Anyone can be brought along with money: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Doval's Shopian pictures
New Delhi: Reacting to the pictures and videos of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's interaction with locals in Kahsmir's Shopian district, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said "anyone can be brought along with money".
NSA Doval on Wednesday undertook a whirlwind visit to the militancy-infested south Kashmir and was seen eating food on a footpath outside closed shops and talking to locals. The pictures and videos went viral on social media.
"Paise dekar aap kisiko bhi saath le sakte ho (Anyone can be brought along with money)," Azad said when asked about Doval's visit.
Doval arrived in Kashmir on Tuesday, a day after the Centre revoked the provisions of Article 370, which gave special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. He is reaching out to the local population in the Valley as a confidence building measure (CMB).
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Nagaland bypoll: Over 59 pc voter turnout recorded in Koridang seat till 1 pm
Kohima (PTI): More than 59 per cent of 22,382 electors exercised their franchise in Nagaland's Koridang assembly bypoll till 1 pm on Thursday, officials said.
The voting that commenced at 7 am across all 30 polling stations has so far been peaceful, they said.
The polling will continue till 4 pm.
"The voter turnout was 59.52 per cent till 1 pm. Polling has been peaceful," an Election Commission official said.
Security has been tightened across the constituency following violence on April 5 and 6, in which one person died, and several vehicles were damaged.
The byelection was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L. Imchen in November last year.
A total of 22,382 electors, including 11,071 women, are eligible to decide the fate of six candidates in the fray.
The BJP, which is part of the ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), has fielded the deceased MLA's son Daochier I. Imchen, while the Congress has nominated T. Chalukumba Ao for the seat. The NPP candidate is I Abenjang, and the Independents are Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.
All the candidates have exercised their franchise in the respective polling stations in the first hour of polling, the officials said.
Of the 30 polling stations, 13 have been categorised as vulnerable and 17 as critical, prompting deployment of additional security personnel and intensified surveillance. Two polling stations have been designated as all-women booths.
Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
