Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates | Highlights from April 29

The nomination process for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 25, including six constituencies from West Bengal, commenced on Monday, an official said.

Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram (ST), Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur (SC) will vote in this phase, the official added.

The deadline for applications is May 4, with nominations closing on May 6, followed by scrutiny on May 7, the official said. The list of candidates will be published on May 9, he added.

- PTI

The Delhi BJP leaders and workers on Monday staged a protest near the Congress headquarters at Akbar Road in New Delhi, alleging the grand old party wanted to snatch OBC reservation and give it to the minorities in the country.

Addressing the protest organised by Delhi BJP’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) Morcha, state party president Virendra Sachdeva said Modi will respond to those trying to snatch reservation from the Hindu OBCs once the party comes to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

The protesters, raising slogans against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc, removed the barricade and moved towards the All India Congress Committee headquarters even as police tried to stop them.

- PTI

The BJP and RSS want to subvert and change the Constitution, which gives rights to the poor and protects their future, but the people are aware of this attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a rally in Sakri village in support of Congress’ Bilaspur Lok Sabha candidate Devendra Yadav, Gandhi said leave alone Prime Minister Narendra Modi no power in the world can reject or tear apart the country’s Constitution.

“The PM, BJP leaders and RSS want to subvert and change the Constitution. While they are trying to destroy the Constitution, the Congress is trying to protect it. This Lok Sabha poll is not an ordinary poll. It is about saving democracy, Constitution, reservations and rights of the poor,” he said.

- PTI

Repolling was held “peacefully” at a polling station in Indiganatha village of Hanur, which falls under Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka on Monday, amid elaborate security arrangements, after a clash between groups on Friday resulted in damage to EVMs.

Polling began at 7 am and ended by 6 pm.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena told PTI, “Repolling was good and it went peacefully. Almost 13.42 per cent votes have been cast.” The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission following reports that electronic voting machines were damaged at the polling booth in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district on April 26 during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections.

- PTI

The Jannayak Janta Party announced the names of five more Lok Sabha candidates from Haryana, fielding its youth wing state chief Ravinder Sangwan from Rohtak.

The JJP fielded Kiran Punia from Ambala, Palaram Saini from Kurukshetra, Devender Kadiyan from Karnal and Bhupinder Malik from Sonipat, according to a party statement.

The party picked Rajinder Madaan for the Karnal assembly bypoll, which will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana on May 25.

- PTI

The Congress on April 29 announced four more Lok Sabha candidates from Punjab, fielding PCC chief Amarinder Singh Brar (Raja Warring) from Ludhiana and party general secretary Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from Gurdaspur.

The party has fielded former MP Vijay Inder Singla from Anandpur Sahib and Kulbir Singh Zira from Khadoor Sahib, replacing sitting MP Jasbir Singh Gill.

Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari has been shifted to Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency while Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu has joined the BJP.

The voter turnout in the April 26 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala was updated to 71.27% on April 29. Of the total 2,77,49,158 voters in Kerala, 1,97,77,478 exercised their franchise.

In all, 1,03,02,238 women, 94,75,090 men and 150 transgender voters cast their votes on April 26, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO – Kerala) Sanjay Kaul said.

The voter turnout in the April 26 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala was updated to 71.27% on April 29. Of the total 2,77,49,158 voters in Kerala, 1,97,77,478 exercised their franchise.

In all, 1,03,02,238 women, 94,75,090 men and 150 transgender voters cast their votes on April 26, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO – Kerala) Sanjay Kaul said.

None of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State registered a turnout higher than in the 2019 edition of the Lok Sabha polls. The Vadakara constituency, which was in the news on account of the delay in winding up the polling, registered the highest voter turnout this time with 78.41%. Pathanamthitta has the lowest at 63.37%.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Birbhum Lok Sabha, Debasish Dhar has moved the Supreme Court with his plea against the cancellation of his nomination papers.

Senior advocate Nidhesh Gupta, appearing for Dhar, mentioned the plea before a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and urged for an urgent hearing.

Dhar’s lawyer apprised the court that today is the last day for filing nominations”.

The court said that it would look into Dhar’s plea for listing.

- ANI

Thirty six out of the 266 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat have criminal cases against them, with some also facing attempt to murder and dacoity charges, as per an analysis of their affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Elections to 25 out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on May 7. The BJP candidate from Surat seat has already been declared elected unopposed.

Among the major parties, out of the 25 BJP candidates, four, or 15 per cent, have criminal cases against them, with two facing serious charges, as per the data of ADR, which is an electoral reform advocacy group.

Out of the 23 Congress candidates, six, or 26 per cent, are named in criminal cases, with three facing serious charges, showed the ADR analysis of the Election Commission data.

- PTI

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani has filed nomination papers from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other BJP leaders, Ms. Irani held a 3-km roadshow before filing her papers. - PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that his party would conduct a nation-wide caste and economic survey if it is voted to power. 

Mr. Gandhi, who was addressing an election rally in Gujarat’s Patan in support of the party’s Lok Sabha candidate Chandanji Thakor, said the BJP and RSS planned to change the Constitution after retaining power.

“Ninety per cent of the country’s population comprises SCs, STs and OBCs, but you will not find their representation in the corporate, media (sectors), private hospitals, private universities or as bureaucrats in government. We will first do a caste survey and economic survey after coming to power,” he said.

These communities are working as farmers, labourers, small traders or are simply unemployed, he said, adding that only three of the 90 IAS officers at the helm of affairs at the Centre are from the backward classes, and they too have been given insignificant posts. Accusing the BJP of bringing about wealth inequality in the country during its 10-year rule, Gandhi said just 22 individuals possess as much wealth as 70 per cent of the population. “Our solution is that the Congress will first conduct a caste census and economic survey after coming to power to find out the exact population of Dalits, OBCs, tribals as well as the poor from general category. Then a survey will be held to find out their participation in media, government sectors, private colleges and universities etc and also financial status,” he said.

After this exercise, India will have a fair idea of everyone’s proportion in population, their participation details, money in their hands and institutions they are working in, he claimed.

Delhi Police has asked Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to join the probe on May 1 in connection with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s doctored video being circulated on social media, official sources said on April 29.

According to sources, the police served notices to five people, including Mr. Reddy, who posted the video on X. Mr. Reddy, who is also the Telangana Congress chief, has been asked to appear with his mobile phone allegedly used for posting the fake video on X, according to sources.Read more

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi abuses the Gandhi family because he does not have any achievements to his credit.

Congress is leading in the two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, which has worried Modi, Mr. Kharge said during a public meeting in this town in Yadgir district. Mr. Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Kalaburagi, which is going to polls on May seven. Gurmitkal is part of this constituency.

“Everyone knows what was there before and after Modi’s birth in this country but he still abuses Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lalbahadur Shastri, Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and me because he has nothing to his credit,” he said.

“Modi says out of frustration that Congress is taking away everyone’s property and distributing it among Muslims. This is neither written in the Constitution nor mentioned in our manifesto anywhere,” he said.

He explained that Congress has only said that it will give to the poor whatever is due for them but “never spoke about Hindu-Muslim.” He said, “Modi says he is going to strengthen the country. Are we going to weaken it? It was we who broke Pakistan into two. What did you do?”

“Modi talks so much. He says he has a 56-inch chest. What will we do with a 56-inch chest? Tell us what you did for stomach? What are you giving us for meals?” he questioned. “Today, price rise is an issue worrying poor people.” - PTI

Delhi High Court dismisses a petition seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly violating the model code of conduct (MCC) by allegedly seeking votes for the upcoming Lok Sabha election “in the name of god and place of worship”. The Election Commission is presently seized of the complaint against Mr Modi.Read more

The Congress attacked the BJP over an alleged sex scandal involving the grandson of JD (S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda. The party asked why the BJP went ahead with its alliance with the JD(S) when a BJP leader had written to the party’s Karnataka unit president, exposing the presence of a pen drive full of “sleaze videos of Prajwal Revanna”.

A case of sexual harassment and stalking was registered on Sunday against former prime minister Deve Gowda’s son H.D. Revanna and grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna respectively.

In a post in Hindi on X, with party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “The leader with whom the PM gets photographed by placing his hand on his shoulder. The leader for whom the PM himself campaigned 10 days ago. Praised him on stage. Today, that leader of Karnataka is absconding from the country.”

“Just hearing about his heinous crimes committed is heart-wrenching. This ruined the lives of hundreds of women. Modi ji, will you still remain silent?” the Congress general secretary said. 

In a post on X, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “Why did the BJP still go ahead with the alliance? Why no action was taken on the serial rapes video recorded and kept in the pen-drive? Why did the PM campaign for and shared the stage with Prajwal Revanna despite knowing that Prajwal is the kingpin of world’s biggest & murkiest sex abuse?” 

Who helped Prajwal Revanna escape to Germany, he asked, adding, “Why is the PM silent?” - PTI

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking inspiration from Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels while speaking about the Congress’ Nyay Patra. Mr. Ramesh said, “For his MA in Entire Political Science, Mr. Narendra Modi must definitely have read Joseph Goebbels on the value of propaganda and taken inspiration from him.” He noted that Goebbels had stated that “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

“In his latest interview to a TV channel, which is being headlined, the outgoing PM has yet again blatantly, brazenly and shamelessly lied about the Congress’s Nyay Patra. It once again proves that Mr. Modi’s motto has always been ‘Asatyameva Jayate.’ Truth is slaughtered every time he speaks,” the Congress leader alleged. “The Congress’s Nyay Patra does not contain any mention, direct or indirect, of an inheritance tax. On the other hand - his ministerial drum beaters, party social media figures and corporate personalities advocated it,” he said in his post on X.

The Congress leader claimed that between 2017 and 2019 the Modi government seriously considered the proposal, with even his Finance Minister praising it publicly.

“Now one of his top economic advisors has said he is in favour of an income distribution survey but after the elections! Wow. Come on outgoing PM. At least in the closing few days of your miserable tenure shock the country by stopping the tsunami of lies,” he said. - PTI

Contesting for Assembly and Lok Sabha seats from Telangana is becoming costlier with every election. Enforcement agencies seized more than ₹155 crore between March 1 and the third week of April. This includes ₹60.96 crore of cash, liquor worth ₹29.35 crore, drugs and narcotics worth ₹23.87 crore, precious metals worth ₹18.36 crore, and ‘other freebies’ worth ₹23.12 crore. 

But, to tackle bribery, officials need to do more than seize cash and freebies.

​

Tracking the flow of cash in Telangana

Telangana elections witness a surge in cash, liquor, drugs, and precious metals seizures, highlighting the rising election expenses.

The Congress announced the names of four more Lok Sabha candidates from Punjab. The party is fielding PCC chief Amarinder Singh Brar (Raja Warring) from Ludhiana and party general secretary Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa from Gurdaspur. 

The party has fielded former MP Vijay Inder Singla from Anandpur Sahib and Kulbir Singh Zira from Khadoor Sahib, replacing sitting MP Jasbir Singh Gill.

Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari has been shifted to the Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency. With this list, the party has announced candidates for 12 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the State. Punjab goes to polls on June 1, the last phase of elections.

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea to postpone some papers of the Chartered Accountancy (CA) exams scheduled for May due to the Lok Sabha elections. 

A bench, comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has not fixed the examination on election dates.

It noted that the general elections to the Lok Sabha are to be held on May 7 and 13 and no exam has been scheduled for May 6 and May 12. 

The scheduling of exams pertains to “policy decisions”, it said while refusing to entertain the PIL. 

“But weighing the importance of the right to vote we have examined the position of candidates who shall be appearing for exams and would also need to vote. 591 centres are there and no exams on polling dates. At this stage when 4 lakh plus students have enrolled, any relief at this stage would result in grave prejudice,” the CJI said.

The exams will start on May 2 and continue till May 17. The plea sought that the exams scheduled for May 8 and May 14 be postponed to other dates as elections would be held in some States on May 7 and May 13.

On April 8, The Delhi High Court refused to postpone the CA exams while dealing with another plea. The high court had said it was surprised that such a request was made before it and termed the petition as “bereft of substance”. - PTI

Jailed Jharkhand ex-CM Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana has filed her nomination as the JMM candidate from Gandey Assembly seat in the State. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad. Ms. Soren, 48, was accompanied by Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren and brother-in-law Basant Soren, among others, when she filed her papers.

The bypoll to the seat is scheduled on May 20, along with the parliamentary elections in the state.

Shivamogga, a place known for lush green landscapes and tourist attractions including the world-famous Jog Falls, is witnessing an interesting contest in the current Lok Sabha elections. Besides candidates from two national parties — the BJP and the Congress — a former BJP Minister is in the fray as an Independent candidate.

Braving the hot summer, all three candidates — B.Y. Raghavendra of the BJP, Geetha Shivarajkumar of the Congress, and K.S. Eshwarappa, an Independent — are campaigning extensively to woo voters spread over eight Assembly constituencies. 

Congress nominee from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore Lok Sabha seat, Akshay Kanti Bam, has withdrawn his candidature, an official said on Monday. 

The Congress had fielded Mr. Bam against sitting BJP MP Shankar Lalwani from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held on May 13.

An official confirmed that Mr. Bam has withdrawn his candidature. 

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and State Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya in a post on X said Mr. Bam was welcome to join the BJP.

Speaking at a rally in Bagalkot, in Karnataka, Prime Minister Modi on Monday said that the days are not far away when the Karnataka govt will be unable to pay salaries to its employees. 

“Days are not far away, when Karnataka govt will be unable to pay salary to its employees,” Mr. Modi said. The Congress is running “ vasooli gang”, not government, he added. 

Bagalkot is going to polls in the third phase, on May 7. 

“We want to make India a manufacturing hub and a skill centre. This needs vision and those going on vacations can’t do this,” Mr. Modi said. 

The CPI(M) State secretariat meeting scheduled on Monday appears menaced by the unrelenting media circus over LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan’s Lok Sabha election day admission that he had met BJP Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar in the company of an alleged political fixer. 

A day ahead of the polls, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran spotlighted the ‘2023 meeting’ to sabotage the LDF’s refrain that Congress leaders in Kerala are in secret cahoots with the BJP and vulnerable to defection once the results are out. It did not help the LDF campaign that BJP’s firebrand leader Sobha Surendran endorsed Mr. Sudhakaran. 

Mr. Jayarajan had claimed that Mr. Javadekar and T.G. Nandakumar, a self-styled political broker whose name his critics have often linked to questionable practices, had surprised him at his son’s house in Thiruvananthapuram in March 2023. He said he declined to discuss politics and ended the meeting in 10 minutes. Moreover, Mr. Jayarajan said he did not feel compelled to report the impromptu call to the CPI(M) leadership. 

Mr. Jayarajan’s acknowledgement of the controversial meeting seemed to wrongfoot the LDF on the high-stakes polling day. 

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, held a roadshow on Monday ahead of filing her nomination papers.

Along with Smriti Irani, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was also present.

The roadshow saw people lining the streets, throwing flowers, and extending a warm welcome to the visiting dignitaries. 

Rahul Gandhi lost to BJP’s Smriti Irani in Amethi in the 2019 elections, a constituency he had been representing for 15 years. 

ANI

Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Monday filed nomination from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth and his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami accompanied the Union Defence minister to the collectorate to file the nomination paper. 

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajyapee had in the past represented the prestigious Lucknow constituency. 

PTI

Defence Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, Rajnath Singh on Monday held a roadshow in Lucknow before filing his nomination papers. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also accompanied Rajnath Singh in the roadshow. 

Mr. Rajnath Singh will face Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra from this seat. 

ANI

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has demanded a ‘comprehensive inquiry’ by the Election Commission of India (ECI) ‘into the terrible mismanagement’ of the Lok Sabha polls held in Kerala on April 26. 

The move comes close on the heels of Congress leaders, including All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal, accusing the CPI(M) of using its heft among left-leaning service organisations to delay polling in booths where the UDF enjoyed an upper hand. 

Mr. Venugopal had accused the CPI(M) of hijacking the election machinery. In an open letter to the ECI, Mr. Satheesan articulated the UDF’s frustration by stating that the ‘most important festival of democracy’ was anything but ‘free, fair and seamless.’ 

Mr. Satheesan spotlighted the common complaint that mismanagement had caused a delay in voting. The election staff seemed untrained. 

Once infamous for drought and starvation deaths during the 1980s, the Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency in western Odisha seems to have undergone a remarkable transformation, with political parties across the board claiming credit for its development.

It appears that the operationalisation of the Indravati Irrigation project and schemes like the Revised Long-Term Action Plan (RLTAP) worked wonders for the region.

While the BJD, BJP and Congress promise further development in the area if voters elect their candidate, all three parties have fielded fresh faces for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in consideration of the fact that Kalahandi chose a new MP in each of the last three parliamentary polls. 

In the 2009 general elections, Bhakta Charan Das of Congress had won from the Kalahandi seat, while Arka Keshari Deo of BJD and Basant Kumar Panda of BJP won the subsequent editions of the polls in 2014 and 2019 respectively.

The BJD has chosen Lambodar Nial, the BJP named Malavika Keshari Deo, a member of the Kalahandi royal family, replacing sitting MP Basant Kumar Panda, and the Congress has put up tribal community member Droupadi Majhi as a candidate for the seat. 

PTI

In yet another blow to the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party, Gutta Amit, son of Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy, joined the Congress on Monday.

He joined in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge Deepa Das Munsi, AICC secretary Rohit Chaudhary and Congress leader Rohin Reddy. His entry would be a big blow to the BRS in the Nalgonda district perception-wise since he is the son of Mr. Sukhender Reddy. 

Mr. Amit was an aspirant for the Nalgonda Parliament seat in the BRS and was denied ticket apparently under the pressure from former Minister G. Jagadish Reddy. The ticket was allotted to Kancharla Krishna Reddy, brother of former BRS MLA Kancharla Bhupal Reddy. 

JMM supremo Shibu Soren, his son Hemant and daughter-in-law Kalpana, and Chief Minister Champai Soren were among 40 star campaigners of the party for the Lok Sabha polls, a party leader said on Saturday.

According to a list submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand, Shibu Soren will lead the campaign in Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.

The list also includes Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda, who filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for Lohardaga Lok Sabha seat by going against the party’s wish. The seat went to the Congress in the seat-sharing agreement in the ruling alliance in the State.

The allegations of sexual harassment against incumbent MP and JD(S) candidate for Hassan Lok Sabha seat Prajwal Revanna are an embarrassment to society, JD(S) State president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said.

“The embarrassment could have been avoided if the matter was brought to our attention well in advance,” he told mediapersons in Shivamogga on April 29.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the party would also take action against him. “State Government has constituted an SIT to probe the allegations. An FIR has been registered. Let there be a fair investigation. Those who commit a crime have to face punishment as per the law of the land,” he said. 

The politics of freebies, now an inseparable component of Indian democracy, is also ruling the roost in Andhra Pradesh. Various political parties have made it apparent in their manifestos and promises during major public meetings that they cannot appeal for votes without promising freebies, on a competitive scale, to the public.

Walking in the same path, YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy released the party’s manifesto on Saturday, and as expected, it is loaded with promises of welfare schemes and freebies. Carrying forward his ‘Nava Ratnalu’ welfare schemes which helped him bag the Chief Minister post in the 2019 elections, he promised to increase further the financial assistance provided through some of the schemes.

During Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, as per the official figures, an amount of ₹2,54,894 crore was credited into the accounts of beneficiaries of 29 DBT schemes between June 2019 and January 2024. This is in addition to ₹1,70,873 crore spent on various non-DBT schemes, including loans, scholarships, house sites, PDS rice, power subsidy and distribution of tabs to students. 

Delhi High Court will hear today a petition seeking a six-year ban on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi from contesting elections, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by seeking votes in the name of religion for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Justice Sachin Datta will hear the matter today at 2:30 p.m. 

Mr. Modi allegedly sought votes in the “in the name of God and place of worship”. 

The petition, filed by advocate Anand S. Jondhale, said he came across a speech delivered by Mr. Modi at Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh seeking votes for the BJP on April 9.

The petitioner has sought a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify Mr. Modi from contesting in elections for six years under the Representation of the People Act.

Thanks to the political leaders, many rickshaw pullers engaged in election campaigns seem to be making good money by remodelling their rickshaws into campaign vehicles in Machilipatnam town. They are paid over ₹1,000 per day for the job.

“I don’t earn ₹300 per day by peddling my rickshaw regularly. But during elections, I get good money and can take care of my family,” said rickshaw puller B. Seshu, who was campaigning for a political party. Several rickshaws decorated with party flags, photographs of the contestants, party symbols, and banners were seen at Koneru Centre, Lakshmi Talkies Centre, Batchupeta, and other centres in Machilipatnam.

“Passenger rickshaws used to be in demand in the Krishna district until three decades ago. But now, they have vanished, and flat rickshaws are limited to transporting goods only,” said rickshaw owner Satyanarayana.

“During this election period, political leaders are paying between ₹ 1,000 and ₹1,200 per day. Besides, they are providing three meals a day,” said M. Babu, a rickshaw puller busy in a political party campaign at Revathi Centre.

The decorated rickshaws tag along with the party leaders in their door-to-door campaign. They are also taken around the streets in busy public places as advertisement vehicles. 

The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking inspiration from Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels while speaking about the party’s Nyay Patra for the Lok Sabha elections. 

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “For his MA in Entire Political Science, Mr. Narendra Modi must definitely have read Joseph Goebbels on the value of propaganda and taken inspiration from him.” 

He noted that Goebbels had stated that “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Mr. Ramesh said he also wrote in 1941 that “The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big and stick to it.” 

PTI

The Latur district administration has banned the flying of drones till the intervening night of April 30-May 1 and also imposed traffic regulations on several roads, an official said on April 28. 

These curbs are in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha poll rally in Birle Farm here on April 30, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Latur district in charge Kiran Patil told PTI. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued a notification for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections, which will take place on May 25 in 57 constituencies across six States and one Union Territory. 

This phase will witness polling for 57 Lok Sabha seats across Six states and one Union Territory, including Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and New Delhi.

According to the poll body’s notification, the last date for making nominations is May 6. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on May 7. ECI further stated that the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is May 9. 

Repolling is underway at one polling station in Indiganatha village of Hanur, which falls under Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka on Monday, amid elaborate security arrangements.

The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission following reports that electronic voting machines were damaged at the polling booth in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district on April 26 during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections.

According to the district administration, the villagers had earlier decided to boycott the polls citing lack of adequate infrastructure development. However, after assurances and efforts by the local officials, polling was underway. 

PTI

BJP MP from Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar and former Union Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital here, died on April 29, family sources said. 

The six-time MP from Chamarajanagar and two-time MLA from Nanjangud in Mysuru district was ailing for some time.

On March 18 this year, Prasad announced his retirement from electoral politics, marking an end to his almost 50 years in public life. 

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will address a campaign rally in Sedam taluk of Kalaburagi district on Monday in support of the party’s Lok Sabha candidate Radhakrishna Doddamani.

Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil, addressing a press conference here on Sunday, said that Ms. Gandhi will arrive at Sedam at 2.30 p.m.

All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge will also participate in the rally. Arrangements have been made for nearly 30,000 people expected to attend the rally, he added. 

The simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha election to be held in Andhra Pradesh on May 13 is being called the “mother of all elections”, with a mix of revenge politics, alliance dynamics, family drama, populist welfare schemes and the evergreen caste factor adding spice to the contest.

It’s a do-or-die battle for most major players in the State, including the ruling YSR Congress as well as the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP), both constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). For any of these regional parties, unlike for the BJP, it will be hard to sustain themselves in the Opposition for the next five years. The Congress is eyeing a nascent revival and hopes to play spoiler in some areas.

The fight is evenly poised between the two main opponents. There is some anti-incumbency against the YSR Congress and voter turnout will be a key factor. While the YSR Congress appears to have an edge in rural and tribal areas due to its welfare initiatives, the NDA seems to be doing better in the urban segments.

Since Telangana was carved out of united Andhra Pradesh, the residual State of A.P. has been left with 25 Lok Sabha seats, each of which is being keenly contested between the YSR Congress and the NDA. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has converted each of these Parliamentary constituencies into a district, applying the principle of decentralisation. Earlier, there were only 13 districts in the State.