VIJAYAWADA l sunday l february 14, 2021 l `8.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION rohit gives india edge Spectators are back. Opener Rohit Sharma did not disappoint them with a classy 161 as India posted 300/6 against England Fans The second India-England Test is the first international event to allow fans back into the stadium since the pandemic. Though only 50% capacity was allowed, the atmosphere was electrifying Toss India opted for a turner to take the toss out of the equation. Luck went Virat Kohli’s way this time and the hosts chose to bat. With 300 on board, they were comfortably placed on Day One Partnership Two batsmen under pressure — Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane — steered India out of trouble with a 162-run stand for the fourth wicket. Rahane scored a patient 67 before getting out 1st Pitch Although it doesn’t resemble a dust bowl, run scoring is getting harder with the top layer already showing signs of breaking up. If England crumble, the match could be over in less than 5 days Rohit Sharma scored a classy 161 on the first day of the second Test in Chennai on Saturday | BCCI | P11 This is the first time Kohli has been dismissed for duck by a spinner CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI RTA probe report puts blame on driver for Araku accident, rules out brake failure of bus G J a n a r d h a n a R a o @ Visakhapatnam People stand in a long queue to cast their vote at a polling station at Gurramkonda village in Chittoor district on Saturday | EXPRESS YSRC storms ahead of TDP in panchayat poll 2nd phase too 2,786 panchayats go to polls in 13 districts, 81.76% of voters exercise franchise E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada In what can be seen as a repeat of its good performance in the first phase of gram panchayat elections, candidates supported by the ruling YSRC stormed ahead of the opposition TDPbacked contestants in the second phase of polls on Saturday . When reports last came in, the YS RC - b a cke d c a n d i d at e s bagged more than 1,000 panchayats out of the total 1,250 for which results were declared. As many as 2,786 panchayats in 13 districts of the State went to polls in the second phase, which recorded 81.76 per cent polling. Polls to a few hundred panchayats are unanimous. Barring stray incidents of clashes between the supporters of the contestants at a few places, the polling passed off peacefully The highest poll percent. age of 86.6 was recorded in express read Probe into Republic Day incidents sought Chandigarh: Farmer unions have demanded a judicial inquiry into the violence that took place in Delhi on Republic Day. They alleged that Delhi Police is trying to implicate farmers in false cases. P7 Change in strategy at Tapovan tunnel Tapovan: After toiling in vain for six days, rescue teams have changed strategy. They were trying to drill a hole on the floor of Tapovan tunnel which was intended to be 12 metre deep and 75 mm in diameter. Shah assures J&K statehood with a rider New Delhi: Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on Saturday that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored, but only after development is put back on track. P8 Prakasam, while the lowest turnout of 72.87 per cent was reported in Srikakulam. Voters queued up before polling stations even before the start of polling. Young and old people showed equal enthusiasm to exercise their franchise in the elections. Police were seen helping the physically challenged and elderly people to cast their vote at several places. Right from the beginning of counting of votes at 4 pm, the YSRCbacked candidates took lead in majority of panchayats and the trend continued till late in the night. The YSRC-backed candidates won majority of panchayats in Chittoor, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Kadapa and other districts, while the TDP-supported contestants could put up a better show in Krishna, Guntur and Viziana- garam. The BJP-Jana Sena supported candidates won a few seats in East and West Godavari and Krishna districts. The victory margin of winners was very slender in several panchayats. Some candidates won the election with a margin of one or two votes. The winner was decided by toss in a couple of gram panchayats where the two main candidates secured equal number of votes. Of the total 32 results declared in Visakhapatnam till late in the night, the TDP failed to win even a single panchayat. The YSRC-backed candidates got a clear mandate in Chittoor, the home district of TDP chief and Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu. In Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Kadapa district also, the YSRC-supported candidates won with ease. Election outcome 2,803 Results out (till 11.30 pm) 2,280 Seats ‘claimed’ by YSRC 420 Telugu Desam 27 BJP-JSP 76 Others 86.6% Highest polling in Prakasam Register case against Kodali Nani, SEC directs Krishna SP E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada A day after restraining Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) from speaking to the media, State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar directed the police to register a case against him for his attacks on the SEC. The police, however, are yet to register a case against Kodali Nani. Taking serious note of the remarks made by Nani against the SEC at a press meet, Ramesh Kumar issued a show cause notice to him on Friday seeking explanation. Hours after Nani sent his explanation, Ramesh Kumar issued an order restraining him from speaking to the media till the end of panchayat elections on February 21. The SEC directed the Krishna District Collector and Superintendent of Police and Vijayawada City Police Commissioner to ensure that the order against Nani is enforced strictly . On Saturday Ramesh Kumar , issued a statement directing the Krishna district SP to register a case against Nani for his attacks on the SEC under the clauses (1) and (4) of the Model Code of Conduct and under Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (1) (c) (intent to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, 1860 and other relevant sections of the law. Nani moved a House Motion Petition in the High Court challenging the SEC order refraining him from speaking to media. He may also issue a notice for privilege motion against the SEC in this regard. Nani files plea in HC against SEC order Minister Kodali Nani filed a House Motion Petition in the HC challenging the SEC order refraining him from speaking to the media We will take legal opinion and proceed further on the SEC order against Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Nani M Ravindranath Babu, Krishna SP counterattack Nirmala calls Rahul ‘Doomsday man’ E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi In a scathing counterattack on Rahul Gandhi for his relentless targeting of the government over the farm laws and the LAC standoff with China, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday dubbed the former Congress president “Doomsday man for India”. During her reply to the Budget discussion in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the former Congress chief was constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and institutions, betraying a lack of belief in a democratically elected parliamentary system. He had joined the “break India fringe group” and was continuously creating false narratives to demean India, the minister alleged. The Congress “makes allegations, uses abusive language, but when under parliamentary procedure they have to respond to... they only shout and walk out”, the minister added. Responding to the allegations of the government promoting crony capitalism, she asserted that the Hum Do, Hamare Do jibe that Gandhi had been taking on the government was more apt for his family. “In banks, you did phone banking and left huge NPAs. This is one tendency, create institutions and use them for Hum Do Hamare Do and at the end of the day keep accusing others,” said a combative Sitharaman. Surmising that negligence of the driver might be one of the reasons for Friday night’s bus mishap at Dumuku on Araku ghat road, RTA officials said the ill-fated vehicle carrying 26 passengers, including the driver, fell down vertically from a height of 20 feet before hitting the ground and rolled down 80 feet below, which left four dead and 22 injured. The driver rammed the retaining wall after he lost control over the bus while negotiating the fifth hairpin bend at Dumuku on Araku ghat road. According to a Road Transport Authority inquiry report, the bus accident on Araku ghat road was not due to brake failure as claimed by the driver, as no skid marks were found on the ghat road. “The driver did not apply brakes at all. If there was any brake failure, there should be sudden steering movements. The driver might be in a drowsy condition,’’ the report said, putting the blame on the driver for the mishap. The report, accessed by TNIE, further stated that the reasons for the mishap were negligent driving, driver in a drowsy condition, hectic work schedule and the driver, who is new to this place, has no idea about Ar- 9 Total curves ghat road ride 4th No illumination on the road No radium stickers on retaining wall Only cat eyes on the road margins hairpin bend sharper than the 5th Road condition is good No engineering problem The Araku ghat road is safe, if one drives a vehicle cautiously Pydaiah, Araku CI aku-Vizag ghat road. There was no illumination on the road and no radium stickers on the retaining wall of the steep curve. However, there are cat eyes on the road margins. The road condition is good and there is no engineering problem, the report revealed. It suggested that cat eyes or radium stickers be fixed on the retaining walls at hairpin bends, besides proP4 viding road signages.  Right to protest anywhere is not absolute, says SC E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Reiterating that prolonged protests can’t be at the cost of continued occupation of public spaces as they affect the rights of others, the Supreme Court has dismissed the review petitions challenging its October 2020 verdict on the Shaheen Bagh protests. A bench of justices S K Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari rejected the plea filed by 12 persons seeking a review of its October 2020 verdict, which held public spaces can’t be occupied indefinitely. “(The) constitutional scheme comes with a right to protest and express dissent but with an obligation to have certain duties. The right to protest can’t be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged protest, there can’t be continued occupation of public place,” the bench held.  P8 W IT H T H I S I S S U E Royal Revivers PLUS 12 PAGES