Author: colorsnews.in

Agartala, April 24 (IANS) The Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which retained control of the politically-crucial Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in the recent elections, will form the new council after observing the outcome of the West Bengal Assembly elections, a party leader said on Friday.

A newly-elected senior TMP leader said that the new council, including the election of the new Chairman and Chief Executive Member (CEM), would be constituted only after assessing the results of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Out of the total 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal, polling was conducted on Thursday in 152 constituencies, while the remaining 142 constituencies will go to the polls in the second phase on April 29.

The Tribal Welfare Department of the Tripura government, in a notification, stated that the state’s Law Secretary, Sankari Das, will administer the oath or affirmation to the newly-elected members of the TTAADC on April 27.

“Generally, after taking the oath or affirmation, the newly-elected members elect the new Chairman and the CEM. However, this time we will wait for the outcome of the West Bengal elections,” the TMP leader told IANS, requesting anonymity.

The TMP, a partner in the BJP-led coalition government, secured 24 out of 28 seats, sweeping the TTAADC elections, the results of which were declared on April 17.

The BJP managed to win only four seats. The BJP and its two tribal-based allies — TMP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) — had contested the April 12 TTAADC polls separately after failing to reach an electoral understanding.

Since 2021, the TMP has governed the strategically important council, widely regarded as the second most significant constitutional and political institution in Tripura after the state Assembly.

The 30-member TTAADC comprises 28 elected representatives and two members nominated by the state government, and it administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area.

The tribal-based TMP secured 24 seats, six more than in the previous elections. Outgoing Chairman Jagadish Debbarma and outgoing Chief Executive Member (CEM) Purna Chandra Jamatia, both senior TMP leaders, have been re-elected.

The BJP, however, managed to win only four seats this time, a sharp decline from the 10 seats it secured in the 2021 TTAADC elections.

The CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress, as in the 2021 polls, once again failed to open their accounts.

In the 2021 TTAADC elections, the BJP had contested 11 seats and won nine, while a BJP-backed Independent candidate also emerged victorious and later joined the TMP.

The TMP had then won 18 seats, wresting control of the council from the CPI(M)-led Left Front after several years.

Political observers noted that with two consecutive victories in the TTAADC, the TMP has further consolidated its position in Tripura’s political landscape.

Tribal communities account for nearly one-third of Tripura’s 4.2 million population and remain a decisive factor in the state’s politics.

–IANS

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Hubballi, April 24 (IANS) In a shocking case, a boy ended his life after being denied a mobile phone by his mother in the Udaynagar locality of Hubballi city in North Karnataka, said police on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as a 14-year-old boy. Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashidhar has warned parents against the sudden withdrawal of mobile phones from children who are addicted to them. The Keshvapura police in Hubballi have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

According to the police, the boy had been addicted to mobile phone use and was playing an online game for the past few days. On Thursday night, his mother objected to his excessive mobile usage and reprimanded him. She asked him to stop focusing on the phone and instead concentrate on his studies. She then snatched the mobile phone from him.

Taking it to heart, the boy went into his room and locked the door from inside. When he did not come out for about 20 minutes, his father peeped through the window and saw him hanging. The boy had used his mother’s saree to hang himself. The parents broke open the door and rushed him to a hospital. However, doctors declared him brought dead.

Reacting to the incident, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar said, “The deceased is a 14-year-old boy. His mother objected to his mobile addiction and took the phone away. Immediately after that, he locked himself inside his room and did not open the door for 10 to 15 minutes. Later, his father noticed that he had hanged himself using a saree.”

“It is an unfortunate incident. Children taking extreme steps over the denial of mobile phone use is a matter of concern. At the same time, parents also have responsibilities. Children do not become addicted to mobile phones and gaming overnight. We have seen parents and relatives handing over mobile phones to children to keep them quiet,” he said.

“Many times, while feeding them or when asking them to study, parents allow the use of mobile phones for an hour or so. Children also tend to emotionally pressure their parents. Without understanding the consequences, parents may suddenly snatch away the phones. In cases of severe addiction, consultation with psychologists and doctors is advisable, and mobile usage should be reduced gradually,” he added.

“I appeal to parents that mobile addiction is harmful. There are hardly any examples of individuals achieving success in life through excessive mobile use. However, mobile phones can be used productively to learn English, grammar, and other skills through YouTube and online courses. Many students who scored 625 out of 625 in Class 10 board exams have said they stayed away from distractions, including mobile phones,” he noted.

He added that both parents and students should take note of this, emphasising the need for proper parenting.

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) A large voter turnout, being attributed to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters’ roll, acute polarisation on religious lines, anti-incumbency factor, and conversely, overwhelming mandate favouring West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress — are among reports coming after the first phase of state election held on Thursday.

The ruling Trinamool Congress is tied in a fierce battle primarily with the principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

Thus, the loud debate on a record turnout in this round, where a huge 91.78 per cent of voters participated.

Women participation scored over men with 92.69 to 90.92 per cent, respectively; and 56.79 per cent among the third gender came out to vote.

In numbers, the total turnout translates into 3.6 crore, where 1.76 crore were women, and 1.84 men, with 465 representing the third gender.

“This is like 80 voters out of 100 turning out for polling and the same number among 90 exercising their franchise,” said senior journalist and political analyst Suvashis Maitra.

“The first round of election took place in 152 seats, where the BJP had won 59 seats in 2021. Even if the party takes that tally to 80 among these, it will need 68 more seats to win from the 142 that goes to poll in the next round. In 2021, the BJP managed 18 seats in these areas, with a strike rate of around 13 per cent,” he said, analysing the current political scenario.

The task may look onerous on its own, but in the backdrop of the 2006 election, when the Trinamool Congress was being considered close to assuming power, but could not; and considering the 2021 result that favoured the party, it may not be dismissed as impossible.

Taking all 294 seats in West Bengal Assembly, Mamata Banerjee’s party collected 30 seats in the first instance with a vote share of 26.64 per cent. It won the subsequent election with 184 seats, while the mandate increased to 38.93 per cent in their favour.

Thus, the gain was of a massive 154 seats, while the percentage jumped by 12.29 points.

For the BJP, overall, the party would need to add 71 seats — or 78, considering its current strength in the state Assembly — to its 2021 kitty for a simple majority.

However, the outcome of the first phase of the 2026 election would be significant for the party since its strength lies in the north of the state, a strong polarisation in the east, in the districts bordering Bangladesh, and the tribal belt to the west and southwest, where again it holds sway.

Economist Prasenjit Bose, a Congress leader who is bitterly opposed to the poll body on its SIR exercise, asserted the massive voter turnout should not be counted a “vote for change”, as being claimed by the BJP.

“We should remember that in 2021 Assembly election, total polling was 5.99 crore out of 7.3-crore total electors, polling rate being 82 per cent. In 2024 Lok Sabha election, total polling was slightly above 6 crore out of 7.6-crore total electors, polling rate being 79 per cent,” he said, referring to his recent Facebook post.

Like Maitra, he added this year’s turnout was due to “large scale SIR deletions”, where total number of West Bengal’s electors have reduced to 6.8 crore.

This, he pointed out, is less than the total number of voters in the 2021 Assembly election.

Bose contended that with the second phase of polling scheduled for April 29, even if the same number of electors, which is around 6 crore, finally exercise their franchise in the current Assembly election, the polling rate would cross 88 per cent.

Referring to reports of large number of migrants who returned home to vote, Bose opined it as a likely because of the SIR exercise, which led to more than 91 lakh voter deletions, of which 27 lakh were struck off “because of so-called ‘logical discrepancy'”.

Expanding on this, senior journalist Biswajit Bhattacharya said that there was an apprehension among several migrants of losing their franchise if they did not vote.

“I’ve heard of many such returnees having carefully stored their voter’s slip along with elector’s identity cards to prove participation,” he claimed, stressing another reason to the record turnout.

–IANS

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Bhubaneswar, April 24 (IANS) In view of the prevailing severe heatwave conditions across Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced early summer vacation for schools.

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the safety and well-being of students. The Chief Minister approved a proposal in this regard submitted by the School and Mass Education Department. As per the decision, all government, government-aided, and private schools across Odisha will remain closed from April 27 onwards.

However, previously scheduled examinations, census-related work, and other official activities will continue as per schedule.

It is worth noting that Odisha is reeling under scorching heat, with day temperatures hovering above 40 degrees Celsius in several parts of the state, including the capital Bhubaneswar, as an intense heatwave sweeps across the region, severely affecting normal life.

On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhubaneswar, in its bulletin also predicted that no significant change in maximum (day) temperature will be observed over the next three days across districts in Odisha. It further added that the temperature is likely to fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius thereafter.

The agency has also issued a yellow warning, predicting that severe heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated places in the districts of Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, and Khordha.

The maximum temperature in as many as 24 towns of Odisha remained above 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday, with Jharsuguda and Talcher topping the list at 44 degrees Celsius each.

Similarly, till 11.30 a.m. on Friday, the temperature in Jharsuguda had already crossed 40 degrees Celsius, with the mercury hovering close to the same mark in several areas.

Notably, the roads have been wearing a deserted look after 11 a.m., as people largely stayed indoors across the state to avoid the intense heatwave.

Heatstroke cases are also being reported from many places across the state. The District Collectors in various regions had earlier suspended school classes owing to the heatwave conditions.

Meanwhile, following concerns over heatstroke incidents, the state government has also halted census work between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in view of the safety of enumerators.

–IANS

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Gandhinagar/Anand, April 24 (IANS) Electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units used in the by-election to the Umreth Assembly constituency of Gujarat have been sealed and secured in strongrooms following the completion of polling, officials said on Friday.

Polling was conducted across 306 polling stations in the Assembly constituency on Thursday.

After the close of voting, all polled EVMs and VVPATs were transported and stored in designated strongrooms in the presence of contesting candidates or their authorised representatives, as well as Central Observers appointed by the Election Commission.

The process was carried out under videography in line with prescribed procedures.

According to the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sandeep Sangle, the storage follows Election Commission protocols, including a two-tier armed security system with at least one platoon of armed personnel guarding the premises and continuous CCTV surveillance.

Reserve EVMs and VVPATs have been stored separately in a reserve strongroom under similar safeguards.

“All contesting candidates have been informed in writing to depute their representatives to monitor the security arrangements,” the statement said, adding that they are permitted to remain outside the inner security perimeter.

A live CCTV display has been provided for their observation.

The strongroom will be opened on the day of counting in the presence of candidates or their representatives and Central Observers under videography.

“Polling in the Assembly constituency was conducted peacefully, with voter turnout recorded at about 59.04 per cent,” according to official data released after voting concluded.

Earlier on Friday, voter turnout figures rose steadily from around 25 per cent by late morning to more than 54 per cent by evening before final consolidation.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Govind Parmar in March, after which the seat was declared vacant.

The Umreth Assembly constituency, located in Anand district, has more than 2.45 lakh registered voters and includes both urban and rural polling seats.

The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.

–IANS

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Patna, April 24 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday won the vote of trust in the state Legislative Assembly, with the motion being passed through a voice vote, effectively proving the government’s majority on the floor of the House.

The opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav, chose not to press for a division of votes, following which Speaker Prem Kumar declared the motion passed. He also extended congratulations to the newly formed government.

The ruling dispensation secured the backing of its NDA allies, including the Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, underscoring the coalition’s numerical strength in the Assembly.

Addressing the House, Chief Minister Choudhary mounted a sharp political attack on Tejashwi Yadav, rejecting the notion that leadership in a democracy is derived from lineage or a particular political school. He asserted that political power flows from the people’s mandate and sustained struggle, not from inheritance or personal privilege.

Referring to his own political journey, Choudhary said he rose to the top post with public support and perseverance.

In a pointed reference to former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, he remarked that the hardships and alleged oppression of that period played a role in shaping his political path.

While dismissing what he termed the “Lalu school of politics”, the Chief Minister acknowledged the guidance and support of senior leaders and allies. He credited former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan, Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha and Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi for their support.

He emphasised that his elevation reflects collective political consensus and party unity, particularly highlighting the role of the BJP in giving him opportunities as state president, Deputy CM, and now Chief Minister.

The one-day special session witnessed sharp exchanges between the ruling coalition and the opposition. However, the absence of a demand for a vote count indicated that the opposition did not directly challenge the government’s numerical strength in the House.

–IANS

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