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The Election Commission announced the third phase of the special intensive revision exercise of voter rolls, which will take place in 16 states and three Union Territories. With this, the exercise will have covered voter lists in all states and Union Territories, except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The poll panel said that in these three places, the exercise will be conducted later on account of the ongoing Census and adverse weather.
There are currently 36.7 crore voters in the states and Union Territories covered in the third phase of the exercise. Nearly 59 crore electors have been covered in the first two phases.
During the first two phases, concerns were raised by opposition parties and activists that such a revision process could arbitrarily disenfranchise several voters. Read on.
The Congress picked VD Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala, 10 days after the Assembly election results were announced on May 4. The Congress-led United Democratic Front won 102 seats in the 140-member Assembly, defeating the Left Democratic Front after a decade in the opposition.
The race for the chief minister’s post was believed to be between Satheesan, former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.
On Thursday, Venugopal said that he welcomed the decision, and congratulated Satheesan. Read on.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal directed all state-run and state-aided schools to mandatorily sing Vande Mataram during morning assemblies. The school authorities have been asked to document the proceedings as proof that the directive is being implemented.
Every student must participate in singing the national song at the start of the school day, and heads of institutions have been instructed to ensure strict compliance.
Schools in West Bengal had traditionally sung only the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, during assemblies. In recent years, the previous Trinamool Congress government had also introduced singing of Banglar Mati Banglar Jol, the state song. Read on.
Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said that ‘more than 38 people’ belonging to the Naga and Kuki communities have been held hostage by several groups in the state. The government is holding talks with civil society groups and political leaders to secure their release, he said.
On Wednesday, fresh violence erupted in Manipur after three church leaders were killed and five others injured when the vehicles they were travelling in were ambushed while they were returning from a meeting in Churachandpur to Kangpokpi. Another civilian was killed and his wife wounded in Noney district,
The United Naga Council alleged that after the ambush, about 20 Nagas from the Konsakhul village had been held hostage by some persons from the village of Leilon Vaiphei. Read on.
Eighty-nine persons were killed on Wednesday in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh, the state’s relief commissioner said. More than 50 people were injured and 87 homes were damaged, while over 100 livestock were also killed.
The deaths were reportedly caused by the uprooting of trees and electric poles, and structures such as houses and sheds being damaged. Read on.
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