BJP retains Udupi seat as Kota Srinivas Poojari beats Cong candidate Jayaprakash Hegde
Udupi: Senior BJP leader and Karnataka Legislative Council Opposition Leader Kota Srinivas Poojari emerged the winner from the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections this year on Tuesday, beating closest rival Jayaprakash Hegde of the Congress.
Kota, who arrived at the counting centre, the party workers carried him on their shoulders as a part of their celebrations near the centre and shouted slogans.
Legislator Yashpal Suvarna, BJP District President Kishor Kumar and party leader Kiran Kumar Kodgi were a part of the celebrations following Kota's victory.
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EC will leave no stone unturned to hold free, fair elections in West Bengal: CEC Kumar
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday asserted that the Election Commission will leave no stone unturned in holding free, fair and transparent polls in West Bengal where the first phase of voting is scheduled to be held on April 23.
Interacting with officials involved in poll management, the CEC said the elections will be fear-free, violence-free and intimidation-free.
Officials said the poll authority will ensure elections are also inducement-free and "booth jamming free".
No employee of the state government, local bodies or autonomous bodies will be allowed to influence the electoral process, they said.
The ruling TMC in the state has accused the EC of playing in the hands of the BJP, a charge vehemently rejected by the election watchdog.
The EC and the TMC have also been at loggerheads over the special intensive revision of voters' list with the party accusing the poll authority of deliberately disenfranchising voters to benefit the BJP. Both the EC and the BJP have rejected the charge while dubbing it as baseless.
The second phase of voting in West Bengal will be held on April 29 and votes will be counted on May 4.
