Chhattisgarh: Death toll in Balrampur SUV accident rises to 8
Balrampur (PTI): Two more persons have died after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) fell into a pond in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district, taking the toll to eight, police said on Sunday.
While one more body was recovered from the accident site late Saturday night, the vehicle's driver succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to hospital, a senior police official told PTI.
Earlier, six persons were reported killed after the SUV fell into the roadside pond between 8 pm and 8.30 pm on Saturday at Ladua turn on Budha Bagicha main road under Rajpur police station limits.
The victims were heading from Larima (Balrampur) to neighbouring Surajpur district, the official said.
As per preliminary information, the driver failed to negotiate the turn following which the SUV skidded off the road and plunged into the small pond, he said.
After being alerted, a police team was rushed to the spot.
Six bodies were initially fished out of the pond, while the driver was rescued in a serious condition, the official said.
Later, one more body was found and the driver succumbed to injuries while being shifted to hospital, he said.
The SUV was also pulled out of the pond using a machine, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Munda (35), his wife Chandravati (35), their daughter Kirti (8), their neighbours Mangal Das (19), Bhupendra Munda (18), Baleshwar (18) and Udaynath (20) and driver Mukesh Das (26), he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
