The Election Commission of India has made a significant decision to increase the polling time for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Telangana. This adjustment was made in response to the prevailing heat wave conditions in the state. The extended timing for polling will now be from 7 am to 6 pm, one hour later than the previous schedule of 7 am to 5 pm. This change comes ahead of the polling date set for May 13, where all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will be contested during the fourth round of the seven-phase election process.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray made a public statement expressing regret for previously urging voters to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in previous elections. During an election rally held with his ally Sharad Pawar of the NCP in Maharashtra, Thackeray addressed the circumstances surrounding his government's collapse in 2019. He alleged that the Election Commission and the Maharashtra Speaker, whom he accused of favoring the BJP, unfairly influenced the outcome by supporting the BJP's position. Thackeray also mentioned PM Modi's recent remarks referring to them as a "fake Shiv Sena," interpreting it as an attempt to pressure the courts in their ongoing legal matters.
In other news, the Union health ministry has made changes to the CoWIN vaccination certificates by removing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Initially, these certificates featured PM Modi's image alongside a quote about India's determination to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the quote attributing the statement to the prime minister remains, his name and image have been eliminated from the certificates. The decision to alter the certificates reflects a shift in the presentation of official Covid-19 vaccination documents.