All the BJP and Congress candidates, except five, who are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, are'crorepatis', revealed the affidavits submitted by them with their nomination papers.

Four of the five candidates, whose total assets are less than one crore rupees, belong to the tribal community.

Some of the richest candidates from these two major parties include Congress's Mehsana nominee, Ambalal Patel, who has declared assets worth Rs 69.9 crore.

BJP candidate and sitting MP from Navsari, Chandrakant Patel, has declared assets worth Rs 44.6 crore.

Poonam Maadam, BJP MP from Jamnagar, who is seeking her re-election from the same seat, has declared assets worth Rs 42.7 crore.

BJP's Shardaben Patel, who is pitted against Ambalal Patel in Mehsana, has shown assets worth Rs 44 crore.

Ramesh Dhaduk, the BJP candidate who replaced sitting MP Vitthal Radadiya on Porbandar seat, has declared assets worth Rs 35.75 crore.

Three candidates of the Congress and two BJP nominees have declared assets less than Rs one crore.

Mansukh Vasava, the sitting BJP MP from Bharuch, who is seeking his re-election for the sixth time, has declared assets worth Rs 68.35 lakh.

Congress candidate Sherkhan Pathan, who is pitted against Vasava, has declared assets of Rs 33.4 lakh.

Naresh Maheshwari, the Congress candidate from Kutch, has declared total assets of Rs 38.13 lakh.

BJP nominee Gitaben Rathva, who is contesting the election from a tribal-reserved seat of Chhota Udepur, has declared assets worth Rs 86.3 lakh.

Jitu Chaudhary, the Congress candidate from tribal-reserved seat of Valsad, has declared total assets of Rs 66.1 lakh.

Total assets include both movable and immovable assets belonging to the candidates, their spouses, and dependents, as declared in the affidavits submitted along with the nomination papers to the returning officer.

Total 573 candidates are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where elections will be held on April 23.

Both the major parties- the Congress as well as the BJP- have fielded candidates from all the 26 seats.&nbsp;

All the BJP and Congress candidates, except five, who are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, are'crorepatis', revealed the affidavits submitted by them with their nomination papers.

All the BJP and Congress candidates, except five, who are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, are'crorepatis', revealed the affidavits submitted by them with their nomination papers. Four of the five candidates, whose total assets are less than one crore rupees, belong to the tribal community. Some of the richest candidates from these two major parties include Congress's Mehsana nominee, Ambalal Patel, who has declared assets worth Rs 69.9 crore. BJP candidate and sitting MP from Navsari, Chandrakant Patel, has declared assets worth Rs 44.6 crore. Poonam Maadam, BJP MP from Jamnagar, who is seeking her re-election from the same seat, has declared assets worth Rs 42.7 crore. BJP's Shardaben Patel, who is pitted against Ambalal Patel in Mehsana, has shown assets worth Rs 44 crore. Ramesh Dhaduk, the BJP candidate who replaced sitting MP Vitthal Radadiya on Porbandar seat, has declared assets worth Rs 35.75 crore. Three candidates of the Congress and two BJP nominees have declared assets less than Rs one crore. Mansukh Vasava, the sitting BJP MP from Bharuch, who is seeking his re-election for the sixth time, has declared assets worth Rs 68.35 lakh. Congress candidate Sherkhan Pathan, who is pitted against Vasava, has declared assets of Rs 33.4 lakh. Naresh Maheshwari, the Congress candidate from Kutch, has declared total assets of Rs 38.13 lakh. BJP nominee Gitaben Rathva, who is contesting the election from a tribal-reserved seat of Chhota Udepur, has declared assets worth Rs 86.3 lakh. Jitu Chaudhary, the Congress candidate from tribal-reserved seat of Valsad, has declared total assets of Rs 66.1 lakh. Total assets include both movable and immovable assets belonging to the candidates, their spouses, and dependents, as declared in the affidavits submitted along with the nomination papers to the returning officer. Total 573 candidates are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, where elections will be held on April 23. Both the major parties- the Congress as well as the BJP- have fielded candidates from all the 26 seats.

Gujarat Lok Sabha polls: All BJP, Congress candidates except 5 are crorepatis

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.

After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi.

Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state.

Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated.

Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name.

"There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March.

Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign.

Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion.

Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said.

Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014.

That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha.

A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power.

The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Vote wisely

For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself.

A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people.

One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district.

The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling.

"If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you."

CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post.

Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties.

However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said.

Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees.

"They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media.

A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier.

The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party".

Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview.

But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

"You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show. After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi. Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state. Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated. Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name. "There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March. Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign. Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion. Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said. Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh. Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014. That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha. A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power. The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Vote wisely For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself. A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people. One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district. The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling. "If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you." CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post. Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties. However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said. Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees. "They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media. A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier. The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party". Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview. But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."

Priyanka Gandhi in uphill battle against BJP in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India has issued a censure to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his 'Modi ki Sena'&nbsp;remark.

Censure is to express disapproval of someone/something in a formal statement.

The EC has advised Adityanath to be more careful in the future as a "senior political leader."

While addressing a public rally in Ghaziabad on April 1, Adityanath had referred to the Indian Army as "Modi ji ki sena" while drawing a comparison between the steps taken by the BJP-led central government against terrorism and the previous Congress government.

"Things which were impossible for SP-BSP, are now possible; it is possible since Modi is here. Congress used to feed biryani to terrorists but Modi ji ki sena (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's army) gives them only golis and golas (bullets and bombs). This is the difference," the Chief Minister had said.&nbsp;

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India has issued a censure to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his 'Modi ki Sena' remark.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India has issued a censure to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his 'Modi ki Sena' remark. Censure is to express disapproval of someone/something in a formal statement. The EC has advised Adityanath to be more careful in the future as a "senior political leader." While addressing a public rally in Ghaziabad on April 1, Adityanath had referred to the Indian Army as "Modi ji ki sena" while drawing a comparison between the steps taken by the BJP-led central government against terrorism and the previous Congress government. "Things which were impossible for SP-BSP, are now possible; it is possible since Modi is here. Congress used to feed biryani to terrorists but Modi ji ki sena (Prime Minister Narendra Modi's army) gives them only golis and golas (bullets and bombs). This is the difference," the Chief Minister had said.

Election Commission issues censure to Yogi Adityanath over 'Modi ki Sena' remark

Unfazed by the controversy enveloping his film, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pm-narendra-modi-biopic-supreme-court-declines-urgent-hearing-in-stopping-release-of-film-case-208093">'PM Narendra Modi'</a>, actor Vivek Oberoi on Saturday&nbsp;said that the delay caused by "strong opponents" will not be able to deter his will.

The actor told ANI, "Even though are date has been delayed, but we are undeterred. There are powerful people who are standing against us including many renowned lawyers of the Supreme Court. But we are certain that they can delay us, but cannot deter us."

The film has come under a cloud with Opposition parties claiming that its release was planned for April 5 with the intention of influencing voters in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Various political parties also stated that releasing the film in less than a week before the Lok Sabha&nbsp;elections is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Several political leaders had requested to delay the release of the biopic.

Oberoi, who is playing the lead role in the film also took the opportunity to thank the judiciary for its support and added, "I would like to thank the Indian judiciary for giving us justice. On Monday we are being taken to the Supreme Court. We are hopeful that we will get blessings and support from there as well."

The biopic on the incumbent Prime Minister got a new release date yesterday. The film will now hit the theatres on April 11.

He also thanked the people of the nation for their love and support, and said, "We would like to thank you (people) for your blessings and support as that it is our strength at this time. With a lot of efforts, we made a film on Narendra Modi which we wanted to release and share with you all on April 5. But some people surrounded us with so many problems that we could not come on April 5, but now with your blessings and efforts, we are trying to come on April 11. "

The film depicts the journey of Prime Minister Modi from his humble beginnings to his years as a Chief Minister and finally his landmark election as the Prime Minister of the country.

Vivek plays the titular role of Prime Minister Modi in the biopic and will be seen essaying as many as nine different looks. This is the first time that the 42-year-old actor will be seen playing a real-life character in the upcoming drama.

Apart from Vivek, the film also stars Boman Irani, Darshan Kumaar, Zarina Wahab, Manoj Joshi, Prashant Narayanan, Barkha Bisht Sengupta, Akshat R Saluja, Anjan Shrivastav, Rajendra Gupta and Yatin Karyekar in pivotal roles.

The Lok Sabha election is scheduled to be held in seven phases beginning April 11 and concluding on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

 
&nbsp;

Unfazed by the controversy enveloping his film, 'PM Narendra Modi', actor Vivek Oberoi on Saturday said that the delay caused by "strong opponents" will not be able to deter his will.

Unfazed by the controversy enveloping his film, 'PM Narendra Modi', actor Vivek Oberoi on Saturday said that the delay caused by "strong opponents" will not be able to deter his will. The actor told ANI, "Even though are date has been delayed, but we are undeterred. There are powerful people who are standing against us including many renowned lawyers of the Supreme Court. But we are certain that they can delay us, but cannot deter us." The film has come under a cloud with Opposition parties claiming that its release was planned for April 5 with the intention of influencing voters in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Various political parties also stated that releasing the film in less than a week before the Lok Sabha elections is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Several political leaders had requested to delay the release of the biopic. Oberoi, who is playing the lead role in the film also took the opportunity to thank the judiciary for its support and added, "I would like to thank the Indian judiciary for giving us justice. On Monday we are being taken to the Supreme Court. We are hopeful that we will get blessings and support from there as well." The biopic on the incumbent Prime Minister got a new release date yesterday. The film will now hit the theatres on April 11. He also thanked the people of the nation for their love and support, and said, "We would like to thank you (people) for your blessings and support as that it is our strength at this time. With a lot of efforts, we made a film on Narendra Modi which we wanted to release and share with you all on April 5. But some people surrounded us with so many problems that we could not come on April 5, but now with your blessings and efforts, we are trying to come on April 11. " The film depicts the journey of Prime Minister Modi from his humble beginnings to his years as a Chief Minister and finally his landmark election as the Prime Minister of the country. Vivek plays the titular role of Prime Minister Modi in the biopic and will be seen essaying as many as nine different looks. This is the first time that the 42-year-old actor will be seen playing a real-life character in the upcoming drama. Apart from Vivek, the film also stars Boman Irani, Darshan Kumaar, Zarina Wahab, Manoj Joshi, Prashant Narayanan, Barkha Bisht Sengupta, Akshat R Saluja, Anjan Shrivastav, Rajendra Gupta and Yatin Karyekar in pivotal roles. The Lok Sabha election is scheduled to be held in seven phases beginning April 11 and concluding on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

PM Modi biopic: Undeterred despite strong opposition, says Vivek Oberoi

Union Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-has-achieved-success-in-getting-pakistan-isolated-sushma-swaraj-208266">Sushma Swaraj </a>Friday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's reported remarks that terrorism was not an issue and asked if that was the case, he should renounce his SPG security cover.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) says a job is an issue, not terrorism. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi ji, if terrorism is not an issue and there is no terrorism in the country, then why do you go around with SPG security?

"From the period of the assassination of (former Prime Minister and Rahul's father) Rajiv Gandhi till now all your family is under the security cover of SPG."

If you feel that terrorism is not an issue then I want to tell you, you write it and give that you do not need SPG security because you feel there is no terrorism in this country and you are not afraid of anybody," she said.

At an election meeting here, Swaraj referred to the air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot following the Pulwama attack and said opposition parties who do not have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taking his Pakistan counterparts statements for granted.

The External Affairs Minister said the air strikes received international support and she received calls from leaders of several countries appreciating India's stand on terrorism.

Opposition parties in the country were taking exception to the BJP claiming credit for the air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in February, she said.

She said the UPA Government should have taken strong action against Pakistan when the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people including 40 foreign nationals were killed, took place.

Narrating the NDA government's initiatives for people, Swaraj said the ruling party's poll plank will be on three issues- security, development and welfare.

She said as many as 1.16 lakh villages have been connected with fibre optic network.

"There were only 77 passport centres in the country now it has gone up to 505 and in Telangana, they were just four and it has gone up to 19," Swaraj added.&nbsp;

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj Friday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's reported remarks that terrorism was not an issue and asked if that was the case, he should renounce his SPG security cover.

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj Friday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's reported remarks that terrorism was not an issue and asked if that was the case, he should renounce his SPG security cover. "He (Rahul Gandhi) says a job is an issue, not terrorism. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi ji, if terrorism is not an issue and there is no terrorism in the country, then why do you go around with SPG security? "From the period of the assassination of (former Prime Minister and Rahul's father) Rajiv Gandhi till now all your family is under the security cover of SPG." If you feel that terrorism is not an issue then I want to tell you, you write it and give that you do not need SPG security because you feel there is no terrorism in this country and you are not afraid of anybody," she said. At an election meeting here, Swaraj referred to the air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot following the Pulwama attack and said opposition parties who do not have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi were taking his Pakistan counterparts statements for granted. The External Affairs Minister said the air strikes received international support and she received calls from leaders of several countries appreciating India's stand on terrorism. Opposition parties in the country were taking exception to the BJP claiming credit for the air strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in February, she said. She said the UPA Government should have taken strong action against Pakistan when the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 166 people including 40 foreign nationals were killed, took place. Narrating the NDA government's initiatives for people, Swaraj said the ruling party's poll plank will be on three issues- security, development and welfare. She said as many as 1.16 lakh villages have been connected with fibre optic network. "There were only 77 passport centres in the country now it has gone up to 505 and in Telangana, they were just four and it has gone up to 19," Swaraj added.

Rahul Gandhi should renounce SPG security if terror not an issue: Swaraj

Life has never been easy for 53-year old Ramanujam (alias) Radha, but she has chosen a tougher path for herself, a path that nobody from her community in Tamil Nadu has taken. She is the first transgender candidate from Tamil Nadu to be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls. She is contesting as an independent and has been allotted the Computer Mouse symbol.&nbsp;

We caught up with her on her campaign trail, as she traversed the busy lanes of T.Nagar, the commercial hub that falls under the South Chennai Parliamentary constituency. She walks along with her friend Nila, casually chatting with passersby and curious onlookers and urging them to vote for a member of the third gender, that has been neglected and ignored by society.&nbsp;

Speaking fluently in English, Radha recalls that she is a proud post-graduate, with a BA in Economics and MA in English. However, her nomination papers mention only 12th standard as her qualification, as her college certificates were damaged during the 2015 Chennai Floods. Radha laments that despite their educational qualification, jobs are hard to find for a&nbsp;trans person. She makes ends meet by working as&nbsp;a cook and housemaid and is cheerful about her culinary skills.&nbsp;

"I can cook a variety of North Indian and South Indian dishes, but continental would be a little difficult as I haven’t had any formal training", she says with a smile. Speaking of her decision to take the political plunge, she says that the rampant sexual violence against women and children, society remaining passive about it is what disturbs her the most. As a transgender, I will fight to ensure health penalty for those behind these crimes.

The other issues that she highlights are the water woes in several areas across her constituency, unchecked disposal of garbage and the lack of adequate toilet facilities outside the famous Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore. While the landmark Supreme Court verdict to strike down Section 377 was a boon to the LGBTQ community, she says that they wish to actively campaign for marriage rights, property rights, adoption etc.&nbsp;

Expressing enthusiasm about her campaign, she says, "there has been a very good response from the public and the fishermen community embraced me and performed aarti, but there are few exceptions where people walk away due to apprehension. I am happy that transgender people are being acknowledged and are able to contribute to society by taking up jobs in the fields of medicine, law, police. So why not politics then?"&nbsp;

Radha will be up against the AIADMK’s incumbent MP J Jayavardhan and DMK’s Thamizhachi Thangapandian and Makkal Needhi Maiam’s Rangarajan and several other candidates from small parties, independents. Referring to the electoral battle that lay ahead, she confidently says, "I am bestowed with a man’s strength and woman’s compassion".

Life has never been easy for 53-year old Ramanujam (alias) Radha, but she has chosen a tougher path for herself, a path that nobody from her community in Tamil Nadu has taken.

Life has never been easy for 53-year old Ramanujam (alias) Radha, but she has chosen a tougher path for herself, a path that nobody from her community in Tamil Nadu has taken. She is the first transgender candidate from Tamil Nadu to be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls. She is contesting as an independent and has been allotted the Computer Mouse symbol. We caught up with her on her campaign trail, as she traversed the busy lanes of T.Nagar, the commercial hub that falls under the South Chennai Parliamentary constituency. She walks along with her friend Nila, casually chatting with passersby and curious onlookers and urging them to vote for a member of the third gender, that has been neglected and ignored by society. Speaking fluently in English, Radha recalls that she is a proud post-graduate, with a BA in Economics and MA in English. However, her nomination papers mention only 12th standard as her qualification, as her college certificates were damaged during the 2015 Chennai Floods. Radha laments that despite their educational qualification, jobs are hard to find for a trans person. She makes ends meet by working as a cook and housemaid and is cheerful about her culinary skills. "I can cook a variety of North Indian and South Indian dishes, but continental would be a little difficult as I haven’t had any formal training", she says with a smile. Speaking of her decision to take the political plunge, she says that the rampant sexual violence against women and children, society remaining passive about it is what disturbs her the most. As a transgender, I will fight to ensure health penalty for those behind these crimes. The other issues that she highlights are the water woes in several areas across her constituency, unchecked disposal of garbage and the lack of adequate toilet facilities outside the famous Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore. While the landmark Supreme Court verdict to strike down Section 377 was a boon to the LGBTQ community, she says that they wish to actively campaign for marriage rights, property rights, adoption etc. Expressing enthusiasm about her campaign, she says, "there has been a very good response from the public and the fishermen community embraced me and performed aarti, but there are few exceptions where people walk away due to apprehension. I am happy that transgender people are being acknowledged and are able to contribute to society by taking up jobs in the fields of medicine, law, police. So why not politics then?" Radha will be up against the AIADMK’s incumbent MP J Jayavardhan and DMK’s Thamizhachi Thangapandian and Makkal Needhi Maiam’s Rangarajan and several other candidates from small parties, independents. Referring to the electoral battle that lay ahead, she confidently says, "I am bestowed with a man’s strength and woman’s compassion".

'I am bestowed with a man's strength and a woman's compassion', says Tamil Nadu's first Transgender candidate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said people have to decide whether they want to choose an honest and principled government committed to the development of all or a corrupt and unprincipled one.

"This time lotus will bloom in Odisha. The BJP will taste victory. I can say with certainty that a maximum number of lotuses will bloom in the state," Modi said at a rally in tribal-dominated Sundargarh.

Similarly, the BJP will again come to power at the Centre as the country needs a strong and decisive government to ensure national security as well as speedy development, the prime minister said.

Hitting out at the BJD government in Odisha, the prime minister said its intentions are not good and the 2019 polls are significant for the future of Odisha as well as the country.

On the 39th foundation day of the BJP, Modi said, "The party was born out of the sweat of its workers, not dynasty or money. It came into being and grew manifold with the sweat and labour of its workers."

Asserting that the BJP all along fought to safeguard democracy, he said lakhs of party workers and leaders were jailed while protesting the Emergency.

"Now the BJP has emerged as the world's largest democratic organisations. It fought to protect democracy during Emergency," he said.

Assembly election in Odisha will be held along with Lok Sabha polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said people have to decide whether they want to choose an honest and principled government committed to the development of all or a corrupt and unprincipled one.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said people have to decide whether they want to choose an honest and principled government committed to the development of all or a corrupt and unprincipled one. "This time lotus will bloom in Odisha. The BJP will taste victory. I can say with certainty that a maximum number of lotuses will bloom in the state," Modi said at a rally in tribal-dominated Sundargarh. Similarly, the BJP will again come to power at the Centre as the country needs a strong and decisive government to ensure national security as well as speedy development, the prime minister said. Hitting out at the BJD government in Odisha, the prime minister said its intentions are not good and the 2019 polls are significant for the future of Odisha as well as the country. On the 39th foundation day of the BJP, Modi said, "The party was born out of the sweat of its workers, not dynasty or money. It came into being and grew manifold with the sweat and labour of its workers." Asserting that the BJP all along fought to safeguard democracy, he said lakhs of party workers and leaders were jailed while protesting the Emergency. "Now the BJP has emerged as the world's largest democratic organisations. It fought to protect democracy during Emergency," he said. Assembly election in Odisha will be held along with Lok Sabha polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

This time lotus will bloom in Odisha: Modi at a rally in Sundargarh

Veteran actor and former BJP leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shatrughan-sinha-to-join-congress-will-be-star-leader-and-star-campaigner-shakti-singh-gohil-206255">Shatrughan Sinha officially joined Congress</a> on Saturday.

In a press conference held by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, the former Union minister was inducted into the Congress.&nbsp;Venugopal said Sinha was the "best politician who was earlier with the wrong party".

Randeep Surjewala and&nbsp;AICC in-charge for party's Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil also welcomed Sinha into the party.

The development came after Shatrughan Sinha, a vocal critic of the BJP leadership was denied the party ticket from&nbsp;Patna Sahib&nbsp;parliamentary constituency in Bihar.

He is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) from the seat. The BJP has fielded Union minister Ravi Shanker Prasad from the prestigious Bihar constituency.

The actor-turned-politician had met Congress&nbsp;president Rahul Gandhi on March 27th in Delhi and had announced his new association following the meeting.

Shatrughan Sinha had a long association with the BJP. He was the shipping and health and family welfare minister during former prime minister Vajpayee's term.

He won the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and then again during the BJP wave under Narendra Modi in 2014.

Describing himself a great admirer of the Nehru-Gandhi family, he had also said that he would contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Patna Sahib seat.&nbsp;

"In every situation, the location will be the same, Patna," he had said.

Bihar will vote in all the seven phases of the general election from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Veteran actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha officially joined Congress on Saturday. In a press conference held by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, the former Union minister was inducted into the Congress.

Veteran actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha officially joined Congress on Saturday. In a press conference held by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, the former Union minister was inducted into the Congress. Venugopal said Sinha was the "best politician who was earlier with the wrong party". Randeep Surjewala and AICC in-charge for party's Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil also welcomed Sinha into the party. The development came after Shatrughan Sinha, a vocal critic of the BJP leadership was denied the party ticket from Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency in Bihar. He is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) from the seat. The BJP has fielded Union minister Ravi Shanker Prasad from the prestigious Bihar constituency. The actor-turned-politician had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi on March 27th in Delhi and had announced his new association following the meeting. Shatrughan Sinha had a long association with the BJP. He was the shipping and health and family welfare minister during former prime minister Vajpayee's term. He won the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and then again during the BJP wave under Narendra Modi in 2014. Describing himself a great admirer of the Nehru-Gandhi family, he had also said that he would contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Patna Sahib seat. "In every situation, the location will be the same, Patna," he had said. Bihar will vote in all the seven phases of the general election from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. (With inputs from agencies)

Former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress

Opposition parties in West Bengal Friday welcomed the move of the Election Commission to remove four IPS officers, including police commissioners of Kolkata and Bidannagar, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said this would gain the confidence of the voters.&nbsp;

"The police establishment in West Bengal has become a B-team of the Trinamool Congress government. I welcome the move of the ECI ," he told PTI when contacted.

Sinha, who is the candidate for the North Kolkata constituency, claimed free and fair elections were impossible under these IPS officers who were removed Friday night.&nbsp;

The Election Commission of India (ECI) removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma and replaced him with Rajesh Kumar. It also removed Bidhan Nagar police chief Gyanwnat Singh and transferred the Birbhum SP and Dimaond Harbour SP.

"Free and fair elections could not have happened if these IPS officers were there. I believe the ECI will make some other changes keeping in mind the polls," he said.

Congress' Pradip Bhattacharya alleged that there were IPS officers who were working for the Trinamool Congress government and such move was always a welcome one.

"We had such complaints last time also. This year we have also seen that there are several IPS and IAS officers who are blatantly working for the ruling party. I have heard that the ECI has removed a few officers. But I do not understand why it has not taken any step against the officers in Malda and Raiganj. I am hopeful that the ECI will soon decide on this as well," he said.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty described the move as a positive.

"During the chief minister's dharna we have seen how these officers showed they were working for the TMC government. These officers have forgotten to show respect to the uniform. I think this was a good move of the ECI otherwise free and fair elections were not possible," he said.

The announcement of the officers' removal came days after the BJP leaders had alleged that free and fair elections were not possible under them.&nbsp;

Rajesh Kumar ADG Pollution Control Board was made the new Kolkata top cop, while Natarajan Ramesh Babu, ADG and IGP Operations was named the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, an ECI notification about the decisions, said.

It also named Avannu Ravindranath DC (airport division) of Bidhannaga as the new SP of Birbhum and announced Srihari Pandey DC KAP, third battalion as the SP of Diamond Harbour.&nbsp;

Opposition parties in West Bengal Friday welcomed the move of the Election Commission to remove four IPS officers, including police commissioners of Kolkata and Bidannagar, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Opposition parties in West Bengal Friday welcomed the move of the Election Commission to remove four IPS officers, including police commissioners of Kolkata and Bidannagar, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said this would gain the confidence of the voters. "The police establishment in West Bengal has become a B-team of the Trinamool Congress government. I welcome the move of the ECI ," he told PTI when contacted. Sinha, who is the candidate for the North Kolkata constituency, claimed free and fair elections were impossible under these IPS officers who were removed Friday night. The Election Commission of India (ECI) removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma and replaced him with Rajesh Kumar. It also removed Bidhan Nagar police chief Gyanwnat Singh and transferred the Birbhum SP and Dimaond Harbour SP. "Free and fair elections could not have happened if these IPS officers were there. I believe the ECI will make some other changes keeping in mind the polls," he said. Congress' Pradip Bhattacharya alleged that there were IPS officers who were working for the Trinamool Congress government and such move was always a welcome one. "We had such complaints last time also. This year we have also seen that there are several IPS and IAS officers who are blatantly working for the ruling party. I have heard that the ECI has removed a few officers. But I do not understand why it has not taken any step against the officers in Malda and Raiganj. I am hopeful that the ECI will soon decide on this as well," he said. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty described the move as a positive. "During the chief minister's dharna we have seen how these officers showed they were working for the TMC government. These officers have forgotten to show respect to the uniform. I think this was a good move of the ECI otherwise free and fair elections were not possible," he said. The announcement of the officers' removal came days after the BJP leaders had alleged that free and fair elections were not possible under them. Rajesh Kumar ADG Pollution Control Board was made the new Kolkata top cop, while Natarajan Ramesh Babu, ADG and IGP Operations was named the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, an ECI notification about the decisions, said. It also named Avannu Ravindranath DC (airport division) of Bidhannaga as the new SP of Birbhum and announced Srihari Pandey DC KAP, third battalion as the SP of Diamond Harbour.

Opposition parties in West Bengal welcome Election Commission's move to remove 4 IPS officers

The BJP on Wednesday dropped its sitting MP Kirit Somaiya, whose name was opposed by ally Shiv Sena, as its candidate from Mumbai North East and also announced its nominees for the Lok Sabha election against key opposition leaders like Sonia Gandhi of the Congress and SP's Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP has pitted well-known Bhojpuri actor and singer Dinesh Lal Yadav against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from Azamgarh.

It has fielded Prem Singh Shakya against Yadav's father Mulayam Singh Yadav from Mainpuri.

The BJP has named Dinesh Pratap Singh, a local strongman who had left the Congress to join it last year, as its candidate against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli.

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BJP releases 16th list of 6 candidates in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> . Manoj Kotak to contest from Mumbai North East (where Kirit Somaiya is the sitting MP), Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirhua' to contest from Azamgarh (UP) against SP's Akhilesh Yadav. <a href="https://t.co/uQvwJpGRSl">pic.twitter.com/uQvwJpGRSl</a>
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The seat has long been a bastion of the Gandhi family with the former Congress president representing it in Lok Sabha since 2004.

The party has replaced sitting Machhlishahr MP Ram Charitra Nishad with V P Saroj.

On Mumbai North East constituency, Shiv Sena had been bitterly opposed to Somaiya's candidature. And the BJP's decision to replace him with Manoj Kotal underscores its keenness to keep its Hindutva ally in good humour.

Somaiya, an old BJP hand and one of its leading speakers on economic issues in Parliament, had been a trenchant critic of the Sena.

The BJP named Chandra Sen Jadun as its candidate from Firozabad. The SP had won from Azamgarh, Mainpuri and Firozabad in 2014, with members of its ruling Yadav family emerging victorious.

The BJP on Wednesday dropped its sitting MP Kirit Somaiya, whose name was opposed by ally Shiv Sena, as its candidate from Mumbai North East and also announced its nominees for the Lok Sabha election against key opposition leaders like Sonia Gandhi of the Congress and SP's Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP on Wednesday dropped its sitting MP Kirit Somaiya, whose name was opposed by ally Shiv Sena, as its candidate from Mumbai North East and also announced its nominees for the Lok Sabha election against key opposition leaders like Sonia Gandhi of the Congress and SP's Akhilesh Yadav. The BJP has pitted well-known Bhojpuri actor and singer Dinesh Lal Yadav against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from Azamgarh. It has fielded Prem Singh Shakya against Yadav's father Mulayam Singh Yadav from Mainpuri. The BJP has named Dinesh Pratap Singh, a local strongman who had left the Congress to join it last year, as its candidate against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. BJP releases 16th list of 6 candidates in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh for #LokSabhaElections2019 . Manoj Kotak to contest from Mumbai North East (where Kirit Somaiya is the sitting MP), Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirhua' to contest from Azamgarh (UP) against SP's Akhilesh Yadav. pic.twitter.com/uQvwJpGRSl — ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2019 × The seat has long been a bastion of the Gandhi family with the former Congress president representing it in Lok Sabha since 2004. The party has replaced sitting Machhlishahr MP Ram Charitra Nishad with V P Saroj. On Mumbai North East constituency, Shiv Sena had been bitterly opposed to Somaiya's candidature. And the BJP's decision to replace him with Manoj Kotal underscores its keenness to keep its Hindutva ally in good humour. Somaiya, an old BJP hand and one of its leading speakers on economic issues in Parliament, had been a trenchant critic of the Sena. The BJP named Chandra Sen Jadun as its candidate from Firozabad. The SP had won from Azamgarh, Mainpuri and Firozabad in 2014, with members of its ruling Yadav family emerging victorious.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: BJP drops Kirit Somaiya, names candidates against Sonia, Mulayam, Akhilesh

Varanasi is again going to be among the most-watched constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won from here in 2014, will seek re-election.

Unlike the last elections, PM Modi will not be contesting from a second seat this time.

Varanasi which will go to elections on May 19 is now ending up being a jam-packed front line in the general elections.

Congress and SP-BSP alliance haven't announced any candidate from Varanasi yet. But there are others who are challenging PM Modi in this battle royale.

111 Tamil Nadu farmers

The distressed Tamil Nadu farmers, who had taken their protests to the national capital to highlight their demands, have decided to fight the electoral battle against the PM Narendra Modi.

On March 23, Tamil Nadu farmers leader P Ayyakannu said that 111 farmers from the state will contest against PM Modi from Varanasi.

BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav

The BSF constable who was dismissed from service in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the quality of food served to the troops has said he would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

"I will contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi constituency as an independent candidate," Yadav said announcing his candidature as an independent.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar

Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan officially declared a month ago that he will be contesting Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He has already launched his poll campaign by holding a roadshow in the city. BSP chief Mayawati has, meanwhile, alleged that Azad has the ill-intention of dividing Dalit votes.

Rumours about a star-studded contest in Varanasi peaked after reports that Priyanka Gandhi remarked to party workers during her boat campaign last month, "Why not Varanasi?"

But sources close to Congress party have indicated that Priyanka Gandhi, who is party general secretary in charge of east Uttar Pradesh, will not contest against PM Modi because it will weaken the campaign in the rest of the state.

Uttar Pradesh is a standout amongst the most critical states of the politically charged Hindi heartland. With the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party teaming up and the Congress fielding their trump card Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a general secretary, the state's decisions will be one to look out for.

Varanasi will vote on May 19, in the last round of seven-phase polls that start on April 11. The results will be declared on May 23.

Varanasi is again going to be among the most-watched constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won from here in 2014, will seek re-election.

Varanasi is again going to be among the most-watched constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won from here in 2014, will seek re-election. Unlike the last elections, PM Modi will not be contesting from a second seat this time. Varanasi which will go to elections on May 19 is now ending up being a jam-packed front line in the general elections. Congress and SP-BSP alliance haven't announced any candidate from Varanasi yet. But there are others who are challenging PM Modi in this battle royale. 111 Tamil Nadu farmers The distressed Tamil Nadu farmers, who had taken their protests to the national capital to highlight their demands, have decided to fight the electoral battle against the PM Narendra Modi. On March 23, Tamil Nadu farmers leader P Ayyakannu said that 111 farmers from the state will contest against PM Modi from Varanasi. BSF constable Tej Bahadur Yadav The BSF constable who was dismissed from service in 2017 after he posted a video online complaining about the quality of food served to the troops has said he would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. "I will contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi constituency as an independent candidate," Yadav said announcing his candidature as an independent. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan officially declared a month ago that he will be contesting Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has already launched his poll campaign by holding a roadshow in the city. BSP chief Mayawati has, meanwhile, alleged that Azad has the ill-intention of dividing Dalit votes. Rumours about a star-studded contest in Varanasi peaked after reports that Priyanka Gandhi remarked to party workers during her boat campaign last month, "Why not Varanasi?" But sources close to Congress party have indicated that Priyanka Gandhi, who is party general secretary in charge of east Uttar Pradesh, will not contest against PM Modi because it will weaken the campaign in the rest of the state. Uttar Pradesh is a standout amongst the most critical states of the politically charged Hindi heartland. With the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party teaming up and the Congress fielding their trump card Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a general secretary, the state's decisions will be one to look out for. Varanasi will vote on May 19, in the last round of seven-phase polls that start on April 11. The results will be declared on May 23.

Varanasi: Constituency to watch out for this election

In view of the deployment of Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) in North Bengal in the first and second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India on withdrew all companies of CRPF from the Maoist-infested districts of the state.

This order comes in the wake of the West Bengal government writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) thrice, asking them not to withdraw force stating that the withdrawal of the CRPF jawans from the LWE (Left Wing Extremism) affected districts may lead to a regrouping of Maoists.

This decision also comes in the wake of the Central Police Observer Vivek Dube holding meetings with the state officials and officials from the central armed paramilitary force like CRPF and BSF over the deployment of central forces.

"The state's stand is still the same. Withdrawal of forces from Jangal Mahal – Maoist infested districts will help Maoists operating in the bordering areas to enter the state. We have written to the MHA thrice stating the concerns relating to the withdrawal of forces," said a senior police official.

While the state has not seen any Maoist activity in the last five years, but several groups are active on the Jharkhand-Bengal border, according to Intel reports.

The state had a total of 35 companies of CRPF. Of the total 35 companies, 29 were deployed in the Jangal Mahal area. In the first phase, 18 and later the remaining companies were withdrawn and deployed in parts of North Bengal going for polls on April 11 and 18.

On the other hand, the state seems unhappy with the commission’s decision.

The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even said on Monday, “They want to withdraw the CRPF from Jangal Mahal. We have managed to restore peace there. But withdrawal will mean further disturbance. We have repeatedly requested them to not withdraw it. Now, if there is a Maoist attack, they will be responsible for it."

For the first and second phase of polls, a total of 49 companies of central forces – 20 BSF companies and 29 CRPF companies are being deployed in North Bengal.

In view of the deployment of Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) in North Bengal in the first and second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India on withdrew all companies of CRPF from the Maoist-infested districts of the state.

In view of the deployment of Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) in North Bengal in the first and second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India on withdrew all companies of CRPF from the Maoist-infested districts of the state. This order comes in the wake of the West Bengal government writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) thrice, asking them not to withdraw force stating that the withdrawal of the CRPF jawans from the LWE (Left Wing Extremism) affected districts may lead to a regrouping of Maoists. This decision also comes in the wake of the Central Police Observer Vivek Dube holding meetings with the state officials and officials from the central armed paramilitary force like CRPF and BSF over the deployment of central forces. "The state's stand is still the same. Withdrawal of forces from Jangal Mahal – Maoist infested districts will help Maoists operating in the bordering areas to enter the state. We have written to the MHA thrice stating the concerns relating to the withdrawal of forces," said a senior police official. While the state has not seen any Maoist activity in the last five years, but several groups are active on the Jharkhand-Bengal border, according to Intel reports. The state had a total of 35 companies of CRPF. Of the total 35 companies, 29 were deployed in the Jangal Mahal area. In the first phase, 18 and later the remaining companies were withdrawn and deployed in parts of North Bengal going for polls on April 11 and 18. On the other hand, the state seems unhappy with the commission’s decision. The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even said on Monday, “They want to withdraw the CRPF from Jangal Mahal. We have managed to restore peace there. But withdrawal will mean further disturbance. We have repeatedly requested them to not withdraw it. Now, if there is a Maoist attack, they will be responsible for it." For the first and second phase of polls, a total of 49 companies of central forces – 20 BSF companies and 29 CRPF companies are being deployed in North Bengal.

Lok Sabha poll 2019: EC withdraws CRPF from Maoist-hit districts of Bengal for redeployment during elections

Seeking to give a tough fight to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a known socialist bastion Azamgarh, BJP fielded Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav from the constituency.

But coming together of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, the fight for Azamgarh is expected to be a cakewalk for Akhilesh Yadav.

In 2014, the consolidated vote level of the SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP's Shah Alam Alias Guddu Jamali in Azamgarh was more than 63%, compared to the 28.8% of the BJP candidate Ramakant Yadav.

Bhojpuri superstar Dinesh Lal Yadav aka ‘Nirahua’ had joined the BJP a few days back during a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath on March 27.

Nirahua, who had acted in dozens of 'Bhojpuri' films and enjoys huge popularity, especially in eastern UP &nbsp;and Bihar, had campaigned for the Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav in Azamgarh in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Akhilesh Yadav is replacing father Mulayam in Azamgarh; the move, however, is also a key move to cement Samajwadi Party's position in the important east UP region which includes Varanasi and Gorakhpur, important for the BJP.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam had contested from two seats -- Azamgarh and Mainpuri. However, he later gave up Mainpuri seat which was subsequently successfully contested by grandnephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Tej Pratap Singh Yadav.&nbsp;

The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls are set to begin on April 11 and will go on till May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

In Uttar Pradesh, where 80 seats are at stake, polling will be held in all seven phases. Azamgarh will vote in the sixth phase - on May 12.

Seeking to give a tough fight to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a known socialist bastion Azamgarh, BJP fielded Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav from the constituency.

Seeking to give a tough fight to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in a known socialist bastion Azamgarh, BJP fielded Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav from the constituency. But coming together of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, the fight for Azamgarh is expected to be a cakewalk for Akhilesh Yadav. In 2014, the consolidated vote level of the SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP's Shah Alam Alias Guddu Jamali in Azamgarh was more than 63%, compared to the 28.8% of the BJP candidate Ramakant Yadav. Bhojpuri superstar Dinesh Lal Yadav aka ‘Nirahua’ had joined the BJP a few days back during a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath on March 27. Nirahua, who had acted in dozens of 'Bhojpuri' films and enjoys huge popularity, especially in eastern UP and Bihar, had campaigned for the Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav in Azamgarh in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Akhilesh Yadav is replacing father Mulayam in Azamgarh; the move, however, is also a key move to cement Samajwadi Party's position in the important east UP region which includes Varanasi and Gorakhpur, important for the BJP. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam had contested from two seats -- Azamgarh and Mainpuri. However, he later gave up Mainpuri seat which was subsequently successfully contested by grandnephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Tej Pratap Singh Yadav. The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls are set to begin on April 11 and will go on till May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. In Uttar Pradesh, where 80 seats are at stake, polling will be held in all seven phases. Azamgarh will vote in the sixth phase - on May 12.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Akhilesh Yadav vs Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' fight puts the spotlight on Azamgarh

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, WION's political editor Kartikeya Sharma spoke with Praveen Chakravarty who heads the Data Analytics department of the Congress Party.&nbsp;

Chakravarty is a Wharton graduate and economist by profession. He also worked in the UIDAI project during the UPA regime and, in his current avatar, is working closely with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, engaged in mapping the party.

Kartikeya Sharma quizzes Chakravarty on a range of topics, from the need to establish the data department, his ability to map the Congress to what does the data depict about the 'grand old party's' electoral prospects this Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

WION: Why was the data department set up by Rahul Gandhi?

Praveen Chakravarty: Rahul Gandhi is a strong believer in measurement and objectivity. He felt strongly about the need for the objective assessment of everything. The second objective of data is to help bring the wisdom of the crowd in the decision-making process. It translates into surveys and feedback from party workers, voters and influencers on various decisions which a political party needs to make. Objectivity comes from how you measure things like comparing different people's performances.

WION: Like data is considered new oil of economy, can we say that it has become the new mantra for political parties?

Praveen Chakravarty: I disagree. Data is input into better decision making. In Congress, we use it as an input in decision-making which could be about the selection of candidates or alliances with political parties or even for organizational decision-making like for promoting people. Data is also used for electoral strategy or to determine which booths to focus on or what do voters want to hear. Data is also being used to decide a party’s campaign theme and its election campaign.

WION: What were the challenges when you took up this job?

Praveen Chakravarty: We are just one input and not the sole decision makers. I come from a background of science and research, so I understand data science. As an economist, I had worked with multiple data sets. Before I took this job, I had landed conversations with the Congress president. He had a clear vision about this department even before he brought me into the party, so the mandate was clear. This department has been built to help and not take over anything. I have a simple rule for all my data scientist - if a booth worker far away is unable to understand what we communicate, then it is a pointless exercise.

WION: What tools are used to harness data?

Praveen Chakravarty: We only work with public data and internal data which belongs to the party. The problem for us was that data was not in the form which was easy to use and analyse&nbsp;for decision-making. Upon my joining, Rahul Gandhi personally tweeted out and as a result, I got flooded with talent. It enabled me to quickly build a large team which, I can say with great pride, is one of the best in the country.

WION: How many workers have you connected through data apparatus?

Praveen Chakravarty: As of now, 66 lakh people; it continues to grow every minute. It keeps increasing every second. We have connected millions of booths and party workers. Sitting in Delhi, the Congress president can call a booth worker directly and ask what is going on. Data and technology have provided a face to the party workers.

WION: What are the applications?

Praveen Chakravarty: 'Shakti' is the most known application. The second application is 'Vidya' which is like a control room where every single booth and candidate has been mapped. It has been given to every single candidate. The third one is 'Awaaz' which is an internal communication application. It is used by verified Congress party workers. It is used for booth management, feedback, door to door campaigning et cetera. Congress president Rahul Gandhi used this platform to decide the chief ministers for Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

WION: Did these applications make a difference in the selection of candidates?

Praveen Chakravarty: It provides with input and now it is a condition to have this input amongst many other inputs to decide the candidate.

WION: How do you ensure that technology is not manipulated?

Praveen Chakravarty: I have a 'data first' approach and not 'tech first' approach. We ensure that a person’s multiple identities are grafted in the system. For example, if a person does not have a voter identity then he cannot enter my system.

WION: Have you been able to map the organization?

Praveen Chakravarty: We have done it. We can even point out the best-performing workers. A gamification aspect has been built into the 'Shakti' application. People are given points when they respond to activities. For example, when I say that assemble in front of the CBI to protest, I would know as to who showed up in the protest, I would give them points.

WION: Did you face any resistance while introducing these systems?

Praveen Chakravarty: People were curious when we first started but now people come to me and ask whether feedback has been taken or not. Even senior leaders ask me.

WION: Is your project making any difference to the 2019 elections?

Praveen Chakravarty: It is not about winning or losing an election. The inputs from the department are now being sought by everyone as they are perceived to be helpful.

WION: How do you maintain neutrality?

Praveen Chakravarty: I have come from a political background. I have no bones to pick. I have always looked for empirical validation. I always want to be clear about my model. For example, during the recent assembly elections, I found out through data that farmers distress was far higher in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, but everybody was talking about Rajasthan. Actually, it turned out to be right.

WION: What is data saying about Lok Sabha elections?

Praveen Chakravarty: Trends are very clear. Most people are underestimating the anger against the government. I’m not saying just because I’m sitting inside AICC but because data is saying so. There is a lot of anger and also there is the existence of silent voter phenomena. Since people are fearful, they are not willing to share their true opinion. I have tested it. There is a lot of anger on broader economic issues like jobs and farmers distress. The pan-India issue today, as per the data, is of jobs.

WION: What about the prospects of the Congress Party?

Praveen Chakravarty: Congress is on a rising trend. The question is how much of this anger can we convert into votes and then into seats. For that, we need to have a strong message on what are we going to do to solve the economic issues. We are tackling this issue through NYAY. A lot of things will need to be done, holding press conferences rallies is not enough. We must do it on the ground. Our campaign has to be intensive and door-to-door. I believe that the success of Congress to win seats rests entirely on converting the existing anger into votes and seats through our ground campaign. We need to have the campaign at the booth and district level. Just press conferences and rallies will not do.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, WION's political editor Kartikeya Sharma spoke with Praveen Chakravarty who heads the Data Analytics department of the Congress Party.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, WION's political editor Kartikeya Sharma spoke with Praveen Chakravarty who heads the Data Analytics department of the Congress Party. Chakravarty is a Wharton graduate and economist by profession. He also worked in the UIDAI project during the UPA regime and, in his current avatar, is working closely with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, engaged in mapping the party. Kartikeya Sharma quizzes Chakravarty on a range of topics, from the need to establish the data department, his ability to map the Congress to what does the data depict about the 'grand old party's' electoral prospects this Lok Sabha polls. WION: Why was the data department set up by Rahul Gandhi? Praveen Chakravarty: Rahul Gandhi is a strong believer in measurement and objectivity. He felt strongly about the need for the objective assessment of everything. The second objective of data is to help bring the wisdom of the crowd in the decision-making process. It translates into surveys and feedback from party workers, voters and influencers on various decisions which a political party needs to make. Objectivity comes from how you measure things like comparing different people's performances. WION: Like data is considered new oil of economy, can we say that it has become the new mantra for political parties? Praveen Chakravarty: I disagree. Data is input into better decision making. In Congress, we use it as an input in decision-making which could be about the selection of candidates or alliances with political parties or even for organizational decision-making like for promoting people. Data is also used for electoral strategy or to determine which booths to focus on or what do voters want to hear. Data is also being used to decide a party’s campaign theme and its election campaign. WION: What were the challenges when you took up this job? Praveen Chakravarty: We are just one input and not the sole decision makers. I come from a background of science and research, so I understand data science. As an economist, I had worked with multiple data sets. Before I took this job, I had landed conversations with the Congress president. He had a clear vision about this department even before he brought me into the party, so the mandate was clear. This department has been built to help and not take over anything. I have a simple rule for all my data scientist - if a booth worker far away is unable to understand what we communicate, then it is a pointless exercise. WION: What tools are used to harness data? Praveen Chakravarty: We only work with public data and internal data which belongs to the party. The problem for us was that data was not in the form which was easy to use and analyse for decision-making. Upon my joining, Rahul Gandhi personally tweeted out and as a result, I got flooded with talent. It enabled me to quickly build a large team which, I can say with great pride, is one of the best in the country. WION: How many workers have you connected through data apparatus? Praveen Chakravarty: As of now, 66 lakh people; it continues to grow every minute. It keeps increasing every second. We have connected millions of booths and party workers. Sitting in Delhi, the Congress president can call a booth worker directly and ask what is going on. Data and technology have provided a face to the party workers. WION: What are the applications? Praveen Chakravarty: 'Shakti' is the most known application. The second application is 'Vidya' which is like a control room where every single booth and candidate has been mapped. It has been given to every single candidate. The third one is 'Awaaz' which is an internal communication application. It is used by verified Congress party workers. It is used for booth management, feedback, door to door campaigning et cetera. Congress president Rahul Gandhi used this platform to decide the chief ministers for Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. WION: Did these applications make a difference in the selection of candidates? Praveen Chakravarty: It provides with input and now it is a condition to have this input amongst many other inputs to decide the candidate. WION: How do you ensure that technology is not manipulated? Praveen Chakravarty: I have a 'data first' approach and not 'tech first' approach. We ensure that a person’s multiple identities are grafted in the system. For example, if a person does not have a voter identity then he cannot enter my system. WION: Have you been able to map the organization? Praveen Chakravarty: We have done it. We can even point out the best-performing workers. A gamification aspect has been built into the 'Shakti' application. People are given points when they respond to activities. For example, when I say that assemble in front of the CBI to protest, I would know as to who showed up in the protest, I would give them points. WION: Did you face any resistance while introducing these systems? Praveen Chakravarty: People were curious when we first started but now people come to me and ask whether feedback has been taken or not. Even senior leaders ask me. WION: Is your project making any difference to the 2019 elections? Praveen Chakravarty: It is not about winning or losing an election. The inputs from the department are now being sought by everyone as they are perceived to be helpful. WION: How do you maintain neutrality? Praveen Chakravarty: I have come from a political background. I have no bones to pick. I have always looked for empirical validation. I always want to be clear about my model. For example, during the recent assembly elections, I found out through data that farmers distress was far higher in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, but everybody was talking about Rajasthan. Actually, it turned out to be right. WION: What is data saying about Lok Sabha elections? Praveen Chakravarty: Trends are very clear. Most people are underestimating the anger against the government. I’m not saying just because I’m sitting inside AICC but because data is saying so. There is a lot of anger and also there is the existence of silent voter phenomena. Since people are fearful, they are not willing to share their true opinion. I have tested it. There is a lot of anger on broader economic issues like jobs and farmers distress. The pan-India issue today, as per the data, is of jobs. WION: What about the prospects of the Congress Party? Praveen Chakravarty: Congress is on a rising trend. The question is how much of this anger can we convert into votes and then into seats. For that, we need to have a strong message on what are we going to do to solve the economic issues. We are tackling this issue through NYAY. A lot of things will need to be done, holding press conferences rallies is not enough. We must do it on the ground. Our campaign has to be intensive and door-to-door. I believe that the success of Congress to win seats rests entirely on converting the existing anger into votes and seats through our ground campaign. We need to have the campaign at the booth and district level. Just press conferences and rallies will not do.

People are angry...question is how much of it can be converted into votes: Congress data analytics chief to WION

With barely two weeks left for the polling day (April 18th) in Tamil Nadu, Election commissioners Ashok Saxena and Sushil Chandra along with Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo, met the media and &nbsp;clarified their stance on issues ranging from seizures of unaccounted cash, raids on residences of political leaders and also the controversy over the sudden seizure of to-be-released books on the Rafale scam among others.&nbsp;

The officials said that they have concluded their 3-day review in Tamil Nadu for forthcoming elections. ”During our visit, we met all political parties and all deputy commissioners, collectors, police officials and senior officials of the state Government among others. These include officials of Income Tax, RBI, Excise and taxation department, Narcotics control bureau and the airport director and all others involved in enforcement activities”.

Speaking of the important issues listed by political parties, they mentioned that, people belonging to weaker sections should be provided security to cast vote freely and fairly, CCTV cameras within the booth and outside the polling station, Bye-elections for the vacant assembly seats, provision of adequate minimum facilities such as supply of water, and tents at polling booths to help voters brave the summer.&nbsp;

Regarding the confiscation of to-be-released books on the alleged Rafale Scam, the officials responded saying that, it was brought to our knowledge through the electronic media, we were informed that CEO had not authorized this kind of action by flying squad. The concerned flying squad has been changed and the Book launch took place in the evening. All officials associated with that incident have been removed, we are awaiting a full report.&nbsp;

Responding to questions on the rampant cash seizures across Tamil Nadu and their alleged political links, they said, &nbsp;whenever such seizures are made, the preliminary report is given to EC. The EC doesn't name anyone or any party, but after the report, there is a comprehensive procedure of law enforcement that is to be followed. We are finding that so far cash seizure of Rs.127crore has been reported in TN. This is much more than previous elections. Prosecuting is done after comprehensive enquiry, &nbsp;EC doesn't prosecute. &nbsp;

Enlisting the challenges faced by the EC in conducting the polls across the country they said, Sheer scale and size are a challenge. We have 10.35 lakh polling stations, 12 million people involved in the conduct of elections, Informing people of new technology that is adopted and preventing the use of money and muscle power.

The officers also responded to the reports of the candidate Mohanraj who had declared his cash holding as 1.76 lakh crore and liabilities as 4 Lakh crore world bank loan. They said, “Whenever a candidate files his nomination papers and gives document in the laid down format, the returning officer is responsible and empowered to take a decision. If there is a deficiency in the affidavit or nomination form, the returning officer can inform of deficiency and decision to accept or reject is finally of the returning officer. He/she &nbsp;need not go into veracity, as it involves a long process of adjudication.”

Mobile applications such as cVigil and Suvidha are also being used for the effective interface between the ECI and voters, candidates. While the Suvidha application facilitates single window clearance from rally and vehicles, cVigil&nbsp;enables all to take pictures or videos of illegal activity or model code violation and it goes straight to control room and a response can be expected within 100 minutes.

With barely two weeks left for the polling day (April 18th) in Tamil Nadu, Election commissioners Ashok Saxena and Sushil Chandra along with Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo, met the media and clarified their stance on issues ranging from seizures of unaccounted cash, raids on residences of political leaders and also the controversy over the sudden seizure of to-be-released books on the Rafale scam among others.

With barely two weeks left for the polling day (April 18th) in Tamil Nadu, Election commissioners Ashok Saxena and Sushil Chandra along with Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo, met the media and clarified their stance on issues ranging from seizures of unaccounted cash, raids on residences of political leaders and also the controversy over the sudden seizure of to-be-released books on the Rafale scam among others. The officials said that they have concluded their 3-day review in Tamil Nadu for forthcoming elections. ”During our visit, we met all political parties and all deputy commissioners, collectors, police officials and senior officials of the state Government among others. These include officials of Income Tax, RBI, Excise and taxation department, Narcotics control bureau and the airport director and all others involved in enforcement activities”. Speaking of the important issues listed by political parties, they mentioned that, people belonging to weaker sections should be provided security to cast vote freely and fairly, CCTV cameras within the booth and outside the polling station, Bye-elections for the vacant assembly seats, provision of adequate minimum facilities such as supply of water, and tents at polling booths to help voters brave the summer. Regarding the confiscation of to-be-released books on the alleged Rafale Scam, the officials responded saying that, it was brought to our knowledge through the electronic media, we were informed that CEO had not authorized this kind of action by flying squad. The concerned flying squad has been changed and the Book launch took place in the evening. All officials associated with that incident have been removed, we are awaiting a full report. Responding to questions on the rampant cash seizures across Tamil Nadu and their alleged political links, they said, whenever such seizures are made, the preliminary report is given to EC. The EC doesn't name anyone or any party, but after the report, there is a comprehensive procedure of law enforcement that is to be followed. We are finding that so far cash seizure of Rs.127crore has been reported in TN. This is much more than previous elections. Prosecuting is done after comprehensive enquiry, EC doesn't prosecute. Enlisting the challenges faced by the EC in conducting the polls across the country they said, Sheer scale and size are a challenge. We have 10.35 lakh polling stations, 12 million people involved in the conduct of elections, Informing people of new technology that is adopted and preventing the use of money and muscle power. The officers also responded to the reports of the candidate Mohanraj who had declared his cash holding as 1.76 lakh crore and liabilities as 4 Lakh crore world bank loan. They said, “Whenever a candidate files his nomination papers and gives document in the laid down format, the returning officer is responsible and empowered to take a decision. If there is a deficiency in the affidavit or nomination form, the returning officer can inform of deficiency and decision to accept or reject is finally of the returning officer. He/she need not go into veracity, as it involves a long process of adjudication.” Mobile applications such as cVigil and Suvidha are also being used for the effective interface between the ECI and voters, candidates. While the Suvidha application facilitates single window clearance from rally and vehicles, cVigil enables all to take pictures or videos of illegal activity or model code violation and it goes straight to control room and a response can be expected within 100 minutes.

Election commission clarifies on major issues during preparedness review in Chennai

The quaint region of Wayanad is witnessing some hectic political activity.&nbsp;AICC President Rahul Gandhi has chosen Wayanad as his second seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections - also being called as his safe seat by many owing to its substantial minority population.&nbsp;

Wayanad is a picturesque district nestled in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats, but the parliamentary constituency spreads across three districts - Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.&nbsp;

Under Wayanad district, the constituency has Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta, Thiruvamabady in Kozhikode district and Nilambur, Wandoor and Eranad in Malappuram.&nbsp;

According to the 2011 census data, Wayanad has 28.8% Muslims, 21.5% Christians and 49.5% Hindus. In Mallapuram the Muslim population is stronger at 70%, Christians at 21.5% and Hindus at 28%. In Kozhikode too, Muslims play a decisive role in electorally with a population of 39.24%.&nbsp;

But there is more than one reason for Rahul Gandhi to contest from this second seat. While one popular perception is that the AICC chief needed a safer seat than Amethi, the truth is Congress in Kerala also desperately needed the national leader to hold its factions together.&nbsp;

The two warring groups within the state Congress, one led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the other led by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennitala, were at loggerheads over the candidate from Wayanad.&nbsp;

Though Oommen Chandy's close aide T Siddique was finally chosen for the job, the party looked up to Rahul Gandhi to save it from self-destructive dissidence.&nbsp;

'All the rank and file of the party and UDF are in a good mood to welcome Rahul Ji. The people of Wayanad now feel that through Rahul Ji's candidature their problems will finally be addressed and heard at the national level. It is for the first time Kerala is witnessing such a candidature' asserted Siddique while speaking to WION, as the two factions seem to have finally united for the elections.&nbsp;

But in its supposed battle for secularism against the BJP, Congress seems to have rubbed off the LDF in Kerala. Wayanad has barely any presence of the saffron party and the state's ruling LDF is its prime opposition.&nbsp;

The Left candidate from Wayanad, PP Suneer, has been vocally critical of the Congress leader's candidature from the region. 'Rahul Gandhi's decision is a Himalayan blunder. It is disappointing to the secular, democratic forces in India. This is a direct fight between LDF and UDF. The BJP has no presence. Around 600 farmers committed suicide in the district during the UPA government's tenure and the previous Congress MP Shanavas failed to address many problems. Wayanad will be Rahul Gandhi's Waterloo. He will be surely defeated' says Suneer as he carries on his third round of the door-to-door campaign. In response, Congress claims the Left is merely rattled. 'In the elections, the LDF has decided to contest some seats in Kerala. According to a survey report, they will not get any seats in West Bengal, they will lose in Tripura and they had hopes only with Kerala. But with Rahul Gandhi's candidature, their hopes have been dashed' responded Congress' Siddique. However, LDF asserts that it will put up a tough fight as it has 4 out of the 7 MLAs, 4 out of the 5 municipalities and 29 out of 50-gram panchayats in the constituency.&nbsp;

The third candidate pitted against Rahul Gandhi is NDA'S Thussar Vellapally. The President of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena or BDJS that has entered into an alliance with the BJP, Thussar Vellapally is the son of Vellapally Natesan, the tallest Ezhava Caste leader, a backward community that enjoys substantial strength in the region.&nbsp;

'We are only talking about development. Kerala is not like other states. We are not here to communally balance. BDJS has followers from all communities. All communities will vote for me. There are 50% Hindus here. I will get votes from all communities' says Thussar Vellapally while speaking to WION.&nbsp;

Interestingly senior Vellapally who is the General Secretary of the community organisation SNDP has backed LDF and portrays opposing views on several issues like the Women's Wall in Kerala on the Sabarimala issue.&nbsp;

This is the first time Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from the South of India where surveys indicate that he enjoys more popularity than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

Though other states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had also urged the party president to contest, Rahul Gandhi seems to have chosen Kerala where Congress continues to enjoy dominance.

The quaint region of Wayanad is witnessing some hectic political activity. AICC President Rahul Gandhi has chosen Wayanad as his second seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections - also being called as his safe seat by many owing to its substantial minority population.

The quaint region of Wayanad is witnessing some hectic political activity. AICC President Rahul Gandhi has chosen Wayanad as his second seat to contest the Lok Sabha elections - also being called as his safe seat by many owing to its substantial minority population. Wayanad is a picturesque district nestled in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats, but the parliamentary constituency spreads across three districts - Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode. Under Wayanad district, the constituency has Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta, Thiruvamabady in Kozhikode district and Nilambur, Wandoor and Eranad in Malappuram. According to the 2011 census data, Wayanad has 28.8% Muslims, 21.5% Christians and 49.5% Hindus. In Mallapuram the Muslim population is stronger at 70%, Christians at 21.5% and Hindus at 28%. In Kozhikode too, Muslims play a decisive role in electorally with a population of 39.24%. But there is more than one reason for Rahul Gandhi to contest from this second seat. While one popular perception is that the AICC chief needed a safer seat than Amethi, the truth is Congress in Kerala also desperately needed the national leader to hold its factions together. The two warring groups within the state Congress, one led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the other led by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennitala, were at loggerheads over the candidate from Wayanad. Though Oommen Chandy's close aide T Siddique was finally chosen for the job, the party looked up to Rahul Gandhi to save it from self-destructive dissidence. 'All the rank and file of the party and UDF are in a good mood to welcome Rahul Ji. The people of Wayanad now feel that through Rahul Ji's candidature their problems will finally be addressed and heard at the national level. It is for the first time Kerala is witnessing such a candidature' asserted Siddique while speaking to WION, as the two factions seem to have finally united for the elections. But in its supposed battle for secularism against the BJP, Congress seems to have rubbed off the LDF in Kerala. Wayanad has barely any presence of the saffron party and the state's ruling LDF is its prime opposition. The Left candidate from Wayanad, PP Suneer, has been vocally critical of the Congress leader's candidature from the region. 'Rahul Gandhi's decision is a Himalayan blunder. It is disappointing to the secular, democratic forces in India. This is a direct fight between LDF and UDF. The BJP has no presence. Around 600 farmers committed suicide in the district during the UPA government's tenure and the previous Congress MP Shanavas failed to address many problems. Wayanad will be Rahul Gandhi's Waterloo. He will be surely defeated' says Suneer as he carries on his third round of the door-to-door campaign. In response, Congress claims the Left is merely rattled. 'In the elections, the LDF has decided to contest some seats in Kerala. According to a survey report, they will not get any seats in West Bengal, they will lose in Tripura and they had hopes only with Kerala. But with Rahul Gandhi's candidature, their hopes have been dashed' responded Congress' Siddique. However, LDF asserts that it will put up a tough fight as it has 4 out of the 7 MLAs, 4 out of the 5 municipalities and 29 out of 50-gram panchayats in the constituency. The third candidate pitted against Rahul Gandhi is NDA'S Thussar Vellapally. The President of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena or BDJS that has entered into an alliance with the BJP, Thussar Vellapally is the son of Vellapally Natesan, the tallest Ezhava Caste leader, a backward community that enjoys substantial strength in the region. 'We are only talking about development. Kerala is not like other states. We are not here to communally balance. BDJS has followers from all communities. All communities will vote for me. There are 50% Hindus here. I will get votes from all communities' says Thussar Vellapally while speaking to WION. Interestingly senior Vellapally who is the General Secretary of the community organisation SNDP has backed LDF and portrays opposing views on several issues like the Women's Wall in Kerala on the Sabarimala issue. This is the first time Rahul Gandhi will be contesting from the South of India where surveys indicate that he enjoys more popularity than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Though other states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had also urged the party president to contest, Rahul Gandhi seems to have chosen Kerala where Congress continues to enjoy dominance.

Kerala’s Wayanad: The other constituency Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is fighting from

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bimal-gurung-suspended-from-gorkha-janmukti-morcha-tamang-new-chief-24689"> Gorkha Janmukti Morcha </a>(GJM) leaders<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/darjeeling-violence-kolkata-high-court-tell-west-bengal-government-to-restore-peace-16902/amp"> Roshan Giri and Bimal Gurung</a>, who are seeking protection to participate in campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, to approach Calcutta High Court within four days for the relief.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha said no coercive action be taken against the leaders till then.

The court said the Calcutta High Court will decide the matter expeditiously. Giri had on Tuesday told the apex court that Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government was “vindictive” towards him and has implicated him in several “bogus cases”.

However, the West Bengal government has strongly opposed his contentions and said Giri was an absconder and there were several incriminating materials against him which allegedly showed his complicity in various cases of heinous nature. Giri and Gurung are among the accused in the 2010 Madan Tamang murder case.

Besides this, several other cases are pending against them in West Bengal. Police have claimed Tamang, who was the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president, was hacked to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010, in broad daylight when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting. Giri has been charged with alleged “criminal conspiracy for murder”, along with several other sides of him, in the murder case of Tamang.

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders Roshan Giri and Bimal Gurung, who are seeking protection to participate in campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, to approach Calcutta High Court within four days for the relief.

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders Roshan Giri and Bimal Gurung, who are seeking protection to participate in campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, to approach Calcutta High Court within four days for the relief. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha said no coercive action be taken against the leaders till then. The court said the Calcutta High Court will decide the matter expeditiously. Giri had on Tuesday told the apex court that Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government was “vindictive” towards him and has implicated him in several “bogus cases”. However, the West Bengal government has strongly opposed his contentions and said Giri was an absconder and there were several incriminating materials against him which allegedly showed his complicity in various cases of heinous nature. Giri and Gurung are among the accused in the 2010 Madan Tamang murder case. Besides this, several other cases are pending against them in West Bengal. Police have claimed Tamang, who was the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president, was hacked to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010, in broad daylight when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting. Giri has been charged with alleged “criminal conspiracy for murder”, along with several other sides of him, in the murder case of Tamang.

GJM leaders move SC seeking protection for Lok Sabha campaign, asked to approach Calcutta High Court

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday termed the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487"> Congress manifesto</a> as a “showoff” and an “illusion” and said there was no credibility of the promises made by the party due to its past. Congress and BJP are no different when it comes to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-scrapping-afspa-sedition-law-to-farmer-budget-key-takeaways-from-congress-manifesto-207507"> non-fulfilment of promises</a>, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet.

“Congress election manifesto appears to be a showoff and illusion like its previous promises. Due to continuous working against its promises, there is no credibility left for Congress among the people. Congress and BJP are no different in non-fulfilling promises,” she said in the tweet.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday released his party’s manifesto for Lok Sabha polls, making jobs creation, addressing farm distress, bringing a single moderate rate of GST and giving Rs 72,000 per annum to poor families as the key focus if the party comes to power.

Claiming the BJP was afraid of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, Mayawati said, “They (BJP) are so afraid that instead of talking of issues, they indulge in unnecessary casteist statements on the top leader of (alliance). No one should be provoked by them (statements) and give them befitting reply by showing good results”.

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday termed the Congress manifesto as a “showoff” and an “illusion” and said there was no credibility of the promises made by the party due to its past.

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday termed the Congress manifesto as a “showoff” and an “illusion” and said there was no credibility of the promises made by the party due to its past. Congress and BJP are no different when it comes to non-fulfilment of promises, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet. “Congress election manifesto appears to be a showoff and illusion like its previous promises. Due to continuous working against its promises, there is no credibility left for Congress among the people. Congress and BJP are no different in non-fulfilling promises,” she said in the tweet. Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday released his party’s manifesto for Lok Sabha polls, making jobs creation, addressing farm distress, bringing a single moderate rate of GST and giving Rs 72,000 per annum to poor families as the key focus if the party comes to power. Claiming the BJP was afraid of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, Mayawati said, “They (BJP) are so afraid that instead of talking of issues, they indulge in unnecessary casteist statements on the top leader of (alliance). No one should be provoked by them (statements) and give them befitting reply by showing good results”.

Congress manifesto for 2019 polls an illusion, says Mayawati, reminds party of past record

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487">Congress manifesto</a> were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir.&nbsp;

The five big promises made by the Congress on Kashmir are:&nbsp;

1. There will be no change to Kashmir's constitutional status &nbsp;— which means there will be no tinkering with Article 370 and Article 35A&nbsp;

2. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be reviewed

3. That fewer soldiers, and more policemen instead, will be stationed in Kashmir&nbsp;

4. That talks in Jammu and Kashmir will be held without preconditions

5. And finally, that three interlocutors will be assigned to hold talks in Kashmir&nbsp;

Jaitley said Tuesday that some of the points in the Congress manifesto seem like they had been drafted by the Congress president's (Rahul Gandhi) "friends in the tukde-tukde gang".&nbsp;

"They're against the unity of India," Jaitley said.&nbsp;

Jaitley added that the Congress had failed to mention the plight of Kashmiri pandits in its manifesto. And that the Congress "does not deserve even a single vote for promises like doing away with the sedition law". &nbsp;

The Congress's 55-page manifesto — it is called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" — focuses on addressing the issues of joblessness, farm distress, the&nbsp;safety of women and the boosting of the rural economy, with a stress on building a narrative around the "real issues" faced by the people.

The manifesto was released by party president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior leader P Chidambaram among others.

For farmers, Congress promised to put them on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (freedom from loans).

This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit, the party said, adding it will present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year, if voted to power.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGr_HCnZ1UA" width="560"></iframe>

(Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election&nbsp;manifesto.)

Speaking on the occasion at Congress headquarters here, Gandhi said the Congress will allocate six per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to poor if voted to power.

The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals.&nbsp;

The Congress's Nyay scheme meanwhile envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to five crore EWS families each. And it said Tuesday that, if it came to power, it would bring in one single (moderate) GST rate.

&nbsp;Jaitley said the ideas were "unimplementable".&nbsp;

The Congress's P Chidambaram — he and Jairam Ramesh began their press conference even as Jaitley was still speaking — was quick to reply that "every word here (in the manifesto), we heard from the people of India".&nbsp;

"This is what the people want," Chidambaram said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir. The five big promises made by the Congress on Kashmir are: 1. There will be no change to Kashmir's constitutional status — which means there will be no tinkering with Article 370 and Article 35A 2. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be reviewed 3. That fewer soldiers, and more policemen instead, will be stationed in Kashmir 4. That talks in Jammu and Kashmir will be held without preconditions 5. And finally, that three interlocutors will be assigned to hold talks in Kashmir Jaitley said Tuesday that some of the points in the Congress manifesto seem like they had been drafted by the Congress president's (Rahul Gandhi) "friends in the tukde-tukde gang". "They're against the unity of India," Jaitley said. Jaitley added that the Congress had failed to mention the plight of Kashmiri pandits in its manifesto. And that the Congress "does not deserve even a single vote for promises like doing away with the sedition law". The Congress's 55-page manifesto — it is called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" — focuses on addressing the issues of joblessness, farm distress, the safety of women and the boosting of the rural economy, with a stress on building a narrative around the "real issues" faced by the people. The manifesto was released by party president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior leader P Chidambaram among others. For farmers, Congress promised to put them on the path from "Karz Maafi" (loan waiver), to "Karz Mukti" (freedom from loans). This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit, the party said, adding it will present a separate "Kisan Budget" every year, if voted to power. (Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election manifesto.) Speaking on the occasion at Congress headquarters here, Gandhi said the Congress will allocate six per cent of GDP to education, strengthen government hospitals and give high-quality healthcare access to poor if voted to power. The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals. The Congress's Nyay scheme meanwhile envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to five crore EWS families each. And it said Tuesday that, if it came to power, it would bring in one single (moderate) GST rate. Jaitley said the ideas were "unimplementable". The Congress's P Chidambaram — he and Jairam Ramesh began their press conference even as Jaitley was still speaking — was quick to reply that "every word here (in the manifesto), we heard from the people of India". "This is what the people want," Chidambaram said. (With inputs from PTI)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">positively dangerous</a>".&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India" and that they looked like the had been written by Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "friends in the tukde-tukde gang".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and larger referring to what the Congress manifesto says about &nbsp;Kashmir — that there will be no tinkering with its constitutional status, that AFSPA will be reviewed, and that there will be fewer soldiers — and more policemen instead — deployed in the Valley.&nbsp;

This was expected. The BJP has been focusing tremendous amounts of attention on national security ever since the Pulwama suicide attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead and the consequent Indian Air Force air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakote.&nbsp;

But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say?&nbsp;

Here are the salient points:&nbsp;

The big Congress scheme of course is NYAY which envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to 20% or 5 crore of India's poorest families.&nbsp;

On Tuesday the Congress said it would also present a separate budget for farmers. The Congress would like to keep the focus on rural distress and joblessness. It therefore announced Tuesday that it would fill up 22 lakh government vacancies.&nbsp;

The Congress Tuesday promised to put farmers on the path from "karz maafi" (loan waiver) to "karz mukti" (freedom from loans).

This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGr_HCnZ1UA" width="560"></iframe>

(Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election&nbsp;manifesto.)

Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the release of the manifesto at Congress headquarters in Delhi, said his party would allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthening government hospitals and providing high-quality healthcare access to the poor if voted to power.

The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals.&nbsp;

To the youth of India, the Congress pledged to make jobs its top priority, saying it would ensure 34 lakh jobs in the public sector by filling all 4 lakh central government vacancies before March 2020, persuading state governments to fill 20 lakh vacancies and creating an estimated 10 lakh new Seva Mitra positions in every gram panchayat and urban local bodies.

The party said it will also provide a fillip to the private sector by incentivising businesses for jobs creation and employing more women.

The Congress added Tuesday that would radically simplify the GST regime with a single moderate rate of tax, zero rating of exports, and an exemption for all essential goods and services.&nbsp;

It also promised panchayats and municipalities a share of GST revenues.

The Congress added that it would reverse the trend of declining defence spending under the NDA government, and increase it to meet the requirements of the armed forces.&nbsp;

On education, the Congress promised that school education from Class I to Class XII in all public schools would be compulsory and free.&nbsp;

And finally, the party promised to pass in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha the Women's Reservation Bill reserving 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.&nbsp;

"Congress will also reserve 33 percent of all posts/vacancies in the Central government for women," the party's manifesto added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous".

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous". Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India" and that they looked like the had been written by Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "friends in the tukde-tukde gang". Jaitley was by and larger referring to what the Congress manifesto says about Kashmir — that there will be no tinkering with its constitutional status, that AFSPA will be reviewed, and that there will be fewer soldiers — and more policemen instead — deployed in the Valley. This was expected. The BJP has been focusing tremendous amounts of attention on national security ever since the Pulwama suicide attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead and the consequent Indian Air Force air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakote. But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say? Here are the salient points: The big Congress scheme of course is NYAY which envisages the giving of Rs 72,000 a year to 20% or 5 crore of India's poorest families. On Tuesday the Congress said it would also present a separate budget for farmers. The Congress would like to keep the focus on rural distress and joblessness. It therefore announced Tuesday that it would fill up 22 lakh government vacancies. The Congress Tuesday promised to put farmers on the path from "karz maafi" (loan waiver) to "karz mukti" (freedom from loans). This the party said would be done through remunerative pricing, lower input costs, and assured access to institutional credit. (Watch: WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma breaks down the Congress's election manifesto.) Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the release of the manifesto at Congress headquarters in Delhi, said his party would allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, strengthening government hospitals and providing high-quality healthcare access to the poor if voted to power. The party also promised to enact the Right to Healthcare Act and guarantee every citizen free diagnostics, out-patient care, free medicines and hospitalisation, through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals. To the youth of India, the Congress pledged to make jobs its top priority, saying it would ensure 34 lakh jobs in the public sector by filling all 4 lakh central government vacancies before March 2020, persuading state governments to fill 20 lakh vacancies and creating an estimated 10 lakh new Seva Mitra positions in every gram panchayat and urban local bodies. The party said it will also provide a fillip to the private sector by incentivising businesses for jobs creation and employing more women. The Congress added Tuesday that would radically simplify the GST regime with a single moderate rate of tax, zero rating of exports, and an exemption for all essential goods and services. It also promised panchayats and municipalities a share of GST revenues. The Congress added that it would reverse the trend of declining defence spending under the NDA government, and increase it to meet the requirements of the armed forces. On education, the Congress promised that school education from Class I to Class XII in all public schools would be compulsory and free. And finally, the party promised to pass in the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha the Women's Reservation Bill reserving 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. "Congress will also reserve 33 percent of all posts/vacancies in the Central government for women," the party's manifesto added. (With inputs from PTI)

What exactly does the Congress manifesto say? 

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday.

On terror emanating from Pakistan, the Congress manifesto said, "Congress will take determined steps to persuade other countries to compel Pakistan to verifiably end its support to the terrorist groups that it shelters."

It is important to note that the 2014 manifesto of Congress focused on dialogue with Islamabad depending on its action on terror infrastructure. The 2014 manifesto said Congress will "calibrate the dialogue consistent with delivery on accountability for 26/11 as well as dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism" when it comes to ties with Pakistan.

On efforts to combat the scourge, the grand old party in the 2019 manifesto said it "will persuade the United Nations to constantly review the list of terrorists and to expand the scope of sanctions."

It has also proposed to establish "effective mechanisms" with Sri Lanka and Pakistan to resolve the problems faced by fishermen.

503 Indian fishermen are in Pakistan’s custody. The Modi Government has been able to secure the release of 1725 fishermen along with 57 boats from Pakistan’s custody since 2014.

While announcing "re-doubling" of efforts for India's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, the Congress manifesto said, it "will work with SAARC &amp; ASEAN".

SAARC is on a standstill after India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives boycotted the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of the 2016 Uri terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based United Nations listed terror organisation — Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The Congress has also announced that it will establish a national council on foreign policy consisting of members of the cabinet committee on security, scholars, diplomats to advise the govt.&nbsp;

Other than this the party in the manifesto said that it will increase the size of Indian foreign service, "induct domain experts" and open more missions abroad.

There wasn't any direct mention of China in the foreign policy section of the manifesto but under the border security section, the party said, if voted to power it will accelerate the construction of border roads "especially, the India-China border."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a few weeks ago met 30 envoys of foreign countries which included G20 countries and neighbourhood (barring Pakistan) and discussed regional and global issues.

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday.

Terror emanating from Pakistan, India's bid for UNSC and NSG Membership and working with SAARC are foreign policy focus areas in the manifesto released by Indian National Congress for the 2019 General Election on Tuesday. On terror emanating from Pakistan, the Congress manifesto said, "Congress will take determined steps to persuade other countries to compel Pakistan to verifiably end its support to the terrorist groups that it shelters." It is important to note that the 2014 manifesto of Congress focused on dialogue with Islamabad depending on its action on terror infrastructure. The 2014 manifesto said Congress will "calibrate the dialogue consistent with delivery on accountability for 26/11 as well as dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism" when it comes to ties with Pakistan. On efforts to combat the scourge, the grand old party in the 2019 manifesto said it "will persuade the United Nations to constantly review the list of terrorists and to expand the scope of sanctions." It has also proposed to establish "effective mechanisms" with Sri Lanka and Pakistan to resolve the problems faced by fishermen. 503 Indian fishermen are in Pakistan’s custody. The Modi Government has been able to secure the release of 1725 fishermen along with 57 boats from Pakistan’s custody since 2014. While announcing "re-doubling" of efforts for India's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, the Congress manifesto said, it "will work with SAARC & ASEAN". SAARC is on a standstill after India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives boycotted the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in the aftermath of the 2016 Uri terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based United Nations listed terror organisation — Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Congress has also announced that it will establish a national council on foreign policy consisting of members of the cabinet committee on security, scholars, diplomats to advise the govt. Other than this the party in the manifesto said that it will increase the size of Indian foreign service, "induct domain experts" and open more missions abroad. There wasn't any direct mention of China in the foreign policy section of the manifesto but under the border security section, the party said, if voted to power it will accelerate the construction of border roads "especially, the India-China border." Congress president Rahul Gandhi had a few weeks ago met 30 envoys of foreign countries which included G20 countries and neighbourhood (barring Pakistan) and discussed regional and global issues.

Foreign policy in Congress manifesto focuses on terror emanating from Pakistan, working with SAARC

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-manifesto-some-ideas-positively-dangerous-says-bjp-207472">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous'</a>

The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India".&nbsp;

Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/avoiding-temptation-rbi-likely-to-cut-key-rate-by-just-25-basis-points-207455">Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts</a>

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-exactly-does-the-congress-manifesto-promise-207487">What exactly does the Congress manifesto say?&nbsp;</a>

The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous".&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-chief-antonio-guterres-warns-against-rising-anti-muslim-hatred-207514">UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred</a>

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-lawmakers-to-try-to-force-pm-may-to-seek-further-brexit-delay-207516">British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay</a>

A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous".

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress releases manifesto, BJP says some of its ideas 'positively dangerous' The BJP said Tuesday that some of the ideas in the Congress manifesto were "positively dangerous". The pushback — the Congress manifesto had been released earlier on Tuesday — was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the ideas were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". Jaitley was by and large referring to what the Congress manifesto has said about Kashmir. Reserve Bank of India likely to cut interest rate by 0.25%: Analysts The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, despite some analysts believing the country's weakening economic growth and subdued inflation outlook warrant a larger reduction. What exactly does the Congress manifesto say? The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, and the BJP was quick to say some of the ideas in it were "positively dangerous". Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went so far as to say some of the ideas in the manifesto were "an agenda for the Balkanisation of India". But what else does the 55-page long Congress manifesto called "Hum Nibhayenge" or "We Will Deliver" say? UN chief Antonio Guterres warns against rising anti-Muslim hatred UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against growing hatred of Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zealand killed at least 50 people. British MPs to try to force PM May to ask for another Brexit delay A group of British lawmakers said on Tuesday they would try to pass a law which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union and thus prevent a chaotic no-deal Brexit on April 12.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-facebook-removes-687-pages-accounts-linked-to-congress-it-cell-ahead-of-elections-207189">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Facebook removes 687 pages, accounts linked to Congress IT cell ahead of elections</a>

Facebook Inc said on Monday it was removing 687 pages and accounts linked to the Congress party, just days before voting begins in a general election, because of “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” on the social media platform.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-february-infrastructure-output-grows-21-per-cent-207225">India's February infrastructure output grows 2.1 per cent&nbsp;</a>

India's infrastructure output grew at 2.1 percent in February from a year earlier, government data showed on Monday.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/listing-of-masood-azhar-as-global-terrorist-china-claims-positive-progress-made-207217">Listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist: China claims 'positive progress' made</a>

China on Monday claimed that "positive progress" has been made to resolve the issue of the UN designating Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist and accused the US of scuttling the UN's efforts by taking the matter directly to the Security Council.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-to-vote-yet-again-tonight-on-various-brexit-options-207229">British MPs to vote yet again tonight on various Brexit options</a>

British MPs will try again to chart a new Brexit path on Monday after rejecting Prime Minister Theresa May's deal for a third time, but the EU warned its patience was wearing thin.

Less than two weeks before Britain risks crashing out of the European Union, MPs will hold a second round of votes on various options to try to break the political deadlock.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/money-laundering-case-robert-vadra-gets-anticipatory-bail-cant-leave-country-without-permission-207216">Money-laundering case: Robert Vadra gets anticipatory bail, cannot leave </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/money-laundering-case-robert-vadra-gets-anticipatory-bail-cant-leave-country-without-permission-207216">country</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/money-laundering-case-robert-vadra-gets-anticipatory-bail-cant-leave-country-without-permission-207216"> without permission</a>

A special CBI court here granted anticipatory bail on Monday to Robert Vadra and his close aide Manoj Arora in the money-laundering case against them.

Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar, while granting the bail to the duo, directed them to furnish personal bail bonds of Rs 5 lakh each and surety of a like amount.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Facebook removes 687 pages, accounts linked to Congress IT cell ahead of elections Facebook Inc said on Monday it was removing 687 pages and accounts linked to the Congress party, just days before voting begins in a general election, because of “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” on the social media platform.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Facebook removes 687 pages, accounts linked to Congress IT cell ahead of elections Facebook Inc said on Monday it was removing 687 pages and accounts linked to the Congress party, just days before voting begins in a general election, because of “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” on the social media platform. India's February infrastructure output grows 2.1 per cent India's infrastructure output grew at 2.1 percent in February from a year earlier, government data showed on Monday. Listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist: China claims 'positive progress' made China on Monday claimed that "positive progress" has been made to resolve the issue of the UN designating Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist and accused the US of scuttling the UN's efforts by taking the matter directly to the Security Council. British MPs to vote yet again tonight on various Brexit options British MPs will try again to chart a new Brexit path on Monday after rejecting Prime Minister Theresa May's deal for a third time, but the EU warned its patience was wearing thin. Less than two weeks before Britain risks crashing out of the European Union, MPs will hold a second round of votes on various options to try to break the political deadlock. Money-laundering case: Robert Vadra gets anticipatory bail, cannot leave country without permission A special CBI court here granted anticipatory bail on Monday to Robert Vadra and his close aide Manoj Arora in the money-laundering case against them. Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar, while granting the bail to the duo, directed them to furnish personal bail bonds of Rs 5 lakh each and surety of a like amount.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-contest-from-wayanad-in-kerala-besides-amethi-206891">Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad</a> in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections.

There was no need to attach any special importance to the Congress president contesting from the state and Gandhi was just one among the 20 candidates of the opposition UDF, who are trying their luck from Kerala, he said.

"If Gandhi's fight is against the BJP, he should have contested against the saffron party. In Kerala, the fight is between LDF and UDF in the elections," Vijayan told a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here.

He was reacting to the announcement by Congress that Gandhi would contest from the hilly Wayanad, considered a fortress of the party, in addition to the Gandhi family's pocket burrow Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh in the polls.

"The present move can only be seen as a fight against the Left. But, we have no anxiety...We are fully confident and will strive to defeat him in Wayanad," the CPI-M veteran said.

Gandhi had announced earlier he would retain Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as his constituency after elections, he said.

"So, it is like...Gandhi will continue as the MP from Amethi and in Wayand he is examining if he can defeat the Left", the Chief Minister said asking what message the Congress was conveying to the people through the move.

When asked about the proposed post-poll alliance with the Congress at the national level, Vijayan said it was a matter to be thought off after the elections.

BJP state chief P S Sreedharan Pillai said the Congress decision to field Gandhi from Wayanad showed the "decay" in the grand old party.

"After realising that he will lose from Amethi, Gandhi has decided to contest from wayand", he told reporters here.

The BJP would give a "tough fight" to the Congress candidate, he said adding Gandhi's Wayanad contest was being viewed by the party as "acceptance of defeat".

The state Congress leaders were all in a jubilant mood over the AICC chief's decision.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the party'saim was to ensure Gandhi's victory with a massive margin.

"I challenge Pinarayi Vijayan, if he can defeat Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and we accept the challenge," he told reporters at Alapuzha.

It would be a "historical win" for Gandhi in Wayanad and there would be a "Rahul wave" in the entire state, he claimed.

"A prime ministerial candidate is contesting from Kerala for the first time and this will have an impact in the entire state," he said adding the UDF would win all 20 seats.

Party's state unit President Mulapally Ramachandran said the decision to field Gandhi from Wayand would be "a happy news for secular-democratic forces" in the state.

He also remembered how former Congress presidents Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had scripted impressive victories from South India.

Congress leader M I Shanavas, who died in November last year, had won Wayanad, known for its picturesque locales and spices, in the 2009 and 2014 elections.

The LDF has decided to field CPIs P P Suneer in the constituency this time while BJP-NDA yet to announce its candidate.&nbsp;

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Sunday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad in the state — apart from Amethi in UP — could only be seen as a move to fight the Left parties and not the BJP, and asserted that the LDF would defeat him in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections. There was no need to attach any special importance to the Congress president contesting from the state and Gandhi was just one among the 20 candidates of the opposition UDF, who are trying their luck from Kerala, he said. "If Gandhi's fight is against the BJP, he should have contested against the saffron party. In Kerala, the fight is between LDF and UDF in the elections," Vijayan told a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here. He was reacting to the announcement by Congress that Gandhi would contest from the hilly Wayanad, considered a fortress of the party, in addition to the Gandhi family's pocket burrow Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh in the polls. "The present move can only be seen as a fight against the Left. But, we have no anxiety...We are fully confident and will strive to defeat him in Wayanad," the CPI-M veteran said. Gandhi had announced earlier he would retain Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as his constituency after elections, he said. "So, it is like...Gandhi will continue as the MP from Amethi and in Wayand he is examining if he can defeat the Left", the Chief Minister said asking what message the Congress was conveying to the people through the move. When asked about the proposed post-poll alliance with the Congress at the national level, Vijayan said it was a matter to be thought off after the elections. BJP state chief P S Sreedharan Pillai said the Congress decision to field Gandhi from Wayanad showed the "decay" in the grand old party. "After realising that he will lose from Amethi, Gandhi has decided to contest from wayand", he told reporters here. The BJP would give a "tough fight" to the Congress candidate, he said adding Gandhi's Wayanad contest was being viewed by the party as "acceptance of defeat". The state Congress leaders were all in a jubilant mood over the AICC chief's decision. Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the party'saim was to ensure Gandhi's victory with a massive margin. "I challenge Pinarayi Vijayan, if he can defeat Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and we accept the challenge," he told reporters at Alapuzha. It would be a "historical win" for Gandhi in Wayanad and there would be a "Rahul wave" in the entire state, he claimed. "A prime ministerial candidate is contesting from Kerala for the first time and this will have an impact in the entire state," he said adding the UDF would win all 20 seats. Party's state unit President Mulapally Ramachandran said the decision to field Gandhi from Wayand would be "a happy news for secular-democratic forces" in the state. He also remembered how former Congress presidents Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had scripted impressive victories from South India. Congress leader M I Shanavas, who died in November last year, had won Wayanad, known for its picturesque locales and spices, in the 2009 and 2014 elections. The LDF has decided to field CPIs P P Suneer in the constituency this time while BJP-NDA yet to announce its candidate.

Rahul Gandhi fighting from Wayanad means he is fighting Left, not BJP: Kerala CM Pinari Vijayan

The Election Commission of India on Friday stated that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ec-will-examine-if-pm-modis-address-to-nation-violated-model-code-of-conduct-206148">Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mission Shakti" address</a> didn't violate Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as public broadcasters were used.&nbsp;

"Committee has reached to the conclusion that MCC provision regarding misuse of official mass media as contained in Para (IV) of Part VII of MCC isn't attracted in the case," the poll body stated today.&nbsp;

The EC took the decision based on the report of a committee of officers which found that the prime minister did not violate the provision of 'party in power' in the poll code, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

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Election Commission says PM Modi's "Mission Shakti" speech didn't violate Model Code of Conduct (MCC); states, "Committee has reached to conclusion that MCC provision regarding misuse of official mass media as contained in Para (IV) of Part VII of MCC isn't attracted in the case" <a href="https://t.co/fjDZRnvsMc">pic.twitter.com/fjDZRnvsMc</a>
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Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation after the successful testing of A-SAT missile on Wednesday. After much clamour from the opposition parties, the Election Commission of India directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately and ascertain if the speech violated the Model Code of Conduct as alleged by the opposition.

India shot down one of its satellites in space on Wednesday with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The Election Commission of India on Friday stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mission Shakti" address didn't violate Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as public broadcasters were used.

The Election Commission of India on Friday stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mission Shakti" address didn't violate Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as public broadcasters were used. "Committee has reached to the conclusion that MCC provision regarding misuse of official mass media as contained in Para (IV) of Part VII of MCC isn't attracted in the case," the poll body stated today. The EC took the decision based on the report of a committee of officers which found that the prime minister did not violate the provision of 'party in power' in the poll code, news agency PTI reported. Election Commission says PM Modi's "Mission Shakti" speech didn't violate Model Code of Conduct (MCC); states, "Committee has reached to conclusion that MCC provision regarding misuse of official mass media as contained in Para (IV) of Part VII of MCC isn't attracted in the case" pic.twitter.com/fjDZRnvsMc — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2019 × Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation after the successful testing of A-SAT missile on Wednesday. After much clamour from the opposition parties, the Election Commission of India directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately and ascertain if the speech violated the Model Code of Conduct as alleged by the opposition. India shot down one of its satellites in space on Wednesday with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon. (With inputs from PTI)

PM's 'Mission Shakti' address does not violate Model Code of Conduct: Election Commission

The CPI Friday announced that it would give a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month, grant full statehood to Delhi and Puducherry and a one-time comprehensive loan waiver for farmers as part of its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

The Communist Party of India (CPI) also proposed a law for agricultural workers and a separate budget for agriculture.

The party said it would increase the number of guaranteed employment days under the MNREGA scheme to 200 days per family and ensure wage payment within the period of a guaranteed statute and at par with legal minimum wages for unskilled farm labour.

CPI leader D Raja, who released the manifesto, came down hard on the RSS-BJP and said that they, along with its other allied right-wing extremist organisations, had become "aggressive in pushing their ideology and agenda" which are "divisive, sectarian, communal and fascist."

"There is a systematic attack on our constitutional bodies and institutions... Authoritarianism and demagogy are the characteristics of Prime Minister Modi... The RSS ideology always played the politics of polarisation and alienation of the Muslims...The foreign policy of the BJP government is even a larger mess of failures... The use of armed forces for political mileage is condemnable and detrimental to the morale of the forces," he said.

It also announced that it was for the implementation of the one rank one pension to all the retired defence personnel, the universalisation of the PDS system, ensuring allocation of six per cent of GDP to health sector and the functional autonomy of the EC, CAG, RBI, CBI, CVC and other institutions of oversight.&nbsp;

The CPI Friday announced that it would give a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month, grant full statehood to Delhi and Puducherry and a one-time comprehensive loan waiver for farmers as part of its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.

The CPI Friday announced that it would give a minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month, grant full statehood to Delhi and Puducherry and a one-time comprehensive loan waiver for farmers as part of its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. The Communist Party of India (CPI) also proposed a law for agricultural workers and a separate budget for agriculture. The party said it would increase the number of guaranteed employment days under the MNREGA scheme to 200 days per family and ensure wage payment within the period of a guaranteed statute and at par with legal minimum wages for unskilled farm labour. CPI leader D Raja, who released the manifesto, came down hard on the RSS-BJP and said that they, along with its other allied right-wing extremist organisations, had become "aggressive in pushing their ideology and agenda" which are "divisive, sectarian, communal and fascist." "There is a systematic attack on our constitutional bodies and institutions... Authoritarianism and demagogy are the characteristics of Prime Minister Modi... The RSS ideology always played the politics of polarisation and alienation of the Muslims...The foreign policy of the BJP government is even a larger mess of failures... The use of armed forces for political mileage is condemnable and detrimental to the morale of the forces," he said. It also announced that it was for the implementation of the one rank one pension to all the retired defence personnel, the universalisation of the PDS system, ensuring allocation of six per cent of GDP to health sector and the functional autonomy of the EC, CAG, RBI, CBI, CVC and other institutions of oversight.

Lok Sabha polls: CPI releases manifesto, announces assured pension of Rs 9,000 per month

The Bhartiya Janta Party's national president Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday and claimed that the party will implement NRC in Bengal if voted to power.

“We give equal respect to all religions in the country. But Mamata didi gives a monthly stipend to Imams only. But the same monthly stipend is not given to the pandits. This is minority appeasement. She forcibly imposes Urdu language in schools. She alloted Rs 4,000 crore budget to Madrasa but the entire higher education budget is less than 4,000 crore depriving children of becoming engineers and doctors,” Shah said during a campaign rally in Alipurduar district of Bengal.

He added that if voted to power, the party will implement the NRC in the state. “We are going to implement the NRC in West Bengal and kick out all infiltrators. I want to assure all refugees that we will give you shelter through the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Mamata ji wants to kick out the refugees but we will not allow that,” added Shah.

The BJP national president once again raised the issue of the Rath Yatra permission being denied by the authorities and claimed that democracy does not prevail in the state.

“When we were to take out the Rath Yatra we were not given permission. Helicopter’s permission was denied to me, Rajnath Singh ji and Yogi Adityanath ji. Mamata ji doesn't allow villagers to cast their vote. I want to tell everyone that TMC's time is up and we are confident of getting 23 seats here,” he said.

The Bhartiya Janta Party's national president Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday and claimed that the party will implement NRC in Bengal if voted to power.

The Bhartiya Janta Party's national president Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday and claimed that the party will implement NRC in Bengal if voted to power. “We give equal respect to all religions in the country. But Mamata didi gives a monthly stipend to Imams only. But the same monthly stipend is not given to the pandits. This is minority appeasement. She forcibly imposes Urdu language in schools. She alloted Rs 4,000 crore budget to Madrasa but the entire higher education budget is less than 4,000 crore depriving children of becoming engineers and doctors,” Shah said during a campaign rally in Alipurduar district of Bengal. He added that if voted to power, the party will implement the NRC in the state. “We are going to implement the NRC in West Bengal and kick out all infiltrators. I want to assure all refugees that we will give you shelter through the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Mamata ji wants to kick out the refugees but we will not allow that,” added Shah. The BJP national president once again raised the issue of the Rath Yatra permission being denied by the authorities and claimed that democracy does not prevail in the state. “When we were to take out the Rath Yatra we were not given permission. Helicopter’s permission was denied to me, Rajnath Singh ji and Yogi Adityanath ji. Mamata ji doesn't allow villagers to cast their vote. I want to tell everyone that TMC's time is up and we are confident of getting 23 seats here,” he said.

Lok Sabha polls: 'TMC's time is up, will implement NRC in state if voted to power,' says Amit Shah in Bengal

The 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in Bihar on Friday announced the seats to be contested by each of the alliance partners -- the RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP -- in phases three to seven of the general elections.

Out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, polling would be held in 31 constituencies in phases three to seven between April 23 and May 19.

Announcing the seat-sharing arrangement at a press conference here, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also declared the name of his party's candidates and said that no nominee would be fielded by the alliance in Ara to help the CPI(ML) Liberation. He said the candidate for Sheohar seat "will be decided in two-three days".

Senior leaders of the Congress were conspicuous by their absence at the press conference.

Yadav also said his party would contest the Darbhanga seat, which has emerged as a bone of contention between the RJD and the Congress with the latter insisting on having the seat as it wanted to field sitting MP Kirti Azad, who had recently joined the party after quitting the BJP.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui would fight from Darbhanga.

Among the other prominent RJD candidates, Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti would contest from Pataliputra, which she had lost to her father's former loyalist-turned-BJP leader Ram

Kripal Yadav in 2014. Chandrika Rai the father of Tej Pratap Yadav's estranged wife Aishwarya, will be fight from Saran.

Tejashwi also claimed that the Congress, which was represented at the press conference by former MLC Narendra Kumar Singh, had cleared the names of some of its candidates which included sitting MP from Supaul Ranjeet Ranjan and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar who would try her luck from Sasaram.

Meira Kumar has been contesting from her Sasaram parliamentary constituency for many years but had lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in Bihar on Friday announced the seats to be contested by each of the alliance partners -- the RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP -- in phases three to seven of the general elections.

The 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in Bihar on Friday announced the seats to be contested by each of the alliance partners -- the RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP -- in phases three to seven of the general elections. Out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, polling would be held in 31 constituencies in phases three to seven between April 23 and May 19. Announcing the seat-sharing arrangement at a press conference here, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also declared the name of his party's candidates and said that no nominee would be fielded by the alliance in Ara to help the CPI(ML) Liberation. He said the candidate for Sheohar seat "will be decided in two-three days". Senior leaders of the Congress were conspicuous by their absence at the press conference. Yadav also said his party would contest the Darbhanga seat, which has emerged as a bone of contention between the RJD and the Congress with the latter insisting on having the seat as it wanted to field sitting MP Kirti Azad, who had recently joined the party after quitting the BJP. Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui would fight from Darbhanga. Among the other prominent RJD candidates, Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti would contest from Pataliputra, which she had lost to her father's former loyalist-turned-BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav in 2014. Chandrika Rai the father of Tej Pratap Yadav's estranged wife Aishwarya, will be fight from Saran. Tejashwi also claimed that the Congress, which was represented at the press conference by former MLC Narendra Kumar Singh, had cleared the names of some of its candidates which included sitting MP from Supaul Ranjeet Ranjan and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar who would try her luck from Sasaram. Meira Kumar has been contesting from her Sasaram parliamentary constituency for many years but had lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

'Mahagathbandhan' in Bihar allocates seats for alliance partners for Lok Sabha poll phases 3 to 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government had taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' in space and asked people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions and not just raise slogans.

Launching his campaign in eastern India with a rally in Jeypore area of Odisha's Koraput district, the prime minister said the NDA government wouldn't have been able to do any development work in the country without the support of the people.

He sought blessings from his supporters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and asserted that the NDA government has left no stone unturned to bring about development in the state.

"The NDA government has been working hard to develop road and rail infrastructure in the state. There is no dearth of funds when it comes to development work in the country.

"In the last five years, the government has been able to build homes for eight lakh families, light up 3,000 houses and provide gas connections to 40 lakh homes," Modi stated.

Referring to Mission Shakti, when India demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, he said the government has taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' (watchman ) in space.

He came down heavily on opposition parties who he said "belittled" the space achievement.

"Those that are criticising the anti-satellite technology will be given a befitting reply in the elections," he claimed, urging people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions, not the one that only raises slogans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government had taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' in space and asked people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions and not just raise slogans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government had taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' in space and asked people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions and not just raise slogans. Launching his campaign in eastern India with a rally in Jeypore area of Odisha's Koraput district, the prime minister said the NDA government wouldn't have been able to do any development work in the country without the support of the people. He sought blessings from his supporters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and asserted that the NDA government has left no stone unturned to bring about development in the state. "The NDA government has been working hard to develop road and rail infrastructure in the state. There is no dearth of funds when it comes to development work in the country. "In the last five years, the government has been able to build homes for eight lakh families, light up 3,000 houses and provide gas connections to 40 lakh homes," Modi stated. Referring to Mission Shakti, when India demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, he said the government has taken measures to set up a 'chowkidar' (watchman ) in space. He came down heavily on opposition parties who he said "belittled" the space achievement. "Those that are criticising the anti-satellite technology will be given a befitting reply in the elections," he claimed, urging people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions, not the one that only raises slogans.

Government has taken measures to set up 'chowkidar' in space: Modi in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on another one of his campaign blitzkriegs today. He is currently speaking in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, after which he will take in two more states — Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir — on Thursday itself.&nbsp;

"Five years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love," Modi said in Meerut.&nbsp;

"I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done," he added.&nbsp;

Modi then said that he would give his "hisab", but added that he would also ask others for theirs.&nbsp;

"Apna hisab doonga, saath saath doosra ka hisab bhi lunga. Ye dono kaam saath saath chalne waale hain. Tabhi to hoga hisab barabar (I will give my account, but will also ask others for theirs. Both will be done together. Only then will accounts be settled)," he said.&nbsp;

"Aur aap to jaante hain main chowkidaar hu. Aur chowkidaar kabhi nainsaafi nahi karta hai (You know that I am Chowkidar. And Chowkidar will never do injustice)," he said&nbsp;

"Hisab hoga, sabka hoga, aur baari baari se hoga (The accounts will be settled, one by one)," he added.&nbsp;

Modi also made mention of Mission Shakti, in which India shot down a satellite in space on Wednesday.&nbsp;

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PM Narendra Modi at a public rally in Meerut: Zameen ho, aasmaan ho, ya fir antriksh, surgical strike ka saahas aapke isi chowkidaar ki sarkaar ne dikhaya pic.twitter.com/W2TK0Q7OvG
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"Whether on the ground, the sky, or space, only Chowkidar has the courage to conduct a surgical strike," he said.&nbsp;

Modi will next speak in Rudrapur.&nbsp;

India will go to the polls on April 11 next month. Voting will be carried out over seven phases and will continue up to May 19.&nbsp;

The results will be out on May 23.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on another one of his campaign blitzkriegs today. He is currently speaking in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, after which he will take in two more states — Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir — on Thursday itself.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on another one of his campaign blitzkriegs today. He is currently speaking in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, after which he will take in two more states — Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir — on Thursday itself. "Five years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love," Modi said in Meerut. "I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done," he added. Modi then said that he would give his "hisab", but added that he would also ask others for theirs. "Apna hisab doonga, saath saath doosra ka hisab bhi lunga. Ye dono kaam saath saath chalne waale hain. Tabhi to hoga hisab barabar (I will give my account, but will also ask others for theirs. Both will be done together. Only then will accounts be settled)," he said. "Aur aap to jaante hain main chowkidaar hu. Aur chowkidaar kabhi nainsaafi nahi karta hai (You know that I am Chowkidar. And Chowkidar will never do injustice)," he said "Hisab hoga, sabka hoga, aur baari baari se hoga (The accounts will be settled, one by one)," he added. Modi also made mention of Mission Shakti, in which India shot down a satellite in space on Wednesday. PM Narendra Modi at a public rally in Meerut: Zameen ho, aasmaan ho, ya fir antriksh, surgical strike ka saahas aapke isi chowkidaar ki sarkaar ne dikhaya pic.twitter.com/W2TK0Q7OvG — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019 × "Whether on the ground, the sky, or space, only Chowkidar has the courage to conduct a surgical strike," he said. Modi will next speak in Rudrapur. India will go to the polls on April 11 next month. Voting will be carried out over seven phases and will continue up to May 19. The results will be out on May 23.

Will give account of last 5 years, but will also ask others for theirs: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019.

The party has set a target of at least 23 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the top leadership is leaving no stone unturned to boost the morale of the state unit and reach out to the masses.

According to the BJP's state unit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in the state on April 3. He will hold two public rallies on the day. The first rally will be held in North Bengal's Siliguri — part of the Darjeeling constituency — at 1pm and later hold another public meeting in Kolkata at the Brigade Parade Grounds at 3pm.

Brigade Parade Grounds is a significant venue for this is where Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held her first Mahagathbandhan meeting on January 19 early this year.

BJP president Amit Shah will hold two public meetings on March 30 ahead of the first phase of elections.

Shah's first meeting will be held at Cooch Behar and the second at Raigunj in North Dinajpur – both North Bengal districts.

He will return to Bengal again for a second time on April 2 and hold a public meeting at Jalpaiguri.

Sources in the state unit say the party is also trying to rope in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019. The party has set a target of at least 23 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the top leadership is leaving no stone unturned to boost the morale of the state unit and reach out to the masses. According to the BJP's state unit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in the state on April 3. He will hold two public rallies on the day. The first rally will be held in North Bengal's Siliguri — part of the Darjeeling constituency — at 1pm and later hold another public meeting in Kolkata at the Brigade Parade Grounds at 3pm. Brigade Parade Grounds is a significant venue for this is where Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held her first Mahagathbandhan meeting on January 19 early this year. BJP president Amit Shah will hold two public meetings on March 30 ahead of the first phase of elections. Shah's first meeting will be held at Cooch Behar and the second at Raigunj in North Dinajpur – both North Bengal districts. He will return to Bengal again for a second time on April 2 and hold a public meeting at Jalpaiguri. Sources in the state unit say the party is also trying to rope in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Modi, Amit Shah to kick-start BJP campaign in Bengal