Poll Vault: Bonanza for Bacchus lovers

Faridabad: The festival season has kicked off early for liquor enthusiasts, thanks to the ongoing Haryana elections. Every evening, hundreds of people crowd liquor stores to secure their ‘quota’. There are widespread rumours that candidates and their supporters are providing ‘free’ liquor to woo voters. However, officials claim they are keeping a strict watch to curb the distribution of any ‘free’ alcohol during the election period.

Transgenders left out

Gurugram: Despite political parties releasing manifestos for male and female voters, the transgender community continues to be overlooked. Although their numbers are small, with only 467 registered transgender voters in the state, their exclusion raises questions about when politicians will begin to focus on the welfare of this marginalised group.

Pakoda and jaleb for Rahul

Jhajjar: During his visit to Haryana on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was treated to the famous ‘pakoda’ of Bahadurgarh and the sweet ‘jaleb’ from Gohana, Sonepat. Amid the electoral hustle, he was seen enjoying the local delicacies, which have become a flavourful part of his campaign trail.

— Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat, Sumedha Sharma & Ravinder Saini