Vote counting underway for Gujarat local body polls
Ahmedabad (PTI): Counting of votes began on Tuesday morning for the local body elections in Gujarat, officials said.
Polling was held on Sunday for elections to 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats in the state.
Counting of votes began at 9 am on Tuesday, State Election Commission (SEC) officials said.
The polls, considered one of the largest electoral exercises in the state ahead of the assembly elections due next year, covered nearly 9,200 seats with over 4.18 crore eligible voters.
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The voter turnout stood at 55.1 per cent for municipal corporations, 65.53 per cent for municipalities, 66.64 per cent for district panchayats and 67.26 per cent for taluka panchayats, according to data released by the SEC.
Among the municipal corporations, the newly formed Gandhidham in Kutch district recorded the lowest turnout at 46.03 per cent, while Vapi in Valsad district registered the highest at 72.29 per cent.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation recorded a turnout of 51.81 per cent.
Polls were held for the first time in nine newly created municipal corporations -- Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
The elections were conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, which required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party were the key contenders, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also contested in several places.
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
