Equity indices end at record closing levels; Nifty50 closes above 11,500
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Positive global cues and recovery in the Indian rupee lifted the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty50 to provisionally end at record closing highs on Monday.
Heavy buying activity was witnessed in capital goods, metal and oil and gas stocks, analysts said.
Earlier in the day, both the indices -- BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty50 -- touched their all-time intra-day high levels of 38,340.69 points and 11,565.30 points respectively.
At 3.30 p.m., the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange provisionally ended at a fresh closing high of 11,551.75 points, up 81 points or 0.71 per cent from its previous close.
The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex which had opened at 38,075.07 points, closed at 38,278.75, points, higher by 330.87 points or 0.87 per cent from its previous close. It touched an intra-day low of 38,050.69 points.
Sector-wise, the S&P BSE Capital Goods index gained 668.41 points, the metal index rose by 332.36 points and the oil and gas was up 191.82 points by the end of the day's trade.
On the other hand, the IT index declined by 188.84 points, the consumer durable index fell 127.24 points and the Teck (technology, entertainment and media) stocks declined by 76.07 points.
The top gainers at the S&P BSE Sensex were Larsen and Toubro, Tata Motors (DVR), Tata Motors, ONGC, and Tata Steel. On the contrary the majors losers in the day were Infosys, Maruti Suzuki, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Hindustan Uniliver.
On Friday, the indices traded on a positive note with the Sensex closing at 37,947.88 points and the Nifty50 at 11,470.75 points.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kerala enters silence campaigning phase; Candidates make last-mile outreach
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala on Wednesday entered the mandatory silence period ahead of the April 9 Assembly polls, with candidates and party workers making last-ditch efforts to reach out to voters through door-to-door visits and personal contacts.
After nearly a month-long campaigning period, a total of 2.71 crore voters would exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 883 candidates in the crucial polling for the 140-member Assembly to be held on Thursday.
With high-decibel campaigning ending on Tuesday evening, the focus has now shifted to quiet, direct voter engagement, as candidates seek to secure support from all sections of voters in their constituencies.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in sensitive constituencies to prevent any untoward incidents, while distribution of polling materials is being carried out across the state from Wednesday morning.
According to the Election Commission, campaigning through public meetings, rallies, media interactions and election-related interviews is strictly prohibited during the silence period to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders.
In an advisory, the Commission directed star campaigners and political leaders to refrain from addressing the media through press conferences or interviews on poll-related matters during this period. Of the total 2.71 crore voters, 1.32 crore are men, 1.39 crore women and 273 transgender persons, along with over 2.42 lakh overseas voters.
The contest is primarily among three fronts -- the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer, Rathan U Kelkar, has said that all arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of polls.
A total of 30,495 polling stations have been set up across Kerala, including 24 auxiliary booths created following the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, he said.
These additional booths are located in Kasaragod, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts.
Among the polling stations, 352 will be managed entirely by women and 37 by persons with disabilities, Kelkar said.
He added that 140 distribution and collection centres have been established, while counting will take place at 140 strongrooms and 43 locations.
As part of security measures, around 2,000 persons identified as potential troublemakers have been placed under preventive detention. Authorities have also executed about 11,000 non-bailable warrants and removed over 3,400 social media posts for alleged violations of poll norms.
The conclusion of public campaigning on Tuesday evening saw a vibrant display of political mobilisation across the state, with roadshows, rallies and processions filling town centres, marked by party flags, drum beats and slogan-shouting workers.
Apart from traditional canvassing, political parties also relied heavily on television, print media and social media platforms to reach voters during the campaign period.
