Lok Sabha polls Phase 3 | Around 60.19% polling till 5 p.m
A voter turnout of 60.19% was recorded till 5 p.m. in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in 93 constituencies spread over 11 States and Union Territories on Tuesday with sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 74.86% followed by West Bengal at 73.93%, while Maharashtra witnessed the lowest at 53.63%, with Bihar doing slightly better at 56.01%. A voter turnout of 55.22% was recorded in 25 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat, an Election Commission official said.
Karnataka BJP post on Muslim quota | Election Commission tells X to immediately take down post
The Election Commission of India on May 7 directed social media platform ‘X’ to “immediately” take down an animated video shared by the Karnataka unit of the BJP related to the row over reservation for the Muslim community. In a letter to the nodal officer of ‘X’, the poll panel took exception to the non-compliance of the directive of the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer to the social media platform for taking down the video. The panel said the animated video shared by the Karnataka unit of the BJP on its social media handle was violative of the extant legal framework.
The Supreme Court on May 7 did not grant interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case and said it may continue hearing his plea seeking bail on May 9. The court clarified that it is only considering whether interim relief need to be given on account of the Lok Sabha elections. “The matter may tentatively be listed the day after tomorrow,” the court said, adding, “next week would be tough as it is the last before the court before summer vacations.” During the hearing, a Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta underscored that Mr. Kejriwal is the “elected Chief Minister of Delhi” and that he is not a habitual criminal. The judges further asserted that the situation is “extraordinary” as general elections are held once in five years. Meanwhile, a Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Mr. Kejriwal till May 20. Special Judge for the CBI and the ED Kaveri Baweja extended Mr. Kejriwal’s custody till May 20 after the AAP leader was produced before the court through a video conference on the expiry of his custody granted earlier.
Jharkhand Minister’s Secretary collected commission for ‘influential people’: ED
Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam’s secretary collected commission on tenders on behalf of “some influential people”, the Enforcement Directorate told a court in Ranchi on May 7, also claiming that officials of his rural development department, from “top to bottom”, were involved in an alleged illegal cash payment nexus. The ED on May 6 arrested Sanjeev Kumar Lal, 52, and his domestic help Jahangir Alam, 42, following searches that led to the seizure ₹32.20 crore cash from a flat in the Jharkhand capital where the latter was residing.
Will scrap Agniveer scheme, amend GST, implement Sarna religious code for tribals: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced on May 7 that the Agniveer scheme would be abolished if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, alleging that it was initiated by PM Narendra Modi and not by the Army. He also promised to amend the GST and bring out a separate Sarna religious code for tribals. “The BJP government implemented wrong GST schemes with five tax slabs. We will amend it and make one tax slab which will be minimum. We will reduce the tax burden on the poor,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping appoints senior diplomat Xu Feihong as new envoy to India
Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed senior diplomat Xu Feihong as the new Ambassador to India after an unusually long delay of 18 months amid frozen relations between the two countries over the eastern Ladakh military standoff. While there is no official announcement in Beijing yet, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed to PTI that Mr. Xu, former Ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania, has been appointed as China’s new envoy in India.
Ex-Congress leader Radhika Khera, actor Shekhar Suman join BJP
Former Congress leader Radhika Khera and actor Shekhar Suman joined the BJP here on May 7 amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Ms. Khera, the former national coordinator of the Congress’s media department, resigned from the party’s primary membership on Sunday, days after her altercation with another leader at the party’s Chhattisgarh office.
Israeli forces seize Gaza side of Rafah border crossing, putting cease-fire talks on knife’s edge
An Israeli tank brigade seized control on May 7 of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt as Israel moved forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife’s edge. The development came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war, with the militant group on Monday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel, meanwhile, insisted the deal did not meet its core demands.
Ukraine says it foiled a Russian spy agency plot to assassinate President Zelensky
Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top military and political figures, Ukraine’s state security service said May 7. Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine, which protects top officials, were detained on suspicion of enacting the plan drawn up by Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, a statement said. The colonels were recruited before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to the statement.
Police break up pro-Palestinian student protest in Berlin as demonstrations spread across Europe
Berlin police on May 7 broke up a protest by several hundred pro-Palestinian activists who had occupied a courtyard on Berlin’s Free University earlier in the day. The protesters had put up about 20 tents and formed a human chain around the tents. Police called on the students via loudspeakers to leave the campus. Most protesters had covered their faces with medical masks and had draped kufiyahs around their heads, shouting slogans like “viva, viva Palestina.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be eager to move on from their underwhelming batting display when they host Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial Indian Premier League match in Hyderabad on May 8. Both teams are locked in at 12 points from 11 games with SRH making the top four cut based on a slightly superior net run rate of -0.065 compared to LSG’s -0.371. The Sunrisers find themselves in a fierce competition for the top four spot with Kolkata Knight Riders (16), Rajasthan Royals (16) and Chennai Super Kings (12) stationed above them on the points table.
