Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: Former JMM MLA Sita Soren joins BJP

Coming down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani said on Tuesday that if the former considers himself secular, then he should not fight in the name of religion, but based on issues.

During a session on the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, the Union Minister said the destination of a nation cannot be decided by a man who is scared of defeat in Amethi.

Amethi in Uttar Pradesh was long considered a bastion of the Gandhi family until Rahul Gandhi lost the seat to Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Assam BJP's lone Muslim MLA and former deputy speaker of Assam Assembly, Aminul Haque Laskar has resigned from the party alleging that the party has lost its ideology. Laskar said that he'll join the Congress party on Wednesday.

Aminul Haque joined BJP in 2011 and became MLA from Barak Valley's Muslim dominated Sonai constituency in 2016. BJP appointed him as the Deputy Speaker in 2020. However, he lost the election in 2021 and later he was appointed as the chairperson of Assam Minorities Development & Finance Corporation.

Aminul lost to All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) candidate in 2021 and he alleged that BJP conspired against him. On Tuesday he resigned from the primary membership of the BJP. However, the BJP is yet to respond to this.

Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray says, "The names of the candidates of Maha Vikas Aghadi will be announced in a day or two...The candidates who were sent from here as MLAs and MPs betrayed the same people who made them win. Those who left us are spreading rumours that I have left Bala Saheb's ideology. I have not left Hindutva. There is a difference between our Hindutva and BJP's Hindutva. Our Hindutva is nationalist. Spreading hatred against other religions is not our Hindutva..."

The Congress will reach out to people and highlight the failures of the seven BJP MPs in Delhi during their tenures, the party's Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said on Tuesday.

The move comes a day after the BJP's seven candidates in Delhi listed their 100-day "priorities", including improving health and education facilities, if elected.

"We will go to every Lok Sabha constituency and highlight the failures of the respective BJP MP in the past 10 years," Lovely said at a press conference.

The Congress is also likely to release a "charge sheet" against the BJP MPs next week, he added.

NCP (SCP) leader Jitendra Ahwad says, "...Ajit Pawar will be able to use it "clock" symbol but it will have to be written on every poster that we (NCP) are using this symbol till the final decision of the Supreme Court, which means that the symbol is about to go. They cannot use Pawar Saheb's photo at all..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday wrapped up his whirlwind tour of South India by holding a roadshow in Kerala and a public rally in Tamil Nadu, marking the continuation of the BJP's southern outreach, as he made a strong election pitch for the party, a month ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

Over the last five days, Modi visited all of south, held roadshows, made an aggressive bid for his party, and took on the rivals with full gusto, especially the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, and the BRS in Telangana that was in power for 10 years. He also stepped up his attack on the opposition bloc India over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark.

Not just through the week, but PM Modi had made repeated stopovers in multiple southern destinations in the past few months, crisscrossing the region, in a bid to get a firmer foothold for the saffron party. He combined official engagements with visits to places of Hindu religious significance. But for Karnataka, the region has eluded the BJP of many electoral gains. Kerala and Tamil Nadu even bucked the national trend in 2014 and 2019, cold-shouldering an otherwise resurgent and powerful BJP that swept across the country in the polls. Corruption, dynasty politics, and graft were the focus of his addresses while attacking the Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents, even as he made Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark his key talking point for two days. Gandhi's comments also drew a sharp retort from the Prime Minister during his public rallies.

Thousands of Kuki-Zo community people of Manipur, who have taken shelter in Mizoram following the ethnic violence in their home state, may not be able to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha polls, an official said here on Tuesday.

No voting arrangement has been made for these Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from Manipur till now, an Election Commission official said.

According to Mizoram Home Department's data accessed by PTI, altogether 9,196 adults and children from neighbouring Manipur have taken shelter in different parts of the state.

"A discussion is on among officials of the Election Commission to enable the Manipuris, displaced in different parts of the country, to exercise their franchise in the upcoming polls. However, till now, there is no plan to make special arrangements for them," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The two Manipur Lok Sabha seats will go to polls on April 19. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar recently said that the EC has drawn up a scheme to allow displaced people in Manipur to cast their votes from the camps where they are staying.

Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, called on the Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today.

Tomorrow we will announce (our list of candidates)," says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah after the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi

On BJP's attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark, party leader Salman Khurshid says, "We don't give much weightage to their words, to PM's words...Attempts are made to distort all of his statements..."

On the declaration of party's candidates for Lok Sabha elections 2024, party MP Manickam Tagore says, "4 hours of meeting has just concluded. Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge sat together with all state leaders, Chief Ministers and others. Congress party is well prepared and we are strategically announcing the candidates. Congress party will fight the battle to win and INDIA Alliance is going to win 300 seats."

Eleven 'Shakti Ammas' gave a special welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Tamil Nadu's Salem on Tuesday amid a political row arising from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks relating to 'Shakti.

As they came on the stage, PM Modi greeted them by folding his hands.

PM Modi has attacked the INDIA bloc over Rahul Gandhi's "Shakti' remarks made at a rally in Mumbai on Sunday.

In his remarks at the Salem rally on Tuesday, PM Modi accused the INDIA bloc leaders of "deliberately insulting" Hindu dharma and said that the opposition's leader's every statement against the religion is very "well thought out."

Election Commission of India (ECI) notifies the category of electors mentioned therein for the purposes of facility of voting through postal ballot as absentee voters on essential services; allows voting by postal ballot for authorised media persons on election duty

Former Karnataka Deputy CM KS Eshwarappa on his decision to contest as an Independent candidate from Shivamogga seat said, “Karnataka’s BJP is in control of one family, and we are protesting against this. All those people who are talking about Hindutva have been sidelined. Whether it is CT Ravi, Pratap Simha, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Sadananda Gowda, or anyone else, those who speak about Hindutva are being sidelined. They are all leaders, who have done a lot of work for the party.”

On Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar says, "He (Raj Thackeray) said that positive discussions were held and a decision would be taken in 2-3 days. I can't tell how many seats were demanded but all the demands were discussed positively..."

The top Congress leadership on Tuesday held deliberations on the party's candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting of the Central Election Committee headed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge was attended by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other members of the panel.

Sources said candidates from states of Karnataka, Telangana, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat were discussed during the meeting, besides candidates for assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim.

A total of around 60 to 70 Lok Sabha candidates were discussed during the meeting.

The Congress has so far announced 82 candidates for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls beginning April 19.

On BJP's mission of '372 for BJP, 400 plus for NDA', AIUDF MLA Dr. (Hafiz) Rafiqul Islam says, "I don't think BJP will get those many seats. BJP has no seats in South India, West Bengal, Odisha and several other states. So, this too is a 'jumla' of the BJP. They can't get those many seats. But, had the Opposition fought unitedly, it would have been good. But due to Congress party's arrogance and because it doesn't make sacrifices and can't tolerate regional parties, several of the regional parties have parted ways. They should have contested the election together. But this couldn't happen, it is unfortunate. But BJP's 'jumla' of 370 and 400 will not happen. It will win lesser number of seats than it won the last time."

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "Rahul Gandhi insulted Hindu culture yesterday. We thought that he would realise his mistake. But even after a day, there have been no efforts to rectify the statement. His coterie spokespersons were looking for meaning in his remark and attempting to justify it...The Congress party under Rahul Gandhi is no more the Congress party imbued with the doctrine and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a Congress party led by a divisive mind, Maoist thought and anti-Hindu thought. Rahul Gandhi is completely in the sway of these elements...Rahul Gandhi, do you have the courage to speak in the same derogatory terms with regard to the fundamental principles of faith of other religious thoughts or gods?..."

In the Central Election Committee meeting, Congress finalised the names of candidates for 12 Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal, reported ANI.

On Sita Soren (former JMM MLA and sister-in-law of ex-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren) joining BJP, Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi says, "We welcome her to BJP. The way she has resigned and from what I saw in (her resignation letter), there was hidden pain in it and it seemed that she was feeling humiliated. It is natural that a person has a limit to tolerate anything..."

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan says, "... The first phase poll in the state is on April 19 in 6 constituencies. Second on April 26 for 6 constituencies. The third phase is on May 7 for 8 seats, and the last and fourth phase is on May 13 for 8 seats... The voters aged 18-19 years are 16,49,641... Facility for home voting would be available to those aged more than 85 years and for Divyang voters who are more than 40% Divyang..."

On Pashupati Kumar Paras resigning as Union Minister and alleging 'injustice' in NDA, former Bihar CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi says, "...He used to make two kinds of statements. He used to call himself a soldier of NDA and now he has left NDA. This means he was never a true soldier of the NDA..."

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led faction to continue using the name Nationalist

Congress Party (NCP) and the election symbol “clock” as it turned down the request of the faction led by the party founder Sharad Pawar to restrain his nephew from using the party name or symbol that could confuse voters who identify the party and its symbol with him.

The top court said that this interim arrangement will continue till it takes a final call on the petition filed by Sharad Pawar

against the Election commission’s February 6 order declaring the Ajit Pawar faction to be the real NCP based on the numerical strength of members supporting him in the Maharashtra assembly.

The order came as a setback to the NCP founder as in his application, he sought to restrain the rival faction from using the

name NCP and fight elections with any other symbol other than the ‘clock’ till the matter is finally decided by Court.

Despite embroiled in a money laundering case being probed by Enforcement Directorate, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has been mulling to rope in and field former minister and chairman of the Dogra Swabhimaan Sangthan, Choudhary Lal Singh against union minister Dr Jitendra Singh from Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket.

Speculations were rife that the fiery politician may join the grand old party anytime soon.

However, a senior Congress leader, who declined to be named, said, “nothing has been decided yet but discussions are on at the screening meeting. Though JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani has strongly pitched for Choudhary Lal Singh before the party high command including Rahul Gandhi, the final call will be taken by the Congress working committee.”

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) acting president MM Hassan says, "The polling date in Kerala is April 26. In Kerala, Friday and Sunday will be inconvenient to various sections of the community. So we have demanded to change the polling date to some other date. I have also sent emails to the Central Election Commissioner and the UDF chairman and the opposition leader. He has also sent a mail to the Central Election Commissioner."