Moderate polling in Bengaluru Assembly seat
Bengaluru, May 28: Moderate polling has been recorded in the Raja Rajeshwari (R.R.) Nagar Assembly constituency here amid tight security, an official said on Monday.
"Over 35 per cent voting has been registered in all 471 polling stations across the constituency till 2 p.m. Polling has been peaceful barring glitches in a few EVMs which were soon rectified," Returning Officer S. Shailaja told IANS here.
The constituency has 4.7 lakh voters.
"Polling, which began at 7 a.m., started on a brisk note and moderated post-noon as the day progressed with 11 per cent voting till 9 a.m. and 24 per cent by 11 a.m. Polling will end at 6 p.m.," said Shailaja.
The election in the Assembly segment was postponed from May 12 due to electoral malpractices including detection of 9,564 voter ID cards at a residential apartment in the area.
"Polling in the constituency was deferred to maintain the sanctity of the election process as keeping the voter cards in a flat was illegal," joint Chief Electoral Officer K.N. Ramesh told IANS.
In all, 14 candidates, including outgoing Congress legislator Munirathna and four Independents are in the fray. The votes will be counted on May 31.
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Cong 'pocketed' Rs 150 cr per annum from Assam healthcare budget during 15 yrs of rule: Shah
Guwahati (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday alleged that the Congress, during its previous 15 years of rule in Assam, "pocketed" Rs 150 crore per annum from the state healthcare budget.
Inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for healthcare projects worth Rs 2,092 crore in Assam, Shah said the BJP works for affordable healthcare for all sections of society and lauded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for bringing the state's medical facilities at par with states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
"Assam's healthcare was in shambles 10 years ago as Congress worked only for the financial health of its leaders' families," he said.
Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said that no Indian supports his acts of "defaming" the country in his bid to oppose the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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He lambasted the Congress for its "shirtless" protest at the recent AI summit in New Delhi and Gandhi for having 'chai-pakora' on the stairs of Parliament House.
"We were also in the opposition and staged protests against the government, but there is a right platform for it," he said.
"Parliament is a sacred seat of democracy. Its stairs should not be used for even dharnas. And Rahul Gandhi was having 'chai-pakora' there. Doesn't he know where to have his breakfast?" asked the Union minister.
Shah inaugurated the Rs 675-crore Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati, at a programme held on its premises.
He also virtually inaugurated two cancer centres at Golaghat and Tinsukia, both under Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), constructed at a cost of Rs 135 crore each.
Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for super-speciality hospitals at Diphu Medical College and Hospital (Rs 220 crore), Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (Rs 310 crore), and Barpeta Medical College and Hospital (Rs 284 crore).
The foundation stone for a Rs 218-crore Swasthya Bhawan in Guwahati, and the Abhayapuri District Hospital (Rs 115 crore) were also laid by the Union home minister.
Shah arrived here on Saturday evening on a two-day visit to Assam, his fourth visit to the northeastern state in four months.
