PM Modi discusses flood situation with Kerala CM as death toll nears 70

Agencies

August 16, 2018

New Delhi (India), Aug 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan to discuss flood situation in the state. He also asked the Defence Ministry to step up the rescue and relief operations across the state.

"Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan again this morning. We discussed the flood situation in the state. Have asked Defence Ministry to further step up the rescue and relief operations across the state. Praying for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he tweeted.

Kerala has been witnessing incessant rain since past few days, causing flooding and landslide in the state. So far, at least 67 people have lost their lives in the havoc.

As the flood situation continues to grow worse in the state, rising level of water in Muttom Metro Yard area led to the suspension of train services at Kochi Metro on Thursday. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus services have also been stopped from Chamarajanagar district for Tamil Nadu's Ooty and Kerala's Kochi.

Taking note of the crisis, Southern Naval Command has suspended all training activities to support in the flood relief operations as requested by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA). All resources have been mobilised for rescue and relief efforts in Ernakulam and Trichur cities in the state.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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