Midday News -

THE HEADLINES:

Campaigning for sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections to end this evening; Voting to take place on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticizes TMC government in West Bengal for appeasement politics following scrapping of OBC certificates by Calcutta high court.
India registers a record rise in exports; Employment reaches 18-year high in May.
Buddha Purnima being celebrated across the country and abroad to mark the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha.
Indian shuttlers, P V Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha advance to quarter-finals of Malaysia Masters Badminton.
And, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari clinches gold medal and sets new Asian record in men’s shot put at World Para Athletics Championship in Japan.

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Campaigning for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections will end today. 58 constituencies spread over eight states and union territories will go to polls in this phase on Saturday, May 25. These include 8 seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, 4 in Jharkhand, all 7 seats in Delhi, 6 in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh and 8 in West Bengal. As many as 889 candidates are in the fray from these 58 Lok Sabha constituencies. The voting will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi will address a party rally in Patiala town of Punjab today. Tight security arrangements have been made in and around the Polo ground for this rally.

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The poll campaign for all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will conclude this evening. Political parties are leaving no stone unturned to attract voters through Roadshows, Public Meetings and Door to Door campaigns. The polling in the national capital will be held in the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections on Saturday.

Today, Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh addressed a public meeting in Dwarka area of West Delhi Lok Sabha. In his address, Mr. Singh said that Bharat will definitely see the rise of ‘Ram Rajya’ and no power in the world can stop it.

BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal held a road show in Najafgarh area of West Delhi. Another BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani also held a road show in Ashok Vihar area of Chandni Chowk Parliamentary Constituency. BJP leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma held a roadshow in Rohini area of North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a public meeting in Dilshad Garden area of North East Delhi Parliamentary Constituency. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Gandhi slammed the BJP led government for perpetuating poverty and inequality.

In Odisha, the high voltage campaigning in all the six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly constituencies is going in full swing. The Polling will be held in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Lok Sabha constituencies. 42 Assembly seats will also go to poll simultaneously.

In Sambalpur, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan is pitted against BJD organization general secretary Pranab Prakash Dash and former MP Nagendra Pradhan of Congress.

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In our series of covering the constituency profile for Lok Sabha elections, today we bring you a report on Varanasi parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh. Voting on this seat will be held on June 1 in seventh and last phase. Varanasi is considered the cultural capital of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi represented Varanasi for two consecutive terms — 2014 and 2019. More from our correspondent:-

Varanasi parliamentary seat, considered the capital of religion and spirituality, has remained the centre point of national politics since 2014. In the 17 Lok Sabha elections held so far, the Congress has won this seat seven times and BJP seven times. SP and BSP have not been able to win from here till date. PM Narendra Modi won the 2019 and the 2014 election Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sewapuri. A total of 19 lakh, 39 thousand 255 voters will decide the political fate of seven candidates on June 1 in Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Om Awasthi, Akashwani News, Lucknow.

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In this series in another constituency profile for Lok Sabha elections, today we bring you a report on Karnal parliamentary seat in Haryana. Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal is BJP candidate from this seat. More from our correspondent:

“Karnal Lok Sabha seat has been in the account of Bharatiya Janata Party for the last two elections. In the 2019, Sanjay Bhatia of BJP defeated Haryana’s veteran Congress leader Kuldeep Sharma by a margin of 6 lakh 56 thousand 142 votes. In 2014 also, BJP candidate Ashwani Kumar Chopra won from here. In 2009, this seat was won by Congress. This time before the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party changed the Chief Minister of Haryana and fielded former Chief Minister Manohar Lal from this seat. That is why all eyes are stuck on this seat. This time this constituency has also become the centre of attraction because the candidates of two parties included in the INDI alliance, Congress candidate Divyashun Budhiraja and Nationalist Congress Party’s Virendra Maratha are face to face. Jannayak Janata Party has fielded Devendra Kadyan from here. In total 19 candidates are in the fray from this Lok Sabha seat, out of which 9 candidates are independent. The main contest on this seat is believed to be between the BJP and Congress candidates. A total of 9 assembly seats come under Karnal parliamentary constituency. Ashwini Kumar Sharma Akashvani News Chandigarh.”

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Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi has criticized Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal for appeasement politics after the Calcutta high court struck down all OBC certificates issued in the state since 2010. Addressing an election rally in Delhi, Mr Modi accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of constitutional violations and prioritizing political gains over lawful governance.

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah said, Mamata Banerjee wants to rob the reservation of backward classes for her vote bank politics. Calcutta High Court yesterday scrapped all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010. A division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha termed the OBC list prepared in the state after 2010 as illegal.

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Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani today said that the Delhi High Court judgement on AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s bail plea is a testimony that other members of the party have also been recipients of the money laundered by Mr Sisodia. Briefing media in New Delhi today, Ms Irani said, the three observations by the court in the context of bail application proves and reflects the corruption. She said, the court not only accepted but also said that Sisodia misused government machinery for corruption of 100 crore rupees. Ms Irani said, the court also observed that Manish Sisodia destroyed evidences and if given bail can also trouble the witnesses.

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The Indian economy has registered a record rise in exports and the sharpest upturn in employment over 18 years in May this year. According to the HSBC Flash Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), India recorded the third-strongest upturn in private sector output since July 2010. Although the manufacturing industry continued to lead the growth of both sales and output, it was the service economy that was responsible for the latest acceleration in overall economic expansion.

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Buddha Purnima, marking the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha, is being celebrated in different parts of the country today. The day is commemorated by Buddhists and Hindus all over the world, and is a major festival in many countries. The people of Nepal , Bangladesh and Srilanka also celebrate the birth anniversary by organising several events and symposium on the relevance of Lord Buddha’s teachings in the modern world.

In Bihar, Buddha Purnima is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety. The main function has been organized at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the holy Maha Bodhi tree. Buddhist monks and devotees of different countries have reached Bodhgaya to celebrate Buddha Purnima.

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Severe heat wave conditions are very likely to continue in North and Central India for the next few days. The India Meteorological Department has a consistent red alert issued in the Northern states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi for the next three to four days. Similar conditions in Vidarbha and Maharashtra is likely to prevail during the next three to four days. Hot and humid weather is expected over Assam till tomorrow. Meanwhile, very heavy rainfall is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal today. IMD said that Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some parts of South Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maldives, Comorin area, South Bay of Bengal, some more parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea.

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Severe heat wave conditions continued to sweep Punjab. Bathinda city adjoining Rajasthan has remained the hottest place in the state for the last several days. Scorching heat has led to an unexpected increase in the demand for electricity across the state. A report:

“During this period of scorching heat, a record increase in the demand for electricity is being recorded in the state and on 22nd May, this demand crossed the figure of 14,322 Megawatt. Generally, the demand for this much electricity remains during the paddy planting season. Considering the current weather conditions, this demand is expected to reach 17 thousand Megawatt. The temperature in almost all the cities is above 42 degrees Celsius and in Bathinda this temperature is being recorded more than 46 degrees Celsius. Shishu Sharma Shantal, Akashvani News, Jalandhar.”

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called an early national election for July 4. He made the announcement outside his Downing Street office, saying now is the moment for Britain to choose its future.

Voters across the United Kingdom will choose all 650 members of the House of Commons for a term of up to five years.

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In Badminton, ace Indian shuttlers, P V Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha have advanced to the quarter-finals of the prestigious Malaysia Masters Badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today. Sindhu defeated Yu Jin Sim of South Korea, 21-13, 12-21, 21-14, while, Ashmita beat the American, Beiwen Zhang, 21-19, 16-21, 21-12, in the women’s singles pre-quarters.

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In Para Athletics, India’s Sachin Sarjerao Khilari clinched the gold medal in the men’s shot put at the World Para Athletics Championship in Kobe, Japan. He also set a new Asian record with a throw of 16.30 metres in the F46 category, to defended his title at the world championships.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN::

Campaigning for sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections to end this evening; Voting to take place on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticizes TMC government in West Bengal for appeasement politics following scrapping of OBC certificates by Calcutta high court.
India registers a record rise in exports; Employment reaches 18-year high in May.
Buddha Purnima being celebrated across the country and abroad to mark the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha.
Indian shuttlers, P V Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha advance to quarter-finals of Malaysia Masters Badminton.
And, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari clinches gold medal and sets new Asian record in men’s shot put at World Para Athletics Championship in Japan.