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Voting underway in Phulpur, Gorakhpur by polls in UP (Lead)
Lucknow, March 11 (IANS) After a poor start, polling in Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh picked up as voters started queuing up outside polling booths, an election official said.
Till 1 p.m., 30.20 per cent voting had been registered in Gorakhpur, where by polls were necessitated after incumbent MP Yogi Adityanath quit as he took over as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
In Phulpur, the parliamentary constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, voting till 1 p.m. was not very impressive and only 19.20 per cent votes had been cast. Heavy security deployment has been made in both the parliamentary constituencies.
Voting started at 7 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m., a poll panel official told IANS.
The voting percentage till 11 a.m. was poor and the average polling in both constituencies was 14.50 per cent.
Voting in Gorakhpur was 16.80 per cent till 11 a.m. and in Phulpur, 12.20 per cent till 11 a.m.
Some snags in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been reported from some places.
Polling was held up at Kidwai college in Allahabad (East) for some time due to a technical glitch.
Adityanath, who vacated the Gorakhpur seat after his elevation as the Chief Minister, had held it since 1998.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Upendra Dutt Shukla is in the fray for the seat this time. Gorakhpur has 970 polling centres and 2,141 polling stations.
There are 19.49 lakh eligible voters including over 8 lakh women.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Praveen Nishad in Gorakhpur. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have extended their support to the SP candidate.
The Congress is fighting on its own and has named Surahita Kareem as its candidate. The Phulpur seat of Allahabad, which was represented by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, has 793 polling centres and 2,059 polling stations.
A total of 19.63 lakh voters will decide the fate of 22 candidates. The BJP has fielded Kaushlendra Singh Patel who is pitted against Nagendra Singh Patel of the SP.
The BSP here too is supporting the SP candidate. The Congress has fielded Manish Mishra as its candidate.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among the first to cast his vote on Sunday while his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya cast his vote in Phulpur along with his wife and son.
–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.