LS Polls: Has PM Modi Adopted 'Bluff And Rule' Policy For Tripura, Asks Congress
Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Please follow this space and keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates pertaining to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Kerala: Addressing a public rally in Kasargod, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "I want to ask Congress in particular, what do they have to say about this comment of CPIM. I want to ask them to clarify. CPIM says if they come to power, they will destroy all nuclear weapons. India's first nuclear tests were conducted in 1974 by Indira Gandhi. The need arose because China had continuously been doing nuclear tests. And even Pakistan had begun its nuclear trials... Later, the Atal Bihar Vajpayee government conducted 5 successful nuclear tests and earned India the status of Nuclear Power in the world. Left and Congress want to weaken India. At a time when India's neighbouring countries are nuclear powers, talking about destroying our nuclear weapons is no less than playing with India's national security. It is a very deep-rooted conspiracy to weaken the country."
The prestigious Tripura West Lok Sabha seat is set to witness a keen contest between former chief minister and BJP leader Biplab Kumar Deb and opposition INDIA Bloc nominee Asish Kumar Saha, who is also the president of the state Congress. The Tripura West parliamentary constituency, an unreserved seat comprises of 30 Assembly segments and has a considerable number of ST and minority voters apart from Bengali voters.
Minority voters are key in at least nine Assembly segments while tribal voters appear to be a factor in five non-ST Assembly seats. Pratima Bhoumik had won the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat in 2019 by over 3 lakh votes by defeating Congress nominee Subal Bhowmik.
The Congress on Wednesday alleged that there is "rampant political violence" in BJP-ruled Tripura and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked the prime minister ahead of his Lok Sabha poll rally in Agartala, asking whether he has adopted a "bluff and rule" policy for Tripura.
"Today's questions for the PM as he heads to Tripura: Does the PM approve of the BJP's rampant political violence in Tripura? Has the PM adopted a bluff and rule policy for Tripura as well?" Ramesh asked in a post on X.
Campaigning ended Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the BJP-led NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
Leading the charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took whirlwind tours of various constituencies in the past few days, addressing rallies and holding roadshows, and asserting that he went to people with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024. Many times he said there is "Modi's guarantee across the country and I am giving the guarantee of fulfilling all these guarantees".
Union Minister & BJP candidate from Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency, Smriti Irani says, "I feel sad that Amethi which is a land of saints and Sanatanis, the land from where people from each section have given sacrifice be it in the war of 1857 or the freedom struggle, in this region there used to be a leader who has supported even the slogans raised to cut India into pieces."
Kota, Rajasthan: BJP candidate from Kota, Om Birla says, "PM Modi has said that reservation cannot be scrapped, Constitution cannot be amended...Regarding reservation, the PM had said earlier too that there is a social system within reservation which will not be altered. He said that "400 paar" doesn't mean a change in reservation or Constitution...They (Opposition) want to garner votes by spreading misinformation and misleading people. But the people know their reality."
The election campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded at 3pm today in the North East, and in other areas, it ended at 6pm: Election Commission of India.
EC advises West Bengal Governor against visiting Cooch Behar on polling day (April 19) as it violates model code of conduct, PTI reported, citing sources.
Addressing a poll rally in Assam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "There won't be any democracy, election if Modi wins again."
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik will contest the Assembly polls from the Kantabanji seat as the party announced its fifth list of candidates.
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, while replying to the question on whether Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, said: "I am aware, tomorrow I am going to Wayanad for his campaigning. I think the CEC will take a call on that. Rahul Gandhi is not afraid of elections. He is a big fighter of this country...He has very good information as he has covered all over the country. I also said on record that NDA is not going to form its government, INDIA will form its government."
The Aam Aadmi Party launched its Campaign Website : aapkaramrajya.com for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said: "Arvind Kejriwal's concept of Ram Rajya has no discrimination. No one is big or small and the idea is to work in the interest of all.
DMK MP and candidate from Central Chennai, Dayanidhi Maran says, "...We will not get carried away by lies which are made by PM Modi and the BJP. For the first time PM Modi has come eight times to Tamil Nadu... In Tamil Nadu, it is 40 out of 40 for the DMK alliance, for INDIA alliance."
BJP candidate from central Chennai constituency, Vinoj P Selvam says, "My visit here is beyond politics... Today AIADMK might have forgotten them (MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa), but as a common man, I have come here to seek their blessings. As a candidate, I have come to seek the blessing..."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said: "Electoral bond ne inka band baja diya...BJP sabhi bhrashtachiroya ka godaam ban gayi'...They are not only taking corrupts (in their party) but also keeping the money earned by the corrupts..."
"INDIA alliance is the new hope in the elections and as Rahul ji said that there are many things in his manifesto by which poverty can be eradicated," he added.
He further said: "Adding to that I want to say that the day the farmers of our country will become happy, the day the farmers of the country will start getting remunerative prices for their crops, I understand that all the political parties and especially those who are the partners of INDIA alliance are saying that they will give MSP and the day the Indian government increases the income of the farmers, poverty will go away..."
Addressing a joint press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: "The upcoming election is an election of ideology. On one side is RSS and BJP who are trying to do away with the Constitution. While on the other hand, the Congress party is trying to defend the Constitution. Unemployment, inflation and unequal participation of classes are big issues in this election. BJP and PM Modi are trying to distract the people from core issues."
"On the instructions of Asaduddin Owaisi, we are supporting AIADMK in Tamil Nadu," says AIMIM Tamil Nadu president TS Vakeel Ahmed.
"We are working for the victory of AIADMK candidates in all 40 seats of Tamil Nadu...We will make sure that BJP does not win in the state and that CAA-NRC should be opposed in the state...We hope that AIADMK will win in the state and that our alliance will continue in the future...," he adds.
The Election Commission of India has issued a notice to former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekhar Rao over his remarks against the Congress Party in Sircilla on April 5. The poll body has asked him to explain his stand regarding his comments by 11 am, April 18.
Chief Election Officer, Mayurbhanj and District Magistrate Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde says, "We have already completed the first randomization of the EVMs and now the EVMs are with the concerned returning officers of the assembly constituencies. Our one assembly constituency will be going to the elections on 25 May. All other eight constituencies will be going to elections on the 1 June."
"We have around 2,370 polling stations, including two auxiliary polling stations. We have ensured that all the minimum facilities like drinking water, ramps, electricity, and everything is there in place. What we are doing is, especially for the tribal population, we are doing SVEEP activities, in areas where there is no network coverage," he said.
" We have already started it and we are getting a good response from senior citizens who are above 85 years of age. The PWD personnel will not be able to come to the voting booth, we have already started the distribution of forms for them and whoever opts for the home voting will be ensuring that their vote is recorded through a postal ballot at home," he added
The poll campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will end today at 5 pm, Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar.
"On 19th April, polling will be held simultaneously on all 5 LS seats of Uttarakhand. The election campaign in the state will end at 5 pm today, 48 hours before the polling," he said.
"The police department has made full preparations. There are 11,729 polling stations in Uttarakhand, out of which about 1,100 stations have been kept in the category of hyper-sensitive, rest have been kept in the normal category. We have deployed Central Police Force, Home Guard along with local police and a total of 46,000 police personnel will be deployed to conduct this polling process...," he addded.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a poll rally in Assam's Nalbari today for NDA Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency candidate Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the Asom Gana Parishad.
Background
Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Please follow this space and keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates pertaining to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
PM Modi To Address Election Rally In Agartala On April 17
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally in Agartala on Wednesday, a state BJP leader said.Modi is scheduled to land here at 1.45 pm, and will then head to the Swami Vivekananda ground to take part in the public meeting, BJP’s state general secretary Amit Rakshit said.“Keeping in mind the PM’s visit, a no-fly zone for choppers and drones has been declared in the state on April 16 and April 17 to ensure tight security.
However, commercial flights will be able to use the state’s airspace,” District Magistrate of Tripura West, Vishal Kumar, told PTI.Around 1,500 personnel will be deployed as part of a three-tier security layer for the prime minister during his visit to the northeastern state, he said.Chief Minister Manik Saha and other state BJP leaders will also be present at the rally.
PM Modi to address rally in Nalbari on Wednesday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive here on Tuesday evening, BJP sources said.The prime minister after his arrival will drive through the city to reach the Koinadhara state guest house where he will halt for the night.Modi will leave for Nalbari on Wednesday to address an election rally for NDA Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency candidate Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the Asom Gana Parishad.Choudhury is locked in a triangular contest with Deep Bayan of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Manoranjan Talukdar in the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat which will go to the polls on May 7.
Meanwhile, Assam traffic police have made vehicular restrictions along the route and district authorities have declared it as a 'no drone fly zone' on both days.
MP Rahul Gandhi To Arrive In K’taka On April 17
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, stated on Tuesday that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would arrive in Karnataka on Wednesday and attend programmes in Mandya and Kolar parliamentary constituencies.This is the first visit of former Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, to Karnataka after the declaration of Lok Sabha elections.Speaking to reporters at his residence in Bengaluru, Dy CM Shivakumar stated that MP Rahul Gandhi would land on Wednesday afternoon at Bengaluru International Airport and reach Mandya city.From Mandya he would head for Kolar and from there he would reach Bengaluru and take off for New Delhi, the Dy CM said.
When asked about senior Congress leader, Priyanka Gandhi’s visit to the state, Dy CM Shivakumar said she would give a date for her Karnataka visit soon.“Timing has to be adjusted as time is very short. She is under pressure to visit other states. We have also requested her to visit Karnataka for one day, let's see,” he underlined.Talking about the tug of war with former CM, HD Kumaraswamy, he said, “Personally I respected Kumaraswamy before and in future also I will continue to do so.
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