Lok Sabha Elections 2024 HIGHLIGHTS: DMK petitions CEO over use of children in Modi roadshow

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda reached the party headquarters for the core group meeting.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said tomorrow they would announce the list of candidates after attending the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today said that India was on the cusp of change as the people across the country were fed up with the ten years of misrule and injustice of the Modi government. He said the Congress was fully prepared to usher that change. Kharge presided over a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) here today. It was attended by the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh & Telangana and other senior leaders and party functionaries.

The Congress party has finalised candidates for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, eight in West Bengal, and seven in Telangana in its Chief Election Committee (CEC) meeting in New Delhi, sources said.

The ruling DMK on Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission probe the use of school children by the BJP for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Coimbatore and also sought action against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for delivering "hate speech".

A total of eight ministers were inducted in the Haryana government including Badkhal MLA Seema Trikha, Panipat Rural MLA Mahipal Dhanda, Ambala City MLA Aseem Goel, Nangal Chaudhary MLA Abhe Singh Yadav, Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha, Bawani Khera MLA Bishamber Singh Balmiki, and Sohna MLA Sanjay Singh.

 The ruling LDF in Kerala on Tuesday attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his frequent visits to the state and the alleged sidelining of NDA candidate Abdul Salam from the PM's roadshow in Palakkad earlier in the day. Hours after Modi's massive roadshow, CPI(M) leader A K Balan alleged that the NDA candidate from Malappuram constituency, Salam, was sidelined from the programme after it was earlier announced that he would be part of it. Balan claimed that it conveyed a "wrong message that a Muslim cannot stand close to Modi", an allegation which Salam refuted, saying that there was no discrimination.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) notified the category of electors mentioned therein for the purposes of facility of voting through postal ballot as absentee voters on essential services and allowed voting by postal ballot for authorised media persons on election duty.

In the Central Election Committee meeting, the Congress on Tuesday finalised the names of candidates of 12 candidates for Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, sources said. 

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi insulted Hindu culture yesterday. We thought that he would realise his mistake. But even after a day, there have been no efforts to rectify the statement. His coterie spokespersons were looking for meaning in his remark and attempting to justify it... The Congress party under Rahul Gandhi is no more the Congress party imbued with the doctrine and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a Congress party led by a divisive mind, Maoist thought and anti-Hindu thought. Rahul Gandhi is completely in the sway of these elements... Rahul Gandhi, do you have the courage to speak in the same derogatory terms with regard to the fundamental principles of faith of other religious thoughts or gods?..."

Faridabad MLA Seema Tirkha and Panipat Rural lawmaker Mahipal Dhanda take oath as ministers in the Haryana government. 

Haryana cabinet expansion: Badkhal MLA Seema Trikha, Panipat Rural MLA Mahipal Dhanda take oath as ministers of state (independent charge). 

Two-time MLA Kamal Gupta takes oath in Sanskrit as minister in the Haryana government under the leadership of new Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Two key close aides of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Hanuman Singh Khangta and Pappu Ram Dara may switch over to BJP, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In an attempt to reach out to Rashtriya Lok Samta Party leader and former Minister of State Upendra Kushwaha who is reportedly upset with BJP's seat-sharing in Bihar, the saffron party has asked its National General Secretary Vinod Tawde to hold talks with the Kushwaha, reports have said.

"As I have indicated, the foreign policy today is very closely associated with development and I joining BJP also is focused on helping my home city, which is Amritsar. If the party feels that by my contesting, I can help in the development of Amritsar, I certainly will (contest)," Ex-US Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu said.

Addressing a public gathering in Tamil Nadu's Salem, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the opposition alliance. "INDI alliance deliberately insult Hindu Dharma & every statement against Hindu Dharma is well thought of. Congress-DMK INDI alliance never speak against other religions. But they do not take a second to insult Hindu Dharma..." he added. 

Leaders of all the parties involved in the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu were present during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public address in Salem. The leaders such as Dr S Ramdas, his son Anbumani Ramdas from PMK, former CM O Panneerselvam, who rebelled in AIADMK, AMMK leader and Jayalalitha's adopted son TTV Dhinakaran, and TMC leader GK Moopanar were present. This time BJP has formed its own alliance with smaller parties against both the Dravidian parties in the southern state. 

With JD(S) indicating its unhappiness over the seat-sharing issue for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday said he has spoken to its leadership after consulting his party's high command, and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved amicably. He said BJP and JD(S) leadership are discussing "everything and there will be a happy ending. "Last night I had a telephonic discussion with our national leaders, after that I spoke to former Prime Minister (H D Deve Gowda over phone, and have also shared information with H D Kumaraswamy this morning," Vijayendra said.

Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien today demanded Supreme Court-monitored Lok Sabha polls alleging that BJP's tricks are destroying the Election Commission of India (ECI). The TMC leader hit out at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing them of manipulating the electoral landscape ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital over seat-sharing in Lok Sabha elections 2024. According to sources, MNS has demanded two seats from the BJP, one in South Mumbai and the other outside Mumbai. MNS may get the South Mumbai seat to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This is Thackeray's second visit to Delhi in the last four days. 

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Over 71,000 candidates have lost their security deposit since the first Lok Sabha polls in 1951 for failing to secure a minimum of one-sixth of the total valid votes polled in their respective constituencies, according to an analysis of the Election Commission data. In the 2019 elections, a staggering 86 percent of candidates suffered this fate. Election Commission regulations stipulate that candidates failing to secure a minimum of one-sixth of the total valid votes polled would have their deposits redirected to the treasury.

According to sources, Upendra Kushwaha is not satisfied after getting only one seat in the seat-sharing, as earlier he was assured of getting 2 seats in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This is said to be the reason Kushwaha did not send any representative from is party to the NDA's press conference on Monday, they added. Although Kushwaha will continue to remain in NDA, sources further said. 

Sharad Pawar's efforts to secure Supriya Sule's Baramati seat seem to be gaining momentum. Rashtriya Samaj Paksha President Mahadev Jankar is scheduled to meet Sharad Pawar. The meeting between Sharad Pawar and Jankar will take place in Modi Bagh, Pune. Mahadev Jankar, a prominent Dhangar leader, has previously contested elections against Supriya Sule. There are indications that Jankar could be nominated as the MVA candidate from the Madha Lok Sabha seat.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is slated to meet today to discuss the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls that are scheduled to be held in seven phases beginning from April 19. The party's top decision-making body is also expected to pass a resolution lauding former party chief Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which started from Manipur on January 14 and ended in Mumbai on March 17.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini held a roadshow in Ambalas, urging people to vote for BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Banto Kataria.  "I want to thank all our party workers in Ambala and I appeal to you to give your votes to our candidate Banto Kataria. Today, our party president JP Nadda will begin the election campaign. We have to bring PM Modi back to power by winning all 10 seats in the state..." the CM said.

The Trinamool Congress has complained to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the BJP candidate from Varanasi, has violated the model code of conduct by using central government funds for campaigning. In a letter addressed to the chief election commissioner on Monday, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said a message by the PM highlighting his government's programmes reached the electorate on March 16, after the model code of conduct came into force. PM Modi has purportedly written the message in the form of a letter to the voters on March 15, the TMC leader claimed.

PMK founder S Ramadoss and Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai signed the seat-sharing agreement in Tamil Nadu. This comes a day after Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a potent political force in northern Tamil Nadu, decided to join the BJP-led alliance. The move is a setback for the AIADMK, the principal opposition party, which was anticipating an alliance with the PMK. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to finalise the seat-sharing matter in Tamil Nadu. According to sources, JDS has put its demand for Hassan as well as Kolar seats. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss also held a meeting to discuss seat sharing in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

A day after the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) announced that it has decided to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both the parties are slated to have a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai and the PMK president will be meeting at PMK founder Ramadoss' house today for the seat-sharing agreement, party sources said. 

Union Minister Pashupati Paras is poised to make a significant announcement today as he is set to address a press conference at around 11:30 am. This comes after Chirag Paswan-led LJP was allotted five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar including Vaishali, Hajipur, Samastipur, Khagaria and Jamui. 

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) announced the candidature of its Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel from central Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (earlier Aurangabad), the seat he won in 2019. Jaleel, who is also the Maharashtra unit president of the Hyderabad-based party, was keen to contest from one of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai, but AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi renominated the journalist-turned-politician from his current seat which will go to polls on May 13 in phase four. Owaisi took to social media platform X to announce Jaleel's candidature and said he will contest from Aurangabad (now called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar).

Preparations for election to Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha seat are in full swing, an official said. Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Nazuk Kumar, who also serves as the returning officer, told reporters that training for various official teams assigned to manage the upcoming polls in 12 assembly constituencies within Aizawl district has been largely completed. The initial phase of training for polling parties is scheduled for March 26 and March 27, she said. Randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) has been finalised, and they are currently secured in strong rooms designated for each assembly constituency, she added.

Indian Administrative Service official AK Rakesh was on Monday appointed as additional chief secretary of the home department in Gujarat following an order of the Election Commission of India. Earlier in the day, seeking to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha elections, the ECI ordered the removal of the home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Rakesh, a 1989 batch IAS official, will replace Pankaj Joshi, as per a Gujarat government order.

The Congress will declare its candidates for the remaining 18 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh today after a meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) which will finalise the third list of nominees for the April-May polls. The grand old party has left one seat, Khajuraho, bordering Uttar Pradesh, for its INDIA alliance partner Samajwadi Party which is yet to announce its candidate for the constituency. Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP has nominated candidates on all of them, while the Congress has released 10 names so far in the state and 18 contestants remain to be finalised.

Congress candidate from Gujarat's Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat Rohan Gupta on Monday said he had withdrawn from the contest due to the serious medical condition of his father. Gupta is the party's national spokesperson and his name was declared in the list announced by the party on March 12. "Due to serious medical condition, my father is admitted in hospital and I am withdrawing my candidature for Ahmedabad east parliament seat as Congress Candidate. I will extend complete support to the new candidate nominated by party," Gupta posted on social media platform X.