DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES ON POLL PANEL’S PORTAL AND APP EC brings in e-sign feature to check misuse of identity for seeking voter list deletions DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 THE ELECTION Commission has rolled out a new ‘e-sign’ feature on its ECINet portal and app, which requires those seeking to register as voters, or applying for deletion and corrections, to verify their identity using their Aadhaar-linkedphonenumbers. TheECmovecomeslessthan a week after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi al- leged the misuse of online voter deletion forms in Karnataka’s Alandconstituency,aheadof the 2023 state Assembly polls, during his press conference on “electoral fraud”. Earlier, applicants could submit forms on the EC apps and portal after connecting a phone number with an existing Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, with no verification done of whether the details indeed belonged to them. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E E X P L A I NE D Comes days after Rahul pointed to irregular applications for large-scale deletions in Karnataka’s Aland seat Corrective ● step WITH THE Election Commission rolling out the e-sign feature on its ECINet portal and app to verify identity, sources say the possibility of what happened in Aland Assembly constituency of Karnataka, where online applications seeking deletions from voter lists were made using fake identities, is greatly reduced. Karnataka probe finds fake IDs behind SIMs to seek voter deletions JOHNSON T A BENGALURU, SEPTEMBER 23 THE KARNATAKA CID’s investigationintoirregularapplications seeking deletion of names from voter lists for the Aland Assemblyconstituency,aheadof the 2023 state polls, shows that nearly 100 SIM cards were involved in the exercise. Sources said separate SIM cards were used to create logins on voter apps of the Election Commission (National Voters’ Services Portal or NVSP, Voter Helpline App or VHA, and Garuda) via OTPs, and to apply online for the deletion of a name across Aland’s 254 polling booths. Aland in Kalaburagi district was one of the two constituencies mentioned by Congress CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Azam Khan walks out of jail after 2 yrs, Rampur awaits his next steps ASAD REHMAN RAMPUR, SEPTEMBER 23 AS AZAM Khan stepped out of Sitapur jail a little after noon on Tuesday, a loud cheer went up. Wearing an impassive look, the veteran Samajwadi Party (SP) leader walked quietly towards a waiting vehicle even as party leaders and workers shouted slogans hailing his release after almost two years in prison. Azam, who was welcomed by his son Abdullah and Moradabad MP Ruchi Veera, amongothers,brieflystoppedto address the media on speculationabouthispoliticalfuture.“In jail, there was no scope to meet anyone or even make phone calls, so I remained completely cut off. I have been out of touch fornearlyfiveyears.Ihadnoidea what was happening in the outside world,” he said, adding, “Revenge is sought only when one has wronged others. I have treated even my adversaries CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RELATED REPORT PAGE 6 SRIRAM VEERA MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 23 IN SPORT, the words “end of an era” have become a cliché. And yet, nothing better describes the passing away of Harold “Dickie” Bird, cricket’s first global umpiring superstar, at the age of 92. The son of a coal miner, who took up sport at the age of 14 on the urging of his father — “you Talks on, both sides look at window for Modi-Trump meeting Rubio flags trade, energy, defence, pharma, critical minerals as key issues SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 AS WASHINGTON and Delhi work on a trade deal that had stalledovertheimpositionof tariffs and Indian purchase of Russian oil, Secretary of State MarcoRubio,followinghismeetingwithExternalAffairsMinister SJaishankarinNewYork,hassaid “India is a relationship of critical importance” to the US and flagged “trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals” as key issues. With Jaishankar also meeting Sergio Gor, the Trump administration’s nominee to the postof AmbassadortoIndia,and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal leading talks with US interlocutors to reach a trade deal, thetwosideshavebegunexploring the possibility of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. Other than the option of a bi- After $100K fee, move to ease H-1B for those with higher salaries TED HESSON WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 23 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Ambassador to India-designate Sergio Gor in New York. PTI lateral visit, there’s a window of opportunity next month – if Trump decides to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN and East Asia summits in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28. Modi is likely to attend the ASEAN summit and if Trump is also there, there exists the possibility of a bilateral meeting between them next month. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 YOSHITA SINGH UNITED NATIONS, SEPT 23 Kolkata submerged as overnight downpour floods city ahead of Durga Puja; 10 killed SWEETY KUMARI KOLKATA, SEPTEMBER 23 AT LEAST 10 people were killed, including nine from electrocution, as Kolkata and its adjoining districts were hit by heavy rainfall on Monday night. At 251.4 mm, the city recorded its highestsingle-dayrainfallsince1986, and the sixth-highest in the last 137 years. Ahead of Durga Pujacelebrations, the city woke up to waterlogged roads and submerged neighbourhoods on Tuesday. Metro and train services were suspended,andflightswerecancelled. Schools and colleges across the metropolis and adjoining districts were shut, and the government advanced the Puja holidays for state-run educational institutions. In a video statement, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed “poor dredging” of the Farakka Barrage and lapses by privatepowerutilityCESCforthe deaths. Urging people to stay indoors, she said: “I have never seen rain like this. A total of 10 people have died — nine died due to electrocution from open or unattended wires. Eight people died in Kolkata and two others in adjoining areas of Shasan inNorth24ParganasandAmtala ‘Campaign should be on problems of Bihar, not vote chori or ghuspaithiya’ P6 SANTOSH SINGH PATNA, SEPTEMBER 23 DISMISSINGTHECongress’svote chori allegations and the BJP’s “ghuspaithiya (illegal immigrant)” narrative as the Bihar Assembly elections draw near, Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder PrashantKishorhassaidthatneither party is talking about issues that concern Bihar. “There are Assembly electionsinBihar.Oneshoulddiscuss THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW PRASHANT KISHOR JAN SURAAJ PARTY FOUNDER Bihar's problems,” he said in an interview to The Indian Express. The political strategistturned-politician, whose JSP is contestingitsfirstAssemblyelections,said:“Noneof themistalking about Bihar, the migration fromthestate,unemploymentor the state of education. Narendra Modihasbeeningovernmentfor over 11 years now, Amit Shah is supposedtobeanefficientHome Minister, the country's borders are supposed to be safe under their strong leadership. Then, how do infiltrators get into CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 in South 24 Parganas. It is so unfortunate.Theirfamiliesmustbe given jobs by the CESC. They mustbeprovidedcompensation of at least Rs 5 lakh by CESC.” Pointing out that it is the CESC, and not the state government, which supplies electricity to Kolkata and its adjoining areas, she said: “It is their (CESC's) duty to ensure people don't suffer because of this. They will do CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NETWORK MOHANLAL RECEIVES DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD FROM PRESIDENT CONSPIRACY, SAYS PANEL ON MUMBAI HOARDING COLLAPSE PAGES 7, 8 ‘You can’t forget a name like that, can you?’: Dickie, the legend who umpired legends, passes away at 92 PAGE 1 ANCHOR INDIA RELATIONSHIP CRITICAL: U.S. THE TRUMP administration released a proposal Tuesday that would rework the H-1B visa selection process to favour higherskilled and better-paid workers, according to a related Federal Register notice, a move that follows a White House proclamation last Friday introducing a $100,000 fee for the visas. The new process, if finalised, wouldgiveheavierweighttoapplicationsbyemployerswhopay highwagesif annualrequestsfor the visas exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said. The move aims to better protect Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 China, India funding Russia’s war, NATO too party: Trump at UNGA The flooded Central Avenue in Kolkata on Tuesday. Arterial roads were submerged, flight and train services were affected after the city recorded 251.4 mm, its highest single-day rainfall in four decades. Partha Paul RELATEDREPORTS,PAGE8 Azam Khan after his release on Tuesday. Gajendra Yadav `7.00 (`8 RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 are going to play sport for living, you are not going down the coal mine” — played 93 county matches for Yorkshire, before umpiring in 66 Test matches between 1973 and 1996. As an umpire, he was loved and respected by players across generations, and he was known todefusepricklysituationswith quirky humour and natural ease. He was a safe umpire, who rarely gave LBWs unless he was doubly sure, but even the bowlers loved him as he was deemed very fair. Often, Bird found himself in HAROLD ‘DICKIE’ BIRD 1933-2025 bizarresituationsonthefield.He oncecutSunilGavaskar’shairafter the Indian legend found it was disturbing his vision while batting;calmedthecrowdwhen a burst pipe threatened to flood the playing field during anothermatch;andeventook players off the field when sunlightbouncedoff awindow into the eyes of the batsmen. Above all, there was this instance when he sat on the covers on the pitch, protecting the wicket, when there was a bomb scare at Lord’s in a Test in 1973. It led to his most famous photo, engulfed by fans all around the pitch as the stands were evacuated. Just as he defused tense situations, be it with anangry Dennis Lillee or an irate Javed Miandad, he also chatted with crowds, keeping them calm. Such was the respect he had within the cricketing fraternity that, before his final Test in 1996,hewasgivenaguardof honour on the outfield at Lord's by India and England players. Bird never married, wedded as he was to cricket. “Came close CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CHINA AND India are the “primary funders” of the Ukraine war “by continuing to purchase Russian oil”, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday in his address to the UN General Assembly. He said “inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russianenergyproducts”andhe wasn’t happy about this when US President Donald Trump addresses the UNGA. Reuters RELATED REPORT PAGE 16 he found out. “Think of it, they’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one? In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the US is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly.” Trumpsaidthatforthosetariffs to be effective, European nations, “all of you gathered here right now, would have to join us CONTINUED ON PAGE 2