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Bypoll for Kerala’s Chengannur assembly seat on May 28 (Lead)
Thiruvananthapuram, April 26 (IANS) The by-election to Kerala’s Chengannur assembly constituency will be held on May 28, it was announced on Thursday.
The announcement of the date for the keenly-awaited contest came almost a month after the three rival fronts announced their candidates.
The notification for the poll will be issued on May 3 with May 10 the last date for filing of nominations and May 14 the last date for withdrawal, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Tika Ram Meena told reporters here. Counting will be held on May 31.
The bypoll was necessitated following the sudden demise of sitting legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair, of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in early January.
Chengannur constituency, in the Alappuzha district, had been, except in the May 2016 assembly elections, a Congress bastion for nearly three decades.
The CPI-M has fielded its Alappuzha district secretary Saji Cheriyan, Congress has nominated long time aspirant D.Vijayakumar, while the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate is its former state party chief P.S.Sreedharan Pillai, who in 2016 polls came a close third to the sitting Congress legislator P.C.Vishnunath, who lost to Nair.
Meena said the constituency’s total electorate stands at 1,88,702 besides 228 NRI voters and 164 polling stations will be set up for the election. He also said that the code of conduct has come into force.
All the three candidates had started their campaigning last month itself, but their efforts lost steam when the date of the bypoll was not announced along with the Karnataka assembly election schedule.
“We have always been on the campaign as we knew if not today, tomorrow, it has to be announced, … maybe the intensity was not there,” said Vijayakumar.
Cheriyan, on his part, said: “We have already completed three rounds of campaign and the good thing is that the date of the poll is just before the monsoon starts.”
“I have been here with my voters ever since I was named as the candidate and I have already been able to gel with them and now it’s a matter of meeting each one again and pressing my case,” said Pillai.
–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.