National
Karnataka to vote on May 12, verdict on May 15 (Second Lead)
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Karnataka, where the Congress and the BJP are set to clash for major sweepstakes ahead of the next year Lok Sabha polls, will vote on May 12 in a single-phased poll to elect its new assembly.
The results will be declared on May 15, Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat announced on Tuesday.
The date of notification is April 17 and nominations can be filed till April 24. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 25 and the last day for withdrawal is April 27.
The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP’s 43.
The BJP views Karnataka as a gateway to the south where it is looking to widen its base and increase its haul of Lok Sabha seats in 2019. It had been in power in Karnataka from 2008 to 2013.
The Congress has announced incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramiah as its chief minister candidate while the BJP is projecting former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa as its face.
Minutes before Chief Election Commissioner Rawat announced the schedule of the polling and counting, Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya had tweeted the dates of the poll and counting day, sparking a row.
When questioned by the media about the “leak” of poll dates, Rawat first dismissed Malviya’s tweet as “conjectures” but later said the commission would investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
“People can have conjectures. You cannot stop conjectures. Let me announce the dates and see if they are the same…But certain things may have leaked for which the EC would take appropriate action,” he said.
However, as he announced the dates, it turned out that the scheduled date of polling – May 12 – was the same as tweeted by Malviya. The date of counting was different though.
“Definitely, it will be investigated and when investigation delivers certain facts fix responsibility and whatever action legally and administratively befitting the occasion will be taken. Please rest assured.”
However, Malviya wrote to the poll panel clarifying that he had picked the dates from a news channel report and also attached the screenshots of the report.
It also turned out that Congress party’s Karnataka unit’s social media in-charge, Srivatsa, had also tweeted the same dates at around the same time as Malviya, that is, 11.08 a.m. The poll panel announced the schedule around 11.20 a.m.
Rawat said the model code of conduct would come into effect immediately in the state which will also be applicable to the central government.
Rawat said VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls.
“VVPATs will be used along with EVMs in all 56,696 polling stations of 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka. On a pilot basis, VVPAT from one polling station in each assembly constituency will be randomly selected to count VVPAT paper slips for verification of the result obtained from the control unit,” Rawat said.
He said the First Level Check of EVMs and VVPATs has been completed in the presence of representatives of political parties. A two-stage randomization of EVMs and VVPATs will also be done.
The election expenses ceiling for candidates has been fixed at Rs. 28 lakh per candidate for Karnataka though there is no expenditure ceiling for political parties, he said.
He said webcasting at identified critical stations for live monitoring of election process, to keep a check on illegal activities such as booth capturing, money distribution and bogus voting etc will also be done.
All registered service voters will be delivered e-postal ballot of their respective constituency through electronically transmitted postal ballot (ETPBS), which will be printed and after casting the vote will be sent back to the Returning Officer by post.
In a first, one all-women managed polling station in each assembly constituency would be set up where the entire polling staff, including the police and security personnel, will be women.
Rawat also appealed to Karnataka’s IT professionals to lend a helping hand in preventing any “malicious, divisive or targeted social media campaigns connected with any harvesting of data etc”.
–IANS
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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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