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Leaders call for elections in Tamil Nadu (Lead)
Chennai, Oct 25 (IANS) Leaders of various political parties on Thursday called for holding Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu instead of by-elections for 20 constituencies now vacant following the disqualification of dissident AIADMK legislators.
Their call comes in the wake of Madras High Court upholding Speaker P. Dhanapal’s decision to disqualify 18 dissident AIADMK legislators last year. They owed allegiance to T.T.V. Dhinkaran, now an independent legislator and formerly with the AIADMK.
In a statement issued here, former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK said there was a case pending in the Madras High Court against Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and several other AIADMK legislators for their disqualification as they had voted against the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.
Ramadoss said if the judgement goes against Panneerselvam and others, there would be horse trading by the ruling party to continue in power.
According to him, to put an end to all confusion, Assembly polls should be held in the state and not just the by-polls in the 20 constituencies.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram also said it would be proper to hold Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Chidambaram tweeted that by-polls in Tamil Nadu cannot be avoided after Thursday’s Madras High Court verdict. However, he said instead of holding bypolls in 20 Assembly constituencies, it would be proper to hold a full-fledged Assembly election in the state.
But DMK President M.K. Stalin said the Election Commission should hold by-polls in the vacant Assembly seats immediately.
MDMK leader Vaiko urged the poll body to conduct the by-polls immediately. He said these should not be held along with Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said the AIADMK was ready to face by-elections in all the 20 vacant Assembly constituencies.
“Owing to practical difficulties, the by-polls for two constituencies (Thiruparankundram and Tiruvarur) has been deferred,” Palaniswami said.
The Election Commission had skipped announcing bypolls for Thiruparankundram and Tiruvarur constituencies as the government said it would not be possible to hold the elections there due to the northeast monsoon and a pending court case.
–IANS
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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.