1. Erode (East) bypoll | 70.58% votes polled till 5 p.m.
The bypoll at Erode (East) constituency which is the first by-election being witnessed by Tamil Nadu since the 2021 Assembly election, recorded 70.58% of votes till 5 p.m. and the polling was largely incident-free.
The constituency has a total of 2,26,898 voters including 1,10,713 men, 1,16,140 women and 23 transgendered persons. A total of 77 candidates are in the fray. There are a total of 238 polling stations including 34 vulnerable ones.
The use of five ballot units at each of the 238 polling stations, led to voters taking a long time to exercise their franchise, thus causing a delay in voting process by one to two hours. At the polling booth at Kamaraj Higher Secondary School at Karungalpalayam, over 20 voters staged a road roko condemning the delay.
2. T.N. Budget on March 20
Tamil Nadu’s Budget for the financial year 2023-24 will be presented at the Legislative Assembly on March 20, said the Speaker M. Appavu while addressing journalists at Chennai.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is to chair Cabinet meeting on March 9.
3. Villupuram Anbu Jothi Ashram case | CB-CID files ‘action taken’ report
The CB-CID has filed action taken report before Justices M. Sundar and M. Nirmal Kumar of the Madras High Court.
The investigation agency suspects that the septuagenarian man, Jaffarullah, whose missing after admission to Villupuram Anbu Jothi Ashram had led to filing of a habeas corpus petition, may not be alive.
4. TNPSC Group - II exam | Politicos demand re-exam
Hours after the Leader of Opposition and Naam Tamilar Katchi coordinator Seeman sought cancellation and rescheduling of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) Group II & IIA main exam (Paper I), the TNPSC issued a statement explaining that the confusion that arose during the exam held on Saturday (February 25) was due to mistake that occurred while printing question papers. The firm that was given the contract to print questions papers had outsourced the work, the statement added, citing preliminary inquiry.
During the forenoon session of the examination that was to be written by nearly 55,000 shortlisted candidates witnessed delay at several centres across the State owing to “difference in the sequence of arrangement in the attendance sheet and the order of the question booklet.” Earlier on Saturday, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran had demanded fresh conduct of the exam.
5. Khushbu nominated as NCW member
Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar who is presently the member of the BJP’s national executive committee has been nominated as a member of the National Commission for Women, along with Mamta Kumari and Delina Khongdup.
Taking to Twitter, Ms. Khushbu wrote, “I thank our H’ble PM @narendramodiji and the government of India for entrusting me with such a huge responsibility. I shall strive hard to protect, preserve & nourish Nari Shakthi which is growing leaps & bounds under your leadership. Looking forward eagerly.”
The actor, who is also a film producer, joined the DMK initially and later moved to the Congress and was the national party’s spokesperson. She eventually shifted to the BJP and contested as the party’s candidate in Thousand Lights Assembly constituency in 2021 and lost to DMK’s N. Ezhilan.
