Ajai Rai of Cong files nomination from Varanasi

Congress candidate for varanasi Lok Sabha seat, Ajai Rai, filed his nomination paper on Monday. Pitted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rai reached Varanasi collectorate at Kutchery in a roadshow led by party’s State unit president Raj Babbar. The procession, comprising a large number of party supporters besides leaders and workers, started from Azad Park at Peelikothi and reached the collectorate meandering its way through various places in the city.

BJP will win both Amethi, Rae Bareli: Nadda

Union Minister and in-charge of BJP affairs in Uttar Pradesh JP Nadda on Monday exuded confidence that his party will win the Congress bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli. Speaking to reporters here, he said, “Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a Tsunami in favour of the BJP and the entire country is standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The way people are enthusiastically voting indicates that the BJP will win more than 74 seats from the State.”

Dog turned into-campaigner, detained

A dog with pro-BJP stickers on its body was detained alongwith his master in north Maharashtra’s Nandurbar town where polling for the Lok Sabha elections took place on Monday. Eknath Motiram Chaudhary (65), resident of Navnathnagar area, was spotted with his dog near Andhare hospital Monday afternoon. The dog’s body was found covered with stickers bearing the BJP’s symbol and the message “Modi Lao, Desh Bachao” (Vote for Modi and save the country), a local police official said. As the polling was underway, police had received a complaint about the dog and his master who were roaming around the town, he said. A case was registered against Choudhary under section 171 (A) of the IPC for violation of election rules which prohibit campaigning on polling day. Police have asked the municipal corporation to take custody of the dog, the official added.

Sakhi booths, ramp facilities garner praise

Actor Anushka Sharma, who cast her vote in an all-women “sakhi” polling booth in Versova, part of the Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency, was pleasantly surprised to get a kokam sharbat and a sanitary napkin packet. As part of an Election Commission initiative to encourage women voters and honour women power, “sakhi” polling booths, staffed entirely by women officials, have been set up in which women voters are given a sanitary napkin packet and kokam juice post voting, an official said.

BMC staffer on LS poll duty dies in Dharavi

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation employee who was deputed on polling duty as a peon in Dharavi in central Mumbai died on Monday afternoon, an official said. Vijay Sable complained of uneasiness and was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival by medical authorities, he added. Dharavi is part of Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls on Monday along with the metropolis’ five other constituencies.