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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

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BJP Fine-Tunes Poll Campaign With NaMo Merchandise

The merchandise line-up includes popular campaign slogans such as “Ab Ki Baar 400 Paar” and “Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar,” “Modi Ki Guarantee,” and the timeless “Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai”…reports Asian Lite News

Days ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched its official campaign 2024 merchandise, the NaMo Merchandise, which is exclusively available on the Narendra Modi App.

The merchandise line-up includes popular campaign slogans such as “Ab Ki Baar 400 Paar” and “Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar,” “Modi Ki Guarantee,” and the timeless “Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai”.

The official campaign merchandise is available in several categories, including t-shirts, mugs, caps, badges, stationery, stickers, fridge magnets, and more.

‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ reflects PM Modi’s vision for a better India. Let’s unite for progress and show our undying support to live up to the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047!

Apart from that one of the most prominent themes in the featured merchandise is “Modi Ka Parivar,” which has become a viral catchphrase among millions of Indians who consider Prime Minister Modi as their own family.

“Everything is possible with the ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’! Let’s strengthen our commitment to ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ and aim for ‘Ab Ki Baar 400 Paar’ with the official BJP 2024 campaign #NaMoMerchandise”, Kuljeet Singh Chahal, national convener of the NaMo app, wrote in a post on X.

As Lok Sabha elections are right around the corner, the BJP is not only campaigning on the ground but also aggressively leveraging technology and social media to reach out to voters and receive valuable feedback.

Last December, the NaMo App, or the Narendra Modi App introduced the ‘Jan Man Survey’, an innovative survey that aims to tap into the ‘Jan Man’–what is on the minds of the citizens–through an interesting and gamified interface.

The Jan Man Survey presents a set of easy-to-answer questions to citizens, collecting their diverse opinions on various aspects of governance and leadership.

To celebrate the true spirit of democracy, these questions include both central-level development and specifics related to the user’s constituency.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India on Wednesday issued the notification for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 to be conducted on April 19.

In the notification, the ECI informed that March 28 will be the last date for filing nominations for Bihar and March 27 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

“March 30 will be the date for scrutiny of nominations for Bihar and March 28 for others,” the notification said.

According to the ECI’s notification, April 2 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidatures for Bihar and March 30 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry;

“June 6, the date before which the election shall be completed in all the above-mentioned parliamentary constituencies,” the notification read.

Elections will be held in 102 Lok Sabha seats in 17 States and Four Union Territories in this phase.

39 seats in Tamil Nadu, 12 in Rajasthan, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, and 6 in Madhya Pradesh will go to polls in the first phase.

Along with them, five seats in Uttarakhand, Assam and Maharashtra, four seats in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and one seat in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry will also go to polls on April 19.

The Election Commission on March 16, announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The polling will be conducted in seven phases across the nation from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will be on June 4. (ANI)

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Parties give intriguing replies to EC on poll bonds

The Kannada Naadu Party, which has since passed a resolution for dissolution, submitted a letter to the Election Commission requesting its de-recognition…reports Asian Lite News

The Election Commission’s request to parties for details of electoral bonds received by them elicited myriad, and often unsolicited, responses — one party seeking its deregistration and another noting that its chief personally donates Rs 500 once every three months to the party fund.

In their responses to the Election Commission, some parties gave explanations for not receiving any donation through electoral bonds while others cited their inability to provide the requested information.

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party cited its status as a new party and claimed it had not garnered any votes in elections and hence had no details to provide. Similarly, the Sarvjan Lok Shakti party submitted a handwritten note stating that it had not received any donation as yet.

The Bharat Ka Kisan Mazdoor Party expressed frustration, lamenting their lack of recognition and claiming no support from industrialists or capitalists, resulting in the party not receiving any funds through electoral bonds.

The Tamil Nadu-based Tamilar Desiya Munnani cited health issues of its leadership for its inability to respond to the Election Commission notice within the given time frame. It also mentioned that it had not received any donation through electoral bonds until September 30, 2023.

The Makkal Nala Kazhagam noted that its president personally deposits money into the party account every three months.

“Party president S Sathiyamoorthy is depositing his own money Rs 500 once in three months in party account in the concerned bank,” it said.

The Kannada Naadu Party, which has since passed a resolution for dissolution, submitted a letter to the Election Commission requesting its de-recognition.

“…resolutions passed at the respective meetings had been forwarded to your good offices and we are awaiting your confirmation of de-recognition as a political party,” it said in the response.

Parties such as the Jan Shakti Dal, Neethi Nijayathi Party and the Gunj Satya Ni Janta Party claimed to have received no donations.

Many parties, including the Aasra Lokmanch Party, Bharatiya Sarthak Party and the National Bhrashtachar Mukti Party, stated that they had not received any donations and mentioned that they did not fall in the category eligible to receive electoral bonds.

The Bahujan Rajyam Party clarified that it had not received any electoral bonds, highlighting the eligibility criteria that limit bond issuance to parties securing at least one per cent of the votes polled in previous elections.

ALSO READ-Six constituencies identified as ‘financially sensitive’

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Stage set for big Anantnag-Rajouri LS seat battle

The ‘Nazrana’ (Devotional offerings) offered at the Wangat shrine includes cash, cattle, sheep and goats whose value runs into crores of Rupees each year. The devotees come to the ‘Peer’ every year at Wangat…reports Asian Lite News

As the battlelines start becoming clear in the five Lok Sabha seats in J&K, the most interesting to watch is going to be the south Kashmir Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

This is the only Lok Sabha constituency in J&K that is spread over both the Jammu division and Kashmir with the most diverse mix of communities and voter affinities.

The constituency includes the two districts of Kashmir, including Anantnag and Kulgam, and two districts in Jammu division, including Rajouri and Poonch. The voter mix is as diverse as the topography of the constituency.

Spread over the plains of Anantnag district known as the rice bowl of Kashmir to the limits of the Valley’s mountains in Pahalgam hill station, Kokernag, mountainous terrain of Kulgam and the rugged, tough and challenging borderlines of Poonch and Rajouri districts, the constituency is running close to the Line of Control (LoC).

The constituency has a varied class of voters, including the Kashmiri speaking Muslims of Anantnag and Kulgam with influential Gujjari speaking Muslims of Pahalgam, higher reaches of Kokernag right up to Daksum and the foothills of Kulgam district.

The two districts of Rajouri and Poonch with a very large number of Gujjar and Pahari communities will finally decide the winner and loser in this constituency.

The reach and popularity of the fighting candidates is undoubtedly not going to be universal in this varied mixture of voters and communities.

There is hardly a single leader of any political party that can safely be picked up as the winner in this constituency despite the influence of the National Conference (NC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Each of these parties has an appreciable presence in this constituency, but none with such a presence that would make victory a foregone conclusion.

It is under this background that the NC has decided to put forth its most powerful Gujjar/Bakarwal leader, Mian Altaf Ahmed into the arena.

Mian Altaf Ahmed is not just the political leader of the Gujjar/Bakarwal communities in the four districts of this constituency, he is also the most respected religious leader of this community.

For the last four generations, spread over Mian Altaf’s great grandfather down to his father, late Mian Bashir Ahmad, reverently called the ‘Baba Sahib’ (The great father), Mian Altaf sits on a legacy of lethal power against his opponents. Each year on the annual Urs at his ancestral seat in Wangat village of north Kashmir Ganderbal district, thousands of Gujjars/Bakarwals from every nook and corner of Poonch and Rajouri districts and other parts of the UT converge to pay obeisance at the shrine.

The ‘Nazrana’ (Devotional offerings) offered at the Wangat shrine includes cash, cattle, sheep and goats whose value runs into crores of Rupees each year. The devotees come to the ‘Peer’ every year at Wangat.

Very cleverly, the NC has decided to send Mount to Moses by fielding Mian Altaf Ahmed. Instead of Moses coming to the Mount as do the Gujjars/Bakarwals in thousands each year to Wangat shrine. The party is definite to announce Mian Altaf’s candidature for the constituency any time soon.

Sources close to Mian Altaf told IANS that his consent has already been sought and after the request was made to him by both Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, the Mian had no option other than consent.

With the NC fielding Mian Altaf Ahmed, the BJP is now seriously considering the choice of his opponent. One big advantage the BJP has in Poonch and Rajouri districts is the recent announcement of ST status for the Pahari community.

Statistics show that the Pahari community has over three lakh voters in these two districts. The Paharis are committed to vote for the BJP as their 70-year long demand was fulfilled by the BJP government at the centre.

Among Gujjars and Hindus living in these two districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the BJP also has supporters whose votes would definitely favour the BJP candidate.

Given the fact that any reconciliation between the NC and the PDP is now out of the question, Kashmiri speaking Muslim voters in Anantnag and Kulgam would surely cut into each other in this constituency as the PDP is likely fielding a powerful candidate to avenge its disgrace by the NC.

The NC dumped the PAGD without even asking the PDP chief, Mehbooba Mufti. Sources close to her indicate that despite maintaining a low outward resistance, Mehbooba Mufti will not take the left-handed compliment of NC sitting down.

Ghulam Nabi Azad does not have any formidable presence in this constituency, but together with the Congress, Azad can play the spoilsport for the PDP and the NC.

Given these permutations and combinations, much will now depend on who the BJP chooses to field in this constituency.

The ‘Battle Royale’ is decidedly going to be between NC’s Mian Altaf Ahmad and the BJP.

With the scale heavily loaded in favour of the senior Gujjar/Bakarwal leader, the BJP will have to field a formidable stalwart to take the legal mixture of politics and religion represented by the Mian head on.

In a nutshell, the most interesting electoral battle in J&K is going to be fought in the south Kashmir Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

ALSO READ-Rajasthan’s political parties explore new equations  

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ECI shakes up administrative posts

With this step, the Election Commission of India has shown its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections…reports Asian Lite News

In a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Additionally, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed.

The commission has directed all the State Governments to transfer the officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts.

Maharashtra had not complied with the directions in respect of few Municipal Commissioners and some Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners in Maharashtra.

While conveying displeasure to the Chief Secretary, the Commission directed transfer of BMC and the additional / Deputy commissioners with the direction to report by 6pm.

The Chief Secretary was further directed to transfer all the similarly placed Municipal commissioners and Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners of other Corporations in Maharashtra.

This step comes as part of the Commission’s resolve and commitment to maintaining a level playing field and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Rajiv Kumar time and again and recently during the Press Conference for announcement of Schedule for General Elections 2024.

The Commission meeting chaired by Shri Rajiv Kumar, comprising of Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was held on Monday at noon.

The officials who have been removed in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister in respective states which may potentially compromise or be seen to be compromising the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, especially in matters relating to law and order, deployment of forces, etc.

Furthermore, the Election Commission has also taken the necessary action to remove the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal. This decision was taken due to DGP being removed from any active election management related duty earlier, during 2016 Assembly Election in the state and in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

With this step, the Election Commission of India has shown its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections.

Through these measures, the Commission ensures that all stakeholders uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thereby safeguarding the level playing field in the entire electoral process. (ANI)

Mamata hits out over Bengal DGP’s removal  

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Monday welcomed the removal of West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar by the ECI, saying that Kumar’s removal was inevitable due to his compromised position and inability to conduct a fair election.

Majumdar also claimed that Mamata Banerjee has many such ‘Rajeev Kumars’ throughout West Bengal on her payroll.

“Rajeev Kumar was supposed to be removed. He is the same Rajeev Kumar against whom the CBI registered an FIR and had gone to arrest him when he was a Commissioner of Police (CP) and had disappeared. Mamata Banerjee had protested against his arrest, so such a person is more like a cadre of the party (TMC) than a DGP. In 2014, he was also removed from the position of CP because the commission felt that he was compromised and could not conduct a fair election. But not just one Rajeev Kumar, Mamata Banerjee has kept many small Rajeev Kumars on her payroll throughout West Bengal,” he said.

Ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued orders for the removal of West Bengal’s Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, along with some other senior officials from various states.

The DGP had been in the spotlight after the BJP and other opposition parties criticised the Bengal police for alleged inaction in giving justice to the victims of Sandeshkhali.

The Sandeshkhali area had been witnessing unrest after women protestors sought justice against alleged atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides.

Meanwhile, the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Kolkata, Vivek Sahay, was appointed as the DGP of West Bengal on Monday, following the removal of the previous DGP, Rajeev Kumar, by the Election Commission.

“The Governor is pleased to appoint Shri Vivek Sahay, IPS, Director General and Commandant General, Home Guards, West Bengal, to the post of Director General and Inspector of Police, West Bengal, with immediate effect until further order. This appointment is made in the interest of public service,” the chief secretary of West Bengal wrote in a notice. (ANI)

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SC Pulls Up SBI On Poll Bonds

A five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked SBI’s Chairman to file a compliance affidavit 5 pm of March 21…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose all details to the Election Commission of India which are in its possession, including the Electoral Bonds’ unique alphanumeric numbers corresponding to each bond.

A five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked SBI’s Chairman to file a compliance affidavit 5 pm of March 21.

The Chairman has to file affidavit indicating that SBI has disclosed all details of Electoral Bonds which were in its possession and custody and no details have been withheld, the court said.

It further asked the Election Commission of India to upload the details on its website forthwith upon receipt of information from the SBI.

There is no manner of doubt that SBI was required to disclose all details available with it. This, we clarify, will include the alphanumeric number and serial number, if any, of the bonds purchased,” the bench ordered.

It added, “In order to avoid any controversy in the future, the Chairperson of the bank should file an affidavit by 5 pm on Thursday that it has disclosed all details in its custody and that no details have been withheld.”

The bench said that its February 15 judgment mandated the SBI to disclose all details including the date of purchase/redemption, name of purchaser/recipient, and the denomination of Electoral Bonds.

The use of the word including means that the details specified in the judgment are illustrative and not exhaustive, the apex court said.

The bench, during the hearing, observed that SBI should not be selective on disclosing the details.

Last week, the apex court took exception to SBI for not furnishings Electoral Bonds data with unique alphanumeric numbers, which help identify the bond, and issued notice to it.

It had said that the SBI has not fully complied with its March 11 order in which it had ordered the bank to disclose all details concerning Electoral Bonds.

During today’s hearing, the top court also expressed displeasure on SCBA President Adhish Aggarwala writing letter to CJI DY Chandrachud for suo motu review of Electoral Bonds judgement, and CJI said these are all publicity related issue and we will not get into this.

CJI told Aggarwala, “Apart from being a senior counsel, you are president of SCBA. You have written a letter invoking my suo Motu powers. These are all publicity related… and we will not get into this. Do not make me say anything more. It will be distasteful.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, told the apex court that ultimate aim was to curb black money and top court must be aware of how this judgment is being played outside the court.

“Now the witch hunting has started on another level and not at the level of the Central government. Those before the court started giving press interviews and deliberately embarrassing the court. A series of social media posts, at least intended to cause embarrassment, started,” Solicitor General said and asked it to consider issuing some direction in this regard.

To this, CJI DY Chandrachud said that as judges we are only on the rule of law and work as per the Constitution.

“Our court is only to work for the governance of rule of law in this polity. As judges we are also discussed in social media but our shoulders are broad enough to take this. We are only on enforcing our directions of the judgment,” said the CJI.

The Supreme Court by its February verdict had struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme which allowed for anonymous funding to political parties, and ordered the SBI to stop issuing Electoral Bonds immediately.

It had unanimously quashed the Electoral Bonds scheme as well as amendments made to the Income Tax Act and the Representation of People Act which had made the donations anonymous.

It had asked SBI to furnish the details about each Electoral Bonds encashed by the political parties, which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of electoral bond.

An Electoral Bond is an instrument in the nature of a promissory note or bearer bond which can be purchased by any individual, company, firm or association of persons provided the person or body is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. The bonds are issued specifically for the purpose of contribution of funds to political parties.

Various petitions were filed before the top court challenging amendments made to different statutes through Finance Act 2017 and Finance Act 2016 on the ground that they have opened doors to unlimited, unchecked funding of political parties. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Complied With SC Direction on Electoral Bonds Data, Says SBI

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Rahul Gandhi calls for ‘combined consciousness’

Making a call of empathy for each other, the Congress leader said that there is no ‘combined consciousness’ in the people of the country…reports Asian Lite News

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a call for ‘combined consciousness’ while addressing Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Mumbai after the conclusion of his 63-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

While addressing the Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Mumbai on Sunday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, “If India is a country of ‘Mohabbat’ then why is hatred being spread? We say that the BJP spreads hatred, but there has to be a basis for this hatred. The reason for hatred is injustice. In this country, every day injustice is being done against the poor, farmers, Dalits, women, & youth.”

“Papers are being leaked, farmers are not getting MSPs, labourers are not getting minimum wage, and small workers are crushed with GST. At every step, people came to me and spoke about the injustice happening to them,” the Congress leader said, recollecting his journey at the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Making a call of empathy for each other, the Congress leader said that there is no ‘combined consciousness’ in the people of the country.

“People are able to see the injustice happening to them, but they neglect the injustice happening to the fellow citizens. Unless you see the injustice happening to your fellow countrymen, no movement can be started,” he said.

“There are a maximum of 5 per cent of people who get justice. For them, the courts, government, and all other institutions work for them. But if we look at the other 90 per cent of the population, they have been suffering due to injustice,” he added.

“In the Bharat Jodo Yatra, I was not alone, lakhs of people were walking with me. The strength of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was not Rahul Gandhi, but all of the other people that stood by me. All of us need to fight together,” the Congress MP stated.

The Congress leader characterised the clash between two ideologies by asserting, “The BJP adheres to centralised political control. According to the BJP and RSS perspectives, only one individual possesses wisdom, while farmers, labourers, and the youth are deemed lacking in knowledge. However, I believe that a farmer in our nation is just as knowledgeable as a scientist.”

Day after concluding the 63-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, days ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with the party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and actor Swara Bhaskar, held the ‘Jan Nyay Padyatra’ from Mani Bhavan Sangrahalaya to August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai, on Sunday. (ANI)

CWC to meet on March 19 to give nod to manifesto

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will discuss the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections at its meeting on March 19 and give the final shape to it.

The Congress’ central election committee (CEC) chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to meet on March 19 to 20 to finalise the remaining candidates of the party for the seven-phase polls beginning April 19.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the CWC, its top decision-making body, would meet on March 19 and give its nod to the draft manifesto which carries the five ‘guarantees’ for justice.

He said the party will fight the elections on the issue of ‘five nyay’ (justice) — ‘Bhagidari Nyay’, ‘Kisan Nyay’, ‘Nari Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Yuva Nyay’ — with 25 guarantees, five for each nyay, which have already been announced by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi.

“These are the guarantees by the Congress party and not by a single person,” he remarked in an obvious jibe at the prime minister who has been claiming to provide “Modi ki guarantee”.

Sources said the party’s CEC would also discuss and finalise the party candidates. The Congress has so far announced a total of 82 candidates in two separate lists — first list of 39 candidates and the second of 43.

ALSO READ-EC advises Rahul Gandhi to be cautious in public utterances

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India goes to poll

Simultaneous election for Lok Sabha and assembly will be held in four states — Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. J&K, which has been under President’s Rule since 2018, was not on the list…reports Asian Lite News

The 2024 general election in India for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases that will begin from April 19 and continue till June 1, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said today, announcing the commencement of the world’s largest democratic exercise in which the BJP would attempt to win a third consecutive term in power. The results of the election will be announced on June 4.

Simultaneous election for Lok Sabha and assembly will be held in four states — Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.  Jammu and Kashmir, which has been under President’s Rule since 2018, was not on the list.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held soon after the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Kumar said. Simultaneous election was not viable due to shortage of security personnel, he added, pointing out that the Commission has to provide security to every member who would contest in the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

By-elections will also be held for 26 assembly seats across multiple states, including Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Kumar, announcing the dates, sent out a strong message on the circulation of fake news on social media, saying political parties should ensure responsible social media behaviour — “verify before you amplify”.

“Fake news will be dealt with severely as per existant laws.. Section 79 (3)(B) of the IT Act empowers nodal officers in each state to remove unlawful content,” he said.

The other strong message was on violation of model code in terms of hate speeches. “There should be issue-based campaign, no hate speeches, no speeches along caste or religious lines, no criticism of anyone’s personal lives,” he said.

The media must clarify when they carry political adverts, those cannot masquerade as news, he said. Individual messages regarding this would be sent to the candidates, he added.

The commission has employed 2,100 advisors to keep an eye on these issues and strong action will be taken regarding this, he said.

Voters above the age of 85 years and persons with disabilities, with 40 per cent disability can vote from home, Kumar said. Around 82 lakh voter are above the age of 85, he said.

The announcement of election come days after Election Commissioner Arun Goel quit, leaving the three-member Commission with only the Chief Election Commissioner.

Asked about the matter, Kumar said, “Arun was a very distinguished member of the team and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. But in every institution, one must be given personal space. So if he has given personal reasons, respect it”.

On Thursday, a committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi named two retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers — Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar – as Election Commissioners. They took oath the next day.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into effect from Saturday after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for elections to the Lok Sabha and four state assemblies, with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asking all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code.

According to the set of guidelines issued by the EC (Election Commission), no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.

It lists out the dos and don’ts regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, conduct of parties and their candidates on polling day, polling booth, observers, party in power and guidelines on election manifestos.

According to the guidelines, all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are “corrupt practices” and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations, holding public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from polling station.

The poll body said that organizing demonstrations or picketing before the houses of individuals by way of protesting against their opinions or activities shall not be resorted to under any circumstances.

No political party or candidate shall permit its or his followers to make use of any individual’s land, building, compound wall etc., without his permission for erecting flag-staffs, suspending banners, pasting notices, writing slogans etc.

Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organized by other parties. Workers or sympathisers of one political party shall not create disturbances at public meetings organized by another political party by putting questions orally or in writing or by distributing leaflets of their own party. Processions shall not be taken out by one party along places at which meetings are held by another party. Posters issued by one party shall not be removed by workers of another party.

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BJP releases second list of 72 candidates

Banto Kataria from Ambala, Ashok Tanwar from Sirsa, Chaudhary Dharambir Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendargah, Rao Inderjit Singh Yadav from Gurgaon, and Krishanpal Gurjar from Faridabad…reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party released the second list of Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday, consisting of 72 candidates, including three former Chief Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Basvaraj Bommai as well as four Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Anurag Thakur, and Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi.

The BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the Karnal Lok Sabha seat. Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier resigned from the position of Haryana Chief Minister on Tuesday.

In Himachal Pradesh, Union Minister Anurag Thakur will contest from the Hamirpur constituency. Suresh Kashyap has been fielded from Shimla seat.

In Karnataka, the party has fielded Union Minister Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad. Tejaswi Surya will contest from the Bangalore South constituency. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai has been given a ticket from the Haveri Lok Sabha seat, while PC Mohan will contest from Bangalore Central.

In Maharashtra, the BJP has decided to field Union Minister Nitin Gadkari from the Nagpur seat. Piyush Goyal will contest from Mumbai North. Pankja Munde has been fielded from Beed.

The BJP also announced the candidature for two seats in Uttarakhand.

The party has fielded former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat from the Haridwar seat while Anil Baluni, who is the National Chief Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to contest from the Garhwal seat.

Also, BJP announced that Harsh Malhotra will contest from East Delhi constituency, a seat which was held by former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir. Yogendra Chandolia will contest from North West Delhi.

Meanwhile, Kalaben Delkar will contest from Dadar and Nagar Haveli.

In the second list, the BJP has announced the names of candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.

In Gujarat, the party has fielded Hashmukhbhai Somabhai Patel from Ahmedabad East, Dhawal Patel from Valsad, Mukeshbhai Chandrakant Dalal from Surat, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt from Vadodara, Nimuben Bambhania from Bhavnagar, Bhikhaji Dudhaji Thakor from Sabarkantha and Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathwa from Chhota Udaipur.

Six names have been announced from Haryana.

Banto Kataria from Ambala, Ashok Tanwar from Sirsa, Chaudhary Dharambir Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendargah, Rao Inderjit Singh Yadav from Gurgaon, and Krishanpal Gurjar from Faridabad.

BJP has fielded Raghvendra from Shimoga and V Sommana from Tumkur in Karnataka.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has fielded Vivek ‘Bunty’ Sahu from the Chhindwara seat where he will face Congress leader Nakul Nath. Shankar Lalwani will contest from Indore.

In Maharashtra, Anup Dhotre will fight the polls from the Akola seat on the BJP ticket, and Kapil Moreshwar Patil from Bhiwandi.

In Telangana, Godam Nagesh will contest from Adilabad, DK Aruna from Mahbubnagar, and Saida Reddy will contest from Nalgonda.

From Tripura East, Maharani Kriti Singh Debbarma will contest on BJP ticket.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday had released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi again.

Meanwhile, Congress has so far announced names for 82 Lok Sabha seats.

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

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One-nation, one-poll report likely soon

The committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is likely to recommend a concrete model for one nation-one election for synchronising the different poll cycles…reports Asian Lite News

The high-level committee set up by the government to draw a roadmap for holding simultaneous elections is expected to submit an eight-volume report, running into 18,000 pages, to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, sources said.

The committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is likely to recommend a concrete model for one nation-one election — as opposed to suggesting options — for synchronising the different poll cycles, it is learnt.

The committee is reported to have deliberated on a number of options for ensuring continuity of simultaneous elections.

According to sources, it also debated the German model of constructive vote of no-confidence — where a no-confidence motion against the incumbent can be brought if there is a positive vote of confidence in a successor — but decided against recommending it. The panel found it to be “against the tenets of Indian democracy”, a source said.

One Nation, One Election The committee is reported to have deliberated on a number of options for ensuring continuity of simultaneous elections.

The Law Commission, in its 2018 draft report, had recommended the “constructive vote of no-confidence” as a way to ensure stability of governments.

The panel met representatives of political parties, retired Chief Justices, former Chief Election Commissioners, industrialists and economists as a part of its consultations with stakeholders. It also invited comments from the public in January. In a statement in January, the committee said it had received 20,972 responses, of which 81 per cent were in favour of simultaneous elections.

While it is learnt that the committee wrote to the Election Commission (EC) asking for a meeting at least twice, the EC did not meet the committee but sent its written response. The committee also examined the macroeconomic impact of simultaneous elections, as well as the implications on crime rate and education outcomes.

Joint polls see high GDP growth, low inflation: Kovind committee told Asaduddin Owaisi presents AIMIM’s submissions to One Nation, One Election panel chairperson Ram Nath Kovind in the presence of members N K Singh and Rajiv Mani. (File photo)

The Union Law Ministry had appointed the committee in September 2023 to make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

Apart from Kovind, the committee includes Home Minister Amit Shah, former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairperson N K Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary-General Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, was included in the committee too, but he declined to be a part of it, saying it was an “eyewash”. He said the terms of reference had been drawn up in a way that guaranteed the conclusions.

The committee was asked to suggest specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the RP Act, 1951 and the rules framed under them. It was also tasked with examining whether any amendments to the Constitution would require to be ratified by states.

According to its terms of reference, the Kovind Committee was also asked to “analyse and recommend possible solution in a scenario of simultaneous elections emerging out of a hung House, adoption of no-confidence motion, or defection, or any such other event” and “suggest a framework for synchronisation of elections and specifically, suggest the phases and time-frame within which simultaneous elections may be held”. It also looked into the logistics of holding simultaneous elections, and the modalities for a common electoral roll and Voter ID cards.

Law panel may suggest new chapter in Constitution

Meanwhile, the Law Commission is is likely to recommend adding a new chapter to the constitution on ‘one nation, one election’ to aid simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies by 2029, Deccan Herald has reported.

The suggested amendment to the Constitution would introduce a new chapter covering issues related to simultaneous elections, their sustainability, and the creation of a common electoral roll. This chapter, if adopted, would hold the authority to override other constitutional provisions concerning the terms of legislative assemblies.

The commission, led by Justice (retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi, is also likely to recommend synchronization of polls in three phases over the five-year period.

The commission will recommend that the first phase may deal with state assemblies whose period will have to be curtailed by a few months – three or six months, the Deccan Herald reported.

In the event of a government collapse due to a vote of no confidence or a hung House, the Law Commission proposes the formation of a “unity government” comprising representatives from various political parties. If this approach proves ineffective, the recommendation is to conduct fresh elections for the remaining term of the House.

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