Month: June 2024

Amid the opposition parties raising concerns over the counting process of the votes, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday said that the entire counting mechanism is robust and the whole process is codified in a certain manner that no error can be found in the whole procedure.

“Entire counting process is absolutely robust. We don’t think anywhere there is a robust system like it. Every part is decided. The whole process is codified. Micro observers are in place. There cannot be any mistake in this process. Lakhs of people including counting officials, counting agents, micro-observers, ROs/AROs, Observers present during the world’s largest counting exercise. Before the elections, EVMs were randomised. All candidates and agents were present to observe that who were present at the booth,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said at a press conference.

Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh through a post on his social media handle alleged that calls have been made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to 150 District Magistrates just days before the scheduled counting of votes (June 4). ECI sought factual information and details from Congress General Secretary.

CEC Rajiv Kumar said that counting process of the postal ballots will start before the counting of Electronic voting machines.

“Section 54 A of RPA Act was introduced in 1954. At that time, there were not much people for postal ballots. On all centres, counting of postal ballots will start first. After only half an hour, EVM counting will start first. It happened in 2019, it happened in all 2022 Assembly elections, it happened yesterday also in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim,” CEC said.

A delegation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders met with the Election Commission of India to discuss issues related to the counting of votes. In their meeting with the poll body, the INDIA bloc said that ECI should issue clear, detailed guidelines for the counting process on June 4.

After meeting with ECI, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “The vital importance of counting postal ballots first, and declaring the results of postal ballots first. This is very clearly stated in the statutory rule. This has been understood by the Election Commission over the years. Our complaint is that this statutory rule of this 2019 guideline has been given goodbye.”

Other demands, as stated by INDIA bloc, were clarification on counting postal ballots first as per Conduct of Election Rules 1961, ensuring CCTV-monitored safe movement of Control Units, verify date/time on Control Units and confirm voting start/end times, specify slips, tags, and details for counting agents; Display poll date, candidates, and total votes before candidate-wise results and avoid rushing; allow agents to record results before proceeding. Strengthen transparency and faith in the electoral process.

CEC Kumar also said that process of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will begin soon.

“We are very enthused. It is one of the most satisfying moments for us here in the commission. We will start that process soon,” he said.

“We failed to understand the fake narratives that were going on during the elections. But we have understood it now,” EC said.

Election Commission members along with CEC Rajiv Kumar gave a standing ovation to all voters who took part in the Lok Sabha elections.

“We have created a world record of 642 million voters. This is the historic moment for all of us. This is 1.5 times the voters of all G7 countries and 2.5 times voters of 27 countries in the European Union (EU). We thank each and every one who took part in this festival of democracy. The Indian elections are indeed a miracle. Having no parallel in the world,” Rajiv Kumar said.

CEC further said that 312 million women voters cast their vote in General Elections 2024, which is 1.25 times the women voters of 27 EU countries in their last national election. Reflects the ECI commitment to inclusive elections.

The women voters’ figures 1.25 times greater than the voters of 27 countries in the EU.

“The contribution of voters aged 85 and above is inspiring for our younger generation; they are the heroes of our democracy. They have witnessed India before independence and have shaped this country with their contributions over the past 70 years,” CEC Kumar said.

CEC Kumar said that, due to the meticulous work of the election personnel, we ensured fewer repolls.

“Due to the meticulous work of the election personnel we ensured fewer repolls – we saw 39 repolls in Lok Sabha polls 2024 as opposed to 540 in 2019 and 25 out of 39 repolls were in 2 States only,” he stated.

The Elections Commission extended special thanks to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their faith in the electoral process.

“Voter turnout in the state is the highest in the last 4 decades,” he said.

He further said that the largest-ever global delegation of 75 observers from 23 countries was thrilled by India’s Electoral Marvel, which showcased unparalleled scale, meticulous planning, and integrity in the conduct of elections.

“4Ms: Identified, Confronted, and Tackled Muscle, Money, Misinformation and MCC Violations – impediments to free, fair, and transparent elections were addressed and responded to,” he said.

Rajiv Kumar said that in the Lok Sabha elections, the poll body has not seen the violence.

“This is one of the General Elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation,” he said.

“Election Commission made a record seizure record of almost Rs 10,000 crores during this election. This is nearly 3 times the value seized in 2019…Local teams were empowered to do their work,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said.

The Chief Election Commissioner gave details about the counting process to be followed to declare the results of Lok Sabha elections on June 4, he said, “The entire counting process is absolutely robust. It works similar to the precision of a clock.”

The press conference was addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, exit polls predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, exit polls predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties.A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of “400 paar” stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases from April 19 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi steering the BJP campaign. Votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Delhi police have imposed prohibitory orders banning drone and laser beam activities in the funnel area falling within the approach path of flights to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI).

Sources claimed that the prohibitory orders have been imposed due to VVIP aircraft’s movement at the airport because of political developments in the national capital and the oath-taking ceremony of the Prime Minister.

The order shall come into force with effect from June 1 and shall remain in force up to July 30 (both dates inclusive).

The order copy accessed by ANI into the matter reads that the Air Traffic Control of IGI Airport, New Delhi, has reported incidents of vision distraction of the pilots by laser beams, especially while landing aircraft at IGI Airport, New Delhi, which is not only a source of a nuisance but may also cause danger to the safety and security of passengers, crew and the aircraft.

“And whereas, it has been found that a number of farms houses, banquets, hotels, restaurants, etc. have come up in and around the jurisdiction of IGI Airport wherein a lot of lights, including laser beams, are used on the celebration of marriages, parties and different events held therein, which is a source of nuisance in general and cause of vision distraction to the pilots in particular,” it reads.

It further reads that, at present, there are no rules and regulations to regulate the use of laser beams, especially in the open during night hours. And whereas, it is necessary to take immediate measures, in this regard, to prevent danger to human life and the safety of aircraft and to contain nuisance in the matter of the use of laser beams in and around IGI Airport, New Delhi.

Another order regarding banning drones in airport premises reads that there have been frequent reports based on credible information that terrorists have planned to carry out terror attacks by using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including drones, Para-gliders, hang-gliders, UAVs, Aero-models, etc. However, the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including drones, para-gliders, aero-models, etc., by members of the public is prohibited since it can be very hazardous to aviation safety and also poses a security threat to terrorist air attacks.

“And whereas the safety and security of government, public property, and human beings is a matter of serious concern, there is a need to deter the operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from the point of view of aviation safety and terrorist threats. And whereas it is necessary to take speedy measures on this behalf to prevent the above-mentioned dangerous threat,” the order reads.

Any person, group of persons, organisers, owners, occupiers, employees, etc. contravening this order shall be liable to be punished following the provisions of Section 188 of the IPC. (ANI)

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After the exit polls predicted a third straight win for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that the exit polls are laughable, asserting that INDIA bloc will get 295 seats .

“We are seeing it with skepticism and disbelief because we have also been campaigning throughout the country. We also have a sense of what the pulse of the people is and we don’t believe it is reflected accurately in these polls. Our Congress president, after meeting all the INDIA bloc members, has said that he is convinced that we are getting about 295 for the alliance. I stick to that number,” Tharoor told reporters on Monday.

“If any exit poll can say that the BJP will win up to 7 seats in Kerala – either they are suffering from heatstroke or they don’t understand Kerala. Some of these exit polls are also laughable for other reasons. I don’t think we should take them seriously,” he added.

The Congress MP said that the Congress looked all over the place and no wave of the BJP was visible.

“I am perfectly aware that Thiruvananthapuram is the BJP’s strongest constituency in Kerala, that on two occasions they have come second and therefore they are entirely capable of coming second again. But the possibility that they can actually win is, at the moment, a remote one because there has to be some basis for it. We have really looked all over the place, there was no wave…In a three-cornered contest, there has to be nonetheless either a perception of what exactly the constituency is lacking in its present arrangement for a major anti-incumbency to occur or there has to be a perception that there is something really wonderful about the alternative…I can tell you that none of us have seen anything that will justify any concern on our part. We are quite relaxed going into tomorrow’s counting,” he said.

He further exuded confidence that the numbers the people have seen in the exit Polls will be proved wrong tomorrow.

“Not just Thiruvananthapuram, I am also 100 per cent confident that the numbers you have all seen in the exit polls for the nationwide picture will also be belied tomorrow,” he said.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, Exit polls predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties.

A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of “400 paar” stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP also improving its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, the exit poll predicted a marked rise in NDA’s vote share in Tamil Nadu which is expected to go to 22 per cent. According to the Axis My India exit poll, the BJP-led NDA is expected to win 2-4 seats in Tamil Nadu. The INDIA bloc, which has both DMK and Congress in it, is set to win 33-37 seats out of 39 Lok Sabha seats.

The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term in power, while the opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest power by stopping the juggernaut. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Loved watching Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial web series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’? If yes, then a new update regarding the hit show will definitely bring a smile to your face.

Streaming giant Netflix has renewed the series for a second season, Variety reported.

Within the first week of its May 1 launch, the series danced its way up the Netflix’s worldwide non-English TV chart in 43 countries, becoming the most-viewed Indian series for the streamer globally. The series has been reigning in the No. 1 spot in the India Top 10 chart since its launch.

Spanning 1920 through 1947, when the subcontinent was partitioned into India and Pakistan, Season 1 of the lavish story is set in the Heeramandi district of Lahore, British India, the milieu of the tawaifs. As with the geisha of Japan, tawaifs were trained in music and dance and courted by nobility. At the show’s center are Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), the scheming queen of Heeramandi, and her vindictive niece Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), who has ambitions to take her aunt’s place.

Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, and Taha Shah Badussha also feature in the show.

On expanding the series, Bhansali said,”It takes a lot to make a series. This one has taken a lot. After ‘Gangubai’ [Berlinale title ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’] released in February 2022, from that to now every single day I have worked without a break. So the responsibility is huge on the series,” Bhansali told Variety.

“In ‘Heeramandi 2,’ the women now come from Lahore to the film world. They leave Lahore after the partition and most of them settle in the Mumbai film industry or Kolkata film industry. So that journey in the bazaar remains the same. They still have to dance and sing, but this time for the producers and not for the nawabs. So that’s the second season we are planning, let’s see where it goes,” Bhansali added.

Monika Shergill, VP, content, Netflix India, said, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali has intricately woven magic to bring ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ to life. Watching audiences everywhere fall in love with this series — making it truly their own as a cultural phenomenon — has been hugely energizing and it thrills me to share that we will be back with Season 2.” (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter and actress Suhana Khan, who often mesmerises with her charming pictures, has sharing stunning pictures from the streets of Italy.

The ‘Archies,’ actress on Sunday, dropped a series of gorgeous pictures on her Instagram account, wearing a black and blue floral bodycon dress with a stylish neckline. Shanaya Kapoor appeared in one of the photos.

Soon after Suhana shared the pictures, fans filled the comment section with praise.

One user wrote, “Omg girl you look gorgeous.”

Another commented, “You look so stunning.”

A third user added, “Wow, Shanaya looks too much beautiful.”

Earlier on Sunday, Shanaya shared glimpses of the fun moments and posted some stunning pictures with bffs Suhana and Ananya Panday.

Taking to her Instagram handle, she dropped several pictures. The photos captured breathtaking sights of Shanaya in a backless colourful maxi dress, while Suhana wore a black flowery gown. The Call Me Bae actress looked radiant in a yellow short dress.

In the photos, the divas were seen strolling around Portofino streets, with Shanaya posing beside a dock.

She captioned the image with, “that’s amore”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ananya’s next project is ‘Call Me Bae,’ set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 6, 2024. The series, created by Ishita Moitra and directed by Collin D’cunha, boasts a star-studded cast including Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskkkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Suhana made headlines with her role in Zoya Akhtar’s ‘The Archies’.

On the other hand, Shanaya is all set to make her acting debut with Mohanlal’s pan-India ‘Vrushabha’, directed by Nanda Kishore. It will be released simultaneously in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi in 2024. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Amidst the scorching heat and rising mercury in Rajasthan, the residents of Balwanta village in Ajmer are facing a severe water crisis and even after boycotting the general elections this year, the villagers say that they continue to grapple with water shortage.

The people, while speaking with ANI asserted that the village has been grappling with water shortage for several years and now, the problem has started affecting the marriage prospects also. The villagers also vowed to not vote for anybody in the future till the problem of the water crisis is solved.

Indu, a resident of Balwanta village, said, “It has been 20 years and we have no water connection in the village… We have complained so many times hoping for a timely resolution but no one has come. After every five years, they say that water will come but that didn’t happen till now.”

She further said, “We will not vote for anyone till we get water in our village, be it Sarpanch or any other leader.”

Sapna Gujjar, a resident of Balwanta village said that the problem of water crisis has been prevalent since she was born. “It’s been so many years that women come here to get water and stand in queues. We are not getting marriage prospects in the village because of this issue. Women stand here all night waiting for water. We also witness violence due to the unavailability of water. We will not vote for anyone till we get water in the village.”

Another resident of Balwanta village, Ajay Raj highlighted the problem of the unavailability of clean drinking water and said, “Our village is just 10km away from Ajmer city… There is no water pipeline in our village and neither do we have provision of clean drinking water. We are forced to drink water with fluoride content and because of that many diseases are occurring.”

He added, “One of the social impacts of the water crisis is that it is affecting marriage prospects because women of the village need to travel for 2 to 2.5km across the highway to fill water suitable for drinking. There are nearly 5000 people in the village and the village is 1000 years old. The whole village boycotted the elections but even after one month, no administrative officer or political leader has bothered to come here and take cognisance of our issues.” (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

A day ahead of the counting of votes, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Monday said that in the Lok Sabha elections, India recorded the highest voter turnout in the world, adding that the Indian elections are indeed a “miracle.”

Addressing a press conference on Monday, CEC Rajiv Kumar gave a standing ovation to all voters who took part in the Lok Sabha elections.

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“We have created a world record of 642 million voters. This is the historic moment for all of us. This is 1.5 times the voters of all G7 countries and 2.5 times voters of 27 countries in the European Union (EU). We thank each and every one who took part in this festival of democracy. The Indian elections are indeed a miracle. Having no parallel in the world,” Rajiv Kumar said.

CEC further said that 312 million women voters cast their vote in General Elections 2024, which is 1.25 times the women voters of 27 EU countries in their last national election. Reflects the ECI commitment to inclusive elections.

The women voters’ figures 1.25 times greater than the voters of 27 countries in the EU.

“The contribution of voters aged 85 and above is inspiring for our younger generation; they are the heroes of our democracy. They have witnessed India before independence and have shaped this country with their contributions over the past 70 years,” CEC Kumar said.

CEC Kumar said that, due to the meticulous work of the election personnel, we ensured fewer repolls.

“Due to the meticulous work of the election personnel we ensured fewer repolls – we saw 39 repolls in Lok Sabha polls 2024 as opposed to 540 in 2019 and 25 out of 39 repolls were in 2 States only,” he stated.

The Elections Commission extended special thanks to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their faith in the electoral process.

“Voter turnout in the state is the highest in the last 4 decades,” he said.

He further said that the largest-ever global delegation of 75 observers from 23 countries was thrilled by India’s Electoral Marvel, which showcased unparalleled scale, meticulous planning, and integrity in the conduct of elections.

“4Ms: Identified, Confronted, and Tackled Muscle, Money, Misinformation and MCC Violations – impediments to free, fair, and transparent elections were addressed and responded to,” he said.

Rajiv Kumar said that in the Lok Sabha elections, the poll body has not seen the violence.

“This is one of the General Elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation,” he said.

“Election Commission made a record seizure record of almost Rs 10,000 crores during this election. This is nearly 3 times the value seized in 2019…Local teams were empowered to do their work,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said.

The Chief Election Commissioner gave details about the counting process to be followed to declare the results of Lok Sabha elections on June 4, he said, “The entire counting process is absolutely robust. It works similar to the precision of a clock.”

The press conference was addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, exit polls predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties.

A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of “400 paar” stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases from April 19 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi steering the BJP campaign. Votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

To manage post-election violence, nearly 400 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies (over 40,000 personnel) will remain in West Bengal until June 19, sources said.

A significant portion of the CAPFs will consist of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), said a source privy to the development, adding “The decision was taken anticipating post-poll violence in West Bengal.”

“The ongoing deployment of 400 CAPF companies in West Bengal aims to establish area dominance, build confidence among citizens, and ensure a peaceful environment while maintaining law and order in the state,” said officials requesting anonymity.

As per the official source, the 400 CAPF companies consist of the CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Considering free, fair, and peaceful general parliamentary elections in West Bengal, the Centre deployed over 900 companies (90,000 personnel) of CAPF in the state gradually in separate phases.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had sanctioned the deployment of CAPF in West Bengal following the request of the Election Commission aimed at conducting free, fair, and peaceful Lok Sabha elections, which started on April 19 and concluded on June 1 after seven phases of polls across India.

The EC had sent the proposal to the ministry following requests from the chief electoral officers of all the states and the UTs for the deployment of CAPFs for election-related duties such as area domination, confidence-building measures, poll day-related duties, guarding of EVM and strong room centres, and counting centre security during the general elections and the assembly elections in four states: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim.

As per a proposal, the Election Commission had sought a maximum of 920 CAPF companies for West Bengal, followed by 635 in Jammu and Kashmir, which witnessed its first Lok Sabha elections after scrapping Article 370 from the erstwhile state.

Besides, 360 companies of CAPF were sought for their deployment in Chhattisgarh during the polls: 295 in Bihar; 252 in Uttar Pradesh; 250 each in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Jharkhand; 200 each in Gujarat, Manipur, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu; 175 in Odisha; 160 each in Assam and Telangana; 150 in Maharashtra; 113 in Madhya Pradesh; 100 in Tripura; 95 in Haryana; 75 in Arunachal Pradesh; 70 each in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Delhi; 66 in Kerala; 57 in Laddakh; 55 in Himachal Pradesh; 48 in Nagaland; 45 in Meghalaya; 17 in Sikkim; 15 in Mizoram; 14 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli; 12 in Goa; 11 in Chandigarh; 10 in Puducherry; five in Andaman and Nicobar; and three in Lakshadweep. (ANI)

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The United States congratulated the newly appointed crown prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah on Monday and said they looked forward to deepening the friendship with the Gulf country.

“The United States congratulates His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah for his appointment as the new Crown Prince of Kuwait. His Highness Sheikh Sabah has a distinguished background of public service for his country, which includes previously serving as the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister,” the US State Department said in an official statement.

The US also underlined that its strategic partnership with Kuwait is a valued one.

“The United States values our strategic partnership with the State of Kuwait. We look forward to deepening our friendship with Kuwait and His Highness Sheikh Sabah as we work toward a peaceful and prosperous Middle East region,” the statement added.

According to state agency KUNA, the Kuwait Emir appointed Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Mubarak Al Sabah as Crown Prince.

The appointment of Al Sabah comes six months after the Emir of Kuwait took over the throne and also weeks after suspending parliament, according to Khaleej Times.

The 71-year-old Sheikh was Kuwait’s foreign minister from 2011 to 2019 and then prime minister until 2022. (ANI)

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