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BJP well on top in both Maharashtra, Haryana, say exit polls

October 16, 2014

New Delhi/Mumbai/Chandigarh, Oct 16: The BJP was within striking distance of power in both Haryana and Maharashtra, exit polls said Wednesday at the end of keenly fought assembly elections that pitted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party against all key players in the two states.polls

Various exit polls gave the Bharatiya Janata Party a margin of 42-54 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly and 124-151 seats in the 288-strong Maharashtra legislature.

The Congress, which had ruled Haryana for the last 10 years, was predicted to end up with just 10-18 seats. In Maharashtra, the exit polls gave the Shiv Sena, the BJP's former ally for 25 years, 51-77 seats, Congress 27-48 seats and Nationalist Congress Party 28-41 seats. The last two had ruled the state for three terms since 1999 before their alliance ended last month.

While some exit polls predicted BJP getting a majority in the two states, others projected it as the single largest party, a few seats short of a simple majority.

The bitter battle for Maharashtra ended Wednesday evening with over 64 percent of the 8.35 crore electorate voting. Polling also took place for the Beed Lok Sabha seat where a bypoll was necessitated following the death in June of central minister Gopinath Munde.

Sena youth leader Aditya Thackeray asserted that not only would his party form the government, but its president (his father) Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister.

On the other hand, senior BJP leader and MP Poonam Mahajan confidently declared that "the people would support the vision of development propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

Stray incidents of violence marred an otherwise peaceful election. In Gadchiroli district, Maoists attempted to disrupt the polls by firing at a polling booth but security personnel returned fire and voting continued peacefully. Some incidents were also reported from Yavatmal, Thane and Mumbai.

Mumbai saw celebrities, including industrialists, Bollywood stars, television actors and cricketers, queueing up to vote and urging people to follow suit.

Among those seen were industrialists Anil Ambani and Adi Godrej, and film personalities Rekha, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Sonali Bendre, Anupam Kher, Hema Malini, Amol Palekar, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao-Khan, Esha Deol, Nana Patekar, Prem Chopra, Govinda, Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Rishi Kapoor and family, and Jeetendra and his family.

A total of 4,119 candidates were in the fray in the elections that saw Maharashtra's two main coalitions -- the BJP-Shiv Sena combine and the NCP-Congress alliance -- collapse, making the contest wide open but with advantage to BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP's campaign, addressing scores of heavily attended rallies and prompting a verbal assault from Shiv Sena. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was also a key contender but surveys indicate it seemed to barely make an impact.

During the campaign, other parties attacked the BJP more than any other, making it a de facto BJP-versus-rest battle.

In Haryana, the voters Wednesday set a new record with over 75.5 percent of the 1.63 crore electorate exercising their franchise, perking up the BJP's hopes to come to power on its own.

This is the highest voting in Haryana assembly polls since 1967, chief electoral officer Shrikant Walgad said.The previous record of maximum polling was 72.65 percent in 1967. In 2009, Haryana recorded nearly 72.29 percent voting.

The BJP was confident of victory. "The BJP is all set to form the next government in Haryana on its own. We will get a clear majority and end scams and corruption," party leader Abhimanyu said.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was not willing to give up easily, saying the "response of the voters" showed the Congress will form the government for a third term.

INLD leader Abhay Chautala claimed the heavy turnout was an indication that his party would form the next government.

Minor clashes at about 10 places marred the otherwise peaceful polling. Exit polls were unanimous in their prediction about major gains for BJP. Here is a state-wise prediction of some exit polls.

Maharashtra:

India TV C-Voter - BJP (124-134 seats), Shiv Sena (51-61), NCP (31-41), Congress (38-48), MNS (9-15).

Today's Chanakya - BJP 151 (+/- 9), Shiv Sena 71 (+/- 9), Congress 27 (+/-5), NCP 28 (+/- 5), MNS and others 11 (+/- 5).

ABP News-Nielsen - BJP+ (127 seats), Shiv Sena (77), Congress (40), NCP (34) and MNS (5).

C-voter poll - BJP (129), Congress (43), Shiv Sena (56), NCP (36).

Haryana:

India TV- C Voter - BJP (42-48), INLD (20-26), Congress (12-18).

ABP-Nielsen poll - BJP (54), Congress (10) and the INLD (22).

Today's Chanakya - BJP 52 (+/-7), INLD 23 (+/-7), Congress 10 (+/-5) and others five (+/-3).

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: Preparing for a long haul in the Eastern Ladakh sector in extreme winters, the Indian Army has an edge over the Chinese as it has deployed 35,000 troops there who have already done tenures in high altitude and cold conditions.

The Indian troops deployed there are mentally prepared for tackling the weather and terrain.
In contrast, the Chinese troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are not used to these conditions as they have been brought from mainland China and are not accustomed to high altitude extreme cold weather conditions.

"We are preparing to provide extreme cold weather portable cabins for around 35,000 troops that have been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector," government sources said.

"Our soldiers deployed there have already done a tenure or two in Siachen, Eastern Ladakh or Northeast and they are physically and mentally prepared for a longer deployment there," they said.

The Chinese soldiers deployed on the Indian front include mainly conscripts who join the PLA for a period of 2-3 years and then return to their normal lives, sources said.

Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff situation all along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh from sub-sector north with both sides having deployed around 40,000 troops against each other over there.

The two sides have disengaged at three friction points including Patrolling Point 14, PP-15 and PP-17 and PP-17A.

At PP-17 and 17A, the Chinese have now maintained a small element of close to 50 troops and the remaining elements have gone back into their permanent locations.

The sources said the Army is also not much bothered about the Chinese build-up along the LAC as it has got more than two additional divisions from outside Ladakh sector.

India Army has more troops than what the Chinese have brought there, they said.

For the winter deployment, the Army already has a sizeable stock of clothes and habitat for troops as the Indian army deploys troops at the world's highest battlefield Siachen glacier and is prepared.

For additional requirements, the force is in the process of placing orders for additional tents and shelters from indigenous as well as foreign vendors.

The time for summer stocking is on and we are going to get the additional cabins and tents by that time, the sources.

Months of June, July, and August are considered to be the best time for stocking winter rations and ammunition. The snowfall is expected to start soon in the Eastern Ladakh area where the temperature is already low.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has given financial powers of Rs 500 crore per procurement to the defence forces to address any type of shortages of weapons, ammunition, and habitat.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11 Congress's performance touched a record low in the Delhi Assembly election as the party bagged less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled and 63 of its candidates lost their deposits.

The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trot under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed to open its account for the second consecutive assembly election in Delhi.

Only three of its candidates Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar managed to save their deposits.

Security deposit of a candidate is forfeited if he/she fails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes cast in a constituency.

Most of Congress candidates got less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies.

Delhi Congress chief Shubhash Chopra's daughter Shivani Chopra, who was the party candidate from Kalkaji, also could not save her deposit.

Former Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri's daughter Priyanka Singh also forfeited her deposit.

The party's campaign committee chairman Kirti Azad's wife, Poonam Azad, lost badly and stood fourth, polling only 2,604 (2.23) votes.

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Agencies
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: The in-fighting among the residents of housing societies over feeding of stray dogs is nowhere near ending, with yet another attack on a pregnant Russian woman again in the national capital region this time in Noida.

The Russian woman residing in a condominium in Noida's Sector 71 was allegedly attacked by two men for feeding foundling canines inside the complex.

"We have initiated an inquiry and a case has been registered against the men for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation," Amit Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Phase 3 police station told IANS.

The police said that the victim is married to an Indian man and they live in that society.

The issue was raked up on social media by one of the residents of the society. Her post had even solicited a response and help from the Noida Police Commissioner.

Kaveri Rana Bharadwaj wrote, "Mob led by Vikas Sharma, and Mr. Chauhan beat up a pregnant woman in Jagriti Apartment, Sector 71 Noida. Request you to immediately arrest these men and provide security to the scared woman!"

When contacted, a member of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the society said that the allegations levied by her are false and that he, along with a handful of other people, had only asked her not to feed the dogs.

Vikas Sharma divulged, "The woman was called at the society gate by the members of the RWA. When she was asked not to feed the street dogs, she became aggressive, started fighting with the residents of the society and even pushed a 70-year-old woman. The complaint that she registered against us is false. We did not even touch her."

He added that there are 70-80 street dogs in the society who have lately become extremely aggressive. "The lady was asked not to feed them as people feared stepping out of their houses and getting bitten."

In another incident on Tuesday, a Greater Noida man beat up a Chinese woman for allegedly fostering a stray dog which bit his canine.

Greater Noida District Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh told IANS that the man named Amar Pratap Singh of ATS Paradiso misbehaved with the woman after his dog was bit by another dog who she used to feed every day.

The incident happened in the wee hours of the day when the accused took his dog out for a walk. "After his dog was bitten, in a fit of rage, he misbehaved with the Chinese woman." A Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) has been registered and no arrests have been made so far, the police said.

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