Assam: 77.35% voter turnout recorded in second phase polling in five LS seats

GUWAHATI: An estimated 77.35 per cent of 77.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, election officials said on Saturday. The final polling percentage could be further revised as the compilation of figures is yet to be completed, an official said. Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 80.56 per cent, followed by 78.41 per cent in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 per cent in Silchar (SC), 75.63 per cent in Karimganj and 73.11 per cent in Diphu, they said. Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase. Assam Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is pitted against Surya Kanta Sarkar of the Congress in Silchar, while BJP's Amarsing Tisso is contesting against Congress's Joyram Engleng in Diphu. Nagaon's sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting against BJP's Suresh Bora, while Karimganj's BJP MP Kripanath Malla is pitted against Congress's Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury. In Darrang-Udalguri, the main contest is between BJP MP Dilip Saikia and former Congress MP Madhab Rajbongshi. Altogether 77,26,668 voters, including 38,61,559 women and 179 persons of third gender, were eligible to exercise their franchise at 9,133 polling stations, of which 1,220 were identified as 'critical'. There were 906 urban and 8,227 rural booths, while 473 were managed by women, 12 by persons with disabilities (PwD) and there were also 90 model polling stations. More than 36,000 polling officials and around 40,000 security personnel were deployed during the second phase of polling on Friday. In the first phase polls held on April 19, 78.25 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur constituencies.

LS elections: Assam records 77.35% voter turnout in second phase of polls

Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 27 (ANI): Assam recorded 77.35 per cent voter turnout in the second phase of polls, which was held in five parliamentary constituencies in the state on April 26. According to the Election Commission, 77.35 per cent of voters in five parliamentary constituencies Silchar, Karimganj, Diphu, Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri, came out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls. 80.56 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Nagaon parliamentary constituency, while 78.41 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 per cent in Silchar, 75.63 per cent in Karimganj and 73.11 per cent

Impressive 77.35% Voter Turnout Marks Second Phase Polling in 5 Assam Lok Sabha Seats

Impressive 77.35% Voter Turnout Marks Second Phase Polling in 5 Assam Lok Sabha Seats An estimated 77.35 per cent of 77.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam, election officials said on Saturday. The final polling percentage could be further revised as the compilation of figures is yet to be completed, an official said. Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 80.56 per cent, followed by 78.41 per cent in Darrang-Udalguri, 75.97 per cent in Silchar (SC), 75.63 per cent in Karimganj and 73.11 per cent in Diphu, they said. Sixty-one candidates are in the fray in this phase. Assam Transport Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is pitted against Surya Kanta Sarkar of the Congress in Silchar, while BJP's Amarsing Tisso is contesting against Congress's Joyram Engleng in Diphu. Nagaon's sitting Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi is contesting against BJP's Suresh Bora, while Karimganj's BJP MP Kripanath Malla is pitted against Congress's Hafiz Ahmed Rashid Choudhury. In Darrang-Udalguri, the main contest is between BJP MP Dilip Saikia and former Congress MP Madhab Rajbongshi. Altogether 77,26,668 voters, including 38,61,559 women and 179 persons of third gender, were eligible to exercise their franchise at 9,133 polling stations, of which 1,220 were identified as 'critical'. There were 906 urban and 8,227 rural booths, while 473 were managed by women, 12 by persons with disabilities (PwD) and there were also 90 model polling stations. More than 36,000 polling officials and around 40,000 security personnel were deployed during the second phase of polling on Friday. In the first phase polls held on April 19, 78.25 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Kaziranga, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur constituencies.

15 children injured as school bus overturns in Ranchi's Mandar

RANCHI: Fifteen children were injured after their school bus overturned in Ranchi on Saturday morning, police said. The bus with 30 children onboard met with the accident at a turning, about 100 metres from the St Maria School in Mandar, they said. About 15 children of that school were injured. They are under observation at the nearby Mission Hospital, officer-in-charge of Mandar police station Rahul told PTI. One of the children received a head injury, he said, adding that a CT scan was being done. Otherwise, all the children are fine, the officer said. An investigation was underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, he said.

Archery WC: India bag three gold medals

Underlining their supremacy in non-Olympic compound archery, India grabbed a hat-trick of gold medals to make a clean sweep of team events at the ongoing World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai on Saturday. India's Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur dropped just four points to trounce Italy 236-225 in the women's compound team event to open their account with a gold in the season-opening global showpiece. The men's team of Abhishek Verma, Priyansh and Prathamesh Fuge went one step better as they missed just two points en route to defeating Netherlands' Mike Schloesser, Sil Pater and Stef Willems 238-231. The mixed team completed the sweep when the second-seeded Jyothi and Abhishek warded off a late resurgence from their Estonian rivals -- Lisell Jaatma and Robin Jaatma -- to win 158-157 in a thrilling finish. This was a double gold medal for the reigning Asian Games champion Jyothi who is also in the hunt for an individual gold and will play her semifinal later in the day. Priyansh is also in the hunt for an individual medal in the compound segment. Medal rounds in the recurve section will be on Sunday and India are eyeing two gold from the Olympic discipline. The Indian men's team will take on Olympic champions South Korea in the gold medal clash. Deepika Kumari is in fray for an individual medal and will play her semifinal against South Korean rival in the women's recurve section. The women's compound team, who qualified as top seed, dropped just four points from 24 arrows to down sixth seeded Italy in the first match of the day. In the first three ends of six arrows each, Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet missed the perfect 10 only twice to take a handsome 178-171 lead over Marcella Tonioli, Irene Franchini and Elisa Roner. In the fourth end, the Indians dropped two points but it did not matter much as they nailed the gold with an 11-point margin. The men's team, who qualified as the fourth seed, put up a near flawless show to defeat their Dutch opponents. They began with a perfect round of 60 and dropped just two points in the next two ends, before sealing the win with another perfect 60 in the final set of six arrows. In the compound mixed team event, Jyothi and Abhishek took a three-point lead, starting off with a perfect round of 40. The three-point drop in the first end proved decisive for Estonian archers who went on to shoot three perfect rounds of 40 each but the Indians held their nerves to seal the issue. Leading 119-117, the Indian duo needed a minimum score of 39 points out of a maximum 40 in the final end. They did just that to wrap up the country's third gold.

Tragic School Bus Accident in Ranchi: 15 Students Sustain Injuries

Tragic School Bus Accident in Ranchi: 15 Students Sustain Injuries Fifteen children were injured after their school bus overturned in Ranchi on Saturday morning, police said. The bus with 30 children onboard met with the accident at a turning, about 100 metres from the St Maria School in Mandar, they said. ''About 15 children of that school were injured. They are under observation at the nearby Mission Hospital,'' officer-in-charge of Mandar police station Rahul told PTI. One of the children received a head injury, he said, adding that a CT scan was being done. Otherwise, all the children are fine, the officer said. An investigation was underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, he said.

Kerala: CPI criticises BJP candidate Rajeev for not exercising franchise

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram Rajeev Chandrasekhars failure to cast his vote is snowballing into a controversy with the CPI questioning the Union ministers faith in the democratic process. It was when the media asked the minister about his vote that Rajeev revealed that he had missed the voting this time as he could not transfer his vote from Bengaluru where he is residing with family. I regret that I could not travel to Bengaluru to cast my vote. I have been voting there for years. However, this time my priority is to be here. I think this election will create history, he said. Rajeev is locked in a three-cornered fight in Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, questioning the Union ministers faith in the democratic process, CPI leader and minister in the LDF government G R Anil termed Rajeev Chandrasekhars action an insult to the democratic process. Rajeev not exercising his franchise is proof of his lack of faith in democracy. It is a very serious issue. The ministers action reflects corporate interests. They have only business interests, he said.

Archery World Cup: Indian women's team clinches first gold with dominant win over Italy

SHANGHAI: India trounced Italy 236-225 in the women's compound team event to win their first gold at the ongoing Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai here on Saturday. The team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, who qualified as top seed, dropped just four points from 24 arrows to down sixth seeded Italy in a handsome margin and open their account in the season-opening global showpiece. In the first three ends of six arrows each, Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet missed the perfect 10 only twice to take a handsome 178-171 lead over Marcella Tonioli, Irene Franchini and Elisa Roner. In the fourth end, the Indians dropped two points but it did not matter much as they nailed the gold with an 11-point margin.

Kochi: Drop in voter turnout does not hinder claim game

KOCHI: Although voter turnout in Ernakulam constituency declined from the previous election, several booths witnessed brisk polling. According to preliminary figures, 67.91% of voters exercised their franchise, but officials emphasise that this is not the final figure. In 2019, the polling percentage was 77.63%. The highest turnout of 72.09% was recorded in North Paravur assembly constituency, from where LDF candidate K J Shine hails. Vypin constituency came second with 70.86%, while Kalamassery stood third with 70.27%. Ernakulam and Kochi recorded the lowest turnout of 62.22% and 65.87% respectively. Long queues of voters formed at many booths in Kochi as polling began at 7am on Friday. Voter turnout crossed 6% by 8:30am. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan joined other leaders, including candidates, in arriving at the booths early in the morning. However, a low turnout was witnessed in some booths in the city, which was attributed to scorching temperatures. Polling in the constituency reached 24.50% by 11am and around 40% by noon. By 3pm, the turnout was 47.20%. UDF candidate Hibi Eden cast his vote at Mamangalam SNDP Hall at 7am. He offered prayers at the cemetery of his father, George Eden, at Pottakuzhi Little Flower Church, before proceeding to cast his vote with his wife Anna Eden. LDFs Shine cast her vote at Kumara Vilasam LP School in Vedimara, North Paravur. NDA candidate K S Radhakrishnan cast his vote in Cheranelloor. He later visited many booths. Twin sisters and first-time voters Devika and Gopika pose after exercising their franchise on Friday. Case against 4 for circulating misinformation about EVMs The police on Friday registered a case against four persons who posted misleading messages on the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs) on Facebook. The Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police registered cases against Facebook account holders Anil G George, Sanu Haneef, C V A Kutty and Shihab Ali. The accused alleged that the EVMs record votes only for the BJP even if a voter presses the buttons of other candidates. The messages posted by the accused discourage others from casting votes. The accused also circulated messages that said tampered EVMs are used in Manipur. They posted abusive messages against the BJP. Based on the report of Kerala Police Cyberdome, the case was registered under IPC Section 153 for provoking riots, the police said. Cyberdome is carrying out cyber patrolling to prevent the circulation of misinformation on social media. Last week, five persons who spread fake messages about EVMs were booked. AS THINGS STAND 67.91 Polling percentage in Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency Turnout in assembly segments: Kalamassery 70.27% N Paravur 72.09% Kochi 65.87% Tripunithura 67.14% Ernakulam 62.22% Thrikkakara 66.24% Vypin 70.86% * All preliminary figures Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil and Cardinal Mar George Alencherry after casting their votes at Government High School, Thengode, Kakkanad.

A taste of Asia: Cafe De Bangkok

KOCHI: Inspired by their culinary travels in Southeast Asia, S Sujesh and Santhosh Baby decided to introduce the mesmerising flavours of Thailand to Kochi. The duo partnered up and started a franchise of the renowned restaurant Cafe De Bangkok, a multi-cuisine restaurant two years ago. Before we started the franchise, Thai cuisine wasnt prominent in the city. A few restaurants served the cuisine back then but the places lacked authenticity. Thats when we bumped into Thai chef Ratchadaporn Puthong who runs the Cafe De Bangkok in Chennai. After that there has been noturning back, we brought the business to Kochi, says Sujesh. Now, the restaurant is raising the bar with a pan-Asian food fest, Oishi. This addition to the restaurants repertoire, created in collaboration with Malaysian celebrity chef Kuan Lai, showcases a blend of flavours, especially from Japan, Malaysia, and China. And it is for tasting the Oishi offerings, that I entered the restaurant on a fine Monday evening. Chef Lai greeted me with a warm smile and pointed to the Japanese dishes on the special menu. There has been a surge in all things Japanese lately. From what Ive learned so far, Kochi is no different. The city has many restaurants that serve Japanese cuisine. However, knowing the soul of the food is important. Be it a bowl of Ramen, or Sushi, at the end of the day, Japanese food is an art, he says. Nyonya coconut veg curry The tasting began with the popular Salmon Maki. Unlike other sushi in Kochi, it features two types of salmon. Fresh salmon is placed on top and smoked one is wrapped in sticky rice, crispy seaweed and cheese. Instead of using just a sliver of wasabi with a touch of soy sauce, the chef showed me the proper way to prepare the dip mix a small amount of wasabi with soy sauce on a plate, then dip the sushi into the mixture. A single bite delivered an instant burst of smokey flavour, and the dual layers of salmon added a rich texture. The next on the list was the chefs signature Malaysian cuisine a brief pause from the Japanese dishes. He brought the exclusive Nyonya food to the table. The Nyonya cuisine is known for its mix of Chinese and Malay. It came into being after the descendants of Chinese immigrants started marrying native Malaysians. The cultural fusion is reflected not just in the cooking style, but also in the clothing of the people, explains the chef. The Nyonya coconut veg curry with rice is exquisite. The curry has tofu puffs, cabbage, eggplant, and a lot more veggies cooked primarily in coconut milk. The mix highlights the Malaysian flavour whereas the glass noodles in the curry hint at the Chinese influence. The curry is the standout dish. When served with rice, it is a complete meal, bursting with flavours that leave no need for any other accompaniments. Then came the beef rendang curry served with roasted bamboo jasmine rice cakes. This dish is an occasional one. It takes too long to cook and requires tremendous effort in the making. People are sure to pay a price for it, adds the chef. The beef is cooked in coconut milk and the tender pieces are easy to pull apart. The semi-gravy dish reminds one of Kerala beef, the only difference is that its less spicy. The roasted rice is wrapped in banana leaf and it can be mixed with beef and a special Nyonya achar. Its now time for the much-awaited steaming bowl of Hokkaido miso broth katsu chicken ramen. The broth is what makes the ramen special, it is cooked for almost 10 hours. The noodles are imported from Japan, adds the chef. The rich creamy miso broth with soybeans, mushrooms, sake, mirin and dried fish powder tastes refreshingly mild. Its the texture of the noodle that makes all the difference, it is smooth and slurpy. The noodle is topped with crispy sesame katsu chicken. After a hearty meal, the chef comes out with Mochi. This is a guilt-free indulgence. The dessert wont shoot up your calories. We curated this specifically keeping the concept of wellness in mind, the chef explains. I decided to wind up the session with the soft and chewy mochi. The item is coated in cocoa powder, and once cut in half, you can see the gooey centre of the banana, chocolate filling and lychee fruit. When you take a bite, the bitter taste of cocoa powder dominates for a few seconds, and then the flavour of fruits comes rushing in like a sweet melody.

Glimpses of polling day in Kochi

KOCHI: After the crescendo of campaigning that most had gotten accustomed to these past weeks, the silence that accompanied the morning of April 26, when Kerala went to polls, had an air of collectedness to it. From the early hours of polling day, thousands were seen making a beeline to the nearest booth.The groups were diverse, comprising the young and old, families, friends and colleagues. They moved together; some went solo. But all of them had a vote to cast, and, hence, a reason to celebrate. This was their right and duty. In exercising their franchise, they knew they had a say in the affairs of the country and its future. So it was no surprise that voters turned up in droves, braving the heat. The queues were seen well after sunset. Finally, the day came to an end. The votes were cast. Now starts the long wait for the result.

Ballot bash in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Friday broke abuzz with anticipation and excitement as the 2,730 booths in Thiruvananthapuram district opened their doors from 7am to let 28,27,338 voters exercise their right to franchise to elect their representatives for the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha. A total of 19 candidates are in the fray, 12 in Thiruvananthapuram and seven in Attingal. Probably sensing a crowd later in the day and fearing the afternoon heat, people started flocking to the voting centres right from the morning. The queues were long in some centres as early as 8.30am, especially in coastal areas. By afternoon, the turnout slowed, and the votes registered were around 65.68% in the 1,307 booths in Thiruvananthapuram and 68.84% in the 1,423 booths in Attingal. While voting was brisk, scenes at polling booths were vivid with novice voters pepped up to cast their first vote. Senior voters displayed a sense of duty as they came on chairs carried by others.

India Triumph at Archery World Championships: Compound Men and Women Clinch Team Gold

India Triumph at Archery World Championships: Compound Men and Women Clinch Team Gold India men's and women's compound teams dished out dominant displays to win gold medals at the ongoing Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai here on Saturday. India's Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur dropped just four points to trounce Italy 236-225 in the women's compound team event to open their account with a gold in the season-opening global showpiece. The men's team of Abhishek Verma, Priyansh and Prathamesh Fuge went one step better as they missed just two points en route to defeating Netherlands' Mike Schloesser, Sil Pater and Stef Willems 238-231. The women's team, who qualified as top seed, dropped just four points from 24 arrows to down sixth seeded Italy. In the first three ends of six arrows each, Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet missed the perfect 10 only twice to take a handsome 178-171 lead over Marcella Tonioli, Irene Franchini and Elisa Roner. In the fourth end, the Indians dropped two points but it did not matter much as they nailed the gold with an 11-point margin. The men's team, who qualified as the fourth seed, put up a near flawless show to defeat their Dutch opponents. They began with a perfect round of 60 and dropped just two points in the next two ends, before sealing the rout with another perfect 60 in the final set of six arrows.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' movie review: An underwhelming nostalgia bait

CHENNAI : It is often said that the primary objective of franchise films is to evoke nostalgia in the viewers. These films serve as a reminder of the time when we first met the characters, a time when we had fun and didnt have the adult perspective to over analyse the older filmmaking style. An ideal scenario in such cases, is a sequel that takes a new approach while still retaining the warmth of the original film, thereby providing you with a refreshing yet nostalgic experience. However, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the latest addition to the Ghostbusters franchise, fails to deliver in terms of novelty, instead relying solely on nostalgia. This fifth addition to the supernatural comedy franchise takes place three years after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Spenglers, including Egon Spenglers daughter Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), her boyfriend, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), and their close friends Lucky Domingo and Podcast, move to New York City to assist Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) in reestablishing the paranormal investigation group known as Ghostbusters. The most exciting factor about Ghostbusters are the wacky, thrilling supernatural adventures. However, Frozen Empire is mired down by indulgent dialogues and hardly has any entertaining action scenes. The writing is often repetitive and lacks originality, exposing the evident shortcomings. The attempts at humour and performances also fall short and are just relegated to referencing the previous films. The humour might have worked on paper but due to the poor execution, the jokes dont land as well as they should have. The only line that gets a chuckle out of you is when Kumail Nanjianis Nadeem Razmaadi wrings a joke out of a tense situation towards the end. The biggest shortcoming of Frozen Empire is that it tries too hard to capture the audiences attention and in that pursuit, it meanders through a loosely packed screenplay. The film tries to do too much at once and fails at all of them. While the Ghostbusters are busy with a mission, we are treated to a subplot involving Phoebe, who meets a ghost named Melody and builds an intimate relationship with her. In another instance, when Trevor asks for help from his mother, she replies, Arent you an adult boy?, essentially pushing him to become more mature. While these subplots had interesting potential, the film never truly fleshes them out. All of these different plot threads are crammed together, causing the story to lose its focus and diluting the impact of the story. Towards the end of the final act, struggling to make sense of the many plot threads it opened, Frozen Empire falls flat and fails to establish the antagonist satisfactorily. Since we do not understand or connect with the motivations of the antagonist, the finale becomes forced. Unfortunately, even with all the quirkiness, thrills, and adventures inherent in the franchise, Frozen Empire never truly leverages any of its strengths. It fails to capture the unique charm and appeal that made the original a classic. Nostalgia can be a powerful tool if combined with fresh ideas, but in this case, its a missed opportunity. Just like the ghosts in the Ghostbusters firehouse headquarters, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire fades away and fails to leave a lasting impression. Film: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Director: Gil Kenan Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani Rating: 2/5

17 years of struggle later, Kerala's Chengara is still out of the polling booth

PATHANAMTHITTA: Even after 17 years of struggle for land at Chengara in Pathanamthitta, nearly 2,000 people from marginalised communities here are still deprived of the basic right to exercise their franchise. On polling day, a board titled Dr Ambedkar Smaraka Mathruka Gramam welcomed one to this rural settlement, where 598 families have been living following a major protest for land 2007. An eerie silence prevailed here, even as the rest of the state celebrated democracy. We hail from different districts, where our names were on the voters list. After the land struggle, most of our names were removed from the voters list, said T R Sasi, the president of Ambedkar Smaraka Mathruka Grama Vikasana Society (ASMGVS). About 2,000 people here cant vote. Sasi added that the community had given several applications and complaints to district and state authorities. There have been denying our fundamental right citing legal complications, he lamented. The community had also approached the BJP district committee, seeking former Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopis intervention, but there was no further development. Sasi said the community would vote en masse for whichever party that helps us. When asked about the issue, Konni MLA Jenish Kumar said the people were supposed to be on the voters list. I will inquire if there are any anomalies in the matter, he said.

2 CRPF personnel killed in Manipur's Naransena in an attack by militants

BISHNUPUR: Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost their lives in an attack by Kuki militants starting from Friday midnight at the Naransena area in Manipur, police said. According to the police, the CRPF personnel were attacked by Kuki militants starting from midnight till 2:15 am. The personnel who lost their lives are from the CRPF 128 Battalion deployed at the Naransena area in Bishnupur district in the state. Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Electoral Officer, Pradeep Kumar Jha on Friday highlighted higher turnout and minimal incidents of violence in Outer Manipur in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls. Till the last report that we received about an hour back, the voting percentage was in the range of 75 per cent and no major hiccups were reported, said Manipur Chief Electoral Officer. He also said that people came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise during the second phase of voting. One incident of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning was reported at a polling booth and no major hiccups were reported. Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency, the 13 assembly segments... The voting has remained peaceful... One incident of damage to EVM has been reported so far. We are looking into it and have been following up with all the districts and they have reported that voting has been peaceful, he told ANI. Jha further said that voting in the Outer Manipur constituency had been relatively more peaceful compared to the 2019 election. People have turned out in huge numbers. As compared to the previous elections, the election in Outer Manipur has been very peaceful... We are very hopeful that by late evening today, we should have a clear picture. Except for one or two incidents, nothing major has happened and voting has been very encouraging, Jha added. According to the voter turnout app of the Election Commission of India, 78.78 per cent of votes were recorded till the last report. Earlier, re-polling was held in 11 polling stations of the Inner Manipur constituency on April 22, after multiple incidents of violence were reported during the first phase of polling on April 19. Polling for the second phase in 88 seats across 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) ended at 6 pm. The first phase of voting for the seven-phased general elections was conducted successfully on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories. According to the Election Commission, the overall voter turnout in the opening phase was recorded at over 62 per cent. The next round of polling will be held on May 7. The counting of votes and results will be declared on June 4.

Indian Women's Compound Archery Team Triumphs with Gold at World Championships

Indian Women's Compound Archery Team Triumphs with Gold at World Championships India trounced Italy in the women's compound team event to win their first gold at the ongoing Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Shanghai here on Saturday. The team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, who qualified as top seed, dropped just four points from 24 arrows to down sixth seeded Italy 236-226 and open their account in the season-opening global showpiece. In the first three ends of six arrows each, Jyothi, Aditi and Parneet missed the perfect 10 only twice to take a handsome 178-171 lead over Marcella Tonioli, Irene Franchini and Elisa Roner. In the fourth end, the Indians dropped two points but it did not matter much as they nailed the gold with an 11-point margin.

Karnataka: Test is between person and personality

BENGALURU: Braving the scorching heat, people in the high-voltage Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency briskly cast their votes. Likening the election to a festival, local leaders of both the Congress and BJP-JDS alliance have invited voters of villages and towns settled in faraway places to come and vote, besides making all other efforts on the ground. This constituency is a test for voters to elect a person or personality, with candidates DK Suresh of the Congress and Dr CN Manjunath of the BJP in the fray. Voters joined serpentine queues even in villages to exercise their franchise. The influential DK Suresh, brother of DCM DK Shivakumar, a professional politician who has grown from the grassroots, is trying his luck to enter Parliament for the fourth time. On the other hand, Dr CN Manjunath, a renowned cardiologist and son-in-law of former PM and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda, is new to politics. But he is seen as a rare person who has carved a niche in the hearts of countless people through his service in society. Being fielded as the NDA candidate, Manjunath has put up a tough counter to incumbent MP DK Suresh. We support JDS in the assembly and other local elections, but vote for DK Suresh in parliamentary elections, since he is a powerful person who is locally available, said Mujahid, a voter in Channapatna of Ramanagara district, which falls under Bengaluru Rural parliamentary constituency.

The big fat Indian election

My memory of elections is deeply associated with Prannoy Roy, Indias foremost and finest psephologist. The first televised coverage of an election result in India was produced during the 1989 general election. Roy who began his career as a TV journalist by covering it for Doordarshan and then as anews presenterin the international news show The World This Week became a household name. Thirty-five years since that coverage, we enter yet another election season, and the question we need to ask is: Is India an electoral autocracy? That we hold an election on time, and that in every state and general election, the losing side and the party have unquestioningly accepted the result is a clear indication of our continuing faith in the electoral process. The same cannot be said even of the US elections. In India, no party has ever received more than 50 per cent of the vote share, so we have always had an opposition, though it has weakened considerably. The electoral process in India does have its challenges issues such as voter fraud, corruption, and the influence of money in politics pose significant hurdles to free and fair elections. Moreover, Indias vast geographical expanse and diverse population present logistical challenges in ensuring equitable access to the electoral process, particularly in remote and marginalised regions. However, we do go to great lengths to ensure franchise. In Navin Chawlas book, Every Vote Counts , he shares the story of a polling station that was set up in the village of Banej in Junagadh district in Gujarat for the 2009 election. Located in the heart of Indias only lion sanctuary, it was set up for a single voter Pujari Bharatdas Dashandas. A presiding officer and two other officials travelled through almost 40km of dense jungle, accompanied by a couple of policemen presumably to keep the lions at bay! Where it all began The roots of elections hark back to ancient Greece but it was in the Roman Republic that the concept of representative government and periodic elections emerged. The Roman model of electing officials to represent the interests of the people laid the foundation for modern democratic practices. When the greatest Roman orator Marcus Cicero ran for the highest office in the Roman Republic in 64BCE, his younger brother Quintus Tullius decided to give him some practical advice in the form of a campaign guide. This was published by Princeton University Press as How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians. Promise everything to everyone. Give people hope, at least until the election then inevitably you will let them down. Would you believe such nuggets date back over 2,000 years? Medieval Europe saw the emergence of feudalism but the Magna Carta in 1215 marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for democratic principles. Over time, this led to the establishment of parliamentary systems and the gradual expansion of suffrage. The Enlightenment further fuelled the ideals of democracy and individual rights, inspiring the American and French Revolutions. The 19th century witnessed the expansion of suffrage and the democratisation of electoral systems in many countries. Movements for womens suffrage, workers rights, and civil rights challenged entrenched power structures and fought for equal participation in governance. Fast forward to the 20th century, one can see significant advancements in electoral practices and technology, transforming the nature of elections. The advent of mass media, political parties, and campaign strategies reshaped electoral campaigns, enabling candidates to reach wider audiences and mobilise support. However, the century also saw challenges to democratic norms, including the rise of authoritarian regimes and the manipulation of elections for political gain. Polls today Today, elections face new challenges, including disinformation, voter suppression, and the influence of money. Tech advancements have transformed the way elections are conducted, raising concerns about cybersecurity and the integrity of electoral systems. Indias first general elections were held between 25 October 1951 and 27 March 1952 (of a population of 34.8 crore, 17.3 crore voted). Schoolteacher Shyam Saran Negi was the first to cast a vote for independent India. The Election Commission of India, an autonomous body, was established on 25 January 1950, so the adult franchise was effective from the very day India became a republic. Unlike in the West, democratic institutions in India are not well studied (eg. the last book about the PMs office The Indian Prime Minister: Office and Powers was written in 1976 by LN Sharma although the PMO was created in 1960). Of the few good books on elections, one of my favourites is Rajdeep Sardesais 2014: The Election that Changed India . This election has been regarded as the most important in Indian history since 1977. It saw the decimation of the ruling Congress party, a spectacular victory for the BJP and a new style of campaigning that broke every rule in the political game. A page-turner, this is political storytelling at its best. The Verdict: Decoding Indias Elections by Prannoy Roy and Dorab R Sopariwala, offers a detailed analysis, drawing on data, anecdotes, and interviews to unravel the complexities of electoral politics in the worlds largest democracy. Both these books are worth revisiting, especially before an election season! An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great Indian Election by SY Quraishi delves into the behind-the-scenes workings of the Election Commission of India, offering insights into the planning, execution, and challenges of conducting our elections. As India readies itself for a mammoth exercise in democracy about 969 million are eligible to cast their vote in the upcoming election more than the populations of North America and the European Union combined Prime Minister Narendra Modi is standing for a rare third consecutive term in power, something that has happened for the first time since Nehru. Being the biggest democracy is not good enough; we should aspire to be the greatest too, the best example of democracy in the world. Meanwhile, let us remember that it is the voter, not the politician, who is at the core of democracy. And the voter has been known to surprise us even when the outcome seems a foregone conclusion. As former President Pranab Mukherjee said, You can only understand an election after it is over. (The writers views are personal)

LS polls: Gautam Buddh Nagar seat records 53 per cent voter turnout

NEW DELHI: Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency recorded 53.30 per cent peaceful voting in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) data showed. It had recorded a voter turnout of 60.47 per cent in the 2019 general elections. The constituency, with its diverse political landscape, saw a total of 15 candidates vying for the seat. This includes a mix of established politicians and new faces, all hoping to secure the votes of over 26.75 lakh registered voters. The voting started on a peaceful note with nearly 12 per cent voting at 9 am in the seat comprising Dadri, Noida, Jewar, Sikandrabad and Khurja assembly segments. Sikandrabad and Khujra geographically fall in the adjoining Bulandshahr district but are part of Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency. The turnout reached 24 per cent at 11 am, nearly 35 per cent at 1 pm, 44 per cent at 3 pm and 51.60 per cent at 5 pm. According to the reports, one of the EVMs malfunctioned at a polling station in Noida Sector 66, and the Election Commission officials replaced the machine. At Mamura in Greater Noida, an EVM reportedly broke down. Among the prominent figures exercising their franchise were Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawatis nephew Akash Anand, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Singh Nagar, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala and Noida District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma. The district administration had earlier stated that of the 1,852 polling booths, webcasting will be introduced at 931 to enable real-time monitoring of the electoral process from control rooms. The authorities had identified 330 booths as critical and 204 as vulnerable. Around 10,000 polling officials and 11,000 security personnel were deployed to conduct smooth elections. Among the citys most posh sectors, the residents welfare association (RWA) in Sector 15A arranged electric vehicles to ferry voters to and from the polling booth. The ruling BJP decided to go to the polls with its sitting MP, Mahesh Sharma, while the INDIA bloc allies Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress fielded Rahul Awana on the SP ticket. The BSP, which is contesting alone, has given the ticket to Rajendra Singh Solanki. The results will be announced on June 4.

Karnataka: Villagers attack booth near MM Hills, burn EVMs, injure staff

MYSURU: Tension prevailed at Indiganatha village in Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday when people set fire to electronic voting machines (EVMs) in a polling booth there and attacked election officials for forcing them to exercise their franchise. The agitators had decided to boycott polling in protest against lack of basic amenities such as drinking water, roads and electricity in their village. They alleged that local officials did nothing though they had submitted several memorandums to them seeking amenities. They had to walk miles to bring drinking water. They decided to boycott polling this time when officials imposed restrictions on their movement inside the forest. Because of the restrictions, they could not even bring drinking water to their houses, they said. There are 170 houses at Indiganatha. When people of the village did not visit the booth till 2pm, police and revenue officials contacted the voters at Mendara village near Indiganatha. They managed to bring 14 voters from Mendara to the polling booth to exercise their franchise. Enraged by this, people of Indiganatha took the officials to task. An argument broke out and soon people of the village started throwing stones at the officials. The police resorted to a lathicharge when some election officials, including tahsildar YK Guruprasad and inspector Jagadish, were injured in stone throwing. The agitators also destroyed the EVMs, furniture, gate and the compound wall of the booth. The injured officers were treated at a hospital in MM Hills. Assistant returning officer Mallikarjuna filed a complaint with MM Hills police, accusing the villagers, including some women, of attacking them and preventing them from doing their poll duty. Guru Prasad said that they had gone to the village to convince voters to take part in polling. He said that it was a pre-planned attack by the villagers. Meanwhile, Soligara Abhivrudhi Sangha president Muthaiah accused the people of Indiganatha village of attacking Soligas of Mendara village who went to the polling booth along with the officials to exercise their franchise. He said the sangha will stage a protest in MM Hills seeking action against those who had assaulted the Soligas. Chamarajanagar SP Padmini Sahoo visited Indiganatha village.

Awareness drives have no impact, Kerala's Malapandaram tribals skip voting

IDUKKI: Malapandaram tribals of Idukkis Vandiperiyar, a dwindling semi-nomadic population living inside the forests in Sathram, Vallakkadavu areas of Vandiperiyar panchayat, didnt exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls in the Idukki constituency on Friday. Of the 20 registered voters in Ward 12 (Mount) of Vandiperiyar, only three came to the polling booth. Ward member Guneshwari A told TNIE that though four tribal community members came to the booth, one had lost his voter ID following which he was not allowed to vote. Chellamma, 79, Sarada, 30, and her husband Madhavan voted at booth 186 at Government LP School in Arnakkal. This time, however, hopes ran high as the district administration along with the district election department through Nanka Vote campaign had distributed identity cards to 10 new voters. Field-level awareness was given too. Officials even promised to arrange transportation for residents, said Peermade tribal extension officer Jovy Varghese. Tribal member Sarada said that though she urged other tribals to cast their votes, they were reluctant to come out of the forest. She said that this was the second time that she was exercising her right to vote. Dollies come to voters rescue in PThitta again For the ninth year straight, dollies came to the help of the elderly and persons with disabilities eager to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections in Pathanamthitta on Friday. More than 80 people engaged the four palanquin-type carriages operated by 12 porters, to carry them past the 48 steps, to the three booths at Sree Narayana Satha Valsara Memorial LP School at Mundukottackal in Pathanamthitta municipality. Since relocating the booths was not possible owing to the unavailability of facilities and absence of roads nearby, dollies were the lone option for voters. The government had started the dolly service in 2015 following the High Courts intervention. Saji K Simon, a local Congress leader, had moved the plea that reached HC and resulted in the favourable order.

Low voter turnout marks second phase polls in Western UP

Parties pushed for higher voter turnout after the initial phase, but even fewer people come to exercise franchise on Friday

Kerala LS polls: Low voter turnout leaves Left on a high

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The low turnout in the Lok Sabha elections, despite the high-decibel campaigning in the state, has left the three major fronts confused. Going by conventional theory, the CPM believes the drop in turnout hints at a lack of anti-incumbency sentiment against the state government. According to the CPMs internal assessment, only 370 UDF votes were polled in a polling booth at Kollam town, where the opposition front enjoys a majority of 1,200 votes. Its not an isolated incident, the party noted. The substantially low voter turnout of 70.35% has given fresh hopes to ruling Left, while it has left the UDF and the NDA a tad disappointed. Poll statistics of the last four general elections show whenever there has been a huge voter turnout, it has proven to be a washout for either LDF or UDF. In 2004, when the state recorded 77.77 polling percentage, the Left romped home with 18 seats. Similarly, in 2019, when the poll percentage was 77.84, the UDF won 19 of the 20 seats. As per the Lefts calculations, there was considerable leakage of UDF votes in its strongholds. In some places, it believes, the NDA poached UDF votes. The reluctance on the part of UDF voters was evident from low voter turnout in even assured seats like Ernakulam. The unexpectedly low poll percentage in Muslim League strongholds Ponnani and Malappuram indicated a visible reluctance among minority voters, too. The CPM claimed there was no dip in the Left votes, most of which were polled in the first half of the day itself. By around 5pm, 95% of the Left votes were polled. There was a visible dip in voter turnout in many UDF strongholds. The Left has considerable winning chances in many seats, said a CPM state committee member. The CPM leadership said there was a split in Muslim votes, and that would prove beneficial to the Left. Most political votes seem to have been polled, while the majority of the fluctuating voters didnt turn up, observed political commentator N M Pearson. Avida Saleem shows her ID card after voting at Government UP School at Valluvalli near Paravoor on Friday. The moderate voters who usually cast their franchise in favour of or against the governments have not been polled, he said. The absence of pro- or anti-state government votes show that the Left could well improve its performance. Meanwhile, the NDA maintains high hopes. In some constituencies, all the CPM votes havent been polled, said a senior BJP leader. Also there was considerable lag from the part of polling officials. This has also led to delay in polling and many voters returning without casting their votes. The UDF also claimed reluctance to vote among LDF supporters. Contrary to general perception, the dip in poll percentage was not due to absence of UDF voters, said CMP general secretary C P John. There was visible reluctance by LDF voters. The last minute issues around the E P Jayarajan episode might have contributed to this reluctance.

Kerala sees delayed polls, low voter turnout amid scorching heat, 8 people die

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a Lok Sabha election marred by an uncharacteristic delay of more than five hours, with polling extending well beyond the scheduled time, Kerala on Friday recorded a turnout of 70.35% over 7 percentage points lower than the 2019 polls. The delay led to many voters returning without exercising their franchise. The comparatively low turnout has ignited hopes for the Left while the UDF has approached the Election Commission alleging the absence of free and fair elections. Meanwhile, eight persons collapsed and died due to extreme heat and exhaustion in Palakkad, Alappuzha, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Lok Sabha polls 2024 | Phase 2: Brisk voter turnout in Kerala Braving the blistering heat, voters turned out in large numbers in the initial hours, thus recording brisk polling in almost all places, except in constituencies like Ponnani and Malappuram. The initial enthusiasm wore off by afternoon as voting slowly declined in southern and central districts. However, the northern districts witnessed huge voter turnout in the evening hours with serpentine queues in many polling booths. Widespread incidents of malfunctioning EVMs reported in several places in Pathanamthitta, where authorities had to replace 40 machines. Polling was held peacefully across the state, with no major incidents of violence. As the polling continued in about 200 booths in northern Kerala even after 10pm, the final poll percentage is likely to go up. Polling was delayed in many booths in Kannur, Vadakara, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Alathur. At 10pm, 2,091 out of 2,248 booths in Kannur had completed the voting process while polling was still on at 157 booths. In Vadakara polling was completed in 1,191 of the 1,206 booths by 10pm. Vadakara, which is witnessing one of the biggest political fights, began with slow polling in the initial hours and picked up by afternoon. Turnout 70.35% - (2024) 77.84% - 2019 73.94% - 2014 Polling remained mostly peaceful despite fierce contests in several constituencies Malfunctioning of EVMs reported in several booths, causing delay in the voting process 75.74% - Highest voter turnout in Kannur 63.35% - Lowest turnout in Pathanamthitta Northern districts witnessed huge voter turnout in the evening hours with serpentine queues at many polling booths As polling continued in about 200 booths in northern Kerala even after 10 pm, the final poll percentage is likely to go up Counting on June 4 At 8pm the Vadakara constituency recorded 73.36% polling. The delay in voting in many booths in Vadakara has led to apprehensions in UDF camps as they suspect an attempt to sabotage. Meanwhile, in Attingal poll percentage remained high right from the beginning. The constituency recorded 69.40% turnout by 8pm. Pathanamthitta recorded the lowest voter turnout of 63.35% in the state. While Ponnani recorded 67.93% polling, another Muslim League stronghold Malappuram recorded 71.68% by 8pm. The state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, which usually marks low voter turnout, recorded 66.43% polling. The Congress strongholds of Idukki (66.39%) and Ernakulam (68.10%) too recorded low turnout. Amid concerns of sweltering heat bringing down the turnout, eight persons collapsed and died on the day. An elderly voter died after exercising his franchise at Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha, while three men died in similar circumstances in Palakkad. As the district recorded a temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, the district administration arranged basic amenities, including drinking water and waiting shelters, for the voters at the polling stations. In Kozhikode, a polling agent and two voters collapsed and died in the intense heat. In Malappuram, a voter died after reaching home. Elections 2024: 21 states, UTs set for polling in phase one; 102 LS seats in fray

E Sbhum to issue toll-free number to report water crisis

12.87 lakh people cast votes as Jammu seat records tentative 72.32% turnout

Heavy polling in rural areas, slightly low in urban belt Mismanagement, untrained staff lead to long queues at some booths People suffer at many places due to no voter slips Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Apr 26: Tentative 72.32 percent turnout was recorded for Jammu-Reasi Parliamentary constituency which went to polls today in second phase with 12.87 lakh electorates exercising their right to franchise from a total of 17.80 lakh as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly segment recorded highest 79.43 percent polling [] The post 12.87 lakh people cast votes as Jammu seat records tentative 72.32% turnout appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

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Around 59.19 pc votes for 13 seats in final phase of poll in Rajasthan

Jaipur, April 26 (UNI) Around 59.19 per cent of 2.80 crore voters exercised their franchise in 13 parliamentary constituencies in the second and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan amid tight security arrangements on Friday. The poll officers said that during polling in the final phase of Lok Sabha poll in the state,... The post Around 59.19 pc votes for 13 seats in final phase of poll in Rajasthan first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency Witnesses Robust 72% Voter Turnout

Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency Witnesses Robust 72% Voter Turnout The Jammu parliamentary constituency, where 22 candidates are in the fray, saw peaceful polling and recorded nearly 72 per cent voter turnout on Friday in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, officials said. The overall polling figure in the constituency this time was lower than the last general election in 2019 when 74 per cent voters exercised their franchise. The officials said voting was held in 2,416 polling stations in the constituency peacefully and 71.91 per cent votes were polled. There are more than 17.80 lakh eligible voters in the Jammu constituency. ''Despite scorching hot weather, enthusiastic voters from Jammu, Samba, Reasi, and Rajouri turned up in record numbers... Long queues formed at polling stations as people eagerly waited for their turn, with youngsters and first-time voters excitedly participating in this festival of democracy,'' an official spokesperson said. There are 22 candidates in the fray, including sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, who is eyeing a third term after winning the seat for the BJP in 2014 and 2019. The INDIA bloc fielded Jammu and Kashmir Congress working president Raman Bhalla from the seat. This Lok Sabha election is the first major electoral battle in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- on August 5, 2019. The highest voter turnout of 79.43 per cent was recorded in the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi assembly segment, the officials said. The Marh segment recorded 79.31 per cent polling, followed by Akhnoor with 78.27 per cent, Bishnah with 76.54 per cent, Suchetgarh with 75.94 per cent, Chham with 75.76 per cent, Vijaypur with 75.67 per cent, Nagrota with 75.63 per cent and Ramgarh with 75.27 per cent. The lowest voter turnout was recorded in the Bahu segment at 62.34 per cent, the officials said. Union minister Jitendra Singh cast his vote in the Trikutanagar area of Jammu. ''This is the base of successful democracy and that is why it is called a festival... All the phases will turn out to be great for the BJP,'' he told reporters here. Sitting MP Sharma, who along with his family members voted at a polling booth set up at the Kishenpur government high school in Nagrota, said people should come out of their homes and contribute to a strong democracy by exercising their right to vote. Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, who visited a number of polling booths in Samba and Jammu districts, thanked people for coming out in large numbers to vote. ''People are coming out of their houses since the morning to vote. The enthusiasm is high,'' he said. Congress candidate Bhalla expressed happiness over the smooth polling process in the constituency. ''I am proud to say that this time hopefully, we will get the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi. We will win the constituency. Reasi has been included in Jammu constituency so that we can get the blessings of Mata,'' he added. In a polling station in Reasi district, 102-year-old Haji Karamdin exercised his right to vote and said he was happy to cast his vote at the polling station at this age. More than 15,000 poll staff have been deployed and foolproof security arrangements ensure free and fair polls, the officials said. Of the 2,416 polling stations 158 were along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC). ''Security and other related arrangements are in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting. A contingency plan has also been worked out to ensure no disruption in polling along the borders,'' Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole said. Around 1,454 polling stations have CCTV cameras for live webcasting and around 124 have two cameras for surveillance, they said. The Jammu constituency is the second Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir to go to polls this time. Polling was held in the Udhampur seat on April 19 and a voter turnout of more than 68 per cent was recorded.

2nd Phase of LS Polls Witnesses 61 Per Cent Voter Turnout Amid EVM Glitches

NEW DELHI: The second phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections saw nearly 61 per cent voter turnout as people avoided venturing out of homes in the summer heat and voted largely in the morning and evening. Polling in the second phase covered 88 seats across 13 states and UTs amid complaints of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some states. The Election Commission of India (ECI) said polling remained largely peaceful though incidents of intimidation were reported from Manipur in the second phase too. The ECI data showed the highest voting percentage was recorded in Tripura which registered 79.25 per cent polling, followed by Manipur 77.32 per cent, while the turnout in Uttar Pradesh was at 54.85 per cent and Maharashtra at 56.63 per cent. Rajasthan registered 64.07 per cent, West Bengal 71.84 per cent, Assam 71.11 per cent, Bihar 55.08 per cent, Chhattisgarh 73.55 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir 71.91 per cent, Karnataka 68.26 per cent, Kerala 65.78 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh 57.76 per cent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning urged people to cast their votes in record numbers and said a high voter turnout strengthens democracy. Stressing on the importance of each vote, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi issued impassioned appeals asking people to step out and exercise their franchise. After the end of polling, Modi in a tweet said, Phase Two has been too good! Gratitude to the people across India who have voted today. The unparalleled support for NDA is going to disappoint the Opposition even more. Voters want NDAs good governance. Youth and women voters are powering the strong NDA support. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumars brother D.K. Suresh (Congress), and former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (JDS) are among the key candidates while BJPs Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies. Polling was held in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. After Fridays phase, polling is over in Kerala, Rajasthan and Tripura. In the first phase on April 19, polling was completed in all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar counters LDF allegations on not casting vote

BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar counters LDF allegations on not casting vote The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Friday came out against union minister and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar for not casting his vote during the Lok Sabha polls, saying that his action was an insult to democracy. Earlier in the day, Chandrasekhar, who seeks his electoral luck from Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said he did not go to Karnataka to exercise his franchise as the seat he is contesting from was his top priority. ''I didn't go to cast vote. This is my top priority. It is my duty to be present here on the election day,'' he told reporters here. The BJP leader further said he didn't get time to transfer his vote to Thiruvananthapuram and would surely take necessary steps to exercise the franchise in the constituency in future elections. Both the CPI(M) and CPI, the major coalition partners in the LDF, slammed Chandrasekhar and said exercising franchise is not only a person's fundamental right but also a responsibility of every citizen. Senior CPI(M) leader and General Education Minister V Sivankutty said Chandrasekhar was a person who was capable of going to his respective place, where he has the vote, by a helicopter and return here. ''Chandrasekhar's decision to abstain from voting is an insult to the democratic process,'' he said. The minister further said the BJP candidate's action raises questions about his commitment to the democratic principles and his accountability to the electorates. Sharing similar views, Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil said Chandrasekhar's abstinence from voting was a ''grave'' issue and amounts to cheating the people of Thiruvananthapuram constituency. ''This reflected the BJP candidate's lack of trust in democracy,'' he added. The elections for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala concluded on Friday with a notable decrease in voter turnout, as the figure stands at 70.22 per cent. The polling percentage during the 2019 general elections was 77.84 per cent.

Robust Voter Turnout Marks Second Phase of Indian Parliamentary Elections

Robust Voter Turnout Marks Second Phase of Indian Parliamentary Elections Over 63 per cent polling was reported in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 88 seats across 13 states amid few complaints of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some states. Voters in some villages of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura, Rajasthan's Banswara and Maharashtra's Parbhani were boycotting the polls over various issues but were later persuaded by authorities to cast their franchise. Polling for the second stage of the seven-phase elections started at 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Several states experienced intense heat conditions. The first phase of polling was held on April 19 in 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories. The Election Commission (EC) said polling remained largely peaceful. The tentative figure at 8 pm of voter turnout was 63.50 per cent. It is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained, the EC said, adding voters reaching polling stations till the end of polling hour are allowed to cast their vote. The National Democratic alliance (NDA) under Prime Minister Modi is seeking a stronger majority for a third consecutive term, while the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc are hoping for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections. Election Commission data showed the highest voting percentage was recorded in Tripura which registered 79.46 per cent polling, followed by Manipur at 77.32 while the turnout was in Uttar Pradesh at 54.85 per cent and Bihar 55.08 per cent. Polling was held in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh (Cong), and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy (JDS) are among the key candidates while BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning urged people to cast their votes in record numbers and said a high voter turnout strengthens democracy. Stressing on the importance of each vote, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi issued impassioned appeals asking people to step out and exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election. After the end of polling, Modi in a tweet said, ''Phase Two has been too good! Gratitude to the people across India who have voted today. The unparalleled support for NDA is going to disappoint the Opposition even more. Voters want NDA's good governance. Youth and women voters are powering the strong NDA support.'' In Kerala, the turnout was 65.91 per cent. The election process, held amid tight security arrangements, was primarily incident free except for instances of bogus voting and breakdowns of electronic voting machines (EVMs) being reported in some booths of the state. Such incidents resulted in delaying the polling process in the affected booths. One person each reportedly died at Palakkad, Alappuzha and Malappuram after casting their vote and a polling agent died after collapsing at a booth in Kozhikode. Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency recorded a turnout of 79.46 per cent. Election officials said there were some complaints from a few booths but those were ''promptly addressed''. A jawan of the Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Force deployed on poll duty allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at a government school where he was stationed in Gariaband district under the Mahasamund seat in Chhattisgarh, where a voter turnout of 73.62 per cent was recorded. A polling booth at Sivni village in Balod district (Kanker seat) was decorated like a wedding 'mandap', with a display of rituals of traditional weddings. Several brides and grooms, dressed in their wedding finery, cast their votes at several polling booths. The EC said people from 46 villages in Bastar and Kanker seats cast their votes in a polling booth set up in their own village for the first time in a Lok Sabha election. In neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, there was a turnout of 57.88 per cent. An estimated 71.11 per cent of the 77,26,668 voters exercised their franchise in the five parliamentary constituencies of Assam that went to polls in this phase. In restive Manipur, where polling is being held under high presence of security personnel, the turnout was a significantly high 77.32 per cent. There were reports of intimidation by suspected militants, altercation between Congress workers and NPF supporters and damage of EVM at a polling station in the Tangkhul Naga-dominated hill district. At KK Leishi Phanit polling station in Ukhrul, irate voters destroyed an EVM and other items after alleged disturbances by armed miscreants. The overall voting percentage in Karnataka was 68.30. A case was booked against BJP MP and Bangalore South Candidate Tejasvi Surya for allegedly posting a video on a social media platform and soliciting votes on the grounds of religion, the Election Commission said. Another BJP leader CT Ravi was booked for allegedly promoting hatred and enmity between citizens through his social media post. Various restaurants in Bangalore were offering free dosas, laddu, coffee and other food items at discounted rates to customers who cast their vote. A private hospital assisted 41 inpatients cast their vote with the help of city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Green corridors were created for the ambulances across constituencies to ensure easy, hassle-free voting. Some EVMs were destroyed at a polling station in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district of Karnataka during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not. Officials said an FIR is being filed the Election Commission will take a call after getting a detailed report. A voter turnout of 57.83 per cent was recorded in eight constituencies in Maharashtra, while in Rajasthan, the turnout was 64.07 per cent. Incidents of confrontation between the supporters of the Congress candidate and an independent candidate were reported at a couple of places during polling in Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan. Police said they were looking into the complaints besides some about fake voting from some places. The by-election for the Bagidora assembly constituency in Banswara district was also held simultaneously on Friday and 76.66 per cent voting took place. A voter turnout of 54.85 per cent was recorded in the eight parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. Senior citizens dominated the early hours of voting in Noida in the Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency. Some residents' welfare associations made arrangements for electric vehicles to ferry voters to and from the polling booths. In Bihar, the turnout was 55.08 per cent, 71.84 per cent in in West Bengal and 71.91 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir. The Lok Sabha polls are the first major electoral battle in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- on August 5, 2019. The Election Commission registered nearly 300 complaints in West Bengal, mostly related to EVM malfunctioning. After Friday's phase, polling is over in Kerala, Rajasthan and Tripura. In the first phase on April 19, polling was completed in all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1). The third phase of elections for 94 seats across 12 states and Union territories will be held on May 7. Counting will be done on June 4.

Surrendered Maoists eager for first tryst with democracy

As many as 125 Maoists and Maoist sympathisers associated with various Left-Wing Extremist groups in the Red Corridor have surrendered before the ASR district police since 2022; 87 of those belong to Andhra Pradesh are all set to exercise their franchise this year

Karnataka Poll: First Phase Witnesses Moderate Turnout of 69%

Karnataka Poll: First Phase Witnesses Moderate Turnout of 69% Voting was held on Friday for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, in 14 constituencies, with an estimated over 69 per cent turnout, as the Congress and BJP locked horns again on the electoral battleground in less than a year. According to poll officials, an approximate 69.23 per cent of the voters cast their ballot. ''This is tentative. It will vary slightly based on the detailed reports of the PRO (Presiding Officer),'' an official said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the same 14 segments in the first phase had recorded a turnout of 68.80 per cent. Out of 14 segments that went to polls on Friday, the highest turnout of 81.48 per cent was recorded in Mandya, followed by Kolar 78.07 per cent, and the least 52.81 per cent in Bangalore Central. The turnout was 54.42 per cent in Bangalore North, and 53.15 per cent in Bangalore South, amid indications of continued voter apathy in the city. Bangalore Rural that is witnessing a tough contest between Congress' D K Suresh, MP and brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Dr C N Manjunath, a noted cardiologist and son-in-law of former PM H D Deve Gowda, on a BJP ticket, has recorded 67.29 per cent. Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena told PTI that barring an incident in Chamarajanagara district, the election process was peaceful in the state. The Electronic Voting Machines were destroyed at a polling station in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections, bringing the poll process to a halt. According to the district administration, the villagers had earlier in the day decided to boycott the polls citing lack of adequate infrastructure development. However, after assurances and efforts by the local officials, a section of them agreed to vote, while the other was keen to boycott leading to clashes between them during which they destroyed EVMs, and also indulged in stone-pelting. Reacting to the incident, Meena said, ''Tomorrow, the returning officer in the presence of the observer will do the scrutiny and then they will recommend (further course of action.)'' A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase covering most of the southern and coastal districts, where more than 2.88 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations. Friday's elections witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine unlike the Assembly elections in May last year which witnessed a triangular contest among the three parties. In the first phase, the Congress contested in all 14 seats, while BJP fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance in (NDA) in September last year, in three -- Hassan, Mandya and Kolar. Besides the three, the segments where elections were held on Friday are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkballapur. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state back then, had secured just one seat each in these 14 segments. The BJP had won in 11 and ensured the victory of a party supported independent candidate in Mandya. Other than Suresh and Manjunath, the latter's brother-in-law and JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy from Mandya, erstwhile Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore, from the BJP, are among the prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase. Also in the contest are BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South against Minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy of Congress, and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on BJP ticket from Bangalore North against former Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor M V Rajeev Gowda of Congress. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there is no ''Modi wave'' in Karnataka, but there is one in favour of Congress government's guarantee schemes, as he claimed his party will win about 20 out of total 28 Lok Sabha polls in the state. Asked as to how many seats the Congress will win out of 14 seats in the first phase, the chief minister said, ''it cannot be said correctly as of now, as it is a secret ballot, but we will win majority seats.'' Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, said he has got reports that the party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka. ''In the first phase, Congress will win 10 of the 14 seats that went to polls today. This is not astrological predictions; this is based on political acumen and data,'' he said. Kumaraswamy said the outcome of the elections will be in favour of the NDA alliance, of which his party JD(S) is a part. Thanking voters, state BJP chief BJP Vijayendra said: ''It is our unwavering belief that your support for the security and development of India, will give strength for the Modi-led government to come to power once again in the country.'' Long queues were seen at polling booths since 7 am. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also exercised their franchise.

Trump's Failing Stock Short Sellers Pocket Millions

Trump's Failing Stock Short Sellers Pocket Millions Rooting for Donald Trump to fail has rarely been this profitable. Just ask a hardy band of mostly amateur Wall Street investors who have collectively made tens of millions of dollars over the past month by betting that the stock price of his social media business Truth Social will keep dropping despite massive buying by Trump loyalists and wild swings that often mirror the candidate's latest polls, court trials and outbursts on Truth Social itself. Several of these investors interviewed by The Associated Press say their bearish gambles using put options and other trading tools are driven less by their personal feelings about the former president (most don't like him) than their faith in the woeful underlying financials of a company that made less money last year than the average Wendy's hamburger franchise. This company makes no money. ... It makes no sense,'' said Boise, Idaho, ad executive Elle Stange, who estimates she's made USD 1,300 betting against Trump Media and Technology stock. He's not as great a businessman as he thinks. A lot of his businesses go belly up, quickly. Says Seattle IT security specialist Jeff Cheung, This is guaranteed to go to zero. As of Friday morning, a month since Trump Media's initial public offering sent its stock to USD 66.22, it has plunged to USD 38.49. An AP analysis of data from research firms FactSet and S3 Partners shows that investors using puts and short selling have paper profits so far of at least USD 200 million, not including the costs of puts, which vary from trade to trade. Still, amateur traders, mostly risking no more than a few thousand dollars each, say the stock is too volatile to declare victory yet. So they are cashing in a bit now, letting other bets ride and stealing a glance at the latest stock movements in the office cubicle, at the kitchen table or even on the toilet. There have been plenty of scary moments, including last week when DJT, the ex-president's initials and stock ticker, jumped nearly 40 per cent in two days. I don't know which direction the stock is going, says Schenectady, NY, day trader Richard Persaud while checking his iPhone amid the surge. It's so unbelievably overvalued. Many who spoke to the AP say knowing their bets have helped slash the value of Trump's 65 per cent stake in half is an added political benefit. If some of their predictions are right, they may able to someday push it to zero, making it impossible for him to tap it to pay his hefty legal bills or finance his GOP presidential campaign. They have a long way to go. Trump's stake is still worth USD 4 billion. Normally, investors betting a stock will fall, especially a gutsy breed of hedge fund traders called short sellers, will do plenty of homework. They'll pore over financial statements, develop expertise in an industry, talk to competitors, and even turn to forensic accountants to find hidden weaknesses in the books. No need in Trump Media's case. It's all there in the Sarasota, Florida-based company's 100-page financial report: A firehose of losses, USD 58 million last year, on minuscule revenue of USD 4 million from advertising and other sources. The losses are so big, as Trump Media's auditor wrote in the report, they raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. A short seller's dream? Or is it a nightmare? Amateur trader Manny Marotta has two computer screens at home, one for work, the other showing DJT stock's movements where he can gauge how much he's up or down. It wasn't looking so good earlier this week. The legal writer from suburban Cleveland had been up about USD 4,000 on put options purchased over the past few weeks. But the screen that morning was showing investors, presumably rich ones, buying large volumes of DJT shares, pushing up the stock once again. My options are worth less with every passing minute, says Marotta, adding about DJT: It's being manipulated. It's insane. Waiting for the stock to drop is especially painful to short sellers, who pay a fee to borrow shares owned by others. The idea is to quickly sell them on a hunch they will be able to buy the same number of them later for much cheaper before having to return them to the lender. That allows short sellers to pocket the difference, minus the fee, which is usually nominal. In DJT's case, the fee is anything but nominal. It was costing 565 per cent a year at one point earlier this month, meaning short sellers had only two months before any possible profits would be eaten up in fees, even if the stock went to zero. It's a rate so off the charts, that only three other stocks in recent memory have exceeded it, according to data from Boston University's Karl Diether and Wharton's Itamar Drechsler, who have studied short selling back two decades. Add in massive buying by Trump supporters who see it as a way to support their candidate, and losses could multiply fast. It's scary, says Drechsler, who likens buyers of Trump's stock to unwavering sports fans. It is everything that you hope that the stock market is not. Trump Media spokeswoman Shannon Devine said the company is in a strong financial position with USD 200 million in cash and no debt, and said the AP was selecting admitted Trump antagonists. Another danger to the stock is a short squeeze. If the price rises sharply, it could set off a rush by short sellers who fear they've bet wrongly to return their borrowed shares right away and limit their losses. And so they start buying shares to replace the ones they borrowed and sold, and that very buying tends to work against them, sending the price higher, which in turn scares other short sellers, who then also buy, setting off a vicious cycle of price hikes. If DJT starts rallying, you're going to see the mother of all squeezes, says S3 Partners short-selling expert Ihor Dusaniwsky, who spent three decades at Morgan Stanley helping investors borrow shares. This is not for the faint of heart. And if that wasn't enough, there is a final oddball feature of DJT stock that could trigger an explosion in prices, up or down. Lock up agreements prohibit Trump and other DJT executives from selling their shares until September. That leaves the float, or the number of shares that can be traded each day by others, at a dangerously tiny 29 per cent of total shares that will someday flood the market. That means a big purchase or sale on any day that would barely move a typical stock can send DJT flying or crashing. The float is smaller than that of most other notoriously volatile stocks. At their smallest levels, AMC, GameStop and Shake Shack each had more than double the float. Seattle trader Cheung sees DJT's freak characteristics as a reason to bet against the stock, not shy away. When the lock-up period ends, he predicts, the ex-president will indeed sell his shares, spooking the market and sending the price down sharply. And even if he doesn't, other insiders whose lock-ups expire will fear he will do so and will move fast to get a good price before it falls. The first one to sell out is going make to most, Cheung says. Everyone is going to sell. Still, he doesn't want to lose money in the interim, so Cheung is offsetting some of his put bets with the purchase of calls. The latter are also derivatives, but they do the opposite, paying off when the stock rises. Cheung hopes that whichever makes money, the puts or the calls, he will make enough with one to more than make up for the loss of the other. If all of this seems too complicated, there is a far simpler way to make money betting against Trump. Offshore, casino-style betting sites are taking wagers on the 2024 election, and some have even made President Joe Biden the favorite.

First-time voters in Bengaluru exercise their franchise with enthusiasm

For many of these young citizens, casting their vote for the first time was a moment of pride and responsibility. Speaking to The Hindu, several first-time voters shared their experiences and aspirations

Peaceful polling witnessed in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency with 76.06% voter turnout

With a good number of weddings slated for the day, many brides and grooms exercised their franchise before or after the ceremony

Braving odds, senior citizens cast votes in Bengaluru

Some were in wheelchair and a few came using walking sticks to exercise their franchise

Nearly 61 Per Cent Turnout In Phase 2 Of LS polls; Tripura records 78.53 pc, Manipur 77.18

NEW DELHI, Apr 26: Nearly 61 per cent polling was reported in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 88 seats across 13 states amid few complaints of EVM glitches and bogus voting in some states. Voters in some villages of Uttar Pradeshs Mathura, Rajasthans Banswara and Maharashtras Parbhani were boycotting the polls over various issues but were later persuaded by authorities to cast their franchise. Polling for the second stage of the seven-phase elections started at 7 am [] The post Nearly 61 Per Cent Turnout In Phase 2 Of LS polls; Tripura records 78.53 pc, Manipur 77.18 appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Bengal: Peaceful Polling in 3 LS Seats; 72% Turnout Recorded Till 5 PM

Bengal: Peaceful Polling in 3 LS Seats; 72% Turnout Recorded Till 5 PM Polling for three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal in the second phase of parliamentary elections was peaceful with a voter turnout of over 72 per cent registered till 5 pm on Friday, an EC official said. Voting for Darjeeling, Balurghat and Raiganj constituencies started at 7 AM and continued till 6 PM, he said. Till 5 PM, Balurghat recorded the highest polling percentage at 72.30, followed by Raiganj at 71.87 and Darjeeling at 71.41, the Election Commission official said. ''Today's polling was peaceful. There is no report of any untoward incident in the three parliamentary constituencies,'' he said. Forty-seven candidates, including state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, are in the fray in this phase, with 51.17 lakh people eligible to exercise their franchise. Altogether 5,298 polling stations have been set up across the three constituencies. There are 1,999 polling stations in Darjeeling, 1,730 in Raiganj and 1,569 in Balurghat, he said. A total of 272 companies, comprising 27,200 personnel of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), along with 12,983 state policemen have been deployed for the polls, the official added.

Moody Feels Pant Ahead In Keepers Race For T20 WC Squad; Srikkanth Picks Rahul Over Samson As Reserve Keeper

Star Sports Press Room Show: Tom Moody, the former Australia cricketer, thinks Rishabh Pant is ahead of other candidates in the race for the wicketkeeper-batter slots in Indias squad for the Mens T20 World Cup. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is expected to select Indias 15-member squad by the end of this month for the mega event, to be held in the USA and West Indies from June 1. Pant made his return to competitive cricket last month through IPL 2024 after almost 15 months due to a life-threatening car crash. Pant has so far scored 342 runs in nine innings of IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals at an average of 48.86 and strike rate of 161.32. He has mainly batted in the middle order and slammed three half-centuries, the latest of which was an unbeaten 88 against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. Pant has kept wickets in all of DCs matches, taking ten catches and effecting three stumpings. The way I look at it and what we have seen so far, more so from a fitness perspective, for me, Rishabh Pant has put himself right in front of the queue. Its great that hes back playing; is fit and feeling good, which is the most important thing. Its great that he ticked that box from what I have seen so far; hes moving very, very well halfway through the tournament. The second part is form behind the stumps, hes slick and his hands are smooth. Hes been moving gracefully. With the bat in hand, hes shown us that hes back, said Moody while replying to an IANS query on Star Sports Press Room Shows Ticket to World Cup episode. Moody further felt that Pants big-match temperament will come in handy in the World Cup while adding that K.L Rahul lends more flexibility as a reserve keeper-batter ahead of Sanju Samson. While Rahul has mainly batted as an opener in IPL 2024 and amassed 302 runs in eight games, Samson has amassed 314 runs in as many games as a top-order batter. What I like about Pant is that historically, he gets going in big games. Hes a big game player and I like that going into the World Cup because if my side is four down for 60, I have got someone whos historical record and a temperament who can navigate in that situation and get me a competitive score to get out of jail on a game which was sort of on the edge. For me, hes there at number one, and regarding second 'keeper, its a discussion between Sanju Samson and KL Rahul. I like both of them because they also back up as a reserve top-order batter. K.L. is a little bit flexible and can move both up and down the order, so he can bat anywhere from one to five. Hes shown that more so in 50-over cricket, than in T20s, but hes shown the capabilities to play in a different way coming in at a different entry point. Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the former India cricketer and ex-chief selector, agreed that Pant is the front-runner as Indias wicketkeeper-batter for the T20 World Cup, and opined that Rahul should be picked as the reserve keeper ahead of Samson. Everybody knows the contest is between Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul. Unfortunately for Sanju, whos done very well, he hasnt got a continuous run in T20Is and his record there is not deadly on that front, which is number one. Number two is Sanju can bat only at number three and max, number four. Whereas number three and four slots are already fixed. Its a no-brainer (Shivam) Dube has to be at number four because he can terrorise the bowlers and opposition. He started to work on countering short balls and is now playing them very well. So when Suryakumar (Yadav) is at three and Dube is at four, and surely Rishabh Pant is at number five, Sanju, unfortunately, misses out. To answer if K.L Rahul should be the reserve wicketkeeper who can bat either as an opener or middle-order batter, yes and its for a very simple reason that hes got a very good track record. You see his T20I record, hes got hundreds across the globe and has a big-match temperament. So, he will be my reserve wicketkeeper-cum-reserve opener/batter. While addressing a pre-match press conference ahead of DCs IPL match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday afternoon, Sourav Ganguly, the former India skipper serving as the director of cricket in the Delhi-based franchise, backed Pant and Samson to be in Indias squad for the T20 World Cup. I love Sanju Samson; I love Rishabh Pant. Rishabh will go (to the T20 World Cup). Sanju might also go. I'm not saying Sanju should not go. He's as good a player as anybody. He bats and keeps; he's captained Rajasthan superbly. Both can go for T20 WC if selectors feel; but Rishabh will go as hes back fully.

Over 76 per cent turnout recorded in remaining part of Outer Manipur LS seat, no incident reported

Imphal, April 26: Over 76 per cent of the around 4.85 lakh voters on Friday exercised their franchise in the remaining part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, whose major part went to polls in the first phase on April 19, officials said on Friday. Election and police officials separately said that no untoward [] The post Over 76 per cent turnout recorded in remaining part of Outer Manipur LS seat, no incident reported appeared first on The Shillong Times .

Granting Voters Physical Access to VVPAT Slips Raises Practical and Security Concerns: Supreme Court

Granting Voters Physical Access to VVPAT Slips Raises Practical and Security Concerns: Supreme Court Giving physical access to VVPAT slips to voters is problematic and impractical and will lead to misuse, malpractices and disputes, the Supreme Court on Friday said while rejecting pleas seeking 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips by voters. It also rejected the plea that sought right to the voter to physically verify the printed slip from the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine and put it in the ballot box for counting. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said while the court acknowledges the fundamental right of voters to ensure their vote is accurately recorded and counted, the same cannot be equated with the right to 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips, or a right to physical access to the VVPAT slips. ''These are two separate aspects the former is the right itself and the latter is a plea to protect or how to secure the right. The voters' right can be protected and safeguarded by adopting several measures,'' it said. The bench said giving physical access to VVPAT slips to voters is ''problematic and impractical.'' ''It will lead to misuse, malpractices and disputes. This is not a case where fundamental right to franchise exists only as a parchment, rather, the entire electoral process protocol, and the checks as well as empirical data, ensure its meaningful exercise,'' it said. On increasing the counting of VVPAT slips to 100 per cent from the existing five per cent, the bench said it is not inclined to modify the earlier directions to increase the number of VVPAT undergoing slip count for several reasons. ''First, it will increase the time for counting and delay the declaration of results. The manpower required would have to be doubled. Manual counting is prone to human errors and may lead to deliberate mischief. Manual intervention in counting can also create multiple charges of manipulation of results. Further, the data and the results do not indicate any need to increase the number of VVPAT units subjected to manual counting,'' it said. The top court added that the VVPAT slip is a 9.9 cm x 5.6 cm thermal paper coated with a chemical to ensure print retention for about five years and it is very soft and sticky, which makes the counting process tedious and slow. However, it said that the voter can see the VVPAT slip through the glass window of VVPAT and this assures the voter that his vote as cast has been recorded and will be counted. The top court delivered its verdict on a batch of petitions, including the one filed by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, which also sought a direction to return to the paper ballot system in elections.

Moderate voter turnout in Alappuzha, Mavelikara Lok Sabha constituencies

While 73.18 % of 14,00,083 voters exercised their franchise in the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, 65.45% of 13,31,880 voters cast their ballots in the Mavelikara constituency

Poll Turnout Reaches 72.13% in Chhattisgarh's Three Lok Sabha Seats; Police Officer on Duty Ends Life

Poll Turnout Reaches 72.13% in Chhattisgarh's Three Lok Sabha Seats; Police Officer on Duty Ends Life More than 72 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm in three Lok Sabha constituencies, all having Naxalite presence, in Chhattisgarh, where the second phase of the general elections was held on Friday, officials said While polling took place amid tight security, a policeman deployed on election duty allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with a service weapon in Gariaband district during the day. Polling began in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies at 7 am and was held in different time slots. A turnout of 72.13 per cent was registered till 5 pm, an election official said. Of the eight assembly segments in the Kanker Lok Sabha constituency, polling ended at 3 pm in Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Keshkal and Kanker assembly segments, while in Sihawa, Sanjari-Balod, Daundilohara and Gunderdehi it concluded at 6 pm, he said. In the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency, polling in the Manpur-Mohla assembly segment ended at 3 pm, and in the seven other assembly segments, it concluded at 6 pm. The polling was held in the Mahasamund constituency till 6 pm, except in nine sensitive polling booths under the Bindranawagarh assembly segment, where it ended at 3 pm. The tribal-dominated Kanker seat recorded a 73.50 per cent turnout, Mahasamund 71.13 per cent and Rajnandgaon 71.87 per cent till 5 pm, the official said. The voting figure may go up as they are yet to receive the final data from several booths, he said. Among the early voters, state assembly speaker and former chief minister Raman Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, former MP Abhishek Singh cast their votes in Kawardha town (Rajnandgaon seat), BJP candidate Santosh Pandey and his wife at Sahaspur-Lohara in Rajnandgaon, BJP candidate Rupkumari Chaudhary in Harratar village in Mahasamund, BJP candidate Bhojraj Nag and his wife at Antagarh in Kanker. According to the police, a jawan of the Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Force deployed on poll duty allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at a government school where he was stationed in Gariaband district under the Mahasamund seat. A polling booth at Sivni village in Balod district (Kanker seat) was decorated like a wedding 'mandap', with a display of rituals of traditional weddings. Brides and grooms, dressed in their wedding finery, cast their votes at several polling booths in the three seats. In all, 41 candidates, including former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and former state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, are in the fray in three seats in a direct fight between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress. In the 2019 polls, the voter turnout in Kanker Lok Sabha seat stood at 74.27 per cent, Mahasamund at 74.51 per cent and Rajnandgaon at 76.04 per cent.

At 61.49%, Pathanamthitta witnesses a fall in polling percentage

As many as 8,79,162 out of 14,29,700 voters in the district exercised their franchise

Lok Sabha Elections | Over 67.22% Polling Recorded In Jammu Till 5:00 PM

JAMMU, APRIL 26: Jammu Parliamentary Constituency has witnessed an overall 67.22 percent voting till 5:00 pm with enthusiastic voters still waiting for their turn to exercise their franchise. As per the office of Chief Election Officer, J&K, Gulabgarh (ST) has recorded 71.47% polling, Reasi 71.65%, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi 74.65%, Ramgrah (SC) 69.76%, Samba 69.23%,Vijaypur 66.71%, Bishnah (SC) 71.33%, Suchetgarh (SC) 63.49%, R S Pora-Jammu South 62.31%, Bahu 58.82%, Jammu East 62.78%, Nagrota 71.39%,Jammu West 58.7%, Jammu North 62.4%, Marh [] The post Lok Sabha Elections | Over 67.22% Polling Recorded In Jammu Till 5:00 PM appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Sam Raimi On Spider-Man 4: 'Have To Figure Out Tobey Maguire's Character Journey'

Rumours suggest that Sam Raimi will return to direct the fourth instalment in the celebrated Spider-Man franchise.

Voters old and young throng polling centres in Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha seat

As the day progressed, queues outside the polling stations also became longer as every voter, particularly first-time voters, as well as those living in border areas, turned out to exercise their franchise. Women voters also came out in large numbers

In a first, Bru voters exercise their franchise in Tripura Lok Sabha 2024

Bru voters in Tripura cast their votes in Lok Sabha elections 2024, marking their first participation in MP elections

Rajasthan: 13 Lok Sabha Seats See Over 50% Polling Till 3 pm

Rajasthan: 13 Lok Sabha Seats See Over 50% Polling Till 3 pm After low turnout in the first phase of polling on April 19, the polling turnout showed a significant upward trend in the second phase in Rajasthan where more than 50 per cent voting took place in 13 Lok Sabha seats by 3 pm, which was 41.51 per cent on 12 seats in the first phase. 50.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm across the 13 parliamentary constituencies. At the same time, 66.52 per cent of voting took place in the Bagidora assembly constituency, according to official data. The polling percentage in 12 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in the first phase on April 19 was 41.51 per cent by this time. Around 2.8 crore voters are eligible to vote in the second phase of the polls. This is the final phase of polling in Rajasthan. Voting is underway in Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran, along with the Bagidora Assembly constituency where a by-poll is underway. The highest voter turnout of 60.01 per cent was recorded in the tribal-dominated Banswara-Dungarpur seat in South Rajasthan by 3 pm while the Barmer-Jaisalmer seat located along the Indo-Pak border recorded 59.71 per cent voting. Tonk-Sawai Madhopur recorded the lowest turnout of 42.61 per cent till 3 pm, according to official data. Voting percentage in other constituencies till 3 pm stood at 43.28 in Ajmer, 45.39 in Bhilwara, 51.71 in Chittorgarh, 49.85 in Jalore, 56.12 in Jhalawar, 50 in Jodhpur, 54.78 in Kota, 44.27 in Pali, 43.94 in Rajsamand and 51.60 in Udaipur. Enthusiasm was seen among the people who lined up at the polling booths to cast votes. However, in Banswara, no voter reached the Adibheet polling booth during the initial hours. The locals have certain demands regarding compensation against land acquired for a power plant and have declared to boycott the elections. The officials said that they are trying to convince the voters to exercise their franchise. In the first two hours of the voting, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is contesting from Kota-Bundi, BJP state president CP Joshi, BJP candidate from Chittorgarh, Union minister and BJP candidate from Jodhpur Gajendra Singh Shekhawat cast their votes. Assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani cast his vote in Ajmer while former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot exercised their franchise in Jhalawar and Jodhpur respectively. 108-year-old Bhuri Bai cast her vote at the Gunjara polling booth in the Kota-Bundi LS constituency. She was brought to the polling booth in a wheelchair by the family members. A man, his son and granddaughters, representing three generations, reached a polling station at Sankand in Jalore to cast votes. They also took pictures at the selfie point in the booth. A groom, Radhe Suthar, cast his vote at Bhadsoda in Chittorgarh before going for his wedding procession. Suthar told reporters that it is important to exercise franchise in democracy, so he spared time to cast a vote before his marriage function. Voting for 12 seats in the desert state was held in the first phase on April 19. The Bagidora Assembly seat in Banswara fell vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya switched over to the BJP. Malviya is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Banswara as a BJP candidate. Rajasthan has a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats. 12 went to poll in the first phase on April 19 and polling in the 13 seats is underway on Friday.

Phase 2 of LS polls: Newly-settled Brus exercise their franchise in Tripura

Guwahati: For the first time, the newly settled Bru voters of Tripura exercised their franchise for the General Elections to Lok Sabha 2024 on Friday. Earlier, they had voted in the assembly elections held last year in March. Bru people in India are those who have been displaced from Mizoram and have found shelter in [] The post Phase 2 of LS polls: Newly-settled Brus exercise their franchise in Tripura appeared first on NORTHEAST NOW .

Omar, Mehbooba urge EC to avoid postponing polls in Anantnag-Rajouri LS seat

Omar, Mehbooba urge EC to avoid postponing polls in Anantnag-Rajouri LS seat NC leader Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday asked the Election Commission not to postpone polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat. The former chief ministers made the appeal after the EC sought a report from Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and the Chief Electoral Officer on representations submitted by some parties and three candidates seeking rescheduling of elections in the constituency due to adverse weather conditions. ''I appeal to the EC that such a step should not be taken.The demand for postponement is not from all parties. The weird thing is that some of the people who have written to the EC are not contesting. If I write to the EC about constituencies in Tamil Nadu etc. will they take notice,'' he told a press conference in Srinagar. Abdullah said ''all options are open'', including legal recourse, for his party if the Election Commission decides to postpone the polls. ''All options are open to us. First and foremost, we appeal to the Election Commission not to do it (postpone the elections). The Election Commission should issue a directive to the local administration to keep the road open,'' he said. Abdullah, who was accompanied by National Conference candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat Mian Altaf Ahmad, said the EC should not pay heed to the letter written by some parties and individuals, including the BJP for postponement of the elections under the garb of closure of the Mughal Road, the fair weather road which connects south Kashmir to Poonch-Rajouri region on other side of the Pir Panjal mountain range. Abdullah said he failed to understand why anyone would seek postponement of an election based on presumption that the road will be closed due to inclement weather. ''The road is open today. Even if there is rain, it won't be difficult to restore the road. Even if the road gets closed, our candidate is ready to go (to Poonch-Rajouri) by alternative road through Reasi,'' he said. ''If they can keep the roads to Kargil, Keran, Machil and Gurez open, there is no reason why they can't keep the Mughal road open,'' he added. Speaking to reporters in Surankote area of Poonch district, Mehbooba said, They all have ganged up against me because they do not want to see me in Parliament. The people, cutting across religious and party lines, are coming forward in my support and they are, therefore, using the Election Commission to defer and rig the elections''. The PDP leader said she travelled through the Mughal road which was recently opened for traffic. There is no justification in deferring voting in Anantnag-Rajouri seat. My request to the Election Commission is not to postpone the elections when only 10 days are left in the polling. This will send the wrong message and will have serious consequences, she said before leaving for Mendhar town to carry forward her campaign. Mehbooba referred to the alleged rigging in the 1987 assembly polls leading to eruption of militancy in J-K, and said, We request Election Commission not to do such an adventure as the people in J-K have already suffered a lot and have little faith left in the electoral process. She said former prime minister A B Vajpayee had to given an assurance to the people of J-K about free and fair elections from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Attacking the BJP government at the Centre, Mehbooba said they first reshaped Anantnag parliamentary constituency, using delimitation as an attempt to rig the elections in their favour. Dont they have knowledge that the Mughal road traditionally remains closed for six months but they joined parts on both sides of Pir Panjal just to rig elections. This is not happening anywhere else in the country, she charged. On the intentions to seek postponement of the elections, Abdullah said, ''I can't say why they wrote to the EC. Let's accept that BJP does not do anything that does not benefit it''. The NC leader said the people of the Anantnag constituency have been ''unfortunate'' that whenever it seems like the NC is having an upper hand, the elections are sought to be postponed. ''If you recall, in 2017 also people of Anantnag were disenfranchised. There was a PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief minister (Mehbooba Mufti)'s brother was the candidate, who sought deferring the polls days before polling as he feared defeat,'' he added. In response to a question, Abdullah said he feels he is the strongest candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. ''Earlier, It was said (by PC candidate Sajad Gani Lone) that I am a tourist .... Now they are seeking support from everyone. I feel I am the strongest candidate,'' he said. ''I mustered courage and will contest from there (Baramulla). I wish Lone had mustered the courage to contest from Srinagar,'' he added. On the Supreme Court dismissing the plea on use of VVPAT on 100 percent EVMS, Abdullah said he wished he apex court had not done so. Asked about the apprehensions of poll postponement, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the EC is an independent institution and whatever decision it takes with regard to elections will be followed by the BJP. The constituency is scheduled to go to polls in the third phase on May 7 to decide the fate of 21 candidates, including Mehbooba, who is facing a challenge from NC leader Mian Altaf. Among those who have submitted their representation to the EC include J-K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Apni party president Altaf Bukhari, DPAP candidate, Peoples Conference leader Imran Reza Ansari and two independent candidates.

Over 600 Tripura Tribal Voters Denied Franchise Due to Inaccessible Polling Booths

Over 600 Tripura Tribal Voters Denied Franchise Due to Inaccessible Polling Booths More than 600 voters of a remote tribal village in Dhalai district, part of Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, abstained from voting on Friday due to the unrepaired condition of a 7-km village road, an election official said. The villagers, numbering around 900, have been persistently demanding repairs for months, emphasising the road's critical importance to their community, the official added. ''As per schedule, the polling team reached Sadai Mohan Para polling station under Raima Valley Assembly constituency in Tripura East Lok Sabha seat,'' the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Gandacherra (Raima Valley), Arindam Das, told PTI over the phone. The villagers are standing outside the polling booth but not entering it to cast their votes as they are protesting against government apathy, the official said. ''We are hopeful the villagers will join the festival of democracy, and the administration will look into their demands seriously'', he said. The villagers have also complained about the drinking water problem, Das said, adding that after getting the report, a team of officials rushed to Sadai Mohan Para to persuade the voters to exercise their democratic rights. ''I heard voters of two polling booths, one at Maldapara (Sadai Moha Para) in Dhalai district and another at Ampi in Gumati district, are not going to cast their votes as their demand for road and water supply has not been addressed. Officials have gone there to persuade the villagers to cast their vote in the elections,'' state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath told the media. ''Apart from two incidents, the polling was moderate and peaceful in all the booths so far. The CPI(M) has failed to send polling agents to the booths. It seems it is fleeing the battleground,'' Nath added.

LS polls: Rajasthan records over 40% voter turnout in 13 constituencies till 1 pm

LS polls: Rajasthan records over 40% voter turnout in 13 constituencies till 1 pm Over 40 percent voting was recorded till 1 pm in 13 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan where elections are being held in the second phase on Friday. 40.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm across the 13 parliamentary constituencies. At the same time, 51.50 percent voting took place in Bagidora assembly constituency, according to official data. The voting percentage in the first four hours in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls is above that of the first phase. The polling percentage in 12 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls on April 19 was 33.73 per cent by this time. Around 2.8 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the polls. This is the final phase of polling in Rajasthan. Voting is underway in Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran, along with the Bagidora Assembly constituency where a bypoll is underway. The highest voter turnout of 48.48 percent was recorded in Barmer-Jaisalmer located along the Indo-Pak border, followed by the tribal dominated Banswara-Dungarpur seat in South Rajasthan where 46.53 per cent electors cast votes by 1 pm. Tonk-Sawai Madhopur recorded the lowest turnout of 34.64 per cent till 1 pm, according to official data. Voting percentage in other constituencies till 1 am stood at 35.77 in Ajmer, 37.01 in Bhilwara, 40.50 in Chittorgarh, 41.47 in Jalore, 44.20 in Jhalawar, 39.90 in Jodhpur, 42.51 in Kota, 36.59 in Pali, 36.88 in Rajsamand and 41.32 in Udaipur. Enthusiasm was seen among the people who lined up at the polling booths to cast votes. However, in Banswara, no voter reached the Adibheet polling booth during the initial hours. The locals have certain demands regarding compensation against land acquired for a power plant and have declared to boycott the elections. The officials said that they are trying to convince the voters to exercise their franchise. In the first two hours of the voting, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is contesting from Kota-Bundi, BJP state president CP Joshi, BJP candidate from Chittorgarh, Union minister and BJP candidate from Jodhpur Gajendra Singh Shekhawat cast their votes. Assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani cast his vote in Ajmer while former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot exercised their franchise in Jhalawar and Jodhpur respectively. 108-year-old Bhuri Bai cast her vote at Gunjara polling booth in Kota-Bundi LS constituency. She was brought to the polling booth in a wheelchair by the family members. A man, his son and granddaughters, representing three generations, reached a polling station at Sankand in Jalore to cast votes. They also took pictures at the selfie point in the booth. A groom, Radhe Suthar, cast his vote at Bhadsoda in Chittorgarh before going for his wedding procession. Suthar told reporters that it is important to exercise franchise in democracy, so he spared time to cast vote before his marriage function. Voting for 12 seats in the desert state was held in the first phase on April 19. The Bagidora Assembly seat in Banswara fell vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya switched over to the BJP. Malviya is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Banswara as a BJP candidate.

Village in Maharashtra decides to boycott LS polls over issue of encroachments

Parbhani village residents boycott elections over encroachments issue. Collector Raghunath Gawde visits Balsa Khurd village urging voting. Villagers demand problem resolution assurance post-election code lift for franchise exercise.

LS polls: People in remote Tripura district use boats to exercise their right to vote

LS polls: People in remote Tripura district use boats to exercise their right to vote Amidst the ongoing second phase of general elections, people residing in a remote area of Tripura's Dhalai district chose boats as their mode of travel for exercising their franchise rights. The Election Commission of India took to its official X handle and posted the photos of people coming by boats to cast their votes. Vote By Boat! Anchoring the choice: Voters of 44/68 Raima Valley AS remote area of Dhalai district, Tripura are coming to cast their votes by using boats, the EC said in a post. Meanwhile, there has been a substantial increase in voter turnout in Tripura, as the North-Eastern state recorded a 36.42 per cent voting percentage till 11:00 am, as per the Election Commission of India. Other states where there is high voter turnout are Chhattisgarh (35.47%), Manipur (33.32%), and West Bengal (31.25%). Maharashtra is witnessing low voter turnout, as the state has recorded 18.83 per cent. Voting percentages for other states participating in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls till 11:00 am are Assam (27.43%), Bihar (21.68%), Jammu & Kashmir (26.61%), Karnataka (22.34%), Kerala (25.61%), Madhya Pradesh (28.15%), Rajasthan (26.84%), and Uttar Pradesh (24.41%). The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies across 13 States/Union Territory including 13 in Rajasthan, 20 in Kerala, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur, and Jammu & Kashmir With weather conditions predicted to be within normal ranges, voters can cast their vote comfortably. For the convenience of voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities, to deal with hot weather conditions, according to the Election Commission. According to the ECI, over 15.88 crore voters will be voting in the second phase which includes 8.08 crore male electors, 7.8 crore female electors, and 5929 third-gender electors. A total of 4553 flying squads, 5731 static surveillance teams, 1462 video surveillance teams and 844 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock to strictly and swiftly deal with any form of inducement of voters across the 1.67 lakh polling stations, as per the ECI press note. (ANI)

Lok Sabha Phase 2 polls 2024: From Rahul Dravid, Tovino Thomas to ISRO chief S Somanath, celebs exercise their franchise

Rajasthan Registers 26% Voter Turnout in 13 Constituencies for Lok Sabha Polls by 11 AM

Rajasthan Registers 26% Voter Turnout in 13 Constituencies for Lok Sabha Polls by 11 AM Polling picked up in the initial hours in the 13 Lok Sabha seats of Rajasthan where elections are being held in the second phase on Friday. Nearly 27 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours of polling across the 13 parliamentary constituencies and one assembly seat in Rajasthan where a bypoll is underway. 26.84 percent voter turnout was recorded in the Lok Sabha seats and 31 per cent in the Bagidora assembly constituency by 11 am, according to official data. The voting percentage in the first four hours in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls is above that of the first phase. The polling percentage in 12 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls on April 19 was 22.51 per cent by this time. Around 2.8 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the polls. This is the final phase of polling in Rajasthan. Voting is underway in Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran, along with the Bagidora Assembly constituency where a bypoll is underway. The highest voter turnout of 30.04 percent was recorded in the tribal dominated Banswara-Dungarpur seat, followed by Barmer where 29.58 per cent electors cast votes by 11 am. Tonk-Sawai Madhopur recorded the lowest turnout of 24 per cent in the first four hours, according to official data. Voting percentage in other constituencies till 11 am stood at 24.43 in Ajmer, 25.15 in Bhilwara, 26.48 in Chittorgarh, 28.50 in Jalore, 28.88 in Jhalawar, 25.75 in Jodhpur, 28.30 in Kota, 24.62 in Pali, 25.58 in Rajsamand and 27.46 in Udaipur. Enthusiasm was seen among the people who lined up at the polling booths to cast votes. However, in Banswara, no voter reached the Adibheet polling booth by 11 am. The locals have certain demands regarding compensation against land acquired for a power plant and have declared to boycott the elections. The officials said are trying to convince the voters to exercise their franchise. In the first two hours of the voting, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is contesting from Kota-Bundi, BJP state president CP Joshi, BJP candidate from Chittorgarh, Union minister and BJP candidate from Jodhpur Gajendra Singh Shekhawat cast their votes. Assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani cast his vote in Ajmer while former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot exercised their franchise in Jhalawar and Jodhpur respectively. 108-year-old Bhuri Bai cast her vote at Gunjara polling booth in Kota-Bundi LS constituency. She was brought to the polling booth in a wheelchair by the family members. A man, his son and granddaughters, representing three generations, reached a polling station at Sankand in Jalore to cast votes. They also took pictures at the selfie point in the booth. A groom, Radhe Suthar, cast his vote at Bhadsoda in Chittorgarh before going for his wedding procession. Suthar told reporters that it is important to exercise franchise in democracy, so he spared time to cast vote before his marriage function. Voting for 12 seats in the desert state was held in the first phase on April 19. The Bagidora Assembly seat in Banswara fell vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya switched over to the BJP. Malviya is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Banswara as a BJP candidate.

THESE stars to dance on the tune of Ami Je Tomar

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3's filming in Mumbai showcases iconic 'Ami Je Tomar' reprisal with stars like Kartik Aaryan. Anees Bazmee directs horror-action sequences, paying homage to the franchise's beloved song.

HD Kumaraswamy levels coupons for vote charge against Congress after casting his franchise

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Bengal Pro T20 League To Kick Off From June 11

Bengal Pro T20 League: The inaugural edition of the Bengal Pro T20 League is set to kick off on June 11 in Kolkata as 8 teams get ready to showcase their talent on the big stage. The league is conceptualised on the lines of the IPL involving 8 franchise teams in both the men's and women's categories. The tournament will be played from June 11 to 28. The men's matches will begin on June 11 at Eden Gardens and women's game shall start on June 12 at the Jadavpur University, Salt Lake Campus Ground. Each team will play against each other once. The first day of the league will see only 1 men's match in the evening and the women's fixture will begin on the next day with two matches being played every day from there on. Servotech Power Systems Ltd, which has been recently onboarded as the franchise owner for one of the teams in the Bengal Pro T20 League, is excited to start their stint in the sports arena. We are thrilled to step into the realm of sports through the Bengal Pro T20 League. This venture not only signifies our commitment to excellence in the EV charging and renewable energy sectors but also underscores our aspiration to emerge as a prominent figure in the world of sports, Rishabh Bhatia, the Marketing Head of Servotech Power Systems Ltd said in a statement.

Politicians, LS Poll Candidates and Film Stars Exercise Franchise in Initial Hours of Polling

Politicians, LS Poll Candidates and Film Stars Exercise Franchise in Initial Hours of Polling Prominent persons, including senior politicians and candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha polls, turned up during the initial hours of polling in Kerala for the general election. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, BJP state president K Surendran, saffron party candidates Suresh Gopi and Anil Antony as well as Congress' K C Venugopal and Shafi Parambil were seen casting their votes early in the morning. Besides them, Congress stalwart A K Antony, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, LDF convener E P Jayarajan and CPI(M)'s Thomas Isaac also came in the morning to exercise their right to vote. Leaders of the CPI(M)-led LDF, Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA claimed that their respective fronts will create history in the state. Vijayan claimed that Kerala will ''gift'' a historic win to the LDF, a sentiment which was echoed by other Left leaders who all said that the BJP was never accepted by the people of the southern state and this trend will continue. Responding to reporters' queries about the BJP's claim of getting double digit seats in Kerala, the CM said the saffron party will not even get one seat. He said that even the Congress-led UDF will not win any seat as the people were unhappy with them. Antony, Venugopal, Satheesan and Shashi Tharoor said that there is a pro-Congress and UDF wave in the state and the grand old party was the better alternative. They all said that there was an anti-incumbency wave against the Centre and the Left government in Kerala and therefore, the Congress will win in all 20 seats. The Congress leaders also said that for the survival of the country, the ''communal and fascist'' government at the Centre should be removed from power and a government by the Congress-led INDIA bloc should come there. Candidates and leaders of both the LDF and UDF urged everyone to exercise their franchise as this election will decide the future of the nation. Besides them, prominent actors, including Sreenivasan, Fahadh Faasil, Tovino Thomas and Renji Panicker, as well as church heads like Major Archbishop of the influential Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thattil and Cardinal George Alencherry also voted in the morning. Polling commenced in the state at 7 am today.

Alien' Returns to Theaters, and Alien: Romulus' Director Unveils the Film's Connections

Alien' Returns to Theaters, and Alien: Romulus' Director Unveils the Film's Connections Ridley Scott's Alien is back in theatres Friday for its 45th anniversary and to get audiences excited about the new installment coming in August. The Alien franchise has sunk its teeth into different genres over the years, but for Alien: Romulus, filmmaker Fede Alvarez wanted to take it back to its roots: Horror. It's a return to form, lvarez told The Associated Press. At its core, at its heart, it's a horror thriller. The original two films were formative for Alvarez, known for the 2013 Evil Dead reboot and the 2016 horror Don't Breathe. He recalled a primal memory of watching them on VHS and feeling like he was watching an R-rated Star Wars. It was a world that felt familiar, that I thought I knew, but it was going into way more adult and scary places, he said. Though he was a bit too young to see Alien in its first run, he got a peek at the new print coming to theaters and said it looks incredible. Showings will also include a conversation between Alvarez and Scott. The new film (opening August 16) is set around the time of Alien and Aliens, focusing on a group of 20-somethings, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Isabela Merced, looking to escape their dull lives in a mining colony. But of course, it comes with some complications from that terrifying creature who likes to lurk in the corners. He enlisted a lot of the behind-the-scenes creatives and concept artists who worked on the Scott and James Cameron films to help get the look right. Sometimes, they were excited to use new technologies that weren't available in the 1970s and 80s. And other times, they realised the old school way is still the best way. Case in point: lvarez said a big question was how they were going to get the set to melt when it's hit with the alien's blood. It's not an easy CG thing to create, he said. It's like it has to be practical. Luckily, special effects expert and creature creator Alec Gillis was there to help. He was like, I've done it many times. I'll show you how,' lvarez said. His secret? Styrofoam and acetone. Scott has seen Alien: Romulus, by the way, and has given it his blessing. He was the first person to see it, out of my circle. As soon as it was ready I showed it to him, Alvarez said. He walked in the room and said, 'what can I say? Fede, it's (expletive) great.' It was the best day of my life.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes joins the cast of '28 Years Later'

Actors Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes have joined the cast of 28 Years Later, the sequel to the 2002 zombie hit '28 Days Later'. Filmmakers Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are reuniting for the franchise after 17 years. '28 Days Later' (2002) centered on a bicycle courier, played by Cillian Murphy, who wakes from a coma to discover the world had been overrun with zombies following the outbreak of a virus. The film was a box office success and led to a standalone sequel '28 Weeks Later' (2007), on which Boyle and Garland served solely as executive producers. '28 Years Later' is the first in a planned trilogy of sequels. Apart from directing and writing the film respectively, Boyle and Garland are also producing the film. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer. Comer, who earned an Emmy for her work on 'Killing Eve', has also starred in Ryan Reynolds 'Free Guy' and Ridley Scotts 'The Last Duel'. Up next, she will be seen in Jeff Nicholss 'The Bikeriders'. Actor Taylor-Johnson, best known for 'Bullet Train' and 'Nocturnal Animals', has a bunch of films in his kitty including 'The Fall Guy' and 'Kraven the Hunter'. Fiennes, recently seen in Wes Andersons 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' and 'Three More', has Uberto Pasolinis 'The Return' and Edward Bergers 'Conclave' lined up.

LS polls 2024: Madhya Pradesh Dy CM Rajendra Shukla votes in Rewa, appeals voters to exercise franchise

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Polling begins in 20 LS seats in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, April 26 (UNI) Polling began in all 20 Parliament constituencies at 7 am in Kerala, where 2,77,49,159 voters, including 1,43,33,499 women, will exercise their franchise in the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections in the country on Friday. Long queues were witnessed in several polling stations as people were casting their votes... The post Polling begins in 20 LS seats in Kerala first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Voting begins in Karnataka; Dravid, NRN, Sudha Murthy among first to cast vote

Bengaluru, April 26 (UNI) The electoral fervor swept across Karnataka on Friday as citizens queued up to exercise their franchise for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Among the first to cast their votes were prominent personalities including author Sudha Murthy, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy, and former cricketer Rahul Dravid. Sudha Murthy, renowned... The post Voting begins in Karnataka; Dravid, NRN, Sudha Murthy among first to cast vote first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Chhattisgarh: 15.42% Voter Turnout in Three Seats Till 9 AM in Phase 2 of LS Polls

Chhattisgarh: 15.42% Voter Turnout in Three Seats Till 9 AM in Phase 2 of LS Polls Voting for three Lok Sabha constituencies, having Naxalite presence, in Chhattisgarh in the second phase of general elections began on Friday, with 15.42 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise in the first two hours. Polling in Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies started at 7 am. Till 9 am, 15.42 per cent polling has been registered, a poll official said. Polling is underway smoothly and peacefully, he added. Long queues of voters are being witnessed in several polling booths of three seats. Among the early voters, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and former MP Abhishek Singh cast their votes in Kawardha town (Rajnandgaon seat), BJP candidate Rupkumari Chaudhary in Harratar village in Mahasamund seat and BJP nominee Bhojraj Nag and his wife in Antagarh in Kanker. The polling comes days after 29 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Kanker district on April 16. Of the eight assembly segments in the Kanker constituency, polling began in Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Keshkal and Kanker assembly segments at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, the official said. In four other assembly segments, Sihawa, Sanjari-Balod, Daundilohara and Gunderdehi, polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. In the Rajnandgaon constituency, except the Manpur-Mohla assembly segment, where polling is being held from 7 am to 3 pm, voting in all other seven assembly segments began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm. The polling time in the Mahasamund constituency is 7 am to 6 pm, except in nine sensitive booths under the Bindranawagarh assembly segment, where it is being held from 7 am to 3 pm. A security blanket comprising 222 state and paramilitary personnel was thrown across the three seats to ensure peaceful polling. In the Kanker seat, extra vigil is being maintained by security forces given the threat from Naxalites, the official said. Altogether 41 candidates, including former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and former state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, are in the fray in a direct fight between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress. Of the 41 candidates, 15 are in Rajnandgaon, 17 in Mahasamund and 9 in Kanker Lok Sabha seat. There are 52,84,938 eligible voters, including 26,05,350 men, 26,79,528 women and 60 members of the third gender in the three seats. Altogether 6,567 polling booths have been set up in the constituencies and of them, 23 polling booths have been categorised as vulnerable, 458 have been marked as critical, the official said. The high-profile Rajnandgaon seat is seeing a contest between BJP MP Santosh Pandey and Congress' Bhupesh Baghel, former chief minister and incumbent MLA. The ruling BJP has dropped its sitting MPs in Mahasamund and Kanker seats and fielded former MLAs Rupkumari Chaudhary and Bhojraj Nag there respectively. Opposition Congress has fielded former state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu in Mahasamund and senior leader Biresh Thakur in Kanker seat. Thakur lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Kanker. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won 9 seats while Congress bagged two seats in Chhattisgarh.

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla votes in Darjeeling

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla votes in Darjeeling Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Darjeeling. After casting his vote, Shringla showed his inked finger at the polling booth there. Darjeeling has been a BJP bastion since 2009, with the Trinamool Congress never managing to wrest the seat from the principal opposition party in the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MP Raju Bista won the constituency with 59.2 per cent of the total votes polled against TMC's Amar Singh Rai, who bagged a mere 26.6 per cent votes. In 2014, BJP's SS Ahluwalia, who is in the fray this year from Asansol, won 42.8 per cent of votes against 25.5 per cent won by former footballer and TMC's star candidate Bhaichung Bhutia. Apart from Darjeeling, voting is also taking place in Balurghat, and Raiganj in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. Voting for the remaining constituencies of West Bengal will be held on May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4. There are 8.08 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters among the electorates who will decide the fate of candidates. As many as 5,929 third-gender electors will also exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls. The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7. (ANI)

Lok Sabha polls: Tejasvi Surya offers prayers at Bengaluru residence before casting vote

Lok Sabha polls: Tejasvi Surya offers prayers at Bengaluru residence before casting vote Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Bangalore South constituency Tejasvi Surya offered prayers at his residence on Friday ahead of casting his vote for the phase 2 of the Lok Sabha polls which began earlier today. Congress has fielded Sowmya Reddy against Surya in the Bangalore South constituency. In a post on X, Tejasvi Surya appealed to the voters to cast their vote on the BJP symbol. Wishing all candidates of BJP Karnataka the very best! The people of Karnataka are nationalists. They've witnessed the State's growth under PM Narendra Modi in the last 10 years. Urge all of you to click on the lotus button and elect Modi Ji once again! Surya said. Karnataka is voting on 14 seats today in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Bangalore South has been a bastion for the BJP, the party has not been defeated from here since 1991. The late Ananth Kumar was elected to the Lok Sabha 6 times from this seat. In 2019, BJP's current Member of Parliament, Tejasvi Surya, secured victory with a significant margin of 27.87 per cent against Congress' BK Hariprasad and became the youngest BJP MP in Lok Sabha. In 2014, the seat was won by BJP's Ananth Kumar, defeating INC's Nandan Nilekani by a substantial margin. Earlier today, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy on Friday cast his vote at the BES polling station in Bengaluru. His wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty, also cast her vote in Bengaluru today. Sudha Murty urged people, specifically youngsters, to exercise their right to vote and choose their leaders. The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies, including all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir. Initially, 89 constituencies were scheduled to go to polls today. However, the EC later announced that the voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul would not take place during the second phase due to the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. As many as 1202 candidates, including 1098 males and 102 females, are in the fray.There are 8.08 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters among the electorate who will decide the fate of candidates. As many as 5,929 third-gender electors will also exercise their franchise in the second phase of the polls. The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7. (ANI)

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Madhya Pradesh records 13.82 % voter turnout in initial trend till 9 am

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Madhya Pradesh records 13.82 % voter turnout in initial trend till 9 am Madhya Pradesh recorded 13.82 per cent voting in the initial voter turnout trend till 9 am in the second phase of polling for six parliamentary seats in the state, according to the data released by the Election Commission of India. The polling for the six parliamentary seats -Tikamgarh (SC), Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa and Hoshangabad began on Friday at 7 am in the state. Of these, Hoshangabad is leading the voter turnout charts with 15.95 per cent voting followed by Satna 13.59 per cent, Khajuraho 13.44 per cent, Tikamgarh 13.36 per cent, Damoh 13.34 per cent, and Rewa 13.27 per cent till 9 am so far in the state. Earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav requested the public of these constituencies to exercise their franchise saying voters are the most important in the festival of democracy. Voters are the most important in the elections, the festival of democracy. In the second phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024, voting is being held today in six Lok Sabha constituencies - Satna, Rewa, Khajuraho, Tikamgarh, Damoh and Hoshangabad in the state. It is a humble request to all respected voters that by using the right to vote, you must discharge your responsibilities in building a bright future for the country, CM Yadav wrote on X. Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan also appealed to voters to cast their votes in the second phase of LS polls in the state. Today, polling is being held at six parliamentary seats in the state. On this occasion, I request the voters to cast their votes to their respective polling stations in the state. It is a big responsibility in democracy for us to exercise the franchise. Today, is the time when we discharge this responsibility, Rajan told ANI Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19. The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. Out of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved. (ANI)

Dawn of Democracy

KOCHI: In October 1951, a newly independent India embarked on its most ambitious project yet its first general elections. Spread over four months, the elections, conducted in 68 phases and with 1,949 candidates in the fray, was the biggest democratic exercise ever undertaken. It was a sight to behold, says writer and critic M K Sanoo, who had exercised his franchise in the polls. The Kerala we know today was not formed yet. There was Thiru-Kochi and Madras, recalls the noted writer. He was 26 then. The minimum age to vote was 21. It was the first election after the adoption of our Constitution. A majority of the people were illiterate. I remember, there was a person in the booth helping everyone vote, especially those who couldnt read or write. The vote went into boxes adorned with each partys symbols. One box for one party, and that is how one identified the candidate, he adds. Forget colour prints and mics, there were not even proper roads back then. Electricity was also rare. So lets not even think about advertisements, 24x7 news channels or social media like now, Sanoo laughs. But it was the first time everyone got a chance to vote. Though Travancore had gone to the polls a few years ago, casting the vote was limited to only a few. Pattom A Thanupilla was elected as the Prime Minister of Travancore in 1948, only to resign three months later. The campaigning though, Sanoo adds, was always a collective event. Public meetings, speeches, visiting house after house all these were common. And so too were skirmishes between the parties, he says. Sanoo Mash, as he is popularly known, was a regular figure at public meetings. I used to give speeches for the Communist Party of India. Historian Malayankeesh Gopalakrishnan was around four years old when India first went to the polls. According to him, the campaigning largely revolved around public processions, speeches (often without a loudspeaker), and house visits of candidates (sometimes on bullock carts). courtesy: I&PRD Kerala government Flags planted atop areca nut trees too were a regular sight. We had notices and wall paintings. However, none were as colourful as today, Gopalakrishnan says. This was the election that saw the first woman MP getting elected from the region. Annie Mascarene contested as an independent candidate and won with a huge margin. Since CPI was not contesting here, a lot of Left supporters apparently voted for her, he says. Another interesting tidbit is that Nagercoil was a constituency in Thiru-Kochi. Gopalakrishnan also remembers tales of women voting. See, it was just a few years after independence and poverty was rampant. So was the lack of availability of clothes. So, women of an area used to vote in stages. The first group will go vote and come back, then the next group will borrow their clothes and vote. This will continue till everyone voted, he recalls. The fervour for voting was relatively high in Travancore. People had been waiting for a chance. This was the first time everyone was allowed exercise their franchise. For, in British India and later independent Travancore, voting was reserved for the rich and the upper caste, Gopalakrishnan points out. Veteran journalist Joseph Maliakans father was a candidate in the 1951-52 election. He was a candidate of the Praja Socialist Party. I still remember stories of my father contesting. The remnants of his campaign remained on the walls of the area for a long time, says Joseph. Though elections meant an air thick with campaign fervour, there was not much noise, recalls Vattapparambil Peethambaran. No house visits too. There would be meetings organised at junctions where candidates would assemble and speak to small crowds, says the Malayalam teacher and writer, now 87. Electioneering used to be done using a megaphone that did not need electricity. There used to be drum beats preceding such announcements, says Jithinam Radhakrishnan, a collector of election antiques who shares details about these keepsakes on WhatsApp. The megaphone was used mostly at night for announcements, says K P Sadu, technical assistant at the Department of Archaeology. The residential areas were not as thickly populated as now. There used to be a lot of vacant spaces and so, the sound from the megaphone would travel far and wide. Back in Kochi, which joined Travancore in 1949, the election was held in full vigour. Rallies, speeches, announcements on cycles, bullock carts adorned with flags it was relatively colourful, recalls 82-year-old Krishnabalan Paliath, former manager of Paliam Eswara Sewa Trust. Krishnabalans father was a staunch supporter and member of the Congress party. Somehow, even with the lack of roads, electricity and technology, candidates visited almost every house, he says. He also vividly remembers the lightbox that parties employed to grab eyeballs. A lantern was placed inside a box covered in white cloth. At night, the party symbol painted on the linen will be visible for miles. This was a major attraction of the time, adds his wife Geetha, 78, who comes from a strong Communist family. The major ones then were the Congress, with two bullocks and a yoke as their symbol, and the CPI, with their sickle and paddy husk. Hindu Maha Sabha and Jan Sangh were not big players in the region at the time. Their growth happened much later, Geetha says. Writer M N Karassery, born in 1951, just months before the election, grew up hearing about the poll stories. Fifty-three parties contested the polls on the national stage. Ultimately, it was a landslide win for the Congress party, which went on to win 364 of the 489 seats, he says. Karassery says, there were two extremely interesting aspects about the 1951-52 polls. One, Ambedkar was defeated from Bombay North constituency by Congress candidate Narayan Sadoba Kajrolkar. Two, there were separate women-only booths; 27,527 in total across the country. Also, the contribution of women in politics was larger and wasnt an afterthought, he says. He adds that several national issues were not much in discussion in Thiru-Kochi, but there was a slight Nehru wave in Malabar. In the first election, Malabar was part of Madras state. Though Congress won 45% of the vote share across the country, it suffered in Thiru-Kochi and Malabar. A K Gopalan won from Kannur with 65.87% votes. He got the largest majority in the Malabar region, and won by a margin of 87,029 votes. The Muslim League won Malappuram. Thalasserry, Ponnani and Kozhikode went to Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP), Karassery says. The 1951-52 elections, which saw over 17 crore people cast their votes, helped catapult India, a relatively young nation, to the global avenue as a beacon of democracy. As Kerala goes to the polls today, the ethos of the first general elections continues to inspire the populace.

Kerala: Portal to help voters make informed choice

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Kerala goes to polls, a group of youngsters have set up an online platform to help voters make an informed choice when they exercise their franchise on Friday. Poli Performance, a web portal, gives voters a detailed overview of the performance of Lok Sabha MPs from Kerala during their tenure (17th Lok Sabha), as well as information about the candidates in fray. The platform offers transparent and comprehensive data for evaluating the MPs performance. It is important that voters have access to accurate and unbiased information about their current MPs and candidates. Our platform addresses this need by providing reliable data and in-depth analyses, said Akshay S, a techie working in Bangalore. We conceived the idea long back. We started developing the platform just three months ago, he said. The platform contains profiles of all the candidates contesting in the elections and aims to enhance voter awareness. After the elections, we plan to add more features to the website. The platform will act as a bridge between citizens and elected representatives, he said. Adwaith S, another techie, and law researchers Reshma Sekhar and Gautam Aredath developed the portal. The data it contains is sourced from the official websites of the Union government.