WEDNESDAY 08 XI APPOINTS SENIOR DIPLOMAT XU FEIHONG AS NEW ENVOY TO INDIA 1976 MAY, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard FA A P R O B E TROUBLE MOUNTS FOR BOEING Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into Boeing after it reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records PAGE 11 TO TAKE CHARGE BEFORE POLL RESULTS A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 14 Overall voting percentage 63.53%, as compared to 67.33% in 2019 LS elections; Uttar Pradesh lowest at 57.34% EXPRESS READ India slams Canada over offensive float India has hit out at Canada for providing political space to secessionist elements after proKhalistan elements displayed an effigy of PM Narendra Modi behind bars at a parade in Ontario’s Malton area. “As you are aware, we have repeatedly raised our strong concerns about the violent imagery being used by extremist elements in Canada against our political leadership,” said said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. P9 6 held for setting fire to forest for reels Even as the Uttarakhand government and National Disaster Response Force are fighting the forest fires raging in the state, police team patrolling the Sonprayag-Bhimbali area on Tuesday found six youths setting fire in the Kali Fata region in a bid to make reels to post on social media. The individuals, who identified themselves as residents of Dangwal village in Jakholi, have been arrested, said an official. Maldives minister to visit India on May 9 Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer will visit Delhi on May 9, a ahead of the complete withdrawal of Indian military troop from the archipelago is scheduled. Two batches of the 88 Indian military personnel have returned and the return of the last batch is expected soon. The troops were deployed with one helicopter and two Dornier aircraft that India had deployed in Maldives for medical assistance and emergency services. P9 2 militants killed in gunfight in Kulgam A top commander of militant outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was killed along with his associate in an exchange of fire with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. Basit Dar was one among the most wanted militants. A joint contingent of police, army and CRPF launched an anti-militancy operation in Redwani Payeen village of Kulgam on Monday evening after a tip-off. in the third phase. The BJP is facing a crucial test in Karnataka, where it won 27 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019. However, the party lost the assembly elections in 2023. As the BJP is facing heat over the alleged sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna, the Hassan Lok Sabha candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, the contest in 14 seats is being keenly watched to see if the controversy will impact the BJP . While the BJP-led NDA won seven of the 11 seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 elections, analysts say that the split in NCP and Shiv Sena camp in the last two years may not augur well for the NDA alliance. In its stronghold in Gujarat too, the saffron party is facing challenges from within its ranks and file — the Rajputs and Kshatriyas. At 66.14%, the first phase saw a drop of just under 4 percentage points compared to 2019, while the second phase turnout at 66.71% saw a difference of under 3 percentage points. With polling in more than half of the 543 LS seats done and dusted, how the below average turnout would translate into seats is anybody’s guess. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Union home minister Amit Shah is also seen | PTI | MORE REPORTS ON PG 6, 7 AND 10 Sporadic violence in West Bengal areas High polling in 4 Assam seats despite rains Polling peaceful in Uttar Pradesh, says CEO Rinwa Sporadic violence in the four seats in West Bengal as Trinamool, BJP and CongressCPI(M) workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur. All parties lodged separate complaints on poll violence High polling registered in Assam despite inclement weather. Amid rains, people used different modes of transport, including boats, to reach the polling stations across Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar constituencies UP’s Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said the polling was peaceful. Some complaints were received from parties through email and were promptly resolved, he said. In all, 48 ballot units, 48 control units and 152 VVPATs were changed till 6 pm `35.23 CRORE ‘MATURITY’ AWAITED Maya unseats Anand as BSP successor NAMITA BAJPAI @ Lucknow BSP chief Mayawati dismissed her nephew Akash Anand, 28, from the role of the party’s National Coordinator and her designated successor, citing the “larger interest of the BSP .” On Tuesday taking to mi, croblogging site X, Mayawati stated, “In the interest of the party and the Bahujan movement, Akash Anand, who was appointed party’s National Coordinator and my succ e s s o r, w i l l b e relieved from both crucial responsibilities until he reaches full maturity .” In a series of posts, Mayawati elaborated on the BSP’s deep ties with the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and its significance as a force for social change. She wrote, “The BSP is more than a political entity; It embodies the pride and honour of Dr. B.R. Haryana govt in a minority after exit of 3 Independents H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh Ambedkar and acts as a catalyst for social transformation. Kanshi Ramji and I have devoted our lives to this cause. Part of this commitment involves nurturing the next generation.” Further explaining the decision, she added, “As we promote other members within the party, it was decided that Akash Anand would be appointed as BSP National Coordinator and my heir. Nevertheless, for the greater good of the party and its goals, he will be removed from these vital roles until he attains full maturity .” In her post, Mayawati said, “While Akash’s father Anand Kumar will maintain his responsibilities within the party, the BSP leadership is prepared to make any necessary sacrifices to further the party’s objectives and continue the legacy of Dr Ambedkar.” SEIZED BY ED IN JHARKHAND CASH HAUL ED arrested Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the latter’s domestic help on Tuesday, following the recovery of unaccounted cash | P9 THE Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana government was on Tuesday reduced to a minority as three Independent lawmakers withdrew their support amid the Lok Sabha elections, triggering a major political crisis in the state. Technically the government , will not fall immediately since there has to be a gap of six months between confidence votes. The last trust vote was on March 12 after Saini replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the chief minister. However, the Congress went for the BJP’s jugular, demanded President’s rule in the state. The three Independents are Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri). They said they will extend support to the Congress during the general elections. The trio made the announcement at Rohtak in the presence of the Leader of Opposition and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan. “We took the decision because of various issues, including those related to farmers. Till Khattar was the CM, we had supported the BJP Sadly he is not in pow. , er anymore,” Gonder said. Sangwan claimed that another Inde pendent MLA, Rakesh Daultabad (Badshahpur), was also expected to join them but was unable to reach the venue in time. TOTAL SEATS 90 88 Effective strength 45 Simple majority RULING COALITION 40 BJP 2 Independents with BJP 1 Haryana Lokhit Party HARYANA OPPOSITION 30 Congress 1 INLD 10 JJP 4 Independents The four Independent MLAs were reportedly disgruntled after being denied berths in the Saini cabinet. The 90-member state assembly now had an ef fective strength is 88 as Khattar and Independent MLA Ranjit Chautala resigned after the BJP gave them the Karnal and Hisar Lok Sabha tickets, respectively Before Ranjit’s res. ignation, six of the total seven Independents in the state were with the BJP . The main opposition Congress has 30 MLAs, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala 10 and the INLD 1. When the Saini government had on March 13 won the trust vote, the JJP had issued a whip asking its 10 MLAs to abstain from the trust vote. But now, quite a few of the JJP’s MLAs have come out in support of the ruling BJP . Verdict awaited on CM’s interim bail Judicial custody extended SUCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ New Delhi DELHI Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court on Tuesday, with a two-judge bench rising without pronouncing an order on granting him interim bail to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal has been accused of money laundering in a case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its order on grant of interim bail after hearing the arguments put forth by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who appeared for A Delhi court has extended CM Kejriwal’s judicial custody till May 20 in the excise police case linked to money laundering. The Special Judge for CBI and ED matters extended the custody after he was produced before the court via video conference on the expiry of his remand granted earlier. Kejriwal and Enforcement Directorate, respectively . “If not tomorrow, then we may take up the matter on Thursday If not on Thursday, . then we will be taking up this matter next week,” said Justice Khanna, without specifying any time frame for pronouncement of verdict. ED told the SC that Kejriwal stayed at 7 star Grand Hyatt ho- tel during 2022 Goa Assembly election and its bill was paid by Chanpreet Singh, who allegedly accepted cash for AAP’s campaign. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju submitted that it was not a politically motivated case. “We are not concerned with politics, we are concerned with evidence and we have it,” Raju said. “At the nascent stage Arvind Kejriwal was not the focus and ED was not looking at that, but his role became clearer only when the investigation progressed,” ED said. Justice Khanna asked ED why the investigation took so long. Raju replied that the probe officer works as per his own speed, defending the move in arresting the accused. “He is an elected Chief Minister of Delhi. There are elections. These are extraordinary circumstances. He’s not a habitual offender. These factors may be considered for granting some kind of interim bail,” Justice Khanna observed. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “What example were we sitting? Are other people less important than Chief Minister?” Maratha stir may upset calculations in Munde bastion S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai THE contest in Maharashtra’s Beed Lok Sabha constituency, the bastion of the Munde family, is all set to go right down to the wire on May 13 as a confluence of factors is threatening to upset the conservative electoral calculations. Beed has been repr e s e n t e d by t h e Munde family since 2009. This time, the BJP has denied ticket to sitting MP Pritam Munde, the daughter of late popular leader Gopinath Munde, and instead fielded her sister Pankaja Munde, who is facing tough challenge from Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar)’s candidate Bajrang Sonwane. Pankaja was a minister in BJP-led government in Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019, but she lost the 2019 assembly elections to her cousin Dhananjay Munde, who is now a minister in the NCP (Ajit Pawar) government in Maharashtra. Interestingly, Dhananjay is Pankaja’s star campaigner in 2024. As for Sonwane, he had contested the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019 but lost to Pritam Munde by over 1.5 lakh votes. He is trying his luck for the second time but is hopeful that he has better chances as the Maratha quota issue is fast emerging as a major deciding factor in the polls. The Maratha voters are said to be backing Sonwane while Pankaja has a better connect with the OBCs. ILLUSTRATION: MANDAR PARDIKAR MARKING another dip in voter turnout, the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on Tuesday recorded average polling of 63.53% across 93 seats in 11 states and Union territories. The same 93 seats had polled 67.33% in 2019. While Assam had the highest voter turnout at 77.06%, Goa came second at 75.13% and West Bengal at 73.96%. UP witnessed the lowest at 57.34%, while Bihar polled 58.16% Gujarat 57.62%, Maharashtra 61.44%, Chhattisgarh 70.05%, Karnataka 69.65% and MP 66.05%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among those who exercised their franchise in Gujarat. In the third phase, stakes are high for the ruling BJP as it had won 71 of the 93 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. While the BJP is looking to repeat its stunning performance in the 2019 elections, the states in focus will be Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. All 26 seats in Gujarat, 14 seats in Karnataka and 11 seats in Maharashtra are up for grabs THE LAST TIME THERE WAS SUCH A LONG GAP IN THE POSTING OF A CHINESE ENVOY IN INDIA While there is no official announcement yet, the Chinese foreign ministry has confirmed that Xu, former Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, has been appointed as China’s new envoy in India, PTI reported on Tuesday. Reports indicate that Xu, 60, will travel to New Delhi soon and will assume charge before the Lok Sabha election results are declared Average turnout again in third phase P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi The appointment comes after a long delay of 18 months amid frozen relations between the two countries over the military standoff in Ladakh Pankaja Munde “Maratha voters’ polarisation was always an issue but the fragmented polarisation mainly helped Munde family. Because it triggered a reverse polarisation of OBC communities against Maratha candi- Bajrang Sonwane dates. Maratha as a big community never gets 100% consolidation like other smaller communities of OBC. The fragmented and divided Marathas helped Munde family to win the seat in 2009, 2014 and 2014 Lok Sabha election. But in 2024, the scenario is different. Due to Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s agitation, Maratha voters of the Marathawada region including Beed are against incumbent government and are rallying behind the NCP(SP) candidate,” said a local journalist from Beed. Expressing similar views, a political observer from the constituency said the challenges before Pankaja are formidable. “Even MLAs belonging to the Maratha community are barred from entering the villages for their perceived failure to bring in reservations for the Maratha community This time, it’s a re. ally complex and tough battle where local issues play a much bigger role than the HinduMuslim binary and other issues like the Ram temple,” he said. BRAWL AMANATULLAH KHAN BOOKED FOR ASSAULT Noida Police Tuesday lodged an FIR against AAP’s Delhi MLA Amanatullah Khan and his son after they allegedly assaulted and threatened employees of a filling station in Sector 95 following an altercation, police said. P3
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