tiruchy l friday l may 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l LATE CITY EDITION ECI rolls out SIR phase 3 in 16 states, 3 Union territories ECI on Thursday rolled out phase 3 of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 16 states and three Union Territories beginning May 30 roll revision in 4 opposition-ruled states The states and UTs are Delhi, Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Telangana, Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Tripura, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Punjab, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Telangana are opposition-ruled states | P9 ■ 3 Over 36.7 crore electors to be mapped ■ Over 3.94 lakh booth level officers (BLOs) will go house-to-house of 36.73 crore electors during the latest poll roll revision exercise. They will be assisted by 3.42 lakh booth level agents, ECI said The schedule for SIR in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will be announced later keeping the weather in view states/uts of himachal, j&k and ladakh will see roll revision later CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI BRICS: India raps unilateral sanctions J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan arrives to a rapturous welcome at the Congress headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday | BP Deepu Satheesan has the last laugh in tight Kerala race Priyanka’s support changed the game at the last moment; oath taking on Monday P r e e t h a N a i r , An i l S & K S S r e e j i t h We will all work hard with dedication to improve the living standards of the people, create a new Kerala and usher in a new era V D Satheesan, Kerala CM-designate Focus shifts to ministerial positions The KC camp is will seek strong representation in the ministry, with Sunny Joseph, A P Anil Kumar, P C Vishnunath and M Liju emerging as likely entrants. K Muraleedharan is also almost certain to secure a key portfolio. Bindu Krishna and T Siddique are also among front-runners. Chennithala loyalists T J Vinod and Anwar Sadath are likely to find berths. From Kottayam, either T Radhakrishnan or Chandy Oommen could be in The Tamil Nadu government is planning to shift beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme who are aged 60 and above to the Old Age Pension (OAP) scheme, thereby increasing their monthly assistance from `1,000 to `1,500. In addition, the monthly pension for around 30 lakh beneficiaries covered under eight other social security schemes is also likely to be raised from `1,200 to `1,500. The identification process for all beneficiaries to be included in the OAP scheme is currently under way, and they will be automatically transitioned to receive increased financial aid, with 60 years set as the qualifying age. In its election manifesto, the Vijay-led TVK had promised financial assistance of `2,500 for women up to the age of 60 and that the old age pension for those above 60 would be increased to `3,000. On Thursday Chief Minister , C Joseph Vijay stated that the tries. These unjustifiable measures cannot substitute dialogue, nor can pressure replace diplomacy he said. ,” While Jaishankar did not directly name the US, the remarks come amid expanding sanctions targeting firms and coun- Foreign minister S Jaishankar with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi | PTI tries trading with Iran and Russia. Such sanctions have increasingly affected access to international banking and payment systems because of the central role of the American financial network in the global economy India has consistently . honorarium scheme is being restructured and that the government would require some time to implement the proposed changes. According to sources, the restructuring exercise may also include renaming the scheme as ‘Mathippumigu Mahalir Thittam’ (Honourable Women Scheme), as promised in the TVK poll manifesto. However, a final decision on the name change is yet to be taken. Government sources said the May installment of KMUT assistance would be credited on May 15. “A government order on renaming the scheme, shifting a section of beneficiaries from the KMUT scheme to the OAP scheme, and revising the eligibility criteria to include more beneficiaries is expected soon. The changes are likely to come into effect from June,” an official told TNIE. At present, there are nine social security schemes covering 34.36 lakh beneficiaries. While 4,39,315 disabled pensioners receive `1,500 per month, beneficiaries under remaining schemes receive `1,200.  Name change on cards According to sources, the restructuring exercise may also include renaming the scheme as ‘Mathippumigu Mahalir Thittam’ (Honourable Women Scheme), as promised in the TVK poll manifesto Process already ongoing Process to identify the beneficiaries to be included in the OAP scheme is currently under way. They will be transitioned to receive increased financial aid of `1,500 Bid to mollify Ramesh Chennithala AICC leaders are trying to placate Chennithala and have urged him to join the ministry. Sources said he would take a final call after reviewing the portfolio being offered to him Not superman Combo videograbs of a man, Nanhe Miyan, flung nearly 50 ft into the air along with a tin roof during a powerful storm in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. He suffered limb fractures but managed to survived. At least 111 people were killed and 72 others injured after the storm and heavy rain pounded several districts of UP, uprooting trees and damaging houses | PTI BJP man ‘cracked’ NEET last yr too Khairnar from Nashik, Dinesh Binwal, his brother Mangilal, Mangilal’s son Vikas, and HarTHE probe into the NEET pa- yana resident Yash Yadav. All per leak has now expanded be- five were taken to Delhi for yond the current examiinterrogation. n at i o n cycl e. F re s h The CBI has learned revelations confirmed that three daughters that three members of from the family of Dithe family of key accused nesh and Mangilal — and BJP worker Dinesh Palak, Sonia and Binwal had secured med- Dinesh Binwal Prakriti — had qualiical admissions last year fied NEET last year. too. Rajasthan police said the They are now under probe. 2025 NEET examination is unThe probe further revealed der scrutiny too. that Vikas and Yash Yadav On Thursday, the CBI se- studied together at a coaching cured transit remand for the institute in Sikar. During Difive main accused: Shubham wali last year, Yash allegedly r a j e s h a sn a n i & su d h i r su r ya w a ns h i @Jaipur/Mumbai Jaishankar reiterated India’s support for a “two-state solution” to the IsraelPalestine conflict and broadened his remarks to issues ranging from terrorism and climate change to technology and global governance reform Urimai Thogai beneficiaries over 60 to be shifted to OAP B A N B U S ELVA N @ Chennai @ New Delhi/T’Puram Finally the roulette stopped at V D Sathee, san. Ending days of suspense, the Congress picked Satheesan, who led the UDF to a landslide victory in the assembly election, as the 13th chief minister of Kerala. The full cabinet, led by the Paravoor MLA, would take oath at the Central Stadium in the state capital on Monday May 18. , The decision, pending for 10 days, followed an intense three-cornered battle involving senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and Satheesan. Crucial backing from Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, along with Congress veterans A K Antony and V M Sudheeran, ultimately tipped the scales in Satheesan’s favour. The announcement, initially expected at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, took a dramatic turn on Thursday morning after Venugopal was summoned to Rahul Gandhi’s residence in Delhi for a meeting attended by Priyanka as well. Soon after, the AICC convened a press meet where general secretary Deepa Das Munshi formally announced Satheesan as the new CM. While Venugopal, a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, enjoyed the backing of a majority of Congress MLAs and MPs, Satheesan had the strong support of UDF allies, particularly the influential Muslim League. Party insiders said the high command grew increasingly wary of the IUML’s uncompromising stand, fearing possible fallout in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Venugopal welcomed the decision, saying he would abide by the high command’s verdict. An upset Chennithala, however, expressed displeasure and stayed away from the CLP meeting. Though he conveyed his reluctance to join Satheesan’s cabinet, Chennithala handed over a letter of support for him to KPCC chief Sunny Joseph. Satheesan received a rousing welcome on arriving in the state capital. He later called on Antony and Sudheeran, both of whom had strongly backed his candidature before the party high command. At the CLP meeting, Sunny Joseph proposed Satheesan’s name, which was seconded by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Soon after the CLP formally elected him leader, Satheesan, accompanied by Das Munshi and Sunny met , Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Lok Bhavan to stake his claim to form the government. The governor then handed over the appointment letter naming him CM-designate. At the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, India on Thursday mounted a sharp critique of the growing use of unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar warning that such actions were disproportionately hurting developing countries and weakening global stability . In his national statement, Jaishankar criticised the “increasing” use of “unilateral coercive measures and sanctions inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter”. “Such measures disproportionately affect developing coun- Two-state solution told Vikas and Mangilal that he could arrange the NEET question paper before the exam. Investigators found that multiple copies of the paper were printed at a press in Nashik, after which they were circulated across several states. In Maharashtra, CBI arrested two more: Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar and Manisha Waghmare from Pune. Manisha received money from 21 bank accounts ahead of the May 3 exam. In UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, a 21-year-old NEET aspirant hanged himself over the cancellation of the exam. Bi-weekly govt staff WFH in austere Delhi Anup V e r m a @ New Delhi THE Delhi government on Thursday rolled out a 90-day public campaign in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for energy conservation and self-reliance. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced sweeping measures including a two-day weekly work-from-home for government departments (barring essential services), 20% cut in official petrol quotas, and ‘Metro Monday’ to promote public transport. Staggered office timings, one voluntary ‘No Vehicle Day’ every week, and a six-month ban on new government vehicles. Other steps include 20% reduction in domestic travel, 50% online meetings and no foreign official visits for a year. opposed unilateral sanctions including in BRICS platforms. Jaishankar raised concerns over instability in West Asia and disruptions to key maritime trade routes. “The conflict in West Asia merits particular attention. Continuing tensions, risks to maritime traffic, and disruptions to energy infrastructure highlight the fragility of the situation,” he said. “Safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being,” he added, flagging concerns over shipping disruptions, energy security and regional tensions. eps cautions cadre Disqualify EPS & co: Rival group to speaker E x p r e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai The two rival factions within the AIADMK may have crossed the point of no return, with each camp openly seeking the disqualification of the other’s MLAs on Thursday Amid the open rebel. lion, general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami advised office-bearers and cadre at every level to remain extremely cautious of a few former ministers who are “acting selfishly in pursuit of ministerial and other posts”. Palaniswami, on Wednesday had sought the dis, qualification of the 25 MLAs who voted in favour of the TVK government during the confidence vote in the House. Leaders of the rival faction led by former AIADMK minister C Ve Shanmugam, in turn, submitted a representation on Thursday to Speaker J C D Prabhakar to disqualify Palaniswami and 21 AIADMK MLAs who voted against the TVK government. Former AIADMK minister C Vijaya Baskar, belonging to the Shanmugham faction, claimed he was elected the whip of the legislature party by a majority of the MLAs, and charged that Palaniswami and the 21 other MLAs acted against his whip to vote in favour and should be disqualified.  P5 Manipur tense as at least 38 held ‘hostage’ E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Guwahati AT least 38 people were taken ‘hostage’ by different groups in Manipur on Thursday after Wednesday’s killings of three Kuki church leaders in Kangpokpi district. “More than 38 people were detained by different groups. The persons are from both communities (Kuki and Naga),” Manipur’s home minister Govindas Konthoujam said, while stating that the state government was holding talks with civil society organisations and political leaders to ensure the safe release of those in custody . Naga organisation ‘United Naga Council’ issued an ultimatum demanding the release of all the “hostages.” It was addressed to CM Y Khemchand Singh and said 18 Naga civilians, including women and a two-year-old baby, were held hostage by Kuki groups at Leilon Vaiphei village, while two Naga priests were detained at Supermeina village. Normal life was affected on Thursday during a “total shutdown” called by the Kuki Inpi Manipur, protesting the killings.