Hockey India names Rajinder Singh as president
New Delhi, May 19 : Hockey India on Saturday named Rajinder Singh as its president after Mariamma Koshy submitted her resignation from the post.
Koshy, a former state-level striker, was appointed Hockey India chief in November 2016 after Narinder Dhruv Batra had stepped down after being elected as the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Koshy had in various capacities been involved in hockey administration for over two decades.
"Mariamma Koshy has contributed to Indian hockey over the last two decades and we are grateful for her services. She has been a guiding light for the Federation and also a big source of inspiration to many players and administrators alike. We wish her the best in her future endeavors," Hockey India secretary general Mushtaque Ahmad said in a statement.
Rajinder Singh took charge on Saturday. He was earlier the Hockey India treasurer and is currently the treasurer of the Jammu & Kashmir state unit.
"We are happy to name Rajinder Singh as the president of Hockey India from May 19 following the resignation of Mariamma Koshy. We wish Rajinder Singh the best in this new role," Mushtaque Ahmad added.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
