BHUBANESWAR l friday l may 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 Over 36.7 crore electors to be mapped 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 | P7 ■ ■ 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 3 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 nt 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 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 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 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- @ New Delhi/T’Puram 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 Huge rush at a petrol pump in Rasulgarh amid fears of fuel shortage in city | DEBADATTA MALLICK V D Satheesan, Kerala CM-designate S u d a r s a n M a h a r a n a @ Bhubaneswar 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 Fuel crisis fears triggered panic buying across Odisha on Thursday, with long queues seen at several petrol pumps and outlets running dry at several places, disrupting normal life in many parts of the state. Public transport was also affected with a section of private buses going off road due to fuel scarcity fears. The state government, however, maintained that there was no shortage of petrol or diesel and appealed to people not to resort to panic buying. In Bhubaneswar, fuel stations in Chandrasekharpur, CRP Square and Rasulgarh witnessed long queues of vehicles waiting to refill petrol and diesel tanks. Several outlets reportedly imposed limits on fuel sales, ranging from `200 to `1,000 for twowheelers and four-wheelers respectively . In Berhampur, many petrol pumps reportedly remained closed for nearly six hours. In Puri, some consumers were forced to buy petrol in the black market at `150 per litre. The All Odisha Private Bus Owners’ Association (AOPBOA) alleged that the situation had started affecting bus services, particularly in rural and border areas. Association secretary Debendra Sahoo claimed that fuel stations in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Koraput and Rayagada, among other places, had either remained shut or were facing delayed fuel supplies. “Buses are being forced to wait in long queues for fuel, affecting travel schedules. The cap of a maximum 50 litre of petrol or diesel at some outlets has further worsened the situation. If the crisis continues, bus services in the state may come to a complete halt,” he warned. General secretary of All India Petroleum Dealers’ Association and Utkal Petroleum Dealers’ Association Sanjay Lath admitted that the panic buying has led to an increase in demand for fuel in the state by 50 per cent. “In Odisha, the daily demand for petrol is approximately 4,000 kilolitre, while for diesel it is around 8,600 kilolitre. However, the demand has increased by at least 50 per cent in the last three days, largely due to panic CONTINUED ON P5 buying,” he said. 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 survive. 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 rajesh asnani & sudhir s u r ya w a n s h i @Jaipur/Mumbai 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 . INSIDE Railway zones sit on staff release I P2 SIR from July 1, final voters list by Sep 6 I P3 Panic buying pushes fuel demand Drive fear in criminals, instil trust by 50 per cent, leaves pumps dry among people: Majhi directs police P r eet h a N a i r , An i l S & K S S r ee j i t h 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. Foreign minister S Jaishankar with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi | PTI 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.  P7 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 An u p Ve 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. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Police presence on the ground should be visible so that criminals remain under constant pressure while citizens feel secure Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister Expressing serious concern over the surge in violent crimes across the state, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday issued a stern warning to the police administration directing officers to adopt tougher measures to maintain law and order and curb crime. Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officers, district collectors and SPs at Lok Seva Bhawan, the chief minister said the police must create fear among criminals and instil confidence among people. The meeting assumes significance as it is the second major review conducted by the chief minister in recent days following the lynching of a GRP constable on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and recent Kanas gang war. Majhi directed the police administration to intensify patrolling, strengthen intelligence gathering and adopt crime-mapping mechanisms to prevent criminal activities before they occur. “Police presence on the ground should be visible so that criminals remain under constant pressure while citizens feel secure,” he said. Majhi also directed district administrations and police officers to function as a coordinated team at the grassroots level. He said stronger coordination between collectors, SPs and local administrative officials will significantly improve crime control and help police obtain timely local intelligence. Calling for a strong crackdown on organised crime networks, Majhi specifically referred to illegal sand mafia activities and asked police to deal with such elements firmly , much like the state’s successful elimination of Left Wing CONTINUED ON P5 extremism.