National
By-election in R.K. Nagar on Dec 21: EC (Lead)
New Delhi/Chennai, Nov 24 (IANS) The Election Commission on Friday announced by-election to the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on December 21, a day after it allotted the AIADMK’s “two leaves” symbol to the ruling faction headed by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.
The counting of votes and results would be announced on December 24.
The poll body also said the bypoll for assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh (Pakke Kasang, Likabali), Uttar Pradesh (Sikandra) and West Bengal (Sabang) will also be held on the same day.
According to the EC, the two constituencies of the Arunachal Pradesh are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
The Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly seat fell vacant after the death of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016.
The EC had to earlier cancel the by-election of the constituency on April 12 this year following allegations of large scale bribing of voters.
The EC stated that filing of nominations would begin on Monday, the day on which notification would be issued.
Nominations can be filed till December 4, and their scrutiny would take place on December 5. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is December 7.
The poll panel said it will use Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in all the four constituencies.
“The model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect in the districts,” the EC added.
The Madras High Court had directed the poll body to hold the bypoll to the Radhakrishnan Nagar seat before December 31.
“We will win the bypoll with huge margin and prove that we are truly the successors of late Chief Minister and party leader J.Jayalalithaa,” former MP and spokesperson K.C. Palaniswamy told IANS in Chennai.
He declined to comment on the party’s probable candidate to fight the by-election.
In April, when the AIADMK was divided into two — one led by Panneerselvam and the other by jailed leader V.K. Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V.Dinakaran –, the former faction fielded E. Madhusudhanan and the latter Dinakaran.
Later the Sasikala faction broke into two with Palaniswami leading one.
With Panneerselvam and Palaniswami factions coming together and the Election Commission allotting the “two leaves” symbol and the party name to Panneerselvam/Madhusudhanan, AIADMK leaders told IANS there was no need to scout for another person in the place of Madhusudhanan.
Speaking to television channels on the by-election to Radhakrishnan Nagar, Tamil Nadu Congress Chief S. Thirunavukkarasar said it will be a major test for the ruling AIADMK.
He said this will be the first election to be faced by the AIADMK government after the death of Jayalalithaa and also after it got the “two leaves” symbol.
Thirunavvukkarasar said Congress will support the DMK in the by-election.
The Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said a decision to contest or not will be taken after consultations within the party.
Last time, BJP had fielded music director Gangai Amaran as its candidate.
J. Deepa, niece of Jayalalithaa too, jumped into the electoral fray last time forming MGR Amma Deepa Forum. It has to be seen whether she would contest this time.
Dinakaran had earlier said he would contest in the by-election whenever it is held.
–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.