Page 856 - Politics
Polling official dies of heart attack in Chhattisgarh
A polling official died after suffering a heart attack while on election duty in Chhattisgarh's Kanker on Thursday.The deceased was deployed at polling booth number 186 in Kanker.Today, the polling is underway in three Lok Sabha constituencies (Kanker, Rajnandgaon, and Mahasamund) in the state.Till 9 am in Chhattisgarh, 11 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.Out of the 11 seats at stake in the state, Bastar Lok Sabha constituency went to polls on April 11, while polling in the remaining seven seats will be held on April 23..
Gujjupura villagers briefly boycott polls over absence of polling booth in village
Upset over absence of a polling booth in their village, residents of Gujjupura in UP's Bijnor district boycotted voting in the initial hours of polling Thursday. However, with the district administration intervening, voters later went on to cast their vote. The polling booth comes under Nagina (SC) parliamentary constituency. District Magistrate, Bijnor, Sujeet Kumar told PTI that "In Gujjupura, the number of voters is less than 300, and hence under the instructions of the Election Commission, it was merged with the next polling booth located less than two kilometres from the village". "As per standards set up by the Election Commission, if a polling booth in located within two kilometres from a village, and after adding the smaller-size booth (less than 300 voters) to the bigger size, if the number of voters do not exceed 1,400; then they can be merged. This was done in this case," he said. Kumar said the count of voters in the village (where residents were demanding a polling ...
Democrats intensify attacks on Barr ahead of Mueller report release
Democrats have intensified their offensive against Attorney General William Barr as he prepared to release on Thursday a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into alleged collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.
Voting is brisk in Udhampur, muted in Srinagar
People voted in large numbers on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur Lok Sabha seat but polling was muted in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
EC ignoring code violation by BJP: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has alleged that the Election Commission was turning a blind eye to "blatant violation of the model code of conduct" by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
LS polls: TN leaders make beeline to vote; 13.48 per cent turnout so far
Tamil Nadu recorded 13.48 per cent voting till 9 am Thursday in 38 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, with Chief Minister K Palaniswami and DMK chief M K Stalin among early voters. Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said polling was peaceful and issues like technical glitches in some locations were being addressed. "Polling has been very peaceful," he told reporters here. Palaniswami and Stalin waited in queue at Edappadi in Salem district and Chennai, respectively, and cast their votes. After casting his vote, Stalin alleged that there has been distribution of cash and accused the Election Commission of being an "ally" of Central and State governments. Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, DMK's Dayanidhi Maran and Kanimozhi and Karti Chidambaram of the Congress are among key contenders. Radhakrishnan told reporters in Kanyakumari: "This is a massive democratic festival which will decide the fate of India. I have exercised my franchise....a silent revolution is ...
Nearly 17% polling recorded in Bengal polls
Nearly 17 per cent of the electorate cast their votes amid stray incidents of violence in the three northern West Bengal constituencies in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday.
At 91, eight-time matronly Congress legislator battles on tirelessly
At 91, eight-time matronly Congress legislator Vidya Stokes continues to battle tirelessly to ensure victory of the party in all the four parliamentary seats of Himachal Pradesh.
Indonesia officials warn against post-election disorder
Indonesia's top security minister and its military and police chiefs say they will crack down decisively on any attempts to disrupt public order while official results from presidential and legislative elections are tabulated. Preliminary results show President Joko Widodo has comfortably won a second term, but his challenger Prabowo Subianto is claiming victory, repeating his tactics following his 2014 loss to Widodo. Security minister Wiranto, who uses a single name, held a press conference Thursday with police and military chiefs and said security forces will "act decisively" against any threats to order and security. He said the voter turnout of 80.5 per cent gives the winner of the presidential election "high legitimacy." The Election Commission is required to release official results by May 22.
Rahul, Shah make appeal to voters
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Thursday appealed to voters to exercise their electoral right as the second phase of Lok Sabha elections was underway.
Newly-wed bride votes in Aligarh
A newly-wed bride in Aligarh city in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday voted in the Lok Sabha election before leaving for her husband's house.
7.60pc turnout till 9am in Karnataka
A voter turnout of 7.60 per cent is being reported from 14 constituencies in Karnataka till 9 am, with the highest number of people voting in Dakshina Kannada and the least in Bangalore Central during the first two hours. Dakshina Kannada recorded a voting per cent of 14.94 per cent and Bangalore Central 5.41 per cent till 9 am, election officials said. Many senior senior citizens cast their vote during the morning hours to avoid the summer heat. Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda, the BJP candidate from Bangalore North, was among the early voters. State Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, wife Anita and son Nikhil, the JD(S) candidate from Mandya, cast their vote at Kethiganahalli which comes under Bangalore Rural seat. Speaking to reporters later, Kumaraswamy urged people to exercise their right to franchise. "Voting is your right, please go to polling booths and vote. Your vote will decide the next government of the country," he said. The Congress-JD(S) alliance is fighting against the
JD(S)-Congress may win 10-12 seats out of 14: Kumaraswamy
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said the Congress-JD(S) alliance is expected to win 10-12 seats out of 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka which are undergoing polling today during the second phase of general elections."Today I request all voters to go to the polling station and cast their vote, whatever decision you will take will form the future of the country. Please put your valuable vote and don't miss it," Kumaraswamy said after casting his vote here on Thursday."Elections are crucial for protecting the interest of the farming community. Out of 14 Lok Sabha seats, the JDS-Congress candidates may achieve 10-12 seats in this election," he added.Later, Kumaraswamy, while speaking to ANI, said, "Dynasty politics isn't an important issue now, country's problems are the main issue. Only because of dynasty politics and regional politics, this country developed in several states. We're not bothered about criticism from BJP."DMK Chief MK Stalin, who cast his vote at a ...
Americans await bombshell Mueller report
Nearly four weeks after President Donald Trump declared himself completely exonerated, Americans will on Thursday get a chance to see the evidence themselves with the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Widespread doubt and suspicion has remained in the air despite Attorney General Bill Barr's March 24 statement that the Mueller investigation found no criminal collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with Russia, and insufficient evidence of obstruction of justice. The details of the 400-page report - which could come out with heavy redactions - could determine whether Democrats in Congress pursue impeachment of the president. They could also have an impact on Trump's chances for re-election in 2020. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the 22-month Mueller investigation, plan a press conference at 9:30 AM (local time) Thursday morning to discuss the report. But the report will not be given to Congress ..
'Process on to release Pakistanis from Saudi jails'
The process for the release of Pakistani prisoners from jails in Saudi Arabia was underway, Islamabad's Ambassador to Riyadh Raja Ali Ejaz has said.
After 2 hours of polling, voter turnout highest in Assam
At the end of the first two hours of polling, Assam is leading in terms of voter turnout with 9.51 per cent electorates having already exercised their democratic franchise.In Chhattisgarh, voters have braved the threats of Naxals and have come out in large numbers to cast votes in three constituencies which are voting today. The turnout at 9 am has been recorded at 7.75 per cent, according to data provided by the Election Commission.In Bihar, voter turnout has touched 7.83 per cent in the first two hours, while Uttar Pradesh, which has eight constituencies going to polls today, has clocked 3.99 per cent voting till 9 am.Among other states going to polls, voter turnout in the first two hours in Odisha is 2.15 per cent, Manipur 1.78 per cent, Karnataka 1.14 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir 0.99 per cent, Tamil Nadu 0.81 per cent, West Bengal 0.55 per cent, Maharashtra 0.85 per cent and Puducherry 1.62 per cent.The second the phase of polling is being held in Assam (five seats), Bihar (five .
Kim supervises new tactical guided weapon test
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday supervised the test-fire of a new tactical guided weapon conducted by the Academy of Defence Science, state media reported on Thursday."The completion of the development of the weapon system would become a very significant event in strengthening the fighting power of the People's Army," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim, as saying."Our national defence scientists and workers in the field of the munitions industry performed another great work in increasing the country's defence capabilities," the KCNA said.The supreme leader further noted it is a very good thing that the field of national defence science has waged a dynamic struggle for attaining core research goals.However, the state media did not disclose any details of the newly developed weapon.It was the first time since November last year that Kim had overseen any weapons testing. His visit to the testing centre came a day after he visited an air force unit.The ...
Mayawati claims EC turning a blind eye to violation of MCC by Yog Adityanath
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday accused the Election Commission (EC) of 'turning a blind eye' to the violation of the model code of conduct by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath."Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is flouting the EC's ban imposed on him by visiting temples and eating food in the houses of Dalits. He is doing drama and is broadcasting the same on the media platforms for electoral gains. Why the Commission is so kind to him?" Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.She further accused the EC of being biased and 'wrongly favouring' BJP leaders."It is impossible to have free and fair elections this time if the EC continues to neglect the moves made by BJP leaders. How will this resolve the public's discomfort? The BJP leadership is still bent on doing the same arbitrariness as it has been so far, why?" she said in a follow-up tweet.Mayawati also claimed that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seem nervous in the same way how Congress was
Slow pace polling in Puducherry
Polling in the lone Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday progressed at a slow pace but was brisk in the Thattanchavady Assembly seat.
TN registers 13% voting till 9 a.m.
Polling in Tamil Nadu's 38 Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly constituencies that began at 7 a.m. on Thursday progressed at a brisk rate and peacefully, with 13.48 per cent voting reported in two hours.