Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: Congress party releases its eight list of candidates

Arunachal Assembly polls: In the upcoming Assembly election in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, chief minister Pema Khandu and four other BJP candidates will win unopposed, as no one else filed nominations on the last day for filing papers for the assembly polls.

Congress party releases its eight list of candidates

On I-T notices to Congress, party's general secretary KC Venugopal says, "Their only target is to freeze the financial sources of Congress for fighting elections. This is clearly a vendetta politics from their side. We are doing the maximum campaigning to save democracy."

"We are planning a rally of INDIA bloc on 31st March. All major leaders of INDIA will come," he adds.

On seat-sharing in Maharashtra, "...We are very much intact, we will do alliance. There will be a few problems, we will sort it out without any delay...Bihar (seat-sharing) will also be declared without any delay, I hope so."

After the Samajwadi Party's Ruchi Vira filed her nomination from the Moradabad constituency today, sitting MP ST Hasan said that he has no objection to it, and whether he has been given a ticket or not, it will not impact his personality.

"She (Ruchi Vira) is the authorised candidate. I have no objection to this. The party decides that they can field anyone. I have always criticised the politics of hate and will continue to move forward against it. I am with the ideology of Late Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav," Hasan said.

"Whether I have been given a ticket or not, it will not destroy my personality," he added.

The union minister of Road Transport and National Highway, Nitin Gadkari, who is BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Nagpur, collectively own property with his wife Kanchan Gadkari, worth ₹15.52-crore. This was over 51% more than what the couple owned, five years ago in 2019.

According to the affidavits, filed by Gadkari, along with his nominations, he and his wife own movable property worth ₹2.57-crore. This includes: ₹27,050 cash, ₹65.10-lakh bank deposit. Investments, worth ₹38.50-lakh, vehicles worth ₹45.94-lakh and ornaments and jewelleries, worth over ₹56-lakh.

Former Haryana BJP president OP Dhankhar appointed as incharge of Delhi. Dr Dinesh Sharma appointed as incharge of Maharashtra. Sanjiv Chaurasia appointed as incharge of Uttar Pradesh.

After the party CEC meeting in Delhi, Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur says, "The leadership will take a decision soon (on candidates list) and you will be informed about it. We have fixed the number that we will fight on 14 seats. INDIA alliance will fight on 14 seats and will fight with full force..."

A total of 131 candidates have filed 179 nominations in Rajasthan for the first phase of the general election which was closed on Wednesday, said the official familiar with the matter.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha election will take place on April 19 across 12 out of 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state which includes Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa, Nagaur, Alwar, and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur.

As per the data shared by the election department, the Jaipur Rural constituency recorded the maximum number of 24 nominations from 17 candidates followed by Jaipur with 24 nominations from 16 candidates, Churu with 21 nominations from 16 candidates, and Sikar with 20 nominations from 16 candidates.

In a major blow to the opposition unity among Maha-Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Wednesday announced the candidacy of eight individuals for the Lok Sabha in the state. This move indicates that the VBA is no longer pursuing an alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Talking to media persons in Akola, Ambedkar accused the MVA allies - Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) - of attempting to exploit his party to further dynastic politics, a practice that his party is actively opposing.

The VBA has nominated Sanjay Kewat for Bhandara-Gondia, Hitesh Madavi for Gadchiroli, Rajesh Bele for Chandrapur, Vasant Magar for Buldhana, and Ambedkar himself for Akola. Additionally, Prakajkta Pillewan, a dalit woman activist, will be the Lok Sabha candidate from Amravati. Rajendra Salunkhe will represent the VBA in Wardha, while Khemsingh Pawar will contest from Yavatmal-Washim, he informed.

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu and 6 other candidates from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state including deputy CM Chowna Mein are likely to win unopposed from their assembly seats, the BJP claimed.

Wednesday was the last day of filing of nominations for all 60 assembly seats in the state, which will go for polling along with the two Lok Sabha seats in the first phase to be held on April 19.

“It is confirmed that CM Khandu who is contesting from Mukto and six others including deputy CM Mein, who is contesting from Chowkham, have won from their seats unopposed as no other candidate have filed nominations from those seats till Wednesday, the last date filing nominations,” said Arunachal Pradesh BJP spokesperson Techi Necha.

Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) has approved the names of 18 candidates in today's meeting, the next CEC meeting will be held on March 31

Congress candidate Ganesh Godiyal filed his nomination papers from the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday.

After filing the nomination papers, Ganesh Godiyal addressed a huge crowd gathered during the public meeting held at Ramlila Ground in Pauri.

Ganesh Godiyal said that the people who have gathered here are the star campaigners and have decided the result for June 4.

Taking to X, he posted, "After the nomination, the star campaigners who gathered in the public meeting held at Ramlila Maidan in Pauri have decided the result on June 4. This is the biggest public meeting in the history of Pauri. The most important thing is that in this meeting, there was no star campaigner from Delhi like the opposition party, every person present here is a star campaigner himself."

It is advantage BJP in the Lok Sabha polls with around 79 per cent of Indians preferring a party-led NDA government over that of the INDIA alliance, according to the Asianet News 'Mood of the Nation' survey, which also said that Narendra Modi is the top choice for the Prime Minister's post.

The survey, released on Wednesday, said the Opposition has quite an uphill battle on its hands in the Lok Sabha battle.

According to the survey, 51.1 per cent of the respondents believe that the Narendra Modi government's decision to notify the Citizenship Amendment Act rules will positively impact the BJP's election prospects.

The Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday announced the candidates for 15 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 72 of the 147 assembly constituencies including chief minister Naveen Patnaik for Hinjili as the party changed 13 in Assembly and 7 in Lok Sabha list.

Patnaik himself announced the names of the candidates from Naveen Niwas. For the prestigious Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency, the party chose former Air India pilot Manmath Routray, who joined BJD few hiours ago, Routray is the younger son of Congress veteran and six-time ML Suresh Routray. For Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat, the party reposed its faith on former Captain of Indian hockey team Dilip Tirkey who had contested from the same seat in 2014, but lost to BJP veteran and former union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram.

The party chose Dr Avinash Samal, a doctor for Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency while for Cuttack it nominated Santrupt Mishra, former HR head of Aditya Birla Group. For Puri Lok Sabha seat, former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik will fight it out against BJP's Sambit Patra.

Being probed in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate, former minister and Congress leader Choudhary Lal Singh, on Wednesday, filed his nomination papers here for the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.

With this, the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency is all set for a triangular contest between union minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader and former minister GM Saroori and Choudhary Lal Singh.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Panthers Party have extended support to Lal Singh.

BJP releases its seventh list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

Navneet Rana fielded from Amravati constituency in Maharashtra.

Arup Patnaik to contest from Puri

Abinash Samal from Dhenkanal

Rajashree Mallik from Jagatsinghpur

Achyuta Samanta from Kandhamal

Santrupt Mishra from Cuttack

Sarmistha Sethi from Jajpur

Amidst unrelenting attacks from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over dynasty politics in the opposition INDIA bloc, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor staunchly defended it, claiming that it is ingrained within India's cultural fabric and its prevalence was not only within the grand old party but also within the BJP.

In an interview with PTI, Tharoor stood by dynasty politics in parties in the country, saying it's part of India's culture and suggested it's a common practice, not something unusual.

"It's a relatively common thing that in India, much more than in the West, a father expects his son to follow his profession, and so it tends to go. So it's not at all surprising that there is a certain level of 'parivar vaad' in all parties," Tharoor said.

Seat sharing arrangement in the opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar continued to hang in balance on Wednesday even as talks were going on between RJD and Congress in New Delhi over resolving the dispute on few seats including Katihar and Purnea, according to top leaders in the RJD.

On Tuesday evening, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had held a meeting with senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik in New Delhi following which the 34 year old Yadav scion had claimed the seat sharing arrangement had been finalised between all allies of the five party Mahagatbandan in Bihar ( part of INDIA bloc) and an announcement would be made within next few days in Patna.

“The Congress-RJD alliance is the oldest alliance. We have been together in all situations and have contested elections together. There have never been any tensions between us. We have both always understood each other,” said Yadav, who was flanked by Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and AICC in-charge of state Mohan Prakash.

On Punjab AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and party's MLA Sheetal Angural joining the BJP, AAP leader Malvinder Singh Kang says, "Sushil Rinku is the same person whom the people of Jalandhar had defeated in the assembly elections. Aam Aadmi Party made him win in the by-elections. AAP respected him but today he has betrayed the party. This betrayal is not just with the Aam Aadmi Party, it is a betrayal with Punjab, with those Punjabis who have always given a befitting reply to the traitors. The people of Punjab will teach a lesson to opportunists like Sushil Rinku..."

Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi, the Imam of Parliament Street Mosque in Delhi, files his nomination from the Rampur constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

He says, "I have filed my nomination as a Samajwadi Party candidate...Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sent me here with the message of humanity..."

Two weeks after Ashok Mahto alias Sadhu ji, 62, once a dreaded gangster, married a 46-year-old law graduate Neelam Devi working with a Delhi-based multinational law company, to ensure a RJD ticket for Lok Sabha, a Maoist-turned-politician Ajay Sao alias Ajay Kanu alias Ravi Kanu has staked claim for a RJD ticket for his wife Sharda Devi from Jehanabad parliamentary seat.

Though not officially announced, Ashok Mahto’s wife Neelam Devi has been allocated RJD symbol from Munger Lok Sabha seat.

Even as the Election Commission tries its best to clean up the electoral system, the reality remains that contesting elections involve a lot of money and manpower.

Delhi: After the meeting over seat-sharing, Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh says, "...When it (seat-sharing) happens, I will tell you. All is well. There is the possibility of a meeting. It (Purnea seat) will be decided, Tejashwi Yadav also already told you..."

The BJP on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to immediately transfer senior IPS officer Hemanth Nimbalkar whose wife is contesting on a Congress ticket from Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency in the coming polls, and relieve him from all election-related works. In a letter to the poll body, the party noted that Nimbalkar is currently working as Commissioner, Department of Information and Public Relations. His wife, Anjali Nimbalkar is presently an MLA from Khanapur in Belagavi district.

Giving one more jolt to INDI block in Bihar, RJD has given party symbol to Bima Bharti who a few days ago joined the party quitting JD-U. Bharti won Rupauli assembly seat on JD-U ticket in 2020.

Addressing media persons at the party (RJD) office here in Purnea town area on Wednesday afternoon, upbeat Bima Bharti said, “The RJD has given me party symbol to contest Purnea seat and I will file nomination on April 3,” she said and claimed, “I will win the seat by a huge margin.”

On being asked about Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav’s claim over Purnea seat, she said, “I can’t say anything in this regard but I know Pappu bhaiya and his party (Congress party) will help me in this election win the seat.”