‘Modi candidate of communal forces’
Varanasi: Terming Narendra Modi as “common candidate” for all corporates and communal forces, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday said all non-Congress parties should have fielded a consensus candidate against the BJP prime ministerial nominee. “Some time ago, many people told me that there should be a common candidate against Modi, to which I said we are ready to withdraw our candidate if all non-Congress parties can come together to field one single candidate to take on the BJP leader,” Karat said here. “However, the parties could not reach any such consensus,” he said, while adding that only a left candidate can now fight capitalism and communal forces. CPI (M) has fielded Heera lal Yadav from Varanasi lok Sabha seat against Modi, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Congress' Ajay Rai, among others.
FIR to be registered against parties
Kanpur: Several political parties, including Congress, BJP and SP, were issued notices by the district administration for violating the model code of conduct by allegedly providing free food to their workers.Also, directions have been issued for registration of FIRs against the parties, said Kanpur District Magistrate Roshan Jacob in a statement. Information was received about food being cooked and served to party workers at Congress' headquarters in Tilak Hall, SP's headquarters at Halsi Road, BJP's headquarters at Sarojini Nagar, AAP's headquarters at Civil lines and BSP's headquarters at Ompurwa, he said. On checking, the information was found to be true, he said. Considering this a violation of the model code of conduct, the Assistant Returning Officer has been asked to file FIRs against the parties, the DM said.
Congress agent held for damaging EVM
Kendrapara: An election agent of opposition Congress party was today arrested on charge of damaging EVM in booth- 193 of Mulasahi village under Aul Assembly segment in Kendrapara district. There were also complaints of technical snags in EVMs which delayed the voting process in around the particular polling stations. “An estimated 22 per cent polling has been reported in four hours after the polling commenced at 7 AA in five Assembly constituencies spread across this coastal district. The administration has received around a dozen of complaints of rigging. “The complaints are being looked into. Armed police reinforcements have been made in these areas,” said Kendrapara Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale.
CRPF jawans among 5 hurt in poll violence
Bokaro: Four CRPF personnel were among five persons injured on Thursday in Maoist violence in Jharkhand's Bokaro district where polling is underway. Targeting a CRPF patrol, Maoists triggered two landmine blasts at lalpania near Jhumra hills, injuring three personnel and a civilian driver, CRPF (26th Battalion) Commandant Sanjay Kumar said. The men were Pratap Singh, Surendra Kumar and P C Mandal while the driver was identified as Ranjit Kumar, Kumar said. Maoists also fired on a CRPF patrol near Tulbul village in the area injuring a personnel in a brief encounter, the CRPF official said. Maoists also blew up railway lines in Bokaro district disrupting train services. A pressure cooker bomb was recovered near a polling booth in Maoist-hit Saranda forest, an hour before polling began in the Singhbhum (reserved) constituency, police siad.