Lok Sabha election updates | As it happened on April 11, 2024

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said 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 in Guwahati, 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. 

“There has been an attempt to create problems for us. Our accounts were frozen and ₹300 crore of money received through public funding were stolen by the PM,” Mr. Ramesh said. - PTI

Unemployment and inflation are the two biggest issues but there is a conspiracy of silence in the media to hide the failures of the Narendra Modi government in solving issues of the people, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said at an election rally in Rajasthan on April 11.

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Anupgarh in support of Govind Ram Meghwal from Bikaner and Kuldeep Indora from Ganganagar Lok Sabha seats, Mr. Gandhi said farmers are asking for a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, youth are seeking employment, and women want relief from inflation but no one is listening.

“The amount of money that the Modi government has given to billionaires, we will give the same amount of money to the poor, the backward, Dalits and Adivasis,” Mr. Gandhi said, reiterating the promises made in the Congress manifesto that are based on “five pillars of justice and 25 guarantees”. - reports Sandeep Phukan

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor dismissed the BJP’s claim of a strong performance in south India in the Lok Sabha polls as a product of its “propaganda mill”, and said the narratives that the ruling party harps on in the north such as communalism, religious division and nativist social cleavages, do not pass muster there. 

Mr. Tharoor took a swipe at the BJP over its aggressive southern pitch, saying that for a party that claims to be focused on ‘vikas (development), the region that actually enjoys the highest ‘vikas’ in real terms is the least receptive to the ruling party’s agenda. 

In an interview with PTI, he also said the quest for dominance of “Hindi, Hindutva, Hindustan” is indeed the most dangerous threat to the foundations of “our plural consciousness”. - PTI

BJP president J.P. Nadda accused the previous Congress regimes of trying to ensure that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and V.D. Savarkar were forgotten by the masses, while asserting that the Modi government will “never let that happen”.

Addressing an election rally in Port Blair, Mr. 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.

“Attempts were made by the Congress to ensure that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Veer (Vinayak Damodar) Savarkar were forgotten, but the Narendra Modi government will never let that happen. Initiatives taken by the PM are symbols of India’s indebtedness towards our freedom fighters,” he said.

“We have taken several initiatives such as installing a statue of Netaji on Kartavya Path in New Delhi and the proposed memorial in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to honour his legacy. I also commend PM Modi’s vision of naming 21 islands after Param Veer Chakra awardees,” he said.

Nearly ₹700 crore has been allotted to the new terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Mr. Nadda said. - PTI

Actor Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh, launched a blistering attack on minister Vikramaditya Singh, saying he cannot threaten her and send her back as it is not his ancestor’s estate.

Son of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Himachal Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the frontrunner as the Congress’ nominee from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

Vikramaditya Singh had on Monday said Kangana is a “queen of controversies” and questions will be raised on her statements given from time to time. - PTI

RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti’s statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a political ire in Bihar. 

Ms. Bharti, the RJD candidate from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat has said that if INDIA (Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance) block came to power, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to jail. - reports Amit Bhelari

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. - PTI

The election commission made special arrangements for voluntary voting through postal ballot for the police officers who are deployed for election duty. Elections will be held in Tamil Nadu state on April 19 and counting of votes on June 04.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the corrupt will have to go to jail and that he would not be deterred by any threats.

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Karauli ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Modi said strict action is being taken against the corrupt not only in the state but across the country.

This is why the opposition has formed the “INDI alliance” against him, he said.

“On one side there is Modi, who says remove corruption. On the other side are those who say save the corrupt. All these people who have set out to save the corrupt listen carefully, no matter how many threats you give to Modi, the corrupt will have to go to jail. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said. - PTI

Union minister and Amethi MP Smriti Irani 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.” 

Ms. Irani is seeking a re-election from the Amethi seat where she defeated Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. - PTI

Claiming that electoral bonds are a huge “scandal” and demonetisation was a way to turn black money into “white”, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha alleged that the BJP government puts a “cloak of secrecy over their corrupt actions” and hope that people never find out about them.

Mr. Sinha, 86, said he has retired from politics and is not planning a return, even as several people from his former constituency Hazaribagh urged him to fight the election this time.

Mr. Sinha, a former BJP leader who quit the party in 2018 alleging that the NDA government at the Centre was undermining democratic institutions, has remained critical of the government. -PTI

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala once again accused its INDIA bloc ally Congress of being silent on the Citizenship Amendment Act and alleged that the grand old party was showing the same mindset as the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.

The accusation was leveled by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who also alleged that the grand old party’s Kerala unit, which initially joined the Left front to oppose the CAA, withdrew from the same on the directions of its national leadership.

Read the story here.

Congress leader and AICC member Jahanzaib Sirwal joined the BJP in New Delhi and criticised the Congress for its “party vanishing machine” approach and borrowing agenda-based politics from other parties.

Mr. Sirwal, who had been part of the Congress since 2014 and recently became an AICC member under Mallikarjun Kharge’s leadership, highlighted the need for the Congress to focus on internal reforms rather than solely blaming the BJP for issues like Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“The party’s tendency is to adopt external agendas, which may not effectively address the country’s specific needs,” he said. - PTI

A day after being denied party ticket by the BJP, 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 on April 10 announced its 10th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and fielded Neeraj Tripathi as its nominee from Allahabad. 

Mr. Tripathi is a lawyer and the son of former Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker and West Bengal former Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi. 

“Every worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party is an asset for the party and the country and it is our good fortune that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we all are building a new India,” Ms. Joshi said. 

“As a good worker, I will provide my full support to Neeraj Tripathi in winning Allahabad and Praveen Patel from Phulpur Lok Sabha seat with a huge majority while carrying forward the resolution of NDA crossing 400 and BJP crossing 370 seat mark,” she said. - PTI

On the campaign trail in Madhya Pradesh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh batted for the ‘one nation, one election’ idea and called the track record of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government “remarkable” for the country. 

Referring to the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, in which the BJP registered a huge victory, Mr. Singh said the people of the State will cast their ballot again in the Lok Sabha polls. 

The 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh will go to polls in four phases between April 19 and May 13 and votes will be counted on June 4. 

“Four months back only the people of Madhya Pradesh overwhelmingly voted in the Assembly polls in favour of the BJP. While addressing rallies in Singrauli and Sidhi recently I have expressed a concern over that. Now after four months, they will vote again. I have also said that the country should have a ‘one nation, one election’ system. It should happen in one go,” said Mr. Singh, addressing a public meeting in Rewa Lok Sabha seat from where the BJP has fielded sitting MP Janardhan Mishra for the third time in a row. 

After ‘one nation, one election’, local body polls should take place in the country. “But it should be held at the most in two batches,” Mr. Singh said. - PTI

Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar’s son Neeraj Shekhar, who has been fielded by the BJP from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls, said he is still associated with the socialist ideology and slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) for allegedly doing away with the ideas of Ram Manohar Lohia. 

“The socialist ideology should not be linked with the SP. I am still personally associated with the socialist ideology,” Neeraj Shekhar said. 

Neeraj Shekhar, who has been an SP MP from Ballia in the past, said a wrong perception is being created about the socialist ideology. 

“The SP claims to be associated with the socialist ideology, but it has actually abandoned it. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia had raised the slogan of breaking caste barriers, whereas the SP today is hoisting the flag of a caste census,” he said. - PTI

Former Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta joined the BJP, marking the defection of yet another visible Opposition face to the ruling party in the election season. 

Mr. Gupta, along with some other leaders, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. 

Slamming the Congress, a party he had been associated with for nearly 15 years, Mr. Gupta said it has become directionless and was full of contradictions, leading to loss of credibility. 

He cited the Congress’s stand on a host of issues, including its decision to not attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony, opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and aligning with parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to make his point. 

Mr. Gupta expressed his support to the BJP leadership’s agenda of a ‘viksit Bharat’ by 2047 and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. He had resigned from the Congress last month after withdrawing his candidature from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency. 

Mr. Gupta had blamed his “constant humiliation and character assassination by a leader connected with communication department” of the Congress for his decision. - PTI

Veteran BJP leader B. S. Yediyurappa said votes cast for the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls will be a vote for anarchy, economic bankruptcy, corruption, instability and it will push the country’s internal security into jeopardy. 

The former Chief Minister also claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s leadership has completely failed, and a situation has arisen where no one from his party is ready to take his name, during the campaign. 

“This election is for the country’s security and integrity,” he further said, expressing confidence that the BJP-JD(S) alliance will win all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. 

Elections in 28 constituencies in the State will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7. 

“Congress seems to have forgotten that the Lok Sabha elections are going on. As Rahul Gandhi’s leadership has completely failed, a peculiar situation has arisen where no one (from his party) is ready to take his name. Congress party don’t have a reliable leadership and don’t have the support of the (State) government’s achievements,” Mr. Yediyurappa said. - PTI

Rishikesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “weak” Congress governments in the past failed to strengthen border infrastructure while under the “strong” BJP-led government, security forces were eliminating terrorists on their own turf. 

Addressing an election rally in Rishikesh, Mr. Modi said, “A strong BJP government had the courage to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir after seven decades, make a law against triple talaq, give reservation to women in legislatures, and implement one rank, one pension.” 

He said the “weak” Congress governments in the past could not strengthen the border infrastructure. “Now, roads and tunnels are being built along the borders,” PM Modi said. - PTI

Former Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta joined the BJP at its headquarters here on Thursday. Mr. Gupta, along with some other leaders, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and party general secretary Vinod Tawde.

Mr. Gupta had resigned from the Congress last month after withdrawing his candidature from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency. - ANI

The filing of nominations for the third phase of the 2024 general elections will begin on April 12, the Election Commission of India said. 

Voting under phase-3 will be held in 94 constituencies in 12 States and Union Territories (UT) on May 7. 

The Gazette notification for 94 Parliamentary constituencies (PCs) across 12 States and Union Territories going for polls in the Lok Sabha 2024 will be issued tomorrow,” the statement issued by the ECI said. 

“Separately, notification for the adjourned poll in 29-Betul (ST) PC of Madhya Pradesh will also be issued tomorrow,” it added. 

The States and the Union Territories included in phase-3 are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. 

The last date for filing nominations for phase-3 is April 19 and scrutiny of nominations is April 20. The last date of withdrawal of the names is April 22. - ANI

Echoes of ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’ are being heard across the country as people have seen what stable government can do, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at rally in Uttarakhand’s Rishikeh. He said, “Enemies took advantage, terrorism spread whenever there were weak, unstable governments in country. Under strong Modi government, our forces are killing terrorists on their own turf. “As we stopped corrupt from looting, their anger against Modi is at its height,” Mr. Modi said. - PTI

Mumbai: “More than 1.52 lakh new voters have been registered in eight out of total 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra in the latest round of electoral roll revision, in which the number of new women voters was more than their male counterparts,” officials said. 

In this special drive conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 82,658 new female voters were registered as against the 69,652 new male voters in these eight constituencies – Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani. However, the total number of female voters across these eight segments is way below the count of male voters. 

“There are 53,99,057 female voters as against the 77,21,374 male voters. There are 432 voters registered as transgenders,” an official statement issued by the chief electoral office of Maharashtra. These eight constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on May 7. 

With the addition of voters during the special drive of the ECI conducted between January 23 and April 4, the number of electorate rose by 1,52,330. This took the number of voters in these eight seats to 1,49,25,912. - PTI

In the run-up to elections, political parties make allegations of corruption against their rivals in order to reach out to voters and influence voting patterns. While the opposition camp leaves no stone unturned to corner the party or alliance in power by highlighting various acts of corruption allegedly done under its rule, the latter sends out strong signals of its seriousness in curbing corruption by taking a series of actions, including getting leaders of the rival camp arrested.

However, what do voters think of corruption? Has the perceived level of corruption increased or decreased in the past five years? How widespread is the perception of corruption across spatial contexts and the social spectrum? 

As the campaign hots up and voters in some parts gear up for voting, all the masala required for the Opposition to corner the ruling BJP is in place and over the next few weeks we shall witness a keen battle on the questions of economy.

Does economics trump politics or does politics sidestep economics? This has been a perennial debate while analysing electoral politics. This debate is revisiting us in the 2024 campaign. The CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll survey 2024 responses provide visible evidence of the concerns about limited employment opportunities, spiralling prices, increasing corruption, rising rural distress and perception of deteriorating economic conditions of the households. Is this likely to be capitalised on by the Opposition as part of its electoral campaign or will the ruling party be able to offset its impact with a counter-narrative?

Two points emerge distinctly. One, voters are generally aware of the economic distress they are going through. Irrespective of macro-economic indicators used to prove the point that the economy is doing well, voters are worried about the empirically lived economy that they experience. The other point which categorically emerges from the pre-poll data is the visible class divide. The poor and lower middle classes appear to have been more adversely affected by the emerging economic distress as compared to the more economically well placed. This dimension becomes clear when one assesses the multiple layers of the economic disquiet. There is a clear expression of heightened concern among the economically less well-off compared to those in better economic circumstances. 

Maldaha Uttar Lok Sabha constituency in the northern part of West Bengal is set to witness a three-cornered contest with the Congress-Left Front alliance, BJP and the TMC locking horns for the upcoming polls.

The constituency, once a stronghold of the Congress, has seen the emergence of the BJP and the Trinamool Congress over the past decade.

The TMC holds sway over Chanchal, Harishchandrapur, Malatipur, and Ratua assembly seats which are part of the Lok Sabha constituency, while the BJP has made inroads in Habibpur, Gazole, and Maldaha segments. 

PTI

Development has consistently figured as a major consideration for Indians while deciding whom to vote in Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, two in 10 voters held the lack of development in the country to be the most important factor influencing their choice about whom to support.

In its bid to dislodge the Congress-led UPA government from power, the BJP tried to tap into this sense of frustration by making development the central plank of its campaign. In that election, which saw the latter returning to power after a decade, 30% of voters felt that Narendra Modi would be better for the country’s development. In the 2019 election where the BJP-led NDA won a second term, development once again emerged as a key issue for 14% of voters. 

BSP leader and Lok Sabha member Malook Nagar on Thursday joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal led by Jayant Chaudhary.

Mr. Nagar, the Lok Sabha member from Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh, quit the BSP and announced that he would campaign for the RLD candidates in the region.

Mr. Nagar had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate of the BSP which was then in alliance with the RLD and Samajwadi Party.

“This is the first time in the last 39 years that I am neither contesting the election of MP nor MLA, but I want to work for the country, hence today I have decided to leave the BSP. This is a well thought out decision,” he said. 

PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda released the party’s manifesto for the Sikkim Assembly Election at Gangtok on Thursday.

The manifesto is titled “Modi Ki Guarantee--Viksit Bharat Viksit Sikkim.”Launching an attack at the Congress, Nadda said, “The previous governments believed in isolation and ignorance. They wanted to keep the people isolated, ignore them and increase their vote bank politics. This was the style of functioning of the Congress party and other parties. But when PM Modi became the Prime Minister, he said, “Look East, Act East, Act Fast and Act First.” 

“In collaboration with the Central Government, we will establish, an Indian Institute of Management of world class here in Sikkim. We will establish the National Institute of Design for the development of youths and vocational training in Sikkim. In the same way, to give potential to the youth and give a boost to tourism here, we will set up the Institute of Hotel Management,” he promised the voters in Sikkim. 

ANI

Price rise and unemployment have emerged as serious concerns for a significant majority of Indians. There is a consensus that employment opportunities at all levels have gone down in the last five years. At the same time, the prices of essential commodities continue to increase. The interlinkages between these two issues have affected the ability of a household to maintain its standard of living in the ever-changing economic life of the country. Our Pre-poll survey findings, broadly speaking, underlines four crucial factors in this regard. These factors will have an important role to play in this election, and they will have an impact on the future trajectories of Indian democracy. 

India’s demographic heavily tilts towards rural areas, and agriculture remains the primary occupation. However, over the past few years, the nation has witnessed widespread farmer protests pushing for various demands such as legal assurances for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and complete farm loan waivers.

The farmers’ protests have become a critical point of contention, sparking diverse opinions across the nation. The heated debate over the legitimacy of their demands versus allegations of a calculated political ploy has led to polarised viewpoints. The pre-poll survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS indicates a skew in favour of the agitating farmers’ right to protest. Nearly three in five (59%) respondents acknowledge the legitimacy of the farmers’ demands and recognise it as the fundamental right of farmers to voice their grievances. 

With six children of Karnataka Ministers in the Lok Sabha poll arena, the campaign scene is getting spiced up in the high-stakes elections for the ruling Congress in the state. Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S.S. Mallikarjun, is also in the poll fray. 

Sons of Laxmi Hebbalkar, Eshwar Khandre and H.C. Mahadevappa- Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, Sagar Khandre and Sunil Bose, have been fielded from Belagavi (Belgaum), Bidar and Chamarajanagar, respectively.

Daughters of Satish Jarkiholi, Shivanand Patil and Ramalinga Reddy -- Priyanka Jarkiholi, Samyukta Patil and Sowmya Reddy -- are in contention in Chikkodi, Bagalkot and Bangalore South respectively.

Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S.S. Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran party leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is the party’s nominee from Davangere.

Read: Children of Ministers, relatives dominate Congress list of candidates

In the shadow of the ethnic conflict that has been going on for almost a year now, the Bharatiya Janata Party finds itself in a tight spot as it fights for the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency, which is set to vote on April 19. While the party’s lone candidate in the State, Th. Basantakumar Singh, is promising “restoration of peace” as a first priority, the BJP is also having to find ways to position the State government’s handling of the conflict positively.

Manipur has been in the grips of an ethnic conflict between the largely valley-based Meitei people and the hills-based Kuki-Zo people since May 3 last year. The conflict has led to at least 220 deaths so far, injured thousands of others, and displaced tens of thousands of people. 

The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the Voice of the People’s Party in Meghalaya over an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by its supporters who were accused of disrupting Lok Sabha poll campaigns of the ruling NPP by raising slogans during public meetings in several locations.

The Returning Officer of Shillong parliamentary constituency SC Sadhu also issued another notice to VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit after the election agent of NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh alleged that the opposition party was “spreading fake news” using social media. 

Mr. Basaiawmoit was asked to reply by April 12 as to why action should not be taken against his party under the relevant provisions of the model code of conduct. 

PTI

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee’s treasurer Sitaram Agarwal, who unsuccessfully contested the 2023 State Assembly election against Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on April 10. Along with Mr. Agarwal, over 300 persons from different walks of life also joined the BJP at its State headquarters.

Mr. Agarwal, who was the Congress candidate from Jaipur’s Vidyadhar Nagar seat, had lost to BJP’s Ms. Kumari. He was considered close to former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He joined the BJP in the presence of Ms. Kumari and senior party leaders Narayan Lal Panchariya and Onkar Singh Lakhawat. 

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.

TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari, however, said the TDP will resume its political innings by contesting the local body polls, expected to be held in June or July this year. 

“Though we are part of the NDA, we are not contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana.The decision on whom to support in the upcoming polls in Telangana will be taken by the party’s senior leadership. As of now, there is no instruction on that,” she told PTI. 

PTI

The BJP promised good days — a prosperous future — for the citizens in its 2014 campaign. There has also been a lot of talk about expanding India’s economy in order to make it one among the leading economies of the world. Critics of the BJP point out to the increasing inequality in India. Ten years down the line, debates among economists notwithstanding, how do citizens perceive their economic condition?

On a general note, nearly half the respondents agreed that their life had become ‘better’ over the last five years while a little over one-third of respondents said that their condition had become comparatively worse (Table 1). For a government that has been in power for a decade, it is somewhat creditable that a large section of the population perceives that their condition has improved. But to a concrete question whether the household can fulfil its needs and save comfortably, only a little over one in every five declared that they can save after taking care of their household requirements. Nearly one in every three said that they can comfortably fulfil their needs though they were not able to save after meeting all expenses. All others (more than one third) found it difficult in varying degrees to make both ends meet (Table 2). Expectedly, among the poor, the proportion of respondents facing difficulty in fulfilling household needs was the highest. 

The Election Commission (EC) on April 10 “adjourned” the Lok Sabha election in the Betul seat of Madhya Pradesh, which was to be held on April 26 in the second phase of polling, following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.

The electoral exercise in the constituency will now be held in the third phase on May 7.

According to the Commission, BSP candidate Ashok Bhalavi died on April 9 and the election was adjourned under Section 52 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by the returning officer. If a candidate of a recognised national or state party dies before polls, the election is adjourned to allow the party to identify and field a fresh candidate. 

The entry of heavyweight Independent candidate Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav has created a buzz among the youth in Purnea Lok Sabha seat of Seemanchal region in Bihar, while anti-incumbency factor surrounds NDA candidate Santosh Kushwaha.

Besides, Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) candidate and RJD leader Bima Bharti is relying heavily on the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) to bolster her chances of defeating the other two candidates in the constituency in northeast Bihar.

Ms. Bharti also belongs to the EBC community, which accounts for over five lakh people out of a total 19 lakh voters in the constituency. Notably, Purnea has a large Muslim population as well.