AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday for more than 13 hours in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board under his chairmanship, officials said. He reached the ED office in central Delhi around 11 am and left after midnight following more than 13 hours of questioning. Sources said he has been asked to appear before the agency next week. Khan told reporters while leaving that he deposed before the ED on the directions of the Supreme Court and that his statement was recorded by the agency. He said he has been asked to provide some documents to the agency in connection with this probe. Khan said reports of his arrest were "rumours". AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Atishi and other party leaders visited Khan's house Thursday evening and met his family members expressing their solidarity with them. Atishi told reporters outside Khan's house that they were getting news of their MLA's arrest. She said the case against him was fake. "We are getting the news that AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan ji has been arrested," she had said. The deposition of the 50-year-old legislator from the Okhla assembly seat came after the Supreme Court last week refused to entertain his anticipatory bail application in the case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship. The apex court had directed him to join the investigation on April 18. Speaking to reporters before entering the ED office, Khan had claimed that he followed the rules when he was the chairman of the Waqf Board and did everything after taking legal opinion and as per the new Act (for the board) that came in 2013. The money laundering case against Khan stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three Delhi Police complaints. The ED, which had conducted raids on his premises, has claimed Khan acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash through illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested those to purchase immovable assets in the name of his associates. The ED had alleged in a statement that "illegal recruitment" of staff took place in the Waqf Board and "illegal personal gains" were made by unfairly leasing the Waqf Board properties during Khan's chairmanship (2018-2022). This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 08:35 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said that there is a lack of knowledge about our identity among the countrymen, adding that people should proudly acknowledge that their identity is Hindu. The RSS Chief was speaking at a launch event of a book titled 'Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh' in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Thursday. Addressing the event, Bhagwat said, "Again and again someone comes and we become slaves due to our mistakes. It needs to be addressed. This disease needs to be treated; otherwise, such things will keep happening. We need to treat some of our basic mistakes." He further said that the country needs to organise the entire society with a common thread so we can be clear about our identity. "Due to dis-orientation, there is lack of knowledge in our country about who we are and who is ours, about our identity and there is no clarity about it. Due to several years of slavery, there is mental suppression," the RSS chief said. "Hence, we need to organise the entire society with a common sutra which unites us all. We should know our identity clearly and tell the world as well. If we know who we are then we also know who is ours and that our identity is Hindu and we should say with pride that we are Hindus," he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 08:30 AM IST | Nagpur | ANIPrime Minister Narendra Modi urged eligible voters in India to vote in record numbers on Friday, as the seven-phase Lok Sabha Elections 2024 began. Polling is currently underway in 102 seats. PM Modi encouraged young and first-time voters to vote in significant numbers. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, "The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!" The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I particularly call upon the young and first time voters to vote in large numbers. After all,… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 19, 2024 He made similar appeals in various other Indian languages including Marathi. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be carried out in seven phases from April 19 to June 1; per an agency report, this is going to be the second-longest polling exercise in electoral history. The first general election was held over five months between September 1951 and February 1952. According to the report in ANI, the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 were also held in seven phases. In elections that began on Friday, people will be casting their votes in a total of 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories while the counting is scheduled to take place on June 4. Voting for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 1 is underway in the following states and union territories: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. Reportedly, the voting in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh will be taking place in all seven phases while states like Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and union territories like Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Island and Lakshadweep will be taking place in single-phase on Friday, the ANI report stated. Apart from the general elections, voters in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the northeast will be casting their ballots for their assembly elections as well. The ANI report also stated that from a total of 96.8 crore registered voters, 49.72 crore are men and 47.1 are women.
19 April,2024 07:46 AM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe 2024 Lok Sabha polls will kick off today with polling for the first phase scheduled in 102 seats spread across 21 states and Union territories and among those in the fray are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Sarbanada Sonowal and Bhupendra Yadav, Gaurav Gogoi of Congress, DMK’s Kanimozhi and K Annamalai of BJP. Simultaneously, assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats) will also be held. Voting will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm. The Election Commission has deployed over 18 lakh polling personnel across 1.87 lakh polling stations where over 16.63 crore voters will exercise their franchise. Voters include 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women and 11,371 from third gender. There are as many as 35.67 lakh first time voters, besides 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years. An election official during the distribution of EVM and other polling material on the eve of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. Pic/PTI While the BJP-led NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a stronger majority, the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc are hoping for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections. Polling will be held in all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1). Besides, there will be voting in 12 seats in Rajasthan, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 6 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, 4 in Bihar, 3 in West Bengal, 2 seats in Manipur, and one seat each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh. Uttarakhand: BJP seeks hat-trick Dehradun: Polling for the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand will be held on Friday with the BJP aiming to retain the seats for a third time and the Congress looking to regain lost ground in the state. Voting will begin at 7 am across 11,729 polling stations and continue until 5 pm, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Kumar Jogdande said. The BJP won all the five seats in Uttarakhand in 2014 and 2019 general elections. The five seats going to polls on Friday are Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and the lone reserved seat of Almora. More than 83 lakh voters will decide the fate of 55 candidates in the fray. Sitting BJP MPs Ajay Bhatt, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah and Ajay Tamta have been fielded by the party from Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar, Tehri Garhwal and Almora, respectively. High stakes in Coochbehar Kolkata: All eyes will be on Coochbehar constituency which goes to polls along with two other seats in north Bengal in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal (WB). Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik is taking on TMC’s Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia in Coochbehar (SC), which saw the death of four people in firing allegedly by central forces in Sitalkuchi during the 2021 assembly elections, that has been made an issue by the TMC in the current poll campaign also. Jalpaiguri (SC) and Alipurduars (ST) are the other two constituencies which will go to polls in the first of the seven-phases in WB, which has 42 Lok Sabha seats. J-K: Amid ceasefire, peaceful voting expected in Udhampur Security personnel and polling officials transport EVMs at Dusra Village in Doda. Pic/PTI Jammu: In view of the ongoing ceasefire between India and Pakistan and the heavy deployment of paramilitary forces, the voting process is expected to be peaceful in 2,637 polling stations in the Udhampur, an official said. The seat in Jammu and Kashmir will go to polls on Friday. “Out of the 2,637 polling stations (in Udhampur), 31 are located along the International Border in Kathua district. Necessary arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful polling,” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang K Pole said. “Because a ceasefire is holding (between India and Pakistan since February 2021) without any major ceasefire violations, the polling is expected to be peaceful,” Pole said. “All arrangements are in place for free, fair and peaceful voting tomorrow (Friday). The security measures are foolproof with adequate deployment of police and CAPF personnel,” Returning officer for Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency Rakesh Minhas told PTI. Sikkim Assembly polls showdown Gangtok: Sikkim CM and SKM supremo Prem Singh Tamang, former CM and SDF chief Pawan Kumar Chamling are among the 146 candidates in fray for 32 assembly seats which will go to the polls amid elaborate security arrangements in the Himalayan state. Tamang, who is spearheading the ruling SKM’s bid to retain power, is contesting from two assembly seats, Rhenock and Soreng-Chakung. The SKM chief who is seeking a seventh consecutive term as MLA, is locked in a multi-cornered contest in both assembly constituencies with former minister and SDF nominee Som Nath Poudyal being his main challenger in Rhenock assembly constituency, while SDF candidate AD Subba is his main opponent in Soreng-Chakung assembly constituency. The SKM supremo’s wife Krishna Kumari is contesting from Namchi-Singhithang assembly constituency where she is locked in a quadrangular contest in which the SDF has put up Bimal Rai. Nagaland:Three candidates vie for lone seat Kohima: All arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of elections to the lone Lok Sabha in Nagaland where over 13.25 lakh voters on Friday will decide the fate of three candidates in the fray. Congress nominee S Supongmeren Jamir, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate Chumben Murry and Independent Hayithung Tungoe Lotha are contesting the elections. BJP President J P Nadda, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers T R Zeliang and Y Patton addressed several rallies in support of their candidate. Andaman and Nicobar Islands ready for unique poll challenge Port Blair: Arrangements have been made for conducting polls for the lone seat in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with polling personnel traversing deep jungles and crocodile-infested mangrove swamps to set up booths in remote areas to ensure all the 3.15 lakh voters get an opportunity to vote. Of the 3.15 lakh voters, 1.64 lakh are men and 1.51 lakh are women, while there are four third-gender voters. The electorate also includes 39 voters of the Great Nicobarese tribe of Strait Islands, 68 members of the Onge tribe at Hut Bay and 98 members of the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar Island. Tight security as Manipur gears up Imphal: Tight security arrangements have been put in place for the first of the two-phased Lok Sabha elections in Manipur, which had been rocked by ethnic violence over the last one year, officials said on Thursday. The Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, which comprises 32 of the 60 assembly segments in the state, and 15 assembly segments of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the first phase on Friday. Voting will be held in the remaining 13 segments of Outer Manipur in the second phase on April 26. A total of six candidates, including Education Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh of BJP and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam of Congress, are contesting Inner Manipur seat. Madhya Pradesh: All six constituencies ready for first phase Bhopal: All preparations have been made across the six constituencies in Madhya Pradesh where polling will be held on Friday in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, an official said. Of the 29 parliamentary constituencies in the BJP-ruled state, Shahdol, Mandla (both reserved for Scheduled Tribes), Jabalpur, Balaghat, Chhindwara and Sidhi will go to polls in the first phase. Altogether, these constituencies cover 13 districts and 27 assembly segments. Voting will start at 7 am and end at 6 pm in most places, the state’s chief electoral officer Anupam Rajan told reporters here on Thursday. Due to security reasons, polling will be held from 7 am to 4 pm in Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada assembly segments of the Naxal-affected Balaghat constituency, he added. As many as 88 candidates, 81 men and seven women, are in the fray across the six constituencies. Jabalpur has the highest 19 candidates while Shadold has the lowest ten candidates in the fray. Polling teams have already started arriving at 13,588 booths. Women officials will be in charge of 1,118 polling booths, Rajan informed. Bihar’s poll drama: Tight security as 38 candidates vie for votes Patna: The stage is set for the first phase in Bihar where more than 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of 38 candidates standing in four constituencies. Tight security arrangements are in place at Nawada and Aurangabad, besides reserved seats of Gaya and Jamui, where a majority of nearly 5,000 polling booths have been marked as sensitive, given these districts’ long history of naxal violence. Of the four seats, Nawada has the highest number of 20.06 lakh voters, where altogether eight candidates are in the fray. Bastar braces: High security amid Maoist threat Raipur: Amid heightened security measures, the Naxal-affected Bastar Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh will go to polls in the first phase of general elections on Friday, where 11 candidates are in fray. Maoists’ call to boycott elections poses a challenge to security forces, but their morale seems to be high following a major counter-insurgency operation in Kanker district on April 16 in which 29 Naxals were gunned down by them. Rajasthan: 12 seats up for grabs as Union minister among contestants Jaipur: Twelve of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan will go to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday. A Union minister is among the 114 candidates in the fray. Polling will be held in twelve out of 25 Lok Sabha seats Churu, Nagaurm, Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur and Dausa, from 7 am to 6 pm. According to chief electoral officer Praveen Gupta, a total of 2.54 crore voters are set to vote in the first phase. The BJP won all 25 seats in Rajasthan in 2014, and in 2019, NDA won 25 seats. Mizoram gears up with six aspirants in fray Aizawl: All arrangements have been made for Friday’s polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram in which six candidates are in the fray, a senior election official said. Over 6.56 lakh electorates, including 4.4 lakh female voters are eligible to cast their votes, he said. Mizoram additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela told PTI that voting will begin in all 1,276 polling stations across the state at 7 am. The official said that the international border with Myanmar and with Bangladesh has been sealed. Besides, movement of traffic in the state boundaries with Assam, Manipur and Tripura has been restricted. Tripura: BJP’s Biplab faces off against Cong in high-stakes contest Agartala: All arrangements for conducting elections in Tripura West Parliamentary constituency and by-poll to Ramnagar Assembly seat to be held on Friday have been completed, an official said. Although nine candidates are in the fray in Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency, the battle will be mainly between BJP candidate Biplab Kumar Deb and state Congress president Asish Kumar Saha. A total of 14.61 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Of them, 7.33 lakh are male while the number of female voters is 7.28 lakh. Assam gears up for triangular contests Vehicles requisitioned for first phase parked in Tinsukia, Assam. Pic/PTI Guwahati: Assam is all set to witness direct and triangular contests for the first of the three-phased Lok Sabha polls in five constituencies to decide the fate of 35 candidates, including that of Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal. A total electorate of 86,47,869, comprising 43,64,859 women who outnumber the 42,82,887 male voters, and 123 third genders, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 10,001 polling booths. West UP: Stage set for three-cornered battle Lucknow: The voters of eight Lok Sabha constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh, falling in the Jat and sugarcane belt, are set to exercise their constitutional right as polling for the first phase of the seven-phase parliamentary election begins on Friday. The seats going to polls on Friday are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina (reserved for Scheduled Castes), Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit. The poll campaign for the first phase ended on Wednesday evening. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said no campaign-related activity by candidates is allowed in these eight constituencies now and the final preparations for polling are on. The stage is set for a three-cornered poll contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Employment, education and development are among the leading issues for the voters in these constituencies. Tamil Nadu: Modi’s hostile push, Dravidian giants’ standoff Chennai: Tamil Nadu is all set to vote on April 19 for the Lok Sabha polls, that was marked by fierce campaigns and acrimonious debates, and a never seen before kind of spirited fight put up by the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to gain a foothold in the Dravidian land in 2024 was a striking feature. Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on Friday and the fate of 950 candidates will be decided by about 6.23 crore voters who are set to exercise their franchise in nearly 68,000 polling stations. Puducherry: BJP vs Cong battle for lone seat Puducherry: The fate of 26 candidates in fray for the Lok Sabha polls will be sealed when voters spread across four regions will pick the lone MP from this union territory, where the fight is largely confined between the ruling BJP and Congress. BJP leader and Home Minister A Namassivayam, fielded on behalf of the AINRC-BJP combine, will face-off Congress MP and PCC president V Vaithilingam, while AIADMK’s G Tamizhvendhan is also testing his luck as a debutant. The UT has a total of 10,23,699 voters spread over Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions. Polling will be held between 7 am and 6 pm Friday.
19 April,2024 07:40 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesA day before the first phase, Rahul Gandhi told party workers that this is no ordinary election but one to save the Constitution, and exhorted them to tell people that the BJP is “destroying the idea of India”. In a video message, Gandhi told the Congress workers that they have a huge responsibility. “You are the backbone of our party. I thought that since it is election time, I should talk to you directly. This is not an ordinary election, this is an election to save the Constitution and democracy in which ‘Babbar Sher’ (lion-hearted) workers like you have a huge responsibility,” Gandhi said in his message delivered in both Hindi and English. “This is because the thinking and ideology of the Congress party is ingrained in you, it is in your veins,” he said. The BJP-RSS are against the idea of India, Gandhi said. “They are attacking our Constitution, the country’s democratic structure, our institutions, including the Election Commission, as well as the legal framework of India,” he alleged. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 07:33 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe ECI informed the Supreme Court that allegations of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) showing one extra vote during a mock poll in Kerala’s Kasaragod were false. The top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), an independent vote verification system which enables an elector to see whether his vote was cast correctly. “These news reports are false. We have verified the allegation from the district collector and it appears that they are false. We will submit a detailed report to the court,” senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 April,2024 07:30 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Uttar Pradesh police have made effective arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the first phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024. Many parts of western Uttar Pradesh are going to the polls on Friday, April 19. Meanwhile, the attention of big political leaders are busy in road shows and campaigns for candidates in the constituencies that will go to polls in the second phase. The first phase of the seven phases of Lok Sabha elections is to be held in Uttar Pradesh on April 19. The Uttar Pradesh police have made huge police arrangements to ensure free, fair and safe conduct of the first phase of polling. "The first phase of polling is scheduled to be held on April 19 at 14,849 polling stations of 7,689 polling centres in eight Lok Sabha constituencies located in nine districts of the state, Saharanpur, Shamli, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly and Pilibhit," said sources from the police. To avoid any anti-social elements during the polling and voting period, about 248 barriers/nakas have been set up in nine districts that would go to polls in the first phase. Out of these, 11 barriers have been set up in Pilibhit, a district sharing international borders with Nepal and 88 barriers have been set up on the interstate borders of Saharanpur, Shamli, Moradabad, Bijnor, Rampur, Muzaffarnagar and Pilibhit districts and continuous intensive checking is being done. "About 2,366 barriers/nakas have been set up in all the districts of the state. Continuous monitoring and vigilance is being ensured by installing additional CCTV cameras on all international and interstate barriers," said sources from the police. To ensure smooth conduct of the first phase of polling, 6,018 inspectors/sub inspectors, 35,750 head constables/constables, 24,992 home guards, 60 companies of PAC force and 220 companies of CAPF force that includes (BSF/ITBP/CRPF/CISF/SSB/RPF) have been deployed. Besides, 6,764 village chowkidars and 155 PRD jawans have also been deployed as Force Multiplier. Apart from the above, gazetted officers and other police forces will remain continuously active in all the districts for general and law and order duty. "The CAPF (Central Armed Police Force) will be deployed at most of the vulnerable and critical areas to see that the law and order is maintained during the polling period. Bandobast is also deployed at the interstate border connecting Haryana, Uttarakhand and other parts to see that no anti-social elements create any ruckus or disturb the polling in the state," said D K Thakur, additional director general of police, Meerut. In the above districts related to the first phase, 348 flying squad teams, 459 static surveillance teams and 55 QRT teams have been formed and continuous vigilance, alertness and checking action is being taken. In all the districts of the state, a total of 1,824 flying squad teams, 1,470 static surveillance teams and 459 QRT teams have been formed and continuous checking and enforcement action is being taken. In order to conduct the first phase of voting of the Lok Sabha General Elections 2024 in a free, fear-free and safe manner, the intelligence system and social media cell have been activated and alerted in all the districts. "Continuous monitoring is being ensured by sharing information and coordination with all the districts through the election cell and control room constituted at the police headquarters level," said a police officer from the UP police. Meanwhile, election campaigning and road shows of all big political leaders moved towards the second phase constituency. Starting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is going to hold a rally in Amroha on April 19. A joint rally for candidates of Hathras and Aligarh will be on April 22 in Aligarh. Similar such joint rallies will be at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri on April 25 and other parts. Also Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be visiting three districts in Uttar Pradesh today. He will be visiting Hapur, Bulandshahr and Meerut City. He had first reached Jhajjar in Bulandshahar at 12.30 pm where a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Mahesh Sharma was organised. Thereafter Yogi addressed a rally in Sisauli village of Meerut and would campaign for BJP candidate Arun Govil. Lastly, a public meeting was held at Ramlila Maidan in Hapur in support of BJP candidate Atul Garg from Ghaziabad. Similarly other party leaders such as Rahul Gandhi from the Congress and Akhilesh Yadav from Samajwadi Party had also held a meeting on Wednesday at Ghaziabad and are moving towards other constituencies in the state. BSP leader Mayawati, too, is active and personally attending public meetings to ensure that her party takes a good margin in the election. In a public meeting she had also announced her intentions to carve out a new state from the western Uttar Pradesh, if her party was elected to power. April 19Voting day for first phase
19 April,2024 07:20 AM IST | Muzaffarnagar | Faisal TandelThe first phase of the election in certain parts of Western Uttar Pradesh is scheduled for April 19. Considering the current political landscape, this poses a significant challenge for the BJP in the region. The discontent among the Rajput community, a key voting bloc, may adversely affect the BJP’s electoral prospects. Notably, the Rajput community has organised several large panchayat meetings across various locations to oppose the BJP. One major grievance is the lack of seat allocation for the Thakur community, which could escalate tensions further. Panchayat gatherings mid-day investigated the Rajput community and discovered that the panchayat commenced over a month ago. The inaugural assembly took place in Sardana, located in Muzzafarnagar, western Uttar Pradesh, where the Thakurs dominate approximately 24 villages. The community convened for a second panchayat in Nanauta, within the Saharanpur constituency. It was estimated that over one lakh community members attended this gathering, led by Thakur Puran Singh. The Rajput community in Ghaziabad has four lakh votes “It was the first time the community openly expressed opposition towards the BJP, advocating for its defeat. The impact of this stance became evident when Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyani, a two-time MP from the Muzzafarnagar constituency contesting on a BJP ticket for the third time, faced opposition from the community in Madkarimpur village. In late March 2024, a crowd vandalised approximately 10 to 12 cars in his convoy, reflecting the ongoing rivalry between the parties and former MLA Sangeet Som from the Sardhana area. It’s speculated that Som, the MLA, was opposed by Baliyan, resulting in his loss of the MLA seat. Observing this, Som is now actively opposing Baliyan in the upcoming Lok Sabha election,” said sources from the community. The third panchayat was held at the Susauli village of Meerut, where the Thakurs stood against the BJP. Meanwhile, the fourth panchayat was held in Kheda village in Muzzafarnagar area. “The Thakur community is committed to defeating the BJP and safeguarding the nation. To preserve the country, we must counter the BJP’s influence within the Thakur community. The panchayat deliberated on whether to support the BJP in elections. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies were on high alert during the Thakur community’s gathering. There was significant opposition voiced against the BJP candidate, Sanjeev Baliyan, during the panchayat in Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha constituency. Kheda Sardhana, a stronghold of former MLA Sangeet Som, witnessed protests over his denial of a ticket,” said sources. The fifth Panchayat was organised at Dhaulana in Ghaziabad constituency on Wednesday. “To date we have organised around five panchayats in Western Uttar Pradesh and many such small panchayats are going on in villages. After Western Uttar Pradesh, the panchayat will hold panchayats across the state and we will see that the BJP is defeated,” said Ajay Som, the president of Rajput Uthan Sabha, who participated in all the panchayats by Rajput. Fighting for community Som claims it’s a matter of respect and honour, which they haven’t received from the BJP. The BJP, despite our consistent support, is neglecting our community in Uttar Pradesh, where we hold significant voting power. They’ve excluded our candidates from important positions, like during Loksabha ticket distribution, and even denied a ticket to respected figures like General VK Singh. Additionally, policies like the Agni Veer Yojana are putting our youth at risk, offering only a slim chance of permanent employment after four years of service. This neglect is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately. Every vote counts The Rajput community in every constituency has around than 1 to 2 lakh votes. The community has been traditionally BJP voters. A survey claims the Rajput has around 4 lakh votes in Ghaziabad, Noida’s Gautam BudhNagar has around five lakh votes, the Baghpat constituency has around 1.20 lakh votes, and Muzzafar Nagar has around 1.50 lakh votes, Kairana 1.20 lakh, Saharanpur constituency has around 1.35 lakh votes and most of the other constituencies have around 1 to 2 lakh votes that will majorly affect the BJP in the election. How BJP united the Rajput community Following clashes within the community against the BJP, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath convened a meeting in Rardhana village, Sardhana area, Meerut district. Present were the CM, Rajput leader, and former MLA Sangeet Som, and MP Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan. However, after the meeting, Sangeet Som indicated his support for the BJP by stating, “I am going campaigning for BJP,” and dismissed MP Baliyan’s stature, saying, “Baliyan doesn’t have the status to talk with me.” Efforts by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also from the Thakur community, to resolve the issue reportedly failed. Consequently, the Samajwadi Party and BSP capitalized on the situation in their campaigns, with Akhilesh Yadav and Kumari Mayavati criticising the BJP for sidelining the Rajput community.
19 April,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Faisal TandelGearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday held a roadshow in Thiruvananthapuram in support of Congress candidate from Attingal Lok Sabha constituency, Adoor Prakash. The Congress has decided to field Adoor Prakash again as their candidate for the Attingal constituency after his victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the particular seat. The BJP has selected V Muraleedharan, who currently serves as the Minister of State for External Affairs, as their contender. Meanwhile, the CPI-M has put forward V Joy, a two-time sitting MLA from Varkala, as their nominee for the upcoming elections. Revanth Reddy, while speaking to ANI lashed out at Centre over the lack of funding allocation to South India and inadequate political representation for the region. On BJP’s ‘ab ki baar 400 paar’ slogan for Lok Sabha elections 2024, Reddy said, “It is good as long as it is a slogan. The BJP has been given a chance two times and has just betrayed the people in return”. On PM Modi’s concurrent visits to South India, Reddy said, “Why didnt he come here since so many days, why no river fronts like Sabarmati were given to us, why no bullet trains, today he remembers South India for votes. Ten years he remained as the Prime minister, what funds were South India allocated? There is no political representation of South India neither there are financial allocations. So the south has banned BJP”. Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Attingal Lok Sabha V. Muraleedharan, earlier, expressed his confidence in the party managing a clear majority in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “This Lok Sabha election is going to take place in a very favourable atmosphere for BJP in Kerala. The people of Kerala are looking for a political change in the state, ,” Muraleedharan said.
19 April,2024 07:13 AM IST | Thiruvananthapuram | AgenciesThe common people of Thrissur do not agree with the BJP’s ideology, but if the party wins here, it will be because they want development. BJP candidate Suresh Gopi and Metro man E Sreedharan have stated that the Metro connectivity, which is available up to Aluva should be extended to Thrissur. According to voters, previous governments had failed to deliver new infrastructure projects, including flyovers, and protect the interests of farmers and fishermen. Shaji Vattukulam, 55, a resident of the Poomala dam area, said, “In our area, eighty per cent of the residents belong to the Christian community while the rest are Hindus. There are 2,000 households in our vicinity, but our demand for a garden near the dam, a health centre and checkpost and round-the-clock security has fallen into deaf ears, for the last thirty years.” “In the entire district, Poomala is spread over approximately twelve kilometres on a hilly area. Hence our place is called Mini Ooty, and it also has Cheppara caves, which are under the Central Archaeological Survey of India and therefore it is also a tourist destination,” said Shaji. Shaji Vattukulam, a resident of Poomala dam area (right) Akshay K P, who hails from Thiroor panchayat in Thrissur. Pic/Atul Kamble “We do not believe in the BJP’s ideology, but since none of the previous state governments run by Congress or the present CPIM have ever done any proactive development in our area. We have no other option but to vote for the cause of development of Poomala and Thrissur. We find that the BJP may be the answer,” said Shaji. He added, “In our area, we have always believed in secularism and all community members were welcomed, irrespective of caste and religion. I was born and brought up here. During elections, we have seen political parties, either Congress or CPIM, make promises, but haven’t delivered any of the promises.” Akshay K P, 21, from nearby Thiroor panchayat, said, “I have a diploma in mechanical engineering, but I am jobless, and compelled to drive a taxi due to my family financial condition. It is unfortunate that youths like me either have no job or are doing odd jobs as our villages do not have any industrial or processing units.” He added, “The BJP is at least walking the talk by keeping their promise of Sabka saath sab ka vikas in other states. But in Kerala, both Congress and CPIM are completely silent and when in power, they failed to walk the talk in Thrissur district. Metro Man E Sreedharan and even Suresh Gopi recently announced that the Aluva Metro line should be connected till Thrissur, which will boost the district’s future” “I am going to be a first-time voter, but I have no hope from either the ruling party or Opposition, as I have seen my father K R Praveen Kumar, 50, compelled to do odd jobs, as he never had a permanent job. Banks have seized our property, and we do not have a shelter today. The only hope for development is the BJP, who should be at least given the opportunity to keep their promise,” said Akshay. Shaji added, “The issue is that Keralities today have money, but unfortunately, the Kerala government does not have money, so they claim, for any development work, at least that is what the present government has been saying. The BJP in power at the Centre, we are hoping that Suresh Gopi will be able to keep most of his promises, as because of him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has recently been visiting Kerala, regularly. Asked why he was supporting Gopi, Shaji said, “In case the BJP wins, Thrissur will get a Central minister for first time, whereas if CPIM’s Sunil Kumar or Congress’s K Muraleedharan win the seat, they will still be considered Opposition MPs and the same old situation will continue, as they cannot influence the ruling BJP government, unlike Gopi, who will have more power as a Central minister.” 80Percentage of Christians in Poomala
19 April,2024 07:10 AM IST | Thrissur | Vinod Kumar MenonPopular Malayalam actor and BJP candidate Suresh Gopi is busy addressing the electorate in central Kerala’s Thrissur constituency and visiting voters’ homes. Though he has lost twice from this seat—in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2021 Assembly poll, Gopi is confident of victory this time around. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, Gopi is pitted against Congress’s K Muraleedharan and CPI’s V S Sunilkumar. Thrissur is one of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. It has seven Assembly segments: Guruvayur, Manalur, Ollur, Thrissur, Nattika (SC), Irinjalakuda and Puthukkad. Excerpts from the interview. You have lost elections twice before. What do you believe are your chances this time around?I am contesting for the second time after 2019. My party and the good souls in other parties believe that we [the BJP] will make it in Kerala this time. We are almost there. M K Varghese, mayor of the Left Democratic Front-led Thrissur Corporation recently said you were fit to become the Thrissur MP though he did a somersault later and said all the three candidates contesting the seat were good. Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and actor Suresh Gopi after a community meeting in Thrissur, Kerala, on Wednesday. Pic/Atul Kamble (Laughs) I would not like to comment on the mayor’s statement as I don’t want to put him in a political fix. He is a noble man. Why? Because he is from the services. I have been very open. His assessment of me and the survey that he has done of my heart has given him the proper understanding to tell the people that I am fit. You recently mentioned that netas should become ‘noble politicians’. What exactly did you mean by that?Be sensitive, be very emotional, understand the people’s hearts and only then will you see the people’s tears. if you only see the tears, you will wipe them off; when you see the issues they are facing, you will find solutions. You have to solve their issues. What are the BJP’s chances in Kerala this time?The Prime Minister’s statement that no one would be spared in the Karuvannur bank scam has infused much-needed energy among the poor. Announcing that extensions will be provided for Vande Bharat and the Metro is providing relief to a section of the poor. The Jal Jeevan Mission has not provided pipes/tap water to all and the ones who have received it are not functional. The scheme is riddled with malpractices. The PM had said that each house would get a water connection. What more can he offer to the people beyond these reliefs?The prime minister has come to Kerala and metaphorically stood on the chest of [Kerala Chief Minister] Pinarayi Vijayan while making the above statement. This is for the people. How important is Kerala for the party? PM Modi was on his third visit to the state.The Prime Minister is a soulful leader and the strongest any political party can have, not just in the country but the whole world. While looking into the welfare of the nation, he has to decide which noble party and souls can make the nation. He is trying to widen the conglomeration of such souls. So he has to make it in Kerala, besides Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. I can never see them [the Telugu-speaking states] divided, Telugu is one soul, one body. Nearly 70 per cent of the people on the Left are good but on account of the rest, the former has to deal with dirt. They won’t look for an escape route as they are firm believers in the party. They are creating the script for a new rule that is proving to be favourable for the BJP. If you are elected as a cabinet minister?That question is completely out of the box because my leaders and the party will decide. My leaders are aware of my heart. I will be a member of Parliament if I am elected and continue for a comfortable period so that I can make money and pursue my passion. I am sure they will give me that space. You have said in your talks that people will vote for change. What issues remain unresolved for the people and what do you think you can deliver if your party wins?Have the MPs, CPI’s C N Jayadevan and Congress’s T N Prathapan, who came to power in 2014 and 2019 respectively, done anything till 2021? What were their promises? Have they fulfilled them? Have they satisfied voters? That is my point. What is your advice to first-time voters?Vote for the nation. Forget your political party, even if it is the BJP. Do what is best to keep your country protected from terrorists and terror-minded people. No one will want to perpetrate terrorism, propagate terrorism and let terrorist angles or thoughtfulness grow. SevenNo of Assembly segments in Thrissur LS constituency 20No of LS seats in Kerala
19 April,2024 06:55 AM IST | Thrissur | Vinod Kumar MenonADVERTISEMENT
