JD(S) indicates support to Murmu for President, formal announcement soon
Bengaluru, Jun 29: Indicating his party's support to BJP-led NDA's candidate for presidential polls Droupadi Murmu, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said a final decision on this will be arrived at soon after going through the background of the two candidates in the fray.
The former Karnataka chief minister said Murmu has spoken to JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda seeking support and has also sought appointment to meet him personally.
"Already she (Murmu) has discussed with our national president (Gowda) over phone twice and has requested for support. Also, she had sought time to come and meet. I requested our national President that there is no need for her to come personally in the current situation," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said Murmu already has the majority on her side and she has expressed her desire to seek Gowda's support out of goodwill and generosity.
"She has already won...she need not come so far...we will decide in the party...You (media) may have understood by now what our decision might be. Before taking a final decision, we will look into the background of both candidates. There is no question of Congress or BJP or any B-team here," he said, adding that he has gone through Murmu's background and her struggle.
Recently calling Murmu, as a "suitable" and "non-controversial" candidate, Gowda had noted that he doesn't want to refer her as merely a tribal candidate, but wants to say that she is "competent" for the post of President.
Battle lines have been drawn for the July 18 presidential election with the BJP-led NDA naming Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, as its candidate, while former Union minister Yashwant Sinha has filed nomination as a joint nominee by major opposition parties, including the Congress, the NCP and the TMC.
Murmu, 64, had been the Jharkhand governor and also served as minister in the Odisha government earlier in her career.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
LS polls: Brisk polling underway in Tamil Nadu; 12.55 percent turnout till 9 AM
Chennai (PTI): Brisk polling is underway in Tamil Nadu for the 2024 general election with the state witnessing a 12.55 per cent turnout till 9 AM.
The polling exercise that began at 7 AM on Friday amid tight security arrangements is going on in a quick pace in most of the 39 constituencies spread across the state.
The enthusiasm among first time voters was palpable who hurried to find their names on electoral rolls at makeshift kiosks set up by political parties. Several of them proudly displayed the indelible mark and said they have completed their democratic duty.
Authorities have ensured amenities like drinking water and 'pandal' to provide shade to voters who line up the serpentine queues.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, and his wife Durga Stalin cast their vote at a polling station here. Celebrities including Rajinikanth and Ilaiyaraaja were among the early voters.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami voted at a polling station in his home district of Salem.
Argument broke out between voters and officials in some polling stations as authorities did not allow people to carry their smartphones/mobiles inside the booth.
People belonging to Parandhur village with over 1,000 voters near Sriperumbudur did not turn up to vote till 9.30 AM. Residents of villages including Parandhur are opposing an airport project in their region.
Voters arrived at the polling stations enthusiastically as early as 6.30 AM and waited for their turn to vote, with personnel of the state and central police forces standing guard. As many as 190 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed. Some polling stations like Kattuppalli (Tiruvallur) however wore a deserted look.
Voting was delayed by an hour in some polling booths, such as the one near Tambaram coming under Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha segment, due to technical glitches in the electronic voting machines and officials said they were attending to it.
Several voters who lined up the queues said they preferred to cast their votes early in the morning to avoid the 'scorching sun,' later in the day.
In total, 3,32,233 polling personnel have been deployed and 1.3 lakh police personnel are on poll duty.
The fate of 950 candidates will be decided by about 6.23 crore voters who are set to exercise their franchise in 68,321 polling stations.
DMK's Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), A Raja (Nilgiris) and Kanimozhi (Thoothukudi), BJP's K Annamalai (Coimbatore), L Murugan (Nilgiris) and Tamilisai Soundararajan (South Chennai), former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (Ramanathapuram), Congress party's Karti Chidambaram (Sivaganga), AIADMK's J Jayavardhan (South Chennai) and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran (Theni) are among the prominent candidates.
Political rivals Tamilisai Soundararajan and Premalatha Vijayakanth happened to meet at a polling booth in Saligramam here and hugged each other. After exhanging pleasantries they also posed for photogoraphs.
Polling is underway in neighbouring Puducherry as well where the Congress and BJP are in a direct fight.
