Lok Sabha election updates | As it happened on April 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the infrastructure related to Mangaluru International Airport, the railway stations, and port sector in Mangaluru will be modernised in the coming days.

In a series of Kannada and English posts on X following his roadshow in Mangaluru late on Sunday night, Mr. Modi said in the last decade the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has done several projects in Dakshina Kannada covering sectors namely transport, port, fishing, power, and health in addition to empowerment of the fisher community. Changes in the economic policies have greatly benefited people of Mangaluru region, who are known for their entrepreneurship skill, he said.

The Congress on Monday released a campaign song for the Lok Sabha polls, focusing on the theme of “Nyay” for women, youngsters, farmers and labourers as well as on participatory justice.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and spokesperson Supriya Shrinate released the song with the lyrics “Hum Saath Hain To Haath Ye Halat Badal Dega” at the AICC headquarters here.

The Congress leaders also spoke about the various phases of the party’s campaign, saying it started with the “mere vikas ka do hisaab” slogan and then moved on to “haath badlega halaat”, which is based on five “nyay” (justice) -- naari nyay, kisaan nyay, yuva nyay, shramik nyay and hissedaari nyay.

-PTI

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah challenged Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls against him, instead of “hiding behind a camera” and making statements targeting his party.

“I challenge him (Azad) to contest (the polls) against me to test his strength. Hiding behind a camera and giving statements (against the NC) is very easy. If he is a man, let him fight against me. I will see how many votes he gets,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of his roadshow in the Thathri area of Doda district.

-PTI

The Congress on Monday named Mukesh Singh Chauhan as its candidate for the bypoll to the Lucknow East Assembly constituency.

Polling in the constituency will be held on May 20, during the fifth phase of the general election.

“Congress president Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Shri Mukesh Singh Chauhan as the Congress candidate for the ensuing by-election to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh from 173-Lucknow East Constituency,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement.

-PTI

The Congress on Monday claimed that there is a “strong undercurrent” of support for it in the Northeast because of the fear that the diversity of the region is going to be “destroyed” and uniformity imposed by the BJP.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said that there is a fear in the Northeast that a government that can “bulldoze the abolition of Article 370 can very well bulldoze the abolition of Article 371 and its special provisions”.

In the northeastern states, there is a strong undercurrent of support because of the fear that the diversity of the region is going to be “destroyed” and the BJP will impose uniformity, Ramesh said.

“Our message in the Northeast is that the BJP will impose uniformity, while the Congress wants to strengthen unity in diversity,” he said.

Ramesh also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the violence-hit Manipur, wondering if he has the courage to visit the state or not.

-PTI

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on April 15 criticised the Election Commission for “favouring” the BJP and threatened to go on a hunger strike outside the poll panel’s office if there is a single riot in the State.

While addressing a rally at Alipurduar, Ms. Banerjee accused the Election Commission of removing the Deputy Inspector General of Police of Murshidabad at the behest of the BJP.

“Even today, just based on BJP’s instructions, the DIG of Murshidabad was changed. Now, if there are riots in Murshidabad and Malda, the responsibility will lie with the Election Commission. The BJP wanted to change the police officers to trigger riots and violence. If there is even one riot, the ECI will be responsible as they are looking after law and order here,” she said.

Launching a vitriolic attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, BJP president JP Nadda on Monday said that it has nothing to do with the general public and all parties in it are concerned only about their families.

Addressing a poll rally in Mussoorie in support of BJP candidate from Tehri Garhwal Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Nadda said on one side there is the BJP’s manifesto (Sankalp Patra) which lays the roadmap for a developed India and on the other side the INDIA bloc constituents who have their separate manifestos.

“What will they do for development when they cannot even come together,” he said.

Describing the INDIA bloc as a conglomeration of the corrupt who are either in jail or on bail, he said that all they are concerned with is saving their families.

-PTI

The Supreme Court on April 15 refused to intervene in a petition filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum and two individuals seeking a direction to the Election Commission to make arrangements for persons who had fled the conflict and are currently residing in other States to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said with merely three days left for polling in Manipur on April 19, it was too late for the court to intervene.

“Interference at this belated stage would cause substantial impediments in the conduct of elections in Manipur,” Chief Justice Chandrachud reasoned.

The AAP will hold 200 “Sankalp Sabha” meetings across four Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi ahead of the parliamentary polls to seek the support of people against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Monday.

The “Sankalp Sabha” meetings, to be held in 40 Assembly constituencies under the four Lok Sabha segments, will be attended by senior leaders and ministers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rai told a press briefing here.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai will preside over the “Sankalp Sabha” meetings.

-PTI

The BJP has complained to the Election Commission (EC) against Ganesh Godiyal, the Congress candidate from Uttarakhand’s Garhwal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, accusing him of making “unverified and distorted” allegations against its candidate, Anil Baluni.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cited Godiyal’s allegation that the local excise department has overseen the supply of 9,000 crates of liquor to help the ruling party’s candidate win the electoral contest.

“Godiyal has not only questioned the integrity of the BJP candidate but also questioned the integrity of the police officials and government officials present during the investigation,” the saffron party has said in its complaint.

The BJP has also claimed that the allegation of the Congress candidate was rejected by the excise department.

-PTI

At least 6,500 polling personnel, over 3,000 policemen and 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Mizoram, a senior election official said here on Monday.

Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state will be held on Friday.

“All arrangements are complete and we have also commissioned the EVMs. We are ready for the polls,” Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas told PTI.

He said the 6,500 polling personnel have already undergone two rounds of training and the final round is scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday.

Vyas confirmed that the polling personnel assigned to the 168 polling stations will be dispatched to their respective locations on Wednesday, with the remaining personnel scheduled for dispatch on Thursday.

-PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said the talks about amendment in the Constitution is being raised by the BJP because they want to snatch the people’s rights.

She said after 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi rule at the Centre and false promises, his speeches sound hollow to her.

“The talks about amendment in the Constitution is being raised by the BJP because they want to snatch the people’s rights. And they want to do it in a manner that you don’t even realise that it is happening,” Gandhi said.

She was addressing a public rally in Bandikui of Rajasthan’s Dausa in support of Congress candidate Murari Lal Meena.

She said Modi talks about the Constitution during his public rallies but asks his people to go and talk about the amendment in the Constitution which will be done when the BJP government is formed.

-PTI

As the summer draws forth, several localities in Gaya face problems stemming from water shortages. In the Gewalbigha area, a Dalit dominant area, the problem is especially acute. Pinki Devi, a resident of Gewalbigha locality in the heart of the city of Gaya, has to fetch five buckets of water twice a day amid a scarcity of water in the area.

Although there is a pipeline in the area, it does not suffice given that the water levels have gone down lower than 150 feet. The only source of water for the people in the area passes through a drainpipe.

Tap water is available two times a day morning for half an hour. With some 25 odd taps in the area, the half hour window is all the time the locals get to utilise the incoming water.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stating that the IT notice served to their party’s Thrissur district committee on its bank account when the election process has begun is “violative” of the level playing field.

In his letter, Yechury alleged that the action of the central agency is “ill-conceived” and urged the poll panel to put the order in abeyance till the election process is over.

He claimed the details of this account were submitted to the IT and EC as per law and no objections were raised all through the year.

-PTI

“We worked day and night for Tamil Nadu’s development in the past 10 years,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi says at a rally in Tirunelveli. 

Calling out the ruling DMK over the drug menace in TN, Mr. Modi says the State is witnessing corruption of family-run party. “The BJP will save younger generation from the deep-rooted drug trade in Tamil Nadu which is being done with the blessings of people in power,” Mr. Modi says. 

Appealing to voters to give NDA an opportunity, Mr. Modi says that the State is set to create a new record by giving a decisive mandate to NDA in the Lok Sabha elections. “...Your support is giving sleepless nights to DMK & INDIA alliance...,” Mr. Modi says.

This Lok Sabha election is about the future of India and to safeguard the constitutional values that have been in existence in the country, senior Congress leader Girish Chodankar said on Monday.

He said this while addressing a press conference here.

“This election is about the future of India and to safeguard our constitution, our values that we believe in and also safeguard the purity that had been existent in India and safeguard the country in general,” said Chodankar, AICC in-charge of Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura.

Asserting that the Lok Sabha elections will decide the future faith of the country, Chodankar said “the mood of the country is changing and people are no longer believing the ‘ache din’ and fake promises and guarantees of Narendra Modi.” He expressed confidence that the people of Nagaland will vote for the INDI Alliance.

-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 15 sought to capitalise on the momentum from his back-to-back campaign forays into Kerala since January by delivering a series of fiery attacks against the ruling and the Opposition fronts in the State.

At a BJP rally at Kattakada in the Attingal Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Modi accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of running Kerala to financial ruin and then blaming the Centre for its “self-inflicted bankruptcy.”

Mr. Modi said “the LDF-UDF revolving door politics” would spell doom for Kerala. He cast the CPI(M) and the Congress as hives of nepotism and corruption. Both parties were allies shadowboxing as foes in Kerala. Their leaders lacked honesty and credibility, he said.

The Supreme Court refused to intervene in a petition filed by Manipur Tribal Forum and two individuals seeking a direction to the Election Commission to make arrangements to enable internally displaced persons settled outside Manipur to cast their votes in the general elections 2024 by setting up special polling booths in States where they are currently residing.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said any interference now by the court would cause “substantial impediments” in the conduct of the elections in Manipur.

- Krishnadas Rajagopal

Union minister and BJP’s candidate for Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat, Piyush Goyal, on Monday said his party will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country after being elected for a third term.

Speaking to reporters at the Maharashtra BJP headquarters here, Mr. Goyal also dismissed criticism of the BJP’s manifesto by opposition parties, saying it reflects their defeatist mindset. - PTI

Authorities have seized cash, liquor, drugs, and freebies worth over ₹4 crore in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India said on Monday.

The poll body is on track for the highest-ever seizures of inducements recorded in the 75-year history of Lok Sabha elections in the country, with seizures totalling ₹4650 crores, showing an increase of ₹175 crore compared to 2019, it said. - PTI

Former BJD MP Prabhas Kumar Singh Monday joined the BJP days before the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and criticised the party led by Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

There was no “dignity and self-respect” in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), said Singh, who has represented Odisha’s Bargarh seat in the past, after he was welcomed in the BJP by its national general secretary Tarun Chugh and other senior leaders.

Addressing a joint press conference with the BJP leaders at the party headquarters here, Singh expressed happiness over joining the “biggest political party in the world”.

“This is a special moment for me. I am highly influenced by prime minister Narendra Modi’s personality,” he said.

“I have left the BJD (Biju Janata Dal) because there is no self-respect and dignity left there,” he claimed and also alleged the absence of respect for Odia ‘asmita’ (identity), art culture and heritage in the party led by Patnaik.

-PTI

“Congress has made Manipur into naka bandi State. I know in this State, intruders are coming in and conspiring to change the demography. That is why PM Modi has decided to fence Myanmar border and secure Manipur,” Amit Shah said on April 15. 

“Ethnic conflict has taken place here. I want to say to the hills and the valley. In the future, Modi’s priority is to keep Manipur together, talk to everybody and bring peace in Manipur. Congress is a party of tukde tukde gang and its candidate - the professor is also a part of this tukde tukde gang,” the Home Minister added.

Congress candidate for Inner Manipur is JNU Associate Professor A. Bimol Akoijam.

Speaking at a rally in Imphal for Inner Manipur candidate Th. Basantakumar Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah on April 15 said, “This election is not between the Congress and the BJP. It is between those who talk about breaking Manipur apart and those who talk about keeping it together.”

“Congress always talks about breaking the nation into pieces. Even now they are dividing the country into north India and south India. Here too they have an agenda to bifurcate Manipur. No one will ever have the guts to break Manipur apart. We will not let it happen,” he added.

The BJP’s Lok Sabha poll manifesto provides a roadmap to fulfil the dream of a developed India by 2047, and the people of Gujarat will help the party win all the 26 seats in the State, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said. 

The BJP follows the policy of doing what it says -- no hollow promises, Mr. Patel told media persons. The party’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was released on April 14.

The CM said 6.5 crore people of Gujarat have reposed their trust in the BJP for over two decades and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee has shown them how to realise their dreams through development and public welfare.

“The foundation of good governance laid by Modi has helped the BJP win all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat (in the last two parliamentary polls). People will again help the BJP win all 26 seats by reposing faith in Modi’s politics of development,” he said. - PTI

A motorcyclist died after he got entangled in a rope tied along roadside as part of security restrictions in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s movement through Kochi city. 

The incident took place at Valanjambalam on April 14 (Sunday) around 10 p.m. The deceased was identified as Manoj Unni, 28, of Vaduthala.

According to the police, a police vehicle inspection team waved him down but the victim, instead of stopping, evaded them and sped past following which he got entangled in the rope and fell down. Though the police rushed him to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries around 1.30 a.m. on April 15 (Monday).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended an election campaign of the NDA at Kunnamkulam in Kerala’s Thrissur district on April 15 (Monday) promised to “return” the investors’ money at Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank which has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“The money of the poor people has been looted openly in Kerala. New models of corruption have been tried out here. The CPI(M) has looted the investors who deposited (in bank) their hard-earned money, saved even for wedding purposes of their daughters. The CPI(M) pushed thousands of poor people into misery. The Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) has been lying for the last three years by promising to return the money,” said Mr. Modi.

“The Congress has made the country weak. But the BJP made it strong. Now the world is looking at the country with respect. Whatever development the country has witnessed in the last 10 years is just a trailer. The NDA’s election manifesto promises a slew of developments for Kerala,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted to the removal of DIG Murshidabad by the Election Commission saying that if one more riot breaks out in the State, the EC will be responsible for it. “Today, just based on BJP’s instructions, the DIG of Murshidabad has been changed. Now, if there are riots in Murshidabad and Malda, the responsibility will lie with the ECI. Based on the ECI’s statements, officers are deliberately changed for the BJP to trigger violence. If there is even one riot, ECI will be responsible as they are looking after the law and order here. If I can fast for farmers for 26 days, I can go on a hunger strike for 55 days outside your office as well. I know how to fight. I am not a coward! Remember this!” she said.

Measures for harmony between communities and the development of Tripura have been ensured in the agreement signed with Tipra Motha, Home Minister Amit Shah said, accusing the CPI(M)-led Left Front of spreading misinformation.

“Congress and the Communists never allowed anyone from the tribal community to hold a higher position. PM Narendra Modi, for the first time, honoured tribals by giving India a president from the community,” he said. 

“Before 2014, the budget of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was ₹24,000 crore. Under PM Modi, it increased to ₹1,25,000 crore,” he added.

Development of the tribal areas in Tripura is a priority for the BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Addressing an election rally in Kumarghat, he said all issues of the State’s tribal community were taken care of in the “historic agreement” signed with Tipra Motha. - PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on April 15 said the BJP poll manifesto does not have anything for the poor but talks about bidding for the 2036 Olympics.

“What are the BJP’s policies for the poor?” Mr. Gandhi asked during his interaction with college students at Thaloor before proceeding to Wayanad in Kerala. 

The Congress manifesto has policies for all sections of the people including the youth and women. “But the BJP election manifesto talks about holding Olympics in 2036. This is the difference between the Congress and the BJP,” he said. - PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi son April 15 said that what happened in the country in the last 10 years of NDA rule was only a trailer as a lot more is left to be done for Kerala and India.

He also accused the Left government of hindering Centre’s development programmes in the southern State and alleged that the Left front will ruin Kerala like it did in other States where it was in power in the past.

PM Modi also attacked the CPI(M)-led government in the State by referring to the Karuvannur Cooperative bank scam and accusing the Left party of looting money belonging to the poor. - PTI

PM Modi in Kerala also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and said he was unable to protect his family’s seat in Uttar Pradesh.

He also attacked the Congress by alleging that it created a weak image of India in the world, while the BJP had built the country into a strong nation.

“Rahul Gandhi will seek votes from Kerala, but will not raise his voice for its interests,” said Mr. Modi.

Campaigning for the BJP-led NDA candidates in the Lok Sabha polls in Thrissur, PM Modi said that it will be a year of progress in Kerala and referred to the various promises and development programmes mentioned in the BJP’s manifesto - called ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ -- that was released on Sunday. 

The Prime Minister assured that Kerala will ensure its voice is heard in Parliament after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. - PTI

The Congress on April 15 accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abandoning all responsibility for the “BJP-manufactured crisis” in Manipur and asked why is he “protecting” Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

“The Prime Minister has abandoned all responsibility for the BJP-manufactured crisis in Manipur. However, his Home Minister has found the time to campaign in the State today, and we hope he takes the initiative to answer a few questions on behalf of the PM,” said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X.

“He (Modi) has not even given an appointment to, or taken a call from, the Chief Ministers, MLAs, or any other political representatives of the state. In fact, he has barely even acknowledged the crisis, barring a three-minute speech that he delivered when forced to by the Opposition,” Mr. Ramesh said. 

Police and excise personnel searched the residence and other premises of a tribal Congress MLA in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after a complaint of hoarding of cash and liquor but no such recovery was made, an official said on April 15.

The Opposition Congress, however, termed it as harassment of its tribal MLA Nilesh Uikey through misuse of power by the BJP government.

Superintendent of Police Manoj Khatri said following a complaint about hoarding of cash and liquor, a team of police and excise department personnel searched several places in Rajola Raiyat village on Sunday evening. - PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 15 described the BJP’s election manifesto as “a blueprint of a new and better India”. He added that the citizens of the country have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee of making India developed and self-reliant.

“This resolution declares a decisive war against corruption. It is based on Modi’s guarantees. This is the first general election in which a feeling of confidence about the results is being seen across the country because people have faith in Modi ji’s guarantee,” he said.

Election officials in the Nilgiris on April 15 conducted checks in a helicopter carrying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The flying squad officials conducted the search after the helicopter landed in the Nilgiris, police said.

Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on April 15 took out a massive road show at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad as part of his election campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the southern State.

Mr. Gandhi, who reached Nilgiris district in the bordering Tamil Nadu, interacted with students at the Arts and Science College there and travelled by road to reach Sulthan Bathery in Kerala.

He is scheduled to address a farmers’ rally in nearby Pulpally, predominantly an agrarian sector which has a great presence of farmers, later in the day. - PTI

The Congress has extended its support to R.B. Prajapati, the candidate of the All India Forward Bloc, at Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho seat where the nomination of Samajwadi Party’s INDIA bloc candidate was rejected over irregularities.

“The Indian National Congress had left the Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat to its INDIA group ally Samajwadi Party. Unfortunately, in a blatant display of power and going against all norms of democracy, the BJP managed to get the nomination of the SP candidate rejected..,” said Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh.

Mr. Ramesh added, “The Indian National Congress has now decided to extend its support to R.B. Prajapati, the candidate of the All India Forward Bloc, another member of the INDIA group. He will be the joint candidate of the INDIA group for Khajuraho Lok Sabha in Madya Pradesh.”

- Mehul Malpani

The Election Commission on April 15 said ₹4650 crores worth of inducements have been seized even before polling began for the 2024 general elections.

At least ₹100 crore seizure each day since March 1. Around 45% of the seizures are of drugs and narcotics.

YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on April 15 resumed his electioneering bus tour from Kesarapalle in NTR District, following a day’s break after a stone attack.

Unidentified miscreants hurled a stone at the Chief Minister on April 13 night near Vivekananda School Centre in Vijayawada’s Singh Nagar, which injured his left temple when he was canvassing for polls. 

Mr. Reddy is canvassing for the polls at Gannavaram. He will traverse through Atkur, Veeravalli Cross, Hanuman Junction and other villages today. - PTI

Even as Parshottam Rupala, the BJP’s nominee from Gujarat’s Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, is facing agitation by Kshatriya community members, political analysts and voters believe the Union minister will emerge victorious.

While the analysts claim Rajkot is an “unbreachable fortress” of the BJP, voters laud the development works done by the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Mr. Rupala recently claimed the erstwhile ‘maharajas’ succumbed to the persecution of foreign rulers, including the Britishers. Despite Mr. Rupala’s apology, the Kshatriyas, also called Rajputs, see his remarks as an insult to them and have asked the BJP to withdraw his candidature or face defeat in Rajkot, a Patidar-dominated seat considered as BJP’s stronghold. - PTI

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Milind Deora hailed the BJP’s election manifesto, specifically mentioning the promise of building three crore more houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). 

“The manifesto of the BJP is very good. What they say, they deliver. I welcome it,” Mr. Deora, who recently joined Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) quitting the Congress, said. 

“Under the PMAY, four crore families have been given permanent houses. Now their plan is that in the coming five years, they will give three crore more families permanent houses. This is a very good plan. I want to see this plan implemented in Mumbai and Maharashtra. This is the dream of Mumbaikars. Everyone should have permanent houses,” he added. - ANI

Congress leader J. P. Aggarwal thanked the Congress party’s high command for nominating him to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Chandni Chowk seat in Delhi, saying he will fight to solve regional issues.

“To contest elections, one needs to have issues and plans. The major issue for traders in the region is GST. We will take up issues such as unemployment and inflation. I will be alert about the regional issues and fight for them,” the Congress leader added. - ANI

Actor Kangana Ranaut’s entry into Himachal Pradesh politics has threatened the future prospects of the State BJP leaders, her opponent, Public Works Minister and Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, Vikramaditya Singh, said on Sunday.

Read here

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday asked voters in Uttarakhand to give all five parliamentary seats to the party as they did in 2014 and 2019.

“The choice in these elections is between nation first and family first. People in Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds about handing over all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the State to Narendra Modi.

“In Uttarakhand also you should present him with a garland of five lotuses to give him a third term in office for a developed and self-reliant India,” Mr. Adityanath said addressing an election rally in Srinagar Garhwal which is part of the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency.

PTI

Kshatriya community members have again demanded that the BJP remove Union minister Parshottam Rupala as the party candidate for the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, vowing to intensify their protest in the coming days. 

The Kshatriya community, also called Rajputs, held a public meeting at Ratanpur village in Gujarat’s Rajkot district on Sunday, at a time when the ruling BJP has announced that Rupala will file his nomination papers on April 16. 

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally in Tirunelveli on April 15, ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Modi will seek votes for the party’s candidates for Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi at the meeting scheduled in Ambasamudram in the district.

While the BJP has fielded party leaders, Pon Radhakrishnan from Kanniyakumari and Nainar Nagendran from Tirunelveli, ally John Pandian of Tamizhaga Makkal Munnerra Kazhagam is contesting on BJP’s Lotus symbol from Tenkasi (SC).

PTI

Criticising the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior BJD leader and former Odisha minister Padmanabha Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s guarantees are more impactful in the State than that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Here, only Naveen’s guarantees will work and no other guarantees will work in Odisha. The BJD will win more seats than the last assembly elections,” Mr. Behera told media persons on Sunday. 

The BJD government has never tolerated corruption and took strong measures against wrongdoers, Mr. Behera said, adding that even state vigilance is taking action against corrupt people every day.

People support the BJD and the Chief Minister for his welfare schemes, he said.

PTI

The Ram Mandir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, rising inflation, unemployment, and the farmers’ crisis — as in much of the rest of the country, these are the five most talked-about issues on ground by voters and political leaders alike in Maharashtra, where voters in five Lok Sabha constituencies will go to the polls on April 19.

The constituencies where voting will take place in the first phase are Nagpur, Ramtek (a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes), Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondia, and Gadchiroli-Chimur (reserved for Scheduled Tribes), all in the Vidarbha region. 

Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union chief Kanhaiya Kumar are among the 10 Lok Sabha candidates that the Congress announced on Sunday.

Apart from three seats in Delhi, where the party is contesting the Lok Sabha election in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party announced six seats in Punjab and one seat in Uttar Pradesh. 

The stage is set for a battle royale in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi Lok Sabha seat as the Congress has pitted State Minister Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, against BJP candidate and actor Kangana Ranaut.

Read here

Criticising the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior BJD leader and former Odisha Minister Padmanabha Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s guarantees are more impactful in the State than that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Here, only Naveen’s guarantees will work and no other guarantees will work in Odisha. The BJD will win more seats than the last Assembly elections,” Mr. Behera told media persons on Sunday. The Lok Sabha and Assembly polls are held simultaneously in Odisha.

PTI

The epicentre of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in South India will likely shift to Kerala as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kochi late on April 14 for a two-day electioneering tour of the State.

On April 15, Mr. Modi will campaign in the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency for retired college principal T.N. Sarasu at a public rally at Cheruvathoor. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign for party candidates and address rallies of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala in the weeks to come.

Mr. Gandhi, who is seeking his electoral luck for the second consecutive term from Wayanad constituency, will arrive in the southern State on April 15.

He would address a UDF rally in northern Kozhikode district on Monday evening. Mr. Gandhi would take part in several programmes in Wayanad constituency on April 15 and 16, Joseph Vazhackan, the coordinator of the programmes, said in a statement on Sunday.

PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend two functions on April 15 in Kerala as part of the BJP’s electoral campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Modi will take part in the public meeting as part of the election campaign on Monday morning at Kunnamangalam in Alathur constituency in Thrissur District.

He will attend the election campaign for NDA candidates T.N. Sarasu and Suresh Gopi, contesting in Alathur and Thrissur respectively.

PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Tripura on April 15 night to participate in the BJP’s ongoing campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, a senior party leader said.

Mr. Shah was welcomed by Chief Minister Manik Saha at the airport, he said.

“Amit Shah ji arrived in the State on Sunday night and will address an election rally for our candidate in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat at Kumarghat in Unakoti district on Monday,” BJP State general secretary Amit Rakshit told PTI.

Criticising the Modi-led government for its failure to fulfil past poll promises such as providing two crore jobs annually and doubling the income of farmers, the Congress chief says the BJP’s manifesto is silent on issues such as rising food prices and unemployment; he also asserts the INDIA bloc’s main aim is to safeguard the Constitution and democracy. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the ruling Bharatiya Janata party’s (BJP) manifesto as the “biggest jumla [platitude]” and dismissed it as “just empty jugglery of words”. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, he questioned the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s failure to address vital issues and deliver on previous poll promises.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while campaigning for the Jamui Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, lashed out at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over a remark made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last week, while campaigning in Maner under the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency, from where she is contesting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter Misa Bharati said that if the INDIA bloc came to power, all BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be sent to jail.

Mr. Singh took a dig at the RJD while campaigning for Arun Bharati, candidate for the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) led by Chirag Paswan. Mr. Bharati also happens to be the brother-in-law of Mr. Paswan.

“Lalu Prasad- ji is my friend but I am really shocked to listen to the statement by his family member, who said that Modi- ji will be put behind bars if they form the government. Someone rightly quipped, na nau man tel hoga, na Radha nachegi (if the sky falls, we shall catch larks). Those who are already in jail, and some are on bail, they want to send Modi-ji to jail,” Mr. Singh laughed. 

Referring to the people of Bihar as “sensible public”, Mr. Singh added that the people would outright reject such leaders. 

With the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya all but completed and Article 370 diluted, the third big core issue of the BJP — the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as a tool for “gender equality” — and the idea of a “One Nation, One Election” have gained prominence in the BJP manifesto. 

With its ideological to-do list now much lighter, the UCC and the issue of simultaneous elections are likely to be the new tasks around which the BJP will mobilise.

Read the full story here.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union chief Kanhaiya Kumar are among the 10 Lok Sabha candidates that the Congress announced on Sunday.

Apart from three seats in Delhi, where the party is contesting the Lok Sabha election in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party announced six seats in Punjab and one seat of Uttar Pradesh.

So far, the Congress has announced candidates to 278 Lok Sabha seats.

Read the full story here.

The BJP has dropped compilation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) from its manifesto that was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14. NRC was one of the prominent poll promises in the party’s 2019 manifesto.

The 2024 manifesto, however, mentions “implementation of the CAA.”

“We have taken the historic step of enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act [CAA] and will implement it to confer citizenship to all eligible persons,” the manifesto said.

Read the full story here.

While the Supreme Court has been indulgent towards the ECI due to its plenipotentiary role in the conduct of elections under Article 324 of the Constitution, it must compel the ECI to make public how it has defined the population, and most importantly, its decision rule in the event of a mismatch 

Read the analytical piece here.