Biden on the cusp of making history; Trump has a narrow path
Washington: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appeared to be on the cusp of making history along with his running mate Senator Kamala Harris, while President Donald Trump continued to have a bumpy and narrow path to victory as counting of votes in some key battleground States entered its last stretch.
As per projections made by major media outlets, Biden has 264 electoral college votes, just six votes short of the magical number of 270 out of 538 required to win the presidency. However, for news outlets like CNN, Biden has 253 electoral college votes as it has still not called Arizona, which has 11 votes and counting of votes continued.
Trump is projected to get 214 electoral college votes, which is 56 votes less than the magical figure of 270. Races in some of the key battleground states have not been called yet. These states are Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada.
In Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral college votes, Trump is leading by 135,671 votes with 91 percent of the votes being counted. Over the past day, his lead has reduced considerably.
In North Carolina, which has 15 electoral college votes, the president has a lead of 77,337 votes with 95 percent of the votes being counted so far.
Trump's lead has reduced considerably
in Georgia over the last 24 hours. The state has 16 electoral college votes. After an overnight round of counting, Trump's lead over Biden has come down to just 18,586 votes. Officials have said that they have completed the counting of 96 percent of the votes.
In Arizona, which has 11 electoral college votes, Biden continues to lead by over 68,000 votes with 86 percent of the total votes being counted. A traditional Republican State, Trump has been fast catching up with Biden in the last few rounds of counting, but he has a long way to go.
In Nevada, which has six electoral college votes, Biden is leading by nearly 8,000 votes with 86 percent of the counting reportedly over. Nevada is a traditional Democratic State, but the race has entered a tight finish.
To reach the magical figure of 270, Trump needs to win Pennsylvania (20), North Carolina (15), and Georgia (16), and either of Arizona (11) or Nevada (six), which appears to be a tall order.
For Biden, the path seems to be much easier. He needs to win any of these States, with Arizona. A win in Pennsylvania would seal the deal for him, even if Trump manages to win the rest of the States including Arizona.
On Wednesday night, Trump declared victory in Pennsylvania (20), North Carolina (15), Georgia (16), and Michigan (16). His campaign has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia. It has also demanded recounting of votes in Wisconsin, a state that has 10 electoral college votes and Biden has won by 20,534 votes.
Meanwhile, Trump in a tweet has demanded that counting of votes be stopped. "STOP THE COUNT, said the president. ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED! Trump said in another tweet.
The second tweet of his was flagged by Twitter. "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process, it said.
Biden in his tweet insisted that every vote must be counted. Every vote must be counted, he said.
"Donald Trump does not decide the outcome of this election and nor do I. The American people decide. That's why we've launched the Biden Fight Fund to ensure every vote is counted, Biden said in a tweet.
Harris also demanded that every vote be counted. Every single vote must be counted, she said in a tweet.
"Americans should have faith in the voting process and have the constitutional right to have their lawfully cast ballots counted. That simple proposition is a cornerstone of American democracy, Harris tweeted.
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Safety of Kannadigas in Middle East top priority: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the state government was closely monitoring the evolving situation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and was taking all steps to ensure the safety of Kannadigas residing in the region.
Siddaramaiah said he has held consultations with the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi and directed officials to take proactive measures to safeguard the people from the state living in the region.
“In light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, the Government of Karnataka is treating with utmost seriousness the safety and well-being of Kannadigas residing in the Middle East, including Israel, the UAE, Iran, and Qatar,” he said in a post on 'X'.
A joint US-Israel military offensive against Iran has triggered fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Iran has launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Siddaramaiah said those currently in conflict-affected areas and unable to return to India due to the closure of airspace in several countries are advised to relocate to safer zones at the earliest.
“I have instructed officials to operationalise a dedicated helpline from tomorrow to assist affected families,” he said.
“I urge family members not to panic if communication with their loved ones is temporarily disrupted. Please be assured that the safety of every Kannadiga is our foremost priority, and coordinated efforts are already underway in close liaison with the concerned authorities," he added.
According to Ballari Rural MLA and former minister B Nagendra 32 people from Ballari are presently stranded in Dubai, the chief minister said.
"Appropriate steps are being initiated to ensure their security and facilitate necessary assistance. We stand firmly committed to protecting our citizens and will continue to monitor the situation closely, responding with sensitivity, responsibility and resolve,” he added.
The Indian missions in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Palestine and Oman on Saturday issued advisories for its citizens urging them to “exercise utmost caution” and follow advisories issued by local authorities diligently.
Several missions also said it is in touch with Indian citizens stranded at the airport or at other places as the two airports at Dubai, the largest aviation hub, shut down and the UAE and Iraq closed their airspace, hours after the US-Israel joint attack on Iran escalated into a region-wide tension.
The Indian missions have also provided emergency contact details for any assistance.
