In this segment , we brings to you latest updates related to Lok Sabha Election 2019. Watch full video to know more. #VotingRound2, #GeneralElection2019, #LokSabhaElection2019

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Akhilesh Yadav to file nomination from Azamgarh

Due to the “law and order situation,”The Election Commission on Tuesday deferred polling in the Tripura East parliamentary constituency from April 18 to 23.#VotingRound2, #IndiaVotes, #LokSabhaPolls

Polls in Tripura East deferrd to April 23

In this segment of WION, we bring to you the polling percentage as of 9 AM and other updates on the 2nd phase of polling in the 2019 General election. Watch full video to know more.#VotingRound2, #IndiaVotes, #LokSabhaPolls

General election 2019: 9.51 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9 am in Assam

Here's a look at key electoral battles in phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls.

Key electoral battles in phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls

Tamil Nadu: Congress leader P Chidambaram casts his vote at a polling station in Karaikudi, Sivaganga. Also know which states goes to polls to day.#LokSabhaElections2019, #IndiaVotes, #Election2019

2nd Phase of voting in India's General elections today

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-phase-2-voting-on-april-18-211287">Lok Sabha polls 2019 live: EVM glitches delay voting in Tamil Nadu, 61% turnout recorded till 6 pm</a>

West Bengal went to polls braving violence.

Isolated incidents of violence, road blockades, bombings and police firing marred the second phase of polling at a few place in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal with 76 per cent of voter turnout till 6pm on Thursday, officials said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-of-india-suspends-loc-trade-with-pakistan-says-route-being-misused-211563">Government of India suspends LoC trade with Pakistan, says route being misused</a>

In a blow to Pakistan, India on Thursday called off trade between J&amp;K and POK(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) along the line of control(LoC).

The ministry of home affairs letter, procured by WION and dated April 18, 2019, said the trade is being misused by the Pakistan-based elements for funnelling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency and called for a "stricter regulatory regime".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/another-bangladeshi-actor-asked-to-leave-india-for-participating-in-political-rally-in-west-bengal-mha-211516">Another Bangladeshi actor asked to leave India for participating in political rally in West Bengal: MHA</a>

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked another Bangladeshi actor Ghazi Abdul Noor to leave India immediately for taking part in a political rally in West Bengal, news agencies reported on Thursday.&nbsp;

As per reports, Noor attended a political rally in Dumdum, West Bengal. His visa had also expired.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/local-insurgent-group-claims-responsibility-for-balochistan-bus-attack-211475">Local insurgent group claims responsibility for Balochistan bus attack</a>

A Baluch insurgent group on Thursday claimed responsibility for killing 14 people in southwest Pakistan, it said in a statement emailed to reporters and newspaper offices.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-to-meet-putin-in-russia-in-late-april-211539">North Korea's Kim to meet Putin in Russia in late April</a>

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in late April for his first meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Moscow said Thursday.

"Following an invitation from Vladimir Putin... Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in the second half of April," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Lok Sabha polls 2019 live: EVM glitches delay voting in Tamil Nadu, 61% turnout recorded till 6 pm West Bengal went to polls braving violence. Isolated incidents of violence, road blockades, bombings and police firing marred the second phase of polling at a few place in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal with 76 per cent of voter turnout till 6pm on Thursday, officials said.

Lok Sabha polls 2019 live: EVM glitches delay voting in Tamil Nadu, 61% turnout recorded till 6 pm West Bengal went to polls braving violence. Isolated incidents of violence, road blockades, bombings and police firing marred the second phase of polling at a few place in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal with 76 per cent of voter turnout till 6pm on Thursday, officials said. Government of India suspends LoC trade with Pakistan, says route being misused In a blow to Pakistan, India on Thursday called off trade between J&K and POK(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) along the line of control(LoC). The ministry of home affairs letter, procured by WION and dated April 18, 2019, said the trade is being misused by the Pakistan-based elements for funnelling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency and called for a "stricter regulatory regime". Another Bangladeshi actor asked to leave India for participating in political rally in West Bengal: MHA The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked another Bangladeshi actor Ghazi Abdul Noor to leave India immediately for taking part in a political rally in West Bengal, news agencies reported on Thursday. As per reports, Noor attended a political rally in Dumdum, West Bengal. His visa had also expired. Local insurgent group claims responsibility for Balochistan bus attack A Baluch insurgent group on Thursday claimed responsibility for killing 14 people in southwest Pakistan, it said in a statement emailed to reporters and newspaper offices. North Korea's Kim to meet Putin in Russia in late April North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in late April for his first meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Moscow said Thursday. "Following an invitation from Vladimir Putin... Kim Jong Un will visit Russia in the second half of April," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Lok Sabha alliance between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress party in Delhi has been called off, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told media on Wednesday.&nbsp;

As per reports, the alliance has been called-off following a disagreement over tie-up in Haryana and Delhi, news agency PTI reported quoting Singh.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-u-turn-tweet-suggests-youre-not-interested-in-alliance-kejriwal-slams-rahul-gandhi-210728">Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi</a> have lately been in a flip-flop over the much-anticipated alliance in Delhi for Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

The Congress Tuesday asserted that it has shown a "big heart" by agreeing to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and said the ball is now in the court of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to take a decision.

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Sanjay Singh, AAP: In order to stop BJP we were ready for an alliance with Congress, but Congress is not in a mood for any coalition. It is a matter of sadness, that even after so many efforts, Congress is not ready for any kind of compromise. <a href="https://t.co/UbaxqsbW6K">pic.twitter.com/UbaxqsbW6K</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1118510045078130690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal indulged in a public spat over the issue, the grand old party said it has already offered AAP four seats in the national capital and now the decision has to be taken by it.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday reacted over Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's remark wherein he accuses Kejriwal of taking a U-turns on an alliance in Delhi.

"What U-turn?" tweets Kejriwal adding that talks are still going on.&nbsp;

"Your tweet exhibits that you are not interested in an alliance, I am sad that you are indulging in just giving out statements," Kejriwal's tweet read.&nbsp;

Kejriwal went on to say that the country needs to be saved from "Modi ji and Amit Shah ji" and unfortunately, "the Congress is just helping the BJP by distributing anti-Modi votes in UP and other states too".

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi tweeted out saying that although he is ready for an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party and can give 4 Lok Sabha seats for the party, "Mr Kejriwal has done another U turn!"&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Lok Sabha alliance between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress party in Delhi has been called off, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told media on Wednesday. As per reports, the alliance has been called-off following a disagreement over tie-up in Haryana and Delhi, news agency PTI reported quoting Singh.

The Lok Sabha alliance between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress party in Delhi has been called off, AAP leader Sanjay Singh told media on Wednesday. As per reports, the alliance has been called-off following a disagreement over tie-up in Haryana and Delhi, news agency PTI reported quoting Singh. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi have lately been in a flip-flop over the much-anticipated alliance in Delhi for Lok Sabha polls. The Congress Tuesday asserted that it has shown a "big heart" by agreeing to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and said the ball is now in the court of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to take a decision. Sanjay Singh, AAP: In order to stop BJP we were ready for an alliance with Congress, but Congress is not in a mood for any coalition. It is a matter of sadness, that even after so many efforts, Congress is not ready for any kind of compromise. pic.twitter.com/UbaxqsbW6K — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2019 × A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal indulged in a public spat over the issue, the grand old party said it has already offered AAP four seats in the national capital and now the decision has to be taken by it. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday reacted over Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's remark wherein he accuses Kejriwal of taking a U-turns on an alliance in Delhi. "What U-turn?" tweets Kejriwal adding that talks are still going on. "Your tweet exhibits that you are not interested in an alliance, I am sad that you are indulging in just giving out statements," Kejriwal's tweet read. Kejriwal went on to say that the country needs to be saved from "Modi ji and Amit Shah ji" and unfortunately, "the Congress is just helping the BJP by distributing anti-Modi votes in UP and other states too". Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi tweeted out saying that although he is ready for an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party and can give 4 Lok Sabha seats for the party, "Mr Kejriwal has done another U turn!" (With inputs from agencies)

Alliance with Congress in Delhi has been called off: AAP leader Sanjay Singh

Watch this segment of India Election Watch for latest updates of India Election as on 15th April, 2019.

India Election Watch; 15th April 2019

The <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-committed-to-passing-the-triple-talaq-citizenship-amendment-bill-pm-modi-209616&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiNufiBh8_hAhWLu48KHT62C-EQFggLMAI&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PAZdKqGSXKz6VfZlj_u_L">Triple Talaq Bill</a> has been a major poll plank of the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaitley-criticises-cong-for-promising-to-withdraw-triple-talaq-bill-196044&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjW9eebh8_hAhUI448KHaCQBCIQFggRMAQ&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0C8jSa6Y1ZqyiQKByZPJFk">BJP</a>, with the party trying its best to woo a section of minorities with the legislation, even as those who had led the crusade against the practice continue to fight for their survival.

In its recently released manifesto for Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party, which failed to legislate the bill in Parliament due to stiff resistance by the opposition, has pledged to eliminate the practices of instant talaq and nikah halala if re-elected to power.

Vijaya Rahatkar, the national president of the party's Mahila Morcha, said the efforts of the Narendra Modi government to pass the Triple Talaq Bill "will surely yield positive results for the BJP" in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Ironically, anti-triple talaq champions - Ishrat Jahan, Shayara Bano and Atiya Sabri - who had moved the Supreme Court to seek an end to the practice of instant divorce continue to live in abject poverty, with little or no means of income.

The court, in a landmark judgment in 2017, held the practice "void" and "unconstitutional".

Divorced in April 2015, Ishrat Jahan lives with her two children in neighbouring Howrah district.

"I am struggling to make both ends meet. I don't have money to send my children to school. As of now, I depend on my relatives for financial assistance," she told PTI.

Jahan had joined the BJP in 2018 and was initially expected to be one of the major minority faces of the party in Bengal. It was also speculated that she would figure in BJP's list of Lok Sabha candidates in the state.

"Things appear to have changed. I am not in touch with the party any more. At times I visit party meetings, but that's about it," she said when asked if the BJP leaders inquire about her.

The story is no different for Shayara Bano and Atiya Sabri, who live under stressful financial conditions with no help from their divorced husbands.

"She doesn't have any income of her own ... We try to help her in whatever way we can," Bano's brother Arshad told PTI from Uttar Pradesh.

Sabri's brother Rizwan, who is a resident of Uttarakhand, said the family wants the court matter to be disposed of soon.&nbsp;

He appealed to both the state and central governments to look into the early disposal of the case.

"My sister stays with me. She is part of my family. We don't want any financial help, we just want this matter to end soon," Rizwan said.

Two other petitioners, Afreen Rahman and Gulshan Parween, could not be contacted.

Rahatkar, when apprised of the condition of the three women, said she had met Jahan and assured her of financial assistance.

"We should always stand by those women who have suffered but not given up. I spoke to Ishrat and told her that we will provide assistance if she needed to send her children to school. We are also willing to give her loan under the government's Mudra scheme to help her start a business," Rahatkar told PTI.

Arguing that the triple Talaq Bill does not empower women, Sushmita, the president of All India Mahila Congress, said, "criminalizing the practice isn't the solution".

"How does it (bill) help a Muslim woman? Punishing the husband does not guarantee financial support for the woman. If you talk about empowering a woman, you have to find her suitable means of income," Dev said.

Uzma Alam, the convenor of Bengal unit of the women's cell of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said, "no one but Jahan was responsible for her precarious condition".

"When she had issues with her husband and was given the talaq, I told her that we would help her in finding a job and make arrangements for her remarriage. But she had other things in her mind so she can't blame anybody for her condition now," she added.

The Triple Talaq Bill has been a major poll plank of the BJP, with the party trying its best to woo a section of minorities with the legislation, even as those who had led the crusade against the practice continue to fight for their survival.

The Triple Talaq Bill has been a major poll plank of the BJP, with the party trying its best to woo a section of minorities with the legislation, even as those who had led the crusade against the practice continue to fight for their survival. In its recently released manifesto for Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party, which failed to legislate the bill in Parliament due to stiff resistance by the opposition, has pledged to eliminate the practices of instant talaq and nikah halala if re-elected to power. Vijaya Rahatkar, the national president of the party's Mahila Morcha, said the efforts of the Narendra Modi government to pass the Triple Talaq Bill "will surely yield positive results for the BJP" in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Ironically, anti-triple talaq champions - Ishrat Jahan, Shayara Bano and Atiya Sabri - who had moved the Supreme Court to seek an end to the practice of instant divorce continue to live in abject poverty, with little or no means of income. The court, in a landmark judgment in 2017, held the practice "void" and "unconstitutional". Divorced in April 2015, Ishrat Jahan lives with her two children in neighbouring Howrah district. "I am struggling to make both ends meet. I don't have money to send my children to school. As of now, I depend on my relatives for financial assistance," she told PTI. Jahan had joined the BJP in 2018 and was initially expected to be one of the major minority faces of the party in Bengal. It was also speculated that she would figure in BJP's list of Lok Sabha candidates in the state. "Things appear to have changed. I am not in touch with the party any more. At times I visit party meetings, but that's about it," she said when asked if the BJP leaders inquire about her. The story is no different for Shayara Bano and Atiya Sabri, who live under stressful financial conditions with no help from their divorced husbands. "She doesn't have any income of her own ... We try to help her in whatever way we can," Bano's brother Arshad told PTI from Uttar Pradesh. Sabri's brother Rizwan, who is a resident of Uttarakhand, said the family wants the court matter to be disposed of soon. He appealed to both the state and central governments to look into the early disposal of the case. "My sister stays with me. She is part of my family. We don't want any financial help, we just want this matter to end soon," Rizwan said. Two other petitioners, Afreen Rahman and Gulshan Parween, could not be contacted. Rahatkar, when apprised of the condition of the three women, said she had met Jahan and assured her of financial assistance. "We should always stand by those women who have suffered but not given up. I spoke to Ishrat and told her that we will provide assistance if she needed to send her children to school. We are also willing to give her loan under the government's Mudra scheme to help her start a business," Rahatkar told PTI. Arguing that the triple Talaq Bill does not empower women, Sushmita, the president of All India Mahila Congress, said, "criminalizing the practice isn't the solution". "How does it (bill) help a Muslim woman? Punishing the husband does not guarantee financial support for the woman. If you talk about empowering a woman, you have to find her suitable means of income," Dev said. Uzma Alam, the convenor of Bengal unit of the women's cell of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said, "no one but Jahan was responsible for her precarious condition". "When she had issues with her husband and was given the talaq, I told her that we would help her in finding a job and make arrangements for her remarriage. But she had other things in her mind so she can't blame anybody for her condition now," she added.

Triple talaq crusaders continue to fight for survival

Good works of mine and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre will help me win this Lok Sabha election again, said actor-turned-politician Hema Malini on Saturday.

"I am very confident of my win because I have done good works. My government has also done good work. So I am sure people will support us," said Malini in an exclusive interview to ANI.

She also expressed confidence that the next government at the Centre will again be formed by the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

"The whole system is changing. People want development. They want quick decisions to be taken for whatever is happening in the country. People belonging to different castes -- all want PM Modi," she said.

In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Malini, who is also popular among masses as 'Basanti'&nbsp;for her stellar role in blockbuster 'Sholay,'&nbsp;had defeated the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary by a margin of over three lakh votes.

When asked if SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate Narendra Singh will queer the pitch for her this time by eating into Jat votes, she said, "I am sure that he will get some votes. But I will get much more votes than him because I have worked for everybody irrespective of his caste. For me, all the people are Brijwasis."

Talking about Union Minister Maneka Gandhi's controversial speech at Sultanpur, she said, "On the issue of Triple Talaq, many minority community women support us. Even if they do not, you have to help everybody. It does not matter who voted for us and who did not. This kind of feeling does not come to me."

Union Minister Gandhi on Friday, while addressing an election rally at Turab Khani village in Sultanpur from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha poll this time, told Muslims that she was all set to win and that they should vote for her as they would need her help in future.

"I am winning...But if my victory is without support from Muslims, I will not feel that good. Then when a Muslim comes to me for work, I think let it be. How does it matter," Union Minister Gandhi had said.

When asked if being an actor has helped her in politics, said, "People are able to recognise me. They at least listen to me. Other leaders have to work hard to reach out to the people."

In response to the way she was trolled on social media for reaping the wheat crop during her campaign in a village in Mathura, Hema Malini said, "I felt like doing that and I do not think that there was any problem."

"I go to the field. I work for my farmers in Mathura and help them so much. I have a right to enter the field. I had gone there just to take a picture. It was a pleasure to have the picture," she said.

Talking about the works done for her constituency in the past five years, Hema Malini said, "I have provided water, electricity facility to all areas in the constituency. I have also got a passport office open in Mathura. Earlier the people had to go to Aligarh or other towns for making passports. Roads have been widened. Connectivity has improved a lot," she said.

Election to Mathura Lok Sabha constituency is slated to be held in the second phase of seven-phased General Elections on April 18. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

Good works of mine and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre will help me win this Lok Sabha election again, said actor-turned-politician Hema Malini on Saturday.

Good works of mine and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre will help me win this Lok Sabha election again, said actor-turned-politician Hema Malini on Saturday. "I am very confident of my win because I have done good works. My government has also done good work. So I am sure people will support us," said Malini in an exclusive interview to ANI. She also expressed confidence that the next government at the Centre will again be formed by the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. "The whole system is changing. People want development. They want quick decisions to be taken for whatever is happening in the country. People belonging to different castes -- all want PM Modi," she said. In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Malini, who is also popular among masses as 'Basanti' for her stellar role in blockbuster 'Sholay,' had defeated the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary by a margin of over three lakh votes. When asked if SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate Narendra Singh will queer the pitch for her this time by eating into Jat votes, she said, "I am sure that he will get some votes. But I will get much more votes than him because I have worked for everybody irrespective of his caste. For me, all the people are Brijwasis." Talking about Union Minister Maneka Gandhi's controversial speech at Sultanpur, she said, "On the issue of Triple Talaq, many minority community women support us. Even if they do not, you have to help everybody. It does not matter who voted for us and who did not. This kind of feeling does not come to me." Union Minister Gandhi on Friday, while addressing an election rally at Turab Khani village in Sultanpur from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha poll this time, told Muslims that she was all set to win and that they should vote for her as they would need her help in future. "I am winning...But if my victory is without support from Muslims, I will not feel that good. Then when a Muslim comes to me for work, I think let it be. How does it matter," Union Minister Gandhi had said. When asked if being an actor has helped her in politics, said, "People are able to recognise me. They at least listen to me. Other leaders have to work hard to reach out to the people." In response to the way she was trolled on social media for reaping the wheat crop during her campaign in a village in Mathura, Hema Malini said, "I felt like doing that and I do not think that there was any problem." "I go to the field. I work for my farmers in Mathura and help them so much. I have a right to enter the field. I had gone there just to take a picture. It was a pleasure to have the picture," she said. Talking about the works done for her constituency in the past five years, Hema Malini said, "I have provided water, electricity facility to all areas in the constituency. I have also got a passport office open in Mathura. Earlier the people had to go to Aligarh or other towns for making passports. Roads have been widened. Connectivity has improved a lot," she said. Election to Mathura Lok Sabha constituency is slated to be held in the second phase of seven-phased General Elections on April 18. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Good works of mine, PM Modi will help me win Lok Sabha polls again, says Hema Malini

Naxals triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Maharashtra's Gadchroli district Thursday while voting was underway, police said.

The IED (improvised explosive device) blast took place around 10.30 am in Waghezari area, around 150 metres from the polling booth where people were standing in queues to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha election, an official said.

Live Lok Sabha polls 2019:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-lok-sabha-polls-2019-voting-underway-in-91-seats-in-first-phase-209404"> Naxals trigger IED blast near polling booth in Maharashtra; no injuries reported</a>

No casualty was reported in the incident, he said.

On Wednesday, Naxals denoted an IED at Gatta Jambia village in Etapalli tehsil of the district when a polling party was moving towards polling stations under the protection of a police party and CRPF personnel.

A CRPF jawan was injured in the incident.

The official said Naxals were trying to disrupt the poll process and create panic among villagers, who came out in large numbers to vote on Thursday.

Gadchiroli is among the seven seats where polling is underway during the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.&nbsp;

Naxals triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Maharashtra's Gadchroli district Thursday while voting was underway, police said. The IED (improvised explosive device) blast took place around 10.

Naxals triggered an IED blast near a polling booth in Maharashtra's Gadchroli district Thursday while voting was underway, police said. The IED (improvised explosive device) blast took place around 10.30 am in Waghezari area, around 150 metres from the polling booth where people were standing in queues to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha election, an official said. Live Lok Sabha polls 2019: Naxals trigger IED blast near polling booth in Maharashtra; no injuries reported No casualty was reported in the incident, he said. On Wednesday, Naxals denoted an IED at Gatta Jambia village in Etapalli tehsil of the district when a polling party was moving towards polling stations under the protection of a police party and CRPF personnel. A CRPF jawan was injured in the incident. The official said Naxals were trying to disrupt the poll process and create panic among villagers, who came out in large numbers to vote on Thursday. Gadchiroli is among the seven seats where polling is underway during the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Naxals trigger IED blast near polling booth in Maharashtra

Rally roster for top leaders for April 10, 2019. Watch more to know.

India Election Watch: Rally roster for top leaders for April 10, 2019

Electing a government to govern the nation/states for the next five years by casting vote in a polling booth is an onerous responsibility on shoulders of every voter in a democratic country. Unfortunately, even after seven decades of independence and numerous elections held in the country so far, in spite of extensive appeals by the Election Commission, &nbsp;government and other celebrities, a large number of voters still perceive, voting is an optional luxury enjoying low priority.

Enormous expenses out of taxpayer's revenue, precious time of serving government officials and the quantum of influence that every election result wreaks on everyone's life and future, are almost obscure to them. Electing a government is a democratic activity of utmost significance and voters' indifference to casting vote is a profligacy nation can no more afford.

Owing to burgeoning complexity of governance, high aspiration of the masses, technological advances, intense international pulls and pressures, country's diplomatic status in comity of nations with respect to treaties and agreements, transformation of social values, frequent natural calamities, low intensity wars etc, have rendered it all the more essential rather inevitable for every voter to unhesitatingly exercise his/her right to vote to elect a responsible, accountable and determined government to steer the country forward amidst turbulence of all sorts. Any negligence or indifference towards elections in view of these developments within and outside the country would now amount to an offence against the nation.&nbsp;

The idea of making voting compulsory by law has arrived as an idea of national importance. All eligible voters holding valid voter cards must cast their votes compulsorily. In case of those who are unable to visit polling booth for any inevitable reason whatsoever, may be allowed to cast their votes digitally.

Yes, provisions for digital voting must be raised as quite a significant number of voters may not be available on the appointed day of polling at their designated addresses. A national English newspaper had conducted a campaign too, in this regard and response appeared to be fairly positive. A certain penalty may be imposed on those who refuse or fail to cast their votes and the amount may be automatically deducted from their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts invoking Direct Benefit Transfer channels.

After the idea of compulsory voting is successfully implanted, popular opinion must address the menace of legislators qualifying to enter the House with less than 50% of votes polled in a constituency. The root-cause of the menace is hidden in the multiplicity of political parties and a few bogus/non-entities contesting elections, who may well be dubbed mischief-mongers.

History is witness to one common man, J Dharatipakada, who used to contest every Presidential election, forcing full scale polling when opponent happened to be a unanimous candidate who had the support of all recognised political parties. That compelled the government to enforce 'Terms &amp; Conditions' for Presidential contestants. This example may be enlarged to include as many levels of elections as possible. Multiple regional parties came into being as a direct reward of Constitutional high-handedness of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who never cared a damn to regional aspirations or accorded even minimum courtesies to state leaders.

The examples of T Anjaiah from Andhra Pradesh and HN Bahuguna from Uttar Pradesh are too well known to be described. It was Anjaiah's humiliation that prodded NT Rama Rao to float his Telugu Desam Party to reclaim the honour of 'Telugu Bidda'.

As the Indian National Congress vehemently pursued 'Divide, Rule And Destroy Policy' bequeathed by British colonials stoking regionalism all over leading to almost every other state having their own regional political party.

Whenever these 'pocket' versions of parties entered into ramshackle political alliances to claim power at the Centre, they led to 'waiting-room' Prime Ministers with resignation letters in their front pockets and regional satraps demanding their share of flesh, much to the detriment of national interest.

The political scenario has started gradually drifting towards equipoise concurrently with expansion of an all-inclusive BJP across length and breadth of the country. The BJP has been acting as a pain-balm on bruised regional aspirations, self-respect and egos too. I am quite optimistic, in years to come, unfortunate development of narrow-minded regional parties shall be relegated into oblivion and nation shall evolve into a matured democracy with two or three strong nationalistic political parties. &nbsp;

The next issue to be addressed is the weird phenomenon of NOTA. Dr Subramanian Swamy had dubbed it a Naxalite provision with the sole intention to destroy elections and bring in anarchy. The RSS chief too had spoken strongly against NOTA in one of his widely attended and circulated evocations held at Vijnana Bhavan. In the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, RSS has decided to embark on door-to-door campaign against NOTA. It is a debilitating feature in our election process that allows even criminals to enter legislatures and it must be abolished by law.&nbsp;

The country is not a stranger to the doctrine of compulsory voting. Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2009, introduced an 'Obligation To Vote' at the municipal and panchayat levels in the state. The Act empowered an election officer to serve notice to a voter on the ground of failure to vote. Such a voter is called upon to submit credible reason(s) within a period of one month failing which the voter would be liable to be declared a "defaulter".

A defaulter-voter enjoys the privilege of challenging the order before a designated appellate officer whose decision shall be final and mandatory. The Act allows exemptions for individuals from voting if incapable due to illness, absence from the state of Gujarat on the day of polling or for other reasons laid down in Rules. Outside India, several countries have introduced compulsory voting for their citizens viz Australia (beginning with Queensland in 1915), Belgium in 1894, Brazil, Ecuador in 1936, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Korea (only one candidate appears on the ballot), Nauru in 1965, Peru in 1933, Singapore, Uruguay in 1934, Switzerland in 1974 and Slovakia.&nbsp;

It is for certain, if casting vote is not rendered mandatory by law, sooner than later shall we be compelled to comb for remaining traces of democracy in our country.

(This article was originally published on The ZeeNews. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/it-is-time-for-india-to-make-voting-compulsory-2193921.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) &nbsp;

Electing a government to govern the nation/states for the next five years by casting vote in a polling booth is an onerous responsibility on shoulders of every voter in a democratic country.

Electing a government to govern the nation/states for the next five years by casting vote in a polling booth is an onerous responsibility on shoulders of every voter in a democratic country. Unfortunately, even after seven decades of independence and numerous elections held in the country so far, in spite of extensive appeals by the Election Commission, government and other celebrities, a large number of voters still perceive, voting is an optional luxury enjoying low priority. Enormous expenses out of taxpayer's revenue, precious time of serving government officials and the quantum of influence that every election result wreaks on everyone's life and future, are almost obscure to them. Electing a government is a democratic activity of utmost significance and voters' indifference to casting vote is a profligacy nation can no more afford. Owing to burgeoning complexity of governance, high aspiration of the masses, technological advances, intense international pulls and pressures, country's diplomatic status in comity of nations with respect to treaties and agreements, transformation of social values, frequent natural calamities, low intensity wars etc, have rendered it all the more essential rather inevitable for every voter to unhesitatingly exercise his/her right to vote to elect a responsible, accountable and determined government to steer the country forward amidst turbulence of all sorts. Any negligence or indifference towards elections in view of these developments within and outside the country would now amount to an offence against the nation. The idea of making voting compulsory by law has arrived as an idea of national importance. All eligible voters holding valid voter cards must cast their votes compulsorily. In case of those who are unable to visit polling booth for any inevitable reason whatsoever, may be allowed to cast their votes digitally. Yes, provisions for digital voting must be raised as quite a significant number of voters may not be available on the appointed day of polling at their designated addresses. A national English newspaper had conducted a campaign too, in this regard and response appeared to be fairly positive. A certain penalty may be imposed on those who refuse or fail to cast their votes and the amount may be automatically deducted from their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts invoking Direct Benefit Transfer channels. After the idea of compulsory voting is successfully implanted, popular opinion must address the menace of legislators qualifying to enter the House with less than 50% of votes polled in a constituency. The root-cause of the menace is hidden in the multiplicity of political parties and a few bogus/non-entities contesting elections, who may well be dubbed mischief-mongers. History is witness to one common man, J Dharatipakada, who used to contest every Presidential election, forcing full scale polling when opponent happened to be a unanimous candidate who had the support of all recognised political parties. That compelled the government to enforce 'Terms & Conditions' for Presidential contestants. This example may be enlarged to include as many levels of elections as possible. Multiple regional parties came into being as a direct reward of Constitutional high-handedness of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who never cared a damn to regional aspirations or accorded even minimum courtesies to state leaders. The examples of T Anjaiah from Andhra Pradesh and HN Bahuguna from Uttar Pradesh are too well known to be described. It was Anjaiah's humiliation that prodded NT Rama Rao to float his Telugu Desam Party to reclaim the honour of 'Telugu Bidda'. As the Indian National Congress vehemently pursued 'Divide, Rule And Destroy Policy' bequeathed by British colonials stoking regionalism all over leading to almost every other state having their own regional political party. Whenever these 'pocket' versions of parties entered into ramshackle political alliances to claim power at the Centre, they led to 'waiting-room' Prime Ministers with resignation letters in their front pockets and regional satraps demanding their share of flesh, much to the detriment of national interest. The political scenario has started gradually drifting towards equipoise concurrently with expansion of an all-inclusive BJP across length and breadth of the country. The BJP has been acting as a pain-balm on bruised regional aspirations, self-respect and egos too. I am quite optimistic, in years to come, unfortunate development of narrow-minded regional parties shall be relegated into oblivion and nation shall evolve into a matured democracy with two or three strong nationalistic political parties. The next issue to be addressed is the weird phenomenon of NOTA. Dr Subramanian Swamy had dubbed it a Naxalite provision with the sole intention to destroy elections and bring in anarchy. The RSS chief too had spoken strongly against NOTA in one of his widely attended and circulated evocations held at Vijnana Bhavan. In the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, RSS has decided to embark on door-to-door campaign against NOTA. It is a debilitating feature in our election process that allows even criminals to enter legislatures and it must be abolished by law. The country is not a stranger to the doctrine of compulsory voting. Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2009, introduced an 'Obligation To Vote' at the municipal and panchayat levels in the state. The Act empowered an election officer to serve notice to a voter on the ground of failure to vote. Such a voter is called upon to submit credible reason(s) within a period of one month failing which the voter would be liable to be declared a "defaulter". A defaulter-voter enjoys the privilege of challenging the order before a designated appellate officer whose decision shall be final and mandatory. The Act allows exemptions for individuals from voting if incapable due to illness, absence from the state of Gujarat on the day of polling or for other reasons laid down in Rules. Outside India, several countries have introduced compulsory voting for their citizens viz Australia (beginning with Queensland in 1915), Belgium in 1894, Brazil, Ecuador in 1936, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Korea (only one candidate appears on the ballot), Nauru in 1965, Peru in 1933, Singapore, Uruguay in 1934, Switzerland in 1974 and Slovakia. It is for certain, if casting vote is not rendered mandatory by law, sooner than later shall we be compelled to comb for remaining traces of democracy in our country. (This article was originally published on The ZeeNews. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: It is time for India to make voting compulsory

A look at PM Narendra Modi's general election campaign

The Congress on Sunday launched its campaign slogan for Lok Sabha polls, 'Ab Hoga Nyay', asserting that there was an atmosphere of 'anyay' or injustice prevailing in the country.

Announcing that the Congress campaign will be centred around 'Nyay', senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the word not only alludes to the party's proposed minimum income guarantee scheme but encompasses justice to all sections of the society.

The theme song has been penned by Javed Akhtar and the campaign video has been filmed by Nikkhil Advani, he said.

Percept Edge is the main agency behind the campaign, Sharma said.

Big container trucks fitted with screens will take Congress' message to various parts of the country, he said.

The Congress on Sunday launched its campaign slogan for Lok Sabha polls, 'Ab Hoga Nyay', asserting that there was an atmosphere of 'anyay' or injustice prevailing in the country.

The Congress on Sunday launched its campaign slogan for Lok Sabha polls, 'Ab Hoga Nyay', asserting that there was an atmosphere of 'anyay' or injustice prevailing in the country. Announcing that the Congress campaign will be centred around 'Nyay', senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the word not only alludes to the party's proposed minimum income guarantee scheme but encompasses justice to all sections of the society. The theme song has been penned by Javed Akhtar and the campaign video has been filmed by Nikkhil Advani, he said. Percept Edge is the main agency behind the campaign, Sharma said. Big container trucks fitted with screens will take Congress' message to various parts of the country, he said.

'Ab hoga nyay': Congress launches campaign slogan for Lok Sabha polls

On the 39th foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that its workers would be working day and night to ensure that the party and its allies are "blessed" by people in the Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

In his tweets, he said the BJP was born with an unwavering commitment to serve society and take the nation to new heights, and that it has become India's preferred party.&nbsp;

"The BJP stands tall due to its democratic ethos and patriotic zeal. This is a party that is always on the ground, at the forefront of helping fellow Indians. Our development work has endeared the party to all sections of society, across the length and breadth of India," Modi said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> stands tall due to it’s democratic ethos and patriotic zeal. This is a Party that is always on the ground, at the forefront of helping fellow Indians. Our development work has endeared the Party to all sections of society, across the length and breadth of India.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1114361434165645313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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"I am confident that the entire family of BJP Karyakartas would be working day and night to ensure that our party and our allies are blessed yet again by the people of India. In the last 5 years, lots have been done and we want to do much more for the country," he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am confident that the entire family of <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> Karyakartas would be working day and night to ensure that our Party and our allies are blessed yet again by the people of India. In the last 5 years lots has been done and we want to do much more for the country.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1114361695781183489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On the occasion, BJP president Amit Shah called upon party workers to put in an "untiring effort" to build a new India under Modi.

Modi also put out a short video featuring speeches of party's founders, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, besides those of him and Shah.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
39 years ago on this day, <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> was born with an unwavering commitment to serve society and take the nation to new heights. Thanks to the efforts of our Karyakartas, BJP has become India’s preferred party. Greetings to the BJP family on the Party’s Foundation Day. <a href="https://t.co/fBHp3fBQ2a">pic.twitter.com/fBHp3fBQ2a</a>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1114361086139088896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The BJP was founded in 1980 by leaders of the erstwhile Jana Sangh, which had merged in 1977 with Janata Party - an amalgam of several anti-Congress parties.

In the first Lok Sabha polls it fought in 1984, the BJP won only two seats but has since gone from strength to strength, winning a majority of seats for the first time in 2014.

On the 39th foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that its workers would be working day and night to ensure that the party and its allies are "blessed" by people in the Lok Sabha polls.

On the 39th foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that its workers would be working day and night to ensure that the party and its allies are "blessed" by people in the Lok Sabha polls. In his tweets, he said the BJP was born with an unwavering commitment to serve society and take the nation to new heights, and that it has become India's preferred party. "The BJP stands tall due to its democratic ethos and patriotic zeal. This is a party that is always on the ground, at the forefront of helping fellow Indians. Our development work has endeared the party to all sections of society, across the length and breadth of India," Modi said. The @BJP4India stands tall due to it’s democratic ethos and patriotic zeal. This is a Party that is always on the ground, at the forefront of helping fellow Indians. Our development work has endeared the Party to all sections of society, across the length and breadth of India. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2019 × "I am confident that the entire family of BJP Karyakartas would be working day and night to ensure that our party and our allies are blessed yet again by the people of India. In the last 5 years, lots have been done and we want to do much more for the country," he added. I am confident that the entire family of @BJP4India Karyakartas would be working day and night to ensure that our Party and our allies are blessed yet again by the people of India. In the last 5 years lots has been done and we want to do much more for the country. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2019 × On the occasion, BJP president Amit Shah called upon party workers to put in an "untiring effort" to build a new India under Modi. Modi also put out a short video featuring speeches of party's founders, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, besides those of him and Shah. 39 years ago on this day, @BJP4India was born with an unwavering commitment to serve society and take the nation to new heights. Thanks to the efforts of our Karyakartas, BJP has become India’s preferred party. Greetings to the BJP family on the Party’s Foundation Day. pic.twitter.com/fBHp3fBQ2a — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2019 × The BJP was founded in 1980 by leaders of the erstwhile Jana Sangh, which had merged in 1977 with Janata Party - an amalgam of several anti-Congress parties. In the first Lok Sabha polls it fought in 1984, the BJP won only two seats but has since gone from strength to strength, winning a majority of seats for the first time in 2014.

In last 5 years, lots have been done, want to do much more for the country: Modi

Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the country was safe because of its brave soldiers.

Addressing a traders meeting here at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Convention Centre, Rajnath Singh said, "It is because of the brave jawans of the country that we are safe. If there is any danger to them, each and every citizen of the country will unite and be ready to protect the brave jawans."

"As many as 126 districts of the country were affected by the menace of Naxalism. But in the five years of the BJP government, the menace has been confined to only 5-6 districts. Soon this will also be eliminated," he added.

Asserting that the government wanted better ties with Pakistan, the Union home minister said anyone who tries to harm India would get a befitting reply.

"Pakistan is our neighbour. We want that our ties with it are better. But, if someone casts an evil eye on India, then there will be a befitting reply," he said.

"When the terrorists were attacked in Pakistan, adequate caution was exercised by our jawans so that no innocent (in Pakistan) falls in the ambit of attack," he added.

In a veiled attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said that he was surprised by the party's promise in their election manifesto to scrap the sedition law.

"Someone threatens to destroy India, and action will not be initiated? How is it possible? I feel ashamed of people who speak these things," he said.

Rajnath Singh also assured the traders that their demands will be looked into after the election process is over.

On the Goods and Services Tax (GST) he said, "I am not saying that the traders did not face any problems due to GST. But, the problems were gradually resolved and solution will be found in future as well."

Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the country was safe because of its brave soldiers. Addressing a traders meeting here at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Convention Centre, Rajnath Singh said, "It is because of the brave jawans of the country that we are safe.

Union Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the country was safe because of its brave soldiers. Addressing a traders meeting here at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Convention Centre, Rajnath Singh said, "It is because of the brave jawans of the country that we are safe. If there is any danger to them, each and every citizen of the country will unite and be ready to protect the brave jawans." "As many as 126 districts of the country were affected by the menace of Naxalism. But in the five years of the BJP government, the menace has been confined to only 5-6 districts. Soon this will also be eliminated," he added. Asserting that the government wanted better ties with Pakistan, the Union home minister said anyone who tries to harm India would get a befitting reply. "Pakistan is our neighbour. We want that our ties with it are better. But, if someone casts an evil eye on India, then there will be a befitting reply," he said. "When the terrorists were attacked in Pakistan, adequate caution was exercised by our jawans so that no innocent (in Pakistan) falls in the ambit of attack," he added. In a veiled attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said that he was surprised by the party's promise in their election manifesto to scrap the sedition law. "Someone threatens to destroy India, and action will not be initiated? How is it possible? I feel ashamed of people who speak these things," he said. Rajnath Singh also assured the traders that their demands will be looked into after the election process is over. On the Goods and Services Tax (GST) he said, "I am not saying that the traders did not face any problems due to GST. But, the problems were gradually resolved and solution will be found in future as well."

India safe because of its brave soldiers: Rajnath Singh

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

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had an issue with the colour scheme used in the election manifesto released by the Congress on Tuesday. Mrs Gandhi, the former president of the party, spoke to Rajeev Gowda, the head of party's research department right before the function to release the manifesto at Congress headquarters in New Delhi. Sources told WION that she wanted lighter colours on the cover of the manifesto instead of the dark theme used currently.

Gowda, the convener of the manifesto committee of Congress, acknowledged the conversation with Mrs Gandhi. "We did not put leaders' face on the manifesto because we wanted to put people on the cover. This cover is a departure from past and decision was reached after many rounds of meeting which included senior leaders like Sam Pitroda," he said.

Sonia Gandhi, after going through the manifesto, suggested that photograph published on page nine of the party's manifesto could have been used as the cover picture. The photograph showed Congress president Rahul Gandhi sitting with a group of rural women with ghoonghat (veil).

<img alt="Rahul-Congress" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6571a73e-2586-463b-8474-aec4a2d3d050" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/sonia-rahul-congress-manifesto-ANI_0.jpg" />

(The photo which was used as the cover of Congress's manifesto)

Sources said that the said photo was dropped for the wrong messaging it would have done. "The picture looked very good in context of colour scheme but women were in ghooghat and we were against putting this photograph on the front page," sources told WION.

Gowda, meanwhile, clarified that no discussion took place about the size of Rahul Gandhi's photograph on the cover, nor there was any suggestion on part of Sonia Gandhi to add photographs of other leaders. When WION enquired about absence of Mahatma Gandhi on the cover, Gowda said, "It is not easy to use Gandhi's picture during election time for various reasons." Rajeev Gowda said that manifesto signals professionalism and show case a modern approach. When asked whether Sonia Gandhi enquired about absence of other leaders on manifesto, Gowda said, "No conversation of this nature took place." Though it is being said Sonia Gandhi also enquired about the absence of photographs of older leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram is the chairman of the manifesto committee.

The much-talked-about manifesto was released by Rahul Gandhi with a tagline "Congress Will Deliver". The manifesto promised the Congress will create jobs, address farm distress, bring in a single moderate rate of GST and give Rs 72,000 per annum to poor families if it comes to power in the Lok Sabha polls.

In the 55-page document, the Congress also promised to come out with separate budget for farmers, fill up 22 lakh government vacancies, allocate six per cent of GDP to education, assured 50 more days of guaranteed jobs from current 100 under the MNREGA, boosting healthcare infrastructure and enhance safety of women.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had an issue with the colour scheme used in the election manifesto released by the Congress on Tuesday. Mrs Gandhi, the former president of the party, spoke to Rajeev Gowda, the head of party's research department right before the function to release the manifesto at Congress headquarters in New Delhi.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had an issue with the colour scheme used in the election manifesto released by the Congress on Tuesday. Mrs Gandhi, the former president of the party, spoke to Rajeev Gowda, the head of party's research department right before the function to release the manifesto at Congress headquarters in New Delhi. Sources told WION that she wanted lighter colours on the cover of the manifesto instead of the dark theme used currently. Gowda, the convener of the manifesto committee of Congress, acknowledged the conversation with Mrs Gandhi. "We did not put leaders' face on the manifesto because we wanted to put people on the cover. This cover is a departure from past and decision was reached after many rounds of meeting which included senior leaders like Sam Pitroda," he said. Sonia Gandhi, after going through the manifesto, suggested that photograph published on page nine of the party's manifesto could have been used as the cover picture. The photograph showed Congress president Rahul Gandhi sitting with a group of rural women with ghoonghat (veil). (The photo which was used as the cover of Congress's manifesto) Sources said that the said photo was dropped for the wrong messaging it would have done. "The picture looked very good in context of colour scheme but women were in ghooghat and we were against putting this photograph on the front page," sources told WION. Gowda, meanwhile, clarified that no discussion took place about the size of Rahul Gandhi's photograph on the cover, nor there was any suggestion on part of Sonia Gandhi to add photographs of other leaders. When WION enquired about absence of Mahatma Gandhi on the cover, Gowda said, "It is not easy to use Gandhi's picture during election time for various reasons." Rajeev Gowda said that manifesto signals professionalism and show case a modern approach. When asked whether Sonia Gandhi enquired about absence of other leaders on manifesto, Gowda said, "No conversation of this nature took place." Though it is being said Sonia Gandhi also enquired about the absence of photographs of older leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. Former finance minister P Chidambaram is the chairman of the manifesto committee. The much-talked-about manifesto was released by Rahul Gandhi with a tagline "Congress Will Deliver". The manifesto promised the Congress will create jobs, address farm distress, bring in a single moderate rate of GST and give Rs 72,000 per annum to poor families if it comes to power in the Lok Sabha polls. In the 55-page document, the Congress also promised to come out with separate budget for farmers, fill up 22 lakh government vacancies, allocate six per cent of GDP to education, assured 50 more days of guaranteed jobs from current 100 under the MNREGA, boosting healthcare infrastructure and enhance safety of women.

This is the photograph Sonia Gandhi wanted on Congress manifesto cover

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh. He has also asked banks to keep a watch on any suspicious transaction and report it to a local election officer or police, a senior poll official said on Tuesday.

Transactions made through e-commerce platforms would be also under the scrutiny of the CEO, he said. During a meeting last week with political parties in the state, the CEO informed them about measures initiated for monitoring expenditures made by candidates and their outfits. The current expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha polls is Rs 54 lakh and for the Assembly elections is Rs 20 lakh.

“Banks have been asked to keep a watch on suspicious transactions. All bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh will be under strict vigil,” according to the minutes of the meeting. The CEO has also asked banks to report to the Income Tax department about any account transaction above Rs 10 lakh. The limit for carrying cash is Rs 50,000.

Any person carrying more amount than that will have to explain its source, the poll official said. The CEO has also advised the public to abstain from carrying a large amount of cash while travelling during the poll code period, he said.

Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa and by-elections in three Assembly seats – Mandrem, Shiroda, and Mapusa – will be held on April 23 and results will be declared on May 23. The model code of conduct for the polls came into the force on March 10.

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh.

In a move to check misuse of money during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued directions to all banks to keep a tab on transactions above Rs 1 lakh. He has also asked banks to keep a watch on any suspicious transaction and report it to a local election officer or police, a senior poll official said on Tuesday. Transactions made through e-commerce platforms would be also under the scrutiny of the CEO, he said. During a meeting last week with political parties in the state, the CEO informed them about measures initiated for monitoring expenditures made by candidates and their outfits. The current expenditure limit for the Lok Sabha polls is Rs 54 lakh and for the Assembly elections is Rs 20 lakh. “Banks have been asked to keep a watch on suspicious transactions. All bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh will be under strict vigil,” according to the minutes of the meeting. The CEO has also asked banks to report to the Income Tax department about any account transaction above Rs 10 lakh. The limit for carrying cash is Rs 50,000. Any person carrying more amount than that will have to explain its source, the poll official said. The CEO has also advised the public to abstain from carrying a large amount of cash while travelling during the poll code period, he said. Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa and by-elections in three Assembly seats – Mandrem, Shiroda, and Mapusa – will be held on April 23 and results will be declared on May 23. The model code of conduct for the polls came into the force on March 10.

In Goa, officials keeping watch on all bank transactions above Rs 1 lakh

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature. From the time it became officially known that the Congress president would fight from Wayanad in Kerala, in addition to re-contesting from Amethi — from where he is the sitting Member of Parliament — his party has been trying to justify the decision using various ways. Whether that defence sounds credible is one matter, but the fact that the Congress has been pushed to the back foot should be a source of satisfaction for the Bharatiya Janata Party.&nbsp; 
 
Congress has given two broad explanations. The first is that it is not unusual for politicians to contest from two constituencies. The party has pointed to Narendra Modi fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Vadodara. There are many other examples too, but the Modi analogy is flawed. Leaders generally take this route to be ‘safe’, in case the feedback from one constituency is not very assuring. Modi was not a Lok Sabha MP when he decided to take the national plunge. He had 26 ‘safe’ seats in Gujarat, and thus safety could not have been a reason for his choice of Varanasi as an additional constituency.&nbsp;

The idea was to energise his party in Uttar Pradesh where once the BJP was strong but had fallen on bad times since the previous two decades. Besides, Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, was the key to win over the Centre. We now know that the strategy worked wonderfully for the party.&nbsp; 
 
Rahul Gandhi won in 2014 with a vastly reduced margin as compared to 2009 from Amethi. And this happened when he faced a newcomer to electoral politics, Smriti Irani. It needs to be remembered that, in a show of arrogance which is characteristic of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had then quipped: “Irani who?” Since then, Irani has maintained close touch with the constituency, arguably visiting it more frequently than the incumbent MP. The so-called Nehru-Gandhi bastion fell to the BJP in the 2017 State elections, where the Congress could not win a single Assembly constituency. &nbsp;

Over the last five years, with the BJP regime at the Centre and later in the state, Rahul Gandhi’s constituency has benefitted from the equation. The development in the period and lack of it in the previous times despite the Congress chief being its representative is the narrative that the BJP has been relentlessly pushing in the constituency. There is an additional factor to be considered — the refusal of the SP-BSP combine to put up a candidate in the constituency. Apparently, this has been done as a token of magnanimity, and to also ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not split. But it is a double-edged sword. There is no certainty that a majority of the votes that would have gone to SP-BSP candidate will fall in the Congress’s kitty. There is a possibility that some of them might end up in the BJP’s coffer, especially if neither Mayawati nor Akhilesh campaigns for Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

In sum, the Congress president faces a tougher contest than even the last time, and this is probably the reason why he has chosen a ‘safe’ seat in Wayanad. How safe even that, remains to be seen, given that the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which too in the fray from that constituency, has vowed to defeat the Congress heavyweight.&nbsp;

The second explanation the Congress has given for the Wayanad choice is that the party wants to ‘bridge’ the north-south divide, carry forward Indira Gandhi’s south-bound legacy, and boost the Congress’s prospects in Kerala. The fact is that Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikmagalur in Karnataka after facing a shocking and humiliating defeat from Rae Bareli in the post-Emergency elections. Karnataka had big leaders from the ruling Janata Dal at the Centre, and yet she won because by then the Janata Party experiment had just about begun to fall apart. The narrative of the north-south divide is specious because by that logic there must have been a west-north divide too when Modi contested from Vadodara and Varanasi — and he managed to bridge it! As for boosting the Congress’s chances in the state, that, for now, remains a fond hope.&nbsp;

The fact is: The choice of Wayanad is self-explanatory, and it has nothing to do with bridging any regional divide or taking a legacy forward. According to the 2011 Census, the percentage of Muslim and Christian population taken together is over 50 per cent, and the Congress believes that the demographics provided a safe enough cushion for Rahul Gandhi to emerge victorious. As per the same Census, nearly 95 per cent of the population lives in rural regions which, the Congress calculates, can be exploited in the party’s favour. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature.

The law permits a candidate to contest from two seats, and so there is nothing irregular in Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. But the law is not the issue here; the issue is political in nature. From the time it became officially known that the Congress president would fight from Wayanad in Kerala, in addition to re-contesting from Amethi — from where he is the sitting Member of Parliament — his party has been trying to justify the decision using various ways. Whether that defence sounds credible is one matter, but the fact that the Congress has been pushed to the back foot should be a source of satisfaction for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Congress has given two broad explanations. The first is that it is not unusual for politicians to contest from two constituencies. The party has pointed to Narendra Modi fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Vadodara. There are many other examples too, but the Modi analogy is flawed. Leaders generally take this route to be ‘safe’, in case the feedback from one constituency is not very assuring. Modi was not a Lok Sabha MP when he decided to take the national plunge. He had 26 ‘safe’ seats in Gujarat, and thus safety could not have been a reason for his choice of Varanasi as an additional constituency. The idea was to energise his party in Uttar Pradesh where once the BJP was strong but had fallen on bad times since the previous two decades. Besides, Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, was the key to win over the Centre. We now know that the strategy worked wonderfully for the party. Rahul Gandhi won in 2014 with a vastly reduced margin as compared to 2009 from Amethi. And this happened when he faced a newcomer to electoral politics, Smriti Irani. It needs to be remembered that, in a show of arrogance which is characteristic of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had then quipped: “Irani who?” Since then, Irani has maintained close touch with the constituency, arguably visiting it more frequently than the incumbent MP. The so-called Nehru-Gandhi bastion fell to the BJP in the 2017 State elections, where the Congress could not win a single Assembly constituency. Over the last five years, with the BJP regime at the Centre and later in the state, Rahul Gandhi’s constituency has benefitted from the equation. The development in the period and lack of it in the previous times despite the Congress chief being its representative is the narrative that the BJP has been relentlessly pushing in the constituency. There is an additional factor to be considered — the refusal of the SP-BSP combine to put up a candidate in the constituency. Apparently, this has been done as a token of magnanimity, and to also ensure that the anti-BJP votes do not split. But it is a double-edged sword. There is no certainty that a majority of the votes that would have gone to SP-BSP candidate will fall in the Congress’s kitty. There is a possibility that some of them might end up in the BJP’s coffer, especially if neither Mayawati nor Akhilesh campaigns for Rahul Gandhi. In sum, the Congress president faces a tougher contest than even the last time, and this is probably the reason why he has chosen a ‘safe’ seat in Wayanad. How safe even that, remains to be seen, given that the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which too in the fray from that constituency, has vowed to defeat the Congress heavyweight. The second explanation the Congress has given for the Wayanad choice is that the party wants to ‘bridge’ the north-south divide, carry forward Indira Gandhi’s south-bound legacy, and boost the Congress’s prospects in Kerala. The fact is that Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikmagalur in Karnataka after facing a shocking and humiliating defeat from Rae Bareli in the post-Emergency elections. Karnataka had big leaders from the ruling Janata Dal at the Centre, and yet she won because by then the Janata Party experiment had just about begun to fall apart. The narrative of the north-south divide is specious because by that logic there must have been a west-north divide too when Modi contested from Vadodara and Varanasi — and he managed to bridge it! As for boosting the Congress’s chances in the state, that, for now, remains a fond hope. The fact is: The choice of Wayanad is self-explanatory, and it has nothing to do with bridging any regional divide or taking a legacy forward. According to the 2011 Census, the percentage of Muslim and Christian population taken together is over 50 per cent, and the Congress believes that the demographics provided a safe enough cushion for Rahul Gandhi to emerge victorious. As per the same Census, nearly 95 per cent of the population lives in rural regions which, the Congress calculates, can be exploited in the party’s favour. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Rahul Gandhi chose to contest from Wayanad because Amethi may no longer be a 'safe' seat for him

Actor Urmila Matondkar, who recently took a political plunge and joined the Congress party, said that coming in public light is the most challenging part of her new assignment.

"Having been almost a reclusive star to coming in such a huge focus, that's going to be a bit of a challenge, but I think that goes with the territory," Urmila told WION on Thursday.

Today, the party announced that the actor will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constituency.

Urmila joined the Congress on Wednesday after meeting party chief Rahul Gandhi at his residence. Gandhi welcomed her in the party fold and wished her the best.

Talking about why she chose Congress, Urmila told WION, "There is so much going on that the people seem to have been lost in the translation. I think that's the time when you need to step out and tell them what this country stands for, where we were headed and where we have reached."

I found my ideology closest to the Congress party and therefore I've entered Congress, she said.

When asked about why Congress always finds faults in Centre's policies, Urmila said, "I don't think every party is going to do everything right. There are going to be challenges and constant struggle... we are a huge country with huge variations in thoughts and culture... it is going to be challenging all the time. But what I think is as important is the atmosphere of the country. What the country is standing for, what it is feeling. Are we feeling safe? No, we are not. Why there are constant question about what I can say, eat, my life, everything. That is not fine."

She had earlier said that the Congress party has participated in the freedom struggle and it stood for freedom.

Actor Urmila Matondkar, who recently took a political plunge and joined the Congress party, said that coming in public light is the most challenging part of her new assignment.

Actor Urmila Matondkar, who recently took a political plunge and joined the Congress party, said that coming in public light is the most challenging part of her new assignment. "Having been almost a reclusive star to coming in such a huge focus, that's going to be a bit of a challenge, but I think that goes with the territory," Urmila told WION on Thursday. Today, the party announced that the actor will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constituency. Urmila joined the Congress on Wednesday after meeting party chief Rahul Gandhi at his residence. Gandhi welcomed her in the party fold and wished her the best. Talking about why she chose Congress, Urmila told WION, "There is so much going on that the people seem to have been lost in the translation. I think that's the time when you need to step out and tell them what this country stands for, where we were headed and where we have reached." I found my ideology closest to the Congress party and therefore I've entered Congress, she said. When asked about why Congress always finds faults in Centre's policies, Urmila said, "I don't think every party is going to do everything right. There are going to be challenges and constant struggle... we are a huge country with huge variations in thoughts and culture... it is going to be challenging all the time. But what I think is as important is the atmosphere of the country. What the country is standing for, what it is feeling. Are we feeling safe? No, we are not. Why there are constant question about what I can say, eat, my life, everything. That is not fine." She had earlier said that the Congress party has participated in the freedom struggle and it stood for freedom.

Coming in such a huge focus challenging: Urmila Matondkar to WION as Congress fields her from Mumbai North

Just before the last parliamentary elections in 2014, some senior Congress leaders indicated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could enter active politics, especially if the Congress party suffered a rout in that election. The Congress suffered its greatest electoral defeat. Its seat tally in the Lok Sabha dwindled to a mere 44 out of 543 seats.&nbsp;

In the years that followed, Congress continued to suffer electoral defeats. Nevertheless, from the brink of a political abyss, the party pulled back; last December, it won assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. After playing a secondary role for some years, Priyanka has waded into direct political activity. 
 
The Congress hopes that her political campaigns and active involvement in organisational work will not only help Rahul Gandhi but also revive the Congress’s political fortunes. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Her focus is on Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 LS seats. Any party or alliance that wins maximum seats in the state will have a powerful say in government formation at the Centre. In 2014, the BJP-led NDA swept the state, bagging 71 seats. &nbsp;

However, the state was a former bastion of the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family. Over the years, the party has witnessed steady erosion of support base to the SP, the BSP and more recently, to the BJP. At present, apart from the two constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Congress’ political heft in UP is very limited.&nbsp;

To ensure that anti-BJP votes do not split to the disadvantage of BJP’s political opponents, several parties have tried to form alliances. The Congress, at present, is a relatively emaciated, but it’s still a national party. Though it does not carry enough political weight to secure a dominant position in anti-BJP alliance formations across most states, its trying to position itself as a presiding political entity within the context of the power structure in New Delhi.&nbsp;

Even then, however, it is being challenged by regional parties such as the SP, BSP and West Bengal’s TMC. Successfully navigating the political terrain of UP is a challenge. Since the 1990s, it has been observed that broader the ambit, including community and caste identities, apart from the core vote of a political party, the greater its political expediency. The BSP has been typically supported by the Yadav-led vote bank, while SP’s support derives from a consolidated Yadav vote bloc. The BJP’s vote base was traditionally confined to so-called upper castes. But of late, through an increasing narrative of development, good governance and non-appeasement, it has been successful in accruing a percentage of votes across the board. The aftermath: BJP rode to massive victory in the last state assembly elections.

The Congress has not wielded much influence in the state, circa 1990. Its former winning coalition constituents, the Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims, have drifted to vote other political parties. The changed political scenario, absence of appropriate policies, and lack of concerted leadership to the UP unit of the party have collectively contributed to its decline. Today, it is struggling to recover lost ground. But would it be relatively easier than otherwise?

The SP and the BSP have built their respective political identities around anti-Congress, anti-BJP rhetoric. BSP leader Mayawati and SP President Akhilesh Yadav have explicitly refused to strike any electoral alliance with the Congress. They are confident of their own alliance against the BJP-led NDA. Currently, they are prepared to extend only surface courtesies to Congress.&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi has embarked on a boat journey across eastern UP to increase adherence for the Congress. She accuses the BJP of agrarian distress, stressed employment rates, and divisive politics. Whether the amiable reception she receives across the banks of the Ganges would translate to votes for Congress candidates is moot.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, in an interview, the BJP Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath, has insisted on the relative improvement of law and order in the state, implementation of certain welfare schemes, and non-discriminatory policies of his government. His work will strike a chord with some sections of the electorate. &nbsp;

The way ahead for the Congress seems to be tortuous.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-congress-will-find-up-to-be-a-tough-political-terrain-2733552">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Just before the last parliamentary elections in 2014, some senior Congress leaders indicated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could enter active politics, especially if the Congress party suffered a rout in that election.

Just before the last parliamentary elections in 2014, some senior Congress leaders indicated that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could enter active politics, especially if the Congress party suffered a rout in that election. The Congress suffered its greatest electoral defeat. Its seat tally in the Lok Sabha dwindled to a mere 44 out of 543 seats. In the years that followed, Congress continued to suffer electoral defeats. Nevertheless, from the brink of a political abyss, the party pulled back; last December, it won assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. After playing a secondary role for some years, Priyanka has waded into direct political activity. The Congress hopes that her political campaigns and active involvement in organisational work will not only help Rahul Gandhi but also revive the Congress’s political fortunes. Her focus is on Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 LS seats. Any party or alliance that wins maximum seats in the state will have a powerful say in government formation at the Centre. In 2014, the BJP-led NDA swept the state, bagging 71 seats. However, the state was a former bastion of the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family. Over the years, the party has witnessed steady erosion of support base to the SP, the BSP and more recently, to the BJP. At present, apart from the two constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Congress’ political heft in UP is very limited. To ensure that anti-BJP votes do not split to the disadvantage of BJP’s political opponents, several parties have tried to form alliances. The Congress, at present, is a relatively emaciated, but it’s still a national party. Though it does not carry enough political weight to secure a dominant position in anti-BJP alliance formations across most states, its trying to position itself as a presiding political entity within the context of the power structure in New Delhi. Even then, however, it is being challenged by regional parties such as the SP, BSP and West Bengal’s TMC. Successfully navigating the political terrain of UP is a challenge. Since the 1990s, it has been observed that broader the ambit, including community and caste identities, apart from the core vote of a political party, the greater its political expediency. The BSP has been typically supported by the Yadav-led vote bank, while SP’s support derives from a consolidated Yadav vote bloc. The BJP’s vote base was traditionally confined to so-called upper castes. But of late, through an increasing narrative of development, good governance and non-appeasement, it has been successful in accruing a percentage of votes across the board. The aftermath: BJP rode to massive victory in the last state assembly elections. The Congress has not wielded much influence in the state, circa 1990. Its former winning coalition constituents, the Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims, have drifted to vote other political parties. The changed political scenario, absence of appropriate policies, and lack of concerted leadership to the UP unit of the party have collectively contributed to its decline. Today, it is struggling to recover lost ground. But would it be relatively easier than otherwise? The SP and the BSP have built their respective political identities around anti-Congress, anti-BJP rhetoric. BSP leader Mayawati and SP President Akhilesh Yadav have explicitly refused to strike any electoral alliance with the Congress. They are confident of their own alliance against the BJP-led NDA. Currently, they are prepared to extend only surface courtesies to Congress. Priyanka Gandhi has embarked on a boat journey across eastern UP to increase adherence for the Congress. She accuses the BJP of agrarian distress, stressed employment rates, and divisive politics. Whether the amiable reception she receives across the banks of the Ganges would translate to votes for Congress candidates is moot. Meanwhile, in an interview, the BJP Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath, has insisted on the relative improvement of law and order in the state, implementation of certain welfare schemes, and non-discriminatory policies of his government. His work will strike a chord with some sections of the electorate. The way ahead for the Congress seems to be tortuous. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Congress will find UP to be a tough political terrain

In the perception battle ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Indian electorate has been inundated, rattled, one might even say bedazzled, by slogans galore. Competing for attention as also for votes, these slogans have galvanised the campaign, leading to several witty, creative, even brilliant moves, counter-moves, and exchanges. All of which add to the zest, spice, and savour of Indian elections, making them unlike any other on the planet. Of these, perhaps none has captured the public imagination as much as the “chowkidar” vs “chor” slanging match that’s still playing itself out over mainstream and social media.

At its heart are two slogans. The one that started the clash was coined by the main opposition party, the Congress: “Chowkidar Chor Hai”— the guard or gatekeeper is the thief. Clearly directed at the Prime Minister, the slogan meant not only to cast aspersions on Narendra Modi’s reputation as an honest and clean leader, but also to call into question the anti-corruption image of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The latter’s counter, “Main Bhi Chowkidar”— I too am a guard — resulted in many party members, including senior ministers, not to mention millions of Modi supporters, changing their social media handles to include the prefatory self-appellation “Chowkidar.” The hashtag has reportedly been tweeted over 20 lakh times. Many a “convertee” or “me-too” Chowkidar also received personalised congratulatory and thank you messages from the Prime Minister’s handle itself, which they promptly went on to proudly blazon and recirculate.

So, who is winning this battle of slogans, media catchphrases, and clickbaits? This was a closely-contested skirmish, with the Congress starting with the upper hand, but now the tide clearly seems to have turned. There is a simple reason for this. Not only is the BJP media cell more active and aggressive, but so is the PM himself. Modi has the uncanny knack of turning around everything that is thrown at him with a redoubled force so that it crashes back into the opposition like a boomerang. His political genius lies in his ability to connect spontaneously with his audience no matter whether they are poor, semi-literate, so-called “unwashed” masses or the top echelons of Lutyens Delhi and corporate czars.&nbsp;

No wonder, Modi made it a point to address a specifically targeted audience of some 25 lakh chowkidars or security guards via a radio speech. He made it a point to say he was sorry for the insult heaped upon them by the Congress: “I apologise to all chowkidars that some people, for their own interests, have been abusing chowkidars and saying chowkidar chor hai, raising questions about the integrity of the chowkidars of the nation.” Obviously, it was an attack on Rahul Gandhi for using that refrain against him. Modi added that the slogan was harmful to the whole country. He was right. Just imagine: If our security guards were really thieves, wouldn’t it spell a terrible security crisis for all of us? Wouldn’t it be quite detrimental therefore to call into question their devotion to duty or their honesty?

We know that the profession of security guards is one of our fastest growing. It is a respectable job, even if not highly paying. Requiring neither high skills, education levels nor, indeed, strenuous labour, it attracts a huge contingent of our unemployed rural workforce. By praising chowkidars all over the country, upholding their dignity and status, the PM was scoring a point over the opposition. He was also hitting out at Arvind Kejriwal, another opposition leader, who mocked Modi for promoting the job of a chowkidar over that of an engineer. Modi, by emphasising the dignity of labour, cleverly turned Kejriwal’s aspirational jibe against the Aam Aadmi (common person’s) Party.

In doing so, he was the garnering sympathy of neutral onlookers too. That is because “Main Bhi Chowkidar” extends the sphere of the responsibility of protection of the state from those in positions of power to the common citizenry. While “Chowkidar Chor Hai” is revealed, on closer analysis, not just to be negative, but demeaning, “Main Bhi Chowkidar,” arguably, shows solidarity with watchmen and guardians of the state.&nbsp;

Just prior to his speech to chowkidars, the PM added another feather to his cap. His sur-namesake, Nirav Modi, was jailed in London. The capture of the fugitive diamond merchant, wanted for defrauding Indian banks of a staggering two billion dollars, seemed to prove that the long arm of PM Modi as chowkidar extended outside India. Nirav in a British jail, with its different time zone, gave some credence to PM Modi’s “24x7 Chowkidar” boast. Milking the opportunity to his advantage, Modi concluded by saying, “No matter how much they insult us calling us chor, we don’t have to be afraid and we should embrace such insults like ornaments.”&nbsp;

Touche.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-main-bhi-chowkidar-vs-chowkidar-chor-hai-who-is-winning-2732122">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In the perception battle ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Indian electorate has been inundated, rattled, one might even say bedazzled, by slogans galore.

In the perception battle ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Indian electorate has been inundated, rattled, one might even say bedazzled, by slogans galore. Competing for attention as also for votes, these slogans have galvanised the campaign, leading to several witty, creative, even brilliant moves, counter-moves, and exchanges. All of which add to the zest, spice, and savour of Indian elections, making them unlike any other on the planet. Of these, perhaps none has captured the public imagination as much as the “chowkidar” vs “chor” slanging match that’s still playing itself out over mainstream and social media. At its heart are two slogans. The one that started the clash was coined by the main opposition party, the Congress: “Chowkidar Chor Hai”— the guard or gatekeeper is the thief. Clearly directed at the Prime Minister, the slogan meant not only to cast aspersions on Narendra Modi’s reputation as an honest and clean leader, but also to call into question the anti-corruption image of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The latter’s counter, “Main Bhi Chowkidar”— I too am a guard — resulted in many party members, including senior ministers, not to mention millions of Modi supporters, changing their social media handles to include the prefatory self-appellation “Chowkidar.” The hashtag has reportedly been tweeted over 20 lakh times. Many a “convertee” or “me-too” Chowkidar also received personalised congratulatory and thank you messages from the Prime Minister’s handle itself, which they promptly went on to proudly blazon and recirculate. So, who is winning this battle of slogans, media catchphrases, and clickbaits? This was a closely-contested skirmish, with the Congress starting with the upper hand, but now the tide clearly seems to have turned. There is a simple reason for this. Not only is the BJP media cell more active and aggressive, but so is the PM himself. Modi has the uncanny knack of turning around everything that is thrown at him with a redoubled force so that it crashes back into the opposition like a boomerang. His political genius lies in his ability to connect spontaneously with his audience no matter whether they are poor, semi-literate, so-called “unwashed” masses or the top echelons of Lutyens Delhi and corporate czars. No wonder, Modi made it a point to address a specifically targeted audience of some 25 lakh chowkidars or security guards via a radio speech. He made it a point to say he was sorry for the insult heaped upon them by the Congress: “I apologise to all chowkidars that some people, for their own interests, have been abusing chowkidars and saying chowkidar chor hai, raising questions about the integrity of the chowkidars of the nation.” Obviously, it was an attack on Rahul Gandhi for using that refrain against him. Modi added that the slogan was harmful to the whole country. He was right. Just imagine: If our security guards were really thieves, wouldn’t it spell a terrible security crisis for all of us? Wouldn’t it be quite detrimental therefore to call into question their devotion to duty or their honesty? We know that the profession of security guards is one of our fastest growing. It is a respectable job, even if not highly paying. Requiring neither high skills, education levels nor, indeed, strenuous labour, it attracts a huge contingent of our unemployed rural workforce. By praising chowkidars all over the country, upholding their dignity and status, the PM was scoring a point over the opposition. He was also hitting out at Arvind Kejriwal, another opposition leader, who mocked Modi for promoting the job of a chowkidar over that of an engineer. Modi, by emphasising the dignity of labour, cleverly turned Kejriwal’s aspirational jibe against the Aam Aadmi (common person’s) Party. In doing so, he was the garnering sympathy of neutral onlookers too. That is because “Main Bhi Chowkidar” extends the sphere of the responsibility of protection of the state from those in positions of power to the common citizenry. While “Chowkidar Chor Hai” is revealed, on closer analysis, not just to be negative, but demeaning, “Main Bhi Chowkidar,” arguably, shows solidarity with watchmen and guardians of the state. Just prior to his speech to chowkidars, the PM added another feather to his cap. His sur-namesake, Nirav Modi, was jailed in London. The capture of the fugitive diamond merchant, wanted for defrauding Indian banks of a staggering two billion dollars, seemed to prove that the long arm of PM Modi as chowkidar extended outside India. Nirav in a British jail, with its different time zone, gave some credence to PM Modi’s “24x7 Chowkidar” boast. Milking the opportunity to his advantage, Modi concluded by saying, “No matter how much they insult us calling us chor, we don’t have to be afraid and we should embrace such insults like ornaments.” Touche. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

'Main bhi chowkidar' vs 'Chowkidar chor hai': Who is winning?

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Thursday he will not plead for support with those Congress leaders who are against his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy's candidature as coalition candidate from Mandya in the Lok Sabha polls.

Taking a dig at those opposing Nikhil, the Chief Minister said "those who are originally from the Congress have already extended their support and JD(S) workers are efficient to ensure his victory.

He also said his father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was yet to decide on contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

"Some leaders in Mandya have gone ahead from the backdoor. It is not necessary for me to talk to them now.

My workers are efficient, instead of trusting those backstabbing, trust those who work honestly. I'm not blaming everyone,"Kumaraswamy said in response to a question about him personally seeking support from Mandya Congress leaders.

"Among the original Congressmen, many of them are with us... But there are a few, I know...Situation will not come for me to go before them and plead, there is no need of it also," he said.

Kumaraswamy said even now he wanted to tell those leaders that there were no permanent enemies or friends in politics and the Congress had decided to give the seat to the JD(S) in the coalition set up.

"With their own adamant behaviour, if they still want to go away with an intention to take revenge, good, they can work anywhere they want," he added.

The Chief Minister's sharp reaction came a day after several Congress leaders in Mandya extended their support to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh despite their party denying her a ticket.

The Congress and JD(S), who have been traditional rivals in Mandya, have decided to fight the election together in an alliance this time, and according to the coalition arrangement the seat had gone to the regional party as it had a sitting MP there.

The Congress' move to cede the seat to JD(S) is being vehemently opposed by leaders in Mandya, with a few even expressing openly their support to Sumalatha, widow of actor-politician Ambareesh.

Ambareesh had early won on Congress' ticket from the constituency.

It is a high stake battle for Kumaraswamy and JD(S) as Mandya had remained the party bastion for long. The party also won the entire eight assembly segments in the Vokkaliga stronghold during the May 2018 assembly polls.

For the coalition to emerge as a formidable opposition to the BJP and win more number of seats, it is crucial for theCongress to transfer its votes to JD(S), and vice versa, including Mandya.

According to sources, BJP is unlikely to field its candidate from Mandya and may extend support to Sumalatha.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Thursday he will not plead for support with those Congress leaders who are against his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy's candidature as coalition candidate from Mandya in the Lok Sabha polls.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Thursday he will not plead for support with those Congress leaders who are against his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy's candidature as coalition candidate from Mandya in the Lok Sabha polls. Taking a dig at those opposing Nikhil, the Chief Minister said "those who are originally from the Congress have already extended their support and JD(S) workers are efficient to ensure his victory. He also said his father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was yet to decide on contesting the Lok Sabha polls. "Some leaders in Mandya have gone ahead from the backdoor. It is not necessary for me to talk to them now. My workers are efficient, instead of trusting those backstabbing, trust those who work honestly. I'm not blaming everyone,"Kumaraswamy said in response to a question about him personally seeking support from Mandya Congress leaders. "Among the original Congressmen, many of them are with us... But there are a few, I know...Situation will not come for me to go before them and plead, there is no need of it also," he said. Kumaraswamy said even now he wanted to tell those leaders that there were no permanent enemies or friends in politics and the Congress had decided to give the seat to the JD(S) in the coalition set up. "With their own adamant behaviour, if they still want to go away with an intention to take revenge, good, they can work anywhere they want," he added. The Chief Minister's sharp reaction came a day after several Congress leaders in Mandya extended their support to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh despite their party denying her a ticket. The Congress and JD(S), who have been traditional rivals in Mandya, have decided to fight the election together in an alliance this time, and according to the coalition arrangement the seat had gone to the regional party as it had a sitting MP there. The Congress' move to cede the seat to JD(S) is being vehemently opposed by leaders in Mandya, with a few even expressing openly their support to Sumalatha, widow of actor-politician Ambareesh. Ambareesh had early won on Congress' ticket from the constituency. It is a high stake battle for Kumaraswamy and JD(S) as Mandya had remained the party bastion for long. The party also won the entire eight assembly segments in the Vokkaliga stronghold during the May 2018 assembly polls. For the coalition to emerge as a formidable opposition to the BJP and win more number of seats, it is crucial for theCongress to transfer its votes to JD(S), and vice versa, including Mandya. According to sources, BJP is unlikely to field its candidate from Mandya and may extend support to Sumalatha.

Will not plead for support with Congress leaders opposed to son's candidature: Kumaraswamy 

Lok Sabha elections 2019: A look at young chief ministers of India

He is honest and nice, let's go with Nitish says the new poll catchphrase coined by the Bihar chief ministers party which is seeking to reinvent itself as an ally of the NDA, the coalition which it had dumped ahead of the previous Lok Sabha elections.

‘Sacha hai, acha hai, chalo Nitish ke saath’ is the message of the posters released at the JD(U) state headquarters here on Wednesday. The subtext ‘Sankalp hamara NDA dobara (our resolve, NDA again) is also there but relegated to a corner, in smaller fonts.’

Releasing the posters, the party's national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh said: “We want to convey the message to the voters that Nitish Kumar is a man who fulfils the promises he makes and does not lie.”

Kumar has called the shots in the party ever since it came into being a couple of decades ago but formally took over as its president only in 2016 when he relieved Sharad Yadav, now in a sulk and out of the party and struggling to find a foothold in the opposition Grand Alliance, of the post.

A year before he assumed the top post in the party, Kumar had made a record of sorts by romping home as chief minister for the third consecutive term. He had fought the elections in alliance with Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress but remained in the centre stage as the 2015 slogan ‘Bihar mein bahar hai Nitish Kumar hai’ (Bihar blossoms under the leadership of Nitish Kumar) reverberated through the landscape.

The shift of focus from the celebration of the states economic turnaround to the chief ministers “honesty” comes at a time when Kumar faces a trust deficit in the wake of his volte-face of 2017 when he resigned guided by his “inner voice” but formed a new government less than 24 hours later, dumping his pre-poll allies and joining hands with the BJP, which he had bitterly fought. The dramatic turnaround has earned him the unsavoury epithet “Palturam” though Kumar has been at pains to explain that he took the drastic step keeping the best interests of Bihar in mind given that the BJP was also in power at the Centre and in keeping with his “zero tolerance of corruption”.

However, it seemed to be an insufficient explanation to critics and surprisingly to his confidant Prashant Kishor, who occupies the post of national vice-president in the JD(U). Kishor ruffled many feathers in the party when in a recent interview to a news portal he said he “disagreed” with the method adopted by Kumar for realigning with the BJP and that ideally, the chief minister “should have sought a fresh mandate”. Although the BJP is expected to highlight issues such as national security and the need for a strong government at the Centre, the alliance as a whole – is likely to go with the JD(U) line by focusing on the performance of its government in Bihar and clean image of Kumar.

He is honest and nice, let's go with Nitish says the new poll catchphrase coined by the Bihar chief ministers party which is seeking to reinvent itself as an ally of the NDA, the coalition which it had dumped ahead of the previous Lok Sabha elections.

He is honest and nice, let's go with Nitish says the new poll catchphrase coined by the Bihar chief ministers party which is seeking to reinvent itself as an ally of the NDA, the coalition which it had dumped ahead of the previous Lok Sabha elections. ‘Sacha hai, acha hai, chalo Nitish ke saath’ is the message of the posters released at the JD(U) state headquarters here on Wednesday. The subtext ‘Sankalp hamara NDA dobara (our resolve, NDA again) is also there but relegated to a corner, in smaller fonts.’ Releasing the posters, the party's national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh said: “We want to convey the message to the voters that Nitish Kumar is a man who fulfils the promises he makes and does not lie.” Kumar has called the shots in the party ever since it came into being a couple of decades ago but formally took over as its president only in 2016 when he relieved Sharad Yadav, now in a sulk and out of the party and struggling to find a foothold in the opposition Grand Alliance, of the post. A year before he assumed the top post in the party, Kumar had made a record of sorts by romping home as chief minister for the third consecutive term. He had fought the elections in alliance with Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress but remained in the centre stage as the 2015 slogan ‘Bihar mein bahar hai Nitish Kumar hai’ (Bihar blossoms under the leadership of Nitish Kumar) reverberated through the landscape. The shift of focus from the celebration of the states economic turnaround to the chief ministers “honesty” comes at a time when Kumar faces a trust deficit in the wake of his volte-face of 2017 when he resigned guided by his “inner voice” but formed a new government less than 24 hours later, dumping his pre-poll allies and joining hands with the BJP, which he had bitterly fought. The dramatic turnaround has earned him the unsavoury epithet “Palturam” though Kumar has been at pains to explain that he took the drastic step keeping the best interests of Bihar in mind given that the BJP was also in power at the Centre and in keeping with his “zero tolerance of corruption”. However, it seemed to be an insufficient explanation to critics and surprisingly to his confidant Prashant Kishor, who occupies the post of national vice-president in the JD(U). Kishor ruffled many feathers in the party when in a recent interview to a news portal he said he “disagreed” with the method adopted by Kumar for realigning with the BJP and that ideally, the chief minister “should have sought a fresh mandate”. Although the BJP is expected to highlight issues such as national security and the need for a strong government at the Centre, the alliance as a whole – is likely to go with the JD(U) line by focusing on the performance of its government in Bihar and clean image of Kumar.

‘Sacha hai, acha hai, chalo Nitish ke saath’: JD-U launches slogan for Lok Sabha polls, banks on Nitish’s ‘honest’ image

The BSE Sensex climbed 481.56 points to close at 37, 535 on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Nifty meanwhile climbed 133.15 points to close at 11,301.&nbsp;

The Sensex closed at a six-month high on Monday, after the announcement of the dates for the general elections a day earlier on Sunday. &nbsp;

New reports Tuesday said strong global cues and uninterrupted buying by foreign investors were helping prop up the surge.&nbsp;

And that a stronger rupee was contributing to the positive market sentiments.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex climbed 481.56 points to close at 37, 535 on Tuesday. The Nifty meanwhile climbed 133.15 points to close at 11,301. The Sensex closed at a six-month high on Monday, after the announcement of the dates for the general elections a day earlier on Sunday.

The BSE Sensex climbed 481.56 points to close at 37, 535 on Tuesday. The Nifty meanwhile climbed 133.15 points to close at 11,301. The Sensex closed at a six-month high on Monday, after the announcement of the dates for the general elections a day earlier on Sunday. New reports Tuesday said strong global cues and uninterrupted buying by foreign investors were helping prop up the surge. And that a stronger rupee was contributing to the positive market sentiments.

Sensex extends surge, climbs 481.5 points 

Refrain using photos of Armed Forces in poll campaigns, Election Commission tells parties

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the past, kept suspense on whether he will contest on BJP ticket or not in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

''The time has come, you will get to see some results. Some truths will come out," said Sinha while stressing that it is better to speak up at the right time.

His statement was in response to a question on which party he would be contesting in the General elections.

He said, “Till now, the party has not suspended me and neither have I left the party. So what is the reason that I was not invited when Prime Minister Narendra Modi did his rally in Patna? That rally was very small and not that good.”

After meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's family, Sinha said, “Today I have come to Patna, not because of social reason but for family reason. Lalu-ji's wife, his sons and daughter, all are like my family and I came here to meet them. It will be good if it will not be looked as a political matter. Some days ago, I also met with Lalu-ji at RIMS hospital.”

When asked about NDA’s claims of winning 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, he said, “Our party president Amit Shah’s "prachand bahumat" (huge majority) is just an expression. He said that for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. For Delhi, he claimed they (BJP) will win by a two-thirds majority but they won only 2-3 seats and Kejriwal ji got 67 seats.''

''Are they counting my seat as well in those 40 seats (Lok Sabha seats in Bihar)? As far as elections are concerned, Patna is my first, second and last choice. When he (Amit Shah) says such (prachand bahumat) things, it is meant to boost the morale of his workers,” he added.

BJP lost the elections in recently concluded assembly elections of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had registered a landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections and won 67 seats out of 70 in 2015.

On parties asking details of air strike conducted by Indian Air Force over a terror group in Pakistan, he said, ''I have not asked for proofs. People in the government should talk in one voice. Who started this? Party president Amit Shah started this, without any evidence and truth, he gave the count of 250 casualties. I have heard Union Agricultural Minister Radha Mohan Singh saying 400 casualties. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said 450 casualties.''

''If you want to show credibility in the statements then it is your duty to show results, keeping in mind the national interest,'' he added.

On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Modi himself is involved in ''missing documents'' related to Rafale deal, Sinha said, ''Tali captain ko toh gali captain ko (If Captain takes applaud then he should take abuses). It is very shameful to say at a crucial moment that the documents are missing and that too from the Defence Ministry. Who will believe this? I cannot say anything since the matter is in the Supreme Court.''

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the past, kept suspense on whether he will contest on BJP ticket or not in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the past, kept suspense on whether he will contest on BJP ticket or not in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. ''The time has come, you will get to see some results. Some truths will come out," said Sinha while stressing that it is better to speak up at the right time. His statement was in response to a question on which party he would be contesting in the General elections. He said, “Till now, the party has not suspended me and neither have I left the party. So what is the reason that I was not invited when Prime Minister Narendra Modi did his rally in Patna? That rally was very small and not that good.” After meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's family, Sinha said, “Today I have come to Patna, not because of social reason but for family reason. Lalu-ji's wife, his sons and daughter, all are like my family and I came here to meet them. It will be good if it will not be looked as a political matter. Some days ago, I also met with Lalu-ji at RIMS hospital.” When asked about NDA’s claims of winning 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, he said, “Our party president Amit Shah’s "prachand bahumat" (huge majority) is just an expression. He said that for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. For Delhi, he claimed they (BJP) will win by a two-thirds majority but they won only 2-3 seats and Kejriwal ji got 67 seats.'' ''Are they counting my seat as well in those 40 seats (Lok Sabha seats in Bihar)? As far as elections are concerned, Patna is my first, second and last choice. When he (Amit Shah) says such (prachand bahumat) things, it is meant to boost the morale of his workers,” he added. BJP lost the elections in recently concluded assembly elections of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had registered a landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections and won 67 seats out of 70 in 2015. On parties asking details of air strike conducted by Indian Air Force over a terror group in Pakistan, he said, ''I have not asked for proofs. People in the government should talk in one voice. Who started this? Party president Amit Shah started this, without any evidence and truth, he gave the count of 250 casualties. I have heard Union Agricultural Minister Radha Mohan Singh saying 400 casualties. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said 450 casualties.'' ''If you want to show credibility in the statements then it is your duty to show results, keeping in mind the national interest,'' he added. On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Modi himself is involved in ''missing documents'' related to Rafale deal, Sinha said, ''Tali captain ko toh gali captain ko (If Captain takes applaud then he should take abuses). It is very shameful to say at a crucial moment that the documents are missing and that too from the Defence Ministry. Who will believe this? I cannot say anything since the matter is in the Supreme Court.''

Lok Sabha polls: Shatrughan Sinha leaves suspense on whether he will contest for BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will kick off the TMC's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls on International Women's Day on March 8, a party leader said Wednesday.

Incidentally, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief had also commenced her party's campaign for the 2014 parliamentary and 2016 assembly elections on the same date.

Banerjee is scheduled to participate in a rally convened by the party's women's wing from Shraddhananda Park to Esplanade area here on Friday to celebrate the International Women's Day.

"Although election dates are yet to be announced, our campaign for the Lok Sabha elections will begin on March 8. During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and 2016 Assembly polls also, Mamata di had started her poll campaign on Women's Day," a senior leader of the TMC's women's wing said.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The purpose of this rally is to create a "new India, United India and strong India", the posters of the rally read.

"She (Banerjee) will give her message for the Lok Sabha polls. And after the dates are announced, a full-fledged campaign will begin," the TMC leader said.

Several rallies and marches will be held in various parts of the state to celebrate the day and kick off the poll campaign in the state, TMC sources said.

Banerjee, who has been the prime mover of an anti- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front, had organised a mega Opposition rally here on January 19, during which she had given a call to oust the Modi government.

The TMC, which is vying to play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre, has vowed to win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state.&nbsp;

The party had won 34 seats in the 2014 general election.&nbsp;

However, the BJP state leadership mocked TMC's decision to kick start its poll campaign on International Women's day.

"It's an irony that TMC is kick-starting its poll campaign from March 8 when Bengal under TMC regime in last seven years has seen a steep rise in atrocities against women," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

Meanwhile, BJP's women wing,&nbsp;too, has scheduled several rallies in the state to mark the occasion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will kick off the TMC's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls on International Women's Day on March 8, a party leader said Wednesday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will kick off the TMC's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls on International Women's Day on March 8, a party leader said Wednesday. Incidentally, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief had also commenced her party's campaign for the 2014 parliamentary and 2016 assembly elections on the same date. Banerjee is scheduled to participate in a rally convened by the party's women's wing from Shraddhananda Park to Esplanade area here on Friday to celebrate the International Women's Day. "Although election dates are yet to be announced, our campaign for the Lok Sabha elections will begin on March 8. During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and 2016 Assembly polls also, Mamata di had started her poll campaign on Women's Day," a senior leader of the TMC's women's wing said. The purpose of this rally is to create a "new India, United India and strong India", the posters of the rally read. "She (Banerjee) will give her message for the Lok Sabha polls. And after the dates are announced, a full-fledged campaign will begin," the TMC leader said. Several rallies and marches will be held in various parts of the state to celebrate the day and kick off the poll campaign in the state, TMC sources said. Banerjee, who has been the prime mover of an anti- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front, had organised a mega Opposition rally here on January 19, during which she had given a call to oust the Modi government. The TMC, which is vying to play a major role in the formation of the next government at the Centre, has vowed to win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The party had won 34 seats in the 2014 general election. However, the BJP state leadership mocked TMC's decision to kick start its poll campaign on International Women's day. "It's an irony that TMC is kick-starting its poll campaign from March 8 when Bengal under TMC regime in last seven years has seen a steep rise in atrocities against women," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh. Meanwhile, BJP's women wing, too, has scheduled several rallies in the state to mark the occasion.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to begin Lok Sabha poll campaign on Women's Day

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