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Rahul Gandhi to announce poll promises for Telangana farmers

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The Congress party will unveil its plans for Telangana’s agriculture sector at the public meeting to be addressed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Warangal on Friday evening.

After failing to capture power twice (2014 and 2018) despite claiming credit for carving out the separate state, the Congress will begin its preparations for next year’s Assembly elections with the ‘Kisan Sangharsh Sabha’.

Addressing his first public meeting in Telangana after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul will announce what the party intends to do for farmers and the agriculture sector if voted to power in 2023.

The opposition party has made elaborate arrangements for the meeting at Arts and Science College Grounds at Hanamkonda. The party expects five lakh people to attend the meeting.

Rahul will console families of farmers who committed suicide and interact with them to know the reasons for the extreme step.

He is likely to make certain announcements during the speech on what Congress would do for farmers if it comes to power in the next year’s polls.

Two separate stages have been installed for artists and the families of deceased farmers. The venue and the roads leading to it have been decked with cutouts of Rahul, party president Sonia Gandhi, flexis, banners and flags.

Rahul is scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad on a two-day visit to Telangana at 4.50 p.m. on Friday. After landing at Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad, he will leave for Hanamkonda by helicopter.

After addressing the public meeting, he will reach Hyderabad by road and have a night halt at a five-star hotel in Banjara Hills.

The next day, he will pay tributes to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Damodaram Sanjivayya by garlanding his statue. In the afternoon, he will have a meeting with state party leaders at Gandhi Bhavan, state party headquarters.

The Congress MP is likely to discuss the electoral strategy with senior leaders including central leader in-charge of party affairs in Telangana Manickam Tagore, state party chief A. Revanth Reddy and others.

The Congress leader will also meet the party coordinators who conducted digital membership enrollment drive. The party claims to have achieved the target of 40 lakh members.

Rahul will not be visiting Osmania University as the university authorities have denied permission for the same. Though some NSUI leaders had approached the Telangana High Court, seeking direction to the university authorities to allow Rahul to visit the campus and interact with students, the court refused to pass any orders and left the decision to the university.

The university vice-chancellor made it clear that the governing body has already taken a decision not to allow any political activity on the campus.

The Congress leaders, however, maintained that Rahul’s proposed visit was not political as he just wanted to visit the campus and interact with students to know their problems.

The opposition party has alleged that the university authorities refused permission at the behest of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

It is not clear if Rahul Gandhi will visit Chanchalguda jail to meet NSUI leaders who were arrested for staging a protest at Osmania University on May 1 over denial of permission to the party leader’s visit.

Revanth Reddy and other leaders called on the director general of the prison department on Thursday, seeking permission for Rahul to visit Chanchalguda Jail to meet NSUI leaders.

The Congress MP is scheduled to return to Delhi from Shamshabad Airport at 5.50 p.m. on Saturday.

National News

JD(U) demands one-phase polling in ECI meeting with 12 political parties in Patna

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Patna, Oct 4: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday held a crucial meeting with 12 recognised political parties in Patna ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar chaired the meeting and assured that all suggestions put forward by the parties would be considered before finalising the poll schedule. The ruling JD(U) sought Assembly polls to be held in a single phase.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha, who represented the party, demanded that the Assembly polls be conducted in a single phase.

“We have thanked the Commission for successfully conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. We have requested that the Bihar elections be held in one phase. Law and order and Naxalism are no longer issues in Bihar. If elections can be held in one phase in Maharashtra, why not here? Paramilitary forces should be deployed at all polling stations so that the poor face no difficulties in voting,” Jha said.

Jha also suggested that election dates should be fixed, keeping in mind the Chhath festival, so that people returning home for the festival can also cast their votes.

On the other hand, the RJD’s Aurangabad MP Abhay Kushwaha and the party’s election convener Chitranjan Gagan, who represented the party at the meeting, demanded that polling be conducted in two phases.

“We have asked the CEC to release the data of the 3.64 lakh voters deleted during the SIR process. We have also sought complete security arrangements in Dalit, Mahadalit, extremely backward and backward caste villages, so that these communities can vote freely. In the past, they were often prevented from voting,” Kushwaha said.

Responding to the BJP’s demand that women in burqas be verified by female officers, Kushwaha said: “A new voter list with photographs has already been published after the SIR. Despite this, if the BJP is making such demands, it is nothing but politics.”

The ECI’s consultations mark a significant step in finalising preparations for the high-stakes Bihar polls.

Political observers believe the Commission may announce election dates shortly, with voting likely to take place in multiple phases across the state.

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National News

Mumbai: MSF Jawan Killed After Falling From Crowded Local Train Between Malad & Goregaon

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Mumbai: A Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawan lost his life after falling from a crowded local train on Friday. The incident, which took place between Malad and Goregaon, has once again raised serious concerns over commuter safety during peak hours.

The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Ganesh Jagdale, who was attached to the Dahisar police station. According to reports, Jagdale had finished his night duty and boarded a Churchgate-bound local from Dahisar around 8:30 am. The train, packed with commuters during the morning rush hour, left him standing precariously close to the door.

Between Malad and Goregaon stations, Jagdale was reportedly caught in a wave of pushing and jostling inside the compartment. Unable to maintain his balance, he fell off the moving train and landed on the tracks. Gravely injured, he was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The Borivali Government Railway Police (GRP) registered a case of accidental death. Jagdale had only recently been transferred from Vanrai police station in Goregaon East to Dahisar police station, where he had joined duty just a day earlier.

This accident adds to a growing list of fatalities caused by overcrowding in Mumbai’s suburban trains. Despite repeated incidents, safety measures remain a major concern, with thousands of daily commuters continuing to risk their lives by travelling on open footboards.

Amid rising criticism, the Indian Railways on Friday announced that a prototype of a closed-door local train has been developed and will soon undergo pilot trials. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier assured that all newly manufactured trains would be equipped with automatic door-closing systems. Efforts are also being made to retrofit the existing fleet to curb accidents caused by passengers falling from open doors.

The move follows the June 9 Mumbra tragedy, where eight commuters died after falling from a crowded train. Officials stress that automatic door closures will majorly enhance passenger safety and reduce such fatal mishaps.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: ‘Strengthening Anganwadis And Schemes Essential For Malnutrition Eradication,’ Says Minister Aditi Tatkare

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Mumbai, October 3: Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, has emphasized that the holistic development of women and children is essential for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India). She assured that the central government will extend full cooperation to all states for the effective implementation of welfare schemes in this direction.

Speaking during a virtual meeting chaired by her and attended by Women and Child Development Ministers from various states, Annapurna Devi highlighted the need for coordination between the Centre and states to ensure the success of flagship schemes like Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti.

Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare stressed that increasing the number of Anganwadi centres is crucial for achieving a malnutrition-free state. She also demanded that the Centre provide adequate support for the strengthening of Anganwadi services and related schemes.

During the discussion, issues such as human resource planning, infrastructure development, financial balance, fair wages, reliable NGO participation, and timely grants were taken up to make scheme implementation more effective.

Tatkare informed that Maharashtra is actively working to prevent child marriages, dowry practices, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. Under the New Education Policy, the state is implementing the “Padhaai Bhi, Poshan Bhi” initiative to integrate education with nutrition.

She added that for women’s safety and empowerment, the state is running One Stop Centres, Women Helpline 181, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Nari Adalats under Mission Shakti. To enhance their effectiveness, she called for independent vehicles for district protection units, proper rental facilities, and better resources for helplines.

Highlighting initiatives like the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, Pink E-Rickshaw scheme, and Adishakti Abhiyan, Tatkare said Maharashtra has already taken concrete steps for women’s welfare. For the protection and rehabilitation of children under Mission Vatsalya, she stressed the need for vehicles for district protection units, consistency in wages, sufficient funds, and NGO participation.

“Maharashtra has strong policies and schemes in place for the protection of women and children. With adequate support and funding from the Centre, the state can set a model example for the rest of the country in effective implementation,” Tatkare affirmed.

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