HYDERABAD l tuesday l october 27, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Lula’s victory in Brazil bucks a regional shift to the right Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was re-elected against all expectations on Sunday, beating his rival Flavio Bolsonaro a clear victory of democracy: eu chief Lula’s dramatic comeback meant Brazil had not followed Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, all backed by US President Donald Trump, in swinging to the right. Official data showed he won 51.8 per cent of the votes against Flavio Bolsonaro’s 48.2 per cent, with Lula bagging 4.4 million more votes. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed it as a ‘victory of democracy’ | P9 ■ 14-year serbia stunner: student movement wins ■ In a historic change of government, Serbia’s populist strongman Aleksandar Vucic (pic left) conceded defeat to a grassroots movement of univ students who led protests for almost two years Serbia’s popular student movement grew out of anger at Vucic since 16 people were killed in 2024 at a train station in Novi Sad long authoritarian reign of serbia’s vucic ended on sunday 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 All SIR decisions Maha agrees to study Tummidihatti height proposal unanimous, says EC affidavit in SC E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v ic e @ Hyderabad Poll commission reiterates Form 6 was not amended, declaration is separate document S U C H I TRA K ALYAN M O H ANT Y @ New Delhi Days ahead of the INDIA bloc’s rally against alleged poll irregularities, the Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court that all its orders on the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were unanimous decisions of the full commission. In its counter affidavit, the ECI said the plea against the Chief Election Commissioner based on a single news report is not maintainable. It also told the bench that Form 6 had not been amended, adding unmapped voters need not attend hearings. The court is expected to hear the batch of pleas on Tuesday . The ECI asserted that all three SIR orders — issued in June 2025, October 2025 and May 2026 — were unanimous. “The notes, queries or suggestions recorded by the CEC or Election Commissioners while a file is under process do not constitute decisions of the Commission,” it said. The EC said files move from one Election Commissioner to the other and then to the CEC. In urgent cases, electronic approvals are obtained and later recorded on physical files, it said. The EC said a July 28 work allocation order was issued by an additional secretary on deputation and both poll commissioners wrote to the Cabinet Secretary about it the next day On their . joint direction on July 30, the order was not implemented. On the charge that Form 6 was altered without statutory approval, the EC claimed it was not amended as the declaration required under SIR was a separate document. While admitting the online display could be read as an amendment, the ECI said, from October 21, the online application would be split into Form 6 and separate declaration, mirroring the physical form. Unmapped voters need not attend hearings, the ECI said, stating that Booth Level Officers will collect documents from their homes, with hearings restricted to exceptional cases and preferably held online. On ECINet centralisation, it said no name can be added/deleted except by an order of the Electoral Registration Officer. BJP padayatra with Shah in Hyd on Nov 2 E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v ic e @ Hyderabad Union Home Minister Amit Shah will participate in a padayatra, organised by the Telangana unit of BJP at Tank Bund here on November 2, to counter the “false narrative” against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking to the media on Monday state BJP president N , Ramchander Rao alleged that the Congress was attempting to create lawlessness in society and the country “To expose this . anarchic attitude, the BJP will organise a massive padayatra on November 2 with the ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakata Hatao’ (Save Democracy Remove Anar, chy) slogan,” he said. “The Union home minister will participate in the march and walk alongside the other participants on Tank Bund,” he added.  continued on p4 Response to Goa case ECI said that of the 97 voters described by media as “left out” in Goa, 88 had already been enrolled, six were abroad, and three had Portuguese passports Maharashtra and Telangana have agreed to form a committee headed by the principal secretaries of their irrigation departments to study the proposed height of the Tummidihatti barrage on the Pranahita river, water availability and submergence implications. The decision followed a meeting between Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri guest house in Mumbai on Monday . Fadnavis responded positively to Telangana’s request for cooperation to increase the barrage height and said Maharashtra would conduct an inde- On Bengal appeals In West Bengal, appeals against inclusion of voters were filed by officers under the CEO based on earlier SC orders and weren’t brought to ECI’s notice, it claimed affected agricultural areas, compensation requirements and other technical aspects. Fadnavis said officials from both states would discuss any  continued on p4 Govt green light to pure Digital publishers challenge privacy law in Supreme court ethanol flex-fuel cars @ New Delhi EC’s affidavit pendent study to assess the proposal. The committee will examine the proposed height, water availability land likely to , be submerged in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said that if the project did not adversely affect Maharashtra or its people, his government would have no hesitation in supporting Telangana in meeting its water requirements, keeping the larger national interest in mind. He said both states should approach the issue in a spirit of friendship, brotherhood and good neighbourly relations. He also referred to Maharashtra’s experience in resolving several interstate issues through mutual discussions and cooperation with neighbouring states. Fadnavis said the Central Water Commission (CWC) would continue its technical examinations and studies within its jurisdiction. PRESS FREEDOM S U C H I TRA K ALYAN M O H ANT Y Notes, queries or suggestions recorded by the CEC or Election Commissioners while file is under process do not constitute ECI’s decisions Along with Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy meets his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis at the Sahyadri guest house in Mumbai on Monday objections Telangana might have to Maharashtra’s findings and estimates. Expert opinions would also be sought if necessary, with further decisions based on technical assessments and facts. He suggested that officials and technical experts from both states work together to establish a clear timeline and roadmap for further discussions and necessary action. Subsequent meetings, technical consultations and the way forward would be worked out by the officials and experts of the two states. The Maharashtra chief minister emphasised that several technical, environmental and administrative steps would have to be completed before a final decision could be reached. twenty-one digital news publishers—including NDTV and Network18—have knocked the doors of the Supreme Court to challenge the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), arguing that the law would cripple investigative journalism and expose sources. The petitioner, Digital News Publishers Association, has challenged several provisions of the Act, citing their potential impact on journalism. The New Indian Express is a member of DNPA. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant will hear the matter on Tuesday, the cause list on the Supreme C o u r t we b s i t e s h owe d . According to Reuters, the 698-page plea was filed on October 6. DNPA seeks safeguards for journalists According to a Reuters report, media companies received assurances in an August meeting with the government that the law would protect press freedom; but not having a written carve-out for journalists like in the European Union, Singapore and the UK is alarming, the DNPA said in its petition The DPDP Act, also known as the privacy law, was enacted in 2023 while the rules to implement it (DPDP Rules, 2025) were notified in November last year. The Act seeks to protect the digital personal data of users, raising compliance requirements for IT behemoths such as Meta and Google. The publishers argue the law will affect press freedom because media outlets are not explicitly exempt from the law. They point out that the legislation, which seeks to protect individuals’ digital personal information, does not provide specific exemptions for jour nalistic activities. A big concern for publishers is the need to obtain consent from those whose data will be part of a story Accord. ing to the petitioners, ​ ocial s media outlets can seek ​ onc sent from users when they sign up, but requiring a journalist to notify the subject of an investigation and seek consent “would allow that subject to destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses”. The law also lets people withdraw consent and demand that their data be erased. Pa r v e z S u lta n @ New Delhi The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on Monday notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, allowing flex-fuel vehicles that can run on up to E100 — nearly 100% ethanol. According to the ministry officials, fuel beyond E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) and up to E100 is intended only for vehicles designed and certified to use and will not be applicable for other vehicles. Vehicles that use E20 or normal fuel can’t use E85 or E100 fuel.The ministry also changed certain vehicle classification thresholds, fuel specifications, and technical references used in emission-related tables and testing provisions. Additionally it raised the vehicle weight , limit to 3,500 kg from the previous threshold of 3,000 kg for light petrol and diesel vehicles affected by these changes. E100 usually contains around 93-95% ethanol, 5-7% petrol, Maruti first off the block In June, Maruti Suzuki India launched Wagon R Flex Fuel capable of running on ethanolpetrol blends from E20 to E100. Others, including Toyota Motor, Tata Motors, and Hyundai Motor, are also developing flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market and additives. “A vehicle’s compatibility with E10 or E20 alone does not establish suitability for E85. This notification does not require owners of existing vehicles to switch to E85 or modify their vehicles either at present or in the future. Motorists should check the fuel compatibility sticker on their vehicle and follow the manufacturer’s guidance in the owner’s manual while opting for the fuel choice at the fuel station,” said ministry officials. In Brazil, vehicles are optimised to run on any blend from E20–E25 up to E100. an inside job As reservoirs dry up, Water Board bets 4 Nepalese held for murder on enforcement, awareness and reuse of retired IPS officer’s wife K hyat i S h a h @ Hyderabad With water in the Singur and Manjeera reservoirs expected to last only until December 15, Hyderabad is bracing for a prolonged spell of water stress. Poor rainfall, inadequate groundwater recharge and drying borewells have increased dependence on private tankers, prompting the HMWSSB to step up enforcement against wastage, launch neighbourhood awareness campaigns and promote treated wastewater for non-potable uses. According to information accessed by TNIE, the Board has received 50 complaints of water wastage in the past two weeks and imposed fines totalling `2.5 lakh. Floor washing accounted for 17 complaints, followed by the use of illegal motors (10), sump overflows (eight) and overhead tank overflows (four). Waste water, Fines for commercial establishments pay fines Penalty of up to or more than `20,000 for water misuse Fines for domestic consumers `1,000 `5,000 `10,000 First-time violation Higher penalty for violations, including illegal motor use in reported cases Penalty imposed in cases of misuse, including washing cars with potable water More than `20,000 Higher penalties for repeated or serious violations Repeat violations - Connection may be disconnected HMWSSB managing director K Ashok Reddy told TNIE that poor rainfall and the resulting pressure on groundwater had become a concern across Telangana and beyond. Although the Report water wastage on HMWSSB WhatsApp: 99499 30003 Customer care helpline: 155313 Board was maintaining existing piped water supplies, declining groundwater availability had increased dependence on private tankers in several areas.  Continued on p5 S i d d h a r d h a G at t imi @ Hyderabad Four members of a Nepalese gang, including a domestic worker who allegedly facilitated the murder and robbery of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, at their Jubilee Hills residence in May have been arrested, Hy, derabad City Commissioner of Police (CP) VC Sajjanar said at a press meet on Monday . The arrests were made near Nampally railway station by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Jubilee Hills police. The gang was allegedly planning robberies in Gurugram and Bengaluru and had conducted reconnaissance in both cities before the arrests, Sajjanar added. The arrested were identified as Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpa- na (26), who worked as a domestic help at the victim’s house, Ganesh Bishwakarma alias Dinesh Tapa (31), Chandra Bahadur Tamang alias Ranjeet Thapa (44) and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi (37). Police seized `51,130 in cash and other incriminating material from them. Two other accused in the murder case remain absconding, the CP added. Tanuja was found dead in her bedroom at her residence in Prashasan Nagar during the intervening night of May 7 and 8. The accused allegedly smothered her, ransacked the house and escaped with gold and other valuables. Investigators spent over five months along the India-Nepal border, conducting field inquiries in hilly terrain to gather intelligence on the accused, police said.  Continued on p5 centre clears defence buy worth `2.12 lakh cr India on Monday cleared procurement of a range of military platforms and weapon systems including light multi-role helicopters, long-range Kamikaze drones and radars | P7 ‘Murder accused’: Rahul acquitted in Amit Shah defamation case | p4