In close Congress-BJP contest, JDS may play kingmaker again

Moni Sharma

Bengaluru: Voting in the 224 Assembly seats of Karnataka was held on Wednesday with 2,615 candidates in fray.

CM Basavaraj Bommai, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor Prakash Raj, and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Jagadish Shettar were among the early voters. Over 5 crore people voted to elect a new government in State. Bommai, rejected exit polls, asserted that his party will win with a clear majority. Violence was also reported including an incident where a poll officer was manhandled. An elderly voter shows her ink-marked finger after casting vote for the Karnataka Assembly election, on Wednesday.

Indian laws permit individual to adopt child, says Supreme Court

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Indian laws permit an individual to adopt a child irrespective of marital status, the SC said on Wednesday while asserting that the law recognises there may be situations apart from an “ideal fami-

I hope your (Modi’s) message will always keep the nation together.

Rajasthan Canal.

“If this is done, the ruling dispensation and the Opposition will be able to serve the country with more vigour,” he said in the presence of Modi at a function to launch various projects in Nathdwara town of Rajsamand in Raj. He said that former PM Indira Gandhi laid down her life to keep the country united and did not allow the creation of Khalistan.

Pak ACB gets 8-day custody of Imran

First India Bureau

Islamabad: A judge ruled Wednesday that former PM of Pakistan Imran Khan can be held for eight days. The ruling comes a day after Khan was arrested in Islamabad. His arrest set off clashes between his supporters and police. Angry protesters stormed and set fire to a building housing Radio Pakistan in the northwest on

Wednesday as the death toll from the violence rose to four. Court indicted Khan in Toshakhana case in which he allegedly hid proceeds from sale of state gifts.

Imran told court that he feared for his life and was afraid that he will meet the same fate as Maqsood Chaprasi, a key witness in PM Shehbaz Sharif’s money laundering case who died last year.

Rajasthan government is paying special attention to health and education: Gehlot

Plea

seeking removal of CJI Chandrachud from same-sex marriage bench rejected

ly” having its own biological children. In its submission to the apex court, which is hearing pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriages, child rights body NCPCR argued that the concept of gender may be “fluid” but not mother and motherhood.

RAJASTHAN, ASSAM, ANDHRA OPPOSING LEGAL VALIDATION...

Centre told SC it has received responses from seven states on the issue of same-sex marriage and the governments of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have opposed the petitioners’ contention seeking legal validation for such wedlock.

First India Bureau

Jaipur: The State government on Wednesday presented a special leave petition in the Supreme Court in cases related to 2008-Jaipur serial bomb blast case that had claimed 71 lives and left 185 others injured. The SLP challenges March 29 order of Rajasthan HC acquitting 5 accused. In 5 SLPs, govt has sought quashing of HC’s order.

Ashish Tiwari

Pune: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday that the Rajasthan govt is paying special attention to the health and education sector because only healthy and educated citizens make an advanced nation. “The public welfare schemes of the state govt in both these areas are being ap- preciated across country. Right to health and free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh in CM Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme has strengthened state’s health infrastructure,” Gehlot said. CM laid the foundation stone of the extension building of the Medical College of the University and the auditorium of Engineering College.