Monsoon hits Kerala 3 days ahead of schedule: IMD
Thiruvananthapuram, May 29 : The rainy season arrived in India almost three days ahead of the forecast with Kerala coasts receiving the first showers of the Southwest monsoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
"Widespread rainfall occurred over Kerala during the past three-four days. The 14 rainfall monitoring stations for Monsoon onset over Kerala have reported more than 60 per cent rainfall since May 25," the IMD said.
The Southwest monsoon has advanced into remaining parts of southeast Arabian Sea, Comorin -- Maldives area, entire Lakshadweep, some parts of Tamil Nadu and some more parts of southwest, central and northeast Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon marks the beginning of the rainy season as it advances northward.
India is set to get a normal monsoon in 2018, with average rainfall likely to be around 97 per cent -- essential for its economy.
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Kolkata, May 20: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's youngest brother Swapan Banerjee, also known as 'Babun', on Monday could not cast his vote after his name was not found in the voters' list, an election official said.
Babun, who is a voter of Howrah town, went to cast his vote at a polling booth when it was discovered that his name was not on the list.
"The Election Commission of India is looking into the whole matter. Only it can explain why this happened," Trinamool Congress spokesperson Shantanu Sen said.
When contacted by PTI, Babun said he was disappointed.
"I went to cast my vote today and found that my name was deleted. I have been voting for so many years. I am disappointed that I could not vote this year. As a citizen of a democratic country, I have the right to vote," he said.
Babun had expressed his displeasure after TMC renominated sitting MP Prasun Banerjee for the Howrah Lok Sabha seat in March. Mamata Banerjee had then said she decided to disown him and cut off her relationship with him.
There was a buzz earlier that Babun would contest as an independent candidate from that constituency after the TMC did not nominate him from there. He had claimed that the party promised him a ticket.
There was a rumour that Babun was contemplating joining the BJP.
Babun is the president of the Bengal Olympic Association and Bengal Hockey Association, besides the secretary of the Bengal Boxing Association, and also in charge of the sports wing of the Trinamool Congress.
