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30% vote in Punjab till 1 p.m., all parties claim victory

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8 years ago

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Chandigarh: Over 30 per cent of Punjab’s electorate had exercised their franchise till 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon as brisk voting continued across the state. The districts in Punjab’s Malwa belt (south of river Sutlej) saw a higher turnout.  The highest turnout was in Moga and Fatehgarh Sahib District at 36 per cent. The Majha and Doaba belts were trailing in the voting percentage, election officials said. The Malwa belt has 69 out of the 117 assembly seats and decides the party which would get the majority. The Akali Dal, Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party are locked in a bitter contest in this belt. Braving the winter chill, thousands of voters turned out in the morning to cast their votes. Long queues were seen at most polling stations as voting began in all the assembly constituencies at 8 a.m. Many had reached the poll booths much before the exercise started. It will continue till 5 p.m.

Over 1.98 crore electorates would decide the fate of 1,145 candidates, including 81 women and a lone transgender. There are over six lakh first time voters this time. Voting for by-election to the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat is also being held on Saturday. For the first time, Punjab is witnessing three-cornered contests on all the 117 assembly seats. The enthusiasm of voters was almost equal in rural and urban areas. First time voters were issued certificates by district authorities in various assembly constituencies. Among early voters were former Army chief and ex-Governor Gen J.J. Singh (Patiala city) of the Shiromani Akali Dal, and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal (Badal village) of the Congress.

Earlier Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal cast their vote in Badal village.  It is part of the Lambi assembly constituency which the Chief Minister represents. Badal, 89, and his family members arrived at the village polling station amid tight security. “We will win easily. Punjab is looking forward to peace and development,” the Chief Minister said after exercising his franchise. Badal is being challenged on the Lambi seat by Punjab Congress President and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Jarnail Singh.  The contest here is being seen as the “mother of all (political) battles”.

“We will register a better victory this time. Amarinder Singh will lose his security deposit,” Sukhbir Badal, who is the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, told the media after casting his vote. Badal’s elder brother, Gurdas Badal, arrived separately to cast his vote earlier. The Chief Minister’s estranged nephew and former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal (son of Gurdas Badal) also cast his vote at the same polling station earlier. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance has been in power in Punjab since 2007. Sukhbir Badal is facing challenge from two sitting MPs – Bhagwant Mann (AAP) and Ravneet Singh Bittu (Congress), on the Jalalabad assembly seat. Others to cast their votes included cricketer-turned-politician and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu (Amritsar-east), former Olympian and now Congress leader Pargat Singh (Jalandhar Cantt), Sucha Singh Chhotepur (Gurdaspur) of Apna Punjab Party and Congress leaders Sunil Jakhar (Aboha) and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehra).

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh and Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans voted in a polling stations in Jalandhar. Reports of faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT (voter verified paper audit trail) machines were received during voting in various districts.  At most places, voting resumed after some delay, election officials said. Tight security arrangements were in place across Punjab and the state’s borders with neighbouring states were sealed. Over 100,000 security personnel were stationed across Punjab. There are 22,614 polling stations in Punjab. The counting of votes will take place on March 11. In the 2012 assembly elections, 78.57 per cent of Punjab voters had exercised their franchise.

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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3 months ago

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September 3, 2024

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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