Kannur (Kerala) [India], April 19 (ANI): Four polling officials and a videographer were suspended on Friday for allegedly “failing to maintain secrecy” during home voting in Kerala’s Kannur. District Collector Arun K Vijayan, who is the District Election Officer, suspended the special polling officer, polling assistant, micro observer, special police officer and videographer in connection with the incident. According to the officials, the incident took place on April 18 in booth 164, set up at the residence of 92-year-old voter, Devi in Kalliasseri panchayat of Kalliasseri Assembly constituency. The officials allegedly “failed to prevent outside interference” during the voting process

MUZAFFARNAGAR, India, April 19 (Reuters): Hindu-Muslim enmity made way for peace in an Indian district that saw deadly riots a decade ago but religious divisions still influence residents who voted on Friday in general elections in which Hindu nationalism is a key theme. Villages are largely self-segregated by religion in and around Muzaffarnagar district, in the most populous northern state of Uttar Pradesh, but people say there is no longer tension between the majority Hindu and minority Muslim communities. Violent clashes broke out here in 2013 after two Hindus stabbed a Muslim youth to death, accusing him of sexually harassing

KAIRANA/CHENNAI, India, April 19 (Reuters): Indians began voting on Friday in the world’s largest election as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare, Hindu nationalism and personal popularity. The vote pits Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen opposition parties that promise greater affirmative action and more handouts while stressing what they call the need to save democratic institutions. “Modi will come back to power, because apart from the religious push, his other work, in areas such as safety and security, is good,” said Abdul