Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 'BJP openly violating poll code but Election Commission not acting', alleges Atishi

TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh on Wednesday said here that the NDA alliance of TDP, Janasena and BJP will win no less than 150 Assembly and 23 Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing simultaneous elections. Lokesh exuded confidence that people have come together in big numbers to bless the NDA alliance and it can be seen on the election day.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Manipur on April 14 to campaign for Lok Sabha elections, state BJP leaders said on Wednesday. During the visit, he is likely to address a public meeting at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal. "Amit Shah is a star campaigner of the BJP, and he is likely to address a rally on April 14. Preparations are underway for the visit," a leader of the party's state unit said. Shah last visited the state on May 29 last year amid the ethnic violence and stayed for three days.

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose reached out to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar regarding issues raised by his party, including permission to rebuild houses devastated by a storm in Jalpaiguri, but he was not talking to him. Banerjee made the allegation while addressing the press after meeting Bose at the Raj Bhavan.

YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday called on people to vote for his party for jobs and welfare measures to continue. The YSRCP chief gave this call at Piduguralla village in Palnadu district during a public meeting as part of his 'Memanta Siddham' (we are all ready) electioneering bus tour. "Vote for 'fan' (YSRCP symbol) for jobs and welfare measures to continue, not a rusty cycle (TDP symbol)," said Reddy. According to Reddy, the YSRCP government provided 2.31 lakh jobs and alleged that the erstwhile TDP government had only provided 32,000 jobs and added that the state topped the ease of doing business rankings in India thrice. Reacting to TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu recently declaring that he would raise the salaries of government volunteers from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, Reddy reminded that the former had advocated their abolishment earlier.

Senior AAP leader Atishi on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was "openly" violating the model code of conduct and the Election Commission was not acting against it, affecting the level-playing field in the Lok Sabha polls. She said the AAP was hopeful of opening its account in Assam where the party has fielded candidates in two seats -- Dibrugarh and Sonitpur, which are going to the polls in the first phase on April 19.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, besides the party's national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, are likely to campaign in Bihar later this month, a senior leader said on Wednesday. State Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said this while replying to queries at a press conference that he addressed here jointly with AICC Bihar in-charge Mohan Prakash here on Wednesday.

A case was filed today against BJP candidate Kirtivardhan Singh, who is seeking reelection from Gonda Lok Sabha seat, for violating the model code of conduct, a senior official said. District Magistrate Neha Sharma said the case was filed against Singh at Chhapia police station for organising a workers' conference at his farmhouse in Maskanwa on April 3 without permission. The matter came to light after photos and videos of the event were posted on the Facebook account of the BJP candidate.

Taking a dig at the opposition INDIA bloc, BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday termed it a "ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance full of corrupt leaders". Nadda, who earlier in the day released the BJP's manifesto for the April 19 simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, also alleged that the opposition alliance was giving refuge to corrupt leaders. Addressing an election rally here, Nadda said, "The INDIA bloc is an alliance of arrogant people who indulge in corruption and dynasty politics. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is against corruption, many of the opposition grouping's leaders are involved in scams."

Three-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting again from Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said on Wednesday that there is no triangular contest there, as only the BJP poses a challenge with its "energetic" and "professional" poll campaign. The LDF campaign for its candidate Pannian Raveendran has not been very impactful, Tharoor remarked. While acknowledging that the BJP is doing well with the campaign for its candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Congress leader, however, said, "It does not mean that everything they say is the truth."

Enforcement agencies have seized drugs, unaccounted-for cash and liquor worth Rs 192 crore in Punjab since the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections came into force last month. The poll code came into effect on March 16. According to data provided by the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer's office, various law enforcement agencies seized drugs, narcotics, liquor and cash worth Rs 192.08 crore till Tuesday (April 9). The agencies, including the state police and the Border Security Force, seized drugs and narcotics worth Rs 166.58 crore. Liquor worth Rs 12.15 crore, Rs 3.87 crore in unaccounted-for cash and precious metals worth Rs 8.82 crore were also seized. Polling for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the last phase on June 1.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's poll schedule till Apr 16:

• 11th April: Rajasthan (Falaudi, Anupgarh)
• 12th April: Tamil Nadu
• 13th April: Tamil Nadu
• 15th April: Wayanad
• 16th April: Wayanad

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray will address rallies in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a Shiv Sena leader said on Wednesday. A day after the MNS chief declared his unconditional support for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Sanjay Shirsat, the spokesperson for the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claimed the move would avoid the potential vote division in elections. "There was a possibility of vote division which could have resulted in us (Mahayuti) slightly missing our target to win 45 plus seats in Maharashtra. Now, we will definitely achieve our target," Shirsat told media. Raj Thackeray on Tuesday announced unconditional support to the `Mahayuti' alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in the state and backed PM Modi, a move that is expected to bolster the ruling bloc's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has changed the public's perception towards politicians and politics, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Speaking at a campaign rally for the BJP's Saharanpur candidate Raghav Lakhanpal, he said, "A few years ago, there was a perception that politicians speak lies to seek votes and go away. They don't care about the public or the nation. This was the common perception towards politicians and political parties." "We have changed this perception. It is our character that we do what we say. Earlier, it was the norm to think that a politician would lie but we changed this perception," Singh added.

Officials on election duty today allegedly stopped the 'Hosa Todaku' programme at the farmhouse of JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy at Bidadi in Ramanagara district, citing violation of model code of conduct in force for the Lok Sabha polls. The programme is celebrated a day after Ugadi when many communities in the state have a non-vegetarian feast and the EC action elicited a sharp reaction from the former chief minister, who hit out at the Congress for casting its evil eye on the tradition.
 

Samajwadi Party general secretary and party nominee from Budaun Lok Sabha seat, Shivpal Singh Yadav, on Wednesday alleged that some officials of the district are working at the behest of the BJP leaders. He accused these officials of threatening the village heads, block development committee (BDC) members and others to work for the ruling party and said he has complained about it to District Magistrate (DM) Manoj Kumar. If the DM does not take action in this connection, we will complain about this to the Election Commission, he said. To a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that the union of two boys is a flop show, Yadav said the two boys he is referring to are leaders, not artists.

Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) president Pawan Kumar Chamling is contesting from two assembly constituencies this election to seek a record ninth term as an MLA. The former five-term chief minister is in the fray from Poklok-Kamrang and Namcheybung assembly seats in Namchi and Gangtok districts respectively, dumping his traditional seat of Namchi-Singhithang in Namchi district. The 73-year-old politician is locked in a quadrangular contest in Poklok-Kamrang, where he is pitted against BJP's Arun Rai, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's Bhoj Raj Rai and Sanju Rai of Citizen Action Party-Sikkim (CAP-S). In Namcheybung assembly constituency too, the SDF chief is in a quadrangular contest against two women candidates, Pooja Sharma (BJP) and Severine Rai (CAP-S), and former bureaucrat Raju Basnet.

Varsha Gaikwad, angry over the South Central Mumbai seat being given to Shiv Sena (UBT), has recently spoke to KC Venugopal. In this conversation, Varsha Gaikwad informed Venugopal about the matter. 

Varsha Gaikwad is going to Vidarbha. She will meet Rahul Gandhi during the election campaign in Vidarbha.

In Mumbai, Congress does not want to give up the South Central Mumbai seat. The meeting was cancelled as Gaikwad did not came. Varsha is not even picking up the calls of many Mumbai Congress leaders.

Today's proposed Mumbai Congress press conference has also been cancelled.

(With inputs from Dinesh Maurya) 

PM Narendra Modi in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore | "Family parties like DMK and Congress have only one agenda, remain in the government by lying. Congress gave the slogan of eradicating poverty for so many decades, but poverty was not eradicated. This is the NDA government, which has brought twenty-five crore people out of poverty."

"For decades, the Congress-DMK I.N.D.I.A bloc kept crores of people from SC-ST, OBC communities yearning for housing, water, and electricity because they thought that not everyone can get housing and electricity. But the BJP government gave PM Awas to crores of people, brought electricity to every village, gave free ration to 80 crore needy people and most of them are people from SC-ST, OBC communities."

"I.N.D.I bloc do not trust India's strength. Such a huge pandemic of Corona came into the world. There people used to say that India cannot make a vaccine. We said we would make a Made-in-India vaccine. India not only made the Made India vaccine but also saved the lives of crores of people by giving free vaccines."

Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari on upcoming Lok Sabha elections | "...25/25 seats in Rajasthan will be in favour of BJP. Our cadres are very strong, the booth team is in full flow, visiting house to house, holding campaigns and we are going to win this time with a good margin comparatively to last time..."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Dakshin Dinajpur | "...Communists and Trinamool Congress are responsible for the extreme poverty that has spread across the region... The people of Bengal in 2014 gave us only two seats and then in 2019 you gave us 18 seats and PM Modi became the Prime Minister with more than 300 seats. Now in 2024, we have to increase it from 18 to 30 and cross 370 seats... If we want to build a strong India, we have to build a strong Bengal."

While launching Samajwadi Party's manifesto, party's chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "We have named our vision document as 'Janta Ka Maang Patra - Humara Adhikar'. The main demands in this vision document are - the right to protect the constitution, the right to protect democracy, the right to freedom of media, and the right to social justice... the right to social justice is needed for the development of the country. Inclusive development isn't possible without the caste census. Caste census is the axis of development of the country..."

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Kejriwal's arrest | "...If Arvind Kejriwal resigns today then these people will finish Aam Aadmi Party. Our ministers will be put in jail. Punjab's CM, ministers will be put in jail and then they will ask for his resignation. They will put MK Stalin, Revanth Reddy, Kerala CM, Tejashwi Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav in jail..."

UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Kathua | "... When it's about J&K, the slogans of independent India, 'Jahaan huye balidaan Mookerjee, wo Kashmir hamara hai' echoes. Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed himself for this dream to be fulfilled (abrogation of Article 370), but none of the government could take any decision in this regard... I am grateful to PM Modi and HM Amit Shah that they have ended the terrorism and ensured that be it Red Fort of Delhi or Srinagar's Lal Chowk, there is enthusiasm and excitement as the region has now been connected to the mainstream of development..."

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday released party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Former Karnataka BJP vice-president Malikayya Guttedar’s brother, Nitin Venkayya Guttedar, joined BJP in Bengaluru earlier today in the presence of state party chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa.

Former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on reservation of backward classes | "It was decided to give backward class 27 per cent reservation. However, due to the Supreme Court’s decision, which said that caste-based reservations can’t exceed 50 per cent, it wasn’t implemented. Now, we are giving a guarantee to provide 10 per cent reservations to the children of the poor belonging to the non-reserved category."

Delhi BJP leaders and workers hold protest demanding resignation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Police use water cannons to disperse them.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole's car met with an accident near Bhilwara village, near Bhandara city. A truck hit his car from the backside. No one was injured in the incident.

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Delhi will be held on April 26. Corporation House meeting has been called on April 26 for elections.

On RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's post on social media platform 'X' eating fish, Bihar deputy CM Vijay Sinha says, "A few people show themselves as a son of Sanatan but can't accept the values of Sanatan. I have no objection to food habits, but what you want to show by posting a video of eating fish in Navratri, is the politics of appeasement. One should feel proud of one's religion, values, nation and society but demeaning them isn't good. Secularism doesn't mean insulting your own religion. PM Modi has clearly said 'ab tushtikaran ki nahi, santushtikaran ki rajneeti hogi'."

Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar on Wednesday announced the third list of its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In the latest list, the party has named candidates for Ahmednagar, Baramati, Beed among other seats.

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) candidate from the Dindigul Parliamentary constituency, Thilaga Bama holds an election rally. Tamil Nadu will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Preparations underway in Vellore ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally today. All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 19.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin holds election campaign in support of party candidate Thanga Tamil Selvan in Theni. TTV Dhinakaran, whose AMMK is part of the BJP alliance, is also contesting from Theni Lok Sabha seat.

"We welcome Raj Thackeray's support for PM Modi. Raj Thackeray has expressed concern for the welfare of Maharashtra, the Marathi people, and the youth of this country, which is why he has expressed this sentiment that PM Modi should become the Prime Minister of the country for the third time," said BJP MLC Pravin Darekar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address his first election rally in Bihar's at Gaya district on Wednesday.

"I would like to thank the MNS for supporting PM Modi's leadership and development. We are grateful for their support for the 'Mahayuti'," Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said.

PM Narendra Modi to visit Nagpur for an election rally in Ramtek constituency in support of Shiv Sena (Eknath Sinde) faction's candidate Raju Parve. Yesterday’s rain in Nagpur and nearby areas prompted a late-night visit by CM Eknath Shinde to the rally ground in Ramtek to take stock of the preparations ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an election rally in Maharashtra's Ramtek constituency in the support of NDA member and Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde leader Raju Parwe.