FRIDAY SOLE WOMAN AMONG 17 INDIANS ON SHIP SEIZED BY IRAN RETURNS HOME 19 APRIL, 2024 Cadet Ann Tessa Joseph was among 17 Indians on board the vessel MSC Aries. She reached the Cochin International Airport on Thursday epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard IRAN SAYS WILL REVIEW NUKE DOCTRINE Tehran could review its nuclear doctrine following Israeli threats to strike the country A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 11 NEW DELHI J8.00 Over-suspicion of EVMs not prudent, says SC U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi Poll officials trekking to the Kadambakuttai tribal habitation with EVMs in Denkanikottai taluk of Krishnagiri Phase 1 today, tough fight for BJP biggies Quite a few Union ministers in the general elections fray PHASE ONE FACTOIDS 102 LS seats (General 73; ST 11; SC 18) in 21 States/UTs 92 assemblySikkim constituencies in Arunachal and 16.63 crore to voters exercise franchise across 1.87 lakh polling stations 35.67 lakh firsttime voters registered to cast their ballot young 3.51ofcrore inyears voters the age group 20-29 1,625 candidates (male 1,491, female 134) in the fray helicopters, 41 vehicles deployed 84 special trains, 1 lakh to ferry polling and security personnel VOTING BEGINS AT 7 AM, ENDS AT 6 PM RA J ES H KUM A R TH A KUR @ New Delhi THE electoral fate of over a dozen prominent BJP leaders, including some Union ministers, would be sealed on Friday in the first phase of polling amid tight security The contest . this time around is tougher than in the past, a senior party leader admitted. Heavyweight Union minister Nitin Gadkari is pitted against Vikas Thakre (Congress) as the former seeks to retain his Nagpur seat for the third time. Union minister Bhupendra Yadav is another BJP biggie who is hoping to make his Lok Sabha debut from Alwar in Rajasthan. Besides, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is pitted against Madan Gopal Meghwal (Cong) from Bikaner. Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal Pradesh West), Jitendra Singh (Udhampur in J&K), Sarbananda Sonowal (Dibrugarh in Assam) and L Murugan (Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu) are among the other ministers in the contest. Former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan is trying her luck from South Chennai and former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb from Tripura West. It will be interesting to see how Jitin Prasada fares from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, as he replaced the party’s outspoken sitting MP Varun Gandhi. But the biggest talking point in the South would be the performance of Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai in Coimbatore, as his hard work in the run up to the polls drew laudatory references from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP-led NDA had won 39 of the 102 seats that will go to polls in 21 states on Friday The party . is making a big push in the South, particularly in Tamil Nadu, to improve that tally . BJP sources said of the 12 seats where polling will take place in Rajasthan, the BJP is facing tough fights in seats like Churu, where sitting MP Rahul Kaswan is the Congress candidate after the BJP dropped him; and Nagaur, where its former ally and current MP Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party president) joined hands with the Congress. Bhupender Yadav, too, is facing a hard fight in Alwar, as is Gadkari in Nagpur. MORE REPORTS ON PAGE 5, 6, 7 & 10 BJP to suffer setback even in strongholds: Pinarayi A N I L S @ Malappuram CLAIMING the emergence of a newfound resistance against the BJP even in its strongholds, Kerala Chief Minister and senior CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that the Union government is resorting to intimidating and arm-twisting opponents out of desperation. “Day-by-day the BJP govern, ment seems to be getting more desperate... They are resorting to desperate measures that cross all acceptable limits. The BJP has been facing major setbacks, even in places where they claim to enjoy tremendous THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD THE SHIP The Indian mission in Tehran is in touch with the remaining 16 Indians on board the ship, the Ministry of External Affairs said, adding all of them are in good health and in contact with their family members in India. Joseph who hails from Thrissur was received at the airport by the regional passport officer. She was the only woman cadet on board the ship P9 ED attaches `98 cr assets of Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday asked the petitioners seeking a complete count of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips against votes cast on electronic voting machines (EVMs) to have trust in the system, saying over-suspicion is not desirable. A bench of judges Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta made the observation during the hearing of pleas on the matter. “We do not have to be suspicious about everything. You can’t be critical of everything,” Justice Khanna told Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for the NGO Association of Democratic Reforms. The bench, which reserved its verdict, made the remarks when Bhushan said the opaque glass on VVPAT machines should be made transparent so that slips stay visible. Currently, a voter can see the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds. “At least the bulb should be allowed to glow continuously,” Bhushan pleaded. The bench said: “Now you are going too far. This is too much. Whether it’s transparent or translucent glass on a VVPAT machine or the glowing of a bulb, ultimately it is the voter’s trust (that matters). The bulb only helps you to see better.” In the previous hearing on Wednesday , the bench refused to accept the demand for reverting to ballot papers. The bench also took note of Bhushan mentioning some reports claiming EVMs in Kerala’s Kasargod showed an extra vote during a mock poll. Later, the EC told the court that the allegations were false. Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the EC, said EVMs and VVPATs can’t be tampered with. He said the EC has matched EVM votes with over 4 crore VVPAT slips and no mismatch was found. “After completion of an election, the presiding Officer presses the ‘close’ button. Thereafter, the EVM does not accept any vote. One ECI official demonstrated and told the apex court that it was impossible to tamper with the EVMs, and that the likelihood was almost negligible. He tried to convince the court that the pleas were without any proof. 25 PAGES 14 INDIAN MISSION IN TOUCH WITH OTHER 16 SAILORS support... There’s a new found resistance against the BJP that stems from simmering resentment, protests and opposition towards such arbitrary acts. In short, there’s an anti-BJP movement cropping up at the national level,” he told this newspaper in an interview. Referring to the arrest of Delhi CM Aravind Kejriwal, Pinarayi said, “Now two chief ministers are behind the bars... If these two decide to shift their alle- ED questions Amanatullah for hrs in Waqf Board case U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi THE ED on Thursday questioned AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan for several hours over alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board money laundering case, days after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his plea seeking anticipatory bail. Khan (50) is MLA from Okhla. He presented himself before the probe agency’s office at 11 am. “I just followed the rules when I was the chairman of the Waqf Board and did everything after taking legal opinion as per the new Act that came into existence in 2013,” Khan told reporters before entering the ED office. The SC in its April 15 order refused any relief to Khan and voiced its displeasure over the MLA skipping ED summonses. “What has happened is this... Repeated summons were issued and you did not appear. That’s wrong. How can we condone that,” the bench asked his advocate. The money laundering case against Khan stems from a CBI FIR and Delhi Police complaints. The case pertains to a property worth `36 crore in Okhla being allegedly acquired with illicit funds, purportedly influenced by Khan, who reportedly handed over `8 crore in cash. During the probe, the ED considered FIRs filed earlier by the CBI. giance to the BJP they’ll be de, clared innocent overnight. We have seen several such instances. Can anyone recall such blatant abuse of the system and its machinery in the past?” The CPM Politburo member said that the INDIA bloc is an arrangement to bring together all secular parties who can unite against the BJP. Once the BJP is defeated, based on the prevailing situation, a call on how to take it further ahead will be taken, he said. Whether Rahul Gandhi can be termed as the leader of the INDIA bloc, Pinarayi said, “I don’t think that’s correct. As leader of Congress, Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader. When it comes to being the leader of India bloc, that will be decided later.” He said the CPM’s position has always been against imposing UAPA. “But when such a law exists, in some cases, it may need to be imposed. So we need to ensure with utmost care that it’s not being misused.” On the ED probe against Exalogic, the firm owned by his daughter Veena T, the CM insisted on the legality of all transactions between Exalogic and the CMRL. THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Thursday that it has attached movable and immovable properties worth `97.79 crore belonging to Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra in connection with of a money-laundering case. The properties include a residential flat in Juhu, which is in the name of Shilpa Shetty, another residential bungalow in Pune and equity shares in Raj Kundra’s name. The ED had initiated a probe against Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Raj Kundra Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj, and a number of multi-level marketing agents, based on multiple FIRs lodged by Maharashtra and Delhi Police. The case pertains to duping investors through Bitcoins. The accused had allegedly collected huge amounts of funds in the form of Bitcoins (worth `6,600 crore in 2017) from the public with false promises of a 10% per month return. The collected Bitcoins were supposed to be utilised for Bitcoin mining, and investors were to get huge returns in crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors and have been concealing the ill-gotten Bitcoins in obscure online wallets, a probe official said. EXPRESS READ Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi to take charge as Navy chief on Apr 30 The Centre on Thursday announced the appointment of Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, currently serving as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, as the next Chief of Naval Staff from April 30. The incumbent Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar is slated to superannuate the same day. Tripathi took over as Navy vice-chief on January 4, 2024. He is also a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Nausena Medal for devotion to duty. JNU was never ‘anti-national’ or part of ‘tukde tukde gang’, says Pandit JNU was never “anti-national” or part of the “tukde-tukde” gang, the university’s vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said on Thursday, asserting that the institution will always foster dissent, debate and democracy. Pandit, the first woman V-C of the university, said the JNU is “not saffronised” and there is no pressure from the Centre in its functioning. P3 4 eggs, mangoes: CM’s ‘diet’ regimen sparks ED-AAP duel UJWAL JALALI & ANUP VERMA @ New Delhi THE ED on Thursday told a court that CM Arvind Kejriwal was deliberately eating mangoes and other high-carb food to raise his blood sugar level to build a case for bail. However, the AAP alleged that the government has withheld insulin from CM Arvind Kejriwal for 28 days, raising serious concerns about his health. The party said that despite being on an insulin reversal routine, Kejriwal’s treatment was abruptly halted after his arrest, resulting in a worrying increase in his blood sugar level, which has now reached up to 300. The court sought a medical report from Tihar Jail authorities and listed the matter for hearing on Friday . Addressing a press conference, Atishi said the ED mis- ‘ED misled court’ Atishi said ED misled the court about CM’s consumption of tea with sugar, sweets, and bananas. “Sugar patients are always advised to keep chocolate, toffee, and bananas with them for an emergency,” Atishi said led the court about Kejriwal’s consumption of tea with sugar, sweets, and bananas. “Sugar patients are always advised to keep chocolate, toffee, and bananas with them for an emergency Atishi said. ,” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the CM is aware that the evidence is against him, so it is difficult for him to obtain bail through normal means, therefore, he is increasing his blood sugar levels. The ED presented before the court documents, including a letter from Tihar’s Chief Medical Officer seeking dietary advice for Kejriwal. According to submissions made by the ED before special judge Rakesh Syal of Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday, Kejriwal has been consuming foods high in sugars and carbohydrates since April 2. The disclosed diet regimen, as per ED, includes four eggs, two bananas, and sweetened tea for breakfast, along with Namkeen Bhujiya, a snack, among other items. The lunch consists of rice, potatoes, tea, and fruits, including mangoes, consumed regularly . KC in must-win contest in the ‘Venice of the East’ C I T H A R A PA U L @ T’puram A Rajya Sabha seat from north India becoming a talking point during elections in Kerala may sound bizarre. In this poll season, however, the Alappuzha constituency in central Kerala is abuzz with murmurs over the ‘Rajasthan seat’, courtesy the surprise candidature of AICC general secretary and Rahul Gandhi’s man Friday K C Venugopal. ‘KC’, as he is known in the state’s political circles, is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, which the BJP wrested from the Congress in the assembly elections last December, and his tenure lasts till 2026. If KC wins in Alappuzha, he will have to relinquish his seat in the upper house of Parliament. And that would be a booster for the BJP, which is just four seats short of majority in the Rajya Sabha. The Left Democratic Front has been raising this bogey, especially among the minority communities that have a significant influence in this constituency . KC is one of the ‘national leaders’ in the fray this year, along with the likes of Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Annie Raja. And this stature is certainly helping him bridge the five-year ‘gap’ with Alappuzha, which had elected him to the Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2014, and the state assembly in 1996, 2001 and 2006. That KC managed to maintain his local connections developed during his previous stints here as an MP and MLA will work to the advantage of ILLUSTRATION: MANDAR PARDIKAR this former Union minister of state in the UPA II government. However, ironically, the weak organisational structure of the Congress has turned out to be a worry for the AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation. Moreover, KC faces equally strong opponents this time – sitting MP A M Ariff of the CPM and Sobha Surendran of the BJP So, it’s going to be quite . a tight contest. Once celebrated as the ‘Venice of East’, Alappuzha is now one of the poorest districts in the state, with its traditional sectors such as coir industry and fishing going through severe crises. Alappuzha – famous for its backwaters, beach- es, and boat races – is also a l a n d o f r e vo l u t i o n a n d revolutionaries. However, like the famed house boats of the Alappuzha, the constituency has swayed both ways, alternating between the LDF and UDF. Over all, the constituency – with 69% Hindu, 20% Christian and 11% Muslim votes – has elected Left candidates eight times, Congress eight, and its ally RSP once. Notably even when the UDF wave , engulfed Kerala in 2019, Alappuzha emerged as the saving grace for the ruling LDF, which was routed in the other 19 constituencies in the state. It is this unpredictable nature of the constituency that Ariff is banking on as he seeks a second term. Throughout his campaign trail, Ariff keeps reminding voters that he is the only “local candidate” in the CONTINUED ON P5 fray .
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