Month: May 2024

It’s a pride moment for all as ace designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee created history by becoming the first Indian designer to grace the prestigious Met Gala carpet.

On Tuesday, he attended the fashion extravaganza wearing an “embroidered cotton duster coat from the Sabyasachi Resort 2024 collection layered with tourmalines, pearls, emeralds and diamonds from Sabyasachi High Jewellery.”

Sabyasachi also posted a video of himself posing for photographers on the Met Gala carpet on his official Instagram account. He struck some stunning poses on the streets of New York City.

Fans lauded him for this huge feat.

“The legend himself prakating as himself,” a social media user commented.

“Congratulations…you are a legend,” another one wrote.

Well, this year, besides walking the red carpet, Sabyasachi also designed Alia Bhatt’s outfit for the gala. Alia stunned everyone in a timeless mint green Sabyasachi saree adorned with a long, dramatic trail.

Alia Bhatt’s custom embroidered saree beautifully interpreted the theme of this year’s Met Gala – “Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion” with the dress code “The Garden of Time.” The actress was styled by Anaita Shroff.

After attending the red carpet, Alia took to Instagram and shared pictures flaunting her Met Gala look.

“It was a call to the Garden of Time – an ode to art and eternity. Timelessness is endless, and we acknowledge that things crafted with time and care, can last forever. In our journey for an Indian interpretation of this universal theme, the outfit took on a life of its own. Nothing embodies tradition and innovation like the saree; in the skilled hands of @sabyasachiofficial, this vision found its fullest expression. We looked to the past as a guide for the future, drawing inspiration from the timeless sophistication of Indian nobility,” she wrote.

“We focused on intricate craftsmanship, incorporating hand embroidery, precious stones, along with elegant beadwork and fringes, distinctive of the 1920’s fringe style. Our colour palette pays homage to nature’s beauty, echoing the earth, sky, and sea. We embraced a delicate nostalgia for hair and makeup – an elevated coiffure embellished with intricately woven braids and soft freckles – a homage to time’s gentle caress,” she added.

Alia also talked about the emotional and labour-intensive process behind the creation of the saree, saying, “This is all hand embroidery. It took 1905 man hours and 163 craftsmen to make this ensemble.”

“Creating this has been quite an experience… fun and stressful in equal parts. It has taken a collective effort of 163 dedicated individuals, including master craftspeople, embroiderers, artists, and dyers, investing a total of 1965-man hours to create this ethereal saree. As I wear this outfit, I feel incredibly grateful to embody this exquisite creation, a testament to boundless love and painstaking effort. A big thank you to @anaitashroffadajania, @lakshmilehr, @puneetbsaini, @amitthakur_hair, @dolly.jain , and my amazing team for being the most wonderful collaborators through this ‘Garden of Time’,” she added.

This is Alia’s second appearance at Meta Gala. Last year, she made her debut at Met Gala in pearl-drenched gown. (ANI)

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Rebutting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegations that the INDIA bloc wants to take away reservation from backward communities and transfer it to the Muslims, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said that reservation is given on the basis of social backwardness and not on religion basis.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo further claimed that it was he who implemented the Mandal Commission.

Speaking to ANI, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “I implemented the ‘Mandal Commission’. Reservation samajik adhar par hota hai dharmik aadhar par nahi hota hai (it is based on social-backwardness and not based on religion). Atal Bihari Vajpayee constituted the Constitution Review Commission.”

Lalu Prasad Yadav further said that after three phases of voting in the Lok Sabha elections, the “trend is in the favour of INDIA bloc”, and claimed that BJP will fail to win even 200 seats.

“We are getting reports in our favour after the third phase. They are saying 400-plus to induce psychological pressure, they won’t even cross 200,” he said.

“They (BJP) want to end reservation, they are against backwards and Dalits,” the RJD supremo added.

His remarks come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the RJD supremo and the INDIA bloc, alleging that it wants to give the whole reservation to the Muslim community.

“Today, a senior leader of the INDI alliance …a leader who is in jail for eating cattle fodder…he was convicted by the court, was in prison, is out on bail only on health grounds…Today, he was proudly saying that Muslims should get reservation, and not just that, he wants the whole reservation to be given to them,” PM Modi said in a public meeting in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

“This means, they want to snatch the whole reservation of SC, ST and OBC and give it to Muslims…I had only alleged that Opposition is planning to snatch a part of the reservation, but their conspiracy is even bigger, they want to take away the whole reservation,” he added.

Earlier in the day, former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav called for a Muslim quota in the reservation.

“Muslims should get a reservation (Reservation toh milna chahiye Musalmano ko, pura),” he told ANI.

Polling in Bihar, which sends 40 members to the Lok Sabha, is being held across all seven phases. The counting of votes for all phases is scheduled for June 4.

The voting on five seats in Bihar is ongoing as part of the third phase of the Lok Sabha election today. The five seats are Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, and Khagaria.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP-led NDA nearly mopped up the poll sweepstakes in the state, winning 39 of the 40 seats. (ANI)

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Vladimir Putin took oath for a new term of six years as the President of Russia on Tuesday. He took oath for a record fifth presidential term at an inauguration ceremony held in Kremlin.

Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin announced that Putin has formally taken office as Russian president for another six-year term, TASS reported.

After Putin took the oath to the people, Zorkin handed him the symbols of presidential power including the presidential insignia, that is, the golden cross of St. George, depicting the Russian coat of arms and a gold chain with the words “Virtue, Honesty and Glory.”

Following the oath-taking ceremony, the head of state delivered a speech.

The ceremony marks the start of Putin’s fifth presidential term, reported TASS.

Moreover, his first two terms in office lasted four years. However, the presidential term was later extended to six years based on constitutional amendments.

Putin won the presidential elections in March, receiving 87.17 per cent of the votes based on the result of processing 70 per cent of the electoral protocols.

Putin’s first six-year presidential term began in 2012 and the second one in 2018. In 2020, the Constitution was changed to make it possible for him to run for president in 2024, TASS reported.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation candidate Nikolai Kharitonov secured the second spot with 4.1 per cent of the votes while New People Party candidate Vladislav Davankov stood third with 4.8 per cent votes.

According to preliminary data as of 6 pm (Moscow time) on Sunday, the voter turnout in the presidential elections, which for the first time took place over three days from March 15-17, stood at 74.22 per cent. (ANI)

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The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BRS Leader K Kavitha and another person in the excise policy case.

The Court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the ED case till May 20, 2024, while K Kavitha’s judicial custody was extended by the court till May 14 in the ED case and May 20 in the CBI case.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement on March 21, 2024. During the hearing appearing for Kejriwal, Advocate Rajat Bharadwaj apprised the court that the Supreme Court is presently hearing Arvind Kejriwal’s matter on the aspect of interim bail.

The Special Judge Kaveri Baweja allowed the applications moved by the ED, which sought an extension of judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal, K Kavitha and Chanpreet Singh in the excise policy case.

During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal was produced through VC from Tihar Jail. However, K Kavitha produced before the court physically following a court order passed on Monday.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday also dismissed the bail petitions moved by Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in connection with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED cases related to the excise policy case.

BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested by the EED on March 15, 2024 and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024.

Earlier, CBI through remand application stated that “Kavitha Kalvakuntla was required to be arrested in the instant case to conduct her custodial interrogation for confronting her with the evidence and witnesses to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched among the accused, suspect persons regarding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy, as well as to establish the money trail of ill-gotten money generated and to establish the role of other accused/suspect persons, including public servants, as well as to unearth the facts which are in her exclusive knowledge.”

The CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.

The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said.

As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.

Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer. (ANI)

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Over 54 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm in the Lok Sabha elections being held in nine parliamentary constituencies in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. By 3 pm, 54.09 per cent votes were cast, according to data released by the Election Commission of India. 

Voting in nine parliamentary seats of Madhya Pradesh, including Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh, and Betul, is underway in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the Election Commission.

Rajgarh was leading the charts with 63.69 per cent voting as of 3 pm, followed by Guna 60.16 per cent, Vidisha 59.87 per cent, Betul 59.63 per cent, Sagar 53.08 per cent, Bhopal 50.16 per cent, Gwalior 49.60 per cent, Morena 48.23 per cent, and Bhind 44.18 per cent.

Around 44.67 per cent votes were cast till 1 pm in Madhya Pradesh, 30.21 per cent till 11 am, and 14.43 per cent till 9 am.

During the second phase of voting on April 26, the state recorded 46.50 per cent voting till 3 pm, and the final voter turnout stood at 58.59 per cent in the second phase of polling in the state.

Similarly, during the first phase of polling on April 19, the state received 53.40 per cent voting till 3 pm, and the final voter turnout stood at 67.75 per cent in the first phase of polling in the state.

Earlier in the day, addressing the press conference, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan said that the polling for the third phase started at the scheduled time in the state after the mock poll, and the polling was going on peacefully in the state.

“Today, the polling in the third phase of Lok Sabha electionsstarted at 7 am at all the polling stations of the nine parliamentary seats in the state. The polling is going on peacefully across the state. The voter turnout stood at 30.21 per cent in the first four hours till 11 am in the state. During the previous 2019 general elections, the polling percentage was 27.83 per cent in the third phase till 11 am,” Anupam Rajan said. 

During the mock poll, some Balloting Unit (BU), Control Unit (CU), and VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) faced problems and they were replaced. There were a total of 104 BUs, 98 CUs, and 164 VVPATs that were replaced, the officer said, adding that after the beginning of polling, a total of 14 BUs, 12 CUs, 40 VVPATs were changed which reported issues. 

Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19, and the second phase was concluded on April 26.

The fourth, which is the last phase of LS polls in the state, will be held on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. With 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, Madhya Pradesh ranks sixth among all states in terms of its representation in the Lower House. Of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved. (ANI) 

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West Bengal is leading the voter turnout in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections at 14.60 percent till 9:00 AM on Tuesday, as per the data released by the Election Commission of India.

Madhya Pradesh is also witnessing a high voter turnout of 14.22 percent. Maharashtra has recorded the lowest turnout till 9 am at 6.64 percent.

Voting percentages for other states participating in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls at 9 am are– Assam–10.12 percent, Bihar–10.03 percent, Chhattisgarh–13.24 percent, Goa–12.35 percent, Gujarat–9.87, Karnataka–9.45 percent, and Uttar Pradesh–12.13 percent.

Union Territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu recorded 10.13 percent voter turnout till 9 am.

Notably, the overall voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was over 67 percent.

Meanwhile, the polling started for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday at 7:00 am.

In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray.

“A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations. Seventy-five delegates from 23 countries will see the poll process,” the poll panel said.

Prominent leaders to contest in today’s poll battle include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, among others.

In the 2019 general election the BJP won 72 of the 93 seats that go to the polls today.

Voting will not take place for Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has postponed the polling to the sixth phase to be held on May 25. Originally, voting was scheduled to be held on 94 Lok Sabha seats in the third phase.

However, elections were rescheduled from the second to the third phase in the Betul Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh due to the death of the BSP candidate. The BJP candidate in Surat has been declared the winner unopposed and due to the revised polling schedule in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, the total seats now going to poll are 93.

The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4.

The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term in power, while the opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest power by stopping the juggernaut. (ANI)

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In the latest development surrounding the shooting incident outside actor Salman Khan’s residence, Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended a fifth suspect.

The individual, identified as Mohammad Chaudhary, was arrested in Rajasthan for his alleged involvement in aiding the shooters, Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta.

Chaudhary facilitated financial assistance and reconnaissance for the assailants, as confirmed by Mumbai Crime Branch officials.

The arrest of Chaudhary comes amidst the ongoing investigation into the firing incident that rattled the Bandra area of Mumbai.

This arrest adds another layer to the complex web of individuals linked to the attack on Salman Khan’s residence.

Tragically, the case took a grim turn with the demise of Anuj Thapan, one of the arms suppliers involved. Thapan was found dead in his cell on May 1, reportedly by suicide.

Mumbai Police disclosed that Thapan had attempted to take his own life while in custody and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.

Anuj Thapan’s arrest on April 26 marked a significant breakthrough in the investigation, shedding light on the network responsible for providing weapons to the perpetrators of the attack.

The incident, which occurred on April 14, saw two assailants open fire outside the Galaxy Apartments, where Salman Khan resides, before fleeing the scene. The subsequent arrests revealed connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

In response to the severity of the case, Mumbai Police invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused involved in the shooting incident.

Furthermore, a lookout notice has been issued for Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, in connection to the case. (ANI)

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Amid the row over Prajwal Revanna ‘obscene video’ case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly asserted that there should be “zero tolerance” against such people and “stringent punishment” should be given to them using all available legal options.

He, also attacked the Congress party over the issue, stating that these thousands of videos are not of one day. He accused Congress of allowing Prajwal to flee the state and videos were released only after he left the country.

Prajwal Revanna, the suspended Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader is the incumbent MP from the Hassan constituency. He is seeking re-election as an NDA candidate from the same seat. Polling on the seat was completed on April 26.

In an interview with Times Now, PM Modi said, “I am of the clear view that there should be zero tolerance against such people. Stringent punishment should be given using all the legal options available.”

Prime Minister Modi further stated that it is a law and order issue and whichever party is in government in the state, is responsible for taking action.

“It is a law-and-order issue. If such an incident took place in Bengal, then the Bengal government would be responsible. If it happened in Gujarat, then the Gujarat government is responsible. If it happened, then Andhra then Andhra government would be responsible. If it happened it Karnataka, then Karnataka government is responsible to take action,” he further said.

Prime Minister Modi alleged that the videos were recorded when Congress was in power in the state in alliance with JD(S) and were released only after the Vokkaliga voters exercised their franchise during the second phase.

“However, these thousands of videos would not be of single day which implies that it is of the time when JD(S) was in alliance with Congress. These videos were gathered when they were in power. They released it during the election after Vokkaligas exercised their franchise,” the Prime Minister said.

“The videos were released after he was sent out of the country. You allowed him to go from the state. This is very suspicious,” he added.

HD Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household.

HD Revanna is under Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till May 8 in kidnapping case linked to “obscene video case”, while Prajwal Revanna has fled to another country.

Voting for 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka is being held in two phases. While 14 seats were polled on April 26, the remaining 14 will go to polling on May 7. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats. While, Congress and JD-S — who were in coalition in the state government — could only win one seat each. (ANI)

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The third phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday involves some key seats whose outcome will have a direct bearing on the future of political families involved with the contest to form the next government at the Centre also crossing the half-way mark in terms of the seats covered.

Ninety-three seats spread across ten states and a union territory will go to polls on Tuesday after high-pitched campaigning that saw political temperatures soar amid the sweltering May heat.

The Election Commission has made adequate arrangements for the third phase of polls.   Weather conditions are predicted to be within normal range. However, for convenience for voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities like water, shamiyana, fans to deal with hot weather conditions, the poll panel said.

A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase on 1.85 lakh polling stations. Seventy-five delegates from 23 countries will see poll process, the poll panel said.

Baramati in Maharashtra, Gulbarga in Karnataka and Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh are among seats on which the contest is being closely watched by people.

Baramati, where NCP veteran Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule is facing the challenge from her cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, will have a bearing on the political stakes in the Pawar family.

The contest in Gulbarga has immense significance for Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as his son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is in the fray. Kharge lost the seat in 2019.    

Mainpuri will see Dimple Yadav, wife of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, reclaiming the parliamentary seat she won last time in the bypoll.   

Other key leaders in the fray for polls on Tuesday include Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna in Madhya Pradesh and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Digvijaya Singh from Vidisha and Rajgarh respectively.  

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is re-contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal is in the fray from Assam’s Dhubri.

All 26 constituencies of Gujarat will vote in a single phase tomorrow. Two constituencies of Goa will also vote in the third phase of elections.

Voting will not take place for Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has postponed the polling to the sixth phase to be held on May 25.

Originally, voting was scheduled to be held on 94 Lok Sabha seats in the third phase. However elections were rescheduled from the second to the third phase in the Betul Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh due to the death of the BSP candidate, the BJP candidate in Surat has been declared the winner unopposed and due to revised polling schedule in Anantnag-Rajouri seat,  the total seats now going to poll are 93.

Voting was held in 102 seats in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls and on 88 seats in the second phase.

Uttar Pradesh:
Some of the seats going to the polls in Uttar Pradesh in the third phase are Samajwadi Party strongholds.  Ten constituencies – Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla and Bareilly – will go the polls on Tuesday.  

BJP had won Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Fatehpur Sikri, Etah, Badaun, Bareilly and Aonla in the 2019 elections and the SP had won the Mainpuri and Sambhal seats. Sixteen of total 80 constituencies have already voted in the first two phases in the politically crucial state.

1. In Sambhal, Samajwadi Party’s Zia Ur Rahman is facing BJP’s Parmeshwar Lal Saini and the BSP’s Chaudhary Saulat Ali.
2. In Hathras, SP’s Jasveer Valmiki is facing Anoop Pradhan of the BJP and Shiv Prasad Yadav of the BSP.
3. In Mainpuri, sitting MP Dimple Yadav is in fray against Jaiveer Singh of the BJP.
4. In Firozabad, BJP’s Vishwadeep Singh is contesting against SP’s Akshay Yadav who is the nephew of late Mulayam Singh Yadav and the son of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. BSP has fielded Chowdhary Basheer. 5 In Badaun, Aditya Yadav, son of SP leader Shivpal Yadav is making his poll debut and will face Durvijay Singh Shakya of the BJP and BSP’s Muslim Khan.
5. In Agra, a reserved seat Union Minister Satyapal Singh Baghel is facing Suresh Chandra Kardam of SP
6. In Fatehpur Sikri, incumbent MP Rajkumar Chahar of the BJP is pitted against retired Ramnath Sikarwar as the Opposition INDIA bloc candidate. Current BJP MLA from Fatehpur Sikri Chaudhary Babulal has fielded his son Rameshwar Chaudhary as an independent from the seat. BSP has fielded Ramnivas Sharma from the seat.
7. In Etah, BJP leader Rajveer Singh, also known as Raju Bhaiya who is the son of two-time chief minister Kalyan Singh, is hoping for a third time win against Devesh Shakya fielded by SP.
8. In Bareilly, Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar of BJP is contesting Praveen Singh Aron for SP.
9. In Aonla, Durvijay Singh Shakya from BJP and Neeraj Maurya of the SP and Abid Ali of BSP are in fray. Gujarat:
   The home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave all 26 seats to the BJP in the last two Lok Sabha polls and the party is keen on a hat-trick. AAP made its presence felt in the last assembly polls and has put up candidates in alliance with Congress. BJP’s candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha seat, Mukesh Dalal, has been declared the winner without contest as nomination papers of Congress candidate were rejected and other contestants pulled out. All constituencies of Gujarat will vote in a single phase tomorrow.
10. Ahmedabad East – Congress’ Himmatsinh Prahladsinh Patel is pitted against BJP’s Hasmukhbhai Patel
11. Ahmedabad West – A reserved seat where two Makwanas are fighting for dominance – Dinesh Kodarbhai Makwana from the BJP and Bharat Makwana from the Congress.
12. Amreli – BJP’s Bharatbhai Manubhai Sutariya is pitted against Congress’ Jenny Thummar
13. Ananad – In ‘Milk capital of India’ and home to dairy giant Amul, Congress is pinning hopes on Amit Chavda against BJP’s sitting MP Mitesh Patel.
14. Banaskantha – The only Gujarat constituency where both BJP and Congress have fieled women candidates, two-term MLA Geniben Nagaji Thakor of the Congress, known as the ‘giant killer’ for defeating the sitting assembly speaker in 2017, will take on BJP’s Rekhaben Hiteshbhai Chaudhari, an engineering professor making her poll debut.
15. Bardoli – Known for Satyagraha led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi in opposition to the British government’s 22 per cent tax increase on farmers in the Bombay Presidency, is a reserved seat for Schedule Tribes. Key candidates are Congress’ Chaudhary Siddharth Amarsinh and BJP’s Prabhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava.
16. Bharuch – Voters will have to double-check the party symbol when they vote as it is Vasava vs Vasava vs Vasava. BJP leader Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava is pitted against AAP’s Chaitarbhai Damjibhai Vasava and Bharatiya Adivasi Party’s Dilipbhai Chhotubhai Vasava.
17. Bhavnagar – BJP’s Nimuben Bambhania is in fray against AAP’s Umesh Makwana.
18. Chota Udaipur – Scheduled Tribes reserved constituency candidates in fray are BJP’s Jashubhai Bhilubhai Rathva and Congress’ Sukhrambhai Hariyabhai Rathwa.
19. Dahod – Congress’ Prabhaben Kishorsinh Taviyad will fight against BJP’s Jasvantsinh Bhabhor.
20. Gandhinagar – Earlier represented by BJP stalwart LK Advani, BJP is seeking record win for Home Minister Amit Shah in his second contest from the seat. He won in 2019 and Congress has fielded it Gujarat women’s wing chairperson Sonal Ramanbhai Patel.
21. Jamnagar – Congress has fielded JP Maraviya against BJP candidate Poonamben Rajeshbhai Maadam.
22. Junagadh – BJP has fielded sitting MP Chudasama Rajeshbhai Naranbhai against Congress’ Jotva Hirabhai Arjanbhai.
23. Kachchh – BJP has fielded incumbent MP Chavda Vinod Lakhamashi against Congress’ Nitesh Parbatbhai Lalan.
24. Kheda – BJP’s Devusinh Chauhan is in fray against Kalusinh Dabhi of Congress.
25. Mahsena – BJP’s Haribhai Patel is fighting against Congress’ Ramji Thakor.
26. Navsari – BJP state president CR Paatil is engaged in a fierce battle against Congress’s Naishadbhai Bhupatbhai Desai.
27. Panchmahal – BJP has put its faith on Rajpalsinh Mahendrasinh Jadav against Congress’ Gulabsinh SomSinh Chauhan.
28. Patan – BJP’s sitting MP Dabhi Bharatsinhji Shankarji is pitted against Congress’ Chandanji Talaji Thakor.
29. Porbandar – Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya of the BJP is taking on prominent state Congress leader Lalit Vasoya.
30. Rajkot – BJP’s Parshottam Rupala, whose remarks led to protests from members of Kshatriya community, is facing off against Congress’ Paresh Dhanani.
31. Sabarkantha – BJP is seeking fourth straight win and has fielded Shobhanben Mahendrasinh Baraiya against Congress’ Chaudhari Tushar Amarsinh.
32. Surendranagar – Rutvikbhai Lavjibhai Makwana of the Congress is pitted against BJP’s Chandubhai Chhaganbhai Shihora, who replaced sitting MP Dr Mahendra Munjapara.
33. Vadodra – In third-largest city of Gujarat, BJP’s Hemang Yogeshchandra Joshi is pitted against Congress’ Jashpalsinh Padhiyar.
34. Valsad – Congress has fielded Anantkumar Hasmukhbhai Patel against BJP’s Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel. Madhya Pradesh:
    Voting for nine Lok Sabha constituencies in the Hindi heartland will be held from 7 am to 6 pm tomorrow.  These include Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal and Rajgarh. There are a total of 29 total Lok Sabha seats in the state. In the first phase of voting on April 19, voters on six seats excercised their franchise – Chhindwara, Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, and Balaghat. The second phase saw seven seats voting on April 26 – Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad and Betul.
35. In Vidisha, a BJP bastion, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is facing Congress veteran Pratap Bhanu Sharma.
36. In Guna, considered a stronghold of the Scindias, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is contesting against Congress’ Rao Yadavendra Singh Yadav who was earlier with the BJP.
37. In Rajgarh, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh is pitted against incumbent MP Rodmal Nagar of the BJP.
38. In Bhopal, Alok Sharma of the BJP is pitted against Arun Shrivastava.
39. In Morena, BJP has nominated Shivmangal Singh Tomar to contest against Congress’ Neetu Satyapal Singh Sikarwar.
40. In the Bhind reserved seat in the Chambal region, Congress has fielded Phool Singh Baraiya while BJP has retained its candidate Sandhya Ray, who had won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
41. In Gwalior, Bharat Singh Kushwah is pitted against Congress’ Praveen Pathak
42. In Sagar, Lata Wankhede of the BJP is contesting against Guddu Raja Bundela from the Congress Chhattisgarh:
    Voting for seven parliamentary constituencies will be held in the third phase of elections. With this polls all 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state will have voted has been with voting held on four seats in first two phases.
43. In Raipur,  State Minister Brijmohan Agrawal of the BJP is contesting former MLA Vikas Upadhyay of the Congress
44. In Durg, sitting MP Vijay Baghel of the BJP is pitted against Rajendra Sahu of the Congress
45. In Bilaspur, Tokhan Sahu of the BJP is contesting Devender Singh Yadav of the Congress
46. In Korba, former MP Saroj Pandey of the BJP is facing sitting MP Jyotsna Mahant of the Congress
47. In Janjgir-Champa, Kamlesh Jangde of the BJP is pitted against former state minister Shivkumar Dahariya of the Congress
48. In tribal-dominated Raigarh, Radheshyam Rathia of BJP is in fray against erstwhile royal family’s Menka Devi Singh of the Congress
49. In Sarguja, Chintamani Maharaj of the BJP, who defected from Congress, is contesting Shashi Singh of the Congress. Assam:
    Four seats are in fray in Assam during the third phase of polling tomorrow. Elections to 10 Lok Sabha seats in Assam took place in the first two phases. BJP is contesting 11 parliamentary constituencies, leaving two seats for its key ally, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and one seat for United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
50. In Dhubri, sitting MP and AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal is contesting against Congress candidate and former Minister Rakibul Hussain and AGP candidate Zabed Islam.
51. In Barpeta, eight-time MLA and former Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury is contesting as AGP candidate against Congress candidate Deep Bayan and CPI (M) candidate and sitting MLA Manoranjan Talukdar.
52. In Kokrajhar, UPPL candidate and sitting MLA Joyanta Basumatary is contesting against BPF candidate Kampa Borgoyari and Congress candidate Garjan Mashahary.
53. In Guwahati,  BJP candidate Bijuli Kalita Medhi is contesting against Congress candidate and president of Assam Mahila Congress Mira Borthakur Goswami Bihar: The Hindi heartland state will see voting in five parliamentary constituencies.
54. In Jhanjharpur, Suman Kumar of the VIP is the INDIA bloc candidate against Ramprit Mandal of the JD(U). Mandal is the NDA candidate from the seat.
55. In Supaul, Chandrahas Chaupal of the RJD (INDIA bloc) is contesting against Dileshwar Kamait of the JD(U).
56. In Araria, Mohammed Shahnawaz Alam of RJD is pitted against Pradeep Kumar Singh of the BJP.
57. In Madhepura, Chandradeep of the RJD is facing Dinesh Chandra Yadav of the JD(U).
58. In Khagaria, Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha of the CPM (INDIA bloc) is facing Rajesh Verma of the LJP(Ram vilas) (NDA alliance) Karnataka:
    The high-pitched battle in Karnataka will see 14 seats in north and central Karnataka regions go to the polls.  Fourteen seats including in the  South Karnataka’s Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysore region and the coastal constituencies went to the polls on April 25. Polling on all 28 Lok Sabha seats will be completed in Karnataka tomorrow. Bijapur, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bellary, Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bidar, Koppal, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Shivamogga are the constituencies which will go to the polls tomorrow.
59. In Bagalkot, which holds a crucial place in the state politics Sitting MP P C Gaddigoudar from BJP is contesting against Samyukta Shivanand Patil from the Congress, who is making her debut.
60. In Shivamogga, BS Yediyurappa’s son and sitting MP BY Raghavendra will be taking on Geetha Shivarajkumar, who is the daughter of former chief minister late S Bangarappa. Geetha is also the wife of Kannada actor Shivaraj Kumar. Former BJP minister Eshwarappa is contesting as an independent candidate from Shivamogga.
61. In Haveri, former chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai is pitted against Congress candidate Anandaswamy Gaddadevaramath, who is the son of former MLA GS Gaddadevarmath.
62. In Gulbarga, Congress has fielded Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Mallikrajun Kharge to take on BJP’s Umesh Jadhav, the sitting MP.
63. In Dharwad, union minister Pralhad Joshi is seeking another victory and is facing Congress youth leader Vinod Asooti. Maharashtra:
    The polls will decide which among the two factions of the Shiv Sena and of NCP hold sway among voters. Both parties have seen splits.    
64. In Baramati, Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar is taking on incumbent Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar. The keenly fought battle will decide the fate of Ajit Pawar after his rebellion against his uncle.
65. In Dharashiv, Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar of Congress, a sitting MLA, is pitted against Archana Patil of BJP.
66. Latur will witness incumbent BJP MP Sudhakar Shrungare locking horns with a newcomer Dr Shivaji Kalge, a well-known doctor in the area, from the Congress.
67. Solapur: Congress MLA Praniti Shinde is taking on BJP MLA Ram Satpute on the reserved seat.
68. In Sangli, BJP’s incumbent MP Sanjaykaka Patil is pitted against former wrestler Chandrahar Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT).
69. In Kolhapur, Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati, descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj of Congress is pitted against Shiv Sena’s incumbent MP Sanjay Mandlik. West Bengal:
     After a hectic campaign that saw allegations fly thick and fast between BJP and Trinamool Congress, a fierce contest is on the cards.   Murshidabad is heading into polls in the upcoming third phase of the Lok Sabha elections tomorrow along with Jangipur, Malda Uttar and Malda Dakshin.
70. Murshidabad seat will witness a triangular contest between Abu Taher Khan of Trinamool Congress, Gouri Sankar Ghosh of the Bharatiya Janata Party and MD Salim of CPI (M).  Abu Taher Khan, the incumbent MP is looking to retain his seat.
71. In Maldaha Dakshin, a three-cornered contest is expected between the BJP, TMC and the Congress. The ruling TMC has fielded anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) activist Shanawaz Ali Raihan. Congress nominee is Isha Khan Choudhury, whose father Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury is sitting MP. Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhur is BJP candidate.
72. In Maldaha Uttar, BJP has fielded sitting MP Khagen Murmu, who was formerly with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is pitted against TMC’s Prasun Banerjee, a former IPS officer.
73. Jangipur will witness a three-cornered fight between sitting MP and TMC leader Khalilur Rahaman, BJP’s Dhananjay Ghosh and Congress’ Mortaja Hossain. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu:
     Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Kalaben Delkar as its candidate from the union territory. She recently switched allegiance from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction to join the BJP. Ajit Rambhai Mahla is Congress candidate. Goa:
    The Congress and BJP had won one seat each in the 2019 polls and the contest in North Goa and South Goa is equally interesting in this election.   In North Goa, Shripad Yesso Naik, who defeated Congress leader Girish Chodankar in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is seeking sixth consecutive win. The Congress has fielded former deputy CM of Goa Ramakant Khalap In South Goa, the BJP has fielded Pallavi Dempo, the executive director of Dempo Industries, against Congress’s Viriato Fernandes. (ANI)

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed hope on Monday that both the governments of India and Pakistan will create such an environment to start the process of dialogue.

He also said there is still a long way to go to control militancy in the Union Territory.

“The BJP should answer the terror attack on an IAF convoy in Poonch. I have been saying that militancy has enveloped a few areas that were becoming militancy-free as long as I was the Chief Minister. Like Srinagar and areas adjacent to it and Rajouri-Poonch,” Omar said while addressing a public gathering in Kupwara’s Langate.

“But you see (media) how many targeted killings took place in Srinagar, how many encounters took place in Poonch, how many terror attacks took place in Rajouri, what kind of terror attacks took place in Kokernag. The reality is it will take a lot of time to control militancy,” said Omar, the National Conference, Vice-President

He was replying to a query related to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir post-2019.

Omar Abdullah who is contesting from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

Replying to a query, he said, “National Conference has always maintained that all the matters (between India and Pakistan) would be resolved through dialogue. What Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji said: ‘We can change our friends, but we can’t change our neighbours’. Pakistan is, was and will remain our neighbour. We have to create an environment for the dialogue. And it is the responsibility of the two countries”.

“A new government has come to power in Pakistan after elections. Here results will be out on June 4. A new government will be formed. We hope that both the governments of India and Pakistan will create such an environment to start the process of dialogue,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 5 Lok Sabha seats including Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu.

Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force officer was killed and four others injured in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in five phases and the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri is scheduled to be held on May 25 in the sixth phase. (ANI)

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases running from April 19 to June 1.

The counting of votes and results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

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