Lok Sabha polls: 'Congress' anti-women ideology is unstoppable even during Navratri', says Kangana Ranaut

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Thursday countered Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's appeal to Baramati voters to elect the "daughter-in-law of the Pawars" with an "original" versus "outsider" comment. The Deputy CM had recently asked people to vote for his wife Sunetra Pawar in the Lok Sabha polls as they had "voted for the father (Sharad Pawar), son (himself) and daughter (sitting MP Supriya Sule)". "This time elect the daughter-in-law (Sunetra Pawar)," the NCP leader had said at a workers' convention. Sunetra Pawar is pitted against Sule in Baramati.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday evaded queries on a controversial remark of his eldest sister Misa Bharti, who has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be "in jail" if the BJP was ousted from power at the Centre. The former Bihar deputy chief minister said "issues" should get more attention from the media and rued that "protests" against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state did not get coverage. "What is the need for me to speak on what somebody has said about someone else? We should talk about issues," quipped Yadav, son and heir apparent of RJD president Lalu Prasad, when his response was sought on Bharti's comments. A Rajya Sabha MP, Bharti is trying her luck from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat, which her father has lost once and where she has tasted defeat twice. Her statement before a posse of media persons has evoked outrage from the BJP, with senior leaders like Ravi Shankar Prasad warning her against going overboard, reminding her of her family's legal wrangles.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Thursday accused the BJP of helping capitalists, wealthy individuals and taking financial assistance from them through electoral bonds and added her party did not take a single paisa through the scheme. Mayawati emphasised no 'jumla' (rhetoric) or guarantee will work for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections because people have realized that not even one-fourth of promises made by the ruling party have been fulfilled and they have yet to see 'achhe din' (good days) assured by it. She raised concerns over reliability of Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) and holding of free and fair elections. Mayawati was addressing an election rally in Nagpur in support of BSP Lok Sabha candidates contesting in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi highlighted the promises made by the Congress party in its poll manifesto and said that they would remove the poverty from the country by transferring Rs 1 lakh into the account of one female from a poverty-stricken household, which comes out to Rs 8,500 per month. "The Congress Government will transfer Rs 1 lakh (in a year) to the bank account of one woman of every poor household in the country. If you are below the poverty line then every year, Rs 1 lakh (Rs 8,500 per month) khatakhat khatakhat aata rahega aur ek jhatke se hum Hindustan se gareebi ko mita denge," Rahul Gandhi said addressing a poll rally in Rajasthan.

It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee to save the people of Tamil Nadu from the "evil force" that is the ruling DMK, state BJP president K Annamalai said on Thursday. Asked about Chief Minister M K Stalin posing 23 questions, including on NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu, Annamalai told reporters that it is Modi's guarantee to bring to book the corrupt politicians belonging to "Gopalapuram", a reference to the DMK. He said it is Modi's guarantee to save the people of Tamil Nadu from the "evil force" that is the ruling DMK and to do away with "family rule" in the state.

The BJP on Thursday named NISHAD Party MLA Vinod Bind as its candidate for the Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. Bind is the sitting MLA from Majhawan assembly seat in Mirzapur district. The NISHAD Party is an alliance partner of the BJP. By giving a ticket to Bind, the BJP overlooked sitting Bhadohi MP Ramesh Chand. Chand had defeated BSP's Ranganath Mishra in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that the party is facing difficulties in supporting its candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, mainly due to financial crunch caused by "steps taken by the central government". Addressing a press conference here, he said the party will fare very well in the polls and the opposition alliance will secure a "clear and convincing majority" despite all attempts to scuttle its progress.

BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday accused the previous Congress regimes of trying to ensure that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and VD Savarkar were forgotten by the masses, while asserting that the Modi government will "never let that happen". Addressing an election rally here, Nadda, in his first visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands since becoming the BJP president, said that the archipelago will witness a "sea change" in the next few years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP MLA Arabail Shivaram Hebbar's son Vivek Hebbar on Thursday joined the Congress party along with his supporters at Banavasi in Uttara Kannada district. After quitting the BJP, Vivek Hebbar joined the party in the presence of state Congress Vice President and former MLC Ivan D'Souza and other local party leaders.

Himachal Pradesh Police chief Sanjay Kundu has said that security forces are maintaining a strict vigil on the state's borders with Punjab in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This is being done to "ensure free and fair polls" in the state, the director general of police (DGP) said during a high-level meeting held here on Wednesday night.
The meeting was attended by superintendents of police from Himachal Pradesh's Una and Kangra districts, and Punjab's Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Nawanshahr districts.

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani Thursday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken the support of the banned Popular Front of India to contest the Lok Sabha election from Kerala's Wayanad seat. While addressing a Yadav Sammelan at her residence in Gauriganj, she said, "Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI that made a list of Hindus to kill, to contest the elections in Wayanad."

The Election Commission on Thursday said that Rs 45.67 crore cash and alcohol worth over Rs 146 crore was seized and 1,544 FIRs in this regard have been filed since the model code of conduct came into effect on March 16. Total seizures worth Rs 292.74 crore have been made till date, the EC said. The general elections in the 28 constituencies in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

A day after being denied party ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party, sitting Allahabad MP Ritu Bahuguna Joshi visited the residence of Neeraj Tripathi who has been named as the candidate from the Lok Sabha constituency and congratulated him.

The BJP-led Union government deceived farmers with false promises such as doubling their income, Congress leader Shailesh Agrawal claimed here on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference, Agrawal, national coordinator of the party's Kisan (farmer) cell, accused the government of being insensitive towards farmers. Be it the promise of doubling farmers' income or providing them insurance cover, the Narendra Modi government failed to fulfill its assurances, he said. "It forced farmers to agitate for Minimum Support Price," Agrawal said.

The Election Commission of India has issued a notice to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) concerning the purported involvement of a child in the party’s political rally titled ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra.’ The rally, which took place in Raikot on April 6th, has raised concerns over the participation of minors in political events.

BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawade on Misa Bharti's statement on PM Modi | "The level of opposition's campaign has stooped so low that they are talking about "Modi ji marega". RJD's Misa ji, daughter of Lalu ji, has said that Modi ji will be put in jail. The country wants to hear if the corrupt will sent to jail or not. The opposition's campaign is at a level where someone is talking about sending leaders to jail and someone is talking of death..."

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on RJD's Misa Bharti's | "First she (Misa Bharti) should think about herself and her family. These people are stuck in so many types of scams and corruption. These are not the allegations we have made, the court has punished them. They should stop making fun of democracy and judiciary by saying such things."

In its latest move ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind as its candidate for the Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat. This decision comes as part of the party’s strategic planning to field strong contenders across various constituencies in the forthcoming polls.

Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind, known for his contributions in the field of [add field of expertise if available], has been selected to represent the BJP in Bhadohi, a constituency that holds significant political importance. The nomination of Dr. Bind underscores the party’s commitment to bringing forward candidates with a proven track record and a deep understanding of local issues.

As the election season gains momentum, the BJP’s nomination of Dr. Vinod Kumar Bind is expected to energise the party’s campaign efforts in Bhadohi, as it aims to secure victory in the upcoming polls.

In a show of solidarity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced a public rally in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, alongside Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the rally underscored his support for Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the BJP’s initiatives in the state. The presence of Prime Minister Modi alongside Chief Minister Dhami provided a significant boost to the latter’s leadership and highlighted the unity within the ruling party.

On Praful Patel's claim that 'Sharad Pawar was 50 per cent ready to join hands with BJP in 2023', NCP -SCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said this statement is meaningless and of no value and there is no truth in this statement.

"All these statements are only being made to increase their value as the BJP is treating the Ajit Pawar group as if they are nobody... If things were supposed to happen, they would've happened a long time ago..," he added.

PM Modi is set to embark on a series of election rallies across Bihar, Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. On April 16th, he will address rallies in Gaya and Purnia in Bihar, as well as in Balurghat and Raiganj in Bengal. The following day, on April 17th, PM Modi will hold rallies in Nalbari, Assam, and Agartala, Tripura. In the first leg of his tour, on April 14th, PM Modi will rally in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, and later in Mysore, Karnataka. Additionally, he will engage in a roadshow in Mangalore. Concluding his tour on April 15th, PM Modi will address rallies in Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Thirunavelli in Kerala.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Malook Nagar has tendered his resignation from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), expressing his intention to continue serving the people and the country. Nagar, who has been associated with the BSP for 18 years, cited a desire to remain active in public service as the primary reason behind his decision to step down from the party.

"I have resigned from the party as I can't sit at home. I have been for 18 years in this party. I want to work for the people and country. This has been a history in BSP that after one term, either you'll be thrown out from the party or the people leave it...," said 

In a significant development ahead of the Sikkim Assembly Election 2024, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda has unveiled the party’s manifesto, outlining key promises and commitments to the people of Sikkim. JP Nadda, along with senior party leaders, presented the manifesto, emphasizing the BJP’s vision for the progress and development of Sikkim. The manifesto encompasses a wide range of initiatives aimed at addressing the aspirations and concerns of the people across various sectors.

Central to the BJP’s manifesto is a robust agenda for development and growth in Sikkim. The party aims to bolster infrastructure, enhance connectivity, and promote economic opportunities to propel the state towards prosperity.

Telugu Desam Party, has decided not to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, and the beleaguered party here is yet to take a call on whom to support in the state, though it is part of the NDA in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a senior leader of the party said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to embark on a campaign trail in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on Thursday, with plans to address three rallies in support of BJP candidates and partake in various other programs, according to sources. Shah’s itinerary includes a visit to Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, where he will commence his day by performing puja at Maa Narmada Pujon Rapta ghat, followed by garlanding the statue of Rani Durgavati in the town.