Lok Sabha Elections 2024: PM Modi hits at Congress-led alliance for 'fight against Shakti' remark

BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra said, "Be it cooperative elections, panchayats or urban local bodies elections, BJD has got the trust of the people under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik."

"On a regular basis, the party organizational work is being done and CM Naveen Patnaik is personally monitoring it...4 lakh active members of the party are in the field," he added. 

Patole said, "People of the country have accepted the sacrifice and hard work of Rahul Gandhi. The way he has given the 25 guarantees to the farmers, youth, workers and women, people's trust in him has increased."

"It's not we who say the Maharashtra govt is unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court has said so. The CM of an unconstitutional govt has no right to speak over someone like Rahul Gandhi," he added. 

Saket Gokhale, an Indian Member of Parliament, on Monday (Mar 18) filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

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"We had expected this, of getting 16 seats. This must have happened with the consent of leaders," said Bihar Minister and JD(U) leader Ashok Choudhary.

"5 seats have been given to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). We will win all 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar," says Raju Tiwari, Bihar State President, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the Maharashtra government to dismiss Iqbal Singh Chahal from his post as Mumbai municipal commissioner. Additionally, the EC has mandated the transfer of all other municipal commissioners and additional municipal commissioners who, like Chahal, have served three years in their current roles.

S Chokalimgam, the state's chief electoral officer, verified this directive. As of now, the state government has not issued a response.

Madras High Court on Monday barred former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam from using All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party's flag, symbol and letterhead.

Justice N Sathishkumar passed the order after suit filed by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Monday's order comes after Justice Sathishkumar in November had passed an interim order, restraining Paneerselvam from using the party letterhead, symbol and flag. The former CM had appealed the order. 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders for the 
removal of the Home Secretary in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, reported news agency ANI citing sources. 

ECI has also reportedly removed the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. 

Additionally, the commission has also take necessary action to remove the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal, according to the report by ANI. 

ECI also reportedly removed Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Additional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners.

Secretary GAD Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh who are holding charge in respective CM’s Office have also been removed, according to ANI. 

Governor of the Indian state of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned on Monday sending her resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu. 

Soundararajan, 62, will reportedly contest the Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu or Puducherry. 

"The Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr. Smt. Tamilisai Soundararajan has tendered her resignation with immediate effect. The resignation has been submitted to the Hon’ble President of India," said a press release from Telangana Raj Bhavan.

As India gears up to hold the world’s largest elections in human history, special emphasis has been placed on taking care of the special needs of elderly voters and those with physical disabilities. The country’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said Saturday (Mar 16) that they will be given the option to vote from their homes in a first in Indian general elections.

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Modi further slammed the BRS and Congress and accused these parties of misusing people's fathe. 

"It is BRS who has misused people's faith, formed government and then betrayed their trust. For 10 years, after its formation, Telangana was ruthlessly looted by BRS. And now, Congress has made Telangana its 'personal ATM'," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking at a public meeting in Telangana's Jagtial said that on May 13, voters of Telangana will script history.

"Yesterday, in Mumbai there was a rally of INDI alliance. This was their first & most important rally after the announcement of the dates of the elections," Modi said.

"The INDI alliance in their manifesto said that their fight is against 'Shakti'. For me, every mother, daughter & sister is a form of 'Shakti'. I worship them in the form of 'Shakti'. I am the worshiper of Bharat Mata...Their manifesto is to finish 'Shakti', and I accept the challenge..."

"Can someone talk about the destruction of 'Shakti'?...We dedicated the success of the Chandrayaan mission by naming the point where Chandrayaan landed as 'Shiv Shakti'...The fight is between those who want to destroy 'Shakti' and those who worship 'Shakti'...We will find out on 4 June," Modi added.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Supreme Court of India on Monday (March 18) directed the State Bank of India to provide details of "all electoral bonds purchased" as well as the details of the political parties who received contributions through Electoral Bonds from April 12, 2019.

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The Supreme Court said on Monday that in its judgment in the electoral bonds case, it asked the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose all details which includes the electoral bonds numbers as well. 

The apex court said that it will ask the SBI to disclose the bond numbers and also that it should file an affidavit stating that it has not suppressed any information.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha has moved the Supreme Court challenging her arrest in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case. 

Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last Friday and was brought to the national capital. She has been sent to the ED's custody till March 23. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ has concluded. Addressing the closing rally of the Yatra, Gandhi said slammed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by comparing it to the Hinduism symbol of "Shakti," which is often associated with Maa Durga.

"There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti. The soul of the King is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department," Gandhi said during the rally in Mumbai.

His remarks led to strong criticism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in New Delhi said on Monday that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi Jal Board case. 

"When there is bail from the court, why is ED sending summons again and again? ED summons are illegal" the AAP said.

Chief Minister Kejriwal was issued summons by the central agency under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the case. 

Check the PM’s schedule:

11:30 AM: The prime minister will address public meeting at Telangana’s Jagtial.
3:15 PM: PM Modi will visit Karnataka’s Shivamogga, where he will also hold a public meeting.
4:45 PM: The prime minister will visit Tamil Nadu for the fifth time this year. He will be holding a road show in Coimbatore. Police had initially denied permission for it citing law and order situation, however, a court directed them to permit the roadshow and imposed a few conditions.
Night Stay: The prime minister will be halting at Coimbatore’s Circuit House for the night.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday will address a public meeting at Shivamogga, the home turf of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

This will be his second such meeting in Karnataka since the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates. The first was on Saturday at Kalaburagi, the home turf of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
 

The Lok Sabha constituency of Guwahati, Assam will have more than 100-all women polling stations during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a senior official said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference, Guwahati’s Returning Officer Sumit Sattawan said the constituency has more women voters than men, and the figure is likely to go up in the coming days.

* New Delhi - RJD-Congress meet in Delhi to finalise seat sharing formula.

* New Delhi - Congress may announce their first candidate list for West Bengal.

* Bihar cabinet meeting will be held at 4 pm, following which CM Nitish will go to Delhi.

* New Delhi - Nitish Kumar will come to Delhi tomorrow in evening to finalise seat sharing agreement with BJP.

While wrapping up his massive rally in Mumbai's Shivaji park on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the soul of the King was in the EVM (electronic voting machine). "The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country," he added.

The Sunday rally was the largest show of strength put up by opposition INDIA bloc, with leaders like RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Uddhav Thackeray, and Mehbooba Mufti in attendence. 

Within 24 hours of the Election Commission announcing the Lok Sabha elections’ schedule, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday (Mar 17) held a meeting of cluster and booth heads of Srinagar district in the hope of turning things around. The national ruling party held a workers’ rally in Jawahar Nagar Municipal Park.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer Dr BVRCC Purushottam on Sunday said that the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the state, given which expenditure monitoring of all political parties has also been started. The MCC came into effect on Saturday with the announcement of election schedule by the Election Commission of India (ECI).