THE HEADLINES::
- Leaders of major political parties intensify campaign to woo voters ahead of first phase of Lok Sabha Elections.
- Government warns of action under Essential Commodities Act against those indulging in forward trading of pulses.
- Government to operationalise gas-based power plants to meet high electricity demand during summer.
- Nation remembers brave martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre; President, Vice President, Prime Minister and leaders across party lines pay homage.
- In Australia, a man shoots and stabs several people at a shopping mall in Sydney; Six feared dead.
- And in IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Rajasthan Royals in Mohali this evening.
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Campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections is running with full steam with political parties garnering support for their candidates. Star campaigners from various political parties are intensifying their efforts in the election battleground by holding multiple rallies and road shows in different parts of the country.
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 19th of April.
BJP heavyweights like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are holding public meetings in different parts of country today.
Senior BJP leader Amit Shah held a road show at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu this morning. Electioneering at Thakkalai, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very concerned for the people of Tamil Nadu as he gave importance to the Tamils by keeping the Sengol in Parliament. Mr. Amit Shah alleged that the DMK is against Sanatan Dharma and Ram Temple in Ayodhya and hurt the sentiments of the majority. He said the BJP is protecting and taking all sections along towards a developed India. Mr. Shah said that DMK-Congress combined are synonymous with scams. Mr Shah will also be in Alwar in Rajasthan and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
Another senior leader of the party, Nirmala Sitharaman campaigned at Thanjavur today. She said, the BJP Government had implemented many schemes during the past ten years. She added that the DMK Congress is only making hollow claims to the people of the State.
BJP national president JP Nadda is scheduled to arrive in Nagaland to address a rally at Agri Expo in Chumukedima.
Former Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain is likely to address a rally at Doda, Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold election rally in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha Constituency of Maharashtra.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati will address a public gathering in Haridwar.
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The Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) has promised one crore government jobs annually across the country and monetary help of one lakh rupees per annum to women from poor families in its poll manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.
RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and other senior leaders released the Party manifesto, “Parivartan Patra” in Patna today. The party has promised that if voted to power the INDI Alliance government will accord special status to Bihar. The RJD has committed to fulfill 24 public promises or “Jan Vachan” in its manifesto. Party leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said 200 units of free electricity and LPG gas cylinders at a cost of 500 rupees will be provided. He said freedom from unemployment is the core issue in our concern for youths.
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Senior BJP leader and Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath said that we are fortunate to have witnessed the changing India. India is being recognised as a global leader and for having world-class infrastructure. Mr. Yogi said this while addressing the public meeting in Moradabad today. He said that India is providing a model of development and welfare for the world. This model in India gives young people the guarantee of a livelihood.
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In Telangana, MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has begun the door to door campaign in various divisions of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP State President and Central Minister G Kishan Reddy is also undertaking a jeep yatra in Secunderabad Constituency.
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The Congress Central Election Committee is scheduled to meet this evening at party headquarters in Delhi to discuss the selection of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It will be chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party General Secretary KC Venugopal and other senior party leaders are expected to be present in this meeting.
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Election manifestos are an integral part of free and fair democratic elections. They are like a blueprint for the people to visualize the possibilities of change and development in the post election period. Why are they so important? Let us understand. A report:
“Election manifestos serve as official statements of intended policy by political parties at the start of election campaigning. Essentially, they are published documents outlining the ideology, intentions, views, policies, and programs of a political party, representing its collective internal consensus. They provide a basis for evaluating whether a political party, once elected, is delivering on the commitments made to voters during the election. Recognizing the potential for political parties to make unrealistic promises and offer freebies to attract voters, the Supreme Court of India directed the Election Commission of India to establish guidelines for the contents of election manifestos in consultation with recognized political parties. These guidelines, in accordance with the Part Eight of the Model Code of Conduct, require that election manifestos adhere to certain principles. Additionally, manifestos should provide transparency by explaining the rationale for promises and indicating how they will be financed. Furthermore, political parties should only seek the trust of voters in promises that are feasible to fulfil. The Election Commission has issued notices to parties in the past for violations of these guidelines. ARPITA CHOWDHURY, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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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 Udham Singh Nagar Lok Sabha constituency in Uttarakhand. Ten candidates are in the fray from this seat.
The state will have single phase Lok Sabha Elections on all five seats on the 19th of this month in the first phase. More in this report:
“A heated electoral battle ensues in the Nainital- Udhamsingh Nagar parliamentary constituency as 10 candidates compete for victory in this Lok Sabha election. Prominent contenders include Ajay Bhatt of BJP, Parkash Joshi representing Congress, Akhtar Ali from BSP and Shib Singh of UKD. Two candidates are trying their luck on this seat as independent candidates. This year, 20 lakh 15 thousand 809 voters will decide the fate of the candidates on Garhwal Lok Sabha seat, which is made up of 14 Assembly constituencies. To streamline the voting process, authorities have established 2,328 polling stations across the constituency. Reflecting on the past results, the Bharatiya Janata Party had clinched victory in the 2019 General elections, with Ajay Bhatt trumping Congress’ Harish Rawat by 3 lakh 39 thousand and 96 votes. Sakshi Singh, Akashvani News, Dehradun.”
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Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi addressed an election rally at Ramnagar in Uttarakhand. She asserted that the prices of essential commodities such as gas cylinders and petrol-diesel have surged under BJP’s tenure.
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The Government has emphasised that anyone found to be indulging in the forward trade of pulses would be dealt with firmly as per various provisions of the Essential Commodities Act. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said this in a series of interactions with representatives of the pulses industry in the run-up to the operationalisation of online stock monitoring from the 15th of April. The feedback from the industry and inputs from market intelligence relating to the stock position with various market players have been collated for further verification.
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The Government has decided to operationalise gas-based power plants to help meet the high electricity demand in the country during the summer season. To ensure maximum power generation from Gas-Based Generating Stations, the Government has issued directions to all Gas-Based Generating Stations under Section 11 of the Electricity Act. Ministry of Power said in a release that a significant portion of the Gas-Based Generating Stations is currently unutilised, primarily due to commercial considerations. The order shall remain valid for the generation and supply of power from the 1st of May to the 30th of June.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed new developments in the Gaming industry with top Gamers. In an interaction with six top Indian Gamers, Mr Modi highlighted how the current government has recognised the creativity of gamers. Mr. Modi today shared a video of his interaction with the gamers on his social media. He expressed that citizens should prosper in this field. Talking about the need for formalisation of the gaming industry, Mr. Modi said a free environment should be available to all to grow. He added that the Government will look at the avenues to support and help grow the gaming and e-sports industry in the country. The Prime Minister asked the gamers to send an e-mail mentioning all the related problems with exact key points to his office.
The Prime Minister advised the gamers to introduce concepts like Indian mythological stories and climate change into the games.
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In Australia, six persons are feared dead while hundreds of people were evacuated after multiple stabbings were reported inside a busy shopping centre in Sydney. Media reports say, an alleged offender has been shot dead by the police. The incident occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers.
The Australian police have locked down the mall and urged people to avoid the area. The motive was not immediately clear. Eyewitnesses said there was panic at the scene, with shoppers running to safety and police trying to secure the area. Several people took shelter in a supermarket.
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The countrymen are remembering the brave martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre today. On this day in 1919, British General Dyer ordered to shoot at the hundreds of unarmed people gathered at Jalliawalan Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi in the Punjab region of India in Amritsar. Several hundred were killed and many more were injured.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Dr S Jaishankar have paid tributes to the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs.
Leaders across the party lines have also paid their tributes.
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Traditional harvest festivals are being celebrated in various regions of country beginning today.
People of Punjab are celebrating ‘Vaisakhi’, while Keralites call it ‘Vishu’, in West Bengal, it is celebrated as ‘Poila Boishakh’, in Assam, as ‘Bohag Bihu’. People in Tamil Nadu are observing the day as ‘Puthandu’.
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In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings will take on Rajasthan Royals in Mohali this evening. The match will start at 7.30 PM.
Last night, Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in Luck now.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN::
- Leaders of major political parties intensify campaign to woo voters ahead of first phase of Lok Sabha Elections.
- Government warns of action under Essential Commodities Act against those indulging in forward trading of pulses.
- Government to operationalise gas-based power plants to meet high electricity demand during summer.
- Nation remembers brave martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre; President, Vice President, Prime Minister and leaders across party lines pay homage.
- In Australia, a man shoots and stabs several people at a shopping mall in Sydney; Six feared dead.
- And in IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Rajasthan Royals in Mohali this evening.
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