Lok Sabha election updates | As it happened on April 12, 2024

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “Unlike the Prime Minister, we have not tracked which leader ate what in which month. Instead, we are tracking the nutrition data points.”

He said that in Gujarat, eight out of ten children under five were found to be anaemic, and a ₹4,000 crore breakfast scheme for schoolgoing children was vetoed due to a lack of funds. 

“The Global Health Indicator (GHI) report shows India’s child wasting rate at 18.7%, the highest among countries on its index. The child stunting rate is 35.5%, the 15th highest in the world. Malnutrition remains widespread under the Modi Sarkar, and has even gotten worse according to several data indicators,” he posted on X. 

“Every day the Prime Minister provides us with a new example of his sick mindset. The Prime Minister’s non-stop politicking is infantile and tiresome,” he said. 

Manifesto

“A week before the first phase of polls, the BJP has barely put together a manifesto committee. Meanwhile INC has published its manifesto, launched its door-to-door campaign to distribute our Guarantee Cards to every household, and started its advertisement campaign. We are setting the agenda and taking our message to the masses. A panicky Prime Minister is trying to find a new diversion every day,” he added.

- The Hindu Bureau

In an indirect reference to the viral video of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav eating meat, Mr. Modi said: “I don’t have a problem with whatever one eats, but I oppose those who instigate beliefs. They eat non-vegetarian food during Navratri and tease people by showing the video. By showing videos of non-vegetarian food during Navratri, by hurting the sentiments of people, who are they trying to please?” Opposition parties have “a Mughal mindset”, he alleged. 

Tejashwi Yadav took a jibe at the BJP and said that the video that was posted had a date of April 8, a day before Navarati started.

“I uploaded this video to test the IQ of the BJP and Godi media followers and I was proved right in my thinking. The tweet clearly mentioned “Date” but what do the Andhbhakts know?” Mr. Yadav said in a post. 

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the northeastern states, particularly Mizoram, are a land of diverse religions, diverse languages and diverse ways of life.

He claimed that the BJP’s idea of one nation one election and one nation one culture is against the very idea of India.

Accusing the BJP of following a “bluff and rule” policy, the senior Congress leader said that Manipur is an example of that.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have bluffed the Meiteis, the Kukis and the Nagas of Manipur, he alleged. - PTI

Congress President M. Mallikarjun Kharge claimed there is an invisible undercurrent in favour of the opposition INDIA bloc in the coming Lok Sabha polls, fearing which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning extensively.

He challenged Mr. Modi to take an oath on the Rama statue in Ayodhya temple and say whether he gave the promised ₹15 lakh to each individual from the black money he is supposed to have brought back to the country, doubled the income of farmers, provided two crore jobs and gave minimum support price to farmers.

“He chants god’s name and crushes poor people with price rise. If poor people are surviving, it’s because of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the five guarantees of the Congress government in Karnataka,” the former union minister said. - PTI

Even as the INDIA bloc held a rally in Tamil Nadu on April 12, the BJP attacked the Opposition coalition, terming it an alliance held together “by the glue of corruption”. 

Addressing a press conference at the BJP’s national headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the “Gandhis are the most corrupt” family and raised the 2G spectrum case involving the then-Telecom Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader A. Raja, as he targeted both Opposition parties. -- The Hindu Bureau

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of breaching the election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and called upon the Election Commission to ensure a level-playing field for all parties, alleging that the BJP is exploiting central agencies for its own political benefits. 

Addressing two back-to-back rallies in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, Ms. Banerjee accused the poll panel of not providing permission to rebuild damaged houses in Jalpaiguri which were destroyed by a storm recently. - PTI

Kashmiri migrants from Jammu and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir would no longer be required to fill up ‘Form M’ to vote in the Lok Sabha polls as the Election Commission has ordered changes to the existing voting scheme for the displaced people, fulfilling a long-standing demand.

Instead, they shall be mapped with the special polling stations falling in the zones they are registered or residing in, the poll panel said.

In addition, the commission also eased the process of filing Form M by the migrants staying in Delhi and other places in the country, by allowing self-attestation instead of the earlier required certification by Gazetted officers. - PTI

Union Minister and BJP’s candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of neglecting the development of Amethi. 

Ms. Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 polls. The Congress party is yet to announce its candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the seat. 

Ms. Irani said, “The Gandhi family, especially Rahul Gandhi, wanted the people of Amethi to remain poor. That is why they cannot digest it when a poor man’s son becomes the prime servant of India.” - PTI

The upcoming Parliamentary election is an ideological battle for protecting Indian democracy and Indian constitution, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the election campaign public meeting at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli. - reports P. Sudhakar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi assured a legislation to provide apprenticeship to young people and filling 30 lakh vacant government jobs. Mr. Gandhi said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power at the Centre, “drastic action” will be taken to provide employment opportunities to the young people. - PTI

Facing criticism over her alleged statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would end up “in jail” if the BJP lost power, RJD leader Misa Bharti clarified that her remarks were taken out of context.

Ms. Bharti accused the media of distorting her statement, attributing it to the BJP’s agenda.

“I never said anything about the PM. The media played a distorted clip instead of telecasting my full comment. It is BJP’s agenda”, alleged Ms. Bharti. - PTI

“The Constitution of the country is everything for the (BJP) government and even if Babasaheb Ambedkar himself comes, he cannot abolish the Constitution,” Mr. Modi said. Mr. Modi accused the Congress of trying to “destroy the Constitution” by imposing an emergency in the country.

“The Congress tried to destroy the Constitution by imposing emergency in the country and now it is taking cover in the name of the Constitution to abuse Modi,” the Prime Minister said.

Addressing an election rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer, PM Modi said, “a party in the INDIA bloc has written in its manifesto about nuclear disarmament,” without taking any names.

“Should a country like India, whose neighbours on both sides have nuclear weapons, think about eliminating nuclear weapons? I want to ask the Congress, on whose instructions your INDI alliance is working?” Mr. Modi said. “What kind of alliance is this that wants to make India powerless,” he asked. - PTI

BJP national president J. P. Nadda, who held a poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi slammed the Congress for indulging in politics of division. Mr. Nadda said,”Earlier, politics was done by dividing people. The Congress Party divided brother against brother for a long time, whether someone is from this bank of the river or the opposite bank of the river, whether you are forward or backward, whether you are from our caste or from any other caste, and did vote bank politics. Following that, they took everyone’s vote and then formed the government of one caste, section or community. It was not an inclusive government.”

He further said, “But PM Modi changed the definition of Indian politics in the last 10 years. Now that the definition has changed, politics will not work through a vote bank, by misleading people. Now, there will be no politics by talking on the basis of castes and classes,” the BJP president said. - ANI

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president and Assam Minister Atul Bora exuded confidence in NDA’s victory on more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

“The people of Assam and the country have trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time NDA is unstoppable and will win more than 400 seats. Congress will be finished,” Mr. Bora said. Atul Bora interacted with media persons at the AGP headquarters in Guwahati.

The AGP president said, “During the Congress regime, the leaders indulged in the corruption. On the other hand, when the NDA came to power in 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lots of development work was done and people trusted Prime Minister Modi. PM Modi has fulfilled all his promises. Congress did only corruption. This time in Assam, AGP is contesting in two Lok Sabha seats – Barpeta and Dhubri – and NDA will win all seats in the State,” Atul Bora said. - ANI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), met the leaders of his party and discussed with them the issues surrounding the contentious Madha and Nashik Lok Sabha seats.

Talking to reporters, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said the party office-bearers from Phaltan and Man-Khatav in Satara district led by senior leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar met Ajit Pawar, party’s working president Praful Patel and other leaders to discuss the Madha seat.

“The candidate of the ruling Mahayuti alliance (comprising the Shiv Sena, the BJP and the NCP) for the Madha seat has already been declared. BJP’s Ranjit Naik Nimbalkar will contest it. But the issues surrounding this seat will be resolved in a day or two,” he said when asked about the Opposition to Nimbalkar’s nomination from the ruling allies.

Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil and Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, who is with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, have openly opposed Ranjit Naik Nimbalkar’s candidature from Madha. Mr. Tatkare said the issue of Nashik Parliamentary constituency also came up for discussion during the meeting. - PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will take part in a roadshow in Agartala on April 16, a senior Congress leader said.

The roadshow, which will be organised in support of the Opposition INDIA bloc candidates of two Lok Sabha constituencies, Tripura West and Tripura East, is scheduled to touch almost all important locations of the State capital.

“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is scheduled to land in Agartala on April 16 and will join a road show to appeal to the people to vote for the INDIA bloc candidates in both the Parliamentary constituencies and the Assembly bypolls,” senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman told a press conference.

“There will be no rally but during the roadshow, she will deliver a speech near Surya Chowmuhani and appeal to the people to vote for the Opposition INDIA Bloc candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats,” Mr. Barman said. - PTI

Rebel BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K. S. Eshwarappa filed his nomination from Shivamogga for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate to take on official party nominee B. Y. Raghavendra, who is seeking re-election from the segment.

In Kalaburagi, Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress president M. Mallikarjun Kharge, also filed his papers. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D. K. Shivakumar.

Mr. Raghavendra is the son of BJP veteran and member of the party’s Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa. BJP leaders had appealed to Mr. Eshwarappa to desist from contesting but he remained steadfast on his decision.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who had also served as the party’s State unit president, is miffed over his son K. E. Kanthesh being denied the ticket from the neighbouring Haveri segment. The 75-year-old had alleged that Mr. Yediyurappa had promised to get the ticket for his son but betrayed him.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who has raised a banner of revolt against the party’s State unit, has repeatedly attacked the Lingayat strongman Yediyurappa, saying the BJP is in the grip of his family. - PTI

Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai promised a slew of assurances for Coimbatore, including striving for the establishment of an IIM and units of National Investigation Agency and the Narcotics Control Bureau.

“The party will work for “100 assurances in 500 days,” he said addressing a press conference after releasing the party’s manifesto for the Parliamentary constituency. Setting up of Navodaya schools and addressing issues related to Noyyal and Kousika rivers were some of the other promises.

“Round-the-clock mobile food vans named after the legendary leader and former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj will also be introduced,” he said. - PTI

“This election is not an election of party but of country,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer. He said the Congress ruled for decades but there is not a single major problem of the country for which it gave a complete solution. “Congress’ thinking is anti-development; border districts were deliberately deprived of development by former Congress governments,” PM Modi said. “While Modi is busy making India a powerful nation, people of INDIA alliance are trying to make India weak,” Mr. Modi said. - PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Congress over its handling of the Kashmir issue, saying the party “pampered” Article 370 like a child in its lap for decades till it was scrapped. 

At an election meeting in Moradabad, Mr. Shah also slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for suggesting recently that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be speaking about Kashmir while addressing rallies in other States. 

“Tell me isn’t Kashmir ours? Khargeji of the Congress asks what do people of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have to do with Kashmir,” he said, adding that every child of Moradabad is ready to give his life for Kashmir. 

“For 70 years, the Congress pampered Article 370 like an illegitimate child in its lap,” Mr. Shah said, referring to the special status enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir under the Article. 

“You made Modiji the Prime Minister for the second time and he abolished Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Today our tricolour is flying there with pride. Under the leadership of Modiji, Kashmir has been united with India forever,” Mr. Shah said. 

He said, “Modiji has divided the entire country into four ‘castes’ – women, poor, youth and farmers. On this basis, work has been done for the development of everyone in the entire country.” The SP has fielded Ruchi Veera from Moradabad this time against the BJP’s Sarvesh Singh. - PTI

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP government at the Centre scrapped the three “black” farm laws after realising the strength of farmers.

At a rally in support of party candidate Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, Mr. Yadav also said that the people of Pilibhit have made up their minds to defeat the BJP and the saffron party is scared.

“The faces of BJP people turn ‘peela’ (yellow) on hearing the name of Pilibhit,” Mr. Yadav said. This is the first political rally of Mr. Yadav in Uttar Pradesh after the polls were announced.

The former Chief Minister also attacked the BJP government over the issue of electoral bonds and demonetisation. “Tell me if this electoral bond and the demonetisation are not ways to turn black money into white. They have made all their black money into white,” he charged.

Mr. Gangwar is pitted against Jitin Prasada of the BJP and Anis Ahmed of the BSP in this seat. - PTI

The nomination process for the four Lok Sabha constituencies, including Guwahati, in Assam going to polls in the third phase began on April 12, the Election Commission said.

The process started with issuance of the notification for the third phase across the country. Voting in Guwahati, Barpeta, Dhubri and Kokrajhar (ST) constituencies will take place in the third phase on May 7.

As per the notification, the last date of filing nomination is April 19, while the scrutiny of the same will be done the next day. The last day for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on April 22. - PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that the Congress will become extinct like the dinosaur in a few years.

The senior BJP leader compared the infighting within the Congress to the house of television reality show “Bigg Boss”, saying the leaders of the party are tearing each other’s clothes on a daily basis.

“The exodus of leaders from the Congress continues. They are quitting the party one after another and joining the BJP. I am afraid that in a few years from now, the Congress will become extinct like the dinosaur. In a few years after 2024, if we take the name of the Congress, children will ask, who?” Mr. Singh said, addressing a rally in Uttarakhand’s Gauchar in support of Anil Baluni, the BJP candidate from the Pauri seat in the Lok Sabha polls.

- PTI

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit said that the three farm laws were scrapped by the BJP government as they were afraid of the strength of farmers.

- PTI

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) released its fourth list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding former State president of the party Bhim Rajbhar from Azamgarh and former MP Balkrishna Chauhan from Ghosi. 

“Mohammad Irfan has been fielded from Etah, while Shyam Kishor Awasthi is the BSP candidate from Dhaurahra Lok Sabha seat,” the party said in a statement. 

Sachidanand Pandey and Dayashankar Mishra have been fielded from Faizabad and Basti Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. From Gorakhpur, the BSP has given party ticket to Javed Simnani. 

“Satyendra Kumar Maurya is the BSP candidate from Chandauli and from Roberstganj (SC) constituency, the BSP has fielded Dhaneshwar Gautam,” it said. - PTI

People in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand say the Agnipath military recruitment scheme and the Ankita Bhandari murder case will have a bearing on the electoral prospects of the BJP, in Dehradun, as these issues weigh heavy on the minds of the electorate. 

The Centre’s Agnipath scheme has upset the youth aspiring to join the armed forces, several people told PTI. There are concerns over the issue of women’s safety as well following the Ankita Bhandari murder case, in which the son of a former BJP leader is the main accused. 

Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh, was killed allegedly by its owner and two of his accomplices in 2022. 

Ishwari Prasad Maikhori, a local Congress leader, said the party is aggressively raising these issues. The Congress has been demanding a CBI probe into Bhandari’s murder. 

Harish Sati, a local BJP leader, said, “We accept that these points will have an impact on the polls since people in Uttarakhand are emotionally connected with Army jobs and with the Ankita Bhandari case. However, the development work of the BJP will also play an important role.” - PTI

In a battle involving the ‘royal’ and the ‘ordinary’, the voters of Mysuru are faced with a dilemma of choosing between the BJP’s Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Congress’s M. Lakshmana in the Lok Sabha polls. 

While Mr. Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family is making his political debut from the Mysore Lok Sabha segment, Mr. Lakshmana is State Congress spokesperson and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s confidant. 

“Voting for Lakshmana is like voting for me. His victory means my victory,” says Mr. Siddaramaiah, who represents Varuna Assembly segment in the district. The Mysore Lok Sabha constituency is spread over two districts of Mysuru and Kodagu. 

The Congress – which calls this election battle as ‘Raja versus Samanya Praja’ or ‘King versus Ordinary Citizen’ – is also heavily banking on the State government’s guarantee schemes to pay rich electoral dividends. - PTI

The Congress has entered the electoral fray in the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha constituency where it was routed in 2014. The party has fielded R. Sudha — a Madras High Court advocate from Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district — in this constituency. The party is banking on the arithmetic of the alliance headed by the DMK to work in its favour. 

With the AIADMK fielding P. Babu, a native of this constituency and the Pattali Makkal Katchi’s candidate M.K. Stalin of Maruthuvakudi village in neighbouring Thanjavur district also in the fray, Mayiladuthurai is witnessing a high-voltage poll battle this time. 

Lok Sabha polls | Congress trying to regain lost ground amid intense battle among newcomers in Mayiladuthurai

The Congress has entered the electoral fray yet again in the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha constituency hoping to stage a comeback after it lost the seat in 2014.

AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia moved a court in New Delhi seeking interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. 

Mr. Sisodia, who is in judicial custody in connection with the alleged Delhi Excise policy scam case, has moved Rouse Avenue Court for interim bail on the grounds of poll campaigning.

On April 7, Mr. Sisodia’s judicial custody was extended till April 18. - PTI

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has once again raised questions on the integrity of electronic voting machines (EVMs), stating that he had approached the ECI and the poll body did not respond to his queries. 

Mr. Singh said, “I have three basic questions, is it [EVM] a stand-alone machine? Does VVPAT have any connectivity with the internet? Third, I want to know which software you have installed in the VVPAT? Which is installed through the symbol loading unit. Why don’t they reply to these questions? A national party has been seeking time since April 2023, but they don’t give us time. I have complaints with the ECI, they are totally partial in their work.”

He posted a short video clip on X handle claiming that the machine was connected to the internet, downloading the software from ECI Central Server and installing it in a VVPAT unit. - ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that the Centre is committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir adding that assembly elections will also be held soon. 

“The time is not far when assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir also. Jammu and Kashmir will get back its state status. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLAs, and your Ministers,” PM Modi said while addressing a public rally in Udhampur. He also pointed out that now after decades, elections were taking place in Jammu and Kashmir without fear of terrorism and cross-border firing.

“Now schools are not burnt here, but schools are decorated. Now AIIMS, IITs and IIMs are being built here. Now modern tunnels, modern wide roads, and wonderful rail journeys are becoming the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr. Modi said, adding, “Be it Jammu or Kashmir, now tourists and devotees have started coming here in record numbers.”

“In the 10 years, we have tightened the noose around terrorists and corrupt people. Now in the coming five years, this area has to be taken to new heights of development. Within 10 years, Jammu and Kashmir has completely changed. Roads, electricity, water, travel, migration, all these are there. But the biggest thing is that the mind of Jammu and Kashmir has changed,” he said.

The PM said, “I had told you to trust me and I will solve the problems plaguing Jammu and Kashmir for the last 60 years. I had guaranteed respect for the mothers and sisters here. I gave a guarantee that the poor would not have to worry about two meals a day. Today lakhs of families of Jammu and Kashmir have the guarantee of free ration for the next 5 years.” - ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the BJP used its majority in Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms to strengthen the country while the Congress used its decades-long majority to strengthen its “family”, asserting that even the opposition believes that his government will retain power for a third term.

In an interview with the Hindi daily Hindustan, Mr. Modi underlined his commitment to taking strict action against the corrupt amid criticism by opposition parties that probe agencies were used by his government to target their leaders.​Read the report here.​

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah will contest elections from the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, the National Conference has announced. Shia leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi would contest from central Kashmir’s Srinagar constituency, a party bastion.

The BJP has consistently performed well in Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka since 2004. If the 2009 Lok Sabha elections are taken as the cut-off, as that was the first election after the delimitation of seats in 2008, the BJP has never lost 13 seats, while the Congress does not have even a single seat that it has consistently won during this period. 

While this shows that the BJP begins the ongoing Lok Sabha polls campaign with an advantage, psephologists and political experts warn that every election is different. Read the report here.

After winning the Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 and 2019, the BJP has decided to field the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar as its candidate. The Congress has opted for M. Lakshman, familiar to the people of Mysuru first as a social activist and later as a Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson. The elections to this seat will also be seen as a prestige battle for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Read the report here.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “In this great festival of democracy, the echo of BJP is being heard all over the country. Today I will get the opportunity to receive the blessings of my family members of Jammu-Kashmir and Rajasthan.” 

Sharing his itinerary, he said, “In the morning I will interact with people in Udhampur of Jammu-Kashmir and in the afternoon, in Barmer of Rajasthan. After this, I will get the opportunity to be among the people in a roadshow at Dausa.” Mr. Modi will be campaigning for Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who has been representing Udhampur since 2014.In Rajastan, Mr. Modi will seek votes for sitting MP Kailash Choudhary (Barmer) and Kanhaiya Lal Meena (Dausa). - ANI

The fight in Dindigul has always been between the two Dravidian parties. But this time the DMK has allocated the seat to its ally CPI(M) and the AIADMK has given the seat to its ally SDPI.

CPI(M)’s R. Sachidanandam, SDPI’s V.M.S. Mohammed Mubarak, PMK’s M. Thilagabama and NTK’s Dr. Kayilai Rajan are the prominent candidates for the seat.

Dindigul constituency: Will the comrade make inroads into the hinterland still enamoured with MGR charisma?

Dindigul constituency faces agricultural challenges, political shifts, and infrastructure needs in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala believes the Congress will gain if PM Modi campaigns in Kerala. “If his (PM Modi) face is shown here, our position will improve day by day. More and more visits of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah should be done in Kerala, then our position will be more comfortable... The people know their policies. After the elections, they are not going to have any seats,” he added. 

“Overall picture is in favour of the Congress party. In the last parliamentary elections, 18 out of 20. This time we will win 20 out 20. Kerala is totally in favour of Congress and UDF,” he said. - ANI

Tamilisai Soundararajan, the BJP’s Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency candidate, recently resigned as Governor of Telangana and Lt. Governor of Puducherry to return to active politics. 

In this interaction with journalists at The Hindu, Ms.Soundararajan explains why she opposes the DMK’s ‘Dravidian Model’.

Watch | Tamilisai Soundararajan: Quit Governor post to serve the people

BJP Chennai South candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan interacted with staff at The Hindu, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls

The BJP spent at least ₹39,41,78,750 on around 80,667 political advertisements through Google between January 1 and April 11, statistics from Google’s Ads Transparency Center show.Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan were the top five targeted states in terms of ad spending by location shown, with the BJP’s ad spend crossing ₹2 crore for each of these states since the start of 2024, per Google’s insights.

Sivaganga Lok Sabha Constituency is a Congress bastion - the electorate has traditionally chosen candidates from the Congress more times than any other party. P. Chidambaram of the Congress had won the seat seven times since 1984. His son and sitting MP Karti P. Chidambaram is seeking re-election. 

He will have to defeat the BJP’s T. Devanathan Yadav, the AIADMK’s Xavier Dass and the NTK’s Ezhilarasi to retain his seat.

Sivaganga: advantage Congress or will the voters make a different choice?

Sivaganga Lok Sabha Constituency traditionally favors Congress; Karti Chidambaram seeks re-election against BJP and AIADMK candidates.

CSDS-Lokniti’s pre-poll survey showed that unemployment, price rise, and development were at the top of the minds of voters. While respondents concerned most with development may tilt toward the BJP, voters’ concern about unemployment and price rise may hold a red flag for the party. Here’s an analysis.

CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey: Issues that are likely to dominate the Lok Sabha election

Analysis of electoral issues in India, focusing on unemployment, price rise, and development, with implications for political parties.

Former Chief Minister and the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from West Tripura, Biplab Kumar Deb, said the people will not cast a single vote in favour of the INDIA candidate backed by the Congress and the CPI(M). 

Addressing an election rally in Agartala on April 11, he said, “I had served the State as chief minister for 4 years and 2 months. The people of Tripura know how I have worked for them. The voters will give a fitting reply to the joint candidate of the CPI(M) and the Congress. Not a single vote will be cast in favour of their candidate. Under the leadership of PM Modi at the Centre, every household in the state receives 5 kg of rice free of cost. The Congress and the Left, which can’t see eye to eye down south in Kerala, cosied up to each other and came together for an alliance of convenience here.” 

The massive rally was held in support of Mr. Deb and Dipak Majumder, the BJP’s candidate for the Ramnagar Assembly bye-election. - ANI

Candidates in Kerala are facing a big issue -- election rallies and street corner meetings have failed to attract people other than party workers. 

Political observers say the number of corner meetings has drastically come down. This is a major setback for the traditional players in the light and sound sector. There is less demand for poll graffiti and parody songs, leaving the artists high and dry. Read the report here.

National rivals the BJP and Congress are engaged in a direct fight in Puducherry this election season. The polls for the seat, which will be held on April 19, is also a prestige battle as V. Vaithilingam, Congress veteran, sitting MP and two-time Chief Minister, is taking on former Congressman-turned-bete noire, and now an ascendant BJP leader in Home Minister A. Namassivayam in a tight contest. 

A cliffhanger on the cards in Puducherry as Congress veteran takes on BJP heavyweight

More than being a constituency where national rivals the BJP and Congress are engaged in a direct fight, the battle for the lone Parliamentary seat in Puducherry has all the makings of a political cliffhanger.

Senior BSP leader and Bijnor MP Malook Nagar joined the RLD on April 11 after the BSP denied him a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections. 

Mr. Nagar’s move could help the RLD to forge a strong Jat-Gurjar alliance in western Uttar Pradesh and help the NDA in the region. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Nagar said that he will work for farmers and consolidate the Jat-Gurjar vote in the region for the NDA. Read the report here.

In Telangana, the Congress party’s struggle in selecting its candidates Karimnagar and Khammam Parliament seats could hurt its chances and may impact its plans to win 12 seats in the State. 

In both constituencies, the BJP and BRS are ahead in campaigning and this delay by the Congress might impact its image in other constituencies as well. Read the report here.

How do voters perceive issues like the abrogation of Article 370, hosting the G-20 Summit, and the BJP’s plans for a Uniform Civil Code? The CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll study conducted in April sheds light on how the Indian voters view the incumbent government.

CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey | Key decisions and political implication for BJP

The CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll study conducted in April sheds light on how the Indian voters perceived these actions and intentions of the incumbent government.

What are some of the indicators that can tilt the balance in favour of the ruling party?

Suhas Palshikar, Sandeep Shastri and Sanjay Kumar explain the takeaways of the Lokniti-CSDS pre-poll survey.

CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey | Despite the economy, how is the BJP sitting pretty?

CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey: The strengthening of Hindu identity through the construction and consecration of the Ram Mandir, the leadership factor, and the ambivalence of many voters on two issues — the Uniform Civil Code and the dilution of Article 370 — may work to the advantage of the BJP and help it weather the dissatisfaction about the economy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday that if the INDIA coalition comes to power at the Centre, the Other Backward Class (OBC) community will “suffer the biggest loss” as he accused the Congress of being an “anti-OBC” party.

“If this ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance wins, the OBC will suffer the biggest loss in the coming days. The Congress is an anti-OBC party. They sat over both the Kaka Kalelkar Commission and the Mandal Commission reports,” Mr. Shah said, addressing a rally at Katni in Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency of Madhya Pradesh.

The BJP has fielded its State unit president and sitting MP V.D. Sharma from Khajuraho. Earlier in the day, Mr. Shah also held a rally in the Mandla Lok Sabha constituency, where Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste is again the BJP candidate. 

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Even though the BJP is yet to declare its candidate for the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is campaigning there has been found violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) of the Election Commission.

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Colonelganj, has issued a notice to him for taking out a convoy of more than 12 vehicles in areas under the Kaiserganj Lok Sabha constituency without prior approval, violating Section 144 of Cr.PC. A case has been registered over the matter, and the administration has sought his response in three days. 

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