Lok Sabha election updates | Shiv Sena (UBT) to announce first candidates list on March 26

The Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections will be formally declared on March 26, party leader Sanjay Raut has said, adding that the list will contain up to 16 names.

So far, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has given indications that Amol Kiritkar (Mumbai North-West), Chandrahar Patil (Sangli) and Anant Gete (Raigad) will be party candidates from these three Lok Sabha seats.

Another MVA constituent, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to declare its candidates. Meanwhile, the Congress has declared its candidates for some seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners.

The MVA constituents, who are members of the INDIA bloc, have yet to finalize their seat-sharing arrangement.

Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80), will vote in five phases starting from April 19. - PTI

With speculation rife that JD(S) that its state President H.D. Kumaraswamy is most likely to contest from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, party workers and leaders from Channapatna met him on March 25 and urged him to not “abandon them” and should continue to represent them in the Assembly. However, JD(S) leaders and workers, and a section of the BJP want him to contest from the Lok Sabha seat, sources say. 

“Naturally there is a strong opinion among the party workers that Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) should not leave Channapatna. Party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda is in Hassan, they (party leaders from Channapatna) will go and speak to him as well, give us some time (to decide),” Kumaraswamy’s son and Yuva JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy said. However, he told reporters that does not wish to comment on the matter. “Tomorrow, the core committee members have been called, after discussion there, the party leadership will decide on a future course of action,” he added.

The party’s core committee leaders are likely to meet on March 26 to decide on the candidates for Kolar, Hassan and Mandya, the three seats from where the regional party will be contesting, as part of the seat-sharing deal with the BJP. - PTI

Vidya Rani Veerappan has filed her nomination papers as the Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate for the Krishnagiri Parliamentary constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She was announced as the party’s candidate for the constituency on March 23.

Ms. Vidya was a former BJP member, and an office-bearer of the party’s OBC wing, but left the party to join the NTK recently. She was a member of the PMK, before she joined the BJP.

She will be up against Congress candidate K. Gopinath, BJP candidate C. Narasimhan and the AIADMK’s V. Jayaprakash. 

Ms. Vidya’s entry into the electoral fray comes two decades after her father, a notorious sandalwood smuggler, was killed by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force in October 2004.

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Lok Sabha polls | Slain forest brigand Veerappan’s daughter to contest as NTK candidate from Krishnagiri

Veerappan's daughter, Vidya Rani Veerappan, files nomination for Krishnagiri constituency in upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Madras High Court has adjourned to June 10 a batch of three original side appeals filed by expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam against a single judge’s order restraining him from using the ‘two leaves’ symbol, besides imposing other restraints.

A Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and R. Sakthivel said that it was neither passing any interim order nor rejecting the plea for interim orders, but was only adjourning the appeals, simpliciter, until after the general election, to avoid confusion during the ongoing election process.

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Madras High Court adjourns to June 10 Panneerselvam’s appeals on using AIADMK symbol

Madras High Court adjourns O. Panneerselvam's appeals against 'two leaves' symbol injunctions until after general election.

Vanlalhmuaka, The BJP’s candidate for the Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram, blamed rival parties in the State for projecting the party as a “communal” and “anti-Christian” party.

“The people of Mizoram should change their perception of the BJP... Mizoram should learn ways to collaborate with the NDA government like other north-eastern States to usher in development,” he said. He also said that that Mizoram should also “learn ways to collaborate with the NDA government at the Centre like other northeastern states to usher in more development”.

He was named as the party’s candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram on Sunday.Read the story here.

Karti Chidambaram, son of veteran Congress leader P. Chidambaram, filed his nomination from the Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat. He won from the constituency in 2019.​

The Congress has released its sixth list of names of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. In Rajasthan, the party is fielding Ramchandra Choudhary (Ajmer), Sudarshan Rawat (Rajsamand), Damodar Gurjar (Bhilwara), and Prahlad Gunjal (Kota).

In Tamil Nadu, C. Robert Bruce will contest on a Congress ticket from the Tirunelveli constituency. - ANI

K. Surendran, BJP’s candidate in Wayanad, has said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be defeated in the constituency. “Wayanad is a constituency where there is a development crisis. Rahul Gandhi has done nothing for the constituency. He will meet the same fate in Wayanad as he encountered in Amethi last time,” he said. Mr. Surendran is the BJP’s State president.

The Congress, Left Front and the BJP have fielded high-profile contestants in the the constituency. Mr. Gandhi, the Congress’ candidate, is contesting to retain his seat. The Left Front has fielded senior CPI leader Annie Raja, while, the Mr. Surendran will contest on behalf of the BJP. Mr. Gandhi first contested from Wayanad and Amethi in 2019. He lost in Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani, but he won in Wayanad by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. - PTI

Dehradun: Polling parties will leave for 12 centres in Uttarakhand three days before the polling. These include 11 centres in Uttarkashi and one polling station in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer, B. V. R. C. Purushottam, said. Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand are scheduled to take place on April 19, as per the Election Commission of India. This election will be held in a single phase, covering all constituencies. There are five Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttarakhand, including Almora, Garhwal (Pauri), Haridwar, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and Tehri Garhwal. To conduct the Lok Sabha General Election 2024 in the State safely and peacefully, Chief Electoral Officer Purushottam has instructed all the District Election Officers to complete all the necessary arrangements related to the polling on time. He has been instructed to keep all the arrangements smooth at all polling stations as per all the basic requirements and the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. - ANI

New Delhi: After being nominated as the BJP’s candidate from Haryana’s Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency, soon after joining the party, Naveen Jindal, taking a swipe at Congress, said it’s because of the negative talks by the negative people today that Congress is in a bad situation.

The former Congress leader Naveen Jindal had joined the ruling BJP on March 24. “During my 10-year tenure with the Congress, I worked for people and raised several issues in Parliament. I don’t want to comment on negative people who keep saying negative things. Today, the kind of situation Congress has, is because of the negative talks by the negative people and that’s why I believe in positive politics and want to fulfil PM Modi’s dream of making India a developed nation by 2047,” he said. 

Further, he termed his decision to join the BJP a “second innings” and called it a very important day for him as he looked forward to fulfilling PM Modi’s dream of making India a developed nation. - ANI

Mandya: Amid reports of some disgruntlement within the BJP over ceding Mandya Lok Sabha seat to alliance partner JD(S), Karnataka Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy claimed that BJP leader and former Minister K. C. Narayana Gowda is in touch with the Congress. 

As part of the seat-sharing deal with the BJP, the JD(S) will be contesting Kolar, Hassan and Mandya seats. Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by the BJP, won the 2019 general elections in Mandya. 

“Yes, we have spoken to Narayana Gowda, he is in touch with us. At the earliest he along with several supporters of veteran leader from K. R. Pete – late Krishna, who were earlier with the Congress and due to various reasons had gone along with Narayana Gowda together, are likely to join us,” Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy, who is in-charge Minister of Mandya district, said. 

Speaking to reporters, he said they may come into the Congress fold without any conditions and accepting the party’s ideology and, after joining, the party will decide on who should be given what responsibility. - PTI

New Delhi: BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi who has been named the party’s candidate from Odisha’s Bhubaneswar constituency for the Lok Sabha elections, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J. P. Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal. 

Ms. Aparajita said, “They think that whatever I have done in the last five years has gone down well with the public and hence they have renominated me.” 

Exuding confidence that the BJP will win more than 15 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, Ms. Aparajita said, “This ticket is not for me but for all the people of the constituency. I can say with all confidence that the way things are going we will be winning more than 15 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats and at the same time, we will form the government in Odisha as well and there will be a double-engine government here.” 

The BJP announced the names of its candidates for 18 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha while dropping four sitting MPs from the list. - PTI

Jaipur: The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) announced that its convener Hanuman Beniwal will contest the upcoming Lok Sahha elections from Rajasthan’s Nagaur seat as an INDIA bloc candidate. 

The Congress, which is also part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, on March 23 announced candidates for two more Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan but left Nagaur seat for the RLP. 

In a release, the RLP said Mr. Beniwal will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Nagaur as an INDIA bloc candidate. Mr. Beniwal had won the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but it fell vacant as he resigned as MP after being elected as MLA from Khinwsar in Nagaur district in December last year. The RLP chief is pitted against the BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha, both Jat leaders. 

Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases –on April 19 and 26. Nagaur is among the 12 Lok Sabha seats where elections will be held in the first phase. A former BJP ally, Mr. Beniwal parted ways with the NDA in December 2020 over the farmers’ protest. - PTI

Kolkata: BJP’s Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma announced that he would contest as an Independent candidate in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat against the party’s nominee Raju Bista. 

Mr. Sharma said he would remain within the BJP while contesting as an Independent and the party can take any disciplinary action it desires but he does not intend to sever ties with the party on his own. 

“Bista is not my candidate. We do not want an outsider. It is unfortunate that the BJP could not find any ‘Bhumi Putra’ (son of the soil),” Mr. Sharma said. 

He said this was the fourth time that a person not hailing from the Darjeeling hills was nominated by the BJP, and such candidates “do not raise the real issues of the people”. “This is a slap on the face of the 17 lakh voters of Darjeeling hills,” he added. - PTI

As the General Elections approach, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the alliance of Telugu Desam Party (TDP)- BJP-Jana Sena Party are busy luring the voters with a flurry of welfare schemes while focussing on what they have purportedly done for the State since the bifurcation of unified State of Andhra Pradesh 10 years ago.

But, five significant issues are bound to cast a major impact on their chances of victory, across party lines, which is why the two sides are already trading barbs over them.

Read the full story here:

Former Telangana and Puducherry Governor and the BJP candidate from South Chennai Tamilisai Soundararajan filed her candidature for the Lok Sabha elections and said that she resigned from the Governor’s post because she wanted to “work directly for the people of the State.”

“The people want PM Modi to be Prime Minister again. South Chennai is a constituency with very responsible people and they’re longing for a good Parliamentarian. The present MP is not very approachable. I will be very approachable. When I was in a constitutional post, I also used to interact with people. I resigned from the Governor’s post because I want to work directly for the people,” Ms. Soundararajan said. - ANI

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) announced Gaddam Srinivas Yadav as its candidate from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming 2024 polls.

With this, the party has named its candidates for all the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the State. BRS sources said the party has ensured social equity in selection of candidates, giving adequate representation to backward communities.

Some prominent BRS candidates for Lok Sabha polls include Nama Nageswara Rao (Khammam); P. Venkatram Reddy (Medak) and R. S. Praveen Kumar (Nagarkurnool-SC). - PTI

BJP leader M. A. Kharabela Swain on March 25 announced that he will fight the Lok Sabha elections from the Balasore seat in Odisha as an Independent candidate.

“He made the announcement a day after the BJP re-nominated its incumbent MP in the seat Pratap Sarangi,” a former Union Minister.

“I will contest from the Balasore Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming election as an Independent candidate. I will campaign in the name of PM Narendra Modi. Let the people decide who is the real BJP,” Mr. Swain told a press conference. He said he wouldn’t quit the BJP, but the party can take action against him. “I will join the BJP after winning the elections,” he added, exuding confidence.

Mr. Swain, a former MP, alleged that a “group of conspirators” within the BJP were responsible for the denial of ticket to him. - PTI

Lemmi (Arunachal Pradesh) | The BJP is confident that it will wipe out the Congress from the political landscape of Arunachal Pradesh in the upcoming elections, the ruling party’s State president Biyuram Wahge said.

The stage is set for the grand old party to face a humiliating defeat in the electoral battle to the two Lok Sabha and 60 Assembly constituencies in the State on April 19, Mr. Wahge told PTI in an interview.

Mr. Wahge, who is contesting from Pakke-Kessang Assembly constituency for the third term, claimed that people have no faith in the Congress due to rampant corruption and mismanagement of funds during previous governments of the party.

“We will work to ensure a Congress-mukt Arunachal,” he said. People have realised that only a “double-engine BJP government” can ensure development, he said. - PTI

The second list of Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election comprised a mixed bag, including former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, two turncoats from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and a woman from Sandeshkhali who was at the receiving end of the violence.

​Read the full story here...​

Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly trying to “throttle” the finances of India’s States.

Tagging Mr. Siddaramaiah’s post, Mr. Ramesh said the Modi Government and its “remote-controlled Ministers” will cross every line to violate the spirit of federalism, sidestep the recommendations of constitutional bodies and unleash their political vendettas. “This time, the price is being paid by the people of Karnataka, just because they exercised their democratic right to elect a Congress Government,” he alleged.

“While CM Modi enjoyed talking about States’ problems and complaining about the share of funds going to Gujarat, PM Modi constantly tries to throttle the finances of India’s States,” Mr. Ramesh alleged. “A few months ago, a top NITI Aayog official revealed that the Modi Sarkar had tried to intimidate the 14th Finance Commission into lowering the recommended share of taxes to the States,” he claimed.

On one side there is the ‘Bharat Jodo’ ideology of the Congress and on the other side, this “self-serving petty politics of the BJP”, Mr. Ramesh said. — PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged in a post on X that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is consistently denying the written word.

“The interim report of the 15 FC [Finance Commission] for 2020-21 sanctioned ₹6764 crores for three states, viz Karnataka [₹5,495 crores], Telangana [₹723 crores] & Mizoram [₹546 crores],” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

“These grants were recommended not because of any special love for these states. These were recommended to ensure that no State receives a lower share in devolution in absolute numbers than the previous year,” he said.

“Smt @nsitharaman avare, we are not asking for funds to our 5 Guarantees. We have adequate provision for those in our budget, thank you,” the Chief Minister said.

“Since you don’t seem to have any faith in or commitment to the federal polity enshrined in our Constitution, you don’t seem to understand the concept of rightful share of the States. Kannadigas demand their share. They are not begging,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said. — PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya said that the alliance of the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) will have a “positive impact” on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. 

“BJP-JDS coming together has given strength to both parties at the grassroots levels. I’m very confident that in all 28 Lok Sabha seats, this alliance will have a very positive impact. In many seats where our vote shares are very good, it will further increase,” Mr. Surya told ANI.

He further said that in many seats this alliance will be a gamechanger in the Lok Sabha elections.”Overall, this is going to do a lot of good for the state. I have also requested HD Kumaraswamy to join me at the time of nomination on April 4. He has blessed all of us. Even in Bengaluru South, all JD(S) workers are happy,” he said.

“All JDS workers are very excited to come under the leadership of PM Modi and support his developmental politics. And I am very confident that in all 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, the BJP-JDS alliance will have fantastic results and this is going to have long term good for the State in the coming years,” he added. — PTI

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya reiterated the “400 seats pitch” while celebrating Holi in Lucknow and said that once again, the PM Narendra Modi-led government will be formed in the country.The Deputy CM celebrated Holi with joy and fervour and extended his greetings to the people of the country.

Talking to ANI, Maurya said, “I extend my greetings on this festival of colours, Holi. ‘Vipaksh Me Macha Hai Hahakar, Ab Ki Baar 400 Paar, Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar.” - ANI

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang will contest from two assembly constituencies in the upcoming polls even as his wife Krishna Kumari Rai will take on the opposition SDF’s president Pawan Kumar Chamling in Namchi-Singhithang seat.

The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha on Monday released its candidate list for all the 32 assembly seats and the lone Lok Sabha constituency in the Himalayan state. It re-nominated incumbent MP Indra Hang Subba for the Lok Sabha seat.

The decision to field Tamang from the constituencies of Soreng-Chakung and Rhenock, and his wife against Chamling, a five-term CM, has been taken by the SKM parliamentary board, Assembly Speaker Arun Kumar Upreti told reporters here.

Upreti has been fielded from Arithang assembly constituency. - PTI

The BJP had ominated its Mizoram unit president Vanlalhmuaka for the state’s lone Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Vanlalhmuaka, 63, joined the saffron party in 2014.

He contested the Mizoram assembly polls in 2008 as an independent candidate from Serlui constituency and lost to Congress nominee K. Lalrinthanga.

Mr. Vanlalhmuaka had unsuccessfully contested the state assembly polls on BJP tickets in 2018 and 2023.

Election to the Mizoram Lok Sabha seat will be held on April 19. - PTI

Veteran BJP leader and former Karnataka CM B.S. Yediyurappa said that Janardhana Reddy induction would strengthen the party.

”G Janardhana Reddy, his wife have joined the BJP. It is a good decision by him. This will strengthen our party, we will win all 28 Lok Sabha constituencies,” he added. ANI

Former Karnataka Minister and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy on Monday rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Gangavati MLA, who is an accused in an illegal mining case, had formed the ‘Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha’ (KRPP) ahead of the state assembly polls last year, snapping his two-decade-old association with the BJP.

Mr. Reddy on March 25 merged his KRPP with the BJP as he, along with wife Aruna Lakshmi and some family members, joined the party in the presence of its veteran leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, state President B Y Vijayendra, and others. Mr. Reddy had recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

However, in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls he had extended support to the Congress candidate. Also read: BJP keen to have more ‘ghar wapsi’ in the days to come

Bharat Chandra Narah, the MLA of Nowboicha in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, resigned from the Congress on Monday. 

The resignation comes two days after Congress announced Uday Shankar Hazarika as its candidate for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat. Narah was hopeful that his party would nominate his wife Ranee Narah, a former Union Minister, for the seat. 

He sent a one-line resignation letter, which he shared with PTI, to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. “I do hereby resign from the Indian National Congress with immediate effect,” the MLA said in the letter. On Sunday, Narah resigned from the post of the chairman of Assam Congress’ media cell. - PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – Jana Sena Party (JSP) have announced several candidates for the assembly and parliamentary constituencies, in combined Visakhapatnam district.

As anticipated, BJP as part of its alliance took over the Anakapalli Lok Sabha seat and is fielding present Rajya Sabha MP, CM Ramesh as its candidate. Similarly, Kothapalli Geetha was announced as its candidate for Araku Lok Sabha seat. Ms Geetha won as Araku MP during the year 2014 on a YSRCP ticket, it may be noted. Read more

The Bharatiya Janata Party on March 24 announced candidates for 18 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. The one nomination that sparked instant attention is that of that Pradeep Panigrahy, the sitting MLA from Gopalpur.

Despite his past controversies, including a stint of seven months in jail for allegedly deceiving youths with false job promises, the nomination for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat has placed Mr. Panigrahy directly in the political heartland of Ganjam— Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district. Read more

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Chirag Paswan on March 24 said his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will declare its candidates for the Lok Sabha election “immediately after Holi”.

Mr. Paswan, whose party has got five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, also said he was “ready for any challenge” that came from his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras.

“We will announce all our candidates in a few days... immediately after Holi,” said Mr. Paswan, but evaded a direct reply to the question whether he would accommodate Veena Devi and Mehboob Ali Kaiser, sitting MPs from Vaishali and Khagaria, respectively. Read more

Devani Satish Madiga, who served as a member of the BJP executive committee and contested as a BJP candidate in the last Assembly elections from Achampet constituency, joined the Congress at the Gandhi Bhavan here on Sunday citing disagreements with the party’s policies.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Satish Madiga expressed displeasure over BJP’s approach, stating concerns that the party’s policies primarily benefit the upper classes. He highlighted his belief that the Congress has historically prioritised the development of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) through various initiatives. Read more

Subsidised LPG cylinders, monthly doles to meet kitchen expenses and the arrangement for free legal and medical consultation — these are some of the promises political parties in Haryana are making to woo women voters in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

The parties are also holding conferences to win over the support of women voters, who in the past decade have played a crucial role in deciding the fate of the elections while rising above the caste lines. Read more

The BJP, known to be adept at using social media in its electoral campaigns, is looking to engage micro-influencers from within the party to help it expand its reach among Delhi voters ahead of the Lok Sabha poll. The national capital will vote on May 25.

“A micro-influencer is somebody who has a ground connect. They are more trusted within the community compared to influencers with larger followings. They are more accessible. They usually have a social media following of 2,000-5,000,” said Rohit Upadhyay, Delhi BJP’s social media in-charge. Read more

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will be banking on his three-pronged strategy — schemes, sentiment and restoration of self-respect — for the party campaign in the State for the Lok Sabha elections, which is scheduled to be launched in the first week of April at Tukkuguda.

The Parliament elections would be a litmus test for the entire State party leadership, even as they appear to be confident of the fruits of the five months of rule, by May 13, when the voters will go to the polling booths for the first time after the Congress government took over. Read more

With major parties and alliances having announced their respective list of candidates (barring the Congress for two seats) for the Lok Sabha election in the State, as many as nine constituencies will witness a three-cornered fight between candidates contesting on the symbols of the ‘Rising Sun’ (of the DMK), the ‘Two Leaves’ (of the AIADMK) and the ‘Lotus’ (of the BJP). 

Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) is set to contest in all 39 constituencies in the State as a lone ranger. The electoral battle in Chennai North, Chennai South, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Namakkal, Nilgiris (SC), Coimbatore, Pollachi, and Perambalur will be between candidates of the DMK, the AIADMK and the BJP. Read more

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who has been declared party candidate from Budaun seat, on Monday said that people are fed up with the BJP, which made “false and hollow” promises and have decided to vote for the SP.

Talking to reporters in Saifai on the occasion of Holi, Mr. Yadav said, “Everyone is fed up with the BJP. Inflation, taxes, unemployment and corruption are at its peak. The promises BJP made were false and hollow. This time people will ensure victory for the SP candidates.” “If we win UP, BJP will be wiped out,” he added.

Candidates on remaining seats will be declared soon, the SP national general secretary said Asked whether there are chances of his son, Aditya Yadav, contesting from Buduan in his place, Yadav said, “As of now, It’s I who would be contesting.” “Whatever directions the party will give, I will follow,” he said. - PTI

Congress leaders from Goa have been summoned to Delhi by the party’s central leadership to decide on candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state, a functionary said on Monday, March 25, 2024.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar and South Goa election coordinator Altone D’Costa have been called, the functionary said.

The ruling BJP has already announced candidates for North Goa (Shripad Naik) and South Goa (Pallavi Dempo) seats.

“The party is considering the names of leaders like Viriato Fernandes, Francisco Sardinha (sitting MP from South Goa seat), Girish Chodankar and Amit Patkar for South Goa seat. There is also the possibility of Alemao as he belongs to the minority community,” he said.

For the North Goa seat, names being considered include former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, Vijay Bhike and senior leader Sunil Kawthankar, he claimed. “The names will be announced on March 27 after the Congress’ central election committee meets in Delhi,” the functionary said. - PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on March 24 announced candidates for 18 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. The one nomination that sparked instant attention is that of that Pradeep Panigrahy, the sitting MLA from Gopalpur.

Despite his past controversies, including a stint of seven months in jail for allegedly deceiving youths with false job promises, the nomination for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat has placed Mr. Panigrahy directly in the political heartland of Ganjam— Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district. 

NDA ally Chirag Paswan said his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will declare its candidates for the Lok Sabha polls “immediately after Holi”.

Mr. Paswan, whose party has got five of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, also asserted he was “ready for any challenge” that came from his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras.

“We will announce all our candidates in a few days... immediately after Holi,” said Mr. Paswan, but evaded a direct reply to the question whether he would accommodate Veena Devi and Mehboob Ali Kaiser, sitting MPs from Vaishali and Khagaria, respectively.

PTI

Downplaying the BJP-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami asserted that the contest is confined to his party and the ruling DMK, which he dubbed a “family party, a corporate company.” 

Launching the Lok Sabha election campaign of his party and allies, Mr. Palaniswami, a former Chief Minister said the Centre’s Madurai AIIMS project was launched in Tamil Nadu due to the AIADMK regime (2011-21).

“What did you do?” he asked the DMK on project completion as it had as many as 38 MPs in Lok Sabha (2019-24).

Referring to Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin showing a ‘brick’ in his campaign in previous polls to indicate that the AIIMS project was a non-starter, Mr. Palaniswami said there was no use displaying a brick in public.

PTI

Former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Sandeshkali ‘victim’ Rekha Patra, and former State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh are among the 19 candidates whose names were announced by the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. While there are 42 Lok Sabha seats in the State, candidates for 20 seats were named on March 2.

The Congress party released the fifth list of three candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, naming Pratap Singh Khachariyawas from Jaipur, replacing Sunil Sharma as announced earlier.

The BJP has fielded Manju Sharma for the Jaipur constituency. Sunil Sharma was named in the party’s third list of candidates, including five others from Rajasthan.

The Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 19 and April 26.

ANI