Lok Sabha elections updates on April 04, 2024 | Rahul Gandhi declares assets worth ₹20 crore

The Shiv Sena fielded Rajashree Patil, wife of Hingoli MP Hemant Patil, from Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency in eastern Maharashtra in place of the party’s sitting MP Bhavana Gawli.

In Hingoli in central Maharashtra, the party led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde replaced sitting MP Hemant Patil, giving ticket to Baburao Kadam-Kohlikar.

The party had declared Hemant Patil’s candidature in its first list, but replaced him following opposition from the local unit of its ally BJP. Kohlikar is the Hingoli district unit president of the Shiv Sena.

- PTI

Former Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and his wife Anitha have total assets of about ₹217.21 crore, according to the affidavit he submitted along nomination as candidate from Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

The couple declared liabilities of about ₹82.17 crore.

- PTI

An AAP delegation met the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer over “objectionable” hoardings put up by the BJP in the national capital.

The BJP has put up several objectionable posters and hoardings, some of which have used photographs of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Atishi said.

“Our legal team, six days ago, complained about these objectionable posters and hoardings but no action was taken. We met the chief electoral officer since no action has been taken over the objectionable hoardings and posters of the BJP,” she said.

- PTI

Sitting MP and BJP leader Navneet Rana and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar filed nominations for the Amravati and Akola Lok Sabha seats, respectively.

Speaking to reporters, Ambedkar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacks other parties over dynastic politics but the BJP’s Akola candidate Anup Dhotre is son of sitting MP Sanjay Dhotre.

- PTI

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) changed its candidate for a second time in Meerut, replacing Atul Pradhan with former Mayor Sunita Verma Pradhan.

April 4 was the last date for filing nomination in Meerut, which will go to poll in the second phase of Lok Sabha election in the State. Mr. Pradhan, who had filed his nomination on April 3, said he accepts the decision of party national president Akhilesh Yadav, whom he met in the morning. Advocate Bhanu Pratap Singh was replaced by Atul Pradhan.

Confusion also prevailed in Rampur and Moradabad seats, where two candidates filed their nomination claiming themselves to be the SP candidate. In Rampur, Asim Raza and Mohibulla Nadvi had filed their nomination. Later, Raza’s nomination was rejected.

In Moradabad, sitting MP ST Hasan, who had earlier filed his nomination, was replaced by Ruchi Veera. In Budaun too, party workers have written to the party president to give a ticket to Aditya Yadav instead of his father Shivpal Yadav, who is party candidate for the seat. - PTI

The affidavit filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as part of his nomination papers for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat showed that he has assets of more than ₹20 crore. Mr. Gandhi filed the papers before the returning office on April 3. He has declared movable assets to the tune of ₹9,24,59,264 and showed the purchasing price of his self-acquired immovable assets as being worth ₹7,93,03,977 in the affidavit. The affidavit also showed that the current market value of the self-acquired immovable assets as ₹9,04,89,000 and the value of the inherited assets as ₹2,10,13,598. Mr. Gandhi has claimed that he has a liability of ₹49,79,184.

In the affidavit, Mr. Gandhi has declared that he has ₹55,000 as cash in hand. In the last election, he had declared total assets worth ₹15,88,77,083 whereas in 2014, it was ₹9.4 crore. - PTI

On a day when the Prime Minister kickstarted the Lok Sabha campaign of NDA from Jamui in Bihar, Congress has four questions for Mr. Modi. 

The Congress accused the Modi government of showing “extreme vindictiveness” to the people of West Bengal for rejecting the BJP in 2021 and asked why is it so reluctant to give anything to the state, when it is always so ready to ask when election times come.

BJP President JP Nadda, while campaigning in Almora, highlighted the development schemes undertaken in Uttarakhand. 

The Supreme Court directed the Sharad Pawar faction to ask party workers not to use ‘clock’ symbol in ads, which has been allotted to Ajit Pawar led NCP bloc.

It further asked the Ajit Pawar faction to issue prominent advertisements in newspapers saying allocation of ‘clock’ symbol to it is sub judice. It also urged the party to sensitise workers regarding the matter.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at a rally in Bihar, lambasted the Congress for having brought “disrepute” to the country, while lauding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for maintaining an “unblemished record”.

Mr. Modi claimed that when the Congress was in power, “terrorists from small countries struggling for wheat supplies could strike at will”.

He made a mention of the “land for jobs scam” in which RJD president Lalu Prasad is named as an accused. “Our ally Nitish babu (Bihar CM) was also the railway minister. What an unblemished record he had,” the prime minister said.

Mr. Modi, addressing his first public meeting in Bihar since the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, also charged the RJD-Congress combine of “heaping scorn on Ram temple at Ayodhya” and “opposing the election of a tribal woman (Droupadi Murmu) as the President of the country”.

- PTI

A forest department staffer in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra has been suspended for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by keeping a WhatsApp status message that raised question marks over the efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), an official said.

The action was taken against Shivshankar More, posted at Pandhrakawda, said Chandrapur Collector and District Returning Officer Vinay Gowda said.

Assistant Election Officer at Arni, which falls under the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency, in a letter to Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Pandharkawda, said they received a complaint against More saying he breached the model code of conduct by keeping a (WhatsApp) status on his mobile, which raised suspicion over the efficacy of EVMs and created confusion in the mind of the people.

- PTI

Union Minister Smriti Irani lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by accusing him of being “ashamed” of party ally IUML as its flag was not shown during his roadshow in this hill district.

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, who had defeated Mr. Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 general elections, said if he was ashamed of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), he should reject their support.

She also said she was shocked that he had allegedly accepted support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

- PTI

Tejasvi Surya, BJP candidate for Bengaluru South constituency launched his campaign before filing nomination at Jayanagar in Bengaluru. 

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the NDA government of misusing the central agencies and said that she will plead to the Election Commission to ensure level playing field.

- PTI

Congress in Kerala says they don’t want support of SDPI, but individual votes are welcome.

JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy filed his nomination for the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. 

Before filing his nomination, Mr. Kumaraswamy took blessings of former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.

INDIA bloc has no prime ministerial candidate and its ‘niyat’ (intention) is to loot: Union Minister Smriti Irani in Kerala.

- PTI

BJP using central agencies in elections: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Cooch Behar rally.

- PTI

I am satisfied that my younger brother Chirag Paswan is taking forward the ideas of Ram Vilas Paswan with full seriousness: PM Modi.

- PTI

People of Bihar have resolved to help NDA win all 40 Lok Sabha seats in state and 400 plus across country, PM Modi said at a public rally in Jammui

- PTI

Referring to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the ED, Mr. Vijayan accused the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of using the Central agency against the Opposition.

Mr. Vijayan also accused the Congress of “speaking against the ED when its leaders are under the agency’s scanner and supporting it when probe is launched against others.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Jamui, where he will kick off BJP’s poll campaign by addressing a public meeting. Bihar Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar too was present on the dais.

From Jamui (reserved) seat, NDA alliance partners Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has put Arun Bharti as NDA candidate. LJP (RV) Chirag Paswan is sitting MP from Jamui but this time Mr. Paswan will contest poll from Hajipur (reserved) seat. Mr. Bharti is brother-in-law of Mr. Paswan.

- Amarnath Tewary

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has pooh-poohed the claims made by rival National Conference and PDP that his newly- formed party was in cahoots with the BJP and asked whether they are the ‘B’ teams of the saffron party going by their past coalition arrangements.

Talking to PTI, Mr. Azad, who is contesting on his Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), highlighted his party’s primary focus on reinstating full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and not on the lines that union territories like Delhi and Puducherry enjoy.

To a question that his party was seen as a B team of the BJP, Mr. Azad pointed out past associations of regional parties with the saffron party.

“A and B team are those from the valley who have been ministers in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, father of the BJP, or those who enjoyed governance with the help of saffron party MLAs in the erstwhile state,” he said.

- PTI

Maharashtra minister and BJP’s Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar has said voters made a “mistake” once of giving a chance to the Congress from the constituency but they would not do it again.

In an interview with PTI, Mr. Mungantiwar, the MLA from Chandrapur, said he has carried out 300 development works in the area and asked the Congress to spell out even two such initiatives taken by it in the last five years.

He also ruled out any sympathy votes going in favour of his Congress opponent.

- PTI

NDA candidate and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar files nomination from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency

For someone whose dawn in politics began with the blessings of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, it will be a homecoming of sorts for expelled Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who is widely expected to join Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s ruling Shiv Sena faction.

Read the profile here.

Restrictions under CrPC section 144 would remain imposed across Noida and Greater Noida till April 26, the day of the Lok Sabha election here, according to an order issued by the Gautam Buddh Nagar police.

Police said the restrictions have been imposed in view of upcoming festivals like Chaitra Nav Ratri, Eid, Ambedkar Jayanti and Ramnavmi while some protests are also planned and the Lok Sabha election is scheduled during this period.

“In view of all of this, the possibility of disturbance of peace by anti-social elements cannot be ruled out. In order to maintain peace in Gautam Buddh Nagar, it is necessary that any mischievous elements should be prevented from carrying out such activities which may create an unfavourable environment,” the police said in its order.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally at Cooch Behar district in West Bengal, his first public meeting in the eastern state since the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Modi is scheduled to address the rally at Rash Mela grounds around 3.30 p.m.

“I look forward to being among the people of Cooch Behar to address a @BJP4Bengal rally later today at around 3:30 PM. The people there have been greatly supportive of our development agenda and I am confident they will again place their faith in the BJP,” the prime minister said in a post on X.

The recent order by the Election Commission barring volunteers associated with the Andhra Pradesh government from performing poll duties and administering welfare schemes has sparked a crossfire between the ruling YSRCP and the opposition NDA, comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena.

The YSRCP government introduced a ward and village volunteer system in 2019 as a decentralised governance delivery mechanism. This system enables a volunteer, who oversees 50-60 households, to go to the threshold of the beneficiary to hand-deliver welfare pension.

However, on March 30, the ECI issued orders banning volunteers from extending government schemes, welfare benefits and other related activities, which eventually brought the monthly pensions disbursal to a grinding halt, which otherwise would have been completed on April 1.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off the NDA’s Lok Sabha poll campaign in Bihar with a rally, his first in the state since the announcement of the elections .

Mr. Modi, who is running for a third consecutive term in office, is scheduled to address the rally at Jamui around noon.

The Bihar Police have put in place a multi-tier security cover at the venue and its surroundings ahead of the PM’s rally.

- PTI

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked whether the Congress “feared” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the flags of the party and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) were missing in the roadshow of incumbent MP Rahul Gandhi ahead of the filing of his nomination papers in Wayanad on April 3.

“Has the Congress declined to a position where it is even afraid of displaying its flag? Are they conceding to the demand of the Sangh Parivar that the Congress should relinquish their tri-coloured flag?” Mr. Vijayan asked at a press meet in Kochi as part of his election campaign in connection with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Vijayan asked whether the decision to drop the flag of the IUML was taken in view of the “Pakistan jibe” by the BJP while referring to the presence of the party’s green flags during Mr. Gandhi’s campaign in Wayanad as part of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

“Is this not Congress party’s cowardice for not displaying the IUML flag at the roadshow? The Congress needs the votes of the IUML, but not its flag,” he said.

In an upheaval within the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), 22 party leaders have tendered their resignations simultaneously while expressing anger at not getting tickets for the Lok Sabha elections.

Among the notable figures who stepped down include former LJP minister Renu Kushwaha, former MLA and national general secretary of LJP, Satish Kumar, state organisation minister Ravindra Singh, Ajay Kushwaha, Sanjay Singh, and State General Secretary Rajesh Dangi.

- ANI

Congress leader Gourav Vallabh resigned from the primary membership of the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In a post on X, Mr. Vallabh wrote, “I do not feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress Party is moving forward. I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country in. I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of Congress Party.”

​Former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam has resigned from the party​ after the storm ​over his statements against the leadership​. Mr. Nirupam informed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge of his decision to leave the party in a brief letter.

“I have finally decided to fulfil your much awaited desire and hereby announce that I choose to resign from the primary membership of All India Congress Committee,” Mr. Nirupam wrote in his letter.

The Congress on April 3 had expelled former Mr. Nirupam from the party for ‘indiscipline’ and making repeated statements against the party. The action was initiated against the 59-year-old leader for his remarks against the leadership of the grand old party amid seat-sharing talks with ally Shiv Sena (UBT).