Modi pays tributes to Karunanidhi
Chennai, Aug 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to the late DMK President M. Karunanidhi after laying a wreath on the body that was lying in state at Rajaji Hall here.
Arriving here by a special flight, Modi reached the government estate and paid his respects to the late former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
After going around the casket in which the body was wrapped in the tri-color, the Prime Minister patted M.K. Stalin, Karunanidhi's son and political heir, and his daughter Kanimozhi, MP, and comforted them with words of solace.
After exchanging a few words with them, Modi also comforted other family members and left the place.
Modi, in November last year, visited the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi and urged him to come to the Prime Minister's official residence in Delhi for medical care if he wanted.
Though the Prime Minister's visit was acknowledged as a political nicety in deference to the senior-most political leader of the country, observers also feel it could send signals to the DMK ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state where uncertainty clouds political scene.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan. Sitharaman also comforted Stalin and Kanimozhi.
Modi also greeted with folded hands the crowd of mourners who shouted to acknowledge his atrrival. Stalin and other DMK leader saw him off.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
