THE HEADLINES
- Campaigning for Delhi Assembly election ended this evening with major political parties engaging in accusations and counter accusations and making last ditch efforts to woo the voters.
- Election Commission says all arrangements are in place for free and fair polling in Delhi on 7th of this month.
- Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee extends support to Aam Aadmi Party; BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha describes Arvind Kejriwal a good man; Dera Sacha Sauda extends support to BJP.
- Supreme Court rejects Trinamool Congress' plea to monitor Saradha scam case.
- Home Minister instructs Delhi police to beef up security of churches and other religious places following recent attacks on churches.
- Former Gujarat top police officers P P Pandey and D G Vanzara get bail in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
- In the National Games: Services retain top position in the medals tally with 29 gold medals. Prominent Boxer including Olympian Vijendra Singh withdraws from the games.
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Campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections came to a close this evening. It was marked by bitter political attacks and allegations and counter allegations. While Arvind Kejriwal accused BJP of indulging in cash-for-votes, BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman questioned the AAP about illicit liquor bottles that had been allegedly recovered from the godown of its candidate. Our correspondent reports that the three main contenders BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress held extensive campaigning in all constituencies.
(V/cast - Sanjiv)
BJP chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi attended road shows in Mangolpuri, Kirari and Krishna Nagar areas making last ditch attempt to woo the voters. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal led a roadshow in New Delhi Assembly constituency. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi conducted roadshow in Sultanpur Majra. Party candidates also organized several public functions appealing the voters to support them. The polling will take place on Saturday and counting on Tuesday and all eyes are on the outcome of the election which has assumed national importance in view of high pitched campaigning. With Diwakar, Sanjiv Jasrotia, AIR News, Delhi.
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BJP chief Amit Shah today said Delhi assembly election results cannot be a referendum on the functioning of Narendra Modi government at the centre. Talking to a private TV channel, Mr. Shah rejected opinion polls giving edge to Aam Aadmi Party and expressed confidence that the BJP will form government in Delhi.
(Byte Amit Shah)
As far as opinion poll is concerned, for a big city like Delhi, which has villages, posh colonies and slums and people from every part of the country like here, just a sample of 3 or 4 thousand can not reflect the mood of the voters of Delhi.
Earlier, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had also made similar comments saying it is the election for the post of Chief Minister and not the Prime Minister.
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Aam Aadmi Party today claimed that ensuing Delhi assembly election will be a turning point in the history of Indian politics. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, party leader Ashutosh said, outcome of the election will establish the sanity of issue-based politics over negative politics.
Reacting to the comment made by Amit Shah that Prime Minister's promise on black money during election campaign was merely a poll ploy, Mr Ashutosh said that it casts aspersions on even other promises made by Mr. Modi.
(BYTE - ASHUTOSH)
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The Chief Election Commissioner H.S. Brahma has said that all arrangements are in position for free and fair polling in Delhi on the 7th. He said tampering of Electronic Voting Machines, is impossible. In an exclusive interview to All India Radio, Mr. Brahma said that voters can exercise their franchise safely.
Our EVM machines are 100 percent foolproof. Nobody can play mischief and if anybody wants to play mischief, there is adequate institutional safeguard like you have a first level check when political parties are there, engineers are there. Then after the everything 2-3 times checking, on the day of polling also, when we are going to polls on 7th of February at 8 a.m., our people will be there by 5.30 a.m. - 6 o'clock.
The interview can be heard in our “Countrywide” programme tonight from 9.30 on FM Gold channel and additional frequencies.
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A total of 673 candidates are in fray for the assembly elections in Delhi for which polling will be held on Saturday. Of them, 63 candidates are female. Over 1.33 crore voters will exercise their right to franchise. Our correspondent reports for the first time 2.27 lakh new voters will caste their votes in this election.
Elaborate arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections in the national capital. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Chandra Bhusan Kumar said, about twelve thousand polling stations have been set up across the city for polling.
( Byte- Chandra Bhusan Kumar)
The publication and dissemination of any election related matters is prohibited with the end of campaigning and will remain in force till the conclusion of the polling. Delhi election office has deputed several teams of excise officials to check flow of liquor which may influence voters. With Anand Kumar, Shiela for AIR News, Delhi.
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Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today threw her support to the Aam Aadmi Party, in the Delhi Assembly elections to be held on Saturday. In a tweet, Ms Banerjee said she is supporting AAP for the greater need of the country and development in the capital.
Meanwhile, the Dera Sacha Sauda sect of Haryana has extended its support to BJP in election-bound Delhi. The chairman of the political affairs wing of the sect, Ram Singh, today told PTI from Chandigarh that the Dera followers will support BJP candidates in the elections.
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BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha today praised Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal describing him as a good man. Talking to media in New Delhi, Mr. Sinha said the electoral prospect of Mr. Kejriwal seems good. He, however, said BJP also has a very good candidate in Kiran Bedi.
Replying to a question about discontent in the party over the projection of Kiran Bedi as Chief Ministerial candidate, Mr. Sinha said Union Minister Dr Harshvardhan could have been a good candidate. Nevertheless Ms. Bedi is also a good candidate because of her vast experience, he said.
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Supreme Court today declined Trinamool Congress' plea to monitor CBI probe in Saradha chit fund scam cases. The apex court also rejected the allegations of West Bengal government and Trinamool Congress that CBI has been selectively leaking information about probe to the media. The Court also refused to entertain contempt plea filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a Minister for allegedly preventing CBI from carrying its probe.
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Trinamool Congress MP Srinjoy Bose resigned from the party and also as Rajya Sabha MP today, barely a day after he was released on conditional bail in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The party national spokesman Derek O'Brien said it is Srinjoy’s personal choice and his prerogative. Bose was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha scam on November 21st last year.
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Home Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed Delhi Police Commissioner to make proper arrangements for the security of churches and other places of worship in the city. A group of leaders from Christian community called on Mr. Singh in New Delhi today in view of the recent attack on a church in the city. The Minister also instructed the authorities to conduct impartial probe into the incident. He told the delegation that the government will not tolerate any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion.
There have been five attacks on churches since December. In the latest incident earlier this week, the Saint Alphonsa's Church in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj was vandalised.
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An Ahmedabad court today granted bail to former Gujarat top cop D G Vanzara in 2004 Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. However, the court barred him from entering Gujarat. Eight police officers were charge-sheeted in the case. Four were granted bail earlier while two more got it today including senior police officer, P P Pandey. Vanzara has been in a jail in Ahmedabad for last eight years. He was arrested in March 2007, when he was the Deputy Inspector General of Gujarat Police. Vanzara was also accused in fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.
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In Assam, security forces today recovered huge quantity of RDX from the possession of two terrorists. Defence sources in Guwahati said that, a joint team of the army and police apprehended two militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland- Songbijit faction from Baska district today. Security forces found 12 kilogram of RDX from their possession.
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In Manipur, one person died and another got injured in a powerful bomb blast at Kasom Khullen in Ukhrul District today. Police sources said, the blast took place around 11:30 this morning at a place under Kasom Khulen Police Station. Condition of the injured was reported to be critical.
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The special bench of Karnataka High Court has rejected the plea made by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today for making him party in the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case. Justice C R Kumaraswamy however allowed him to assist the Special Public Prosecutor and make written submissions if permitted by the court in future.
A Special Court on September 27 last year had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years’ imprisonment in a case relating to her unknown sources of income.
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Eleven Indian nurses have been evacuated from conflict-zone Kirkuk in Iraq. The announcement was made at a press conference by External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin in new Delhi this evening. He said, the nurses have been shifted to Irbil where embassy officials are in touch with them. He said, they will be soon flown to Kerala.
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NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD(CAPSULE)
Falling for the fifth straight session, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange declined 32 points, to close at 28,851. But during the session, the Sensex had climbed almost 400 points. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange dropped 12 points, to 8,712. We asked market expert, Rajeev Nagpal what pulled down the market.
BITE-RAJEEV NAGPAL
The rupee appreciated 2 paise, to 61.73 against the dollar. Gold rose 210 rupees, to 28,300 per ten grams in Delhi. Silver gained 200 rupees, to 38,600 rupees per kilo. Pradeep Kumar, AIR News.
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In the ongoing 35th National Games in Kerala, Saurav Ghosal won men's while Joshana Chinnappa lifted women's singles titles in Squash today.
Kerala excelled in rowing events,winning 4 gold medals,four silver and 3 bronze .
Meanwhile,prominent boxing stars Olympian Vijender Singh,Sarjubala Devi, Preeth Beniwal and Sumit Sanguan have withdrawn from the National games boxing events.This follows difference of opinion between Boxing India and Indian Olympic Association.Boxing events are scheduled to begin tomorrow.
Services tops the medals tally with 29 gold ,followed by Haryana with 25 while Maharashtra are in the third spot with 22 gold .
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Kolkata has become India's first Wi-Fi-enabled metro city as the service was launched from Park Street today. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the 4th Generation, free Wi-fi service, by tweeting, using the network #WiFiKolkata. A private operator is providing the service and it will be rolled out in phases in all the wards under Kolkata Municipal Corporation as well as adjacent areas of Kolkata.
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