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May 02, 2024 06:00 am | Updated 08:55 pm IST
Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Sngh. File | Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA
The Bharatiya Janata Party on May 2 named Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party’s candidate from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the incumbent Kaiserganj MP, is facing accusations of sexual harassment from several women wrestlers.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, and accused the opposition party of trying to divide Hindus for its appeasement politics. Addressing an election rally at Surendranagar in Gujarat to campaign for BJP’s candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats, he also alleged that the Congress stabbed the Constitution in the back by proposing to give reservation on the basis of religion, and said the party promised quota for Muslims in government contracts.
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking direction to Election Commission of India (ECI) and Union of India to formulate and implement the necessary guidelines over the pervasive use of deepfake technologies in political campaign for 2024 general elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.
The plea was mentioned by the senior advocate Jayant Mehta for urgent listing of the matter before the Bench led by acting Chief Justice Manmohan. The court said it may hear the matter on Thursday if all the relevant documents are filed in the registry on time today.
The plea also sought direction to social media intermediaries including Google, Meta (Formerly Facebook) and X Corp (Formerly Twitter) to take down and block Deepfake content/ concerning political candidates/ representatives/leaders and/or public figures on their respective social media platforms until the declaration of the results of the General Elections on June 4, 2024.
Here are the latest updates:
The Congress, the TMC and the Shiv Sena have criticised the BJP for giving a party ticket to Karan Bhushan Singh, the son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, accusing the ruling party of rewarding one who is facing charges of sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
Ending weeks of speculation, the BJP on Thursday named Karan Bhushan Singh as its Lok Sabha candidate from the Kaiserganj seat in Uttar Pradesh, replacing his father and incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing criminal charges of sexually harassing women wrestlers.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Just when we thought that the Prajwal Revanna scandal had exposed the depths of the BJP’s depravity, they show that there are always new lows for them to fall to. They have now rewarded Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment by many of our women wrestlers, with a ticket for his son.” “This is a party with no moral compass, led by a man whose only anchor is his desire for boundless power,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X, using the hashtags “#ModiMaafiMaango” and “#HaathBadlegaHalaat”.
In a post on X in Hindi, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Father Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s ticket to son. Do you talk of giving justice to women like this?” “You put one’s hat on another’s head. You are trying to befool public. Shameful,” she said.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) also slammed the BJP for giving the Lok Sabha poll ticket to Brij Bhushan Singh’s son.
– PTI
The BJP on Thursday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the Congress, alleging that it is trying to create an “atmosphere of tension” in society and spreading lies that the Constitution will be changed.
Opposition parties have been alleging that the BJP is seeking more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections as it wants to change the Constitution and end quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
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Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi and party leader Om Pathak approached the commission with the complaint, in which the party also accused opposition INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, of uploading and sharing deepfake videos.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been attacking members of the bloc over a doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech going viral on social media.
Union Minister Arjun Munda on Thursday flayed the opposition parties for allegedly failing to explain how they would serve the people, while their only agenda is to oust “popular” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Munda, who is seeking a re-election from the Khunti (reserved) Lok Sabha seat, was interacting with people during his election campaign in various villages within the Khunti Assembly segment.
The Union Minister alleged the Opposition was in power for the last six decades but failed to deliver on all fronts. Now, they talk about the country’s welfare, Mr. Munda said, accusing that their only agenda in the upcoming poll is to “oust Modi”.
The Modi-led government at the Centre has addressed sectors, including health, employment, and women empowerment, he claimed.
– PTI
The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign for Shiv Sena Lok Sabha candidates Yamini Jadhav and Ravindra Waikar, both of whom were accused by the BJP of financial irregularities and who were probed by central agencies.
Mr. Waikar, who is accused of building a luxury hotel on a civic plot in Jogeshwari using fraudulent means, and Ms. Jadhav, sitting MLA from Byculla who is being probed by the Income Tax department, have been fielded from Mumbai North West and Mumbai South Lok Sabha seats.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is fighting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with BJP and the Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party.
Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant taunted the BJP and said its polls symbol should be a washing machine.
– PTI
The AAP has formed a committee to strengthen coordination with its INDIA bloc partner Congress for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi and appointed its MLA Durgesh Pathak as the panel’s coordinator.
The seven parliamentary seats in the national capital will go to polls on May 25 in the sixth round of the seven-phase elections.
“The coordination committee has been formed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak. Durgesh Pathak has been chosen as its coordinator,” the party said on Thursday.
AAP MLAs Rajesh Gupta, Naresh Balyan, Dinesh Mohaniya and Pawan Sharma will be the coordinators for party for the New Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi and the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituencies.
– PTI
BJP nominee and industrialist Naveen Jindal, who is contesting from Haryana’s Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat, on Thursday filed his nomination papers and declared his and his wife Shallu’s movable and immovable assets at about ₹1,000 crore.
Mr. Jindal (54), who filed his nomination before the returning officer in Kurukshetra, also declared that neither he nor his wife owned any vehicle.
An MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas in the U.S., Mr. Jindal declared that he and his wife own gold and other jewellery valued at over ₹40 crore.
In his poll affidavit, Mr. Jindal declared his movable assets at ₹88,673.68 lakh (nearly ₹886 crore) and that of his wife at ₹11,461.75 lakh (nearly ₹114 crore).
The BJP candidate also holds agriculture land in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh measuring 1.628 hectares and non-agriculture land in Dadri measuring 5,058 square feet.
He has declared his movable assets at nearly ₹11 crore and total liabilities to the tune of ₹6.94 crore. He declared his total income amounting to ₹74.83 crore for the financial year 2022-23.
– PTI
The BJP dropping incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces sexual harassment charges, only to field his son from the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh is “shameful” and a case of “politics of proxy”, the TMC said on Thursday.
This also shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not ready to condemn the “sexual assault” committed by Brij Bhushan Singh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said.
“That the BJP has given a ticket to Karan Singh, who is the son of its former star MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is shameful and disgraceful. Mr Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been accused of serious sexual assault by none other than India’s Olympic medal winning women wrestlers,” she said.
– PTI
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the BJP on the issue of Covishield vaccine side effects and said that people who got the injection will vote against the party.
Addressing a rally here in support of Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Aditya Yadav, he also repeated the allegation that the BJP collected “donations” from the companies that manufactured the vaccine. “Not only is there a threat to the Constitution, but you also have a threat to life due to their decision,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
“Think what those who have got the vaccine administered will be going through when they see their certificate. Now these people will also come out to vote against the BJP this time because it was looking for an opportunity in a disaster,” the SP chief alleged.
– PTI
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday attacked the BJP-led Centre and accused it of undermining the locals’ rights by granting power projects, land, sapphire mines, lithium deposits, and water resources to outsiders.
She said the Centre has turned J&K into a “prison,” where freedom of speech is curtailed and people are repressed.
Ms. Mufti dismissed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as a mere “rhetoric to win votes” and said his party had snatched the region’s identity and knocked its people down.
“BJP converted Jammu and Kashmir into a prison. Nobody can talk freely here. Nobody is happy in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Neither Dogra of Jammu nor Buddhist of Ladakh are happy, forget about the people of Kashmir, who are terrorised. There has been no development during BJP rule,” Ms. Mufti said while addressing the public during a roadshow in Rajouri.
– PTI
Voter turnout of more than 68% was recorded in the repolling held at a booth in Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had declared the polling held at this booth in the second phase on April 26 void after 17-A register (of voters) got misplaced by the presiding officer.
Around 68.66% voters exercised their franchise at the polling booth in Nandasi, Ajmer.
Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said that as per the instructions of the ECI, the repolling was held on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.
– PTI
Shashi Tharoor predicts BJP will lose majority in Lok Sabha polls, claiming '400 paar' is a joke
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus with his recent remarks on Lord Ram and Shiva.
At a rally in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday in support of a party candidate Shivkumar Dahariya, Mr. Kharge said, “His name is Shivkumar. He can compete with Ram because he is Shiva. I am also Mallikarjun. Main bhi Shiva hoon,” he said. Mallikarjun is another name for Lord Shiva.
The U.P. Chief Minister said that the party is facing significant setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is resorting to disparaging the beliefs of the Hindu majority community to vent its frustration over impending defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress president’s derogatory remarks are a “new beginning of the party’s downfall,” he said.
“The Congress’s history is replete with such actions. Yet, during elections, such behaviour becomes conspicuous. By bringing up such issues, the Congress is not only disrespecting the faith of India but also hurting the sentiments of the majority community,” Mr. Adityanath said while addressing the media at his official residence before embarking on election rallies in Mainpuri, Etah, and Firozabad.
– PTI
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday accused the Congress of aiming to replicate the Karnataka reservation model nationwide and claimed that a specific community in the southern state was added to the OBC list overnight.
Addressing an election rally in support of BJP nominee for Ranchi Lok Sabha seat, Dhami urged people to vote for the party to protect the country from corruption, appeasement and dynastic politics.
“At a time when the country is moving towards the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Congress says it will implement Muslim Personal Law if it comes to power. Now, people have to decide whether the country should support appeasement and vote bank politics or equal law for all,” he said.
– PTI
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan filed his nomination from Odisha’s Sambalpur constituency on Thursday.
Pradhan visited the Maa Samaleswari temple and sought divine blessings before filing his nomination on Thursday.
Pradhan took out an elaborate roadshow ahead of his nomination, with people holding banners and placards turned up in big numbers on both sides of the streets in Sambalpur, welcoming Pradhan and demonstrating their support for the BJP.
– ANI
Close to 72% said income levels have decreased or stayed the same, while 90% said price levels have increased
The Bharatiya Janata Party on May 2 named Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party’s candidate from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the incumbent Kaiserganj MP, is facing accusations of sexual harassment from several women wrestlers.
The Election Commission said it has taken a “serious view” of political parties and candidates seeking details of voters under the guise of various surveys for their proposed beneficiary schemes as it amounts to a corrupt practice under election law.
The poll authority noted that some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes.
The Election Commission issued an advisory to all national and state political parties to immediately cease and desist from any activities that involve registering people for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes through any advertisement, survey or mobile application.
– PTI
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BJP candidate for West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency Kamaljeet Sehrawat with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and others on the way to file her nomination in Vikas Puri, West Delhi on May 2,2024.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar admitted the candidate for Sangli Lok Sabha seat was announced without consultation between constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) had announced the name of wrestler Chandrahar Patil as its candidate from Sangli even as MVA ally Congress was keen to contest. The decision led to friction between the two parties, resulting in Congress’ Vishal Patil contesting as an Independent.
Queried about merit not being followed during seat sharing discussions in the MVA, Mr. Pawar told reporters “Sangli is an exception where the decision was announced without discussions”.
– PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, and accused the opposition party of trying to divide Hindus for its appeasement politics.
Addressing an election rally at Surendranagar in Gujarat to campaign for BJP’s candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats, he also alleged that the Congress stabbed the Constitution in the back by proposing to give reservation on the basis of religion, and said the party promised quota for Muslims in government contracts.
“Now, Congress is trying to create division among Hindus. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a very dangerous statement about Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. This statement has been made with malafide intentions. They are playing a game to divide the Hindu community,” he said.
– PTI
Kalpana Soren, wife of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, said her husband’s arrest was unexpected and it triggered a shock in the JMM and the family.
Ms. Kalpana said it is not in the DNA of tribals to bow and Hemant Soren would emerge stronger.
“We have full faith in the judiciary and we are waiting for Hemant to come out on bail and campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. He is innocent and has been trapped in a pre-planned conspiracy by the BJP-led government at the Centre,” she said.
Ms. Kalpana, who has emerged as a new face of the party, alleged that the BJP “is a tyrannical force that is hell-bent to oppress the opposition.”
– PTI
Launching a frontal attack on the RJD, which is an alliance partner of the INDIA bloc in Bihar, BJP national president J P Nadda said the party led by Lalu Prasad stands for ‘Rishwatkhor Jungleraj Dal’.
Addressing a public rally in Araria Lok Sabha seat in support of BJP candidate Pradeep Kumar Singh, Nadda accused the opposition coalition of “protecting” corrupt people, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “striving hard” to end corruption in the country.
Araria will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.
– PTI
The BJP’s claim of ‘400 paar’ is a joke, ‘300 paar’ is impossible and even ‘200 paar’ may be a challenge for it in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said, asserting that it is a “foregone conclusion” the ruling party would lose its majority in the Lower House.
Mr. Tharoor also claimed the BJP will draw a blank in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and will do worse than its 2019 performance in the South.
Mr. Tharoor, who was locked in a three-way contest with Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP and P. Raveendran of the CPI in Thiruvananthapuram where polling took place on April 26, said he is looking at a “very comfortable win”.
– PTI
Unfazed by the ‘outsider’ barb of his opponents, Naveen Patnaik’s closest associate V.K. Pandian has said he is a “natural successor” to all the great values of the Odisha chief minister and he will do everything under the sun to help his “guru” serve the people of the state.
In a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, Pandian also said it is the ruling party at the Centre that has done nothing for the ‘Odiya Asmita’ or for promoting the language, art and culture of the state despite repeated pleas by the chief minister.
– PTI
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed that the BJP promotes only two kinds of leaders, one who is corrupt and the other who speaks nothing about people’s welfare and issues.
She said the BJP plans to make people dependent by providing them with 5 kg of ration, and asked people to seek jobs from the ruling party instead.
Addressing a rally in Chirmiri town of Chhattisgarh’s Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district to canvass for Jyotsana Mahant, the Congress’ candidate for the Korba Lok Sabha seat, she also claimed that the Narendra Modi government is handing over the country’s assets to big billionaires.
– PTI
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the Congress was questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged sex scandal involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna as he had campaigned for him in the Lok Sabha elections.
He was responding to state JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy, who asked why Congress was questioning the prime minister.
Mr. Prajwal, facing allegations of sexually abusing women, was the NDA candidate in Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, where polling was held on April 26.
– PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying he started his party’s campaign with Bharat Jodo Yatra that will end with a ‘Congress Dhoondho Yatra,’ suggesting that the party will get a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing an election rally here, Shah alleged that Rahul, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya fearing this may alienate their vote bank.
Shah said that this election is for ending terrorism and Naxalism and making India the third major economy globally.
Shah hit out at the INDIA bloc partner Samajwadi Party, saying it indulges in dynastic politics for its president Akhilesh Yadav has given tickets to five members of his family in the current election.
– PTI
Every BJP leader was aware Prajwal Revanna is a mass rapist, yet they supported him, formed alliance with JD(S), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally at Shivamogga in Karnataka.
He raped 400 women and made videos. This is not a sex scandal, but mass rape, Mr. Gandhi said.
– PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to West Bengal from Thursday, during which he is scheduled to address several election rallies, a senior official said.
The PM is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Thursday evening and spend the night at Raj Bhavan, he said.
BJP sources said that Mr. Modi is scheduled to address election rallies in support of party candidates in Krishnanagar, Bardhaman Purba and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday.
– PTI
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah filed his nomination papers for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
Accompanied by NC’s treasurer Shammi Oberoi and senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee G N Monga, Mr. Abdullah filed the nomination papers before Baramulla Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa, who is the returning officer of the constituency.
The NC leader is pitted against People’s Conference president and separatist-turned-mainstream-politician Sajad Lone.
– PTI
Addressing a poll rally in Anand town of central Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Anand and Kheda Lok Sabha seats, PM Modi on Thursday, May 2, 2024, also took a dig at Congress over opposition leader Salman Khurshid’s niece Maria Alam’s call for ‘vote jihad’.
“Now, the INDI alliance calls for ‘vote jihad’. We have so far heard about ‘love jihad’ and ‘land Jihad’. This (vote jihad) is said by a person who belonged to an educated Muslim family, not by someone who studied in a madrasa. I hope you all know what the meaning of jihad is. This is an insult to democracy and not a single Congress leader has condemned it,” he said.He alleged that the Congress wants to change the country’s Constitution to give reservation of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities to Muslims.
“Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make ‘shehzada’ (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan’s ‘mureed’ (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country’s enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one,” Mr. Modi said.
The Prime Minister also challenged the Congress to give in writing that it will not change the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion and that it will not give backdoor quota to Muslims in states where it and its allies are in power.
India is being seen as a peacemaker in the world today, he said, adding that it was his guarantee that he would work 24×7 to make India a developed country by 2047. Mr. Modi said in the last 10 years, his government provided tap water connections to 14 crore houses, while the Congress-led dispensations gave it to just 3 crore houses in 60 years of its rule. – PTI
As the battle for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency inches closer, the campaigning rhetoric surrounding the Pawar family has sharpened noticeably.
On Wednesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar chose to downplay Prime Minister Modi’s comments deriding his uncle Sharad Pawar earlier this week during the PM’s rallies in the four Lok Sabha seats of Pune district. Read more
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of “clandestinely snatching away” reservation from Dalits, tribals and backward classes by “blindly” implementing privatisation, and said his party guarantees strengthening the public sector enterprises and open the doors for employment.
In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi said the mantra of Narendra Modi’s campaign to remove reservation is — na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri, meaning neither there will be government jobs nor any reservation will be available.
“The BJP government is clandestinely snatching away reservation from Dalits, tribals and backward classes by eliminating government jobs through ‘blind privatisation’,” the former Congress chief said. – PTI
Kolkata, May 02 (ANI): TMC workers and folk artists perform during the rally of party candidate for the North Kolkata, Sudip Banerjee (unseen) for the Lok Sabha election, in Kolkata on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
Nirmala Kagadya Vasave, an independent Lok Sabha candidate, aims to uplift Nandurbar's tribal population through development and rights advocacy.
The serene Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency carries a somewhat contrasting image politically because of the aggressive and inflammatory remarks of its incumbent MP Anantkumar Hegde.
The unique character of this constituency — that has a high percentage of forest cover and rich biodiversity while also housing the Kaiga nuclear power station and prominent hydel generating stations — has been relegated to the background in the din over controversial remarks and counter-offensives by political opponents. Perhaps this explains the reason for the backwardness of this constituency despite having nature’s bounty in terms of rivers as well as famous tourism destinations. The feeling among local residents is that their sacrifice of giving up land for major projects in the interest of the State has not been rewarded well.
This time the BJP has picked the former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, known as a sober face of the Hindutva ideology, over the Hindutva hardliner and six-time MP Anantkumar Hegde as its candidate. This is perhaps to increase its reach among different cross sections of the constituency.
We have restored industry confidence in Mumbai: Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde discusses industry growth and political dynamics in Mumbai, emphasizing development and stability
The two-year-old Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has done much to restore industry confidence in the commercial city of Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Wednesday, asserting that the record of the NDA governments at the State and Centre would be enough for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure a third term.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde discusses industry growth and political dynamics in Mumbai, emphasizing development and stability
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Mr. Shinde squarely blamed the attitude of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for industry getting spooked, especially after a bomb was found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence three years ago. Read more
The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan and asked what is Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing to confront the rise of drug smuggling in the state.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rallies in Gujarat.
“Who is the PM protecting in the rampant drug smuggling trade into Gujarat? Who is responsible for the lakhs of families affected by inaccurate land records? Why is Gujarat still suffering from water shortage after all these years of BJP rule?” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.
Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the Congress’ manifesto has gained popularity after Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised it. Lakhs of people downloaded the Congress manifesto.
Mr. Gehlot said, “The mood of the people has changed. The issues of the Congress and the people are the same, be it inflation, unemployment, rich-poor disparity or mutual harmony… The manifesto has given good guarantees. People have started downloading the manifesto more after it was criticised by Prime Minister Modi. I have heard that lakhs of people are downloading the Congress manifesto and it has become even more popular. -ANI
Vizianagaram, once a Princely State, is all set to witness a high-pitched electoral battle between the ruling YSRCP and the opposition TDP.
While the YSRCP fielded sitting MP Bellana Chandrasekhar again for the prestigious Vizianagaram Lok Sabha segment, the TDP gave its ticket to Kalisetti Appalanaidu, who had previously headed TDP’s North Andhra internal training centre, which helped him to get acquainted with all leaders of the region. Interestingly, both the leaders belong to the Turpu Kapu community which has a sizable population in the district.
Mr. Chandrasekhar, who hails from Cheepurupalli, is an advocate by profession and became an MP by defeating TDP’s heavyweight Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju in 2019 by 48,036 votes.
The Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday declared another list of six candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
The party had given tickets to Saurabh Kumar Mishra, Nadeem Mirza and Narendra Pandey tickets from Gonda, Domariaganj and Kaiserganj seats respectively. Kaiserganj seat is presently held by former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the BJP.
Other BSP candidates ar Nadeem Ashraf, Shiv Kumar Dohre and Mehshood Ahmad from Sant Kabir Nagar, Barabanki and Azamgarh seats respectively, it said. The party has fielded Alok Kushwaha from Lucknow East constituency, where bypoll is to be held due to the death of BJP MLA Ashutosh Tondon.- PTI
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairperson Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to postpone polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency and said this has relieved several political parties.
Azad emphasized the importance of the assembly elections over parliamentary elections stating it is very important to have a legislative assembly and legislators put in place through polls.
“It is never too late. The decision of the Election Commission of India has relieved us. I thank the ECI for taking this right decision. All political parties will benefit from the decision. Actually, all parties are happy,” he told reporters here.
HIMMATNAGAR : GUJARAT : 01/05/2024 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing an Election rally in Himmatnagar on Wednesday May 01, 2024. General Parliament Election 2024 will be held in Gujarat on 7th May 2024. Photo : VIJAY SONEJI / The Hindu.
The petition moved by an organisation named Lawyer Voice submits that the utilisation of deepfake technologies, along with the dissemination of misinformation on social media platforms and the internet, directly and significantly undermines the possibility of a free and fair election. It further stated that, several international organizations and countries have similarly observed the troubling potential of deepfake technologies for free and fair elections. Read more
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday brought out a detailed protocol for the handling and storage of Symbol Loading Units (SLU) in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order of April 26.
The apex court had issued directions to seal and store SLUs in a container, and store them in a strongroom along with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), for at least 45 days after the declaration of results.
The SLU uploads the name and symbol of the candidates contesting a particular seat on Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or paper trail machines.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s lawyer appeared before the Delhi Police on Wednesday and asserted that the Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Amit Shah’s speech.
Mr. Reddy, who was summoned by the police for allegedly posting the video on social media platform X, hit out at the BJP at a rally in Telangana, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of adopting a vengeful attitude towards him for questioning the BJP over its stand on reservations.
Police sources said they are close to identifying the creator of the deepfake video but before reaching out to the suspect they have to verify who uploaded or forwarded it.
Doctored video of Amit Shah speech: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s lawyer asserts that Congress leader had nothing to do with creating or posting the doctored video of Amit Shah’s speech.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his speeches were not based on facts and reality.
Talking to reporters here, Mr. Pawar also alleged that PM Modi doesn’t talk about the basic issues that people face and diverts their attention.
“I have never seen a prime minister earlier whose speeches were not based on facts and reality. He is satisfied with targeting me and Uddhav Thackeray,” Mr. Pawar said.
PTI
Repolling necessitated by a misplaced voters’ register at a booth in Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency began at 7 am on Thursday. The Election Commission of India had declared polling held at this booth in the second phase on April 26 void after 17-A register (of voters) got misplaced by the presiding officer and announced repolling.
Elaborate security and other arrangements have been made for the repolling. “Voting at the polling booth in Nandsi in Ajmer parliamentary constituency began at 7 am which will continue till 5 pm,” spokesperson of the election department said here.
A total of 753 voters will exercise their franchise in the repolling. Webcasting of this polling booth is also being done. Rajasthan has a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats, out of which 12 w ent to polls in the first phase on April 19 and 13 in the second phase on April 26. – PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Karnataka on Thursday to address two public meetings, the party’s State unit said.
He is slated to address an election rally at the Freedom Park in the district headquarters town of Shivamogga at 1 p.m.
He will then fly to another district headquarters town of Raichur for the second event at 4:25 p.m.
PTI
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government has betrayed Maharashtra, and he apologises to the people for seeking votes for the prime minister in earlier elections.
Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar spoke at a rally at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra in support of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Hatkanangale constituency, Satyajit Patil.
Talking about the circumstances in which his government fell in 2022, Thackeray said the Supreme Court had not delivered its verdict on whose Shiv Sena was the real one, but the “Election Commission and the arbitrator (Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar) who were working as their (BJP’s) servants, gave their verdicts.” “Now when PM Modi calls us fake Shiv Sena, he is putting pressure on the court,” Thackeray said.
Kesineni Shivnath (alias Chinni), the TDP candidate in the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency, is confident of a hands-down victory in the general election.
“The people are looking for a leader and a party that can develop their State. Going by their mood, it is obvious that the TDP is their choice; there is a wave of support for the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance rising in silence. People are ready and eager to unseat the YSRCP government,” he told The Hindu.
The TDP’s candidate for Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency says his election battle with his brother Kesineni Nani of YSRCP and Valluri Bhargav of Congress might look like a familial fight but it is a fight between development and destruction
The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday increased the polling time for the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana by an hour in view of heat wave conditions prevailing in the State.
The new timing would be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. against the earlier 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While the extended time for voting will be applicable in all Assembly segments of 12 Lok Sabha constituencies, in the remaining five parliamentary seats, the timing will apply in certain Assembly segments, according to a notification issued by the commission. The hours of polling will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool (SC), Nalgonda and the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat, it said.
The new timing will also be applicable in five Assembly segments of the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat, three of Peddapalle seat, six of Warangal (SC) seat, three of Mahabubabad (ST) seat and five of the Khammam Lok Sabha seat, the Election Commission said in its notification.
PTI
Possibly concerned that heat wave conditions might have resulted in a dip in voter turnout in the first phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission of India (ECI) formed a task force to review the impact of prevailing weather conditions on health and humidity five days before each phase of polling.
Lok Sabha polls | With dip in voter turnout in the first phase, ECI forms task force to oversee heat wave conditions
In Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — where the BJP won the Assembly polls last year — the two principal national parties are in a direct contest which could determine who gets to lead the next government. Read our editorial here
Matters of heartland: On election 2024 and the Hindi heartland
General Elections 2024 / election / Lok Sabha / Aam Aadmi Party / politics
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