QChennai: Vishal Continues Fight for RK Nagar Nomination & More
Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.
1. RK Nagar By-Poll: Vishal Meets Poll Officer Over Rejection of His Papers
Actor Vishal, whose application to contest in the RK Nagar by-poll was rejected on Tuesday, 5 December, sought the intervention of Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni on Wednesday, 6 December. After meeting Lakhoni for about five minutes, he told media persons he will also represent his case to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
The RK Nagar Election Office saw much drama on Tuesday when it was first announced that Vishal’s nomination papers had been rejected. The actor staged a protest and met with Returning Officer K Velusamy, after which he said his papers had been accepted. But late in the night, there was a formal announcement from the Election Office that his papers had been rejected.
(Source: The Hindu Business Line)
2. High Court to Hear DMK's Plea on Electoral Rolls
The Madras High Court on Wednesday, 6 December, agreed to hear on Thursday a plea made by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to reopen a writ petition, which was disposed of as infructuous on November 21 after recording the submission of Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner that names of 45,819 voters had been deleted from electoral rolls of RK Nagar Assembly constituency, scheduled to go for bypoll on December 21.
In its writ petition, the DMK had sought to restrain the Election Commission from conducting the bypoll for RK Nagar constituency without purifying the voters list.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Rape Accused Who Killed Mother Arrested in Mumbai
“How did you trace me? Oh my god, it is unbelievable!”
These were reportedly the words Daswant, the 23-year-old accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a seven-year-old girl, and more recently, suspected to have bludgeoned his mother to death, uttered when police officers apprehended him in Mumbai on Wednesday, 6 December.
Daswant was charged for raping and killing a seven-year-old girl who was his neighbour last February in Mugaliwakkam. He kept her body in his house for a day, and later he disposed it under a bridge, setting fire to it a day later. After committing the crime, he misled the police and media as a witness for a couple of days before his arrest.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Edappadi K Palaniswami Holds Meeting with Navy, IAF, ICG Officials
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who reviewed search and rescue of Tamil Nadu fishermen with senior officials of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG), has sought authorities to accelerate the operation.
His plea to officials of the joint operation followed the apprehensions expressed by the affected fishers to the Kanyakumari district administration that their men who had gone for deep sea fishing could have been stranded in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat or in Lakshadweep and Maldives.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
5. 'Punish Those Behind Babri Masjid Demolition Before Ruling on Title Suit'
Muslim organisations, along with leaders of other political parties, staged demonstrations across the State on Wednesday, 6 December, calling for the rebuilding of Babri Masjid which was demolished 25 years ago on this day.
They urged that the masjid should be rebuilt where it was standing earlier 25 years ago and sought punishment for political leaders who were responsible for the demolition before deciding the title suit on the disputed land by the Supreme Court.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Only EVMs, No Ballot Papers for RK Nagar By-Election
“Even if the number of contesting candidates goes beyond 64 in RK Nagar, the high profile constituency will only have electronic voting machines. There is no possibility for ballot paper polling,” a highly-placed informed official on poll duty said.
There are several advantages in using EVMs. A machine can record a maximum of 3,840 votes and these units are ideal for a polling booth which usually has less than 1,600 voters. For logistical reasons and error free processing, the ECI is also keen on using EVMs, the official added.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
7. Flash Floods Cut off Access to Islet in Palar River
The lone mud road that connected the Irumbulicheri-Edaiyathur land mass in the middle of the Palar river was washed away in the recent flash floods, making life miserable for 1,000-odd people residing on the islet.
Incidentally, another concrete causeway was damaged during the 2015 flood when the river received heavy flow. At that time, the construction of a high-level bridge, taken up under the Self Sufficiency Scheme during 2012-13, remained unfinished, forcing the officials to operate boat services to the islet from Nerumbur/Pandur on the northern bank of the river for over a week.
(Source: The Hindu)
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