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BJP’s Dominance in NE Amid Regional Influence

Itanagar : Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the foundation stone laying ceremony of various development projects during the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit North East Programme' in Itanagar on Saturday, March 09, 2024. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

Majority of the 25 Lok Sabha seats are part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), reports Sujit Chakraborty…reports Asian Lite News

As in previous elections, regional parties in the eight northeastern states will play a vital role in the 25 Lok Sabha seats there even as a majority of them are part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the northeast, the BJP currently has 14 seats, spanning Assam (9), Tripura (2), Arunachal Pradesh (2), and Manipur (1), and the Congress four – three from Assam and one from Meghalaya.

Of the remaining, Assam’s All India United Democratic Front, Nagaland’s Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, Mizoram’s Mizo National Front, Meghalaya’s National People’s Party, Manipur’s Naga People’s Front, and Sikkim’s Sikkim Krantikari Morcha hold one each. One seat in Assam is held by an Independent.

Save the AIUDF, all the other regional parties are in the NDA.

There are more than a dozen parties, including BJP’s allies Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal, in different northeastern states but currently, they have no Lok Sabha members.

The BJP runs the governments in four northeastern states – Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, and is part of the governments in Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Sikkim.

Eying Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha, the Congress, like earlier, set up the United Opposition Form (UOF) with the like-minded 15 other parties including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Trinamool Congress, Raijor Dal, Asom Jatiya Parishad and Left parties, but failed to reach an understanding on seat-sharing with them.

The AAP, the Trinamool Congress, and the CPI-M have already announced their candidates.

The Congress had formed a “Mahagathbandhan” with many other parties, including the AIUDF, for the 2021 Assembly elections in Assam. However, immediately after the Assembly polls, it snapped ties with the AIUDF, which currently has 15 MLAs in the Assam Assembly and whose chief Badruddin Ajmal is the MP from Assam’s Dhubri.

The AIUDF announced candidates for three Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha seats in Assam – Dhubri, Nagaon and Karimganj, making it tough for the Congress.

In Tripura, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which contested against the BJP in the 2019 polls, has not only become its ally but is also campaigning jointly with it. After year-long parleys, culminating in the signing of a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government, the tribal-based party joined the BJP-led coalition government.

The ruling BJP, which had won both seats for the first time in 2019, dropped both sitting MPs – Union Minister of State for Social Justice Pratima Bhoumik (Tripura West) and teacher-turned-politician Rebati Tripura (Tripura East) – and fielded ‘Maharani’ Kriti Singh Debbarma and former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb from the Tripura East Lok Sabha and Tripura West seats, respectively.

Of them, Debbarma, a member of the erstwhile royal dynasty, is the elder sister of TMP supremo and royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP’s victory in the state’s two Lok Sabha seats seems assured after Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP supremo Conrad K. Sangma announced that his party would not field any candidates in the parliamentary seats in the state and support the BJP nominees.

The BJP again fielded Union Minister Kiren Rijiju for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat and Tapir Gao in the Arunachal East seat.

The NPP, the only national party from the northeast region, which heads the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, had won four seats in Arunachal in the 2019 Assembly elections and seven in Manipur in the 2022 Assembly polls. It holds one of Meghalaya’s two Lok Sabha seats.

In Mizoram, the ruling Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) and the main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) are the main contenders for the state’s lone Lok Sabha seats. The ZPM has put up newcomer Richard Vanlalhmangaiha and the Peoples Conference party has nominated Rita Malsawmi while the BJP, Congress and MNF are yet to announce their candidates. Both the MNF and the ZPM have no electoral and political relations with the BJP in Mizoram though the former is a member of the NDA.

In Manipur, the BJP won the Inner Manipur seat in 2019 while the Naga People’s Front (NPF) leader picked up the the Outer Manipur constituency. This time, the electoral scenario in the ethnic violence-devastated state is not clear yet.

Opposition Parties in Tripura Unite

A significant political development unfolded in Tripura as major opposition parties, including CPIM, Congress, Gana Manch, All Tripura Peoples Party, CPI, and CPIML, joined hands to form an alliance under the banner of the INDIA Alliance to preserve democracy and uphold the Constitution and said that they are determined to combat the “fascist government” both at the state and Centre during the Lok Sabha polls.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Agartala Press Club Conference Hall on Wednesday, attended by key political figures such as Jitendra Chowdhury, the opposition leader of Tripura, and Ashish Kumar Saha, the TPCC President & West Lok Sabha constituency candidate.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee President Ashish Saha stated that jointly we will fight against the “fascist government that is prevailing both in the State and the Centre”.

“In INDIA Alliance, in Tripura, along with Congress & CPIM, now three more parties, i.e., Gana Manch, All Tripura Peoples Party, & CPIML, have jointly come together, it’s a matter of happiness. We all together will fight against the BJP government, which Tripura MOTHA joined recently. Our fight is to save democracy, and protect the Constitution and we will contest in a democratic way. And jointly, we will fight against the fascist government that is prevailing both in the state and the Centre,” he said.

The coalition aims to challenge the ruling BJP, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, and Tripra MOTHA government in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election.

Jitendra Chowdhury, the Leader of Opposition and CPIM leader, said that to save the country’s Constitution and democracy in India and to sustain religious harmony, all the opposition parties have come together. In Tripura, too, the same thing will happen.

“To save our Constitution and democracy in India and to sustain religious harmony, all the opposition parties have come together. In Tripura, too, the same thing will happen. And in both the Lok Sabha constituency of Tripura, and the candidate in the by-election, from our side, we will fight to sustain religious harmony and democracy. We fight against various issues and for the election, we came together to fight against the ruling government,” he said.

This alliance marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Tripura, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Bellwether Valsad Gears Up For BJP-Cong Head-to-Head Fight

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Bellwether Valsad Gears Up For BJP-Cong Head-to-Head Fight

The coastal seat has a reputation, earned over decades, that the party which wins here, goes on to form government at the Centre or is part of the ruling coalition…reports Asian Lite News

It is a bellwether seat in Gujarat with a sizeable tribal population in Gujarat and both BJP and Congress have fielded new candidates.

The coastal seat has a reputation, earned over decades, that the party which wins here, goes on to form government at the Centre or is part of the ruling coalition.

Valsad, like other Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, will go to the polls on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha eletion. BJP has won the Valsad seat for the last two successive polls and is seeking a hat-trick.

Valsad is expected to see a direct battle between Congress and the BJP. Five of the seven assembly seats in the constituency are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP’s KC Patel had defeated Congress’ Chaudhari Jitubhai Harjibhai from Valsad.

Congress has only one MLA – Anant Patel – in the assembly seats falling in the parliamentary constituency and he will fight the Lok Sabha polls for the party. The BJP has also replaced its candidate and given the ticket to Dhawal Patel, national social media incharge of the party’s ST Morcha. He is author of two books on the tribal community.

Dhawal Patel said he is happy that the party has expressed faith in a young person like him.

He said he has been touring seven assembly seats in Valsad and there is high enthusiasm among voters.

“We will win with a very high margin. BJP will win all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat,” he said.

Congress candidate Anant Patel said he has the support of other parties in the INDIA bloc also.

“We are visiting people in all constituencies and offering solutions to their problems. We will hold door-to-door campaign and hold meetings. We will move forward together with youth, farmers, women and the unemployed,” he said.

In the 2019 general elections, BJP’s KC Patel secured 7,71,980 (61.2 per cent) votes, Congress’ Jitubhai Harjibhai got 4,18,183–(33.2 per cent) and Kishorbhai Ramanbhai Patel (BSP) got 15,359 (1.2 per cent votes).

Dang, Vansada, Dharampur, Valsad, Pardi, Kaprada and Umbergaon fall in the Valsad parliamentary constituency.

Locals said that mobile network, unemployment, erosion in coastal areas are some of the problems here. Agriculture and Horticulture are major enterprise in the Valsad district. Major crops of district are mango, sapota, banana, paddy, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables brinjal,chilli, tomato and cucurbits). Dairy, poultry, fishery and forestry are some allied agro-based enterprises

Valsad district is surrounded by Navsari district in the north, Nasik and Thane districts of Maharastra in the east and South respectively and the Arabian sea in the West.

Valsad seat has a strong reputation of being the bellwether seat in Gujarat and for a solid reason. From 1998 to 2004, Manibhai Chaudhary of the BJP contested and won the elections from here and the BJP-led government was in power at the Centre in two stints till 2004.

From 2004 to 2014, Kisanbhai Patel of Congress won the elections from the Valsad seat and the Congress led the UPA government at the Centre for a decade.

The BJP has won the seat from 2014 and party-led government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in power at the Centre for the past 10 years. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Congress’ Withdraws From Ahmedabad East

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BJP Extorting by Misuse of ED, CBI Raids: Akhilesh

The SP leader criticized the BJP for allegedly indulging in extortion under the guise of donations and misusing central agencies…reports Asian Lite News

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Tuesday that the electoral bond issue has exposed the BJP’s extortion tactics, alleging that the saffron party engages in extortion by misusing ED and CBI raids.

“The government has made extortion strategies, and now with the electoral bonds it has been proven that no one could have done extortion the way the BJP has done,” said Yadav.

He went on to express confidence that the BJP will be ousted in the Lok Sabha elections, thereby safeguarding democracy.

The SP leader criticized the BJP for allegedly indulging in extortion under the guise of donations and misusing central agencies. He emphasized, “The public will vote against the BJP due to injustice, atrocities, price rises, unemployment… The BJP misused constitutional institutions. It engaged in extortion by misusing ED and CBI raids.”

Yadav accused the BJP government of manipulating the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to solicit donations, which subsequently led to halted investigations.

“The BJP government sends the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), collect donations and then investigations get halted,” he said.

He added that electoral bonds are nothing but a way to extort money, adding to which he said, “The government is weakening the institutions and which will consequently weaken the democracy.”

He lashed out saying that the loans are not being given to small businessmen, but they forgive 15 lakh crores of big industrialists.

He even cautioned party workers and leaders to be on guard and alert against the BJP and to remain vigilant during the elections.

On Sunday, Akhilesh Yadav skipped the mega rally of the INDIA bloc in Mumbai. The mega rally was organised at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park to mark the end of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 63-day-long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

In a letter to Rahul Gandhi, the SP chief expressed his inability to participate in the conclusion ceremony of the Yatra due to the Lok Sabha elections 2024 schedule and his preoccupation with the preparations for the upcoming nomination process, which will commence on March 20.

The SP Chief also praised the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in his letter.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, M K Stalin, Uddhav Thackrey, Priyanka Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and several others, posed together, showcasing the ‘unity’ in the alliance, at the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Sunday evening. (ANI)

SP, Congress Form Coordination Panel in UP

A ten-member coordination committee, comprising five members each from Samajwadi party and the Congress, has been set up to improve coordination between the two parties.

A senior Congress leader said, “The coordination will start from the state level and extend up to the booth level. There will be a coordination committee each at the district level and also at each of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The district and the LS constituencies committee will have a leader each from both the parties.”

“Apart from this, both the parties will depute two members at each other’s war rooms at their respective state headquarters”, said C.P. Rai, a UP Congress spokesperson.

This comes a week after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress UP in-charge Avinash Pande started a process for state level coordination between the two parties for the Lok Sabha polls 2024.

“Unlike the previous alliance, this time, the coordination will be formal, well-organised and right up to the booth-level for transfer of each others’ votes to the respective candidates on each of the 80 constituencies,” said an SP leader.

There will also be coordination committees for social media, other media and campaigns.

ALSO READ-Congress Lobbying Hard For Nine TN Seats

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Congress Lists Failures of BJP Govt on Agriculture

Congress’ Jairam Ramesh pointed out that the Narendra Modi government by allowing cheap imports makes exports of agricultural products more difficult for famers…reports Asian Lite News

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh listed out some major failures of the BJP government’s policies on agriculture which he described as “most harmful” and “self-evident”.

“Of all the various failures of the Modi Government, the sheer incompetence and maliciousness of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is among the most harmful and self-evident,” the senior Congress leader said in a post on ‘X’.

Describing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be “extortionate”, Ramesh said that the exorbitant GST rates pose a burden for farmers as it increases the rate of agriculture inputs like tractors and fertilizers.

“The design of the GST has been completely anti-farmer. Due to GST, nearly every input a farmer requires has gone up in price…under GST, the tax rate on tractors has been increased to 12%, while GST on tractor tyres is at 18% and spare parts at 28%. Meanwhile, fertilizer has been taxed at 5% under GST, in addition to high GST on fertilizer inputs like ammonia, at 18%…,” the Congress leader said.

Ramesh also pointed out that the Narendra Modi government by allowing cheap imports makes exports of agricultural products more difficult for famers.

“This hurts India’s farmers deeply – they are not only not getting fair market prices for their produce, but unpredictable export bans mean they cannot plan their crops properly,” he said.

The senior Congress leader also pointed out that over Rs 1 lakh crore allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has been “surrendered” after non-utilisation.

Ramesh also debunked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to “double farmers’ income” between 2016 and 2022, saying that to achieve this target, farmer incomes would have to grow by over 12 per cent each year for all six years.

“…as per the latest NSSO SAS report, real farm income grew just 2.8% per year from 2015-16 to 2018-19,” the Congress General Secretary pointed out.

Pointing out the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s inadequate increases of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers and non-implementation of Swaminathan Commission Report, Ramesh said, “While the UPA raised MSP in wheat by 119% and paddy by 134%, the Modi Government has raised it by just 47% and 50% respectively.”

On PM Modi’s failed attempts at crop diversification, Ramesh said that the farm area under paddy has increased by two million hectares since 2014 and the farm area under millets has decreased by three million hectares since 2014.

Highlighting the country’s dependence on imports for edible oils, the senior Congress leader said that though more than 56 per cent of edible oils come from imports, since 2014, the production of oilseeds has grown at just 1.8 per cent per year.

Elaborating on the rising indebtedness of farmers and farmer suicides, Ramesh said, “First, farmer debt has skyrocketed. Since 2013, outstanding loans have grown by 58%, as per the NSSO. Over half of our farmers are in debt. Second, since 2014, we have seen over 1 lakh farmers die by suicide.”

Speaking about the Kisaan Nyay guarantees announced by the Congress, Ramesh said that his party promises legal guarantee of MSP at Swaminathan formula, standing Loan waiver Commission for farmers, guaranteed insurance payment within 30 days of crop loss, stable import-export policy to benefit farmers and no GST on inputs for farming. (ANI)

Pappu Yadav Merges Jan Adhikar Party With Congress

Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav on Wednesday merged his party with the Congress at the Congress headquarters in Delhi ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

During this, he was accompanied by his son, Sarthak Ranjan and other party leaders as he announced his decision at the AICC headquarters. Mohan Prakash, in charge of Congress affairs in Bihar, was also present.

“Since my childhood, I’ve seen Mohan Prakash Ji struggle and I’ve received his blessings all my life. He used to have a strong voice back then and now he is an ideological influence for me. We have always related to the Congress ideology,” he said at a press conference.

The former MP also praised Rahul Gandhi for his yatras (Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra), and attributed him as one the most strenuous person he has seen.

“He is one of the most strenuous people I have ever seen, in a time when everything happens on a tweet, he walked 6,000 km in minus temperature wearing just a t-shirt and fighting against the world’s biggest dictator,” he said.

Getting his and Priyanka Gandhi’s trust, and blessing is enough for me in Congress,” he added.

Bihar will see polling in seven phases. The first phase of polling will be held on April 19, the second phase on April 26, the third phase on May 7, the fourth phase on May 13, the fifth phase on May 20, the sixth phase on May 25, and the seventh phase on June 1.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA, consisting of BJP, JDU ( (Janata Dal-United), and LJP (Lok Janshakti Party), secured victory by taking the lead on 39 out of 40 seats. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), INC (Indian National Congress), and RLSP (Rashtriya Lok Samta Party), only managed to secure one seat.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases from April 19. Counting of votes on June 4. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Congress Lobbying Hard For Nine TN Seats

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Mukesh, Premachandran ready for Kollam battle

In 2019 again CM Vijayan and his close aides tried their best to prevent Premachandran from winning and brought in the then young turk and present State Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. But Premachandran again won with a margin of over 1.48 lakh votes…reports Asian Lite News

The Kollam Lok Sabha seat in Kerala will see a fight between two-time sitting MP, who is aiming for a hat-trick and film star-turned-politician Mukesh. Mukesh is a two-time CPI(M) legislator and has acted in many Malayalam films.

The sitting MP, N.K. Premachandran belongs to the Revolutionary Socialist Party and is considered to be an archrival of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after he switched from Left to the Congress-led UDF.

Premachandran was one of the most popular State Ministers in the cabinet of CPI(M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan (2006-11), but soon after the Oommen Chandy-led Congress government took over in 2011, a big section of the RSP, including Premachandran, joined as an ally of the Congress which irked CM Vijayan and other CPI(M) leaders.

Premachandran was also a member of the Lok Sabha from Kollam in 1996 and 1998, then as an ally of the Left. In 2014 he was fielded by the Congress from Kollam, and CPI(M) had one of its then stalwarts, state Minister and present politburo member M.A. Baby. The former won with a margin of over 37,000 votes.

In 2019 again CM Vijayan and his close aides tried their best to prevent Premachandran from winning and brought in the then young turk and present State Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. But Premachandran again won with a margin of over 1.48 lakh votes.

Now for the third time CM Vijayan and his team will try to defeat him. This time the Left has brought film actor-turned-politician and two-time legislator representing the Kollam Assembly constituency, Mukesh to stop Premachandran from winning again.

Incidentally, the BJP, which is yet to announce their candidate, is eyeing TV star Krishnakumar to add glamour to the Kollam contest.

The BJP candidate at the 2019 polls managed around 1.03 lakh votes. Hence this time too the main battle is going to be between Premachandran and Mukesh.

Premachandran, through his soft and polite behavior, is a popular MP for the Congress-led opposition. Tongues, however, began to wag, when he was asked to join lunch which was hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with another eight MPs during the last session of Parliament.

“I fail to understand the manner in which the CPI(M) spread canards against me as they have nothing else to say,” said Premachandran after speculation surfaced that he might shift loyalties.

The biggest advantage that Mukesh is banking on is the CPI(M)’s win in all the seven Assembly segments, including his own. That win has made the Left sure of victory this time, but the Congress is confident of the hat-trick.

Kerala readies for polls with over 3.7 lakh first-time voters

Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said on Wednesday that as of March 18, the state has 2,72,80,160 voters, including 1,40,95,250 women and 1,31,84,573 men.

The 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala go to the polls in the second phase on April 26.

“Of this, there are 2,49,960 voters above the age of 85 and there are 2,999 who are aged 100 or above. There are 3,70,933 first-time voters besides 88,384 NRI voters,” said Kaul and added that they are busy in including more people who have not enrolled so far. The last date for it is March 25.

He said there will be 25,177 polling booths and 181 auxiliary booths and of these 2,776 will be model polling booths.

“As many as 555 polling booths will be manned by all-women teams, while youths will manage 100 and 10 booths will be managed by physically challenged poll officials,” stated Kaul.

He said that people can bring to the notice of the poll authorities if they find any violation of the model code of conduct through the cVigil app and action will be taken in 100 minutes.

“Our officials will be taking action against violation of the model code of conduct with regard to the campaign on social media, using artificial intelligence,” said Kaul.

ALSO READ-Special polling booths to be set up in relief camps

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EC orders halt of fresh sanctions for govt schemes

The former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur led a BJP delegation and filed two complaints with the Chief Electoral Officer in Shimla…reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the country, the Election Commission of India issued an order to halt fresh sanctions for governmental schemes in Himachal Pradesh.

The order further stated, “No fresh release of funds on welfare schemes and works should be made or contracts of works awarded in any part of State where the election is in progress without prior permission of the Commission.”

“This includes the work under the Member of Parliament, Local Area Development Fund, or MLA/MLCs, if any such scheme is in operation in the State,” the order mentioned.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party filed two complaints against Congress with the State Election Commission for violating the Model Code of Conduct and alleged that forms under Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh-Samman Nidhi Yojana to get Rs 1,500 per month are being filled in the offices of the block development office and panchayats to woo the voters by the Congress.

The former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur led a BJP delegation and filed two complaints with the Chief Electoral Officer in Shimla.

Jai Ram Thakur has accused the state government and the Chief Minister of providing the benefits of Rs 1500 honorarium to women.

He said that the various government agencies are using and filling out the forms for the schemes, which bear pictures of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Jai Ram Thakur said that we have also registered another complaint that the hoardings and pictures of the government advertisement are still placed in several places in the state; on the contrary, the posters of the Ram Temple and portraits of Lord Ram are being removed.

He further said that the party has requested the Election Commission to stop this filling of forms as it is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. (ANI)

Poll panel issues notification for first phase of LS polls

The nomination process for 102 parliamentary constituencies spread across 21 states and Union territories, where polling would be held in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19, began on Wednesday with the issuance of a notification.

According to the notification issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the President, the last date for filing nomination papers is March 27.

However, due to a festival, March 28 is the last date for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Bihar going to polls in the first phase. Voting in four out of 40 seats in Bihar will be held in the first phase.

Nomination papers will be scrutinised on March 28. For Bihar, it would be done on March 30. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 20 while for Bihar, it is April 2.

The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

The states where polling would be held in the first phase are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

ALSO READ-Parties give intriguing replies to EC on poll bonds

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DMK Manifesto Vows To Clip Governor’s Wings

The manifesto promises an amendment to the Constitution’s Article 361, scrapping of the National Education Policy, 2020, CAA, and “One Nation, One Election” proposal…reports Asian Lite News

Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday released its manifesto ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha polls, promising to work to ensure governors are appointed in consultation with the state governments and chief ministers until the gubernatorial office is abolished.

The manifesto promises an amendment to the Constitution’s Article 361 that shields a governor from criminal proceedings, scrapping of the National Education Policy, 2020, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and the “One Nation, One Election” proposal.

The promises related to gubernatorial office come against the backdrop of the DMK government’s frequent run-ins with governor RN Ravi. The DMK has accused Ravi of being an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological fount Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The state government accused Ravi of attempting to run a parallel government as it approached the Supreme Court on Monday against his refusal to swear in K Ponmudi as minister after the court suspended his conviction this month in a disproportionate assets case.

The DMK, which is part of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has promised statehood to the Union territory of Puducherry and exemption of aspirants from Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). It has pledged Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils and a Supreme Court bench in Chennai, the elimination of toll plazas on the National Highways, Minimum Support Price for farmers, educational loan waivers and LPG cylinders at ₹500, petrol at ₹75 and diesel at ₹65.

The manifesto says key institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Reserve Bank, the University Grants Commission, the Indian Medical Council, the Election Commission of India, and the Union government’s educational boards were in peril under the BJP government. “After a change in administration, these Constitutional institutions will operate autonomously and without political interference, as designed in the Constitution.”

The DMK said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, the new Union government would re-establish the Planning Commission to draft plans based on the requests of state governments. It says the INDIA alliance government will review all “people-unfriendly laws” introduced over the last 10 years and that education and healthcare will be included on the state list. “The introduction of the Uniform Civil Code will be strictly prevented to preserve the secular nature of India as stated in the Constitution’s preamble,” the manifesto says.

The DMK promised to work for having written and oral examinations in Tamil and other state languages for all Union government jobs and examinations conducted by bodies such as the Union Public Service Commission. “Tamil will be declared as a Co-Official Language in Union government offices in Tamil Nadu, ensuring that all Union government offices, institutions, and nationalized banks in Tamil Nadu operate in Tamil as well, with relevant amendments to Section 343 [official language] of the Indian Constitution to be introduced by the new government,” it said.

“The new government in the Union will issue orders to accept Tamil as a court language in the Madras High Court. The completion of the Sethusamudram Project, to ensure the economic development of southern Tamil Nadu and to secure the nation’s safety, will be a priority for the new government formed in the union, promising decisive actions.”

Lawmaker Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who headed the DMK’s election manifesto committee, toured across Tamil Nadu to draft it. DMK president and chief minister MK Stalin released the manifesto along with the list of the Lok Sabha elections.

INDIA bloc finalised its seat-sharing pact in Tamil Nadu on Monday. DMK is fighting on 21 out of the state’s 39 seats. The Congress will contest nine seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a Dalit party in the state, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Communist Party of India, got two seats each.

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are contesting one seat each. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 38 out of the 39 seats.

The BJP has been trying to make inroads into Tamil Nadu even as no national party has been able to make a mark in the southern state since 1967.

EC directs action against Karandlaje

Meanwhile, The Election Commission of India has directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka to take immediate action against Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje for claiming that ‘the suspect involved in the March 1 blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru was from Tamil Nadu’, officials said.

“ECI has directed CEO Karnataka to take immediate and appropriate action on the complaint of DMK against the alleged violation of MCC by BJP leader and Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje while addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Karnataka,” the poll commission said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Shobha Karandlaje while speaking to the reporters, said that “one guy comes from Tamil Nadu, takes training there, and plants a bomb at Rameshwaram Cafe.” DMK filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India on Wednesday over her remarks.

ALSO READ-CAA: DMK Questions Amit Shah on Fate of PoK Muslims

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-Top News Politics USA

Trump Says Jews Who Vote For Democrats ‘Hate Their Religion, Israel’

Prominent groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America condemned Trump’s comments

Republican U.S. presidential contender Donald Trump faced backlash from various quarters, including the White House, Democratic circles, and Jewish organisations, following his remarks suggesting that Jewish Americans voting for Democrats hate their religion and Israel.

In an interview with his former advisor Sebastian Gorka posted on his website, Trump asserted, “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion, they hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves.” He further alleged that the Democratic Party holds hate for Israel.

Prominent groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America swiftly condemned Trump’s comments, deeming them inappropriate for linking religion with political allegiance.

Responding to Trump’s remarks, the White House emphasised the need to refrain from propagating harmful stereotypes. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates stated, “There is no justification for spreading toxic, false stereotypes that threaten fellow citizens.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, criticised Trump’s divisive rhetoric, affirming his commitment to nurturing the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Schumer’s critique of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in the Gaza conflict had drawn attention previously, sparking a reaction from both Netanyahu and President Biden.

The Democratic National Committee also rebuked Trump’s statements, asserting that Jewish Americans deserve better than such offensive attacks.

(Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign doubled down on his remarks, accusing the Democratic Party of being anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. The Republican Jewish Coalition defended Trump’s stance, expressing bewilderment at Jewish support for Democrats despite perceived policy discrepancies.

Trump’s past statements, including controversial remarks equating white nationalists with anti-racism protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, were also referenced. Despite criticisms, Trump’s administration had taken several pro-Israel measures, such as relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

In the ongoing Gaza conflict, President Biden initially supported Israel but later advocated for a ceasefire and negotiations for a two-state solution. Amidst political tensions, a Pew Research Center poll highlighted the majority of American Jews’ affiliation with the Democratic Party, while a significant minority leaned Republican.

ALSO READ: UNSC calls for halt to Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels

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India News Politics

SC Notice to Centre on CAA

Citizenship Amendment Act: Supreme Court seeks Centre’s reply on pleas seeking stay on CAA Rules 2024…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on the applications seeking stay on the Citizen Amendment Rules 2024, brought to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked the Centre to respond within three weeks and will take up the hearing on April 9, 2024.

Even though the petitioners were persistent on stay of rules in the meantime, the bench didn’t pass any such order.

Petitioners then said that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, be asked to give an undertaking that rules will not be implemented and citizenship will not be granted till the petitions are pending before the apex court.

However, Mehta refused to make statement that Centre will not grant any citizenship in the meantime.

He said whether migrants are granted citizenship or not, none of the petitioners are affected. He clarified that the CAA doesn’t take away citizenship from anyone.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, asked what the sudden urgency was to notify the rules nearly four years after the CAA was passed.

“What’s the urgency after four years? If any process of citizenship starts and people get citizenship, it will be irreversible. So the process shouldn’t start. Once you grant citizenship, you can’t take it back,” Sibal said.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for migrants, said, “I am from Balochistan, I came to India because I was persecuted. If I am given citizenship, how is it affecting them?”

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for one of the petitioners, replied, “They will get the right to vote.”

Jaising said, “This court must say that citizenship granted during this period will be subject to orders of this court. We cannot go on with hope and trust jurisprudence anymore.”

To this, the CJI replied, “But the infrastructure of state-level committees, etc., is not in place.” Sibal then said that if something happens, they will approach the top court.

In it’s order, the bench said, “Let submissions be made on the stay application limited to five pages till April 2. Let respondents file a 5-page reply to the application by April 8.”

The Central government on March 11 notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 which effectively brought into force the controversial CAA of 2019.

The Rules opened implementation of CAA granting speedy citizenship to members of persecuted minority in Islamic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

A day after the Central government issued the Rules for the CAA, Kerala-based political party Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the implementation of Rules.

The Kerala-based political party demanded that the impugned statute and regulations be stayed, and that no coercive steps be taken against persons belonging to Muslim community who have been deprived of the benefit of this law.

Apart from IUML, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saika, and Congress MP from Assam, Abdul Khaleque, and others also filed applications seeking stay on rules.

The plea stated that rules are manifestly arbitrary and create an unfair advantage in favour of a class of persons solely on the ground of their religious identity, which is impermissible under articles 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution.

CAA, passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019 and getting the President’s assent the following day, met with protests all across the country. The CAA came into effect on January 10, 2020.

The law fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014.

The 2019 Act amended the Citizenship Act, 1955, which makes illegal migrants eligible for citizenship if they (a) belong to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities, and (b) are from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan. It only applies to migrants who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. As per the amendment, certain areas in the Northeast are exempted from the provision. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Understanding the Legal Foundation and Implications of the CAA

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India News Kerala Politics

Tharoor Accuses Left of Dividing Votes

BJP has fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress MP Tharoor…reports Asian Lite News

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday alleged that the “only effect” of the CPI’s campaign against him in Thiruvananthapuram is to “divide the anti-BJP vote”.

In a post on X, the senior Congress leader said, “It’s ironic that the same @cpofindia that complains about @RahulGandhi’s candidature in Wayanad is playing the BJP’s game in Thiruvananthapuram”.

His post added: “The only effect of the CPI’s campaign against me in Thiruvananthapuram is to divide the anti-BJP vote. And they preach alliance dharma in Wayanad!”

Reacting to this, CPI General Secretary D Raja said it is left that is “fighting the communal and fascist forces”.

“It is an absurd statement. An educated man like Shashi Tharoor must understand the history of Kerala properly. It is the Left that is fighting the communal and fascist forces…so many Congress leaders are leaving and joining BJP…,” he said.

Hitting back, the CPI leader questioned why is the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad in Kerala.

“Rahul Gandhi claims that he is spearheading the fight against BJP, then why is he contesting from Wayanad and fighting against LDF? Congress must explain, what message they want to convey to people. Who are their main political enemies…,” Raja told ANI on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tharoor believes that his work over the last 15 years in the constituency will speak for itself.

“I’ve served the people of Thiruvananthapuram for 15 years. They know me and have seen my service. It’s not as if I’ve got anything to be ashamed of in my track record. I’ve been consistently available and attended to all the major issues,” he said. “It’s always been a three-cornered fight here because I took the seat from the LDF. They had won it two times before me and then in the last two times, the BJP came second. So we have to take both candidates seriously. I’m very confident that I would prevail,” Shashi Tharoor said on Monday.

BJP has fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress MP Tharoor.

Pannyan Raveendran, the Left Democratic Front’s Lok Sabha candidate from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said that the main fight in the constituency is between the LDF and the Congress-led UDF.

“The main contest is between LDF and UDF. BJP is irrelevant in Thiruvananthapuram,” Raveendran who won the constituency in 2005 told ANI on Tuesday.

Kerala will hold elections in a single phase on April 26. There are 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala and the BJP has never won a parliamentary seat in the state.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. (ANI)

Alathur: A Prestige Battle For CPI(M), Congress

CPI(M) stakes prestige on popular face K. Radhakrishnan while Congress fields incumbent Remya Haridas to defend Alathur constituency.

Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, a reserved constituency this time, will witness an intense battle between the CPI(M) and the Congress.

The battle is prestigious for the CPI(M) as it has given the seat to one its most popular faces — State Minister of ST/SC and Devasoms K. Radhakrishnan, whose Assembly constituency Chelakara also is in Alathur.

The Congress has repeated its candidate, Remya Haridas, who has been asked to defend the seat.

While Alathur is in Palakkad district, this constituency has four Assembly constituencies from the district and three from the Trissur district.

The CPI(M)-led Left holds all the seven Assembly constituencies.

While Radhakrishnan, is a former Speaker of the Assembly and also a state minister when he won his debut election in 1996, Remya Haridas stole the limelight in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when she trounced sitting youth CPI(M) leader P.K. Biju, who was looking for a hat-trick win from Alathur.

Haridas, also a youth leader, walked into the hearts of her voters in 2019 by singing songs during her campaign. She won the seat with a massive margin of over 1.58 lakh votes.

“Yes, this time also I will reach out to my voters by singing songs and I don’t think there is anything wrong in it,” said Remya and started singing a few lines when she was spotted at her campaign.

But Radhakrishnan and the CPI(M) know that the margin that their seven candidates got from the Assembly polls in 2021, which fall in the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, is in excess of two lakh votes and that’s their strength.

What has raised eyebrows is the BJP-led NDA is yet to announce their candidate and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving at Palakkad on Tuesday, they are expected to announce the name soon.

At the 2019 polls, the BJP-led NDA candidate won around 89,000 votes.

Incidentally, Alathur constituency was formed in 2009 after being carved out from the erstwhile Ottapalam Lok Sabha constituency and nearby areas.

The Ottapalam Lok Sabha seat came into national reckoning as it was from here that the country’s former President K.R. Narayanan won three successive elections in 1984, 1989 and 1991 before occupying the top chair. In 1992 he became the Vice-President and five years later the President.

ALSO READ-Tharoor confident of winning polls