Maharashtra byelection: Case against BJP candidate Hemant Rasane for violating poll code
Pune (PTI): Police have registered a case against Hemant Rasane, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Kasba Assembly seat bypoll in Maharashtra's Pune district, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, an official said on Monday.
Bypolls to Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly seats, necessitated due to the death of their respective BJP MLAs Mukta Tilak and Laxman Jagtap, were held on Sunday.
Rasane, who cast his vote at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya in Kasba area of Pune city, was seen sporting a neckwear bearing his party symbol at the polling station.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Thombare filed a police complaint against Rasane for alleged breach of the model code of conduct and demanded action against him.
An official from Vishrambaug police station said the assistant returning officer for the bypoll also filed a complaint against Rasane, based on which a case was registered against him.
A probe is on into the case, the official said.
In the Kasba seat, Rasane contested against Congress's Ravindra Dhangekar, who was supported by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
