THE HEADLINES:
- Election Commission announces Assembly poll dates for four States and one Union Territory.
- Single phase polling to be held in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry on 9th of April and in Tamil Nadu on 23rd.
- West Bengal goes to polls in two phases on 23rd and 29th of next month.
- EC also announces Assembly by poll schedule for 8 seats in 6 States.
- Counting of votes to be taken up on 4th May.
- US President Donald Trump says, Washington not ready for any deal with Tehran as United States and Israel launch fresh attacks on Iran.
- In Boxing, India finishes campaign at World Futures Cup in Bangkok with five medals, including one gold.
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The Election Commission of India today announced that Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase, while polling in West Bengal will take place in two phases. Announcing the poll schedule in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said voting in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry will be held on 9th of April, while in Tamil Nadu polling will take place on 23rd.
In West Bengal, voting will be conducted in two phases on 23rd and 29th of April. The first phase in the state will cover 152 Assembly constituencies and the second phase will cover 142 constituencies. Counting of votes for all four states and the Union Territory will be held on the 4th of May. The notification for the Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry will be issued tomorrow. The notification for Tamil Nadu and for the first phase of Assembly polls in West Bengal will be issued on 30th of March. Notification for the second phase of polling in West Bengal will be issued on 2nd of April.
Mr Kumar said, with the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the states and the Union Territory.
Mr Kumar said, over 17 crore people are eligible to vote in the elections to these five assemblies covering 824 Constituencies.
The Chief Election Commissioner said directions have been issued to ensure Assured Minimum Facilities such as drinking water, toilets and signage at every polling station. He added that the Commission has recently introduced 30 new initiatives to make the election process more transparent. Mr Kumar also said that there will be a maximum of 1,200 electors at each polling station and 100 percent webcasting will be ensured for round-the-clock monitoring.
Speaking about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Mr Kumar said that pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of any democracy. He said, with this objective, the exercise is being conducted under Article 326 of the Constitution to ensure that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible person is included in the voters’ list.
Mr Kumar also appealed to the youth and first-time voters to participate enthusiastically in this great democratic exercise and cast their votes with pride, responsibility and confidence.
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The Election Commission has announced bye-elections to eight Assembly Constituencies spread across six states. The Assembly Constituencies are Ponda seat in Goa, Umreth in Gujarat, Bagalkot and Davanagere South in Kartnataka, Rahuri and Baramati in Maharashtra, Koridang in Nagaland and Dharmanagar seat in Tripura. During a press conference in New Delhi today, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, the notification for bypoll in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura will be issued tomorrow and polling will be held on 9th of April. The notification for by-election in Gujarat and Maharashtra will be issued on 30th of this month and voting will take place on 23rd of April.
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In West Bengal, a special train carrying BJP supporters was allegedly attacked near New Jalpaiguri Station by TMC supporters. According to Darjeeling BJP, the party supporters were returning from Kolkata after attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Brigade Rally yesterday. Following the attack, BJP supporters retaliated, and the Railway Protection Force quickly arrived to bring the situation under control. Several BJP leaders have strongly condemned the attack.
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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a deep belief in the fundamental nature of Parliament and has always held an unwavering faith in the rules, procedures, and traditions of country’s parliamentary democracy. Mr Birla made the statement in response to a letter written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to him. Lok Sabha Speaker said, the Prime Minister’s letter expresses the highest ethical values of public service that Mr Modi has upheld throughout his long public life. Mr Birla said, the letter will inspire all elected representatives in Parliament, state legislatures, and local bodies, and will further strengthen the robust ethical foundation of the Indian democracy.
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The West Asia conflict, now in its sixteenth day, has intensified with a fresh wave of large-scale attacks by the United States and Israel forces on Iran. Multiple strikes hit the industrial city of Isfahan in Iran, with reports of more than 15 missile impacts this morning. One strike reportedly hit a factory, killing at least 15 people, while witnesses said fighter jets were seen flying at very low altitudes over the area.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a new round of missile strikes on Israeli targets, marking the 54th wave of attacks under what Iran calls Operation True Promise 4. Iranian officials said, the strikes included the use of solid-fuel Sejjil missiles for the first time since the conflict began, along with Khorramshahr, Khaybar Shekan, Qadr and Emad missile systems.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said Washington is not ready to pursue a deal with Tehran, stating that current conditions are unacceptable to the United States. He also warned that further strikes could target Iran’s key oil export hub at Kharg Island. On the other hand, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed only to American and Israeli vessels, although commercial shipping through the waterway has dropped sharply as companies avoid the area due to rising risks. More from our West Asia correspondent:
“Energy and shipping operations are being closely monitored in the UAE. Oil loading at the Port of Fujairah resumed after a drone attack and fire temporarily disrupted operations on Saturday. An Indian-flagged tanker carrying more than eighty thousand tonnes of Murban crude departed Fujairah for India on Sunday, indicating that limited export activity has resumed. The Fujairah pipeline outlet handles roughly one million barrels per day of Murban crude, around one percent of global oil demand, and serves as a key export route outside the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media and military officials have earlier issued warnings urging civilians to evacuate near major UAE ports, including Jebel Ali Port, Khalifa Port and the Port of Fujairah, claiming facilities linked to US assets could become targets if the conflict widens further. Vinod Kumar/AKASHVANI NEWS/Dubai. “
Authorities in the UAE said the country remains on heightened alert while emphasising restraint and stability.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, last night. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said, the discussions were held on ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia and various aspects of the regional situation.
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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas today said that there have been no reports of dry-outs of gas supply at LPG distributorships across the country. In a statement, the Ministry said, LPG bookings have shown a decline, with about 77 lakh bookings recorded yesterday compared to around 88 lakh bookings on the 13th of this month. It added that several states and Union Territories including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, have issued orders for allocation of non-domestic LPG in line with government guidelines.
The Ministry said, commercial LPG cylinders have also been placed at the disposal of State Governments for priority distribution and are now available to consumers in 30 States and Union Territories.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for thunderstorm accompanied with hailstorm at isolated places over Bihar, East Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttarakhand tomorrow. The Met Department has also predicted heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya during the next two days.
Manipur and some parts of Sikkim saw strong wind and heavy rain along with hailstorms damaging houses and properties. In Manipur, adverse weather conditions are continuing since last night and the roofs of some of the houses in Bishnupur district were blown away by high velocity winds.
Several parts of Sikkim are also currently experiencing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and hailstorms. Our correspondent has said, power disruption has been reported in some areas.
“India Meteorological Department, Gangtok issued a special weather bulletin warning of heavy rainfall and thunderstorm activities across Sikkim from today to 17th March due to a Western Disturbance passing over the region and moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal. Authorities have advised residents and tourists to remain cautious and stay updated with official weather advisories.With Manas Pratim Sarma, This is Mainak Chatterjee from Akashvani News Gangtok.”
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The Government has invited nominations and recommendations for the Padma Awards-2027. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed that the Padma Awards will be announced on the occasion of Republic Day next year. The last date for nominations for Padma Awards is 31st July. The nominations and recommendations for Padma Awards will only be received online through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal.
The Ministry said, all persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these Awards. Government servants including those working with PSUs, except Doctors and Scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards. It has requested all citizens to make nominations or recommendations, including self-nomination.
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Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the nature of warfare is increasingly becoming technology-driven, with advanced technologies playing a decisive role in strategic preparedness and national security. The Minister was speaking at the Alternate Media Conference in New Delhi.
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India finished its campaign at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok with a haul of five medals, including a gold, three silver and a bronze. Competing across the Youth Olympic weight categories, the Indian U-19 men’s and women’s teams delivered a series of strong performances. On the final day today, India bagged one gold and three silver medals. Chandrika Pujari clinched the gold in the Women’s 51 kg category, defeating Uzbekistan’s Mardonova Nazokat with a dominant 5-Nil verdict.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Election Commission announces Assembly poll dates for four States and one Union Territory.
- Single phase polling to be held in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry on 9th of April and in Tamil Nadu on 23rd.
- West Bengal goes to polls in two phases on 23rd and 29th of next month.
- EC also announces Assembly by poll schedule for 8 seats in 6 States.
- Counting of votes to be taken up on 4th May.
- US President Donald Trump says, Washington not ready for any deal with Tehran as United States and Israel launch fresh attacks on Iran.
- In Boxing, India finishes campaign at World Futures Cup in Bangkok with five medals, including one gold.
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