SATURDAY 25 MAY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR FREE, OPEN INDO-PACIFIC NECESSARY FOR GLOBAL PEACE: EAM ‘INDIA DID BEST UNDER COALITIONS’ P7 SENSEX 75,410.397.65 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. WARM NIGHT AND HEAT WAVE CONDITIONS AT ISOLATED PLACES. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH) OCCASIONALLY IN GUSTY DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 44 AND 31 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY P5 NIFTY 22,957.1010.55 P11 ` vs $ 83.1118 PAISE GOLD 72,440980 Penultimate phase of Lok Sabha polls today Poll panel issues call for voters to turn out in greater numbers STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 MAY RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 63 % Min. 37 % Max: 41.7 °C (+1) SUN RISES 05:26 hrs MOON RISES 21:16 hrs Min: 30.8 °C (+4) SUN SETS 19:11 hrs MOON SETS 07:22 hrs TEMPERATURE BRIDGERTON: IDEALISING THE WALLFLOWERS OF SOCIETY THUMBNAILS Polling officials leave for their respective polling stations on the eve of the sixth phase of LS polls in Prayagraj on Friday. ANI Step father sentenced to death for killing actress Laila Khan, 5 others in 2011: A Mumbai Sessions Court on Friday awarded death sentence to Parvez Tak for the sensational killing of his step-daughter and actress Laila Khan, her mother, three siblings, and a cousin sister in 2011. Additional Sessions Judge S.B. Pawar pronounced Tak guilty of the multiple murders on 9 May, and the verdict on the quantum of punishment was delivered on Friday. V oting for the sixth and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha elections, covering 58 constituencies in eight states and Union territories will be held on Saturday. More than 11.13 crore voters will decide the fates of 889 candidates who are in the fray. The polling is scheduled to commence at 7 a.m. in 1.14 lakh polling stations, manned by around 11.4 lakh polling officials amid tight security. Of the 58 Lok Sabha seats going to the polls in the sixth phase, 14 are in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in Haryana, eight each in Bihar and West Bengal, seven in Delhi, six in Odisha, four in Jharkhand and one in Jammu and Kashmir. Voting for 42 seats of the Odisha Assembly will also be held in the state's third phase of simultaneous polling. Key candidates from the BJP are Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan (Sambalpur, Odisha), former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Of the 58 seats going to the polls in the 6th phase, 14 are in Uttar Pradesh, 10 in Haryana, eight each in Bihar and Bengal, seven in Delhi, six in Odisha, four in Jharkhand and one in Jammu & Kashmir. Khattar (Karnal), Manoj Tiwari (North East Delhi) and Bansuri Swaraj (New Delhi); prominent candidates from Congress include Kumari Selja (Sirsa, Haryana), Deep- ender Singh Hooda (Rohtak, Haryana), JP Agarwal (Chandni Chowk) and Kanhaiya Kumar (North East Delhi). Other prominent candidates include senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti (New Delhi), PDP President and former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti (Anantnag-Rajouri) and the Trinamul Congress’ Lalitesh Pati Tripathi from UP's Bhadohi. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has called upon voters to turn out in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride. It reminded voters of parliamentary seats in urban centres like Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad about their right and duty to vote and break the trend of urban apathy. The poll panel also said the concerned CEOs and State machineries have been directed to take adequate measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather or rainfall wherever predicted. Assured Minimum Facilities like water, shed, toilets, ramps, volunteers, wheelchairs, and electricity are in place to ensure that every voter, including elderly and persons with disabilities, can cast their vote with ease, it said. NEW DELHI, 24 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said 90 per cent of people anywhere in the country say his next government is a certainty; there is no “confusion” this time, people want to vote for the BJP, and no citizen wants his vote to go “waste.” Addressing a BJP election rally in Gurdaspur, Punjab, he said the 2024 election will give leadership to the country. On one side is BJP and NDA, with a clear vision of Viksit Bharat, a Nation First resolve, track record of 10 years and assault on corruption. On the other side, there is INDI alliance which is BJP moves SC challenging Cal HC restrain order on ads PARMOD KUMAR INDI alliance partners Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) act like friends in Delhi and protect the corrupt, while abusing each other in Punjab.. NARENDRA MODI PRIME MINISTER severely communal, casteist and follows dynasty politics. INDI alliance partners Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) act like friends in Delhi and protect the corrupt, while abusing each other in Punjab. What do they think; they can befool people like this? “People know these two shops have a common shutter,” Mr Modi said. “To defeat the INDI alliance and to realize your dreams, you should press the lotus button of the BJP,” he said. “Who knows the real face of the INDI alliance better than Punjab,” the Prime interest, the Congress stands at the last place. When the party was in power in the State, it wanted to run the government by remote control; but CM Captain Amarinder Singh declined to take orders from the Congress Prince in Delhi (Rahul Gandhi),” he said. As a patriot from the armed forces, the Chief Minister gave priority to national security, Punjab being a border State, and declined to take orders against the country. He was therefore removed from his post. Who can forget this insult of Punjab, Mr Modi said. Punjab is sought to be run through remote control even today, he said. The present Chief Minister cannot initiate any work; his gov- ‘There is a limit to the amount of lies BJP can tell’: Patnaik says he is in good health STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a poll rally on 21 May targeted Mr Patnaik insinuating towards his falling health by saying that Naveen Patnaik, who is 77 years old, should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues". BHUBANESWAR, 24 MAY NEW DELHI, 24 MAY The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order restraining it from publishing any kind of derogatory advertisements against the Trinamul Congress, which violated the model code of conduct during the ongoing general election. Making a mentioning for an urgent listing of the petition on 27 Monday, a lawyer appearing for the BJP told a Bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal that high court has restrained the BJP from issuing advertisements during the Lok Sabha polls till 4 June, the day election process ends. “We will see,” the Bench said. The BJP has challenged the 22 May order of the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court refusing to interfere with a single-judge order directing the Bharatiya Janata Party not to publish any advertisement violating the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha election. Minister said. The INDI alliance gave maximum wounds to Punjab. First, the Partition after Independence, then instability due to self-interest, followed by a long phase of unrest, attack on brotherhood and on faith, he said. “What is it the Congress did not do in Punjab. It encouraged separatism and organised genocide of Sikhs in Delhi. As long as it held power in the Central government, it even protected the rioters; it is Modi who reopened files of the accused, and got them punished,” he said. Even today the Congress and the AAP have this grouse, and abuse the BJP day and night, he said. Mr Modi said when it comes to national With the BJP constantly raising questions over the health of CM Naveen Patnaik and alleging use of AI , and deepfake videos, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday said he is in good health and campaigning in the State in the polls. “As you can see I am in very good health and have been campaigning all over the state for over a month. There is a limit to the amount of lies BJP can tell”, Mr Patnaik said. Kartik Pandian (Mr Patnaik’s second-in-command) who has been BJP’s principal target, reacted today saying, “I only hope that BJP comes up with innovative ideas instead of talking about something which is non-existent. You are all watching the Chief Minister. It is very unfortunate, below the belt.” “People of Odisha will not appreciate this kind of demeaning Chief Minister who is hugely popular among the people of the state . I only suggest letting them come up with something innovative. It is so substandard” he added. Mr Patnaik has come under scathing attack from BJP during the poll campaign. Right from BJP’s top heavyweights to state level leaders, none has spared Mr Patnaik, saying that it is high time he retires, as Mr Pandian has taken advantage and hijacked governance in the state. Mr Patnaik is a hostage, he has been held captive, they have alleged. Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a poll rally on 21 May targeted Mr Patnaik insinuating towards his falling health by saying that Naveen Patnaik, who is 77 years old, should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues". Even PM Modi has made subtle references to the ‘slow’ moving Mr Patnaik and the ‘Tamil Babu’ taking control, which he characterised as an affront to Odia Pride. Naveen Patnaik has remained insulated from the people for over two years, his ministers, mlas, chief secretary, DGP are unable to meet him and they need to take prior permission from Kartik Pandian. He speaks a few words in less than two minutes at his campaign meetings, but in videos he is delivering speeches , noted the BJP leaders. Has he toured districts during the last three years, they questioned. Assam CM Himant Biswa Sarma said Naveen Patnaik will break down and cry if he meets leaders for 10 to 15 minutes in the absence of Pandian. He is held hostage, charged Sarma. The BJP has raised the Odia Pride card targeting Pandian who is a non-Odia as he is running the show. Kartik Pandian’s complete dominance has prompted the saffron party to make it a major election issue insinuating that Naveen is grooming Pandian as his successor. Meanwhile the Odisha unit of BJP, in its latest move, has written to the DGP to “free” the CM from “captivity”. We are very much doubtful whether the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police are able to talk to him (CM) as per the protocol. People of Odisha do have the right to know the ‘condition’ of the Chief Minister. Therefore, the Odisha BJP requests you to create an opportunity to free the CM from the clutches of Pandian in the presence of a judge and dignitaries and enable him to talk to media persons, stated the BJP in its letter to the DGP. P12 SILVER 92,000500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 81.190.17 In Delhi, its BJP versus Congress-AAP NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 24 MAY Amid heatwave conditions in the national capital, Delhi will go to polls on Saturday in a single phase in all seven Lok Sabha seats in a close contest between the BJP and the Opposition INDIA bloc, comprising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress. The polling in the national capital will be held in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls. The AAP and Congress are contesting the seven seats in alliance in the national capital, with the AAP contesting four and the Congress three seats. The seven parliamentary constituencies are Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi, and West Delhi. The voting is scheduled to commence at 7 am. There are a total of 13,637 polling stations and the number of candidates contesting in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies is 162. Over 1.52 crore electorate are eligible to cast their vote in Delhi on May 25. "As per Electoral Roll Data, there are a total of 1,52,01,936 electors," election officials said. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer P. Krishnamurthy said more than one lakh employees have been deployed on polling duty. (Pg 2) There is no confusion; BJP’s next govt is certainty, says PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ‘AUSTRALIANS NOT APPROACHED FOR HEAD COACH SLOT’ ernment was paralysed once his party president (Arvind Kejriwal) went to jail. The Chief Minister had to travel to Tihar Jail to take fresh orders. Within a few days, after 1st June, the “corrupt” will go to jail again; will the government of Punjab run from a jail, the Prime Minister asked. “Do you accept this style of government? Is this not insult of Punjab, the land of the Gurus. Will this not put at risk future of Punjab,” he said. Mr Modi said that to take Punjab out of this situation, and for a bright future of the State and India, people should elect BJP candidates, “and I will take care of your dreams in the next five years,” he said. SC declines NGO’s plea for publication of booth-wise voter turnout data by ECI PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 24 MAY The Supreme Court on Friday declined to pass any direction to the Election Commission on a plea by the Association for Democratic Reforms seeking publication of polling booth-wise voter turnout data. Adopting a “handsoff” approach in the midst of the ongoing general election, the court noted that polling for the five phases is already over, and the sixth one takes place on Saturday. Refusing to pass order as sought by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms by its 9 May application, a vacation bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma adjourned the hearing (on the application), noting that the “hands-off” approach is needed in the middle of the election process. Adjourning the hearing on the application, the vacation bench said: “Prima facie we are not inclined to grant any interim relief since prayer B of the 2019 petition [filed by ADR] is similar to prayer A of the 2024 application. List the both main petition and application before an appropriate bench after (summer) vacation.” At the outset of the hearing, the Election Commission questioned the maintainability of the application by the NGO, stating that it has been filed after the court’s judgment of 26 April where in all the issues including form 17 C data were dealt with. The Commission said that NGO approached the top court without referring to the 26 April 2024 judgment. By the said judgment, the SC, finding no flaws in the working of the EVMs, rejected the plea for 100 per cent cross verification of EVM votes with the VVPAT slips. Deprecating the repeated filing of applications by the NGO in the midst of the elections based on “unfounded apprehensions and susp8icition”, senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, said that “continuous questioning of the election process” has a discouraging effect on the voter turnout as was witnessed in the initial phases, which now was showing upward trend. He blamed the discouraging voter turnout in the initial phases on such approaching of the top court by “vested” interests. Maninder Singh said that such an attitude is causing damage to the public interest by always putting a question mark on the sanctity of the elections. Earlier, the poll panel had in an affidavit told the top court that voter turnout data based on Form 17C (records of votes polled in each polling station) will cause confusion among voters as it will also include postal ballot counts.