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Voter turnout moderate for Assembly polls
NEW DELHI: A mammoth exercise of elections in the four states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and the Union Territory of Delhi came to an end with the average voter turnout being estimated to be in he region of 50-53 per cent.
Though the final outcome is sealed in micro-chips that would unravelled by 4 December when the counting process is completed, some exit polls, aired on some TV channels, do indicate that Congress may not be smiling so broadly as before the polls. The reverse side is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too may not very happy with the outcome.
Sporadic violence in some places like Indore notwithstanding, reports from various states indicate that the whole process was by and large peaceful under strict police arrangements. At places like Delhi, the arrangement was so strict that voters were not allowed to carry mobile phones inside. However, security personnel failed to explain the rationale behind such a move, irritating some people, but the diktat was enforced nevertheless.
Initial indications are that out of the Congress party may lose the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to an exit poll, flashed on Zee News as per voting trends in the early afternoon, the Congress was the leader, while in Madhya Pradesh the BJP was leading.
After a sluggish start due to early morning chill, polling in Delhi gathered momentum with an estimated 35 per cent of the electorate casting its ballots till 1500 hrs this afternoon in the assembly elections which has so far been largely peaceful, agencies reported from Delhi.
In its first assembly polls in the newly-created Chattisgarh state, an average 62 per cent of the 13 million voters exercised their franchise by the time the polling came to an end, though sporadic violence by Naxalites continued in a few pockets in the tribal Bastar region of the state, government officials said.
In urban areas like Raipur city in Chattisgarh, polling percentage crossed 50 per cent in the afternoon. Voter turnout was ‘very low’ in the three Naxalite infested assembly segments Dantewara-ST, Konta-ST and Bijapur-ST in Dantewara district where Naxalites triggered land mine blasts, looted and damaged Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and attacked police personnel at several places in the remote villages.
On last count, trends collated by Zee News and other channels indicated that in Delhi Congress was set to return to power, while Chattisgrah may end up with a hung assembly (meaning no one partry having adequate numbers to form a government on its own). The TV channels also said BJP is set to wrest power from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.
The outcome of the elections would have a lot of bearing on the policy making process by the government during the remaining part of its five-year tenure as the government and its allies would definitely get into the general election mode as months pass.
Not sweeping the assembly elections would always weigh on the mind of the BJP and its allies in the run-up to the general elections that are scheduled to be held late 2004.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
