THE HEADLINES :
- Intense campaigning continues for third phase of Lok Sabha Elections to be held in 12 States and Union Territories on 7th May.
- BJP and Congress delegations meet Election Commission; BJP accuses Congress of misleading people through deep fake videos; Congress alleges misquoting of its manifesto by BJP.
- UGC postpones National Eligibility Test examination from 16th to 18th
- Rains trigger multiple landslides in Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu-Srinagar Highway closed for vehicular traffic.
- More than 40 people killed in Kenya after a dam burst.
- Velavan Senthil kumar wins his eighth Professional Squash Association Tour title in Paris.
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Intense campaigning continues for third phase of Lok Sabha Elections to be held in 95 constituencies in 10 States and 2 Union Territories on the 7th of next month. Key leaders of various political parties are holding multiple rallies covering several constituencies in various states in a single day.
Prime Minister and Senior BJP leader Narendra Modi today held public meetings at Bagalkote in Karnataka and Solapur and Satara in Maharashtra today. In his Solapur rally, the Prime Minister said, nobody in the country can change the constitution or end reservation in the country. He said, even if Baba Saheb himself come and ask to end reservations or to change the Constitution, it would not happen. Mr. Modi accused the opposition of spreading lies about changing the constitution and ending reservation. In Satara rally, Mr Modi said, NDA government used technologies such as social media to connect to the masses and to garner feedback for welfare various schemes of the Government and the opposition is circulating fake videos.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today addressed public meetings in Patan, Gujarat and Bilaspur city of Chhattisgarh. In Bilaspur he said, this Lok Sabha election is not just an election but a fight between two ideologies.
Here is a report on campaigning by various party leaders.
Senior BJP Leader Amit shah held two rallies in Bihar’s Begusarai and Madhubani today. Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge addressed a rally in Gurmitkal in Yadgir district. He spoke about the public distress due to price rise and unemployment in the country. He said that the Congress party is pro poor and will provide one lakh rupees to a woman in every household if the INDI alliance comes to power in the Centre. AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi blamed the Central Government for price rise and unemployment in the country. She addressed a public rally in Sedam in Gulbarga Parliamentary constituency in Karnataka today. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed a political rally in Etah, Hathras and Agra today.
Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo Mayawati attacked BJP in a rally in Badayun district today. She said that BJP has politicised all the central agencies and they are not going to win this time.
In Bihar, despite sweltering heat, star campaigners are holding back-to-back election rallies. JD(U) President and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today campaigned in Alamnagar in Madhepura constituency and Beldaur in Khagaria Lok Sabha constituency. Mr. Kumar enumerated development works undertaken during NDA rule in Bihar. JD(U) President said the Double Engine of the NDA government can change the future of the state.
LJP (Ramvilas) Chief, Chirag Paswan held a roadshow in Muzaffarpur. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad first time descended for campaigning in Chhapra where he addressed a public meeting. In a brief address to RJD supporters, Lalu said Saran Lok Sabha seat has been the land of his political genesis and he has done a lot of work for the development of the region.
Leaders of Grand Alliance like Congress State President Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Vikash Sheel Insan Party Chief Mukesh Sahni and leaders of Left parties also held road shows, door to door contact programmes and public meetings today.
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The notification for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections has been issued today. Polling in this phase will be held on the 25th of next month in 57 Lok Sabha seats in six States and one Union Territory. All seven seats in Delhi, all ten seats in Haryana, fourteen seats in Uttar Pradesh, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, and four seats in Jharkhand, will go to polls in the sixth phase.
Today was also the last day for withdrawal of names for the fourth phase. A total of 96 Lok Sabha seats spread over nine States and a Union Territory will go to polls in this phase on the 13th of next month. Voting for all 25 Parliamentary seats of Andhra Pradesh, 17 seats of Telangana, 13 seats of Uttar Pradesh, 11 seats of Maharashtra, 8 seats each of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, 5 seats of Bihar, 4 seats each of Jharkhand and Odisha and one seat of Jammu and Kashmir will be held on 13th May in this phase.
In Telangana, 525 candidates remained in the election fray after withdrawal of nominations was over by 3PM today.
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In Manipur, re-polling in six polling stations of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency will be held tomorrow. Five polling stations in Ukhrul district and one in Senapati will go to re-polling tomorrow from 7 AM to 4 PM. The Election Commission said, the voting process in these polling stations conducted on April 26 has been treated as void and directed for re-polling.
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A BJP delegation today met the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the issues of deep fake videos and violence in West Bengal during election. Briefing the media after meeting the ECI, senior party leader and Union Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said, the Congress party is misleading the people through posting deep fake videos on its social media platforms. He added, Trinamool Congress is continuing to practice violence in West Bengal, which is intolerable.
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On the other hand, the Congress also approached the ECI today over the alleged misquoting of their Lok Sabha manifesto by the BJP. Talking to media after meeting the Election Commission, senior party leader Supriya Shrinate alleged that the BJP has been falsely attributing declarations that are not part of their manifesto. She said, the party has also objected on the use of religious symbols during political campaigns.
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A two-member delegation of CPI(M) also met the Election Commission in New Delhi today. It highlighted various complaints lodged by the party against BJP leaders for inciting communal tensions, spreading falsehoods, and distorting facts to polarize the electorate.
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In our series, covering profiles of key constituencies across States and Union Territories during the Lok Sabha elections, today we bring a report on Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency includes five assembly constituencies: Sambhal, Chandausi, Asmoli, Kundarki and Bilari. There are 16 lakh 11 thousand 419 voters on this seat, will decide the political fate of 12 candidates in the upcoming polls on May 7. Sambhal Lok Sabha seat is also considered to be the stronghold of Samajwadi Party. Samajwadi Party founder late Mulayam Singh Yadav has been MP from this seat twice, and Ram Gopal Yadav once. This time, SP had fielded Shafiq ur Rehman Barq from Sambhal Lok Sabha seat, but he died due to illness, after which the party fielded his grandson Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, who is currently an MLA from Kundarki Assembly. While, BJP has once again fielded Parmeshwar Lal Saini, who was runner-up in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BSP has fielded Chaudhary Shaulat Ali as its candidate. Apart from this, four candidates from other parties and five independent candidates are also in the electoral fray. Om Awasthi, Akashwani News, Lucknow.
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India today strongly protested Khalistan slogans raised at a public event in Canada, which was being personally addressed by the Prime Minister of Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs today summoned the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi. The Ministry said, India’s deep concern and strong protest were conveyed at such disturbing actions being allowed to continue unchecked at the event.
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In Chhattisgarh, 23 Maoists surrendered in Dantewada district today. These Maoists, influenced by the Lon Varatu campaign being run by Dantewada Police, surrendered before Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai. All these Maoists are said to be members of Bhairamgarh Area Committee.
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The University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examination has been postponed from the 16th June to the 18th of June this year. The UGC has taken this decision following feedback from the candidates. UGC added that the UGC-NET will be conducted in OMR mode across the nation on a single day.
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In Kenya, more than 40 people have been killed in Mai Mahiu area after a dam burst today, pushing the death toll from devastating floods to more than 120. Kenyan authorities are struggling to cope with the chaotic conditions.
Heavy rains have been lashing East Africa in recent weeks as the El Nino weather pattern exacerbates seasonal rainfall.
Elsewhere in the region, nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in Burundi while at least 58 people have died in Tanzania and several thousand rendered homeless.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, the 275 Km long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been closed for vehicular traffic today following multiple landslides triggered by overnight rains in many parts of the Union Territory. Our Correspondent reports, the strategic, and the only all-weather highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked at Mehar, Gangroo, Mom Passi and Kishtwari Pather in Ramban district. The rains are continuing, hampering restoration works. Commuters have been advised to avoid the highway.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heat wave conditions to continue in Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry during next five days. These conditions will also continue over West Bengal, Sikkim and Gujarat during the next two days. More from our correspondent.
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India’s Velavan Senthilkumar has won his eighth Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour title by winning the Batch Open, a PSA Challenger event in Paris.
World No. 58 Senthilkumar, the top seed, beat Frenchman Melvil Scianimanico 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 to clinch the title.
The final was held as part of the 12,000 dollars PSA Challenger Tour event.
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In IPL Cricket, Delhi Capitals were 140 for 9 in 18.2 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens Stadium, when reports last came in. Earlier, Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bat.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Intense campaigning continues for third phase of Lok Sabha Elections to be held in 12 States and Union Territorries on 7th May.
- BJP and Congress delegations meet Election Commission; BJP accuses Congress of misleading people through deep fake videos; Congress alleges misquoting of its manifesto by BJP.
- UGC postpones National Eligibility Test examination from 16th to 18th
- Rains trigger multiple landslides in Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu-Srinagar Highway closed for vehicular traffic.
- More than 40 people killed in Kenya after a dam burst.
- Velavan Senthil kumar wins his eighth Professional Squash Association Tour title in Paris.
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