One more ex-top cop joins AIADMK
Chennai: Close on the heels of a former state police chief embracing the ruling AIADMK ahead of Lok Sabha polls, another former DGP, A X Alexander, on Thursday took the political plunge joining the Jayalalithaa-led party. Alexander called on AIADMK General Secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at her residence here and formally joined the party by receiving primary membership card, a party statement said. Recently, former DGP R Nataraj had joined the AIADMK, which is contesting all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state with an eye on being part of the next central government. (PTI)
UP CM’s wife Dimple Yadav files nomination from Kannauj seat
Kannauj: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s wife and local MP Dimple Yadav on Thursday filed her nomination papers for Kannuaj Lok Sabha constituency. Accompanied by party leader Health minister Ahmad Hasan, state minister for secondary education Vijay Bahadur Pal and SP Lok Sabha incharge Ram Briksh Yadav, Dimple filed her nominations at about 12.20 PM in two sets. 36-years-old Dimple went to Kannauj with husband Akhilesh, who later went to address an election meeting while she filed her nominations. Later, talking to media, Dimple said this constituency had always stood with her family. “SP was area of Ram Manohar Lohia and Mulayam Singh Yadav. I will do whatever I can to ensure development of this constituency and bring it among top of the developed cities of the state,” she said. (PTI)
Smoking banned in all polling stations in J&K
Srinagar: Election Commission of India has banned smoking in all polling stations during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the country. The Election Commission, in the Handbook for Presiding Officers, directed the officials to ensure that no one smokes inside the polling stations. “Smoking inside polling station is prohibited. See that neither you nor your Polling Officers nor anybody else in the polling station including the polling agents smoke inside the polling station,” the EC guidelines read. The EC guidelines also directed the presiding officers to ask polling agents to leave the polling station without disturbing the polling in case any of them wanted to smoke. “If any of the polling agents desires to smoke, he may be asked to go out of the polling station without causing any dislocation to the polling,” the guidelines read. (PTI)
‘Vishwas’ cards issued to gain confidence of voters
Muzaffarnagar: The district authorities have issued ‘Vishvas’ cards (confidence cards) to thousands of voters here in the riot hit district to seek their confidence in ensuring fair and free polls and enabling them to cast their vote freely. The cards contain mobile numbers of the district authorities in case a card holder encounters any pressure or influence during voting, district officials said, adding, authorities can be informed on the mentioned mobile numbers. “Security would be provided immediately to the complainant”, SSP H N Singh told PTI. Along with the Vishwas cards, another set of cards named as ‘Chetavani’ card (red cards) were also issued to people in apprehension of some of them indulging in poll violence ahead of Lok Sabha polls in the district. Describing the move as a precautionary measure, the SSP said those with red cards would be held responsible for disruptions and incidents of violence during elections.(PTI)
