Gurugram, April 14: Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje was on Saturday elected the new President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) brushing aside the challenge posed by the firebrand Pravin Togadia, a VHP official said.

Kokje bagged 131 votes of the VHP National Executive members, while Togadia got a meagre 60, a VHP spokesperson said in a statement.

The election was held in the government-run guest house located in the upscale and high-security Civil Lines area.

Before casting their votes, the assembled VHP members paid tribute to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on the occasion his birth anniversary.

VHP Joint General Secretary Surender Kumar Jain announced the results.

Meanwhile, the election gave harrowing time to the commuters, especially patients, as the Haryana Police had kept all routes leading to a nearby hospital blocked.

Besides, all routes to the offices of top officials, including Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner of Police and Divisional Commissioner of Gurugram, among others, had also been blocked.

"I need to reach the Puspanjali Hospital on the route, but I was stopped... No one is ready to even give us a reason why we have been stopped," said a person heading to the hospital.

Similar was the case with several other patients and attendants, who were stuck in the tailback.

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Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The body of a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala who died in the Ahmedabad flight disaster was brought back to her home state on Tuesday morning.

Ranjitha, a native of Pathanamthitta district, was working in the UK when the incident occurred. Her mortal remains were identified through a DNA test.

Her body arrived at the international airport in Thiruvananthapuram around 7 am.

Kerala ministers V Sivankutty and G R Anil were among the officials who paid their last respects.

Senior political leaders, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and Congress veteran Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, also offered tributes.

The coffin was later taken to her village, where it will be kept at a school in Pullad for the public to pay their respects.

Her brother and a close relative accompanied the body on its final journey.

Cremation is expected to take place on the premises of her family home later in the evening.

Ranjitha, a mother of two, was remembered as a dedicated nurse who had worked outside the state for several years to support her family.