Rajiv Kapoor's Chautha won't be held due to pandemic

As per the ECI trends, Congress is leading in Mohal-Manpur, Bijapur, Bindranavagarh, Bemetara, Kasdol, Sarangarh, Rampur, Manendragarh, Baloda Bazar, Masturi and Kharsia assembly constituencies.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel is leading from Patan.

While BJP is leading in Konta, Narayanpur, Bilha, Lormi, Marwahi, Kota, Takhatpur, Jashpur, Rajim, Raipur City South and Kanker assembly constituencies.

The halfway mark for the 90-member assembly of Chhattisgarh is 46.

The results of assembly polls in four states - Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana- are being considered as the semifinal before the Lok Sabha polls which are scheduled for 2024.

A total of 1,181 candidates contested seeking a mandate to the 90-member assembly.

Also read Counting Begins For MP Assembly Elections

As per the Election Commission of India, 90 returning officers, 416 assistant returning officers, 4596 enumerators, and 1699 micro-observers have been appointed for the counting process.

The ECI has also appointed 90 counting observers for the 90 assembly constituencies.
The polling in the state was held in two phases.

Read more National News 

The first phase was held in 20 constituencies on November 7 with 223 candidates in the contest while the polling in the remaining constituencies with 958 candidates were held in the second phase on November 17.

The voter turnout for both phases combined was 76.31 per cent, slightly lower than the 2018 polls. In the first phase, 78 per cent of voter turnout was recorded and in the second phase, it was 75.88 per cent.

The four main contenders in the Chhattisgarh Elections 2023 are the BJP, Congress, Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Other regional outfits like the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), Hamar Raj Party (HRP) and the Left parties are also in the contest.

(ANI)

However, the practice of this kind of marriage in Bihar is quite old. After ‘Pakadwa Vivah’, many couples are living a contented married life while several marriages have broken down.

In, 'Pakadwa Vivah’, neither the consent of the boy nor the girl is taken for marriage. Boys are taken hostage by kidnapping or coaxing and then married to a girl as per customs and traditions. In this, the wishes of the boy and girl, who become bride and groom, have no importance.

Recently, a case of a newly appointed teacher of a government school being forced to marry has come to light in the Patepur police station area of ​​Vaishali district of Bihar. Before this incident, the Patna High Court had given a decision against forced marriage in November.

It is said that in the 1970s and 80s, this type of marriage was conducted very frequently. There were many districts of Bihar where this marriage was prevalent. Such areas include Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Jehanabad, Nawada.

If we look at the statistics, in previous years, 2000-3000 such cases were registered in the police records in a year. However, these also include many cases of love affairs.

According to senior citizens, the main reason for this was that people were unable to marry their daughters to employed men due to their inability to pay dowry. However, they wanted to marry their daughters in a good family, and hence this type of marriage was started by them.

Earlier, ‘Pakadwa marriages’ were organised as a social initiative, but after criminal gangs got involved, people started getting their daughters married to boys after kidnapping them with the help of criminals. It is said that around 1990, this trend completely came into the clutches of criminals.

Annu Kumari, a resident of Gopalganj and a sociology researcher at BHU, told IANS that the biggest reason for forced marriage is the demand for dowry and illiteracy among girls. In such a situation, the parents are inclined towards such marriages despite their reluctance. She said that only a few cases come to light these days because nowadays girls are also educated and are taking their own decisions in life.

Kumari Shalini, professor of psychology at ITI Bihta, believes that this type of marriage is a result of feudal ideology. This trend is seen in Bihar. She says that it would also be considered a perversion where people think that by marrying off the girl they are relieved of their burden. However, she also said that now these practices are decreasing.

Read more National News 

Police officials also consider it a crime. A police officer says that whenever such cases come to light, action is taken. They believe that some cases come up during the wedding season.

(IANS)

As per an IMD release, the deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal will intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4 forenoon.

"Yesterday's Deep Depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 2330 hours of December 2, 2023, over the same region," the release said.

"It is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm over Southwest Bay of Bengal during next 12 hours and reach west-central Bay Of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts by December 4 forenoon," it added.

The release further stated that the cyclonic storm will cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast during the December 5 forenoon with a maximum sustained speed of 80-90 kmph to 100 kmph.

"Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross South Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam during forenoon of 5th December as a Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph," the release added.

Following the IMD's cyclone warning in Bay of Bengal, local cautionary Signal Number III has been hoisted in Chennai, Cuddalore and Ennore ports to alert people.

Earlier, Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre informed that Cyclone Michaung, brewing over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to skip the city and make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam with winds that could pack speeds of up to 100 kmph on Tuesday morning.

The looming cyclonic storm over the Southwest Bay of Bengal prompted meteorological authorities to issue a comprehensive rainfall warning for several regions in southern and eastern India.

Rainfall intensity is set to increase from today, with most places experiencing rain and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places.

Isolated, extremely heavy rainfall is anticipated on December 3.

Rainfall is expected at most places on December 4, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations.
Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely on December 5 but is likely to ease off thereafter.

(ANI)