Voting begins in 222 of 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka

News Network
May 12, 2018

Bengaluru, May 12: Polling for the high-stakes Karnataka assembly elections got underway this morning under a thick security blanket. Elections are being held for 222 out of the 224 Assembly constituencies.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm. Counting of votes will take place on May 15.

The Congress is fighting to retain Karnataka, one of the last major states where it is in power. The BJP, which is on an expansionist mode having won 22 states on its own or through allies, is desperate to win Karnataka. For the JD(S), which has positioned itself as a regional party, this election is a litmus test for its very survival as it has been out of power for a decade now.

Total voters comprise 2.56 crore men, 2.50 crore women and 5,055 transgenders. Voting will take place in 58,008 polling stations, with 1.40 lakh security personnel deployed to ensure law and order. Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelmani N Raju said elaborate security arrangements have been made for conducting free and fair elections in the state. 

In a first, women personnel will manage 600 polling stations called Sakhi (pink booths). Also, 28 ethnic polling stations have been set up in places where the tribal population is high. Kodagu has the highest tribal population of 3,350.

It is a general holiday on Saturday for public offices. Employees, both permanent and contractual, working in commercial and industrial establishments will be eligible to avail leave to cast their vote.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a mobile app called Chunavana, which will help voters locate their polling stations and also know real-time data on the queue.

Polling in the Jayanagar constituency has been put off following the death of incumbent legislator and BJP candidate B N Vijay Kumar. Polling in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency will be held on May 28, following the seizure of 9,000 voter cards.

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News Network
July 20,2020

Udupi, July 20: A youth, who was under depression after his business came to a halt due to lockdown, has killed self in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district. 

The deceased has been identified as Nitish Shetty (31), son of Prabhakar Shetty, a resident of Giliyaru in Kota area of Kundapura. 

Shetty was running a secondhand car business in Bengaluru. The business had completely stopped due to covid-19 lockdown. 

After returning to his hometown, he could not find any other job. Hence he was under depression. Hence on July 18 he handed himself to death in his house, police said. 

A case has been registered at jurisdictional Kota police station.

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News Network
June 21,2020

India on Sunday witnessed annual solar eclipse or 'surya grahan' 2020, the third eclipse even for this year after first two lunar eclipses took place in January and June and the last annual solar eclipse of this decade.

The solar eclipse started from around 9 a.m. across the Indian map as the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth came in a straight line, and the country witnessed the 'deepest' annular solar eclipse in over a century.

Astrologers said it a fourth super rare hybrid eclipse which is a mix between an annular and total solar eclipse.

Areas like Hyderabad, Chennai, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Patna, Shillong and more witnessed a partial phase of the annular solar eclipse from 9 a.m.

In the eclipse, the distance of the Moon and Earth will be larger than usual which means the moon will not be able to cover up the sun fully and will leave out the borders of the sun - giving an appearance of a "Ring of Fire".

Press Information Bureau in a tweet informed that it is the last annular solar eclipse in India of this decade.

People can catch glimpse of the partially covered sun between 10 a.m. and 2.28 p.m. as per the time differing as locations in India. The eclipse will continue for over three hours covering 84 per cent Sun.

There are three types of solar eclipses - total, partial, and annular.

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Agencies
January 26,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26: Sister Lucy Kalappura, one of the nuns who protested against rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, on Saturday claimed that she is being targeted at the convent and not being provided food.

Sister Lucy was dismissed from Franciscan Clarist congregation for supporting sisters protesting against the Bishop.

"I am being targeted at the convent and not being provided food. When I asked the reason, I was told I have been dismissed from the convent and they are not responsible for feeding me," said Sister Lucy while speaking to the reporters.

She has alleged that all this began after the release of her autobiography "Karthavinte Namathil" which means 'In the name of God'. In her book she had alleged sexual misconduct among priests and nuns.

"They prepare food and after having it they lock it in the cupboard. When I asked the reason behind this, they told me that I have been dismissed," said Sister Lucy.

"Now I am managing it all by myself with egg and tapioca that grows in the convent compound. Earlier they used to keep the leftover lunch and I used to adjust with that, but after my book was released, they started to lock the food in the cupboard," she added.

Sister Lucy also claimed that she had filed three complaints with the police on August 19, August 20 and on December 13. They had taken her statement but no action was taken.

"If the police would have taken some action against the convent authorities, they would not have behaved this way. An FIR was registered based on the three complaints but no action was taken. This gives them more power to act against me. I have drafted a letter to the Chief Minister to raise my complaint," said Sister Lucy.

Bishop Mulakkal, a senior member of the Roman Catholic clergy in India, was arrested in 2018 following allegations by a nun that he repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her at Kuravilangad convent between 2014 and 2016, a charge that he denies.

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