Haryana: Women candidates make mark with 16 in fray for 10 Lok Sabha seats

Haryana: Women candidates make mark with 16 in fray for 10 Lok Sabha seats Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Aggarwal on Thursday said after the withdrawal of nominations, 223 candidates, including 16 women, are left in the Lok Sabha poll contest for the 10 seats in the state. For the Karnal Assembly seat, where a bypoll is scheduled to be held, nine candidates are in the fray, the CEO said. Voting for all the 10 Lok Sabha seats and the Karnal Assembly seat will be held on May 25. A total of 223 candidates -- 207 men and 16 women -- are in the fray for the Lok Sabha seats. There is no woman among the 22 candidates in Sonipat. Likewise, all the nine candidates for the Karnal bypoll are men. The highest number of 31 candidates, including a woman, are involved in the poll contest in Kurukshetra while the lowest number of 14 are in the fray from the Ambala reserve seat. The nomination process for the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana and the Karnal Assembly seat began on April 29. The deadline for filing nominations ended on May 6. A scrutiny of the nominations was conducted on May 7 and the candidates could withdraw their nominations until 3 pm on Thursday.

Strike by drivers hits LPG movement from Ambalamugal in Kochi

Interview | Filmmaker Vipin Das: Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil is an entertainer for the family

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, Vipins fourth movie, centres on a marriage and a comedy of errors that follow

Last year alcohol production decreased by 19%

Only the production of quarter alcohol bottles has decreased by 15 million. 147 of the 214 alcohol licenses granted in 2023 are only for the tourism industry Minister of State for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya Minister of State for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says that alcohol production in Sri Lanka has decreased by 19% in the year 2023. The minister said this today in the Parliament while answering a question that was presented in anticipation of oral answers. The minister points out that the production of 180 ml alcohol bottles, which has the highest sales, has decreased by about 15 million. In 2022, 57.7 million 750ml bottles of alcohol were produced and the number decreased to 39.5 million in 2023. In the year 2023, 36.6 million bottles have been produced for the amount of 375 ml bottles that were produced in 2022. The minister mentioned that the quantity of 180 ml bottles produced in 2022 was 105.8 million, but in 2023, it has dropped to 90.5 million. Meanwhile, the minister said that 214 new alcohol licenses have been issued in the year 2023 alone and 147 of them are F.L 7, 8 and F.L 11 types issued for the tourism industry. The Minister mentioned that the total number of alcohol licenses given by the Excise Department is 5730. The Minister stated that despite the opinion that the use of alcohol is increasing due to the establishment of legal alcohol halls, illegal alcohol is prevalent in areas where there is no legal alcohol. Therefore, Mr. Siyambalapitiya said that what should be done is to prevent them and take measures to get the lost tax revenue. The minister, who said that the government will not promote the use of alcohol in any case, pointed out that the alcohol license fees have also been raised. The minister further mentioned that 75% of the price of a bottle of alcohol is charged as tax and most of the tax is charged on alcohol.

Ambala seatgen observerchairs key meet in Pkl

Focusing on importing vehicles through four stages

A report on formally starting the import of vehicles soon Minister Siyambalapitiya says Minister of State for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says that the vehicle importers are expected to provide him with a special report on the removal of vehicle import restrictions and the possible impact. The minister points out that this report, prepared by experts in the import field, will have a significant impact on the resumption of vehicle imports. A discussion between the Vehicle Importers Association and the Minister was held at the Ministry of Finance. The importers said that it is more practical to import the vehicles under several categories instead of importing all the vehicles at once. It was emphasized that it is more practical to give permission for the import of vehicles needed for public transport, used vehicles, private vehicles etc. in parts. Matters were also discussed at length about the problematic situations that have arisen regarding the payment of taxes.

Scoops of summer cheers

Sree Balaji Ice Cream Brothers Manoharan and Chandrasekaran set up the shop in 1980. People who visit the shop tell me that the taste is still the same as it was 30-40 years back, says Sasi Kumar, one of the partners. Offering one flavour a day, the store provides eight flavours. We have a timetable. On Sundays we alternate between pineapple and pistachio, he adds. Earlier priced at 75 paise a cone, now it is `25. The other products available here are cup ice cream at `15 and 250 g in a bowl, served for family, at `80. They also sell takeaway ice creams at an additional cost of `5. Time: Daily, 10 am-10 pm. Visit: 3, Paper Mills Road, Jagannathan Colony, Perambur, Chennai:600011 Vinus Igloo A few years ago, ice cream was seen as a luxury. I intended to make it easily available to commoners, says Vinoth V of Vinus Igloo, an ice cream parlour started in 1995 in West Mambalam. The USP of the store is their pricing. Initially sold for `1, their smaller cones are now being sold at `2. They offer eight different flavours but chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, strawberry and butterscotch are in demand. If customers like the flavour, they can buy a larger one for `50. Vinoth is all set to launch eight more branches and introduce stick ice cream by the end of the month. Time: Daily, 10 am to 12 am. Visit: 35, Thambiah Road, AGS Colony, West Mambalam, Chennai:600033 SV Bakery Started as a small business in 2000 by Rajan Kumar, SV Sweets Bakers and Icecreams in Chromepet is popular for its signature soft-serve. Every day we change the flavours. This is done randomly and we dont have a fixed day for a flavour. Currently, we serve six to seven flavours like mango, strawberry, blackcurrant, pistachio, chocolate and butterscotch, says Rajan. Serving the third generation of customers, he says, We use 100% pure milk to make our soft serve. Since we dont add water our ice creams are rich and creamy. With pure offerings, the soft serve costs `20 for all flavours and the choco-dip from `30. Time: Daily, 7 am to 9 pm Visit: 47, Radha Nagar Main Road, Chromepet, Chennai:600044 Snofield SET up in 1982, Snofield in Gopalapuram offers sundaes, faloodas and cakes. Their summer specials include fruit salads with ice cream, pistachio and fruit ice cream faloodas, and their prime ingredient mango. Every dessert on the menu can be customised with mango. The customers make their combinations of sundaes, faloodas, and fruit salads with mangoes during this season, shares Ashok from Snofield. Their sundaes, especially Tall Beauty which comprises vanilla and chocolate ice cream, choco sponge cake, chocolate sauce and nuts have been popular since its establishment. Its been 40 years and generations of families have been our customers. We have people bringing their grandchildren here saying, I used to have ice cream here in the old days, shares Ashok. Their summer plan is to add more flavours to the menu. Time: Daily, 11 am to 11 pm. Visit: Amaravathi Complex, 1, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai:600086 Inputs by: Meghana Sree R, PS Niranjana, Sonu M Kothari

SC raps Kochi corporation for sanitary waste collection fee, mayor defends move

KOCHI: After the Supreme Court pulled up the Kochi corporation for having charged an additional fee, besides the regular cost, from the residents for the collection of sanitary waste including adult diapers and sanitary napkins, Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said there is no provision to collect and treat sanitary waste for free. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Indu Varma on Monday, the apex court observed that the additional fees charged by the local body was shocking and amounted to gender discrimination. Responding to the Supreme Court observation, the Kochi mayor told TNIE that after the Brahmapuram fire, a private agency has been entrusted with collecting sanitary napkins from houses. The agency takes them to the facility run by the Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL) at Ambalamedu. There is no provision to treat the waste for free. Moreover, compared to other local bodies in the state, Kochi corporation is doing it at a minimal cost, Anilkumar said. Citing a report published by the legal news portal Verdictum, Indu Varma pointed out that the separate charge for the disposal of sanitary waste is prevalent only in Kerala. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the case. Sanitary waste needs scientific treatment, hence the high cost, the mayor said. KEIL doesnt provide any subsidy to treat biomedical waste. Yet we are bearing a major part of the cost, including the GST, and collecting only transportation fees from the residents, Anilkumar said, adding that no local body in the state is treating the sanitary waste for free. Other local bodies in Ernakulam district including Maradu, Tripunithura and Thrikkakara municipalities charge Rs 45, Rs 52 and Rs 56 per kg, respectively, as user fees for collecting sanitary napkin waste from residents. Last June, the Kochi corporation chalked out a plan for segregated waste collection from households. The agency fixed the rate at Rs 54 per kg, which was later brought down to Rs 12 per kg after public protest. The residents were asked to pay an additional Rs 12 per kg, and the remaining amount, including the GST, is paid by the corporation, said T K Ashraf, chairman of the health standing committee. The mayor pointed out that the corporation is making a loss while dealing with the sanitary napkin waste. We can treat sanitary waste for free if the government forms an agency. KEIL is not giving any subsidy, nor is it doing it for free, he said. Meanwhile, Ashraf said the corporations biomedical waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram is expected to be completed within two months. But the mayor said that additional fees will be collected even if the incinerators come up. This waste will not be collected by the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS). Instead, a private agency will be entrusted, and hence, a user fee will be collected, Anilkumar said. Opposition party leader Antony Kureethara said, according to the Kerala Municipality Act, such additional fees should not be levied on the public. The PIL in the Supreme Court contends that Kerala has imposed a disposal fee for sanitary waste in addition to a user fee for household waste collection as mandated by the Solid Waste Management Rule of 2016. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan has given the Union of India six weeks to submit a status report on the matter. Corporations stand Compared to other local bodies in the state, Kochi corporation is doing it at a minimal cost Sanitary waste needs scientific treatment, hence the high cost Corporation is making a loss while dealing with the sanitary napkin waste Can treat sanitary waste for free if the government forms an agency

Ambala gurdwara row: Sikh groups demand inquiry

Bird flu confirmed at one more place in Alappuzha

Presence of H5N1 subtype of Influenza A virus detected in quails at Kanjippadam South in Ambalappuzha North grama panchayat

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil | Song - K For Krishna

Watch the song 'K For Krishna' from Malayalam movie 'Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil' starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Basil Joseph. 'K For Krishna' is sung by Aju Varghese and music of the song is given by Ankit Menon. Lyrics of 'Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil' song 'K For Krishna' are written by Vinayak Sasikumar. To know more about 'K For Krishna' song from Prithviraj Sukumaran and Basil Joseph starrer 'Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil' watch the video.

Vida Medical Clinic Redefines Healthcare Experience

With Comprehensive Services and Patient-Centric Approach Vida Medical Clinic, Colombos premier healthcare institution committed to providing exceptional medical care with a comprehensive array of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of its patients. Founded in 2021, Vida Medical Clinic has quickly become synonymous with excellence, offering personalised, patient-centric care in a professional and compassionate environment conveniently located at 33 Deal Place A, Colombo-3. Under the dynamic leadership of Managing Director, Devin Ambalangodage, Medical Director, Dr. Chandana Galappaththi, and Head of Clinical Operations, Dr. Janice Boulton, Vida Medical Clinic has set itself apart by offering comprehensive treatment pathways guided by committed consultants. Dr. Galappaththi underscores the clinics commitment to patient satisfaction and efficient care stating, At Vida, we prioritise patient satisfaction and efficient care. Our stringent selection process ensures that only the most competent healthcare professionals join our team, dedicated to providing thorough consultations and personalised treatment plans. Patients are never kept waiting; respecting others time is paramount to us; we ensure minimal waiting times and offer flexible scheduling for appointments. Operating round the clock, Vida Medical Clinic provides prompt, effective, and affordable immediate care for non-life-threatening illnesses. With a team of over 60 professionals, including registered doctors, physicians, psychologists, and more, patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare, ensuring comprehensive solutions to their healthcare needs. Vida takes pride in its utilisation of state-of-the-art and well-equipped ambulances, setting a new standard in patient transportation. Devin Ambalangodage expresses enthusiasm about contributing to the communitys health, stating, We are delighted to enhance community health and well-being and introduce top-tier healthcare services to Sri Lanka. With Vida, theres no need for individuals to seek medical treatment abroad; we provide an international standard experience right here. Our goal is to comprehensively transform the healthcare landscape in Sri Lanka, emphasising better healthcare outcomes, a strong focus on preventive care, and embracing digital advancements in the field. In addition to conventional medical care, Vida Medical Clinic offers a range of specialised services, including primary care, specialist consultations, private sexual health clinics, family medicine, physiotherapy, sports medicine, and an ice bath facility. The clinic provides the ease of on-site blood work and lab testing, along with doctor visits offered at home, in the office, or even in hotels, catering to both locals and foreigners alike. Vida prioritises mental and sexual health, offering comprehensive counselling services for individuals of all ages and pioneering innovative therapies such as art therapy and hypnotherapy. Dr. Janice Boulton emphasises the importance of community engagement, stating, We actively participate in initiatives like creating awareness on sexual health and Mental Health Awareness Sessions in corporate settings and tailored programs for specific communities, fostering mental well-being and awareness. At Vida, sexual health is advocated, with offerings including STD testing, all while prioritizing and safeguarding patient privacy. Furthermore, Vida Medical Clinics newly introduced cosmetology services complement its existing offerings, providing patients with a holistic approach to their healthcare needs. With aesthetically pleasing interiors designed to promote healing and overall well-being, the clinic ensures a comfortable environment for patients. To enhance patient care further, Vida Medical Clinic offers personalised care packages structured by expert consultants, integrating diagnostics, treatment options, nutrition plans, and education into a single, holistic approach. Every patient receives a personal health record, regularly updated with health history and consultation details. As Sri Lanka grapples with challenges posed by an ageing population and rising non-communicable diseases, Vida Medical Clinic emphasises the importance of proactive measures through home, hotel, or office visits and check-ups for older patients. A standout service provided by Vida involves doctor visits, addressing a significant gap and need for geriatric care, and ensuring high-quality medical assistance for patients who face challenges visiting hospitals due to advanced age and other circumstances. Vida harnesses its social media platform to produce informative and awareness-driven medical videos, featuring qualified medical professionals, ensuring credibility and imparting valuable knowledge to the audience. For more information about Vida Medical Clinic and its services, please visit vida.lk or call 0741200300 / 0112 576 576. HR Manager of Vida Medical, Oshadhi Ovitigama along with the staff Photo caption From left to right Medical Director Dr. Chandana Galappaththi, Managing Director Devin Ambalangodage and Head of Clinical Operations Dr. Janice Boulton

High court imposes Rs 1L cost on Haryana for Ambala Cantt land survey delay

Haryana govt fined by High Court for delays in Ambala survey identifying GLR/old grant violations. Concerns over financial drain and new encroachments. Estate officer hires consultancy for the survey.

In memory of policeman, martyred during militancy, Sardar Patel library inaugurated in Ambala

Khajani Devi inaugurated Sardar Patel Police Library in memory of HC Tara Chand, martyr by Ministry of Home Affairs. DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, IGP Sibas Kabiraj, SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa attended. Sacrificed on April 12, 1989.

A hollow rupee: the high cost of mandatory currency conversions on Sri Lankas ability to earn foreign exchange

Politics and economics are concepts that are fundamentally intertwined. Yet the unprecedented economic crisis of 2022 highlighted the complex challenges of aligning short-term political goals with long-term economic strategies. While the sharp appreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee in recent months has been roundly welcomed by most sectors of society as a positive signal, this optimism overlooks the nuanced factors influencing our currencys strength and the medium-long-term challenges that could arise from volatile fluctuations in the price of the rupee. While a stronger rupee certainly promises cheaper imports of essentials like petroleum, electricity, food medicine and other essentials in the short term, as a nation that is surviving on borrowed time and foreign currency, we cannot afford to ignore the other side of the equation exports. Dynamism at a time of unprecedented volatility Already, Sri Lankas manufacturing and services sector exports have underperformed in the first quarter of 2024. The tentative recovery that we have seen in the first quarter also needs to be considered relative to the major setbacks of 2023 and 2022, which left no industry undisturbed. While the tourism and exports sectors were the most adversely affected, they persevered and found strategies to deal with the dual impact of local and global challenges. The economy was stripped of foreign reserves for the purchase of raw materials and external pressures caused serious buyer dissatisfaction and changing priorities of customers. These impediments were compounded by post-Covid recessionary effects on world markets, the Ukraine-Russia war and fluctuating world petroleum prices, which in turn, resulted in reduced orders for Asian manufacturers and as the data shows Sri Lankan manufacturers in particular. The war in the Middle East now presents new challenges both in market sentiment and costs of moving goods from East to West. Wedged between these challenges, the export industries in Sri Lanka, with apparel leading the charge, rallied their industries and met these challenges head-on. Sri Lankan exporters were flexible and drove product diversification while simultaneously exploring new markets. Manufacturers sought quality through innovation, value addition and sustainable manufacture, instead of depending only on traditional markets. Moreover, export manufacturers including the apparel sector, have actively contributed to and aided the government in garnering the support required locally and internationally for the negotiations of Free Trade Agreements, especially in emerging markets such as India and China. Parallel to these developments the Rupee has been buoyed by improved worker remittances and a booming tourism sector. However, it must be reiterated that this boom which has contributed to an appreciated Rupee has been artificially sustained by policies such as the mandatory conversion of export proceeds. Initially implemented in 2021 as a temporary measure to stabilize our economy, the policys continued enforcement is now undermining the very competitiveness of Sri Lankas exports. If Sri Lanka is to sustain long-term economic success the role of goods exports cannot be understated nor dismissed. A period of painful readjustment The Government of Sri Lanka, steering the country amidst the worst economic crisis the island had faced since independence, put in place a mandatory foreign exchange conversion policy. This required that all export proceeds once received can only be retained in USD for specified payments as identified in Gazette No.2251/42, while the remaining foreign exchange in earnings must be converted into Sri Lanka Rupees by the 7 th of the following month. The purpose of the policy was to conserve the rapidly dwindling foreign exchange reserves. In fact, even before the policy was implemented, at the peak of the crisis the apparel sector supported the country with the provision of foreign exchange to meet urgent payments that had to be made for the supply of fuel and medicines. In a time of grave national need when the tourism sector and remittances collapsed no one can accuse the export industries and the apparel sector in particular of failing to rise and serve the national interest. The issue with the aforementioned gazette is that the mandatory conversion policy especially affected export industries like apparel, which brings in over half of all export revenue into the country. Despite the harshest challenges, the apparel industry withstood the turbulence and managed to bring in revenue and much-needed foreign exchange of up to USD 5.9 billion in 2022. The impact of the policy and other geopolitical occurrences were felt in 2023 when apparel earned USD 4.5 billion in 2023, which saw a dip in nearly 20 percent in earnings, as the post-Covid bubble burst and global apparel imports slumped. Yohan Lawrence, Secretary General of the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), explained. Except for the most unviable and loss-making locations, the apparel industry worked tirelessly to retain most of its 350,000-strong employee base and continued to meet its sustainability and compliance targets with stoic resilience. Gradually there was light at the end of the tunnel with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) striking an agreement for a bailout in 2022. With it came a battery of reforms aimed at weeding out corruption and establishing standards for greater structural and systemic efficiency in the economy. Rising calls for exports-led growth clash with a stronger rupee Aided by multilateral and bilateral grants and loans, the Government committed to floating the Rupee in 2022, which thereafter reflected more accurately the exchange rate and reduced its artificially inflated value. This made exports competitive and Sri Lanka apparel began to regain traditional and new buyers. This in turn helped us to maintain our hard fought position as one of the worlds top 10 apparel sourcing destinations, holding 1 2% of the global apparel market share. In that regard, President Wickremesinghe himself lauded the Board of Investment, approved export manufacturers efforts and reiterated the need for an exports-led economic recovery. He stressed that the Government was garnering support for a favourable agreement on repayment of Sri Lankas external debt and working out a more comprehensive and efficient policy framework to encourage foreign direct investments into the country. He reiterated that the export industries would always be critical for the countrys economic prosperity. Particularly in view of the recovery of the tourism earnings and sharp improvements in worker remittances, that have already at pre-COVID levels. State Finance Minister, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, recently declared that Sri Lankas foreign reserves could hit the USD 5 billion mark by mid-year. In such a backdrop, it is clear that the mandatory conversion policy which was introduced as short term crisis measure is no longer required and policy makers are urged to withdrawn it and allow level playing field in terms of timing of conversions based on commercial needs which will allow currency market to operate at optimum equilibrium based on market forces of both import and exports. The export industries sustainability remains threatened among geopolitical and other external shocks and challenges. The World Bank predicts the country will grow at 2.4% this year. The export sectors expansion is critical to meet the predicted growth targets. External shocks and geopolitical phenomena may be beyond their control however, the Government is within reach of stemming the challenges faced by the export industries by removing the mandatory conversion policy, Lawrence contends. This will give export industries a breathing space to gain, even marginally, some benefit from their labour and efforts, even as the Rupee continues to appreciate and reduce price competitiveness of our exports in the global markets, he reiterates. The impact of uncompetitive exports will be felt with a 9-month lag There is speculation by monetary experts that the Rupee, presently appreciating amidst a controlled float and with the ban in place on the import of vehicles for personal use, and the suspension of payment of foreign debt, will soar when these variables change. Experts forecast that the Rupee will likely settle at LKR 310 320 by the end of the year. In the interim, the Rupees gain against harder currencies is already reducing the competitiveness of Sri Lankas exports. The impact of these dynamics will be felt in terms of reduced export revenue, within approximately nine months which is the typical lead time on apparel orders. This will ultimately be a difficult precipice from which to build back Sri Lankas most lucrative industries. Continued reductions in export earnings could also see the real danger of exporters being forced to shed their workforce to stay competitive, agile, and cost-effective. The apparel industry presently employs over 15 per cent of the countrys skilled workforce. Retraining and re-skilling new workers in the future will debilitate Sri Lankas economy and disrupt its industrial output. The only way to stem these devastating projections is to create a more conducive policy framework within which to operate for the long-term benefit of the country and to ensure its prosperity. The export industries, led by the Joint Apparel Association Forum, the Exporters Association of Sri Lanka, the National Chamber of Exporters, the Tea Exporters Association and the Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products, have already appealed to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Government to remove the mandatory conversion policy to enable stronger growth of export revenue into the country. The plight of export manufacturers will impact the larger players in the export sector, but will severely diminish the micro, small and medium exporters upon which many are dependent in Sri Lanka. Exporters recognize the Central Banks positive move to meet their request to remove restrictions on the movement of foreign exchange between commercial banks. The export sector has weathered turbulent times and continues to reinvent itself to convert to lean manufacturing, diversify its offerings and to actively pursue new markets. However, for fair trade to persist and to enable these critical industries to continue to trade with the world and to retain their profitability, fiscal common sense and timely policy support through the immediate removal of the mandatory conversion of export proceeds is urgently required.

Chennai nurse who self-delivered her baby at home arrested for murder

CHENNAI: A nurse who self-delivered her child at a house on Tuesday in T Nagar was arrested on charges of murder on Saturday. The woman allegedly chopped off the childs legs during delivery and claimed that the child was stillborn. Initially, Mambalam police registered a case under sections 315 (act done with intent to prevent child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender). Following the postmortem of the childs body, the case was altered to murder. Police identified the woman as W Vinisha of Kanniyakumari. She was employed as a nurse at a private hospital in Kodambakkam and residing at the quarters for hospital employees in T Nagar. The woman was in a relationship with a 29-year-old software company employee until a few months ago. Vinisha found out that she was pregnant late, and by then abortion was not advisable, a police officer said. Early Tuesday morning, she delivered the child in the washroom of her house. During the delivery, she chopped off one of the childs limbs and tried in vain to dispose it in the commode. Her roommate later found the corpse on the bathroom floor. Vinisha and the infants body were subsequently taken to a hospital. She had not even informed her colleagues that she was pregnant, he added. After the case was altered to murder on Saturday, Vinisha was remanded to judicial custody.

Two drown, one missing in sea off Kanniyakumari coast

KANNIYAKUMARI: Two persons drowned in the sea at Kodimunai near Colachel here on Sunday after they were washed away by strong waves off the Kanniyakumari coast. According to marine police sources, the deceased have been identified as T Vesis (55) of Choolaimedu and J Manojkumar (25) of Villivakkam, who had arrived in Kodimunai as part of a spiritual tour. Soon after the duo, who were standing on a rock, was swept away by giant waves, fishermen of the region dived into the sea to rescue them. Though the individuals were rushed to a nearby hospital, they were declared brought dead, and the bodies were sent to Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem, sources said. In a similar incident at Thengapattinam, a man and his daughter, who were playing in the seashore, were swept away by freak waves on Sunday. While the father, identified as Premadhas of Vilunthayamambalam, was rescued later, the girl went missing and a search is under way by the marine police to trace her, sources added. It may be noted that District Collector PN Sridhar, in a press release on Saturday, had warned of winds gusting up to 65 km and waves rising to 1.5 m height in the coastal areas of Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu on Sunday. He had further instructed people not to take baths in sea, cautioned fishermen against venturing into the sea, and asked residents of low-lying coastal regions to stay alert.

Rajput community holds gathering in Ambala, resolve not to vote BJP

The Rajput community of Haryana has distanced themselves from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after a gathering, following the footsteps of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh by announcing not to vote for BJP. The Kshatriya Swabhiman Mahapanchayat was organized in Shahzadpur town of Ambala district on Sunday to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap Singh.

Nurse held for self-delivering and killing her baby

The Mambalam police registered a case against the nurse under two Sections of the Indian Penal Code

Voters Seeking Transport to Villages Ride Horses

Visakhapatnam: As a mark of unique protest, voters of several hilltop villages, including Madrebu, Tuniseebu, Jeenapadu and Dayethi of Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Seetharama Raju district, rode horses for four kilometres on Sunday seeking transport facilities to their hamlets. PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Adivasi Girijana Sangham organised the protest, wherein the riders wore headgear decorated with bi-lobed Bauhinia vahlii leaves while riding their horses. The protesters warned that they would boycott voting on May 13 unless the government addresses their transportation needs. There are 45 PVTG Kundu tribal families residing in Peddakota and Madrebu hilltop villages with 70 votes. As the villages have no roads, voters travel 30 kilometres on horseback to the polling booth in Peddakota panchayat to cast their votes. Likewise, PVTG voters of road-less Dayerthi village ride horses for about 30 kilometres to the Jeenabadu panchayat polling booth. Same is the case with tribal voters who travel 18 kilometres on horses to Velamamidi polling booth. For us, horses are cargo buses to transport agricultural produce to local markets for sale. Additionally, we use horses as ambulances to take patients or full-term pregnant women to health centres, said Kondambala Narsing Rao, secretary of girijana sangham. We have organised this protest as the government seems to have turned a blind eye to our demand for roads and transport facilities to our villages, said Kondatamri Dasu, a resident of one of the hilltop villages.

Gurgaon Lok Sabha Seat Witnessing Intense Battle Between Local and Outsider Candidates

Gurgaon Lok Sabha Seat Witnessing Intense Battle Between Local and Outsider Candidates The Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana is witnessing a local versus outsider contest after the Congress nominated actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar from the seat against sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh of the ruling BJP. In his campaign, Babbar highlights his Haryana connect to beat the 'outsider' jibe while Singh appeals to voters to again go for the ''tried and tested''. According to the Congress leader, his family had arrived in Ambala after the country's Partition. ''Mein bahari nahin hoon (I am not an outsider),'' the 71-year-old former MP says, adding that he has relatives in Gurugram and Faridabad too. Singh has been targeting Babbar, saying he is an 'outsider'. Babbar's candidature was announced by the Congress on April 30. Congress leader and former Haryana minister Ajay Singh Yadav was also a strong probable from the seat. Making a stop at Badshahpur under Gurgaon constituency while campaigning recently, Babbar appeals to people to vote for a change and elect him this time. ''Gurugram mein iss baar badlaav ki bari hai.'' ''Raj Babbar will create his place in the hearts of people,'' says the actor-politician, who began his campaign after a visit to the Sheetla Mata temple in Gurgaon last week. Targeting the BJP, Babbar says that despite generating a major chunk of revenue for Haryana, Gurugram city does not have proper civic infrastructure and the situation turns bad during the monsoon season. On the other hand, BJP's Rao Inderjit Singh (74), a five-time parliamentarian, of which he has served as Gurgaon MP on three occasions (2009-till present), pitches himself as a leader who is local and understands people's needs and aspirations. He is banking on the development works carried out in Gurugram during his tenure as MP as well as his local connect. During his campaign, Singh tells the people, ''Mein Gurgaon vasiyo ka parkha hua hoon (I am your tried and tested leader). I have always raised the voice of my constituents. The strength which you give me I use that for raising your voice.'' ''Gurgaon and India are progressing. We want to bring Narendra Modi as Prime Minister again and take our country on a path of progress,'' he says. Seeking reelection, Singh, son of former Haryana chief minister late Rao Birender Singh, highlights the works done during the past 10 years in Gurugram, saying these will be further accelerated. Two decades ago Gurgaon used to be a small town, but today it is contributing 70-75 per cent revenue to the state, Singh says. After Gurgaon parliamentary constituency was carved out in 2008 and first elections for the seat were held in 2009, it was for the first time that the Congress went with a candidate who does not belong to the Yadav community, which has a sizable presence in south Haryana. Singh, a prominent Ahir leader, who joined the BJP after switching over from the Congress in 2014, had represented Gurgaon in 2009 as Congress MP. Prior to this, Singh has also served as MP twice from Mahendragarh, which is Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency from 2009. Among the development works, Singh highlights the inauguration (by Prime Minister Narendra Modi) of the 19km-long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway that will cut travel time between Delhi and Gurgaon, inauguration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Rewari, and connecting old Gurgaon with metro, among others.

No coercive steps against Congress social media members: Telangana HC

HYDERABAD: Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Friday directed the state as well as Delhi police not to take any coercive steps against Manne Sathish, Asma Tasleem (Congress spokesperson), Ambala Shiva Kumar (TPCC state secretary), Pettam Naveen (advocate), Koya Geetha and Pendyala Vamshi Krishna (TPCC social media state secretaries) who are accused of sharing a doctored video clip of Home Minister Amit Shah. The court directed Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, and principal secretary (Home) and others, to file their response and adjourned the hearing for four weeks. The petitioners raised concerns over a case registered by the SHO, Special Cell, Delhi, on a complaint filed by one Shinku Sharan Singh, alleging morphing of and circulation of a video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah stating that reservations for STs, SCs and OBCs would be scrapped if the BJP retains power at the Centre. A similar case was registered by Hyderabad police on a complaint lodged by G Premender Reddy, BJP state general secretary. The petitioners also challenged the notices issued under Section 91/160 of CrPC by the Delhi police. Notice untenable as petitioners already named in similar case The petitioners, who are the members of the Congress holding various positions, asserted that they were law-abiding citizens without any criminal antecedents. Admitting their participation in election campaigns, they said they did not violate any norms prescribed by the Election Commission of India. Finding the notice issued by the SHO, Special Cell, Delhi, to be untenable, as the petitioners were already named accused in another similar case with same allegations, Justice Vijaysen Reddy granted interim relief to the petitioners, directing the respondents not to take any coercive steps against them. The court adjourned the matter for four weeks to allow the respondents to file their replies.

JJP MLA Sihag's Support for BJP's Chautala Reflects National Priority

JJP MLA Sihag's Support for BJP's Chautala Reflects National Priority JJP MLA Jogi Ram Sihag on Friday announced his support for Ranjit Singh Chautala, the BJP candidate from the Hisar seat in Haryana in the Lok Sabha elections, saying national interest is above party. Sihag also said he has been impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of taking the country on a path of development. Extending his support to Ranjit Singh Chautala, Sihag -- the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA from Barwala in Hisar district, said it was a ''collective decision'' taken with his supporters. ''It was not my decision alone. All present in the gathering decided that national interest is above all and party comes later,'' Sihag later told PTI over phone. ''Therefore, me and my supporters have decided to extend support to Chaudhary Ranjit Singh (Chautala),'' he said. Asked about defying his party, which has fielded Naina Chautala from the seat, Sihag said, ''As I said, the decision has been made keeping the country's interest in mind party comes later.'' He added that he and his supporters will campaign for Ranjit Singh Chautala. Speaking on Modi's ''vision'', Sihag said, ''The country is making rapid progress under Modi ji's leadership. Today, our country is looked at with great respect by other nations. This was not the scenario 10 years ago.'' Sihag's decision to support the BJP candidate, however, has not gone down well with the JJP leadership. Former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said strict action will be taken if any JJP member is seen under the symbol of a rival outfit. ''If anyone wishes, he can resign from the assembly and from the party. But this trick that they absolve themselves of responsibilities of their own party to support another party will not work,'' the JJP senior leader said in Ambala. ''He (Sihag) had won (the assembly polls) on a JJP symbol. If anyone indulges in such activities, then legal action permitted under election rules will be initiated,'' Dushyant Chautala added. Sihag had last month written to the JJP leadership and sought relief from all party posts, citing personal reasons. The JJP has faced several setbacks since its alliance with the saffron party in Haryana came to an end, with many leaders joining the BJP and the Congress. The JJP's Haryana unit chief Nishan Singh quit last month and joined the Congress. The BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana came to an end in March after the saffron party replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister with Nayab Singh Saini. Polling for Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25.

Amit Shah Doctored Video: X Reveals Origin Of Fake Video To Police

Four Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) membersShiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne, and Naveen Pettemwere being targeted by a Delhi Police squad stationed in Telangana.

Shah deepfake probe: Political leaders skip police summons

NEW DELHI: Not even a single member of any political party on Thursday appeared before Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police special cell in connection with the sharing of Union Home Minister Amit Shahs fake video, officials said. We have asked some of the leaders from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and one person from the Northeast. But no one turned-up for questioning on Thursday, a senior police officer said. The Delhi Police is likely to serve a second notice to the members of the Telangana Congress in connection with the uploading and sharing of the fake video of Shah. The four members of the Telangana Congress, who were supposed to appear before the office of the IFSO, did not come on Wednesday. We will again ask them to appear before the IO (investigating officer), as they did not come on Wednesday, an officer said. The summonses were issued to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and four Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) members, Shiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne and Naveen Pettem, under sections 91 and 160 of the CrPC. According to the police sources, if a person is served notice under section 160/91 of the CrPC, the person can either make a physical appearance before the IO or send a legal representative. According to police, about 22 people from various parties in Jharkhand, UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have been served notices in connection with the case On Wednesday, Reddys lawyer appeared before Delhi Police and asserted that his client had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video. Noida man held for sharing Yogi deepfake A man was arrested on Thursday by the Special Task Force of UP Police for allegedly posting an AI-generated deepfake video of CM Yogi Adityanath, officials said. The purported video was used to spread misleading information and anti-national narrative, the police said.

Kerala government to increase Plus-I seats

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet has decided to allow more batches in government and aided schools in different districts to address the shortage of Plus-I seats. As per the decision, seats will be increased by 30% at government schools in seven districts -- Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. The cabinet has also decided to bring in a 20% increase in Plus-I seats in aided schools in these districts. In addition, a 10% increase in seats will be allowed at aided schools that demand more batches. The marginal increase in new batches will be made without creating an additional financial burden for the government. It is learned that sanction would also be given for a 20% increase in seats at all government and aided schools in Kollam, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, in addition to Ambalappuzha and Cherhala taluks in Alappuzha district. There will be no increase in Plus-I seats in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts. The 77 higher secondary batches sanctioned on a temporary basis in 2022-23 and the 97 temporary batches in 2023-24 will continue, subject to clearance from the finance department. Sanctioning 178 additional batches would give the government a financial burden to the tune of about Rs 19 crore.

Cong promises IMT in Ambala

No Political Affiliation in Amit Shah's Alleged Fake Video Case as No Witnesses Appear

No Political Affiliation in Amit Shah's Alleged Fake Video Case as No Witnesses Appear Not even a single member of any political party on Thursday appeared before Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the special cell of the Delhi Police in connection with the sharing of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's fake video, the officials said. ''We have asked some of the leaders from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and one person from the Northeast. But no one turned-up for questioning on Thursday,'' a senior police officer said. The Delhi Police is likely to serve a second notice to the members of the Telangana Congress in connection with the uploading and sharing of the fake video of Shah. The four members of the Telangana Congress, who were supposed to appear before the office of the (IFSO), did not come on Wednesday. ''We will again ask them to appear before the IO (investigating officer), as they did not come on Wednesday,'' an officer, privy to the investigation said. The summonses were issued to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and four Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) members -- Shiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne and Naveen Pettem -- under sections 91 and 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). According to the police sources, if a person is served notice under section 160/91 of the CrPC, the person can either make a physical appearance before the IO or send a legal representative. On Wednesday, Reddy's lawyer appeared before the IO and asserted that the Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Shah's speech. According to police, about 22 people from various political parties in the states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have been served notices in connection with the case and they have been asked to appear before the police on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The special cell of the Delhi Police had on Sunday registered an FIR after the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which is under the ministry of home affairs (MHA), filed a complaint about the doctored video of Shah where his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quota for Muslims on religious ground in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations.

Telangana Congress Members to be Re-summoned by Delhi Police in Amit Shah's Fake Video Case

Telangana Congress Members to be Re-summoned by Delhi Police in Amit Shah's Fake Video Case The Delhi Police is likely to serve a second notice to the members of the Telangana Congress in connection with the uploading and sharing a fake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the officials said on Thursday. The four members of the Telangana Congress, who were supposed to appear before the office of the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO), did not come on Wednesday. ''We will again ask them to appear before the IO (investigating officer), as they did not come on Wednesday,'' an officer, privy to the investigation said. The summonses were issued to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and four Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) members -- Shiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne and Naveen Pettem -- under sections 91 and 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). According to the police sources, if a person is served notice under section 160/91 of the CrPC, the person can either make a physical appearance before the IO or send a legal representative. On Wednesday, Reddy's lawyer appeared before the IO and asserted that the Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Shah's speech. According to police, about 22 people from various political parties in the states of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have been served notices in connection with the case and they have been asked to appear before the police on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police had on Sunday registered an FIR after the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which is under the ministry of home affairs (MHA), filed a complaint about the doctored video of Shah where his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quota for Muslims on religious ground in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations.

Fire Quelled at Ambala Ethanol Factory Without Casualties

Fire Quelled at Ambala Ethanol Factory Without Casualties A major fire broke out on Thursday in the boilers of an ethanol factory here and no one was injured in the incident, officials said. Fire Officer of Ambala Cantt Fire station, Pramod Kumar, said more than 10 fire tenders from Ambala Cantt, Ambala City, Naraingarh and Barwala in Panchkula were called to combat the blaze at the factory, which is located in Jatbar village near Naraingarh in this district. The fire was reported in the morning, Kumar said. The ethanol boilers had 2.5 lakh litres of oil, the officials said, adding that thick smoke blanketed the area following the incident. They said the cause of the fire is not known yet. The matter will be investigated and the fire extinguishing arrangements of the factory will also be examined, the officials said.

Revanth did not share Amit Shah's doctored video, says Lawyer

New Delhi: Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy's lawyer on Wednesday appeared before the Delhi police and asserted that the Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Union home minister Amit Shah's speech. Meanwhile, at a rally in Telangana, Mr Reddy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah of adopting a vengeful attitude against him for questioning the BJP over its stand on reservations. The Delhi police had issued summons against Mr Reddy and four members of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, namely Shiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne and Naveen Pettem, under Sections 91 and 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for allegedly posting the deepfake video of Mr Shah on X. Mr Reddy's lawyer, in reply to the Delhi police, said his client does not operate the X handle @INCTelangana and as such is unable to provide the information sought by you. He also said that the Delhi police notice appears to be misdirected and requested that they withdraw it immediately. Your attribution that 'video tweeted or retweeted by you on your X handle' is preconceived and incorrect. It is categorically stated that my client has nothing to do with the creation, uploading, tweeting or retweeting of the alleged video, reads the lawyer's reply. The lawyer further said that Mr Reddy's X handle is @revanth_anumula and o tweet or retweet of the alleged video has been made from his handle. Further, the official handle of the chief minister of Telangana on X is @TelanganaCMO. It is stated that, in view of the above facts, your notice appears to be misdirected and based on incorrect information. You are thus requested to withdraw the captioned notice immediately, it said. Meanwhile, according to sources, the Delhi police is close to identifying the creator of the deepfake video. However, before reaching out to the suspect, they have to verify with others who uploaded or forwarded it. The police are still awaiting the response from those who were summoned on Wednesday. A dozen more people are expected to appear in the coming days. Some people from Uttar Pradesh are expected to be questioned on Thursday, another police source said. The Delhi police has not received any reply from the social media platform X regarding reports on those IDs that shared the doctored video of Mr Shah. Notices have also been served to five more people from different Opposition parties for allegedly sharing the video. The Delhi police has also summoned Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur on May 2 in connection with the probe. I received the notice from the Delhi police on Tuesday. But, it is beyond my understanding why the notice was served to me. This is nothing but anarchy, Mr Thakur said. Addressing an election rally in Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency of Hyderabad, Mr Reddy said a case has been registered against him in Delhi based on the complaint of the Union home ministry. I questioned the BJP. When I did that, Mr Modi and Mr Shah resorted to a vengeful attitude and registered a case against me in Delhi, he said. Reacting to the case registered against him, the Telangana CM said, You (Mr Modi) come to my state and threaten the CM, but people of Telangana are not too innocent... They won't be scared... Khabardar (be mindful) PM Ji! You may think that you can threaten me by coming to Telangana. This is my place. This is my territory. You threaten me on my soil? The special cell of the Delhi police had on Sunday registered an FIR after the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Union home ministry, filed a complaint about the doctored video of Mr Shah, in which his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quotas for Muslims on religious grounds in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating the scrapping of all reservations.

Telangana CM Revanth's Lawyer Denies Involvement in Doctored Video of Amit Shah

New Delhi: Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy's lawyer on Wednesday appeared before the Delhi police and asserted that the Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Union home minister Amit Shah's speech. Meanwhile, at a rally in Telangana, Mr Reddy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah of adopting a vengeful attitude against him for questioning the BJP over its stand on reservations. The Delhi police had issued summons against Mr Reddy and four members of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, namely Shiva Kumar Ambala, Asma Tasleem, Satish Manne and Naveen Pettem, under Sections 91 and 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for allegedly posting the deepfake video of Mr Shah on X. Mr Reddy's lawyer, in reply to the Delhi police, said his client does not operate the X handle @INCTelangana and as such is unable to provide the information sought by you. He also said that the Delhi police notice appears to be misdirected and requested that they withdraw it immediately. Your attribution that 'video tweeted or retweeted by you on your X handle' is preconceived and incorrect. It is categorically stated that my client has nothing to do with the creation, uploading, tweeting or retweeting of the alleged video, reads the lawyer's reply. The lawyer further said that Mr Reddy's X handle is @revanth_anumula and o tweet or retweet of the alleged video has been made from his handle. Further, the official handle of the chief minister of Telangana on X is @TelanganaCMO. It is stated that, in view of the above facts, your notice appears to be misdirected and based on incorrect information. You are thus requested to withdraw the captioned notice immediately, it said. Meanwhile, according to sources, the Delhi police is close to identifying the creator of the deepfake video. However, before reaching out to the suspect, they have to verify with others who uploaded or forwarded it. The police are still awaiting the response from those who were summoned on Wednesday. A dozen more people are expected to appear in the coming days. Some people from Uttar Pradesh are expected to be questioned on Thursday, another police source said. The Delhi police has not received any reply from the social media platform X regarding reports on those IDs that shared the doctored video of Mr Shah. Notices have also been served to five more people from different Opposition parties for allegedly sharing the video. The Delhi police has also summoned Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur on May 2 in connection with the probe. I received the notice from the Delhi police on Tuesday. But, it is beyond my understanding why the notice was served to me. This is nothing but anarchy, Mr Thakur said. Addressing an election rally in Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency of Hyderabad, Mr Reddy said a case has been registered against him in Delhi based on the complaint of the Union home ministry. I questioned the BJP. When I did that, Mr Modi and Mr Shah resorted to a vengeful attitude and registered a case against me in Delhi, he said. Reacting to the case registered against him, the Telangana CM said, You (Mr Modi) come to my state and threaten the CM, but people of Telangana are not too innocent... They won't be scared... Khabardar (be mindful) PM Ji! You may think that you can threaten me by coming to Telangana. This is my place. This is my territory. You threaten me on my soil? The special cell of the Delhi police had on Sunday registered an FIR after the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Union home ministry, filed a complaint about the doctored video of Mr Shah, in which his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quotas for Muslims on religious grounds in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating the scrapping of all reservations.

Haryana: BJP, Congress, and INLD Candidates File Nominations for Lok Sabha Elections

Haryana: BJP, Congress, and INLD Candidates File Nominations for Lok Sabha Elections BJP candidate Ranjit Singh Chautala, Congress' Kumari Selja and INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala were among the prominent candidates who filed their nomination papers on Wednesday for the May 25 Lok Sabha polls for the ten seats in Haryana. Haryana Minister Ranjit Chautala, who resigned as an Independent MLA and joined the BJP last month, is contesting from Hisar. Congress general secretary and former Union minister Selja is contesting from the Sirsa (reserve) seat while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala has entered the fray from the Kurukshetra seat. Among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday include BJP's Banto Kataria from Ambala (reserve) and Congress' Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat seats. Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja, who is contesting against former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, filed his nomination from Karnal. Ranjit Chautala was accompanied by former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while Selja was accompanied by senior Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Birender Singh and Kiran Choudhary. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accompanied Banto Kataria, wife of former Union minister late Rattan Lal Kataria. Rattan Lal Kataria, who passed away last year, was the BJP MP from Ambala (reserve) constituency. Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan accompanied Brahmachari in Sonipat and Budhiraja in Karnal. In Kurukshetra, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal was present when Abhay Chautala filed his nomination papers while Jannayak Janta Party's (JJP) Rahul Yadav Fazilpuriya filed his nomination papers from the Gurugram seat. Addressing a gathering in Ambala before Banto Kataria filed her nomination, Chief Minister Saini said the BJP will win all the 10 seats in Haryana with a big mandate. He said the ''double-engine'' government has carried out development in all spheres. He appealed to voters of Ambala to send Banto Kataria to the Lok Sabha with a victory margin of more than five lakh votes. In Hisar, Khattar said that the BJP-led government will return to power at the Centre, saying people have seen six decades of the Congress rule versus the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi dispensation during the past ten years. Addressing a gathering in Kurukshetra, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal appealed to voters to make Abhay Chautala victorious. ''INLD and SAD are like two brothers. Both are parties of farmers, labourers and the poor. The relations between the two parties are not political, but heart-to-heart,'' he said. In his address, Abhay said that falsehood is being spread on social media that if he wins from Kurukshetra, he will shake hands with the BJP. ''I want to make it clear that such a question does not arise. I will neither go with the BJP nor the Congress,'' he said. He also alleged that the national parties want to finish regional parties like SAD and INLD. In Sirsa, Congress' Selja said these polls are to save democracy in the country. She also said the country cannot be divided on lines of caste and religion. In Sonipat, Hooda claimed the people of Haryana have decided to bring the Congress to power in the Assembly polls later this year. The nomination process for the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, for which polling will be held on May 25, began on Monday. The deadline for filing nominations is May 6. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on May 7, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until May 9.

Haryana: Key Candidates File Nominations for Lok Sabha Elections

Haryana: Key Candidates File Nominations for Lok Sabha Elections BJP candidate Ranjit Singh Chautala, Congress' Kumari Selja and INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala were among the prominent candidates who filed their nomination papers on Wednesday for the May 25 Lok Sabha polls. Ranjit Chautala, who joined the BJP last month, is contesting from Hisar. Congress general secretary and former Union minister Selja is contesting from the Sirsa (reserve) seat while Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala has entered the fray from the Kurukshetra seat. Among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday include BJP's Banto Kataria from Ambala (reserve) and Congress' Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat seats. Ranjit Chautala was accompanied by former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while Selja was accompanied by senior Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Birender Singh and Kiran Choudhary. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accompanied Banto Kataria, wife of former Union minister late Rattan Lal Kataria. Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan accompanied Brahmachari in Sonipat. In Kurukshetra, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal was present when Abhay Chautala filed his nomination papers. Jannayak Janta Party's (JJP) Rahul Yadav Fazilpuriya filed his nomination papers from the Gurugram seat. The nomination process for the ten Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, for which polling will be held on May 25, began on Monday. The deadline for filing nominations is May 6. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on May 7, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until May 9.

Chennai residents lose sleep over sporadic power cuts

CHENNAI: With increasing temperatures and surging power demand, several localities in Chennai have been witnessing sporadic power cuts, voltage fluctuations, and short circuits, even during nights. Residents of Velachery, Medavakkam, Taramani, and nearby areas have complained of such disruptions, making their nights miserable. K Subbaraman (70), a resident of Medavakkam, told TNIE, We have been facing frequent power cuts for the past couple of weeks. There have been times when power went off once in 30 minutes during night. On Sunday, there was no power from 11 pm to 1 am. It was a sleepless night for most of the residents. He alleged that people in the neighbourhood tried to contact Minnagam, a centralised consumer care centre for Tangedco, but no help came through. Velachery resident S Shanthi (33) said power outages have become unpredictable. We are unable to use our borewell pump. Home appliances, including air conditioners and TV sets, are at the risk of becoming faulty due to low voltage, she added. TNIE also received similar complaints from a few other parts of the city such as Purasaiwakkam, West Mambalam, Mylapore and nearby areas. According to Tangedco sources, the power grid is strained due to surge in electricity consumption. The rise in purchase of air conditioners and other high-voltage appliances increases the load, causing voltage fluctuation. A senior official told TNIE, With the growing population and industrialisation, power demand has been increasing every year. On normal days, Chennais power demand stands between 2,700 MW and 3,000 MW. During summer, the situation will be different. The power demand, which touched an all-time high of 4,300 MW on June 16, 2023, rose to 4,335 MW on April 24 this year. The official, however, said the power utility is supplying electricity without any major issues round the clock. According to him, a key issue is that Tangedco is unable to manage the overload, resulting in transformer failures at a few places. Gradually, we are improving the infrastructure, including transformers, electricity poles, and the like, under the union governments Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). Residents can contact Minnagam at 9498794987 for power cut issues, he said.

At 62, Molly Joy's wanderlust defies a lifetime of hardship

KOCHI: Molly Joy is a born traveller. The bug bit her when she was 50. Her early years were in poverty, and she was one of the bread winners in the family even from age 10. Now, the 62-year-old is a veteran having visited 16 countries. Her last jaunt was to Russia in 2023, and wishes to launch herself on a sojourn again once she puts together enough money or some magnanimous sponsor chooses to help her. Her life now is in stark contrast to her childhood at Chitrapuzha near Ambalamukal in Trippunithura. My father was a stone masonandI was the eldest in the family. Things at home were such that there were days when I went without getting even a mouthful of rice. My fathers job was very irregular. He would work for a week and then remain idle for another. So, money was not coming inandthere were too many mouths to feed, says Molly. Her ordeal continued even after marriage, as her husband also did not get regular work being a stone mason. He passed away in 2004 making the going difficult for her and her two children. I then opened a vegetable store in a room adjacent to our house. The struggle continued till 2012 when her daughter and son settled into their respective lives. My daughter was married offandmy son got a job in the Gulf. With the children all settled, money became surplus Since.Soon, my son too married and I becameallalone in my house. It was then that travel came calling, and she got an invite to join a friend on a trip to Europe.I discussed it with my son.But I had only `1 lakh in my account.I was told thatto get thevisa,I would need around `1.5 lakh in my bank account. She was not one to be stopped. It was her long dream to board a plane and go on a tour, so she collected the money to get that visa stamped on her passport. That was the start. After visiting Europe, the travel bug bit me very hard, says Molly. In 2017,shevisited Singapore and Malaysia. In 2019, she went to London, the Netherlands, Poland and Belgium on a 15-day trip. I celebrated my 58th birthday at a hotel in London. The Covid stalled her trip during 2020, but she resumed it the very next year, this time to the land of dreams as she calls the US. The travel saga continued in 2022 when she went to Bangkok and Pattaya. This time, she had a buddy in Vlogger Arunima.The trip was sponsored by a tour operator, says Molly. Hungry for more travels, she embarked on a trip to Russia in 2023. The cost for the trip was around `2.5 lakh. Though the owner of Benny Tours and Travels, which had contacted for the trip, helped me, I had to arrange the rest of the funds. So I pawned my gold chain for `2 lakhand boarded the flight, she says. Russia did her well, not her finances. She loved the country, its climate and its envrions, but the trip set her back financially. Now, I can only think about the next trip after I have redeemed my gold chain or if someone sponsors me. The earnings from the shop are not as good as before. But determined as she is to travel, she hopes to tide over all these roadblocks soon. Travelling is now in my blood, she says like a true wanderlust.

BJPs Ambala candidate Banto Kataria visits Kalka

Kerala: UDF, LDF keep fingers crossed amid high turnout in Twenty20 stronghold

KOCHI: The Twenty20 influence on the electoral battle for the Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat a UDF citadel had already grabbed attention. Now, a dip in the turnout in six assembly segments and the high polling in Kunnathunadu, where the Kitex-backed outfit has a strong presence, has left both UDF and LDF concerned. According to the Election Commissions latest figures, Chalakudy registered a polling of 71.84%, around 9 percentage points lower than the 2019 figure of 80.4%. Interestingly, Kunnathunad registered the highest turnout, at 78.11%. The votes polled by Twenty20, which is trying its luck for the first time in the parliamentary polls, is now a huge point of discussion in the constituency. In the 2021 assembly polls, Twenty20 received 42,701 votes (27.56%) in Kunnathunad, which led to the defeat of the Congress candidate. As of now, Twenty20 controls four local bodies, Kizhakkambalam, Mazhuvannoor, Kunnathunad and Aikaranad, all under the Kunnathunad assembly segment. It also won for the first time two divisions -- Kolenchery and Vengola -- of Ernakulam district panchayat. While the UDF camp remains confident of victory, LDF is counting on the votes Twenty20 gains from UDF pockets. Twenty20 Chalakudy candidate Charly Paul expressed confidence of victory, pointing out that peoples anger against the shutdown of the food security market run by Twenty20 in Kizhakkambalam has reflected in the increase in polling in Kunnathunad. He also said three lakh people have become members of the party through their digital membership drive in the segment. We expect 80,000 to 1 lakh votes from Kunnathunad, he said. Twenty20 will get the votes of both UDF and LDF, Charly said. It is learnt a section of BJP workers also voted in our favour this time. After Kunnathunad, we will get a good number of votes from Perumbavoor, Angamaly and Aluva too, he said. At the same time, the other fronts have also exuded confidence of victory. UDF believes the Twenty20 votes will not affect its traditional vote bank in Kunnathunad. However, LDF expects victory with a slim margin of 20,000 to 25,000 votes. LDF Ernakulam district convener George Edapparathy said C Raveendranath will wrest the Chalakudy seat for the front.

Thiruvananthapuram: Majority of citys traffic islands in poor state of affairs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Majority of traffic islands in the capital city cut a sorry figure after the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL), the concessionaire of Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), annulled its contract more than six months ago. More than a dozen traffic islands in the heart of the capital city including at Kowdiar, Vellayambalam and LMS Junction, which used to have excellent landscapes, flowering plants and fruit trees have since dried up in the excruciating humid conditions or else have been invaded by weeds. TRDCL was entrusted with the development and maintenance of 48km road under Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) in 2007. The 15-years contract with the TRDCL gave the city dwellers a welcome sight at almost every traffic signal, intersections and also parks with lush flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees and roses. Every day during morning and evening, a contractor assigned by the TRDCL used to water the plants which came under the 48km stretch. But over the last several months, the landscaping, flowering trees and plants have almost dried up with nil maintenance. Despite the contract with the TRDCL expired more than six months ago, the KRBF has failed to address the issue. KRFB CEO M Ashok Kumar told TNIE that there had been a delay in preparing the estimate after the running contract had expired. By the time it was approved, the Model Code of Conduct came into being. Hence the call for tenders had to be temporarily postponed. The procedures need to be restarted after the model code of conduct is lifted, said Ashok Kumar. Out of the 48km stretch, only 33km fall under TRDCLs jurisdiction, with 15km left abandoned and poorly maintained. The neglect is most apparent in three specific stretches: from Kowdiar to VJT Hall (Kowdiar-Vellayambalam-Museum-LMS Junction-Palayam-Ayyankali Hall), MLA quarters to Chackai, and Shangkhumukham to Thiruvananthapuram airport. The authorities have no clue what to do about the project, and they are least concerned about it too. It has been nearly four months since the Kowdiar signal has ceased to function, said Anilkumar Pandala, former MD, TRDCL.

Kerala: Bird flu confirmed again in Kuttanad

ALAPPUZHA: Officials of the animal husbandry department (AHD) has confirmed bird flu cases at three places in the district, stirring up worry among residents. Bird flu was confirmed at ward 10 of Edathua panchayat, ward 4 of Thakazhi and ward 7 of Ambalappuzha North. Officials said the presence of the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus was detected in ducks and chicken. Two weeks ago, bird flu was confirmed at Edathua and Cheruthana panchayats. The animal husbandry department has culled more than 17,000 ducks since the virus was detected. Following mass bird deaths, AHD sent samples of the dead birds to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD), Bhopal, for analysis. The samples were tested positive for avian influenza on April 25, said an official. The officials further said that, as part of containment measures, culling of birds, including the those in the affected flocks of duck/chicken and domesticated birds, within the 1-km radius of the three hotspots, would be carried out on April 30. A preliminary assessment said that as many as 45, 631 birds, mostly ducks, would have to be culled, officials said. The Health Department has tightened preventive measures and urged people to maintain caution. Surveillance has been strengthened within a 10-km radius of the hotspots.

BJPs Ambala candidate faces farmers protest

Farmers have been holding protests against the BJP candidates during their Lok Sabha polls campaign to seek answers about their demands not being met

Farmers raise questions to BJP Ambala candidate, in villages police stop them from reaching campaign events

In Ambala, farmers questioned BJP's Kataria about flood response, Lakhimpur Kheri accused ticket. They demanded activists' release for train passage. Police blocked farmers from reaching campaign venues, affecting 1500 trains. No complaints filed for election code violations.

BJP's Ambala candidate faces farmers' protest

Farmers protest in Naggal village against Banto Kataria, questioning barricades at Shambhu border. Gurmeet Singh Majri leads protesters demanding legal guarantee on minimum support price. Aseem Goyal, Ambala City MLA, tries to pacify them.

Lack of infrastructure haunts Vizags only tribal hamlet

VISAKHAPATNAM : Nestled just 15 kilometres away from the bustling city limits of Visakhapatnam lies Sambhuvanipalem, the sole tribal hamlet in the region. Home to approximately 65 families and 300 to 350 Manne Dora tribals, this village finds itself amid the serene expanse of the Kambalakonda Wildfire Sanctuary reserved forest. Despite its proximity to urban areas, Sambhuvanipalem grapples with a host of challenges, especially in accessing fundamental infrastructure, even within a municipal jurisdiction. The village falls under Bheemili constituency and boasts good road connectivity, with a checkpost positioned three kilometres away to regulate public access. However, residents lament the absence of street lights along this vital stretch, making night time commutes perilous for pedestrians and motorists alike. Villagers also highlighted the dire need for an improved drainage system, citing the sight of open sewage flowing through the streets as a persistent health hazard. V Demudu, the village head, rued, We do not have culverts. The drainage system is very poor. The drainage water keeps flowing openly, causing diseases for both us and our livestock. Despite outward appearances of prosperity, the reality for Sambhuvanipalems inhabitants is starkly different. Employment opportunities are scarce, forcing many to rely on daily-wage work. We built our houses long ago by selling some of our lands, but we hardly have any employment sources, Demudu shared. The forest department offers work, such as forest watchers and employment at the Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Centre. Additionally, villagers cultivate cashew plantations to supplement their income, while during lean periods, they seek daily-wage labour elsewhere. After years of struggle, it should be noted that the village was finally provided with an RTC bus facility. This service aids children in commuting to schools and colleges and enables others to travel for work. Despite having an Anganwadi centre, a primary school, and a community hall, Sambhuvanipalem lacks a primary health centre (PHC). This void forces villagers to travel four to five kilometres for medical needs, exacerbating their plight. Emphasising this burden, the villagers expressed, Having a PHC in the village will benefit us so that we dont have to travel long distances for every minor health issue. Moreover, recent health trends are troubling. A surge in kidney problems residents and persistent virulent fevers have raised concerns about water quality. We have access to water supply all the time, but we have a feeling the causes of health problems have something to do with the quality of our drinking water, Demudu noted. The transfer of a Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) worker, tasked with village upkeep, has compounded their woes. He now only visits the region once a month, which the tribals say is insufficient to maintain cleanliness effectively. Another problem we have is that of erratic power supply. Once there is a power cut, it takes them hours to restore it, Demudu lamented. Political apathy further deepens residents disillusionment. Demanding tangible solutions over fleeting assurances, villagers said, No matter who the politician is or which party he is from, they only come to our village before elections and can never be seen again. We want someone who can solve our problems and not just give us assurances based on votes.

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

After phase one, PM is panicking: KC Venugopal after casting vote in Alappuzha

Alappuzha: Congress candidate KC Venugopal cast his vote today at a polling booth in the Alappuzha constituency in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Venugopal is in the electoral fray against Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate AM Ariff and Bharatiya Janata Party's Sobha Surendran from the Alappuzha seat in Kerala After casting his vote, Venugopal told ANI, I am confident that the people of Alleppey will stand with me. After phase one of the Lok Sabha elections, the PM is panicking. I thank the PM for bringing the Congress manifesto into the public domain in a big way. Our manifesto is for the people whereas BJP's is for Adani and Ambani. In Kerala, UDF will sweep all 20 seats. The way BJP and CPM attacked Rahul Gandhi, the people of Wayanad will show that they are with him. The land of backwaters, with its history of swinging in favour of both the majors, Congress and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), comprises seven assembly segments spread across Alappuzha and Kollam districts, namely, Aroor, Cherthala, Alappuzha, Ambalappuzha, Haripad, Kayamkulam and Karunagappally. Alappuzha is a stronghold of Congress, though this constituency has a communist legacy. Venugopal has a successful electoral history in Alappuzha, where he won the seat in the 2009 and 2014 general elections. Voting in all the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala is underway in the second phase. The results will be announced on June 4. Earlier, BJP-led NDA candidate from Thrissur Suresh Gopi cast his vote in Thrissur, Kerala in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 on Friday. After casting his vote, Gopi spoke about the significance of this election and the participation of the people in Kerala. You will see the people's hearts. The nation will see the participation of Kerala in the national development movement, sai Suresh Gopi, NDA candidate from Thrissur, after casting his vote. So the heart will bloom and Thrissur and such other constituencies in the states, Gopi said.

Haryana list out, Congress fields Selja, Deepender Hooda

CHANDIGARH: The Congress on Thursday announced candidates for eight of the nine Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Haryana, fielding former Union minister Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and youth leader Divyanshu Budhiraja, besides two sitting MLAs. The party has also fielded former MP Jai Prakash and leaders Satpal Brahmachari and Mahendra Pratap. Congress former Union minister Selja will contest from the Sirsa (reserved) seat and sitting MLAs Varun Choudhary and Rao Dan Singh from the Ambala (reserved) and the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seats, respectively. Deepender Hooda, son of former CM Bhupinder Hooda, will enter the fray from Rohtak. Jai Prakash has been fielded from Hisar, Divanshu Budhiraja from Karnal, Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat and Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad.

Kerala: Adoor Prakash accuses collector for failing to tackle issue of voter-duplication

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDFs Attingal candidate Adoor Prakash on Thursday reiterated his allegation of rampant duplication in the voters list, saying the district collector had failed to address the issue. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the vote in the state, Prakash said the High Court had directed electoral officials and the district collector to hand over all the details about duplication in the voters list to candidates. But officials have only provided partial details, he claimed. Prakash said numerous people were found to be having multiple votes and government officials were responsible for providing them with different voter ID cards. Action should be taken against such government officials, he said. He said the UDF has prepared the list of duplicate voters in each booth and it will be passed on to party workers and polling officials. Engaged in a tough triangular contest, Prakash on Thursday devoted time to attend marriages and took stock of preparations visiting election committee offices in the assembly segments. He also inaugurated a dental clinic in Kallambalam. Continuing with his one-on-one interactions, the UDF candidate visited the houses of some newlyweds, whose ceremonies he could not attend owing to the campaign. He also visited the houses of some people who had died recently and offered his condolences. UDF workers, meanwhile, engaged in door-to-door campaigning. Social media activity also picked up over the day. Prakash will cast his vote in Adoor in the morning before returning to his constituency.

Congress Announces Candidates for 8 Lok Sabha Seats in Haryana, Including Kumari Selja and Deepender Hooda

Congress Announces Candidates for 8 Lok Sabha Seats in Haryana, Including Kumari Selja and Deepender Hooda The Congress on Thursday night announced its candidates for eight of the nine Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Haryana, fielding former Union minister Kumari Selja from Sirsa and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda from Rohtak. Selja will take on her former colleague and BJP candidate Ashok Tanwar in the Sirsa-SC Lok Sabha constituency. Both Selja and Tanwar are former Haryana Congress chiefs, and a keen contest is on the cards for the seat. Selja has represented the Sirsa-SC constituency earlier as well. She is currently the Congress' general secretary and in-charge of the party's Uttarakhand affairs. Party sources said that 400 aspirants had applied for Congress tickets in the state. The party's Haryana youth wing president Divanshu Budhiraja has been fielded from the Karnal seat and will take on former state chief minister and BJP candidate Manohar Lal Khattar from the prestigious constituency. The Congress has fielded former MP Jai Prakash from the Hisar constituency, denying the ticket to Brijendra Singh, who represented the seat as a BJP MP and switched sides a few days ago. Brijendra Singh is the son of former Union minister Birender Singh, who also rejoined the Congress after being in the BJP for a decade. Deepender Hooda, son of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will take on Arvind Sharma of the BJP from the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat. Deepender Hooda has represented the Rohtak parliamentary constituency three times in the past. The Congress fielded Satpal Brahmachari from the Sonipat parliamentary constituency and Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad. Two sitting MLAs have also found place in the party's list -- Varun Choudhary from the Ambala-SC seat and former Haryana minister Rao Dan Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh. Varun Choudhary is the son of former state Congress chief Phool Chand Mullana. Former MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Shruti Choudhary, daughter of senior Congress leader and MLA Kiran Choudhary, did not feature in this list. The party nominated B S Hooda-loyalist Rao Dan Singh instead from the seat. The Congress is contesting nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. The Aam Aadmi Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, will contest the Kurukshetra seat. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the Gurugram constituency. Several loyalists of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh have found mention in the list. The Congress had come under attack from rival parties, including the ruling BJP, over the alleged delay in announcing the names of candidates for Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and some other rival outfit leaders had accused the Congress of running away from the contest for fear of defeat. Some rival leaders had also alleged that the Congress was not being able to come out with names of candidates due to infighting in its Haryana unit. The ruling BJP named its candidates for six Lok Sabha seats in Haryana on March 13, three days before general elections were announced. The party named its remaining four candidates for the state on March 24. Voting in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 25 and notification for the polls will be issued on April 29.

The Rolling Stones to Headline New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024, Opening the Festivities on Thursday

The Rolling Stones to Headline New Orleans Jazz Fest 2024, Opening the Festivities on Thursday It looks like the third time is the charm as the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival prepares, again, for The Rolling Stones to perform. The festival, which spans two weekends, opened on Thursday with dozens of acts playing daily on 14 stages spread throughout the historic Fair Grounds race course. The Stones play next Thursday, May 2, tickets for which have long been sold out. In 2019, festival organisers thought they had landed the legendary rock band, but the appearance was cancelled because lead singer Mick Jagger had heart surgery. They tried again in 2021, but a surge in COVID-19 cases ultimately forced the fest to cancel. Now, says festival producer Quint Davis, It's gonna be special. This will be the first time the Stones play Jazz Fest. Opening day acts include rock bands Widespread Panic and The Beach Boys, reggae artist Stephen Marley and jazz vocalist John Boutte. The talent is great, the weather is projected to be good and people's expectations are going to be met, Davis said. Blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 80s were forecast for opening day Thursday. Long lines of people were seen patiently waiting to buy big cups of iced tea, lemonade and coffee. Umbrellas, big hats and sunglasses were the accessories of the day. Similar weather was expected for the rest of the first weekend, which runs through Sunday and showcases performances by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, country megastar Chris Stapleton, R and B singer Fantasia, rock band Heart, Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw and The Cute Guys, jazz pianist Patrice Rushen, and blues and folk artist Ruthie Foster. Walter Agnew of Round Lake, New York, said attending the festival had been on his bucket list since he retired from working at a chemical plant in 2020. COVID canceled my trip then but I finally made it here for the 2022 festival and I came last year. This will be my third in a row, he said. Agnew said he's looking forward to Stapleton's performance on Saturday and Heart's on Sunday and of course The Rolling Stones next week but you really can't go wrong by any of the acts. I'm just amazed at how they're able to put all this entertainment together in one spot, he said. Of course it's going to be good. Ginger Schell, of New Orleans, is a regular Jazz Fest attendee. Asked why she continues to return, Schell said laughing, It's everything. It's the music. It's the food. It's the music! She said she and her family won't be able to see next week's performance by The Stones, noting the tickets were out of her budget. But we generally don't come for any one act in particular, she said. We just park our gear in a spot in front of the festival stage and wander throughout the grounds and look forward to being surprised.'' Anticipation for the Stones' performance is palpable, Davis said. All I'm hearing is How can I get a ticket?' he said of fans trying to see the marquee performance. Unfortunately for some, that day sold out in like a day-and-a-half after tickets went on sale. I think people have just waited so long for this. The Rolling Stones in October released Hackney Diamonds, their first album of original material since 2005 and their first without drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021. Though he hasn't seen a set list, Davis said fans can expect to hear a mix of greatest hits and new releases. No special guests are expected to perform with the Rolling Stones, but Davis said never say never. Just expect euphoria,'' he said laughing. ''I think maybe we're going to need some ambulances on site because people are going to spontaneously combust from the excitement. And, they're playing in a daylight event. They're gonna be able to make eye contact with the audience. That's going to create a really special bond. Acts on the festival's 14 stages usually play simultaneously beginning when gates open at 11 a.m. and continuing until the music ends at 7 p.m. But the other stages will shut down next week when the Stones take the stage. We didn't want to have 13 empty stages and no people in front of them when the Stones start singing favourites like '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' and Jumpin' Jack Flash,''' Davis said. Everyone who bought a ticket for that day primarily bought one to see The Stones. Davis said tickets for the festival's other days remain available and can be purchased online through their website. Much of Jazz Fest celebrates the Indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana but the music encompasses nearly every style imaginable: blues, R and B, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, contemporary and traditional jazz, country, bluegrass and everything in between. Colombia's rhythms, from music to dance and food, also will be highlighted this year as part of the festival's cultural exchange. Close to 200 Colombian artists are scheduled to participate, including headliners Bomba Estreo on Saturday, ChocQuibTown's lead singer Goyo in a guest appearance with local band F on Sunday, and salsa legends Grupo Niche closing the celebration on May 5. And don't forget the food. During the festival, food available on site includes crawfish bread, pecan catfish meuniere and catfish almondine, cochon de lait and turducken po-boys, boudin, crawfish touffe, jambalaya, crawfish Monica and shrimp and grits.

Four hurl petrol bomb at Ambedkar statue in TN; held

CUDDALORE: Four youth were arrested after the petrol bomb they allegedly hurled at an Ambedkar statue missed its target and exploded after falling into the compound of a panchayat office at Ambalavananpettai Colony in the district. The suspects have been identified as P Sathishkumar (29), G Krishnakumar (21), M Vijayaraj (22), and V Vetrivel (23) of Ambalavananpettai village and belonging to a caste Hindu community. Sources said the incident happened on Tuesday night when the youth were returning home after attending a temple festival. Police said all four were in a drunken state at the time. While returning from the temple they made the petrol bomb by filling petrol, taken from their bike, in a bottle they were carrying. Following an inquiry, the police filed cases against the accused under three sections of the Indian Penal Code, section 3, 4(a) of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908, and three sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said measures are being taken to remand the accused after court proceedings by Wednesday night. Superintendent of Police R Rajaram inspected the spot and deployed police personnel in the village as a precautionary measure. In response to the incident, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) cadre, led by Cuddalore Corporation Deputy Mayor P Thamaraiselvan, staged a protest near the Ambedkar statue and urged the authorities to invoke the Goondas Act against the suspects.

Chennai native booked for attempting to illegally courier 111 SIM cards to Cambodia

BENGALURU: A Chennai native who tried to send 111 sim cards stealthily to Cambodia by a private courier service without declaring its contents was booked by Kempegowda International Airport Police on Monday (April 22). According to the FIR copy, the individual Syed (37), is a native of West Mambalam in Chennai. He had used the Blue Dart Express service to send a parcel to Cambodia on February 2. While specifying the contents of the parcel, he had left out 111 sim cards that he had booked from India to Cambodia along with other items. The scanner through which parcels are scanned detected the presence of the sim cards. It was being internally debated for over two months on how to handle the issue. The authorities finally decided to approach the police and file a complaint. Syed has been booked under the Telecommunications Act and under IPC Sections 424 (fraudulent concealment) and 120 (criminal conspiracy).

National leaders campaign aggressively in Kerala on last day of electioneering

Thiruvananthapuram: With just hours left for the culmination of public campaigning, top leaders of political parties including union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi addressed a series of public meetings across Kerala on Thursday seeking support for their respective candidates. Amit Shah unleashed a frontal attack on the ruling LDF claiming that the communists were finished across the world and India. Congress is also facing a similar fate here. Modi will become the prime minister for the third time and free Kerala from the politics of violence, he said. BJP candidate Shobha Surendran is contesting from Alappuzha constituency against AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and sitting MP A M Arif of the CPM. Congress president Malikarjun Kharge campaigned for Shashi Tharoor, the UDF candidate in Thiruvananthapuram. Tharoor is caught in a triangular contest against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar of the BJP and former MP Pannyan Raveendran of the LDF. Kharge lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for spreading falsehoods about the party manifesto. We have spoken about caste census and economic survey to find out the socio-economic status of various communities. There is no mention of redistribution of wealth yet the BJP is spreading fake stories, he said. The Congress president accused Modi of inducting all corrupt leaders into the BJP fold. On the one hand, Modi talks about fighting corruption but takes in all the corrupt people. They have a washing machine which cleans all the corrupt once they join the BJP, he said. Priyanka campaigns in Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi led a massive roadshow in Wayanad in support of Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi. She addressed public meetings in Kambalakkad and Wandoor. The Congress leader assured the people that her party and the India Alliance would implement the promises made in their manifesto. Priyanka The state goes to polls in a single phase on April 26. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm on Friday in all 20 constituencies in the state. The Congress-led UDF received a massive mandate in 2019 winning 19 of the 20 seats. Later one of the MPs of the Kerala Congress became part of the LDF after his party Kerala Congress Mani decided to join the ruling front.

Four arrested for bid to hurl Molotov cocktail on Ambedkar statue in Cuddalore district

The petrol bomb however, landed on a dilapidated building next to the statue; police say a caste dispute in Ambalavananpettai, where the statue is located, led to the incident

Jammu Mail among 2 trains to remain cancelled today

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: Due to farmers protest, Jammu Mail from New Delhi to Katra was cancelled today while train number 14661 from Barmer to Jammu was short-terminated at Delhi. Besides, several other trains were diverted due to farmers protest on Ambala -Amritsar route. Official sources told the Excelsior that besides Jammu Mail from Katra to New Delhi, Kalka to Katra train shall also remain cancelled on April 23. Depending upon the situation, a few other Jammu bound trains [] The post Jammu Mail among 2 trains to remain cancelled today appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Bird flu detected in Kuttanad; situation under control, says Kerala

According to officials, there wereare reports of mass bird deaths from Muttar and Ambalapuzha North in Alappuzha district on Sunday

Travel tips: How do couples reach Manali? Know about places and activities that enhance romance

If you have recently got married and are planning to go on honeymoon, then visiting some places in India in this season is the best option. However, while planning your honeymoon, choose the place as per your time and budget. The couple has taken long holidays for the wedding, in such a situation, if you are not getting more days off from the office to go on honeymoon or are troubled by the burden of wedding expenses and the budget is also not high, then choose such places. Where you can enjoy more in less days, that too in budget. Hill stations of Himachal Pradesh will be perfect for going on honeymoon. Shimla and Manali are among the most popular hill stations of Himachal. You can go to Manali to spend loving time with your spouse in a peaceful environment away from too many crowds. Before going to Manali, couples should collect complete information about how they can travel to Manali from their city. How much will it cost to go to Manali, what and where can you go in Manali, and how couples can enjoy it, complete information will be available in this article. How much time is needed to visit Manali? Couples get many honeymoon offers in Manali for romance in the mountains. If you are going to Manali on honeymoon then leave at least 2 to 3 days. This time is best suited for romantic activities and admiring the beauty of Manali. Places to visit in Manali on honeymoon Many beautiful Manali honeymoon places provide a better experience to couples like the famous Rohtang Pass, Gulaba, Kothi, and Rafala Falls. Hidimba Devi Temple There is Hidimba Devi temple in Old Manali which is open for tourists from 8 am to 6 pm. It may take 1 to 2 hours to travel around. This pagoda-style temple has been made of wood. The view around it is worth seeing. Manu Temple, Maa Sharwari Temple, and Tibet Monastery are also located nearby. Jogini Falls Jogini Falls, located on Vashishtha Road, is at a distance of 2.8 km from Manali. This famous place of Devi Jogini village and Shaktipeeth gives a lovely experience to couples. Solang Valley Solang Valley is 14 km away from Manali, which takes 3 to 4 hours to reach. You can enjoy adventure sports from 9 am to 5 pm. One can do paragliding, skiing, parachuting, and horse riding here. This valley is one of the best places in India for paragliding. Bhrigu Lake It takes 2-3 hours to reach Bhrigu Lake, located in Kullu, 22 km from Manali. Maharishi Bhrigu had meditated here. From here couples can also go camping and see strawberry plantations on the way. Romantic activities for couples in Kullu Manali Apart from visiting the famous places of Manali, couples can also enjoy many romantic activities. Treehouse Kullu Manali Valley is surrounded by greenery, where couples can stay in tree houses during their honeymoon and spend time with each other in a serene and lush green area away from the crowd. You will find tree houses in Caten. Holding your partner's hand or falling into their arms while watching the sunrise or sunset from the mountains can be a very romantic experience. Manali also offers this kind of experience. How to reach Manali Air- If you are going to Manali by flight then Bhuntar is the nearest airport which is 50 km from Manali. From here you can take a taxi to Manali. Rail route- If you are going to Manali through railway transport then reach Joginder Nagar railway station from many major cities of the country. If there is no direct train from your city to Jogindernagar then reach Chandigarh and Ambala railway station. By Road- If you want to go to Manali by road, then the distance from Delhi to Manali is 532 km. One can reach Manali by taking a 16-hour night journey by bus. Apart from state transport buses, many private buses also leave for Manali from Delhi. You can also travel to Manali in your car. (PC: ISTOCK)

BJP will retain all 10 LS seats in Haryana: Party's Ambala candidate Banto Kataria

BJP will retain all 10 LS seats in Haryana: Party's Ambala candidate Banto Kataria It is her first Lok Sabha election but Banto Kataria, BJP candidate from Ambala and former Union minister Rattan Lal Kataria's wife, is confident that the work done by the party's ''double-engine'' government and her husband's legacy would ensure her victory. ''It will be '400 paar' this time. People have made up their mind to bring back (Narendra) Modi ji as the prime minister for the third time,'' Banto Kataria told PTI, referring to the BJP's target of winning over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. She said she tells voters in her constituency that in these 400-plus seats, one should be from Ambala. Haryana has benefitted a lot from the ''double-engine'' government. The speed of development projects and implementation of schemes has gained momentum in the state, the BJP candidate said. During the last 10 years, the country has made rapid progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, including in agriculture and infrastructure sectors, she added. ''The Modi government also took many steps towards women empowerment, which has remained a pivotal focus of the Centre,'' said Banto Kataria, citing the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament and various government schemes. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam provides for reserving one-third seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies for women. Over 10 crore LPG connections have been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, the BJP candidate said. The 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme, which was launched by Prime Minister Modi nine years ago from Panipat, has also yielded positive results in the state, she said. The 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme aims to prevent gender-based elimination of foetus and ensure the survival and protection of the girl child as well as her education. Banto Kataria said a lot of development took place in Ambala under former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Now, the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led government will take Haryana to new heights, she said. ''It is also a matter of happiness for the people of the Ambala region that for the first time after Haryana was carved out as a separate state, we have a chief minister from Ambala district,'' she said. ''Only in the BJP can an ordinary worker rise to the top,'' she said. Like the 2019 general elections, Banto Kataria claimed, the BJP will win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, which goes to polls on May 25. She said she has been campaigning in different parts of Ambala parliamentary constituency, including Panchkula and Yamunanagar, and has been getting a lot of support from the people. Banto Kataria acknowledges that the support she is getting is in part due to the legacy left behind by her husband. ''People loved Kataria ji a lot. He always used to tell people that the doors of his home are always open for everyone... he used to raise people's voice and issues connected to them in Parliament and was always concerned about the region's development,'' she said. She said her husband's dream was to make Ambala the number one city in north India. A lot of work has already been done in this direction. Ambala has good road and rail connectivity and industry can flourish here. The tourism sector also has a lot of potential, she added. Rattan Lal Kataria, who was the BJP's Dalit face in Haryana, represented Ambala in the Lok Sabha three times. After he passed away last year, the BJP fielded his wife as its candidate from the Ambala (reserved) constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rattan Lal Kataria defeated Congress veteran Kumari Selja by a margin of 3.42 lakh votes. Banto Kataria also targeted the Congress, dubbing it a ''divided house''. The party has not even announced its Ambala candidate yet, she said. Haryana Agriculture Minister and BJP MLA from Jagadhri in Yamunanagar Kanwar Pal, Transport Minister and Ambala City MLA Aseem Goel, and Ambala Cantt MLA Anil Vij have campaigned for Banto Kataria. Banto Kataria is pitted against INLD's Gurpreet Singh, a Sikh face.

JJP MLAs have spoken against Dushyant Chautala, he should look inwards: Haryana CM

JJP MLAs have spoken against Dushyant Chautala, he should look inwards: Haryana CM Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Sunday targeted former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, saying that JJP leader's own party MLAs have pointed fingers at him and he should look inwards. Saini made the remarks while talking to reporters after addressing a public gathering in Panchkula district in support of BJP candidate Banto Kataria from Ambala Lok Sabha seat. ''Dushyant Chautala should look inwards and see what they have done and have not done. The kind of things said by his own MLAs...who have spoken against him and not us. He should understand his MLAs who have said some things pertaining to corruption,'' he said. The chief minister was asked that top JJP leaders have been targeting the BJP government on various fronts in recent weeks. ''Our government works on the basis of transparency, be it (previous) Manohar Lal Khattar's government or now the one headed by me, there is no compromise on corruption. If any person is found involved in corruption, strict action will be taken,'' he asserted. When asked if the government will get JJP MLAs' allegations against Chautala probed, Saini said, ''If we get an application, we will definitely get things probed.'' In 2019, the JJP extended support to the BJP after the saffron party fell short of the majority mark in the assembly elections. The BJP-JJP alliance ended last month after which the JJP leadership said it would field its candidates on all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. The JJP on Tuesday announced names of five Lok Sabha poll candidates for Haryana. Former MP Ajay Singh Chautala and Dushyant Chautala had formed the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in December 2018 after a split in the INLD earlier that year following a feud in the Chautala family.

Farmer protest at Shambhu: 73 trains cancelled on Ambala-Amritsar route

Farmer protest at Shambhu trains cancelled on AmbalaAmritsar route

73 Trains On Ambala-Amritsar Route Cancelled As Farmers Protest Continues For 5th Day

As many as 73 trains on the Ambala-Amritsar route were cancelled on Sunday as farmers continued to squat on tracks at the Shambhu railway station in Punjab's Patiala district for the fifth day, officials said.

More bird deaths reported in Alappuzha

164 ducks of a farmer and 90 chickens of another have perished in recent days at Muttar and Ambalappuzha North. Samples will be sent to NIHSAD, Bhopal, on Monday for confirmation on bird flu

Congress to Announce Candidates for Haryana Lok Sabha Elections; Deepender Hooda Likely from Rohtak

Chandigarh: Congress is set to announce its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. A committee formed by the party has submitted its report to President Kharge, with Salman Khurshid and Deepak Bawariya suggesting nine names in their report. The Congress is contesting the elections in Haryana in collaboration with the Aam Aadmi Party under the India Alliance. The party currently holds nine seats, and it is speculated that Deepender Hooda might be the candidate from the Rohtak seat. Hooda's name has been a topic of discussion for this seat for a while now. According to sources, the party is also likely to field Kumari Shailaja from Sirsa, as her name has reportedly been finalized for this seat. Sources suggest that Raj Babbar may receive the ticket from the Gurugram seat. Rao Dan Singh, who is considered close to Bhupinder Singh Hooda, might be the candidate from Bhiwani Mahendragarh. Other potential candidates include Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat, Varun Mullana from Ambala, Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad, Brijendra Singh from Hisar, and Virendra Rathore from Karnal. Voting for all 10 seats in Haryana will be held in a single phase. The Election Commission has scheduled May 25 as the date for the sixth phase of voting in the state. In this phase, voting will take place in Lok Sabha constituencies such as Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Gurugram, and Faridabad. It is noteworthy that the Aam Aadmi Party has secured the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat, with Sushil Gupta as its candidate. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept all 10 seats in the 'Jat Land'. The BJP secured over 58 percent of the votes, while Congress received 28 percent, and the JJP got about 5 percent of the votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won seven seats, while Congress won the Rohtak seat under the leadership of Deepender Hooda. The Indian National Lok Dal of Haryana, led by Om Prakash Chautala, secured two seats, Sirsa and Hisar. Wedding Celebration Turns Tragic as Guest Killed by Stray Bullet Massive Fire Engulfs Warehouse in Ghaziabad's Khoda Area Horrific Incident in Amritsar: Man Allegedly Sets Pregnant Wife on Fire, Killing Her and Unborn Twins

54 Trains On Ambala-Amritsar Route Cancelled As Farmers Sit on Tracks At Shambhu

The protestors have been demanding the release of three farmers arrested by the Haryana Police during the ongoing stir

Teaser of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph's 'Guruvayoorambala Nadayil' unveiled

54 trains on Ambala-Amritsar route cancelled as farmers stir enters 4th day

trains on AmbalaAmritsar route cancelled as farmers stir enters th day

54 trains on Ambala-Amritsar route cancelled as farmers squat on tracks in Shambhu for 4th day

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the protest will continue until the three farmers are released. The SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands, including legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

54 Trains On Ambala-Amritsar Route Cancelled As Farmers Protest Continues For 4th Day

A total of 54 trains on the Ambala-Amritsar route were cancelled on Saturday as farmers squatted on tracks at the Shambhu railway station in Punjab's Patiala district for the fourth day, officials said.

54 Trains On Ambala-Amritsar Route Cancelled As Farmers Protest Continues

A total of 54 trains on the Ambala-Amritsar route were cancelled on Saturday as farmers squatted on tracks at the Shambhu railway station in Punjab's Patiala district for the fourth day, officials said.

Poll icons: 118-yr-old man, 117-yr-old woman oldest voters in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: At the age of 118 years, Dharamveer from Palwal district in Haryana has earned the distinction of being the oldest voter among the over 20 centenarians in the state. Haryana is gearing up for the polls in the sixth phase on May 25. Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana, Anurag Agarwal, said elderly and young voters, as well as those who have achieved milestones in various fields, have been selected as icons for district elections, with the aim of increasing voter turnout, a trend initiated during the last Lok Sabha elections. Apart from Dharamveer, who is the oldest voter, Balbir Kaur (Sirsa) 117, Bhagwani (Sonipat) 116, Lakkhishek (Panipat) 115, Chandro Kaur (Rohtak) and Rani (Fatehabad) both 112, and Antidevi (Kurukshetra), Sarjit Kaur, and Chobi Devi all 111. Similarly, Narayani (Rewari) is 110 years old, Fulla (Kaithal) 109, Chanderi Devi (Faridabad) 109, Ramdevi (Jind) 108, Hari (Nuh) 108, Meva Devi (Jhajjar), Gulzar Singh (Karnal), Shadkin and Shriram (Hisar), and Geena Devi (Charkhi Dadri) all 106. Additionally, Hardei (Bhiwani) is 103, and Phoolwati of Yamunanagar is 100 years old. Talking about the young achievers, Agarwal said that Palak, who won the gold medal in shooting at the Asian Games 2023, has been selected as the icon of Jhajjar. Adarsh Singh, who won the silver medal in shooting at the 19th Asian Games, is the icon of Faridabad. Suman Devi, who secured third place in the 19th Senior Para Powerlifting Championship, and Yashika, a player of the state team in the National School Games held in Bhopal, have been chosen as icons for Panipat. Similarly, Sarabjot Singh, who won the silver medal in shooting at the 19th Asian Games, is the icon of Ambala. Sonam Malik, who won the gold medal in the World Championship, represents Sonipat. Surinder Kaur, an Olympic hockey player, is the icon of Kurukshetra, and Muskan, who won first place in singing at the National Youth Festival, is the icon of Fatehabad. Achievers feted Elderly and young voters as well as those who have achieved milestones in various fields have been selected as icons for district elections, with the aim of increasing voter turnout, according to state poll office

SHRC seeks solution to rising road accident deaths on Kaimanam-Pravachambalam stretch of NH 66

Chautala clan clash set to spice up Haryana's Hisar turf

CHANDIGARH : It is a fight between the Chautala clan in Hisar, with bahus versus sasur in the Hisar Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming elections. The cousin sisters-in-law are pitted against each other and against their cousin father-in-law. On Thursday, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) declared Sunaina Chautala, wife of Ravi Chautala and granddaughter of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, as the partys candidate from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. She is all set to take on Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Naina Singh Chautala, a two-time MLA and mother of former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, and Ranjit Chautala of the BJP. Thus, a family feud is set to unfold openly in the electoral scene in Hisar. The Indian National Lok Dal on Thursday declared three candidates for the Lok Sabha elections: senior party leader Abhay Singh Chautala from Kurukshetra, Sunaina Chautala from Hisar, and Gurpreet Singh from the Ambala (reserved) seat. Sunaina, who is the general secretary of the womens wing of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), was announced as the partys candidate from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. Her husband, Ravi Chautala, is the cousin brother of INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala from the Ellenabad assembly seat and was also active in politics some time ago. Ravi Chautala is the son of Devi Lals eldest son, Pratap Chautala. Meanwhile, Naina Singh Chautala, a two-time MLA from the Badhra assembly segment and wife of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) supremo, as well as mother of Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, who is the grandson of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, is the JJP candidate. Abhay and Ajay are real brothers. Naina is the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala, and Ranjit Chautala is the brother of former CM Chautala, while Sunaina is the bhabhi of Naina. Naina is credited with holding statewide hari chunari chaupals to create political awareness among women. Both ladies are pitted against the BJP nominee, 78-year-old Ranjit Singh Chautala, who was an Independent MLA and cabinet minister in both the Khattar and Saini cabinets and joined the BJP last month after resigning as an MLA. Hisar Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 10 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Haryana. The total number of voters at the Hisar parliamentary seat is approximately 1,631,817, as per the 2019 Lok Sabha poll statistics. Voter turnout at the Hisar parliamentary seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election was 72.43%. In the 2019 polls, Brijendra Singh of the BJP emerged victorious in the Hisar constituency of Haryana, securing 603,289 votes. His closest competitor, Dushyant Chautala of the JNJP, received 289,221 votes. The total number of votes cast in Hisar was 1,181,878.

Guruvayoorambala Nadayil - Official Teaser

Watch the Official Teaser from Malayalam movie 'Guruvayoorambala Nadayil' starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Nikhila Vimal, Anaswara Rajan, Yogi Babu and Siju Sunny. 'Guruvayoorambala Nadayil' movie is directed by Vipin Das and produced by Supriya Menon, Mukesh R Mehta and C V Sarathy. To know more about 'Guruvayoorambala Nadayil' teaser watch the video. Check out the latest Malayalam teasers, new movie teasers, trending Malayalam movie teaser, and more at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.

Lok Sabha Election: It's 'bahus' versus 'sasur' in Haryana's Hisar

Chandigarh: It will stay with the Chatuala clan in Hisar, but not before a 'bahus' versus 'sasur' fight. Two cousin sister-in-laws from Haryana's one-time first family are pitted against each other and against the brother of their father-in-laws in their constituency. The situation came to pass after the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Thursday evening declared Sunaina Chautala, wife of Ravi Chautala, grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, as the party's candidate from Hisar. With this, she is all set to take on Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate and two-time MLA and mother of former deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Naina Singh Chautala and Ranjit Chautala of BJP. Thus a family feud is set to play out in the open in the electoral scene in Hisar. Along with Sunaina, the Indian National Lok Dal named three other candidates, senior party leader Abhay Singh Chautala from Kurukshetra, Sunaina Chautala from Hisar and Gurpreet Singh from the Ambala (reserved) seat. Sunaina is the general secretary of the women's wing of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). Her husband Ravi Chautala is cousin brother of the INLD MLA from Ellenabad assembly seat Abhay Singh Chautala. Brother puts spanner in JJP leaders reconciliation move Ravi Chautala is son of Devi Lal's eldest son Pratap Chautala. Naina is the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and Ranjit Chautala is the brother of former CM Chautala, while Sunaina is Naina's bhabhi . Naina is credited with holding statewide ' hari chunari chaupals ' to create political awareness among women. The BJP nominee 78-year old Ranjit Singh Chautala was till recently an independent MLA and cabinet minister in both Khattar and Saini cabinets and had joined the saffron party last month after resigning as an MLA.

'Guruvayoorambala Nadayil' teaser: Prithviraj, Basil Joseph promise quirky rom-com

Guruvayoorambala Nadayil teaser Prithviraj Basil Joseph promise quirky romcom

LS polls: INLD declares three candidates, Abhay Chautala from Kurukshetra, Sunaina from Hisar

The Indian National Lok Dal on Thursday released a list of three candidates for the Lok Sabha polls from Haryana, fielding party's senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala from Kurukshetra. The INLD has also fielded its women wing leader Sunaina Chautala from Hisar while from Ambala reserved constituency, the party has fielded its youth leader Gurpreet Singh, a Sikh face.

Grand Srirama Shobha Yatra in Rajamahendravaram

Kakinada: A large number of devotees took out a grand Sri Rama Shobha Yatra in Rajamahendravaram on occasion of the Srirama Navami festival on Wednesday. They gathered under the banner of Srirama Utsava Samithi on bikes holding saffron flags. They then went in a procession through the city from Pushkara Ghat to A.V. Appa Rao Road via Aryapuram, Kambala Tank, Danavaiypeta, Old Somalamma Temple, RTC Complex Road, Syamala Centre and Godavari Bund. BJP state president Daggubati Purandeswari flagged off the bike rally. Telugu Desam Rajamahendravaram Urban candidate Adireddy Srinivas, Swamy Kamalananda Bharati and others participated in the event. Speaking on the occasion, Kamalananda Bharati said Lord Srirama is an inspiration for the universe. He led his life with righteousness even though he faced many difficulties. He stressed on the importance of saving the Hindu Dharma during the present times. Utsava Samithi chairman Karri Rama Reddy said they have been organising the Srirama Shobha Yatra for past two years. He said this year, Rama Navami is of great significance as Bala Ramas idol has been set up in Ayodhya.

Punjab: Several trains affected as farmers squat on track demanding release of fellow protesters

Punjab: Several trains affected as farmers squat on track demanding release of fellow protesters Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Wednesday squatted on a rail track in Patiala district near the Punjab and Haryana border, demanding the release of three farmers who had been arrested by the Haryana Police. The movement of more than 30 trains was impacted as they were either diverted, cancelled or short-terminated because of the blockade at the Shambhu Railway Station, railway authorities said. The disruption in rail movement also caused inconvenience to rail passengers on the occasion of Ram Navami. KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the Haryana administration had given them an assurance that the arrested farmers would be released by April 16. ''When our farmers were not released, we decided to squat on the rail track,'' Pandher said. Three farmers, including Navdeep Singh, were arrested during the ongoing farmers' stir. Though the Punjab Police had erected barricades to prevent protesters from heading towards the rail track, farmers forced their way and sat on the Ambala-Ludhiana rail track. Farmer leaders said they will not end their protest until the protesters are released. ''If the government releases them now, we will vacate the rail tracks within 10 minutes,'' said another farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The farmer leaders said they were forced to sit on the rail track as the Haryana government failed to accept their demand. Pandher threatened to squat on more rail tracks if the three farmers were not released in the coming days. According to railway authorities, trains from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri, Amritsar to Kathiar, Pathankot to Old Delhi, Amritsar to Tata Nagar, Kolkata to Amritsar, Delhi to Amritsar, Haridwar to Amritsar and Darbhanga to Amritsar were diverted. While trains from Ludhiana to Churu and Churu to Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt to Jalandhar City, Ludhiana to Ambala Cantt, and Patiala to Ambala were cancelled, they said. The SKM (non-political) and the KMM are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their march was stopped by the security forces.

Power Games | Congress presses big guns into electoral arena

Battleground Haryana Congress presses big guns into electoral arena The Congress leadership has swung into action to get its prominent leaders across the country to fight the current Lok Sabha elections. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP firing all cylinders to score a hat-trick at the helm of power, prominent Congress leaders have been shying away from joining the battle against them. This is in spite of the express orders from the party leadership to fight the election. A tussle is being witnessed between the Congress central leadership and its prominent faces on this issue. After failing to force its top two leaders of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot to contest, the leadership has put its foot down in Haryana, a state from where the party is getting positive feedback on its prospects. The Congress central election committee has met twice, but failed to finalise candidates for Haryana. Former state chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deependra refused to contest from Rohtak, which is considered their pocket borough. They had suggested their wives as possible candidates. But the leadership has rejected their proposal and asked Deependra to fight from Rohtak. According to sources, the party has also finalised the candidature of former state president Kumari Selja from Sirsa and Varun Chaudhary from Ambala. Varun is a sitting MLA and his father, Phool Chand Mulana, was a state Congress president. The party has also reportedly finalised Brijendra Singhs name for the Hissar Lok Sabha seat in spite of Bhupinder Hoodas strong opposition. With the state Congress leaders locked in a factional feud over the remaining seats, the central leadership has set up a three-member committee of K C Venugopal, Salman Khursheed and Madhusudan Mistri to bring about a rapprochement. The committee met on Sunday with leaders of different groups and is likely to finalise the names by Monday. Battle for ballot Baghel plans to force EC into paper voting Former chief minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel plans to force the Election Commissions hand to conduct the election in Rajnandgaon using paper ballot. Baghel is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. According to sources, over four hundred candidates are likely to file nominations in Rajnandgaon which will make it impossible for the commission to conduct the election using the electronic voting machines. One EVM or a balloting unit can handle 16 candidate choices. In constituencies where there are more than 16 candidates, the EC installs a parallel unit. Additional parallel units are installed depending on the number of candidates. But there is a limit on the number of EVMs the EC can place parallelly. The jury is out on this number. As per the recently-updated FAQs of the EC, the newly-upgraded EVMs can handle up to 384 candidates by placing 24 parallel units. Bhupesh and his team believe that the EC will have no option but to conduct the election using ballot paper if there are more than 400 candidates in a constituency. A Lok Sabha constituency usually has around 1500 polling booths. Providing such a large number of EVMs will be another challenge for the EC. It will be interesting to see which way this battle for the ballot goes.

Congress Fields Vikramaditya Singh Against Kangana Ranaut for Mandi Lok Sabha Seat

NEW DELHI: The contest for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh promises to be more intense, with the Congress pitting state minister Vikramaditya Singh to take on BJPs Kangana Ranaut. Besides Mr Singh, the Congress on Saturday also announced a list of 15 more candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. The Mandi seat is a matter of prestige, as Mr Singh is a sitting MLA and the son of the late Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state unit chief Pratibha Singh. We discussed the names that we had shortlisted. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were also present at the meeting. Some names are final and some names will be discussed again. From Mandi, Vikramaditya Singh's name has been made final as everyone was in favour of a young face from Mandi, the Congress Himachal Pradesh unit chief said. Mr Singh became the titular kind of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr (a town in Shimla) after his father's death. He holds a master's degree in history from Delhi's St Stephen's College. He was the only Congress MLA who attended the Ram temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya, defying the party line. In February, Mr Singh had announced his resignation. Speculation was rife that he was going to join the BJP along with a few rebel MLAs, a move that could have brought down the Congress government in the hill state. The infighting ensued soon after the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha elections owing to cross-voting. The crisis was managed with the intervention of the top leadership. Mr Singh withdrew his resignation and stayed with the party. The Congress' on Saturday nominated former Union minister and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari from Chandigarh. The seat was earlier held for two terms by BjP MP and actor Kirron Kher. Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Pawan Bansal, the unsuccessful Congress candidate from Chandigarh, is now replaced by Mr Tewari. The party has fielded Paresh Dhanai to take on Union minister Purushottam Rupala from Rajkot. The Congress central election committee (CEC) met in the national capital on Saturday under the leadership of Mr Kharge. It finalised the names of a few Lok Sabha candidates from Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Chandigarh. The CEC meeting for Himachal Pradesh was attended by Mr Kharge, Mrs Gandhi, and AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Ms Singh and AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla were the others present in the meeting. The Haryana CEC was attended, besides the top party leaders, by PCC chief Uday Bhan, ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Surjewala and Kumari Selja. Insiders claim three seats in Haryana have also been finalised but not declared yet. These include Deependra Singh Hooda from Rohtak, Ms Selja from Sirsa and Varun Molana from Ambala.

PM Modis Roadshow Was A Circus Meant For West Mambalam People: DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran Yet Again Targets Brahmins

Three-time MP and DMKs candidate for the Central Chennai Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Dayanidhi Maran, called the Prime Ministers roadshow in Chennais Pondy Bazaar area The post PM Modis Roadshow Was A Circus Meant For West Mambalam People: DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran Yet Again Targets Brahmins appeared first on The Commune .

Modi Roadshow In Chennai A Circus, It Was A Show Only For West Mambalam People, Says Central Chennai DMK Candidate Dayanidhi Maran

Three-time MP and DMKs candidate for the Central Chennai Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Dayanidhi Maran, called the Prime Ministers roadshow in Chennais Pondy Bazaar area The post Modi Roadshow In Chennai A Circus, It Was A Show Only For West Mambalam People, Says Central Chennai DMK Candidate Dayanidhi Maran appeared first on The Commune .

Ambala woman kills shopkeeper as 'goddess demanded human sacrifice in dream'

In Ambala, shopkeeper Mahesh Gupta was killed by Priya, who believed a dream-goddess instructed her to sacrifice a human. Priya, along with Hemant and Preeti, faces charges for the murder.

10 kg of gold jewellery seized in West Mambalam

A flying squad intercepted a minivan during routine inspection

Haryana CM campaign for BJP Ambala candidate in Mullana

One-Day Trip: Make these beautiful places around Ambala a weekend travel point in a one-day trip

One-Day Trip Around Ambala: Ambala is considered a famous and popular city in Haryana. Many people are living in this beautiful city, who keep going to work in a city like Delhi. Ambala is also a historical city of Haryana. Due to its presence on the border of Haryana and Punjab, many people keep planning to visit here. It is said that this city is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. In this article, we are going to tell you about some wonderful and charming places located around Ambala, which you can explore with family, friends or partners on a one-day trip. Morni Hills Whenever any best place to visit around Ambala is mentioned, the name of Morni Hills is taken first. Located near Panchkula, Haryana, it is famous for its beauty as well as adventure activities. Morni Hills is the best travel destination not only for the people of Haryana but also for the people of Chandigarh, Punjab. In Morni Hills, you can explore the best places like Tikkar Tal, Adventure Park, Morni Fort and Gurudwara Nada Sahib. You can also go boating in Tikkar Tal. Distance-The distance from Ambala to Morni Hills is about 61 km. Nahan If you want to explore a wonderful hill station on a day trip from Ambala, then you can visit Nahan. This is a hidden treasure of Himachal Pradesh. Nahan present in the beautiful valleys of Himachal is no less than heaven. Nahan is a beautiful hill station situated amidst high mountains, dense forests lakes and waterfalls. In Nahan, you can explore the best places like Churdhar, Renuka Lake and Haban Valley. Distance-The distance from Ambala to Nahan is about 64 km. Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary If you like to roam amidst greenery on a day trip around Ambala, then you should reach Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary with family, friends and family. Located in Yamunanagar district of Haryana, it is known for its dense forests and pleasant weather. You can enjoy the cool breeze here even during the scorching summer season. The sanctuary here is also known for bio-diversity. Many people come here on weekends to have picnics. Distance- The distance from Ambala to Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary is about 62 km. Solan Solan, situated at an altitude of more than one thousand meters above sea level, is a beautiful and charming hill station in Himachal Pradesh. High mountains, dense forests, lakes, waterfalls and big cedar trees add to the beauty of this place. Even when there is extreme heat in April-May and June and Haryana, the temperature in Solan remains normal. Here you can enjoy a cool breeze even in summer. In Solan, you can explore the best places like Mashobra, Kalpa and Parwanoo. You can also do trekking and hiking in Solan. Here you can also do memorable photography. Distance-The distance from Ambala to Solan is about 115 km. Explore these places also There are many other wonderful and charming places around Ambala, that you can explore on a day trip. For example, you can explore Trilokpur situated at a distance of 51 km, Baddi situated at a distance of 85 km and Chail situated at a distance of 138 km. Image-@insta,morni_hills

TDP Mahila president Anitha locks horns with YSRCP candidate Kambala Jogulu in Payakaraopeta Assembly seat

Groundwater contamination is one of the major problems as there are two chemical plants located near the coastal villages in the Assembly constituency

YSRC Will Win All 7 Assembly Segments in Anakapalli: YV Subba Reddy

YV Subba Reddy YV Subba Reddy Visakhapatnam: The ruling YSRC will win all the seven assembly constituencies in Anakapalli and the Lok Sabha segment, said regional coordinator for the party in north Andhra Y.V. Subba Reddy. He was addressing the general body meeting of the Anakapalli district party unit in Anakapalli town on Saturday in the presence of all the MLAs and the contesting candidates. We will defeat the migratory bird C.M. Ramesh of BJP for the Lok Sabha constituency will ensure victory of party candidates in all the seven assembly segments and give it to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as a gift, Subba Reddy said. He said Jagan Mohan Reddy desires that people in all the 175 assembly constituencies should be happy and lead a peaceful life. He appealed to the party workers to give a fitting lesson to BJP candidate C.M. Ramesh who created ruckus in Chodavaram and attacked government officials who were conducting a raid on a trader. Deputy chief minister and partys candidate for Anakapalli Lok Sabha constituency, Budi Mutyala Naidu said C.M. Ramesh would end up as a big joke. He said people were laughing at Ramesh, who defrauded the banks and knew no boundaries of the constituency and was contesting against him. Ramesh was nominated to fund MLA candidates put up by TD and Jana Sena in all the seven assembly constituencies and not to win the elections against me, Mutyala Naidu said. The candidates put up by TD and Jana Sena in all the seven segments were for pumping funds for the party and not to win the elections. Speaking on the occasion, minister for industries and IT Gudivada Amarnath said BJP candidate C.M. Ramesh, who defrauded the banks, has no moral right to criticise the ruling YSRC party leaders. Amarnath appealed to the party workers to work hard for the Anakapalli assembly candidate Malasala Bharat who is young and educated. He said the constituency would develop under the youngsters like Bharat. Speaking on the occasion, Bharat said Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys policy to implement welfare schemes to all the eligible persons irrespective of political affiliation would help the candidates to win in this election. Anakapalli district unit president of the party Boddeda Prasad presided over the meeting. Anakapalli MP Dr B.V. Satyavathi, MLAs Karanam Dharmasri, Petla Uma Shankar Ganesh, UV Ramana Murthy Raju, MLC Varudu Kalyani and MLA candidates Kambala Jogulu and Erle Anuradha were present.

Prithviraj Sukumaran wraps up shooting for 'Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil'

Dead body of missing kid found packed in suitcase in cars boot in Ambala