TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| Baramulla records 40% turnout, Leh 61% in final phase of polling | | Clashes in Sopore, Baramulla, Sgr * 4 injured in 2 incidents of firing * Shutdown in Valley | | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
BARAMULLA, May 13: Even as the peaceful Ladakh region recorded an impressive voter turnout, polling in the fifth and the final phase of Lok Sabha elections was also conducted in the north Kashmir constituency of Baramulla-Kupwara today amid near-total shutdown in Valley and sporadic incidents of clashes between anti-election demonstrators and paramilitary forces in Sopore, Baramulla and Srinagar. Authorities said that the turnout was a moderate 40% in Baramulla and a high 61% in Leh.
Barring three incidents of shootout at Seelu, Dooru (Sopore) and Khanyar (Srinagar), there was no major clash between Police/CRPF and the anti-election demonstrators on the day of final phase of polling in Kashmir valley today. While reports said that over 30 people, including 8 Police personnel, sustained injuries in at least seven clashes and a mob torched the vehicle of a sector magistrate, Officials maintained that only three persons had sustained gunshot wounds in two incidents of firing and all of them were stable at the hospital. Most of the Kashmiri separatist groups and... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| Sonia, PM take stock of Cong prospects | | | |
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, May 13: With the exit polls predicting a lead for UPA in Lok Sabha elections, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh tonight held deliberations with senior party leaders engaged in the strategy for post-poll scenario.
Gandhi hosted a dinner for the leaders who manned the 'war room' of the party during the polls.
The leaders include Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony, Janardan Dwivedi, Ambika Soni, Prithviraj Chauvan, Rajiv Shukla and Jairam Ramesh.
These leaders were part of the election management committee which used to operate from a bungalow on the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj road earlier allotted to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Prime Minis... | |
| | | | It may be noble to donate eye, but GMC has no place to keep | | 365 donors listed in 12 years, no cornea transplantation since 1997 | | |
SALMAN NIZAMI
JAMMU, MAY 13: Though debatable, the donation of human organs for helping other needy have always been seen highest of the noble actions. But guess what if someone has to donate an eye in Jammu?
There is no place to keep. The Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu has no facilities to store donated corneas.
The last corneal transplantations were done at the GMC, Jammu, in 1997 and 12 years on things have not improved much in the backdrop of human organ transplant act. However, a senior ophthalmologist claimed that registration process had been initiated and after getting everything in place donations and transplantations strictly in adherence to the human organ tr... | |
| | | | Left, Maya meeting on May 18 | | | |
AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, May 13: With reports of cracks in the Third Front, leaders of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties, including BSP, will meet on May 18 to discuss the possibility of forming an alternative secular government.
TRS, which switched to the NDA side three days ago, has not been called for the meeting, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said today.
"Leaders of non-Congress, non-BJP will meet on May 18 to decide the future course of action. BSP will join these discussions where we will explore the possibilities of forming an alternative secular government," he told reporters.
Karat said the Left parties will meet in New Delhi on May 17 which will be followed by the CPI(... | |
| | | | Loyalty test in Ladakh | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 13: As Ladakh voted overwhelmingly in today’s polling, the ballots have sealed the time-tested religious loyalties of the warring Buddhist and Muslims which was on a rare trial.
The rivalry runs deep in this cold desert where the two communities swear by the candidates from their respective faiths.
The Congress has fielded Buddhist monk P. Namgiyal as part of its alliance with the ruling National Conference. But his success rests largely on how he succeeds in bridging the religious divide.
The Congress believes it will. “We will get both Buddhist and Muslim votes”, said Mohammad Shafi, a Congress leader from Leh.
But many in Ladakh, where the two communit... | |
| | | | Amarnath yatra begins on June 7 | | | |
EARLY TIMES REORT
SRINAGAR, May 13: This year’s Yatra to the Holy Cave Shrine Shri Amarnathji in Jammu and Kashmir will commence on June 7, 2009 and will conclude on Raksha Bandhan which falls on August 5, 2009, official spokesperson said.
According to a Spokesman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), the Governor, N N Vohra, who is also the Chairman of the Board, has taken a decision in this regard after personally undertaking extensive aerial and on-ground reconnaissance surveys in the last two weeks, along both the tracks to the Holy Cave, from Baltal and Pahalgam.
The SASB, in its 16th Board Meeting held in New Delhi on 2nd February, 2009, had authorized the Chairman to dec... | |
| | | | Jalil heads panel on trade policy | | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 13: As the issues related to cross-LoC trade pile and the traders continue suffer due to lack of no communication and banking, the government has constitueted a high powered panel for working out a new trade policy which shall also include internal trade. Economic Advisor to the Government, Jalil Ahmed Khan heads the panel which includes top government officers, academicians and representatives of the trade bodies.
A sanction was accorded to re-constitution of the Committee to work out and recommend the Trade Policy to lay down the future road map for enhanced trade activities, particularly in the context of the likely trans-LOC trade.
The member of the... | |
| | | | Poll curtains down, surveys put UPA ahead | | | |
Agencies
New Delhi, May 13: With curtains coming down on the LS polls on Wednesday with millions voting in the fifth phase covering 86 constituencies, various surveys and exit polls indicate Congress-led UPA having an edge in a fractured verdict.
Even as both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed they would finish as the number one, an India TV exit poll telecast after balloting ended said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could end up with 195-201 seats in the 545-member Lok Sabha.
This tally could go up to 227-237 if the seats bagged by estranged allies such as Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party were to be included. The BJP-led National Dem... | |
| | | | Ex-PCCF Mir Inayatullah passes away | | | |
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 13: Renowned environmentalist and wildlife expert Mir Inayatuulah today passed away at his Baghat-e-Barzullah residence. He was 73. He is survived by two sons and two daughters, youngest one, Mahrukh Inayat, being News Editor and Anchor with Times Now television channel. He was brother of seven other high profile personalities, including former J&K Chief Secretary Mir Nasrullah, who held senior positions, mostly in the state government. A number of his nephews, including Secretary to Government Khalid Habib and Chief Engineer Irrigation Mr Najib and retired Power Development Commissioner Showkat Rashid Wani, have also been holding senior positions in th... | |
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