Modi promises support in Nepal's development
Kathmandu, Aug 31 : Underlining the age-old ties between New Delhi and Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed satisfaction over the political stability in Nepal and assured it of support in its development.
"Every Indian is happy to see that there is political stability in Nepal. As a result, the country is developing fast. India's good wishes and support will always be with Nepal," said Modi, after inaugurating a Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharamshala here.
He said the Indian economy was touching new heights.
"And I must tell you that our Nepali brothers and sisters have equal stakes in it. When we talk about development, it is part of our traditions to think about neighbours' prosperity as well."
Modi is in Nepal to attend the BIMSTEC summit. It is his second visit to the Himalayan nation this year.
Modi said the newly inaugurated dharamshala would be a symbol of strengthening people-to-people power of both countries.
Pashupatinath, Muktinath and Janakidham not only unite Nepal but they also give strength to the ties with India, he said.
"There is a distance of thousands of kilometres between Kanyakumari and Kathmandu but ballads of Pashupatinath have been echoing there (Kanyakumari) for past 1,500 years," he said.
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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.
