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Brisk, peaceful polling in Maharashtra
Mumbai : Polling was under way on a brisk and peaceful note on Tuesday in Maharashtra to pick 10 major civic bodies, including the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, 11 Zilla Parishads and 118 Panchayat Samitis.
By 10 a.m., Mumbai notched around 10 per cent balloting from the 9.20 million strong electorate.
The country’s commercial capital has generally recorded a dismal voter turnout during civic elections, but officials are hopeful of a change this year.
A similar average of 10 per cent was recorded elsewhere in the state in the second phase of the ongoing civic elections, after the first phase was completed on February 16.
A generous dose of glamour, glitz and power play was visible during the polling at the 7,304 booths to elect 227 BMC corporators from among 2,275 candidates.
State Election Commissioner J.S. Saharia was among the early voters along with his family.
And so were Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Pawar, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam.
Additing a dash of glam quotient were film stars Rekha, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Shraddha Kapoor, Gulzar, several teleserial actors and Marathi film stars.
The civic polls have been widely dubbed a ‘mini-assembly’ election and a referendum on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A total of 10 major civic bodies, including the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and those of Thane, Pune and Nashik, plus 11 Zilla Parishads and 118 Panchayat Samitis are voting on Tuesday.
An electorate of 3.77 crore shall decide the fate of 17,331 candidates for 5,512 seats up for grabs, including 1,268 in 10 municipal bodies, 2,956 in 11 Zilla Parishads and 1,288 seats in 118 Panchayat Samitis.
A total of 43,160 polling booths have come up across the state. The results for both the phases of elections shall be declared on Thursday.
The major parties in the fray include the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Besides, parties like the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen as well as regional and local groups have also fielded candidates.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.