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Fate of prominent candidates to be decided in Bihar  

After the seat-sharing formula of the NDA, this seat went to the quota of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha is the candidate in this election…reports Asian Lite News

With the sixth phase of elections over and the last phase for eight Lok Sabha constituencies remaining in Bihar, it will decide the fate of prominent candidates like Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Kripal Yadav, RK Singh, Upendra Kushwaha, Misa Bharti, Pawan Singh and others.

Different political parties have ramped up their election campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar are continuously holding rallies in Bihar, while the opposition’s Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahani are challenging them.

Voting is to be held in Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jehanabad. A total of 138 candidates are in the fray in the last phase. Apart from Karakat and Buxar, the contest is expected to be mainly between the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance on 6 seats.

The Karakat Lok Sabha constituency is considered a hot seat in Bihar with a triangular contest expected after the appearance of Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh. When the election began in Bihar, people thought it would pan out between the NDA and the Grand Alliance candidates. The NDA has fielded Upendra Kushwaha and the Alliance has given the ticket to Rajaram Singh Kushwaha. Karakat has been considered a stronghold of the Kushwaha leaders ever since it emerged in 2008 following delimitation.

In the last three elections held on this seat since 2009 only the candidates of the Kushwaha caste have won. It is also a fact those Kushwaha candidates were part of the NDA. Hence, Karakat is also a stronghold of the NDA.

After the seat-sharing formula of the NDA, this seat went to the quota of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha is the candidate in this election.

However, the road is not easy for Upendra Kushwaha this time. He is pitted against Rajaram Singh Kushwaha of the CPI-ML. The battle became interesting after the entry of Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh. People are crazy about him and crowds are gathering at his election meetings. A total of 14 candidates are in the fray for this seat.

The Buxar Lok Sabha seat is considered to be the BJP’s traditional seat but this time it seems to be in trouble. Former IPS officer Anand Mishra has increased tensions for the BJP candidate. The party has fielded Mithlesh Tiwari as its candidate. On the other hand, RJD gave the ticket to Bihar’s former agriculture minister Sudhakar Singh. Initially, it was turning out to be a one-to-one contest between the BJP and the RJD candidates but Anand Mishra and Dadan Singh Yadav alias Dadan Pehalwan have made the battle quadrangular on Buxar.

Anand Mishra is a Brahmin and Mithileh Tiwari is also from the same caste while Sudhakar Singh comes from a Rajput family. However, the arrival of Dadan Yadav has made his battle difficult. Dadan Yadav is considered a prominent Yadav leader in Dumraon and is also a three-time MLA from Dumraon.

A total of 15 candidates are trying their luck for the Buxar Lok Sabha seat.

The contest on the Arrah Lok Sabha seat is turning out to be a one-to-one contest between the BJP’s RK Singh and Sudama Prasad of the CPI (ML). In the last two Lok Sabha elections, RK Singh won here comfortably. A total of 14 candidates are in the fray for this seat.

The Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency is a hot seat this time. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti is contesting the election for the third time. She is up against Ramkripal Yadav of the BJP. While Prime Minister Modi has campaigned for Ramkripal Yadav, Rahul Gandhi has sought votes for Misa Bharti.

Jahanabad is another seat where a close contest is expected. The JD-U has given the ticket to sitting MP Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravanshi while Surendra Yadav is trying his luck on the RJD ticket.

“We are going to win all the seats in the last phase. All the seats are already with the NDA. There is no problem this time as well. We are going to win Jehanabad, Buxar and Karakat Lok Sabha seats by a big margin. People will not vote in favour of Naxalites and no one’s stardom is going to work against PM Modi,” said Arvind Kumar Singh, BJP spokesperson.

The Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat is considered a stronghold of the BJP and the party has fielded Ravi Shankar Prasad again. He is pitted against former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s son Anshul Avijit. This time there is a face-to-face fight for this Kayastha-dominated seat.

A total of 17 candidates are in the fray here.

Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency is considered to be the late Babu Jagjivan Ram’s seat and as long as he was alive, he remained MP from 1952 to 1984. After him, Chhedi Paswan won the election from Sasaram on a BJP ticket. This time the BJP has fielded Shivesh Ram, son of former MP Munilal Ram, while the Congress has fielded Manoj Kumar. Ten candidates are trying their luck in the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat.

The Nalanda Lok Sabha seat is considered to be the strongest fort of Nitish Kumar. Kaushalendra Kumar won here in 2009, 2014 and 2019 and is contesting against Sandeep Saurav of the CPI-ML. Sandeep Saurav is also the MLA from Paliganj. A total of 29 candidates are vying for the seat.

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Over 8 cr voters to decide fate of 695 candidates in Phase 5

The eight states/UTs going to polls in phase 5 are: Bihar, J&K, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal…reports Asian Lite News

As the Lok Sabha elections enter the fifth phase, over 8.95 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 49 constituencies across 8 states/UTs on Monday.

Voting began at 7am and continues until 6pm. Those who are in line before the cutoff time are still allowed to vote.

Elections to 35 constituencies of the Odisha Legislative Assembly will also be held simultaneously on Monday, according to the Election Commission of India.

According to the ECI, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women and 5,409 voters of the third gender, will decide the fate of 695 candidates tomorrow.

The fifth phase will witness important contests in various constituencies. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah and RJD leader Rohini Acharya will be on seek electoral success.

The eight states/UTs going to polls in phase 5 are: Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Cities like Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow go to the polls in this phase, which has suffered from urban apathy in voting in the past. The committee especially calls on these city residents to erase the stigma by taking action in larger numbers.

Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

In an effort to create a peaceful atmosphere for voters, a total of 2,000 flying squadrons, 2,105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams and 502 video viewing teams are monitoring the 94,732 polling stations 24 hours a day.

A total of 216 international border checkpoints and 565 interstate border checkpoints closely monitor any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies. Sea and air routes are strictly monitored, the ECI said.

The ECI said the polling stations are ready to welcome voters with adequate shade, drinking water, ramps, toilets and other basic facilities to ensure that the elections take place in a comfortable and safe environment. The concerned CEOs/DEOs and state apparatuses have been advised to take adequate measures to control hot weather conditions in areas where it is forecast, it added.

The Commission has called on voters to come to polling stations in greater numbers and vote with responsibility and pride. So far, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have witnessed a poll turnout of around 66.95 per cent. About 451 million people have already voted in the first four phases of the ongoing general election, the ECI said.

ECI has partnered with a host of prominent figures to engage and motivate voters to cast their votes during the ongoing elections.

With four phases completed, general election polling has reached its halfway mark with polling completed in 23 states/UTs and 379 parliamentary constituencies. Elections to the state legislative assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh and the 28 seats of the Odisha State Assembly have also been completed.

The results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will be declared on June 4.

In a bid to create a peaceful atmosphere for the electors, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock across the 94,732 polling stations.

A total of 216 international border check posts and 565 inter-state border check posts are keeping a strict vigil on any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies. Strict surveillance has been kept on sea and air routes, the ECI said.

The ECI said that the polling stations are ready to welcome the voters with ample shade, drinking water, ramps, toilets, and other basic facilities to ensure that polling takes place in a comfortable and secure environment.

The concerned CEOs, DEOs, and state machinery have been advised to take adequate measures to manage hot weather conditions in areas where it is forecast, it added.

The Commission has called upon voters to turn out in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride. Until now, the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 have seen a voter turnout at polling stations of about 66.95 per cent.

Around 451 million people have already voted during the first four phases of the ongoing general elections, the ECI added.

ECI has partnered with a host of prominent figures to appeal to and motivate voters to cast their vote during the ongoing elections.

The remaining phases of the polls will continue until June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. Polling for 23 states (UTs) and 379 PCs was completed in a smooth and peaceful manner in the first four phases of the general elections.

With the conclusion of four phases, polling for general elections has crossed the halfway mark, with polling completed in 23 states/UTs and 379 parliamentary constituencies.

Polling is also completed in general elections for the state legislative assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh and the 28 assembly seats of the Odisha State Assembly.

The results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will be announced on June 4.

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Srinagar: 22 more candidates file nominations on last day

Independents also made their presence felt, with individuals like Wahida Tabasum, Qazi Ashraf, Fida Hussain Dar, and others throwing their hats into the ring…reports Asian Lite News

The Srinagar Parliamentary constituency is buzzing with political fervour as 39 nominations have been submitted for the upcoming elections on May 13, according to an official announcement made on Thursday.

On the final day for filing nominations, 22 candidates presented their papers to the Returning Officer. Notable among them, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) formally submitted his candidacy, with Salman Sagar standing as his covering candidate.

Other contenders include Hakikat Singh from the National Panthers Party-Bhim, Rakesh Handu from J&K National United Front, Amir Ahmad Bhat from Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), and Qaiser Sultan Ganai, who is the covering candidate for DPAP.

Additionally, a diverse array of candidates from various parties joined the fray, including Ashiq Hussain from Rastriya Jan Kranti Party, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat from Gana Suraksha Party, Suraya Nissar from the National Republic Party of India, and Farooq Ahmad Bhat from the National Youth Party.

Independents also made their presence felt, with individuals like Wahida Tabasum, Qazi Ashraf, Fida Hussain Dar, and others throwing their hats into the ring.

Earlier, on Wednesday, PDP’s Waheed Parra and Apni Party’s Mohammad Ashraf Mir had already submitted their nominations.

With scrutiny of nomination papers set for Friday, candidates have until April 29 to withdraw their names from the race. The constituents will cast their votes on May 13 during the fourth phase of the elections, with the results scheduled to be announced on June 4.

Mega voter awareness program

The Election Commission of India (ECI) organized a mega voter awareness program under SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) at Tulip Garden in Srinagar.

The awareness program aimed to educate citizens about the importance of voting, voter registration processes, and electoral participation.

SVEEP is the flagship program of the ECI for voter education, spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in India. It is a multi-intervention programme that reaches out through different modes and media to educate citizens, electors, and voters about the electoral process to increase their awareness and promote their informed participation.

Polling in Udhampur was held on April 19 (Phase 1), while Jammu, Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar, and Baramulla will poll on April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.

In 2019, polling for the Lok Sabha was held for six seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, following the abrogation of Article 370, which resulted in the split of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories–Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, there is no longer a separate Lok Sabha constituency for Ladakh.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP won three seats while the National Conference won the remaining three.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission held a meeting with concerned agencies to understand the developing weather situation and constituted a task force to review the impact of heat waves and humidity before each polling phase for any concerning developments and mitigatory measures.

The poll body held a meeting with concerned agencies and also discussed measures to mitigate any risk due to hot weather conditions during the Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, was attended by the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Head of Department, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and DG Meteorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The Commission directed MoHFW to issue necessary instructions to health authorities in states to prepare for and extend assistance in case of heatwave conditions affecting election operations. The Commission will hold a separate review with state CEOs to ensure adequate arrangements at polling stations, including shamiyana, drinking water, fans, and other assured minimum facilities, etc., as per its existing advisory dated March 16, 2024. (with inputs from agencies)

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1202 candidates in fray for Phase II

Over 15.88 crore voters will be determining the fate of 1202 candidates in the second phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections…reports Asian Lite News

Over 15.88 crore voters will be determining the fate of 1202 candidates in the second phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

The second phase of polling will be held in 88 constituencies across 13 States/Union Territory. With weather conditions predicted to be within normal ranges, voters can cast their votes comfortably. For convenience for voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities, to deal with hot weather conditions, according to the Election Commission.

The second phase of polling was to be held on 89 seats but it has been deferred to May 7 in Betul in Madhya Pradesh due to the death of the BSP candidate.

According to the ECI, over 15.88 crore voters will be voting in the second phase which includes 8.08 crore male electors, 7.8 crore female electors and 5929 third-gender electors.

A total of 4553 flying squads, 5731 static surveillance teams, 1462 video surveillance teams and 844 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock to strictly and swiftly deal with any form of inducement of voters across the 1.67 lakh polling stations, as per the ECI press note.

The ECI further said that webcasting will be done in more than 50 per cent of the polling stations along with deployment of micro-observers in all polling stations.

Key issues ranging from unemployment, violence against women, economic development, long-pending grievances of farmers, crisis funds and inflation were among the most highlighted across the country.

While, topics that led the debates in the country included Ram Temple, Sanatan Dharma, GST, Caste Census, OBCs and reservation, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Five seats, namely Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nawgong and Kaliabor, out of the total 14 will go to polls in Assam on Friday.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Assam Anurag Goel on Thursday assured that sufficient commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT). He also requested the voters to be cautious of the “unnecessary narratives” about EVMs.

“The second phase of elections in Assam will be conducted in 5 parliamentary constituencies. 9,133 polling stations have been set up and more than 77 lakh voters are going to vote, almost equal number of males and females. We have done sufficient commissioning of EVMs and VVPATs. One thing that I would like to request the electors to be cautious about is the unnecessary narratives going around about EVMs,” the Chief Electoral Officer told ANI.

In Bihar, too five seats will be polling tomorrow out of the total 40, which are Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur and Banka.

Kishanganj District Magistrate Tushar Singla urged the voters to participate in the “festival of democracy” and increase the voter turnout.

“All the EVM dispatch has been done. All the facilities have been ensured at every polling booth. The awareness programs have been conducted for the voters. We expect the voters to participate in the festival of democracy and increase our voter turnout,” Tushar Singla told ANI on Thursday.

As per the ECI press note, polling time in many polling stations in Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger constituencies in Bihar extended till 6 pm to facilitate voters in hot weather conditions.

Three seats namely Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and Kanker out of the total 11 will be voting tomorrow in Chhattisgarh

On poll preparations, Rajnandgaon IGP Incharge, Deepak Jha said, “There are four districts in Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency. Forces have come in according to the demand of the four districts. 60 companies of CAPF, paramilitary and we have also received forces from Madhya Pradesh. They have all been deployed.”

The polling is held in a single seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase.

Ahead of the polling, a Mega Voter Awareness Program under SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) was organized at Tulip Garden in Srinagar on Wednesday. The awareness program aimed to educate citizens about the importance of voting, voter registration processes, and electoral participation.

On arrangements for Lok Sabha elections, Kengoo Zuringla, Ukhrul District Collector in Manipur said, “We are getting all the polling personnel ready and we are distributing their EVMs. We are distributing their polling materials. We already have the security arrangements for them.”

“We are very happy that our Ukhrul district is able to conduct such exercise to ensure that every person, every citizen of our country has the right to express, to be able to choose a leader which is of their own desire. So, this time, we have four candidates from the outer Manipur parliamentary constituency. A total of 145 polling stations are there in the Ukhrul district,” she said.

Out of the total 28 seats, 14 seats will go to the polls in Karnataka on Friday namely Udupi Chikamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikballapur and Kolar.

While all 20 seats will voting in the second phase in Kerala. These include Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram.

On preparation for the Lok Sabha elections, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said, “We have 25,231 polling booths which are ready to welcome all the voters tomorrow morning at 7 am. 70 per cent of the polling parties have reached the booths today.”

“We have made elaborate arrangements for the comfort of the voters who come there. There will be an orderly queue management system. We will have volunteers managing the queues. There will be separate queues for elderly people. There is drinking water and toilet facilities. For our friends who are physically challenged, we have ramps on all the booths. We have wheelchairs,” he said.

“We are ready as far as security is concerned. Police forces also have been deployed. There are about 1700 vulnerable and critical booths spread across all the statistics in the state. Vulnerable and critical booths, we have special facilities. We have cameras both inside and outside the booth and also central paramilitary forces deployed,” the Chief Electoral Officer added.

In Madhya Pradesh, out of the 29 seats, six will be voting in the second phase namely, Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa and Hoshangabad.

On the preparations, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said, “There are polls in 6 constituencies tomorrow. There are around 13,000 polling booths. 1 crore 11 lakh voters will cast their votes. Looking at the heat, there are sheds, water, waiting rooms and chair facilities. Around 2500 booths fall in the category of sensitive. We have made special arrangements for them. More security forces have been deployed there.”

Out of the 48 seats, voting will be held in eight seats in Maharashtra in the second phase. Buldhana, Akola, Amravati (SC), Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded and Parbhani will go to the polls tomorrow.

13 seats namely Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran out of the total 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight out of the total 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, namely Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura and Bulandshahr will go to the polls on Friday.

While voting will be held in three seats namely Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat in West Bengal. There are a total of 42 seats in the state.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 61 of the 88 seats that will go to polls in the second phase.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 24 seats and other parties namely, BSP , CPM and NPF won 3 seats.

Voting will begin at 7 am tomorrow and will conclude at 6 pm. The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

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Congress Releases Third List of Candidates

The list consists of 56 candidates for eight states and Union Territories including Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal and Puducherry….reports Asian Lite News

Congress released the third list of 56 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, fielding Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from West Bengal’s Berhampore, which he has been representing since 1999.

While Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law, Radhakrishna, will contest from the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka.

The list consists of 56 candidates for eight states and Union Territories including Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal and Puducherry.

Congress has again fielded Chowdhury from Berhampore, setting up the much-anticipated clash between the veteran Congress leader and cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan, who has been fielded by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal.

In Rajasthan, the party has named Sunil Sharma from Jaipur, Sangeeta Beniwal from Pali, Umeda Ram Beniwal from Barmer, Urmila Jain Bhaya from Jhalawar-Baran and Kuldeep Indora from Ganganagar.

The party, however, will fight in alliance with the CPI-M on the Sikar parliamentary seat in the state.

The party has announced the candidates for eight seats in West Bengal.

In Karnataka, it has fielded Priyanka Jarkiholi from Chikkodi, Radhakrishna from Gulbarga (SC), Vinod Asooti from Dharwad, former Rajya Sabha member M Rajeev Gowda from Bangalore North, Sowmya Reddy from Bangalore South and Mansoor Ali Khan from Bangalore Central, among others.

Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki has been fielded from Arunachal West.

In Gujarat, the party has named Congress Legislative Party leader in the Gujarat Assembly Amit Chawda from Gujarat’s Anand, while Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar, Prabhaben Taviyad from Dahod (ST) and Nilesh Kumbani from Surat, among others.

With this, the party has declared a total of 138 candidates for the polls.

Earlier, the Congress had released its second list of 43 candidates from four states. Sitting Lok Sabha MP and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav Gogoi will be contesting from Jorhat constituency in the state.

‘Dynasty’ candidates in Karnataka

 The Karnataka Congress on Thursday announced the names of 17 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, polling for which will be held in two phases in the state.

A committee, headed by Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, is yet to finalise the candidates for Kolar, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapur, Chamarajanagar and Bellary constituencies.

The Congress had on March 8 released its list of seven candidates.

The second list of 17 candidates announced by the party include the children of five state Cabinet ministers. This distribution of tickets has emerged as a topic of debate among party members regarding the choice of candidates with political backgrounds.

Most of the tickets have been allocated to “dynasty” candidates to face the BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka.

BJP leader Basanagowda Patil Yatnal criticized the Congress for prioritizing dynasty politics over nurturing grassroots workers within the party.

“The Congress party is known for favouring dynasty politics over providing opportunities for its grassroots workers,” said BJP Leader Basanagowda Patil Yatnal.

A detailed examination of the list reveals the inclusion of several candidates with significant political lineage and financial backing. 

These include Priyanka Jarakiholi, daughter of Satish Jarakiholi, a prominent figure in the Belagavi region, who secured a ticket from Chikkodi despite it being her debut in elections. 

The powerful “Jarakiholi family” in the Belagavi region already holds many key posts in Karnataka. Priyanka Jarakiholi whose father is Satish Jarakiholi a Cabinet Minister for PWD, has been given a ticket from Chikkodi. It’s her first election, and she has received a Lok Sabha ticket.

The Belagavi ticket has been given to DK Shivakumar-backed Cabinet Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s son, Mrinal, who is entering politics with a Lok Sabha ticket.

Rajshekhar Patil, a former minister, who was demanding a Lok Sabha ticket from Bidar, has been overlooked and instead, the Congress party has given a ticket to Sagar Khandre, the son of Karnataka Cabinet Minister Eshwar Khandre.

The Koppal ticket has been given to Rajshekar Hitnal, who is the brother of MLA and Siddaramaiah follower Raghavendra Hitnal.

The Davanagere ticket has been allotted to Prabha Mallikarjun, who is Cabinet Minister SS Mallikarjun’s wife and daughter-in-law of senior Lingayat leader and MLA Shamanur Shivshankarappa.

The Bengaluru South ticket has been given to Soumya Reddy, who is Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter. She lost the 2023 assembly election from Jayanagar against BJP Candidate Ramamurthy.

The ticket for Bengaluru Rural has been given to DK Suresh, the State Congress President and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s brother.

The Shivamogga ticket has been given to former CM Bangarappa’s daughter, actor Shivaraj Kumar’s wife, and Cabinet Minister Madhu Bangarappa’s sister, Geetha Shivarajkumar.

The JDS stronghold Hassan Congress ticket has been allotted to Shreyas Patel, who is Puttaswamy Gowda’s grandson.

The Congress has chosen Samyukta Patil, daughter of Minister Shivanand Patil from Bagalkot.

Radhakrishna,who is Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law has been chosen to contest in Gulbarga.

Meanwhile, from Koppal, the party has fieled Rajshekar Hitnal the brother of Raghavendra Hitnal.

Prabha Mallikarjun, the husband of SS Mallikarjun, has been fielded from Davanagere.

“The list itself proves the agenda of the Congress ticket-sharing idea. It has nothing to do with social justice; it’s about the next generation entry of politically-backed families. Workers like us, who are working day and night, are still on the streets campaigning for them,” said a lady Congress worker who has been working in Congress for more than two decades.

The BJP leaders argue that this candidate list reflects the Congress’s inclination towards dynastic political legacies rather than promoting social justice or meritocracy within the party.

BJP spokesperson S Prakash denounced the list, alleging that it exposes the Congress’s false claims of championing social justice, asserting that it primarily benefits leaders’ relatives.

Criticizing the list of candidates, BJP spokesperson S Prakash said, “The list shows the fake narrative of the Congress, which dramatically talks of social justice. It’s only justice for their leaders’ sons, brothers, and daughters.”

The Congress in Karnataka, which desperately needs to win more numbers in the 28 Lok Sabha seats (having won just one seat from Bengaluru Rural (DK Suresh)), asked and consulted many ministers to contest. After their denial, it has fielded new-generation youngsters to Lok Sabha, giving responsibility to their families to win the seat.

“We need to have more numbers to raise a voice in parliament in favour of Karnataka. I wish all the best to all who got tickets,” wished CM Siddaramaiah.

On the other side, the BJP is also in a dilemma to win more seats from Karnataka to retain its old record. This time, JD(S) has also announced their support in 25 Lok Sabha seats except Kolar, Hassan, and Mandya, which JD(S) is demanding.

In many constituencies, the announced list has led to internal fights, creating significant tension within the BJP.

Mandhuswamy, a former minister who wanted a ticket from Tumakuru, has been passed over in favour of V Somanna, who lost in the Varuna and Chamarajanagar assembly constituencies in the 2023 assembly elections.

After the candidate for Bengaluru North was changed due to backlash against Shobha Karandlaje from Udupi-Chickamagalur, MP Sadananda Gowda announced his retirement from electoral politics. He expressed his unhappiness and stated that one family is controlling the BJP in the state, indirectly attacking BS Yediyurappa’s family.

KS Eshwarappa has become a thorn in the side of BS Yediyurappa’s family and the BJP from Shivamogga. He announced that he would contest independently against BY Raghavendra and stated that the BJP in Karnataka is under the control of one family, BS Yediyurappa’s family, and he wants to cleanse it.

Prajwal Revanna, son of MLA Revanna and grandson of HD Devegowda, is most likely to be fielded from Hassan, but BJP leaders and cadre have shown no interest in this and are opposing the decision.

Former two-time CM, JDS MLA, and JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy is likely to contest from Mandya, as Sumalatha, a BJP-supported independent candidate, is likely to miss the ticket.

The JDS is also demanding a Lok Sabha seat from Kolar, stating favouritism towards the JDS in the Kolar constituency.

The Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka are scheduled to take place in two phases. The first phase, involving 14 constituencies, will be held on April 26. The second phase, also involving 14 constituencies, will take place on May 7. (ANI)

Himachal Candidates to be Finalised Soon

The State General Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Rajneesh Kimta, on Thursday said that the Congress party will finalize the candidates for Lok Sabha in ten days. The party has kept options open for the return of rebel and disqualified legislators.

“In all four parliamentary constituencies, we received applications and all have been submitted to the Congress High Command. The names have been discussed in the screening committee meeting and very soon another meeting will be conducted in 10 to 12 days. The candidates will be finalized after the meeting of the central election committee,” said Rajneesh Kimta while speaking to ANI.

“As far as the BJP is concerned they are over-ambitious and in a hurry. They should not forget they lost in elections and also in assembly. We shall field the strong candidates and shall win all elections,” added Kimta.

On being asked on the announcement by the state party chief (Pratibha Singh) for withdrawal of candidature from the Mandi parliamentary he said that she will answer and there is no resentment among the party workers.

“I don’t know why she has said so because there is no one in the party who is annoyed. We have fulfilled the promises and delivered to every section of the society. We have managed during the disaster in the state. We have given a package of 4500 crore rupees to the people of the state despite not getting any support from the union government, added the State General Secretary.

The Congress leader further said, “We have implemented the Old Pension Scheme and provided an honorarium of 1500 rupees to the women. Also, support prices were increased and apple prices to the Farmers, there is no problem in the party. Our leaders are not denying and it’s good that Kaul Singh has advocated for young people.”

“Whatever situation has arisen in the disqualification of MLAs, the people have given a mandate against the BJP and if we have to go for a by-election, we shall win all. We are open to talks with the rebels to come back to power. Everything went well at the party. After Holi festival we shall organize a meeting of the coordination committee,” Kimta added further.

For four parliamentary seats, in Shimla SC constituency 16 Congress leaders have applied, for Kangra, 13 leaders have applied, for Hamirpur 5 congress leaders have applied to contest and for Mandi, three candidates have applied.

Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats — Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP had won all four seats in 2019. Later, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh snatched Mandi from the BJP in a bypoll necessitated in 2021 following the death of incumbent MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

The bypolls to six Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, fallen vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLAs, will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, state’s Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg said earlier. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)

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BJP’s poll body finalises 90 candidates

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda, among others…reports Asian Lite News

The second meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) concluded here in the national capital late on Monday night, with the names of approximately 90 candidates being finalized for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, sources said.

According to the party sources, names of about 90 candidates across seven states were finalized in the meeting which was held at BJP headquarters in Delhi. An official announcement on the same is expected by the party soon, they said.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda, among others.

Union Ministers Anurag Thakur, Prahlad Joshi, Nityanand Rai, party MPs Sushil Modi, CR Patil, Telangana State President Kishan Reddy, Himachal LoP Jairam Thakur, Himachal in-charge Shrikant Sharma, Karnataka former CMs BS Yeddyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka state president Vijendra Yeddyurappa, Karnataka LoP R Ashok, Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla, and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel were also present.

As per the sources, discussions were held regarding the Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. However, due to ongoing coalition talks in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, there might be delays in finalizing candidate lists for these states, the sources said.

They said that discussions were held for all remaining 11 seats in Gujarat, and names for seven seats have been finalized.

Talks for the remaining five seats in Madhya Pradesh concluded with a consensus reached on four seats. Deliberations were held on candidate names for 25 seats in Maharashtra, eight seats in Telangana, and all 28 seats in Karnataka. However, sources said that JD(S) is likely to secure three seats in Karnataka. Additionally, discussions for all four seats in Himachal Pradesh also held, sources said.

Proposed alliances with parties like JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party, and others in Bihar, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, JJP in Haryana, and BJD in Odisha have not yet finalized seat-sharing arrangements.

On March 2, the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will seek his third straight term in the Lower House from Varanasi.

Of the 195 candidates, 34 are ministers from the Center and States, while two are former chief ministers who are on the list.

In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats. The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held sometime between April and May this year. (ANI)

Several MP Congress leaders joins BJP

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders, including former MLA Arunoday Choubey and Shivdayal Bagri, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in the state capital Bhopal on Monday.

According to the BJP Madhya Pradesh, the leaders joined the ruling party of the state due to their admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ideology and development initiatives as the driving force behind their decision.

CM Mohan Yadav, while addressing the party workers here said that the induction of Arunoday Choubey will lead the party to secure a significant victory in the Sagar parliamentary constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to be held in April-May this year.

Mohan Yadav further emphasized that all new members would receive respect within the BJP, emphasizing that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s family.

“All those joining the party will get respect here because this is Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s family. With ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas’, the strength of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s family is increasing every day. This time Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the slogan of crossing 400, together we will complete it. For the third time under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the country will develop rapidly in every field,” Mohan Yadav said.

State President Vishnu Dutt Sharma pointed out that prominent Congress leaders from various regions joined the BJP recognizing the increasing global prestige of India under PM Modi’s leadership.

“I assure you (new members of BJP) that all of you will feel like the family of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji here. Today, big Congress leaders from different areas of the state have taken membership of the party after being impressed by the policies of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The leaders joining the party realized that India’s prestige in the world is continuously increasing under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” Vishnudutt Sharma said.

Arunoday Choubey, who left Congress for BJP, explained his decision, citing his impression of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s policies.

“My ticket was filed from Congress, but I refused because I am impressed by the policies of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the increasing respect of India on the world stage. I served the Congress honestly for forty years, and I also got respect from the party, but the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the work of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji kept influencing me and today I joined the Bharatiya Janata Party,” Arunoday Choubey said.

Along with the Chief Minister, MP and State BJP President VD Sharma and former minister Narottam Mishra were also present. (ANI)

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2 SP candidates to contest from jail

The other SP leader, who will be contesting from behind the bars is Nahid Hasan from Kairana in Shamli district…reports Asian Lite News

Two Samajwadi Party candidates — Mohd Azam Khan and Nahid Hasan — will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from jail.

Mohd Azam Khan, SP MP, has been named as the party candidate form Rampur. Azam Khan has been in jail since February 2020 after multiple cases were lodged against him.

He has applied for bail in the Supreme Court and is awaiting decision. In the meantime, his wife Tanzeen Fatima and son Abdullah Azam will campaign for him in Rampur.

Abdullah Azam is himself a candidate from the Suar Assembly seat and is presently out on bail.

“There is tremendous sympathy now for Azam Khan and his family, especially after the manner in which the Yogi Adityanath government went overboard in booking him in frivolous cases like buffalo theft, book theft, statue theft, goat theft, etc. While his family will lead the campaign for him, senior party leaders will also join him to ensure his victory,” said a senior SP leader.

The other SP leader, who will be contesting from behind the bars is Nahid Hasan from Kairana in Shamli district.

His nomination was accepted by the returning officer on Monday. The candidature of Nahid’s sister Iqra Hasan, who was tipped to contest if Nahid is not allowed, has also been accepted.

Nahid, the sitting MLA from Kairana, was arrested on January 15 by the UP Police. He was wanted in a case in which police had slapped the Gangster and Anti-Social Activities Prevention) Act on him for an incident that took place in February 2021.

He was produced in the MP/MLA court of Shamli and sent to jail for 14 days.

Soon after Nahid’s arrest, his London-returned sister, Iqra Hasan, started campaigning on her brother’s behalf.

Also, apprehending that ‘unfavourable circumstances’ might lead to rejection of his candidature, Iqra too had filed her nomination papers as an independent candidate.

“My mother and former MP Tabassum Hasan and brother Nahid were framed in false cases,” said Iqra who will continue campaigning for her brother.

Voting in Kairana will be held in the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh, on February 10.

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