Month: May 2024

Citing various macroeconomic parameters that are doing pretty well, India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Aayog Amitabh Kant projected that the country is all set to overtake Japan as 4th largest economy in the world by 2025.

The size of India’s GDP is currently ranked 5th, after the US, China, Germany, and Japan. It overtook the UK in 2022.

Just a decade ago, Indian GDP was the eleventh largest in the world. Currently, India’s GDP is estimated to be around USD 3.7 trillion.

Some highlights of India’s journey to the top 5 economies of the world in 2024 from Fragile 5 in 2013, according to Kant, among others, record GST collection, over 8 per cent GDP growth in the past three quarters, trading in Indian currency Rupee with various countries (to be precise 27), inflation at manageable levels.

The term Fragile 5 was coined by a Morgan Stanley analyst in 2013 and refers to a set of five emerging countries, including India, whose economy was not doing well back then. The other four countries were Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey.

Double-digit growth in the steel, cement, and automobile manufacturing sectors; global leader in digital public infrastructure, with e-transactions surging to 134 billion, accounting for 46 per cent of all global digital payments; accounts opened under Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile trinity have over Rs 2.32 lakh crore as current balance; average annual inflation between 2013-14 and 2022-23 declined to 5 per cent from 8.2 per cent between 2003-04 and 2013-14 are some other things he attributed to India’s firm growth.

Firm GDP growth forecasts, inflation at manageable levels, political stability at the central government level, and appreciable central bank monetary policy, have all contributed to painting a bright picture for the Indian economy in recent quarters.

India’s GDP grew at a massive 8.4 per cent during the October-December quarter of the financial year 2023-24, and the country continued to remain the fastest-growing major economy and is poised to maintain its growth trajectory going ahead.

India is set to remain the fastest-growing among major economies in 2024, according to latest International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook. IMF, in its latest outlook, raised India’s growth projections for 2024 from 6.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent.

India’s economy grew 7.2 per cent in 2022-23 and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22, respectively. (ANI)

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday addressed a press conference and elaborated on promises which he termed as ‘Kejriwal Guarantees’.

The Delhi Chief Minister ahead of the sixth phase of elections in Delhi on May 25 presented ’10 Kejriwal guarantees.’

Addressing the press conference, Kejriwal said, “Today, we are going to announce 10 guarantees of Kejriwal for the Lok Sabha elections. This was delayed due to my arrest but there are still many phases of elections left. I have not discussed it with the rest of the INDIA alliance but this is like a guarantee that no one will have any problems with. I take this guarantee that after the INDIA alliance comes to power, I will make sure that these guarantees are implemented. Kejriwal’s guarantee is a brand”

He added further, “These 10 guarantees are like the vision of India. There are some things that should have been completed in the last 75 years… These things are like laying the foundation stone of any nation. Without them, the nation cannot move ahead. Those works will be completed in the next five years.”

Elaborating on the guarantees, the Delhi CM announced to provide up to 200 units of free electricity to all the poor in the country if voted to power. He said, “Out of the 10 guarantees, the first guarantee is that we will provide 24-hour electricity in the country. The country has the capacity to generate three lakh MW of electricity but the usage is only two lakh MW. Our country can produce electricity more than the demand. We have done it in Delhi and Punjab, we will do it in the country also as we have experience. We will provide up to 200 units of free electricity to all the poor. It will cost Rs 1.25 lakh crore, we can arrange it…”

The second guarantee is of providing free education. Presenting the figures, Kejriwal said, “The second guarantee is of education. About 18 crore students study in 10 lakh government schools who have no future. Today, the condition of our government schools is not good. Our second guarantee is that we will arrange good and excellent free education for everyone, be it a kid belonging to a poor family or rich family.”

He added further, “Government schools will provide a better education than private schools. We have done it in Delhi and Punjab. This work should have been done at the time of independence only. Rs 5 lakh crores will be required for this. State governments will give Rs 2.5 lakh crores and central government will give Rs 2.5 crore for this…”

The third guarantee of Arvind Kejriwal is providing better healthcare. Describing the third guarantee, Kejriwal said, “…Today, the condition of our government hospital is not good in our country. Our third guarantee is better healthcare. We will arrange good treatment for everyone. Mohalla clinics will be opened in every village, every locality.”

The Delhi CM also claimed that every citizen of the country will get a free treatment. “District hospital will be converted into a Multispeciality Hospital. Every person born in this country will get free treatment. Treatment will not be done on the basis of insurance as this is a big scam. We will create infrastructure. Rs 5 lakh crore rupees will be spent on healthcare. The state government will spend Rs 2.5 lakh crore and the Central government will spend Rs 2.5 lakh crore,” Kejriwal said.

The fourth guarantee in the list of Kejriwal is ‘Nation First’. He claimed that the land occupied by China will be freed and said, “Our fourth guarantee is ‘Nation first’. China has occupied our land but our central government is denying it… There is a lot of strength in our army. All the land of the country which has been occupied by China will be freed. For this, efforts will be made at the diplomatic level on one side and the Army will be given complete freedom to take whatever steps it wants to take regarding this.”

The Delhi CM also targeted the Agniveer Scheme and said, “A scheme like Agniveer is harmful for the army and the youth are also troubled by it. The Agniveer scheme will be withdrawn…”

Aam Aadmi Party on its official X handle posted about the other guarantees. These guarantees include the soldiers for whom the Agniveer scheme will be closed and all military recruitments will be done according to the old process. All the fire warriors recruited so far will be confirmed.

For farmers of the country, the party promised that by determining the MSP on all crops according to the Swaminathan Commission, farmers will be provided full prices for their crops.

AAP also vowed to get Delhi the status of a full state.

On unemployment, AAP said that unemployment will be removed in a systematic manner and promised that two crore jobs will be created in the next one year.

The ninth guarantee caters to corruption in which the party said that the existing system of sending honest people to jail and giving protection to the corrupt will be abolished.

The tenth and last guarantee is related to business in which the AAP said that GST will be ended. He said that GST will be taken out of PMLA (The Prevention of Money Laundering Act) and all laws and administrative systems will be simplified to promote trade and industry on a large scale. (ANI)

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Considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, Kannauj is set for a fierce battle between SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s incumbent MP and perfume trader, Subrat Pathak.

Kannauj seat has been considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party since 1998, but the seat witnessed a significant shift in the 2019 election when BJP’s Subrat Pathak managed to secure victory.

Kannauj known as the ‘perfume capital of India’ will go to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 13. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.

In the 2024 election, BJP Subrat Pathak is in the electoral fray against the SP chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav. The BSP has fielded Imran Bin Zafar.

Subrat Pathak has been a consistent contender for the BJP, having contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj since 2009.

The BJP stormed the SP citadel in 2019 when Subrat Pathak defeated the then-sitting MP Dimple Yadav with a margin of 12,353 votes.

Subrat Pathak got 563,087 seats with 49.4 per cent votes, while Dimple Yadav got 550,734 votes with 48.3 per cent votes.

This victory marked the end of the Samajwadi Party’s seven consecutive undefeated election battles in the constituency.

BJP candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Subrat Pathak has written to the District Election Officer (DEO) alleging that the Samajwadi Party has brought in anti-social elements, including those from a “particular community” from outside, with the intention of “disrupting” the election process.

“The people in the region have brought to my knowledge that the Samajwadi Party has brought in anti-social elements, including those from a particular community, from outside Kannauj and the state, with the intention to carry out terrorist activities. Many vehicles and people have come in large numbers from different areas who want to attack the Indian democracy by disrupting the election process,” he said.

Earlier, the party declared Tej Pratap Yadav, Akhilesh’s nephew and son-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, as its candidate but at the last moment Akhilesh Yadav replaced his nephew as the SP candidate.

Kannauj holds a special significance for Akhilesh Yadav, who made his political debut from this seat in the year 2000.

Akhilesh Yadav served as Lok Sabha MP from 2000-2012. He resigned from the Kannauj parliamentary seat in 2012 after he became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

In 2017, his party was unable to form a government in UP and he submitted his resignation to the Governor. He was elected Lok Sabha MP in 2019 and went on to be elected to the UP Assembly in 2022.

Following the UP Assembly polls, Akhilesh Yadav resigned as Lok Sabha MP and retained his state assembly seat.

SP chief said that (Samajwadi Party) SP is directly contesting the BJP, adding to which he said, “Those who follow Babasaheb Ambedkar should help SP to protect the constitution, reservation, democracy and education.”

In the 2014 elections, Dimple Yadav secured victory in the Kannauj seat with 489,164 votes. Subrat Pathak of the BJP came second with 469,257 votes, while BSP’s Nirmal Tiwari secured the third position with 127,785 votes.

Subsequently, his wife, Dimple Yadav, won the seat unopposed in a bypoll and then triumphed again in 2014. However, she was defeated by Subrat Pathak in the 2019 elections.

In Uttar Pradesh, paper leak cases in government job recruitment examinations have cast a shadow of disappointment on students preparing for the exams. Political parties have included promises in their respective manifestos to address the issue.

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav raised serious concerns about the integrity of examinations conducted under the BJP regime in Uttar Pradesh.

The political parties made many promises to tackle the issue including digitisation of papers, enhanced security protocols during printing and transportation and leveraging technology to prevent unauthorised access to examination material.

The renowned socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia was the first MP elected from Kannauj.

As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Congress is contesting on 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party has the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, supplemented by two seats clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati’s BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav’s SP garnered five. Conversely, the Congress party secured only one seat.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of the votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in the national capital on Sunday. This will be his first meeting with legislatures after he walked out of Tihar Jail post the Supreme Court decision of granting him interim bail till June 1.

In a post on X, CM Arvind Kejriwal wrote, “11 am – MLA meeting 1 pm – press conference at party office, 4 pm – Road Show – New Delhi Lok Sabha – Moti Nagar 6 pm – Road Show – West Delhi Lok Sabha – Uttam Nagar. All of you have to come.”

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti organised the ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ cyclathon in the national capital.

A day after his release, he visited Hanuman Mandir at Connaught Place in Delhi and held a roadshow in the national capital along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

He also held a press conference at the party office in Delhi on Saturday and attacked the BJP.

Arvind Kejriwal questioned the fulfilment of “Modi’s guarantee” as he pointed out the possibility of PM Modi’s retirement as he will turn 75 in September this year.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said that the reactions that have been coming out from the BJP show that Arvind Kejriwal has told the truth.

“What Arvind Kejriwal has said yesterday, publicly, every party worker and those who hold a position in BJP are talking about it in a hushed voice. PM Modi made the rule of retirement for the top leadership of the party that once they complete 75 years of age they need to be retired and now he is going to be 75 years old and he will retire after that. The reactions that have been coming out from the BJP show that Arvind Kejriwal has told the truth,” he said.

Asserting that there is no confusion in the BJP over the party’s leadership, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that there will be no change in leadership, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete his third term and will continue leading the party and country.

The Supreme Court on Friday gave interim bail to the Aam Admi Party convenor till June 1. However, as per the terms of his bail, the Delhi Chief Minister cannot make any comment about his role in the Delhi liquor scam case.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, all seven parliamentary seats in Delhi will vote on May 25, the sixth of the seven-phase nationwide polling. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Trinamool Congress and said that infiltrators are flourishing under the Mamata Banerjee rule and guaranteed to the people of West Bengal that nobody can stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state.

Addressing a rally in Barrackpur, PM Modi gave five “guarantees” to the people of West Bengal.

“I want to give five guarantees to the people of Bengal: – Nobody can give reservations based on religion. Reservations for SC, ST, and OBC will not be touched. Nobody can stop you from celebrating Ram Navami. The judgement of the Supreme Court on Ram Mandir will not be quashed. Nobody can stop the implementation of CAA,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks on the Ram Mandir verdict came days after former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had vowed to overturn the Supreme Court’s Ram Mandir verdict if Congress forms the government at the Centre.

PM Modi slammed the Opposition and said that they had made the CAA a “villain” adding that the CAA is to provide citizenship.

“Vote bank politics has presented a law like CAA, which protects humanity, But opposition made it a villain. CAA is a law to give citizenship to the victims, it does not take away anyone’s citizenship. But parties like Congress-TMC painted it with the colour of their lies,” he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that the infiltrators are flourishing under the protection of TMC in the state.

“There was a time when many scientific discoveries were taking place in Bengal, today under the rule of TMC, the home industry of making bombs is running in many places. There was a time when Bengal used to revolt against the infiltrators, but today the infiltrators are flourishing here under the protection of TMC,” he said.

He further hit out at the West Bengal government over the law and order in the state on several religious occasions when violent incidents have been reported, and said that it has become difficult for a common man to follow his faith in Bengal.

PM Modi continued his attack on the state government and highlighted the Sandeshkhali incident saying that goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali.

“Goons of TMC are threatening the women of Sandeshkhali only because the culprit’s name is Shahjahan Sheikh. They are trying their best to save and protect him from legal action. Don’t be afraid of TMC. You must give your full mandate to our candidate; each vote will reach me. Viksit Bengal is crucial for Viksit Bharat,” he said.

Mentioning the West Bengal teacher’s recruitment case, PM Modi said that the money that TMC extorted from the people would be lawfully given back to the people.

“Modi will not let the corrupt leaders sit peacefully. They will be reprimanded! No corrupt leader will be spared. The money that TMC extorted from you will be lawfully given back to you,” he said.

Voting will take place for eight Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal in the fourth phase of voting to be held on May 13. The constituencies are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4.

However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC’s 22. The Congress’s tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank. (ANI)

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, has been garnering appreciation from critics and audiences ever since its release on OTT. Global star, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who has created her mark worldwide, recently congratulated the filmmaker on his OTT debut.

Taking to her Instagram stories, she shared the poster of the show and wrote in the caption, “I remember how much you wanted to make this..Congratulations @bhansaliproductions.”

Priyanka tagged Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Shaikh in the Instagram story.

Set against the backdrop of India’s struggle for independence in the 1940s, the show explores the lives of courtesans and their patrons, delving into the cultural dynamics of Heera Mandi.

It features Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman.

‘Heeramandi’ is streaming on Netflix.

Meanwhile, talking about Priyanka’s work front, she recently wrapped up filming on the Heads of State set, expressing appreciation for the rewarding journey with a heartfelt message. She offered a peek into her time on set, commending the lively and efficient environment fostered by the cast and crew. The upcoming action-comedy stars Idris Elba, John Cena, and Jack Quaid in prominent roles, helmed by director Ilya Naishuller.

Besides this, she recently announced her involvement in The Bluff, directed by Frank E Flowers. Priyanka also announced her new film in collaboration with the production team of Barry Avrich’s new feature documentary Born Hungry as a producer.

On the Bollywood front, she will be seen in Farhan Akhtar’s next directorial Jee Le Zaraa alongside Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. However, no update has been provided on the film since the announcement was made a couple of years ago. (ANI)

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Actor Vicky Kaushal has wrapped up the shooting of his upcoming film ‘Chhava’.

Laxman Utekar’s ‘Chhava’, a historical drama based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, marks the first collaboration between actors Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna.

Taking to his Instagram stories, Vicky shared a video capturing nature’s downpour and wrote a long note describing the experience of shooting for his upcoming project.

He wrote, “The incredibly passionate and dramatic journey of filming Chhaava couldn’t have ended without some drama. The rain Gods put up a show today, immediately after we rolled our final shot.”

“There’s so much I wish to say, there’s so little I’m able to convey about this journey right now… maybe in a few days when it all sinks in. All I can say now with a heart full of gratitude, love, and contentment is that… IT’S A WRAP!!!,” he added.

Vicky plays the role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and Rashmika takes on the role of his wife, Yesubai Bhonsale, in the film.

Earlier, after wrapping up the film shoot, Rashmika took to Instagram and gave a shout-out to the team.

Thanking Laxman and Vicky for being excellent collaborators on set, Rashmika wrote, “@laxman.utekar sir… I just wonder how can a man handle such a big set with at least 1500 working people with such calm and poise.”

“Sir you have seen me as Yesubai when no one in the world could’ve even thought about this and I truly wonder how, and not just me. The whole country will wonder how.. but watching those visuals make me tear up.. you’ve gotten a performance out of me that I am excited for the world to watch,” she wrote.

Addressing Vicky as Maharaj, Rashmika said she had a great time sharing the screen with the actor.

“It’s been such a pleasure working with you. You are just tooooo warm and kind (except for the last day where you were just taking my case) but most days you were amazing. I am kidding. You are such a gem. I will always wish the best for you man. Was such a pleasure. Mom has told me to convey regards to you (sic)” she added.

The film is being produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and is all set to hit the theatres on December 6, 2024. (ANI)

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The campaigning for Phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections which will see voting on 96 constituencies, ended on Saturday. A total of 1,717 candidates from 10 States/UTs will contest elections in this phase.

The Election Commission of India informed that a total of 4,264 nominations were filed for 96 parliamentary constituencies across. The poll body further stated that the maximum number of nomination forms were received from Telangana (1488) followed by Andhra Pradesh with 1103 nominations from 25 constituencies.

ECI further mentioned that the average number of contesting candidates in a parliamentary constituency for the fourth phase is 18.

The last date for filing nominations for phase 4 for all 10 States/UTs was April 25, 2024.

Key Constituencies in Phase 4

Baharampur

The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are the main parties that are in a fierce contest in Baharampur. Yusuf Pathan will contest against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, president of the West Bengal unit of Congress, and the BJP’s candidate, Dr Nirmal Kumar Saha.

West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is the current sitting Member of Parliament from Baharampur. Chowdhury has been a strong and influential leader in Baharampur, having secured victory for the Congress party in three consecutive terms from 2009 to 2019.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is bracing itself for the big showdown between Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Madhavi Latha and sitting All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi for the Lok Sabha election. AIMIM chief is popular in the constituency and has been campaigning from door-to-door, seeking a fifth term in the constituency. He has also raised the issue of political representation and minority rights.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Asaduddin Owaisi from AIMIM won the seat with a margin of 282,186 votes. Asaduddin Owaisi polled 517,471 votes with a vote share of 58.9 per cent and defeated Dr. Bhagavanth Rao from the BJP, who got 235,285 votes (26.80 per cent).

Krishnanagar

Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra will face the BJP’s Amrita Roy.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, TMC’s Mahua Moitra won the seat with 614,872 votes, defeating BJP leader Kalyan Chaubey who secured 551,654 votes. CPI(M)s Dr Shantanu Jha received 120,222 votes. Mahua Moitra was recently expelled from the Lok Sabha.

Begusarai

BJP leader Giriraj Singh is pitted against CPI candidate Awadhesh Rai in the Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s Giriraj Singh defeated Kanhaiya Kumar who contested on a CPI ticket. Singh got 692,193 votes with 56.48 per cent, while Kumar got 269,976 votes with 22.03 per cent votes.

Munger

Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) will face RJD leader Anita Devi.

In the 2019 elections, Lalan Singh of JD (U) emerged victorious in Munger with a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes, defeating RJD’s Neelam Devi, who is the wife of Anant Singh.

Srinagar

National Conference has fielded Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who will face PDP’s Waheed Parra from this seat. Apni Party has fielded Mohammad Ashraf Mir. The seat is currently held by National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.

Asansol

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has chosen to wield the star power of Shatrughan Sinha against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Surinderjeet Singh Ahluwalia from Asansol which will go to polls on Monday.

The Bihari Babu of the Indian film industry, Shatrughan Sinha joined TMC in 2022 after a brief stint in the Congress. Sinha quit the BJP in 2019 claiming that the party has become a “one-man show”.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Babul Supriyo, a popular singer, who was then with the BJP, won the Asansol Lok Sabha seat. However, the seat fell vacant when Supriyo joined the TMC. Sinha, who was fielded by the TMC in the by-polls, won the election, winning 56.62 per cent of the polls.

Kannauj

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will face incumbent MP and BJP leader Subrat Pathak.

Akhilesh Yadav served as Lok Sabha MP from 2000-2012. He resigned from the Kannauj parliamentary seat in 2012 after he became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Kadapa

Andhra Pradesh Congress chief YS Sharmila will face sitting MP Avinash Reddy. Sharmila is the cousin of two time sitting MP Avinash Reddy.

Khunti

One of the most high-profile constituencies in Jharkhand, and a BJP’s stronghold too, will witness a contest between the BJP’s Arjun Munda and the Congress’ Kali Charan Munda as its candidate. Arjun Munda is the sitting MP from this seat.

Andhra Pradesh will witness polling for the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies and 175 assembly seats simultaneously on May 13.

The ruling YSR Congress Party, National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will be in a triangular contest in the polls.

In Andhra Pradesh, NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party.

The TDP will contest 17 seats in the state. While the BJP will contest 6 constituencies, the JSP will contest two seats, as per the seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha polls.

In the previous general elections, the YSRCP bagged 22 out of 25 seats in the state and the TDP was reduced to only 3 seats. Congress and the BJP failed to win any seats in the southern state.

As part of a seat-sharing deal reached between the NDA partners, the TDP will contest 144 Assembly and 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra, while the BJP will put up candidates in 6 Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly constituencies. The Jana Sena will contest two Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats.

On preparations for the polling in Telangana, Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj said, “The silence period has started in 13 segments, where the polling will be held on May 13, from 7 am to 4 pm. We are ready. Our distribution centres will start sending the material and polling personnel tomorrow morning. The police personnel have arrived. Our EVMs are ready. We are confident that we will be able to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections.”

Voting for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will take place in a single phase on May 13.

In this phase, Prime Minister continued attacking opposition parties on the reservation issue, saying that INDIA bloc will snatch away rights of reservation rights of ST, SC and OBC community.

PM Modi, while addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar, took a dig at Lalu Prasad Yadav saying a “fodder scam accused” leader who is out on bail is advocating reservation for Muslims.

“Congress is silent but today one of its allies confirmed the intentions of the INDI alliance. Their leader who is in jail in connection with the fodder scam and has been punished by the court…He has just come out on bail…He said that Muslims should get reservation and not just reservation, he says that Muslims should get complete reservations. What does this mean? These people want to snatch away all the reservation that SC, ST and OBC communities have and give complete reservation to Muslims,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also predicted a clean sweep for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh.

PM said that he never considered Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy as an ‘ally’.In an interview with NTV, a Telugu news channel, PM Modi said the incumbent YSRCP regime in the state led by Jagan wouldn’t be voted back in the state elections.

“I don’t believe that the present government in Andhra Pradesh will be voted back. The state’s economy is in dire straits presently. We never considered Jagan as a potential ally. However, their (YSRCP’s) members did support us in certain issues in Parliament,” PM Modi said.

In a veiled dig at Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people in the state have to take the burden of double ‘R’ tax.”Since the time the Congress has come to power in Telangana, there has been discussion on double ‘R’ tax. One ‘R’ is for Telangana, and the other is for Delhi. Both of them together have made Hyderabad and Telangana into an ATM…”

PM Modi said that people in the city have to bear the burden of “razakar” tax as well.”Here in Hyderabad, you have to take the burden of triple R tax. Here one R is for Razakars. How this Razakar tax functions is visible in Old Hyderabad. The supporter of Congress and BRS and Majlis MP who has been in power for a long time, has not even given basic facilities to people,” PM Modi said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday while addressing a public rally in Telangana’s Bhongir, claimed that if BJP comes to power, it will increase the reservation of SC, ST, and OBC and will end the Muslim reservation.

While appealing to the public, Amit Shah said, “Congress wants to fight elections by speaking lies. They say that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes, he will finish the reservation. Prime Minister Modi has been leading this country unanimously for the last 10 years, but he did not end the reservation. However, the Congress party has robbed the reservations of SC, ST and OBC by giving 4 per cent reservation to Muslims.”

In Odisha, Prime Minister targetted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and challenged him to name the districts of Odisha and their respective capitals without seeing them on paper and said that Odisha’s development remains stunted as the state government doesn’t trust the people’s capabilities.

“I want to challenge ‘Naveen Babu’ as he has been the CM for such a long, ask ‘Naveen Babu’ to name the districts of Odisha and their respective capitals without seeing them on paper. If the CM cannot name the districts of the state, will he know your pain?” the Prime Minister said earlier today in Kandhamal.

Targeting opposition parties in the Jharkhand cash haul, the Prime Minister said, “You saw how mountains of notes were being found from JMM and Congress camps. Even machines had to be brought from banks to count the notes.”

“JMM and Congress have only one agenda: neither will they work nor will they let others work and there will be no work without money. This is their game. They themselves do nothing except commit corruption and are busy stopping the work done by Modi,” he added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday fired back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism regarding the “silence” surrounding Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, asking the Centre to send the CBI and ED to investigate the matter at the homes of the two business tycoons.

Taking a jibe at PM Modi, the Wayanad MP asked if it is his “personal experience” of receiving money in a ‘tempo’.

“Namaskar, Modi ji! Did you get scared? Usually, you talk about Ambani ji, Adani ji only behind closed doors. The first time, you said Ambani-Adani in public. And you even know they give money in a tempo. Is it your personal experience? Do one thing, send CBI-ED to their residence and conduct an enquiry. Don’t be scared,” Rahul Gandhi said in a video message on Wednesday.

This comes after Prime Minister Modi launched a strong attack on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, questioning their ‘silence’ on Ambani-Adani, and asking if there is a ‘deal’ between them. PM Modi also asked if the Congress party has received a “tempo filled with currency notes” from the two businessmen.

Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha and one from Jammu and Kashmir.

Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases till June 1. Polling for three phases has already been concluded. Votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Saturday that an INDIA bloc government will be formed at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party will be a part of it, following which Delhi will be accorded full statehood.

Kejriwal said this at a roadshow with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Krishna Nagar area in support of AAP East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

“On June 4, the INDIA bloc government will be formed and AAP will also have representation at the Centre. The long pending demand of Delhiites will be fulfilled and we will give statehood to Delhi and make our own LG. God has given me 21 days. I will work 24 hours, travel across the country to end this dictatorship,” said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal claimed that the BJP is asking for 400 seats because it wants to change the constitution and impose dictatorship.

“They (BJP) are saying that they need 400 seats. Someone asked why you need 400 seats they said that they had to do some big work later. It came to be known that they want to change the Constitution and end reservation. We will die but not allow them to end democracy and impose dictatorship,” he said.

“We did development in Delhi. We constructed schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics, made electricity free. Now when I go for election campaign I seek votes on work done by me. But they (BJP) are running country for last 10 years but they keep seeking votes on irrelevant things as they not a single work mention in 10 years,” he added.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal has got interim bail from the Supreme Court until June 1 in a money laundering case connected to the alleged excise policy scam.

Earlier in the day, Delhi CM also held a road show in Mehrauli.

Kejriwal spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy case on March 21, days after the election schedule for the general elections was announced.

The bail is applicable till June 1 and Kejriwal has to surrender to authorities on June 2. The Delhi CM can participate in the poll campaigning but can not attend his office as Chief Minister.

Delhi to vote on all 7 Parliamentary seats on 25 May. (ANI)

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