Maduro re-elected as Venezuelan President
Caracas, May 21: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has won the election, claiming a second six-year term, in a vote marred by an opposition boycott and alleged foul play, media reported on Monday.
With more than 90 per cent of the votes counted on Sunday, 55-year-old Maduro had 67.7 per cent, 5.8 million votes, the BBC reported quoting National Electoral Council chief Tibisay Lucena as saying.
The main opposition candidate, Henri Falcon won 21.2 per cent, 1.8 million votes, she said. Falcon rejected the result soon after the polls closed, saying, "We do not recognise this electoral process as valid. We have to have new elections in Venezuela."
The early reports said turnout for the controversial vote was unusually low, about 46 per cent of the electorate.
Falcon had earlier alleged that the vote had been rigged in Maduro's favour, by abuse of the scanning of state-issued benefits card, used for accessing food.
Government officials said the polls were "free and fair" but most of the opposition had joined a boycott.
The elections were supposed to be held in December 2018, but the National Constituent Assembly, made up exclusively of Maduro's supporters, brought them forward.
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Indigo crisis: Shivakumar urges Centre to act immediately, bring situation under control
Bengaluru (PTI): With large scale flight cancellations by Indigo airlines leaving passengers stranded, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to act immediately and bring the situation under control.
He called the IndiGo fiasco a the direct result of the govt's monopoly model.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Shivakumar said India is witnessing the worst aviation meltdown in its history. "Thousands of flights cancelled - leaving our people stranded everywhere".
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"The IndiGo fiasco is the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. And as always, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price," he said.
Shivakumar said that the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, which is India's 3rd busiest airport with nearly 40 million travellers a year, is in complete chaos.
"This is hurting families, businesses and our national reputation. I urge the Union Government to act immediately and bring this situation under control. Our people deserve better," he added.
Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled over 800 flights on Saturday, the fifth day of the ongoing crisis, even as the government imposed a cap on airfares and directed the airline to process all refunds by Sunday evening.
