Trump, Biden confident of big victory as the US goes for polls
Washington: US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden on Tuesday exuded confidence of a big victory in the presidential polls as Americans in large numbers headed to cast their ballots to decide the fate of the two leaders in the world's most significant democratic exercise.
Trump predicted that a red wave would re-elect him to the White House, while his Democratic challenger Biden is confident of a big win .
Addressing as many as five election rallies in as many states on the last day of the campaigning, Trump exuded confidence of winning the race with a much greater margin.
We are gonna have a red wave. It's gonna be a beautiful sight, Trump told thousands of his supporters in Wisconsin on Monday.
At his last rally at Grand Rapids in Michigan, which passed midnight, Trump asked his supporters to give him a bit bigger margin of victory.
"We want to do it just like last time. ..but give me a little more margin than last time," the president told his cheering supporters who had waited for him for hours in the bitter Michigan cold.
The level of enthusiasm and I think you are going to see a great red wave tomorrow, Trump, 74, told his supporters in Florida.
Meanwhile, Biden, 77, at an event in Pittsburgh on Monday, which was headlined by popular singer Lady Gaga, said he is confident of a big win.
Folks, I have a feeling we're coming together for a big win tomorrow, he said.
Tomorrow, we can put an end to a presidency that has left hard-working Americans out in the cold. Tomorrow we can put an end to a presidency that has fanned the flames of hatred.
"Tomorrow we can put an end to a presidency that has failed to protect this nation said the former vice president.
Biden continues to lead over Trump with the polls indicating that the margin between the two leaders.
In the key battleground states, the average lead of Biden by Tuesday morning has reduced to 2.3 percent, according to Real Clear Politics which keeps track of all major opinion polls.
This is within the margin of error. The top battleground States are Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
Biden's average national lead is not 6.7 percentage points, according to Real Clear Politics.
Nate Silver from FiveThirtyEight.Com, which is known for the prediction of election results, said that Biden is favored to win the election.
Our model forecasts Biden to win the popular vote by 8 percentage points, 1 more than twice Clinton's projected margin at the end of 2016," Silver said on Tuesday.
Indeed, some of the dynamics that allowed Trump to prevail in 2016 wouldn't seem to exist this year. There are considerably fewer undecided voters in this race just 4.8 percent of voters say they're undecided or plan to vote for third-party candidates, as compared to 12.5 percent at the end of 2016. And the polls have been considerably more stable this year than they were four years ago, he wrote.
"Finally, unlike the 'Comey letter' in the closing days of the campaign four years ago when then-FBI Director James Comey told Congress that new evidence had turned up pertinent to the investigation into the private email server that Clinton used as secretary of state there's been no major development in the final 10 days to further shake up the race, Silver said.
According to The Hill newspaper, the key to the White House depends on the election results of five states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona.
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FIR registered against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy after clash over installation of banner
Ballari (PTI): An FIR was registered on Friday against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and 10 others in connection with alleged violent clashes that erupted over installation of banners ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme in the city, police said.
Security was beefed up in Ballari, even as the situation remained peaceful, a day after clashes allegedly broke out between supporters of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and Congress MLA Bharath Reddy over the installation of banners, they said.
One person was killed during the incident on Thursday, police said.
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"The situation was brought under control, and additional security has been deployed. At present, the situation remains peaceful, and all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that no untoward incident occurs," a senior police officer said.
In his complaint, 47-year-old Chanala Shekhar stated that MLA Bharat Reddy is undertaking various development works in the city, including roads and public projects. As part of this, a grand programme was organised near SP Circle for the unveiling of a Valmiki statue.
"On January 1, between 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm, the accused, Janardhan Reddy, Somasekhar Reddy, and others, allegedly damaged the banners put up for the unveiling ceremony near Janardhan Reddy's house," he alleged.
When he and Sathish Reddy questioned them, the accused, along with their supporters, picked up a fight and attacked them with the intention of killing them, the FIR stated. The complainant further alleged that the police officer, Srinivas, who intervened, was also injured.
Based on the complaint filed at Brucepet police station, the FIR was registered against Janardhana Reddy, Somasekhar Reddy, and nine others under sections of 109 (attempt to murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 191 (2) (rioting), 189 (2) (unlawful assembly), 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 190 (making every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.
Videos circulating on social media showed a private gunman allegedly firing shots into the air as tension gripped the area.
The confrontation occurred ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme scheduled to be held in the city on January 3.
According to police, supporters of Bharath Reddy were attempting to install banners in front of Janardhana Reddy's residence in the Avambhavi area, which was opposed by the latter's supporters, leading to a heated exchange.
What began as a verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical clash, with supporters from both sides allegedly resorting to stone-pelting. Police sources said stones were also hurled at personnel who rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Several people were injured during the incident, and their number and identities were being verified, police said.
As the situation threatened to spiral out of control, police resorted to a lathi charge and had also fired bullets in the air to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Police said investigations are underway to ascertain the sequence of events and verify the allegations.
