Lok Sabha Election 2024 news highlights: Karnataka CM declares he will no longer contest LS polls

BJP chief JP Nadda on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a change in the political culture which was dominated by the politics of caste, dynasty and appeasement in the past and replaced it by setting the trend of development.

Addressing a meeting of intellectuals in Jabalpur in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections, Nadda alleged the opposition INDI alliance is a group of corrupt and dynast leaders.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought a political change in the political culture of the country. I want people to recall old political style which focused on caste, whether a person is forward (caste) or backward, which castes are supporting him and vote bank politics," Nadda said.

PTI

Former Karnataka deputy chief minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa, opting to run independently in the Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga constituency, disclosed on Tuesday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had contacted him for a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, according to news agency ANI reported.

Eshwarappa affirmed his intention to meet Amit Shah the following day but asserted that his decision to contest the election would remain unchanged unless the state BJP president, BY Vijayendra, son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, is replaced before the polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday re-nominated 17 of its 22 sitting MLAs in Odisha while announcing the list of candidates for 112 of the 147 Assembly constituencies in the state.

The party dropped one legislator, Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, from Brahmagiri constituency in Puri district and fielded his niece Upasana from there.

The candidates of three other seats where the party has MLAs in the outgoing assembly were not announced during the day.

Rairangpur MLA Naba Charan Majhi has been fielded as an MP candidate from the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat.

PTI

The Election Commission conducted a "regular review" for the Lok Sabha elections and issued transfer orders for two inspectors general of police, eight district magistrates, and 12 superintendents of police across five states. This decision came after a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar alongside Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The commission had earlier announced the elections on March 16, scheduling them in seven phases from April 18 to June 1, with vote counting set for June 4.

The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) announced that former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Azad's decision follows his departure from the Congress in 2022, marking an end to his five-decade-long association with the party. He subsequently founded his own political party, the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP).

Azad's party leader said, “Today the core committee of DPAP met and we have decided that (party president) Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.”

On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that he will no longer participate in elections due to his advancing age, lacking the necessary health and enthusiasm for work after four years. He had previously stated during the 2023 assembly polls that it would be his final election, although he intends to remain active in politics.

arnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday slammed the 25 BJP MPs elected from the State, alleging that they failed to raise the issues pertaining to Karnataka. Addressing a public meeting here, he said the BJP MPs cannot become the "voice of the people of Karnataka." “25 BJP members went to the Parliament in 2019. Did they raise your voice in the Parliament? Did they speak about grants to Karnataka? Did Pratap Simha (Mysore BJP MP) speak in the Parliament?” the Chief Minister asked.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Tuesday released a list of 40 star campaigners to bolster the party's electoral prospects in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"As per provisions under section 77 (1) of Representation of the people Act, 1951 the "Star Campaigners LOKSABHA ELECTIONS 2024, names approved by the State President Shri. Jayantrao Patil are sent as follows," a release brought out by the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) read.

The list included Sharad Pawar, Anil Deshmukh, Jitendra Avhad, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil among others.

ANI

On Tuesday, the Congress announced a list of 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, nominating Mohammad Jawed and Tariq Anwar for Bihar's Kishanganj and Katihar seats, respectively, and Y S Sharmila, the Andhra Pradesh unit chief, for Kadapa. Union minister M M Pallam Raju was also nominated for Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada constituency. The Congress list covered eight seats in Odisha, five in Andhra Pradesh, three in Bihar, and one in West Bengal. Alongside Anwar and Jawed, MLA Ajeet Sharma was selected for Bhagalpur in Bihar, bringing the party's total declared candidates to 228.

More than 113,000 Kashmiri migrants are registered to vote in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for three seats in the Valley, according to officials, PTI said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has scheduled special awareness camps in Jammu and Udhampur districts from April 3 to 14 to encourage participation among Kashmiri migrants in the electoral process.

Arun Govil, the renowned actor known for his role in the TV serial 'Ramayan,' officially submitted his nomination as the BJP candidate for the Meerut Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya accompanied Govil during the nomination process, PTI reported. Expressing gratitude to the BJP leadership for their trust in him, Govil mentioned his overwhelming public support following his nomination.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has transferred the district magistrates (DM) and superintendents of police (SP) of Bhojpur and Nawada, said people familiar with the matter.

Rajkumar, posted as DM of Bhojpur, and Ashutosh Kumar Verma, DM of Nawada, both IAS officers of 2010 batch; and Pramod Kumar Yadav, SP of Bhojpur, and Ambrish Rahul, SP of Nawada, both IPS officers of 2017 batch, were transferred with immediate effect.

The EC, in its letter dated April 1, signed by secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra, had asked the Bihar chief secretary not to assign them any election related work till completion of the Lok Sabha election, 2024, in the state.

While Rajkumar had joined as DM, Bhojpur on May 11, 2022, Verma took charge as the DM of Nawada on July 19, last year. Both the SPs had joined their respective districts on December 31, 2022.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to hold a series of press conferences across 40 districts if Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, aimed at mounting a concerted attack on the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP has unveiled a strategy to counter the opposition's narrative and address pertinent questions.

More than three dozen BJP leaders have been deployed for this.

BJP leaders will launch a united front against the opposition, with ministers and key figures coming together to expose the opposition alliance.

Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey in Varanasi, Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni in Lakhimpur, Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary in Maharajganj, Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Amroha and Moradabad, along with several other prominent figures, are slated to lead the charge in various districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that the action against the corrupt will go on and he cannot be deterred by threats and abuses.

Beginning his Lok Sabha campaign in Uttarakhand from Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, he also said that more development work has been done in Uttarakhand over the last 10 years than in the 50-60 years before that.

"Don't you think the corrupt should go to jail. The corrupt are threatening and abusing me. But they can't deter me. Action against each one of the corrupt will continue," Modi said.

The prime minister's remarks come amid opposition onslaught against the ruling party in the wake of arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren.

PM Modi during his public rally in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur says, "We have started a scheme to empower women - the 'Namo Drone Didi'. Under this scheme, drones worth lakhs of rupees are being given to our sisters and daughters helping them become drone pilots This will also benefit our daughters and sisters in Uttarakhand."

"Niyat sahi toh nateeje bhi sahi," says PM Modi as he talks about the development of Uttarakhand and various government schemes which have benefitted the state, in Rudrapur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur

Sitting Lok Sabha MP Ajay Nishad joins the Congress, shortly after resigning from the BJP.

BJP names its candidates for 112 seats for Odisha assembly polls.

The Congress has targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Uttarakhand today, later in the day, where he is scheduled to address a rally in Rudrapur as part of his Lok Sabha campaign.

The Congress General Secretary in Charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, alleged that the state has been plagued by "rampant" unemployment, and a "deteriorating" law and order situation in recent years.

In a long series of posts on his social media platform X, he said, "Today, PM Modi is visiting the city of Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, a state that has been plagued by rampant unemployment, unprecedented out-migration, crumbling infrastructure, and a deteriorating law and order situation in recent years.

Arun Govil, who essayed the role of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's mythological drama Ramayan and has been given the BJP's ticket from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut Lok Sabha seat for the general polls, on Tuesday said that this election is a 'Beginning of a new inning' for him.

Speaking to ANI, the veteran actor and the BJP leader said that his candidature from the seat is like a 'homecoming' to him.

"It feels great. This is the beginning of a new inning for me. I am thrilled. But I am at peace, I see no problems anywhere...I also feel good that it is like homecoming, as I have been made the candidate from here. I will be able to do something for the people," Arun Govil said, adding, "Ram ji theek karenge sab (Lord Rama will give his blessings)"

Centre provides 'Y' category Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover to recently joined Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Punjab Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural. Both the leaders will be provided the security cover only in Punjab, reports ANI.

Samajwadi Party issues another list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The party changes its Meerut candidate and fields Atul Pradhan from the constituency.

The agitation by the Rajput community against Union minister and BJP's Rajkot Lok Sabha seat candidate Parshottam Rupala, a Patidar, will not snowball into a conflict between the two communities like in earlier days, say political experts.

Addressing a small gathering in Rajkot on March 22, Rupala remarked that erstwhile 'maharajas' succumbed to the persecution of foreign rulers as well as the Britishers. The Union minister further said these 'maharajas' broke bread with these rulers and also married off their daughters to them.

Rajput community members saw the remarks as an insult to them. They have urged the BJP to withdraw Rupala's candidature or face defeat.

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur constituency, Dharmendra Pradhan, said that Odisha will play an important role in realising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047.

His comments came on Utkal Divas, also known as Odisha Day, which was celebrated on April 1.

Speaking to ANI, the senior BJP leader said, "On April 1, 1936, our state was born after separating from the then-Bihar province. Today, after completing 88 years of its existence, we are entering the 89th year. This is an important day for 4.5 crore Oriyas. Oriya society is preparing itself for the day when it will complete 100 years."

"Odisha will play an important role in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision. India will grow with the growth of Odisha...," he said.

Pradhan is set to contest in the Lok Sabha polls from the Sambalpur constituency.