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security arrangements for the May 13 polling in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, even as political parties expressed concern that their workers are being harassed by police. The Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency with about 17.4 lakh voters, including 2 lakh first-time voters, is spread over 18 Assembly segments in the four districts of Ganderbal, Srinagar, Pulwama and Budgam, where voting will take place at 2,135 polling stations. The administration has deployed police and paramilitary forces on all major roads and erected checkpoints in the constituency. Election Commission of India mandated security has been placed around polling stations as well.

New Delhi: In the wake of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks that Pakistan should be treated with caution as it also has the atom bomb, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that Congress did not act against the neighbouring country due to the fear of losing its vote bank (read Muslims) in India. «Congress repeatedly tries to scare our country. They say tread cautiously, Pakistan has an atom bomb. These virtually dead people are killing the minds of the people too. Congress has this attitude- they talk about Pakistan's bomb when the situation there is such that it cannot handle the bomb. It is out to sell it and there are no buyers. People know the quality is worthless and doesn't sell. Due to this weak attitude of Congress the people of Kashmir faced terrorism for 60 years, and the country faced many terror attacks,» the prime minister said at a public meeting in Odisha. Campaigning in Odisha, Modi held election rallies in Kandhamal, Bolangir and Bargarh. He also addressed a rally in Chatra, Jharkhand.

Congress from BJP on LS poll eve, prominent politician Chaudhury Birender Singh and his then MP son Brijendra Singh found themselves in limbo. After winning his Hissar seat on BJP symbol, ex-IAS babu Brijendra was supposed to receive a Congress ticket, but AICC Congress gave it to Hooda loyalist Jai Prakash. A little bird said neither AICC nor Haryana party brass supported Brinjendra when Congress CEC chose Haryana candidates. All eyes on Ajay Maken’s move AAP and Congress supporters in Delhi are asking when Ajay Maken, a prominent Delhi Congress leader, will launch a full campaign for the seven LS candidates. Since Maken, a former Delhi CM and now a Karnataka Rajya Sabha MP, was a staunch critic of AAP and CM Kejriwal and had commented on the 'Sheesh Mahal scam' on renovating CM Kejriwal's official residence, they are waiting to see how much the AAP-Congress deal has'reformed' him and how much his much-laboured Rajya Sabha entry has'mellowed' him.

Misa Bharti on Saturday said that Bharatiya Janata Party did not fulfill any of the poll promises it made in the past 10 years, adding that it also fooled the people of Bihar by making false promises. Speaking to ANI, Misa Bharti said, «They (NDA-BJP) have not fulfilled any of their promises in the past 10 years. They have fooled the people of Bihar by making false promises. Where are the 2 crore jobs that they promised? They are asking for one more chance but are not revealing their vision. On what basis are they asking for another chance? The people of the nation are witnessing all this and will answer this.» Misa Bharti further stated that the NDA alliance is not winning any seats in Bihar in the already concluded first three phases of the Lok Sabha polls.

Munger Lok Sabha seat is all set to test the popularity of chief minister Nitish Kumar among the OBCs, particularly his own caste Kurmi. Reason: Opposition RJD has fielded a strong OBC candidate here in Anita Devi, wife of convicted criminal Ashok Mahto. Mahto is a Kurmi and Devi a Dhanuk. Dhanuk and Kurmi are a socio-politically united combination. Now, out of the five assembly seats under the present Munger Lok Sabha seat, two — Barh and Mokama — were part of the erstwhile Barh Lok Sabha constituency represented by Nitish Kumar for five terms in the past.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward to clarify the BJP's '75 years retirement formula' which they have imposed on their senior party leaders. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue to lead the nation post the Lok Sabha elections. Singh said that Kejriwal raised the «genuine» issue of '75 years age rule', which was made by Prime Minister Modi. «They (BJP leaders, including Shah) said whatever rule PM Modi has made, it will be implemented on other leaders but not on Modi,» Singh said at the AAP office here.

YSRCP supremo Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday appealed to the people of Pithapuram Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh to vote for his party candidate V Geetha and reject her opponent Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan. He also promised to make Geetha as deputy chief minister if the party comes to power again. The ruling party chief alleged that Kalyan is inaccessible, and would not stay in the constituency. He would rush to Hyderabad even if he was affected by a bad cold. «How can women meet the actor-cum-politician who is in the habit of changing wives every five years as people change cars,» said Reddy, addressing a public meeting on the last day of the election campaign. Reposing faith in Geetha, the chief minister asserted that she would strive for the constituency's development.

Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri still remember the unforgettable incident that shook the country three years ago. Eight people including a journalist and four farmers were killed when violence broke out after an SUV ran over a group of protesting farmers in October of 2021. «I pass by this place everyday. We have tried a lot to forget what happened here but every time we approach this place, the images of that day flash before our eyes,» said Manjeet Singh, a resident of Tikunia pointing towards the ground where the farmers held the protest against the three controversial farm laws, which have been scrapped now.

Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said all pending issues of Ladakh would be fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and exhorted the people to vote for the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. BJP candidate Tashi Gyalson is locked in a three-cornered contest from the Ladakh seat. The Congress has fielded Tsering Namgyal, while the KDA has put up prominent leader Haji Haneefa Jan who is contesting as an independent. The fate of all three candidates will be sealed during the fifth phase of elections on May 20. The Lok Sabha elections here are taking place amid resentment among the locals over the deadlock in talks between the local representatives and the Central government.

rebels and three Independents, who voted for the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that people will teach them a lesson for «selling themselves in the political mandi of the BJP». "Himachal is devbhumi and the land of Gods and Goddesses and the people never support the dishonest and the present election would decide that honesty should win and dishonesty must be defeated," Sukhu said while addressing a meeting at Kupvi in the Shimla district in support of Vinod Sultanpuri, the Congress candidate from the Shimla (SC) Lok Sabha seat. He said that the ongoing election is not for saving the chair or the government but for «saving democracy» and asked the voters to decide whether the strength of democracy is 'dhanbal or janbal' (money power or people's power). Asserting that the present election is not an ordinary election and would determine the course of future politics of the country, he asked, «What would be the value of the vote if the government in power at the Centre purchases the elected representatives with money power?»

campaigning for the remaining eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress' Rahul Gandhi trading charges over the Constitution ended at 6 pm on Saturday. Of the 29 seats in MP, polling is over in 21 in the first three phases of the general elections. In these eight seats, 1.62 crore voters are eligible to seal the fate of 74 candidates in the fourth phase on May 13, said officials. Voting will held between 7 am and 6 pm for which 18,007 polling stations have been set up in the ST-reserved constituencies of Ratlam, Dhar and Khargone, SC-reserved seats of Dewas and Ujjain, and Mandsaur, Indore and Khandwa. In all, MP has ten reserved seats. The electioneering for the fourth phase gained momentum on May 6 with Gandhi launching an attack on PM Modi, alleging that he had made up his mind to scrap the Constitution to deprive the downtrodden of reservation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for «luring» Maharashtra satraps Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar into the BJP-led NDA. Kharge, addressing a press conference here, also claimed that it will be «extremely difficult» for Modi to form the next government in the country. «In Nandurbar, Modi said Thackeray and Pawar should cross over and all their wishes will be fulfilled. He said it would be better than dying with the Congress. Does a prime minister speak such language?» Kharge said. The PM had made the remark referring to a statement by Pawar, the founder of the NCP, who had predicted that many smaller parties opposed to the BJP would come close to the Congress, and some may even «merge».

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and other opposition parties in the state, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said BJP stands for Babu (TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu), Jagan and Pawan (Janasena founder Pawan Kalyan). Addressing a poll rally here, the Congress leader alleged the remote control of the three leaders is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Invoking the name of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), Rahul Gandhi said the former's marathon political walkathon (padayatra) across Andhra Pradesh was the inspiration for his nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra. «Today, Andhra Pradesh is run by the 'B' team of BJP. The BJP's 'B' team means B for Babu, J for Jagan and P for Pawan. Remote control of these three people is with Narendra Modi,» Gandhi said, taking a dig at the three parties (TDP, YSRCP and Janasena).

Rajya Sabha Harivansh on Saturday dispelled the opposition allegation that the BJP-led government would change the constitution if voted to power saying that the amount of work done in the last ten years to strengthen the constitution had never been done before. «Gandhi had said a person's work speaks for him… It is doubtful that the amount of work to strengthen the Constitution that has been done in this time was ever done before. When did the level of importance which has been given to Baba Ambedkar now accorded to him before? At the time, he did not even get a ticket from one of the most important political parties,» Harivansh said. «Someone should ask when did he (Baba Ambedkar) and Patel sahib receive the Bharat Ratna?» Harivansh added.

BJP on Saturday made light of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's readiness for a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it questioned his knowledge of issues and his standing, noting that he is neither the president of his party nor the leader of the opposition. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also took a swipe at Gandhi over his claim that the opposition INDIA bloc will win the Lok Sabha polls, saying someone who could not file his nomination from Amethi is speaking about forming government at the Centre. «Phenomenon thy name is Rahul Gandhi,» he said mockingly. Gandhi, who lost Amethi to Irani in the 2019 general elections, has this time been fielded by the Congress from Rae Bareli and is contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma is taking on Irani in Amethi.

voting for the newly created Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that authorities have imposed section 144 in Pulwama district. Mehbooba Mufti is contesting from the seat. She called the development «unprecedented» and alleged that her party workers are being detained.

Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, accompanied by his wife Sunita and the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, visited the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, central Delhi. This visit followed Kejriwal's release on interim bail from Tihar jail on Friday, paying his reverence a day after his release in the Enforcement Directorate's investigation into alleged money laundering in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy case. Kejriwal was joined by other Aam Aadmy Party leaders, among them Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Hindutva of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asserted that their brand of Hindutva «lights the stoves» in people's homes and the BJP's Hindutva «burns their homes.» «There is a vast difference between the Hindutva of the BJP and ours. Our Hindutva lights stoves in houses, but the BJP's Hindutva burns houses,» Uddhav said on Friday while addressing a gathering in Maharashtra. He further alleged that the Prime Minister was exerting pressure on the judiciary while appealing to the Supreme Court to ensure «legal equality» for everyone.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, has re-entered the election fray, providing a significant boost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the INDIA bloc's Lok Sabha campaign. Granted interim bail by the Supreme Court for election purposes, Kejriwal is wasting no time in leading the party's campaign. Kejriwal will kick off his campaign with a roadshow in south Delhi, scheduled for Saturday, where he will be joined by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Known for his ability to draw large crowds, Kejriwal is expected to be the star campaigner for the AAP. Kejriwal's Return to the Campaign Trail

Aam Aadmi Party for «celebrating» the Supreme Court's granting of interim bail to its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, Agnimitra Paul, the BJP MLA from Asansol in West Bengal, said, «If a dacoit gets bail, then there is no point in celebrating.» «If a dacoit gets bail, then there is no point in celebrating. He is a hypocrite who once said that he was against misgovernance, but now he has become the face of misgovernance. Whoever has looted the public money has to go to jail,» Paul told ANI. Kejriwal was released from jail after spending over 50 days following his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He has been granted interim bail till June 1 with conditions that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat.

Congress responded strongly to the Election Commission's sharp disapproval of the tone and tenor of party president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent letter to the INDIA bloc leaders. The AICC said the content and the intent of the letter will be a permanent blot on the reputation of the institution of EC. «The response of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the issues raised by the Congress President in his letter to the INDIA parties is simply beyond description. The EC is a Constitutional body entrusted with the responsibility of being an impartial body that ensures, and is seen to ensure, a level-playing field to all political parties. Both the content and intent of the letter will be a permanent blot on the reputation of an institution that can boast of luminaries like Sukumar Sen, TN Seshan, JM Lyngdoh and others», said Jairam Ramesh, AICC in-charge of communications.