Israel launches missile to strike Iran’s central province Isfahan THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l saturday l april 20, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION The projectile struck Iran overnight, US media reported on Friday. There was no comment from Israel while Iran said it shot down three drones Iran plays it down, says no damage done Iranian officials sought to play down the attack, saying there was no missile strike from outside the country though its air defence systems intercepted “three small birds”. Isfahan is home to a large airbase, a major missile production complex, and several nuclear facilities. Islamic Republic News Agency said the city and province of Isfahan were in ‘normal condition’ 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 ■ ■ moderate turnout നനനൾ ചചചചചചചചേേേ ? in first phase Polling in 102 seats across 21 states and UTs largely peaceful; 56 villages in Bastar and Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar voted for first time, says EC E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi West BENGAL VOTING PERCENTAGE 77% Polling held in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduars seats. Violence reported in Cooch Behar, where workers of TMC and BJP clashed. Multiple complaints about poll violence and voter intimidation lodged Tripura VOTING PERCENTAGE 80% Congress and CPM alleged the ruling BJP rigged polling. Congress leaders claimed many voters were prevented from approaching the booths for voting while others were driven out of the queue. BJP rubbished the claims Jammu and Kashmir VOTING PERCENTAGE 65% No untoward incident was reported in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur. This was the first major election in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Officials said people braved bad weather and showed up to cast their votes The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday — covering 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories — witnessed a moderate 62% voter turnout. The figure is expected to go up after inputs from all polling stations, the Election Commission of India said. Friday’s polling was the biggest of the seven-phase festival of democracy Vot. ers braved the heat in most parts of the country while at some places, they faced rain. There were reports of sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal, the strife-torn Manipur, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh. As many as 56 villages in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar got to exercise their franchise for the first time. Elections were held for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, all five seats in Uttarakhand, 12 seats in Rajasthan, five in Maharashtra, and all seats in the Northeast and three Union Territories. Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were held simultaneously . Billed as the world’s largest electoral exercise, elections for the 18th Lok Sabha is crucial for the BJP as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term in office. Riding on populist welfare schemes such as free ration, housing schemes and construction of the Ram temple, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance aims to reach the 400-seat mark in the 543-strong Lok Sabha. The Opposition’s INDIA bloc, which is looking to dislodge the BJP from power, projects the rising unemployment, inflation and rural distress as the main issues to attack the government. One of the keenly watched contests is in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is hoping to make significant gains. All eyes are on Coimbatore, where the BJP has fielded state chief K Annamalai. Elections to the eight states in Western Uttar Pradesh are also crucial for the saffron party as it is facing trouble from upper caste communities and farmers. In strife-torn Manipur, Wangkhem in Thoubal district had the highest turnout among the 32 assembly constituencies under Inner Manipur at 82.41%. In Outer Manipur, Chandel, which has both Naga and Kuki voters, recorded the highest turnout at 85.54%. Incidents of shooting and intimidation were reported from several places in Inner Manipur seat. Armed men fired several rounds in the air near a polling booth in Thamnapokpi under Moirang assembly constituency in Bishnupur district, prompting voters to flee. Additional security personnel were rushed to the spot. In Arunachal, 65.79% electors exercised their franchise in the assembly elections while the voter turnout was slightly higher at 67.13% for the two Lok Sabha seats there. The difference between the turnouts of Lok Sabha and assembly polls is because BJP candidates in 10 assembly seats were elected unopposed, so elections were not ● More on P9 held in these segments. CPM leader booked over ‘interference’ during home voting E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kannur pomp & pageantry Marked by resplendence and revelry, this year’s Thrissur Pooram was a spectacle to behold. The kudamattam, which captured the spirit of the festivities, under way at the Thekkinkad maidan, amid cheering crowds | A Sanesh Police have registered a case against a local CPM leader for illegally interfering when an elderly woman was casting her vote during a ‘vote from home’ procedure at Kalliasseri in the Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday The Kannapuram police have also . booked five officials in connection with the incident. Earlier, the Kannur district collector had suspended the officials for allegedly failing to prevent outside interference in the voting process. The incident occurred when Devi,92, was casting her vote at her residence. A CCTV visual showed E K Ganeshan, former CPM Kapothkavu branch secretary and booth agent, illegally interfering when she was casting her vote. Following a complaint lodged by BJP leaders, District Collector Arun K Vijayan suspended special polling officer Pournami V V polling assistant Prajin T K, micro observer , Sheela A, civil police officer Legeesh P and videographer Riju Amaljit P P who were present at the site. The collector said Devi’s ● More on P6 vote will be annulled. FACE-OF F A day after Rahul Gandhi cast aspersions on Pinarayi Vijayan for ‘hobnobbing with the BJP,’ the chief minister stepped up attack against the Congress leader, asking him to grow up. E X PRESS READ InterGlobe, Archer Aviation plan air taxis in India New Delhi: InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IndiGo, and US-based Archer Aviation will launch an all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026, that will carry passengers from Connaught Place in the national capital to Gurugram in Haryana in just 7 minutes. Besides Delhi, the joint venture will launch similar services in Mumbai and Bengaluru. 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express Going gets tough for Tejasvi in B’luru South D e v a r a j B H i r eh a l l i @ Bengaluru Tejasvi Surya is a powerful orator and the national president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. Yet, the sitting Bengaluru South MP hasn’t campaigned elsewhere yet, as he is facing a really tough fight. His challenger is Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy , daughter of state transport minister Ramalinga Reddy, a party heavyweight. Speculation is rife that hawala cash is flowing like water in this prestigious constituency When Elec. tion Commission officials recently seized `1.4 crore from a car, Sowmya blamed on the BJP. Tejasvi Surya (33) promptly lobbed the ball back demanding an impartial probe. This political potboiler will reach its climax on April 26, when voters will give their verdict. Ramalinga Reddy represents BTM Layout in the assembly. Sowmya was elected Jay- anagara MLA in 2018 by f ailed to retain it by a whisker in 2023. Of the eight assembly segments in this Lok Sabha constituency, five are with the BJP and three with the Congress. But that isn’t giving Surya much comfort. Since Karnataka is the home turf of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the party is pulling out all the stops to wrest as many seats as possible, hence the candidature of the Reddy scion. Reddy’s bonhomie with leaders cutting across party lines, including the BJP and the , respect he commands from the common folk is visible. The Congress feels he could go past the party’s traditional vote bank and catch the floating votes to tilt the scales. Illustration: Mandar Pardikar ● More on P9 എഎുെകകക് നനുെെ മമൾ ഠനനനനും േജജലലലുമമയയ േകരരം വവവുുു ? േകരരരരൽ വവവസസയയയയം തവവദദദഭഭഭസ നനനനം തുെകകകേേ തു സംഭവവവുുത് ? ആരരണ് തതനു കകരണം ? കഴഴഴ 70 വർഷം േകരളം ഭരരരര മുുുുവരരണ് ഇതതനു കകരണം എഎുെകകക് േകകക സർർർരരെെ ശശശവും െെൻഷനും കൃതതസമയയ് വരരകയും േകരരരരെെ ശശശവും െെൻഷനും മുുുുകയും െചചചചു ? എഎുെകകക് േകരരം കകെെണണയയലലയയ ? കകരണം 70 വർഷം ഭരരരവർ േകരളെെ സസസസസകമമയയ തകർർു എഎുെകകക് േകരരരരെല ജനനൾൾ് വർഗീയ വവഭജന അജജ േകൾേേേേവരുുു ? വവകസനം ചർർയയകുുതതന് കരം വവഭജനം ചർർയയകുുെതതുെകകക് ? 70 വർഷം ഭരരരരരരം എഎുുു കകണണണണൻ തത ഒരു വവകസന േനനവും ഇവർർർർ കർലെമമമൽ നനനും റററേേേകകൻ മമമതമമേണണ നനനൾെെെരു എംംം േവവത് ? ഫലലലദമമയയ തെെ കർർവവം നനറേവവുുതതനും ജനനനനെെ ശ്നനനന് രരഹഹരരൾ കെെെുുതതനും േകരരരരന് എൻഡഡഎ യുെെ എംംംമമെര ആവശശമമണ് ജനനനനെെ അനുുഗഹഹഹൽ േകകകകകൽ എൻഡഡഎ അധധകകരരരൽ വരുെമമ് റററണ് േകരരം ജയയയെെ ഭഭരതം ജയയയെെ
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