POLITICS

Speaking passionately at a rally held at the Palace Grounds, PM Modi urged citizens to stay vigilant and alert in light of these distressing occurrences. He lambasted the Congress for the deteriorating law and order situation, stating, "Our daughters are under attack, bombs are detonating in markets, and assaults are being launched merely for practicing religious hymns. These are not isolated events. Against this backdrop, I urge the people of Bengaluru and Karnataka to remain vigilant against the Congress."

Confirming the news, Bhupendra Chaudhary, the Uttar Pradesh BJP chief, relayed the somber information to the press through PTI. "Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar has passed away," he stated, shedding light on Kumar's health struggles, particularly a throat ailment that necessitated surgery. Chaudhary revealed that Kumar had visited AIIMS for a routine check-up the day before his demise.

The primary phase witnessed the largest number of constituencies going to polls. The Election Commission (EC) labeled the turnout as "high", underscoring the predominantly peaceful conduct of the voting process.

Modi highlighted the concerted efforts of powerful entities aimed at his removal, emphasizing the collective strength of "Nari Shakti" (women empowerment) and "Maatru Shakti" (motherhood) bolstering him amidst adversities.

By 7 p.m. on Friday, preliminary data indicated that 60.03% of voters had cast their ballots.

In his address, he pointed out that these individuals had declined the invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple.

The bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, noted the presumption of validity attached to official acts under the Indian Evidence Act, suggesting that not every action undertaken by the electoral body should be questioned.

Accompanied by former Chief Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and Basavaraj Bommai, as well as his father Yediyurappa, Raghavendra participated in a roadshow and public function to mark the occasion. He projected optimism about securing a larger margin of victory compared to the previous election, attributing it to the accomplishments and developmental work undertaken.

Accompanied by a multitude of party officials and fervent supporters, Mehbooba made her way to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Syed Fakhruddin, who serves as the returning officer for the constituency, to formalize her candidacy.

The ED, advocating for Singh's 14-day judicial custody, contends that he functioned as a cash handler for the Aam Aadmi Party during the Goa elections, allegedly receiving around Rs 45 crore in cash via hawala operators. These funds were purportedly disbursed to various stakeholders, including vendors, survey workers, and volunteers involved in the AAP campaign in Goa. Singh's arrest under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 13 marked a significant development in the ongoing investigation.