision or political will power they do not have any commitment to society, there is a huge anger among youth, women, tribals, different sections of society.. this is going to reflect in voting behaviour, people will teach them a lesson, there will be befitting response, he said. When he was asked about how the BJD was able to secure a mandate for five consecutive terms if there are so many issues, Pradhan said, kabhi to sabr ka bandh tutata hai (the patience crosses its limit at one point). 2024 election will be a real test of his popularity...soon BJD will not be seen in the state even by using binoculars. Pradhan, 54, also denied any talks of an alliance between BJP and BJD ahead of elections. There was no 'buzz' for alliance from our side...we had no compulsions for an alliance with them...on several national issues various parties have supported us but it is not mandatory that we will fight elections with them together, he said. Asked whether he would be the BJP's CM face if the party comes to power in Odisha, Pradhan said, here has been no decision yet and it will be decided by the party later only about who will be given the responsibility but I am confident that the Chief Minister will be from BJP. The BJP leader filed his nomination from Sambalpur on Thursday. Polling in the state is scheduled in the sixth phase of the general election on May 25. The high-profile Sambalpur constituency, which is the epicentre of western Odisha, is gearing up for a heated contest between Congress's Nagendra Pradhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, and BJD's Pranab Prakash Das. Nagendra Pradhan had won the constituency on a Biju Janata Dal ticket in 2014 polls. Dharmendra Pradhan is contesting an election after a gap of 15 years. He had last contested an election in 2009 after the end of BJP-BJD alliance. He lost the assembly poll that year. He was elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2000 and to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh seat in 2004. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2012 and again in 2018 from Madhya Pradesh. Asked about the opposition's allegations that BJP will change the Constitution if voted to power, Pradhan said, Congress is scared...their leadership has been re-launched and repackaged several times and they have faced defeat only. They are making all attempts now like using deepfake videos, misutilising AI, making such statements but public knows their deeds and Congress existence is in danger.
Chirag Paswan Declares Assets Worth Rs. 2.68 Crore: Details Revealed
Chirag Paswan Declares Assets Worth Rs. 2.68 Crore: Details Revealed Chirag Paswan, president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), who is contesting election from Hajipur Lok Sabha seat as NDA nominee, owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.68 crore as per the affidavit filed by him. Chirag on Thursday filed his nomination papers from the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat. The 41-year-old leader in the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer along with the nomination papers, declared that he has movable assets worth Rs 1.66 crore and immovable assets owned by him are worth Rs 1.02 crore. According to the affidavit, he has Rs 42,000 cash in hand and has three bank accounts and gold jewellery worth Rs 14.40 lakh. As per the affidavit, Chirag's immovable asset includes a house worth Rs 1.02 crore in Patna. He does not own any other immovable asset. He is a director and shareholder in six private firms. The Hajipur Lok Sabha seat was earlier represented by his father, late Ram Vilas Paswan, nine times. Hajipur Lok Sabha seats will go for polls in the fifth phase on May 20.
BJD being run by bureaucrats, outsiders in CM's office trying to capture Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan
Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal is facing public revolt for the first time and a caucus of outsiders in the chief minister's office wants to capture the state, BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has claimed. The Education Minister, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Sambalpur, also dismissed the speculation that there were any attempts from BJP to enter into an alliance with the BJD.
Odisha: Pranab Prakash Dass mom to fight from Korei as BJD candidate
BHUBANESWAR: Putting an end to speculations, BJD on Thursday announced Sandhyarani Das, mother of party organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, as its candidate from Korei Assembly seat in Jajpur district. Sandhyarani replaces Ashok Kumar Bal, the partys sitting MLA from the constituency. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the list of candidates for the last three Assembly seats including much-awaited Korei. The party has changed the candidate for Deogarh Assembly seat by replacing Arundhati Devi, wife of Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb of BJP, with Romancha Ranjan Biswal who had contested the 2019 elections unsuccessfully. The chief minister also announced Sabitri Pradhan as the partys candidate from Khandapada Assembly seat overlooking the claim of former MLA Anubhav Patnaik. Similarly, BJD has given ticket to Sukanta Nayak from Nilgiri Assembly seat. Nayak has consecutively won from the seat in 2014 and 2019 on BJD and BJP tickets respectively. Nayak had resigned from the BJP and rejoined BJD recently. The candidature of Sandhyarani from Korei is being seen as a back-up plan for Das who is BJDs candidate from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat where he is pitted against BJP heavyweight and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. If Das fails to win, he can always get himself elected from Korei. The seat in Jajpur district is a family stronghold of Das and represented by his father Ashok Das five times. BJDs Khandapada candidate Sabitri is the chairperson of Bhapur block. The regional party had to change its candidate from the seat as sitting MLA, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was expelled from the party. Meanwhile, announcement of candidates from Khandapada and Nilgiri has sparked resentment. Former MLA Anubhav Patnaik, a strong contender for a ticket this time from the seat, has resigned in protest. He is set to file his nomination as an Independent candidate on Friday. In his resignation letter to the chief minister, the former MLA said his father Arun Patnaik was with Biju Patnaik since 1985 and mother Bijaylaxmi Patnaik, a two-time MLA from the seat had worked to strengthen the partys organisation in the constituency. Patnaik said he had worked to strengthen organisation in the constituency. Santosh Khatua, the BJD candidate from Nilgiri in the 2019 also resigned from the party after his claim for a ticket was ignored.
Congress vows to remerge 5 villages near Bhadrachalam to Telangana from AP
Hyderabad: The Congress party in its special Lok Sabha poll manifesto for Telangana promised to remerge 5 villages near Bhadrachalam to Telangana from Andhra Pradesh if the party comes to power at the Centre. The villages are Yetapaka, Gundala, Purushottam Patnam, Kannegudam and Pichukalapadu and the residents of these five gram panchayats located on the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
BJD faces tough contest against BJPs Kulesika in Laxmipur Assembly seat
JEYPORE: The Laxmipur Assembly constituency appears poised for a fierce electoral battle, with the ruling Biju Janata Dal facing a challenge from former MLA and current BJP candidate, Kailash Kulesika. Kulesikas growing influence in the constituency has sent ripples of concern through the BJD camp. In the 2019 elections, Kulesika, then representing the Congress, secured 44,982 (33.85 pc) votes, narrowly losing to BJDs Prabhu Jani who got 45,211 (34.02 pc) votes. Despite financial constraints and a strong BJD presence in the state, Kulesikas organisational groundwork in Congress party strengthened his support base, particularly in the ST constituency. Seeking a brighter political future, Kulesika switched allegiance to the BJD in 2022, lured by the promise of a ticket for the 2024 elections. However, last-minute exclusion from the candidate list prompted his defection to the BJP, a move that has altered the electoral equations in the region. Kulesikas grassroots networks, particularly in Bandhugaon, Narayanpatana, Dasmantpur, and Laxmipur blocks, coupled with his experience and organisational prowess, have made him a strong candidate of the BJP. Moreover, there is palpable discontent among BJD supporters over the partys decision to overlook Kulesika, making it challenging for Prabhu Jani to secure their backing. The magnitude of Kulesikas influence was evident during his nomination filing roadshow in Koraput, where over 10,000 supporters from distant areas rallied in solidarity with the BJP candidate. Political analysts believe that countering Kulesikas momentum will be no easy task for the BJD, especially given his insider knowledge of the partys strategies for the constituency. BJD supporters, however, remain optimistic, citing the scheduled visit of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Rayagada on May 4 as a potential game-changer. They believe that the CMs presence will help mitigate Kulesikas influence and bolster support for Prabhu Janis candidacy.
Odisha: Will make paddy purchase clean & transparent says Manmohan Samal
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal on Thursday alleged irregularities of over Rs 1 lakh crore in paddy procurement in the state and assured transparency will be restored if his party came to power. Describing the BJD government in the state as anti-farmer, Samal said if BJP comes to power, all paddy grown by farmers will be procured. Asserting the BJP government will be farmer-friendly, Samal said the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy will be fixed at Rs 3,100 per quintal. There will be no delay in payment to farmers and they will get their money in their bank accounts in 48 hours, he said adding, there will be no katni and chhatni (reduction in weight of paddy per bag for payment). Alleging the state government has neglected the agriculture sector, Samal said Potato Mission and Onion Mission started by BJD has failed to yield any result. Samal said though the Centre asked the state government to provide financial assistance to 75 lakh farmers, only 44 lakh were given assistance under KALIA scheme. The state BJP president said because of the neglect of the government, all food procurement units are now closed. The state government has not taken any correctives measures though these issues have been flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) several times, he added. Stating Odisha witnessed a leadership crisis during BJD rule, Samal alleged while around 80 per cent people in the state depend on agriculture, the state government has failed to address the issues faced by the farmers. As a result, lakhs of youths are forced to move to other states as migrant workers, he added. Claiming the ruling BJD has done nothing to strengthen irrigation, he said farmers are facing problems as the state government failed to utilise funds provided by the Centre to boost irrigation. The Naveen Patnaik government also failed to set up cold storage and build seven barrages on Mahanadi river as it had promised. Meanwhile, dismissing the allegations as false and baseless, BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra alleged the saffron party is shedding crocodile tears over farmers issues. Whenever there are elections, BJP leaders talk about such things and then forget, he added. Accusing BJP of doing nothing to mitigate the plight of farmers, he said the Odisha Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution way back in 2017 for raising the MSP for paddy to Rs 2,930 per quintal. However, BJP leaders and the Centre failed to take any step in this regard in all these years as they are not worried about the problems faced by farmers, he added.
Dr PC Mahapatra is BJPs pick for Cuttack-Barabati assembly seat
BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday announced six candidates for Assembly seats in Odisha fielding its state unit vice president Dr Purna Chandra Mahapatra in Barabati-Cuttack segment, Shambhunath Rout in Ghasipura, Ashish Patra in Bhograi, Sudhanshu Nayak in Bhandaripokhari, Umesh Chandra Jena in Bari and Prakash Chandra Ranabijuli in Begunia. A renowned gynaecologist, Dr Mahapatra was in contention for Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. He was nominated from Barabati-Cuttack segment after the party fielded six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who defected from BJD. The former head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the states premier SCB Medical College and Hospital left many surprised when he was chosen to one of the top posts of the party last year despite not being a primary member then. Kendrapara MP and actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty, who had resigned from BJD, was also in the race for the seat. BJPs Ghasipura candidate Shambhunath is a surprise pick as speculation was rife about Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who has been expelled from BJD, contesting from the seat after he hinted on similar lines during his visit to Maa Tarini temple at Ghatagaon on Tuesday. Known for his association with VHP and RSS, Shambhunath, had retired from state government job a few years back. The party has nominated Patra, the former block president of Congress, as the candidate from Bhograi. The three-time sarpanch and a director of Balasore-Bhadrak Central Cooperative Bank, he had resigned from Congress a week back and joined BJP on Wednesday. BJP sprang a surprise in Bhandaripokhari by nominating former BJD leader Sudhanshu, the husband of two-time chairperson of Bonth block. He had switched to saffron camp last year. However, Prakash, a close aide of sitting Bhubaneswar MP and BJP candidate Aparajita Sarangi has been named as the BJP candidate from the Begunia Assembly segment. It was being speculated that Begunia could be offered to veteran Prasanna Patasani if he switches to BJP from BJD. Similarly, Umesh, who had contested from Bari on Congress ticket in 2019, has been chosen over former minister Debasis Nayak, who had quit BJD and joined BJP in February. The party was also reportedly waiting for sitting MLA Sunanda Das to switch allegiance after she was denied a ticket by BJD this time.
Aparajita, Manmath nominations raise Odisha poll heat
BHUBANESWAR: The intense heat did not deter thousands of BJP and BJD supporters from accompanying their candidates for filing of nominations for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency. Flanked by thousands of supporters who resorted to loud sloganeering, both BJPs Aparajita Sarangi and BJDs Manmath Routray reached the collectorate in style. However, police had to be present in large numbers as the scene remained charged with both the camps fervently rallying behind their nominees. Prior to filing her nomination papers, Sarangi organised multiple rallies on the Bhubaneswar-Khurda collectorate stretch. The BJP candidate was seen taking part in bike rallies of supporters at Baramunda field at around 7.30 am. After this, she prayed at Bhuasuni temple and moved in a bike and car rally. At around 10.30 am, Sarangi took out a padayatra from Gita Bhawan ground. She reached the collectorate at around 12.30 pm with BJPs MLA candidates in the constituency as well as leaders and supporters in thousands. The electrifying atmosphere itself speaks about the love and faith people of Bhubaneswar constituency have for me. As I had said earlier, people are fighting this election for me. They were donating me funds and are now joining me in thousands of number for my nomination filing. I am confident that people will remain undefeated in this elections, said Sarangi. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her the opportunity to contest from the seat for the second time. Bhubaneswar BJP MP candidate Aparajita Sarangi takes out a huge rally before filing her nomination | EXPRESS Not to be outdone, BJDs candidate Routray also made a grand entrance of his own, opting for a more traditional way of procession to reach the Khurda collectorate. Surrounded by a sea of supporters, the BJD candidate reached the collectorate on a bullock cart to make a grassroots appeal. Earlier in the morning, Routray jogged to Lingaraj temple in Old Town to seek blessing of the Lord. He continued to jog for miles till Khandagiri and was later seen dressed as a farmer, heading on a bullock cart, to file his nomination papers. Mayor Sulochana Das and all the Assembly candidates of BJD in Bhubaneswar LS seat were present with him. As Paikas, we protect our land and in the free time get involved in agricultural activities. This is our real culture. I am also fighting this election as a Paika son to bring back Odia Asmita (pride), Routray told mediapersons, on his way to the collectorate, while thanking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for imposing trust on him and giving him the opportunity to contest from the constituency and serve its people. Apart from the two Lok Sabha candidates, BJP candidate for Khurda Prasanta Jagadev also filed his nomination papers on the day. BJP candidate for Bhubaneswar-Central Jagannath Pradhan, BJDs Bhubaneswar-north candidate Susanta Kumar Rout and Jatni candidate Bibhuti Balabantray had filed their nominations recently.
YSRC, JSP diligent to bag votes in Kapu bastion
VIJAYAWADA : Part of the Diviseema region, a small deltaic island in Krishna district, Avanigadda is one of the seven Assembly constituencies under Machilipatnam parliament segment. The segment is well known as a bastion of Kapu leaders, where the electorate belonging to the community make up the largest proportion of more than 35 per cent, followed by fishermen at 13 per cent, Mala at 11 per cent, Madiga at 10 per cent, Shettibalija at 10 per cent, Kamma at 7 per cent, Yadava at 5 per cent, Vaishya at 3 per cent, Devangs at 2 per cent, and Muslims at 2 per cent. Considering these caste equations, the YSRC and JSP have fielded candidates hailing from Kapu community to contest the seat. While the YSRC has nominated sitting MLA Simhadri Ramesh Babu, Jana Sena has fielded Mandali Buddha Prasad, expecting to garner a significant share of Kapu votes. Nevertheless, the competition is poised to intensify, especially considering the substantial support among the lower and middle-class populace who have benefited from YSRCs welfare schemes, across other social groups. Enduring frequent cyclones, the constituency has been plagued with several problems for decades. Filled with potholes, the condition of the roads, especially on the Koduru-Avanigadda main road, in the Assembly segment is deplorable forcing the commuters to take lengthy detours spanning 13km. Though repairs have commenced, the overall road infrastructure remains a pressing concern for the constituency. In addition to this, most of the farmers are facing numerous challenges due to the lack of irrigation water. Although this issue affects all areas within the constituency, it is particularly acute in Nagayalanka and Koduru mandals. Moreover, the people are also facing problems due to a lack of drinking water in coastal villages such as Edurumondi, Kammalamula, Nali, Hamsala Deevi, Palakayathippa, Machavaram, and others. However, residents believe that despite the governments provision of water through tanks, it is insufficient to meet their needs. Parankusam Ravi, a resident of Avanigadda, expressed his concern over the authorities delay in desilting the main drains and agriculture drains, leading to the sinking of crop fields even with small rains. He mentioned that the outfall sluice, constructed during the British era, has been neglected over time. Even during the modernisation of the delta, necessary repairs were not carried out, resulting in the inundation of fields. Highlighting the delay in construction of Edurumondi-Etimoga bridge across Krishna river, which connects the main land with villages including Edurumondi, Etimoga, Elichetla Dibba, Nachu Gunta, and Gollamandala, D Govardhan, a resident of Yedurlanka village, said that with no other option, the residents are still risking their lives and relying on country boats to cross the river. Govardhan emphasised that this issue has persisted for a significant period, with both governments responsible for its resolution. He lamented the lack of effort to address it. Additionally, Govardhan mentioned the pressing need for the Yedurlanka Bridge, a problem raised during the YSRC tenure and not yet addressed. Avanigadda MLA and YSRC candidate Simhadri Ramesh expressed that it is encouraging to see the overwhelming support from underprivileged and middle-class people for CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and his schemes. Ramesh highlighted his efforts, including his opposition to GO 22A, which troubled farmers owning 17,840 acres of agricultural land in the constituency during Chandrababus tenure. He also mentioned his contribution for the establishment of a dialysis centre at Avanigadda Government Hospital. Regarding the construction of the Edurumondi Bridge, he acknowledged delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and alleged interference from Machilipatnam parliament member Balashowry Vallabbhaneni, resulting in a standstill despite the allocation of Rs 110 crore.
HMWSSB MD directs officials to finish ORR reservoir works by June
HYDERABAD : HMWSSB Managing Director C Sudarshan Reddy inspected the under-construction water reservoirs at Tukkuguda, Pahadishareef, Sultanpur, Kashangutta, Gurramguda, Kammaguda, Tirumala Nagar and Nandi Hills taken up under Package 1 of the ORR Project Phase-2. He directed the officials to complete the works by next month. Later, he visited the Saheb Nagar division office and reviewed the records of the tankers at the filling station. The MD said that under the current package, 33 water reservoirs are under construction. Works for 22 of them are already completed and they are now operational, he said, adding that the construction works of the remaining 11 reservoirs are 90% completed. Sudarshan directed officials to complete the works by June. Additionally, he highlighted the laying of a new pipeline covering 1522.27 km is nearing completion. The focus is given to inspecting inlet and outlet works and officials have been directed to expedite the works. ORR project phase-2 Phase-2 of the ORR project is progressing with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore. It includes the setting up of 73 new service reservoirs with a capacity of 138 million litres and the expansion of the pipeline network by 2,988 km. Upon completion, it is projected to benefit 3.6 lakh families and 25 lakh people. Seven municipal corporations, 18 municipalities and 24 gram panchayats are set to benefit from the initiative. Package-1 and 2 In this segment, 33 service reservoirs and 1,522 km of pipeline network are being constructed at a cost of `613 crore. It will cover seven mandals: Saroornagar, Maheshwaram, Shamshabad, Hayathnagar, Ibrahimpatnam, Ghatkesar and Keesara and is expected to benefit 4.36 lakh people. The second package covers the construction of 38 new service reservoirs and a pipeline network covering 1,270 km at a budget of `587 crore. This package covers five mandals Rajendranagar, Shamirpet, Medchal, Quthbullapur, Patancheru, RC Puram and Bollaram and is expected to benefit 1.96 lakh people.
13-year-old Secunderabad girl defies 45 fractures, fate to script dream TT tale
Vijaya Deepika Gangapatnam defies odds with Brittle Bone Disease to excel in para table tennis, winning medals. Home-schooled in Secunderabad, using wheelchairs due to frequent fractures, inspired by brother Vijaytej, introduced to TT after delivery fractures.
Debutants VS war horses in Bihar battle
PATNA: A keen contest between debutants and old warhorses is on the cards in Bihar as five of its seats go to the polls in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on May 7. Though there are 54 contestants in the fray, the fight is mainly between BJP-JD(U)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and RJD-Congress-led Grand Alliance, the latter being a part of Opposition INDIA bloc. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, all the five seatsMadhepura, Supaul, Khagaria, Araria and Jhanjharpurwere won by the NDA. The moot question for the ruling alliance both at the centre and in the state is to retain the seats that it had clinched in the previous general elections when candidates had emerged victorious driving on the Modi wave. The scene is a bit different now. It will not be a cake walk for the sitting MPs to retain their respective seats this time. For example, NDA has fielded the JD(U) sitting MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav from Madhepura. He is pitted against Kumar Chandradeep, an English teacher, who is contesting the polls for the first time. Similarly, in Supaul seat, JD(U) MP Dilkeshwar Kamait has been pitted against Chandrahas Chaupal, a debutant. While NDA candidate Kamait, a retired Railway officer, is seeking his reelection from the seat, the grand alliance has fielded Chaupal. Chaupal, an RJD MLA from Singheshwar Assembly constituency, is trying his luck for the first time to reach Parliament. In Khagaria, the NDA has nominated Rajesh Verma as its candidate while the CPM is fielding Sanjay Kumar. Both Verma and Kumar are trying their luck in in Lok Sabha polls for the first time. In Jhanjharpur also, the NDA has fielded JD(U) sitting MP Ramprit Mandal. He is pitted against Suman Mahaseth, a debutant in the general elections. A former MLC, Mahaseth is a nominee of Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) which is a part of opposition Grand Alliance. In Araria, BJP sitting MP Pradip Singh has been nominated as an NDA candidate while Mohammed Shahnawaz Alam is contesting as Grand Alliance candidate. Shahnawaz, an MLA from Jokihat, is fighting the Lok Sabha polls for the first time. Shahnawaz had won the 2020 Assembly election on the ticket of Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM but he later switched over to RJD. While JD(U) had won four seats, one had gone to BJPs kitty in 2019 Lok Sabha lections. Our top leaders are making all-out efforts to ensure victory of candidates on all the five seats in the third phase. We are convincing voters to vote in favour of NDA candidates to strengthen the hands of PM Narendra Modi, a BJP leader of Araria said. According to the state chief electoral officers office, JD(U) is contesting on three seats, BJP and LJP (Ram Vilas) on one seat each. On the other hand, the RJD is contesting three seats, CPM and VIP one seat each. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded five candidates. 19 Independent candidates are trying their luck.
It's Lalu's daughter vs Laloo Prasad Yadav in Bihar's Saran Lok Sabha seat
Rohini Acharya faces Laloo Prasad Yadav challenge in Saran Lok Sabha seat. Yadav, RJP candidate, determined despite financial disparity. Labels like 'dharti pakad' do not deter him.
13-year-old defies 45 fractures, fate to script dream TT tale
Even before she was born, scans revealed multiple bends in Vijaya Deepika Gangapatnam's bones. Her father says the 13-year-old is like fragile due to her rare Brittle Bone Disease, which resulted in 45 fractures. However, her life now appears to possess more strength than fragility as she defies fate to pursue a career as a para table tennis player.
Will serve people as son of Hajipur
Nadda: Lalus RJD stands forRishwatkhor Jungleraj Daldal
353 city hotels, coaching centres found flouting fire safety norms
Relief in sight as Met office predicts rain on May 5 & 6
Misa calls PM old, getsslammed by BJP, JD(U)
2 killed in firing over illegal sand mining
Woman gang-raped,killed in Sheikhpura
Online form submission for BEd entrance test from today
Woman thrownoff 4th floor byhubby & in-lawsover dowry, dies
Campaigning gathers pacein Khagaria
Tejashwi accuses PM of skipping important issues
HC refuses to quashFIR against familycourt judge, wife
Satellite-based toll collection system to be introduced in Bihar in 1st phase
Childless couple dies by suicide in city
AP politics delayed Polavaram project: Gadkari
Visakhapatnam : Union minister for roads, Nitin Gadkari, has said politics in Andhra Pradesh delayed the prestigious Polavaram project that was sanctioned by him while he was minister for water resources. Addressing election meetings in Venkampeta as a part of his campaign for Araku Assembly candidate Kothapalli Geetha and Anakapalli LS candidate C.M. Ramesh in Vepagunta area on Thursday, Gadkari said the project cost of Polavaram was then estimated at Rs 60,000 crore. Gadkari said he visited the project site four times when Chandrababu Naidu was chief minister. It was the responsibility of the state government to complete the project, he stressed. When the new government came in 2019, it initiated several inquiries and the end result was the project was delayed, Gadkari said. He said originally three schemes were proposed when 1,300 tmc of water from Godavari was going into the sea as waste. The first scheme was to take water from Godavari to Krishna, Krishna river to Penna and Penna to Kaveri, and taking the tail end to Tamil Nadu. This could have solved the water problem of the entire South India, Gadkari said, blaming the previous governments for wrong policies that led to water disputes. He said as a corrective measure, the NDA government launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchay Yojana to focus on big and medium dams and water conservation measures that would bring socio-economic changes in the rural economy. Agriculture contributes 12 per cent to GDP, manufacturing 22-24 per cent and services 52 to 56 per cent. He said 90 per cent of the population lived in rural areas and later 30 per cent of the population migrated to bigger cities due to the wrong policies of the government that existed after the time of Independence, he said. Now we are focusing on diversion of agriculture to energy and power sector that would save the foreign exchange in importing crude oil and enrich the rural youth, Gadkari said. He said already trial runs were on to make bitumen from broken rice and bio-fuel and aviation fuel from sea molasses, bamboo, broken rice and corn. Very soon vehicles would run on ethanol. Speaking about his contributions to north Andhra as minister for roads, Gadkari said work on Visakhapatnam-Raipur express highway covering a distance on 595 kilometres worth Rs 35,000 crore was on and similarly the Rajamahendravaram-Vizianagaram green express highway covering a distance of 688km was nearing completion. This project costs Rs 22,000 crore. These two roads would be game changer as new developmental activities would be initiated providing employment to thousands of people, Gadkari said.
I will be heir, successor to all values of CM Naveen Patnaik: BJD leader VK Pandian
The News Mill
Modi to visit AP on May 6 and 8
Vijayawada : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit AP for election campaign on May 6 and 8. Based on a tentative schedule, PM Modi will address election rallies and meetings in Rajamahendravaram, Anakapalli, Rajampet and Vijayawada. The AP polls are slated for May 13. Sources say state BJP leaders are making efforts to get promises for AP from Modi on major issues like execution of Polavaram project by releasing funds, as also on the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a railway zone, metro rail etc. The BJP is contesting in 10 Assembly and six Lok Sabha constituencies in alliance with TD and Jana Sena.
EC transfers IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan, wife of BJD leader Pandian, after BJP complaint
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered the transfer of commissioner-cum-secretary of Mission Shakti department Sujata Karthikeyan to a non-public dealing department with immediate effect. Sujata is the wife of 5T chairman and BJD leader VK Pandian , who is a close aide of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Sources in the ECI confirmed to The New Indian Express that the action was taken following a complaint regarding an alleged misuse of public office and authority by the officer. Earlier in the day, the BJP had moved the poll panel accusing Sujata of misusing her position to influence voters through the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme for electoral gains of BJD. In its complaint, the BJP alleged the Mission Shakti department was being misused by the ruling dispensation to influence voters to vote for BJD in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. As part of its charter of duty, the department promotes various women self-help groups (SHGs) and provides gainful activities to its members by providing credit, market linkage and other financial benefits, with a budget running into thousands of crores. The functionaries of the department have been compelling and coercing these SHGs with the threat of stopping the government's financial benefits, thus making them propagate and influence the voters. This is a brazen violation of the model code of conduct under the garb of SVEEP for reaching out to a wider population with its messages of voter awareness and education, the complaint read. It would have been fair and proper for her to understand the implications of her being the wife of Pandian and she should have proceeded on leave and disassociated herself from the public dealing duty during the elections. However, she is actively participating in the elections as a front person of the BJD in a manner which has been unheard of earlier, the complaint from the BJP read. A delegation led by Union Minister Rajeev Chandershekhar, Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi and senior party leader Om Pathak met the poll panel, demanding immediate action to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Sujata could not be contacted for a comment. For Pandian, by Pandian, against Pandian is the story of 2024 Odisha polls
Sanjeev Ahluwalia | Will Robin Hood taxes be the answer for India?
India's net direct tax collection surged over 19 per cent to Rs 14.71 lakh crore till January 11, reaching about 81 per cent of the full-year target. (Representational Image) India's net direct tax collection surged over 19 per cent to Rs 14.71 lakh crore till January 11, reaching about 81 per cent of the full-year target. (Representational Image) Behind the din of whether the Congress Party is likely, as alleged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to tax wealth and inheritance if it comes to power, lies the stratagem of signalling to the top 10 per cent of Indians, whose share in the national income surged from 45 per cent in 1981 to 64.6 per cent by 2023, that only the BJP lies between them and the deep sea of marauding socialists and other opportunists. It proved effective too by provoking the Congress, now lulled into a habitually reactive mode, to go all out to deny the allegation. The question is -- why did they bother? The share of Congress voters in the top 10 per cent by wealth is likely to be negligible. The BJP has been good for urban business, professionals and government servants who are the majority in this population segment. The Congress best shot at power, as of all other Opposition parties, is to tap the seething resentment amongst the have-nots. Farmers, workers and the minorities together are more than one half of the voters. The neatly devised Mahalakshmi scheme of the Congress manifesto targets 220 million poor via an assured direct transfer of Rs 0.1 million per year payable to the oldest woman in a poor family. This should cost around Rs 4.4 trillion (for 44 million poor families), or about 1.4 per cent of the GDP this year. At present this promise hangs in the air with no identified source of finance. Will this come at the expense of the Garib Kalyan Yojna, which now provides free food to 110 million people, which costs about Rs 2.05 trillion, and the end of cheap fertiliser costing another Rs 1.64 trillion? The alternative is to pancake it onto the existing welfare schemes, that will enhance the fiscal deficit from a projected, already high 5.1 per cent to an even more unsustainable 6.5 per cent. Are the BJPs dreams being countered with even bigger Congress dreams? Had the Congress acted true to its voter base, it could have proposed a new tax on wealth and inheritance. The share in wealth of the top one per cent (10 million) individuals increased from 12.5 in 1981 to 39.5 per cent in 2023 as per Bharti, Chancel, Piketty and Somanchi (2024). Marxist writers Patnaik and Ghosh assess the potential of a 2 per cent wealth tax and 33 per cent inheritance tax levied on this set at Rs 12.1 trillion in 2018. That the Congress shunned this bold approach reflects the dilemma of all middle-of-the-road parties. Politics and not economic theory drives tax policy in India. The politically docile, urban middle class is the only cash cow now available which spends more than one half its income on Union, state, or municipal tax compliance. Liberal capitalistic economic opinion warns that resurrecting wealth and inheritance tax is a distraction. India should instead focus on accelerating growth with fiscal stability, the benefits from which overshadow a tax funded redistributive tax policy. Far better, they say, to incentivise earning Rs 100 than to give the same as a tax-funded dole. Far better to incentivise new private sector jobs than to increase tax-funded expensive government jobs. There is merit in this argument. Sadly, the external conditions are not supportive. Global growth is low, which is sinking all boats. Automation, robotics, and AI are likely to squeeze human employment. Tax policy traditionally favours capital investment via tax rebates, rather than human capital development -- the key resource in a service-led economy. The wealth of an economy is the competitiveness of its workforce and the efficacy and resilience of its institutions, not the volume of land or physical and financial capital alone. An additional 300 million Indians will boost the population by 2060. Enhancing public expenditure for education and healthcare are, consequently, the surest way to dilute constraints on economic growth, with lightly regulated private industry and services generating new jobs. Memories are short in the social media age. India has a history of wealth appropriation. Ceilings on the ownership of land were imposed in the 1970s through state government-level legislation and surplus land was redistributed. In 1971, the privy purses -- guaranteed amounts under the Constitution, paid annually to the erstwhile hereditary rulers of colonial India in exchange for their voluntarily merging with India -- were terminated and judicial scrutiny of the Constitution-amending act barred under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Large-scale nationalisation of industry followed. No government since has implemented privatisation of Indias mammoth public sector, after Atal Behari Vajpayees 2000-2003 push floundered. In 1978, Prime Minister Morarji Desai of the Janata Party diluted the fundamental right to property, making it subject to legislated constraints. In 1985, the Estates Duty Act 1953, a quasi-inheritance tax, was abolished by Rajiv Gandhis Congress government. In 2015, the wealth tax of 1955 was abolished by Narendra Modis first government, citing low revenue performance. So, are new taxes on wealth and inheritance the answer to the twin problems of unfunded welfare and infrastructure needs -- the latter increased by the investment demands of the energy transition and low revenue collections of around 19 per cent of current GDP for Union and state government combined? This is a chicken and egg question. The generation of private, domestic wealth is a choice to defer present consumption for future gains via investment -- a significant input into economic growth. Bleeding the rich and the near-rich can reduce the incentive for savings-led investment in India. The establishment of the Gift City in Gujarat as an international financial hub insulated from the domestic economy only serves to preserve a part of the resultant value addition from international financial transactions, as do Singapore, London, or New York. The outward flow of domestic capital is still regulated. The INR is still a managed currency. Taxing wealth or inheritance can aggravate the undesirable, financial sub-culture of undercover operations, to stash wealth overseas in tax havens. Far better to make India a competitive and efficient economy first, which attracts more capital than it exports -- like the United States. Once this is achieved, imposing a wealth and/or inheritance tax to generate public resources and level the playing field across individuals becomes an option. More likely though, the process of making the economy competitive would automatically build human capital and create enough merit-based opportunities, making family wealth only a residual input into the future value of an individual. Social divisions like caste might also matter less. Till we get to Ram Rajya (good governance), populist, Robin Hood-style quick fixes can only score a self-goal.
Undefeated Kapu leaders to clash for Bheeminupatnam MLA seat
Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao from YSRCP and Ganta Srinivasa Rao from TDP, who have not lost an election in 20 years, are vying for one of the biggest Assembly constituencies in North Andhra districts
Hyderabad: Congress candidate for Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency, Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy, said that she had submitted several proposals for the development of Malkajgiri constituency to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who had promised to approve them and sanction funds soon after election code ends in June. She appealed to the voters to give her an opportunity to serve them and work for the overall development of the constituency in the next five years with the support of Revanth Reddy, the former Malkajgiri MP. Sunitha Reddy on Thursday took part in road show in Qutbullapur. Addressing the meeting, She said the Congress has given an opportunity for a woman to contest from Malkajgiri this time for the first time and appealed to women voters to support her and ensure victory of a woman. She said the Revanth Reddy government implemented Mahalakshmi and Gruha Jyothi schemes for the welfare of women within 100 days of coming to power and had promised to implement another guarantee of `2,500 per month to women after election code ended in June. Sunitha Reddy said the constituency has several slums which lacked basic facilities due to which residents were facing severe hardships. She promised to improve facilities in slums if she was elected.
Enhanced Mainland Connectivity: Lakshadweep Accessible in Five Hours Less
Enhanced Mainland Connectivity: Lakshadweep Accessible in Five Hours Less Travel by searoute from the mainland to Lakshadweep is now nearer by five hours. The highspeed vessel Parali on Thursday ferried 160 passengers from Lakshadweep Islands to the Mangaluru old port in just seven hours compared to the earlier 13 hours on an experimental basis. Speaking to PTI, the first batch of tourists on the HSC Parali' said that it was a different experience. The new vessel has not only high-speed connectivity but is also smoother by far than the earlier vessels which are modified to ferry passengers from cargo carriers. The Lakshadeweep Islands Tourism Development Authority formed under the Central Tourism Ministry will start the Mangalore-Lakshadweep tourist liner service after few trial runs starting from today. But we do not know how rough will be the sea once the monsoon starts. The LITDA has already ramped up the facilities at the receiving point in Kadmatt, which is the nearest port of arrival from the mainland, the officials said. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep Island earlier this year, the island administration (union territory) moved in many ways to improve the connectivity between the mainland at Kochi and at Mangaluru. According to the officials, this is the first step and things will be easier for people of Lakshadweep to arrive in Mangaluru for several types of tourism including the western ghats eco tourism, educational, health and recreation tourism in the mainland. Karnataka, part of the mainland, and Lakshadweep share a common history since 1783 as it was Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan who protected the entry of mainland marauders into Lakshadweep Islands and prevented them from pillaging the island paradise. But after 1799, when Tippu Sultan died in Srirangapatnam near Mysore, the people of Lakshadweep lost their freedom again as the British conquered the islands. The beautiful cluster of small islands, Lakshadweep is one of the worlds most spectacular tropical island systems. Thirty two sq km of land spread over 36 islands surrounded by 4,200 sq km of lagoon is rich in marine wealth. The heritage of ecology and culture is supported by an extremely fragile ecosystem. Committed to the cause of eco tourism, Union Territory of Lakshadweep has consciously followed a middle path between tourism promotion and environmental conservation. The administration is carefully monitoring the environmental impact of coastal tourism and has taken steps to promote tourism in a way that is consistent with ecological concerns. The first passenger Vessel M.V.Aminidevi had set sail for Kadmatt island in Lakshadweep Islands on 6 November with 150 tourists in 2010. ''This had opened a new horizons in tourism for Karnataka. Earlier this circuit was very circuitous for the people in the interior parts of Karnataka, but the new initiative will help high value tourists from Bangalore, Mysore, Panaji, Mumbai to use Mangalore as a port of departure to Lakshadweep. ''We are now getting inquiries from Karnataka especially Bengaluru,'' according to Lakshadweep Island Tourism Development Authority co-ordinators in Karnataka. The authorities had already prepared the ultra modern tourism facilities in three islands out of the nine which are closer to Mangalore in terms of navigation. The two islands of Minicoy and Kalpeni are closer to Kochi. At Kadmatt water sports like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, cruising and a combination of tourist activities including the local and world culinary attraction has been arranged. The authority are hoping that the tourists from Bengaluru will take advantage of this facility. Earlier they had to go to Kochi. The IT and Business tourists can travel to Lakshadweep at a cost of Rs 5,000 per head on this ship. The travel time is less than 14 hours and if they can squeeze in three days, we have devised a weekend package which is very rejuvenating, said an official from the Union Territory Authority of Lakshadweep Islands. Earlier, only a cargo ship Tipu Sultan was plying between the Islands and the mainland. This route is stated to be one of the oldest in the Indian maritime history. Accommodations in Minicoy, Kalpeni, Kadmatt, Aminidevi are limited and the ship will take tourists only when there is accommodation available on the islands. However, the rush has already begun as tourists from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Baroda, and other places are booking their seats. They will treat Mangaluru as a port of departure, according to officials.
Bihar Govt Cracks Down on Illegal Sand Mining, Issues Directives to Officials
Bihar Govt Cracks Down on Illegal Sand Mining, Issues Directives to Officials In a bid to check illegal sand mining in the state, the Bihar government on Thursday directed officers concerned in all districts to inspect sand ghats in their respective areas and send reports to the headquarters daily. The decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting attended by senior officials of the Mines and Geology department and other related departments. According to a statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department, the district mining officers across the state have been ''directed to inspect sand ghats in their respective areas and send reports to the headquarters on a daily basis''. Directions have been issued to erect display boards at all auctioned sand ghats and also install National Informatics Centre (NIC) integrated weighing machine to check overloading and illegal transportation of sand,'' it said. Officials have been asked to ''keep a tab on the entire sand quarry activity and track trucks carrying sand from the quarry to depots and other designated destinations in the state, the statement said. Instructions have also been issued to erect display boards at sand ghats which have not been auctioned. Any sand mining activities on ghats which are not auctioned can be easily checked and strict action will be taken against violators,'' the statement said. The state has been witnessing incidents of violent attacks by the sand mafia on policemen and senior officers of the department. Such incidents are mainly reported from Patna, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Saran and Vaishali districts. The sand ghats along the Sone river in Rohtas, Bhojpur and Aurangabad districts of Bihar and adjacent Garhwa and Palamu of Jharkhand are known for good quality.
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Naveen, Dharmendra, Jual file nominations
Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, former central minister Jual Oram and several other leaders of Odisha Thursday filed nomination papers for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Patnaik filed his nomination papers from the Kantabanji assembly segment under the Bolangir parliamentary constituency in the states western region, []
Naveen Patnaik, Dharmendra Pradhan file their nomination in Odisha
The BJD supremo has chosen as his second constituency the Kantabanji Assembly seat to bolster his partys prospects in western Odisha, a BJP stronghold
EC orders transfer of senior Odisha bureaucrat Sujata Karthikeyan
New Delhi: The Election Commission Thursday ordered the immediate transfer of senior Odisha bureaucrat Sujata R Karthikeyan to a non-public dealing department following complaints of alleged misuse of public office, sources said. She is the wife of BJD leader Kartik Pandian, a close associate of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Karthikeyan was holding the post []
Congress to Deploy National Leaders in Telangana for Election Push
Hyderabad: The Congress will step up campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana in the last leg by deploying national leaders like AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar between May 5 and 11. Their campaign will begin after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections on May 7. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had campaigned extensively during the Telangana state Assembly elections in November 2023. The party leadership has also decided to rope in leaders from Karnataka and Maharashtra for campaigning in the bordering areas of Telangana state. Besides, Congress leaders from Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala etc will meet voters hailing from their states Chevella, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad and Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituencies. Rahul Gandhi: May 5: Rallies in Nirmal and Gadwal for Adilabad (Atram Suguna) and Mahbubnagar (Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy); May 9: Karimnagar and Saroornagar, for V. Rajender Rao (Karimnagar) and G. Ranjith Redddy (Chevella). Priyanka Gandhi: May 6, election rallies in Yellareddy, Tandur in support of T. Jeevan Reddy (Nizamabad), G. Ranjith Reddy (Chevella) and Secunderabad (Danam Nagender); May 7: Narsapur and Kukatpally for Neelam Madhu Mudiraj (Medak) and Patnam Sunitha Mahendar Reddy (Maljakgiri).
2kmp4/Heat waves continue to sweep AP, Nandyal at 46.2 C
Visakhapatnam : Heat wave continued to boil parts of Andhra Pradesh for the second consecutive day on Thursday with mercury touching 46.2 degree Celsius in Nandyal on Thursday. The mercury touched 45.3 degree Celsius in Kurnool, followed by 44.8C at Kadapa and Jangamaheswarapuram. Tirupati recorded 44.1C and the remaining parts of the state recorded the maximum temperatures between 39C and 43 C on the day. Nandyal, Kurnool, Arogyavaram (42.5C), and Kavali (43.1C) experienced heat wave conditions on Thursday while hot, humid and most uncomfortable weather prevailed in many parts of the state, Dr S Karuna Sagar of IMD, Amaravathi. The heat wave conditions will prevail at isolated places over Rayalaseema districts as well as coastal Andhra Pradesh region and Yanam from May 3 to May 5 while the remaining parts of the state will experience hot and humid weather conditions. Adding woes to the heat waves, parts of Rayalaseema region will experience warmer nights during the period, Karuna Sagar added. The people in tribal pockets of Alluri Sitharama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam districts said that they have been experiencing hot and humid weather conditions for the past few days forcing them to stay indoors. Few parts in ASR district on Thursday recorded thunderstorms in the evening hours, however the spell of showers failed to bring much respite from hot weather conditions.
Naveen Patnaik Rejects Accepting Awards for Biju Patnaik as Part of Political Alliances, Confirms V K Pandian Naveen Patnaik will never accept any award for Biju Patnaik as part of any electoral or political alliance: V K Pandian to PTI.
Naveen Patnaik will never accept Bharat Ratna for father in return for alliance: V K Pandian
V K Pandian, close associate of Naveen Patnaik, revealed the CM's stance on awards. Biju Patnaik's contribution highlighted as overlooked. Naveen Patnaik's actions reflect strong commitment to Odisha's culture and heritage.
I'm natural successor to Naveen Patnaik's great values, only BJP calls me 'outsider': Pandian
Mr. Pandian was born in Tamil Nadu, studied in Delhi and started his career as a Punjab cadre IAS officer, but shifted to Odisha cadre after marrying an Odiya.
1,404 voters will go for Vote from Home in Visakhapatnam on May 7 and 8
Misa Bharti calls PM Modi 'old', gets slammed by BJP, JD(U)
In the final phase of Patna's voting, Misa Bharti confronts Ram Kripal Yadav in a straight contest. Bharti's criticism of PM Modi's age is countered by BJP. JD(U) questions her attitude towards Lalu Prasad.
BJP Releases Candidates for Six Additional Assembly Seats in Odisha
BJP Releases Candidates for Six Additional Assembly Seats in Odisha The BJP on Thursday announced candidates for six more assembly seats in Odisha, including its state unit vice president Dr Purnachandra Mohapatra. Mohapatra, a doctor by profession, has been nominated from the Barabati-Cuttack assembly segment where Kendrapara MP and actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty, who defected from BJD, was also in the race for the BJP ticket, party sources said. Mohapatra's name was also in the discussion for BJP nominee for the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. With the sixth list of candidates, the party announced its nominees for 146 seats for elections to the 147-member assembly in the state. The party is yet to announce its nominee for Nilagiri in Balasore district. Prakash Ranabijuli has been named as the BJP candidate from the Begunia assembly segment and Umesh C Jena from the Bari assembly seat. Former BJD MLA and ex-minister Debasish Nayak, who was once close to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and joined the BJP after being denied a ticket in two previous elections, was in the race for a saffron camp ticket in Bari, the sources said. The BJP fielded Sudhanshu Nayak from the Bhandaripokhari seat, while Ashish Patra and Dr Sambhunath Rout will contest from Bhogarai and Ghasipura assembly segments respectively, an official release issued by the party said.
Misa slams PM Modi with ageist remark, BJP and JD(U) hit back
Misa slams PM Modi with ageist remark, BJP and JD(U) hit back RJD president Lalu Prasads eldest daughter Misa Bharti on Thursday drew flak from the BJP-led NDA in Bihar for an uncharitable reference to the ''old'' age of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bharti, who is the RJD candidate from Patliputra, made the remarks while canvassing in the constituency where she attacked the NDA government at the Centre for bringing in the Agniveer scheme of recruitment in armed services. In a video clip, purportedly of Wednesday, now viral on social media, the Rajya Sabha MP can be heard as saying: ''What did this government do in 10 years? It brought in Agniveer. Young people fighting for the country will be retired at the age of 22. On the other hand, we have an old Prime Minister who at the age of 75 wants a third consecutive term''. Predictably, the BJP flew in rage and sought to remind the RJD leader that her father, too, was at a ripe age. ''PM Modi is much younger than Lalu Prasad. Misa Bharti should keep this in mind and think before heaping insults in this manner,'' said BJP national spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, whose party is headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and is an NDA partner, asked, ''Does Misa Bharti speak of her father in a similar tone?''. Referring to Bharti's rival in Pataliputra, the JD(U) leader added: ''She will learn her lessons. The blessings of Ram are with Ram Kripal''. Ram Kripal Yadav, a former close aide of the RJD supremo, had joined the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2014 when he defeated Bharti and was rewarded with a berth in the Union council of ministers. Five years later, Bharti suffered defeat at the hands of her father's disgruntled close aide for a second time. Covering areas of rural Patna, Patliputra, where voting is scheduled in the final phase, is set to witness yet another straight contest between Bharti and Yadav.
Andhra Pradesh's Electoral Roll for 2023 Finalized with Over 4.14 Crore Eligible Voters
Andhra Pradesh's Electoral Roll for 2023 Finalized with Over 4.14 Crore Eligible Voters Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Thursday published the final electoral roll of the state in the run-up to the forthcoming polls, pegging the total number of voters over 4.14 crore, which rose by nearly six lakh from January 1. In exact figures, the total number of voters in the southern state are 4,14,01,887, who include 2.02 crore male voters, 2.1 crore female voters, 3,421 third gender voters and 68,185 service electors. ''Voter list has been finalised and frozen. On the day of freezing the list, April 25, including all categories of voters, service voters, male, female and third gender voters, there are 4,14,01,887 voters,'' said Meena, addressing a press conference at the secretariat here. The CEO noted that the electoral rolls witnessed an increase by 5,94,631 voters between January 1, 2024 and April 1. The voter list was updated until the last day of receiving the nominations, April 25. Meena called on the electorate to check their names and polling stations at https://electoralsearch.eci.gov.in/ and on the voter helpline app. Though more than 7.2 lakh voters are eligible for home voting under the categories of voters above 85 years of age and specially-abled, Meena said only 28,591 such voters availed this facility. Further, he said that the number of polling stations rose from 46,165 to 46,389, after factoring in the requirement of 224 auxiliary polling stations which were supplemented to regular polling stations where the upper limit of 1,500 electors has been breached. The highest number of auxiliary polling stations (50) have been added in Visakhapatnam district. Meanwhile, the CEO noted that 12,438 polling stations out of the total have been identified as critical while webcasting has been proposed for 29,897 or 64 percent of the polling stations. Until Thursday, as part of the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), Meena observed that two deaths, 156 injuries and 13.4 lakh properties were involved in cases of electoral violence. Besides binding over 72,416 persons, the Election Commission has also registered 9,337 seizure FIRs and 864 FIRs related to enforcement such as loudspeaker violations, irregular meetings and others. Likewise, the poll body seized liquor, cash, drugs, precious metals, freebies and other inducements worth Rs 204 crore from March 16 to May 2. Further, Meena observed that safety measures would be put in place at polling stations prone to heat waves, such as setting up tents, canopies, umbrellas and shade structures, along with providing chairs. Likewise, cooling devices such as fans will be arranged at necessary polling stations for maintaining comfortable temperature for voters and polling personnel, including drinking water facilities at all the polling stations. Elections for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled on May 13 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.
I Am Natural Successor To Naveen Patnaik's Great Values, Says Aide VK Pandian
Unfazed by the 'outsider' barb of his opponents, Naveen Patnaik's closest associate V K Pandian has said he is a atural successor to all the great values of the Odisha chief minister and he will do everything under the sun to help his guru.
Visited the new Payana Vintage Car Museum on the outskirts of Mysuru
BHPian vsrivatsa recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Payana - The Vintage Car MuseumA new Vintage Car Museum opened on the outskirts of Mysuru last week and I had the opportunity to visit this museum along with the family on the way to Mysuru today. This museum has been established by Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade and is now open to the public. The structure itself resembles the silhouette of a tyre! Payana - The Vintage Car Museum A zoomed-out view of the Car Museum Intro Flag The museum hosts a huge set of vintage cars on display from brands such as Fiat, Morris, Austin, Mercedes Benz, Willys, Toyota, Citroen and Hindustan Motors. The timings for the museum are from morning 9-00 AM until 8-00 PM in the evening and there is an entry charge of 50 per head for adults and it's free for children up to the age of 12 years. Guidelines The Ticket Counter The Ticket Right at the entrance is placed a car which was used by Dr Veerendra Hegde himself - the Standard Herald: Standard Herald used by Dr Veerendra Hegde during his College Days At the entrance - Evolution of Wheels The most Rudimentary Wheels Spacious Hall Spacious Hall - Additional View Spacious Hall - Additional View Walk away towards the Lower Level Mysuru Maharaja's car - Daimler DE 36 C V Raman's Car - Studebaker ChampionLocation:Payana is located in Brahmaputra which is about 6.5 kms from Srirangapatna Town. If you are coming from Mysuru, then it's about 14 kms from the Mysuru Palace. Continue reading about vsrivatsa's visit to the museum for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
Im natural successor to Naveen Patnaiks great values, only BJP calls me outsider: Pandian
Bhubaneswar: Unfazed by the outsider barb of his opponents, Naveen Patnaiks closest associate Kartik Pandian has said he is a natural successor to all the great values of the Odisha Chief Minister and he will do everything under the sun to help his guru serve the people of the state. In a no-holds-barred attack on []
Naveen Patnaik changes Deogarh assembly candidates as BJD re-strategizes Sambalpur battle
BJD makes strategic candidate changes to strengthen its positions in various constituencies, including replacing Arundhati Devi with Romancha Ranjan Biswal. Contest heats up in Sambalpur LS seat between key players from BJP and BJD.
BJD's Pandian: I Strive to Continue Naveen Patnaik's Legacy of Good Governance and Urge Others to Do the Same I'm natural successor to all great values of Naveen Patnaik; I try to emulate his good work and all should do that: BJD's V K Pandian to PTI.
Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday announced the names of three candidates for the Assembly elections, declaring candidates for all 147 Assembly seats in the state. With the announcement of the ninth list of candidates, the BJD has changed its Deogarh Assembly candidate by replacing Arundhati Kumari Devi with []
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Files Nomination from Kantabanji Assembly Seat
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik filed his nomination paper from theKantabanji assembly seat on Thursday. CM Patnaik is contesting the Assembly elections from Kantabanji and Hinjili Assembly seats. The Chief Minister kicked off the election campaign from Hinjili constituency on April 24.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik files nomination from Odishas Kantabanji assembly seat
The News Mill
Odisha CM Patnaik files nomination from Kantabanji assembly seat
Naveen Patnaik filed nomination from Kantabanji after Hinjili, impacting BJD's stake. Chose Kantabanji strategically, connected to LS seats. Significant decision to contest from two seats.
VIDEO: Hailstorm cracks windshield, Bhubaneswar-Delhi Vistara flight makes emergency landing
The Bhubaneswar-Delhi Vistara flight made an emergency landing, ten minutes after takeoff from the Biju Patnaik International Airport(BPIA) on Wednesday, after it was hit by a hailstorm.
It's Lalu's daughter Rohini Acharya vs namesake 'Laloo Prasad Yadav' in Bihar's Saran LS seat
PATNA: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya's bid to reclaim the Saran Lok Sabha seat, once represented by the socialist leader, for the party is being challenged by a namesake of her father. Contestant Laloo Prasad Yadav, a local farmer from Bihar's Saran district, the 'karmabhoomi' of his famous namesake, has a penchant for contesting elections. This time, he filed his nomination papers as a candidate of the Rashtriya Jansambhavna Party (RJP) for Saran Lok Sabha seat on April 26. Earlier, Laloo Prasad Yadav had filed his nominations for 2022 Presidential polls as well. He had also filed his nomination papers for the 2017 Presidential polls, which was a contest between the then Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, who went on to win, and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who was a native of the soil. However, his papers got rejected in the 2017 Presidential polls since those were not endorsed by an adequate number of proposers. I have been contesting Lok Sabha polls from Saran constituency for the last several terms. I had contested against former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi as well. This time, I am contesting against her daughter Rohini Acharya, Laloo Prasad Yadav told PTI over the phone. He also exuded of winning the election by a comfortable margin. I engage in agriculture for a living and also do social work. I keep trying my luck, from panchayat to Presidential polls. I am leaving no stone unturned to win this election people of Saran are with me, Yadav said. When asked about his opponents calling him 'dharti pakad' (one who clings on to the earth), a term associated with those who like to contest polls for the sake of thrill and publicity, and 'vote katwa' (one who divides votes), Yadav said, I don't care about all these labels. They are my opponents and they will say such things. I contest polls only for the sake of my electorate in Saran. According to the affidavit filed by the RJP candidate, Yadav has Rs 5 lakh cash in hand whereas his wife has 2 lakh cash. He owns movable assets worth Rs 17.60 lakh and his wife owns movable assets worth Rs 5.20 lakh.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik files nomination for Kantabanji Assembly Seat
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik officially entered the electoral fray by filing his nomination papers from the Kantabanji Assembly constituency. The filing took place at the Sub-Collector office in Titlagarh. Patnaik commenced his journey for the nomination process by arriving at the Tushra Aerodrome at 10:25 am. Subsequently, he made a visit to [] The post Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik files nomination for Kantabanji Assembly Seat appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .
It's TMC's 'Bihari Babu' vs BJP's 'Sardarji' in West Bengal's Asansol
ASANOL: Reopening factories closed for years, addressing drinking water scarcity in rural pockets and reining in the illegal mining menace in abandoned collieries are the primary issues for the people of Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. The region cradles the mining and industrial belt of the state, with Raniganj, Pandaveswar and Jamuria assembly segments housing coal mines and Kulti serving as the home to some of the bigger factories. Asansol, which borders Jharkhand, has a significant percentage of the Hindi-speaking population, mostly migrant workers from Bihar and UP employed in the mines and factories. While the TMC has repeated Bollywood superstar Shatrughan Sinha aka 'Bihari Babu' as its candidate for this seat, the BJP settled for its veteran leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia who was born and raised in the city. The CPI(M) has fielded Jahanara Khan, a debutant in Lok Sabha polls, in the seat that is also home to a fair number of tribals. Sinha won the 2022 by-elections here by over 3 lakh votes after BJP MP Babul Supriyo vacated the seat, which he secured in 2014 and 2019, and switched over to the TMC. Sinha expressed confidence about retaining the seat by a greater margin this time. I will win more support from people in the constituency this election, he told PTI. Left nominee Khan, a two-time MLA from Jamuria, alleged that neither Sinha nor Supriyo had done much to alleviate the problems of the locals. The poorer tribals and minorities in the rural areas are suffering from tremendous drinking water scarcity, but little has been done so far to solve that crisis, she said. Alleging that illegal mining from the abandoned collieries in the region is rampant, she said the menace must be stopped to prevent land subsidence and mudslides which claim lives almost every year. Acknowledging the rural water crisis, TMC's Pandaveswar MLA Narendranath Chakraborty said water level depletes in the summer months in the mine region which, he maintained, was a atural occurrence. We are working towards providing water connection to homes, and reservoirs are being built in every block, he said, adding that water gets supplied through tankers in many places as a stop-gap measure. Sambhu Majhi, a resident of Kulti, said that he wanted factories, which have been closed for years over issues ranging from militant trade unionism to lack of timely modernisation, reopened. If the factories are back in operation, our children will not have to migrate in search of livelihood, he said. Several well-known factories like those of Sen-Raleigh and Asansol Glass have downed their shutters over the years. According to Ajay Ghosh of Dishergarh, illegal sand mining from Damodar is also on the rise and needs to be stopped. The BJP took a while to officially name Ahluwalia, fondly called 'Sardarji' by many, for the Asansol seat after Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh stepped aside from the contest. In the 2019 elections, Ahluwalia won the neighbouring Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, where the BJP has fielded its former state president Dilip Ghosh this time. Ahluwalia, also a former Rajya Sabha MP, had won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in northern West Bengal in 2014. He won the 2019 elections by a slender margin of 18,540 votes and managed to deliver for his party only one out of the seven assembly seats in Bardhaman-Durgapur during the 2021 state polls. Ahluwalia faces the litmus test of obfuscating TMC's gains in Asansol, where five out of seven assembly segments went to the Mamata Banerjee-led party in 2021. During a recent election rally in Kulti, Banerjee took a dig at Ahluwalia and accused him of playing the vanishing act from Bardhaman-Durgapur during the last five years. He could manage to get a ticket for this seat after putting in much effort, the TMC supremo claimed. Local BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari claimed that having an experienced campaigner like Ahluwalia in Asansol has boosted the morale of his party's workers to reclaim the seat. Brushing aside the TMC allegation of Ahluwalia's absenteeism, Tiwari asked, That way, how many times did we see Shatrughan Sinha in Asansol in the last two years? A two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Sinha had joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and switched over to the TMC in 2022. Among his many films, Sinha had co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in 'Kaala Patthar', a 1979 Bollywood hit based on the Chasnala coal mine tragedy in neighbouring Dhanbad. Calling Sinha an acting legend, the Pandaveswar MLA said the star of yesteryears still commands a crazy fan following. As an MP, he worked for Asansol and MPLAD funds were properly utilised for the welfare of people, he said. Confident about a formidable margin, Chakraborty said the leader meant business when it came to development and maintained a polite demeanor with people. Local CPI(M) leader Partha Mukherjee claimed that people would vote against the ideological bankruptcy of TMC and BJP. All anti-TMC and anti-BJP forces will come together to defeat them and we are sure that Jahanara Khan will win Asansol, he said. Asansol goes to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
