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Voter turnout lower than 2014 says HT, no, it was the same, claims TOI – both quote EC

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There’s plenty of disagreement, this morning, on voter turnout, but first, The Times of India finally gives us something of an explanation as to why it has so many advertisements: “The debate ends here: Print ads are considered most credible!” This is a Times Group “power of print” initiative.

Going by Friday’s headlines, elections were off to a rocky start: ‘As polls begin, violence mars voting in A.P., J&K’ and ‘Faulty EVMs dampen mood of voters in the State’, read two by The Hindu.

And what of voter turnout? ‘Long queues but lower turnout’ says Hindustan Times. ‘Moderate turnout, some violence’ claims The Indian Express while TOI says, ‘EC: In Phase 1 of 2019 polls, turnout trend same as ’14’.

Now which is it?

The Election Commission says “turnouts across 20 states more or less matching the voting percentages recorded in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls”, according to TOI. HT, cites EC to conclude the opposite — it even has graph showing “turnout was lower than 2014”.

Jet Airways

The airline’s continuing agony finds different focus points.

Express leads with “crisis in Jet deepens: most international, internal flights suspended” and concentrates on the cancelled flights. HT says, “Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has pledged 26% stake in the ailing airline as security for loans from Punjab National Bank…even as the airline entered into a phase of more turbulence.”

The Economic Times looks westward: “Ending Months of Uncertainty, Etihad Agrees to Raise Jet Stake” — “Etihad Airways has formally communicated its intent to raise its stake in Jet Airways,” it writes.

Julian Assange

TOI also travels abroad for its lead: “Assange’s 7-year seclusion ends with arrest in London” is a dramatic reconstruction of “the man who shook the world’s national security establishments with the most copious classified information leak in history”. He was arrested after the Ecuador government abruptly withdrew his asylum. Others newspapers are less impressed and give him column space.

Electoral bonds

Express, TOI and HT also lead with the electoral bonds case in the Supreme Court — again, with differing viewpoints: Express and HT and Hindu highlight the attorney general’s argument that “Electors don’t need to know identities of political donors, Centre tells EC”. TOI looks at who got how much in “BJP got Rs 210 cr in polls bonds, all others Rs 11cr in 2017-18: EC”.

The government “said it is not necessary for voters to know the identity of contributors to political parties and seemed to suggest that such transparency in election funding was impractical”, writes HT.

Express argues that “the government has been underlining the donor’s right to secrecy, but that’s a view not shared by the petitioners and poll panel, who are calling for greater transparency and full disclosure.”

Opinion

HT and Express mark the centenary on April 13 of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British of over 1,000 protesters. HT demands an apology and Express explains why Britain can’t apologise.

HT describes it as “one of the most inglorious chapters” in British rule (‘Why an apology would be in order’). However, despite growing demand of an apology, British PM Theresa May expressed only “deep regret” for the “shameful scar” — “far from enough”, writes HT.

The massacre is “one of many such misdemeanours” including the 1943 Bengal famine “born of (then PM) Winston Churchill’s policies”. Britain should “not shy away from acknowledging” these incidents —and at least teach school children about the “brutal aspects of colonial rule”, advises HT.

Express says the 1919 firing “and subsequent celebration of Reginald Dyer” who ordered the shooting is “a moral blot on England”. However, a Conservative government can ill afford to apologise — “many long for the lost glory” of the British Raj. Also, admitting blame can have “legal and financial consequences”. “While apologizing works for posterity, in a court of law, it is admitting liability” and the Britain will be reluctant to pay for its “greatness”, Express concludes.

Prime Time

Thursday belonged to the people as TV news tracked voting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. However, there were diversions to Rae Bareli and Amethi where Congress’s Sonia Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani went out in style to file their nominations.

In the evening, news channels like Zee News, Aaj Tak and ET Now weren’t sure if the voter turnout had been good, poor, or indifferent.

Zee News anchor Sudhir Chaudhary thought voting was more or less equal to the 2014 turnout. But, he added cautiously, he didn’t have the final figures.

Aaj Tak’s Rohit Sardana believed it had been a “bumper” vote. How come, he asked.

“It is due to the appeal of the Prime Minister that large number of people came out in the voting process. BJP is going to have a landslide victory,” boasted party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.

Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey immediately contradicted him: “Bumper voting shows that the people have voted for NYAY…”

He was challenged by K.C. Tyagi of Janata Dal (United), coalition partner of BJP: “(It’s) not always that a bumper turnout signifies the opposition is leading.”

Sardana changed the topic: was the Supreme Court’s verdict on the admissibility of “secret” documents of the Rafale a “facepalm” moment for the BJP?

“No, absolutely not,” responded Bhatia. “It is not a “facepalm” moment …“khandaani chor (hereditary thieves) are the members of the Congress party.”

A heated exchange erupted between him and Dubey before Sardana interrupted: “Don’t you both get tired? Spokesperson these days also throws glass of water during TV debates,” he warned, referring to a recent incident on News 24.

ET Now anchor Nayantara Rai believed voter turnout had been high. What did this indicate, she wondered.

Journalist Sanjeev Srivastava had no explanation: “Polling percentage is heartening… No election is a walkover. All elections are tough but, this election is particularly tough. No opinion or exit poll can predict the result this time.”

ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash was in an “either-or-mood” too: “India has observed a healthy rate of polling today. Some will say it indicates anti-incumbency, some it says it is in favour of the government.”

India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai was more concerned with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s allegation of EVM tampering. He asked Naidu why EVMs only in AP were affected.

“I don’t know but there must be some criminal elements doing this kind of thing,” Naidu replied. “We have earlier demanded paper ballot, we were told EVMs are safe, then why are EVMs malfunctioning…it is hot outside and old people and women have to stand below the sun the whole day.”

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With inputs from Shailaja Bajpai.

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