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Massive turnout for Gujarat first phase polls amid EVM complaints (Third Lead)

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Gandhinagar, Dec 9 (IANS) Around 50 per cent voting was recorded by late afternoon on Saturday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls, while complaints about malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) continued to come in.

The voter turnout this time is unprecedented and there is even speculation that it might surpass the 90 per cent mark.

At 3 p.m., the voting percentage was around 50 per cent.

The poll percentage at 2 p.m. was: in Valsad-48, Kaprada-42, Tankara-54, Morbi-49, Botad-45, Gadhda-39, Umargaon-45, Vankaner-53, Jamnagar overall-40, Jam Jodhpur-40, Surat-44, Dang-25-30, Porbandar-38 to 44, Jamnagar- 36 to 40, Surendranagar- 50 to 55. Navsari too registered more than 50 per cent voting.

Surprisingly, Rajkot which is known for its ‘siesta time’ from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, registered around 40-45 per cent voting with people seen queuing up in the afternoon to vote. Rajkot’s Visavadar saw their voter, former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, exercise his rights coming all the way from his residence in Gandhinagar.

Villagers of Limdi village in Surendranagar district have boycotted the elections over their various grievances.

In Surat, in many of the Patidar dominated areas, posters emerged with photographs of the dead Patidar youth, killed during and after the Patidar agitation on the GMDC ground on August 25, 2015, reading “Don’t forget the sacrifice of these martyrs and uproot the BJP”.

Malfunctioning of EVM machines was reported in Sattapar village in Anjar constituency and the polling process had to be halted.

Reacting to allegations by senior Congress leader about EVMs linked to Bluetooth devices in Porbandar, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat, B.B. Swain said: “We received the complaint with screenshots about the linkage of EVM with WiFi or Bluetooth devices. So we rushed the collector, Porbandar, and our observers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the place. Their scrutiny says that there was no merit in the complaint by Arjun Modhwadia.”

The reasons for the high turnout can be attributed to the intense drive carried out by the ECI, though both the political parties — ruling BJP and Congress – claim the massive public support for their party is the reason for the high turnout.

–IANS
amc/rn

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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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