Diesel made cheaper by Rs 4.06 per litre in Maharashtra
Mumbai, Oct 5 : Diesel in Maharashtra will be cheaper by Rs 4.06 in Maharashtra, with the state government Friday announcing a cut in taxes on the fuel.
The state government slashed the diesel prices by Rs 1.56 per litre, a day after the central government reduced the rates on the fuel by Rs 2.50 a litre.
The Maharashtra government had Thursday reduced the prices of petrol by Rs 2.50 per litre after the Centre cut the prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, making this fuel cheaper by Rs 5 per litre in the state.
"Happy to announce relief on diesel too! After the relief of Rs 2.50 per litre by the GOI (government of India), Maharashtra government decided to further add its share of Rs 1 per litre along with 56 paisa tax and the effective cost reduction will be Rs 4.06 per litre in Maharashtra," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis had told reporters in Nashik, about 200km from here in north Maharashtra, that his government would reduce local taxes on diesel so that the consumers get relief of Rs 4 per litre.
The diesel prices were left untouched Thursday by the state government, which had said an assessment was being made on this front.
Speaking in Nashik, Fadnavis lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the Centre's decision to reduce petrol and diesel prices.
The chief minister also said the Maharashtra government has a positive stand on bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
