West Bengal Assemby polls | BJP candidate Ashok Dinda attacked two days before polls
The Hindu
TMC denies charge of ex-cricketer that it orchestrated it
Former India cricketer Ashok Dinda, who is contesting the West Bengal Assembly polls from the Moyna seat in Purba Medinipur district, was allegedly attacked and his vehicle vandalised during the campaign on Tuesday. The constituency is going to the polls in the second phase on April 1. The Election Commission has sought a report from the district authorities. Mr. Dinda, 36, sustained injuries on his shoulders and back. “The campaign was about to end. We had started at about 4 p.m. Suddenly people wielding rods and lathis attacked us,” Mr. Dinda said. The incident occurred at Moyna Bazar, heart of the Assembly constituency. Mr. Dinda said the attack was orchestrated by the Trinamool Congress.The Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has completed its first year, yet the smart cards intended for the beneficiaries remain undistributed. According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, while the smart cards have been prepared, their issuance has been stalled due to the absence of electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in all buses, making them impractical.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok were engaged in war of words over the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, with the former calling the latter “ignorant and entertaining people”. In response, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister “sometimes wakes up from deep slumber to exhibit his arrogance and anger”.