National
Campaigning for Feb 18 Tripura assembly polls gains momentum
Agartala, Feb 6 (IANS) With assembly polls in Left-ruled Tripura less than two weeks away, the high-pitch campaigning is set to gain further momentum as top leaders are scheduled to come to canvass for their parties.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Tripura unit spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two election rallies in northern and western Tripura on Thursday while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, several other Union Ministers and top BJP leaders including party President Amit Shah will also campaign.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Information and Broadcasting and Textile Minister Smriti Irani, the Chief Ministers of party-ruled Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, BJP’s National General Secretary Ram Madhav, and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is BJP’s election in-charge for Tripura, have also campaigned or will soon do so.
On the other hand, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will seen its General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Biman Bose, Subhashini Ali, and West Bengal State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra already addressing many election rallies across the northeastern border state.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, party’s Rajasthan unit chief Sachin Pilot will be among other leaders who will start campaigning in the state from Wednesday.
Congress’ state unit Vice President Tapas Dey said that their election manifesto will be released within a week, while BJP spokesman Deb said that Jaitley will release the BJP’s “Vision Document” for Tripura here on February 12.
The CPI-M-led Left Front already released their election manifesto on January 30.
Meanwhile, CPI-M State Secretary Bjjan Dhar claimed that while poll panel officials were demonstrating the functioning of EVMs and VVPATs in Ampi constituency in southern Tripura, a button pressed against a particular symbol showed another symbol getting the vote.
“We have informed chief electoral officer Sriram Taranikanti and he assured us to take remedial steps in this regard. The CEO also told us that the EVMs and VVPATs would be demonstrated in front of political party leaders soon,” he told the media.
In the 60-member house, the CPI-M has fielded 57 candidates leaving one seat each to its Left Front partners Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party.
The BJP is contesting from 51 seats, leaving nine seats for its electoral ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, which has been agitating for a separate state containing Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
Congress has nominated candidates in all 60 constituencies. However, one of their official nominee (Sukumar Chandra Das) in Kakraban-Shalgarha seat (reserved) on Saturday night joined the BJP after withdrawing his candidature.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has nominated 24 candidates.
Elections would be held on February 18 and counting of votes would take place on March 3.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.