Feature
Kejriwal’s name correctly enrolled in electoral list: Election Commission
New Delhi: The Election Commission today told Delhi High Court that Arvind Kejriwal’s name was correctly enrolled in the electoral list.
It denied that the former Delhi chief minister’s name was illegally included in the rolls in the constituency, where he is contesting assembly election due Saturday.
The Election Commission further told Justice Vibhu Bakhru that a few objections were raised vis-a-vis Kejriwal’s enrolment but the matter had been resolved.
The poll panel’s lawyer told the court that Kejriwal’s inclusion in the electoral rolls was correct.
“Arvind Kejriwal was physically present at the time of filing the nomination form. Objections were received from a few persons stating that Kejriwal is resident of Ghaziabad and not resident of Delhi. They (who filed the objections other than petitioners) did not submit any evidence. Enquiry was conducted and Kejriwal was found to be on the address given in the form,” said the poll panel counsel.
The court heard pleas by Congress leader Kiran Walia and NGO Maulik Bharat Trust, questioning the legality of Kejriwal’s candidature from New Delhi constituency as he was a resident of neighbouring Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Walia argued that Kejriwal should not be allowed to contest the election as his inclusion in the electoral rolls was incorrect. The Election Commission’s counsel also said that no changes can now be made to the electoral rolls as the final date of nominations was over.
“In view of the specific ban on modification of electoral rolls at this time, striking of respondent’s (Kejriwal) name from electoral rolls can’t be granted.”
The court disposed of two pleas and asked the election commission to hear the objections of Walia and NGO after the election.
Walia, who is contesting against Kejriwal from New Delhi, moved the high court contending that the Aam Aadmi Party chief gave a wrong residential address in Delhi.
Walia accused Kejriwal of committing fraud by submitting a false affidavit to the Election Commission that he was a permanent resident of B.K. Dutt Colony in south Delhi.
The plea said Kejriwal, after stepping down as chief minister in February 2014, vacated the government accommodation at Tilak Lane and shifted to Girnar Apartments at Kaushambi in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
It said the Election Commission’s decision to include Kejriwal’s name in the final electoral rolls was illegal and unjustified as it facilitated an outsider to become a Delhi resident.
Voting for the 70-member Delhi assembly will take place Saturday. The votes will be counted Feb 10.
Meanwhile, the court also asked the poll panel to ensure that a elector does not cast his vote more than once. The court’s direction came on a separate plea that alleged that there are around 3,500 voters whose names occur twice or more in the list of the Bijwasan constituency in south west Delhi.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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