7.72% polling in Bengal in first two hours

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7.72% polling in Bengal in first two hours

There has been 7.72 percent voter turnout recorded till 9 a.m., in the first phase of polling for the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly, said the Election Commission on Saturday.

More than 73 lakh voters will exercise their franchise polling for 30 seats with 191 candidates in the fray. The first phase includes those seats from the Jungal Mahal area in the south-western fringes that are considered sensitive as voting began at 7 a.m.

Of the five assembly elections, West Bengal has the maximum number of seats and highest phases staggered into eight.

Seven seats in Purba Medinipur — Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar, and Egra — are ticked off as sensitive.

The polls are being closely watched because of prestige battles between Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congressman, who is now facing his erstwhile supremo Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

Trinamool has complained to the Election Commission that they apprehend voters to be threatened in Nandigram. Raising concerns about voter safety in the state and the party approached the EC on Friday saying electorates were already being intimidated in Nandigram, Bhagwanpur, and Haripur.

Media reports showed an election vehicle being set on fire in Purulia’s Bandwan, hours before the polling began. There was tension reported from Tulsidi village where the fire incident took place. Security forces are keeping a close vigil in the area, surrounded by forests that were once Maoist hideouts.

Trinamool MPs Derek O’Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have visited the EC office in Kolkata to raise the issue. “Many people with criminal records are living in Nandigram, Bhagwanpur, and Haripur — are not voters of the constituency. Voters are being scared and threatened. The Election Commission should ensure voters’ safety,” Dastidar said.

O’Brien tweeted: On May 2, Trinamool will win Bengal”, and posted a chequered flag emoji highlighting three main points — Bengal’s daughter (Mamata Banerjee) will defeat Bengal’s traitor (Adhikari) in his ‘backyard’ in Nandigram.

He slammed Modi and Shah calling them members of the Tourist Gang, and, adding that “Women in Bengal will continue to wear saris any way they want.”

Reports of EVM malfunction were reported from two polling booths in Kharagpur. The EVMs in booth number 98, 99 had stopped working temporarily due to a technical glitch, reports in the media said. The people said they waited for over two hours to cast their votes.

In Purulia, allegations were raised by the BJP against the former minister and Trinamool candidate of purportedly distributing cash among the voters. The BJP has filed a complaint with the poll body.

The BJP workers also complained about Trinamool workers “unleashing terror” in poll-bound districts in collusion with a section of the state police.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters in a tweet: “Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seat polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers”, just before polling got underway in the state around 7 a.m.

Vijayan orders judicial probe against ED

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Vijayan orders judicial probe against ED

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday decided to order a judicial probe against the Enforcement Directorate following a complaint by two women police officials that they heard the ED officers pressuring the prime accused in the Gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh and asking her loaded questions to name Vijayan.

This new judicial probe will be headed by Justice (rtd) V.K. Mohan and the terms of reference also have been given.

To make this a reality, the Vijayan government has to get the approval of the Election Commission, the procedures for that have also commenced.

Incidentally, this judicial probe comes close on the heels after Vijayan ordered the Crime Branch wing of the Kerala Police to register a case against the ED officials who were responsible for this.

An FIR has been filed before a court in Kochi against Kochi ED officials on charges which include conspiracy and other non-bailable offenses.

This new move comes a few days after the ED officials approached the Kerala High Court to quash the FIR registered against them and sought a CBI probe into this.

All this is happening at a time when Kerala goes to the polls on April 6 to elect a new 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly.

And ever since Vijayan took over the election campaign, practically every day he makes it a point to say that the government under him was of a different breed and it has always taken on the Centre. This was especially so when it became the first state in the country to announce that the CAA won’t be implemented there.

He also raised the way ‘the Central probe agencies are out to tarnish the image of the government, whose only agenda is the development of the state’.

Meanwhile, senior Congress legislator and a former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said there was nothing but a ploy by Vijayan to thwart any new move by the Central agencies in the various cases that they are probing in Kerala.

“Vijayan just wants to stall any fresh move till April 6 and for that, he will go to any extent,” said Radhakrishnan.

Rahul Gandhi extends support to Bharat Bandh

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Rahul Gandhi extends support to Bharat Bandh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has extended support to the Bharat Bandh and said that ‘Satyagraha’ was the way to oppose these laws and hoped that the protest will be peaceful.

In a tweet in Hindi on Friday, Rahul Gandhi said (loosely translated), “History is witness that through Satyagraha injustice, arrogance and exploitation ends and the agitation should be in the interest of the country and should be peaceful.”

The Congress has been opposing the farm laws and is in support of the agitating farmers. Rahul Gandhi even participated and led the tractor Yatra in Punjab and Rajasthan. The party has been organizing protests across the country in support of the farmers.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers on Friday blocked the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border here as part of their 12-hour Bharat Bandh on the completion of four months of protest over the three contentious farm laws.

The farmers blocked the National Highway 24 that connects Delhi with Ghaziabad. The farmers sat on the highway demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

Delhi Traffic Police in a tweet said: “Traffic movement is closed on Ghazipur Border NH-24 (Both carriageway), Kindly avoid the stretch.”

On Thursday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said that all shops, malls, markets, and commercial establishments will remain shut on Friday in view of its ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on completion of four months of farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

According to the SKM, the 12-hour bandh will be observed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, ambulances and other essential services will be allowed.

The Bharat Bandh called by SKM is being supported by the representatives of various farmer organizations, trade unions, student groups, lawyer associations, political parties, and state governments.

Crime against women on the rise in UP: Mayawati

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Crime against women on the rise in UP: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has targeted the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh over increasing crime against women.

She said in a tweet that crime against women in Uttar Pradesh was on the rise and the state government should take steps to control the situation.

“It is a matter of concern that women are feeling insecure. Incidents in Pilibhit, Gonda, police atrocities in Etah, and the Jhansi incident where nuns were targeted are a matter of concern and shame,” she tweeted.

She urged the state government to take cognisance of the situation.

IT raids DMK leader Velu’s home, other locations

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IT raids DMK leader Velu’s home, other locations

On a day when DMK President M.K. Stalin was campaigning in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai for party’s senior leader E.V.Velu for the April 6 assembly polls, Income Tax officials searched the candidate’s home and several other locations.

The former minister is seeking reelection from the Tiruvannamalai constituency.

Completing his campaign, Stalin and others returned to the guest house located in Velu’s engineering college in the district.

Reacting to the searches, DMK Treasurer Duraimuragan said that the raids were done with a political motive.

“The searches are being carried out as the DMK cannot be defeated in the polls,” he said.

India-B’desh borders to be sealed to check infiltration: Modi

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India-B’desh borders to be sealed to check infiltration: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India-Bangladesh borders would be sealed to check infiltration, as he accused the Congress of aligning with the forces which are patronizing the infiltrators.

Addressing an election rally at Bihpuria under Lakhimpur district in eastern Assam, the Prime Minister said that India-Bangladesh borders with western Assam’s Dhubri have been sealed and works are going on at a fast pace to seal the remaining patches of the international borders with Bangladesh.

Five Indian states — West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km), and Assam ( 263 km) — share 4,096 km borders with Bangladesh.

Without naming the Congress’ electoral ally, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Modi said that in order to protect its vote bank, the Congress is ready to join hands with any forces, and in Assam, it forged an alliance with a party that is patronizing the infiltrators.

“Congress has no leaders, policy, or ideology. The party forged an alliance with the Left parties in Assam and West Bengal, but it is fighting against them in Kerala,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said that the Congress did nothing for the lakhs of tea garden workers when it was in power in Assam.

“In five years, the BJP government has increased the daily wage of tea garden workers twice to over Rs 200. In this year’s Budget, a Rs 1,000 crore package was announced for the welfare of lakhs of tea garden workers,” the Prime Minister said.

Appreciating BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Assam elections, Modi said the manifesto is the roadmap to further develop the state.

BJP President J.P. Nadda had on Tuesday released the party’s manifesto, focusing on flood management, protection and development of the Assamese culture, empowerment of youth and women, correction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and checking infiltration.

Modi said that despite being in power in Assam for 15 years (2001-2016), the Congress did nothing to protect and promote the Assamese traditions and culture, instead, it backed the poachers involved in killing the state’s famed one-horn rhinos.

“In 70 years, 13,000 km rural roads were constructed in Assam, but the BJP government built 15,000 km of rural roads in the state in just five years. Efforts are also on to market Assam’s crops outside the state, including organic crops,” the Prime Minister said.

Accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the Prime Minister’s rally in Bihpuria was his fourth public meeting in six days in the poll-bound state.

Later on Wednesday, Modi is scheduled to address another rally in the Sipajhar Darrang district.

The Prime Minister would visit the BJP-ruled state three more times till April 3 to address several election rallies.

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases on March 27 (47 seats), April 1 (39 seats), and April 6 (40 seats). The results will be declared on May 2.

Vizag plant Andhra’s heirloom, don’t privatise it: YSRCP MP

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Vizag plant Andhra’s heirloom, don’t privatise it: YSRCP MP

YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy on Wednesday said that the Centre’s decision to sell off PSUs is not the solution as he came out strongly against the proposed privatization of the Vizag Steel Plant (VSP).

“Rather than selling PSUs formed over the years, I urge the government to look at the alternative resources for revenue generation such as widening the tax base, etc..,” he said in a speech in the upper house of Parliament.

Pleading with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to refrain from VSP’s privatization, he likened the steel plant to a gold heirloom of Andhra Pradesh.

“Madam (Sitharaman) is the daughter-in-law of AP and madam knows the sentiment of AP. I request the Finance Minister to kindly reconsider the privatization of VSP,” he said.

Referring to the tradition of South Indian women who generally seldom sell their heirloom gold, Reddy said the steel plant is equal to gold for the Telugu people.

“South Indian women particularly won’t sell the gold. They won’t sell the family gold. In fact, madam (Sitharaman) has decided to sell the gold of AP, that is a navaratana PSU, which is very unfortunate,” he said.

Opportunist Congress forging alliances with communal forces: Nadda

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Opportunist Congress forging alliances with communal forces: Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P.Nadda on Monday said that the Congress is doing politics of opportunism and destruction and its only objective is to win elections, instead of developing the state and the country.

Addressing three election rallies at Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Biswanath Chariali in northern and eastern Assam, the BJP chief said that the Congress is forging alliances with the Muslim League and fighting against Left parties in Kerala even as the party embraces both Left parties and Furfura Sharif (Indian Secular Front) in West Bengal.

“In Assam, the same Congress forged an electoral alliance with another communal force, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). It is doing opportunistic and destructive politics and the BJP is doing the development. The BJP governments at the Centre and the state have scripted a new chapter of development in Assam.”

The BJP leader said that the Congress is talking about Assam and its tea but using the photographs of Sri Lanka and Taiwan.

“The Congress has damaged Assam’s culture and never gave importance to security. During the Bodoland protests, thousands of civilians and security personnel were killed and kidnapped. But, with the surrender of over 2,000 militants, peace has been restored in Assam,” he pointed out.

Alleging that infiltration had increased during the governance of Congress, but the BJP government not only checked this but also electronically and digitally put up surveillance along the borders where the fencing could not be erected.

Nadda said that despite former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh representing Assam in Parliament, he did not sanction the pending gas royalty to Assam but Narendra Modi, within a week of becoming Prime Minister, sanctioned Assam’s due gas royalty to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore.

He said: “To give the due rights and respect to indigenous people, the BJP government has already issued ‘Patta’ (land rights) to over 3.50 lakh people.”

Modifying the British era forest act, will boost the bamboo-based industry and empower lakhs of artisans across the northeastern region, said Nadda.

“By making 7,000 toilets in Assam out of 11 crores in the entire country, the BJP government not only made Assam an open-defecation-free state but also restored the respect of lakhs of rural women who used to defecate in open fields and prevent disease,” added the BJP President.

Nadda, accompanied by other party leaders, is scheduled to release BJP’s election manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam on Tuesday.

Elections for the 126-seat Assam assembly would take place in three phases on March 27, April 1, and April 6.

The results will be announced on May 2.

If there is any party Bangla in true sense, it is BJP: Modi

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If there is any party Bangla in true sense, it is BJP: Modi

Countering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s sustained attacks at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dubbing it an ‘outsider party’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a massive public rally on Saturday in West Midnapore’s Kharagpur said “if there is a Bengal party in the true sense, then it is the BJP”.

“The father of the Jana Sangh was the son of this Bengal. The BJP’s DNA has the ethics, thoughts, and values of Ashutosh Mukherjee and Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. With these features, we want to take Bengal to the next level in terms of development and make the future bright for the people of the state,” Modi said.

Urging people to vote for the saffron camp, he said that the people of West Bengal have seen the political regimes of all other parties in Bengal, except for the BJP.

People gave an opportunity of 10 years to Mamata to bring development to the state. But she gave them 10 years of “plunder, corruption, and misrule”.

“Just give us one chance to come to power in Bengal for 5 years. I promise you that the BJP will work towards the direction of making the state a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal), the region which has been lagging behind almost for 70-years… The BJP will bring a change to the destruction caused by these parties in the last 70 years in the state…

“Arrey Didi, Bengal gave you 10-years for governance… We not only want to bloom lotus in Bengal but also want to make the future of the people of Bengal bright,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister said that last night, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were down for 50-55 minutes which left everyone worried.

“But here in Bengal, development, belief and dreams of the young people have been down for 50-55 years,” he said, adding that “Bangal mein is bar BJP sarkar (It will be a BJP government this time in Bengal)”.

He said that people of West Bengal are getting impatient to bring in “ashol poriborton” (real change) to Bengal.

Braving the scorching sun, thousands of people came to attend PM Modi’s rally on Saturday at Kharagpur. Armed with banners and placards, people were also seen sloganeering in favor of Modi ahead of the Prime Minister’s address at the rally.

Modi recalled the names of revolutions that started from West Midnapore and bowed to the land saying he is “fortunate” to address such a huge rally at Kharagpur.

He praised BJP’s West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh for his relentless effort to consolidate the party’s organization in West Bengal.

“I am proud that we have a party state unit president like Dilip Ghosh who took the organization to such a height despite regular attacks by Mamata Banerjee’s party. He never refrained from working for the betterment of West Bengal,” Modi said.

Harping on the theory of “double-engine government” PM Modi said that wherever there are BJP governments in the states, the Central and BJP-led state governments are engaged in the services towards the people with “the power of a double engine”.

“We are working with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’,” he said.

Modi said that if the BJP government comes to power in the state — agriculture, irrigation, and cold storage facilities will be made better. This will benefit the potato farmers in the region.

“Improvement drives would be carried out in areas of healthcare, drinking water facilities, and rural roads too. We’re committed to all-round development,” he said.

Vijayan’s anti-globalisation stand is laughable: Congress

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Vijayan’s anti-globalisation stand is laughable: Congress

Barely a few hours after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attacked the globalization and liberalization policies of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said it is laughable to hear the Chief Minister make such a comment.

“We were all laughing hearing Vijayan speaking to the media on the ill-effects of globalization and liberalization and then claiming to be the only state in the country which is fighting it. This could well go down as the biggest joke during the election time,” said Chennithala.

Earlier in the day, Vijayan said, “Today there is a ‘Kerala Model’ tie-up between the Congress and the BJP which is now spreading canards against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. The Left has taken an alternate route for overall development which is not what these two outfits did after the Congress started with the liberalization policies and now followed by the BJP. We have taken a different route and hence these people are spreading canards against us, but the people of Kerala have seen what has happened in the past five years under our government.”

Chennithala said if one looks into the various actions by Vijayan, one can really find out what Vijayan is. One of the misdeeds committed by him was to reveal all the health data of the people of Kerala to a US-based marketing firm ‘Sprinklr’ and all the rules are applicable in a court of law in the US only.

“He was getting ready to allow the opening of an office of multinational consulting company Price WaterhouseCooper (PwC) in the state. Then he went to the London Stock Exchange and rang the bell for the listing a masala bond of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) which was followed by the literal sale of Kerala seas to a US firm,” the Congress leader added.

“It’s indeed laughable to hear Vijayan say his government is fighting globalization and liberalization by engaging in the above acts which are completely against the Communist ideology. On the eve of the elections, Vijayan is taking people for a ride,” said Chennithala.

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