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AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's controversial «15-minute» remark made in 2013, AIMIM Bihar President Akhtarul Iman defended him, stating that Owaisi intended to resolve tensions between Hindus and Muslims if given 15 minutes. Iman emphasized that Owaisi did not imply violence but rather suggested that removing police presence could enable communities to settle disputes peacefully. Reacting to BJP leader Navneet Rana's response to Owaisi's comment, Imam said, «The people of BJP cannot understand anything. Akbaruddin Owaisi did not say that in „15 minutes“ he would murder someone or burn someone's house, he meant to say that, removing the Police and Hindu-Muslim brothers would settle everything together. Wherever there are clashes it is the police who ignite it»

Murshidabad's Baharampur, where five-time MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress is taking on Trinamool candidate Yusuf Pathan and BJP's Nirmal Chandra Saha. Voting is scheduled for May 13. The fight has also turned personal between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Chowdhury, who was against any compromise by the Congress with the Trinamool over seats. To challenge Chowdhury, Trinamool has brought in Pathan, a Gujarati who for several years was a player of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. While Chowdhury is very vocal in his criticism of Banerjee, the CM has also not minced words in attacking the Congress leader. She blames him for the failure of the alliance with the Congress as part of INDI Bloc in Bengal, and calls him an «agent of the BJP» who has teamed up with the CPM.

Modi 3.0 governance plan, beginning with the first 100 days agenda, is expected to include 50 to 70 important goals and recommendations to establish the tone and intent of the new government. These will be arranged in order of significance and priority. While the list now stands at 75-80 goals and proposals, the intention is to reduce it to 50, sources in the know said. With the Lok Sabha 2024 result less than a month away, the government is in the final stages of drafting a new governing agenda for the next term. This will contain the first 100 days of planning, as well as midterm and long-term goals.

Ujiarpur (Bihar): Just a day before his fate was to be sealed in EVM machines in Gujarat, home minister Amit Shah was busy in Bihar, campaigning for his deputy Nityanand Rai, a man he calls his «jigaree dost» (close friend). Rai, minister of state for home and BJP's most prominent face in Bihar, is looking for his third straight win from Ujiarpur, which will go to poll in the fourth phase on May 13. He is taking on RJD's Alok Kumar Mehta who was elected to the Lok Sabha from this seat in 2004 but was defeated by Rai in 2014. «You make him MP...I assure you I will make him a big man,» Shah exhorted a massive audience at a rally here on Monday.

INDIA bloc leaders is scheduled to meet the Election Commission of India brass here on Friday evening to register their opposition to the poll body's functioning, including its unusual delay in releasing the final voter turnout during the first and second phases of the Lok Sabha polls and to demand the release of the data promptly, as had been the case in the past, for the remaining phases of the election. The delegation is also expected to register their concerns about the «non-availability» of the final lists of registered voters constituency-wise for the upcoming phases. The leaders are also planning to take up with ECI the issue of their pending petitions before the poll body, alleging violation of campaign guidelines by BJP, including use of photos of religious symbols.

BJP is confident of securing its government in Haryana, even as JJP and Congress has sought the governor's intervention for a floor test of the Nayab Saini-led government. BJP is confident of support from several JJP MLAs. Former BJP ally, Dushyant Chautala, has written to the governor demanding a floor test in the state assembly. In his letter, Chautala said that the recent resignations and withdrawals of support have left the ruling BJP alliance teetering on the brink of a minority status. Till a few months ago, he was deputy chief minister in the BJP-JJP alliance government in Haryana. Similarly, Congress leader Bhupender Hooda also said he has sought time from the governor and would demand that an assembly session be called so that the Saini government would prove its majority on the floor of the House.

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking its immediate intervention as the party claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir Police had cancelled the permission it had granted the party for holding election rallies in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on May 20. Former J&K chief minister Abdullah, the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Baramulla, urged the ECI to take action against the «unjust move», which he said was designed to «create obstacles» in his election campaign. «We have received a letter informing us about cancellation of permission. On one hand BJP claims that the situation has changed in J&K, but when it is about the election campaign, they create obstacles because we are fighting elections against representatives of the BJP here,» said Abdullah.

Congress on Thursday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use his investigating agencies like the CBI and the ED to probe the charges he has levelled against businessmen Ambani and Adani that they were distributing sacks full of black money in tempos. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate claimed that the prime minister was never seen so weak and desperate that he ended up making great revelations about corruption in the country and exposing his own friends. She was referring to the charge on Wednesday made by prime minister who, for the first time during Lok Sabha poll campaign, accused the Congress of having a «deal» with «Ambani and Adani», and asked if the party has received «tempo loads of black money» from the two industrialists for its leader Rahul Gandhi to stop «abusing» them. Shrinate pointed out that Rahul Gandhi has been saying the same thing for the last 10 years that the big businessmen possessed black money but the prime minister was not taking action against them.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to soon file a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and it may name Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BRS leader K Kavitha and some others as accused, official sources said on Thursday. The federal agency had arrested Kejriwal from his official residence here on March 21 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) while Kavitha, the MLC daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was taken into custody from Hyderabad on March 15. Official sources said a prosecution complaint against half-a-dozen entities, including the two politicians, some linked individuals and companies, has been readied and the agency may file it before a special PMLA court here within the next 4-5 days. The accused will be charged with money laundering and the prosecution complaint will be filed under sections 45 and 44(1) of the PMLA, the sources said.

Kannauj (UP): BSP president Mayawati Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party alleging that it did not field a Muslim candidate from Kannauj as it cannot see beyond SP president Akhilesh Yadav's family. The BSP chief asked the deprived sections, including the Dalits and Muslims, not to cast a single vote for Yadav's party in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing an election rally in Kannauj, the constituency from where the SP chief is seeking election, the BSP president recalled how Yadav, during his government, had changed the names of the districts named by her government after the great men born in the «Dalit, shoshit and pichhda varg» (Dalit, oppressed and backward class). She said even though Muslims are in sizeable numbers in Kannauj, the SP does not give ticket to the community and alleged that the Yadavs from the SP family are fielded in elections as the party cannot see beyond their family.

voter turnout and ensure accessibility during the upcoming polls in the national capital, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi, P. Krishnamurthy, announced a strategic collaboration with ride hailing platform Rapido on Thursday. As part of this partnership, eligible voters in Delhi will be able to avail of free rides from the polling booths to their residences on the voting day, scheduled for May 25, ANI has reported. With the support of Rapido's extensive network of bike riders, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between voters and polling booths, encouraging greater civic participation.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the BJP will ensure free pilgrimage of five lakh people from Odisha to Ayodhya's Ram temple if the party is voted to power in the eastern state. Addressing an election rally at Kalimela here, the senior BJP leader also took a swipe at the ruling BJD for naming villages with numbers in Malkangiri district. «In Assam, I have decided to take one lakh people to Ayodhya, and the state government will bear the cost. As Odisha is bigger than Assam, 5 lakh people should get this facility. A new BJP chief minister will facilitate this pilgrimage if the party is voted to power in Odisha,» Sarma said. Sarma also sought to connect with the large number of Bengali-speaking population in Malkangiri district, assuring the people that Bengali teachers will be appointed, among other promises.

Uttar Pradesh: After a spirited roadshow featuring bulldozers in Mainpuri, the atmosphere at Wednesday's election rally in Aliganj sub-division of Etah district, under Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, reached new heights with an electrifying display of bulldozer "break dance." Scheduled to address the rally at DAV Inter College ground in Aliganj, UP CM Yogi Adityanath's arrival was preceded by the arrival of dozens of bulldozers. Amidst lively music, the operators of these heavy machines showcased their skills, performing stunts that enthralled the crowd. As 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans echoed, BJP workers adorned the dozer blades with party flags, adding to the festive atmosphere. With the operators rotating the machines 360 degrees and employing brake and engine thrust to simulate «break dance» steps, the spectacle captivated the audience. However, BJP's Aliganj MLA, Satyapal Singh Rathore, expressed discontent as the crowd seemed more engrossed in the bulldozer dance than the speeches from the stage.

HD Kumaraswamy said that the Prajwal Revanna case was not small and the accused even if he is powerful should be dealt with seriousness. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said, «I don't consider this Prajwal Revanna case as a small case. However powerful that person is, he must be dealt with seriousness. I'm the first person to say that the culprit should be dealt with properly.» DK Shivakumar had alleged that HD Kumaraswamy is behind the release of Prajwal Revanna's pen drives.

Enforcement Directorate is likely to file a chargesheet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, the day when the top court is expected to announce its verdict in the bail case, as per media reports. Earlier, the Supreme Court pushed forward the verdict on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's interim bail plea and said that it may announce the order on Thursday or next week, without specifying the date. The SC raised concerns regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) prolonged investigation into the excise policy-linked money laundering case involving Kejriwal. The SC bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Arvind Kejriwal's counsel Abhishek Singhvi that if it were to give interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor, it doesn’t want him to be performing official duties as the CM as it could lead to a conflict somewhere.

voter ID cards. This marks the first group of beneficiaries at the shelter, which has been operated by the Social and Evangelical Association for Love (SEAL) for 25 years. Social workers from SEAL facilitated this initiative, benefiting a total of 125 homeless individuals at the shelter. They are now eager to participate in the upcoming Phase-4 elections in the Maval constituency on May 13 by casting their votes. This addition of 125 new voters has caught the attention of political party workers. They have started visiting the SEAL Ashram to campaign for their candidates and inquire about any issues the shelter residents may have that they can address. Pastor Biju Samuel, who is second-in-command at SEAL, told TOI, «We are happy that our shelter home is now finally showing on the political radars of parties, since we now have 125 newly registered voters. For the past quarter century, local politicians were hardly interested in homeless people. Now they do.»

Dahod Lok Sabha constituency, officials said on Wednesday. The Congress has claimed that the man, Vijay Bhabhor, is the son of a local BJP leader and accused him of «insulting democracy» by going live on Instagram from the booth. The police in the state's Mahisagar district detained Bhabhor and another man after the opposition complained to the Election Commission with a copy of the video. Though Babhor deleted the video after it drew criticism, the clip had gone viral on social media by then. The incident of a man relaying a video live on Instagram after going to a poll booth to cast his vote is being probed, Dahod Returning Officer Nirgude Babanrao said.

Rajnath Singh on Wednesday claimed that poverty would be completely eradicated from India in the next 10-15 years and this is 'Modi Ki guarantee'. Singh said this while addressing the BJP's 'Vijay Sankalp' rally here in the district headquarters town of Kalahandi. «Though Congress leaders beginning from Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh all have promised to end poverty, all of them have failed. However, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started the process to end poverty,» he said. Noting that about 25 crore people have been lifted from below the poverty line during the nine years rule of Modi, the Defence minister said that this was not the claim made by the BJP, but the report of Niti Aayog. No previous government had ever done so as Modi did in the last nine years, he claimed.

Arvinder Singh Lovely, who recently resigned from the Delhi Congress president's post, on Wednesday said he will rather quit politics instead of leaving the BJP that he has now joined. Lovely along with other senior Delhi Congress leaders, including former minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, Naseeb Singh and Amit Malik, joined the BJP last week. Previously, he had quit the Congress and joined the BJP along with Malik in April 2017. However, within a few months he switched back to the Congress in 2018. Since then he was in the Congress that he left over differences with the party leadership over choice of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at Congress leader Sam Pitroda for his 'racist' remark, saying it reveals the mindset and attitude of Rahul Gandhi's mentor. Pitroda, the head of the Indian Overseas Congress, had triggered a controversy on Wednesday with his «people of the east look like the Chinese and those of the south look like Africans» remarks. In a post on X, Sitharaman retorted saying, «I am from South India. I look Indian! My team has enthusiastic members from north east India. They look Indian! My colleagues from west India look Indian! »But, for the racist who is the mentor of @RahulGandhi we all look African, Chinese, Arab and the White! Thanks for revealing your mindset and your attitude. I.N.D.I alliance's shame!".

MUMBAI: The biennial election to four seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council will be held on June 10, the Election Commission of India announced on Wednesday. Counting of votes will take place on June 13, an official release said here. The six-year tenure of the incumbent Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) will end on July 7. Of the seats going to polls, Mumbai teachers' and Mumbai graduates' constituencies are currently represented by Kapil Patil (Lok Bharati) and Vilas Potnis (Shiv Sena (UBT)).