CEC Gyanesh Kumar faces 'go back' slogans, shown black flags outside Kalighat temple in Kolkata
Kolkata (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced "go back" slogans and was shown black flags on Monday morning when he visited the revered Kalighat temple in south Kolkata.
Police personnel present at the spot brought the situation under control, allowing the CEC to proceed with his visit to the temple.
Similar demonstrations were seen near the airport on Sunday night over the SIR exercise, after Kumar arrived in the city.
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As his convoy was leaving the airport, TMC workers raised "go back" slogans, targeting him.
Black flags were also shown to the CEC when his convoy was passing through the Kaikhali area along the VIP Road.
Activists of Left parties also staged protests outside the airport, heightening tensions in the area.
Police said the situation was handled firmly, preventing the protests from escalating.
Adequate security arrangements have been made for Kumar's three-day visit ahead of the assembly elections, they said.
Later in the day, Kumar will hold meetings with political parties, enforcement agencies and senior administrative officials to review preparedness for the assembly elections.
Kumar is visiting the state along with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to assess arrangements for the high-stakes polls.
The full bench of the EC will first meet recognised national and state parties to hear their concerns and suggestions regarding the conduct of elections, officials said.
This will be followed by interactions with nodal officers of enforcement agencies, and a detailed review meeting with senior police and administrative officials, they said.
The meeting is expected to focus on law and order preparedness, deployment planning and coordination among enforcement agencies in the run-up to the elections, they added.
On Tuesday, the final day of the visit, the EC team will hold meetings with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal and the CAPF nodal officer.
Kumar and his team will also interact with booth-level officers and address a press conference before leaving the city.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
