Polling Booths In Puducherry's Mahe To Be Staffed By Women Officers Only

As India gears up for the biggest festival of democracy, Puducherry's Mahe district will set a unique example of a gender-inclusive electoral process. All 31 polling stations in the district will be staffed by women polling officers. Votes will be polled on April 19, the first of the seven phases of the election process.

"Women at the forefront of Democracy: All 31 Polling Stations of Mahe district in Puducherry will be staffed by Women Polling Officials in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024," the Election Commission of India said in an Instagram post.

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Officials said 140 women poll workers will carry out the election process in the district.

Additionally, four teams of women poll workers conducted home voting for persons with disability who opted for the facility.

Mahe is one of Puducherry's four regions. With an electorate of 31,038, the district stands out as one of the most gender-inclusive areas within Puducherry. 

"From voter registration drives to polling station management, the Election Commission of India has made concerted efforts to ensure women are included at every step. Now more than ever, the increasing women's participation in elections as electors and election managers reflects ECI's commitment towards gender inclusive elections and women's empowerment," an official statement said.

In a first. all the polling booths in the Raipur North assembly constituency were staffed and managed fully by women officials during the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections in 2023.

To achieve this feat - a first for any assembly constituency in the country, 1,046 women were deployed in 201 polling booths in the constituency.

These all-women booths not only provided a sense of comfort and security to all voters but also set a unique precedent.

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BJP Picks SS Ahluwalia To Take On Shatrughan Sinha In Bengal's Asansol

The BJP on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Union minister SS Ahluwalia from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

Mr Ahluwalia would take on TMC's heavyweight candidate and the party's star face, Shatrughan Sinha, in Asansol, an industrial hub encapsulating the state's coal belt.

The BJP had previously replaced Ahluwalia, the party's sitting MP from the Burdwan-Durgapur seat, with former state president Dilip Ghosh as candidate for the constituency.

Mr Ghosh was, in turn, moved from his erstwhile winning seat Medinipur to fight for his prospects on Ahluwalia's turf.

Although the BJP had initially announced the name of Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh as its candidate from Asansol, the seat remained unrepresented by the party till now following Singh's refusal to contest from the constituency.

Although Mr Ahluwalia could not be contacted for his remarks, the state BJP welcomed his candidature.

"We are confident of regaining the seat from the TMC with an experienced leader like SS Ahluwalia leading the charge from the seat," BJP Samik Bhattacharya said.

Former two-term BJP MP from the seat, Babul Supriyo, who switched over to the TMC in 2021, remarked that Mr Ahluwalia has been made a "sacrificial lamb".

"Mr Ahluwalia is a nice person and a friend of mine. But, I think the BJP is making him a sacrificial lamb by sending him to Asansol, which is a lost cause for the BJP," Supriyo, the state tourism minister, alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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केरल और जम्मू-कश्मीर में बुधवार को, देश के बाकी हिस्सों में बृहस्पतिवार को मनाई जाएगी ईद

केरल, जम्मू-कश्मीर और लद्दाख में बुधवार को जबकि देश के अन्य हिस्सों में ईद-उल-फित्र का त्यौहार बृहस्पतिवार को मनाया जाएगा. फतेहपुरी मस्जिद के शाही इमाम मौलाना मुफ्ती मुकर्रम अहमद ने ‘पीटीआई-भाषा' को बताया कि मंगलवार को ईद का चांद नज़र नहीं आया, इसलिए ईद-उल-फित्र का त्यौहार बृहस्पतिवार को मनाया जाएगा तथा बुधवार को 30वां और आखिरी रोज़ा होगा.

मुकर्रम ने बताया कि ईद का चांद नज़र नहीं आया है, इसलिए ईद का त्यौहार 11 अप्रैल को मनाया जाएगा. हालांकि, ईद केरल, जम्मू-कश्मीर और लद्दाख में बुधवार को मनाई जाएगी.

सैयद सादिक अली शिहाब थंगल और जिफरी मुथुक्कोया थंगल सहित केरल के अन्य मौलवियों ने कहा कि शव्वाल का चांद देखा गया है और राज्य में बुधवार को ईद मनाई जाएगी. श्रीनगर में मुफ्ती नासिर-उल-इस्लाम ने कहा कि चांद दिख गया है और बुधवार को जम्मू-कश्मीर में ईद मनाई जाएगी.

मुफ्ती मुकर्रम ने कहा, ‘‘उत्तर प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश, गुजरात, हरियाणा और राजस्थान समेत किसी भी राज्य से चांद दिखने की खबर नहीं मिली है.'' मुकर्रम ने कहा कि बुधवार को 30वां रोज़ा होगा और शव्वाल (इस्लामी केलेंडर के 10वें महीने) की पहली तारीख बृहस्पतिवार को होगी. शव्वाल के महीने के पहले दिन ईद होती है.

वहीं, जामा मस्जिद के पूर्व इमाम सैयद अहमद बुखारी ने कहा कि देश के किसी हिस्से से शव्वाल यानी ईद-उल-फित्र का चांद दिखने की कोई खबर नहीं है. उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘हिंदुस्तान के अलग-अलग हिस्सों- उत्तर प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश, तेलंगाना, पश्चिम बंगाल व बिहार में संपर्क किया गया लेकिन कहीं भी चांद नहीं दिखा है.''

बुखारी ने कहा, ‘‘ईद 11 अप्रैल को मनाई जाएगी.'. उधर, मुस्लिम संगठन जमीयत उलेमा-ए-हिंद से जुड़े इमारत ए शरीया हिंद ने भी ऐलान किया है कि मंगलवार को देश के किसी हिस्से में मीठी ईद का चांद नज़र नहीं आया.

संगठन ने एक बयान में कहा, ‘‘यह पुष्टि की जाती है कि देश के किसी भी हिस्से से चांद दिखने की कोई खबर नहीं है, लिहाज़ा ईद-उल-फित्र 11 अप्रैल को होगी.'' अभी इस्लामी केलेंडर का नौवां महीना ‘रमज़ान' चल रहा है जिसमें समुदाय के लोग रोज़ा (व्रत) रखते हैं. रमज़ान के महीने में रोज़ेदार सुबह सूरज निकलने से पहले से लेकर सूरज डूबने तक कुछ नहीं खाते-पीते हैं. यह महीना ईद का चांद नजर आने के साथ खत्म होता है.
 

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Woman Dies, Husband Critical After Couple Attempts Suicide In UP: Cops

A woman died while her husband is critical after the couple allegedly consumed poison in their house here, police said on Tuesday.

A suicide note was recovered from the couple's room at their house in the city's Tollawala area, they said.

The incident took place on Monday night when Ankur Sharma (27) and his wife Shivani Sharma (22) allegedly consumed poison after they had a fight, Haldaur SHO Ram Pratap Singh said.

On finding the couple unconscious the next morning, their family members rushed them to a hospital, Mr Singh said.

Shivani died during treatment while Ankur's condition is stated to be critical, the SHO said.

A probe is on in the matter, the SHO said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Only 1 Application Received So Far In Assam Under CAA: Himanta Sarma

Only one application has so far been received for citizenship under the CAA in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

The lone application was made in Barak Valley, he said, without elaborating further.

"The anti-CAA movement was based on lies and they (who were at the forefront) will have to answer now. So many days have passed, and only one application has been made in the state till date," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister was talking to reporters after an election rally at Sonari in Sivasagar district, which comes under the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat.

The Centre had last month implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Mr Sarma also said “there will be no contest” in the five constituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 19.

Among the remaining nine seats where polling will be held in two more phases, he said there will be a contest in one constituency each, though he did not name those.

"If we consider BJP's performance in the 2021 assembly polls, even after delimitation, we are in the lead," the chief minister said.

Mr Sarma also claimed that there will be “no one left” in the Congress by 2026.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rajnath Singh Draws From Bollywood To Take A Swipe At Congress

Taking dig at Congress over its "relationship with corruption", Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recalled a bollywood song "Aaja Sham Hone Aayee...tu chal mai aayee" and said whenever the Congress forms government, corruption follows itself in a similar manner.

The Union Minister mocked the Congress by recalling the songs from bollywood movies Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981) and Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), he said that the name of the movie Ek Dujhe Ke Liye is similar to Congress relationship with corruption.

Further, he mentioned a song from Maine Pyar Kiya movie "Aaja Sham Hone Aayee...tu chal mai aayee", is like when Congress forms government corruption follows.

Mr Singh pushed for 'One Nation One Election' at the election rally in Bikaner and Jhunjunu in Rajasthan.

Mr Singh stressed on Sunday that there must be 'one nation and one election' to save time and resources for the nation, adding he said that the Congress party will only oppose it.

"There must be One Nation, One Election. Centre had formed a committee under the leadership of former President Ram Nath Kovind. The committee has submitted its reports to the President. I believe the people of the nation will support us," the senior BJP leader said.

He was addressing a public rally for senior minister and BJP candidate Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner and Jhunjunu candidate ShubhKaran Choudhary.

"Four months ago, I came to Rajasthan for an election campaign, and again, I am here for the election campaign. One Nation One Election will save time, money, and resources," he said.

He added that the committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind has submitted their report. One Nation One Election will ensure election from Gram Sabha to General election to be held simultaneously.

In his speech, he praised Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's government crackdown on criminals and improved law and order situation in the state.

"Ever since Bhajan Lal Sharma's government came to power in Rajasthan, the law and order situation has improved a lot. A large number of criminals have been sent to jail. I congratulate Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma for improving the law and order situation in Rajasthan," he said.

He said that PM Modi always thinks of the country's progress and BJP never does religion based politics.

"We consider the public as Janardan, whereas the Congress people consider their own family as Janardan. This is the difference in thinking. That is why the country is moving ahead under the leadership of Modiji," he said.

"Whenever the Congress government has been in power, some scam or the other has definitely taken place. Even their ministers had to go to jail. Whereas there is not a single stain of corruption on his government," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Himanta Sarma Says Congress Manifesto Is For Polls In Pak, Party Responds

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday alleged that the Congress' poll manifesto was more appropriate for elections in neighbouring Pakistan than for India.

The Congress, on the other hand, said a turncoat like Mr Sarma would not be able to understand the secular and inclusive ethos of the grand old party, and asserted that its manifesto aims to safeguard the interests of all sections of the society.

Mr Sarma condemned the poll promise document brought out by the opposition party, claiming that it was targeted at dividing the society to come to power.

"This is politics of appeasement and we condemn it. The manifesto feels like it is not for elections in Bharat but for Pakistan," Mr Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Jorhat constituency.

Mr Sarma maintained that no person in the country, either Hindu or Muslim, wants the revival of triple talaq or supports child marriage or polygamy.

"The mentality of the Congress is to divide the society and come to power," the BJP leader claimed.

The Congress released its manifesto, focusing on five 'pillars of justice' and 25 guarantees under those, on Friday.

Right to apprenticeship, a legal guarantee for MSP, passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, a nationwide caste census and scrapping of the Agnipath scheme are among the promises made by the Congress in its Lok Sabha polls manifesto.

Mr Sarma asserted that the BJP has taken the form of an 'andolan' and this movement is to make the country the 'vishwa guru' (world leader).

He also asserted that the saffron party and its allies would bag all 14 Lok Sabha in the state.

He said positive feedback has been received from the Dhubri constituency, regarding which Sarma had earlier been maintaining that the BJP-led alliance's candidate will not be victorious.

Reacting to his statement, Assam Congress spokesperson Bedabrata Bora claimed that a turncoat like Mr Sarma would not be able to understand the secular and inclusive ethos of the grand old party.

"Sarma had been in the Congress for several years but he could not understand the main ethos of the party. That is why he went to the BJP. Even after being in the BJP for some time now, he still tries to defame Congress to prove his loyalty to the saffron party," Mr Bora told the news agency PTI.

The Congress leader asserted that the party's manifesto aims to safeguard the interests of all sections and rubbished the allegations made by Sarma. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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