Puducherry

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Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK and the main opposition DMK on Monday condemned Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi for allegedly terming the state's people as "selfish and cowards".

 

Condemning Bedi's statement about the people of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK spokesperson P. Valarmathi said Bedi does not know the decency to say what and when.

 

Without realising the dignity of the office she is holding, Bedi has made some shocking and painful comments, the former minister added.

 

"Bedi should fight to get the share of Cauvery water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and confine herself to her allotted duty," she said.

 

DMK President M. K. Stalin demanded Bedi's immediate recall for her remarks about the people of Tamil Nadu. He also asked Bedi to withdraw her statement and tender a public apology.

 

According to Stalin, in a WhatsApp conversation with journalists, Bedi referred to the people of Tamil Nadu as "selfish and cowards".

 

Bedi had on Sunday tweeted: "Question with Possible Answers: India's 6th largest city #Chennai has become the first city in the country to run dry. The same city was in floods due to copious rains just 4 years back. Where lies the problem? Ans: Poor Govenance, Corrupt Politics, Indifferent Bureaucracy."

 

Taking offence to her WhatsApp group comment, Stalin issued a statement saying that she was crossing her limits in making comments on matters that did not concern her.

 

"Just because the people of Tamil Nadu defeated the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Bedi described them as cowards and selfish. This shows not only her arrogance but also her dominating attitude," he said.

 

"Could Bedi have remained in her post had she made such demeaning comments against the people of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar?" Stalin asked.

 

Earlier in the day, Stalin also raised the issue in the Assembly.

 

IANS

 

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In a new twist to the ongoing turf war in Puducherry, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and directed that any cabinet decision with financial implication or on land transfer won't be implemented till the next date of hearing.

 

A bench comprising Justices M. R. Shah and Indu Malhotra said that no decision with financial implication or related to land transfer taken at the cabinet meeting set for June 7 can be implemented. The cabinet can take a decision but it cannot be implemented. 

 

The next date of hearing in the apex court is June 21. The court ordered the Chief Minister to be impleaded as a party and notice be sent to him. 

 

On May 28, the top court agreed to hear a petition filed by Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi seeking clarity on the administrative control of the Union Territory.

 

IANS

 

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission to make "all endeavour to ensure" allotment of a common symbol, from among 198 free symbols, to the 59 candidates of the T. T. V. Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) party.

 

The 59 candidates in question are contesting 40 seats for the Lok Sabha in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and 19 for the bye-elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

 

Directing a common symbol be ensured for AMMK candidates whose list was given to the apex court, the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said it was necessary to "ensure a level playing field" in the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly by-elections.

 

"The Election Commission of India on due and proper satisfaction that the candidates named in the document ... want to contest the election under any one common symbol, will make all endeavour to ensure that in the forthcoming elections ... the aforesaid candidates be allotted any one particular free symbol," the court said in its order.

 

The allotment of the common symbol to Dhinakaran's AMMK would be on the due satisfaction of the Election Commission, it said, but made it clear that the candidates fielded by the AMMK would be treated, for all purposes, as independent candidates.

 

"We also make it clear that in the event any of the candidates ... to be elected, such candidate will be counted as an independent candidate and not belonging to any political party for all purposes including for the purposes of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law)."

 

The court also clarified that the order could not be read to mean, in any way, recognition of the "group, or any part thereof, as a political party registered or unregistered, which decision the Election Commission of India alone would take as and when required".

 

The court order came as senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the AMMK be allotted "pressure cooker" as a common symbol, citing the Constitution's Article 324 (requirement of free and fair elections).

 

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During more than an hour long hearing, the court repeatedly told Sibal and Singhvi how could the court pass an order contrary to the the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the guidelines issued by the Election Commission requiring the registration of a party with it for allocation of common symbol.

 

"You knew your status. You knew Section 29A. You could have approached the Election Commission for registration. You could have done in last one day. You missed the chance. Why do you think we adjourned the case yesterday? You did not understand," CJI Gogoi said, telling Dhinakaran that "this anarchy you have brought upon yourself.."

 

The allotment of common symbol was opposed by the Election Commission, which cited the satisfaction of procedural requirements before a group or political party is granted registration and allotted a common symbol.

 

The AMMK's plea for common symbol was also opposed by the AIADMK which said that the rival faction had initially tried to usurp the party and its "two leaves" symbol, but after failing to do so, was trying to take the court route for getting recognition and a common symbol.

 

Appearing for the AIADMK, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi described the AMMK as an "amorphous group with amorphous name", contending that if the party had not been founded, "where is the question of allotting common symbol."

 

Expelled from the AIADMK in August 2017, Dhinakaran launched the AMMK in March last year.

 

IANS

 

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Cyclone Phethai (pronounced Pay-Ti) over southwest Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during  the next 24 hours and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kakinada tomorrow afternoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.

 

A bulletin issued by IMD at 0530 hours today said Phethai had moved further north-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 0230 hrs IST today over southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 11.1°N and longitude 84.5°E, about 450 km east-northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 510 km southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 670 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh). 

 

"It is very likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 24 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kakinada during 17th December afternoon," the bulletin said.

 

Under its influence, rainfall is very likely at most places over coastal Andhra Pradesh today and tomorrow, with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places, it said.

 

Extremely heavy falls (20 cm or more) were also likely at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on December 17.

 

Rainfall was likely at many places over adjoining districts of north Tamil Nadu today, with heavy falls at isolated places.

 

Rainfall was also likely over most places in Odisha and Chhattisgarh today and tomorrow, with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places.

 

Rainfall is also expected over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal today and tomorrow, it said.

 

The bulletin said squally winds, with speech reaching 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, are likely to commence along and off South Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from this morning. They are very likely to increase gradually, becoming gale winds with speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, along and off central Andhra Pradesh coast and Yanam district of Puducherry tomorrow.

 

Gale winds with speed reaching 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph, are likely to prevail along and off the remaining parts of Andhra Pradesh coast and squally winds with speed 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, are likely to prevail along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on December 17.

 

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The bulletin said gale winds with speed reaching 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph, would prevail over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. They are very likely to increase gradually and become gale winds with speed reaching 80-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal tomorrow.

 

The sea condition is high over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. The sea condition is very likely to be high to very high over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal from today morning and over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal from today evening to tomorrow evening.

 

It is very likely to become rough to very rough along and off south Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from today morning and very rough to to high along and off central Andhra Pradesh coast and Yanam district of Puducherry from today evening to tomorrow evening.

 

Storm surge of height of about 0.5 m to 1.0 m above the astronomical tides is likely to inundate the low-lying areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh (East & West Godavari, Vishakhapatnam, Krishna and Guntur districts) and Yanam district of Puducherry at the time of landfall, the bulletin said.

 

The cyclone could cause damage to thatched huts and  minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of branches. There could be major damage to "Kutcha" and damage to "Pucca" roads. 

 

There could be uprooting of small trees and some damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards. Sea water inundation is likely in low-lying areas after erosion of "Kutcha" embankments.

 

The bulletin advised total suspension of fishing operations along and off Andhra Pradesh coast today and tomorrow. Fishermenn were advised not to venture into southwest and westcentral Bay of Bengal and along and off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts till December 17. Those who are out in deep sea areas were advised to return to the coast.

 

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Cyclone Gaja over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore tomorrow evening with a wind speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph.

 

The cyclone had moved west-southwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 2030 hrs IST of today over southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 12.2°N and longitude 84.0°E, about 410 km east-southeast of Chennai and 480 km east-northeast of Nagapattinam, a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department at 2130 hours said.

 

"It is very likely to move west-southwestwards and intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. While moving west-southwestwards thereafter, it is likely to weaken and cross Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore during 15th November evening as a Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph," it said.

 

The IMD has issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, warning that rainfall would occur at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places tomrrow. It also said that extremely heavy rainfall (20 cm or more) was also likely over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Tuticorin and Ramanathapuram districts.

 

IMD has also forecast rainfall at most places in interior Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 16, with heavy falls at a few places and very heavy falls at isolated places.

 

It has also issued warning for rainfall, with isolated heavy falls, over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Kerala tomorrow. Heavy to very heavy falls were likely at isolated palces over Kerala on November 16, it said.

 

The bulletin warned that gale wind speed reaching 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph prevailing over southwest Bay of Bengal was very likely to increase gradually, becoming 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, over these areas from early morning of Thursday.

 

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Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is very likely to prevail along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts. It is very likely to increase, gradually becoming gale wind speed 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph along and off central parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from tomorrow afternoon onwards.

 

Strong wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph was very likely over interior Tamil Nadu, Kerala, southeast Arabian Sea along and off Kerala coast, Comorian area, Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait on Friday. Strong wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph was very likely to prevail over southeast Arabian Sea and along and off Kerala coast on Saturday.

 

The bulletin warned of rough sea conditions and said that storm surge of height of about 1 meter above astronomical tide was very likely to inundate low lying areas of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry at the time of landfall.

 

The bulletin called for total suspension of fishing operations along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during this period.

 

Coastal hutment dwellers were advised to move to safer places. Other people in the affected areas were advised to remain indoors.

 

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places over Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next five days, with extremely heavy falls likely at some places on Sunday in the two States and Union Territory.

 

The IMD has issued an orange alert for these States for today, tomorrow and Saturday as well as for Monday, which means there is likely to be rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places.

 

For Sunday, October 7, the IMD has issued a red alert, which means there is likely to be rainfall at most places in these States with heavy to very heavy rain and extremely heavy falls at isolated places.

 

The Department has also issued an orange alert for tomorrow and a red alert for Saturday for Lakshadweep Islands. Rainfall is also likely at most places over Lakshadweep Islands today and on October 7 and 8, a press release from IMD said.

 

An orange alert means people and authorities in the area must be prepared, and a red alert means they have to take action.

 

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The IMD has also warned of an intense low pressure system over south-east Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep and Maldives areas, extending upto middle tropospheric level in the morning of today.

 

Under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over southeast Arabian Sea by tomorrow. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression and move northwestwards during the subsequent 36 hours. It is also very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm thereafter and move towards Oman coast.

 

The release said the wind speed would gradually increase over southeast and central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area, becoming squally wind with speed reaching 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, from October 6 onwards. It will gradually increase further over this region.

 

The release said the sea condition would become rough to very rough from October 6.

 

Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea areas of southeast and central Arabian Sea from October 6 and those out at deep sea have been advised to return to coast before October 6.

 

The weather warning has come at a time when people in the state are yet to recover from the devastating floods -- the worst in a century -- that ravaged most parts of the state in August and claimed more than 480 lives.

 

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Pointing to the fundamentally diverse Indian society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it has fostered dialogue and a philosophic tradition.

 

“Auroville showcases this ancient Indian tradition to the world by bringing together global diversity,” Mr Modi said during his visit to Auroville here.

 

“India has always allowed mutual respect and co-existence of different religions and cultures. India is home to the age-old tradition of Gurukul, where learning is not confined to classrooms; where life is a living laboratory. Auroville too has developed as a place of unending and life-long education,” he added.

 

“In ancient times, our sages and ‘Rishis’ would perform ‘yagna’ to begin great endeavours. Occasionally, those yagnas would shape the course of history.

 

“One such yagna for unity was performed here exactly 50 years ago. Men and women brought soils from all parts of the world. In the mixing of the soils, began the journey of oneness.

 

“The world has received positive vibrations from Auroville, in many forms, over the years. Be it unending education, environmental regeneration, renewable energy, organic agriculture, appropriate building technologies, water management, or waste management. Auroville has been a pioneer,” he said.

 

“You have done a lot to promote quality education in the country. On the occasion of 50 years of Auroville, I hope you can enhance your efforts in this direction. Serving young minds through education will be a big tribute to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother,” he added.

 

The Prime Minister also referred to eminent educationist Kireet Bhai Joshi, an ardent disciple of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, who was his Education Advisor, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

 

He said Auroville’s Charter was hand-written in French by the Mother herself in which she set five high principles. The first is that it belongs to all humanity. This is a reflection of India's ancient credo of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -- the world is one family, he said.

 

“I am told, that the inauguration ceremony of Auroville in 1968 was attended by delegates of 124 nations. I learn that today, it has over 2,400 residents from 49 countries.

 

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 “This leads us to the second high principle of Auroville. Anyone who is willingly in service of the Divine Consciousness is entitled to live in Auroville. Maharishi Aurobindo’s philosophy of Consciousness integrates not just humans, but the entire universe.This matches with the ancient saying in the Ishavasya Upanishad.This has been translated by Mahatma Gandhi to mean 'everything down to the tiniest atom is divine'.

 

"The third founding principle of Auroville is that it will emerge as the bridge between the past and the future. If one looks at where the world and India were in 1968 when Auroville was founded, the world was living in compartments and in a state of cold war. The idea of Auroville saw the world getting integrated by trade, travel and communication.

 

"Auroville was conceived with the vision of enveloping the whole of humanity in one small area. This would show that the future would see an integrated world. The fourth founding principle of Auroville is that it will connect the spiritual and material approaches of the contemporary world. As the world progresses materially through science and technology, it will increasingly long for and need spiritual orientation for social order and stability.

 

"The fifth basic principle of Auroville is that it will be a place of unending learning and constant progress so that it never stagnates. The progress of humanity calls for continuous thinking and re-thinking so that the human mind does not become frozen into one idea," he added.

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit two States  -- Gujarat and Tamil Nadu -- and two Union Territories -- Daman & Diu and Puducherry -- in the next two days.

 

An official press release said Mr. Modi would reach Daman tomorrow and launch various development projects, and hand over certificates to beneficiaries of various official schemes. He will address a public meeting.

 

The Prime Minister will then travel to Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, he will attend an event to mark the inauguration of the Amma Two Wheeler Scheme – a welfare scheme of the State Government.

 

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will visit Puducherry. At Aurobindo Ashram, he will offer floral tributes to Shri Aurobindo, and interact with students of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education. 

 

Mr. Modi will also visit Auroville. He will release a commemorative postage stamp on the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Auroville. He will deliver an address on the occasion. He will also address a public meeting in Puducherry.

 

On Sunday evening, Mr. Modi will be in Surat in South Gujarat, to flag off the “Run for New India Marathon".

 

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Cash transfer of food subsidy scheme into bank accounts of beneficiaries is being implemented in the Union Territories of Chandigarh and Puducherry as well as urban areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Government said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

 

The scheme is implemented as per provisions of the Cash Transfer of Food Subsidy Rules, 2015, which inter alia provides that the cash transfer scheme can be taken up in identified areas, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions regarding preparedness to implement the scheme, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution C.R. Chaudhary said in a written reply to a question during Question Hour.

 

Identified area is defined under the Rules as State or Union Territory (UT) or any specified area within a State or UT, for which there is a written consent of the State Government for implementation of the scheme. It is therefore optional for the States and UTs to implement the cash transfer scheme or continue with distribution of foodgrains as per provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) through fair price shops, he added.

 

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Outbreak of food-borne pathogens can cause havoc. Now Indian scientists have found a solution - a bacterial protein isolated from intestine of chicken. They say it can be used as a food preservative since it can prevent growth of agents that cause food poisoning.

 

This research has been conducted at the School of Life Sciences at Pondicherry University.

 

The researchers have obtained the natural food preservative from Enterococcus faecalis CV7 bacteria which were isolated from intestines of country chicken. Researchers cultured these bacteria in the lab under controlled conditions and isolated a short protein named bacteriocinCV7.

 

“BacteriocinCV7 can be used as a natural food preservative, as we have seen that it inhibits the growth of Salmonella, a causal agent of food poisoning”, explained Arul Venkatesan, who conducted the study along with Venkatesh Perumal. “The demand for natural food preservatives has dramatically increased amongst consumers owing to the need for healthy, safe, and fresh products.”

 

The research results have been published in the journal Food Science and Technology.

 

Studies showed that bacteriocinCV7 remained functional even at high temperatures of 90 degree Celsius and killed disease-causing microbes in food in less than 18 hours even at a low concentration of 1 gram per litre. Therefore, using bacteriocinCV7 can reduce use of synthetic preservatives and make food safe for consumers, said Venkatesan.

 

In addition, he said, bacteriocin CV7 can also be used as a probiotic for poultry to control infections in place of synthetic antibiotics. This will make food safe for humans in the long run. The scientists have found that bacteriocinCV7 is non-toxic and safe by testing it on cultured human cell lines.

 

Ashok Pandey, scientist at the Centre of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing in Mohali, who is not connected to the study, commented that bacteriocinCV7 could be used as a preservative in the food industry, but it would require more studies to evaluate the possibility of commercial exploitation. 

 

(India Science Wire)

 

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Low-cost carrier SpiceJet has brought Puducherry back on India's aviation map by launching from yesterday a flight from Hyderabad to the Union Territory.

 

The Hyderabad-Puducherry flight is the third daily flight to be launched by SpiceJet under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, a press release from the airline said.

 

Puducherry is one of the four unserved markets the airline will be operating to under the UDAN scheme. With this new flight, Puducherry will be connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Tirupati, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Vijaywada and Varanasi with convenient onward connections on the SpiceJet network, the release said.

 

Ms. Shilpa Bhatia, Senior VP, Commercial SpiceJet said, “SpiceJet is proud to induct Puducherry on to its network. Seen as an education, healthcare and tourism hotspot of the country, Puducherry is also home to several big IT software and hardware giants and has seen remarkable growth in recent years. SpiceJet is excited to contribute to this growth story and our flights will help bring in more leisure and business traffic to the UT.”

 

SpiceJet has been awarded six proposals and 11 routes under the first phase of the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. Out of the six finalised proposals four will cater to unserved markets of Adampur, Kandla, Puducherry and Jaisalmer whereas two will be for underserved markets of Porbandar and Kanpur. 

 

Flight operations have already commenced on Mumbai-Porbandar-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kandla-Mumbai routes from July 10, the release said.

 

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Chennai Port Trust and Puducherry signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here yesterday for handling export and import cargo from and to the Puducherry Port hinterland.

 

The MoU envisages that Chennai Port Trust will assist Puducherry Port in handling its export and import cargo.

 

The cargo originating from Puducherry Port hinterland will be transported through sea mode to Chennai Port for shipping to overseas destinations through mainline and feeder vessels.

 

Similarly, the import cargo destined to Puducherry hinterland will be unloaded at Chennai Port and will be moved in small coastal vessels to Puducherry Port, thus reducing total logistics costs, besides easing road congestion.

 

The MoU was signed by Chairman, Chennai Port Trust and Chief Secretary, Government of Puducherry in the presence of Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Mr. V. Narayansamy , Chief Minister, Puducherry, Mr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and other dignitaries.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gadkari said that this MoU would facilitate the handling of between 5 and 10 lakh tonnes of cargo. He said that, once the arrangement became operational, road congestion will reduce substantially as almost 300 trucks will go off the roads. This move will also bring down pollution levels significantly, he said.

 

The MoU is expected to promote industrial growth in the region, generate substantial employment and attract investment by major industries, he added.

 

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The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) yesterday conducted a mock exercise in Puducherry to assess the preparedness and response mechanism of the Union Territory administration in the event of a flood or a tsunami.

 

With a coastline of about 45 kilometres, stretching along the Bay of Bengal, Puducherry is susceptible to both floods and tsunamis. The region was one of the worst affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.

 

The mock exercise was conducted on the principle of Incident Response System (IRS), which identifies stakeholders and clearly attributes roles and responsibilities to each one of them. It helps in systematically responding to an incident by reducing confusion and chaos. 

 

NDMA expert Major General V.K. Datta (Retd.), who led the exercise, said, "Integrating IRS with mock exercises helps in achieving multi-agency coordination under a unified command. It strengthens the capacity and response mechanisms of the local administrations."

 

Once the scenarios were sounded, Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) were activated. Incident Commanders were identified and rescue teams were formed under them. The teams were then dispatched to their respective locations to carry out the search and rescue operations.

 

In the debriefing exercise carried out after the drill, participants discussed the shortcomings and ways to address them.

 

The mock exercise was part of a three-day event which began with a Co-ordination Conference on Tuesday followed by a Table-top Exercise on Wednesday. Senior officials from all the important departments such as the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), health, police, education, firefighting, Civil Defense, transport, electricity, public relations, etc. participated in these preparatory meetings as well as in the exercise. A week prior to the exercise, an orientation conference was also held with concerned officials to ensure the smooth facilitation of the exercise.

 

The National Disaster Guidelines significantly focuses on Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness for a disaster situation. In its efforts towards improving the management of a disaster situation, NDMA regularly conducts such mock exercises across the country.  So far, NDMA has conducted 550 mock exercises in different States and Union Territories, which is an ongoing process, an official press release added.

 

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A deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Chennai, close to Cuddalore, by early hours of December 2, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.

 

A bulletin issued by the IMD at 0820 hours today said the depression had moved west-northwesterwards for the past six hours, with a speed about 15 kmph, intensified into a deep depression and lay centred at 0530 hrs of today near latitude 7.8ºN and longitude 85.7ºE, about 830 km southeast of Chennai, 780 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 490 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Srilanka). 

 

"The system is very likely to continue to move west-northwestward and intensify further into a cyclonic storm during next 12 hrs. It is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Chennai, close to Cuddalore by early hours of 2nd December," it said.

 

The IMD warned that, under the influence of the system, light to moderate rainfall was likely to commence at many places over coastal Tamil Nadu from today evening. The intensity of rainfall would increase and heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely at a few places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over interior Tamil Nadu during the next two days.

 

The bulletin said light to moderate rainfall was very likely at many places in Kerala, with isolated heavy falls, on December 2 and 3.

 

Squally winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, would commence to prevail along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from tomorrow morning, the bulletin said.

 

The sea condition would be rough to very rough along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from tomorrow onwards, it said.

 

The IMD advised fishermen not to venture into sea along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from this evening onwards. Those at sea have been advised to return to the coast.

 

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The Election Commission (EC) today said it would hold bye-elections to fill casual vacancies in the Lok Sabha from three States and eight seats in the Legislative Assemblies in seven States.

 

The vacancies in the Lok Sabha are from Lakhimpur in Assam, Shahdol (ST) in Madhya Pradesh and Coochbehar (SC) and Tamluk in West Bengal, an official press release said.

 

The Assembly seats vacant are 20-Baithalangso (ST) in Assam, 45 – Hayuliang (ST) in Arunachal Pradesh, 179-Nepanagar (ST) in Madhya Pradesh, 263-Monteswar in West Bengal, 195-Thiruparankundram in Tamil Nadu, 4-Barjala and 25-Khowai in Tripura and 17-Nellithope in Puducherry.

 

The release said the notification for the bye-elections will be issued on October 26 and the last date for making nominations is November 2. Counting of votes will be taken up on November 22.

 

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Puducherry government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) yesterday signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

 

The MOU was signed in the presence of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister of Puducherry Malladi Krishna Rao.

 

With this, the State Government has formally agreed to provide the concessions required from the State Governments in the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

 

The MoU was signed by Manoj Parida, Chief Secretary, Puducherry Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and A.K. Dutta, Member, Airports Authority of India.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sinha expressed the hope that subsidies would attract airlines which also needed to find the appropriate aircrafts and pilots to service the regional sector. Mr Narayanaswamy said he was happy to cooperate in promoting the Regional Connectivity Scheme as it would improve the connectivity to Puducherry.

 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier released the draft Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for stakeholder consultation, with the twin objectives of promoting balanced regional growth and making flying affordable for masses,.

 

The RCS is the key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy which was released by the Ministry on June 15. The scheme, which would be in operation for a period of 10 years, envisages providing connectivity to unserved and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports.

 

This would be achieved through a financial stimulus in the form of Central and State government concessions, as well as Viability Gap Funding to the interested airlines to kick off operations from such airports, so that the passenger fares are kept affordable.

 

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The fare for a one-hour journey of approximate 500 km on a fixed wing aircraft or for a 30-minute journey on a helicopter would now be capped at Rs. 2,500, with proportionate pricing for routes of different lengths and duration.

 

To reduce the cost of operations, the Central Government would be providing concessions in the form of reduced excise on VAT, service tax and flexibility of code sharing at the RCS airports.

 

Similarly, the State governments would have to lower the VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to 1% or less, besides security and fire services free of cost and electricity, water and other utilities at substantially concessional rates. Similarly, landing and parking charges and terminal navigation landing charges will be waived by the airport operator.

 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is in the process of signing of an MoU with State Governments to ensure their commitment and support to regional air transport operations by providing concessions as required under the RCS for making it successful. 

 

Puducherry is the sixth State with which such an MoU has been signed. The other states are Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

 

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Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi, who had formally joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 2015 and was its chief ministerial nominee for the Delhi Assembly elections later that year, was today appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Puducherry.

 

"The President of India has been pleased to appoint Ms. Kiran Bedi, to be the Lt. Governor of Puducherry with effect from the date she assumes charges of her office," a press communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

 

Ms. Bedi, 66, who was the first woman to be selected for the IPS in 1972, had lost from her constituency of Krishna Nagar in the Delhi Assembly elections last year.

 

She was a leading member of Anna Hazare's India Against Corruption, which had launched a nationwide campaign against corruption during the tenure of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre.

 

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was also a leading light of that movement, but his decision to float a political party led to a parting of ways between the two. Mr Kejriwal went on to become the Chief Minister of Delhi after the December 4, 2013 Assembly elections but resigned after just 49 days in office. His AAP recaptured power with an overwhelming majority, winning 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly last year.

 

Apart from her career in the IPS, Ms Bedi has also been associated with various NGOs working in the areas of prison reforms, drug abuse prevention and child welfare. She won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994 for government service. She was a national-level tennis player in her youth.

 

Her last posting as an IPS officer was as the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development before she took voluntary retirement in November 2007 to pursue new challenges.

 

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party at the Centre, came to power for the first time in the North-East when the coalition led by it won a historic victory in the Assembly elections in Assam, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) eturned to power in Kerala, with the Congress ending up on the losing side in both states.

 

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalitha proved exit polls wrong as she won a rare second consecutive term in office while her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also won a second term with a massive win as the counting of votes in the Assembly elections to the four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry progressed today.

 

In Assam, the BJP dislodged the 15-year-old Congress regime headed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who could not quite overcome the anti-incumbency factor. While the BJP won 60 seats in the 126-member assembly, its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) got 14 seats and the Bodoland People's Front picked up 12. The Congress got only 26 seats. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won 13 seats. One seat was won by an independent candidate.

 

Among the winners were Mr. Gogoi from Titabor and BJP's chief ministerial nominee, Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who won from Majuli.

 

In West Bengal, the TMC won 211 seats in the 294-member assembly, while the Congress, which went into the elections as an ally of the Left Front, won 44. The Left Front got 32 seats, while the BJP won three and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha got three. One seat went to an independent candidate.

 

Ms. Banerjee, whose party had ended the 34-year reign of the Left Front in 2011, won from Bhawanipore.

 

In Tamil Nadu, Ms. Jayalalithaa became the first Chief Minister to get a second consecutive term in office after 1984 as her AIADMK won 134 of the 232 seats for which polling was held. The DMK, led by veteran M. Karunanidhi, a former Chief Minister, got 87 seats, and was leading in two more at the time of writing this report, while its ally, the Congress, could manage only eight. The Indian Union Muslim League got one seat.

 

While Ms. Jayalalithaa won from Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, while the 93-year-old Mr. Karunanidhi won the Thiruvarur seat. Mr. Karunanidhi's son and DMK Treasurer M K Stalin retained the Kolathur constituency.

 

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In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 91 seats in the 140-member assembly, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) could manage only 47. The BJP won a seat in the Kerala Assembly for the first time, with party veteran O. Rajagopalan winning from Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram.

 

Former Indian cricketer S. Sreesanth, the BJP's candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, also lost.

 

Among prominent winners were Chief Minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy, his predecessor V S Achuthanandan (LDF), former Finance Minister K M Mani and Government chief whip P C George, who left Kerala Congress (M) to fight from Poonjar as an independent candidate. Film actor Mukesh won from Kollam as a CPI(M) candidate.

 

CPM leader and possible Chief Ministerial candidate Pinarayi Vijayan won from Dharmadam in Kannur district. Mr. Chandy, who has represented Puthupally in Kottayam for more than four decades, won once again from there.

 

In Kollam, well-known Malyalam film actor won as an LDF candidate, while another actor, K B Ganeshkumar, who had switched over to the LDF from the UDF before the elections, won from Pathanapuram, defeating another popular actor Jagadish of the Congress. In the losers' list were Ministers K Babu and PK Jayalakshmi..

 

In Puducherry, the Congress won 15 of the 30 seats and its ally, the DMK, got two to wrest power from the ruling All India NR Congress, which could get only eight seats. The AIADMK won four seats.

 

Polling was held in the four states and one UT between April 4 and May 16. Counting of votes began at 8 am today and all the results are expected by late tonight.

 

Assam went to the polls in two phases on April 4 and 11, while West Bengal saw polling in six phases between April 4 and May 5. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had single-phase polling on May 16.

 

In Tamil Nadu, polling in two constituencies -- Aravakurichi and Thanjavur -- was deferred by the Election Commision to May 23 and, accordingly, the votes cast there would be counted on May 25.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party at the Centre, appeared headed for a historic win in Assam to form its first ever government in the North-East, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was all set to return to power in Kerala, with the Congress ending up on the losing side in both states.

 

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalitha proved exit polls wrong as she headed for a rare second consecutive term in offie while her West Bengal Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was also poised for another term with a huge win as the counting of votes in the Assembly elections to the four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry was underway today.

 

In Assam, the BJP was set for a huge win, dislodging the 15-year-old Congress regime headed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

 

In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy appeared to be on its way out as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) built up a huge lead.

 

As early counting trends came in, Ms. Jayalalithaa's ruling AIADMK was ahead in 131 of the 232 seats where polling was held, while the DMK led by veteran M. Karunananidhi, was leading in 90, its ally Congress in 8 and others in three constituencies.

 

In West Bengal, the TMC was leading in 212 of the 294 constituencies, while the Congress was ahead in 45, the CPM in 24, the CPI in 1, the RSP in 3, the Forward Bloc in 2 and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in 3. The BJP was leading in 3 seats.

 

In Assam, the BJP was ahead in 61 of the 126 seats, while the Congress was a distant second with leads in 26. The All India United Demcratic Front (AIUDF) was ahead in 12 seats, while the Asom Gana Parishad was leading in 14 the Bodoland People's Front in 12.

 

In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was leading in 91 of the 140 seats, while the Congress-led UDF was ahead in 47, while the BJP was ahead in one seat.

 

In Puducherry, the Congress was ahead in 15 of the 30 seats and its ally, the DMK, in two and the combine was all set to wrest power form the ruling All India NR Congress, which was ahead in eight seats. The AIADMK was leading in four.

 

Polling was held in the four states and one UT between April 4 and May 16. Counting of votes began at 8 am today and all the results are expected by this evening.

 

Assam went to the polls in two phases on April 4 and 11, while West Bengal saw polling in six phases between April 4 and May 5. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had single-phase polling on May 16.

 

In Tamil Nadu, polling in two constituencies -- Aravakurichi and Thanjavur -- was deferred by the Election Commision to May 23 and, accordingly, the votes cast there would be counted on May 25.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

Votes are also being counted today in the bye-elections held on May 16 to fill one vacancy in the Lok Sabha -- Tura in Meghalaya -- and six in legislative assemblies in four states -- Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

 

The assembly constituencies where bye-elections were held are Godda and Panki in Jharkhand, Talala in Gujarat, Jangipur and Bilari in Uttar Pradesh, and Palair in Telangana.

 

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The Election Commission has deferred the bye-elections in Ghoradongri (Madhya Pradesh), Anantnag (Jammu & Kashmir) and Kanubari (Arunachal Pradesh).

 

The bye-election in Tura (ST) was necessitated by the death of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma on March 4 in New Delhi.

 

In Assam, the votes are being counted at 51 counting centres across the state amidst tight security. There are 1064 candidates in the fray, including Mr. Gogoi, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal. The state had witnessed 84.72 percent polling.

 

In West Bengal, where Ms. Banerjee is seeking a second term, the polling turnout was around 80 percent. 

 

The Election Commission has set up 80 counting centres for the counting of votes in the elections to the 140-member state assembly in Kerala. The state had registered more than 77 percent polling. There are 1203 candidates in the fray, including Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, whose Congress-led UDF government is looking for a second consecutive term.

 

In Tamil Nadu, the counting of votes is being held at 68 centres across the state in the elections to the 234-member assembly. Polling was held on May 16 for 232 seats. The polling percentage was 73.76 percent.

 

In Puducherry, about 82 percent of the electorate had exercised their franchise on May 16. There were 344 candidates, including 21 women, in the fray for the 30 seats.

 

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Counting of votes began this morning in the crucial elections to elect new legislative assemblies in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where polling was held between April 4 and May 16.

 

The counting of the votes, recorded in electronic voting machines, began at 8 am and all the results are expected by this evening, though early counting trends are expected to be available by mid-morning.

 

Assam went to the polls in two phases on April 4 and 11, while West Bengal saw polling in six phases between April 4 and May 5.

 

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had single-phase polling on May 16.

 

In Tamil Nadu, polling in two constituencies -- Aravakurichi and Thanjavur -- was deferred by the Election Commision to May 23 and, accordingly, the votes cast there would be counted on May 25.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

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Votes will also be counted today in the bye-elections held on May 16 to fill one vacancy in the Lok Sabha -- Tura in Meghalaya -- and six in legislative assemblies in four states -- Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

 

The assembly constituencies where bye-elections were held are Godda and Panki in Jharkhand, Talala in Gujarat, Jangipur and Bilari in Uttar Pradesh, and Palair in Telangana.

 

The Election Commission has deferred the bye-elections in Ghoradongri (Madhya Pradesh), Anantnag (Jammu & Kashmir) and Kanubari (Arunachal Pradesh).

 

The bye-election in Tura (ST) was necessitated by the death of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma on March 4 in New Delhi.

 

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The deep depression over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to move north-northeastwards along and off the Andhra Pradesh coasts and intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.

 

Thereafter it is likely to move northeastwards along and off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts during the subsequent 48 hours, a bulletin from the IMD said.

 

The bulletin said that the depression had moved nearly northwards at a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 1130 hours IST of today near latitude 13.8º N and longitude 81.0 ºE, about 130 km south-southeast of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

 

Under the influence of the system, rainfall is likely at many places over northTamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 24 hours, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls.

 

Rainfall is also likely at most places over coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours, with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls.

 

The bulletin said rainfall was also likely at many places over coastal Odisha on May 19 and 20, with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places.

 

Rainfall is also likely at many places over Rayalaseema during the next 24 hours, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls.

 

The bulletin said squally winds, with speed reaching 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph, are very likely to prevail along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 24 hours.

 

Wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph, is very likely to prevail along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during the next 12 hours and speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph is very likely to prevail over the same region during the subsequent 24 hours.

 

Sea conditions along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts are very likely to be rough to very rough during the next 24 hours. They are likely to be high to very high along and off the Andhra Pradesh coast during the next 48 hours. They are very likely to be high to very high along and off Odisha coast on May 19 and 20.

 

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 24 hours, along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during the next 48 hours and along and off Odisha coast on May 19 and 20.

 

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Voters turned out in large numbers today in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the crucial single-phase elections to elect new legislative assemblies in the two Southern states and one Union Territory.

 

Voting began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm and initial figures said that 71.5 percent of the electors had exercised their franchise in Kerala.

 

In Tamil Nadu, 69.19 percent polling had been recorded by 5 pm and 81.94 percent in Puducherry, and the final figures were expected to be higher.

 

Campaigning for the elections in the three states had come to a close on Saturday evening.

 

Polling was by and large peaceful in all three states, with no major untoward incident reported from any constituency. Rains in the morning played a dampener for a while in some parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala but voters did not allow this to affect their enthusiasm and brisk polling was seen in these places later in the day.

 

In Kerala, there are a total of  2,61,06,422 electors, including 1,35,08,693 women, in the 140 constituencies that went to the polls. There are 1203 candidates, including 109 women, in the fray. The Election Commission had set up 21646 polling stations in the state.

 

In Tamil Nadu, a total of 5,82,59,801 voters, including  2,93,33,954 women, were eligible to exercise their franchise in the 234 constituencies.

 

However, voting was held today for 232 seats, with polling in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies having been deferred by the Election Commission to May 23. There were a total of 3728 candidates in the 232 constituencies and voting took place at 65,486 polling stations.

 

In Puducherry, there are a total of  9,41,935 voters, including 4,94,238 women. There were 344 candidates, including 21 women, in the fray for the 30 seats. As many as 930 polling stations were set up by the Election Commission across the Union Territory.

 

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Counting of votes in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as well as in Assam, which went to the polls in two phases on April 4 and 11, and in West Bengal, where polling was held in six phases between April 4 and May 5, will be taken up on May 19 and all the results are expected by that evening. In Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies of Tamil Nadu, counting of votes will be taken up on May 25.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

Polling was also held today in bye-elections to fill one vacancy in the Lok Sabha -- Tura in Meghalaya -- and six in legislative assemblies in four states -- Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

 

The assembly constituencies where bye-elections were held are Godda and Panki in Jharkhand, Talala in Gujarat, Jangipur and Bilari in Uttar Pradesh, and Palair in Telangana.

 

The Election Commission has deferred the bye-elections in Ghoradongri (Madhya Pradesh), Anantnag (Jammu & Kashmir) and Kanubari (Arunachal Pradesh).

 

The bye-election in Tura (ST) was necessitated by the death of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma on March 4 in New Delhi.

 

Counting of votes in all these constituencies will also be taken up on May 19.

 

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Polling began this morning in the crucial single-phase elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to choose new legislative assemblies in the two southern States and one Union Territory.

 

Voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to come out and exercise their franchise.

 

"Urging all voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry to vote in record numbers today & be a part of this festival of democracy," he said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

 

Campaigning for the elections had come to a close on Saturday evening.

 

In Kerala, there are a total of  2,61,06,422 electors, including 1,35,08,693 women, in the 140 constituencies that went to the polls. There are 1203 candidates, including 109 women, in the fray. The Election Commission has set up 21646 polling stations in the state.

 

In Tamil Nadu, a total of 5,82,59,801 voters, including  2,93,33,954 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the 234 constituencies.

 

However, voting is being held today for 232 seats, with polling in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies having been deferred by the Election Commission to May 23. There are a total of 3728 candidates in the 232 constituencies and voting is taking place at 65,486 polling stations.

 

In Puducherry, there are a total of  9,41,935 voters, including 4,94,238 women. There are 344 candidates, including 21 women, in the fray for the 30 seats. As many as 930 polling stations have been up by the Election Commission across the Union Territory.

 

Counting of votes in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as well as in Assam, which went to the polls in two phases on April 4 and 11, and in West Bengal, where polling was held in six phases between April 4 and May 5, will be taken up on May 19 and all the results are expected by that evening. In Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies of Tamil Nadu, counting of votes will be taken up on May 25.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

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People in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote tomorrow in crucial single-phase elections to elect new legislative assemblies in the three states.

 

Campaigning for the elections closed yesterday and candidates in the three states spent a busy Sunday today approaching voters in their constituencies personally.

 

In Kerala, there are a total of  2,61,06,422 electors, including 1,35,08,693 women, in the 140 constituencies going to the polls. There are 1203 candidates, including 109 women, in the fray. The Election Commission has set up 21646 polling stations in the state.

 

In Tamil Nadu, a total of 5,82,59,801 voters, including  2,93,33,954 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise.There are a total of 3776 candidates, including 320 women, in the fray in the 234 constituencies. As many as 66007 polling stations have been set up in the state.

 

In Puducherry, there are a total of  9,41,935 voters, including 4,94,238 women. There are 344 candidates, including 21 women, in the fray for the 30 seats. As many as 930 polling stations have been up by the Election Commission across the Union Territory.

 

Counting of votes in the three states, as well as in Assam, which went to the polls in two-phases on April 4 and 11, and in West Bengal, where polling was held in six phases between April 4 and May 5, will be taken up on May 19 and all the results are expected by that evening.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

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Campaigning for the crucial May 16 elections to the state legislative assemblies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry drew to a close this evening.

 

Counting of votes in the three states, as well as in Assam, which went to the polls in two-phases on April 4 and 11, and in West Bengal, where polling was held in six phases between April 4 and May 5, will be taken up on May 19 and all the results are expected by that evening.

 

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will have single-phase polling on May 16.

 

The term of the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu is due to expire on May 22, West Bengal on May 29, Kerala on May 31, Puducherry on June 2 and Assam on June 5.

 

In Kerala, there are a total of  2,61,06,422 electors, including 1,35,08,693 women, in the 140 constituencies going to the polls. There are 1203 candidates, including 109 women, in the fray. The Election Commission has set up 21646 polling stations in the state.

 

In Tamil Nadu, a total of 5,82,59,801 voters, including  2,93,33,954 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise.There are a total of 3776 candidates, including 320 women, in the fray in the 234 constituencies. As many as 66007 polling stations have been set up in the state.

 

In Puducherry, there are a total of  9,41,935 voters, including 4,94,238 women. There are 344 candidates, including 21 women, in the fray for the 30 seats. As many as 930 polling stations have been up by the Election Commission across the Union Territory.

 

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