KOCHI l friday l april 10, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l LATE city EDITION Restricting temple entry by denomination harms Hinduism: SC Hinduism will be adversely impacted if temples and mutts restrict entry on grounds of separate denominations inside a religion, SC said on Thursday ‘state can step in under article 25(2) (b)’ specificity of denomination not good: sc A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant was responding to submissions of senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan that Article 26(b) supersedes Article 25(2)(b). The SC did not agree with supremacy of Art 26(b) over 25(2b). Justice Nagarathna said the State can step in under Article 25(2)(b) to ensure access to temples for all sections ■ ■ Vaidyanathan, for devotees of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple, submitted that they constitute a separate religious denomination and hence have the right to manage the temple’s affairs To his submission, Justice Nagarathna said, “... if you say only my denomination will attend the temple, that is not good for Hinduism” 9 judge constitution bench is hearing the sabarimala entry case | P9 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 Race to secure Kerala votes, long wait begins Record voting energy supplies in Puducherry and Assam amid ceasefire E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram day 41 batting for lebanon Turkey, Russia and Germany said the West Asia ceasefire should include Lebanon, which has been pummelled by ongoing Israeli attacks Pakistan praised the “restraint demonstrated by all sides” in the West Asia war, but condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon IMF expects nearterm demand of up to $50 billion in financial aid from countries affected by the West Asian war Iran rules out any restrictions on its enrichment of uranium, saying the demand by the US and Israel “won’t come true” Lebanese PM declared Thursday a national day of mourning Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with no payment or toll whatsoever... International law provides for the freedom of navigation European Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with Ambassador Vipul and a QatarEnergy official in Doha on Thursday | X JAYA N TH JACOB @ New Delhi IN a diplomatic push amid shifting geopolitical currents in West Asia, India has dispatched two senior ministers to the Gulf, leveraging the narrow opening created by the US-Iran ceasefire. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Qatar on Thursday for a two-day visit, while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates from April 11 to 12. Puri’s visit to Qatar reflects India’s urgency to stabilise vital supply lines as regional tensions disrupt established trade flows. A key energy partner, Qatar’s role has come into sharper focus amid shipping uncertainties, with discussions expected to ‘prioritise reliability and continuity of supplies’ rather than routine engagement, officials pointed out. India’s energy security is tied to West Asia, as half of the natural gas demand is met by LNG imports—55 % of which transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a chokepoint during the war. Qatar is the single largest supplier, contributing 40% of India’s LNG imports (11.2 million tonnes in 2024-25, met through long-term deals with QatarEnergy as well as spot purchases). Dependence is similarly high for LPG, with imports meeting 60% of the demand and 90% of which also pass through Hormuz and Qatar again is the leading supplier. QatarEnergy’s declaration of force majeure has disrupted supply commitments. Along with Indian envoy to Qatar, Vipul, Qatar Energy officials too was present to receive Puri on his arrival. India’s diplomatic outreach is also anchored in protecting its vast diaspora and reinforcing strategic ties in a region that has become volatile. Over 10 million Indians reside across the Gulf, making their welfare a central concern. Jaishankar’s upcoming visit to the United Arab Emirates will aim to review bilateral cooperation and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. express read No trace yet of Palakkad girl missing in K’taka Trade deal talks: India team set to go to US Chikkamagaluru: The joint search team has been unable to trace Srinanda, a minor girl from Palakkad who went missing while trekking near Manikyadhaar in Karnataka on Tuesday, even after 24 hours of search on Thursday. Srinanda’s uncle has filed a complaint with Chikkamagaluru police about her disappearance. P6 New Delhi: India and the US are set to resume negotiations on their proposed interim trade agreement, with an Indian delegation expected to visit Washington this month. The development signals a renewed push to stabilise the trade ties after legal disruptions stalled its progress earlier this year. P9 18 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express D e b j a n i D u t ta & P r a s a n ta M a z u md a r @ Puducherry/Guwahati 78.27% voter turnout in 2026 assembly election 4th highest voting percentage in Kerala assembly poll history 76% turnout in 2021 polls District-wise poll percentage Kasaragod 79.11 Ernakulam 79.89 Kannur 78.60 Idukki 77.15 Wayanad 78.81 Kottayam 74.77 Kozhikode 81.36 Alappuzha 77.39 P’thitta 70.76 Malappuram 79.82 Palakkad 80.56 Kollam 76.29 Thrissur 77.11 T’Puram 77.04 Barring a few incidents of EVM malfunction and allegations of bogus voting, the polling process was largely peaceful across the state Silent absentees — cut off from poll spectacle An emotional reunion for landslide survivors T’Puram: The LDF and UDF are enthused by the high voter turnout in the assembly elections as the two fronts believe heavy polling would work in their favour. The BJP-led NDA, on the other hand, believes it can win at least three to four seats, besides increasing its vote share. P5 Kochi: Even as Kerala went abuzz with discussions on the rise in voter turnout in the assembly polls, a quiet absence marked the day. Many elderly residents in senior living homes were missing from polling, held back by distance, disinterest and discomfort. P4 Kalpetta: The election turned out to be a moment of emotional reunion for the Wayanad landslide survivors, who are scattered across the district in rented homes since the tragedy. Special buses were arranged to transport them from various temporary settlements to their respective booths. P4 TDP says delimitation won’t disadvantage southern states in Lok Sabha. After a 50% increase, Kerala will retain the same percentIn a significant endorsement of the age with 30 seats,” he said, dispelling Centre’s push to pass the amend- fears of political marginalisation in ments to the Women’s Reservation the South. Bill, the NDA’s key ally Telugu DeHis remarks come amid mounting sam Party (TDP) on Thursday dis- Opposition criticism that the promissed concer ns that the posed changes linked to the South would be disadvantaged rollout of the Women’s Reserby the proposed delimitation vation bill could widen the exercise, asserting that a progap between the more popuportional increase in Lok Sablous northern states and their ha seats would maintain the southern counterparts. Oppoexisting balance of sition parties have argued representation. that states like UP would gain Lavu Krishna Speaking to this paper, TDP disproportionately, increasDevarayalu parliamentary party leader ing the seat differential with Lavu Krishna Devarayalu said that states such as Tamil Nadu and powith a proposed 50% expansion in tentially diluting the South’s influLok Sabha strength, the relative ence in Parliament. share of each state would remain The TDP’s remarks came a day afunchanged. “After the increase, the ter the Union Cabinet’s clearance of percentage of a state’s representa- a draft bill to increase Lok Sabha tion in the Lok Sabha will stay the seats from 543 to 816, with 273 resame. For instance, Kerala now ac- served for women, ahead of the 2029 counts for 3.6% of the total 543 seats general elections. P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Army steps up information-warfare game, psy-ops THE Indian Army has operationalised a dedicated Information Warfare Organisation and is in the process of expanding its psychological and cyber units down to the Corps level after absorbing lessons from Operation Sindoor, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi confirmed on Thursday . Speaking at the Ran-Sanwad triservices dialogue in Bengaluru on Thursday the Army chief said the , new organisation comprises a Psychological Defence Division and a Command Cyber Operations Wing. Counting on May 4 Bhaskaran and Thankamani, an elderly couple from Thanthonnithuruth island near Kochi, return after voting at a polling booth in Pachalam on Thursday. The island, home to over 200 voters, does not have a polling booth, forcing the residents to rely on boats to travel to cast their votes | T P Sooraj High turnout enthuses Left front and UDF Fog of war JAVARIA RA N A @ New Delhi *Provisional figures - subject to further updates India sends Petroleum Minister Puri to Qatar, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to UAE Keeping all three fronts on tenterhooks, Kerala recorded 78.27% voter turnout — its fourth highest — in the first assembly elections after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The state had registered 76% polling in the 2021 assembly elections, which broke a four-decade-long trend of voting out incumbent gover nments. The counting of votes is on May 4. The electorate shrank by a little over seven lakh after the SIR, a shift that appears to have influenced the turnout. Constituencies that saw some of the lowest participation in 2021 — especially in Thiruvananthapuram’s urban pockets — recorded a sharp rebound this time, with turnout rising by 7 to 11 percentage points. The state had seen higher voter tur nouts in 1960 (85.70%), 1987 (80.53%) and 1977 (79.20%). “Though there is a general perception that higher voter turnout signals a strong antiincumbency wave, there have been several instances where incumbent gover nments have retained power despite high polling percentages,” said K M Sajad Ibrahim, psephologist and professor of political science at Kerala University . All major fronts claimed the turnout signalled a mandate in their favour, underscoring the high stakes. The ruling LDF is chasing an unprecedented third straight term, the UDF is eyeing a comeback after a decade in Opposition, and the BJP-led NDA sees a crucial opening to expand its footprint in the state. “The Psychological Defence Divi- The phased rollout mirrors Arsion under a Brigadier is playing my’s recognition that information a very pivotal role,” Gen Dwivedi warfare is not a monolithic chalsaid, adding the Comlenge. Domestic operamand Cyber Operations tions carry a different Wing would also go down character from what exto the Corps headquarpeditionary forces face ters later. This means, the when deployed in unfaArmy’s 14 Corps-level formiliar territory . mations will have their “When the expeditionown info-warfare ary forces go, they have a capabilities. different concept because The Army chief was General Upendra Dwivedi they are going to an alien candid that this is the bearea. They don’t even ginning of a longer journey “This know the culture of that area,” he . is phase 1. Based on this, we will said, underlining the layered commove on to phase 2 and phase 3.” plexity of perception management in foreign operational environments. A key operational decision during Operation Sindoor was to shut down all Army social media handles, leaving only the official ADG Strategic Communication channel active. “We closed on all other social media handles... so there was a single source of truth, which went from the soldier to the topman to everybody looking to get the information,” Gen Dwivedi said. This centralisation prevented adversaries from exploiting a fragmented information environment. Extremely high voter enthusiasm became the main talking point across Assam and Puducherry, which went to polls on Thursday, giving all major players bragging rights to anticipate a good outcome. In Assam, the voter turnout at 8 pm stood at 85.51%, better than 82.42% in 2021 and 84.72% in 2016. The final tally is expected to creep up further. The ruling BJP and the Congress were upbeat after the unprecedented turnout on a rainsoaked day when polling was by and large peaceful. In 2016, the N DA h a d wrested power by dislodging the 15-year-old Cong ress government. Pointing out that the voter participation at many polling booths had crossed 95%, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as historic. His bete noire and Assam Congress president, Gaurav Gogoi, was equally optimistic. He expressed gratitude to people for turning out in “unprecedented numbers to vote for a change”. Puducherry saw its highestever voter turnout of 89.87%; the previous highest of 85.57% was recorded in 2011, when N Rangasamy led the All India NR Congress (AINRC) to power. He was back in the saddle after the NDA wrested power in the 2021 polls.