Maharashtra: 21 EVMs replaced in Hingoli during mock polls
Mumbai (PTI): Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday described Maharashtra as a beacon of progress and prosperity in the country and appealed to the people to come out in large numbers to vote in the assembly polls to strengthen the democratic system.
Senior BJP leader Gadkari cast his vote at the Town Hall in Mahal area along with his family members and expressed confidence that the "double engine" government (led by his party at the Centre and in the state) will retain power in Maharashtra.
Stressing the importance of voting, he called it a cornerstone of democracy.
"Voting is our fundamental right in democracy. I appeal to the people to come out and vote. Increasing the voter turnout strengthens our democratic system," he said.
Highlighting Maharashtra's achievements, Gadkari described the state as a beacon of progress and prosperity in India.
"Maharashtra attracts the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and boasts of strong industrial development and agricultural growth, including exports. It is a role model for other states," he said.
"The development of Maharashtra depends on its hardworking people, including villagers, and a capable leadership and government will undoubtedly propel the state forward," he added.
Gadkari expressed confidence that the ruling Mahayuti in the state, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, will secure a good majority this time.
Asked about the "batenge toh katenge" (divided we fall) slogan raised by some BJP leaders during the poll campaign, Gadkari urged the people to rather focus on the state's development.
"Leave it aside and focus on voting for Maharashtra's progress. Development is evident in every corner of the state. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government has transformed Maharashtra into a better state. The double-engine government will return once again," he asserted.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also cast his vote in Nagpur, appealed to the voters, specially women, to exercise their franchise.
"It is my appeal to my 'Ladki Bahina' to cast vote. In a democracy, you have some expectations from the government. Those who exercise their franchise have more rights to stress on their demands," he said.
Notably, the state government some months back launched the Ladki Bahin scheme to provide financial assistance to women.
Fadnavis expressed optimism about an increased voter turnout, particularly among women, highlighting improvements at polling stations compared to the previous elections.
He noted that, unlike the parliamentary polls held in the summer month of May, there was no scorching heat now to affect the voter participation.
Fadnavis also addressed the gender gap in voter turnout, saying "Generally, there is a gap of five to six per cent between the male and female voters. I am sure that this time, women will fill the gap by turning up in large numbers at the polling booths."
The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash Bitcoins to influence the state elections, claiming it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner.
Commenting on it, Fadnavis called for a comprehensive inquiry to uncover the truth behind the allegations.
"I have already spoken about the Anil Deshmukh fake attack story," Fadnavis said.
NCP (SP) leader and former state home minister Deshmukh was injured after some persons hurled stones on his car in Nagpur district on Monday evening.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who too cast his vote in Nagpur, accused the opposition Congress of misleading the people.
"The Congress cheats people with fake manifestos, as we have seen in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka," he claimed.
On the incident involving Deshmukh, Bawankule said, "I did not expect this from him. It was unexpected that he would resort to tricks to gain votes."
"The local police officials have already exposed his tactics. For the past two years, he has been trying to garner voter sympathy," he claimed.
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Over 17,000 people went missing in Delhi in 2024: NCRB
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 23,058 people, comprising 9,482 men and 13,576 women, were reported missing in Delhi in 2024, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Of the total, 5,491 were children below the age of 18 — 1,571 boys, 3,920 girls.
The city recorded 17,567 fresh adult missing persons cases in 2024, comprising 7,911 men and 9,656 women.
According to the NCRB data, released on Wednesday, 14,637 men, 18,238 women and six transgender persons were still missing from previous years.
At the latest count, in 2024, Delhi had a total of 55,939 missing persons cases — 24,119 men, 31,814 women and six transgender persons.
In 2024, police traced or collected 28,392 missing persons, including 12,182 men, 16,208 women and two transgender persons.
Only half of the men and half of the women who went missing could be traced.
A total of 27,547 missing persons – 11,937 men, 15,606 women, four transgender persons — were yet to be untraced by the end of the year, the data showed.
The data also revealed that 5,352 children from previous years remained untraced at the beginning of 2024.
The number of still missing boys was 1,621, and the number of missing girls was 3,729. Two transgender children were yet to be found.
After adding the pending cases from previous years, the total number of missing children cases handled in 2024 rose to 10,843.
The police traced or recovered 6,762 missing children — 2,030 boys, 4,732 girls.
The recovery rate stood at 63.6 per cent for boys and 61.9 per cent for girls, while no transgender child was traced.
By the end of 2024, a total of 4,081 children remained untraced, 1,162 of them boys, 2,917 girls, and two transgender children.
