Ramgarh (PTI): Three persons, including an elderly man, were trampled to death by wild elephants in two separate incidents in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district on Friday, police said.

Both incidents happened within the Gola police station limits. One incident occurred at Banda village, where two persons died, while the second took place at Murpa village, where an elderly man was trampled to death by wild elephants, they said.

"Three people were killed by wild elephants on Friday at two different locations. All three were male. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and are being sent for post-mortem examination at a government hospital," Officer in-charge of Gola police station, Abhishek Kumar, told PTI.

The deceased have been identified as Dheeraj Kumar (26) of Talatand in Patratu, Jugal Bhuiyan (30) of Murpa village, and Samdev Saw (73) of Murpa village, another police officer said.

"We have provided Rs 25,000 each to the victims' families as immediate relief, while the rest of the compensation will be given after completion of some official formalities," said DFO, Ramgarh, Nitish Kumar.

The Jharkhand government provides Rs 4 lakh as compensation in case of death caused by an elephant.

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Chennai/New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering political discussion after the absence of former state president K Annamalai from the roster.

Despite being widely seen as the party’s most prominent face in the state and a key figure in its southern expansion strategy, Annamalai was not fielded in the list. Senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union Minister L. Murugan from Avinashi, have been nominated.

Responding to questions on the omission, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the decision was taken by the party’s central leadership. He expressed confidence that all 27 candidates would emerge victorious in the polls.

Annamalai, a former IPS officer who joined the BJP in 2020 and rapidly rose to prominence, had earlier been replaced as state chief by Nagendran. Known for his aggressive political style and grassroots outreach, he has been instrumental in amplifying the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.

In a message posted on X, Annamalai congratulated the candidates and reaffirmed his commitment to the party. He said he would campaign actively for BJP and NDA nominees, expressing confidence in the alliance securing a decisive mandate. He also criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, calling it ineffective and self-serving.

The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Seat-sharing arrangements allocate 169 constituencies to the AIADMK, 27 to the BJP, 18 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi, 11 to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, five to the Tamil Maanila Congress, and one seat each to the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and Puratchi Bharatham.

Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 across all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4. The primary contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, although actor-turned-politician Vijay is also positioning himself as a potential challenger, raising the possibility of a multi-cornered contest.