HYDERABAD TUESDAY MAY 14, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 18 LATE CITY EDITION SC TO HEAR PLEA FOR TIMELY RELEASE OF VOTER TURNOUT DATA ON FRIDAY SUSPICIONS ABOUT TURNOUT DATA’S ACCURACY Plea by Association for Democratic Reforms seeks a direction to the poll panel to put out station-wise voter turnout data within 48 hrs of close of voting ‘ADDRESS DELAY TO UPHOLD VOTERS’ TRUST’ The final voter turnout data for the first two phases were published by the Election Commission on April 30, by which time 11 days had elapsed since the first phase voting and four days since the second phase, the plea said. The delay, coupled with the unusually high revision of over 5% in the poll panel’s press note of April 30 has raised suspicions about the data’s accuracy, it said ■ To uphold voters’ confidence, the Supreme Court must direct the EC to disclose on its website, scanned legible copies of turnout data of all polling stations within 48 hours of close of polling, the plea said ■ The court agreed to list the plea for hearing on Friday after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, sought its urgent listing Form 17C Part-1 HAS DETAILS OF VOTES RECORDED BY EACH POLLING STATION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI India signs 10-yr deal to run Chabahar port Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi INDIA and Iran signed a contract on Monday allowing India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) to equip and operate the strategically located Shahid Beheshti Port in I r a n’s C h ab a h a r fo r 10 years. “We are scripting a new chapter in bilateral partnership. The contract will give a boost to regional connectivity and India’s linka g e s w i t h Afghanistan, Central Asia and Eurasia,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said. The IPGL will invest approximately $120 million in equipping the port. India has also offered a credit window equivalent to $250 million, for mutually identified projects that will improve port-related infrastructure in Chabahar. Shahid Beheshti is the closest Iranian port to India. The deep sea port can accommodate large cargo ships. It is a more economical and stable alternative route for Indian goods to reach landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asian countries, bypassing Pakistan. In fact, more than 2.5 million tons of wheat and 2,000 tons of pulses have been transshipped from India to Afghanistan through the port since IPGL, through its wholly owned subsidiary India Ports Global Chabahar F ree Zone (IPGCFZ), took over its operations in 2018. OVER 64% CAST VOTE IN TG Entire election process held peacefully, no major incidents: CEO 46.08% turnout recorded in Hyd, marginally up from 44.84% in 2019 (From left) A first-time voter shows her inked finger after voting in Secunderabad; people wait to cast their votes at a polling booth at Maheshwari Bhavan in Goshamahal under Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency; Lambada women pose after casting their votes in Bodakonda thanda, Bhongir Lok Sabha segment, on Monday | VINAY MADAPU, SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN TURNOUT IN LS POLLS 2019 2024 (approx) 66.4% 64.93% The elections passed off peacefully and there were no law-andorder problems. The exact poll percentages will be known on Tuesday Vikas Raj, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer BJP nominee from Hyderabad, Madhavi Latha alleged that AIMIM activists had engaged in rigging at several locations within the Hyderabad LS segment. She was earlier booked under IPC sections and RP Act Frustrated with the lack of basic amenities, residents of a tribal hamlet in Kamareddy district started voting at 3 pm after initially refusing to do so. Similarly, voters in Lacchagudem in Yellandu mandal, Rayamandharam in Enkoor mandal and Regalla in Kothagudem threatened to boycott the polls but ended up voting later E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Hyderabad VIOLENCE & CLASHES MARK POLL DAY IN AP BARRING minor incidents, polling for 17 Lok Sabha segments on Monday went off peacefully in Telangana, where the fate of 525 candidates hangs in the balance. The overall turnout in the state was over 64% while Hyderabad recorded a polling percentage of 46.08%, up from 44.84% in 2019. The Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest poll percentage in the state at 76.47%. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj said, “The elections passed off peacefully and there were no law-and-order problems. The exact poll percentages will be known on Tuesday .” The main contest in the state is between the Congress and BJP while the BRS is in conten, tion in a few segments. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, “No other party is ready to support the BJP or NDA if it falls Vijayawada: Amid violence in parts of Palnadu, Annamayya and other districts, 68.04% of voters in Andhra Pradesh exercised their franchise till 5 pm on Monday. Supporters of the ruling YSRC and Opposition TDP clashed in several places, which led to injuries to several people while cars were damaged and EVMs were destroyed in some places | P6 RISE IN TURNOUT AFTER DIP IN FIRST 3 PHASES New Delhi: After registering a dip in voter turnout in the first three phases, the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections saw a 67.71% turnout in 96 seats across 10 states and UTs. In the 2019 polls, the polling percentage in these 96 seats was 69.12%. Voting was also held in Srinagar, one of the three parliamentary segments of Kashmir | P9 Efforts were underway on Monday night to rescue about 100 people feared trapped beneath the hoarding. About 60 people were injured in the incident short of the magic figure. The anti-Modi wave is an undercurrent in the country and it will be reflected in the votes.” Union minister and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy said, “The BJP will emerge as a new force in Telangana. Youth, women and people from rural areas supported Modi’s leadership. The BJP will get as Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said the maximum permissible size for hoardings is 40X40 feet. But the one that collapsed was 120x120 feet AAP MP Swati Maliwal alleges assault by Kejri’s PA Available on SUSHIL MODI PASSES AWAY|P9 Former Bihar deputy chief minister, who was suffering from cancer, died in Delhi Scan the QR code for further details *Basis lab test in controlled environment on protein damaged hair after five washes U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was allegedly physically assaulted at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday following which , she alerted the Delhi Police but did not file any formal complaint. Coming as it did in the midst of the general elections and with the AAP refusing to clear the air, the issue soon acquired political overtones. The police received a PCR call at 9.34 am from Maliwal, who was at Kejriwal’s residence, alleging that she had been assaulted by one of the CM staff. “As per information, the lady is saying that she is at the CM’s house and has been assaulted by CM’s PA Bibhav Kumar,” the note of the PCR call written by a policeman read. Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Manoj Meena said the local Station House Officer along with other staff reached the CM’s residence but didn’t find her there. Maliwal, the former Delhi Commission for Women chief, later visited the Civil Lines police station but did not give any formal complaint. The National Commission for Women then stepped in and said it will write to the Delhi Police seeking an Action Taken Report within three days. 171C, 186 and 505(1)(c) of the Indian Penal Code and 132 of the Representation of the People Act were registered against BJP candidate from Hyderabad Madhavi Latha as she reportedly entered polling booths to verify the identities of a few burqa-clad women. Later, Madhavi alleged that AIMIM activists had engaged in rigging at several locations within the Hyderabad Lok Sabha segment. Three die of cardiac arrest BILLBOARD FALLS OFF IN MUMBAI, 8 DEAD A 100-feet-tall illegal billboard fell over a petrol pump in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai as unseasonal rains accompanied by dust storms lashed the city BJP’s Madhavi booked for checking ID cards of burqa-clad women many seats as we expect.” Meanwhile, BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said neither the NDA nor the INDIA bloc would get the number of seats required to form the government. Regional parties will play a key role in forming the next government in New Delhi, he said. BJP alleges rigging Cases under Sections Three people, including two election officials, died of cardiac arrest during the polls. A school principal B Narasimha, on poll duty in Nampally passed , away from cardiac arrest on Sunday night. Senior assistant Sri Krishna suffered a cardiac arrest at the Nehru Nagar polling station in Aswaraopet. Vijayalakshmi, present at a polling booth in Uppal, also passed away due to a cardiac arrest.
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