THE HEADLINES:
- Filing of nominations begins for third phase of Lok Sabha elections with the issuance of notification today.
- Campaigning in full throttle for first phase of Lok Sabha polls; Top leaders of political parties crisscrossing the states to woo the voters.
- Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addresses public meeting at Udhampur; Says Assembly Polls in Jammu and Kashmir to be conducted soon along with restoration of statehood.
- Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to hold I.N.D.I.A bloc’s rally at Coimbatore.
- NIA arrests two accused, including the mastermind of Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.
- And, in IPL Cricket, Lucknow Super Giants to take on Delhi Capitals in Lucknow this evening.
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The filing of nominations has begun for the third phase of Lok Sabha polls with the issuance of notification by the Election Commission today. 94 Lok Sabha seats in 10 States and two Union Territories will go to polls in this phase on the 7th of May.
Notification for Betul constituency in Madhya Pradesh was also issued today. The polling for the seat, which was scheduled to be held in the 2nd phase will now be held in the third phase.
Nominations for the third phase along with Betul seat can be filed till 19th of this month. Scruitny of nominations will take place on the 20th of April and last date for withdrawal of candidature.
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Campaigning has intensified for the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections. Senior leaders of various political parties are today holding multiple rallies and road shows in different parts of the country to garner support for their candidates.
In the first phase, 102 Lok Sabha seats in 17 States and four Union Territories along with 32 Assembly constituencies in Sikkim and 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls on the 19th of next month.
Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addressed an election rally at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir today. Mr Modi said, assembly polls will be soon conducted in Jammu and Kashmir along with the restoration of statehood.
Mr Modi said, after decades, elections are taking place in Jammu and Kashmir without fear of terrorism and threat of cross-border firing. The Prime Minister said, his government fulfilled the promise of ending long sufferings of people of the Union Territory. He slammed the Opposition parties over dynasty politics and said no one has caused as much damage to Jammu and Kashmir as family-run parties. Prime Minister said, ensuing Lok Sabha polls is not just to elect Members of Parliament but to form a strong government in the country.
Earlier, in an interview to a Hindi Daily, Prime Minister Modi said that eliminating corruption has been a key priority of his government for the last 10 years and he is committed to take strict action against the corrupt. He said, whatever be the level of corruption, it impacts the people of the country and action against such people, who steal the money meant for the welfare of the people of this country, will not end.
The Prime Minister said his government took steps to end corruption immediately after forming the government in 2014. He said, there is enthusiasm among the people about a third term for the BJP. He said, even the Opposition believes that the NDA government will return to power, which is why even several opposition leaders are shying away from poll campaigns.
Speaking to media about Prime Minister Modi’s remarks on corruption, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said BJP is not talking about the issues of Bihar, its youth, farmers and mass exodus.
Meanwhile, BJP today accused Congress and DMK of being corrupt and promoting dynastic politics. Briefing media in New Delhi, party Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that everyone knows that the Congress is, what he called the mother of corruption and DMK is its xerox.
Senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitaraman held poll rally at Krishnagiri, the border district between Tamilnadu and Karnataka. She said that for the past ten years, the NDA Government has been providing infrastructure, housing, piped water supply, business and loans to small trader. She accused the DMK Government for promoting dynasty rule rather than working for the people’s welfare.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, in a social media post, criticised the BJP Government of unemployment, divisive politics and finding new ways of corruption while depriving the bright future of the youth.
Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with DMK leader M K.Stalin will hold a I.N.D.I.A bloc’s rally at Coimbatore in the state this afternoon.
Senior BJP leader Amit Shah held a public rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad. He said, in their decade of governance, the NDA government has worked to safeguard and rejuvenate India’s cultural values and heritage. He said, Prime Minister Modi in the last 10 years has worked to bring the Indian economy from the 11th position to the 5th position in the world.
Senior BJP leader and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held election rally at Garhwal division of Uttarakhand.
Prime Minister Modi will address a public meeting at Barmer in Rajasthan this afternoon. In the evening, Mr. Modi will hold a road show in Dausa in the state. From Congress, State President Govind Dotasara is hold public meetings at Alwar and Dausa in the state. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot are also campaigning for Congress candidates at various places.
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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 Tikamgarh Parliamentary Seat of Madhya Pradesh. The state is witnessing four-phase polling. More from our correspondent:
“The Tikamgarh seat, popular across the country for the Orchha, which is also known as the Ayodhya of Bundelkhand, is reserved for the Scheduled Caste. BJP has been in power in this seat since 2009. Voting for the Tikamgarh Lok Sabha seat will be held on 26 April in the second phase. Tikamgarh parliamentary constituency comprises 8 assembly seats of three districts. Overall 7 candidates are in the fray from the seat. BJP has fielded Union Minister and sitting MP Dr. Virendra Kumar as the candidate for the fourth time, while Congress has given a ticket to new face Pankaj Ahirwar. More than 18 lakh voters will cast their votes In this election. 2 thousand 77 polling centers have been set up in Tikamgadh Lok Sabha seat. In the 2019 elections, Dr Virendra Kumar defeated Congress candidate Kiran Singh Ahirwar by a margin of around 3.5 lakh votes. Sanjeev Sharma, Akashvani News, Bhopal.”
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The Aam Aadmi Party today alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to impose the President’s rule in Delhi. Briefing media in New Delhi, senior party leader and Delhi Minister, Atishi said, the officers have stopped attending the Delhi government meeting. She added that it indicates that there is a conspiracy to topple the Arvind Kejriwal’s government and impose President’s rule in the national Capital.
The BJP has hit back at Aam Aadmi Party, saying its leaders are experts in planting imaginary stories. Party Delhi Unit Chief, Virendraa Sachdeva said, the allegation reflects the impact of Delhi High Court’s comments against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged liquor scam and the defamation notice to Atishi over her allegations against BJP.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two accused in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Café blast case. The accused, Adbul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb were traced to a hide out near Kolkata. The NIA said, Abdul Matheen Taha is the mastermind behind the planning, and execution of blast while Mussavir Hussain Shazib placed Improved Explosive Devise at the café.
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The NIA Special Court in Kochi today sentenced CPI-Maoist leader Roopesh, the accused in the Vellamunda case, to 10 years of imprisonment. The Court also sentenced his accomplice Anoop Mathew to seven years, besides two others Kanyakumari and Babu Ibrahim to six years imprisonment.
The case relates to the 2014 incident when the CPI-Maoist activists trespassed into the house of a Senior Civil Police Officer at Vellamunda in Wayanad district, threatened and trained guns on him besides setting his motorcycle on fire.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a meeting to review preparedness for the ensuing heat wave season in the country. During the meeting, the timely dissemination of essential awareness material especially in regional languages through all platforms such as television, radio and social media was stressed upon.
The Prime Minister stressed upon the whole of Government approach. He said, all arms of the government at Central, State and District levels and various Ministries need to work on this in synergy. Mr Modi also stressed upon awareness creation along with adequate preparation in hospitals. He also highlighted the need for quick detection and putting out forest fires.
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Russia, Germany and Britain have urged countries in the West Asia to show restraint amid Iranian threat to strike Israel. On the other hand, Israel has said that it was preparing to meet all its security needs in the region.
Iran has vowed revenge for the airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on 1st of this month that killed a top Iranian general and six other Iranian military officers, ratcheting up tension in a region already strained by the Gaza war.
Russia’s foreign ministry told citizens they should not travel to the West Asia, especially to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital.
British foreign minister David Cameron said that he has made clear to Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian that Tehran should not draw the region into a wider conflict.
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In IPL Cricket, Lucknow Super Giants will take on Delhi Capitals in Lucknow this evening. The match will start at 7.30 PM.
Yesterday, Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium.
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In the Asian Wrestling Championships at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, today, Akash Dahiya, Yash Tushir, Sandeep Mann, Vinay and Anirudh Kumar will be in action in the five Men’s freestyle weight categories.
Yesterday, India clinched a total of three medals on the opening day of the tournament.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN::
- Filing of nominations begins for third phase of Lok Sabha elections with the issuance of notification today.
- Campaigning in full throttle for first phase of Lok Sabha polls; Top leaders of political parties crisscrossing the states to woo the voters.
- Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi addresses public meeting at Udhampur; Says Assembly Polls in Jammu and Kashmir to be conducted soon along with restoration of statehood.
- Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to hold I.N.D.I.A bloc’s rally at Coimbatore.
- NIA arrests two accused, including the mastermind of Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.
- And, in IPL Cricket, Lucknow Super Giants to take on Delhi Capitals in Lucknow this evening.
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