Star constituency to see a battle royale between doctor & actor

GROUND ZERO THOUSAND LIGHTS

Star constituency to see a battle royale between doctor & actor

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  25.03.2021 

Thousand Lights constituency, where DMK supremo M K Stalin recorded a hat-trick, is now the venue of a doctor-versus-actor tussle.

While actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar’s ‘Lotus’ dance to popularise her poll symbol has gone viral on social media, her opponent Dr Ezhilan is sticking to door-to-door canvassing. In terms of star value, this constituency is next only to Chepauk. Khushbu’s eleventhhour nomination by the BJP took everybody by surprise, as the national party had only a few months ago received into its fold the DMK’s sitting MLA Ku Ka Selvam. Earlier there were rumours that Khushbu might be fielded against Udhayanidhi in Chepauk, and visuals of Khushbu’s roadshow in that constituency only added fuel to the story.

Khusbu seems to be in no mood to miss out on this opportunity. Right from the day of her nomination, her rallies have attracted crowds. But the larger question is whether or not it will be converted into votes. The BJP is confident that her popularity and star value will be of great help here. Besides, they also pin hope on that the fact that the minority population at Thounsand Lights area might support Khushbu. Around 10% of the voters are Muslims.

Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Mehdi Khan, Chief Qazi at the Thounsand Lights Mosque, however, said, “Though there has been no major disturbance to communal harmony here so far, we are skeptical about some of the changes proposed by parties in power now.”

It is a loaded statement, indicating that it would take Khushbu much more than a dance-andcharm campaign to breach the DMK bastion. The DMK has won nine of the 15 assembly elections here and Stalin three elections between 1996 and 2006.

The party’s present candidate Dr Ezhilan is the son of N Naganathan, renowned academic and former vice-chairman of the state planning commission. Ezhilan, who gained prominence through his relief work during the 2015 floods, Covid outbreak and protests against NEET and NRC, has assured the electorate that he would improve the living standard of every resident by developing housing board settlements, schools, hospitals and decongesting roads. “There is an urgent need to develop entrepreneurial skills of youngsters at Thousand Lights constituency, which has hundreds of small-scale enterprises like textile shops and printing presses,” he said. Resident welfare associations here say that MLA Ku Ka Selvam’s limited availability and absence of corporation ward councillors made their lives more difficult.

For instance, Greater Chennai Corporation had proposed to construct an elevated corridor from Sterling Road junction to Nelson Manickam Road to reduce congestion on Choolaimedu’ High Road. But till date, it hasn’t materialised and there letters sent to all stakeholders went unanswered, said Kasturi Rangan from Choolaimedu Exnora.

There’s no permanent CM, says OPS

There’s no permanent CM, says OPS

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

25.03.2021 

The divisions within the AIADMK came into the open when deputy chief minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam asserted that there was no “dual leadership” in the party nor “a permanent chief minister”. The AIADMK leader said he had a lot of respect for former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s closeaide V K Sasikala and that he remained a loyal friend to her nephew and AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran.

“The administration is run by a single leadership. And, there is no dual leadership in the party. He (EPS) steers the government and I extend support to him. Similarly, I am the coordinator of the party and he supports me. This is our mutual relationship,” Panneerselvam said in an interview to a Tamil television channel telecast on Tuesday.

Panneerselvam’s remarks come against the backdrop of a caste backlash in the mukkulathor-dominated Bodinayakkanur constituency where he is contesting as the AIADMK candidate. The Edappadi K Palaniswami government had announced internal reservation for the vanniyar community within the 20% MBC quota minutes before the Election Commission issued the poll notification for the April 6 assembly election. The mukkulathor caste is a sub-sect of the thevar community to which both Sasikala and OPS belong.

But Panneerselvam’s pro-Sasikala remarks have upset the EPS camp that has stoutly opposed her reinduction into the party as well as a merger of the AIADMK and AMMK. “EPS was quite upset and met OPS at a private hotel in Salem on Wednesday morning and was closeted with him for 15 minutes,” said a source privy to the meeting. “EPS requested OPS to refrain from making statements that may jeopardize the electoral prospects of the party. The leaders also discussed election strategies,” said the source. Panneerselvam reached Salem on Tuesday night to campaign in Salem and Edappadi, while Palaniswami took a break from electioneering on Tuesday and was at his Salem residence. EPS is the AIADMK’s candidate in Edappadi.

In the interview, Panneerselvam said he had “no suspicion about Sasikala in Jayalalithaa’s death” nor did he have anything against her. The AIADMK, he said, could consider taking her back on humanitarian basis, if she accepted the “present set-up” of the party.

“OPS has expressed his views going by his conscience. He is known to speak responsibly after giving much thought. If he says something it must be true only,” AIADMK spokesman Kovai K Selvaraj said. A section, however, feels the comments were unwarranted when the party is fighting a tough poll battle.

“Today, he (EPS) is the chief minister. No one knows who will become CM after him. Only those who possess qualification and ability will get an opportunity,” OPS said in the interview.

INSTANT FEEDBACK: Following his deputy O Panneerselvam’s remarks on Tuesday, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami met with OPS in a hotel in Salem on Wednesday and urged him to refrain from making such comments

IN THE INTERVIEW, PANNEERSELVAM SAID HE HAD “NO SUSPICION ABOUT SASIKALA IN JAYALALITHAA’S DEATH” NOR DID HE HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST HER. THE AIADMK, HE SAID, COULD CONSIDER TAKING HER BACK ON HUMANITARIAN BASIS, IF SHE ACCEPTED THE PRESENT PARTY SET-UP

With 53,364 cases, India sees its biggest one-day spike in 5 mths

With 53,364 cases, India sees its biggest one-day spike in 5 mths

25.03.2021 

For Second Day In A Row, Toll Crosses 200

India recorded its highest single-day Covid-19 count in over five months on Wednesday with 53,364 patients testing positive for the virus. The last time the country had surpassed this tally was on October 23 when 54,350 cases were recorded.

However, unlike in the second half of October, when the first wave was receding after having peaked on September 17, this time around the pandemic is surging rapidly. On September 17, the peak of the first wave in India, the daily count was just around 2,000 cases short of the one-lakh mark.

For the second consecutive day, the daily Covid toll breached the 200-mark with 248 victims succumbing to the virus on Wednesday. The toll was lower than the previous day’s figure of 276. On October 23 – when the cases were just about 1,000 more than March 24 – the daily casualties were 665. TNN

52 students of TN med college test +ve

At least 52 first-year medical students of Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute at Enathur in Kancheepuram district have tested positive for Covid-19. The management closed the hostel and shifted classes for first and second year MBBS students to online mode. P 4

Active Covid cases up by one lakh in last six days

However, active cases on October 23 stood at 6,75,394 and during the second half of October they were decreasing rapidly with each passing day as the number of patients getting discharged was outnumbering the new cases. In contrast, active cases now have been rising at a very fast pace and stood at 3,96,889 on March 24. Last six days have seen an increase in active cases by a whopping one lakh.

The rapid surge on Wednesday by over 6,000 cases against Tuesday’s 47,281infections was led by Maharashtra, which reported its highest ever count at 31,855. Mumbai, too, recorded its highest ever infections, aided by a massive jump in cases — from 3,514 the previous day to 5,190 on Wednesday. Active cases in Maharashtra are inching closer to the 2.5 lakh-mark. Daily toll in Maharashtra was lower at 95 against 134 casualties on Tuesday.

Maharashtra government’s Covid-19 task force called for a stringent check on people’s movement in Mumbai, including shutting down of popular spots such as the Juhu beach for a few weeks, restrictions on post-7pm movement of people and early closure of non-essential shops.

Gujarat, too, recorded its highest ever count with 1,790 cases on Wednesday.

Use of Aadhaar data by BJP to woo voters: HC seeks EC report

Use of Aadhaar data by BJP to woo voters: HC seeks EC report

Chennai:26.03.2021 

The Madras high court on Wednesday chided the Election Commission over its failure to probe complaints about the Puducherry unit of the BJP illegally accessing Aadhaar data and using it to reach voters in the Union territory and asked it to file a report by March 26, reports Sureshkumar K.

“A matter of serious concern has been reported by the petitioner that a prominent political party has access to personal records of citizens to undertake a political campaign. It will not do for the ECI to say cyber crimes division is conducting an investigation. When the commission is up and about in all other matters and asserts its primacy and authority, it has to look into this allegation immediately and with the degree of seriousness that it deserves,” a bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said.

‘952 groups created using Aadhaar data’

AAnand, president of the Democratic Youth Foundation of India’s Puducherry unit, said in his petition that local BJP candidates had obtained the mobile phone numbers of voters that are linked with Aadhaar and were using them to create WhatsApp groups in their respective constituencies for campaigning.

“Multiple WhatsApp groups have been formed in the Union territory using the same phone number specifically targeting voters in respective booths and constituencies through messages,” said advocate M N Sumathy, who is representing the petitioner.

When the petitioner tried to reach the administrator of one such group, he came to know there were 952 WhatsApp groups created with voter details obtained from Aadhaar data, Sumathy added.

The petitioner also said that voters have been receiving calls from the BJP seeking votes with accurate details such as names, election booths and constituencies from which they will be voting.

52 students of Kanchi med college test +ve

52 students of Kanchi med college test +ve

Chennai:25.03.2021 

At least 52 first year medical students of Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute at Enathur in Kancheepuram district have tested positive for Covid-19. The management closed the hostel and shifted classes for first and second year MBBS students to online mode.

Dean Dr K V Rajasekhar said the college had ordered RTPCR tests after six students tested positive two days ago. “Simultaneously, we asked all their primary and secondary contacts on campus to get themselves tested. Besides 228 students, hostel and mess staff and faculty members were tested. In this group, 46 students tested positive,” he said.

Students who tested positive for the viral infection are being kept in an isolation ward of the hospital attached to the medical college. District public health officer Dr V K Palani said the condition of all students was stable. “We have advised home quarantine for students who tested negative,” he said. Barring 40 final year students who are writing their exams, all others were asked to vacate the campus. TNN

‘Covid bus’ on tour of temple towns

‘Covid bus’ on tour of temple towns

Ishita.Mishra@timesgroup.com

Dehradun:24.03.2021 

Twenty-two passengers of a bus, travelling from Gujarat, tested positive for Covid-19 in Rishikesh on Monday night. The bus, on a 15-day North India trip, boarded mostly by elderly women, travelled to Jaipur, Pushkar, Mathura and Haridwar before reaching Rishikesh where the health department conducted their tests after a few showed symptoms of the virus.

Not only that, the health department officials said they were finding it difficult to trace the tourists in question as they had all provided wrong phone numbers. As a result, there is no information on whether they have been hospitalised or isolated.

Tehri additional chief medical officer Jagdish Joshi said the bus was stopped near Muni Ki Reti on March 18 where a health team screened the passengers.

When TOI contacted Mahesh Bhai, owner of the travel agency that booked the 50 passengers from various villages of Gujarat, he said, “We started on March 7, covered Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, Jaipur, Pushkar and Mathura. We reached Haridwar on March 18, where the tourists wanted to take a holy dip in Ganga. We were scheduled to return on March 20, but with two days still in our hands we visited Neelkanth Mahadev temple in Rishikesh,” said Mahesh, and added that he had personally called all the 22 people and asked them to either go to hospital or get themselves isolated at homes.

He also claimed that every passenger had a Covid-negative certificate when they began the journey.

₹2,000 old-age pension for estranged wife not enough: HC

MAINTENANCE DISPUTE

₹2,000 old-age pension for estranged wife not enough: HC

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:24.03.2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court while deciding a dispute between an estranged elderly couple — the man is 75 years old and his wife is 67 years old — over maintenance allowance made it clear that an old-age pension of ₹2,000 is inadequate.

Upholding that ₹9,000 as monthly maintenance allowance allowed by the family court to the aged woman cannot be termed on the higher side, considering that the husband receives ₹50,000 as pension, the high court said that the old-age pension was not enough even to meet medical expenses.

The petitioner’s main plea against the maintenance amount of ₹9,000 awarded by the family court to his estranged wife was that the amount was on the higher side, as his wife has been living in a house provided by him and gets ₹2,000 as old-age pension.

Full report on www.toi.in