Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. (File photo)
Lok Sabha Elections 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: With just 11 days left for the Lok Sabha elections to kick off, leaders from major political parties are busy taking trips across the country in an effort to reach out to as many voters as possible. BJP national president Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Naranpura in Ahmedabad before filing his nomination from the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency. He said he was fortunate to become a candidate from the constituency represented by LK Advani.
Shah was joined by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray who attacked the opposition saying, “They have 56 leaders in a rally joining hands. It’s good…they should join hands, even if they do not get along well. But Shiv Sena and BJP we are joined by hearts.” They have 56 leaders in a rally joining hands. It’s good…they should join hands, even if they do not get along well. But Shiv Sena and BJP we are joined by hearts,” he added. Click here for more election news
During the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his campaign trail in northeast India. He addressed rallies in Arunachal Pradesh’s Aalo and Assam’s Moran. He concluded his northeast campaign for today with a public meeting in Gohpur. In his Aalo rally, Modi took a dig at Opposition saying the party has an old connection with corruption and is least concerned about the country or its youth. He also alleged that Congress speaks the language of terrorists. “They don’t have an existence in India, yet are praised in Pakistan,” he observed.
Amit Shah with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Ahmedabad on Saturday. (Express Photo: Javed Raja)
The MP CM predicted the Congress would win 22 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state, adding that the BJP would not cross 160 seats across the country in the April-May polls. He said the Congress would announce candidates for the remaining MP Lok Sabha seats in the next three-four days.The BJP had won 27 out of 29 seats in the 2014 polls, with only Scindia from Guna and Nath from Chhindwara managing to withstand the Narendra Modi wave.
The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop "misusing" the country's armed forces for political gains. Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was running away from "real issues" in the campaign for the April-May parliamentary election. "Since 1947, India has achieved several milestones and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only PM who thinks the country's achievements are his individual achievement," he said. "It is an insult for the armed forces of the country. It is the country's armed forces not any party's or prime minister's army, the prime minister should stop its misuse for political gains. Our jawans do not sacrifice their lives for votes and if the prime minister says that, then the world is mocking us for it...it does not suit him," he told reporters. (PTI)
A day after the Nishad Party quit the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party Saturday named its own candidate for the prestigious Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP Pravin Nishad. Ram Bhuwal Nishad, the SP candidate from Gorakhpur, the seat once held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is also from the Nishad community. The Nishad party is headed by Sanjay Nishad, father of Pravin Nishad who had won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat on an SP ticket in the 2018 bypolls. Gorakhpur was considered a bastion of Adityanath, who had represented the parliamentary constituency several times before. (PTI)
Jaya Prada, BJP MP candidate from Rampur on Sambhal SP leader Firoz Khan's comment 'Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega' on her: Unpe toh already case lag gaya hai...SP (Samajwadi Party) walon ke yahi sanskar hain.
KOCHI: The Congress rank and file in the state are waiting anxiously and desperately for the party high command to announce it's candidates in the Wayanad and Vadakara Lok Sabha seats. Congress president Rahul Gandhi may fight from Wayanad while a formal announcement is yet to come from Delhi on the candidature of K Muraleedharan MLA from Vadakara. Even though a formal nod is awaited, Muralidharan has already begun his campaign there and faces a mounting challenge from CPI(M)'s P Jayarajan. On the Wayanad seat, the Congress's allies have begun putting pressure on the national leadership to announce whether Gandhi intends to fight or not. The opposition LDF and NDA camps have started their campaigns. Kerala goes to polls in a single phase for all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies on April 23.
PATHANAMTHITTA: Independent MLA and chairman of Kerala Janapaksham political party, PC George announced his support Friday for BJP candidate K Surendran in the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, which was the nerve-centre of the Sabarimala agitation. George himself has been elected from Poonjar, one of the Assembly segments that fall under the LS constituency. Surendran, the state general secretary of the BJP, is up against sitting Congress MP Anto Antony and LDF candidate Veena George. There are speculations that George, who was once associated with the Congress-led UDF, may make his entry into the NDA. He has reportedly held talks with the BJP national leadership on this issue.
Arjun Charan Sethi resigned from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after his son Abhimanyu Sethi wasn't given a ticket from the party; has joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his son.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kicked off his election campaign in northeastern states, beginning from Arunachal Pradesh. While continuing with his ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) rhetoric in Arunachal, the PM in Assam said only a ‘chaiwala’ can understand the pain of fellow ‘chaiwalas’. In Arunachal, Modi lashed out at Opposition parties, claiming they were “disheartened” by India’s growth and success. Launching his campaign in Arunachal’s Aalo, the Prime Minister said the state is a “shield for the country with the people zealously guarding the border as sentinels.” He claimed that the Congress has the habit of taking people of the country for a ride, while saying that the grand old party is “synonymous with corruption”. READ MORE HERE
Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions. The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission. The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi. (PTI)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor found himself on a sticky wicket Saturday as his tweet following a visit to the fish market here kicked up a row, with the ruling CPI(M) and BJP alleging he had insulted the fishermen community and demanded an apology. The former Union minister, who is trying to score a hat-trick from the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, had visited a fish market in the state capital recently and spoken to the women selling fish there and had also posted some pictures of his visit. "Found a lot of enthusiasm at the fish market, even for a squeamish, vegetarian MP," Tharoor had later tweeted.
BJP MP Hema Malini has said it will be dangerous for the country if Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't return to power as he alone has the courage to do what is right for the country. The actor-turned-politician, who is recontesting from the Mathura Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh once again this year, also hit out at the Opposition, saying that it is "desperate" as Modi has ensured that there is no corruption in the country. "There is no other choice. Modiji has to come back. It will be dangerous for the country if someone else wins. That's why we all (BJP members) are working hard to bring him back," Hema Malini told PTI Bhasha in an interview.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Saturday said although there were differences between his party and the BJP earlier, all the issues have been resolved now. He also said the two parties had similar goals and their ideologies and hearts were woven together. Thackeray also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the opposition had no leader that matches his stature. He was speaking at a rally here ahead of filing of nomination by BJP chief Amit Shah for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Saturday described the Congress' Nyay scheme as "anyay (injustice) yojana", saying that the scheme is "laughable" when compared to the welfare schemes implemented by the BJP. "The public is able to see all the 'anyaay' done by them (Congress) in their Nyay scheme. This is a type of 'anyaay yojana', as in the period of more than 70 years of Independence, you (Congress) ruled the country for almost three-fourths of the period, but never thought about the betterment of the people, especially the poor," Sharma told PTI. (PTI)
PM Modi attacked the Congress family saying that they put the country on the line for the benefits of people like Ottavio Quattrocchi and Christian Michel who has recently been extradited to India in the Augusta Westland chopper scam.
PM Modi says that his government is committed to the development of people involved in the tea business. He added that for such people the Shramyogi Mandhan Yojna was introduced and everyone will get a sum of Rs 3000 per month as pension after attaining 60 years of age.
PM Modi asserting the rhetoric around national security asks the crowd, who can free Assam, India from infiltrators, on one side there is a nstrong chowkidar, on the other side is the alliance of adulterated parties.
(Express Photo by Javed Raja)
Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar. The BJP national president said he was fortunate to become a candidate from the constituency represented by LK Advani.
"The Congress rule has reduced the identity of India to that of a victim. Now, you have to decide upon which government you want to elect to power —a powerful government or a tainted government," Modi asked people gathered in Moran rally.
With Modi in power, Congress' family and the terrorists' household are having sleepless nights, said Modi in Moran in Dibrugarh district of Assam.
The Sangli seat has seen intense politicking in the recent past as the Patils strongly protested against allocation of the seat to Paksha. This seat has always elected a Congress MP barring 2014
Vishal Patil, grandson of ex-chief minister Vasantdada Patil, is likely to be the Mahagadbandan candidate from Sangli in Maharashtra. He will fight on the Swabhimanipaksha symbol.
PM Modi attacked Congress for questioning Balakot air strikes and said, "When we entered the houses of terrorists and killed them, what were their reactions? They don't have much of existence in India, yet are being praised in Pakistan... They speak the language of terrorists," he said.
Congress and corruption has an old connection, says PM Modi. "So, they don't have any concerns about this country or its youth," he added.
Priyanka Gandhi shared a video on her Twitter handle where she could be seen interacting with villagers in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi, during her public address in Ayodhya on Friday said that PM Modi had no time to listen to the greivances of the poor in the last five year. She added that he did not visit a single village in his own constituency but took many a foreign trip in his tenure.
PM Modi said, "I have come to you with the intention to bring development of 25 years in just five years based on this 5-year experience."
The 'Chowkidar' (watchman) was given the opportunity to bring Arunachal into the railway map after 7 decades of independence, said PM Modi
Prime Minister Nrendra Modi addressed public in Aalo in Arunachal Pradesh. He said even as no prime minister has visited the place in thirty years, a chief servant has visited the place more than 30 times. "This chief servant has visted you over 30 times," said PM Modi.
The residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections over the authorities not paying heed to their demand to construct a bridge over Solani river, PTI reported.
P Chidambaram says ASAT test done "only to boost the sagging fortunes of the BJP".
Amit Shah said he is fortunate to become candidate from constituency represented by L K Advani.
Amit Shah said the country could see, in Modi, the leader it was looking for the past 70 years. He appealed to public to vote for BJP. "There's only one PM, one party that can provide security to this country. That is Narendra Modi, and BJP," he added.
Amit Shah starts speaking at Vijay Sankalp rally.
Chowkidar chor nahi, PM banana "sure" hai. Saari samasyaon ka wahi "cure" hai, said Rajnath Singh at Shah's Vijay Sankalp rally.
Samajwadi Party (SP) releases a list of two candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Ram Kumar to contest from Kanpur and Rambhual Nishad to contest from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Amit Shah nomination a show of unity with allies LJP, Shiv Sena and SAD. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari (both former BJP chief), allies Uddhav Thackeray, Prakash Singh Badal, Ram Vilas Paswan present in public meeting before Shah's nomination.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party and BJP have ended all their differences that had erupted. "Now our thoughts, principles all are same," He questioned the principles of the parties in the Opposition grand alliance and said," I want to ask them, 'Kaun banega pradhan mantri'?
What previous governments could not do in 50 years, Modi government did in last five years, said Nitin Gadkari
Amit Shah will contest the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Gandhinagar. He has replaced party veteran LK Advani, the party’s first list of candidates for the upcoming polls has revealed. Shah was earlier an MLA from Sarkhej seat, which is also a part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat was won by L K Advani six times since 1991, barring the 1996 Lok Sabha polls.
Amit Shah arrived at Gandhinagar for a public meeting and paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
While speaking at a rally in West Bengal's Alipurduar on Friday, Amit Shah had said, "This election will decide whether democracy will remain here or not because the TMC government has destroyed the culture and heritage of the state and throttled democracy.
Naranpura area of Ahmedabad all set to welcome Amit Shah who will lead a roadshow before filing his nomination today.